At the risk of sounding like the fashion world's answer to the Grinch, let's call a spade a spade — Australians are not stylish. Where Parisians can offer the world chic little striped T-shirts best accessorised with a durry and a croissant (pronounced cwoissant, for you, oh uncivilised reader), New Yorkers are just implicitly fashionable (especially the hobos) and the women of Milan know how to work all white and gold chains, we have given the fashion world… Kylie Minogue in hot pants and woollen jumpers with things like gumnut babies on them. Whatever, we're good at other things, like turning away refugees and playing a bastardised version of football. For one week (next week, actually) Melbourne is going to pretend it can shake it with the catwalks of Paris, New York, London and Milan for the annual L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival. Whilst the commercial runways may be largely overhyped, "unveiling" collections that have often been available at suburban shopping centres across the state for weeks or even months, amidst the doldrums the program offers a number of genuinely interesting, unexpected events and initiatives. If you're going to check them out, make sure you've got a good outfit; if you're lucky you might end up on the society pages right next to someone really great like, ahem, a fashion blogger. RUNWAY Three worth a look in are the Sportsgirl National Graduate Showcase, the Independent Runway presented by Yen and The Thousands and the Indigenous Fashion Runway, all of which showcase designers who are emerging enough to have thus far avoided being creatively crippled by the constraints that come with the need to sell, sell, sell dem frocks. In other words, these shows won't be literally and figuratively beige. FILM In simpler times, advertising used to appeal largely to base instinct. A photo of a hot girl drawing suggestively on a fag suggested that if you smoked Vogues you would become Audrey Hepburn and the likeness of a bunch of dapper gentleman enjoying an after work tipple deceptively led one to believe that drinking scotch wouldn't result in an instantaneous transformation into an old, decrepit alcoholic man. Then people got wise and the fashion film was born. Some good ones will be showcased in Fashion Film Series, a collaboration between LMFF, Portable.tv and Fed Square. Transitions at No Vacancy QV is a separate film installation that explores the increasingly foggy distinction between fashion, art and spatial practices. ART Art is a beautiful thing. It allows people too uncool to ever convince Zippora Seven to get naked in real life to see her nipples, in both photographic and illustrated form, in a series of "sensual nude images" by Derek Henderson alongside drawings by Kelly Thompson in Darkness of Noon. Elsewhere, diaspora and the general "stickiness" of migration are explored in Foreign Returned at the flossy Sofitel hotel and gender lines get hazy in photographer Drew Pettifer's Androgyne (cos being a boy/girl is fashionable now, in case you missed the memo). LEARN If seeing too many suspiciously well-groomed people in town for the festival makes you want to be a better person, there are a number of workshops to help your cause. The Social Studio's Quick Unpick is a series of discussions led by people who aren't failing at life, such as designers Kit Willow and Ellie Mucke; In Conversation with Kate Fletcher will see the researcher, writer and design activist wax lyrical on matters of fashion and sustainability; and a smelly friend (maybe you’re the smelly friend) might benefit from Perfume Masterclass. If you're under 10 years old, firstly, pat your self on the back for your impressive reading comprehension skills, secondly, sign up to learn How to be a Fashionista — great to see the important life lessons being handed down earlier and earlier. DANCE NLNL Opus '13 is No Lights, No Lycra, but with the best dance hits from 1930 to today (like TT FM once was, only with six extra decades) as curated by six of Melbourne's finest disc jockeys. There actually is no such thing as a bad dancer when you're in pitch darkness, making this an event that cannot be missed. The LMFF runs from March 18-24. See the full program of events on their website. Images via LMFF, No Lights No Lycra, The Social Studio, Portable.tv and The Darkness of Noon
Tasmania is home to brilliant restaurants and cafes that rival the mainland's best. And if you're looking to get a richer understanding of where phenomenal food actually comes from, there really is no better place. With the island's inland farms and coastal regions bursting with remarkable produce, Tassie is full of growers ready to guide you through an enlightening, hands-on adventure that will give you a unique culinary and agrarian perspective (not to mention the very likely chance that they'll feed you very, very well indeed). Here, we've teamed up with Tourism Tasmania to highlight a selection of experiences that offer hands-on foodie encounters to seek out and savour. [caption id="attachment_865676" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] 41 DEGREES SOUTH Set a 40-minute drive west of Launceston on the outskirts of Deloraine, 41 Degrees South is a salmon farm, wetland and ginseng plantation. Featuring 20 freshwater ponds filled with water sourced from nearby Montana Falls, the farm invites you to take a self-guided tour to explore the sustainable processes that support this world-class producer of salmon. The property's owners, Ziggy and Angelika Pyka, also make the most of Tasmania's cooler climate with a thriving grove of Korean and American ginseng. Wander through the crops before making a purchase at the on-site store and stopping by the cafe to enjoy a dish made with the freshest salmon washed down with a local wine or beer. [caption id="attachment_866893" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] TWAMLEY FARM Twamley Farm is a picturesque working farm spread across 7000 acres flanking the Tea Tree Rivulet near the charming village of Buckland. The property offers farmyard activities, accommodation and cooking classes that provide an opportunity to level up your skills in Italian and French cooking. Hosted by the gourmet catering business, Gert and Ted, the classes — fronted by the eponymous Gert — will show you how to prepare a range of dishes before you sit down for a long lunch with your fellow attendees. With several classes to choose from, including spring harvest feasts and festive season treats, Twamley Farm's stunning setting is the ideal place for a countryside culinary escape. [caption id="attachment_866852" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pure Foods[/caption] PURE FOODS EGG FARM Head to a top-notch cafe in Tassie and there's a good chance it's using Pure Foods Eggs in the kitchen. Experience what goes into this superior product via a 'Pure Tour' a foodie experience touted as the "ultimate eggspedition" that'll take you on a journey through the company's scenic property in the Northern Midlands region and the largest free-range egg farm in Tasmania. Throughout the 90-minute behind-the-scenes tour, you'll explore the custom-built facilities and see how its high-tech production methods set a new industry standard. After seeing the happy hens in action, you'll receive a dozen free-range eggs to take home so you can whip up your favourite dish with the finest eggs on the island. [caption id="attachment_866851" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sirocco South Forage and Feast[/caption] SIROCCO SOUTH FORAGE AND FEAST Mic Giuliani, the man behind Sirocco South, is a local foraging master with over 50 years of experience. So yes, Mic was doing it before it was cool. You can catch him serving delicious Tassie-inspired Italian cuisine at Hobart's Farm Gate Market every Sunday or on one of his Sirocco South foraging trips where he'll show you how to find food in the wild. Once you've collected enough seasonal ingredients, Mic goes to work producing a six-course lunch featuring quality meat and seafood paired with award-winning wines from Bream Creek Vineyard. Overlooking the spectacular Frederick Henry Bay, Sirocco South is a deluxe foraging experience in an idyllic location that helps guests appreciate the wonders of wild food. In short: it's heaven on earth for foodies. [caption id="attachment_866889" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] UNEARTHED CHEFS TOUR Get a rare glimpse into the operations of some of Tasmania's top growers and producers via an Unearthed Chefs Tour. This morning or afternoon adventure sees you transported from your accommodation to the seriously delicious Tasting Trail Cradle to Coast to meet some of the North-West's finest culinary creators. The tour will take you around a saffron farm, to search for truffles and then on to a luxurious wine tasting at Lake Barrington Estate, with a stop to admire the coastline along the way. A heavenly lunch prepared by chef Naomi Parker is also on the agenda, as is a wander through Sheffield — the Town of Murals — before arriving back at your accommodation. [caption id="attachment_865666" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] FORK N FARM HOMESTEAD The ForknFarm Homestead is a striking 24-acre property set in the scenic surrounds of the West Tamar Valley. It's a popular destination for farm-stays thanks to its charming cabins and it also hosts artisan cooking workshops where you can level up your talents with owners Cassie and Aaron "Lob" Lobley. Over the years, this enterprising duo has mastered a host of agrarian culinary skills, ranging from cheesemaking and open-fire cooking to pickling and preserving. There's a host of one-day and two-day sessions to consider or you can create a personalised experience if you attend in a group of four or more. [caption id="attachment_865674" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] BLUE HILLS HONEY Blue Hills Honey's distinctly Tasmanian product comes from 2000 beehives hidden deep within the lush takayna/Tarkine rainforest. While this award-winning apiary specialises in leatherwood honey, the honey house also offers a selection of other varieties like manuka, blackberry and meadow. This craft honey farm has been in operation for over 60 years and you can see how it all works on its rural property in the community of Mawbanna. Alongside a factory for touring and a tasting room, there's a cafe overlooking the surrounding farmland that serves everything from honey-baked brie to Thai beef salad. [caption id="attachment_865672" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] OYSTER BAY TOURS AT FREYCINET MARINE FARM Freycinet Marine Farm is beloved for its Pacific Oysters and Tasmanian Blue Mussels. Owned by Giles and Julia Fisher since 2005, the cafe makes for the perfect pitstop if you want to sample the region's famed cuisine. You can discover how the product arrives in the shop with a fantastically hands-on (and knees-in) Oyster Bay Tour. With the help of an expert guide, the tour will see you wade into shallow waters to harvest oysters straight out of the sea and show you how to shuck 'em like a pro. To finish, you'll get to enjoy your freshly claimed oysters and mussels with a glass of local riesling. [caption id="attachment_865678" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tasmania[/caption] CURRINGA FARM In Hamilton, about a one-hour drive from Hobart, Curringa Farm presents an idyllic chance to experience life on a Tasmanian working farm. Spanning 750 acres, this sheep and cropping property has won numerous awards for its charming cottage accommodation. Whether you're heading along for the day or staying overnight, Curringa Farm has two immersive tours on offer to suit your travel plans. The 'Shearers Smoko' is a two-hour walking tour of the farm where you'll meet and greet sheep and farm dogs alongside a morning or afternoon tea. Meanwhile, the 'BBQ Lunch & Farm Tour' presents an outstanding paddock-to-plate experience. [caption id="attachment_866894" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jamie Roberts[/caption] THE TRUFFLEDORE On the foothills of Cradle Mountain is where you'll find this truffle-filled farm, accommodation and shop. From October till April, The Truffledore is open for tastings and tours on Fridays and Sundays from 9am–4pm. Head off on the 45-minute tour to feed the farm animals and discover where the delicious winter truffles are grown. During the winter months, you can hunt and harvest truffles for yourself on Saturdays. Just make sure you book ahead of time to secure a spot. If one day on the farm isn't enough, book into one of the charming cottages for a delightful overnight stay. Ready to plan a trip for your tastebuds around Tasmania? To discover more, visit the website. Top image: Tourism Australia
James Bond is a fictional character. If literature and cinema's super-suave spy was real, however, he might be interested in a new bar that's set to start pouring cocktails in Melbourne from April. At Le Martini, one drink is in the spotlight. That cocktail can come in an array of varieties, though — yes, including shaken, not stirred — as patrons here will be able to enjoy. This 33-seat watering hole on the ground floor at Crown Melbourne won't just hero one kind of tipple. It'll also be all about one variety of vodka, too. Operating from 5pm–late Thursday–Sunday, the intimate Le Martini is the world's first-ever Grey Goose martini bar, so you know what'll be in each martini. Exactly what kinds of martinis will be on offer hasn't been revealed as yet, but they'll also change thanks to guest bartenders from overseas who'll whip up their own menus. One such person: New York's Dale DeGroff, whose career dates back to the Rainbow Room in the 80s. He's in charge of the opening martini lineup. Whatever the range of curators opt for, you can probably look forward to the alcohol brand's signature martini, which combines its own vodka, Noilly Prat dry vermouth and a dash of orange bitters. French bites to eat will be paired with the beverages, with Bistro Guillaume at Crown Melbourne responsible for the culinary range. "Here, we are creating a place where guests can sip on the very best expertly crafted Grey Goose martinis while immersed in exquisite surrounds," said the brand's Marketing Manager Sander Janmaat, announcing Le Martini. Find Le Martini on the ground floor at Crown Melbourne, Southbank from sometime in April, open from 5pm–late Thursday–Sunday — we'll update you with an exact launch date when one is announced.
Despite the public holiday, Melbourne's got plenty of cafes, bars and restaurants that are opening their doors to help make your first day of the year a great one. Perhaps you had an especially celebratory New Year's Eve and a swift recovery is at the top of your to-do list. Or, maybe you're just keen to start off 2022 how you wish to continue it — with good mates, a solid soundtrack, and some top-notch eats and drinks. Either way, outsourcing your January 1 festivities — and the associated cleanup — is always a good idea. Here are all the Melbourne spots open and serving up the goods on New Year's Day. CAFES [caption id="attachment_671311" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bentwood, by Kate Shanasy[/caption] Tall Timber, Prahran: 7.30am–3pm Bentwood, Fitzroy: 7.30am–4pm Glovers Station, Malvern East: 7am–4pm Juliette Coffee & Bread, Malvern East: usual Saturday hours RESTAURANTS [caption id="attachment_764371" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Firebird, by Jana Langhorst[/caption] Cappo Sociale, Fitzroy: from 5pm Pidapipo, various locations: open until 11pm Longrain, CBD: 5pm–late Prince Dining Room, St Kilda: 12pm–late Firebird, Prahran: open from 5.30pm 400 Gradi, Brunswick East: open from 12pm HuTong, Prahran: from 12pm Entrecote, Prahran: 12pm–late PUBS [caption id="attachment_829814" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Builders Arms, by Julia Sansone[/caption] The Rochester Hotel, Fitzroy: 3pm–3am (three-stage DJ party — nab tickets here) The Botanical, South Yarra: 12pm–late The Empress, Fitzroy North: 12pm–late The Local Taphouse, St Kilda: 12pm–12am Builders Arms, Fitzroy: 12pm–late BARS [caption id="attachment_605215" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Section 8[/caption] Section 8, CBD: 12pm–1am (free day party headlined by MzRizk) Prince Public Bar, St Kilda: 8am–late Bourke Street Courtyard, CBD: 12–9pm (DJ party — get tickets here) Pontoon, St Kilda: 3–11pm (beachside DJ party headlined by Feenixpawl — grab tickets here) Arbory Afloat, CBD: 12–5pm (pool party with a range of ticketing options available) Welcome to Thornbury, Northcote: 12pm–2am (four-stage DJ party with food trucks — nab tickets here) Fargo & Co, Richmond: 12pm–1am The B.East CBD, CBD: 12–9pm Loop Roof, CBD: 1–4pm (bottomless brunch party — grab tickets here) Top Image: Arbory Afloat, by Parker Blain
Since its debut in 2022, Always Live has quickly become a loud and proud voice for sharing everything great about contemporary music and highlighting outstanding venues from Geelong to Gippsland and Ballarat to Bendigo. The stage is set for a 2024 return, with a huge range of artists set to hit venues all over Victoria from Friday, November 22, to Sunday, December 8. Leading the program is the Australian debut of genre-defying performer and artist Anyma, who's fresh off a record-sold-out six-show residency at the Las Vegas Sphere. Accordingly, the largest screen in the southern hemisphere will be set up for the show at Flemington Racecourse. [caption id="attachment_969884" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Ian Laidlaw[/caption] Other headline acts include Californian punk rock group The Offspring, who are bringing their famous punk energy to the stage for a one-night-only show. Tina Arena will perform at Mornington Racecourse in celebration of the 30th anniversary of her breakout album Don't Ask. Meanwhile, Victorian-based singer Missy Higgins will conclude her national tour with a show at Sidney Myer Music Bowl. A massive LGBTQIA+ party is kicking off in Port Melbourne, headlined by Irish artist Roísín Murphy alongside a set of global and local artists alike. Rockers St Vincent will hit two classic venues: Palais Theatre in St Kilda and Her Majesty's Theatre in Ballarat before returning to Melbourne for 'An Intimate Audience with St Vincent'. This one-of-a-kind show is a half-concert, half-dining experience and takes place in The Aviary, Crown Melbourne. [caption id="attachment_969882" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Simon Fazio[/caption] The program truly goes on and on and on, with shows from Chet Faker, Jack White, Baker Boy, The Rions and many, many more. You'd best start preparing a plan to hit as many shows as possible. Always Live 2024 runs from Friday, November 22, to Sunday, December 8, at venues across Victoria. For more information and to book tickets, visit the website.
When Hereditary premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival, it received the kind of response that first-time filmmakers usually only dream about. Ari Aster's debut feature was instantly likened to horror greats such as Rosemary's Baby, The Shining, The Wicker Man and The Babadook, while one critic dubbed it "this generation's The Exorcist". Given the movie's story and subject matter — a grief-stricken family grapple with the aftermath of several personal tragedies, uncovering sinister secrets about their ancestry and fate in the process — such comparisons might seem obvious. But as Hereditary tells its slow-burning tale in a masterfully unnerving fashion, it more than earns its place among such genre standouts. Led by Australian actor Toni Collette in an award-worthy performance, this meticulously unsettling and suspenseful effort delves into the lives of the Grahams, starting with a printed death notice for their matriarch. The mood is expectedly grim, although artist Annie (Collette) doesn't seem that upset about her mother's passing, and nor does her psychiatrist husband Steve (Gabriel Byrne) or pot-smoking teenage son Peter (Alex Wolff). It's a different story for 13-year-old Charlie (Milly Shapiro), who was closer to her eccentric, erratic grandmother than everyone else, and isn't coping quite as well as a result. While their varying reactions hint at the kind of domestic disharmony that most families weather, the Grahams are soon forced to face their demons. Indeed, Aster describes Hereditary as "a family tragedy that curdles into a nightmare" — and that's actually his favourite way to describe the film. "It becomes a nightmare in the way that life can feel like a nightmare when disaster strikes," he elaborates, touching upon the movie's uncannily effective ability to turn a familiar situation into something much darker and more disturbing. In fact, not only probing family struggles but pushing the boundaries has proven Aster's favourite terrain across short films Munchausen and The Strange Thing About the Johnsons. For his next feature, rather than making the jump from successful indie horror to the big end of town, he's sticking with his niche — this time following a couple on a trip that goes awry. With Hereditary now screening in Australian cinemas, we chatted to Aster about making a perturbing yet relatable horror film, the need for films to wade into emotionally difficult territory and casting Toni Collette — among other topics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3__y-uPwbe8 ON GROUNDING HEREDITARY'S HORRORS IN REALITY "I wanted to make a film that was a serious inquiry into questions about grief and trauma, that then spirals into something else. There is a tragedy that occurs in the film, and I feel like that there is a trend, certainly among horror movies, to like throw these things in and then not really address the impact that such an event would have on the people at the centre — and I did want to make a film that really, really dealt with that. And I feel like there is especially a trend among American family dramas where something horrible happens in the family, they struggle and they go through a tumultuous period, and there is some sort of breakdown in communication but then they ultimately come back together. Ultimately this tragedy has strengthened their bond and you know that they're going to be okay. But it's just that sometimes, that's not how it happens. Sometimes something horrible happens and it takes a person down. And sometimes that has a domino effect and people don't recover. I wanted to make a film about that, but if you make that as a drama then it's a pretty punishing watch — and you're maybe going to get ten people in the audience. If you make it as a horror film, you're able to reach more people because suddenly something that might be considered a downer in one genre is a virtue in another. So I wanted to make just a very sorrowful horror movie that was really trying to come to terms with hard things." ON THE CATHARSIS OF HORROR FILMS "It was certainly cathartic for me to write and direct it. I think there is a certain level of catharsis that is demanded of any genre film — and certainly horror. And it was a therapeutic process finding that catharsis. We need hope. I think that's how people get through things — they project into the future and they work towards something better. We need movies about how things can repair themselves. But I know that there are people who are suffering and are going through something horrible, and they're not out of it, and sometimes those films are not very helpful to watch — films about people getting through things. I think sometimes it can be a relief to watch a movie that takes suffering seriously." ON HEREDITARY'S SLOW-BURN APPROACH "I wanted to make a film that really took its time, and really made sure to root you in the experience of these people. And I knew I needed to address the family drama stuff before I even thought about the horror elements, because I knew that I needed the horror elements to all grow out of what we had established in that first hour. But then, at the same time, the film is about a family that has no agency, and they are being driven towards this inevitable end — so everything that's happening, it's like all of these snares are being set up for these things that need to be triggered at the end. It's just a matter of testing the audience's patience without actually giving them anything unnecessary. The editing process was a pretty gruelling one, because we had a three hour film at first. We ended up cutting around 30 scenes out of the film, because the movie was asking too much of the audience's patience. That's what happens on every film — you end up cutting a lot. But I think we cut more than I was expecting to cut, and it was all family drama stuff — so that slow-burn was slower." ON CASTING TONI COLLETTE "She was one of the first people we went to. It was a huge day when she responded to the script, and we met up and really got along. And when it became clear that she was attaching herself — I mean, that's the difference between having a movie go ahead or not. So when she came on, that was the beginning of the forward momentum that resulted in the movie being made. I'm endlessly grateful for that. But she's just a really reliable actress. I've been watching her since I was a kid — in Muriel's Wedding — and I've always loved her, I had never really seen her chew apart the scenery in the way this film challenges actors to. I mean, everything she does is in the script, but the way that she throws herself into it so completely and so without ego was really amazing to watch and really, it was necessary. The movie needed it, but it takes balls." ON RECEIVING SUCH AN ENTHUSIASTIC RESPONSE TO HIS FIRST FEATURE "It's been a really gratifying experience, and it's been wonderful to have it be so warmly received. Obviously that's just great. But I have some nerves about it coming out, only because it has been so well-received and it has been receiving some quite hyperbolic praise. I guess I don't know if you would describe me as a realist or a pessimist, but I guess I'm just waiting for the pendulum to swing the other way. So I'm waiting for the backlash — but hopefully people just continue to enjoy it."
