Here's one of Sydney Film Festival's many annual delights: for Australian cinema obsessives who can't make it to Cannes, which is most, it's a cure for movie FOMO. Plenty of the titles that wow audiences in France each year head Down Under the next month. For 2025, here's a few, all playing between Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15: Josh O'Connor (Challengers) and Alana Haim (Licorice Pizza) in heist-thriller mode in filmmaker Kelly Reichardt's (Showing Up) 70s-set The Mastermind; It Was Just an Accident, the latest feature from acclaimed Iranian director Jafar Panahi (No Bears), who is also the subject of one of SFF's 2025 retrospectives; and Dangerous Animals, hailing from Australian helmer Sean Byrne (The Loved Ones, The Devil's Candy) and telling a tale of a shark-obsessed serial killer on the Gold Coast. Musing on its eponymous author as only filmmaker Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro) can, Orwell: 2+2=5 is also taking the Cannes-to-Sydney route. So is coming-of-age story Enzo from BPM (Beats Per Minute)'s Robin Campillo; Mirrors No 3, which sees German director Christian Petzold reteam with his Transit, Undine and Afire star Paula Beer; Nigeria's My Father's Shadow, the first-ever movie from the country to be selected to play on the Croisette; The Secret Agent, led by Wagner Moura (Dope Thief) for filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho (a Sydney Film Festival Prize-winner for Aquarius); and Vie Privée with Jodie Foster (True Detective: Night Country). Some of these titles are vying for this year's SFF prize, in the competition's 17th year — where opening night's Together, a new body-horror by Australian filmmaker Michael Shanks (The Wizards of Aus) starring Alison Brie (Apples Never Fall) and Dave Franco (Love Lies Bleeding) is also in contention. Will DJ Ahmet, a Sundance-winner after collecting its World Cinema — Dramatic Audience Award, emerge victorious? Or will that honour go to 2025 Berlinale Grand Jury Prize-winner The Blue Trail? They're also in the running. What features Tom Hiddleston's (Loki) newest performance, with The Life of Chuck directed by The Fall of the House of Usher's Mike Flanagan and based on a Stephen King novella? What also boasts Jacob Elordi (Oh, Canada), Daisy Edgar-Jones (Twisters) and Will Poulter (Warfare) in queer romance On Swift Horses, plus Richard Linklater's (Hit Man) Blue Moon with Ethan Hawke (Leave the World Behind), Margaret Qualley (The Substance) and Andrew Scott (Ripley) — alongside Carey Mulligan (Spaceman) in music-fuelled comedy The Ballad of Wallis Island, the Dylan O'Brien (Saturday Night)-led Twinless and Pike River with Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets) getting its world premiere? This year's Sydney Film Festival. Which event is adding to its screening venues in 2025 in a spectacular way by showing films at Sydney Opera House, too? And which fest has 201 movies from 70 countries on its lineup, with 17 world premieres, six international premieres and 137 Australian premieres among them? The answer is still the same. Other 2025 highlights include Berlin's Golden Bear-winner Dreams (Sex Love); Aussie effort Death of an Undertaker, the directorial debut of actor Christian Byers (Bump), who uses an IRL Leichhardt funeral parlour as his setting; Dreams, with Jessica Chastain (Mothers' Instinct) reuniting with her Memory helmer Michel Franco; satire Kontinental '25, from Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World and Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn's Radu Jude; and What Does That Nature Say to You, the latest from South Korea's prolific Hong Sang-soo (In Our Day). Or, there's the near-future Tokyo-set Happyend, the Luca Guadagnino (Queer)-produced Nineteen, Tibetan-language anthology State of Statelessness (the first ever, in fact), Naomi Watts (Feud) and Bill Murray (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) in page-to-screen dramedy The Friend, Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar collaborator Kahlil Joseph's BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions, and Vicky Krieps (The Dead Don't Hurt) and Dacre Montgomery (Stranger Things) tackling grief and possession in Went Up the Hill. Among the standouts on the festival's documentary slate, Jennifer Peedom (River) turns her focus to the quest to make the world's deepest cave dive by Thai cave rescue hero Dr Richard Harris in Deeper, 20 Days in Mariupol's Mstyslav Chernov works bodycam footage from the Ukrainian frontline into 2000 Metres to Andriivka and All I Had Was Nothingness features unused material from iconic Holocaust documentary Shoah 40 years on. Plus, Floodland is focused on Lismore, Journey Home, David Gulpilil charts the iconic actor's journey to be laid to rest, Prime Minister shines a spotlight on Jacinda Ardern and trying to open a Tokyo restaurant is at the heart of Tokito: The 540-Day Journey of a Culinary Maverick. Fans of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, take note: it's up for discussion in Chain Reactions from Alexandre O Philippe (Lynch/Oz). If you miss the video-store era, Alex Ross Perry (Her Smell) understands, and has made Videoheaven about it — a film essay solely comprised from movie and TV clips. A New Leaf, The Heartbreak Kid, Mikey and Nicky and Ishtar director Elaine May earns SFF's second 2025 retrospective, while the fest's lineup of restored classics includes the Aussie likes of Muriel's Wedding, Somersault and Mullet, plus Angel's Egg from Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii. For viewers of all ages, the live-action How to Train Your Dragon is also on the program. Barry Keoghan's (Bird) new Irish thriller Bring Them Down; the Australian premiere of homegrown animation Lesbian Space Princess; music documentaries One to One: John & Yoko and Marlon Williams: Ngā Ao e Rua — Two Worlds; Tilda Swinton (The Room Next Door)- and Michael Shannon (The Bikeriders)-starring post-apocalyptic musical The End; intimacy coordinators getting the doco treatment; Ellis Park, about Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds collaborator, Dirty Three founder and frequent film-score composer Warren Ellis: they're on the lineup, too. So is the one-film movie marathon that is 14-hour picture Exergue — on documenta 14, which is set inside the 2017 edition of the documenta art exhibition in Germany and Greece.
It's something straight out of Bridget Jones' Diary, except there's nary a wet, smokin' Hugh Grant in sight. Sorry. We might not be as flashy and have as much bravado as our counterpart Sydney, but that's not to say Melbourne still doesn't pay its dues when it comes to outdoor activities in, on or around bodies of water. You can settle back in a wooden punt boat on the lake in the Royal Botanic Gardens with your special someone and be propelled into your most relaxed selves by a charming punter (again, sadly not Hugh). This fella will be in the full punting regalia of boating hat and red vest. BYO parasol, snacks and drinks, 'cause nothing says romance like being punted. Oh, and dogs are welcome, too.
The Taste Riverina Festival sees the region's producers come together in a month-long celebration of local food from October 1 through 31. The curated program spans agricultural tours, cooking demonstrations, food treks and beer and wine tastings, along with your requisite degustation dinners, farmers markets and cafe specials available around town. Riverina is know for its diverse range of local produce, including rice, citrus, olive oil, lamb and beer — to name a few. The region's plentiful vineyards will be offering up cellar door tastings paired with music and food to boot. There will be whole meals dedicated to salami and the Ploughman's Lunch, along with a food and art fusion exhibition. Bush tucker tours, pool parties and pub crawls round out the jam-packed program that is sure to leave your belly satisfied.
Bridge Road Brewers likes to celebrate the Victorian hop harvest in a big way — that is, with an annual beer festival that gives punters the rare chance to taste true freshly hopped brews. High Country Hop will return to the Beechworth brewery for its tenth year on Sunday, March 22, bringing together booze, food and live tunes. The brewery's car park will host several other brewers from the region, including Billson's Beechworth, Bright Brewery, Crank Handle Brewery, King River Brewing, Mitta Brewing and Mountain Monk Brewers. This year, there will also be special guests from beyond the region — Kaiju Beer, Loveshack Brewing Co., Mountain Culture, Wildflower Brewing & Blending, and Range Brewing. Basically, you can expect an enormous amount of beer at the High Country Hop Festival this year. This'll be partly balanced out with the inclusion of a few local winemakers and distilleries. Apart from booze, there's also an all-day music festival going down. Live bands and DJs will amp up the party atmosphere, with Kaiit, The 5678s, Darren Hanlon, Benny & The Flybyniters, and Sky High Trio hitting the stage throughout the big day. There'll also be a heap of food trucks and plenty of family-friendly activities. First-release tickets to 2025's High Country Hop are going for $59 per person and include a $10 drinks token. Family bundles are also available for those coming with kids.
Leave it to the Europeans to design something this good looking. Parisian electronics artisans Withings may have just cracked the code to creating appealing wearable tech devices this week. The secret? More wearable, less tech. This recently announced smartwatch is one of the first offerings that doesn't overshoot its target. Not endeavouring to become an iPhone strapped to your wrist or a creepy maligned face computer, the Withings Activité is a beautiful Swiss-made watch that happens to also track your exercise activity. "We tried to really turn the equation upside down," said Withings CEO Cedric Hutchings. "[We wanted] to stop trying to make a piece of technology with a screen, a piece of rubber, something you need to charge every day. We tried to start with a watch." This minimalist-as-blazes watch, which is set to be released in a few months, comes with a large analogue face and two shades of leather strap. It boasts a regular watch battery with a guaranteed life of one year, and is actually waterproof up to five metres. Its only difference from the analogue standard is a small second dial to the right of the clock's centre. This one measures either your steps or your sleep, then syncs the information to your iPhone via Bluetooth. In another cute feature, the Activité can also act as an alarm clock, gently vibrating to wake you at the lightest point in your sleep cycle. While it may not sound all that revolutionary, it certainly is refreshing in a tech market flooded with unrelentingly hideous gadgetry. Like any burgeoning technological field, there are some design issues that need to get ironed out in the smartwatch market and we need to burn our way through a few Nokia 3315s before we get to the iPhones, if you know what I mean. This is probably one of the first worthwhile products of the bunch. Of course, nerdier types are still holding out for the much-hyped Google smartwatch next month — a nifty little piece of tech that even we got excited about. But for those who are more about simplicity and style, the Activité is the way to go. It's maybe the first thing that can be useful without completely resembling a Tamagotchi. Maybe for that we can forgive its cheesy promo clip. Via The Verge.
St Kilda's vibrant live music scene might soon have a new addition in the form of a 5000-standing capacity venue, under a bold new proposal set to be considered by Port Phillip Council. The news follows St Kilda's recent classification as Victoria's first Live Music Precinct, which aims to provide support for live music venues, including streamlining noise complaints. The proposal is set to be discussed during the next Port Phillip Council meeting on Wednesday, September 6. The site is situated in a prime position on St Kilda's foreshore, in proximity to both the Palais Theatre and Luna Park. Mayor of the City of Port Phillip Heather Cunsolo said the site is, "ideally situated to fill the big gap in Melbourne for a purpose-built indoor live music/performance venue for up to 5000 patrons". [caption id="attachment_885347" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Mackenzie Sweetnam[/caption] "We've spoken to music industry experts from venues and promoters to performers to gauge the feasibility of this creative concept and they say it would help address a critical shortage of medium-large live music spaces. We now need to hear what our community thinks," Cunsolo says. "This concept is also about providing beautiful, well-designed outdoor space for locals and visitors." An indicative site plan has teased a flexible design layout, which may allow the venue space to be adjusted for smaller events, as well as bigger music festivals. State-of-the-art acoustics, a series of elevated terraces and balconies, green space, and weather-proof features are also promised in the draft plan. The emphasis on standing capacity will hopefully allow patrons to dance within a purpose-built venue until the early hours of the morning. [caption id="attachment_884064" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Nathan Doran[/caption] The next steps include community consultation following the Port Phillip Council meeting, if a decision is made. Community consultation will run from Thursday, September 7 to Thursday, October 19 and will form a report to go back to Council. 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: Render.
Making its world premiere at Arts House in North Melbourne this week, Tremor is described not as a dance piece, but rather an 'intense sonic-kinetic encounter'. Created by Ashley Dyer in collaboration with sound artist Nigel Brown, the show will be performed on a custom-built eight-by-eight-metre vibrating floor covered with more than 200 metal poles. Music and sound shakes the floor, sending tremors through the poles and creating an ever-shifting artificial grassland. Over the course of almost an hour, Dyer, Brown and a trio of female dancers will examine the effect of pressure and vibration, on both the body and the earth, through a hypnotic combination of movement, performance and sound. Tremor runs from November 16–20, with a post-show Q&A on November 17.
Shiny new hotels keep popping up across the city, with the Ritz-Carlton and Le Méridien just a couple of Melbourne's latest accommodation arrivals. And now we've scored another addition in the Dorsett Melbourne — an eight-storey beauty that's made its home on Little Lonsdale Street. This one has been imagined by award-winning architects Cottee Parker, showcasing a suave contemporary fitout that effortlessly nails the concept of mixed prints. Rich textures abound, while a vibrant, local-leaning art collection curated by Fremantle-based artist Anna Flanders graces the walls. The hotel features 316 rooms, which will soon include a collection of pet-friendly suites for those travelling with a four-legged friend in tow. Meanwhile, tiny two-legged guests are sure to give a thumbs up to the soon-to-launch family suites, which will be kitted out with playfully themed rooms. In addition to its good looks, the hotel boasts all the trimmings you could want from an inner-city escape, from the heated 14-metre indoor pool and state-of-the-art gym to a sauna and onsite spa. Come June 1, guests will also have exclusive access to the Club Lounge with its workspaces, meeting areas, and all-day — and night — food and drink menus. Meanwhile, the Dorsett's hospitality venues are worth a visit in their own right, each showcasing a sustainability-focused food offering led by Executive Chef Julio Martinez. The Port Bistro is serving up a daily breakfast buffet, along with a seafood-heavy dinner menu on Friday and Saturday nights. Think: Port Phillip Bay mussels done with garlic and smoked paprika, slow-cooked lamb ribs, and barramundi paired with kohlrabi and a caper lemon butter sauce. Dressed in a nod to Victoria's historic gold rush era, the sparkly Jin Bar (named after the Mandarin word for gold) is your plush hideaway for sips and snacks. Here, you can kick back with a charcuterie board or Angus beef brioche burger while sipping your way through a list of bubbly, local vino, and cocktails both classic and signature. The latter includes the Dorsett's smoky answer to the old fashioned, built on fig and cinnamon bitters. The hotel makes up part of the new West Side Place precinct, which will continue to expand with a suite of new hospitality venues planned for the coming months. Find the Dorsett Melbourne at 615 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne.
Forty years after first forming, Cirque du Soleil still knows how to notch up firsts among its lineup of dazzling circus shows, especially for Australian audiences. In 2023, the Montreal-based company headed Down Under with CRYSTAL, its first-ever ice production on ice. In 2024, it's following that up with LUZIA, which takes inspiration from Mexico, and also marks Cirque du Soleil's first touring performance that features rain in its acrobatic and artistic scenes. LUZIA's name is a combination of the words 'lux' and 'lluvia' in Spanish, with the first translating as light and the second as rain. What that means in the production will be unveiled to Melbourne audiences from Sunday, March 24, 2024 at Flemington Racecourse. While it has been four decades since Cirque du Soleil was created back in 1984, 2024 is the 25th anniversary of the troupe's performances in Australia, making LUZIA the tenth big-top show to hit our shores. So, although it's already an ode to Mexican culture, the production has even more to celebrate as it spends the bulk of 2024 and into 2025 making its way around the nation. Packing their bags to help: a team of 120 people, which includes 47 artists from 26 countries. First staged in 2016 and becoming Cirque du Soleil's 38th original production at the time, LUZIA has already been seen by 4.5-million people, a number that'll grow in Australia. Audiences are in for a trip to an imaginary version of Mexico, where the performance gets playful and surreal amid the light and rain. Some of the settings include an old movie set, the desert, the ocean and a dance hall, all backdropping the company's acrobatics, trapeze displays, contortionist feats, juggling and more. In the Cyr wheel, artists will roll and spin through the rain. And that trapeze work? That happens through showers. LUZIA also spans hoop diving on giant treadmills, a natural sinkhole, seven pins being flung in the air by jugglers and street dancing that includes footballs. Daniele Finzi Pasca wrote and directs the production, which begins with a parachutist falling into a field of cempasuchil flowers, turning a huge metallic key, then taking a magical journey. From there, the clown antics give LUZIA a beach clown and clown scuba diving, the acrobatics even take to a bike, a luchador mask makes an appearance in the swing segment — 1000-plus costumes are seen across the show in total — and a hair-suspension act features. Images: Anne Colliard.
