Holidaymakers love staying in them. TV shows sing their praises. Everyone has wondered what their days would be like if they lived the tiny house life. Expect to explore that train of thought at the National Gallery of Victoria until Sunday, April 27, 2025, all thanks to the latest temporary addition outside the NGV International on St Kilda Road in Melbourne: Home Truth, the NGV's Architecture Commission for 2024. How big does the average Australian home need to be? How many tiny houses could fit in the space that a standard Aussie abode takes up? These mightn't be the normal questions that anyone tends to ponder when they visit an art gallery, but it's the query that Home Truth wants everyone to contemplate right now. First, you'll see and enter a standard-sized Aussie house. Inside, you'll then find an abode of much smaller size — and you'll notice the difference between the two. Each year, the NGV unveils a site-specific pop-up construction that experiments with design concepts while musing on subjects of public importance. This year's pick is a tiny house — which wouldn't sound out of the ordinary if it wasn't a pint-sized abode within the frame of the average Australian home, and if drawing attention to the contrast wasn't its aim. Created by Melbourne-based architecture and design studio Breathe, Home Truth continues the firm's focus on sustainable architecture that'll endure and has a purpose — and, since Wednesday, November 13, it's getting NGV visitors walking through a house-within-a-house labyrinth. The larger building represents the average 236-square-metre Australian residence. Nestled within it, the smaller-scale home is designed to spark conversations about alternative modes of housing. To get from one to the other, visitors enter via the larger house's garage door, then wander through rooms and hallways. When you reach the tinier home, you'll feel like you've hit the centre of a maze. Attendees will notice two different materials distinguishing each abode, too, with the bigger spot constructed from framing pine and the smaller house from the waste-made and silver-hued saveboard — offering up a comment on how homes are currently built in Australia as well. Images: installation view of the 2024 NGV Architecture Commission: Home Truth by Breathe. on display from 13 November 2024 until April 2025 at NGV International, Melbourne. Photo: Derek Swalwell.
Cinnabon fans were thrilled when it was announced the brand was scrollin' back to Victoria earlier this year, culminating in a long-awaited store launch at Watergardens Shopping Centre. Now, just two months later, the brand is ready to open a new location with a prime position on Friday, July 11, as Cinnabon has found a new home in Melbourne Central. It's the second of a trio of Melbourne store openings planned for 2025, and there's no shortage of sweet delights to explore for Cinnabon fanatics and newcomers alike. Indulge in caramel pecan and chocobon flavours alongside the famed frosted original roll. Plus, there are espresso-based drinks, from hot coffee to frozen Chillates, ensuring your visit is even sweeter. "Victorians proved their love for Cinnabon with a phenomenal response to the Watergardens store, but we know how many people are clamouring for a store in the CBD, so we knew the time was right to launch our second store," says Veronica Cheung, Managing Director of Always Hungry Club. "Fans have been eagerly awaiting a metro debut for Cinnabon in Victoria for a while now, so we are very excited to be opening at Melbourne Central." With the brand making its triumphant return to Victoria, devoted customers might spot the much-loved American chain looking a little different from its previous iteration. To give the stores a fresh appearance, award-winning architect and interior design firm Elvin Tan Design has been brought on board, leading the vision for both the Watergardens and Melbourne Central locations. As the Cinnabon brand continues to expand across Australia, the Melbourne Central store will represent the 25th location around the country. With crowds drawn in by the comforting caramelised brown butter notes wafting from every store, expect this grand opening to generate plenty of fanfare on the big day and beyond. In fact, getting to Melbourne Central early is a good idea, as the first 50 customers will receive a goodie bag jam-packed with exclusive Cinnabon-themed merch. "With such a positive response, we're moving quickly toward our goal," says Cheung about plans to launch a third store before the end of 2025. "With the excitement seen at Watergardens, we anticipate a bustling opening downtown." Cinnabon opens on Friday, July 11, at Melbourne Central in the lower ground food court, operating Monday–Friday from 9am–7pm and Saturday–Sunday from 10am–7pm. Head to the website for more information.
If you're bored with standard light bulbs, or are looking for a creative light fixture to add some style to a room, why not get imaginative and do it yourself? Creating your own orbs, hanging lights or lamps can actually be much simpler than you may think, and they also make use of materials you'll probably have lying around the house sitting stagnant and useless anyway. Establish an alternative ambience, add some creative flair or improve the decor of a room simply by adding some alternative lights you've made yourself. Here are 12 of the most impressive, innovative and easiest DIY light fixtures made from everyday household objects. Wine Bottle Plastic Spoon and Water Jug Bendy Bamboo Straw Chandelier Cloud Light Paper Flower Jars Paper Cups Doily Lamp Bowler Hats Cupcake Cups Orb [Via Buzzfeed]
Saturday Night is a film of nerves. It's a movie filled with laughs, of course, as any big-screen step behind the scenes of iconic TV sketch series Saturday Night Live should be — but it's equally as tense as it is amusing as it charts the 90 minutes leading into the 90 minutes that forever changed television history. Fresh off also revisiting the comedic past with latest Ghostbusters instalments Ghostbusters: Afterlife and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, writer/director Jason Reitman and his co-scribe Gil Kenan chart the chaos before SNL's first-ever episode beamed into homes. Everything that could be dysfunctional is dysfunctional, all as an unproven cast and crew attempted to add something unique to American entertainment. Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Jane Curtain, Gilda Radner, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Chevy Chase, Andy Kaufman, Jim Henson, George Carlin: they're all featured in Saturday Night, with Dylan O'Brien (Caddo Lake), Matt Wood (Instinct), Kim Matula (NCIS), Ella Hunt (Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1), Lamorne Morris (Fargo), Emily Fairn (The Responder), Cory Michael Smith (May December), Nicholas Braun (Dream Scenario) and Matthew Rhys (IF) bringing them to the screen. (Succession alum Braun does double duty as both Kaufman and Henson). Also among the wide-ranging ensemble: Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things), Rachel Sennott (Bottoms), Kaia Gerber (Palm Royale), JK Simmons (The Union), Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza) and Willem Dafoe (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice). At the centre of it all is Lorne Michaels, the writer and producer that's been at the heart of Saturday Night Live since that debut airing on Saturday, October 11, 1975, as well as the driving force behind the show coming to fruition to begin with at all — and remains at the helm now that SNL is in its 50th season. Gabriel LaBelle steps into his shoes, scoring a role that naturally inspires some nerves. "I wanted to get it right for the people who did know him. And I felt he's influenced so many brilliant people who've inspired me that I wanted to make it right for them," he tells Concrete Playground. But he's also returning to familiar territory, in a fashion: in his first two major movie parts, the Canadian actor has played two major names. When Steven Spielberg (West Side Story) decided to turn his adolescence and first years as a filmmaker into a movie, the semi-autobiographical The Fabelmans was the end result. His on-screen alter ego: the fictional Sammy Fabelman, portrayed as a teenager onwards by LaBelle. The cast's Oscar nominations might've went to Michelle Williams (Showing Up) as matriarch Mitzi Fabelman and Judd Hirsch (The Goldbergs) as Sammy's granduncle Boris; however, LaBelle was no less impressive, picking up the National Board of Review's Breakthrough Performance award for his efforts. He was a huge Spielberg fan going in. He was also a massive SNL devotee before picking up his next dream role. LaBelle's first acting credit arrived in 2013 via an episode of TV series Motive, with fellow small-screen fare iZombie, Brand New Cherry Flavor and American Gigolo also on his resume, plus movies Max 2: White House Hero, Dead Shack, The Predator and Snack Shack. He initially caught the bug away from the cameras, though, at summer camp. Asked about if he could've ever imagined back then, when he was appearing in musical productions of Footloose, Shrek and Aladdin, how things have turned out for him so far, he comments about how strange it is to have that information out in the world. "It's so weird to meet you just now and for you to already know that," LaBelle laughs. [caption id="attachment_978078" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Eric Charbonneau/Sony Pictures via Getty Images[/caption] If LaBelle was ever to earn a film about him somewhere down the track, those early summer-camp stints are the kind of details that someone playing him would undoubtedly revel in during their preparation phase. For the actor when he was approaching taking on Michaels, he tackled the mountain of books available about SNL or that just mention the IRL figure, he advises — someone that he only became aware of during the pandemic, he also tells us, because growing up as a Saturday Night Live lover as a kid means obsessing over on-screen talent and their sketches rather than the off-screen folks making the show happen. We chatted with LaBelle about that lifelong affection for SNL, whether it's easier to play someone who is best-known to many as a name rather than a personality, his research process, the sense of responsibility that comes with taking on such well-known figures on-screen, and balancing the film's laughs and tension, too — plus Paul Rudd (Only Murders in the Building) crashing his first day on set. On Growing Up Watching SNL — and, If He Ever Gets the Chance to Host, If LaBelle Would Join the List of Stars Saying That It Was a Dream Come True in Their Opening Monologue "I would say the same thing. I was obsessed. I grew up on the best of Will Ferrell and Chris Farley, and the best of the commercials, on VHS tapes. I rehearsed and performed the Spartan cheerleaders at recess in elementary school. I grew up on the National Lampoon films, and Bill Murray and Aykroyd and Belushi. And I watched SNL every Saturday. So it was really important to me, and so many of my favourite films and actors and comedians come from there. I've always been very aware of it, and it is really surreal to be a part of something like this. So if I'm ever granted the gift of hosting, I would say the exact same thing." On First Becoming Aware of Lorne Michaels Before Saturday Night Came LaBelle's Way "I became aware of Lorne, I think, sometime in the pandemic. It must have been when I just had all this time on my hands and I watched interviews and listened to podcasts about my favourite actors and comedians. And I kept hearing 'Lorne, Lorne, Lorne, Lorne' from all the SNL people. I didn't do any actual research into him until this film. I knew of him, but not a lot." On Whether It's Easier to Portray Someone Who Is Perhaps Best-Known to Most as a Name Rather Than a Personality "No, because I wanted to get it right for the people who did know him. And I felt he's influenced so many brilliant people who've inspired me that I wanted to make it right for them. So my initial fear was 'oh man, I have to get it even more right, and there's less out there'. But Jason [Reitman] was really great at getting everybody to not be so focused on being them, and as long as I just felt like him or sprinkled things in here and there, and didn't become too rigid in my mimicry of him — not even mimicry, but certain mannerisms that you wanted to get down. I felt an even bigger pressure, to answer your question." On the Research That Goes Into Playing Someone with 50 Seasons of an Iconic TV Show to His Name — and So Much That's Sprung From There "There are a lot of great books about how SNL started. Like a lot of them, actually. And there's one that was just so brilliant where — I don't even know the names of the books, I just looked up 'books on Saturday Night Live' and then ordered them on Amazon and they'd show up, so forgive me whoever wrote it — but I'm pretty sure it's just called The Oral History of Saturday Night Live. It is essentially just transcripts of people talking about how it came to be in the first year, the first five years, and then proceeding into the generations later, but I only focused on the first couple of chapters on how it got started. There's so much, whether it's Dick Ebersol's book, where he talks about Lorne Michaels, or Alan Zweibel's book, where he might even say a few things. There was a lot out there — and about his personality and his decisions, and how he started, how he met everybody, what the relationships were like between him and the cast and the writers. And that was super helpful to just give context on how to communicate and how to play each scene, because Lorne is interacting with so many people, so it really gives you a backbone to the story. And there was also an old interview with Lorne on The Tomorrow Show where he's introducing the cast to NBC — it's right before the first episode, and he introduces everybody and it was so brilliant. I got a lot from that. I played that thousands of times leading up to production just to get his voice down, his accent, certain vocal stuff. Then, what was so good about working with Jason is he was so brilliant of breaking that all down and allowing you to play, and allowing you to forget a lot of it and not be so rigid with it." On Taking on IRL Entertainment Icons in Two of LaBelle's First Major Film Roles "It's weird, because I was so influenced by Spielberg films. I was so influenced by SNL. And so it weirdly feels like I'm welcomed inside of those things, like I'm weirdly a part of it. Which is weird. I don't quite know how to articulate it, but it's a true honour is what it is, because of how important they've been to my life, and then also recognising the cultural significance that they've had in the world. It's fulfilling, I'll tell you that." On Whether a Sense of Responsibility Comes with Stepping Into Michaels and Spielberg's Shoes "Oh my god, yes. You don't want to mess it up because they're not just important to me, they're important to a billion people on the planet. A lot of people really care, and you don't want to let people down. You don't want to let the filmmakers down, the audience down and the people you're portraying down — the people around them, you don't want the people who knew them thinking like 'aaaah, he fucked up'." On Balancing Saturday Night's Tension and Stress with Its Humour — and What It Was Like First Stepping Onto the Set "The first day on set is always crippling, regardless. And it doesn't help that our first two days were night shoots in New York at 30 Rock. I remember the first day on set — actually, Paul Rudd was there, because Janine [Thompson, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire] our head of hair, is his personal hairstylist on films. And so he was just there to get a haircut, and then he hung out and watched. We were shooting with Finn [Wolfhard] that day, too, and they know each other, they made Ghostbusters. He's just hanging out with Finn watching. And first of all, he's probably the most-handsome person I've ever seen in real life, where you see him and you're like 'fuck, oh my god'. And he's super charming, super funny. Obviously I want to talk and hang out with Paul Rudd, but this is my first day and I have to get it right. So it just added an extra layer of 'don't get distracted', which is hilarious. Definitely, you want to do a good job. Jason, throughout the filming, just harvested such a beautiful environment that everyone's calm and everyone's getting along, and the whole cast and crew is grateful to be there, and there's no contention and everyone just really was all in it together. So it made filming this beautiful, relaxed, safe, funny — oh my god, everyone's so funny! — environment, so that the chaos you see on-screen was choreographed and set, but then everything else, everyone was just having a ball." Saturday Night opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, October 31, 2024 and releases in New Zealand cinemas on Thursday, November 7, 2025.
The inner north's legendary craft beer scene just scored a major new addition, set in the space right next door to Collingwood's Molly Rose. The formerly tiny brewery has made good on plans to effectively double its Wellington Street footprint, expanding into the two neighbouring buildings to house its new bar, beer garden, lounge and chef's table restaurant. Officially debuting on Wednesday, March 8, with a grand opening celebration on Friday, March 10, the newly expanded venue is out to smash some brewpub stereotypes, while giving its fans a new and improved space for sipping top-notch craft tipples. While the existing brewery bar remains largely unchanged, you'll now find a suite of additional offerings to explore next door, not least of which is the sprawling beer garden and another indoor bar. The latter's showcasing globally influenced core creations like the Lager #3, the Skylight IPA and the lemon farmhouse ale, alongside limited-release Molly Rose brews, plus guest drops from the likes of Black Arts and Two Bays. You can also settle in for a guided tasting of six house beers for $30. Elsewhere on the drinks list sits a solid local-leaning selection of vino and a handful of signature cocktails — ranging from a boulevardier crafted on coconut-washed rye whisky from The Gospel, through to the 281 Spritz infused with sour beer and Anther gin. Molly Rose 2.0 is also taking a deep dive into the art of food and beer pairing, with the help of chef Ittichai Ngamtrairai — aka Biggy. Here, he's drawing on his experience in renowned Melbourne kitchens like Nomad, Matilda 159 and Marameo, as well as time spent at Sydney's LuMi, where he trained in fusing classic Italian flavours with Asian technique. Biggy's menu is an exploration of modern Australian flavours, carefully designed to stand up beautifully against Molly Rose's sips and starring plenty of house ferments. Start your adventure with the likes of pan-seared scallops with finger lime, chilli jam and burnt butter puree, then move onto baccala-stuffed chicken wings or the whipped tofu and cucumber salad. Kangaroo tartare is served with 'nduja and a rice paper crisp; Thai-style jaew and crispy garlic elevate a roast chicken dish; and cured trout is brought to life with a hit of mandarin kosho (a Japanese fermented chilli paste). And don't miss the banana ice cream loaded into a black rice bun with sour beer caramel. Incoming this winter, you'll also find a 20-seat chef's table, where a dedicated menu will be paired with finely tuned beer matches. Molly Rose's official launch festivities start from 4pm on Friday, March 10, complete with a welcome to country and traditional smoking ceremony. Find the new-look Molly Rose at 279 Wellington Street, Collingwood. It's open 4–10pm Wednesday–Thursday, 12pm–1am Friday–Saturday and 12–10pm Sunday. Images: Sarah Anderson.
