The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup is over. Sadly, the Matildas didn't win. But the Sam Kerr-led squad just kept making history, including scoring Australia's best-ever placing by coming in fourth and notching up the country's most-watched TV event since 2001 — and likely ever. Those are all phenomenal feats. They're statue-worthy achievements. Also, they're the kind of accomplishments that've deservedly had the whole nation talking. And, in great news for fans of the world game, captain Kerr isn't done inspiring everyone yet. No one will ever forget the champion striker's stunning goal against England. No one will ever forget the entire Australian national women's soccer team's efforts throughout the whole competition. And, plenty of Aussies now want to be just like Kerr, Mackenzie Arnold, Caitlin Foord, Katrina Gorry, Steph Catley, Hayley Raso and their fellow footballers. Enter Kerr's own football school for kids. First, the key point for all Kerr-adoring adults: this football academy is only for children, both girls and boys, aged 3–14. Of course, seeing an Australian sporting champion helping to bring about the next generation of football heroes is truly excellent. Every kid is probably trying to recreate that spectacular goal now anyway — and now they can learn how to at Kerr's own academy. If Kerr did decide to lend her name to a version for women, it'd be huge. Who wouldn't sign up? Unsurprisingly, the replies to the Matildas and Chelsea star's Instagram post announcing the venture are filled with adults wanting their own Kerr academy. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sam Kerr (@samanthakerr20) "Sam Kerr Football will provide players with a world-class program to be delivered by high-quality coaches, all with a focus on ensuring that young players fall in love with football the same way I have," said Kerr in a video announcing the school. Participants will not only level up their soccer skills, using training plans and sessions that've been whipped up by top Aussie soccer experts, but will take part in a holistic initiative that also covers health and wellbeing. Developing self-awareness, learning to overcome adversity, regulating emotions and understanding the importance of mindset will all be covered, as well as nutrition, rest and recovery, and injury management. There'll also be digital and media training — age-appropriate, of course — including preparing players for the kind of off-field press attention that Kerr has become used to. [caption id="attachment_913581" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LittleBlinky via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] The program will launch for enrolments in 2023, with a 2024 start date. Exactly where it will operate is yet to be announced, but there'll be multiple sites. Right now, the academy is open for expressions of interest for players — and for coaches, partners and franchises, with the latter meaning that you can own your own Sam Kerr Football School. If you have or know a child that'd love to be involved, the academy will do free trial sessions — one lesson only — and charge a fee after that. Kids will also need to don a Sam Kerr uniform, which might be the easiest uniform to get them to wear. Training days are yet to be finalised, and will vary per school, but some centres will offer holiday programs. [caption id="attachment_913019" align="alignnone" width="1920"] LittleBlinky via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] And if your child wants to meet Kerr — don't we all? — the school advises that "Sam's expertise and oversight is an integral part of Sam Kerr Football; however, as a star athlete, opportunities for her to meet young players are limited". "There may be some events and opportunities through your child's journey with Sam Kerr Football where Sam will be available to participate. Details of these occasions will be shared as they are known." Sam Kerr Football will open for enrolments later in 2023, and launch in 2024. To register your interest or for more information, head to the Sam Kerr Football website.
Zipping around the city running errands can be difficult without a bicycle accessory to hold all your belongings — backpacks get heavy and bags hanging off handlebars get caught in wheels. So counter this, Yeong Keun Jeong and Aareum Jong have created Reel, an invention that attaches to your bike frame using woven elastic and adhesive silicone buttons. This simple yet effective design comes in two parts: one long piece of elastic and a sheet of clear plastic buttons. By attaching the buttons evenly along the bike frame, Reel stops the elastic from sliding to the bottom of the frame by looping the elastic in a diamond shape. Acting as a woven basket, the elastic holds your items in place along the triangle frame so you can ride off into the sunset or down the street with whatever tickles your fancy in tow.
If you've already meandered through Melbourne's alleyways and sipped your way through the big city wine bars, it's about time you discovered something more outside the busy heart of the big smoke. Only 15 kilometres from Melbourne's CBD, Kingston combines expansive greenery and beaches with a vibrant coastal community. Here, you can go from one of eight pristine beaches to cycling through local parks and woodlands, learning to fly at the local airport, creating your own artwork, seeking out the local gems of transformed industrial precincts or unwinding in a sauna that overlooks the ocean. Together with Kingston, we've come up with a well-rounded itinerary for a beaut of an R&R itinerary, just in time for the flurry of the festive season. The Great Outdoors Take advantage of the sunshine and trade the hustle of the city for some fresh air at one of Kingston's natural sights. Spread across 15 hectares, Karkarook Park is home to a sprawling lake, scenic picnic areas and a series of walking and cycling trails. The former sand mine-turned-lake is an ideal place to while away the day with the whole family (including any fur babies) — try your hand at catching a Rainbow Trout or Murray Cod from the jetty, go for a leisurely float on a canoe or kayak, spotting native plants and wildlife in the surrounding bushland, and close out the day with sunset views. If you're still keen on green, head to Braeside Park for a full day of family fun. From trails through woodlands and wetlands to an adventure playground and free electric barbies, the massive park is chock-full of activities for all ages. You can also get a feel for the local community there, whether you're wandering through the community garden, admiring tree carvings of local celebs and murals of the area's cultural history, or participating in community activities like plant propagation or bird-watching. For more of a splash, cruise the coast from Mentone Beach to Carrum Beach. The 13-kilometre stretch spans eight beaches, including Mentone, Parkdale, Mordialloc, Aspendale, Edithvale, Chelsea, Bonbeach and Carrum, so there's plenty of options to cool off with a dip if you're exploring by bike or on foot. Local Experiences Get to know the area like a local by getting stuck into Kingston's community and cultural scene. An airport might not seem like a typical stop on your day trip itinerary, but there's more than meets the eye at Moorabbin Airport. Jump on a scenic flight for a sky-high tour above Melbourne's skyline, or crank the thrills up a notch with an aerobatic flight across the region — think barrel rolls, loops, tail slides and even air racing. Once you're back on land, you can visit the Moorabbin Air Museum, which dates back to 1962, or try your hand at flying with a real-life flight training course. Prefer to keep your feet on solid ground? Head to the Kingston Arts Centre for a dose of creativity, from art exhibits to film screenings to weekly workshops like spoon carving, mosaic tiling and macrame weaving. Whether you're a spectator or a participant, you'll be inspired by Kingston's artistic talent and craftsmanship. From farmers markets rich with local produce to antique markets dealing in hard-to-find vintage goods, Kingston loves a market.If you're lucky enough to be in town on the second Sunday of the month, check out Bonbeach Farmers Market at Bonbeach Primary School. From 8.30am–12.30pm, you can fill up on fresh produce, bread, honey, desserts and drinks from over 60 stalls to enjoy there or bring home as souvenirs. Show your support for the primary school by snagging a bacon and egg roll or visiting the Green Thumbs Stall, featuring garden fertiliser made by the school's worm farm. Wellness and Relaxation It wouldn't be a proper getaway without some time for self-care. Recharge your body before you return to your bustling routine with a sauna session, cold dip or exercise class. Situated in Mordialloc Sailing Club with views across the water, SeaSoul Sauna is an idyllic thermowood barrel sauna that seats up to six people. Guests have the option to share a 90-minute session with members of the public or book it out for complete privacy and are encouraged to cool off with swim breaks in the sea. Each session will be led by a sauna guide, with light refreshments and towels provided. For a more bespoke experience, join along for Silent Tuesdays, Men's Mondays or Women's Wednesdays, which include aromatherapy, breath work, towel waving and ocean dips. [caption id="attachment_975446" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Julieanne Perara[/caption] Also part of the SeaSoul Sauna community are the Mordi Sea Dippers — a group that meets weekly to connect with old and new faces while championing mental and physical wellness. Drop in at Mordialloc Pier on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 6.45am for a meditation and ocean dip, and keep an eye on their Instagram page for additional events. Level up your health at Wild Soul Wellness, which combines pilates and yoga classes with wellness treatments. The studio offers reformer and mat pilates, as well as hot pilates and yoga in an infrared-heated space. Follow this up with an on-site infrared sauna, hot and cold plunges, red-light and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, Normatec compression boots, or even a naturopath consultation. There's so much more than just nature and serenity in Kingston. Whether you're looking for the perfect beach to chill on, a big feed at a local hidden gem or a good old fashioned figure it-out adventure, you'll find it in Kingston. Find out more and start planning your Kingston adventure at This is Kingston's Instagram or website. Images courtesy of This is Kingston
“My father passed away when I was three. It was only this year that I realised that he was just thirty when he died. So, if I make it through this year alive, I’ll outlive my own father, which is crazy. And that’s why my album is called Thirty One. Apparently he was a really amazing musician, so I think that’s where I got my music from.” Brisbane singer-songwriter Jarryd James has had one heck of a year. The 31-year-old former teaching student's debut LP Thirty One drops September 11, but he's already blitzed the Australian charts and festival circuit. Since his single, ‘Do You Remember?’ hit number two on the ARIA charts in February, James has been living in a dream-like state, selling out huge national venues like Sydney's Metro Theatre and playing to one of Splendour's biggest crowds. “There was no way I was expecting that,” he said. “It’s been incredible. I don’t think I’ve really had a chance to process it properly.” ‘Do You Remember?’ has now racked up more than 2 million Youtube views, and he's just released a single co-written with Julia Stone. And that's all in one year. We caught the Brisbane singer on the day of his debut album launch, to head back to the beginning, to chat about singing up a storm in his bedroom, the tapes his mum used to play and how the heck he worked with Frank Ocean and Lorde's producers. ON TRAINING HIS VOICE USING HIS MUM’S TAPES Despite a furiously busy year of fast fame, James's deceptively simple track has years of work – and listening – behind it. James started singing when he was just a kid. “I never had any training or anything like that. I’d put tapes on and just sing along. I listened to a lot of Stevie Wonder, Harry Nilsson, The Beatles and Bob Dylan — all the staples, I guess. And the stuff my mum had in her tape and record collection. Singing is all about listening, really, more than it is about making noise. You need to listen to what’s happening and adjust your voice accordingly. I spent a lot of time listening to other singers and figuring out how they did it.” ON BEING A SHY BEDROOM SINGER Even though singing came naturally to James, performing was a different matter. “As a teenager, I never sang in front of anyone else. I was ridiculously shy and the thought of it made me feel sick.” It wasn’t until James was 19 that he worked up the courage to sing in public, which launched a decade of music-making — from touring independently to playing bass with good mate Matt Corby. And now the tables have turned — performing is now James's "favourite part". "It’s one thing to record a song and go back and change things. But when you’re performing in a room, it’s in real time. It’s happening there and then, and it has its own energy, which I find a bit addictive. There’s no other thing in the world that makes you feel like that. It’s amazing. The bigger the crowd, the easier it is … The only time I get nervous is when it’s some awkward thing, like a label showcase, where there are twenty people staring at you in a silent room.” ON WORKING WITH LORDE AND FRANK OCEAN'S PRODUCERS Jarryd recorded Thirty One in Auckland, Los Angeles, Melbourne and Sydney, with the input of three seriously Big Time producers — Joel Little (Lorde, Broods), Malay (Frank Ocean) and Pip Norman (Urthboy, Dan Sultan). As a result, listeners can expect twelve melodic, laidback tracks, including ‘Do You Remember?’, as well as the also already-released ‘Give Me Something’ and ‘Regardless’ (featuring Julia Stone). So what kind of sound does a Brisbane boy and Frank Ocean's producer come up with? “Nothing was forced. We were all on the same page musically and we decided that we should see what happens. We weren’t trying to force out any hits or any of that shit. We enjoyed each other’s company first and foremost, and we made music according to that. I don’t care at all about what anyone’s done previously or what their status is or what their name is. I care about what their agenda is with music and what they value when they’re writing and producing.” ON SIMPLICITY AND HONESTY Jarryd describes his most important musical values as “simplicity and honesty. A lot of [the music on Thirty One] is quite emotional. It is stuff that’s flowed out of me … I try to let my subconscious lead the writing process and switch my brain off as much as I can. I’ve learnt to trust that. When I over-think and second-guess, that’s when I get myself in a bit of a rut, creatively. I think the main thing I focus on is not focusing. It sounds weird but it does work for me. "I don’t even let myself think about fears that I have because I’m the kind of person, if I get down that path, it’ll kind of maybe mess me up a bit. But my hopes are that I can keep on doing this for a long as I can – that being decades and decades. I want to be able to make enough money to live off and support other musicians and help as many people as I can. I have a very blessed life now so I want to be able to pass that on." Jarryd James' debut album Thirty One is out September 11 via Universal Music. Images: Universal, Ian Laidlaw (Splendour)