You wouldn't be blamed for being a little more budget-conscious when it comes to your shopping habits lately. Fortunately, the much-loved Round She Goes fashion market returns to Melbourne from 10am–3pm on Sunday, September 21. Taking over Coburg Town Hall with the full range of high-quality, preloved women's fashion, there are over 60 stalls to rummage through, each jam-packed with stylish secondhand designer labels, chic vintage finds and quality handmade accessories. Hidden among the big names and cult-followed labels, you'll find designer fashion and vintage gems from the likes of Aje, Gorman, Zimmermann and Scanlan Theodore. And the styles up for grabs are as eclectic as the brands, with in-vogue finds ranging from the 1940s to the Y2K era. You're also bound to discover some must-have accessories, with Round She Goes offering Hermès and Liberty scarves alongside mid-century brooches and attention-grabbing jewellery. Prices start from $5, so staying on top of your budget is made easy.
It premiered at Cannes, will make its Australian debut at the Melbourne International Film Festival and is shaping up to be one of this year's biggest films. We're talking about Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which sees the acclaimed filmmaker step back to five decades ago to explore Tinseltown in the summer of 1969 — when the golden age of Hollywood was waning down, and when the Manson Family shocked the world with their horrific murders. Tarantino doesn't just want movie buffs to enjoy his new movie, however. He wants to steep viewers in the whole '60s vibe, including the films that inspired his own film. To help, the writer/director has curated a season of flicks all made in the era, and they'll be screening on SBS' new (and free) World Movies channel in August. The Quentin Tarantino Presents collection is a global project, airing in approximately 20 countries around the world in the lead up to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's release. In Australia, it kicks off on Monday, August 12 with 1969 comedy Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, about a couple who decide to become more open in their lives. From there, the season will move on to Cactus Flower with Goldie Hawn, Ingrid Bergman Walter Matthau, as well as the Dennis Hopper-directed and -starring Easy Rider. As for the rest of the bill, it all hails from the late 50s, 60s and early 70s, including Model Shop from French writer-director Jacques Demy, student politics comedy Getting Straight with Elliott Gould, crime flick Hammerhead, and westerns Gunman's Walk and Arizona Raiders. One of the films on the list, 1968's The Wrecking Crew, is a humorous spy flick that co-stars Sharon Tate — who Margot Robbie plays in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The whole season will set audiences up nicely for Tarantino's latest, which follows TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his trusty stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Each movie will air with an introduction from the director, who chats with film writer and historian Kim Morgan about how they influenced Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Check out the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELeMaP8EPAA SBS World Movies' Quentin Tarantino Presents collection starts airing from 10.30pm on Monday, August 12. For screening times, visit the channel's online program guide. Via Deadline / SBS Movies.
When Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art's (MONA) hosts an arts and music festival, it doesn't just compile a standard lineup of shows and events. It curates talents that will hit other bills in other cities, of course, but it also hunts down the kind of gigs and experiences that you generally won't see elsewhere. Take 2023's just-dropped Mona Foma program as a prime example. It was already packed with Pavement, Bon Iver, Bikini Kill, Angel Olsen and Peaches (and Perturbator, The Chills and Kae Tempest), as announced back in October, but now it includes a tunnel of light, 'Complaints Choir' and punk bunker — because of course it does. MONA's summer fest — aka its sunny alternative to its sinister winter arts and culture festival Dark Mofo — will return in February 2023 in a big way. How big? With 370 artists across two weekends. The dates to get excited about: Friday, February 17–Sunday, February 19, 2023 in Launceston, and Friday, February 24–Sunday, February 26, 2023 in Hobart. Now, here's what you'll be seeing. [caption id="attachment_875442" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Debi Del Grande[/caption] Launceston's weekend-long Mona Foma stint will feature a free three-day party at a new hub in the city's decommissioned old TAFE called the reUNIÓN district, which is where those unusual vocals — singing local Launceston grievances — will echo. It's also where there'll be queer woodchopping in the quad, Soccer Mommy taking to the stage and that punk bunker featuring, yes, punk tunes played loud a bunker. Also on the list in Launceston, where Mona Foma has been hitting up since 2019: underwater electronica by Leon Vynehall in the Basin Pool; dance work Body Body Commodity from Jenni Large; James Webb's Prayer, where you will indeed need to kneel while listening to recordings of prayer, song and vocal worship; and Van Diemen's Band and Ensemble Kaboul teaming up for Afghanistan-meets-baroque music. [caption id="attachment_880157" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prayer, 2012, James Webb. Photo credit: Anthea Pokroy. Image courtesy of the artist and Mona Foma.[/caption] Plus, there's a Fantastic Futures exhibition, a late-night book club overseen by 'sonic librarians', Kenneth Tam's Breakfast in Bed theatre experiment — featuring seven guys he found on Craigslist — and the delightfully named Anthem Anthem Revolution, where you're asked to beat a robot at a game of table tennis. A certain highlight is Hyperbolic Psychedelic Mind Melting Tunnel of Light, with Robin Fox letting attendees take over the light, sound and motion controls one person at a time. Also set to stun is CHANT, with Tasmanian women's sporting clubs performing historic and contemporary feminist protest chants; Lost in Place, a pairing of electro-ambient psychedelic jazz with live dance; Arnhem Land documentary Christmas Birrimbirr; and Martina Hoogland Ivanow's film Interbeing, which only used thermal cameras to shoot human interactions and capture the heat behind them. [caption id="attachment_880156" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Christmas Birrimbirr, (Christmas Spirit), (video still), 2011, Miyarrka Media. Image courtesy of the artist and Mona Foma.[/caption] MONA's summer event was initially held in Hobart, as seasoned fans will remember, and the fest hasn't forgotten its OG home. If that's where you're getting your Mona Foma fix in 2023, you have a stacked lineup in store as well. Many of the fest's big-name acts are playing there — Bon Iver, Bikini Kill, Peaches and Pavement all included — and the MONA lawns will also host a show featuring songwriters from the Pilbara town of Roebourne singing for freedom on the 40th-anniversary year of John Pat's passing in custody, as guided by Ngarluma and Yinjibarndi Elders. Also, Amber McCartney and Tasdance's dance performance Baby Girl will enjoy its world premiere, Nico Muhly takes over the fest as an artist in residence, and the Theatre Royal's program includes IHOS Amsterdam's time travel-inspired PRIMORDIAL For Piano and Diverse Media and film noir opera A Deep Black Sleep. [caption id="attachment_880154" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Climate Notes, Anna McMichael and Louise Devenish. Photo credit: Lucian Fuhler. Image courtesy of the artist and Mona Foma.[/caption] Or, see Climate Notes in Rosny Park, playing five new works for violin and percussion that all take inspiration from scientists' handwritten letters about global warming — and explore Tomas' Garden by Cici (Xiyue) Zhang, where monsters and spirits will feature in an immersive magical landscape. The list goes on, complete with Morning Meditations in both cities — and Chloe Kim doing 100 hours of public drumming over ten days. [caption id="attachment_784488" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Robin Fox laser installation at the Albert Hall, Launceston, Mona Foma 2019. Photo Credit: MONA/Jesse Hunniford. Image courtesy of the artist and MONA Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.[/caption] Already keen to get booking? Fancy a Tasmania trip in the interim? Our Concrete Playground Trips Hobart getaway might also be of interest. Mona Foma will take place from Friday, February 17–Sunday, February 19, 2023 in Launceston, and from Friday, February 24–Sunday, February 26, 2023 in Hobart. Tickets go on sale at 11am on Tuesday, November 29 — head to the festival website for further details. Top image: Regurgitator & Seja & Mindy Meng Wang on guzheng perform The Velvet Underground & Nico. Photo Credit: Mona/Rémi Chauvin. Image Courtesy Mona, Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
High Street is a busy place. So why traverse the heights of Ruckers Hill when you can stop in the quaint surrounds of Westgarth Village and rest on your laurels at Bar Nonno? On entering the establishment you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s more of a boutique wine store with room to sit rather than somewhere to hole up for hours drinking good wine (and eating even better food), but you'll be happy to know this little hidey-hole is a restaurant as well. With head chef David Murphy (previously of French restaurants Bistro Thierry and PM24) behind the pass, it is of no surprise to be presented with a beautifully diverse, yet quintessentially European menu. It's clear that Murphy’s largely French technique has given him a deftness across all European cuisines that manages to be both authentic and surprising at the same time. Ordering is made easy thanks to an open and helpful front of house staff — a rarity in most restaurants with a wine list bordering on 120 listings. The dining menu is split into spuntini, mains, pizza, contorni, dolci and formaggio, but it's the spuntini that's the clear standout at Bar Nonno. The king prawn served with a yuzu mayonnaise ($6 each) proved to be an interesting, but excellent pairing — being aromatic without overpowering. The octopus, served with jamon crumbs ($9.50) is a bold dish that manages to perfectly balance what is essentially bacon lardons, with the charred, robust octopus. The pork belly bites ($8 each) with apple, ginger and an amontillado sherry glaze are one of the more palatable pork belly dishes you’ll try; the sherry glaze and the ginger really cut through the fatty pork, and won’t leave you gasping for air trying to digest it. Equally, the charred broccolini with lemon and coriander seeds ($11) was a side that complemented the meal while still holding its own amongst the spread. If however, you're after something a little simpler, the pizza menu is concise and in favour of showing off one or two key ingredients. The Nonno pizza ($21) with fior di latte and tartufo sopressa goes down a treat with a glass or two of wine. The largely biodynamic wine list is impressive but, what’s more, staff are well versed in pairings and have some impressive knowledge on all the plonk on offer. Sommelier David Carlei has selected wines to suit any palate and the attention to terroir and production methods add a layer of authenticity that is hard to fake. Whether seated in the wine store looking out onto High Street or nestled in the more relaxed and inviting dining rooms, Bar Nonno can cater to all. From the staff to the setting and, of course, the food and wine, it is hard to fault this little Westgarth gem. Nonno would be so proud.
East Brunswick Village has a new arrival, with a second To Be Frank location adding to the community's ethical and sustainable options. With its Collingwood location generating a cult following for its "respectus panis" — meaning minimal yeast and an extended fermentation process that's good for your gut — bread and pastry lovers exploring the new outpost can look forward to the same uncompromising quality and communal passion. Founded by Franco Villalva and Lauren Parsons in 2019, To Be Frank's East Brunswick Village location will maintain its focus on honest bread, pastries and sandwiches, featuring a daily selection that honours traditional baking methods. Of course, that means another store to get your hands on their popular baguette, fruit loaf and focaccia, but you'll also be able to take home To Be Frank's two-kilogram wholemeal sourdough 'miche', available in quarter, half or full-sized portions. "East Brunswick Village already feels like home. We've been welcomed so warmly by the community, and we can't wait to return that warmth — in the form of good bread, coffee, and connection," said Villalva and Parsons. Just like Collingwood, To Be Frank's new digs will be well-stocked with sweet and savoury pastries, including the debut of its chocolatine: a decadent croissant made with Melbourne-based Cuvèe Chocolate's Amphora 65% dark chocolate. The coconut and dulce de leche bomb pays tribute to Franco's Argentinian heritage, while the savoury sausage croissant features top-notch ingredients from neighbouring butcher, Hagen's Organics. Sandwich-lovers will have even more reason to visit, as Villalva and Parsons extend their selection at the East Brunswick locale. Drop by year-round for a ham, cheddar and Emmental toastie, catch a hot honey stracciatella open focaccia through periodic bakes, or discover new seasonal creations as they land in the cabinet. While there, order a stellar coffee with beans roasted by Blackburn's Symmetry Coffee Roasters. As for the new bakery's design, Corso Interior Architecture conceived the space as an open, purpose-built pastry kitchen, where customers get an up-close look at the action. "We've designed East Brunswick Village to be a place for people to enjoy at any time of the day – whether it be for a grab-and-go loaf in the morning for breakfast, a mid-morning coffee and pastry, or a dine-in sandwich or savoury pastry for lunch – the choice is yours," explained Villalva and Parsons. To Be Frank EBV is open Wednesday–Saturday from 7.30am–3pm and Sunday from 8am–3pm at 3 Village Avenue, East Brunswick. Head to the website for more information.
Now that Melbourne is reopening, you're probably keen to make a splash. Yes, watching fish, penguins and plenty of other marine creatures literally splash about definitely counts. And that's exactly what's on offer at Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium — which isn't back in its official capacity just yet, but is hosting luxe underwater lunches and dinners. Available from on Fridays and Saturdays from November 6, Sea Life's private dining packages will be on offer during the day for the first time in the venue's history, running from 12–3pm. If you'd prefer an evening session, they're on from 6–8.45pm. While you're there, you'll escape into an underwater world, feast your way through a spread of food and drinks, and soak in the intimate vibe. You can choose from one of seven locations, too, so prepare to pick between the shark tunnel, the marine life-filled mermaid garden, the shipwreck theatre section of the oceanarium and the new jellyfish exhibit. Or, you could opt for the seahorse pier, watch penguins in the Antarctica zone or sit above a five-metre-long saltwater crocodile. As well as a three-course meal and two hours of beverages — including sparkling, red and white wines, plus beer — you'll also get a 45-minute tour of the place. The whole experience doesn't come cheap, surprisingly, with a minimum spend in place of $2000 for ten people — so $200 a pop. If you're keen on a smaller booking, you can put your name on a waitlist.
Rooftop season has arrived and with it comes a brand-new sky-high drinking spot, complete with views across both the bay and the city. This one (sunny, openair space) sits atop the newly revamped Hobsons Bay Hotel — the latest venture from the mind behind Rustica Sourdough, Brenton Lang. Along with partners Drew Gibbs and Matt Cook, Land has transformed the former site of George Calombaris' Hellenic Hotel into a three-storey neighbourhood pub for the bayside suburb of Williamstown. Inside, a dapper fit-out by Fiona Drago gives a warm, elegant nod to the building's past, fusing custom-made tartan carpets, tan leather banquettes and splashes of green. A lofty ground-floor dining room centres around the open kitchen, while one level up, you'll find a private dining space and wraparound balcony overlooking the street. Venture further for the crowning glory: a roomy rooftop deck complete with its own bar and space for up to 100 people. With Head Chef Ben Pigott (formerly Supernormal, Cumulus Inc and Stokehouse) heading up the kitchen, you can expect big things from the venue's offering of polished Aussie pub classics. Heroing an impressive woodfire grill and rotisserie, the kitchen is plating up both a brasserie-style menu and a selection of more casual public bar eats. Hit either for elegant snacks and shares, like the crisp fried artichokes ($12) teamed with celery salt and romesco sauce, fish finger sandwiches ($10) and, of course, some Rustica sourdough ($6) served with cultured butter. [caption id="attachment_794162" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shanasy[/caption] In the dining room, you'll find yourself sitting down to the likes of a half rotisserie chicken ($32) with salsa verde and roast chook sauce, a side of charred heirloom zucchini ($14) finished with stracciatella, or one of three premium steak options ($36–90). That rotisserie is turning out more meaty delights come the weekend — porchetta on Saturdays and roast beef on Sundays (both market price_ — and for dessert, expects treats like the house-made doughnuts ($12) with rum custard and pineapple jam. Otherwise, keep it casual and pair a few pints with the likes of a cheeseburger ($21), hot chook roll ($16), or dukkah-roasted cauliflower steak ($19) with smoked hummus and fried capers. Brews from Balter and Cricketers Arms star throughout the 11-strong tap list, backed by an expansive selection of vino. Up on the roof, however, it's all about the tap wines and cocktails, including espresso martinis and margaritas to enjoy alongside the view. Images: Kate Shanasy
Don't worry if you missed out on the ballot to Golden Plains, all the A-list acts you were dying to see will also be doing the rounds at Melbourne Zoo's Twilights Series. Over six weeks of summer you can bliss out to the sounds of local classics like Sarah Blasko, Dan Sultan, Bernard Fanning as well as international artists like Conor Oberst, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, and the motherflippin' Village People. Making the perfect summer picnic destination, Melbourne Zoo will be pumping every Friday and Saturday evening from January 30 - March 7. Though tickets may seem steep at $70, that price not only guarantees you an amazing show but full admission to the zoo itself. All profits also go towards the fight to save the near-extinct Eastern Barred Bandicoot. Of course, you're welcome to bring along your own picnic basket with loads of food, but you'll have to leave that bottle of wine at home. The event is fully licensed, but there's no BYO — an important measure to keep rubbish and glass away from the poor little animals. In terms of the music, you'll be happy no matter what genre you like to get down to. The lineup has you thoroughly covered in the realms of indie, folk, rock, bollywood and cult '70s disco (because why not). If there's one thing to be upset by, it's the fact that we won't be seeing Belle and Sebastian like the folks at Sydney's Taronga Zoo. But, you have to admit, the once in a lifetime chance to groove out to 'YMCA' amidst some elephants and giraffes more than makes up for it. MELBOURNE ZOO TWILIGHTS 2015 PROGRAM: Friday January 30 - James Reyne and Jack Carty Saturday January 31 - Bernard Fanning and Little May Friday February 6 - Sarah Blasko and Luluc Saturday February 7 - Paul Kelly's Merri Soul Sessions with Clairy Browne, Kira Puru, Vika, Linda Bull and Hiatus Kaiyote Friday February 13 - Dan Sultan and Benny Walker Saturday February 14 - Boys In The Band Friday February 20 -The Budos Band and The Bombay Royale Saturday February 21 - Spiderbait and Jen Cloher Friday February 27 - Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks and Twerps Saturday February 28 - Conor Oberst and The Felice Brothers Friday March 6 - Village People and DJ Andee Frost Saturday March 7 - The Cat Empire and Dorsal Fins Tickets are on sale via the Melbourne Zoo website.