First came dalgona coffee. Then came the jam cocktails, followed by the floats — and not even humble H2O found itself immune. And now, the latest craze sweeping #DrinkTok — a drink which, to date, has amassed around 3 million views on the app — has made the jump from your FYP into your glass, with Southbank restaurant and bar Marmont now serving jalapeño-infused wine. If you're not yet across the trend, it pretty much does what it says on the tin: slices of frozen and seedless jalapeño are dropped into a glass of wine, specifically sauvignon blanc. The theory, in short, is that the spice cuts through the sweetness of the wine and the vegetal notes of the jalapeño accentuate the wine's fruity accents, resulting in a sip that's crisper on the palate. The Marmont version sees a handful of slices swimming in a glass of Motley Cru sauvignon blanc. The King Valley wine is an ideal candidate for the jalapeño treatment, thanks to its bright and aromatic nose that gives way to notes of tropical fruits, lime and gooseberries. For anybody sceptical about white wine in the cooler months, the beauty of this pairing is the slow, satisfying heat that unfolds on the tastebuds — in that sense, jalapeño wine is often likened to a spicy margarita. And by the power of TikTok, this new riff might replace the agave-based cocktail as your new go-to spicy serve. Given Marmont's Cali-cool sensibilities, it's probably no surprise that the venue has been so quick to jump on the trend. The heat-fuelled wine is a natural fit for the venue's West Coast-inspired drinks list and seafood-focused food menu. Much like a TikTok trend, Marmont's jalapeño wine won't be around forever — it is, however, being served Monday–Friday, from noon until late, making it a perfect way to spice up your next outing. Marmont is open seven days a week at Crown Riverwalk, Southbank. For more information, head to the venue's website.
Marking International Women's Day has never felt more important than it does in 2025. Not only is March 8 a day to celebrate the achievements of those who identify as women, from your closest friends and family members to world leaders, but it's also a day to reflect on the challenges they're currently facing every single day. Whether you're planning to attend or stream some of the talks and performances happening at All About Women 2025 or you just want to spend the day surrounded by your favourite females, we've got the perfect thing to rev your engine. In partnership with Revlon, we're hosting a special breakfast event on Saturday, March 8 — and you're invited. Happening in both Sydney and Melbourne, Get Up and Glow is an opportunity for you to practice some self-care. Our goal is for you to leave feeling empowered and ready to take on this special day (and the world). It'll kick off at 7.30am with a 45-minute yoga flow — led by Body by Berner's Bernadette Fahy in Sydney and Nike Ambassador Zoe Klein in Melbourne — followed by some light breakfast snacks and drinks. You'll get to sample the products from the Illuminance product range, which is designed to improve skin health and achieve a natural glowy makeup look, with professional makeup artists on-hand to match your perfect shade. Plus, you'll go home with a jam-packed bag of Revlon goodies. There are only super-limited spots available at each location. Enter your details below to be in the running for passes for you and a mate. [competition]992179[/competition]
Dinner and a movie now has an entire cinema dedicated to it: FoMo Cinemas. The brand's name isn't about fearing missing out; instead, it refers to its blend of food and movies. Every one of the six screens in the new Melbourne picture palace is all about watching a film while having a meal. You'll pick between blockbuster, arthouse and retro flicks on the program, plus pizzas, burgers and deli sandwiches on the chef-designed menu. Before you take your seat, you'll also hit up the neon-lit Blade Runner-inspired bar. First announced in 2023, the 392-seat dine-in FoMo Cinemas opens its doors on Thursday, January 18 at East Brunswick Village — and adds something new not just to Melbourne's but to Australia's cinema scene. Co-owners Natalie Miller AO and Barry Peak, who co-founded Carlton's Cinema Nova, have taken their cues from two famed names in the global business: the Alamo Drafthouse chain across the US, plus Nitehawk Cinema in Brooklyn. "Barry and I have been partners in the Nova for 32 years, and Barry's always looking for new ideas and new ventures. And he was very anxious to do a cinema with food and movies based on the Nighthawk and the Alamo in America. So he went out on a survey over there and come back with all the ideas," Miller, who also spent 17 years running South Yarra's old Longford Cinema, tells Concrete Playground. "What very much appeals is the fact that people are time-poor and we are trying to encourage people to come 20 minutes earlier, sit down, they can order their food off an app and then the movie will start. Or if they want to, they can do it during the film. But the idea is to let people have their meal and their film together," Miller continues. "It's not a totally new concept because there's gold class and platinum and all those other cinemas, but ours are at standard ticket prices. So you can come at a standard ticket price and order your meal accordingly." As designed by Head Chef Darren Collier, food choices also include cheese and antipasto platters, as well as desserts — and, when it comes time to deliver your bites and drinks as the movie plays, the focus is on discreet service that doesn't disrupt the viewing experience. As is a drawcard at Alamo Drafthouse, all films are preceded by a pre-show presentation. Expect trivia, interactive quizzes and clips celebrating classic movie moments — and trailers, but no ads. The idea is that you peruse the menu while the pre-show plays, and that it's all part of the experience. And the films? Although Cinema Nova is known for its arthouse selections — and Miller is behind film distributor Sharmill Films, which has brought movies such as Triangle of Sadness and Compartment No. 6 to Australian screens in recent years — FoMo is combining those kinds of flicks with broader fare. So, in its opening weeks, you can see the Mean Girls musical, Sofia Coppola's Priscilla, Michael Mann's Ferrari, Golden Globe-winner The Holdovers, wrestling biopic The Iron Claw and Jason Statham in The Beekeeper. Among repertory titles, both Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049 will have a date with the venue, as will Chef — all befitting the picture palace's look and focus. Specs-wise, two of FoMo's cinemas have a 3D setup, and the 114-seat biggest theatre with a screen that ten-metres-plus wide boasts 4K resolution. While the newly opened East Brunswick Village is the site of the first-ever FoMo, it won't be the last if the debut location proves a success. "If you ask Barry Peak that question, he'd say absolutely yes," Miller advises about the possibility of expanding the chain across Melbourne and even nationally. "We'll test it out and we'll see how it works. We feel that Brunswick's such a growing area with such a young population and student population, and probably a cross-section of the community. And we'll see how it works, and then take it from there." Find FoMo Cinemas at East Brunswick Village, 133 Nicholson Street, East Brunswick from Thursday, January 18.
Blessed be your streaming queue: come mid-September, it'll start being home to the fifth season of The Handmaid's Tale. It's the batch of episodes we've all known is coming since 2020, when the hit dystopian series was renewed for this fifth season before the fourth even hit. And, thanks to that fourth season, it promises one helluva reckoning. Saying that anything to do with The Handmaid's Tale is stressful is like saying that Gilead looks like a terrible place to live. Praise be the obvious again and again. Still, if you want to call the show's sneak peeks at its upcoming fifth season tense, disquieting and unsettling, all of those words fit. Hulu, which airs the series in the US, has just dropped the full trailer for season five — and, unsurprisingly, nothing is well. If you're up to date on the series you'll already know why. Of course, things are never well in The Handmaid's Tale — but now June (Elisabeth Moss, Shining Girls) faces the fallout from her actions in the show's last go-around, and Serena's (Yvonne Strahovski, Stateless) in-mourning getup speaks volumes. In the new trailer, June doesn't just navigate more than a few consequences. Still fighting Gilead from afar, with Luke (O-T Fagbenle, Black Widow) and Moira (Samira Wiley, Breaking News in Yuba County), she admits how much she enjoyed her most recent choices. As for Serena, she's in profile-raising mode in Toronto, as Gilead's influence creeps into Canada — and Commander Lawrence (Bradley Whitford, Tick, Tick... Boom!) and Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd, Rebecca) are endeavouring to reform Gilead. Also returning among the cast: Max Minghella (Spiral: From the Book of Saw), Madeline Brewer (Hustlers), Amanda Brugel (Snowpiercer) and Sam Jaeger (The Eyes of Tammy Faye). With all of the above, blessed be the bleak dramas, too, which is exactly what The Handmaid's Tale has been serving up since 2017 now. Of course, on the page, this grim look at a potential oppressive existence has been drawing in fans since the 1985, when Margaret Atwood's book first hit shelves. A film followed in 1990, and opera in 2000 — plus a sequel novel in 2019. Yes, there have been many ways to dive into The Handmaid's Tale over the years, but only one keeps winning small-screen awards and stars a phenomenal Moss. The date to mark in your diary: Thursday, September 15, given that the show will return in the US on September 14. Down Under, episodes air weekly on SBS in Australia, and stream via SBS On Demand — and hit Neon in New Zealand — at the same time as in America. Check out the trailer for The Handmaid's Tale season five below: The fifth season of The Handmaid's Tale will hit start airing in Australia and New Zealand from Thursday, September 15 — on SBS TV, and to stream via SBS On Demand and Neon, with new episodes arriving weekly.
Melbourne is as famous for its laneways as it is for its world-class coffee scene and undying footy obsession. And yesterday, that laneway culture scored a huge win, with an extra layer of protection courtesy of a new policy update implemented by the City of Melbourne. The policy outlines a suite of new controls and measures in an effort to protect the city's iconic laneways, putting a stop to any low-quality development projects and boosting heritage protection. "Heritage laneways are a much-loved part of the fabric of Melbourne and something that is really unique and distinctive about our city," Acting Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece said. "We have already seen too many laneways seriously degraded, so we have introduced these tough new controls to protect against inappropriate development." [caption id="attachment_782899" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hardware Lane, Robert Blackburn for Visit Victoria[/caption] The update aims to give developers guidelines when it comes to potential laneway projects, as well as keeping the bar set high for future developments. The policy focuses on creative activations, high-quality architecture and retaining heritage elements, ensuring the city's laneways will remain interesting, vibrant precincts for generations to come. The council also revealed its bumped-up support for heritage work in recent years, having increased protection to 126 heritage sites and five new precincts inside the Hoddle grid. Councillor Rohan Leppert also said the recent work and updates to policy had already led to an improvement in the kinds of development applications being submitted in relation to laneway precincts. The policy update gave a thumbs up to the new HER precinct in particular, citing it as a primo example of the kind of heritage protection and good design outcomes it hopes to achieve. The multi-level venue sits at the corner of Lonsdale Street and Drewery Lane. You can read more about the City of Melbourne's laneway policy update via the City of Melbourne website.
In Japan, the act of slicing tuna to create perfect sushi isn't just a skill — it's an ancient art that takes years to master. And Koko, Crown Melbourne's teppanyaki restaurant, wants to give you the chance to experience it in all its glory. For two nights only on Friday, July 11, and Friday, July 25, chef Taichi Kasuya will cut a whole bluefin tuna before your eyes. The fish will be flown in fresh from Ulladulla, on NSW's South Coast, for the occasion. Once he's done, you'll settle in for an eight-course degustation. The dishes will feature the bluefin's most coveted cuts — from otoro, known for its buttery flavour and rich consistency, to the less fatty but decadently melty chutoro, and akami, which is leaner, firmer and cleaner. Dinner and the show will set you back $249. An extra $49 will buy you an extra course, a fiery teppan cooking demo and a spot in a private dining room with your own chef.
Addicted to the grind? We understand. You may not be taking as many trips to your local cafe for barista-made flat whites for the next week, but there are ways to stay keen for the bean, while staying safely at home for as long as it takes for the wave to pass. During the peak of lockdown in 2020, several roasters had to reduce their cafe operations, but they kept roasting, grinding and shipping coffee to customers — with some offering free delivery. Many roasters offer subscriptions for those plunging more at-home brews than ever before, some have online stores of equipment so you can up your home brewing game, and a few have sample packs and isolation gift boxes (as well as cute merch) so that we can make the most of this temporary shift in our daily habits. Here are 12 of the best roasters delivering the goods. If you choose to pick up your beans, make sure you follow the government's latest advice on social distancing. [caption id="attachment_693510" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tom Ross[/caption] EVERYDAY COFFEE The Melbourne-based micro roaster delivers espresso, filter and decaf blends, as well as your requisite brewing gear — filter papers, pour-over cones, AeroPress kits and more. If you're familiar with Everyday Coffee's cafe blends, order a bag of All Day Espresso ($16), which goes well with milky coffees for a dark chocolate and caramel flavour, or a sweet and malty black coffee. Add your grind instructions at checkout and you should have your beans via Express Post within two-to-four days. In it for the long haul? Everyday offers subscriptions to deliver freshly roasted beans to your door. Select how you make your coffee and your preferred quantity, with prices starting at $20 for 250 grams. [caption id="attachment_813753" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Abigail Varney[/caption] MARKET LANE Prefer your beans with an aesthetically pleasing Pantone-esque packaging design? Market Lane not only offers free standard shipping for all orders over $40 within Australia but also make your kitchen shelf look excellent. The coffee retailer sells beans roasted for all filter brew methods, including pour over and plunger and, right now, all their shops are open for takeaways during their usual operating hours. For the bean fiends among you, Market Lane's vending machine is on 126 Weston Street, Brunswick East and is switched on 24/7 so you'll never go empty handed. Those further afield will get theirs via Australia Post, allowing up to five days for shipping. Fond of commitment? Join the Coffee Club, which ships beans every two weeks for $20 (for 250 grams). SAMPLE COFFEE Pacemaker is Sample Coffee's year-round house blend that has a Cherry Ripe-style flavour profile and goes well with milk. The Sydney roaster has subscription services for a range of blends, delivered across the country and ground to your preference, every week, fortnight or month. A 250-gram bag is between $15.80–23.80 per delivery and quantities go up to four kilograms. The online shop also has eight single origin blends, with bags starting from $16.20, plus brewing gear like cold brew pots, mini grinders and speciality kettles, but note delivery costs are calculated based on weight and distance. LOGGERHEAD Small scale Sydney roaster Loggerhead takes delivery orders up until Tuesday, 3pm, for its weekly Wednesday roast. Its online shop has Nespresso-compatible capsules from $10 a box (of ten), and a selection of roasted blends that start at $13 for 200 grams. So if you'd rather save those essential trips out for the supermarket you can select size, roast and grind preference online. To quote the words on the Loggerhead website: rip in. MECCA COFFEE Mecca Coffee, roasted in Alexandria, Sydney, serves up its orange, honeycomb and chocolatey house blend along with six other options through the website. It's offering ten-percent off all coffee and equipment, too, as well as free shipping on all orders over $30. Just as you can for any coffee order, you can select how your beans are ground if you'd like to skip the arm workout. Sydney deliveries take 1-2 business days and for Melbourne (along with Brisbane, Adelaide and Canberra) orders should arrive within 3-5 business days via Australia Post. Looking for a longer term relationship? The Blend Subscription will set up within fortnightly deliveries, making sure you'll never have to worry about a caffeine shortage. ONA COFFEE If you want to geek out, Canberra-based Ona Coffee has an extensive online shop with merch — including winter-appropriate beanies and sweats — and some serious brew gear. There's also milky coffee blends Raspberry Candy, Black Betty, The Founder and The Hitman, which you can order to your brewing style. Filter fiends get some serious Central American single origins to choose from and specialty espresso roasts. Shipping is $10 or free when you spend over $75, and deliveries to Melbourne will reach you in 2-3 days. [caption id="attachment_635510" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alana Dimou[/caption] SINGLE O In Botany Bay, Sydney's Single O is roasting and packing orders of its seasonal blends, single-source coffee and equipment. Order before 2pm and your coffee (ground to your liking or in whole bean form) is dispatched the next working day. And right now they're offering free standard shipping. Single O has equipment starting from $7, T-shirts and other merch, gift vouchers and coffee subscriptions that are well worth a browse to complement a short- or long-term working from home arrangement. ST ALI South Melbourne's St Ali has been roasting the good stuff for 15 years. Its online shop has ethically sourced Feels Good organic espresso beans, the rich and butterscotch Wide Awake espresso blend, dark roast Italo Disco and apricot and orange sweet single origins. But St Ali doesn't stop there. You can pick up Nespresso compatible capsules filled with its two house blends from $65 for 60 pods. Need a restock of your hand sanitiser? St Ali makes its own formulation in good-looking bottles, along with a collection of products all about keeping you safe and sanitised. For Australia-wide deliveries of its coffees, there's free shipping on orders over $99 so go big or go home. SENSORY LAB Sensory Lab's coffee and subscriptions can be sent anywhere in Australia either weekly, fortnightly or monthly - and shipping is free, Australia wide (with no minimum order!). Packs of whole beans start at $14 for 250 grams, and you can dive into a selection of blends or single origin beans. From the sweet red apple and caramel notes of the excellently titled Kiorero Washing Station to the chocolaty palette of the Steadfast Espresso Blend, you're guaranteed to find your flavour. It also has a limited range of mugs, totes and equipment worth a look in. PROUD MARY Proud Mary roasts its coffee in Collingwood, where you've likely eaten at its two cafes, Aunty Peg's and the eponymous Proud Mary. Founder Nolan Hirte is considered a leader in Australia's specialty coffee industry, and his mission is bridging the gap between farmers and coffee drinkers — so now's as good a time as any to support that mission through Proud Mary's $24 coffee subscription. A fortnightly run of single origin filter is shipped on Wednesdays, which gets you around 16 cups-worth. Add a single bag to your cart from $15 for a blend, and up to $22 for a single-o and in 1–4 days you'll be treated to the candy-coloured surrealist cartoons of Proud Mary's packaging in the mail. SMALL BATCH North Melbourne's socially responsible Small Batch has been roasting exceptional coffee since 2009. The juicy Golden Ticket filter is a blend from two producers, from Ethiopia and Colombia, and you can see how many pesos per carga each producer was paid by Small Batch when you select your quantity and grind. Transparency in the supply chain is Small Batch's bag, and as you're enjoying a Candyman Espresso Blend, which has a malted milk and macadamia flavour when taken with milk, you can be sure of the fact that all four producers who farmed the coffee in the blend were paid above Fairtrade prices. Standard shipping is $8 across Australia and typically takes 2–3 days, while the $13 premium rate should get your beans to you the next day. [caption id="attachment_712131" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Industry Beans[/caption] AND MORE! In Adelaide, Monastery Coffee has free shipping on coffee orders over 250 grams with single origins starting at $16, and Elementary Coffee is shipping country-wide when you spend more than $30 (get the Young Street Blend used daily in its cafes). In Brisbane, Wolff Coffee Roasters has Australian International Coffee Awards-winning filter Hummingbird Vol 3 ready to ship for those after a fruity, gooseberry-driven flavour for $16. Industry Beans has espresso blends named for its cafe locations in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, with prices starting at $15. Melbourne's Code Black Coffee is offering free shipping Australia-wide for orders over $25, which means you could grab two bags of its signature 3056 blend (named for the postcode of the roastery) for $30. Then there's Axil Coffee, Black Market Roasters, Coffee Cartel and Reuben Hills all offering subscriptions. And, Edition Coffee Roasters is delivering Australia-wide with free delivery on orders over $50. So there really is no excuse for drinking bad coffee. Top image: Single O by Alana Dimou
For decades, feasting your way through a Sizzler buffet was a regular part of Australian life. Families headed to the all-you-can-eat chain for special occasions, teenagers went along to gorge themselves full of bottomless soft drink and soft serve (and combine the two, obviously), and absolutely everyone couldn't get enough of the brand's beloved cheese toast. But, over the past few years, Sizzler restaurants have been shutting down around the country. Soon, they'll all be gone — with Collins Foods Limited, the company that owns and runs Sizzler in Australia, announcing that it is shutting down the chain's last remaining stores. Those nine restaurants — five in Queensland, three in Western Australia and one in New South Wales — will all close by November 15. So if you're eager for one last excuse to break out your stretchiest pants and indulge in a big dose of nostalgia (and food), you'll need to head to Mermaid Beach, Loganholme, Caboolture, Maroochydore and Toowoomba in the Sunshine State, Innaloo, Kelmscott and Morley in WA, and Campbelltown in NSW to hit the salad bar a last time. Collins Foods has been scaling down Sizzlers' footprint since 2015, when it announced that the brand was "no longer considered to be core to the company's strategic growth". In the half-decade since, 19 Sizzlers have shut down around the country. With COVID-19 now affecting the hospitality industry — and, unsurprisingly, people's eagerness to eat from buffets — Collins Foods has now completely called time on its endless soup, salad, fruit, pasta and dessert (and its regular menu of meals, too; however we all know they were never the drawcard). Announcing the news in a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange, Collins Foods Chief Executive Officer Drew O'Malley said that this was "not a decision we take lightly, especially for a brand as beloved as Sizzler, which has been such an important part of the Collins Foods' history". Collins Foods will continue to licence the Sizzler brand in Asia — so, when Australians are allowed to leave the country for holidays again, perhaps an overseas trip to the buffet can be in your future. In Australia, the Brisbane-based company also operates KFC and Taco Bell. Sizzler's nine remaining stores — in Mermaid Beach, Loganholme, Caboolture, Maroochydore and Toowoomba in Queensland, Innaloo, Kelmscott and Morley in WA, and Campbelltown in NSW — will all close by November 15, 2020. For more information about Sizzler, head to the chain's website. Top image: RegionalQueenslander via Wikimedia Commons.