This is the X-Men movie for X-Men aficionados; a filmic Grange Hermitage, Stradivarius and Cohiba Behike rolled into one. That's not to say newcomers won't enjoy themselves, but X-Men: Days of Future Past is a considered, intricate and devoted film that rewards both the audience's fidelity to, and memory of, its predecessors. It's set (initially) in the future, where earth's mutants — good and bad — have all but been exterminated via an unstoppable army of adaptive, mutant-seeking robots named 'Sentinels'. With one last throw of the dice available, the survivors send their own indestructible spork, aka Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), back in time to 1974 to attempt to alter the course of history. Wolverine's principal task is to reunite a young Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) with the man responsible for putting him in a wheelchair — the metal-manipulating champion of mutants known as Magneto (Michael Fassbender). Xavier, however, has become an addict of alcohol and painkillers whilst Magneto has been buried in a cement prison for participating in a tricky little incident in Dallas, 1963. Together, they must all reconcile their grievances and work collectively towards stopping an embittered Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) from attacking the inventor of the Sentinels, Bolivar Trask (Peter Dinklage). Back in the director's chair is Bryan Singer, whose first two X-Men films were by far the strongest in the franchise. The key to their success was focusing on stories bolstered by special effects, rather than delivering 'special effects movies' for the sake of special effects. They were rip-roaringly fun and exciting pictures that also represented compelling parables on prejudice and discrimination. One or two space-time continuum hiccups notwithstanding, X-Men: Days of Future Past rediscovers that balance and the result is a complex and comprehensive film that ingeniously marries the old Singer cast with the younger, First Class one. It also introduces some fantastic new mutants, including a Portal-esque character named Blink and the lightning fast Quicksilver (Evan Peters), whose keynote slow-mo scene is the film's undisputed highlight. X-Men: Days of Future Past is a delightful reboot of a series that was in danger of losing its way. Full of subtle yet instructive allusions to future moments from past films (remember: time travel), it refreshingly keeps things relatively small-scale amid a growing compliment of contemporaries that now deem city-wide devastation par for the course. Dark, enthralling and undeniably exhilarating, it's an elegant and accomplished thrill-ride for both new fans and old. https://youtube.com/watch?v=pK2zYHWDZKo
Here's your chance to thank a major enabler of your binge TV habit. The man responsible for bringing you 3720 hours of glee, revulsion, frustration and satisfaction, Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, is coming to Australia. He'll be making one exclusive appearance at the Sydney Town Hall as part of the Sydney Writers' Festival (an early part; he's here May 1 while the rest of the festival kicks off May 19). The discussion will zero in on Gilligan's creative process and presumably provide a platform for all your Better Call Saul-related questions. Even though Gilligan might be the most 'read' writer at the festival, there's plenty else in the program announcement to warrant attention and ticket-getting. Big international names include that other confounding New Zealand prodigy, 2013 Booker Prize winner for The Luminaries Eleanor Catton (who is, we're constantly being reminded, 28). There's also right-of-passage author Irvine Welsh, journalist/press freedoms fighter Jeremy Scahill, Super Sad True Love Story writer/famous blurbist Gary Shteyngart, and Eimear McBride, who in 2013 threw out the laws of grammar and emerged with the bizarrely comprehensible A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing. Artistic director Jemma Birrell doesn't appear to be trying to reinvent the wheel or tweet the wheel or performance art the wheel; the 2014 Sydney Writers' Festival is geared towards solid programming that mixes interesting minds. "Over 400 writers will bring their insight and knowledge, their creativity and contemplation, to help us see life from a different perspective," she says of the festival. Bondi Beach and Bowral are new venues, and there's a fun-looking series putting the spotlight on Literary Friendships (it generously counts siblings as friends, so writers Benjamin and Michelle Law are included). Now a fixture of the festival, the Chaser-run Festival Club is where things will get relaxed and sweary at the end of the day. The Sydney Writers' Festival is on May 19-25 (apart from lone wolf Vince). Tickets are on sale from 9am on Friday, April 4, via the festival website.
Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, took to the small screen on Tuesday with his new talk show, The World Tomorrow. Assange and his first interviewee, the Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, chatted companionably (with the aid of of translators) via video chat. Nasrallah spoke from an undisclosed location in Lebabnon, and Assange from the UK, where he is under house arrest. The interview marked Nasrallah's first Western interview since 2006. The World Tomorrow is carried by Russia Today (RT), a Kremlin-backed English-language news network and website with an anti-American undertone. Created by Vladimir Putin in 2005, RT aims to promote the Kremlin line abroad; it is also broadcast in Spanish and Arabic. Assange is noted for his involvement in a 2010 mass release of secret government documents. Though he was supported by the cooperation of several news organisations (including the New York Times), Assange was the only one involved to fully disclose the documents' details, names and all. He published the documents on his website, and has since become a target of controversy. Though no TV host natural, Assange covered a wide range of interesting topics, including issues in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel, with Nasrallah on Tuesday night. The interview was thought-provoking and fresh, leaving audiences guessing what could be coming up in future episodes. https://youtube.com/watch?v=GDLXPpooA18 [via Pedestrian]
Back in 2019, the thought of spending August in Melbourne doing anything other than sitting in a darkened room watching movie after movie would've sounded like flat-out cinephile blasphemy. Thankfully, after two pandemic-affected years that put Melbourne International Film Festival's in-person plans on hold not once but twice, that idea won't be a reality in 2022. Yes, the city's major cinema celebration is back in its best guise this year — and it'll have you making grooves in your favourite ACMI, The Capitol, Forum, Hoyts Melbourne Central, IMAX, Kino Cinema and Cinema Nova seats for most of the month. You'd better stock up on healthy mid-film snacks now, given you'll soon have a massive 371 features, shorts and extended-reality titles to watch. You'd best start training for all that time spent sitting down, too. Hitting cinemas for the first time in three years after pivoting online in 2020 and 2021 out of lockdown-fuelled necessity, MIFF is returning to Melbourne's picture palaces with a bang between Thursday, August 4–Sunday, August 21. That's already been obvious since back in June, when the fest unveiled its first 33 flicks for this year, its 70th event — and now that the full 2022 lineup has dropped, it keeps proving accurate. Among the just-announced new highlights, MIFF will boast the Australian premiere of The Stranger, a true-crime thriller starring Joel Edgerton (Obi-Wan Kenobi) and Sean Harris (Spencer), as directed by Acute Misfortune's Thomas M Wright; the local debut of Aftersun, another straight-from-Cannes pick led by Normal People's Paul Mescal; a big session of Three Thousand Years of Longing, the Tilda Swinton (Memoria)- and Idris Elba (The Harder They Fall)-starring latest from Mad Max: Fury Road's George Miller; and also David Cronenberg's Crimes of the Future, the iconic filmmaker's first feature since 2014's Maps to the Stars. Also massive: the Aussie premiere of documentary Moonage Daydream. As the title instantly makes plain to fans of David Bowie, it's all about the music icon, with Cobain: Montage of Heck and Jane filmmaker Brett Morgen creating a collage that steps through the singer's life using restored and never-before-seen footage. Or, there's also Decision to Leave, a noir romance that saw Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook (Stoker, Oldboy) win Cannes' Best Director gong — and documentaries by Ethan Coen (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs), making his solo directing debut by surveying Jerry Lee Lewis; and Luca Guadagnino (Call Me by Your Name), about shoe designer Salvatore Ferragamo. In 2022, MIFF is debuting a new competition, too, which'll boast a $140,000 Best Film Award. Called Bright Horizons, it'll feature 11 movies vying for the prize — including the aforementioned The Stranger and Aftersun, Mexican drug trade drama Robe of Gems, cyber-musical Neptune Frost, Sundance Special Jury Award-winner Leonor Will Never Die, and Aussie filmmaker Alena Lodkina's (Strange Colours) second feature Petrol. The list of MIFF highlights also covers Palme d'Or winner Triangle of Sadness, which satirises the mega rich, is directed by Force Majeure's Ruben Östlund, and marks his second Palme win after The Square; and Broker, the latest from acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda, who won the Palme d'Or back in 2018 with the sublime Shoplifters. This time, the latter has made a movie in Korea — his first Korean-language film, in fact, starring Parasite's Song Kang-ho, who won Cannes' Best Actor Award — with Broker again exploring the ties that bind and the connections of family. Other Cannes award-recipients in MIFF's program include joint Cannes Grand Prix-winner Stars at Noon, which sees Claire Denis (High Life) direct Margaret Qualley (Maid) and Joe Alwyn (Conversations with Friends) in an erotic espionage tale; Tori and Lokita, which nabbed the Cannes 75th Anniversary Prize for Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne (Two Days, One Night); Holy Spider, an Iran-set true-crime serial killer thriller by Ali Abbasi (Border), and the recipient of Cannes' Best Actress Award for star Zar Amir Ebrahimi (Tehran Taboo). And, the lineup of must-sees also spans Blaze, a mix of live-action, puppetry and animation directed by acclaimed Aussie artist Del Kathryn Barton; Mass, which follows the aftermath of a school shooting; Australia's own Seriously Red, a SXSW hit about a Dolly Parton impersonator; and One Fine Morning, from acclaimed French filmmaker Mia Hansen-Løve (Bergman Island). Or, there's Shadow by theatre company Back to Back; War Pony, which scored Zola actor-turned-filmmaker Riley Keough and co-director Gina Gammell Cannes' Camera d'Or; and Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, the stop-motion comedy based on the shorts and books of the same name, which screens just before Jenny Slate hits town for Melbourne Writers Festival. MIFF's genre selection is always a treat, and 2022 is no different. That's where you'll find standouts such as Bodies Bodies Bodies, the A24 horror-comedy starring Rachel Sennott, Amandla Stenberg and Pete Davidson; Canberra-shot social media-skewering delight Sissy; and Something in the Dirt, the latest mind-bender directed by and starring Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (The Endless). The fest is also dedicating its filmmaker retrospectives to Hungarian auteur Márta Mészáros and French-Bosnian writer/director Lucile Hadžihalilović — and, obviously, all of the above and more joins the heap of already-announced flicks, such as opening night's coming-of-age feature Of an Age, a Hear My Eyes session of Chopper, the Aubrey Plaza (Best Sellers)-starring thriller Emily the Criminal, and horror-comedy Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon from A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night's Ana Lily Amirpour. Also, in fabulous news both for Melburnians and for movie buffs interstate, MIFF will still keep its online program in 2022 — an unsurprising move given that in 2020, when it first made the leap to streaming the fest in a big way, it enjoyed its biggest audience ever. This year, MIFF Play will be available from Thursday, August 11–Sunday, August 28, making the festival run for almost a month in-person and digitally, and will show 105 features and shorts. And, during its in-cinema stint, MIFF is going suburban, too, with sessions at Melbourne cinemas The Astor, Lido, Pentridge and Sun Theatre from Friday, August 12–Sunday, August 21 as well. It'll also hit up regional Victorian venues in Bairnsdale, Bendigo, Bright, Castlemaine, Echuca, Geelong, Mildura,Sorrento and Warrnambool during the same dates. The 2022 Melbourne International Film Festival runs from Thursday, August 4–Sunday, August 28 at a variety of venues around Melbourne and Victoria, and online. For further details, including tickets from Friday, July 15 — and MIFF member pre-sales on Wednesday, July 13–Thursday, July 14 — visit the MIFF website.
