It's a family affair at Ormond Road boutique Obdressed, where the team of a mother and her two daughters select every piece on the racks. Among fashion bearing the store's own label, customers will find staple pieces from Assembly Label, knitwear from Nikel and Sole, Rollie shoes, jewellery by Jolie & Deen and The Following, Sancia handbags, and skin and beauty products from Theseeke and Salt by Hendrix. The Obdressed team prides itself on presenting a carefully curated selection of local and international brands, and delivering friendly customer service to help everyone that walks through the door leave feeling great. Images: Tracey Ah-kee.
Morgan Hipworth, founder of Bistro Morgan bakehouse and star of Dessert Masters, is set to launch his latest venture, Maven, in December. Hipworth will be joined by co-head chef Daniel Neytha (Lona Misa) to set up Maven on Fitzroy's famed Brunswick Street. The duo has worked together to create a contemporary Australian menu that covers brekkie, lunch and dinner. For Hipworth, "Maven is the culmination of every kitchen experiment, every lesson from my mentors, and every feedback from patrons. It's where age-old traditions meet modern flavours. From the aromatic first brew in the morning to the very last bite of our signature desserts at night, Maven encapsulates my journey, lessons and aspirations as a chef." In true pastry chef style, Hipworth will make sure desserts are a big feature of Maven, stocking up the cake cabinet daily with tarts, croissants, muffins and cakes. We're also hoping to see his famed doughnut creations make an appearance. Much of the savoury breakfast, lunch and dinner options will come via Neytha, whose Colombian heritage is set to be seen throughout the menu. This will be blended with other South American flavours and contemporary Aussie sensibilities. Expected highlights include duck waffles, roast chicken and crispy pork sandwiches. You'll be able to pair both the savoury and sweet sides of the offerings with local wines and cocktails — and coffee will be available throughout the breakfast, lunch and dinner services. Maven is set to open in December 2023 at 402 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. For more info, check out the venue's website.
This High Street spot does what it says on the tin: quality souvas in a lively setting. Starting life as a roaming food truck around some of the city's busiest markets and foodie hotspots, this bricks-and-mortar site may be one of the best places in town to tuck into a hearty gyro. There's no reinventing the wheel here, with a selection of meat or veg-based wraps in fluffy pita bread, finished with tomato, red onion and chips and either mustard, house tzatziki or both depending on your choice of filling. The kitchen also plates up skewer platters, as well as Greek-style chips (chunky, deep-fried sticks of potato topped with oregano, feta or both), as well as a range of salads.
Winter might not be your favourite Melbourne season, but it doesn't have to be all gloom, doom and nights spent hibernating on the couch. Once again, a collection of bookable private igloos are popping up at bars and pubs across town, inviting you to embrace the chilly season in style. Making their home at four Australian Venue Co haunts across the cooler months, the Winter Igloo Gardens feature a series of translucent domes, with each pod decked out like a dreamy winter wonderland. With space for up to six or eight diners (depending on igloo sizing), they're kitted out with snuggly furnishings and twinkling fairy lights, offering a cosy private space for a romantic winter date or that group catch-up over dinner and drinks. Menus and packages vary between the four Igloo Gardens, though whichever you choose, all food and drink orders are made via the Mr Yum app, so you can avoid pesky trips to the bar and stay happily ensconced in your private winter cocoon. So where can you find these domed winter oases, you ask? The first batch has already landed beside the Yarra at Studley Park Boathouse in Kew, where they're available to book for two hours at a time. On offer here is a winter high tea, serving an assortment of sweet and savoury bites with unlimited tea or coffee for $52 per person. You can even add on bottomless spritzes and mimosas for an extra $25. Over in Footscray, the Station Hotel has unveiled its own Igloo Garden, taking two-hour bookings for groups of two to six. Here, you can settle in over a three-course feed — think, wagyu tartare with truffle and black garlic mayo, and a 150-gram scotch fillet with lashings of bearnaise — matched with a welcome drink for $75. [caption id="attachment_854426" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Station Hotel[/caption] From Saturday, May 21, the CBD's Wharf Hotel is joining the igloo party, with its pods boasting views across the river. This one's ideal for snackers and grazers — you can order a loaded share platter (meat or plant-based) teamed with the likes of mulled wine or a couple of hot toddies, for $59 per person. And Hawthorn's Auburn Hotel will unveil its igloos from Tuesday, May 24, serving specialty winter cocktails and a shared menu option. $69 will get you a three-course spread, a cocktail to kick things off, and exclusive use of your igloo paradise for 2.5 hours. Find the Winter Igloo Gardens at Studley Park Boathouse in Kew, the Station Hotel in Footscray, the Wharf Hotel in the CBD (from May 21), and the Auburn Hotel in Hawthorn (May 24). For further details and to book, see individual venue websites.
Life-changing meals aren't just found in the hottest restaurants. Whether you're travelling on a budget or just want to find out what dishes locals actually hold nearest and dearest, looking beyond the standard menu ensures you encounter something a little more exciting. Luckily, taking your next culinary adventure off the beaten path is just a matter of opening yourself up to kaleidoscopic street food markets and tucked-away joints. Together with Intrepid, we've curated a list of epic food experiences that you can enjoy that aren't in a restaurant. Monjayaki You've probably heard of okonomiyaki, but what about its lesser-known cousin? Monjayaki sees fresh ingredients like cabbage, corn, kimchi and cod cooked on a piping-hot griddle, then shaped into a doughnut as rich dashi broth is poured into the middle. Once mixed and fried, it's similar to okonomiyaki, just with a runnier texture and more delicious caramelised bits fused to the bottom. Synonymous with Tokyo's Tsukishima district, monjayaki is the ideal Japanese street food to try on your next trip. Cao Lau Vietnamese staples like pho and banh mi are deservedly adored, but it's not every day you can enjoy a hot bowl of cao lau. The most beloved dish in Hoi An — a fascinating port city shaped by its merchant past — what makes this local meal so special is how its noodles are prepared. Soaked in wells where water is mixed with wood ash collected from the Cham Islands, this gives the noodles a smokey flavour and firm texture. Typically served with thinly sliced pork, greens and bean sprouts, plan your trip to Hoi An to experience the dish. Bindae-Tteok Travelling to South Korea means you're bound to encounter a myriad of mazey markets bursting with sumptuous dishes you won't likely find on any restaurant menu. In Seoul, the go-to destination is Gwangjang Market — a sprawling gastronomic haven made even more popular by Netflix's 'Street Food' series. Across 5,000 stalls, flavours that tantalise your tastebuds are around every corner, including the wonders of bindae-tteok. This street food favourite sees mung bean batter combined with cabbage, kimchi and pork, then deep-fried to perfection and served with condiments like soy sauce and vinegar. Chiles En Nogada Finding authentic Mexican cuisine in Australia can be tricky. So, if you're planning a real food adventure to experience the good stuff, setting your sights on the country's national dishes is a smart way to get your palate up to speed with what's what. Native to Puebla, chiles en nogada bursts with bright flavours, featuring stuffed chillies covered in creamy walnut sauce. Best eaten when pomegranates are freshest from August to October, the dish's patriotic red, white and green ingredients give every bite a little extra zeal. Medfouna Influenced by cultures from Europe to Asia, traditional Moroccan food is the amalgamation of countless flavours. Yet for a dish beloved for hundreds of years by the country's nomadic Amazigh people, medfouna ensures you discover the taste of High Atlas cuisine. Nicknamed 'Amazigh pizza', medfouna is a stuffed flatbread set atop hot stones and buried beneath the red sand to cook. Loaded with meats, nuts, vegetables, herbs and spices, it's soon dug up and cut into slices, resembling pizza as you've never seen before. Ambul Thiyal Every Sri Lankan food extravaganza needs an abundance of hoppers, sambal and lamprais. Yet being a tropical paradise, overlooking the region's seafood is a mistake. Ambul thiyal, a sour fish curry, is one dish that elegantly balances the cuisine's intense spices with tangy goodness. Commonly made with fresh tuna, a fragrant mix of aromatic spices brings this beloved curry to life with black pepper, cinnamon, pandan and turmeric adding more and more flavour. Served with rice, the secret ingredient is goraka — a tiny tropical fruit loved for its tartness. Baccala Mantecato Italian cuisine is found worldwide for good reason — it's fresh, fun and made to share. However, it's best not to lump the country's cuisine together as a monolith. When you're chasing the best Italian flavours, the region-to-region, town-to-town variations make all the difference. An essential Venetian dish, baccala mantecato, or salted cod, is a stellar example of this local heritage. Brought to Venice from Norway by 15th-century traders, the cod is soaked and whipped, then served on toasted bread or polenta — perfect when sipping on an aperitif. Malai Ki Sabzi It's hard to imagine food more flavourful than Mughlai cuisine. Renowned for its rich, colourful dishes, much of what you'll taste is packed with potent ingredients like saffron, cardamon, cream and butter. Malai ki sabzi is a traditional meal that captures the magic. Local vegetables are cooked with cream and given a pungent boost with the full-flavoured combination of garlic, turmeric, coriander and green chilli. Take a food adventure to India to learn how to make this incredible dish with help from a cook specialising in Mughlai cuisine. Pachamanca Based upon centuries of colonial rule and immigration, Peruvian cuisine is a melting pot of global influences. In fact, two of the country's most popular cuisines — 'nikkei' and 'chifa' — showcase how local flavours have merged with Japanese and Chinese culinary ideas. The cuisine emerging from atop the Andes mountains is just as special. Meaning 'earth pot', pachamanca is the ideal introduction, with scorching hot rocks used to cook pork, lamb or chicken seasoned with black mint and broad beans. Journey to Cusco to get a taste. Francesinha Toasties are still enjoying time in the culinary sun, so why not feast on the Portuguese version of a croque monsieur? Almost every cafe in Porto has its own version, but a tried-and-true francesinha sees layers of beef, ham and sausage stacked between two thick slices of toast. This decadent creation is next draped in melted cheese from top to bottom, then drenched in a traditional sauce made from tomato and beer. Served alongside a big portion of fries, a Portugal food tour will highlight how the 'little French sandwich' is really a fully-fledged meal. Get out, explore, dive into adventure and find your WOW with Intrepid Travel. Find out more on the website. Top Images: Gwangjang Market, Mike Swigunski
We're teaming up with Intrepid for a season of adventure throughout 2024, and we need your help to put it all together. If you've got a craving for a food-fuelled adventure and are pretty savvy with a camera and video tools, you could secure your place on a ten-day tour of Vietnam with Intrepid Travel as our newly-appointed roving reporter, capturing every moment of the experience and helping us share the wonders that travel has to offer. This adventure will take you from one end of the country to another, seeing famous sights like Ha Long Bay and the Mekong River Delta. Along the way, you'll sample the specialty cuisines the country is known for, seeing the sights fly by on an overnight train ride, explore quiet fishing villages and the busy streets of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City alike. Just remember, keep that camera charged and ready for the money shots and the little snippets you can't see coming. We'll need your footage and creative skills to put together a video to showcase the trip and others like it. To enter, you just need to fill out the form below and submit an original video entry to prove you've got what it takes to get behind the camera and shoot a video as a roving reporter for Concrete Playground. It doesn't need to be a travel video, just as long as it shows you've got an eye for good content and have the practical skills to film and edit footage. Good luck, winners will be contacted by midnight on Friday, August 30. [competition]965314[/competition] Images courtesy of Intrepid Travel
It's hard to get a true snapshot of a place you're holidaying in when you don't know a resident who can show you around. Sydney can be a particularly hard nut to crack — how do you balance seeing its famously show-offy coastal and harbour landmarks, with getting a peek at its less well-lit and polished contemporary underbelly? To help you explore more of the city, we've gathered up a few of the very best, and some lesser known, experiences around town. And to do it, we've enlisted the help of Pullman Hotels and Resorts bar manager Jason Song and executive chef Daniel Simpson, because nobody knows a good secret like someone who works in hospitality. Over at the Hacienda, the bar at the Pullman Quay Grand Sydney Harbour, Song slings drinks with the best of them, having developed an interest in mixology after years of working in a bank. Simpson, meanwhile, has traversed the world, making a living from cooking, and climbing the ladder all the way to the Pullman Sydney Airport. With our combined mental capacity, we've pulled together some of Sydney's best experiences to be had in the realms of food and drink, leisure and wellbeing, and contemporary art and design. So get your Dora on and start exploring. Check out the rest of our Explore More content series to hone your itinerary for some of Australia's best holiday destinations. FOOD & DRINK ARCHIE ROSE While Sydney has a booming beer brewing history, Archie Rose was the first dedicated spirit distillery to operate in Sydney for a very long time. Far too long, some might say. In addition to the creation of unique Australian spirits, a fine cocktail bar is attached to the distillery, and they offer a number of masterclasses on distilling and blending beverages. And while it's a favourite for after-work drinks, the cozy nooks in the bar are also perfect for a date, a solo mission or a get-together with old buddies. Very worth the trip to the industrial area of Rosebery. Don't miss: The Archie Rose signature dry gin and fresh pear and ginger juice ($9) 678 SYDNEY With Sydney's cultural identity being as multifaceted as it is, it's no surprise that some of the best food to be had made its way to our plates from far-off shores. Located in Haymarket in the centre of Sydney, 678 Sydney prepares some of the most delectable Korean barbecue that you'll ever have the pleasure of supping on, and they'll overload you with all the traditional sides that you can handle. If you're a believer in the maxim that if you want something done right then you have to do it yourself, you're in luck, because the responsibility of manning the barbecue rests entirely on the customer. Don't miss: For the more adventurous, have the sliced beef tongue. For everyone else, the soy marinated pork ribs are pretty incredible. COFFEE ALCHEMY From time immemorial, a deep battle has waged between Australia's two largest cities, all about who can combine water, milk and ground coffee beans the best. Cafe and roastery Coffee Alchemy is one of Sydney's coffee heroes, with the product coming out of their Marrickville digs slaking the lust of many a coffee connoisseur with exceptional regularity. While there are more cafes in Sydney than one could poke a stick at, Coffee Alchemy is one of the few that illuminates just how seriously residents of the Emerald City take their coffee. Can't make it to Marrickville? Coffee Alchemy have a number of side projects, including Gumption in the CBD's Strand Arcade. Don't miss: On a hot day, order a Sparkler — carbonated brewed coffee poured from the tap and served in a beer glass. BODEGA As incredible as they are, there's more to the cuisine of South and Central America than tacos and nachos, and Bodega gives you the opportunity to have a crack at a whole lot of it. The menu is a contemporary take on Latin cuisine based around tapas and share plates, with the addition of a booze list that's got something awesome for everyone. The venue itself is an experience, with its '50s-inspired fittings and a playlist of music you'll actually want to listen to. Great for groups, dates and everything in between, Bodega's the perfect place to explore more of Latin America, in Sydney. Don't miss: The Porky Occy Gnocchi is a guiso (stew) of pork shoulder, chorizo and octopus, and is destined to blow your mind. WELLBEING & LEISURE WENDY'S SECRET GARDEN Despite the heaving metropolis that's at the heart of Sydney, it's not hard to find oneself pleasantly lost among a splash of greenery without venturing to the hinterlands. One of the finest examples of this is the stunning and, as the name suggests, secluded Wendy's Secret Garden. The garden was built under the design and direction of Wendy Whiteley, who has said that she knew nothing about horticulture when she started work on the grounds — located in front of the home she shared with her husband, artist Brett Whiteley — and instead built the garden with an emphasis on aesthetic appeal. The never-ending artwork creates a retreat from the urban jungle. Wendy Whiteley was awarded Australia's highest honour, the Order of Australia Medal, for her construction of the garden, and they don't just give those to anybody. Don't miss: Paths wind, diverge and converge within the garden, creating many quiet corners for picnics. SPIT BRIDGE TO MANLY COASTAL WALK Australia has a simply shocking abundance of stunning coastline — a perk of living on what is essentially a gigantic tropical island. One of the best ways to see this coastline is to hike alongside it — there are dozens of such walks in Sydney, each with their own unique character. The Spit Bridge to Manly walk is a great choice, as it not only lets you appreciate some of the most picturesque harbour scenery in the north, it also means you can take the Manly Ferry back to Circular Quay. Start out at the Spit Bridge, about 10 kilometres north of the CBD and trace the headlands all the way to Manly, wandering through bushland, along cliffs, and onto beaches. Don't miss: Take your swimming gear, because the you'll traipse through a number of hidden beaches that are perfect for cooling off from the walk. LA PEROUSE Although perhaps not as well known as some of Sydney famous beach suburbs, La Perouse offers a perfect snapshot of the city's coastal splendours. Snorkelling, scuba diving and stand-up paddleboarding all have their place along this stretch of coastline, which features sheltered, calm beaches like Frenchmans Bay, Congwong and Little Congwong (the latter sometimes trends nudist). La Perouse is located on the northern headland of Botany Bay, so there are also some landmarks of Australia's European colonial history, which you can see on the walk from the beaches to Bare Island. Don't miss: The tower at Bare Island, still functional and intact today, started life as a customs tower to guard against smugglers, then became a home for veterans of the First World War, and has even been a set in Mission: Impossible 2. ART & DESIGN WHITE RABBIT GALLERY Opened in 2009, Judith Neilson's White Rabbit Gallery is home to one of the world's biggest collections of contemporary Chinese art. Focusing solely on artworks created after 2000, the gallery constantly rotates the works on display, and its collection is constantly growing. Works come from some of the most important figures in the Chinese art world (including Ai Weiwei), and entry is free of charge. It'd be nice to leave a donation, though — White Rabbit is a registered charity. Don't miss: If all that culture has made you a touch peckish, the Teahouse in the gallery serves excellent dumplings and snacks, as well as a huge range of Chinese and Taiwanese teas. WE ARE HERE MURAL, FOLEY STREET Far from a raggedy bunch of graffiti, the We Are Here mural that runs for 75 metres parallel to Oxford Street on Foley Street is a coherent story of the vibrant history of the area. From its beginnings as humble track through the dense scrub to the thriving arts and entertainment precinct it is today, the work (a collaboration between artists Sarah Howell, Dylan Demarchi, byrd, The Dirt and Gui Andrade) describes the many and varied parades that have traipsed up Oxford Street over the millennia. Since the land's traditional owners trekked along the route from Botany Bay to Sydney Harbour, Oxford Street has remained an important symbol of Sydney's identity, no more so than every March when thousands march for Mardi Gras, and We Are Here paints this picture perfectly. Don't miss: A recurring motif runs through the mural, portraying the hands that built the area as we know it today, from the artist to the final V for Victory at the conclusion of the piece. CARRIAGEWORKS Converted from a decommissioned train workshop, this arts centre gathers together a little bit of everything that Australia and the world has to offer to the aesthetic appetite. As well as art exhibitions, Carriageworks also hosts regular performances, including some pretty big names in music and theatre. Be sure to grab a coffee or a cocktail and a bite to eat at the in-house bar and cafe, Cornerstone. Don't miss: Carriageworks is open every day, but every Saturday it holds a top-notch farmers' market with fresh produce and some killer breakfasts in the covered outdoor area. Explore more with Pullman. Book your next hotel stay with Pullman and enjoy a great breakfast for just $1.
