When it comes to planning a rollicking road trip, good snacks, sidekicks and Spotify playlists are non-negotiable. And while we can't control your track list or influence your choice of travel buddies, in collaboration with bp Wild Bean Cafe we've come up with seven tasty suggestions for every snack you need to stock up on to satisfy any kind of road trip craving. CRAVING A CAFFEINE FIX Research shows that a cup of coffee to kick off the day can help people live longer … For some, it can also be an essential requirement for maintaining a cordial mood. If you need a hit of caffeine before you hit the road (or several times throughout to keep you buzzing), you'll find some stellar drips at bp's Wild Bean Cafe. At this omnipresent Aussie servo, you can not only fuel your car's engine but there's also substantial options for fuelling your body. At Wild Bean Cafe's Merrifield Victoria location you can procure barista-made brews featuring 100 percent Rainforest Alliance-certified beans all day, every day. ITCHING FOR A SWEET AND SALTY HIT Whether your buddies are from the sweet, salty or "why not both?" school of thought, the best road trip snacks are those that appeal to a range of tastebuds. For the ultimate sweet and salty combo, take inspiration from the experimental junk food creations of your youth. Try popcorn and Maltesers (à la old-school movie munchies), chips and ice cream inspired by the genius Macca's french fries dipped in soft serve, or combine a Snickers bar with a packet of pretzels for a magnificently textural DIY version of salted caramel. HUNGRY FOR SOMETHING A LITTLE HEALTHIER Alternatively, satisfy your sweet and savoury yearnings AND sustain your appetite for the long road ahead by opting for a more wholesome combo of servo items. You can now find fresh whole fruit, dried nuts, sushi rolls, yoghurt and even pots of hard-boiled eggs at most service stations. Use them to combine your proteins, fats and carbs and create a macro-friendly, healthy road trip snack. WANT A RETRO ROAD TRIP SNACK There's something about a road trip that will make you feel like you're 13 years old again, crammed into the back of a school bus and off to a weekend of camping with your school buds. Embrace the nostalgic vibes by stocking up on the kind of treats your teenage self would have eaten with abandon. Think Bubble O'Bills, Rainbow Paddle Pops, Twisties, Tim Tams and sausage rolls. You're a sophisticated adult making not-entirely-sophisticated snack choices with no risk of a Miss Trunchbull-type teacher confiscating your contraband. HOMESICK FOR SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE, WELL, HOMELY It's all fun and games until the hankering for something homemade hits. In these instances, Wild Bean Cafe comes through with the goods in the form of their cheese toasties. Grilled fresh on site and delivering on both cheesy-pull goodness and carby crunch (care of the grilled sourdough bread), they achieve cafe-style vibes even when you're Ks away from your final stop. They come in three flavours — triple cheese, ham and cheese, and chicken and herb mayo — so you can share them with your friends. DREAMING OF FRIDAY NIGHT DRINKS Let's be clear to start. Pairing alcoholic drinks and driving is a non-negotiable. However, it is important to keep yourself hydrated on long trips with lots of h2o. If bottles of water just aren't wowing you anymore, get creative with DIY mocktails that combine a few of your favourite juices, kombuchas or even a slushie. GOT YOUR HEART SET ON SOMETHING MORE SATISFYING If your appetite can't quite keep up with the kilometres you've been clocking it might be time to pull over and set up picnic for something a little more substantial. While snacking can certainly sustain you for short distances, a full meal is encouraged on longer trips where the hunger hits hard. In these cases, Wild Bean Cafe delivers by way of their Chicken & Chips meal. Opt for a quarter or whole chook, and pair it with fries and your choice of three salads (potato, pesto pasta, coleslaw). It makes for a meal that's fast and will keep you fuelled until you land at your final destination. To satisfy every kind of craving you could image, be sure to add a pit stop to bp Wild Bean Cafe to your road trip.
After five years spent winning over the brunch-loving masses of Abbotsford, multi-talented eatery Au79 has spread its wings and added to the family, opening the doors to not one, but three new venues. The team has joined forces with the minds at build-to-rent apartment brand Home, which now plays host to new Au79 cafe outposts at both its Richmond and Southbank locations. And what's more, a wine bar is also on the way. Set on Bridge Road, Home's Richmond Traders precinct is the setting for Au79's second Home cafe, showcasing the brand's signature breads and baked goods, house-roasted coffee and brekkie fare. Roll in here for kimchi scrambled eggs with Sichuan chilli oil, a croque monsieur with black truffle bechamel, or the cranberry chicken sanga with basil and avocado. [caption id="attachment_857889" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Au79 Richmond, by Instant Crush[/caption] A more recent addition is its sibling, the Au79 Café and Eatery in the lobby at Home Southbank, which boasts a light-filled space and sleek AA Studio fitout, all-white archways and shimmering metallic accents. Here, an all-day menu features plates like prawn benedict on charcoal brioche, a salmon and pea risotto, and the quinoa salad spiked with turmeric cauliflower and broccolini. Front counters displaying dreamy house-made pastries are a fixture of both sites, laden with buttery danishes, almond croissants, cupcakes and cookies. [caption id="attachment_857885" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Au79 Southbank, by James Geer[/caption] But the new projects don't end there — this winter, Home Southbank will also open the doors to Au79's first-ever wine bar concept, The Green Room. The feel here is set to be modern Australian meets Italian, with the space featuring moody lighting and cosy booth seating. Chef Daniel Cormick (Mulberry Group, Coombe Yarra Valley) has designed a menu of bar bites and larger, dinner-friendly options. You'll be able to breeze in for an after-work vino matched to freshly shucked oysters and the daily arancini special, or settle in over the likes of a black truffle and wild mushroom risotto, and chargrilled whole fish paired with heirloom tomato. Home residents don't even have to venture outside their apartments to get their Au79 fix, either. The cafes run a room-service-style offering, as well as catered private dining options. Find Au79 Cafe at Richmond Traders, 240 Church Street, Richmond. It's open daily from 8am–6pm. Au79 Cafe and Eatery, and The Green Room Wine Bar are located in the lobby of Home Southbank, 260 City Road, Southbank, with the cafe open daily from 7am–2pm.
Australia's local equivalent of NPR's Tiny Desk concerts has arrived. Store Sessions, hosted and released by Melbourne streetwear brand HoMie, are a new series of recorded gigs starring artists performing inside HoMie's flagship store in Fitzroy. The first-ever store session has already been released, and stars Australia's own Tash Sultana. It marks a return to Australian performances for the multi-instrumentalist, who is the first act in a series that is planned to run indefinitely, as part of HoMie's ongoing mission to support youth in Melbourne and combat issues in housing and employment for young people. [embed]https://youtu.be/-wGQKDE7TOU?feature=shared[/embed] It's a cause that comes with a calling. Sultana said: "I've been following HoMie's journey for a while now and I really love what they stand for, so getting to be involved from a music standpoint makes perfect sense. These store sessions are a really cool concept and I'm happy to be a part of it." That sentiment also runs true for the next artists to follow in the series. Soon to be released, in three-week intervals, will be recorded gigs from Bad//Dreems and local band Big Words. Alex Cameron of Bad//Dreems shared: "We've been admirers of the work HoMie have been doing for some time and are super excited to come in and play!" It's a bold initiative for HoMie, with its store presented as part performance venue, part streetwear store and part creative launchpad — all for an excellent cause. [caption id="attachment_1016400" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Melissa Cowan[/caption] HoMie Co-Founder Marcus Crook has plans for Store Sessions to become a staple series, with the store hosting everything from one-off shows to headline artists touring in Australia. Explaining the vision for the initiative, he said, "Store Sessions is about creating a space where artists from emerging talent to global names can get creative and connect with people in a different way. It's live, it's stripped back, and it's all tied back to our mission at HoMie. Every session supports the work we do at HoMie and brings our community closer through music." You can watch Tash Sultana perform their Store Sessions gig on YouTube now. Follow the HoMie Streetwear channels to catch the next gig when it releases.
You can never have too many rooftop bars — especially effortlessly stylish rooftop bars that soar 24 storeys above street level and boast uninterrupted 270-degree views across the city and beyond. Which is good, because that's exactly the kind of sky-high sipping spot that's just arrived on Chapel Street, with Beverly Rooftop gearing up to make its long-awaited debut this April. You might remember back in mid-2021 the talk of a towering new venue set to eventually grace South Yarra's new Goldfields development. The bar and eatery's name was yet to be chosen, as was the operator selected to bring it to life. Now, we know the score: Cameron Northway (founder of LOTI, Rocker Bondi and drinks company Sweet&Chilli) is teaming up with Goldfields' Marco Gattino and Lachlan Thompson to unveil his impressive all-day spot, Beverly Rooftop, in a matter of weeks. [caption id="attachment_891071" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Goldfields[/caption] Taking cues from the cool-kid rooftop haunts of LA, the indoor-outdoor space has been imagined by acclaimed Melbourne studio Mitchell & Eades (Grill Americano, Carlton Wine Room, Rock Sugar). Boasting a retractable glass roof, it's a vision of earthy sunset tones and foliage, set against a backdrop of sweeping panoramas. Seasonality and sustainability drive the menu by chef David Ball's (the UK's Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons, The Glass House in Hobart); a lineup that has swagger but that remains approachable. Expect to match after-work vinos with the likes of truffle-infused mac 'n cheese bites with mornay sauce, bluefin tartare tostadas finished with chilli yuzu mayo, and wood-grilled octopus paired with an 'nduja romesco. Deeper in, pasta might hero a pulled pork belly ragu finished with mojo de ají, while a slow-cooked beef rib is served on the bone, sided with onion rings. We're also foreseeing many an afternoon and evening up here, sipping while soaking up the view — and the drinks list is set to offer options for all those occasions. It's packed full of local goodies, including a cocktail lineup that reimagines the classics using Aussie spirits and native botanicals. [caption id="attachment_891069" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cameron, Marco and Lachlan[/caption] Find Beverly Rooftop at Level 24, 627 Chapel Street, South Yarra, from April. It'll open from 4pm–late Tuesday, and from 12pm–late Wednesday to Sunday.
Promising to delight pun-lovers and meat enthusiasts alike, Coal Blooded Griller is the fiery new addition to Brighton's food scene, throwing open its doors this Tuesday, October 1. With a food offering helmed by Josh Monteiro (ex-Changz Canteen and founder of Changz Hot Sauce) and a custom-built smoker and barbecue pit taking pride of place, this one's your new go-to for house-smoked meats, fried chicken and local craft brews. As the name suggests, the Martin Street venue has a soft spot for all things smokey and grilled, so expect the likes of chopped pork shoulder and beef brisket by the gram, glazed pork baby back ribs and a range of hefty burgers sandwiched between locally made milk buns. That custom smoker will be running 24/7 to keep up with demand, the fire manned all through each night and day. The crispy fried chicken burger is one of Monteiro's carefully honed creations, perfected over the years, and an extra spicy Changz-inspired version of this is also set to hit the menu in the next few weeks. Meanwhile, a lineup of classic, share-friendly sides runs to the likes of buffalo or saucy barbecue wings, cheesy jalapeno poppers and flame-grilled corn slathered in coriander butter, pecorino and chipotle. It's far from herbivore-friendly, but we suspect Melbourne's meat-lovers will be lapping it up regardless. From the bar comes a rotating tap-list of limited-edition beers from local breweries, backed by a handful of tinnies and wines. Bad Shepherd Brewing will be taking over the taps for the starting month. Otherwise, those meaty eats are sure to go swimmingly alongside sips like the house Bloody Mary loaded with buffalo sauce and a jalapeno popper, the Peach Gin Fizz made with Macedon Ranges Gin, or of course, a cheeky pickle back shot. Find Coal Blooded Griller at 146 Martin Street, Brighton, open Tuesday to Sunday from 11am.
Aussies love a classic parma — a perfectly crispy but succulent crumbed chicken breast topped with Napoli sauce, ham and melted cheese. It's what pub dreams are made of. But over the years, plenty of Melbourne pubs have tried to reinvent the parma, chucking all kinds of stuff on the chicken. And it seems like the public is all for it. And if you are one of these people, the Skinny Dog Hotel's weekly Mystery Parma night is made for you. Every Thursday night until August 29, the Kew pub is serving a totally new parma special with a pot of beer ($25) that you, dear parma enthusiasts, have dreamed up. All you've got to do is submit your own selection of toppings to the Skinny Dog team via email, DM or phone by the Monday before and hope they pick your combo. So far, the crew has chosen and served a lamb gyros parma, lasagna parma, capricciosa pizza parma, and mac and cheese parma. What's next? That's totally up to you. Plus, if your special parma gets chosen, you'll get to try it for free that coming Thursday. Classic parmas will also continue to be sold on these nights, so if you consider yourself a purist, you're still covered. Let your mates go rogue with the mystery parma while you settle in for a tried-and-tested favourite. Images: Griffin Simm.
The minimalist Japanese retailer famed for its low-waste ethos and no-logo policy is gearing up to open its largest ever Aussie store this August. The label is ditching its current Chadstone Shopping Centre digs to move into an expanded 1700-square-metre space, located near the precinct's newly revamped Food Atrium. But this new concept store will have a whole lot more to offer than just a whopping huge floor plan. Shoppers will be able to get their hands on an extended offering of Muji's signature bedding, clothing (men's, women's and kid's), skincare, storage bits and bobs, stationary and travel goods, as well as a line of household furniture not available in any other local store. There'll also be an on-site embroidery service for jazzing up your just-bought threads and a self-serve coffee facility to fuel those lengthier shopping adventures (although no Muji Cafe, unfortunately). A 'Melbourne to Go' concept will showcase various things to do around town, curated by staff but also encouraging suggestions from shoppers. The store will also stock Muji's book range and new non-gendered garment capsule line, Muji Labo. [caption id="attachment_721852" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The new Muji embroidery station.[/caption] And as if that wasn't enough to keep you busy for a while, the new space will also play host to a dynamic workshop and exhibition space, dubbed Open Muji. Stay tuned for a program featuring everything from artist talks to craft sessions. The Japanese brand kicked off its foray into Australia when it opened the original Chadstone store back in 2013. It now boasts five locations across Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. But this will be its biggest one yet. The new Muji Chadstone is slated to open late-August on the lower ground level of Chadstone Shopping Centre, Melbourne. We'll let you know when an opening date has been announced.
Portraits aren't all regal furs and awkward "Oh, didn't see you there," poses. Tim Storrier nabbed the Archibald Packing Room Prize today with his unflattering-as-blazes portrait of Dr Sir Leslie Colin Patterson KCB AO, with this morning's announcement of the finalists for Australia's prestigious Archibald Prize. Capturing a realistic, unrelentingly vulnerable likeness of your own reflection, someone you've just met or one of your oldest buds takes a fair few stories, maybe a few beers and a willingness to tackle the intimidating notion of thinking up something new after decades of Archie winners. At the risk of sounding like an HSC essay opener, the final image isn't the whole story. Here's eight of the Archibald finalists making us wake up and pay attention (whether for great or WTF reasons) to Australia's big ol' faces — as told to the Art Gallery of New South Wales in their own words. Peter Churcher, Four self-portraits in a bunch of balloons "One particular evening I was walking down a street and coming towards me was a fellow holding an enormous bunch of balloons. I thought it would make a wonderful subject for a still life. I set up a large bunch in my studio. To my delight, I noticed my own reflection very clearly looking back at me in many of the balloons. I particularly like the way each individual balloon slightly distorted my reflection the way those mirrors in the funfair used to. "I quickly realised I was no longer looking at a straightforward still life. The subject had transformed into a quadruple self-portrait showing myself in my painting studio in four different ways. All this sets up a complex set of different scenarios within the painting. Who is looking at what? Who is looking at who? Is it a still life or a self-portrait?" James Powditch, Citizen Kave "I want to stop people in their tracks with this work and have them scratching their heads, thinking “that’s one hell of a film, how come I don’t remember it? Then when the penny drops that it’s all make believe, that it’s a 'what if' picture from 30 years ago, they’ll start thinking about what they were doing back then, remember all the influences and events in their own lives, all the stuff that moulds us over time and makes us who we are. "Artists like Nick Cave gather all that stuff up: a book from here, a great film from there, music and art. It’s all repackaged and sent out into the world where it is evaluated, absorbed and informs the next generation. He becomes an influence — or if they saw him, maybe a pivotal moment in their lives — and the process just keeps rolling along, repeating endlessly. So the painting represents an imaginary rock opera made in 1983 when Cave was 26 years old, the same age as Orson Welles when he made Citizen Kane in 1941. But it’s about a modern-day media tycoon, Rupert Murdoch rather than William Randolph Hearst. I see Cave and Welles as similar, extraordinary talents, across multiple disciplines." Sophia Hewson, Artist kisses subject "I sought out working with Missy [Higgins] because I belt out her songs in the car. I also know her to be genuinely egoless with a deep respect for artistic autonomy, which meant she was willing to work with me outside the traditional portrait structure. "I’ve been thinking about the proximity of the orgasm to death and spiritual revelation. In my work I’ve been considering the orgasm as a kind of transcendence, and using metaphors like 'orgasming against something plastic' to explore the human experience of when revelation falls short and faith is not found. In this painting it is the constructed nature of the intimacy that suggests ecstasy is just out of reach. I wanted to create something equally portrait, self-portrait, and an examination of post-feminist self-objectification." Rebecca Hastings, The onesie "It’s difficult to take anyone seriously when they are wearing a onesie. In this self-portrait I mock my own inadequacies as a mother and lament the struggle to also be an artist. Instead of a paintbrush I hold aloft a lollypop-like object, satin gloves replace my usual hand protection, and the painter’s apron becomes instead a shimmering onesie. "As a mother of two children I find myself constantly beset by guilt, frustration and anxiety. I consider myself ill-equipped and a bit of a joke when it comes to meeting the lofty, idealistic heights of mummy perfection. This painting is part of a broader exploration of themes relating to 'maternal ambivalence', reflecting my desire to subvert the romantic ideal of motherhood, and chart the unacknowledged, darker side of the complex and contradictory experiences that come with having children." Wendy Sharpe, Mr Ash Flanders, actor "I first saw Ash in a production called Little Mercy. He played Virginia, the mother of an evil seven-year-old girl. Although it was crazy and surreal, Ash played her absolutely straight. It is really moving when something can be ridiculous, funny and poignant at the same time. Ash has now been cast as Hedda Gabler, the female lead in Henrik Ibsen’s famous play at Belvoir Street Theatre: a brave and exciting choice. He is not being a drag queen but will play Hedda seriously with intelligence and sensitivity. "This painting is not about Ash himself but about the uneasy stage persona he will create as Hedda Gabler. The disturbing mix of masculinity and femininity was what excited me to paint the picture. Ash understood exactly what I was after. We worked together in my studio trying different poses and clothes (my dresses, his shoes) to get something intriguing and unnerving, vulnerable and powerful. I was thinking of the paintings of Edvard Munch who, like Ibsen, was Norwegian." Sally Ross, Harvey "His [Harvey Miller of Flight Facilities] elaborate corporate narratives and performances combine beauty, brains and youthful hedonism with rump-shaking, turn-of-the-nineties synth pop, blurring the line between art and pop, performance and cultural satire,’ says Sally Ross. ‘When I first saw his epic Aussie montage music video End of the Earth, I thought I had just experienced the work of Barry Humphries’ secret love children. Harvey and lead singer Monte Morgan have featured in my paintings ever since. "I want to paint clever people that I get to meet in my life, creative people that dare to make the leap of faith required to make art, perform, put their ideas out there. This is a labour of admiration and enthusiasm. My portraits are about asking what do clever people look like? Can a picture have a presence? There is a particular, quite intimate scrutiny created when you paint someone. When I do the “reveal” and show the sitter their portrait for the first time it is completely awkward and wonderful." Rodney Pople, Well dressed for a Sydney audience "During his Weimar cabaret in Sydney last year, Barry Humphries commended the crowd as being “well dressed for a Sydney audience”. The same could have been said of the performer. Later, as he transitioned from performance mode to talking with me backstage, I glimpsed a momentary uncertainty behind the facade of Humphries’ various theatrical personae. It is this image, in addition to the sketches made both backstage and from my seat in the audience that evening, on which the painting is based. The result has, to quote Humphries’ response upon seeing the finished painting, achieved a 'more than flattering likeness'. "The portrait takes its composition form Max Beckmann’s Self portrait in tuxedo 1927, chosen because of Humphries’ interest in Weimar culture. The work of both men combines unsentimental insight and sharp satire to comment on the contemporary society of their respective eras. Where the Beckmann self-portrait conveys a sense of assurance, this painting reveals insight into the man as he moves between roles from stage to sitter. Beckmann’s portrait describes a man at the height of his powers; similarly, this portrait of Humphries celebrates the outstanding career of a man at the pinnacle of success in his 80th year." Paul Ryan, Rox "It was Rox’s inspired character Cleaver Greene in the television series Rake that was the catalyst for my desire to paint [Richard Roxburgh]. My regular practice is an exploration of ideas and images of early colonial men and wild colonial boys: lieutenants, squatters, cowboys and dandies. Cleaver Greene is a contemporary portrait of the wild colonial boy. A larrikin, drunk, womaniser and dandy, he falls somewhere between hero and anti-hero. Some of us want to be him, until he wakes with a hangover in another man’s bedroom with another man’s wife. "The painting is a portrait of an idea of Rox. He is dressed in colonial coat and shirt. It has elements of a likeness but is clearly not a photographic likeness. In the early stages it looked more like Rox but I wasn’t happy with the paint. I moved it around in vigorous swirls with large palette knives. In an instant the image changed and came to life. I had broken free from the constricting desire to capture the face. For me, the best portraits move on from likeness and go deeper." Peter Daverington, The Golden City has ceased "This is a self-portrait of my imagination, where my signature geometric and spatial elements appear among figurative compositions drawn from various painting traditions. The painting’s title is inscribed as a motto beneath the coronet within a coat of arms. The phrase comes from the Old Testament book of Isaiah and refers to the fall of Babylon. In the centre field is a self-portrait in which my face and arms are connected to a female torso. I appear again in a portrait miniature hanging from ribbons beneath the ring. A second motto written at the base of the star on a blue scroll reads From the future with love. My wife Kianga stands on the step-ladder. The image of burning buildings at her feet is taken from a photograph of the fall of Baghdad in 2003. "This painting developed intuitively over 18 months. I have drawn inspiration from socialist propaganda posters, Renaissance art, Romantic landscape painting, medieval European heraldry and religious iconography. The unusual combination of breasts and beard has an interesting precedent in Jusepe de Ribera’s The bearded woman, a portrait of a husband and wife from 1631." Find more stories and the rest of this year's Archibald finalists at the AGNSW website.