What would you say to pinot noir with a possum? Shiraz with a snake? Or cabernet sauvignon with a cockatoo or two? If you'd like your next wine experience to be a little wilder, Healesville Sanctuary has a Queen's Birthday weekend (Saturday, June 8– Monday, June 10) treat for you. The annual Wine & Wildlife event will see the best vino producers in the Yarra Valley gather for three days of food, wine and good times amid the stunning sanctuary's bushland and fauna. Whether you're a serious gourmet foodie, wine enthusiast or dedicated koala fan, this is the perfect opportunity to get away from any winter woes with a mini-retreat unlike any other. Plus, we're giving away a VIP experience at Wine & Wildlife. Your prize will include entry to Wine & Wildlife (including general admission entry to Healesville Sanctuary) for you and three mates. You'll also score four passes to a kangaroo close-up encounter, giving you the chance to personally meet some of Australia's finest native animals. THE FINEST WINES IN THE VALLEY The Yarra Valley is renowned for a number of stand-out wines and top-notch vineyards. This long weekend will be a wine lover's paradise, with select wineries offering an all-day tasting selection included as part of the event. You can sample a drop (or few) from a range of celebrated wineries such as De Bortoli, Boat O'Craigo, Oakridge and the award-winning Rob Dolan vineyard, as well as unique low-intervention producers Payten & Jones. Whether you know your terroir from your tannins or you just like that magical grape juice, these passionate creators will happily talk you through their products and processes — or, if you'd prefer, just pour you a glass and let the wine do the talking. WILDLIFE (NATURALLY) Of course, the attendance of the furred, feathered and scaled residents of Healesville Sanctuary is the really special (creature) feature that makes this wine and food event a cut above your regular weekend tipple. Over this three day mini-fest, keepers will be roving among the guests with animal pals in tow. It's an opportunity to get up close and personal with various native fauna, as keepers chat about Healesville Sanctuary's animals and programs. In addition to being an adorable and delightful photo op, it's also a chance to ask questions and to learn, much like the wine tasting. MULLED, MIXED AND CRAFTY BEVS It's not all shiraz and chardonnay. If you prefer something steaming to warm you from the inside out, a mulled wine and gin bar will have just the tonic to cure a chill. The sweet mulled wine will chase away the cold and leave you rosy-cheeked and warmed through and through. For those who want to keep it cool, it'll also be slinging the refined garden party staple, the G&T. Be sure to also swing by the stalls of Yarra Valley beer and cider producers such as St Ronan's Cider and Napoleone brewery. Cherryhill Orchards is also offering an array of beverages, with its cherry wine, cherry porter and cherry cider. AN EPICUREAN DELIGHT OF FOOD POP-UPS All those spontaneous wildlife encounters will surely build up an appetite, so the on-site cafe, Sanctuary Harvest, will be cooking up a storm. Banish the winter shivers with hearty dishes such as a rich beef bourguignon, pork burgers, barbecue ribs and sausages, with all meats from local supplier K&B. Vegetarians aren't forgotten either, with jackfruit burgers, soup and some luxuriously loaded potatoes on offer. If you'd prefer to graze, they'll also be serving up steamed buns and dim sum as well as hot buttered corn. With food this good, you can satisfy your hungry bellies and highly-attuned gourmand taste buds all in one go. INDULGENT TASTINGS TO RAISE YOUR CHOC-APPRECIATION GAME For dessert, head straight to the Kennedy & Wilson chocolate bar. It's been crafting artisanal chocolate in the Yarra Valley for 25 years now — the longevity a testament to Kennedy & Wilson's skill and quality. Sample a range of unique-flavoured varieties or stick to its award-winning couverture, including a 48 percent milk chocolate which is rich enough to compete with that bold shiraz you picked up. You'll still be discussing texture, mouthfeel and aftertaste, but also melt, snap and gloss — qualities you can only judge in freshly made chocolate of the highest quality. Word of warning: after flavours like this, you'll never go back to supermarket chocolate again. PICNIC BY A FIRE You probably can't spend the whole time chowing down on gourmet goodies and drinking fine wine (joking — you can). And maybe you even need a break from interacting with fuzzy animal friends (again, joking — who could get tired of koalas?). For a bit of downtime, you can set up a picnic rug on the grass and cosy up by one of the roaring fires, melting away the June chill. If a convivial campfire isn't enough to keep you occupied, there will also be some live (non-wildlife-based) entertainment, with acoustic musical performances taking place throughout the afternoon. A HEART-WARMING GOOD CAUSE If you need a delightful winter's day out that also warms your soul, look no further. All proceeds from the Wine & Wildlife long weekend go towards saving the Tasmanian devils. Tassie devils are officially an endangered species and are facing a dangerous decline in numbers due to the devastating devil facial tumour disease and road mortality. There is already an 80 percent reduction in devils being sighted across Tasmania — so we could end up losing these special critters forever. Healesville Sanctuary is part of the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program, which includes a captive insurance and breeding program that raises healthy little devils for eventual release into disease-free wild locations. When the cost of your ticket can help save one of our native pals, the delicious food and local wine are really a wonderful bonus. Wine & Wildlife will take place across Saturday, June 8–Monday, June 10. To purchase tickets, visit the website.
He's back! It's been eight long years since we first heard Thom Yorke's glitchy solo grooves in The Eraser now, out of nowhere, he's dropped a sneaky surprise album overnight. Tomorrow's Modern Boxes sees Yorke return to his trademark sound with a full LP of sneaky sneakster electronica. But you won't find this album in stores just yet. As always, Yorke has something else in mind. Similar to the release of Radiohead's In Rainbows where fans could pay whatever they wanted for an online download, Tomorrow's Modern Boxes has been released via BitTorrent. It's a bold move. Seeking alternative methods of distribution, Yorke has chosen to embrace the technology the music industry struggles with the most. The album, in fact, is the world's first paygated BitTorrent bundle. "It's an experiment to see if the mechanics of the system are something that the general public can get its head around," reads a statement on the Radiohead website. "If it works well it could be an effective way of handing some control of internet commerce back to people who are creating the work." By releasing the music direct to the public, artists are able to keep a much larger share of the profits. For each album sold, BitTorrent reportedly takes a 10 per cent cut and Yorke gets the remaining 90. This combined with the savings on production and publicity means they are able to set the price at a mere US$6. Score. "It it works, anyone can do this exactly as we have done," the statement reads. "[This would enable] those people who make either music, video or any other kind of digital content to sell it themselves. Bypassing the self elected gate-keepers." BitTorrent's CCO Matt Mason told Mashable that this is a system many artists will soon be employing. And, why not? Unless you work at a record company, it seems like a win-win situation. Tomorrow's Modern Boxes is available for download via BitTorrent now. You can listen to the first single 'A Brian in a Bottle' prior to downloading. But don't be stingy, give this legend his $6 for the full thing.
Get wrapped up in the latest exhibition at the Ian Potter Museum of Art. Curated by Dr. Andrew Jamieson of Melbourne University's School of Historical and Philosophical Studies, Mummymania takes visitors back to the tombs of Egypt, exploring the role of the mummy in ancient funeral practices, their importance in archaeological and medical research, and their lasting place in pop culture thanks to their representation in Hollywood films. Running until mid-April next year, the exhibition includes a number of mummified objects, along with other artefacts, that paint a picture of ancient Egyptian customs and beliefs. In particular, the exhibition will shed light on how the study of mummies has helped shaped our understanding of ancient diseases. Mummyophiles can also catch a free floor talk on the afternoon of Thursday, October 15 with Egyptologist Janet Davey, researcher Petronella Nel, and horror film expert Ben Buckingham.
Since first making a big-screen splash in 2016's Lady Macbeth, in just her second film role, Florence Pugh has just kept proving an on-screen force to be reckoned with. In everything from Fighting with My Family and Little Women through to Black Widow — and including excellent TV series The Little Drummer Girl as well — she's gone from strength to strength. In Midsommar, too, she put in an all-timer while coping with the creepiest of creepiest scenarios. As that horror gem showed, Pugh also gives great reaction shots, especially when she's playing someone who is facing a terrifying nightmare. That's the situation the British actor finds herself in again in Don't Worry Darling — and, based on the initial and just-dropped second trailers, Pugh is in phenomenal form once more. When the two sneak peeks start, life is dreamy for Alice, her character; however, that unravels quickly. In the second feature from actor-turned-filmmaker Olivia Wilde (Booksmart), Alice gets stranded in the worst kind of 1950s ordeal despite all initial appearances to the contrary. Victory, the community where she's just moved to with her husband Jack (Harry Styles, Eternals) appears picture-perfect, but we all know how that can be deceiving. The town is home the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project — such as Jack — and their families, and it's where Don't Worry Darling's central duo are meant to enjoy nothing but bliss. They're given two rules to abide to, though: exercising the utmost discretion and committing 100-percent to Victory's vision, even if the town's wives don't actually know what their husbands get up to all day. That's all well and good — and terrific, in fact for most of Victory's residents — but it stops being the case for Alice. Despite the pervasive optimism of the era, as well as overt reassurances by company CEO Frank (Chris Pine, All the Old Knives) and his wife Shelley (Gemma Chan, Eternals), Alice is certain that all isn't quite what it seems — or that she can or should trust what the company is so determined to impress upon the town's inhabitants. Yes, as immaculate as Don't Worry Darling appears, it's 100-percent a psychological thriller. It gives off huge The Truman Show vibes, too, as Alice refuses to acquiesce. Hitting cinemas Down Under in early October, Don't Worry Darling also co-stars Wilde herself, playing another Victory employee's spouse, as well as Nick Kroll (Our Flag Means Death), KiKi Layne (The Old Guard), Sydney Chandler (The Golden Rut), Kate Berlant (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Asif Ali (WandaVision), Douglas Smith (Big Little Lies), Timothy Simons (Station Eleven) and Ari'el Stachel (Zola). Check out the latest trailer for Don't Worry Darling below: Don't Worry Darling releases in cinemas Down Under on October 6. Top image: © 2022 Warner Bros. Enterainment Inc. All rights reserved.
Already home to an entire museum dedicated to dachshunds, Germany is attempting another feat that'll make dog lovers wish they were in the European country — an attempt to break the world record for the most amount of sausage dogs in one place. On Saturday, July 21, dachshunds and their human companions will descend upon Berlin's Dackelranch Lichtenrade — or Dachshund Ranch, fittingly — with amassing 666 elongated pooches their ultimate target. And if you're wondering why the organisers have chosen that number, it's because it eclipses the current world record and then some. At present, the record stands at 601, the number of short-limbed doggos that strolled along a Cornwall beach in England in March this year. That huge canine meet-up beat the previous total, from Wales, by 101 dachshunds (not dalmatians). Those in attendance will see the cute critters wander around a 500-square-metre dog play area — and there'll also be veterinarians on site in case any puppers feel overwhelmed. With the world record attempt organised by dachshund-themed Berlin bar POSH Teckel, there'll also be an after party, although we're guessing the 666 or so sausage dogs won't be trotting along to the evening shenanigans.
In 2023, Australia's east coast joined New York, Hawaii, Mexico and Croatia as a host of Palm Tree Music Festival, the fest filled with folks hitting the decks that was co-founded by Kygo. With one of the event's guiding forces himself leading the lineup — and Tiësto also on the bill — the Down Under debut went down well, so much so that a second spin is on its way. Mark your calendars for December 2024, then, because the festival is returning for round two. 'Stole the Show', 'Here for You', 'Stay' and 'It Ain't Me' talent Kygo isn't on the lineup this time, but The Chainsmokers happily lead the charge instead, ready to bust out 'Closer', 'Something Just Like This' and more. The Grammy-winners' spot on the bill marks Drew Taggart and Alex Pall's first trip to Australia in five years — and get excited about the festival's rendition of 'Don't Let Me Down' because Daya is also on the Palm Tree Music Festival roster. For company so far, Swedish DJ and producer Alesso, the San Francisco-born Gryffin and Harlem's Austin Millz round out the first announcement of acts. Accordingly, everything from 'Words', 'Remedy' and 'If I Lose Myself' to 'Woke Up in Love', 'You Were Loved' and 'Cry' — and also 'Lovely Day', 'Inside Out' and 'Bad Behaviour' — could echo through Palm Tree Music Festival's three 2024 Aussie stops. Just as with its premiere run in Australia, the festival will roll into Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, heading to Sydney Showgrounds, Brisbane's Sandstone Point Hotel and Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl. With its holiday-friendly name, it should come as no surprise that Palm Tree Music Festival takes inspiration from Kygo's stints touring the world. Expect a cruisy vibe set to EDM's greatest and latest, too — this time with the bonus of a summer berth. More names will be announced for the fest's 2024 return Down Under at a later date. Palm Tree Music Festival 2024 Australian Lineup: The Chainsmokers Alesso Gryffin Austin Millz Daya Palm Tree Music Festival 2024 Australian Dates: Friday, December 6 — Sydney Showgrounds, Sydney Saturday, December 7 — Sandstone Point Hotel, Brisbane Sunday, December 8 — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne Palm Tree Music Festival returns to Australia in December 2024. Tickets presales start at 12pm local time on Monday, July 8, with general sales from 3pm local time on Friday, July 12. For more information, head to the festival promoter's website. Images: Jared Leibowitz.
