Spoiler warning: this interview incudes specifics about Materialists if you haven't watched the film before reading. Honesty. Authenticity. Anyone who has seen, swooned over and fallen head over heels for Past Lives, aka one of 2023's very best movies, already knows that these two traits beat at the heart of Celine Song's films. What's present in the writer/director's sophomore feature Materialists more than her Oscar- and Golden Globe-nominated, Gotham- and Independent Spirit Award-winning debut, however, is frankness — especially about people approaching relationships as an arrangement and a transaction, even, and about coupling not just driven by love, fluttering hearts and racing pulses. As it plunges into the New York City life of Lucy (Dakota Johnson, Madame Web), Materialists is submerged in a matchmaker's existence. That's her job. For those looking for love and willing to pay her high-end employer — so, usually folks with ample cash to splash in the service of meeting their perfect partner — Lucy works her magic. She knows how to woo new clients. She also knows how to seal the deal, with nine marriages springing from her services so far. And, she's well-aware that her gig isn't simply to make sparks fly. With her like with no one else, the Big Apple's bachelors and bachelorettes are unvarnished about their wants and must-haves in a soul mate. They have exact height parameters, and acceptable salary ranges as well. Some sport lengthy lists that go much further. None are particularly willing to budge. Materialists is a direct film, then, about the objectification and commodification of people that can be layered into the search for someone to spend one's life with, plus the materialistic values that can often become part of that process. Yes, that's weighty for a romance. Song's movie is still both deeply affectionate and genuinely comedic, though — smartly, sharply, astutely and wonderfully so. And, even if its characters sometimes might be, Materialists is never cynical about love, its marvels, and the joys of truly finding someone that makes you instantly imagine your older self next to theirs decades into the future. Is Materialists saying the normally quiet part about modern love and dating maths, the motivations and reasons that aren't necessarily normally voiced, out loud? "Oh, interesting that you feel that way," is her first response to the question. "I feel like there are fully people who speak this way about love and dating. You go on TikTok, you know," she tells Concrete Playground. "I think that it is actually so much more common — and not only is it common, it is actually the way that my clients would speak." With Past Lives, Song adapted her own experience. She too had a Korean childhood sweetheart. She has an American husband. The movie in its entirety isn't autobiographical, but it grew from that kind of place. With Materialists, Song instead draws upon her own time endeavouring to assist others with their love lives. She was only a matchmaker for around half a year, but that stint has informed her second film that's centred on the emotional journey of a woman torn between her past and her future. Consequently, when Song says that people tackle the quest for a partner like they're putting in a drinks order (a coke and a beer is Lucy's) or making a deal, it's because she has seen it firsthand. "And also, people will just — like people in my life now, if you ask them what they're looking for, sometimes they will speak that way," Song continues. "And I do think that it is something where it's the quantifying or the turning into numbers, that it is, it gets that literal in that way. As in 'well, even if you're five-two, I still want somebody who's over six-feet tall'. And you're like 'why? Can they be five-ten?'. And they're like 'no'." Lucy faces this situation day in, day out. Chatting with Song about it, it's clear how intricately that her own time in the same day job while she was starting out as a playwright has fed into Materialists. The romantic options of Lucy's clients aren't the film's key concern, of course, but their attitudes have made an imprint on her own. So, when she has two choices — Harry (Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us), the tall, successful, distinguished, handsome and ultra-wealthy brother of someone that she's just married off; and John (Chris Evans, Red One), a struggling actor making a buck as a cater waiter that she has a past with — this proves a picture about how her personal reality and beliefs about love come to collide. Upon exiting her matchmaking days, Song knew that it'd play a part in her work at some point. She felt that compulsion immediately. Why? We also explored that in our chat about this seductive and significant — and masterful and meaningful — interrogation of relationships with its guiding force. Do people appraising romance in economic terms consciously realise that they're treating marriage like a transaction, or do they think that that's just a relic of history? How do you approach casting for chemistry, especially when a luminous Johnson, debonair Pascal and never-better Evans are your stars? They're some of the other directions that our discussion with Song charted. On Song Leaving Her Short Stint as a Matchmaker Knowing That It Would Somehow Inform Her Work — and How Materialists Came About From There "I think that I walked into that job thinking that it was going to be a day job, but I think I learned more about people and what their hearts desire than almost any other six-month period of my life. And I think that I did walk away from that job feeling like I'm going to make something about it. I was like 'I'm going to devise something about it, I just know it'. And I think that it's because I'm dealing with people, encountering people, every day who want to find love. But when you ask them what they're looking for, everything that they say about the person that they intend to love are things like height, weight, salary, lifestyle — things that are quantifiable, things that are concerns of an insurance salesperson or somebody at the morgue. So I think in that way, I was just always so shocked by how different the way everybody's talking about the dating side of the pursuit of love versus what I knew about love. And love is this amazing ancient mystery. It's a complete miracle when it happens. And it's the most beautiful, most dramatic thing that we do in our lives. So it's an amazing thing to just watch such a gap, huge gap, between what is the answer to 'who are you looking for?' and then what it is actually like to be in love and to fall in love. And I think that that gap, and then the tension in that gap, the contradiction of those two things, I think that was what really made me want to make a movie about it. It just felt like such a powerful mystery and a powerful thing to deal with." On Whether People Consciously Realise That They're Approaching Marriage Like a Transaction — or If They Think That That's Just a Relic of History, Such as Victorian Romances "We're not very far from the way that Victorian romances were talking about marriage, because I feel like still this economic pressure, especially as the economic anxieties and financial anxieties are such a fundamental part of our lives, the relief we want from it is, I think, at the heart of our fundamental desires, right? We're starting to be like 'I would like to be relieved of financial troubles. I would like to be relieved of it'. So part of that relief, desire for relief, is, of course, something that was a fundamental part of the Victorian romances. It's so much about that relief. And I think that we have not come that far from feeling like that's a very good reason to marry someone. I think that, of course, it's less of a total choice. And then, of course, women make money. So it's kind of like 'of course it's changed a lot in that way'. But how amazing that women are able to make their own living? And so in that part of this, of course, so far improved — but it still hasn't changed the otherwise very difficult thing, which is that marriage is still seen as a very specific contract. And I think that that is a very reasonable and a normal thing. But as Lucy says in the film 'but love has to be on the table', right? You can't walk away, right? Like you can't actually have a business partner for your spouse. Your spouse is your spouse. You're going to have to change that person's diaper. That person would change your diaper — whatever, one of you is changing the other person's diaper. And the thing is, that's the most romantic thing about marriage, and therefore love has to be on the table." On Song's Approach to Casting for Chemistry — Especially When Casting Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans "I think that when it comes to chemistry, some of it is just purely instinctual. But it's also so much work that's coming from the actors — as in, it is something that we're working on together as part of the performance, the chemistry. I think that sometimes people think chemistry is just flirting on-screen, but it's really not about flirting at all. Chemistry is something that you build by having two characters who want different things from each other, and the two of them trying to find a resolution. So what I mean by that is, for example, that loading dock scene between John, Chris Evans' character, and Lucy, Dakota Johnson's character, is that the chemistry in that scene is being built by me telling Chris 'you're doing your darndest, you're doing your best, to not kiss her'. And when it comes to Dakota, I'm telling her 'I think that she already knows that she probably will kiss him at some point'. So to me, I'm like 'well, you have two contradicting desires, right?'. And in that, that's where the tension is going to be and that's where the chemistry is going to be. So that's how it gets built. And the thing is, it's not just that these two people who are flirting with each other and then somehow there's going to be chemistry — there's not. It's all beautifully make believe. So, much of it I would want to credit the acting, the work that we're doing on it. And this is what I've always believed about chemistry. Chemistry is about erotic desire. And what is erotic desire? Wanting something that you don't have. That's where you can have chemistry. So I think, to be honest, that's the truth of it. And when it comes to those actors, I think building the chemistry, some of that is just about just knowing it — just knowing that they're going to, all three actors, are going to feel something for each other. That they're going to like each other, and even like just actually feel something for each other in such a deep way as humans. So I think it's really that. And of course, if they're the right people for each role, and these roles are romantically entangled and have chemistry with each other, they are going to have chemistry with each other. So to me, that's how I would really describe the way to find chemistry." On the Film Exploring Not Only Lucy's Clashing Romantic Options, But the Conflict Between Her Personal Reality and Her Beliefs About Love "I think the funniest part of it is that she's a matchmaker and she's having trouble finding a match for herself. And that's kind of an amazing dramatic problem — a matchmaker who is looking for love. So I think that in that way, it was always so important that we're meeting Lucy at the peak of her power and the peak of her feeling that she's the expert, that she knows everything. And then throughout the film, to unravel her until she is somebody who was able to not only accept that she doesn't know, but to also say 'I completely surrender. I completely surrender to love'. So I think that because that is her journey throughout this film, it was absolutely, yes, exactly what you're describing is the reason I wanted to make this movie. It was very important for Lucy to start as somebody who is presenting as just the smartest girl ever, and then to end the film making a decision that is with her heart. And it's not going to seem smart to a lot of people — even though the truth is we know that she's making the only smart decision in the whole film, right? Which is to say 'deal' to the one deal that you cannot say 'no' to. That's the only deal that is worth saying 'yes' to. And she does it. And in fact, that's the beautiful thing. It's like by making a decision that I'm sure, to herself in the beginning of the film, may seem like a stupid decision, she's making the wisest decision she can make about her life — which is to go where love is." Materialists opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Images: Atsushi Nishijima, A24.
Music festival lineups are always cause for excitement, but sometimes spending a whole day at a fest doesn't fit into your schedule. Thankfully, life found a way to ensure that you can still see your favourite acts: festival sideshows, which a heap of talent on the 2024 Groovin the Moo lineup just announced. Can't head to Newcastle, Canberra, Bendigo, Adelaide Showground, the Sunshine Coast and Bunbury this April and May to catch GZA, Claire Rosinkranz, Kenya Grace, Stephen Sanchez and The Beaches? All five have announced their own gigs while they're Down Under. In great news for folks in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, they're all playing all three cities. Perth gets a few sideshows as well; however, if you're elsewhere, you'll have to travel. Wu-Tang Clan's GZA is taking to the stage with full live band The Phunky Nomads, on their Liquid Swords Live Australian tour — starting at Sydney's Liberty Hall, then heading to 170 Russell in Melbourne, The Triffid in Brisbane and Magnet House in Perth. And yes, the set usually includes a heap of the tunes that GZA is best-known for, because Wu-Tang Clan covers ain't nuthing ta f' wit. Rosinkranz has her debut 2023 album Just Because to play through at Max Watts in Melbourne, Oxford Art Factory in Sydney, The Zoo in Brisbane and Perth's Rosemount Hotel. Making her first trip to Australia, 'Strangers' artist Grace will play Melbourne's The Night Cat, Fremantle's Freo.Social, and also Oxford Art Factory and The Zoo just like Rosinkranz. After hitting our shores last year, Sanchez returns to bust out 'Until I Found You' again, this time at Enmore Theatre in Sydney, Forum Melbourne, The Tivoli in Brisbane and Perth's Astor Theatre. And Toronto's The Beaches have dates at The Lansdowne, The Zoo and Howler in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, respectively. [caption id="attachment_939692" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Caity Krone[/caption] Groovin the Moo 2024 Sideshows: GZA + The Phunky Nomads Thursday, May 2 — Liberty Hall, Sydney Friday, May 3 — 170 Russell, Melbourne Tuesday, May 7 — The Triffid, Brisbane Friday, May 10 — Magnet House, Perth Claire Rosinkranz Tuesday, April 30 — Max Watts, Melbourne, Wednesday, May 1 — Oxford Art Factory, Sydney Tuesday, May 7 — The Zoo, Brisbane Friday, May 10 — Rosemount Hotel, Perth Kenya Grace Tuesday, April 30 — The Night Cat, Melbourne Thursday, May 2 — Oxford Art Factory, Sydney Wednesday, May 8 — The Zoo, Brisbane Saturday, May 11 — Freo.Social, Fremantle Stephen Sanchez Monday, April 29 — Enmore Theatre, Sydney Tuesday, April 30 — Forum Melbourne, Melbourne Monday, May 6 — The Tivoli, Brisbane Wednesday, May 8 — Astor Theatre, Perth The Beaches Wednesday, May 1 — The Lansdowne, Sydney Monday, May 6 — The Zoo, Brisbane Thursday, May 9 — Howler, Melbourne Groovin the Moo is touring Australia in April and May 2024. For tickets and more information, head to the festival's website. The festival's sideshows are touring across the same months, with presale and general sale dates varying — head to the tour pages for GZA, Claire Rosinkranz, Kenya Grace, Stephen Sanchez and The Beaches for all the details. Top image: Azuree Wiitala.
