Good news, North Melbourne locals, the old Courthouse Hotel is back, and it's been lovingly restored by four hospo pros who actually know what they're doing. You'd be forgiven for forgetting about The Courthouse. It was a popular pub in the early 2000s, with celebrated chefs like Zoe Birch and Stephen Burke running the restaurant pass. But popularity kind of waned over the years, and COVID put the final nail in the venue's coffin. But now, the Courthouse is officially back, having quietly reopened earlier in May. The new team are the same minds behind Parkville's Naughtons Hotel: Ryan Moses and Rusty Sturrock, along with Ryan and Laura Berry. And we have to say, these guys have really nailed the refurbishment. The Courthouse hasn't been gutted, just lovingly restored, bringing the venue up to modern gastro pub standards. Architect Alana Cooke and Blueprint Commercial handled the refurb, and they've managed to keep the old wooden panelling — stripped and sanded by hand — the floorboards, and the classic art deco features. The result is North Melbourne's hottest new pub, and it's fair to say locals are stoked. "Some of us remember eating at The Courthouse in the mid-noughties when it was serving some of the best gastropub fare in Melbourne," says Moses, who just signed a whopping 30-year lease. "We hope to recapture some of the essence of what made it special. Apart from the fond memories, we have fallen in love with the character and charm of the place, and Alana has gone to great lengths to preserve this in the refurbishment." So what about the food? Well, Rusty Sturrock has designed the menu, and he cut his teeth in some of London's finest gastro pubs, so expect UK classics with a Euro-Australian twist: Lancashire hotpot with lamb shoulder and Brussels sprouts, whole-roasted leatherjacket, Coq au Vin, kangaroo carpaccio and an excellent crowd-pleasing wiener schnitzel with chips. The guys have even installed an old-school hand pump behind the bar, which will be pouring English-style ale from Two Metre Tall and Love Shack. Aussie beer fans, don't worry, they've also got Hop Nation and CBCo brews on tap. The cherry on top? The crusty old rooms upstairs have been transformed into two boutique hotel rooms, so you can now stay overnight at The Courthouse. Prices start at $325 per night. You can find The Courthouse at 86-90 Errol St in North Melbourne, open seven days a week from 12pm. If in doubt, just follow the crowd of hungry punters. Images: Supplied
Richmond's newest venue has flipped the script on that classic ditty about turning paradise into a parking lot. Gracing a Swan Street space once home to a hire vehicle company's car park, you'll now find Pink Lemonade — a vibrant openair oasis decked out with eye-catching murals, Astroturf and fairy-lit palms. Bringing an injection of colour into this once concrete-heavy pocket beside Richmond Station, the al fresco watering hole underwent its striking transformation over the course of a couple of lockdowns. Owners Darren Legg and Brad Hicks pulled inspiration from their own favourite outdoor spaces and pastimes, commissioning local street artist and illustrator Juzpop, aka Justine Millsom, to beautify the site with a swath of art in vivid pinks, purples and aquas. [caption id="attachment_841704" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Art by Juzpop[/caption] Launched late December last year, Pink Lemonade now boasts an assortment of outdoor tables, shipping containers fitted out with timber booths and dry bars crafted from barrels, where punters can kick back sipping, sunning and socialising. More converted shipping containers house the Pink Lemonade bar — slinging spritzes, tap brews, boozy slushies and Grey Goose cocktails aplenty — and resident kitchen, Hells Bellz BBQ Smokehouse. It's dishing up US-style barbecue fare, available by the serve or loaded onto a meaty combination platter. Think, pork ribs, smoked chicken wings, kransky snags and house-made slaw, alongside plant-based options like grilled portobello mushrooms and mac 'n' cheese. More food trucks will be joining the rotation soon. [caption id="attachment_841703" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hells Bellz[/caption] As with all good outdoor drinking spots, this one will have a stack of things to fill your calendar with, too. Resident DJs are already spinning tunes every weekend, themed cinema nights are in the works, and there'll be plenty of dance parties and other music events to look forward to. Plus, kicking off this month is a series of weekly bottomless brunch sessions, set to run every Saturday. Meanwhile, onsite cafe Black Drum is slinging coffee, smoothies and toasties by day, conveniently located just a few steps from the station. Find Pink Lemonade at 23 Swan Street, Richmond. It's open from 12–9pm Friday to Sunday. Black Drum Cafe is at the same site, open 6am–3pm Monday to Friday, and 7am–3pm on weekends.
Its name might be a playful reference to its Brunswick East location, but that's not stopping long-running locals' haunt The B.East from expanding the family and opening a second outpost, this time in the heart of Fitzroy. Launching this Tuesday, February 18, The B.East of Brunswick Street is the latest venture from hospitality crew Cast of Falcons, who also brought you hits like Section 8, Globe Alley and Radar. It's set to dish up the same burger-heavy food offering and raucous, rock 'n' roll vibes as its sibling, though with a few twists and surprises to suit its new northside home. Taking over the two-storey corner space most recently home to short-lived vegan joint Henry's, this new edition of The B.East will be serving up a hefty lineup of burgers and sides, with plant-based options galore. You'll spy fan favourites like the southern fried chicken-loaded Clint Beastwood and the Filthy — a beef smash patty teamed with cheddar, house-made chilli paste, pickles and jalapeño aioli — alongside a handful of exclusive new creations. Vegan burger fiends can get excited for the likes of the mock fried chicken Bam Bam Buffalo number, and the Ad-Rock, featuring a Moving Mountains patty, maple facon, vegan cheddar, mustard and hickory barbecue sauce. The food is backed by a lineup of craft beers, local wines and fun cocktails. While the OG Lygon Street venue boasts a jam-packed program of live tunes, the music focus at Fitzroy will instead be DJ-driven. Regular crowd-pullers like trivia nights and competitions are also on the cards, with more details to drop later. We're crossing our fingers that new The B.East venue lasts a little longer than its Brunswick Street predecessors — in the space of just a few years, the site has been home to San Churro, US-inspired burger bar Chiquito & Co and Henry's, to name a few. Find The B.East of Brunswick Street at 275 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, from Tuesday, February 18. It'll be open from 11am–11pm daily. It's also kicking things off in style with some hefty opening weekend celebrations from February 20 to 23. Swing by for guest DJs, food and drink specials, giveaways and even a beer pong tournament. Top images: The B.East Brunswick East
Preston's much-loved street food haven, The Food Truck Park, is hitting the road this October, joining forces with the Frankston City Council to see the return of the Seaside Street Food Festival. The gorgeous Frankston waterfront provides the backdrop for this massive food coma-inducing festival, which takes place over five consecutive days with a rotating line-up of Melbourne's favourite food trucks. As you cram in the finger lickin' selection of chow, there's some eclectic live entertainment from local musicians and performers taking place, while a twilight market is a must to get your hands on some awesome clothing, records, homewares and more. Last year's festival saw 40 food trucks take part throughout the festival, with more than 35,000 hungry patrons turning out for the foodie fantasy and putting the trucks to the test.
Margaret River's Colonial Brewing Co. is coming for the east coast. And while Sydneysiders have been treated to a mini tap takeover at the Newtown Hotel, Melburnians have been lucky enough to score an entire brewery. The WA brewers have opened their second outpost in Port Melbourne — complete with a new, state-of-the-art canning machine that spits out 100 tinnies a minute. This tinnie-only brewery's motto, "brewed small, lived big", may be on the sentimental side, but it is a good way to describe Colonial's ethos. The Margaret River brewery is situated on a farm and the brand encapsulates Aussie country living. Colonial doesn't make beer for craft snobs alone — instead, they're dedicated to creating sessionable brews, geared toward the everyday drinker and craft converts, and their core range includes pale, IPA and Kölsch classics. The beer to keep an eye out for is their Small Ale. A mid-strength beer in name only, the flavour profile and hop aroma successfully (and surprisingly) mimic a big West Coast IPA. For the cider heads out there, the newly released Bertie is refreshingly dry, though, we have to say, no match for the brews. This 'average Aussie'-meets-craft beer drinker mentality is reinforced by their 360 tinnie lids — the lids peel off completely, allowing for great aroma and airation, while still allowing consumers to enjoy the satisfaction of a good ol' beer in a can. As beer nerds ourselves, we wouldn't say it's a true replacement for pouring into a glass, but you have to appreciate the thought. If you're lucky, they may even give you a tinnie straight off the line during a brewery tour — truly fresh as. While the brewery is now officially launching its small town WA vibe into the east coast market, it isn't doing it without some self-awareness. When it comes to the Port Melbourne brewery, the fit-out is, well, much more Melbourne than its Margaret River counterpart. Think a lush indoor beer garden fitted out with hanging greenery, a graffiti wall and space for Food Truck Fridays, along with ping pong and beer pong tables (which utilises their 360 cans as cups, of course). On Thursday nights they're also doing a very reasonably priced pizza and pot deal for $10. The eight-tap wooden bar also has a makeshift feel, and it's all tucked inside of a small entryway that you'd never expect to expand into this massive warehouse. You certainly couldn't mistake Colonial's brews for anything but Aussie beers, and we bet, as they expand, this WA brewery will go far in converting mainstream beer drinkers to craft — even those who swear they'll never go off VB.
Peering at ancient pyramids isn't normally a Sydney pastime, but it will be come September 2024 without needing to leave the city — or country. At virtual-reality experience Horizon of Khufu, you'll get immersed in the past like it's all around you. Patrons will see the Great Pyramids of Giza, including flying over the Giza Necropolis. You'll climb to the top of the Pyramid of Khufu, in fact, and gaze out over Egypt with a 360-degree view. Getting a glimpse of burial chambers and embalming ceremonies, finding the queen's chamber, sailing down the Nile, attending Khufu's funeral: that's all also on the agenda, as is checking out the Great Sphinx of Giza and witnessing these ancient wonders by night. That's where your eyes will be heading, at least, via a VR headset that'll take you into a shared play space. Your peepers will also be checking out recreations of sights dating back 4500 years, to the time of Khufu, the second pharaoh of Egypt's fourth dynasty. He's the figure that's believed to have commissioned the largest of the pyramids, which was also his tomb. Your body will need to be at the Harbour City's Fever Pavilion, where Horizon of Khufu is making its Australian debut from Thursday, September 5, 2024. Once you've popped on your headsets, attendees will be led through Horizon of Khufu by a virtual guide, all while benefiting from design by Egyptologist and Harvard University professor Peter Der Manuelian. If you're with your date or mates, or family, the 45-minute experience also lets you visuals others in the VR space, so you won't all just be off on your own wander through bygone years. Australia joins France — where Horizon of Khufu debuted in 2022 — as well as the US, Canada and the UK in being able to enjoy this blast from the past. Unsurprisingly, it has proven popular around the globe, notching up more than one million visitors so far. If you've seen plenty of other Egypt obsessives at Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs and Pharaoh, you'll know that Aussies will help boost those numbers.
There's a lot to explore around Canterbury, but visitors to Maling Road who love fashion and homewares can't forget to check out Coco & Chloe. Named after the owner and her sisters' puppies — who also happen to be siblings — the selection of products tend to be just as cute. Across clothing, accessories and an eclectic range of homewares, basically everything available is bursting with colour. From stylish portable speakers to planners, perfume and winter wear, Coco & Chloe truly embodies the timeless appeal of Maling Road.