Gird your loins for a week of gripping and provocative cinema on the World Movies channel this March. The only station in Australia permitted to show R18+ rated films, their latest marathon features five button-pushing flicks presented in their original, uncut form. From a groundbreaking Korean revenge thriller to a primo slice of bona fide Ozploitation, these are the sorts of movies that need to be seen to be believed. Here are five compelling reasons to tune in. GET A BIT OF THE OLD ULTRA VIOLENCE Director Stanley Kubrick made a career out of dividing audiences, but never to the same extent as he did with 1971's A Clockwork Orange. Adapted from Anthony Burgess’ controversial novella of the same name, this darkly comic dystopian crime film proved so shocking upon its release that the director himself had it pulled from UK distribution for close to 30 years. The violence looks positively tame by today’s standard, but the movie remains a classic all the same. One thing’s for certain: you’ll never think about 'Singin’ in the Rain' the same way again. EXPERIENCE THE NEW FRENCH EXTREMITY...IF YOU DARE As unsettling as the other four films in this marathon may be, none of them hold a candle to Pascal Laugier’s Martyrs. The poster child for a recent trend in French cinema characterised by unflinching violence that makes Hostel look like The Teletubbies, this traumatising thriller has been called “the new yard stick against which all forms of extreme genre films should be measured.” Whether that’s a good thing is up to you. Regardless, it's hard to imagine anyone watching this movie more than once. SEE A VERY DIFFERENT SIDE OF THE AUSTRALIAN FILM INDUSTRY Australian cinema during the early 1970s was a wild wild west of sleaze and cheap titillation. One of the most notorious examples of so-called Ozploitation is Alvin Purple, a ridiculous comic sex romp about a naive young man (Graeme Blundell) who for some inexplicable reason is simply irresistible to women. Full of gratuitous nudity and bawdy humour, the film was panned by critics but proved a hit with local audiences. We’ll leave you to figure out exactly why that was. WITNESS BLOODY VENGEANCE, KOREAN-STYLE A personal favourite of Quentin Tarantino, Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy is one of the most gripping tales of vengeance ever put to film. The movie tells the story of Oh Dae-Su (Choi Min-sik), a man held prisoner for 15 years and then released and given a week to uncover the identity of his captor. In addition to its horrifying twist ending, the film is famous for its incredible one-take fight sequence and a scene in which the lead actor eats a live octopus on camera. Spike Lee recently directed an English-language remake, but the less said about that version the better. GET A GLIMPSE OF MICHAEL FASSBENDER'S FASSBENDER Come for the full-frontal male nudity, stay for the searing portrait of loneliness and addiction in the modern world. Directed by Steve McQueen, who would later go on to make the Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave, this haunting story about a sex addict (Michael Fassbender) and his volatile relationship with his sister (Carey Mulligan) might well be one of the least sexy films in the history of cinema. Sounds like perfect Friday night viewing to us. World Movies Uncut is on from March 23 - 28, nightly at 9.30pm. Channel 430, only on Foxtel.
A year after making history for being just the third woman ever to win the Best Director Oscar, as well as the first woman in to receive two nominations in that very category, Jane Campion is coming to the 2023 Sydney Film Festival to discuss that stunning achievement and her impressive four-decade career. The New Zealand filmmaker will have much to talk about, including the body of work that's also being showcased in the fest's retrospective called Jane Campion — Her Way. This year's SFF runs from Wednesday, June 7–Sunday, June 18, and it's devoting its spotlight retro programming to the director behind The Piano, The Portrait of a Lady, In the Cut, Bright Star and more — including, of course, the 12-time Academy Award-nominated revisionist western The Power of the Dog. All five films will screen, as will Campion's five-episode debut behind the lens Two Friends, which as made in 1986 for the ABC; the Cannes-premiering 1989 feature Sweetie; 1990's An Angel at My Table, which won the Grand Special Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival; and 1999's Holy Smoke, complete with an Aussie-accented Kate Winslet (Avatar: The Way of Water). [caption id="attachment_897271" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kirsty Griffin/Netflix[/caption] For the in-conversation part of Jane Campion — Her Way, Campion will chat with David Stratton on Saturday, June 10 following a showing of the new documentary Jane Campion, The Cinema Woman. The screening part of the lineup will play throughout the fest, and also include Campion-helmed shorts Peel, A Girl's Own Story, Passionless Moments, After Hours and The Water Diary. The lineup is a collaboration with Melbourne's Australian Centre for the Moving Image and Canberra's National Film and Sound Archive, and will also show in both venues. It'll hit ACMI from Thursday, June 15–Sunday, July 2 — coinciding with its current Goddess: Power, Glamour, Rebellion exhibition that celebrates women in film history — and then the NFSA from Thursday, July 20–Sunday, July 30. "For our 70th edition, we wanted to present a retrospective commensurate with the milestone, reflecting the audacious and boundary pushing filmmaking synonymous with our Festival and region — and there was no one more appropriate than Jane Campion. She is a groundbreaking filmmaker who has made a profound impact on cinema with her daring and unforgettable films," said Sydney Film Festival Director Nashen Moodley, announcing the program. "Campion has broken barriers for women in the industry, winning two Academy Awards and becoming the first woman to receive the Palme d'Or at Cannes. She has changed the landscape of cinema around the world, crafting films now etched in film history. It will be remarkable to see the full suite of her talents in one program, which take us to unexpected and exciting places with every frame and film," said Moodley. Campion and Jane Campion — Her Way join 2023's SFF lineup alongside 12 other previously announced films, with the full program announced on Wednesday, May 10. Sydney Film Festival 2023 runs from Wednesday, June 7–Sunday, June 18, including Jane Campion — Her Way, with the filmmaker's in-conversation session with David Stratton taking place on Saturday, June 10. The film screening series will then hit Melbourne's ACMI from Thursday, June 15–Sunday, July 2, followed by the NFSA in Canberra from Thursday, July 20–Sunday, July 30. Top image: Kirsty Griffin/Netflix.
Days are getting longer, and the nights are getting warmer. And we don't doubt that you've already seen Melbourne's pubs and bars flooded with rounds of the most summery of drinks: the Aperol Spritz. That's why we curated this list of excellent spots for a sunset spritz in partnership with Aperol. First and foremost, these guys all make a good Aperol Spritz — that's essential. But, beyond that, each spot offers a great way to experience the sunset, whether you're soaking it up from high on a rooftop bar or enjoying a spritz on the waterfront.
From that hotbed of contentious global politics comes the latest national film festival on the Australian cultural calendar. Hosted in various Palace Cinema locations around the country, the AICE Israeli Film Festival aims to showcase the best of the Israeli film industry, with more than a dozen features and documentaries to choose from. An initiative of the Australia Israel Cultural Exchange, the festival was the subject of controversy last year after abruptly cancelling screenings of a film that depicted Israeli brutality in the West Bank. The 2014 line-up contains several pictures that explore Israeli-Palestinian relations, including the critically acclaimed opening night film Self Made and the Israeli-Palestine-US co-production Under the Same Sun. Other highlights on the program include moving doco Shadow in Baghdad and a pair Cannes selected dramas in Next to Her and The Kindergarten Teacher. The festival is also hosting early previews of upcoming American films by noteworthy Jewish directors, in the form of Woody Allen's Magic in the Moonlight and Zach Braff's Wish I Was Here. For the full AICE Israeli Film Festival program, visit the festival website. Image: Next to Her.
The Abbotsford Anglers are a lousy, Saturday morning, suburban cricket team, led by Ted (Stephen Curry), a sweet but kinda hopeless guy who lives in a mate's garage and works at a sports store. When his best mate, Rick (Brendan Cowell), announces his plans to marry and have children (which, to the boyish Ted, amounts to no less than treason), Ted can see his beloved cricket team will be overtaken by nappies, wives and all the other dreadful trappings of manhood. Oblivious to the inevitable fact that the times and the nature of his friendships are a-changing, Ted leads his D-grade team into the depths of India for a tour of glorified park cricket. It's here that tensions arise, friendships are frayed, life lessons are learned and Ted must finally man up, grow up and fondly leave his teenage dreams behind. Underlying all the beer and bravado, Save Your Legs! is about mateship and coming of age, with an affectionate portrait of everyday Aussie battlers that puts it in the same cinematic bracket as The Castle and Kenny. Cowell and Curry give endearing performances as man-boys who are forcefully and finally shoved out of adolescence and into adulthood at the ripe old age of thirty-five. As a lighthearted, nostalgia-drenched film, Save Your Legs! hits a six. Courtesy of Madman Entertainment, we have 15 complimentary in-season passes to give away to Save Your Legs, in cinemas February 28. To be in the running, subscribe to our newsletter (if you haven't already) and then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address. You can read our full review here.
This article is part of our series profiling the perfect Brisbane weekends of the city's creative personalities. Brisbane is a place that embodies exactly what Queensland is about: the sun, the outdoors and wearing flip flops all year round. It's the kind of city that has so much on offer but, a lot of time, the best finds are passed along through word of mouth. So where do you hear about the best of Brisbane? From a local, of course. Over the next few weeks, we're speaking to some of the most switched-on Brisbane creatives we could find for the low-down on the secret haunts where they spend their weekends. First up, it's architect and event organiser Morgan Jenkins (below left). "I love living in Brisbane because it’s got a sense of humour as a city," he says. "I don't think it could ever take itself too seriously in the climate that we live in. We live outside for the majority of the year and the ocean and the ranges are just a short drive away. There's a lot of great stuff starting to happen because instead of complaining about things, interesting people are investing their time into doing interesting things." This enterprising spirit is shared by Morgan, who created The End of the Line festival, which celebrates the eclectic area of Woolloongabba. "It’s a really different area to anywhere else in Brisbane — it is a real mishmash of a neighbourhood which has always been a convergence point for a huge number of different urban networks," he says. Planning is currently underway for the next End of the Line Festival, which will be held on October 24. Outside of going to that, here are Morgan's five steps to the perfect Brisbane weekend. To experience them for yourself, head to the Visit Brisbane website and get booking. SURF AT NORTH STRADBROKE ISLAND I’d start with a surf at North Stradbroke Island. The ferry is only a 30-minute drive from my house in Woolloongabba. This is one of my favourite spots on the planet. Leaving the mainland, even for a couple of hours, is often much needed after the week of work. BREAKFAST AT PEARL CAFE Pearl Cafe is a pearler of a cafe in Woolloongabba. The little Logan Road cul-de-sac is just a short stroll from where I live and it's my go-to for an easy weekend outing. The food is hearty but contemporary, so you might end up having duck eggs and bacon for breakfast. BEERS AT THE BOWLS CLUB Warm afternoons definitely call for beers and a spot of bowls at Merthyr Bowls Club on the river. This is the perfect place to enjoy living in our city as it's outside in the sun, right on the river and it has an incredible relaxed atmosphere (at 1970s prices). DINNER AT CROSSTOWN EATING HOUSE Do dinner at Crosstown Eating House in Woolloongabba. This place has always been my go-to dinner destination locally. Relaxed dining but really unpretentious, great service and food quality, good tunes and a good atmosphere. SEE A LIVE GIG A weekend isn't complete without live music somewhere: a small gig at The End in West End, something mellow at The Tivoli or The Triffid, or something a bit heavier at The Zoo. These places are all golden venues for live music and a good time. Book your own Queensland weekender at the Visit Brisbane website or follow them through the Visit Brisbane Facebook page or Twitter at @VisitBrisbane and hashtag #brisbaneanyday. Top image: Pearl Cafe by night.
If the only thing that's been holding you back from packing up and making a home in the middle of nowhere has been the lack of electricity (and the desire to not live out of a tent), you might want to start plotting your escape. Architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) have designed a 3D-printed pod home that not only looks 100 percent epic, but can function entirely off the grid. The sustainable structure works in conjunction with a companion vehicle, which is also printed using 3D technology. Solar panels built into the pod's curved pavilion-stye roof powers it by night, and the vehicle generates its own power too through a hybrid electric system. The two share their power — get this — wirelessly through a closed-loop battery system to ensure you're not left in the dark when the sun doesn't peek out behind those clouds. The pod has been developed with the geniuses at the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory as part of the Additive Manufacturing Integrated Energy (AMIE) project. The pod, which is largest of its kind at 11.6m long, 3.7m high and 3.7m wide, has been developed with the aim to illustrate "the potential of a clean energy future for a rapidly urbanising world by demonstrating the use of bidirectional wireless energy technology and high performance materials to achieve independence from the power grid at peak-demand times". 3D printing has given us everything from a chewable toothbrush, 60-second cupcakes, and titanium sculptures, but this has to be the most dream-worthy 3D printed possibility yet. Via Dezeen. Image: SOM.
Dance meets activism at Off the Grid 2017, an all-day party where the environment is on the agenda. Featuring an eclectic mix of local and international DJs, musicians and performance artists alongside speakers and environmentalists, this "solar-powered celebration" promises some 14 hours of eating, drinking, dancing and discussion. The fun begins at 9am on Friday, December 22 in the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art forecourt. The music lineup includes Jay Daniel, Chee Shimizu, Krakatau, KAIIT, Two Steps on the Water, Ben Fester and Dianas. Importantly, the sound system will be run off solar power, while proceeds from the event will be invested in solar projects around town. Guest speakers, meanwhile, include Alison Rowe from the Moreland Energy Foundation, Amy Roberts of organic basics label Vege Threads, and Erin Rhoads, brains behinds the eco-lifestyle website The Rogue Ginger. Image: Austin Fassino.
