UPDATE Monday, July 19: Lockdown 5.0 has inspired the return of Attica At Home, offering a selection of Ben Shewry classics for takeaway and delivery. Currently, the menu's available until Saturday, 24 July, though expect further dates to be added if the snap lockdown is extended. Enjoy dishes like the beef lasagne with garlic bread and salad ($60), or a set menu of Attica favourites ($95), in your own house. For more details on Victoria's current restrictions, see the Department of Health and Human Services website. The brainchild of New Zealand chef Ben Shewry, Attica lays claim to being one of Melbourne's best-known and most celebrated fine diners. And the buzz is certainly not unwarranted. Located behind an unassuming shopfront on Glen Eira Road, the restaurant is a regular amongst the annual World's 50 Best Restaurants list, taking out the 33rd position in 2016, landing 32 in 2017 and named 20th in 2018. Here, your culinary journey takes the form of an elegant multi-course set tasting menu ($320), served with a touch of theatre within a moody dining room space created by IF Architecture. The food lineup changes regularly, though what sticks firm is Shewry and his team's commitment to celebrating unique native ingredients wherever possible. Dishes bear simple, mysterious names that belie the considered, forward-thinking creations that arrive in front of you — think, 'Killer Salad, Lightest Touch', 'Reko and Ben's Picnic Caviar', 'Marron, Missed You Delicious Old Friend' and 'Croc Fat Caramel'. And of course, there's some great drinking to match, with a stellar curation of wine, beer and other clever libations also on offer. Like most, Covid times have seen Attica embracing the pivot and expanding on its signature offerings. The restaurant has hosted a pop-up bake shop in the space next door, launched a casual sibling venue in the Yarra Valley over last summer and has been slinging elevated takeaway fare to hungry locals during most of Melbourne's lockdowns.
Based on the philosophy, "books are not commodities, they are works of art", My Bookshop by Corrie Perkin was launched in 2009 and has since grown to become one of Melbourne's most-loved hangouts for writers and bookworms of all ages. Founded by prominent journalist Corrie Perkin, the bookstore offers a huge variety of texts to dive into, with the latest novels, biographies and striking coffee table books all up for grabs. Situated amid the bustling local shopping destination of Hawksburn Village, this bookshop is the perfect place to spend an afternoon on the hunt for something new to read. Images: Parker Blain.
You've saved the date. You loved the lineup. If you're keen to hit up 2025's One Night Stand — and see Spacey Jane, LUUDE, Ruby Fields, 3%, Blusher and Velvet Trip while you're there — you'll now want to make plans to visit Busselton in Western Australia. That's where the Triple J initiative is heading this year, marking its first visit to the state in almost a decade, since 2016. All of the above acts, plus a yet-to-be-announced Triple J Unearthed winner, will take to the stage in Barnard Park on Saturday, May 24. Part of the reason for the long gap between trips west: this music festival does the rounds, setting up shop in a different part of the country each year. Another factor: that One Night Stand took a break from 2020–23 due to the pandemic. [caption id="attachment_996055" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitch Lowe[/caption] After 2019's One Night Stand, music lovers in regional Australia waited till 2024 for the event to return. Thankfully, there's no five-year delay between festivals this time. In fact, One Night Stand is returning just over eight months since 2024's festival, which took place in the Victorian town of Warrnambool in September with G Flip, Ruel, What So Not and Thelma Plum leading the lineup. Victoria hosted the most-recent One Night Stand and also the first: 21 years ago now, Triple J gave the town of Natimuk a day to remember when the spot 300 kilometres out of Melbourne welcomed its very own major music fest. When the ABC radio station put on the festival every year between 2004–2014, then again from 2016–2019, however, it hopped around states. Fellow Western Australian spots Collie and Geraldton have already welcomed the festival, for instance. [caption id="attachment_996056" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cole Barash[/caption] Ayr, Dalby and Mt Isa in Queensland; Port Pirie, Tumby Bay and Lucindale in South Australia; Cowra and Dubbo in New South Wales; Sale and Mildura back in Victoria; Alice Springs in the Northern Territory; and St Helens in Tasmania: they've all enjoyed the One Night Stand experience as well in prior years. It was true in 2024 and it remains the case in 2025: the all-ages event is returning at time when the Australian live music scene has been suffering, and after a spate of festivals have been cancelling or saying farewell forever, including both Splendour in the Grass and Groovin the Moo sitting out 2024 and 2025. Tickets for 2025's One Night Stand will cost $15 plus booking fee, and all proceeds will be donated to charity. One Night Stand Lineup 2025 Spacey Jane LUUDE Ruby Fields 3% Blusher Velvet Trip Triple J Unearthed winner to be announced [caption id="attachment_996060" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Savitri Wendt[/caption] 2025's triple j One Night Stand will take place on Saturday, May 24, 2025 in Barnard Park in Busselton, Western Australia. Tickets go on sale from 5pm AEDT on Thursday, March 27, 2025. For more information, head to the radio station's website.
It sounds like an obvious premise, and one that countless films and TV shows have already mined in the name of laughs. In Hacks, two vastly dissimilar people are pushed together, with the resulting conflict guiding the series. Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder, North Hollywood) and her new boss Deborah Vance (Jean Smart, Mare of Easttown) couldn't be more different in age, experience, tastes and opinions. The former is a 25-year-old who made the move to Hollywood, has been living out her dream as a comedy writer, but found her career plummeting after a tweet crashed and burned. The latter is a legendary stand-up who hasn't stopped hitting the stage for decades, is approaching the 2500th show of her long-running Las Vegas residency and is very set in her ways. They appear to share exactly one thing in common: a love for comedy. They're an odd couple thrust together by their mutual manager Jimmy (Paul W Downs, Broad City), neither wants to be working with the other, and — to the surprise of no one, including each other — they clash again and again. There's no laugh track adding obvious chuckles to this HBO sitcom, though. In other hands, guffaws would've come on cue, only the most blatant beats would've been hit, and the performances would've been big and broad. It would've been a series that tried to fill every space in the room, as Deborah has spent years doing in her gigs, and it would've been happy to give its easiest viewers what it already knows they want. But that isn't Hacks' approach. Just like its title, its basic concept isn't indicative of the series that results. Created by three of the talents behind Broad City — writer Jen Statsky; writer/director Lucia Aniello; and Downs, who does double duty in front of and behind the lens — Hacks isn't solely interested in setting two seemingly mismatched characters against each other. This is a smart and insightful series about what genuinely happens when this duo spends more and more time together, what's sparked their generational conflict and what, despite their evident differences, they actually share beyond that love of making people laugh. The straightforward clashes still bubble up, as Ava and Deborah's entire world views constantly niggle and jostle. Ava doesn't think twice about discussing everything from her sex life to her menstrual cycle with anyone she meets, and deems nothing too personal to bring up in conversation or make jokes out of — and she's certain that comedy is all the better for it, even if that perspective has cost her her dream job, made it impossible to get another gig in Los Angeles and brought her to Deborah's doorstep as a last resort. She's also sure that her new boss could improve her crowd-pleasing sets by taking her advice, but that isn't an idea that Deborah initially warms to. An ex-sitcom star who made the leap to stand-up back when the industry was even more unwelcoming to women than it is now, Deborah has worked tirelessly for her success, wealth and lavish mansion, and knows that Home Shopping Network appearances and attending the opening of fast food chains are as important as the residency she's being pushed out of. As a result, she's also fiercely protective of her current fame and status quo, and everything that goes with it. Other characters bob in and out of the pair's daily lives — Jimmy and his clueless assistant Kayla (Megan Stalter, The Megan Stalter Show), Deborah's daughter DJ (Kaitlin Olson, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), her Chief Operating Officer Marcus (Carl Clemons-Hopkins, The Chi) and casino owner Marty (Christopher McDonald, Ballers), mainly — but it's the push and pull between Ava and Deborah that's at Hacks' core. Through that dynamic, the show keeps probing what makes these women who they are, what they've faced and who they want to be moving forward, all while interrogating the reality of showbusiness without a trace of sugarcoating. Making a life out of being funny isn't easy for this pair, or for any woman in comedy, and nor is navigating everything that the entertainment industry constantly throws their way. Some of the sharpest observations about today's Hollywood landscape come in tiny but knowing moments, too; "what if first girl band during Salem witch trials but prestige drama?" an intoxicated Ava pitches, and that series definitely wouldn't look out of place on most streaming platforms' catalogues. Hacks wouldn't be the show it is without two key inclusions: Smart and Einbinder. Deborah feels like a part that Smart could play in her sleep, but that isn't how the exceptional Fargo, Legion and Watchmen actor handles the character. Deborah has fought for everything in her life, and that determination comes through amid the Joan Rivers-style brassiness and flashiness of her favoured lifestyle. Smart's is a textured performance that's keeps diving deeper and, although almost everyone watching has never been a famous comic, it's a relatable portrayal as well. She ensures that all those desires and yearnings we all have — to succeed, be respected, be valued for our talents and truly be ourselves — sit at the heart of Deborah's every move, even when she's hardly sympathetic. The same proves true of Einbinder's work as Ava, too, as relevant to the character. Ava projects an over-chatty air of confidence and wades her way through the world unfiltered, but she's also awkward, prone to failing as much as succeeding, and is really just trying to weather life's chaos like the rest of us. When the 2021 Emmy nominations were announced, Hacks collected 15 nods — including for Smart, Einbinder and Clemons-Hopkins for their on-screen work, and for Statsky, Aniello and Downs for their off-screen efforts. Plenty of great shows don't ever win shiny trophies or even get nominated, but every accolade thrown this series' way is thoroughly well-deserved. It's been picked up for a second season by HBO Max, just like the platform's other standout 2021 sitcom Starstruck. Australians had to bide their time for a local streaming platform to air both programs' first seasons but, when they've each arrived in easy-to-binge blocks, both have proven worth the wait. Watching Hacks is the best way to spend five hours on the couch right now, in fact, and its frank, funny and biting assessment of being a woman in entertainment is as always as canny as it is hilarious Check out the trailer below: Season one of Hacks is available to stream via Stan.
If your idea of a relaxing pastime involves moseying through Australia's picturesque landscape by foot, bike or horse, then add the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail to your must-visit list. Spanning 161 kilometres, it runs through southeast Queensland from Wulkuraka, west of Ipswich to Yarraman in the Great Dividing Range. And, with its final stage completed and opened this month, it's now Australia's longest continuous hiking, cycling and horse riding trail — exceeding the Great Victorian Rail Trail's 134 kilometres in length. Inaccessible to cars, the track follows the now-defunct Brisbane Valley railway line, which dates back to the 1880s. Upon closing to trains in 1991, it was converted to a recreational trail; however the final link between Toogoolawah and Moore has only just come to fruition through $3.354 million in funding from the federal, Queensland and local governments. Visitors can now make their way through an array of scenery — including farms, country towns and bushland — across the trail's entire expanse, with the track winding through the likes of Fernvale, Lowood, Esk, Toogoolawah, Moore, Linville, Blackbutt and Yarraman, and including both coffee stops and campsites along the way. Further work is planned along the trail, including a $4.5 million upgrade to the heritage-listed Lockyer Creek Railway Bridge. Image: Brisbane Valley Rail Trail Users Association Inc.
To live in the US right now must be to live with a constant question: am I in a Nathan Fielder show? There are more pressing queries troubling America, but viewers of the Canadian comedian's The Rehearsal can be forgiven for wondering if he or his disciples are lurking over their shoulder. In this brilliant HBO doco-comedy, studying ordinary folks is a key part of the premise — as much as rehearsing life, the promise that's right there in the series' name. One goes with the other; how do you prepare for every outcome that might occur in a tricky IRL situation if you don't also examine the people who play into it, and their traits? Forget simulation theory, which has caused plenty to wonder if life is a computer program (especially after The Matrix franchise's popularity; see also: documentary A Glitch in the Matrix). Instead, The Rehearsal gives rise to Fielder theory. That needs both unpacking and working up to, but never quite knowing if anything could be one of Fielder's scenarios is a side effect of watching. Early in The Rehearsal's first episode — with season one available to stream in full via Binge in Australia now, and via Neon in New Zealand from Saturday, August 27 — Fielder meets Kor Skeete. A Jeopardy!-watching, trivia-loving New Yorker, he has an issue he's seeking help with, answering an ad asking "is there something you're avoiding?". Skeete has been lying to his bar trivia team about his educational history, claiming he has a master's degree, and wants assistance in coming clean. His biggest worry: how his pal Tricia might react, and if it'll end their friendship. That's The Rehearsal's opening problem-of-the-week setup, because Fielder is a problem solver — or that's the persona he portrays in his on-screen guise. Puppet master; a Wizard of Oz-type impresario; investigator of the human condition; Willy Wonka, which Skeete calls him: they all fit as well. Before he assists Skeete, Fielder asks if he's ever seen his past work. Skeete says no, despite saying television is his favourite trivia subject — and his response to what Fielder explains next will likely mirror anyone who comes to this with the same fresh eyes. First, some background: until now, Fielder was best known for Nathan for You, in which he helped companies and people using his business school studies. Fielder played a version of himself, and the result is a reality comedy. It's something that has to be seen to be truly believed and understood, and it's both genius and absurd. In The Rehearsal, Fielder is back as himself using his skills to help others. He's also starring in/writing/directing a reality comedy, this time letting his subjects rehearse big moments. Skeete wants to bare all to a pal, Angela is keen to explore parenthood and Pat is trying to resolve a family feud over an inheritance, for instance. The show's crew even build elaborate sets, recreating the spots where these pivotal incidents will take place, such as the bar where Skeete will meet Tricia. Fielder hires actors to assist, too. And, adding yet another layer, Fielder also steps through the same routine himself, including rehearsing his initial encounter with Skeete with an actor. So when he's asking Skeete if he's seen his work, he's already done so in a replica of Skeete's apartment, with someone else playing the man he's now talking to — and he's cycled through every possible reaction. If you've ever thought life was a big performance, and every single thing about interacting with others — and even just being yourself — involves playing a role, you'll find much to think about in this gripping, funny, often unsettling, quickly addictive series. There's reality TV, and then there's the way that the deadpan Fielder plays with and probes reality. While both can induce cringing, nothing compares to this. But in a true Fielder touch, rehearsals like Skeete's are rehearsals themselves. You could call the first season a rehearsal for the already-greenlit second season of The Rehearsal, but Fielder also uses his time with Skeete and Pat as trial runs for the big trial run that runs through five of the season's six episodes. That parental pondering? It's too big a social experiment to conduct in just one chapter, and there's too much to it for Fielder to simply orchestrate the whole experience. The Rehearsal's faux family scenario comes courtesy of Angela, who wants to give motherhood a test. Her biological clock is ticking, so she's keen to see if she should pursue being a mum. Staunchly Christian and conservative, she'd want to be married. She also only sees herself living the homesteader life and being self-sufficient in the country. Fielder sets her up in a farmhouse in rural Oregon. To condense 18 years of parenthood down into mere weeks, he has Angela's fake child age in three-year increments, jumping from a baby to a toddler and so on. And to make the process seamless, he hires a lineup of child actors to play the part, swapping them out in shifts as required by labour laws. Later, after a failed attempt to locate a co-parent, he steps in himself. At its entry level, seeing the extremes that Fielder and his crew go to in arranging each rehearsal is mesmerising (a hefty HBO budget assists). So is spying the detail on display, the flowcharts plotting out every potential response, and the rehearsals behind each rehearsal — and watching how the show's subjects react. But it swiftly becomes apparent that The Rehearsal isn't even primarily about the people Fielder is helping and interacting with, including actors he puts through his own acting school (dubbed 'The Fielder Method') and a child who takes the pretend parenthood situation to heart. Fielder's series is always concerned with human nature, how it can be constructed and interpreted, and the role that screens play in telling and manipulating stories; however, it's also about Fielder himself, and the way everyone interacts with the world. Fielder is an awkward presence, but also both candid and calming (has unease ever been this easy?). He's frank about not really feeling emotions the way he thinks he should, and that others don't respond to him the way he'd like. ("I'm not good at meeting people for the first time. I've been told my personality can make people uncomfortable," he offers early on, like a self-aware Larry David who's intrigued to do better.) He's pulling his own strings, in what he himself describes as "puzzles of my own devising" — and he's determined to test his own assumptions, the character he plays as himself, and the way that others see him. He unpacks reality TV in the process, especially by laying bare the process. He tests and probes social conventions, questioning what's real and what we happily manufacture. He makes viewers query what they do themselves, and why, along with him. The Rehearsal is all of that and more, and unfurling its layers, games and insights is one of 2022's finest television experiences. Check out the trailer for The Rehearsal below: The Rehearsal streams via Binge in Australia now, and via Neon in New Zealand from Saturday, August 27. Images: courtesy of HBO.