UPDATE 29 July, 2021: Brush By the Vines Paint n Sip has reopened and is offering special discounted tickets post Victoria's laster lockdown with $45 tickets for all sessions. One of the most popular mate-dates over the last few years has been paint and sip studios. If you haven't gotten around to letting your artistic vision flow over a glass of vino, you're in luck as Melbourne has a brand new studio running classes out of Mill Park. Brush By the Vines was started by events director Mayuri Naidoo and siblings Natasha and Jamie Totino at the beginning of 2020. The North Melbourne studio is Australia's largest licensed paint and sip studio and runs themed classes three to four days a week. Throughout the week, you can find classes teaching you to paint everything from sunflowers to flamingos with a glass of wine in hand. Or you can head to an RnB Fridays session where you'll paint famous musicians accompanied by a live RnB DJ set. Brush By the Vines session are often booked out days or weeks in advance so organise your crew early to nab a spot. "We've even had people travel two hours to attend a session. It's crazy, we never thought that in our first months we'd make such an impact on Melbourne, I guess we are doing something right," Jamie Totino said. You can browse all the upcoming classes via the Brush By the Vine website and plan a trip to reveal your inner Monet.
The silly season has come and gone, and people are already flocking back to work, but that doesn't mean the fun has ended. Especially as one of the city's biggest food and drink events returns in just over two months — the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. And this one is going to be a doozy. The organisers have packed a whopping 300 events into the ten-day festival, running from Friday, March 15 until Sunday, March 24. Plenty of international chefs will be participating in this year's festivities, but local talent is front and centre. Most prestigiously, Andrew McConnell (Gimlet, Cutler & Co, Supernormal, Builders Arms Hotel, Marion) is taking the reins of the annual World's Longest Lunch, creating a bespoke three-course meal for those lucky enough to nab a ticket. [caption id="attachment_934804" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shelley Horan[/caption] The World's Longest Lunch has been around for more than three decades, always hosted by a different chef. This year's iteration will see diners feasting along a huge 600-metre table that winds through Kings Domain. It will be followed up the next day by The World's Longest Brunch. This dining experience will take place at the same location, but the food offerings will be entirely different. Heroes of contemporary Indian cuisine, Harry Mangat, Helly Raichura and Mischa Tropp, will be running the show for this one, each creating a dish for the three-course brunch. Coffee and sparkling wine will also be on hand throughout the event. Stacks of the city's top restaurants will also be participating in the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival's Global Dining Series. This collection of collaborations sees local eateries open up their kitchens to international chefs, giving us Melbourne foodies the chance to try some outstanding food that we'd normally have to jump on a plane to try. All up, there are 25 separate collaborations and takeovers to choose from. Here's a few of the highlights: Wine lovers best check out the Noble Rot and Marion mash-up, taking place on Wednesday, March 20. The two teams have curated a wine list full of unique drops that will pair perfectly with eats made just for the night. We're also pumped to try Kanji Kobayashi's vegetable-forward feast at Atria up at the new Ritz-Carlton. Kobayashi's cooking has won Villa Aida two Michelin stars with his cooking, so this dining experience really shouldn't be missed. It runs from Tuesday, March 19 until Saturday, March 23. Rockpool Bar & Grill will also give control of its kitchen to alumni of the National Indigenous Culinary Institute on Sunday, March 17, for a lunch showcasing a new generation of First Nations chefs. [caption id="attachment_934803" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Melissa Cowan[/caption] Fed Square will once again be a hub for the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival in 2024, hosting a bunch of special events. Folks can join pizza parties, watch celebrity sausage-making workshops and see some of the city's top bakers and pastry chefs create works of delicious art. The Melbourne Food & Wine Festival is going to be huge this year, so you best start planning how you're going to spend the ten days now. [caption id="attachment_934802" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Melissa Cowan[/caption] [caption id="attachment_894272" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Atria at Ritz-Carlton[/caption] [caption id="attachment_934801" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Melissa Cowan[/caption] The Melbourne Food & Wine Festival will run across Melbourne from Friday, March 15 until Sunday, March 24. Tickets will go on sale Thursday, February 1 to the general public, with a pre-sale on Monday, January 29 for Melbourne Food & Wine Festival subscribers. Check out the festival's website for more details.
Warkop, the crafty Indonesian-inspired sandwich joint based in Richmond and the CBD, is celebrating its Richmond location's third birthday with a special offering for its loyal customers. The store is also marking its official reopening on Saturdays from now on. On Saturday, April 13, you can indulge in $12 Indo-Australian sambos, including the classic Gado Gado sandwich, with fried tempeh, tofu, lettuce, bean sprouts and peanut sauce or the fan-favourite fillet-o-fish, with fried rockling, Warkop's tartar, sprouts and sambal matah. In addition, the decadent beef brisket sandwich with pickled cucumber, cheese and rendang sauce will be a part of the deal. If you're in need of plans for the weekend, be sure to add Warkop to your list and head over to its Richmond location from 10am–3pm.
Searching for the best pasta in Melbourne has been a lifelong journey for many of our writers and editors. We've dined at Italian restaurants all over the city to find the perfect pappardelle al ragu, seafood spaghetti, pasta alla norma and cacio e pepe. And we have loved every minute of the epic journey. We've hit up true dining institutions that haven't changed their recipes in generations — why fix something that ain't broke? — and more contemporary diners that play with the classics, bringing skills and flavours from all over the world to dream up new pasta creations. From this neverending search, we've compiled the ultimate guide on where to find the best pasta in Melbourne — where every bowl should go back to the kitchen in pristine condition after you've mopped up every last drop of sauce with bread. Recommended reads: The Best Pizza in Melbourne The Best Delis in Melbourne The Best Restaurants in Melbourne The Best Wine Bars in Melbourne
Tasmania, with its perfectly calibrated natural conditions for turning out brilliant produce, is a paradise for foodies, attracting some of Australia's best and brightest. The locals know it and it calls acclaimed chefs and writers to up sticks and chase their flavour bliss in the rugged south. We've got five tastemakers of the Tasmanian food industry that you should keep an eye on. Passionate advocates and entrepreneurs, their food spans north to south, from flavours of the wild to tastes of terroir and the finest produce the earth and sea can offer. Whether they're homegrown Tasmanian talent or keen mainland foodies who uprooted for a more delicious life, they all share a love for this land and all it produces. We've partnered with Tourism Tasmania to find out what inspires their culinary creations, and captures their hearts — and tastebuds. MASSIMO MELE "Keep it fresh, use the best ingredients and let the produce be the hero." It's a recipe for success and it has served Massimo Mele well. Tasmanian-born Massimo has cheffed his way through restaurants in the US, London and Italy. But he found his home turf was the best place on earth to make the most of this ethos. As Food Director at Grain of Silos in Launceston, he's created a fine dining experience that shows off rustic roots, from refined riffs on wholesome classics to naming local producers. As Culinary Director at Peppina, Mele's flagship restaurant at Hobart's famous Salamanca Place, he can offer 'Italian the Tasmanian way', staying true to core principles of seasonal, local and Nonna-inspired. That means championing artisans, handpicked produce, small-batch, single-vineyard wines, and the home comfort of a porchetta roast and tiramisu — all made for enjoying with others. KIM SEAGRAM Did you hear? Launceston is an official UNESCO City of Gastronomy. And culinary industry overachievers like Kim Seagram are one good reason why. Her passion has helped launch a multitude of exciting hospitality endeavours. One example is Black Cow Bistro, which serves up "Tasmania on a Plate" in its Launceston home. Black Cow's culinary approach is centred on the sacred power of the cow as a symbol of nourishment, abundance… and flavour. She is the co-founder of Launceston's Harvest Market and is also the Chair of Fermentasmania. Stillwater, the luxury accommodation and restaurant offering that was developed with the help of Kim's talent and expertise, has an unparalleled location — sitting right beside Cataract Gorge. With water sourced from Cape Grim, food from passionate local producers, sustainably harvested seafood and character-filled rooms filled with Tassie products, it's a true immersion. Finally, there's Abel Gin — Seagram's collaboration with distiller Natalie Fryar, capturing the tastes of the Tasmanian wilderness. And that's why we referred to her as a culinary overachiever. BEN MILBOURNE Influenced by his dad's seafood cooking, his grandmother's passion for great ingredients and his home in the unique landscape of Tasmania's north west coast, Ben Milbourne's life as a professional foodie was inevitable. He's grown up on some of the best produce in his own backyard. After his success on season four of MasterChef Australia, he continues his commitment to celebrating the people who farm, fish and make the incredible ingredients he has been lucky enough to have access to. His TV series Left Off The Map showcases the best of the best in Tassie, a grand tour every locavore should take notes from. Where to eat, where to stay — a true foodie's guide to exploring Tasmania. Plus he has recipes to do that produce justice. Fact is, travelling in Tasmania gives you access to the kind of ingredients chefs go absolutely wild for. Why not try it out, if you have the chance to cook with the best? [caption id="attachment_867641" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Adam Gibson[/caption] ANALIESE GREGORY What drives an acclaimed young chef from Michelin star restaurants of Paris and Sydney to leave it all behind with a dramatic tree change? The call of idyllic cottage life in one of the finest food and vino regions in the world. Analiese Gregory wrote her book, How Wild Things Are, to share her knowledge of farming, fishing, hunting, foraging and sourcing food from the farms and wilderness of Tasmania, and — of course — how to cook it beautifully. If you've watched her SBS series A Girl's Guide To Hunting, Fishing and Wild Cooking… you'll already know some of her favourite small-batch, local growers and makers of Tasmania. And if you're lucky, you might find her making culinary magic with this produce at events and pop-ups when you visit. MATTHEW EVANS Champion of sustainability, regeneration and learning farming by trial and error (and now great success), Matthew Evans is a writer, cook and farmer. Evans, together with his partner in life and in business, Sadie Chrestman, established Fat Pig Farm in the beautiful Huon Valley. He thinks Tasmanian producers are worth making noise about, and he's published numerous books on food, farming and even good soil. You can follow his journey from food critic to food producer on SBS series Gourmet Farmer, where he shares the spotlight with many local mates and collaborators, including Nick Haddow of Bruny Island Cheese and Glen Huon Dairy Farm. Sign up for a workshop in sustainable farming skills or try the food for yourself at a Fat Pig Farm Feast, a long afternoon celebration of sharing seasonal produce sourced as much from the farm as possible, with matched drinks and a guided tour, so you can see exactly where it all comes from. It doesn't get more farm-to-table than this ultra-locavore experience. Ready to plan a trip for your tastebuds around Tasmania? To discover more of what the island state has to offer, visit the website.
QVM's regular night markets have always been hugely popular, but this year's have really gone off. The Hawker 88 Night Market had its best year yet, and the Winter Night Market saw well over 290,000 people visit across its 13-week run. Melburnians can't get enough of these food- and culture-filled evenings. And the Queen Vic Market is capitalising on this during its break between the winter and summer iterations, enlisting Albert Lim (Hawker 88 Night Market) to run a two-day festival that heroes food from across Southeast Asia. On Saturday, September 7 and Sunday, September 8, a huge selection of traders will descend on the Queen Vic Market to smash out all kinds of hawker-style eats. You'll find everything from Malaysian nasi lemak and Filipino charcoal skewers to Burmese noodles and Vietnamese banh mi. Desserts from many other Asian franchises that populate the streets of Southeast Asia will also be on the cards, including Korean bingsu and Chinese mooncakes. As usual, there'll be plenty of live entertainment both on stages and roaming around the market, plus booze stalls will also be set up on both days. If this is anything like Lim's hugely popular Hawker 88 Night Market events, it's sure to get a bit rowdy. The South East Asia Market will run from 9am–4pm on Saturday, September 7 and Sunday, September 8. For more information, you can visit the event website.
