They can't all be good ones: Baz Luhrmann movies, that is, although almost all of them are. There's one outlier on his resume, though — one film that definitely doesn't live up to the others. That flick: Australia. Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, The Great Gatsby and Elvis are all spectacular. Despite combining two of the nation's biggest actors with one of its biggest filmmakers, 2008's Nicole Kidman- and Hugh Jackman-starring Australia definitely isn't. But if you ever wondered what it might look like with a bit of tinkering — actually, a lot of re-cutting and re-imagining — you're about to find out. Faraway Downs will be the end result, a six-part miniseries that's destined for streaming queues in the near future. It's set to drop in the US via Hulu sometime during America's winter, which means that it'll hit Disney+ Down Under — at around the same time, hopefully. "I originally set out to take the notion of the sweeping, Gone With the Wind-style epic and turn it on its head — a way of using romance and epic drama to shine a light on the roles of First Nations people and the painful scar in Australian history of the Stolen Generations," said Luhrmann in a statement, as per The Hollywood Reporter. "While Australia the film has its own life, there was another telling of this story; one with different layers, nuances and even alternative plot twists that an episodic format has allowed us to explore. Drawn from the same material, Faraway Downs is a new variation on Australia for audiences to discover." If you need a refresher on Australia's plot — and therefore Faraway Downs's plot, too — it follows English aristocrat Lady Sarah Ashley (Kidman, The Northman) after she comes into possession of an Aussie cattle ranch. To save it from cattle barons, she enlists the help of a drover (Jackman, Reminiscence). That's just the overall gist, however, given that the sprawling movie also spans World War II and its impact, as well as the country's historical treatment of Indigenous Australians. Fittingly given the name — and as usually proves the case with Luhrmann's flicks — the cast includes a who's who of homegrown talent. As well as Kidman and Jackman, plus Brandon Walters (Mystery Road) as Nullah, everyone from Essie Davis (Nitram), Bryan Brown (Hungry Ghosts) and John Jarratt (Wolf Creek) to Ben Mendelsohn (Cyrano), Jack Thompson (High Ground) and David Wenham (Elvis) features, as does the now-late David Gulpilil (Storm Boy) and Bill Hunter (The Cup). Exactly how long each episode of Faraway Downs will run for hasn't yet been revealed — but at 165 minutes, the movie it's remixing wasn't short. Check out the original trailer for Australia below: Faraway Downs is due to hit Hulu in the US sometime in America's winter — and Disney+ Down Under. We'll update you with an exact date when it announced. Via The Hollywood Reporter.
It's the page-to-streaming YA series that turned into a smash hit, made Lola Tung a star in her first-ever screen role and gave a second Jenny Han franchise a successful leap to the screen. It's also the show that's earned such passion and obsession that free tickets to a live book club event featuring Tung, fellow actor Rain Spencer (Test Screening) and Han in Sydney were snapped up instantly. The series in question is The Summer I Turned Pretty, of course, aka Prime Video's adaptation of Han's 2009 novel of the same name, as well as 2010's It's Not Summer Without You and 2011's We'll Always Have Summer. The show's third season is streaming now — and with it, the flower crown-loving, often Taylor Swift-soundtracked small-screen sensation is coming to an end. 2025 marks a mere three years since the world was first introduced to Tung as Isabel 'Belly' Conklin, then an about-to-turn-16 teen living her summer dream. Whenever the weather turns warm, the coastal Massachusetts town of Cousins Beach has always beckoned her family, who vacation at the luxe house owned by her mother Laurel's (Jackie Chung, Coming Home Again) best friend Susannah Fisher (Rachel Blanchard, Uno). Belly is the youngest among the next generation, thanks to her elder brother Steven (Sean Kaufman, Walker), plus Susannah's two children Conrad (Christopher Briney, Mean Girls) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno, Queen of the Ring). She's also been in love with Conrad since she can remember. In the initial sunny season charted in The Summer I Turned Pretty, neither of the Fisher siblings see Belly as a kid anymore. Enter the Team Conrad-versus-Team Jeremiah clash — and a hard choice for the show's protagonist between her lifelong dream and her forever best friend. Which of the duo that Belly's heart is swooning for at any given moment has changed more than once as season two and now season three have arrived, but can you ever truly get over your first love, or move past the person that's always known you better than anyone else? Audiences will soon find out for the character that turns 21 in the series' final run, and is so established in a long-term relationship with Jeremiah that the pair are making big plunges. Although Conrad is at Stanford chasing a medical career, he's clearly still deeply affected by how his time by Belly's side faded in the previous season. A coming-of-age story and a summer-romance tale all in one — several summer romances, in fact, thanks to Belly's love triangles, catching up with its characters summer after summer, and other relationships surrounding Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah — The Summer I Turned Pretty was always destined to follow Han's To All The Boys I've Loved Before trilogy to the screen. It was published first, but made its way to streaming after 2018's To All the Boys I've Loved Before, 2020's To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You and 2021's To All the Boys: Always and Forever films, all on Netflix, where that saga's spinoff series XO, Kitty debuted in 2023 and dropped its second season in early 2025. One of the key reasons that Han's work keeps finding a home on the small screen, as well as in the hearts and minds of fans — both those familiar with the source material and others brand-new through the adaptations — is an approach that's pivotal to the author. Han also created both The Summer I Turned Pretty and XO, Kitty in their streaming guises, and is a showrunner on both. That crucial factor: allowing the teenage girls and young women that are her protagonists to experience the entire and full spectrum of their feelings, and genuinely appreciating that with all sincerity and earnestness, which can't always be said about the depiction of characters in that demographic. Such an approach is essential to Han — and also to Tung and Spencer, who've grown up with their starring roles on The Summer I Turned Pretty. As Taylor Jewel, Belly's ride-or-die best friend, who has her own complicated romantic situation with Steven, Spencer has also been navigating a storyline that expands well beyond the novels, charting new territory even for avid readers. That said, whether book diehards actually know who Belly will end up with when the show says goodbye after its 11-episode third season isn't assured. Han, Tung and Spencer are all feeling good about where The Summer I Turned Pretty wraps up, though, they tell Concrete Playground. "I feel great," says Han, accompanied by smiles and nods from Tung and Spencer. "I feel excited for people to see it. The last episode is one of my favourites of the whole series," she continues. "I think — I hope — people feel satisfied, but I think I feel satisfied as a storyteller with the work that we did." What's in store will keep being revealed weekly until Wednesday, September 17, 2025; however, we also chatted with Tung, Spencer and Han about the viewer response to the series and what it means to them; the importance of the show valuing young women's emotions; the fact that The Summer I Turned Pretty has always been Team Belly first and foremost, regardless of what's happening amorously between her and Conrad or Jeremiah or anyone else; Tung and Spencer's experience with Belly and Taylor's journeys; and more. On What the Viewer Response to The Summer I Turned Pretty, Including Events Like Prime Book Club LIVE and Fans Obsessing Over the Show's Love Triangles, Means to Tung, Spencer and Han Lola: "It makes me so excited. I feel cool." Rain: "It's so cool." Jenny: "It's an honour. I think as an author of books, it makes me excited anytime I see people reading or being passionate about stories. So it's really cool for us." Lola: "We were walking around Sydney the other day, and it was just cool to see how many people watched the show." Jenny: "I was like 'whoa'. I was very surprised. Because I think you often just think about who's watching it in the US. We live in the US and people come up to us. So it's very exciting to leave the country and be like 'you've heard of us?'. It's so cool." On the Importance of The Summer I Turned Pretty Allowing Its Teenage Girls and Young Women to Experience the Entire Range of Their Emotions — and Appreciating That with Sincerity Jenny: "To me, it's essential. As somebody who writes stories about young people, I've always approached it in that way — with, I hope, respect — where every experience is meaningful and valid. And I think a lot of times adults can minimise a young person's point of view, because they're like 'oh, puppy love' or 'oh, they're just kids'. But I think It's all relative. It's kind of what you were saying earlier, Rain — that's always been my ethos, is that your experience is your experience, and it's relative to what you've already experienced." Rain: "Yeah." Jenny: "So as a teenager, if I have a really bad fight with my mum, that can be really destabilising and really horrible, right? And so I think people look back on it and laugh, but you forget how big that was in the moment — to not have someone to eat lunch with at school or to be dumped publicly." Rain: "Yes, it's the heightened emotion, the different definitions of love as you get older. But the first love that you experience, it might not be your experience when you get older, but it is absolutely real and true in that moment. That is what love means." Jenny: "And in some ways, that's more real than anything, because that's the first time and everything is magnified." Lola: "It's so special, yeah." On the Series Always Being Team Belly First, No Matter Her Romantic Status with Conrad or Jeremiah Lola: "I think that's more credit to Jenny, because that's always been a huge conversation, and that's always been a priority as a writer and as the creator — to protect Belly and to make sure that her story is fulfilling to her as a person on her own. And I love getting to explore all of that. The relationship with the boys, absolutely — and the relationship with Taylor, the relationship with her mum and her dad, and with Susannah. It's been so cool to get to feel like she has a proper story, and that Jenny is really fighting for that always." On How Tung and Spencer Feel About the Journey They've Taken with Belly and Taylor Over the Show's Three Seasons — Not Just What the Characters Have Gone Through, But Going on That Ride with Them Lola: "It's been so special. I mean, we really did grow up with them. And this was one of — this was one of our first, like my first project, her second project. So we've learned so much about this world and what it's like to be on a TV set. And also had a lot of time to really form this relationship, this friendship, that Taylor and Belly have together, and what it looks like as time goes on. And they're not kids anymore — and they spend a lot of time together even when their lives take them in different directions. And how they continue to be best friends. I think it's been really lovely." Rain: "It has been really lovely. Like Lola said, we grew up with these characters. I think something that's so beautiful about acting is there is a part of Taylor that will always be with me, because she taught me so many things. I've spoken before about the level of confidence that she had, I didn't have when I started playing her. And so she sort of taught me what confidence feels like in my body. And so I'll have that forever." On Taylor's Storyling Expanding Well Beyond the Books, Charting New Territory Even for Readers Rain: "I think I just feel so grateful to Jenny for the ability to explore the character and go deeper with her. It's been just one of the joys of my life thus far, is getting to know this character and having the opportunity to do so." Jenny: "But you also bring so much of yourself into it, which I think suits the character so much. So it's really, I think, special. I've loved being able to expand the character out and see more of her as a character. I think now, Rain, the way that you've brought Taylor to life, it's to me in some ways it's its own thing, which is really fun." The Summer I Turned Pretty streams via Prime Video. The Summer I Turned Pretty images: Erika Doss © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC.
True to its name, this bar is located at the edge of some water – the waters of Hobsons Bay to be exact. Situated on the Southbank Promenade, this bar and grill has a relaxed yet elegant feel and features stunning views of the water under the compelling city lights. The waterside theme continues in the menu, with a selection of oysters and seafood on offer. Put on your fancy pants, slurp down some slippery seafood and enjoy the stunning views with a drink in hand.
Plan a trip to South Australia, and spending time surrounded by grapes is probably on your agenda. This year, you can pair all those winery visits with plenty of pumpkins, too, because Yayoi Kusama's pumpkin-focused infinity room The Spirits of the Pumpkins Descended into the Heavens will display at the Art Gallery of South Australia from Friday, April 1. Australia just keeps going dotty for Kusama. Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art's hosted a kaleidoscopic exhibition dedicated to the Japanese artist back in 2017, her Obliteration Room has proven a hit in the Sunshine State several times and, going one better, Canberra's National Gallery of Australia acquired The Spirits of the Pumpkins Descended into the Heavens back in 2018. While the latter is a permanent addition to the NGA's collection, it's also going on the road on — which is why Adelaide is your next place to see oh-so-many dots. The piece was first exhibited in 2015. Comprised of a mirrored cube filled with yellow, dot-covered pumpkins, it's a quintessential Kusama work. Whether you're a devoted fan who considers visiting the artist's own Tokyo museum a bucket-list moment, or someone who has simply placed stickers around one of her obliteration rooms, you would've noticed that dots and the concept of infinity are crucial to her art — "our earth is only one polka dot among a million stars in the cosmos," she says. Inside the cube, the bulbous vegetables appear to create an endless field thanks to the shiny surface. On the outside of the cube, the structure's mirrored exterior reflects the yellow-and-black walls in the surrounding installation room — again, making it appear as though the pattern stretches on forever. The NGA's acquisition was made possible via a gift from Andrew and Hiroko Gwinnett, which is also supporting the infinity room's tour. AGSA hasn't revealed how long it'll be on display, but entry will be free — and it's obviously a must-visit addition to any Adelaide itinerary. Images: Installation view, THE SPIRITS OF THE PUMPKINS DESCENDED INTO THE HEAVENS by Yayoi Kusama, 2017, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. © Yayoi Kusama, courtesy of Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo/Singapore/Shanghai.
The past lingers. At the heart of Scrublands, both in its debut season in 2023 and now in its second — aka Scrublands: Silver — history doesn't just fade as time goes by. Portrayed by Luke Arnold (Last King of the Cross), investigative journalist Martin Scarsden witnessed this truth in action in the town of Riversend the first time that this page-to-streaming series based on Chris Hammer's novels hit the small screen. There, the character was chasing a story about a shocking tragedy impacting the entire community. As he met and became closer to bookstore-slash-cafe proprietor and single mother Mandy Bond, as played by Bella Heathcote (The Moogai), he wasn't just watching on from the outside, either. Streaming on Stan from Thursday, April 17, 2025, season two of Scrublands swaps Mandy's hometown for Martin's. In their new coastal surroundings of Port Silver, she isn't free from the past's persistent grasp despite being a newcomer to the close-knit seaside spot; however, her other half is equally haunted. Martin left town as a teenager to pursue his journalism dreams, but not before sparking a scandal. Until the first episode begins, he hasn't been back since. What's meant to be a fresh beginning for a couple already burdened by recent woes soon gets swept in other directions. The murder of Martin's childhood best friend Jasper (Hamish Michael, Apple Cider Vinegar), Mandy being named as the key suspect and Martin using his reporter instincts to try to get to the bottom of another mystery affecting the woman he loves will do that. So will Scarsden's own history bubbling back up. Looking back to the start of their Scrublands journey with Arnold and Heathcote, the pair are both clear that one season was all that they were focusing on when they initially stepped into Martin and Mandy's shoes — even though Hammer's novels about their characters had already notched up three entries thanks to 2018's Scrublands, 2019's Silver and 2020's Trust. That approach was partly pragmatic. "I think having been in this game for a while, you very much try to practice not getting ahead of yourself. And I think we were all in that mode, going 'okay, this would be great. We know the books are there. And so if we do a good job, we might be asked to come back and do some more'," Arnold tells Concrete Playground. "But at first you're just going 'hey, let's try to get through this thing and not screw it up, and then let's see what people think'." "It is always tough when there is this existing property there that people really love — sometimes that can go well, sometimes it can go the opposite way, and you find 'ohh no, you didn't', and it wasn't what the fans wanted or something went awry. So I think first season, we were just trying to do the best we could with that. And then I think the response to the show was so great and kind of beyond what we could have hoped for, so once that happened, things quickly started moving towards coming back for season two." Heathcote was instantly drawn to Mandy when the project crossed her path via Wolf Creek, Rogue and Jungle director Greg McLean, who she worked with on fellow Aussie series Bloom, but the pitch was for a one-and-done project. "Bizarrely, not at the time," she advises when asked about whether season two was ever on her mind to begin with. "I've now drunk the Kool-Aid and now I've read all the books, but in the first season I didn't — because it was pegged as a miniseries, and I thought 'okay, great'. But now I think we're all hooked, on the books and each other. I just want to work with everyone again." "There was something so comforting about coming back to this role, and being back with Luke, and Sarah Roberts [Runt], Toby Truslove [La Brea], taking the band on tour to WA. It feels sort of like coming home." Both Arnold and Heathcote have enjoyed a coming-home journey themselves, as Australian actors who enjoy overseas success tend to. (See also: Jacob Elordi and Odessa Young with The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Ashley Zukerman with In Vitro, and Radha Mitchell and Jesse Spencer with Last Days of the Space Age, to name just a few recent examples). Scrublands' two leads each have the almost-requisite Aussie soaps on their resumes, Home and Away for Arnold and Neighbours for Heathcote — and, for Arnold, four seasons on seafaring American series Black Sails, around gigs in everything from Rush Hour and MacGyver to Lethal Weapon; for Heathcote, a main part in Dark Shadows led to the eclectic likes of Not Fade Away, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, The Neon Demon, Fifty Shades Darker, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women and The Man in the High Castle. Neither have been absent from Australian fare lately, though, via the likes of Glitch, The End, Preppers, True Colours and Arnold's Home and Away stint, plus Relic, C*A*U*G*H*T and others for Heathcote. With Scrublands, they're both hooked, including as viewers. Indeed, both binged Silver's four parts, texting each other, when they were able to see the finished product. And yet, Arnold wouldn't be bringing Scarsden to the screen at all if he had followed the advice given to him back on his first taste in the business, as assistant sword fight choreographer on 2003's Australian-made Peter Pan more than a decade before playing Michael Hutchence in Never Tear Us Apart changed the course of his career. The person offering those ignored words of wisdom: The White Lotus season three's Jason Isaacs. Heathcote's early experiences also resonate with her now, specifically when it comes to being part of a great cast on Scrublands (The Artful Dodger's Luke Carroll, Good Cop/Bad Cop's Debra Lawrance, Spit's David Roberts, The Twelve's Tasma Walton and Transfusion's Damian De Montemas are among Silver's ensemble). "Oh man, it's everything. I remember early on in my career, just being really terrified of working with some big-name actor — but you're also as good as the actors around you. It's pretty hard to act in a vacuum if the people around you aren't good," she notes. From the process of stepping back into Martin and Mandy's shoes for the second time, navigating complicated emotional journeys and pondering how the past keeps haunting, through to why this Aussie noir hit resonates and whether either of its leads initially dreamed of where acting would take them, we also chatted to Arnold and Heathcote about plenty more. On What Excited Arnold and Heathcote When Scrublands First Came Their Ways Luke: "I hadn't read the books yet. It came through a lovely casting director, Lou Mitchell here in Melbourne — who, back in the day, I used to read for her at auditions for other people. And so when it came through her and I had a look, and because I have in the last few years also been writing — and writing mystery novels, fantasy, mystery stories — being able to play a writer in a mystery show just felt like the perfect fit. There's sometimes a little battle in my head between the writer and the actor, and I was like 'oh, I get to bring both sides of my creative self to this job'. And so from when I put the first tape down, I put it down with my now-fiancée, and out of all the jobs I've ever done, it was the one, she was reading opposite me, she thought it was a done deal from the beginning — and ended up being right. So I think Martin and I were a good fit from the beginning, and it is a very comfortable place for me to be when I get to step into it." Bella: "It did get me excited. It's so funny, because it came about in a really surprising way. Greg McLean and I had a project that we were doing together that fell apart, and I emailed him just checking in about something and he said 'you know what, I'm doing this show, and I feel like you might be right for this role in it'. And it was Mandy. And he's like 'read the scripts and tell me what you think' — the thing that we all say to each other, where it's like 'oh, don't worry if you don't like it'. And I read it and I just ripped through them. And then I was just like 'where do I sign?'