These days, whenever an old pop culture commodity comes back in a new guise, it's easy to feel complacent. It happens all the time, whether it's a classic franchise receiving its second reboot, a cult 80s movie making the leap to the small screen or a huge TV hit jumping into prequel territory to continue its story. But if you're a fan of a certain undead-killing late 90s and early 00s television show, you'll know that great things can start this way. It's the path that Buffy the Vampire Slayer took, after all. Based on the 1992 movie of the same name, the Sarah Michelle Gellar-starring series might just be the finest example of a film-turned-TV show — well, it's definitely the best example in the high school-set vampire genre — as the world came to learn across seven seasons that initially aired between 1997–2003. Buffy has remained a cult favourite ever since, and plenty of devotees still have the huge DVD collections to prove it. Now, binging your way through the whole show is as easy as heading to Australian streaming platform Stan. As part of a deal with Disney that's also brought How I Met Your Mother, Sons of Anarchy, Grey's Anatomy and Family Guy to the service, all seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are available to stream. Whether you now know what you're doing this summer, have your after-work viewing planned for the foreseeable future or are planning to devote many a weekend to a rewatch, it's all there — from Buffy's arrival in Sunnydale, to her romantic fondness for brooding vamps Angel (David Boreanaz) and Spike (James Marsters), to all the hijinks that the Scooby Gang got up to while living on top of a hellmouth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1v_q6TWAL4 Because this is a series that, fittingly, no one wants to die, a Buffy spinoff was announced back in 2018 — however, to date, it's yet to come to fruition. There's nothing quite like the original Joss Whedon-created show, though, even if it wasn't the very first take on the feisty character. Grab your stakes, line up a range of suitably garlic-flavoured snacks and get ready for a whole world of small-town, high school hell — with vampires, demons, witches, plenty of dark forces, wise watchers like Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) and Wesley (Alexis Denisof), and, of course, Buffy's besties Willow (Alyson Hannigan) and Xander (Nicholas Brendon). All seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are now available to stream on Stan.
Life became wildly unpredictable and messy for a moment there, but Collingwood's newly opened bathhouse and spa might be just what you need to give stress the flick and start the year off strong. In the bottom levels of a converted Easey Street warehouse, Mary Minas and Freya Berwick have opened the final stage of their wellness hub Sense of Self, with its massage and mindfulness studio opening in the warehouse's top levels in early February. The duo is out to flip the script on the usual wellness concept, with an unpretentious offering that's focused on connection, inclusivity and restoration. As Minas says: "Our vision is to strip the spa experience back to its roots, giving people a place to cultivate a better relationship with their bodies and themselves. Wellness without the BS, essentially." So, put the phone away, get off the 'Gram and give yourself some much-needed attention. Minas spent five months visiting the bathhouses of Europe, Africa and Japan, while botanist-turned-hotelier Berwick spent plenty of time sweating in Scandinavian saunas during her three years in Norway. So, expect influences pulled from all four locations at Sense of Self — and plenty of plants. [caption id="attachment_803436" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jess Tremp[/caption] The facilities at the bathhouse include a Finnish-style sauna at a hot 80 degrees, a large 39-degree mineral bath and a cold plunge pool. Passes give you access to all the facilities, and start at $49 for two hours. Bathing on the weekend will set you back $59 for two hours, or you can get discounted multi-packs from $140 for three. At the not-quite-as-new massage and mindfulness studio, you'll find a menu of body treatments for relaxation, remediation and pregnancy, backed by a soothing lounge area where naps are not just welcomed, but encouraged. Designed by an all-female collective from Set Square Studio, Chamberlain Architects and Hearth Studio, the space is filled with natural timbers, creamy hues, brass highlights, striking taps from Sussex Taps and foliage from the Plant Charmer. Find Sense of Self at 30–32 Easey Street, Collingwood. The bathhouse is open from 7am–9pm Tuesday–Friday and 9am–7pm Saturday–Sunday. The massage studio is open from 11am–8pm Tuesday–Friday and 10am–6pm Saturday–Sunday. Images: Jess Tremp
When Netflix released the first season of Heartstopper in 2022, audiences found it easy to say "I love you". When the streaming platform dropped the show's second season in 2023, the same was true of this coming-of-age gem. But in the first look at the series' third season, uttering those three words is causing plenty of anxiety for Charlie Spring (first-timer Joe Locke) — so much so that he's practising what he wants to tell Nick Nelson (Kit Connor, Little Joe) in front of the mirror. Netflix hasn't quite unveiled a trailer for the upcoming third instalment of this webcomic-to-page-to-screen delight, but it has released footage as part of its date announcement. So, everyone gets a very brief sneak peek at one scene — Charlie's nerves, his sister Tori (Jenny Walser, Call the Midwife) offering advice and Nick showing up at his door — and also the knowledge that the show will return on Thursday, October 3, 2024. This season will open with an episode called 'Love', fittingly, as Charlie attempts to express it verbally and Nick also has something to say to him. Expect the pair to learn more about each other — including Charlie seeing Nick in a singlet and Nick seeing Charlie in a cap, both for the first time, as per the just-dropped clip — and also start to think about the future beyond high school. As charming as romantic comedies, LGBTQIA+-championing tales, British series and coming-of-age stories can get so far, Heartstopper has proven a show to swoon over regardless of whether you currently are or ever have been a queer teen trying to be true to yourself, navigating adolescence and riding the emotional rollercoaster that is falling for someone. Its first season proved such a hit that Netflix renewed the series for two more go-arounds afterwards — with the graphic novel's author and illustrator Alice Oseman as the show's writer (and creator, obviously). Story-wise, Heartstopper began with Truham Grammar School pupils Charlie and Nick Nelson being seated next to each other at the start of a new term, with sparks flying swiftly and overwhelmingly — at least on Charlie's part — and then a life-changing love story blossoming. In season three, a few well-known faces are joining the cast, with Hayley Atwell (Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One) playing Nick's aunt, Eddie Marsan (Back to Black) as Charlie's therapist and Jonathan Bailey (Bridgerton) as Charlie's celebrity crush. Check out the first look at Heartstopper season three via the date announcement video below: Heartstopper season three will stream via Netflix from Thursday, October 3, 2024. Read our reviews of season one and season two. Images: Netflix.
Snapping street art is old hat now, with the halls of Instagram strewn with the point-and-shoot documentation of many a Banksy, Shepard Fairey Obey knock-off and epic East London murals. But the only real reward is a couple of likes from your buds back home, what if you could gain kudos from the artist themselves? Beloved Parisian street artist Invader has launched a brand new game for snappers, the perfect complement to his celebrated '70s 8-bit video game-inspired critters hanging about on walls worldwide. With the brand new app Flash Invaders, you're encouraged to find the artist's iconic little Space Invader installations, take a shot (or 'flash'), upload it to the app and earn points for each successful snap. The Flash Invaders app doesn't accept imposters, comparing your photo with a database of images to match it up. If you've found a genuine Invader, you earn points for that particular work. And don't try to trick the app with phony Google-searched photos either, as the software has been designed to only allow users to 'flash' the Invader works when you're actually in front of it — your bedroom-bound GPS location gave you away. But where can you find these little critters (and how can you tell if it's the real deal)? Head to Invader's website to check out the international locations of his official installations. Unfortunately, there's not too many in Australia, one in Perth and this one in Melbourne: Your best bet is to casually head to the artist's hometown, Paris, where there are over 1000 Space Invaders lurking in alleyways, atop buildings and along stairwells. These are the thumbnails from Invader's website, to get the picture: Or try Rome: Maybe Vienna: Perhaps Varanasi: Start playing Flash Invaders here. Via Vandablog.
We see a plethora of photos every day. They're on our Facebook feed, pop-ups and billboards — we're bombarded. But after two years in rural Victoria, Daniel Bushaway seems to have found some remarkable serenity in the photographic form. Debuting at Edmund Pearce Gallery, Bushaway's latest exhibition is guaranteed to bring you some country bliss right in the heart of the city. Still Places is a body of work which investigates semi-permanent human structures in natural environments, and asks us to consider how we can interact harmoniously with nature. Bushaway reflects upon his relationship with 'off the grid' living and his personal experiences with the smells and sounds of the Moonee Creek Co-op in Lima East, north of Mansfield in Victoria. The artworks were created predominately in winter, influencing the tonal quality of the pieces and resulting in a body of lush photographic works. Head down for opening drinks on Thursday, February 6 from 6-8pm, or check out the exhibition any time between now and March1. Image credit: Daniel Bushaway, Tree House, via Edmund Pearce Gallery.
The latest restaurant from Melbourne hospitality stalwart Chris Lucas sets out to envelop you, but in a different way from its siblings: the ever-buzzy Chin Chin or riotous Yakimono. When you enter Grill Americano's lofty 145-seat space on the ground floor of the 101 Collins building, you're welcomed by a plush, Euro-inspired vision of rich blue banquettes, elegant table lamps and waitstaff clad in white jackets. Opening Monday, March 21, Lucas' new venture is a study in modern elegance, with a steakhouse-style offering of Northern Italian flavours and a name inspired by the Americano cocktail — here, the signature's crafted with a cacao nib vermouth and served with chocolate-dipped mandarin. Inside, an impressive 14-metre marble bar offers front-row seats to the open kitchen and its pride and joy: a handmade, custom-built woodfired oven imported from Naples and a Josper charcoal grill. There's a strong sense of old-school hospitality at play here, matched by Head Chef Douglas Keyte's (Brisbane's Hellenika) mighty menu steeped in European sensibilities and hero-ing traditional Italian techniques. Expect elegant tableside finishes aplenty. Snack fiends and aperitivo aficionados will be all about the cicchetti offering, starring the likes of creamy chicken croquettes, crisp polenta bites and aged parmigiano reggiano served with organic Piemontese chestnut honey. Freshly baked focaccia is teamed with green olive butter, and you'll find a premium lineup of salumi sourced from across the homeland. There's no skimping on the pasta situation, with Sicilian-native Simone Giorgianni whipping up the restaurant's signature offering fresh each day. Standouts include a saffron tagliolini topped with scampi and a spicy pork sausage rigatoni. [caption id="attachment_846483" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Adrian Landers[/caption] Seafood features regularly through the lineup of main plates, although most will find it hard to pass up the selection of steaks, all traditionally finished with a lick of olive oil, lemon and rosemary. Their meaty hero is a hefty 1.2-kilogram Bistecca alla Fiorentina t-bone. Just don't ditch dessert — Michaela Kang (Bread Club) is at the helm of a showstopping menu of sweet creations that includes a reworked tiramisu and an elegant take on the trifle. Starring alongside the namesake cocktail, you'll find an expansive, global curation of vino, with a Coravin system to take full advantage of the 2000-strong cellar collection. Meanwhile, a crop of signature cocktails features plenty of Italian influence and subtle twists — try the smoked negroni, or a house bellini fusing white peach and elderflower. Find Grill Americano at 112 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, from March 21. It'll open from 4pm–late Tuesday and Wednesday, 12pm–late Thursday and Friday, and 4pm–late Saturday. Images: Adrian Landers
The first sky-high venture from the guys behind Arbory and Arbory Afloat, this gem crowns the multi-storey HER building, pairing Thai barbecue with epic CBD views. A cocktail bar-slash garden terrace with a fitout by designer Tamsin Johnson, HER Rooftop looks like an old-world European garden party that's been plonked down in the heart of Melbourne. There are wrought-iron tables and chairs, a geometric Italian marble floor, lush green planter boxes and colour-packed wall tiles. You can squeeze 120 guests up here, and there's plenty for them to drink. The bar's open till 1am every night, slinging a curated mix of cocktails and spirits focused on craft tequila and gins. Other garden-party-worthy offerings include the likes of a charred pineapple margarita ($22), a green apple gimlet ($22) and a handful of Euro-style aperitifs. A concise yet diverse wine list rounds out the fun. To soak up the booze, you've got a selection of Thai plates from BKK downstairs. Expect fried chicken sandwiches with som tum salad and sweet chilli ($19), a range of laab (the vegan laab with crispy eggplant is our personal fave), pork skewers ($8) and a spicy ocean trout salad ($18). A dedicated late-night menu runs until the wee hours, too.
Been spending the first few months of 2020 pondering the future? Given the current state of affairs, that's only natural. This week, however, you might want to look to the skies as well — and feast your eyes on a luminous lunar sight. For folks located Down Under, Wednesday, April 8 is when you'll want to be peering upwards. That's when you'll see the second of 2020's super full moons, with this one named the 'super pink moon'. And while super full moons aren't particularly rare — two usually happen each year — after this, the next one isn't due to occur until April 2021. WHAT IS IT? If you're more familiar with The Mighty Boosh's take on the moon than actual lunar terms, here's what you need to know. As we all learned back in November 2016, a supermoon is a new moon or full moon that occurs when the moon reaches the closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit, making it particularly bright. They're not all that uncommon — but because April 2020's supermoon is a full moon (and not a new moon), that's why it's called a super full moon. It's also a pink moon, too, which doesn't refer to its colour but to the time of year. In the northern hemisphere, April and spring go hand-in-hand — which means the April full moon usually arrives with the onset of the year's floral blooms, and with the first flowers from the pink-hued wild ground phlox specifically. Of course, it's currently autumn in the southern hemisphere, and the wild ground phlox are native to North America — but the name still sticks. WHEN CAN I SEE IT? If you're keen to catch a glimpse, you'll want to peek outside on Wednesday, April 8 — and while timeanddate.com notes that the super pink moon is expected to be at its peak at 12.35pm that day in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, it's still worth looking up for. If you're eager to take some pictures — and see if you can outdo previous supermoon snaps — the ABC recommends directing your eyeballs upwards at around 11pm that night, which is when the super pink moon will be highest in the sky. WHERE CAN I SEE IT? Usually, when a spectacular moon beams down from above, we'd advise city-dwellers to get as far away from light pollution as possible to get the best view. That's not possible given the current COVID-19 restrictions in place, so you'd best take a gander from your backyard or balcony. Typically, clouds and showers are predicted for Wednesday along the east coast, which could present problems in terms of visibility. If you can't get a clear view, The Virtual Telescope Project will be live streaming the moon online from Rome on Wednesday, April 8, starting at 3am AEST, too. Via timeanddate.com / space.com / ABC. Image: Andrew C.
We've all been there. It's 6pm on a Wednesday. You've just commuted home from a long day at the office, and all you want is to switch your brain off with a good doom scroll. The temptation to tap your trusty delivery app in this moment is high. What could be easier than having a takeaway arrive straight to your door? But we all know the truth. From missing items to cold meals and soggy cardboard, the dream of a takeaway is often tastier than the reality. That's why we've partnered with MasterFoods™ to give you three quick and easy midweek dinner ideas that'll curb your cravings and save some precious dollars (and time) without compromising on flavour. Keep reading (and save this article) to have some easy mid-week meals in your kitchen arsenal. [caption id="attachment_1027005" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Supplied[/caption] Zesty Chicken Wrap Rather than ordering a Greek wrap via delivery (which, realistically, will end up a soggy, mushy mess), this 25-minute dish will have you eating a fresh and flavoursome meal before the delivery driver has even left the restaurant. Ingredients: 500 grams of chicken breast MasterFoods™ Lemon and Pepper Seasoning 1 tbsp of olive oil 4 pitas or flatbreads Sliced red onion Sliced tomato Shredded Lettuce Crumbed Feta (optional) MasterFoods™ Zesty Lemon & Herb No Rules Sauce Method: Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breast and MasterFoods™ Lemon and Pepper Seasoning. Cook until cooked through. Heat the pita in a dry pan or wrap in foil and warm in the oven for a couple of minutes. To serve, spread a generous spoonful of MasterFoods™ Zesty Lemon & Herb No Rules Sauce onto the warm pita, add your chicken, then top with lettuce, tomato, onion, and feta. Fold, serve and enjoy. [caption id="attachment_1027006" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Supplied[/caption] Smokey BBQ Beef Burger Is there anything worse than a cold burger after a long day? (And dropping $30 for the privilege?) This Smokey BBQ Beef Burger takes just 30 minutes, makes four serves, and guarantees a hot, mouth-watering meal. Ingredients: 500g regular minced beef 1 tbsp MasterFoods™ All Purpose Seasoning 1 tbsp MasterFoods™ Smokey Barbecue Sauce ½ cup panko breadcrumbs 2 white onions, thinly sliced 1 egg 2 tbsp of olive oil 1 large tomato Iceberg lettuce Pickles Method: Add the minced beef, MasterFoods™ All Purpose Seasoning, egg and panko breadcrumbs into a bowl and mix until combined. Thinly slice the onions and squeeze out excess moisture to ensure extra crispiness. Divide the seasoned mince into four balls and set aside while you preheat the barbecue — no need to chill. Turn your barbecue flat plate or griddle to high and place the meatballs down, ensuring you have space between each to smash flat. Each meatball should be loaded with a generous handful of sliced onion before being smashed as flat as possible into the pan or barbecue plate. Cook for 3-4 minutes and flip. After another one to two minutes, add cheese, let it melt and remove from the heat. Toast your buns and load up with salad: tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, pickles, etc. Don't forget the MasterFoods™ Smokey Barbecue Sauce to top it off. Hot tip: If you're a huge fan of sauce, why not also add a squeeze of MasterFoods™ No Rules Zesty Lemon & Herb Sauce as well? [caption id="attachment_1030078" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Supplied[/caption] Chipotle Mushroom Tacos A guaranteed crowd pleaser, this vegan recipe will spice up your midweek dinner rotation. Featuring MasterFoods™ Taco Seasoning Mix of paprika, oregano and cumin, this four-serve recipe packs a punch and will be on your plate in just 30 minutes. Avoid the takeaway tax (and time) and turn your week around with these delicious mushroom tacos. Ingredients: 400g king oyster mushrooms 4 tbsp MasterFoods™ Taco Seasoning Mix 1 small white onion, finely diced 1 tsp tomato paste 2-3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari (for GF version) ¼ cup water 3 tbsp olive oil 1 ripe avocado MasterFoods™ Smokey Chipotle No Rules Sauce 2 limes, halved Pickled red onion Vine-ripened tomatoes, diced Lettuce Vegan sour cream 8 tortillas (flour or corn) Method: Rinse the mushrooms and remove and finely slice the caps. For the stems, make incisions with a fork and pull them apart with your fingers to resemble pulled pork. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan, add the chopped onion, and cook gently for about 10 minutes until translucent and lightly browned. Add the minced garlic and sauté for another 2-4 minutes until fragrant. Stir in four tablespoons of MasterFoods™ Taco Seasoning Mix and cook for one minute. Mix in the mushrooms, soy sauce, and water, cooking until the liquid is mostly absorbed. Season with pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes, then remove from heat. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Spread the pulled mushrooms on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 15 minutes to add a nice crunch. Assemble the tacos with pulled mushrooms, chopped lettuce, diced tomatoes, pickled onions, and add lime and vegan sour cream or MasterFoods™ Smokey Chipotle No Rules Sauce as a topping. Craving more flavour-packed ideas? Head to MasterFoods™ for inspiration. MasterFoods™ — You Made It. Lead image: Getty Images
King & Godfree, the historical Carlton grocery shop, is to enter a new era with plans just announced for three fresh, new venues to make their home in the iconic corner building site. The new venues will open over the coming summer and throughout 2026. The first of the three venues, slated to open in December, will see the space previously occupied by Agostino transformed into a casual and fun pizzeria. In time, the basement cellar will reopen as a late-night cocktail and music bar, and the much-loved deli will be reimagined as an all-day neighbourhood osteria and wine bar. That casual pizzeria, Garfield, set to open at the end of January 2026, is inspired by the pizzerias of Naples, Rome, and even Tokyo, which, if you haven't heard, is producing some of the best pizzas in the world. Named for an orange cat that wandered into the building site and helped himself to leftover pizza, Garfield is set to be just as playful, reimagining classic techniques with bold flavour pairings. With celebrated chef Karen Martini leading the charge, inventive offerings are set to include the likes of blended Italian staples (such as a Margherita x Marinara number) and modern takes on old favourites, such as Garfield's Hawaiian, featuring house-roasted leg ham, fermented pineapple, and barbecue sauce on a white base. "We've taken the essence of classic Italian pizzerias and reinvented it," says owner Jamie Valmorbida. And with Pidapipo next door, it's no surprise that dessert will feature rotating Pidapipo soft serve. Owner, Jamie Valmorbida (of Pidapipo and Johnny's Green Room) says, "Letting go of the deli wasn't easy, but it was time to move forward. What we're building still carries that same spirit — just in a new way. Our goal is to create venues that become part of Carlton's story for years to come." That the King & Godfree building is an integral part of Carlton's history is undeniable, with the original store dating back to 1884. Carlo Valmorbida, Jamie's grandfather, is said to have brought Italian staples such as olive oil, Parmesan cheese and pasta to the Carlton community, and was central to Melbourne's evolving hospitality landscape. [caption id="attachment_936276" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Johnny's Green Room, Arianna Leggiero[/caption] Valmorbida has gathered a stellar team around him to bring these new concepts to fruition. The same creative group returns from Johnny's Green Room, including Karen Martini (who has also been busy taking over the kitchen at Bar Carolina) as Culinary Director and Dion Hall, leading the design. Joel Penno, with over 30 years of experience in the industry at venues such as Chin Chin and Stokehouse, will serve as General Manager. Mark Glenn, with over 20 years of experience in acclaimed kitchens such as Dinner by Heston and Cumulus Inc., joins as the Executive Chef. "Building on the success of Johnny's Green Room, we're creating a family of hospitality venues that honour the site's heritage while looking to the future. This is about realising the King & Godfree building's vision and creating a true neighbourhood precinct — generous, welcoming, and connected to its history." Images: Griffin Simm. Garfield is slated to open at the end of January 2026. To keep up to date with further details, check out @garfield_pizzeria on Instagram. If you're craving a slice of pizza or a bowl of pasta in the meantime, check out the best Italian restaurants in Melbourne.
