Eleven days of soccer action kick off in Darling Harbour this month. Held on a floating football pitch in Cockle Bay, the Big Issue Street Football Festival will bring together players and fans from across the country. The inaugural event in 2011 welcomed 600 participants in no less than 148 football matches, and this year's festival promises to be even bigger. Incorporating government, corporate and junior events, the festival spans a range of competitions, including the national championships of the Big Issue’s Community Street Soccer Program. The program supports disadvantaged people who are experiencing homelessness, disability and long-term unemployment. Check out the full event program for dates of and details on other matches.
Pick your poison, action-franchise edition circa 2023: balletically choreographed carnage; cars, kin and Coronas; or Tom Cruise constantly one-upping himself in the megastar stunts stakes. Hollywood loves them all. Cinemas keep welcoming them all. So, after John Wick: Chapter 4 and Fast X comes Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One to deliver the kind of movie spectacle that always looks best on the biggest and brightest of silver screens. And, as its lead actor's gleaming teeth do, the seventh instalment in the TV-to-film spy series shines. Like Cruise himself, it's committed to giving audiences what they want to see, but never merely exactly what they've already seen. This saga hasn't always chosen to accept that mission, but it's been having a better time of it since 2011's Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, including when writer/director Christopher McQuarrie jumped behind the lens with 2015's Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. McQuarrie and Cruise have history; McQuarrie first helmed Cruise in 2012's Jack Reacher, and also penned or co-penned the screenplays for the Cruise-starring Valkyrie, Edge of Tomorrow, The Mummy and Top Gun: Maverick before and during their Mission: Impossible collaboration. Prior to that, however — the year before Mission: Impossible was reborn as a movie, in fact — the filmmaker won an Oscar for writing The Usual Suspects. Take the puzzle-like trickery of that mid-90s big-reveal mystery, combine it with Cruise's determination to score the first Academy Award for Best Stunts if and when it's ever introduced (or die trying), and it's plain to see why they make an ace Mission: Impossible pair. With both 2018's Mission: Impossible – Fallout and now Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One in particular, they ensure that a franchise based on a half-century-old formula courtesy of Mission: Impossible's television days still feels fresh and thrilling. Rubber masks so realistic that anyone on-screen could rip off their face to reveal Cruise's Ethan Hunt? Of course they're present and accounted for. Espionage antics that involve saving the world while traversing much of it? Tick that off ASAP. The saga's main Impossible Missions Force operative doing whatever it takes, including sprinting everywhere and relentlessly exasperating his higher-ups? Check. A trusty crew faithfully aiding the always-maverick Hunt, plus slippery adversaries to endeavour to outsmart? Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One gives them a hefty thumbs up as well. Shady forces with globe-destroying aims, being able to trust oh-so-few folks, wreaking slickly staged havoc, those jaw-dropping stunts, top-notch actors: Cruise and McQuarrie, the latter co-writing with Erik Jendresen (Ithaca), feel the need to feed it all into the flick, too. They're also rather fond of nodding to and reworking the franchise's greatest hits. Happily playing with recognisable pieces while eagerly, cleverly and satisfyingly building upon them isn't the easiest of skills, but it's firmly in this team's arsenal. When Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation labelled Hunt "the living manifestation of destiny", it wasn't the series' finest piece of dialogue. There's a sense of humour about hearing him called "a mind-reading, shape-shifting incarnation of chaos" in Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, though. That description could also be directed at Hunt, Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames, Legacy) and Benji Dunn's (Simon Pegg, The Boys) latest timely enemy: The Entity, an artificial intelligence that's literally killer. Unlike in The Terminator flicks, this AI is content without mechanical bodies to control. Whether in Russian submarines, Abu Dhabi's airport or on careening trains, it does a commanding job of bending both computer programs and people to its will. The aim: to secure that power, a quest that Hunt is on a mission to thwart. Returning from the OG 1996 movie, IMF head Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny, Scream VI) initially gives Hunt and company their orders — and once this troupe has been set in motion, little can stop it. So, when the crew punches its "get disavowed by the government again" card, they still stick to the task of tracking down the two-part key that The Entity wants. Terrorist Gabriel (Esai Morales, How to Get Away with Murder) and assassin Paris (Pom Klementieff, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) are on the AI's side. Jasper Briggs (Shea Whigham, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) is among the US operatives trying to bring in Hunt. Back from the last instalment, arms dealer White Widow (Vanessa Kirby, The Son) has her own plan, while ex-MI6 agent Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson, Silo) appears in her third flick in a row to again link in with the usual team. Then there's pickpocket Grace (Hayley Atwell, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), a newcomer who is accustomed to flying solo. Atwell and Klementieff are scene-stealing additions to the cast, and the always-great Ferguson has been a standout since Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. Still, as has been teased, talked about and splashed across Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One's poster, Cruise is the one actually physically soaring. What would a Mission: Impossible movie be without flaunting its riskiest stunt, as performed by its stratospheric name himself, as audience bait? Not a McQuarrie-era chapter, that's for sure. When the scene arrives, getting Cruise riding a motorcycle off a towering cliff in an effort to land aboard the hurtling Orient Express, it is indeed breathtaking — and a gripping, nerve-shredding sight to behold. It isn't alone, though, thanks to a tense underwater opening, cat-and-mouse airport antics, Arabian desert horse chases, Fiat-driving Italian Job-style Rome romps and the high-stakes hijinks on Agatha Christie's favourite locomotive itself. Cinematographer Fraser Taggart (Robot Overlords) and editor Eddie Hamilton (back from the last two movies), plus the entire stunt team, help shoot, splice and execute these setpieces rivetingly. Repeatedly besting past Mission: Impossible action triumphs? Mission: accomplished. Twenty-seven years, notching up three pictures now with McQuarrie at the helm, and with Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part Two obviously on the way (arrival: June 2024), there's a well-oiled air to Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One. That said, to run so smoothly requires care, aka someone doing the oiling, which is why there's rarely a well-worn moment or element be seen. Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One covers some ground that John Wick: Chapter 4 and Fast X already have in 2023 (and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny as well). It eagerly nods to its own past. And it knows that Cruise could just cruise-control his way through, as could his co-stars, if they wanted. Its biggest feat? Lifting everything that it does, and that a Mission: Impossible flick must, again and again so that seeming routine proves, yes, impossible. There's no self-destruction here — just devotion to an intense and entertaining action extravaganza.
Circular Quay is ushering in the Year of the Dog with the unveiling of five new lanterns in its Lunar Lanterns exhibition, which runs from February 16 through February 25. The complete artwork includes all 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac, with the free exhibition spanning from the Sydney Opera House all the way to Chinatown. The five larger-than-life new lanterns include an animated dog, designed by Chinese-Australian artist Song Ling and situated on the Opera House's western boardwalk; a massive 13-metre tall dragon that sits on the front lawn of the MCA; a resting tiger atop the Circular Quay ferry terminal; a pig lantern constructed from 1000 individual pigs, located at Cadman's Cottage in The Rocks; and two additional four-metre-tall dog lanterns that guard the entrance to Chinatown's Dixon Street Mall. Sydney's 22nd annual Chinese New Year Festival is the largest outside of Asia, with an estimated 1.4-million people expected to join the festivities from February 16 through March 4.
Fancy the SXSW Sydney experience without stretching your budget? As part of the event's inaugural trip Down Under, all things SXSW are taking over Tumbalong Park — and for free. That includes seeing movies under the stars without paying a cent, with the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival setting up an outdoor cinema for four nights. Alongside indoor sessions at Darling Harbour Theatre and Palace Cinemas Central, these outside screenings are popping up at the SXSW Sydney 2023 hub in Tumbalong Park. On the program: a small survey the OG fest's best and brightest. Since SXSW added its film component in 1994, playing at the Austin fest has been a filmmaker's dream — so the Sydney event has picked four big highlights to share with the Harbour City. The SXSW Sydney Outdoor Cinema will get its projector whirring for the first time at 8pm on Monday, October 16 with classic anime masterpiece Ghost in the Shell, then follow it up at 8pm on Tuesday, October 17 with records and romance courtesy of the OG High Fidelity. Come 8pm on Thursday, October 19, Richard Linklater's Dazed & Confused will get a whirl. And to wrap it all up at 8pm on Saturday, October 21? Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's What We Do in the Shadows — the movie, not the also-ace TV show. If you're keen to make the most of Australia's first SXSW, take advantage of our special reader offer. Purchase your SXSW Sydney 2023 Official Badge via Concrete Playground Trips and you'll score a $150 credit to use on your choice of Sydney accommodation. Book now via the website.
We all know them, the mad-keen foodie that just loves to be as hands-on as possible. They find joy in hand-kneading flour, eggs and water into a silky smooth pasta dough, crafting craft brews and creating a full (and fantastic) experience around their meal times. If one such person is on your giftee list this festive season, we've done the legwork for you. And there's no better place to start than with BrewArt. The hops-loving team has made it their mission to make the art (and science) of at-home brewing as fuss-free as possible — meaning the amateur brewer in your life will be pouring stand-out sips every single batch. In the spirit of the holiday season, together with BrewArt, we've compiled a list of stand-out gifts to get that hands-on foodie in your life. BREWART BeerDroid AND BrewFlo, From $799 What better to gift your foodie than a world first? BrewArt's BeerDroid — the first fully automated personal brewer — is single handedly turning amateur frothies into pub-quality pours, every time. And the BrewArt app means they'll be overseeing their brew from wherever they are. So if you know the next master brewer or are simply looking for the ideal gift for a DIY foodie (who is partial to an arvo at the pub), consider your gift chosen. Go all out and pick up the BrewFlo, too. In-house (read: at home), they'll have up to 10 ice-cold litres of IPA, XPA, pale ale or kolsch on its way to a glass with a pub-perfect frothy head — every time. With no need for CO2 (another world first) and a handy LCD screen control — it's thirst-quenchingly good. [caption id="attachment_879951" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Luisa Brimble[/caption] PIG & PILGRIM PARILLA, $3150 Whether you're gifting a carnivore or someone that simply loves cooking with smoky flavours and hot coals, a parilla from Pig & Pilgrim is an exceptional choice to pop under the tree. Pictured above is The Sideburn, the "grand dame" of the Sydney-based biz's range of South American-style charcoal barbecues. Featuring a brasero in addition to a grill, this big bit of machinery is designed for longer cooks — with the easy option of creating more coals as you're roasting away. From experimenting with the amount of heat and smoke used to grill shrimps on the barbie, setting up chicken yeeros over red-hot coals and impressing morning guests with an al fresco shakshuka, the die-hard foodie in your life will be all set for the new year. Plus, there are options that pack less of a financial punch, including The Farrow —the small, portable grill that's ideal for any happy camper in your life. NOT WASTED JUICE CLUB MEMBERSHIP, From $99 Alongside good food, you must have good sips — and when it comes to natty wines, the good folks at Not Wasted are the people to turn to. Not only do they sling out bottles from both Aussie and international producers, they dive deep into the best (and most eco-friendly) viticulture practices and then share it with the world. If you've got an oenophile in your life that you'd love to gift a drop to, or you know a foodie that's looking to level up their wine knowledge, sign them on up to Not Wasted's Juice Club. With four size options — three bottles or six, for newbies or wine snobs — and the flexibility to pick the frequency of deliveries, your favourite foodie will receive a curated collection of vinos. A rare gem, a red that's ripe for the chilling or maybe something funky, they'll be pouring stand-out drops all year long. GOZNEY ROCCBOX, $799 There's something about a homemade pizza that absolutely hits. Whether it's the overarching process — from kneading the dough to having complete creative control over the toppings — or the winning combo of cheese and carbs straight from the oven, it's a universally adored experience. And taking it up a notch is the red-hot Roccbox from Gozney. Turning the heat up to 500°C, this tabletop pizza oven is cute, portable and a cinch to use. We're sure your lucky recipient will be inviting you over for a slice in no time — a delicious return on your investment. [caption id="attachment_879952" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Meg Yonson[/caption] FAT TUESDAYS CHOPPING BOARD, $110 Although prepping food comes nowhere near the enjoyment factor of chowing down, having fun and functional tools is a must. Enter Fat Tuesdays, the creators of constantly sold-out, hand-made chopping boards artfully made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic (that's both sourced and repurposed in Sydney). The range comes in four delightfully named colourways: birthday cake, guacamole, sherbet and raspberry jam, and we hear there are more on the way. If you've got your eyes on one of these beauties — for yourself or a friend — the last release of the year hits the shop early December, be quick. PASTA-MAKING CLASS, Varies A pasta class — taught by the pros — is as much a gift for your loved one as it is for you. Teach them to make fresh homemade pasta and you'll likely get to reap the rewards yourself (letting them do all the hard work of cooking — just like they like). Fussili, orecchiette, mafaldine, good old classic gnocchi — there are more pastas in the world than can be truly mastered in one lifetime, so even if they're an old hand, there'll be new tricks for them to learn. Grab them a gift card to one of the following spots and they'll be kneading flour, eggs and water in no time. Sydneysiders, Pasta Emilia (pictured above) is your best bet, Brisbanites can (and should) head to Fortitude Valley's Angelo's Pasta Classes, and Melburnians can make a beeline straight for La Cucina di Sandra. STYLE-HEAVY SERVING ACCESSORIES, Varies As your foodie fave will surely attest, plating up is as important (if not, nearly as important) as the food on said plate. So, any of the style-heavy objects that Maison Balzac, the Aussie experts in artful glassware and more, produces are a winning pressie. Maybe a set of gin and tonic glasses with a delicate citrus hit via a little glass slice of lime, some sea-blue glass plates or a celebratory set of tumblers (that, just quietly, would hold a frothy pour of beer quite nicely). VINTEC WINE FRIDGE, $899 If we're talking tech for foodies, a Vintec is nearing on essential. A temperature-controlled room to store your 35-bottle collection? Lush. Although they're not technically fridges, they basically are. Temperature and humidity are regulated, plus the bottles (and their precious drops) will be protected from both UV and vibrations — all the variables that can spoil your wine are controlled. It doesn't hurt that they look a bit alright, too. Hardcore wine lovers will already have one of these on their wish list. Got a foodie in your life? A beer lover? Ensure you're their fave with the help of BrewArt's frothy expertise and tech. Head to the website to get your order in, stat.
