Back in March, Victoria implemented a State of Emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a move it has extended monthly since. So, while originally due to expire at midnight on Monday, April 13, the State of Emergency has been prolonged until May 11, June 20, July 19, August 16, September 13 and October 11 — and now until November 8. With the state slowly working through its roadmap to ease out of lockdowns — including relaxing stage-four lockdowns in the metropolitan Melbourne area — this is hardly surprising news. Victoria is also in a declared State of Disaster, which gives police additional powers to ensure that Victorians are complying with public health directions, and that has been prolonged once again until November 8 as well. Announcing the latest extensions on Sunday, October 11, Premier Daniel Andrews noted that it's "simply to make sure that we've got that legal framework in place in order to continue to have rules, to drive these numbers down even further". He also advised that keeping the State of Emergency and State of Disaster in place doesn't isn't a reflection of plans regarding metro Melbourne restrictions in the coming weeks. "That's simply a four-week extension. No one should read anything more into that in terms of it being key dates for shifts in rules. We try to do those things in four-week blocks. That's the most appropriate way to go. This comes from detailed public health advice, and there will be a time where we do not need to extend these things and I look forward to that day," he said. The State of Emergency declaration allows the state's authorised officers to "act to eliminate or reduce a serious risk to public health" as directed by Victoria's Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton. That means restricting movement, preventing entry to premises and venues, and detaining people — measures that have been in place over the past seven months as the state responds to the coronavirus. Fines continue to be handed out to folks who breach the restrictions — with the state's on-the-spot financial penalties spanning up to $4659 for individuals if you test positive for COVID-19 or have symptoms and are awaiting test results, but fail to isolate at home. Fines of $4957 apply to folks who flout current restrictions on public and private gatherings, and who travel into regional Victoria without a valid reason. People who repeatedly break the rules can also be sent to the Magistrates Court and fined up to $20,000. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Victoria and how to protect yourself, head to the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services website.
Global ice cream company Ben & Jerry's is best-known for its chunk-filled scoops and bizarre flavour titles like Schweddy Balls and Dave Matthews Band. After releasing an over-the-top creation for both ice cream and burger lovers earlier in the year, the brand has now unveiled its latest frankencreation in its Fast Food Series. The Dough-licious Pizza is the ice cream-pizza hybrid that no-one asked for. Available by both the slice and as a whole pizza, the creation features a baked base made from Ben & Jerry's cookie dough and comes filled with a layer of the brand's chocolate chip cookie dough or chocolate fudge brownie ice cream. From there, you get the choice of two toppings — from chunky cookie dough pieces to brownie chunks, crunchy nuts and chocolate-dipped pretzels — plus a drizzle of either hot fudge or caramel sauce. Of course, hardcore ice cream lovers can push the boat out and select all of the above. The pizza is the second in a series of crossbreed creations from Ben & Jerry's inspired by Australia's favourite fast foods. The Impossible To Eat Burger was described as "the messiest ice cream ever". The 'Dough-licious Pizza' is available for a limited time at Ben & Jerry's shops and Scoop Stores across the ACT, NSW, Qld, Vic and WA. It's also available to order on Uber Eats.
When you woke up this morning, Thursday, February 18, your Facebook news feed probably looked a little different. Instead of news about the pandemic, restaurant openings, events and all the usual things you're used to seeing as you scroll, it was filled with memes, photos from distant family members and groups you don't even remember joining. So, what on earth is going on? Well, there's been a bit of standoff between the Australian Government and Facebook and Google, because of the Federal Government's controversial media-bargaining code, which passed through the House of Representatives on Wednesday night. In response, Facebook has banned Australian users and publishers from viewing or sharing any "news articles" on its platform. And it hasn't just banned news. Everyone from embattled Sydney art institution Carriageworks to state government-run Queensland Health, which posts daily COVID-19 updates and streams press conferences, and Melbourne Food and Wine Festival have been kicked off the social media platform. And we have, too. That means, to keep up to date with all the exciting things going on in your city, you need to track us down in other spots. Like, right here on our website, over on our Instagram pages (@concreteplayground, @concreteplaygroundmelbourne and @concreteplaygroundbrisbane), or on Twitter (@concreteplay) and by signing up to one of our newsletters. If you're in Sydney, you can sign up here: Melburnians, get your fix here: And Brisbanites, discover all the best things to do right here. You can also bookmark some of your favourite content of ours. Like the best waterfalls to swim under around Sydney, the best things to do on the weekend in Brisbane and Melbourne's best boozy bottomless brunches. Just because Facebook is boring RN, doesn't mean you have to be. Top image: Kitti Gould
Sydney residents are currently in lockdown due to the city's growing wave of COVID-19 cases; however, they now can't head to Victoria even if stay-at-home conditions ended. In response to New South Wales' expanding coronavirus outbreak, its southern neighbour has closed its borders — to the entirety of NSW, and also to the Australian Capital Territory. Coming into effect 1t 11.59pm yesterday, Sunday, July 11, Victoria has declared NSW and the ACT red zones under its traffic light-style system for grading other regions of Australia according to their COVID-19 status. That colour coding means that Victoria will only allow the state's own residents who've been in NSW or the ACT to obtain permits to return home; however, they'll then need to get tested and quarantine for 14 days. If you're not a Victorian resident and you've been in either state or territory, you are no longer be able to enter Victoria without an exception, exemption or other valid permit (and, if you try, you'll be fined up to $4957). For folks who live in the NSW–Victoria border region, you can cross the border without a permit, but you will need to have proof of address with you. That said, you can't enter if you have been to a red zone outside of the cross-border area — or if you have COVID-19, any symptoms, or you're classed as a close contact of a positive case. https://twitter.com/VicGovDH/status/1414102690523607043 The closure comes just over a year since the border between New South Wales and Victoria closed for the first time in more than 100 years back in July 2020. Before then, it last shut in 1919 during the Spanish Flu. Victoria had already classed parts of the state, including all of Greater Sydney, as red zones in response to the current outbreak — a move that date backs to last month. The latest change has been put in place as NSW's coronavirus cases continue to spike, with 77 new locally acquired cases reported on Sunday, July 11 — and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian noting that she expected the number for today, Monday, July 12, to be more than 100. In a statement, the Victorian Government said that "with case numbers continuing to increase in New South Wales, Victorian public health authorities are concerned about the risks of transmission beyond current red zones in Greater Sydney and surrounds, and the potential risks this poses to the Victorian community from people entering our state." Residents of the Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour regions have been under lockdown for more than two weeks, with those conditions tightened on Friday, July 9. A July 16 end date for lockdown has been announced previously, although, with case numbers continuing to climb, it now looks extremely unlikely that the stay-at-home period will end then. You can find out more about the status of COVID-19 at the NSW Health and Victorian Department of Health websites. Top image: Mulwala Bridge by Yun Huang Yong via Flickr.