It's only been a few years since these legendary burgers have been on the scene, but Melbourne is well and truly in love. Such brioche. Many pickles. A quick bite at the delectable Huxtaburger will leave you feeling as full and gluttonous as if you've just binged on a large Big Mac meal, while leaving you quietly satisfied that it was a touch more gourmet. Now you can pair this tasty offering with your next favourite activity — a beer and a band at the Curtin. After expanding their flagship Smith Street store to the CBD and Prahran, the dudes behind Huxtaburger are now popping up at The John Curtin Hotel on Lygon Street from Wednesday, October 1. The legendary pub will be surrendering its kitchen to a rotating selection of local vendors, and the burgers will be available during lunch and dinner in the bandroom for at least the next six months. In a similar set up to their restaurants, there won't be any table service. It'll just be you milling around in the moshpit with a fistful of brioche and beef. Better yet, the owners have told Good Food that there's the option of this becoming a long-term thing. Plans to open a new Huxtaburger restaurant on Glenferrie Road in Hawthorn have hit delays, and the burger crew are open to new possibilities. If enough of you hit up the Curtin, there's the possibility of this magical thing lasting all summer. To celebrate this latest venture, the team are also introducing a new item to the menu. The Clair Burger — named after the sassy, smart mother of the Huxtable family, of course — will be filled with Southern-style fried chicken, slaw and jalapeno mayonnaise. We're not sure that the '80s sitcom mum would necessarily approve of such indulgence, but we're happy to eat it up in her honour regardless. The John Curtin Hotel is located at 29 Lygon Street, Carlton (near the corner of Victoria Street). Get along from Wednesday, October 1 to scoff some fried chicken on the dancefloor. Images: Huxtaburger.
Since 1989, Sweden's Icehotel has given travellers a decidedly cool place to stay each winter. December hits, and the site reveals its new frosty rooms — the kind that are carved out of ice and only around for a short time, as they'll melt once the weather gets warmer. They're not just any old slabs of ice and snow in the village of Jukkasjärvi, 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, however. As part of their annual tradition, the accommodation provider calls for designers and artists to unleash their chilly ideas — then unveils their wondrous creations to travellers. In this year's crop? A snail world made out of cold, cold substances, a hanging installation that you can sleep in, a bed you can only reach by navigating a 34-meter ice labyrinth and another than requires walking over a bridge — and some thin ice — before you can bunk down for the night. Other highlights include a frozen jungle of Monstera-plants, an icy Fabergé egg, a space-inspired space, and a dream-like, cloud-esque piece that UK artist Lisa Lindqvist has dubbed "an art installation who also happens to be a bedroom." Now open until April 15, 2018, the fresh blend of ice and creativity features 35 one-of-a-kind rooms in total, as crafted by 36 artists from 17 countries. They're made from more than 30,000 cubic metres of snice — that's a mix of snow and ice — from the local Torne River. As well as places to sleep, the new iteration also includes an ice bar, ice ceremony hall and ice gallery. If you're a fan of the kind of coldness the southern hemisphere doesn't see at this time of the year, but you can't make it to Icehotel's cold climes during the northern winter, don't worry — in addition to their annual slate of artistic suites, Icehotel has been open all year round for the past year. It inclludes 20 permanent suites, an ice bar, plus private saunas and spas for an added touch of warmth in such cold surroundings. For more information about Icehotel, visit www.icehotel.com. Images: Asaf Kliger.
There's never a bad time to watch and rewatch Studio Ghibli's gorgeous movies, because there's no such thing as a bad Studio Ghibli film. But if you've spent plenty of hours doing just that — especially in the five years since the acclaimed Japanese animation house unveiled its most recent release, the moving French co-production The Red Turtle — then you're probably hankering for a glimpse at the studio's latest work. Called Earwig and the Witch, Studio Ghibli's newest movie is set to screen in Australian cinemas early this year, although an exact release date hasn't yet been announced. That's clearly excellent news, especially given that seven years have passed since the animation company's last solo production, aka 2014's When Marnie Was There; however, if you're as keen as a catbus to get a peek at its latest effort as soon as you can, an English-language trailer for the film dropped over the Christmas period. Also previously known as Aya and the Witch, the movie marks the first Studio Ghibli feature completely made using computer-generated animation. Director-wise, it's helmed by Hayao Miyazaki's son Goro Miyazaki, who previously directed Tales from Earthsea and From Up On Poppy Hill. It's also based on a novel written by British author Diana Wynne Jones, who penned the book that Howl's Moving Castle was adapted from, too. In terms of story, Earwig and the Witch focuses on a girl at an orphanage in the British countryside. She enjoys living there, but her world changes when she's chosen to live with a couple — including, as the title makes plain, a witch. Earwig doesn't know that her own mother also had magical powers, so she's thrust into a strange new world, all while trying to do what she's always wanted: belong to a family. Also, she has a cat — and as the trailer shows, it's rather chatty. In its English-language version, the film will feature voice work by Richard E Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Dan Stevens (Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga) and singer Kacey Musgraves, plus newcomer Taylor Paige Henderson as Earwig. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk5YWIbwzRE Earwig and the Witch will release in Australian cinemas on Thursday, February 4. Images: Madman Entertainment.
Ever been so caught up in work, sleep or staring blankly into space that you've missed a huge piece of breaking news, only to discover something big has happened when you later log onto Facebook and notice everyone's changed their profile picture and talking about something you definitely do not understand? Those are the times you wish a mate had just sent you a little nudge to say that, "hey, X world event is happening right now — you probs need to know about it" or "X is doing a free gig tonight" to save you looking like a fool at the water cooler the next morning at work. Well, ABC News is now that friend. All you have to do is start up a convo with them on Facebook Messenger and they'll keep you updated on the latest news through some sneaky text messages. It's called ABC News on Facebook Messenger (fitting, really), and it's the broadcaster's newest way to deliver personalised news to its audience on mobile. All you have to do is find ABC News on Messenger (you can just search for them) and start up a conversation. Then, they'll send you the latest news updates through short, snappy messages in a conversational format — just like a really, really informed friend. It's very similar to the Quartz's news service, which does basically the same thing but through their own dedicated app. The best thing about having a personal convo with the ABC — the news is put together by their digital editorial team and the service is powered by a third-party bot Chatfuel — is that you can choose what news you want to get notified about. If you want a summary of what's happened while you've been sleeping, you can choose to get one sent to you as your alarm goes off. Or, perhaps you just want to get alerts when the really big stuff happens? You can opt in for the too. You can also choose alerts for sport teams you follow, long-form news or stories that involve puppies. You can also just start up the convo at any time to see what's happening. The service was rolled out yesterday after a successful trial. You can find out more and sign up here.
Positive Posters is putting forward the question: what do you care about? This creative initiative is a competition and exhibition asking designers worldwide what they think the most pressing global issues are. Entrants are challenged to design an original poster that conveys a message about a current problem which requires more attention. The posters will be viewed by thousands of individuals from over 150 nations, some of which won't speak your language. Entrants will therefore need to use make their message universal using images not words. The posters will be reviewed by judges who will create a shortlist of 30 to be exhibited at an exhibition in Melbourne in late October. From there, international judges will pick the top three place winners. Submissions can be entered in August and September, so get your creative thinking caps on quickly. For more information regarding the entry specifications and process read the Positive Posters 2012 brief.
You don't know what you've got till it's gone. That saying has never felt more poignant than right now as we look for ways to keep living our best city-dwelling lifestyles within the confines of our homes. We're missing impromptu after-work drinks with colleagues and big birthday bashes at a flashy restaurant with our crew. We're missing the thrill of seeing our favourite band perform live or shaking off the shackles of the workweek with some kidulting fun. These things will return in good time. Until then, we're going to be spending a bit more time at home than usual, so we may as well make it a place we actually like hanging out. To celebrate the return of the Miller Design Lab, we've come up with five ways to customise your home and bring the best aspects of your city's nightlife into the fold. Miller Design Lab has built their own online home of creativity and self-expression with Australia's leading minds in design, art, technology and fashion. Together, we're celebrating our nightlife and its impact on culture by bringing you ways to create exceptional moments in your own home. [caption id="attachment_503345" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Le Bon Ton[/caption] TRANSFORM YOUR BALCONY OR GARDEN INTO A ROOFTOP BAR It's no secret that we love a rooftop bar — there's just something about the fresh air and epic sunset views (and perhaps the altitude) that make our drinks even tastier. If you're lucky enough to have a balcony or garden space attached to your home, you better be making the most of that prime piece of real estate. Take some cues from some of your favourite sky-high bars around the city and transform those few square metres into a mini oasis that you can kick back in with a drink in hand. Once you've got the furniture sorted — whether that's the full setup from an outdoors warehouse or an eclectic mix of chairs and tables from Gumtree — focus on injecting some colour and personality into the space. Start with some greenery: you can get hanging planters, quirky pot plants and all kinds of foliage delivered to your door via The Plant Society in Sydney and Melbourne or The Plant Lounge in Brisbane. Next, set the mood with some lighting — go with some traditional fairy lights for an ethereal feel or festoon lights if you're aiming for something a little more rustic. TURN YOUR LIVING ROOM INTO A LIVE MUSIC VENUE Working from home has its perks, but it can actually be really hard to switch off at the end of the day when you've got nowhere to rush off to. To mark 'tools down', set a date with yourself and your roommates or partner to go to a gig — in your own living room. Live music venues may be closed for now, but there are a bunch of playlists that you can stream (check out some of our favourites here), plus many artists are bringing the gigs to you via the wonders of the internet. There's the daily LGBTQIA+ Zoom party Club Quarantine, Defected Records' Defected Virtual Festival (featuring sets from Calvin Harris, Sam Divine and more), and Room 2 Radio, the Sydney-based virtual dance party which kicks off every Friday night at 8pm. Plus, the likes of Hayden James and Major Lazer are doing weekly streams, while Radiohead and Metallica are uploading footage from old concerts every week on Youtube. Sunset is the signal for you to the shut the laptop, get the live-stream up on your TV and reshuffle the furniture (or just haphazardly push it to once side — either works) so you can have enough room to throw shapes. If you really want to get into the spirit, treat yourself and the room to a funky disco ball, neon sign or strobe light machine, too. MAKE NIGHTTIME PLAYTIME If there were ever a time you wished you could wind back the clock and be a little kid again, it's probably right now. Unless you have a Delorean in your possession (if you do, can we borrow it?), it's not a possibility. So, we've found other ways to get our kidult kicks across the city — think arcade bars, indoor trampoline centres and escape rooms. And you can bring some of those into your own home, too. Set up a mini golf tournament in your backyard, dig out those classic board games from the cupboard or stock up on puzzles — even our PM agrees the latter is essential. You can also try your hand at a virtual escape room — our pick is this Harry Potter one. Or, crowdfund with all your housemates to purchase a traditional arcade game. CONVERT YOUR DINING AREA INTO AN INTIMATE BAR Finding a dimly lit nook in a small bar and splitting a bottle with someone is one of our favourite winter pastimes — it suits when on a first date, catching up with an old friend and bonding with a new colleague. To bring some of those cosy vibes into your apartment, set mood lighting with those candles you've been hoarding, grab a couple of premium beers, then order in some cocktails from a local bar for 'happy hour' or crack open that vino you've been saving for a special occasion. Oh, and don't forget the snacks. Get some top-notch cheese delivered from Formaggi Ocello in Sydney, Milk the Cow in Melbourne or Le Fromage Yard in Brisbane and build your own grazing board. [caption id="attachment_709879" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] REVAMP YOUR BEDROOM TO BE LIKE AN ART GALLERY You may only think of it as the place you go to sleep, but your bedroom is pretty important, particularly when you live with other people. It's where you retreat to after all that partying around your pad. It's also where you have free rein to express your personality and interests through your art and styling choices — from your bed linen to funky furniture choices. A wall mural decal will transform a blank wall into a big statement that emanates an inner-city laneway. For something a little less permanent, create your own mural with old photos, posters or magazine clippings (yes, just like you did in high school), or support a local artist and buy one of their pieces — sites like Cream Town are a good place to start with artworks starting at just $100. For more ways to celebrate your city's nightlife and recreate its energy in your own space, head this way.
