To celebrate World Coffee Day, Richmond's cult-favourite tart shop Tarts Anon will be giving away 100 of its newest creation — the espresso custard flan — free with coffee purchases. The one-day-only special sees croissant pastry and silky crème patisserie baked together and laced with espresso, resulting in a caffeinated twist on the traditional Portuguese tart. Whether you order a flat white, cappuccino or long black, with oat milk, almond or regular dairy, the free flan is yours — if you're among the first through the door. The giveaway will run from 8am until the first 100 pastries are snapped up, so you'll want to get in early. You'll find it all happening at Tarts Anon's light-filled flagship on Church Street. Tarts Anon's free espresso custard flans are only available on Wednesday, September 20, from 8am, for the first 100 customers.
What's better than catching waves at Urbnsurf, Melbourne's man-made surf park? Hopping on a board and living out your Point Break dreams, then watching Point Break on Urbnsurf's big screen afterwards. That's on the agenda this summer, with the Tullamarine spot announcing its first-ever outdoor cinema series. And yes, seeing Keanu Reeves play a surfing FBI agent trying to hunt down bank-robbing beach-lovers is definitely on the bill. The best surfing-themed action movie that's ever been made — the 1991 original, not the awful 2015 remake — is part of a six-film, six-night lineup that kicks off on Friday, November 26 and runs through until Saturday, December 11. This outdoor movie setup really couldn't proceed without it; Point Break does famously end in Victoria, after all. If you're keen to hang ten and watch a flick, you'll want to head by on Friday and Saturday nights — and you can even make a day of it from 2pm. That's when the food and beverage offering starts, including Gage Roads' brews and bites from Three Blue Ducks. Live music kicks off at 6pm each night, with the movie screening straight after sunset — so at around 8.30pm. Excellent Australian surfing documentary Girls Can't Surf will start the program, with iconic fellow surfing doco The Endless Summer also a big highlight. Or, you can see She Is the Ocean, Reckless Isolation and Andy Irons — Kissed By God, with tickets costing $30, or $20 if you're an Urbnsurf member. To get you in the mood, check out the trailer for Point Break below: Urbnsurf's first outdoor cinema series comes just over a month after the venue started pumping out waves again following Melbourne's latest lockdown. Indeed, it's been a chaotic couple of years for the surf park, after it made its grand debut in January 2020, only to endure a ping pong match of closures and reopenings ever since thanks to the pandemic. Located just 16-kilometres north of the CBD, the two-hectare space can thrown out up to 1000 waves per hour — day and night — with the waves coming from an 85-metre pier running down the centre of its lagoon. A series of pistons located on the pier push the water to the left, then to the right, to create the waves. Being ability to create waves means that the park is built for both pros who are looking for steep, barrelling waves and novices looking for a safe place to get their start in the surf. Urbnsurf's first outdoor cinema series kicks off on Friday, November 26, and will run on Friday and Saturday nights until Saturday, December 11. For further details, head to the Urbnsurf website.
It's been just a couple of months since the State Library of Victoria first showed off its wild side, hosting a huge week of gigs and dance parties as Melbourne Music Week's 2016 hub. Now, punters again have the chance to party in the usually grave-silent library after hours, with 3RRR transforming part of the space into a lively pop-up bar for two Friday nights this month. Set to rock the book stacks on January 13 and 20, the event ties in with the library's latest exhibition, ON AIR: 40 years of 3RRR, celebrating the history and evolution of one of Melbourne's best-loved radio stations. Each night of the pop-up will see RRR favourites like Chris Gill (Get Down), Steve Cross (Beat Orgy), and Sarah Smith (Breakfasters) spinning the tunes in the library foyer, as you knock back RRR cocktails on the Mr Tulk terrace and browse vinyl in the onsite bookstore, Readings. Even the library's galleries will be throwing open their doors, allowing a rare after-hours sneak peak at the current exhibition program. 3RRR's ON AIR pop-up bar is happening on January 13 and January 20, open 7-10pm. ON AIR: 40 years of 3RRR will run until January 29. Image: Pascal/Flickr.
While most people think of Hollywood as the movie capital of the world, in reality that title belongs to Mumbai. With an output of more than 1,000 feature films a year, India’s big-screen industry dwarfs its American counterpart, churning out comedies, dramas, action flicks and — of course — musicals, the best of which will be showcased in Australia as part of the third annual Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. Held at Hoyts Cinemas in Melbourne Central and Chadstone, this year’s festival will begin with a special 3D restoration of the 1975 action epic Sholay, introduced in person by its legendary star Amitabh Bachchan. From there the festival splits into four streams: Hurrah Bollywood focuses on the years’ biggest commercial hits, while Beyond Bollywood draws attention to smaller films produced outside Mumbai’s studio system. The New Voices section highlights independent works by fledgling directors, including Ritish Batra’s international festival favourite The Lunchbox. Lastly, From the Subcontinent features a collection of films from India’s neighbours in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal. In addition to the movies, the IFFM 2014 program contains a host of special events, including filmmaking masterclasses, guest Q&As and free screenings at Fed Square, plus a live Bollywood dance contest with a free trip to India for the winner. For the full IFFM program, visit the festival website.
A night out in the city, if planned properly, can be a joy. Picking multiple stops to wine and dine, followed by an after-dark activity — and maybe even a night away from home — will do the trick. Cap it off with a winning breakfast the next morning, and you're sorted. So, it's with great pleasure that we offer you a great night out, with your bookings, theatre tickets and dinner bill taken care of. Here are the deets: in celebration of & Juliet taking over the Regent Theatre, we're giving one of you (and your lucky plus-one) a spectacular night out in Melbourne. The rollicking high-energy stage show is powered by a fantastic Aussie cast and iconic pop songs from the last couple of decades. The premise of the show hypothesises what could've been for the star-crossed Juliet if she didn't meet her fate shortly after Romeo met his. But this is no Shakespearean tragedy — it's feel-good, exciting and will have you singing in your seats. We're making sure you make a night of it, too. As well as two tickets to the show (on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday between Tuesday, July 11 and Thursday, July 27), you'll score a $200 voucher for pre-show drinks at the deliciously refined Flinders Lane spot Hazel (pictured above), a $300 voucher for the neon-lit Yakimono and an overnight stay at The Adelphi. Once you're awake, head to Higher Ground (with your $150 voucher in hand) for a morning-after meal. Will it be an avocado pretzel, topped with whipped ricotta and a poached egg? Or the famous blueberry and ricotta hotcake? Either way, we recommend covering all your bases with both a coffee and a Bloody Mary. It's a truly stellar prize, and all you have to do is tell us what brings you joy — simple. The hard part? Choosing your date for the evening. Entries close Friday, June 30 at 9am, so don't dilly-dally. [competition]903748[/competition]
Online dating can be exhausting, boring and fruitless. But, if you want to spice up your dating life and meet some new people in a casual environment, you can do it while supporting an effort to end world hunger. How? Well, September brings the return of CitySwoon's famous in-person events, kicking off with the Singles Party to End World Hunger. The night is the perfect opportunity for singletons of any age, gender and sexual orientation to mingle with potential love interests. Plus, if Cupid gets you good, you can dance long into the night. Hightail Bar in Collins Square is set to welcome all eligible lovers on Saturday, September 10. After securing a ticket (which includes two drinks), you'll get paired with up to six dates who've been matched to your profile. Hosted in collaboration with The Hunger Project, all proceeds of the night will be put towards efforts to end world hunger by 2030 and break the poverty cycle. Early bird tickets start at $59 and are available now. It's the perfect opportunity to get out, meet new people and do some social good. For more information or to secure your ticket, head to the website. Or, if you can't make that date, Cityswoon offers plenty of other speed dating opportunities to meet your match.
When a major arts festival drops its latest program, as Sydney Festival just has for its massive 2023 event, it's easy to start playing the numbers game. The figures are impressive, with the event's second year under Artistic Director Olivia Ansell boasting 748 performances across 54 venues. The lineup also spans more than 100 unique events, 26 of which won't cost attendees a thing. And, there'll be 18 world premieres and 14 Australian exclusives — aka shows that you'll need to travel to Sydney to see if you don't live there, because they won't pop up elsewhere. All of these stats do indeed tell a story, conveying how widely the festival crew has scoured for top-notch shows; how jam-packed the resulting calendar of performances, gigs and exhibitions is; and how busy the 25 days from Thursday, January 5–Sunday, January 29 are going to prove. And, they help express the most important message there is for audiences: if you're looking for not just a culture fix but to bathe in art, theatre, music and all-round exciting festivities for weeks on end all around Sydney at the start of 2023, then you'd best block out your diary now. There's no shortage of highlights in the program, no matter what kind of cultural experience take your fancy. Here's perhaps the most surprising one: turning Sydney Town Hall into a beach courtesy of 26 tonnes of sand. No, you won't be able to swim there — but you can watch Lithuanian opera Sun & Sea, which won the Venice Biennale's Golden Lion in 2019, stage its sandy work in the round. The end result explores the climate emergency, is certain to make for a memorable show, and is one of Sydney Festival's Australian exclusives. Also unlikely to be forgotten quickly: the Australian premiere of Frida Kahlo: Life of an Icon, a multi-sensory art experience dedicated to the iconic Mexican painter. Think: the immersive Vincent van Gogh showcase that's being doing the rounds, or the new Monet one headed to Melbourne, but all about the one and only Kahlo. Hailing from Spanish digital arts company Layers of Reality, alongside the Frida Kahlo Corporation, it'll take over the Cutaway with holography, 360-degree projections and live performances of traditional Mexican music, as well as a virtual-reality system that'll let you step inside the artist's iconic pieces. [caption id="attachment_874188" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jacquie Manning[/caption] Other standouts include Bonobo hitting the decks at the Masonic Centre, and turning its banquet hall into a unique dance party; performance piece In Chamber, which literally takes place in a safe in the basement of the Margot Kimpton Hotel; ROOM, the latest surreal theatre piece by James Thiérrée; and Tracker, which sees choreographer-director Daniel Riley combine dance, ceremony and text. Or, there's also 16 days of live music inside the 70s-era underground bar beneath Martin Place's Harry Seidler-designed Commercial Travellers' Association building (yes, the mushroom building). That subterranean space remains unrenovated, so expect The Weary Traveller, as the fest-within-the-fest is called, to serve up a huge blast from the past (plus tunes by Alice Skye, Astral People, Automatic, June Jones, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Lil Silva, Party Dozen, Tom Snowdon, Moktar, Two Birds with Bayand, Coloured Stone, HTRK and Potion). In the same structure, the 28-room hotel itself is being taken over by American artist Kelsey Lu. You'll want to check in for this one, and stay the evening — because In The Lucid: A Dream Portal to Awakening is an eight-hour audio journey. [caption id="attachment_874185" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Peter Wallis[/caption] Heartbreak High fans will want to catch Blue, and fans of homegrown theatre as well — it stars and has been written by Thomas Weatherall, and will enjoy its world premiere at Sydney Festival. Or, for something completely different, a Shinjuku-inspired magic bar will pop up at Darling Harbour, transporting you to Tokyo if you haven't already made Japan holiday plans now that the country has reopened its borders. The list goes on, including Bloodlines, an exhibition paying tribute to artists lost to HIV/AIDS; The Party, which'll celebrate Sydney's LGBTQIA+ nightlife and party culture between 1973–2002; and Retrosweat hosting a big 80s pool party that, yes, will involve aqua aerobics. Or, there's flamenco dancer Sara Bara in Alma at the Sydney Opera House; Dead Puppet Society and Legs On The Wall's take on the Trojan war in Holding Achilles; drag brunch show Smashed: The Brunch Party hosted by Victoria Falcone; and Prinnie Stevens singing tunes by superstars like Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Whitney Houston and Beyoncé. Plus, Sydney Symphony Orchestra will celebrate Lunar New Year outdoors at Parramatta Park; Polar Force at Carriageworks explores the extremes of ice and wind by pairing Antarctic field recordings with live industrial percussion; and Restless Dance Theatre's dance piece Guttered is set in a real-life bowling alley. And, Lego lovers can check out a new Brickwrecks exhibition, which recreates shipwrecks with the plastic bricks. Also, ENESS, who was behind the 2022 fest's Airship Orchestra, is back with Cupid's Koi Garden — which'll give Tumbalong Park a six-metre-tall immersive water-play park right in the middle of summer. [caption id="attachment_874184" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Roberts Photography[/caption] Sydney Festival 2023 runs from Thursday, January 5–Sunday, January 29 at venues across the city. For further details and to buy tickets, visit the Sydney Festival website. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Wednesday, October 19. Top image: Andrej Vasilenko.