With Victoria now in lockdown until 11.59pm on Thursday, June 3, home cooking and takeaway is back on the menu. Fancy the latter more than the former? Spent too much time baking during January's similar stint at home? Eager to order in for any reason possible? If you fall into any of the above categories, and you're keen to both support local eateries and keep an eye on your bank balance, Deliveroo is ditching its delivery fees for orders from most restaurants for seven days. Until lockdown ends on Thursday, June 3, the service is doing free delivery from a range of Victoria eateries. While the service hasn't revealed just how many places are taking part, Royal Stacks, Misschu, Oriental Tea House and Danny's Burgers rank among the participating Melbourne eateries, with places in Ballarat, Geelong and Bendigo also on the list. The aim: to encourage Victorians to help local restaurants during this second 2021 stay-at-home period and, because that's the world we live in, to help stop panic buying at supermarkets as well. To ensure that all of the eateries involved aren't missing out on revenue or left out of pocket, Deliveroo is footing the bill for the discounted amount, too. If you're suddenly hungry, you'll need to place an order via the Deliveroo app. There are a few caveats, unsurprisingly, with the free delivery deal not extending to bottle shops, KFC, Crust or Domino's, or to places listed in the app as 'delivered by restaurant'. You'll also need to spend at least $10 at most eateries, $12 at McDonald's, Subway and Baskin-Robbins, and $15 if you're purchasing from Red Rooster. Deliveroo is doing free delivery across Victoria eateries until 11.59pm on Thursday, June 3. To make an order, head to the Deliveroo app. Top image: Royal Stacks.
Since Victoria's hospitality industry began welcoming customers back through the doors after the state's 2020 lockdowns, outdoor dining has proven a key tactic. Indeed, eating outside has been a big part of the state government's approach as restrictions have eased, and of individual councils' path through the pandemic, too — and, after the City of Melbourne committed to keeping the strategy going until at least mid-2021, the Victorian Government has now announced expanded funding for 22 other councils to do the same throughout autumn. In total, $5 million has been allocated under the second round of the Local Councils Outdoor Eating and Entertainment Package, including to 13 councils in metropolitan Melbourne. In the Maribyrnong City Council area, $250,000 will be used to expand the current program of parklets in suburbs such as Footscray and Yarraville, including broadening the scheme to new areas. In Monash, $500,000 will go towards continuing outdoor dining at Pinewood Shopping Village and Hamilton Place in Mount Waverley, in Glen Waverley and at Haughton Road in Clayton. Other Melbourne councils to benefit include Port Phillip City Council, which is receiving $500,000; Stonnington, which'll get $200,000; Yarra, which has been allocated $500,000; and Darebin, which'll nab $150,000. The funding has bee prioritised to councils who've already experienced high demand for outdoor dining over the past months — as seen through increased numbers of customers visiting local restaurants, pubs and cafes. As announced in September 2020, the Victorian Government's Outdoor Eating and Entertainment Package spans $87.5 million all up, $29.5 million of which has been allocated to councils across the state — with grants also available to businesses to help them adapt to outdoor dining. Metropolitan councils and regional city councils can receive up to $500,000 each, and rural councils can get up to $250,000, which can be used on infrastructure such as streetscaping and lighting, and to reduce and waive permit fees for hospitality businesses. For more information about the Local Councils Outdoor Eating and Entertainment Package, head to the Victorian Government website. Top image: Kate Shanasy.
Collingwood's newest Mexican joint doesn't have a heaving tequila selection, a dinner menu, or a single cerveza in sight, but it is dishing up a lunchtime offering that'll keep you coming back for more. Opening on Smith Street just before Christmas, Frankie's Tortas & Tacos is located in a tiny car park kiosk most recently home to a kebab joint. It has chain-link fencing, a charmingly low-key vibe and room for not much more than 15 diners. The menu might be short and simple, but it's the stuff lunchtime regulars dream of, served speedily out of a busy streetside kitchen and best enjoyed perched on one of the venue's red plastic stools. You can leave the formalities at home — here, it's paper plates all the way. A trio of tortas — or Mexican sandwiches — features soft, white Vietnamese-style rolls, stuffed with beans, avocado, queso, lettuce and coriander, and served with house-made pickles. There's a classic al pastor starring marinated pork cooked on a shawarma-style spit, another with crumbed beef and a vegetarian-friendly mushroom number. Tacos play the simple game, too, with a lineup of just three options, each jazzed up with onion, coriander and a dollop of salsa. You'll find an al pastor with pineapple and another meat-free mushroom creation (both gluten-free), along with a beef asada. Add a squeeze of lime and a few splashes from the hot sauce collection and you're good to go. Just don't leave it too late to visit, as the kitchen only serves up limited portions each day. While you can't match this Mexican feast with a beer, Frankie's is slinging daytime-appropriate sips like Jarritos Mexican sodas, glass bottles of Coca Cola, horchata (a sweet rice milk drink) and a cold brew and filter from Abbotsford's Blume Coffee. Find Frankie's Tortas and Tacos at 384 Smith Street, Collingwood. It's open Tuesday to Sunday, from noon until 4pm (or until sold out). Images: Tracey Ah-Kee
The Hoddle Grid is set to score its first new public park in almost four decades, with plans unveiled for a 1900-square-metre open space around the much-hyped Collins Arc development. That's the $1.3 billion precinct at 447 Collins Street — the one that looks like a pair of pants — that will house residential apartments, retail shops and an indulgent W Melbourne hotel when it launches in 2020. When development plans were first announced by property development group Cbus in 2016, we were promised, in exchange for a hefty 41-storey building, a new park in the CBD. Now, as the development gets closer to its late-2019 completion date, the designs have been revealed to the public. The proposed park takes over the discontinued stretch of Market Street, and boasts new seating, wide bluestone paths to accommodate plenty of pedestrians, improved access to public transport options and space for hosting public events. A new bike lane would be incorporated along the eastern side of Market Street, connecting it to Queensbridge Street so cyclists can travel up or down the Yarra or on to South Melbourne. The other side would become public space, and the rest split between a single-lane carriageway, parking and more bike access. A variety of tree plantings have also been proposed in an effort to reduce stormwater run-off. These plans now stand to be considered by the City of Melbourne's Future Melbourne Committee, which will meet on September 18. But while new public space sounds like a win, some Melburnians have criticised the development as the new park will be smaller than the original public plaza. The Age has pulled out some of its readers' responses to the plans — some call out the designs as being simply a fancy foyer space for the development, with others questioning whether the space is really enough of a 'park' to be labelled so. It seems likely that the plans will be approved by the committee next week as the Collins Arch development is well under way. While the park may err on the side of a few glorified patches of grass, the new greenery and trees will certainly make a difference and be a welcome change to the block as it stands now. We'll keep you posted on the status of the park once we know if the plans have been approved.
For all the photos of you that exist out there on the web, odds are very few of them show you as you actually are. With The Naked Self , theatremakers Michele Lee and Tanya Dickson hope to strip away some of the artifice, inviting audiences to share a less curated version of themselves. In your own private booth, participants will be invited to undress, and prompted to share details about how they really see themselves. You'll also be able to listen to the audio self-portraits of other people, forming intimate connections with strangers you'll never meet or even see. This is part of the Festival of Live Art 2016 program. Image: Sarah Walker
Omega Ensemble is widely recognised as one of Australia's most dynamic and forward-thinking classical music groups. Their next tour, Distant World, brings together a lineup of four emotionally charged works that explore humanity's relationship with nature, and what happens when that relationship breaks down. The program opens with Arvo Pärt's cult-favourite Spiegel im Spiegel – a deceptively simple duet written for piano and cello that you may have heard in shows like 'Ted Lasso' and Guy Ritchie's 'Swept Away'. "It doesn't tell you how to feel," says Omega's Artistic Director David Rowden of the piece. "But it somehow allows you to feel more deeply." From there, the mood shifts. Jabra Latham's Fire Music, composed after the Tasmanian bushfires, captures both devastation and renewal. "You can hear the full range of the fire's impact," says Rowden. "From brutal ferocity to gentle smouldering and the quiet resilience of a landscape beginning to heal." [caption id="attachment_1002879" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Laura Manariti[/caption] There's also the world premiere of DuskLit by Melbourne composer Miriama Young, which is a new work built from voice memos and soundscapes submitted by young people across regional Victoria. Haunting, hopeful, and rooted in real stories of place and change, "It's like being transported to a private, sacred memory," says Rowden. "Audiences will be taken on a journey of reflection, from the stillness of Arvo Pärt to the profound resonance of local voices like Jabra Latham and Miriama Young. It's music that invites you to pause, feel and consider our world as well as our place within it." Distant World is far from background music. It's a live experience that invites you to feel, and be completely present in a room full of people, for 90 unforgettable minutes. Melbourne: Distant World is playing at Melbourne Recital Centre on Tuesday, May 13 at 7pm. Secure your tickets now at Omega Ensemble.