It has taken almost four decades to summon a Beetlejuice sequel; however, if a third film was to follow in the poltergeist bio-exorcist franchise, the initial two flicks have already told us what it should be called. First came 1988's Beetlejuice. Next arrives this year's Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. So, only Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will do if the Juice gets loose again sometime in the future. For now, cinemagoers have simply Beetlejuice Beetlejuice to look forward to. Calls for this followup have been echoing since the 80s, with the sequel finally locked in in 2023, then dropping its first teaser earlier in 2024 and now unveiling its full trailer. And saying its eponymous figure's name three times is a part of this sneak peek, as Lydia Deetz (Winona Ryder, Stranger Things) warns her daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega, Miller's Girl) against doing. Of course, that advice isn't followed, and so in pops Michael Keaton (The Flash). In the first film, the ghost with the most turned life into chaos for the Deetz family — and for his big-screen return 36 years later, with the movie releasing in September, he has more mayhem to unleash. This time, for another dance with the trickster demon, there's three generations of Deetz women in Winter River. Schitt's Creek's great Catherine O'Hara (Argylle) is also back as matriarch Delia. Filmmaker Tim Burton also sits in the director's chair again, on what marks his first feature since 2019's Dumbo. He's no stranger to revisiting to his past work, as seen when he made two Batman movies in the late 80s and 90s, and when he adapted his short Frankenweenie into a full-length flick. He also loves collaborating with the same talent again and again, such as bringing in his Wednesday star Ortega. You don't need a Handbook for the Recently Deceased in your ghostly hands to get excited about Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, but you might spend time with folks with one, which is what happened with the original flick's Barbara and Adam Maitland (GLOW's Geena Davis and Dr Death's Alec Baldwin). In that movie, viewers also saw what happened when that pair started to suspect that they're no longer alive, a new family moved into their house and they decided they needed a bio-exorcist. In Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Keaton, Ryder, O'Hara and Ortega are joined by Justin Theroux (White House Plumbers), Monica Bellucci (Mafia Mamma), Arthur Conti (House of the Dragon) and Willem Dafoe (Poor Things), all newcomers to the franchise. Behind the lens, Burton is working with a screenplay by Wednesday's Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, with Seth Grahame-Smith (The Lego Batman Movie) coming up with the story by Gough. If you say "Beetlejuice" three times, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice won't arrive in cinemas quicker — but it is hitting the silver screen before the musical version of the first film finally makes its way Down Under in 2025. Check out the full trailer for Beetlejuice Beetlejuice below: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice will release in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, September 5, 2024. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice images: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Even when True Detective had only reached its second season, the HBO series had chiselled its template into stone: obsessive chalk-and-cheese cops with messy personal lives investigating horrifying killings, on cases with ties to power's corruption, in places where location mattered and with the otherworldly drifting in. A decade after the anthology mystery show's debut in 2014, almost to the day, True Detective returns as Night Country, a six-part miniseries that builds its own snowman out of all of the franchise's familiar parts. The main similarity from there: like the Matthew McConaughey (The Gentlemen)- and Woody Harrelson (White House Plumbers)-led initial season, True Detective: Night Country is phenomenal. Arriving weekly from Monday, January 15 via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand, True Detective's fourth season is a return to form and a revitalisation. Making it happen after two passable intervening cases — with Taylor Kitsch (Painkiller), Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin) and Rachel McAdams (Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret) in season two, then Mahershala Ali (Leave the World Behind) and Stephen Dorff (The Righteous Gemstones) in season three — is a new guiding hand off-screen. Tigers Are Not Afraid filmmaker Issa López directs and writes or co-writes every episode, boasting Moonlight's Barry Jenkins as an executive producer. True Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto remains in the latter role, too, as do McConaughey, Harrelson and season-one director Cary Joji Fukunaga (No Time to Die); however, from its female focus and weighty tussling with the dead to its switch to a cool, blue colour scheme befitting its Alaskan setting, there's no doubting that López is reinventing her season rather than ticking boxes. Pizzolatto oversaw and penned or co-penned very True Detective episode before now, and helmed some season three instalments. In handing over the reins, his police procedural that's never been a standard police procedural is both a powerhouse again — which season two and three couldn't manage — and lives up to the potential of its concept. The commitment and cost of delving into humanity's depths and advocating for those lost in its abyss has swapped key cops, victims and locations with each spin, including enlisting the masterful double act of Jodie Foster (Nyad) and boxer-turned-actor Kali Reis (Catch the Fair One) to do the sleuthing in season four, but seeing each go-around with fresh eyes feels like the missing puzzle piece. López spies the toll on the show's first women duo in True Detective: Night Country, as well as the splinters in a remote community when its fragile sense of certainty is forever shattered. She spots the fractures that pre-date not only the investigation at the heart of the new season, but a cold case tied to it, plus the gashes that've carved hurt and pain into the earth ever since people stepped foot on it. She observes the pursuit of profit above all else, and the lack of concern for whatever — whoever, the region's Indigenous inhabitants included — get in the way. She sees that the eternal winter night of 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle come mid-December isn't the only thing impairing everyone's sight. And, she knows that not everything has answers, with life sometimes plunging into heartbreak, or inhospitable climes, or one's own private hell, without rhyme or reason. In the fictional mining town of Ennis, Foster's police chief Liz Danvers has few friends; her curt demeanour, hatred of people and long line of casual partners among the local husbands doesn't help. Reis' state trooper Evangeline Navarro certainly isn't among those who consider themselves a pal, after the two teamed up on a murder-suicide years prior. But when all eight researchers at Tsalal Arctic Research Station, all men, go missing as the polar dark spell sets in for the year, the two women are forced to collaborate. With Ferris Bueller's Day Off glitching on the base's TV and food left out, it doesn't appear that the disappeared men left by choice. A detached tongue found on the scene has Reis certain that whatever strangeness is afoot is linked to an unsolved murder of a fellow Indigenous woman six years earlier that she's determined to put to rest. There's also The Thing vibes before, during and after the glacial expanse reveals Lovecraftian horrors, and the season's supernatural thread makes its presence known. True Detective's past casts have been outstanding — the McConaughey and Harrelson season was peak McConaissance — regardless of whether the material met their talents. Recalling her Oscar-winning The Silence of the Lambs performance but as a been-there-seen-that veteran rather than a fresh recruit, Foster is the show's finest enlistment yet. As the hard-nosed, detail-driven yet secretly caring Danvers, whose mentoring relationship with her unreliable deputy Hank Prior's (John Hawkes, Too Old to Die Young) fresh-faced officer son Peter (Finn Bennett, Hope Gap) lays bare her question-driven approach and the compassionate side she'd rather hide, she's mesmerising. Beside her, so is Reis. That the latter brings unflinching passion to the part is hardly surprising for someone with just two prior on-screen credits who now co-leads Night Country with Foster, and they make a fierce and steely odd-couple pair. Crucial to López's time in charge is fleshing out the flaws, losses, hopes and yearnings that make everyone within her frames who they are. From her central duo and their law-enforcement colleagues — Christopher Eccleston (Dodger) plays Danvers' boss, who threatens to take over — to Danvers' teenage stepdaughter (Isabella Star LaBlanc, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines) and her rallying against the mine, Navarro's struggling and grief-stricken sister (debutant Aka Niviâna), and the blow-in professor (Fiona Shaw, Andor) who has gleefully left her stressful old existence behind — there's no such thing as a one-dimensional character here. Complexity snows down from every angle, including from within. While "time is a flat circle" gets a workout in one reference backwards, True Detective: Night Country's equivalent is "it's a long fucking night — even the dead get bored", but there's nothing tedious about spending six hours with its figures and mysteries. Hollywood has been embracing frosty noir heartily of late, with A Murder at the End of the World, season five of Fargo and True Detective: Night Country all arriving within months of each other. Boasting 2023 Oscar-nominee for Tár Florian Hoffmeister lensing True Detective's switch to the literally chilling, Night Country looks as sharp and biting as it feels: all gleaming snow and inky endless evening, with light and dark aesthetically warring like human impulses. This is the series' ongoing dance, but only in its first season with that famous six-minute tracking shot (by Australian Animal Kingdom, Snowtown and Top of the Lake cinematographer Adam Arkapaw) has it dazzled so visibly and hauntingly until now. Yes, True Detective is back after a five-year gap since season three — and for the first time since 2014, it's also back to its best. Check out the trailer for True Detective: Night Country below: True Detective: Night Country streams in Australia from Monday, January 15, 2024 via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Images: HBO.
Get ready for red carpet specials, awkward presenter gaffes and all the bitter celebrity reaction shots your heart could possibly desire — it's time for the Oscars. This means one thing for all of us playing at home and not taking away $150,000 gift baskets: Concrete Playground's 2015 Academy Awards Drinking Game. As always, both Concrete Playground and the Academy support responsible drinking and the brevity of acceptance speeches. Now, thank the Academy and get into it. ONE SIP Jack Nicholson wears sunglasses. Harrison Ford wears an earring. Diane Keaton wears gloves. Harvey Weinstein is mentioned. Neil Patrick Harris (NPH) sings during his opening monologue. Jennifer Lawrence does something adorably 'real' (three drinks if it's a fashion mishap). Winner thanks God or Jesus. Winner 'pays tribute' to his/her extraordinary fellow nominees. Winner's speech is played off by the orchestra. Channing Tatum misreads his teleprompter (three drinks if he reads 'Channing' or 'Pause for laughter' aloud). TWO SIPS NPH makes a Birdman / Batman joke (three drinks if Michael Keaton does). NPH references the leaked Sony emails. Rosamund Pike makes a joke about her co-presenter being scared of her (five drinks if it’s actually funny). Steve Carrell prosthetic nose is joke-nominated for 'Best Supporting Actor'. NPH jokes that the bathroom queue is the only thing bigger than Chris Hemsworth's arms. Eddie Redmayne and Benedict Cumberbatch do a bit together about playing mathematical geniuses. You’ve actually heard of any of the nominees for 'Documentary Short Subject' or 'Foreign Language Film'. Matthew McConaughey says any (or all) of: 'Alriiiight', 'Okaaay' and 'Wooooow'. JK Simmons jokes that the orchestra is not quite in time. NPH does a bit involving a Birdman voiceover in his head that mocks various nominees. Robin Williams gets the biggest applause during the 'In Memorium' section. Someone jokes that American Sniper is the only thing more divisive than the war it's set in. Winner describes his/her film as 'important'. Winner describes his/her film’s director as 'a genius'. Brad Pitt pokes fun at actors who become directors (CUT TO Angelina Jolie smiling). Chris Hemsworth has a ponytail. THREE SIPS Liam Hemsworth has a ponytail. NPH reads the leaked Sony emails. TARS from Interstellar presents an award and tells the best joke of the evening. John Travolta welcomes to the stage "Academy Award Winner — Royce Witherspork" You’ve actually seen of any of the nominees for 'Documentary Short Subject' or 'Foreign Language Film'. Winner thanks Allah or Mohammed. Meryl Streep acknowledges her now 19 nominations and says "One more and I get a free meatball sub." NPH jokes that Boyhood is nothing special because he did Doogie Howser back in '89 and we've been watching him not grow up ever since. Any joke about Alan Turing being the only one who could make sense of something (five drinks if it's Oscars voting). Someone from The Theory of Everything thanks Stephen Hawking instead of God. NPH attempts to break Ellen's record for most-retweeted selfie. Mickey Rooney gets the biggest applause during the 'In Memorium' section. Joaquin Phoenix comes dressed as a turn-of-the-century blacksmith. NPH jokes that there have been 'back to back' gay hosts for the Oscars (five drinks if he then says he's looking forward to Clooney hosting in 2016). Selma wins Best Picture but the director isn't allowed to walk all the way to the stage. Congratulatory kiss or embrace from presenter 'gets awkward'. CHUG YOUR DRINK Bruce Willis has a ponytail… or a combover. NPH sings his opening song in black face to redress the 'white nominees only' situation (we genuinely hope he doesn't do this). Peter Jackson announces plans to turn his valet parking receipt into an epic nine-hour trilogy. Meryl Streep comes in a dress made from all her melted-down Oscars. JK Simmons hurls his award at the orchestra’s drummer and levels the most horrific slur in broadcast history. ISIS wins 'Best Foreign Short Film'. Grand Budapest Hotel wins Best Picture, Kanye crashes the stage and says Hotel Rwanda was easily the better hotel. Michael Keaton wins Best Actor but, having gone too deep into character, produces a gun and goes 'Full Birdman'.
Not content with crafting some of the most gorgeous films to ever grace cinema screens, Studio Ghibli has revealed further details about its latest piece of enchanting magic — the animation house's first theme park. Originally announced last year with a 2020 opening date, the space is now set to launch in 2022. And while that means pushing back your travel plans an extra two years, it's going to be more than worth the wait. Initially described as a My Neighbour Totoro-focused park, the new Ghibli site will actually spirit visitors away to a whole realm dedicated to its considerable catalogue of movies. As well as Totoro-themed attractions — such as a replica of Satsuki and Mei's house, which already exists at the 200-hectare Expo Park site in Nagoya's Aichi Prefecture — the antique shop from Whisper of the Heart and Kiki's home from Kiki's Delivery Service will also form part of the space. Further, a village area will pay tribute to Princess Mononoke, and a section called the Big Ghibli Warehouse will feature play areas, exhibitions and cinemas. Meanwhile, Howl's Moving Castle will show up in several forms: in a building dedicated to the imaginary scientific elements from with the studio's films, and in the main gate structure. Expect more nods to Ghibli's various features to follow, recreating other aspects from its three-decade-old body of work. If the end result is even half as wondrous as the studio's museum in Mitaka, a city on the western outskirts Tokyo, then fans are in for a treat. There, you can climb up to the building's rooftop garden to see one of the robots from Laputa: Castle in the Sky; watch exclusive shorts, including a sequel to My Neighbour Totoro; and touch a life-sized cat bus, which kids under 12 can climb and play on. Indeed, the museum is such a tourist attraction, you have to buy tickets over a month in advance — and experiencing the rush of folks in the merchandise-packed gift shop will make you feel like a susuwatari (Totoro's gorgeous little balls of floating soot). Incorporated into the existing parklands, the theme park will be heavy on greenery and the natural surroundings, which matches the environmental messaging that plays a prominent part in Ghibli's movies. The site will also encourage "enjoying walking", according to the draft concept outline, while aiming to offer "a one-of-a-kind park loved by more people". We don't think either will be difficult. Via Japan Times. Images: Aichi Prefecture.
Forget subway tunnels and highway billboards. The latest canvas for the modern artist is that big blue expanse above us. Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang has made like God and conjured his very own rainbow out of colourful smoke bombs in a daytime fireworks display. The stunt required 8000 shells and 2 months of planning, only to be detonated within minutes. With an impressive resume including the fireworks show that opened the Beijing Olympics, Cai's "daytime fireworks" marked the opening of his exhibition at the Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha, Qatar. Spattering the sky with clouds of dreamy pastels as well as inky flock-like forms, the unsuspecting passer-by would be forgiven for running for cover with arms flailing beneath an apparent actualization of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. It's easy to see why Cai had lovers of design raving about his ingenuity. And the show's set-up created a spectacle in its own right, providing viewers with a greater appreciation of the intricate timing and elaborate engineering required to paint the sky. Still, the magic of night time fireworks that seemingly materialise out of thin air is lost in the harsh sunlight that exposes the mechanics behind the colourful explosions. So here's hoping this wizard of pyrotechnics doesn't give up his night job.
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 ready for 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, which is also currently running off-Broadway — they also play along, choosing the characters and helping shape the story. Here's how it works, as Australians will discover when DUNGEONS & DRAGONS The Twenty-Sided Tavern hits the Sydney Opera House Studio from 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. "As passionate gamers and D&D players, the creators of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS The Twenty-Sided Tavern set off on a quest to explore what a live interactive experience of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS could look like. What started as a D&D-style RPG onstage with folding tables and a box of props has grown beyond our wildest imagination — it's now an experience that has allowed us to forge a deep connection with gamers and non-gamers alike, with each night seeing the story play out in a way unique to that audience," explains co-creator and producer David Carpenter. "Dungeons & Dragons has an enduring and near-mythic appeal across generations, with so many adaptations and features in pop-culture moments over the past 50 years. But it's safe to say, no one has done anything like DUNGEONS & DRAGONS The Twenty-Sided Tavern before – and we're thrilled to be giving audiences the first chance to see it outside the US," adds Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Performance Ebony Bott. "This theatrical production captures the imagination, inviting everyone to join the adventure and interact with a new world from the moment they walk in the door." DUNGEONS & DRAGONS The Twenty-Sided Tavern will play the Sydney Opera House Studio from Sunday, December 15, 2024. Head to the venue's website for more details — and for pre-sale tickets from 9am on Tuesday, September 10 and general sales from 9am on Thursday, September 12. Images: Bronwen Sharp.