When it comes to watching films in the open air when the weather is warm, Melbourne isn't short on options, whether you're keen to hit up Moonlight Cinema's local program, or head to the Lido's rooftop, hit up the Classic's roof as well or enjoy Pentridge's outdoor setup. Here's another joining them from Wednesday, February 1–Saturday, March 4: Sunset Cinema, which is adding a St Kilda season to its national tour. Maybe it's the twilight glow. Perhaps it's the stars twinkling above. Or, it could be the cooling breeze, the picnic blankets and beanbags as far as the eye can see, and just seeing a movie grace a giant screen with a leafy backdrop. When the weather is warm enough, a trip to the cinema just seems to shine brighter when it's outdoors for all of these reasons and more — and that's what's on offer at the St Kilda Botanical Gardens for just over a month. Kicking off the St Kilda run is The Menu and its culinary thrills — and it pops up on the program again later in the season, too. Or, viewers can enjoy Oscar-nominees The Banshees of Inisherin and Everything Everywhere All At Once, Aussie drama Blueback and Olivia Wilde's Don't Worry Darling. It's an eclectic array of flicks, clearly. Other titles include box-office behemoth Top Gun: Maverick, the Tom Hanks-starring A Man Called Otto, adorable animation Marcel the Shell with Shoes On and M3GAN's robo-horror chaos. Or, get a blast from the past with Crazy, Stupid, Love on Valentine's Day — when else? — and see why Paul Mescal deserves his first ever Academy Award nod for Aftersun. This is Sunset Cinema's second Victorian stint this season, after hitting up Mt Martha first. No matter where it heads — with its full 2022–23 itinerary covering one stop in Canberra, three in New South Wales, two in Victoria and one in Queensland — this excuse to see a movie under the stars pairs new and classic titles with a setup perfect for cosy date nights or an easy group hangs outdoors. BYO picnics are encouraged here, but the event is fully licensed, so alcohol can only be purchased onsite. Didn't pack enough snacks? There'll be hot food options, plus plenty of the requisite movie treats like chips, chocolates, lollies and popcorn. Sunset Cinema screens at the St Kilda Botanic Gardens from Wednesday, February 1–Saturday, March 4. Head to the Sunset Cinema website for further details.
Melbourne's favourite all-vegan pizza joint has clocked up half a decade and it's celebrating with a big night of specials at both its OG Collingwood and Prahran outposts. This Friday, February 11, join Red Sparrow to cheers five years as the festivities take over each restaurant from 5pm. The drinks will be flowing, with a selection of beers and wine going for $5 a pop, all night long. Of course, the main event here is those famed plant-based pizzas and sure enough, you'll also be treated to some specially priced pizza — specifically, $10 pepperoni beauties on offer until 7pm. If you're yet to try Red Sparrow's signature treats, you've really been missing out. The wood fired pizzas, crafted on hand-stretched dough that's been fermented for 48 hours, are some of the best in town — vegan or otherwise. [caption id="attachment_677657" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Red Sparrow Collingwood[/caption] Top Image: Simon Schultz
Located in Coburg North, Twelve80 offers the community a creative space to unleash your inner potter, with an array of classes on offer and friendly teachers to guide you — the only thing holding you back is yourself. Ever dream of a beautiful, ornate vase on your living room shelf, which you can point out to random mates and say "I made that"? Or how about an ashtray for kick-ons back at yours, which just oozes personality and perfectly holds a cigarette? Everyone has the potential to be a great potter, but very few ever give it a go. It's dirty. It's expensive. It requires a hell of a lot of equipment. Well thanks to Twelve80, none of that matters anymore. With an array of classes on offer for all levels, everyone is welcome to come and give the wheel a spin. It offers term classes of eight or four weeks, where the students are guided by one of the knowledgeable teachers. Learn everything from wheel throwing and hand building to slip casting (yes, we had to Google those terms, too) over the course of the term. If you can't commit for that length of time, it offers drop-in workshops, too. Twelve80 also offers a unique membership program, where, for a monthly fee, members are able to access the space, equipment and dedicated lounge room anytime they want and for as long as they want — they get 24-hour access every day of the week. This is incredibly rare in the Melbourne pottery scene.
It seems that new multi-level venues might be the trend this year in Melbourne. The CBD scored HER a couple of weeks ago and now it's Richmond's turn, as Swan Street newcomer Untitled officially opens its doors. A labour of love more than three years in the making, the venue is the work of David Abela, Andrew Ryan and Daniel Vid; the same minds behind neighbouring cocktail haunt The Ugly Duckling. [caption id="attachment_842996" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anson Smart[/caption] The team has transformed a three-storey former art store into a 100-seat modern Euro bar and eatery, complete with creatively-charged yet timeless interiors by Flack Studio. It's a warm, eclectic space, featuring lots of rich textures, marble accents and an impressive art collection. In the kitchen, 2015 Young Chef of the Year Tim Martin (The European, Harvest) is delivering a contemporary menu spiked with lots of European influence. The snack game is particularly strong, with a slew of bites primed for matching to that after-work vino. Think, prosciutto paired with a melon escabeche, pea and ricotta arancini, smoked pork terrine, and oysters done with a celery heart mignonette. Deeper in, you can feast on duck ragu gnocchi finished with saltbush; a seafood spaghetti starring littleneck clams, prawns and calamari; and a pithivier (a style of pie) of gruyere, potato and chard, matched with a mustard aioli. [caption id="attachment_842844" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anson Smart[/caption] A grass-fed O'Connor scotch fillet features whipped bone marrow, a Murray cod fillet is elevated with roasted cucumber and harissa, and you'll spy a Russian honey cake leading the dessert offering. The matching wine selection pays homage to Euro drops and varietals, with a healthy spread on offer by the glass. Perch up at the horseshoe bar to sip the Rob Dolan pinot blanc, or head to France with a glass of the Domaine des Espérances gamay out of Touraine. Cocktails stick to the classics with the likes of a negroni and a dry gin martini, while the aperitif-sipping crowd will be all about the grapefruit-infused Kina Highball and the Spritz With No Name — a refreshing blend of Campari, Pampelle Grapefruit, sparkling wine, orange and olive. Find Untitled at 236 Swan Street, Richmond. It's open from 5pm until late Tuesday–Thursday, and from 12pm until late Friday and Saturday.
The team behind Peter Gunn's new restaurant IDES must be really organised. Or really lucky. Or both. The ambitious new venue opened at the same time as the Ides of March — and while it was a disastrous time for Caesar, it's proven to be rather fortuitous for the ex-Attica chef. Gunn, who's spent the last five years as a sous chef under the legendary Ben Shewry at Attica, is striking out on his own with his new Collingwood restaurant with seating for just 36 lucky guests. But it's not exactly a big risk for him, as Melburnians have been keen on what he's got since 2013. Gunn's already put in the leg work for IDES via his monthly pop-up dinners at Persillade that he organised while working in the kitchen at Attica (kind makes you feel guilty about lazily ordering takeaway, doesn't it?). The dinners were always booked out months in advance, and his first permanent restaurant has been just as busy. Interestingly, the menu retains the spontaneity of the pop-ups with dishes going unplanned until the last moment, which Gunn believes injects energy into the menu. The package clocks in at six dishes for $110 (wine pairing will be available for a little more moolah), which is extraordinary good value for a degustation menu designed and made by one of Melbourne's — and perhaps, the world's — best young chefs.
Running from October 16 through January 31, 2021, the annual Tarnanthi program brings together the best of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art from around the country and showcases it across multiple Adelaide venues — with the largest exhibition taking centre stage at the Art Gallery of South Australia. The guiding theme for this year's edition is Open Hands, which pays tribute to the role of senior artists who share cultural knowledge with the younger generations; it also calls attention to the unseen cultural work of women in Indigenous communities. Including works from 87 artists, the exhibition features mother-daughter collaborations, grand installations, talks and tours — all of which aim to fully immerse visitors in the rich culture of Australia. Online art sales and other AGSA activations are on the docket, too. [caption id="attachment_792442" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Saul Steed[/caption] Images: Tarnanthi: Open Hands installation by Saul Steed
This dedicated family business has been selling fashionable and stylish footwear to bayside women for more than 35 years. Step Ahead Shoes source and sell shoes from Italy and Spain — including family-run label Wonders, made in Elche, Spain — that are not only comfortable and practical to wear every day, but look damn good too. The passionate team are always happy to help you find your perfect fit and style, for those overwhelmed by the large range on offer in their Elsternwick store.
From Korean fried chicken to American-style barbecue to a good old fashioned burger with cheese and extra bacon, Melbourne is all about food truck dining these days. Which is great — unless, of course, you don't eat meat. Unfortunately for vegetarians and vegans, a lot of the city's best mobile food vendors don't focus on animal product-free food. Sure, there are options out there — they're just a little bit more difficult to track down. Well, they were — until now. To celebrate World Environment Day, The Food Truck Park in Preston is inviting some of Melbourne's best vegan and vegetarian vendors to park their wheels for a meat-free gastronomic extravaganza. Rice and Dice, Vegilicious, Woking Amazing, Boho Blends, Jerry's Vegiburgers, The Butter Thief and Bomba Pizza are just a few of the trucks tapped for the event, with plenty more expected to rock up on the night. Doors will be open from 5-10pm on Friday, May 3 and then again from noon until 10pm on Saturday, May 4.
This long weekend, swap the big smoke for some colourful blooms and garden-themed fun, with a trip to the Ballarat Begonia Festival. A top-notch excuse to get outta town, the festival returns for its 67th edition from Saturday, March 9 to Monday, March 11. Green-thumbed folk will be in their element, with a dazzling begonia display in the conservatory, a pop-up market dedicated to gardeners and creatives, and appearances from some TV gardening legends. A historic tram will also be transformed into its own moving floral arrangement — which you can catch a free ride on, too. Meanwhile, four different stages will play host to a diverse program of live, local tunes, and an all-ages circus drop zone is set to host juggling and uni-cycling workshops, ninja obstacle courses, trapeze performers and more. Of course, some of Ballarat's best eats and drinks will also be on show across the weekend — sample delights from the likes of Red Duck Brewery, Kilderkin Distillery and Wightwick Wines at the pop-up Begonia Bar, tuck into woodfired slices in the Begonia Courtyard courtesy of The Forge Pizzeria, and browse a huge array of food and produce stalls in between.
Outer eastern suburbia is typically a leafy refuge, often mistaken as hilly outskirts heralded by hippies. And while parts of Lilydale are most definitely lush with greenery and farms boasting local produce, The Lilydale General doesn't reside there; the cafe has taken these elements of the surrounding region and settled amongst a large manufacturing area of the suburb. You can't miss it: the carefully manicured lawn, green and white striped awnings and a flawlessly painted picket fence stand out against the uninspiring industrial surroundings. It's a great expanse inside, too — high ceilings, window panes streaming sunlight and generous spacing between tables. The staff are jovial and homely — let them bring you a coffee made with beans from the guys at Coffee Supreme and allow a bit of time for a chat about your day before you place your order. They're locals interested in looking after their fellow residents. It won't be long before you'll be digging in. The bruschetta with tomatoes, avocado mash, feta, lemon rind and dukkah served on a slice of sourdough with an additional piece underneath ($15) is faultless in flavour, but the serving could be more liberal to compensate for the extra piece of bread and price. Add an egg for an extra two bucks for something more filling. The corn and leek fritters with rocket, tomatoes and feta ($17) are another winning savoury option. For those with a sweeter tooth, go for the black rice pudding with macadamia granola, lychee and coconut ($13). The fruity flavours are balanced by a light aniseed taste coming from the granola, a pleasant experience for the palate. Like any good current day cafe, not only has The Lilydale General adopted the smoothies-in-jars phenomenon, they also cover most dietary bases: vegan, gluten free and lactose free options are all available. Fresh sandwiches, big squares of vanilla slice, lemon tarts and a rotating menu of raw desserts make up the glass cabinet at the counter. Sure, the food isn't unlike what you’d find somewhere closer to the CBD, but it is for Lilydale and, most importantly, it's good quality. Owned and loved by locals, The Lilydale General is a peripheral delight.
Masci hair and spa has remained a premium beauty destination since its conception in 1968. Founder Francis Masci opened its original location in North Carlton. Today, Masci has two locations, a hair salon in Malvern East and a salon and day spa in Eltham. Both salons are fitted with sleek interiors, creating a relaxing space to wash all your cares away. The Masci Salons pride themselves in celebrating individuality and having fun while providing exceptional client experiences. With an array of awards under their belt and a team of top-tier specialists, its easy to see how Masci has stayed a Melbourne staple for so long.