. Because I thought she was great, and I loved how spunky she was. And I loved how much — there's something that I do that tat I really share with Mandy, where if she likes someone, she hangs shit on them. If she doesn't like someone, she also hangs shit on them. But if she really likes someone, then she just hangs even more shit on them. And I just loved that interaction that she had with both Martin and Byron [Territory's Jay Ryan in season one], and how quickly it cut through and established these relationships. Particularly the Byron storyline, I was just so impressed at how you could really feel the intimacy between them in such a short period of time. You know that expression 'show don't tell'? I just thought it did that so well, but with the thrill of the crime drama. And yeah, I just thought it was so well done and I loved it." On How the Job and Your Performance Evolves When You're Stepping Back Into a Character's Shoes for a Second Season Bella: "I guess it does evolve, because you're just layering up, aren't you? I get terrified before every job. I maybe erroneously thought that — no, I just know that I get terrified before every job. But this one felt like I put more pressure on myself or I was scared because I loved Mandy in season one, and I didn't want to do her a disservice in season two. So god, I hope I didn't. I guess the circumstances evolve, and you just put that suit back on and hope that you show up and do it justice." Luke: "It's interesting, because it's both much more comfortable and it's nice knowing 'okay, I know to a degree where this guy sits'. I also think sometimes the trap is to get too comfortable in that, and to make sure you're really looking at what the arc of this season is, what the story is. In a lot of ways, there's a lot of things that are completely different between these two seasons. The first season, Martin is the outsider. He is not emotionally or personally connected to this mystery in any way. He's got his own personal journey going on, but he is the somewhat-dispassionate journalist coming in just to tell this story, and everyone else in town has been traumatised and connected to it. This is the opposite. When we when we jump into Silver, it's Martin's old best friend who's been murdered — in a town where a lot of terrible things happened to Martin, but also he did some things that we'll find out he has some regrets, some shame over, potentially. The person who is accused of the murder is his now-partner. So he could not be more personally connected to every aspect of it. So in that way, he's going to approach it completely differently to how he did the mystery in season one. So it's somewhat comfortable, but also a completely new character in some ways." On Whether One of the Challenges of Returning to a Role Is Conveying How a Character Has Grown and Changed Between Seasons Luke: "I think so, mainly in context to Martin and Mandy. The potential relationship is only just blooming by the end of season one. So the whole year has happened for those two. So I think that's the hardest bit of catch-up to do, is to work out 'all right, how close are these two? How established is the relationship? How much trust has been built?'. Because very quickly, going back to Port Silver and the events that happened there, both of them realise that maybe they have to question how much this other person is opening up to them, how much they trust them, how truthful they're being. [caption id="attachment_929182" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sarah Enticknap[/caption] So I think that is the first thing that we had to consider — what this relationship between Martin and Mandy is, how that year has been between, how established are things, how much do they trust each other? And because it is an ongoing series — but each of these is its own standalone mystery. So in some ways, you want to get that established really quickly so you can get into the real meat of what this season's about." On How Heathcote Approached Mandy's Complicated Emotional Journey in Scrublands: Silver Bella: "I really just went off what was on the page and in the book. Although, you know what comes to mind — and this is a book that has really spoken to me, a book that I've told everyone I know to read and rabbited on about for so long. I don't know if you've ever read it? Any Ordinary Day by Leigh Sales. Oh my god, so just this idea that Mandy — everything that's happening to her is so in the present, but given everything that's happened in season one, it's just like she just has to keep going on, even given everything happened with Byron and with her dad. But she has this son and she has to raise him. And there's all this stuff happening and it's just a trauma that she doesn't have time to process right now because she just has to do the next indicated thing, and she's just so focused on Liam. It's almost like Martin has to try to think of things around the crime and what's going on, because all she can think about is like 'where's my son? I have to go get him. Is he okay? Who is he with right now?. And in some ways, I guess that sort of protects her, insulates her. I feel like if you looked at Mandy five weeks later, she'd be grappling with something different than just what she's dealing with in the shock of the moment." On Navigating the Conflicts Within Both Martin and Mandy — One So Astute in His Work and Yet Awkward in His Personal Life, the Other Fiercely Protective of Who She Loves But Struggling with Trust in Their Relationship Luke: "I think it's the great thing about having the whole story from the beginning — this feeling that 'all right, we've got all these four episodes', and so even before starting, you get to chart some evolution about what can change for him over the course of the story and why. And I think it is knowing that this guy has mostly been on his own, single, bouncing around the world, caring about one thing — which is the story — and believing that is important above all things. That would even mean that in a lot of these situations, while he would be making friends, building relationships, if some of those people are implicit in the story, if they're part of it, that he'd know professionally it's his job to put that aside in the service of the truth. So I think once you know that that is a core part of who Martin is, then it becomes a little easier to play those moments where he could maybe act in ways that are disappointing or upsetting to the people around him. And I do think that's the fun of the season. Every time you do any part, it's always fun to look at 'all right, what are you hoping they learn through the course of this story? So how do we take them a few steps back from that at the beginning?'. And I think it's sometimes the most fun stuff to see when characters are oblivious, when they put a foot wrong — when you hopefully still enjoy watching them, but you can also be frustrated by them as well." Bella: "I think she just loses patience pretty quickly with Martin and his jealousy, Martin and his inability to deal with his past and his family. I think she calls him out on it quite a few times because she just hasn't, doesn't, they don't have time to luxuriate in whatever six months of couples' therapy they need in order to deal with this. It's just like 'get over yourself. Go deal with your family. I'm going to do this thing that's right in front of me. I'm going to deal with the next crisis. I don't have time for whatever nonsense you're bringing to this'." On the Series' Exploration of the Fact That the Past Can Haunt You — Whether You've Tried to Leave It Behind in a New Setting or You're Returning Home Bella: "I don't think you need to dig deep into it because it's true. I mean, it's true for me. I think we're all shaped by our past and whatever traumas we've experienced or whatever loss we've experienced, so I think it's just something that we all carry. We carry the scars of it, hopefully to a lesser extent — or hopefully we are able to do the work so that it doesn't impact our daily life in a way that becomes unmanageable. But I guess I just agree with what Mandy says, because that's been my experience." Luke: "I think what was really great is there were extensive flashbacks in the book, and I think Felicity [Packard, Pine Gap], our writer/producer, and Ben Young [Hounds of Love], our director this season, and everyone else did a really good job of going 'okay, how do we crystallise the ideas, the themes, the character moments in those very broad flashbacks down to something that fits our format?'. And I think they did a fantastic job of that. I think it's really about tying the tragedies of Martin's history here to his own actions, and to the man he is now. And knowing that, yes, some of those blocks he might have emotionally and relationship-wise all have to do with those walls he put up at a very young age, and those decisions he made to go 'no, this is important, what I'm doing is important, so I'm going to go down that road'. So I think it's a theme that pops up with a lot of characters there, but what's fun is I think all those themes, those character moments and the mystery all end up overlapping each other really nicely." On Why the World of Scrublands Resonates with Audiences, Both on the Page and as a TV Series Luke: "This Aussie-noir thing is obviously captivating people here and around the world. It taps into that feeling of Australia I think we all have — I feel like each of these stories so far take place in an Australian small town where some dark things happened, where you've got this tight-knit community. And there is something interesting here, I think, compared to Riversend. Riversend was a place where an awful thing happened that I think really affected the whole community in terrible ways. There's a bit of a different thing going on here with Port Silver, where the change is different — there's some stuff here that happened in the past that compromised everyone and there is still some pain of that, but there's also this gentrification and other shift happening in the town. But I think overall it's that mix of a really good mystery, first and foremost. I think sometimes we can put those darker themes front and centre, and the mystery is somewhat there to support a story that's more interested in theme, in pain, in trauma — and sometimes those stories can be fantastic. But I think this story, for us, especially when we lift it to the screen, we're really trying to tell the mystery first and making sure that we fill it in with all that beautiful texture, but that from scene to scene, we're keeping you on the hook, trying to find out what happened, why and who committed the crime." Bella: "I talk to my dad about this a lot because he loves crime fiction, and it's sort of the only genre he reads. And it tracks because he was a lawyer. I can see why that would be fun for him. But I also I ripped through these books so quickly, and I don't typically read crime fiction. I read them all in two days each — less, maybe. Just couldn't put them down. And I don't know, why is that? They're just delicious and moreish. And you can't, you just want to know what happens. I want to know what happens. I wanted to know what happened watching the show. I was trying to prep this job I'm doing now, and I just thought 'I'll just watch one episode' — and then cut to it's midnight and I'm supposed to be working the next day, and I'm like 'shit, okay, stop watching them'. And I was texting with Luke, and he was still up in Australia because he and his partner had stayed up to watch them. Yeah, they're just moreish." On Scrublands: Silver Taking Aussie Noir to a New Setting in Coastal WA and Helping Expand the Vision of Australia On-Screen Luke: "I think it is the kind of secret weapon of the season, that we could not get over when we were there. This is not a side of Australia people have seen a lot of. Augusta, the town that we shot in, is like the most-southwesterly point of Australia. It's got its own little microclimate. There are humpback whales that you're seeing every day. And funnily enough, there was just this amazing silver sheen over the whole place. Very different to season one, and very different to most things that we've seen in Australia. And I think it is really great. And that just because we're making so much more stuff — and I think we're making so much interesting stuff these days, and enough of it, that we don't feel like what it would have been in the old days, where if you were trying to make a show in Australia that you wanted to export to the world, there's almost an Australian brand. And so you go 'no, don't try and' — like a show like this, you might go 'no, no, no, you buy a show that looks like this from somewhere in Europe. Let's do another McLeod's Daughters or something like that'. Where, because we're exporting so much great stuff these days, we do get to step outside that. We do get to shoot in all corners of the country, and I think it's really exciting for so many reasons. We get to really start showing the world that this isn't just a bunch of beer-drinking — even though, look, we drink a bit of beer in this as well — but it's it's not quite that one image of Australia that we were showing for a very long time." Bella: "My god, I love it — and I love the fact that they let us do it, because I think for most people, Australia, its selling point is the sun-bleached country or the beaches and sunshine and barbecues or something. So to be given — permission is the wrong word, but to be given carte blanche to shoot in winter in WA. And it's so beautiful, it's so breathtakingly beautiful that coast in winter, and the whales and that lighthouse. I just thought it was so idyllic and just really set a certain tone and mood, and I think it's incredible. I'd never been to WA before shooting there, so I'm grateful that we shot there. Because Australia, everywhere you go just feels like it could be its own little universe. They're so different, season one to season two, those settings are so vastly different — and both are so, so special and so beautiful." On What You Learn From Playing Parts Like Martin and Mandy for Two Seasons Bella: "The thing that comes to mind is that you can be tough and sensitive. That you can be tough and vulnerable, and that those things aren't mutually exclusive. I think through so much of my twenties, I thought you were either one or the other, and I feel like Mandy is all of those things all at once." Luke: "I think there's a great window, in both seasons, there's a real window into journalism that I didn't quite know before that's really interesting, and that I had to get my head around then to start playing Martin. Being in the arts, I do think we're often going to the human element first, and are empathy-forward in our ways of how we think about any story. And so just ticking over into not only the mindset of a journalist, I guess, where it's like 'it's about the truth, it's about the facts, that's what's important' — the human element is part of it, but your job as a journalist is to go in and get the truth first, and that's what matters. And I think that's so fun to play. I don't think is a spoiler to say that Toby Truslove as Doug Monkton is back, and so is Sarah Roberts as Beth, so when you get these scenes between the journos, I think that's really, really fun. And that's something that also feels different. We've seen a lot of shows of cops talking and lawyers talking and that kind of thing. I think that the camaraderie and competition between journalists is really fun to play, a whole new window. So I think extending my understanding of that world and getting to play with that is one of my most favourite elements." On Whether Arnold and Heathcote Ever Dreamed of Where Their Careers Have Taken Them Both at Home and Overseas When They Were First Starting Out — Behind the Scenes on Peter Pan and in Australian Film Acolytes, Respectively Luke: "No, of course not. It's funny on that job, being assistant to the swordmaster from Peter Pan. I'm just like everyone watching The White Lotus season three at the moment. And so I was still at high school, really, doing that job — and Jason Isaacs from White Lotus was playing Hook. And on my last day, I went in and had a chat with him, and he was like 'so what are you going to do now?' And I was like 'ohh, I'm going to go to film school, or do a writing course or go to acting school'. And there in his full Hook regalia, he was like 'well, just so you know, writers and directors often have much happier lives than actors'. And I was like 'all right' — and I ended up not taking his advice and went to drama school. And during that time, you're just hoping — like you really get it in your head that 'hey, if I can be a jobbing actor, if I can get to a point where I make most of my money from being an actor, that'll be great'. And that is a kind of dream, and it is tough. It's really hard to do. So then you spend, for a while there, doing a bunch of jobs that are really rewarding but without any — you'd go and do an acting job and then you go back to one of the countless terrible casual jobs that I've done in between. And that felt like 'well, this might be my life'. And then going through those couple of years where I got to do Never Tear Us Apart and Black Sails, obviously that really changed things. Since then, I've just been able to solely work in the creative industries, and I am eternally grateful for it. And there's always a sense that it could change at any moment. But on that, I think as well, that also led me — not to go on a whole big thing, but from that as well, that led to a bit of time where I was spending a lot of time overseas. And I then also had that moment where I was like 'oh, I don't — this isn't the life I want'. It's very easy to get drawn into this feeling of trying to go bigger and further away. And while I'm always open to working overseas, there was a shift even before 2020, when I really, I think, felt really appreciative of the industry we have here in Australia, the great things we do and being able to have this quality of life — working with these people on projects like this was really appealing. So what I'm really most grateful for is that I was able to come back to Australia and really cement myself here, and the work I've been doing the last few years has been some of the most fun and rewarding I've done." Bella: "I suppose that's what you want when you start as an actor, but also I had no concept of really where it could go — because I didn't have anyone in my family who was in this industry. It seemed sort of improbable. But I just didn't want to do anything else, so it's just like 'well, this is what I have to do'. I mean, it's a dream. I still think about that now, like the fact that I've just been able to earn a living doing this thing for the last, jeez, 18 years or whatever it's been now, feels like a small miracle." On What Heathcote Looks for in a New Homegrown Project When Adding to Her Recent Run of Scrublands, Bloom, The Moogai and More Bella: "I guess it's the same thing I'd look for overseas — just a role that speaks to me and creatives that I'm excited by. I mean, The Moogai, for example, I just thought that was a really important story and I'm always fascinated by horror films that are sort of an allegory for something bigger than just horror, genre. And Bloom, I remember just being excited to work with Phoebe [Tonkin, Boy Swallows Universe], and I was in Australia — and I met with Greg and Glen [Dolman, I Met a Girl], the writer, and just thought this would just be a laugh. I also love the comedic element of it, or the situation just felt so ludicrous, to play this old woman, this very uptight old woman, but in a young woman's body. It's giving Freaky Friday. And then Scrublands, I just love Mandy. I just thought she had such spunk. A friend of mine said something once: 'you need two out of three'. And it was pay, creative, location. Sometimes, if you're lucky, you get all three. And I suppose that's how I make most of my decisions." On What Gets Arnold Excited About a New Role in General Luke: "It can go both ways. I think what excites me sometimes is if there's some crazy challenge — where the script is so good and there's some amazing challenge in there that I haven't done yet. And you go 'all right'. And it's going to push me in ways where I can't rely on the things I think I know and the things I've done before, and just launch into something with faith in the people I'm working with and in the process, and get to just stretch myself in new and exciting ways. That's both really exciting — and also what's really exciting sometimes is when I feel like 'oh, I think I'm the right guy for this job'. It's a really rewarding, exciting thing, because there's so much self-doubt here. And every job you do, you always go 'well, everyone's going to think I suck in that'. And every audition you do, you go 'of course, I'm not going to get this'. But occasionally these things come forward where you're like 'I think this is my skill set. I think I know how to do this. And I think I can maybe bring something to this that not every actor could'. And I think, from a kind of craft sense — and just, as we said, how long I've been in this industry — it's a really nice thing when I feel 'oh, I think I could be helpful to this thing'. And that's why there was maybe a sense with Martin that I felt like 'oh, I think my writer's mind will be really useful in this role'. Because when you are in the position where your character is, you are with the audience as you're putting the pieces together, you are part of shaping the story and putting the pieces of that mystery together, I did feel like 'oh, I think I might be the right actor to make this character work'. So I think that is sometimes a great thing, when I can enter into something with a little less self-doubt and a little more excitement to bring all of me to a role." Scrublands: Silver streams via Stan from Thursday, April 17, 2025. Read our review of season one. Images: David Dare Parker / Sarah Enticknap.
Singapore is renowned for its world-class dining, efficient transport, luxury shopping and pristine streets. But you don't have to venture far to get your nature fix, with wide expanses of greenery woven throughout the city. Whether its kicking back at an eco-friendly retreat in the heart of the Garden City or wandering off the beaten path to explore Singapore's lesser-known nature reserves, we've partnered with Singapore Tourism Board to share five uncommon adventures to be had in the outdoors. [caption id="attachment_977882" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sum Ling[/caption] Garden Pod at Gardens by the Bay With a field of Supertrees, two massive conservatories (with an indoor waterfall), a sky-high observatory, 1.5 million plants from across the globe, Michelin-rated food and a free light show, it's no wonder that Singapore's Gardens by the Bay is one of the city's most iconic attractions. There's no better way to immerse yourself in the heart of this landmark than to stay in your very own Garden Pod, situated in the Serene Garden of the Gardens by the Bay. This innovative, eco-friendly accommodation comprises four duplex suites with views of the grounds and Singapore skyline, with all of the Gardens' signature attractions at your doorstep. Sentosa Intertidal Exploration Home to wondrous attractions, picturesque beaches and family-friendly activities, Sentosa Island is a local favourite for outdoor explorations. Get close to some of Sentosa's smallest inhabitants with the Sentosa Intertidal Exploration — a one-and-a-half-hour tour which gives you a peek into the world under the sea at Siloso Beach. As the tide recedes, marine experts will teach you about the coastal ecosystem and the importance of conservation, while you encounter crustaceans, clams, gobies and crabs amongst the seagrass and coral. This experience is suitable for all children, but little ones under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Kranji Countryside Only about a 45-minute drive from central Singapore, the Kranji Countryside brings education and nature together. The area encompasses multiple working farms that welcome visitors, as well as a WWII memorial and nature reserve. Animal lovers can dive into the colourful world of fish at Nippon Koi Fish Farm or feed the goats and sample fresh goat milk at Hay Dairies Goat Farm. Learn about sustainable and organic farming practices with a tour at Kok Fah Technology Farm or Kin Yan Agrotech, and then tuck into a farm-to-table meal at Bollywood Farms or GardenAsia. Close out your adventures with impressive views across the Straits of Johor at the Kranji Reservoir Park. History buffs can also pay a visit to the Kranji War Cemetery and Memorial, which is the final resting place for Allied soldiers who lost their lives during the Battle of Singapore and the Japanese occupation of the island during World War II. [caption id="attachment_976872" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lim Wei Xiang[/caption] Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve If you're spending the day in Kranji, you can't miss the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. The 130-hectare park is home to a wide range of wildlife species, from herons, eagles and kingfishers to lizards, otters and even crocodiles. Despite its immense size, it's easy to roam the grounds with a free guided tour or on one of the walking trails. The network of tracks caters to various interests, whether you want to bird watch, explore mangroves or let your little ones run about on the Junior Adventure Trails. For breathtaking views, head to Eagle Point or climb the 18-metre Aerie Tower for a panoramic look at the reserve. Sisters' Islands Marine Park After years of development, the country's first marine park reopened for visitors in October, 2024. Sisters' Islands Marine Park stretches across both Sister's Islands, the western reefs of Saint John's Island and Pulau Tekukor, and provides an insight into the biodiversity of Singapore's marine life. Hop aboard a ferry for a 30-minute cruise to Big Sister's Island — Small Sister's Island is closed to the public for conservation research — where you'll be able to explore a floating boardwalk, a coastal trek, dive trails and a gallery. A major drawcard is the lagoon tidal pool, where swimmers can catch glimpses of reef sharks, turtles, seahorses and giant clams, to name a few. Book your Singapore holiday now with Flight Centre. Top image: Yik Keat. All images courtesy of Singapore Tourism Board.