Snapchat is hardly the most discerning of mediums. If you had to break down the subject of all content sent on the service, the vast majority of snaps would surely consist of people's faces perched atop cartoon animal bodies, drunken selfies with indecipherable words slapped across the screen, and an obscene number of dick pics, sexts and various videos somehow including the presence of a penis. You can't expect that much more from a service founded by the king of all dudebros. Anyway. Snapchat is about to get all grown up. According to the Wall Street Journal, the much-loved startup is introducing some news and advertising to your drunken, sext-loving feed. Set to launch this November, these new inclusions are being planned under the moniker of Snapchat Discovery; a service to complement the already released Snapchat Stories. And it's already generating a lot of interest. Lots of brands eager to get into the snap-loving teen market have already started accounts and are now looking for ways to maximise their presence with users. Branded messages with 'Snapchat celebrities' are already a standard practice and straight-up advertising seems like the next logical step. There are reportedly a dozen companies already in line for the service including MailOnline, the online component of The Daily Mail. Allowing users to read news content and watch small portions of TV and movies, Snapchat's self-destruction of messages outwardly seems like a tidy way to deal with copyrighted content. Other than that, it's unsure as yet how any of it will really work. This is the startup's first move to monetise content and everyone understandably has a whole lot of questions. For instance, how many ads for Guardians of the Galaxy am I going to have to wade through before I can see my friend's daily work selfie? At what point can I get my dinner snaps sponsored by Dominoes or Pizza Hut and live off the wonderful oily spoils? Is Snapchat the future of journalism as we know it? The answers: at least one, soon hopefully, and for the sake of all humanity let's hope not. Via Mashable and Wall Street Journal. Images: jeffgoldblum236.tumblr.com and superwholock4lyfe.tumblr.com via Buzzfeed.
Imagine Planet of the Apes, but hurtling 65-million years backwards in time rather than forwards. What would a crashed spaceship's survivors find? Jurassic Park's favourite critters, obviously. Now imagine that other hit franchise, but also with a twist. Instead of making a new playground for genetically engineered dinosaur clones, picture people being plonked in the prehistoric creatures' existing realm. Whichever of the above options that you're now thinking about, you're currently on 65's wavelength. There's a bit of the Predator series to the upcoming sci-fi flick's just-dropped first trailer as well. And, there's a touch of Logan and A Quiet Place, too. The latter actually gets a boost thanks to writer/directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, who penned the first AQP feature. Here, however, they're also giving the world what it's always wanted, even if it didn't know it yet: Adam Driver fighting dinos. The White Noise, House of Gucci, Annette and Star Wars actor has long had a knack for interesting choices, and 65 fits the bill for that whole Driver-versus-prehistoric animals setup alone. If a movie about Idris Elba fighting lions can exist, aka Beast, so can this . There's more to 65's narrative, of course but it really does sound cobbled together from all that aforementioned science-fiction fare. Driver plays pilot Mills, who is charting a long-range exploratory mission through space when his ship is hit by an undocumented asteroid. Out of the 35 passengers, only young Koa (Ariana Greenblatt, In the Heights) is also left once they realise where and when they've landed — which sparks a fight to survive. Chloe Coleman (Gunpowder Milkshake) is also credited among the cast, but this looks set to largely remain a two-hander — well, two people and however many dinosaurs come rampaging their way. Viewers can see the end result in cinemas in March 2023, after a few release-date delays over the past year. And, among the film's impressive pedigree, The Evil Dead filmmaker Sam Raimi is one of its executive producers, while Wednesday and White Noise composer Danny Elfman is on score duties. Check out the trailer for 65 below: 65 releases in cinemas Down Under on March 9, 2023.
When a TV show is as warm as Ted Lasso — when it feels like getting a hug in TV form while you're watching it, in fact — wanting to step right into its frames is an understandable reaction. Fans of the hit soccer-themed sitcom will be able to go one better in October, however, if they're lucky enough to score one mighty nice Airbnb booking: The Crown & Anchor, aka the show's go-to pub in the heart of Richmond. Taking a page out of Ted's (Jason Sudeikis, Saturday Night Live) book, here's a few things for you to believe in: yourself, always; that you deserve a London getaway; and that you can nab one of the three reservations for this AFC Richmond-themed stay. Like all of Airbnb's pop culture-related listings — see also: Hobbiton, the Paris theatre that inspired The Phantom of the Opera, the Bluey house, the Moulin Rouge! windmill, the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine, The Godfather mansion, the South Korean estate where BTS filmed In the Soop and the Sanderson sisters' Hocus Pocus cottage, to name just a few — this one is around for a spectacular time but not a long time. The Crown & Anchor will be open for three overnight visits: on Monday, October 23, Tuesday, October 24 and Thursday, October 25. Each booking will welcome in four Ted Lasso-loving Greyhounds supporters, though, so you can gather your obsessed mates and plan one helluva UK jaunt. As well as a night in the pub that's located right around the corner from Ted's apartment — and maybe a dash of the American coach's always-upbeat attitude just by stepping onto the show's home turf — the three groups that nab the reservations will also enjoy nods to the series in a number of ways. You'll sit down to pub fare from The Prince's Head (aka the IRL pub) over a discussion about all things Ted Lasso, wear AFC Richmond gear and cheer on local Richmond sports teams. You'll also play darts, give the pinball machine a go, sit at Ted's go-to table for a round of chess and sing karaoke. And, all that AFC Richmond merch hangs in the bedrooms as well. Biscuits are also part of the visit — naturally — over tea (sorry, Ted is wrong when he calls it "garbage water"). And, you'll be welcomed virtually by the show's Mae, who is played by Annette Badland (Midsomer Murders). All of the above will set you back just £11 (AU$20) plus taxes and fees, with the price reflecting the number of soccer players on the pitch. That said, while the once-in-a-lifetime accommodation comes ridiculously cheap, you do still need to fork out for your flights there and back, plus everything else to do with your London trip. If you're keener than Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein, Uncle) about scowling or Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt, Bless This Mess) about saying as little as possible, you'll need to try to score a reservation at 5am AEDT / 4am AEST / 7am NZDT on Wednesday, March 22. When that date rolls around, you will have seen the first episode of Ted Lasso season three, too — and likely be even more eager to get as close as you can to slipping into the show. And if you strike it lucky with the reservation and want to go all Beard After Hours while you're at The Crown & Anchor, that's up to you. For more information about The Crown & Anchor's listing on Airbnb, or to apply to book at 5am AEDT / 4am AEST / 7am NZDT on Wednesday, March 22, head to the Airbnb website. Images: Henry Woide. 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.
Saying goodbye to 2025 at Lost Paradise means farewelling the year with a jam-packed lineup of tunes. Ben Böhmer, Chris Stussy, Confidence Man, Duke Dumont, I Hate Models, KETTAMA, Marc Rebillet, Maribou State, Underworld, X CLUB: they're all headlining the annual end-of-year music festival in Glenworth Valley on the New South Wales Central Coast this year. You should already have the dates in your diary, given they were announced at the end of July — but if you don't, mark Sunday, December 28, 2025–Thursday, January 1, 2026 on your calendar and prepare for a huge few days. Other acts on the bill include Anna Lunoe, BIG WETT, Channel Tres, Fcukers, DJ Heartstring, Hot Dub Time Machine, Omar+, VTSS and plenty more. [caption id="attachment_1017760" align="alignnone" width="1920"] John Gorrigan[/caption] Some people love last-minute New Year's Eve plans, going wherever the mood takes them. Others can't start planning early enough. If you fall into the latter category, this December is for you. For Lost Paradise newcomers, the multi-day event turns a slice of its setting — which is located an hour out of Sydney — into one helluva shindig, complete with live music and DJ sets spanning both international and Australian talents. This year, organisers are promising newly reimagined versions of the festival's Arcadia, Lost Disco and Paradise Club stages. Tunes are just one part of the Lost Paradise experience, though. Here, art, culture, wellness, and food and drink also get a look in. And, at Shambhala Fields, you can hear talks and take part in workshops — so that's where you'll find the likes of Dr Karl, Eric Avery, Deano Gladstone, Lara Zilibowitz, Kath Ebbs, Sez, Tom Carroll, Simon Borg-Olivier, Gwyn Williams and others. Since first unleashing its specific flavour of festival fun back in 2014, Lost Paradise has become a go-to way to wrap up one year and welcome in the next — including if you're keen to camp for its duration. Lost Paradise 2025 Lineup Ben Böhmer Chris Stussy Confidence Man Duke Dumont I Hate Models KETTAMA Marc Rebillet Maribou State Underworld X CLUB Anna Lunoe Baby J Bad Boombox & Mischluft Balu Brigada Bella Claxton BIG WETT Blusher Bullet Tooth Cassian Channel Tres Dameeeela DJ Heartstring Dombresky presents Disco Dom Dr Banana Fcukers Folamour Heidi Hot Dub Time Machine INJI Jazzy Josh Baker Juicy Romance Kilimanjaro Luke Alessi Merci, Mercy Narciss Notion Odd Mob Omar+ Pegassi Prospa Riria Ross From Friends presents Bubble Love Sex Mask Silva Bumpa Sim0ne Sumner Swim (live) Two Another VTSS Wolters Alex Dowsing Badassmutha Bella Backe Caleb Jackson Couch Mechanic Cricket Dayzzi B2B Daug Disco Dora Elijah Something GMOZ Grooveworks Kai Kawai Large Mirage LAYTX Lily FM Lost Soundsystem Madame Reve Maina Doe Mash Middle James Mina Tonic Oscill8 Pamela Penelope People's Party Roxy Lotz Salarymen Selve Siila Silly Lily Sim Select Tia Lacoste Tokyo Sexwale Tseba Waxlily Yasmina Sadiki Shambhala Fields: Benny Holloway Catriona Wallace Chanel Contos Deano Gladstone Dr Karl Eric Avery Gwyn Williams Kath Ebbs Lara Zilibowitz Plastic Free Mermaid Sez Simon Borg-Olivier Tom Carroll [caption id="attachment_965688" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Byravyna[/caption] Lost Paradise returns to Glenworth Valley, New South Wales from Sunday, December 28, 2025–Thursday, January 1, 2026. Sign up for presale tickets online, with general tickets available from 10am AEST on Wednesday, August 27, 2025. Head to the festival website for more details. Underworld image: Roberto Ricciuti/Redferns. Lost Paradise images: Jess Bowen, Jordan K Munns, Byravyna and Amar Gera.
In the near future, Australians will be able to send emoji-filled messages featuring boomerangs, the Aboriginal flag and other visual representations of the country's Indigenous culture. Developed for both Android and iOS platforms, Ingenous Studios has created a set of Indigenous images that'll be rolled out across both platforms this year, marking the first such collection of emojis that celebrate the nation's first peoples. Called Indigemoji, the 19-emoji set was developed on Arrernte land in Mparntwe, aka Alice Springs, by Central Australia's young Aboriginal people. The Northern Territory residents were asked to design new emojis that were relevant to their culture and lives, with symbols that feature the Aboriginal flag on crowns, hands, cups and hearts all included, alongside animals, vehicles and a starry image of Uluru by night. https://www.facebook.com/ingeousstudios/photos/a.130308987038833/2242845069118537/?type=3&theater Announcing the set on Facebook, Ingenous hasn't yet revealed a specific release date; however the emojis will be made available for free via an app this year. They won't officially feature in your phone's inbuilt emoji keyboard, but you'll be able to use them in messages and posts by copying and pasting from the Indigemoji app. For further details, visit the Indigemoji website or Facebook page. Image: Ingeous Studios.
Whether they attend Truham Grammar School or the neighbouring Higgs Girls School, most of Heartstopper's teenagers have much to say, often via text through their phones. But perhaps the most apt line of the entire Netflix series so far is uttered by Isaac Henderson (first-timer Tobie Donovan), the quiet bibliophile among the show's main friendship group, who almost always has a printed tome in his hands. "I read all these books where people fall in love and I still have absolutely no idea," Isaac advises in the web-to-page-to-screen hit's second season, which streams from Thursday, August 3. As a webcomic, a graphic novel and also a TV series that proved an instant smash when it debuted in 2022, Alice Oseman's creation couldn't better embody this reflection. Heartstopper is Isaac's yearning and confusion turned into art, even as the series remains sweet and joyous in every episode. Isaac gets his own storyline in season two, exploring what that lament means to him and why as he unpacks his own identity, and it's among the show's weighty narrative threads. But everyone in Heartstopper, from central couple Charlie Spring (fellow debutant Joe Locke) and Nick Nelson (Kit Connor, Little Joe) to their maybe-more-than-friends pals Tao Xu (newcomer William Gao) and Elle Argent (Yasmin Finney), plus the latter's classmates Tara Jones (Corinna Brown, Daphne) and Darcy Olsson (Kizzy Edgell), live and breathe his telling statement in their own ways. Tales about getting swept away by first love adore conveying the rush, buzz and head-over-heels effervescence evoked by the pivotal experience. Awkwardness often factors in, but rarely the reality that no one ever truly knows what they're doing when it comes to romance. A chronicle of coming of age and also coming out, Heartstopper not only centres the truth that every teen is just doing their best and following their heart — it makes it one of the show's core guiding concepts. And mostly, usually with each other's help as they traverse the full onslaught of adolescent emotions, this supremely likeable, relatable crew of high schoolers knows that they don't, can't and won't ever have all the answers. Brought to the screen by Oseman as the series' creator and writer, plus director Euros Lyn (Dream Horse) behind the lens — together, they've respectively penned and helmed all 16 episodes, eight in season one and that amount again in season two — Heartstopper spent its debut offering watching Charlie and Nick gravitate into each other's orbits. When the pair were sat next to each other in form class at the beginning of a new term, a friendship and then more swelled. Season two finds them officially and happily boyfriends, with Nick's mother Sarah (Olivia Colman, Secret Invasion) supportive about Nick's bisexuality after he came out to her in the last batch of instalments. Telling the rest of the world when he chooses to is part of his latest journey, always with the protective Charlie by his side. There's an idealism to Heartstopper — fantasy, too — and Oseman knows, welcomes and cultivates it. When an adult mentions missing out on "those beautiful gay teenage experiences" partway through its new run, the series recognises that its vision of being young and queer typically paints with rosy colours. But a story about being an LGBTQIA+ high schooler can be optimistic and earnest, as well as endlessly swoonworthy, while also seeing the full spectrum of complexities that surround its characters. Heartstopper isn't just keenly aware that no one understands what comes next when their heart starts a-fluttering; it's equally as cognisant that big, small, cute and complicated moments will each pop up. Insightfully, it revels in them all. It lingers in the fireworks of gloriously requited crushes, the comfort of hanging out with the one you love, the endearing delights of everyday gestures and the intricacies of sharing who you are — and thoughtfully. If and how Nick will come out to his other friends, his domineering older brother David (Jack Barton, War of the Worlds) and his absent father Stephane (Thibault de Montalembert, All Quiet on the Western Front) gets Heartstopper contemplating conformity, societal pressure, homophobia and specifically biphobia. Nick simply wants to be himself and not to have to hide his relationship with Charlie, with the show digging into the many layers that come with something that should be effortless in a perfect world. Oseman also spends season two slowly unfurling the consequences of Charlie's own traumatic coming-out experience, which linger even as he's over the moon about being with Nick. And, as Tara and Darcy get to the stage of saying "I love you" within their confident romance, Heartstopper season two plunges into how being out and proud at school doesn't mean that someone has zero troubles. Like Isaac, Tara and Darcy receive a bigger arc this time around. Nuanced and mature, their plot thread also muses on internalised expectations, carefully composed appearances and feeling like there's only one way to express your sense of self. Heartstopper's second season isn't merely giving Nick and Charlie's friends more substantial tales now that its key duo is comfortably a couple, however — and transferring the will-they-won't-they tension to movie buff Tao and aspiring artist Elle, who wants to move to a dedicated art school, in the process — but continuing to dive deeper into its young hearts running free. As its key aesthetic flourish, season two still draws its feelings on literally and sincerely, via animated hearts, leaves, sparks, rainbows and other gorgeous visual representations, showing what's bubbling inside Charlie, Nick and company even when they're not saying it. It still uses the rest of its imagery, whether glowing or shadowy, to do the same. It astutely grounds its romances and self-discovery quests in daily high-school life again, including sleepovers, sibling spats, parental rules, schoolyard disputes, end-of-year exams, parties, prom and a Paris trip. And, it remains home to some of the most open performances in the teen genre, especially from the exceptionally well-cast Locke and Connor. Yes, Heartstopper's second spin is just as delightful and heartfelt as its first. Its only room for improvement: needing more of Tori (Jenny Walser, Call the Midwife), Charlie's watchful and intensely caring Wednesday Addams-esque elder sister, whether in the already-greenlit season three or an adaptation of Oseman's debut novel Solitaire. Check out the trailer for Heartstopper season two below: Heartstopper season two streams via Netflix from Thursday, August 3. Read our review of season one. Images: Netflix.