Opening in 2017, Brunswick East's Etta was in instant hit amongst both local wine and food lovers. Hannah Green (Rosetta) runs the show, and is supported by Rosheen Kaul in the kitchen and Ashley Boburka in the wine cellar. The trio champions all things local and seasonal (with a strong focus on small producers), meaning change is a big part of everything here. If you fall in love with a particular dish, don't be surprised if it's not there the week after. Instead, heat to Etta to keep trying something new. With Kaul running the pass, expect mostly contemporary pan-Asian eats. She draws from the flavours of her childhood, growing up in Singapore with Kashmiri, Peranakan, Chinese and Filipino heritage. This — blended with Etta's tradition of treating fresh, seasonal, sustainable produce with respect — makes for an eclectic and very Melbourne kind of menu. You can find simple dishes like the rock oysters served with a vibrant pink peppercorn granita or something a little more creative like the red curry rice salad with grilled octopus and woodfired otak-otak (fish cakes). Wine is also a big part of the Etta experience (this is why it made our list of the best wine bars in Melbourne). At first, Green set up the menu. But in 2020, Boburka took over the diverse 250-bottle wine program. Like before, there's a strong focus on Victorian and Australian winemakers alongside plenty of European drops. Boburka also gives heaps of love to small producers that approach intervention with light hands. Prepare to try something you've never had before at Etta — whether it's the wine or the food. And expect this each and every time you return. You certainly won't get bored here. Images: Annika Kafcaloudis Appears in: The Best Wine Bars in Melbourne for 2023
If your wardrobe is looking a little tired and you're well overdue for a vintage shopping session, then Melbourne, this weekend is your time to shine. From 10am–4pm on Saturday, April 17, and Sunday, April 18, a group of the inner north's best-loved vintage and retro stores are joining forces for a huge celebration of pre-loved wares. Meet the Smith Street Vintage Trail. Dotted along the Smith Street strip, you'll find traders throwing open their doors for some great shopping, lively tunes and other activities. Sally's Retro Fashion is running mini styling sessions, Monkey Jar will host a runway show dedicated to retro threads and sequins, and Shappere Vintage Clothing is handing out free drinks and discounts. Nearby, Recycled Delightful has planned a vintage market and treasure hunt, while Memorabilia on Smith is set to host a garage sale, complete with giveaways for the kids. And at Plug Seven Records, you'll be able to shop new and pre-loved vinyl while enjoying live tunes courtesy of The Psychedelic Freaks. More entertainment will be dished up by the likes of Jack Lynch and What The Funk Brass Band, plus there'll be plenty of slick vintage cars to check out, too. Images: Monkey Jar
Picnics and barbecues in the park are an age-old way to pass the time when the weather is fine. There's just something that makes you feel footloose and fancy-free when you're surrounded by nature, some of your favourite people and piles and piles of food. With barbecue facilities, walking paths, playground equipment for the kids and even a sculpture ('Within Three Worlds'), Princes Park in Carlton North is a great option for the next time you want to fire up the grill and spend a few hours sinking beers in the sun. Assign someone to salad duty, make sure that the person on the tools actually knows how to barbecue and bob's your uncles (maybe he can cook?). And don't forget to pack a frisbee for some post-feed fun. Your doggo is also welcome here, too, and there are off-leash areas within the park to take them to so they don't miss out on the running around fun.
When Arelhe Urrperle walks the earth, people will take notice. Spying a six-metre-tall puppet that weighs 600 kilograms wandering around is bound to draw attention. Seeing it mosey through Alice Springs Desert Park, sharing Arrernte stories and language, will be a main attraction at 2024's Parrtjima — A Festival in Light, in fact — and just one of the reasons that this Indigenous arts festival should be on your itinerary this autumn as well. Erth, which has also brought dinosaurs and sharks to life around the country in the past — and held prehistoric picnics featuring puppets — is behind Arelhe Urrperle. In New South Wales, Marri Dyin, which also reaches six metres in height, has taken a stroll at Vivid Sydney 2018 and 2019, plus at the Nights on Crown Festival in Wollongong in 2019. Arelhe Urrperle will be specific to the Red Centre, however, and see Erth's puppeteers train local Indigenous performers to operate the roving puppet for Parrtjima's 2024 run. The dates to head along: Friday, April 12–Sunday, April 21. Representing Arelhe matriarchs, Arelhe Urrperle is one of this year's signature installations — and a new addition to Parrtjima for 2024. Fancy feasting your eyes on illuminated cars that form a collage of work celebrating Eastern, Western and Central language groups? Walking through an immersive passageway that pays tribute to late Arrernte leader Dr MK Turner? Thanks to fellow installations Arrernte and Honouring, they're also on the festival's just-announced program. One of the Northern Territory's annual highlights — and one of its dazzling sights, alongside natural features Uluru, the Tjoritja gorges and Kings Canyon, plus nightly light show Wintjiri Wiru, as well as Bruce Munro's Field of Light and Light Towers — this First Nations arts, culture and storytelling festival takes place against the 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges. Comine that setting with art, music, talks, workshops and more, and a unique festival awaits. 2024 marks the ninth Parrtjima, with its ten-night lineup focusing on the importance of interconnectedness across First Nations culture for this year. That'll partly happen through two things that are always on the bill: two of the festival's regular annual attractions, aka a huge artwork that transforms a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic ranges, showering it with light each night of the festival; and Grounded, the installation projected over the red dirt at tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park. The Ranges Light Show will take over additional projection space in 2024, while Grounded will become more interactive. From there, the program includes a three-night marketplace for the first time in the fest's history. The Northern Territory Indigenous Business Network (NTIBN) Buy Blak Market will feature both food and other products from local Aboriginal businesses. On the music roster, Troy Cassar-Daley, Shellie Morris, Miiesha and Mulga Bore Hard Rock will take to the stage. Cassar-Daley and Morris are also on the talks lineup, alongside Floyd Doyle and Dr Josie Douglas. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light will return from Friday, April 12–Sunday, April 21, 2024, at venues around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Images: Parrtjima – A Festival in Light / Arelhe Urrperle images by Steven Woodburn. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
When you've directed two movies about zombies — the first of which you've basically become synonymous with — and also dabbled with on-screen demons, what do you tackle next? If you're Australian Wyrmwood, Nekrotronic and Wyrmwood: Apocalypse filmmaker Kiah Roache-Turner, you do battle with another classic horror concept. Sting takes its moniker from The Hobbit. The fact that its human protagonist is called Charlotte is particularly telling, however. What better name to use in a movie about a giant spider that falls from the sky, is discovered by a curious 12-year-old, then makes its growing presence petrifyingly known? Shot in the ABC studios in Sydney but set in a New York City apartment block in the thick of winter, Sting's nods elsewhere stretch across the film like a web. Lines recall Predator. Shots nod to Alien. "I pretty much copied that exact jump-scare from Alien, when Tom Skerritt goes into the air conditioning ducts, 100 percent," Roache-Turner tells Concrete Playground. He's loving about his influences, on- and off-screen. That affection for flicks gone by shows in the movie from the moment that its titular creature — he's named his spider well, too — first appears. Roache-Turner has also used himself and his own fear as a basis. Yes, he's afraid of spiders, as we almost all are. "I didn't necessarily want to confront it. It's just my job is to think of the worst thing, the scariest thing, the most-disturbing thing that could happen to me, and then put it in a script and then make you guys watch it and hope that it scares people," says Roache-Turner. "That's kind of what I do. I just sit around thinking about things that disturb me and then I write about them — and it's good because if you take your nightmares out of here and you put it down onto paper, and you spend a couple of years making a spider movie, the hope is that you might become a little less arachnophobic. So it could be therapeutic." Asked if making Sting ended up being cathartic, though, Roache-Turner has bad news for anyone thinking that they might cure their unease about eight-legged arthropods through filmmaking. "Not at all. No. I still hate spiders. Maybe it's worse now because I've had to look at so much footage of spiders, so now I'm doubly sure that I hate them," he shares. Ten years back on Wyrmwood, which he calls "one of the best things I've ever done in my life", the writer/director put everything that he had into what swiftly became his calling card. "It was three-and-a-half years of production. I shot a lot of it in my mum's backyard. It was me and my brothers and my mates just putting on zombie makeup and having fun," Roache-Turner notes. "I can't tell you how fun it was, and I still think about it almost every day. It's a huge part of my life, and it's the reason why I'm here talking to you about a giant spider movie." He's happy that it keeps coming up. "No matter what I do, people go 'you made Wyrmwood'. I think that's how Sam Raimi must feel, too. He can make as many A Simple Plan movies as he wants. He can do as many Spider-Man movies as he wants. But he's always the guy that did Evil Dead, and that's me," he advises. Roache-Turner is also still giving his all with Sting, including by drawing upon his own family setup. Charlotte, played by Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart's Alyla Browne, has an IRL analogue. So does her stepfather Ethan, with House of the Dragon and In Limbo's Ryan Corr the film's version of Roache-Turner. As happens in the picture — which features Noni Hazelhurst (One Night), Penelope Mitchell (What You Wish For), Jermaine Fowler (A Murder at the End of the World), Silvia Colloca (Wellmania), Danny Kim (C*A*U*G*H*T) and Robyn Nevin (Relic) as well — Sting's creative force had just welcomed a new baby. Similarities continue, albeit with a critter that Roache-Turner is most frightened of looming large, literally, aided by creature design by Wētā Workshop. How does taking inspiration from so much of your own life guide you when you're writing a horror screenplay? How did Sting get rolling from the idea that everyone hates spiders, not just Roache-Turner? What kind of balancing act was required to make this an unsettling spider flick, also a movie about a kid with an unusual pet Pete's Dragon and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial-style, and a picture about a family in crisis? With Sting opening in Australian cinemas on Thursday, July 18, 2024, Roache-Turner filled us in, and also chatted about his inspirations, casting Browne and Corr, and what type of primal fear that he's grappling with next. On Starting with the Idea That Everyone Hates Spiders, Then Getting the Ball Rolling "The good thing about Sting is it's a primal fear like sharks. Everybody's scared of a thing in the bedroom. Everybody's scared of the idea of a ghost. These are primal fears. And as I'm arachnophobic, I've had the image or the idea — anytime I look at a spider, I'm scared, I want to cry. But a little part of my brain goes 'imagine that was big. Imagine that was big!'. I've been thinking about that for most of my life, and then finally I set myself a task. It was actually after I had a meeting with James Wan's producer, and he was explaining how he and James make films. And he goes 'we do a template system, so we go: single location, one monster, one family — go'. And he goes 'we just make the same movie over and over again'. And I was thinking 'I wonder if I could do that?'. So I thought 'okay, I'm going take a single location: let's say an apartment building. I'm going to take a family: let's say my family'. So I just had a baby. I'm married. I've got a stepdaughter. I'm going to just template that so I can make it personal. 'What's the monster?' And that whole thing in my head just started echoing 'imagine a spider was big'. That's the thing that I would be most scared of to see. So I just wrote the movie that would be the scariest movie that I could possibly make. The idea of a giant spider descending on a crib was one of the first images that I got, because I just was a new father and I had a baby, and I just couldn't imagine anything worse. And so I was like 'yeah, that'll make a good poster'. That's how these things get started. And I wrote the script, and I took it around. And I don't think anybody, I couldn't really find a producer who wanted to do it because they were all scared. They're just like 'no, no, no, no, no, it's probably going to be more than about five mil'. Everybody wants to make the five-mil Blumhouse template thing. And I'm like 'yeah, I could write that, but I didn't write that in this case. I don't think we can make a giant spider movie set in a New York apartment building for five. I don't know how to do that'. So Jamie Hilton and Michael Pontin and Chris Brown [Sting's producers] just were brave enough to just go 'okay, we believe in this, we're going push it'. Once we got the ball rolling, it just seemed like a good idea, because it had been a while since we had a really decent giant spider movie. I can't even really think of one. I mean Arachnophobia, but they're little. I'm talking about one the size of a pit bull terrier. Other than Shelob, there's not really that many out there. So we had something vaguely original and we just ran with it." On How Taking Inspiration From Your Personal Life Guides You When You're Writing a Screenplay "It guides the emotion, so all of this stuff with the father and the daughter and the wife and the baby and the tension, that all came out of COVID. I was going through that. The big difference is I get on with my family really well — I'll start to make up a bunch of really horrible drama to make it interesting, but the feelings and the emotion is there. In terms of writing the thing, there's no secret to it. It's unexplainable. The structure just jumps into your head. You go 'if there's an alien spider in the building, how does it get into the apartment? How do we keep it in the family? How does it then grow big? How does it then escape so it can start eating dogs and cats? Who's the first human it's gonna eat? What happens when it attacks the family?'. One thing leads to another, and it just becomes a question of thinking your way out of situations. And then you find yourself at the end, and then you write 'fade out'. Sometimes they're good. Sometimes they're bad. Writing is the most-unexplainable thing in the world, and it's the hardest part of the whole process. But there are little tricks to making it easier, and certainly templating your own family and your own experiences is an easy way to get into an emotional truth." On Balancing the Film as a Spider Horror Flick, But Also a Movie About a Kid with an Unusual Pet and a Picture About a Family in Crisis "It's the hardest part, balancing that stuff. And because I am the person who made Wyrmwood, my tendency is to just make films that feel like they just never stop. So I really was trying to make something that has more long sections of just straight drama. I wanted to slow it down a little bit. A huge part of the writing process and the rewriting was about making the family warmer at the start so that when cracks start to appear, we care about them more — and how much drama should there be between the father and the daughter? All that kind of stuff. Yeah, it's a real balancing act in a film like this. Sometimes, I'm not sure I succeeded. Sometimes, I'm like 'did I put too much family drama in there?'. And some people are like 'yeah man, you should have had more deaths and kills'. And then somebody else would go 'god, what? No, no. That was the best thing about the film'. So it's hard to know sometimes. I think you just make a thing and you hope it's right. You do some test screenings. You work on instinct. But on this one, I wanted it to be more than just about a spider eating people, and scares and thrills. I had a personal thing that I wanted to work through with the family dynamic, and we did that, we went a little bit more dramatic with it." On Casting Rising Australian Star and Furiosa Co-Star Alyla Browne as Charlotte "We went to Nikki Barrett [the Australian casting director] and just said 'Nikki, we have a really, really difficult task for you. We need you to cast a 12-year-old star in this film that we just wrote'. And she goes 'shhhh, stop talking. Cast Alyla Browne. Just don't talk about it. Don't talk about it. Just cast her'. And she doesn't talk like that. She's usually very considered, but she was just like 'this is the person. This is the girl'. I might've just looked up a clip on YouTube. I was like 'who is this Alyla Browne?'. It was two clips of an audition she did for a film years earlier when she was like nine. She did an amazing audition where she cried. And I was like 'oh, my god, she's so talented'. Then she did the same thing in a flawless American accent and cried. And I was like 'is she available immediately?'. We didn't even audition her. I just met with her and her mother and just tried hard not to stuff it up. I was more me convincing her to be in the film. But luckily she loved the script and wanted to do it. Her mum just wanted to meet me to make sure I'm not a crazy person and so I pretended not to be, and she signed up and did the movie. She's honestly one of the most-talented actors I've ever worked with. You put the camera on her and something happens. It's a star quality — she's a 12-year-old with the star quality of Nicole Kidman or something. The whole crew would go silent and people would be looking at each other going 'just how is this 12-year-old being this amazing?'. And she made my film just 30-percent better just by being on in front of the camera — and that's something that the director prays for." On Enlisting Ryan Corr to Play Roache-Turner's On-Screen Surrogate "I'd wanted to work with Ryan for years and years. We tried and we just had a few availability issues or whatever. I've been trying to work with him for a long time. So I was stoked to get him for this one, and I'm glad it was on this one because, yeah, this was very much like he's playing me. He's not playing a guy running around jumping in slow motion, firing a gun — this is me. I wanted to be a comics artist. I wear glasses. I have a beard. Like, he's playing me. He's just playing like a heaps better-looking version of me. And every actor knows that, he read the script, he knew the deal. He's like 'yeah, this is you. I get it, but I'm going to do my own version'. With Ryan, it's like working with Brando or Tom Hardy or something. You just step back, say 'action' and watch him improve your movie. There's not much directing that goes on. The guy's a genius." On the Film's Commitment to Incorporating Practical Effects "I love CGI and we've got some sick CGI in this film. Cumulus VFX, the company that did all that stuff, it was a flawless job. But I just believe, particularly with horror, sometimes there's just a bit of an uncanny-valley thing that pops in every now and again. You're just like 'oh, there's still just something wrong with the weight of it' or 'it's not quite interacting with the shadows right', and that's even when you've just got the best CGI you can get. So it's always important for me to have a big practical element. I prefer to have a layer of practical and CGI augments what's already there. Denis Villeneuve does that on Dune: Part Two — you look at the behind-the-scenes, most of it's practical, it's augmented digitally and that's why Dune is one of the best-looking science-fiction franchises of all time. I think with this one, it was really important that we had a practical element. And when that practical element is done by Wētā Workshop, who are the best at what they do in the universe, your life is made a lot easier." On Sting's Broad Array of Inspirations Beyond Roache-Turner and His Family "Charlotte's Web, 100 percent. That's just me having a dig at a cultural phenomenon — everybody read Charlotte's Web as a kid. And I figured most people have read The Hobbit, so the sting reference I think would be nice, too, and with all the giant spiders in Mirkwood. Also The Thing, with a single location with a bunch of people stuck with one monster being eaten. And there's a comedy aspect to The Thing that I love. The tone of John Carpenter's films, I love. Very heavily influenced by Jaws, even though narratively, it's very different — but just the tone of it. Poltergeist, also in that they're stuck in a house and it's a sort of flawed family with cracks in it being terrified by an entity in a house. I really was going for a Spielberg thing. There's a tendency, I think, in today's horror to be overly arty or overly bleak, and Spielberg has a light and an adventurous touch that I really like — as well as being a really good filmmaker who understands that Hitchcockian tension. So I wanted to play in that sandbox. Spielberg is a huge influence on this." On Which Classic Horror Setup Is Next for Roache-Turner "I'm in pre-production on a giant shark movie right now, so I'm literally a couple of weeks away from shooting. I'm doing an Australian World War Two shark movie where a ship gets shot down by Japanese torpedoes halfway between Darwin and East Timor, and these guys are trapped on a raft and they're bedevilled by this giant killer shark that's eating them one by one. So I'm just making my way through the monsters." Sting opens in Australian cinemas on Thursday, July 18, 2024.