Let's call it 'under the Sicilian sun': the plan that Airbnb has to send one lucky person to Italy for an entire year, that is. If that sounds like how you'd love to spend 12 months from June 30, 2022, the house-share platform is calling for applications. And yes, you'll get to bunker down in one of its rentals without paying a cent to stay there. Whoever wins Airbnb's latest promotion won't just be living in any old property, either. The townhouse up for grabs for a year has been dubbed '1 Euro House' — and it's been given a huge makeover by Airbnb and Italian architectural firm Studio Didea. Located in the rural village of Sambuca in Sicily, population around 6000, it's a three-storey, two-bedroom home that you'll get to both live and work remotely in. You will also need to play host, however, with the second bedroom set to be listed on the platform. You'll get your pick of your sleeping space, though — so you can opt for either the ground floor, which has a master bedroom with king-size bed and en-suite bathroom, plus a small living room; or the first floor, where the bedroom also boasts a king-size bed, and where the living room, kitchen, working space, bathroom and mezzanine also sit. The upper floor will remain accessible to both the competition winner and their Airbnb guests, and features an extra living space with a queen-size sofa bed. The whole promo is rather similar to its giveaway in 2021, when it offered 12 people and their pals free accommodation to hop between Airbnb properties for 12 months — and to work remotely while you're there, too. Unsurprisingly, more than 300,000 people applied. And yes, being able to do your job from this sweet Sicilian spot is still a focus of the new deal, as long as you can still meet your hosting duties and Airbnb's other requirements. The setup is open to applicants in a number of countries, including Australia and New Zealand — and having "a passion for the rural Italian culture and lifestyle" has been listed by Airbnb as a big plus. Also, this isn't just a win for you alone. You can bring a friend, your partner or family, up to a maximum of two adults and two kids. Your accommodation will be rent-free, and you have to commit to staying for at least three months. You'll also take an Italian language course for a month, plus four cooking classes hosted by a local mentor as part of your stay. Airbnb will pay for your flight to Sambuca as well, although you will have to cover the costs of both living at 1 Euro House and renting it on Airbnb — such as personnel, consumables, cleaning services and utility contracts, plus property maintenance. Keen? There's also the possibility that the arrangement could be extended until 2024, if you're looking for a heftier stint away from home. To apply, you'll need to head to the Airbnb website before Friday, February 18. For more information about Airbnb's 1 Euro House promotion — and to apply — head to the Airbnb website. Images: Claudia Zalla. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
It began, as so many wonderful internet things do, with an XKCD cartoon. Titled Up-Goer Five, the schematic explained the internal workings of the only rocket to have transported humans into space, the Saturn V, using only the 1000 most commonly used words in the English language. Rocket is not one of the words, nor thousand. Nor most of the words in this paragraph. In the last few days, enabled by Theo Sanderson's specially built text editor, several other people have Up-Goer Fived their own area of expertise. Most of them are scientists from esoteric fields, giving us laymen a rare chance to grasp what their life's work is about. Not being able to use jargon makes for some convoluted WTF gibberish sentences, but at other, better times, it creates windows where you can grasp at some previously ungraspable idea. Check out these excerpts and their simply stated insights. 1. Saturn's moon Iapetus is two-toned because bits of air turn into ice on the back side of it "First, it runs into black stuff that sticks to the front of it. That black stuff takes in more light from the sun and makes it warmer. That makes very tiny bits of the ice it's made of turn into air, and the bits of air go around it and turn back into ice on the back side of it. Second, when the bits of ice go away from the front side, they leave behind dark stuff that was between and under them, and that makes the front side even blacker, and helps it warm up even more, so things go on and on and on. The back side is white because it didn't get black stuff on it, and also because the ice that went away from the black side went there and made it bright." By Rachel Klippenstein. Read in full at io9.com. 2. The Higgs boson is the tiny thing that makes all other things heavy "What makes the tiniest things heavy? The best guess explained this by saying that all around us is a field, which is a bit like water or some other stuff that would slow you down if you tried to walk through it … [U]ntil last year, people weren’t completely sure this field was real. But they knew that if it was real, and you shook it really hard, then a totally new tiny thing would fall out of it. That’s because it’s a bit like the water-like-stuff is made out of this new tiny thing." By Michael Slezak. Read in full here. 3. We don't have robot helpers yet because it's hard to make computers with bodies walk "We want the computers with bodies to run quickly. We want them to climb walls. We need them to do these things even when the ground is covered in rocks or with ice, without tripping and falling or getting stuck. We look a lot at animals to see how they do these things. We try to understand how their brain decides where to put their legs, and how their legs are built." By Shira E. Read in full here. 4. The Bechdel Test is a check to see if things are even in the way they show men and women "To make the story as much like real life as possible (except for the made-up bits) you really do need a lot of different kinds of people, not just lots of men who are quite like each other because they are all young and white and strong. This makes it easier for people to accept the really made up bits, because the rest of the story feels much more real." Read in full here. 5. Environmental protection might mean not giving so much food to animals and cars "So how are we going to grow more food without cutting down more trees? One answer to this problem is looking at how we use the food we grow today. People eat food, but food is also used to make animals and run cars. In fact, animals eat over one-third of the food we grow." By Emily S. Cassidy, environmental scientist. Read in full here. 6. Postmodernism is that many things we think are facts are actually stories "This is not to say the facts are not true. But the story isn't." Read in full here.
Across six seasons, Netflix's Chef's Table added plenty of high-profile additions to everyone's culinary bucket lists, celebrating the stellar kitchen skills of talents such as Massimo Bottura, Francis Mallmann and even Attica's Ben Shewry. For the streaming platform's next delicious adventure, it's re-teaming with the documentary series' creators for another food excursion — this time focusing on both famous and lesser-known players in the global street food scene. Available to binge now, the aptly titled Street Food hops around the planet to showcase hawker stallholders, food carts and other folks making a big impact in their small street kitchens. In the show's first nine-episode season, Asian cuisine is on the menu. Get ready to get hungry for dishes from Thailand, Japan, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore and The Philippines. Each country earns its own episode, focusing on various local street food heroes, their stories of hard work and perseverance, and the cultural context behind their cuisine. In Bangkok, the well-known Jay Fai takes viewers through her story, while Delhi's Mohamed Rehan whips up a buffalo stew that's been tempting tastebuds since the 1800s, and Chiayi's Uncle Goat cooks in a giant oven cave. Over in Osaka, Mr. Kita has one of the oldest takoyaki stalls in the city, and Singapore's 85-year-old Master Tang has been making wanton noodles since he was orphaned in World War II. Already feeling your stomach rumble? Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI_LjETc_Ak Street Food is available to stream on Netflix now. Images: Martin Westlake/Jisang Chung/M.Synchrony/Netflix. Updated: May 28, 2019.
In North Melbourne, a 1950s bakery is the new home of Mörk's newest venture — their very own chocolate brew house. Ladies and gentlemen wait anxiously with hands held behind backs, poised and eager to absorb the story behind each handcrafted treat. What you're going to do though, is back away from the cabinet (we repeat: back away from the cabinet) and find yourself a seat. Mörk founders, Kiril Shaginov and Josefin Zernell, have converted the old bakery into a chocolate workshop and cafe. While chocolatier Josefin handcrafts their artisan chocolate powders and marshmallows out back, Kiril manages the storefront. On the bar, abandoned parts of a deconstructed coffee machine sit front and centre; as a store that doesn't serve coffee (and heck, why would they need to when they're fuelling our other addiction?), all they needed was the steaming wand and hot water dispenser. It may feel a little naughty, but Mörk's minimalist interior really is too nice to leave you feeling guilty for too long. Designed by their friend Danielle Oehrman, they’ve managed to retain Josefin's Swedish background with a very Scandinavian fit out. The roller door may be all that remains of the bakery’s former garage, and in its reincarnation, the space boasts a communal table, several smaller ones, and walls lined with artisan chocolate powder. Once seated, you're given a taste of vanilla bean-infused sparkling water to cleanse (and tease) the palate. This is just the beginning of a sensory overload. The menu is a selection of their handcrafted signature hot chocolates, some available only as dine-in specials. These specials are out of control and it's what you came here for. First, we tried their Chocolate Soda ($7). This comes as a rotating single origin and is served by staff whose role is similar to that of an apothecary. A tall glass, half-full of soda water is spritzed with a citrus mix before a vial of liquid chocolate is poured over. The contents bubble and combine into a volcano of light and refreshing liquid. The Chocolate Bar ($8) is a heart-warmer and gives you the choice of pouring house-made caramel sauce over your hot chocolate, or simply grabbing a spoon and eating the components separately. Either way is a delight, so who are we to fudge? We merely gazed, wantonly, upon crowd favourite, the Campfire Chocolate ($8), as another diner's glass was removed to release the smoking contents before she tipped and dipped the chocolate and skewered her marshmallow in. And when you leave this chocolate wonderland, you can take part of the show home. Choose a house made vanilla or lemon myrtle marshmallow ($10) or, our cabinet pick, the chocolate brownie ball rolled in peanut brittle ($6). The only thing that could leave you feeling bitter is if you don't grab one of these babies for later.
The Grampians is one of Victoria's go-to outdoor destinations featuring sandstone mountains, vibrant native wildlife and towering waterfalls. Visitors have a huge variety of adventure activities to choose from, and going on a trip with Absolute Outdoors ensures you benefit from knowledgeable local guides. The company offers everything from guided hikes and canoe sessions to rock climbing and abseiling. So, there's something for everyone who has an interest in the great outdoors. If you're interested in canoeing, the three-hour guided paddle will see you cruise around the picturesque waterways of the area while spotting wildlife and learning about the area from your guide. More into the thrills of great heights? You can abseil anywhere between eight and 30 metres, or you can rock climb up to 25 meters if you'd rather clamber up the cliff. [caption id="attachment_740523" align="alignnone" width="1386"] Julian Kingma via Visit Victoria[/caption] Image: Visit Victoria
Some curiosity is required to locate W Melbourne's aptly named subterranean cocktail bar. Find it along the CBD's Market Street, behind a rather inconspicuous door and down a gilded, dimly lit staircase. The award-winning space feels like a cocoon: dark timber twists overhead a moody, stony bar, and plush blue and red seats. The deliberate blend of colour, shape and texture feels like an immersive, surrealist art piece — an appropriate accompaniment to the drinks list. The menu fluctuates, but the autumnal 2025 'Elemental Playground' focused on the base elements of fire, earth, air and water. Take After the Rain, with the cooling combo of Yuzushu, cucumber, basil, bubbles and petrichor pearls, or Honey, I Burnt the Beets with its warm flavour palette of Tiny Friday Pisco, Olmeca Altos Plata, beetroot, burnt toffee, goat's whey and tuille. The food is at a similar level of excellence. Bar snacks and big bites are in equal quantities, but they're all seriously moreish. Go simple with guac and chips, fries or marinated olives, or step it up to a seafood tower or a lobster grilled cheese. Word to the wise: you should definitely save some room for dessert. Pencil in a booking or try your luck with a walk-in, but you should make it happen on a Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday night, when the live vinyl DJ programming kicks in from 6pm till late.
Valerie Fong and Randy Dhamanhuri from Operator Venues (Operator25, Middletown, Makan, Operator Diner and Operator San) know a thing or two about running cafes and nailing Melbourne breakfasts. And James Cornwall from Tenable Dining (Bonny Fitzroy, Young Hearts and Seville Estate) has the after-dark drinking and dining trade sorted. And now, by joining forces to create Ruby Dining, they've got a single venue that has you covered from breakfast all the way through to late-night cocktails. The whole vibe here is inspired by theatre-district brasseries in London and New York, so you can expect a playful yet still sophisticated venue that's set up for just about anyone to enjoy. For breakfast, you'll find the same contemporary Australian brunch fare that the Operator venues are so loved for, but with more French sensibilities — there's a mean croque madame, a luxe shokupan french toast and brown butter madeleines topped with whipped goat cheese and honey that are baked to order. When lunch and dinner service roll around, Cornwall's cooking takes centre stage. His interpretation of the modern brasserie sees him showcase great technique — as well as top-notch local produce — without being overly ostentatious. Dishes aren't overly complicated, devilishly small or overpriced. Nonetheless, he is still having plenty of fun with the menu. You've got classics like steak frites, onion tart, and ricotta and pistachio ravioli, plus more playful eats like the one-bite caesar salad and potato cannoli with smoked onion dip. The aforementioned freshly baked madeleines also feature on the lunch and dinner menu, so there's no need to worry about missing out if you're there after brekkie. You'll be tucking into all of this within chic surrounds designed by We Are Humble (Kaiju Cantina, No. 100 Flinders Lane, CoConspirators Brewpub, Code Black Brunswick, Good Measure). The designers have kept some of the building's original features, including the bar, the exposed waffle slab above it and the mirror-panelled walls, while adding splashes of ruby red throughout the dining room and bar. Soft curved frames, Thonet bistro chairs and rich brown upholstery complete the brasserie fitout. When spending time at Ruby, you could easily forget you're in Australia, but perhaps somewhere in London, New York or Paris. But these Melbourne hospo legends have made sure to weave plenty of local touches throughout the whole experience — it still has that Melbourne je ne sais quoi. Images: Jana Langhorst
As if your boyfriend needed another reason to stay glued to sport. The Allphones Arena and Lingerie Football League, LLC (LFL) have announced a partnership that will bring the 'explosively popular' lingerie football sports league to Australia. Dubbed the “fastest-growing sports league in the US” by BusinessWeek, the sport is played just like it reads. All-female teams don their scanty bra-and-panties sets and get rough out on the football field. It’s no wonder the LFL touts itself as “True Fantasy Football”. The game is played as a modified version of American NFL football, and began as an alternative half-time show for the NFL Superbowl. In 2009, the LFL was created and drew sell-out (surprisingly male-dominated) audiences and millions of primetime TV viewers. The 2012 LFL All-Star Game will be held in Brisbane at the Entertainment Centre on June 2 and at Allphones Arena in Sydney on June 9, and will feature 32 of the best women across the league as the Western and Eastern Conference teams clash. The two cities have been pointed to as potential homes for franchises in 2013. Is the world's single most sexist sport doomed for failure in Australia?
In a genre often constructed around male anxieties and fantasies, Carrie is perhaps the ultimate girl-horror film. All the things that have at some point terrified us — pregnancy, periods, prom — are there, as is the ultimate fantasy: a secret power that gives you real, total control over the world. So it was pretty exciting to hear that the Stephen King novel and iconic 1976 Brian De Palma film were to be remade, with three very kick-arse women at the helm — Chloe Grace Moretz as Carrie, Julianne Moore as her scary fanatical mother and Boys Don't Cry's Kimberly Pierce directing. Unfortunately, the completed film not only doesn't add anything particularly new to the mix, it fails to stand on its own feet and cohere its somewhat disparate components. The splatterfest comes late in any version of Carrie; for the most part the story is a different kind of unsettling. Having grown up in the hermitic and abusive care of her mother, a religious zealot, Carrie is a true misfit at school. Excruciatingly, it means she has no way of knowing, when she begins bleeding in the locker room showers, what menstruation is. Her classmates' shock and disbelief turns them into an animalistic pack, who descend upon her jeering, pelting her with tampons and, of course, recording the whole ordeal on their smartphones. It's a gut-turning scene — if only it set the mood for the whole movie. The episode affects the students involved in different ways. That's one of the most effective parts of Carrie; its nuanced depiction of schoolyard morality brings a lot of humanity to the usual portrayal of bullies versus victims, cool kids versus losers and even good teachers versus naughty kids. So a remorseless Chris (Portia Doubleday) refuses to cop the punishment from tough-but-fair gym teacher Miss Desjardin (Judy Greer) and gets suspended. Prom-Queen-in-waiting Sue (Gabriella Wilde), meanwhile, will not only run Miss Desjardin's mandated 'suicides', she'll convince her egotistic but basically nice boyfriend, Billy (Alex Russell), to take Carrie to prom instead of her, determined to give the besieged kid a nice experience of high school and assuage her guilt. Unbeknown to anyone, Carrie is starting to realise she has telekinetic powers and is giving them a work out. She has no reason to think she'll need them at prom, but at the same time, she's a little bomb waiting to go off — and brutal Chris will be providing the trigger, with a bloody prank she's masterminded to crown the evening. It's here, in Carrie's climactic revenge rampage, that the film comes most unstuck. It goes really schlock, which degrades the more earnest and intense mood of so much of the lead-up. It's also not the finest schlock available, as Carrie racks up deaths that are unoriginal (or were original, 40 years ago) and comical. Laughter is not the best release valve to have pulled at this point in the film. While Moretz is good as Carrie (there's just enough alien about her that she can pull off the outsider role), she adopts a mentally vacant robot face for this portion of the proceedings that jars. Moore is exceptional as the true villain of the piece, ultimately vulnerable but probably irredeemable. The whole thing is watchable, but for a story that actually contains multitudes of messages about girlhood, bullying and adolescent violence all while combining revenge fantasy and tragedy, it doesn't rise to the occasion. Sadly, Carrie is set to go down as another example of a film whose ingenious viral marketing stunt will outshine its cinematic impact. https://youtube.com/watch?v=j-VcPDkTySQ
One Australian town is about to get a whole lot brighter, gain a towering new landmark, radiate queer pride and become a must-visit tourist destination. That's what's bound to happen when the lucky spot welcomes the most colourful big thing there is: Tinder's new Big Rainbow. Australia loves its big things. If you're not stopping to gawk at a giant pineapple, lobster, watermelon, sheep, prawn or avocado, have you really taken an Aussie road trip? No, no you haven't. So adding this super-sized wave of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet to your travel itinerary will be an easy no-brainer. Your possible destinations, and the rainbow's potential new homes? The coastal spot of Broome in Western Australia, Victoria's Daylesford, Hay in New South Wales and the Northern Territory's Katherine. They've all been picked from a submissions process that launched during this year's Sydney Mardi Gras — and Tinder now wants you to vote for which place ends up with the rainbow. The public vote is open now until June 30, after The Big Rainbow Project team came up with the shortlist in consultation with community advisors and experts from the LGBTQIA+ community. Beaming with pride is the whole aim of the huge rainbow, of course, which Tinder envisions will stand tall as a massive symbol of equality and unity. If you're wondering where to pick — and you're thinking beyond whatever is the closest drive for you — Broome is the Traditional Land of the Yawuru people, and also home to one of Australia's most remote Mardi Gras celebrations. Daylesford boasts the Chillout Festival, one of the longest-running regional LGBTQIA+ pride events, and is also the Traditional Land of the Dja Dja Wurrung people. NSW's finalist, Hay, is where you'll find the Rainbow on the Plains — the first Mardi Gras of the region — as well as the Traditional Land of the Wiradjuri people. And sat in the Big Rivers region of the NT, Katherine is the Traditional Land of the Jawoyn, Dagoman and Wardaman peoples, and throws an annual pride shindig. Whichever spot gets the nod, there'll be a pot of gold for a heap of organisations that support and uplift LGBTQIA+ folks. Tinder has also pledged to give $100,000 to regional outfits that fit that description, to go towards programs for regional queer communities To cast your vote for where Tinder's Big Rainbow should live, head to the Big Rainbow Project website before Thursday, June 30.