When home video, the internet and mobile phones with inbuilt cameras each arrived, six words could've been uttered: get ready to look at dicks. New HBO comedy Minx is set the early 70s, so before all three, but the same phrase also applies here. It's true of the show itself, which isn't shy about displaying the male member in various shapes and sizes. It also stands tall in the world that Minx depicts. When you're making the first porn magazine for women — and, when you're making a series about it, even if it's all purely fictional — penises are inescapable. Also impossible to avoid in Minx: questions like "are erections consistent with our philosophy?", as asked by Vassar graduate and country club regular Joyce Prigger (Ophelia Lovibond, Trying). Idolising the magazine industry and unhappily working for the dispiritingly traditional Teen Queen, she has long dreamed of starting her own feminist publication — even penning a bundle of articles and making her own issues — but centrefolds splashed with male genitalia don't fit her ideal pitch. No one's buying what Joyce is selling, though; The Matriarchy Awakens, her dream mag, gets rejected repeatedly by the industry's gatekeepers. Only one is interested: Bottom Dollar Publications' Doug Renetti (Jake Johnson, Ride the Eagle), but he's in the pornography business. In Minx's premiere — which is now streaming alongside its second via Stan in Australia, with future episodes dropping in pairs weekly — Joyce and Doug are poised as opposites. When they first meet at the Southern California Magazine Pitch Festival, they contrast so forcefully in a visual sense that the show's Los Angeles-set frames may as well be screaming. She's buttoned up in a three-piece pantsuit, while he hasn't seen fit to fasten his shirt above his navel. Her gaze is steely and resolute; his couldn't be more casual. As created by Ellen Rapoport (Clifford the Big Red Dog) and executive produced by Paul Feig (Last Christmas), Minx plays up this clear and blatant contrast, and gleefully so, but little that follows is ever as easy and obvious. A streaming series about feminism, penises and 70s porn for women: that's Minx. A program about all of the above that unpacks and subverts Joyce and Doug's initial impressions: that's Minx as well. Indeed, it uses that first interaction as a spark for everything it carves into once it truly kicks into gear. Together, the pair pledge to create a feminist erotica magazine, and a savvy yet breezy workplace comedy results. The fact that nothing is ever just one thing — be it people, ideas, or everything that feminism and porn encompass — is a straightforward observation, but it's laid bare in a winning way in this quickly likeable show. Joyce is many things, in addition to being Minx's editor, driving force and sole doubter about male centrefolds. She worships Gloria Steinem, hands out The Kinsey Report to her colleagues, and is committed to giving the mag depth and intelligence — marital rape and contraception for single women rank among her ready-to-go article topics — but she's also prudish about nudity and sex toys, and incurious about her own desires. And, as the series points out, she benefits from a layer of white privilege and financial comfort that's given her the space to even fantasise about her passion project in the first place. Doug is equally multifaceted; a slacker on par with Johnson's New Girl claim to fame, he isn't. He's laidback, naturally, but he's astute about business, great at reading people, eager to make bold leaps and values having talented folks around him. Just as Joyce isn't merely a patriarchy-smashing go-getter stereotype, Doug isn't a sleazy but charming peddler of porn, either. Teamwork makes the Minx dream work, of course, and the crew assembled to get the magazine into the hands of women keeps challenging archetypes, too. Blonde and perky, Bambi (Jessica Lowe, Miracle Workers) models for Doug's other publications, has a knack for the creative side of the business and could never be dismissed as a bimbo — and sees nothing wrong with everything the term typically describes. Shelly (Lennon Parham, Veep), Joyce's sister, is more open about sex and its place in print, all while slotting into the conventional homemaker role expected of her gender. There's also Tina (Idara Victor, Shameless), Doug's whip-smart righthand woman, who rightly won't stand for being underestimated because she's Black— but isn't simply around to offer that reminder — and gay Latino photographer Richie (Oscar Montoya, Final Space), who is never a best friend-type sidekick. If Minx, the series, sounds a little like The Deuce meets Mrs America — but lighter, sweeter and funnier — that's because the comparison fits. Pick a beloved workplace sitcom, make it about feminism and porn, and Minx would slide in there, too, especially with its pitch-perfect ensemble cast. Of course, TV comedies aren't normally filled with so many phalluses, but this series knows that it can't tell a tale about embracing the female gaze if it doesn't embody the very concept. It's thoughtful about it at every turn as well; when Joyce rationalises the mag's first centrefold by flipping a real-life situation that women have endured too often, it's part of Minx's ongoing conversation on a range of essential topics. The many forms that feminism takes, how women have been conditioned to view sex, the stigma surrounding porn: they all bubble up in Minx's first five episodes (from a ten-instalment debut season). So too do sexism within advertising and in life in general, boys' club mentalities, censorship, the wowser-driven political war against anything salacious, the way that women judge each other and the power dynamics at the heart of romance. Obviously, the list of subjects that could fall into Minx's remit is lengthy — and, like its two lead characters, it sports the ambition to keep spreading its message far and wide. It's also as determined and unapologetic as Joyce, charismatic and flirty like Doug, and as layered as everyone in its frames. Minx's dicks don't talk — that's left to Pam & Tommy — but this newcomer is a full-frontal delight. Check out the trailer for Minx below. The first two episodes of Minx are available to stream via Stan, with two new episodes dropping weekly.
When New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the two-way trans-Tasman bubble back in April — allowing Australians to travel to NZ without quarantining upon arrival — she noted that it could and would be paused if and when outbreaks occur. So, when Melbourne started to identify locally acquired COVID-19 cases back in May (which led to restrictions and a lockdown in response), the NZ Government stopped its arrangement with Victoria. It has been almost a month since the NZ Government suspended quarantine-free travel between NZ and Victoria — and, with restrictions now slowly easing in the Australian state, NZ has announced that it'll reinstate the travel bubble. From 11.59pm NZST/9.59pm AEST today, Tuesday, June 22, quarantine-free flights will be able to resume. If you're a Victorian eager to head across the ditch, soon you'll be able to. NZ public health officials now deem that "the public health risk from Victoria is low", although travellers are still advised to keep monitoring for symptoms — and to keep checking for Victorian exposure sites. You won't need to get a pre-departure test, though, so that's one less thing to put on your travel checklist. https://twitter.com/covid19nz/status/1406891419634044929 Initially, the pause was put in place for 72 hours to give Victorian authorities time to investigate the initial cases in the cluster; however, it was extended when case numbers in the outbreak grew. This wasn't the first time that the trans-Tasman bubble has been paused, with NZ suspending flights from Western Australia at the beginning of May in response to Perth's recent cases — and doing the same with New South Wales this month as well. In both cases, flights with NZ were given the all-clear to resume within days. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Victoria, head over to the Department of Health website. To find out more about the virus and travel restrictions in New Zealand, visit to the NZ Government's COVID-19 hub.
Each winter Vivid draws Sydney out of hibernation with a festival of light installations, talks, workshops and performances. Now in its tenth year, the festival is bigger and brighter than ever. From the illumination of major city landmarks to international acts and challenging ideas, there's a lot to pack into the 23 nights. With the help of our friends at YHA Australia, we've put together a rundown to help you navigate the festival. From what to see and do and to where best to eat and drink. [caption id="attachment_670002" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sydney Harbour YHA rooftop[/caption] STAY With so much to see and do during Vivid, you'll want to be close to the action. Sydney Harbour YHA in The Rocks is the perfect home base; it's just a stone's throw away from the installations in The Rocks and walking distance to Circular Quay and the Botanic Gardens. It's also right in the thick of some of the most historic pubs in Sydney. The building combines modern comfort with the heritage of the area — it's set above archaeological remains of colonial Sydney. Choose from private or dorm rooms and head to the rooftop balcony to treat yourself to one of the best views in Sydney. From this bird's eye vantage point, you'll have an uninterrupted view stretching from the Harbour Bridge to the Sydney Opera House, Customs House and city buildings, all lit up for the festival. Grab a drink and settle in to soak it all up. If you'd prefer to stay a touch further away from the heaving Circular Quay, YHA also has locations in Sydney Central and Railway Square. Here, you'll be in walking distance of Haymarket (and its many dumplings, noodles and 30c cream puffs), Spice Alley and Darling Harbour's stunning light installations. All three YHAs are offering 20-percent-off during Vivid, too. [caption id="attachment_625341" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bodhi Liggett.[/caption] EAT You'll need to keep your energy levels up in order to fit in everything in during the festival. Luckily, there are heaps of great food options around. Start the day with quality coffee and a beautiful, picturesque breakfast at The Grounds of the City. If you're short on time, though, you can grab a cup of joe and a brekkie burger, bowl or muffin from the takeaway window. For lunchtime refuelling, head to La Renaissance Patisserie for house-made pies, baguette sandwiches and pastries. The tree covered courtyard is a sweet little place to retreat from the crowds for a little while. In The Rocks Centre behind Kendall Lane, you'll also find the Fine Food Store serving up sandwiches, salads and winter warmers like soups and stews. When the sun goes down, check out the new Bar Patrón by Rockpool for authentic Mexican eats, margaritas and views of the Vivid lights. Alternatively, head to The Morrison, located between The Rocks and Wynyard, for a mean sirloin steak or the $1 oyster happy hour from 6–7pm each Wednesday. And if you've really got cash to splash and a burning desire for views with some top eats, head to Cafe Sydney. Found above Customs House (which will be covered in a Snugglepot and Cuddlepie light show), this place serves up Australian haute-cuisine with a killer view. The restaurant also has a dedicated vegan menu for those looking for some fine dining that considers their dietaries. For another prime spot with more casual eats, head next door to Gateway — home to Neil Perry's Burger Project, Din Tai Fung, Four Frogs Creperie and Gelato Messina. DRINK The Rocks area is heaving with pubs — in fact, two of them, The Lord Nelson and The Fortune of War, lay claim to being Sydney's oldest. The best way to fit them all in is to head on a pub crawl — starting at The Lord Nelson, making tracks to the potentially haunted Hero of Waterloo, heading up to The Glenmore rooftop for excellent harbour views, passing by The Fortune of War and finishing up at the newly refurbished Orient. If you're after something more sedate and refined, hit Henry Deane, the rooftop bar at Hotel Palisade which boasts incredible views of the harbour and the lights of Vivid. Otherwise, check out Bulletin Place for intricately crafted cocktails, or cosy up at The Doss House, a new underground whisky bar set in an incredible heritage building in The Rocks. [caption id="attachment_624496" align="alignnone" width="1920"] James Horan.[/caption] SEE The projections onto the Sydney Opera House have been the crowning glory of the Vivid light display since the festival's inception. This year the sails will feature the work of artist Jonathan Zawada, blending everyday objects with the pictures inspired by the Australian environment. Meanwhile, Skylark makes use of the high rises around Circular Quay, featuring a custom-built laser atop the Harbour Bridge projecting onto buildings in a stunning light show every half hour. The Southern Pylon of the bridge will be lit with Bangarra Dance Company's Dark Emu, melding dance and art and paying homage to the agricultural knowledge of Indigenous Australians. [caption id="attachment_623212" align="alignnone" width="1920"] James Horan.[/caption] See bacteria writ large at Beautiful and Dangerous in The Rocks. The work takes you under a neon microscope to explore some of the deadliest diseases facing mankind and what's being done to curb them. While you're in the area, look skyward and see A Little Birdie Told Me — a work depicting the threat to many of our native bird species. The festival of light also makes full use of the glorious Botanic Gardens, with installations dotted throughout. Impressions shows a time-lapse of flora captured from the garden throughout the day, displayed across five huge canvases. Check out The Bloom, a giant metallic flower covered in LED pixels. And hanging in a canopy of trees is Hyperweb, a giant web combining light and soundscape. DO With so many artists and thinkers in town, you might want to extend your stay to fit more in. Top of the ticket is Solange, performing at the Sydney Opera House. Her shows are sold out, but festival organisers recommend checking the website daily for last-minute releases. Also in town are Grammy award-winning singer St Vincent and legendary rapper Ice Cube. There are heaps of local acts to check out too, including No Mono, Middle Kids and Stonefield. For one night only Heaps Gay will host a fabulous, not-to-be-missed fancy dress party, Qweens Ball, at Town Hall. Plus for a change of pace, this year's festival also includes a jazz series for the first time. [caption id="attachment_574541" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Bodhi Liggett.[/caption] Vivid Ideas will get your mind bubbling about the big issues. There are talks on everything from building a sustainable future and the threat to democracy to the art of creativity and understanding consciousness. For podcast nerds, the Audiocraft Podcast Festival features a line-up of industry heavyweights in a series of talks and workshops. If you're headed to Vivid this year, YHA is offering 20% off stays for Concrete Playground readers during the festival. The offer applies to all rooms (private and multi-share) at Sydney Harbour YHA, Sydney Central YHA and Railway Square YHA. Use the code VIVID to claim the discount when you book online, valid Sunday to Thursday between Sunday, May 27 and Friday, June 15. More info about the offer and other weekend discounts here. Image: Destination NSW.