There's almost absolutely nothing linking iconic former nightclub Q Bar and sumptuous new Japanese restaurant Yugen, but for the fact they share an address. Oh, and a particular DJ who's making an unlikely cameo at the South Yarra site all these years later, albeit with a very different style of playlist in tow. The pulsing dance floors and free-entry 'medallions' of the early 00s have made way for a whole new world — namely, a multi-faceted drinking and dining destination with a dramatic aesthetic and an impressive commitment to detail. [caption id="attachment_873542" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marcel Aucar[/caption] Set beneath sibling Yugen Tea Bar, the two-level subterranean space boasts soaring ceilings with a majestic chandelier by artist Jennifer Conroy Smith cascading from one corner. Downstairs is home to a lofty, open restaurant space and adjacent bar area, while the mezzanine above plays host to Yugen's six-seat omakase bar and a series of private dining rooms — including the eight-person Golden Orb that's suspended in mid-air. The striking fitout comes courtesy of the renowned Architects EAT, drawing inspiration from the five elements according to Japanese culture: earth (chi), water (sui), fire (ka), wind (fu) and void (ku). Culinary Director Stephen Nairn heads the stellar a la carte food offering, paying equal respect to the traditional and the creatively contemporary. Highlights include plates like the shio-koji-marinated wagyu starring tarragon, lime and ponzu; a silky smoked eel chawanmushi glistening with brown butter and spiked with crispy chicken skin; and a memorable take on the humble prawn toast featuring Chinese doughnut and a sweet-meets-sour chilli amazu. And the sushi and sashimi situation needs to be seen to be believed. [caption id="attachment_873546" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gareth Sobey[/caption] Meanwhile, the omakase bar will showcase the masterful talents of Head Chef Alex Yu and Head Sushi Chef Samuel Chee, across an experiential dining adventure that clocks in at between $255 and $385. It's an exploration of sharp technique and top-notch produce that promises plenty of 'wow' moments once it kicks off on Friday, November 18. A vast, yet considered array of quality sips beckons from the drinks list, with tipples to suit after-work bar visits and dinner feasts alike. A technique-driven cocktail lineup might feature the likes of the negroni-inspired Ume built on dry vermouth and plum liqueur; and the Sudachi — an inventive blend of squid ink, rice vinegar and tequila — with a strong spread of sake and wines to round out the fun. [caption id="attachment_873539" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Davis[/caption] [caption id="attachment_873543" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gareth Sobey[/caption] [caption id="attachment_873544" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gareth Sobey[/caption] [caption id="attachment_873540" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gareth Sobey[/caption] Find Yugen Dining at 605 Chapel Street, South Yarra. It's open from 6pm–late Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, with the final seating at 9.30pm. On Friday and Saturday, it's also open from 6pm–late, but with a dedicated late-night menu on offer after 10pm. The omakase bar will open on November 18. Images: Gareth Sobey, Marcel Aucar and Sam Davis.
Trumpy is a surprise. And everyone loves surprises. In fact, the only indication there's a bar behind the heavy wooden doors on High Street is the unmistakable beacon that is the brightly lit Cooper's sign hanging overhead. Judging by the inconspicuous entrance of this large brick warehouse you'd expect a loud, cavernous space to lie beyond, but instead you'll find an inviting bar with a warm interior and sophisticated neighbourhood vibe. This is a bar that will serve you equally well whether you're having dinner with a friend, cocktails with a group, or a first date wine. It's cosy, warm and intimate (hence the date suitability), despite the warehouse factor with lofty ceilings and exposed beams. I was, however, left wondering how they might water the plants, sitting by the dozen up in the pitch of the roof. Trumpy is a purveyor of beer, wine, cocktails and tapas — with the odd live gig or DJ set thrown in for good measure. The food is modest in selection, but confident in execution. Pea, zucchini and mint arancini with orange yoghurt ($12), 'fancy' fish fingers with hand cut chips ($19) and prawns with spring bean salad ($16) are great for sharing, and the perfect complement to the drinks list — one that features cocktail jugs, no less. The Pimms Cup ($35) has summer written all over it, whereas the Fish House Punch ($40) should come with a warning instead. If it's not that kind of occasion, perhaps a specialty brew such as The Hills Cider Company cloudy apple cider would be more appropriate. While this area has been bombarded with great bars recently, Trumpy seem to have hit the coveted sweet spot: always busy, consistently enjoyable, and perfectly located for residents of the north to make it their new go-to meeting spot. Images: Julia Sansone
If you're already making travel plans for next year, you might want to consider a destination close to home: New South Wales' Lord Howe Island. Located 600 kilometres off the state's northern coast, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed spot has just been named one of the best places to visit in 2020 by travel publication Lonely Planet. The only Australasian location to make the list, Lord Howe Island ranked fifth in Lonely Planet's rundown of top regions, which forms part of its Best in Travel 2020 guide. The publication heaped plenty of praise on the NSW spot, noting that the "visually stunning island makes an instant impact on the senses". It also called out Lord Howe's "soaring green mountains", "perfect lagoon", "perfect crescents of beach" and "splendid hiking trails" — as well as calling it "a shining example of sustainably managed tourism". If you haven't yet experienced Lord Howe's wonders for yourself, only 400 people are allowed to visit the island at a time — which is why its approach to tourism earned a specific mention. That means you won't have too much company when you're trekking up Mt Gower's 875-metre one-day climb, swimming among 60 species of coral and more than 500 species of fish, surfing at Blinky Beach, visiting the world's largest sea stack or sleeping in a rainforest. [caption id="attachment_747140" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Zach Sanders[/caption] On the top regions list, the Aussie spot was in great company. The Central Asia's Silk Road took first place, Le Marche in Italy nabbed second, Tohuku in Japan ranked third and Maine in the USA came in fourth. Further down the rankings, China's Guizhou Province took sixth spot, followed by Spain's Cádiz Province, Northeast Argentina, the Kvarner Gulf in Croatia and the Brazilian Amazon. Lonely Planet also compiles lists of top cities, countries and best-value places to visit; however, no Aussie or NZ spots ranked among the selections. Salzburg in Austria was named the best city, Bhutan topped the best countries and East Nusa Tenggara in Indonesia emerged victorious among the publication's best-value picks. You can check out Lonely Planet's full Best in Travel 2020 lists over here. Images: Zach Sanders.
The centrepiece of Melbourne's alcohol stocked skyline, Rooftop Bar retains its position as the city's most popular — despite the seven flights of stairs needed to scale before you reach it. Open from 11am it is the ideal place to spend a lazy afternoon shaded by an umbrella and fanned by a sky-high breeze. In the evening, rooftop is the pinnacle of elevated recreation: drinks, dancing, views, burgers, deckchairs and cinema. Its popularity is not without merit. Its reputation, however, can often mean overcrowding and long lines for the bar. Booking a ticket for the season's Rooftop Cinema and having exclusive access after sundown is definitely the way to play it. Check out our full list of the ten best rooftop bars in Melbourne. Images: Giulia Morlando.
Gracing the intimate space next door to Peter Gunn's Collingwood fine diner IDES, is the star chef's genre-bending wining and dining venture, March. Embracing various elements of a wine bar, a pub and an izakaya, it's not about to be locked into just one box — just know that it's moving in a very different direction than its sibling. The 26-seater is your go-to for clever small bites with contemporary flair, matched to a broad-ranging curation of sake, wine and cocktails. Expect a moody space rocking deep charcoal tones throughout, and with a low, marble-topped statement counter allowing plenty of interaction between those with front-row seats and staff behind the bar. As you'd expect given Gunn's culinary street cred, the drinking snack game here is strong. While the two venues share a kitchen and a flair for creativity, March's menu walks its own path with a concise, oft-changing lineup rooted in Japanese flavours and technique. Venture in for plates like edamame coated in some kind of umami magic ($9), green chilli pickled mussels with crispy garlic ($15), sake-steamed pippies finished in a yuzu parsley butter ($25) and braised pork belly with a spicy nori glaze ($25). Plus, a crispy sweet and sour quail ($28) that'll have you making fast use of the supplied hot towel. IDES sommelier Hayley McCarthy heads up the drinks offering, with Victorian and South Australian drops ruling the by-the-glass lineup, and next door's wine list and cellar selection delivering even more gems. Expect interesting pours that'll shake a few preconceptions (perhaps a Dilworth & Allain pinot noir blend, or the Konpira Maru Pan Opticon riesling out of the King Valley) alongside signature cocktails and a solid crop of sake.
Pink hues, beach-themed decor, a roller rink, desserts served in toy convertibles: you'll find them all at the Malibu Barbie Cafe. After popping up across the US — with New York, Chicago, Minneapolis, Miami, Austin and Houston all welcoming the venue — this ode to Barbiecore has made its Australian debut. Come on Aussies, let's go party in Melbourne. Being a Barbie girl in a Barbie world wasn't just a 2023 trend, back when Greta Gerwig's (Little Women) Margot Robbie (Asteroid City)-starring — and Oscar-nominated — film became one of the biggest and pinkest movies to ever hit cinemas. The 2025 way to get your fix Down Under has arrived, and it's hanging around until summer 2026. Hitting up the Malibu Barbie Cafe at The Social Quarter at Chadstone Shopping Centre in the Victorian capital means not only enjoying ice cream floats dished up in a pink Barbie car, but also frequenting the Ken Kabana bar for fairy floss-topped cocktails and putting your skates on. Initially announced in mid-June and open since Friday, June 27, this is the cafe's debut stop beyond America. It's also Melbourne's second temporary big-name pop culture-themed addition this winter, after Melbourne Museum's Star Wars Galactic Cafe opened its doors in early June. Kicking it back to the 1970s, when Malibu Barbie initially debuted, is on the agenda, too. When you're hitting the rink, so is skating surrounded by artwork of palm trees. A life-sized Barbie box? An installation that celebrates how Barbie as a brand has changed over the years? That's all on offer at the Malibu Barbie Cafe as well, alongside merchandise that you won't find anywhere else. Ken's job isn't just beach here, given that his name adorns the cocktail-slinging upstairs bar in the two-storey site. On the drinks menu: that gin and lemonade concoction with spun sugar on top; themed takes on mojitos, margaritas, cosmopolitans, espresso martinis and old fashioneds; and more. If you're keen on a booze-free version, some of the tipples are available as mocktails. There's also a snack range, including fries with pink mayo, prawn cocktails, sushi and baked brie. Downstairs, Malibu Barbie Cafe's menu is an all-ages-friendly affair, with that ice cream float just one option. Sticking with sweets means choosing from doughnuts, pink cookies, cupcakes, ice cream sundaes, fruit and marshmallows. If you can't decide, the dessert sampler dishes up a mix of picks on a Barbie boat for between four and eight people. Savoury dishes span the same small bites as at the Ken Kabana, plus burgers, poke, garlic prawn linguine, beer-battered fish tacos, club sandwiches, grilled cheese, mac 'n' cheese and salads. Or, tuck into avocado toast, açai bowls, bacon and eggs, parfait or pancakes from the all-day brunch selection. Then, to drink, milkshakes, pink lemonade and pink lattes are among the options. If you're thinking "come on Barbie, let's go party", party packages are indeed a feature — including three-hour adults-only private-dining experiences from 6.30pm Thursday–Sunday. Find Mattel's Malibu Barbie Cafe at The Social Quarter at Chadstone Shopping Centre, 1341 Dandenong Road, Malvern East, Melbourne, until summer 2026 — open from 10am–6pm Monday–Wednesday, 10am–10pm Thursday–Friday, 9am–10pm Saturday and 9am–8pm Sunday. Head to the cafe's website for more details.
The Commune Group's (of Tokyo Tina and Hanoi Hannah) flame-driven Prahran restaurant, Firebird, is inspired by the smoky street food stalls of Vietnam and Southeast Asia, which rocks a distinctly Melbourne edge. The High Street haunt has capacity for over 100 diners and with interiors by Ewert Leaf, the space has a modern industrial feel with exposed beams, distressed concrete and soft timber pendants. Custom-built chargrill and woodfired ovens take pride of place in the open kitchen, and dictate the tastes and flavours of the menu. The vibrant and fresh menu is rich in smoky finishes and charred elements. For snacks and smaller plates, expect the likes of grilled scallops with calamansi butter, woodfired flatbread with whipped tofu and black garlic, beef carpaccio with finger lime and charred betel leaf, and smoked lamb croquettes. And we haven't even got to the 'from the fire' portion of the menu yet. From this fiery section, try grilled King prawns with broken rice and shellfish bisque, charcoal chicken with burnt chilli nuoc mam, or go big with a 500g ribeye served with lemongrass jus. One of Firebird's famed dishes is a reimagined duck l'orange, which features a 14-day dry aged roast duck, with orange, 'excellent sauce', and burnt ginger relish. If you're looking for something hearty, consider the smoked pork belly curry with charred pineapple, or the char siu fried rice with tomato and garlic shoots. Just in time for the change of seasons, Firebird has launched its Lunchbreak Special. This 90-minute share-style lunch experience, which is available on the weekends, includes free-flowing spritzs, prosecco, wine and beer, and a generous amount of food for just $76 per person (for a minimum of two people). The special menu features oysters with pineapple mignonette, fried rice and an epic skewer platter loaded with char sui pork, nuoc mam chicken and lemongrass sate prawn skewers, pickles, sauces and veggies. Images: Parker Blain and Jana Langhorst
Just about everyone has a Revolver story to tell. Can you really say you've lived in Melbourne without one? Over the years, world-class artists from Snoop Dogg to Fred Again have nearly lifted the roof off Revs, with revellers carving things up in front of the cage or sinking into the slightly suspect couches until sunrise has come and gone. Now the iconic Chapel Street building that holds those memories is up for sale, with this cornerstone of Melbourne's cultural fabric going under the hammer in November. Of course, Revolver Upstairs and its surprisingly good Thai restaurant, Colonel Tan's, are the best-known tenants, occupying about a quarter of the total property. Yet more than 30 commercial businesses operate from the address, including creative studios, offices, coworking spaces, meeting and event venues, retail stores and a coffee bar. Spanning 1287 square metres, the early word is that this vast property could fetch upwards of $15 million. Built in 1914, the so-called Revolver Building began its life as a large music venue in the mid-90s when Thai pop star Tan Punturaumporn bought the property for $770,000. At first, Punturaumporn opened Revolver Music Gallery, a record store, on the lower floor, before Revolver Rehearsal Studios took over the space in the back. However, after teaming up with local nightclub buff and restaurateur Camillo Ippoliti, Revolver Upstairs was born. These days, Tan has stepped back from running the show — though his legacy lives on through Colonel Tan's — with his return to Thailand prompting the building's sale. "The Revolver brand carries its own unmistakable cache and preserving its cultural and community value is central to this sales process. The vendors are looking for a new custodian who understands this cultural value and have chosen to auction the property to highlight its energy and status as a functional work of art," says long-time building manager Kurt Falkenstein. Interest in the southside landmark is expected to be strong, with the nightclub still holding a rare 24-hour liquor license. Set on a prime stretch of Chapel Street real estate, the Revolver Buildings offer the ideal combination of character, heritage and commercial potential. Meanwhile, the forthcoming auction includes the large loft above the nightclub, featuring nine-metre ceilings and sweeping views over the city and surrounds. If you're keen to secure the joint for yourself, Revs is up for public sale at 4.30pm on Friday, November 14. "The Revolver Buildings have been a cultural touchstone for Melbourne's nightlife and creative community for decades," says Sean Cussell, Principal at Christie's International Real Estate Victoria. "Opportunities to acquire a trophy property of this stature, with both strong income and extraordinary legacy, are exceptionally rare." The Revolver Buildings go up for public sale at 4.30pm on Friday, November 14. Head to the website for more information.
When 2019 began, Qantas was named the safest airline to travel on in 2019. Now that the year has almost reached its midway point, the Australian carrier has also been named one of the best airlines in the world. While it was pipped for the top seven spots, Qantas came in eighth at Skytrax's World Airline Awards — after placing 11th in 2018, 15th in 2017, ninth in 2016, tenth in 2015, 11th in 2014, tenth in 2013 and 15th in 2012. Emerging victorious was Qatar Airlines, followed by Singapore Airlines in second place. While that's a reversal of last year's results, the carriers placed in the same positions back in 2017. For those planning overseas trips sometime soon, this year's top ten is rounded out by a cross-section of international companies, with Japan's ANA All Nippon Airlines coming in third, Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific taking out fourth spot, Dubai-based Emirates at fifth, Taiwan's EVA Air sitting in sixth, China's Hainan Airlines placing seventh, Germany's Lufthansa at ninth and Thai Airways coming tenth. Among other local airlines, Virgin Australia nabbed 25th spot, Jetstar sits at 53rd and Air New Zealand pops up at 16th. Jetstar also placed sixth on the best low-cost airline list, behind winner AirAsia — with other gongs awarded for best cabin staff (Singapore Airlines), cleanest airline (EVA Air), best business class (Qatar), best economy (Japan Airlines) and most improved (Philippines Airlines). Now in their 19th year, the Skytrax World Airline Awards are based on an online survey, which ran from September 2018 to May 2019. Participants from more than 100 nationalities took part, with over 21 million entries received — because if there's one thing that's synonymous with air travel, it's telling everyone how you feel about your trip afterwards.
Standing proudly above St Kilda's Lower Esplanade is this seriously impressive reminder of St Kilda's status as one of Melbourne's premier entertainment districts. The Palais Theatre — the largest fully seated theatre in Australia — is St Kilda's premier venue for live music, with some of the biggest names in international music having taken to the stage of the 1927 art deco icon. Beyond music, the venue also hosts theatre, comedy, opera and ballet performances, with over 100 events taking place per year. The building's former life as a picture house is evident in the intriguingly eclectic design, with influences said to span from Spanish baroque to neoclassical. Image: City of Port Phillip
When Flash Camp brought pop-up glamping to Stradbroke Island in 2016, southeast Queenslanders took note. Among them were the folks at Straddie Camping, who've now set up a permanent glamping retreat at the north island's Adder Rock, bringing luxury beachside camping to this idyllic patch of land all year round. Launching just as the weather heads into prime glamp-friendly territory, and just in time for whale migration season, Straddie Camping's Adder Rock setup features a mini-village of ten tents by the beachfront. Blending the novelty of sleeping under the stars with the comforts of home, each comes equipped with cotton sheets, fresh towels, two bamboo chairs and power. Visitors also have access to the camping ground's communal kitchen, barbecue and picnic facilities. And, in addition to the sound of lapping waves, views aplenty and shelter from native tea tree and pandanus forests, the site is also within close proximity to the more touristy part of the island. That means that following up your beachside bliss with a wander up to Point Lookout's shops, restaurant and all-important pub is on the agenda. For those keen to head to every Brisbanite's favourite island for a leisurely stay by the sea, tents are available for the very affordable rate of $99 per night for two people. Getting in quick is recommended, with the retreat certain to prove popular as Queensland's seemingly endless summer sets in. For more information about Straddie Camping, visit their website.
The Biennale of Sydney is known for its expansive displays of public art, from Ai Weiwei's 60-metre inflatable boat to last year's huge mirrored pavilion. When it returns in 2024 it will reach new heights, allowing art lovers to wander through one historic Sydney building for the first time in a century. The Inner West's White Bay Power Station will swing open its doors to Biennale-goers, granting the public its first chance to explore the heritage-listed building in more than 100 years. The power station has been in the lengthy process of being revitalised and transformed into an arts, culture and community hub as part of the Bay West precinct — and the contemporary art showcase will be the first event to utilise the huge Rozelle space. Artists breathing life into the space will be working within the 2024 theme Ten Thousand Suns. Heat, power, light, summer, joy, strength, the changing climate — all notions that spring to mind. This is what artists will be asked to ponder when creating their pieces for the citywide event. "We are thrilled to be hosting the first major event at White Bay Power Station," says Biennale of Sydney CEO Barbara Moore. "Admission is free. We are presenting some of the best contemporary art from around the world and across Australia, with a robust program of music and food, too, and we can't wait for you to experience it... In March, we swing the doors to White Bay Power Station wide open, and we can't wait for you to be part of it." Alongside the changes to the White Bay Power Station, the long-term plan for the Bay West precinct includes new employment spaces, 250 new homes with provisions for affordable housing and a new Metro station. Overall, the planned changes to the area are expected to create over four hectares of new public and open space. [caption id="attachment_804466" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bays West precinct render[/caption] Running from Saturday, March 9–Monday, June 10, 2024 across Sydney, and free to attend as always — with the full list of venues yet to be revealed — the Biennale will feature works by artists such as William Yang, Tracey Moffatt, Serwah Attafuah, Kirtika Kain and Kaylene Whiskey among the homegrown contingent, as well as Sachiko Kazama from Japan, Francisco Toledo from Mexico and Malaysia's Anne Samat. In addition to ample art for attendees to experience, the 24th Biennale of Sydney will also feature a contemporary music lineup in partnership with Phoenix Central Park. The venue's curatorial skills will be taken to new locations beyond its stunning Chippendale site, responding to both Ten Thousand Suns as a theme and the works on display. [caption id="attachment_910497" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Creation of My Metaverse (Between this World and the Next) (2021). Serwah Attafuah. Digital 3D render, 3600 x 6000 px. Support: Sotheby's. Courtesy the artist © Serwah Attafuah.[/caption] The 24th Biennale of Sydney will run from Saturday, March 9–Monday, June 10, 2024 and will include exhibitions at the revitalised White Bay Power Station. Entry will be free, as always. We'll keep you posted on the whole artist lineup and exhibition program when they're announced. Top image: Adam .J.W.C.