At the moment, every movie franchise you can think of has or is being turned into a TV show, including the Marvel Cinematic Universe, its rival DC Extended Universe, Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, IT, The Conjuring and Twilight. Another trend doing the rounds: giving 90s flicks a 2020s remake or sequel, as seen with Hocus Pocus, The Craft, Interview with the Vampire, A League of Their Own and now White Men Can't Jump. Yes, the Woody Harrelson- and Wesley Snipes-starring basketball film is heading back to screens 31 years later, this time getting Jack Harlow bouncing, dribbling, trash talking and trying to use his on-the-court skills to rustle up a big payday. The musician is turning actor to lead White Men Can't Jump circa 2023, as the initial sneak peek earlier in the year and just-dropped full trailer shows, opposite Nanny's Sinqua Walls. Harlow makes his movie debut, in fact, playing former basketball star Jeremy, who is struggling after injuries got in the way of his career. Then, he teams up with Walls as Kamal, a once-promising player who also didn't see his basketball future turning out as he planned. Bring on the streetball hustling from there, clearly. Behind the lens, Calmatic does the honours after also directing a House Party remake — yes, another 90s flick — and helming a heap of music videos, including winning a Grammy for Lil Nas X's 'Old Town Road'. Penned by Black-ish's Kenya Barris and Doug Hall, 2023's White Men Can't Jump is headed straight to streaming via Disney+ Down Under, arriving on Friday, May 19. If you're new to all things White Men Can't Jump, as well as the court action, it featured a significant Jeopardy!-related storyline. The trailers for the new movie don't show any signs of bringing that back, sadly. Check out the full trailer for White Men Can't Jump below: White Men Can't Jump will be available to stream on Friday, May 19 via Disney+.
Edge of Tomorrow tells the story of a cocky, unlikeable man trapped in an inescapable temporal loop where he must relive the same day over and over again. From the trailer alone it was clear this new film by director Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity) had borrowed heavily from 1993's outstanding live-die-repeat karmic comedy Groundhog Day. The only questions were: how much, and how well? Over the past 20 years, a number of attempts have been made to match the Groundhog Day formula, with Source Code and Deja Vu perhaps the most on point, while Looper — though not specifically a 'repetition' film — offered the most refreshing perspective on what it called "that time travel crap [that] just fries your brain like an egg". In Edge of Tomorrow, the allusions to Ramis' film are at their most pronounced, yet — thankfully — they are also perhaps at their best. Tom Cruise, putting in his best performance in years, plays the spineless advertising exec turned military spin-doctor Will Cage, who's railroaded by his commander (Brendan Gleeson) and dispatched to the western front as a regular grunt on the eve of a major military offensive. The enemy is an alien species whose arrival, objective and anatomy most closely resemble those of the bugs in Starship Troopers. As the waves of troop carriers, aircraft and boats swarm across the English Channel towards France, it's hard not to think the timing of this film's release wasn't just a little bit strategic given this week's 70th anniversary of D-Day, yet it neither grates nor bears any significance to the wider implications of the compelling plot once Cruise dies and begins his seemingly endless loop. Edge of Tomorrow was written by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, whose background in IT and video games unmistakably impacted on both the visuals and narrative. For one thing, the soldiers resemble something between human Mech-Warriors and Titan Convertibles, yet it's in the nature of the temporal loop that the gaming analogy is most apposite. Every time Cage dies, he immediately restarts from the same time and place. It is, in effect, his 'save point', and — just as in gaming — he uses both the pain and knowledge from his previous deaths to extend the time before his next one in order to beat the eventual 'Boss'. In Groundhog Day, the main character taught himself piano. In Edge of Tomorrow, it's martial arts and weaponry. In Groundhog Day, he got to know a woman in order to sleep with her. Here, it's to keep her alive. That woman is Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), a war hero and propaganda darling whose nickname is either 'The Hero of Verdun' or 'Full Metal Bitch' depending on whether she's there to hear it or not. Blunt is spectacular in the role, playing an entirely plausible warrior without having to resort to hackneyed tough-talking or turning her body into a giant muscle in a sports bra. She's less a love interest than she is a trainer, motivator and ally, and the partnership is a delight to watch. Funny, suspenseful and terrifically imaginative, Edge of Tomorrow is a thinking-person's action film that will surely stand as one of 2014's best blockbusters. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vw61gCe2oqI
We open on a hotel party, all the horrors of the world: a Hawaiian-themed engagement bash. Upstairs in her room, a single woman in her mid-thirties takes a swig of wine, stares into a mirror and convinces herself to join in… only to immediately abort and instead order room service, don her tracksuits pants and settle in to watch Silence of the Lambs. This is Nancy (Lake Bell), a sarcastic, self-deprecating and utterly cynical romantic train wreck. The following day, however, mistaken identity lands her on a blind date with Jack (Simon Pegg), and — against all odds — they hit it off. What follows is a sort of ‘un-romantic comedy’ transpiring entirely over the course of one evening, and while its outcome is formulaic, the journey is novel enough to warrant viewing. To its credit, Man Up dispenses with the ‘will he find out?’ subplot a lot faster than expected, focusing instead on Jack's subsequent outrage as its primary source of tension and drama. It also boasts some of the most realistic family writing in years, with Nancy’s parents, sister and brother-in-law providing a charming mix of laughs and tear-jerkers in practically every one of their scenes. Pegg and Bell hold the lion’s share of screen time, however, and their obvious chemistry keeps everything cracking along at a jolly pace. Man Up offers an amusing and — at times — honest perspective on modern dating, complete with drunken sobbing, burdensome baggage and unforgettable exes. With its “fuck the past!” mantra and enthusiasm for risk taking, the script's none-too-subtle critique of self-help books ultimately ends up proffering a fairly pronounced message of its own — but it’s not a bad one, and neither is the film.
From holding a bake sale to selling off your bodily organs to teaching your dog to do this, artists, artisans and inventors have always had to be creative when it comes to getting dollars in the bank. If you’re not the baking or self-mutilating or dog-training type, Australia’s top crowdfunding platform Pozible might be up your alley. Pozible is more like a superhighway that started in 2010 and has since grown to support over 4,500 projects in Australia and around the world. It’s not hard to run a campaign, but it can be tough to succeed. We spoke to Pozible co-founder Rick Chen and compiled a hit list of top tips to help you on your way to making that money pool you always dreamed of. The Anything's Pozible pop-up is on in Sydney until March 13. Check it out for more tips and workshops to help you crowdfund your next project. Research ten similar projects First off the bat, do your research. Make sure you know how Pozible works. Search the Pozible website to find out how other similar projects have been funded. Read the FAQ, get in touch with Pozible and ask all the dumb questions. According to Rick, the Pozible team “work with project creators to educate them and let them know what works and what doesn’t work. This face-to-face guidance is a rare thing, and no other platform approaches crowdfunding in this way”, a contributing factor to high success rates. Tell a story “Most of the time it’s not about the project itself, it’s about the person behind it," says Rick. "People want to be part of you and your journey, so you need to be able to open those doors for people to get in.” Keep it simple, keep it personal, and make your crowdfunding supporters feel that they are all just as much a part of the process as you are. Transparency is also key in your storytelling. Tell people exactly what you are going to do with your money if you meet your target. (The more specific you are with this, the more it will feel as if your supporters are making a tangible difference). Include a video of yourself: you'll raise 114 percent more money if you That’s according to American crowdfunding site Indiegogo. And who doesn’t love a selfie? If you star in your own video, people will connect better with your story. The key is to create content that is visually compelling to compete with the visual noise of the internet. Offer a combination of physical goods and experience-based rewards "Physical products give your supporters a tangible sense they are getting something out of their contribution," says Rick. "Experience gives them the sense they are part of something exclusive. These two combined make it personal for people to get behind your project.” And how many rewards should you offer up? The sweet spot is somewhere between three and eight. Get another three people on your team If you have four or more people on your team, you’ll raise 70 percent more money than if you only have one person. That is, use your networks to build your team; it’s not about how many friends you’ve got, it’s about how you use them. Have your family and friends help to get the ball rolling. Don’t be afraid to ask people you know to contribute. In addition, line up a few key influential people to help spread the word. Build your networks before you launch to create hype. Shoot for 25 percent of your overall goal within the first 24 hours Go hard or go home. You are more likely to hit your target if you can reach 25 percent of your overall goal within the first 24 hours. People are more likely to donate to a campaign if other people have already donated. Pozible advises not to run a campaign for less than 20 days unless you have a good reason or are super confident. You need time to disseminate your marketing material. Indiegogo supplements this advice with the fact that on average, successful campaigns will cross their target fundraising goal on Day 36. Don't all-out beg on social media Only directly ask people to pledge to your campaign in 20 percent of your social media posts. The other 80 percent of posts should add meaning to your project, reveal exciting project news and engage people in the story. Plan your social media posts before beginning your campaign. According to Rick, “It is not about the social media platforms that you use, it is about how you use those platforms as a tool to carry out your activity — to tell your story”. Write medium-specific posts. And don’t get too disheartened if things slow down in the middle of your campaign, it happens to everyone. What’s important is you keep communicating during this period. Don’t be shy to post every day. Only ask for the amount you really need Consider the size of your networks and how many people you can realistically reach. Surprisingly, the average contribution size on successful campaigns comes in at around $70, with performance projects the most successful category. According to Rick, this is often because “these campaigners have strong existing followings — sometimes small but strong audiences who come to see shows, hardcore fans who follow these artists”. So it isn’t necessarily how many people you target, it’s who. Be realistic, write a budget. Factor in the cost of delivering your rewards. The more people you have promoting, the more pledges you will receive. Finally we asked Rick the ultimate question: What’s the biggest reason people don’t reach their targets? His response goes right back to point one: “Absolutely no question, it is because people don’t do their research properly and don’t know what they’re doing. We try to educate as much as we can, we run workshops on a monthly basis across cities in Australia. We strongly encourage people to prepare before they launch a campaign. Lack of research is basically what kills campaigns." Roslyn Helper crowdfunded her project zin's PARTY MODE on Pozible. Supplementary information sourced from US crowdfunding site Indiegogo.
For the past four years, gin lovers across the country have tripped over themselves to get their spirit-loving fingers on a bottle of Four Pillars' Bloody Shiraz Gin — and that's before they've even had a sip of alcohol. The limited edition shiraz-infused concoction really is that good, so we thought you'd like to know that the next batch goes on sale this Saturday, June 1. If you haven't come across the gin before, it's basically what it says on the label: gin infused with shiraz grapes. This gives the spirit a brilliant deep cerise colour and some sweet undertones (without a higher sugar content). That, along with its higher alcoholic content — 37.8 percent, compared to an average 25 percent in regular sloe gin — makes the Bloody Shiraz Gin a near-perfect specimen. It can be used in cocktails where you'd usually use your regular gin, but we reckon it's best if you keep it simple with a G&T. Four Pillars created the game-changing gin back in 2015 when it came into a 250-kilogram load of shiraz grapes from the Yarra Valley. Experimenting, the Victorian distillers then steeped the grapes in their high-proof dry gin for eight weeks before pressing the fruit and blending it with the gin, and hoping like hell it would turn out well. It did. This year — after selling 50 percent of the company to beer behemoth Lion in March — Four Pillars has acquired more grapes from other Victorian wine regions to make more of the gin than ever before. Still, you'll need to move fast — last year's batch has completely sold out. The gin will go on sale for $85 this Friday, June 1 at selected bottle shops, in the Four Pillars online store and its Yarra Valley distillery (where the bar will be doing tastings). If you're lucky, you'll also be able to find it served at bars around the country. Godspeed. The 2019 Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin will go on sale around the country for $85 on Saturday, June 1. Head to the Four Pillars website to buy a bottle.
He's one of the world's most renowned chefs, his three Michelin-starred restaurant Osteria Francescana claiming top spot on this year's prestigious World's 50 Best Restaurants list. And now, culinary powerhouse Massimo Bottura is swapping kitchen for stage, heading Down Under and travelling the country for a speaking tour next August. Bottura, who you'll have spied getting wildly creative with his native Italian cuisine — and doing so to save thousands of wheels of parmigiano-reggiano — in episode one of Netflix series Chef's Table, is well-known for his storytelling, as well as for a deep love of art, music and history. Audiences are sure to gain colourful insight into the chef's childhood, his life spent in the Northern Italian city of Modena, and the rich local history and culinary traditions that helped ignite his love of food. Bottura will also share another of his passions, speaking about his own work in the fight against food waste and hunger. As founder of non-profit Food for Soul, which empowers communities to fight food waste and social isolation, the Italian chef's helmed a series of community kitchens and drop-in dining halls across Milan, Paris, Rio de Janeiro and London. He's long championed the idea that a chef's responsibility extends far beyond the kitchen and into their community, to help inspire global change. MASSIMO BOTTURA 2019 DATES Perth — Riverside Theatre, August 6 Sydney — The State Theatre, August 8 Melbourne — MCEC, August 10 Brisbane — BCEC, August 13 Tickets are on sale April 3, 2019. Register now for pre-sale.