If you prefer an art experience that extends beyond looking at works on a wall, prepare to be impressed by Melbourne's new immersive digital art gallery. Set to open in late 2020, The Lume will take the form of a $15-million 2000-square-metre gallery, decked out with 150 state-of-the-art projectors. Projections of some of the world's most celebrated works will be splashed across various surfaces, backed by powerful musical soundtracks and complemented by aromas. The project is the brainchild of Melbourne-based Grande Exhibitions, which, for the past 14 years, has hosted immersive exhibitions and gallery experiences in over 130 cities across the world. The company also owns and operates Rome's Museo Leonardo da Vinci. Known for celebrating art world greats like Vincent van Gogh and da Vinci through modern, multi-sensory technology, Grande Exhibitions will use a similar formula at The Lume. Instead of showcasing original works, the gallery will rely on a curation of music and moving image to create a tapestry of instantly recognisable artworks. At night, The Lume will transform into an events space, thanks to a collaboration with catering company Food & Desire. So, next Christmas party you could be sipping bubbles while looking at (and smelling) a Van Gogh. To get more of an idea of what to expect from The Lume when it opens later this year, check out this teaser: https://youtu.be/-nFtXTTXpWk The Lume will open in an unconfirmed Melbourne location in late 2020. We'll let you know when more details are announced. You can check out some of Grande Exhibitions' other gallery experiences over here. Updated March 2020
Millions of us spend time behind our desks, and some of us even love it. But if you're looking to switch things up in 2026, Parks Victoria has just embarked on its search for the next generation of rangers, providing an unmatched opportunity to work amid the great outdoors and all the fresh air that you could ever want or need. This latest recruitment drive invites outdoor enthusiasts to apply for 62 new roles across the state. Best of all, no two days are the same, with on-the-clock rangers tackling a diverse array of jobs. One moment, you could be controlling weeds and maintaining tracks; the next, it's all about community engagement and preparing for bushfire season. But with four million hectares of public land and waters to oversee, you won't be doing it alone. Rangers actively work alongside Traditional Owners, communities, volunteers and partners to contribute meaningful outcomes for people and nature. Together, this helps elevate local economies and community ties, plus creates unforgettable visitor experiences. If your application is successful, recruits will get to learn an abundance of new skills, from bushfire preparedness to cultural heritage protection. Meanwhile, you'll play a vital role not only in protecting Victoria's pristine landscapes, but also in safeguarding the wildlife that call it home. How's that for job satisfaction? So, where might you end up working? In the Gippsland Region, there are rangers needed in spots like Bendoc, Orbost, Omeo and Cann River, while the Grampians and surrounds features roles for Nelson, Halls Gap and the You Yangs. With many more jobs to explore, there are also six Designated Aboriginal Ranger positions to strengthen Parks Victoria's frontline. "Our rangers are so important to Victoria — whether it's in one of our urban parks, a marine sanctuary, a campground or a wilderness area, everyone benefits from the work they do and the passion they bring to each day," says Parks Victoria Chief Executive Lee Miezis. Parks Victoria is now hiring rangers across Victoria. Head to the website for more information.
An all-Italian affair is soon happening along the Surf Coast, with Osteria Da Bruno taking over Mortadeli for a three-night residency. Pairing Bruno Fine Food's occasional pop-up restaurant with Torquay's Med-inspired cafe and grocer, diners will encounter a thoughtfully paced five-course menu from Wednesday, January 21–Friday, January 23. In the kitchen, Osteria Da Bruno chefs Beppe Iodice and Kristian Ruggeri have shaped this culinary offering, where the rhythm of the night is designed to reflect the easygoing nature of a traditional Italian osteria. Priced at $80 per person, there are two seatings per night, with each accommodating a convivial 38 guests. Like the best of Italian osterias, the collab will feature simple, unpretentious cuisine with a few modern twists on Italian classics. Think Osteria Da Bruno's signature seafood-filled ravioli with slow-cooked lobster bisque, as well as their version of cottoletta. Yet the pop-up isn't limited to just Mortadeli's retro-themed interior. If you don't score a seat for dinner, guests are invited to explore Cortile da Bruno, a casual walk-in outdoor courtyard experience. Running alongside the activation daily from 3pm, expect fancy drinks in the sun alongside charcoal mortadella sliders and DJ-spun tunes by 0lyps0.
A world-first exhibition dedicated to the late Nelson Mandela has opened in Australia, in what would've been the Nobel Peace Prize laureate's 100th year. Travelling exhibition MANDELA My Life runs from September 22, 2018 to March 3, 2019, with Melbourne Museum hosting the most comprehensive collection of the human rights icon's memorabilia ever to be shown outside South Africa. Alongside a huge assortment of artefacts, including the warrants of committal for Mandela's 27-year stint in prison, the exhibition explores his life through a series of film and audio archives. In total, more than 200 pieces from The Nelson Mandela Foundation and Nelson Mandela's private collection are on display, taking up ten galleries. Highlights include an immersive film piece that places attendees in the courtroom as he delivers his 1964 Rivonia Trial speech against apartheid, a seven-metre-long projection wall that charts his journey through childhood, and a gallery filled with small cell-like rooms based on his time in prison. Visitors can also relive the events of Mandela's first day of freedom in 1990, view a selection of the colourful patterned 'Madiba shirts' he was known for wearing, and see the signed boxing glove gifted to Mandela by Muhammad Ali. In addition, MANDELA My Life includes 16 original artworks by South African artist John Meyer, each of which depicts an event from or theme of Mandela's life. An exhibition within the exhibition, it features renderings of Mandela's childhood in Qunu, his years as a dedicated lawyer in 1950s Johannesburg, his time in jail and and his post-release achievements. Victorian Minister for Tourism and Major Events John Eren said that Melbourne's hosting of the centenary exhibition was a huge win for the city. "Nelson Mandela fought every day for freedom, love and human rights — changing the world and making it a better place," Eren said. "We're proud this exhibition is making its world debut in Victoria, continuing Mandela's incredible legacy and reminding us all that it's in our hands to make a difference." MANDELA My Life is supported by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, which is the custodian of most of the revolutionary's personal photographs, documents and memorabilia. After premiering in Melbourne, the exhibition will embark on a world tour of up to 20 cities, expected to be seen by as many as 2.7 million visitors globally. MANDELA My Life is on display from September 22, 2018 to March 3, 2019 at Melbourne Museum, 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton. For tickets and more information, visit the exhibition's website. Images: 'Father of the Innocents' from the series 'Mandela, A Life's Journey' by John Meyer / Keith Bernstein / Jon Augier, Museums Victoria/
Whatever else the past couple of years have served up, it has been an impressive time for folks who like staring up at the sky. 2016 ended with a huge supermoon that had everyone looking to the heavens, then 2018 began with an extremely rare super blue blood moon (a supermoon, a blue moon and a total lunar eclipse all at once). Next, at the end of July, an epic lunar eclipse will mark the next notable celestial happening. In fact, the Saturday, July 28 event will be longest lunar eclipse of this century — with the penumbral eclipse lasting just shy of four hours (236 minutes, to be exact) and the total lunar eclipse spanning 103 minutes. If you're wondering what the difference is between the two (because we're all more familiar with The Mighty Boosh's take on the moon than actual lunar terms, aren't we?), a penumbral eclipse is when the earth's outer shadow falls on the moon's surface, while a total lunar eclipse involves the moon passing directly into the earth's actual shadow. During the main event, which is expected to kick off at 5.30am local time, the moon will also turn a blood-red shade thanks to sunlight that's filtered and refracted by the earth's atmosphere. So yes, as well as a total lunar eclipse and a full moon, it'll be a blood moon as well. Australians will be able to spy the penumbral eclipse from 3.14am and the partial eclipse from 4.24am, before the full thing at 5.30am, with the maximum eclipse occurring at 6.21am. We won't be able to see the end of it, however, as the moon will be below the horizon when the full, partial and penumbral eclipses end (at 7.13am, 8.19am and 9.28am local time, respectively). While it's a great excuse to go stargazing, the 103-minute total eclipse only just pips the 100-minute event that took place on June 15, 2011 — and falls just short of the 108-minute event on July 16, 2000. Still, when the super blue blood moon did come around earlier in 2018, its full eclipse only lasted 72 minutes. If you miss it, 102-minute total lunar eclipses are expected in 2029, 2047 and 2094 — but nothing this long will occur again this century. Via Space.com and timeanddate.com.
Your regular cafe should offer three things: good coffee, good food and good vibes. Williamstown's Kodama Coffee has it all. Named for the Japanese tree spirits that keep nature balanced, Kodama keeps a balance of brews from Axil Coffee Roasters, plus labelled and bottled iced coffees to takeaway. You'll also find a short but sweet food menu of vibrant dishes and a simple, relaxed cafe space complete with white walls, wooden furniture, hanging lighting and plenty of greenery. Try the huge, fluffy pancakes with syrup, fruit and meringue oar the house-toasted granola served with a whole saffron poached pear. Come lunchtime, opt for the superfood salad of kale, quinoa, roasted corn, black turtle beans, beetroot hummus, avocado and toasted almonds, topped with cold smoked salmon and a poached egg.
There's no forgetting the opening moments of Scrublands, Australia's latest rural noir entry. For viewers streaming along via Stan, where the four-part series is available in full, there's no chance of not being instantly hooked, either. After an otherwise ordinary Sunday congregation, as his worshippers disperse slowly from his rural church's car park, Riversend priest Byron Swift (Jay Ryan, Muru) starts shooting with a sniper rifle. Five locals — farmers Alf (Fletcher Humphreys, The Stranger) and Tom Newkirk (Scott Major, Heartbreak High), shop owner Craig Landers (Martin Copping, The Dunes), mechanic Hugh Grosvenor (debutant Ben de Pagter) and accountant Gerry Torlini (Adam Morgan, The Royal Hotel) — are killed, with the man of the cloth not living out the fray himself. After that introduction, the bulk of Scrublands picks up a year later as the small, remote and deeply drought-stricken town is still attempting to live with an event that it'll never get over. In drives journalist Martin Scarsden (Luke Arnold, True Colours), who has been dispatched from Sydney to write about the situation 12 months after the unthinkable occurred. Capturing the colour of the situation is his remit, in an article that his Sydney Morning Herald editor wants for weekend supplement reading, and is also meant to be Scarsden's easy way back to the job after a traumatic last assignment. To the shock of no one but the investigative reporter, his welcome is mixed. It also won't astonish viewers that the journo's time interrogating the truth behind the tragedy proves anything but straightforward and uneventful — and neither director Greg McLean (Jungle) nor screenwriters Felicity Packard (Ms Fisher's Modern Murder Mysteries), Kelsey Munro (Bump) and Jock Serong (a scripting debutant) expect that basic framework to come as a surprise. Scrublands remains a mystery; however, it's the why that haunts its frames, not the who. That question lingers over the townsfolk that cross Scarsden's path, although there's already been an official tale since the massacre occurred. In the rubber-stamped version doing the rounds and fuelling news headlines, abuse allegations were levelled at Swift just days before the incident. So, in external law enforcement's minds, that's long been the case closed. But Scarsden is increasingly unconvinced. Far from writing the "torture porn" that he's initially accused of, he begins digging deeper, despite as much hostility about him endeavouring to unearth the facts swirling as surrounds to his presence in Riversend at all. Bookstore and cafe proprietor Mandy Bond (Bella Heathcote, C*A*U*G*H*T), a single mum and the first local that Scarsden meets, swings from cordial to frosty and then more open. Police officers Robbie Haus-Jones (Adam Zwar, Squinters) and Monica Piccini (Freya Stafford, New Gold Mountain) vary in their cooperation. Resident chief landowner Harley Reagan (Robert Taylor, The Newsreader) is blunt but reluctant about imparting anything but his family's generational history in these parts. Among those who lost fathers and husbands — such as teenagers Allen Newkirk (Stacy Clausen, True Spirit) and Jamie Landers (Zane Ciarma, Neighbours), and the latter's mother Fran (Victoria Thaine, Nowhere Boys) — the response is equally as complicated. Recurring among most of Riversend's inhabitants: the certainty that the picture painted of the cleric that changed everything isn't what it seems. The list of Australian films and TV shows that involve a big-city outsider galloping in to run through a regional area's problems, struggles and secrets is considerable, including The Dry, Black Snow, Limbo and Deadloch in recent years. Scrublands happily fits the bill. As those past movies and series have shown, and this page-to-screen effort based on Chris Hammer's novel as well, such a setup can provide the basis for weighty and compelling stories when presented with care, thought and style. McLean isn't in Wolf Creek or Wolf Creek 2 territory. While the eye-catching imagery that the filmmaker and his cinematographer Marden Dean (Clickbait) offer up can lean on familiar visual tropes, relying on standard formula isn't the approach overall. Any narrative scenario, no matter how well-used — including to the point where it feels like a national genre — can feel worth diving into when fleshed out with riveting details. Scrublands is a clear case in point. This isn't a story backdropped by parched red earth as far as the eye can see, but by the dry scrubby landscape as the name suggests. Like picture, like themes, then. Emotional complexities between characters intertwine, spread and hook in like undergrowth, in that remote small-town way. In other series such as The Clearing and The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart as well, and in The Royal Hotel on the big screen, too, Australia's recent screen output has kept making plain the ties, secrets and lies that can bind when everyone knows everyone, or thereabouts — plus the thorns that lurk for outsiders. A sense of stifling often courses through Australia's rural noir efforts, even when filled with vast expanses. When it seems like all there is is space, often there's nowhere to run to. As Scrublands' take on the interloper mining for answers, Arnold adds an arresting and grounded performance to a resume that flits from The Tunnel, Black Sails, Glitch and Home and Away to playing Michael Hutchence in Never Tear Us Apart: The Untold Story of INXS. This genre needs not only a gripping mystery but an involving protagonist, and TV's new addition ticks both boxes. While Ryan's casting as a charismatic and beloved priest, at least until he started gunning down parishioners, gives away that there's a twist to come involving Swift — and that the man of god won't just be seen in the series' introduction — he's still expertly deployed given the role's charming, empathetic and no-nonsense turns, as seen in flashbacks. And as Bond segues between the past and the present sections, Heathcote wears both hope and grief like a second skin. Hammer, a former journalist himself, penned a rich and atmospheric novel that screamed to reach the screen. As well as the non-fiction The River and The Coast, both of which preceded 2018's Scrublands to bookshelves, he's also given Scarsden two more stints on the page so far: Silver in 2019 and Trust in 2020. Expect them both to appeal to streaming powers that be, giving Australia a new Jack Irish- and Mystery Road-like franchise. If Hammer's Ivan Lucic and Nell Buchanan novels — 2021's Treasure and Dirt, 2022's The Tilt and 2023's The Seven — also get the same treatment, that wouldn't be a surprise, either. Check out the trailer for Scrublands below: Scrublands streams via Stan.
In 2023, Australia's east coast joined New York, Hawaii, Mexico and Croatia as a host of Palm Tree Music Festival, the fest filled with folks hitting the decks that was co-founded by Kygo. With one of the event's guiding forces himself leading the lineup — and Tiësto also on the bill — the Down Under debut went down well, so much so that a second spin is on its way. Mark your calendars for December 2024, then, because the festival is returning for round two. 'Stole the Show', 'Here for You', 'Stay' and 'It Ain't Me' talent Kygo isn't on the lineup this time, but The Chainsmokers happily lead the charge instead, ready to bust out 'Closer', 'Something Just Like This' and more. The Grammy-winners' spot on the bill marks Drew Taggart and Alex Pall's first trip to Australia in five years — and get excited about the festival's rendition of 'Don't Let Me Down' because Daya is also on the Palm Tree Music Festival roster. For company, Swedish DJ and producer Alesso, the San Francisco-born Gryffin and Harlem's Austin Millz round out the first announcement of acts. Accordingly, everything from 'Words', 'Remedy' and 'If I Lose Myself' to 'Woke Up in Love', 'You Were Loved' and 'Cry' — and also 'Lovely Day', 'Inside Out' and 'Bad Behaviour' — could echo through Palm Tree Music Festival's three 2024 Aussie stops. Just as with its premiere run in Australia, the festival has a date with Melbourne, hitting up Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Sunday, December 8. With its holiday-friendly name, it should come as no surprise that Palm Tree Music Festival takes inspiration from Kygo's stints touring the world. Expect a cruisy vibe set to EDM's greatest and latest, too — this time with the bonus of a summer berth. Palm Tree Music Festival 2024 Australian Lineup: The Chainsmokers Alesso Gryffin Austin Millz Daya Images: Jared Leibowitz.