The Claws are coming out this summer, and by that I mean White Claw — the most culturally pervasive entrant in the ever-increasing selection of hard seltzers — will be widely available for your low-calorie, sparkling water-meets-alcohol yearnings. And, now, those among you who both enjoy a hard seltzer but also suffer crippling flavour-indecisiveness can breathe a sigh of relief because Australia's bestselling hard seltzer brand has just dropped a new Variety Pack so you have one less thing you need to ruminate on. A treat. The new 10-Pack case features the usual suspects of Mango, Natural Lime and Ruby Grapefruit, and a couple of tins of the brand new Watermelon flavour — which only launched in Australia last week. Good for picnics, parties and (probably) gallivanting on yachts, when you're looking for something a little lighter than beers and less boozy than natural wine. The hard seltzer craze has evolved from its beginnings as a hallmark of chaotic-bro culture in the American summer of 2019, to permeating multiple levels of fridge space in local bottle shops, from tasty locally-brewed or conceived options like Sunny Eddy, Good Tides, Fellr and Rain Bird to the big international favourites Truly and, of course, White Claw. The White Claw Variety Pack is available from October 11 with 4 x Mango, 2 x Natural Lime, 2 x Ruby Grapefruit and 2 x Watermelon and will retail for $50. Image credit: Provided
The folks behind Welcome to Thornbury, Welcome to Brunswick and Belles Hot Chicken have done it again, this time unveiling a new pizza-slinging, DJ-fuelled party spot on Sydney Road. Dubbed NONO, it's made its home within the former Penny Black digs, with space for a huge 950 punters across its public bar, roomy beer garden and dedicated rave cave. Kicking on until 2am Thursday to Sunday, NONO is a surefire hit for night owls and music fiends alike, with a top-notch roster of local DJs on the decks, curated by Music Director Anyo Castro. Rubi Taboo and Bettie Rose are set to host Thursday's riotous drag bingo night (weekly from December 15), and there'll be many a music-filled Sunday session to come, too. In keeping with NONO's unpretentious nature, Executive Chef Sandy Melgalvis (Three Blue Ducks, Mulberry Group) is plating up a laidback menu of top-quality $8 pizzas, all hand-rolled to order. Find options like a classic margherita; a mushroom, mozzarella and fontina number; and a lamb kebab pizza topped with slow-cooked shoulder, spinach and tzatziki. And yep, they're $8, all day, every day; as are extras like a rocket salad and the crinkle-cut fries bathed in Belles' famed seasoning. An easygoing drinks offering features classic cocktails alongside signatures like the Northside Lights (Patient Wolf Gin with Pampelle Ruby Grapefruit liqueur and rosemary syrup) and the Super Silver Haze, crafted on Don Juilo and jalapeno brine. There's also a couple of cocktail jugs, a tap lineup starring plenty of 4 Pines brews, and fridges stocked with tinnies from the likes of Young Henry and Mountain Goat. Want help welcome NONO to the 'hood? The venue's kicking things off with a bang on December 17 (1pm–1am) and 18 (1–10pm), with a few specials and a cheeky nod to its Sydney Road address. Not only will it be giving away 420 pizzas across the weekend, but you'll also score house pints and shots for an easy $4.20 a pop. Find NONO at 420 Sydney Road, Brunswick. It's open from 4pm–very late Thursday to Saturday, and from 1–10pm Sunday.
A few decades ago, marijuana becoming legal in parts of the western world while cigarettes were banned in public venues would have seemed unthinkable. Now, who knows what the future holds for drugs? In this panel discussion, psychoactive medicines are unpacked by Australian experts. Professor Iain McGregor and Dr Samuel Banister work in the field of medicinal cannabis and will be drawing on the findings of their investigations into the changing stance of big pharma. The pair will be joined by Dr Margaret Ross, who is currently running the country's first clinical trial using psilocybin (found in magic mushrooms) and has views that challenge conventional medical perspectives. Chairing the session is journalist and drug advocate Jenny Valentish, so prepare to have your horizons widened.
Melburnians have scored a taste of 'new Nordic' cuisine, with the much-anticipated Freyja opening its doors in Collins Street's historic Olderfleet building this week. And, with two chefs from a Michelin-starred Norwegian restaurant in the kitchen, it's a sophisticated taste indeed. Unfolding across two levels of the heritage-listed site, Freyja is plating up an innovative food offering that fuses traditional Scandinavian sensibilities with contemporary techniques. Bringing it to life is chef Jae Bang from Norway's Michelin-starred Re-naa, (also El Bulli, New York's Daniel), joined by Daniel Gordon (Lee Ho Fook) and fellow Re-naa alum Aaron Caccia. The fitout of the 130-seater bears similar respect for both the modern and the traditional, with slatted timber ceilings and exposed brick played against eye-catching blue marble, metallic finishes and dramatic artworks by Mathew Gillett. Descend the spiral staircase and you'll discover another subterranean dining space with seats for up to 65 and two semi-private rooms. [caption id="attachment_857084" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] On the menu, traditional practices like pickling, smoking and curing are given a reawakening, heroed alongside native Australian ingredients and a touch of contemporary flair. Expect creations like school prawns with mustard greens and egg on cayenne smørrebrød; waffles served with Yarra Valley Caviar trout roe in smoked sour cream; and a custard of squid, dashi and oat that's finished with a bacon consommé and Tasmanian truffle. Beef tartare is spiked with nasturtium, Tasmanian mountain pepper and quandong; and duck breast is matched with finger lime and mostarda (a spiced fruit condiment). And there's a seven-course degustation menu if you really want to dive in deep. [caption id="attachment_857081" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Parker Blain[/caption] Freyja's bar offering is making plenty of its own noise, with sommelier Ugo Pasetti (Rockpool Group, Grossi Florentino) heading a global wine program that's heavy on organic and biodynamic drops. Craft beer fans can look forward to sipping Northern European favourites like Omnipollo, Lerving and Amager, and there'll be a rotation of inventive signature sips, too. Also located in the Olderfleet building, beneath street level, is sibling bar Valhalla — a moody, Nordic-inspired cocktail lounge that's primed for post-dinner nightcaps. Find Freyja at 477 Collins Street, Melbourne. Initially, it'll open for lunch and dinner, Monday to Friday, with only dinner bookings currently available (5–11pm). Images: Parker Blain
We all love a bottomless brunch — whether it comes in the classic eggs and mimosa form, or the more contemporary lunch adaptation where you get a whole lineup of endless cocktails paired with a hefty set menu. Ming Dining's new bottomless brunch falls into the latter's definition. From Friday–Sunday, the crew is plating up a seven-course Asian-fusion feed paired with bottomless cocktails, beer and wine for only $69 per person — that's a proper bargain. During the two-hour window, that table will fill up with dumplings, spring onion pancakes, Hiromasa kingfish, Taiwanese calamari, beef short rib bao buns, sweet and sour pork, and a luxe black truffle fried rice. When it comes to cocktails, you can try some of its signature Asian-inspired sips as well as your classic Aperol spritz, espresso martini and spicy margarita. Few bottomless brunch spots have such vast offerings (both when it comes to food and bevs), so be sure to take advantage of this one.
He has serenaded Laura Dern with an Elvis song, swooned over Cher, swapped faces with John Travolta, voiced a version of Spider-Man and won an Oscar for playing an alcoholic. He's appeared on-screen as brothers, professed his love for milking alpacas and fought ninjas from outer space, too. We're talking about Nicolas Cage, of course, and the list of amazing inclusions on his resume just goes on. Indeed, he's about to step into Joe Exotic's shoes — and, via a new Netflix series, teach the world about the history of swear words as well. Nicolas Cage's History of Swear Words is a very real series that definitely exists, and will hit the streaming platform on Tuesday, January 5. So yes, if you were hoping that 2021 would be better than 2020, we can think of one very good reason why that's likely to prove the case. The concept behind the show is extremely self-explanatory. For that very reason, Netflix didn't release too many details when it first announced the show earlier in December. But, via a just-dropped new full trailer, it has given Cage-loving viewers more of a glimpse at what's in store. Prepare for Cage on hosting duties, plus experts and famous faces like Sarah Silverman and Nick Offerman popping up to talk through the origins, pop culture usage, science and cultural impact of oh-so-many expletives. Obviously, you don't get Cage involved in this kind of project without having fun with the concept. The first teaser trailer for the series made that plain — and nodded to Face/Off fans, too — and this new sneak peek does as well. Cage starts the latest trailer by screaming one word, then ends it by giving the audience quite the invitation. Clearly, it's glorious. Check out the latest trailer for Nicolas Cage's History of Swear Words below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XByiHpUvrj0 Nicolas Cage's History of Swear Words hits Netflix on Tuesday, January 5. Top image: Adam Rose/Netflix.
Have you always dreamed of having your name in lights, your face on a billboard, people screaming out your name? Usually you'd have to become mega famous to get anywhere near that level of fanfare — but at this year's Melbourne Fringe, you could get your 15 minutes of fame for very little work. This September, an ordinary Melburnian will become they city's latest celebrity in this bold and ambitious new real-world performance work from art collective Field Theory. The person — picked at random from a lottery — will have their face on the digital facade at Federation Square every day during the festival, taking the public into the lives of the mysterious individual. The piece is designed to build an icon from the ground up. ICON will come to a head on the final day of the festival, with a special finale event where you'll be able to do everything from eat the icon's favourite food to dance to their favourite music. If you can deal with that level of attention, you can put your name into the lottery until September 12.
It has been 11 art-filled years since Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art first opened its doors, and the creative riverside hub just keeps going from strength to strength. As unveiled on Friday, July 13, GOMA is now home to an illuminating new permanent work: Night Life, a brand light installation by artist James Turrell. You might be familiar with the Arizona-based artist's piees if you've been to Mona or the National Gallery of Australia (NGA). He's the one behind the sky-centred installations at both galleries — at Mona, the gazebo-like Armana lights up at sunrise and sunset each day, and at the NGA in Canberra, Within without acts as an outdoor viewing chamber to enhance your view of the sky. All up, Turrell has created 80 'skyspaces' like these around the world. Brisbane's Turrell piece isn't a standalone structure like these other two Australian works. Instead, Night Life lights up GOMA's eastern and southern white façades from within the building, using an 88-minute-long shifting pattern of vibrant coloured light developed by Turrell especially for the location. GOMA director Chris Saines describes it as "a permanent solid light installation that is a deeply immersive field of slowly changing colour." When illuminated — which it will be from sunset to midnight each and every night from this point onwards — the gallery is visible from across the river and around South Bank's cultural precinct. Commissioned for GOMA's tenth anniversary, while Night Life is a new addition, it actually ties into the gallery's history. As Saines explains, "during the development of GOMA, lead architects Kerry Clare, Lindsay Clare and James Jones envisaged an artist-illuminated 'white box' on the gallery's main pedestrian approaches. More than a decade on, Turrell's architectural light installation realises the potential of GOMA's white box façade, and completes a major aspect of the architects' original design intention." Images: James Turrell's architectural light installation at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art. Photograph: Natasha Harth, QAGOMA. By Lauren Vadnjal and Sarah Ward.