You can hardly walk down a street in Melbourne without stumbling upon a burger joint. Yet few have enjoyed the lasting success of Royal Stacks. Now serving up American-style fast-food goodness across town, the team is preparing to celebrate a decade of making burgers the right way from its original home. To mark the occasion, Royal Stacks is looking back to where it all began — 2016. Ah, what a simpler time it was: the internet was still fun, and takeaway didn't blow a massive hole in your weekly budget. But for Royal Stacks, it was also the year they first opened their doors on Collins Street, with lines stretching around the corner. On Saturday, February 21, Royal Stacks is hosting a full-fledged birthday extravaganza, giving away 500 free burgers at its Collins Street store. Plus, this anniversary shindig is further elevated by a live DJ, spin-the-wheel prizes and surprise moments happening throughout the day. Then, the nostalgia is taken up a notch from Monday, February 23–Wednesday, February 25, as Royal Stacks turns back the clock, featuring the OG 2016 menu at the same prices from a decade ago. That means you can score a single stack for just $8.50 or a jam-packed bacon bacon for $13.50. With prices like that, you'd be forgiven if the throwback mems bring a tear to your burger-loving eye.
Japanese food is one of the most popular cuisines worldwide, and it's no wonder. It's flexible, healthy, often served fresh, presented beautifully and perhaps most importantly, it tastes fantastic. You can get a box of takeaway sushi or a bowl of ramen all over the world, but certain elements and specialties of Japanese cuisine have yet to take off worldwide. Whether it's down to unique ingredients, well-guarded local knowledge or a certain…flair that turns away more conservative palates, these dishes you need to seek out in the land of the rising sun itself. So, should you be planning a Japan jaunt, save this guide for some of its lesser-known treats and where to find them. Goya Chanpuru, Okinawa Prefecture Starting in the summery and tropical south of Japan, we have the regional specialty of goya chanpuru hailing from sunny Okinawa. Chanpuru itself is an Okinawan stir fry of vegetables and fresh tofu, but the most popular variety comes with a helping of a bitter gourd called goya. The summer vegetable is sliced and stir-fried in oil with pork, eggs and, crucially, Okinawan tofu (which is prepared differently from other tofu). The result is a bitter but healthy meal, rich in vitamin C. [caption id="attachment_991975" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Hanasunrise via iStock[/caption] Buri Daikon, Kagoshima Prefecture Moving north to the island of Kyushu and Kagoshima Prefecture, a popular at-home winter dish made with vegetables and fish, takes our eye. Buri daikon is specifically made with yellowtail, commonly fished in Kagoshima Prefecture, and thick slices of daikon, a Japanese radish — especially a sweeter cultivar called Sakurajima daikon. The daikon is chopped and stewed with yellowtail, sake and ginger, then served with shredded ginger — making for a fantastic winter warmer. [caption id="attachment_991976" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Stossi Mammont via iStock[/caption] Horakuyaki, Ehime Prefecture Ehime Prefecture is home to one of Japan's three major tidal flows, the Kurushima Strait. The fresh seafood that's the main ingredient in horakuyaki is almost exclusively caught in this very strait. Popular in Imabari, horakuyaki is a luxurious dish that's innately connected to the rich maritime culture of the region and is fairly simple to prepare. Commonly made with bream, octopus, shrimps and clams caught in the strait — the catch is prepared, lightly salted, then steamed and roasted in a flat pan called a horaku nabe. It's tender, rich in seafood flavour and a common sight at banquets and celebrations year-round. [caption id="attachment_991978" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] ES3N via iStock[/caption] Fuku Sashi, Yamaguchi Prefecture Fuku sashi is Yamaguchi Prefecture's regional spin on the internationally known dish of fugu, sashimi of the highly poisonous pufferfish. It's a dish that can only be prepared by accredited chefs since one wrong cut can make the meat of the fish fatal when consumed. When a chef in Yamaguchi Prefecture is qualified to serve fugu, it's used in this locally popular dish. The fish is sliced so it's translucently thin, then served with ponzu sauce — made with soy sauce and citrus juice. It's also popular with sliced chives or grated radish. While popular, a decline in fugu stock has made the dish reserved for special occasions. [caption id="attachment_991983" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] TokyoViews via Flickr[/caption] Tekonezushi, Mie Prefecture Local meals often have a simple origin, and that's the case with tekonezushi, tracing its origins to being a simple meal that fishermen could prepare while still out on their boats. Not far from Japan's largest cities, the waters of Mie Prefecture are busy with fishing boats, often hunting skipjack tuna. Hence, local fishermen and now restaurants often prepare tekonezushi. All it takes is tuna or bonito sashimi marinated in soy sauce and placed on a bed of vinegared rice with a sprinkle of nori (dried seaweed) and shiso (perilla) on top. [caption id="attachment_991985" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Hideya Hamano via Flickr[/caption] Hotaruika no Sumisoae, Toyama Prefecture In central Japan where the mountains meet the Sea of Japan, Toyama Bay is home to a population of stunning firefly squid, which is the centrepiece of hotaruika no sumisoae. Traditionally residents of deep water, these luminescent cephalopods make quite the sight in the shallows. Often served in early spring, coinciding with the fishing season, this dish is prepared by boiling the squid in salted water and then serving with leeks and a generous pour of vinegared miso (miso, vinegar, hot pepper and sugar). Kiritanpo Nabe, Akita Prefecture Nearby in Akita Prefecture is kiritanpo nabe, a local take on hot pot that dates back to when loggers used to climb the region's mountains in search of timber. The key carbohydrate base is kiritanpo — rice that has been boiled, mashed and grilled on a cedar skewer. Cooked in a cylindrical shape, they're added to a boiling hot pot with chicken bone broth and a mix of ingredients. Typically, you'll see sliced root vegetables, mushrooms, thin noodles and chicken as well as sake, salt and soy sauce. It's often served for celebrations and is the star dish in local festivals in the region. Milk and Dairy Products, Hokkaido Prefecture Japan's northernmost island (and prefecture) of Hokkaido might be most famous for its snow resorts, but the area is also home to Japan's dairy industry. The climate is ideal for dairy production and is where over 50% of Japan's milk originates. Supposedly, the milk has a rich, vanilla-esque flavour. As such, there are all sorts of treats to try. Lavender soft serve ice cream, cheese, butter, bread and milk jam (the Japanese equivalent of dulce de leche) are some of the most popular treats, all served in restaurants and the regions working dairy farms. Discover more and start planning your trip to Japan at the Japan National Tourism Organization website. Header image: Green Planet World via iStock. Body images courtesy of the Japan National Tourism Organization unless specified otherwise.
Dust of your black-hued and gothic-looking outfits: what else do you wear to Wednesday Island, a fan festival dedicated to the creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky Netflix series, that'll have Jenna Ortega (Death of a Unicorn), Emma Myers (A Minecraft Movie) and Tim Burton (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) in attendance? On Saturday, August 16, 2025, one Australian spot — Cockatoo Island / Wareamah in Sydney Harbour — will embrace the macabre with the Wednesday crew themselves. Netflix has been teasing Wednesday Island for a few weeks now, including officially announcing the event when the platform dropped the full trailer for Wednesday's second season, then opening entries for VIP attendance to feel like you're at Nevermore Academy. Now, the streamer has confirmed that Ortega, Myers and Burton will be there, and also Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who created the show in the spotlight (and wrote the screenplay to 2024's Burton-helmed, Ortega-starring Beetlejuice Beetlejuice). All five key Wednesday folks will make appearances at Wednesday Island as part of their global Doom tour to promote the series. Peach PRC and ŪLA are also on the lineup at Cockatoo Island's temporary makeover, providing the tunes. Netflix is calling the pop-up takeover a "Nevermore playground" and promising a "most grave surprise", too — and there'll be a walk-in doll's house and a cocktail spot as well. If you've always had a fondness for anything Addams Family-related, this probably sounds like a dream. Whether you first discovered pop culture's eeriest family via the 90s films, through old episodes of the 60s TV show, in various animated guises over the years — including on the big screen — or thanks to Wednesday, that fantasy can now become an IRL reality if you score admission to Wednesday Island. Applications for VIP double passes have closed, but you'll be able to enter for regular passes between Wednesday, July 23–Sunday, August 3 via the pop-up's website. To do so, you'll need to provide your details, and give an original and creative answer to this question: "in 25 words or less, confess your most delightfully deviant Outcast trait — the kind that would make Wednesday smirk with approval". You'll find out if you've scored a ticket on Monday, August 4. Only those aged over 16 can go in the running, and you'll then need to dress in attire to suit the Wednesday celebration. Boat transport to the island, plus one food and one beverage token, will be included if you're selected. As for watching the series when it returns for its second season, you'll be doing that in two batches. Part one arrives on Wednesday, August 6, then part two on Wednesday, September 3. Check out the full trailer for Wednesday season two below: Wednesday Island is taking over Cockatoo Island in Sydney on Saturday, August 16. Head to the pop-up's website to enter for general admission tickets between Wednesday, July 23–Sunday, August 3, 2025 — or just for further information. Wednesday season two arrives in two parts, with part one dropping on Wednesday, August 6, 2025 and part two on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, both via Netflix. Read our full review of Wednesday season one. Images: Bernard Walsh, Helen Sloan and Jonathan Hession/Netflix © 2025.
When it comes to brunching in Toorak, there's a new kid on the block. In the Toorak Village space formerly home to Grange Road Egg Shop, you'll now find Fleur Espresso — a sunny new cafe helmed by chef Ash Tirosh (District Brewer, Junior) and environmental waste management guru Kham Bayani. A few carryovers from the site's past life remain, including the egg-shaped Arne Jacobsen 'Drop' chairs and the cheery wall murals by local artist Deams. But otherwise, Fleur marks a whole new beginning; one that will be driven by strong sustainability practices courtesy of Bayani's expertise. Star among these is the worm farm, which has pride of place near the front counter and is busy processing the cafe's food scraps into fertiliser for its many indoor plants. Not that there'll be many leftover scraps with this menu, filled with Tirosh's playfully revamped cafe classics. All-day breakfast at Fleur means plates like the brekkie carbonara with smoked pancetta and manchego cream, a blue swimmer crab omelette, Turkish eggs featuring crumbed eggplant and aleppo chilli butter, and a crème caramel-inspired french toast. Come lunch, you're in for the likes of nasi goreng salad with a gutsy sambal dressing, slow-cooked lamb shank on almond pilaf, fried chicken bao and a brisket reuben. And of course, you'll want to try a coffee by Roasting Warehouse, crafted on Fleur's statement baby pink La Marzocco machine. Find Fleur Espresso at 1A Grange Road, Toorak. It's open 7am–3pm Tuesday to Friday, 8am–2pm Saturday and 9am–2pm Sunday.
Counting out your pennies till pay day? No problem. Even with less than $10 in your pocket, you don't have to resort to Saladas with Vegemite you found in the work cupboard. You can still get out of the office to feast on noodle soups, Turkish street snacks, pork belly bao and even meals from a Michelin-starred restaurant. So don't sit around moping about your inability to do a banquet at Chin Chin. Round up your coins and head straight to these ten eateries where you can eat a meal for less than ten bucks. $2.70 PORK BUNS AT WONDERBAO Hidden away from the hustle and bustle of Swanston Street, Wonderbao is a pocket-sized slice of bao heaven that won't stretch your lunchtime budget. Treat yourself to the barbecue pork bun for only $2.70, or if you're after a bao assortment that will keep your stomach from rumbling until dinner, the Veggie Pack of 3 bao will sort you out for a low $9.70. $6.80 CHICKEN AND RICE AT HAWKER CHAN Who would've thought that scraping together all your pennies, could get you a Michelin-starred meal? World class eateries and scraping together your lunch money pennies don't usually go hand-in-hand. Hawker Chan, however, is out to make your working week just that much better. For just $6.80, you'll be presented with the restaurants famed chicken rice dish, featuring chicken poached in chicken stock, soy sauce and ginger, the meat then blanched to give the skin a gelatinous texture, and served on a fluffy pile of jasmine rice. $8 ROTI AT MAMAK For only $8, Mamak's famed roti is an absolute steal. Served straight from the kitchen where you'll see four chefs in action flinging and grilling this doughy roti to perfection, two curry dips and a spicy sambal sauce will set you back just $8. Add cheese or onion for $1 — or both for $1.50. $10 THAI BOWLS AT SOI 38 Take a quick side-trip to the side streets of Bangkok inside a car park in Melbourne's CBD, at Soi 38. Here, $10 can get you any dish on the menu, whether it's a boat noodle soup, tom yum noodles with wontons or braised duck noodle soup you're craving. Plus, your $10 won't limit your choice, with the option to pair your choice of soup with noodles such as vermicelli, rice or egg noodles. $7 PIDE AT GOZ CITY A hunk of hot bread with toppings is good for any time of day — but especially good for lunch. Goz City doles out its generous-sized pides for just seven bucks, and it gives you a couple of options, too: sausage and egg, tomato and egg, or breakfast pide. Though the star of the show over here at Göz City is generally the gozleme, don't underestimate the power of a $7 pide filled with egg and meat. We've said it before and we'll say it again: carbs will get you through the week. [caption id="attachment_682137" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Morrison via Instagram[/caption] $7.70 CURRY DON AT DON DON Don Don on Little Lonsdale is a little cramped, always has a steady flow of people in and out and there'll be a couple of "sorrys" and "excuse mes" as you make your way in, but the food is hot, incredibly quick and — most importantly — cheap. It's just $7.70 for a beef or chicken curry don (rice and pickle included) or $6.50 for the tofu version, so you need do very little else than shovel it down and be out the door, joining the constant flux that enters and exits Don Don. $9.50 ROTISSERIE CHICKEN AT BELLEVILLE Belleville is a three-birds-one-stone venue in that you can go for a meal, a drink, or some live music – or all three. Open from 11am till 11pm (and later on Thursday to Saturday), you can walk in at any time to this laneway dive bar for a quick feed, and their lunch menu is certainly willing to play along. If you're craving chicken, you're in luck — the rotisserie special is a quarter chook for $9.50. The hot bird is glazed with miso butter glazed already, but you can also add sauces of your choosing. $4.50 BAGELS AT SCHMUCKS BAGELS Don't be a fool (or, in this case, a schmuck), and head down to Schmucks Bagels between Little Bourke Street and Guests Lane for a good ol' NYC bagel, with a twist. Schmucks' bagels go way beyond your average poppyseed- or sesame-topped snack, serving adventurous bites that will take your $10 to the next level. Try the $9 Hippie Slicker, a seeded bagel with turmeric-roasted cauliflower, hummus, tomato and lemon-dressed watercress. If cauliflower isn't your thing, for 50c less try the Avo Our Way, filled with smashed avocado, pickled red onion, capers, and lemon-dressed herbs on a seedy bagel. For something a bit more on the safe side, pick up a sesame bagel with your choice of spread for just $4.50. $10 FALAFEL AT TAHINI Brought to you from the team behind Code Black Coffee, Tahini in Collins Square, gives you some serious bang for your buck. For only $10, an array of traditional Lebanese dishes awaits you — whether you're after something fresh, like the $6 fattoush salad, or meaty, such as the $8 slow cooked spiced lamb sharwarma bowl with pomegranate molasses and tahini. Although, if you can't look past some good old-fashioned falafels pick up one of Tahini's falafel wraps — they're $10, or $8 when you take away Monday and Tuesday. $8.90 CHASHU DON AT SHUJINKO Lunch at midday, 7pm or perhaps 2am? Russell Street's 24-hour ramen restaurant Shujinko has got you covered for cheap eats at all hours of the day. $7.80 will buy you five pieces of kaarage chicken and $6.90 will get youhalf a dozen dumplings at Shujinko, coming in at $1.15 a piece. But for something a bit more jam-packed, try the chashu don, with grilled pork belly, rice, red ginger, spring onion and oyster sauce for just $8.90. $9.95 CHICKEN POKE AT POKÉD For $9.95, the world's your oyster at Pokéd. Whether you're after the Hula Hula Cook bowl (chicken with pineapple teriyaki, pineapple salsa, corn, edamame, sweet potato crips and roasted sesame), or wanting to satisfy some veggie cravings (with a roasted eggplant, sesame mayo, spinach, sweet potato salad, marinated mushrooms, pickled cabbage, edamame with sweet potato crips bowl), get down to Pokéd ASAP.
Everybody loves food. The glorious stuff keeps us alive, after all. But our relationship with it is so much more than just one of sustenance. It's a deep love based on bold flavours and gastro-satisfaction — and it's a love so strong that we're willing to cross seas, hop on rickety buses and pay big money to travel far-flung countries just to get our hands on what could be the world's best sandwich, or the perfect cup of coffee. Culinary tourism is one of the top reasons people travel, and travelling for a food festival is one of the most hectic, informative and fun ways to immerse yourself in the city's food culture. So take a coffee break and scroll through some of the world's most delicious food festivals. They're events we reckon are worth dusting off the passport and busting out your custom chilli spoon for. And even if you can't make it to the actual event, it might at least give you an inspired idea of what to eat for dinner tonight. AUSTIN FOOD + WINE FESTIVAL, TEXAS, USA Austin has long been the culinary darling of the United States, and the glorious April feast that is the Austin Food + Wine Festival is the best way to find out why. As well as artisanal food and booze from a slew of local vendors, there's usually a fire pit, a taco showdown, interactive demonstrations, live music and meet and greets with America's top chefs. There's so much on you won't even be thinking about the exchange rate — just about how much you can fit in your tummy. When? Late April. COPENHAGEN COOKING, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK So we all know about Noma (especially after Rene Redzepi brought the restaurant to Sydney earlier this year), but do you know anything else about Danish cuisine? Probably not. But your one-way ticket to finding out is attending the Copenhagen Cooking food festival. This lovely little festival (which was in fact modelled in part on Melbourne Food and Wine Festival) will have you biking all over the small city to eat all the smørrebrød and skagen you possibly can. They also have a heap of good coffee and natural wine to try. The festival itself includes a wide range of events, from slow food dinners held in barns on the outskirts of town to cupping sessions and a long table outdoor feast that takes over a street in the city's Frederiksberg area. When? Late August. [caption id="attachment_594133" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Seth Lui via Singapore Food Festival[/caption] SINGAPORE FOOD FESTIVAL, SINGAPORE The entirely unique blend of cultural flavours (and price points) that is Singapore's cuisine jumps out at you like nobody's business at this annual celebration of eating as much as you deem safe. At the Singapore Food Fest, top chefs (many Michelin-starred) re-imagine classics in market stalls, and street vendors around town dish out every delicious colour of the foodie rainbow. This year they were even serving up something called laksagne — that's laksa-flavoured lasagne. Yep. When? Mid July. FOOD AND FUN FESTIVAL, REYKJAVIK, ICELAND With Iceland's relative proximity to the well-known food scene of Copenhagen (thanks to Noma) and the fact that it's on just about every traveller's bucket list, it's no surprise to see the culinary delights of Reykjavik becoming more and more popular. The most popular food event in the nation's capital, the Food and Fun Festival, sees restaurants across the city gather together to showcase Iceland's best home-grown produce over a few days in March. When? Early March. [caption id="attachment_594107" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Binder.donedat via Flickr.[/caption] PHUKET VEGETARIAN FESTIVAL, PHUKET, THAILAND Although it's already passed us by this year, the Phuket Vegetarian Festival is definitely worth marking down on your travel calendar. The festival is actually a religious one, and celebrates the Chinese community's belief that abstaining from meat and other stimulants during the ninth lunar month and praying to the Nine Emperor Gods for good health and peace of mind. It packs in ten days of intricate ceremonies — from fire walking to others too gruesome to mention — all while following a strict vego diet. Their mock meat game is strong and the food is stellar, with nature's produce being cooked with such skill that it'll probably never taste better. Remember this is a religious festival though, and if you attend you'll have to follow the festival's ten rules (no alcohol is one of them). When? Early October (but changes with the lunar calendar). L'APLEC DEL CARAGOL, LLEIDA, SPAIN Deep in the heart of Catalonia lies the city of Lleida — and every year in May, it plays host to up to 200,000 visitors for the annual gathering of snails. Essentially, it's a huge snail feast. The festival, named l'Aplec del Caragol, lays it on with parades, bands and whole mess of snails to consume. Last year, twelve tonnes were demolished across the weekend. When? Late May. WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL, CANCUN, MEXICO Legging it to a destination for food doesn't necessarily mean sticking with the local offerings, so why not treat yourself to a festival of pure world class gastronomy? Cancun's Wine & Food Festival is regularly hosted by some of the best chefs in the world, and it comes with the jaw dropping scenery of Caribbean in the background. Plus, you can snack on street tacos in-between events if you're still hungry. When? Early October. LE SALON DU CHOCOLAT, PARIS, FRANCE This one's pretty straight up and simple: a four-day chocolate festival in Paris. Le Salon du Chocolat sees hundreds of pastry chefs, chocolatiers and confectioners from all around the world descend on Paris for a whole long weekend's worth of take my money now. That's a bender to really get behind. When? Late October. Top image: Copenhagen Cooking.