The owners of Hawthorn's Nevermind Bar really outdid themselves when they opened a sophisticated wine bar around the block. Gone are the dive bar-esque stylings of the former — in their place is a classed-up affair of polished cement, hanging greenery and high ceilings, all of which centre on a wrap-around marble bar. Luton Lane is a European-style wine bar through and through. Behind that bar (and in the fully stocked wine fridge) there are over 100 bottles of wine, with a whopping 17 by the glass ($10–14). Those focus on natural drops and span labels from France, Spain and Argentina, along with quite a few from Victoria's wine regions. At the moment, the must-try is the natural fermentation sparkling by French winemaker Varichon & Clerc. Other than wine, there are two beer taps and batched classic cocktails by Melbourne's Everleigh Bottling Co. — including the martini, negroni, manhattan and old-fashioned. Grab a seat at that bar or in the leafy outdoor balcony and get to sipping. The kitchen does Spanish-style bar snacks that change regularly. Think crumbed and fried cherry bocconcini with rosemary ($12), and dutch carrots and chick peas topped with a buckwheat crumble ($10). There's also a trio of charred skewers on offer, including aged wagyu rump with green sauce, shallot and cider chorizo and paprika and oregano chicken ($18 each). As with any great wine bar, the cheese and charcuterie game is strong — the latter includes specialties like chicken and black truffle terrine ($16) and Spanish tinned stuffed squid in ink ($12). If you've gathered a big group, you can nab the four-course tasting menu for $39 per person, with matched natural wines for an additional $40.
Established in 2009 to discuss difficult issues, push boundaries and inspire debate, Sydney's Festival of Dangerous Ideas has spent a decade exploring provocative topics — and it's celebrating its tenth anniversary in the same fashion. This year's event will tackle the theme 'dangerous realities', focusing specifically on racism, surveillance and climate change. After postponing its weekend-long Town Hall event in April due to the government's ban on non-essential gatherings over 500 people, FODI has decided to return next month with a succinct digital program for 2020. It's called FODI Digital, aptly — and fans will be happy to hear that headliner Edward Snowden is still on the docket. The whistleblower will — of course — examine the reality of mass governmental surveillance system. As expected, he was always planned to appear via livestream rather than in person, so not much has changed. The one-hour conversation will take place on Thursday, September 24 from 7pm. Alongside Snowden, the program features Professor Marcia Langton AM on Thursday, September 10 and Journalist David Wallace-Wells on Saturday, October 11. Langton will discuss the truth about racism in relation to Australia's Indigenous people, as well as our society's resistance to accepting our racist past. Meanwhile, Wallace-Wells will dissect the climate crisis in a conversation titled The Uninhabitable Earth. As all events will be live-streamed, tickets will cost just $10 for Langton and Wallace-Wells and just $15 for Snowden — or nab tickets to all three for $30. FODI is presented by The Ethics Centre, who co-founded the fest with the Sydney Opera House, then partnered with UNSW for the 2018 version of the event on Cockatoo Island. While this year's digital season is decidedly different from past iterations, it still boasts the fest's usual high-calibre range of speakers — so another eyeopening FODI season awaits. FODI Digital will take place across three separate online conversations on Thursday, September 10; Thursday, September, 24; and Saturday, October 11. For tickets, visit the festival's website. Top image: Jodie Barker
Beckett's a rare proposition indeed at the Melbourne Theatre Company — this Sam Strong-directed production of Endgame is only the company’s second foray into the Irish dramatist’s effortlessly bleak style since 1990's Waiting for Godot. The control Beckett’s estate wields over the production of his work might be to blame, especially in a modern era where directors can tend towards radical recontextualisation. But this production shows that these same limitations can just as easily be incredibly liberating. Visual artist Callum Morton's design for Endgame flourishes within these strictures. Confronted with the problem of a design with strict guidelines in the script, Morton opted for the interior of a kind of 'lighthouse'. It's one where the light has long since gone out; its keeper first replaced with machinery and those mechanisms in turn long rusted away. Morton's concrete slabs replace the fourth wall to become the curtain, and as they rise on the action there’s an implication of unsealing a tomb — one in which the audience, now part of the same space, are fellow inhabitants (and exhibits). The core of Beckett's play is made up of the interchanges between a blind, irascible, chair-bound man named Hamm (Colin Friels) and the servile Clov (Luke Mullins), bound by mutual flaws and reciprocities. Hamm is the only one who knows the combination to the larder, Clov can see, and walk. On paper, this is probably the strongest cast assembled for the company’s 2015 season; with Mullins and Friels joined by Rhys McConnochie and Julie Forsyth. These two are superb as Hamm’s parents, Nagg and Nell — his 'pregenitors' — now living inside barrels. One of Forsyth’s greatest strengths as a performer is that voice — somehow impossibly, completely ethereal but wielded with utter control — and she and McConnochie’s performances are superb, creating a kind of warm light that hints at the hopeful, redemptive possibilities of love; one which is extinguished just as quickly as their lids can be slammed shut. Mullins has an exacting level physical commitment to his role that is impressive but the approach risks planing away some of the delicate intricacies of the text, and many moments where volume substitutes for emotion. So too Friels embodies Hamm with a sort of ocker confidence that suits many moments well but doesn’t allow for a great deal of other depth. Although it’s a production that succeeds in capturing the blunt force trauma of codependency, there isn’t a great deal more subtlety operating beneath the surface. But being able to watch actors like Forsyth and McConnochie tackle the rigors of Beckett’s idiosyncratic language make this more than worthwhile.
It's no secret Melbourne is home to some of the top bars in the country — and some of the best are hidden in plain sight. The city is full of under-the-radar spots slinging bespoke cocktails from basement lounges and concealed speakeasies to rooftop watering holes, especially if you fancy an adventure to the southern end of town. Next time you find yourself in St Kilda and Southside, be sure to drop into one of these standout establishments for a glorious night of unconventional cocktails and bites. Whether you're after champagne and an opulent dinner, fairytale-themed drinks above the city, or just a chill beer in a leafy courtyard with your best furry mate, we've rounded up six inventive bars for your upcoming date or group gathering in South Melbourne, in partnership with St Kilda and Southside. Alex Squadrito Castlerose Hidden beneath South Melbourne cafe Clementine is Castlerose, a luxe supper club inspired by old-world Europe that somehow manages to be moody yet exceedingly playful. Sip champagne in vintage-style coupe glasses or opt for a classic cocktail with a twist, like the Sidecarriage with Calvados brandy, St Germain elderflower liqueur and lemon, or Ode to Jörg with Plymouth Sloe gin, lemon and Thai basil. If you're hungry, the luxe-European style menu includes a bougie confit duck cigar (delightfully served in a wooden cigar box alongside an ashtray of olive dust), plus the likes of lobster roll, steak tartare and seafood pie. And be sure to keep an eye out for the roving cheese cart, stacked with a rotating selection of local and imported wedges and wheels. Castlerose is located at 67 Palmerston Crescent, South Melbourne. Voodoo Lovechild Speakeasy This dimly-lit, vibey cocktail lounge brings the lively spirit of New Orleans to St Kilda, with live tunes every Thursday to Saturday and a broad drinks menu of classic and Southern-inspired cocktails. Pair a signature sazerac with a selection of soul food, such as a muffuletta sandwich, cornbread waffles with jalapeño maple butter and cajun fries. The weekly specials are equally comforting and layered with Southern warmth, operating on a schedule of jambalaya and beer on Wednesdays, Po' Boys subs on Thursdays and fried chicken and waffles on Fridays. Voodoo Lovechild Speakeasy is located at 143 Chapel Street, St Kilda. Ghost of Alfred Felton Venture up the stairs at beloved pub The Espy, and you'll find a cocktail bar dedicated to Alfred Fenton, an entrepreneur, chemist, philanthropist, art collector and late resident of the Espy. His ghost isn't actually part of the furniture, but his influence is plain to see. The venue boasts views of St Kilda Pier and is split into three areas, each paying homage to a period of Felton's life. Some small bites are available, mainly decadent cheese and charcuterie offerings, but it's the drinks that steal the show here. Feltons work in the medicinal industry as inspired a cocktail list that celebrates the 'un-ordinary' qualities of drinks — take the Garden of Secrets, made with Tanqueray Gin, St Germain Elderflower, lime, aloe vera, cucumber and botanical soda. There's also an extensive whisky list and some vintage champagnes that cost upwards of $500 (but are worth the investment). The Ghost of Alfred Fenton is located at 11 The Esplanade, St Kilda. Rosie's Follow the sounds of vinyl on Ormond Road in Elwood to find a welcoming outdoor courtyard surrounded by greenery and lit up with fairy lights. This is the newly opened Rosie's, which serves supreme vibes alongside simple cocktails, wines and beer behind Johnny's Coffee Roasters. Only open on Fridays and Saturdays, the casual bar is all about kicking back and enjoying good tunes. Most importantly, it's also dog-friendly, so you can bring along a pooch and expect to meet some furry friends while you enjoy your drinks. Craft cocktails are the go here, cocktails like the Elwood Fix with vodka, aperitivo, grapefruit and marmalade; Lemon Slice with limoncello, Licor 43, ginger and cream; or Morning Glory Fizz with Naked Malt whisky, absinthe, lemon, sugar and soda. Rosie's Bar is located at 157 Ormond Road, Elwood (behind Johnny's Coffee Roasters). Mirror Mirror Perched above the Clarendon Hotel, this rooftop bar is a dreamy spot to sip Snow White-inspired cocktails and snack on Asian-fusion bites while looking out across the city skyline. The aforementioned bites include skewers of king oyster mushroom, lemongrass chicken or beef rendang, or simple share plates of thick-cut chips with sesame mayo, Korean veggie pancakes or tofu karage. The drinks are concise but creative, with signature cocktails like the Poison Apple with apple rum, caramel and ginger; Sweet Dreams with raspberry and thyme vodka, Chambord, cranberry and toasted marshmallow; and The Huntsman with dark rum, passionfruit, lychee and pineapple. There's also some Australian wines available but beer buffs will have to seek their bevs elsewhere. Mirror Mirror is located at 3/209 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne. Lady Peacock You'll feel like you've stepped into Bridgerton at this quaint cocktail salon, which is decorated with glittering chandeliers, plush velvet lounges and gold-framed paintings. While you might not run into a dreamy Lord or Viscount here, there are plenty of charming cocktails and champagne on offer, like the peach martini or Lady Ambrosia, alongside nibbles and cheese. Visit during happy hour (5pm to 7pm on Fridays and 3pm to 7pm on weekends), and you'll be able to grab $10 house wines and bubbles or select cocktails for $18 with a personal charcuterie board on the side. Lady Peacock is located at 19 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda. Discover more to do at the What's On St Kilda and Southside website. Images: Alex Squadrito, Alex Drewnik, What's on St Kilda and Southside.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, audiences can't flock to the Sydney Film Festival in person this year — so SFF is bringing the movie magic to audiences at home instead. First, it's teaming up with 19 other top fests from around the world to present We Are One: A Global Film Festival, a free ten-day festival that'll be streamed on YouTube. Then, a couple of days after that's all done, SFF is holding its own ticketed online event. Sydney Film Festival: Virtual Edition will run from Wednesday, June 10–Sunday, June 21, focusing on three of the annual event's popular programming strands: the Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Australian Documentary, the Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films, and Europe! Voices of Women in Film. That means that when you're not spending ten days watching brand new world-premiering Aussie docos from the comfort of your couch, you can check out the best short flicks from emerging filmmakers and the latest features from Europe's talented female directors. The program will drop on Wednesday, May 27, which is when tickets will go on sale — but, because SFF is moving online for the first time in its 67-year history, cinephiles will be able to buy a ticket and watch virtually no matter where they're located. SFF will also hand out its usual prizes for Aussie documentaries and Aussie short films — so you'll be watching award-winners, too. The full program launch and ticket sales for Sydney Film Festival: Virtual Edition begin on May 27.
Sydney newcomer Wildflower Brewing and Blending is bringing things back to basics, creating barrel-aged, blended wild beers that focus on balance, approachability and natural ingredients. Owner Topher Boehm has an innate fascination with crafting and learning — his previous preoccupations include book binding and bespoke shoe-making, as well as, most recently, brewing at Batch Brewing Company. "When I got into brewing I loved working with the raw materials, but when I found out yeast was available everywhere I had a desire to take it one step further, to source more materials from Australia and what is naturally found around me," says Boehm. "This same beer could have been made 150 years ago." In this naturalist vein, Boehm cultivates wild yeast found in New South Wales and uses Australian malts and hops where possible. Though barrel aging, especially with wild yeast, can add a tart characteristic to the brews, Wildflower is not a sour beer facility. On the contrary, Boehm is focused on producing balanced, easy-drinking beers that are closer to farmhouse or saison-style ales than sours. Blending newly brewed beer with existing barrel-aged beer is what gives this balance between fresh and funky. In a Marrickville warehouse that's rumoured to have a once acted as a rivet factory for the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Wildflower's space is very bare bones and is clearly all about the French oak barrels, fifty of which currently line one wall. Boehm sourced these ex-wine barrels from Orange, working with such heavyweight wineries as De Salis, Ross Hill and Canobolas~Smith. The beer is initially contract brewed at Batch and then transported to the Wildflower barrels for blending. Wildflower's core range includes a Table Beer, the Gold Blend #1 and the Amber Blend #1. The Table Beer was inspired by the brewing culture Boehm experienced in France. "We would always have beer with lunch, and I love the idea of stopping during the day and having a table beer that is light and refreshing," he says. He is specifically fond of beers you can pair with food, and describes his gold and amber ales as white wine versus red wine for this purpose. "The most important thing for me is that people just enjoy the beer and don't over-analyse it," says Boehm. "I want the beer to be approachable and simple so it's just a nice brew to enjoy with friends and have a chat over without any pretension." The first Wildflower deliveries went out in mid-April, with venues including Automata, Bitter Phew and The Dolphin Hotel wine room, plus bottle shops including Oak Barrel, Bucket Boys and Paddington's Five Way Cellars, all snagging this batch. A few venues have already sold out, but if you missed out on this round, there will be more where that came from soon enough. Wildflower Brewing and Blending is located at 11-13 Brompton St, Marrickville. The tasting room will open to the public for Saturday tastings and takeaway in the near future, so keep an eye on their website for updates.
Fifty years, oh-so-many epic campaigns, and everything from movies to video games, too: that's the Dungeons & Dragons story. 2024 marks half a century since the tabletop roleplaying game first had its players rolling the dice and spinning fantasy tales, a milestone that's being celebrated Down Under with the Australasian premiere of Dungeons & Dragons' leap to the stage. Get excited about DUNGEONS & DRAGONS The Twenty-Sided Tavern. Normally a trip to the theatre means engaging via watching, not by playing a part; however, that fittingly isn't the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS The Twenty-Sided Tavern experience. Audience members don't simply view this version of the game — they also play along, choosing the characters and helping shape the story. Here's how it works, as Australians have been able to discover at the Sydney Opera House Studio since Sunday, December 15, 2024: when you take your seat, you're a key aspect of the show. Entering the Forgotten Realms, you also pick the experiences and other elements of the performance using Gamiotics software, with more than 30 playable characters, 34 backgrounds and 28 combat effects involved. Still on numbers, the production also features 40-plus custom character illustrations, 40 item cards and over 300 individual pieces of content. Five actors take to the stage to bring all of the above to life, including via games, combat, puzzles and riddles — and, because of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS The Twenty-Sided Tavern's interactive nature, they're not just performing the same roles each time. Shaking things up for the audience and the cast alike, this experience is never the same twice. Images: Daniel Boud.
Yearning to get a taste of proper winter? White snow, sharp alpine air, rugging up in a big coat with a hot mug of something decadent? Or maybe you're restless and keen for a change of pace, whooshing down hills and through forests on skis, snowboards or even sleds. Well, you don't have to go far to make your ski-life dreams come true. Mt Hotham is Australia's highest alpine village and the best-kept secret of the snowfields. Just under five hours' drive from Melbourne, this tucked-away spot offers a winter wonderland of powdery slopes, vibrant après ski culture and magnificent natural beauty, with high mountain ranges and snow gum forests all around. By day, explore the vast trails of ski runs for every level, and get out on snowshoe tours and husky sled adventures. By night enjoy fondue and mulled wine under the stars or burgers, beer and DJ sets. Whatever way you holiday, there's a perfect escape waiting at Mt Hotham — we've planned a getaway that'll make you feel on top of the world. MORNING: BREAKFAST AT THE BIRD, THEN HIT THE SLOPES The early bird catches the cafe breaky. The Bird is an unfussy, rustic lodge-style spot. Located next to the Summit chairlift, it should be your first stop of the day before hitting the slopes. Start off with something hearty, like the Big Breaky Burger, scrambled tofu burrito or classic fry-up, or opt for something lighter like granola and yogurt or smashed avo on cornbread toast (it's not that far from Melbourne, after all). For something a bit different, warm up with an aromatic, mushroomy breakfast pho or a rich, comforting tagine with eggs. If you're peckish later, it's also open for lunch and light afternoon snacks — lemon and saffron arancini and gooey baked brie. The perfect après ski treat. Perk up with a hot espresso coffee or kick back with a selection of beers, wines and cider. HIT THE SUMMIT, THEN HEAD TO ROAD RUNNER OR HEAVENLY VALLEY Once you've fuelled up for your adventure, it's time to carve up the slopes. Mt Hotham's elevation provides a much more reliable powder and snowfall in the winter. If you are a novice snow bunny or just need to brush up on the basics, then the easy slopes of The Summit are the place to start. Whereas, Heavenly Valley offers some of the best moderate and advanced runs for those with a bit more skill who want to cut some serious tracks in the snow, swooping through gum tree terrain and making the most of the momentum on the slopes. For more black diamond runs, take the Road Runner chairlift to Beauchamps, Lower Sun Run, Lower Wendix and Upper Wendix. Head out early straight after breakfast so you have ample time and more space to yourself. AFTERNOON: LUNCH AT HOFF HUT, THEN PREPARE FOR SLEDDING Take the Heavenly Valley chairlift to the top of Black Snake and you'll find Hoff Hut, a charming stone-walled nook amidst some incredible mountain scenery. Built in 1949, this little piece of Mt Hotham history was transformed into a ski-in ski-out cafe in 2019. It's got everything you need to warm up and refuel after a morning on the slopes: hot, flaky pies and sausage rolls, wings hot from the outdoor BBQ smoker, comforting daily soup with buttered bread and its famous fresh jam doughnuts. Snuggle up to a hot chocolate, coffee or sweet mulled wine or relax with a cool beer. Sit on the outdoor deck to enjoy the view, gazing down the valley and watching the skiers whizz by. It's open 7 days a week, all snow season. STRAP IN FOR A HOWLING HUSKY SLED DOG TOUR Rug up and slide through a snow gum wonderland of the alpine bush in a genuine dogsled. Howling Husky Sled Dog Tours are more than just a cool way of getting around — each of the Siberian Huskies pulling you along your little adventure is full of personality, and so darn cute. They're trained for pulling freight, not racing, so it's a steady pace rather than an adrenaline ride. Choose from three tour types: The 30-minute Polar Paws Express is an easy little jaunt, while the Stumpy Tailed Trail takes 1 hour and 15 minutes along the looped trails of Hotham where you can head uphill and learn some local history — and maybe take a turn at driving the sled yourself. The Winter Dreams Family Tour is 2 hours and 15 minutes, where you learn commands for guiding the huskies, as well as a local history lesson. All three include the most important activity: husky-hugging time. Book ahead, it's obviously very popular. NIGHT: ENJOY PROPER APRÈS SKI AT MISS MARY'S The fun doesn't stop when the sun goes down. Downstairs at Hotham Central, you'll find Miss Mary's, a stylish and lively little spot open from 11.30am until late into the evening. But don't go expecting standard alpine fare: it's all Asian fusion. Snack on steamed gyoza, ika karaage and edamame with Szechuan salt, or go for something more substantial like tonkotsu ramen, chicken yakitori, ginger and sesame ceviche, Thai pumpkin and coconut curry or Vietnamese caramelised pork belly. It's all perfectly complemented by their signature cocktail list, featuring original riffs like the Vietnamese espresso martini, a Sünching bloody mary with gochujang and sriracha, pandan colada and yuzu mojito. Bright and flavourful, zesty and zingy — who says après ski fare has to be heavy? Plus, there are tap beers, a fridge of crafties and a solid Australian wine list. PARTY INTO THE MORNING AT JACK FROST Jack Frost is your ski-town party spot in Davenport Village, Mt Hotham, open daily from 4pm–1am. There's neon, a dancefloor, DJ sessions and $1 wings every day. What more could you want? Drinks. Well, there are beers, wines and a special High Country Negroni and famous Hot Buttered Whiskey — a take on a hot buttered rum, perfect after a day spent in the snow. When the hunger hits, there's an eclectic offering to suit every craving, from adobo jackfruit tacos with mezcal spiked slaw to a candied Satan bacon cheeseburger, spiced beef brisket with yuzu verde and whiskey pickled zucchini and, of course, chicken parma with a house-made Napoli sauce. Flavourful and filling. It's a place the locals love, where visitors are always welcome. ENJOY THE MOUNTAIN AIR AT ALPINE NATURE EXPERIENCE These eco-tours offer a snow experience unlike any other. For one, Alpine Nature Experience is the only place in Australia that can give you a night in a genuine snow igloo. Take a sunset snowshoe tour to the little purpose-built eco-village of snowdomes, igloos and hypedomes. Enjoy a dinner of French fondue in the firelight and rug up in blankets under the stars with homemade mulled wine. Sleep in the tranquillity of alpine nature, then wake to a hot breakfast and leave your splendid seclusion with a skidoo tour back to civilisation. Don't want to spend the night? Just take the evening tour, with a 3-course dinner in the communal tipi. Alpine Nature Experience offers other experiences throughout the season. Take a skidoo to a private hot tub in the snow, enjoy a feast of raclette cheese and watch the sunset in the hot tub with a bottle of bubbly. Or take a wine and cheese pairing course with a snowshoe tour. All this and more can be found in Mt Hotham, Australia's alpine wonderland. To find out more and start planning your trip, visit the website.