Drinkify makes sure you'll never drink alone again. Created in 24 presumably booze-soaked hours, the website matches whatever music you're listening to with the perfect drink. Combining information about genres and audio summaries of tracks from The Echo Nest with the treasure trove that is Last.fm, along with a truly astonishing appreciation for alcohol, Drinkify is weirdly and delightfully accurate. For example, if you're spending a lonesome night indoors being serenaded by Johnny Cash and your vanilla Coke seems oddly inappropriate, you'll want to combine yourself 4 oz. of Jack Daniels and 4 oz. of honey in a highball glass and sit back and just see if you don't feel the world become a better place. To fully enjoy listening to M83, for example, you'd be advised to combine 8 oz. of water and 8 oz. of iced tea in a highball glass, whereas if you're hanging out to OFWGKTA things get a little more complex, and you'll need to get yourself one bottle of 'rum, fucking rum', one bottle of honey and 4 oz. of Worcestershire sauce, combined in a highball glass, and garnish with a twist of grapefruit. Chilling to Sleigh Bells is simplest of all: 10 oz. of whiskey, neat. And to demonstrate just how accurate Drinkify appears to be, they recommend listening to Gotye with 8oz of vodka, served neat, stirred quickly and garnished with a glow stick, and believe a quiet evening with SBTRKT requires 1 oz. cocaine, on the rocks, garnished with sparklers.
It's hard not to be impressed when you visit Laura. Sweeping vistas, thoughtful food and matched wines, and front-row seats to the world-class, 16-acre sculpture park that attracts locals, out-of-towners and art fanatics from even further abroad. When you drive from the city, it's an overland route. Even driving into Pt Leo Estate, you are surrounded by vines, with the view of the sea well kept secret. So the effect of entering the front doors of the cellar door and restaurant, seeing the verdant sculpture park running off down towards Western Port Bay and Phillip Island, is nothing less than breathtaking. "From the moment guests arrive, we want them to feel a sense of calmness and connection to the art and landscape, allowing the food and wine to be the focus," shares General Manager, Roger Lancia. In its founding years, Laura was in the experienced hands of Phil Wood, who then passed the baton to charismatic, widely successful, yet humble, Josep Espuga. Espuga's resume spans Michelin-starred restaurants around the world, including Mugaritz in Spain and Nahm in Thailand. His ethos of cultivating authentic relationships with suppliers and producers aligns seamlessly with Laura's unwavering commitment to heroing local produce and putting premium Peninsula produce on a platform. Here, the dedication to sustainability and bridging the gap between grower and table is evident in a kitchen garden that supplies the kitchen with many of its fresh ingredients. The eight-course seasonal menu, or the four-course signature menu, is peppered with impeccable produce grown on the property, and where possible, supplemented with premium ingredients found along the pristine Mornington Peninsula, or further afield in Victoria. Perennial favourites on Laura's signature menu include the likes of Tuerong farm bread with Cape Schanck Estate olive butter, sea urchin mousse with Carnaroli rice and quince, cod with Mt. Zero chickpeas and Pt. Leo Estate garden rocket, savoury wakame doughnuts with Yarra Valley salmon roe. The second breathtaking moment of the experience is the arrival of the flambéed Southern Rock Lobster, accompanied by white asparagus and sauce Pauline. The matched wines are taken just as seriously, with Director of Beverage, Amy Oliver, at the helm. In 2025, Laura received the highest rating, Three Glasses Status, from the Australian Wine List of the Year Awards, recognising it as "a masterpiece for which Amy Oliver should be congratulated. It covers all bases with value wines spliced alongside regional benchmarks and icons. One of the highlights is the incredible diversity of regions, styles and varieties with many, many cult and rare wines adding panache. The 'by the glass' list is to be applauded as too the thoughtful wine pairings matched to the degustation menu. A strong list of spirits and other drinks rounds out this astonishing list." At any point in your journey, your waiter will happily pour whichever wine you are drinking into a less precious glass so that you can take a digestive stroll around the sculpture park, which is home to sculptures by renowned artists including Yayoi Kusama, KAWS, Reko Rennie, and Deborah Halpern. Make sure to take a 360-degree walk around Laura, the restaurant's namesake and a monumental cast-iron head by Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa. Laura has been a prominent member of Relais & Châteaux for seven years, which aptly sums up the experience. "Laura at Point Leo Estate is a bit like paradise for foodies who love art and fine wines. All three are combined here to perfection." Images: Chris McConville.
Peering at ancient pyramids isn't normally an Australian pastime, but it will be come spring without needing to leave the country. In 2024, the nation's fascination with Egypt thousands of years ago has already been fuelled by Sydney exhibition Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, which wrapped up in May — and also by Pharaoh in Melbourne, which is on display until October. Next up is Horizon of Khufu, a virtual-reality experience rather than a showcase of treasures and trinkets. You won't get up close to historical items here, but you will become immersed in the past like it's all around you. Patrons will see the Great Pyramids of Giza, including flying over the Giza Necropolis. You'll climb to the top of the Pyramid of Khufu, in fact, and gaze out over Egypt with a 360-degree view. Getting a glimpse of burial chambers and embalming ceremonies, finding the queen's chamber, sailing down the Nile, attending Khufu's funeral: that's all also on the agenda, as is checking out the Great Sphinx of Giza and witnessing these ancient wonders by night. That's where your eyes will be heading, at least, via a VR headset that'll take you into a shared play space. Your peepers will also be checking out recreations of sights dating back 4500 years, to the time of Khufu, the second pharaoh of Egypt's fourth dynasty. He's the figure that's believed to have commissioned the largest of the pyramids, which was also his tomb. Your body will need to be in Sydney at the Harbour City's Fever Pavilion, where Horizon of Khufu is making its Australian debut from Thursday, September 5, 2024. There's no word yet whether the experience will then head to other Aussie cities, as some past events from entertainment platform Fever have, including its Banksy and NBA exhibitions recently. Once they've popped on their headsets, attendees will be led through Horizon of Khufu by a virtual guide, all while benefiting from design by Egyptologist and Harvard University professor Peter Der Manuelian. If you're with your date or mates, or family, the 45-minute experience also lets you visuals others in the VR space, so you won't all just be off on your own wander through bygone years. Australia joins France — where Horizon of Khufu debuted in 2022 — as well as the US, Canada and the UK in being able to enjoy this blast from the past. Unsurprisingly, it has proven popular around the globe, notching up more than one million visitors so far. If you've seen plenty of other Egypt obsessives at Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs and Pharaoh, you'll know that Aussies will help boost those numbers. Horizon of Khufu will open at Fever Pavilion, Olympic Boulevard, Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney from Thursday, September 5, 2024 — with the waitlist open now and tickets on sale from Tuesday, July 23, 2024. Head to the exhibition website for more details.
Summer is headed for us in full force. And, we all know it's never too early to start planning how to spend the warmer months — especially the bits that involve sipping cocktails by the water and loading up on art and culture. Thankfully, the Museum of Contemporary Art is again combining two of our favourite pastimes for its fifth annual summer pop-up bar. This year, the ground floor terrace has been transformed into an airy, garden-inspired bar, with top-notch tequila brand Patrón behind it. Plus, Patrón has partnered up with the MCA and is a sponsor of the gallery's retrospective exhibition of British artist Cornelia Parker, which is running from November 8–February 16 as part of the MCA's 2019/2020 Sydney International Art Series. At the bar, you'll be sipping on negronis, highballs and old fashioneds, but all with a summery twist. Instead of using your usual gin or whisky, the bartenders will be shaking and stirring drinks with Patrón tequila. Or, you can opt for a Patrón, lime and soda or the signature cocktail inspired by Cornelia Parker: the Cold Dark Matter, made with Patrón reposado, blackberry liqueur, lime and ginger ale. Not only will the pop-up offer modernised classic cocktails, but there'll be plenty of Mexican food to pair it with — think margarita-spiced popcorn and tostadas with pork, salmon or traditional mole. And those views across Circular Quay and the harbour add extra allure. Of course, there'll be entertainment in spades, too. Patrón and MCA have decorated the terrace with leafy decor, plus there'll be performances, installations, VR experiences for you to check out and tunes aplenty. The Patrón Pop-up kicks off on Thursday, October 31 and is open 4–10pm every Wednesday through Friday; from 2–9pm on Saturdays; and from 2–8pm on Sundays until February 16 (excluding public holidays and New Year's Eve). Visit Patron's website for more details. UPDATE: JANUARY 16, 2020 — The MCA x Patrón Pop-Up is now serving $15 cocktails every Sunday through Wednesday from 5–7pm as part of its happy hour.
Some visit Bali seeking romantic places to stay, where they can treat themselves to pamper packages within wild natural surroundings. Others want a tropical adventure — hiking up volcano craters, riding quad bikes through the jungle or swimming beneath hidden waterfalls. And, of course, there's the party atmosphere, from group day trips to places to dance the night away. To help any kind of traveller have the best time in Bali, we curated a selection of local trips and tours that can be booked through Concrete Playground Trips. Read on to find a few of our favourites. [caption id="attachment_892435" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Juan Cruz Mountford (Unsplash)[/caption] SUNRISE VOLCANO HIKE WITH THERMAL SPRINGS SWIM This trek could quite easily become the highlight of your trip to Bali. You'll get up early to hike to the summit of volcanic Mount Batur to catch the sunrise and enjoy breakfast cooked over volcanic steam. It's not a difficult climb, but the natural hot springs waiting for you at the bottom are a magical treat. Enjoy the view of the volcano and the surrounding mountains while you soothe your muscles in the natural springs. Not a morning person? Book a midnight hike or a private jeep ride up to the volcano and into the crater instead. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_892433" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rob M Visuals (Unsplash)[/caption] RICE TERRACE CYCLING TOUR When visiting Bali, go beyond the island's famous beaches and head inland to explore the untamed jungle and thousands of miles of rice terraces. While you can drive to many of them, the best way to see a bunch is by going on a cycling tour. This particular one focuses on the Bangli region. It is a less commercialised area, boasting some of the world's most beautiful rice fields with views of Mount Batur in the distance. Alight from your bike to walk between the terraces, little huts, tumbling waterfalls and quaint temples before sitting down to a big lunch overlooking the stunning scenery. We could think of worse ways to spend a day. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_892434" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jared Rice (Unsplash)[/caption] FIVE-DAY HOLISTIC RETREAT Bali abounds with wellness retreats, and Y Retreats is one of the best budget-friendly options. That's why we teamed up with Y Retreats to sell some of the spots available on its upcoming Reset and Recharge retreat. Over the course of five days, you'll be immersed in a carefully curated combination of breathwork, cold exposure, yoga, self-development sessions, leadership and resilience workshops, physical adventuring and so much more. It's held at a secluded beachfront property in Tabanan and includes all your meals. It's the perfect place to relax and work on yourself. BOOK IT NOW. BALI SEA WALKER This is a really random travel experience. But it's heaps of fun. You pop on a glass helmet that's fed oxygen via a long tube and walk along the sea floor spotting tropical fish swimming about coral reefs. It's much easier than proper scuba diving (no training is required for sea walking). Add this little activity to a day spent at the beach. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_892436" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nick Fewings (Unsplash)[/caption] UBUD DAY TRIP The Ubud region has become increasingly popular these days, but remains quieter than most parts of Bali. It has many picturesque temples, coffee plantations, rice fields, museums and small villages filled with markets and great places to eat. But seeing all its best bits can be tough without a guide. So, we teamed up with Candidasa Taxi to offer this unique private tour of Ubud that also includes a trip to Tegenungan Waterfall and Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_892432" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tandya Rachmat (Unsplash)[/caption] THREE-DAY GILI ISLANDS AND LOMBOK TOUR The Gili Islands is one of our favourite places to go in Indonesia. These six small islets are all located by Bali's neighbour sister Lombok and offer up exceptional experiences. You can swim with turtles, explore small fishing villages, relax on long white sand beaches and simply escape the crowds of Bali. And if you book this Gili Island and Lombok tour, you'll get to take your time seeing all the best bits over three days — you'll really want to spend more than just a day in these parts. The tour will also pick you up from Padang, so it's a great addition to any Bali holiday. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_892439" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Florian Giorgio (Unsplash)[/caption] REGIONAL BALI TOURS Bali is a diverse place when it comes to culture, food and natural sites. That's why you shouldn't spend your entire holiday in just one place. But packing up all your things to stay in several different areas can also be tiring. The solution? Get on the day trip bandwagon. We have a bunch to help you see it all. Spend a day in the north, south, east or west of the island with each of these unique trips that take you to all the most popular parts — as well as a few hidden gems only locals know about. [caption id="attachment_892438" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nattu Adnan (Unsplash)[/caption] NUSA PENIDA DAY TRIP Nusa Penida is an absolutely stunning island located just off the shores of Bali. It's a beach lover's paradise, with countless hidden coves located all over. A great way to see them is by joining a day tour. This particular one takes you to Broken Beach, Angel's Billabong, Kelingking Beach and Crystal Bay. You can even book a really affordable private boat tour of Nusa Penida to see it all from the water. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_892441" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bali Surgawi Tour Travels (Unsplash)[/caption] QUAD BIKE ADVENTURE As an ATV rider, you will be challenged to conquer some of Bali's rugged off-road terrain and muddy rock formations for 90 to 120 minutes. You'll see some great scenery, rice fields, rivers and beaches while zooming about with some mates. This will be followed by a two-hour snorkel trip that will take you to two different swimming spots. It's a two-in-one. 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: Jamie Fenn (Unsplash)
The Murray River flows right through the heart of Tocumwal, and 24 riverside beaches within close proximity to town ensure you can make the most of every sunny day. With this stretch of Australia's longest river lined with shady red gums and native bushland, there's a quiet patch of shoreline with your name on it. Just a short drive from other stellar river beaches — like Tocumwal Beach, Apex Beach and Finley Beach — sits Bouchiers Beach. It's the perfect spot for swimming, kayaking and camping. Image: Emily Godfrey, Visit Victoria
Two Spanish couples on holiday, the tale of a real-life Barcelona bus driver and a crime thriller set in the Basque Country: if you're looking to swap Australia's winter for Euro vibes from your cinema seat, they're some of the highlights in store. When the middle of the year hits Down Under each year, the Spanish Film Festival brightens up Aussie picture palaces with a lineup of movies from its namesake country. Exploring the breadth of Spanish-language cinema, it also showcases flicks from Latin America. Thirty films are on the fest's program for 2025, including across Friday, June 13–Wednesday, July 2 at The Astor Theatre, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Penny Lane, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, Palace Balwyn and Pentridge Cinema in Melbourne. Audiences can enjoy a roster of picks that features a Sliding Doors-style opener, this year's two Goya Best Film winners and a celebration of the 25th anniversary of Nine Queens. Among the films mentioned above, Samana Sunrise is kicking of the festival with 20-year pals on a beachside getaway to the Dominican Republic when what might've been becomes the focus. Then, both El 47 and Undercover have prime slots fresh from their shared victory at Spain's version of the Oscars. The first heads back to the 70s to tell of bus driver Eduard Fernández's peaceful act of dissidence, while the second also unfurls a true tale, this time about the only police officer in Spain's history that has worked their way into terrorist organisation ETA. If you've been watching Ricardo Darín in recent Netflix hit The Eternaut, then you'll want to head back a quarter-century to see the Argentinian star's stellar work in heist flick Nine Queens — or revisit it if you're already a fan. It's closing out this year's Spanish Film Festival, screening in 4K. Other highlights across the program include The Quiet Maid, which was completely funded by NFTs, boasts Steven Soderbergh (Presence, Black Bag) as an executive producer, and follows a Colombian maid who discovers how to enjoy her summer while working on the Costa Brava; Ocho, charting a relationship over 90 years; the page-to-screen The Goldsmith's Secret; and Spanish box-office hit Wolfgang, a comedy a nine-year-old boy being set to live with his father. Or, there's Argentinian crime-thriller A Silent Death, which heads Patagonia in the 80s; El Jockey, with Money Heist and The Day of the Jackal's Úrsula Corberó among the Buenos Aires-set film's cast; and Peru's Through Rocks and Clouds, where an eight-year-old alpaca herder gets excited about the World Cup. With Marco, The Invented Truth, another slice of reality graces the lineup, this time honing in on the man who acted as the speaker of the Spanish association of Holocaust victims. The same is the case with I Am Nevenka, Nevenka Fernández's report of harassment by her employer in the 90s. Two documentaries also demonstrate how fact is frequently more fascinating than fiction, with Mugaritz. No Bread, No Dessert all about its eponymous Michelin-starred restaurant and The Flamenco Guitar of Yerai Cortés celebrating a rising star of its titular genre.