October is made for weird, wild and wonderful movies filled with shocks and scares. 'Tis Halloween season, after all. So, the world obliges, including on screens big and small — and, in 2023, via the return of Australia's genre film festival Monster Fest, which is dedicated to flicks of the spooky, dark, twisted, offbeat and out-there variety. Monster Fest doesn't always pop up in the month when everyone is worshipping pumpkins and thinking about costumes; however, the timing obviously couldn't be more perfect. In Sydney, it's heading to Event Cinemas George Street between Friday, October 27–Sunday, October 29. On the lineup: the latest and greatest in genre filmmaking, spanning horror, sci-fi, comedies with elements of either and all-round unnerving movies. Standouts titles on the 2023 program include Suitable Flesh, which stars Heather Graham (Extrapolations) as a doctor going mad, takes its inspiration from HP Lovecraft and boasts Joe Lynch (Creepshow) behind the lens; The Last Video Store, a horror-comedy set, yes, in one of the last video stores; and Norwegian flick There's Something in the Barn, about a gnome uprising that plagues an American family (including Party Down's Martin Starr) who've relocated to Scandinavia. Or, there's also sci-fi comedy Time Addicts, Australian slasher Bloodmoon getting a 4K restoration 33 years after its OG release and Trim Season's nightmarish trip to a weed farm.
Carriageworks is a hotbed for a diverse cultural program, and the latest event to transform the former Eveleigh Rail Yards is At First Sight, a brand-new music event curated by FBi Radio's Marty Doyle that provides a utopia for music-lovers. At First Sight is part record fair, part live gig, and all entertainment. The all-ages event offers a chance to flip through records from a variety of the city's best independent record stores, labels and private dealers, entirely for free. Maybe you will find a hidden treasure or something completely new and unexpected — just let the magic of the crates consume you. Then you can head inside for a live gig from noon and catch a collection of Australia’s most captivating independent musicians including HTRK, who will be playing material fresh from the studio; psychedelic Sydneysiders The Laurels; Melbourne quintet Beaches; and garage pairing Super Wild Horses amongst many more, all for just $35. Independent record stores and live music venues have seen better days in Sydney, so At First Sight provides a perfect opportunity to get out and celebrate music. Whether you are want to find an old classic or fall in love with a band at first sight, or both, you can do it here. So why not enjoy some of the most exciting contemporary Australian bands and DJs before picking up a record or two to spin until the early hours of the morning. Why do we have such an enduring love of vinyl? Read more.
In the year 2024, some of the most fun to be had with your fellow humans is via the medium of video games, where just about any experience can be found and shared with friends in worlds well beyond our imagination. With the current generation of gaming consoles, we've also got access to technical and creative wonders, many of which offer some truly memorable gameplay experiences to be found alone or with others. We're here to discuss the latter today, so let's talk about six of the most entertaining multiplayer games on the market today. Deep Rock Galactic What do you get when you combine Dwarves, a deep space mining company with heavy quotas, thousands of angry alien bugs and robots, and a deep lack of respect for workplace safety standards? You get Deep Rock Galactic. Created by Danish studio Ghost Ship Games, this first-person cooperative shooter puts you and up to three of your friends in the boots of Dwarven miners, fired deep into the caves of Hoxxes IV — the most valuable (and dangerous) planet in the galaxy. DRG follows an extremely replayable format: pick one of the four playable classes, pick a contract in one of the planet's seven procedurally-generated biomes and do your best to survive. The objectives range from simple ore mining to cleaning up plague-infested meteors and advanced industrial sabotage. The rewards? Money, gear upgrades, stylish clothing for your dwarves and most importantly, beer. Available on PC, Xbox One/Series S/X, PlayStation 4/5 Party Animals Sometimes in games we just really want something silly. That is exactly what Party Animals is: a silly game to be played with silly people. Released in 2023 by Chinese studio Recreate Games, Party Animals echoes the couch-coop beat-'em-up games of old but with a next-gen flair and fresh takes on the genre. In Party Animals, you and up to seven friends step into the shoes of adorable cartoon animals and play games in one of three modes: in Last Stand teams of two punch, kick and fight to be the last team standing; in Team Score two teams compete to achieve the highest score on the same challenge; finally Arcade combines a variety of unique maps and challenges to make things messy for everyone. Every map drops in weapons to help you disarm and knock out enemies. Once dead, you can fight on by periodically throwing in small objects that distract and knock out anyone they hit, friend or foe. Play online against other players or create a private lobby (online or local) for just your friends. The choices are endlessly silly and all yours. Available on PC, Xbox One/Series X/S Helldivers 2 If you've been paying attention to video games in 2024 in any way at all, there's a good chance you've heard of Helldivers 2. A sequel to the 2015 top-down shooter Helldivers, this third-person shooter comes from Arrowhead Game Studios and Sony Interactive Entertainment. You and up to three friends are Helldivers, elite soldiers of Super Earth who are tasked with spreading democracy to the planets of the insectoid Terminids and Terminator-esque Automatons. You'll do so via orbital insertion, heavy firepower and a whole lot of panicked screaming. Mission objectives range from destroying Terminid eggs to rescuing scientists and detonating nuclear weapons, all in the name of freedom. Every mission contributes to a shared community goal. Players work together to liberate planets — and enemies work to prevent them. Once you or your enemies win enough battles, the fight moves to a new planet for every single player. At the time of writing, the developers are working to increase server capacities. Be warned: you may encounter issues. Available on PC, PlayStation 5 Sea of Thieves Your first thought may be, hold on, Sea of Thieves... that came out a while ago, didn't it? It's true, Sea of Thieves was originally released in March 2018 by UK studio Rare, but it's been receiving a steady stream of updates ever since, and this writer, who's played since its release, can personally confirm the game has never been in a better state. Sea of Thieves is an online first-person adventure game, where you and up to three of your friends can crew a pirate ship in a vast playground of ocean dotted by over 70 handcrafted islands. You can sail one of three ships (built for crews of two, three and four) exploring the seas and completing voyages for several trading companies. Each offers different objectives (find buried treasure, track a missing merchant shipment, hunt a crew of undead pirates) and different cosmetic rewards. Since launch, the developers have added new islands, boss fights, voyage types, ship customisation options, weapons, enemies, narrative voyages (some original, some tying in with properties like Pirates of the Caribbean) and much more. Available on PC, Xbox One/Series X/S, releasing on PlayStation 5 on April 30. Moving Out 2 If only moving home was as entertaining as this 2023 game from Sydney developers SMG Studios and Swedish developers DevM Games. Moving Out 2 is the sequel to 2020's Moving Out, a hit coop game that puts players in the shoes of a moving business, entrusting you to carry, drag, pivot, throw and otherwise shift the furniture and belongings of its customers. In each level, you must move a certain number of objects from the home into the van under a time limit while being sure not to break too many things. Some objects, like a picture frame or cardboard box, can be carried alone, but larger items require two or more players to be successfully moved. Moving Out 2 improves on the original title in a few ways, adding singleplayer gameplay and online coop of up to four players (the first only supported local coop), and extra complexities to levels like one-way doors, teleporters and time-limited passages to hinder your efforts. Available on PC, Xbox One/Series X/S, PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch Dying Light 2: Stay Human Originally released in 2022 by Polish developer Techland, Dying Light 2: Stay Human is a sequel to 2014's Dying Light and picks up over 20 years after the events of the first game, with a deadly zombie virus having wiped out civilisation as we know it. The game can be played start to finish in singleplayer or online with up to three other players and is built around two core systems. Firstly, parkour. Dying Light 2: Stay Human is set in a city overrun by zombies and dangerous humans, and you'll need to use every surface and structure to your advantage as you run, jump, dive, roll under, flip over, swing, glide and stunt your way all over town. Secondly, a day-night cycle. The danger exists 24/7, but night sees deadly nocturnal zombie variants take to the streets, making some areas deadlier and others safer than they are during the day. The campaign is layered with choices that literally shape the world, so the city in your friends' games may look very different to your own. Dying Light 2: Stay Human has seen many updates since launch, with various technical improvements made alongside new systems and playable content added. Grab your three bravest friends for this one. Good night and good luck. Available on PC, Xbox One/Series X/S, PlayStation 4/5 If you're after more gaming recommendations, check out our most anticipated indie games due for release this year.
Balmy summer evenings should only be spent outdoors. As darkness descends, roll out that picnic blanket, grab a basket of snacks and settle in; it's Sunset Cinema season. Now in its third year at North Sydney Oval, IMB's annual under-the-stars event is set to deliver Sydneysiders eight weeks of open-air entertainment. Blown up on the state-of-the-art inflatable screen are a stellar selection of new releases and crowd favourites. Opening with the hit action flick The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One, the program sports something for everyone. Get swept away in the code-cracking world of The Imitation Game, or belt out the ballads of Disney's soon-to-be classic Frozen (that's right, in sing-along style). With beanbags, gourmet burgers and an on-site bar, you'll struggle to settle for an ordinary cinema experience after these laidback screenings.
Nestled into a leafy pocket of Brisbane's western suburbs, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary already boasts the honour of being the world's first and largest koala sanctuary. It's a tourist destination and a favourite with locals, as well as a great place to cuddle a koala — including on Christmas Day if you're looking to for something other than the usual festive celebrations. From November, it'll become a new spot to see animals by night, too, with the Fig Tree Pocket venue announcing the addition of an nocturnal precinct. Opening on Wednesday, November 1, Lone Pine's latest reason to drop by will hero Australia's nocturnal wildlife and offer night-time experiences. The animal haven is gaining seven exhibit spaces, which will become home to ten species. On the list: tree kangaroos, potoroos and pademelons, plus bandicoots, bettongs and more. Half of the residents of the nocturnal precinct will be new species to Lone Pine, with patrons able to peer their way using portable thermal imaging cameras. The experience is designed around not disrupting the critters — so, no torches beamed their way. If you're keen, you'll be able to sign up for a tour that'll run for 90 minutes three times a week, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Each group will welcome 20 visitors. As well as the nocturnal precinct, Lone Pine is also gaining a new kilometre-long accessible boardwalk. Part of a $3.2-million project, the new additions further expand a venue where getting up close and personal with wildlife — not just by cuddling a koala, but also by holding an owl, touching snakes, and watching everything from kangaroos, wombats and echidnas to birds of prey, turtles and even Tasmanian devils — is on offer. "Australia has some of the world's most unique wildlife and being able to discover their natural behaviours after dark will be an experience like no other — it's a secret world some of our staff haven't even seen!" said Lone Pine General Manager Lyndon Discombe. "In addition to the night experience, we're very excited to offer our animals beautiful new exhibit spaces, perfectly reflecting their natural habitat. The new precinct is situated among our working eucalyptus plantation, so although you are only 12 kilometres from the CBD, it feels like you're in the middle of the Australian bush," Discombe continued. "Opened almost 100 years ago as a koala refuge, Lone Pine Sanctuary has an enduring reputation among overseas and Australian visitors as a Brisbane bucket list destination," added Queensland Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe, with the state government contributing $1.2 million to the new additions. "Lone Pine's night-time precinct opens up an entirely new dimension in marsupial experiences for visitors to discover in one of Queensland's great tourism destinations." Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary's nocturnal precinct opens on Wednesday, November 1 at 708 Jesmond Road, Fig Tree Pocket, Brisbane. Head to the venue's website for more information and bookings.
The Ingenia Holiday Parks Sydney Family Easter Show is returning to the Showring at Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park, bringing 18 jam-packed days of Easter fun to the Eastern Suburbs. Running daily from 10am on Thursday, 2 April through to 4pm on Sunday, 19 April, the Ingenia Holiday Parks Sydney Family Easter Show delivers the Easter Show traditions families love in one value day out. With entry priced between $15–$30, three-hour unlimited ride passes available for $50, Easter Egg Hunt tickets for $15, and two hours of free parking on site, it's an affordable way to make some new Easter memories. Headlining the 2026 program is Sydney's Biggest Easter Egg Hunt. This interactive, Easter-themed adventure invites kids to hunt for hidden treasures before going into the draw for a Giant $2,000 Easter Basket Giveaway. One lucky family will score a prize pack filled with family-friendly goodies, including an Ingenia Holiday Parks travel voucher. You could turn your Easter outing into a future family holiday. Also new for 2026 is the Outback Jack Stockman Show, a thrilling live performance showcasing horsemanship, working sheep dogs, and traditional whip cracking. It joins a packed entertainment lineup featuring a high-energy motorcycle and bike stunt show complete with gravity-defying tricks, live stage performances, and music throughout the day, plus a daily reptile show where kids can learn about fascinating (and slimy) creatures up close. Beyond the big-ticket entertainment, the Ingenia Holiday Parks Sydney Family Easter Show is brimming with family fun. Expect carnival rides ranging from gentle spins for little ones to adrenaline-fuelled thrills, classic carnival games, showbags, and market stalls. There'll also be an adorable baby farm animal nursery (complete with bunny cuddles), and plenty of food stalls serving up Easter treats. Special event days add even more to the program. The Dogs in the Park Dachshund Festival on Sunday, April 12, features the popular Dachshund Derby, best dressed competitions, and themed market stalls. On Sunday, April 19, the National Greyhound Adoption Day offers visitors a chance to meet beautiful greyhounds looking for their forever homes. The Ingenia Holiday Parks Sydney Family Easter Show offers an outdoor day out for families looking to make the most of the school holidays. Pre-book tickets online now to avoid missing out on fun, excitement, and unforgettable Easter memories. Images: Supplied
Love the finer things in life? Sydney's Good Food & Wine Show (GFWS) is the place to be for budding gastronomes from Friday, June 20–Sunday, June 22. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025, the GFWS team has gone above and beyond for its latest edition, bringing together over 300 gourmet exhibitors, celebrity chefs, masterclasses and interactive experiences bound to get your mouthwatering. Delving into the program, one name is sure to surprise. Supermodel and entrepreneur Tyra Banks will be in the house showcasing her couture-meets-cones ice cream brand, SmiZE & DREAM, ahead of its flagship store launch in Darling Harbour. Meanwhile, a fascinating 45-minute masterclass presented by Kristen Tibballs, aka the Chocolate Queen, invites participants to learn how cocoa beans' origins influence flavour profiles. Also on the program, Valérie Henbest from the Smelly Cheese Co takes guests on a global tour of cheese, as you're invited to pair top-notch Australian wines with cheese, chocolate and flavours of the world. Then, over in the Sonos Bar, you'll take part in expert-led cocktail and champagne tastings set to a crystal-clear ambient soundtrack delivered by the brand's smart speakers. Tea-lovers won't want to miss The Art of Luxury Tea with Dilmah. Here, the legendary brand welcomes guests to sample unlikely tea pairings, like chocolate and cheese, alongside tea cocktails with an inventive twist. Finally, no visit to the GFWS is complete without a trip to the Cheese Corner and the Good Food Village, where over 300 exhibitors offer gourmet goods, from artisan treats to premium kitchenware.