Dine-in cafe service sure didn't get much of a run in 2020. But while those doors were closed, Melbourne-born Only Hospitality Group came up with a winning formula for its next new venture — a COVID-friendly cafe concept heroing takeaway baked goods, loaves of fresh bread and coffee to-go. And so, Juliette Coffee & Bread was born, taking over a former jewellery shop in the heart of Malvern. New sibling to the group's many other cafe hits (including Fitzroy's Bentwood, Glovers Station in Elsternwick and Camberwell's My Other Brother), Juliette opened its doors in July, fast becoming a neighbourhood favourite for it's lockdown-friendly grab-and-go offering. Here, behind a cheery salmon-hued facade, you'll find a simple, yet considered lineup of house-made sourdough breads, pastries and baguette sandwiches, available to takeaway or to enjoy at one of the curbside tables. Signature treats including fruit danishes, almond croissants and Portuguese tarts fill the cabinets, along with the likes of Nutella-stuffed doughnuts and chunky chocolate peanut butter cookies. Drop by for a bacon and egg muffin, or maybe the pork, fennel and black sesame sausage roll. Or, try a sambo made on Juliette bread — popular options include a saucy eggplant parma baguette, and another teaming shaved pastrami with sauerkraut, cheese and Russian mayo. Only Hospitality's own Inglewood Coffee Roasters are taking care of the caffeinated side of things, with state-of-the-art Modbar machines gracing the counter. You can match your pain au chocolate with an espresso coffee from the Sunset BLVD house blend, a filter option, or something from the rotation of single origins. The concept has proved such a hit, that two more Juliette Coffee & Bread outposts have joined the original in recent months, launching in Hawthorn East and Ringwood East. And the family's set to expand even more, with Armadale and Camberwell slated to welcome their own iterations next week.
Booking a trip has changed significantly over the last few decades — just 40 years ago, the only way to book a flight, really, was through a travel agent. It wasn't until the early '90s that travellers could take the reins and actually book a ticket for themselves online. Thankfully, we have progressed. Gloriously. Travelling is only getting easier due to the evolution of highly useful, intuitive apps. These ten currently available apps will make your travels that much smoother. And the better news? None of them cost a cent. FOR HEALTH MATTERS: TRAVWELL Let's be real. Health is an easy thing to take for granted while travelling. Powered by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, TravWell brings a great sense of calmness to travellers going overseas. We suggest downloading this well before departing. Users can select the destination they are travelling to, and the app will list which vaccines and medications to take. TravWell also has space to store photos and organise documents such as vaccine records. Plus, for every destination that the app covers, there are corresponding emergency services phone numbers on hand. FOR CONVERTING CASH: CURRENCY CONVERTER PLUS This app is one of the most popular out there, drawing over one million downloads worldwide. Currency Converter Plus hosts 191 currencies and regularly updates conversion rates. When you don't have access to Wi-Fi in that Moroccan souk or Beijing market, the app's ability to work offline definitely comes in handy. It can also convert currency to gold, silver and platinum, perfect if you're indulging in a cheeky jewellery shop during your stopover in Abu Dhabi or Dubai. The calculator function is what separates this app from the rest. Say your Vietnamese feast in Hanoi costs 200,000VND, and you have $5US dollars you want to use — enter both into the app and it will calculate and convert simultaneously, saving you the brainwork. FOR OFFLINE MAPS: MAPS.ME As much as we'd like to assume that our orientation skills are on point, sometimes we get it wrong. Really wrong. And you end up six kilometres away from your hotel, in the dodgy depths of a city with no idea how to get back. MAPS.ME, to the rescue. The app is trusted by over 65 million travellers, probably because it's usable offline. Simply download the map of the country or city you are visiting (when you have internet connection), and it's there for good. Within the app, users can search for restaurants, attractions, ATMs and public transport. We're not done. MAPS.ME also gives people the option to book accommodation through Booking.com. Alternatively, you can't go wrong with offline Google Maps. FOR EDITING HOLIDAY SNAPS: SNAPSEED There's an inordinate number of photo editing apps out there. A lifetime could be devoted looking for the best. Let us save you a little bit of that time. Snapseed, which was created by Google, is not only ridiculously easy to use, but also fun. It has 26 tools and editing features including the ability to adjust exposure, contrast, saturation, ambiance, fix skewed lines, alter perspectives, heal areas of a photo, add in text and throw on a filter. And when you're all finished playing around, Snapseed provides the option to upload to your edited masterpiece straight to Instagram. FOR CONQUERING LANGUAGE BARRIERS: GOOGLE TRANSLATE Speaking of Google (again), it's insanely hard to beat Google Translate at its game. The app offers the most languages out of any single translation engine out there — a mere 103. Now, translating words, phrases and sentences is one thing, but pronouncing them is another. Users can listen to translations before attempting and potentially embarrassing themselves. The app has evolved dramatically since its birth, now integrating a photo feature where you can hold your camera up to a text while Google magically translates it, given the font is readable. The fairy godmother of translators, we're naming it. FOR GROUP TRIPS: SPLITWISE Travelling with friends can get tricky money-wise, no matter how much you try to prevent it. Attempting to recall who shouted what at NYC's Please Don't Tell and how much that friend owes you for dinner at Hong Kong's Ho Lee Fook is too much to keep track of sometimes. Splitwise is a simple way to share bills, and keep track of what everyone has paid. Each person creates an account, and from there groups can be formed. Users then log in to see their balance, what is owed to them and what they owe to others. FOR AIRPORT RELAXATION: LOUNGEKEY LoungeKey is the ultimate airport lounge library. After entering an airport or city name into the app, a list of lounges on offer comes up. LoungeKey details exactly where lounges are located in an airport (don't laugh, some are harder to find that you would assume), what facilities are included, and provides photos, trading hours and prices. There is also a 'nearby' function for when you are absolutely exhausted and just want to pop into the closest lounge. FOR EXPERT RECOMMENDATIONS: GUIDES BY LONELY PLANET There's a lot of noise when it comes to travel guides and recommendations, but among all the madness is Lonely Planet — one of the most trustworthy and inspiring names out there. The Guides app incorporates advice from local experts, including must-see sights and essential tips for each location. There's also an offline maps function, language phrasebooks and a currency converter. It's an all-in-one app, currently covering 100 cities, with more to come. FOR CONNECTIVITY: FREE WI-FI FINDER If you don't fancy buying a sim card in every country you visit, and therefore heavily rely on finding a Wi-Fi connection, this one's a winner. Free Wi-Fi Finder promises exactly what's in its title —free Wi-Fi connection spots, with absolutely no charges. The app lists locations in over 50 countries. You can search by state and city, or locate the closest to wherever you find yourself at that point in time. The app also gives users the option to list Wi-Fi spots themselves and assist other travellers. People-powered, we like that. FOR FINDING THINGS TO DO: AIRBNB (FOR THE 'EXPERIENCES' FUNCTION) Airbnb continues its rampage of revolutionising the travel industry. The app hosts a plethora of affordable accommodation options — apartments, cabins, igloos and beyond — opening up a world of travel to those who were unable to access it before. In late 2016, the app took things up a notch, launching Airbnb 'experiences'. These are curated events, tours, classes and workshops created by local guides, inspiring people not just to travel to a place, but immerse themselves in it. Experiences span from two-day food tours in Seoul, three-day salsa camps in Havana or cocktail-making classes in San Francisco.
Repeated lockdowns might have given you a newfound passion for cooking. Or, maybe it saw you burn right through your repertoire of go-to recipes and left you in desperate need of some fresh inspiration. Either way, there's always a spot on your cookbook shelf for a new title full of recipes from a celebrated local chef. Here, we've rounded up a tidy pick of books penned by homegrown kitchen heroes, including the talent behind some of Melbourne's favourite restaurants. Learn to whip up proper Italian comfort food with Guy Grossi, cook an authentic Vietnamese feast under the guidance of Jerry Mai, or let Shannon Martinez show you the secrets of knock-their-socks-off vegan cooking. Your kitchen skills will get a timely refresh, dinnertime will be loads more exciting and we reckon you'll score some serious brownie points from your housemates or boo, too. SICILIANO, BY JOE VARGETTO Melbourne is no stranger to Joe Vargetto's contemporary Southern Italian cooking, which has been showcased for many years at his two dining institutions, Mister Bianco and Massi. But now, you can recreate the award-winning chef's signature flavours at home, thanks to his cookbook release Siciliano: Contemporary Sicilian. Like the menus in his restaurants, the dishes in this black leather-bound cookbook were influenced by Vargetto's own heritage, while nodding to both traditional flavours and modern technique. Admire the glossy food photographs and childhood flashback shots, in between whipping up dishes like squid ink risotto, handmade cavatelli with lemon verbena, parmesan-crusted veal sirloin and a watermelon jelly cake. STREET FOOD VIETNAM, BY JERRY MAI If you've visited her CBD restaurant Annam or her Glen Waverley beer hall Bia Hoi, you'll have already fallen in love with Jerry Mai's fun, flavour-packed take on Vietnamese food. And you can continue that love affair by getting your hands on the chef-restaurateur's 70-recipe book, Street Food: Vietnam. Packed with colourful imagery and approachable instructions, it'll have you recreating your favourite Viet dishes, as well as inspiring a few new culinary acquaintances. Trip through the cuisine's many regional nuances, while mastering creations like prawn dumplings, a classic banh mi, and the grilled pork and vermicelli dish known as bun thit nuong. And of course, this one's got some pho-nomenal soup recipes to have a crack at, too. [caption id="attachment_815087" align="alignnone" width="1920"] By Bec Hudson and Emily Weaving, taken from 'Beatrix Bakes', Natalie Paull (Hardie Grant Books 2020).[/caption] BEATRIX BAKES, BY NATALIE PAULL If you've ever found yourself salivating at the stunning handmade treats beckoning from the counter of North Melbourne bakery Beatrix, this one's for you. Founder and all-around baking queen Natalie Paull released her first cookbook last year, sharing tips, tricks and other general cake-related goodness in one 256-page sugar-dusted bible. Beatrix Bakes is a complete sweet tooth's delight, guiding readers through the basics of baking, while also offering advice for turning things around when projects don't come out quite as planned. It's brimming with signature Beatrix recipes that'll level up your afternoon tea game and leave your kitchen smelling heavenly. Plus, the photographs of freshly baked treats will surely have you swooning. VEGAN WITH BITE, BY SHANNON MARTINEZ As the chef behind Melbourne plant-based icons Smith & Daughters and Smith & Deli, Shannon Martinez is renowned for pushing the envelope when it comes to innovative vegan eats. Her clever dishes are adored by vegans, vegetarians and carnivores alike, turning preconceptions about plant-based dining completely on its head. Martinez's latest cookbook Vegan With Bite is a beautifully presented study on how to make food that's sustainable, adventurous and lip-smackingly good. In between tips on limiting waste and secrets to a slew of handy homemade condiments, you'll find recipes for elevated everyday dishes like a laksa made from scratch, a radicchio and peach salad, and the legendary Smith & Daughters French toast. IGNI: A RESTAURANT'S FIRST YEAR, BY AARON TURNER Geelong's tiny fine diner Igni might have space for little more than 26 guests, but it's earned itself one very big reputation, widely considered to be one of Victoria's top regional restaurants. The man behind it, chef Aaron Turner, opened the doors in 2016 and in his cookbook Igni: A Restaurant's First Year he invites readers along for some of that ride. It's not only a compelling deep-dive into the Igni backstory — highs and lows, included — but shares insight into Turner's recipe development and features exceptional photos by the award-winning Julian Kingma. Try dishes like the warm charred cabbage salad, the hay-smoked duck or the salt and vinegar saltbush, and bring a little fine diner magic to your own kitchen. [caption id="attachment_616735" align="alignnone" width="1920"] By Colin Page[/caption] BRAE: RECIPES AND STORIES FROM THE RESTAURANT, BY DAN HUNTER One of the country's most lauded restaurants and a regular on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list, Dan Hunter's Brae is a true Aussie culinary icon. But of course, the Birregurra fine diner's $300 set menu isn't quite within everyone's budget. While the experience is well worth the splurge, you can get a much more wallet-friendly taste by picking up a copy of Brae: Recipes and Stories From the Restaurant. In it, you'll read Hunter's thoughts on how the concept of place has impacted his cooking and made Brae what it is today. Compelling stories are interspersed with vibrant imagery by photographer Colin Page, and recipes for signature creations like the prawns with finger lime and nasturtium, and the tomatoes 'in seawater'. [caption id="attachment_815286" align="alignnone" width="1920"] By Jo McGann[/caption] SUPERNORMAL, BY ANDREW MCCONNELL Andrew McConnell's mod-Asian concept Supernormal has become a staple of Flinders Lane's dining scene since opening there in 2014. And it can become a fixture of your cookbook shelf, too. Namesake book Supernormal is a 260-page homage to the renowned restaurant, offering both a behind-the-scenes glimpse and a collection of recipes plucked from its menu archives. Treat your eyes to captivating shots by Earl Carter, while you decide what to make for dinner next. Will it be the pork tonkatsu sandwiches, the XO pipis with fried bread, or maybe the spicy pork and eggplant noodles with Sichuan sauce? Or perhaps the legendary kewpie-laced lobster roll? CELLAR BAR, BY GUY GROSSI Melbourne culinary legend Guy Grossi (Grossi Florentino, Ombra, Arlechin) has penned a whole swag of cookbooks nodding firmly to his Italian heritage and cooking style. The latest, titled Cellar Bar, is a tribute to Florentino's own iconic Cellar Bar — something of a guidebook for home cooks wanting to capture the essence of Italian hospitality and European comfort food. Between its covers, you'll find 80 simple, yet satisfying recipes, sure to delight all your future Italophile dinner guests. Think: oysters with a cucumber shallot dressing, homemade brioche buns stuffed with pistachio gelato, and of course, plenty of primo pasta dishes. [caption id="attachment_815486" align="alignnone" width="1920"] By Ben Dearnley[/caption] IN PRAISE OF VEG, BY ALICE ZASLAVSKY MasterChef alum, food writer and presenter Alice Zaslavsky (aka Alice in Frames) is championing the humble vegetable in her 2020 book In Praise of Veg. It's a fun, colourful celebration of plant-based ingredients that promises to shake up your side dishes and take your meat-free Mondays to a whole new level. Embark on an in-depth exploration of 50 different common vegetable varieties and see them brought to life across more than 150 approachable recipes. Impress your housemates by whipping up the likes of salt-baked butterflied celeriac cheese, Sichuan-style sticky eggplant and a 'no tears' onion soup. Plus, you'll discover plenty of other tips, tricks and tasty shortcuts that'll promote your veggie crisper to the best-loved compartment of your fridge. CHIN CHIN: THE BOOK, WITH RECIPES BY BENJAMIN COOPER It's no secret Chin Chin is one of Melbourne's best-known restaurants, famed for its no-bookings policy and the constant queues of eager diners trailing from its door. But you won't have to line up to sink your teeth into Chin Chin: The Book at home. More than simply a cookbook, this one digs right into the Chin Chin story, exploring how it came to be the icon it is today. The pages also play host to a graphically illustrated backstory by illustrator Sacha Bryning, along with plenty of dreamy food photos by Adrian Lander. And the recipes by Head Chef Benjamin Cooper include a stack of tried-and-true Chin Chin classics — think, kingfish sashimi, chicken and prawn Vietnamese slaw, beef pad seuw, coconut panna cotta and more. Top Images: Imagery by Hi Sylvia, taken from 'Siciliano', Joe Vargetto; and 'Supernormal' captured by Jo McGann
For the uninitiated, Artbank was formed in 1980 as a government visual arts support program and remains one of the largest collections of contemporary Australian art anywhere in the world. Both supporting Australia's visual artists and giving the public the opportunity to see (and loan) some of the best works this country has to offer, Artbank is the ideal way to get behind-the-scenes of Australia's art scene. Launching its brand new Collingwood premises with a massive one-day event, Artbank Open House presents 2000+ works in its stunning new purpose-built space designed by award-winning architecture practice Edition Office. Opening its doors on Saturday, March 24, the facility will also reveal a new large-scale work by artist Sam Songailo, plus there'll be tunes provided by DJ Tanzer, a free burger giveaway from Beatbox Kitchen and talks and tours to help you find your way around the massive warehouse art space. Read on to discover what's in store for the big opening. [caption id="attachment_661232" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Songailo: Digital Wasteland.[/caption] ARTIST SAM SONGAILO'S LATEST INSTALLATION For those unfamiliar with Sam Songailo's immersive work, Artbank will remedy that. For years now, the artist has been creating large-scale wall paintings both in galleries and on the streets. His work takes on an almost alien appeal with the likes of Splendour in the Grass, Contemporary Art Centre of South Australia and Melbourne's ACCA just some of the places Songailo's work has been showcased. Artbank Open House will unveil another vast work with the community project space being transformed by Songailo's distinctive and evocative style. FREE BURGERS FROM BEATBOX KITCHEN Food trucks are a dime a dozen these days, but Beatbox Kitchen has remained as popular as ever since first hitting the streets in 2009. A regular at your favourite music festival and open-air events, they'll be setting up shop at the event and serving up delicious burgers and fries all day long. Their brand of fresh beef and mushroom burgers, plus a great selection of sauces is a pretty great way to take a timeout from exploring the huge collection of contemporary art. What's more, Artbank is giving away free Beatbox burgs, happening from midday until the burger supply runs out. TALKS AND TOURS FROM DESIGN LEADERS Having converted the Collingwood-based warehouse into a world-class event space, gallery and artist studio, local award-winning architecture practice Edition Office worked closely with Artbank to give the facility a top-notch design to match the art inside. Get in quick to be the first to visit Artbank's lively community project space, which has been transformed by Melbourne-based artist Sam Songailo in a mesmerising fashion. And throughout the day, you'll also get to hear from the likes of Artbank director Tony Stephens and senior curator Miriam Kelly, plus Edition Office directors Aaron Roberts and Kim Brigland. MORE THAN 2000 AMAZING ARTWORKS TO CHECK OUT Artbank has one of the largest collections of contemporary Australian art anywhere in the world, and for its debut Melbourne event, Artbank Open House will showcase more than 2000 pieces from some of Australia's most admired artists and emerging talents. As the gallery settles into its new digs and works on becoming a hub for local artists, this open house-style event is the ideal way to take a peek behind-the-scenes and get familiar with one of Australia's best art collections. The new facility aims to make it easy to engage with the art, focusing on the stories within the works rather than testing your art history knowledge. THE DAZZLING SOUNDS OF DJ TANZER Channelling the great pop divas of the past, DJ Tanzer's music would slot just as easily into the theme song for a James Bond movie as it does on hazy dance floors around Melbourne and Sydney. Born in rural New South Wales, raised in the impassioned setting of Rome and now a resident of Melbourne since 2016, the DJ has a reputation as an on-stage queen, which has rapidly grown with her repertoire of melodramatic songs detailing love and heartbreak. Tanzer, aka Hayley Foster, will be gracing Artbank Open House with her presence, putting on a thumping soundtrack of dark and seductive tunes throughout the open house. Artbank's one-of-a-kind facility is bound to make a splash in the Melbourne art world. Head to the opening event on Saturday, March 24 and keep up-to-date with the gallery by following #artbankau #artbankopenhouse.