After several months and $4 million, we now have an opening date for Morris House, the CBD's new four-storey gastropub-cum-rooftop-bar-cum-underground comedy lounge. Yeah, it's a mouthful. Set your calendars to July 10 because that's when the long anticipated mega venue will be throwing open its doors. You might remember we covered the announcement of Morris House back in January. It's been in the works for a while. The Exhibition Street site, formerly home to sticky-floored comedy icon, The European Bier Café, has been transformed into a modern architecturally designed hospo space, boasting a ground floor dining room and bar, a sunny terrace on Level 1, and a leafy rooftop for 180 guests complete with resident DJs. All the ingredients you expect these days from multi-million-dollar CBD refurbishments. The only thing missing is the obligatory 'listening room'. Still, as an honour to its former life they've wisely kept the European Bier Café's comedy club downstairs. In fact, Morris House has tried to improve it, drawing inspiration from the New York underground comedy scene. You guessed it: lots of exposed brick. The space will host local and international comedy acts every Friday and Saturday night. Arj Barker is even taking up residence from July 18. Morris House Venue Manager Dylan Hewlett says the renovation brings the old venue up to Melbourne's modern pub standard — plush leather booths, a marble bar and all. "We're bringing all the best parts of Melbourne together in one place, which means there will always be something to come and enjoy. Start your night with a meal in the dining room, before heading down to the Basement Comedy Club for a show and end the evening on the rooftop with a signature cocktail." Given Morris House's location, just near Melbourne's theatre district, they'll also be running plenty of pre- and post-show specials. Bookings are open now via the new website. We'll see you there on opening day. Images: Supplied
Melbourne's ambitious Greenline Project on the northern bank of the Yarra River is one step closer to reality, as construction has now officially started on the Birrarung Marr stage of the redevelopment. The transformation was first announced in 2021, and detailed plans were released throughout the following years. But it's finally getting done. The Greenline Project will see the riverside precinct stretching from Birrarung Marr to the Bolte Bridge reimagined as one of the city's largest networks of green spaces, complete with a six-metre-wide and four-kilometre-long waterfront promenade. This walkway will connect five waterside precincts — Birrarung Marr, The Falls, River Park, Maritime and Saltwater Wharf — each of which will receive its own makeover. They'll feature a collection of promenades, parks, cultural activations and open space, with plans for environmental renewal projects to be incorporated and lots of native plants added, too. Currently, construction has only started on the Birrarung Marr Precinct. This will include a new and improved riverside promenade with terraced steps for lounging by the water, and performance spaces that will host cultural events throughout the year. A wetland habitat, a new park and a collection of rooftop venues above the Banana Alley Vaults have also been proposed for the Falls Precinct, while the River Park Precinct would include a new space for activities constructed beneath the Flinders Street viaduct. The Maritime Precinct looks set to feature new maritime-inspired artworks and improved boat access, and at the Saltwater Wharf Precinct, you can look forward to an expanded promenade and another brand-new park. "The Greenline Project will transform the underutilised north bank of the Yarra River to enhance Melbourne's world-renowned liveability, and will ensure Melbourne remains a beacon for global visitors and investment," explained Lord Mayor Sally Capp. For now, construction has only begun on the Birrarung Marr Precinct, which is slated to be completed by the end of 2024. Work on the other four precincts and connecting walkways will commence at a later date. You can find more details on the Greenline Project over on the City of Melbourne website or at the Greenline Project Hub at Federation Square — which is set to open in the coming months.
Google unwrapped a gift for all Internet music fans in the form of their new streaming platform Google Play Music All Access. The new service is Google’s attempt to stake a claim on the music streaming market, which now has a customer base in the hundreds of millions, and steal some of the users of already popular apps Spotify and Grooveshark. The product not only offers the streaming of music and radio online but also allows users to merge their existing music libraries with the millions of tracks available on Google Play (minus The Beatles of course who are digitally exclusive to iTunes), with new tracks suggested based on their similarity to your own music. Users can then create playlists from their amalgamated music log that can also be accessed offline. Whilst these features are very similar to platforms like Spotify, it is their unique radio features that Google is hoping will prove the difference. The primary selling point is that you can reorder and skip tracks at will. That’s right, you can organise the radio that you are listening to. Unlike many other products that offer a free version, the service is subscription-only with a fee of $10 a month. However, Google are offering a 30-day free trial to sweeten the deal. You can also purchase tracks to keep forever if you want to. It can all be popped into your cloud as well, meaning you can access it anywhere, anytime, even on your Android. Google have tried to cover all needs of the online music user here and whilst the service is only available State side at the moment, it will be soon be accessible to all World Wide Webbers. The announcement wasn’t the only reward offered by the Internet moguls at Google I/O, every tech developer’s favourite annual conference. The giants are also upgrading their maps, removing the sidebar from the platform to concentrate activity on the map itself. Maps are also set to be personalized, with your favourite restaurants and hangouts appearing so that you can find you way there quickly no matter where you are. Public transport directions are also improved, meaning all we bus users can finally find out exactly where to hop off, instead of being left with an unplanned walk resembling a marathon. Plus it just looks cooler — you can even go underwater. Having a verbal conversation with Google is about to get a whole lot easier too, with the new Conversational Search feature employing data about you to create a more relevant search result. Other announcements include a new API that will sync your notifications so that if you dismiss one on your tablet, it won’t annoyingly set your phone off too; Google Now Cards to remind you about appointments and Game of Thrones episode releases; as well as other more minor developments and upgrades. Like Google Play Music All Access, these features may not be immediately accessible in Australia and New Zealand but they should be on their way soon. [Via Gizmodo]
It seems we cannot get enough of the world's most famous inflatable yellow duck. After wowing Sydney Festival-goers at the turn of the year, the 16.5 metre giant then sailed into Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour. When it suffered from a minor deflation, the internet went into overdrive. Now Florentijn Hofman's colossus has become the victim of Chinese censorship after an edited image of the notorious 1989 'tank man' picture emerged this week, mocking Chinese censorship of the June 4 Tiananmen Square massacre. We are electing to call this controversy 'Duckgate'. Whilst the photoshopping may seem like a joke and draws a laugh worldwide, it is actually representative of the primary form of protest that internet activists can take against Chinese censorship of that day. The events of that tragic day are unsearchable in China on Weibo, the nation's most popular microblog, with the Chinese Communist party (CCP) having banned searchable number combinations associated with the events. They also blocked any other words even remotely associated with the Tiananmen Square massacre, including simple adverbs such as 'tomorrow' if one searched on June 3 and 'today' on June 4, the 24th anniversary of the tragedy. 'Big yellow duck' swiftly joined the censored list on Tuesday afternoon as Weibo became aware of the new 'duck man' image, joining 'lego tank', which was banned after this artwork surfaced. The censorship is all due to the CCP fearing a threat to their legitimacy, because apparently pretending that something never happened does not threaten your legitimacy at all. Protests like Duckgate are thus important stances taken by online users to circumnavigate censorship and commemorate that day and those who stood up for what they believed in, even if China would have you believe that nothing happened. Images: Twitter/weibo.com/weibolg
Melbourne's CBD is no stranger to a fine diner — where some of the world's best chefs, bartenders and front-of-house staff come together to create spellbinding experiences. And one of the latest additions to this scene is MING Dining. Owner and Director Tony Yan (ex-Botanical Hotel) has set up the new Melbourne restaurant on the corner of Queen Street and La Trobe Street within a vast two-storey space. Entering from the street, you're met with a huge fish tank, projections of Aussie landscapes and a glass-walled vault of wines. Head down the staircase to the large basement dining room peppered with contemporary and traditional Chinese décor. Intricately detailed wooden screens break up the private dining spaces and marble artwork looms over some of the seating to create a sense of total opulence. The bar is huge with space for plenty to gather after work and spread out into the courtyard once the sun properly arrives in Melbourne. Food-wise, expect refined dishes that marry contemporary Australian cuisine and ingredients with Chinese-Canto influences. Pacific oysters are refreshed with an XO butter and kohlrabi dressing or drizzled with umami bitters and a spring onion relish. Among the small plates, chawanmushi is upgraded with Fraser Island crab and Yarra Valley salmon caviar; roasted bone marrow twisted with a ginger salsa verde and crispy shallots; and seared baby abalone served with translucent sweet potato noodles. You also might be fortunate enough to be there when the Hong Kong-style fried chicken is on the specials board. For this, they've taken out the bone, replaced it with chicken mousse and deep-fried it. It's then served with a classic egg yolk sauce that's absolutely divine. Elsewhere on the larger plates, charred Black Angus beef ribs pair perfectly with gochujang and beef tendon chips, while grilled bugs and pipis tossed through an XO sauce are a must-order. The wagyu steak served with a tangy shiitake glaze and pickled mushrooms is also a huge standout. Finish it all with the black sesame panna cotta that comes paired with a blood orange mousse and miso cookie crumbs. It's one of our favourite new Melbourne desserts. As you'd expect with any new fine dining establishment in the city, the wine list is extensive. MING Dining champions Aussie drops as well as a strong selection from both France and Germany. Classic cocktails are up for grabs, but the seasonal Cantonese-inspired offerings are a must-try. The Xuan Wu made with rum, longan fruit, oolong tea and a blooming osmanthus flower is the perfect balance of both light and earthy notes. And the Ivory Tiger could be a dessert in itself, made with whisky, black tea, coffee and a dash of milk and served with a house-made biscuit. Think of it like a clarified whisky and milk punch. And those wanting to lean right into the Chinese spirits can get around bottles of the Moutai. High flyers keen to try the unofficial national liquor of China will need to fork over a hefty $1,888 for the bottle. But you don't need to go full, balls-to-the-walls extravagant at MING Dining. You can easily pop in for some happy hour cocktails and a round of fried chicken or grab the express lunch menu ($38 for two courses and $49 for three courses of yum cha specials). This makes the new city restaurant significantly more approachable for those of us on a budget who still want to dabble in the world of Melbourne fine dining. Images: Jake Roden
If you, like us, spent most of last year ordering take out and binge watching Ted Lasso in your undies, there's a good chance your adrenal glands are in need of a proper work out. And, with the warmer weather slowly fading, there's no better time to line up a holiday in the tropics to stretch out your summer. One place that's filled with truly incredible activities for the thrill-seekers among us is Tropical North Queensland. From hiking through World Heritage-listed rainforest to abseiling down flowing waterfalls and camping on tropical islands, there's something for every type of adventure lover in this spectacular natural playground. So, if you're keen for a holiday that's adventure-filled, and want to support operators who are committed to sustainable tourism practices, hit this list of unmissable things to do in the region to ensure your extended summer is a slam dunk. [caption id="attachment_828484" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland.[/caption] ABSEIL DOWN WATERFALLS WITH CAIRNS CANYONING If Cairns Canyoning existed in 1994, we're convinced that TLC would have actually sung: "do go chasing waterfalls". With the help of expert guides, here you'll have the truly thrilling opportunity to abseil down waterfalls, hurl yourself from towering boulders into crystal-clear water and zipline through World Heritage-listed rainforest all in one trip. You can choose between the half-day adventures through Behana Gorge or Crystal Cascades or, if you're feeling a little more hardcore, sign up for the full-day Spillway Canyon trip. [caption id="attachment_829726" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raging Thunder[/caption] GET WET AND WILD ON A WHITE WATER RAFTING TRIP Imagine sitting on the edge of an inflatable raft as you float down a river through a spectacular gorge surrounded by World Heritage-listed rainforest. Sounds pretty incredible, right? Now, picture taking that same boat down steep ravines and raging rapids and you've got the wet and wild adventure that is white water rafting. In Tropical North Queensland, you can choose to conquer a number of courses on the region's world-class rafting rivers. For a full day of adventure filled with thrills and spills on 45 rapids, book a trip on the Tully River with eco-certified rafting company Raging Thunder. Or, if you'd prefer to, quite literally, test the waters on a shorter course, try the half-day trip on The Barron River. [caption id="attachment_829728" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH AT AUSTRALIA'S ONLY BUNGEE JUMP If you consider yourself a bit of an adrenaline junkie, then visiting SkyPark is a must on your trip to Tropical North Queensland. Not only is it the one place in Australia where you can bungee, but you'll get to do so while being cradled by lush tropical rainforest. Located 15 kilometres north of Cairns, here you can leap from the 50-metre bungee that teeters over a stunning natural lagoon. Or, strap into the giant swing to reach speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour in just three seconds with up to two mates side by side. If you're not quite ready to take the bungee plunge, try the 140-metre-high walk-the-plank obstacle instead. Whether you're a seasoned jumper or are ready to take your very first leap, the 16 different styles on the jump menu will accomodate for all levels of thrill seeking and ensure you experience a rush like never before. [caption id="attachment_829729" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] SAIL OVER TREETOPS IN AN OPEN-AIR GONDOLA If you want to get up close and personal with the oldest continually surviving rainforest in the world, make tracks to the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway located 15 minutes north of Cairns. Aboard the cableway, you'll glide over the pristine jungle canopies between Smithfield and Kuranda, soaking in panoramic views of the rainforest and beyond before ending your trip near the banks of the heaving Barron River. You can also opt for the open-air Canopy Glider to sail top-down over the treetops with the expert guidance of a Skyrail Ranger or upgrade to the diamond view to experience a gondola with a glass floor. To maximise your adventure, combine your treetop adventure with the historic Kuranda Scenic Railway to see the sights from a different perspective on your round trip. Plus, if you want to help maintain the tropical rainforest, you can donate to the Skyrail Rainforest Foundation which distributes funds to research and education projects that help protect and conserve this natural wonder. [caption id="attachment_828482" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] PUT YOUR STAND UP PADDLEBOARDING SKILLS TO THE TEST ON THE MOSSMAN RIVER Feel like you're pretty familiar with stand-up paddleboarding by now? Well, if you've managed to tackle the task atop local lakes and seas, it might be time to level up your balancing bravado with a paddleboarding trip on the Mossman River. The team at Wind Swell will take you on a three-hour trip upstream to soak in the sights and sounds of the buzzing tropical rainforest. Along the way, you'll learn about the local habitat, have a chance to try out some paddleboard yoga, taste exotic flavours of local tropical fruit and cool off in the freshwater swimming hole before floating back to base. And, if that's not enough adventure, check out the company's other tours in wing surfing, kite surfing, wakeboarding and more. [caption id="attachment_828487" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] GO KAYAKING WITH TURTLES IN PALM COVE Ever wanted to set off kayaking from balmy tropical beaches lined with palm trees? Well, at picturesque Palm Cove, approximately 25 minutes drive north of Cairns, you can. The Kayak Turtle Tour, run by Pacific Water Sports, is an unmissable half-day ocean adventure in Tropical North Queensland. Departing at 7am, you'll kayak across The Coral Sea to nearby Double Island and Haycock Island to spot green and hawksbill turtles basking in the coral reefs below. Then, you'll paddle further afield to sight rays and shovelnosed guitarfish (sometimes called shovelnose sharks) before making your way back to the shore at Palm Cove. [caption id="attachment_828491" align="alignnone" width="2560"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] FLOAT ABOVE THE HILLS IN A HOT AIR BALLOON To experience a truly exceptional adventure, sometimes you have to sacrifice a little sleep to make it happen. And, after returning from a trip with Hot Air Balloon, you'll be more than glad you got out of bed before the sun to see it rise over the magical Atherton Tablelands. Departing from Cairns's northern beaches and Port Douglas, this tour will take you approximately one hour west to Mareeba for your ballooning take off. Once afloat, you'll experience the soft colours of dawn as you glide high over the Atherton Tablelands, soaking in panoramic views of the region. You'll arrive back in Cairns between 9-9.30am, just in time for breakfast at one of the city's excellent cafes. [caption id="attachment_828494" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] SEE A SMILE FROM A CROCODILE AT HARTLEY'S CROCODILE ADVENTURES If you've ever wondered what it would be like to have a close encounter with a real-life dinosaur, Hartley's Crocodile Adventures is about as close as you can get. Located between Cairns and Port Douglas at Wangetti, this eco-certified tourism operator has plenty of thrilling crocodile action that'll get your heart racing. For $43, your park pass includes a cruise with crocs at the on-site lagoon, access to the daily wildlife presentations such as crocodile feedings, snake shows and the nail-biting crocodile attack show. Plus, if one dinosaur-like creature isn't enough, you can also check out the cassowary feeding. Or, if you want keep things cuddly, make sure you stop by the koala talk. [caption id="attachment_828495" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] GET OFF THE MAINLAND WITH CAMPING AT DUNK ISLAND Camping on a tropical island might seem like it's reserved for films and fantasies. But, in Tropical North Queensland, you can make it your reality at Dunk Island in the Family Islands National Park. Drive two hours south of Cairns to the idyllic coastal town of Mission Beach. Then, take a ten-minute ride across the glittering Coral Sea with Mission Beach Charters to Dunk Island where you can pitch a tent at one of only eight sites on the island. The campground comes with all the essentials — picnic tables, barbecue facilities, hot showers, drinking water and a loo — but, you'll need to take everything else with you. Pack snorkelling gear to catch the marine life in action at Muggy Muggy Beach, a good pair of walking shoes to complete the 11-kilometre Island Circuit hike, and plenty of food to refuel and enjoy on the sands of this tropical paradise. [caption id="attachment_828496" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] HIKE THROUGH RAINFOREST TO THE SPECTACULAR NANDROYA FALLS If you consider yourself a bit of a hiking fanatic, taking the 6.6-kilometre trek through the spectacular Wooroonooran National Park to Nandroya Falls is essential while in Tropical North Queensland. Not only will you get to walk through the incredible Wet Tropics World Heritage-listed rainforest, you'll get to wash off under a thriving waterfall, too. Start from the Henrietta Creek campground where you'll venture 700 metres into the rainforest to the start of the circuit fork. Take the right-hand track to take in smaller waterfalls, rock pools and rapid streams before reaching the immense Nandroya Falls. Cool off with a swim and enjoy a picnic lunch by the falls before completing the circuit and heading back to camp. Ready to book your tropical escape? For more information and to discover more about a holiday in Tropical North Queensland, visit the website. Image: Nandroya Falls, Tourism Tropical North Queensland
Descend down the grand staircase found in the lobby of Flinders Street's Rendezvous Hotel, and you'll find recently opened Mr Tompkins. Positioned one level below bustling Flinders Street, Mr Tompkins' is a nod to the building's original architect, Harry Tompkins, who designed the space back in 1913. Ex-Coda chef Eric Kwek has taken the reins at Mr Tompkins, delivering a modern Euro-accented menu which champions native ingredients in a moody 60-seat space. Start with a heirloom tomato salad paired with native basil, sourced from Yarra Valley's Wandin Yallock farm. Shark Bay half-scallops are dressed with locally-sourced wakame and tossed in butter sauce. [caption id="attachment_914186" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Chef Erik Kwek[/caption] "At Mr Tompkins, we've introduced Australian native ingredients and techniques to classic European dishes, thus creating an instant connection between the food and the space it calls home," Kwek says. "This menu also allows me to blend my passions — my classically-trained French cookery and love for foraging bush foods and using great local suppliers." Larger plates run to the likes of grilled Victorian pork cheeks basted in a quandong glaze, or an excellent stinging nettle risotto accented with whipped goats curd and spiced almonds. The chef's smokey murray cod is a highlight, served on burning paperbark and paired with native sorrel and crab apples. The hyper-local focus continues through Mr Tompkins' wine selection, featuring drops from Victorian favourites including Mornington Peninsula's Montalto Estate and Yarra Valley's Oakridge Estate. Meanwhile, the bar is mixing up a small selection of curated cocktails, including a Bloody Gin Sour with Four Pillars' Bloody Shriaz Gin, lemon and sugar syrup. "Given the references of European and Australian design throughout the building — especially in the Grand Vestibule where you'll find complex gum leaf designs within the plasterwork — our menu, and the overall ambiance, has been carefully curated to complement the space," Kwek says. Mr Tompkins is open at 318 Flinders Street Melbourne. It's open from 6–10pm Wednesday–Saturday.