When the ABC announced that Spicks and Specks would return in 2024 after sitting 2023 out, it was big news, as anything to do with the hit Australian take on the UK's Never Mind the Buzzcocks always is. IRL, here's something just as exciting: the Brisbane-born and -based Not on Your Rider is also back for this year, although it didn't take a year off. On the agenda: playing a music quiz show filled with well-known faces live not just in the River City, but also in Sydney and Melbourne as well. And yes, the audience gets to play, too. You'll be peering at a stage, rather than a screen. You'll be answering questions, of course. And if it has you thinking about pub trivia nights, they don't include The Creases' Aimon Clark — who is also behind Isolation Trivia — hosting, or Patience Hodgson from The Grates and Jeremy Neale from Velociraptor captaining the two teams, let alone a heap of entertainment-industry guests. At past events, guests have included Murray Cook from The Wiggles, Broden Kelly and Mark Samual Bonanno from Aunty Donna, Boy Swallows Universe author Trent Dalton, Agro, Cal Wilson, Ben Lee, Steven Bradbury, Kate Miller-Heidke, Robert Irwin, Ranger Stacey, Craig Lowndes and Tim Rogers. Among the other musicians who've featured, Powderfinger, Dune Rats, DZ Deathrays, Ruby Fields, Ball Park Music, The Jungle Giants and The Go-Betweens have all had members take to the stage. Brisbane's 2024 season kicked off in mid-February, and now has seven more dates locked in for the rest of the year, all at The Triffid. Yes, given there's a Thursday, October 31 event, you can probably expect another Halloween celebration. And, come Thursday, December 19, a Christmas show as well. In Sydney and Melbourne, Not on Your Rider has a show in each city locked in. For the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, it's popping up on Thursday, April 18 at Brunswick Ballroom. And at Sydney's equivalent, head to Factory Theatre on Sunday, May 5. Here's how it works: Not on Your Rider takes something that everyone loves — showing off their music trivia knowledge — and dials it up a few notches. While the two on-stage teams are always filled with musos, comedians, drag queens and other guests, anyone can buy a ticket, sit at a table and answer questions along with them. The quiz element is accompanied by chats about the music industry, plus other mini games involving attendees. Not on Your Rider 2024 Dates: Brisbane: Thursday, April 4 — The Triffid Thursday, May 9 — The Triffid Thursday, June 13 — The Triffid Thursday, August 1 — The Triffid Thursday, September 12 — The Triffid Thursday, October 31 — The Triffid Thursday, December 19 — The Triffid Melbourne: Thursday, April 18 — Brunswick Ballroom Sydney: Sunday, May 5 — Factory Theatre Not on Your Rider's 2024 season runs on various dates until Thursday, December 19 at The Triffid in Brisbane, and on one-off occasions in Sydney and Melbourne. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the Not On Your Rider website. Images: Dave Kan / Bianca Holderness.
With more than 1,100 outlets in South Korea, NeNe Chicken is quite the popular crispy chicken joint in its home country. And it seems we've bought into the hype, too, with almost two dozen NeNes now found all across Australia. Sure, it's little more than the usual food court-style greasy spoon — but it's the succulent chicken pieces that should get your tastebuds tingling. There's a reason that the chain has taken its name from the Korean phrasing for "Yes! Yes!" after all, as its menu of chicken pieces, burgers, wraps and more demonstrates. Come for the main attraction in flavours such as freaking hot, bulgogi, snowing vegetable, green onion and lemon, and then stay for the kimchi wrap, tornado potato, and black sesame and green tea soft serves. Now that's our kind of fast food.
In recent times, a new trend has emerged on the Melbourne dining scene: rotating chef-in-residency programs. More and more venues seem to be leaning into a new way of running a kitchen and keeping things exciting, where young, up-and-coming chefs (such as Chef Aitor Jeronimo Olive at Nobody's Baby), or even old-hand celebrity chefs (such as Shannon Bennett at The StandardX), take over a venue for a period of time. Like an extended pop-up, if you will. Spearheading this movement was the Residence at the Potter. Located at The University of Melbourne's Potter Museum, Residence is a flexible, ever-evolving hospitality space founded by Nathen Doyle and Cameron Earl, whose hospo experience spans wine bars like Carlton Wine Room and Heart Attack and Wine, as well as cafes such as St. ALi. The inaugural iteration of the program, launched in 2025, was Cherrywood, helmed by Robbie Noble (formerly from Vue de Monde), who was given 12 months to run the show. At Cherrywood, Noble curated seasonally rotating menus that paid homage to the nostalgic flavours of his childhood in the north of England, brought to life with his refined skills and high-quality produce. His summer menu, for example, features dishes such as baked mussels with leek and walnut, fried lamb ribs with plum HP sauce, potato rosti with sweetcorn and buttermilk, and John Dory with sunflower and yuzu. The bittersweet nature of such a program is that, for a new concept to be executed, the previous chapter must close. And so, come June 2026, Noble will need to hand the keys over to the next chef in residence. So here is where things get interesting. Nathen and Cameron have decided to go public, launching The Search for the next chef ready to revolutionise the Residence at the Potter. Applications are now open for the Head Chef position, which will be run as a fair and formal job search process. This job goes far beyond the parameters of the kitchen. The once-in-a-lifetime role will give the chosen applicant the opportunity to launch an entirely new concept at the restaurant. This is not a job for someone who just wants to fall in line; it is a unique privilege of creative commission to define the concept, write the menu, and curate the vibe of the entire space. The best part, and the most enviable aspect of this opportunity, is that the chosen chef will get to have creative freedom, all with established support, mentorship, and infrastructure. It is essentially a risk-free incubator for an ambitious chef to put their ideas to the test in a fully set-up, staffed kitchen, with direct guidance from the founders. So if you, or someone you know, has the ideas, the skills, and the ambition to run a kitchen, in what could be a life-changing career decision, now is the time to get serious. Applicants need to submit a thesis outlining their concept for the restaurant's theme and philosophy, and explaining why they are the right fit for the position and ready to succeed. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to present their vision, including menu ideas to show their creativity, and full costings to demonstrate commercial acumen. The chosen applicant will then be offered a formal contract for the 2026/27 residency. Applications for the chef-in-residency program are now open and must include a resume, cover letter, and concept. Be sure to check out Cherrywood at the Potter before it closes. Images: Supplied.
They nailed the contemporary wine bar brief with their Collingwood corner gem, Congress, then delivered design-driven mod-Japanese at Richmond's Future Future. Now, the siblings behind Milieu Hospitality have their shifted focus to Italy, for their new all-day Northside haunt Lagotto. In the space below the group's newly hatched residential development Nth Fitzroy by Milieu, Katie and Michael McCormack have created a destination for all occasions and just about every hour of the day. With an influence that's undeniably Italian, it's a contemporary cafe, wine bar and food store that slips happily from morning to night, all week long. Inside, design work by Flack Studio nods to those European sensibilities, boasting a charming assembly of glossy burgundy accents, sweeping curves, marble-topped benches and blush-hued terrazzo flooring. [caption id="attachment_723476" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] Mornings here see espressos and bellinis matched to the likes of a cavalo nero and asiago omelette, or cacio é pepe eggs with pancetta. The breakfast lineup is on offer until noon. Roll in at lunchtime for plates including a crisp pork cotoletta with slaw, a rich chicken cacciatore on soft polenta, and creamy buffalo mozzarella paired with pine nuts and caponata. Sandwiches, perhaps loaded with a combination of porchetta, cime di rapa and salmoriglio, are primed for lunch on the go. But after a hefty day at work, it's the aperitivo offering that has locals flocking in to the York Street spot. From 3pm, settle in for a spritz and a grazing session, tucking into the likes of four-cheese arancini, a serve of meatballs and focaccia, or the selection of cheese and charcuterie. Classic cocktails star alongside a considered list of wine, on offer by the glass or the bottle. And, if you'd like to take home more than just memories, check out the the food store selection. Affectionately known as Lagotto To-Go, the retail corner is filled with pantry essentials, take-home feasts and reasonably priced wine. Find Lagotto at 1 York Street, North Fitzroy. It's open from 7am–7pm Monday–Wednesday, 7am–late Thursday–Friday, 8am–late Saturday and 8am–6pm Sunday. Images: Parker Blain.
Local Melbourne label Variety Hour has opened a six-month pop-up shop along Fitzroy's Gertrude Street, and we're excited to finally get our hands on its bold, print-focused designs. Behind Variety Hour is textile designer Cassie Byrnes, who started the lifestyle label back in 2016 and has been working the design market circuits until this year. Early 2018 saw Byrnes take on a two-week pop-up store along Johnston Street and it gave the designer a taste of the bricks-and-mortar variety. Her pieces have recently gained international traction as well, having been stocked in US-based retailer Anthropologie. All of Byrne's designs are hand-painted, designed and manufactured in Melbourne, using 100 percent degradable fabrics — giving the label a lean toward ethical manufacturing. "At Variety Hour we usually deal in small batches and rely on a lot of local suppliers," says Byrnes. "Starting out as a textile designer I've always moved away from fast fashion...Melbourne has such a rich heritage of textile design, I also sort of feel like it is my responsibility to try and keep that alive. When I get to work with local suppliers, seamstresses and pattern makers, I feel like perhaps in some small way I am contributing to supporting the industry." The result is a truly exclusive collection, with each pattern development taking 100 hours or more, followed by months of fabric sampling and colour development. The Variety Hour pieces are accessible to many shapes and sizes as well, coming in a wide range from sizes 8–18. "To me, fashion is all about the customer and making them feel fabulous," says Byrnes. "I love being able to make women feel beautiful, no matter age or size. Each Variety Hour piece has its own unique placement and pattern [and] my dream is that everyone who wears one can feel excited, bold and confident wearing prints." Located within the Seventh Gallery space, the store is home to the label's Honeymoon collection, along with some brand new designs. The Gertrude Street pop-up will remain open for the rest of the year, allowing Byrnes to gain a better understanding of the people she's designing for. For now, there's no future shops lined up for the label, so best to go check it out while you can.
Laughter seems quite essential to life, but keeping a comedy club's doors open is no easy feat, especially when it has a pandemic to overcome. That's what makes Melbourne's Comedy Republic such a local success story, with the purpose-built theatre and bar now on the eve of its fifth birthday and considered a vital part of Melbourne's creative scene. Founded by comedians Kyran Nicholson, Rhys Nicholson, and Alex Dyson during the 2020 lockdowns, just 25 guests passed through the doors on opening night. Now this laugh lounge welcomes over 42,000 guests annually, while championing the best Australian talent. To mark this impressive milestone, the joint is hosting a serious birthday bash featuring some of the best comedians in the game. Taking to The Capitol Theatre stage on Thursday, July 3, Comedy Republic's 5th Birthday All-Star ExtravaGala will feature much-loved acts like Wil Anderson, Celia Pacquola, Tom Ballard, Geraldine Hickey and many more. For what's bound to be Comedy Republic's biggest show to date, guests can expect surprise appearances and chaotic energy throughout the night. "I know it's tradition to say nice things when it's someone's birthday, but even if Comedy Republic wasn't turning five, I would say that quite simply, it is the best," says Celia Pacquola, Host of Thank God You're Here. "It has the wonderful feel of a venue run by comedy kids for comedy kids, but everyone is an adult because it's also a licensed bar." Emerging from what was an old internet cafe, Comedy Republic's survival against all odds didn't happen by chance. Designed to be intimate enough for guests and comedians to connect, the venue's wide stage and winged audience is the perfect fit for standups working the crowd. The theatre is also large enough to suit everything from sketch comedy and improv shows to live podcasts and cabaret. Plus, because Comedy Republic is independently operated by its founding trio, it's one of the only places owned and run by comedians for comedians. Join them for this one-night-only celebration, as they ring in Comedy Republic's success alongside big names and regular guests, with more than enough laughs and late-night beers to go around. Tickets are available from $69. Comedy Republic's 5th Birthday All-Star ExtravaGala is happening from 7pm on Thursday, July 3, at The Capitol Theatre. Head to the website for tickets and more information.