South Yarra isn't short on good Japanese — Yakikami impressively barbecued its way onto the scene just last year, so if you want to open a successful omakase diner south of the river it needs to be bloody exceptional. Introducing Ōshan, a COVID passion project from Brazilian-born, ex-Nobu Ibiza Sushi Chef, Peterson Maia Machado Correia, and co-owner Vanessa Foderà. This isn't your standard Japanese fare. Imagine contemporary sushi steeped in tradition with a fiery Brazilian twist. This combo isn't actually as odd as it sounds. Japanese and South American cuisine has a long history of cross-pollination. If you've ever visited Lima in Peru, you'll know what we're talking about (the Chinese-Peruvian culinary collision is the inspiration behind popular Casa Chow in Brisbane). And Peterson's home town of Sao Paolo is actually home to the biggest Japanese community outside Japan. The result is fireworks on a plate. Four, six, eight or 10 courses of carefully prepared omakase, with flavour bombs exploding everywhere. Think sunomono with roasted sesame, Hokkaido scallops in orange sauce, Kingfish ceviche with sweet potato rice cups and spicy tempura hot rolls. "We want to take our guests on an intimate culinary food journey in a relaxed but beautiful setting," Foderà says. "We want them to feel like they are in our dining room.' "I love what I do and love to connect with my guests through the food I create," Chef Peterson adds. "Respecting tradition and honouring my heritage and experience is very important to me. The trust my customers have in me allows me to create a unique, individual experience every time. Every element, every dish is important and sharing my passion with my customers is an absolute honour". This is part of the secret at Ōshan. There are no set seating times and the menu changes with the seasons (or the whims of Peterson). Diners are encouraged to slow down and take their time. Chatting with your chef as he whips up salmon Kyuri Maki or delicate nigiri is all part of the experience. Omakase (which translates literally as "I leave it up to you") is Ōshan's specialty, but if you're in a rush during the week, they also offer a la carte dining during lunch. Perfect for that important business meeting. The restaurant itself is on the cosy side – there are only 15 spaces – but that's by design. Ōshan is about intimacy and connection. The idea is to stick around for a while, nurse a saké and shoot the breeze over some incredible food. For the best results, sit up the bar and watch Chef Peterson work his magic. Renowned saké specialist, Melissa Mills from Saké Connect, has curated a premium menu of saké, and there's even a five course pairing menu. You'll find Ōshan on Toorak Road in South Yarra, just down from trendy competition like Bar Carolina and France-Soir (a top contender in our list of the best restaurants in Melbourne). It's open from Wednesday through to Sunday, and hours vary. Check the website for all the details. Images: Supplied
Spoiler warning: this interview incudes specifics about The Survivors if you haven't watched the full series before reading. "Being new," Thom Green offers. "If it's fresh. If you haven't tackled it before. That's always a good drawcard, right?". "I really love a strong perspective in storytelling," adds Shannon Berry. "Good team, good filmmaker," pipes back in Green. "If it's someone you've always wanted to work with, whether that be a director or producer, a writer, an actor or an actress, that's always another good keyword or a key factor when picking a job," he furthers. And for Berry, too, " I think well-written". She continues: "I love reading scripts. Scripts are the baseline for everything, and I think when you get a script and it's just really good and you can really imagine everything, that's what's super exciting. It's reading a script and you go 'I cannot wait to see how this turns out' — or 'I cannot wait to be a part of it'." These are some of the pivotal elements that Green and Berry, co-stars in The Survivors, look for in a new project. With the six-part Netflix adaptation of Jane Harper's 2020 novel of the same name, they've ticked those boxes. Green comes to the series with a packed resume that already spans Beneath Hill 60, Dance Academy, Halo, Downriver, Eden, Of an Age, Ladies in Black, Exposure and Apple Cider Vinegar, to name just a few of his previous credits. Berry is an alum of Offspring, Romper Stomper, The Wilds, Foe, Winner, High Country, Fake, Watson and more. The pair have encountered all of these crucial aspects before, then, but bringing an adaptation of such an acclaimed author's work to the screen — a writer whose Aaron Falk books have proven huge hits on the big screen as The Dry and Force of Nature — was always going to stand out. In The Survivors, Green plays Sean Gilroy, one of two of characters who lost their older brothers to a tragedy 15 years prior. When Toby Gilroy and Finn Elliott attempted to rescue the latter's sibling Kieran (Charlie Vickers, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) from flooding coastal caves during a storm and didn't make it home, the scenic Tasmanian town of Evelyn Bay was forever changed. Kieran left quickly. Sean remained. Their respective parents — Damien Garvey (Nugget Is Dead?: A Christmas Story) and Robyn Malcolm (After the Party) portray Brian and Verity Elliott, Martin Sacks (Darby and Joan) is Julian Gilroy — are understandably still haunted by their grief a decade and a half later. As the anniversary of the incident approaches, Kieran comes home, his partner Mia Chang (Bridgerton season four's Yerin Ha), another ex-local, plus their new baby with him. The pain of a loss like this won't ever subside. The town's close-knit community hasn't been telling itself the full story, though. Everyone knows that someone else went missing on the same day that Toby and Finn drowned, but 14-year-old Gabby Birch's (Eloise Rothfield, How to Make Gravy) disappearance isn't treated in the same way. Berry plays recent arrival Bronte, who is staying with Gabby's sister Olivia (Jessica De Gouw, The Union), has become close with her fraying mother Trish (Catherine McClements, Apple Cider Vinegar) and is so furious that the teen's absence keeps being overlooked that she begins investigating it herself. With Kieran's return at its core, The Survivors charts the past lingering over and colliding with the present in multiple ways, then, including when there's another tragedy and the police start searching for a killer. [caption id="attachment_1008349" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Graham Denholm/Getty Images for Organic PR.[/caption] With George Mason (Black Snow), Miriama Smith (End of the Valley), Johnny Carr (Strange Creatures), Julian Weeks (Prosper) and Don Hany (Neighbours) also among the cast, Australia's newest Harper adaptation is filled with folks grappling with trauma, no matter where their tale starts or ends. Some have lived it for much of their lives. Others are determined to interrogate it. In their roles, Green and Berry are tasked with tackling the reality in different ways. Sean might appear externally laidback, but he's clearly deeply impacted by the events of 15 years ago. Bronte views Evelyn Bay, plus Gabby's disappearance and Finn and Toby's deaths, with outsider eyes — and, while making friends and settling in, even if only briefly, is driven to do what she can to redress a wrong. Being cast in The Survivors was an exciting prospect for both Green and Berry for an array of reasons — those key factors listed above and more. Green was already a fan of the book, while Berry revelled in the experience of reading it knowing that she'd be stepping into its tale. What does being part of a series like this mean to the two Australian talents? What did they initially see that they could bring to Sean and Bronte? When an intimate dynamic among a tightly bound community teeming with secrets and complicated family dynamics is so pivotal, how do you cultivate that with your co-stars? They're some of the other topics that we dug into with Green and Berry, alongside leaving an imprint in a limited time, the sense of responsibility that accompanies translating Harper's novel to the screen, the long-running appeal of murder-mysteries in Australia and more. On Being a Part of a Tasmania-Set Mystery Series About Tragedies Past and Present Colliding — and One That Adapts a Jane Harper Novel Shannon: "Well, this was my first time going to Tassie. I've never been to Tassie before. So it was amazing to come with the show. And I was just so excited to work with so many Aussie legends. And I've worked before with both Cherie Nowlan [The Irrational] and Ben Lucas [Nautilus], the directors, so it was really exciting to come back together with them again. And I think just it's really amazing to tell Australian stories and to film them here, and to show how beautiful our country is. Tasmania is just such a beautiful place, it kind of became a character within itself. And that's what I really loved about it." Thom: "I think for me, I loved the book. I absolutely adore the book. So that was a huge reason why I wanted to do it. Tasmania as well. I love Tasmania. And then it was the cast. It was the cast, and Cherie and I had worked together on Dance Academy so many years ago, and so that was also — there were so many factors on why I wanted to come do this. But I think that it was the book, mainly, because I was such a big fan. I was like 'I've got to be a part of this'." On Green and Berry's Starting Points with The Survivors on the Page — and Their Approaches to Helping Bring the Book to the Screen Thom: "I read it the year it came out — and then when I was cast in this, I didn't actually go back to the book. I knew the story, but I think I was actually drawing more from stuff I'd seen, to give it my own flavour. So that was building the wardrobe, and the hair and makeup, and you're building all that. So I didn't go back to the book. I didn't try to draw anything from that. I decided to take a step back and do my own thing, so hopefully it did it justice." Shannon: "I read the book. I had read The Dry previously, so I was familiar with her work. Love The Dry. But I had not read The Survivors until I found out that I was cast on the show. So that was super exciting. I think it's such a rare experience to read a book for the first time and see your character's name and go 'that's me' — which was just a really cool, really cute experience. And I'm a huge reader. I love to read. So it was just really special to read it and imagine myself in that world and imagine all the potential. And I think it's been absolutely amazing to watch it. It makes me giddy to think about." Thom: "Yeah, it's one of those things as well, like you can do jobs and sometimes the experiences can be less than glamorous — and this was actually so much fun. We all just got along so well as well, so it just makes it, you go into work each day enjoying it, and then you're wrapping for the day and everyone's hanging out with each other. And it reads on the screen." Shannon: "100 percent." Thom: "It always reads on screen." On Building the Show's Close-Knit Character Dynamic with the Rest of the Cast Shannon: "I feel they made it so easy. It got to the point where I knew I wasn't going to be working on it for a whole lot of time, and meeting you all, I then got very jealous that I wasn't going to be able to spend as much time with you guys [to Thom] as the rest of them — because everyone was just so lovely and so welcoming, and it very quickly really did feel like a family vibe. I always feel that when I step into Aussie spaces with Aussie cast and crew. Everyone's just absolutely the best. So I did feel quite jealous when all of my stuff was done and I had to leave you guys to your own devices." Thom: "I think a good indicator is that, what, it's been 14 months since we wrapped, and George Mason was Facetiming me yesterday from Perth, from his next job, to have a yarn. So that's just a good indicator of how well we all got along." [caption id="attachment_1008351" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Graham Denholm/Getty Images for Organic PR.[/caption] On What Green and Berry Were Excited to Bring to Sean and Bronte Thom: "I think that I felt very comfortable talking to Tony [Nowhere Boys, Glitch, Stateless, Clickbait and Fires' Ayres, who is behind The Survivors' streaming adaptation] and to Ben and to Cherie about the complexity of Sean. So that I felt I was able to bring — from my first take, I remember thinking 'I think I know how to do this'. And you kind of do your take and you sort of go 'well, this is what I think'. And Tony came back and said 'that's what we think as well'. So talking to Ben, there's so many layers. Everyone, every single character in this story, has layers. But I think that was what I felt — that's the part I'm quite happy with what I did, was that vulnerability and intelligence." Shannon: "I think with me, I really enjoyed relating to Bronte. We both moved out really young, moved across the country to a different place, and had to make our own friends and find our own way. So that was really exciting, reading the book, to relate to her in that way. And also talking with Cherie a lot about her art project, and she's so passionate about what she does, and I really relate to her in that sense as well. So it was really exciting to talk about her shared passions and how that drives her in this universe. And I just really related to that a lot. So that was super exciting, to remind me of my young days." Thom: "I'm going to say as well, but for Shannon, Shannon wasn't with us the entire time. So when an actor has to come on, and only come in to do a day or two, and then knock it out of the park and get on the plane and leave — that's a testament to Shannon." On the Task of Conveying the Impact of Trauma in Layered Performances Thom: "It takes a lot. You've got to really sit with the script for a while, I think. It sounds really morbid to think, but if you've dealt with it, you can draw from that — if you dealt with it your personal life. Some people don't like to do that. Some people do. I like to — I do sometimes. I feel like it helps. But I think it just takes a lot of time of sitting with the director and really fleshing out each layer, as I was previously mentioning — fleshing out each single layer and just building on top of it. So when you get on the set and you're setting up for the take and you look at the director, you go 'okay, now what do we need to remember? This, on top of this, on top of this, on top of this'. And then as long as you're thinking, it usually shows in your eyes and your body. That's how I approach it." Shannon: "Yeah, taking it with the instinct on the day. You've done all your research." Thom: "Yeah. Yeah. Exactly right. You're letting it go. How about you?" Shannon: "Yeah, I agree. I agree with everything that you said. Because a lot of Bronte exploring Evelyn Bay and this, she has this whole relationship with Trish that we never get to see in the show but is so prevalent and so alive throughout conversations — I think a lot of it was, yeah, sitting with the script and thinking a lot about 'what would those conversations have been like?' What would their relationship have been like?'. And having that in the back of my brain. So then, when I went in on the day thinking about where I had met these people before, even where I'd met Sean, when we meet each other, and thinking about how I met Ash [Mason's character] — I think it was just doing a lot of prep, and I write a lot of diaries for characters that I do sometimes. So I wrote a lot in Bronte's POV about where I met those people and what we had done together, and then coming in with that. And then just going on the day with instinct." Thom: "Then, I think on top of that as well, so if you've seen very strong series that deal with it and seeing what works — like what affects you when you watch it? What part of the show do you like? You know, in shows you might watch. So that's another visual to draw from, going 'okay, well that works on camera for that type of genre' — especially for this, the mystery, the murder-mystery genre in particular. You watch some of your favourites, there's too many titles to name right now, but watching what you enjoyed the most of that and going 'okay, can I use that? Can I take a little bit from that and a little bit from that, and put it all together in my little tool chest?'." On Leaving an Imprint and Making the Most of Your Character's Scenes When They're So Pivotal to the Narrative Shannon: "I think before doing the show, it reminded me a lot of Twin Peaks — it reminded me a lot of Laura Palmer. So I was privately calling myself the Laura Palmer of the show. But I think it was definitely a challenge to make sure that — I think the most important thing, for me rocking up, was making sure that I had a strong sense of self within her. And that I had a strong sense of who she was, what her dreams were and why she was there. And yeah, I think it was just made really easy by the fact meeting everyone and getting to work with you [to Thom] and getting to work with everyone, it was easy for her to feel fleshed out and like I belonged — which I think made it a whole lot easier." [caption id="attachment_1008350" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Graham Denholm/Getty Images for Organic PR.[/caption] On Expressing a Laidback Air, Alongside Pain and Vulnerability, in a Storyline That's Keeping Audiences Guessing Thom: "It's so difficult trying to, that balancing act. I still remember days on set with Cherie — and particularly with Cherie with her episodes, and going 'we need to do this again because of A, B and C', and then having to say 'well, we don't, we can't show our hand too early. We can't show this. We can't show that'. So trying to mask certain things. We're trying to throw a curveball. I kept saying to Cherie my biggest thing was trying to mask one aspect with another, and that was trying to help throw people off for the whole thing. But you're 100-percent right, just trying to convey that, it's really tricky. You really need to go through each episode and see where your character's come from, where they're going, and make sure you're following that line, that throughline, the entire way through. Otherwise, people who watch it will go 'that doesn't make sense. Why was this person doing this after doing this?'. I think in the end, I think we did pretty good. I think we did pretty good with keeping that balance. But it's hard to say, right? You watch something and you're like 'could have done this, could have done this'. It's very, very hard — I think, probably the hardest I've had to do that." On Whether Any Pressure Comes with Starring in an Adaptation of a Well-Loved Novel From an Author Whose Other Books Have Already Sparked Hit Films Thom: "I think so. Definitely. The Dry was so successful. And you've got Eric Bana — then you've got Force of Nature with Anna Torv. And then it's like, then you're like 'alright, now it's Shannon and Tom and The Survivors'." Shannon: "I think at the end of the day, you just want to make sure you're walking away, when you're doing the job and then also when you finally get to see it, that you have that feeling of doing it justice." Thom: "Yeah, you're right." Shannon: "And that you feel like you've done the best that you can." Thom: "Yeah, 100 percent." Shannon: "I think I'm really happy. Are you happy? [to Thom]" Thom: "I'm happy. But we had a good team. Like Tony, and Andy Walker [The Survivors' producer, Deadloch], were ... " Shannon: "Amazing." Thom: "I think at times, I don't know about you but for me, it only really dawns on me, I think, when someone like yourself [to Concrete Playground] raises that or brings that up. On set, it didn't feel like that. On set, it just felt like we were making a cool project with our friends and a cool crew. And then afterwards, you go 'oh yeah, shit, that's right. This is — yeah, we're in good company here'." On Why Murder-Mysteries Seem to Strike Such a Chord in Australia — Whether We're Making Them, Watching Them or Both Thom: "It's like when that time — was it like 2010? — when Nordic noir really blew up with Trapped. And I inhaled Trapped and Fortitude, all on SBS On Demand, and it was like then it exploded. And then The Bridge was also happening at the same time, and the American adaptation. And there was Broadchurch. So it was all happening elsewhere, and I think Aussies just flocked to it. As to say why, are we just perverse? Do we just want to watch it?" Shannon: "I think maybe also, I think Australia as an environment is so vast, and I think it's just such an excellent backdrop, too, to a lot of murder-mystery." Thom: "Yeah." Shannon: "Like you think of really good shows like Mystery Road, and there's all of that desert. We always just have such beautiful landscapes for such devastatingly twisted stories, which I think there's something to be said in that contrast." Thom: "I can't understand like the psyche, why we all love it — but I mean, I inhale them. I absolutely inhale them from everywhere, from each country. So I think now, it's like we've got some cracker series that are murder-mysteries, and I'm sure there's more to come. But as to saying why, like why we and devour them so much, I don't know. But hopefully people ... " Shannon: "Devour this one." Thom: " … devour this one the same." On What Green and Berry Make of Their Respective Paths to The Survivors Thom: "My foundation is coming from — I mean, my first job was a murder-mystery, actually, now that I'm remembering. It was actually a murder-mystery for Channel Ten back in the day. But for stuff like Dance Academy, I started with young-adult television, and then I think mine was quite diverse. I went from that to the Halo series for Microsoft in Canada. And it was like guns and aliens. And then it's Of an Age, this romantic, queer love story set in Melbourne. And now it's this murder mystery, which is so, at times, can be quite confronting. Diverse, I think, is the keyword there." Shannon: "I think I agree. It's been — I love working in Australia, and I'm so lucky to have done so many Australian things in my time. And yeah, I think I'm just really lucky to be able to sit here and say 'yeah, I'm an actor. I did it'. I'm from Perth originally, so it was always that feeling of isolation being in Perth and wanting to do acting. But I've just been really lucky. And I've been really lucky to do a lot of incredible things, meet so many incredible people. And then, yeah, getting to work with Cherie and Ben both on The Wilds, separate seasons, and coming back to work with them again, was just such a treat. I've just been really lucky. I think that's the main word, lucky. I'm so honoured to be able to do a lot of things in Australia and beyond." The Survivors streams via Netflix from Friday, June 6, 2025. Images: courtesy of Netflix © 2025.