In May 2014, the National Gallery of Victoria will showcase over 100 Italian masterpieces on loan from the Museo del Pardo in Madrid. The exhibition, Italian Masterpieces from Spain’s Royal Court, will mark the 11th offering in the NGV's Winter Masterpieces series. A series which began with The Impressionists in 2004, and has more recently included Napoleon: Revolution to Empire, and this year's Monet's Garden. Tony Ellwood, director of the NGV, says the exhibition "will captivate and amaze visitors, and will be complemented by a diverse range of engaging programs, lectures and events.” It will also be the first time these pieces, including iconic artworks by Raphael, Correggio and Titian, have travelled to our shores, providing audiences with a unique experience unrivalled in the Southern Hemisphere. That's right. You no longer need to be jealous of your friends' Instagram feeds while they're in Europe. The artworks, which were all once owned by the Spanish Royal Family, offer a large variety of works from the period featuring portraits, landscapes, history paintings measuring over three metres in length, and evocative imagery from both the Old and New Testaments. We know it's a while away. But with such grandeur and passion, these Italian visionaries may be just the thing to cure our (pre-emptive) winter blues. Italian Masterpieces from Spain’s Royal Court, Museo del Prado will be on display at the National Gallery of Victoria from May 16 until August 31, 2014. Image credits in order of appearance: Raphael, Holy Family with Saint John or Madonna of the Rose (Sacra Famiglia con San Giovannino o Madonna della Rosa) (c. 1516), Image courtesy Museo del Prado, Madrid. Andrea di Lione, Elephants in a circus (Gli Elefanti in un circo) (c. 1640), Image courtesy Museo del Prado, Madrid
2020 has been a devastating year to cap off a tough decade for arts and entertainment in Australia. The global pandemic that has decimated the industry comes after years of overbearing lockout laws and strict licensing regimes for festivals in NSW. Now, as the industry begins to emerge from the rubble, it's getting some much-needed support from the Federal Government. The Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund is a government initiative that will invest $75 million into supporting the arts and entertainment sector across the next 12 months. One recipient of the funding is Splendour in the Grass and Falls Festival organiser Secret Sounds, who has received funding to put towards launching a new festival in 2021. Secret Sounds Group Co-CEO Jessica Ducrou didn't give much away about the new venture, telling Concrete Playground, "Secret Sounds is thrilled to receive financial support and recognition for an exciting innovative project we look forward to launching in 2021." The new festival will sit alongside the 2021 edition of Splendour in the Grass, which is currently planned for July with headliners Gorillaz, The Strokes and Tyler, the Creator pending mass gathering and border restrictions. The festival was postponed to 2021 in June due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Federal Minister for the Arts Paul Fletcher announced the Victorian recipients of RISE grants on Monday, November 23. Among the Victorian recipients are the Melbourne Theatre Company, which received just over a million for three new Australian works, as well as the Melbourne International Arts Festival, Melbourne Fringe and Grande Experiences who recently worked on Sydney's Van Gogh Alive. [caption id="attachment_636254" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bec Taylor[/caption] The full list of recipients is expected next month, but according to a report by the Sydney Morning Herald, 28 NSW organisations will receive funding. Some of those include Byron Bay's Bluesfest, which is forging ahead with its Easter long weekend event for 2021, the Darlinghurst Theatre Company and the Australian Theatre for Young People. A new Secret Sounds-run festival will be a welcome addition to 2021 after a year void of major events and music festivals. Summer festival announcements have begun to roll, however, following the easing of gathering restrictions across the country in recent months. So far This That, Untitled Day Party, the newly funded Byron Bay Bluesfest and Yours & Owls have all announced 2021 dates with all-Australian lineups. A full list of recipients of the RISE grant will be announced mid-December. You can stay up to date at arts.gov.au. Top image: Justin Ma
A year after Queensland finally introduced a container refund scheme, and 16 months after scrapping disposable plastic bags, the Sunshine State is set to ramp up its war on waste once again. As part of the just-released Plastic Pollution Reduction Plan, the government is proposing a ban on single-use plastics — and while it's just an idea at this stage, legislation could be introduced as early as next year. In the crosshairs are plastic straws, cutlery, plates and stirrers, with the Qld Government also committing to investigate banning coffee cups, plastic cups and heavy-weight plastic shopping bags as well. Crucial to the plan is the existence of already-available alternatives — whether they're reusable, in the case of cutlery and plates, or 100-percent compostable, as seen with paper straws and stirrers. Before anything official is put in place, the state will undertake consultation with the community and various stakeholders, including people with disability. For the latter group, some alternative products to plastic — such as bamboo, paper and metal straws — aren't always a viable option. From 2020, the Qld Government will start by banning the products from their own events; however an exact timeline from there hasn't been revealed. Also on the state's agenda: developing facilities to process and repurpose plastic, mandating the use of recycled plastics, and expanding the Plastic Free Places program, which works with retailers, events and markets at the community level to wipe out single-use water bottles, straws, coffee cups and lids, takeaway containers, food ware (such as cutlery, plates and cups) and bags. In Noosa, more than 200 businesses have signed up to the scheme. While Qld's powers-that-be are calling their proposal an Australian first, they're not the only authority figures looking to tackle the growing waste problem. Similar laws are being drafted in South Australia, Hobart is progressing down the same track and, as a nation, Australia is working towards banning all non-recyclable packaging by 2025. That's on top of plenty of smaller-scale initiatives, not only including bag bans and container schemes, but the phasing out of single-use plastics in various guises at the company level, with McDonald's, IKEA, Coca-Cola Amatil and Qantas among those making steps in the plastic-free direction. You can read more about the Queensland Government's Plastic Reduction Plan over here.
Was your New Year’s less than aspirational? If you spent the strike of midnight shoveling a regrettable kebab into your mouth whilst searching for your friends in a sweaty, heaving mosh rather than swilling champagne and high fiving on the rooftop of a penthouse apartment, Chinese New Year is your chance to do it right and save 2013 from failure. Fed Square will see in the Year of the Snake with free and fun things, beginning with a screening of cult comedy All's Well, End's Well on Saturday, February 9, at 7pm. The next day, traditional lion dancing by the Hong De Lion Dance Association will amaze/amuse/confuse from noon, followed by highlights from the Lumens Festival, a photography and video art exhibition curated by RMIT University, on the main screen. Chinese New Year also makes it permissible to wear red and not be mistaken for a lady of the night, demand envelopes filled with money from your parents, and purchase new clothes in the name of a fresh start. Just call me Confucius. Image via Hong De Lion Dance Association.
After nearly a decade of Westerosi power struggles, obsessed fans and soaring ratings, HBO now finds itself with a Game of Thrones-sized gap to fill. The network isn't completely saying goodbye to the world created by George RR Martin, with at least two spinoffs in the works, and possibly more to come. But it's also looking for its next big hit. Bleak superhero saga Watchmen is one of the network's options, thanks to a television adaptation of the acclaimed graphic novel that's headed to screens this month. His Dark Materials is another, as based on Philip Pullman's award-winning young adult trilogy of books of the same name. And if the latter sounds familiar, that's because — like Watchmen — one of the tomes has already been turned into a movie. Twelve years after the incredibly family-oriented The Golden Compass made its way to cinemas, it's now heading to TV alongside sequels The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. HBO is keeping things simple by sticking with the franchise name, other than individual book monikers. Also, they're betting on star power. As the first teaser demonstrated a few months back, the series boasts a hefty cast, spanning James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, The Wire's Clarke Peters and Logan's Dafne Keen. Still on the big-name front, Academy Award-winning The King's Speech director Tom Hooper also helms the first two episodes (which, unlike his next big movie Cats, probably won't feature big-name actors and singers shrunk down to feline size). Amidst all of the above well-known folks, Keen leads the charge, playing an orphan by the name of Lyra Belacqua. She seems just like everyone else, but hails from an alternate universe — one where a person's soul manifests as a shape-shifting animal called a daemon. As she looks for a kidnapped friend in the Arctic, Lyra discovers a church-run stolen children ring, learns about mysterious particles known as Dust and ventures through different worlds, including the one we all know. McAvoy pops up as a powerful aristocrat, Wilson is his ex, and Miranda plays a balloonist and adventurer. If you're already eager, the eight-episode first season will drop in November — and there's more to come. Instigated by and co-produced with the BBC, the show has already been renewed for a second season before it even airs. Check out the full trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APduGe1eLVI His Dark Materials launches on November 5, Australian and New Zealand time — with the series airing weekly from that date on Foxtel in Australia. Images: HBO.
For hundreds of years, El Dia de los Muertos has been one of the biggest parties in Mexico honouring the dead. The 4000 year-old tradition's history can be traced back to Mexico's indigenous beliefs of the afterlife — that death is only the beginning. Now it's Australia's turn to delve into the underworld, as The Day of the Dead finds its way to secret warehouse locations across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane this spring. Curated by a group of Mexican visionaries and artists, Day of the Dead 3.1. takes cues from some of the world's most celebrated immersive spectacles, everything from Burning Man to Sleep No More. Find yourself immersed in a temporary world of interactive art installations, light projections, extravagant costumes, murals created by renowned street artists and an exclusive lineup of local and international DJs and musicians. Is this a Mexican-inspired fiesta or what? Where's the nosh? Pop-ups by a handpicked bunch of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane's go-to local Mexican eateries, like Playa Takeria, have been selected to create special Dia de los Muertos menus. Plus, there'll be Mexican cervezas and tequila/mezcal cocktails from Tequila Herradura and Tequila Jimador to provide you with enough sustenance to dance the night away. With instructions being sent to ticketholders just one week before the event, this is secret warehouse party business at its best. Each city's locations are more closely guarded than an abuela's special mole sauce ingredient and will only be released one day before the party. Day of the Dead will visit Sydney on October 24, then Melbourne on October 31 before ending in Brisbane on November 7. Honour the dead, celebrate the living. Get tickets early. Due to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane events selling out within hours and hundreds of emails requesting tickets, the Day of the Dead team twisted some arms and increased the event capacity. There'll be a new and final ticket release happening on Saturday, September 26 at 12.30pm, with tickets at $95. Tickets will sell out within hours, so be ready. Get tickets here.
Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols should never be far from anyone's ears — but there's listening to the iconic 1977 punk album, the only studio record from Sex Pistols, and then there's hearing it played live in full. Down Under in 2025, Australian and New Zealand music lovers will be treated to that very experience, with the group locking in a tour. Band members Paul Cook, Steve Jones and Glen Matlock are heading this way in April, as part of a project dubbed Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter. As the band's moniker makes plain, this is a case of punk figures joining punk figures, as first happened back in August 2024 for fundraiser gigs in London. Clearly the setup worked. This will be Sex Pistols' first trip this way in almost 30 years, since 1996 — this time pairing drummer Cook, guitarist Jones and bassist Matlock with Gallows, Pure Love and Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes alum Carter on vocals. The group have announced seven stops, starting in Auckland in Christchurch in Aotearoa, before playing Aussie gigs in Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane and Fremantle. John Lydon, aka Johnny Rotten, the band's well-known former lead vocalist, was last part of their lineup in 2008 — which is when Sex Pistols last toured before 2024. Hearing Never Mind the Bollocks live and in full almost five decades since its original release means hearing 'Anarchy in the UK', 'God Save the Queen', 'Pretty Vacant', 'Bodies', 'Holidays in the Sun' and more. If this feels like an incredibly rare chance to experience a slice of music greatness, that's because it is — and if you need any more motivation, Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter's UK gigs earned rave reviews. [caption id="attachment_986909" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Henry Ruggeri[/caption] Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter 2025 Australia and New Zealand Tour Wednesday, April 2 — Town Hall, Auckland Thursday, April 3 — Town Hall, Christchurch Saturday, April 5 — Festival Hall, Melbourne Sunday, April 6 — Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide Tuesday, April 8 — Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Wednesday, April 9 — Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane Friday, April 11 — Fremantle Prison, Fremantle Sex Pistols Featuring Frank Carter are touring Australia and New Zealand in April 2025, with ticket presales from 11am on Tuesday, January 21 and general sales from 12pm on Thursday, January 23. Head to the Australia and New Zealand tour websites for more details.
In a reverse manifestation of 'Big Yellow Taxi', one cement-filled corner of the city is about to get a very green makeover. A 2000-square-metre rooftop car park is set to be transformed into a lush public urban farm and cafe. Located atop a ten-storey parking lot on the city side of the Yarra across from the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, the Melbourne Skyfarm project is the brainchild of urban farming company Biofilta, along with The Sustainable Landscape Company and local protection group Odonata. It's being built with the help of a $300,000 grant from the City of Melbourne Urban Forest Fund, as well as support from the MCEC. An inner-city oasis inspired by the likes of New York's famed Brooklyn Grange rooftop farm, the groundbreaking green space will boast a working farm and orchard, a beekeeping set-up, an educational centre, and a 90-seat licensed terrace cafe and events space serving the fruits of the farm. When it opens in 2020, visitors will be able to get a close-up glimpse with regular guided tours, take expert-led workshops on a swag of nature-focused topics, or simply kick back with an after-work tipple while soaking up the view. The farm itself will run on one of Biofilta's state-of-the-art, water-efficient systems, creating an expected haul of over five tonnes of fresh produce each year. Much of that will be given to local food charities, while a portion will be showcased — along with native ingredients and Victorian food and wine — throughout the menu at the on-site cafe. A design hub and high-tech education centre will focus on creating sustainable solutions to the challenges faced by our natural world, exploring concepts like zero waste living, renewable energy, and urban biodiversity. The farm will be located in the $450 million Seafarers Place precinct that's currently going up on the north side of the Yarra, just south of Clarendon Street near Wurundjeri Way. The project, led by developers Riverlee, will restore the wharf and historic Shed 5 site and turn it into apartments and and Australia's first 1 Hotel. Melbourne Skyfarm is currently undergoing City of Melbourne planning approvals, but it's expected to be up and running by late 2020. If it sounds familiar, that might be because a similar project is currently underway at the new Burwood Brickworks, which is set to open later this year. A smaller urban farm led by Pastuso chef-owner Alejandro Saravia will also be featured atop the new 80 Collins development. Melbourne Skyfarm will open at the Seafarers Place site sometime in 2020. We'll keep you updated on any further developments.
Visitors to the Sydney Opera House might soon be able to stay the night, under a bold new plan being considered by NSW state authorities. According to The Guardian, the New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment is currently mulling over a proposal that would see certain sections of the Opera House — including the Utzon Room, the Board Room, the Joan Sutherland Theatre and the Concert Hall — temporarily transformed into luxury accommodation on a small number of nights throughout the year. Under the proposal put forward by the Sydney Opera House Trust last year, the Opera House could be utilised for "two types of experiential events". The first would offer "up to two nights' accommodation for a maximum of five guests, offered five times per year". The second would offer "up to two nights' accommodation for a maximum of 100 guests, offered on a single occasion per year". According to the proposal, the activation would "provide a unique opportunity for the community to experience the iconic Sydney Opera House in new and innovative ways", while allowing corporate partners to "promote their support of the Sydney Opera House". The idea sounds cool in theory, but has caused some controversy, particularly in relation to the Opera House's corporate partnership with Airbnb. In a submission to NSW Planning, a former Opera House employee called the plan "bold and brazen marketing" and described the partnership with Airbnb "evil genius". Speaking to The Guardian, a spokesperson for the Opera House said that they did not intend to charge visitors for an overnight stay, but would instead utilise the accommodation for "ballots, visitor experiences, competition prizes or promotional activities". It doesn't sound too dissimilar to the types of competitions that accommodation sites Airbnb and HomeAway have run overseas, which have included overnight stays. It doesn't sound too dissimilar to the types of competitions that accommodation sites Airbnb and HomeAway have run overseas, which have included overnight stays in the Eiffel Tower, the catacombs in Paris and Dracula's Castle. And while it could prove a handy option if the Opera House decides to run its all-night Bingefest this year, we'll wait and see if the proposal gets the final sign-off. Via The Guardian. Image: Frances Gunn.
Mainstream arts and culture events can be good fun, but the annual Melbourne Fringe Festival is all about showcasing artists who play within, well, the fringes. You won't find your usual ballad-belting musicals or classic comedy gigs here. Instead, you'll be treated to boundary-pushing experiences in the performing arts, music, dance and cabaret spaces. But it won't all be entirely random, as the 2024 Melbourne Fringe Festival — running from Tuesday, October 1–Sunday, October 20 — is focusing most of its events around the theme of 'Eat Your Art Out'. Artists will be playing with the relationship between art and food at venues across the city, through over 470 different events. Some of these have been curated by the festival's team and others are more or less random. There is an open access component to the Melbourne Fringe Festival, which means that anyone can sign up and put on a show during the three-week program. [caption id="attachment_969684" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cooked at Fed Square[/caption] So, what can you expect this year? Firstly, you'll find the COOKED event series at Federation Square, which is centred around a pop-up hot plate stage. The amphitheatre will become a dual dining and performance space, with visitors encouraged to grill free food on the working barbecues as a diverse range of artists and chefs perform all kinds of shows around them. It kicks off on Tuesday, October 1, with the free event Seasoning the Grill. For this one, First Nations artists light up the public barbecue for an evening of smoke, dance, DJs, art and great eats. Traditional and contemporary practices of food and art come together for this one-off performance. As this year's Melbourne Fringe Festival is all about food and art, it makes so much sense for Queen Vic Market to be involved as well. [caption id="attachment_969690" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Huxleys[/caption] Most notably, it will host the Fringe Flavours Night Market, which sees a stack of Fringe artists take over the weekly night market. This will run beyond the main festival dates, from Wednesday, September 18–Wednesday, October 16, and is an absolute must for foodies. The market will host a stacked lineup of food and drink vendors, have a pop-up stage for all kinds of shows, and give way for roving performers to surprise diners every Wednesday. It's taking the beloved night market to all-new heights. [caption id="attachment_969691" align="alignnone" width="1920"] TOMATO[/caption] The Festival Hub at Trades Hall is also returning for 2024, hosting over 100 large and small events throughout the historic building. Most notably, this is where you'll see Finucane & Smith's Global Smash Club, an ode to 20 years of the international smash-hit Burlesque Hour from Melbourne Fringe mainstay Moira Finucane. You'll then find Pony Cam, the team behind Rising's popular show Burnout Paradise, premiering its new work FEAST at Substation. Here, performers reimagine the idea of dinner and a show, by combining it all into one big food-filled party. This one will be fairly interactive, so only go if you're willing to have a little fun with the audience participation elements. There's also the Pulse program, which includes Flames Danced in Their Hair But Did Not Burn Them and Body of Knowledge — both exploring ideas of consent and gender. [caption id="attachment_969688" align="alignnone" width="1920"] FEAST[/caption] This year's Fringe Focus Taiwan program boasts two contemporary dance works that focus on bodily exploration. There's TOMATO, a playful work of sex, lust, and a box of tomatoes, and Girl's Notes, which sees a dancer and a live pianist take inspiration from a 1990s book that instructs women on how to behave. We could go on and on with this epic Melbourne Fringe Festival 2024 lineup, but we'll leave that for you to explore via the festival's website. There are so many ways to Fringe, but we love to check out a few big highlights and then also go to a handful of smaller shows we know nothing about. This annual festival is all about challenging yourself and trying new things. If you've missed it in the past, don't let it happen again. [caption id="attachment_969685" align="alignnone" width="1920"] COOKED at Fed Square[/caption] The 2024 Melbourne Fringe Festival is running across he city from Wednesday, September 18–Wednesday, October 16. For more details, you can head to the festival's website. Top Image: FEAST.
Truth is going on trial at Theatre Works this July, where acclaimed local theatre ensemble Optic Nerve is presenting a limited season of Robert Lepage and Marie Brassard's Polygraph. Billed as a mix of metaphysical thriller, murder mystery and love story, the play concerns a young man suspected of murder who finds himself caught up in the making of a movie about the crime he's thought to have committed. But Optic Nerve has put a twist on its production, transforming the text written in the 80s to reflect contemporary fears about the nature of truth in a post-truth world. The production at Theatre Works stars Grant Cartwright, Lachlan Woods and Emily Thomas, and is directed by Optic Nerve artistic director Tanya Gerstle.