It isn't always easy to satisfy fans of pastels and symmetry, brand-new Australian cinema, one of Japan's greatest filmmakers, a buzzy Euphoria and The White Lotus star, Succession, the internet's boyfriend and heartfelt animation all in one go. Or devotees of acclaimed Iranian directors, kaiju flicks, NBA superstar Stephen Curry, John Wick-style revenge tales, and wild commentaries on America's recent political landscape using clips from Wayne's World and Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, either. But, when you're a cinema celebration hitting 70 years old as Sydney Film Festival is in 2023, ticking all those boxes is just another annual program. Of course, there's no such thing as an ordinary or routine SFF lineup. Whether you're a diehard cinephile or a more casual moviegoer, this festival has always spoiled viewers for choice, making sure there's truly something among its selection each year for everyone. In 2023, Festival Director Nashen Moodley's carefully curated bill kicks off with one of the most exciting Aussie films of the year arriving straight from Cannes, then includes Wes Anderson's latest doing the same — and throws in new work from Hirokazu Kore-eda, Sydney Sweeney, Sarah Snook, Paul Mescal and Pixar, plus much, much more. When SFF's milestone 70th fest officially opens on Wednesday, June 7, launching a program that'll screen 239 films from 67 countries until Sunday, June 18 — with 90 narrative feature films and 54 documentaries, and also notching up 37 world premieres and 123 Australian premieres — it'll do so with Warwick Thornton's The New Boy. The Cannes-selected title is his first film since 2017's stunning Sweet Country, and sees him team up with none other than Cate Blanchett. 2023's Tár Oscar-nominee plays Sister Eileen, who runs a monastery and home to orphaned boys in the 1940s, which is where the titular nine-year-old (newcomer Aswan Reid) is sent. Also among the cast: Deborah Mailman (Total Control) and Wayne Blair (Seriously Red). The New Boy is also vying for the festival's annual prize alongside 11 others, in what marks the official competition's 15th year. Other contenders span Aussie documentary The Dark Emu, about Bruce Pascoe's book; Bad Behaviour, the feature directorial debut of actor-turned-filmmaker Alice Englert (You Won't Be Alone) starring Jennifer Connelly (Top Gun: Maverick); Kore-eda's Monster, the prolific helmer's latest after fellow recent SFF titles Shoplifters and Broker; and Celine Song's first effort Past Lives, telling a bittersweet romance about two childhood friends (Russian Doll's Greta Lee and Decision to Leave's Teo Yoo) who briefly reunite after decades apart. From the competition highlights, there's also Cobweb from South Korean A Tale of Two Sisters talent Kim Jee-woon; the animated Art College 1994 from Have a Nice Day's Liu Jian; Finnish great Aki Kaurismäki's (The Other Side of Hope) Fallen Leaves; and Afire, a Berlinale Silver Bear for Undine and Transit's Christian Petzold, which was part of the fest's first lineup announcement for 2023. Yes, Anderson's Asteroid City is on the 2023 SFF program, too, bringing the filmmaker's now-trademark sensibilities and aliens together at last — and a characteristically massive cast filled with every famous actor ever or thereabouts. Also set to flicker across Sydney's screens is the Sweeney-starring whistleblower docudrama Reality, Snook in Sundance-bowing Australian psychological thriller Run Rabbit Run, the Mescal-led (and Aussie-shot and opera-inspired) Carmen and Pixar's what-if-elements-had-feelings newbie Elemental. Jafar Panahi's (Tehran Taxi) Venice Special Jury Prize-winner No Bears was announced earlier as well, but remains a SFF must-see — and the kaijus come via Shin Ultraman, which springs from the creators of Shin Godzilla and Neon Genesis Evangelion. NBA fans will want to see Stephen Curry: Underrated, and the vengeance arrives via SXSW hit The Wrath of Becky (well, one of SFF's 2023 flicks about vengeance). And Soda Jerk return to the fest after Terror Nullius screened in 2018, this time with Hello Dankness and its chaotic yet cutting survey of US politics from 2016 onwards. Movie lovers should already be eagerly anticipating SFF's already-revealed Jane Campion retrospective, with the filmmaker herself in attendance — and Indian screen icon Amitabh Bachchan also earns his own program strand. But the new features keep coming, too, including in the fest's returning strands. Seasoned attendees should already be well-acquainted with SFF's ten-film focus on female directors from Europe, selection of movies about music, weird and wonderful horror and genre flicks, family-friendly fare, celebration of filmmaking talent with disability and titles from First Nations creatives, all back in 2023. Other specific standouts range from comedy Biosphere, about the last two men on earth; to Passages, from Love Is Strange's Ira Sachs; and also German filmmaker Wim Wenders (Submergence) heading to Japan with Perfect Days. Plus, there's assassin thriller Kennedy by Gangs of Wasseypur's Anurag Kashyap; literary thriller The Lesson, which stars Richard E Grant (Persuasion), Julie Delpy (On the Verge) and Daryl McCormack (Bad Sisters); and historical drama Chevalier, with Kevin Harrison Jr (Cyrano) playing 18th-century Black composer Joseph Bologne. Cinemagoers can similarly look forward to Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winner A Thousand and One, the obviously film-loving I Like Movies, environmentalist tale How to Blow Up a Pipeline, talk show-set horror Late Night with the Devil and the self-explanatory tribute Cannes Uncut. Also, SFF has added a new Independent in Spirit section that's all about indie films by up-and-coming Australian directors, which is where The Big Dog will get comedic about a stockbroker with a financial domination fetish, Sunflower will spin a Melbourne-set queer coming-of-age tale, Birdeater will follow a bride-to-be attending her fiancé's buck's party — and more. As for where you'll be heading to get your festival fix this year, SFF is back at The State Theatre, Event Cinemas George Street, Dendy Newtown, Palace Central, Palace Norton Street, Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace Cremorne, Ritz Cinemas Randwick, Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Australian Museum and Art Gallery of NSW. Sydney Film Festival 2023 runs from Wednesday, June 7–Sunday, June 18 at various Sydney cinemas — head to the festival website for further information and tickets.
Whether it's the start of a brand new year or time for a mid-year rest, a bit of re-centring and rejuvenation is always in order. And there's almost no better way to do that then with a few days at a yoga retreat. Not sure where to go for your R&R? We've rounded up eight stellar retreats across the country — ranging from the budget-friendly to the all-out luxurious — that are guaranteed to leave you feeling calm, contented, and ready to take on the world. BILLABONG RETREAT, MARAYLYA, NSW Set in 12 acres of natural bushland, this 30-bed eco yoga retreat offers relatively affordable escapes that include beginner-friendly yoga, meditation workshops and accommodation in gorgeous treetop cabins. Extra perks include a magnesium-infused swimming pool and delectable vegetarian food. Don't have time for a weekend retreat? Drop in for a cheeky day visit and you'll be back in Sydney by dinner time, all relaxed and centred. When? Retreats vary between one and seven nights, and run all year round excluding over New Year. How much? Around $250 for one night to $1260 for a week, which includes all meals, twice daily yoga and meditation. Day retreats cost $200. EDEN HEALTH RETREAT, CURRUMBIN VALLEY, QLD Located in the lush rainforest on the Gold Coast hinterland, Eden Health — one of Australia's first retreats — offers guests an individually tailored experience. Want to improve your general health? Manage your stress? Or just chill the hell out? Eden Health will design a program to meet your specific goals over the course of your stay. The centre's extensive facilities (a spa, a natural mud bath, tennis courts, and a heated pool are just a few of the offerings) also mean you'll have plenty to keep you occupied during your downtime. When? Retreats run each week from Sunday to Saturday all year round. How much? Prices start from $3350 for the week, which includes all meals, classes, use of facilities and $300–400 of therapies. YOGA CUCINA, NSW If you thought yoga retreats were all silence and brown rice, Yoga Cucina invites you to reconsider. Initiated by a trio of yoga instructors — and wine drinkers — it's a new kind of yoga-inspired getaway. The retreats — which run a few times a year — let you spend a weekend practising your salutes to the sun and downward dogs, in between sampling several drops, feasting on Italian fare, playing darts and swimming beneath waterfalls. On the first night you'll meet for a pre-dinner wine tasting, then sit down to a big Italian feast. The rest of the weekend will see you waking up to yoga sessions, honing your practice in workshops, trundling off to national parks for swimming under waterfalls, learning how to make pasta, eating, drinking and playing games. When? The next retreat will run over the weekend of September 6–9, 2018. How much? The weekend costs $1050–1200 per person, which includes all activities, food, wine and accommodation. RADIANCE RETREATS, BYRON BAY, NSW As Australia's yoga capital, Byron offers wellness retreats aplenty. While many are geared towards yoga buffs (and can, therefore, be rather intimidating to the beginner), Radiance Retreats focuses on deep, slow vinyasa, making it a great choice for newbies. Run by renowned yogi and author Jessie Chapman, the retreats supplement top-notch yoga classes with meditation, hikes, beach walks, and spa therapies. When? Five- and six-night retreats run about six times a year, with the next two happening on on November 9–14, 2018 and over NYE 2018. How much? Around $2000–2800, which includes all meals, classes, activities and a massage. GLAMPING YOGA RETREAT, WARRANDYTE, VIC Not all retreats have to cost you your yearly yoga member ship. Melbourne-based yoga teacher Maud Léger has just launched a new retreat in Warrandyte, and instead of fancy lodgings, the accommodation is a glamping village. While the camping vibe helps keep costs down, you will in no way rough it — all tents include mattresses, nice linen and rugs, and you'll practice in the estate's studio and deck. When? The next retreat will run from November 3–6, 2018. How much? Prices start from $767 for a shared tent. TRANQUIL POINT BIKRAM YOGA SCHOOL, CYGNET, TAS Searching for a Bikram (that is, hot yoga) retreat? Tranquil Point Bikram Yoga School in Cynget, Tasmania, specialises in this variety. Located 45 minutes from Hobart, the school boasts gorgeous ocean views, an orchard, and an organic vegetable garden. Anyone can drop in for a class, but you can sign up for one of the many retreats on offer — these vary from beginner retreats to weekend getaways to 30- and 60-day challenges. It's a good option for those who are interested in a more active retreat as you can fill your hours off the mat with bushwalks, kayaking and leisurely swims. When? Classes and retreats run throughout the year. How much? Rooms start at $250 a night and retreats can go all the way up to $7500. GWINGANNA LIFESTYLE RETREAT, TALLEBUDGERA, QLD A firm favourite among the yogi crowd, Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat last year won Luxury Travel Magazine's Best Australian Health and Wellness Property award. The all-encompassing wellness experience pairs yoga and meditation classes with naturopathy, nutritional advice, an award-winning spa and stunning accommodation. While a few days at this luxurious retreat will put a serious dent in your wallet, if you can afford it, the experience is well worth it. When? Retreats vary between one and seven nights, and run all year round. How much? Around $1000 for the weekend to $3485 for the week, which includes all meals, classes, use of facilities and airport transfers and some therapies. PREMA SHANTI YOGA AND MEDITATION RETREAT, DAINTREE RAINFOREST, QLD It doesn't get much better than working on your downward dog in a world heritage rainforest. Two hours north of Cairns, Prema Shanti is a secluded, intimate, and eco-friendly retreat that offers a yoga temple, meditation room, and boutique accommodation. Rather than booking in a set retreat, you just book in how many nights you want to stay, from two days up to two weeks. Greet the day with a meditation session, wind down with an evening yoga class, and spend the hours in-between relaxing with a massage or another spa treatment. Best part? Rooms start at $90 a night. When? Classes run throughout the year. How much? Rooms cost $90–120 a night.
If you're a dinosaur fan in Australia, life keeps finding a way to indulge your interest in prehistoric creatures. In Brisbane, the Dinosaurs of Patagonia museum showcase is currently displaying impressive fossils. In Melbourne and later Sydney, Dinos Alive: An Immersive Experience is about to hit. And also in the Harbour City, Jurassic World: The Exhibition will soon roar into town with its own critters, as well as a celebration of 30 years since the first Jurassic Park movie initially rampaged across the big screen. Yes, it's a great time to fascinated with dinosaurs right now — we've seen two seasons of Prehistoric Planet on streaming in the past two years, too — and this latest exhibition arrives as part of a global tour. A showcase with the same name displayed in Melbourne back in 2016, but this visit comes after stops everywhere from London, San Diego, Paris and Madrid to Seoul, Shanghai and Toronto. On offer: life-sized, lifelike versions of the movie franchise's animals. Expect to feel like you've been transported to Isla Nublar, complete with a walk through the big-screen saga's famed gates. From there, you'll walk through themed environments featuring dinos, including a brachiosaurus, velociraptors — yes, get ready to say "clever girl" — and a Tyrannosaurus rex. Also linking in with the animated Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous series, there'll be baby dinos, including the show's Bumpy. Sydneysiders and visitors to the New South Wales capital will be able to get roaming, and staring at animatronic dinos, from Friday, September 22 at the 3000-square-metre SuperLuna Pavilion at Sydney Showground in Sydney Olympic Park. Exactly how long the exhibition will hang around for hasn't been announced, except that it'll be a limited stay. If it'll head to other Australian cities afterwards also hasn't been revealed. Now, all that's left is to decide which Jurassic franchise character you want to emulate (the best choices: Laura Dern's palaeobotanist Ellie Sattler, Sam Neill's palaeontologist Alan Grant and Jeff Goldblum's mathematician Ian Malcolm, of course). And no, when Michael Crichton penned Jurassic Park in 1990, then Steven Spielberg turned it into a 1993 film, they wouldn't have expected that this'd be the result three decades — and five more movies — later. Jurassic World: The Exhibition will display at SuperLuna Pavilion, Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park from Friday, September 22 — head to the exhibition's website to join the ticket waitlist.
With Victoria's latest snap lockdown finally over and restrictions continuing to ease, you probably don't need much of an excuse to venture out and enjoy what Melbourne has to offer. But here's one anyway — the City of Melbourne and the Victorian Government have teamed up to offer a swag of giveaways, aimed at enticing locals to get back out and about post-lockdown. The new FOMO Freebies program is set to run from today, Monday, June 21, until Sunday, July 18, giving people the chance to live out some truly Melbourne experiences for free. A stack of retail, accommodation, tourism and entertainment giveaways will be up for grabs over the four weeks, as part of the $200 million Melbourne City Reactivation Fund. Want to indulge in an urban escape? The Westin Melbourne and The Sofitel Melbourne on Collins are each offering 200 overnight staycations. Keen to catch a show? Wrangle one of 200 tickets to Part 1 and Part 2 of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, or one of 200 tickets to Frozen The Musical. You've also got a shot at scoring double passes to the NGV's Friday Night series, to a trip aboard the Melbourne Star Observation Wheel, to see the fish at Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, and to explore the city on Discovera's Hidden Bars & History Tour. Queen Victoria Market vouchers, O'Brien Ice House double passes and tickets to Docklands' immersive playground Imaginaria are some of the other goodies you might like to pop on your radar. [caption id="attachment_705436" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium[/caption] To get amongst the FOMO Freebies action, you will need to stay tuned to the What's On Melbourne social media accounts. That's where details of each of the giveaways will be announced in advance over the next month. FOMO Freebies will run from June 21–July 18, with details shared via Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
Australia has always championed innovation in its agricultural pursuits, with our land — and its unique flora and fauna — intrinsically linked to our national identity. Indeed, geographic isolation has meant that the over one million different native species of flowering plants are unique to our landscape and unlike plants in any other part of the world. It's this innovation that distillers from all around the country are tapping into, creating bespoke and limited-edition spirits that are uniquely Australian in flavour. With that in mind, here's five gins from around the country you should try before they're gone for good (or until next year's plants are in season). ARCHIE ROSE x HORISUMI WINTER GIN The second release in the Archie Rose x Horisumi collection, this winter gin conjures up the essence of winter through its grassy and herbaceous notes, while also showcasing slightly sweet hints of jasmine, white grapefruit and a delicate line of sea spray. It's a harmonious unification of Japanese and Australian flavours, highlighting locally grown ingredients including Tasmanian kombu and Fuji apples, and also using sencha and genmaicha teas in the distillation blend. "We experimented with a wide range of ingredients that included trialling multiple varieties of seaweed distillate including nori, wakame and different types of kombu before settling on a Tasmanian harvested and cured example," explains Archie Rose master distiller Dave Withers. Like its previous release, only 2000 bottles have been made, with the first 200 hand wrapped in a traditional Japanese furoshiki wrap featuring the individual bottle number and winter kanji script. FOUR PILLARS BLOODY SHIRAZ GIN 2017 Can't decide if you want a glass of red wine or a gin and tonic tonight? Don't worry, Four Pillars is familiar with this common dilemma and has come up with a solution. Meet the Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin, a rare dry gin blended with premium shiraz grapes from the Yarra Valley. With the 2017 wine vintage in the Yarra proving particularly cooler, this has created a more savoury aromatic style of gin, along with a lighter, more ruby-like colour than its previous incarnation. Expect flavours of fresh pine needles and incredible spice, and a peppery, dense raspberry character. The palate is lovely and sweet, with long juniper and spice characters to finish. DASHER AND FISHER MOUNTAIN, OCEAN AND MEADOW GIN Based in north-western Tasmania, Southern Wild Distillery is the new kid on the block but has come out in full force, with three very unique expressions of the Tasmania landscape: Mountain, Meadow and Ocean. The gins are named after the two wild rivers, Dasher and Fisher, and are carefully crafted by local distiller George Burgess. Each gin is uses anywhere between 11 to 15 individual botanicals sourced from passionate local growers, with all three gins featuring the 'Tassie trio' of botanicals: native pepperberry (Mountain), lavender (Meadow) and wakame (Ocean). The Mountain gin is earthy with hints of pepper and licorice root, the Meadow tipple conjures up images of springtime with lavender, rosemary and just a hint of sage, and rounding out the trio is Ocean, which is like plunging your head straightforward into the sea thanks to its flavour profile of sea salt, nori and hints of jasmine flower. KANGAROO ISLAND SPIRITS OLD WHISKY BARREL GIN Love whisky? Love gin? You're in luck. Kangaroo Island Spirits have taken their most well-known gin, the Wild Gin, distilled it using native Kangaroo Island juniper (myoporum insulare) and aged it for two months in Australian whisky barrels. The process gives the booze a softer mouthfeel, with vanilla, persimmon, clove and amber flavours on the tongue. Making all of their projects in small batches, with every one of their spirits hand bottled and labelled, attention to detail shows in the quality of the KIS range. Think cold nights by a warm fireplace sipping this neat — or with one big ice cube — and you're headed on the right track for a great winter's night in. MARGARET RIVER DISTILLING CO. GINVERSITY BOTANICAL GIN Established in 2015 as the sister distillery to the famous Limeburner's Distillery in Albury, the Margaret River Distilling Co. created their first gin using carefully selected and handpicked botanicals. The likes of eucalyptus, lemon myrtle and boronia were chosen to reflect a unique native Australian recipe. What makes this gin special and unique, however, is that every time it's made, each botanical is individually distilled and then infused together to create a distinctive aromatic style that is quintessentially Australian — like the smell of gumtrees or the fact that magpies always attack you in summer. This is your classic gin and tonic style tipple, perfect for sitting on a balcony trying to capture those last moments of the sun's rays listening to the kookaburras cry into the twilight.