Ten years ago, in March 2015, Netflix launched in Australia. It wasn't the first streaming service eager to give Aussies new couch-time choices — it wasn't even completely new, thanks to local film and TV lovers accessing the US version before the platform officially arrived Down Under — but it still gave the nation's at-home viewing landscape a milestone moment. The great streaming service rush followed, spoiling audiences for choice via an array of other platforms. Although another new streamer no longer seems to pop up every week, a big player has just hit the market: Max. Warner Bros Discovery's Max platform has launched to Australian viewers as at Monday, March 31, 2025. If you're a fan of HBO's TV shows, you'll be excited. You should also be well-aware of Max's Aussie debut, given that it has been rumoured since 2024, was then confirmed the same year, and scored an exact launch date earlier this year before dropping pricing and plan details. First, the crucial info for The Last of Us fans: this is where you'll need to head to check out the game-to-screen series' second season when it debuts on Monday, April 14. When The Rehearsal returns for its second season on Monday, April 21, you'll also need a Max subscription to see what Nathan Fielder has whipped up next. If you're addicted to The White Lotus or excellent hospital-set newcomer The Pitt, they're rounding out their current seasons on both Max and Binge, which was previously the home of the bulk of HBO's output Down Under. The Righteous Gemstones is among the other series playing on both platforms until their present run wraps up. Max is also your go-to for other HBO Originals, returning, new and old alike, such as House of the Dragon, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and any other Game of Thrones spinoffs; Euphoria; upcoming IT prequel series Welcome to Derry; and everything from True Detective, The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, The Wire, Oz, Deadwood, Big Love, True Blood, Big Little Lies and Westworld through to Succession, The Larry Sanders Show, Sex and the City, Flight of the Conchords, Bored to Death, Girls, Veep, Barry and Enlightened. The platform's own Max Originals — so made for it, rather than for HBO — cover And Just Like That..., Peacemaker, The Other Two and more, while the Warner Bros television library also spans Friends, Rick and Morty (including Rick and Morty: The Anime), Gilmore Girls, Gossip Girl and others. Adventure Time, Looney Tunes and Scooby Doo are among the cartoon names available on the service. In addition, content TV networks Discovery, Cartoon Network, TLC, Food Network, ID and HGTV are also part of the platform. If you're a film obsessive, access to recent cinema releases at home is one of Max's drawcards. Movies from Warner Bros Pictures from the year, such as Joker: Folie à Deux, Trap, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Twisters, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim and Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, are all available from launch. Going forward, Max is also set to screen blockbusters fast-tracked from their silver-screen dates. Warner Bros is behind big franchises like The Lord of the Rings, Dune, the DC Universe and Harry Potter, too, so expect them as well. On most streaming platforms, classic flicks aren't a priority. If you like a blast from the past with your viewing, the TCM hub boasts all-time greats such as Singin' in the Rain, North by Northwest, The Maltese Falcon, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, A Clockwork Orange, The Exorcist, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Rebel Without a Cause, Bonnie and Clyde, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, All the President's Men, Ben Hur, Cool Hand Luke, Mean Streets, Enter the Dragon and Gaslight, all from launch. In its first month of Aussie operations, Max will also welcome Brian Cox (The Electric State)-, Lisa Kudrow (No Good Deed)- and Parker Posey (Thelma)-starring new film The Parenting; Fast Friends, a game show about loving a certain sitcom; and Ted Lasso star Brett Goldstein's new stand-up special The Second Best Night of Your Life. From the Warner Bros back catalogue, Dune, The Batman, The Matrix Resurrections, Elvis, Black Adam, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, all ten seasons of Friends and three seasons of The Leftovers are also on the way. Regarding plans and pricing, there's three of the former — starting with a basic package that includes ads, then offering standard and premium options. The first spans full HD resolution and two devices streaming simultaneously, as does the second, with the latter also including 30 downloads to watch offline. Opt for premium and 4K resolution plus Dolby Atmos sound are featured, if they're available per title; four devices can stream simultaneously; and the downloads go up to 100. In a launch special until Wednesday, April 30, 2025, the basic with ads plan is available for $7.99 per month for the first 12 months or $79.99 for the first year (or $11.99 per month/$119.99 per year from Thursday, May 1, 2025). The standard plan special is $11.99 per month for the first 12 months or $119.99 for the first year ($15.99 per month/$159.99 per year afterwards), while premium is available for $17.99 per month for the first 12 months or $179.99 for the first year (or $21.99 per month/$219.99 per year afterwards). As for Binge, when it launched, giving subscribers access to HBO's catalogue was one of its big selling points. The deal between Binge, Foxtel and Warner Bros Discovery — which owns HBO — was extended in 2023; however, it was reported at the time, accurately so it proves, that Max might debut in Australia from 2025. Max is available direct to consumers via its website and app stores — you sign up for it by itself — for viewing via mobile, tablet, gaming consoles and connected TV, but it is still keeping a connection with Foxtel. If you subscribe to the pay-TV service, you'll have access to the Max app without paying extra. Max is available in Australia from Monday, March 31, 2025 — head to the streaming service's website for more details.
Looking for something to fill your time (that's not live streaming koalas or re-watching Tiger King over and over again)? TAFE Victoria is offering a heap of courses — for free. There are currently 42 free 'priority' courses on offer at Victorian TAFE institutions, running from a Diploma of Nursing to an Advanced Diploma in Accounting and a Certificate IV in Cyber Security. Exactly what courses are available at what time varies with what jobs are currently in demand in Victoria. The free TAFE for priority courses initiative isn't new — with the first free courses on offer from January 1, 2019 — but is particularly important right now. Today, Friday, April 17, Premier Daniel Andrews announced $260.8 million worth of emergency funding to help support the state's TAFE and training systems, saying "we need a skilled, adaptable workforce to get through this crisis and rebuild". Part of that money will be used by the higher education facilities to deliver more online and remote learning, with free TAFE courses in fields like infection control and first aid set to come online in the coming week. According to the State Government, "685 people have already completed free short courses in food hygiene and cleaning" and free TAFE has been providing a 'pipeline' of nurses and other health care workers essential during the COVID-19 crisis. To be eligible for a free priority TAFE course, you'll have to be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or a permanent Australian resident and fit one of the extra criteria. This may be you if you're under 20 years old, if you will be upskilling (that is, enrolling in a higher qualification than you've previously attained), or you're a Victorian who requires additional support — i.e., you're unemployed or have recently been retrenched. If you're looking to change careers, you may also be considered for one of the free places. To find out more about the free TAFE courses and enrol, head to the Victorian Government website. Alternatively, you can apply directly to a Victorian TAFE institution.
Melbourne Cup not really your thing? If you'd rather be outdoors than cooped up inside going bonkers over a horse race, take advantage of the public holiday to get your nature fix with a ride along the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail. Pack a picnic, some water, and your bike, and drive over to this iconic 40km path that will have you testing the gears on your bike (and the muscles in your calves) as you climb and fly from mountain to valley to river. Following the historical railway, the trail winds through the vineyards of the Yarra Valley, over quaint bridges, and through lush forests, before finishing at the picturesque little town of Warburton.
It's been fifteen years since Death Cab for Cutie released Transatlanticism, a seminal album of the early 00s. After releasing it, the band went on to sign to a major record company and this album, the band's fourth, is widely considered to be its greatest. It's an opinion held strongly by critics and fans alike, and — most likely — by the Melbourne musicians who are taking to the stage this August to celebrate the album. Taking place at Richmond's Corner Hotel on Saturday, August 11, So This Is...A Death Cab for Cutie Party will be a tribute to Transatlanticism and the band who you used to listened to — moodily, in the dark — at least five dozen times after a break up. Incorporating songs from the band's other albums as well, the Melbourne artists stepping into the fray to cover Death Cab (forming a band of rotating singers) will include JP Klipspringer, JMS Harrison, Lauren Perkins, Emma Heeley, Sean Sully and Daniel Boca Vista, among others. If singing your heart out with dozens of other strangers who are having the same nostalgic feely feels as you sounds right up your alley, then this night is yours.
Australia's surf park obsession knows no bounds. Urbnsurf Melbourne launched in 2020 as the first Aussie surf park, Urbnsurf Sydney will open in mid-May 2024, the same team behind both has earmarked Brisbane and Perth as future locations, and the latter is set to get the country's largest surf park from a separate outfit. Next on the list is The Break Surf & Stay, which has been approved as an addition to the seaside town of Aldinga in South Australia — but will be set back from the coast when it starts pumping out waves in mid-2026. The venture, which will give everyone another reason to head to the Fleurieu Peninsula, has just been given planning consent by the City of Onkaparinga Council assessment panel. Clearly, it isn't enough for Australia to be girt by sea; the nation is also determined to fill plenty of its land with man-made wave pools, so that hitting the beach isn't the only way to hang ten. The Break Surf & Stay will sprawl across a a 7.1-hectare site, with the $100-million facility boasting a 11,700-square-metre surf lagoon. And, for visitors from out of town, it'll also double as accommodation, featuring 35 short-stay villas. Who says that you need to slumber beachside to wave up to waves? The park's surf technology from Endless Surf will create waves up to 2.1-metres high, which folks will be able to hit for 18 seconds on a single peak and nine for a split peak. The team behind the venture advises that its wave system will be a first for the southern hemisphere Don't know how to live the Point Break life already? A surf academy will be onsite to teach newcomers to the sport the skills. Also set to be included: a wellness studio, plus a store selling and renting boards and wetsuits. A craft brewhouse, licensed restaurant, skating area and nature play spot are all in The Break Surf & Stay's plans, all set among native vegetation, with 300 new trees to be planted. 'Barefoot luxury' is the vibe, with architects Studio Gram taking their design cues from the obvious: the coast. Construction will start in 2025, with The Tuit Road facility just 40 minutes out of Adelaide. It's also aiming to host surfing competitions, including attracting international waves to unleash their skills in The Break's lagoon. "The Break has been an absolute passion project for everyone involved," said Richard Sheppard, one of the surfing enthusiasts-turned-founding partners alongside Ben McCarthy, Leigh Gapp and Dwight Stuchbery. "There is a significant market for health and wellness, active and surf tourism that is largely untapped in South Australia, and we believe this transformational project will help to unlock that opportunity for the region and the state. And that's to say nothing of the benefits of attracting new visitors to this region's world class vineyards, beaches, eateries, trails and landscapes." "Our vision is to see The Break become a destination for families and surf lovers from around the country and the world, while also using the facilities to teach every South Australian kid to surf in safe, inclusive, controlled conditions," added McCarthy. [caption id="attachment_953676" align="alignnone" width="1920"] No Swan No Fine via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] The Break Surf & Stay's first waves are expected in 2026 on Tuit Road, Aldinga, South Australia — keep an eye on the venue's website for further details in the interim.
Gone are the days when gin was simply a clear spirit that tasted good with tonic. It still is, but it now comes in so many varieties that you could dedicate an entire liquor cabinet just to juniper-based beverages. Shiraz gin, chardonnay barrel-aged gin, spiced Christmas gin, pink gin made from cherries and raspberries, green ant gin and even non-alcoholic gin — they're just some of the recent types tempting your tastebuds. And if most of the above sound great for an Australian summer, then consider Bass and Flinders' truffle-infused gin your new winter go-to. Returning for 2018, the limited-edition truffle gin blends fresh Australian Black Perigord truffles — sourced from Red Hill farms, where possible — with a vapour-infused mix of juniper, angelica root and calamus root. Like all of the distillery's tipples, it also uses Bass and Flinders' grape-based eau de vie spirit, which creates a particularly smooth texture. "It is a standalone gin that's wonderful neat, or alongside creamy sauces and strong cheeses," says head distiller Holly Klintworth — or, you could opt to make your own truffle martini. Whichever way you'd like to drink it, the truffle gin is available from Friday, July 13 from Bass and Flinders' cellar door in Victoria's Red Hill, as well as via the distiller's website. If you happen to be in the vicinity of the former on Saturday, July 14, you can also take part in a truffle hunt, which includes truffle gin tastings plus cocktails with cheese platters.
We hope you're hungry for more kitchen chaos: after dishing up stellar viewing in its first, second, third and fourth seasons, The Bear is returning for a fifth serving. What does this mean for the restaurant that shares the show's name? For Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White, The Iron Claw)? And for fellow chef Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri, Inside Out 2), too? You should hopefully find out in 2026. The news of The Bear's renewal for season five comes just days after season four dropped its full ten-episode run, ready for prime winter viewing. So, if you've binge-watched your way through it and were left with questions about what happens after its season finale, answers are indeed on the way. "The Bear continues to be a fan favourite worldwide, and their response to this season — as seen through incredibly high viewership ‚ has been as spectacular as any of its previous seasons," advised John Landgraf, Chairman of FX, the US network behind the series. "Year in and year out, Chris Storer, the producers, cast and crew make The Bear one of the best shows on television, and we are excited that they will continue to tell this magnificent story." There's no word yet on any specifics beyond The Bear's locked-in fifth season, including timing, storyline, and returning and guest cast members. But expecting to get watching mid-2026 is completely reasonable, given that each of the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning show's four seasons so far have all arrived in winter Down Under. In season four, Carmy's days running his dream restaurant were potentially numbered. In fact, a literal clock put on the business by The Bear's key investor Cicero (Oliver Platt, Chicago Med). As time ticked down, pondering the future became a theme not just for Carmy and Syd, but among the rest of the crew — including Carmy's sister Natalie (Abby Elliott, Cheaper by the Dozen), the Berzatto family's lifelong pal Richie Jerimovich Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Hold Your Breath), and the eatery's staff Marcus (Lionel Boyce, Shell), Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas, Cat Person), Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson, Unprisoned) and Neil (IRL chef Matty Matheson). Check out the trailer for The Bear season four below: The Bear streams via Disney+ Down Under — and we'll update you with more details on season five when they're announced. Read our reviews of seasons one, two and three. Images: courtesy of FX Networks and Hulu.
Netflix might've stopped adding new Mindhunter episodes to our streaming queues, sadly, but the platform isn't done exploring true crimes or serial killers yet — not by far. From The Serpent to the Conversations with a Killer series, and including everything from The Ripper to The Raincoat Killer: Chasing a Predator in Korea as well, there's no shortage of options if you type 'serial killer' into the service's search function, including whether you're looking for dramas or documentaries. Soon, DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story will join that hefty and growing list. Very soon, in fact: from Wednesday, September 21, with the ten-part miniseries featuring WandaVision, Mare of Easttown and American Horror Story actor Evan Peters as the titular IRL murderer. In doing so, the inherently unsettling show sees its star reunite with the latter's creator and prolific TV producer Ryan Murphy, this time getting creepy in a different way. When the Monster drops its full run in one go, ready for nightmarish midweek binging, expect to be perturbed. Unsurprisingly, the just-dropped first trailer is chilling. It's meant to be, both given the tale it's telling and the tone. In a sneak peek heavy on mood, evoking that reaction and giving viewers a look at Peters in the part are the clear aim — consider both well and truly achieved. Dahmer's story is particularly gruesome; between 1978–1991, he murdered and dismembered 17 boys and men. There's more to his crimes, including cannibalism — and accepting a meal from Dahmer isn't something that anyone takes lightly, or willingly, in Monster's trailer. Alongside Peters, Netflix's dramatised step back into Dahmer's murders features Richard Jenkins (Nightmare Alley) as the serial killer's father Lionel and Penelope Ann Miller as his mother Joyce — and the full cast includes Niecy Nash (Never Have I Ever) and Molly Ringwald (Riverdale) as well. And yes, getting well-known faces to play horrific killers is also part of Netflix's true-crime trend — which, if you watched Zac Efron play Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile a few years back, you'll already know. Check out the trailer for DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story below: DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story will be available to stream via Netflix on Wednesday, September 21.