Don't be afraid to take a swing and level up your dating activities with an axe-treme (sorry) axe-throwing session at Lumber Punks Axe-Throwing in South Melbourne. Housed in what was once a Coca-Cola factory, Lumber Punks has 19 lanes spread across the venue, perfect for bringing some action to your dating life, team building activity or a competitive afternoon out with your mates. Ideally located within a stone's throw to cafes, bars and restaurants you can easily make a day of it in South Melbourne — there's even a list on the website for restaurants that have partnered with the venue. Lumber Punks is over seven days a week, and hosts five sessions a day with each session lasting 1.5 hours each session includes a full safety induction and training on the Estwing camp axe hatchets so the sharp edges hit the right targets and all human limbs remain intact.
The Kid LAROI hasn't locked in exact dates for his rescheduled Down Under shows for 2024 as yet, after his first-ever Down Under stadium tour was postponed from February, and will now take place in October instead. You can still spend time with the Australian singer-songwriter before summer is over, however, thanks to the just-announced Kids Are Growing Up — because The Kid LAROI is getting the feature-length documentary treatment. Directed by Michael D Ratner, the film features interviews with The Kid LAROI, obviously, as well as Justin Bieber, Post Malone and more. Fans will know the general story that the doco follows, exploring how Charlton Kenneth Jeffrey Howard became a teenage star with global fame. But, as it charts not just the successes but also the pressures along the way — especially for someone Howard's age — this is a behind-the-scenes story. Arriving on Prime Video worldwide on Thursday, February 29, Kids Are Growing Up started filming before 'Stay' became a huge hit, and also covers Howard navigating his mentor Juice WRLD's death. The path from being an unknown talent to selling out arenas is also covered, as is mental health, love, and getting ready for The Kid LAROI's first studio album The First Time and corresponding world tour — plus the quest for happiness along the way. "I can't wait for audiences to see this behind-the-scenes portrayal of my journey, which perfectly encapsulates some of the most rewarding and challenging years of my life and career so far," said Howard, announcing the documentary. Director Ratner also helmed 2021's Justin Bieber: Our World, and founded OBB Pictures, the production company behind both Bieber's and now The Kid LAROI's films. There's no word yet when the 'Without You', 'Thousand Miles', 'Love Again' musician's Down Under shows will lock in their new dates, after they were postponed so that Howard could confirm a "really big surprise and special guest" — alongside ONEFOUR, who will also be on the bill — and also due to "a bunch of other logistical stuff". In the interim, he's touring Europe in April. Kids Are Growing Up will be available via Prime Video from Thursday, February 29. Top image: Adam Kargenian.
A man, his family and a firearm: all three sit at the heart of The Seed of the Sacred Fig. A girl and a gun might've been late, great French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard's perfect formula for a movie, but Iranian writer/director Mohammad Rasoulof now adapts that setup around his own cinematic passion: fighting back against the Iranian regime. IRL, over the course of more than two decades, he's faced the wrath of his homeland's censorship, seen his work banned, been prohibited from making movies and from leaving the country, and endured multiple prison sentences. When Rasoulof's eighth and latest masterful and moving feature debuted at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, he was in attendance after fleeing Iran, where a new eight-year jail term had just been handed down. The first shoots of the idea for The Seed of the Sacred Fig came to the filmmaker while the now-exiled talent was incarcerated. Imprisoned during the 2022–23 Women, Life, Freedom protests that sprang from the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, he saw the movement from inside Evin Prison in Tehran. Upon his release, it became part of his new big-screen narrative, with the picture even incorporating real on-the-ground footage. Also guiding The Seed of the Sacred Fig is a question that Rasoulof has long contemplated from his dealings with the regime — and that flowed through in his prior film, 2020 Berlin International Film Festival Golden Bear-winner There Is No Evil — also: "how do people who work with the system function internally?". As the protests about the loss of a woman arrested for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly also were, Rasoulof's Best International Feature Oscar-nominee is a snapshot of generational clashes and change, too. The man: Iman (Missagh Zareh, Homeless), who has just been promoted to investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court. The family: his wife Najmeh (Soheila Golestani, Two Dogs), college-aged daughter Rezvan (debutant Mahsa Rostami) and younger offspring Sana (Setareh Maleki, Cafe). The gun: Imam's service piece, freshly bestowed upon him for his new role. When the weapon goes missing, he starts pointing fingers, already paranoid about the public fallout from his job and now suspecting those closest to him — the youngest of which are only just learning what he does for a living. Adding to the powder-keg situation: the nationwide political uprising, which has Imam signing death sentences, comes to his home courtesy of Rezvan's friend Sadaf (Niousha Akhshi, The Lion Skin) and puts the family matriarch at odds with his horrified daughters. At Cannes — where Rasoulof's 2013 film Manuscripts Don't Burn won the FIPRESCI Prize and his 2017 feature A Man of Integrity emerged victorious in the Un Certain Regard section — The Seed of the Sacred Fig collected five different accolades from its berth in the main competition, a Special Jury Prize among them. Other film festival audience awards have also come its way, including in Sydney, plus nominations at the Golden Globes and BAFTAs. To get the movie to viewers, though, and to make it to begin with, involved shooting in secret with Rasoulof largely unable to be on set. Then came the 28-day journey out of Iran to Germany, the country that The Seed of the Sacred Fig represents at the 2025 Academy Awards. What does the global response to the film — the festival slots, popping up at Locarno, Melbourne, New Zealand, Telluride, Toronto, New York, Busan, London, Adelaide and Brisbane events as well, and many others; the nominations and prizes, right through to the Oscars — mean to Rasoulof given what he went through to bring the movie to fruition and ensure that audiences could see it? "I'm very happy that a film that half of which had not yet been shot exactly one year ago, while we were shooting, is being seen by worldwide audiences and doing so well," he tells Concrete Playground. "And I think it's not just me. I think everyone involved in its making is very happy, because what brought us together really was fighting for artistic freedom — and all we dreamt of was managing to complete the shoot without being arrested." How does Rasoulof navigate the scrutiny, oppression and attempted censorship that comes his way each time that he makes a film? How did The Seed of the Sacred Fig evolve from seeing how Iranian women were protesting to following a family of three women and an investigating judge impacted by the uprising? What does the reality of directing a movie in secret entail — and what impact does it have on the finished product, given how much energy is expended just to avoid the authorities' attention? Digging into a powerful picture that's designed to inspire questions with the man behind it, we also asked Rasoulof about all of the above. On Navigating the Scrutiny, Oppression and Attempted Censorship That Rasoulof Faces Whenever He Makes a Film "Well, I think the biggest difference, if I think about one year ago and now, is hope. Of course, I did have hope one year ago, but the hope I have now is much greater. It was really like a small crack through which the lights came in that I could see in the distance. And it's grown, and this gives me greater energy to continue working and to continue living. And I don't think it's just me. I think again, all my cast and crew feel exactly the same way or similarly." On How The Seed of the Sacred Fig Evolved From Seeing How Iranian Women Were Protesting to Following a Family of Three Women and an Investigating Judge Impacted by the Uprising "For many years, I was very curious about the people who work in the regime, in the different parts of the regime that I had dealings with — the security operators, the censorship operators, the judiciary. And I was really concerned with trying to understand, on the one hand, how they think, but also while they interrogated me, I'd be wondering 'how do we differ? Why are they unable to understand me and why am I unable to understand them?'. And so this curiosity stayed for me, and I was always hoping I could find an opportunity to explore it in a film. In 2022, I was arrested a few months before the Woman, Life, Freedom movement began. And after the movement began — at its height, in fact — I had a chance encounter with a senior prison official, who told me how he'd come to hate himself and even thought about taking his life because of his job and his collaboration with the regime, and how fiercely he got criticised and pressurised all the time by his children because of his job. And at that point I thought it would be really interesting to tell a story about a family where such a big divide had arisen, but which would also, at the same time, allow me to pursue that question that had stayed with me for all these years about how do people who work with the system function internally." On the Parallels Between the Film Being Made Clandestinely and the Secrets Being Kept Among the Family in the Movie "The limitations move along with you from the moment you start writing the script. They always accompany you when, of course, you're working in a repressive regime. And so you've got to find new ways ahead to make your film, but that also leads to a very strong awareness of the choices you're making — because if you make the wrong choice, you might not be able to continue. So we go to sets on the basis of decisions we've made early on to suit in a very precise way. And yet, during the shoot, there will always be unpredicted variables, things, problems, unexpected scenarios whereby you've got to make a different choice to what you were expecting in the moment. So you can plan as much as you want, but it's only when it comes to executing the work that you realise 'if I can't shoot, if I can't do that as planned, how can I proceed?'. And limitations really force you to find new paths forward." On Directing a Feature When You're Not Able to Be On Set "I started shooting and making films and 35mms during the analogue periods, when you didn't know what you'd see, really — what you were filming until later when it was developed in in a lab. And so you had a general impression and general image, but you didn't have a precise image or impression. And then later on, the video assist was introduced, where you could sort of control the set and watch the monitor at the same time — which became very fascinating for me and for lots of other filmmakers, because we were able to focus on the monitor. And in a way, [that's how] we made this film — we had a monitor that I had access to online while directing remotely. And then I had a secure sound connection to the set, mediated by a number of assistants. Of course, it was very slow. There were interruptions. There were moments when the connection was lost, and so I'd lose the control of the set for various minutes and then we had to reestablish it — so it was very laborious and difficult. But what mattered the most was that I was able to maintain, the priority was for me to maintain my concentration, but also to make do with the slowness and the inevitable delays. Wherever possible, of course, I would come as close as possible to set or actually appeared a few times, and that was much more fun and much better." On the Approach to Casting — and to Building an On-Screen Family — When You're Making a Movie in Secret "It's always difficult to compose a family in any film, because the members of the family have to look similar in a convincing way to the audience. So of course, if you're making a film underground, it becomes much more difficult to compose a believable family, because you're choosing from a much smaller pool of actors. But we spent a lot of time on this with my close collaborators, examining all the possibilities. And once we selected the father and the younger daughter, we then managed to find the mother and the older daughter. But yes, it was very difficult. It was extremely time-consuming. But I think in the end we were very successful." On How Having to Work in Secret, and the Energy That Goes Into It, Impacts a Finished Film "Well, when you're working with this kind of pressure, you always do have this feeling that you may manage to escape the system, and to ignore it and to defy it, but it doesn't mean you're escaping limitations. You're simply working with a different set of limitations. What is paramount to me is that the audience, when it watches the film, should not feel that the film was made with this sort of limitation. Of course, there are lots of aspects that I would have liked to play more with under different circumstances, but let's say the priority is really for the audience to feel that they're watching something that wasn't shot under this kind of duress." The Seed of the Sacred Fig opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, February 27, 2025.