Did you let yourself — or, more specifically, your hair — get a little out of control in lockdown? It's understandable. So if you have quite the (ahem) hairy situation to sort out, a barbershop called Brother Wolf seems more than fitting. Pop down to this shop in St Kilda, or the original on Greville Street, Prahran, and one of the crew can get to work. This shop puts a modern spin the old-school barbershop design, so expect plenty of indoor plants to match the palm leaf wallpaper. Here, men's cuts start from $55 or you can get a clipper cut from $30. Plus, it offers hot towel shaves from $50. Want to keep the Brother Wolf experience going after you leave the store? It has a range of apparel and haircare products.
Unlike many other music festivals gearing up to make their first appearance since before the pandemic, much-loved camping fest Pitch Music & Arts is preparing to host its second post-COVID instalment. But if last year's well-timed (and sold-out) return was anything to go by, it's set to go off with just as big of a bang as any other comeback on your calendar. The long-running celebration is headed back to Moyston, in the foothills of Victoria's Grampians, from Friday, March 10–Tuesday, March 14 2023. Not only will its three stages play host to a sparkling lineup of local and international musical talent, but the tunes will be backed by a hefty program of interactive art and installations. Basically, you're in for a very big, very busy four days. [caption id="attachment_875292" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Duncographic[/caption] Guiding your sonic journey will be legends like Germany's Helena Hauff, UK electro act Four Tet (who's also hitting Golden Plains the same weekend), DJ and producer Nightmares on Wax, Berlin-born supergroup Moderat and a live set from UK-based duo OVERMONO. You'll also catch the likes of Leon Vynehall, Ben UFO, Fatima Yamaha and Âme flying the flag for the international dance scene, joined by a juicy lineup of homegrown heroes — Mildlife, Ayebatonye, C.Frim, Yarra, IN2STELLAR and Soju Gang, included. While the supporting program of artistic delights is yet to drop, last year's offering — including works by street artist Adnate and installation king Clayton Blake (Winner of Best Art at Burning Man 2018) — should leave you pretty excited for what's in store. [caption id="attachment_875293" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Duncographic[/caption] In between all the dance-floor sessions and arty things, festival-goers can make themselves at home in the Pitch Pavilion, unwinding with a yoga class, meditation or sound bath. There'll also be an ethical design market to shop, a range of food stalls to fuel your weekend and a Pride Patrol doing live drag performances. If that all sounds like your true calling, you'll have to enter the Pitch Music & Arts 2023 ballot where, for the first time, entrants will be required to make a 'Pitch Pledge' — a written commitment to positively contributing to the Pitch community, leaving no trace and behaving respectfully while onsite. [caption id="attachment_875295" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ash Caygill[/caption] PITCH MUSIC & ARTS 2023 LINEUP: ABSOLUTE. AK Sports Âme Anetha Ayebatonye Ben UFO Bertie BIG WETT Bradley Zero C.Frim X Mirasia Call Super Cassie Raptor Club Angel Daria Kolosova DAWS Dax J DJ EZ DJ Heartstring DJ Stingray 313 DJ Tennis Effy Ewan McVicar Fatima Yamaha (Live) FJAAK DJ Four Tet François X HALFQUEEN Héctor Oaks Helena Hauff I.JORDAN IN2STELLAR Interplanetary Criminal Jaguar Jennifer Cardini Juicy Romance Jyoty Kalyani KAS:ST Kelly Lee Owens (DJ Set) KETTAMA Ki/Ki Kim Ann Foxman Leon Vynehall (Live) LSDXOXO m8riarchy Major League Djz Mano Le Tough Marie Montexier Mildlife Miley Serious Moderat (Live) Nightmares On Wax NLV OVERMONO (Live) Parfait Paula Tape Peach Pretty Girl (Live) Roi Perez RONA Ryan Elliott Sam Alfred x STÜM Soju Gang Sophie McAlister SWIM Tama Sumo x Lakuti Tinlicker (Live) u.r.trax Yarra Yikes Young Marco Pitch Music & Arts will return to Moyston from March 10–March 14, 2023. Head to the festival's website for further details, or to enter the ballot before 3pm AEDT on Wednesday, November 2. General tickets will go on sale from 12pm on Thursday, November 10. Top Images: Alex Drewniak and William Hamilton Coates.
Eight of the country's most talented cocktail makers have been unveiled as finalists in the 2025 Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year competition. The national final for this global competition takes place at Sofitel Sydney Wentworth on Monday, June 30, and will bring together drinks industry leaders for a high-stakes day of creative cocktail mastery, as finalists shake, stir and pour for their chance to represent Australia on the world stage at the global finals in Toronto later this year. Now in its 16th year, World Class has established itself as one of the world's most prestigious bartending competitions, running in more than 60 countries and having helped to foster the development of more than 400,000 bartenders through its training and advocacy program. The eight Australian finalists represent a cross-section of some of the country's most talked-about venues, from Brisbane's Milquetoast and Adelaide's trap., to Saint Peter in Sydney and Caretaker's Cottage in Melbourne, currently ranked number 21 on the World's 50 Best Bars list. [caption id="attachment_1010120" align="alignnone" width="1920"] James Irvine[/caption] This year's finalists come from around the country, and feature a mix of established and emerging talent. Returning to the competition this year are Shirley Yeung from Perth's Foxtrot Unicorn and Samuel Cocks from Sydney restaurant Saint Peter — and they'll be joined by Darren Leaney and Tom McHugh (Caretaker's Cottage, Melbourne), James Irvine (Merivale, Sydney), Aidan Perkins (Milquetoast, Brisbane), Darren Burton (Kiin, Adelaide) and Lachlan Gunner (trap., Adelaide). The national final will put competitors to the test across three distinct challenges, designed to push each bartender's creativity, speed and technical skill. Proceedings open with the Single Origin Soirée, which will see these mix masters craft original cocktails with Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur. Next is Celebration, Curated, where bartenders must deliver a trio of drinks, including one using Tequila Don Julio Minis. The final test marks the return of Diageo's signature Check On! Reserve Challenge, in which competitors race against the clock to produce up to nine classic cocktails using Diageo's premium spirits portfolio. Events will take place in the hotel's bar tilda and the expansive outdoor terrace of Wentworth Bar. The winner will earn themselves the right to represent Australia at the Global Finals, set to take place in Toronto, Canada, from Saturday, September 27–Thursday, October 2, where they'll compete against bartenders from around the world in a unique multi-format event. "Diageo World Class stands as the ultimate showcase of bartending excellence, and the Australian competition never fails to inspire," says Kate McGraw, Diageo's Head of Trade Advocacy. "This year's top eight finalists represent the epitome of talent and innovation in the industry. Their mastery, creativity, and dedication to the craft of hospitality promise a final round that will be nothing short of extraordinary." [caption id="attachment_1010121" align="alignnone" width="1920"] James Irvine[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1010125" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Shirley Yeung[/caption] The Diageo World Class Australian national final takes place at Sofitel Sydney Wentworth on Monday, June 30. For more information, head to the Diageo Bar Academy website.
How good at Pictionary would Sky Ferreira be? Would the doodles of Earl Sweatshirt be found in an art gallery? How would London Grammar go in a life drawing class? Sydney's FBi Radio intended to find out, by inviting a list of over 30 musicians to try their hand at a handdrawn masterpiece. Bringing back their wildly successful 'Brush With Fame' art auction, FBi asked a serious banquet of bands, rappers, ARIA-nominees, folksters, singers and beatmakers to create drawings on canvas especially for the station, ready for auction from 9pm Tuesday, November 25. All proceeds raise funds for the independent, not-for-profit, top notch station. Kudos to FBi for one of the best group show lineups around, y'ready? You (YOU) can own a handdrawn work by: Alt J, Ásgeir, Banks, Buck 65, Chali 2NA, Chet Faker, DARKSIDE, Dustin Tebutt, Earl Sweatshirt, Ears, El-P, Glass Animals, Holy Fuck, Ice Age, Four Tet, The Jezabels, Jon Hopkins, Killer Mike, Little Dragon, Little May, London Grammar, Lee Ranaldo, Megan Washington, Midlake, Mount Kimbie, Okkervil River, Phantogram, Phoenix, Sky Ferreira, Sly & Robbie, St Vincent, Veronica Falls, Warpaint. Phew. That's a bloody lineup. All works are on display over here. The online auction launches globally tonight at 9pm (AEDT) via eBay with bids starting at just AUD$50. Each piece comes complete with a Certificate of Authenticity from FBi. The auction closes on Monday December 2 at 9pm (AEDT) and works will be shipped the following day — we're talking seriously perfect Christmas gifts right here. Here's a couple of our favourites in the bunch, that you'll have to furiously outbid us on. Again, the FBi 'Brush With Fame' online auction launches globally tonight at 9pm (AEDT) via eBay and closes on Monday December 2 at 9pm. Go! RUN!
Aussies love a good ball game. And though we might prefer a local game of NRL or AFL to the likes of the American NFL, there's a place for all sports fans in our nation. And besides, the Super Bowl is a big deal no matter how you spin it. Whether it's the sporting thrill for the fans watching the culmination of the NFL season, the always-viral halftime show or even the debut of hotly anticipated movie trailers mid-commercial break, we can all find a reason to tune in. So, when the Super Bowl LIX touches down on Monday, February 10 (in our local timezone), secure your annual leave (or chuck a potentially risky sickie) and get the most out of the game by making a booking for a game day special at one of these Melbourne venues. The Terminus Hotel, Abbotsford Never missing the chance to get it on for a big sporting event, the Termo has set the stage for one hell of a touchdown with a special offer for game day. With doors opening at 9am ahead of the 10.30am kickoff, you can get in early to secure the best seats in the house. Once you're situated, grab a cold Coors Light ('tis the day for it) and join in on a team jersey raffle. Make the most of the occasion and order some options off the special American-themed menu — think: loaded fries and double cheese and bacon cheeseburgers. Imperial Hotel, Bourke Street Super Bowl LIX is taking place at Caesars Superdome, the home stadium of the New Orleans Saints, so the Imperial is taking notes from the Crescent City. Starting at 9am, you can get face painting to support your team and enjoy some NFL-themed games before kickoff. The menu will be inspired by the flavours of New Orleans, and come halftime — this year's performance will be headlined by Kendrick Lamar — cheerleaders will back the performance with a rooftop show. The fun will keep going once the game is done, too, when a live band takes over at 3pm to keep festivities going well into the evening. The Exchange Hotel, Port Melbourne If you're planning more than just a quick lunch to watch the game, make a booking at The Exchange to make the most of a bottomless package for the day. For $89pp, you'll get guaranteed prime seats to watch the game, four hours of bottomless house beers and wines and your choice of an item off the American-themed menu. Doors open at 9.30am, so don't delay ahead of the game. The Local, Port Melbourne The Local is also going all out for game day, with celebrations spread across two floors and two tiers. If you'll have the day free, splash $75 and enjoy a four-hour Super Bowl package on level one. That's 240 minutes of bottomless house beers and wines and a complimentary item off the themed menu between 10.30am and 2.30pm. If you can only duck out for a quick viewing on your lunch break, the ground floor is accepting standard bookings and walk-ins; just be prepared for limited space. College Lawn Hotel, Prahran For those looking to go absolutely all-out, the College Lawn is offering a mega four-hour booking for $140pp. Any seat is prime viewing since the venue boasts two big screens and 16 TVs scattered throughout, and you'll be able to enjoy the action with all beers on tap, house wines, soft drinks and an American-inspired eight-piece canapé platter. How's that for a game day viewing party? Melbourne Public Hotel, South Wharf Meanwhile, at Melbourne Public, there are more than a few options for bookings, depending on how you want to spend your day. At the base level, entry will be $20 on the day and includes a schooner of Coors Light (first in, best dressed for tables), or you can book the brekkie bundle for $35 — that'll secure a table and a schooner of Coors plus a brekkie burger and three wings. If you're looking to splash a bit more cash, the $120 VIP package is your biggest option. That will land you entry and the best seats in the house, unlimited beers from 10.30am and an American meat platter to fuel you until the game is through. For more information on these venues and to claim credit for your order, download The Pass app.
Fancy soaking in Sydney's expansive coastal surroundings while putting one foot in front of the other? Then head to the city's newest attraction. Stretching between the two titular beaches, the just-launched Bondi to Manly Walk spans 80 kilometres along the east coast and harbour foreshore — connecting the existing tracks in the area into one epic, super-scenic seaside trek. First announced in November 2018 and now open for Sydneysiders to stroll along, B2MW meanders past all of the expected highlights; think secluded coves, spectacular views, bushland, clifftops, and landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. As the name makes plain, it starts and ends at Bondi and Manly beaches, but there's plenty to see in-between. You'll also wander everywhere from the Hornby Lighthouse and Mrs Macquarie's Chair to the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and Curlew Camp. Specifically winding through Bondi, Watsons Bay, Rose Bay, Darling Point and Kirribilli, past Taronga Zoo, over to Spit Bridge, then through Manly Wharf to Manly Beach, the track combines a host of already-popular trails. Stroll along the South Head Heritage Trail, Green Point Walking Track, Hermitage Foreshore Track, Bradleys Head Walk and Georges Heights Walk, then head through the Manly Scenic Walkway, North Head Sanctuary, Australian Memorial Walk and Fairfax Track. Emphasising the people of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the land through which the B2MW travels, the trail also journeys past significant Indigenous sites such as an Aboriginal People's midden between Fisher Bay and Sandy Bay, Aboriginal engravings at Grotto Point, and the ancestral reburial site and rock art at Reef Beach. Plus, while you're moseying, you'll follow 350 Aboriginal Whale Symbol signs along the mega trail's lengthy expanse — with an app also available to help you plan and track your walk. Sixty kilometres of the massive track runs over public land, including bushwalking paths, while the other 20 kilometres takes walkers along footpaths — with the trek coming about after considerable co-operation between the relevant local, state and federal government bodies. And if you're wondering how long it takes, suggested itineraries split the walk into four, five and seven-day routes, although you can obviously make the journey however you see fit. The Bondi to Manly Walk is now open. For more information, visit the walk's website. Images: Destination NSW.
The 86 has always been Melbourne's coolest tram line (go on, prove us wrong), so dedicating an entire festival to the iconic route isn't strange or unfounded; it's a matter of course. From Monday, October 23–Tuesday, October 31, Melbourne's northern suburbs will buzz with electricity and the sound of music of all ilks thanks to The Eighty-Six festival. Running all along High Street, from Westgarth to Preston, the festival promises to be one hell of a party. Oh, and did we mention it's free? Just be sure to register for your ticket online as it's a first-come, first-served affair. The main event, Super Saturday on October 28, will be a 22-hour music odyssey spread across 40 venues along the 86 tram route. Expect a smorgasbord of live music and parties featuring over 200 artists including established names, emerging talents, and international guests. Okay, let's talk pasta. The folks at 1800 Lasagne are spicing things up with a dog-friendly street party complete with food, drinks and tunes. There's even going to be a pooch parade and costume competition to raise money for Pets Of The Homeless. Whether you dip in for an event or two, or try to ride out the full 22-hour marathon, one thing will be certain — Melbourne's vibrant, multifaceted music scene will be on full, proud display. This is a festival for everyone, from nonnas to toddlers, and everyone in between. See ya on the 86. Head to Visit Melbourne for the full rundown and to check out what else is happening in Melbourne this spring.
MAMAS Dining Group (Hochi Mama, Straight Outta Saigon and Kiss and Tell) is branching out from its Southeast Asian roots with the launch of its latest Chapel Street sites: Windsor Wine Room and Suzie Q. Windsor Wine Room is set to open in May this year at the former Lover site, where you'll find top-notch wines paired with contemporary European food. Michael Stolley (ex-Ish Restaurant and Eazy Peazy) will run the kitchen pass here, slinging a series of small and large plates. Kick things off with potato and honey-studded focaccia, burrata with a vodka-spiked sauce, and barbecued lamb skewers, before launching into bigger bites like the cauliflower pie and octopus and nduja ragu pasta. [caption id="attachment_953020" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Suzie Q[/caption] Then there's the two-storey Suzie Q, MAMAS Group's biggest and most ambitious venue to date. Mitchell and Eades (Beverly, Grill Americano, Carlton Wine Room, Hawker Hall, Mr Miyagi and Lana) has been tasked with designing the large space, which is said to embody "the hedonism and rebellion of the underground nightlife scene in the 80s, re-imagined through a modern lens". Stolley has also dreamt up Suzie Q's menu, inspired by classic Cantonese cuisine. But don't expect this to be a traditional Chinese restaurant. He's adding plenty of contemporary flair — something MAMAS Group is well known for. Windsor Wine Room (60 Chapel Street, Windsor) will open in May this year and Suzie Q (247 Chapel Street, Prahran) is slated to open in June. For more information, head to the restaurant group's website.