In honour of the recent selection of the winner of the World Press Photo awards this week, here are each of the winners from 1955 to 2011. They say a picture tells a thousand words, and this old statement is strikingly appropriate for what's displayed here. Some truly moving and iconic pieces are featured; let's hope that the coming year's winner can uphold the tradition. Warning: some images contain graphic or objectionable content. 1955 A competitor tumbles off his motorcycle during the Motorcross World Championship at the Volk Mølle race course. (Mogens von Haven) 1956 A German World War II prisoner, released by the Soviet Union, is reunited with his daughter. The child had not seen her father since she was one-year-old. (Helmuth Pirath) 1957 Dorothy Counts, one of the first black students to enter the newly desegregated Harry Harding High School is mocked by whites on her first day of school. (Douglas Martin) 1958 National Football Championships between Prague and Bratislava. (Stanislav Tereba) 1960 A right-wing student in Japan assassinates Inejiro Asanuma, Socialist Party Chairman, during his speech at the Hibiya Hall. (Yasushi Nagao) 1962 Priest Luis Padillo offers last rites to a loyalist soldier who is mortally wounded by a sniper during military rebellion against President Bétancourt at Puerto Cabello naval base in Venezuela. (Héctor Rondón Lovera) 1963 Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc sets himself ablaze in protest against the persecution of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese government. (Malcolm W. Browne) 1964 A Turkish woman mourns her dead husband, a victim of the Greek-Turkish civil war. (Don McCullin) 1965 A mother and her children wade across a river to escape US bombing. The US Air Force had evacuated their village because it was suspected of being used as a base camp by the Vietcong. (Kyoichi Sawada) 1966 The body of a Vietcong soldier is dragged behind an American armored vehicle en route to a burial site after fierce fighting. (Kyoichi Sawada) 1967 The commander of an M48 tankgunner of the US 7th regiment in Vietnam's 'Iron Triangle'. (Co Rentmeester) 1968 South Vietnam national police chief Nguyen Ngoc Loan executes a suspected Viet Cong member. (Eddie Adams) 1969 A young Catholic wears a gasmask during clashes with British troops. People had been fleeing from teargas after a night of street fighting. (Hanns-Jörg Anders) 1971 During negotiations on the safe-conduct of a group of criminals on the run, police superintendent Gross suddenly shoots down gang leader Kurt Vicenik. The gang, who had disappeared after a bank-robbery in Cologne, re-emerged near Saarbrücken, carrying a hostage with them. A chase followed and the police and the robbers met at Baltersweiler. The two other men were captured in a wild fight. The men running away from the bullets are policemen. (Wolfgang Peter Geller) 1972 Phan Thi Kim Phuc (center) flees with other children after South Vietnamese planes mistakenly dropped napalm on South Vietnamese troops and civilians. (Nick Ut) 1973 Democratically elected President Salvador Allende moments away from death during military coup at Moneda presidential palace in Chile. (Orlando Lagos) 1974 The Faces of Hunger. A mother comforts her child, both victims of drought. (Ovie Carter) 1975 A mother and her daughter are hurled off a collapsing fire-escape in an apartment house fire in Boston. (Stanley Forman) 1976 Palestinian refugees in district La Quarantaine. (Françoise Demulder) 1977 Police throw tear-gas at a group of chanting residents of the Modderdam squatter camp protesting against the demolition of their homes outside Cape Town. (Leslie Hammond) 1978 A demonstrator is engulfed in flames of the molotov cocktail he was about to throw at the police during protests against the construction of the New Tokyo International Airport. The original Narita Airport plan was unveiled in 1966. To acquire the initial land, the government had to evict protesting landowners. Violent clashes between the opponents and authorities resulted in 13 deaths, including five police officers. The new airport opened in May 1978. (Sadayuki Mikami) 1979 A Cambodian woman cradles her child while waiting for food to be distributed at a refugee camp. (David Burnett) 1980 A starving boy and a missionary in Uganda. (Mike Wells) 1981 Lt. Col. Antonio Tejero Molina orders everyone to remain seated and be quiet after armed Guardia Civil soldiers stormed the Assembly Hall of the Spanish Parliament. Three hundred deputies and cabinet members were in session to vote upon the succession of premier Suarez. They were released next morning after having been held hostage for almost 18 hours; the coup was a failure. (Manuel Pérez Barriopedro) 1982 The war in Lebanon: The aftermath of the massacre of Palestinians by Christian Phalangists in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps. (Robin Moyer) 1983 Kezban Özer (37) finds her five children buried alive after a devastating earthquake. At five o'clock in the morning she and her husband were milking the cows as their children slept. A few minutes later, 147 villages in the region were destroyed by an earthquake of magnitude 7.1 on the Richter scale; 1,336 people died. (Mustafa Bozdemir) 1984 A child killed by the poisonous gas leak in the Union Carbide chemical plant disaster. (Pablo Bartholomew) 1985 Omaira Sanchez (12) is trapped in the debris caused by the eruption of Nevado del Ruíz volcano. After sixty hours she eventually lost consciousness and died of a heart attack. (Frank Fournier) 1986 Ken Meeks' (42) skin is marked with lesions caused by AIDS-related Kaposi's Sarcoma. (Alon Reininger) 1987 A mother clings to a riot policeman's shield at a polling station. Her son was one of thousands of demonstrators arrested because they tried to prove that the presidential election on December 15, which was won by the government candidate, had been rigged. (Anthony Suau) 1988 Boris Abgarzian grieves for his 17-year-old son, victim of the Armenian earthquake. (David Turnley) 1989 A demonstrator confronts a line of People's Liberation Army tanks during protests for democratic reform. (Charlie Cole) 1990 Family and neighbors mourn the death of Elshani Nashim (27), killed during a protest against the Yugoslavian government's decision to abolish the autonomy of Kosovo. (Georges Merillon) 1991 US Sergeant Ken Kozakiewicz (23), gives vent to his grief as he learns that the body bag at his feet contains the remains of his friend Andy Alaniz. 'Friendly fire' claimed Alaniz's life and injured Kozakiewicz. On the last day of the Gulf War they were taken away from the war zone by a MASH unit evacuation helicopter. (David Turnley) 1992 A mother carries her dead child to the grave, after wrapping it in a shroud according to local custom. A bad drought coupled with the effects of civil war caused a terrible famine in Somalia which claimed the lives of between one and two million people over a period of two years, more than 200 a day in the worst affected areas. The international airlift of relief supplies which started in July was hampered by heavily armed gangs of clansmen who looted food storage centers and slowed down the distribution of the supplies by aid organizations. (James Nachtwey) 1993 Boys raise toy guns in a gesture of defiance. The Palestinian uprising, which began in December 1987, strengthened the Arab population in their determination to fight the occupying force. In March Israel closed its border with Gaza, causing a massive rise in unemployment. With more than 800,000 people contained in the Israeli-patrolled, eight-km-wide strip of land, bloodshed increased sharply. The peace agreement signed in Washington on September 13 promised limited authority for the Gaza Strip and a withdrawal of the Israeli army. (Larry Towell) 1994 A Hutu man at a Red Cross hospital, his face mutilated by the Hutu 'Interahamwe' militia, who suspected him of sympathizing with the Tutsi rebels. (James Nachtwey) 1995 A bus on the road leading to Grozny during fighting between Chechen independence fighters and Russian troops. The civil war which erupted when President Yeltsin sent troops to the rebellious province in December 1994 was still dragging on months later. When the Chechen fighters fled Grozny, the capital, where the war had claimed a horrendous human and material toll, Russian troops pursued them into the countryside to the south and east. (Lucian Perkins) 1996 Landmine victims in Kuito, a town where many people were killed and traumatized during the civil war. (Francesco Zizola) 1997 A woman cries outside the Zmirli Hospital, where the dead and wounded were taken after a massacre in Bentalha. (Hocine) 1998 A woman is comforted by relatives and friends at the funeral of her husband. The man was a soldier with the ethnic Albanian rebels of the Kosovo Liberation Army, fighting for independence from Serbia. He had been shot the previous day while on patrol. (Dayna Smith) 1999 A man walks the streets in one of the largest gathering points for ethnic Albanian refugees fleeing violence in Kosovo. (Claus Bjørn Larsen) 2000 The mother of a Mexican immigrant family makes piñatas to support herself and her children. The family numbers among the millions of 'uncounted' Americans, people who for one reason or another have been missed by the national census and so don't exist in population records. (Lara Jo Regan) 2001 The body of a one-year-old boy who died of dehydration is prepared for burial at Jalozai refugee camp. The child's family, originally from North Afghanistan, had sought refuge in Pakistan from political instability and the consequences of drought. The family gave the photographer permission to attend as they washed and wrapped his body in a white funeral shroud, according to Muslim tradition. In the overcrowded Jalozai camp, 80,000 refugees from Afghanistan endured squalid conditions. (Erik Refner) 2002 A boy holds his dead father's trousers as he squats beside the spot where his father is to be buried, surrounded by soldiers and villagers digging graves for victims of an earthquake in Armenia. (Eric Grigorian) 2003 An Iraqi man comforts his four-year-old son at a holding center for prisoners of war, in the base camp of the US Army 101st Airborne Division near An Najaf. The boy had become terrified when, according to orders, his father was hooded and handcuffed. A soldier later severed the plastic handcuffs so that the man could comfort his child. Hoods were placed over detainees' heads because they were quicker to apply than blindfolds. The military said the bags were used to disorient prisoners and protect their identities. It is not known what happened to the man or the boy. (Jean-Marc Bouju) 2004 A woman mourns a relative killed in the tsunami. On December 26, a 9.3 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, triggered a series of deadly waves that traveled across the Indian Ocean, wreaking havoc in nine Asian countries, and causing fatalities as far away as Somalia and Tanzania. (Arko Datta) 2005 The fingers of malnourished Alassa Galisou (1) are pressed against the lips of his mother Fatou Ousseini at an emergency feeding center. One of the worst droughts in recent times, together with a particularly heavy plague of locusts that had destroyed the previous year's harvest, left millions of people severely short of food. (Finbarr O'Reilly) 2006 Young Lebanese drive down a street in Haret Hreik, a bombed neighborhood in southern Beirut. (Spencer Platt) 2007 A soldier of Second Platoon, Battle Company of the Second Battalion of the US 503rd Infantry Regiment sinks onto an embankment in the Restrepo bunker at the end of the day. (Tim Hetherington) 2008 Detective Robert Kole of the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office enters a home, following mortgage foreclosure and eviction. He needs to check that the owners have vacated the premises, and that no weapons have been left lying around. (Anthony Suau) 2009 Women shout their dissent from a Tehran rooftop on 24 June, following Iran's disputed presidential election. (Pietro Masturzo) 2010 Bibi Aisha, an 18-year-old woman from Oruzgan province in Afghanistan, fled back to her family home from her husband's house, complaining of violent treatment. The Taliban arrived one night, demanding Bibi be handed over to face justice. After a Taliban commander pronounced his verdict, Bibi's brother-in-law held her down and her husband sliced off her ears and then cut off her nose. Bibi was abandoned, but later rescued by aid workers and the U.S. military. (Jodi Bieber) 2011 A veiled woman holds a wounded relative "inside a mosque used as a field hospital by demonstrators against the rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, during clashes in Sanaa, Yemen. (Samuel Aranda) [via Buzzfeed]
Andy Warhol. Jean-Michel Basquiat. Keith Haring. From the past century, they're three of the art world's biggest names, and they've all been the subjects of many an exhibition. But only one showcase will pair the three for a world-first 15-week celebration of pop art masters premiering right here in Australia — and featuring 40-plus works never before seen Down Under. That event: Pop Masters: Art From the Mugrabi Collection, New York, which takes its name from the works it will survey and their origins. The exhibition is wholly drawn from the private collection of prominent art collector Jose Mugrabi, and is set to take over HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast from Saturday, February 18–Sunday, June 4, 2023. Unsurprisingly, Pop Masters' array of works by Warhol, Basquiat and Haring will form a survey of the 60s, 70s and 80s art scene, and of legends of the pop art and street art movements. There'll be more than ten pieces by Warhol, acting as the showcase's introduction, with 1964's Sixteen Jackies and 1982's Cross among them. As for Haring, one of his earliest-ever works from 1979 will feature alongside others such as Untitled (Dancing Dogs), while the range of Basquiat pieces includes 1981's New York, New York and — fittingly — a Warhol-Basquiat collaboration. [caption id="attachment_878235" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jean-Michel Basquiat 1985 © Lizzie Himmel. Artwork © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Licensed by Artestar, New York.[/caption] Although art by the three icons will provide Pop Masters with its huge drawcard, the exhibition also seeks to celebrate the ongoing legacy of pop art alongside its origins. That means including pieces by Katherine Bernhardt, Kwesi Botchway, George Condo, Damien Hirst, KAWS, Barbara Kruger, Joel Mesler, Richard Prince, Tom Sachs, Julian Schnabel, Mickalene Thomas and Tom Wesselmann — such as KAWS' 2.8-metre-tall 2018 sculpture What Party, plus Barbara Kruger's If it sees, blind it, from a section of her 2009 installation Between being born and dying in New York's Lever House. "Pop Masters: Art From the Mugrabi Collection celebrates the history of pop art, whilst examining its influence on art and artists today. We wanted to explore the intersections in the lives, ideas and practices of this significant group of artists," explains Tracy Cooper-Lavery, HOTA's Director, Gallery and Visual Arts. "Many of them knew each other, collaborated or have been influenced by each other, and we have acknowledged this in the design of the exhibition, which will see these incredible artworks in dialogue with one another." [caption id="attachment_878234" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Keith Haring by Joe McNally, Getty Images[/caption] Pop Masters has been in the making for longer than HOTA's new six-level, $60.5-million gallery has been open — the site launched in 2021 — and marks the most prestigious exhibition the venue has hosted yet. "Pop Masters has been six years in the making and HOTA is delivering a world exclusive exhibition right here on the Gold Coast," said HOTA CEO Criena Gehrke. "Over the years it has evolved into a bespoke exhibition that offers a completely unique experience. Having access to the Mugrabi family personal collection is a real privilege and the artworks rarely leave New York. We are thrilled to be bringing these iconic artists and celebrated artworks to Australia for the first time." 2023 is clearly a great year to be a Warhol fan, and to see blockbuster exhibitions beyond Australia's usual east coast capitals, with the Art Gallery of South Australia displaying Andy Warhol & Photography: A Social Media from Friday, March 3–Sunday, May 14. [caption id="attachment_804623" align="alignnone" width="1920"] default[/caption] Pop Masters: Art From the Mugrabi Collection, New York will display at HOTA, Home of the Arts, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast from Saturday, February 18–Sunday, June 4, 2023. Head to the gallery's website for further details, and tickets. Top image: Santi Visalli/Getty Images.