If you're already thinking ahead to summer, here's three trends that'll be shining in Australia: spots, gourds and kaleidoscopic reflections. You'll see them all over your social feeds. You'll spy them in exhibition merchandise sported by anyone who visits NGV International. And, most excitingly, you'll be surrounded by the trio at the Melbourne art gallery, which will be hosting a huge Yayoi Kusama retrospective as its summer blockbuster. When we say that Yayoi Kusama, the exhibition, is big, we mean it. While the Japanese artist's work is no stranger to Aussie shores — and was the focus of a comprehensive showcase at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art back in 2017–18 — NGV International's ode to the iconic talent will be the largest that country has ever seen. When it displays from Sunday, December 15, 2024–Monday, April 21, 2025, more than 180 works will feature, the world-premiere showing of a brand-new infinity mirror room among them. It's a massive endeavour for the NGV, too. "It's the largest space that's been given a living contemporary artist, across the entire ground floor," Wayne Crothers, NGV's Senior Curator of Asian Art, tells Concrete Playground. [caption id="attachment_950475" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation view of Yayoi Kusama's Chandelier of grief 2016/18 at Tate Modern, London, © YAYOI KUSAMA[/caption] The NGV has curated Yayoi Kusama with input from Kusama, with the end result stepping through the 95-year-old artist's eight decades of making art via a thematic chronology. Some pieces hail from her childhood. Some are recent. Her output in her hometown of Matsumoto from the late 30s–50s; the results of relocating to America in 1957; archival materials covering her performances and activities in her studios, especially with a political charge, in the 60s and 70s: they'll all appear. Half of the exhibition will be devoted to the past four decades — so, pumpkins galore; giant paintings; and an impressive and expansive range of room installations, complete with her very first infinity room from 1965, plus creative interpretations since from the 80s onwards. Again, this is a hefty exhibition. It's one of the most-comprehensive Kusama retrospectives ever staged globally (and the closest that you'll get to experiencing her Tokyo museum without leaving Australia). "We've been wanting to do a major exhibition with this artist for a long time. We're very focused on contemporary art. We're very focused on Asian art. And Kusama hasn't had a big solo show in in Australia for some time — and she's still very active. So there's past works, but also some contemporary works being produced right at the moment," continues Crothers. [caption id="attachment_950477" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yayoi Kusama, Pumpkin 1981, Collection of Daisuke Miyatsu © YAYOI KUSAMA[/caption] If you're keen to be one of the first people in the world to be wowed by Kusama's new infinity room, it'll be as immersive as such spaces always are when she's behind them. Even the NGV team don't know the full details of the piece that's being produced especially for the exhibition, so it'll be a surprise to everyone. It'll be complemented by the aforementioned array of rooms, which is "one of the largest displays, for our audience, of those immersive rooms that have ever been assembled globally," Crothers advises. Eager to see a five-metre-tall bronze sculpture of a pumpkin? 2020's Dancing Pumpkin, which has just been acquired by the NGV, will feature. And, for the first time in Australia, 2019's THE HOPE OF THE POLKA DOTS BURIED IN INFINITY WILL ETERNALLY COVER THE UNIVERSE will unleash its six-metre-high tentacles — as speckled with yellow-and-black polka dots, of course. Almost six decades since first debuting at 1966's Venice Biennale — unofficially — Narcissus Garden will be a part of Yayoi Kusama in a new version made of 1400 30-centimetre-diameter stainless silver balls. Now that's how you open an exhibition, as this will. NGV's Waterwall is also scoring a Kusama artwork specific to the space, while the Great Hall will be filled with the giant balloons of Dots Obsession floating overhead. [caption id="attachment_950474" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation view of Yayoi Kusama's Flower Obsession 2017 on display in NGV Triennial from 15 December 2017 – 15 April 2018 at NGV International Melbourne. Image courtesy of NGV[/caption] Basically, wherever you look across NGV International's ground level, Kusama works will be waiting, spanning paintings, installations, sketches, drawings, collages and sculptures, as well as videos and clothing. Dots will obviously be inescapable. One section of the gallery will replicate Kusama's New York studio. Over 20 experimental fashion designs by the artist will also demand attention. Infinity Net paintings from the 50s and 60s, Accumulation sculptures and textiles from the 60s and 70s, and a Kusama for Kids offshoot with all-ages interactivity (fingers crossed for an obliteration room) are also on their way. The must-see exhibition for Melbourne locals and travel-worthy event for art lovers located outside of the Victorian capital will benefit from pieces from the artist's own personal collection — and rarely seen photos, letters (including to and from fellow artist eorgia O'Keefe), posters, magazines, teen sketch books and films — while others will be sourced from Japanese and Australian institutions. [caption id="attachment_950473" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yayoi Kusama. The obliteration room 2002–present. Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art © YAYOI KUSAMA[/caption] "Kusama's imagery has become part of the general common visual vernacular of the society," notes Crothers. "And I think our role in the exhibition, or what I've really taken on, is to introduce how profound the journey has been that's led her to this point of global visual recognition, going right back to a very ambitious teenager in rural Japan, and then the letter correspondence and New York, and delving into a lot of archival material." "There are few artists working today with the global presence of Yayoi Kusama. This world-premiere NGV-exclusive exhibition allows local audiences and visitors alike the chance to experience Kusama's practice in deeper and more profound ways than ever before," said NGV Director Tony Ellwood AM in the summer showcase's official announcement. "We are indebted to Yayoi Kusama for her passion and collaboration on this special project. Without the artist's personal dedication to this exhibition — and excitement to share her worldview with Australian audiences — none of this would be possible." [caption id="attachment_950480" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yayoi Kusama, 2022 © YAYOI KUSAMA[/caption] [caption id="attachment_950479" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Portrait of Yayoi Kusama c. 1939 © YAYOI KUSAMA[/caption] [caption id="attachment_950478" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation view of Yayoi Kusama's Infinity mirror room – Phall's Field 1965 at the Castellane Gallery, New York © YAYOI KUSAMA[/caption] Yayoi Kusama displays at NGV International, St Kilda Road, Melbourne from Sunday, December 15, 2024–Monday, April 21, 2025. Head to the NGV website for more details and tickets. Top image: excerpt of Yayoi Kusama, 2022 © YAYOI KUSAMA.
By this stage, most of us have come to terms with the fact that jetting off to USA or Europe is a seriously long slog, made worse by unavoidable (sometimes long, always painful) stopovers. But that European or American trip could soon become a whole lot more bearable, with Qantas announcing plans to launch direct flights between the east coast and both London and New York, by 2022. While the airline's already revealed it'll run nonstop flights from Perth to London starting March 24, 2018, the extra distance involved with trips from the east coast capitals is something that none of today's planes can handle. Right now, the world's longest direct flight clocks in at just over 17 hours and 14,529 kilometres, running between Doha and Auckland on a Boeing 777-200LR. So, to realise its grand plans for east coast Aussies, Qantas has put the call out to Airbus and Boeing, the world's biggest aircraft manufacturers, to make a plane that can go the distance. In numbers, that's a 20-hour and 20-minute stint between Sydney and London (16,983 kilometres), and an 18-hour and seven-minute journey from Sydney to New York. The airline's done its homework, analysing a decade's worth of wind and weather data to confirm the routes are actually possible. Now, all it needs are the planes to fly it. Via the Australian Financial Review.
The Noosa Eat & Drink Festival is making its grand return in 2024 with a fantastic epicurean program worthy of a journey to the Sunshine Coast. There aren't many events that bring leading chefs, acclaimed restaurants, live music and beach parties together, but this event offers all that and more in one of the country's most picturesque coastal destinations across four days from Thursday, May 30 to Sunday, June 2, 2024. From multi-course lunches at Noosa's buzziest hotspots to celebrity chef masterclasses and sunset drinks on the beach, read on for the various mouthwatering ways to experience Noosa Eat & Drink in 2024. Festival Village The heart of the Noosa Eat & Drink Festival is the two-day Festival Village across Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2. Grab your tickets for one of the interactive chef-hosted masterclasses including a Bandita Masterclass with Jason Jones and Seabourne Distillery, and a dessert masterclass with sweets superstar Anna Polyviou. Then grab a wine, beer or cocktail from world-class purveyors as you explore the Producers Pavilion throughout the day to procure local honey, condiments, ceramics and more. This year's Main Stage program at the Festival Village will showcase cooking demos led by notable foodie personalities and celebrity cooking competitions. Once the sun goes down, a lineup of entertaining performers will keep the crowds warmed up, from guest DJs to six-piece live band Bermuda Social. You can regularly recharge with a bite from one of the pop-up restaurants and stalls, or unwind in style at the VIP Lounge. VIP ticket-holders can enjoy a complimentary welcome drink of Chandon Garden Spritz and catering by Lanai Noosa in lounge seating on a private lawn. They'll also get front-row seating by the main stage and priority entry. Book your Festival Village tickets here. Beach Events The festival will take over Noosa Main Beach with back-to-back twilight events and a Sunday brunch from Friday, May 31 to Sunday, June 2. These sprawling oceanside shindigs are so sought after that one of them sold out within a couple of days of tickets going on sale. That's right, tickets for the official opening party on the Friday evening have already been snapped up entirely. However, the Sunday Festival Sundowner — the beach party that caps off the weekend with tequila, dancing and revelry — is now on sale so get in quick. Earlier on the Sunday, The Minuty Beach Brunch will take place with a menu curated by George Calombaris and MasterChef alumni Sarah Todd, paired to complement the flavour profile of Château Minuty rosé which will be flowing on the day. Book your tickets now. On Saturday, June 1 Noosa Main Beach will be taken over as the Saturday Beach Club where groups can book tables or picnic rugs and enjoy Italian-style grazing platters by Locale and drinks for a leisurely hang to make the most of the gorgeous setting. Rally your crew and book in for a session pronto. Restaurants It wouldn't be a spotlight on Noosa's food scene without the involvement of beloved local restaurants. Refined classics Locale, Noosa Waterfront and Season will join fresh favourites Seabourne Distillery, Mariella Mexicantina, Bandita Mexican and Sum Yum Guys for special menus and exclusive events. Among the highlights: The Locale Long Italian Lunch presented by Cloudy Bay for which the terrific Hasting Street Italian eatery is collaborating with visiting chef Will Cowper of Otto Brisbane for a traditional Italian-style feast paired with Cloudy Bay wines. Tickets go on sale from March 14. Another option is going down a little further south at the Peregian Beach Hotel for the Local Love Lunch where guests will enjoy a four-course lunch starring the best local and native produce with beverages courtesy of Seabourne Distillery and wines from Alpha Box & Dice. Get tickets here on March 14. If a Mexican feast with mezcal is more your speed, get on board for the Bandita Late Lunch, where the Bandita Noosaville team will join forces with Mextrade — Australia's top distributor of tequila, mezcal and Mexican craft spirits. Tickets will be available here from March 14. And one of the waterfront institutions of Noosa Main Beach, Season Restaurant, is hosting a lavish Asian dining feast at the Season Restaurant x Shaw + Smith Lunch with wines courtesy of the renowned Mclaren Vale winery at which winemaker Adam Wadewitz will be on hand to guide you through each pairing. Bookmark this link to secure your tickets. There's also a special collaboration between Khanh Ong and Betty's Burgers, a gin tour, a local craft beer tour, and a laneway party at Noosa Junction. There will also be a floating dining experience on the luxe Catalina Noosa and even an island takeover. Tickets are strictly limited and sold separately per event, so make sure to get in quick. Purchase tickets and find out more at the Noosa Eat & Drink Festival website.
It could've been a scene out of the series itself: when Felicity Ward learned that she'd be starring in the Australian version of The Office, she was in a memorable situation that couldn't better sum up the past five years. "I remember where I was. I was in New Zealand and I was about to do a COVID test — but in New Zealand, it's so gross. They don't stick a thingy up their nose. They spit into a tube. So you go into a booth and there's pictures of food, and you just have to try to summon the spit," she tells Concrete Playground. "And you have to get that much spit. And then there's someone next to you, 30 centimetres, 50 centimetres on the other side of this paper partition, and you can hear them. It's so fucking gross." "I was working on another show in New Zealand, and twice a week I had to go and do a COVID test in the centre," Ward continues. "So I was about to walk in and I got a call from my agent, and he was like 'hey, can I have a chat?'. I was like 'yeah, yeah'. And then he's like 'I would like to offer you the lead role in The Office' — and I think I cried. I'm pretty sure I cried. I was pretty excited." Now streaming all eight season-one episodes on Prime Video, the latest take on The Office doesn't just set up shop in Australia, in the Sydney office of packaging company Flinley Craddick, where Ward's (Time Bandits) Hannah Howard is the local Managing Director. It also firmly takes place in today's COVID-impacted world. The premise: attempting to capitalise upon the move to remote working post-lockdowns, and to also save money, Howard's employer wants to shut down its offices. As someone who sees her colleagues as family members — a fact that always sits at the heart of her OTT, awkward, chaotic and often-cringey behaviour — Sydney's head honcho couldn't be less onboard with the plan. As Ricky Gervais' (After Life) David Brent and Steve Carell's (Despicable Me 4) Michael Scott likely also would've in the same scenario, Howard makes a deal with her own boss (Pallavi Sharda, The Twelve). If her staff can hit their targets and find savings quickly, their office will remain open. Unsurprisingly, though, returning to Flinley Craddick IRL full-time isn't a particularly popular proposal with her team — which includes flirty sales staff Nick (Steen Raskopoulos, The Duchess) and Greta (Shari Sebbens, Preppers), HR rep Martin Josh Thomson (Young Rock), IT manager Lloyd (Jonny Brugh, What We Do in the Shadows), finance head Deborah (Lucy Schmit, The Pledge), fellow salesperson Tina (Susan Ling Young, Barons) and intern Sebastian (Raj Labade, Back of the Net) — although Howard's right-hand-woman Lizzie (Edith Poor, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) will always follow her lead. There's no stapler in jelly this time around, but there's still plenty that's recognisable — to viewers of the past two English-language versions of The Office, with the British OG running from 2001–03 and the American take airing from 2005–13, and to anyone who has ever worked in any iteration of its setting. One key difference, not only compared to the best-known versions of the show but also to their counterparts in Canada, Brazil, France, Germany, Chile, Israel, India, Poland, the Czech Republic, Greece, Sweden and Saudi Arabia: somehow, the Aussie The Office is the first with a female boss. Ward had only watched England's The Office before stepping into Howard's shoes. That said, her main source of inspiration didn't come from the screen — it was herself. We also chatted with the comedian and actor (and Wakefield, The Inbetweeners 2, Thank God You're Here and Spicks and Specks alum) about standing out in a franchise built on awkward bosses, her read on Hannah at her worst and best, and how all things The Office have evolved over the 23 years since the English version's debut. On What Ward Drew Upon to Play Hannah Howard "Just me. I did not draw upon any of my experience with other people. The character was so well written, I'm like 'she's annoying, I'm annoying, let's tap into that'. Before you got online, I was just sitting here singing Jack Harlow — and that is how I live. That is basically what Hannah is. There's so little distance between me and Hannah. I would hope that I'm slightly more charming than Hannah. I have more self-awareness than Hannah. But she does, to be fair, have a job. I had a job. I mean, my job at the moment is promoting a job that I had last year. But I don't have a salary, I will say that. Imagine having a salary!" On Ensuring That Ward's Version of an Awkward Boss Stands Out From the Others in a Franchise Built on Awkward Bosses "I didn't think about the other ones, to be honest. I just thought about it like it was a sitcom, and what would I do for this character? I read the script. I'm like 'I know who this character is'. And so I just did that, and then tried to be as stupid and as cringe as I could. Every single take, I tried to make people laugh — I tried to break them in scenes. That was the only thing I thought about. I'd never seen an episode of the American one until I'd finished filming the Australian one, so I wasn't drawing on anything from them. And then Ricky's character — 'Ricky', like we're mates. 'Hey babe!'. I've never met the man — that was a male boss in 2002 or 2003, or whatever. So there's no crossover really there even with the character, apart from the conceit of the show, which is so clever. And it's actually only since I've been doing interviews about it that it makes sense to me. It's that the audience are so embarrassed for the lead that they don't like them. The bosses are delusional. They they're not aware that other people don't like them. And then the second that the bosses start to have self-awareness, that they doubt themselves, the audience go 'oh no, you can't doubt yourself. We love you. We can doubt you, but you can't doubt you'. And it's so subtle. I think it's incredible to make a character that you don't necessarily like that you absolutely love." On How Ward Sees Hannah — and Ensuring That She Isn't Just OTT and Frustrating, But Genuine in Her Affection for Her Colleagues, and Also Vulnerable "I think that there's an enormous amount of heart to Hannah, which is embarrassing at points, but ultimately you do love her because of how much she cares. Even though she's a loser and she's very annoying, you do kind of want her to win. You want her to win definitely over her bosses. No one wants the big boss to win ever in any show. For me, it wasn't a balancing act because it's all written. Julie De Fina [Aftertaste], who is the head writer, and Jackie [van Beek, The Breaker Upperers] and Jesse [Griffin, Educators], they broke all the storylines together and they direct different episodes, and it was all on the page. I didn't have to go 'so how can I bring heart to this character?'. It was just in the script. In the Melbourne Cup episode — I don't want to give the plot away for anyone — but when she sort of gets her heart a little bit broken, my entire teenage years I was in love with my friends, my male friends, and I was like 'I know, I'll just be really matey with them and really aggressive, and rip the piss out of them and try to beat them in shit. And that how they'll like me'. Yeah, great, great equation there. So when the character Danny's like 'oh yeah, I'm doing this other thing', it was so easy for me to go 'oh yeah, do you remember the years 1992 to 1998, Felicity? Why don't you think about that while you're doing this thing?'. So it was easy." On What Makes an Australian Version of The Office Unique "I don't know if you're from a funny family, but I remember trying to explain to someone else why my family was funny, and I couldn't do it. But I know when we're all together why we're funny and what would make us laugh. Trying to explain to other people why this is an Australian show, apart from the fact that Julie is Australian — I was going to say we're all Australia, but we're not, half the cast are Kiwis — it's just intrinsic to the characters. It's implicit in the workplace. And what's been amazing is speaking to people who have worked in corporate, who've gone 'oh my god, this thing happened to me, and this thing happened to me that happened in the show. And that thing when Hannah did this, my boss used to do that all the time'. Obviously Julie and Jackie and Jesse — the three Js, cute! — they know the world, they understand the world, and they just write the world in a way that resonates with people that have watched it so far." On Why The Office's Brand of Workplace Sitcom Still Appeals to Audiences 23 Years After the First One — and How It Has Evolved "I suppose what's fascinating is how relevant it's become. I don't work in an office, I don't work in corporate, I never have, I'm hospitality till I die, but I thought the conversation about working from home, working in the office, I thought that had wound up. I thought we'd come to the end of that and the show would still be post-COVID and it wouldn't be time-stamped, so it would still be relevant. But this conversation has come up again in the last month, that people are still trying to get everyone back to working in the office full time. And so it's become even more relevant again. So the timing of it is pretty good. I think if you're going to remake a show 23 years later, there has to be a point of difference. The fact that it's Australian — it will be uniquely Australian because it's Australian, and because we are Australian and Kiwi, it will be antipodean. And then I think the reason to do it 23 years later is to have a female boss. I think that's the only reason you remake it, because you're doing something so wildly different. The American Office came out, what, like three years after the British one? Something like that. And there was — I was there — there was a big backlash at the time. And then in the second season, it started writing its own scripts and it became its own show. I had never seen an episode of the American Office until we'd finished filming our one, and I watched it and I'm like 'these aren't the same show'. There's echoes of the same vehicle, but they're so brilliant, both of them. They do their own thing and they operate in their own world, and they love it. And hopefully ours does the same thing." The first season of the Australian version of The Office hit Prime Video on Friday, October 18, 2024. Images: John Platt and Prime Video, © BBCS and Bunya Entertainment.
For everyone who's yearned for a sunny, sandy, surf-filled holiday over the past few years, screens big and small have come with a warning: be careful what you wish for. In M Night Shyamalan's Old, hitting a gorgeous beach meant ageing quickly. In The White Lotus, it sparked eat-the-rich dramas. While the horror movie remake of Fantasy Island arrived just before lockdowns and travel restrictions, it unleashed terrors in scenic surroundings (and a terrible movie upon audiences). And in the Tim Roth-starring Sundown, escaping to Acapulco permanently isn't as blissful as it sounds. Come the end of July, The Resort will keep this chaotic vacation streak going, all via an eight-part streaming series that'll hit Australia via Stan from Friday, July 29. Here, Nick Offerman (Pam & Tommy), Cristin Milioti (Made for Love) and William Jackson Harper (The Good Place) star in a comedy-thriller that's also a mystery and a coming-of-age love story. Plenty can happen on a getaway, after all. Milioti and Harper play Emma and Noah, two high-school teachers who've been married for ten years and head off on a trip to the Yucatan to celebrate. But while seeking a stint of vacation bliss, as well as attempting to reinvigorate a routine relationship and life that Noah at least is content with, they stumble upon a 15-year-old mystery involving Sam (Skyler Gisondo, Licorice Pizza) and Violet (Nina Bloomgarden, Good Girl Jane) — when they were each making the trip to Oceana Vista Resort with their respective parents back in 2007, but weren't seen again. As The Resort's trailer shows, Offerman plays Violet's father, who is still looking into the mystery, too. Also making an appearance: Luis Gerardo Méndez (Narcos: Mexico) as Oceana Vista Resort's head of security a decade and a half back, Gabriela Cartol (Hernán) as the concierge where Emma and Noah are staying, and Parvesh Cheena (Mythic Quest) and Michael Hitchcock (Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar) as two Teds who are married to each other. The cast also includes Ben Sinclair (Thor: Love and Thunder) as resort owner, Debby Ryan (Insatiable) as Sam's girlfriend, and IRL couple Dylan Baker (Hunters) and Becky Ann Baker (Big Little Lies) as Sam's parents. Behind the scenes, The Resort hails from showrunner, writer and executive producer Andy Siara (Palm Springs, Lodge 49), as well as producers Sam Esmail (Mr Robot) and Chad Hamilton, and was shot throughout Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Check out the trailer for The Resort below: The Resort will start streaming in Australia via Stan from Friday, July 29. Images: Marisol Pesquera / Peacock.