Peter Pan fans love Michigan’s latest public art experiment. Secret fairy doors have been appearing in walls, doors and windows all over the city of Ann Arbor. Even though it might break a five-year-old’s heart to say it, they’re not actually works of magic, but the creations of real-life artist and writer Jonathan B. Wright. Like Kenneth Grahame, author of The Wind in the Willows, Wright began his work with the desire to entertain his own family. Back in 1993, after planting a magical miniature portal in his own home, he found his children investigating it in fascination. ‘In 1993, the first fairy door that I know of was found in our house,’ Wright explains in an interview with the Michigan Daily. ‘The door was not necessarily attributed to a fairy. My wife was running a childcare program in our home and it was the kids who found the door and they speculated on what might be living there — which included a “lion mouse” and various other tiny beings.’ Twenty-two years later, in Spring 2005, a fairy decided to set up house in Ann Arbor’s popular café, Sweetwaters Coffee and Tea, and it wasn’t long before others moved into gift shops, music venues and even the public library. Each door is a one-of-a-kind piece, imitating an aspect of the human-sized business, organisation or residence to which it is attached. Even the local Google office features a pint-sized entranceway titled ‘Giggle’. ‘I see [urban fairies] as a kind of new generation of fairies, maybe ones that have got beyond some of the traditional foibles of fairies — being allergic to iron, etc.,’ says Wright. ‘They’re a little bit more interested in people, and that’s why they live in closer proximity.’ He and his partner have been enthralled by magic and mythology for years. Wright has written several fairy-inspired books and is responsible for the running of urban fairies operations. [via PSFK]
Paying tribute to great authors and writers is easy. Libraries beckon, as do whatever happens to be on your own bookshelf or Kindle. Getting the chance to celebrate the talents behind some of the greatest works of literature ever committed to paper in a stunning exhibition is far more rare, however. Indeed, Writers Revealed: Treasures From the British Library and National Portrait Gallery, London is a world-first. Clearly, it's a special treat for word nerds — especially if you're a fan of Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, JRR Tolkien, Bram Stoker, the Brontë sisters, Virginia Woolf, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and more. What goes on display at a showcase dedicated to wordsmiths? When it arrives at HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast from Saturday, April 12–Sunday, August 3, 2025, Writers Revealed will span author portraits, plus rare handwritten manuscripts and first editions. Over 70 pieces of art will feature the likenesses of the writers responsible for Pride and Prejudice, Romeo and Juliet, The Lord of the Rings, Dracula, Wuthering Heights, Sherlock Holmes and other masterpieces. More than 100 texts will be included, too, with six centuries of literature covered. [caption id="attachment_987067" align="alignnone" width="1920"] William Shakespeare, associated with John Taylor, oil on canvas, feigned oval, circa 1610. © National Portrait Gallery, London[/caption] As the exhibition's full name states, this is a collaboration between the British Library and the National Portrait Gallery, London. If you're wondering why the two institutions are pairing portraits with texts, one of the showcase's aims to explore how literature and visual expression are linked. Also in the spotlight: the legacy of influential writers, plus digging into their creative processes. Oscar Wilde, Harold Pinter, William Blake, Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll, Lord Byron, TS Eliot, Thomas Hardy, James Joyce, DH Lawrence, John Keats, William Wordsworth and Rudyard Kipling are some of the other greats earning Writers Revealed's attention, as are AA Milne, Beatrix Potter, Dylan Thomas, Sir Kazuo Ishiguro and Zadie Smith. Among the highlights that'll fill 1000 square metres in HOTA's Gallery 1 for 16 weeks: Austen's writing desk, what's thought to be the only Shakespeare portrait to be painted while he was alive, illustrated letters from Tolkien to his grandson, Lewis Carroll's diary entry about Alice in Wonderland and Virginia Woolf's handwritten Mrs Dalloway manuscript. [caption id="attachment_987064" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Harold Pinter by Justin Mortimer, oil on canvas, 1992. © National Portrait Gallery, London[/caption] "We are thrilled to collaborate with the National Portrait Gallery on Writers Revealed, a truly unique exhibition that brings together some of the most exceptional objects from our collections. Visitors will experience rare first editions and exquisite manuscripts alongside celebrated portraits of the writers who created them," said Alexandra Ault, Lead Curator of Modern Archives and Manuscripts at the British Library, announcing the exhibition. "Featuring treasures that rarely leave our gallery in London, this major new exhibition will bring HOTA's visitors closer to some of the most-important figures in English literary history," added Catharine MacLeod, Senior Curator of 17th Century Collections at the National Portrait Gallery. "Encountering these displays, visitors will discover what is revealed and what is hidden when life, writing and portraiture intersect." [caption id="attachment_987063" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Charles Dickens by Daniel Maclise, oil on canvas, 1839. © National Portrait Gallery, London[/caption] [caption id="attachment_987062" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Beatrix Potter by Delmar Harmood Banner, oil on canvas, 1938. © National Portrait Gallery, London[/caption] [caption id="attachment_987066" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lord Byron, replica by Thomas Phillips, oil on canvas, circa 1835, based on a work of 1813. © National Portrait Gallery, London[/caption] [caption id="attachment_804623" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Scott Chrisman, Pixeltape Media[/caption] [caption id="attachment_987061" align="alignnone" width="1920"] A vista through the Romantics display through to Queen Victoria by Sir George Hayter (1863) at the National Portrait Gallery, London. Photo by Oliver Hess.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_987060" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tony Antoniou[/caption] Writers Revealed: Treasures From the British Library and National Portrait Gallery, London displays at HOTA, Home of the Arts, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, from Saturday, April 12–Sunday, August 3, 2025. Head to the gallery's website for further details and tickets. Top image: Jane Austen by Cassandra Austen, pencil and watercolour, circa 1810. © National Portrait Gallery, London.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations, giving you inspiration for your next trip. In this instalment, we set the compass to regional New South Wales and take a trip to the Hunter Valley for an idyllic countryside escape at Wallaringa Farm. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? Ever dream of leaving it all behind? Maybe escaping to a nice farm somewhere, surrounded by breathtaking panoramic views of rolling hills and a picturesque countryside backdrop. Spending your evenings relaxing with a glass of wine as you watch the sunset over the horizon, before settling by the fire pit for a romantic evening of star gazing, free from the stress and light pollution of the city. Wallaringa Farm turns this dream into a reality. Located in the heart of the Hunter Valley, this beautifully restored three-bedroom farmhouse seamlessly blends modern comforts with rustic farmhouse charm, making it an ideal destination for families, friends or a romantic escape. Located on 750 acres of a working cattle farm and surrounded by some of the most stunning natural scenery Australia has to offer, the farm exudes tranquillity — perfect for anyone looking to unwind and reconnect with nature. THE ROOMS The spacious rooms are designed with meticulous attention to detail, ensuring a comfortable and cosy stay. The master bedroom features an ensuite, while each room is equipped with comfy bedding — two rooms feature an extra-large double bed, and one room has two bunk beds, while the air-conditioned interior provides respite on warmer days. However, the true highlight is the verandah with its comfortable deck chairs, offering breathtaking sunset views and a perfect spot to sip morning coffee or an evening beer. FOOD AND DRINK One of the best things about the Hunter Valley is its food and wine, so you're in for a treat as Wallaringa Farm is the perfect spot to indulge in local delights. First off, you'll be treated to a complimentary bottle of Boydell's wine upon arrival (perfectly enjoyed on the verandah as the sun sets). A tempting selection of local jams and honey also awaits. The property also includes a fully equipped chef's kitchen, allowing guests to prepare meals using locally sourced produce (or you could just make toast with some of the local jam, we won't judge). And for the times you don't feel like cooking, why not embrace the opportunity to explore the nearby towns of Dungog and Paterson for a taste of delicious Hunter Valley cuisine? THE LOCAL AREA The Hunter Valley is your oyster, and Wallaringa Farm is your perfect base camp to explore… that oyster. Dip your toes (or jump right in) in the Allyn River's cool waters — the hidden oasis of Ladies Well is a particularly nice swimming spot. You'll come out feeling refreshed and revitalised — that water is something special, or perhaps it's just the breathtaking location that makes it feel so, surrounded by large granite boulders and lush rainforest at the foothills of the World Heritage Barrington Tops National Park. For the history buffs out there (or anyone seeking some old town charm), the towns of Dungog and Paterson are a good shout, with their grand colonial buildings and charming markets. So whether you want to explore the beautiful wine region, go for a nice bushwalk, or immerse yourself in the charm of old country pubs, the area surrounding Wallaringa will have something for you. THE EXTRAS Set your out-of-office, pack those bags, leave the city stress behind, and head to Wallaringa Farm for a countryside escape. Aside from its storybook setting and charming farmhouse, Wallaringa Farm stands out with its commitment to nature and adventure. The farm's owners have a genuine love for nature and have crafted a peaceful haven for others to share in this passion, so if relaxing by the rustic fire pit under the starry night sky sounds like your idea of a good time, look no further. 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. Images: Alex Jack Photography
Masters of putting unlikely things together, Ikea, have kicked off a smart design initiative to connect thousands of homeless dogs with potential families. Shelters are overcrowded and homestarters want that little extra addition to their pad, so the US-based Animal Lovers League and Singapore's Save Our Street Dogs have teamed up with the Swedish furniture giants for a very simple marketing project. Dubbed Home for Hope, the campaign uses the ol' cardboard cut out routine in the best possible way. Home renovators wander through Ikea displays picturing every thoughtfully-placed item in their own abodes (we've all entertained 'friends' around an Ikea display kitchen once, right?), a state of mind the furniture heavyweights are harnessing with life-size cardboard cut outs of the adoptable dogs merrily chillin' out in the lounge room. Customers visualise themselves 'completing their home' with throw rugs, patterned curtains and kitchen blackboards, then attach the same sentiment to a scruffy little face. https://youtube.com/watch?v=tBka2eF4OAI Ikea's team headed to the involved shelters, photographed the homeless pooches and created life-size cardboard cut outs of legends like Momo, Lady and Pampam. Then the team went to work, perching the 'dogs' on lounge chairs, begging at dinner tables, snuggling at the end of beds. Shoppers can scan the QR codes on the cardboard dogs' collars to register their interest in adoption, with each scruffy mutt having their own bio and individual video on the Home for Hope website (watching dogs have their own photoshoots is actually The Best Thing Ever). Alongside Ikea, Home for Hope will work with other big furniture players like Grafunkt, Foundry, Commune, Journey East and Noden Collective. The idea was borne from a lack of budget and a subsequent need to market the poor pooches creatively. "Home for Hope was borne out of a pressing issue," the foundation says. "With a limited budget, most animal shelters can only afford to voice their messages using social media. Problem is, their followers are pet lovers, and most already own pets. Hence, adoption rates are low." Via Fast Co.Design.
Hop, skip and jump your way down to the National Gallery of Victoria for a first look at the latest installation work from acclaimed American conceptual artist Lawrence Weiner. Inspired by the game of hopscotch, Out of Sight is a 16-metre long participatory artwork built into the floor in front of the NGV's iconic waterwall. Aimed primarily at teenage visitors (because teens love hopscotch, don't you know?), the work is designed to make you think creatively about the direction of your life, and will incorporate the artist's characteristic text-based approach along with a short film featuring local high school students. "We're thrilled to be one of the first galleries in the world to stage Lawrence Weiner's newest work Out of Sight, which will also be presented in cities including New York, Houston, Chicago and Shanghai," said NGV director Tony Ellwood. "Out of Sight will explore the concept of uncertain futures with visitors encountering a number of different phrases and ideas as they move along the hopscotch." Out of Sight will be on display at NGV International from February 10 until April 17. Image: Libraryrachel.
Next time you sip a G&T, or whichever other gin cocktail takes your fancy, you could be drinking a new Australian label that puts homegrown ingredients to great use. That'd be Taka Gin, a brand that's just hit the market thanks to Melbourne's Niyoka Bundle — who has branched out into the world of spirits from her Indigenous-fusion catering company Pawa Catering. Like plenty of recent new businesses, the idea behind Taka Gin came about in lockdown, with Indigenous woman Bundle and her husband Vincent Manning inspired to take on a new project — and to continue to highlight First Nations people's native foods in the process. That's why their tipple heroes lemon-scented gum leaf and native lemongrass, two plants that the duo consider underutilised. They're paired with a base of seven other botanicals: juniper, coriander, angelica root, cassia chips, finger lime, orris root and desert lime. Taka Gin's key ingredients have been foraged from around Melbourne, and sourced from Indigenous wild harvesters, including via Natif Super Foods and Warndu. The gin is then distilled by Gypsy Hub at Collingwood's Craft & Co, and sold online via the brand's website, with a 700-millilitre bottle costing $90. In terms of taste, this is a smooth gin. Expect soft citrus flavours, as well as a fragrance that helps bring out the tipple's flavour. The brand takes its name from the Gunditjmara language, which hails from southwest Victoria, with 'taka' meaning taste. And, its eye-catching labels are designed by Bundle's mother and Gunditjmara Keerray Woorroong artist Vicki Couzens. Against a white background, the minimalistic images represent the phytochemical molecular components that comprise Taka Gin's flavours. Handily, Taka Gin is doing free shipping Australia-wide, too, if you need another reason to expand your gin shelf. For more information about Taka Gin, or to buy a bottle, head to the brand's website. Images: Marcie Raw Studio.
Thirty-five years ago, Spike Lee (American Utopia) directed his fourth film. Following a jazz trumpeter portrayed by Denzel Washington (Gladiator II), Mo' Better Blues started one of cinema's finest filmmaker-actor collaborations. Before that decade was out, the pair also made 1992's Malcolm X and 1998's He Got Game together. Then came 2006's crime-thriller Inside Man. Next, after a nearly two-decade wait, arrives Highest 2 Lowest. Lee and Washington are two of the biggest names in America filmmaking, and they're back in business together, teaming up on a movie that premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and will soon stream Down Under via Apple TV+. Highest 2 Lowest initially dropped a sneak peek back in May, asking if audiences can "handle the mayhem?". Ahead of the A24 flick's cinema release in the US, the picture has just unveiled its full trailer. The latest Lee-directed joint not only sees two icons reunite, but also reimagines the work of another. This time, the two Oscar-winners (Lee for BlacKkKLansman's screenplay, Washington for Glory and Training Day) are reinterpreting 1963 crime thriller High and Low from Akira Kurosawa. In the New York City-set Highest 2 Lowest, Washington plays a music mogul who is about to navigate quite the chaos. His character is renowned for having the "best ears in the business", then is saddled with a ransom plot, while also being faced with a moral dilemma with potentially grave repercussions. Also featuring Ilfenesh Hadera (Godfather of Harlem), Jeffrey Wright (The Last of Us), Ice Spice and A$AP Rocky (If I Had Legs I'd Kick You), Highest 2 Lowest is Lee's first film since 2020, when both Da 5 Bloods and concert movie American Utopia released. The movie has a date with US cinemas from Friday, August 22, 2025, then viewers everywhere — including in Australia and New Zealand — will be able to watch Highest 2 Lowest via Apple TV+ from Friday, September 5, 2025. Check out the full trailer for Highest 2 Lowest below: Highest 2 Lowest streams via Apple TV+ from Friday, September 5, 2025.
Music is about more than just a great tune — it also has the power to inform and inspire action. That's the idea behind the Environmental Music Prize — a $20,000 prize launched in 2022 awarded to artists exploring ideas around sustainability and conservation in their music. With voting open until Sunday, December 14, the public is invited to have their say on the tracks that get them reflecting on the importance of nature. Just choose three choice tunes and share them with your pals to help spread the word about music that speaks to the kind of world we want to live in. [caption id="attachment_1052482" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Debbie Hickey/Getty Images[/caption] "Music reminds us of what's at stake, but it also gives us hope," says Prize Founder Edwina Floch. "These songs capture the beauty of nature, the spirit of Country and the resilience of communities rising to protect it. Together, they form a powerful soundtrack for now." With the 30 finalist songs now revealed, each is jam-packed with lyrical meaning and taken to even greater heights with evocative music videos. Think King Stingray's Through the Trees, Angie McMahon's Mother Nature or DOBBY's Dirrpi Yuin Patjulinya, alongside dozens more. "Music connects where other messages can't," explains Floch. "By voting and sharing these songs, fans can help amplify the voices of artists shaping a more sustainable culture, because change begins in the stories we tell and the songs we sing." With this year's prize announced on Wednesday, December 17, the highest voted artist will join much-loved past winners like King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and Xavier Rudd. Both donated the money to grassroots conservation initiatives, giving even more meaning to their songwriting prowess. Voting for the 2025 Environmental Music Prize closes on Sunday, December 14. Head to the website for more information.