You might picture gold when the prospect of exploring the Bendigo region comes up, but you'll quickly discover that the city and its surrounding townships are full of contemporary cultural landmarks and unique places to visit. Whether you plan on taking a stroll along the Bendigo Artists Walk or want to pay a visit to the Buda Historic Home and Garden, you'll be happy to know that a host of incredible stays are waiting for you to rest your weary head at the end of the day. From the cutest country cottages to converted halls and glamping homesteads, we've teamed up with Bendigo Regional Tourism to bring you a list of the most distinctive places to stay and use as a launchpad to explore the best cultural hotspots of Bendigo, Castlemaine and beyond. [caption id="attachment_746467" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mackenzie Quarters.[/caption] VISIT BENDIGO ART GALLERY AND STAY IN A 140-YEAR-OLD BENDIGO ICON Since undergoing a stellar facelift in 2014, the Bendigo Art Gallery has emerged as one of Australia's top regional art institutions. Having hosted some world-class contemporary art exhibitions throughout its esteemed history, the gallery's modern design draws in visitors from across Australia. In recent months, they've been coming in droves to gaze upon the showcase of influential fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga. After the exhibition closes on November 10, the gallery will welcome works from Gunditjmara/Yorta Yorta artist Joshua Muir — What's on your mind? will run from November 31–March 1, 2020. You can't stay much closer to the Bendigo Gallery than The Residence at Mackenzie Quarters. Mackenzie Quarters was built in 1877 as the deanery for the neighbouring school hall and was referred to as 'The Master's Residence'. It's located in the heart of the arts precinct, and cuts a striking figure, right across the road from the gallery. The residence has been lovingly restored to offer guests modern conveniences across five bedrooms, two bathrooms and multiple entertaining spaces. Come February 2020, there'll also be a sophisticated wine bar in the premise's basement. [caption id="attachment_746487" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sandhurst Ridge Winery Bed & Breakfast.[/caption] EXPLORE THE GREAT STUPA AND FINISH THE DAY WITH WINE STRAIGHT FROM THE VINEYARD An absolute must-visit when in the region is the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, an enormous Buddhist pagoda. Symbolising the path to enlightenment and providing a calm place to meditate, this (almost) 50-metre tall structure is the largest example of a stupa in the Western world. To continue the calming vibes, head to Sandhurst Ridge Vineyard for a relaxing bed and breakfast experience amid the greenery, or treat yourself to a luxurious stay at Balgownie Estate Winery Retreat. Choose from a self-contained cottage with views of Sandhurst's tranquil pond, vineyard and bushland, or one of 15 glamping tents dotted across the Balgownie Estate grounds. There's even a personal outdoor soaker tub on the deck of the safari-style tents on offer. [caption id="attachment_746947" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Scout Hall, Harcourt.[/caption] WANDER AROUND CASTLEMAINE ART MUSEUM AND SPEND THE NIGHT IN THE OLD SCOUT HALL Founded in 1913, the Castlemaine Art Museum is one of regional Victoria's most striking cultural landmarks. The museum boasts a delightful art deco design with purpose-built galleries showing everything from historical artefacts to contemporary art, including the 2019 Experimental Print Prize exhibition, which opens December 7 and runs until May 2020. The leafy township of Castlemaine is located within the heart of the Victorian goldfields. It's little wonder this area is a hub for creative types — it's surrounded by quaint little towns and stunning bushland waiting to be explored for inspiration. Earn your explorers badge with a stay in nearby Harcourt at the old Scout Hall, which is complete with a stage for forcing your friends and family to watch you perform. The luxury self-contained apartment retains plenty of its original charm — including soaring ceilings, exposed arch beams and shiny wood floorboards — but has been upgraded so you get all the modern things you need like a nice kitchen and wifi. [caption id="attachment_746297" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Big4 Castlemaine Gardens Holiday Park.[/caption] CHECK OUT THE BUDA HISTORIC HOME AND SLEEP IN A LUXURY BELL TENT Once the legendary property of prominent Hungarian silversmith Ernest Leviny, today the Buda Historic Home and Garden provides a fully intact glimpse into the past with furniture, artwork and personal belongings remaining much the same as the home's heyday back in the 19th century. A visit to the property is a day well spent, with three acres of heritage garden to explore as well as a gift shop and plant nursery so you can take home a piece of the history. Continue the garden vibes of your getaway at the nearby Big 4 Holiday Park. Stay with us — this isn't your typical caravan park. Set on the edge of the Castlemaine Botanical Gardens, you can get yourself a luxury bell tent complete with a queen-size bed and exceptionally comfortable linen. You'll be glamping in style on a timber deck, perfect for kicking back with a bottle of vino, looking out to the greenery. [caption id="attachment_746549" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fairbank House.[/caption] SPEND THE NIGHT IN A COTTAGE SURROUNDED BY GREENERY AND STOP BY CASCADE ART Set inside a former Gothic Revival church, Cascade Art is a stunning regional cultural landmark that any big city would be grateful to have. Led by long-term Maldon residents Kareen Anchen and Jeff Gardner, the place is more than just an art gallery — it also hosts regular creative launches, artist talks, workshops and pop-up events. It also supports emerging printmakers from across the region. Just across town, you'll find a cute Victorian cottage that's perfect for a weekend getaway. The stylish Fairbank House has plenty of entertaining spaces and lovely country garden vibes but is also conveniently located to explore the rest of Maldon, a picturesque town that has maintained much of its 19th-century architecture in tribute to rich gold rush-era history. [caption id="attachment_746305" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pretty Cottage.[/caption] EXPLORE THE CENTRAL GOLDFIELDS FROM HISTORICAL TALBOT Presenting artwork inspired by the wonders of the Central Goldfields, Maryborough's Central Goldfields Art Gallery offers visitors a frequently changing lineup of exhibitions that draw from its vast permanent collection and a range of local creative talent. Home to works by seminal Australian artists such as Dean Bowen, Arthur Boyd and Ray Crooke, the space has everything from landscapes to textile art on display. While in the area, you can also visit Possum Gully Fine Arts Gallery. This bush gallery exhibits a unique collection of works from established Australian artists, covering disciplines including printmaking, painting, drawing, art glass and ceramics. If it's local history and creativity that interests you, the neighbouring town of Talbot is the perfect spot to make your home for the weekend. We found a particularly Pretty Cottage, which was built way back in the 1880s. The fully restored home and its quaint country garden will be all yours during your stay. [caption id="attachment_747414" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Learmonths Place[/caption] STEP INTO HISTORY AT WEDDERBURN'S COACH HOUSE GALLERY THEN ESCAPE TO A FARM For a brief moment in the 1850s, Wedderburn had a significant role in the Victorian gold rush. It only lasted a few years, but the tight-knit community continues to present travellers with a glimpse into the past. The Coach House Gallery and Museum is where to head to see the best work from local artists, while there's also a replica general store that harks back to a time more than a hundred years ago. If you're after a real getaway from city life, there's a 22-acre property on the Loddon River ready to act as your home away from home after a day of exploring Wedderburn and surrounds. Learmonths Place is a fully renovated family farmhouse, where you can breathe fresh country air and enjoy taking in the river views and starry nights. [caption id="attachment_747412" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rostrata Country House[/caption] ANTIQUE SHOP 'TIL YOU DROP AND THEN RELAX IN NATURE If you're a lover of knick-knacks and collectables, you may have already known that Inglewood is a must-visit when it comes to searching for antique goods. Wander down Brooke Street and you'll soon discover everything from art, books and French furniture being sold in stores such as Fusspots at Inglewood, Sharps Bazaar and Inglewood Emporium. After all that shopping, you'll need somewhere to rest and rejuvenate, so why not escape to Rostrata Country House. Just a short drive from Inglewood through Tarnagulla (the town of churches), the farm stay lets you enjoy the quiet country life for as long as you like. The fully contained home has space for six, plenty of seating in the gardens, and bikes you can use to explore. To start planning your trip to Bendigo and to discover more cultural happenings in the region (and beyond), head to the Bendigo Regional Tourism website. Top image: Rostrata Country House.
For almost two decades, 2005 film Mr & Mrs Smith has been best remembered as the movie that started Brad Pitt (Babylon) and Angelina Jolie's (Eternals) time as a couple. The action-comedy cast the pair as a bored married duo who didn't know that they were actually both assassins, let alone that they'd each been tasked with killing the other. The flick wasn't particularly memorable, but Brangelina clearly was. In 2024, Mr & Mrs Smith will also become a TV series, because the path from the big to the small screens just keeps proving popular (see also: Dead Ringers, Irma Vep, A League of Their Own and Interview with the Vampire, to name a mere few recent examples). This time, Donald Glover (Atlanta) and Maya Erskine (PEN15) are strangers who have to pretend to be married as part of their job. So, that's how Glover becomes John Smith and Erskine becomes Jane Smith — and how the two embark upon a high-risk espionage life together. The tradeoff for faking a romance: the lucrative gig, money, travelling the world, a dream Manhattan brownstone and, in this take on the premise, these strangers actually falling for each other. Pretending to be a couple but seeing sparks fly is one of Hollywood's current obsessions, with rom-com Anyone But You taking the idea to the big screen — without spies or anything to do with Mr & Mrs Smith, however. Adding another TV show to his resume, Glover co-created the new Mr & Mrs Smith with Francesca Sloane (also Atlanta), with the end result set to drop all eight episodes at once on Prime Video on Friday, February 2, 2024. And if you have vague memories of Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) being involved, she was initially slated to play Jane until Erskine took over her role. There's no trailer yet for the Mr & Mrs Smith TV series, but here's the trailer for the film instead: Mr & Mrs Smith will stream via Prime Video from Friday, February 2, 2024.
Summer might be over, but when winter adventures abound somewhere like Tasmania, there's no excuse for hiding indoors. Surrounded by views so awe-inspiring, you really won't care if you need to pack an extra jacket or two. Tasmania may be Australia's smallest state, but it's got a massive reputation, especially among hikers and adventurers from all over the globe. From epic multi-day coastal walks and summit lookouts to remote islands that display the state's famously rugged landscape, Tasmania is a natural wonderland that'll satisfy your explorer spirit. To help you get prepped and planned, we've tracked down five breathtaking places to hike that perfectly express why folks just can't get enough of this beauty. THREE CAPES TRACK Considered one of Australia's most impressive bushwalks, the Three Capes Track combines soaring clifftops that offer incredible views of the Southern Ocean with a myriad of rugged windswept landscape and the possibility of peeping some glittering Aurora Australis. Over the course of 48 kilometres, this multi-day hike tours across the southeast's most famous capes: the trio of Cape Pillar, Cape Hauy and Cape Raoul. Along the way, the natural landscape shifts from woodland to eucalypt forest — before you arrive at the coastline and get a spectacular view of the Blade, which juts out into the ocean. If you feel like making your visit extra-special, consider taking the Three Capes Lodge Walk, dotted with boutique overnight eco-stays and making your adventure a little cosier. [caption id="attachment_718814" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Painted Cliffs on Maria Island. Courtesy of Flow Mountain Bike.[/caption] MARIA ISLAND Just off Tassie's celebrated east coast, Maria Island boasts a seemingly endless variety of wildlife and plants. Whether you're keen on spotting wallabies, Tasmanian devils or wombats, you're bound to see at least one. Plus, in the winter, there are fewer crowds here so you'll get all of these sights practically to yourself. There's also an astounding range of natural landmarks, such as the island's famed marbled sandstone marvels, The Painted Cliffs and Haunted Bay, which showcases enormous granite cliffs overlooking the sea — a very dramatic site to see during Tasmania's rugged winters. Accessible only by ferry, Maria Island is covered by dozens of spectacular walking tracks with lots of picturesque spots to pitch a tent. There are also firepits already stocked with wood for you to cosy up to at night. If you have less time on your hands, e-bike trips around this World Heritage Listed island are another great way to cover some ground. It'll be quite the active stay and a seriously scenic trip, too — with all those trails highlighting the very best of Tassie's coastline from an offshore vantage. [caption id="attachment_718811" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tasmania and James Bowden.[/caption] PANDANI GROVE The drive to Mount Field National Park is almost as special as the destination, with the park located 80 kilometres west of Hobart through the Derwent Valley. Your trip isn't over yet; in fact, you'll have to trek deep into the state's oldest national park, which is often dusted with snow in winter. On your hike, you'll pass rushing waterfalls before reaching the Pandani Grove. This otherworldly nature walk winds its way alongside Lake Dobson and features the rather odd looking pandani fern, which only grows in Tassie and is quite the marvel, especially when cloaked in snow. Even compared to Tasmania's wealth of natural landmarks, Pandani Grove stands out — it's the kind of place you won't find anywhere else in a hurry. MOUNT RUFUS CIRCUIT Starting from the Lake St Clair visitor centre, the Mount Rufus Circuit walk takes hikers on a journey through an incredible display of natural beauty. Take the Watersmeet Nature Trail through a peppermint gum forest and, eventually, you'll come to the Mount Rufus summit track junction. Make a turn upwards and trek seven-and-a-half kilometres to the peak where you'll be welcomed with panoramic vistas that are hard to beat. As well as looking over Lake St Clair far below, you'll also score views of Mount Olympus, the immense Frenchmans Cap and the Franklin River that winds its way through the landscape. And the fact that all of these sights will be dusted with snow, will make your trek through this veritable winter wonderland all the more magical. [caption id="attachment_721403" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul Fleming.[/caption] MARIONS LOOKOUT Cradle Mountain is possibly Tasmania's most popular mountain, typifying the rugged terrain that the island is known for. The sprawling region is filled with highlights just about everywhere you look, but few can match the beauty of Marions Lookout — especially when it's covered in snow. To get there, you'll have to be willing to take on a rather strenuous three-hour return trek, but the gradual climb will take you through stunning scenery like snowy forests, white-frosted peaks and around some glacial lakes. Of course, once you reach the summit, you'll almost certainly forget that your legs feel a bit like jelly — unsurprisingly, the 360-degree views of spectacular winter wonderland provide the perfect distraction. Roam the summit and admire the vantage over the rest of Cradle Mountain and the surrounding lakes. Yep, this is quite the hike. Top image: The Candlestick at Cape Hauy by Jason Charles Hill.