One of South Melbourne's most iconic food celebrations is back for a big weekend of music and molluscs, as the Port Phillip Mussel & Jazz Festival returns to its home at the South Melbourne Market. On Saturday, March 12, and Sunday, March 13, the precinct comes alive for a food-focused, tune-filled street party, with the humble mussel as star of the show. Seafood-lovers will find themselves in heaven, feasting their way through a host of special dishes from resident vendors including Bambu, Claypots Evening Star, Simply Spanish and Little Hof. Plus, catch all the usual market favourites slinging fine cheese, porchetta rolls and everything in between. Chef and presenter Tim Hollands will be sharing his seafood secrets — and a few cheeky giveaways — at a series of cooking demos. The market's even teamed up with The Nature Conservancy to deliver the Shuck Don't Chuck recycling program — mussel, oyster and scallop shells from the weekend's feasting will be collected, cured and used to rebuild ecosystems in the bay. As always, there'll also be plenty of fresh catches when it comes to the entertainment — enjoy soul and jazz tunes from acts like Django Rhythm, Gatsby Swing and The Treblettes. [caption id="attachment_844651" align="alignnone" width="1920"] South Melbourne Market[/caption]
The Melbourne Cup may be the race that stops the nation, but darling, the Portsea Polo is the real beacon on the equine social circuit. On this auspicious day of the year, the tanned and beautiful emerge from the holiday houses that pepper the Peninsula to meet, mingle and make the most of the bar. Oh, and there's some polo happening too. The dress code is of the utmost importance, with the polo’s resident stylist recommending flowing dresses for the ladies and the obligatory boat shoe for the gentleman. It goes without saying that sunglasses are a must-have accessory in sunny Portsea, so make sure they remained glued to your nose, no matter how much Peroni you get through. Through the heat and the dust (hooves and mallet wielding kicks up more than a mouthful of sand for those on the rails) social outsiders are weeded out quicker than you can mispronounce Moët or Ralph Lauren. There are general admission passes of course, but the real action will be taking place at the variety of marquees where DJs, networking opportunities and drinks will all be on tap. Amidst all those popped collars and chinos you’d be forgiven for missing the actual horses, but there’s always photo ops with spritely polo players to round out the day.
UPDATE: OCTOBER 7, 2020 — The end is nigh for Rocco's Bologna Discoteca, but it's not all doom and gloom. The pop-up will be replaced by the more permanent Poodle and it's going out with a bang thanks to a three-day Bunga Bunga Party. Running from Friday, October 9 to Sunday, October 11, the party will see some of Melbourne's best chefs take over the menu. There'll be a croissant toastie with kimchi and cheese from Ramblr's Nick Stanton and Christ Watson from Meatsmith will whip up a pepperoni pizza melt. Also on the lineup: The Grandissimo. By Rocco's Josh Fry this giant focaccia features layers of salami, mortadella, coppa, cime de rapa, eggplant, pickles and cheese. Check it out below. First launching back in lockdown 1.0, Rocco's Bologna Discoteca was meant to close for good when two-storey bistro and bar Poodle took over the space in July. But with the return of stay-at-home orders, comes the return of Rocco's. Run by Chef Josh Fry (Marion and Cumulus Inc), the unapologetically kitsch pop-up on Gertrude Street has an epic lineup of sangas. There's a saucy NY-style meatball sub ($17); Rocco's Originario Bologna ($15.50) with fried bologna, green olives and plenty of cheese; the spicy Picante ($16.50), featuring fried bologna, pickles and provolone; a vegetarian crumbed eggplant one ($14.50); and the Bobby Baccala ($18), which is a salted cod melt. Other dishes include bone marrow garlic bread ($12), antipasto platters ($30), rocket salad ($8), fries ($8) and tiramisu ($12). You can either pop down to pick up the goods in person if you're a local or you can get them delivered via via Doordash and Deliveroo. You can check out the full menu and order via Rocco's website or call 0435 236 115. Rocco's is open from 12–8pm Friday–Saturday and 12–6pm Sunday and is available via Doordash and Deliveroo.
They say everything in moderation, but not this month. How can you keep things in check when Melbourne's got a region-wide food celebration, 18 nights of noodle markets and not one, but two festivals dedicated to cheese? You can't. So lean in and get amongst it. Have your cake (and your camembert and chicken nuggets) and eat it, too.
Heading to Marvel Stadium at Melbourne's Docklands usually means watching a game of AFL. Or, you could be hitting up the venue to see a gig. Moseying beneath the space to wander around an underground light show and labyrinth definitely isn't normally on the cards. That'll change come winter, with the city's Firelight Festival returning for 2024 — and, for the first time, bringing the Firelight Labyrinth with it. The fest itself is a three-day affair over the last weekend in June, running from Friday, June 28–Sunday, June 30 at New Quay Promenade, Victoria Promenade and Harbour Esplanade. On the agenda, as in past years: fire performers, fire pits, fire drums, flame jets, fire arches and fire sculptures. There'll also be live music, African drumming, and an array of stomach-warming food and drink options — such as dumplings, smoked meats, paella, churros and hot chocolates. Flame-filled arts — and bites to feast on and beverages to sip while you're enjoying them — aren't the only drawcard this year, though. Cue more than 144,000 lights beaming beneath Marvel Stadium, with the labyrinth sticking around for over two weeks from Friday, June 28–Sunday, July 14. Accordingly, this year's Firelight Festival is also a huge tourist attraction for locals and visitors alike, especially if you want to see a key Aussie Rules venue in a new light — literally. As well as all of those sources of luminousness, the Firelight Labyrinth will feature immersive audio, making the experience an audio-visual maze. While the festival is free to attend — you'll need your wallet for whatever you eat and drink — the Firelight Labyrinth is ticketed, costing $37.50 for adults.
"It isn't the prettiest spectacle...seeing a couple of middle aged types hacking away at each other..." Too right. Winterfall Theatre is inviting audiences to step through the marital shredder as it resurrects Edward Albee's classic, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? this June and July. When George (the orator of the above quote) and Martha invite Nick and Honey over for an impromptu party, they're expecting a relaxed tipple and maybe some sly bookshelf judgement. Instead, they become embroiled in the carnage of their hosts' marriage, as George and Martha spit, kick and scratch their way through an evening of mutually assured destruction. Directed by Denis Moore, this production is Winterfall Theatre's first in their new headquarters, Blackbox Theatre in Kew. Expect more than one vital organ to be left on the stage after curtain.