Stellar LGBTQIA+ celebrations, the Sunshine State capital and sparkling spring weather: that's the Melt Festival formula every year, including in 2025. Brisbane's annual ode to "queer joy, protest and pride", as Melt Executive Producer Emmie Paranthoiene dubs it, is taking over the River City between Wednesday, October 22–Sunday, November 9. On the lineup: 18 days packing more than 60 venues with hundreds of performances and events. Getting excited about 2025's Melt Festival has been easy for a few months now. First, the Brisbane LGBTQIA+ fest announced that Broadway icon Bernadette Peters was making the River City her only Australian stop just for the event. Then, it also confirmed that the River Pride Parade would float its boats for another year. After that came news of 1000 Voices, uniting singers from queer and pride choirs en masse. Next came its initial big program drop. Now the full bill has been unveiled — one that Paranthoiene describes as "celebrating the full spectrum of LGBTQIA+ voices, from bold new talent to iconic artists who continue to break boundaries with this diverse program. Melt is a love letter to our community and everyone's invited to the party." Think: pageants, parades, musical theatre, comedy, choral installation, burlesque, visual arts, theatre, films such as Lesbian Space Princess and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and plenty more. The fringe-style celebration of queer arts and culture fills Brisbane Powerhouse, and also spreads further across the city. Sugar by Tomáš Kantor is one new highlight, with the cabaret taking cues from Pretty Woman and boasting tunes from Chappell Roan, who has been on the Melt lineup herself in the past. Or, catch the return of BRIEFS with Jealousss, plus the Briefs Bus doing guided tours that explore Brisbane's queer history. Comedian Urzila Carlson is on the program, too, as is actor and activist Zoe Terakes (Ironheart, The Office, Talk to Me) doing an in-conversation session. 2025 newcomer Melting Pot is giving Brisbane Powerhouse a pop-up venue each week, featuring the likes of QUIVR DJs, Miss First Nation heats and queer line dancing — plus Melt artists putting on showcases and other surprises. Theatrical performance Rhythmology digs into factory resets as a theme, while daytime disco Play Date is designed for families. [caption id="attachment_1017773" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Atmosphere Photography[/caption] Reuben Kaye, the full Miss First Nation drag contest, a queer wrestle party, Femme Follies Burlesque: they're all on the lineup from past announcements. Kaye is heading to the fest to give his cabaret show enGORGEd, which'll feature Camerata — Queensland's Chamber Orchestra, its Sunshine State premiere. Shining the spotlight on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander drag queens, Miss First Nation is also making a date with Brisbane for the first time, bringing the finale to the city after putting on state heats around the nation in the lead-up. The Tivoli is your go-to for Melt's high-energy queer wrestle-party, while Femme Follies Burlesque will bring its sapphic moves to The Wickham. Or, you can catch The Lucky Country, a new musical about what it means to be Australian — and the myths and contradictions that come with it — in 2025. Malacañang Made Us and Whitefella Yella Tree are also treading the boards, the first about the Filipino Australian experience and the second telling a love story. There's also a queer boat party on floating venue Oasis; the return of Queer PowerPoint; and a drag Scream Queen shindig with Naomi Smalls and Yvie Oddly, plus Drag Race UK's Kyran Thrax. Or, check out a heap of instruments and performers suspended by rope to pay tribute to Brisbane's punk history, Gerwyn Davies' series of portraits in collaboration with Open Doors Youth Service's trans and gender-diverse young people, and Instagram imagery given a new life in Micah Rustichelli's Demon Rhythm. [caption id="attachment_1007544" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Claudio Raschella[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1007548" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David Kelly[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1007545" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Markus Ravik[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1007547" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gregory Lorenzutti[/caption] Melt Festival 2025 runs from Wednesday, October 22–Sunday, November 9. Head to the festival website for more details. River Pride Parade images: brizzypix.
Weren't lucky enough to wrangle an overseas summer holiday this year? Never mind – South Yarra is set to score its own sky-high paradise replete with European vibes, when the hotly anticipated Tetto di Carolina opens its doors this month. The luxe rooftop cocktail bar will be the newest addition to Joe Mammone's celebrated stable (Bar Carolina, Il Bacaro, Sarti), as the restaurateur joins forces with Joey Dee and James Sutherland. In the same vein as its siblings, Tetto is a study in sophistication, the intimate Chris Connell-designed space decked out with terrazzo tiling, warm polished timber and an impressive, six-metre-long walnut bar. Deep leather banquettes are nestled throughout, while an openair terrace overlooks the South Yarra rooftops. There's an Italian lean to the food and drinks, the booze selected by award-winning cocktail bartender, Alex Dyzart of London's Bar Three. You'll spy a stack of champagne and sparkling iterations, a tight range of wines from across Australia and Europe, and plenty of crafty signature cocktails like the Copacabana Fizz — starring aged rum, fig leaf and clarified almond — and the gin and and fennel flower Florence Revival. [caption id="attachment_732520" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kristoffer Paulsen[/caption] From the kitchen comes a smart lineup of plates designed to be enjoyed beside a drink. Think Italian-style fried chicken with fennel slaw on brioche, pine-smoked mussels in a sweet vermouth and butterbean sauce, savoury cannoli filled with duck liver parfait and Sicilian doughnuts crafted with chestnut flour and roasted hazelnuts. To round out your European adventure, there'll even be a program of live performances, headlined by some of Melbourne's most respected jazz musicians. Find Tetto di Carolina at Level 1/48 Toorak Road, South Yarra, from Wednesday, July 31. Images: Kristoffer Paulsen UPDATE: July 22, 2019 — The opening of Tetto di Carolina has been delayed by one week until Wednesday, July 31. The above article has been updated to reflect this.
CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice is a global bubble tea player that now has a bunch of stores all across Melbourne, including this outpost on Flinders Street. The menu is broad, with options to suit bubble tea veterans and novices alike, and new seasonal offerings being rolled out all the time. Here, milk tea creations range from a classic bubble cup crowned with pearls, to a supercharged version loaded with egg pudding, grass jelly and boba. Familiar flavour infusions including chocolate and caramel sit alongside Asian classics like red bean, or you can ditch the dairy in favour of fruit-based sips like a mango green tea (topped with a hefty scoop of those house pearls, of course). As well as four in the CBD, CoCo Fresh has shops in Box Hill, Springvale, Glen Waverley, Footscray and Chadstone. Image: Allan Ran via Flickr.
In a week where sweet treats are already on everyone's mind, one of Melbourne's much-loved pastry heroes has gone and stoked the fire, announcing it's adding to the family with a brand-new store. And we don't have to wait too long at all for a first taste. Black Star Pastry is set to open the doors to its third Melbourne outpost on Drivers Lane this Saturday, April 8, even coinciding the arrival with the launch of a new line of signature treats. The Sydney-born brand best known for its cult Strawberry Watermelon Cake has settled into the former Money Order Office, where it's playing the building's heritage features against a gleaming futuristic store design by Studio MKZ. You'll recognise the designers' work from other Black Star stores including St Kilda and Sydney's Newtown. Venture down the laneway and into a bright, bold hideaway, with a minimalist fitout that takes an unapologetic departure from its historic setting. There's a giant, halo-like light installation hanging above, a central island counter made of stainless steel, big custom fridges showcasing the goods, and a colour palette heavy on silver and white used throughout. In honour of the shiny new space, Black Star has unveiled a new range of creations to be showcased here before anywhere else. Head on in to be among the first to try the pina colada croissant loaded with a creamy blend of caramelised pineapple and coconut, the petal-topped rose and pistachio croissant, and a chocolate and hazelnut number that's filled with a rich whipped ganache and garnished with delicate chocolate stars. There's also a couple of savoury newcomers: the matcha ceremony with its kintsugi-style gold decorations and layered matcha filling, and the umami brioche that fuses punchy flavours of miso, bechamel and mushrooms. Of course, all the usual sweet suspects will be getting a run here, too, gracing the cabinets alongside grab-and-go options like Japanese-style chicken pies, and ham and cheese croissants. Find Black Star Pastry Melbourne CBD at Shop 4, 8 Driver Lane, Melbourne, from Saturday, April 8. It'll open 8am–6pm Monday–Thursday, 8am–7pm Friday, 9am–7pm Saturday and 9am–6pm Sunday.
There's nothing better than receiving a "guys, you've gotta see this!" message in your crew's group chat. Have they found elusive cheap return tickets to Tokyo? Did they finally pop the big question? Is there a new puppy about to join their family? Big life milestones aside, heading off on a trip with your mates is the next most special thing. It's a chance to switch off, escape the big smoke and explore our beautiful backyard. And the cooler months are the time when we all need a break from the daily grind with a long weekend or a well-earned week away. If you've done the cosy cabin retreat to death, why not shake things up with a bit of adventure this winter? Hit the slopes, strap on your helmet and gear up for a chance to try something new, from thrilling aerial adventures over World Heritage sites to snowy escapes filled with snowshoeing and fondue-ing. Partnering with Hugo Boss, we've whittled down the endless list of Aussie adventures to just five that will leave you feeling amped up and ready to take on the world — much like its newest fragrance, BOSS BOTTLED Infinite. Go on, give these pulse-racing sports a go and you'll get a new perspective on the stunning land of Oz. [caption id="attachment_720491" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism and Events Queensland.[/caption] CAPE TRIBULATION HELICOPTER AND LAND ADVENTURE TOUR It's not every day you get to knock not one but two UNESCO World Heritage-listed areas off your bucket list. But then again, this ain't your average adventure tour. You'll spend a jam-packed day exploring the best of tropical north Queensland, including the Great Barrier Reef, Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation. The tour kicks off with a two-hour scenic helicopter flight over world-class reefs and cascading waterfalls before touching down in the oldest living rainforest in the world. Then, the choice is yours: spend your afternoon on horseback as you weave through the Daintree to the ocean's edge, or head straight for the treetops with a zipline experience. Head to Red Balloon to book. [caption id="attachment_720598" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Luke Tscharke.[/caption] CRADLE MOUNTAIN HUT WALK: WINTER OVERLAND TRACK It takes guts (and possibly a swig of gin) to sign up for a multi-day trek through the icy terrain of Tasmania's Cradle Mountain in the dead of winter. There's no wifi out here, friends. Just ancient landscapes, frozen lakes and long nights enhanced by a glass or two of Tasmanian wine. The eight-day Cradle Mountain Huts Walk winter overland track is one of the most challenging routes that the Tasmanian Walking Company offer, but it comes with plenty of rewards. Climb the peaks of Cradle Mountain, explore Lake Will and finish at Lake St Clair, Australia's deepest natural lake. [caption id="attachment_720745" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Skydive Noosa.[/caption] SKYDIVE NOOSA Jumping out of a plane at 15,000 feet is one way to get the blood pumping in the morning. But when you're freefalling over the sparkling Sunshine Coast, the terrifying drop can't be that bad, right? Strap in for an adrenaline junkie's dream with Skydive Noosa. The experience sees you spend 60 seconds in freefall — a minute the company describes as "life-changing" — before your instructor opens the parachute and you gently cruise your way to solid ground while soaking in the views. [caption id="attachment_720600" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kane Naaraat and Pinkbike.com.[/caption] BLUE DERBY MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDING TRAILS The historic town of Derby in Tasmania's north-east hasn't always been known for its 125 kilometres of purpose-built mountain bike trails. It was tin mining that first put Derby on the map before the tragic bursting of Briseis Dam ended that. The town has been revitalised since the opening of the first section of the Blue Derby Trail Network in 2015. Today it boasts trails to suit every experience level, meaning it has something for you and all of your crew. HOTHAM SHOWSHOE TO FONDUE If exploring Australia's mountains and sleeping under the stars are on your to-do list, this is the tour to make it happen. Say hello to Alpine Nature Experience's Snowshoe to Fondue trip, an unforgettable overnight adventure set on the outskirts of Victoria's Alpine National Park. You'll snowshoe your way to your tipi-style eco-village accommodation before spending a night sipping hot glühwein, dipping your way through gooey French cheese fondue and soaking in the warmth of the outdoor campfire. When the sun comes up, the crew will make sure you leave fed and watered with a hearty warm breakfast. Hitting that work-life balance is hard. But shutting your laptop, splashing on some new BOSS BOTTLED Infinite and getting out in nature will help you seize the day and live your best life. Top image: Snowshoe to Fondue Experience.