It has been 23 years since Mecca opened its first store in Melbourne, with the beauty retailer expanding to more than 100 Australian and New Zealand shops over that time. But none of its locations so far can match the company's soon-to-open latest addition — a huge new site in Sydney, which not only marks Mecca's first flagship store, but will also become the biggest dedicated beauty store in the southern hemisphere. Slated to open on Friday, November 27, the new shop will take over the heritage Gowings building on the corner of Market and George streets — sprawling across four levels and 1800 square metres. That's where Topshop used to sit and, if you're wondering how it compares to Mecca's other digs, it'll be more than twice the size of its current largest store at Highpoint Shopping Centre in Melbourne. It'll also span over 20 times more space than its very first store did two decades back. All that room means plenty of space for beauty products, of course — including a heap of new brands that the retailer hasn't stocked before. You'll be able to pick up Tom Ford, Moon Juice and Resorè items, which will join a curated lineup of more than 200 brands. Returning favourites range across everything from Nars and Shiseido to Drunk Elephant and Sunday Riley, plus Mecca's own signature lines Mecca Cosmetica and Mecca Max. As well as shelves upon shelves filled with foundation, lipstick, face creams, mascara, masks and more, Mecca's flagship store is dedicating more than a third of its floorplan to beauty services, too — such as naturopath Anthia Koullouros and hair salon EdwardsAndCo. Jewellery designer Sarah & Sebastian will also be on hand, doing piercing and bracelet soldering. Mecca's dedicated labs — for skin, makeup and brows — will be a feature, as will its biggest perfumeria yet. And, there'll be a Mecca gift-wrapping bar, which'll be present all-year-round but is obviously perfect for end-of-year shopping. Plus, the Mecca concierge will help point you in the right direction as you're wandering around the revamped, colour-heavy space, as designed by Sydney's Meacham Nockles. You'll be shopping while surrounded by neon yellow lifts, mosaic walls and a beauty chute — which transports products between levels. Find Mecca's new flagship store at 45 Market Street, Sydney, from Friday, November 27. Top image: Maksym Kozlenko via Wikimedia Commons.
Your birthday might just be another day of the year, but everyone likes to celebrate — even just a little. While you might not want to pop bottles in the back of a stretch limo, there are still plenty of opportunities to head out in Melbourne (and beyond) with your best buds. We've teamed up with affordable ridesharing platform DiDi, which has coincidentally just celebrated its first anniversary of operation in Melbourne, to present you with eight excellent ways to spend your big day. DiDi offers super competitive rates for getting you to your destination, so you'll have more cash to splash to make it one to remember. VISIT THE ICE CAVE AT THE PENINSULA HOT SPRINGS If you're using your birthday as an excuse to get out of the city, you can't go wrong with a visit to Peninsula Hot Springs. Though many people take the short drive down the coast to hit up the steamy baths, you can do things a little differently. Since undergoing a huge transformation in 2018, the springs now feature an ice component that's a little more refreshing. Alongside cold water and ice plunge pools, there's also an ice cave that can get as chilly as minus-25 degrees. Believed to assist with a host of mental and physical ailments, these frosty baths were popularised in Japan during the 1970s and offer something totally different on your next visit to the Peninsula Hot Springs. CAPTAIN A GOBOAT ON THE YARRA RIVER Having popped up around the world in locations such as Copenhagen and London, GoBoat has since turned its attention to Melbourne and the Yarra River. So, on your big day, you can captain your own boat and set off sailing through the middle of the city. These little vessels are capable of carrying up to eight of your best seafaring friends. Oh, and you don't need a boat license, so you're free to head out on your own. Be sure to pack a picnic, too, so you can enjoy a drink on the Yarra — just be aware that there are some alcohol limitations, so you may want to nominate someone else as skipper. DRINK URBAN WINE AT NOISY RITUAL The business might have started as a low-tech winery in co-founder Cam Nicol's basement, but Noisy Ritual has since established itself as Melbourne's first urban winery. There's no need to stress about organising a driver to take you and your pals to a distant winery in the great outdoors. Simply head along to Lygon Street and find an incredible cellar door right in the heart of the city. Open Thursday to Sunday, Noisy Ritual offers wine by the glass or bottle, plus grazing platters and shared plates to help ring in your birthday. PLAY VIDEO GAMES AT B. LUCKY & SONS Started by the brains behind Strike Bowling and Holey Moley, B. Lucky & Sons is an adults-only playground where you'll get to relive your youth alongside every video game imaginable. From Mario Kart and Space Invaders to shoot 'em ups and tabletop games, there's enough competitive action to keep you entertained for hours. That's all without mentioning the awesome neon cocktail bar slinging bubble tea cocktails. ICE SKATE AT THE WINTER VILLAGE It's around this time of year that Melbourne really starts to feel like winter. So it's completely appropriate that the Skyline Terrace at Federation Square has turned into a European-style alpine destination. Popping up until the end of August, the ice rink will once again be bustling with activity as you're invited onto the ice for 45 minutes of fun. Elsewhere around Winter Village, you'll find a charming collection of igloos, pop-up bars, live music and themed food events. RELAX WITH DUMPLINGS AT HORSE BAZAAR It's rarely the case that you uncover anything truly unique, but Horse Bazaar's Dumplings n' Massage events might just clear that lofty bar. Held every Tuesday night, this is where you should be celebrating your birthday when you're looking for something totally original (and affordable). For just $15, you'll get a 10-minute massage from professional massage therapists, plus a selection of three dumplings. You'll have a choice of classic pork, crispy fried cheese, egg and bacon, a few vegan options and even dessert-style dumplings. MAKE GIN AT THE BASS AND FLINDERS DISTILLERY Head to the coastal community of Dromana and you'll find world-class gin produced at the award-winning Bass and Flinders Distillery. Get your mates involved in a gin-making masterclass and pick up some trade secrets from the experts — like how slightly different combinations of fresh and exotic botanicals can lead to big differences in flavour. Once you've perfected this, it's time to move onto blending your own gin out of vapour-infused botanicals, before you finally produce your own 500ml bottle of gin that'll make the perfect addition to your birthday loot. HAVE A RIVERFRONT INDOOR PICNIC AT PILGRIM BAR Sometimes it's nice to kick back with a picnic as you complete another trip around the sun — but Melbourne's wintry conditions aren't exactly the most reliable. But Pilgrim Bar is on-hand to supply you with a bougie picnic basket at its home in the bluestone vaults along the Yarra riverfront. For groups of 12–40 people, you'll receive two hours of bottomless bellinis and a three-course picnic lunch, which features a spectacular selection of local cheeses, cured meats, share plates and a lemon myrtle pannacotta to round out the feast. Switch to DiDi and save heaps of cash that you'd rather spend on the fun stuff — like treating yourself to an epic birthday present. To start riding, download the app here and use the code CONCRETE to score up to $50 in vouchers. Top Image: Noisy Ritual.
Australia has Lune fever. That's been the case for a few years now, as the world-renowned Melbourne bakery keeps serving up delicious pastries, and also spreading its wares around the country. At present, it boasts stores in Fitzroy, the CBD and Armadale in Melbourne, plus South Brisbane and Burnett Lane in Brisbane — and it has two Sydney shops on the way, one in Darlinghurst and another in Martin Place. Also slinging Lune's wares, just for three days: select Koko Black shops. Why? Lune Croissanterie has teamed up with Koko Black to unveil a limited-edition new croissant collaboration named The Belgian Truffle. Why again? To celebrate World Chocolate Day on Friday, July 7. This year's decadent creation takes Lune's signature pastry and adds a gooey Koko Black cocoa frangipane and Guanaja fondant centre. It's also topped with tempered chocolate shards, salted cookie crumb, mascarpone chantilly and Koko Black Belgian truffles. This delectable treat will be available at Lune's Melbourne and Brisbane outposts, plus selected Koko Black stores in Melbourne and Sydney, plus a special one-off Lune Sydney pop-up over the weekend. If you want to get your hands on a croissant, Friday, July 7–Sunday, July 9 are the dates to mark down in your diary. Melburnians can head to Lune's trio of outposts, plus Koko Black's shops at The Glen, Como Centre, Highpoint, Doncaster, Royal Arcade, Flinders Lane, Melbourne Central and Chadstone. Brisbanites, you're going to Lune and Lune only. "This pastry is a classic for a reason. Our traditional croissant, elevated to celebrate Koko Black's Belgian truffle. It's the ultimate, decadent chocolate treat," said Lune founder Kate Reid. These pastries are set to be in high demand, so it's best to head down early to avoid disappointment. Lune's own venues will be trading as normal, while Koko Black will be open from 9am on Friday and Saturday, and from 10am on Sunday. Lune Croissanterie and Koko Black's 2023 World Chocolate Day special The Belgian Truffle is available at all Lune stores in Melbourne and Brisbane, and select Koko Black stores in Melbourne, from Friday, July 7 – Sunday, July 9.
It's the most wonderful time of the year if you're a horror fan. For the committed, watching scary movies is a year-round pastime — but there's nothing like the extra jump that comes when Halloween rolls around. Maybe it's all those creepy jack-o-lanterns? Maybe it's the extra sugar? Maybe it's just seeing the world embrace everything spooky not only for an entire night, but for the month of October leading up to it. Whatever your motivation to get cosy on your couch with a frightening flick — or enjoy bumps and jumps in a cinema filled with people — 2018 has delivered plenty of excellent fear- and tension-inducing movies. Including a death-soaked dance party, Japanese zombies on the loose and Nicolas Cage at his most unhinged, here are 13 stellar scary, thrilling and unsettling efforts — enough to make your very own Halloween movie marathon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3__y-uPwbe8 HEREDITARY With Hereditary, first-time feature filmmaker Ari Aster didn't just make an almost unbearably tense horror film, or one of the year's best examples of the genre. He did both, but he also made a masterclass in dread — you know, the feeling that makes you want to watch most of the movie with your fists and teeth clenched — and a masterful depiction of grief's lingering power. Expect to feel uneasy from start to finish as the Graham family's lives disintegrate when trauma after trauma comes calling for them. Toni Collette's haunting pain-riddled performance helps ramp up the anxiety too, but Aster dedicates his entire film to ensuring every frame, sound and moment is as disquieting as possible. Read our full review here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL_I2vNwkXQ HALLOWEEN Cue the best horror soundtrack in the business, because the quintessential slasher franchise is back. Yes, the Halloween series has delivered some downright terrible movies (the very 00s Halloween: Resurrection, for example), but this iconic saga still holds its own with its newest entry. Not only does Michael Myers return for the tenth time in 11 films, but Jamie Lee Curtis returns as the ultimate final girl Laurie Strode. And when Michael starts wreaking havoc on their hometown of Haddonfield, Illinois once more, she's ready — in a direct sequel to the first Halloween that nods to everything that made John Carpenter's original so iconic, also references many of the series' sequels and remains a fantastic addition in its own right. Halloween is in cinemas now. Read our full review here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0bnoFhkjvg A QUIET PLACE A Quiet Place isn't John Krasinksi's first film as a director. It isn't even his second. But this near-wordless horror effort truly announced The Office star's arrival as a filmmaker, complete with style, nerve-rattling scares and a powerful gut-punch of a performance from Emily Blunt. The married pair is not only keeping it in the family, but also play a family trying to survive a post-apocalyptic future. Here, even the slightest sound attracts savage creatures and results in a swift death — and, it also results in one of 2018's best horror movies, as well as an all-round technical feat that thoroughly weaponises silence. Read our full review here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0m3cPEbwwhg ANNIHILATION The second film from author-turned-director Alex Garland after Ex Machina, Annihilation was originally set for a big-screen release, only for last-minute plans to send it to Netflix in most countries instead. No matter how you watch it, it's a sci-fi/horror trip that seethes with both existential and otherworldly terrors. Natalie Portman leads the cast as biology professor and former soldier Lena, whose husband (Oscar Isaac) returns from a super-secret special forces mission after a year's absence. Alas, nothing is quite right — and when Lena volunteers to follow in his footsteps to try to save him, she takes a team searching for answers within a radiant electromagnetic field called 'the Shimmer". Watch it on Netflix here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du2XfUDfjN0 ONE CUT OF THE DEAD A box office extravaganza in Japan that's made its super low budget back several hundred times over (yes, several hundred), One Cut of the Dead starts out like many a zombie flick. Combine a group of people, a creepy setting and a sudden attack of the undead, and you know what you're in for — even if the victims are a team of filmmakers making a zombie movie, and even if it's all initially captured in one unending take. With Shinichiro Ueda's movie, however, you really don't know what you're in for, even when you're certain that you do Saying more is saying too much, but this is a smart, energetic and highly enjoyable take on a busy genre that has a heap of tricks and twists up its sleeves. One Cut of the Dead will screen as part of the Japanese Film Festival — on November 15 and 24 in Sydney and November 22 and 30 in Melbourne. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTJrztVvmx0 REVENGE The idea that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned is completely outdated, and even insulting. Hell truly hath no fury like a woman exploited by men who simply think they can get away with anything. That's the general idea behind the rape-revenge genre, and the aptly named Revenge is the latest example. A brutal and commanding feature debut by French filmmaker Coralie Fargeat, it follows Matilda Lutz's Jen, who thinks she's spending a weekend away with her married boyfriend, only for two of his friends to arrive unexpectedly. When things take a turn for the worst, saying that Jen fights back is an absolute understatement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKsZlwq19mE MANDY Two words: cheddar goblin. That'll make more sense once you've seen Mandy, and if it doesn't make you want to watch this out-there genre effort, then the movie mightn't be for you. Starring Nicolas Cage at his most Nicolas Cage-like, the film sees the inimitable star play a lumberjack happily in love with his titular partner (Andrea Riseborough) until a cult and their demonic demon bikers decide to snatch her up. Needless to say, things get strange, bloody and unhinged, with director Panos Cosmatos (Beyond the Black Rainbow) making an 80s-set mind-bender that would've even seemed excessive if it came out three decades ago. That's meant in the best possible manner, with everything from the feature's colour-saturated visuals, to its ferocious score, to Cage's glorious performance all hitting the mark — and, perhaps surprisingly, the movie's melancholy tone as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reMwL8uYXps THE ENDLESS On paper, The Endless might sound like the sum of its intriguing but far from unusual parts, with creepy cults, temporal trickery and sibling struggles all fairly common film fodder. On the screen, however, this film from director/actor duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead proves anything but standard. In fact, it's the kind of sci-fi/horror flick that will floor you with its ingenuity, make you want to watch it again immediately afterwards, and inspire you to check out the filmmaker's first effort, Resolution. Imaginative, enthralling, astute with its aesthetics and atmosphere, and insightful in contemplating both human and supernatural drama, this account of two brothers returning to the close-knit camp they used to call home is the whole weird and wonderful package. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ydNrDCw58c CLIMAX A dance party where everyone's invited, but hardly anyone will make it out alive? That's Gaspar Noe's Climax. While the writer/director is known for pushing buttons and boundaries thanks to the likes of Irreversible, Enter the Void and Love, his latest film isn't quite as provocative in the same manner — but it's still a memorable and mesmerising Noe feature from start to finish. In fact, it just might be his best work. After a dance crew finish their rehearsals, they do what they do best to blow off some steam. Alas, someone has spiked the sangria, and soon an emotional and physical slaughter begins. The frenetic soundtrack rarely lets up, and neither does the carnage or the chaos. In short, it's a lurid, bloody and hypnotic case of mayhem and murder on the dance floor. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEnRNIvEKu8 UPGRADE Before Tom Hardy starred as a man whose body was overtaken by a being that could violently control his every move, Tom Hardy lookalike Logan Marshall-Green starred in a movie with almost the exact same premise. Upgrade is a completely different film to Venom, and a better one. It's a sci-fi-horror hybrid that carves out a bleak dystopian world, sets its protagonist on a mission and has an action-packed blast with both. The idea behind the flick is simple, but oh-so-thrilling in Aussie director Leigh Whannell's hands. After a tragic incident, Marshall-Green's Grey Trace loses his wife and the ability to walk, until he's implanted with software called STEM. Grey wants revenge on the people responsible for his misfortune, and STEM is a little too happy to help. Read our full review here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yOkE3vsU6g UNSANE When Sawyer Valentini (Claire Foy) seeks out psychiatric assistance in a new city, she expects to chat to an expert who can help her to cope with anxiety and trauma. Instead, she's involuntarily committed into a facility. As you'd expect, it's hardly conducive to improving her overworked, overstressed mental state, or assuaging her terror after being forced to upend her life to avoid a stalker. Foy is magnetic as a woman simultaneously unravelling and trying to keep her wits about her, in what's proving to be a big year for the First Man and The Girl in the Spider's Web star. And, she also benefits from Steven Soderbergh's decision to film Unsane entirely on an iPhone, with a tense, claustrophobic film getting images that couldn't better match its mood. Read our full review here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEc3R3Pn0FA THE WOLF HOUSE The most striking, inventive and impressive animated movie of the year doesn't stem from Pixar or Studio Ghibli or any name that you're familiar with. Instead, it's an astonishing and unsettling combination of art installation and filmmaking by artists turned filmmakers Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña. The Wolf House takes its cues from fairytales as a girl with three little pigs finds refuge in a building in the woods, but this is closer to David Lynch's nightmares than anything you might've read as a kid. It's also a technical marvel, using large-scale stop-motion to unparalleled effect, with its scenes staged and filmed in galleries around the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmBZC3CcsZ8 PROFILE Profile is the latest film to use what might seem like a gimmick — and the third linked Night Watch, Wanted and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter director Timur Bekmambetov — and it's absolutely captivating. Unlike Unfriended and Searching, which he produced, Bekmambetov helms this based-on-a-true-story account of a journalist (Valene Kane) investigating ISIS enlistment campaigns by befriending a charming recruiter (Shazad Latif) online. Tabs, programs and windows pop up thick and fast, and the stress soars with it, as a bond forms between the two. Tense and horrific in a variety of ways, this is slick, thrilling and utterly involving filmmaking. And with pitch-perfect performances to go with it, it's a film that not only entertains and engages, but lingers.
Christmas shopping can be one of the most hectic tasks leading up to the holiday season, but the good news is that The Big Design Market Melbourne is officially back after a three-year hiatus. Scheduled to set up camp for three days at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton, the market will feature more than 270 design stalls spanning designer homeware, limited-edition art prints, local fashion, jewellery, stationery and more. Elsewhere, a slew of tastemakers will serve up exceptional culinary experiences at the food emporium including coffee from the classic ST. ALi, savoury pies from Footscray's iconic Pie Thief, fresh Portuguese tarts from Natas & Co and innovative cocktails from Sydney's Archie Rose Distilling Co and Original Spirit Co. Celebrating 10 years, The Big Design Market has also teamed up with One Billion Stars for Weaving Day this December. Guests are welcome to take part in a free workshop led by Maryann Talia Pau – a Samoan-Australian artist and weaver – where they will learn how to create an eight-pointed star to support One Billion Stars' goal: to weave one billion stars by 2032 to raise awareness for violence-free communities. The Big Design Market will run from Friday, December 2–Sunday, December 4 at the Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton. Tickets are now available to purchase online. Images: Amelia Stanwix
How do you make a blockbuster ancient Egypt exhibition even bigger? At the Australian Museum's upcoming Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, adding the royal coffin that provided the resting place for the showcase's namesake will do the trick. Already set to feature more than 181 rare artefacts and treasures, the Sydney event has now confirmed that the sarcophagus of Ramses II will also be on display Down Under — giving audiences a rare treat. It isn't often that the coffin is permitted to leave Egypt; however, it will head to the Harbour City after also recently displaying at the exhibition's stop in Paris. When that happens, Sydney will become just the second city in the world outside of Egypt to show the 3000-plus-year-old item. "The beautiful sarcophagus of Ramses II will be the star attraction in the Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs exhibition and is a wonderful opportunity for Australian audiences to see this rare, fragile artefact in real life," said Australian Museum Director and CEO Kim McKay AO. "Ramses' coffin is a work of inestimable value and a powerful symbol of one of the greatest leaders of the ancient world. Egyptians worshipped their pharaohs, and their devotion to Ramses II can be seen through the craftsmanship of the coffin." "The coffin of Ramses II was one of the most popular objects in Ramses & The Gold of the Pharaohs in Paris, so we anticipate Australian audiences will find this priceless artefact equally enthralling. Shown in Australia for the very first time, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs and the extraordinary loan of the coffin direct from Egypt, highlights how dynamic international relationships develop across the globe," added World Heritage Exhibitions CEO John Norman. This piece of history is carved from cedar, and discovered with the pharoah's body more than two centuries ago, in 1811 within the Royal Cache at Deir el-Bahari. If you need a reminder on your Egyptian history, Ramses II ruled over the country from 1279–1213 BCE. When Saturday, November 18 rolls around this year, a collection of items from the pharaoh's rule will gleam in Australia, as first announced back in 2021 — including animal mummies, royal masks, jewellery, amulets and other golden items from the ruler's tomb, plus now Ramses II's coffin. Focusing on Egypt's third pharaoh from its 19th dynasty — a ruler also known as Ramses the Great, who enjoyed the second-longest reign of any pharaoh, and is considered a symbol of the country's prosperous ancient New Kingdom period — the overall showcase is set to be big. The Australian Museum has dubbed it the largest cultural collection Down Under in more than a decade, in fact. While the hefty number of objects featured is impressive, so is their rare status; some of the pieces included haven't ever left Egypt before. Bringing a slice of history to Australia's shores, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs will be filled with items from museums and historical sites in Egypt, which are being loaned to the exhibition by Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. Also available for an additional fee when booking: letting attendees enter two of the ruler's monuments — the Tomb of Queen Nefertari, and the temples of Abu Simbel — virtually. [caption id="attachment_908641" align="alignnone" width="1920"] World Heritage Exhibitions[/caption] Presented in partnership with World Heritage Exhibitions, Neon and the Houston Museum of Natural Science, with support by Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, and also funding from the NSW Government's Create NSW Blockbusters Funding initiative, Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs heads to Australia after showing in Houston and San Francisco in the US, as well as its recent season until September in Paris. Australia will also play host to another huge exhibition about ancient Egypt in 2024, with Pharaoh set to feature at Melbourne's NGV International from June. Ramses the Great and the Gold of the Pharaohs will display at the Australian Museum, 1 William Street, Sydney, from Saturday, November 18, 2023–Sunday, May 19, 2024 — head to the exhibition's website for further details and tickets, with booking well in advance highly recommended.
