Across the bay in Melbourne's first port settlement, you'll find a culture-rich suburb of restaurants, boutiques, bars and the best of a waterside lifestyle. Williamstown retains aesthetic cues from its gold rush history and past industrial days, with the multicultural influences of its surrounding suburbs and its proximity to the city adding to the pull of the town. The constantly evolving suburb is also home to plenty of great local businesses. To help you navigate the shops and eateries, we've teamed up with American Express to bring you this handy guide to shopping small in Williamstown. Head to Melbourne's west for a day, afternoon or even just a cheeky hour of browsing — and make sure you're armed with your American Express Card, too, because you're sure to fall in love with several things.
After spending the last few years in the grasp of tweens and sexless Mormons, it's good to see the vampire movie finally biting back. From the ingenious goofiness of What We Do in the Shadows to the eerie urban decay of Only Lovers Left Alive, it's been a banner year for big screen bloodsuckers, a trend that continues at ACMI this month with the most fascinating shakeup to the genre yet. Sexy, scary and fearlessly subversive, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is a last minute contender for one of the best films of 2014. Billed as the world's first Iranian Vampire Western, the debut film from writer-director Ana Lily Amirpour takes place on the outskirts of an industrial ghost town, ominously named Bad City. It's here that an aloof young vampire in heavy eye makeup and billowing chador (Sheila Vand) stalks the streets in search of victims to devour. What she doesn't count on, however, is the romantic attention of a handsome local drug dealer (Arash Marandi), who unwittingly presents her with a difficult choice: pursue a relationship or eat him for dinner. If the plot sounds thin, that's probably because it is. A spiritual descendent of David Lynch and Jim Jarmusch, the California-based Amirpour is far less concerned with narrative than she is with style and atmosphere. The moody black and white cinematography further enhances the film's already palpable sense of menace, while also calling to mind prototypical vampire movies such as Vampyr and the original Dracula. The eclectic soundtrack is equally evocative, Amirpour spinning a Tarantino-esque blend of European and Iranian pop music combined with the rousing strains of an old school Spaghetti Western. Yet despite her aesthetic self-consciousness, Amirpour's film is in no way lacking in substance. While vampire stories are traditionally about sexuality, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night reframes the discussion to focus more on gender. It's obviously not a coincidence that Vand's vigilante vamp feeds exclusively on misogynistic men. Likewise the pointed choice of costume: her traditional head-to-toe black garb, so often viewed as a sign of oppression, re-appropriated as a symbol of her power. Even the film's title is misleading. Amirpour sets us up to expect a helpless victim, only to deliver something very different indeed. Bold and surprising, this is a truly stunning debut. Do everything you can to seek it out.
In what could possibly be the most exciting music news to hit our shores in recent memory, Radiohead have announced a tour of Australian and New Zealand in 2012. This will be Radiohead's first Australian tour in eight years, and the band's first to New Zealand since 1998. With the release of their eighth album, The King of Limbs, in February 2011, Radiohead have steered away from their rock foundations to become more experimental with electronic sound and vocals. Tickets are set to go on sale on Thursday, March 1, but a limited number have been made available via the band's site. To get in before the rush click here (Update: these tickets have now sold out). More pre-sale tickets will be available here at 12pm (EST) on Tuesday, February 27, or you can buy regular release tickets at Ticketek from 10am (EST) on Thursday. Australian and New Zealand 2012 tour dates: Friday, 6th November 2012 - Vector Arena, New Zealand Friday, 9th November 2012 - Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Monday 12th November 2012 - Entertainment Centre, Sydney Tuesday 13th November 2012 - Entertainment Centre, Sydney Friday, 16th November 2012 - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Saturday, 17th November 2012 - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne https://youtube.com/watch?v=7AJrCsp2Ago
Summer in Melbourne means many things — outdoor cinemas, rooftop bars and balmy evening walks with gelato in hand. It also means it's time for the city's epic four-day celebration of food, drink, art and entertainment: Taste of Melbourne in partnership with Electrolux. The much-loved festival will return this December, transforming Yarra Park into a playground for all ages. With a host of new events, including collaborations between some of Melbourne's best chefs and artists, and masterclasses galore, you'll want to add this summer food festival to your calendar. During the day, meander through the marketplace and stop for a chat with one of the artisan producers — there are more than 100 to choose from. Later, meet up with friends for a gourmet picnic in the park to savour some street food, indulge in a drink or two and admire the glowing canopy of trees as the sun sets. If choosing from this year's line-up seems like too much — let us help. We've collated our top picks of the festival's new and exciting experiences, so you can relax and enjoy the full extent of what Taste has to offer. AFTER DARK PARTY While Taste is known for its daytime activities, workshops and masterclasses, this year's event won't stop there. In fact, on Friday and Saturday night, festival goers will be able to wine, dine and boogie well into the evening. The canopy of trees high above Yarra Park will sparkle with glittering neon lights while a killer line-up of musicians and DJs — including electronic duo GL and Melbourne soul singer Fraser A. Gorman — will come together to transform the festival into a late-night party destination below. Once you've worked up an appetite on the dance floor, you'll be able to dig into sophisticated snacks and sip on creative concoctions — including a complimentary welcome drink from Archie Rose. ARCHIE ROSE GIN BLENDING CLASS If you don't mind a cheeky G&T, head along to a blending class hosted by one of Archie Rose Distilling Co.'s gin wizards. Offering masterclasses across the four days, this is your chance to learn a little more about the history of the well-loved spirit and to blend your very own 200ml bottle from a range of botanical distillates. Archie Rose was founded in Sydney just three years ago as the city's first working distillery since 1853, as well as a cocktail bar. But what the young brand lacks in age, it makes up for in excellently handcrafted gin, vodka and whisky. Whether you're new to the gin scene, dabble in home distilling or simply want to expand your knowledge of the spirit, the Archie Rose team are keen to share a gin-spirational class with you. CREATIVE COLABS This exclusive collaboration project will unite local chefs and artists in arguably the most exciting new event to grace Taste 2017. Four of Melbourne's top chefs will team up with graffiti artists, designers and sculptors to create an iconic dish and limited edition artwork exclusively for the festival. Mamasita's Michael Smith is one of the four. He's pairing up with street artist Josh Muir (you might have seen his work at White Night 2016) to concoct offerings inspired by Mexico. Shadowboxer head chef Liz Contini will also take part, collaborating with illustrator and photographer Evie Cahir, while celebrity chef Scott Pickett, of ESP and Estelle Bistro, and artist Geoff Nees will share their love of minimalism to create something truly special. The Press Club's superstar owner and chef George Calombaris will also grace the festival, working with artist Ash Keating (pictured) on a creative passion project. OPENING NIGHT TENTH BIRTHDAY BASH Don't miss the chance to celebrate a decade of Taste at the Opening Night Birthday Bash. Both a celebration of Melbourne's food scene and a reflection of what it has produced over the past ten years — food trends, signature dishes and drink concoctions — the party will see some of the city's best chefs, bartenders and musicians come together for a night of fun. The celebration will be held in a boho sanctuary with Persian rugs, comfy couches and a spacious dance floor (so you can show off all your best moves). Alongside snacks and and free-flowing wine, there'll be sweets created by Glace's Christy Tania. Tania will be creating the dessert in collaboration with a clothing designer so assume it'll be equally wearable and edible. TASTE TIPIS For a more glamorous Taste experience, book a session at one of the festival's new Taste Tipis. These luxurious tents are arguably the most indulgent way to sample all the festival has to offer. Each tipi can fit up to ten people and each comes with a personal host to deliver drinks to your group. Savour the moment as you sit back and relax in your little piece of paradise overlooking the rest of the festival. BAKING CLASSES AT THE LURPAK BAKERY Want to know the secret to perfect pastry? Keen to refine your tart-making skills but don't know where to start? Book in for a class at Taste's Lurpak Bakery, and master the art of baking. At the intimate 30-minute sessions, you'll quickly learn that great baked goods start with premium quality ingredients — especially when it comes to butter. Instructed by professional bakers and pastry chefs, participants will have the chance to get hands-on in the kitchen and try out their new skills, then enjoy their freshly baked, buttery creations. Keen to taste more? Visit Taste of Melbourne from Thursday, November 30 to Sunday, December 3 at Yarra Park. Find tickets to these events and more on here.
Come springtime in Melbourne, few things are more certain than hideous bouts of hay fever and hay fever-like symptoms, largely brought on by the wildly shedding London plane trees dotted all over town. Don't usually get hay fever? Pfft — these trees don't even care, they'll get you anyway. So there's set to be a whole lot fewer weeping eyeballs and scratchy throats, with news the bane of your spring existence is getting uprooted. Well, mostly. City of Melbourne has announced that it'll progressively replace a bunch of the troublesome trees with less irritating species planted throughout the city. Most of the plane trees were planted in the 80s and 90s, deemed beneficial for their big, shady foliage and ability to grow speedily even in harsh conditions. Less fun is the fact that they shed leaf shoots and 'trichomes' (hairs) at a crazy rate, right when pollen levels are peaking. While the most common cause of hay fever is grass pollen, the plane trees can cause serious nose, throat, eye and skin irritation — which is similar to hay fever symptoms. It's unsurprising the planes are giving you nightmares, since they make up a whopping 70 percent of the CBD's tree population. And as far as the overall tree population on public City of Melbourne land goes, these guys are currently sitting at nine percent — the aim is to have no tree species clocking in at more than five percent. Many red-eyed, itchy-nosed Melburnians have taken to social media to celebrate the news of the plant trees demise. https://twitter.com/MrTimCallanan/status/1187170383742431232 https://twitter.com/MomentsAU/status/1187213385093402624 https://twitter.com/carlyfindlay/status/1187202141011660800 The Council plans to reduce the plane trees' dominance by investing $4.2 million into planting 3400 new trees over the next year, favouring a mix of local and foreign species that are well suited to Aussie weather and resilient to the impacts of climate change. Its research has flagged the likes of Moreton Bay figs, jacarandas and sweet gums as ideal replacements. Some plane trees have already been axed from Lygon Street (between Victoria Street and Queensberry Street), Lonsdale Street (between Elizabeth Street and Swanston Street), and stretches of both Russell Street and Exhibition Street. Plane trees are also being removed from along Southbank Boulevard, to be replaced with over 300 lemon scented gums, red iron barks and liquidamber trees. To find out more about the City of Melbourne's plane tree replacement plan and its overall Urban Forest Strategy, head to the City of Melbourne website. Top image: Josie Withers for Visit Victoria.
New Year's Eve means different things to different people — but if celebrating it in the biggest way possible is your approach each year, then you've likely either made a date with Beyond The Valley before or wanted to. Need some motivation to head to the festival at Barunah Plains in Victoria to celebrate 2025 turning into 2026? Dom Dolla, Addison Rae, Kid Cudi and Turnstile should be plenty. That's who is headlining across the Sunday, December 28, 2025–Thursday, January 1, 2026 event — and yes, if you fancy spending the New Year's Eve countdown with Dom Dolla, you can. This lineup is also a helluva way for Beyond The Valley to mark a milestone, given that it's the fest's tenth anniversary. Dom Dolla will cap off a year that's already spanned soldout Madison Square Garden gigs, plus stints at Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, EDC Las Vegas and Ultra Miami — and will see him play his biggest-ever Aussie headline show at Allianz Stadium in Sydney in December. For Addison Rae, this is her Australian festival debut. Kid Cudi heads Down Under for the first time in a decade, too. The lineup also spans Spacey Jane, I Hate Models, KETTAMA, Chris Stussy, Ben Böhmer, The Temper Trap and Luude, plus JoJo doing an Australian-exclusive show, as well as 070 Shake, DJ HEARTSTRING, VTSS, SWIM, Pegassi, Channel Tres, Balu Brigada, Fcukers, Jane Remover, Miss Kaninna and a heap more. New for 2025 is The Lounge Room, with Kat Sasso hosting podcasters and other folks getting chatting — such as Undiagnosed Anthony; AFL footballer Tom Mitchell with the Ball Magnets podcast; more Aussie Rules stars thanks to Sam Draper, Nick Butler and Charlie Comben; Dr Esmé Louise James; Sez; Ash McGregor; and David The Medium. Plus, stage-wise, the Valley Stage is getting a new look and the Dance Dome is scoring a revamp. You'll also be able to enjoy a wellness program featuring meditation, saunas and cold plunges, for relaxing between sets. Beyond the Valley 2025 Lineup Dom Dolla Addison Rae Kid Cudi Turnstile Spacey Jane I Hate Models KETTAMA Chris Stussy Ben Böhmer The Temper Trap Luude JoJo 070 Shake DJ HEARTSTRING VTSS Patrick Mason SWIM Prospa Josh Baker NOTION Pegassi Cassian Channel Tres Mallrat Balu Brigada Fcukers glaive Jazzy ZULAN sim0ne TEED Bad Boombox b2b mischluft Clouds bullet tooth KILIMANJARO Narciss not without friends Juicy Romance Ollie Lishman Chromeo (DJ set) RONA. Bella Claxton DICE Jane Remover Julia Wolf Young Franco Kaiit Miss Kaninna 49th & Main Dombresky BL3SS Torren Foot B2B Airwolf Paradise ATRIP Linska CYRIL HoneyLuv Larissa Lambert Inside Kru Tyson O'Brien SYREETA TV Rock Willo Sex Mask BOY SODA The Tullamarines EGOISM Chloe Parché Brent Honey Emma Moon Morphena MAD.DAY Mell Hall Tina Disco Séarlait House Mum B2B Haus of Ralph Loosie Grind Afrodisiac B2B Baby G Cooper Smith Mon Franco Bertie Shanti The Lounge Room hosted by Kat Sasso 200 Plus Ash McGregor Ball Magnets Club Elevate David The Medium Esmé Louise James Sez Undiagnosed Anthony Teach Us Consent Beyond The Valley images: Lady Drewniak, Ashlea Caygill, Kelsey Zafiridies.
In 2025, Sydney Opera House's annual All About Women festival is welcoming than 50 speakers, including artists, thinkers and storytellers from both Australia and overseas, to explore gender, equality and justice. This year's lineup will participate in sessions that span women in sport and the influence of the Matildas, racism and sexism in the music industry, the impacts of skincare routines, and plenty more. For 13 years, marking International Women's Day with talks, panels, workshops and performances has been as easy as attending this highlight of the cultural calendar — a must-attend event not only in Sydney, but also nationally in recent years, thanks to the streaming of sessions online (which continues in 2025). For this year, Kate Berlant and Gina Chick joined the All About Women bill first, as did the return of the Feminist Roast. Kara Swisher, Rachel House, Jaguar Jonze and Grace Tame are among the folks joining them come Saturday, March 8–Sunday, March 9. Berlant is making her first trip Down Under, with the comedian and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Don't Worry Darling and A League of Their Own actor set to debut a new stand-up show. Alone Australia's first-season winner Chick is on the bill fresh from releasing her memoir We Are the Stars in October, and will chat about following your own path, grief and resourcefulness. On a lineup overseen by the Sydney Opera House Talks & Ideas team — as led by Chip Rolley, alongside 10 News First's Narelda Jacobs and actor and writer Michelle Law — journalist and Burn Book: A Tech Love Story author Swisher will dig into the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter, while Heartbreak High star and The Mountain director House will chat through the importance of community and her Māori culture in her career. Jonze is on the panel discussing the present state of the music industry, as is Barkaa. And Tame is part of the Feminist Roast alongside Michelle Brasier, Nakkiah Lui, Lucinda 'Froomes' Price and Steph Tisdell. The Tillies are on the roster via former Matildas goalkeeper Lydia Williams, plus Football Australia, the Matildas and the ParaMatildas Media Manager Ann Odong, with their session exploring the current situation for women in sport. Elsewhere, Dr Michelle Wong, Jessica DeFino and Yumi Stynes — plus Price again — will examine the impacts of beauty standards, especially upon younger generations. All About Women's 2025 program also spans sessions on the women who gave testimony at the Ghislaine Maxwell trial, the rise of domestic violence-related deaths in Australia, systems that are meant to protect First Nations children, perimenopause and how women's health is being commercialised, tradwives, grief, motherhood, the nation's declining birth rate, bodily autonomy and abortion, and being friends for life.