Tuesdays mean different things to different people. Another day closer to the weekend, almost hump day, the day you wish you could sleep through — they're all on the list. But, at The Bavarian each week, the day after Monday also means tucking into $9.95 schnitzels. It's one of the tastiest ways to celebrate any day, and to also save your pennies while doing so. There's no occasion, other than just because — but cheap schnitties for the sake of it is what any Schnitzel Tuesday should be about. For a bargain price, The Bavarian will serve you up a chicken schnitzel with fries and lemon, but you do have to also buy a full-priced drink to get the deal. Fancy another schnitty? That's completely fine — just get another drink. Available all day every Tuesday, this is some good schnitz. To get your fix, you can head to The Bavarian venues around town — there are two in Victoria, at Highpoint and Westfield Knox, so you've got options. You can also level-up your schnits for an extra $10, getting a 'Godfather' (a giant schnitzel, ham, cheese, kielbasa, napoli sauce and cheese) or a 'Matterhorn' (a schnitzel mountain, cheese spätzle, three layers of Alpen cheese and bacon).
Hallmark know a thing or two about invented celebration — heck, they did quite the number on that Valentine's Day. But there's never been a better reason to squeal and toss the nearest confetti-like whatever than Hallmark's latest campaign, the greeting card giants have hired puppies to deliver your mail. Have. Hired. Post. Puppies. With tiny, tiny mailbags. This is not a drill. To celebrate the launch of Hallmark's new Australian-only app, HelloYou:), (smiley face included, not this writer's haphazard love of emoticons), Hallmark have employed a team of outstandingly squealworthy, smooshface, ohp-dohp-dohp puppies to act as posties. The campaign runs like this: you download the HelloYou:) app to your smartphone, create a personalised card with your big ol' face on it, send it to the person in your life you most need brownie points from and it could be delivered by a tiny puppy in a tiny personalised uniform wearing a tiny mailbag within a few days. Could be. You're going to be pretty disappointed if some puppyless dude just shows up on your doorstep. Post Puppies will be in action on nominated dates between July 21 and August 8 in selected Australian cities. We're not sure how Hallmark acquired these tiny, tiny postal workers, whether they're getting good rates (read: pats and treats) and if they're allowed sick leave after all those love cards have been delivered. We're also pretty sure people will simply send cards to themselves to take all the postal puppy love for themselves (you selfish, selfish geniuses). Check out Hallmark's disarmingly adorable video below, in which a HelloYou:) user disturbs a tiny sleeping Golden Retriever with her need for post. Luckily, this pup takes the postal service seriously. We take no responsibility for you becoming the Office Weirdo for squealing at your computer after this little escapade: https://youtube.com/watch?v=uZwvmOczk-8
Wellington is best known for its creative and culinary prowess, but the city's outdoor environment deserves its own accolades. Nestled between the Cook Strait and bush-covered hills clad in the protected Town Belt, this wilder-than-you-think spot boasts idyllic vistas every way you look — and alluring natural spots in spades. Indeed, there's no shortage of native bush or beach in this harbour city, but you don't need to be a hardcore outdoors-type to get amongst it. Thanks to Wellington's stunning geography, all the greenery and fresh air you could ever want is super close to its CBD restaurants, nightlife and galleries. For those who like to balance their busy urban breaks with sojourns in the countryside, book your flights ASAP, as you can get the best of both worlds. Pack your finest activewear and prepare to embark on a holiday where it's easy to walk off the after-effects of all that strong local beer, those delicious cocktails and that six-course wine-matched degustation. BAYS AND BEACHES Wellington city was built teetering on a waterfront that's sheltered by the surrounding harbour. This means there are a lot of beaches to choose from — some rugged and some peaceful wee spots with pontoons within paddling distance. Oriental Bay is a perennial favourite with Wellington office workers, thanks to its location just ten minutes from the CBD and its golden sand that's ideal for enjoying a cheeky yuzu olive oil gelato from Gelissimo. If you fancy going a bit more rugged, Island Bay or Lyall Bay are not far from the city and ideal for surfing. Don't forget to bring your wetsuit. [caption id="attachment_636628" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Kristina D.C. Hoeppner via Flickr[/caption] STREET ART AND SCULPTURE Get your exercise plus a dose of culture. Wellington's cosy city streets are freckled with beautiful street art and public sculpture, ranging from literary to graffiti and everything in between. Look out for Charlotte Hawley's cosy mural down Egmont Street, Xoe Hall's trio of Bowies in Hannahs Laneway and BMD's anti-shark finning wall opposite Te Papa. If you wander from one end of the waterfront to the other, you'll hit an array of ocean-inspired sculptures, as well as the official Wellington Writers Walk, where excerpts from works by the city's greatest writers and poets are immortalised in concrete and set against a marine backdrop. Dreamy. [caption id="attachment_636684" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Capture Studios[/caption] TOWN BELT About 170 years ago, some savvy folk decided central Wellington ought to be surrounded by a band of wilderness, and the city's Town Belt was born. Arching around the CBD in a horseshoe shape, it's been miraculously preserved as Wellington has gone from a tiny colonial outpost to a bustling capital. The belt offers walking options spanning relaxed ambles to more lengthy day-walks, with plenty of brilliant views and spots for a picnic. There's also a 360-degree view of the town from the top of Mount Victoria, which only takes about half an hour to summit starting from the Courtenay Place nightlife district. [caption id="attachment_636635" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Phillip Capper via Flickr[/caption] MATIU / SOMES ISLAND Encircled by Wellington's waterfront and a delightful 20-minute ferry trip from the city is Matiu / Somes Island, a nature reserve with a fascinating history. Originally named by legendary Maori explorer Kupe after his daughter, Matiu was a refuge in times of war. After a few stints as a quarantine zone, the area is now conservation land and pest free, which means plenty of NZ's beautiful and sometimes bizarre native birds can be spotted. Pack a picnic and make a day of it. [caption id="attachment_636638" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Croc Bikes[/caption] BIKING Wellington is beginning to gain a bit of a rep as a mountain biking destination. With so many great tracks covering the bush-clad hills that surround the city, even office workers mountain bike to work. How's that for lifestyle? If the hundreds of kilometres of mountain biking tracks in the Wellington region don't tempt you, there are some lower-key biking experiences in the city. Hiring a Crocodile Bike is a classic Wellington activity: you can grab a two- or four-person bike and cycle around the bays for a few hours. Or head to Switched On Bikes a rent an e-bike; these babies have redefined pedal power, so you can cruise the city's hills without breaking a sweat. Maybe you've been to Auckland, maybe you've gone to the snow in Queensland, but now it's time to set your sights on Wellington. The harbourside city may be compact, but that only makes for excellent walkability from its excellent restaurants, cafes and bars to its cultural hot spots and around the great outdoors. Use our planning guide to book your trip, then sort out your Wellington hit list with our food and drink, culture and outdoor guides. Top image: Simeon W via Flickr.
The dockless bike sharing phenomenon hasn't exactly proved a roaring success here in Australia, with rogue bikes clogging up footpaths, or winding up broken and abandoned in dangerous locations, and oBike withdrawing from Melbourne entirely. And still, yet another company is keen to give the concept a whirl locally — this time, featuring electric scooters. Aussie start-up Scootie has announced it'll launch a trial program of its ride share service in November this year, giving locals in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Perth the chance to be the first to road-test its fleet of electric scooters. Punters keen to get involved are invited to sign up now to Scootie's mailing list. Riffing on the scooter systems that have been going gang-busters over in the USA, the local company is still nailing down its technology, with plans to launch the pilot program in St Kilda, before rolling out across CBD areas. At this stage, riders will simply locate a scooter, scan and pay via the Scootie smartphone app, before jetting off on their two-wheeled adventure. According to Scootie spokesman Troy Taylor, details about specific scooter deposit zones and charging stations are yet to be confirmed, though there will be a bond taken to help deter people from damaging or abandoning the scooters. Trip costs are also in the process of being finalised, with Taylor suggesting they'll start at around 20-40 cents per minute. So, for example, a 40-minute journey would cost between $8 and $16. Scootie's trial program is slated to launch in November and run for several weeks. You can sign up to be a part of it here.
Just a couple of weeks after Totti's opened the doors to its much-hyped Great Ocean Road outpost, another Sydney favourite has announced it's making moves down south. Odd Culture Group, the hospitality crew behind inner-city spots like The Duke of Enmore, The Old Fitzroy Hotel and namesake King Street venue Odd Culture Newtown, is gearing up to launch its first Melbourne haunt in Fitzroy this May. The team has snapped up the sprawling heritage site at the corner of Brunswick and Johnston Streets, with plans to install a local version of its aforementioned Newtown bar, complete with a strong retail booze offering. As the name suggests, Odd Culture isn't afraid to get a little weird and wonderful, which tells us it'll fit right in here in this neck of the woods. The group's earned a reputation for creating welcoming, experiential venues that are centred on top-quality food and drinks — and this Melbourne debut looks set to follow suit. Odd Culture Fitzroy will have a familiar local name at the helm, too, with the role of General Manager going to Gerry Nass, owner-operator of the former Robbie Burns Hotel. A bar and bottle shop rolled into one, the venue will be stocked with an easy-to-explore specialty array of wine, beer, spirits and cocktails, with an emphasis on wild brews and natural vino. You'll be able to browse and buy to take away, or select a drop to enjoy onsite, either settled in on the indoor banquet seating or out in the laneway beer garden. Meanwhile, Meatsmith alum James MacDonald is taking the reins as Executive Chef, serving a menu of bar snacks that showcases Meatsmith goodies alongside some of the best-loved plates from Odd Culture Newtown. [caption id="attachment_831649" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Odd Culture Newtown[/caption] Find Odd Culture Fitzroy at Shop 1/296 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, from May. We'll share more details as they drop.
Prepare to drool all over yourself Homer Simpson-style, because the Yaks Ale Melbourne Barbecue Festival is back. Now in its fourth year, this weekend-long celebration of all things smoked and slow-cooked will bring together some of the biggest names in local barbecue, along with celebrity pitmasters from Memphis to LA. Held on February 3 and 4 at Flemington Racecourse, the festival will feature live music acts, culinary demos, a cook-off and a butcher battle. But let's not beat around the bush here: you want to know about the food. Chances are, you won't be disappointed. Bluebonnet, Burn City Smokers, Fancy Hank's, Southside Smokers and Sugarfire Smoke House from the US are but a few of the meat maestros who'll be in attendance. Our advice? Start fasting now. Image: Southside Smokers.
Patience is rewarded in this latest Hollywood take on the Godzilla tale, with the eponymous giant taking almost an hour before his first appearance. It is, if you'll permit, a case of 'Waiting for Godzilla', and the eventual reveal is a genuine delight. The film begins in 1999, where a series of sudden and inexplicable catastrophes — most notably the collapse of a Japanese nuclear facility — are categorised as 'natural disasters' and dismissed, leaving in their wake unanswered questions and shattered lives. Among those affected is nuclear engineer Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston), along with his wife, Sandra (Juliette Binoche), and his son Ford (Kick-Ass's Aaron Taylor-Johnson). Joe refuses to accept the official line, and — as his obsession grows — he soon becomes both an outcast and absentee father as he embarks upon a one-man crusade to discover the truth. Fast-forward, then, to the present day where, to Joe's horror, the same seismic anomalies that preceded the last disaster suddenly recommence. It's a slow burn kept alive almost entirely courtesy of Cranston and Binoche, but one whose dramatic ignition comes with the full force of a 3D IMAX experience. It's also a pleasant surprise, because the creature awakened is not Godzilla. It is, rather, a MUTO — or Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism — perhaps best likened to a 300ft cockroach possessed of electromagnetic pulses and an appetite for radioactive materials. He'd be the solution to so many of earth's environmental concerns, were it not for his complete disregard for buildings or the earthlings inside them. What, then, of Godzilla? Instead of acting as the film's traditional villain, he is something more transcendent — an ancient, imposing yet graceful leviathan whose place on this earth is, seemingly, to ensure its equilibrium. With a design aesthetic far more aligned with the original Godzilla of 1954, he is truly awesome in scale and defined most crucially by his iconic scream (a two-part, roar-and-rumble experience created first by leaving dry ice to sublimate on a metal vent, then dragging a giant wooden crate across a polished floor). Sound is, in fact, the star of this film, with utterly rib-rattling resonance an almost constant companion throughout. It is, in short, a silly but fun film whose human characters are wholly tangential to its CGI stars. With a cast that also boasts the largely underused Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen and David Strathairn, the decision to entrust its least recognisable and accomplished actor with the lion's share of screen time is a curious misstep, and despite all the MUTO's menace, the most ominous element in Godzilla remains its opening titles and their use of archival nuclear test footage. In a film centred around the destructive power of giant monsters, nothing manages to quite live up to the terror and devastation reminded to us in those few, opening seconds. It is a nuclear device, too, that provides the film with its greatest source of tension in the climax. Still, it's nice to have Godzilla back in our lives after 1998's disappointing attempt, and, as far as blockbusters go, this has almost everything you're looking for. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vIu85WQTPRc
There's always something new in the works from Josh Niland. There's always another restaurant on the way, someone throwing the Sydney seafood chef some love or a reason to try his nose-to-tail approach to the ocean's finest. In the past year or so alone, he's opened his second iteration of seafood butchery and takeaway shop Fish Butchery in Waterloo, announced plans to take over The Grand National Hotel and move restaurant Saint Peter into it, and launched restaurant and bar Petermen in St Leonards. Oh, and he was the only Australian to make the top 100 best chefs in the world list for 2022, and scored the Game Changer Award from France's prestigious La Liste with his wife Julie. Next on the list: slipping back into home kitchens everywhere. As much of a delight as it would be to have Niland drop by your door and whip you up at meal, that sadly isn't on the menu — but helping you learn his tricks of the trade, and make his recipes, is. Already, Niland has released two cookbooks: The Whole Fish Cookbook in 2019 and its sequel Take One Fish. Next comes a tome with a familiar name, aka Fish Butchery. [caption id="attachment_855330" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rob Palmer[/caption] For his third foray into print, the chef will share his expert techniques, and also some of his pioneering recipes. In the process, as his cuisine always does whether you're eating at his restaurants or working through his tips at home, he'll be advocating for culinary sustainability. Readers will peruse the manual's three sections — entitled 'Catch', 'Cut' and 'Craft' — for detailed instructions on how to prepare fish, plus 40-plus dishes to make. So, get ready to learn the reverse-butterfly and double-saddle methods, then cook up fish sticks, fish pies, fish sausages and fish chorizo. [caption id="attachment_870811" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Niland at the Talisker and Saint Peter pop-up.[/caption] Debuting in hard cover and spanning 272 pages, Fish Butchery will hit bookstores on Wednesday, August 30. If you're a seafood fiend, you'll want to make space on your kitchen shelves ASAP — next to The Whole Fish Cookbook andTake One Fish, of course. The former nabbed Niland the James Beard Book of the Year Award back in 2020, becoming the first Australian do win the acclaimed prize. And the latter focused on 15 global varieties of fish, giving readers 60-plus ways to cook them up. [caption id="attachment_826359" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Niland at Charcoal Fish.[/caption] Fish Butchery: Mastering The Catch, Cut And Craft will release on Wednesday, August 30. Top image: Rob Palmer, The Whole Fish Cookbook.