Rosebery's The Cannery has almost everything: a pizzeria, a distillery, a patisserie, a butcher, a baker and a candlestick maker. Well, you'll find the last-mentioned at its new market, launching this Sunday, September 2 To be held on the first Sunday of the month, the market will feature a huge range of food, homewares, fashion and art. Regular stallholders will include The Little Florist, Maethorani Plants and Amber Drop Honey while a slew of others will rotate each month. On the first weekend, you'll find natural perfume and essential oils from Amacyn, sustainable threads from Aulieude, Eggpicnic's environmentally conscious art and Lisa Sanasi's ceramics. While you're there, check out the permanent fixtures, too, which include Archie Rose Distillery, Black Star Pastry and Da Mario.
Family feuds are a deadly business in Bad Sisters, Apple TV+'s latest must-see. Just don't believe the first word in its title for a second. Starring, co-written and co-developed by Sharon Horgan, as Catastrophe was before it, this ten-part streaming series focuses on the Garvey girls, a quintet of Irish siblings who became bonded by more than blood when they were orphaned years earlier. Horgan's Eva took on the matriarch role and has doted on her siblings Grace (Anne-Marie Duff, Sex Education), Ursula (Eva Birthistle, The Last Kingdom), Bibi (Sarah Greene, Normal People) and Becka (Eve Hewson, Behind Her Eyes) ever since, even now that they range from their late twenties through to their forties. Used to doing whatever they must for each other, there's nothing bad about their sisterly devotion — but it just might include killing Grace's husband. A pitch-black comedy, a murder-mystery and a family drama all in one — an Irish riff on Big Little Lies, too, although it's actually adapted from Belgian TV's Clan from back in 2012 — Bad Sisters ponders two questions. Firstly, it wonders what lengths loyal siblings would truly go to to protect one of their own. Secondly, it contemplates what comeuppance women pushed to their limits will exact upon the source of their misery. Indeed, it's a darkly funny revenge fantasy as well, and a puzzle to compulsively sleuth along with. Do the Garveys get their wish? How will they try to make their dream a reality? Will their various murder plots work? What'll go wrong next? These queries also keep coming, and unfurling the answers makes for equally riveting, entertaining, empathetic and amusing viewing. Bad Sisters begins on the day of a funeral, farewelling John Paul Williams (Claes Bang, The Northman) after Grace makes sure that his erection won't be noticed first. Her dead husband has long been nicknamed 'The Prick' anyway, with his four sisters-in-law all thoroughly unimpressed, to say the least, about the toxic way he openly treated his dutiful wife. They're all sick of the underhanded abuse he also directed towards each of them, as well as anyone he didn't like, and the unearned air of superiority that always came with it. Calling him manipulative, callous, misogynistic, racist, narcissistic, spiteful, vicious, pitiless, ruthless, flat-out intolerable — they all fit. When a guest offers condolences at JP's wake, Eva's response is: "I'm just glad the suffering's over". When she's then asked if he was ill, she replies with a blunt and loaded "no". Relief lingers during JP's sendoff, but so does tension. Eva, Ursula, Bibi and Becka long wanted The Prick dead and, as flashbacks show, had been planning to bring about that very end. Complicating matters: two insurance agents, aka half-brothers Thomas (Brian Gleeson, Death of a Ladies' Man) and Matthew Claffin (Daryl McCormack, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande), who start nosing around as John Paul is being laid to rest. Their family-run outfit is meant to pay out on his life insurance policy, but it's a hefty amount of cash and will bankrupt the firm. And with Thomas' wife Theresa (Seána Kerslake, My Salinger Year) heavily pregnant and on bed rest, the Claffins already have their own share of family stresses. As brought to Apple TV+ by Horgan with United States of Tara, New Girl and 30 Rock's Brett Baer and Dave Finkel, Bad Sisters uses that insurance investigation to justify its jumps backwards — and it's a savvy tactic. In its weekly instalments, the series works through JP's awfulness and the Garveys' campaign of vengeance in two directions, contrasting the sisters' motivations in the months leading up to their brother-in-law's death with the aftermath. That said, exactly how Grace ends up a widow, who's responsible and which of the siblings knows what all drive the show's whodunnit angle, sharply and entertainingly so. Bad Sisters teases out the precise reasons that Eva, Ursula, Bibi and Becka can't stand JP, too, because The Prick's abysmal behaviour made enemies out of everyone around him over and over. Boasting a devilish setup is just one of Bad Sisters' drawcards. What a premise it is, though. The whole 'offing your arsehole brother-in-law' idea may seem obvious at the outset, but this is a series with both bite and warmth as it unpacks what happens when women don't have any other options but potentially breaking bad — and sticking together. The pervasive feeling: wish fulfilment and catharsis, as Grace's siblings attempt to make everyone's lives better, even if it requires one of the most drastic moves there is. Just as Horgan inhabits her part with fierce affection, as characters played by the This Way Up star tend to sport, the entire ten-episode run bubbles with unfailing determination. It's dedicated to seeing the horrors of coercive control and the harrowing ordeal that is life with someone like JP, but it's as devoted to maintaining hope in the Garveys' sense of sorority. Bad Sisters is also unflinching about perfecting the right balance between twisted, heartfelt, weighty, amusing, sincere and audacious — as resolute as it is about filling its frames with scenic Irish sights. The show's roster of writers and directors, which includes Dearbhla Walsh (Tales From the Loop), Rebecca Gatward (The Spanish Princess) and Josephine Bornebusch (Love Me) behind the lens, ensure four outcomes: lapping up every twist and turn; wishing you're a Garvey yourself; planning a getaway to Ireland; and feeling seen if you've ever been treated terribly by someone you love or even someone you know, be it a relative, friend, neighbour, boss, colleague or acquaintance of an acquaintance. There's no doubting the impact of Bad Sisters' on-screen talents in making it such an instantly addictive Irish delight, however. It isn't merely the central murder-mystery that lures viewers in — and the comic way the series cycles through the Garveys' schemes — but also the show's wonderful leading ladies. From Horgan through to Hewson, the eponymous sisters are exceptionally well-cast, with all five actors conveying the clan's strengths, flaws, differences, fights and camaraderie, including at an individual level and together. Duff is especially heartbreaking as the spouse who has convinced herself that her husband's exploitation and cruelty is normal, while the Bang ensures that the potently odious, easily despised JP is abhorrent on every level but never cartoonish. They're all ably supported by the charmingly bumbling Gleeson and just charmingly charming McCormack, who help reinforce that every family has its ups and downs — including when no one is contemplating homicide. Check out the trailer for Bad Sisters below: Bad Sisters streams via Apple TV+.
Summer is here and with it the holy trinity of sun, sand and surf — and conveniently long days to enjoy them. But before you book your annual leave and leg it to the beach, plan your suncation. Now is the time to invest in sun safe essentials so you don't come out the other side of summer looking like a shrivelled raisin. And one of the most overlooked sun-safe accessories is a beach tent. "A beach tent?" you shriek. "Good grief, I'm not 85!" Well, hold up now. Yes, beach tents may have started as a gaudy, fluorescent nightmare dotting the shore but the logic behind them is sound. And they've evolved way past the beach tents we remember as kids and they're the best way to keep the sun off. We've found some super cute ones that won't ruin your beach cred while you avoid the UV. BYRON BAY BEACH LIFE As if those gorgeous, vintage tropical prints weren't sweet enough, these tents by Byron Bay Beachlife have clearly been designed by someone who spends a lot of time on the beach. How can we tell? They're designed to cast shade but also give you a clear, 360-degree view of the beach so you can stay out of the sun but keep track of any fire hotties that wander past. And isn't that the whole point of lazing on the beach? They've been designed to be assembled in a few different ways too, so you can customise your set-up. GINGER AND GILLIGAN If you're looking to spend big bucks on your beach swag (we're talking $249 each) and be voted 'Most Opulent Beach Goer 2016', look no further than Ginger and Gilligan. We recommend their tie-dyed beach tipi because it's just so damn pretty. It's also a bit more contained than most beach tents, giving you some privacy while ocean-side, just in case you need to change. Each tent is hand-dyed so you can guarantee no one else on the beach will have a tent like yours. LOVIN' SUMMER Minimalist beach tents look incredible. You can rig your beach set-up to look like it's straight out of a photoshoot. But how do minimalist beach tents hold up against the elements? Pretty well apparently. The gorgeous tents from Lovin' Summer are only minimalist in look. They block out 99 percent of UV protection and come with specially-made pegs that anchor deep in the sand. They've also been designed to be easily assembled by a solo beachgoer, making them genuinely 'pop-up'. SOMBRILLA BY HOLLIE AND HARRIE The Sombrilla tent by Hollie and Harrie, similar to the Byron Bay Beach Life design, lets you gaze over the whole beach while staying in the shade. They come in a variety of pop colours and designs, bringing to mind the famous beach boxes of Brighton Beach. And best of all, they're versatile — you can put it up in the standard symmetrical formation for shade coverage or set it up more like a windbreaker for when the sun dips low. They also sell windbreakers, for those days when you just can't have the wind up in your business. SUNNY JIM When we say Sunny Jim tents are designed to make #beachlife easy, we really mean it. They've thought of everything you could possibly need to execute the perfect beach tent seamlessly. The cute tents fold away into an easy yoga bag and/or handbag and they come with a mallet. A mallet! Useful not only for banging in pegs but also for passing official judgements on your friends. Best of all, the shade material is made from UPF50+, the highest shade rating available. The Sunny Jim really isn't messing around here. CANCER COUNCIL The range of tents available from the Cancer Council might be a bit more in line with your original ideas about beach tents. They're the classic beach pod, closed in on three sides (no sunlight getting in here, no sir) in bright blues and yellows. They each boast the highest UPF rating (50+) and very high nostalgia factor. We'd also like to give an honourable mention to the 'Sunshade Chair', a fully shaded chair, with a drink holder included. Now that's how you stay sun safe with raditude. SPORTBRELLA Now, here us out on this one. The Sportbrella might look a bit whack, being a Frankenstein combo of beach tent and beach umbrella, but it's actually pretty useful. It's rocking that UPF 50+ rating, so you know no UV is getting in. The Sportbrella (but feel free to use it for leisure) combines the sturdiness of the umbrella staked into the sand with the privacy of an enclosed beach tent. Plus they're huge, at 2.45 metres wide and perfect for big groups. Stay tuned for our wrap-up of the summer's best beach umbrellas, coming soon.
2024 is a double Dune year. First, Dune: Part Two brought the science-fiction franchise back to the big screen with help from director Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049), plus stars Timothée Chalamet (Wonka) and Zendaya (Euphoria). Next, television's Dune: Prophecy will arrive before spring is out. A six-part prequel series from HBO, it's set 10,000 years before the birth of Paul Atreides — and, as the latest teaser trailer for the show advises, this is a time when sacrifices must be made. Dune: Prophecy marks this book-to-screen universe's return to the small screen. Over the past four decades, the saga started on the page by Frank Herbert has hit cinemas three times so far, including David Lynch's 1984 film and Villeneuve's 2021 standout Dune: Part One. In the 00s, it also spread sandy across TV via two miniseries. Everything in pop culture has to span both movies and television at the same time these days, however, hence Dune: Prophecy — even though the tale of Paul, aka sci-fi's spiciest man, is set to continue in a third Dune film that doesn't yet have a release date. Come November, including via Binge in Australia, Dune: Prophecy will follow the sect that gives rise to the Bene Gesserit, aka the sisterhood that secretly sways the universe. In the debut sneak peek back in May, the narration explained how the faction formed, and was "assigned to the great houses to help them sift truth from lies" — but also noted that that power comes with a price. The new glimpse doubles down on the costs and chaos. Across both trailers, cue plenty of plotting, lurking in dramatically shadowy spaces, schemes, rituals, battles and marriages. The focus falls on two Harkonnen sisters — part of the same family that includes Stellan Skarsgard's (Andor) Baron Harkonnen, Dave Bautista's (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) Rabban and Austin Butler's (The Bikeriders) Feyd-Rautha in the movies — who are attempting to sure up humanity's future. Dune: Prophecy is inspired by Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson's novel Sisterhood of Dune, and features Emily Watson (Small Things Like These), Olivia Williams (The Crown), Travis Fimmel (Boy Swallows Universe), Jodhi May (Renegade Nell), Mark Strong (Tár), Sarah-Sofie Boussnina (The Colony), Josh Heuston (Heartbreak High) and Jessica Barden (You & Me) among the cast. HBO is as keen as most Dune characters are about spice on turning films into TV shows at the moment, with The Batman spinoff The Penguin, IT prequel series Welcome to Derry and a Harry Potter remake as a television show all also on the way. Check out the latest teaser trailer for Dune: Prophecy below: Dune: Prophecy will stream from in November 2024, including via Binge in Australia — we'll update you when an exact release date is announced. Read our reviews of Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two, and our interview with cinematographer Greig Fraser.