Melbourne spas can be spenny. So much so that this sublime form of self-care just isn't accessible to many of us who are operating on a budget. Here to change that is Collingwood's Inner Studio. The wellness centre has teamed up with BAINA to run free communal bathing sessions every Thursday morning in February, onsen-style. From 7–8.30am each Thursday, those seeking an alternative way to start the day can head to the calming leafy space and try Inner Studio's signature Awaken Class. It kicks off with 20 minutes of deep breathwork (aimed to recentre and refocus the mind) and is followed by a quick three-minute cold pool plunge (which they say builds resilience in both mind and body). Concrete Playground has a few converts who swear by the ritual of being submerged into cold water as the best way to start the day. This guided part of the bathing session is then followed by an hour of free time in the Collingwood spa. Warm back up in the sauna and hot pool and grab some tea or coffee in the lounge. If you consider yourself a morning person, this free spa experience will be hard to pass on. To nab one of the complimentary bathing sessions at Inner Studio, head to the spa's website and use the code 'SOAK' when booking.
It's hard to beat a long lunch on a hot summer's day. This glorious time of year is made for taking extended work breaks and soaking up the weekend's afternoon sun with mates. But, not all lunch spots were made equally. So, together with Aperol — the brightly hued liquid behind the reigning champ of spritzes, the long-lunch bev of choice — we've compiled this list of Melbourne's top spots to head to when your lunch has the potential to go on and on. Some of these haunts come with sun-soaked outdoor spaces and others with plush indoor dining rooms (where the aircon is blasting). But, most importantly, each has a bloody good lunch menu and a great selection of summery cocktails — did someone mention a round of spritzes for the table?
We were about two hours out of Sydney when the stars started to come out, getting brighter and brighter as we hurtled down the highway, leaving the city and all its pollution behind. It was late, and I was tired, trying desperately to squeeze in a quick nap before it was my turn to drive. And as I turned my head to rest on the seatbelt, my eyes flicked upwards, and caught sight of a shooting star, blazing its way through the middle of the Southern Cross. The Wee Waa Agricultural Show, now in its 79th year, is like Sydney's Easter Show for an audience of a couple of thousand instead of a couple of million. It is a celebration of the local community, acknowledging the wonderful things accomplished by the townspeople, from the produce to the livestock, from homemade jams, soaps and cakes to handmade floral arrangements, quilts and much, much more. For a number of reasons the album launch itself was not what it could have been, not least the fact that Sony had made the album available to stream online three days beforehand, gazumping Wee Waa’s premiere. Estimates from the night suggest that perhaps as many as half the anticipated 4500-strong crowd simply didn't bother to show up, and weeks of feverish speculation meant that whatever was planned for the night wasn't going to satisfy, except perhaps if Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo rode in to the Show on a Blue Ribbon heifer. But the main reason the launch was a bit low-key is that Random Access Memories is the least Daft Punk record yet released. It's an homage to the 1970s, with disco and soft rock the dominant moods, almost the polar opposite of the groundbreaking, apocalyptic, electronic crunch of Discovery. And although the lead single, 'Get Lucky', is as chilled and danceable a groove as you could hope for, there really aren't that many opportunities for getting your boogie on. And those of us who thought that the recent resurgence of electronic music — led by unashamed, brutally heavy party tracks from the likes of Skrillex, Nero and Avicii — would lead Daft Punk to double-down on their trademark sound were sorely disappointed, a fact made clear by the roars that greeted the classic Daft Punk tracks a DJ played after the album to make the moment last longer. But as we left the largest outdoor dancefloor in the world, underlit by thousands of LED lights, and went our separate ways, no one really had any complaints. And judging from the expressions on the faces of the crowd, everyone realised that they had just been part of something unique, and something that they were never likely to experience again. When it was first announced that Daft Punk would be launching their first album in eight years at the Wee Waa Agricultural Show, the resulting explosion of incredulity reached all corners of the internet. After the incredulity came the second-guessing, millions trying to figure out why Wee Waa was chosen over so many other places. All of this had at its heart the same premise: that choosing to hold this event in Wee Waa was inexplicable, and that somewhere, surely, there was an explanation that would make sense. But whether Bangalter, de Homem-Christo, Sony or any of the complainers realise it or not, Wee Waa couldn't have been a more perfect choice. This town is the beating heart of a huge industry — the Australian cotton industry, worth some $2.5 billion annually — producing a product that is exported all over the world. It's a town that is aggressively innovative in its field (and fields), with tremendous advances being made in how much cotton can be grown with limited amounts of water, as well investing heavily in the research and development of natural pesticides that have little to no impact on crops or on consumers. And it's a town, like so many country towns across Australia, where strangers are welcomed with open arms, open hearts and open minds. If Daft Punk can’t see themselves — global superstars of dance music, with their history of audiovisual innovation — reflected in the town and its people, then they clearly lack the imagination we've always ascribed to them. Wee Waa is a wonderful, beautiful, uniquely Australian place, with a strong connection to the land, to the water, and — thanks to the Australia Telescope Compact Array in Narrabri — to the skies. And despite some disappointment caused largely by unrealistic expectations (and a less-than-amazing album), this was a wonderful, beautiful event, a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will always be special for how fleeting it was. Much like a shooting star in the country sky, blazing its way through the middle of the Southern Cross.
Forget the idea that Port Fairy is a purely summery destination. The small town on the Princes Highway may be best known for its beach — but thanks to their annual winter festivities there's still plenty to do when it gets chilly. From art exhibitions and photography contests to markets and toy-making workshops — plus the feverishly anticipated Dachshund Dash that last year attracted more than 2000 spectators — Port Fairy Winter Weekends are well worth the drive down the coast. Taking place every second weekend throughout June and July, Winter Weekends will showcase a mix of food, wine, art, culture…and sausage dogs. Did we mention the sausage dogs? They'll be pumping their tiny, adorable legs on Sunday, June 11 — although not before a dog's breakfast and the grand doggo parade. Other standout events include a tasting session at Port Fairy's newest wine and tapas bar, a native food workshop at Tower Hill, 'hot pizza and cold jazz' at the Wishart Gallery, and ghost tours on Saturday nights. Anyone willing to brave the early morning cold can also take part in the Winter Solstice Dawn Swim first thing on Saturday, June 24. Port Fairy Winter Weekends will run on June 9–11, June 23–25, July 7–9 and July 21–23. Image: Loren Tuck.
They're sticky, cinnamon scrolls, drenched in glaze and famous all across the USA. And now, at last, they're headed Down Under. Yep — Seattle-born bakery chain Cinnabon is landing in Australia, with sunny Brisbane marked for the location of its first local outpost. Family-run Queensland company Bansal Foods has announced it's scored the Aussie rights to Cinnabon, with plans to open the first stores here by the end of 2019. If the name sounds familiar, that's because this is the same crew that brought Carl's Jr to our shores, opening six local outposts of the US burger chain in the past 12 months. The plan for Cinnabon is to launch its first two Aussie stores in southeast Queensland this year — one in September and one in October — with another to follow in Sydney later and further expansion slated for 2021. Word is, we could see as many as 50 stores across the country within the next three years. Cue easy access to indulgent treats like the Classic Roll, miniature BonBites, Cinnabon Stix and (hopefully) the super-popular Chocobon. One of Cinnabon's big pulls is the freshness factor, with new batches of scrolls apparently cooked in store every half hour. Cinnabon is slated to open its first two Australian stores in southeast Queensland in September and October 2019. Updated: May 9, 2019.
Move over tea with the Queen — the coffee in London has improved so much over the last few years even Lizzy would ask for a flat white over an English breakfast. We sacrificed the money we were saving for a house deposit to taste coffee all over the city, and here are five coffee shops worth hunting down while you're in town. [caption id="attachment_622923" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Levent Ali via Flickr.[/caption] MONMOUTH COFFEE, COVENT GARDEN Monmouth is the grand old dame of London coffee, and has been pumping out caffeine since 1978. And even though Monmouth likes to keep things fresh with an ever-changing selection of house-roasted beans, some things will never change, like the house blend, the queues and the fact that Monmouth makes the best coffee in Old Blighty. We've heard good things about the filter, but we only tried the flat white, because, well, why change when you're onto a good thing? Queen Lizzy gets it. [caption id="attachment_622924" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Espresso Room via Instagram.[/caption] THE ESPRESSO ROOM, BLOOMSBURY The Espresso Room is so small it could double as Harry Potter's cupboard under the stairs, so it's a good thing you don't need much space to pump out great coffee (as the Japanese know). This Bloomsbury coffee shop is unsurprisingly known for its espresso, but for our money (too much of our money, to be honest — coffee here is more expensive than home), the flat white is where the magic is. Not too milky, not too strong — it's the best thing this side of getting a letter from Hogwarts. [caption id="attachment_622927" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bex Walton via Flickr.[/caption] KAFFEINE, FITZROVIA You'll need coffee after spending time on London's most insane shopping artery, Oxford Street. Luckily Kaffeine is just a street or two behind the insanity, serving up damn fine coffee in a damn fine looking coffee shop. This is the place to go if you want a taste of classic Australian espresso-based coffee in London; you won't find American- and Scandi- style filter here. You can even grab an Anzac biccie to snack on if you're feeling seriously homesick. TIMBERYARD, SEVEN DIALS Timberyard is buzzing at all opening hours, and not just because of the free Wi-Fi — the coffee here, although although on the expensive side of things, hits the spot. The flat white is strong, flavoursome, with just the right kick of calcium. Grab a seat — try for one of the hotly contested window spots — and the staff will bring your coffee over on a wooden chopping board (because timber yard, geddit?). You'll want to stay for coffee number two. Your tastebuds will thank you, even if your wallet does not. ALLPRESS, SHOREDITCH You go to Kaffeine for a taste of Australia, but for a taste of New Zealand, head straight to one of Allpress Espresso's two cafes in Shoreditch. Founded in Auckland, Allpress is swiftly taking over the world, with cafes in Australia, Japan and London. And you can taste exactly why: their coffee is one of the best, wherever in the world you find it. The Shoreditch cafe has the antipodeon design look down-pat, with white walls and exposed pale timber. The espresso-based coffee, which uses Allpress roasted beans, is delicious, of course.
It might be the site of the country's last execution and resting place of the infamous Ned Kelly, but Pentridge Prison is destined to become to a much more enviable address, now that updated plans for the precinct's proposed Adina Apartment Hotel have been given the go-ahead. The Taiwan-based Shayer Group was forced to change their original design for the 19-storey hotel and residential tower after The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) voiced concerns about the building's height. The new plans have now been given the thumbs up, and construction has kicked off, with Shayer expected to drop a cool $1 million on restoration works this year. The 120-apartment hotel design will carefully blend old with new, brought to life by heritage-building experts Cox Architecture while retaining as much as possible of the building's former glory. And yes, that means guests will have the chance to spend the night in a converted prison cell, albeit a pretty luxurious one. The site next door will offer even more options, set to house nine more levels of accommodation, six residential storeys and one level of communal facilities. The hotel part of the prison conversion will also see the building's former chapel restored as a function space, along with the addition of an all-day dining restaurant, indoor pool, gym, conferences facilities and parking, all slated to open by 2020. The hotel will be part of a new precinct in the area, which will also incorporate a 15-screen Palace cinema, a supermarket and an assortment of cafes, restaurant, bars and a pub and microbrewery. None of these are yet open, with construction on the precinct delayed until earlier this year. Adina Apartment Hotel Pentridge is slated to open in 2020.
No one in Australia expects to feel cold in January. Summer is in full swing, after all. It's prime beach and pool season, obviously — and, even though the festive period is over and everyone is settling back into the year after the holidays, thoughts of lazing around by or splashing around in a body of water aren't ever too far from anyone's minds. Whether you're fond of cooling down with a refreshing dip, or you prefer to escape to the vicinity of the nearest fan or air-conditioner, you might want to put those plans into action across the rest of this week. From today, Thursday, January 21, temperatures are expected to be mighty hot all around the nation, according to the Bureau of Meteorology's latest major cities forecast. As per BOM's city-specific forecasts, some of those temps are due to stick around a bit longer than that, too. After an expected top of 27 degrees on Thursday, Sydneysiders can expect a few sweaty days, with temps staying at 30 or above from Friday until mid-next week. Still in NSW, Newcastle will hit 34 on Sunday, while Wollongong will get to 31. That isn't as warm as Canberra in the ACT, though — with the Australian capital forecast to hit 38 on Sunday and 39 on Monday. Sunday and Monday will be warm in Melbourne, too, with tops of 35 and 37 forecast. They'll come after a 31-degree Thursday, then expected maximums of 26 and 27 on Friday and Saturday. Thankfully, a drop to 22 is forecast for Tuesday. https://twitter.com/BOM_Vic/status/1351781371715477504 Brisbane will get to 27 on Thursday, 29 on Friday, and 30 from Saturday–Monday, and 33 on Tuesday and Wednesday — so it'll be warm, but also usual summer weather. In Adelaide, the mercury will rise to 35 on Thursday, dip down to 32 on Friday, then soar to 39 on Saturday and a whopping 41 on Sunday. Also in the centre of the country, Alice Springs can expect its maximum temperature to stay between 35–39 degrees for four days from Thursday, while Darwin's will sit at 32-33 across the same period. In Perth, it'll actually get a tad cooler over the weekend — starting with a 34-degree maximum on Thursday, then going up to 36 degrees on Friday, before dropping to 26 on Saturday and Sunday. And down in Hobart, a top temperature of 27 is forecast for Sunday, with 30 expected on Monday — following other maximums of 22, 23 and 25 in the days prior. Of course, while these are BOM's forecasts as issued at 6.05am on Thursday, January 21, conditions may change — so keep an eye on the Bureau's website for the most up-to-date information. For latest weather forecasts, head to the Bureau of Meteorology website.
It's no surprise the humble banana is a lunchbox staple. After all, they pack in essential vitamins while being ripe to eat on their own or paired with myriad ingredients. What's more, this much-loved fruit can even score you a free workout this Wednesday, October 8, in celebration of National Banana Day. Made possible by Australian Bananas — the national peak body advocating for the potassium-packed powerhouses — the Banana Gym Pass returns for a second year following its 2024 debut. Just show a banana to the team at over 900 participating gyms nationwide to receive a free guest pass for the day. Featuring more than double the gyms included in the first year, the campaign has been embraced with open arms by boutique studios and massive chains like Virgin Active, Fitness First and Anytime Fitness. That means it's likely a nearby gym is ready to peel open its doors so you can get in a session — just check for a participating location. "Bananas have always been one of my go-to snacks," says Australian Bananas ambassador Tim Robards. "They're natural, easy to grab and full of the energy you need for a great workout, to chase after the kids, or just keep on top of a busy day. National Banana Day is a great reminder that looking after your body and keeping it fuelled doesn't have to be complicated."