Pop into Avery & Arlo for stylish and comfortable women's wear that won't break the bank. Stocking pieces created by the shop's owner Shari Splatt — championing flowing, chic styles in simple colours and floral patterns — Avery & Arlo also has a big range of fashion from other local designers. Plus, it has kids' clothes so you can dress your babe in the sweetest linen rompers from The Lullaby Club while you go casual in leopard print drop crotch pants and a print tee from Cartel & Willow, and slip into a pair of woven leather slides by Walnut Melbourne. There's also a range of delicate handmade pieces by local maker FinerRings Jewellery.
Dating apps can be fun — especially when you score discounts on food and drink along the way — but they can also be exhausting. So, Rocco's Bologna Discoteca in Fitzroy has joined forces with dating event organiser Crush Club to give you a break. All you have to do is climb the stairs up to Discoteca's ballroom, and you'll find yourself at a massive Italian dinner party. Even better, you'll be surrounded by singles. On the menu is a four-course Italian feast, including subs, pasta and soft serve. Between dishes, you'll have time to grab drinks at Vince's Bar and change chairs, giving you the chance to meet as many people as possible. Flirt 'n' Feast for straight attendees is happening on Wednesday, June 18, while the queer edition is on Wednesday, July 2. Tickets, which include food but not drinks, are $80 each.
It is summertime in St Kilda, and the O'Donnell Gardens are in full bloom, packed with stallholders selling art, clothing, tasty treats and more. Yes, it's time again for the St Kilda Twilight Market, and visitors will find bargains aplenty under the palms. Running Thursday evenings from 5–10pm all summer long, the market is held in the public gardens in the shadow of Luna Park. There'll be live music every week, along with makers selling everything from locally produced art to handcrafted jewellery to vintage clothing and accessories. The market will also feature food vendors galore, cooking up cuisine from every corner of the globe. Senor BBQ, Hoy Pinoy and Outback Burgers will have their grills up and firing, and that's just the tip of a very delicious iceberg.
Pizza fans, get excited. 400 Gradi, makers of some of Melbourne's best pizza, are taking over Welcome to Thornbury's beer garden for the rest of January. Every Friday and Saturday (excluding public holidays), the 400 Gradi crew will head over to the sun-soaked space to sling $17 woodfired pizzas to the hungry masses. As usual, Welcome to Thornbury will have each of its bars open throughout the day, letting diners pair their pizzas with spritzes, ice-cold beers or just about any other bev they so desire. Your four-legged pals are also invited, as long as you stick to the huge sun-drenched beer garden.
Have you ditched single-use plastic bags? Said no to straws? Bought a handy keep cup? If so, you're probably aware of the war on waste the country is currently raging against single-use items. The Economist has taken a hard look at pollution — specifically, ocean pollution — and is calling on Australians to rethink this war on plastic, with a new travelling art installation. Titled Don't bin plastics, yet, the exhibition will roam around Melbourne from September 18–21. The installation takes the form of three fish, made from recycled ocean plastics and each weighing 24 kilograms — equal to the weight of plastic that is dumped into the ocean every tenth-of-a-second. If trends continue, there will be more plastic than fish in the world's waters by 2050. Visitors will be encouraged to chat about the plastics debate — including the pros and cons of single-use plastics and the potential negative impacts of their alternatives — while enjoying a free coffee. The coffee will be, fittingly, served in edible cups by Cupffee, which are made from natural grain. To learn more about the campaign and the issues surrounding plastic pollution, head over here. FULL MELBOURNE SCHEDULE September 18 at the State Library, 8am–7pm September 19 at the Southern Cross Pedestrian Bridge, 8am–7pm September 20 at Collins Place, 8am-6pm September 21 at Galleria Shopping Plaza, 8am–7pm
No longer confined to children's birthday parties, bouncy castles, inflatable obstacle sources and blow-up labyrinths are currently hot property for adults (and their inner kids, of course). And the next blow-up event to hit Australia is big. Really big. Dubbed 'The Big Bounce Australia', it's an inflatable theme park made up of Guinness World Records-certified world's biggest bouncy castle, a 300-metre long obstacle course and a three-part space-themed wonderland. You're going to need a lot of red cordial to bounce your way through all of this. Set to hit Melbourne between January 3 and 19, The Big Bounce is open to both littl'uns and big'uns — but there are a heap of adults-only sessions, so you don't have to worry about dodging toddlers on your way through. Tickets for adults will set you back $55, which gives you a whole three hours in the park. You'll need it. Inside, you'll encounter the aforementioned bouncy castle — aptly named The World's Biggest Bounce House — covering a whopping 1500 square metres and, in some spots, reaching ten metres off the ground. In this house, you'll encounter a heap of slides, ball pits, climbing towers, basketball hoops and (if you can believe it) a stage with DJs, confetti cannons and beach balls. Then, there's The Giant, with 50 inflatable obstacles, including giant red balls and a monster slide. [caption id="attachment_749668" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Big Bounce AirSpace[/caption] Before you hit the final, three-part section of the park, you may need to pause, down some red frogs and maybe even have a nap. Or not, you do only have three hours to explore it all. Next up, is AirSpace, where aliens, spaceships and moon craters collide with a five-lane slide, some more ball pits and an 18-metre-tall maze. Now, you'll certainly need a nap. This extremely OTT theme park is hitting Melbourne's Flemington Racecourse first before heading to Sydney's St Ives Showground (January 24–February 9). After that, it'll head to Adelaide (February 14–March 1), Brisbane (March 6–22) and Perth (April 3–19).
Melbourne-based jewellery designer Susan Cohn has had an incredible career with her unique creations since the 1980s, and her exhibition at the Anna Schwartz Gallery is a testament to her ability to impress and inspire. UNcommon Moments focuses on three distinct moments determined by Cohn that we experience universally: Dying, Welcoming and Continuing. Death and its inevitable yet unbearable connotations are represented in Toe Tag, a talisman not for death but for life. Whether you’re beginning life as a child or entering into a new community as a stranger, we all require inclusivity into the unknown. Styx is jewellery to say welcome, to a new home and a new life. Finally, Cohn’s work recognises that sometimes the hardest part of existence can be found in the everyday. Whether suffering through the mundane or the awful, Ganbatte jewellery lets us know that our struggles are seen, and that someone is thinking of us.
UPDATE, Friday, June 20, 2025: 2025's First Nations Film Festival — National Reconciliation Week has been extended until Wednesday, August 6 (from its original end date of Tuesday, June 10). This article has been updated to reflect that change. As part of the flurry of streaming services always competing for our eyeballs, FanForce TV joined the online viewing fold during the COVID-19 pandemic as a pay-per-view platform. The service runs all year round, of course, but it goes the extra mile for National Reconciliation Week, which is when it hosts one leg of the First Nations Film Festival (previously known as the Virtual Indigenous Film Festival). In 2025, the National Reconciliation Week season is taking place between Tuesday, May 27–Wednesday, August 6, all solely online. The returning fest has four features and a collection of shorts on its lineup, starting with The Moogai — which sees writer/director Jon Bell (Cleverman) turn his own short into a full-length film, explore how Australia's past continues to haunt in the process, and brings back his stars Shari Sebbens (The Office) and Meyne Wyatt (Troppo) as a couple grappling with Stolen Generations trauma with their growing family. Also excellent: Like My Brother, a must-watch documentary that follows four young Indigenous women from the Tiwi Islands as they set their sights on playing AFLW at the highest level. With Blown Away, the impact of Cyclone Tracy upon Darwin is in the spotlight four decades later — and Winhanganha, which was commissioned by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, sees Wiradjuri artist Jazz Money examine archives through a First Nations lens. To view this at-home screen celebration, you'll need to buy an all-access pass, which lets you catch everything for $38.