Your next road trip through southern New South Wales has gained seven additional stops, all filled with eye-catching pieces of art. Spanning 100 kilometres, and created in response to 2019–20's Black Summer fires, the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail now sprawls across the region. It showcases more than 25 giant works by Australian and international artists, all thanks to the team behind Bondi's Sculpture by the Sea. One celebration of sculptures has never been enough for this crew, which also runs another Sculpture by the Sea in Cottesloe in Western Australia each year. Now, instead of heading west or making a date with Bondi's pop-up pieces of art — with both events only running for a short period each year — art lovers can explore a super-scenic part of the country whenever they like. Officially launched on Thursday, May 5, the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail is a permanent attraction — all dotted along a backroad from Sydney and Canberra to Melbourne. Your specific destinations: the towns of Adelong, Batlow and Tumbarumba; the hamlet of Tooma; and the Tumbarumba wine region cellar doors at Courabyra Wines, Johansen Wines and Obsession Wines. That's where the 25-plus sculptures now sit in seven specific locations, including a one-kilometre trail-within-the-trail at the Adelong Creek Walk, more along Pioneer Street in Batlow, three stops in Tumbarumba, one at Tooma and some between the latter two spots. You'll also find more at the northern entrances to Batlow and Tumbarumba, welcoming you into both towns. Exactly what you'll spy where is best discovered by driving along the trail yourself — but human-shaped figures, abstract shapes, chimneys, hanging teardrops and more all make appearances along the route. That lineup of pieces hails from impressive art names, too. New South Wales' own Michael Le Grand, Philip Spelman, Harrie Fasher, Stephen King and Elyssa Sykes-Smith are featured, alongside Japanese artists Haruyuki Uchida, Keizo Ushio and Takeshi Tanabe — and Keld Moseholm from Denmark, Milan Kuzica from Czech Republic, and Jennifer Cochrane, Norton Flavel and Ron Gomboc from Western Australia. The list goes on, also spanning eye-catching works by artists from New Zealand, Slovakia and South Africa. The aim, as well as giving tourists plenty to see: helping the communities featured recover after the bushfires, attracting visitors from across Australia and showcasing the region. And it's a fitting year for the Sculpture by the Sea to launch something new, too, given that 2022 marks 25 years since the event first launched at Bondi in 1997. Find the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail along the Snowy Valleys Way in southern New South Wales. For more information, head to the trail's website.
With fresh COVID-19 cases continuing to pop up across Australia and community transmission still a very real issue, the Victorian Government has launched a new travel permit system in an attempt to keep the coronavirus out of the state. Victoria has just chalked up six days straight without any new locally transmitted coronavirus cases; however, with other states experiencing outbreaks in recent weeks, the Victorian Government is now tightening the borders and rolling out new regulations for anyone wanting to enter from interstate locations. After going live yesterday, Monday, January 11, the new permit scheme will now manage all domestic travel into Victoria, using a traffic light-style system to categorise origin locations as red, orange or green — based on their level of risk. It applies to visitors who reside in other parts of Australia, as well as to any Victorian residents returning home from elsewhere. https://twitter.com/VicGovDHHS/status/1348469170472509440 Under the new system, travellers wanting to head into Victoria will need to apply for one of the various permit types, depending on where they've been beforehand. Anyone who has been in a designated red zone — the highest level in the system, which currently covers Greater Brisbane and Greater Sydney — is barred from entering the state. Exceptions apply to residents of NSW/Victorian border communities, and folks who've been in a red zone can also apply to receive an exemption or a permitted worker permit. The former covers instances such as emergency relocations, funerals, essential medical care, and people needing to return home for health, wellbeing, care or compassionate reasons. That said, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) states that exceptions are limited and that they'll only be granted in special circumstances. Victoria will be cracking down on rule-breakers, too — the government has warned that trying to make a land border crossing from a red zone will get you turned away, while attempting to enter by plane or sea without a permit will score you a $4957 fine. Travellers coming from orange and green zones may apply online for a permit. During the application process, you'll be asked where you've travelled to — and you'll also need to answer questions about any symptoms, close contacts and previous COVID-19 diagnoses. Anyone travelling from green zones should get a permit granted easily and only need to monitor for symptoms once they've arrived, as long as you've steered clear of any red or orange zones in the previous 14 days. If you're coming from an orange zone, you'll be required to get a COVID-19 test within 72 hours of your arrival in Victoria, and to self-isolate before and after the test until you're given the all-clear. Of course, the current designated zones and regulations are subject to change, with DHHS advising that "border arrangements are constantly reviewed based on the health situation in each state and territory". When the system went live yesterday, it did so almost three hours after its announced launch time of 5.59pm; however, it is now up and running. For more information on Victoria's new permit system — or to apply for one — head to the Department of Health and Human Services website.
Sugar me timbers, it's a two-day dessert extravaganza and it's coming to Melbourne. Queen Victoria Market – in collaboration with Melbourne Food & Wine Festival and The Bearded Bakers – is launching Sweet As Festival. It's all happening in the open-air sheds on Saturday, March 29 and Sunday, March 30 from 9am to 4pm. This much-anticipated sugar hit will bring you an array of delectable desserts from over 20 traders. From The Bearded Baker's famous knafeh (sweet figs, pistachio and sugar syrup, oh my!) to handmade Sicilian gelato, there'll be melt-in-your-mouth goodies to satisfy every sweet tooth. "We're excited to bring the Sweet As estival to Queen Victoria Market and share our love for desserts with the whole of Melbourne," says Joey El-Issa, co-founder of The Bearded Bakers. "Our market-inspired knafeh is a fusion of cultures and flavours, just like Queen Victoria Market itself. It is a tribute to the incredible traders and their quality fresh produce that make the market so special." Festival highlights include Toyoki Soufflé (fluffy Japanese soufflé pancakes), Filipino halo-halo and Swirle; glistening candied fruit skewers that are the visual spectacle of Tanghulu. The Bearded Bakers will bring their signature energy to this event with live music, drumming and dancing. And, for those wanting the sweetest start to the day, there'll be the Sweet As Tour on Saturday, March 29, running from 10am to 12pm (tickets $99). La Dolce Vita, anyone?
Deerhunter's Australian tour caps off a stellar year for the Atlanta five-piece — one that's seen the release of their sixth album, Monomania, as well as a stint curating the final All Tomorrow's Parties festival in the UK. Their gig at Melbourne's Hi-Fi Bar is a sideshow from their appearance at the Meredith Music Festival, where they'll be headlining alongside Chic and the Brian Jonestown Massacre. Fronted by lead singer Bradfod Cox — a man whose prolific catalogue of solo projects such as Atlas Sound have made him distinctive in his own right — Deerhunter's live shows are charged with a great kind of unstable energy that make this rare Australian show unmissable.
As the country that gave the world Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie, to name just a few world-famous Aussie actresses owning the silver screen in recent years, Australia is no stranger to celebrating formidable women in cinema. It tracks, then, that the country's national centre devoted to moving pictures — aka the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne — has curated a world-premiere exhibition dedicated to femininity across film history. Girls to the front at this six-month-long showcase, with Goddess declaring its affection for ladies of the screen right there in its name. Displaying from Wednesday, April 5–Sunday, October 1, it's both a massive and a landmark exhibition. More than 150 original objects, artworks, props and sketches will grace the Federation Square venue's walls and halls, all championing oh-so-many talented women and their impact upon cinema. [caption id="attachment_882188" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Britt Romstad, 2022, photo by Phoebe Powell. Costume: Kitty (Elaine Crombie) costume, Kiki and Kitty, Australia, 2017, designed by Amelia Gebler, courtesy of Jetty Distribution Pty Limited. Backdrop: Marilyn Monroe on the set of Some Like It Hot, photo by Don Ornitz, © Globe Photos / ZUMAPRESS.com. Image courtesy of ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy Stock Photo.[/caption] That lineup includes costumes that've never been displayed before, various cinematic treasures, large-scale projections and other interactive experiences. While exploring the female footprint upon film is an immensely worthy subject, Goddess will also chart how representations of femininity have changed over the years — not just in different eras, but in different places, too — and inspire a rethink of plenty of cinema's memorable female characters. Silent-era sirens, classic Hollywood heroines, unforgettable femme fatales and villains, Bollywood stars, women in China and Japan's cinematic histories: they're all being given the spotlight. Goddess will also dive into provocative on-screen moments from Hollywood's silent days through to today that've not only left an imprint, but also played a part in defining (and altering) what's considered the feminine ideal. Expect an interrogation of how women on-screen have helped to redefine fashion expectations, sparked a boundary-breaking genre and spearheaded the #MeToo movement — and to spend time thinking about how screen culture has shaped societal views of gender. [caption id="attachment_882194" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Blonde Venus, 1932, Marlene Dietrich. Image courtesy of PARAMOUNT PICTURES / Ronald Grant Archive / Alamy Stock Photo.[/caption] ACMI hasn't revealed the full slate of women highlighted, or films, or items that'll be on display, but the details revealed so far are impressive. Think: Marlene Dietrich in 1930's Morocco, Pam Grier's spectacular Blaxploitation career, Tilda Swinton in 1992's Orlando and the aforementioned Robbie via 2020's Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). Plus, Mae West's sky-high heels from 1934's Belle of the Nineties, costumes worn by Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon in 1991's Thelma & Louise (1991) and Michelle Yeoh's fight-ready silks from 2000's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon will also feature. The list goes on, clearly, spanning Anna May Wong, Marilyn Monroe, Laverne Cox and Zendaya as well. And, expect everything from Glenn Close's Cruella de Vil in 102 Dalmatians to the Carey Mulligan-starring Promising Young Woman to get time to shine. [caption id="attachment_882191" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2000, Yu Xiulian costume.[/caption] "The women of Goddess are bold, rebellious and defiant. Their power is expressed in numerous ways — in what they wear, how they move and the stories they tell," said ACMI Director of Experience and Engagement Dr Britt Romstad, announcing the exhibition. "ACMI's exhibition honours their influence and daring, and explores how they have transformed the face and expectations of on-screen femininity for audiences, time and time again," Romstad continued. [caption id="attachment_882195" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Thelma and Louise, 1991, L-R Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, © MGM. Image courtesy of Moviestore Collection Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo.[/caption] Goddess will pair its wide-ranging display with soundscapes by Melbourne-based composer Chiara Kickdrum, and also feature a sprawling events program complete with late-night parties, performances and talks — and film screenings, of course. The full program, including guests, will be announced in February 2023, which is when tickets go on sale. Unsurprisingly, the exhibition is ACMI's big midyear blockbuster — and its 2023 contribution to the Victorian Government's Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series, as Light: Works from Tate's Collection was in 2022. After showing in Melbourne for its premiere season, Goddess will then tour internationally, taking ACMI's celebration of women on-screen to the world. [caption id="attachment_882197" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Limehouse Blues (AKA. East End Chant), 1934, L-R Anna May Wong, George Raft. Image courtesy of Everett Collection Inc / Alamy Stock Photo.[/caption] Goddess will display at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square, Melbourne, from Wednesday, April 5–Sunday, October 1, 2023. For more information, and to join the ticket waitlist, head to the ACMI website. Top image: Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, 2020, Margot Robbie, © Warner Bros. Image courtesy of LANDMARK MEDIA / Alamy Stock Photo.
When you're next walking down Collins Street, be sure to seek out this unassuming little pod of delight. Sensory Lab's space-like cafe has garnered numerous accolades for its curious and artistic aesthetic. Wanting to create a 'calm space away from the hustle of Melbourne's CBD', Foolscap Studio has styled a haven for coffee and tea. The cafe is a Swedish-Japanese fusion, combining calmingly minimalist design with spacey vibes for a machine-like feel. There are only a few tables for two, and a couple of spots for solo coffee drinkers. Here, you can have your coffee any way you like it — your blend will even come with tasting notes, and you even can take home a bag of beans. Small bits of food are available, too, like topped toast and a changing array of cakes on the counter. Appears in: The Best Coffee Shops in Melbourne's CBD
Blessed be the TV screens — because on April 26, The Handmaid's Tale is back. After becoming 2017's number one must-watch show with its compelling first season, everyone's favourite dystopian drama returns for a new 13-episode round of bleakness. Yes, that means more time trawling through the oppressive society of Gilead and watching women forced into child-bearing servitude, thanks to this grim but gripping adaptation of Margaret Atwood's iconic 1985 novel. It also means once again trying to shake the feeling that this fictional future really isn't all that hard to imagine. Elisabeth Moss putting in another fierce performance, Alexis Bledel stealing every scene she's in, the all-round stacked cast showing why the series won eight Emmys and two Golden Globes: yep, that's all on the agenda as well. It's enough to make you cancel your plans every Thursday night for the next 12 weeks, with this season airing weekly on SBS and SBS On Demand after the two-part premiere. Sure, that means that you can't binge it all in one sitting — but, it also means that your time with Offred and company will last even longer. If you're eager to extend the experience further still, then get a jump start by working through our five pieces of Handmaid's homework. Praise be, obviously. RE-BINGE THE FIRST SEASON It's an easy starting point, we know, but the best way to prepare for the new season is by rewatching the first. Also, it's something else for you to watch if you've already replayed the season two trailer over and over and over again. Scour for clues about what might come next, and come up with theories about Offred's fate; given that the show left audiences with a cliffhanger, there's plenty of questions to ponder. Or, see if there's anything you missed the first time around (like Atwood's early cameo), or introduce all things Handmaid's to your friends that were clearly hiding under a rock last year and somehow haven't seen the show. They're all great reasons to dive back in again, not that you need them when a program is as engrossing as this. As it was last year, the full first season is currently available on SBS On Demand. READ (OR RE-READ) THE NOVEL Maybe you were already a fan of Atwood's 33-year-old book long before the TV version was announced. Maybe you segued from watching the first season of The Handmaid's Tale to devouring the novel. Maybe you meant to get around to pouring over the text (you really, truly did mean to), but life just got in the way. Whichever category you fall into, now is the perfect time to read or re-read the piece of fiction that started it all — and, to set the scene for what might happen in the television program's second outing. As thorough as the first series was, it doesn't include everything that Atwood initially dreamed up. We won't spoil the details, but if you don't have time to stick your nose in the printed tome, here's a rundown. There's also an audiobook version too, if you'd rather listen, as read by Claire Danes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTnhx_N7nro WATCH A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TAKE ON THE TALE The Handmaid's Tale that we know and love isn't the only screen version of the story. In fact, if the timeliness, insightfulness and hugely enthralling nature of the show got you thinking "why hasn't the book been adapted before?", well, the short answer is: it has. Back in 1990, German filmmaker Volker Schlöndorff joined forces with poet and Nobel laureate Harold Pinter on an American film based on the novel, starring Natasha Richardson at Offred, Faye Dunaway as Serena Joy and Robert Duvall as Fred. Saying that it's completely different to the current take is quite the understatement, right up there with saying that Gilead isn't the best place to live if you're female. If you're keen to seek it out, it's available to watch on Stan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-fofQ9VpPQ SEEK OUT LAST YEAR'S OTHER GREAT ATWOOD ADAPTATION 2017 didn't just deliver one adaptation of Atwood's work, but two. Yep, when it rains, it pours, as the saying goes. While Alias Grace didn't attract anywhere near as much attention as The Handmaid's Tale, the Netflix miniseries is definitely well worth your time. Directed by American Psycho's Mary Harron and starring Sarah Gadon (11.22.63), Zachary Levi (Chuck), Anna Paquin (True Blood) and legendary The Fly filmmaker David Cronenberg, the six-part show takes inspiration from famous 19th-century murders. Gadon plays the real-life figure of Grace Marks in this somewhat fictionalised version of true events, with the series exploring a question that has been pondered for nearly two centuries: what was Marks' actual involvement in the crime? GET COOKING Food has special significance in The Handmaid's Tale. No, we're not talking about the "blessed be the fruit" greetings exchanged by handmaids — it refers to the children they're supposed to be bearing, rather than the goods they're often seen shopping for — but, rather, the way it's used to denote status. Handmaids buy it for the household, Marthas prepare meals and the Gilead elite eat fancy spreads while everyone else tucks into something much less appetising. In one first-season episode, for example, a macaron is used to signify the divisive role that food plays, with Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski) offering Offred a rare treat. There are plenty more instances where that came from, and it's enough to make you both horrified and hungry. Unsurprisingly, there's no shortage of Handmaid's-themed party menus floating around, but if you whip up something crimson red (cupcakes with red icing are a favourite), then you're on the right track. Or, you could turn your hand to something particularly elaborate. When season two started filming, Elisabeth Moss received a cookie shaped like a music box — something else of significance within the series.