Every December, fans of sparkling sights are gifted a luminous feast for their eyes. No, we're not talking about Christmas lights. Regardless of whether you're bathing in a festive glow or hardly fond of all the merriment, 'tis the season for the Geminids meteor shower to soar through the sky — starting back on Sunday, December 4 and finishing for 2022 on Tuesday, December 20. Yes, that means that this shower is visible right now. Even better: Down Under, it's at its peak on the evening of Wednesday, December 14 and the morning of Thursday, December 15. If you have a telescope at hand, it's clearly a great time to put it to use. Eager to catch a glimpse, even from just your backyard or balcony? Here's everything you need to know. [caption id="attachment_882304" align="alignnone" width="1920"] ESO/G. Lombardi via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] WHAT IS IT Lighting up the end-of-year skies, the Geminids meteor shower is considered the most spectacular meteor shower of the year. Again, Christmas lights aren't the only spectacle worth peering at this month. The Geminids is caused by a stream of debris, left by an asteroid dubbed the 3200 Phaethon, burning up in Earth's atmosphere — and it was first observed in 1862. Some years, you can catch as many as 150 meteors every 60 minutes, so this definitely isn't just any old meteor shower. [caption id="attachment_699423" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, Jeff Dai.[/caption] WHEN TO SEE IT The 2022 shower kicked off on Sunday, December 4, but it really is just getting started. While the Geminids runs through until Tuesday, December 20 this year, it's expected to be at its peak in Australia overnight between Wednesday, December 14–Thursday, December 15. If you fancy a stint of stargazing, the best time to look up is on Wednesday, December 14 from around 9pm in Brisbane, 10pm in Perth, 11pm in Sydney, 11.30pm in Adelaide and 12am in Melbourne. The best time to catch an eyeful will be after midnight, when the moon has set and its light will not interfere, but before sunrise. [caption id="attachment_882301" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mike Durkin via Flickr[/caption] HOW TO SEE IT For your best chances, it's worth getting as far away from bright lights as possible. This could be a good excuse to head out of the city to a clear-skied camping spot — and pray for no clouds. To see the meteors, you'll need to give your eyes around 15–30 minutes to adapt to the dark (so try to avoid checking your phone) and look to the northeast. The shower's name comes from the constellation from which they appear to come, Gemini. So that's what you'll be looking for in the sky. To locate Gemini, we recommend downloading the Sky Map app — it's the easiest way to navigate the night sky (and is a lot of fun to use even on a non-meteor shower night). If you're more into specifics, Time and Date also has a table that shows the direction and altitude of the Geminids. The Geminids meteor shower runs from Sunday, December 4–Tuesday, December 20, and will be at its peak during the night on Wednesday, December 14–Thursday, December 15. For further details, head to Time and Date. Top image: A composite of 163 photos taken over 90 minutes during the Geminids by Jeff Smallwood for Flickr.
You can expect a musical celebration for all the senses, when the annual Darebin Music Feast kicks off its 2019 season on Sunday, October 20. The festival's ringing in its 23rd edition with a whopping 85 parties, gigs and industry events, showcasing 20 different venues all across this vibrant pocket of Melbourne's north. Unfolding across eight jam-packed days, the program launches with a free three-stage opening party brimming with girl power. Running across Bar 303, Little Eastment Street car park and Northcote Social Club, the party will feature 15 acts including Alice Skye, Emma Donovan and the Putbacks, Jess Riberio and Kee'ahn. Elsewhere on the program, live music and environmental activism event Green Noise will take over The Thornbury Theatre on Sunday, October 27; celtic tunes and whiskey tasting flights will combine at Buck Mulligan's Wednesday night jam session; and you can join in a holy celebration on Monday with Northcote Social Club's Monday Night Mass. You can also head along to one of two film festivals — one is a brand new festival of music videos at Thornbury Picture House, the other features music-themed films created by La Trobe University students — a musical poetry slam evening and a theatrical masquerade ball. We've only just scratched the surface of what's going on during the jam-packed week, so if you'd like to check out the full program, head to the Darebin Music Feast website. Images: Thornbury Picture House, Nicole Cleary.
When May hits, the Gold Coast will boast yet another attraction — and it doesn't involve sun, surf, sand or theme park rides. Southeast Queensland's popular tourist destination will open its new $60.5 million, six-level art gallery, which'll become the country's largest art gallery outside of a capital city. If the news sounds familiar, that's because it was first announced back in 2018, with an early 2021 opening date set at the time. And yes, it's sticking to that timeframe. While the pandemic has delayed more than a few things over the past year, the new addition to HOTA, Home of the Arts at Surfers Paradise's isn't among them. It'll launch on Saturday, May 8. Art lovers can get excited about a multi-floor gallery with more than 2000 square metres of exhibition space, including a main area that'll be used for touring exhibitions, plus a permanent collection space across three levels, a children's gallery and an area for storing works that aren't on display. Simply called the HOTA Gallery, it has been built at the top of the site's concert lawn, and overlooks HOTA's outdoor stage. View-wise, there'll be much to look at if you're keen on gazing at creative pieces. That includes two sculptural installations that'll be placed outside, as created by Queensland Waanyi artist Judy Watson and Sri-Lankan born, Sydney based artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran. Watson's artwork will hero Indigenous native plants, plus a pathway that forms a topographical map of Nerang prior to European settlement. Piccabeen basket and dilly bag sculptures designed with Quandamooka artists Libby Harward and Elisa Jane Carmichael will also feature, as will a two-metre-tall feather canopy and snippets of local language sandblasted onto the bleachers. As for Nithiyendran, he has crafted a six-metre-high, double-sided sculpture made out of bronze, concrete, neon and fibreglass that's designed to reflect the vibrancy of the new building. Visitors will also be able to peer at something other than the art gracing the walls, with the building featuring a rooftop bar and restaurant. Called The Exhibitionist Bar, it'll take over 233 square metres, and pair panoramic views with tapas, share plates, cocktails, wine, beer and house-made sodas. And, it's also opening in May. Both indoor and outdoor terrace seating will feature, and you'll get a vantage that sprawls over the Goldie's waterways, Surfers' Paradise skyline and the hinterland. Plus, in terms of decor, the venue is taking its cues from rainforests — as does the building itself, which is inspired by William Robinson's 'The Rainforest'. HOTA Gallery and The Exhibitionist Bar are both set to open at HOTA, Home of the Arts, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise on Saturday, May 8. For more information, visit the HOTA website. Top images: Scott Chrisman, Pixeltape Media
There's nothing like the freedom of the wide open road, and there's never been a better time to spread your vehicular wings and explore. The best part? If you're keen on top nosh, you can basically eat your way from Melbourne to Sydney — and eat well. Cities don't have a monopoly on amazing food. In fact, road trip eats are perfect for hardcore locavores, since travelling through rural and regional areas gives you the opportunity to sample ingredients directly from the source. Just imagine hitting the coast for fresh-off-the-boat seafood, discovering hidden gems of farmside fine dining or tucking into a rough-and-ready American-style barbecue. Helping to make your food-filled dreams a reality in 2021, we've plotted a Melbourne-to-Sydney journey worthy of the finest diners. Strap on your seatbelt and your bib — you're in for a treat. Please stay up to date with the latest NSW Government health advice regarding COVID-19. [caption id="attachment_802765" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Banksia[/caption] BANKSIA, PAMBULA You might not expect a pedigree of upscale dining in this wee heritage-listed cottage just outside of a tiny seaside town, but here we are. Within the walls of Pambula's Old Bank building, Head Chef Huw Jones, formerly of Zanzibar in Merimbula, marries his fine-dining credentials with home comforts. Banksia offers a three-course set menu with matching wines, served in a homey space with an open fire. The menu is ever-changing but leans Italian, tapping into the ethos of selecting high-quality ingredients and letting them shine. Expect some fried polenta here, prosciutto there, and perhaps a roasted pork collar with potato gnocchi or zucchini flowers with romesco sauce. Finishing on desserts like hazelnut ice cream with fresh fruit and a brandy snap, a meal at Banksia manages to be delightfully old-school but not old-fashioned. [caption id="attachment_795571" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dulcie's Cottage, Claudine Thornton, Destination NSW[/caption] DULCIE'S COTTAGE, MERIMBULA Dulcie's Cottage is filled with old-world charm, but keeps a youthful edge — think vintage heritage meets fresh-as local produce and craft brews. The walls of this chilled-out craft beer and cocktail bar are decked out in taxidermy and photos from its nearly hundred-year history. The food is served from a genuine 1950s kitchen caravan in the light-festooned beer garden. It keeps things simple: either hit fresh oysters with lemon and nuoc cham or grab one of the hefty burgers. While it's hard to go past the classic Dulcie Burger, fussy (or ambitious) diners can select the build-your-own option instead and load on extra patties, bacon, slaw and jalapeños. Would you like fries with that? Choose between A Few Fries ($4) or A Lot Of Fries ($8) — finally, sizing that makes sense. Dulcie's is also a buzzing live music venue, making it the perfect wind-down pit-stop for some road trip R&R. [caption id="attachment_804034" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Poacher's Pantry, Destination NSW[/caption] POACHER'S PANTRY, SPRINGRANGE A restaurant with its own vineyard and artisanal smokehouse? This is your ultimate charcuterie stop. Poacher's Pantry offers an award-winning range of handcrafted, smoked smallgoods, from classic bresaola and bacon to kangaroo prosciutto. You can sit in at the Smokehouse Restaurant for multi-course brunches and lunches seven days a week, enjoying unique specialties like vodka and lavender cured salmon, labneh, charred citrus, bottarga and chives, or hot smoked ocean trout and herb crepe with lemon ricotta, asparagus, green apple and mustard cress. The vegetarian dishes are no less impressive, putting the Poacher's organic kitchen garden produce front and centre — like heirloom garden vegetables with whipped feta and pea shoots. Don't have time for a long lunch? Pick up a picnic hamper instead, complete with the venue's Wily Trout Vineyard wine. [caption id="attachment_802695" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rick Stein at Bannisters, Jesse Smith, Destination NSW[/caption] RICK STEIN AT BANNISTERS, MOLLYMOOK Rick Stein became a household name for putting coastal produce at the forefront of his dining, and his restaurant in Mollymook, Rick Stein at Bannisters, is no exception. Naturally, the menu changes daily depending on the catch, but that's the way you want it. Survey the ocean from on high as you tuck into freshly shucked oysters, or salmon, swordfish and tuna sashimi. The menu is peppered with Southeast Asian elements, such as Cambodian-dressed Eden mussels, or fusion-style Hervey Bay scallops with toasted hazelnut and coriander butter. For a more casual affair, The Rooftop Bar and Grill at Bannisters Pavilion offers the likes of salt and pepper calamari, fried cauliflower, prawn linguine and chargrilled chicken. [caption id="attachment_792595" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Three Blue Ducks, Kitti Gould[/caption] THREE BLUE DUCKS, NIMBO Three Blue Ducks has taken its traditional farm-to-table style and set it in the Snowy Mountains. In the light, airy lodge of Nimbo Fork, the restaurant's menu celebrates the produce of the Riverina district with an ethos of simplicity, honesty and sustainability. From hefty tomahawk lamb chops and duck fat-roasted potatoes to smoked Nimbo trout with dill and crème fraîche, the simple approach lets the quality of the ingredients do the heavy lifting. It extends the same care to vegetables as it does to meat, with satisfying, meatless main events like oven-roasted potato gnocchi with pea and ricotta sauce or harissa-spiced roasted cauliflower. Finish with sea salt meringue with lemon curd and chantilly cream or a special house cocktail, like the Smoky Spritz. [caption id="attachment_795568" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Argyle Inn[/caption] THE ARGYLE INN, TARALGA If you're as much a fan of historic restorations as you are fine dining, you'll want to stay the night after your dinner at The Argyle Inn. The warm lighting on the dark wood walls of the main dining room sets the tone for cosy country hospitality in this recently restored 19th-century inn. Being co-owned by two sustainable farmers means the menu skews seasonal and as local as possible, even down to the wine list. The contemporary Australian menu is hearty in winter and light and fresh in summer. The dishes are genteel but unpretentious: fresh pasta, local beef, house-made pickles, terrines, rillettes and some of the best sourdough you'll find in the Southern Tablelands. [caption id="attachment_795564" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paste[/caption] PASTE, MITTAGONG Prepare for a memorable Thai-style dining experience at Paste. Chef Bee Satongun's menu is centred on the rediscovery of old recipes, traditions and forgotten culinary techniques of Thailand. Using fresh Australian produce, Paste offers refined Thai cuisine in an ever-changing seasonal menu — think roasted duck with lychee, hot mint, banana flower and blood lime; Moreton Bay bug with chu chee curry; 'crying tiger' aged T-bone with phaya rum, ghee, sticky rice, lemongrass and tamarind jaew; and, of course, special crab fried rice. Robust flavours don't end at the main course, with show-stopping desserts like fermented rice sorbet with passionfruit and mango encased in a delicate chocolate dome. [caption id="attachment_795575" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Two Smoking Barrels[/caption] TWO SMOKING BARRELS, WOLLONGONG You'll find this Carolina-style low-and-slow barbecue joint smack-bang between two car yards. It's an impressive set-up at Two Smoking Barrels with a grill rig used to smoke and season meats with native ironbark. It has everything from melt-in-your-mouth pit-smoked brisket to pork rolls, house sausages and short ribs on offer. There's a feed for every appetite, whether you need a quick, smashable burger or you want to settle in for a big ol' meat platter before you hit the road again. The sides are classic barbecue soul food: potato gems, slaw, cornbread, mac 'n' cheese and speciality burnt-end beans (the crispy, well-seasoned end bits of smoked meats). Warning: this is not food for the faint of heart, so wear your loosest pair of jeans. Start planning your great escape to New South Wales this season by visiting the Visit NSW website. Top image: Poacher's Pantry, Destination NSW
The giggliest time of the year is back this month, as the Melbourne International Comedy Festival kicks off its 2023 instalment in a blaze of witty punchlines. Descending on the city from Wednesday, March 29–Sunday, April 23, this year's fest is set to serve up more than 600 shows, guaranteeing a huge month of laughs. The fun kicks off with the famed Opening Night Comedy Allstars Supershow, this year hosted by the internationally acclaimed Hannah Gadsby at the Palais Theatre and featuring a jam-packed lineup of hilarious guests. Other big-ticket highlights to follow include the national grand final of esteemed open mic competition RAW Comedy; Upfront's one-night showcase of stereotype-smashing female and non-binary comics; and the Deadly Funny National Grand Final, which is set to spotlight the country's funniest First Nations talent. As always, MICF will see comedic heroes flying in from all corners of the globe, taking the stage for sidesplitting solo shows and special events alike. Among them are celebrated British stars like Paul Foot, Carl Donnelly, Josie Long and Rosie Jones, plus Irish funnymen David O'Doherty and Dylan Moran, Emmy Award-winning US stand-up artist Sara Schaefer, Icelandic icon Ari Edljárn and Glasgow's Larry Dean. Homegrown heroes pack out the program, with big-name guests aplenty — Tripod, Claire Hooper, Lawrence Mooney, Kirsty Webeck, Wil Anderson, Akmal, Rhys Nicholson and Alex Ward are all there, along with the likes of Lano & Woodley, Dilruk Jayasinha, Osher Günsberg doing Night Time News Network National News, Dave Thornton, Diana Nguyen and stacks more. Of course, the rising stars of Aussie comedy will also get a huge look-in across the month, with MICF offering loads of opportunity for punters to scout out fresh talent. Check out the next generation of comic geniuses with a show at Comedy Zone, or stick closer to home and get your comedy kicks at one of the famed Neighbourhood Sessions. Meanwhile, Best of Comedy Zone Asia will deliver a lineup of emerging and celebrated talent from across Malaysia, India, Singapore and more. And, Headliners is set to dish up a hilarious taste of the US comedy circuit, featuring The Lucas Brothers, Patti Harrison, Sheng Wang and Shalewa Sharpe. [caption id="attachment_849381" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jim Lee[/caption] Melbourne International Comedy Festival will take over venues across the city from Wednesday, March 29–Sunday, April 23. See the full program and grab tickets over at the website. Top image: Jim Lee.
Do you live in a dog-friendly house? Do you have some spare time on your hands? Do you fantasise about hanging around at dog parks with an actual dog? If the answer to any of these questions is yes — and especially if the answer to all of them is yes — then the good folks at Vision Australia's Seeing Eye Dogs need you. As part of the organisation's dog-training program, they have puppies running around the place quite often, and they're in need of volunteers to raise them. In other words, they're giving away puppies — although you will need to give them back. If you put up your hand to become a puppy carer, you'll get a puppy for about a year — from around its eight-week birthday to when it turns turns between 12–15 months old. During that time, you'll be responsible for introducing the sights, sounds and smells it'll meet when it starts working as a seeing eye dog (and giving your new friend heaps of cuddles). Of course, it's not all just fun, games and cuteness. You'll have to be responsible enough to take care of regular grooming, house training and exercise, and be available for regular visits. A fenced-in backyard is mandatory, too. In return, the organisation provides a strong support network, and all food, training equipment and vet care. You'll also need to be home most of the time — so you won't be leaving the puppy alone for more than three hours a day, sat in front of Dog TV — and to be able to put effort into training and socialising the pup. Seeing Eye Dogs Australia is looking for people across the majority of local government areas across metropolitan Melbourne, as well as Geelong, Mornington Peninsula, Bendigo and Ballarat. In Queensland, Brisbane's north and Sunshine Coast areas are the current priorities. Once the pups reach 12-15 months old, they'll return to Vision Australia — and complete their journey to become four-legged companions for people who are blind or have low vision. Keen to help? You can apply online right now. If you're eager but can't commit to the full year, there's also a six-month caring option. Or, for workplaces, there's corporate caring, too — which has just reopened. For more information about Seeing Eye Dogs Australia's puppy carers, and to apply for the volunteer roles, head to the organisation's website. Top image: Nicola Cotton.