Local producer Oscar Key Sung has been around a lot this last year — and we are not upset about it in the slightest. This Thursday, January 12 he returns to Boney for a show in the bandroom, along with Kimchi Princi, Jalé and Nico Niquo. Cutting his teeth in the music industry as one half of Oscar + Martin back in 2010, Oscar has been garnering praise and collab invites ever since. Most notably, in 2013 he was picked by Mercury Music Prize-nominated mc Ghostpoet and Brooklyn-based artist MeLo-X to produce their debut release as MELOGHOST, 'WecanWORKitout'. He's also been getting spins from BBC Radio 6 programmer Gilles Peterson, Twitter props from Years & Years and one of his latest singles 'All I Could Do' has clocked over 100k listens on Soundcloud and been remixed by Naysayer and Gilsun. In describing his sound on his official Niche Productions bio, Oscar said "It's a bit of a mess... I suppose I'm just a part of this generation of oversaturation, where it's easy to be as influenced Arvo Pärt as you are by Drake."
Giant fluorescent orange fluffy birds, 30 ft high dogs shooting lasers from their eyes, costumes made entirely of marijuana leaves and onstage fake fellatio on a man wearing a Bill Clinton mask. Whatever you think of pop's favourite shock poppet, Miley Cyrus' Bangerz tour has been one of the global Tickets To Have. Now the Wrecking Baller is bringing Bangerz to Australia this October. Kicking off in Melbourne on Friday, October 10 at Rod Laver Arena, Cyrus will embark upon a five-date tour of epic visual proportions. Incapable of being able to stop, Cyrus will then head to Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth for what will most likely be Australia's most 'grammed tour since Beyonce's recent run. Tickets are going for $99.90 to $149.90, plus booking fees. Dainty Group presale tickets kicks off at 10am local time on Friday, June 20. General public tickets via Ticketek go on sale Monday, June 23 at 10am. Miley Cyrus Bangerz tour dates: Melbourne - Rod Laver Arena, Friday, October 10 Brisbane - Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Wednesday, October 15 Sydney - Allphones Arena, Friday, October 17 Adelaide - Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Monday, October 20 Perth - Perth Arena, Thursday, October 23
Tjanabi is set to be reborn as a once-off dinner event at the Melbourne Town Hall, inviting diners to experience a taste of culinary concepts deeply ingrained in the past and future of First Peoples food culture. The event sees Parbin-ata Dr Carolyn Briggs — a Boon Wurrung senior elder, and chairperson and founder of the Boon Wurrung Foundation — reimagine her popular Federation Square eatery from over a decade ago. Guests will be invited to listen to the stories behind culinary traditions, while tucking into a menu centred around Indigenous cooking techniques and flavours native to the region. Across a sumptuous four-course feast on Friday, June 4, guests will traverse through clay baking, native raw seafood and pre-domesticated superfoods. Expect plenty of tactile demonstrations throughout the night. All-organic arrangements by Alchemy Orange florist Shahn Stewart (Yorta Yorta) will fill the room, setting the tone as you feast and learn. Round up a friend for this one — tickets are available for tables of two, four or six diners, working out to $155 per person. [caption id="attachment_811628" align="alignnone" width="1920"] By Eugene Hyland[/caption] Images: Eugene Hyland
This review was written about the Sydney run of Beautiful One Day at Belvoir St Theatre in November 2012. Beautiful One Day shows that devised theatre still has a unique power to bring people together for true sharing, collaboration, and storytelling. With the support of Belvoir, leading Indigenous theatre company Ilbijerri and documentary performance maestros Version 1.0 went and tested the waters at the Aboriginal community of Palm Island. When their suggestions for a project weren't rebuffed, they developed the work with the residents, three of whom join the seasoned performers on stage. Palm Island is a place we've mainly seen in snippets on the news — not anybody's best angle. It captured headlines in 2004, after the death in custody there of Mulrunji Doomadgee, whom the coroner found to have massive internal injuries. After the autopsy report was made public, there were demonstrations that turned to rioting. This event, still a trauma and a focus for the people of Palms, is at the chronological centre of the play, although in this version of the story, it is part of a continuum of acts of violence committed by white Australia for which there has never been justice. At the same time, the island has a continuous history of asserting its rights, including through large strikes in 1957 against the Aboriginals Protection Act, which had Aboriginal people under state control since 1897. As mentioned, this is devised theatre without writer or director, so linear story is not its strength — though nor its intention. Instead, the Beautiful One Day team — performers Magdalena Blackley, Kylie Doomadgee, Paul Dwyer, Rachael Maza, Jane Phegan, and Harry Reuben, plus additional devisors Sean Bacon, Eamon Flack, and David Williams — build layer upon overlapping layer of story, context, and meaning. A big success is that they set up an atmosphere of chattiness with the audience from the get-go, creating a feeling of lightness and inclusion. They use a Version 1.0-influenced toolkit of multimedia (presented, not excessively, across three screens), interviews, transcripts of historical and legal documents, and fictionalised scenes to build a picture of Palms. A nod to the 'telling their own stories' trope has the performers actually reading and acting out memoirs from books literally printed and bound, a nice little kick in the pants for anyone who thinks Aboriginal history is sidelined mostly because it's oral in form. The scenes about Mulrunji's death can't match the breadth and discovery of Chloe Hooper's award-winning book on the subject, The Tall Man, which is among the great works of creative non-fiction produced in this country. If the story of what happened to Mulrunji and in the subsequent trials and inquests appears more damning in this viewing, it is because the facts are condensed into a smaller space, in which it is impossible for the officers of law and justice involved to hide. It seems a pity, though, that in some moments, the police are portrayed cartoonishly, as a means to a joke. Even if it doesn't bring new facts to the conversation, Beautiful One Day certainly brings a new feeling. In trying to get a view of Palm Island from Palm Island, rather than of Palm Island from the mainland, the picture they conjure is one of hope. The island has seen conflict and absurdity, but looked at up close, there's at least an equal share of normalcy and paradise. There'll be more once its people can truly say they're no longer "living under the act".
When it opened in May 2007 in the heart of Elwood village, The Leaf Store set out to help locals 'eat better and feel better'. This friendly neighbourhood grocer has all the weekly grocery essentials, seasonal produce, specialty items from local suppliers and a bunch of ready-to-eat meals that are actually healthy. With its own range of meal boxes and an online shop with home delivery service, Leaf is like a supermarket chain but better. Dips from Fresh Fodder (Orange, NSW), fresh lasagne and pizza bases from Coburg's Take Me Home, Ridiculously Delicious Peanut Butter made from nuts grown in Queensland, Melbourne Hot Sauce, Bramble and Hedge Confectionary, Schulz Organic Dairy — these are just some of the products and labels you'll find on the shelves of The Leaf Store.