With all the working from home and social distancing Melburnians have been doing, there's a good chance you've racked up minimal time on the ol' public transport system this year. And, while we're not sure it's even possible to have tram withdrawals, there is one nifty way you can fill the PT-shaped hole in your life — socks. Specifically, some very spiffy socks printed with the same iconic green tram-seat print you've sat your bum on countless times in the past. Yep, those brightly coloured beauts from the minds behind Melbourne's public transport-themed card game Touched On have made a comeback, apparently re-released due to burning demand from the people. Originally launched as a playful add-on to Touched On's 2016 Kickstarter campaign, the funky foot coverings quickly earned their own legion of fans and sold out faster than a tramful of fare-dodgers fleeing a surprise Myki inspector. Now, after continued requests from sock-hungry Melburnians, the locally made hosiery is available once more, with a fresh batch of sock stock up on Touched On's online store. The Tram Socks come in two different sizes, clocking in at $17 a pair. While you're there, you can browse and buy a bunch of other Touched On goodies, from colouring books to the OG commuter-inspired party game. You can nab yourself a pair of Tram Socks from the Touched On website. Shipping is a $5 flat-rate Australia-wide, with free delivery for orders over $30.
Movie versions of best-selling young adult literature have become an exercise in taking the good with the bad. For every aspect book-to-film adaptations get right — presenting an intricate vision of a dystopian future, and championing strong female protagonists, for example — there are just as many elements that fail to hit the mark. The trend of splitting final instalments into two features typifies the latter, resulting in more screen time but less satisfaction. With The Divergent Series: Allegiant, the series' penultimate chapter proves its worst to date. Indeed, it's little more than filler. Having cottoned on to the manipulated, artificially manufactured status of her closed-in, factionalised Chicago society, series protagonist Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) is now determined to discover just what lurks beyond the city's imposing walls. With her trusty band of rebels by her side, including her boyfriend Four (Theo James), brother Caleb (Ansel Elgort) and the duplicitous Peter (Miles Teller), Tris hatches a plan to find the real puppet-masters behind the only way of life she has ever known. Cue a battle between the past and future, right and wrong, and any other opposing forces that returning director Robert Schwentke can throw into the mix. Allegiant endeavours to place its feisty heroine in the grey zone between two sides and mindsets, as illustrated not only by the rift between the crusading Evelyn (Naomi Watts) and the kindly Johanna (Octavia Spencer) back in Chicago, but also in the machinations of controlling newcomer David (Jeff Daniels) out in the wider world. Yet it does so in as blunt a manner as possible. The film is loaded with obvious clashes, be it between the bonds of love and family, moving forward or retaining the status quo, or spaces of dusty desolation and shiny innovation. These conflicts are designed to liven up a narrative that is largely treading water while waiting for the final film, but they're ultimately unsuccessful. Equally problematic are storylines about superior DNA strands, child soldiers and Truman Show-like surveillance, all of which add complication but are never especially compelling. Ramping up the bickering and the subplots also comes at the expense of the series' already tenuous sense of character. If Tris and her pals felt thinly drawn in Divergent and Insurgent, and more than a little similar to their counterparts in the likes of The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner franchises, then this time around they're positively flimsy. Once again, that leaves Woodley to act grim and concerned, James to fulfil the eye-candy quota, Elgort to do very little, Teller to steal all the best lines, and all four to look very bored while doing so. Three films in, they're going through the motions, which may as well be the movie's motto. Of course, a big finale is due to be delivered by 2017's The Divergent Series: Ascendant. However with Allegiant's trying aspects clearly outweighing any lingering sense of intrigue about the underlying concept, an important question springs to mind. No, it's not whether the franchise can be redeemed, but rather if we should even care either way.
From giant Godzilla statues to karaoke ferris wheels, you can find almost anything in Tokyo. Top-notch Australian coffee also belongs on that list. Sydney-based roaster Single O has been giving Japan a taste of its caffeinated brews for a decade, and opened its first international cafe in the country's capital back in 2021. Hit up the city from now on, however, and you'll have the brand's second overseas cafe to head to as well. While Single O has boasted a roastery and tasting bar in Ryogoku since before its Hamacho spot for a cuppa launched, Ryogoku Roastworks is now a cafe, too. All in one swoop, the chain has moved into bigger digs and added its second space for aficionados to grab a brew. And yes, coffee on tap — which first became available at Single O's Surry Hills cafe in 2019 — is part of the setup. If you're keen to pour your own beverage, the self-serve counter will rotate its range of single-origin brews. Otherwise, the cafe will also serve up espressos and long blacks made from a changing array — and, of course, Single O's signature blend Reservoir, with its notes of stonefruit and milk chocolate, will be in the spotlight. Aussie patrons won't just sip a taste of home at Ryogoku Roastworks, but will also find dishes from the brand's Surry Hills and Newstead cafes on the food menu. So, if you're in Tokyo and craving Single O's banana bread with espresso butter, you're in luck. The same goes for The Avo Show, which is made with rye, achiote cashew cheese and pickled fennel, plus a seasoned crumb, chilli oil and sweet lemon aspen. Other culinary choices span the Reservoir Dog (Tesio sausage, caramelised onion and tomato sauce), as named after Single O's street address in Surry Hills — and also Boris' Beans (a Turkish-inspired bean stew that comes with tomato, chilli oil and labne). Or, opt for two types of jaffle: prosciutto, gouda and maribo; and Vegemite butter, camembert, cheddar and onion jam. As for the warehouse digs themselves, Ryogoku Roastworks has received Luchetti Krelle's design touch, with the Sydney-based firm heroing industrial flourishes and sustainability in their approach. A corrugated metal facade greets customers, inside which a freestanding pod is home to the cafe, with the roastery behind it. "We hit the ground running in Japan a decade ago, and the response we've had since then has honestly blown us away — we're now roasting for 130 wholesale partners across Japan," said Single O co-founder Dion Cohen. "Moving the roastery into a bigger and better space is really an opportunity to double down in support of those partners and grow our offering." Launching its new Ryogoku site allows Single O to quadruple production in Japan — and is just one of the chain's big 2024 openings in Tokyo. The other is set to arrive in July in the form of a Shibuya venue, the brand's third in the city, which will debut a new coffee bar concept. Find Single O's Ryogoku Roastworks at 3-21-5, Kamezawa, Sumida, Ryogoku, East Tokyo, open from 10am–6pm Wednesday–Sunday. Head to the brand's website for more details. Images: Koji Shimamura.
Everyone has a preferred temperature. Some folks like rainy days, while others crave sunshine. Tropical weather beckons to some, and snowy climes call others. That remains the case when you go on holidays, but unless you're going skiing, you probably want to head somewhere where it'll be warm but not blistering hot, and where you won't need an umbrella. And, now, regardless of when you're getting away, you can always find the perfect destination. Ryan Whitaker thought that working out the best place to go at any particular time of year would be easy; however when he found otherwise — "searching Google for things like 'best places to visit in January' or 'best time to visit Spain'", and coming across broad recommendations that weren't backed up by data or experience — he decided to create his own. Available on DecisionData.org, the result is a map called The Best Time to Visit Anywhere in the World, and yep, that's exactly what it tells users. [caption id="attachment_618852" align="aligncenter" width="1219"] Image: DecisionData.org[/caption] Just enter your preferred week of travel, the temperature range you're after (including ideal minimum, maximum and average values), and how much rain you'd accept, and Whitaker's map has the answers. Available in both Celsius and Fahrenheit, it's based on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data from the past ten years, captured every day at between 10,000 and 12,000 weather stations — or 35 million lines of information. Users can also exclude areas that don't report on precipitation to minimise showery surprises. Whitaker includes a reminder that his map isn't designed to replace local knowledge of events or seasonal attractions, but aims to "supplement it with good data on where temperatures are ideal." Keeping all that in mind, it's certain to prove a handy tool when you're planning your next getaway. Say goodbye to filling your suitcase with everything from an umbrella to swimwear to a warm coat — just in case — and hello to perfect holiday conditions. Via AWOL.
In the summer of 1900, a group of schoolgirls took a day trip to Hanging Rock. Three of them would never be heard from again. The mystery at the centre of Joan Lindsay's iconic novel, along with Peter Weir's subsequent film adaption, has burrowed its way into the Australian subconscious. Few stories speak so effectively to what it means to live in this country. So it's hardly surprising that the team at Malthouse Theatre are bringing Picnic at Hanging Rock to the stage. Adapted by playwright Tom Wright, the modern production is described by director Matthew Lutton as "Malthouse Theatre's 2016 vision of Lindsay's nightmare". The show begins in preview on Friday, February 26 before officially opening on Wednesday, March 2. Harriet Gordon-Anderson, Arielle Gray, Amber McMahon, Elizabeth Nabben and Nikki Shiels star.
Google's innovation in geo-location tools and imaging has significantly changed how we view and interact with our world. What with Street Art View, allowing users to tag their favourite street art; People Finders connecting friends and loved ones in times of disaster; and artists capturing incredible images from Google Earth, Google blurs physical existence with digital presence to connect us in amazing ways. Whether you want to check out a destination before hitting the road or travel to the other side of the globe without leaving your seat, Google Street View can take you there. With the launch of an all new look and enhanced interactivity, real-world navigation from your net browser has never been so awesome. When you load up Google Maps, areas outlined in blue highlight where Google Street View is available. Google's loveable stick-figure Pegman will light up yellow too. Drag him onto your desired location to view the 'hood, and click on the arrows on the ground to take a little stroll. Back in 2007 at Street View's inception, only select major cities had the feature. Since then, teams of photographers have worked tirelessly to compile incredible images from around the world. Stitched together, the images form 360 degree panoramas which afford gorgeous glimpses of far away places - so good it feels like you're really there. https://youtube.com/watch?v=MwCrjfmCgO0 [Via Mashable]
Collingwood has a new event space and cafe that provides support to homeless and disadvantaged youths. Cromwell Streat is the latest project from local social enterprise Streat (and, yes, it's located on Cromwell Street), which, since 2009, has offered opportunities and hospitality training to at-risk young people, via employment in their numerous cafes as well as fundraising initiatives such as the Melbourne Central Sleepover. Streat was gifted use of this epic 150-year-old heritage-listed mansion by a very generous supporter and — having secured funding through a successful crowdfunding campaign — was able to turn it into a multi-purpose space. It's not only a cafe, but an artisan bakery, coffee roastery, function space and youth training academy, too. The 80-seat eatery also features a big outdoor area (with hammocks!), all-day breakfast and lunch from 11am. Pastries and fresh loves of bread are available from 7.30am and Streat's own blend is going into coffee cups.
A decade ago, Australia's film festival circuit caught a winter chill. Thanks to both the Sydney Film Festival and Melbourne International Film Festival, the country's cooler months were already a prime time for checking out cinema's latest and greatest from around the world, but the Scandinavian Film Festival levelled up the idea. Do you feel welcomely frostier if you're watching flicks set in and hailing from icy climes while the weather is cold? At this excuse to head to the pictures, yes, yes you do. Focusing on movies from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, the Scandinavian Film Festival has spent the past ten years highlighting both the region's big names and its emerging talents. In 2024, cinemagoers are in for the same format; however, every film fest fan knows that no two iterations of any film fest are ever exactly the same. When it tours the nation between Wednesday, July 17–Wednesday, August 14, this year's event has everything from straight-from-Cannes newcomers to a retrospective dedicated to two of the area's biggest icons on its lineup — plus a span of genres from historical dramas and romances to detective tales and sci-fi epics. Making stops in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Perth, and Byron Bay and Ballina, the festival will kick off with The Riot, which relives an IRL battle by miners in the second-largest workplace in Norway against dangerous conditions at the start of 20th century. Still on period-set tales, Stormskerry Maja is the Scandinavian Film Fest's centrepiece flick, with the Finnish movie about a peasant woman married off to a fisherman bringing the book series by Anni Blomqvist to the screen. Also making the leap from the page to cinemas is Boundless, the latest in Denmark's Department Q franchise, which is no stranger to this festival thanks to past entries The Keeper of Lost Causes, The Absent One and Conspiracy of Faith. From Everest, Adrift and Beast filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur, there's also Iceland's Touch, a romantic drama that adapts the novel of the same name, and hops across continents and decades. Elsewhere, When the Light Breaks similarly hails from Iceland — hitting Australia direct from opening Cannes' Un Certain Regard, in fact — alongside thrillers Cold and Natatorium. From Sweden, 2004's King's Game gets a sequel in Kingmaker, Hammarskjöld — Fight for Peace spins a true Cold War tale and Hunters on a White Field heads off on a weekend away in a forest. And Norway's contribution also spans closing night's Songs of Earth, a documentary about the country's wilderness that boasts Wim Wenders (Perfect Days) as an executive producer. The feast of Danish cinema includes Nordic noir Sons starring Borgen's Sidse Babett Knudsen as a prison guard, the Trine Dyrholm (Mary & George)-led Birthday Girl and the World War II-set Before It Ends with Pilou Asbæk (Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom). Or, there's also sci-fi Eternal, about a climate change scientist and a singer falling in love when a fissure splits the ocean floor — and The Promise, about a woman in her car trying to save her nephew's life. 2024's Scandinavian Film Festival's retrospective spotlight is shining on the great Liv Ullmann and Ingmar Bergman, heroing their collaborations, which means screening Autumn Sonata, Persona, the OG Scenes From a Marriage (not the recent American remake) and Cries and Whispers. The fest is also looking backwards with a 35th-anniversary session of Leningrad Cowboys Go America from Finnish auteur Aki Kaurismäki (Fallen Leaves). Scandinavian Film Festival 2024 Dates: Wednesday, July 17–Wednesday, August 7 — Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Adelaide Thursday, July 18–Wednesday, August 7 — Palace James St and Palace Barracks, Brisbane Friday, July 19–Wednesday, August 7 — Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Penny Lane, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema and The Astor Theatre, Melbourne Wednesday, July 24–Wednesday, August 14 — Palace Norton St, Palace Moore Park, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinema, Sydney Thursday, July 25–Wednesday, August 14 — Palace Electric, Canberra Thursday, July 25–Wednesday, August 14 — Luna Leederville, Luna on SX and Palace Raine Square, Perth Friday, July 26–Wednesday, August 14 — Palace Byron Bay and Ballina Fair Cinemas, Byron Bay and Ballina The Scandinavian Film Festival tours Australia in July and August 2024. For more information or to buy tickets, visit the festival's website.