This post is sponsored by our partners, Wotif.com. Adelaide born and bred, comedian and known barfly Cam Knight has seen the city at its best. Here are a few of his tips for making the most of your time in the understated SA capital. Stay in the city at one of the boutique accommodations, like the Adabco Boutique Hotel, which is set within the beauty of a Heritage-listed, 19th-century Venetian gothic style building. If that’s not your style, The Mayfair is a 1940s-inspired, Hollywood-style boutique hotel in the heart of the city — slated for completion in October of this year. Wake up with the best coffee at the Coffee Branch on Leigh Street in the West End. Owner Josh has the palate of a genius, the speed of a mouse on Red Bull and the memory of an elephant that just snorted a mouse on Red Bull. Hire a free bike. Sounds like an oxymoron but Adelaide City Bikes has a free bike hire scheme. The whole place is flat and gridded so it's impossible to (a) get exhausted or (b) get lost. Adelaide city is low density and it still has a lot of original buildings standing. You can explore North Adelaide, River Torrens, or the various parklands that surround the city and still have plenty of time left over for drinking (and eating). Take a stroll down Ebenezer Place. It feels like a little Melbourne-esque laneway hidden between Rundle and Grenfell Streets with a lot of quirky shops selling one-of-a-kind items well worth a gawp. You’ll want lunch or brunch, yeah? Hey Jupiter will serve you a delicious amount of French food without the snootiness. There’s also Nano. They make their very own bread and do simple, restrained, tasty Italian food. Get thee to a pub. Order a Coopers beer at The Austral or The Exeter on Rundle Streett, or turn a corner and head to The Crown & Anchor on Grenfell Streett. The Wheatsheaf out in Thebarton is the place for craft beer, and The Grace Emily on Waymouth Street is the best pub for live music. There’s a lot to chose from (or ‘heaps’, as the locals would say). Radelaidians are super-friendly people who will love to help you have a top night out. Feel free to start a conversation up wherever you go. Hunt out a different style of bar like Udaberri on Leigh Street in the West End, which has been made out of a shipping container. The food is pintxos, the Basque region’s version of tapas, or you can simply order a 1kg rib eye steak like a boss. Press Club Food & Wine do one of the best burgers in town and regularly change their beloved wine list. Take in a night of comedy at the Rhino Room on Frome Street. There are always big name comedians from interstate or overseas on, plus some excellent local acts. The Howling Owl Cafe downstairs is not only a cafe; it's a bar and an art gallery showcasing some very talented local artists. You’ll also find the Urban Cow Studio tucked in to this building. Their art gallery has an opening night on the first Wednesday of every month, which includes wine, music and fun. Their shop showcases jewellery and all sorts of exciting new work from emerging or established artists. Visit Adelaide when the Fringe is on. The festival is huge — it’s like a circus exploded in the East Parklands. There are over 900 different events to choose from, including cabaret, magic shows, circus, comedians, puppetry, dance and so much more. Check out shows running late into the night at Rhino Room, Producers Bar, Gluttony and The Garden Of Earthly Delights. Rundle Street usually closes to traffic at night over the Fringe weekends, so you can roam the streets in a bleary haze taking in the energy of it all without fear of being run over. Get out to McLaren Vale for a day or two. It’s easily one of Australia’s greatest wine regions and is seriously only about 35 mins south from the city. Some of the vineyards, like Chapel Hill, have accommodation which are very handy post tasting tour for a cheeky nap. Spoiler: it’s almost impossible to feel hung over waking up to the beautiful landscape of the Adelaide Hills. Don’t believe me? Check this out. Do a tasting tour or have a very, very understanding friend or partner who elects to drive you around. Coriole, Samuel’s Gorge, Alpha Box & Dice, Primo Estate, Chapel Hill and D’Arenburg should get you going. If you get chatting with the wine makers they may have a few drinks with you and recommend some top places to visit, whilst also letting you into their intriguing world. Grab a bite at The Famous Star of Greece in Port Willunga, perched atop the cliffs looking out to one of the most stunning ocean views whilst savouring the freshest seafood around. Sounds terrible, huh?
Located in a former 1950s bakery in the heart of North Melbourne, Mörk's chocolate brewhouse serves up the city's very own real-life Willy Wonka situation. It's this workshop, cafe and store that the artisan cacao brand has called home for six years, both concocting and serving its much-loved range of fine drinking chocolates and other handmade sweet treats. Now, in the lead-up to Mörk's tenth birthday, it's opening the doors to a brand new second outpost — this time taking over an old lift shaft in a CBD laneway. At just seven square metres, the new pint-sized digs in Equitable Place will work as another location to nab Mörk's signature hot — and chilled — chocolate drinks, take-home products and sweet treats, all for takeaway. It's also where you'll find the cult-favourite Swedish cinnamon buns from Söt by Mörk. [caption id="attachment_825087" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kristoffer Paulsen[/caption] The new store's range of luxe drinking chocolate trips through varying degrees of cacao darkness, all ready to enjoy with your choice of regular, oat or coconut milk. Or, if you prefer coffee, the caffeinated lineup comes courtesy of a collaboration with Patricia Coffee Brewers. That famed Campfire Hot Chocolate also gets a spin here, with its theatrical show of smoke, chocolate and toasted marshmallow. The hole-in-the-wall is turning out a range of plant-based beverages, too, including a hazelnut and almond blend, and a Bounty-inspired fusion of caramelised coconut and sea salt. And should your sweet tooth need a little extra lovin', there is of course a cabinet full of goodies from the Söt line — gooey twice-baked chocolate cake, florentines finished with Rooftop Honey, miniature pistachio bundts loaded with yuzu chocolate ganache, and the wicked dark chocolate brownie, to name a few. Find Mörk's new store at 20 Equitable Place, Melbourne CBD — open 8am–3pm weekdays. Images: Kristoffer Paulsen
This chat about Talk to Me was meant to be with both of Australia's now world-famous filmmaking twins. But amid a whirlwind past year that's taken Adelaide-born pair Danny and Michael Philippou from a hometown premiere to an international debut at Sundance, then saw their first-ever feature part of a bidding war won by A24, Michael might've accidentally slumbered through our planned rendezvous. The energetic, eager-to-natter Danny is apologetic, and also notes that Michael was a week late to Talk to Me's pre-production, after "he got COVID in Hawaii or something, so he was held back and he couldn't get on the plane". When it comes to getting some shuteye, Michael obviously hasn't watched his own movie lately. There's little snoozing done after seeing this deliciously creepy new Aussie horror standout that's rightly getting the globe's genre lovers buzzing. Now helming 2023's eeriest flick, the Philippous cross over from making viral YouTube videos like Harry Potter VS Star Wars and Driving the World's First Underwater Car as RackaRacka, achieving a dream they've had since they were nine and getting filming in the backyard with their mates. Initially, those aspirations were fed by Goosebumps books, then by getting taken to MA-rated horror flicks. "I remember Michael being really terrified and scared of the remake of Texas Chain Saw Massacre — like he ran out of the cinema, he was so scared," Danny shares. Talk to Me spins its terrors around a helluva concept: an embalmed hand passing dead-and-hating-it spirits into the living's bodies as long as they're giving each other some skin. The film's Aussie teens oblige, including 17-year-old Mia (Sophie Wilde, The Portable Door), her best friend Jade (Alexandra Jensen, Joe vs Carole) and the latter's 14-year-old brother Riley (Joe Bird, First Day). More than that, they get high on the experience, turning it into a party game. And, they're as savvy about internet eyeballs as their directors, also turning their possession party footage into social-media content. The movie's irresistible underlying idea initially came from a short film script by Daley Pearson, executive producer of Bluey and Content, although the hand wasn't initially a part of the story. Danny, who co-wrote the feature script with fellow first-timer Bill Hinzman, grasped onto the disturbing limb as a symbol of connection — and it's now impossible to imagine Talk to Me without its cursed appendage. As the film has hopped around the globe leading up to its theatrical release — the Berlin International Film Festival and fellow Germany festival Fantasy FilmFest also screened it, as did South by Southwest in Austin — the response has been anything but damned. Sitting in A24's catalogue alongside The Witch, Hereditary, Midsommar and In Fabric, plus X, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Pearl and Beau Is Afraid as well, is no minor feat, either. "The whole thing has just been so crazy and overwhelming, and feels so unbelievable. It's so odd. It just still feels like we're dreaming. It feels so surreal," Danny advises. With Talk to Me opening in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, July 27, Danny also chatted with Concrete Playground about wanting to direct movies since the twins were kids, crafting a film about connection, the concept of getting possessed to get high, making the leap from YouTube and crew gigs on The Babadook to the big screen, and whether there's more of Talk to Me's nightmares in horror fans' futures. ON THE ORIGINAL FILMMAKING DREAM — AND MAKING IT HAPPEN "It was always our goal from from nine years old, ever since we started making stuff — we always wanted to make films and television. That's always been our dream and our goal and, yeah, you always just picture it and envision it. But it's just happening on such a massive scale now that it still feels unbelievable. I remember we were making stuff all the way through our childhood, and we had this series that we were doing with our best friends. We just did that all the way through high school, like 13 to 18 years old, about ten seasons of this show — and we ended the last couple of seasons with these big movies. On the sixth and final film of this series that we're doing, everyone was losing interest and growing up, everyone was getting jobs, getting girlfriends, doing this, doing that. And then we were just still wanting to do this stuff, and we could only get together on the weekends — and everyone's like 'hey, we don't really want to do this anymore'. So we still needed to find a way to express ourselves creatively, and then we started the internet stuff. Within the first year of RackaRacka, we somehow we we got a million subscribers in the first year, and it just became our careers. But we got carried away doing that. It was so much fun because there's instant gratification of shooting, uploading, shooting, uploading. But we always wanted to return back to the film stuff, and it just happened. In 2018 or 19, we decided to sit down and actually focus on trying to get a film made." ON RECEIVING DALEY PEARSON'S SCRIPT, THEN COMING UP WITH THE HAND "He gave us a short film. It was a comedy-horror about these kids that were having fun with possession, and it was so cool. So I did a pass and made it a bit more serious, and then I inserted the characters that I really loved that I was working on for another project, which was Mia and Riley and Jade. Once I started writing, I couldn't stop — and it was like 80 pages within five days. I sent it over to my co-writer Bill Hinzman. He went through, we started like bouncing back and forth. Probably around the second draft, we found the hand as the device that they're using. Hands and the connections between people was always such a strong motif in the film already, and it fits thematically. I remember this story from when I was 16, and I was in a really bad car accident, and they thought I might have broken my spine. And I had this big cut on my face, I was bleeding everywhere — and I was in hospital, and I was shaking and shaking, and I couldn't stop shaking. And they're putting the heaters on. They're giving me all these blankets. But I just couldn't stop shaking. Then my sister came in to visit me, and she held my hand and the shaking just stopped. It wasn't because I was cold, with the shaking. It was because I was in shock and the touch of someone I loved brought me out of it. And so that always stuck with me, that experience — there was just something powerful to me about human connection. So that was just all the way through the script already, like I'd written so much of it in there. Then we just found that device, in that second pass. It just felt strong." ON THE CONCEPT OF GETTING POSSESSED TO GET HIGH, AND FILMING IT "Another big inspiring point for me was these neighbours we watched grow up. Then one of them, as he was getting older, was experimenting with drugs — and he was on the floor convulsing and having a really negative reaction. And the kids he was with were filming him and laughing at him. I remember seeing that footage, and it really freaking me out. I just tapped into that when I was writing — like, when I saw that footage, that was all the way through this film. And it just feels like what would actually happen. Everyone has such a morbid curiosity and obsession with true crime and the paranormal. People want haunted experiences. They want to do the Ouija board and film it — everything's recorded now. So it just makes sense to me." ON DIVING INTO BUSY HORROR TERRITORY, YET MAKING A MOVIE THAT STANDS OUT "I think that not being scared of the tropes is one thing. And not being ashamed that we're making a horror film — like embracing the horror of it, and embracing the tropes of certain elements and scenes. But also just writing a story that wasn't trying to be a big Hollywood movie, or trying to be like other films. It's writing something that's just personal to me, and to my experience, and my friends' experiences or family's experiences. It's tapping into stuff like my family's history of mental illness, and then exploring that. It was always about writing things that scared me personally. And so that was the way of expressing it, at the table with co-writer Bill Hinzman, it was just tapping at the things that scared us personally. It has to feel unique because it's your own story. And then it has to feel unique with the actors that we got because they were able to put themselves into their characters and completely embody it. It can't feel like anything else, because it's unlike anything else, because it's so personal." ON LEANING INTO SOME HORROR TROPES BUT AVOIDING OTHERS "Even things like their voices changing and and being in a body with someone else, I really love that in in horror. It's even small things like the animal — there's like a trope in horror of the dead animal on the side of the road, and I liked doing our Australian spin on it. And I also like that it just tied so well into the things that we're playing with already. So that's an example of a trope that we embraced. And a trope that we avoided — I didn't want it to get too big and crazy. I didn't want all the lights to go too crazy, be flashing and stuff, be flying around the room, and everyone's hair be blowing everywhere. I wanted the possessions to still be grounded in some sort of reality." ON RACKARACKA AND THE BABADOOK AS PREPARATION FOR MAKING A FEATURE "We had so much experience with so many things, even the makeup effects. Bec Buratto, who would help us with all of our Racka stuff for free, we got on to be the head of department in the film. So it was bringing those people with us as well. But each of those videos, and every project that you do, your experience grows and you learn from everything. So we just learned so much that when it was time to do the film, we'd done VFX before, we'd done special effects makeup, we'd worked with actors, we'd built sets. We know how to communicate what we want to do, and we'd developed our own style. So we weren't going in there not really knowing what we're doing — we'd worked on film sets before, and we'd worked on so many Racka productions that we had a clear voice. We used to do so much work experience and volunteer work on a bunch of different films just to be on set, because we were so obsessed with it. And so when Mike was 19, he'd done a whole bunch of jobs for free, and the producer, one of the line producers, was like 'I'm going to get you a paid job — you can't keep doing this for free'. So he got him his first paid job, which was The Babadook. It was the runner on there, so he drove around Essie Davis and Jennifer Kent. And he was able really able to be on set, and listen and learn, and just to see how sets are navigated and run. Then I was on set just helping out the lighting department. We both, Michael and I, could see how passionate Jen was. And it was one of the first directors, I think the first director that we saw, that cared so much. This wasn't just like a job or just making something to make something. She was making art. And she was putting her soul into it. So that was so inspiring to see someone so passionate, and to live and breathe their project. That rubbed off on us for sure." ON SPENDING MORE TIME IN TALK TO ME'S WORLD "It's so funny — we've written such an in-depth mythology bible about the backstory of the hand, the spirits that are possessing the kids, and there's just so many seeds that we planted. Even when we're writing the first film, I was writing scenes for a second film — and me and the other writer were always discussing it and talking about it. The idea of franchising or doing a sequel is so exciting to us. I'd love the opportunity to do that — that be so, so cool." Talk to Me opens in Australian and New Zealand cinemas on July 27. Read our review.
Burger fiends of Melbourne, the wait is finally over. Legendary Sydney crew Mary's has today, Monday, January 20, opened the doors to its first permanent local venture, located on Franklin Street in the CBD. With four Sydney outposts under their belts, co-owners Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham have brought their American-style burgers, decadent fried chicken and general loose vibes down south. And, unlike their one-day kitchen takeover at Leonard's House of Love and two-month kitchen residency at cocktail bar Fancy Free, this time, it's a permanent fixture. The CBD venue is Mary's biggest yet, boasting space for 140 punters, a cosy mezzanine level and — perched dramatically from the roof — a supersized, custom wrought-iron chandelier, hung with over 24,000 dead rose stems. You'll find the cavernous space tucked down a laneway, marked simply by a glowing red light. [caption id="attachment_758203" align="alignnone" width="1920"] RC Stills[/caption] The brand's grungy, rock 'n' roll attitude is alive and well here, as is that penchant for unapologetically big-flavoured fare and top-notch vino. The menu showcases familiar favourites like the signature Mary's burger, the fried chook and the much-loved mash and gravy, alongside a handful of site-specific creations solely for the Melbourne crowd. In especially happy news for herbivores, a full vegan offering is also being dished up, mirroring the smash-hit plant-based lineup that debuted at Mary's Circular Quay outpost last May. True to form, there's plenty of love here for excellent wine, with a 100-strong list by much-lauded Mary's wine director Caitlyn Rees. Expect a lineup that's a little bit left-of-centre and very fun, shining a spotlight on the industry's young guns and emerging winemakers. [caption id="attachment_758205" align="alignnone" width="1920"] RC Stills[/caption] And, as is custom with a Mary's venue, there's a high-octane soundtrack to help bring it all to life. Find Mary's Melbourne at 167 Franklin Street, Melbourne. It's open from 4pm–1am Monday–Thursday and 12pm–1am Friday–Sunday. Images: RC Stills
Hollywood may have a home in sunny California but Australia is one of the biggest players in the global film and television industry. From homegrown hits like The Dry to multimillion dollar locally-produced blockbusters like Thor: Love and Thunder, Australia is among the shining stars of the stardom scene — and the best is yet to come. That's not to say our film industry doesn't already have an extraordinary history. And the best place to find out more about it is at the Australian National Museum of Screen Culture, ACMI. From its breathtaking new feature exhibit to its evergreen events, here's every reason you need to book your first (or next) visit. The history of the ACMI Established in 2002, ACMI became a new home for screen culture in Australia, tracing the evolution of visual storytelling. Originally conceived as a hub for film history, it adapted to the digital age in no time at all. Like the projects it celebrates, the museum evolved with technology. With an ongoing commitment to innovation came a series of groundbreaking exhibitions, including retrospectives of influential filmmakers and pioneering installations like Marshmallow Laser Feast's "Works Of Nature". Today, the museum stands as a testament to the ever-changing landscape of screen arts, preserving and propelling the industry forward. The multi-million makeover By 2019, ACMI was Australia's leading film museum, but it had its eyes set on a bigger prize: to become one of the world's biggest and most advanced museums of its kind. Thanks to a healthy increase in government funding, the museum was able to undergo a facelift to the tune of $40 million. The result? ACMI's exhibit spaces were expanded and upgraded, 15 new original art pieces were commissioned, the retail and dining spaces were refurbished, and two new education labs were built. Perhaps most excitingly, the project saw the birth of The Lens: a free handheld device that allows visitors to 'tap' each exhibit to collect an object of interest, adding to a collection you can quite literally take home in your pocket. [caption id="attachment_917012" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Marshmallow Laser Feast: Works of Nature, 2023, photo by Eugene Hyland.[/caption] Marshmallow Laser Feast: Works of Nature This world-premiere exhibition sees London art collective Marshmallow Laser Feast unveil a showcase of works that muse on trees, black holes, cells, breathing, space, science and more. The exhibit will be calling ACMI home until Sunday, April 14. Works of Nature spans five major pieces that aim to deeply contemplate and appreciate humanity's role in nature, and just nature overall. You'll be able to see the meditative Evolver, which uses the voice of Aussie screen legend Cate Blanchett to journey through the human body, breath, the origins of cells and the cosmos. Or, there's the large-scale Sanctuary of the Unseen Forest, a video installation about the Amazon's kapok trees. These aren't tiny pieces — these large digital works aim to inspire awe in both their size and content. Evergreen exhibits: The Story of the Moving Image One of the museum's main attractions, this immersive exhibit traces the origins of cinema, unveiling the magic behind the moving image. From the Lumière Brothers' pioneering cinematography to the birth of sound in film and the digital revolution, visitors are transported through the pivotal moments that shaped the cinematic landscape. Said moments are framed across five sections that tell the story of the moving image, but it's not and endless loop of walking and reading. The exhibit is packed with interactive stations that let you animate shadows, craft optical toys, play with time, craft your own scenes and create custom soundscapes in a specialised studio. [caption id="attachment_940193" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Memo Akten: Distributed Consciousness, 2023, photo by Phoebe Powell[/caption] Evergreen exhibits: Memo Akten: Distributed Consciousness It would be difficult for ACMI to ignore the massive surge in AI-generated artworks and screen media, so you'll find just that in this exhibit. Distributed Consciousness showcases the visionary work of Memo Akten, a groundbreaking artist and creative coder. Be ready to delve into the intersection of human cognition and artificial intelligence and confront the boundaries of perception. To make this idea a reality, Akten coded an AI that created over 250 images of octopus-like beings to challenge human guests with thought-provoking visuals of one of the few animals on earth as intelligent as us (at least as far as we are aware). Evergreen exhibits: Games Lab presented by Big Ant Studios One of the biggest industries in screen is not that of cinema but of video games. It would be remiss of ACMI not to include the thriving Aussie video game industry in its exhibits — and so enter the Games Lab. This is a concentrated celebration of Australian-made video games and the machines we play them on. At the moment, six local titles are being showcased in the exhibit. There's Witch Beam's Unpacking, a cosy experience of designing interiors by unpacking boxes of belongings and the significance behind them, a globally popular adventure that tasks you with building an adorable cult in service of an eldritch god: Massive Monster's Cult of the Lamb — and several other indie hits. The on-site cinemas It shouldn't come as surprise that a museum dedicated to the history of screen culture in Australia has its own dedicated cinema program. This is no Hoyts blockbuster program though; ACMI focuses on the other side of cinema. From lesser-known directors like Chinese underground director Jia Zhangke to the story of renowned artist and activist Nan Goldin in All the Beauty and the Bloodshed. The cinemas also host regular matinee screenings every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, plus monthly screening programs that celebrate the likes of rising Australian screen talent. And for a very special cinema experience, summertime sees silent films screened in an outdoor cinema with a live band performing the score. Dedicated film and gaming clubs And, of course, it's the duty of ACMI to foster interest in the wide and wonderful world of cinema. For those who want to step it up from the exhibitions and screenings, you can join one of the several dedicated clubs that run events on museum grounds. The oldest of all is Melbourne Cinémathèque, an international film club founded in 1948 that runs weekly screenings of international films for its members. There's also the First Nations Film Club, which invites Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to watch and discuss First Nations films on campus and remotely bi-monthly. And one of the most popular clubs, the Women and Non-Binary Gamers Club. Exclusive for women, gender non-conforming, non-binary and trans people, the club meets the second Wednesday of every month to hang out and discuss the hit games of the month. Online exhibits If you're unable to make the time to visit ACMI or catch everything on your visit, firstly, that's a damn shame. Secondly, don't fret for you are in luck. Certain exhibits can be viewed online for free on the ACMI website. From the exploration of video game streaming culture and experiences in Emile Zile: We Are Gods to the eye-opening study of the Malaysian Palm Oil industry in Olivia Koh: Minyak Sawit Keluarga (Palm Oil Family) — keep an eye on the ACMI website for exhibitions you can explore from the comfort of your own home. For more information on ACMI and its exhibits, or to book tickets to any events, visit the website.