April 14, 2018, will forever go down in history as the day Beyoncé took to the Coachella stage and made it her own. If you were lucky enough to be there, you'll no doubt remember it forever. If you watched the live stream — and it became the most-watched live-streamed performance of all time, so you probably did — then you'll never forget it either. Whichever category you fell into, you likely wish you were closer to the action — to the stage for the 137-minute performance, to the 100-plus dancers, to its powerful homage to America's historically black colleges and universities, and to the backstage antics as well. Enter Netflix's Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé, the concert documentary you definitely knew you needed, but didn't know existed until now. Yesterday, Wednesday, April 17, the streaming platform released the in-depth look at Bey's epic show, revealing "the emotional road from creative concept to cultural movement". Like the real-life performance, the film clocks in at 137 minutes, so expect a lengthy and intimate tour through the festival set everyone has been talking about for a year, including behind-the-scenes footage and candid chats that delve into the preparation process and Bey's stunning vision. You know what else is lengthy? The 40-track live album Bey just dropped on Spotify. Yep, the Queen has blessed us on two platforms this week. We are not worthy. As well as live renditions of 'Sorry', 'Crazy in Love' and 'Soldier' — the latter which was performed with former Destiny's Child group mates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams — from Coachella, the album, also called Homecoming, features a song by Blue Ivy (Bey's daughter) and two bonus tracks. It's also doubly exciting that the album is available on the easier-to-access Spotify, as Bey dropped her most-recent album Lemonade exclusively on Tidal, her husband Jay-Z's streaming service. The long weekend is here. You have four hours of Beyoncé content to consume. Happy listening and viewing, friends. Head to Netflix to watch Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé and listen to the album below:
Praise be to science, the invisible threads that make sense of our nonsensical existence. From the cosmic majesty of astronomy to the life-saving arts of medicine, we owe a great deal to science. And, while we all spend our lives surrounded by it, let's not take it for granted. Science and the experts who champion it deserve to be celebrated — and that's exactly what happens at events like the World Science Festival Brisbane. This annual event series, taking place between Friday, March 15 and Sunday, March 24, puts the top experts from every field front and centre to talk about the wonders and mysteries of science, both the fun and important kinds. With the 2024 iteration of the World Science Festival just around the corner, here are eight events we are not going to miss. 'An Afternoon of Science' with Leigh Sales, Annabel Crabb and guests — Saturday, March 23 If there are two hosts suited to lead a discussion about the all-encompassing joys and wonders of all things scientific, it's these two entertaining, intelligent women. Leigh Sales needs no introduction; anyone who has paid attention to the news in Australia in the past ten years will recognise her and that oh-so-familiar ABC anchor voice. Joining her is an equally influential name in media, commentary and creativity: Annabel Crabb. Together, the two of them host a much-loved podcast and have recently co-authored a book, but for WSFB they'll lead a conversation with some yet-to-be-announced special guests about everything exciting happening in science. Buy tickets now. 'ADA' by Karina Smigla-Bobinski — Friday, March 15 to Sunday, March 24 For something interactive, it's worth considering Curiocity Brisbane and its range of artworks running alongside WSFB 2024. Chief among them is an interactive piece titled ADA at the Cultural Forecourt in South Bank. On the surface, it's a white room containing a floating plastic orb, an orb that bears several charcoal sticks and an open encouragement for visitors to push it around as they please. The idea of the piece is more nuanced. In giving it a nudge, you contribute to the growing web of markings on the walls, ceiling and floor as the orb moves around the room. It's a lovely callback to the earliest form of human communication: drawing on the walls. It's also a tribute by German artist Karina Smigla-Bobinski to Ada Lovelace, a visionary figure in early computing. Buy tickets now. 'Cultivating the Future of Food' with Rhianna Patrick and guests — Thursday, March 22 As entertaining as a floating orb of charcoal pencils is, it's not exactly something that the future of humanity depends on. A much more significant subject in that realm of interest is the issue of food; rather, the increasing risk of food shortages in a future shaped by climate change. That's the issue on hand for this panel of experts, led by Torres Strait Islander journalist and broadcaster Rhianna Patrick. The First Nations people of Australia (and the world) have championed sustainable food practices since the dawn of civilisation so what can we take from that knowledge and apply to the future? Patrick and her guests, Suzanne Thompson and Madonna Thompson, will lead an insightful discussion to address that question. Buy tickets now. 'The Earth Above: A Deep Time View of Australia's History' — March 15 to March 24 One of the most popular destinations during WSFB is the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium, famous for its immersive dome cinema. This year, the starring show is a movie-length visual presentation on the huge dome screen, one that charts 140,000 years of Australian natural and cultural history. To explore that history, audiences will be transported to four locations across the country: Girraween Lagoon on Larrakia and Wulna Country near Darwin; Cloggs Cave on GunaiKurnai Country in Victoria's Gippsland region; Lake Mungo in NSW on the land of the Barkandji/Paakantyi, Ngiyampaa and Mutthi Mutthi people; and Jiigurru (Lizard Island) on the Great Barrier Reef, which is sacred to many, including the Dingaal people. Buy tickets now. 'Night of the Nerds' — Saturday, March 23 'Night of the Nerds' is a WSFB tradition, regularly adding a splash of hilarity to the festival program. In essence, it's a quiz show starring Aussie comedians and scientists putting their combined knowledge to the test. Hosted by whip-smart comedian Mark Humphries, two teams will enter but only one can be crowned nerds supreme. The games will star Chaser comedian Craig Reucassel, broadcaster Nate Byrne and astrophysicist Kirsten Banks, Professor Paul Young, Dr Naomi Koh Belic and more. The night will also feature a band comprised of Brisbane music luminaries like The Grates' Patience Hodgson, Velociraptor's Georgie Browning, Ball Park Music's Jen Boyce and Paul Furness, and Simi Lacroix. Buy tickets now. 'Social Science' — Friday, March 22 Another WSFB favourite, 'Social Science', is an after-dark transformation of the Queensland Museum into a space of celebration where art and science become one. Grab a science-themed cocktail from the bar and explore the museum to find one of the many free workshops and activities scattered across level two of the museum. Explore and you'll find a fashion show, live podcast recording, a drag show, live painting, an insect-pinning workshop, multiple dancefloors and after-dark entry to two of the museum's most popular exhibits: The Hatchery and Jurassic World by Brickman®. Buy tickets now. 'Life on Mars' with Graham Phillips and guests — Friday, March 22 For as long as humans have existed, we've been fascinated by the night sky. How could we not be? That beautiful mosaic has enchanted and inspired us, and as technology has taken us higher, we've started to explore it more and more. In this expert-led panel, astrophysicist and science journalist Graham Phillips will lead a conversation about the mysteries of the universe as we know them in 2024. Joining him will be Professor Tamara Davis, an accomplished astrophysicist who will share her knowledge on dark energy and the continuing expansion of the universe; Professor Kathleen Campbell, a leading expert on astrobiology who can offer insights on the ongoing search for alien life — and finally Professor Martin Van Kranendonk, an expert in early Earth research and how that can help us explore our solar system. Buy tickets now. 'Space Rocks to Moon Rocks: Paths to Life in the Solar System' — Saturday, March 23 If the solar system and the mysteries of the universe is exactly your kind of jam, then this is the unmissable event for you. Over the past few years, NASA has been set on answering fundamental questions like how our solar system came to be, how life on earth was sparked, and more. To do so, three famous missions were launched: Osiris Rex, Artemis and Perseverance Rover. What samples of the universe have these expeditions sent home? What can we learn? Discussing these questions and what this means for our many questions will be a panel made up of Professor Brian Greene, astrobiologist David Flannery and planetary researcher Phil Bland, three experts who together will do their best to chart the story of our planetary neighbourhood. Buy tickets now. World Science Festival Brisbane runs from Friday, March 15 to Sunday, March 24. For more information or to book tickets to one of the events, visit the website.
This artist refuses to stop sliding. Longtime lover of the playground staple, Carsten Höller has been bringing slides into his work since the '90s. Now he's installed a colossal freestanding slide at Swiss furniture company Vitra's campus in Weil am Rhein, Germany. Off-time just got a whole lot better for Vitra residents. Höller's latest piece, straightforwardly named Vitra Slide Tower (2014), stands at a whopping 100 feet tall. It's also a clock. Why not. “I think it would change our lives if we could slide more,” Höller told the New York Times. True that, imagine sliding from bed to work instead of that dastardly train trip. You're feeling a cheeky second morning coffee but you work in a walk-up? Sliiiiiide. You're running late but the nearest bus stop is at least twenty minutes down the hill thattaway? Sliiiiiide. You despise the Goo Goo Dolls but your housemate just cranked their Party of Five-friendly '98 single? Sliiiiiide. Höller has been using slides in his work since 1998, from the Berlin Biennale to his hugely popular 2007 work Test Site in the Turbine Hall at London's Tate Modern. More recently, Höller installed a spiralling tube slide through all four floors of NYC's New Museum as part of his stunning 2011-12 takeover exhibition Experience. You'd jump in here... ... shoot through here... ... end up here. Then race back up stairs, push the kiddies out of the way and ART AGAIN! But there's more to sliding than "WEEEEEEEEE!" Höller more eloquently quotes French sociologist Roger Caillois in his New York Times interview, seeing structures as more than their functional ability to transport things — creating what he calls a "voluptuous panic" during sliding. Höller's love for sliding is reminscent of the time a UK artist decided to build a giant Slip N Slide through Bristol, primarily because he was jaded by how people move from A to B. Either way, dudes know how to party. Via artnet and New York Times.
It would certainly be Schmuck-like (that is, foolish) not to visit one of the best bagel masters in town. Schmucks Bagels go way beyond the average poppy seed bagel, serving adventurous options such as the Hippie Slicker — a seeded bagel filled with turmeric-roasted cauliflower, hummus, watercress and tomato — and the Oy Vey, filled with pulled pork, harissa slaw and tonkatsu. Sure, the store is small, but it's totally defying what can be crammed into a round of boiled bread. While Schmucks concede that bagels are now seen as an American thing, it prides itself on tracing the history of bagels back to the 17th century Jewish bakeries of Poland, and its story is goes back to owner Jeremy Marmur's grandfather, a holocaust survivor who allowed his grandson to binge on bagels as a child. If we're going to trust anyone with a bagel in Melbourne — it's these guys. The bagels here are steamed rather than boiled, giving it a lighter texture and a full-flavoured taste. They come in a variety including sesame, seedy grain, blueberry or rye with condiments including almond butter, Nutella and cream cheese. The breakfast menu is elaborate, with 'Avo Our Way' catering for the vegetarians, while the sausage and egg filling with Kewpie mayo and iceberg is up there with the best. The 'All-Day- bagels include a nod to their Polish origins, with a turkey breast, hickory smoked bacon, kewpie, tomato and melted cheese option available, while the truffle pepperoni is a nod to New York. There are jars too, filled with either passionfruit yoghurt and dried berries or buckwheat granola with coconut yoghurt and almond milk. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Bagels in Melbourne for 2023
Speculation or humanity's certain future? Thinking about which of those two options best fits MIRRORSCAPE is part of the experience of viewing Théo Mercier's latest work. The end of the world has arrived at Mona. Where a library once sat, sand and water has been shaped into a debris-strewn post-disaster landscape. It's all in the name of art, of course — Dark Mofo is still on the calendar for 2025; after becoming the first museum in the world to receive Wu-Tang Clan's rare Once Upon a Time in Shaolin album on loan earlier in 2024, the Tasmanian gallery hasn't dropped the mic and said goodbye — but as the piece's title makes plain, MIRRORSCAPE just might be a reflection of what's to come. Making his Australian debut, French artist Mercier has moulded 80 tonnes of Tasmanian sand into a vision of life overrun by catastrophe — and as it displays for 12 months, his giant sand sculpture will keep changing. First announced in late 2024, when it was initially called DARK TOURISM, the artwork was unveiled on Saturday, February 15, 2025. It'll show Monday, February 16, 2026, and the sand within it will do what sand does over that period: erode. "The earth shuffles and trembles. It is a collection of catastrophes and its surface bears witness to the natural and political changes — and cataclysms — that pass through it," explains Mercier about the piece. "In this work, devastation finds itself petrified in the stone, as if we opened a mountain here in Tasmania and discovered the great fossil of a disaster. We don't know whether this would have happened in the past or if it's a foreshadowing of the near future." "MIRRORSCAPE is a conflict suspended in time, quarantined inside a panoramic cell that recalls the scientific laboratory or a vivarium. It is something to be studied at a distance." Featuring sandy recreations of old utes, other upturned vehicles, mattresses, cushions, clothing, bricks pipes and much more, MIRRORSCAPE undeniably looks like the aftermath of the worst occurring, and unsurprisingly makes a statement about planet's changing climate — plus humanity's role in it, and in natural disasters. "Crafted entirely from Tasmanian sand, Théo's work is a reflection of the fragile and temporary nature of the world around us, and of life itself," notes Mona Curator Sarah Wallace. "I hope visitors will be drawn in by the intricate detail in this captivating installation, while considering the questions he raises about our ecological predicament." The piece originated from a trip to the Apple Isle by the artist. "When Théo was last in Hobart he said he was 'going for a walk'. He walked to the top of kunanyi. He's back, and he'll be doing something just as mad at Mona," added Mona Owner and Founder David Walsh. Given how it'll change over the course of 12 months, you won't want to see MIRRORSCAPE just once — if you can fit in two trips to Mona between now and February 2026. MIRRORSCAPE is on display at Mona, 655 Main Road, Berriedale, Tasmania until Monday, February 16, 2026. Head to the venue's website for more information. Images: Mona/Jesse Hunniford. Courtesy of the artist and the Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
Regional Victoria has scored a new waterfront craft booze destination, with the launch of Nagambie Brewery & Distillery. You'll find it just a 90-minute drive out of Melbourne, perched right on Lake Nagambie and boasting some primo water views. The site, once home to the town's police camp, has been transformed into a bright, sophisticated venue, at the hands of Melbourne architecture firm Six Degrees. It's an impressive space, featuring floor-to-ceiling lakeside windows, a bar crafted from brass, steel and concrete, and a sprawling deck over the water. The focus here is on bespoke beers and spirits, crafted on ingredients sourced as locally and sustainably as possible. There have been big efforts made to minimise the venue's carbon footprint and to reuse and recycle throughout. Nagambie Brewery & Distillery already has three house beers under its belt, with plans to launch a gin, vodka and whisky later this year. Many more drinks are in the pipeline, too. For now, the signatures are backed by a thoughtful curation of brews, wine and spirits. To match, is a food offering inspired by the smokehouses of America. Prepared by Head Chef Nigel Brown (The Middle Park Hotel, The Newmarket), the lineup includes burgers, woodfired pizzas and a selection of barbecue meats. You'll also find onsite cafe Ma Forbes Kitchen, which opened in 2019. Images: Gareth Sobey.
Fancy a stylish beachside escape where you can unwind with the help of salty air and stunning views? A trip to NSW's stunning Central Coast will tick all those boxes, no long-haul flight required. Located just over an hour north of Sydney, the region is peppered with designer beachfront abodes and charming coastal resorts promising holiday vibes on tap. We've done the hard work for you and pulled together 11 of the Central Coast's finest places to stay, each of which can be found on Concrete Playground Trips. Book your spot, pack a bag and get set for an indulgent weekend by the water. MANTRA ETTALONG BEACH Each and every one of the apartment-style accommodations (including studios, one and two-bedroom apartments and penthouses) look out over the Central Coast's picturesque Broken Bay, Brisbane Water and Lion Island. Expect large light-filled living spaces, fully equipped kitchenettes, an outdoor pool, heated spa, day spa and gymnasium all within the property's confines. This spot's got the lot. BOOK IT NOW. BLUE LAGOON BEACH RESORT You'll struggle to find a location as good as this one. Blue Lagoon Beach Resort is right on the water — just walk down a short path to find the Central Coast's Shelly Beach. Either opt for some of the large cabins — big enough to fit a large family or bunch of mates or bring your own camping gear to enjoy the area on a budget. Then all you have to do is enjoy this quiet area, spending days swimming at the beach or hiking up around the surrounding bushland. BOOK IT NOW. RAFFERTYS RESORT Raffertys Resort lies within a 38-acre parcel of land right on the shores of Lake Macquarie, just a 90-minute drive from Sydney (or 30 minutes south of Newcastle). Accompanying the various styles of self-contained accommodation (large houses, apartments and cottages) are four tennis courts, four pools, a boat ramp and resort jetty and access to a number of dining options on-site. It won't be hard to carve out your own personal patch of paradise. BOOK IT NOW. BEACHCOMBER HOTEL & RESORT The Beachcomber Hotel & Resort is an iconic waterfront destination located in the heart of the Central Coast, Toukley. With sweeping waterfront views, Hamptons-inspired ambience, boutique-style accommodation, an exclusive pool club and multiple eateries and bars, it's a damn good place to switch into holiday mode. Be sure to also check out its list of weekly events for live gigs, DJ sets and food and drink deals — taco and tequila Tuesdays are not to be missed. BOOK IT NOW. AVOCA BEACH HOTEL Avoca Beach Hotel is a small family-owned property that lies within 15 spacious acres of land nestled into the tree-covered hillside. Only 2km off Avoca Beach and the rockpool, and five minutes from some of the Central Coast's much-loved national parks, it's great for those looking to explore the region. And when you need some downtime, simply dip into one of the two onsite pools, grab some food on the newly renovated terrace, play a few sets on the tennis court and cook up some dinner at one of the barbecues — beer or spritz in hand. BOOK IT NOW. FORRESTERS BEACH RESORT This coastal property has recently had a big makeover and has now been transformed into a contemporary Hamptons-style retreat. The 34 guest rooms come with king-size beds, large two-person spas and private balconies, which either look out over the property's swimming pool with heated spa, waterfall, tropical native gardens or one of the lush courtyards. While here, you should also check out the rolling series of events taking place in the entertainment space and hit up the restaurant, bar and salon — it's treat yourself time. BOOK IT NOW. CROWNE PLAZA TERRIGAL Terrigal is a popular spot during summer, filling with out-of-towners seeking to escape the city without going deep into the wilderness — you've got great surf, plenty of restaurants and cafes, a few really good rooftop bars and streets filled with boutique stores for when you feel like a little late afternoon shopping. And Crowne Plaza is one of the most sought-after places to stay in town. The 4.5-star hotel has 199 guestrooms and boasts a bunch of luxe amenities, including an outdoor pool overlooking the beach, a day spa, two restaurants and its own cocktail bar. BOOK IT NOW. NRMA OCEAN BEACH HOLIDAY RESORT You've heard of glamping in safari tents, but have you heard about glamtainers? Now, this might just be a totally made-up word only used by NRMA, but we are all for it. The team here has turned shipping containers into small holiday homes, decked out with all the essentials — guests will have aircon, a kitchenette with a connected lounge and dining area, their own private bathroom and an outdoor deck with barbecue. But if that's not your vibe, these guys do have a bunch of cottages available, too. BOOK IT NOW. LASCALA HOLIDAY HOUSE This seven-bedroom home is made for big groups of mates or a couple of families who are looking for a glam getaway on the Central Coast. You can squeeze up to 22 people on beds. And it still doesn't feel cramped. That's thanks to the large rooms, plenty of common areas and the stunning pool that overlooks the water. It even has its own bar, billiards room, squash court and tennis court. This is the kind of place you'll remember staying at forever. BOOK IT NOW. GLENWORTH VALLEY ADVENTURES This huge property, set a few kilometres back from the beach, is known for being the place to go for horse-riding, quad biking, kayaking, abseiling and just about any other adventure activity. But there are also a whole host of accommodations — in the form of glamping tents and eco villas. Our favourites are the villas, especially the deluxe version that has its own woodfired hot tub. Escape to the country (even though you're just an hour or so out of Sydney) and either join in on the activities available or simply relax and enjoy nature. Choose your own adventure here. BOOK IT NOW. CAVES COASTAL BAR AND BUNGALOWS Stay at these bungalows, villas or the four-bedroom beach house to get direct access to the famous Caves Beach. It is but a few steps from the property. You can also wander in the opposite direction to find Lake Macquarie. Some of the best parts of the Central Coast are right here. And the accommodations are a bit alright, too. Expect contemporary Hamptons-style rooms with luxe amenities and access to the outdoor pool. Plus, if you book one of the bungalows, you'll get access to the adults-only part of the property. That means you'll be totally free from noisy kids. BOOK IT NOW. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips to destinations all over the world. Top image: Bouddi National Park, Destination NSW
Nestled in the terrace-lined backstreets of Prahran, this southside pub and bistro is a dependable local that no doubt gives its neighbours some grief over the weekend. In addition to the main bar, dining area, public bar, and bottle shop, the large astroturf-lined beer garden can house hundreds on hot summer days and conveniently has an outside bar to cater for it. While it can be hard to get a table during the infamous Sunday Sessions, during the week this place is a relaxed little hideaway from the hustle and bustle of Chapel Street and offers great specials on pub grub including a $12 locals' night on Mondays.