It's that time of year, somehow. Christmas is fast approaching, winter has well and truly fallen by the wayside, and you're probably thinking about your summer shenanigans. While jetting overseas still isn't an option for Australians at the moment, you can make plans to roam around much of this country we all come home now that borders are reopening — and, if you'd like to head up to the Northern Territory, its government wants to give you an extra incentive. As part of the NT Summer Sale campaign — which launched at the beginning of October — the NT Government and its tourism body are offering discounts on trips to Australia's red centre and top end. To all of the Northern Territory, actually. For each $1000 you spend up to $5000, you'll receive a $200 discount. It maxes out at $1000 off, but that's still 20-percent off the price. The discounts are available for a number of things too — covering plenty of essential elements of every holiday. You can use them on flights, accommodation, tours and attractions, and vehicle hire. You will need to both book and travel between now and March 31, 2020, however. The other big stipulation: you'll need to book through one of Tourism NT's campaign partners to score the discount. They include retailers such as Holidays of Australia, Helloworld Travel & Viva Holidays, and Flight Centre. [caption id="attachment_785574" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] If you've always been meaning to make the trip — and you've had both Uluru and its incredible Field of Light installation on your must-see list for ages — here's a mighty fine excuse to put those dreams into action. Border-wise, the NT currently doesn't require interstate visitors to quarantine unless you've been in a declared hotspot in the 14 days prior to your arrival — which, at the time of writing, only covers a number of Local Government Areas in Victoria. It's best to keep an eye on the NT Government's coronavirus hub, though, for any future changes, For further details about the NT Summer Sale campaign — which is available for travel between now and March 31, 2020 — head to the Tourism NT website. Top image: Field of Light: Bruce Munro. Photo by Mark Pickthall
Friday lunchtime is the perfect excuse to ditch that sad desk sandwich in favour of a cheeky feed and glass of wine at your local. And for the rest of Good Food Month, Poodle Bar & Bistro is offering just that. On June 18 and 25, the Fitzroy restaurant will be serving up a special Friday lunch situation, featuring an array of signature snacks, a main dish, tea and coffee, and a wine or beer for just $45. You'll kick things off with the likes of spanner crab and taramasalata vol-au-vents, and house-made coffee ground sourdough, before moving onto your pick of mains. We're talking pan-roasted garfish with clams and beurre blanc, the grilled Bundarra pork chop, or Parisian gnocchi with green goddess sauce and taleggio. Wrangled a little extra time away from the office? Add on a dessert course — like the chocolate, prune and gingerbread ice cream sandwich — and an extra glass or two of vino from Poodle's exceptional drinks list. [caption id="attachment_774766" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Poodle[/caption]
With interstate borders now almost all reopened, it's not like you need much of an excuse to get out of town and scratch that travel itch. But if you've got your newly broadened sights set on the Mornington Peninsula, you will find a pretty strong reason to lock in a visit to the renowned Pt Leo Estate. The property's ever-evolving sculpture park has just scored a very high-profile new addition: a 5.5-metre-tall work by acclaimed New York artist KAWS. Not too long after the much-hyped KAWS: Companionship in the Age of Loneliness exhibition wrapped up at the NGV earlier this year, KAWS has unveiled a new bronze-cast figure gracing the manicured grounds of Pt Leo Estate. Titled SHARE 2020, the artwork features a towering figure imagined in the Brooklyn-based artist's distinctive style, though this time he's used a muted colour palette of grey and brown that's contrasted by the backdrop of verdant lawn and blue ocean. The main figure holds a smaller, bright blue character or BFF, dangling by one hand. [caption id="attachment_641337" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pt Leo Estate by Anson Smart[/caption] Making its home in the foyer, overseeing the route to the cellar door, is a second new acquisition for the estate, titled Shrive II. This one's a new piece by Turner Prize-winning UK sculptor Antony Gormley, whose renowned works pull inspiration from the human form. Of course, there's plenty more to keep you busy on a visit to this 134-hectare estate, including the Pt Leo Estate Restaurant, the cellar door and wine shop, and the full sculpture park. The site's Wine Terrace and fine diner Laura currently remain closed, but are expected to reopen their doors soon. Find Pt Leo Estate and its new sculpture works at 3649 Frankston-Flinders Road, Merricks.
Winter might be all about staying in doors, rugging up and avoiding the frosty weather, but if you want to see a pair of meteor showers at their peak this week, you'll want to head outdoors. Not one but two celestial events will be visible in Australia's skies to end July 2024: the Southern Delta Aquariids and the Alpha Capricornids. Arriving in the thick of winter, the Southern Delta Aquariids may not be quite as famous or frenetic as other meteor showers, but it's still considered a strong one, with around 15–25 meteors hurtling across the heavens per hour during its peak. In good news for those Down Under, it's also typically best seen in the Southern Hemisphere. [caption id="attachment_727210" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mike Lewinski via Flickr.[/caption] Caused by the breakup of the Machholz comet, the Southern Delta Aquariids is visible each year from around July 12–August 23 — so now. But the ideal time to catch it is between July 28–July 30, aka until Tuesday this week. And, like many astronomical shows, catching an eyeful around midnight is recommended — when the moon has set and its light will not interfere. Also soaring through the skies at the moment: the Alpha Capricornids, which tends to run from around July 7–August 15. Yes, that means that you can peer up at night and catch a glimpse now, too, but it tends to peak around July 30–31 — so Tuesday and Wednesday this week. This one comes from the comet 169P/NEAT, and was discovered in 1871. It's known for its bright meteors and even fireballs, although they're infrequent, at around two-to-nine per hour. For your best chances of getting a glimpse at both, the usual advice applies. Get as far away from bright lights as possible — this could be a good excuse to head out of the city to a clear-skied camping spot — and pray for no clouds. The Delta Aquariids' name comes from Aquarius, the constellation from which they appear to come. Accordingly, that's what you'll be looking for in the sky. For the Alpha Capricornids, you're looking for the Capricornus constellation. To locate them all, we recommend downloading the Sky Map app — it's the easiest way to navigate the night sky, and is also a lot of fun to use even on a non-meteor shower night. The Southern Delta Aquariids and Alpha Capricornids meteor showers will peak between Tuesday, July 30–Sunday, July 31, 2024. Top image: Mike Lewinski via Flickr.
Following four sell-out events across Sydney and Melbourne, which featured MasterChef Australia champ Adam Liaw, Adelaide's Africola chef Duncan Welgemoed, dumpling master from Lotus Dining Group Chris Yan and Melbourne's very own Paul Turner behind Chapel Street's Lover, Red Rock Deli is putting together its final secret supper. And, this time it's bringing one of Melbourne's most renowned chefs to host an exclusive dinner for some very lucky Melburnians. Giorgio Distefano, the chef behind Cremorne's celebrated Ms. Frankie, is hosting the next mouth-watering feast, which will is inspired by Red Rock Deli's new Chilli, Roast Garlic and Lemon Oil Deluxe Crisp flavour. All the details are very much under-wraps, including what he'll be cooking up. But, despite everything being very hush-hush, here's what we can reveal: Distefano will be cooking up a storm on Thursday, October 17 and his dinner will feature plenty of chilli, garlic and lemon. Plus, the theme for the event is 'Sensorial Savoury' — so expect a menu packed full of flavour. Even better? You'll be treated to matching wines throughout the feast, too. We can also tell you that this experience will involve more than just the dishes — after arriving at the collection point in Melbourne's CBD, you'll be whisked away to a mystery location where you can expect everything from the decor to the food to elevate your senses — although the menu will remain a secret until you arrive. There are two sessions of this lavish dinner, with room for just 20 guests at each. Tickets to Giorgio Distefano's secret supper cost $110 per person. Enter the ballot below to be given the chance to purchase tickets. The lucky winners will receive a secret link to buy tickets to the evening on Monday, October 7. Please note, the Secret Supper menu will not cater to ANY dietary requirements or allergies. There are strictly no changes to the menu. [competition]741921[/competition] Image: Parker Blain.
Just like a picture is worth a thousand words, a good gift can speak volumes. And when it comes to your nearest and dearest, it's worth forking out the big bucks to make them feel suitably special. Socks and undies simply will not do, you need to up the ante and pick out a present that is nuanced, thoughtful and unequivocally them. We know it can be tough; you may feel as though you've exhausted all your options. There's only so many times you can buy their favourite necklace, after all. To give you some fresh gift ideas, we've partnered with Australia Post and pulled together some real humdingers for the super important people in your life. From retro turntables to limited edition RMs, these pressies keep your key peeps smiling. Moreover, they can all be ordered online and conveniently delivered to your nearby Parcel Locker so you don't even have to go to the shops. Let your fingers do the walking, forgo the crazy Christmas crowds and rest easy knowing your parcel is stored securely till you're ready to collect. Happy shopping, Santas. PORD WINE BARREL If you've got a legit wine lover on your list, go beyond a bottle of primo vino or even a stylish decanter, and blow their socks off with one of these mini wine barrel masterpieces. The three-litre barrels are covered in art by three eclectic artists — Filippa Edghill, Hannah Nowlan and Evi O. — and filled with top-notch Mitchelton drops from the 2017 and 2018 vintages. Choose the design and the wine — pinot grigio, shiraz or rose — and get ready to be praised for your awesome gift. Each barrel holds a neat four bottles' worth of wine and will keep it fresh for up to six weeks. They can also be repurposed once empty. Cheers to that. How much? $160 CUSTOM HABBOT SHOES There's nothing better than a pair of comfy shoes. Wait, we take that back, there's nothing better than a pair of comfy and stylish shoes. Treat your special someone to a pair of custom Habbot shoes — they're super chic but have Hush Puppies-level comfort. The Aussie-designed and Italian-made footwear company has a great online customisation tool that lets you pick and choose everything, from the shoe type — classic derby, micro-sole derby, point pump or mid-heel sandal — to the material, colour and laces. So, you can design one-of-a-kind kicks for your numero uno that'll stand out from the crowd. How much? From $405 EVERY EDITION OF TRUTH, LOVE & CLEAN CUTLERY If your nearest and dearest is both an eco-warrior and a food lover — congrats, they sound awesome — surprise them with every edition of Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery. Basically the A to Z of sustainable eating, these guidebooks feature more than 1300 organic, ethical and sustainable restaurants from around the world. To take the gift up a notch, let your loved one pick out a few of their favourite restaurants and treat them to a night of ethical fare. Hey, it's a present for you, too. How much? $145 for all four books RM WILLIAMS EXCLUSIVE BOOTS These boots were made for walking and showing off, the limited edition metallic RMs are the shoe of the season and the perfect gift for any Carrie Bradshaw-status shoe fiends. At $545 a pop, they're not cheap — but the RM brand is renowned for its rock-solid craftsmanship and the kicks will last a lifetime. Luckily, silver is seldom out of style and goes perfectly with tinsel. But if silver is a bit too flash for your giftee, there's also the more subdued limited edition high-shine black boot. No matter your choice, each pair is crafted out of a single piece of leather and is made to order, so expect a two-week delivery timeframe. They're worth the wait, trust us. How much? $545 GOOGLE HOME HUB Hey, Google. Tell us how many hugs we're going to get for this kick-ass gift? Forget it, we already know it's going to be a heap. Yep, anyone who receives a Google Home Hub for Christmas is going to be over the moon. They're basically getting their very own assistant to set alarms, turn off lights, read out cooking instructions, organise daily routines, play music, take photos... the list goes on. They might even get a new lover if they're anything like Joaquin Phoenix's character in Her. Now that's a gift. How much? $219 FUJIFILM INSTAX SQUARE SQ6 INSTANT CAMERA Remember when Polaroid cameras were so big and bulky they basically required their own carry bag? While the promise of pretty photos (in an instant) was enticing, nobody wanted to lug around a brick. Thankfully, those days are long gone and you can now gift a nice, compact FujiFilm Instant Camera to your number one. The clever square format means your pal won't waste time choosing between portrait or landscape, they can just pick up the camera and take the snap. It's kind of like Instagram in real life. Plus, its small size means it can be carried around with ease. How much? $199 RETRO-LOOKING TURNTABLE If you've got a bigtime muso in your inner circle, there's a good chance you've heard them rabbiting on about the beauty of vinyl before — how records sound so much better than CDs or MP3. Something about audio data and lossy formats? Anyway, treat them to this Thomson 3 Speed Retro Look Turntable with built-in speakers and get them spinning their favourite tracks. The turntable's sleek, vintage design makes it a nice addition to any home — even a muso's dark and dingy lair. If you want to add a personalised touch, pick out a vinyl to gift with the turntable — it's a combo that's guaranteed to make their head spin like, well, a record. How much? $99 NOKIA STEEL HR WATCH This one's for the fitness fanatics in your life who also appreciate a bit of style. The Nokia Steel HR Watch is a watch-activity tracker hybrid that's both aesthetically pleasing and hella practical. The watch monitors your heart rate during workouts and can assess your overall performance, then deliver a personalised in-app report directly to your smartphone. The intuitive gadget makes your fitness goals that little bit easier to achieve, which means it's also a thoughtful gift for somebody you know is keen to get fit in the new year. How much? From $299 MODERNIST BREAD BOOK SET Bread, glorious bread. You'd be hard pressed to find a person who doesn't love it. But if you've got a special person who's particularly fond of baked goods, this is the book set for them. Modernist Bread: The Art and Science is a deep-dive into one of the most important staples of the human diet; it's the most in-depth look at bread to date. The five-volume set, housed in a sleek stainless steel case, contains more than 1500 recipes and breadmaking techniques. The best part? You can sample all their tasty dough-based creations. Forget cake, let them eat bread. How much? $700 HP SPROCKET PHOTO PRINTER A gift for the selfie enthusiasts, the HP Sprocket Photo Printer allows you to instantly print photos straight from your smartphone quicker than you can say 'duck face'. The printer has an ultracompact design — it's small enough to carry on the go — so it's also a great gift for budding photographers or designers as they can quickly print their snaps. The printer uses Bluetooth technology, which means there are no annoying cords and each photograph can be edited (hello, filters) before printing via the HP Sprocket app. Also, the special adhesive photo paper means you can easily stick your photos into albums or journals. How much? $159 Christmas shopping has never been so simple — order online, ship to a Parcel Locker and avoid the hectic shops with Australia Post.