There is no "just Ken" in the Barbie realm. IRL, there wouldn't be a Ken at all if Barbie hadn't become a hit toy first. And in the live-action movie that's about to see both dolls hit the silver screen, Ken is very much — and very comically — an offsider. Wondering how the plaything that Ryan Gosling (The Gray Man) is bringing to life feels about that? In the latest trailer for Greta Gerwig's Margot Robbie-starring Barbie, the beach-loving figure belts out a song to explain what it's like to be the man behind the tan. Barbie is now just over a week from hitting cinemas — as one part of the unofficial Barbenheimer double, given that Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer also releases on the same day — and it's still dropping sneak peeks. The latest is all about La La Land's Gosling crooning in a series out eye-catching outfits, and across a range of playful backdrops. So, yes, just with singing, it's firmly a trailer for a film that is having a whole lot of fun with its toybox-to-screen setup. The new clip follows not one, not two, but three other glimpses so far, all with ample lashings of pink, and showing that life in plastic mightn't be as fantastic as it seems. Also featured across the promotional campaign to-date: giant blowout parties with planned choreography, Ken's constant devotion, existential musings, and a trip to the real world for answers when the Barbie movie's main namesake realises that she no longer float off of her rooftop — and also that her usually arched feet have become flat. Marking actor-turned-director Gerwig's third solo stint behind the camera after Lady Bird and Little Women, and not only starring but produced by Babylon's Robbie, Barbie looks set to show that even dolls living in a dreamland struggle with life's big questions — and, yes, even Ken. Splashing as much humour as pastel hues throughout its frames, Barbie is scripted by Gerwig and fellow filmmaker Noah Baumbach — her helmer on Greenberg, Frances Ha, Mistress America and White Noise, and real-life partner — and boasts a cast that's a gleaming toy chest of talent. Plenty of those on-screen stars help fill the feature with Barbies, including Issa Rae (Insecure) as president Barbie, Dua Lipa (making her movie debut) as a mermaid Barbie, Emma Mackey (Emily) as a Nobel Prize-winning physicist Barbie, Alexandra Schipp (tick, tick... BOOM!) as an author Barbie and Ana Cruz Kayne (Jerry and Marge Go Large) as a supreme court justice Barbie — plus Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton) as diplomat Barbie, Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live) as a Barbie who is always doing the splits, Hari Nef (Meet Cute) as doctor Barbie, Ritu Arya (The Umbrella Academy) as a Pulitzer-winning Barbie and Sharon Rooney (Jerk) as lawyer Barbie. There's also a whole heap of Kens beyond Gosling's singing, yearning version, including Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Kingsley Ben-Adir (One Night in Miami), Ncuti Gatwa (the incoming Doctor Who) and Scott Evans (Grace and Frankie). And, Michael Cera (Arrested Development) plays Alan, Emerald Fennell (The Crown) plays Midge, Helen Mirren (Shazam! Fury of the Gods) is the narrator, America Ferrera (Superstore) and Ariana Greenblatt (65) are humans, Jamie Demetriou (Catherine Called Birdy) is a suit, Will Ferrell (Spirited) wears a suit as Mattel's CEO and Connor Swindells (Sex Education) is an intern. Check out the latest trailer for Barbie below: Barbie releases in cinemas Down Under on July 20, 2023.
Among the many things that cinema's various bleak visions of the future have taught us, the need for sturdy footwear is right up there. Who wants to be caught wandering through Mad Max: Fury Road's apocalyptic wasteland with flimsy shoes? And, although Blade Runner's 2019 setting has been and gone, who wants to be bathed in its neon lights or Blade Runner 2049's orange haze without their toes covered? Consider Dr Martens' new Warner Bros-inspired range the perfect kicks if dystopian times come, then. Some are best worn if you're feeling shiny and chrome, others will suit you if you wonder whether androids dream of electric sheep. The iconic footwear label has teamed up with the movie studio to celebrate the latter's 100th anniversary, paying tribute to Mad Max: Fury Road and the OG Blade Runner specifically across four pairs of docs. There's two types of shoes for each, with both films scoring their own riff on Dr Martens' 1460 boot and Jadon boot. Here's one way to choose which kind you want: via the thickness of the soles, with the Jadon's platform base adding to your height. For Mad Max: Fury Road devotees hanging out for prequel Furiosa, the 1460 version comes with "what a lovely day" printed on the back of old harness leather, and also features a harness over the shoes, plus laces with a spearhead charm printed with Immortan Joe emblem. If you opt for the Jadon boots, you'll get chrome-plated shoes that feature the skull emblem stamped on a metal plate, a zipper to match, red rubber and a chain threaded around the back, gear-inspired eyelets and a skeleton arm pointing towards the toe. The Blade Runner kicks both feature four unforgettable words: "like tears in rain". With the 1460 boot, the phrase repeats along the welt. With the Jadon, it's printed on the backstrap. The 1460 also includes a grid print, a strip of reflective tape on the backtrap, a Tyrell Corporation stamp and lace charm to match, as well as a dog tag. With the Jadon, it boasts red stitching, multiple Tyrell Corp nods — including via embossing — and an origami unicorn charm. When you're getting decked out to worship your favourite sci-fi classic, there's also Blade Runner-inspired bag if you're a matchy-matchy sort. Dr Martens new Warner Bros anniversary range is available from Thursday, November 16 online and in stores — head to the brand's website for further details.
It's never been a better time to go no-alc than right now. Today, it's not odd to be going dry, it's accepted, celebrated and understood. Alcohol isn't for everyone or every occasion, but no one really wants to be excluded from the fun. The underwhelming or straight-up bland alcohol-free options of the past have evolved. Bartenders are getting creative with mocktails, there are numerous no- and low-alcohol brands now on offer, and even traditional alcohol brands are getting involved with alc-free versions to shift with the changing times. If you're booze-free, reducing your boozing or just curious about what's available out there, we've teamed up with Edenvale Wines — a premium alcohol-removed wine range — to create this list of our best takes on the top alternative alcohol-free beverages in the market today. WINE — EDENVALE WINES It's tricky to make non-alcoholic wine that doesn't taste just like grape juice. With lots of research — and some tinkering to the custom spinning cone column technology which removes the alcohol — Edenvale is constantly perfecting its range. The beauty of Edenvale Wines is that the alcohol is removed after the wine is made, meaning it retains all the flavours, tannins, complexity and aromas of traditional wines. The winemakers are slinging both Aussie and international wines to offer a range that is true-to-varietal and expressions of the regions they are grown in. So whether you want a semillon sauv blanc from Frankland River, WA, a GSM from Barossa or even a verdejo from Spain, Edenvale Wines have options for you. If you are a wine drinker looking to make a change or sober curious and wondering if you could dupe your mates with a non-alc version of their favourite varietals, Edenvale is recognised as being one of the best non-alc versions out there. The sparkling shiraz was just awarded a gold medal at the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC), London 2023 and is an excellent match for red meats like a juicy steak. BEER — HEAPS NORMAL Many of our favourite beer brands are putting out their own non-alcoholic ranges of beers, but few are primarily dedicated to creating a quality booze-free beer option. Enter Heaps Normal, which has solidified itself as a top beer choice with its considered range that includes an XPA, hazy pale ale, lager and — most recently — a stout. The team behind Heaps Normal are champions of the no-alcohol and low-alc movement and mindful drinking and aim to serve great-tasting beer without the potential downsides. WHISKEY — THE GOSPEL Whisk(e)y is a tricky spirit to create a satisfying non-alc version of, as most bonafide whiskey fiends love to drink it straight. The trademark burn at the back of your throat satisfies those who love a dram. And that burn is alcohol. Australia's first-ever dedicated all-rye distillery, The Gospel, (recently named the maker of Australia's Best Whiskey) is now one of the first to produce non-alcoholic rye whiskey: Responsible Rye. Under the guidance of its Sommelier and R&D distiller Ellie Ash and over a year in development, the rye-lovers at The Gospel have perfected the non-alc alternative to a dram. It is made using de-alcoholised rye whiskey — a similar process to alcohol removal used by Edenvale Wines — to ensure the liquid is full of the classic rye whiskey flavours: underlying smokiness, candied nuts, cardamom and cola. GIN — LYRE'S SPIRIT One of the first non-alc offerings on the market was non-alcoholic gin. Numerous brands duped G&T lovers with bottled non-alc spirits that emulated the alcoholic brethren on the shelves. Craft spirits lovers assumed they were the latest craft gin on the market, only to discover that they were all flavour and no hangover. One such brand is Lyre's Spirit. An innovative brand pumping out non-alc spirits — they even have a bitter orange liqueur so you can enjoy a summer spritz free from booze. The Lyre's London Dry is a take on the traditional gin style. Expect juniper flavours, peppercorn and citrus. Ideal for a dry G&T or not-so-classic classic Tom Collins. And those that like a bitter orange spritz can opt for the Italian Orange and Aperifit Rosso for their day-time summer sipping. TEQUILA — DRUMMERBOY MEXICAN AGAVE SPIRIT Another dedicated spirits brand pushing out award-winning versions of our favourite sips is Drummerboy and its Mexican Agave Spirit, ideal for those that love a margarita but not the alcohol. Like Edenvale Wines, it has also been recognised by the International Wine and Spirits Competition. A bright and zesty alternative to your traditional tequila that is perfect in cocktails or by itself. Edenvale Wines is a premium range of alcohol-removed wines that are available to purchase directly from the website or at most major supermarket retailers. Top image: Moira Vella Photography
Bring any group of people together in a family home, mode of transport or lavish vacation setting, and one thing just might happen: a murder, at least if whodunnits of the page and screen are to be believed. Agatha Christie loved that exact setup, as book-to-film adaptations Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile have shown. The author's play The Mousetrap and recent flick See How They Run, which riffs on it, make the same point. And, so does the clearly Christie-inspired Knives Out franchise. Yes, the latter is a franchise now, with sequel Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery due in cinemas for one week only mid-November, then on Netflix on Friday, December 23. Once again, Daniel Craig (No Time to Die) returns as Blanc, Benoit Blanc, in the first of two followups planned by the streaming platform — and after a first teaser trailer back in September, the film has just dropped its latest sneak peek. "Alright, when's the murder-mystery start?" is still a fabulous line, as it was in the initial trailer; however, this time there's a bit more context. The movie's cast — Craig, obviously, plus Edward Norton (The French Dispatch), Janelle Monáe (Antebellum), Kathryn Hahn (WandaVision), Leslie Odom Jr (The Many Saints of Newark), Jessica Henwick (The Gray Man), Madelyn Cline (Outer Banks), Kate Hudson (Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon) and Dave Bautista (Thor: Love and Thunder) — are in Greece, and they're about to play a murder-mystery party game. Then, there's an actual real dead body complicating their fun. If you saw the original — or any murder-mystery involving a motley crew of characters brought together in one location when someone turns up dead — then you'll know how it works from there. There's a lavish setting, that aforementioned big group of chalk-and-cheese folks, threats aplenty and just as much suspicion. Is the culprit Bautista's Duke Cody on the yacht? Hudson's Birdie Jay in the games room? Hahn's Claire Debella by the pool? You'll have to watch to find out, with the film getting sleuthing in cinemas between Wednesday, November 23–Tuesday, November 29 — a month before the movie heads to streaming. And, you'll want to get in quick, as it's only showing on the big screen for that one week. After that, you're back to waiting for an early Christmas gift at home. Just like its predecessor, Glass Onion is both written and directed by Rian Johnson, with the filmmaker moving onto the franchise after 2017's Star Wars: Episode VIII — The Last Jedi — and still indulging his love of on-screen puzzles, as shone through in Brick and Looper as well. Check out the full trailer for Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery below: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery will hit Australian and New Zealand cinemas from Wednesday, November 23–Tuesday, November 29, then become available to stream via Netflix from Friday, December 23. Images: John Wilson/Netflix © 2022.
Fancy a casual surf before work? Maybe a quick dip before your serious retail escapades? It's a luxury oft taken for granted by many a Sydneysider. However, a proposal to insert a giant floating wave pool in the heart of Melbourne's CBD could change the game for a city better known for its thriving arts and culinary scene, than any semblance of a beach culture. One of the most insanely ambitious proposals the city's seen for many a day, the project is the brainchild of Melbourne architect and surfing enthusiast Damian Rogers, in collaboration with global design and engineering firm Arup. Projected to cost more than $8 million, the Melbourne wave pool development is heralded to be the first of its kind due to the fact that it will be churning out 1.5 metre waves in a central harbour location. While many cities have dappled with the concept of manmade beaches — London, Paris and Brisbane to name a few — this is the first time it's looked like an actual possibility for Melbourne. The prospective beach will literally float in the middle of the city, providing a reprise from the skyscraper expanse that is Docklands. Placed at the end of Docklands' Central Pier, the layout is projected to include a sandy shoreline, a deck, a retail strip, a lawn area and everyone's favourite — a wave pool. And by wave pool, they're talking legit waves. Adjustable legit waves at that. Wave size can be modified to suit the varying requirements of pool-goers — from 30 metre wide breakers for surfing pros, to a slight swell for the more uncoordinated among us. The water used will be filtered seawater taken from Victoria Harbour, which hopefully will be filtered to an inch of its life. "Just to be able to hear the waves breaking and go for a surf — even if you're not a surfer, to be able to sit there and watch it," said Damien Rogers, the architect behind the proposal told the ABC. "It would just be a great place to be. Yet another great place for people in Melbourne to go." Swimming is probably the last thing that Melbourners think of when winter rears its ugly head, but with the pool being heated all year round, it may just be one of your better options of keeping warm. Via ABC and The Age.
For years, a train line connecting Melbourne's CBD to Tullamarine Airport has felt like one of those projects that's constantly discussed, and that everyone wants, but has never seemed particularly close to actually becoming a reality. That has been changing since 2017, however, with the Victorian Government finally committing to building Melbourne Airport Rail Link (MARL), and then the Federal Government throwing in funds. The state also pledged to match its Commonwealth counterparts, and the two governments also signed a Heads of Agreement confirming the arrangement. Now, today, Saturday, November 21, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews have announced a few more details — and confirmed the route the Airport Rail Link will be taking. The pair also revealed how long the journey will take, how often Melburnians will be able to hop on a train, and when it's all set to kick in. It has been a long (long) time coming, but construction will start in 2022 and be completed by 2029 — which is two years earlier than the last target date of 2031. If all goes to plan, that's when you'll finally be able to banish the SkyBus from your life forever. Route-wise, Melburnians will head from the CBD to Tullamarine via Sunshine, and it's expected that the journey will take less than 30 minutes. Even better — MARL trains will run to the CBD every ten minutes, so you won't need to wait for long to make the trip that either gets you to the airport for your next journey or takes you home after your getaway (or spirits you to wherever you're staying if you're a tourist visiting Melbourne). [caption id="attachment_701575" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Visit Victoria, Josie Withers[/caption] With the line linking in with the $11.3 billion Metro rail tunnel — which will supposedly open in 2025 — folks from the city's south-eastern suburbs won't need to change trains, while the majority of other Victorians will be able to make the journey with one interchange. At Sunshine, those heading to or from Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo will be able to hop on or off the MARL, while those coming to or going from Gippsland will be able to connect at a number of stops along the Cranbourne and Pakenham lines. Both the Victorian and Australian governments have committed $5 billion each in funding to the project, which is still in the planning and development stage. And yes, it's all about time. Sydney and Brisbane already have airport rail links, and Perth is currently in the process of building its own. Maybe this will finally kill or clarify that myth around the airport's secret underground 'station' as well. For more information about the Melbourne Airport Rail Link, which is due to start construction in 2022 and be completed by 2029, head to the website for the project. Image: Global Panorama via Flickr.
Famous for its 55-minute workouts and worldwide following, Barry's Bootcamp has become a fitness heavyweight since first setting up shop in West Hollywood back in 1998 — and now it's bringing its studios to Melbourne. Later this year, Melburnians will be able to put themselves through Barry's high-intensity interval training sessions in both the CBD and South Yarra. While it won't be the company's first Aussie studios — it has two already in Sydney — they will be its first in Victoria. If you're a gym junkie, celebrity obsessive or just familiar with the term "Barry's body", then you'll have heard of Barry's. Already active in 18 cities around the globe — including Los Angeles, New York, Milan, London and Dubai — it's claimed that the studio's sessions burn over 4000 kilojoules. That's thanks to a regimented program that incorporates 25 minutes of treadmill work, 25 minutes of strength and conditioning with free weights and resistance bands, and then a five-minute cool-down. The focus of each class changes daily across Barry's weekly schedule, with each session targeting a different muscle group. As extra motivation, Barry's classes are held in high-energy red rooms, complete with mood lighting and the kind of music you're more likely to hear in a nightclub. Adding to the vibe, each location features its own bar serving up shakes and smoothies — and patrons will also be able to buy workout outfits onsite. As expected, the world-renowned bootcamp class comes with hefty price tag — $36 a pop. You could, alternatively, purchase a 50-class pack for $1550, which works out at $31 a class, or pay a $89 weekly fee. Barry's Bootcamp is slated to open in the CBD and South Yarra in September, 2019. We'll keep you updated when they do.
If 11-time world champion surfer Kelly Slater wants to catch a wave, but doesn't feel like going to the beach, he can hop on a board at his inland surf ranch in Lemoore, California. Next time the surfing champ is in Australia, he'll be able to hang ten at a second facility on the Sunshine Coast. While no dates have been announced, the second surf ranch is set to open in Coolum, a 90-minute drive from Brisbane. It'll sprawl over a 510-hectare site, with 75 percent of the space dedicated to wetlands, public areas and lakes — although the surf ranch is clearly the main attraction. Like the Californian spot, the Sunny Coast's surf ranch will use the Kelly Slater Wave System — which, after taking ten years to develop, is crucial to the whole concept. It creates "repeatable man-made waves that convincingly deliver the power and shape of ocean waves most sought after by accomplished surfers, including a hollow barrel allowing for long tube rides". It was the impressiveness of these man-made waves that convinced surfing's governing body World Surf League (WSL) to acquire a majority stake in the Kelly Slater Wave Company (which created the wave technology and owns the Lemoore ranch) back in 2016. Opening more surf ranches was always part of WSL's plans — and, thankfully for us, it's launching the next one in Australia. [caption id="attachment_747864" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Kelly Slater surfing at World Surf League's surf ranch in Lemoore, California.[/caption] As well as serving up all of the waves and none of the rips, unpredictable conditions and not-so-friendly sea creatures, the $1.1 billion development surrounding WSL's first Aussie ranch will also feature an eco-resort, a hotel, shops, a 'farm to plate' restaurant, serviced apartments, a sports centre, a school and houses. That means that you can head by for a surfing vacation or, if you're super-dedicated and have always wanted an excuse to pretend that you're in Point Break, you can move into the residential area. Like the Lemoore facility, the surf resort will be used for both competitions and coaching purposes. And if you're wondering why WSL has Queensland on its radar, the reasons are twofold. Firstly, surfing is set to become an Olympic sport at the Tokyo games next year. Secondly, the Sunshine State is contemplating putting in a bid for the 2032 Olympics. Australia already has a few man-made surfing spots for the public in the works, with Urbnsurf Melbourne launching this summer, and a Sydney location due to open next year. An outfit called Surf Lakes has also built a prototype spot at Yeppoon in regional Queensland, but it's only for testing — although the ultimate hope is that commercial versions will follow. WSL Surf Ranch is set to open in Coolum, Sunshine Coast. We'll let you know when exact dates are announced. Images: WSL Surf Ranch in Lemoore, California.