Cinema is one of humanity's greatest artistic inventions — and the joy of sitting in a darkened room, locking your eyes on the screen and becoming immersed in the movie in front of you will never grow old. But, now that the medium is well into its second century, it's worth acknowledging a bleak truth: most movies are average. It's a numbers game, really. With thousands of new films hitting screens and streaming platforms each and every year, they can't all be masterpieces. They're not all rubbish either, which is why so many sit in the middle. Some are watchable trash, others are almost better than okay, but a whole heap fall between those two points. If you're thinking "hang on, isn't this an article about the best films of the 2019?", you're not mistaken — the two topics are related. When a movie isn't average, it stands out. When it's something special, magnificent, glorious and astounding, it sticks in your mind for days, weeks, months and more. In fact, the best films are even more exceptional because they've found the perfect blend of components to soar far beyond the standard. They're the movies that make you excited when you leave the cinema, even if you've just been put through the emotional wringer or scared out of your wits, because you're ecstatic that these films exist. 2019, like every other year, had its share of great, excellent and outstanding movies — and with all of the above in mind, we've picked our best. We could've gone on, so apologies to the films that barely missed the cut. The Souvenir, If Beale Street Could Talk, Midsommar, Vox Lux and Ad Astra are all worth seeking out. So are Knives Out, Booksmart, Weathering with You, Apollo 11 and Hustlers. But we could only choose ten, which is a tiny fraction of the 550-plus movies that released on Australasian screens this year — and our favourites are the absolute opposite of average. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEUXfv87Wpk PARASITE 2019 may be the year that the best film of the past 12 months wins cinema's top two awards. At the Cannes Film Festival in May, Bong Joon-ho's Parasite nabbed the Palme d'Or — and the twisty thriller is one of the frontrunners to be named Best Picture when the Oscars roll around in February. If it scores the latter as well, it'll be the first movie since 1955 to win both — and only the second film ever. Parasite deserves to earn that feat, but it'll still remain an astonishing, smart and supremely enjoyable picture if it doesn't. Following the intersection of two South Korean families — one wealthy, entitled and oblivious to their privilege, the other unemployed and scraping by however they can — this is a precisely layered feature that unravels an engrossing mystery while making a decisive statement about class disparities. The puzzle-like social satire is also written, shot and acted to perfection by the Okja and Snowpiercer helmer, with Bong regular Song Kang-ho leading a dynamite cast. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfPxmnMAyZw THE NIGHTINGALE Back in 2018, after The Nightingale first screened for media at the Venice Film Festival, it hit headlines. Barely a handful of people had seen it, but word of its tough nature spread quickly — as did news of vocal reactions and walkouts. Such reports would only continue as the film toured the festival circuit overseas and in Australia; however Jennifer Kent's second feature after The Babadook wants to evoke that response. Tracking an Irish convict (Aisling Franciosi) on a quest for revenge against the British soldier (Sam Claflin) who brutally took away everything she loved, and following her trek through Van Diemen's Land with an Indigenous guide (Baykali Ganambarr), this isn't meant to be an easy watch. Clawing through the misogyny, racism and oppression baked into Australia's history, and the violence with which it has been dispensed, should leave a visceral impact. Making a different kind of horror movie, Kent uses every tool at her disposal to put viewers in her protagonists' shoes, including a boxed-in 4:3 aspect ratio that stares at assault, death and more front-on. The results don't just leave an imprint — they leave a scar. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn_-YoG69Sw PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE In a film that's sumptuous and striking from start to finish, Portrait of a Lady on Fire's approach to its love story stands out. This is a subtle, slow-burning movie that simmers with restraint and yearning as its central women fall for each other, but it's also bold and uncompromising in depicting what society demands of their lives — and how the expectations placed upon them are incompatible with their happiness. In the 18th century, artist Marianne (Noémie Merlant) has been commissioned to paint the portrait of bride-to-be Héloïse (Adèle Haenel). With Héloïse reluctant about both her nuptials and being immortalised on canvas, Marianne must pose as her new companion, study her closely as they spend time together and paint in secret. As romance blooms within Celine Sciamma's (Girlhood) radiant, exquisitely detailed frames, her equally luminous feature explores both the freedom they find in each other's arms and the stark reality of their future. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJEDh4ikcWA PAIN AND GLORY It's impossible to look at Antonio Banderas in Pain and Glory and not think of the man who put him there. Pedro Almodovar has directed the Spanish actor to many of his top performances over the past four decades, and here he gives him a formidable task — with Banderas virtually playing a fictionalised version of the filmmaker. His character, Salvador Mallo, looks like Almodovar and even wears his clothes. He's also a director and, via a collaboration with a star from his past, he's in the process of taking stock of his life in a new project. The result is a rich and deep exploration of choices made, dreams forgotten, paths followed and possibilities lost, as rendered with Almodovar's usual bright, expressive colour palette. Penelope Cruz also features in flashbacks to Mallo's childhood, playing his mother, but it's the marriage of Cannes Best Actor-winning Banderas and Almodovar in reflective mode that makes this gorgeous, heartfelt, bittersweet movie a piece of cinematic perfection. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bavqDA_3vIo US As a filmmaker using genre to lay bare society's oppressive ills — and to entertain audiences with audacious and ambitious horror stories in the process — Jordan Peele is now two for two. Just a couple of short years ago, Get Out felt like a breath of fresh air with its smart and savage tale of racial alienation. That feeling remains with his second feature, Us, which simultaneously splashes in the same thematic pool and rides its own narrative wave. Focusing on a family of four, a summer vacation to Santa Cruz and sinister lookalikes who start stalking their every move, Peele finds a new way to ponder America's divisive reality both historically and at present, all while making an immensely unnerving addition to an already unsettling genre: the doppelgänger movie. Playing dual roles, Lupita Nyong'o puts in one of the year's very best performances as the matriarch doing whatever it takes to fight for both her family and her freedom, while many of the film's meticulously crafted visuals are pure nightmare fodder. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZeIHrx7Oyc HIGH LIFE Not only sending Robert Pattinson into space with a baby, but marking the first English-language film by acclaimed French director Claire Denis (Let the Sunshine In), High Life was always going to stand out. Pattinson plays Monte, who's caring for an infant alone on a space station when the film opens. Sci-fi history dictates that this was never going to be a cosy situation, with said intergalactic vessel hurtling towards a black hole. While flashbacks fill in the story, they never tell the expected tale. In a film that also stars Juliette Binoche as a twisted doctor experimenting on convicted criminals — and features a masturbation chamber called The Box — nothing was ever going to fit a nice, neat template. Belonging to the contemplative side of space-set sci-fi, High Life is unflinching in its depiction of the dark, cruel side of human nature, with its haunting and distinctive portrait of our species at its worst not easily forgotten amongst its weighty existential musings. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI9UYcEwUYA BURNING On cinema screens Down Under, 2019 has been an exceptional year for South Korean movies by acclaimed auteurs. Parasite has earned so much deserved attention that it's easy to forget that it was the second of this year's big-name theatrical releases from the country — and the second to explore class and gender divisions in a thrilling manner, too. The first was Burning, the visually detailed and emotionally loaded masterpiece by Lee Chang-dong that's based on a short story by Haruki Murakami. Here, society's inequities come to the fore in a blend of contemplative mystery, intricate character study and exquisitely observed examination of human relationships. It all starts when part-time deliveryman Jongsu (Yoo Ah-in) crosses paths with his former neighbour Haemi (Jun Jeong-seo), feels a connection between them, but finds himself pushed to the side when she returns from an African holiday with the wealthy Ben (Steven Yeun) by her side. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELeMaP8EPAA ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD Three words: Rick fucking Dalton. In Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Leonardo DiCaprio is fantastic as the 60s TV cowboy who pines for a career renaissance; however, he's just one of the film's stellar components. As the stuntman and driver that Dalton relies so heavily on, Brad Pitt oozes complicated cool. As Dalton's neighbour Sharon Tate, Margot Robbie sits at the heart of the film — and demonstrates that dialogue isn't the only indicator of an excellent performance. Jumping back to 1969, and to the summer that the Manson family famously wreaked murderous havoc, Quentin Tarantino plays with real-life details, but he's in the revisionist mode that served Inglourious Basterds so well. The end product is an intricate, mature, laidback and thoroughly enjoyable film that's also purposefully shaggy, and invites audiences to not only ponder its perspective on weathering seismic personal and cultural shifts, but to enjoy the time spent hanging out in its world. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHi-a1n8t7M MARRIAGE STORY Noah Baumbach makes movies about unhappiness, whether he's following titular New Yorker in a state of arrested development (as seen in Frances Ha), a middle-aged couple at a crossroads (While We're Young) or dysfunctional adult siblings sorting through their issues (The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)). And, although Marriage Story commences with odes of love penned carefully and thoughtfully, the film's once blissfully wed protagonists Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) are far from content. Rather, in a story that spans both US coasts, they're divorcing. In the process, they're locked in a bitter custody battle over their young son (Azhy Robertson). Sharp, naturalistic and devastatingly astute, this always-empathetic drama follows the pair's efforts to adjust to their new status quo — with Driver in particularly blistering form as a New York-based experimental theatre director expending all of his energy on a fight that his heart might not be in. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHXxVmeGQUc THE IRISHMAN Only the very best filmmakers can continually return to the same domain, but still make each new visit feel like something new. Martin Scorsese is one of them, as The Irishman illustrates. On paper, it seems like a typical Scorsese-directed movie. It's about gangsters, it stars Robert De Niro, and it even coaxed the great Joe Pesci out of retirement. As anyone with even a passing interest in cinema knows, that's Goodfellas and Casino territory. But with this lengthy epic, the masterful auteur shows that he's not one for needlessly repeating himself. Based on the life of truck driver-turned-mob hitman Frank Sheeran (De Niro) and his time working for union boss Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), this potent saga may revisit familiar themes — but, as pieced together with patience and impeccable performances (especially from Pesci), its portrait of two forces constantly fighting for supremacy, even to their own detriment, is also keenly relevant today. Read our full review. These are our ten favourite films of 2019, and we listed ten other standouts above as well. But we've also put together a list of the best films hardly anyone saw this year — y'know, the ones that sort of went in and out of cinemas without much fanfare but definitely deserve a watch.
With mountains to the west, beaches to the east and pretty Tuggerah Lake on its doorstep, the little Central Coast town of Wyong has adventures for everyone and every season. Set up home base at the Mercure Koonidah Waters Central Coast and follow our guide to the area. Start your day whale watching from a windswept headland, spend your afternoon horse riding through rolling paddocks and drift into the evening with a dreamy sunset over the Great Dividing Range. Along the way, there's a milk factory-turned-cafe (and pub), an old-school Italian restaurant and a bunch of other eateries to explore. Wyong lies just 80 minutes' north of Sydney, which means you don't have to spend too much of your precious weekend stuck behind the wheel. EAT AND DRINK You'll eat well in Wyong, with restaurants here drawing on fresh produce sourced from the Central Coast and the farms just beyond. But first thing upon arrival, how about starting with coffee? Head to the Milk Factory, on the idyllic banks of Wyong River, a couple of kilometres west of Wyong. Built in 1906, this rather epic property still produces food of the best kind: chocolate and cheese. It's also home to a cafe — where hearty eats include brioche French toast with berries, pecans and maple syrup — as well as a friendly pub. Come back at lunchtime for classics like Wagyu rump or a pulled pork burger with slaw and smoked barbecue sauce, accompanied by a craft brew — be it a Mountain Goat from Melbourne or a Murray's from Port Stephens. Another option is to jump in your car and drive southeast for 20 minutes to Wamberal, where you'll find Lotus Cafe. This airy, sun-filled spot does Toby's Estate coffee and decadent dishes like breakfast coconut panna cotta with mango puree, seasonal fruit and granola. Say yes to a Nutella hot chocolate afterwards — that's the whole point of a winter weekender. By the way, the beach is just a stumble away over the dunes. Back in Wyong, book a table at Osteria A'Mano for dinner. This top-notch Italian restaurant occupies a beautifully restored 1914 building, with original timber floorboards and tiles. Head chef Alessandro Cigola oversees the creation of traditional dishes featuring fresh, premium-quality produce sourced from nearby. Start on duck liver pâté with red wine jelly, sour cherries and pickles, followed by homemade fettuccine with lamb ragu, mint and pecorino. All pastas, breads and desserts are made from scratch, while the featured Italian and Australian wines area all made "the old way". Another option is Karinyas, within the Mercure Kooindah Waters. Here, the emphasis is on simple yet creative combinations, driven by local produce. Think scallops with burnt butter and local macadamia nut sauce and duck breast with cauliflower puree, asparagus and sour cranberry jus. There's also a long, long wine list, big on local drops. The Hunter Valley is just an hour's drive away, after all. DO If there's one surefire, environmentally friendly way to warm up on a cold day, it's got to be a bike ride. The Tuggerah Lakes Cycleway begins just six kilometres from Wyong in Chittaway Bay then follows the foreshore for a peaceful 12 kilometres before reaching The Entrance. Don't have your own bike? Hire from a self-service station — there's one at The Entrance visitor's centre on Marine Parade. Once you've conquered that, your next stop is Crackneck Lookout on the coast, around 20 minutes' drive southeast of Wyong. Anytime between May and August is ideal for whale watching. Moreover, this spot doubles as a stop along the three-kilometre Coast Walking Track, which stretches to Bateau Bay in the north and Forresters Beach in the south. Meanwhile, on Wyong's inland side lie vast expanses of state forest, conservation area and national park. Among them is the TreeTops adventure park in Ourimbah State Forest, where you can ride the world's longest roller coaster zip line, a one-kilometre adrenaline rush at canopy level. There are also three high ropes courses, covering more than 100 obstacles, from ladders and bridges to tunnels and cargo nets. For scenery, the Watagan Mountains — around an hour's drive north — are particularly spectacular; immerse yourself in rainforest on the Circuit Walk or valley views at Monkey Face Lookout. Alternatively, if you're keen to get in the saddle, then give Peppercorn Park a call. The good folks there will happily take you on a trail ride around the stunning property, just ten minutes' north of Wyong, in Jilliby. Adventures begin at $70 for a 90-minute beginner's journey, and lessons and overnight treks are available, too. SLEEP To surround yourself with nature without resorting to a tent — book a sleepover at Mercure Kooindah Waters Central Coast, a golf resort and spa encircled by wetlands and bush. If you're travelling in solo or duo mode, sleep over in a King Room; if you're with buddies, there are one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, all of which come with golf-course views. The resort also knows how to settle in for the winter — they provide giant Jenga (and other board games), which you can enjoy on the terrace while toasting equally oversized marshmallows made by the chef in-house. Mulled wine or Baileys-infused hot chocolate complete the winter idyll. Don't forget to make the most of the facilities. Among them, you'll find two pools, tennis courts, a gym, barbecues and a day spa. Go to the AccorHotels website to book your stay in Wyong, and to discover more of regional NSW, swing by Visit NSW.