Chasing the sounds of summer? Ocean Alley is one of the first Aussie names that come to mind, beloved for their brand of sun-soaked psychedelic surf rock, tinged with funky basslines and buttery-smooth lyrics. Now the band is embarking on a massive national tour, taking their sound on a jam-packed road trip that spans beachy regional towns and capital cities. The upcoming tour comes on the back of Ocean Alley's landmark 2025. The band played to a huge crowd at London's Alexandra Palace, while performing their first dates to fans in Brazil, Chile and Mexico. At the same time, their tracks rocketed up the charts, with breakthrough hit 'Confidence' landing at 65 on triple j's Hottest 100 of Australian Songs. The band has also been busy serving up surprise releases, such as Live in Melbourne '23 — a live album and concert film recorded at John Cain Arena during their last Australian tour. Meanwhile, Ocean Alley just released a brand-new music video for their much-loved tune, 'First Blush'. Shot in Hawaii, it captures the many shades of love reflected in the song. As for the 2026 tour, Ocean Alley is kicking things off in Melbourne on Saturday, January 24, in Catani Gardens before hitting Brisbane Showgrounds on Friday, January 30. Dates in Sydney, Tasmania, Perth and beyond follow soon after, with the tour wrapping up at Glenelg Beach in South Australia on Saturday, March 21. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRZYOPRLh2Q Of course, the band isn't taking to the stage alone. For those catching Ocean Alley on the East Coast, support acts include Nothing But Thieves, Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Ruby Fields. For those in the West, expect Skegss, Ruby Fields and Smol Fish, with the likes of Allah-Las, Babe Raindow, The Grogans, Mid-Drift, Le Shiv and Seaside also appearing at various dates. Ocean Alley National Tour 2026 Dates Saturday, January 24 — Catani Gardens, Melbourne Friday, January 30 — Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane Saturday, January 31 — The Domain, Sydney Friday, February 6 — Party In The Paddock, Carrick Saturday, February 21 — Freo Esplanade, Fremantle Sunday, February 22 — 3 Oceans Winery, Margaret River Saturday, March 7 — Exhibition Park, Canberra Sunday, March 8 — Torquay Common, Torquay Saturday, March 14 — Speers Point Park, Lake Macquarie Sunday, March 15 — Sunshine Coast Stadium, Sunshine Coast Saturday, March 21 — Glenelg Beach, Adelaide Ocean Alley's national tour kicks off in Melbourne at the Catani Gardens on Saturday, January 24. Head to the tour website for further details.
Some like it fancy. Their dining, their threads, their lifestyle. Quality craft, premium ingredients, considered processes — all key elements when producing the finer things that make life delicious and wonderful. Come Sunday, September 4, dads, father figures or your favourite leading legend can bask in a whole day set aside to celebrate all that they are. And, if that person likes to lean fancy, we've got your back with a top-notch roundup of luxe presents they're sure to love. First up? A smooth sip. DELICIOUS AND WONDERFUL WHISKY A terrific bottle of booze is a reliable winner when it comes to gifting for the 18+ crowd. And if a timeless Scotch whisky is their thing, Glenmorangie's full range should be your first port of call. The award-winning distillery produces a stunning range of whiskies in the Scottish Highlands (and the country's tallest copper stills). So, if your father figure is after a smooth sip, reap the goods of our legwork. Keeping it classic? You want The Original, the elevated yet mellow drop that's aged for 10 years in bourbon casks. Opting for something out-there? You're looking for The Lasanta, the attempt at bottling the "magic of a sunset" according to Glenmorangie's director of whisky creation, Dr Bill Lumsden. And if your dad deserves the top of the shelf, you're after the extremely rare — and extremely good — 18 Years Old. The lauded drop spends 15 years in American oak casks, then another three in Olorosso sherry. Good things take time, so trust this is brilliant. Glenmorangie, price varies FRESH KICKS Sneaker cred is important in the world of dads. So, regardless of how fashion-forward he seems, a little refresh to the wardrobe will never go astray. Playing into the luxe-streetwear trend is this green and white pair of Golden Goose Ball Stars. Paying homage to the eighties — and delivering a healthy dose of nostalgia — these Italian-made premium kicks are cool, effortless and set to be on regular rotation. Golden Goose, $830 LUSH LOUNGING Whether he gets his laps in or regularly enjoys a dip in the salty sea, having a luxurious towel around you really heightens the aquatic experience. Baina's Roman Pool Towel — made from 100% organic cotton in Portugal — hits the mark in both quality and style. A checkerboard of tabac and noir is both timeless and timely as far as trends go, making it a piece Dad'll use for years. Verdict: a truly solid gift. Slowe, $110 STAND-OUT SKIN SAVIOURS The largest organ in the body needs to be cared for with utmost importance. And when it comes to gifting-appropriate grooming options, you can't do much better than Aesop. The Parsley Seed Extended Anti-Oxidant Skin Care Kit is ideal for self-care novices and aficionados alike. Open this up and you discover six hardworking products: cleansing oil and toner, instantly hydrating serum and treatment, an eye cream and a masque — all tastefully packaged in Aesop's signature apothecary style. If your dad is always in the sun, out and about in city air or looking to brighten their face, present them with this — gold star guaranteed. Aesop, $360 HEIGHTENED HIGHBALLS Any drop that's worth drinking is worth pouring straight into a fancy — and deliciously different — glass. The sparkle of a highball housed in calm waves of viridescent glass will take happy hour up a notch, and Fazeek's designs are the ultimate way to get there. Specifically, The Wave Highballs in green (though, there's clear and pink, too). These stylish vessels are all hand-blown and come in sets of two — perfect for cheers-ing your pa. Fazeek, $99 for set of two FLASHY FURNITURE Your dad is a design-head who likes to make a statement? The Arnold Circus Stool — or side table or giant vase (if flipped on its head) — in red/orange is big, bright and will be a magnet for decor-related compliments. Expertly crafted from 100% recycled polythene plastic by the stand-out design talent Martino Gamper, each piece is wonderfully unique. Just imagine those green glass Fazeek highballs resting on top. Makers' Mrkt, $230 LUXE THREADS You can't go wrong with linen, and there'll be no shade thrown if you decided to nab this wardrobe essential for yourself instead. Rag & Bone do what they do so well: easy-breezy style, classic tailoring, designs that last. This Long-Sleeve Beach Shirt is a winner no matter who you're shopping for — regardless of personal style. Incu, $330 SMOKY SCENTS A hard-hitting present is a piece that someone covets but is reluctant to purchase themselves. Fragrance often finds itself in this category, though once you've made a scent your signature, there's no turning back. Cue the scentsmiths over at Roemy. Designed and made in Australia, cruelty free and long-wearing, they've got a stellar lineup of fragrances ready and waiting. Our rec? Forest. Crisp yet warm and reminiscent of sun after a sudden downpour. Plus, each bottle comes with a sample, so you can test drive an option for next year. Roemy, $239 Happy gifting this Father's Day, and if you're still scratching your head, you can't go past a bottle of Glenmorangie's delicious and wonderful whisky. Top image: Mark Babin, Unsplash
When Michael Shanks began writing Together over half a decade ago, he didn't start casting in his mind at the time. He didn't pen it thinking that a real-life married couple would play Tim and Millie, his debut feature's protagonists, either. To fuel the Australian filmmaker's leap from YouTube, shorts and TV — including Time Trap, The Wizards of Aus, The Slot, Parked and Rebooted, as well as visual effects on 2019 miniseries Lambs of God— to becoming the talk of Sundance 2025, scoring the first major sale of this year's fest, then playing SXSW in Austin and opening the Sydney Film Festival, however, Shanks was thinking about long-term relationships. They couldn't be more at the heart of his delightfully wild and smart body-horror must-see. So, enlisting two leads who've been together since 2012 and wed since 2017 is indeed perfect. Those stars, and also producers of Together: Alison Brie (Apples Never Fall) and Dave Franco (The Studio), adding another joint project to a shared list that already featured the latter's directorial efforts The Rental and Somebody I Used to Know, as well as the likes of The Little Hours, The Disaster Artist, BoJack Horseman and Krapopolis. Initially, though, Shanks drew upon his own romantic situation — one that owes a debt to the Aussie end-of-school rite-of-passage that is Schoolies. When an Australian thinks of that week of typically Gold Coast-set revelry playing a part in a horror film, a picture about falling for someone, sharing a life with them, commitment and co-dependency isn't a concept that naturally springs to mind. But that's Together, which is also a movie about love sticking. It takes that concept literally. Franco's Tim and Brie's Millie kick off Together as enmeshed in each other's existence as a couple generally, usually, normally can be. A big move, also literal, is their next step by each other's side: relocating for Millie's job as an elementary school teacher. But their going-away party turns awkward when a marriage proposal doesn't quite go as it should — and as aspiring musician Tim begins gleaning how shifting out of the city for Millie will practically impact his ability to play gigs and keep chasing his dreams. Tension accompanies the pair to their leafy new regional surroundings, then, where greenery-lined hiking tracks beckon, Shanks' key duo fall into a cave and the two find themselves even more linked, and unable to be apart, than ever. What if bonding with your other half had a physical dimension beyond cohabiting, sex, other displays of affection and the standard couple details? What if deciding to always be one of a pair was a corporeal connection right down to your flesh? Of the two big 80s music classics with "tear us apart" in their title, think INXS' Triple J Hottest 100 of Australian Songs-topping 'Never Tear Us Apart' over Joy Division's 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' — and not just because Together was shot Down Under, in Melbourne where Shanks is based. How love can change you, the anxieties that it can cause and the resentments that it can spark, and what it truly means to join your existence with someone else's: these are the ideas that Together ponders as it explores transformations inspired by fluttering hearts in its own distinctive and compelling way. Confronting painful real-life situations, while never being afraid to carve its own path into horror tropes such as unsettling new locales, creepy trips into bushland, eerie isolated houses and more: Together does this, too, as it spins a tale that favours life over the horror staple that is death, grief and loss. And in a picture that's firmly a body-horror flick with searing-into-your-brain setpieces to prove it, but is as much a romantic drama as well — and that always anchors its spectacle in the story, never getting gory purely for the sake of it — Franco and Brie are firmly "a dream cast", as Shanks describes them to Concrete Playground. The word "dream" earns a few mentions in our chat. "It's really, really insane," he tells us of Together's journey so far this year, even before reaching cinemas in general release on Thursday, July 31, 2025 Down Under and the day prior in the US. "Getting the film made just alone was a dream coming true, and then it getting into Sundance was a dream come true. And then it playing Sundance and selling to Neon was a dream. So it's kind of hokey to say, but it's sort of this dream that just keeps coming true. It's what every filmmaker dreams of." "When we played at Sundance for the first time, we'd spent months in post-production, just basically myself and an editor [Sean Lahiff, Territory] and an editing assistant, working on the film. We didn't do test screenings. It was just us in a little room. And then we thought it was maybe pretty good — like, we were pretty happy with the movie. And then at Sundance, we were in this theatre of 1000–2000 people, and it's like 'this is literally the first audience that's going to see it. We've got no idea. It's a midnight screening. It's a packed house. Here we go'," Shanks continues. "Five minutes in, there's a little scare, and we could feel the audience gasp — and we went 'oh'. And a few minutes after that, there's this little joke and the audience laughed, and we just felt like 'oh wow, this is going well, I think'. And fortunately it did. And now it's played SXSW and it played a couple of festivals in Italy, and it played in Mexico. And I'm traveling the world in a way I never thought I'd be able to just off the back of a film. It's an incredible privilege. It's been an amazing year," he advises. With the filmmaker that's given Australia another example of YouTube-to-worldwide horror feature success after Talk to Me and Bring Her Back's Danny and Michael Philippou — and whose script for HOTEL HOTEL HOTEL HOTEL featured on the Blacklist — we also contemplated that Schoolies link, dug into Brie and Franco's pivotal involvement, examined why making Together without an IRL couple as its stars might've been a nightmare and discussed the movie's vivid body-horror imagery, among other subjects. On How Schoolies Played a Part in Inspiring a Horror Film About Falling in Love, Commitment and Codependency — and When the Idea for Together Came to Shanks During His Long-Term Relationship "Oh, it was many years in. Because yeah, we met at Schoolies. I would have been 17, I think. And then we didn't start dating until a few months — we became friends, and we started dating a few months after. And then we've been together now — that was 16–17 years ago, so we've been together that long. I'm 34 now, I was writing the script in my late 20s. And that was about when we were moving into our second home together, and we were really beginning to amalgamate our lives, I guess. It really became true that we've been together for so long, we only had the same friends. The Venn diagram of our friendships was just a circle. And we went to all the same events, we listen to the same music, ate the same food, breathed the same air. And now we were living in a second house together. We had a cat. And I was like 'there is no part of my life that's separate from this person'. And likewise. And I started to, I think, confront something that a lot of people go through, of realising 'oh, do I still have independence while I'm committing to this forever-monogamous relationship' — and 'our lives are so intertwined, do I really know where I end and she begins?'. The Radiohead song 'Where I End and You Begin' probably helped dislodge that idea as well. And that was where this jumping off point was — where you already are committing to sharing a life with somebody in such totality, what if you took that even further into a physical, flesh-bound sharing, to take a real relationship and intertwine it in a physical way. That just felt like such an over the top and interesting, operatic exploration of those themes, that also would satisfy the kind of genre-filmmaker obsessive that I am." On Making a Horror Film About Love Instead of Genre Staples Like Grief, Loss and Death "It just felt really natural to me. I mean, the jumping off point to me was honestly just the idea of 'oh, what if people sharing a life started to get so close that they started to share flesh?'. That was sort of that simple. And then it was when I started to fill in the details of that story, and realising that I was putting so many specifics from my own life and the observations I've made of the couples around me in my friendship circles, that I realised that 'oh, this really is a love story' — and a dark, twisted love story. When the actors, Dave and Alison, came onboard, they paid me a great compliment — which was that they said 'reading the script, if you would pull out all the horror, it would still work as a relationship drama'. Which I was really pleased to hear that, despite all the crazy scenes of nastiness and body horror and stickiness and puppets and practical effects and insanity, it's all bound to a character journey and these two people that start in these very different emotional places. And where, like in most romantic movies, rom-coms or rom-dramas, we're basically there to see 'can they can they put this aside and realise that they love each other?'. Or, 'do they realise that they don't love each other and they need to extricate themselves from what has become perhaps a toxic relationship?'." On Casting Real-Life Partners — But Not Actually Penning the Film with That in Mind "No, I kind of wrote it just generically, just set in Australia, because why not? I think it was originally sent Trentham, because I have a friend who makes wine out there — and I was like 'aah, that's my kind of rural in Victoria'. But then I had a chance meeting with Dave, because I had another script of mine that was being passed around Hollywood people in LA. And off the basis of that, I got a meeting with Dave, and we just connected. So I already had the script, and I was like 'hey, maybe have a look at this — maybe you'll like it'. And he read it and loved it and gave it to Alison. And then within a couple of days, we were on a Zoom, the three of us, and kind of figured it out. So that was amazing. Them separately, just as actors and performers, were a dream cast. But them together as an actual married couple, it adds so much to the performances, to the metatextual elements of the film, as well as just an ease of working with them. We needed them to be so physically and emotionally intimate across this film, and the fact that they have such comfort being vulnerable with each other, it created an ease of work as well as an emotional truth that I don't think we could have done with any other actors." On How Pivotal Casting an IRL Couple Proved to Be to the Film "It would have been, especially if they didn't get on, it would have been a nightmare. There was a day on set where they basically had to be fully nude the whole day in front of each other. It's like 'okay, well that's easier to do when they're a husband and wife'. There were days on set where they had to be physically joined via a prosthetic appendage that we didn't have the budget to make a second of — so we couldn't remove it. So if they needed to go to the bathroom, they weren't allowed to separate. We needed them to go to the bathroom together. And of course, you could never impose that on actors, but because they were producers on the film and they're married, they would just be like 'oh, yeah, no worries. Definitely, definitely. We'll just do that'. It was so great. Dave said something in some interviews that I think is really sweet — is that he also said that working with Alison, he feels like it makes him give the best performance, because she knows him so well that he can't be fake in front of her. So he really has to go for it or she'll call him out. Which is — not that I witnessed any calling out, but they worked so well together and it was a huge honour to work with them." On What Brie and Franco Brought to Their Performances — and Shanks Being Able to Benefit From Not Just Their Relationship But Also Their Experience "Thankfully, because they were onboard as producers, I had a lot of time with them even before they arrived in Australia to do the shoot. We had lots of sessions over Zoom, really going through, going over the script and going over the character journeys, and tweaking little things here and there — even intellectually rather than performing it, just kind of speaking it out. And then in pre-production, we had a few days of rehearsal, which were just more read-throughs. And when you're on set, time is money like crazy, particularly for an independent, low-budget film like this. So thankfully when we were on set, it's kind of like — our cinematographer, Germain McMicking [Ellis Park], was amazing, and you tell him what you want and he'll do it. And then he doesn't require much direction because he's a pro. He's so good at it. And same with Dave and Alison, as they're just such pros and they understood the material so well that my job as a director, in terms of their performances, was just ever-so-slightly giving them notes just to tweak. They were always, always in the right area because of the amount of prep that we'd done and the professionalism. And that was great to lean on as well, because I've been working in this industry since I was 17, but this is by far the biggest, longest and most-dramatic thing that I've ever worked on. So having these people that have been doing it for just as long on a much grander scale really, really helped." On Always Anchoring the Film's Body-Horror Setpieces in the Story "I think it was that I just know from being a genre filmmaker. I was really confident in all the horror and all the setpieces. That's what I'm most practised as. And so when I was breaking out the script, I was breaking it out not in terms of the horror, but just in terms of an emotional journey. And just dotting out in character arcs and knowing, because of the nature of the story, that it would be so easy for me to have this journey be interrupted by or enhanced by the horror setpieces. And also, I think something that some people are being surprised by when they walk out of the movie is how much fun it is and that it's quite funny — because again, when I sat down to write it, I was thinking I was writing romantic drama/horror. Scary, you know, serious. I've got this comedy background, but as the situation gets more and more out of hand, it was just impossible to resist — 'well, this is what would actually happen in that scenario' — and lean into something that's fun. So hopefully you'll laugh, you'll cry, it will change your life." On Crafting Horror Imagery That Leaves an Imprint "Well, I get frustrated sometimes with horror films — or with any films in general — when there's not unique images that come out of it, when there's no setpieces that stick with you, when things are just a bit generic. And I also thought the specificity of this concept meant you can only do this once. And I don't know if as a filmmaker, if I'll ever make a horror film again — if I'll ever make body-horror film again. I'd like to. But I certainly could never make this premise again. So if this is the premise, I really was thinking to myself 'you've got to squeeze as much juice out of this as possible'. And so, 'if this is the premise, great, what are ten setpieces that you can only do with this premise' — and just making sure that that's the case. And just really wanting to — really wanting to — leave the audience with something memorable. I hope people, when they leave the cinema, will say that they had a good time and that they've never seen a film quite like this." Together opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, July 31, 2025. Images: Germain McMicking / Ben King.