Tropfest, the world's largest short film festival, made a grand (albeit rainy) reappearance since it was shuttered in 2019 to a crowd of 35,000 braving wet conditions in Centennial Park on Sunday. The festival featured a star-studded jury of judges, including Australians Margot Robbie (Wuthering Heights), Sarah Snook (Succession), Danny Phillippou (director of Talk to Me and Bring Her Back) and producer Bruna Papandrea, English actor Taron Edgerton and a virtual appearance from legendary director James Cameron — all judging 16 short film entries with huge prizes on the line. [caption id="attachment_1076366" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] John Polson and Margot Robbie photographed by Wendell Teodoro/Getty Images[/caption] Taking the coveted top prize of $50,000 was Crescendo, directed by Sydney local Lianne Mackessy, which follows a young mother who has to scramble to find a new babysitter on the morning of a career-defining audition — jury president Margot Robbie described the film as "pitch perfect". Following in the second and third place for prizes of $30,000 and $20,000, respectively, were Jasper Sharpe's We Don't Take Breaks and Nicky Tyndale-Biscoe's Silent Night. The NIDA Emerging Performer Award for Best Female Actress went to lead actress and new mother Laura Bunting for her role in Crescendo, while the NIDA Emerging Performer Award for Best Male Actor was presented to Ben Keller for his performance in We Don't Take Breaks. [caption id="attachment_1076367" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Lianne Mackessy photographed by Wendell Teodoro/Getty Images[/caption] The inaugural Chery Creative Acceleration Award, celebrating the rising and boundary-pushing talent of the next generation of filmmakers, was presented to Georgina Haig, director of No Thank You. As part of the honour, Haig also took home a Chery Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid valued at $34,990. Best Cinematography, presented by Sony, was awarded to Josh Flavell for his work on Project Hourglass. Flavell also received a complete Sony camera and lens package valued at almost $20,000. [caption id="attachment_1076365" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sarah Snook and Laura Bunting photographed by Wendell Teodoro/Getty Images[/caption] Taking home the new Pandora Women's Brilliance Award, created to recognise a woman in film whose vision, voice, and creative impact truly shine, was Tyndale-Biscoe for Silent Night, who was also gifted a Pandora Infinite lab-grown diamond jewellery set. Tyndale-Biscoe will also be invited to collaborate with Pandora on a bespoke piece of content. And the winner of the iconic Tropicana Award went to Sean Bayles for his film The End. You can watch a recording of the Tropfest 2026 livestream or any of the winning films on YouTube now. This article first appeared on Variety Australia.
For palaces of glamorous consumption, Apple Stores sometimes play host to the occasional quality cultural moment. Overseas, they're regularly graced by authors and filmmakers. Here in Sydney, the Presets, Wolfmother and even the Wiggles have found space on the George Street's store's stage, before 2011 Sydney Film Festival directors like Joshua Marston started turning up as well. This year, they've teamed up with Aussie design community INfront to put on a series of talks from local creative types who have something interesting to explain to the world at large. For August, Interacting with the Past: Museums for the Next Generation brings you the Powerhouse Museum's new technologies guru Seb Chan, who is bound to take you to a digital place you hadn't imagined finding culture in before. A star of Sydney's first round of TEDx talks, until recently Chan also edited the electronic music buffet that is Cyclic Defrost, having earlier been at the centre of the early Sydney rave scene. So while its army of discreet cleaners may often make it more polished than your average venue, there can be some unquestionable substance to go with this Apples Store's shine.
For one magnificent day, the Sydney Opera House is declaring itself an open book. No longer will its green rooms, secret nooks or stages be the exclusive domain of musicians, famous speakers and tech crew. Get down to Bennelong Point anytime between 9am and 3pm on October 18 for the Opera House Open Day, and you'll be able to wander around the entire beautiful building at your self-guided leisure. What's more, your visit won't only involve empty spaces. To keep you on your toes, the organisers have lined up a stack of surprises, unexpected performances and displays. Explore Opera Australia's set for Anything Goes in Joan Sutherland Theatre, check out an Australian Ballet exhibition in the rehearsal room and watch projections created by Bangarra Dance Theatre in the foyer. There'll also be opportunities to learn about the House's history — from the 1957 competition won by Danish architect Jorn Utzon that determined the building's extraordinary design to its opening in 1973 — and about plans for the future. Thousands of attendees are expected. Save yourself a spot by registering online in advance.
Eclectic, funky, stylish, unique — these are just a few complementary ways to describe Jackie, the owner of The Very Bazaar. The inclusive clothing store is bursting with fabulous preloved threads and accessories that are as much fun as its owner. Jackie has already put the hard work in, hand picking new stock every fortnight — so, you are guaranteed to come across a great find including vintage dresses with sunny prints, denim overalls with hand detailed embroidery and the coolest retro kicks since 1994.
One mention of Queenstown and you'll likely think of bungee jumping, snow sports and picturesque landscapes in every possible direction. There's so much more to New Zealand's adventure capital if you're not in the market for an obvious head-first adrenaline rush and queuing all day for an Instagram-famous burger. Think backcountry cycle trails, irresistible tacos, bustling weekend markets and endless volumes of wine. This is your less obvious guide to Queenstown. EAT & DRINK A gothic portrait of Bill Murray takes pride of place above the fireplace at Yonder. The homage is the perfect example of the eccentric vibe you can expect from the eatery, which comes from Sydney's World Bar collaborators Steve Ward and Gary Livesey. Found in Queenstown's historic 1882 McNeill's Cottage, the space opened its doors last year and has since developed a reputation as the destination for generous share plates and great cocktails. As you enter the contemporary all-day eatery, you'll stumble across a cabinet stacked with mouthwatering treats like sticky date loaf, blueberry cheesecake and chocolate brownie. For a point of difference, pair your treat with a pitch black charcoal latte. Those who decide to eat in will have the option of kicking off their day or healing last night's wounds with the perfect early morning combo of a bacon butty, fries and bloody mary. After dark, the menu turns into a sharing affair with items like fall-apart brisket — an accompanying stack of white bread take pride of place on most tables. We can also vouch for the half chicken and ancient grain salad (much focus has been put on gluten and vegan dietary requirements). The fluorescently lit back bar is the place to continue your dining adventure — especially on weekends when live music kicks off. Our pick from the cocktail list? The Seven Year Sour, a tarty mix of rum, blood orange, citrus and lager. For something on the run, Taco Medic is the place to grab a bite and make some new friends in the process. The taco joint originally started as a food truck, though has since evolved into a permanent taco nook down the end of hospitality laneway Stafford Street. While there's an option to order at the pop-up window, we recommend heading inside and waiting for your order at the bar. Here you can wait with a frozen margarita in hand and watch the action unfold as the staff hand-roll corn tortillas and chips. The Bajaman is a must; it arrives with fried market fish, creamy jalapeño sauce, tomato salsa and lime to squeeze. For a special occasion, the stunning lakeside boutique Hotel St Moritz boasts award-winning restaurant Lombardi. Overlooking Lake Wakatipu, a table in the restaurant allows you to sit back and enjoy your meal while spying everything from paragliders to shark-shaped jet boats and the historic Earnslaw Steamship floating by in a plume of smoke. Take it from us, splashing out on three courses is recommended. Start your experience with either seared scallops, manuka-smoked lamb tenderloins or the soup of the day before going large on the signature Fiordland venison loin or the duo of lamb. Elsewhere, there's an entire wood-fire menu featuring lasagne and a selection of pizzas. If room for dessert is limited, try one of the unique dessert cocktails — flavours include Toblerone, tiramisu and cremé brûlée. And if the cocktails become too much, there's always a room downstairs. If relaxing with a wine in hand is more your style, there's always the option of exploring wine country in your own time by car (with a sober driver, that is). Gibbston Valley is home to more than 75 wineries and cellar doors — some even home to Central Otago's oldest vines. The cooler climate and changes in elevation also provide some interesting drops for your tasting pleasure. For great wine and a picturesque setting, drop by Chard Farm. A visit to the family-owned winery in the Kawarau Gorge will lead you up a windy dirt road that was once part of the main coach link between Queenstown and Cromwell — just don't look over the edge of the precarious cliff. The vineyard sits at the top and specialises in single vineyard Pinot Noir — most which welcome descriptions like juicy, pure and crisp. We couldn't get enough of the incredibly fresh 2015 Pinot Gris. Tastings are complimentary though donations are gratefully accepted. Across the road is Penegrine, which feels more like steeping into the futuristic wine-tasting lab. Here, tastings are also complimentary and come with the option of choosing particular vintages or leaving your destiny in the hands or the host. Further down the road you'll come across the Gibbston Tavern — a watering hole where you can sample local wines, Southland beer and wood-fired pizza. SEE & DO If you're around on the weekend, an unmissable destination is the Remarkables Market. Sitting just a ten-minute drive from the city, the Frankton market is where you'll find proper locals stopping by for a caffeine hit or lounging about on the grass. Shopping-wise, you can pick up everything from chopping boards crafted out of French wine barrels to the famous Gibbston cheese, handcrafted jewellery and mega rocking chairs that come covered in cow hide and animal furs (good luck with getting these ones home). Self-proclaimed 'meat preachers' Zamora are one of the most in-demand stallholders at the market. From the smoking grill comes sausages on a stick and the renowned pork belly sandwich — the perfect combination of crispy pork and puffy bread loaded with coleslaw and creamy aioli. We suggest grabbing a spot at one of the communal tables and finishing off the experience with one of Plantera's vegan sweets. Around the Basin is a cycle company offering both self-guided and supported tours along the Gibbston wine trail and backcountry. The Arrowtown to Queenstown tour is exactly that: a 35 kilometre ride from the historic gold mining village back to the city. After shuttling from headquarters in Queenstown, you'll be left to make your way back at your own pace — peddling along the Arrow River Trail toward the Twin Rivers Trail, along the Kawarau and Shotover Rivers to the shores of Lake Wakatipu and onward to Queenstown Bay. The trail is recommend as a full-day ride, which allows time for exploring, photo opportunities, café stops and, in this instance, getting lost in suburbia. It took roughly five hours to cycle the trail of isolated country roads and dirt tracks, across swing bridges and through pine forests. And if you'd prefer not to work the legs, Around the Basin also has the option of electric bikes. Hikes are a popular pastime in Queenstown and there's something for every skill level, from easy one-hour strolls to three-day high country treks. Let's start with the former: Queenstown Gardens offer an escape from the hustle of the city. Make your way through perfectly manicured gardens, past frisbee golf grounds, beneath the pine forest canopy and to the headland for a brilliant photo opportunity. Found at the base of the Arrow River, Tobins Track is a one-hour return walk that climbs to the Crown Terrace. While your legs may be screaming, the summit will welcome you with glorious views across the Wakatipu basin. For something excruciatingly hard, skip the gondola queue and take the trail by foot. GETTING THERE Queenstown has a fully functioning international airport so flying direct from across foreign waters is no problem at all. The airport is approximately ten minutes from the city centre and buses run to all major hotels every 15 minutes. Top image: Omer Faruk Bekdemir (Unsplash)
Two distinct visions lifted from the endless possibilities of science fiction invade Roslyn Oxley9 gallery over the next month. These concurrent exhibitions feature totems and armour, letters from the dead and cardboard boxes, money plants, dirt and reclaimed materials in affirmations of strength and attempts to survive the future.Mikala Dwyer’s Outfield is a collection of symbols arranged in a circular ‘safe space’: tools, forces and memories to protect against the uncertain and threatening world. These pieces are highly tangible and filled with exploratory details, while appearing to be both immense and miniature at the same time. Most materials and objects are reused and reinvented - a protest against a culture that throws away and destroys what it needs to survive. While Dwyer focuses on protection, Justene Williams’ FEMMZOIL is a manifestation of triumph and victory. What appears to be armour or the shell of a robot is manipulated by overlayed images and motion to become fluid, hypnotic and heavenly.Image: Justene Williams Femmzoil legs: Roslyn Oxley9
Just like a picture is worth a thousand words, a good gift can speak volumes. And when it comes to your nearest and dearest, it's worth forking out the big bucks to make them feel suitably special. Socks and undies simply will not do, you need to up the ante and pick out a present that is nuanced, thoughtful and unequivocally them. We know it can be tough; you may feel as though you've exhausted all your options. There's only so many times you can buy their favourite necklace, after all. To give you some fresh gift ideas, we've partnered with Australia Post and pulled together some real humdingers for the super important people in your life. From retro turntables to limited edition RMs, these pressies keep your key peeps smiling. Moreover, they can all be ordered online and conveniently delivered to your nearby Parcel Locker so you don't even have to go to the shops. Let your fingers do the walking, forgo the crazy Christmas crowds and rest easy knowing your parcel is stored securely till you're ready to collect. Happy shopping, Santas. PORD WINE BARREL If you've got a legit wine lover on your list, go beyond a bottle of primo vino or even a stylish decanter, and blow their socks off with one of these mini wine barrel masterpieces. The three-litre barrels are covered in art by three eclectic artists — Filippa Edghill, Hannah Nowlan and Evi O. — and filled with top-notch Mitchelton drops from the 2017 and 2018 vintages. Choose the design and the wine — pinot grigio, shiraz or rose — and get ready to be praised for your awesome gift. Each barrel holds a neat four bottles' worth of wine and will keep it fresh for up to six weeks. They can also be repurposed once empty. Cheers to that. How much? $160 CUSTOM HABBOT SHOES There's nothing better than a pair of comfy shoes. Wait, we take that back, there's nothing better than a pair of comfy and stylish shoes. Treat your special someone to a pair of custom Habbot shoes — they're super chic but have Hush Puppies-level comfort. The Aussie-designed and Italian-made footwear company has a great online customisation tool that lets you pick and choose everything, from the shoe type — classic derby, micro-sole derby, point pump or mid-heel sandal — to the material, colour and laces. So, you can design one-of-a-kind kicks for your numero uno that'll stand out from the crowd. How much? From $405 EVERY EDITION OF TRUTH, LOVE & CLEAN CUTLERY If your nearest and dearest is both an eco-warrior and a food lover — congrats, they sound awesome — surprise them with every edition of Truth, Love & Clean Cutlery. Basically the A to Z of sustainable eating, these guidebooks feature more than 1300 organic, ethical and sustainable restaurants from around the world. To take the gift up a notch, let your loved one pick out a few of their favourite restaurants and treat them to a night of ethical fare. Hey, it's a present for you, too. How much? $145 for all four books RM WILLIAMS EXCLUSIVE BOOTS These boots were made for walking and showing off, the limited edition metallic RMs are the shoe of the season and the perfect gift for any Carrie Bradshaw-status shoe fiends. At $545 a pop, they're not cheap — but the RM brand is renowned for its rock-solid craftsmanship and the kicks will last a lifetime. Luckily, silver is seldom out of style and goes perfectly with tinsel. But if silver is a bit too flash for your giftee, there's also the more subdued limited edition high-shine black boot. No matter your choice, each pair is crafted out of a single piece of leather and is made to order, so expect a two-week delivery timeframe. They're worth the wait, trust us. How much? $545 GOOGLE HOME HUB Hey, Google. Tell us how many hugs we're going to get for this kick-ass gift? Forget it, we already know it's going to be a heap. Yep, anyone who receives a Google Home Hub for Christmas is going to be over the moon. They're basically getting their very own assistant to set alarms, turn off lights, read out cooking instructions, organise daily routines, play music, take photos... the list goes on. They might even get a new lover if they're anything like Joaquin Phoenix's character in Her. Now that's a gift. How much? $219 FUJIFILM INSTAX SQUARE SQ6 INSTANT CAMERA Remember when Polaroid cameras were so big and bulky they basically required their own carry bag? While the promise of pretty photos (in an instant) was enticing, nobody wanted to lug around a brick. Thankfully, those days are long gone and you can now gift a nice, compact FujiFilm Instant Camera to your number one. The clever square format means your pal won't waste time choosing between portrait or landscape, they can just pick up the camera and take the snap. It's kind of like Instagram in real life. Plus, its small size means it can be carried around with ease. How much? $199 RETRO-LOOKING TURNTABLE If you've got a bigtime muso in your inner circle, there's a good chance you've heard them rabbiting on about the beauty of vinyl before — how records sound so much better than CDs or MP3. Something about audio data and lossy formats? Anyway, treat them to this Thomson 3 Speed Retro Look Turntable with built-in speakers and get them spinning their favourite tracks. The turntable's sleek, vintage design makes it a nice addition to any home — even a muso's dark and dingy lair. If you want to add a personalised touch, pick out a vinyl to gift with the turntable — it's a combo that's guaranteed to make their head spin like, well, a record. How much? $99 NOKIA STEEL HR WATCH This one's for the fitness fanatics in your life who also appreciate a bit of style. The Nokia Steel HR Watch is a watch-activity tracker hybrid that's both aesthetically pleasing and hella practical. The watch monitors your heart rate during workouts and can assess your overall performance, then deliver a personalised in-app report directly to your smartphone. The intuitive gadget makes your fitness goals that little bit easier to achieve, which means it's also a thoughtful gift for somebody you know is keen to get fit in the new year. How much? From $299 MODERNIST BREAD BOOK SET Bread, glorious bread. You'd be hard pressed to find a person who doesn't love it. But if you've got a special person who's particularly fond of baked goods, this is the book set for them. Modernist Bread: The Art and Science is a deep-dive into one of the most important staples of the human diet; it's the most in-depth look at bread to date. The five-volume set, housed in a sleek stainless steel case, contains more than 1500 recipes and breadmaking techniques. The best part? You can sample all their tasty dough-based creations. Forget cake, let them eat bread. How much? $700 HP SPROCKET PHOTO PRINTER A gift for the selfie enthusiasts, the HP Sprocket Photo Printer allows you to instantly print photos straight from your smartphone quicker than you can say 'duck face'. The printer has an ultracompact design — it's small enough to carry on the go — so it's also a great gift for budding photographers or designers as they can quickly print their snaps. The printer uses Bluetooth technology, which means there are no annoying cords and each photograph can be edited (hello, filters) before printing via the HP Sprocket app. Also, the special adhesive photo paper means you can easily stick your photos into albums or journals. How much? $159 Christmas shopping has never been so simple — order online, ship to a Parcel Locker and avoid the hectic shops with Australia Post.