Melbourne's Crown complex has been working hard to reinvent itself right. It's removed some of its older drinking and dining hotspots, replacing them with more contemporary venues intended to attract a younger and more diverse crowd. Basically, Crown is trying to be cool. And one damn good way to achieve this is by enlisting the help of the hugely popular Mischa Tropp (Toddy Shop) to create a new venue. And Tropp has well and truly delivered that much-needed cool factor — in spades — with his new venue Kolkata Cricket Club, which opened at the end of 2024. The 150-seat venue is inspired by Bengali cricket clubs and members' bars, which the Indian community reclaimed following independence. You can either drop by The Sports Bar — downing some beers or cocktails while watching a cricket match — or settle in for a long feed at the adjoining KCC Dining Room out back. Food throughout the Kolkata Cricket Club has strong pan-Indian and Bengali influences but is executed with Tropp's signature contemporary twists. Highlights have got to be Tropp's famed butter chicken, his rich goat curry and anything from the tandoor oven. Kolkata Cricket Club is a banger of a venue, well worth venturing into the Crown labyrinth to find. And if this is a sign of what's to come at Crown, this old haunt might just pull off this reinvention.
A vibrating chamber filled with light. Guided night walks through Hobart led by teenagers. Forty-nine search lights beaming up into the sky. Multiple performances by Sonic Youth founder Thurston Moore. Throw in an after-hours art path, late-night parties and a fiery waterside display, and that's still just a taste of Dark Mofo's just-revealed 2021 lineup. The Tasmanian winter arts festival will return to Hobart between Wednesday, June 16–Tuesday, June 22, after being forced to scrap 2020's event due to the pandemic. Something that definitely isn't on the bill: the now-cancelled Union Flag artwork, which was announced back in March as this year's first program inclusion, then sparked a thoroughly unsurprisingly backlash. Instead, arts lovers can experience the world premiere of Russian performance duo 404.zero's aforementioned vibrating installation, peer at the always-vibrant Spectra, enjoy Moore's residency (including gigs with electronic music composer Wobbly and New Zealand's The Dead C), and watch a series of sculptural false gods come to life thanks to Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran's Earth Deities. [caption id="attachment_800593" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jesse Hunniford[/caption] Elsewhere, a reclamation walk on opening night will focus on the city's vegetation, exhibition Paradise Lost will explore the work of suspected serial poisoner-turned-acclaimed colonial artist Thomas Griffiths Wainewright, Chicago-based composer and singer Haley Fohr will sing with music boxes she received on 18 different birthdays, and Jonathan Schipper's Slow Room will see a living room slowly pulled into a hole in a wall over the festival's duration. Yes, there's plenty to tempt you to Tassie in the full program — and, in good news for your wallet (especially after you've booked flights and accommodation for the fest), most of the lineup is free. Ticketed events still feature, especially among Dark Mofo's music gigs, but attendees can still see the bulk of Dark Mofo's 2021 offerings without paying a cent. That includes heading along to its annual Winter Feast in the Princes Wharf precinct, which'll offer free entry after 9pm and all night on Sunday — and going for a splash during the Nude Solstice Swim, another of the fest's returning signature drawcards. [caption id="attachment_812063" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jonathan Schipper, Slow Room. Courtesy Jonathan Schipper and Crystal Bridges Museum. Dark Mofo 2021[/caption] This year's Dark Mofo lineup is also designed to christen Hobart's new Darklab Bell Tower. It's the first bell tower that has been erected in Hobart in around 100 years, and features a 1800-kilogram bell that's been salvaged from a demolished church in Chicago. So, when you're dancing to DJs late at night at In The Hanging Garden, you'll be helping to celebrate one of the city's big new additions. And, although the blood-soaked Union Flag is no longer on the bill, Dark Mofo is still planning to make art from its audience — or from their loved ones' remains, to be exact. As part of a piece called Memorial by Alex Podger, the festival is calling for Tasmanian residents to provide the ashes of their loved ones, which will be placed into a handmade firework shell and then launched above the Derwent River, all to pay a fleeting but eye-catching tribute to life's beauty and complexity. Dark Mofo returns to Hobart from Wednesday, June 16–Tuesday, June 22. Tickets will be on sale from late May — for further details and to check out the full lineup, head to the festival website. Top image: Ivan Volkov, courtesy of 404.zero and Dark Mofo 2021.
Yackandandah's historic pub is officially pouring again. First built in 1868, the beloved watering hole — known locally as 'The Bottom Pub' — has long been a social hub for the gold rush-era town located a nip over 300kms northeast of Melbourne, and it's now reopened with a refreshed look and a team of Melbourne hospitality veterans at the helm. Led by ex-Yolk Group Executive Chef Dale Kemp (Terror Twilight, Convoy, Hi Fi) and his partner Britney Hart, alongside mates and hospo pros Jackson Cartwright and Sian Haycock, the expansive pub has undergone a thoughtful restoration that preserves its old-world bones while adding a few new touches. There's still the original brown brick bar and ceiling plasterwork, which are now joined by plush tartan carpets, crackling fireplaces, a horseshoe-shaped bar top crafted from reclaimed red gum from a nearby farm and a large communal table fashioned out of a 500-year-old local tree. Out the back, a spacious, sun-washed beer garden features a raised cast iron chiminea for winter warmth and a stage for local musicians. [caption id="attachment_1016059" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bec Haycraft[/caption] The menu keeps things familiar with a little finesse. The chicken parma, for example, is topped with smoked ham and vodka sauce, the pot pie is loaded with slow-cooked brisket and cheddar ale and served with roasted root veggies and onion gravy, while 24-hour lamb ribs are finished with a Sichuan-inspired coating and served with a bright cucumber and mint salad. There's also a steak selection starring regional cuts like Mitta Valley ribeye, plus hearty desserts like sticky toffee pudding spiked with Rutherglen muscat. Drinks also lean local. At the bar, you'll find craft beers from Bright Brewery and Bridge Road Brewers, wines from Beechworth and Rutherglen and a cocktail list that champions spirits by neighbouring Backwoods Distilling Co, alongside a stable of classic pub pours. Later this year, six charming upstairs rooms will open to the public, offering visitors a place to stay among the trees and rolling hills of Victoria's High Country and overlooking the streets of one of the state's most creative regional towns. [caption id="attachment_1016057" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bec Haycraft[/caption] Images: Bec Haycraft.
Whether you're a first-time visitor or a local playing tourist, Sydney's energy is magnetic. It's not the kind of city you can tick off in one weekend — just when you think you've done it all, there's a surprise new basement bar to check out, a pop-up art show in a back alley gallery, or an up-and-coming chef serving a dish that'll knock your socks off. Sydney always delivers — and then some. If you're planning a weekend in the Harbour City, Marriott Bonvoy is offering 10% off your stay across six hotels — all you need to do is sign up to become a member (for free). It's also the perfect excuse to extend your stay. Haven't explored Sydney in a while? We've pulled together a hit list of new buzzy restaurants and bars, bathhouses, cultural experiences, and citywide sights to make your next visit one to remember. Sweat, Soak and Reset 1Remedy, Potts Point Following in the footsteps of European bathhouses, this sleek new sauna house in Potts Point is all about the ancient trifecta: sweat, plunge, reset. Founded by Dave Darvill, Dave Veksler and Tina Cha, 1Remedy is built for physical recovery and mental clarity. Think hot rock saunas, multiple temperature-controlled ice baths, ambient beats, an electrolyte bar, and even sauna hats to dial up the comfort. It's guided, stylish and social — designed for those who like their wellness with a bit of vibe. Soak, Alexandria Spanning 700 square metres, Soak isn't your average day spa. This chic communal bathhouse invites conversation and connection, not whispers and robe-shuffling. You'll find warm magnesium pools, infrared and dry cedarwood saunas, cold plunges and aromatic steam rooms. The best part? It's designed to be social — come with friends, soak as a crew, and leave feeling restored and recharged. AWAY Spa, Sydney CBD Tucked away inside one of Sydney's most dazzling hotels, the AWAY Spa at W Sydney is as luxe as you'd expect. Found in the heart of the CBD, this five-room sanctuary offers everything from facials and body scrubs to couples massages and mani-pedis. Designed for solo escapes or social sessions, it's the perfect prelude to checking in upstairs and making a full night of it — because nothing says self-care like a treatment followed by room service and a robe. Shop Shiny, New Designer Stores Monclear, Sydney CBD Modern French outerwear label Moncler has expanded its Sydney presence with a new flagship boutique at Westfield Sydney, flaunting a luxurious monochromatic fit-out. Designed by renowned Parisian studio Gilles & Boissier, the 313-square-metre space is awash with dramatic marble finishes and punctuated by striking sculptural accents. Equal parts fashion destination and architectural marvel, it's a must-visit for the style-savvy and design-curious alike. LOEWE, Sydney CBD Part art gallery, part fashion boutique, LOEWE's second Sydney store in the CBD is a visual and tactile experience. Designed by Jonathan Anderson and LOEWE's in-house team in Madrid, the space evokes the feel of an art collector's Mediterranean home, complete with glistening emerald and cobalt tiles, textured tapestries, and sculptural ceramics. It's an idyllic setting to shop for one of fashion's most coveted labels. Hot tip: Sydney's best designer shopping is just a short stroll from Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park. [caption id="attachment_906009" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Art Gallery of New South Wales, Jenni Carter[/caption] Explore Inspiring Exhibitions and Performances Sydney Modern, The Domain One of Sydney's most significant recent cultural openings, the Art Gallery of NSW's Sydney Modern, is a must for any Sydney itinerary. While it opened just over a year ago, its ever-evolving program of globally renowned contemporary art means there's always a reason to return. Designed for art and architecture aficionados alike, it's also Australia's first-ever public art museum to earn a six-star green rating. Don't miss The Tank — a repurposed World War II naval bunker reimagined into a 2,200 sqm subterranean gallery space dedicated to large-scale immersive installations. Keen to stay locally? Check into the Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel Circular Quay — just a short stroll from The Domain. 'Circle Mirror Transformation', Sydney Theatre Company Catch Circle Mirror Transformation, Pulitzer Prize-winner Annie Baker's acclaimed play at Sydney Theatre Company. Starring Aussie legends Rebecca Gibney and Cameron Daddo, the play tells the story of five strangers who sign up for an amateur acting class. What starts with awkward theatre games quickly unravels into something deeper — funny, raw, and painfully real. Directed by Dean Bryant (Dear Evan Hansen), this one-act gem playfully turns the ordinary into something quietly profound. Make a night of it with a stay at Pier One Sydney Harbour, only moments from the theatre. Phoenix, Chippendale Conceived by philanthropist and White Rabbit Gallery founder Judith Neilson, Phoenix Central Park is an architecturally striking, state-of-the-art performance space unlike anything else in Sydney. With a capacity of just 150, it delivers an intimate and immersive experience that breaks away from traditional theatre seating. Audiences spiral around the space, peering down on an eclectic lineup of performances spanning music, contemporary dance, spoken word and experimental sound. Tickets are free but allocated via an online ballot, adding a sense of exclusivity to this already elusive and enchanting venue. Head Outdoors And Soak Up The Sun Shark Beach, Neilson Park Sydney is brimming with glistening harbour beaches, but Shark Beach at Neilson Park might just take the cake as one of the city's most idyllic oases. Reopened in late 2024 after a three-year hiatus of seawall upgrades, this eastern suburbs gem boasts pristine parklands and a protected swimming area with calm water perfect for every level of swimmer. Nab a box of hot chips dusted with chicken salt from the newly revamped Kiosk, roll out a rug under the towering fig trees or hit the scenic Hermitage Walk that winds along the coastline back to the city. URBNSURF, Homebush Sure, Sydney has surf, but scoring a solid set, or even a spot on the sand, isn't always guaranteed. You might be circling for a park and bobbing around in your wetty for a while before the ultimate wave rolls in. URBNSURF, on the other hand, delivers perfect waves on demand. Set out west in Olympic Park, this high-tech surf park is a playground for surfers of all levels, offering consistent waves every single time. It's open seven days a week with eight types of surf lessons on offer, and is also home to RAFI — a coastal-inspired all-day restaurant with sweeping views of rolling, man-made swell. Dine and Dance 'Til Late Bar Freda's at The Abercrombie While Sydney's nightlife might have taken an unexpected hit a few years back (cheers to lockout laws and pandemics), it's bounced back bolder and better, thanks to a wave of hospitality heroes and community legends. Freda's at The Abercrombie is a shining example. Filling a gap in Sydney's late-night scene, Freda's serves a rotating menu of gourmet sandwiches, share plates, and pasta, all washed down with "fun drinks" like a fishbowl G&T, natty wines, and cold tinnies. And if you're partial to a dance floor? Freda's comes alive every Friday and Saturday night with DJs spinning tunes from 8pm 'til late. Ready to dance until dawn? Four Points by Sheraton Sydney at Central Park makes for a stylish base just around the corner. Book your Sydney escape before September 30 to access 10% off your stay and dining with Marriott Bonvoy. All you have to do is sign up as a member — and it's completely free. With access to exclusive member rates, your stay will also earn points towards free nights at over 30 hotel brands around the world. Find out more here. T&C's apply and vary by participating hotels including blackout dates, cancellation restrictions and more. Offer may not apply in properties not participating in the award and redemption of Marriott Bonvoy. By Elise Cullen
Traditionally, Albury hasn't made many a traveller's bucket list. Drivers tend to whizz past on their way to quainter spots, like the gold rush town of Beechworth or the alpine village of Bright. But, over the past couple of years, this 45,000-person city on the northern banks of the Murray River has transformed itself into a destination. There's a blockbuster-capacity gallery, a sculpture trail, a designer hotel, and a slew of new restaurants, bars and cafes. In between art-ing and eating, you'll find mountain biking and paddling adventures a-plenty. So, next time you're racing along the Hume, stop over for a night — or three. Albury lies 462 kilometres southwest of Sydney and 326 kilometres northwest of Melbourne. Let's get into all things Albury. STAY Stretch your legs after the easy drive and check in to one of Albury's best modern stays. With its oversized industrial light fittings, Scandi-inspired high stools, vintage-style bicycles and open plan, the Atura Hotel's foyer feels more like an inner-city warehouse than a hotel lobby you'd stumble across in Albury. And this is just what Atura, a brand belonging to the AHL Group (which also owns QT, Rydges and Art Series) is going for — more art and better design in regional places. The reception 'pod' flows into the bar, where guests crowd around a retro-inspired pool table. The bar morphs into the Roadhouse Grill, dishing up popcorn prawns, braised lamb shanks and local Gundowring ice cream sundaes by night, and buffet breakfasts from 6.30am. Through the glass back wall, black and white NEMO face chairs look over an arc-shaped pool. Keep an eye out for inflatable pink flamingos around the place and Friesian cattle, who drop by occasionally. [caption id="attachment_563142" align="alignnone" width="1279"] Supplied by Atura[/caption] For excellent views of Albury's motley skyline, ask for an east-facing room on the seventh floor. That said, each of the 140 rooms is decorated with the fun yet sophisticated aesthetic informing the entrance. You'll be napping in a king-sized bed, swinging a cat around in loads of space, cleaning up with Malin + Goetz toiletries in a mural-covered ensuite, sipping free coffee from your own machine and tapping into free wifi. To save some dosh, jump on one of Atura's packages, which top up your stay with gallery tickets, cocktails, movies and more. EAT AND DRINK Make your first stop the River Deck Cafe, open daily for breakfast and lunch, and Thursday to Saturday for dinner. You'll find it right on the Murray, among the leafy plane trees of idyllic Noreuil Park. For years, there was only a kiosk here, but in May 2015, Alex Smit, who's been proprietor since 2011, transformed it into a 120-seater restaurant, bringing in Mauritian-born Ludo Baulacky as head chef. Goat's cheese is turned into dollops of pannacotta, carefully arranged among pickled mushroom, baby beetroot, stonefruit and dukkah. For a light lunch, it's a good match with the herby quinoa salad, which comes with candied walnuts, honey dressing, tomatoes and olives. Among the share plates, there's a Milawa cheese platter and a salmon brushcetta with smoked salmon, crème fraiche and caperberries. If you're looking for a hearty main, try the seared barramundi with cauliflower and dill puree, pickle, clams, soy bean and chicken jus. A map in the menu shows you what produce comes from where — one of the River Deck's local mainstays is Rad Growers, a small farm in Bungowannah, twenty kilometres west of Albury. On the main drag, Green Zebra has been making housemade Italian food for 15 years. You can design your own dish by choosing from the pasta, sauce and ingredients menus. Do not stop yourself from ordering the lemon tart for dessert. On Townsend Street is The Proprietor, a friendly, pendant-lit, checkered-floored cafe, serving Padre coffee from Brunswick, and an all-day menu driven by local suppliers. Go for grilled haloumi and dukkah eggs with hummus, salty lemon, watercress and sourdough, or the mushroom toastie, with cheese spread, haloumi, garlic and green sauce. Another of Albury's outstanding new additions is Boom Boom. Tucked away in AMP Lane, this wine bar and eatery feels like a transplant directly from Melbourne. Owner Matthew Carrington has made sure that every element is on point — from the beautifully-curated, globe-spanning wine list to the impeccably-balanced cocktails to the in-house charcuterie and laidback soundtrack. The star share plate arrives crowded with wagyu bresaola, finocchiona-wrapped caperberries, pancetta, pickled grapes and oyster mushrooms. Unwilling to share? Go for a 'Big Thing', like the ling en papiotte with chilli, lemon, coriander and kipfler medallions, or the scotch fillet with potato rosti and tomato bourbon relish. You can relax in the laneway at a table for two, perch at the bar or take over a communal bench. Another dinner option is the long-standing Border Wine Room. If wine bottles could speak, this place could tell a tale or two — the walls are dotted with empty Grange vessels. The a la carte menu changes monthly, while the six-course tasting menu is revamped fortnightly. Keep an eye out for special events — from French wine tastings to chocolate degustations. DO In late 2015, after a $10.5 million makeover, the Albury Regional Gallery reopened as MAMA (Murray Art Museum Albury), with a 14-metre-high curved wall and a visionary director named Jacqui Hemsley, who's passionate about getting people excited and engaged. To that end, MAMA is currently hosting its first blockbuster: Marilyn: Celebrating an American Icon, showing till May 8. Live circus is coming up on April 22 and 23, and, on May 21, the MAMA Art Foundation National Photography Prize, worth $50,000, will move in. The gallery also now has its own modern, casual eatery: Canvas. It's hidden away from the main street, overlooking a quiet, grassy square. Concertina windows allow natural light to stream into the high-ceilinged space, and the menu features luxurious twists on classics. Think coddled egg with truffled mushroom duxelle and brioche soldiers, and duck benedict with house-smoked duck ham, brioche, poached eggs, beurre noisette hollandaise and spinach. Canvas is open daily for brunch and lunch, and Wednesday-Saturday for dinner. Back alongside the Murray, you'll find the five-kilometreYindyamarra Sculpture Walk, stretching between Kremur Street and Wonga Wetlands. It's part of the Wagirra Trail, a work-in-progress that will ultimately consist of 70 kilometres of riverside shared paths. Every sculpture — from the giant-sized Maya Fish Trap by Uncle Tunny, Darren Wighton and Andom Rendell, to Reconciliation Shield by Tamara Murray — was created by local indigenous artists and is a response to the river. Whether you walk or cycle, take your mobile, to access augmented reality at each stop. Despite Albury's sizeable population, wild places are easy to access. To get on the river, hire a canoe from Murray River Canoe Hire, who'll drop you eight or 12 kilometres upstream for an easy one-two hour paddle back to town. Prepare to meet cheeky flocks of white cockatoos, cormorants and white ibises — 350 bird species live along the Murray, which, at 2,700 kilometres, is the third longest navigable river in the world, after the Amazon and the Nile. There's also some cracking mountain biking terrain. And, four years ago, elite biker Indi Boer, who's won 19 international and national titles, set up a coaching school named The Fastline Bikademy. If you're a beginner, sign up for a basic skills lesson and by the end of it, you'll be conquering scary dips and powering around corners. Experienced? She'll spend hours helping you to refine your skills, so you can take on tougher rides with more skill and strength. If you're looking for an excuse to head to Albury sooner rather than later, the annual Gold Cup is coming up on March 17 and 18. With more than 15,000 people expected to attend, it's the most popular country race in NSW — and an official public holiday for Albury residents. There'll be live music, craft beers and pop-up stalls peddling local produce. LET'S DO THIS; GIVE ME THE DETAILS By car: Albury is about six hours drive southwest of Sydney, and about three-and-a-half hours' drive northwest of Melbourne. By train: The XPT takes seven-and-a-half hours to reach Albury from Sydney, and three hours and twenty minutes from Melbourne. By plane: QANTAS, Virgin Australia and REX all fly the 80-minute route between Albury and Sydney. REX flies between Melbourne and Albury, taking about an hour. Jasmine Crittenden travelled as a guest of Destination NSW. Images: Peter Saw (unless otherwise specified).