Movie lovers of Melbourne, get excited: you can spend the last two days of June catching up on your must-see list on the big screen for cheap. Across Saturday, June 29–Sunday, June 30, Palace Cinemas is giving film fans a present. It's not just the gift of great flicks — that is, its daily bread and butter — but the gift of discounted great flicks. Head to one of the chain's locations across the weekend in question, and any movie at any time will only cost you $8. Want to check out George Miller's Anya Taylor-Joy- and Chris Hemsworth-starring Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, horror prequel A Quiet Place: Day One, Pixar sequel Inside Out 2 or the Mads Mikkelsen-led The Promised Land? They're just some of your choices. Booking in advance is highly recommended, given how much everyone loves going to the flicks for little more than the price of movie snacks. If you do nab your tickets online, you will have to add a transaction fee to the cost. The deal is running at all standard Palace locations nationwide, but there are a few caveats. You can't redeem the cheap price for film festivals, for instance, or for platinum screenings, special events and alternate content — or at The Astor Theatre. You also can't bundle the $8 seats with other offers, such as two-for-one tickets.
A staple of Melbourne's cultural calendar for more than 90 years and counting, the Sidney Myer Free Concerts are back for another year. Held at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, the latest of this long-standing favourite will, as always, features a trio of performances from the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Whether you're a classical music buff or just want to stretch out with a picnic on the grass, there's a good reason these concerts have become a summertime tradition. The 2022 series kicks off on Wednesday, February 9 with both new and classic pieces — including Franck's 'Le Chasseur Maudit', Hyde's 'Piano Concerto No.2', Delius' 'Summer Evening' and Ravel's 'Daphnis et Chloe: Suite No.2', plus the world premiere of Bianca Gannon's 'New Work for Orchestra and Indonesian Instruments'. Then, on Saturday, February 12, it's time to celebrate famed composer John Williams' 90th birthday with a number of the film themes he's best known for. So, get ready for tunes from Star Wars, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, Hook and more. Then, on Saturday, February 19, the MSO is joining forces with Archie Roach on 'One Song' — with assistance from MSO Composer in Residence Paul Grabowsky AO, too. As happened this year, this will likely be a socially distanced affair, with entry and ticketing details set to be confirmed in January 2022.. All three performances begin at 7.30pm; however, gates usually open earlier, with times still to be confirmed as well.
As well as being part of many an art-gazing adventure when it opens its blockbuster Escher x Nendo exhibition this summer, the National Gallery of Victoria will also become a temporary workout destination when it hosts a slew of free wellness classes. The classes come courtesy of Lululemon — the brand is celebrating its 20th anniversary and will take over the gallery's serene Grollo Equiset Garden for a 20-week series of yoga, circuit and meditation classes. And they won't cost you a cent. Kicking off Wednesday, November 14, there are three sessions to choose from, running both in the mornings and after-hours. Punters can reconnect with their flow at a grounding yoga class, build mindfulness with a meditation session, or bump up the heart rate at the all-body 'sweat' class. They'll be led by a team of Lululemon's local ambassadors and fitness experts and will cater to all fitness levels. They're designed to get you bending, stretching, de-stressing and working those muscles, right through the summer months. Classes are free to join, with mats provided, though you'll need to book here (and quick!) to secure your spot. Breathe. Sweat. Stretch. will take place in the Grollo Equiset Garden at the NGV International from November 17 until March 26, 2019.
When you've fought for your life, plus a massive cash prize, while donning a green tracksuit, you're probably not going to shake off the deadly endeavour easily. So shows the latest teaser trailer for Squid Game season two. Lee Jung-jae (The Acolyte) is back as Gi-hun, and there's a familiar face — or mask — at his door, awakening him from a restless slumber. Soon, he's back on bunks as competitor 456. Let the games begin — again. Following a three-year wait since its award-winning first season, and after teasing the show's 2024 return since January, Squid Game will start playing once more on Boxing Day. If you usually spend the day after Christmas shopping, at the cinema or recovering from your food coma by trying to play backyard cricket, you now have other plans if you want to catch the next instalment of the South Korean thriller ASAP. It was back in August that Netflix not only advised when its huge 2021 hit — one of the best new TV programs of that year, in fact — will finally make a comeback, but also announced that there's even more in store. After Squid Game season two arrives on Thursday, December 26, 2024, Squid Game season three will drop sometime in 2025. There's no exact date for the latter as yet, but it will be the final season, closing out the Squid Game story. The streaming platform revealed both pieces of news with a date announcement teaser that featured a running track, competitors in recognisable green tracksuits, and also-familiar folks in red watching on alongside the masked Front Man — and with a letter from series director, writer and executive producer Hwang Dong-hyuk. Now, Netflix has dropped its next sneak peek at the second season — including at new games. Also back: Gi-hun's nemesis (Lee Byung-hun, The Magnificent Seven). If you're wondering what else is in the works after the hefty gap — Squid Game was such a huge smash in it first season that Netflix confirmed at the beginning of 2022 that more was on the way, and also released a teaser trailer for it the same year, before announcing its new cast members in 2023 — a few further details were dropped earlier in the year. That's when Netflix previously unveiled a first brief snippet of Squid Game season two in a broader trailer for Netflix's slate for the year, as it releases every 12 months. In the footage, Seong Gi-hun answers a phone call while at the airport sporting his newly crimson locks. He's soon told "you're going to regret the choice you've made". Cue his statement of vengeance; Squid Game meets John Wick, anyone? Wi Ha-joon (Little Women) is also back as detective Hwang Jun-ho, as is Gong Yoo (Train to Busan) as the man in the suit who got Gi-hun into the game in the first place. A show about a deadly competition that has folks battling for ridiculous riches comes with a hefty bodycount, which means that new faces were always going to be essential in Squid Game season two — so that's where Yim Si-wan (Emergency Declaration), Kang Ha-neul (Insider), Park Sung-hoon (The Glory) and Yang Dong-geun (Yaksha: Ruthless Operations) all come in. If you somehow missed all things Squid Game when it premiered, even after it became bigger than everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton, the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning series serves up a puzzle-like storyline and unflinching savagery, which unsurprisingly makes quite the combination. It also steps into societal divides within South Korea, a topic that wasn't invented by Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's excellent Oscar-winning 2019 thriller, but has been given a boost after that stellar flick's success. Accordingly, it's easy to see thematic and narrative parallels between Parasite and Squid Game, although Netflix's highly addictive series goes with a Battle Royale and Hunger Games-style setup. Here, 456 competitors are selected to work their way through six seemingly easy children's games. They're all given numbers and green tracksuits, they're competing for 45.6 billion won, and it turns out that they've also all made their way to the contest after being singled out for having enormous debts. Netflix turned the show's whole premise into an IRL competition series as well, which debuted in 2023 — without any murders, of course. Squid Game: The Challenge has already been picked up for a second season. Check out the latest teaser trailer for Squid Game season below: Squid Game season two streams via Netflix from Thursday, December 26, 2024. Season three will arrive in 2025 — we'll update you when an exact release date for it is announced. Images: Netflix.
While you've probably heard of aspiring entrepreneurs seeking an MBA (Master of Business Administration), CBA (Certified Balloon Artist) qualifications are a little less common. However, when it comes to Certified Balloon Artists and the brains that dreamt up POP ART at Chadstone - The Fashion Capital, Chris Adamo is more qualified than most in the blow-up-and-build business. MEET THE MAESTRO: CHRIS ADAMO The son of a florist mother and CBA father, Chris was first introduced to the balloon art industry more than 25 years ago. He then went on to travel the world to teach industry tips and tricks with everyone's favourite party decoration. A combination of parental influences, a professional background in IT, design and construction, plus a passion for producing creations designed to blow you away led Chris to launch his own business The Balloon Crew in 2003. Since then, this modern-day Michelangelo has been dubbed the '"father of organic balloon decor" and is one of the most-awarded artists in the tight-knit balloon business. In fact, he was voted Latin America's Most Influential Balloon Artist in 2018. Given this prestigious pedigree, it's safe to say that Chris knows a thing or two about how to make an event pop (although ideally not literally!). This makes his partnership with Chadstone - The Fashion Captial for POP ART — a collaboration to create balloon-based installations for the largest shopping centre in the southern hemisphere — such a perfect match. ELATED AND INFLATED AT CHADSTONE Held at Chadstone - The Fashion Capital from Saturday, June 24 till Sunday, July 9, POP ART will be the biggest balloon art installation ever seen in Australia. In fact, the festival will feature more than 25,000 balloons of various sizes, each placed by hand by a talented crew led by Chris. POP ART will be divided across two precincts at Chadstone for the school holidays. One is the Underwater Precinct, where colossal sea creatures (like a huge yellow submarine, sharks, sea turtles, fish and coral reefs all made from balloons) will float past Target, spanning across four levels. Chris' personal favourite is The Prehistoric Park, where enormous balloon dinosaurs, snakes and volcanos will transform the area outside David Jones into a land lost to time. "One of my favourites is the life-size brachiosaurus, which alone consists of nearly 10,000 balloons of various sizes, making it a standout piece," he says. "I intentionally wanted it to be lifelike. It's actually what first inspired the process when Chadstone approached me," adds Chris. "I know we could have done little pieces all the way through the whole centre, different levels, and divided and split them into little moments of balloon art. But I always feel that you have wasted an opportunity to not build to scale. With balloons, it's just something that's exceptionally memorable." The Prehistoric Park will also host the school holiday program, which is bustling with activities and games. Guests can attend an interactive dinosaur balloon show at 10am and 3pm daily, and fun balloon twisting workshops at 11.30am and 1.30pm daily. ENGINEERING MEETS ARTISTRY Working with balloon structures of this size means there are several strings attached. Literally and figuratively. One is maintaining the precarious balance between the practical and the perceptible. When outlining his involvement in the construction of the project, Chris explains the importance of establishing strong support systems for the sculptures, with most built on lightweight aluminium framing that forms the base and then enhanced with interconnected rings. "We're designing to scale, which requires a lot of engineering," he says. "Creating a foundation that is sturdy and geometrically correct requires a lot of behind-the-scenes work. Nothing will present well if the proportions are off. I used to work in graphic design and I am a very visual person. So that also helps to create digital elements. And it's also why we have a team of about 24 people from this industry, from all across Australia, who are just very excited to be a part of something bigger than what they could achieve." Chris says it's no accident that he became a balloon artist. "Ultimately, balloon art really is an amazing medium and something that we can scale so easily. It's lightweight in the forms of manipulation, and with so many different designs and processes that we can use and apply, the opportunities are endless". KEEPING THINGS AFLOAT The sometimes problematic nature of balloons (namely as an environmental pollutant) places Chris in a perfect position to address the elephant — or perhaps the dinosaur! — in the room. What will happen to POP ART post-festival? "We use dense, thick, natural latex balloons. Essentially, they are made like maple syrup, which means they're designed to naturally degrade after four weeks," he says. Chris remains committed to ensuring that POP ART lives on by recycling the raw materials that first brought it to life. "We endorse best practice and don't do balloon releases. We haven't for 20 years. Instead, we use a commercial-grade recycling programme called TerraCycle, which turns them into mulch and sells them as a new commodity that is used often for rubber mats and play toys." Sorry to burst your bubble but POP ART at Chadstone - The Fashion Capital is only on for a limited time. To discover more of what it has to offer, head to the website. Images: Chadstone
If your ideal kind of getaway is one that's both comfy and minimalist — and doesn't skimp on majestic views — then Tiny Away's latest addition is destined to impress. The accommodation crew has once again expanded its stable of eco-friendly tiny house stays, this time unveiling a 155-square-foot studio nestled amongst the vine-covered hills of Toolleen near Victoria's Bendigo. The newly launched Vineyard Retreat has made its home on the lush grounds of winery and distillery Domaine Asmara, set on a secluded pocket of the property yet still easily accessed. Not only does it boast dreamy views of Mount Camel, plus nearby olive groves and farmland, but it's located right on the doorstep of much-loved regional spots like the O'Keefe Rail Trail, Axedale Tavern, the award-winning Gaffney's Bakery, Palling Bros Brewery and Peregrine Ridge winery. The tiny house itself is primed for switching off and unplugging from the daily grind of city life, without giving up any of those creature comforts. It's kitted out with a queen-size loft bed, fully stocked kitchenette with fridge and stove, additional convertible couch, and split-system air-con and heating. The private balcony is perfect both for stargazing sessions and sunset sips overlooking the vineyard. There's even a proper little ensuite complete with a gas-heated shower and a waterless composting toilet. And of course, if you're after a vino or two during your stay, Domaine Asmara's cellar door is only a quick stroll from your front door, offering spirit and wine tastings daily. You can even take one of the free distillery tours. Tiny Away's other Victorian escapes include an idyllic stay located in a Gippsland olive grove, while the company's first two Tasmanian houses launched in the middle of last year. Find Tiny Away's Vineyard Retreat at Domaine Asmara, 61 Gibb Road, Toolleen. Bookings are now open online, with rates starting from $179 per night. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
You've watched your way through every episode of Stranger Things to date, including the just-dropped first part of the show's fourth season. Thanks to your latest binge, you've now got Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill' stuck in your brain permanently, too. You've eaten a demogorgon burger, seen an Upside Down rift open up in Bondi and played Netflix's Stranger Things mobile game as well. Yes, there's no shortage of ways to indulge your love for the 80's-set streaming hit — but only one involves both singing and laughing. Stranger Things is heading to the stage — well, Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical is, to be exact. Because every popular TV show and movie seems to tread the boards eventually, whether in a serious (Back to the Future, Moulin Rouge!, Amelie) or satirical (Friends, Shrek, The Simpsons) guise, everyone's favourite tale about kids fighting monsters in Hawkins, Indiana has also made that leap. Even better: it is now venturing Down Under for the first time. Already an award-winner in the US, where it picked up seven 2021 BroadwayWorld Off-Broadway Awards — including Best New Musical (Off-Broadway) — Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical retells the tale we all already know, but on-stage, with amusing songs and while making fun of the whole thing. So, you'll be watching Mike, Eleven, Dustin, Lucas and the rest of the Hawkins gang navigate the wild antics that've made their town the worst place to grow up in since Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Sunnydale, and both tapping your toes to tunes and giggling along. Obviously, creepy creatures are a feature — singing and dancing ones, in fact. And, so are pop-culture references aplenty, big hair, throwback fashions, a synth-heavy soundtrack and possibly justice for Barb. Penned by Jonathan Hogue — book, music, lyrics and all — Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical will make its Australian debut thanks to Melbourne's Salty Theatre, with co-founders Ashley Taylor Tickell directing and Sarahlouise Younger assisting. So far, only dates for the Victorian capital have been announced — so lock November 3–19 in your diary, and get ready to hear a song-filled account of Hawkins' weirdness at Meat Market Melbourne. Tickets aren't yet on sale, but you can sign up to be notified when they do at the production's Australian website Fingers crossed that Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical eventually brings the Upside Down to other Aussie cities, obviously. Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical will play Meat Market Melbourne from November 3–19, 2022. For more information, or to sign up to be notified about tickets, head to the production's Australian website. Images: Bruce Glikas / Danny Hildago.