The Nice Guys mightn't have scored a sequel, but The Fall Guy does nicely instead. Getting a hearty workout: Ryan Gosling's charm, comedic talent that just earned an Oscar-nominated showcase in Barbie and action skills as last seen in The Gray Man. He's back in stunts, too, as Drive first gifted the world so mesmerisingly. A loose remake of the 80s television series of the same name, The Fall Guy is a take-it-and-run-with-it kind of film, then. Not only does it grasp hold of what Gosling does best and sprint, but the same applies for co-lead Emily Blunt (Pain Hustlers) — and, of course, for director David Leitch (Bullet Train), who first took the journey from stunt performer to filmmaker with John Wick, has kept filling his resume with action fare since (see: Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw and Bullet Train) and now virtually comes full circle in helming a flick where his protagonist does the same gig that he once did. Gosling's Colt Seavers is also taking it and running with it — in a profession where it's his job to help bring whatever impossible physical endeavour is required to the screen, as well as on the gig that gets him to Sydney. The Fall Guy starts 18 months prior to his trip Down Under, however, but still with him doubling for Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bullet Train), one of the world's biggest actors. Seavers has a career that he loves and steady work at it thanks to Ryder's fame. He's also happily romancing Jody Moreno (Blunt), a camera operator with dreams of doing more. Then a stunt goes wrong, leaving him badly injured, battered and bruised emotionally and psychologically, and inspiring him to quit the business. Only a call from Ryder-loving producer Gail Meyer (Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso) sparks his return to the industry — he makes a crust as a valet once he's fit and able in-between — and, even then, it's only really the fact that Moreno is helming Ryder's latest movie as her directorial debut that nudges him onto the plane. Upon his arrival in Australia, Seavers soon discovers that the situation isn't exactly what he's been told. Ryder is missing from the Metalstorm set, putting the future of the production at risk. Shady folks keep popping up whenever anyone — well, Seavers — goes looking for the absent star. And Moreno had zero advance idea that the man who ghosted her had been enlisted on the shoot, and is far from thrilled about it or the way that their relationship ended. Trying to win her back, getting emotional fortification from Taylor Swift tunes The Bear-style, attempting to track down Ryder, evading the unsavoury figures on this trail, bouncing around Sydney: sometimes while fending off sword-swinging foes, sometimes while wearing fluoro, sometimes while paired with an acting dog who'll chomp on command, that's all on Seavers' plate in Drew Pearce's (Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw) zippy screenplay. There's an easy, breezy vibe to The Fall Guy, the kind that comes from knowing wholeheartedly that you're capitalising upon the strengths of your key players. Although Seavers dates back to the television iteration and there was a Jody on the small screen, too (Banks, not Moreno), the film's main pair were moulded around Gosling and Blunt — and it always shows. For him, it's a charisma-forward performance whether he's getting goofy, earnest or thrust into a fray. His Kenergy-fuelled comic timing is impeccable, as is his ability to sell Seavers' soul-searching stint after a career that requires him to be invincible reminds him that no one is. For her, joining a resume that also includes excellent action turns in Looper and Edge of Tomorrow, it's a portrayal built on pluck. When Gosling and Blunt are together, the film boasts as much crackling chemistry — often of the screwball type — as it does dynamic fights, explosions, shootouts and car chases (one of the latter famously on the Sydney Harbour Bridge). And there are fights, explosions, shootouts and car chases (and boat jumps, helicopter battles and vehicular cannon rolls). You don't make a movie about a stunt performer on a mystery-caper adventure while working on a mega-budget alien sci-fi war romance flick — a film that turns the Sydney Opera House into a backdrop while it's at it — without highlighting stunts, stunts and more stunts. You definitely don't hold back if this was once your life as well. The action doesn't disappoint, nor does the commitment to weaving how such action comes to fruition into The Fall Guy's action sequences, complete with underscoring the importance of practical effects in the broader feature and the picture within it. This is a winking-and-nodding movie to its primary genre, lovingly so, right down to references built into the film. With stunt coordinator Dan Tucker (Winston Duke, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Seavers swaps references to other films (The Last of the Mohicans and Rocky III, for instance). One of his prized possessions: a Miami Vice jacket. The words of 'Unknown Stuntman', the theme to TV's The Fall Guy which gets a new cover here, are clearly a guiding light for Leitch on this movie: "I might fall from a tall building, I might roll a brand-new car, 'cause I'm the unknown stuntman that made Redford such a star" is one memorable line. Accordingly, though the very basis of filmmaking's stunt performer-actor setup is that the former are meant to convince the audience that it's the latter risking their lives, revelling in everything that The Fall Guy throws Gosling's way as Seavers means relishing the work of his doubles Ben Jenkin (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) and Justin Eaton (The Killer). The campaign for the stunts game to be given the credit it deserves — aka an Oscar category — couldn't earn a more persuasive push, then. Leitch's feature manages something that most flicks would kill for, because action deployed for the sake of it, then shot frantically and edited messily, gets repetitive; The Fall Guy is the lively, passionate and meticulously crafted antithesis of routine smashing and bashing. Back-and-forth rom-com bantering can similarly fall flat if the stars and the vibe aren't right. There's something about Sydney of late: in Anyone But You, Sydney Sweeney (Immaculate) and Glen Powell (Top Gun: Maverick) made it work in the Harbour City, as Gosling and Blunt do in the same place in The Fall Guy. So, while The Nice Guys mightn't have received a follow-up, it's easy to see The Fall Guy becoming a big-screen franchise, and welcomely. At the very least for its magnetic leads, it should set a new repeat double act in motion. Gosling teamed up with Emma Stone (Poor Things) three times on Crazy, Stupid, Love, Gangster Squad and La La Land, and makes an equally delightful duo with his current co-star. Just as there should be no underestimating stunt feats in general or in this flick, as Leitch stresses again and again, there should be no downplaying the ride that Gosling and Blunt take their characters on in this fun film, either — from doing the hard work while others win the glory to finally getting their time to shine.
If you're looking for an intimate spot in the Northern Beaches where you can catch up with friends over a glass of white, red or even skin-contact wine, look no further than Manly Corso's new small bar Henry G's. Designed to look like a pint-sized library or a wealthy family's reading room with over 2000 antique books on the shelves, the bar comes from the Saga Group — the crew behind Northern Beaches mainstays Donny's Bar, InSitu and the Market Lane Live series. The bar is named after Henry Gilbert Smith who built Manly Wharf and contributed to the Corso, Hotel Styne and St Matthews Church in the 1800s. The influential figure has been honoured with a spot specialising in all things vino, as well as pintxos and tinned fish. "We wanted to deliver a venue where patrons could take one step off the Corso and immerse themselves in a world of exceptional wines and pintxos, all while paying homage to Manly's history," says Saga Group's Pete Jenkins, Jorja Thomson and Steve Helms. The 170-strong wine list includes more than 20 drops by the glass, ranging from Mumm Champagne and Provence rosé to a skin-contact sauvignon blanc and a chilled red from France's Comte Tolosan. Accompanying the pinots and rieslings on offer is a Bentspoke-heavy beer menu, a handful of wine-fermented beers, and a sizeable selection of cocktails with a focus on sours. The Vauxhall Gardens sour is particularly attention-grabbing, combining Buffalo Trace, machine rosso, fig and raspberry sherbert, and citrus. Feeling peckish? Start with a serve of gildas before moving on to the Henry G's specialties: the pintxos. Load your slice of thick-cut bread with cured pork tartare, crab salad, crushed spicy tomato and sardines, or torn burrata and padron peppers. Tinned fish also feature heavily on the snack menu, with sardines, scallops, mussels, squid and tuna belly all on offer. Plus, Henry G's is an ideal nightcap spot, with the ability to pair your Manhattan with a sweet treat like the brunt Basque cheesecake. Henry G's is located 11 The Corso, Manly. it's open 4pm–late Tuesday–Saturday and 4–10pm Sunday. Head to the bar's website for more information.
Haymarket is clearly not short on bubble tea joints. But when Chippendale's Bubble Nini opened within the Maker's Dozen food hall in mid-2019, it brought something a little different to the area. Here, the team makes fresh pearls every morning, of which there are six different flavours. Once you've chosen from the 50 different tea options (with punny names like Jasmine Is a Cute-Tea, It Takes Two to Mango and How Ya Bean, Matcha Happening?) you can pick your pearls: sakura, matcha, taro, brown sugar, mango peanut or strawberry. It's a lot of decision making. If you're looking to narrow it down, our pick is the lavender-coloured taro pearls number, A Taro-Bly Bad Name. Bubble Nini also has locations in Chippendale's Central Park and on Sing Street in Waterloo. Images: Kimberley Low
Much has been written about Sydney's newest ARI, Alaska Projects. Having only been around for four months (and already nominated for a SMAC Award, which must have happened within the first week of the Alaska launch date) it seems that Sydney loves to feel like it is oh-so-underground. You know, an artspace in a carpark — so effing cool. And with 400 people along to Samuel Hodge's opening last week it looks as though the people speak volumes. But then again, anywhere where you can drink and smoke and look at art and be in a carpark sounds pretty good to me. We all want to feel like we live in New York sometimes. I may sound a little cynical and to tell you the truth, prior to visiting Alaska Projects I was. ARIs come and go but Alaska has just a touch of magic in the form of director, Sebastian Goldspink. As MCA VSO alumni (you may also remember him from here) he really has the gift of the gab and unlike most jaunts to art galleries in this city (ARI or otherwise) a visit to Alaska is met with the warm, extended hand of Seb, "Hi. Have you been to Alaska before? Do you know Sam's work? Let me talk you through the show." Which is suitably refreshing. And welcoming. And inclusive. And not at all the usual blank stare of nonchalance that you would expect from a gallery director running a space in a carpark in Kings Cross. Anyway, if you venture down to Alaska over the next week you will find the sprawling archive of Samuel Hodge’s Euro-hued post-Vice photographs. As a commercial photographer who also sees himself as a visual artist many of the photographs are outtakes from fashion shoots and other banal made moody everyday moments. A couple are particularly striking, the rest didn’t change my life, but might change yours. Either way, I would well recommend searching out Alaska on a Sunday afternoon when the Level Two car park doubles as the backpacker car market. Expect to exit the lift and be faced with some sort of Buffy vampire lair — backpackers nestled at plastic tables, munching on rice crackers, practicing their sideways glances of 150, 000 kms. 2 bedder conversion. New tyres. 3 months rego. Gold, Charlie, gold. Samuel Hodge runs until Sunday 22 January. Alaska Projects is open Thurs-Fri 6-8pm and Sat-Sun 1-6pm.