When it comes to Melbourne's greenest inner city patches, the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria tops the list. The South Yarra site stretches across 38 hectares, features more than 8500 plant species, and lets Melburnians wander past grassy lawns, sprawling lakes and oh-so-many trees, ferns and other plants. From Thursday, November 19, it'll also be home to a brand new area, with the venue opening a sizeable 'arid garden'. As the name suggests, this section of the site is all about resilient and hardy plants that can survive in arid conditions. Yes, that means cacti and succulents. There'll be more than 3000 of them, in fact, spanning 400 different species — so you won't just be peering at the kinds of potted green babies you've already got on your shelves at home. Cacti and succulents come in a huge array of colours, flowers and textures, all of which will be on display here. And they're all arranged in a striking way, too. From a bird's eye view, the arid garden has been plotted out to resemble the molecular structure of an aeonium succulent. You won't get that vantage while you're wandering through its criss-crossing pathways, of course, but that's an impressive design feature nonetheless. Something you definitely will see: huge plants from South America and Arizona. Some of the arid garden's inclusions weigh up to 250 kilograms — and some are also more than 80 years old. Best access by entering via gate C, the arid garden is just one of the Royal Botanic Gardens' planned new additions, with its 2020–2040 Melbourne Gardens Master Plan outlining a heap of proposed changes — including a including a new nature and science precinct with an underground vault and herbarium building that'll be able to house the State Botanical Collection 1.5 million-specimen collection, a performance amphitheatre, and a new Birrarung Gate that celebrates the Aboriginal landscape. Find the new arid garden at the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, Birdwood Avenue, South Yarra — entering via gate C.
With The Crown, Netflix has spent four seasons so far — five come November — dramatising the story of the current British royal family; however, that isn't the streaming platform's only dalliance with the UK's sovereigns. While Bridgerton focuses on a firmly fictional aristocratic family in the 19th century, it does include a very real monarch: Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel, Dune). The Regency era-set show is a work of imagination as well as alternative history — but it is still giving its actual historical queen her own spinoff. As announced in 2021, prequel series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story will delve into the figure's backstory, including her rise to power and prominence. Also covered: her relationship with King George, as well as Violet Bridgerton and Lady Danbury's early years. While the end result, a limited series, won't arrive until sometime in 2023, Netflix has just dropped a first glimpse at Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. In it, the young titular figure (India Amarteifio, The Tunnel) is desperate to climb a wall to escape marrying George (Corey Mylchreest, The Sandman), who she hasn't yet seen. She asks for help from a man — and, if you've seen even a second of Bridgerton, and therefore have a feel for its tone and the way it likes to unfurl its narrative, you can likely guess how the clip ends. Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story will also feature Rosheuvel, as well as Ruth Gemmell (Deep State) as Violet Bridgerton and Adjoa Andoh (The Witcher) as Lady Danbury. They'll be joined by Connie Jenkins-Greig (Solitary) as young Violet, Arsema Thomas (Redeeming Love) as young Lady Danbury, Michelle Fairley (Gangs of London) as Princess Augusta, Sam Clemmett (Cherry) and Hugh Sachs (Bridgerton) as the young and old Brimsley, Richard Cunningham (The Witcher) as Lord Bute, Tunji Kasim (Nancy Drew) as Adolphus, Rob Maloney (Coronation Street) as the Royal Doctor and Cyril Nri (The Witches) as Lord Danbury. When it was announced, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story hardly came as a surprise. If you live in one of the 82 million households that gave Bridgerton a stream during its first month on Netflix — making it the platform's most-watched new series ever at the time — then you would've noticed that the Queen stole every scene she was in so convincingly and savagely that all around her withered in comparison. The prequel series will chart how the Queen's marriage to King George also created a societal shift, sparking the world of the ton, as seen in Bridgerton — and it's being called part of "the Bridgerton-verse" by Queen Charlotte and Bridgerton executive producer (and Grey's Anatomy and Scandal creator) Shonda Rhimes. So yes, as well as the already-announced third and fourth seasons of Bridgerton itself, you can probably expect more spinoffs to arise. Check out the first clip from Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story below: Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story will stream via Netflix sometime in 2023 — we'll update you with an exact release date when one is announced. The first and second seasons of Bridgerton are available to stream now.
Auckland is a city built on stories. Some are told in theatres that once hosted Bette Davis and Bob Dylan. Some on the slopes of former volcanoes. The rest, you'll have to find for yourself in the city's cobbled streets and galleries. Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland's) charm blooms beyond the tourist stops. Past the Sky Tower and steeple of St Patrick's Cathedral, you'll spot an unassuming vintage facade. Here, at 53 St Patrick's Square, The Motor House forms the foundation of Hotel Indigo Auckland. Once a showroom for Cadillacs and motorcycles, it now acts as your key to the city. Inside midtown's tallest building, warm wood panels, Māori art, and leather touches make an unexpected home out of the building's industrial bones. [caption id="attachment_1037197" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Hotel Indigo Auckland[/caption] But the best part? The hotel's position puts you at the heart of the city. Here, your neighbours are indie bookstores, laneway bars and suburban swimming spots. Here's how to plan a weekend getting lost in the hills, islands and laneways of Tāmaki Makaurau. [caption id="attachment_1037201" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Maungakiekie[/caption] Wide Open Spaces Auckland was built around the valleys and ridgelines of 53 ancient volcanoes. You can see it in the sprawling, green knolls of Maungakiekie. Also known as One Tree Hill. These Teletubbyland-esque hills act as Auckland's best viewing platform. Back in the city's heart, find Khartoum Place. Shady trees and a fountain's trickle make it a pocket of calm that locals retreat to. Check out the tile artwork in honour of the Women's Suffrage Movement in New Zealand and have a break to caffeinate. Take a short stroll and you'll find yourself at the wharf. Catch a ferry 40 minutes off the coast and you'll land a world away on Waiheke Island. Sundrenched vineyards, shaded olive groves and your footprints on white sand beaches await. Or, dive right into the harbour at the Karanga Plaza Tidal Steps: a totally free swimming area on the shores of the city. Take Notes on the Culture Follow any street in Auckland, and you'll find yourself at a crossroads of culture. Here, Māori culture threads through so much of the city, linking with European history in the wharves, cafes and museums. Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki is home to the world's largest collection of New Zealand art. Enter through majestic kauri tree columns to spend a day working through four levels of exhibitions. Plan your visit to Aotearoa in November, and you'll catch the Elam School of Fine Arts annual graduate show. Take a stroll through midtown and you'll find a slew of independent bookshops like Unity Books, Time Out Bookstore, and Hard To Find Books. Read local stories spun into poems or get lost in the whodunnits of local crime author legend Ngaio Marsh. [caption id="attachment_1039738" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hotel Indigo Auckland[/caption] Dine Like the Locals Vulcan Lane was once an unnamed and muddy track. Today, it's a meeting point of some of Auckland's best bars, cafes, restaurants and boutique shopping. The Queensferry Hotel was one of the first to move in over 200 years ago. It's Auckland's oldest pub, but its menu is modern and best enjoyed al fresco while people-watching. Each Thursday, the laneway comes alive with free jazz performances from local music schools and seasoned pros. Follow the warm cathedral light down St Patrick's Square and you'll find Bistro Saine. Here, beyond the art-filled lobby of Hotel Indigo, you'll find this modern take on the classic European bistro is a destination in its own right. Leather banquette seating, antique tableware and perfectly cooked steak makes it easily to forget you're not in Paris. [caption id="attachment_1037203" align="alignleft" width="1920"] The Civic Theatre[/caption] Read the Stars The 1930s were Auckland's golden age. Theatres, cinemas and music halls were soundtracked by Māori soprano Ana Hato and The Beatles. Legendary spots like Everybody's, The Roxy, and Peter Pan Cabaret may be gone, but their legends live on in the feel of the streets. The Civic Theatre is perhaps the magnum opus of Auckland's golden age. Inside, giant, golden elephants and carvings of Buddha line the walls alongside gaudy chandeliers. Above it all—for no reason other than opulence—is a replica of the Auckland night sky at 10pm on Saturday, April 20, 1929. Bette Davis, The Rolling Stones, Nick Cave, Bob Dylan, and even the Dalai Lama have visited. Nowadays, you can catch a musical or comedy show there. [caption id="attachment_1037204" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Hotel Indigo Auckland[/caption] The Perfect Base When your step count is nearing new heights, Hotel Indigo Auckland makes for the perfect place to rest your tired feet. The hotel's historic home, The Motor House, plays the role of muse. In each corner, you'll find nods to the past. From the scaffold-inspired wardrobes and vintage fixtures to the factory facade still bearing the names of its former owners, you can feel the stories of Auckland past in each inch of the hotel. Step out from the lobby and you'll be met with a view of the Sky Tower and Auckland at your feet. Want to stay in the thick of it? Find out more about Hotel Indigo Auckland here. Lead image: Hotel Indigo Auckland
Imagine simply waving a pen around in the air and creating real-life 3D objects while you do it. Well imagine no longer, because thanks to the development of the 3Doodler, the world's first and only 3D printing pen, this incredible feat has become a reality. The nifty gadget draws in the air or on surfaces, using heated PLA plastic which solidifies into a stable structure almost immediately after being released from the pen. The 3Doodler can be used to create anything from simple shapes and forms to more sophisticated jewellery items, decorative arts, or complex structures as intricate as a mini Eiffel Tower. It's an exciting tool for artists, jewellery makers, designers, or anyone who wants to let their imagination run wild. Requiring no batteries, extra software, or parts, the pen can be plugged into a power socket and open a whole world of creation (quite literally) at your fingertips. At this stage the 3Doodler is also significantly cheaper than any other 3D printer out there, so you can have endless hours of creative fun without breaking the bank. The founders, Max Bogue and Peter Dilworth, who both have a rich background in manufacturing and inventing, hoped to release the product on the market by December 2012. However, in order to ensure the model was functioning perfectly, which they guarantee it now is, they waited to happily announce its launch now. To back the project, visit their Kickstarter. With already over 20,000 backers, and US$1.8 million pledged, they must be doing something right. Via Hyperallergic.
Since we last heard from Jonathan Boulet, he's shaved off his beard, parted ways with Modular Recordings and swapped his electronica-dashed folk for rock. The Sydneysider also spent a year living in Berlin, where he recorded new studio album Gubba, released on July 18. "The new music will be described as post-pop, punk rock, chocolate-chip sludge, crust pop, rock pop, pop cock and cock stop in the rock blot bop," he explains in the promo video, "but it is neither of those things. For our children's sake, we shall henceforth categorise this music as rock." Gubba is Boulet's third release, following 2009's self-titled debut and 2012's We Keep the Beat, Found the Sound, See the Need, Start the Heart. For those familiar with his bass contributions to power violence band Snakeface, the album's driving guitars and distorted vocals might not come as too much of a surprise, but they're certainly a dramatic deviation from previous solo work. "I've always been a fan of trying to surprise people or get a reaction out of them," Boulet told the SMH. "I don't feel that my musical ventures are unpredictable, but there are lots of roads you can take and sometimes it's easier to take one road over another and sometimes you're presented with a new road you haven't had access to, and that's definitely more inviting." In August, he'll be hitting Melbourne's Northcote Social Club on Friday 15, Adelaide's Pirie and Co. on Saturday 16, Sydney's Goodgod Small Club on Thursday 21 and Brisbane's Black Bear Lodge on Thursday 28. https://youtube.com/watch?v=FOcziciUnr0
Over the past few years, Gelatissimo has whipped up a number of creative flavours, including frosé sorbet, gelato for dogs, and ginger beer, Weet-Bix, fairy bread, hot cross bun, cinnamon scroll, chocolate fudge and bubble tea gelato. Most recently, it made Biscoff, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Hershey's Kisses varieties, too. For its latest offering, the Australian dessert chain is taking inspiration from another beloved foodstuff — in case you can't choose between tracking down and devouring some Caramilk chocolate or licking your way through a few scoops of ice cream. Yes, that very combination is now on the menu, with Caramilk Hokey Pokey-inspired gelato earning the honours as Gelatissimo's January flavour of the month. Now on sale, it starts with caramelised white chocolate gelato — which is then topped with hazelnut and peanut toffee pieces. If you're only just learning about Caramilk Hokey Pokey bars, that's because they haven't been easy to come by in Australia — but now you can try the next best thing in ice cream form. At Gelatissimo, the new gelato flavour will only be available for the month of January at all stores Australia-wide, and only while stocks last. That includes via delivered take-home packs via services such as UberEats, Deliveroo and DoorDash. Gelatissimo's Caramilk Hokey Pokey gelato is available from all stores nationwide for the month of January.
Established in 1853, the Golden Gate Hotel in South Melbourne combines a traditional, friendly pub atmosphere with a contemporary menu offering classic grub with items you'd never expect to find on a pub menu. You'll find many locals here on a Friday night, and with $5 drinks for happy hour every day we're not surprised. The hotel is also a crowd favourite for its $10 steaks all day, every day, which is possibly the best steak deal going around in the area. Lunch and dinner is served in a stylishly renovated dining room, perfect for intimate occasions or groups. If you're in the mood for a typical hearty pub meal, grab a chicken parma ($24), pie of the day ($23) or the Great Golden burger ($26). If you're looking for something different, try one of the braised lamb pizzas with a green harissa base ($20), its vegan soba noodle salad with roasted pumpkin, broccolini and edamame beans ($18) or the linguini ($20). It also has some delicious starters like popcorn pork balls dipped in sweet and sour sauce or duck bao buns. We're also a fan of its $40 bottomless prosecco and pizza deal every Saturday, allowing two blissful hours of unlimited pizza and all the bubbles you can drink, or its vegan roast on Sundays. It's a traditional pub with a modern, south Melbourne twist that keeps the people coming back for more.
If you're the kind of person who orders the cheese plate for dessert, this limited-time Melbourne high tea experience is all for you. From now until Saturday, September 21, The Westin Melbourne's Allegro Restaurant is serving up High Cheese in collaboration with The Studd Siblings. For $105, you get a three-tiered selection of cheese-filled sweet and savoury bites, making for one brie-lliant afternoon of fancy feasting. Start off with cloth-aged cheddar and candied apple scones before diving into five different cheese-filled savoury treats on the middle tier, including a tomato tartare tart and welsh rarebit. You'll then finish with desserts like chocolate basque cheesecake and goat's curd panna cotta. There's no way you're going to be hungry after all this, although you might want a mint — this high tea will feature some fairly stanky cheeses. The price includes a glass of Scotchmans Hill wine, but the team can always provide more pairings as you navigate these cheesey tiers. The High Cheese experience is available from Wednesday–Saturday, and you'll need to book ahead as walk-ins aren't accepted.