Yarra Valley winemaker Innocent Bystander has thrown open the doors to its new Healesville digs, taking over the lofty space once home to White Rabbit's brewing operations. The cellar door and winery looks set to hold its own amongst the region's many culinary hot-spots, with plans to showcase the label's own award-winning drops alongside a smorgasbord of other Yarra Valley delights. It's a relaxed space, with lots of natural timber and a plethora of seating options, lending itself to wine-tasting fly-bys and long, lazy lunches alike. A whopping, 15-metre stone bar boasts copper wine taps and a KeyKeg system, which means you can sample most varietals by the glass, by the share-friendly carafe or as part of a tasting paddle. There's plenty of local love on display, too, with liquid treats from the likes of Hargreaves Hill Brewery, Four Pillars Gin and Allpress Coffee balancing out all that wine. Meanwhile, an all-day menu is geared for sharing, running from grazing boards and a trio of paella dishes, to classically styled pizzas, fresh from the shiny Marana Forni pizza oven. Large plates might include the likes of a slow-braised brisket, served with roasted mushrooms and a Syrah jus. Innocent Bystander is open from 12pm to 9pm, seven days a week. Find them at 334 Maroondah Highway, Healesville.
Beef starts with two strangers meeting, but there's absolutely nothing cute about it. Sparks don't fly and hearts don't flutter; instead, this pair grinds each other's gears. In a case of deep and passionate hate at first sight, Danny Cho (Steven Yeun, Nope) and Amy Lau (Ali Wong, Paper Girls) give their respective vehicles' gearboxes a workout, in fact, after he begins to pull out of a hardware store carpark, she honks behind him, and lewd hand signals and terse words are exchanged. Food is thrown, streets are angrily raced down, gardens are ruined, accidents are barely avoided, and the name of Vin Diesel's famous car franchise springs to mind, aptly describing how bitterly these two strangers feel about each other — and how quickly. Created by Lee Sung Jin, who has It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Dave and Silicon Valley on his resume before this ten-part Netflix and A24 collaboration, Beef also commences with a simple, indisputable and deeply relatable fact. Danny could've just let Amy beep as much as she liked, then waved, apologised and driven away. Amy could've been more courteous about sounding her horn, and afterwards. But each feels immediately slighted by the other, isn't willing to stand for such an indignity and becomes consumed by their trivial spat. Whether you're a struggling contractor hardly making ends meet, as he is, or a store-owning entrepreneur trying to secure a big deal, as she is — or, if you're both, neither or anywhere in-between — pettiness reigning supreme is basic human nature. If you've ever gotten irrationally irate about a minor incident, this new standout understands. Episode by episode, it sees that annoyance fester and exasperation grow, too. Streaming in full from Thursday, April 6 just in time for Easter long-weekend binges, Beef spends its run with two people who can't let go of their instant rage, keep trying to get the other back, get even more incensed in response, and just add more fuel to the fire again and again until their whole existence is a blaze of revenge. If you've ever taken a small thing and blown it wildly out of proportion, Beef is also on the same wavelength. And if any of the above has ever made you question your entire life — or just the daily grind of endeavouring to get by, having everything go wrong, feeling unappreciated and constantly working — Beef might just feel like it was made for you. For Los Angeles resident Danny, Amy's rudeness is just another source of frustration on what seems like an endless list. He was only in her vicinity at all to return a heap of grills, but the shop assistant was snarky, he couldn't find his receipt and ended up taking them home again anyway. He's also exhausted from continuously needing to hustle for work, and from ill-mannered customers — all while getting attitude from his younger brother Paul (Young Mazino, Prodigal Son), who he's doing his best to look out for. Then there's his quest to make enough cash to bring his parents (first-timers Jerry Hanjoo Kim and Gina Lee) back from Korea after the motel they ran fell on hard times, plus the shady get-rich-quick shenanigans that his fresh-out-of-prison cousin Isaac (David Choe, The Mandalorian) is always plunging him into. For the Calabasas-dwelling Amy, there's always something to deal with — Danny's ute almost reversing into her SUV is just the latest. Her artist husband George (Joseph Lee, Searching) plays primary parent to their anxious daughter Junie (Remy Holt, The Afterparty), which means that she's the overworked financial provider via her designer plant company (and getting grief from his mother Fumi, played by Pretty Little Liars' Patti Yasutake, for it). That's involved years of toiling hard to establish the business, and make it a success. She's also spent the past two years attracting Jordan Forster (Maria Bello, NCIS), who owns the chain of hardware stores that leads her to Danny, to buy her out. All that she wants is to enjoy time with her family, but finalising the deal requires jumping through the eccentric billionaire's many hoops, even while getting insider tips from her sister-in-law Naomi (Ashley Park, Girls5eva). There's a chalk-and-cheese air to Danny and Amy's dynamic early, as Beef gets them duelling as seeming opposites. But as their fight escalates — and, from road rage to urine-soaked floors, catfishing, sabotaging careers and more, it escalates to dowright civilian warfare — they're united in their immature pettiness, their many flaws, and their individual despair over where life has taken them and why. Beef is smartly penned as a dual character study of an unhappy pair stuck between quarter-life and midlife crises, striving to move forward but treading water, and terrified of losing what they've worked for. It's a portrait of two people fracturing and fraying well before they set each other off, and it knows and sees how little that truly separates Danny and Amy, especially when they can't spy that themselves. Beef is also smart about the vengeance- and obsession-seasoned stew it splashes across the screen: its Los Angeles setting, its masterful tonal swerves from deep drama to dark comedy and back again, its treasure trove of hostilities, its willingness to get Lynchian, its lived-in characters from its central duo down to its supporting players, and the generosity and sympathy that it shows everyone even at their worst. Its brightest move in a show filled with bright moves is casting Minari Oscar-nominee Yeun and Always Be My Maybe's Wong, however. Each is exceptional. That's a word that keeps being directed Yeun's way, and deservedly — see Minari, Nope, Burning, Okja, his skit on I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson — but it demands screaming here as he navigates such a range of scenarios, emotions, squabbles, revelations, sources of inner turmoil, and stints of both physical and witty comedy. As an actor, Wong has never been better, also while taking the same journey. And whether they're shouting at or plotting against each other, they're dynamite together. At the end of episode one, with Danny and Amy enlivened by their feud — living for it, even — Beef plays out its debut instalment with Hoobstank's 'The Reason'. Its words are fitting; this twosome is feeding off each other, thriving in their meanest ways and only letting themselves truly be themselves in their newfound enemy's company. That's another of the show's strokes of genius. So is the 90s-heavy soundtrack, which also spans Tori Amos, Smashing Pumpkins, Bush and Offspring like it's Yellowjackets. And, equally as shrewd is the inbuilt acknowledgement that Danny and Amy are mad, sad, disappointed and frustrated about everything, not just each other, but so is everyone around them. We all have beef. "It's always fucking something," as Beef's two leads both espouse and we all feel. Recognising that makes for hilarious, grim, tense, savvy, sometimes-surreal and always-irresistible viewing. Check out the trailer for Beef below: Beef streams via Netflix from Thursday, April 6. Images: Netflix.
If you've been living under a rock for the last few years, you might have missed the news about HER, a four-storey mega-venue in Melbourne's CBD from the guys behind Arbory and Arbory Afloat. It (finally) opened for business this week. One of those four storeys is Music Room, Melbourne's first official 'listening bar'. What's a listening bar? Well, it's like a regular cocktail bar, mixed with a speakeasy, mixed with a recording studio and a vinyl record store, mixed with the cool kids' table from high school. That's the best we can do. [caption id="attachment_841603" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] HER's Music Director, celebrated local DJ Jnett, puts it this way: "Music Room will present an array of selectors every evening of the week. From legends and collectors to fresh, young newcomers. DJs from near and far, old and new, some famous and some unfamiliar. It's the first room of its kind in Melbourne, and there's no doubt your first experience here won't be your last." The idea of Music Room is that you end up here after dinner at BKK (a sizzling Thai barbecue joint upstairs) or HER Bar, the all-day French bistro on the ground floor. You order a blood-orange Cosmopolitan or whisky neat and kick back listening to exclusive DJ residencies and HER's 3000-strong collection of hard-to-find vinyl. It's an acoustic music bar, specifically designed for your ears and your mouth. Speaking of design, Music Room is lined with American walnut panels, dotted with small holes like you're inside a giant speaker box. You have to enter through a sound-locked room just to get into the venue; these guys take acoustic fidelity very seriously. The DJs will be operating a bespoke KV2 sound system, showcasing three SL1200 Technics Turntables and a custom-built Condesa Allegra XL Rotary Mixer. You don't need to understand this stuff, we're just trying to dazzle you with tech specs. The short version: the vinyl in here should sound really, really good. The HER guys have even teamed up with local whisky distillery Starward to launch their own dram: HER Starward Honeycomb. You can only get this whisky at Music Room. It matches Starward's Two-Fold double grain whisky with the finest Pure Peninsula Honey Local Floral Blend. Something sweet, sultry and classic, just like this venue. Drink up, chill out and enjoy. HER is now open at 270 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne CBD. You'll find Music Room on Level 1, up the bluestone 'vertical walkway'. Images: Parker Blain
If you love American Football or just enjoy watching live sports, or if you're simply looking for something fun to do on Monday, February 10, the NFL Super Bowl LIX is likely on your radar. This year, the teams will battle it out for the Vince Lombardi trophy at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. With the NFL usually attracting an audience of hundreds of millions of viewers across the world, what better way to get among it than watching it surrounded by other NFL fanatics? With some help from The Pass, we've rounded up some of the best Melbourne Pubs to catch The Superbowl — we're you'll also be able to enjoy delicious American-inspired feeds. The Duke of Wellington The vibes are always high at The Duke, but especially on game day. The much-loved three-story pub and rooftop bar in the heart of Melbourne's CBD will be serving up both Coors and Bloody Marys alongside a range of American eats. You can watch on from the buzz of the ground floor or head to Level One for a more relaxed setting with the game on in the background. Book your spot here and get ready to celebrate Super Bowl Monday in style. Garden State Hotel Another pub in the CBD hosting all the Super Bowl action, Garden State Hotel is going all out for the festivities this year. With plenty of big screens, it's almost impossible not to get a good spot here. Don't let the early morning kick-off stop you – the beer garden and public bar will be serving classic American bites and drinks from 9.30am. Book your spot here. Hawthorn Hotel For a bit of sunshine as well as the game, hit up The Hawthorn Hotel to watch Super Bowl LIX, with all the action streaming live both indoors and on the rooftop. While we're keen for the game, the all-American menu the iconic Melbourne pub is offering is almost on par with the live action. You can expect hotdogs, wings, nachos and plenty of Coors to keep you going. Secure your spot by booking here. The Victoria Hotel Yarraville Why not watch this year's Super Bowl at everyone's favourite The Vic? With their mega-screen (if you know you know) in the beer garden showing all the action, it's set to be a pretty good vibe, to say the least. There will also be an American-themed food menu alongside the usual à la carte options, so there's something for everyone. Gather your mates and reserve your table before they get booked out. Prince Alfred The Prince Alfred in Port Melbourne is putting on the ultimate all-day Super Bowl experience. The pub will be opening its doors at 9am, so you can settle in for a day of $12 hotdogs, $1 wings and $20 beer and cider jugs. Depending on how your team plays, you could even stick around for Happy Hour from 3pm to 6pm and keep the party going. Book early to secure the best seat in the house. Hopscotch If you're stationed southside, head to Hopscotch to watch the match unfold. Watch the game on the many big screens around the pub and enjoy a delicious menu of Super Bowl snacks, brekkie specials and, of course, American beers. The best bit? There's live music after the game – we can't think of a better way to spend a Monday. Book your spot here. Beer DeLuxe, Federation Square Besides quality craft beer, Beer DeLuxe in Fed Square is set to be one of the most lively places to watch the Super Bowl this February. From 9am, indulge in an American menu featuring Buffalo wings, hot dogs and our personal favourite, Reuben sandwiches, plus 3L beer towers and all your usual Beer DeLuxe classics. Book your spot. Provincial Hotel Head to The Provincial Hotel in Fitzroy for a Super Bowl extravaganza, with the game playing across every level of the venue. Another one of Melbourne's top pubs to catch The Super Bowl, there will be an American-inspired menu – you know the drill – hot dogs, nachos, wings, cheesesteaks and beer. Make sure to book a table so you and your mates don't miss out. The Prince If you're an early bird, art deco hotel The Prince is probably one of the earliest places open on the big day, with the action kicking off at 7am. The pub also has some unique offerings, like a bottomless package priced at $79pp that includes one main American-inspired meal along with select bottomless drinks. Sound too good to be true? We recommend booking before the tickets sell out, this one's set to be a goodie. Skinny Dog Hotel Experience the Super Bowl live at the Skinny Dog Hotel in Kew. Things kick off bright and early at 8am, with a menu including brekkie burgers and wings to help wake you up in time for the game. If you're a Kew local or a visitor, book to ensure a spot on the big day. The Swan Hotel There's something about The Swan that makes it the perfect watch live sport – whether it's the beer garden or the classic pub feel, we're not sure. But what we do know is that this Richmond pub will be buzzing come Super Bowl day, and you're going to want to snag a spot. For more information on these venues and to claim credit for your order, download The Pass app. Images: Supplied.
Starting out as a late-night snack stop for nightclub punters in Perth, Pretzel has just opened the doors to its first two Melbourne outposts making baked-to-order pretzels loaded with tasty toppings. The biggest and brightest of the two is in South Yarra — and you definitely won't miss this vibrant store as you make your way down Chapel Street. Pink from floor to ceiling, the colour blocked shop plays with velvet chairs, neon signs and numbered doors with a wall of retro motel-style keyrings (that, yes, you can purchase). Inside, you'll see staff swiftly rolling dough and shaping them into pretzels that are cooked to order and topped with the likes of cheese, bacon, chilli and chocolate (thankfully, not together). After making pretzels for five years, owner and founder Brittany Garbutt decided to venture out and expand the flavour horizons of this humble snack. [caption id="attachment_758354" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] While the classic cinnamon is a crowd favourite, flavours like The Lot with three cheeses, pepperoni and bacon ignite the taste buds in a similar way to a cheesy pizza, but with the added layer of enjoying it on more soft, doughy pastry. Those looking for something slightly more adventurous can try the Chipotle & Cheese pretzel loaded with a jalapeños and a smoky chipotle sauce. Or, if sweet is more your thing, order the salted caramel, coconut or mint slice glazed numbers. [caption id="attachment_758364" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] If you're thinking these salty, doughy numbers would go down a treat after a beer or two (or ten), you'd be right. And, thankfully, they're available late, with the shop opening till 2.30am on Friday and Saturday. While pretzels are popular food overseas, the team at Pretzel say they hope to popularise the oft-forgotten-about soft pretzel here in Australia. If you're not down south side often, Pretzel also has a newly opened store in ELLA Melbourne Central. Find Pretzel at 397 Chapel Street, South Yarra. It's open from 10am–9pm Monday, 10am–10pm Tuesday–Thursday, 10am–2.30am Friday–Saturday and 10am–10pm. Images: Julia Sansone
For many, it's already considered the creative heart of Melbourne's CBD — its myriad studio spaces playing host to countless creatives and their artistic endeavours over the past four decades. But the iconic Nicholas Building is now set to take things to a whole new level, under bold new redevelopment plans unveiled this week. The vision would build on the art deco beauty's status as a significant creative precinct, adding a new rooftop pavilion and green public space, and a live performance venue. Aimed at ensuring the site remains a cultural precinct of affordable creative studios, the proposal is the work of social impact capital firm Forza Capital, the City of Melbourne and a new purpose-built cultural foundation occupying nine levels of the historic Swanston Street tower. Currently home to more than 200 creative studios and businesses, the landmark site was put on the market in July 2021, spurring the Nicholas Building Association to launch a campaign to save it from developers. Thousands petitioned to retain the building as a cultural asset and many donated to the cause, which will help fund the new plans, along with investments from the three groups spearheading the project. In addition to the rooftop pavilion and public space, which'll boast inbuilt state-of-the-art solar technology, the proposed revamp would include improved facilities, a multi-functional performance space and a slew of new hospitality offerings. Ultimately, the Nicholas Building would play host to a diverse self-determined creative community, and provide a home for leading cultural service and festival organisations — many of which are set to be displaced as a result of the NGV redevelopment. Plans would also see the building facilitating a strong cultural events program in collaboration with a range of local and international players — from exhibitions and performances, to festivals and talks. [caption id="attachment_659146" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Nicholas Building, via Visit Victoria[/caption] You can see the full plans and stay tuned to the latest developments at the Nicholas Building Association website.