On Monday, March 23, pubs, clubs, bars, restaurants and cafes across Australia were forced to close their doors, in the latest move to slow the spread of COVID-19. The stage one closure of non-essential indoor venues also included casinos, gyms, cinemas and places of worship, but it didn't include convenience stores or supermarkets. It also allowed restaurants and cafes to continue offering takeaway and delivery food. So, venues have adapted. Instead of pulling pints and plating up schnitties, pubs and restaurants across the country are stocked to the brim with hand sanitisers, groceries and toilet paper. It's a win-win situation: helping the venues stay alive and continue to pay employees, while also letting you skip the supermarket queues and get your hands on those coveted tins of beans. In Sydney, the W Short Hotels Group has transformed two of its pubs into corner stores. Both Redfern's The Tudor Hotel and The Royal Hotel in Leichhardt are now selling fresh food, pantry staples, toilet paper and booze. Food has been sourced from local butchers, bakers and the pubs' suppliers, so the cash you spend is going to support local businesses. Other Sydney spots are also, while not opening physical grocers, delivering boxes of groceries. Nel has a selection of four— ranging from pantry essentials ($45) and a vegetable box ($80) through to a primo meat and veg box ($130) — and is delivering on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Italian chain Fratelli Fresh has its own Gourmet Grocer service, which includes next-day delivery of ready-made meals; alcohol; bags of flour, rice and sugar; tinned tomatoes and beans; fresh fruit and veg; and 500-gram bags of pasta. Melbourne's venues are pivoting, too, including Brunswick all-day diner Theodore's, which is now, temporarily, Ted's Grocer. It's selling produce boxes, ready-made meals and essentials — including pasta, milk, spices, cured meats, sweets and more — for pick up and delivery. Fitzroy's Smith & Deli is also offering $50 grocery boxes twice a week. In Brisbane, Alchemy has launched Alchemy to You — check out the full list of available supplies online, place your order and then pick it up in-store 24 hours later. It's also offering delivery to those in the CBD. We'll be updating the list below as more venues jump on board. If and when you do decide to head out to get groceries, remember to follow the Australian Government Department of Health's social distancing guidelines. SYDNEY Bar M (Rushcutters Bay) The Italian restaurant is now a grocery store, offering pick up and local delivery, 9am–9pm daily. Bella Vista Hotel (Bella Vista) This spot in The Hills has launched 'Essentials Express', a contactless drive-thru service selling the likes of meat trays, pre-batched cocktails, juice and snacks from $2. It's open daily from 10am–2pm and you can check out each day's specials on its Facebook page. Dear Sainte Eloise (Potts Point) $100 hampers, filled with local veggies, eggs, bread, pasta, canned goods and more, available for pick up on Wednesday and Fridays. To order, email hello@dearsainteeloise.com or call (02) 9326 9745. Fratelli Fresh (various locations) This chain is now offering next-day delivery of groceries, pantry staples, alcohol and ready-made meals. You can order over here. Nel (Surry Hills) Online grocery boxes ranging from $45–130 available to order online. Nour (Surry Hills) Market boxes available for $79 and delivered on Mondays. Head here to order. Sample Coffee Pro Shop (St Peters) The specialty coffee roaster's St Peters digs is now selling staples such as bread, milk, eggs, cheese, coffee (of course) and more. Delivery is also available on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Single O (Surry Hills) The cafe is offering fancy 'corner store staples' including lemon myrtle kimchi, Pepe Saya butter and kangaroo sausages. Sixpenny (Stanmore) The fine diner has turned into a grocer, open from 10am–1pm on weekends, and is also offering weekly produce boxes ($120) available for pick up on Saturdays. You can preorder over here. The Tudor Hotel (Redfern) Convenience store open daily, 10am–late. The Royal Hotel (Leichhardt) Convenience store open daily, 10am–late. MELBOURNE Grosvenor Hotel (St Kilda East) A shop and bottle-o drive-thru has popped up at this pub, open every day from 10am. Heartattack and Vine (Carlton) This Lygon Street go-to has launched an online grocery store, selling everything from coffee and toilet paper to vino, cheese and one kilogram of its house-made porchetta (uncooked). Lamaro's (South Melbourne) A gourmet grocer and wine store with an online list of items here. Pick up orders are available from 12-6pm Monday through Friday,with delivery available for orders of $100. Smith & Deli (Fitzroy) $50 produce boxes available for pick up and delivery on Wednesday and Friday. Call (03) 9042 4117 to order. Ted's Grocer (Brunswick) Open 10am–8pm Monday–Saturday and delivering on Wednesdays and Fridays. BRISBANE Alchemy to You (CBD) Check out the supplies online, place your order and then pick it up in-store 24 hours later. Delivery is also available to the CBD. Top image: The Tudor Hotel convenience sore
It took a mere one episode when House of the Dragon premiered for HBO to sign on for season two of the Game of Thrones prequel. That second season debuts on Monday, June 17, 2024 Down Under, but the US network behind the TV adaptations of George RR Martin's novels just can't wait to go all in on more battling Targaryens, already renewing the show for season three. Yes, Succession may be over, but the fight for the Iron Throne between half-siblings Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney, Rogue Heroes) and Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy, Mothering Sunday) is sticking around for at least another batch of episodes after 2024's return to Westeros continues the story before the hit fantasy series everyone watched from 2011–19. Both figures want to rule the Seven Kingdoms. Both claim the famous seat as theirs. Both are destined for war: the Targaryen civil war between the green and the black camps known as the Dance of the Dragons. "We are in awe of the dragon-sized effort the entire team has put into the creation of a spectacular season two, with a scope and scale that is only rivalled by its heart. We could not be more thrilled to continue the story of House Targaryen and watch this team burn bright again for season three," said Francesca Orsi, the Executive Vice President of HBO Programming, and Head of HBO Drama Series and Films, about the renewal. There's no details yet on when season three of House of the Dragon will arrive — including if it'll be in winter in Australia and New Zealand, as has proven the case for both season one and two — but this account of flowing long blonde hair, carnage, fire, dragons, conflicting factions and fights for supremacy is nowhere near done yet. When the show's season season premieres, it will arrive two years after the first debuted in 2022. If you haven't yet caught up with the series so far, which is based on Martin's Fire & Blood on the page, it dives into a prior battle for the Iron Throne. Paddy Considine (The Third Day) started the series King Viserys — and it's exactly who should be his heir that sparked all the fuss. The words "succession" and "successor" (and "heir" as well) got bandied around constantly, naturally. Also, Australian actors Milly Alcock and Ryan Corr were among the stars. As this first Game of Thrones spinoff jumps back into House Targaryen's history, the initial season kicked off 172 years before the birth of Daenerys and her whole dragon-flying, nephew-dating, power-seeking story — and gave HBO its largest American audience for any new original series in its history when it debuted. If you're thinking that House of the Dragon is basically a case of new show, same squabbles, as it was easy to foresee it would be, you're right. It's pretty much Game of Thrones with different faces bearing now well-known surnames — and more dragons. Game of Thrones was always going to spark spinoff shows. Indeed, when HBO started thinking about doing a prequel six years ago, before the huge fantasy hit had even finished its run, it was hardly surprising. And, when the US network kept adding ideas to its list — including a Jon Snow-focused series with Kit Harington (Eternals) reprising his famous role, novella series Tales of Dunk and Egg and an animated GoT show, to name just a few prequels and spinoffs that've been considered, but may or may not actually come to fruition — absolutely no one was astonished. So far, just House of the Dragon has hit screens; however, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, the Dunk and Egg adaptation, is now due in 2025. Also returning among the cast when House of the Dragon season two hits: Olivia Cooke (Slow Horses) as Alicent Hightower, Matt Smith (Morbius) as Prince Daemon Targaryen, Rhys Ifans (The King's Man) as Ser Otto Hightower, Eve Best (Nurse Jackie) as Rhaenys Targaryen and Steve Toussaint (It's a Sin) as Lord Corlys Velaryon, plus Fabien Frankel (The Serpent), Ewan Mitchell (Saltburn) and Sonoya Mizuno (Civil War). HBO is also adding new faces to the mix, with Clinton Liberty (This Is Christmas) as Addam of Hull, Jamie Kenna (Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story) as Ser Alfred Broome, Kieran Bew (Warrior) as Hugh, Tom Bennett (Black Ops) as Ulf, Tom Taylor (Love at First Sight) as Lord Cregan Stark and Vincent Regan (One Piece) as Ser Rickard Thorne. They join Abubakar Salim (Napoleon) as Alyn of Hull, Gayle Rankin (Perry Mason) as Alys Rivers, Freddie Fox (The Great) as Ser Gwayne Hightower and Simon Russell Beale (Thor: Love and Thunder) as Ser Simon Strong among the season two newcomers. Check out the full trailer for House of the Dragon season two below: House of the Dragon streams Down Under via Foxtel and Binge in Australia, and SoHo, Sky Go and Neon in New Zealand, with season two arriving on Monday, June 17, 2024. Season three doesn't yet have a release date. Read our review of season one. Images: HBO.
During winter, it's easy to fall into a rut of the 'work, home, Netflix, sleep and repeat' kind. Luckily, Melbourne is chockers with venues and events that are doing their best to tempt you out of the house. So, we've teamed up with Melbourne ridesharing app DiDi to inspire you to do more with your winter nights. These five activities are worth braving the cold for and promise to warm you up once you get there. Plus, DiDi offers super competitive fares for getting you around the city, which means you'll have more cash to splash once you arrive. Read on to discover an all-night arts festival, a European-style winter market, a new restaurant serving hearty bowls of pasta and all the cheese you can handle. Grab your mates, throw on a warm jacket and make a night (or weekend) of it. [caption id="attachment_650235" align="alignnone" width="1920"] White Night Melbourne[/caption] PARTY ALL-NIGHT AT WHITE NIGHT FESTIVAL Every summer, Melburnians look forward to the all-night arts spectacular that is the White Night. Now, for the first time in its six-year run, the free festival is shining during winter instead. Taking place over three nights from Thursday, August 22–Saturday, August 24, the massive new winter program will span the Carlton Gardens, Birrarung Marr and the Treasury Gardens. Expect even more live music, street projections and after-dark gallery openings, plus heaps of design, film, food, performance and street art events. It'll keep you hopping around the city all weekend long and help you forget all about that chill in the air. INDULGE YOUR WINTER APPETITE AT HIGH CHEESE Cheese fiends Maker & Monger have once again teamed up with Westin Melbourne to bring you its version of high tea, which is filled with tiers upon tiers of cheese. Both sweet and savoury cheese dishes will be on offer daily until Saturday, August 31 — think gouda scones, roquefort with Four Pillars marmalade and cheesy tiramisu with salted white chocolate. You'll also get to try ricotta-filled cannoli, gruyère-stuffed gougères and even an entire baked Normandy camembert. It'll cost you $70 all up, with unlimited coffee and tea also included (wine will cost you extra). To reserve your spot, head to the website. GO ICE SKATING AT THE WINTER VILLAGE You don't need to take a trip abroad to indulge in some European-vibes this winter. Melbourne's Federation Square has been transformed into The Winter Village — a European-style market that boasts an ice rink, private igloos for hire and fried cheese aplenty. Expect local DJs to keep you entertained while you sip espresso martinis from the tap. If you're keen to see some snow, head to the oversized igloo dining hall where it 'snows' inside every hour. The pop-up has been extended until the end of September, too — so you have plenty of time to take advantage of it. EAT YOUR WAY AROUND THE WORLD AT QUEEN VICTORIA WINTER NIGHT MARKET If variety is your thing, Queen Victoria Market is where you should head on Wednesday nights during winter. Each week, the Winter Night Market offers a lineup of 30 food stalls serving up cuisine from around the world — there's pasta tossed in a wheel of parmesan, Italian loaded flatbreads and churro bowls topped with vanilla ice cream and hazelnut sauce and much more. Apart from the food, you can stay warm by sipping mulled wine and steaming hot cider, then dance along to live music, roving entertainment or at the silent disco. Over 50 maker stalls are also on the docket. And, in July, the market will take on a Christmas theme each week, with snow machines, decorations and the requisite ugly sweaters. Entry is free each and every week, too. [caption id="attachment_725156" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Peter Dillon[/caption] TUCK INTO HEARTY BOWLS OF PASTA AT LUPO There's nothing better on a cold night than a steaming bowl of hearty pasta. This winter, highly lauded chef Scott Pickett (Saint Crispin, Estelle, Pickett's Deli, Matilda) is bringing you just that. He's recently transformed his 60-seat Smith Street digs into a classic Italian diner. Lupo offers up the likes of spanner crab lasagne, squid ink linguine and black truffle risotto. The extensive wine list will warm you up, too, with over 120 wines to choose from. And the barrel-aged negroni is the perfect pre- or post-dinner pick-me-up. If spending the night at one of Collingwood's hottest new restaurants doesn't entice you out of the house this winter, we don't know what will. Switch to DiDi and save heaps of cash that you'd rather spend on the fun stuff — like indulgent wintry adventures. To start riding, download the app here and use the code CONCRETE to score up to $50 in vouchers. Image: Queen Victoria Winter Night Market.
In a few years, when someone hands you an Australian $5 note, that cold hard cash in your hand will look more than a little different. The nation's banknotes have undergone a makeover in the past few years, with a revamped $5 note doing the rounds since 2016 — but that same denomination is about to get another redesign to replace Queen Elizabeth II. Whether you pay for your coffees with actual money or you barely handle physical coins and notes, every Aussie knows that the late monarch's likeness adorns some of our legal tender, including our $5 note. Accordingly, with the Queen's passing in 2022, we all started wondering two things: whether we'd get a day off (answer: yes) and what's happening to our currency. Now, the Reserve Bank of Australia has announced that the $5 note will replace the portrait of the Queen, but not with King Charles III. Instead, in welcome news, one side of the note will feature "a new design that honours the culture and history of the First Australians". "This decision by the Reserve Bank Board follows consultation with the Australian Government, which supports this change," the organisation said in a statement. "The Bank will consult with First Australians in designing the $5 banknote. The new banknote will take a number of years to be designed and printed. In the meantime, the current $5 banknote will continue to be issued. It will be able to be used even after the new banknote is issued." The other side of the $5 note will remain unchanged, so it'll still boast an image of the Australian Parliament. That design features the Forecourt Mosaic, which is based on Michael Nelson Jagamara's Central Desert dot-style painting Possum and Wallaby Dreaming. As the Reserve Bank's statement makes plain, exactly how the new $5 note design will pay tribute to Australia's Indigenous culture and history hasn't yet been finalised. In the past, Australia's currency has featured imagery of Aboriginal rock paintings and carvings, and designs based on a bark painting by David Malangi Daymirringu, thanks to the original $1 banknote from 1966 — before that denomination was replaced with a gold coin. The Reserve Bank also issued a one-off $10 note as the nation's first-ever polymer banknote in 1988, which highlighted examples of ancient and contemporary Aboriginal art. And, the $50 banknote currently in circulation pays tribute to author, activist, inventor, musician, preacher and Ngarrindjeri man David Unaipon. For more information about Australia's currency and any changes, head to the Reserve Bank of Australia's website.