Affectionately known as T-Recs, this little Thornbury gem has a quality selection of records, assuring us of the discerning taste of the folk who run it. At Thornbury Records, the crew understand their clientele most likely use digital technology alongside vinyl, and thankfully offer vinyl to CD/MP3 transfers for those who want the best music on any platform. Thornbury also do repairs on record players, which we can say from experience has been extremely helpful and efficient.
Champagne flutes and caviar bumps. Gold-trimmed mirrors and tinkling diamond chandeliers. The crescendo of a saxophone on record and the kick of a burlesque dancer's heel into the air. It's not an evening at Mr Gatsby's estate or the teenage memories of your great-grandparents — it's a bar, hidden in Beaumaris of all places. Tucked away in the unassuming suburbs of Beaumaris, Le Bar Supper Club is an ode to the rip-roaring 20s. With a healthy dose of French flavours and a prohibition-era attitude, it's all about elegance and indulgence. The menu is packed with French flair. Besides the aforementioned caviar, there's oyster, lobster, octopus and a toasted baguette with honey and brie, just on the first page. Turn a page to find caramelised French onion soup, oak-cured smoked salmon, and chicken liver pate. The mains don't drop the crystal ball, with an eggplant and basil lasagne, twice-cooked duck leg à l'orange, a 220-gram aged Angus eye fillet and more on offer. Drinks are crafted by in-house sommelier and mixologist Jai Singh, who took notes from menus gone by. The signature cocktails are the kinds of beverages that are best discovered by your tastebuds, not your eyes, but each is inspired by popular drinks of the 19th and 20th centuries — star ingredients include Prohibition gin, caviar-washed Haku vodka, wattle-seed bourbon, maple whisky and Chartreuse. Then there's the events program. What good is a supper club without entertainment? Le Bar boasts a regular program of live jazz, swing and French music every Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday night, broken up by burlesque shows every Friday and Saturday night.
ACMI's new exhibition will take visitors on a ride through the formative days of film history. Created by Daniel Crooks with the help of the Ian Potter Moving Image Commission, Phantom Ride harkens back to the so-called phantom rides of the early 1900s, in which filmmakers attached cameras to the front of a vehicle to replicate the sensation of movement. In this contemporary take, Crooks has stitched together hours of disparate footage to create the illusion of a single journey. "Phantom Ride comes out of my long held fascination with the convergence of trains, the birth of cinema and modern ideas and representations of time," says the artist, who will also be on hand on the evening of Tuesday, February 23 to present a selection of his short film works on the big screen.
Here in Melbourne, there are loads of ways to cosy up on a frosty winter weekend, but bunkering down with a classic Sunday roast at your favourite local pub has to be one of our favourites. Juicy meat (or perhaps a plant-based alternative), crispy roasted veg, lashings of gravy, a couple of pints — those winter blues don't stand a chance when faced with that enviable situation. Now that Melbourne's chilliest season is settling in, we've teamed up with the City of Port Phillip to scout out the area's best Sunday roasts. From slow-cooked lamb shoulders to beef and Yorkshire pud, these beauts will prove the highlight of your weekend — and with zero kitchen time on your part. Book a table now to try one of the following roasts with the most.
Footscray's small bar scene might be booming, but its patrons have been faced with a little bit of a food conundrum. With most of these drinking dens operating sans kitchen, dinner options are largely limited to whatever nearby eateries are on the bars' delivery radars. Enter, Slice Shop Pizza, the latest offering from Burn City Smokers' Steve Kimonides and Raphael Guthrie. Slinging New York-style pizza by the slice, as well as 18-inch pies, it's the culinary accompaniment Footscray's drinking crowd has been waiting for. You'll find it perched on Nicholson Street, sporting just a few metres of standing room and four stools for those speedy dine-in sessions. Grab a slice to go, or order in from one of the nearby watering holes, including craft beer bar Mr West, which sits just across the street. The owners, both locals, have transformed a former discount supermarket into a laid-back lunch and dinner pit-stop, with a new home-spun fit-out thanks to the pair's own handiwork. Neon Slice Shop signage — in the AFL Western Bulldogs' signature red, white and blue — beckons from the window. The menu rotation runs to around seven core creations, with a daily special thrown in for good measure, and all slices kept to an easy $5. There might be a pork and fennel number — starring Italian sausage, mozzarella and roast peppers — a classic capricciosa or margherita, and maybe a mushroom, thyme and truffle concoction. Vegans will always find a plant-based pizza on offer, too. Glimpses of the duo's other life as barbecue masters shine through the menu every now and then, too, with the likes of Burn City's brisket or some slow-smoked pig's head making the odd cameo appearance. Regardless of toppings, expect chewy, foldable New York slices, crafted on tipo 00 flour and fired in an impressive Italian Moretti Forni oven. This beauty fits ten whole 18-inch pies at once and cooks them in about five minutes flat. Images: Parker Blain.
It's about to get a whole lot harder for any Victorian driver to get away with using their mobile phone while driving — and it's thanks to new safety cameras being installed to detect this and other illegal behaviour behind the wheel. After a successful three-month trial of the phone detection cameras last year, the Victorian Government has announced that it'll now spend $33.7 million to roll out the technology permanently across the state. It's also on track to introduce new legislation to penalise any offenders. The trial, which launched in July 2020, assessed 679,438 vehicles across various metropolitan and regional locations — and found one in 42 drivers using their phone illegally while driving. And since that was bang in the middle of Melbourne's lockdowns, when travel was at a minimum, it's likely the number of risky drivers caught would be even higher during regular times. So, how do the cameras work? Well, they use an AI system to snap high-resolution images of the front seat of the car, and those images can then be viewed in real time to detect folks using their phones while they're behind the wheel. During the trial, they also observed other risky behaviours including driving without a seatbelt, driving with pets on laps and driving without any hands on the steering wheel. The cameras can apparently operate in all conditions, day and night, and regardless of the weather. And according to research from Monash University Accident Research Centre, they have the potential to prevent around 95 casualty crashes each year. Up in Sydney, the camera technology has been in use since being rolled out permanently in late 2019. Before that, an initial six-month trial of the cameras in early 2019 spied more than 100,000 drivers illegally using their phones. In Victoria, operators are now set to engage in further consultation and the system will undergo testing, before being rolled out permanently across the state's roads by 2023. Once the technology is fully operational, any camera images deemed to identify a mobile phone offence will then be passed on to properly trained police personnel for verification, before a penalty is issued. Victoria's rollout of the safety cameras is expected to be completed by 2023. To find out more, head to the Victorian Government website.
We're already seriously spoilt for choice when it comes to standout Melbourne day spas, but it still doesn't seem like we have enough. Some of the most popular self-care havens have months-long waiting lists, and even the city's two new private wellness clubs booked out well before construction was completed. Clearly, we're all stressed out and in great need of calm. Enter Soak Bathhouse, the Gold Coast-born day spa chain that's set to open an enormous wellness paradise in South Yarra later this year. This will be Soak's first Melbourne site but fourth overall — with another already open in Brisbane, and one slated to launch in Bondi very soon. The new 700-square-metre spa is part of the $100 million Alfasi Development — located just behind Chapel Street — and will house a huge array of wellness amenities. Think: large mineral pools, hot spas, a dry cedarwood sauna, a steam room and cold plunge pools, all set in space filled with verdant greenery. Private infrared saunas, LED facials and full-body massages are also on the menu. Like its other locations, Soak's upcoming South Yarra site has a strong focus on socialising. You can come here for a solo retreat, but it is mostly designed for self-care catch-ups with mates. This means that chatting is welcome, and the spa won't be silent. "Our goal is to provide a welcoming space where people can come together, relax, and build meaningful connections. Whether it's a solo visit to unwind after a long day or a social outing with friends, Soak Bathhouse makes wellness easy and offers a versatile environment that caters to various wellness needs," comments Co-Founder Niki Dean. Melbourne spas that encourage socialising are hard to find, making Soak Bathhouse South Yarra a wellness destination with a difference. [caption id="attachment_832442" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Soak Bathhouse in Brisbane[/caption] Soak Bathhouse South Yarra is slated to open in late 2024 at 10 River Street, South Yarra. For more details, you can visit the venue's website.
Everyone has their favourite local cafe. Whether you're in for a morning coffee or a genius sandwich, there's always a handful of go-to, never-fail, delightfully reliable places that you know and love within a stone's throw of your door. So in the spirit of sharing, we thought we'd let you in on a few of our writers' favourite picks, in partnership with Milklab and its brand-new oat milk. These are the great Melbourne cafes that helped our team get through lockdown — and are now helping us stay fuelled in the reopened city. TICKLED PINK, ELWOOD A recently opened sister site to the Thornbury cafe of the same name, Tickled Pink on Elwood's leafy Tennyson Street is all about good coffee, good food and good vibes. The menu features updated takes on classic breakfast and lunch dishes — pumpkin spiced bircher muesli, chilli eggs, feta and house-made chilli on a croissant and truffle benedict on Alaysa bread. There's also a great selection of cold-pressed juices, milkshakes and smoothies to wash it all down. When it comes to the coffee, Tickled Pink's Milklab oat cap is impressively creamy with just the right amount of froth. [caption id="attachment_809989" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tofu Studio[/caption] KELSO'S SANDWICH SHOPPE, ABBOTSFORD Since 2016, Kelso's has been a northside go-to for sandwiches, burgers or a New York-style chop cheese. Take a seat at the old-school, loosely American-style diner and order a cup of Coffee Supreme house blend filter, then roll up your sleeves to get involved with sambos like the Tuck Shop Salad which is a nostalgic must-try, or the excellent tuna melt. Pair your sandwich with crispy fries or hash browns, which are very hard to say no to. You'll also find regular weekend specials that are worth looking out for. COMMA TUCKSHOP, MOORABBIN Tucked away in the backstreets of Moorabbin, Comma Tuckshop knows a thing or two about good quality coffee, bagels and salads. The cafe on Tuck Street, an offshoot of nearby wine bar Comma Food & Wine, specialises in loaded gourmet bagels. We're talking the likes of Ora King salmon cured overnight in peppercorns, coriander seeds and chilli, paired with caper cream cheese, house pickles, red onion and dill; or Cape Grim hanger steak, which comes with potato chips and dill-pickle mayo and smoked scamorza. If you feel like something lighter, you can grab the superfood-packed chermoula cauliflower salad with freekeh. CABIN, HAMPTON Cabin is a light-filled café in the heart of Hampton with a suitably relaxed and cosy vibe. The north-facing spot is perfect on sunny days for both brunch with mates or for a solo coffee and a read in the rays. Seasonal produce is championed throughout the tidy all-day menu, which also includes a number of baked goods if you're after something snack-sized. Cabin also offers the answer to any smoothie or milkshake cravings you might have, with a very decent selection of both on offer. [caption id="attachment_831729" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bold & Italic Media[/caption] BICYCLE THIEVES, NORTHCOTE With a name that pays tribute to Northcote's Italian heritage, High Street's Bicycle Thieves is named after the classic 1948 Italian film of the same name. Yet despite nodding to overseas roots, everything here is made from scratch in-house including butter which is churned daily. There's plenty of space both inside and out and the cafe caters to all dietary requirements and cravings, with a creative, all-day menu that spans crumpets to ramen. Coffee by Duke is complemented by an impressive drinks list, from cold brew to kombucha to a selection of brunch-ready cocktails. MACKIE, MULGRAVE Mackie is a beautiful sun-filled cafe just off Mulgrave's Mackie Road that offers an extensive breakfast and lunch menu. For breakfast, it's hard to go past the curry- and coriander-accented chilli scramble, or 'banoffles' (that's Belgian waffles with banana, ice cream, salted caramel, strawberries and walnuts). The lunch menu includes classic cafe fare prepared well. A chilli-spiked burrito bowl, Moroccan lamb shoulder and a Southern-style fried chicken burger all feature. Don't skip the coffee here, either — the award-winning house blend features notes of cocoa and berry, boasts a smooth body and long, sweet finish, flavours which are further enhanced with the addition of Milklab oat. We challenged one of our writers to switch to oat milk for a week. Find out what they discovered here. Ask your barista for Milklab Oat or head to the website for more information. Top image: Bicycle Thieves by Bold & Italic Media
Whether you're self-isolating or social-distancing, we bet your couch has seen more of you in the past week than it has all year long. And if you've been looking for some motivation to (temporarily) pause powering through your chocolate reserves and flipping between Netflix and COVID-19 news, here it is: free fun workouts. While you can't get to the gym or go to your bootcamp, you can work up a sweat at home without spending a dime — and without running 66 kilometres in laps around your apartment like this guy. Here are some actually fun (and free) ways to work out at home. NIKE TRAINING CLUB If you want to get fit like the pros, the Nike Training Club is the way to do it. The app offers over 190 free workouts focused on strength training, cardio, endurance and even yoga and mobility. These workouts have been designed by the Nike Master Trainers, who offer video guidance via the app. Workouts are designed for all fitness levels and heaps are body weight-only, so you don't need at-home equipment, either. The more workouts you complete, the more customised the app becomes, and it even offers daily recommendations for regular users. Basically, it's created to make you feel like you have a personal trainer in your living room. Download the free Nike Training Club app for iOS or Android. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--jhKVdZOJM YOGA WITH ADRIENE Yoga trainer Adriene Mishler must be doing something right — she has over 6.55 million subscribers to her YouTube channel. Her chilled-out and calming disposition make her one of the best online yogis out there. And she has a lot of videos up, with more to come, too — so you you won't run out of workouts anytime soon. Her classes are also much more specialised than your average hatha, with videos themed around yoga for almost anything and anyone. Yoga for hangovers. Yoga for writers. Yoga for chefs. For runners, self-love, cramps, couch potatoes and lower back pain — which may be particularly important in this work-from-home culture. Mishler also offers a 30-day class flow, which you can follow along with daily. Oh, and you'll also get to work out with her dog, Benjamin the blue heeler. Check out all of Yoga with Adriene's videos on her YouTube channel. SMILING MIND Odds are, you aren't just going stir crazy physically, but mentally, too. It's important now more than ever to check in with yourself, watch your stress levels and look after your mental health. One of the ways to do this from home is through guided meditation. While there are heaps of meditation and mindfulness apps out there, Smiling Mind is absolutely free. So, you can enjoy all of the benefits of a meditation guru without the monthly subscription fee — and without leaving the house. The app only suggests ten minute a day, so it isn't a huge commitment, either. Its offering is broken down into age groups, too, and even offers meditation for kids and teenagers. Download the free Smiling Mind app for iOS or Android. 30-DAY SQUAT CHALLENGE When you're staring down the barrel of a few weeks (or more) at home, it can be good to have a daily exercise goal to keep you sane. This 30-Day Squat Challenge app offers just that. The month-long workout plan focuses on — you guessed it — squats, but there isn't just one way to do this move, either. The app focuses on a whopping 13 squat variations used across six different workouts. The intensity of the workout increases by the day, so that on day 30 you'll be a squat master — and have the booty to show for it. Download the free 30 Day Squat Challenge app for iOS or Android. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofddKYnkxTQ&t=5s THE FITNESS MARSHALL For a fun workout at home (that'll have you smiling if not sweating), it's time to start following fitness teacher Caleb Marshall. His YouTube channel already has 2.3 million subscribers, and for good reason — his workouts are actually fun. They're more dance classes than workouts, and you'll be grooving along to pop songs. Think Work by Rhianna, Truth Hurts by Lizzo and Womanizer by Britney Spears. Marshall's dance moves are for novices, not the pros — so anyone really can join in. And most of his videos are only the length of one song (three–four minutes long), so you can even dance along as part of a quick five-minute break. Check out all of The Fitness Marshall's videos on his YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukDLb3rAmTY JANE FONDA ON BEFIT If you haven't watched the famous 1982 VHS Jane Fonda's Workout, you've definitely heard of it. Selling over 17 million copies, the video workout accompanied Fonda's bestselling book of the same name. While you can't watch the OG VHS for free, you can watch a heap of Fonda's slightly-more-recent videos on the BeFit YouTube channel. These oldies-but-goodies are fun, easy and a bit of a laugh. Fonda offers a wide range of workouts, from cardio and fat burning to yoga energy booster and even a questionable dance class. So dust off your leg warmers and sweatbands and prepare for some indoor aerobics. Check out all of BeFit's Jane Fonda YouTube videos over here.