Over the past two years, we've already spent too much time burning through our streaming queues, so simply settling in for a stint of TV has lost a bit of its lustre. And, there's also the fact that our day-to-days are pretty well dominated by screens anyway. From waking up and checking the weather/news/Instagram to then packing our days with staring at a computer at our nine-to-fives, sitting on the loo watching TikToks and cooking the recipes we view on iPads, it's no wonder we've got screen fatigue. So, put that remote down and treat yourself to another way to kill time: a jigsaw puzzle. Yep, it's time to get analogue. For many of us, 2020 was the year of hobbies and home activities. So, no doubt you already have a jigsaw or two lying around — which means you're in need of fresh puzzle talent. Or, you might've resisted the recent trend, only to now realise that you missed out on some wholesome, puzzle-piecing times. Either way, we're here to help. Here are our eight puzzle picks for when boredom next hits like a tonne of bricks — whether you just have a few spare hours, you're spending time in isolation or you feel like you've watched every streaming series there is to watch. AUSTRALIA UNSEEN Bring the beach to your living room with these serene coastal scenes in puzzle form. Australia Unseen's Vincent Rommelaere takes photos of Australian beaches and rock pools, and usually sells them as prints on his website. But in 2020, as iso-life became the new normal, Rommelaere began transforming some of his snaps into jigsaw puzzles. At the moment, he offers seven different puzzles available as 1000-piece ($49) jigsaws. If you're into ocean pools, you can keep your fingers busy with a puzzle of Bondi's famed Icebergs. Otherwise, there's shots of the Coogee Beach rainbow path, the Bronte Baths and people sunbathing at Bondi. Or, if you'd prefer to look at Melbourne, you can opt for one of the city's CBD skyline. Delivery within Australia is $10 and international shipping is also available, with cost and delivery time dependent on region. All jigsaw puzzles in stock are shipped from Sydney and you'll score free shipping on orders over $100. Buy via Australia Unseen's website. OKAY LADY Chances are at least one of your housemates developed a penchant for puzzles over the past two years and, if that's the case, a pressie from online jigsaw puzzle company Okay Lady will be a winner. Think of it as the perfect 'thanks for putting up with me' gift that you benefit from, too. Okay Lady puzzles champion Aussie women illustrators and come in environmentally friendly packaging — no plastic in sight. The artists also receive royalties from every single sale, which we love to see. If you happen to live with your bestie, there's a super-cute 400-piece jigsaw by Queensland artist Sophie Beer that features two besties and some adorable pups. Or, nab the Night Dancer puzzle, designed by artist Alice Lindstrom, for a truly vibrant work of puzzle art. All Okay Lady jigsaws are $59 and each 400-piece design is aimed to be more of a mindful activity than a super challenging, days-long process. Shipping is free across Australia with orders shipped from the Melbourne office every weekday, so expect about five–seven business days for your package to arrive. Can't wait? Opt for express delivery for $15. Buy via Okay Lady's website. SMOOCHY POOCHEY Ever wanted to piece together a portrait of your adorable pooch? Of course you have — which is why Queensland-based company Smoochy Poochey exists. While the company allows you to pick whichever kind of personalised puzzle you like, getting a jigsaw puzzle emblazoned with your pet's cute little face is a clear winner. Think of it this way: you've already spent so long gazing at them because they're just so adorable, and you've well and truly committed their face to your memory in the process, so this should be the easiest jigsaw you've ever done. And if you'd like to provide more than one photo for a single puzzle — as uploaded via the company's website — you can. Just simply upload multiple pics of of Fido, Fluffy, Polly or Nemo and create a collage. A number of sizes are available, ranging from a simple, kid-friendly 30-piece jigsaw to challenging 1000-piece ones for when you have hours upon hours to kill. Prices range from $28.25 for the smallest puzzle and up to $59.95 for the largest. Delivery is via Australia Post, with a standard $12.95 flat rate across Australia, or you can opt for express delivery for $16. Buy via the Smoochy Poochey website. PUZZLE POST You've done it: you've reached peak puzzle madness. You can't get enough of the brain-tickling activity and you want a regular rotation of jigsaws landing on your doorstep. Enter: Puzzle Post — Australia's first jigsaw puzzle subscription. Puzzle Post delivers a new jigsaw to your doorstep every month, and factors in your tastes. Now that's a service. From the same minds behind book subscription service Bookabuy, the idea for this new venture spawned after owners Chris and Mel Tantchev noticed something of a jigsaw puzzle resurgence. Look around these pandemic days and you'll notice those little cardboard pieces have made quite the comeback. There are a bunch of themes from over 20 categories — including cats, nostalgia, flowers, Disney and food — ranging from easy (500 pieces) to harder, 1000-plus piece puzzles. By answering a few quick questions at checkout, you'll end up with a jigsaw haul personalised just for you. You can opt for a one-off puzzle delivery ($29) or organise a three-, six- or 12-month subscription, which'll set you back between $87–348 up front (or $29 per month). If every month is too frequent, you can choose to get a new puzzle delivered in two- or three- month intervals, too. Subscribe via the Puzzle Post website. JOURNEY OF SOMETHING Journey of Something is a female-founded and Australian-owned company dedicated to combining art with activities (read: beautiful puzzles, art kits and games). But, you're here for puzzles — not the other stuff — so we'll get right to it. It stocks a bunch of jigsaws, ranging from mini puzzles to 1000-piece beasts, which are all designed by local artists. Order yourself a puzzle decorated with iconic women such as Dolly Parton, Frida Khalo and Malala Yousafzai — or, there's a cute mini puzzle that'll have you doing your daily affirmations in no time. Puzzles range from $20–64, and Journey of Something also offers some duo packs and a 12-month subscription. Shipping costs depend on how much you're buying — starting at $10 for one puzzle. Buy via Journey of Something's website. [caption id="attachment_708992" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rone[/caption] RONE If you're bored of putting together rainforest scenes or that 500-piece Monet puzzle was just too easy, Melbourne street artist Rone has come up with the goods, releasing three of his large-scale artworks (Home Wrecker, The Dining Room and The Study) as jigsaw puzzles. For those not in the know, Rone normally creates large-scale artworks on the sides of nine-story buildings or in abandoned spaces throughout Melbourne. He's particularly known for his massive portraits that combine elements of beauty and ruin, alongside concepts of new and old. Since bursting onto the local scene in the early 2000s, his work has been shown in London, New York, San Francisco, Miami and Hong Kong. So, he's kind of a big deal — and you can now build a piece of his art in your living room. Rone's puzzles are priced at a reasonable $64, considering his art prints are selling upwards of $400. Each art-cum-puzzle is comprised of 1000 pieces and includes enough detail for a challenging afternoon of puzzling. Shipping to locations across Melbourne costs $10.95, while it's $14.89 for the rest of Australia. Hot tip: buy two puzzles and you save yourself the delivery fee, thanks to Rone offering free shipping on orders over $100. Buy via Rone's website. SALTY GALLERY Similar to the popular Australian Unseen puzzles, photographer Dharma Bendersky and his gallery Salty Gallery have turned his stunning shots of Sydney beaches into 1000-piece jigsaw puzzles. So, if you're missing sunny afternoons at the beach and simply can't get enough of creating intricate cardboard artworks, then add these beauties to your cart. There are currently four idyllic puzzles on offer, featuring a selection of spots. If you're more a fan of concrete-covered bays, Bedersky also plans to unveil more designs. Each puzzle is $59, includes free shipping Australia-wide, can be delivered internationally, and are shipped in eco-friendly compostable bags. Buy via the Salty Gallery website. [caption id="attachment_822202" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Charles Conder, 'Rainy Day', 1888. Art Gallery of NSW's online art puzzles range.[/caption] ONLINE ART PUZZLES We know, we know — we told you to lay off the screens. But these digital jigsaws come in handy if you're an absolute puzzle fiend who can't wait till your next one arrives in the post, or you're a try-before-you-buy kinda person. Either way, these art-filled gems are sure to fill many hours (and save you some cash). First up, the Art Gallery of NSW has some killer online puzzles — seven to be exact — so you can digitally put together masterpieces such as E Phillips Fox's Nasturtiums and Paul Cézanne's Banks of the Marne. Melbourne Museum also has digital jigsaws on its website, including ones of fur seals, the Royal Exhibition Building and Phar Lap. Or, check out the National Library of Australia website to complete puzzles using its collection, with everything from art by Ellis Rowan to Australian birds. Head to the AGNSW, Melbourne Museum and National Library of Australia websites for some free — and wait-free — puzzling adventures. Top image: Australia Unseen
A long-standing favourite in the Chinatown end of the CBD, HuTong Dumpling Bar gets its name from the lanes and alleyways of ancient China — and it serves up delicious homestyle Chinese cooking in its honour. With three levels of dining space and open for lunch and dinner every day of the week, Hutong is always a good choice for a midday or post-work feast. The restaurant is praised for its authentic Shanghainese food, though the menu does highlight dishes that originate from other provinces — like dry chicken in hot chilli from Sichuan and Dong Po Square soft pork from Hangzhou. But it's the dumplings that everyone comes for, and many traditional styles are represented, from the soupy xiao-long bao from east China and boiled dumplings stuffed with spinach of the north to the Szechuan-style wontons swimming in hot chilli sauce and Shanghainese pan-fried bites. And, of course, you're allowed to BYO wine at HuTong. Just be sure to make a booking so you don't miss out.
For viewers, three years have passed since Squid Game became an award-winning Netflix hit. For Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae, The Acolyte), the same amount of time has elapsed in the show's storyline. Audiences and Player 456 are alike are in for a new round of life-or-death matches when the streaming smash finally returns on Boxing Day 2024 — but only the series' protagonist will be fighting for survival again while on a quest to shut down this chaos forever in season two. No one watching should ever want Squid Game to end; however, the show itself will wrap up in 2025 with season three. First comes the long-awaited second season to end 2024, though, where Player 456 is back in the game with new fellow competitors for company. "We are not trying to harm you. We are presenting you with an opportunity," the guards tell the latest batch of contestants battling it out for 45.6 billion won in the series' just-released full season-two trailer. Another pivotal line in the latest sneak peek: "the game will not end unless the world changes". Netflix has been dropping multiple early looks at season two, including a teaser trailer to kick off November — and its finishing off the month with a new glimpse at what's to come. These games don't stop, clearly, even after three years. As the show's protagonist dons his green tracksuit once more, his new fellow competitors are wary of his motives. Also part of the recent teases: Lee Byung-hun (The Magnificent Seven) as Gi-hun's nemesis Front Man, plus Wi Ha-joon (Little Women) also back as detective Hwang Jun-ho. Squid Game was such a huge success in its first season that Netflix confirmed at the beginning of 2022 that more was on the way, and also released a teaser trailer for it the same year, before announcing its new cast members in 2023 — and then unveiled a first brief snippet of Squid Game season two in a broader trailer for Netflix's slate for 2024, as it releases every 12 months. For season two, Gong Yoo (Train to Busan) also returns as the man in the suit who got Gi-hun into the game in the first place; however, a show about a deadly competition that has folks battling for ridiculous riches comes with a hefty bodycount. Accordingly, new faces were always going to be essential — which is where Yim Si-wan (Emergency Declaration), Kang Ha-neul (Insider), Park Sung-hoon (The Glory) and Yang Dong-geun (Yaksha: Ruthless Operations) all come in. If you somehow missed all things Squid Game when it premiered, even after it became bigger than everything from Stranger Things to Bridgerton, the Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning series serves up a puzzle-like storyline and unflinching savagery, which unsurprisingly makes quite the combination. It also steps into societal divides within South Korea, a topic that wasn't invented by Parasite, Bong Joon-ho's excellent Oscar-winning 2019 thriller, but has been given a boost after that stellar flick's success. As a result, it's easy to see thematic and narrative parallels between Parasite and Squid Game, although Netflix's highly addictive series goes with a Battle Royale and Hunger Games-style setup. Netflix turned the show's whole premise into an IRL competition series as well, which debuted in 2023 — without any murders, of course. Squid Game: The Challenge has already been picked up for a second season. Check out the full trailer for Squid Game season below: Squid Game season two streams via Netflix from Thursday, December 26, 2024. Season three will arrive in 2025 — we'll update you when an exact release date for it is announced. Images: No Ju-han/Netflix © 2024.
There's no such thing as too many doughnuts. That's especially true when winter is setting in, and a sweet, fluffy, fried (or baked) hit (or three) is exactly what you need to get you through a cold day. In excellent news for doughnut lovers, Melbourne Donut Festival is making a return to Queen Victoria Market for two delicious days. On Saturday, May 31, and Sunday, June 1, you'll be able to sample doughnuts from a bunch of makers from across the city. If you've been before, you won't want to miss the bunch of stalwarts that are coming back. They include OMG! Decadent Donuts with their OTT creations, Jamm'd Dessert Bar which does doughnuts alongside cheesecakes and sundaes, and Big Bears where you'll find more than 150 flavours. Keep a look out, too, for Churro Kitchen, Pasta Face, G-Free Donuts, St. Gerry's and Shortstop. Keen to try something new? A few newbies will be hitting the festival for the first time. Visit Walker's for baked doughnuts done traditional-style, and Crème Brûlée for what the name sounds like – a flame-brûléed treat filled with vanilla, berry or Nutella custard. Then there's Gotham, with its left-of-field flavours like Biscoff, Kit Kat and cookies-and cream. In between snacking, visit the festival's four-metre-high inflatable doughnut and stop for a drink at the pop-up Milo Mocktail Bar.