We had a feeling this might happen. Off the back of an appearance at an already sold-out Splendour in the Grass, Kendrick Lamar will also headline six Australian shows in support of his fourth album DAMN.. Lamar is one of the most critically acclaimed and successful hip hop artists of our generation. The Compton rapper most recently became the first ever artist to take out the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for contemporary music. He's also the beholder of 12 Grammys, has clocked up more than six million album sales worldwide, and was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME Magazine. Lamar will return to our shores for Splendour on the weekend of July 20–22 and six headline shows: one in Perth on July 10, two in Melbourne on July 13 and 14, one in Adelaide on July 15 and two in Sydney on July 24 and 25. Having recently taken the DAMN. tour across the UK and Europe, set lists included his extensive catalogue, including good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012), To Pimp A Butterfly (2015) and his most recent effort DAMN..
When social distancing became our new way of life, the good folk at Audible released a stack of audiobooks for free, all to help keep everyone entertained while we were spending more time (read: all our time) at home and indoors. Now that things are slowly starting to return to normal, summer is on the horizon and prime road trip season is upon us, the online retailer is doing the same — so you have something ace to listen to while you're heading away for a getaway. The free audiobooks are on offer in collaboration with the tourism-focused initiative Empty Esky, which aims to support small businesses, including those affected by the Australian bushfires. So, the idea is that you'll hop behind the wheel, mosey out beyond the city limits, see the country, and patronise local retailers and hospitality venues — and that you'll listen to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald and Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia by Anita Hess along the way. Almost 60 hours of audiobooks are available for free, and they all tie into seven set itineraries, covering Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Tasmania, and both New South Wales' south coast and northern regions. Follow your chosen route, keep an eye out for Audible posters at participating small businesses, and download a free audiobook at each stop. You'll need to follow the whole process, because you'll have to scan the QR code on the poster at each place to get access to the relevant text. If you knew you wanted to hit the road this summer, but you weren't sure where to venture to, Audible and Empty Esky have basically taken care of that decision for you. The itineraries also include Audible podcasts, if you're in the mood for something other than literature. Among both the books and podcasts, you'll also find JM Barrie's Peter Pan, the Beatrix Potter Collection and Jojo Moyes' Me Before You — as well as Heist with Michael Caine, Australia's Funniest Stand-Up, and Nakkiah Lui and Miranda Tapsell's Debutante: Race, Resistance and Girl Power. They'll all stream on your phone, tablet or laptop, although you will need to either sign into your existing Audible account or create a new one to start listening. To check out the Empty Esky itineraries — and the Audible books available — head to the Empty Esky website.
Two Sci-fi fans have taken their excitement at the release of the new Tron: Legacy film to the next level. Drawing inspiration from the film's nightclub scene, Brits Ben Rousseau and architect Ian Douglas-Jones have toiled under freezing conditions to create the Legacy of the River suite at Sweden's Icehotel. The futuristic light installation is just one of several art suites at the hotel. Literally the coolest hotel in the world, Icehotel is no Travelodge. An annual fixture in the Swedish town of Jukkasjärvi situated 200km north of the Arctic Circle, the site stands vacant through summer. But as soon as winter starts to push temperatures below zero, a bunch of artistic little elves from all over the world get to work. Using only frozen water from the Torne River, they create this spectacular, functional ice sculpture with a different twist each year. Meanwhile in sunnier Sydney, the rest of us are still counting down the days to the Australian release of the Tron: Legacy film on 16th December. The sequel to the 1982 classic Tron has already been elevated to cult status, featuring cutting edge futuristic special effects and an electro-freaky soundtrack by cult French artistes Daft Punk. [via Wired]
Each week, Australia's cinemas deliver plenty of excuses to spend time in a darkened theatre with your eyes glued to the big screen. But when the Jewish International Film Festival returns for 2021 — after sitting out last year due to the pandemic — it'll serve up even more reasons to spend a night or several at the flicks, especially if you're keen to explore a top-notch program of movies and television shows with ties to Jewish culture. A hefty lineup spanning 29 features, 19 documentaries and episodes from three TV series is on the bill when the festival hits Melbourne between Wednesday, February 17–Tuesday, March 16 — running at the Classic and Lido cinemas. JIFF 2021 will open with Incitement, which won Best Film at the Ophir Awards (aka Israel's version of the Oscars), and steps into a young Orthodox law student's attempt to assassinate the Israeli Prime Minister in 1995. At the other end of the fest, it'll close with the first two episodes from the third season of Shtisel, starring Unorthodox breakout Shira Haas as the member of a Haredi family in Jerusalem. Also on offer: Haas again, this time as a teenager with a degenerative health condition in Asia; coming-of-age comedy Shiva Baby, focusing on a college student dealing with dramas at the titular event; and When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, about a Jewish family fleeing Berlin in the 30s. Or, you can check out Ruth – Justice Ginsburg In Her Own Words, the latest documentary about the late, great Supreme Court Justice; Alan Pakula: Going for Truth, which pays tribute to the director of To Kill a Mockingbird, Sophie's Choice, All the President's Men and more; and The Last Vermeer, with Dracula's Claes Bang as an army officer investigating paintings taken by the Nazis and Aussie star Guy Pearce playing a Dutch art dealer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbOEtyKJ17A Top image: Shtisel, Ohad Romano.
Well it sounded promising. I’ll go one further, PROMPTER sounded exciting. You’ve got this out-there, experimental, multidisciplinary dance/theatre/activist company (that’s Perth’s Hydra Poesis) producing a show about online news media that’s been scripted by an actual journalist (that’s Monocle’s Australasian correspondent Patrick Pittman) and performed not just by actors on stage but by performers all around the world streaming in by internet. That’s got to be amazing, right? Even if it fails, it will at least be an interesting experiment, right? Right? Perhaps the idea of combining these elements was too full of promise for any actual show to live up to the expectation but, even allowing for this, PROMPTER is a remarkably drab theatrical experience. The story centres around an obscure fictional island which is struck by a never specified cataclysm. For some reason people around the world are invested enough in this turn of events that they go psychotic as a result. At least we’re told they go psychotic, what we see is a few people jiggle briefly. Then a couple have a tiff over the internet and some soldiers delivering aid supplies shoot some civilians, because, well, that’s just what soldiers do, at least in the histrionic world of PROMPTER. Ah well, comprehensibility of plot is not essential to enjoy experimental theatre but the performance is also a flat-out fizzle. For all the promise of multidisciplinary approach, the show has very little physical performance, dance or anything other than big slabs of monologue. It’s dreary monologue, too, thick with uninteresting details about the imaginary setting or raging with outrage about the unconvincing series of events that happens there. While the script is clearly aiming to make a statement about the media, it is too heavily laden with contrivance and conceit to deliver a meaningful message. That the monologues are mostly delivered to on-stage cameras and the video displayed, as if televised, on large overhead screens, adds little to the audience experience. If anything, the fact that the actors are almost always working in effective isolation drains much needed vitality from the performances. Likewise, the contribution from the online performers, while intriguing as a concept, brings little to the show. They seldom have anything to do other than watch blankly and their rare actions have almost no bearing on anything on stage. The show comes with many technological trappings, from actors interacting via portable monitors to projections on a billowing inflatable screen, but it all feels like effort that's been put in the wrong places. PROMPTER takes itself tremendously seriously but at no point do the audience have reason to care about any of it. We have no point of connection to the characters, they have little connection to each other and the events have little connection to reality. The cast all seem like decent performers but they look bored and exhausted, as well they might. Logistically PROMPTER must have been complex to set up, but to watch it is like typing 'paint drying' into YouTube and then being expected to be shocked by what you see. A lot's gone into making this show, but little has come out for an audience to enjoy.
What's better than a film festival that brings the best and brightest new Japanese movies to Australian cinemas each year? One that also returns a few months later with a solely digital lineup that you can check out from your couch. Yes, after the IRL Japanese Film Festival last hit locations around the country in late 2021, it's now time for the Japanese Film Festival Online for 2022, aka your next excuse to indulge in your Japan obsession without hopping on a plane. This year's online program spans 17 films over two weeks, screening from Monday, February 14–Sunday, February 27. That gives you plenty of choices, plus ample time to catch comedies, mysteries, dramas, documentaries and more — some from the past year or two, others dating back to 2008. And, in particularly exceptional news, they're all streaming for free. Highlights include the food focused Mio's Cookbook and The God of Ramen, with the former offering up a period drama about a young chef and the latter honing in on famed Tokyo figure Kazuo Yamagishi; mystery Masked Ward, which unleashes its thrills and twists in a hospital; It's A Summer Film, about a high schooler obsessed with old samurai flicks; and comedy Happy Flight, as set during an emergency flight from Tokyo to Honolulu. While you won't pay a thing to watch, you do still need to register via the fest's website.
Spooky season is upon us and the scary costume ideas are flowing — but why should your pooch miss out on all the creepy fun? This year, the dogs of Melbourne will once again get their own version of a huge communal trick-or-treat, when the Howl-O-Ween Paw Parade makes its way through the streets of Port Melbourne on Sunday, October 27. Furry friends from far and wide are invited to join in the roving festivities, which'll kick off with a group amble along Bay Street from 10am. Expect fur-shionable costumes galore, from the spooky to the adorable, as both hounds and their humans strut their stuff. Paw Parade participants will also enjoy a dedicated trick-or-treat trail, along with entertainment, prizes and activities. Entry to the parade costs $10 per pooch, with all fees going straight to support Guide Dogs Victoria.