North Geelong is home to this Palm Springs-inspired local favourite. Helmed by friendly owners Bek and Sev, this spot in the Geelong Vintage Markets serves up colourful and clever brunch plates with a focus on local produce. Sweet tooths will love the vegan and gluten-free breakfast panna cotta ($17) with housemade granola, poached rhubarb, seasonal berries, candied orange and milk of choice. The Pickers Union might also do one of the best breakfast burgers ($16) in town, which sees bacon, avo, crumbed feta, spinach, cheese and a free-range fried egg sandwiched in a bun from excellent local bakery La Madre. Coffee lovers will be impressed with the Cartel Coffee made in the cafe's Slayer Steam X machine, as well as the selection of house-label beans, available to purchase by the bag. Images: Julia Sansone.
Fitzroy salon, Heading Out, has been Melbourne's home of all things hair and beauty for over 26 years. The Heading Out team offers the latest in hair technology and expertise across styling, colour (particularly reds and blondes) and hair extension work using Showpony extensions. The salon aims to remain at the forefront of the latest hair trends while creating beautiful and accessible styles for every client — but it doesn't stop at hair. The salon also provides a range of beauty services including manicures and sugar waxing. Feel like properly pampering yourself? Check out its spa services. The salon offers massage treatments, facials, LED light therapy and more. Plus, with a resident makeup artist, you can step out of the salon with a completely new look from head to toe.
After the disrupted and predominantly domestic-only ski seasons in 2020 and 2021, thrill-seekers from both sides of the ditch could be hitting New Zealand's pristine slopes from as early as June. That means it's less than 70 days until some of our major fields, including Coronet Peak and The Remarkables in Queenstown and Canterbury's Mount Hutt, are up and running for winter. If you're making the trip across the ditch, you're in luck: there's plenty set for this season, including new trails and night-skiing events. Mount Hutt is set to be the first to open from Friday, June 10 until Sunday, October 16. It will be open seven days a week, with capacity on the mountain having increased thanks to the last year's recently opened Nor'west Express eight-seat chairlift. With a ride time of only two minutes, the lift has the capacity to carry up to 3000 skiers per hour. It also features a loading carpet to assist those who are new to using chairlifts. The field's full moon skiing event will also return on Saturday, June 11. [caption id="attachment_849337" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NZSki[/caption] Coronet Peak will be open from Friday, June 17 right through until Sunday, September 25. The ski field plans to operate its popular after-hours night skiing nights every Wednesday and Friday from June 22 onwards. The 48th dog derby is also on the cards. Fellow Queenstown favourite The Remarkables will be open every day of the week from Saturday, June 18 through to Sunday, October 16. The mountain's Sugar Bowl development includes two recently opened trails and a new snowmaking system, which means better snow coverage on the Serpentine side of the mountain. [caption id="attachment_849335" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NZSki[/caption] Cardrona Alpine Resort's Olympic-sized superpipe will be open from Saturday, June 11 until Sunday, October 16. The ski field also added another chairlift to its network last year, which opened up a new major section of skiable terrain on the southern face. Sibling ski field Treble Cone is scheduled to open from Saturday, June 25 until Sunday, September 25, and for cross-country skiers and snow-shoers, Cardrona's Snow Farm is intending to open for the 2022 winter from mid-June — dates are yet to be confirmed. The largest ski area in the nation, Mt Ruapehu, is preparing to open its Happy Valley (Thursday, June 23), Turoa (Saturday, July 9) and Whakapapa (Friday, July 8) fields, too, which will give skiers and snowboarders access to the mountain's natural pipes, steep chutes and a vertical drop of 722 metres. The alpine village says the opening will be subject to snow conditions. With the borders set to open, quarantine-free, to Australian tourists from Tuesday, April 12, this ski season will definitely see a rise in visitor numbers across all the country's fields. Tourists will be required to test negative for COVID-19 with a PCR or RAT before leaving for New Zealand, then provide negative tests on day one and day five of their stay. If you need a refresher on the rules, check out the Government's COVID-19 website. All ski field 2022 season plans are dependent on snow conditions, as well as COVID-19 guidelines and expectations set out by the New Zealand Government. Images: NZSki.
Perhaps you've spent some time this year building a Lego bouquet. Or, if you're a Melburnian, you might've made a trip to a Lego recreation of Jurassic World. Whatever interactions you've had with the plastic building blocks of late — including picking up some Lego and IKEA storage boxes, meditating to the sounds of jumbled bricks or signing up for a subscription service during lockdown — you may not have thought about one inescapable fact: that all that plastic is the stuff of environmental nightmares. Lego itself hasn't been ignoring the obvious. Back in 2018, it committed to using sustainable materials in all its core products and packaging by 2030 — and it started by producing a range of sustainable pieces made from plant-based plastic, called bio-polyethylene. The next step: making its bricks from recycled plastic. And while the company isn't quite ready to start selling sets made from recycled materials in stores, it has just unveiled its first prototype bricks. The new blocks are made with PET plastic from discarded bottles, and mark the first that've been made from a recycled material to meet the brand's quality and safety standards. It took some work to get to this point, though, with materials scientists and engineers spending the past three years testing more than 250 types of PET materials — and hundreds of other plastic formulations. One of the trickiest things to nail (and one of the most important): getting the bricks to clutch together. In a statement, Lego said that "it will be some time before bricks made from a recycled material appear in Lego product boxes". From here, it'll keep testing and developing the PET-made bricks, before deciding whether to move into the pilot production phase — with this process expected to take another year at least. And if you're wondering about the plastic used in the new blocks, it has been sourced from US suppliers, with a one-litre plastic bottle providing enough raw material for ten 2 x 4 Lego bricks. For further information about Lego's sustainability plans, head to the brand's website.
In huge news for Melbourne's arts and entertainment industry, St Kilda is set to become Victoria's first Live Music Precinct (LMP). It is hoped that the classification and a range of new initiatives will help protect St Kilda's long and vibrant history of live music, allowing the industry to flourish following a disastrous few years during the COVID-19 pandemic. The next steps in establishing St Kilda's LMP include Port Phillip Council working in collaboration with the Victorian Government to simplify and streamline the noise complaint process, aiming to reduce the burden on venues and events. Plus, applications for live music permits will be easier for existing venues under the new scheme. Port Phillip Council is also investigating potential changes to planning regulations to help protect St Kilda's existing and future live music venues, including better soundproofing in new residential developments. [caption id="attachment_885345" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: St Kilda Fest, 2023 by Nathan Doran[/caption] "St Kilda's status as Victoria's first LMP reflects our famous suburb's past as a much-loved live music hub, its present as a renowned live music destination and its future as a ground-breaking example of how to keep live music alive close to homes and businesses," Port Phillip Council Mayor Heather Cunsolo says. "Making it simpler for residents to raise concerns such as noise complaints, supporting musicians and music events and slashing red tape for venues are all ways our Council can be a live music 'one stop shop'," Cunsolo continued. [caption id="attachment_884063" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: St Kilda Fest market stalls by Jimmy Logan[/caption] A preliminary map of the Live Music Precinct will see parts of Fitzroy, Acland and Barkly Streets classified as 'core live music' areas, where live music venues already exist or where new entertainment venues could be established in the future. Notable areas under this classification include St Kilda Sea Baths, Stokehouse, Prince Hotel, South Beach Reserve, Palais Theatre, Luna Park, Acland Street Plaza, St Kilda Bowling Club and Australia's first Pride Centre. The new legislation in Victoria follows in the footsteps of Queensland and NSW, which have classified areas as Special Entertainment Precincts in Fortitude Valley and Enmore Road respectively. As part of the initiative in Sydney, Enmore Road businesses are encouraged to host live music and entertainment, with a range of special allowances for venues. [caption id="attachment_900849" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Palais Opening Night, St Kilda Film Festival, supplied.[/caption] To keep up-to-date with the project head to the Port Phillip Council page. Community consultation will be undertaken throughout the project. Top image: SWAY Digital Agency by Nathan Doran.
The oldest floral festival in Australia, the Grafton Jacaranda Festival focuses on the hundreds of lilac-blossomed trees that line the town's streets. First held in 1935, the festival brings together art exhibitions, live music, markets and parades for a week-long celebration from October 27 through November 4. While the jacaranda blooms are of course the main attraction, it's by no means the only event you'll have to look forward to during the festival — think a dragon boat race and a riverside circus and carnival, along with buskers, fireworks and stallholders aplenty. Grafton takes their tree heritage seriously and currently holds the title for biggest jacaranda on the National Tree Register of Big Trees (yes, it is a real registry). While in town, visit 'The Gorge', a tree which measures at a massive 30 metres high with a six-metre circumference. It deserves a nice big hug, we reckon.
At the top of Uptown Jazz Cafe's unassuming set of stairs you'll find an iconic Melbourne live jazz experience. The venue has a jam-packed lineup of local and international talent every week, so sit yourself down and enjoy the tunes that come from some of the world's most talented jazz musicians. A perfect accompaniment to the evening — and one of the most-loved partnerships on the north side — is stand-out Japanese fare from downstairs neighbour Akari, who serves up delicious gyoza, okonomiyaki and sushi alongside beer and saké.