For 14 years, The Bendigo Hotel (affectionately known as The Bendi) was one of Melbourne's top spots for live metal, rock and punk music gigs, but it was forced to shut in March 2024. Fortunately, it wasn't gone for long, as The Mill Brewery crew decided to take over the pub, promising to bring live music gigs back to the famed Johnston Street spot. And they've done just that. The site reopened in September 2024, and it immediately had a stacked lineup of gigs scheduled for the year. Punk, metal and rock bands still dominate the stage, so loyal fans of the former Bendi need not worry about the new owners changing too much here. But, of course, The Mill Brewery team made some improvements when it took over the pub. First off, you'll now find a great new sound system — a QSC L-Class Line Array PA with some serious subs on either side. TAG and Pink Noise were brought on to make sure everything was tailor-made for the venue. Local booking agent Kit Atkinson (Social State Entertainment) has been brought on to lead the live music revival, bringing their extensive experience with artists and venues both locally and internationally. You'll also find a lightly refurbed front bar, lounge with a fireplace, pool table, 'Altered Beast' arcade machine (a relic making the trip down from The Mill Brewery's former venue), dining room that transforms into a bandroom by night and a sun-drenched beer garden — which is dog-friendly. Food has also been upgraded, with Dingo Ate My Taco taking over the kitchen — serving up casual Tex-Mex eats. The Mill Brewery beer taps were understandably the prime focus in the newly outfitted front bar, lined with dark timber panelling and accented with deep tones of burgundy and black. You'll find a Mill Brewery beer focus here — not surprising — plus all your usual pub drink offerings. By the looks of it, The Bendigo Hotel hasn't lost any of its charm. The Mill Brewery team isn't trying to make it all glam and polished. A local live music pub, The Bendi remains — thank the restoration gods.
Melbourne loves a good pop-up almost as much as we also love Mexican inspired anything. Las Laneway Fiesta from Si Senor Pop Up Art Taqueria brings these two favoured somethings together in a perfect marriage over four weekends. The work of four up-and-coming street artists will offer an aesthetic accompaniment to the tasty tacos, with an additional ten artists part of the wider festival. Speaking of tacos, they will be served courtesy of ex Mamasita Chef Guillermo Ortiz, to be washed down with tequila and mezcal cocktails by Cabo Wabo and Espolon. Expect Latin beats, a cool visual projection from the peeps behind White Night Melbourne (Projection Teknik) and live graffiti in this all round Mexican fiesta. Leave the fish bowl at home — that's just tacky!
There is nothing wrong with grown ups playing with Lego. Just ask architectural artist Adam Reed Tucker. In collaboration with Lego, Reed has created two new series in the Lego line which aim to celebrate the world's most iconic landmarks by bringing them to Lego life. For Reed, the humble lego brick has been somewhat of a revelation and he sees his mini lego creations as 'interpretations rather than replicas'. And he's right. Despite the fact that his creations are made of a toy you may have tried to eat as a toddler, they are undeniably sophisticated, artistic and a challenging exercise in right-brained fun. The Lego Architectural line consists of a Landmark Series and an Architect Series. The landmark series allows architectural enthusiastics to assemble their very own Empire State Building, White House or Rockerfeller Center, while the architect series pays homage to some of the world's greatest architects, in particular Frank Lloyd Wright. There is both a Lego creation of Wright's Solomon R. Guggneheim Museum and his Fallingwater, now one of the world's most famous and visited residences. The Lego Architectural line is a fresh and clever take on a much loved old toy , and a great gift for the young (or not so young) architects in your life. Or you might just want to keep it for yourself.
As far as food preservation methods go, smoking might just be the tastiest. It's one of the oldest ways of keeping food edible for long amounts of time, but nowadays, its popularity probably has more to do with how tasty the results are. "You can't really recreate it, that extra flavour you get from the wood and the charcoal," says Jose Lagos, head chef at The Erko in Sydney, "you can't get that any other way." In case you haven't noticed, smoking has become something of a trend for all kinds of food — and even drink. Take for example the Wild Turkey Kentucky Firebird cocktail smoking things up at The Beaufort and Ike's every Thursday this month until June 15. Obviously, smoking stuff now applies to more than just meats. So, how can you bring this trend home and start smoking things in your own kitchen? We caught up with Jose, as well as Jaimee Edwards from Sydney's Cornersmith and Eli Challenger of Challenger Smallgoods (who both teach Cornersmith workshops on home smoking if you find yourself in Sydney) to chat about the best ways to start smoking your own food and drink at home. From meats to vegetables, drinks to dairy to desserts, everything's up for grabs when it comes to home smoking, provided you get it right. "Fuel, temperature and time," Eli says. "Manage those three variables and you're good." MEATS There is a slew of methods to smoking at home, but arguably the easiest — also the method taught by Cornersmith in their workshops — is wok smoking. Rather than splashing out on a full-on smoker, look to your wok to get things smoking. It's as simple as lining the bottom of a wok with tin foil, heating up your fuel (wood or charcoal) in the foil until it smokes, and sticking your meat on a rack above. Cover the whole deal with more foil, and you've got a smoker you can stick right on your stovetop. Consistency and the right product are key to smoking meat at home. Also, fat content is essential to getting the whole spectrum of flavours into smoked meats, as some of the compounds in the smoke will only be absorbed by fat. "In any smoke that comes off the wood," Eli says, "you're going to have some compounds in the smoke that are fat-soluble and some that are water-soluble." According to Eli, picking a cut with a bit of fat and a bit of lean is essential to getting the right result. "That's why you'll often find when people do barbecue for example, they use fattier cuts like brisket and shoulder, because they have a good mix of fat and lean, so you get a really complex depth of smoked flavour in there." VEGGIES While smoking revolves primarily around meats, bear in mind that you can smoke pretty much anything if you're brave enough. Smoking is not a process reserved just for brisket and pork, explains Jaimee Edwards, workshop coordinator and fermenter at Cornersmith. "It's used in so many different cuisines, and non-animal products really take up the smoke flavour really well." Smokey veg is absolutely delicious, but getting vegetables in prime smokey form can be a little trickier since they don't have much fat content and the fat-soluble smoke flavours can't squeeze their way into the flavour profile. With that being the case, it's essential to add a little fat to your raw ingredients. Oils are a great source of fat for smoking vegetables. Something like a good sesame oil is ideal, which allows the smoke to form a flavour profile, all while adding its own nutty taste to the end product. You should also note that veg smokes excellently on a stovetop wok smoker, given the versatility and ease of the homemade apparatus. "You can do everything," Jaimee says, "from tofu to nuts, to pieces of meat, seafood and vegetables." COCKTAILS Although for food, that smokey taste is a happy by-product of a technique originally developed to preserve food, when it comes to smoking a beverage, the whole process simply boils down to getting those smokey flavours into a drink — there ain't nothing functional about it. There are many ways to make this happen, whether it's by using a smoking gun to inject hot smoke into an old fashioned, using smoked water to make ice for the drink, or by simply burning a cinnamon stick inside a glass. Whatever your method, the result is delicious, especially with whisky and bourbon. That's why the Wild Turkey Kentucky Firebird cocktail works so well. The cocktail combines the sweetness of bourbon, with the bitterness of Cinzano Rosso and a citrus kick from Grand Marnier, taking it all to another level with American oak chips smoked to order for each cocktail. "You can't go wrong with that," Eli says about smoking drinks. "I mean, you're just adding more depth and complexity to it." CHEESE Welcome to the advanced class. Smoking things requires well, smoke, thus requiring heat, so something that melts when heat is applied makes the process a bit more complex. While smoked cheeses are incredible, they require a more complicated cold smoking method, where the smoke is kept between 20 and 30 degrees. Maintaining this kind of temperature at home can be a bit tricky, but if you can pull it off, the rewards are plentiful. Since cheese is already packed with its own individual flavours, you don't have to go to town with the smoker to get great results. "You don't want [the cheese] to be too flavoursome," Jaimee says. "Unlike meat, where the flavours are all really robust, with cheeses and butters, it's a bit more delicate." Rather than smoking for hours on end like you might do for a cut of brisket, use a lighter touch to smoke your dairy. Once you get it right, it's totally worth it. "Man, when you get a smoked brie, or a smoked butter, or a smoked olive oil…" Eli says, "it's awesome." DESSERTS Speaking of smoking dairy, when it comes to smoked desserts, Jaimee explains how most are generally dairy based, which is the part that needs gentle smoking. Desserts tend to have the same qualities as cheese — see high melt factor — so you can't directly apply them to heat and expect great results. As such, getting smoke into your desserts also requires a cold smoke. If that doesn't tickle your fancy, however, there are other ways to get that smokey goodness into your sweet treats. Jose simplifies the process by suggesting smoking the smaller elements of a dessert, which can then be added to the bigger dish. For example, nuts have a high-fat content so they smoke well and can be managed on your home wok smoker. Take some macadamias, smoke 'em good, then bake them into a brownie — you get all the rich, sweetness of the brownie delightfully paired with pockets of smokey flavour. There are plenty of ways to get excellent smokey goodness into your desserts, and finding out those combinations is the best part of the game. Overall, smoking is all about trial and error. "Keep playing and keep experimenting," explains Eli. "That's the fun of barbecue." If you need some extra inspiration to kick your home smoking into gear, head to The Beaufort and Ike's on Thursdays until June 15 to sip a Wild Turkey Kentucky Firebird smoked cocktail, and contemplate all you can start smoking at home.
After more than three decades on the road, Counting Crows are heading back Down Under. The Grammy-nominated rockers will return to Australia and New Zealand in March and April 2026 for The Complete Sweets! tour, marking their first visit in several years. Kicking off at Auckland's Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre on Sunday, March 23, the band will then head to Adelaide's Festival Theatre on March 27, Sydney's Enmore Theatre on March 29, and wrap things up at Melbourne's Palais Theatre on April 1. View this post on Instagram A post shared by adam d (@countingcrows) The tour celebrates over 30 years of the group's signature mix of heartfelt lyrics and melodic storytelling — the sound that made tracks like Mr. Jones and Accidentally in Love enduring favourites. Led by frontman Adam Duritz, Counting Crows continue to draw crowds around the world, praised for their powerful live performances and nostalgic setlists that blend hits with deep cuts. Tickets go on sale to the general public from Monday, October 20 at 11am local time, with Mastercard, One NZ and Live Nation pre-sales opening from Thursday, October 16. Counting Crows' 'The Complete Sweets!' tour hits Australia and New Zealand in March and April 2026. Visit Live Nation for full ticket details.
Nearly twelve months after announcing the location for Australia's first Pride Centre, the Victorian Government has revealed the designs for the St Kilda structure. Local firms Grant Amon Architects and Brearley Architects & Urbanists will be responsible for what's certain to prove an important and influential building, both in its appearance and thanks to its status as a dedicated LGBTI hub. The St Kilda outfits were selected from a pool of 18 submissions, with the finished product due to open at 79-81 Fitzroy Street in 2020. The building will house up to ten major resident organisations — including JOY FM, Melbourne Queer Film Festival, Midsumma Festival, the Victorian Aids Council, LGBTQI Multi Culture, Multi Faith, Team Melbourne and the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives — and also offer flexible and multi-use spaces. Among them: a health service, library, training room and meeting rooms, as well as a café and bar, a theatrette and a gallery. "We wanted the winning design to be a building that our LGBTQI community can be proud of owning, a place of celebration and a safe sanctuary," said Jude Munro AO, Chair of the Victorian Pride Centre board. "This design is inspirational and more than satisfies these criteria. Our aim is for the Pride Centre to be a catalyst for the revival of Fitzroy Street and to fit into the St Kilda design vernacular which this design does superbly." Modelled after San Francisco's LGBTI Community Centre, the Victorian Pride Centre will receive $15 million in State Government funding, plus $13 million from the City of Port Phillip. "It will be a space for the community and LGBTI organisations to share ideas, collaborate and celebrate our diversity — it's also at a key site the Pride March goes past," said Minister for Equality Martin Foley. For more information, visit www.pridecentre.org.au
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations — giving you a little inspiration for your next trip. In this instalment, we take you to Jackalope Hotel at the Mornington Peninsula. We've partnered with this boutique hotel to create a wine-filled weekend getaway that can only be found on Concrete Playground Trips. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? Inside and out, this is one sexy hotel. The sleek interiors were dreamt up by Carr — one of Australia's top architecture and design firms — and are complemented by specially commissioned artworks. The entire building is also designed to take advantage of the stunning views across the surrounding vineyard, whether it's from the rooms, restaurant or 30-metre infinity pool. THE ROOMS Each of the 45 rooms comes with floor-to-celling windows and private terraces overlooking the estate while the suites (saucily referred to as "lairs") are even more luxe — think fully-functioning fireplaces, loft ceilings and even greater views. A dangerously attractive Bond villain would be right at home. Design wise, the rooms are understated with simple black and white finishes (mostly black), filled with custom-built furniture from Melbourne designer and manufacturer Zuster as well as lavish bathroom features including rain showers and jet-black bathtubs. FOOD AND DRINK When staying at Jackalope Hotel, you should dine at its opulent on site restaurant, Doot Doot Doot. Head chef Guy Stanaway runs the kitchen, serving up a regularly changing degustation menu that celebrates farm-to-table dining, injecting refined playfulness into each dish (and is an extremely reasonable $140 per person). You can also head over to Flaggerdoot, the hotel's cocktail lounge, that feels more like a gallery space than bar. It is housed in Edwardian homestead McCormick House (which dates back to 1876) but has been filled with an eclectic collection of art pieces. The faceless busts, geometric light installations and mirrored surfaces make the space a feast for the eyes. THE LOCAL AREA Set between Red Hill and Balnarring at the Mornington Peninsula, Jackalope is in the perfect position for exploring the famous region. There are over 50 cellar doors and restaurants scattered across the surrounding hills, as well as a stunning collection of beaches, golf courses and hiking trails — there's no doubt a long weekend spent here will be a memorable one. THE EXTRAS Extras abound at Jackalope. First off, there is the obligatory spa. Head here for massages, facials and scrubs or purchase the Jackalope x Alba package to get special access to the new Alba thermal spa oasis. They also run yoga classes, organise day trips around the area and take guests on guided tours of the vineyard. It truly is an incredible stay in every conceivable way, and that's why we've teamed up with the boutique hotel to create a one-of-a-kind long weekend package that includes a two-night stay, a wine tasting experience at its own cellar door, daily breakfasts at Doot Doot Doot and a whole host of extra bits. This is perfect for those wanting to relax in style, filling their days with sensational food and wine. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world.