Art enthusiasts, collectors and creators, we have news for you. The Other Art Fair is returning to Sydney this December, closing out its 2022 world tour. From Thursday the 1st to Sunday the 4th, you'll find the fair in The Cutaway, Barangaroo. This super-sized concrete void of a venue boasts immense ceiling height, acoustics and ample natural light – perfect for an event that historically pulls in thousands of visitors daily. If you aren't already in the know, The Other Art Fair is a roaming international art show that allows you to view, discuss and even purchase art directly from an emerging artist, rather than deal with the red tape and hurdles of buying through a gallery. It's an extensive roster of 135 talents, each selected by a committee of experts, so you'll be purchasing quality work and supporting the local creative scene. And there's more than just their work to expect – there'll be immersive installations, performances, live music, and a fully stocked bar. Need any more convincing? It should be a great night out for art-and-experience lovers alike, and you could walk away with a picture-perfect piece to hang up at home. Tickets are on sale now with a variety of options, including a 35% discount if you book before November 16. For more information on tickets or the artists, visit the website.
Fancy a little Parisian charm without leaving Sydney? Pioneering hidden bar Door Knock launched their new concept earlier this year, pairing a French-inspired neighbourhood bar with the vibe of an underground speakeasy. Both the venue's decor and culinary offerings underwent a significant transformation — dark, sultry and subterranean, the glow-up certainly lives up to its European inspiration. Still hidden behind an unassuming entrance with nothing but a polished brass pineapple doorknocker to let you know you're in the right place, don't expect the Nordic decor that came before once you get inside. Now, the space has been adorned with vintage French mirrors, herringbone panelling, marble tables, leather seating and dimly lit lampshades. For those who've wandered Paris' streets, there's a good chance you've stumbled in somewhere similar. The menu is also rejuvenated to suit Door Knock's new mood. Led by Head Chef Joe Slakey, dishes are designed for sharing and are likely to change with the seasons. The wine offering has also been rejigged, with an expanded menu highlighting drops from France, Italy and Australia. Signature cocktails evolve based on the bartenders' "current obsessions" but may include the likes of the Bullfighter with tequila, mezcal, apricot, lime and coconut cream. "We're not trying to be a high-end restaurant, we've created an accessible and affordable menu, while not sacrificing on big, bold flavours," says owner John Grace. "It was important for us to pay homage to Door Knock's history, while also ushering in a new era, one which allows you to step off from Pitt St and into another world." Door Knock has introduced a new, invitingly affordable lunch special, commencing on Thursday, October 9. Once you've found the hidden bar, you'll be rewarded with one of Slakey's mains and a glass of wine for just $25. Rotating weekly, choose between scotch fillet, crispy pork belly, crab cakes and beef sliders. The lunch special is available from noon to 3pm on Thursday and Friday. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
It's a Tuesday night, you're dragging your feet through the fluorescent corridors of your local supermarket. The recipe in your hands calls for rump steak. You trawl through the packaged meat stacked on the shelves, bumping shoulders with other desperate customers. But there is none to be found. You opt for scotch fillet and convince yourself it's close enough. Waiting behind a tired queue for the self-service checkout you notice everyone around you is clinging to various packaged food items. You stand in the queue and wonder why we spend so much of our time in soulless supermarkets waiting for food that is wrapped in (lots of) plastic and just OK quality. But what if it was different? Enter Sydney's independent merchant renaissance. The food and beverage scene in Sydney is changing. While a lot of us still cling to our routine (daily, weekly) supermarket shop, specialty stores that pride themselves on restaurant-quality produce, education and excellent chat are becoming more and more popular. If you want to avoid the above scenario — or, in the words of Queen, break free from the supermarket slog — here are some alternatives
Calling all Sydney bookworms, scholars and lovers of literature. What would you give to have a drink with your favourite author? Your life savings or maybe a limb? Well, you can hold onto your life savings and all remaining appendages because Dymocks is offering up the chance to grab a drink with one or all of them. That is the thinking behind Books in Bars, an initiative from Dymocks designed to connect authors with their readers over drinks and nibbles at Soultrap Bar and East Village Sydney. First up is Benjamin Stevenson, author of Everyone on This Train Is A Suspect. This book blends comedy and crime with a meta lens on the massively popular genre of murder mysteries. He'll be in conversation with Amy Lovat, writer, editor and founder of Secret Book Stuff on Tuesday, October 17 from 6.30pm. Next on Wednesday, October 18 is TikTok creator Esmé Louise James, author of Kinky History — an irreverent and provocative history of intimacy. She'll be joined by Elfy Scott, the award-winning journalist, presenter, podcaster and author of The One Thing We've Never Spoken About. On Monday, October 23, Holly Ringland, author of The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart will be joined by returning co-host Amy Lovat to discuss her new book, The House That Joy Built. It explores the transformative joy and power of creativity and how those who struggle with creativity can find the spark. The next starring author is on Monday, November 13 — famed food journalist and TV presenter, the iconic Matt Preston. He'll be discussing Big Mouth, his newly published memoir that outlines his journey from adoption to being a household name. Drinks and nibbles are included, and there will be a book signing at the end of the night. This particular evening will take place at East Village Sydney instead of Soultrap Bar. Finally, on Tuesday, December 5, will be Karina May, author of Never Ever Forever. This delightful rom-com asks if 'never ever' has to be forever on a journey of a lifetime. Books and Bars will be running from Tuesday, October 17 to Tuesday, December 5. Use these links to book tickets for Benjamin Stevenson, Esmé Louise James, Holly Ringland, Matt Preston or Karina May.
The Sydney Comedy Festival is back for its ninth year and has today announced a program chock-a-block full of artists ready to leave you rolling on the floor laughing. This year's festival, running from Monday, April 22, until Saturday, May 11, features more than 150 side splitting shows. This has been made possible by the addition of new venues including Harold Park Hotel, the Concourse Theatre and a Container room at the popular Factory Theatre. Filling all this space is an eclectic arrangement of solo shows and showcases that dish up an extra large serving of both international and local acts. Gracing our shores for the first time is Tracy Morgan, star of Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock, who will be at the Enmore for one night only. Also premiering at the festival are Jarred Christmas, Alex Williamson of YouTube fame, and the masked Mexican wrestling marvel El Jaguar who will try to (metaphorically) powerbomb you into laughter. Sons of Singapore, Singapore's best new comics, continue the celebration of comedy from around the world and feature alongside Two & A Half Lebs and a multicultural lineup at the Ethnic Comedy All-Stars. Australians abound, with the Pajama Men bringing their unique physical comedy to the Seymour Centre in Pajama Men: Just the Two of Each of Us. Everyone’s favourite purple comedian Randy will be gracing the festival, this time sans Sammy J, in his first Sydney solo show. Our festival favourites are also back, with musical wizards the Axis of Awesome, handlebar-moustache-toting comedian Chopper, Canada's comedy crusader Arj Barker, and the dapper Stephen K. Amos all returning. The ever-popular showcases including the literal laugh a minute Sixty in 60, and Cracker Night is back, as is the Yalumba Wine Bar in the Enmore Theatre, a place where you can casually bump into your favourite acts and tell them that great joke you have. There are always hidden gems amongst the headliners as well, and that is the case once again this year. Steen Raskopoulus is ready to take this year's festival by storm, appearing in his excellently titled solo show Bruce SpringSTEEN Live in Concert as well as in The Bear Pack. MotherFather, the reigning Cranston Cup Champions, present their debut show PartyDinner whilst also competing for the TheatreSports National Championships, and Tom Ballard puts a face to the Triple J voice we all know in Tom Ballard: My Ego Is Better Than Your Ego. Gen Fricker is also back with her guitar and Michael Hing continues to storm up the comedy ladder with Michael Hing: Occupy White People. The laughs are back Sydney. Get your happy faces ready and check out the full program at the Sydney Comedy Festival website.
First, hobbits tuck into breakfast. Then, they enjoy second breakfast. In fact, in both JRR Tolkien's books and the movie adaptations that've brought them to the screen so far, they like their meals frequently and with the smallest of gaps between them. That seems to be an approach that Prime Video is taking to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, its upcoming Middle-earth series, too — at least when it comes to dropping sneak peeks at the long-awaited show. The Rings of Power seems like it has been in the works forever, because it's now been 21 years since the first of The Lord of the Rings movies had everyone rushing to cinemas, obsessing over hobbits and elves, and saying "precious" too many times — and, it's also been five years since it was initially revealed that a TV series was in the works. The show will drop in September, starting on Friday, September 2, but early glimpses have been as rare as a pacifist orc until this month. Now, in the space of just a fortnight, Prime Video has dropped not just one, not two, but three new trailers. The latest arrived during San Diego Comic-Con, aka the reason that other big fantasy titles such as Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon and game-to-screen adaptation Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves have also released trailers this week — and it's the longest look at The Rings of Power yet. It also provides the most complete overview of the show's storyline, which jumps back into Middle-earth's Second Age, bringing that era from the LOTR realm to the screen for the first time. In past trailers — including the initial sneak peek back in February — gorgeous settings, elves, dwarves, harfoots (aka hobbit ancestors), stormy seas, strange skies, cave trolls, raging fires and orc battles have all popped up. This new trailer pieces together more of the plot around them. The focus: the rise of Sauron, how that gave rise to the rings and the impact across Middle-earth. Also seen in the new sneak peek: more orcs, and even a balrog. The Rings of Power features a young Galadriel (Morfydd Clark, Saint Maud) and a young Elrond (Robert Aramayo, The King's Man), too — and, this time, New Zealand's natural splendours stand in for the Elven realms of Lindon and Eregion, the Dwarven realm Khazad-dûm, the Southlands, the Northernmost Wastes, the Sundering Seas and the island kingdom of Númenór. Amazon first announced the show back in 2017, gave it the official go-ahead in mid-2018 and set its premiere date back in 2021. In-between, it confirmed that it wouldn't just remake Peter Jackson's movies. Rather, as per the show's official synopsis, it follows "the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth's history," with the action set thousands of years before the novels and movies we've all read and watched. If you're a little rusty on your LOTR lore, the Second Age lasted for 3441 years, and saw the initial rise and fall of Sauron, as well as a spate of wars over the coveted rings. Elves feature prominently, and there's plenty to cover, even if Tolkien's works didn't spend that much time on the period — largely outlining the main events in an appendix to the popular trilogy. The series will "take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien's pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness," the synopsis continues. "Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone," it also advises. That's a hefty tale to tell, and The Rings of Power has amassed a hefty cast to tell it — and some impressive talent behind the scenes. Among the other actors traversing Middle-earth are Ismael Cruz Córdova (The Undoing) as Arondir, Nazanin Boniadi (Bombshell) as Bronwyn, Owain Arthur (A Confession) as Prince Durin IV, Charlie Vickers (Palm Beach) as Halbrand and Sophia Nomvete (The Tempest) as Princess Disa. There's also Tom Budge (Judy & Punch), Joseph Mawle (Game of Thrones), Cynthia Addai-Robinson (The Accountant), Maxim Baldry (Years and Years), Peter Mullan (Westworld), Benjamin Walker (The Underground Railroad) and comedian Lenny Henry. And, the series is being overseen by showrunners and executive producers JD Payne and Patrick McKay, while filmmaker JA Bayona (A Monster Calls, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) directs the first two episodes. Check out the latest The Rings of Power trailer below: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will be available to stream via Prime Video from Friday, September 2, 2022. Images: Matt Grace / Ben Rothstein.
It’s not just when buying real estate that you have to consider location, location, location. ‘Cause what’s better than seeing a great show in a stuffy theatre is seeing a great show on a former convict prison with complete with an island bar and nada over your head but the night sky, which is why Cockatoo Island Film Festival and The Keystone Group have seen it fit to transform one of our coolest World Heritage sites into an outdoor music venue boating two stages of eclectic musical acts. Over the last weekend in October two areas of the island will be transformed into two alfresco music venues labeled Island Life and The Precinct. The former will he headlined by purveyors of socially savvy music Arrested Development, downtempo island-appropriate locals Bluejuice and Jinja Safari and luxuriously bearded singer-songwriter Matt Corby. And if you’re not ready to go home at 10pm pop-up nightclub The Precinct will keep on kicking on with the aid of some of the country’s best DJs, including Halfway Crooks, Future Classic and DJ Huwston, with Gossling and Saskwatch easing you in to the Friday and Saturday night revelry with their own groovy beats. Organisers have also taken note of the fact that Cockatoo Island is indeed inaccessible by land and arranged some handy after-midnight ferrys to get you back to dry land safely. Cockatoo Island Film Festival 2012 musical lineup: Thursday 25 October Island Life: Arrested Development with Alison Wonderland The Precinct: Halfway Crooks Friday 26 October Island Life: Bluejuice and Jinja Safari The Precinct: Gossling with Future Classic DJs Saturday 27 October Island Life: Matt Corby The Precinct: Saskwatch with DJ Huwston Tickets on sale now through Moshtix.