If life's chaos has made your world feel a little small of late, what better antidote than to head outdoors and catch a few of the world's biggest creatures frolicking majestically in the sprawling blue ocean? Watching whales swim around, complete with tail-slapping acrobatics and clouds of water sprayed from blowholes, is sure to instil a sense of wonder and release. When it comes to whale watching, us Aussies have it made. Not only are we surrounded entirely by water, but our east coast is a route favoured by many whales on their annual migration to and from Antarctica. And that means ample opportunity to spy these gentle giants in action — either from atop dry land, or right out there beside them on the water. From the scenic lookouts of Eden to a boat cruise around Wilsons Prom, we've rounded up eight of Australia's best spots for whale watching. Grab your binoculars and venture coastward for a whale spectacular. Recommended reads: The Best Whale Watching Spots Along the NSW Coast The Best Beaches in Australia Eight Epic Holidays for Animal Lovers You Can Book Now [caption id="attachment_772713" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Melbourne[/caption] Bass Coast, Victoria From May to October, the waters of Gippsland's Bass Coast come alive with migrating marine mammals — mostly humpback and southern right whales, but also the odd orca flashing its distinctive black and white markings. And you'll find plenty of opportunities to catch them all in action, by embarking on a jaunt along the Bass Coast Whale Discovery Trail. Running the perimeter of Phillip Island and around to Inverloch, this coastal stretch is peppered with primo whale viewing points, most decked out with informative signage so you can dabble in some history and knowledge along the way. Some of the most popular pit stops include Cape Woolamai and the soaring cliffs of Pyramid Rock. [caption id="attachment_772704" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Warrnambool[/caption] Warrnambool, Victoria Located at the end of the Great Ocean Road, the coastal hub of Warrnambool is a renowned spot for scoping out these majestic creatures, as scores of female southern right whales descend on the waters of Logans Beach to calve between June and September. A dedicated platform located in the dunes often offers the best vantage point for views of this 'whale nursery', and you can call ahead to the Visitor Information Centre to check up on any recent activity before you visit. Got some time up your sleeve? Make a road trip of it by following the Whale Trail west through more viewing spots near Port Fairy and Portland. [caption id="attachment_772711" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wildlife Coast Cruises[/caption] Wilsons Promontory, Victoria The secluded beaches and rugged wilderness of Wilsons Promontory have made it a favourite destination for hiking and camping, but the waters surrounding its scenic coastline also happen to pull their fair share of humpback whale visitors, stopping by on their southerly migration between late August and October each year. For a shot at seeing a few of these majestic travellers up close, opt for a day on the water with the Wilsons Prom Whale Cruise, helmed by the team at Wildlife Coast Cruises. Departing from Port Welshpool Jetty, this informative six-hour boat trip takes you past stunning coastal hotspots like Refuge Cove, promising a high chance of spying at least one or two new whale friends. [caption id="attachment_772705" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jervis Bay Wild[/caption] Jervis Bay, New South Wales Sitting halfway along the whales' annual 5000-kilometre migration route, Jervis Bay on the New South Wales South Coast is known to be a favourite pit stop for humpback and southern right whales. Between May and November, the region's calm, still waters are an aquatic playground of choice for many of these supersized creatures, as they take some time out from their lengthy journey to rest up and play with their babies. For some great whale spotting, with views across the Jervis Bay Marine Park, try the Cape St George Lighthouse or the Point Perpendicular Lighthouse — where a lookout towers 90 metres above sea level. Otherwise, you can opt for an on-water whale experience with a renowned operator like Jervis Bay Wild. [caption id="attachment_772830" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tom Park for Destination NSW[/caption] Cape Solander, Kamay Botany Bay National Park, New South Wales Promising striking sandstone clifftops, sweeping ocean views and an excellent vantage point for the passing pods of humpback whales each June and July, Cape Solander makes for a worthy winter day-trip destination. Located in the Kurnell area of Kamay Botany Bay National Park, this scenic coastal spot has been known to notch up over 100 whale sightings in one day, with the gentle giants frolicking as close as 200 metres from the shore. A dedicated viewing platform features plenty of whale-related information, and there's usually a couple of knowledgeable volunteers there sharing facts and tallying up the day's sighting count. Southern right whales also make an appearance here, along with the odd orca and minke whale. [caption id="attachment_772710" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Eden[/caption] Eden, New South Wales The Sapphire Coast town of Eden is a whale-watcher's paradise. After all, the surrounding waters of Twofold Bay are known as the 'Humpback Highway' — so numbered are the humpback whales that swim through here en route home to Antarctica each year. You'll spy plenty of these mighty creatures between September and November, while pods of baleen and toothed whales make their own similar journeys in early spring. The town itself is chock-full of great vantage points for shore-based whale spotting, not least of which is the Rotary Park lookout, set right out on the point. And for those braving the water, there's no shortage of charter boats offering a variety of whale-watching tours. Also, head here in October and you can hit up the Eden Whale Festival. [caption id="attachment_772707" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Stradbroke Island[/caption] Minjerribah, Queensland For some breathtaking whale-watching action just a quick ferry trip from Brisbane's bayside, lock in a trip to Minjerribah, aka North Stradbroke Island. Between late May and early November, the region welcomes scores of its most majestic annual visitors, with up to 200 humpback whales passing through each day on their journey between Antarctica and the Great Barrier Reef. Perched at around 35 metres above sea level, the headland at Point Lookout offers a top-notch view of these creatures breaching and tail-slapping in the balmy waters. Hervey Bay, Queensland Located across from K'gari, the protected waters of Queensland's Hervey Bay entice thousands of humpback whales each year, so your chances of scoring a sighting are solid. It is the world's first Whale Heritage Site, after all. The ocean giants are usually spotted here between mid-July and November, frolicking and launching themselves spectacularly into the air as they teach their young the tricks of the trade. For the ultimate close-up, your best bet is to head out on the water yourself, joining one of the many local whale-watching tours. If you're feeling brave, the crew at Hervey Bay Whale Watch & Charters even offers the chance to jump in and swim right alongside these mega-sized mammals. Top image: whales at Hervey Bay by Visit Fraser Coast. 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.
Hi Italy is a cosy hole-in-the-wall slinging out some of the best pizza Reservoir has ever seen. Head chef Lucio hails from the island of Sardinia and is passionate about all things Italian. The pizza is freshly made to order in their small wood-fired oven, ensuring every single base is perfectly charred and slightly crispy. Like all Italians, stingy is not a part of Lucio's vocabulary — expect generous amounts of Prosciutto di Parma (lovingly shaped into roses) and freshly grated parmesan cheese by the handful. Expect classics like the Mortadella with tomato, mozzarella, gorgonzola and mortadella ($22.50), along with new school favourites like the signature Hi Italy with mozzarella, Proscuitto di Parma, cherry tomatoes, parmesan and rocket ($25.50). Remember to book in advance, their dining area is intimate and tends to fill up quickly.
The late, great Jim Henson gave the world many things, including the Muppets in general, Sesame Street's loveable puppet characters, Kermit the Frog's memorable voice and all things Fraggle Rock. He also turned filmmaker three times, creating three of the great puppet movies of the 1980s — The Great Muppet Caper, The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. While Labyrinth still earns plenty of attention for plenty of reasons — David Bowie being one of them, obviously — The Dark Crystal also deservedly holds a place in fans' hearts. Co-directed with his Muppets colleague Frank Oz, the fantasy-adventure flick follows a Gelfling called Jen, who is trying to bring back balance to his own world by finding and returning a broken shard from a powerful gem. Henson and Oz also worked their puppeting magic on the movie, of course. Over the years, a sequel has been mooted more than once, including one with Australian Daybreakers, Predestination and Winchester filmmakers Michael and Peter Spierig at the helm. No follow-ups have ever come to fruition, but Netflix is doing the next best thing: reviving the beloved film for a ten-part series. Releasing at the end of August, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a prequel to the movie — and yes, it uses puppets for its protagonists, not CGI, as both the first teaser and the new full-length trailer both show in stunning detail. Set years before the events of the film, it steps into the world of Thra, which is home to The Crystal of Truth. Both are under threat by the evil Skeksis, with illness thwarting the land as a result. It's up to three Gelfings to reveal the truth, stage a rebellion and fight for the planet. Directed by Louis Leterrier (The Incredible Hulk, Now You See Me), Age of Resistance also boasts quite the cast, with Rocketman's Taron Egerton, Glass' Anya Taylor-Joy and Game of Thrones' Nathalie Emmanuel voicing three elf-like Gelflings. They're joined by a hefty list of names, so prepare to hear the vocal tones of Helena Bonham Carter, Natalie Dormer, Lena Headey, Eddie Izzard, Theo James, Toby Jones, Shazad Latif, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mark Strong, Alicia Vikander, Mark Hamill, Jason Isaacs, Keegan-Michael Key, Simon Pegg, Andy Samberg, Benedict Wong, Awkwafina and Sigourney Weaver as well. Check out the new trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3_owZfYVR8 The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance hits Netflix on August 30. Image: Kevin Baker.
There's plenty to look at in Yves Saint Laurent, a new biopic of the legendary fashion designer. As well as giving the world the iconic Le Smoking women's tuxedo, he is credited with making ready-to-wear reputable in world of haute couture. His fashion journey — and personal one — is brought to life by director Jalil Lespert and gangly actor Pierre Niney in this French-language biopic. This film opens in 1953, as the 18-year-old Laurent wins a major fashion prize, which leads him to take over the Christian Dior legacy. Here he meets Pierre Berge, patron of the arts, future business partner and the love of his life. Three years later, they create the Yves Saint Laurent company and revolutionise the world of fashion. The film was made with the support of the Foundation of Yves Saint Laurent. The upshot of this is that the filmmakers were able to use all the original YSL designs. Get ready to feast your eyes. Read our full review here. Yves Saint Laurent is in cinemas on June 26, and thanks to Entertainment One, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=-ec-DQ_7EUM
Along the 1200 kilometres of coastal glory that stretches between Perth and Exmouth, you can dive with whale sharks, meet some of the friendliest dolphins you'll find anywhere, visit the oldest living fossils in the world, get to know sea lions, lose yourself snorkelling in beachside coral gardens and drink as many cocktails at sunset as you can handle. With all the spectacular views, but much less of the population of Australia's east coast, the Coral Coast provides one wild, beautiful road trip. Here's our guide to making the most of seven days behind the wheel. From pristine beaches and bountiful wine regions to alpine hideaways and bustling country towns, Australia has a wealth of places to explore at any time of year. We've partnered with Tourism Australia to help you plan your road trips, weekend detours and summer getaways so that when you're ready to hit the road you can Holiday Here This Year. Under current COVID-19 restrictions in Australia, there are limitations on where you can go on a holiday. Bookmark this for when you can explore once again. [caption id="attachment_773124" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] DAY ONE: PERTH TO GERALDTON, 420KM From Perth, follow Indian Ocean Drive north. Two hours brings you to the white-sanded fishing village of Cervantes. From here, you can stroll among meadows crowded with wildflowers, nip out to local islands to laze about with sea lions and marvel at The Pinnacles — 30,000-year-old limestone formations within the desertscapes of the Nambung National Park. For the next 200 kilometres, the road hugs the coast, slipping through a collective of laidback beachside towns. Once you hit Geraldton, you'll be ready for a windsurfing lesson among ideal conditions and an over-water sunset, accompanied by a good dose of western rock lobster. It's arguably the freshest, tastiest seafood in Australia. [caption id="attachment_773133" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Australia's Coral Coast[/caption] DAY TWO: GERALDTON TO CARNARVON, 480KM By the time you reach your next destination, Carnarvon, you're in tropical WA. On the fertile plains of the Gascoyne River, more than 170 plantations produce over 4000 tonnes of bananas and 1300 tonnes of mangos annually, plus tomatoes, grapes, capsicum and more. That's why Carnarvon is known locally as the 'salad bowl of Western Australia'. Wander through lush farms before heading to a local restaurant to indulge in the seafood of your choice: prawns, scallops, crabs and fish are delivered to your plate direct from the sea. Your evening should also include a sunset stroll along the fascine. If you're there on a Saturday morning between May and October, visit the Growers Market, where farmers and producers pour in from all over the region to peddle their wares. [caption id="attachment_773142" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef, Tourism Western Australia[/caption] DAY THREE: CARNARVON TO EXMOUTH, 370KM Make your first stop the Quobba Blowholes, just 75 kilometres north. Slamming against the coast with a mighty force, the swell is pushed through narrow rock openings and sea caves, creating spectacular water jets that spout as high as 20 metres. To decompress afterwards, pop just one kilometre south, where you'll discover a calm coral lagoon, known as The Aquarium, for swimming. Once you reach Exmouth, you're on the edge of the Ningaloo Reef. Kick back on idyllic beaches, jump aboard a glass bottom boat tour, join a snorkelling expedition or, if you're there between March and July, go diving with whale sharks. This would be a good point to treat yourself to a night of comfort at the Mantarays Ningaloo Beach Resort or go all out with a night at Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef Safari Camp. [caption id="attachment_773135" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Western Australia[/caption] DAY FOUR: EXMOUTH TO CORAL BAY, 150KM Your return journey south starts with a short day on the road. There's so much to do along this section, it's best to keep driving time to a minimum. What makes the tiny town of Coral Bay so special is that an extraordinarily beautiful section of the Ningaloo Reef is accessible just a few metres offshore. Make tracks to Five Fingers Reef, then simply pop on your snorkelling gear and dive in. To step the action up a notch, take a 20-minute walk from Main Beach to the shallow waters of the local reef shark nursery, where hundreds of sharks gather between October and March. [caption id="attachment_773146" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Western Australia[/caption] DAY FIVE: CORAL BAY TO SHARK BAY, 580KM Follow the Northwest Coastal Highway as far as the turn-off to the Shark Bay World Heritage Drive. Your first adventure along here — the stromatolites of Hamelin Pool — transports you 3.5 billion years back in time. You're looking at the oldest type of living fossils to be found anywhere on the planet. Also definitely worth a stop are the 70-kilometre-long Shell Beach and the dazzling views from Eagle Bluff. Come evening, Monkey Mia has a friendly school of bottlenose dolphins waiting to make your acquaintance, and there are ample opportunities for waterfront cocktails. [caption id="attachment_773139" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nature's Window, Tourism Western Australia[/caption] DAY SIX: SHARK BAY TO KALBARRI, 390KM At Kalbarri, the Murchison River runs into the Indian Ocean. Hop aboard a river cruise and go kayaking or canyoning among the steep gorges of the National Park. Hikers will enjoy the eight-kilometre Loop Track, which begins and ends at Nature's Window. Short on time? Visit the two new skywalks, which project 17 metres and 25 metres over the rim and 100 metres above the gorge. Alternatively, stay coastal with your own beach house at Kalbarri Seafront Villas and enjoy stunning walking trails, the legendary Jacques Point surf break and, between June and November, humpback whale spotting. Finish up your day at an outdoor cinema and start the next one with pelican feeding. [caption id="attachment_773950" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Oakabella Homestead, Tourism Western Australia[/caption] DAY SEVEN: KALBARRI TO PERTH, 570KM Your seventh and final day brings you an inland experience in the form of the National Trust town of Northampton. Reach it via the coast, taking in the magnificent ocean views south of Kalbarri, or cut straight east through the Kalbarri National Park, keeping a lookout for thorny devils as you go. At Northampton, you can check out a bunch of renowned Western Australian attractions, including the state's oldest public railway and Oakabella Homestead and Tea Rooms. Afterwards, return to the coast and take your pick of sleepy villages for exploration, including the twin towns of Dongara and Port Denison, and the tranquil harbour of Jurien Bay. Whether you're planning to travel for a couple of nights or a couple of weeks, Holiday Here This Year and you'll be supporting Australian businesses while you explore the best of our country's diverse landscapes and attractions. Top image: Tourism Western Australia.
Since setting up at 10 Neild Avenue late last year, "total food hub" Rushcutters has established itself as a genuine champion of fresh, seasonal produce and community spirit. Head honcho Martin Boetz (ex-Longrain) has been keeping inner city diners connected with the country through immersive techniques: an all-day menu, workshops, produce markets and cooking classes. Most of the ingredients involved come direct from Boetz’s Sackville-based Cooks Co-Op Farm, just 50 km from the big smoke. And now? Farmer’s Feast Dinners at just $25 a head. On the last Tuesday of every month, Rushcutters will put a handpicked selection of its favourite local producers and artisans on display. Diners will have the chance to meet the faces behind their dinner plates while enjoying a tasty, seasonally-designed meal. Prepared with seasonal, local produce, the Farmer's Feast menu features braised venison with beetroot and horseradish, brought to the table with a butter mash from Pepe Saya and Valhalla organic wine. The reasonable $25 cover includes a glass of vino, matched by the Keystone Group’s sommelier Sarah Limacher. First cab off the rank is Tim Hansen of Mandagery Creek Venison, who’ll be in house this Tuesday, May 27. Since 2002, he’s been rearing free range deer out in Orange without the use of nasties — antibiotics, stimulants and growth hormones don't have any part in the process. Hansen's sister, Penny Hanan, takes the by-products and transforms them into suede goods and hand crafted knives. She’ll be coming along for the ride to Rushcutters, showcasing her wares from 1803 Artisan Deer Design. Farmer's Feasts start Tuesday May 27. For bookings, call Rushcutters on 02 8070 2424.