Frankston has a charming restaurant and bar situated in Frankston Yacht Club: Oliver's Corner. While the airy interior is welcoming, outdoor seating might just be the highlight of this spot, as it boasts uninterrupted foreshore views of the Mornington Peninsula and has direct access to Frankston Pier. Meanwhile, the all-day menu offers everything from a reimagined eggs benny for breakfast, right through to the likes of daily curry and fish specials for lunch. The menu also offers a wide range of well-chosen wines (many from Victoria), as well as spirits and classic cocktails. Oliver's Corner might also be home to one of the city's best happy hours, with $9 selected wines and $7 tap beers from Tuesday through Friday each week – with the unbeatable views free of charge, naturally. Live performances also take place every week — just be sure to check the website for the lineup.
A lot of the latest Melbourne bar openings and restaurant makeovers are leaning into Euro-centric flavours, designs and vibes. It's somewhat of a safe bet in Melbourne — a city with deep European roots and a great love for Italian, French and Greek food. But despite the crowded market, Melburnians are regularly filling up each of these new spots. We're into it. Because, after all, who doesn't love easy-drinking European wines paired with pasta, steak and charcuterie boards? It's an easy win. And the latest joint to join the club is Wally's in Albert Park. Owner Baxter Pickard (surprisingly, not named Wally) brings his long history of drinking and selling wine to the site, curating an impressive list of European vinos. He's made sure to cover a lot of price points at Wally's, ranging from affordable bottles starting at $50 to vintage and hard-to-find drops that'll cost you around $200 a pop. Those who opt for the more spenny varieties will be getting wines that Pickard and his team have won at auction. These will change depending on what's available at the time, so be sure to ask the crew to talk you through these extra-special options. But few wine bars in Melbourne can get by with only having great drinks on offer. We are sip-and-snack people now, needing fabulous bites to accompany our drinking sessions. That's why Pickard has brought on Damon McIver (ex-Waxflower and Vex Dining) to run the kitchen pass. He's dreamt up an oft-changing menu of European-inspired dishes that are made to be paired with the evolving wine menu. A few small plates will make an appearance — think cured bonito, barbecued leeks, fresh oysters with house-made hot sauce and skewers — as well as larger plates that'll include pasta and steaks. It's all quite classic and simple food, made to complement rather than outshine the wine. The Melbourne-based studio a.mi has also kept things fairly traditional, using plenty of natural finishes and mirrored ceilings to create a French-leaning bistro vibe. Punters can either sit within the light-filled wine bar or perch out on the street — where pets are more than welcome to join. It seems like a welcome addition to Albert Park — great for local wine lovers who want to have a casual drink with mates or go all out and explore some really special vinos. You'll find Wally's at 67 Cardigan Place, Albert Park, operating from 3pm–late Tuesday–Thursday and 12pm–late Friday–Sunday. Check out the venue's website for additional details. Images: Pete Dillon
Even the most dedicated camping fans aren't that fond of packing. So much to bring, so little space, even when you're a seasoned outdoorsy type. Factor in not only shelter, bedding, food and other essentials, but anything fun you'd like to do while you're away from the big smoke, and you're carting quite the hefty stack of gear with you. Next time you're heading beyond the city limits for a stint under the stars, the Traft will help reduce your luggage, especially if a paddle along a waterway is also on your agenda. And, it'll open up your options when it comes to activities. As the name suggests, it's an inflatable tent-raft combo that you can splash about in by day and sleep in at night. Officially described as a line of "hybrid tent-packraft-sleep systems", the Traft can also be used to lounge around in both on land and water, with or without shade from the sun thanks to its removable tent. Should you fancy sleeping in something other than a raft, the latter can also be used as shelter independently from the base. Sparked by an idea for a floating boat hammock, and made from thermo plastic polyurethane, the Traft was first unveiled at a US outdoor retailer show back in July. It comes in 2.43-metre, 2.59-metre and 2.76-metre options, although only the first is available at present. The smaller size weighs less than four kilograms, making it a lightweight addition to your camping kit — but, unsurprisingly, it doesn't come cheap, selling for US$900. For more information, visit the Traft website. Via: Digital Trends. Image: Traft.
The Whitsundays is a stunning holiday destination. Thanks to its gorgeous natural surroundings, vacationing at the Sunshine State spot is rarely solely driven by wanting to dine at a particular restaurant, then; however, on Hamilton Island, that might be the motivation now. If any eatery and bar is worth planning a getaway around, it's the brand-new Catseye Pool Club. First announced in 2024 and open since late April 2025, it's Josh and Julie Niland's latest venture — and their first ever in Queensland. When the pair revealed that they were launching their debut Sunshine State restaurant on Hamilton Island, it was huge news. Indeed, this is one of the big culinary openings of 2025. Catseye Pool Club is part of The Sundays, the also brand-new 59-room hotel at Catseye Beach's northern end that's all about luxury, but also boasts being family friendly as part of its point of difference. This Niland venture stands out from the duo's other restaurants for a few reasons. There's the location, of course — and eating here does indeed mean dining at an oceanfront tropical destination. Then there's the fact that Catseye Pool Club isn't a seafood joint. Whenever Josh and Julie's names come up, it's usually in the same breath as their preferred form of protein. Acclaimed Sydney restaurants, award-winning cookbooks, global kudos, a sustainable seafood restaurant in Singapore: championing a fin-to-tail approach to the ocean's finest, their footprint spans all of the above. Whole-fish cookery remains a feature at Catseye Pool Club, but it's just one part of the menu. This restaurant and bar heroes Australian ingredients and celebrate shared dining, with dishes designed to be tucked into communally. Taking your time in the sun, making the most of the fact that you're on an island and relaxing in general are also key aspects of the vibe — and the pool club part of the restaurant's name says plenty. Yes, the eatery is by the pool, so expect to peer at water from multiple sources. "Whilst 'family-style' or 'share-style' dining is very much a way restaurants have operated for many years, the Catseye Pool Club approaches its menu with each item very much designed to be enjoyed as a whole table, with all the trimmings coming with each dish," explained Josh back in March. The opening food and drink lineup spans 14 pages, starting with rock oysters with pepperberry mignonette, pizza bread, and a selection of wild raw fish and scallops for two. Almost everything edible from there is for at least a pair of diners, whether battered and fried wild fish tacos, Tweed Heads rock lobster, roast pork, Bowen mud crab pie, sirloin on the bone, lamb cutlets or line-caught trout tempt your tastebuds — or raspberry and coconut trifle, chocolate cake or flambé pineapple tart among the desserts. The one exception: the neapolitan sundae is just designed for one. Catseye Pool Club is also serving up breakfast just for hotel guests — and patrons can be enjoy its range of meals if they're hanging out by the pool rather than sitting at a table. At a hotel run by Hamilton Island Enterprises, which is also behind qualia, guests can also make the most of that oceanfront swimming pool surrounded by private cabanas, alongside a pickleball court and tropical gardens. Room options include balcony and terrace, plus interconnecting family rooms, all decked out in calming hues. "The Sundays brings something truly special to Hamilton Island — an elevated boutique escape that welcomes families and reflects the warm, laidback, uniquely Australian style of hospitality Hamilton Island is known for," advises Hamilton Island CEO Nick Dowling. "The Sundays is part of Hamilton Island's ongoing evolution — reimagined for today's traveller on the site of one of the island's original hotels. Over the years, we've evolved our accommodation, dining and experiences to reflect what our guests are looking for. Those who've been returning for decades know that you don't need to travel far to tick off a bucket-list destination — the Great Barrier Reef is right here on our doorstep.' Find Catseye Pool Club at The Sundays, Catseye Beach, Hamilton Island — and head to the hotel's website for more details.
Sydney comes alive in summer — long lunches segue into golden-hour drinks, warm evenings spill into the streets and the city buzzes with new exhibitions and openair experiences. Whether you're browsing a waterside market or diving into a boundary-pushing gallery show, this season is built for discovery. Instead of dipping in for a single exhibition or market visit, treat each outing as the start of its own mini escape. In the spirit of making the most of every sunny moment, we've paired five must-see summer events with nearby neighbourhood gems that showcase the breadth of Sydney's food, culture and creativity. The Rocks Markets: Christmas Edition Why it's unmissable Set beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge, The Rocks Markets: Christmas Edition brings together local makers showcasing their wares for three festive weekends of openair browsing. Add woodfired pizza, gozleme and crepes into the mix — along with furoshiki gift-wrapping workshops — and you've got one of summer's most charming holiday pit stops. Find out more here. Make a day of it Once you've filled your tote, wander a few steps to Hooked and Harvest, The Rocks' sunny new fish and chippery serving market-fresh fish, freshly shucked oysters and flavour-packed salads. If you're after something with a deeper sense of place, Midden by Mark Olive heroes native Australian ingredients via refined dishes like kutjera-braised beef cheek, blue gum-smoked miso eggplant and Olive's signature Bush Pavlova topped with a native fruit coulis and wattleseed cream, all from a breezy spot under the sails of the Sydney Opera House. [caption id="attachment_921470" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] Wind down nearby As the sun starts to slip, take the lift up to Martinez, Circular Quay's breezy rooftop bar with Mediterranean coastal vibes, panoramic views and a bright drinks list made for golden hour. Extend your stay Make a weekend of it at The Russell Boutique Hotel, the charming new stay in the heart of The Rocks (and set right above Sydney's oldest pub). With its warm, character-filled rooms — some of which have direct courtyard access — and unbeatable proximity to some of Sydney's most iconic spots, it's an ideal base for an urban summer escape. [caption id="attachment_918689" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eugene Hyland[/caption] RELICS: A New World Rises Why it's unmissable This immersive new exhibition at the Australian Museum transforms discarded objects into intricate LEGO® civilisations, from a grandfather clock reverse-engineered into a time machine to a cryogenics facility inside a vintage freezer. Part art installation, part nostalgic playground, it's a summer experience for kids and adults alike — and a reminder that creativity and curiosity have no age limits. Find out more here. Make a day of it Kick things off with coffee and a pastry — or an inventive breakfast plate like avo and kale bagel with peanut chilli sauce, or soft scrambled eggs swimming in chicken broth and served with garlic-buttered baguette — in the charming sandstone-framed courtyard of A.P Bread & Wine in Darlinghurst. Post-exhibition, stroll down to Woolloomooloo for a late lunch at Akti, the breezy, coastal-Greek diner serving moussaka croquettes, lamb shoulder with chimichurri and summer-ready cocktails overlooking the Finger Wharf. Wind down nearby Round out your day at Monica, Paddington's new sun-drenched rooftop bar overlooking the bustle of Oxford Street. Head up to take in sweeping skyline views, playful cocktail — like a rhubarb and grapefruit paloma on tap — in hand as the city lights flicker on. Extend your stay Not ready to go home? You don't have to — Monica sits on the roof of the new 25hours Hotel Sydney The Olympia, a design-forward Paddington boutique set in a heritage-listed former cinema. Its prime location offers easy access to some of Sydney's most vibrant neighbourhoods, with hire bikes available if you're keen to explore more. [caption id="attachment_1045265" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Emmaline Zanelli, 'Magic Cave', 2024-2025, installation view, image courtesy the artist and Museum of Contemporary Art Australia © the artist, photograph by Hamish McIntosh[/caption] MCA double-header: Primavera 2025: Young Australian Artists and A Conversation with the Sun (Afterimage): Apichatpong Weerasethakul Why it's unmissable While we're never short of reasons to visit Australia's home of contemporary art, this summer, the MCA is giving us two more. Running until early March, Primavera 2025: Young Australian Artists continues the annual exhibition's nearly four-decade legacy of providing a platform to Australia's next generation of artistic and curatorial talent. This year's works invite visitors to consider what it means to continue making art in a digital and post-industrial world. Find out more here. Also on show: Palme d'Or-winning filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul's new cinematic site-specific installation for the MCA. The large-scale work — on display in the MCA Macgregor Gallery until early February — features video diaries projected onto floating fabric, creating a dream-like experience inspired by pondering the sun while walking in nature. Find out more here. Make a day of it Take a leisurely stroll around Circular Quay and drop anchor at Flaminia, the refined yet laidback venue by acclaimed chef Giovanni Pilu (Pilu at Freshwater) plating up Italian coastal classics alongside sweeping harbour views. Feeling adventurous? Hop on the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly and arrive at Felons Seafood for towering seafood platters, salt and vinegar martinis and a tap pouring Australia's coldest beer. Take a seat in the spacious outdoor terrace to soak up the sun, or nab a seat by the window for uninterrupted views across Manly Cove and Sydney Harbour. [caption id="attachment_1011783" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] Wind down nearby Next door to its namesake restaurant, Felons Manly brings the award-winning Brisbane brewhouse's beers to an expansive, sun-washed space, with regular events and live music keeping things lively throughout the evening. Or, follow the boardwalk around the shoreline to settle in at The Espy Manly, an alfresco bar serving up spritzes and sunshine in equal measure. If the mood is less wind down and more turn up, venture to neighbouring Freshwater and settle in at Bombies, a late-night bar and live music lounge that brings 1970s beach house energy to the rooftop of the historic Harbord Hotel. Extend your stay If there's a better way to start your day than at the beach, we're yet to find it. And at Manly Pacific Hotel, you'll wake up mere steps from the sand. And whether you choose to start your day with espresso on your sunlit balcony overlooking Manly Beach or you're popping across the road for a pre-breakfast surf, your morning will feel like its own little holiday. The Makers and Shakers Christmas Gift Market Why it's unmissable If you're hunting for holiday gifts with personality, this market at Rozelle's White Bay Cruise Terminal ticks every box: you'll find over 140 stalls selling Australian-made homewares, slow-fashion pieces and artisan treats in a bright, harbour-framed warehouse setting. Add drop-in workshops, kids' zones and free parking, and you've got all the ingredients for some feel-good festive shopping. Find out more here. Make a day of it Start the day with a hearty Middle Eastern-inspired brunch at The Rusty Rabbit, a light-filled corner spot in leafy Concord. If it's views you're after, it's hard to beat The Fenwick. This restaurant and art gallery on the edge of the East Balmain waterfront, set in an 1880s former tugboat store, plates up Italian-inspired fare and postcard-perfect views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. [caption id="attachment_706208" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Old Clare Rooftop[/caption] Wind down nearby Swap the Inner West waterfront for its indie bar scene. Start with the Inner West Distillery Trail, where small-batch gin, whisky and new-world spirits are poured straight from the source in tasting rooms across Rozelle, Marrickville and surrounds. The Inner West is also home to some of Sydney's best breweries, and the Inner West Ale Trail links a string of top-tier taprooms within a few easy kilometres. From hazy IPAs in sunny beer gardens to crisp lagers and barrel-aged sours in cavernous converted warehouses, it's a relaxed way to dig a little deeper into one of Sydney's most creative neighbourhoods. Extend your stay Make it a full weekend escape at The Old Clare Hotel, which blends luxe contemporary comforts with the character of a historic Chippendale building. By day, bask by the rooftop pool and bar, soaking up the city skyline with a drink in hand; then, wander into the laneways of Chippendale's buzzy food and bar scene to make a night of it. Ready to feel the Sydney side of summer? Discover the full calendar of what's on across the city at sydney.com.
When Princess Mononoke marked its 25th anniversary in 2022, the Studio Ghibli gem returned to cinemas. Because Hayao Miyazaki's movies should never be far from a picture palace, one his most-stunning features is making another big-screen comeback three years later. There's no milestone to celebrate this time, just an exceptional flick from a beloved Japanese animation house just because — as well as the fact that Princess Mononoke is getting both the 4K and IMAX treatment. This is also the first time ever that the 1997 film is being released in IMAX. So, no matter how many times you've seen it before, you haven't seen it like this. The date for your diary: Thursday, August 21, 2025. Language-wise, two versions of the movie are playing in both Australia and New Zealand: the original Japanese version, which is the one that every Ghibli fan should be flocking to, and the English-dubbed version as well. If you're a newcomer to this delight by the one and only Miyazaki — a film that only ranks behind Spirited Away and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind among the director's greats — get ready for a picture that makes a clear ecological statement. The iconic filmmaker has never shied away from doing just that; however, Princess Mononoke might just send his most forceful message about humanity's impact upon the earth. As set in Japan's Muromachi period (from the 14th to 16th centuries), the involving fantasy takes place among humans, animals and gods, all of which have been living in harmony until the movie starts. From there, the film charts the paths of a young prince with a curse and a young woman raised by wolves, as well as the conflict between a modernising town and the forest it's destroying. Every Studio Ghibli film is worth seeing — the animation house hasn't ever made a bad one, even if a few sit below the rest — but Princess Mononoke is a stone-cold classic. The highest-grossing Japanese feature of 1997, it's also the picture that helped bring the company's wonderful flicks to western audiences. If you do catch the English-dubbed version, the voice cast includes Gillian Anderson (The Salt Path), Claire Danes (Full Circle), Billy Crudup (The Morning Show), Minnie Driver (The Assessment), Jada Pinkett Smith (The Equalizer) and Billy Bob Thorton (Landman). Check out the trailer for Princess Mononoke below: Princess Mononoke returns to Australian and New Zealand cinemas from Thursday, August 21, 2025. For more information, head to the Crunchyroll website.