Trying new wines can be a stressful pursuit. There are just so many vinos to choose from, hailing from such a wide array of wineries, that it's hard to know where to start. Fresh Blood simplifies that process for you — by doing the choosing for you. That means that you can sit back, take whichever glass comes your way and get sipping. It's no wonder that the concept was a hit in London, or that it made its Australian debut in 2021. Returning to Melbourne on Saturday, November 4, Fresh Blood's latest Aussie event will focus on 15 emerging Australian winemakers — and also show some love to a producer from New Zealand as well. Wondering what you'll be knocking back? From SA, Lust for Life, State of Nature and The Mysterious Mr Black are among the labels. The list goes on, with Victoria's Allevare and Di Renzo from New South Wales also on the bill. The event takes place at Odd Culture Fitzroy, with tickets costing $69, which covers entry, tastings from 12–3pm, a take-home tasting glass, $10 worth of snacks and $10 off any bottle for the first 100 tickets sold.
It's no secret celebrated chef Sean Connolly has a knack for creating beloved food venues, with Sydney's Steak & Co, Esther in Auckland and Sean's Kitchen in Adelaide just some of the hit eateries he's behind. But the Yorkshire-born culinary star is keeping things a little more under wraps for his first-ever Melbourne venue, the aptly named Shush Burger, which is set to open from Wednesday, March 29. The hidden burger joint is tucked away speakeasy-style behind heavy velvet curtains up on Level One of the Courtyard by Marriott. Peel back the drapes and you'll discover a buzzing neon-lit haunt that's equally primed for scoffing burgers as for kicking back with a tipple or two. Well worth the hunt, Connolly's burger lineup does away with all the fuss, and sets its focus firmly on quality produce and big flavours. It's all about classics done well — whether that's The Standard (starring a smash beef patty with ketchup and dijon), a buttermilk fried chicken number with pickled jalapenos and slaw, or the fish burger pairing crumbed hake with smashed avo and tartare. The Bacon Lux teams its beef patty with a double serve of red leicester cheese, caramelised onion, applewood smoked bacon and chipotle barbeque sauce, while a vegan option comes stacked with Russian dressing and onion rings. You can bank on a tidy selection of snacks, too. Shush's drinks list aims a little higher than your average burger joint — here, pair that two-hand feed with a top-notch local vino, easy-drinking brew or classic-leaning cocktail. Heck, there's even a range of sparkling things if burgs and bubbly are your perfect match. [caption id="attachment_891008" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Courtyard by Marriott[/caption] Find Shush Burger at Level One, Courtyard Melbourne Flagstaff Gardens, 50 Batman Street, Melbourne, from March 29. We'll share more details as they drop.
When you go to the movies, you abide by the usual cinema etiquette rules. You don't kick the seat in front of you, you refrain from checking your phone and lighting up the darkened theatre with its bright glow, and you don't natter away through the flick and annoy everyone around you, for instance. And, you wear clothes — well, unless you're going to Fantastic Film Festival Australia's nude session of Patrick, that is. Yes, you read that correctly. Starring Kevin Janssens (Revenge) as the titular figure and featuring Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement as a musician, Belgian film follows a handyman who works at a remote nudist colony, so attendees are asked to strip down for the session (or just wear their underwear). The nude screening takes place at 7.30pm on Saturday, April 24 at the Lido, and you'll need to sit in cinema five if you're attending sans attire. There are a few ground rules, though. Photography is completely off limits, you'll need to bring a towel to sit on, only patrons over the age of 18 can attend and you're asked to respect your fellow movie-goers' personal space. You also need to rock up fully clothed, and then disrobe in the cinema. And, if you have to go to the bathroom during the movie — or want something from the candy bar — you'll need to get dressed again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U68CKW0mjg&feature=emb_logo Top image: Charlie De Keersmaecker and Cosima Finkbeiner.
Melbourne is about to launch into another frosty winter, but it's never too early to start planning your summer adventures — especially since the city is set to score a shiny new swimming spot. Or, a revamped version of an old favourite, to be exact, with the historic City Baths on Swanston Street receiving a multimillion-dollar makeover just in time for spring. A $2.5 million restoration project is currently underway at the iconic fitness centre, and is set to be completed and unveiled by the time those slightly warmer days of September roll around. First opened in the 1860s, the red-brick Edwardian Baroque building is no spring chicken, but it's about to get some serious upgrades to pull it into a new era of life. Some of the works — which kicked off back in 2019 — have included renovations for the lockers and kitchen, repairs to the spa and changes to the reception area to improve accessibility. Now, the crew of specialist restoration contractors will continue on with the fussier upgrade works required by the heritage-listed site, from carefully recreating the zinc fish-scale tiles adorning the cupolas on the roof to restoring the building's banded brickwork. The timber ceiling planks are being upgraded and will score a new lick of paint, the walls and columns will be given a spruce-up, and new skylights are set to be installed in the roof. [caption id="attachment_808113" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Wpcpey via Wikimedia Commons..[/caption] While the City Baths isn't closing entirely during the refurbishment, its pools, spa and sauna have had to be shut for certain short periods to make way for scaffolding and other construction elements. The venue is releasing details about any closures over on its socials. Find the Melbourne City Baths at 420 Swanston Street, Melbourne. Its refurbishment is slated to be finished by September. Top image: Elekhh via Wikimedia Commons.
Some movies have a moment where they just click and you instinctively know the filmmakers know what they're doing. In The Way, Way Back that moment comes when the painfully awkward Duncan (Liam James) is being driven to the beach house where he will spend the summer and he locks eyes with Owen (Sam Rockwell). The low-key but undeniable chemistry in that scene is a hallmark of a film which gets all the small details right. Having been told he's a "three out of ten" by Trent (Steve Carell), a passive-aggressive jerk who is dating his mother, Pam (Toni Collette), Duncan plans to keep a low profile during his holiday. But any chance of a quiet summer is soon scuppered by nosy neighbour Betty (Allison Janney), who plots to have Duncan become friends with her long-suffering son Peter (River Alexander), who she torments because of his lazy eye. It's Betty's daughter Susanna (AnnaSophia Robb) who can sympathise with Duncan though, and they form a faltering friendship as the adults leave them to their own devices. As Susanna observes, the beachside community is "like spring break for adults" and while Trent and Pam make merry with Trent's friends, the introverted Duncan goes exploring on a a bike and ends up seeking refuge at Water Wizz, the slightly rundown but much-loved local water park managed by perpetual adolescent Owen. Seeing something in the earnest teen that nobody else sees, Owen decides to give Duncan a job as a dogsbody at the park, bringing him into a group of misfits that includes Caitlin (Maya Rudolph), who is growing irked at Owen's irresponsible ways and Lewis (Jim Rash), a sad sack who continually threatens to quit the park to pursue his dreams of being a storm chaser but never quite manages to leave. The Way Way Back's story of a shy teen finding his place in the world over the course of a long, hot summer is by now a well-worn coming-of-age narrative, but this always feels more comfortable than cliched. The seaside small town with its endless beach parties and beer-soaked barbecues is lovingly evoked. The performances from an ensemble cast are uniformly topnotch, though it is Sam Rockwell who steals every scene as the sweet, funny and unexpectedly wise Owen. Writer-directors Jim Rash and Nat Faxon previously collaborated on the Oscar-winning The Descendants and have again struck gold, fashioning a wryly funny and nicely understated script which leaves the actors plenty to do. A big-hearted, bittersweet look at the pleasures and pains of growing up, and the compromises of adulthood, this is perfectly realised and way, way charming. https://youtube.com/watch?v=GiH5wmuexZY
Lynn Ruth Miller started her comedy career at the ripe old age of 71. More than a decade later, she's the oldest working stand-up in the world, and in possession of one of the sharpest wits in the business. At a certain age, we suppose, nothing is off limits — so don't be surprised to hear Miller riffing on her sex life, her two failed marriages, and why she decided to get her nipple pierced at her Melbourne International Comedy Festival show This is Your Future. If we're this fiery at her age, we'll count ourselves very lucky indeed.