If you like tacos, tequila and views of the ocean, clear your Saturday. Campbell Parade's Panama House is serving up an extra salty twist on its regular brunch for World Margarita Day. And it involves bottomless margaritas. To eat, the regular brunch packages will be available. For $39 a head, you'll get smoky beef croquettes, chicken enchiladas, swordfish tostadas, fajitas, baked barramundi and lots of shoestring fries. If you're vego, a similar meat-free feast will set you back $35, and includes the likes of portobello tacos, avocado tostadas and roasted cauliflower with almond mole rojo. For another $54, you can add on two hours of endless Tecate, mimosas, bloody marys, palomas and rosé. Now comes the salty party. On Saturday, February 22, you can add two hours of bottomless margaritas onto one of these brunches for another $25. That's a lot of booze, friends. If you can't make it along to the brunch, but would still like to enjoy a couple of drinks, the bar will be serving up $12 margaritas all day. You can book into the bottomless margarita brunch between 10–4pm. Image: Richard Mortimer
In an effort to further reduce the spread of COVID-19 across Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced that everyone arriving in the country from overseas will need to self-isolate for 14 days, effective from 12am on Monday, March 16. Announced at the first meeting of Australia's new coronavirus national cabinet, the mandatory self-isolation requirement applies to everyone — no matter where you're entering the country from, and regardless of whether you're an Aussie citizen or permanent resident coming home, or a tourist arriving for a holiday. "Its legal enforcement, that will be the change. If your mate has been to Bali and they come back and they turn up at work and they are sitting next to you, they will be committing an offence — so I think it's up to all of us that we are ensuring it is in place. Australians will exercise commonsense. This provides the backstop of a legal enforcement," said Morrison. The self-isolation requirement only applies to overseas arrivals. At this stage, domestic flights are not affected. The government will also ban international cruise ships from docking in Australia for 30 days, with that decision due to be reviewed on a rolling basis. Australians have also been advised to take social distancing measures, including refraining from shaking hands. The current moves come a day after New Zealand implemented the same measures, and two days after Morris announced an indefinite ban on non-essential organised gatherings of more than 500 people from Monday, March 16. He confirmed that ban in today's press conference, and advised that state and territory governments will legislate to officially put it into effect. As was the case on Friday, schools, universities and public transport will not be impacted by the mass gatherings ban at present, Morrison also confirmed — nor will shopping centres or airports themselves. [caption id="attachment_721751" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Vivid Sydney. Image: Yaya Stempler.[/caption] Since Friday, many large-scale Australian events have revealed their cancellations and postponements for 2020. The AFL, AFLW and NRL football leagues announced that they'll play in empty stadiums, with fans locked out. Big events such as the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, the Sydney Royal Easter Show, Vivid Sydney and World Science Festival Brisbane have all been scrapped for the year — and many more smaller events, too, including the Gold Coast Film Festival, Melbourne Queer Film Festival, Ability Fest, Sweetstock, Wine Machine, Comedy Steps Up for Bushfire Relief and Cirque du Soleil's Melbourne season of Kurios. Australia's tactics are in line with global moves, too. Over the past days, weeks and months, large swathes of cinemas have shut across Asia, the Middle East and Europe, and theme parks have been doing the same in Asia, Europe and the US as well. We've also seen the cancellation of Texan music and film festival South by Southwest and postponement of Coachella. And, before Friday's ban was announced, the Grand Prix in Melbourne, Tasmania's Dark Mofo and Brisbane's Paniyiri Greek Festival all announced their cancellations as well. The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced early this week that COVID-19 is a pandemic. As at 3pm AEST on Sunday, March 15, Australia has 249 cases confirmed cases of COVID-19. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
Apologies to your usual streaming queue — and to everything from the past month you're still trying to catch up with, too — but if you're a horror fan, there's only one acceptable way to spend your viewing time during October. Filling every spare second with unnerving flicks new and old is what the lead up to Halloween is all about. Scary movies work all year round, of course, but this is their season. Here's one to add to your list for your next couch session: Jordan Peele's Nope, the comedian-turned-filmmaker's third stint behind the camera, and a movie that's just as great as his Oscar-winning Get Out and equally exceptional Us. Yep, when it comes to making the leap from an iconic sketch comedy series to helming horror fare — and having a hand in bringing everything from BlacKkKlansman and the ace latest Candyman flick to Hunters and Lovecraft Country to our eyeballs, too — the former Key & Peele has been having a helluva time of it. Nope only hit cinemas in mid-August, and it's actually still showing on the big screen — so it joins the list of films that've been fast-tracked to digital while still gracing picture palaces. That's no longer a rarity, given that everything from Dune, The Matrix Resurrections, Spencer and West Side Story through to Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent and Elvis have done the same thing this year. Still, the timing of this digital release couldn't be better, especially if you've spent the first few days of October working out which chilling movies you're going to enjoy all month. The film reteams Peele with Get Out star and Judas and the Black Messiah Oscar-winner Daniel Kaluuya, with the latter playing Haywood's Hollywood Horses trainer OJ. His family ranch is proudly run by the only Black-owned horse trainers in show business (with Hustlers' Keke Palmer as his sister Emerald), with their connection to the industry dating back to the very birth of cinema. But their remote patch of inland California soon becomes home to a disturbing discovery — and the fact that everyone spends a fair amount of time either looking up in horror or running away from something chilling in the sky in the trailers says plenty. Emerald decides that they need to capture what's happening on film, which is where Michael Wincott (Veni Vidi Vici) and Brandon Perea (The OA) come in — one charged with standing behind the lens, the other selling tech equipment. And, the Haywoods aren't the only California residents seeing this uncanny presence in the sky, with neighbour, rodeo cowboy and former child star Ricky 'Jupe' Park (Steven Yeun, The Humans) also peering upwards. As with all of Peele's celluloid nightmares so far, the less you know going in, the better. Get ready for a whirlwind of unsettling imagery, though, including fields of colourful inflatable tube men waving in the breeze, the creepiest of clouds and shadows, and a big leap into X-Files territory. Check out the full trailer for Nope below: Nope is currently screening in Australian cinemas (and NZ cinemas), and is also available to stream online via video on demand — including via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video in Australia, and Neon, Google Play and iTunes in NZ. Read our full review.
Following 11 years at Merivale's Sushi E, chef Nobuyuki Ura is moving to grand new digs. His eponymous restaurant, to be named Ura San, will open in The Rocks with panoramic harbour levels and next-level Japanese fare. Come mid-year, you'll find Ura within the 19th century sandstone magnificence of the Campbell's Stores building at Campbell's Cove, overlooking Sydney Harbour, the Bridge and the Opera House. The historic site is currently undergoing a $32 million restoration, and Lauren Cohen of Altis Architects will transform the 280-seater space into a paean to contemporary Japanese design, while celebrating its heritage-listed features. At its heart will be an open counter made of ash timber and black stone. Here, you'll be able to watch Ura and his masterful team in action as they create a traditional omakase menu. "When you go into a high-class sushi restaurant in Japan, omakase represents the best meal you can get," says Ura. "It means 'I'll leave it to you'". 'You' refers to the head chef. At Ura San, you won't pore over menus and make pain-staking decisions. You'll put yourself in Ura's trustworthy hands. "I go to the fish market every morning, to get the best fish...today, the tuna might be very good. Maybe tomorrow it'll be the scampi," San says. "All the produce and ingredients I use are the best — of the highest quality in Australia, New Zealand and Japan." [caption id="attachment_707018" align="alignnone" width="1920"] A render of what the revamped Campbell's Stores site will look like.[/caption] So there'll be no predicting the menu. But you can count on Ura's expertise. Before working at Sushi E, he was head chef at the now-closed Kamogawa on Sussex Street for over six years. Before that, he headed Suntory on Kent Street for eight years, in the space that now belongs to Tetsuya's. Behind the bar, there'll be a selection of top-notch Japanese sake and whiskey. Ura is planning on showcasing some of his native country's finest winemakers and distillers. But, you'll also find an impressive list of Australian wines. In addition to the open counter, the restaurant will house five distinct dining bays and a private dining room featuring a 20-seater marble table. If you're only dropping by for a cocktail and snacks, you'll be welcome to hang out in the more casual lounge bar. Ura San is owned by Eddie and Bill Younes, a father and son team embarking on their first hospitality venture. "They've been eating my food for 13 or 14 years," says Ura. "Around three and a half years ago, we started talking about opening a restaurant together one day." That day has arrived. Ura San is scheduled to open in mid-2019 at Level 2, Bays 4-8, Campbell's Stores, 7– 27 Circular Quay West, The Rocks. Image: Nikki To.
Whether your pooch is of the pampered variety or simply has an untameable mop, the expert groomers at Pets on the Point will transform them into catwalk-ready canines. You can book your dog in for a basic wash and dry or a full groom and puppy pedicure. Pricing is dependent on your dog's size and hair type (afghan hounds will have to go in for the premium service), and all shampoo, conditioners and fragrances are natural and antibacterial. While you're there, you can restock your pup cupboard with dry and fresh dog food, splurge on new doggo accessories and bedding, and get your pal's flea, tick and worm treatments sorted.
Hailing from Western Australia, Pond will perform in Sydney from their newly released Beard Wives Denim album. The trio — Joseph Ryan, Nick Allbrook and Jay Watson — have recorded three previous albums and held shows around Australia and Japan. They have supported MGMT and performed at the St Jerome’s Laneway Festival. Now it is time for their label debut; Beard Wives Denim was released on Modular this past March. Recorded at a friend's farmhouse and mixed by Tame Impala (Kevin Parker), the album is best described as psychedelic rock, with elements of '70s funk and glam styles. Make sure to check it out before the band heads off on their American tour.
Remember when the Beast won Belle's heart with his impossibly beautiful personal library in Beauty and the Beast? How easy it is seduce a nerd. Now that animated library has a real-life rival in the spectacular Waanders in de Broeren, a converted 15th-century Dominican church in Zwolle, the Netherlands, that houses what must be one of the world's most gorgeous bookstores. Designed by architectural firm BK. Architecten, the development was carried out in exactly the right way. It was mandated that all the building's original features be preserved. This meant keeping the 547-year-old colossal pipe organ and huge stained glass windows just as they were. The firm took to the challenge with gusto: only three hues of building material were used, to reflect the pre-existing look of the church, and the three-level, 700-square metre retail space which frames its central nave is built so as to be easily removable in future, maintaining the church's essential structure beneath. The result is a distinctly light and airy bookstore, with shelves lining the walls and unobtrusive, contemporary stairways leading up to the upper reaches of the arches. If only all shopping venues could be so elegant. Sometimes opulent buildings are given over to unlikely retail tenants — for example New York's Chelsea has one of the most ridiculously fancy pharmacies ever, a CVS inside a grand old bank building on 8th Avenue. This makes buying condoms at 3am seem slightly more classy for locals. But books seem an extra worthy ware: picture yourself browsing in Waanders in de Broeren, imagination set aflame as soon as you enter the space with its lofty and ornately painted ceiling. There's also a wine bar and other shopping available, making this one of the loveliest spaces and best design ventures we've seen in ages — an attractive and respectful fusion of old and new. Via Colossal.
In modern marketing, you often hear the sentiment that everyone is a content creator now. And few spaces reflect that idea more than tourism and hospitality when it comes to generating social buzz. But if we're being honest, some creators know their way around content better than others. If you'd like to level up your skills to a professional level, the new ALL Accor Creator Academy is opening the door to the next generation of travel storytellers. Now launched in Australia, the program gives budding travel creators incredible access to one of the world's leading hospitality groups. A series of eight modules instils the skills needed to produce content that meets both audience expectations and brand standards, covering substantial ground while offering graduates direct access to Accor's global network of hotels, brands and experiences. Delivered over three to five weeks, these bite-sized, mobile-first modules help you get up to speed quickly on what it takes to build a successful career. After completing the entire course, you'll have learned all about storytelling, filming techniques, brand collaboration and the fundamentals of travel content creation. And with professional creators leading the modules, the information shared is real, practical and full of insight. "Creators are playing an increasingly important role in how people discover and experience travel. As brands automate more content, the value of authentic human storytelling is only increasing, and we're thrilled to be the first hotel group to invest in a trained creator pipeline with our industry-first initiative," says Jessica Baider, Influencer and Content Manager for Accor MEA APAC. View this post on Instagram Of course, when many people think of creators, followers are what come to mind first. However, the ALL Accor Creator Academy is doing things differently. Teaching participants how to develop their creative voice, respond to briefs and produce professional content, graduates join an invite-only network of recognised content creators within Accor. That means accessing a global network of future stays, campaigns and creative opportunities with Accor and its brand partners. Best of all, the ALL Accor Creator Academy is free to join and open to emerging creators, plus those who wouldn't typically see themselves as part of the influencer space. Featuring lessons from leading guest mentors and expert travel content creators, including James and Alex from Twosome Travellers, Lola Hubner and Lee Besser, you'll soon understand exactly what it takes to capture content and share travel experiences to the highest standards. The ALL Accor Creator Academy is now accepting applications for its first student intake until Sunday, May 17. Head to the website for more information. Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox. Images: Supplied.
From an art blog highlighting female talent, to a Surry Hills gallery show, to art-loving premises of their very own. Tough Titties has come a long way in a short time. Nestled in one of the City of Sydney's new Darlinghurst creative spaces, their freshly-christened Oxford Street Design Store takes broad inspiration from McSweeney's 826 Valencia project. That San Francisco project mixes youth writing programs with stunning-to-visit fronts of house. While Sydney already has a more traditional approach taking place at Redfern's Martian Embassy, Tough Titties have taken it upon themselves to put together a variation that grown-ups can play in too. The Oxford Street Design Store comes in two halves. In front its a shop, curating contributions from local designers, artists, writers and other creative venturers as long as said item has a price which at $20 or under. Out back, it plays host to cheap space for creation and salon-like events by artists and designers. Open already, the store is holding its launch party Tuesday night, giving you the chance to nose around the creative space, guzzle arts-supporting cake wine, and promise yourself you're really not going to buy too many of their wonderful things. No, really. Especially not that one. The Oxford Street Design Store is open Wednesday to Sunday from midday. Submissions are still open to sell, volunteer or use the workspace at the store. Details via oxfordstdesignstore.com.au
2021 isn't over just yet, and none of us have worked through all the new shows currently sitting in our streaming queues. Still, 2022 is already shaping up to be a huge year in television. Stranger Things will finally return, for instance, and The Crown will also unleash its new cast. Oh, and HBO will debut a little prequel to one of its biggest hits ever. Given how successful Game of Thrones proved for HBO — even after its eighth and final season caused plenty of uproar — the on-screen world inspired by George RR Martin's books was never going to simply disappear. Indeed, before GoT even finished, there was chatter about what would come next, with the network first announcing that it was considering five different prequel ideas. It then green-lit one to pilot stage, scrapped it and later decided to adapt Martin's House Targaryen-focused Fire & Blood for the small screen as a show called House of the Dragon. Next, it opted to give novella series Tales of Dunk and Egg the TV treatment, too, and to work on an animated GoT show. And, it's been reported that another three prequels are also under consideration. Of course, all of the above announcements have been happening for so long that it's easy to forget that new GoT-related fare will eventually grace the small screen — starting next year. Although an exact premiere date hasn't yet been announced, we won't merely be talking about House of the Dragon in 2022. We'll also be watching its ten-episode first season. And, thanks to the just-dropped teaser trailer for the series, we can get a glimpse of what's in store right now. HBO released a few images from the show earlier this year, but now they've gone one better. Yes, dragons are mentioned. Yes, everyone looks suitably broody. Yes, the Iron Throne shows up, because of course it does. While the trailer really is just a teaser, viewers can expect to spend more time with flame-breathing scaly creatures and the family that adores them when House of the Dragon arrives in 2022. If you thought the Targaryens were chaotic already, delving into their history — and their love of using dragons to wage wars and claim power — is certain to cement that idea. We all know what happened to the last surviving members of the family in GoT, including Daenerys and her boyfriend/nephew Jon Snow; however, House of the Dragon, like Fire & Blood, jumps back 300 years earlier. Cast- and character-wise, House of the Dragon stars Emma D'Arcy (Misbehaviour) as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, the first-born child of King Viserys; Matt Smith (His House) as Prince Daemon Targaryen, the King's brother; Rhys Ifans (Official Secrets) as Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King; Olivia Cooke (Pixie) as Alicent Hightower, Otto's daughter; and Steve Toussaint (It's a Sin) as Lord Corlys Velaryon, aka 'The Sea Snake', a nautical adventurer from a Valyrian bloodline as old as House Targaryen. These Westerosi folk will all grace a tale that harks back to Aegon I Targaryen's conquest of the Seven Kingdoms — which is what started the hefty 738-page first volume in Fire & Blood's planned two-book series — and then works through the family's history from there. Aegon I created the Iron Throne, hence the returning favourite's prominence. And you don't have to be the Three-Eyed Raven to know that this tale involves plenty of GoT's staples: fighting, battles for supremacy and bloodshed. Also set to pop up on-camera: Paddy Considine (The Third Day) as King Viserys, Eve Best (Nurse Jackie) as Princess Rhaenys Velaryon and Sonoya Mizuno (Devs) as Mysaria, Prince Daemon's paramour. Behind the scenes, Miguel Sapochnik and Ryan Condal are acting as the series' showrunners. Sapochnik has a hefty GoT history, winning an Emmy and a Directors Guild Award for directing 'Battle of The Bastards', helming season eight's 'The Long Night', and doing the same on four other episodes. As for Condal, he co-created and oversaw recent sci-fi series Colony, and co-wrote the screenplay for the 2018 film Rampage. Check out the first teaser trailer below: House of the Dragon is due to start airing sometime in 2022 — we'll update you with further details when they're announced. Images: Ollie Upton/HBO.