A man struts into a diner and asks "who've I gotta kill to get a coffee?". When a woman hears the doorbell ring, she instantly grabs her gun, baseball bat and taser. The series that'll include both? Fargo, the anthology TV show inspired by the big-screen Coen brothers masterpiece, which is returning for its fifth season in November. 2023 marks almost a decade since writer, director and producer Noah Hawley leapt from Bones, The Unusuals and My Generation to diving back into crime in often-frosty American places — and always with a strong streak of black comedy pumping through its veins. The first two seasons arrived back to back in 2014 and 2015, with season three then following in 2017 and season four in 2020. Now, after another three-year gap, the show returns with a whole new story and cast, but still set in the same world as the Fargo movie. Oh you betcha there's accents, crime capers, dedicated cops, and people doing dark deeds for selfish reasons and then getting karmic comeuppance. When it arrives in Australia via SBS On Demand on Wednesday, November 22, Fargo's fifth season will do so with a stacked lineup of talent, too: Juno Temple (Ted Lasso), Jon Hamm (Good Omens), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Hunters) and Joe Keery (Stranger Things) all included, plus David Rysdahl (Oppenheimer), Lamorne Morris (Woke), Richa Moorjani (Never Have I Ever), Sam Spruell (The Gold) and Dave Foley (The Kids in the Hall) as well. Like season one, two and the movie, this season spends its time in Minnesota and North Dakota. The year: 2019. Dorothy 'Dot' Lyon (Temple) is the otherwise-ordinary person falling afoul of the law — so, when she grabs those weapons in one of the show's sneak peeks, she's clearly not an average Midwestern housewife — while Roy Tillman (Hamm) is the North Dakota Sheriff (and preacher) on her trail. In a case of spectacular casting, Keery will put his famous hair to good use as Tillman's son Gator, in a franchise that also loves unpacking the ties of blood that bind and cause chaos. Spruell plays a drifter who is enlisted to help on the search for Dot, while Rysdahl is her husband Wayne. Leigh hops on board as his mother, aka the 'Queen of Debt' thanks to being a debt collection company CEO, and Foley plays her in-house counsel. Among the cops, there's Moorjani as a deputy from Minnesota and Morris as a North Dakota counterpart. Everyone on-screen joins a saga that's seen Billy Bob Thornton (The Gray Man), Allison Tolman (Gaslit), Martin Freeman (Breeders), Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog), Patrick Wilson (Insidious: The Red Door), Jesse Plemons (Love and Death), Jean Smart (Hacks), Ewan McGregor (Raymond & Ray), Carrie Coon (Boston Strangler), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Ahsoka), Chris Rock (Amsterdam), Jessie Buckley (Women Talking) and Jason Schwartzman (Asteroid City) all feature in past seasons. Off-screen, Hawley is back as showrunner, writer and director, guiding a series that started with the hard task of living up to the masterpiece of a movie and hasn't struggled so far. Check out the teaser trailers for Fargo season five below: Fargo season five will start streaming via SBS On Demand on Wednesday, November 22. Images: Michelle Faye/FX.
UPDATE Thursday, July 29: Melbourne Museum has reopened following the latest lockdown, with tickets available now. Plus, for the next two weekends (July 31, August 1, 7 and 8) 'Treasures of the Natural World' will have extended hours, opening from 9am. For more details on Victoria's current restrictions, see the Department of Health and Human Services website. Ever wanted to see a martian meteorite? A 200 million-year-old fossil? A cursed amethyst? Come June 2021, you'll be able to see all of them when some of the oldest and strangest treasures from London's Natural History Museum arrive in Melbourne. The aforementioned intriguing objects are just a sample of the 200 specimens that'll be on show as part of Treasures of the Natural World, which will run from June 12, 2021 — with tickets currently available through until December 31, 2021, after the exhibition was postponed from 2020. The Australian-first, Melbourne-exclusive exhibition features a curation of extremely rare and mysterious objects, many of which have been invaluable to our understanding of the world. Items from Charles Darwin's personal collection, the world's largest butterfly (with a whopping 30-centimetre wingspan), extinct animals, an extremely rare 1853 cubic gold nugget and a deadly flea that carried the bubonic plague are other items you'll see at the exhibition. [caption id="attachment_755333" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cursed Amethyst courtesy of the Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London.[/caption] Oh, and back to that cursed amethyst — you might not want to get too close. Its owner Edward Heron-Allen used to keep it locked inside seven protectives boxes and once threw it into a canal, but it was, of course, returned. When Heron-Allen donated it to the Natural History Museum he did so with a note saying the gem was "trebly accursed and is stained with the blood, and the dishonour of everyone who has ever owned it". Creepy. Image two: Queen Alexandra's birdwing butterfly courtesy of the Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London. Updated March 18, 2021.
Cinemas may be closed around the world at present but, thanks to the proliferation of streaming platforms over the past few years, film buffs can still get their movie fix from the comfort of their own couches. If you're a fan of going to your local picture palace for more than just the flicks, though, you might be currently missing some of the other elements that come with heading out to see a movie — enjoying the communal viewing experience, attending premieres and listening to Q&A sessions afterwards, for example. Enter FanForce TV, the new streaming offshoot of theatrical distributor FanForce, which usually organises screenings of new films as driven by community demand. If you're part of a local group looking to screen a particular movie to support a specific cause, it also helps you host your own sessions. Like plenty of other businesses, FanForce has been forced to adapt to the current COVID-19 situation — so it's now shifting its setup online. Just launched — and available not just Down Under, but globally — FanForce TV lets you rent movies you'd like to watch on a pay-per-view basis. So far, so standard; however the streaming platform will also live stream Q&As, complete with live chats so you can join in from home. You'll be able to talk to fellow viewers, and direct your questions at filmmakers and expert panellists — and, if you're still eager to host your own virtual screening of a specific flick for a particular group, you can do so via FanForce TV's 'Home Premiere' function. Film-wise, the current FanForce TV range includes Oscar-winner Parasite, eco-conscious documentaries 2040 and The Biggest Little Farm, and Aussie music flicks Mystify: Michael Hutchence and Gurrumul — plus Adam Goodes-focused doco The Australian Dream, the puppy-fuelled Pick of the Litter, eerie true-crime tale Ghosthunter and even Banksy's Exit Through the Gift Shop. The list goes on, spanning docos on college sexual assault The Hunting Ground, organ transplant Dying to Live and outback dirt-racing Finke: There and Back as well, among other titles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmahNqD3Dvw More films are set to join the service, too, such as Sydney-shot comedy Standing Up for Sunny, whales in captivity documentary Blackfish and — with accompanying Q&A sessions — moving Aussie doco In My Blood It Runs. If you not only like watching movies, but recommending them, FanForce TV also boasts an affiliate program that'll pay customers cash for directing their friends to watch a particular film. For further details — or to stream a movie or organise your own online community screening — visit the FanForce TV website.
The big friendly giant of the streaming world has found itself a golden ticket, with Netflix bringing the work of beloved author Roald Dahl to its platform. Viewers can expect to feel like Charlie Bucket walking into Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, with a whopping 16 of Dahl's classic books set to get the Netflix treatment. Teaming up with The Roald Dahl Story Company, the outfit is turning everything from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and its sequel Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator to Matilda and The Twits into new animated television shows. Oompa Loompas, everlasting gobstoppers and everyone's favourite book-loving schoolgirl with telekinetic abilities will be joined by basically every Dahl novel you read and adored as a kid — including The BFG, Esio Trot, George's Marvellous Medicine, The Enormous Crocodile, The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me, Henry Sugar, Billy and the Minpins, The Magic Finger, Dirty Beasts and Rhyme Stew. His autobiographical efforts Boy – Tales of Childhood and Going Solo will also hit the service, with one detailing Dahl's youth and the other delving into his journeys to Africa as well as his service in World War II. For many, including the tales about the author himself, it'll be the first time that they've been adapted for the screen. Netflix plans to turn Dahl's stories into event series and specials — so limited-run shows across a number of episodes, plus one-offs. Announcing the news, the company said in a statement that it "intends to remain faithful to the quintessential spirit and tone of Dahl while also building out an imaginative story universe that expands far beyond the pages of the books themselves". In other words, expect the tales you know and love, as well as tales that expand upon those tales. Work will start on the first Dahl animated series in 2019, although just which one it'll be is yet to be revealed. Netflix also hasn't said when the shows will hit the platform, but expect them soon — it's usually pretty speedy when it comes to turning content around. And if you just can't wait, Wes Anderson's delightful stop-motion animation version of Dahl's Fantastic Mr Fox is currently streaming on the service.
When Caper Byron Bay Food and Culture Festival debuted in 2022, Louis Tikaram from Stanley in Brisbane was on the lineup. In 2024, the chef from the standout Sunshine State restaurant has curated the program. He has ties to the area, growing up on a 110-acre farm in Mullumbimby before hopping from Sydney's Tetsuya's and Longrain to E.P & L.P. in Los Angeles and then the Queensland capital's go-to Cantonese fine-diner — and he's now doing his part for this culinary fest's second event. Caper returns with a few changes. The festival has expanded its lineup from a four-day weekend to a ten-day run, and also moved from spring to autumn, taking place from Friday, May 17–Sunday, May 26. But its focus remains on celebrating food and culture in its seaside New South Wales home and the surrounding region, whether you're keen to eat, drink, listen to live tunes, or enjoy a drag night and trivia show. "Being part of the first-ever Caper Festival as a guest chef back in 2022 was a blast, and now I'm stoked to come back home to Byron Shire and curate," said Tikaram, announcing the 2024 lineup. "With heaps of mates in the chef and supplier scene, and top-notch produce at our fingertips, we've got some cracking events lined up. Can't wait to get stuck in and show off what we've got cooking." Tikaram's program is filled with fellow culinary names, including when the opening party takes over Three Blue Ducks. On the bill just for that night alone: Dave Moyle from Salty Mangrove (who organised the first Caper), Jason Saxby from Raes on Wategos, Ben Devlin from Pipet, Matt Stone from You Beauty, Mindy Woods from Karkalla, Karl and Katrina Kanetani from Beach Byron Bay, Pepsi Nakbunchuay from Bang Bang, Robbie Oijvall from Lightyears, Bruno Conti from The Hut, Marcello Polifrone from Harvest and, of course, Darren Robertson from the host venue. At the other end of the fest, the closing-night event will see Tikaram, Hawaiian chef Kanetani, Ross Magnaye from Serai Kitchen in Melbourne and Jedd Rifai from North Byron Hotel hone in on Hawaiian buffet-style snacks. In-between, long lunches, a yakitori party and a five-course smoke-fuelled feast are all among the fellow Caper highlights. Some meals will get you eating seaside. Other events are serving up an Italian-inspired aperitivo hour or a gin garden party. With Tikaram doing the honours again, you can also tuck into east-meets-west canapés at Byron Chinese restaurant Hutong Harry's. Whatever you're heading to, the North Byron Hotel is the fest's official watering hole, hosting tunes, cooking demonstrations, and cheese and wine tastings. If you've got a ticket to the fest, you'll score a drink coupon for a complimentary beverage, too. Caper Byron Bay Food and Culture Festival runs from Friday, May 17–Sunday, May 26, 2024 at various locations around Byron Bay and the Northern Rivers region. For more information, head to the festival's website. Images: Jess Kearney / Ella Dice.
After another helluva year, we find ourselves once again entering the festive season. This time maybe a little more wearily, but still aching to hug our loved ones, and, in many cases, shower them with gifts. We all have that one person we have trouble buying a present for. Maybe it's your stubborn old man? Perhaps a wealthy aunt? Or it could be your partner (who you know got you something awesome and, even though it's not at all a competition, you still want to make sure you got them the better gift). Whatever your motivation, there's never a better gift option than to give someone an experience. If you add travel into the mix, you're also supporting some great regional areas around the country that are home to unique cultural experiences. It's a win-win. We've teamed up with Tourism Australia to put together ten top-notch cultural experiences to help you give a memorable, meaningful gift this holiday season.
For seven years, Melburnians have inhabited the world's most liveable city. But that reign has come to an end — the Victorian capital has been dethroned by Vienna for the top spot on the The Economist Intelligence Unit's global 2018 Liveability Index, which was announced today. The index ranks 140 cities on stability, healthcare, education, infrastructure, culture and environment, giving each city a rating out of 100. Last year, Vienna (97.4) and Melbourne (97.5) were incredibly close, but this year the Austrian capital has pipped the reigning champions. While none of Melbourne's ratings dropped — its overall ranking actually climbed to 98.4 — Vienna's stability and culture and environment ratings increased, which The Guardian is attributing to downgraded threat's of militant attacks in western Europe and the city's low crime rate. The Economist said, "Although both Melbourne and Vienna have registered improvements in liveability over the last six months, increases in Vienna's ratings, particularly in the stability category, have been enough for the city to overtake Melbourne. While Melbourne dropped, Sydney managed to climb the ranks (huzzah) — coming in at fifth this year, compared to last year's eleventh. Rounding out the top five were Osaka at third and Calgary at fourth.