If songs about wristies, murder and rape sheds don't strike your fancy, this isn't the show for you. I realise that's a strange way to start a review, but it's also entirely necessary to state. This low-budget re-make of the 2005 horror film, Wolf Creek, takes an axe to the throat of both British backpackers and political correctness in one fell swoop. Moral complexities aside, it's great to see something like this at the Comedy Festival. In a month of charity galas and international acts in neatly pressed suits, it's exciting to see young comedians that aren't afraid to build their props out of cardboard, don a blonde wig from the $2 shop and go after an Australian classic. It's a total pisstake (in the best way possible). Unsurprisingly, the story follows the basic gist of the original film. Doe-eyed tourists undertake hostile road trip through the outback, foreseeable trouble ensues. Though there are some alterations of course. The male backpacker is now a Greek aspiring wrist-model who can find kebabs in the middle of the desert; the cast is momentarily supplemented with small appearances by dreamtime animals; and there are numerous inclusions of clams due to the vested interests of the play's fictional financier (just go with it). Pushing both genre and character into the absolute absurd, the show offers up deadpan black humour with perfect timing and original writing that hits every mark. But, with risky humour like this, it's good to know you're not alone. So if you're feeling a little iffy about it, take solace in the fact the show has had hit runs in both the Adelaide and Melbourne Fringe Festivals. It even snagged Best Emerging Comedy at the former. To be on the safe side, take a friend with a similar sense of humour to your own and leave the parents at home. Written by comedian James McCann and RAW Comedy winner Demi Lardner, this is a show for those that appreciate the unconventional. It's like the best primary school play you've ever seen (assuming all the children involved had serious social and behavioural problems).
Watch Red, White & Brass and you'll never see the pre-game or half-time entertainment at a big sporting match the same way again. Of course, if Rihanna, or Beyoncé with Destiny's Child, or a heap of hip hop and rap legends are taking to the stage at the Super Bowl, you won't question it — but if there's a community band on the turf, you might start wondering when they first picked up their instruments, why and if it was only four weeks ago to make it to this very gig. Are they just out there because they were that desperate to see their team play? And, because they missed out on expensive and instantly sold-out tickets? Were they so eager, in fact, that they bluffed their way into a gig by claiming to already be a musical group, then had to speedily do anything and everything to learn how to get melodic, and obviously not embarrass themselves, in a passion-fuelled whirlwind of pretence and practice? A band solely forming to score access to a rugby game sounds like pure screenwriting confection. Often enough, though, when tales like that make it to the silver screen, it's because they're so wild that they can only be true. Such is the case with Red, White & Brass' premise, as it notes at the outset. Back in 2011, New Zealand hosted the Rugby World Cup, which was a source of particular excitement to Aotearoa's Tongan population, and especially to avid aficionados at a Wellington church. The kind of fans that were showing their devotion by decking out their homes in the Tongan flag top to bottom, hitching the red-and-white cloth to every free space on their cars and carrying around the symbol on their phone cases, they were determined to see Tonga play France in their own home city, and willing to whatever it takes to do so — wholesomely, in the type of underdog story about fervour, ingenuity, self-belief and luck that engagingly makes for an easy and warm-hearted cinema crowd-pleaser. On-screen, the dynamic Maka (NZ Popstars personality and film debutant John-Paul Foliaki) first thinks that he'll simply raise enough in donations for his congregation to attend the big game, aided by his dancing while the choir sings. When it ends up taking too much money to make money that way, that plan hits a bum note. So does a too-good-to-be-true offer that's exactly that. But sports fandom and a love of one's country are just like life in frequently finding a way. Handily, Aroha (Hariata Moriarty, Cousins) from the city council is looking for a brass marching band to perform before the match, asking at Maka's father Pita's (Tevita Finau) church for local talent. They don't have what she's searching for, and have never been anywhere near even thinking about having a brass marching band; however, that doesn't stop their resident born entertainer from saying otherwise when he hears that free Rugby World Cup tickets are involved. It may spring from reality, with co-writer Halaifonua (Nua) Finau scripting the story with first-time feature director Damon Fepulea'i from his very own experiences — yes, this happened to Finau — but there's a touch of Brassed Off meets Pitch Perfect meets Cool Runnings to Red, White & Brass. Although some films bring others to mind because they're that generic, often lazily as well, that isn't what's occurring here. Whether or not you know the IRL outcome going in, you know the outcome. You know that there wouldn't be a movie unless exactly what you think will happen happens. Stepping through this real-life quest makes for infectious viewing because it does follow the expected narrative pattern so lovingly, with such heart and so satisfyingly, especially when it comes to celebrating NZ's Tongan community. Maka has plenty of convincing to do, including friends like Veni (Dimitrius Shuster- Koloamatangi, Upright), who has largely lost touch with his Tongan heritage; Irene (Ilaisaane Green, The Commons), who is sceptical about this new brass-playing scheme; and his disapproving father and wary mother Elisiva (Valeti Finau). In the process, with help from Samisoni (Michael Falesiu), the only person Maka knows with any brass marching band experience, the Tongan word "māfana" is mentioned more than once. It means an overwhelming feeling of warmth and emotion, so it happily fits his mission, and it's also what Red, White & Brass itself is revelling in. This is an affectionate and joyous film that doesn't just pay tribute to events that clearly begged for the big-screen treatment from the moment that they happened, or to the feeling and energy behind them, but to the community and culture goes all-in when it comes to national pride. Even when they're disagreeing, disparaging or doubting — and when the familiar sports-film training journey sees Maka and his pals start out with plastic bottles, then join a school band for lessons, and also become the unhappy stars of a viral fail video — Red, White & Brass' persistent group of Tongan rugby superfans don't waver in their māfana. Nor does the cast that Fepulea'i has assembled to portray them, as led by Foliaki bouncing around the movie with a larger-than-life vibe that plays as pure zeal. That the Finaus, Nua's parents and both first-time actors, basically step into their own shoes is a nice touch, as is including some original members of the Taulanga Ū Brass Band, who started it all. Red, White and Brass is directed with inescapable fondness as well, which flows through to its sunny frames (as shot by Andrew McGeorge, The Panthers), upbeat editing (including by Fepulea'i) and mix of marching-band tunes with tracks from Three Houses Down. In music, hitting every expected note is usually pivotal. When that skill is perfected, creativity and experimentation can echo, which Red, White & Brass acknowledges and embraces. In cinema, movies that stick to the sheet before them can be blandly cliched, and many do, but the best of them swell with reassurance and comfort. Everyone watching wants this film to turn out the way it does, which it does, sticking to reality and offering a soothing bit of solace in a hectic world. That's what loving a sport, your culture or anything that you're passionate about can be, too, and Fepulea'i, Finau and executive producer Taika Waititi (Thor: Love and Thunder) know it, feel it and let it resound.
After a successful launch in 2014, the Port Phillips Mussel Festival is back for a tasty, tasty second year. The streets of South Melbourne will come alive with music (including an Elvis impersonator, if you're into the King), seriously good food and drink and, of course, an abundance of mussels. Joining the party are some of the region's top chefs and restaurants, including St Ali, Mr Lawrence at the London, Dandelion and Acland Street Cantina. All the South Melbourne Market restaurants will be there too, with Claypots Evening Star, Paco y Lola, Köy and Simply Spanish getting creative with their regular menus for the event. So if you're any smidge of a foodie, or are simply keen to treat your tastebuds to a royal feast, get down to the South Melbourne Market and sample mussel paella, wok-cooked drunken mussels, artisanal ice cream, Gerry's doughnuts, and a real good time.