Beloved local drinking destination Lulie Tavern has taken things up a level — quite literally. The rock 'n' roll boozer has transformed the space above its Johnston Street digs into a rooftop bar. Dubbed Full Moon Fever in honour of music icon (and Lulie idol) Tom Petty, it's every bit as lively and laidback as its downstairs counterpart, with an equally impressive collection of memorabilia lining the walls. The all-weather, indoor-outdoor space is sporting a retractable roof and wood fire (take that, Melbourne), its warm, breezy look taking cues from the desert bars of California via natural-hued stone, brickwork and timber panelling. Oh, and the odd cactus, of course. Just as the rooftop works as an extension to the goings on downstairs, so too does its menu rock a distinctly Lulie vibe. On the burger lineup, you've got options like the fried chicken-starring Dead Ringer, along with a vegan fried chook number, a double cheeseburger and the Meatlovers — a cheesy assembly of double beef, bacon, crispy onions and jalapenos ($18). Snacks might run to the likes of southern-fried buffalo wings, vegan chicken tenders, and hot chips matched with gravy and spring onion. The drinks offering is both easygoing and considered, with just a handful of Aussie reds, oranges and whites, plus a trio of magnums for those lingering group situations. You'll find a familiar lineup of brews — including options from neighbour Bodriggy — as well as a crop of cocktails featuring both classics and saloon-inspired sips. Get set for summer sessions on the roof, knocking back creations like the Tommy's margarita, the pear- and agave-infused Johnny Pash, or maybe a Dazed & Confused — a gutsy fusion of mezcal, Mexican chilli liqueur, quandong and grapefruit. Images: Jake Roden
Most kids love a school camp — the sense of camaraderie, having a giant sleepover with your best friends and doing fun things that you wouldn't experience at home. But these feelings are usually captured between the ages of ten and 17, and can be hard to replicate once you're an adult with responsibilities. Thankfully, Snow Machine is here to flip that idea on its head. Snow Machine is a five-day extravaganza dedicated to playing hard and partying harder, with the New Zealand leg set across the mountains of picturesque Queenstown. Here, adventure- and music-loving folks ski all day and party all night. What was 2023's fest like between Tuesday, September 5–Sunday, September 10? And why is Snow Machine more than just another festival? Here's everything that you need to know. WHAT IS SNOW MACHINE? Snow Machine is so much more than a multi-day concert. Instead, it creates an institution of fun that has punters returning year after year. The sense of community is something that the team behind Snow Machine are experts at, and is incredibly important to festival creator Chris 'Muz' Murray and fellow director Quentin Nolan. There's nothing that Muz loves more than a serious hat, fun costumes and bringing people together, and he's combined these three passions in the Machine festival series. Snow Machine takes place in Queenstown and Japan, Dream Machine in Bali and Wine Machine throughout Australia. Muz's personal goal for each Machine is to "exhaust" his patrons in a good way, with the five-day schedule jam-packed with everything that Queenstown and a fest has to offer — whether it be skiing down The Remarkables half-naked, indulging in a Fergburger or zipping around Shotover River on a speedboat, festivalgoers can choose to do as much or as little as they like. For Snow Machine 2023, tickets started at $929, which covered the bulk of an attendee's expenses — including accommodation (which is available in different tiers), a five-day ski pass at The Remarkables and Coronet Peak, access to the party areas on each mountain, and a ticket to the main Snow Machine arena each night. These are just the basics, with patrons able to add any of the other experiences that Snow Machine has to offer, such as after parties in Queenstown clubs, a VIP long lunch halfway up Coronet Peak and a recovery cruise at the end of the week to top it all off. FIVE DAYS AT THE MACHINE Snow Machine's 2023 Queenstown schedule started small and built up throughout the week, with each day busier than the previous. The festival officially kicked off on Tuesday, September 5 with an opening party at Kawarau Bridge Bungy. Local DJs took to the decks as punters got the week started with a dose of adrenaline — and one guy set the tone for the upcoming days by taking the plunge in his birthday suit. Wednesday, September 6 was the first day up the mountain for many of the patrons, as DJs and artists started their rotation of sets throughout both Coronet Peak and The Remarkables, with each mountain having two stages. That night was the first of many side parties at Canyon Brewing, a brewery just outside of Queenstown with stunning views across the Shotover River. These side parties continued each night, with after parties taking over three Queenstown nightclubs. The next two days were the most jam-packed of them all, with the main festival arena swinging into action and the infamous Polar Bare (emphasis on bare) taking place. As you may be able to glean from the title, this is a ski run like no other, as punters strip off to ski down The Remarkables wearing anything from a brightly coloured bikini, a mankini or even some fancy lingerie. Just one rule rang out over the loudspeaker on the day: "the lifties will not let you on if you're naked". Friday saw one of the more exclusive events take place, a VIP long lunch. Before 2023, it had never been open to the public — and this year's sold out instantly. The ski-in, ski-out experience featured a three-course meal and endless rosé thanks to Whispering Angel wines, as enjoyed at long tables adorned with pink decor and lined with fur-covered seats. SNOW MACHINE'S MAIN ARENA The main arena, assembled near Queenstown Airport, was open for business as of Thursday night, with Hilltop Hoods and Shapeshifter drawing the biggest crowds. For those who wanted a little more luxury in their festival experience, Snow Machine offered VIP tickets, which included access to an impressive two-storey marquee with rustic fake fires, comfy couches and — perhaps most importantly in a festival environment — very fancy toilets. Everyone's favourite social media lads The Inspired Unemployed were on the scene to oversee their Better Beer pop-up, a lager that they launched in New Zealand in 2022 and were shilling successfully to their adoring fans, with Red Bull vodkas and Odd Company RTDs joining the drink selection. To soak it all up, festivalgoers had multiple food trucks to choose from, with options including pizzas, kebabs, Chinese savoury pancakes and dumplings. That evening was even bigger than the last, with New Zealand's national treasure Benee owning the night with her set, and almost getting lost in the crowd when she attempted to crowdsurf in the middle of a song. Peking Duk closed out night two, with the Aussie duo always ready for a party and bringing the crowd along with them, screaming at the audience to get on each other's shoulders despite security being vehemently against it the previous night. WHY SHOULD I GO? Muz's message of bringing people together doesn't just include the patrons themselves, but the crew who puts it all together. This huge group of fun, like-minded and kind people are doing it all just to make sure that people have a good time — and, wandering around the festival grounds and up the mountain, you can see that they've passed that test with flying colours. There's no doubt that nostalgic sense of camaraderie has been achieved, as festivalgoers run into each other on the ski chairlift and the mosh pit, surrounded by their party people all week. That feeling is why so many of the punters are repeat guests, because that vibe is hard to appreciate before seeing and feeling it for yourself. Snow Machine Queenstown 2023 ran from Tuesday, September 5–Sunday, September 10 in Queenstown, New Zealand. Head to the Snow Machine website for information about Snow Machine Japan, and keep your eye out for early-bird registration to Snow Machine Queenstown 2024. Images: Chris Kay / Pat Stevenson / Han Lowther / Daniel Hilderbrand.
Melbourne's winter gets a particularly bad rap, but it doesn't have to be all gloom, doom and nights spent hibernating on the couch. Between new, free illuminated festivals and after-dark celebrations of fire, mid-week food festivals and bars with fireplaces, there are plenty of ways to embrace the chilly season in style. Adding to Melbourne's cosy winter calendar is this collection of bookable private igloos, popping up once again at bars and pubs across town until the end of winter. Making their home at three Australian Venue Co haunts across the cooler months, the Winter Igloo Gardens feature a series of translucent domes, with each pod decked out like a dreamy winter wonderland. With space for up to eight diners (depending on igloo sizing), they're kitted out with snuggly furnishings and twinkling fairy lights, offering a cosy private space for a romantic winter date or that group catch-up over dinner and drinks. Menus and packages vary between the three Igloo Gardens, though whichever you choose, all food and drink orders can be pre-paid at the time of booking, so you can avoid pesky trips to the bar and stay happily ensconced in your private winter cocoon. So where can you find these winter oases, you ask? A batch of igloos has already landed in Footscray at the Station Hotel, where they're available to book for two hours at a time for groups of two to six. Here, you can settle in over a $80 three-course feed — think, wagyu tartare with truffle and black garlic mayo, and a porterhouse with lashings of bearnaise — matched with a welcome drink on arrival and sticky date pudding for dessert. Over in the CBD, Wharf Hotel is joining the igloo party, with its pods for two to eight guests boasting views across the river. This one's ideal for snackers and grazers — you can order a loaded grazing board platter, one main and team it with the likes of mulled wine or a couple of espresso martinis, for $79 per person. Finally, for the first time ever, a garden of winter igloos will land in Sunbury, in a date-friendly, snow-coated courtyard at the Ball Court Hotel. Serving a three-course, shared-style menu, $39 will get you a range of entrees including beef sliders, mac and cheese croquettes and calamari. Mains include loaded fries and a pizza of choice, with petit fours to finish. Find the Winter Igloo Gardens at the Station Hotel in Footscray, the Wharf Hotel in the CBD, and the Ball Court Hotel in Sunbury. For further details and to book, see individual venue websites.
Here at Concrete Playground, we're big proponents of the night-time economy. Cities that keep things moving after dark often offer the best in food, beverages and culture. And while Australians are notorious morning people (who love their 8am flat whites), data from Visa has shown that we still find a lot of value in getting out in the evening. The Visa Australia Night-time Economy Index 2025 is a new in-depth analysis measuring data such as spending, vibrancy, venues open and even the number of nightworkers who are boosting the economy after dark. According to the data, Melburnians are getting off the couch the most frequently and spending their hard-earned dollars on bars, restaurants, and late-night feeds. Sydney and its surrounding metro areas also nabbed 12 of the 20 top night-time hotspots, proving that the city is slowly bouncing back from its lockout laws. Of course, it's not exactly surprising that the two most populous East Coast cities are ruling the after-dark economy. However, there are also several regional areas, such as Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, that are tapping their cards once the sun sets. Canberra is also increasing its evening spending, thanks to tourists and the opening of more eateries. To learn more about the future of the night-time economy and what's trending after dark right now, Concrete Playground's Managing Editor, Eliza Campbell and Staff Writer Alec Jones shared their insights. CP: Melbourne was named the number one night-time hotspot in Australia according to data from Visa. Does this surprise you? Eliza: It doesn't surprise me at all. This city has an inherent underground nature that invites you to always be exploring and looking beyond the surface — particularly after dark. And nightlife isn't limited to weekends, either. Between gallery exhibitions, secret music gigs and speakeasy bars, there's something to get lost in at all hours, any day of the week. CP: 12 out of 20 of the night-time hotspots were in Sydney and its metro areas. What's your favourite thing about Sydney after dark? Alec: This began to pick up in late 2023 after we all shook off the last of lockdown fever, but it's that feeling of merriment in the air. It's like static electricity. Walking past busy bars and restaurants in suburbs like Darlinghurst, Surry Hills, and Newtown, hearing the chatter and seeing people share food and drinks with their friends and family, it never fails to make me smile. CP: What's one trend you're seeing emerge in the night-time economy that excites you? Eliza: The resurgence of secret gigs and DJ sets. I love the idea of last-minute announcements to see some of the world's best artists in intimate settings — first-come, first-served. There's less of a distinction between going to a live gig and going to a bar now. We want once-in-a-lifetime cultural experiences that blend seamlessly into the fabric of our city's nightlife, and I'm so here for it. Alec: Venues in Sydney that are really performing are the ones with a loyal audience, but also a hook. Something you can't find anywhere else, whether it's on the menu or just in the space. People aren't going out just to get drunk or have a feed; they're doing it to go to these specific places. [caption id="attachment_885691" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Above Board[/caption] CP: What's your top tip for planning the perfect night out? Eliza: Have a rough outline of the kind of evening you want to have — but leave room for spontaneous adventures. There's nothing worse than not knowing where to go or what to do next, but equally, some of the best nights are all about the memories you make getting from point A to point B. CP: What's a venue or precinct that gets the night-time experience right? Alec: YCK Laneways in the Sydney CBD has actually done a great job of revitalising an area that doesn't really scream "nightlife." The bars in that area are some of the most interesting venues you'll find in the city and are all within walking distance of one another (and your bus or train home). Eliza: One of my favourite Melbourne venues that absolutely nails the night-time experience is Collingwood's Beermash — and its (somewhat secret) adjoining speakeasy bar, Above Board. Beermash spotlights independent craft beer and wine producers and lets you take-away or drink-in at bottleshop prices. Al fresco drinks on the Smith Street terrace can be followed by award-winning cocktails upstairs in what's, in my opinion, one of Melbourne's most unique hidden bars. From casual and fun to cosy and intimate — the perfect evening trajectory. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Beermash (@beermash) [caption id="attachment_1025682" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Hyde Park[/caption] CP: How is nightlife intersecting with other parts of culture (like art, fashion, live music) in interesting ways right now? Eliza: What's interesting about the intersection of nightlife and culture right now is that there's less separation than ever before. With the rise of low- and no-alcohol trends, nightlife in 2025 isn't just about partying or bar-hopping anymore. People still want to experience their city after dark — but that now spans the full spectrum of the arts: galleries and museums staying open late, fashion infiltrating the food and drink scene, and live music spilling out from bandrooms into public (and often free-entry) spaces across the city. CP: Where's your favourite after-dark venue? Eliza: An after-dark venue needs good music, good drinks and just the right amount of grunge. For me, that's Heartbreaker in the CBD. Catch me screaming post-punk revival with a negroni in hand in the early hours of the morning. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Heartbreaker Bar 💔 (@heartbreakerbar) Alec: Crows Nest on the lower North Shore has exploded since the Metro station opened, Parramatta is packed with great venues, and love it or hate it, Bondi continues to be iconic without trying very hard. Ask a local who lives in a different part of Sydney from you and follow their advice. [caption id="attachment_994726" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Carriageworks[/caption] CP: What do you hope to see more of in our after-dark spaces from both venues and councils? Eliza: I'll always scream and shout about supporting the Arts. Free entertainment like live music, performance and exhibitions not only supports our incredible local arts community but also helps people stay connected to the endlessly inspiring, exciting and thought-provoking creative industries — especially in tough political and economic climates. The more we can bring people together, the better. Alec: Regular events like night markets consistently draw big crowds from locals, but what if instead of the same old gozleme and chips-on-a-stick stands, we got famous restaurants from around Sydney to get involved? That'd help connect communities with food and drink they can't usually find on their side of whatever the closest bridge is (we don't cross any of them enough). CP: For people who say, "There's nothing to do after 9pm anymore", what would you tell them? Alec: You're not trying very hard. You can find something really cool if you just look a little bit harder. Eliza: I'd say, "Where are you? Obviously not in Melbourne." Discover the vibe near you. Lead image: FG Trade Latin / Getty
The days of trying to fashion a full meal out of four ingredients a la Aristos The Surprise Chef (aka that guy that used to ambush unsuspecting shoppers in Coles and beg to cook them dinner) are over. You can do better than pasta with garlic and olive oil, and we all know it. Thanks to some great local suppliers, broadening your culinary horizons has never been so easy. These days, most local shopping strips have a speciality cheese supplier, organic food store and/or a fresh fruit shop — so you don't have to search high and low to find what you're after. And, to make it even easier, we've teamed up with American Express to create this list of grocery go-tos. So, bookmark this for the next time you're in need of some truffle oil/galangal/'nduja. These local spots will have what you need and, as an added bonus, they all accept your American Express Card. Next stop, Iron Chef.
Fiji has cemented its ongoing status as one of the go-to island holiday destinations for Australian travellers. It's a little further abroad than local spots like The Whitsundays and Bali, but the beaches and rainforests of the South Pacific are magical enough to warrant the extra miles. While you may have spotted honeymooners and influencers paddling about luxury bungalows on stilts in the middle of a private bay (and wished to join) you don't have to empty the bank account to enjoy some of these 300 islands. Instead, you can island hop at your own pace and budget, finding the best hidden beaches and reefs within the archipelago. Here are some of our favourite spots to help you start planning your next Fiji trip. [caption id="attachment_877268" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Fiji[/caption] YASAWA ISLANDS This group of 20 volcanic islands is known for being accessible to people on just about any budget. Within small villages, you can find family-run hostels and hotels as well as larger luxury resorts. But one of the most appealing parts of visiting the Yasawa Islands is the culture. Here, you are significantly more likely to come across locals living a traditional island life, running small eateries and fishing off the shores. Unlike the privately owned islands, these haven't been paved and manicured for tourists. Getting around the islands is also super easy. You can arrive here by ferry and island hop using their Bula Pass — it's essentially a hop-on, hop-off boat pass for the local islands. No need to get a helicopter or private boat to see the best of these authentic parts of the country. [caption id="attachment_877285" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Get Lost[/caption] KADAVU ISLAND Kadavu is Fiji's fourth largest island and perfect for travellers looking for adventure. The island has been purposely kept wild, letting nature do its thing. Head to Kadavu Island for hikes up into dense vine-covered forests to find hidden waterfalls and natural springs. Or take to the water on sea kayak tours, paddling from lagoon to lagoon, stopping off at small coral reefs and local villages along the way. You can also take longer treks out to The Great Astrolabe Reef, one of the largest barrier reefs in the world, for more snorkelling and incredible bucket list scuba diving. Despite being just a 50-minute flight from Nadi (where international flights arrive and depart), this island feels far off the beaten path. The stress and hustle of the big city grind will seem a million miles away while you explore this tropical wilderness. [caption id="attachment_877276" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kokomo Private Island[/caption] MAMANUCA ISLANDS These famous islands are more orderly and landscaped than the previously mentioned destinations but they're far from being a Joni Mitchell song: they haven't totally paved this paradise yet. You'll find some of most beautiful white sand beaches in these parts alongside a smattering of resorts and private beach clubs. Spend your days island hopping by boat, jet ski or kayak to explore some of the 20 picturesque islands. Great surf breaks are also a starring feature in these parts, with the famous heart-shaped Tiny Tavurua and Namotu island resorts being perfectly situated for any activities involving stellar waves. Another big drawcard for the Mamanuca Islands, is the ease at which you can get here. It takes about 20 minutes to get here from Nadi via ferry. And, thanks to its popularity, it's also simple to organise trips around the islands — either ask your accommodation to recommend a good one or find your favourite guide hawking their tours on the beach. Editor's tip: book a romantic seven-night holiday at an adult's only resort here (which includes all transfers, a couple's massage and a dolphin safari tour). [caption id="attachment_877272" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Malamala Beach Club by Brook Sabin[/caption] VANUA LEVU If you're truly wanting to get away from the tourist crowds head to Vanua Levu, the second largest island in Fiji. Here, you'll find just one paved road which connects the two main towns of Labasa and Savusavu (as well as plenty of dirt tracks where the buses and cars will still traverse). Explore the rambling countryside, hike up into the hills and hit up some of the peaceful beaches. When staying here, make sure you also visit the neighbouring island of Taveuni. It's another of Fiji's forgotten islands (at least when it comes to international travellers), but boasts the stunning Bouma National Heritage Park — a haven for hikers and bird watchers, and home to the famous Tavoro Falls and pools. [caption id="attachment_877286" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Elliot Grafton[/caption] LOMAIVITI ISLANDS A collection of 16 islands make up this region to the east of Viti Levu, the main island of Fiji, and they are significantly less touristy than the Mamanucas and Yasawa Islands. The inner islands of this group are relatively developed and welcome a small number of tourists regularly. But, as soon as you get to those on the outer islands and the even-further-afield Lau islands, you find yourselves significantly more isolated. It's a lot harder to travel these parts, with only the most patient and well-prepared travellers heading beyond — to be well rewarded for their efforts. When visiting the Lomaiviti Islands, we recommend you stay on Ovalau or one of its nearby islands which are all connected by colourful coral reefs. Come here to get away from the crowds and experience a more chill island life. [caption id="attachment_877270" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Fiji[/caption] 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. Top images: Turtle Island Resort
For more than two decades, acclaimed New York artist Spencer Tunick has been staging mass nude photographs in Australia — and he isn't done yet. Sydneysiders, or anyone who's keen to disrobe for a new piece of art, you'll want to be in the Harbour City at the end of November. Your destination: a yet-to-be-disclosed beach. It's been 21 years since the country's first taste of the internationally famed talent's work, when 4500 naked volunteers posed for a snap near Federation Square in Melbourne as part of the 2001 Fringe Festival. Tunick then photographed around 5000 nude people in front of the Sydney Opera House during the 2010 Mardi Gras, headed back to Melbourne in 2018 shoot over 800 Melburnians in the rooftop carpark of a Prahran Woolworths, and went to the Whitsundays with almost 100 Aussies in 2019. Elsewhere, he's photographed the public painted red and gold outside Munich's Bavarian State Opera, covered in veils in the Nevada desert and covered in blue in Hull in the UK. But with his new Aussie installation, he's getting sandy and raising funds for — and awareness about — skin cancer. Saturday, November 26 is the date earmarked for the shoot, with Sunday, November 27 on hold in case the weather isn't quite right for naked folks on the beach. Tunick is hoping to amass around 2500 volunteers, with each participant honouring one of the 2000-plus Aussies who pass away each year due to skin cancer. "Skin unites us and protects us. It's an honour to be a part of an art mission to raise awareness of the importance of skin checks. I use the amazing array of body types and skin tones to create my work, so it feels perfectly appropriate to take part in this effort in that my medium is the nude human form," said Tunick, announcing his new installation. "It is only fitting that I use my platform to urge people to get regular check-ups to prevent skin cancer. I have not had a skin check in ten years, so I am one of the many who have wrongly ignored getting them regularly. One can say I am traveling all the way to Australia to get one!", Tunick continued. Dubbed Strip Off for Skin Cancer, the artist's latest work is timed to coincide with National Skin Cancer Action Week, which runs from Monday, November 21–Sunday, November 27 — and it is looking for volunteers. Tunick hopes to have a diverse mix of bodies in the shoot, with participants each getting a print of the photograph and, we're sure, a big boost of body confidence. The catch here is, of course, the location. Exact details of where the shoot is taking place will only be given to folks signing up — but if you're not usually located in Sydney, you will need to travel there at your expense. Those that do will not only be part of a piece art, but will also help a great cause. Strip Off for Skin Cancer will be shot on Saturday, November 26 on a Sydney beach. Head to the installation's website to register to take part. Images: Spencer Tunick.