Captaining an eco-friendly boat, sipping biodynamic wines and feasting on farm fresh produce — this is just the very beginning of what a sustainable weekend in Canberra could include. The nation's capital is an ideal location for travellers who want to reduce their environmental footprint while uncovering new sights, tastes and adventures. We've rounded up a list of some of the top eco-friendly eateries and drink purveyors, sustainably powered activities and luxe experiences, plus accommodation options focused on preserving the natural beauty of the territory. Use this as your guide to exploring Canberra's renowned city sights and discovering the region's hidden gems — while staying green. Please stay up to date with the latest ACT Government health advice regarding COVID-19. [caption id="attachment_810977" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Capital Brewing, Kara Rosenlund, VisitCanberra[/caption] EAT AND DRINK Canberra's top farm-to-tote-bag source for fridge and pantry staples — plus, early morning sustenance — is the Capital Region Farmers Market. More than 100 local stalls pop up every Saturday from 7–11.30am at Exhibition Park, offering everything from fresh fruit and veg to flowers, honey, bread, smoked meats, eggs and pastries. Explore it all with a coffee in hand, and get to know the local producers' tips for planet-friendly cooking and growing. For a second breakfast, head to vegan cafe and bakery Sweet Bones to enjoy another caffeine fix and sugar rush. Order a plant-based big brekkie or stock up on sweet wonders from the treats cabinet. Next, make a quick trip southeast to Pialligo Estate. It wears many hats, including cafe, restaurant, grocer, vineyard, smokehouse, small farm plot and children's playground. Enjoy the fruits of the estate over an al fresco lunch, before touring the grounds for a real paddock-to-plate experience. [caption id="attachment_810980" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lark Hill Biodynamic Winery, VisitCanberra[/caption] Ready for a tipple? Start with sustainable malted magic at Capital Brewing Co. This Canberra craft beer baron is well on its way to becoming a zero-waste brewery, sending spent beer-making ingredients to farmers for cattle feed, composting leftovers, minimising water and energy consumption, eliminating unnecessary packaging, and more. Chip in on the environmental effort and order a banana-forward Belgian blonde ale or exquisitely tart pear and elderflower sour from the warehouse taproom. If you prefer vinous varieties on a drinks list, check out Lark Hill Biodynamic Winery. The drops here get gold stars in the organic and biodynamic wine categories, while also hitting the mark on the delicious scale. Regular sippers of riesling, chardonnay and pinot noir will be well served at this lofty location in the hills above Canberra where shale and clay soils let these hardy grapes thrive. Book a $10-per-person tasting by the open fire at the intimate cellar door and work your way through some zesty whites and dark cherry reds. [caption id="attachment_810979" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jindii Eco Spa, VisitCanberra[/caption] DO Reconnect with nature while you enjoy a little self-care luxury at Jindii Eco Spa. This dreamy retreat is hidden within the vibrant Australian National Botanic Gardens, offering spa treatments that utilise wild harvested native ingredients and Indigenous knowledge. Unwind with a massage and mineral bath, allowing botanicals like lemon myrtle, white flannel flower and banksia seed to hydrate your skin while the expert therapists pummel all the stress out of your weary muscles. Add a little retail therapy to the rejuvenation mix and stock up on a few goodies from the spa's signature skincare range after a wander through the gardens. One fun way to explore Canberra is zipping around on an e-scooter. You might have a few childhood memories of tragic scooter tumbles, but these electric beauties are far easier and safer to handle. You can tour Lake Burley Griffin and track down famously transient The Pop Inn, which moves its wine and pizza bar to new locations around the capital most weekends. Hire e-scooters from the Canberra and Region Visitors Centre for an hour at $15 or for two hours for $25, or book the Beam and Neuron scooters via their own apps. [caption id="attachment_810978" align="alignnone" width="1920"] GoBoat, VisitCanberra[/caption] Keen to get out on the lake? GoBoat provides eco-friendly electric vessels that can ferry up to eight inland pirates (and seafaring dogs) around Lake Burley Griffin. You'll be captaining the boat yourself. It's super simple to steer and doesn't require experience or even a driver's license — however, skippers will need to be over 18 years old. Pre-packaged boat picnics and a sensible amount of BYO alcohol for passengers are encouraged, but GoBoat can also supply snacks from local eatery, Bean & Table. If you've got enough steam left for one more activity, make it an epic hike up Mount Gingera, which sits atop the western NSW/ACT border in Namadgi National Park. If you want to conquer the full 15-kilometre return journey from the carpark, expect an intermittently steep but stunning trek with endless mountain views at the summit. There are shorter trails to follow in the area and plenty of opportunities to spot native birds and frogs throughout the carefully preserved park. Keep in mind this peak can be covered by snow in the depths of winter. [caption id="attachment_810983" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nil Desperandum, Australian Capital Tourism[/caption] STAY You can get well and truly off-grid staying in Canberra while maintaining accommodation elegance. The bell tents at Naked Cubby Co provide luxe mattresses and linens you can get lost in, as well as breakfast in bed and easy access to the cellar door at Mount Majura Vineyard, all just a 20-minute drive from Canberra's CBD. Choose between the solar-powered glamping tents perched among the vines and the tiny house on wheels near the pine forest. The facilities are similarly minimal but the nature is top-notch at Nil Desperandum, a heritage cottage in the foothills of the Tidbinbilla Range. You'll need a 4WD to make the last leg of the 45-minute journey here from the centre of Canberra, but intrepid explorers with smaller city wheels can hike the last six kilometres along the dirt roads. The charming two-bedroom cottage has solar lighting, a kitchen with a wood stove, a long drop toilet, and a veranda and fenced yard where you can spend the night cooking on the gas barbecue and reclining by the fire pit. Just remember to bring in your own firewood. Also be aware that there's limited phone reception and no power outlets, so you'll need to be pretty self-sufficient to enjoy a night or two in the reserve. [caption id="attachment_810984" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ovolo Nishi, VisitCanberra[/caption] Alternatively, you can stay within the city limits for access to all the mod-cons you've come to love at Ovolo Nishi. While this CBD hotel is 'plugged in', it does have a clear commitment to sustainability and nature. The retro furnishings and artworks in each room are made from materials like clay, cork, refurbished eucalyptus timber and natural fibres, and the lofty atrium rooms gaze into an internal courtyard of salvaged Tasmanian tree ferns. The in-house dining at Monster Kitchen and Bar also has a sustainable focus, including a 100-percent vegetarian menu for the next year led by local seasonal produce. Discover more experiences to have in Canberra at VisitCanberra and start planning your next city break. Top Image: Mount Majura Vineyard, VisitCanberra
Thanks to lockdowns, travel limits, and gathering and venue restrictions, Melburnians have been caught in a familiar cycle since the end of May. That's what happens when there's a COVID-19 outbreak, as everyone has become accustomed to over the past year or so. Also familiar, not to mention welcome: the further easing of the city's rules and caps now that the state has notched up seven days without any locally acquired cases. When Friday, July 9 hits (because, although the changes come into effect at 11.59pm on Thursday, July 8, we're being realistic), a heap of restrictions across Melbourne will loosen — allowing folks to spend time in more places with more people. As announced today, Wednesday, July 7, by Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley, the new rules will remain in place for two weeks at this stage. They'll also apply statewide, bringing all of Victoria under the same requirements. So, for the next fortnight, hospitality venues will be able to operate with a density cap of one person per two-square-metres — as will gyms and physical recreation venues, community facilities, creative studios and places of worship. They'll all need to have a COVID Check-in Marshal is onsite to ensure folks are checking in, though. Dance floors are allowed to make a comeback, again with a COVID Check-in Marshal overseeing the action — but they'll have a 50-person cap at any one time. At public events, crowd numbers will also increase. Outdoor stadiums can fill to 75-percent capacity up to 40,000 people — so yes, that means more people at the footy — and indoor stadiums can do the same up to 7500 people. Theatres can also open to the same capacity percentage, but up to a 2000-person maximum. https://twitter.com/DanielAndrewsMP/status/1412572978538188801 One thing that isn't changing: the at-home gathering cap. That'll remain at 15, so that's still how many people you can have over to your house per day. "Victorians need look no further than the outbreak across our border to know the risks of coronavirus spreading at big gatherings inside the home. That's why the limit on private gatherings will stay the same," the Victorian Government noted in its statement. Mask rules are getting a very slight shakeup, however. They still remain mandatory indoors in public-facing settings, but if you work in an office or a factory, you won't have to wear them — as long as you're in a workplace that doesn't interact with the public. Announcing the latest easing of restrictions, the Health Minister said that "today's changes show just how far we've come — thanks to the hard work of all Victorians we're able to once again have the same settings in place for the whole state.". He continued: "we're seeing across the country just how fast-moving the Delta strain is – which is why we need to remain vigilant and follow the directions to protect the gains we've made." Victoria currently has 24 active COVID-19 cases as at midnight last night. Melbourne's restrictions will ease again at 11.59pm on Thursday, July 8. For more information about the rules that'll be in place from that time, head to the Victorian Department of Health website. Top image: Julia Sansone.
Everyone deserves a break to decompress, but in the bustling environment of the city, a moment of quiet has become increasingly rare. A random call or an overly aggressive car horn can ruin the little time we get to relax. Enter Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa, which is now offering a different to relax out in Daylesford. On Friday and Saturday nights (from 6–9pm), the spa is running its new Quiet Sanctuary Bathing at a discounted price of $99 (it will eventually go up to $120 per person). The adult-only experience invites you to soak in the mineral-rich water of pools without technology or chat. This means you won't be disturbed by groups of mates chatting in the steam room or splashing about in the pools — thank the spa gods. If you'd prefer some communal bathing where you can chat and get your phone out, you're encouraged to join the regular bathing sessions at different times. Looking for more than a soak? You can dive deeper into personal healing with guided meditation sessions in the tranquil Salt Pool at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm.
Spend your Saturday celebrating Chinese art and culture when the NGV rings in the Chinese New Year with a full day program of workshops, tours, performances, music and food. It'll all go down on Saturday, January 25 from 12–4pm — and it's absolutely free. Start off with a guided tour of the gallery's Asian art collections at either midday or 3.30pm. The collection spans a whopping four millennia of culture and history through artist mediums such as sculpture, ceramics, jade, calligraphy and prints. A curator's tour of the Japanese Design collection will also be running at 3pm. Traditional Chinese knot making workshops will run throughout the afternoon, and you can also have a go at Tījiànzi in the Grollo Equiset Garden — a game where you have to keep an elaborate shuttlecock off the ground for as long as you can without using your hands. DJ Silky Jazz will also be spinning tunes all afternoon, too. Dumplings, noodles and steamed buns will be on offer in the Great Hall throughout the day. For the full list of events, check out the NGV International website.