Restrictions have rekindled Melbourne's love affair with the humble picnic and we're forecasting park sessions to become the go-to social outing of choice over the coming months — no matter what the weather's doing. There'll be no slumming it on the food and drinks front either, thanks to the growing lineup of beautifully curated picnic packs being offered up by venues across the city. We've rounded up a few of the finest feasts to suit your next al fresco session, from grazing boxes brimming with nibbles, to luxurious seafood spreads. Order one of these beauts and make this picnic season one to remember. BIA HOI A taste of chef Jerry Mai's mod-Viet beer hall is coming to a park near you. Bia Hoi's new picnic packs are chock full of fresh Vietnamese flavours just begging to be devoured on some sunny patch of grass. We're talking: crisp spring rolls, mini grilled chicken banh mi, sugarcane prawns, plump rice paper rolls, and plenty of its famed JFC (Jerry Fried Chicken) teamed with hot chilli and fish sauce caramel. Plus, an assortment of banh hoi (vermicelli parcels), fresh herbs, pickles and zingy nuoc mam sauce rounds out the fun. The details: Feeds two to three, $55. Order online for delivery. ENTRECOTE Add some instant Frenchy-chic flair to your al fresco hangs with a Parisian Pique-nique box from Entrecote. Having settled into its new Greville Street home (though not yet opened the doors, thanks COVID), the celebrated French restaurant is now slinging a range of tres chic picnic accompaniments, headlined by a grazing box for two. The pack stars gourmet goodies like a sourdough baguette, proper French butter, local camembert, traditional charcuterie, mini quiches and macarons. Picnic add-ons range from ice-filled coolers to batched cocktails and bottles of Mumm. BYO beret and you're good to go. The details: Feeds two, $94.90. Pre-order online for pick up. ZSA'S BAR BISTRO & DELI Up in Northcote, Zsa's has made a name for its warm, honest cooking style and dishes rooted in classic European flavours. And, luckily for your future picnic endeavours, that vibe extends to the venue's expansive offering of park-friendly antipasto boxes and grazing packs. There's quite the selection, ranging from cheese packs to local charcuterie showcases. But for a bit of everything, try the Premium Antipasto and Cheese Box — a quality spread of local and international cheese, Aussie prosciutto, free-range mortadella, whisky-spiked orange marmalade, house-made crostini and much more. Extras and add-ons abound, including a bottles of the signature bloody mary laced with Truff hot sauce ($17). The details: $75. Order online for pick up or delivery (select days). ABACUS BAR & KITCHEN If your ultimate picnic pack is one involving plenty of ocean-fresh snacks, Chapel Street's Abacus has your back. Every Friday to Sunday, the South Yarra bar and eatery is serving up two picnic-perfect seafood platters that are destined to impress. Opt for the standard spread and spend your afternoon knocking back Mooloolaba king prawns with a jalapeno emulsion, Sydney rock oysters, lobster rolls loaded with chive mayo, crab and potato croquettes, house-made taramasalata and more. Or, bump up to the deluxe edition and enjoy half a Western Australia rock lobster as well. Add on a bottle from the wine list and your day is looking pretty schmick. The details: $125 (standard), $199 (deluxe). Order online for pick up or delivery. MR MIYAGI Windsor's beloved modern Japanese diner Mr Miyagi is going one step further to hook you up with premium snacking this picnic season. It's kicked off a roving picnic pop-up tour, appearing at a different venue every Friday and Saturday to sling its six-course picnic packs. The four-person Japanese feasts feature lively dishes like the yuzu kingfish sashimi, crispy chicken katsu rolls, soba noodle salad and yuzu cheesecake, and it all comes packed in a nifty Mr Miyagi cooler bag to keep. Cocktail boxes are also up for grabs if you're feeling thirsty. Keep an eye on the website to see where they're headed this weekend. The details: Feeds four, $149. Order online for pick up (collection venue changes every Friday and Saturday). HARRY & LARRY'S GENERAL STORE As Footscray's one-stop shop for locally-sourced groceries, pantry essentials and other fun wares, Harry & Larry's General Store is well-known for its curatorial skills, especially when it comes to tasty eats. So, it should come as no surprise that the venue's now slinging a top-notch grazing box, available in both small and large sizes. Level-up your park time with a primo selection of various breads, cheese, cured meats, dips, crackers and other antipasto fixings, neatly boxed and ready to play centrepiece of your picnic rug. They can be made gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan, and you can get a box whipped up with 90 minutes notice. Add on a tipple from the extensive online bottle shop range to make an afternoon of it. The details: Feeds two ($29) or more ($59–70). Order online for pick up (in-store or kerbside) or local delivery. THAT'S AMORE If an aperitivo-style picnic in the park is on the cards, you'll find a very worthy accompaniment in That's Amore's collection of curated cheese and booze hampers. The cheese producer's own Italian-inspired creations take centre stage here, carefully matched to wine, gin, or even a cheeky bottled cocktail. The Cheese & Wine Hamper, in particular, is picnic perfection, stocked with three signature cheese varieties — perhaps the buffalotto, the cacio and some smoked caciotta — plus lavosh crackers, fig paste and a bottle of vino of your choosing. If mixing and matching is more your style, simply swing past the full online store and curate your own epic cheese feast for speedy delivery. The details: $75. Order online for delivery Victoria-wide. [caption id="attachment_827589" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] FISHMONGERS SON Infuse your picnic with a hint of indulgence and lots of summer vibes, by ordering a picnic set-up from Carlton North's Fishmonger's Son. The store's seafood-heavy lineup of snack packs and lunch boxes is primed for sunny (or even cloudy) sessions at your local park or beach. Grazers will love the high-end snackage of the Blini Box, starring blinis, smoked salmon, 50 grams of Yarra Valley salmon caviar, and a tub of Lard Ass crème fraiche. Or, if you're picnicking as a pair, go for the Lunch Box — a two-person spread featuring a couple of the venue's cult prawn and crayfish rolls, with a side of Pafritas potato chips. The details: The Blini Box, $50; and The Lunch Box, feeds two, $40. Pre-order for pick up by emailing orders@thefishmongersson.com or calling 0452 166 552. A select range is also available for delivery via Your Grocer.
Nestled on the banks of the Tennessee River, Muscle Shoals has played as big a role in the history of American music as Nashville, Chicago or Detroit. At a time when the South remained defiant to the civil rights movement, and the rhythm and blues scene was still very much in its infancy, this small Alabama town was the place where artists like Aretha Franklin and Jimmy Hughes first put soul to vinyl. Later, the Shoals’ became a sight of pilgrimage for major acts such as Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood and The Rolling Stones, who used as it as a place to get away from the limelight and record some of their most iconic songs. Slickly made, Greg Camalier’s historical documentary of the town, simply entitled Muscle Shoals, focuses primarily on Rick Hall, the founder of the appropriately named FAME Studios. After a bumpy beginning, the recording venue soon became a magnet for high profile acts, many of whom were eager to work with Hall’s soulful backup band The Swampers — a band that no one could believe was made up of white guys. A part of the local music scene to this day, Hall makes for a logical central character, although his tendency to lapse into melancholic personal anecdotes doesn’t do the movie any favours. More interesting than Hall are the people that he worked with. Jagger, Richards, Winwood, Bono and Franklin are just a few of the famous faces to chime in with what the Shoal’s mean to them as Camalier mixes their interviews with archival footage of their much younger selves. Many of the artists (okay, so it’s mostly Bono) attribute the town a mystical quality, while the film also makes reference to a Native American myth about a woman in the river whose singing protected her tribe. Such romantic proclamations are nice if a bit hokey. Ultimately, they’re far less important than the music’s real social impact during the period, particularly in changing attitudes about race and segregation. Though Muscle Shoals can seem a little conventional, you could never say the same thing of its soundtrack. Camalier has the music to really pull it off— even if you don’t believe Bono, and don't think there’s something special in the water, you can’t deny the magic of tracks such as 'Free Bird', 'Steal Away' and 'Respect'.
When you travel the world, you take your tastebuds on a journey with you, with trying local delicacies all part of the experience. If you find yourself at Sweden's new museum, however, you might not want to get adventurous with your eating — it's completely dedicated to disgusting foods. Of course, what one person considers gross, another entire country might slather on toast for breakfast. Yes, the Malmö-based Disgusting Food Museum will feature Vegemite when it opens on October 29. Other items don't include much-loved but highly polarising Australian spreads, but everything within the site's walls is considered food somewhere. Think Sweden's own surstömming, aka fermented herring; cuy, the Peruvian roasted guinea pigs; casu marzu, a maggot-infested cheese from Sardinia; hákarl, the Icelandic dish comprised of well-aged shark; and Thailand's notoriously pungent durian. In total, 80 foods from around the world will be on display until January 27, with liquorice, jell-o salad, fruit bat and bull's penis among the other exhibits. For an entry fee of 185 Swedish krona (approximately AU$29), visitors will have the opportunity to smell and taste selected items. The museum will also hold 'taste one for the team' sessions for groups of six or more, where you can challenge your friends to the kinds of tastings that you don't get every day. If you're currently asking yourself the obvious question — not 'what's wrong with Vegemite?', but rather 'what would inspire someone to open this kind of place?' — the Disgusting Food Museum is all about challenging accepted ideas of what's edible and tasty. It recognises that what one person finds delicious, another might find revolting and vice-versa. Speaking to Vox, curator and 'chief disgustologist' Samuel West uses Vegemite as an example, explaining that it initially tastes awful, but you can learn to like it. Find the Disgusting Food Museum in Malmö, Sweden from October 29. For more information or to buy tickets, visit the museum's website or Facebook page.
A quick word of warning: If you suffer from FOMO, the following images may send you on a path of unending regret. The first weekend of Coachella has come and gone and not only have you forfeited a chance to soak up the likes of Blur and Phoenix but you've also missed out on chilling with some of the coolest over-50s to ever grace the festival. (And, before you ask, the answer is yes. They've still got it.) 1. Clint Eastwood Pictured here with daughter Francesca, Clint may appear a little dazed and confused. Never fear though; once Benny Benassi dropped the bass on 'Satisfaction', no-one partied harder. 2. Pierce Brosnan Mr Bond is always keen for a mosh. If he looks apprehensive, it's because someone offered him a stirred martini while congratulating him on the success of Skyfall. 3. Danny DeVito Men of Danny DeVito's stature are in short supply at plebeian events such as the Coachella Valley Music Festival. It was no small matter to have Danny present. Because, really, who thinks little of him? Also: Melanie Griffith! 4. David Hasselhoff National hero or national embarrassment? Neither. He is a god. 5. Coachella Rave Dad While you might not recognise this gentleman right away, that doesn't mean that he wasn't born for fame. Say hello to 'Coachella Rave Dad'; the greatest discovery of the weekend. When you're ready, click on each Vine image to witness sweet, sweet moves.
Melbourne loves coffee — this is obvious when a new café opens and on its second day people are lining up outside the door. Industry Beans knows a thing or two about coffee and is pushing the caffeinated boundaries just a little. Brothers Trevor and Steve Simmons from Penny Farthing in Northcote have taken what was their roastery in Fitzroy and opened an on-site café. When it comes to their coffee offering, they really mean business. After sourcing beans from all over the world the guys over at Industry Beans put a lot of their energy into the on-site roasting to bring out the best characteristics they can. Single origins come from anywhere from Brazil to Kenya, while the house blend is a beautiful mix of chocolate and hazelnut notes, a perfect combination to milk. Not just a roastery or a place for top-notch coffee, Industry Beans Café is creating buzz for its food, too. The menu boasts an interesting selection, showing loads of personality and originality. The large menu has something for everyone. A Melbourne favourite is given a unique twist in the avocado smash with whipped ricotta, orange lime gel and green tea salt on sourdough. Other unique brunch items include the likes of a pandan bubble waffle with blueberry gelato and a banana coconut foam, and folded eggs teamed with sous vide barramundi, sambal oelek and coffee togarashi. Plus, a coffee-rubbed wagyu burger starring pickled zucchini and chilli jam. The space itself is stripped back and industrial, yet comfortable with bright white interiors accompanied by leafy vines adorning the floating beams — it's the kind of cafe that makes you want to linger.
UPDATE, Wednesday, October 9: Cheri's opening has been delayed and is now set to open its doors on Wednesday, October 30. Darling Group is best known for opening and acquiring some of Melbourne's top cafes (Higher Ground, Top Paddock, The Terrace, Kettle Black), while recently branching out into the restaurant scene (Token and Stringers). Like many of the larger hospitality groups in Melbourne, the Darling Group continues to expand (even if the industry is struggling right now), preparing to open Cheri — a new all-day eatery located right across from South Melbourne Market — on Wednesday, October 9. Cheri has taken over neighbouring sites Bibelot and Chez Dre, transforming them into one huge 150-seat venue that will be open from 7am–5pm every day of the week. Darling Group's Executive Pastry Chef Michael Germanos is making sure Cheri will be home to incredible pastries, cakes and bread, made on-site every morning to be exclusively sold here and across all of Darling Group's other venues. Expect an expansive collection of sweet and savoury croissants, classic eclairs, small and large tarts and cakes, sourdough loaves, baguettes, piadinas and focaccia sandwiches. It's giving full bakery energy throughout the morning, while also serving up an all-day dining menu that covers most of your breakfast and lunch bases. Brekkie bites will include polenta porridge with confit spiced dates, mandarin, creme fraiche, cinnamon and pistachios; croissant loaf french toast with maple syrup and cultured butter; eggs benedict served on a croissant wheel; and a lamb merguez fry-up with poached eggs, za'atar yogurt, preserved lemon, mint and pita bread. This is a stacked morning menu that reads like those at Melbourne's best breakfast spots. For lunch, you've got ricotta gnocchi with pancetta, broad bean leaf verde, spring peas, stracciatella and green onion oil; chicken cotoletta with sprouting broccoli leaves, asparagus and cafe de Paris sauce; and seven different pizzas made with 72-hour fermented dough. Pair this all with some signature cocktails — you can never go wrong with a cheeky bloody mary — teas, shakes, sodas, and a decadent Cheri hot chocolate that's made with milk chocolate, whipped cream and crema di pistachio. You can drop by this spot for a quick takeaway pastry and coffee, or choose to sit in the main dining room or 50-person courtyard — when the sun is shining. We have high expectations for Cheri, not only because Darling Group has proven it knows how to cafe, but because this food menu sounds like an absolute banger. [caption id="attachment_974006" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Darling Group Director Nick Seoud, Executive Chef Ashley Hicks and Creative Director Chris Seoud.[/caption] Cheri — located at 285-287 Coventry Street, South Melbourne — is slated to open on Wednesday, October 9, and will be open from 7am–5pm daily. For more information, check out the venue's website. Images: Julian Lallo.