2022 was a huge year for Milly Alcock, with House of the Dragon bringing her into the Game of Thrones realm and Australian series Upright returning for its second season. Just a month into 2024, this year is already proving massive for the Aussie actor as well. After stepping into Rhaenyra Targaryen's shoes, Alcock is now becoming the Woman of Steel in upcoming DC Universe film Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. Filmmaker James Gunn, who is DC Studios' co-CEO and co-chairman — and, before getting those roles, directed The Suicide Squad — has confirmed that the Aussie talent is taking on the lead part in the upcoming flick. "Milly is a fantastically talented young actor, and I'm incredibly excited about her being a part of the DCU. Yes, I first became aware of her in House of the Dragon, but I was blown away by her varied auditions and screen tests for Supergirl," Gunn posted on social media after reports of Alcock's casting started circulating. View this post on Instagram A post shared by James Gunn (@jamesgunn) If you're looking for more details about Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, however, little else has been revealed as yet — including who else is starring, the filmmaker behind the lens and when the movie will arrive. Under Gunn and fellow co-head honcho Peter Safran (who was a producer on The Suicide Squad), all things DC on-screen are currently undergoing a shakeup. The DC Extended Universe is over, wrapping up with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, with the new DCU taking the company's movies in a fresh direction instead. In 2025, the Gunn-helmed Superman: Legacy will kick off the reborn franchise, starring Pearl's David Corenswet as the eponymous figure and The Marvelous Mrs Maisel's Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane. After that will come The Authority, focusing on a team of WildStorm characters; The Brave and the Bold, the DCU's first Batman and Robin flick; Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, as now starring Alcock; and Swamp Thing. Alongside House of the Dragon and her AACTA-nominated performance in Upright, Alcock's resume includes Australian shows such as Wonderland, Janet King, A Place to Call Home, Pine Gap, Fighting Season and Les Norton. As Kara Zor-El in Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, she'll take on a figure also played by Helen Slater (Chantilly Bridge) in 1984's Supergirl film, Sasha Calle (The Young and the Restless) in 2023's The Flash, Laura Vandervoort (Sullivan's Crossing) in TV's Smallville and Melissa Benoist (Clerks III) in the Supergirl television series. There's no sneak peek at Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow yet, obviously, but you can check out the trailers for House of the Dragon season one and Upright season two below: Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when one is announced. Read our interview with Milly Alcock about House of the Dragon and Upright. House of the Dragon images: HBO.
You can always count on Hunter S. Thompson for memorable epigrams and useful life lessons. The same man who pioneered Gonzo journalism, penned Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas and requested that he have his ashes fired out of a cannon has always been good for a bit of advice. And as an inveterate drinker and connoisseur of a range of substances, he tended to know what he was talking about. Since his suicide in 2005, various bits and pieces have posthumously emerged from the Thompson archive, most recently with Playboy's publication of its entire correspondence with him during the 1960s and 70s. This, of course, was when Playboy was a little bit classy, and included writings from Vladimir Nabokov, Kurt Vonnegut, Anne Sexton and Saul Bellow amongst its pictures of scantily-clad women. Found amidst the papers was Thompson's hangover cure, undated and scrawled on stationary from the Beverly Hills Hotel. The cure reads: "P.S. — inre: Oui's request for "my hangover cure" — it's 12 amyl nitrites (one box), in conjunction with as many beers as necessary. OK H." That's right kids, it's beer and amyl nitrate that will really kill that throbbing in your skull. According to Hunter S. Thompson, anyhow. If you want to check out the rest of his Playboy correspondence you can do it here. [Via Gawker]
If there weren't already enough reasons to visit France, the nation has just erected a ten-level superstructure dedicated entirely to life's magnum opus: wine. Located in the heart of Bordeaux wine country, La Cité du Vin (translating to The City of Wine) is more than just a museum about squashed grapes. From the outside the building is a masterpiece in its own right, the architecture charging its glass to the curvature of the infamous vineyard-bordered Garonne River, knotted vine stocks and the swirl of wine in a glass. Indoors, there are both temporary and permanent features, including a self-guided tour through 20 themed spaces showcasing wine from across the world, across the ages, across all cultures and all civilisations. The immersive experience kicks off in a wooden vault moonlighting as the hull of a wine-trading ship before taking visitors through several other multi-sensory areas. The final phase leads up to the top floor to take in 360 degree views of the city and for the most eagerly anticipated section of the tour: wine tasting. All that wine knowledge can be put to use in one of two restaurants, together sharing a wine cellar with upwards of 14,000 bottles from more than 80 wine producing countries. To top it all off the entrance hall doubles as the departure point for wine tasting excursions via boat along the Garonne or down the road to the plentiful Bordeaux vineyards.
Only watching a single scene, merely a few minutes or just a sole episode of Such Brave Girls is impossible. With its blisteringly frank and hilarious first season in 2023, and now with its equally raw, authentic and side-splitting second run in 2025 — both streaming in Australia via Stan — letting instalment after instalment roll while binge-viewing is the natural response to pressing play on this British sitcom about three adult women in a dysfunctional family. That said, there's a line in the show's second season that couldn't sum it up better, even if you were to only ever hear one piece of dialogue from the Kat Sadler-created series. "Your mouth's doing the right thing, but your eyes are trying to call the Samaritans," Josie, her on-screen alter ego, is told when she cracks a smile. Sadler also writes Such Brave Girls, with its first season winning Best Scripted Comedy and earning her the Best Emerging Talent: Fiction award at the 2024 BAFTAs. She's drawn much within its frames from her own experiences, as well as those of her sister Lizzie Davidson, who plays Josie's sibling Billie. Across its 12 episodes to date, there isn't a second of the end result that isn't deeply perceptive, including about depression, trauma, love, financial stress and the unshakeably intertwined relationship between the latter two, to name just some of its focuses. But that Samaritans line is such an astute statement about trying and pretending — however wholeheartedly or convincingly, or willingly or not — to put on a content and settled face to the world, an idea that's at the core of Such Brave Girls again and again. As she keeps exploring the lives of not just chalk-and-cheese sisters Josie and Billie, but also of their mother Deb (Louise Brealey, Lockwood & Co) — and of Dev, (Paul Bazely, Miss Scarlet and the Duke), a quiet widower with a big house, who the family matriarch is keen on marrying; Seb (Freddie Meredith, Andor), the keen-to-wed boyfriend that the queer Josie wishes that she didn't have; and Nicky (Sam Buchanan, Just Act Normal), the womaniser that Billie refuses to see anything but good in — how does Sadler find new ways to dig into the ever-relatable concept of constantly putting on brave faces? "It is capturing the MO of the show, and that's a really interesting way to look at it," Sadler tells Concrete Playground, "because I think every character is an emblem of this fine line of dancing through this desperation going on in the family home, and capturing that through keeping up appearances." "You've got Deb, who deals with it more superficially. Similarly with Billie, who's looking for someone to love her. And then it's Josie sort of constantly weaponising her mental health as a way of trying to experience love. Every character is on the quest for it. So I think when I go about writing, I often just have my characters on the wall, and I have this theme of love that I'm always trying to dig into, and then it's about finding different ways to have that come out." When season one introduced its main figures, it plunged into Josie's mental-health struggles, the mountain of debt that Deb can't escape, and the impact of her ex-husband going out for teabags ten years earlier and never returning home — as well as Josie's sexual identity, and the need for the series' three women to discover ways to try to keep fiscally afloat. Sadler's own attempts on her life and the £20,000 that Davidson owed at the same time were firm inspirations. Another motivation for the show: making the type of no-holds-barred sitcom about these situations and themes that didn't already exist but Sadler wanted to see. "That's exactly what I wanted to do," she explains. "I wanted to capture the uniqueness in the way that we talk, and the way that I talk to my friends, and show that, because I hadn't seen that before. And I wanted to lift up a rock into our world and try to capture as much of that in as much detail with as much authenticity as possible, to open people's eyes to the way that we see the world. And show that perspective, because there wasn't a lot of that that I was seeing on-screen — and it made me sad that we didn't have a lot of that. It made me lonely." "So I was trying to capture that — and help other people feel more normal by saying that the way that they talk is the maybe the way that they talk in their family." Life brightening up isn't Such Brave Girls' journey, though. That wouldn't fit its tone, or its aim to both subvert and satirise. Most sitcoms don't have the origin story that this one does, clearly — and also don't sport the commitment not to shy away from complicated characters, from daily woes, from mental illness, and from a range of topics that many dramas don't even dig into, let alone comedies. The again-exceptional season two begins with Josie chasing a crush, then swiftly being trapped in her worst nightmare: marrying Seb. Deb is endeavouring to use the nuptials to show to Dev that the family's women are worth getting hitched to, while Billie is intent on locking in a sugar-daddy relationship with the much-older — and already-wed — Graham (Daniel Ryan, The Bay). Most sitcoms also don't ensure, no matter what else Josie, Billie and Deb are navigating — be it weddings, infatuations, affairs, boat trips, potential pregnancies, rivals and so much more — that worrying about money isn't something that dissipates. That's another of Such Brave Girls' profoundly relatable touches. Interrogating the connection between love and finances is not the status quo for the bulk of television comedies, either. The feeling of catharsis for its creator, whether in processing her own experiences into something where Josie can make different choices, turning pain into laughs or seeing a show built with such a commitment to authenticity in such a range of ways resonating with audiences, stands out for Such Brave Girls, too. Alongside those themes of romance and money, as well as her own emotional journey with the show, we also spoke with Sadler about discovering the tone and feel for the series, and how season one's BAFTA success empowered her for season two. Among our topics as well: finding new scenarios to put Josie, Bille and Deb in the second time around, plus standing in Josie's shoes for 12 episodes now. On Financial Stress as a Daily Reality Always Sitting at the Heart of the Series — and How Love and Money Intersect "I love having a theme. And I think when you keep it on theme, the whole series will feel unified and keep the characters together — and that's the rubber dinghy that these characters are all stranded in and the ocean: financial stress. And if anything grows or moves or changes the way they're dealing with it, then the whole boat goes over. So it's all about keeping the characters on track and having that be the theme that we're constantly exploring. Like, when I start writing, I have love and money, that's my really strong theme of this year — and last year, too. I think that's what makes the characters feel relatable, and what is exciting to me as a writer is that it is fundamentally about love at its core. Even though the characters are horrible to each other and narcissists and all these things, their quest is fundamentally to be loved — but it's just these toxic ways they go about it. That was what was interesting to me as a writer in series two, was the kind of way that money relates to that. And Deb's quest for that, quest for money, is really about showing her love to the girls by keeping the house there, and keeping everyone safe and surviving. But we deal with it in these kind of toxic ways. So I do want to show that love and money really intersect in lots of ways that you might not be expecting." On Finding the Tone and Feel of the Show From Its Personal Origins for Both Sadler and Her Sister, and with Its Range of Topics That Not Even Dramas Always Cover "I think it went through lots of different versions. There was a while in which I suddenly thought 'oh gosh, am I writing a comedy-drama? Am I writing a drama?' in some of the stuff I dealt with. And then I think I had to stop and reassess and decide what I wanted to make — and fundamentally all I ever wanted to make is a sitcom that shows that you can deal with these issues, and not shy away from it and be hamstrung by the format of a sitcom. You can put anything in there, as long as you understand why characters are the way they are and act the way they do. So I think that was what I really decided on, and then I think once I decided that, it was all systems ago. I remember it went through lots of different drafts. That whole series went through loads of different drafts of versions, and then when I stripped all that back and showed it to my sister, it was then like 'this is what it is'. I think when it became like it was just jokes, that was then, I think, this is what makes me feel excited. Like, this is what gets me feeling a bit nervous, which is the best feeling — when you get a bit of fear." On If the Success of Season One, Including Its BAFTA Wins, Set Sadler a Challenge to Push Even Further in Season Two "Exactly. And it was an incredible vote of confidence in the show, and just gave us the feeling of 'people are behind us on this' — like they get it. Because it is a big ask, because it is challenging in different ways. So the fact that we had that mark of kudos of 'we back you' was huge, and so rewarding. And has been amazing, and totally made me feel like I can be more brave and confident, and like people give me the benefit of the doubt now. But it also comes with 'oh my god, how do you follow that up?'. We won the most-incredible prize — the list of shows on that list of BAFTA-winners for Best Scripted Comedy is unparalleled. It's incredible. So to try to compete with that or to be like 'okay, what's series two?' was terrifying. So we're working out 'how do you follow it up and not just try to be outrageous for outrageous' sake'. But it was a huge mark of confidence that has made me feel much more confident as a writer, which I struggle with." On Finding New Scenarios to Push the Characters Into in a Series About a World Where Nobody Is Right "My favourite thing is the twisted logic of the characters. That's what I love to write. I love twisted logic, like something that makes complete sense to the character, but as the viewer, you're like 'why on earth have you done that?'. So that's always my challenge. So I love to get a situation up on the board and be like 'what is the funny way that my characters would be front-footed and decide how to' — because we're all spin doctors, that comes from my family experience, like how we always just turn everything into something positive. You rewrite it. You work out how you win. And so it was about being like 'okay, how do I spin these situations so that the characters leave it feeling powerful, or leave it feeling like this is actually what they wanted?'. So that is the fun bit of the job, is working out 'what would be the most cathartic way to deal with this?' and 'how do these characters manipulate the situation?'. That's the bit which comes from just sitting and writing it, rather than reality, because a lot of reality didn't happen like that." On Whether There's a Feeling of Catharsis That Comes with Processing Sadler's Own Experiences Via the Series and Seeing Audiences Relate "Yeah, that has been an incredible experience. Having people relate or connect or say 'oh my god, I did that' or 'oh my god, that happened to me', that is actually, it's the best feeling. It's such a mark of confidence in the writing that it is truly the most rewarding bit. It truly is. Getting messages on Instagram being like 'oh my god, I can't believe you talked about that' or 'I thought only we did that' or something — those are the best messages." On How Sadler Feels About Josie After 12 Episodes of Standing in Her Shoes "I find her the hardest one to write for, because she's me. So I do find her difficult, because I haven't got that level of separation like I do with the other characters. So it's sort of about working out how to keep her — because Josie is also quite a passive character. She lets things happen to her. She's obsessed with her own trauma. She's lives in her head. And so it's hard to — thinking of plots for her to do where she is active is hard. Because I'm someone that usually just like — I think there's a line series one that's 'you're a deer in headlights, you just wait for the car to hit you' and that's me. So how on earth do you explore that in writing a series? She is the most fun, though, when she is front-footed about something. So it's just working out how to make her go for that. So that has been my challenge, just to make sure there's a degree of separation there between the two." Such Brave Girls streams via Stan. Read our review of season one.
Darlinghurst's Pocket Bar know exactly how much a parking ticket can ruin your day. You're out in the sunshine having a wonderful time, maybe you're getting caught up in a lazy lunch or a movie that ran longer than you thought, then BAM — you get a ticket and the world feels cruel and unjustified. Now, not only are these neighbourhood heroes changing your perceptions of tickets completely, they're rewarding you when you get one. If you're parked anywhere around Burton or Oxford Streets, your car could soon be struck with a "Pocket Notice". Printing out hundreds of flyers that look exactly like parking tickets, this tricky little bar have been distributing sneaky ads for their venue offering drivers 30 per cent off their new street food menu. The offence listed on the ticket is "optimism — just being in the right spot at the right time". Just when I thought I copped a fine...well played #pocketsydney, well played! #pocketbar #darlinghurst pic.twitter.com/DNNnQgvvMf — Shireen Khalil (@Shireenkal) September 30, 2014 If the car's owner is unlucky enough to find themselves with an actual parking ticket, the venue will offer a 20 per cent discount off everything. Pocket Bar owner Karl Schlothauer started the marketing campaign in reaction to the ever-vigilant parking officers of Sydney's inner suburbs. "I have a running battle with rangers," he said. "At one stage I had $7,000 in parking fines." It's not the only thing he's been fined for either. Flyering advertisements on cars is illegal under the NSW Protection of Environment Operations Act as it often prompts people into littering. In 2009, Schlothauer received a $400 fine for leaving a Pocket Notice on a car near Hyde Park. Despite that setback, they continued on with the idea. New notices have been spotted on cars in the last couple of weeks. If you do find yourself with an actual ticket, at least this is a silver lining — you can buy a slightly cheaper drink to drown your sorrows. Via Daily Telegraph. Photo: Angelica Sotelo.
From South Melbourne Market to Coventry Street and Albert Park, South Melbourne offers visitors some remarkable destinations when it comes to appreciating great design, homewares and fashion. Undoubtedly one of the most refined hubs around Melbourne, the area's leafy green streets are a wonderful place to explore before dipping into some of the grungier backstreets to rest up alongside a coffee or two. We've teamed up with American Express to create a guide to the best local boutiques and hidden away shopfronts to shop small at — so that you know precisely where to look when you want to support the businesses in your community. These ten independent stores are a must-visit when you're next in the area — and they all accept your American Express Card.
When the ABC decided to take a few cues from Britain's music quiz and comedy panel TV series Never Mind the Buzzcocks by creating Spicks and Specks, Australia's national broadcaster likely knew that it had a hit on its hands — but it mightn't have realised just how beloved the show would become. 2025 will mark two decades since the series debuted. It hasn't always been on the air every year since, but it will be back for next year's milestone. Get ready to bust out all that music knowledge, and also to play along with one of the nation's favourite television shows — again. Among everything that the ABC has ever broadcast, be it news, entertainment, after-school kids shows, oh-so-much Doctor Who and late-night music videos to keep you occupied after a few drinks all included, the Adam Hills-, Myf Warhurst- and Alan Brough-led Spicks and Specks is among the all-time highlights. Exactly when the next season will hit in 2025 hasn't been revealed, but 2024's run arrived from June. There's no word yet on new guests, either, but a heap of top Australian talent will sit around and talk about tunes as always. 2024's guests included Anthony Callea, Marlon Williams, Elly-May Barnes, Nooky, Montaigne and Dan Sultan, as well as Mark Seymour, Oli from Lime Cordiale — and also Hamish Blake, Tommy Little, Steph Tisdell, Abbie Chatfield, Shane Jacobson and Jenny Tian. Here's how it works, if you need a refresher: Spicks and Specks' contestants answer questions, compete for points and just generally prove funny, too. That's the concept behind the series, which pits Aussie musos and comedians against each other. It was a weekly favourite when it first aired between 2005–2011 — and it keeps being resurrected. As fans are well-aware, Spicks and Specks has enjoyed more comebacks than John Farnham, although that has meant different things over the years. When the program was first revived back in 2014, it did so with a new host and team captains, for instance. And when it started to make a return with its original lineup of Hills, Warhurst and Brough, it first did so via a one-off reunion special. That 2018 comeback proved more than a little popular. It became the ABC's most-watched show of that year, in fact. So, the broadcaster then decided to drop four new Spicks and Specks specials across 2019–20 and, for 2021, to bring back Spicks and Specks in its regular format. In 2022, ten new episodes hit — and then the show returned again in 2024. To tide you over until new episodes, here's a clip from 2024's Spicks and Specks run: Spicks and Specks will return to ABC TV and ABC iView in 2025 — we'll update you with more details when they're announced.