Google's glasses may be set to bring our eyes back up from the tiny screen, but until then we're happily on the path towards having a permanent earthbound gaze. It is no wonder then that our love for the portable, digital universe has caught the imagination of publishers seeking to enhance the quality of our heads-down attention. Enter Branches Publishing and their freshly sprouted, digital-only anthology of new Australian writing, Cuttings. Having budded from arts app composers The Nest, Branches Publishing launches with a well-designed experience for electronic letter lovers. Cuttings Issue Zero is now available for free on Apple and Android tablets and what you'll download is a time capsule about Australian life in 2013. Editors Angela Bennetts and Alice Fenton (of Even Books) have ensured that this memorial contains the right balance of humour and solemnity from a local suite of talented posteritists*, all presented with wit by senior designer Dave Fernandes. Every work in Issue Zero is shorter than a Borges and kept to its own page (there will be longer pieces from Issue One onwards in May), which is great news for the scrambled brains of overloaded content junkies. Some pieces are presented as contemporary artefacts, such as Sophie Braham's '2012 Job Description', which efficiently captures the plight of every 20/30-something in a 20km radius. Other works act as framing text for a series of curated hyperlinks — Wilfred Brandt's hypothesis of skateboarding as alien technology and Steph Harmon's historiography of dog fashion both succeed as tap-and-swipe pecha kucha equivalents. A result of these short pieces occupying their own pages is that your reading slows down. Your eyes will not melt from the fatigue of gleaning conversation pieces out of cluttered content sewers, and in turn you'll calm down enough to actually meditate on the world observed by Cuttings' contributors. This is a world populated by M.B. Windle's graphic epiphany about Hollywood's lies, Tessa Lunney's nostalgic dancers, and Max Lavergne's suggestion of what might happen should a savvy Mexican girl be dropped into the West Bank. Fernandes and the contributing illustrators and photographers have equally crafted something poetic. Cuttings is attractive in both landscape and portrait, and each piece is augmented by an interface design that reminds readers that they're looking at a tablet and not a print article with some hyperlinks. Two lovely visual effects pop up, for example, in A.H. Cayley's meditation on how ineffectual jacarandas are as barometers, and in Cleo Braithwaite's sketch of impending feline dominion. One slight tarnish is that as several of the articles are hyperlink-enhanced, you will need an active internet connection on your tablet to gain the full experience of Cuttings. Though copyright does make it difficult to include certain things in the downloaded content — such as a Taylor Swift video clip — Matt Roden's fantastic illustrations are bundled with the issue and pop up within the body of his words with an elegance that could ideally appear throughout the whole publication. That said, Cuttings has launched with an auspicious debut and stands to only gain in quality as it opens its submissions to a horde of head-bowed Australian talent. *this will be a real word when the time capsule is unearthed
When it comes to visiting a new city, it pays to have local knowledge. Without it you usually end up paying tourist dollar for shitty hamburgers, line up for 3 hours at the Louvre and get tricked into buying Chinese-made 'authentic' souvenirs. While you've probably visited the fine state of Queensland before, I'm sure you were quick to overlook the beauty that is Brisbane. You likely got the wrong impression that life's only a holiday for those on holiday in Whitsundays, and only tourists frequent Surfers Paradise. It takes one to know one and, we'll tell you now, our Brisbane has been experiencing a coming-of-age and it's hard to keep up with what's new, what's hot and what's not from one week to the next – so let us point you in the right direction. And heed this warning, Melbourne, this underdog is ready to (sun)shine. CENTRE: CBD The CBD is north of the river and would be a great spot to base yourself. If you like old stuff, pop by City Hall in King George Square. It's just reopened and you can take a free ride up the clock tower in the 1920's original lift. On Wednesdays the iconic Jan Power Farmers' Markets pop-up in Reddacliff Place, spruiking top quality chocolate, cakes, fresh produce, popcorn and dumplings among other things. For lunch, veer off Queen Street Mall and into Burnett Lane where you'll find Brew — a cool, but not pretentious, laneway bar, cafe and everything in-between. This place has a real urban feel and has perfected the art of both caffeinated and alcoholic drinks. Further along Burnett Lane is Super Whatnot, an intimate bar with an Americana influence. Stop here and admire the letterpress coasters. If you want to avoid the predictable clothing chains, stick to the skirts of Queen Street Mall. The surrounding Adelaide and Elizabeth Street Arcade boast boutiques, designers and The Dark Chocolatier. Try the Turkish Delight hot chocolate, also good luck controlling your impulse here. Later on, walk down to Eagle Street Pier for views of the Story Bridge and dining like no other, stop for a drink by Riverbar, eat at Pony or hop a little further along to Customs House for fine dining. Go to: Eagle Street Pier, Adelaide Street, Reddacliff Place, King George Square See: Jan Power Markets, Queens Street Mall shopping, City Hall, Story Bridge Eat: Vintaged, Brew, Pony, Customs House Coffee: Brew, Pourboy, The Dark Chocolatier Something Stronger: Brew, Super Whatnot, Riverbar NORTH: Fortitude Valley, New Farm, Hamilton Further afield is what we locals fondly call 'the Valley'. While this entertainment precinct has a slightly seedy underside, it's also the place to catch a live gig, eat excellent street food and drink at some fine establishments. One bar to tick off the bucket list is Cloudland. This place has the wow factor, it's just like stepping onto a set of The Great Gatsby — the greenery and crystals of this massive venue scream opulence. From here bar hop your way through New York-style The Bowery, before ending up at Alfred & Constance. This award-winning bar/restaurant/cafe is more like five venues stuck together with a tiki bar upstairs, a New York-style subway bar in the bunker and restaurant, cafe and late-night dessert bar on the main level. Set across two Queenslander-style homes, this is the place to see and be seen. We hear its sister venue Limes Hotel has just added hot tubs to its rooftop bar ... better hit the gym now. Dining here can be cheap. For Chinatown classics head to The Vietnamese, Thai Wi Rat or King of Kings Seafood for a feast. For more variety try next door in New Farm, a hip suburb filled with 20- to 30-somethings at all hours of the day. It's also the perfect spot for breakfast — try Pablo or Shucked. Spend an afternoon at the Brisbane Powerhouse for a show and drink by the river. They have free comedy and resident bands every Sunday. The James Street precinct boasts great local designer shopping, a delicious gourmet food market and some great restaurants. Newcomer Gerard's Bistro was recently named in The Australian's Hot 50 restaurants and serves killer Middle Eastern-influenced cuisine. Another not to be missed is a cake from Jocelyn's Provisions, and the boozy high tea at Chester St Bread Co. If you want an adventure on the CityCat — and let's face it, taking a ride on the river is one of the best ways to travel the city — zip over to Brett's Wharf and visit Portside at Hamilton. After dark this complex has a cinema, handful of good restaurants and every Friday and Saturday night a street food market will be popping up based out of shipping containers. Go to: Chinatown, Brunswick Street, James Street, New Farm Park See: Local designers, Chinatown Mall by night, live music, Brisbane Powerhouse, Eat: The Vietnamese, Jocelyns Provisions, Gerard's Bistro, Harajuku Gyoza Coffee: Fifth Battery, Campos Coffee, Pablo, Shucked Something Stronger: Cloudland, Bowery, Alfred & Constance, Limes Hotel SOUTH: South Bank, South Brisbane, West End South of the river is home to our 'cultural centre'. We've kept it convenient with two galleries, two museums, the state library, digital hub and performing arts centre all in one place — surrounded by parklands, city views, stacks of good restaurants and our city beach to boot. Easy, huh? Californian Design has just opened at QAG, GoMA has the White Forest out again, The Illusionists are at QPAC and Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures is at the museum. With so much to see and do you can easily spend a day in South Bank, but you'll definitely need a pitstop. For lunch with a view, walk through the parklands to dine at Aquitaine. Closer to the arts hub, dine at Ole or South Side Diner and then cool off at Streets Beach (fake beach in the middle of a city, how Queensland) before calling it a day. Also on the south side is West End. You certainly won't find broadway here but you will find excellent Greek food and even better bars. For a cheap feed head to Little Greek Taverna — it might be worth booking as this place super popular. For finer dining stop by The Gunshop Cafe. West End is home is the very popular mega boutique beer bar Archive as well as smaller cocktail bars Lychee and Sling. Two fresh faces on the scene, The End bar and Jungle are proving their worth too, and Char Char Yiros does a mean late-night feed. If you walk by Avid Reader pop in for coffee and a browse, and Box Vintage and is renowned for good finds. Go to: Cultural Centre, South Bank Parklands, Grey St, Boundary St, Stanley St See: QAG, GoMA, QPAC, museum, Wheel of Brisbane, Streets Beach, Avid Reader Eat: Depo, Little Greek Taverna, The Meatball Co., Aquitaine, Ole Coffee: Merriweather, South Side Diner, Hoo Ha Bar, Two Trees Something Stronger: Archive, Lychee, Ole, The End, Jungle, Sling EAST: Woolloongabba, East Brisbane, Bulimba I'm sure you've all heard of 'the Gabba' but there's much more to this suburb than a few test matches in summer. Woolloongabba is both an antique hub and the place to come for breakfast on weekends. The closed-to-traffic street in the 'gabba five-ways' is home to top spots Pearl Cafe, The Crosstown Eating House and Baker's Arms, and, in the surrounding area, Brown Dog Cafe and Moose & Gibson also do great things with eggs. Besides the number of antique shops dotted throughout the semi-industrial area, the Woolloongabba Antique Centre is a hub of around 100 dealers with lots of retro goods and a cafe inside. Finish up with a fancy dinner at 1889 Enoteca — you won't regret the gnocchi. A little further east, Oxford Street in Bulimba is worth a stroll. When you're not dodging sporty mums with strollers there are a bunch of boutique shops and cute cafes to pop by. Further along from the main village, The Hawthorne Garage is the cutest grocer you'll ever see – with special logo trolleys and baskets to boot – and Bungalow 4171 do a sweet all-day breakfast. Go to: Logan Road, Oxford Street See: Woolloongabba Antique Centre, antique shopping Eat: Pawpaw Cafe, The Crosstown Eating House, Moose & Gibson, 1889 Enoteca Coffee: Pearl Cafe, Brown Dog, Pawpaw cafe, Baker's Arms Something Stronger: Foxy Drop, Canvas WEST: Paddington, Rosalie, Red Hill, Milton Paddington is a quaint inner-city suburb that feels anything but inner-city. Perching on the top of a hill, Latrobe Terrace boast a string of great shopping – op shops, vintage, antiques, boutiques, designers – with great cafes in between. The suburb, and, more importantly, the main street, is made up of Queenslanders — wooden weatherboard houses with verandas, usually on stilts — that make this place iconic. Cafe-wise, and therefore breakfast-wise, you'll be spoilt for choice. Try Kettle + Tin, Hamptons Home Living or Little Brew. For the twilight hours head to Caxton Street, it's fairly easy to stumble upon the city's sportsmad bogans here but, as with every coming-of-age, this street (Suncorp Stadium's favourite drinking hole) is going through its own renaissance period too. Statler and Waldorf has only just opened to rave reviews as our first gastro pub and next door is Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall. Order the house specialty – whisky and fresh juiced apples – start tapping your knees and enjoy the saloon atmosphere with chandeliers, velvet and taxidermy bears. Go to: Latrobe Terrace, Caxton Street See: Queenslander homes, boutiques, op shops, vintage clothing, cute cafes Eat: Kettle + Tin, Le Bon Choix, Hamptons Home Living, Coffee: Little Brew, Small Talk, Black Cat Books Something Stronger: The Walrus Club, Lefty’s Old Time Music Hall, HANDY HINTS Buy a Go Card: they cost $5/10 for the card and you add credit. This gives you cheaper access to the bus, train and ferry network and every trip after your 9th is free every week. The card will allow you to catch the train to the Gold Coast, its theme parks or the Sunshine Coast too. In summer, bring a light jumper just in case but ditch the rest. In winter, perhaps pack one pair of jeans and a jacket. Look at Concrete Playground Brisbane's bar and restaurant directories for more eating and drinking.
If it's American footy or baseball you're after, Turf Bar might be the pick for you. Their schedule packs in a bit of everything and the facilities are good: big screens with volume loud enough to hear the match, and private screening booths if you so desire. Friday nights offer cheappints and bar snacks early on in the night.
When Touch played Australia's Scandinavian Film Festival, which fittingly fills cinemas around the country each winter, it wasn't the only feature from Iceland on the program. Of the four titles from the Nordic nation, however, two of the fellow movies around this tender romantic drama fell into the thriller category. Scandi noir has become its own genre, buoyed by the success of efforts across the Nordic region such as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and its sequels, and the likes of The Killing and The Bridge on TV. Icelandic television series Trapped also sits in the same camp, as created by one of its most-famous filmmaking names: director Baltasar Kormákur. Kormákur knows how to lean into the genre that the rest of the planet now considers synonymous with his part of the globe. He's also well-aware that there's far more to Iceland's screen output than its moodiest efforts, and how important it is to ensure that other tales are being told. An actor before moving behind the lens — and sometimes afterwards, including for himself — he's just as familiar with a recent trend among features from his homeland: movies with animal-themed titles (see: Of Horses and Men, Rams and Lamb). In comparison, Touch takes its own path, eschewing both noir and critters. That said, character-driven films are hardly new to the country; Kormákur has been there before himself, in fact, starting with his 2000 directorial debut 101 Reykjavík. Consider Touch a reminder, then, that crime-thrillers, the frosty landscape and the animals that live upon it are only a part of Iceland's storytelling. Hopping between Iceland, the UK and Japan, as well as between time periods, Kormákur's latest feature found its details on the page via the filmmaker's compatriot Ólafur Jóhann Ólafsson, who co-wrote the script — and its narrative spreads far beyond what's become regarded of late as typical Icelandic fare. It all kicks off in Reykjavík, where widower Kristófer (Egill Ólafsson, another Trapped alum) does indeed have a mystery to solve: the whereabouts of the woman he loved five decades earlier. In the late 60s, he was a student (played by the director's son Pálmi Kormákur, The Deep) in London who took a job in a Japanese restaurant, with a romance with his boss Takahashi-san's (Masahiro Motoki, Giri/Haji) daughter Miko (Kōki Kimura, Ushikubi Village) blossoming. Touch begins in 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic was shutting down existence as everyone knew it. Before he flies out to the UK, it also commences with Kristófer receiving an early-stage dementia diagnosis. As the film flits back and forth between the elder version of the character on his search for the Hiroshima-born Miko and his memories of their time together, it contemplates paths not taken, connections that will never fade, choices that haunt and emotions that last forever. It plunges, too, into one of the 20th century's horrors and its lingering ramifications. Kormákur also sees Touch as a picture about seeking closure, and knows how universal that idea is — and how cathartic Kristófer's journey is to watch. He feels that link personally. "As the years come in, it becomes a heavier burden," he tells Concrete Playground. "There are things — you did something wrong to somebody, or weren't fair or left a love relationship in the way you shouldn't, whatever it is — there's the need to rectify and close. Not to necessarily pick up. I don't think Kristófer is there to pick up and run around with a newfound love, no. It's about finding closure and understanding. I have very strong ties to that. That has come very a heavy burden in my life, which I didn't think much about when I was in my 20s and 30s." [caption id="attachment_970779" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kormákur hasn't just crafted a departure from the current Nordic norm. He's now spent decades jumping between both sides of the Atlantic, with English-language action and survivalist movies dotted across his resume. The Mark Wahlberg (The Union)-starring Contraband and 2 Guns, scaling mountainous heights in Everest, the also based-on-a-true-tale Adrift, Idris Elba (Hijack) fighting lions in Beast: they've all boasted Kormákur behind the lens, but he doesn't see himself as linked to or fascinated by any one genre.[/caption] We also chatted with the filmmaker about discovering Ólafsson's book and being inspired to turn it into a film, celebrating a different kind of Icelandic movie than the kind worldwide audiences are often seeing of late, juggling Touch's different locations and eras, and casting when you're telling a story across half a century. On Kormákur Coming Across the Novel and Knowing That He Wanted to Turn It Into a Film "It was given to me by my daughter as a present for Christmas. And I opened it right away and started reading, and I couldn't put it down. I think I read it in less than 24 hours. First, it took its time in the beginning, and then it just got me more and more and more. And there's something about the way that it reflects time and life through the two story threads. I also wanted to find a love story, but a real one to me, something that would mirror my experience in some way with love, because I've had a relationship with love for now 58 years. It was just a great vessel for that in the movie. It's also very unusual for Icelandic films to have these kind of cross-cultural references, and an opportunity of travelling through space and time." On Making an Icelandic Film Away From the Country's Frosty Landscape and the Nordic Noir Genre "I think it's very important. I think it's actually more important, possibly, than people realise in the moment. I think always when you break a little bit of boundaries in telling stories, it gives the young people who are coming after you a different perspective and opens up to them — 'yeah, well if that's an Icelandic film, then I can maybe do something of that kind or something different'. I think with small countries, often there is a tendency that there are certain kinds of films that are accepted and tend to be repeated. We've done a lot of films about domestic animals in Iceland. I think every title — we have Lamb, we have Rams, we have Of Horses and Men. It's all good, very good films, don't get me wrong, but at some point we're running out of domestic animal titles. So it was about time for something else. But also I come from a background of two nations. I'm half Spanish and half Icelandic. My parents actually met pretty much like Miko and Kristófer in the story — in a restaurant in Reykjavík as my father was passing through. He was a Spanish artist escaping Franco at the time, and he ran into my mother and he just stood up in the restaurant. He was coming in, she was working in the restaurant, and 18 days later they were to be married — and 60 years later they're still together. Unfortunately he has a bit of Alzheimer's, like the character. So there's a lot of things that connected me to the story on many levels. Also the need for closure, which is very important to me, and I feel like is coming harder and harder down on me — like the need to close certain chapters and stories and make peace with them." On Balancing Multiple Different Time Periods — and Hopping Between Iceland, the UK and Japan "It was very, very complicated in terms of shooting. People thought Everest was complicated, but this is actually more complicated because there's also three languages. But I love it. We are allowing more languages and more culture into films, and it's getting more accepted, and I think it's really important. And for me, it has to be in the language that these people would authentically be speaking to each other. Then the market comes next and says 'I'm not going to...' because there was this idea, somebody came and said 'what about if Kristófer is in England rather than Icelandic and we can just have him...'. And yeah, it would work, but that's not my story. So, that's very important. And of course, it's incredibly complicated to create a restaurant. A Japanese restaurant in England 1969, there are hardly any references. But by digging, we found actually a couple still alive that ran a restaurant — a Japanese couple, immigrants in England — that gave us a lot of information about their place. So, for me it was so much about all the preparation and work. We had Japanese people working with us from day one, everyone possible in Iceland in the Japanese embassy. And the respect — when you come from a small culture like Iceland, your country and your culture has been tarnished by Hollywood, just because they don't care. It's a small market. So the names are usually wrongly used, and there is not much authenticity to the story. But I think that's lazy. Because you can tell this is a good story, and even better, you can just little do a little homework and digging and learning about cultures. Also, I love the fact, and I didn't say that in the beginning, that this story leads you to one of the most horrific acts in history, war crimes in history, in such a different and unique way. It's just to one victim that wasn't even born at the time of the bombing, and it affects a life of an Icelandic guy whose whole life is affected by this. So this choice of taking just a single view, when I read the book, I didn't see that coming — an Icelandic novel dealing with the aftermath of Hiroshima." On Casting When You're Working with Both Younger and Older Versions of the Same Characters "For me, it's more about finding the right person for its purpose. I wasn't necessarily chasing that it had to be totally aligned for Kristofer — for me, it's more important that the actors are right for the role and for their purpose, and then matching them up. It was very important for the younger actors that they would sit on the baseline in the role. They don't have to be playing someone else. They'll allow you to come closer, because falling in love is an intimate thing. And I wasn't going for the sexual version, I was going for the sensual version of it. And for me, it's very innocent and you have to allow the camera into the act rather than him playing it for you. And I think I chose the two of them from that perspective, the young cast. On the other hand, it was very important to me — I told you about my father — Egill reminds me a little bit of my father. A very nicely dressed man, even in his Alzheimer's and the fog of that, he always carries himself with some grace. Egill used to be the sex symbol of Iceland. He used to be this big singer and actor. All my youth, everyone knew who Egill was. Then, he now actually has Parkinson's, and it's just changed his whole demeanour. He's very gentle and he steps to the earth very carefully. I learned this about him, and I thought he was absolutely perfect for the role. It's just something about the grace and I wanted him to be romantic in a way, but not somebody you would feel sorry for — actually, you can go on this journey and you can want him to have his closure." On the Approach to Flitting Across Genres When Your Career Jumps Between Romance, Action, Thrillers, Survivalist Tales and More "I do not look at genre in the beginning of choosing a project. If something, like with Beast, I've been fascinated with lions all my life since I was a kid. I loved pictures of lions when I was a kid. When I got Everest, it was like 'this is like me walking to school in Iceland every day'. There are certain things that you just are drawn to, and then the genre comes around it. And then everyone, people are like 'oh, he's the action guy, he's the survival guy'. I've had so many versions of 'guy'. But for me, I just choose the project that I'm drawn to and genre is something that it comes after, and I work with that. I understand that genre or tone is very important. But I have many genres inside of me. I am an athlete in some ways, when I was younger. But I'm also a lover. These are two genres inside of me. So I'm full of genres, and I just don't want to limit myself to one thing. It's not conscious, to be honest. It's just when projects — like when I read this book, I love this book. I want to do it and then I do it. And then I let the specialists analyse it." Touch opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, August 22, 2024. Images: Lilja Jonsdottir and Baltasar Breki Samper / © 2024 FOCUS FEATURES LLC.
Danny Harley, the alternative electronic producer and performer better known as The Kite String Tangle, has just released his debut EP Vessel, which debuted at #8 on the ARIA charts and #2 on the iTunes charts. That's not a bad effort for your first solo release, not bad at all. TKST rampaged onto the Australian music scene last year with 'Given The Chance', which landed an impressive place at #19 on last year's Hottest 100. Second single 'Arcadia' — a tale of a relationship that is trying to go back to 'the way things were' with little success — was met with an overwhelmingly positive response. With his ethereal electronic sound and subtle but emotional lyrics, Harley creates a world that we're more than happy to get lost in. As of this week, Harley embarks on a massive national tour; with most of his shows sold out already. We had a chat with the super talented young man about songwriting, his musical influences and his favourite track from Vessel. Your music bas been described as emotionally-driven pop music. What comes first, the lyrics or the beats? Definitely the beats. I guess people wouldn't really expect that but it feels so natural to me to write beats and melodies on synths before writing lyrics. Lyrics almost always come last, which is kind of strange. You have been touring incessantly this year, where do you write music? At home or on the road? Pretty much wherever I can really. I try to write as often as I can on my laptop, which is obviously pretty portable so you can write in hotel rooms or at soundchecks. Whenever I get a big stint at home I try to translate those to the studio and fill them out a bit. That's probably another reason why I write beats first. Your EP debuted at #2 on the iTunes charts, and #8 on the ARIA charts, congrats! How do you feel? It's pretty awesome! I didn't really know what to expect, I haven't had a release like this. I had done one song and it gradually built over six months, so for this it was more like 'Today's the day!' I mean, it's just absurd; I didn't know that could happen. Before now you were in the band Pigeon, but before that, how did you get your start in music? I started playing bass in a band when I was twelve and we lived in the UK. We did Green Day covers and played songs, just generally being rad. I've pretty much been trying to do music ever since. https://youtube.com/watch?v=oMP-X1USOFE 'Given the Chance' was a hugely popular debut, was that reaffirming for you and your musical direction? Yes and no. I didn't exactly know what it was about it that people liked. I troubled myself with that for a little while, then I decided that I don't need to know that; I should just write music I like — if they like it, they like it. It's one of those weird things, it's unpredictable. Previously I had been in high energy bands, and then this one was my chill zone musically. Everything I write is more chilled out down-tempo stuff. In that respect, then yeah, for sure it was reaffirming that it was the right direction. Vessel is an extremely strong, considered EP. Any tracks that you are particularly fond/proud of? There's a track called 'What If' — it's actually one that I did start off with the melody and lyrics first, which I never do. Three months later I translated it into a song that was more stylistically appropriate for the project. It's one that has stuck with me and I still like it now, which usually means it has a bit of longevity. I'm waiting to see what other people think. It's probably more like what the album will sound like as well. Wait, have you already started working on your album? You just released your EP! I know! (laughs). I kind of finished the EP two months ago. I figured the sooner I get started on the album the more songs I'll have to choose from and it can be the best that it can possibly be. You're the triple threat, singer, songwriter and producer. Any plans for collaboration in the future? Yeah for sure, I love collaborating. I think it's really cool because you end up with something you wouldn't have if you were doing it on your own, even if you tried really hard. I'm always open to writing with other artists if it's the right fit, and I'm definitely teeing up a few right now, I want to approach it like 'If it's good, it's good.' Then we'll work out what we'll use it for. You do some cracking remixes, How do you chose what to remix? One or two that I've done I chose the song, and then I've done three or four because people approached me asking if I'll do it. I said 'Hells yeah. I'll do it!' I haven't done a remix in a while and I'm trying to make it more of a thing that I do, but I'll balance it with my original output. I don't want to release too many and I want to choose the right people to work with and to remix. You did a fantastic playlist for Indie Shuffle 'Music for people with feelings'. Would you include those artists as musical influences? Yes, all of those people are hugely influential on my music. I'm a big fan of all of them. For that playlist I tried to throw in a few Australian ones as well. I'm definitely influenced by the beatsy kind of dudes like Bonobo, Jamie XX, Four Tet and John Hopkins. Then from a songwriting point of view I love The xx, London Grammar, James Blake, SBTRKT; they're very song-based, less beatsy and have a really strong foundation of a song — good lyrics, good melody. Finally you're about to embark on a huge national tour next week, what are you plans for the rest of the year? At the end of the tour, which wraps up around September 20, we're just locking in USA tour dates and then hopefully UK tour dates shortly after that. Around mid-November I'll come back here; I have a DJ set in Fiji, then it's writing album time after that. The Kite String Tangle Tour Dates: Sep 6 — The Corner Hotel, Melbourne (SOLD OUT) Sep 7 —The Corner Hotel, Melbourne (SOLD OUT) Sep 12 —Manning Bar, Sydney (SOLD OUT) Sep 17 — Telstra Spiegeltent, Brisbane (SOLD OUT) Sep 18 —Telstra Spiegeltent, Brisbane (SOLD OUT)