If you're looking for a way to extend your summer this year, there is no better place to escape to than the Great Barrier Reef. From first-time snorkellers to diehard divers, everyone will find an experience off the shores of Tropical North Queensland to get pumped about. You can meet green turtles and manta rays, peep an abundance of mesmerising coral and give a little wave to Nemo in his natural habitat. So, consider this your sign to finally tick off this bucket list trip to witness the magic of the reef this autumn. [caption id="attachment_830381" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] GO DEEP INTO THE SEA WITH FIRST NATIONS GUIDES If your idea of a perfect day in the ocean is seeing beautiful reefs and getting an insightful connection to the sea, put Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel on your itinerary. Offering a unique experience, this local team will invite you to step into the Great Barrier Reef's Dreamtime. Visiting an array of reefs unique to Tropical North Queensland, you'll be accompanied by First Nations sea rangers who are passionate marine lovers, prioritising reef preservation and sustainable tourism. With Dreamtime, you'll spend the day snorkelling in some of the world's best reefs and learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island traditions and cultural connections to the region. [caption id="attachment_829681" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] BLAST OFF TO VLASOFF CAY FOR AN EXCLUSIVE REEF ENCOUNTER An exclusive experience awaits with this lush trip to Vlasoff Cay — a jewel in the crown of the Great Barrier Reef. This sandy cay, with 360-degree views of the world famous reef, is also accessible via boat, but the luxe experience is from the air. To see the sights from above, book a full-day return helicopter trip with eco-certified reef lovers Nautilus Aviation. You'll get to spend hours with the sand between your toes, snorkelling and indulging in a gourmet picnic hamper as you drip-dry in the balmy tropical air. The cay is a popular destination, so take advantage of the off-peak months and beat the crowds. CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE WITH AROONA LUXURY BOAT CHARTERS Grab eight of your closest mates and jump aboard Aroona for a totally luxurious reef experience. Whether you're exploring the reef on a day trip, or escaping the mainland for a seven-day soiree, Aroona Luxury Boat Charters is the choose-your-own-adventure experience of your dreams. Want a jam-packed escape featuring fishing and kite-surfing, or a calmer pace with snorkelling and sipping cocktails on the top deck? Thankfully, Aroona boasts flexibility and an abundance of options that is synonymous with the area. And there's no better way to watch tropical rainfall over the rainforest than from the deck as you cruise towards Fitzroy Island. [caption id="attachment_830344" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] SET SAIL TO GREEN ISLAND Green Island is the quintessential destination for the rainforest and ocean combo for which Tropical North Queensland is famous. As the name suggests, it's the only cay in the Great Barrier Reef that boasts a rainforest as well as pristine sands. Plus, Ocean Free is the only tour operator in Cairns that offers a personal sailing reef and island tour. Ocean Free provide a tour with an exclusive reef mooring at the island. Taking a highly personalised approach, Ocean Free lets you decide how to spend your day. Snorkel straight off the boat, try your hand at an introductory dive or spend the day exploring the island's rainforest. Then, return aboard Ocean Free to relax and marvel at Green Island over a smorgasbord lunch. EXPLORE THE REEF FROM TROPICAL ISLAND SHORES A day tour on the Frankland Islands Reef Cruises will take you to more places in one day than you could visit in a week anywhere else in the world. And, its tour features the shortest open water crossing to the reef in Cairns — ideal for those who are prone to seasickness. Start the day with a quick coach trip from Cairns through UNESCO World Heritage-listed rainforest mountains to the Mulgrave River. Here, the luxurious riverboat will carry you downriver and across the sea to your base at Normanby Island. Then the day is yours to explore this secluded National Park island. You can snorkel right off the beach or explore the reef and marine life a little further afield on a guided snorkel safari experience. Be sure to take a walk around the island with the tour's marine biologist who'll help you discover the diverse wildlife that flourishes in the island's rainforest and rock pools. [caption id="attachment_829683" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] STAY DRY AT CAIRNS AQUARIUM If it's childhood wonder and extensive marine knowledge you're after, then the Cairns Aquarium is ideal. Home to more than 16,000 specimens and ten different ecosystems, the aquarium is a window into the flora and fauna that call the Great Barrier Reef home — and it's only a stroll from the bustling Cairns Esplanade. Get inspired by daily ecosystem talks, animal presentations, live diver feeds and marine touch 'n' talk shows. Or, if a day of underwater wonder sets your stomach rumbling, head to the aquarium's Dundee's Restaurant to enjoy a delicious meal on the Daintree Deck and watch the warm tropical rain fall in an afternoon shower. [caption id="attachment_830353" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] CATCH COLOURFUL SEA CREATURES OFF THE COAST OF PORT DOUGLAS If you're a diehard snorkelling fan, jump onboard Calypso Reef Cruises for an unforgettable and environmentally friendly experience off the coast of Port Douglas. Relax on Calypso's dedicated snorkelling vessel, offering comfortable day beds and spacious decks, before popping on your gear and meeting some of the most exquisite marine life in the world. The vibrant coral gardens and diverse marine life at Opal Reef are visible within a couple of metres from the water surface making it accessible for most levels of swimming skill. The trickiest part will be keeping count of how many giant clams, stingrays, green turtles and clownfish you'll spot. SPLURGE ON A MULTI-DAY DIVING TRIP This multi-day live-aboard experience is the ideal ocean getaway for accredited open water divers. Offering three-, four- and seven-day trips, Spirit of Freedom will whisk you away to Cod Hole, Ribbon Reefs and Osprey Reef — some of the most impressive dive destinations in the world. Experience shark dives, sheer walls laced with soft corals, manta rays, and bright, abundant tropical reefs rich with biodiversity paired with hotel quality amenities and first-class meals on this lush escape. And, did we mention the boat's three decks you can relax on? They're perfect for an afternoon kip before heading out for a twilight dive. Ready to dive deep into the reef? For more information and to discover more about a holiday in Tropical North Queensland this autumn, visit the website. Top image: Tourism and Events Queensland
UPDATE Monday, July 19: Lift those spirits and treat yourself to an at-home Mexican fiesta, courtesy of Mejico's latest delivery meal boxes. They arrive ready to heat and serve, packed with a two-person menu of starters, sides, dessert and a main dish — like the hibiscus mole chicken. A range of food and drink add-ons are also available. For more details on Victoria's current restrictions, see the Department of Health and Human Services website. As the CBD slowly emerges from its 2020 hibernation, it's welcomed an especially lively newcomer in Mejico — a vibrant eatery that opened its doors this week, transforming Pink Alley into a permanent fiesta. Sibling to Mejico Sydney, which launched back in 2013, the restaurant's serving up a diverse menu of regional Mexican fare, alongside what's pegged to be Melbourne's largest selection of tequila and mezcal, clocking in at over 260 varieties. The two-storey space sports an edgy fit-out full of black and neon pink accents, with an all-weather glasshouse-style dining room on the ground floor, and a more intimate tequila bar and cocktail lounge upstairs. It's decked out with hand-drawn mandalas, striking murals by local artist Ash Keating, and a leafy vertical garden. Unlike most of the Mexican joints you've been frequenting, this one's an early riser, kicking off each day with a breakfast offering from 7.30am. Settle in with the likes of a reworked eggs benny with chipotle hollandaise, dulce de leche crumpets and mezcal-cured salmon, or grab a fresh croissant and coffee to-go. [caption id="attachment_793263" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arianna Leggiero[/caption] Come lunch and dinner, the menu expands to a colourful lineup of street snacks — think, grilled haloumi with burnt honey, fire-glazed salmon tacos and empanadas stuffed with Daylesford beef brisket — alongside larger plates like the pasilla-spiced roast chicken and a Yucatan-style pulled pork matched with smoked eggplant. Here, the all-important guacamole element is prepared tableside in front of your eyes, served with plantain chips and customised with your choice of garnishes. Or, you can tuck into a classic ($62) or deluxe ($79) 'feed me' menu, the latter of which includes a serve of Mejico's signature margarita cheesecake. Late-night cravings are sorted, too, with a special post-11pm snack menu, featuring bites like blue corn chips with a roasted pineapple and habanero salsa, brisket empanadas, and crispy chicharrones. Tequila and mezcal reign supreme on the drinks list, though the agave-focused cocktail lineup is also set to get a solid workout. You'll find fruity creations like a jalapeño margarita and the Guadalajaran — featuring a blend of pineapple-infused tequila and passionfruit. Rounding out the fun is a tidy crop of wines, crisp beers, and sangria by the glass or jug. Images: Arianna Leggiero
It’s time to stop fishing behind couch cushions and shaking piggy banks; the boutique hotel-hunters at Mr & Mrs Smith have unearthed 10 budget-conscious escapes that won’t need a second mortgage. These ten wallet-friendly stays made the shortlist for ‘Best Budget Hotel’ in the inaugural Smith Hotel Awards, which just took place in London. Want to know the winner? You’ll have to keep reading. Best for bona fide bohemia: Brody House, Budapest, Hungary Smith’s ‘Best Budget Hotel’ is more like the private designer digs of a swish friend than a hotel. Brody House is bursting with creative inspiration and can add sometime-host to film and fashion shoots to its artistically inclined resume. Each room has its own unique style — some feature freestanding gold bath tubs — and is named after the artists whose works adorn the walls. The Brody House Bar is open to the public and keeps pouring as long as guests keep sipping; there’s also an honesty bar, so you can tap into your inner mixologist. An in-house chef prepares simple and seasonal Hungarian fare that changes daily and is best enjoyed in the picturesque courtyard. Best for pool-side hedonism: Ace Hotel & Swim Club, Palm Springs, United States Escape the desert heat and hop into the cool cocktail that is Ace Hotel & Swim Club: a reinvented hotel haven, luring in pleasure-seekers, bohemian-beauties and the hipster-chic. Designed with an organic, laidback ethos, some rooms have garden patios and fireplaces, record players and old vinyl. Brave the heat by renting a candy-coloured Vespa or booking a horse-riding lesson. Those reluctant to venture away from the cool comfort of air-conditioning may prefer languidly lying in a hammock and working through the bar’s cocktail menu. The King’s Highway restaurant (formerly a roadside Denny’s diner) dishes up classic American fare with dashes of the unexpected, such as kurobuta pork chops and roasted halibut cheeks. Best for culture vultures: Home Hotel, Buenos Aires, Argentina Click your heels and escape to Home Hotel, a green dream hidden away in an ivy-entwined structure in residential Buenos Aires. The eco-design and open-air pleasures – an outdoor passageway leads to the restaurant overlooking the gorgeous grounds – extend through to the rooms, which are tricked out with retro Scandinavian furnishings and vibrant vintage wallpaper in pretty florals. Take in an obligatory tango performance and a Lloyd Webber-inspired stroll to the grave of Eva Perón, before succumbing to the nimble-knuckles of Home’s in-house masseur, Luis. Don’t go back to your actual home without sampling delicious tapas and a Bloody Mary at the bar. Best for a romantic rendezvous: The Reading Rooms, Kent, United Kingdom Tucked behind a classic Georgian facade, The Reading Rooms is dotted with antique furnishings, preserved features and nooks for rekindling romance or igniting a new flame. Each of the three rooms occupies a floor of the restored townhouse and has antique wooden floors fit for a foxtrot, high ceilings and views over a peaceful tree-lined square. Begin days by dining on the in-room breakfast spread — bacon and sausage sandwiches, just-baked croissants and fresh fruits — before exploring Margate’s vintage boutiques and the picturesque Kent coast. Best for a rural romance: Borgo della Marmotta, Umbria, Italy Peer over the high stone walls at Borgo della Marmotta to find clusters of beautifully converted 17th-century farmhouses and stables, olive trees and views of Spoleto Valley. There’s no flash and pomp here; instead, expect a simple spin on luxury: rustic cobblestoned passaged leading to charming rooms and pockets of lush garden, pots of lemon trees casting shadows on the terrace and vibrant bunches of wisteria hanging from pergolas. Rise early to snag a table outside for a breakfast feast of sweet croissants, conserves, cheeses and cold cuts, before whiling away Umbrian sun-soaked days by the glittering blue pool. Best for artistic inspiration: The Cullen, Melbourne, Australia One for art aficionados and the creative coterie, The Cullen is inspired by the eye-catching and contemporary works of Adam Cullen — the hotel even has its own dedicated art curator, who has the lowdown on the top exhibitions around town. The gallery-worthy aesthetic continues to the rooms, where cartoonish prints adorn the walls and glass showers are engraved with Ned Kelly-esque horses and bushrangers — the views of Melbourne’s skyline aren’t half bad either. After a day of pedalling between Prahan’s fashionable boutiques — bespoke red Swedish Kronan two-wheelers are available to rent — don your newest designer duds and head downstairs to one of the eateries off the hotel’s ground floor. Gramercy Bistro brings a taste of New York to Melbourne, serving Reuben sandwiches, buttermilk pancakes and six cuts of steak to knock your oversized sunglasses off; Hutong dishes up dumplings and delectable duck. Best for a weekend wind-down: The Wheatsheaf Inn, the Cotswolds, United Kingdom Having played host to Kate Moss, The Wheatsheaf Inn has gone from traditional British coaching inn to bang-on designer den. Paintings of historic British tobacco barons keep a watchful eye over the Inn’s dining room, an inviting and lively eatery where seasonal produce is the star in a daily-changing menu and the all-day weekend brunch is best washed down with a Buck’s fizz. Between feasts, shooting — of the real and clay-pigeon variety — is up for grabs near this rustic retreat or, if you prefer something with fewer bangs, meander around the wallet-tempting boutiques of Northleach. Best for beach bliss: Mia Resort, Nha Trang, Vietnam A sojourn at Mia Resort — once a sugarcane plantation — will certainly leave a sweet taste in your mouth. This sandy getaway is neighboured by imposing mountains, lush greenery and beyond-blue waters, where days are spent moseying barefoot between the turquoise pool, sun loungers and Xanh Spa. Sea-frolicking is thirsty work and Mojitos bar serves at least eight varieties (if we miscounted, blame the rum); sip your way through ginger, whatijo (watermelon), lemon and lychee libations. Nab a spot on the sugar-sand beach for a sunset picnic, complete with a hamper groaning with sandwiches, cupcakes, a cheeseboard and carafe of fruit juice — just make sure to book ahead. Best for palatial paradise: Baudon de Mauny, Languedoc-Roussillon, France Walk through the heavy, centuries-old wooden front door at Baudon de Mauny and into the quiet cobbled courtyard to feel instantly at ease. Sprawling rooms are coupled with vintage-inspired furnishings and contemporary cool to create an escape with style so sophisticated, it could only be French. After exploring the local markets and brocantes, recline on the antique scarlet sofas in the first-floor salon, a glass of Faugeres in hand. Best for coastal calm: Chapman House, Nantucket, United States Forget ships in glass bottles and cliched beach-themed interiors: at Chapman House, nautical stripes have been replaced with pops of teal, coral and ikat prints. A kingly Continental breakfast is served each morning — fresh-baked breads and croissants, homemade muffins, fruits, cheese and granola parfaits — the perfect preface to a stroll around the harbour town or a series of aquatic adventures, including sailing lessons, whale watching, fishing excursions and sea kayaking. You don’t need a reason to return to boutique base-camp but Chapman House gives you one anyway: freshly baked cookies are your afternoon treat here. For more Mr & Mrs Smith boutique hotels, visit www.mrandmrssmith.com or call the expert Travel Team on 1300 896 627. Smith guests enjoy exclusive extras at all stays.
Football fans, Christmas has arrived — the soccer version that comes around twice every four years, that is. The Men's World Cup took place in 2022, and now it's time for the Women's World Cup from Thursday, July 20–Sunday, August 20, right here in Australia (and also New Zealand). If you're fond of the round ball, there's really not much that could improve the next month. Actually, one thing could make your Women's World Cup-watching and Matildas-barracking couch sessions even better. We have two words for you: free pizza. They're two of the best words that exist, especially when used together — and they describe exactly what Pizza Hut is offering Aussies during this year's tournament. In total, the fast food chain could hand out $2 million in pizzas. Exactly how many it'll dole out depends on one big thing: how many goals are scored across the entire competition. Pizza Hut will give away 200 pizzas to celebrate each and every single goal, and it'll also triple that number when it's Sam Kerr and the Matildas hitting the back of the net. That means you'll have multiple chances to grab a freebie. And, numbers-wise, all other teams scored 138 goals in the 2019 Women's World Cup, while Australia kicked eight — so if that's repeated, there'll be 32,400 free pizzas up for grabs this time. To score your 'za without spending a cent, you'll need to head to Pizza Hut's 'pizzas for goals' website at 4pm AEST each day, with the number up for grabs based on the previous day's matches. Unsurprisingly, you'll want to get in quick as it's a first in, first served affair. You can only enter once per day — and, if you win, you'll be sent a voucher code for a large pizza with a pan base. You'll be able to choose from super supreme, barbecue meatlovers, pepperoni lovers, Hawaiian and cheese lovers, and you'll need to redeem within 21 days of issue via a pick-up order. Also, you can't combine the voucher with other meal deals — but a free pizza is a free pizza. Pizza Hut will be giving away free pizzas from Friday, July 21–Monday, August 21 during the 2023 Women's World Cup. For further information, head to the chain's website.
Each year on January 26 triple j put a mortgage on Australia's airwaves, pumping out the best 100 tracks from the previous year as voted by their listeners in the world's largest annual music poll. The station is one of the only non-commercial national youth radio networks anywhere in the world, and places a real focus on uncovering and supporting the best Australian talent, providing a soundtrack to many a misspent youth in the process. So it was with great excitement that listeners awaited results in triple j's inaugural Hottest 100 Australian Records of All Time this past weekend. The results provided us with some interesting factoids, and after the 47,000 votes were counted, the top gong went to Powderfinger's Odyssey Number 5. At the time of its release in 2001, the album sold more than 500,000 copies and spent almost two years weeks on the ARIA Charts, winning six ARIAs in 2001, including Album of the Year and Single of the Year for 'My Happiness'. Our personal picks for the Top Ten at Concrete Playground HQ are: 1. Since I Left You – The Avalanches 2. Frogstomp – Silverchair 3. Crowded House – Crowded House 4. Back In Black – AC/DC 5. Kick – INXS 6. Unit – Regurgitator 7. 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 – Midnight Oil 8. Lovers – The Sleepy Jackson 9. In Ghost Colours – Cut Copy 10. Human Frailty – Hunters & Collectors The full Hottest 100 Australian Albums of All Time list is as follows: 1. Odyssey Number 5 – Powderfinger 2. Frogstomp – Silverchair 3. Back In Black – AC/DC 4. The Living End – The Living End 5. Kick – INXS 6. Internationalist – Powderfinger 7. Apocalypso – The Presets 8. Wolfmother – Wolfmother 9. Since I Left You – The Avalanches 10. Unit – Regurgitator 11. Like Drawing Blood – Gotye 12. Guide to Better Living – Grinspoon 13. Crowded House – Crowded House 14. Vulture Street – Powderfinger 15. Slightly Odway – Jebediah 16. The Hard Road – Hilltop Hoods 17. Eternal Nightcap – The Whitlams 18. Woodface – Crowded House 19. Innerspeaker – Tame Impala 20. Conditions – The Temper Trap 21. 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 – Midnight Oil 22. Diorama – Silverchair 23. The Calling – Hilltop Hoods 24. Sunrise Over Sea – The John Butler Trio 25. Get Born – Jet 26. Hourly, Daily – You Am I 27. Neon Ballroom – Silverchair 28. The Cat Empire – The Cat Empire 29. The Sound of White – Missy Higgins 30. Themata – Karnivool 31. Down the Way – Angus & Julia Stone 32. Universes – Birds of Tokyo 33. Diesel and Dust – Midnight Oil 34. Memories & Dust – Josh Pyke 35. Hi Fi Way – You Am I 36. In Ghost Colours – Cut Copy 37. Highly Evolved – The Vines 38. A Book Like This – Angus & Julia Stone 39. Birds of Tokyo – Birds of Tokyo 40. Echolalia – Something for Kate 41. Double Allergic – Powderfinger 42. East – Cold Chisel 43. Freak Show – Silverchair 44. Tu-Plang – Regurgitator 45. Sound Awake – Karnivool 46. Walking On A Dream – Empire Of The Sun 47. Black Fingernails, Red Wine – Eskimo Joe 48. Ivy and the Big Apples – Spiderbait 49. Whispering Jack – John Farnham 50. The New Normal – Cog 51. I Believe You Liar – Washington 52. Murder Ballads – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds 53. Three – The John Butler Trio 54. Tea & Sympathy – Bernard Fanning 55. Blue Sky Mining – Midnight Oil 56. Bliss Release – Cloud Control 57. The Honeymoon Is Over – The Cruel Sea 58. New Detention – Grinspoon 59. As Day Follows Night – Sarah Blasko 60. We Are Born – Sia 61. Hold Your Colour – Pendulum 62. Cruel Guards – The Panics 63. Grand National – The John Butler Trio 64. Polyserena – George 65. Cold Chisel – Cold Chisel 66. Running on Air – Bliss N Eso 67. Flying Colours – Bliss N Eso 68. The Experiment – Art vs. Science 69. Gossip – Paul Kelly and The Coloured Girls 70. Young Modern – Silverchair 71. Beams – The Presets 72. Beautiful Sharks – Something For Kate 73. Highway To Hell – AC/DC 74. The Overture & The Underscore – Sarah Blasko 75. Living In The 70s – Skyhooks 76. Human Frailty – Hunters & Collectors 77. Immersion – Pendulum 78. Lovers – The Sleepy Jackson 79. Gravity Won't Get You High – The Grates 80. (I'm) Stranded – The Saints 81. Feeler – Pete Murray 82. Up All Night – The Waifs 83. Wonder – Lisa Mitchell 84. 16 Lovers Lane – The Go-Betweens 85. State Of The Art – Hilltop Hoods 86. This Is The Warning – Dead Letter Circus 87. A Song Is A City – Eskimo Joe 88. Imago – The Butterfly Effect 89. Pnau – Pnau 90. The Long Now – Children Collide 91. Gilgamesh – Gypsy & The Cat 92. A Man's Not A Camel – Frenzal Rhomb 93. Moo, You Bloody Choir – Augie March 94. Everything Is True – Paul Dempsey 95. Stoneage Romeos – Hoodoo Gurus 96. Paging Mr. Strike – Machine Gun Fellatio 97. Begins Here – The Butterfly Effect 98. The Boatman's Call – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds 99. Thrills, Kills & Sunday Pills – Grinspoon 100. Two Shoes – The Cat Empire https://youtube.com/watch?v=8fBbKtq_Li8