Melbourne will be stepping up its hotel game in the coming years, with Adina's new Pentridge Prison development, Bennetts Lane's proposed jazz-era hotel, and the upscale CBD outpost of Mornington Peninsula's Jackalope. And now the city's is set to welcome yet another luxury accommodation offering into the fold, as the internationally renowned St. Regis Hotels & Resorts makes its Aussie debut, with a 168-room hotel slated to open in 2022. The grand hotel will spread over ten floors of the yet-to-be-built, 33-storey Flinders Bank precinct, towering above the CBD on the corner of Spencer and Flinders Streets. And it's set to be a pretty swanky operation, sporting luxury interiors by famed design studio Chada and a cutting-edge building design by Melbourne's own Fender Katsalidis Architects. It will have an onsite wellness and fitness centre, too, complete with a spa, a salon and a 25-metre indoor pool, and the acclaimed St. Regis Butler Service will let guests customise every last detail of their stay. The hotel will also feature a bunch of upscale wining and dining options, including a specialty restaurant and the elegant St Regis Bar. For the uninitiated, the St Regis New York's King Cole Bar was the supposed birthplace of the Bloody Mary back in 1934 and the hotel brand has claimed the spicy cocktail as its signature sip ever since. Here, the bar will be whipping up a special Melbourne edition of the drink — we wonder just what that entails. The St Regis Melbourne has 40 hotels worldwide — including in New York, Mallorca and the Maldives — and is one of the Marriott International's brands. The parent company has announced more plans to open hotels Down Under, too, with the recent launch of the W Hotel in Brisbane and W Hotels also planned for Sydney and Melbourne. St Regis Melbourne is slated to open in the new Flinders Bank precinct in 2022.
Melbourne's arts scene might have copped some big blows over the last two years, but one new inner-city venue is determined to make sure that 2022 doesn't follow in the same footsteps. Set to open its doors on Carlton's Elgin Street from Thursday, January 20 with an evening of artistic and theatrical treats is The Motley Bauhaus, an independent multidisciplinary arts venue with capacity for 350 punters. The original Motley Bauhaus launched in Fitzroy North in 2018 as a space dedicated to promoting skills-based art practices. Now, it's making the move to a bigger home in Carlton, complete with an expanded suite of creative spaces and facilities. While the crowning jewel is a 75-seat black box theatre, the site is also home to a spacious gallery, full-sized recording studio, dedicated cabaret stage, plus a dark room and four working artists' studios. There's also two separate bar areas and a courtyard for those pre- and post-show hangs, as well as a workshop program featuring regular classes guided by local independent artists. The new site has been in the works for a while, although its launch faced extensive delays due to Melbourne's ongoing lockdowns and restrictions. It's now opening this month with the hope of giving the city's arts scene some much-needed revitalisation. "It's been a tough, tough time for artists, for the industry as a whole," explained founder Jason Cavanagh. "This is a massive investment in our arts community at a time when it is desperately needed. I think art thrives in adversity and I'm really keen to explore and support that." The new venue is kicking things off with an evening of live performances, exhibitions and more for its Thursday, January 20 launch, with free tickets available online. The opening celebrations then continue throughout the month, with the stage firing up for the likes of a brand-new stand-up show from comedian Emily Tresidder, a one-act song cycle diving into the ups and downs of singledom, and Eleven O'Clock Theatre's debut musical theatre production The Breaths in Between. The original Scotchmer Street site will remain operating as a collection of artist studios while The Motley Bauhaus' full public event program relocates to the new venue. Find The Motley Bauhaus' new site at 118 Elgin Street, Carlton, from Thursday, January 20.
Science Gallery Melbourne's inaugural exhibition tackles a complicated subject, head-on. Running from Thursday, January 20–Saturday, June 18, Mental: Head Inside dives into a whole swag of different perspectives on the topic of mental health, aiming to unravel problematic societal biases and stereotypes. The interactive exhibition showcases more than 20 experimental projects from various artists and researchers, which use science, technology and creativity to really explore different ways of being. Among them, you'll find a space of reflection created by Wemba Wemba and Gunditjmara artist Rosie Kalina that looks at the mental health impacts of racism and colonisation; a sensory project by UK artist Nwando Ebizie that captures the effects of the rare neurological disorder Visual Snow; and a performance work by Melbourne's Mary Angley and Caithlin O'Loghlen offering a glimpse into the realm of the wellness influencer and just what goes into creating that perfect image. Through it all, Mental sets out to champion lived experience, created in collaboration with a cast of young people who've shared their own stories from right across the mental health spectrum. [caption id="attachment_840763" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation view of 'Hello Machine - Hello Human', Rachel Hanlon, from Mental: Head Inside at Science Gallery Melbourne, 2021. Photo: Alan Weedon.[/caption] Top Images: Installation view of 'Wheel', Hiromi Tango and Dr Emma Burrows; Installation view of 'Selfcare_4EVA', Mary Angley and Caithlin O'Loghlen; Installation view of 'Even in Fear', Zhou Xiqohu, and 'Kind Words', Ziba Scott. All from 'Mental: Head Inside' at Science Gallery Melbourne, 2021. Photos: Alan Weedon
For the past few months, Australia's pandemic-era rules and restrictions around travelling have been easing — covering both heading interstate and venturing abroad. If spending more time at home over the last two years has left you with a hefty case of wanderlust, you've likely noticed another big trend, too: flight sales aiming to make your next getaway far more affordable. Just after New Zealand announced that it'd be letting Aussies head across the Tasman for holidays earlier than expected, Virgin has started a sale that'll help you scratch that ditch-crossing itch. Actually, with 1.5 million fares up for grabs to both Aussie and international destinations, it'll help you get flying to wherever your next vacation spot may be. So, whether you're keen to see your mates interstate or head overseas for some rest and relaxation, you've got options. Among the domestic routes, one-way fares start at $45, which'll get you from Sydney to Ballina. Other sale flights include Melbourne–Hobart from $55, Brisbane–Whitsunday Coast from $59, Sydney–Sunshine Coast from $65 and Melbourne–Adelaide from $89. And if you're wondering when you'll need to travel, you can book trips between July 27–December 14, 2022. Internationally, one-way fares cover getaways to Bali, Fiji and Queenstown — including from Sydney (from $269 to Bali, $229 to Fiji and $289 to Queenstown), Melbourne ($269 / $259 / $279) and Brisbane ($239 / $249 / $309). Again, that means you've got choices, including if multiple getaways to different spots are in your ideal future. As always when it comes to flight sales, you'll need to get in quick. Virgin's discounted fares are now on offer until midnight AEST on Monday, April 4 or sold out, whichever arrives first. In a bonus for anyone travelling with kids, Virgin is also taking an extra 25 percent off sale fares booked for children between the ages of 2 and 11. Across all of its sale flights, only some fares cover seat selection and checked baggage, however, with the airline announcing last year that it is now splitting its economy range into three types. Economy Lite doesn't include checking any baggage or picking your seat, but Economy Choice does — and Economy Flex gives you extra flexibility (hence the name) if you have to change your plans later. Also, depending on where you're travelling to internationally, you'll obviously need to check border restrictions and any entry requirements. Virgin's Back to Holidays sale runs from until Monday, April 4 — or until sold out. Find out more about current Australian border rules via the Australian Government's Health Direct website and its Smart Traveller website.
Muggle, rejoice: if you've been hanging out to flex your 'wizarding skills' in the new Harry Potter augmented reality game, your time to shine has arrived. Tapping into the same style of virtual smartphone experience made hugely popular by Pokémon Go, WB Games and Niantic have launched the beta version of their Harry Potter: Wizards Unite game — but only in New Zealand and Australia. Locals with a smartphone can now download the app and start their own Harry Potter adventure, as part of a testing phase that'll help developers shape the final product. It means users might have to put up with a few bugs and off-kilter graphics, but that's a small price to pay for getting to play the game before the rest of the world. Harry Potter: Wizards Unite works a whole lot like Pokémon Go, swapping out the animated monsters and gyms for content and characters from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts franchises. They're featured in an augmented reality 'Wizarding World', which is mysteriously appearing in the muggle world due to some unforeseen calamity. As a player, you'll kick start your adventure as a newbie in the Statute of Secrecy Task Force. You'll be called on to whip up potions, cast spells and use your wand to overcome the traces of magic appearing through your smartphone, popping up in front of real-world locations. You'll collect potion ingredients along the way, and earn special rewards for finding 'Foundables' and returning them to the wizarding world. Scattered through the game, you'll also discover virtual 'inns' where you can recharge your 'spell energy', multi-player wizarding challenges taking place in 'fortresses', and 'portkeys' that can whisk you away into an immersive 360-degree, augmented reality experience, in settings like Ollivanders Wand Shop. The beta version of Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is now available to download for free to iOS (via the App Store) and Android devices (via Google Play) if you're in Australia or New Zealand.
If you’re a chocaholic and a Hunger Games fan, take a deep breath and try not to hyperventilate with greedy excitement. Two American chocolate companies have teamed up to create a range of chocolate bars inspired by The Hunger Games. Only in America, right? Themed around both the districts and lead characters, the range created by Vosges Haut Chocolates and Wild Ophelia includes a 'Katniss' bar — milk chocolate combined with what they describe as the “subtle, salty crunch of hickory smoked bacon accented by sweet, crisp apples. Yum. But some dozen times better is the 'Chocolate Bar Library' — a collection of 12 bars representing all 12 districts of Panem. Included are such imagination- and tastebud-stirring numbers as the mined salt and milk chocolate (District 12, which specialises in mining), beef jerky and smoked mesquite in milk chocolate (District 10, livestock), smoked chipotle chilli and milk chocolate (District 7, lumber) and crispy crunchy caramel corn and dark chocolate (District 5, power). The smartarses at BuzzFeed pitted the whole range of bars — or chocolatey 'tributes' — against each other and ranked them in order of deliciousness. The victor? District 9's milled oats, vanilla, hemp seeds and dark chocolate (representing grain). Sadly they don’t ship to Australia, but if you’re in the US, Canada or the UK (or are willing to test out parcel forwarding on a meltable item) you can get your gluttonous little hands upon these slightly ridiculous, slightly overpriced yet undeniably tempting goodies. Via Buzzfeed.
Tucked into Eltham's leafy hills, Montsalvat is Australia's oldest continuously operating artist collective, founded over 90 years ago. Combining art, architecture, and beautiful scenery, the community is getting into the spirit of spring by inviting guests to experience its brilliant wisteria trees in full bloom. Montsalvat's poolside terrace is transformed yearly with a cascade of purple wisteria flowers. Running alongside the estate's long gallery, these flowering vines were planted over 80 years ago and have become one of Montsalvat's most cherished seasonal wonders. Yet visitors have to act fast to experience them at their most enchanting. The burst of violet only lasts two to three weeks, with peak season arriving in mid-September and quickly fading for another year. So, bring your camera or paint brushes to capture the moment. For this year's event, Montsalvat is offering a special wisteria experience, where ticket-holders can access an exclusive VIP area beneath the wisteria canopy. As an extra treat, purple fairy floss and refreshments will also be available. Tickets go on sale when the estate's head gardener confirms peak bloom dates. Top and bottom image: Field of Vision Photography.
Singer-songwriter Gregory Alan Isakov is a bit of an anomaly in the music world. Despite his success in music (he has clocked over 300 million streams on Spotify), Isakov still spends as much time as possible on his land, sewing seeds, growing crops and recording in his home studio. It's a testament to Colorado's beauty — the US state is famous for its vast prairies, rugged mountains and tumbling waterfalls. It's also a musical paradise, with 360 festivals held every year. And we want you to experience all that this state has to offer. So, to celebrate Isakov's upcoming Australian tour, we're giving away a trip to his homeland. For five days, you and a mate will get to explore some incredible scenery, plus see Isakov live in concert at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver. This epic prize, worth a cool $5596, includes return flights to Denver, Colorado, three nights in a loft-style room in lower-downtown hotel The Maven, tickets to Isakov's show and a bunch of other local adventures — all thanks to Visit Denver. Next up, thanks to Colorado Tourism Office, you'll have two days of free exploration around Colorado with a rental car and accommodation in a town of your choice (within two hours' drive of Denver). And if you don't land the main prize, we also have tickets to give away to his concert here in Melbourne on Friday, March 8. Enter with your details below for a chance to win. [competition]709426[/competition] Image: Colorado Josh.