The music industry often takes itself too seriously. Funny photos of serious musicians are scarce, but hilarious. Take a took at these photos of (usually) serious musicians. We've got everything from Dallas Green (City and Colour, above) in underwear with an umbrella, Elvis Costello in a fedora hanging with Elmo, and the always intimidating post punk band Swans squatting awkwardly in a swimming pool. Even the deepest and darkest of musicians have a soft side (or at least a somewhat funny side). Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson Elvis Costello Ian Anderson John Cage Radiohead Elliott Smith Iron Maiden Jeremiah Greene and Jim Fairchild of Modest Mouse Swans Hans-Joachim Roedelius
Before he’d even set foot in Australia, Tim Crouch’s work had played to rapturous audiences throughout the country, from Belvoir Street to the Perth, Melbourne and Sydney Festivals. Crouch is an internationally acclaimed theatremaker based in the UK, where he creates his own work as well as directing for the Royal Shakespeare Company, and it’s Shakespeare that’s the subject of his latest show. In his one-man piece at Arts Centre, I, Malvolio, Crouch drags the “notoriously wronged” steward from Twelfth Night out into the limelight. When I, Malvolio first opened in a Brighton school as part of that city’s festival, Crouch was also asked to make an “adult” version of the same work — now he adapts the piece on the fly in every show, depending on who’s in the house. “If there’s lots of adults the level of interaction becomes more mature and complex, with a younger audience the text changes slightly," he says. "There’s quite a lot of improvisation in this piece, but there’s also quite a lot of strictly scripted words, and it’s in the spaces where the improvisation exists that the piece changes depending on the audience.” His plays for older audiences typically have a strong ideological bent, pushing against the boundaries of theatre’s capabilities. But he’s found that younger audiences are often more attuned, present and receptive. In this respect, he characterises children and teenagers in a similar way to audiences at festivals, where most if not all of his international work is produced. “Festivals are melting pots,” says Crouch, “They are meeting points, because work from around the world gathers in those places. Everyone is much more porous — the audience come back at you more deeply.” I, Malvolio is the fourth in a sequence of five works that began in 2003 with I, Caliban, but Crouch never set out to make a “series”. In these pieces, he liberates characters like Caliban, Banquo and Cinna from the margins of Shakespeare’s plots, letting them take centre stage in their own fluid, transfigured adaptations. He’s keenly aware of the responsibility these works owe to their “host plays”, but each one is still a freestanding work in its own right. “It’s important that they don’t sit in the shadow of the Shakespeare play they come from; they have to be pieces with their own integrity.” Crouch believes that this kind of balance allows an Elizabethan playwright’s distinctive voice to resonate with a modern audience, invoking Harold Bloom’s belief in Shakespeare as the inventor of understanding of what it means to be human. “A character like Malvolio is still an archetype that exists in contemporary consciousness,” he says, “and it’s good for a young audience to understand there’s a continuum from that time to now, and how we think about ourselves as human beings. We can still trace our way back.”
The Glenn Miller Orchestra is an institution almost as old as jazz itself. Yet for all the toes it’s set tapping and the charlestons it’s put in motion, it hasn’t come to Australia before. Until now. The legendary big band, now under the leadership of Rick Gerber, have been trumping up nostalgia all over the country with concerts in city and country alike, and they’re culminating their Australian tour with some shows at Melbourne’s Hamer Hall. They’ll be playing classics from the Andrews Sisters to Sinatra to the brassy tunes that kept our grandparents going through World War II. While said grandparents are likely to turn out in droves, the Miller big band has the verve to appeal to the younger crowd as well. Appearing with the Moonlight Serenade Singers and the Broadway Swing Dancers, they'll be bringing a little bit of history and a whole lotta old school fun.
Some cocktails feature both gin and whisky. Usually, though, if you're sipping one then you're not sipping the other. That means you're either enjoying the citrus and juniper taste that comes with gin, or indulging in the malty flavour that whisky is so well-known for. Or, you can now opt for Never Never Distilling Co and Sullivans Cove's newest release. The two Australian distilleries have teamed up on a tipple they've named Jennifer, and the South Australian gin outfit and Tasmanian whisky fiends really have combined the best of both worlds. This flavoursome spirit takes its cues from Dutch Genever, which is all about blending malt wine and botanical flavours. The aim here: to make a new concoction that nods to both gin and whisky, and works in cocktails that normally feature either. Taste-wise, you can expect notes of pine fresh coriander, spicy cinnamon scroll and pepperberry. You'll smell malt, toasted cereal and warm spice scents, too and also coriander and juniper. So, it's both rich and fruity — and it's part of Never Never's limited-edition Dark Series. Jennifer also marks the first time that two trophy winners from the World Gin Awards and World Whiskies Awards have joined forces to make to hybrid spirit style, and it's also quite the rare tipple. Only one batch has been made so far, and getting your hands on some will set you back RRP$92 for a 500-millilitre bottle. "We wanted to create something that was generous in flavour and luxurious in mouthfeel that will be appreciated by enthusiasts in both camps," said Never Never Head Distiller Tim Boast. "It was a perfect candidate for a Dark Series release, which are exciting experimentations in flavour that push the boundaries of the spirit category." "Our aim is to present, in the most delicious way possible, the most authentic expression of our ingredients and people," said Sullivans Cove Distillery Manager Heather Tillot. "An innovative mindset is vital for this, and centres around perspective, approach and detail." Jennifer will be available to purchase via the Never Never Distilling Co website from Wednesday, September 15, and from Never Never's McLaren Vale Distillery Door. Images: Meghan Coles.
If you're hungry for some live music, the folks behind Beyond the Valley are here to help. Last week, it was announced Melbourne would score a spin-off edition of their famed New Year's camping festival, with Beyond The City descending on Sidney Myer Music Bowl and Kings Domain Parklands on December 30 and 31 this year. Now, we know just which artists will be joining the festivities, with huge names like Pnau, Hayden James and Lime Cordiale included in the just-dropped lineup. Beyond The Valley, Untitled Group and Triple J have pulled together a fittingly hefty array of acts to help wrap up 2021 in style. Headlining the action on December 30, you'll catch Perth indie-rockers Spacey Jane and the ever-energetic Pnau out of Sydney. Firing up the stage across the rest of Day One will be the likes of singer-songwriter Eves Karydas, DJ and producer Motez, rapper Allday, Elizabeth Cambage and Running Touch. The sonic delights continue through the following day, with beloved acts such as Ball Park Music, Willaris. K, Alice Ivy, Boo Seeka, Cosmo's Midnight and Hot Dub Time Machine hitting the stage. And, taking you beyond midnight and into the unknown wilderness of 2022, expect sounds from Sydney pop-rockers Lime Cordiale and electro superstar Hayden James. It'll all unfold across three zones at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl and the surrounding Kings Domain parklands: the Main Stage, the Dance Domain and the Dr Dan's Stage. It's set to be a fully standing event and dancing has been given the all clear, with organisers even wrangling a special licensing permit allowing for the revelry to kick on until 1.30am on January 1. What's more, the festival has teamed up with First Nations mentorship organisation AIME, with $1 from every ticket sold going to support the group's important community work. To nab yourself a coveted Beyond The City ticket, you can register right now for presale access, with presale tickets on sale from 4pm Wednesday, November 10. General access will then open from 4pm, November 11. BEYOND THE CITY 2021 LINEUP: Hayden James Lime Cordiale Pnau Spacey Jane Allday C. Frim Choomba Dameeeela Elizabeth Cambage Eves Karydas JK 47 Jordan Brando Lovebirds Mallrat Motez Running Touch Sophiegrophy Sycco Telenova Torren Foot Alice Ivy Ball Park Music Boo Seeka Bradley Zero Cosmo's Midnight Crescendoll Hot Dub Time Machine Ijale Jaguar Jonze JamesJamesJames Jennifer Loveless King Stingray Kye Lastlings Loods Nina Las Vegas Pretty Girl Skin On Skin Willaris. K X Club
The impression I had of The Spectacular Now before seeing it was that it was another teen movie about a cool guy falling in love with a dorky girl — but this time genuine and refreshing. 'Not possible!', thought I, as I anticipated counting off all the ways that the film failed. Cool guys and dorky girls don't mix, and if they do, Hollywood filmmakers cannot be counted on to explain it. Now I'm forced to eat my words. The Spectacular Now definitely is that genuine and refreshing take on the cool-guy-falls-in-love-with-the-dorky-girl story. It succeeds by focusing secondarily on the romance, and primarily on the shambolic and troubled life of its protagonist, Sutter Keeley (Miles Teller). Sutter is cool not because he's a jock, a leader, a looker or a bully — he's just the most fun. He and his girlfriend, Cassidy (Brie Larsen), are the life of every party. And that's in good part because Sutter has no self-worth, no ambition and knows how to drink without cessation. The Spectacular Now is unique in its portrait of what alcoholism can look like in adolescence, beyond the usual hysteria over binge drinking. Cassidy leaves Sutter when she realises that, even though their chemistry is the stuff of legend, she wants more out of life. Sutter then meets Aimee Finecky (Shailene Woodley, last seen in The Descendants) — a quiet, swotty girl whose interests include manga and French club (the type who's going to own the college campus soon enough) — when she finds him passed out on a neighbour's lawn in the wee hours. Remember, Sutter is good and fun; he has no ulterior motive for hanging out with Aimee afterwards, besides that he likes her company. But, aided by his inebriation and her infatuation, that friendship quickly escalates. The Spectacular Now has ten times the nuance and complexity of the previous film from the writing duo of Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, (500) Days of Summer. It might be that they had strong source material in the book by Tim Tharp, or that they've simply matured as writers. The Spectacular Now is a standout achievement that makes you care for its characters and leaves you with plenty to think about afterwards. It's true the character of Aimee is sidelined, but she's not just a cipher; she's a multidimensional character who is only known to us through Sutter's eyes, because he's who the film is really about. The relationship between the two characters is strong, interesting and believable, with their complicated mothers being a particular source of commonality. Woodley and Teller really help to sell the roles with their incredible performances. "When you look at her, you really see her," Sutter tells his buddy at the halfway point of the movie, and much the same can be said of the two actors. They add so much depth with their mere presence. The Spectacular Now is a beautiful surprise package. High school has never looked so worth revisiting. https://youtube.com/watch?v=wceaLzbtuDY
Barbecue shapes. Fried chicken. Together in a crunchy combo at last. In terrible news for aspiring dieters everyone, Arnott's has teamed up with some of the best chicken joints in the country to create a taste combination of a very different feather. For the next three weeks, hungry residents of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane can order fried foul coated in crushed Arnott's Barbecue Shapes. And before you ask, yes, they're using the original flavouring. Sydney's Juicy Lucy, Melbourne's Phat Chicks and Brisbane's Seoul Bistro have all gotten on board, with each restaurant offering their own unique take on the brief for $8–15. The whole thing is part of a promotion by Deliveroo, so you'll only be able to get the creations delivered. They'll be available via Deliveroo until Sunday October 7. No word on whether they're planning on doing a pizza shapes variant, but we'll keep our fingers crossed.
If you've spent the past few days puzzling over the weather and regretting your choice to stick that fan back in the garage, you're well within reason. As it turns out, parts of the state have this week smashed seasonal records, with an unusual autumn warm spell clocking some of the highest April temperatures we've seen in decades. On Tuesday night, Cape Otway took the cake, sweating through its highest April minimum in a whole 156 years. https://twitter.com/BOM_Vic/status/1118298566835998722 Around Melbourne Airport, the average maximum temperature usually sits around 20.4 degrees in April, though this week, the city hit 30.3 degrees on Tuesday and 30 on Wednesday. As the Bureau of Meteorology told The Age, the last time time we scored two consecutive days over 30 so late in April, was way back in 1922 — a whopping 97 years ago. The balmy temperatures look like they'll be sticking around for Easter, too, with BOM forecasting a warm start to the long weekend. After a cooler top of just 18 degrees today, Melbourne's looking at a sunny 22-degree maximum on Good Friday and 28 degrees on Saturday. Showers might threaten some of those Easter egg hunt plans on Sunday, though, when a cloudy 25 degrees is on the cards with 30-percent chance of rain. https://twitter.com/BOM_Vic/status/1118654549781360640 Top image: St Kilda by Visit Victoria.