Heading to the Melbourne International Comedy Festival this year? Not only will you be getting all the laughs, you could also be scoring free baklava. Greek eateries Stalactites and Hella Good have teamed up to bring you the sweet treat for nada. All you have to do is show your ticket while dining in — and once your meal is finished, the baklava will arrive at your table. Both venues are just a stone's throw from the festival's main hubs, so you won't have to go far. You'll find Stalactites at 177-183 Lonsdale Street and Hella Good in the level three food court of Emporium Melbourne. So, whether you're heading along to see Fantasmas star and creator Julio Torres in his Australian debut, or Sara Pascoe in her latest show at Town Hall, you'll have your dessert sorted. And they're just two of 1000-plus performers on the program.
'Wine' and 'festival': they're two words that almost always lead to happy times for you and your gang. The Strategem Bendigo Winemakers Festival will return come Saturday, April 6, and with it comes a celebration of the region's food and wine. Local winemakers will engulf the town centre — Rosalind Park to be precise — for five hours of alfresco fun. Over 60 different wines will be on show for you to sample, so grab a glass, have a chat to the winemakers and do a big collective 'cheers' to the end of the harvest. Remember to pace yourself (small sips, not big gulps) and that eating isn't cheating — there'll be plenty of food stalls to keep you plugging along wholesomely. There'll also be live music from The Deans and The Funk Junkies and competitions running all day. You can BYO picnic rug or, if you're feeling ritzy, nab a private VIP marquee for $750. It'll get you and eleven mates entry to the festival (with a souvenir wine glass and complimentary wine tastings), access to the special private digs all day and a 30-minute private wine masterclass with a Bendigo region winemaker. Strategem Bendigo Winemakers Festival will run from 11am–4pm on Saturday, April 6. Tasting tickets start at $45, which includes a souvenir wine glass and complimentary wine tastings. Non-tasting tickets are available from $25. For more information and to purchase tickets, head this way.
In a previous article, we asked you what the world would look like if it was run by hipsters. Now, with a new series of artworks by illustrator Ronallman, it seems that this threat may have been more imminent than we ever thought. In a collection named 'The Dic-sters', Ronallman has taken the world's most infamous dictators and given them indie makeovers that would suit the next ASOS advertising campaign. Kim Jong-Illest shows his love for hip-hop by rocking a pair of Kanye shutter shades, while Fidel Hipstro swaps his trademark army greens for a red scarf and aviators. Joseph Stachlin's facial hair gets a neat upgrade, and he also wears a green shirt (top button done up, obviously) with a contrast plaid collar. However, perhaps most terrifying of all is Skritler, a hybrid of brostep champion Skrillex and Germany's most notorious chancellor, Adolf Hitler. Such a character isn't too far-fetched when you remember that Skrillex's music has often been labelled a crime against humanity. Hipsters, with their locally-produced vegan burgers and willingness to complain about anything, are usually aligned with left-wing ideology. However, Ronallman's illustrations prove that their wardrobes might be better suited to conservative nutjobs. https://youtube.com/watch?v=6Z1RRslsFxA [via Complex]
Coachella FOMO is no longer a thing. With its biggest livestream yet, YouTube is solving it in 2023. Sure, you can still wish that you were heading to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California across April 14–16 and April 21–23. Yes, there's nothing quite like being there in person. But if you're all about seeing the fest's impressive lineup — seeing as much of it as possible, too — this year's Coachella and YouTube collaboration is beaming the entire event around the world. One of the globe's biggest music festivals has been teaming up with the video site for 11 years now. Earlier in 2023, they announced that they've locked in their arrangement till 2026, in fact. So expanding exactly what the Coachella livestream shows, and when, is the next logical step — with 2023's fest covering all six stages across both weekends. This is the first time ever that YouTube's Coachella footage has played the whole fest as it's happening, upping its feeds from three to six. Whoever you want to see — and if you want to catch their sets twice — you now can. 2023's bill is worth getting excited about, with Bad Bunny headlining the Friday nights, BLACKPINK doing the Saturday nights and Frank Ocean on Sunday nights. Down Under, you'll be tuning in on Saturday, Sunday and Monday to catch each, so mark your diaries now. Also on the lineup: a stacked array of acts that also spans everyone from Calvin Harris, Gorillaz, The Chemical Brothers, ROSALÍA and Blondie through to The Kid LAROI, Björk, Fisher, Charlie XCX, Porter Robinson and Idris Elba. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachella (@coachella) In-between sets, YouTube will fill its feeds with more on-the-ground coverage, so you'll be able to scope out the art and installations around the fest, head behind the scenes, see how the acts get partying before the hit the stage and more. 2023's set times haven't yet been announced, but keep an eye on Coachella's Instagram feed in the lead up to the festival — and, obviously, bookmark its YouTube channel ASAP. Coachella runs from April 14–16 and April 21–23 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. To watch the livestream, head to YouTube from 9am AEST on Saturday, April 15 Down Under.
There's a reality TV show for everything and, via the 2014–9 series Wahlburgers, that includes burger joints owned by actor Mark Wahlberg and his brothers. Fancy eating the chain's fast food fare, rather than just watching it? After opening 52 stores in the US, Canada and Germany so far, Wahlburgers is launching Down Under. The first place that'll be serving up the chain's burgers, shakes, beers and 'wahlbowls' — aka burger ingredients, but without the bun — is the Sydney CBD. Folks in Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane can all expect to tuck into the brand's bites to eat, too, and New Zealanders as well. Just where Wahlburgers will be opening in NZ hasn't been revealed, but the chain will be launching 20 stores across the two countries. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Wahlburgers 🍔 (@wahlburgers) If the Wahlberg name has you thinking about movies — with Mark starring in everything from Boogie Nights to Instant Family, and his co-owner and brother (and ex-New Kids on the Block member) Donnie Wahlberg also featuring in The Sixth Sense and the Saw franchise — then that won't change at Wahlburgers' Aussie and NZ joints. The chain's venture Down Under is a collaboration with United Cinemas, and some of the former's sites will be located within the latter's picture palaces. United Cinemas currently operates venues at Narellan, Collaroy, Warriewood, Avalon and Opera Quays in Sydney, Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, Craigieburn in Melbourne, Indooroopilly in Brisbane and Rockingham in Perth, so that's where you might be getting your Walhburger fix; however, Walhburgers will be opening stand-alone stores as well. Just when the chain will launch hasn't been revealed, but news.com.au is reporting that the first store in Sydney's Circular Quay will be open in the next few months — and that the restaurants will play up the movie theme. [caption id="attachment_796269" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Michael Rivera via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Wahlburgers is also co-owned by chef Paul Wahlberg — another Wahlberg sibling — and, given its name, the chain decks out its sites with photos and memorabilia from the brothers' lives. If you happen to remember that Mark Wahlberg was in the music business before he started acting and, as part of his hip hop group Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, he released the 1991 single 'Good Vibrations', then you might be wondering if Wahlburgers serves Sunkist — because it's referenced in the lyrics. Based on its US menu, the answer is no, but fingers crossed that changes Down Under. Wahlburgers is set to open in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and New Zealand — we'll update you with exact locations and dates when they're announced, and you can keep an eye on the chain's website and Facebook page in the interim. Top image: JJonahJackalope via Wikimedia Commons.
Melbourne's one-to-watch designers will be hawking their wares this Sunday, November 8, at the latest edition of the much-loved Melbourne Design Market. Launching into its second decade, this twice-yearly showcase of intelligent design is the perfect destination for savvy shoppers, or anyone just looking to drop some hard-earned cash. Hosted once again in the Federation Square carpark, this year’s market will welcome a wide variety of local merchants selling everything from clothing and fashions accessories to high-end stationery and furniture. We’ve got our eye on the super nifty A6 memobottles that fit in your pocket.. But with a total of 50 stallholders, it looks like we may be spoiled for choice. On the off chance that you have any money left over after your shopping spree, there’ll be fair trade coffee for sale, along with food from some of Melbourne’s favourite food trucks. For more information including updates on stallholders, head on over to the Melbourne Design Market website. Image: memobottle.
Wellington Paranormal is back for its fourth and final season, Rose Matafeo's rom-com sitcom Starstruck has just returned for its second batch of episodes, and now Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby's HBO Max pirate parody is less than a month away — yes, it's proving a fantastic time for TV comedies either made in New Zealand or starring NZ talent. And if you're particularly keen to say "ahoy!" to Waititi and Darby's Our Flag Means Death, here's some more great news: its just dropped an unsurprisingly hilarious full trailer. Sometimes, the world just handily delivers answers to questions you didn't even know you ever had. You might not have actively wondered to yourself "what'd happen if NZ treasures Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby played pirates?", for instance, but we're betting you're now keener than a buccaneer searching for a bottle of rum to discover how it turns out. And, arriving on Thursday, March 3 on Binge in Australia and Friday, March 4 on Neon in NZ, Our Flag Means Death will firmly answer that query. The ten-episode sitcom sees Darby lead the show as Stede Bonnet — who was a real-life pirate who took to the seas in the early 18th century. The reason that his story is getting the streaming treatment? Bonnet was a 'gentleman pirate', as both the initial teaser and just-dropped full trailer for Our Flag Means Death dubs him. He left his life of privilege to rove the oceans, which this comedy is set to have plenty of fun with. [caption id="attachment_840021" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Aaron Epstein/HBO Max[/caption] As the show's sneak peeks so far demonstrate, Bonnet has some bold ideas about how life onboard should run — bold compared to the usual pirate stereotypes, that is. And, that sees him clash with a very famous name from pirate history: Blackbeard, which is who Waititi plays, and who appears far more traditional with his views on the whole pirate caper.. The two immensely funny NZ talents are joined by a long list of co-stars that includes Ewen Bremner (First Cow), David Fane (Paper Champions), Nathan Foad (Bloods), Joel Fry (Cruella), Samson Kayo (Truth Seekers), Rory Kinnear (No Time to Die) and Leslie Jones (Death to 2020). And, while Our Flag Means Death is the brainchild of writer, showrunner and executive producer David Jenkins (People of Earth), Waititi directs the pilot — and executive produces, lending his name and support to another up-and-coming comedy after doing the same with Reservation Dogs last year. And yes, that means he's directing Darby yet again, as he's already done in everything from Flight of the Conchords and What We Do in the Shadows to Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Our Flag Means Death will drop three episodes on March 3, another three on March 10, then two episodes on both March 17 and March 24. Check out the full trailer for Our Flag Means Death below: Our Flag Means Death will start streaming in Australia via Binge on Thursday, March 3 and in New Zealand via Neon on Friday, March 4.