The big names on QAGOMA's 2025 program read like an art lover's dream dinner-party list: who wouldn't want to spend time with Olafur Eliasson, Yayoi Kusama, Archie Moore and Patricia Piccinini? Brisbanites and folks visiting from out of town can do just that with their artwork, at least, whether exploring an Australian-exclusive exhibition dedicated to the Icelandic Danish artist who once built an indoor riverbed inside the Gallery of Modern Art or seeing Indigenous Aussie talent Moore's history-making Venice Biennale Golden Lion-winning kith and kin. No strangers to the River City, Kusama and Piccinini will have pieces featured in a showcase called Wonderstruck. For locals, the 2025 lineup reads like a list of reasons to make regular dates with GOMA and Queensland Art Gallery. If you're elsewhere in Australia, consider it motivation to holiday in the Sunshine State several times. The year's program has already begun, of course, thanks to The 11th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art. On display until the end of April, it boasts 500 works by 70 artists and collectives — and as each APT is when it fills QAGOMA every three years, it's a sight to behold. [caption id="attachment_992350" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Olafur Eliasson / Denmark b.1967 / Riverbed (installation view, GOMA) 2014 / Water, rock (volcanic stones [blue basalt, basalt, lava], other stones, gravel, sand), wood, steel, plastic sheeting, hose, pumps / Dimensions variable / Purchased 2021. The Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Charitable Trust Collection: The Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Charitable Trust, Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / Collection: QAGOMA, Brisbane / © 2014 Olafur Eliasson / Photograph: N Harth © QAGOMA.[/caption]From December, Eliasson will help GOMA end 2025 — and then take 2026 almost to its midpoint — with an exhibition that'll explore three decades of his career complete with rocky landscapes, Lego cities and optical puzzles. Yes, the wonderfully immersive, aforementioned Riverbed will be back. So too will The Cubic Structural Evolution Project, which is where everyone's favourite toy bricks come in, getting gallery patrons playing with it all a part of the piece. Thanks to Beauty, visitors will see a rainbow in a veil of mist as well — and via Your Psychoacoustic Light Ensemble, audio waves will become visual. [caption id="attachment_992353" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Olafur Eliasson / Denmark b.1967 / Beauty 1993 / Installation view: Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, Florence, Italy, 2022 / Spotlight, water, nozzles, wood, hose, pump / Dimensions variable / Courtesy: The artist; neugerriemschneider, Berlin; and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York/Los Angeles / © 1993 Olafur Eliasson / Photograph: Ela Bialkowska, OKNOstudio.[/caption] "Olafur Eliasson's artworks suggest new ways of seeing and experiencing. His practice, spanning diverse installations and other works, invites reflection on our relationships — with ourselves, the environment, culture, and society," said QAGOMA Director Chris Saines "The exhibition will feature a range of artworks, many never before seen in Australia, and will include two new site-specific installations created especially for our expansive galleries." [caption id="attachment_950473" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yayoi Kusama. The obliteration room 2002–present. Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art. © YAYOI KUSAMA[/caption] Between APT11 and Olafur Eliasson, Wonderstruck will take over GOMA from late June–early October — and as the name makes plain, this 100-plus-artwork collection from 70-plus artists is all about awe and wonder. The full list of pieces that'll be included hasn't yet been revealed, nor has the roster of talents involved, but the wearable sculptures of HEARD from Nick Cave (the American artist, not the Australian musician) will be among them. Also, get ready to pop stickers everywhere, because so will the return of Kusama's The Obliteration Room. From late September — a month later than initially announced — Moore's kith and Kin will make its Australian debut. When the First Nations artist earned Australia the top gong at the Olympics of the art world for the first time ever, he did so with an exhibition curated by QAGOMA's Ellie Buttrose, and with a date with Brisbane locked in for this year. Gifted to the galleries permanently, the piece didn't just make history with its Venice Biennale accolade. A hand-drawn genealogical chart that spans back 65,000 years, it also chronicles it. [caption id="attachment_951573" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Archie Moore / kith and kin 2024 / Australia Pavilion at Venice Biennale 2024 / Photographer Andrea Rossetti / © the artist / Images courtesy of the artist and The Commercial.[/caption] Similarly on the way to South Brisbane before 2026 hits: marru | the unseen visible, which showcases works by Danie Mellor; Great and Small, heroing the role of animals in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and culture; and a dive into the space where devotional imagery and pop culture cross paths via The God of Small Things: Faith and Popular Culture, with oleographs by Raja Ravi Varma at its centre, but works by Natee Utarit and Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan also featuring. Pieces by artists such as Kenneth Macqueen, Vida Lahey, William Bustard, Gwendolyn Grant, Joe Rootsey and Sidney Nolan will be a part of Under a Modern Sun: Art in Queensland 1930s–1950s. Tony Albert, Michael Cook, Brenda L Croft, Destiny Deacon, Fiona Foley, Genevieve Grieves, Tracey Moffat, Michael Riley, Darren Siwes, Leah King Smith and Christian Thompson are among the talents set to be in the spotlight via Snap Blak: Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Photography From the Collection. And Queensland's Pat Hoffie will display a range of works on paper in I have loved/I love/I will love. [caption id="attachment_992351" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Danie Mellor / Ngadjon-jii/Mamu peoples / Australia b.1971 / Dark star waterfall (still) 2023–24 / Digital projection / Courtesy: The artist / © Danie Mellor.[/caption] Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art 2025 Program Until Sunday, April 27, 2025 — The 11th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art Saturday, March 15–Sunday, August 3, 2025 — Danie Mellor: marru | the unseen visible Saturday, June 21, 2025–Monday, May 3, 2027 — Great and Small Saturday, June 21, 2025 –Monday, October 5, 2026 — The God of Small Things: Faith and Popular Culture Saturday, June 28–Monday, October 6, 2025 — Wonderstruck Saturday, August 16, 2025–Monday, January 26, 2026 — Under a Modern Sun: Art in Queensland 1930s–1950s Saturday, August 30, 2025–Sunday, September 13, 2026 — Snap Blak: Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Photography From the Collection Saturday, August 30, 2025– Sunday, February 1, 2026 — Pat Hoffie: I have loved/I love/I will love Saturday, September 27, 2025–Sunday, October 18, 2026 — Archie Moore: kith and kin Saturday, September 27, 2025–Sunday, October 18, 2026 — Inscribing a Life Saturday, October 4, 2025–Sunday, March 1, 2026 — Contraptions Saturday, December 6, 2025–Sunday, July 12, 2026 — Olafur Eliasson [caption id="attachment_992352" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Michael Riley / Kamilaroi/Wiradjuri peoples / Australia 1960– 2004 / cloud (portfolio) (detail) 2000 / Inkjet print on banner paper / Ten sheets: various dimensions / Purchased 2002 / Collection: QAGOMA, Brisbane / © Michael Riley Estate.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_951569" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Archie Moore / kith and kin 2024 / Australia Pavilion at Venice Biennale 2024 / Photographer Andrea Rossetti / © the artist / Images courtesy of the artist and The Commercial.[/caption] For more information about Queensland Art Gallery's 2025 exhibitions, plus Australian Cinémathèque's 2025 lineup — all of which will occur at Stanley Place, South Brisbane — visit the venue's website. Top image: Olafur Eliasson / Denmark b.1967 / Your psychoacoustic light ensemble (installation view, Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York, 2024) 2024 / Spotlight, glass lens, mirror foil, tripod, transducer, embedded computer system / Dimensions variable / Courtesy: The artist and Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, New York / © 2024 Olafur Eliasson / Photograph: Pierre Le Hors.
There's been a flurry of Mornington Peninsula haunts scoring top-to-toe makeovers as the balmy summer season draws close; from the multi-faceted Continental Sorrento, to nearby all-day eatery Stringers. And another to join the club is Mornington's Bay Hotel, now sporting a major refurb courtesy of new owner Liam Ganley (Ganley Group's Angus & Bon, Freddie Wimpole's). Housed in a 133-year-old former bank building on Main Street, the historic pub has been smartly reimagined at the hands of Studio Y, its new look even nabbing a couple of spots on this year's Eat Drink Design Awards shortlist. [caption id="attachment_869364" align="alignnone" width="1920"] James Geer Architectural[/caption] The interiors are fitted out in a nod to the Aussie pubs of yesteryear, with an added splash of Irish charm thanks to Ganley's own heritage. There's chequered floors surrounding the bar, exposed brick and old-school timber panelling on the walls, and a private dining room nestled within the old bank vault, complete with bar access via a secret hatch. With this latest project, Ganley set out to deliver an 'every person' kind of pub; one where you can catch a gig, grab a feed and sip pints in front of the footy, too. [caption id="attachment_869365" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eugene Hyland[/caption] Executive Chef and Texan native Jeremy Sutphin (Angus & Bon) is heading up the food offering, mingling Aussie pub favourites with the classics of his homeland. Down the snacky end, you'll find bites like Mount Martha mussels with prosciutto and a lemon butter sauce, southern fried chicken with fermented chilli and garlic aioli, and kingfish sashimi elevated with oyster cream, karkalla (pigface) and saltbush. A chicken parma and signature cheeseburger sit alongside the likes of crispy-skinned barramundi with Japanese-style slaw; blue swimmer crab linguine; and the bangers and mash, featuring caramelised onion, potato purée and beef jus. Hop in on Sunday to check out the rotating weekend roast special. [caption id="attachment_869366" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eugene Hyland[/caption] The Bay's tap-list showcases drops from locals like St Andrews Beach Brewery, Jetty Road and Banks Brewing; similarly, Mornington Peninsula pours headline the wine offering, including goodies from Quealy, Kerri Greens and Trofeo Estate. And if you're in the mood for sipping cocktails, you'll find a roll-call of classics, from an old fashioned crafted on Aussie whisky, to an espresso martini made with salted caramel and coffee from nearby Commonfolk. Venture upstairs to catch sport on the big screens, and hit the bandroom for live gigs to soundtrack your weekend — you'll find upcoming shows listed on the website. [caption id="attachment_869372" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eugene Hyland[/caption] [caption id="attachment_869362" align="alignnone" width="1920"] James Geer Architectural[/caption] Find The Bay Hotel at 62 Main St, Mornington, Victoria. It's open 12pm–late Wednesday to Sunday. Top Images: James Geer Architectural and Eugene Hyland
Melbourne may be losing some brilliant restaurants and bars right now, but the city is also experiencing a flurry of new openings — especially in the CBD. These include the likes of Santana, Mill Place Merchants, Niku Shiki, Fleet Rooftop Bar and Woo399. The latest spot to join the fold will be The Brass Monkey, set to launch on Friday, May 17. This new underground bar puts Victorian produce front and centre, and comes from property developer the Brady Group. The Brass Monkey will be the company's first go at running a drinking and dining spot — although it does already have a hotel under its belt. The team has enlisted the help of sommelier Luke Campbell, who most recently curated the wine list at Pearl Chablis & Oyster Bar, to set up the wine offerings. He's selected vinos from across Victoria's many wine regions, including the King Valley, Yarra Valley, Gippsland, Strathbogie Ranges, Mornington Peninsula, Beechworth and the Macedon Ranges. In other words, you can tour some of the state's best wineries without leaving the CBD. Thoughtful cocktails are also on the cards, made with locally sourced syrups, shrubs and bitters. Serves include the Wangaratta Fingerlime Sour, made with a cucumber-infused gin and finger lime-washed triple sec; the Ballarat Star Martini, featuring passionfruit-washed vodka, white chocolate and passionfruit puree; and Melbourne's Gospel Toffee, which contains maple butter, rye whiskey and paperback smoke. Drinks are the stars of the show here, but there's a considered menu of charcuterie and creative snacks that also celebrate Victorian producers – plus they're all matched with suggested wine pairings. General Manager Hotels & Hospitality of the Brady Group, Robert Moore, said: 'This is a brand-new journey for the Brady Group as we look to tap into the world-renowned aspects of Melbourne's hospitality in the food and beverage sector. "We have worked alongside an exceptional team of sommeliers, cocktail experts, designers and artisans to bring The Brass Monkey to life over the past few months. It really is a wonderful showcase of all that Victoria does well and we hope that people enjoy it for many years to come." The Brass Monkey will open to the public on Friday, May 17, and can be found at 388 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. It will be open 5–10pm on Thursdays, 4pm–midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and 4–9pm on Sundays. For more details, head to the venue's website.
If you're keen to soak in the Great Barrier Reef's natural underwater delights, 2019 has served up plenty of new ways to do just that. This is the year that Uber launched a submarine, albeit temporarily. A few months back, an underwater art trail also opened in The Whitsundays. And, just this month, Australia's first underwater hotel started sailing through the waters off Airlie Beach. Now, add the Museum of Underwater Art to the list. Created by marine sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor, the new attraction just just installed its first two artworks. Four pieces are planned in total — located off the shore from Townsville, and at Palm Island and Magnetic Island — with the project aiming to highlight reef conservation, restoration and education. The first artwork, Ocean Siren, can be found 30 metres offshore from The Strand jetty at Townsville — and while it actually towers above the water, it interacts with live water temperature data. Designed to resemble Takoda Johnson, one of the area's Wulgurukaba traditional owners, it receives information from the Davies Reef weather station on the Great Barrier Reef, then changes colour in response to variations as they happen. "She is a visual representation of current conditions underwater and a warning of potential stresses to the marine ecosystem," deCaires Taylor explained in a statement. [caption id="attachment_756032" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Museum of Underwater Art, Jason deCaires Taylor[/caption] As for the second just-unveiled artwork, Coral Greenhouse, it sits well beneath the ocean's surface on the John Brewer Reef off Townsville — 18 metres below the waterline, to be specific. Measuring 12 metres high, weighing around 58 tonnes, and made out of stainless steel, neutral marine grade cement and zinc anodes, it does indeed look like a greenhouse. In fact, it's an underwater building. It's also filled with more than 20 sculptures, many resembling local school children — and has been made to both stand up to wave pressures and cyclones, and remain visible to divers and snorkellers. Most importantly, it isn't just a greenhouse in name, with the piece featuring coral garden beds. With that in mind, Coral Greenhouse is also designed to "offer opportunities for scientists, marine students and tourists to engage in action-based learning and to conduct globally important research on coral reef restoration and new technology," deCaires Taylor noted. https://www.instagram.com/p/B6OoyKooA6D/ Marking the southern hemisphere's first underwater museum — and Australia's — the project has taken more than three years to come to fruition. Once it is fully operational, it is expected to attract 50,000 visitors each year. Palm Island's forthcoming installation will connect the spot's the cultural story to the land and sea, according to the MOUA's website, and is expected to be in place by the end of 2020. And no timeline has been set for Magnetic Island as yet, with funding currently being sought. Find the Museum of Underwater Art off the shore of Townsville, Queensland. For more information, visit the museum's website. Image: Museum of Underwater Art.
Over the past few years, Gelatissimo has whipped up a number of creative flavours, including frosé sorbet, gelato for dogs, and ginger beer, Weet-Bix. fairy bread, hot cross bun, cinnamon scroll and chocolate fudge gelato. Most recently, it made a bubble tea variety, too. For its latest offering, the Australian dessert chain is taking inspiration from another beloved foodstuff — in case you can't choose between slathering Belgium's Lotus Biscoff cookie butter spread over bread or licking your way through a few scoops of ice cream. Yes, that very combination is now on the menu, with Biscoff gelato earning the honours as Gelatissimo's August flavour of the month. Now on sale, it starts with buttery cinnamon biscuit gelato — which is then layered with slabs of cookie butter, then topped with crunchy biscuit pieces. If you're only just learning about Lotus Biscoff cookie butter spread, it's made from the crumbs of Lotus Biscoff caramelised biscuits, and is basically a cookie-flavoured version of peanut butter or chocolate spreads like Nutella. Understandably, it has picked up quite a following — and, in its spreadable form, comes in creamy and crunchy varieties. At Gelatissimo, the Biscoff gelato will only be available for the month of August at all stores Australia-wide — and only while stocks last. That includes via delivered take-home packs via services such as UberEats, Deliveroo and DoorDash. Gelatissimo's Biscoff gelato is available from all stores nationwide for the month of August.