The summer of 2021–22 is shaping up to be the summer of travel, as Australia's borders start to reopen. That'll apply internationally, much to the delight of everyone who has long been dreaming of an overseas holiday — and it'll also kick in domestically, too, as Aussie states and territories begin to reopen up to each other. Queensland has recently announced when it'll welcome in residents from other parts of the country — specifically states who've just weathered big outbreaks and lockdowns, such as New South Wales and Victoria. And, for the past week, those latter two states have been revealing their plans with each other. The big news: from Monday, November 1, double-jabbed folks from both NSW and Victoria can travel between the two states without quarantining. On Thursday, October 21, NSW Health advised that the current public health orders requiring 14 days quarantine for Victorian arrivals are still in place, but will lift when next month hits — just for the double-vaxxed. If you haven't had both jabs and you've been in Victoria from that date onwards, you won't actually be permitted to enter NSW for a holiday or recreation at all. That announcement follows Victoria's similar revelation last week, on Friday, October 15, that it was changing its border permit system for double-vaccinated NSW residents. All Aussies need a permit to enter Victoria under its traffic light-style setup; however, since 11.59pm on Tuesday, October 19, those hailing from places deemed 'red zones' in NSW — including folks who aren't Victorian residents — have been able to head to the southern state without quarantining. [caption id="attachment_776506" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mulwala Bridge by Yun Huang Yong via Flickr.[/caption] In Victoria, you do still need to get a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of your arrival if you're coming in from a NSW red zone — and, after entering the state, you need to get tested again within 72 hours, and isolate until that comes back negative. If you aren't double-jabbed and you're heading to Victoria from a NSW red zone, you also have to do 14 days quarantine in addition to those tests. Those arriving from NSW orange zones who are double-vaxxed don't need to do any of the testing. NSW hasn't yet revealed if there'll be testing requirements for those heading north, with more detail expected before Monday, November 1 hits. Still, whether you're a Victorian eager to visit Sydney or a NSW resident keen for a trip to Melbourne — for a holiday, to see loved ones, or for any other reason — you can now start planning. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Victoria, head over to the Victorian Government's website.
This just in: giant wads of neon sugary goo are bad for you. Following concerns over the portion size of Allen's Killer Pythons, confectionery manufacturer Nestle have decided to halve the size of the much-loved treat. Where they once weighed in at 47 grams (32.5cm) — big enough to wrap around your neck like the fierce jungle creature they really were — Pythons will now be a mere 24 grams (21cm). No word yet on whether they're changing the name to Killer Penny Lizards. Of course, this move is pretty sensible. Any parent or babysitter can attest to the fact you don't want a kid devouring this much sugar, and any move to improve their nutrition can hardly be a bad thing. "Controlling portion size is an effective, simple and reliable tool that is used in maintaining a balanced diet," dietitian Melanie McGrice said in a statement released today. "A ten year old can now run off a Killer Python in around 30 minutes. With the previous size, it would have taken almost an hour." But this doesn't account for the adults who knowingly want to ingest this much delicious, heavenly sugar. If we can buy steins of beer and slabs of duty-free ciggies, surely we should be allowed full-size Pythons. Let us live with our poor life choices. The new slimline candies will be in stores this month. Understandably, the price for individual sales will halve, and the number of those sold in packs will increase. This isn't enough to appease the masses though. Complaints are going off the hook on the Allen's Facebook page, but this could be temporary. Outrage will probably ease off once everyone eventually comes down off their sugar highs.
Australia's most prestigious portrait award is just around the corner, and its finalists have been announced today. Every year crowds speculate who will be awarded the coveted prize and, more often than not, the Archibald winner causes much-heated debate. From last year's five-time Archibald finalist Yvette Coppersmith's first win — for her vibrant, almost Cézanne-inspired Self portrait, after George Lambert — to Craig Ruddy's 2004 win with his sketch of Indigenous actor David Gulpilil, it's hard win to pick. All that's really assured is that it'll be a portrait of person by an Australian. Held at the Art Gallery of NSW every year, the Archibald runs in conjunction with the Wynne and Sulman Prizes — recognising the best landscape painting of Australian scenery, or figure sculpture and the best subject painting, genre painting or mural project, respectively. This year, running from May to September, the Archibald is sure to attract a massive crowd, with some exceptional artworks to feast your eyes upon. Vietnamese-Australian artist, actor and writer Anh Do has made the cut, as have Melbourne-based stencil artist Kirpy with his portrait of Paralympic champion Dylan Alcott, Carla Fletcher's cosmic work of Del Kathryn Baron and a hyperreal self-portrait of a pregnant Katherine Edney. Tessa MacKay has also taken out the coveted 2019 Archibald Packing Room Prize, chosen by the packing room tea, for her hyperreal portrait of actor David Wenham, called Through the Looking Glass (above). As there are so many outstanding portraits this year (as there are every year), it's impossible to know which of the 51 is going to take home the $100,000 prize. Regardless, here are some of our favourites — and some we think may have a good chance of winning. [caption id="attachment_719640" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Luke Cornish, Cato, Callie and Comet. Photo: AGNSW, Felicity Jenkins.[/caption] LUKE CORNISH — CATO, CALLIE AND COMET Prolific Australian street artist Luke Cornish has subdued his edge a bit for his portrait of Sue Cato — a media commentator and businesswoman as well as a board member of Carriageworks and a member of Sydney Contemporary's advisory council. Cornish initially wanted to paint her two dogs, Callie and Comet, but as per the Archibald rule, Cato was included and is the subject of Cato, Callie and Comet. In 2012, Cornish was the first street artist to ever be an Archibald finalist and he's back again with this accurate, and slightly moody, depiction of a powerful woman in the intimacy of her own living room. [caption id="attachment_719642" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Laura Jones, Nakkiah in her dressing room. Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling.[/caption] LAURA JONES — NAKKIAH IN HER DRESSING ROOM Sydney-based artist Laura Jones has made quite the name for herself in recent years, having exhibited in some of Sydney's top contemporary galleries as well as a past finalist in the Portia Geach Memorial Award, the Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship and the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize. Now, she is a finalist in Australia's biggest art award for the first time. Nakkiah in her dressing room is an intimate work of Nakkiah Lui, an Australian actress of Gamillaroi/Torres Strait Island background. The portrait depicts Lui's wit, strength and warmth and is a highly expressive piece for an Archibald first-timer. [caption id="attachment_719644" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Blak Douglas, White shells, black heart. Photo: AGNSW, Felicity Jenkins.[/caption] BLAK DOUGLAS —WHITE SHELLS, BLACK HEART Blak Douglas is no stranger to the Archibald, having been a finalist in 2015 and 2018, and also a finalist in this year's Wynne Prize for a collaborative work. So, the man means business, even though his works may seem somewhat simple at first glance. His portrait is of Esme Timbery (or as he refers to her, Aunty Esme) — one of the longest-practising Aboriginal artists. The two worked together back in 2000 for Eorascapes — an exhibition in the Sydney Opera House foyer for the Olympics. The colourful multimedia work is both venerate and familial, a testament to Blak Douglas and his personal-yet-political artistic practice. [caption id="attachment_719646" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anh Do, Art and war.[/caption] ANH DO — ART AND WAR You may know Do for any number of reasons. The actor, writer, comedian and artist is an Australian household name and is no Archibald newbie. Having won the 2017 People's Choice award for his portrait of actor Jack Charles and a finalist back in 2014 for a portrait of his father, Do has now painted a fellow artist — George Gittoes. Gittoes has witnessed adversities in Somalia, Rwanda, Bosnia, and Afghanistan and is known for his raw, brusque depictions of human suffering (with glimmers of hope and resilience). Emanating Gittoes' grit, Art and War is a close-up portrait looking straight down the barrel into the eyes of someone who's seen much of the world. [caption id="attachment_719647" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shane Bowden, Self-portrait sitting in a red chair, Avalon. Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling.[/caption] SHANE BOWDEN — SELF-PORTRAIT SITTING IN A RED CHAIR Shane Bowden's work may not look the most technically impressive but he sure doesn't hold back. His self-portrait errs on the grotesque, with demented lines, a disproportionate use of scale and muddled colours — it has an overall first-day-of-kindergarten appeal. Upon first glance that is. Having undergone heart surgery last year, Bowden has channelled this personal catastrophe into Self-portrait sitting in a red chair, Avalon. The neo-expressionist work represents the artist as both child and adult, distilling "all the emotion and confusion of the last 40 years as I tried to find my true self," as put by Bowden himself in his official Archibald statement. A finalist in the 2010 Archibald Prize with a collaborative work as well as a finalist in the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize in 2010 and 2011, Shane Bowden is not one to overlook. All of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize finalists will be on display at the Art Gallery of NSW from May 11–September 8. The Archibald finalists well then head to various galleries across regional NSW and Victoria. Top image: Tessa Mackay, Through the looking glass. Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling.
You can now bring a bit of the beach into your home while passing the time in lockdown, with a new set of jigsaw puzzles featuring some of the city's most picturesque coastal spots. Similar to the immensely popular Australian Unseen puzzles, local photographer Dharma Bendersky and his gallery Salty Gallery have turned his stunning shots of Sydney beaches into 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles. There are currently six idyllic puzzles on offer from Salty Gallery, featuring Bondi, Bronte, Coogee, Little Bay and Sydney Harbour. "I started selling puzzles last year as a way to share my photography in a new way and at a lower cost point," Bedersky says. "Last summer on a 40 degree-plus day I did a photoshoot from a helicopter, and ended up with some fantastic aerial shots of the eastern suburb beaches; so for this most recent puzzle collection I used a selection of these images." Each puzzle is $59, includes free shipping Australia-wide, can be delivered internationally, and are shipped in eco-friendly compostable bags. If you've worked your way through all six puzzles or you're a fan of concrete-covered bays, Bedersky plans to unveil more designs featuring Maroubra, Clovelly and other eastern suburb beaches later this year. You can also browse Salty Gallery photography collection online where you can purchase framed and unframed prints as well as beach towels. Salty Gallery jigsaw puzzles are available through the gallery's website.
Arguably the worst part of travel is the bit where you actually have to travel. Sitting in an over-cramped, over-air-conditioned metal tube for 20+ hours almost makes post-pasta swims in the Mediterranean seem too much trouble than it's worth (almost). But until we're at The Fifth Element stage where we can just hop in a capsule and get knocked out cold for the duration of the journey, we'll just have to be content with airlines' attempts at cutting down flight times and transfers. So it was welcome news for Aussie travellers when, in December last year, Qantas announced it would introduce a direct flight from Australia to Europe. And now the non-stop flights have officially gone on sale, with the first one set to take to the air on March 24, 2018. The new route will take passengers from Perth to London daily in approximately 17 hours, thanks to their new Dreamliner 787-9 aircraft, which is set to start flying in October. It will be the first and only direct flight from Australia to Europe. It will also be considerably quicker than their current route, which, with their partnership with Emirates, includes a stopover in Dubai. Melburnians will be able to fly to London via Perth, with Qantas also swapping out its daily Melbourne-Dubai-London flight for a daily Melbourne-Perth-London service. Travellers from other cities will have the option to go via Perth when booking too. "This is a game-changing route flown by a game-changing aircraft," Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said in a Qantas press release. "Australians have never had a direct link to Europe before, so the opportunities this opens up are huge." We first reported on this back in October 2017, when Qantas were still in negotiations with the Western Australian Government and Perth Airport to lock down the new route. It seems they managed to reach an agreement, as the new Perth-London flight will operate from Qantas' domestic terminal at Perth Airport, to make the stopover as smooth as possible for travellers coming from other states. Qantas will also build a new international transit lounge at the airport. The layout for the airline's new Dreamliner fleet will be two-thirds the size of the 747s they will eventually replace and have only 236 seats (as opposed to the 747's 364 seats). Economy will have a 3:3:3 seat situation (as opposed to the 3:4:3), as well as USB ports and an extra inch of leg room. Hurrah for leg room! The first Perth to London route will take off on in March 24, 2018, and flights are on sale now.
On- and off-screen, Bluey is inseparable from Brisbane. For its setting, the hit animated series takes inspiration from the Queensland capital. It also hails from a studio based in the River City. The Heeler home resembles Brissie's Queenslanders. And back in 2022 when a replica of the Bluey house popped up temporarily, of course it happened in Brisbane. It makes sense, then, that you can now step inside the famous Brisbane series at the new Bluey's World experience in Brissie. Announced in 2023 and open since early November 2024, the attraction will get you walking around life-sized sets that recreate the beloved family-friendly show. Yes, the Heeler house and yard are part of the setup — for real life. Yes, you can expect to hear "wackadoo!" more than once while you're there. Movie World might've badged itself as Hollywood on the Gold Coast, but it's no longer the only big tourist hotspot giving visitors to southeast Queensland — and locals as well — a chance to explore their on-screen favourites IRL. An immersive installation sprawling across 4000 square metres, Bluey's World features the Heelers' living room, playroom, kitchen, backyard (poinciana tree included) and more. Alongside bringing the global TV sensation's sets into reality, it also boasts familiar interactive games such as Keepy Uppy and Magic Xylophone, plus other activities for both kids and adults. Maybe you'll be accompanying your own little ones, or your nieces and nephews. Perhaps you know that appreciating the adorable Aussie show about a family of blue heelers isn't just for children. Either way, this new addition to Northshore Pavilion in Northshore Brisbane is big — literally thanks to its sizeable floor plan. And yes, as seen in the series, you can arrive via CityCat. Visitors should plan to spend 70 minutes bounding through the experience — and will also find an indoor playground that nods to Bluey's Brisbane neighbourhood, plus spring rolls and pizza on offer at the cafe. There's a soundscape to match, plus a gift shop. For big Bluey birthday celebrations, the site is hosting parties as well. Bluey's World is exclusive to Brisbane, making it a tourist attraction to fans not only locally and nationally but worldwide. Unsurprisingly, that's a big part of the push from both the Queensland Government and Brisbane City Council, who are supporting the BBC Studios- and HVK Productions-produced experience.
Some voices could utter anything and make it sound interesting, and David Attenborough's is one of them. That said, that's not why the iconic British broadcaster has become such a trusted and beloved figure in the nature documentary world. His involvement in any project that roves over, probes and ponders the planet we all live on is the ultimate stamp of approval. Whether he's narrating Planet Earth, The Blue Planet, their sequels, a stampede of other series or film David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet, his participation always means more than merely his vocal tones echoing across exceptional imagery — it means astute science-backed insights paired with a first-rate spectacle. When it initially arrived in 2022, becoming one of the year's best new shows and giving nature doco fans the five-episode series they didn't know they'd always wanted — and simultaneously couldn't believe hadn't been made until now — Prehistoric Planet followed that formula perfectly. And it is a formula. In a genre that's frequently spying the wealth of patterns at the heart of the animal realm, documentaries such as The Living Planet, State of the Planet, Frozen Planet, Our Planet, Seven Worlds, One Planet, A Perfect Planet, Green Planet and the like all build from the same basic elements. Jumping back 66 million years, capitalising upon advancements in special effects but committing to making a program just like anything that peers at the earth today was never going to feel like the easy product of a template, though. Indeed, Prehistoric Planet's first season was stunning, and its second is just as staggering. Again, Prehistoric Planet 2 streams via Apple TV+. Again, it's also dropping its five instalments over five nights, this time screening across Monday, May 22–Friday, May 26. And, each chapter again heroes a different environment and the ancient creatures that called it home. This second go-around starts with the inhabitants of earth's islands during the Cretaceous age, then moves to the badlands, primarily focusing on areas with volcanic activity. Next, hopping between continents, the show gets swampy. After that comes a dive into the oceans, followed by a journey to one particular patch of terrain: North America. The catch, in both season one and this return trip backwards: while breathtaking landscape footage brings the planet's terrain to the Prehistoric Planet series, the critters stalking, swimming, flying and tumbling across it are purely pixels. Filmmaker Jon Favreau remains among the show's executive producers, and the technology that brought his photorealistic versions of The Jungle Book and The Lion King to cinemas couldn't be more pivotal. Seeing needs to be believing while watching, because the big-screen gloss of the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World sagas, the puppets of 90s sitcom Dinosaurs, and the animatronics of Walking with Dinosaurs — or anything in-between — were never going to suit a program with Attenborough as a guide. Accordingly, to sit down to Prehistoric Planet is to experience cognitive dissonance: viewers are well-aware that what they're seeing isn't real because the animals seen no longer exist, but it truly looks that authentic. Still set to a rousing score by acclaimed composer Hans Zimmer (now fresh from Top Gun: Maverick) with Bleeding Fingers Music's Anže Rozman and Kara Talve, Prehistoric Planet 2 also expands its focus beyond season one's creatures, aka all the regular dinos that everyone grew up knowing. Familiar beasts still walk through the series' frames, accompanied by new titbits about their lives and behaviour — feathered raptor babies prove both cute and clever, for instance — but honing in on new animals feels as revelatory as it's meant to. One such critter earns episode two's attention, with the Indian sauropod isisaurus first observed as mothers-to-be trekking through gas and avoiding lava to lay eggs in volcanic ash, then seen as hatchlings navigating the treacherous spot to return to the herd. Visually, with painterly backdrops that look otherworldly because fiery mountains always do (see also: Oscar-nominated documentary Fire of Love), the time spent with these plant-eating, long-necked dinos is as beautiful as anything the show has ever delivered. The isisaurus boasts ample company, each making their moments and episodes gleam in different ways. When the island-centric first season-two episode shows the dance-like mating ritual of the hatzegopteryx — the heaviest animal to ever fly — against pristine white sands and an ocean backdrop, it too stands out. So do the towering pterosaurs anyway with their 12-metre wingspans, of course. Also on the list: the pachycephalosaurus with their colourful dome-shaped skulls, as often seen butting against each other, and the displays of combat between clashing triceratops. Dinosaurs, they're just like people: always trying to leave an impression, claim their turf and find companionship. During the chapter dedicated to swamps, prehistoric frog beelzebufo — also known as devil toad — croaks to find love, too. As its presence demonstrates, and the hatzegopteryx as well, dinos aren't the only creatures in Prehistoric Planet's jam-packed return. The ocean instalment is especially fond of ammonites, devoting much of its running time to the molluscs' life cycle and graceful movements through the underwater deep, while mammals, bony fish, flightless seabirds, primitive ducks, million-strong swarms of flies and vegetarian crocodiles all make an appearance. Surveying a broader range of the animals calling earth home before the Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction event doesn't just help prolong the program and ideally open the doors for even more seasons to follow; it's an aptly thoughtful touch. Every episode may begin with Attenborough surrounded by fossils, but there's far more to prehistoric life and to scientific learnings about the period than the familiar — artefacts and critters alike. In season two, context isn't only relegated to each chapter's introduction. Moving season one's post-show forays into the facts behind the imagery into the show itself, every nightly segment now ends with expert talking heads — from Prehistoric Planet's consultants, London's Natural History Museum and beyond — chatting through the data and discoveries backing up everything viewers have just seen. That too is an intelligent move, because the longer anyone watches this series, takes in its Attenborough-voiced insights and becomes immersed in life oh-so-far back, the more they want to learn. Move over Jurassic Park — this is the best dino franchise now. Check out the trailer for Prehistoric Planet's second season below: Prehistoric Planet season two premieres via Apple TV+ across Monday, May 22–Friday, May 26, with a new episode available to stream each day. Read our full review of Prehistoric Planet season one, and read our interview with executive producer Mike Gunton and series producer Tim Walker about season two.