Excellent movie, apt title. Since premiering at the 2022 South by Southwest Film Festival, Everything Everywhere All At Once has lived up to its name. The Michelle Yeoh-starring action-comedy was a global hit in cinemas. It was a well-deserved audience favourite, too. And, it's utterly beloved by awards bodies. The latest accolades showering it with affection? The 2023 Oscars, which has just given the film a year-best haul of 11 nominations. Everything Everywhere All At Once scored Academy Award nods for almost everything it could, in fact, in a year that broke the record for the most Asian acting nominees ever. Yeoh pops up for Best Actress and made history doing so, as the first nominee in the category who identifies as Asian. Her co-stars Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu were also recognised, in the Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress fields respectively. And, for the Brendan Fraser-led drama The Whale, Hong Chau also received a nomination in the latter category. Similarly making history: the infectious song 'Naatu Naatu' from explosive action-musical RRR, which became the first tune from an Indian feature to get recognition in the field. Yes, that's a baffling statistic given India's prolific film industry. While Everything Everywhere All At Once leads the contenders overall, it has plenty of company. German war drama All Quiet on the Western Front and Irish comedy The Banshees of Inisherin each picked up nine nominations, while the Australian-made Elvis nabbed eight, Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans scored seven, the Cate Blanchett-led Tár and high-flying Tom Cruise vehicle Top Gun: Maverick received six each, and Marvel sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever collected five. Naturally, Blanchett received her eighth Oscar nomination for Tár. No, fellow Australian Baz Luhrmann wasn't nominated for Best Director for Elvis. But many of the Elvis Presley biopic's nods were for behind-the-scenes categories, which means nominations for the likes of cinematographer Mandy Walker, plus costume and production designer Catherine Martin. Among the other highlights, Normal People favourite Paul Mescal received his first Oscar nomination for father-daughter drama Aftersun; the always-excellent Brian Tyree Henry earned some love for his thoughtful turn in Causeway; Andrea Riseborough capitalised upon celebrity support to score a look-in for To Leslie; and movies with scene-stealing donkeys had the Academy braying with love, thanks to The Banshees of Inisherin's nominations and a Best International Feature Film nod for EO. Also, gorgeous Irish drama The Quiet Girl was recognised in the same field, and wonderful documentary Fire of Love is among the doco contenders. And, the new Oscar-nominee with the best name? It's Best Animated Short competitor My Year of Dicks. That said, the Academy couldn't find room for far too many other exceptional films — and the people behind them — in 2023's batch of nominees. That includes completely leaving out phenomenal South Korean thriller Decision to Leave in all fields, deciding that female filmmakers weren't worthy of any Best Director nominations this year, ignoring Viola Davis for The Woman King and Danielle Deadwyler for Till (and Black actors in the lead acting categories overall), overlooking Moonage Daydream for Best Documentary, and only giving RRR that one nod for Best Song. The Oscars will announce this year's winners on Monday, March 13, Australian and New Zealand time, with Jimmy Kimmel hosting. Here's the full list of nominations: OSCAR NOMINEES 2023 BEST MOTION PICTURE All Quiet on the Western Front Avatar: The Way of Water The Banshees of Inisherin Elvis Everything Everywhere All At Once The Fabelmans Tár Top Gun: Maverick Triangle of Sadness Women Talking BEST DIRECTOR Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All At Once Steven Spielberg, The Fabelmans Todd Field, Tár Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE Cate Blanchett, Tár Ana de Armas, Blonde Andrea Riseborough, To Leslie Michelle Williams, The Fabelmans Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All At Once PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE Austin Butler, Elvis Colin Farrell, The Banshees of Inisherin Brendan Fraser, The Whale Paul Mescal, Aftersun Bill Nighy, Living PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Angela Bassett, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Hong Chau, The Whale Kerry Condon, The Banshees of Inisherin Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All At Once Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All At Once PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Brendan Gleeson, The Banshees of Inisherin Brian Tyree Henry, Causeway Judd Hirsch, The Fabelmans Barry Keoghan, The Banshees of Inisherin Ke Huy Quan, Everything Everywhere All At Once BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY The Banshees of Inisherin, Martin McDonagh Everything Everywhere All At Once, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert The Fabelmans, Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner Tár, Todd Field Triangle of Sadness, Ruben Östlund BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY All Quiet on the Western Front, Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson and Ian Stokell Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Rian Johnson Living — Written by Kazuo Ishiguro Top Gun: Maverick, screenplay by Ehren Kruger and Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie; story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks Women Talking, Sarah Polley BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM All Quiet on the Western Front Argentina, 1985 Close EO The Quiet Girl BEST ANIMATED FEATURE Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio Marcel the Shell With Shoes On Puss in Boots: The Last Wish The Sea Beast Turning Red BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE All That Breathes All the Beauty and the Bloodshed Fire of Love A House Made of Splinters Navalny BEST ORIGINAL SCORE All Quiet on the Western Front, Volker Bertelmann Babylon, Justin Hurwitz The Banshees of Inisherin, Carter Burwell Everything Everywhere All At Once, Son Lux The Fabelmans, John Williams BEST ORIGINAL SONG 'Applause', Tell It Like a Woman (Diane Warren) 'Hold My Hand', Top Gun: Maverick (Lady Gaga and BloodPop) 'Lift Me Up', Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (music by Tems, Rihanna, Ryan Coogler and Ludwig Goransson; lyrics by Tems and Ryan Coogler) 'Naatu Naatu', RRR (music by MM Keeravaani, lyrics by Chandrabose) 'This Is a Life', Everything Everywhere All At Once (music by Ryan Lott, David Byrne and Mitski, lyrics by Ryan Lott and David Byrne) BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY All Quiet on the Western Front, James Friend Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, Darius Khondji Elvis, Mandy Walker Empire of Light, Roger Deakins Tár, Florian Hoffmeister BEST FILM EDITING The Banshees of Inisherin, Mikkel EG Nielsen Elvis, Matt Villa and Jonathan Redmond Everything Everywhere All At Once, Paul Rogers Tár, Monika Willi Top Gun: Maverick, Eddie Hamilton BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN All Quiet on the Western Front, Christian M. Goldbeck and Ernestine Hipper Avatar: The Way of Water, Dylan Cole, Ben Procter and Vanessa Cole Babylon, Florencia Martin and Anthony Carlino Elvis, Catherine Martin, Karen Murphy and Bev Dunn The Fabelmans, Rick Carter and Karen O'Hara BEST VISUAL EFFECTS All Quiet on the Western Front, Frank Petzold, Viktor Müller, Markus Frank and Kamil Jafar Avatar: The Way of Water, Joe Letteri, Richard Baneham, Eric Saindon and Daniel Barrett The Batman, Dan Lemmon, Russell Earl, Anders Langlands and Dominic Tuohy Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Geoffrey Baumann, Craig Hammack, R Christopher White and Dan Sudick Top Gun: Maverick, Ryan Tudhope, Seth Hill, Bryan Litson and Scott R Fisher BEST COSTUME DESIGN Babylon, Mary Zophres Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ruth Carter Elvis, Catherine Martin Everything Everywhere All At Once, Shirley Kurata Mrs Harris Goes to Paris, Jenny Beavan BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING All Quiet on the Western Front, Heike Merker and Linda Eisenhamerová The Batman, Naomi Donne, Mike Marino and Mike Fontaine Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Camille Friend and Joel Harlow Elvis, Mark Coulier, Jason Baird and Aldo Signoretti The Whale, Adrien Morot, Judy Chin and Anne Marie Bradley BEST SOUND All Quiet on the Western Front, Viktor Prásil, Frank Kruse, Markus Stemler, Lars Ginzel and Stefan Korte Avatar: The Way of Water, Julian Howarth, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle, Dick Bernstein, Christopher Boyes, Gary Summers and Michael Hedges The Batman, Stuart Wilson, William Files, Douglas Murray and Andy Nelson Elvis, David Lee, Wayne Pashley, Andy Nelson and Michael Keller Top Gun: Maverick, Mark Weingarten, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT The Elephant Whisperers Haulout How Do You Measure a Year? The Martha Mitchell Effect Stranger at the Gate BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse The Flying Sailor Ice Merchants My Year of Dicks An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM An Irish Goodbye Ivalu Le Pupille Night Ride The Red Suitcase
Melbourne's been under stay-at-home orders for what feels like three years, and there's still another month of stage four lockdowns stretched out before us. And by this point, you've probably got a few mates who are feeling a little glum, bummed out by that big list of things we're currently not allowed to do. You can't exactly swing past their house or hand out any real-life hugs, but you can spread some cheer by way of a nifty care package, hand-picked by you and dropped neatly on a doorstep. Whether you've got a mate who's partial to some chocolate indulgence, or know a friend who would use a few mood-boosting fresh blooms, show them you care with one of these local gifting services guaranteed to put smiles on dials. NOT-BORING HAMPERS FROM GOOD DAY PEOPLE This crew is reimagining the humble gift hamper, swapping out the standard bath soaps and boring bickies for fun, quality goodies, and finishing it all off with some bright, mood-boosting packaging in the form of funky printed cans. It's serving up a smart edit of themed gift packages you'd actually want to receive, heroing small Aussie businesses. Currently, you'll find 36 different hampers, including one for 'Gourmet Greg' — packed with Drunken Sailor relish, Maya Sunny honey, a bottle of local wine, Olsson's sea salt and some Bramble & Hedge nougat — and, for 'Perky Pam', an assembly of Bottl(ed) cocktails, Grandvewe sheep whey gin, a pack of cowhide coasters from Mr and Mrs White and Hey Tiger Fairy Wings vegan milk chocolate. Good Day People offers standard shipping, though select suburbs can also take advantage of next-business-day express delivery for a $19.95 flat-rate fee. To order, head here. INDOOR PLANTS AND CARE PACKAGES FROM HELLO BOTANICAL With all this time spent at home, your mate might as well have their space looking schmick. And Hello Botanical has a premium selection of easy-care plants to help do just that. The online store is stocked with a hefty range of greenery, that can be home-delivered in custom-made planter pouches and with handy care instructions attached. While you're shopping, check out the accompanying lineup of gifts, green thumb accessories, candles and care packages — the 'Lockdown Essentials' curation is especially well-timed. Best of all, Hello Botanical's $15 same-day delivery service is available across most Melbourne suburbs, as long as you order before 12.30pm, Monday to Friday. Hello Botanical's same-day delivery is available across Melbourne for orders placed before 9am Monday–Friday. It's a $15 flat rate, or free if you spend over $199. To order, head to the website. CHOCOLATE GIFT PACKS FROM MELBOURNE COCOA Send a friend a chocolatey smile and a sugar high, thanks to a new series of indulgent gift packs from local chocolatier Melbourne Cocoa. There are five bundles to browse and buy online, from a five-pack of the group's best-selling signature bars ($39.95), to a couples' pack featuring premium truffles, a chocolate block and some luxe drinking chocolate ($49.95). You'll even find a vegan haul, showcasing a lineup of Melbourne Cocoa's finest Victorian-made cruelty-free treats ($45). Right now, there's free shipping for all orders over $45, with deliveries running Monday to Thursday. Melbourne Cocoa is currently delivering Monday to Thursday, with free shipping for orders over $45 and a $15 flat-rate fee otherwise. Head here to order. CHEERY BOUQUETS FROM POSITIVE PARCELS This new floral delivery service is encouraging Melburnians to pass along the cheery feeling that comes with treating someone (or yourself) to a gorgeous bouquet — while also supporting the local flower industry. The Positive Parcels collection of blooms includes small and large seasonal arrangements, rose- and tulip-only displays, plus potted orchids and preserved flowers that are designed to last forever. You'll also find a series of treat-yourself care packages, stuffed with non-floral goodies like bottled Taylor & Smith cocktails and Bay of Fires cheese. What's more, $5 from every purchase is donated to Headspace Australia. Positive Parcels is also positioning itself as a pass the parcel-type service, encouraging folks who receive one of their packages to spread the cheer by purchasing another gift for someone else. Positive Parcels prices include delivery for addresses within 20km of the Melbourne CBD. Deliveries run Tuesday and Thursday, and orders must be in before 4pm the previous day. To order, head to the website. Top image: Good Day People
First came the return of the Kirra Beach Hotel, pouring drinks again after three years out of action while the surfside pub was rebuilt as an all-new 1300-square-metre watering hole with a sunny beer garden. Then arrived Kirra Beach House, with multiple spaces to eat and drink — and cabanas for both — on the beachfront. Now, for everyone heading to the Gold Coast to take advantage of the two venues, or just in general, Kirra Point Holiday Apartments is up and running. Out-of-town visitors and staycationers alike have a new spot to stay at Kirra Point, the precinct that's reshaping this part of southeast Queensland's coast. If you're keen to slumber for at least two nights — with longer trips welcome, too — this sleek new accommodation boasts one-, two- and three-bedroom options, all in a prime location. Killer views from each apartment overlooking the beach are a huge highlight. So are expansive balconies that are designed for hanging out outside as much as in, whether you're going solo, or you're with your partner, mates or travelling as a family. No one usually books a holiday apartment with more room than they need — and with prices starting at $395 per night, that'll prove the case here — but whichever size abode you pick, you'll still be peering at the water. Beach vistas are part of every apartment, so you won't miss out on making the most of the scenic surroundings. Fancy taking a splash, too? That's where the block's elevated pool deck comes in, also with stunning views. As you swim in the 25-metre heated pool or kick back on the poolside lounges, you'll have an uninterrupted vantage of the beach. The communal al fresco area also includes barbecue facilities and an outdoor shower. Back inside, expect a contemporary aesthetic; sizeable bedrooms, with the main featuring a king-sized bed; a full kitchen with European appliances and a Nespresso coffee machine; a 65-inch television with a Chromecast; internet access; and a full laundry. Plus, Kirra Point Holiday Apartments has its own air-conditioned gym, and hires out beach carts, umbrellas and bikes for exploring the area. Need a charcuterie platter or picnic hamper to make your stay even better? They can be delivered. If you're new to Kirra, you'll be venturing 70 minutes from Brisbane, 30 minutes from Broadbeach and 45 minutes from Byron Bay. And if this is the first that you're hearing about the Kirra Point precinct, it's all about giving folks the beach life whether they're dropping by for a sip and a meal, residing onsite or temporarily calling it their home away from home. Find Kirra Point Holiday Apartments at 4 Miles Street, Kirra, Queensland — head to the apartments' website for bookings and further details. Images: Elise Hassey.
'Tis the season for gorging on chocolate treats with reckless abandon — and local family-run chocolatiers Melbourne Cocoa are making it even easier to get your mitts on their limited-edition Black Label Easter range. They're popping up at Preston Market for the occasion, slinging signature goodies on Wednesday, April 5, Thursday, April 6 and Saturday, April 8. Whether you're hunting down Easter gifts or stockpiling choccy for yourself, this little shop is serving up the goods. It'll have the full latest Easter range on offer, including themed chocolate blocks and a variety of eggs, big and small. Flavours range from cookies and cream, to rocky road, to a sprinkle-encrusted egg inspired by the classic Freckle lolly. What's more, you'll find an exclusive new creation made just for the pop-up — a decadent red velvet egg incorporating notes of vanilla and a sweet cream cheese decorative finish.
Featuring a wide range of international brands and its own contemporary creations, it's no surprise that independent jewellery label Jolie & Deen found success on Chapel Street. Founded by Melbourne sisters Karuna and Kishori in 2010, Jolie & Deen is all about feminine pieces that are simple and elegant with a hint of quirkiness. The duo draw much of their inspiration from trips around the globe, as their designs respond to and evolve alongside the latest trends. Plus, if you consider all of the rings, necklaces, earrings, hair clips and bracelets are made from high-quality sterling silver and gold plating, the collection has quite an affordable price tag, too. Images: Parker Blain.
Food brings people together and understanding creates new bonds. That's the idea behind Feast for Freedom: A Longer Table — an immersive culinary and cultural experience next taking place as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Held at Footscray's Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC), Feast for Freedom events have raised over $2.3 million to support and empower people seeking asylum since 2019. Running from 6–9pm on Wednesday, March 25, this special edition of Feast for Freedom sees guests gather around a communal table, sharing in a curated feast created by refugee cooks. For the evening, Noha from Palestine and Nige from Sri Lanka are leading this one-night-only feast, showcasing the cultural significance of their dishes and recounting their personal journeys to diners in their own words. With funds raised going towards the ASRC's vital community work, the night's menu is a delightful one. Think Palestinian fare, such as cauliflower with tahini, Musakhan chicken rolls, and eggplant moussaka, alongside Sri Lankan faves like lamb curry, Parippu dhal curry, onion bhaji, and sambal. What's more, you'll need to save space for an assortment of desserts. "At a time when fear and division are being used to decide who belongs, A Longer Table is about choosing connection instead," says ASRC founder Kon Karapanagiotidis OAM. "This is what Feast for Freedom is all about, bringing people together, sharing food and making sure everyone has a seat at the table." Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox.