A few tears might have been shed when American diner Rockwell and Sons shut up shop for good this winter, but it's a-ok, because the crew from Bar Liberty and Capitano has cooked up something pretty exciting to fill its place. Or, should we say, baking. That's right, the space at 288 Smith Street has entered its next phase of life as an innovative bakery named Falco. For this venue, Michael Bascetta, Manu Potoi and Casey Wall have teamed up with Christine Tran (Tivoli Road Bakery, Loafer Bread), who's fresh from a stint at San Francisco's renowned bakery Tartine. In Collingwood, Tran, together with Group Executive Chef Wall, is baking sweet and savoury goods made with seasonal, organic and local produce. The kitchen is sourcing chocolate from Hunted & Gathered and Birdsnake, dairy products from nearby Saint David, and organic flour from Wholegrain Milling in NSW and Powlett Hill in Victoria. [caption id="attachment_755060" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jana Langhorst[/caption] At the centre of the 25-seat cafe space by Chris James Design Studio, which is built using sustainably sourced materials, are the cabinets loaded with oven-fresh Falco goodies. As well as a range of bread — that includes country loaves, baguettes, fougasse and fruit bread — you'll spy hot pies, fresh sandwiches, and grab-and-go sourdough muffins stuffed with egg and cheese (and sometimes festive ham). Speaking of Christmas, expect to find spicy gingerbread and mince pies in the cabinet throughout December. Sweet-toothed folk can prepare for the likes of Swedish-style cardamom buns and addictive chocolate-halva brownies at this famed Melbourne bakery. Fruit danishes, croissants and a heap of cookies (with flavours like apricot oat and earl grey) round out the flaky, sweet options. And because freshly baked treats make a perfect match to a nice hot cuppa, Falco is even roasting its own house coffee. Heading up the bakery's caffeine program are Manager Jo Watson (Melbourne's Patricia Coffee Brewers and Sydney's Paramount Coffee Project) and Roaster Tim Varney, who's spent the last six years at Norway's renowned coffee roaster Tim Wendelboe. Elsewhere on the drinks lineup, you'll find kefir from The Fermentary and Assembly teas. With all of this combined, Falco Bakery is clearly one of the very best bakeries in Melbourne. Images: Jana Langhorst Appears in: Where to Find the Best Breakfast in Melbourne for 2023 The Best Bakeries in Melbourne for 2023
The greatest trick that Late Night with the Devil pulls could be a trick on future viewers. In a decade or so, perhaps less, someone will likely come across the film on a streaming platform and think that the year that's listed next to its name is a typo. The illusion would be stronger if video stores still existed, where the Australian-made horror marvel that's had audiences talking since its 2023 SXSW premiere could sit on a shelf beaming its 70s-era look and artwork at perusers searching for their next watch. Everything about the movie, which is presented as a found-footage documentary showing a Halloween episode of a late-night talk show in full, wants everyone to make that misinterpretation. The year is 1977 in Cameron and Colin Cairnes' latest feature, which joins the writer-director siblings' resume after 100 Bloody Acres and Scare Campaign. The date is indeed October 31. The show: Night Owls with Jack Delroy, which has been slipping in the ratings. The week is Sweeps Week, the key ratings period in the US, in fact. Host Jack Delroy (David Dastmalchian, Dracula: Voyage of the Demeter) has been struggling himself, following the death of his wife (Georgina Haig, NCIS Sydney) 12 months prior. In his efforts to pick himself and his show back up, he commits to a special live spooky instalment featuring a skeptic (Ian Bliss, Safe Home), psychic (Fayssal Bazzi, Prosper), parapsychologist (Laura Gordon, Foe) and a girl (Ingrid Torelli, Force of Nature: The Dry 2) who is reportedly possessed — and being willing to do whatever it takes to succeed gets a demonic spin. The experience of watching Late Night with the Devil is like stepping into whichever type of time machine takes your fancy; the attention to period detail is that exact, as is the Cairnes' commitment to practical effects when things get eerie. The same can be said of Dastmalchian's stunning lead performance, playing a character styled after Australian TV's Don Lane alongside American television's Dick Cavett and Johnny Carson. When future viewers add Late Night with the Devil to their queue, the can't-look-away portrayal from the picture's star is bound to get them thinking that this truly is an unearthed treasure from the 20th century. Aptly, Dastmalchian is a big fan of horror TV hosts, even penning an article for Fangoria about them. So, take a childhood in the 80s spent watching late-night talk shows, a love of horror from that decade and the one prior, a keen awareness of the period's flicks about television such as Network and The King of Comedy, experience working in studios themselves, an exceptionally well-cast lead and a killer concept — plus that dedication to authenticity — and the next Aussie horror hit is the end result. "It's our twisted love letter to talk shows and the horror movies of that era," Colin tells Concrete Playground during a chat with both brothers. "I think it was really was a golden age for horror movies in the States, but also in Australia to some degree. We made some pretty cool stuff back then." A wild horror ride, a helluva character study, and an unpacking of the way that sensationalist media haunts and possesses as much as literal spirits, too, Late Night with the Devil is "pretty cool stuff" itself, deservedly earning a reputation far and wide. Iconic horror author Stephen King called it "absolutely brilliant" and said that he couldn't take his eyes off it". Mere days before we spoke with Colin and Cameron, they had run into one of their influences IRL, who also adored it. "Definitely all the great films by David Cronenberg and John Carpenter, the Wes Cravens," Colin cites as inspiration. "Joe Dante, who we were lucky enough to bump into two days ago in LA walking out of the screening of our film, which was really cool. Mind blown — it was just a wonderful chance encounter. And we've since exchanged emails. Yeah, he's a fan of the film. So that was really, really special to us. As kids growing up watching Gremlins or The Howling or Innerspace, all these great 80s horror hybrids, fun horrors that he made, it was just such an honour to bump into the man who had just seen our film, which was crazy." After it popped up on the festival circuit in 2023, viewers Down Under have been able to discover why Late Night with the Devil has been wowing King, Dante and more since it hit local cinemas on Thursday, April 11. We chatted with Colin and Cameron about their inspirations, specifically picking 1977 as the year to set the film in, the work that goes into making the movie look and feel so authentic, their take on Delroy and getting Dastmalchian to play him, and more. On Taking Inspiration From Watching Late-Night Talk Shows as Kids in the 80s in Australia Cameron: "I think TV was just a bit looser back then, and felt a little more dangerous. It was late night, and for a kid staying up late to watch those shows, it just felt a little taboo. So, what we love about that period in those shows — and we're talking not just our Australian icons, but the American ones as well — is just they all felt unscripted and dangerous, and like anything could happen or anything could go wrong at any minute. So that felt like fertile ground for us to to play in. And those experiences, they stuck with us. I think when you're young and you're watching stuff, you're very impressionable. So we're watching lots of horror movies on VHS, and we were watching lots of TV at home, lots of American stuff. It was all feeding into the script and to the story. We drew on those experiences quite a lot." On Setting the Film Not Just in the 70s, But Specifically in 1977 Cameron: "It really came down to our date, didn't it? Like 77, we wanted to set it on Halloween night, but it also needed to be Sweeps Week, if that means anything." Colin: "The ratings period." Cameron: "So in our research, we discovered that in 77 on Halloween week, it was actually Sweeps Week. So we tried to be as authentic as we could with every detail." Colin: "What's not to like about 77? We always knew it was somewhere in that range, but 77 felt like that was that was peak 70s, really." Cameron: "It was kind of the peak in-between time, too. The Exorcist, I think was released in 73, and then we were at the dawn of the Satanic panic. So I think, between 73–80, that period felt right. And also, we wanted to suggest that Night Owls, the show Jack Delroy hosts, had been on the air for a while and was struggling. So it just made sense that it maybe started around early 70s." Colin: "And going back to the movies, that's when that cycle of great films — I mean, there'd been Texas Chain Saw, probably that was 73, 74 maybe, that's when all those directors that we admire and are paying some homage to, I think, started to do their work. Halloween, I think was released 78, just a bit later. Network, I think, was released beginning of 77. So all that wonderful stuff was happening at that time, so that felt right — and yes, fortunately, Halloween fell on a Monday night at the beginning of Sweeps Week." On the Movie's Commitment to Period Detail and the Work That Went Into It Cameron: "Being as authentic as we could was just key to the whole movie. If no one's buying it, then they're checking out and it's not going to be worth your time. So we took all that stuff really, really seriously — just immersed ourselves in that world. I think having grown up a little bit in the period, and certainly through the 80s, we felt a little bit more connected to it, to that period." Colin: "We knew if something was a bit phony. I think a lot of the audience has been actually a younger crowd, but we are finding people in their early 20s talking to us after screenings, saying ' you know, I'm going bring my mum and dad to this. I reckon they'll really like it'. So people are sensing the authenticity of it, and like Cam's saying, I don't think the scares are going to work, the humour won't work — and, importantly, the drama isn't going to work — if it doesn't feel of a very specific time and place." Cameron: "Going into the production of it, it was just 'let's just commit to the idea that we're making this show in 1977'. So all the costumes, the lighting, the way we shot it, everything was pretty much of the period apart from the cameras we shot on — we obviously had to do some treatment on that in post. But we just tried to shoot it exactly like a late-70s Tonight Show. That meant three cameras were rolling the same at the same time, and the lighting looks a bit hot and harsh. But you just have to embrace all that stuff." On Drawing Upon Their Own Experiences Working in TV Studios Colin: "I directed, in a past life going back 20-plus, 25 years, I actually worked in television in Singapore. I got a job fresh out of uni directing sitcoms, English-language sitcoms, which were really big, huge successes in that part of the world. It was a lot of fun. That was a three-camera set up where we rehearsed through the week, and then we bring in an audience, so we would shoot it as if it were live. We would get a second go if something didn't work out, but we also didn't want to keep the audience there too late, because they'd stop laughing after the second or third take. And Cam's done some work in TV, too. So we had a sense of how adrenaline-fuelled that environment is, and how it's very stressful and has lots of anxiety, but it's also seat-of-your-pants stuff — it's exciting, it's fun. So we thought taking that as the foundation for an already very tense environment, and then bring in the supernatural element, we thought that that could go places. Ten years later, ten years of writing, we got there — so it helped a lot." On How the Film Evolved Over the Ten-Year Writing Period Cameron: "It went through lots of different iterations. In fact, I think the first draft it was centred around a seance. It was going to be a seance live on TV. But we kind of blew our wad early on that, because the seance was happening sort of at the 25-minute mark and we found we had nowhere to go after that. So it was constantly sort of rethinking the conceit and also finding the characters…" Colin: "That were going to warrant 90 minutes of your time." Cameron: "Exactly." Colin: "A character that could host legitimately host the talk show, but has his own baggage, his own issues. Plot's important, story is important, but for us, the characters are key. You want people walking away saying 'I hated that guy. I love that guy. I wanted to know more about that person'. And that's the stuff that really needs to succeed for any movie to work, regardless of genre." On What Inspired Jack Delroy — and the Cairnes' Take on Him Cameron: "Jack's a little bit desperate at this point in his career. He's been at it for a little while, but he's…" Colin: "Ruthlessly ambitious." Cameron: "But, his background is, he's this Midwesterner, worked in radio. He's kind of a sweet guy with good intentions." Colin: "He may have made one or two poor choices over the course of his career. A victim of some of those choices, I think. But he's a man who's experiencing some grief as well. I mean, his wife has passed away a year prior to the taping of this show. And, we explained early on — I don't think it's a spoiler to say that — his most-successful episode to date was the episode where his dying wife came on as his special guest. So there are some ethical concerns, I think, about his character. But the audience loves him. He's got his hardcore fans, and he's a showman through and through, who believes the show must go on. But that, of course, becomes harder and harder as some very strange events occur over the course of evening." Cameron: "When we first set out, we were referring a lot to Dick Cavett, Johnny Carson, I guess in our heads. He was almost an amalgam of those two. But then, we started drawing a lot on our own experiences, watching our homegrown talent. When I say homegrown…" Colin: "Bronx-born Australian Don Lane." Cameron: "Who people of a certain age will remember. We obviously grew up in the early 80s and watched a lot of Don Lane. Don and Bert, and Mike Walsh, and saw a little bit of Graham Kennedy as well. So they were definitely there in our heads as we are writing the character, but I think we were thinking more the urbane kind of American TV host." Colin: "We watched a lot of Dick Cavett. A lot of Dick Cavett. There's a bit of a blend." Cameron: "But when the American producers got on board and David got on board, we pointed them in the direction of Don Lane. We just thought as a curious thing they might be interested to see our own talent. And the producers, Steven Schneider [Insidious: The Red Door, Knock at the Cabin] in particular, and then David, our main actor, really took to Don. And he was like 'he's great'." Colin: "Yeah, 'what a character'. Because there's layers. He's not the slick showman that Carson is. Cavett's a bit more the slightly, there's a hint sarcasm, cynicism, but quite the intellectual — very happy to be talking to some novelist as he is to some pop singer. But Don was a bit less polished and a lot more, well, basically into the supernatural. He would have these lengthy specials where he'd have the Warrens [the inspiration for The Conjuring films] or whichever psychic happened to be visiting Australia. He would dedicate entire episodes, sometimes several episodes to these characters, which made him really different from the American version of that host." On Casting David Dastmalchian Colin: "We knew what a fan of the genre he was. He writes for Fangoria. His love of regional TV horror hosts." Cameron: "He writes comic books, he has written graphic novels" Colin: "He has Count Crowley. So we knew how embedded he was in the horror scene back in the States. And add to which he's just a really, really great character actor. And he has this look about him that also screams 70s, I think. So when we floated his name with all the producers, it was probably the first time everyone said yes at the same time. We were out to him a couple of weeks later through one of our American producers, the great Roy Lee [Don't Worry Darling, Barbarian], and weeks later we're talking to him and then a bit later he's signed on. We've got him. It just felt like was meant to be, and now you watch it and you cannot imagine anyone else being that character." Cameron: "It just wouldn't have worked if we'd had a big A-list star in there, you know, if Ryan Gosling — he's a great actor, but…" Colin: "You'd spend 90 minutes trying to look past the star. He's going to go on to bigger, possibly better — he's already working on a big show for Apple. Plus, the world is his oyster, and it has been for ages. We're just fortunate that we're a small part of his journey to international stardom." On Making the Connection Between the Film's Literal Possession and the Ravenous Urges that Sensationalist TV Sparks Colin: "Obviously, it was an important consideration in the scripting and the shooting, because we have the studio audience there and they're complicit in that. They're not — no one's leaving their seats. What would we do if we were there and shit started to go down like that? The logical thing would be to run to the door, but the fact is they know that the weirder and stranger and darker things get, the better the ratings are." Cameron: "I mean, we all love a bit of car crash TV, where we just can't turn away. And I think, yeah, definitely playing into that idea." Colin: "We're a little complicit, almost, and responsible to some degree for shows going where they go. And that hasn't changed — that was there before 77, and it's gotten even worse in many ways since. So if there's some little commentary or critique going — no, maybe not a critique — it definitely has fed into it. It was a serious consideration, because at what point would the audience just say 'this is stupid, I'm going home' or switch off? Or would the network just shut down the broadcast? So the fact that no one does had a lot to do with how we pace the thing, and how we reveal information, and where the scares come and all that sort of stuff. That's a more technical consideration, but it plays into what you're saying." Late Night with the Devil opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, April 11, 2024. Read our review.