Housing shortages in Australia are pushing residents and buyers to extreme lengths. That's old news, but realestate.com.au reports that buyers are moving closer to the shoreline and away from capitals. Fair enough, considering that Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Canberra are among the 100 cities with the highest cost of living worldwide. According to a 2025 study by the Australian Marine Conservation Society, over 85 percent of Australia's population lives within 50 kilometres of the coast. That's not stopping aspiring homeowners from pushing closer and closer to the water, with value booms well underway in coastal towns nationwide, while other suburbs still fly under the frenzied market radar. But which towns are seeing the most excitement? [caption id="attachment_990482" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Courtesy of Lake Macquarie City[/caption] NSW's Port Kembla, with a comparatively generous average median price (AVM) of $1.01 million, saw a 13 percent growth in enquiries in the last year, making it the most in-demand regional suburb in the entire state. It's followed by other New South Wales coastal towns such as Tweed Heads, Swansea, Wollongong, Byron Bay, and multiple suburbs in the Newcastle/Lake Macquarie area. In Victoria, Geelong is a red-hot area, with Newcomb leading (AVM $609,000), and East Geelong, Clifton Springs, Curlewis, and Ocean Grove all seeing growth in enquiries over the last year. Gippsland follows, with Grantville, Ventnor and Coronet Bay all taking other spots in the top ten. [caption id="attachment_890754" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] iStock[/caption] Queenslanders are flocking to the Gold Coast in droves, specifically to Currumbin, Tugun, Southport, Runaway Bay and Labrador — which has the lowest AVM of its neighbours at $1.12 million. The Mackay/Isaac/Whitsunday area is also seeing interest in Bucasia, South Mackay and Slade Point, while the Sunshine Coast is seeing action in Currimundi and Mooloolaba. In WA, the Bunbury region is dominating the market in all ten places, with Quindalup leading by 54 enquiries, a 21 percent growth and with an AVM of $1.883 million. In South Australia, Port Augusta is the most sought-after location, with 41 enquiries per listing, while Devonport in Tasmania leads with 48 enquiries per listing. This article references data from PropTrack, as reported on by realestate.com.au. Lead image: FiledIMAGE via iStock
Christmas Day is a time of gathering together and celebrating the year with loved ones, but too often we can get bogged down with the stress of preparing an extravagant spread for our guests. Book in for a multi-course feast that's prepared for you this year, so you can ditch the time spent in the kitchen and simply sit back and enjoy a hassle-free Christmas Day with family and friends. The Pass has you covered with a range of festive feasts across their venues in Melbourne, from Italian fare at sunny Tippy-Tay to oysters at the beachy Prince Hotel and Christmas classics at Melbourne's oldest licensed pub. The Prince It wouldn't be a summer Christmas without some fresh seafood, so get your fix at this airy art-deco dining room near the beach in St Kilda. Gather your family at The Prince for share-style plates, including Sydney rock oysters, prawn cocktail and prosciutto with gnocco fritto, before moving on to the main course of corn-fed roast duck and vintage sirloin steak, balanced out with some sides. After lunch, walk it off with a short stroll to the beach for a true-blue Aussie Christmas. Tickets are $130 for adults and $60 for kids, with two seating times. Book your spot at The Prince's website. Tippy-Tay Make this Christmas stand out with a trip to the Amalfi Coast, sans the airport queues and long flights. Vibrant Italian restaurant Tippy-Tay, located in the Garden State Hotel, is serving a four-course menu on Christmas Day, with a cheeky drink on arrival included. Start with some antipasto, such as salmon crudo, squacquerone cheese with tomato and gremolata, and Akoya oysters with a peach and finger lime mignonette, followed by two pastas, a roast flounder and lamb shoulder. If that's not enough, you'll also be treated to a classic Christmas trifle and pavlova before you leave. The set menu is $150 per person and $75 for kids. Book your spot at Tippy-Tay's website. State of Grace For something more low-key, head to CBD bar State of Grace for a casual — but hearty — three-course lunch of modern Australian plates. Expect dishes such as a seafood platter with rainbow trout carpaccio and oysters, stracciatella with pickled mushrooms and crispy fruit loaf, roasted porterhouse with red wine jus, pan-seared barramundi with sauce vierge, and cannoli and Christmas pudding for dessert. A vegetarian menu is also available. Close out the day at the rooftop bar with festive drinks and city skyline views. The set menu is $165 for adults and $55 for children, with two seating times. Book your spot at the State of Grace's website. Village Belle Known for its beloved Sunday roast, you can look forward to standout Christmas classics at this laidback St Kilda pub. The Village Belle's Christmas offering is full of familiar family favourites, including oysters, Queensland prawns, a tomato and mozzarella salad and cold cuts, followed by bourbon and apricot-glazed ham, slow-cooked turkey with cranberry sauce and stuffing. For dessert, there's mince pies, cherries, and a loaded strawberry and passionfruit pav. The set menu is $125 for adults and $50 for kids 12 and under, with two seating times. Book your spot at the Village Belle's website. The Smith For al fresco vibes without the risk of getting caught in any unpredictable weather, pull up a seat at The Smith's light-filled atrium with a retractable roof. The menu has a real mix of surf and turf, from prawn cocktail and oysters to pork terrine, honey and mustard-glazed ham, and turkey with sage and onion stuffing. The Smith have swapped out the pavlova for a cosy Christmas pudding with brandy sauce, as well as a tasteful cheese selection. The set menu is $145 for adults and $45 for kids, with two seating times. Book in at The Smith's website. Yarra Botanica Skip the meal prep and cleaning duties, and ring in Christmas with a glass of bubbly overlooking the Yarra River instead at the Yarra Botanica. The pontoon bar is serving their full food and drinks menu all day, but you can also opt out of any decision making with a $95 set menu, which includes a glass of sparkling. The share-style menu includes prawn cocktail, lamb chops with coffee-infused jus and curry leaf cream, cherry-infused meatloaf with cherry jus and burnt onion, and lamingtons and pavlova to finish. Book a table at the Yarra Botanica's website. Imperial Hotel One of the advantages of a summer Christmas is that you can celebrate in the sunshine. Head up to the Imperial Hotel's rooftop for lunch and tipples paired with panoramic views across the city skyline. Downstairs, the Bourke Street pub is serving a range of festive plates with a three-course, share-style feast. If you'd rather pick and choose, the Imperial Hotel will have its usual à la carte offerings available on the rooftop. The set menu is $140 for adults and $40 for kids 12 and under, with two seating times. Book a table at the Imperial Hotel's website. Bridge Hotel Keep Christmas casual this year at the charismatic and eccentric pub that is the Bridge Hotel. The Richmond institution features five themed spaces, a loft area and cobblestone laneway running through the venue. Come for a three-course feast of festive faves — think oysters, prawns, ham, turkey, mince pies and pavlova — and stay for 20 beers on tap and drinks in the laneway. The set menu is $120 for adults, $60 for kids 15 and under, and free for kids under four. Book your spot at the Bridge Hotel's website. The Duke of Wellington Since Christmas is so steeped in tradition, why not celebrate at Melbourne's oldest licensed pub? Don't let the recently renovated fitout fool you — The Duke of Wellington has been slinging drinks on Flinders Street for over 160 years. Enjoy a merry three-course spread at the pub's rustic Public Bar or elegant Dining Room, before closing out the day with drinks out on the rooftop. The set menu is $159 for adults and $49 for kids 12 and under, with two seating times. Book your spot at The Duke of Wellington's website. Tables are filling fast so book in now. Find out more about The Pass at the website.
Located in Highett, southeast of Melbourne, Third Wheel must be doing something right. Only a few months after opening in June 2023, it had already won the prestigious Toby's Estate Local Legends award for Victoria, voted by members of the public. It's the brainchild of married chefs Jen Anstey and Mere Herewini and their friend Suzy Kyriakopoulos — the name Third Wheel is an in-joke about Suzy going into business with a couple. All three had over two decades of experience in the hospitality game before deciding to open their own space. Unsurprisingly, having professional chefs behind the wheel means the menu is a cut above your standard cafe fare. There aren't many local spots offering aleppo pepper calamari or chilli eggs with prawn toast alongside your daily cappuccino. The culinary adventures don't stop there, though – there's a rotating cast of specials. Pork katsu ciabatta and confit duck with poached egg and potato rosti are just two of the recent highlights. The trio has also branched out into pop-up dinners with snacks, share plates and main courses, meaning that, if you were so inclined, you could visit Third Wheel for your first, second and third meal of the day.
In White Oaks, New Mexico you won't find much. It's a ghost town. The place now only exists in the collective memory of 'Merica as the place frequented by Billy The Kid and other Old West ratbags; if the saloon doors could talk, they would have had a lot to say. That's why they called it the Wild West. So, from one saloon to another, Greville Street's White Oaks Saloon Bar & Dining is a world away from the New Mexico desert, after which it is named. But the best thing is that it doesn't matter — White Oaks isn't a venue that relies on the theme of the southwest pocket of the States, but one that simply encompasses it in its details, drinks and bar food. It's not so much a love of the Wild West that spurred Nick Welch to open the western-inspired bar, but a love of the regions' spirits. He also runs an importing business — bringing in top-shelf spirits, bitters and liqueurs from the US — so the shelves are stocked with lots of interesting liquids. This ensures the cocktail list sees a classic repertoire spun with a unique, southern influence, even boasting a few barrel-aged sips. Hard liquor shouldn't be ingested on an empty stomach, so the White Oaks kitchen matches the booze with some warm, heavy comfort food. Choose from things like the Cajun chicken tacos, deep-fried shrimp sliders, Louisiana crab cakes and southern fried chicken. This stuff's good for snacking, but comes secondary to what's behind the bar. It's all in the details here though: the special Japanese ice machine, the metal straws, the brass-topped bar. It's also in the fact that Welch knows his stuff about spirits (just ask) and can make you a drink you probably won't get anywhere else in the city. The ability to book a table might have something to do with it, too. If you don't want to sit up at the bar under their red neon sign, the space continues into the next shopfront, with many a dark corner to cosy up into. Tackling the southern-western double whammy without sending the theme into overdrive is a tough line to toe, but White Oaks does it with finesse. This isn't a themed bar — although swinging saloon doors do feature — it's a bar with style and some of the best cocktails south of the river. Images: Griffin Simm.
There's nothing like escaping your neighbourhood and hitting the road to explore a new one with a great playlist pumping through the car speakers. One common journey is that from Melbourne to Sydney and, with so many places to stop off, it's clear why travellers choose to drive it. Plus, the Dog on the Tuckerbox needs a regular visit. We've highlighted ten country towns to visit along the way, so you can fill your journey with nature walks, wineries, the Big Merino and some of the best bakeries the country has to offer. Please stay up to date with the latest NSW Government health advice regarding COVID-19. [caption id="attachment_795806" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yindyamurra Sculpture Walk, Destination NSW[/caption] CYCLE THROUGH AN OUTDOOR SCULPTURE GALLERY IN ALBURY Right on the border between Victoria and New South Wales, you'll find Albury. This vibrant city neighbouring Wodonga has plenty to explore. Stretch your legs by taking a stroll or hiring a bike and riding around the bends of the Murray River Precinct. By taking the Wagirra Trail, you can spot a string of sculptural works by local Aboriginal artists that portray the Wiradjuri peoples' connection with the river. Alternatively, grab some cheese from The Riverina Dairy and set up a picnic at one of the many riverside spots. For a more substantial meal, try out The River Deck, surrounded by the native trees, for some regional food. Spending the night? Book a room at the Astor Hotel, which was given a multimillion-dollar, Palm Springs-inspired revamp last year. [caption id="attachment_795807" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Courabyra Wines, Destination NSW[/caption] SIP ON COOL-CLIMATE WINES IN TUMBARUMBA Tumbarumba, locally known as Tumba, is a tiny town located on the western edge of the Snowy Mountains. It's known for its cool-climate wines and nature walks. Head to Courabyra Wines to pick up a bottle of chardonnay or pinot grigio — any passengers not sharing the driving can also enjoy a wine tasting — and, if you're feeling peckish, enjoy a seasonal produce platter on the balcony. Or, head to Nest to tuck into a dish made with local ingredients, take a look around the bookstore or catch a flick at the on-site cinema. This charming little cottage, located on the Johansen Wines vineyard, is the perfect little retreat for your overnight stay. [caption id="attachment_795792" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Batlow, Destination NSW[/caption] STOCK UP ON FRESH PRODUCE IN BATLOW Batlow is the apple of the Snowy Mountains region's eye. It's known for its apple orchards and bountiful produce, including cherries and pears. Grab some apples and local harvest from Wilgro Orchards' roadside stall and stop by Mouat's Farm for seasonal fruit, fresh apple juice and other goods, such as apple jelly and honey. And don't forget to take a photo at the Big Apple, too, just five kilometres north of the town. We suggest bunking down at art deco spot The Batlow Hotel for the night. [caption id="attachment_795793" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tumut, Destination NSW[/caption] CYCLE, HIKE AND SWIM YOUR WAY AROUND TUMUT If you like getting out in nature, you'll love what Tumut has to offer. Wander around the Tumut Wetlands or along the Tumut River Walk, hike one of the trails at Tumut State Forest or take a dip in Blowering Dam. Get to the know the landscape even better by heading to Kosciuszko National Park, which boasts plenty of wildlife, and take the Wiradjuri Aboriginal Cultural Tour to learn about native plants and bush tucker. The town is also home to plenty of country pubs, including The Royal Hotel and the Oriental Hotel, which offer great local feeds. Spend the night at heritage-listed luxury property The Monarch. [caption id="attachment_795809" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dog on the Tuckerbox, Destination NSW[/caption] VISIT THE LEGENDARY DOG ON THE TUCKERBOX IN GUNDAGAI Home to the famous Dog on the Tuckerbox is Gundagai, a town just off the Hume Highway that has long provided weary travellers with a much-needed pee break, a spot for lunch and a place to stretch their legs. If you're in the mood for a hot pie, sausage roll, sandwich or sweet treat, head to Gundagai Bakery. If it's a good cup of coffee you're after, try The Coffee Pedaler along the main street. The town is also steeped in history, which you can learn about by taking the Architectural Heritage Walk, doing a tour of the Old Gundagai Gaol or stopping by the war memorial, ANZAC Grove. Kimo Estate has plenty of accommodation options for you, from luxury off-grid eco huts (complete with woodfired hot tubs and log fires), cosy cottages, the rustic six-bedroom Shearers Quarters and boutique hotel Flash Jacks. [caption id="attachment_795795" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Long Track Pantry, Destination NSW[/caption] STOCK UP ON LOCALLY MADE SNACKS IN JUGIONG Jugiong is a charming town just 20 minutes down the Hume Highway from Gundagai, sitting along the picturesque Murrumbidgee River. It features the award-winning Long Track Pantry, which boasts jams, relishes, chutneys, vinegars and sauces — all handmade in small batches — as well as olives, muesli and granola bars for the drive ahead. There's also the Jugiong Wine Cellar, sporting fine drops and beautiful artworks, and the Jugiong Country Experience where you can explore the town's history, heritage and rural allure after being 'held up' by a bushranger — who then becomes your tour guide. And every visit to Jugiong must include a visit to The Sir George. The local institution has a pub and an artisanal bakery, plus 19th-century former stone stables and modern barns, if you wish to spend the night. [caption id="attachment_795796" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Clementine Bakery, Destination NSW[/caption] ENJOY AN IMPROMPTU PICNIC IN THE PARK IN YASS Yass, a lively town right in the middle of sheep grazing country, offers a glimpse of laidback country living, scenic parks and plenty to eat and drink. Start by grabbing some handmade baked goods from the small artisanal bakery, Clementine Bakery, and finding a spot under a tree to eat them at Banjo Paterson Park, named after the famous writer and poet. Then, step back in time at Yass Railway Museum, which boasts a black 1307 steam locomotive, as well as the original loading bank, station building and station master's residence to peruse. This self-contained barn, based on a working cattle farm just out of town, hits the balance between luxurious and rustic country abode. [caption id="attachment_698049" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Big Merino, Destination NSW[/caption] SAY HELLO TO THE BIG MERINO IN GOULBURN Two hours shy of Sydney is Goulburn, known as the fine wool capital of Australia (and the world). This is proudly commemorated by the Big Merino — affectionately nicknamed Rambo by locals — standing over 15 metres high and 18 metres long. Suffice to say, it's hard to miss while passing by. The country city is also home to the historic 1830s inn Riversdale Homestead and the Rocky Hill War Memorial and Museum which remembers the locals who fought in WWI. After your dose of history, feed your appetite at Harvest, a charming eatery that fuses fresh regional produce with contemporary food trends. If you're keen to spend more time in the area, we suggest booking in to Towrang Farm Stay, which is 20 minutes out of town. The homestead is based on a working farm, complete with sheep, horse, geese and chickens. Guests are encouraged to collect eggs for brekkie, pick fresh fruit from the orchard and even fish for trout in the nearby dam. [caption id="attachment_795799" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bundanoon, Destination NSW[/caption] WANDER THROUGH BUSHLAND IN BUNDANOON Bundanoon, locally known as Bundy, is a small town in the Southern Highlands. Explore Fairy Bower Falls in Morton National Park, where a one-hour loop walk will take you past moss-covered rocks, small streams and to the top of a flowing waterfall said to sparkle in the sun. Or, take on the Erith Coal Mine Track, where a walk through heath, woodland and rainforest leads to an old coal mine, last in operation in 1915. After all that walking, stop off at Potter's Pantry for an award-winning coffee and bite of banana bread. A five-minute drive out of town is The Hut at Morton Ash Stable, a modern hut the owners built using timber milled from the property after the 2020 bushfires. [caption id="attachment_770408" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dirty Janes, Destination NSW[/caption] DO A SPOT OF BOUTIQUE SHOPPING IN BOWRAL Bowral is about 90 minutes southwest of Sydney, making it a perfect place to refresh and revive before making the last leg of your journey. The town is full of boutique shops, such as Barbara's Storehouse, which is full of vintage furniture and home decor, and Cookshop Plus, perfect for cooking enthusiasts. Corbett Gardens is another stop for the agenda — the beautiful park is full of colour thanks to tulips, trees and shrubbery. Then, grab a coffee from The Press Shop and head over to Glebe Park to take a photo with the Mary Poppins statue and enjoy a spot in the shade. If you want to extend your time and explore everything the Southern Highlands wine region has to offer, accommodation options abound in Bowral. Some of our favourites include the stylish Berida Hotel and five-star estate Milton Park Country House. Start planning your great escape to New South Wales this season by visiting the Visit NSW website. Top image: Bendooley Estate, Destination NSW
If Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar get teamed up again on-screen after Drop, don't be surprised. In a film set in a swanky sky-high Chicago restaurant, the two make a dream first-date pair. The importance of that shrewd casting move shouldn't be underestimated, because this thriller relies on its stars perfecting a number of complex tasks that are crucial to the feature's vibe. Viewers should feel the sparks between them, even when things get awkward. They need to want to like them as a couple, too. A layer of suspicion also has to float over Sklenar's Henry — but when Fahy's Violet is told by anonymous airdrops to kill him or there'll be grave consequences, no one should hope for that to happen. Directed by the Happy Death Day franchise and Freaky's Christopher Landon, Drop turns the initial in-person encounter been two people who've been connecting online into a fight for survival, and a puzzle. Inspired by IRL unrecognised messages coming producer Cameron Fuller (The Astronaut) and executive producer Sam Lerner's (The Goldbergs) ways on a holiday, the flick boasts a "what would you do?" scenario as well. In actuality, no one was told to get homicidal, of course, but that's what awaits Violet in a largely one-setting mystery where almost everybody is a suspect, tech surveillance and safety are also in focus, and the relatable fears that bubble up about the difference between how we present ourselves online and reality also drive the narrative. Landon's aim: to make a film with a modern Hitchcock feel that also takes inspiration from 90s thrillers, both things that audiences don't see every day in cinemas of late. That mix, that mission, that mood that Landon was looking for — and achieves — stood out to both The Bold Type, The White Lotus and The Perfect Couple's Fahy and 1923 and It Ends with Us' Sklenar. "It had a very clear point of view, which is part of what I found so attractive about the idea of it. I think it really knew what it wanted to do and knew what it was," Fahy tells Concrete Playground. Adds Sklenar: "it's a decisive film". Drop's villain is equally resolute: if Violet doesn't do what she's told or informs anyone about the instructions that she's being sent, this nightmare will impact her young son (debutant Jacob Robinson) and sister (Violett Beane, Death and Other Details). She can see on her home security cameras that someone has already broken into her house while she's out, waiting to harm her loved ones, all as she's attempting to be charismatic with Henry and uncover who is behind her hellish ordeal. Landon is purposeful himself, especially about plunging viewers into an immersive setup. The same applied with his cast and crew: to help those on the filmmaking journey with him, the production built a fully functioning restaurant to shoot in, right down to a real chef creating the menu. [caption id="attachment_1000353" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alex J. Berliner/ABImages.[/caption] Do real-life awkward date moments — including the highly relatable type when unease simmers, even if just to you, because small things have gone wrong but they feel huge inside your head — assist when that's what you're enlisted to navigate? "We've all had those kinds of experiences," Fahy advises. "Definitely," chimes in Sklenar, noting that he "can't do mouth noises". The duo riff about it. "Like chewing and stuff," says Fahy. "That would be a thing for me," stresses Sklenar. "Makes you twitch. I get that. Noted," responds Fahy again. As the two bounce back and forth while speaking with us, they're in the same bantering mode that Violent and Henry are early in the movie, and charmingly, before the picture's date is saddled with life-and-death stakes. Drop places Fahy in another twisty mystery, as The White Lotus and The Perfect Couple both have in the last few years. With survivors of abuse also factoring into the storyline, as was the case in It Ends with Us, Sklenar is similarly in familiar territory. Symmetry also echoes in the two talents' paths to here, after starting out as actors at around the same time — onstage in the late 00s for Fahy, and in 2011 film Cornered for Sklenar — then working their way through the likes of One Life to Live, Political Animals, Miss Sloane, Mapplethorpe, Vice and Emily the Criminal between them to their recent respective TV successes. Amid jokes from the pair about their parallels, plus also potential other genres that Drop could've taken its thriller-slash-relationship drama into, we chatted with Fahy and Sklenar about the latest standout addition to their resumes. How pivotal it was for the movie to be as invested in the date as in the unnerving airdrops, shooting in the film's very own restaurant, Violet's survival story, approaching the picture as a long play: they all came up as well. On How Crucial It Is That the Film Is Invested in the Date, and in the Relationship at Its Centre, as Much as Its Horror-Thriller Setup Brandon: "It was important." Meghann: "I think it's part of what totally is so fun about the movie, because it has a romantic component to it, it is sort of a date movie, but it is also kind of a thriller. You get both. It's very much a hybrid." Brandon: "There was a sci-fi element early on, but we took that out — we just thought it was too genre-bending." Meghann: "But I think ultimately the story is about this relationship, and these two people who really are connecting in a way that is important and new for both of them. And it would be a great date if she didn't have to kill him." Brandon: "Yeah, it would be." Meghann: "It would be great." Brandon: "And in the end, it ends up being a good thing, I think. I think that it's not all bad." Meghann: "Nope." On Shooting in a Fully Functioning Restaurant That Was Created Just for the Film, Right Down to a Real Chef Whipping Up the Menu Meghann: "It was hugely helpful. I mean, you're in the environment, and it's so real that there's not even a big weird movie light in your face. It's just the lighting on the table and in the ceiling, so you really genuinely walk onto that set and you think 'I'm in a restaurant right now'. Which is incredible. It was very realistic." Brandon: "Yeah, it was." On Fahy's Task Digging Into Violet's Survival Story, and What It Takes to for Her to Keep Enduring Meghann: "I think that the way that we meet Violet is so violent and disturbing, and it has so much to do with her journey as a woman after that — and how she interacts with him, and why she's so nervous to go on the date in the first place. And so it's hugely informative, and was something that Chris and I talked about a lot, because it was so important that we honour her journey into moving on and having a healthy relationship — and being happy and feeling brave, and getting outside of herself and trusting herself. And I think that's what feels so good about this film, is the audience really gets to see her kind of become her own superhero. And it's just so wonderful to see that happen." On How Sklenar Approached Portraying Someone That Viewers Have to Remain on Edge with and Suspicious of, But Also Still Want to Like Brandon: "I think that there's a small degree of being aware of the plot and where it's moving, and trying to mislead the audience consciously in a certain way — and how you look at somebody or how you speak a line, or maybe a moment that you do that isn't scripted necessarily to misdirect the audience. And other than that, I think that it's on the page, mostly. And then, in just finding a rhythm with Meghann, and doing these scenes — it's essentially one giant scene, because it's in real time as soon as we get to the restaurant. So it's one 70-something-page scene." Meghann: "Yeah." Brandon: "And I prepared it like that. I memorised it like a play. And then you just show up and do it, and it just requires a great deal of presence and being present, as it is really like an acting exercise. And just being as present as you possibly can be." Meghann: "I don't think he gives himself enough credit for how interesting he made that character and how many tiny, nuanced things he layered into Henry, but it was really impressive." On Whether Fahy's Run of Twisty Mysteries, Including The White Lotus and The Perfect Couple, Is an Active Choice or How Great Parts Have Come Her Way Meghann: "I guess it's a little bit of both, to be honest with you. It is a genre that I really enjoy myself when I'm watching stuff, and it's super fun to make. So yeah, I think it's kind of — it was never consciously something I was chasing. I think it's just how things worked out. But yeah, there's definitely a mixture of both of those things for sure." On Fahy and Sklenar's Similar Journeys to Drop, After Starting Acting Around the Same Time and Enjoying Recent Small-Screen Successes (Including in 1923 for Sklenar) Brandon: "I guess we kind of do have paralleled situations. Same age. Kind of hitting it at the same time." Meghann: "Same hair." Brandon: "Same hair? Yeah, both Irish. I think that it's cool. I mean, I wouldn't have it any other way." Meghann:"Yeah, me either." Brandon: "I think there's something, there's a certain appreciation you have for the journey when you're not, I think, in your early 20s and you reach a certain level of success, and you've sort of worked at it for a really long time and tried to improve yourself personally along the way — because I'm a firm believer that the external is just a reflection of the internal. And neither of us would be sitting here at this table had we not grown as human beings outside of this crazy thing we decided to do with our lives. So that's imperative. And I think they're one and the same, and it's just a testament to keeping at it." [caption id="attachment_1000366" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alex J. Berliner/ABImages[/caption] Meghann: "Yeah, taking it as it comes." Brandon: "And trying to do the best you can." Meghann: "Yeah, day by day. 100 percent. I completely agree." Drop opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, April 17, 2025.
Gaspar Noe is a filmmaker with vision — of that, there is little doubt. Whether his vision is something you would ever want to watch is where things get a little more complicated. An Argentinean expat living in France, he's best known among cineastes for his 2002 film Irreversible, a non-linear crime thriller whose bold cinematography and ruminations on revenge are inevitably overshadowed by discussions of its most notorious sequence: a nine-minute rape scene shot in one unflinching take. Noe's most recent film, Love, isn't shy on graphic sexual content either, although thankfully this time it's of the consensual variety. Debuting at this year's Cannes Film Festival to a mixture of boos and rapturous applause, it's a divisive picture that bares all from the very first frame, opening with a static shot of a man and a woman masturbating one another to orgasm. It's the first of many long sequences of graphic non-simulated sex in the film — sex that Noe uses as emotional markers in his 130-minute portrait of a tumultuous young relationship gone bad. The story, such as it is, is told from the perspective of Murphy (Karl Glusman), a self-involved American film student living in Paris with his French girlfriend Omi (Klara Kristin) and their infant son. After a drug-fuelled New Year's Eve, a groggy Murphy awakens to find a voice message on his phone from the concerned mother of Electra (Aomi Muyock), an ex-girlfriend who has gone missing, and for whom Murphy still harbours strong feelings. The rest of the film unfolds through a series of flashbacks, as Murphy reminisces about his tumultuous past with his former lover and the mistakes that tore them apart. Like all of its director's films, Love is worth seeing for its formal elements alone. Long, gliding camera takes and blink-like edits capture the feeling of slipping into a memory, while Noe's use of lighting and colour, although less overt than in Irreversible or his 2009 headtrip Enter the Void, remains as evocative as ever. The soundtrack is a deliciously eclectic grab-bag that makes use of everything from classical compositions to slow electric guitar jams to the iconic score from Assault from Precinct 13. The latter track pops up during a scene set in an underground sex club, and frankly, could hardly sound more at home. But most memorable of all is the film's use of 3D — and we're not just saying that because Noe includes a close-up of a penis ejaculating directly into the camera. A born provocateur, the director can't help but indulge his juvenile side — yet for the most part he uses the added dimension in subtler and more imaginative ways. A heated argument at a rave is made all the more intense by strobe lights firing from the back of the frame. A lengthy threesome, meanwhile, is shot from high above, its participants seeming to plunge deeper into the bed as their lovemaking picks up steam. Indeed, it's the sex scenes that are perhaps the most elegant and fully realised segments of the film. At one point, Murphy talks about wanting to make a movie that shows "sentimental sexuality" — and that's clearly Noe's intention as well. Over the film's two-plus-hour runtime, Noe's depiction of sex ranges from loving to spiteful, exciting to mundane, erotic to repulsive and joyful to just plain sad. And yes, at times he aims to titillate. Yet he never loses sight of the human feeling behind the sex. As a result, Love never feels pornographic in the way you might expect. But Love isn't just about sex. It's also about masculinity and misogyny — and it's in the film's handling of these prickly subjects that many viewers will (perhaps justifiably) take issue. It's hard to think of a film with a less sympathetic protagonist than Murphy. He's a selfish, whiny, insecure, arrogant, sexist, homophobic, slut-shaming loser who frankly made this writer embarrassed to be in the possession of a Y chromosome. But then again, that may very well be the point. Personally, we'd argue that Love condemns Murphy's views and behaviour. The truth, though, is that you could just as reasonably claim that it endorses them. And perhaps more to the point, no matter which reading you subscribe to, it won't make the dickhead's company any less difficult to stand. Still, in a strange way, that's actually another aspect that makes the movie worth watching. Like we said at the outset, Noe is a filmmaker with vision — and to be brutally honest, we'd rather watch a disastrous, offensive failure than something bland and middle of the road. See Love. See it in 3D. For the craft, and for the arguments you'll have with people once it's over. Love is screening exclusively at The Lido in Melbourne for a limited number of evening sessions. For tickets, head to the Lido website.
Quite simply the hippest spot south of St Kilda, Olie & Ari in Brighton's Were Street Village is the discerning, contemporarily designed hot spot Bayside was desperately lacking. Serving good coffee and an all-day breakfast, the menu also offers a decent lunch selection including the wagyu beef burger with salad and red wine onions in a brioche bun ($17.50) and a tasty selection of toasted pides and wraps. The smoked ocean trout toasted pide, with dill, mayo, capers and rocket ($15.50) is absolutely delicious — a perfect flavourful choice that won't leave you feeling too bloated or over sauced. For breakfast at any time of the day, however, don't look past the organic quinoa breakfast salad with fresh orange segments, toasted walnuts, almonds, sultanas and honeyed yoghurt ($14). By Brighton's standards, the interior is positively inspired. Guttered out and stripped back, the former shop front has been transformed into a high-ceilinged, light filled space. Even the rear storage areas have been opened up with rendered concrete, mouse hole-style arches leading into the back, providing a more intimate, rustic sitting. The expansive, central space, by comparison, is defined by the hanging wire light globes, while iron and light wood fixtures decorate the high walls and ceiling. Continuing the theme, large glass vases perch on the communal dining table, where light bulbs replace pebbles to support the towing twigs inside. The staff are friendly, sporting their fetching denim aprons. As one diner expressly commented at our visit: "denim is such a nice break from all the black aprons around Brighton cafes". Perhaps it's the quirky detail that, in this suburb at least, sets Olie & Ari comfortably above their local competition. Not to mention, Olie & Ari is fully licensed everyday from midday, making those lunches stretch out long into the afternoon. The Were Street Village is a quiet pocket of suburban Brighton, and an ideal place to relax over lunch with this discreet little gem.
The Auburn Hotel's beer garden has been a favourite among the stacked Hawthorn pub scene for years. And, this winter, it's being transformed once again into an igloo garden and it's here to stay for a while — keeping things cosy right through 'til September. To make the snug arrangement even better, the Auburn Hotel has teamed up with Wild Turkey American Honey Whiskey to create a selection of belly-warming drinks and sweet treats to enjoy once inside, including three specialty cocktails — the old-fashioned with honey, bitters, and honeycomb ($18), a hot toddy with lemon and honey ($16) and a pineapple and mint julep ($18). There are two igloo packages available. Groups of eight or less can book the small igloo package for $49 per person. Expect a tasting board piled high with cured meats, cheeses, hummus, pickled vegetables and chutney to start, followed by a decadent chocolate and honey fondue. The dessert will be accompanied by strawberries, marshmallows, biscuits, popcorn and honeycomb for all your dipping needs, plus your choice of an American Honey cocktail, espresso martini, wine or Hawthorn pint. If your crew is a little bigger, opt for the large igloo package ($79 per person). It caters for up to 28 people and features a three-course meal with canapes on arrival. You'll be served a large grazing board to start, followed by braised lamb and roast chicken with a selection of roast vegetables — or eggplant stuffed with couscous and vegetable risotto for vegetarians. You'll also get to finish things off with the chocolate fondue as well. There are also American Honey-glazed doughnuts ($12) and peanut butter parfait ($12) on offer, too. Setting the wintery mood, the beer garden will be landscaped with wild plants and lanterns at each igloo entrance. Meanwhile, the igloos — decked out with lights, plush cushions and blankets — will be transparent, allowing for plenty of stargazing opportunities, minus the winter chill. The Winter Igloo Garden will be open from Thursday, May 2 to Sunday, September 1. To secure your spot in the igloo, head over here.