When the Aunty team confirmed that Golden Plains would return in 2023 and locked in dates, it was huge news, with pilgrimages to the Supernatural Amphitheatre finally back on the calendar. Indeed, that was probably all the push you needed to enter the fest's ticket ballot, and start crossing your fingers that you score passes to the beloved sibling to Meredith Music Festival, no matter who ended up on the bill. That online ballot has been extended, now running until 10.15pm AEDT on Monday, October 24. Also, the Golden Plains lineup is now here, too. Bikini Kill, Carly Rae Jepsen, Soul II Soul and Four Tet lead the charge, in what's shaping up to be a huge comeback fest from Saturday, March 11–Monday, March 13, 2023. [caption id="attachment_874299" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Debi Del Grande[/caption] Bikini Kill are playing Mona Foma as well, in what'll be the iconic Kathleen Hanna-fronted, Washington-formed, Riot Grrrl movement-instigating group's first Australian show in more than 25 years. Calling all rebel girls, obviously. If you aren't making the trip to Tasmania in February, you can now see them at Golden Plains in March. Carly Rae Jepsen's inclusion on the bill likely now has 'Call Me Maybe' stuck in your head, but that isn't all that's on the Canadian popstar's discography. And Soul II Soul's spot on the lineup is massive, given the British musical collective have been doing their thing since the late 80s, and also helped change UK club culture. Alongside Four Tet, they're joined by Mdou Moctar, Angel Olsen, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, Brian Jackson and more, in what's clearly a gloriously eclectic lineup. Catering to 12,000 punters each year across three days and two nights, Golden Plains has long proven a favourite for its one-stage setup, which skips the need for frantic timetabling. Meredith is also returning, as announced in August, with Caribou, Yothu Yindi and Courtney Barnett leading the lineup from Friday, December 9–Sunday, December 11, 2022. GOLDEN PLAINS 2023 LINEUP: Bikini Kill Four Tet Carly Rae Jepsen Mdou Moctar Soul II Soul Angel Olsen Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever Brian Jackson Overmono (live) Earthless Rochelle Jordan Methyl Ethel Kokoroko Andrew Gurruwiwi Band Stiff Richards Armand Hammer Soichi Terada Jennifer Loveless Rick Wilhite Freya Josephine Hollick E Fishpool Mulalo Delivery Golden Plains will return to the Meredith Supernatural Ampitheatre from Saturday, March 11–Monday, March 13, 2023. Head to the festival's website for further details, or to enter the ballot before 10.15pm AEDT on Monday, October 24. Top image: Theresa Harrison.
Who hasn't gone on vacation, soaked up their idyllic temporary surroundings but felt pangs of envy towards a few specific fellow travellers who seem to be having a better time than everyone else? That's how Speak No Evil begins — and it's meant to be relatable. The situation that Louise Dalton (Mackenzie Davis, Station Eleven) and her husband Ben (Scoot McNairy, Invincible) find themselves in while travelling to Tuscany with their daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler, Dead Boy Detectives) is a classic grass-is-greener setup. When the American couple look at the brash but charismatic Paddy (James McAvoy, His Dark Materials) and his wife Ciara (Aisling Franciosi, Stopmotion), and as they get to know them over dinners and drinks, they wish that they too were that happy, that carefree and that relaxed. Hopefully no one has endured IRL what comes next in this Blumhouse horror movie directed by Eden Lake and The Woman in Black's James Watkins, which remakes 2022 Danish film Gæsterne, also called Speak No Evil in English. Reluctantly on Louise's part but eagerly by Ben, the Daltons accept an invitation to spend a weekend with Paddy and Ciara, plus their son Ant (Dan Hough, Hollyoaks), at their rural property back in Britain. Actually, we've all been in a scenario where passive-aggression simmers behind smiles and plastered-on friendliness, social discomfort flavours every interaction and toxic masculinity festers. For the Daltons, however, this second getaway turns particularly grim when they discover what lurks behind the blissful facade that their hosts were such experts at projecting in Italy. Both versions of Speak No Evil take viewers on an unsettling trip — but only the do-over boasts powerful performances by McAvoy and Davis. While no one in the cast puts a foot wrong, including Davis' Halt and Catch Fire co-star McNairy, The Nightingale standout Franciosi and the feature's youngest actors, its two leads are tasked with encapsulating the film's clashing sides. Paddy presents himself as earthy and approachable, packaging up his ideas of manhood — notions that can be called traditional at best and outdated if you're still being polite — with a seemingly wholesome, laidback vibe. Louise is understandably constantly anxious and worried, and yet just as persistently eager not to cause a scene. The more time that she spends in Paddy's farmhouse, the more that she realises that she's being forced to ignore her every instinct about him. Speak No Evil also unpacks why that reaction also feels so familiar. These are complicated and layered roles to play, and a balancing act on both McAvoy and Davis' parts. That's one of the things that attracted them each to the movie, the two tell Concrete Playground. For McAvoy, he's back in the darker psychological terrain that he traversed in Split and Glass for M Night Shyamalan — chatting with us back in 2017, the filmmaker called the actor's work in the former "fearless; he was just very fearless about the whole thing" — and also in the unrelated Filth before that. He credits his excellent, can't-look-away efforts both in Split and Speak No Evil to great writing first and foremost. "I was lucky enough on those two particular jobs, this one as much as any other, to be able to feel really strong going into it and make strong choices," he explains. For Davis, she adds another complex portrayal to a resume teeming with them (see: the aforementioned Station Eleven, Black Mirror's 'San Junipero' episode, Blade Runner 2049, Tully, Happiest Season and more), all while ensuring that she's never repeating herself. "Not retreading footsteps that I've already walked in" is what gets her excited about any new role, she advises. "That's a weird mixed metaphor. Honestly, I read so many scripts and I barely like any of them, and then one comes and you're like 'oh, maybe this is a fucked-up little thing to do'." Davis sums up Speak No Evil perfectly, as audiences Down Under can experience in cinemas from Thursday, September 12, 2024. We also chatted with the film's lead pair about the rollercoaster ride that the movie takes viewers on, where inspiration came from to flesh out their parts, being able to see themselves — or aspects of them — in their characters, digging into what it means not to speak up, ensuring that the movie's emotional journey feels logical and more. On McAvoy Having No Fear When Diving Into Dark Roles, Such as in Split and Speak No Evil James: "I think when you've got a good text and you've got a good character drawn well with a good arc, you've got a solid foundation from which to jump. And that was definitely the case with Split, and that was definitely the case with Speak No Evil. And they both happen to be Blumhouse movies, which is great because they're underpinned by something — not just pieces of entertainment, which they are, which they deliver upon, but they've also got something interesting to say socially. So it was a really strong foundation that it jumped from. I think when the text isn't so strong, maybe I'm not so fearless and maybe a bit more fearful. But I was lucky enough on those two particular jobs, this one as much as any other, to be able to feel really strong going into it and make strong choices." On Davis' First Reaction to the Script, and What She Saw That She Could Bring to the Role Mackenzie: "I loved it. I hadn't seen the original, and I knew it existed but wasn't really familiar with anything else other than the title. So this is my first exposure to the conceit — and I just love things that feel as dangerous as being hunted and killed, being placed on that same plane. Because committing, not like a social faux pas or a gaffe, but like really offending someone or hurting somebody's feelings in a really meaningful way, you can get kind of the same adrenaline response as you do when you're trying to save your life. And they do feel like mortal dangers at the time, and I liked how it how it dealt with that. I wasn't sure at first, honestly, because there's a lot of Louise looking to her husband to act, and that worried me a little bit. But I had lots of long, really meaningful chats with James Watkins, the director, and he assured me that he was really interested in Louise's experience of being silent. Like, it's one thing to not speak, and it's another thing for the camera to be interested in why they're not speaking and what they're thinking while they're not speaking. And as long as that was part of it, then I thought it was a really interesting role. I think James [Watkins], before we started making the movie, convinced me that that was important to him. Then in the movie, I really see that, that he's interested in how Louise is feeling and it's not always through a monologue." On Working Through Speak No Evil's Many Layers James: "I was just so glad that I was getting to be involved in something that could be entertaining, could make people laugh, could make them jump, give them the horror experience or the scary experience that you want in the cinema in a communal, sitting-down environment — but at the same time, it had stuff to say as well, which elevates it. Blumhouse do that time and again, and they do it so so well. So it's a privilege to be a part of something like that because you get to do two things at once. Also part of it was about a conversation about masculinity, which I feel is quite timely as well — and what men are attracted to at the moment in terms of looking for answers. Somebody like Ben, who's really drifting, really lost, really hurt, really damaged, he's looking for answers. And here comes along this sort of totem of toxic masculinity, but he seems to have the answer to one of the questions in life, which is how to be happy. He seems really happy. In fact, I would argue he is really happy. As much as he's rage-filled and anger-filled, he's also capable of great joy and happiness, and he really enjoys his life. And that's an attractive quality, but it's also a scary thing in somebody who's also got such worrying doctrine." On the Film's Relatable Situation, Including the Balance Between Trying to Keep the Peace and Recognising Your Instincts Mackenzie: "What's important to me is that I can see myself in that situation. I relate to the choices she makes, even when they're stupid. I can understand why she's doing the thing that might feel wrong to an audience, because you get that there are other things at play other than the right thing and the wrong thing. There's the marriage and keeping that intact. And then there's 'oh my god, did I just make some sort of enormous, grievous misunderstanding of a situation where I thought I was saving my family, but actually I was villainising myself and really offending these lovely people who are hosting us?. And am I being a snob?'. There's so many currents of thought that are going on all the time, and you kind of have to choose one to follow. And I get why, for a lot of the movie, she's prioritising, with difficulty, keeping the peace — and then at a certain point the dam breaks and she just cannot do it anymore. I think that's really, really relatable, trying to be all things at once." On the Balancing Act Required for McAvoy to Play Someone Who is Charismatic, Earthy and Seemingly Free-Spirited, and Also Angry, Reckless and Unsettling James: "The whole film is a balancing act, and the whole performance for me is a bit of a balancing act, because you can't go too far one way or the other. You can't go too scary or too safe. You've got to be right in the middle, until the end anyway, because you dissipate the tension of horror or a scary movie if you just go full bore too quickly. And that's the same either side. Too safe, too dangerous. Too masculine, too not masculine. Too safe masculine, too toxic masculine. Too politically correct, too politically incorrect. You have to ride this line so that both versions of him are possible at all times without ever jumping down and nailing your colours to the mast on one side or the other. So it's a bit of a balancing act that was orchestrated by myself and by the director definitely on the day, James Watkins. He did a lot of that on the page, but even then on the day, it was about getting shades, colours and levels so that when he was in the edit, he had the opportunity to calibrate as he went in that environment as well." On Acting Opposite McAvoy's Powerful Performance Mackenzie: "There's a moment in the movie where he has this sort of smile and then his eyes go dead, but then his mouth twitches a little bit still, and it's so unsettling. And he's playing three different things in like one second. And that's what it feels like to work across from him. He's really surprising. He's enjoying what he's doing so much, which is so fun, because you shoot one scene for like six hours. You're hearing the same lines over and over, and what you want is an actor that's finding a new way into it every time so that it feels exciting and stimulating to engage with it, and he just does that in spades. He's a wonderful person and a really great actor." On What McAvoy and Davis Each Drew Upon to Help Flesh Out Their Complex Characters James: "I've got a friend who will look into my eyes and sing me an entire song, and there's something weirdly sort of threatening about it — because I don't know the song and I'm not singing it back with him, but he's singing it like he's singing some old favourite that we both know. I drew on that, because that's a kind of masculinity. That's a kind of 'I'm dominating you right now'. And I actually do that in the film with Scoot — and my mate will watch this and be like 'you're totally doing me right now'. He's nothing like Paddy, by the way. What did I draw upon? I guess, weirdly, myself. I'm not like Paddy, but I could be, and I could be if I'd made different decisions or indulged different parts of my personality and animal instincts when I was younger, or if different things had happened to me and I reacted to them differently. So those parts of Paddy that are objectionable or even attractive that aren't immediately apparent or inflated in me, they're still in me. So it's about imagining them growing. It's imagining them into your mind, and imagining them into your soul and into your heart, and then letting them out on camera. They'll never become a part of me properly, but if you just quite imagine who you would become, who you would be if your life had been different and things had changed in different ways. I think the parts of Paddy that we find objectionable and frightening are in us all. We all have the capacity to kill, and we all have the capacity to steal and to hurt others, to be selfish and to put ourselves before everyone else. And that's kind of what he does. And I think we all have that in us. It's just we've had different experiences or made different decisions to get us there. But you can look at yourself and recognise Paddy, I think." Mackenzie: "For me, I just want things to make sense. I'm almost a bit mathematical about it in going through the script and being like 'okay, well, why does she do this and how does that make sense, and if she does this, then what does this mean?'. And as long as I can make the math — and everybody has their own particular math, there is not one unifying, it's just the logic of that person — as long as her logic feels believable and at least consistent enough, to me, that the inconsistencies are exciting and surprising, then I'm great. It's when things just feel random and I can't find the throughline that I'm like 'meh, probably I'm not the right person to play this part'." On What Davis Would Do If She Was in the Same Situation as Louise Mackenzie: "I think you'd be charmed by dreams. I think it would be fun. I think were I in the situation, I can see myself being like 'I don't want to spend two days at their house, we don't even know them'. And then being like 'you know, you've got to have adventure in your life. At the very least, it'll be like a good story'. And it was. So maybe I would make the same decision. I keep saying I wouldn't, but now I guess I've kind of convinced myself it'll be fun to do something weird." Speak No Evil opens in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, September 12, 2024.
Acclaimed Sydney restaurants, award-winning cookbooks, global kudos, a sustainable seafood restaurant in Singapore: championing a fin-to-tail approach to the ocean's finest, Josh and Julie Niland's culinary footprint spans all of the above. From April 2025, their first-ever Queensland eatery will also join the list, as part of the new The Sundays hotel that's opening on Hamilton Island. The Nilands' Sunshine State debut doesn't yet have a name, but it will form part of the 59-room hotel at Catseye Beach's northern end — and serving the pair's seafood dishes to the entire family will be on the menu. While The Sundays is a luxury boutique hotel, being family friendly is part of its point of difference. That mindset will apply to the new restaurant, too, with catering to family holidays a guiding principle. "Julie and I fell in love with the entire vision behind The Sundays. It reflects so much of what we value — bringing people together to create memories in beautiful surroundings. We can't wait to introduce a dining experience that feels connected to the island and its incredible natural environment," said Josh. The Nilands have four children, so whipping up menus to suit both adults and kids is nothing new for Josh and Julie. Alongside whole-fish seafood dishes, the restaurant will feature local ingredients and span beyond the sea for its protein sources. Also, when diners tuck in, they'll do so with views of the ocean. When it opens on Thursday, May 1, 2025 — with reservations available now — The Sundays will feature an oceanfront swimming pool surrounded by private cabanas as well, alongside a pickleball court and tropical gardens. Room options include balcony and terrace, plus interconnecting family rooms, all decked out in relaxing hues. Hamilton Island Enterprises, which is also behind qualia, is running the show at The Sundays. Bookings still don't come heap, however, with a launch deal on offer for four nights for $3564, which includes a 10-percent discount on accommodation. Nab the deal and you'll also receive a $500 voucher for the Nilands' restaurant. Josh and Julie's new restaurant will open at The Sundays, Catseye Beach, Hamilton Island, from April 2025 — with the hotel launching on Thursday, May 1, 2025. Keep an eye on the hotel's website for more details in the interim. Images: Hamilton Island Photography, Sharyn Cairns, Adam Rikys, Nick Leary.