Chocoholics and fans of Sydney's resident macaroon maestro Adriano Zumbo will no doubt be titillated to learn that the popular patissier has created three limited edition Tim Tam flavours about to hit stores. The collaboration celebrates the 50th birthday of Australia's iconic biscuit (which, incidentally, we as a nation consume over 45 million packets of annually). The new Tim Tam flavour combinations are pretty tame for Zumbo, but they're exciting in supermarket-aisle terms: salted caramel, choc brownie and raspberry white choc. Coles, Woolies and selected independent grocers will start selling "treat packs" of them in March. For those who just can't wait till then, Zumbo will be holding two preview tasting events in Sydney and Melbourne. It's a first-in, best-dressed kind of thing, so get in early if you want the chance to sample the new Tim Tams and try some Tim Tam-inspired treats (Tim Tam Zonut?) “It was an honour to personally develop my own range of Tim Tam biscuits. I grew up on the iconic Aussie bikkie and it’s a joy to be able to put my own twist on it,” said Zumbo. Sydney preview tasting: Wednesday, February 19, 4-8pm, Shop 1, Cafe Court, The Star, 80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont Melbourne preview tasting: Thursday, February 20, 7am- 7pm, Zumbo Patisserie, 14 Claremont Street, South Yarra
Road-tripping along the border of Victoria? Mildura's Kar-Rama Hotel probably isn't the kind of stay you'd expect to encounter this far from the big smoke. Yet as the town's newest boutique accommodation, it offers the sleek design and effortless comfort you're likely looking for after a long drive. Whether checking in for work or spending the weekend exploring Mildura's wine and dining scenes, this choice spot is ripe for unwinding. The 34 chic rooms strike a modern interpretation of mid-century design, with pastel tones reflecting the region's sun-drenched landscape. Each offers a plush king-sized bed with premium linen, high-end Leif botanical amenities, Nespresso coffee machine and inviting Bemboka robes, ensuring your stay is a relaxing one. Then, it's just a short trip to the lobby lounge, aka Chill Haven, where you can enjoy a drink and soak up the poolside perspective. That's right – this boutique motel has a heated butterfly-shaped pool, making it easy to cool off with a refreshing dip. Find a spot in the sun on a lounge and suddenly Mildura feels a little more Mediterranean. Surrounded by retro furnishings, this urban oasis in the countryside is the perfect sun-drenched retreat if you're seeking a little serenity on your trip. When you're ready to explore, Kar-Rama is ideally located. Those keen to roam the outdoors will find stellar swimming spots and eco-adventures along the Murray River, just a short drive away. There are also cultural attractions that offer a deeper insight into the local region, such as the Mildura Arts Centre and the Australian Inland Botanic Gardens. Meanwhile, award-winning cellar doors like Oak Valley Estate, Capogreco Winery Estate and Trentham Estate are all easily within reach. Speaking of dining, you're welcome to grab a continental breakfast from Kar-Rama's reception. Alternatively, the team is happy to guide you to the best spots in town. Head to Blk.Mlk Specialty Coffee or Kaffenio for caffeinated goodness, then dine on top-notch cuisine at restaurants like Andy's Kitchen, Brass Money and The Italian Mildura. With the local scene on the rise, you're never far from a stellar feed. "We are excited to see Kar-Rama Hotel open its doors in Mildura, bringing a high-quality accommodation offering to the region," says Andrew Bullock, CEO at 1834 Hotels, the hospitality group behind the property. "We look forward to working closely with the owners to drive its long-term success, strengthening the region's hospitality landscape and providing guests with a seamless and memorable stay." Kar-Rama Hotel is open at 153 Deakin Ave, Mildura. Head to the website for more information.
Easey Street's sky-high train carriages have been causing a stir since their arrival was announced in 2012. Now we finally get a peek at the finished product, with the aptly-named Easey's opening its doors last month. The production is one big ode to Melbourne street culture, from the upcycled train track door, to the lurid graffiti gracing pretty much every surface within. The lower level is decked out with repurposed train seat booths, classic table arcade games and recycled spray cans used as decorative elements. Navigate the graffiti-laced stairwell (or simply the elevator) and you'll hit a canteen-style dining room, a small pop-up retail space and a couple of tiny beer gardens nestled between train carriages. Make it to very the top, and you're rewarded with the crowning glory that is that eastern carriage: a bar with one heck of a view. Space is tight, with just a handful of those train seat booths up for grabs, but those northside views will be reason enough for most to make the five-storey climb. The Easey's burger menu features five main players, plus add-ons, sides, and some less-than-healthy breakfast options. Somewhere between the entry-level cheeseburger ($8) and the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink 'Melbourne Madness' ($18), lies the double cheeseburger: a two-hander pulling together a pair of beef patties, American cheddar, bacon, pickles, jalapenos and onions ($12). Go large and add chips and soft drink (regular $7, large $9) because there's little in the way of greenery to be found on this menu. Sides get a bit creative, boasting the likes of dim sims, double fried in a Melbourne Bitter beer batter (four for $4), a potato cake that's enjoyed the same treatment ($2), and a fat donut oozing with milkshake flavoured custard ($2.50). If you're thirsty, there are half a dozen tap beers (including the culturally appropriate Melbourne Bitter), served in nifty glasses made from recycled stubbies. Some of the staff could stand to lose the frown and up their engagement levels, though we can possibly chalk that up to early-days syndrome and the difficulties of having to work in such a rabbit warren-like space. Once things calm down, Easey Street's newest attraction will be worth the ride — but you'll have to get in quick if you want a good seat. View all Melbourne Bars.
Looking for another excuse to hit the road? We have plenty — from weekends sipping pinot noir and strolling by the water on the Mornington Peninsula and culture-fuelled adventures in Ballarat, to a sleepover in a castle in a lesser-known wine region and bike rides powered by local produce in the Yarra Valley. Now, we bring you art — loads of it. Wherever you go in Victoria, there's a gallery, public artwork, sculpture park, installation or studio nearby. To inspire you to get behind the wheel, we've gathered ten of the best spots. Trail of Lights, Mildura Unlike many light installations, Trail of Lights isn't sensational. Instead, its power is contemplative. You cross a lock over the Murray River onto an island, transformed into a seemingly infinite field of lights. More than 12,000 of them glow among the grass, trees and rocks, each gradually dimming, then brightening, like fireflies. "People react in all kinds of different ways — some people have told me it made them cry," a hotel owner in Mildura told us. Trail of Lights is the creation of UK artist Bruce Munro, who's also behind Field of Lights at Uluru. While you're in town, visit NAP Contemporary and Mildura Arts Centre. Wama Foundation, Halls Gap After 14 years of dreaming and planning, WAMA Foundation opened in July 2025. It's home to the National Centre for Environmental Art, which is the first space in Australia dedicated to environmental art. And you'll find it in the foothills of the Gariwerd/Grampians — among the Endemic Botanic Gardens and the Jallukar Native Grasslands. From 5 July–4 November 2025, West Australian artist Jacobus Capone has taken over with his show End & Being, an exploration of environments impacted by human activity, through painting, photography, video and performance. While you're there, have some more adventures without our list of ten things you didn't realise you could do in the Grampians. Djaara Lights, Bendigo This magical piece by Troy Firebrace and Drew Berick uses light, art and augmented reality to tell the story of the six seasons on Djandak (Country) of the Dja Dja Wurrung People, the traditional owners of Bendigo. During the daytime, visit Djaa Djuwima, the first dedicated and permanent First Nations gallery in the area, and Dumawul, a cultural centre offering local art, walks and talks. Then there's Bendigo Art Gallery, one of Australia's oldest and biggest regional galleries. It carries a large collection of contemporary Australian works, plus a bunch of 19th century European paintings. Street Art, Warrnambool Over the past few years, Warrnambool has become a hot spot for street artists. Spend a weekend wandering among truly monumental pieces, from Claire Foxton's Our Story, featuring giant portraits of local refugees and immigrants on the West Warrnambool water tower, to Adnate's Ngatanwarr (Welcome) mural, inspired by the culture and narratives of the Gunditjmara and Great South Coast region. Other stand-outs include the Ewen Coates's controversial sculpture 3 Pillars of Gratification, a commemoration of the suffragette movement titled Once Women Won the Vote and Julie Squires's Where's the Water?, an impossibly cute series of bronze fairy penguins. On your way to Warrnambool, consider taking the Great Ocean Road with the help of our wintry weekender guide, or our four-day road trip itinerary. Silo Art Trail, Various Locations For an all-out road trip, take the Silo Art Trail, a series of monumental artworks on silos in small towns all over Victoria. There are now 23 stops along the way. Head to Avoca in the Central Highlands to see an owl backdropped by a starburst sky that glows in the dark — and to draw your own artwork on torchlight. At St Arnaud in the Wimmera, you'll come across Kyle Torney's giant portraits of three of the town's pioneers. Then, in Rochester, on the Campaspe River, see Jimmy D'Vate's towering squirrel glider, azure kingfisher and platypus. Whether you explore every silo on one trip, or decide on a less ambitious itinerary, give yourself a few days to explore. Convent Gallery, Daylesford The Convent isn't just a gallery, it's an experience — straight out of the 19th century. The building which, of course, began life as a convent, before becoming a boarding school, holds seven art spaces, plus a museum, chapel, cafe, bar and gift shop. More 100 permanent artworks are dotted across four levels, as well as temporary exhibitions that change every eight weeks — usually starring local artists. Once you've explored the Convent, go roaming around Daylesford with our weekender's guide or indulge yourself in hot spas, fireside gastropub fare and luxe sleepovers. EVA & Marc Besen Centre, at Tarrawarra Museum of Art, Healesville Tarrawarra Museum of Art has been luring art-lovers to Healesville since 2003 with its spectacular hilltop location, and unique exhibitions featuring emerging and established artists — from the giant sculptures of Rose Nolan to the industrial design of Clement Meadmore. As of March 2025, there's a whole new reason to visit, with the opening of the Eva & Marc Besen Centre. Here, you can wander among more than 300 works from the Museum's collection — in storage. To get the most out of your visit, book a tour and take a look at the program. You might catch a workshop, talk, forum or live performance. If you're looking for more things to do in Healesville and Yarra Valley, jump over to our weekender's guide. Berninneit, Phillip Island If you thought Phillip Island was all fairy penguins, beaches and yummy food (not a bad combo, after all), think again. Since November 2023, with the opening of Berninneit, it's become a magnet for arts and culture aficionados. Created for the purpose (with the help of $27.2 million), the building houses not only a gallery, but also a museum, theatre and library. Exhibitions range from shows by local artists such as painter John Adams, who's been at work for more than 70 years, to Narrm (Melbourne) artist Elena Betros López, whose installation as light through water explores the watery world of the Giant Cuttlefish. Come evening, catch a show in the theatre, whose program covers drama, comedy, dance, music and more. PT. Leo Estate, Mornington Peninsula Across 16 acres, Pt. Leo Estate gives you more than 70 sculptures to explore — from both Australian and international artists. Among them, you'll find works by KAWS, Yayoi Kusama, George Rickey, Tony Cragg, Inge King, Boaz Vaadia, Tomokazu Matsuyama, BARRY FLANAGAN and many others. Highlights include Kusama's Pumpkin, bright red and covered in black polkadots, as well as KAWS's Share 2020, a monumental figure in painted bronze clinging onto his much smaller best friend, and Flanagan's Drummer, a colossal bronze hare skipping while playing an Irish drum. Hanging around the Mornington Peninsula for a couple of days? Take our weekender's guide with you. Street Art, Benalla Warrnambool might have become more popular for street art recently, but Benalla in the Hume region is still the Australian capital. Artists from all over the world have hit the walls there, from Choq, Adnate and Guido van Helten to Rone, Sirum and DVATE. And, in autumn every year, the little town hosts a street art festival, which attracts thousands of people. Benalla is also an excellent launching point for travels in the High Country — whether you're looking for more art and culture or stunning walks. Images: Visit Victoria
There are plenty of reasons to look forward to a new month, but Lune Croissanterie's changing specials menu just might be the tastiest. Each time the calendar flips over, the cult-favourite bakery whips up a new batch of treats — such as lamington cruffins, one of its January specials; and bolognese and bechamel-filled lasagne pastries, a highlight from its June range. When July ticks over, the croissant haven's range is set to be just as tasty — especially if you like beloved desserts that have been turned into other sweet treats. Call them mashups, call them hybrids, call them the Frankenstein's monsters of baked goods: they all fit. On the July menu: Iced Vovo cruffins and tiramisu pastries. The words you're looking for? Yum and yum. They're both exactly what they sound like, with the first stuffing a cruffin with coconut custard and raspberry jam, dipping it in raspberry glaze, sprinkling coconut on top and adding another button of jam as well — and the second turning the pudding into a pastry with coffee soaked house-made savoiardi and coffee caramel, plus a ruffle of mascarpone cream and a dusting of Mork chocolate powder. Both of those dishes are available at Lune's Fitzroy store in Melbourne, as well as at its South Brisbane digs in Brisbane — and you can order them online in Brissie, too. The Sunshine State capital gets another mashup gem as well: apple crumble danishes, which are filled with jazz apple jam and whiskey crème, then finished with brown butter crumble and toffee apple glaze. The July specials list also boasts a twice-baked marble pain au chocolat, which returns after proving a hit in Melbourne last year. It'll be on offer at Fitzroy, Melbourne CBD, South Brisbane and online in Brisbane only. And, there's a vegetarian version of Lune's pepperoni pizza escargot, again in all venues. Brissie also scores Lune's carrot cake, if you're somehow still hungry. Lune's July specials menu runs from Friday, July 1–Sunday, July 31, with different specials on offer at Fitzroy and the CBD in Melbourne, and South Brisbane in Brisbane. In Brisbane only, you can also order them online.