Since 2016, Bruce Munro's spectacular Field of Light has been illuminating Uluru, giving the already-stunning Northern Territory sight an ocean of colour via 50,000 glass lights spread across a 62,500-square-metre area. The glowing multi-hued installation unsurprisingly proved popular, and instantly, first getting extended until 2020 and then being locked in indefinitely — and now the Red Centre is scoring Light-Towers, another dazzling work by the acclaimed artist. Add Light-Towers to your must-see list, and make a date with Kings Canyon to bathe in its radiance. Up and shining since April 2023, it's part of Discovery Resorts, and turns both light and sound into an immersive piece. Like Field of Light, it's also sticking around permanently. This time, Munro has constructed a heap of two-metre towers that change colour, swapping their tones in response to music that echoes from inside each structure. There's a whopping 69 towers spread across a circular pattern, all with Kings Canyon as a backdrop — giving visitors quite the visual and aural experience. Light-Towers' soundscape hails from Orlando Gough, while the work helps mark 40 years since Munro's first visit to the Red Centre. If you're keen to drop by, you can pick between three different types of sessions spanning sunrise, sunset and evening. The first two feature a local guide hosting your visit, plus a food and beverage package. For those attending by night, the Luritja Lookout will have somewhere for you to eat and drink before and after you peer at Munro's latest luminous expanse. The British-born Munro first came up with the idea for Field of Light while visiting Uluru back in 1992. When that artwork was earmarked to become one of the area's ongoing feature, he said that he is "truly honoured that the Field of Light will remain at Uluru". He continued, "the ancient landscape of the Red Centre continues to inspire my thoughts, feelings and ideas that shape my life and work." Since then, Munro has displayed large-scale installations in Darwin and in Albany in Western Australia, and has two more pieces on their way to the New South Wales–Victorian border from late 2023. Find Light-Towers at Discovery Resorts – Kings Canyon, Luritja Road, Petermann, Northern Territory — and head to the resort company's website for bookings and further details. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Nigella Lawson, Adam Liaw or David Chang? When all this time inside, at home, away from bars, pubs and restaurants comes to an end, which culinary whiz will you most resemble? We know you're getting plenty of practice, hopefully making something other than just sourdough — and we're betting your kitchen skills are stepping up a level with each iso meal you whip up. We're also certain you're eager for culinary inspiration. This isn't the time to live on two-minute noodles, grilled cheese on toast or that one dish that's always been your speciality ever since you moved out of home, after all. Whether you're eager to emulate one of the aforementioned chefs, focus on a certain type of food or just have some fun with your cooking, there's plenty available to stream to help — not only tempting your tastebuds, but your cooking abilities, too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZ1Rd5HOEK4&list=LLV8ReLqD50OV_hnTTQgFFZg&index=417 NIGELLA AT MY TABLE AND NIGELLA FEASTS More than two decades since Nigella Lawson published her first cookbook and hosted her first cooking show, Britain's kitchen goddess is still going strong. That means she's racked up more than two decades worth of fantastic recipes and excellent culinary TV series — so you could probably make a different Nigella dish for every day you spend in quarantine. It also means there's plenty to watch, whether you fancy heading back to 2006 for Nigella Feasts or catching her most recent series, 2017's Nigella at My Table. The former will give you dinner, leisurely weekend and all-day brekkie ideas, while the latter features puddings, brownies, waffles, lamb kofta and chicken marsala. Nigella at My Table is available to stream via ABC iView, while Nigella Feasts is streaming via SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wKIOTJtLdQ CHEF'S TABLE Scrolling through Netflix, you might start feeling hungry. While the streaming service is known for many things, it has also become a hub for culinary-themed docuseries over the past few years. There's nothing quite like the original though: Chef's Table, the platform's first step into the foodie game. Created by Jiro Dreams of Sushi filmmaker David Gelb, each of the series' 30 episodes to-date focuses on a different chef, a different restaurant and a different place around the world — taking your stomach on a global tour. Watch Massimo Bottura do what he does best, spend time behind the scenes with Attica's Ben Shewry, and journey everywhere from Argentina and Sweden to Slovenia and Turkey. The US also features heavily, but this acclaimed show never repeats itself. Chef's Table is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxlVVL-Hzks DESTINATION FLAVOUR Once, he was a lawyer. Now, Adam Liaw is one of Australia's top culinary talents. The winner of MasterChef Australia's second season back in 2010, he's become a mainstay on TV and in various publications' recipe pages for a good reason: his dishes aren't just delicious and creative, but they ensure that even the most complex-seeming meals are a breeze to make at home. And, he celebrates international cuisine, as his SBS program Destination Flavour demonstrates. While the first series, as co-hosted with Renee Lim and Lily Serna, kept a local focus, Liaw has since taken the show to Japan, Scandinavia, Singapore, China, and then back to Australia and New Zealand — and it's the perfect travel/food series hybrid. Destination Flavour's original season, as well as its Japan, Scandinavia, Singapore, China, and Australia and New Zealand-focused seasons, are all available to stream via SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb7CBZ952zs NAILED IT! Admit it: while you've been spending all your time indoors, you've put your oven to good use. And, you've whipped up more than just bread — because who hasn't been hankering for cakes, brownies, muffins and all manner of other sweet baked goods? If you've been trying to take your cake-making to elaborate extremes, or you've always wanted to, then Nailed It! is the show for you. In each episode, the competitive Netflix series tasks three amateur bakers with creating complex cakes, then watches as they succeed and/or fail. As hosted by comedian Nicole Byer and pastry chef Jacques Torres, the show proves particularly fun when the contestants don't hit the mark. In fact, ensuring that the series is incredibly relatable, Nailed It! focuses on bakers who definitely aren't going to be jumping over to MasterChef anytime in the near future. Nailed It! is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxKrJYsZnCU THE PIZZA SHOW AND THE ICE CREAM SHOW One can be topped with almost any ingredient you can think of, tastes divine when it's fresh out of the oven and also goes down mighty well eaten cold for breakfast. The other is the ultimate in frosty, creamy desserts — and it's just as versatile. Obviously, we're talking about pizza and ice cream. Yes, they pair nicely together, too. Thanks to the aptly named Viceland duo that is The Pizza Show and The Ice Cream Show, you can devote your hours to learning all about each dish. Spend your time feasting your eyes on everyone's favourite Italian meal, and you'll be hanging out with Brooklyn Pizzeria owner Frank Pinello as he ventures across the US and Italy. Opt for a chilled sweet treat, and you'll follow third-generation ice cream maker Isaac Lappert around America as well. The Pizza Show and The Ice Cream Show are available to stream via SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eyFq3addMs UGLY DELICIOUS Food and travel: if there's a combination that's better suited to today's current situation, we're yet to find it. Any TV show that combines both not only provides viewers with a whole heap of culinary suggestions, but lets everyone cooped up at home indulge their wanderlust. That's the case with Ugly Delicious. It's the case with the bulk of Netflix's cooking shows, including fellow David Chang-hosted series Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner; however Ugly Delicious' focus on a different type of food per episode is a winner. Chang also weaves in the history of each dish in the spotlight, so prepare to learn more about tacos, Korean barbecue, fried rice and Indian cuisine — as well as steak, fried chicken, skewered meat, and shrimp and crawfish. Ugly Delicious is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4fx6V7ura0 DISHMANTLED Given that Dishmantled's episodes clock in at less than ten minutes each — it's a Quibi show, and that's what the new streaming platform specialises in — don't expect a step-by-step walkthrough explaining how to make each dish in detail. Instead, this amusing spin on the culinary TV genre's competitive strand literally throws food at its blindfolded competitors, forces them to guess what kind of meal they're now covered in, and asks them to make said dish in 30 minutes. Expect quick meal ideas, an entertaining and enjoyably over-the-top concept, and plenty of attitude, with the latter coming from host Tituss Burgess. If his Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt character Titus Andromedon hosted a silly cooking show in bite-sized pieces, it'd look exactly like this (although it could use more pinot noir). Dishmantled is available to stream via Quibi. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzSTqVUWEzU THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF Fifteen years ago, if someone had suggested that Noel Fielding host a cooking show, you would've started laughing. Or, you would've thought that they were dreaming up a hilarious scenario for a new episode of The Mighty Boosh. But co-hosting The Great British Bake Off is exactly what Fielding has been doing since 2017. He's great at it, too. And, if watching British cooks compete for glory by baking up a storm isn't entertaining enough for you, then Fielding's involvement will be. Combined, though, you're in for a big dose Fielding being Fielding, plus oh-so-many delicious-looking baked goods that you'll instantly want to whip up at home. The Great British Bake Off is available to stream via Foxtel Now. Top images: Chef's Table, Ugly Delicious and Nailed It! via Netflix; Destination Flavour: China via SBS.
Australians have hotly anticipated the opening of the very first Il Mercato Centrale in Melbourne ever since it was first announced in 2022. At that time, it was expected to launch late the same year. But it's now 2024, and we still have no hard date for its opening. The highly ambitious venture came across a heap of setbacks, as the team behind it is determined to create a hospitality venue unlike anything that Melbourne has ever seen. All the red tape has now been sorted, however, and construction is charging ahead at 546 Collins Street at lightning speed. [caption id="attachment_856983" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Il Mercato Centrale in Turin[/caption] First off, the 3500-square-metre space, spread across three stories, truly is enormous. The first floor will have a market feel to it but with more flash, fun and tech. Each of the vendors will be slinging their own specialty goods, with none competing with the other. There'll be a bakery, patisserie, pasta shop, pizza joint, cheese maker, butcher and seafood stall, to name a few. Here, you can get fresh produce to take away or order it to be cooked up right in front of you. That means that you can buy a steak to eat at home or ask them to pop it on the grill while you start on some wine that you ordered from the bar right in the centre of the ground floor. Want to make it a surf and turf? Order some grilled calamari from the seafood stall next door and create your own feast. Conveniently, you'll be able to order from any and all vendors all in one transaction by using a QR code — or even pre-order from your office to pick up when it's ready. It going to be one of the easiest Melbourne food halls to order from. Then, on the second floor of Melbourne's Il Mercato Centrale, you'll find a fine-dining restaurant, cocktail bar, pasta restaurant (all made by hand), pizzeria, gelateria, wine bar, a gin and vodka distillery, and live music stage. We told you, it's huge. Up here, you'll even be able to order some of the food from downstairs to be delivered to you. Say you're sipping on a negroni at the bar upstairs and get a bit hungry. All you've got to do is order a cheeseboard and perhaps some slices of pizza on your phone, and the team will bring it up to you. If it all works out how the crew wants it to, it will be a huge feat of tech and service ingenuity. The top floor of Il Mercato Centrale will then be dedicated to private events and masterclasses, where each of the vendors will run workshops on their particular trades each month. [caption id="attachment_856981" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Il Mercato Centrale Rome[/caption] There will even be a big outdoor seating area right on Collins Street, something that was not easy for the Il Mercato Centrale team to secure. Taking Concrete Playground on a tour of the site, General Manager Gary Patikkis couldn't share the details about the outside area, but he noted that it is set to be unlike any other street-level drinking and dining space in the CBD. The venue will have a 3am liquor license (another rarity for new venues in Melbourne) and be open until from 7am–12am every day of the week. Patikkis was reluctant to share any opening dates, but rest assured that Il Mercato Centrale is coming. And Melburnians and visitors alike hopefully won't have to wait much longer before being able to dine on a massive range of Italian eats in the Victorian capital's CBD. [caption id="attachment_856978" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Il Mercato Centrale Firenze[/caption] Mercato Centrale Melbourne is set to open at 546 Collins Street, Melbourne. We'll share more information as it is announced, and you can head to the venue's website in the interim. Top image: Il Mercato Centrale Milan.
We all have movies that change us, open up the world to us and/or make us feel seen. Most folks, whether they're filmmakers or not, don't then bring new versions of those pictures to cinemas — no matter how much they might want to. Andrew Ahn's feature filmography started with his 2016 debut Spa Night, then delivered 2019's Driveways and 2022's Fire Island, and now adds a fresh take on a Berlin-winning, Oscar-nominated 90s box-office hit that marked just the second film from Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi Best Director Academy Award-winner Ang Lee. 1993's The Wedding Banquet was also the first gay movie, first gay Asian movie and first gay Asian American movie that Ahn ever saw. The man behind the camera on 2025's The Wedding Banquet was eight when he watched the original picture courtesy of a video-store rental. When he started on the path to becoming a filmmaker himself, and even once he had a movie or two under his belt — long before this project came his way, then — crafting his own version didn't ever occur to him. "Oh, it never crossed my mind — like, not a direct remake," Ahn tells Concrete Playground about the fourth feature on his resume, which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. "I think I thought about similar themes and ideas, but to make something that would be called The Wedding Banquet, I could never have imagined. It really took the producers approaching me. Our producers had been chatting before I was in the picture, and I think their scheming led to this." Three decades back, The Wedding Banquet focused on Manhattan-based gay Taiwanese man Gao Wai-Tung (Winston Chao, Daughter's Daughter), whose parents (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's Sihung Lung and Qing yu nian's Ah-Lei Gua) had no idea that he wasn't straight, let alone any awareness of his long-term American partner Simon (Mitchell Lichtenstein, Modern Houses), and so had matchmaking their son with a future bride and stressing their yearning for grandchildren firmly on their minds. As co-written by Lee with James Schamus (The King's Daughter) and Neil Peng (The Candidate), the film makes Wai-Tung's mother and father's dreams come true via Wei-Wei (May Chin, now a Taiwanese politician), a Chinese artist who'll be deported if she doesn't get a green card. Of course the eponymous event takes place, with Mr and Mrs Gao in attendance and in the dark that it's all a sham. Lee's movie is a comedy, romantic and screwball alike, and equally a deeply considered and thoughtful relationship drama, plus a compassionate family drama. A reimagining rather than a remake, 2025's The Wedding Banquet falls into all of the above categories still, so it's a rom-com, it's screwball, and it's both a relationship and family drama as well; however, Ahn and Schamus — who returned to co-write another The Wedding Banquet, after initially collaborating with Ahn by producing Driveways — have their eyes firmly on the queer experience right now. As a result, while there's winks and nods to the original, and clear affection for it evident across its frames, this take on the film is guided by how the initial flick's setup would truly play out two decades into the 21st century as it explores queer identity, cultural heritage and community. Accordingly, audiences meet two Seattle-based queer couples: Angela (Kelly Marie Tran, Control Freak) and Lee (Lily Gladstone, Fancy Dance), plus Min (Han Gi-Chan, Dare to Love Me) and Chris (Bowen Yang, Saturday Night Live). Among their families, Angela's mother (Joan Chen, Dìdi) wins awards for her allyship, while Min's grandmother (Youn Yuh-Jung, Pachinko) is the head of a Korea-originated multinational company that he has always been expected to take over. Having children is Angela and Lee's priority, but after two unsuccessful rounds of IVF they're now out of money for a third. While cash isn't a problem for Min, the fact that his student visa will soon expire is — and so is Chris' commitment-phobic reluctance to marry him. The plan, then, is for Angela and Min to wed, helping the latter stay in the US in exchange for financial assistance for Lee's next IVF treatment. [caption id="attachment_1003561" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Janice Chung[/caption] One of the key points that's pushed further to the fore this time around is parenthood — and what it means to have a family as a queer couple. Ahn's fondness for the families that we choose, as seen across his filmography so far, remains a pivotal element of The Wedding Banquet, but so does the specific intention and effort needed to pass on your genes when getting pregnant can't just happen accidentally as it can for some in heterosexual relationships. That thread, and even a specific line of dialogue about it, comes from Ahn's own life. As such, he's not just lending his loving eyes to a new iteration of a movie that's personally important to him — alongside his Korean American background, he's lending parts of his existence. Ahn's on-screen ensemble is clearly phenomenal, including Gladstone in a more-comedic role than audiences are accustomed to seeing the Killers of the Flower Moon Oscar-nominee and Golden Globe-winner in, the director giving his Fire Island star Yang a more-dramatic arc, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker's Tran in a film with a smart and funny Star Wars line, Han getting his feature film and English-language debut, Chen after she was almost cast in the original and Youn's first American film since winning her Oscar for Minari. Also exceptional: how lived-in that they make their characters' connections feel. We spoke to Ahn about that, drawing from his own reality to highlight queer parenthood, how his past work — episodes of Bridgerton among them — led him here, fleshing out the narrative for 2025, tonal balance, found families and more. On Ahn's Past Work, Including Spa Night, Driveways, Fire Island and Directing Episodes of Bridgerton, Leading Him to a New Version of The Wedding Banquet "I think everything that I do feels informed by what I worked on in the past. Even Bridgerton I feel like snuck its way into The Wedding Banquet a little bit — the romanticism of it. I think The Wedding Banquet definitely required me to pull from so many different parts of my life, as a person and as a filmmaker, to make this film the best that I could." On Working Out Where to Take a New Iteration of The Wedding Banquet, Including a Broader Range of Characters, Exploring the Korean American Experience, and Examining Allyship, Found Families and Having Children "It was kind of step by step. When I rewatched the film in preparation for my conversation with the producers, there were first instincts that were just inspired by how beautiful the original film is. I wondered 'what if the bride in the original film, Wei-Wei, what if she also were queer and had a lesbian partner?'. And then, thinking about how gay people can get married now, I wondered 'now that we can, should we?'. Like 'do we really want to?' And then in the original film, there's an accidental pregnancy — 'but what if we see a couple trying to get pregnant, and planning to have a baby?'. And so these were very helpful foundation-building elements to the story, and I worked with James Schamus to really breathe life into these characters, and engineer the many different themes and questions that we were wrestling with. It was a very difficult process. We worked very hard, and we were writing the film for more than five years, and so it was a real labour of love. I'm so thankful for James, and just the years of experience that he had — not just as a screenwriter, but also as a producer and a director. You could not ask for a more-experienced collaborator." On First Watching Ang Lee's Film at the Age of Eight, Then Reimagining It Three Decades Later "I think it definitely helped that I had a really special relationship with the original film, but that wouldn't be enough. I think what helped me understand 'this is my film that I can make' was the phase of adulthood that I found myself in when I was working on this — and really thinking about getting married and having children. I had a lot of conversations with my boyfriend about marriage and kids, and I realised that I felt very strongly about how important and how beautiful queer family-building is — and that really was my guiding light through this whole process in making this movie." On Drawing One of the Film's Key Exchanges About the Intention Needed for Queer Couples to Start a Family From Ahn's Own Life "I wanted to talk about how that's a reality of queer people's existences — and one of the challenges of building family that's not even defined by homophobia. It's not like there's a straight person keeping us away from building family. It's our own hesitations. There's definitely, of course, a lot of financial and legal reasons that complicate queer family-building, but we kind of have to get out of our own way first, and just believe that this is something that we can do and that we want. And so I really wanted to talk about this particular nuance that I don't think has been explored in an in-depth way on the big screen. So it was an insight that I had only come to in having a conversation with my boyfriend, and I took that line of 'if it happens, it happens' straight out of my boyfriend's mouth onto the page." On Helping Ensure That Years and Even Decades of Intimacy Shone Through Among the FIlm's Characters Thanks to Its Stacked Cast "It's such an incredible ensemble, and I had so much fun working with them. They were all so game. They wanted to be vulnerable, and they showed so much generosity with each other and with me. I think of directing as creating an environment where these actors can feel safe and inspired, and so there was a lot of conversation that I had with each of the actors before they came to set — and then as much as we could find rehearsal time, we built in rehearsal time in our schedule so that we could fast-track an intimacy. I think these actors are all incredible, incredible actors, and so it's not hard to get a great performance out of them — and so for me, it's just about creating an energy and a space for them to really be present and work with each other well. And for me, I think a lot of that had to do with just putting together a cast and crew that really valued the story and what we were doing, and understood the meaningfulness of our work." On Casting Gladstone in a More-Comic Role Than Audiences Are Used to Seeing Her in, and Also Giving Yang a More-Dramatic Arc "I love being able to work with actors in a mode that they might not be used to or have been cast in before. I think it's fun to broaden the horizon for an audience of who these actors are and can be. Bowen, I loved working with him on Fire Island, and I just see so much charisma and vulnerability that I think is undeniable. And then when Lily, she's so serious in some of her work, but I saw her in some interviews and she's such a goofball. And I love that. And so I had a lot of belief that she could have fun in this role. And the way both of those actors — the way that all of our actors — traverse the balance of comedy and drama, it was very inspiring to watch." On Making a Romantic Comedy and a Screwball Comedy That's Also a Family Drama, and Is Deeply Considered and Thoughtful About Queer Identity, Cultural Heritage and Community "I think tone is one of the hardest things about filmmaking, and it's because it takes the entire process to figure out. You are writing it, you are directing it, you are editing it, and it's not until the very end, even with score and sound design and colour correction, where you've figured out the tone of your movie. And so it's really about trusting the artistic process and giving yourself options. In the script, we had alt lines for other jokes, for different zingers. On set, we would do certain takes more dramatically, do certain takes more comedically. In the edit, we're constantly adjusting. And so we had to just trust in the process — and in some ways trust in my own intuition and just energy. My editor Geraud Brisson [Lessons in Chemistry] mentioned that the film, it kind of feels like hanging out with me. And I used that as a creative north star in helping find that really complicated but fun balance of comedy and drama." [caption id="attachment_1003558" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fire Island, photo by Jeong Park. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved[/caption] On Why the Idea of Found Family Interests Ahn and Keeps Popping Up Through His Work "I think found family, it is something worth celebrating, and I think we can take it for granted sometimes. Our friends, our relationships — there's so much there, there's so much that needs to happen, there's so much work you need to put in in creating your chosen family. And so when you can create your own chosen family, it's really worth celebrating. And so it's something that I feel like whether you're queer or not, it's a very meaningful reminder" The Wedding Banquet opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, May 8, 2025. The Wedding Banquet images: Luka Cyprian, Bleecker Street.