While wallet-friendly price points and a penchant for the flat-pack can often see IKEA's designs pitched as short-term furniture, the Swedish retailer is keen to shake off those perceptions. And how better to do so than by teaming up with an acclaimed design company for a clever new collection? The latest move in IKEA's push towards longevity is a statement range called Ypperlig, created in collaboration with Danish designers HAY. Launching this October, it's a collection of basics crafted for contemporary styling, drawing on HAY's flair for functionality and aesthetics. According to Rolf Hay, one half of the husband-and-wife duo behind the design company, the project proved an all-round win. "It's fair to say that HAY and IKEA are two very different companies," he acknowledged. "But when we started talking to IKEA it became very clear that we shared many perspectives on design." Unlike some of IKEA's more ubiquitous designs, this is a range of furniture and accessories you won't want to get rid of in a hurry — each piece clever, yet understated, sleek and undeniably Danish. Expect nifty products like a slimline LED lamp complete with in-built touch dimmer, hand-painted stoneware vases, a contemporary take on the classic Scandinavian plank table and a spring mattress sofa bed that's actually comfy enough to sleep on. HAY has even redesigned the iconic blue Ikea shopping bag, working in a range of new colours and weave patterns. The best part about this HAY x IKEA collaboration is that you can purchase a HAY piece for IKEA prices. While a HAY chair retails for around $200–400, one from their IKEA collaboration will set you back less than $100. The HAY x IKEA Ypperlig collection will go on sale this month. To browse the collection, visit ikea.com.
Before the pandemic, when a new-release movie started playing in cinemas, audiences couldn't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the past few years forcing film industry to make quite a few changes — widespread movie theatre closures will do that, and so will plenty of people staying home because they aren't well — that's no longer always the case. Maybe you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Perhaps you've been under the weather. Given the hefty amount of titles now releasing each week, maybe you simply missed something. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their new releases from cinemas to streaming recently — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here are nine that you can watch right now at home. THE KILLER A methodical opening credits sequence that's all about the finer points, as seen in slivers and snippets, set to industrial strains that can only stem from Trent Reznor, with David Fincher and Andrew Kevin Walker's names adorning the frame, for a film about a murderer being chased. In 1995, Se7en began with that carefully and commandingly spliced-together mix — and magnificently. Fincher and Walker now reteam for the first time since for The Killer, another instantly gripping thriller that starts in the same fashion. It also unfurls as a cat-and-mouse game with a body count, while sporting an exceptional cast and splashing around (exactingly, of course) the full scope of Fincher's filmmaking mastery. This movie's protagonist is detail-obsessive to a calculating degree, and the director bringing him to cinematic life from Matz's graphic novels of the same name also keeps earning that description. The Fight Club, The Social Network and Mank helmer couldn't be more of a perfectionist about assembling The Killer just so, and the feature couldn't be more of a testament to his meticulousness. Fincher's love of crime and mysteries between Se7en and The Killer has gifted audiences The Game, Panic Room, Zodiac, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Gone Girl and Mindhunter, which have always felt like different books from a series rather than a director flipping through the same tome over and over. So it is with Michael Fassbender's long-awaited return to the screen after a four-year absence — X-Men: Dark Phoenix was has his last credit before this — which sees Fincher and his star aping each other in an array of ways. As well as being oh-so-drawn to minutiae, as the eponymous character reinforces in his wry narration, this duo of filmmaker and fictional assassin-for-hire are precise and compulsive about refashioning something new with favourite tools. For The Killer, it's fresh avenues to fulfill his deadly occupation until everything goes awry. For the man who kicked off his feature career with Alien³ and now collaborates with a Prometheus and Alien: Covenant alum, it's plying his own trade, too. The Killer is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. PAST LIVES Call it fate, call it destiny, call it deeply feeling like you were always meant to cross paths with someone: in Korean, that sensation is in-yeon. Partway through Past Lives, aspiring writer Nora (Greta Lee, Russian Doll) explains the concept to fellow scribe Arthur (John Magaro, The Many Saints of Newark) like she knows it deep in her bones, because both she and the audience are well-aware that she does. That's what writer/director Celine Song's sublime feature debut is about from its first frames to its last. With Arthur, Nora jokes that in-yeon is something that Koreans talk about when they're trying to seduce someone. There's truth to her words, because she'll end up married to him. But with her childhood crush Hae Sung (Teo Yoo, Decision to Leave), who she last saw at the age of 12 because her family then moved from Seoul to Toronto, in-yeon explains everything. It sums up their firm connection as kids, the instant spark that ignites when they reunite in their 20s via emails and Skype calls, and the complicated emotions that swell when they're finally in the same place together again after decades — even with Arthur in the picture as well. Song also emigrated to Canada with her parents as a pre-teen, but achieves that always-sought-after feat: making a movie that feels so intimately specific to its characters, and yet resonates so heartily and universally. Each time that Nora and Hae Sung slide back into each other's lives, it feels like no time has passed, but that doesn't smooth their way forward. Crafted to resemble slipping into a memory, complete with lingering looks and a transportingly evocative score, this feature knows every emotion that springs when you need someone and vice versa, but life has other plans. It feels the weight of the roads not taken, even when you're happy with the route you're on. It's a film about details — spying them everywhere, in Nora and Hae Sung's lives and their faces, while recognising how the best people in anyone's orbits spot them as well. Lee, Yoo and Magaro are each magnetic and magnificent, as is everything about this sensitive, blisteringly honest and intimately complex masterpiece. Past Lives is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. THE CREATOR Science fiction has never been afraid of unfurling its futuristic visions on the third rock from the sun, but the resulting films have rarely been as earthy as The Creator. Set from 2065 onwards, after the fiery destruction of Los Angeles that could've come straight out of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, this tale of humanity battling artificial intelligence is visibly awash with technology that doesn't currently exist — and yet the latest movie from Monsters, Godzilla and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story director Gareth Edwards couldn't look or feel more authentic and grounded. That isn't a minor feat. And, it doesn't simply stem from making a sci-fi flick with heart, which isn't a new move. Don't underestimate the epic yet intimate impact of seeing bold imaginings of what may come that have been lovingly and stunningly integrated with the planet's inherent splendour, engrained in everyday lives, and meticulously ensure that the line between what the camera can capture and special effects can create can't be spotted; The Creator hasn't. So, as undercover military operative Joshua (John David Washington, Amsterdam) is tasked with saving the world — that go-to science-fiction setup — robots walk and talk, spaceships hover, and everything from cars to guns are patently dissimilar to the planet's present state. Flesh-and-blood people aren't the only characters with emotional journeys and stakes, either, with AI everywhere. Even if The Creator didn't tell its viewers so, there's zero doubting that its events aren't taking place in the here and now. Edwards and cinematographers Greig Fraser (The Batman) and Oren Soffer (Fixation) know how to make this flight of fancy both appear and seem tangible, though. Indeed, The Creator earns a term that doesn't often come sci-fi's way when it comes to aesthetics: naturalistic. Also don't underestimate how gloriously and immersively that the film's striking and sprawling southeast Asian shooting locations not only gleam, but anchor the story. The Creator is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. FINGERNAILS In the world of Fingernails, 'Only You' isn't just a 1982 pop song that was made famous by Yazoo, is easy to get stuck in your head, and is now heard in this film in both French and English. It's also the philosophy that the first English-language feature by Apples filmmaker Christos Nikou has subscribed its characters to as it cooks up a sci-fi take on romance. In a setup somewhat reminiscent of Elizabeth Holmes' claims to have revolutionised blood testing (see: The Dropout), Fingernails proposes an alternative present where love can be scientifically diagnosed. All that's needed: an extracted plate of keratin, aka the titular digit-protecting covering. At organisations such as The Love Institute, couples willingly have their nails pulled out — one apiece — then popped into what resembles a toaster oven to receive their all-important score. Only three results are possible, with 100 percent the ultimate in swooning, 50 percent meaning that only one of the pair is head over heels and the unwanted zero a harbinger of heartbreak. When Fingernails begins, it's been three years since teacher Anna (Jessie Buckley, Women Talking) and her partner Ryan (Jeremy Allen White, The Bear) underwent the exam, with the long-term duo earning the best possible outcome — a score that's coveted but rare. Around them, negative results have led to breakups and divorces as society's faith is placed not in hearts and souls, but in a number, a gimmick and some tech gadgetry (one of the sales pitches, though, is that finding out before getting hitched will stop failed marriages). As their friends go the retesting route — satirising the need for certainty in affairs of the heart pumps firmly through this movie's veins — Anna hasn't been able to convince Ryan to attend The Love Institute as a client. She's soon spending her days there, however, feeding her intrigue with the whole scenario as an employee. When she takes a job counselling other pairs towards hopeful ever-after happiness, she keeps the career shift from her own significant other. Quickly, she has something else she can't tell Ryan: a blossoming bond with her colleague Amir (Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal). Fingernails is available to stream via Apple TV+. Read our full review. FAIR PLAY Getting engaged isn't meant to be bloody, but that's how Fair Play starts: with joy, love, passion and bodily fluids. What is and isn't supposed to happen is a frequent theme in writer/director Chloe Domont's feature debut, an erotic thriller set both within the heady relationship between Emily (Phoebe Dynevor, Bridgerton) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich, Oppenheimer), and also in the slick, fast-paced, high-stakes world of New York finance — familiar territory for its Billions alum filmmaker, who also has Suits and Ballers on her resume. The blood arrives via a bathroom tryst at Luke's brother's (Buck Braithwaite, Flowers in the Attic: The Origin) wedding. He pops under her dress, she has her period, he drops the ring that he was going to propose with, she says yes, and next they're betrothed and fleeing out the window to go home. Staged to feel woozily, authentically romantic, the occasion seems perfect to this head-over-heels pair anyway, even if it leaves their clothes stained. Yes, Domont is playing with symbolism from the outset. Lust isn't a problem for Emily and Luke, clearly, but they've become experts at keeping everything about being together away from work out of necessity. The duo each chases big dreams at the same hedge fund, which has a firm no-dating policy for its employees. So, when they wake up, dress and step out the door the next day, they go their separate ways to end up at the one place — and Emily's finger is glaringly bare. Then something that they've both been hoping would happen does: a portfolio manager sitting above their analyst positions is fired. Next comes a development that they've each felt was meant to occur, too, with the word spreading around the office that's led by the icy Campbell (Eddie Marsan, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre) and his yes-man flunkey Paul (Rich Sommer, Minx) that Luke is in line for a promotion to fill the new vacancy. But when it turns out that it's Emily that's getting promoted instead, everything changes. Fair Play is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. PAIN HUSTLERS Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer) is Pain Hustlers best star. Chris Evans (Ghosted), Catherine O'Hara (Elemental), Andy Garcia (Expend4bles), Brian d'Arcy James (Love & Death) and Chloe Coleman (Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves) all leave an imprint as well in this pharma drama, but Blunt is the movie's knockout. She steps into the shoes of Liza Drake. Relentlessly adapting is the Floridian's normality; she's a single mother to teenager Phoebe (Coleman), who has epilepsy that requires surgical treatment that Liza can't afford, and also lives in her sister's garage while stringing together cash from whichever jobs she can find. It's at one such gig as an exotic dancer, where her talent for sizing up a scenario and making the most of it is rather handy, that Pete Brenner (Evans) crosses her path. He wants more than her barside banter, proposing that she comes to work for him. If he didn't want her to genuinely take it up, catapult his employer to success and have them in murky territory, he shouldn't have made the offer. Also apparent in Pain Hustlers: the latest on-screen takedown of the pharmaceutical industry and corresponding interrogation of the opioid crisis, aka one of pop culture's current topics du jour. Indeed, in only his second non-Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts film since 2007 (the other: The Legend of Tarzan), director David Yates happily relies upon the fact that this realm is common ire-inducing knowledge no matter whether you've read journalist Evan Hughes' coverage of Insys Therapeutics — including 'The Pain Hustlers', a New York Times Magazine article, then The Hard Sell: Crime and Punishment at an Opioid Startup, the non-fiction book that followed. First-time screenwriter Wells Tower draws upon both, but similarly knows that his fictionalisation rattles around a heavily populated domain. Stunning documentary All the Beauty and the Bloodshed earned an Oscar nomination, miniseries Dopesick picked up an Emmy, and both Painkiller and The Fall of the House of Usher have hit Netflix in 2023 — as will Pain Hustlers — while diving into the same subject. Pain Hustlers is available to stream via Netflix. Read our full review. IT LIVES INSIDE What's more terrifying than standing out at high school? It Lives Inside scares up an answer. Here, fitting in with the popular kids has haunting costs — literally — as Indian American teen Samidha (Megan Suri, Never Have I Ever) discovers. Her story starts as all memorable movies should: with a sight that's rarely seen on-screen. While beauty routines are familiar-enough film fodder, watching Sam shave her arms, then use skin tone-lightening filters on her photos, instantly demonstrates the lengths that she's going to for schoolyard approval. Among the white girls that she now calls friends, she also prefers to go by Sam. At home, she's increasingly hesitant to speak Hindi with her parents Inesh (Vik Sahay, Lodge 49) and Poorna (Neeru Bajwa, Criminal). And when it comes to preparing for and celebrating the Hindu ritual of puja, Sam would rather be elsewhere with Russ (Gage Marsh, Big Sky), the boy that she's keen on. It Lives Inside's frights don't spring from razors and social media, or from shortened names and superficial classmates; however, each one underscores how far that Sam is moving away from her heritage. Worse: they indicate how eagerly she's willing to leave her culture behind, too, a decision that's affected her childhood bond with Tamira (Mohana Krishnan, The Summer I Turned Pretty). As their school's only students with Indian backgrounds, they were once happily inseparable. Now Sam considers Tamira a walking reminder of everything that she's trying to scrub from her American identity. Keeping to herself — skulking around clutching a jar filled with a strange black substance, and virtually hiding behind her unbrushed hair — the latter has become the class outcast. So, when she asks Sam for help, of course no is the answer, a response that sparks consequences in this unease-dripping feature debut from writer/director Bishal Dutta. It Lives Inside is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Read our full review. TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM Before Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Seth Rogen and his regular behind-the-camera collaborator Evan Goldberg had more than a few hands in Sausage Party. Lewd and crude isn't their approach with pop culture's pizza-eating, sewer-dwelling, bandana-wearing heroes in a half shell, however. Instead, the pair is in adoring throwback mode. They co-write and co-produce. Platonic's Rogen also lends his vocals — but to warthog Bebop, not to any of TMNT: MM's fab four. That casting move is telling; this isn't a raunched-up, star voice-driven take on family-friendly fare like Strays and Ted, even when it's gleefully irreverent. Rather, it's a loving reboot spearheaded by a couple of patent fans who were the exact right age when turtle power was the schoolyard's biggest late-80s and early-90s force, and want to do Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo justice. Affection seeps through Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem as pivotally as ooze, the reason that there's even any adolescent marine reptiles that aren't at all like most of their species, and are also skilled in Japanese martial arts, within the franchise's narrative. Slime might visibly glow in this new animated TMNT movie, but the love with which the film has been made is equally as luminous. Indeed, the Spider-Verse-esque artwork makes that plain, openly following in the big-screen cartoon Spidey saga's footsteps. As it visually resembles lively high school notebook sketches under director Jeff Rowe (The Mitchells vs the Machines) and Kyler Spears' (Amphibia) guidance, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem feels exactly like the result of Rogen and Goldberg seeing Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, wondering how Leo and company would fare in a picture that aimed for the same visual flair, then making it happen. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. A HAUNTING IN VENICE Poirot goes horror in A Haunting in Venice. As unsettling as it was in its pointlessness and indulgence, Death on the Nile's moustache origin story doesn't quite count as doing the same. With Kenneth Branagh (Belfast) back directing, producing and starring as the hirsute Belgian sleuth for the third time — 2017's Murder on the Orient Express came first — Agatha Christie's famous detective now gets steeped in gothic touches and also scores the best outing yet under his guidance. The source material: the acclaimed mystery writer's 1969 novel Hallowe'en Party. Returning screenwriter Michael Green (Jungle Cruise) has given the book more than a few twists, the canal-lined Italian setting being one. Venice makes an atmospheric locale, especially on October 31, in the post-World War II era and amid a dark storm. But perhaps the most important move that A Haunting in Venice makes is Branagh reining in the showboating that became so grating in his first two Poirot movies. In relocating to the sinking island city and withdrawing from the whodunnit game, his new status quo when the film begins, A Haunting in Venice's Poirot has already done his own toning down. It's 1947, a decade after the events seen in A Death on the Nile, and bodyguard Vitale Portfoglio (Riccardo Scamarcio, The Translators) helps keep life quiet by sending away everyone who seeks the sleuth's help. The exception: Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey, Only Murders in the Building), a Christie surrogate who is not only also a celebrated author, but writes crime fiction based on Poirot (with Fey slipping into her shoes, she's a playful source of humour, too). When the scribe comes a-knocking, it's with an invite to a séance, where she's hoping that her pal will help her to discredit the medium, Joyce Reynolds (Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All At Once), who has the town talking. Then there's a death, pointed fingers and a need for Poirot's skills. A Haunting in Venice is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Looking for more at-home viewing options? Take a look at our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows — and fast-tracked highlights from January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September and October, too. You can also peruse our best new films, new TV shows, returning TV shows and straight-to-streaming movies of 2023 so far
How do you start the first-ever WorldPride held in the Southern Hemisphere? With an already-announced opening concert starring none other than Kylie Minogue, of course. How do you farewell the fun when the massive LGBTQIA+ festival is finished taking over Sydney in February and March 2023? The event has just started locking in those plans, too, with MUNA and G Flip headlining closing gig Rainbow Republic. Like the kick-off festivities, this one will take place in The Domain — and indie popsters MUNA will be making their Australian debut when they take to the stage. As for G Flip, the pivotal slot comes after they just played the AFL Grand Final, following one iconic event with another. When it takes place on Sunday, March 5, attendees can expect a seven-hour show filled with live music, DJs and dancing — a queer megamix, if you like. On hosting duties: Keiynan Lonsdale (Love, Simon, The Flash, Eden), who'll also perform. Peach PRC, Alter Boy, BVT and Vetta Borne have also been named on the bill. This is just the first lineup announcement, however, so expect more to follow. Sydney WorldPride has been announcing parts of its lineup since June, including the return of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade to Oxford Street after the 2021 and 2022 events were held at the Sydney Cricket Ground due to the pandemic — and it will drop its full 300-event program in November. As well as the parade, Kylie and Rainbow Republic, Sydney WorldPride will feature pride villages set up in sections of Crown Street and Riley Street, a giant weekend-long street party on Oxford Street, a Bondi beach party that'll turn the iconic sandy stretch into a club for 12,000 people, and a Blak & Deadly First Nations gala concert. Plus, there'll be another huge gig in The Domain — a dance party for 10,000, which is being dubbed as the biggest LGBQTIA+ outdoor dance party in Australia. RAINBOW REPUBLIC SYDNEY WORLDPRIDE CLOSING CONCERT LINEUP: MUNA G Flip Keiynan Lonsdale Peach PRC Alter Boy BVT Vetta Borne Sydney WorldPride will run from Friday, February 17–Sunday, March 5, 2023, with closing concert Rainbow Republic taking place at The Domain on Sunday, March 5. Tickets for Rainbow Republic are on sale now. For more information about Sydney WorldPride, or for general ticket sales, head to the event's website. Thinking about Sydney WorldPride's big opening gig, Live and Proud: Sydney WorldPride Opening Concert, too? General admission tickets have sold out, with only Sydney WorldPride's affordability option left — but you can still head along thanks to Concrete Playground Trips. The Sydney WorldPride package includes tickets to the Domain Dance Party and Live and Proud: Opening Concert, plus three nights at the PARKROYAL Darling Harbour Sydney.