Kick off your shoes and slather on the sunscreen because 3 Ravens and Thornbury Bowls Club are teaming up for another year of community fun and, of course, a good beer. This year's festival, running from 12–6pm on Sunday, November 3, includes a variety of outdoor activities and prize giveaways — all in the spirit of celebrating the start of summer. Throughout the afternoon, you can chow down on classic barbecue fare, and either join a casual game of free barefoot bowls or test your skills by entering the Bowl Off. For this competition, you'll fight it out with fellow bowlers to roll your ball closest to a 50c piece. Prizes will, of course, be up for grabs with this one. A stack of beer can games and kid-friendly activities will also be set up all over the club. 3 Ravens will be running the pop-up bar, pouring a range of their brews to thirsty players. To celebrate of the launch of its 86 Tram series, the brewery will also be running The Gigantic Raffle, which, true to its title, boasts some mighty big prizes. Enter for the chance to win merch like caps, t-shirts and stubby holders, bar vouchers, a nine-year Social Bowls Club membership, or even free beer for an entire year. Entry to the festival is free, but you can also snag a $10 Golden Ticket, which includes entry to the Bowl Off and Gigantic Raffle as well as three cans of beer.
There aren't a whole bunch of things that can beat a day in the sun with a drink in your hand. Recognising the need to slake that thirst, Canadian Club is bringing its Racquet Club back for the summer, dosing out refreshing Canadian Club and dry by the water with a screen showing the tennis. The Racquet Club celebrates Australia's biggest annual summer sporting fixture, the Australian Open. After keeping punters happy and hydrated for the past six years, the pop-up will return and set up at Birrarung Marr for two weeks from Monday, February 8–Sunday, February 21, overlooking the Yarra River and providing the perfect spot for a balmy summer night. The pop-up bar will carry Canadian Club on tap and there'll be food on offer from Taco Truck and Beatbox. Plus, there'll be a big screen showing every Australian Open game — and entry is free. Canadian Club Racquet Club is open from 4–11pm Monday–Thursday and 12pm–1am Thursday–Sunday. Images: Courtesy LWA
The Abbotsford Convent Open Day is not a day when nuns sign up for a life of service, but a day when you get to play peekaboo at one of Melbourne’s hard-fought-for spaces. The history of Abbotsford Convent will have struggling community organisations salivating across the country. The story goes like this. One day, some really short-sighted people wanted to turn the historic, swoon-worthy site into high-density housing and a mini golf course. Smelly idea. A small group of locals saw the tragedy and thought of a fresher idea. Now the Convent is a thriving community, cultural and arts precinct. It has sexy artist studios and galleries, performance spaces, a community radio station, as well as a bakery, bars, restaurants and an outdoor cinema. And the natural gardens and heritage buildings have been saved (hurrah!) This Sunday, you can see everything in action — free workshops (drumming, dancing, cooking, learning French), exhibitions, performances, kids activities, food, The Sophia Mundi Steiner School Fair and much more. It’s time to celebrate the un-convent-ional. Image by eythian.
Some film festivals whisk you away to far-off countries without leaving your cinema seat, or your home. Others expand your knowledge about the state of the world and what might be to come. Screening both in-person in Melbourne and online nationally from Friday, February 18–Sunday, March 13, Australia's annual Transitions Film Festival does both. And, after more than a decade of pondering the future of the planet, changing technologies and our evolving world, this film fest is showing no signs of stopping — with more than 20 titles on its 2022 lineup. Mostly, you'll be diving into docos, but German drama Ecocide takes a different route, putting world leaders on trial in 2034 for their inaction to combat climate change in our present. Other highlights include A.rtificial I.mmortality, about a life that might extend beyond our bodies; 70/30, following a quest in Denmark to reduce greenhouse gases by 70 percent by 2030; First We Eat, where filmmaker Suzanne Crocker bans grocery shopping for a year; Mountains of Plastic, where plastic pollution still finds its way to some of the earth's most isolated regions. Or, because the list goes on, there's also a movie-length economics lesson via Hot Money; Dear Future Children, about the new generation of global protesters; Forest for the Trees, which focuses on community of 100 tree planters; and Dream On, Yearning For Change, where five people endeavour to make the world better in their own ways. Top image: Dream On, Yearning For Change.
The Melbourne Marathon Festival started back in the 70s and is a favoured annual running event for many Melburnians. The races vary in length and difficulty — the shortest event being a three-kilometre walk, with five- and ten-kilometre courses coming in before and half marathon and the full slog. The track spans the Melbourne CBD and gives runners an opportunity to experience the city's famous landmarks in a different context — from the St Kilda beach foreshore to Flinders Street to Albert Park Lake. All races start at Birrarung Marr and end inside the MCG — so you can finish with the roar of the crowd. Take part on your own, as a team or with colleagues, and help raise funds for the Cerebal Palsy Education Centre, or a charity of your choice.
Haven't heard the news? World Hummus Day is just around the corner, taking over the world of dip on Tuesday, May 13. What better way to ring in the occasion than heading to Maha North for bottomless servings of Shane Delia's famous hummus? The northside sister to the much-loved Maha in the city, Maha North offers a similar kind of modern Middle-Eastern cuisine, presented in a neighbourhood brasserie. On the menu is a Maha-style selection of dips, including a candied pumpkin hummus with spiced chicken, walnuts and roasted garlic; a whipped almond hummus with smoked Ora King salmon, pine nuts and dill; and a cumin-braised Mount Zero chickpea hummus with almonds and parsley. From Tuesday, May 13–Sunday, May 18, drop in from 5pm on weekdays and 12pm on weekends to enjoy bottomless bowls of hummus for just $30, served with plentiful helpings of house-made flatbread, fennel seed lavosh and fried bread. Add a couple of dishes from Maha North's à la carte offering to transform this easygoing snack session into a fully fledged feast.
Steps Australia, one of the largest Australian hospitality training organisations has joined forces with Katrina Higham – ex chef at Joe's Diner and Windsor Deli to bring keen students some new classes. Next up, The Myrtleford Butter Factory will host an artisan butter and ricotta making course at Hobba in Prahran. Students will get their churn on as they learn how to turn milk into butter and ricotta while Naomi Ingleton, owner of The Butter Factory in Myrtleford, shares her secrets. There is also wine involved. Wine and butter seem like a brilliant idea. With some form of carbohydrate between, we hope. In the end, students can take away recipes to put their skills to work at home.
Cut through the crap with Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, in an hour long presentation designed to help you tell fact from fiction. The latest in a series of 'secular sermons' organised by The School of Life, Dr Karl on Misinformation will see the beloved science broadcaster hold court on the lies and misconceptions that have become part of everyday life. Doors open at Fitzroy Town Hall at 10.45am. The event will begin with a musical performance at 11am, before Dr Karl takes the stage at 11:30am. Covering everything from antioxidant supplements to the correlation between mobile phone use and cancer, the good doctor will explore how misinformation affects the way we think and behave, while also demonstrating practical ways to fight back when bullshit rears its ugly head. Prepare to question everything you thought you knew about the world. Honestly, it's probably for the best. Image credit: Gronk Oz