Getting to the Yarra Valley is half the experience; trailing through those straw-yellow hills is the closest thing to Tuscany Melburnians are going to get. But there's no use driving around aimlessly. You'll need to head to the Valley with a plan of where you are going to eat, otherwise you'll be totally overwhelmed by the number of tempting wineries that spring up every couple of hundred metres. All up, there's about 160. So let us introduce Meletos. A beautiful eatery brought to you by the founders of nearby estate and restaurant Stones, the Meletos estate features a 23-room boutique guesthouse and, beside it, a restaurant and cafe. Located on a dirt path just off the gloriously straight St Huberts Road — which makes you feel like you're driving to nowhere — the stunning eatery is open for lunch and dinner every night of the week. On the weekends, the place is buzzing. Chances are you'll have to endure a wait. But it's not that bad of a place to hang around — you could certainly do a lot worse. In the heart of the Yarra Valley, you can take a stroll around the grounds, to the church, the guesthouse and take in panoramic views of the surrounding area. When that's all done, enjoy a glass of your preferred drop on the communal concrete tables that line the entrance to the restaurant or perhaps in the weathered steel-framed glasshouse. But now for the important stuff: the food. You can go down the road of sharing or going solo — either should be satisfying. The menu is made up of an appetisers section, salumi, around six mains, knockout wood-fired pizza, a few sides and, of course, dessert. Starters include European-inspired dishes such as saffron and prosciutto arancini with salsa verde ($12), and a barbecued quail from nearby Wandin with skordalia (a Greek garlic dip), mixed cress and cracked wheat ($18). The pizza menu is almost torturous to choose from. All are $25 (so not even price can determine your decisions) and a few standouts include the cotechino sausage pizza with pickled zucchini and provolone cheese and the prawn-topped pizza with confit tomatoes and feta from the restaurant's neighbour, the Yarra Valley Dairy. The wine list is a combination of the region's highlights, some New South Wales and South Australian drops and others from New Zealand, France, Switzerland and Italy. All that's left to wish for is beautiful weather.
There's much that's wild and unlikely about Kneecap's story — the band, that is, but plenty of it fuels the movie of the same name, too. When Naoise Ó Cairealláin, aka the Irish-language trio's Móglaí Bap, was christened, the British Army thought that the ceremony was an IRA meeting, even bringing in a helicopter. When the Belfast group formed decades later, Móglaí Bap and Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, aka Mo Chara, found their third member in then-schoolteacher Jj Ó Dochartaigh, who took the moniker DJ Próvaí and dons a balaclava in the colours of the Irish flag onstage. Their first single 'C.E.A.R.T.A' was banned from the radio. They've now turned the whole ride so far into a big-screen music biopic. In said flick, which premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara and DJ Próvaí all play themselves. It's true of Kneecap the band and Kneecap the film alike, of course: yes, their shared title springs from a form of violence well-known in the trio's parts during The Troubles. Leaning in in the name of subversion is one of the things that this threesome does best — and via their music and now their feature as well, they're passionate about reframing the way that the world thinks about their home city. Championing their mother tongue, and the sense of Northern Irish identity that it helps forge, is equally crucial. Roll all of that into a movie, then enlist Michael Fassbender (Next Goal Wins) and take some inspiration from Trainspotting, and the result is a blast of a picture — and one of the instant greats of its genre. Naturally, all of the details mentioned above — the christening, which made the newspapers; DJ Próvaí's background, plus his school's reaction to his side gig; the disdain from the airwaves; the texture of Belfast beyond the well-documented conflicts; the fight for the Irish language — were always going to be key elements of any silver-screen take on Kneecap, even a purposefully playful one that isn't afraid of diverting from the facts if it suits (director Rich Peppiatt has claimed is about 70-percent true). As Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara tell Concrete Playground, starring in the movie themselves felt just as inevitable. They call their on-screen parts the roles they were meant to play, which is a cracking line, but the proof is in the vibe and vitality of the film. The trio also co-wrote the feature with British filmmaker Peppiatt, who made their acquaintance by being persistent about trying to have a drink with them, and helmed their 'Guilty Conscience' music video. Ensuring that Kneecap reflected Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara and DJ Próvaí, their tunes, their personalities, their experience, the causes they're committed to and their view of their hometown was obviously paramount. Ask Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara, too, if they ever thought that this was a path that Kneecap would take when they formed the band, and they joke about awards and recognition — "we knew the accolades were coming after the first song," says Mo Chara; "we're waiting on a Nobel Peace Prize next, hopefully," adds Móglaí Bap — but, when they get serious, they stress that hitting cinemas was all about making a movie for Belfast. "It's a very colloquial film with lots of slang, and lots of jokes that maybe people only from where we are from would understand. And we never dumbed that down. We never made it more digestible for anyone outside of Ireland in that way," explains Móglaí Bap. "And I think for that reason, we didn't think beyond Ireland. The movie was made for Ireland, for Belfast. And we didn't think beyond that. I think that's the reason that we created such an original, authentic movie, because we weren't looking outside of Ireland to try and make it more digestible. We're just making it for people like us." Adds Mo Chara: "I think a lot of funders would like to feel like if they give half a million towards the movie, they would like to feel like they've had half a million worth of input. And whenever you let many people have input, it waters it down. It becomes digestible for the world, but it means nobody likes it, and especially people from where you're from." Kneecap haven't had to worry about nobody liking their film. After picking up the NEXT Audience Award at Sundance, it earned the three main gongs at Galway Film Fleadh — the Audience Award, plus Best Irish Film and Best Irish-Language Film — which has never happened before in the fest's history. It's also in Oscar contention, selected as the country's submission for the Best International Feature Film at the 2025 Academy Awards. Across the whirlwind last eight months, the band released their second album Fine Art as well. In March 2025, they'll tour Australia for the first time. We also spoke with Móglaí Bap and Mo Chara about everything that this year has brought their way so far, the reaction to the movie in Belfast even before it hit cinemas, riffing on reality, taking a risk in bringing their story to the screen, dream casting, balancing everything they wanted in the film, enlisting Fassbender's involvement and more. On How 2024 Has Panned Out Since the Film Premiered at Sundance — and with a New Kneecap Album Out, Too Mo Chara: "We've been busy little boys. We've been very busy, but we're getting opportunities that not a lot of young people, especially where we're from, get. So we're enjoying it. We're loving it. We've seen a lot of the world that we would probably not have seen, Iceland and all sorts of places. So we're enjoying it. It's hard to balance the music and the movie at the same time, but we're giving it a good go." Móglaí Bap: "Ying and yang." On the Response to the Film in Belfast, Even Before It Hit Cinemas Mo Chara: "I feel like people in Belfast — well, most, the majority of people — are very proud of us, because Belfast is something that has always just been negative in world media. And it's seen as a place that's not very …" Móglaí Bap: "Progressive." Mo Chara: "… or fun or whatever it is, or that people do well or get creative in. So I feel like a lot of people, especially the older generation, they're all just very, very proud and they're very happy that there's two or three young people, or bands, coming up, or movies being made that show Belfast in not such a negative light all the time, even though there's negativity." Móglaí Bap: "There's a little bit, just like with anywhere." On Bringing Their Origin Story to the Screen, Riffing with Reality and Rich Peppiatt's 70-Percent True Claim Móglaí Bap: "He made that up, surely." Mo Chara: "70 percent — how the fuck does he judge that? But the origin story of Kneecap, though – we're not getting into the blurred lines, but 100 percent, DJ Próvaí was a teacher. And we released the song, and the school started finding out that he was the man behind the mask and sacked him, basically. That's true." Móglaí Bap: "And the police meetings and the Irish language legislation, and all these things. Most of the crazier stories in the movie are true. The christening at the very start of the movie with the British Army helicopter is based on a true story, that's based on my christening. I was christened on a mass rock. It was kind of like an altar made of stone hidden away in the forests when Catholicism was outlawed during the Penal Laws, and I got christened there in the 90s." Mo Chara: "The first christening there for 200 years." Móglaí Bap: "Yeah, the first mass there for 200 years. And the British Army thought there was some sort of IRA meeting going on." Mo Chara: "Like a training camp for the paramilitaries." Móglaí Bap: "And then they hovered above the procession for the whole time as being as being squirted with water by priest." Mo Chara: "I hope it was water." Móglaí Bap: "I think it was water, anyway. And they hovered there above the whole time. There's a newspaper article about it. It was quite an iconic moment. So like stories like that are based on truth, and we like to leave it there. But as Rich says, some of the crazier stories are based on truth." On Eventually Saying Yes to Rich Peppiatt's Persistent Efforts to Have a Drink with Kneecap — and How the Film Started From There Móglaí Bap: "We were very skeptical, of course, because Rich is obviously from England." Mo Chara: "Don't be so hard on him." Móglaí Bap: "And we're very skeptical of English people who want to profit off Irish people. So we kept him at arm's length for a while. But eventually, his arm reached across with a pint and we accepted it. It was from there that we got together very well. I think because Rich is from England is actually is his best quality. It sounds like a negative thing, but it was the best thing about him because he didn't come with any preconceived ideas of what we should represent or what culture we come from. He kind of left it to us to tell him. And because of that, there was a great line of communication in the back and forth. If we didn't feel that some scenes represented our culture or the youth culture, he would listen to us in that way. So there was a great communication between us and Rich, and he was very open director." Mo Chara: "He's done a great job portraying Belfast." Móglaí Bap: "Yeah, he did a great job of portraying Belfast — and portraying the modern era of Belfast and the youth in Belfast. So kudos to Rich." On Taking a Risk by Trusting Kneecap's Story to Any Filmmaker Mo Chara: "The biggest risk of all was the fact that our music career was on the up, and we were doing very well — well, very well for where we were at that time — and the last thing that we would have needed, for example, was a really cheesy, shit movie to come out that was hard to watch and made people cringe. Nobody's going to be able to take a music career seriously after doing a really shit film, I feel. So it was a risk we didn't need to take, but some risks are worth taking and we consider ourselves to be risk-takers. And we put a lot of trust in Rich — and I think Rich put a lot trust in us." Móglaí Bap: "It paid off for him." On the Decision to Play Themselves — and Dream Casting Ideas If That Didn't Pan Out Móglaí Bap: "I wanted to get Brad Pitt, but he was too old." Mo Chara: "He was too old, too ugly." Móglaí Bap: "And then Cillian Murphy, he was too small." Mo Chara: "As we always say, they were the roles we were born to play. So we were glad it was us and we felt like we were the only ones who could probably do it justice. It was funny, we got one of the reviews that said 'at the start I thought these actors were really good rappers. It actually just turns out that these rappers are really good actors'. So we fooled a lot of people with. I'm glad we did it." Móglaí Bap: "I think actually it still happens — during some of the film premieres, some people leave the movie still not knowing that we're an actual band and think that we're just a fake band that we created for the movie. So I think that's a good sign." On the Kind of Preparation That Goes Into Playing Yourself in Your First Acting Roles Mo Chara: "We got an unbelievable acting coach called Kieran Lagan. At the very start, it was a lot of warm-up games — and as Kieran would say, in acting, if you're in your head you're dead. You have to be present. You have to be in the room. There was a lot of staring into each other's eyes for five minutes. I don't know if you'll ever be close enough to somebody to do that. It's very awkward. And you have to describe each other's face and stuff. So there was a lot of really awkward games for us at the start. But by the end of this couple of months that we did, it became very therapeutic for us to go and do these sessions, and then we would leave and everybody would be in good form." Móglaí Bap: "We all nearly fell in love, because apparently if you stare into someone's eyes for ten minutes, you fall in love. I don't know if that's true." Mo Chara: "Speak for yourself." On Covering Kneecap's Lived Experiences, the Post-Troubles Reality in Northern Ireland, the Impact of the Police, the Campaign for the Irish Language to Be Recognised and More, All in One Film Mo Chara: "We had the term 'kill your babies'. So we would have some great ideas, but it just wasn't going to work in the film. So stuff that we really liked, we had to just cut it. And that's always tough. But I suppose that's the game. Even some scenes that were in it that have been cut that we really liked, because the the first draft was like two hours and 15 minutes. And so we went and had to cut loads of scenes. So that's always tricky. But yeah, there's a big political sphere here that we wanted to represent, but we just couldn't get everything in because it's such a complex history here. But we got what we felt was important to the story and what was important for people to understand the contacts of the of politics here. I think we got most of it across with the Irish Language Act, and the Unionist and Republican politicians." Móglaí Bap: "I think the core element of the movie, which we always came back to, is identity. Identity is so important, especially in post-colonial countries that do have Indigenous languages. Language and identity are all intertwined, and I think that's something that resonates with people. We've seen in America or places where they speak minority languages, that what resonates with them mostly is identity. And people I've met people who watch the film, they literally instantly either want to learn Irish or want to learn whatever their own Indigenous native language is. That's something that we're very proud of. That's the effect this movie is having." On Getting Michael Fassbender Onboard to Play Móglaí Bap's Father Dad Mo Chara: "It made the difference." Móglaí Bap: "He was completely starstruck when he met us." Mo Chara: "We always say that, that he was completely starstruck — but he actually was a fan of Kneecap. And I feel like he really liked the script. So it was amazing to have him. So we wrote the film. We were ready to go, basically, in a few months time, but COVID happened. So it put everything back a few years. But COVID actually in itself was a blessing, because it was after COVID or towards the end of COVID, that we got Fassbender involved. So COVID actually worked in our favour. But it made all the difference. It gave the film legitimacy, whenever you have such a big star like that involved. We already had Josie Walker [The Wonder, This Is Going to Hurt, Belfast] and Simone Kirby [The Buccaneers, Hidden Assets, His Dark Materials], who've done plenty of huge, huge roles as well. But Fassbender brought this new legitimacy to it. And also it meant anyone who was on set the day of Fassbender, everybody upped their game. Everybody wore their best clothes. The catering was better. Everyone acted better." Móglaí Bap: "We got real plates." Mo Chara: "We got real plates and cutlery." Móglaí Bap: "We got real forks and knives, instead of all the paper ones we were using." Mo Chara: "So it really just upped everyone's game, having him involved, and it it just pushed everyone just to strive to be better." Kneecap opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, August 29, 2024. Images: Madman / Sony Pictures Classics.
Luxe basement bar and eatery The George On Collins has scored a makeover and a brand new menu, as it moves into the next phase of its life. The sprawling basement space, designed Hecker Guthrie (responsible for Ugly Duckling, Ruyi and Longrain, amongst others), now features a collection of revamped private spaces, geared towards upscale celebrations with the crew. Make yourself at home in The Attic, tucked upstairs and behind a curtain; enjoy an intimate celebration in The Den; or settle into a feast in the new-look private dining room, The Rumpus. The glass-fronted Cellar, with views across the rest of the venue, has room for a up to 220. Alongside these sleek new additions to the space, The George has also treated its food offering to a complete overhaul, now plating up vibrant, mod-Vietnamese fare for lunch, dinner and late-night sessions alike. The three new menus are the vision of MasterChef Australia 2018 contestant Khanh Ong, and have been brought to life by Head Chef Quim Hernandez. While they're anchored by traditional flavours and techniques, there is still plenty of creativity. Head in for plates like glass dumplings with prawns, pork and heirloom carrots ($12), slow-cooked lamb shoulder matched with coriander sauce ($36), and a half rooster ($32) done with a ginger and fish sauce caramel. The dessert situation proves equally impressive — starring creations like Khanh's 'drunk' sticky date pudding ($14) with whisky caramel and vanilla — as does the drinks list, which Khanh has also had a hand in. Vietnamese flavours make themselves known throughout the cocktails, which include the lemongrass and chilli infused Hot In Ha Noi ($22) and the guava- and coconut-heavy One Night in Saigon ($22).
When Fitzroy's venerable old pub The Rose — famous for their bangin' street parties and being a top-notch place to watch the footy — shut down in December 2015, it was to the dismay of locals. Luckily it was only for a few months to undergo renovations, which has seen the pub get a new lick of paint, a welcome refresh and, most notably, a wine bar upstairs. New owners Tim Hogan and John Tennent — who also own Port Melbourne's greatest wine bar, Harry and Frankie — have reinvigorated The Rose, but Fitzroy locals will be comforted by the fact that their natural watering hole retains the essence of the original pub. The front bar has lost the carpet, but kept the central bar and classic TV setup for watching a game and enjoying that classic Aussie pastime: a pot and a parma. However, upstairs has seen the biggest change. It's Fitzroy version of the pair's popular wine bar, and comes complete with a separate entrance. Up here the focus moves to wine (obviously) and away from pub food to a light charcuterie. There's also a walk-in wine cellar for diners to pluck their wine of choice fresh from the shelves.
Sure, Bali's known for its beautiful resorts and lively beach clubs, but venture a little deeper and away from the classic Aussie tourist traps, and you'll find plenty of once-in-a-lifetime experiences that will make your trip one of a kind. How does river tubing through rainforest canyons sound? Maybe you'd rather make your own silver jewellery? Or get up early to watch the sunrise from the top of a volcano? We've rounded up eight unique, local-led adventures that let you see a different side of Bali (and beyond). And the best part? When you book an experience with your Visa card through our dedicated travel platform, Concrete Playground Trips, you'll score 10% off. So, start exploring – these are the kind of days you'll still be talking about on the flight home.