Whenever Vivid takes over Sydney to kick off winter, the city instantly gets brighter. Unleashing a huge festival of lights and vibrant installations, live music, food and talks will do that, of course. Mark Friday, May 26–Saturday, June 17 in your calendars for 2023, with the annual festival returning — and with its just-announced program featuring more than 300 activations and events across its 23 days. Lights-wise, more than 50 installations will be bringing bursts of colour to the Harbour City, with public installations, 3D projections and ticketed events all part of the lineup. The Vivid Light Walk is back with free public works inspired by nature popping up from over 100 light collaborators and 26 international light artists from 13 countries. First Light will also return, celebrating Australia's original custodians and opening the festival with a performance from Yolngu supergroup Yothu Yindi. Other notable installations include Written in the Stars, which will see over 1000 drones like up the night sky; projections on the Sydney Opera House's sails from John Olsen; and a huge Tumbalong Park activation called Dance Together, which will have you shaking your hips underneath three giant floating rings suspended above your head. Plus, the previously announced Lightscape will also be a part of the program. The after-dark light festival will be taking over the Royal Botanic Garden from 5.30pm each night. Prepare to see the garden illuminated by immersive and large-scale installations scattered along a 2.1-kilometre route, including sparkling trees, luminous walkways and bursts of colour that look like fireworks. A big highlight: large-scale works like giant flowers and glowing tunnels, both of which will make you feel like you're being bathed in radiance. Vivid 2022 marked the first time food was given its own spot on the lineup with the inaugural Vivid Dinner, and this year the festival's gone one better with a full-sized food program celebrating Sydney's hospitality scene. Standout moments from this portion of the festival include the return of the Vivid Dinner, this time with chefs Ben Greeno and Danielle Alvarez at the helm; and a revamp of Luke Mangan's restaurant on top of a Sydney Harbour Bridge pylon that will give guests the chance to take in the lights from atop the bridge accompanied by wine and snacks from the acclaimed chef. The Vivid Fire Kitchen will bring smoked meats and barbecues to Barangaroo's The Cutaway, the Carriageworks Night Markets will also make a one-off comeback during the festival, and a series of residencies will see Barangaroo House and Mary's underground taken over with a mix of food, wine, music and art. Beyond the official Vivd Food program is a heap of special activities planned across a huge number of vendors within the CBD including a special limited edition Vivid-only creation from Black Star Pastry in The Galeries — the yuzu and raspberry flavoured 'glonut' finished with icing designed with vibrant orange and pink polka dots (only available Saturday until 17th June). Meanwhile at the QVB, for those wanting to indulge in a more sophisticated culinary experience, Manon Brasserie is inviting guests to unwind, Paris-style, on the street-side tables and take in the special happy hour menu conceived just for Vivid crowds. And if you really want to elevate your happy options, Golden Hour at Reign will be serving drinks special and bar snacks for champagne aficionados including $20 Mumm 'Grand Cordon' Champagne (a real bargain, trust us) from 5pm to 7pm every Wednesday to Sunday throughout the festival. [caption id="attachment_892843" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] Music is always a huge component of the festival, and this year's lineup does not disappoint. The Sydney Opera House has rolled out a predictably showstopping and diverse mix of artists, starting with Devonté Hynes (also known as Blood Orange) performing selected classical works with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The bill also features José González celebrating the 20th anniversary of his album Veneer, Cat Power recreating and reinterpreting a 1966 performance by Bob Dylan, and appearances from the likes of Thundercat, Yaeji, Ella Mai, Weyes Blood, Hiatus Kaiyote, Ethel Cain, Sleaford Mods, Squarepusher, Iceage, Kimbra and Budjerah. The Opera House's studio parties are also making a return, with party collectives Mad Racket, Picnic, Future Classic and House of Mince all bringing the tunes to the venue's artist studios until the early hours. Outside of the Sydney Opera House, Vivid's music lineup will include A Bend in the River: A Celebration of the Life & Music of Archie Roach at the Sydney Town hall with Paul Kelly, Emma Donovan, Dan Sultan, Kutcha Edwards and Becca Hatch among the friends, collaborators and contemporaries that will perform during the tribute. [caption id="attachment_892841" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Archie Roach, Lisa Businovski[/caption] Tumbalong Park will again host 12 nights of free live music featuring Yothu Yindi, Hatchie, Kaiit, A.Girl, Ziggy Ramo, Cornelius and a celebration of 15 years of triple j's Unearthed High competition. And, Carriageworks has curated a genre-spanning lineup with the like soft Desire Marea, Flying Lotus, Molchat Doma, Liv.e, Floodlights and Soft Centre. Rounding out the lineup is Vivid Ideas, which will feature 60 talks and workshops spanning love, community, authenticity, body positivity and sustainability. World-renowned British author Jeanette Winterson will be in the country for her talk LIFE AND MARS: The Future of Human; Could the Ocean be the Solution? will explore how technology is helping to clean up the world's oceans; and Melbourne-based artists have created NOCTURNE, an immersive journey through The Rocks. If you want to get into the nitty-gritty of the program, you can head to the Vivid Sydney website. Yes, you'd best clear your calendar for the end of May and the first few weeks of June — Vivid is about to keep you mighty busy. Vivid Sydney 2023 will run from Friday, May 26–Saturday, June 17. For further information and tickets, head to the event's website.
It's free, it's a summer staple, and it's a reason to spend two days partying at the St Kilda Foreshore and its surroundings. The event: St Kilda Festival, the bayside fest that notches up 43 years in 2024. As always, it knows how to celebrate — and it's enlisting help from Mallrat, Mo'Ju, Bag Raiders, Budjerah, Mark Seymour and the Undertow, and Northeast Party House. 2024's music lineup isn't short on big names, clearly, as split across two days. On Saturday, February 17, the festival is bringing back the First Peoples First program that heroes Indigenous music and culture, which it launched in 2023. Mo'Ju will be joined by Ziggy Ramo, Richard J Frankland, Wildfire Manwurrk, The Merindas and more on the main stage, while the day's garden stage lineup starts with Charlie Needs Braces, Canisha and Sedriece. Saturday's event will span a sunset ceremony as well. Just like last year again, Sunday, February 18 has been dubbed the Big Festival Sunday, which is where Bag Raiders, Mallrat, Budjerah, Thandi Phoenix, 1300, Mark Seymour and The Undertow, and others come in. There'll be a six-stage setup, with Telenova, RVG, Big Words, Jewel Owusu and The New Monos among the other talents featured. Alongside more than 60 acts hitting the stage across the entire festival, St Kilda Festival's lineup includes dance, sports demonstrations and workshops, plus roving entertainment, markets and stalls for grabbing a bite — so, enough to keep 400,000-plus attendees mighty busy and loving it over a big weekend. St Kilda Festival 2024 Lineup: First Peoples First — Saturday, February 17: Main Stage: Mo'Ju Ziggy Ramo Richard J Frankland Wildfire Manwurrk The Merindas Eleanor Jawurlngali Triad Birren Singing Our Futures presented by the Archie Roach Foundation O'Donnell Garden Stage: Charlie Needs Braces Canisha Sedriece Katie Aspel Pirritu Liv & The Dream Birren Big Festival Sunday — Sunday, February 18 : Main Stage Bag Raiders Mallrat Budjerah Thandi Phoenix 1300 Mark Seymour & The Undertow Singing Our Futures presented by the Archie Roach Foundation Cointreau Summer Stage: Northeast Party House Forest Claudette Gut Health Sunfruits Kinder J-Milla Chela Maya Vice O'Donnell Garden Stage: Telenova Adam Noviello CD Titration Hard No The Heights Lotte Gallagher Goodbye Butterfly For families: NV Dance Studio Riot Baby Woody's World Whistle & Trick Team Dream Triangle Stage: RVG Big Words Wildfire Manwurrk The Slingers Chikchika Cool Sounds Platonic Sex New Music Stage: Jewel Owusu Mudrat Tab Family Lewis Coleman Romanie Mulga Bore Hard Rock Brekky Boy Mathilde Anne Good Pash Winten Locals Stage: The New Monos The Miffs Bernadette Novembre John Wayne Parsons Tanya George Bailey Judd KP Hydes JHM Tristan Heath Louis St Kilda Festival 2024 will take over the St Kilda Foreshore and surrounds from Saturday, February 17– Sunday, February 18 — head to the festival's website for further details. Top images: Joshua Braybrook / TJ Garvie / J Forsyth.
Wearing a pair of R.M. Williams says 'I'm ready for anything'. You could be going to the pub, walking into a work meeting or heading out to the farm to milk the cows. Sparkly footwear doesn't quite conjure up the same feelings of practicality. Well, until R.M. Williams released a special run of boots in gold metallic. For the past two years, the Aussie bootmaker has released a limited run of metallic gold boots to much fanfare — the shoes sold out quicker than most of us could transfer all our money into one bank account to pay for them. So we're sure more than a few people will be happy to hear that R.M.s will release a new limited edition metallic boot, this time in silver. This time it's the women's Millicent boot that has received the sparkly treatment. As with each R.M. boot, these have been crafted out of a single piece of leather and feature the same slim shape, elegant stitching and tapered heel cuban heel of the regular Millicent range. Each pair will be made to order, so expect a two-week delivery timeframe. R.M.s are arguably Australia's most iconic shoe. From a modest start in the Adelaide outback servicing the stockmen and women of the heartland, 85 years later, a diverse range of people still wear the boots — from farmers in the outback, to corporate businessmen, to the style set at fashion week. Australian designer Dion Lee has used R.M.s regularly in campaign shoots and runway shows, even creating his own for New York Fashion Week in 2014. Continuing to embrace contemporary styles and adapting to modern fashion without sacrificing their DNA has surely guaranteed the longevity of this historic label. This latest addition to the women's range is only available online. At $545 a pair, they're not exactly cheap — but if you're looking for an investment piece, a pair of R.M.s is the very definition of the phrase. If you ask nicely, maybe someone will chip in for them for Christmas. R.M. Williams' silver Millicent boots are available to order now at rmwilliams.com.au.
The time-honoured Italian tradition of aperitivo has been embraced by Australians. Across the country, heaps of bars and restaurants offer aperitivo specials — but have you ever tried throwing your own aperitivo hour at home with family and friends? Classic Italian apéritif brand Aperol is here to help you do just that. It has launched a series of Aperol Spritz @ 6pm experiences, which are hosted by some of the country's top chefs, musicians and artists. With these, you can try out new recipes, partake in virtual art classes and learn how to create the perfect playlist for your (socially distant and responsibly sized) get together. Keen to pair your spritz with some snacks? Saké Restaurant & Bar has shared three of its signature recipes that'll seriously impress your mates during your aperitivo hang. Learn how to whip up kingfish sashimi, karaage chicken with yuzu mayo and salmon hand rolls via an easy to follow video. Or, you can log on for a cooking class with Fratelli Fresh's culinary director Gabor Denes, who'll demonstrate how to make the restaurant's famous lasagna, as well as pappardelle, linguini and farfalle from scratch. There's also a music mixing session with DJ Niki Dé Saint — a musician who's played at Fashion Week Sydney and Paris, Melbourne's F1 Grand Prix and Vivid — who'll also share her top playlists to set the mood for your aperitivo, and a sunset-inspired painting class with artist and photographer Danielle Cross. There are a heap of prizes up for grabs, too, including $150 vouchers for Saké Restaurant & Bar in NSW, Queensland and Victoria, and an Aperol Spritz cocktail pack — with Aperol, prosecco, Fever Tree soda water, Aperol Spritz glasses and a jigger — delivered straight to your door. The cocktail pack competition is running weekly until July 12, and to enter you need to post a pic of you and your mates having a spritz on Instagram or Facebook and tag @aperolspritzau and #SpritzAt6. You can check out all the details over here. To check out all of the Aperol Spritz @ 6pm experiences and enter the competition, head on over to the Aperol website. Remember to Drinkwise. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
When it comes to travel, the early bird really does get the worm. Or in this case, the best value fares. Singapore Airlines has just launched its Early Bird Fare Deals, with flights taking off from all major cities and many regional centres through their partnership with Virgin Australia. And if you're a Type A planner, this is for you. From return fares like Adelaide to Brussels from $1,473, Sydney to Milan from $1,669 or Perth to Manchester from $1,555, Singapore Airlines' Early Bird Fares are full of great value options. Every Early Bird customer can unlock exclusive Pelago discounts on tours, passes and experiences — and KrisFlyer members booking selected European destinations can also earn 50% bonus KrisFlyer miles. So, if you're looking to lock in your holiday plans for 2026 at exceptional value, here's how to do it. Book High-Demand Destinations Early Paris in winter, Rome in summer, London in spring. Whenever you plan on taking off, Europe books out fast. The smart move? Secure your flights now. With Singapore Airlines' Early Bird fares, you can choose from more than 100 destinations, including popular spots like Milan, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Brussels. By the time everyone else is emailing their boss to ask for annual leave, you'll already have your dream itinerary locked in. Maximise Your Annual Leave Speaking of time off work, here's where organised travellers win big: mapping your trip around long weekends and public holidays. With a few carefully placed leave days, you can plan your trip abroad to perfection. For example, in 2026 Easter Monday lands on April 6. If you take the four days before (March 30–April 3) as annual leave, you'll end up with a ten-day break, perfect for a European spring escape. Planning ahead also gives you first pick on leave at work, and helps you line up those rare sweet spots where flights, events, and time off align. Time Your Trip Around the Seasons Australia's summer is Europe's low season, and vice versa. So, planning a future trip based on the season lets you dodge peak crowds and chase the weather that works best for you. You could swap the beach for ski slopes and hot chocolates in January, or book for August to catch the last long golden evenings of a European or North American summer. Luckily, the sale covers travel between January and September 2026 so you can choose your favourite time to go — just keep an eye on blackout dates. Avoid School Holidays Another bonus of forward planning? You can sidestep the chaos (and higher prices) of school holiday periods by travelling in the quieter in-between weeks with available Singapore Airlines' Early Bird Deals. Aiming for off-season windows means more choice, less crowding and smarter value. Plus, if you're travelling with the kids, the sooner you book your flights the more likely you are to nab those prime departure times — no 6am alarms or overnight layovers unless you want them. Reserve Bucket-List Experiences in Advance Want to dine at a three-Michelin-star restaurant in Paris, explore street markets in Ho Chi Minh City or snag tickets to Wimbledon? These experiences often sell out months in advance. By locking in flights now, you can get a head start on bookings that make a trip unforgettable. When you book a Singapore Airlines' Early Bird flight, you'll unlock exclusive Pelago perks (including up to 10% off tours, airport transfers and even Eurail passes) make ticking those experiences off even easier. Make the Most of Extra Rewards Booking early doesn't just save you money and give you something to look forward to, it adds extra value to your trip. With selected Early Bird bookings to Europe, KrisFlyer members can earn 50% bonus KrisFlyer miles to put towards their next trip. All Early Bird customers will unlock Pelago perks — including up to 10% off tours and passes, plus a free 1GB global roaming eSIM. There's a $10 Kris+ sign-up offer available for new users. All the more reason to get that 2026 trip out of the group chat and into the calendar. Don't Wait Until It's Too Late Singapore Airlines Early Bird Fare Deals run only until Tuesday, September 30 2025, with fares across Economy, Premium Economy and Business Class cabins. Book now, and by the time 2026 rolls around you'll be counting down the days, not scrambling for last-minute options. Find out more and book your Early Bird fare for select travel dates in 2026 here.
From agrarian restaurants and picturesque wineries to après-ski drinks, a foraging and cooking class, a farmers' market and even an oyster festival, Aotearoa New Zealand has a multitude of culinary experiences across every season. New Zealand's hospitality scene is known for using seasonal produce that's locally sourced or foraged, paired with drinks by local winemakers, brewers and distillers. To really take advantage of this mindful approach, time your visit with the epicurean experiences you want to sample or partake in, so you can savour the seasonal ingredients and admire the creative ways they're used. The beauty of Aotearoa New Zealand really starts to come to life through the different seasons. Cooler temperatures mean cosying up with award-winning cool-climate wines against views of the changing foliage and snowfall, while the warmer days of spring bring about al fresco dining, outdoor adventures and fresh seasonal produce. No matter when you visit, you're sure to be well looked after with a warm welcome and sense of manaakitanga, as locals share their knowledge and passion for the land. We teamed up with 100% Pure New Zealand to highlight some delectable drinking and dining destinations around New Zealand for each season, so you can plan your trip based on the time of year that most appeals to you. Flick the switch for seasonal dining experiences in autumn, winter and spring. Jump to switcher
Feeling bold to start 2023? Brave? Fearless? Ready to take on a new year, embrace life and show your spirit? That's the standard January vibe, but this year has a colour to match: Viva Magenta, aka the hue of the year according to the Pantone Colour Institute. Each year, Pantone's colour experts pick a tone for the 12 months ahead. As announced back in December 2022 but supremely relevant now that 2023 is actually here, its latest selection is Pantone 18-1750. This hue from the red family — a colour that Pantone says "vibrates with vim and vigour" — is meant to both set the trend for and sum up the year ahead. Pantone is never short on words for its picks of the year, and has also dubbed this tone as "a pulsating colour whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative". Viva Magenta is meant to be powerful and empowering, too, and a colour that "revels in pure joy, encouraging experimentation and self-expression without restraint — an electrifying and a boundaryless shade that is manifesting as a standout statement". View this post on Instagram A post shared by PANTONE (@pantone) "Viva Magenta welcomes anyone and everyone with the same verve for life and rebellious spirit. It is a colour that is audacious, full of wit and inclusive of all," Pantone's announcement continues. Explaining the decision, Pantone Colour Institute Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman said that the tone has a natural, primordial, galvanising feel to it. "Viva Magenta descends from the red family, and is inspired by the red of cochineal, one of the most precious dyes belonging to the natural dye family as well as one of the strongest and brightest the world has known." Expect to see all things Viva Magenta popping up around the place throughout 2023, with Pantone suggesting how it can be used in fashion and accessories, home decor, design and beauty, too. The new shade takes over from 2022's Very Peri, and 2021's Ultimate Gray and vibrant yellow Illuminating before that. In 2020, Pantone went with Classic Blue, while 2019's colour was Living Coral, 2018's was Ultra Violet and 2017's was Greenery. To find out more about Viva Magenta — and to check out all the previous Colours of the Year — head to the Pantone website.
Yarra Valley winery Helen & Joey Estate leapt into the world of dining and accommodation when they established Re'em, within its vast 200-acre property, in 2024. The site takes full advantage of the estate's rolling vineyard and ornamental lake, with the dining spaces and each of the 16 boutique rooms boasting views across the winery and the surrounding region. In the 80-seat restaurant, guests can cosy up in booths by floor-to-ceiling windows or head to the shaded terrace to sample an impressive selection of contemporary Chinese dishes, each of which has been designed to pair with the estate's wines. Helen & Joey's esteemed portfolio of wines spans four brands — Wayward Child, Re'em, Unicorn and Alicorn. The menu at Re'em is the work of Consultant Executive Chef, Mark Ebbels, who has worked at fine diners such as The Fat Duck in the United Kingdom, Bacchanalia in Singapore, and TarraWarra Estate just up the road in the Yarra Valley. Together with Head Chef Abe Yang, the menu is designed to celebrate the owners' Chinese heritage. Refined and reimagined dishes include duck croquettes with Peking sauce and steamed buns with whipped pork fat and chilli. Re'em has introduced Sunday yum cha, giving locals something to look forward to on the weekends, and Melburnians another reason to take a day trip to the Yarra Valley. The carefully designed yum cha menu was developed following a visit to China, where Ebbels and the co-owner of the estate, Helen Xu, travelled through the lively spice markets of Sichuan and visited Xu's ancestral home in Yiwu. The yum cha offering includes eight sharing dishes of your choice, accompanied by a glass of sparkling Unicorn NV Blanc de Blanc upon arrival. Go for bamboo shoot dumplings with mustard greens, scallop shumai with caviar, pork xiao long bao, barbecue kangaroo kung pao and fried rice with pine mushrooms. "I'm so excited to bring a yum cha experience to the Yarra Valley. In China, yum cha is a beautiful social ritual for conversation and community, a chance to connect with loved ones over great food. Growing up, we would have yum cha every Sunday, and it was a chance to come together at the end of a long week, to share stories, unwind, or celebrate the small joys in life," says Xu. The yum cha menu is available from noon to 3pm on Sundays. If you want to make a weekend out of it, you can upgrade to the Sunday Escape Yum Cha Edition offer, which includes an overnight stay, yum cha, welcome drinks and breakfast. Images: Neisha Breen.
When it comes to dazzling scenery, Tropical North Queensland is a technicolour dreamscape. Lakes are emerald green, and billabongs are turquoise blue, while the nearby rainforest canopies are dotted with brightly coloured birds and butterflies. Up north, the warm summer rains give way to heavenly autumn vegetation, with a dizzying array of tropical plants unfurling. The idea that the outback can only be beige and dusty is simply untrue in the tropics. So, read on to discover our picks for you to enjoy the bright green autumn scenes in the Tropical North Queensland outback this year.