Movies can sometimes stick to a formula. Picture palaces showing them can do the same thing. At Moonlight Cinema, one of Australia's summer staples, that means playing Christmas films in December and romantic classics in February, for instance. Celebrating Oscar contenders in March is also on the itinerary, as the just-dropped last lineup for the event's 2023–24 season locks in. We can't know right now who'll emerge victorious at Hollywood's night of nights on Monday, March 11 Australian time, but plenty of nominees are showing throughout the month. Whether you're team Oppenheimer or Barbie, they're both on the program. So are Poor Things, The Holdovers and Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon. Perth gets Maestro, too, while Sydney and Melbourne can get drawn into the compelling drama of Palme d'Or-winner Anatomy of a Fall. While Moonlight Cinema hits up five locations each year, it winds up in Brisbane and Adelaide in February, hence the March bill is only playing in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. The details vary per city, but each will also enjoy a range of recent big-screen favourites, too, such as the Mean Girls musical, Sydney-shot rom-com Anyone But You and the sweet Timothée Chalamet (Bones and All)-led treat that is Wonka. Matthew Vaughn following up the Kingsman movies with new spy caper Argylle, Kingsley Ben-Adir (Secret Invasion) playing a reggae icon in Bob Marley: One Love and wrestling drama The Iron Claw will also get a whirl. For some retro fun, The Goonies, The Princess Bride and the OG Mean Girls are on the lineup as well. And, of course, the movies are just one part of the Moonlight Cinema experience. The setting — at Centennial Parklands in Sydney, Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne, and Kings Park and Botanic Garden in Perth — is just as important. Also on offer: an official Aperol spritz bar, which is new for 2023–24. Nosh-wise, the event lets you BYO movie snacks and drinks, but the unorganised can enjoy a plethora of bites to eat onsite while reclining on bean beds. There's also a VIP section for an extra-luxe openair movie experience, plus a platinum section that levels up a night at the movies even further in Sydney and Melbourne. A beauty cart is handing out samples, too. And, dogs are welcome at all sites except Perth — there's even special doggo bean beds, and a snack menu for pooches. Moonlight Cinema 2023–24 Dates: Sydney: until Sunday, March 24, 2024 in Centennial Parklands Perth: until Sunday, March 24, 2024 in Kings Park and Botanic Garden Melbourne: until Saturday, March 30, 2024 in Royal Botanic Gardens Moonlight Cinema runs through until March 2024 in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, with dates varying per city. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the cinema's website.
For movie lovers, there's no bad time for a new cinema to open in Melbourne and add to the city's lineup of picture palaces. Launching a few days after the Melbourne International Film Festival wraps up for another year is a particularly savvy move, however. For big-screen obsessives looking for a way to fill their now MIFF-free days until 2026's fest, Eclipse Cinema in Collingwood is welcoming in cinephiles from Thursday, August 28, 2025. One of the first features beaming from its projector is even 2024 MIFF Bright Horizons Award-winner Universal Language. Here's another stroke of great timing: Eclipse Cinema is also launching at an address that was previously home to the Sherrin factory just as AFL finals season is about to commence. Aussie rules footballs are no longer manufactured at 32 Wellington Street in Collingwood, but this is a venue with both sporting and cinema history. The name of the Victorian capital's newest boutique and independent movie theatre is taken from a picture palace that once stood on Collingwood's Smith Street from 1913 to around 1917. Eclipse Cinema hails from owner/operator Mark Walker, who boasts 15-plus years working at MIFF, was a projectionist at both Yarraville's Sun Theatre and Carlton's Cinema Nova, and also co-founded Pivotonian Cinema in Geelong, running it for nearly ten years. Walker's latest venture is all about silver-screen delights via a single-screen setup with digital projection and high-definition sound, all behind a 1920s facade — and also about pairing its films with snacks and sips, such as Stomping Ground beers, a range of wines, plus popcorn and homemade choc tops. Program-wise, audiences can settle in for a mix of new releases with retrospective flicks. Alongside dramedy Universal Language, Eclipse's launch lineup also features Friendship, the A24 comedy starring Tim Robinson (I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson) as a man who really wants to be pals with his weatherman neighbour (Paul Rudd, Death of a Unicorn); Grand Tour, which won Portuguese filmmaker Miguel Gomes (The Tsugua Diaries) the Best Director Award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival; and a 4K restoration of Burden of Dreams, the 1982 documentary about the making of Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo. This is the type of venue where Pedro Almódovar (The Room Next Door) pictures will also regularly grace the screen, including each Wednesday evening, starting with 1999's Oscar-winning All About My Mother. Eddington, Good Time, Sorry, Baby, No Other Land, Splitsville and Lesbian Space Princess are also among the cinema's upcoming titles, with the 64-seater spot also keen to showcase indie, queer, First Nations and gender-diverse filmmaking, as well as Melbourne-made fare — and titles that viewers mightn't have caught elsewhere on their limited general-release runs. Eclipse's screenings run from 11am daily, showing five or six sessions per day. You can also head by for a 10pm late flick on weekends. Collingwood's new cinema joins with FoMo in East Brunswick and Palace Penny Lane in Moonee Ponds among the city's other new picture palace openings in the past few years. A new IMAX at Village Cinemas Fountain Gate is also on the way before the end of 2025, as is IMAX at the existing Hoyts at Melbourne Central. "It is so exciting to be launching a new boutique cinema in this culturally rich neighbourhood, and I'm truly confident locals will embrace the independent and cutting-edge cinema that the Eclipse will offer," said Walker back when he was running a crowdfunding campaign to help Eclipse finish its build and open. Find Eclipse Cinema at 32 Wellington Street, Collingwood from Thursday, August 28, 2025 — and head to the venue's website for further details and tickets.
The humble meat pie is synonymous with all things Straya, whether you’re at the footy or visiting some middle-of-nowhere country town’s bakery. But your pie experiences do not have to be limited to these scenarios, dear reader. Many of Melbourne’s gastro-pubs, cosy corners and boutique bakeries are serving up a darn good pastry, filled with quality meat and lashings of tomato sauce. Whether you’re a purist beef pie aficionado or you appreciate more adventurous fillings, we’ve managed to find Melbourne’s best pies, served best with a crisp craft brew. THE BUILDERS ARMS For something a little outside your bulk standard beef pie, try the fish pie at The Builders Arms in Fitzroy. The filling is a seafood feast and includes smoked trout, prawns, rockling and sorrel. At $33 a pop, it is perhaps one of the more expensive pies you’re likely to find around the city, but it is one of those meals that every Melburnian should try at least once in their lives. 211 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy CANDIED BAKERY While the name may suggest this Spotswood joint specialises in the sweet stuff (and trust us, they do a darn good job in that department), they are also incredibly gifted when it comes to the savoury goods. You can’t overlook a classic, and the classic beef is just that. The Cherry Tree Organics beef is beautifully cooked, and the secret ingredient doesn’t get any more Australian — it’s Vegemite. Take one of these bad boys home for lunch, crack open a James Squire The Constable copper ale and watch your favourite footy team from the comfort of your own couch. 81A Hudsons Road, Spotswood TIVOLI ROAD Pastry chef Michael James is one seriously well-qualified pie maker, having worked at Sydney’s well-renowned Bourke St Bakery, as well as Baker D Chirico and MoVida Aqui before purchasing Tivoli Road as his own. Their best pie has come down to a tie between their hugely popular beef and mushroom and their slightly more adventurous chicken, pumpkin and sage. They’ve also created a kangaroo pie with native pepperberry pine mushrooms that we’re itching to try, but we’ll take whatever we can get our greedy little mitts on. 3 Tivoli Road, South Yarra BABKA Brunswick Street's supreme bakery hits home runs with their pies every time. Our pick would have to be the lamb and apricot, but other intriguing options include veal goulash, beef with mushroom, and spinach and feta for vegetarians. While you’re certainly welcome to take these gorgeous pastry creations home with you, if you can spare the time, it’s well worth having it in store. The pies are served with a homemade kasoundi which is sensational, and your tomato sauce at home just isn’t going to compare. 358 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy FATTO A MANO The organic, gluten-free and vegan-friendly folk at Fatto a Mano are the best option if you or your friends have dietary requirements but still love a good hot pie. Their organic beef and their mushroom, haloumi and spinach pies are available in traditional and gluten-free options, so everyone can get involved. They also do some excellent pasties, sausage rolls and a heck of a lot of sweet treats to take home if you’re feeling that extra bit indulgent. 228 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy
A quarter of a century is a long time to spend with Larry David, even with gaps along the way. Friends and acquaintances of the fictionalised and heightened version in Curb Your Enthusiasm might have some not-so-positive things to say about investing that chunk with one of TV's great curmudgeons. If you're a fan of the satirical series that premiered in 2000, however, 12 seasons isn't enough. But David has called time on his second small-screen smash. While CYE hasn't beaten Seinfeld's episode count, going out with 120 instalments versus 180, it stayed on-screen on and off for far longer than the ultimate show about nothing — and, right up until its final moments, it didn't avoid for a second the fact that Seinfeld was always going to cast a shadow. Streaming in Australia via Binge and New Zealand on Neon, Curb Your Enthusiasm isn't Seinfeld 2.0 for a lengthy number of reasons that'd get anyone saying "yada, yada, yada". But in riffing on David and his life, playing with his fame for co-creating one of the all-time sitcom hits has been baked into the premise from day one. Cue appearances from Seinfeld cast members, also as themselves. Cue dedicating a season focusing on making a Seinfeld reunion special as well. Accordingly, when CYE's ending first came into sight, of course the inimitable force behind both shows began the last season with the series' iteration of Larry going where Seinfeld's characters closed out their tale: jail. In season 12's debut episode of ten, he isn't incarcerated due to criminal indifference. Rather, Larry's stint behind bars comes about thanks to the opposite. In Atlanta to attend a rich fan's (Sharlto Copley, Beast) birthday party, on a paid gig courtesy of the success of Young Larry — CYE's in-show show about David's childhood, in the style of Young Rock and Everybody Hates Chris — he gives a bottle of water to Leon's (JB Smoove, Música) Auntie Rae (Ellia English, Blood Pageant) while she's in line to vote. That's illegal in the state of Georgia. The cops pounce immediately. So, with the nudging and winking — and reshaping and tinkering — that Curb Your Enthusiasm does exquisitely well, one of the season's key threads is born. Larry being Larry, he wasn't really trying to make a stand against ridiculous voter-suppression laws. Larry still being Larry, he's also content to capitalise upon being regarded as a hero, complete with droves of media attention. And, Larry never able to be someone other than Larry, he's his petty normal self regardless of how much praise flows from Bruce Springsteen — or ire, because getting to know Larry even when he's being commended and congratulated doesn't always mean actually liking him, as the plot strand involving The Boss, his final Los Angeles gig, COVID-19 and whose drinking cup is whose screams. Before Beef was winning Golden Globes, Emmys and other awards for trivial squabbles, David got there first. Before The Rehearsal and The Curse's Nathan Fielder was inspiring cringing so vigorous that you can feel it in your stomach, David was as well. Almost anything can happen and has happened to Larry, and being argumentative and awkward, holding grudges and rarely having his foot out of his mouth in response is a constant. Since season one, whatever has come his way has usually involved his manager and best friend Jeff Greene (Jeff Garlin, Never Have I Ever), alongside the latter's perennially suspicious wife Susie (Susie Essman, Hacks). Initially as his spouse and then as his ex, Cheryl David (Cheryl Hines, The Flight Attendant) has frequently weathered the fallout in his vicinity. So have his friends, such as Ted Danson (Mr Mayor) and the late, great Richard Lewis (Sandy Wexler) as themselves from the get-go, plus the aforementioned Leon Black, who moved in with Larry when the Davids took in his sister Loretta (Vivica A Fox, Bosco) after Hurricane Katrina. The show's swansong season is vintage Curb Your Enthusiasm, including when a lawyer who looks like one of David's many enemies, overhearing golfing lessons, throwing things at CODA Oscar-winner Troy Kotsur, getting disgruntled over breakfast menus cutting off at 11am and shirking reading scripts for old colleagues are involved. Season 12 also sees Larry try to date Sienna Miller (Extrapolations), sponsor Lori Loughlin (Blessings of Christmas) to join his country club and attempt to befriend Conan O'Brien (Conan Without Borders) when he moves into the same neighbourhood. He learns the Gettysburg Address while urinating, conditioning himself to feel the urge when he hears it afterwards. He's suspected of drawing penises on billboards. Also on his list: conjuring up schemes to ditch his girlfriend Irma (Tracey Ullman, Death to 2021) that he despises and get out of looking after an acquaintance's daughter if he passes away. From its premiere at the turn of the century to its farewell now, Curb Your Enthusiasm has been fascinated with whether someone as set in his ways as David — who was the inspiration for George Constanza — can and will ever change. He doesn't, and watching why that's the case only stopped being comedy gold when the credits rolled on the very last episode. That goodbye is named 'No Lessons Learned'. David gives voice to the idea, too: speaking to a young boy being told how to behave by his mother, he's unrepentantly Larry, telling the child "I am 76 years old and I have never learned a lesson in my entire life". As he bickers with a flight attendant about turning off his phone on the plane to Atlanta, gets crude hand signals from a driver who won't let merge on the highway and questions something about an ex-girlfriend of Richard's that's never normally spoken about (because when would that stop Larry?), his own words keep ringing true. When season 12 sent Larry to jail early, echoing how Seinfeld ended, it was always working towards more overt nods in its predecessor's direction. Cycling through legal representation (Will & Grace's Sean Hayes plays one attorney), Larry has been bound for court ever since. Airing grievances, all coming from folks who believe that they've been wronged by him over the years, was the natural — and gloriously, gleefully intertextual — path for Curb Your Enthusiasm's climax, then. David has learned lessons, though, since penning the end of Seinfeld. How that pans out, and CYE's conclusion overall, is pretty, pretty, pretty perfect. Check out the trailer for Curb Your Enthusiasm season 12 below: Curb Your Enthusiasm streams via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Images: HBO.
Clear your mid-week calendars and dust off your scarves, Melbourne — one of the bright sparks of Melbourne's frosty winter has made its way back onto the social calendar. Queen Victoria Market's beloved Winter Night Market is heating up your hump day schedule from June 7–August 30. From 5pm every Wednesday, the QVM is transformed into the kind of winter wonderland worth getting excited about, tempting you off the couch with a cosy program of street food, pop-up bars, live entertainment and artisan market stalls. As always, it's serving up a tantalising assortment of street eats each week, with a huge array of food vendors repping dishes from all corners of the world. Get excited for the likes of That's Amore's cheese wheel pasta, 400 Gradi's woodfired pizza, choclate fondue, prawn dumpling soup, soups served in giant bread rolls, Casa Nata's famed Portuguese tarts and stacks more. All perfectly paired with warming sips like mulled wine, butter beer and spiked milo paired with chilli, maple syrup and whipped cream. As you're filling your belly with tasty winter fare, you'll be kept entertained with a rotation of live gigs, roving performers and open fires. Plus, the silent disco is also returning this year, because what better way to warm your cockles and work off a big serve of cacio e pepe, than a cheeky dance floor session?
A glass of bubbly is always a pleasure, but the return of World Champagne Day provides ample excuse to add a little more sparkle to your upcoming weekend. Taking over QT Hotels & Resorts across Australia from Friday, October 24–Sunday, October 26, the brand's lineup of luxe off-beat stays have teamed up with true-brut style Perrier-Jouët for a cork-popping experience. To mark the occasion, guests are invited to double-down on their love of champagne, as your first flute purchase scores a second pour of top-quality champers on the house. Just swing through any of QT's signature restaurants — like Gowings & Parlour at QT Sydney, Pascale Bar & Grill at QT Melbourne and Yamagen at QT Gold Coast — to toast yourself with a fizzy encore to match.
We don't recommend taking regularly life advice from cartoon characters, but ever since an animated crab sang about the joys of living under the sea, it's an idea that's been lodged in everyone's minds. Nearly three decades after The Little Mermaid told us "darling it's better down where it's wetter", you can now experience the underwater life for yourself. If you've ever wanted to make like Ariel and slumber surrounded by sea life, Conrad Maldives Rangali Island has made that dream a reality by building a lavish underwater hotel suite. Now open and welcoming guests, the US$15 million space is being called the world's "first undersea residence" — and while a series of submerged villas in Dubai and a room at an African hotel might beg to differ, this still looks and sounds mighty impressive. Named The Muraka, which means coral in Dhivehi, the Maldives' local language, it's a two-level apartment that comes complete with sleeping and living quarters both above and five metres below the waterline. While the top floor boasts two bedrooms and bathrooms, including one with an ocean-facing tub; a powder room, gym, living room, kitchen, bar and dining area; two separate decks facing directly towards the sunrise and sunset; an infinity pool; and even butler's and private security quarters (with staff on hand 24 hours a day), it's the lower level that's the main attraction. Let's face it — you know that's exactly where everyone will head first. Down a spiral staircase, guests will find a king size bedroom, living area and bathroom, all surrounded by 180-degree panoramic views of the Indian Ocean's marine inhabitants. In total, the suite sleeps nine, making it a luxe destination for travelling groups with plenty of cash. And we do mean plenty, with Architectural Digest reporting that a stay costs around US$50,000 per night. That's not the only underwater experience on offer at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island — for the past 13 years, the resort has also been home to an undersea restaurant, so you can eat beneath the ocean's surface as well. Images: Justin Nicholas. 2018 Hilton.