The crumpet has made a noticeable splash in the Sydney restaurant scene in recent years. Said to originate in the UK as far back as the 14th century, this (very) old-school griddle cake is loved for its simplicity — and its ability to be paired with almost any topping. Whether you're into savoury bites or have a sweet tooth, our city is offering a wide range of ways for you to enjoy the humble crumpet. Think bacon- and avo-loaded numbers, falafel takes on the cake, dulce de leche-topped holey boys and even crumpets paired with locally sourced sea urchin. Here are our favourite spots to get next-level crumpets across Sydney.
Crisp air, clear skies, golden leaves. It's this trifecta of soul-nourishing pleasures that makes autumn the perfect time to escape Melbourne for a short break in the regional Victorian town of Echuca. Just two hours and 45 minutes' drive north, this romantic, riverside spot is best known for its nostalgic paddle steamers. And while a ride along the Murray in 19th-century style should be on everyone's bucket list, there's a whole lot more to explore. Think cycle paths dotted with cellar doors and gourmet food stops, canoe trails through the world's biggest red river gum forest, and antique train carriages transformed into beautiful accommodation. EAT AND DRINK Even though the drive is pretty easy, you'll no doubt be hankering after a coffee as soon as you roll in. So make your first stop The Black Pudding Cafe, which also does a mighty breakfast burrito, with cheesy scrambled eggs, bacon, hash brown, black beans and barbie sauce, alongside several other generous brekkies. Meanwhile, enjoy country chic at The Sweet Meadow, where you'll find Allpress Coffee and a 100 percent vegan menu, from banana and buckwheat pancakes to beautifully presented baked donuts. Find this plant-based health bar in a 1920s corner cottage that has been revamped with pink paint and an array of Instagram-worthy florals. Come lunchtime, Henry's Bridge Hotel is the place to go for hearty pub classics, including burgers, grill and fish 'n' chips. It's the oldest pub in town, having been built in 1859 by ex-convict Henry Hopwood, and scored a $1 million revamp in 2016. From there, move on to The Mill, another glammed-up historical spot, which started out in 1881 as a five-storey flour mill. These days, it's a restaurant and bar, dotted with lounges, vintage timber and magnificent chandeliers. Enjoy a quick craft beer or local wine, or stay a while for share plates based on local produce, such as slow-braised pork belly with parsnip puree, bok choy and star anise reduction. Another champion of local farmers is Junction, perched right on the confluence of the Murray and Campaspe Rivers. The architect-designed space offers a choice of atmospheres, from an outdoor terrace overlooking gardens to a warmly lit cocktail lounge. Wherever you are, linger over beautifully composed share plates — such as Wagyu beef carpaccio with wild mushrooms and daikon remoulade — and signature cocktails, like the Ultimate G&T (Four Pillars gin, bergamot bitters, tonic, rosemary and mango). Finally, for an indulgent Italian feast, there's Ceres, where chefs Simone Di Domizio and Amanda Santurbano serve up decadent dishes informed by years of training in traditional and fine dining restaurants across Europe. Waterfront wineries are a knockout feature of the Murray region. There are two within cooee of Echuca: Morrisons Winery, to which you can travel by paddle steamer, and Cape Horn Vineyard, which sits on a lovely hill between the Murray and Goulburn Rivers, affording dreamy views. Should you fancy arriving on horseback, give Billabong Ranch a buzz. DO A good way to get your bearings around Echuca is with some exploration on foot or by bicycle. To that end, the Echuca and Moama Recreation Trails carry you through an idyllic blend of river frontage, forest and historical town streets. Along the way, have a breather at St Anne's Cellar Door, where you can sample a bunch of light whites, big reds and fortified wines perfected over three generations of wine-making, as well as Echuca Farmhouse Cheese, for irresistible triple bries, blues, tasties and more. Once you've experienced Echuca on land, you'll want to see it from the water. The classic way to do this is via paddle steamer, but for a more active adventure, consider a canoe. Echuca Boat and Canoe Hire or River Country Adventours will sort you out with a vessel, from where you can spend an hour or two splashing about on the Murray or set off on a longer voyage, such as a multi-day canoeing-camping escapade through Barmah National Park, home to the world's biggest river red gum forest. Also nearby is Edward River, a quieter alternative to the Murray. To see the area from a local perspective, book an overnight tour with Southern Side Eco Tours, who'll take you to Barmah's most remote spots, cook you dinner over a crackling campfire and pop you into a luxury bell tent for a super-comfy sleep. SLEEP Houseboats of all kinds bob about on the Murray, waiting for weekend visitors. If you're with a group of luxury-loving pals, then go with Magic Murray Houseboats, whose vessels feature slick design, or Executive Houseboats, which have the mod cons. As many as 12 can sleep aboard these boats at once, with room for everyone in the queen rooms, around the dinner table and in the spa. Loads more boat hire possibilities, whatever your budget, can be found on the Visit Victoria website. Another left-of-field stay is The Carriages Vineyard, about 20 minutes' drive west of Echuca. Here, owners David and Lyndall Johnson have been planting grapevines since 1996 and, at the same time, turned four 1890s train carriages into a gorgeous three-bedroom sleepover. Think stunning polished timber, comfy armchairs and outdoor decks surrounded by vineyards. You can even indulge in a wine tasting without leaving your station. Back in town, there's the Cock 'n' Bull, which was built in 1876 on the banks of the Campaspe River. Take your pick of five self-contained apartments, from the retro Emmylou Suite to the light, airy Henry Charles Suite overlooking the water. Last but not least, to stay as close to the Murray as possible — and without spending a cent — pack your tent. There's a bunch of pretty beach campsites near Echuca. Betts Beach is the most rustic, being facility-free, while Christies Beach gives you toilets, barbies and picnic tables, and Wills Bend, toilets only. Alternatively, let someone else do all the hard work for you and go glamping at Talo Retreat, where you'll get to snooze in a Mongolian yurt with a skylight for stargazing, plus a private spa and balcony. For more ideas on how to spend your autumn getaway to Echuca and the Murray region, check out the Wander Victoria website.
It wasn't simply debuting during the pandemic's first year, in a life-changing period when everyone was doing it tough, that made Ted Lasso's first season a hit in 2020. It wasn't just the Apple TV+ sitcom's unshakeable warmth, giving its characters and viewers alike a big warm hug episode after episode, either. Both play a key part, however, because this Jason Sudeikis (Saturday Night Live)-starring soccer series is about everyone pitching in and playing a part. It's a team endeavour that champions team endeavours — hailing from a quartet of creators (Sudeikis, co-star Brendan Hunt, Detroiters' Joe Kelly and Scrubs' Bill Lawrence), boasting a killer cast in both major and supporting roles, and understanding how important it is to support one another on- and off-screen (plus in the fictional world that the show has created, and while making that realm so beloved with audiences). Ted Lasso has always believed in the individual players as well as the team they're in, though. It is named after its eponymous American football coach-turned-inexperienced soccer manager, after all. But in building an entire sitcom around a character that started as a sketch in two popular US television ads for NBC's Premier League coverage — around two characters, because Hunt's (Bless This Mess) laconic Coach Beard began in those commercials as well — Ted Lasso has always understood that everyone is only a fraction of who they can be when they're alone. That's an idea that keeps gathering momentum in the show's long-awaited third season, which premieres the first of its 12 episodes on Wednesday, March 15, then keeps rolling out more week by week. Season three starts with Ted left solo when he desperately doesn't want to be, in one of the rare situations that can cut through the Kansan-in-London's usually unflappable optimism. Season two helped unpack his perennially upbeat ways, and started to see fractures, so a less-than-chipper Ted is no longer a complete surprise. But Ted questioning why he's on the other side of the world, and alone away from his son Henry (Gus Turner, Life After Life) and now-former wife Michelle (Andrea Anders, That '90s Show)? That's how Ted Lasso's third season kicks off, and it scores a goal with that choice. The series has already established that its various figures — Ted, Beard and the AFC Richmond crew they joined when owner Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham, Hocus Pocus 2) brought them to the UK initially to tank her ex-husband's beloved club — can work as a team. Now it's going deep on why they want to. "I guess I do sometimes wonder what the heck I'm still doing here," says Ted. "I mean, I know why I came, but it's the sticking around I can't quite figure out," he continues. That's a new core thread, and a notion that echoes across other plots. After becoming West Ham United's manager under Rebecca's ex Rupert Mannion (Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Anthony Stewart Head), the Greyhounds' former assistant Nathan 'Nate' Shelley (Nick Mohammed, Intelligence) is thrilled and overwhelmed — and happy to keep his nasty streak going publicly, while also grappling with it privately. He knows why he joined a different team, as everyone who has seen the past two seasons does. But, as showdowns with his old club and mentor keep bubbling up, that isn't the same as knowing why he should commit to being Rupert's version of himself to stay with that team. Season three also has delightfully grumpy retired player Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein, Uncle) leaning into his coaching role at Richmond in Nate's absence, and face why he's doing it, including pushing him closer towards star striker Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster, The Devil's Hour). He has time, after his relationship with Keeley Jones (Juno Temple, The Offer) — now an ex to both Roy and Jamie — ended in season two, while she's exploring why she was so eager to start her own PR film. As for Jamie, his arc since episode one has been one of cockiness humbled by stark truths, then finding a sustainable status quo. When a new hotshot arrives, he also has to confront why he's part of the team and what he wants that to mean. As celebrated as Ted Lasso's entire cast is, with two acting Emmys for Sudeikis and Goldstein in two seasons, one for Waddingham, and nominations for Hunt, Temple, Mohammed, Jeremy Swift, Toheeb Jimoh, Sarah Niles and more, Dunster's performance deserves more notice. What will all this questioning lead to in season three? Ideally, to happier, kinder people who understand themselves better — Ted's ultimate goal always, ranking high above winning. But with Richmond back in the Premier League, Britain's football media predicting it'll be relegated again when the season is out, Rupert securing West Ham's success however he can and Rebecca desperate not to lose to the man she's already lost plenty to, winning matters more than it ever has in Ted Lasso. So, whether everyone will benefit from that journey, why they're taking it, what it'll cost and what it'll mean for the show's various teams sits at the heart of the season. Of course, as every TV viewer knows, a lot can happen in a season. Every sports fan, and anyone who has ever just watched a sports-themed TV show or movie, is well-aware, too. Higher stakes, deeper emotional dives: that's the first four episodes of Ted Lasso season three, across longer episodes that clock in between 40–50 minutes apiece. As the second season did, this go-around also broadens who it spends time with, giving Richmond players Colin Hughes (Billy Harris, The Outlaws) and Thierry Zoreaux (Moe Jeudy-Lamour, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan) a bigger spotlight as Sam Obisanya (Jimoh, The French Dispatch) and Dani Rojas (Cristo Fernandez, Spider-Man: No Way Home) gained before them. There's that team focus again, so much so that Ted Lasso can't stop filling the field. Beard and Higgins (Swift, Housebound), the club's Director of Football Operations, still have Ted's back, and Dr Sharon Fieldstone (Niles, The Sandman) remains a call away. No Ted Lasso devotee wants to start thinking about its end game, but its creators have; a three-season arc has been discussed. Unlike Succession and Barry, a finish to the acclaimed hit hasn't been announced going into this new round of episodes — but as the series ponders why Ted and company have chosen their teams, what keeps them there, and what makes them better by being there, a feeling of change lingers in the air. Everything that's always made Ted Lasso a delight remains in season three, including its sincerity, warmth and care, determination to see both the joys and the struggles, and the pitch-perfect performances. Also, every season of the series has always started with new beginnings of a sort. If this one concludes the way it kicks off, though — whether or not there's a season four — then it looks set to embrace why teams achieve, fail, find success out of mess, are stronger together, but can only win when everyone does. Check out the trailer for Ted Lasso's third season below: Season three of Ted Lasso starts streaming via Apple TV+ from Wednesday, March 15. Read our full review of season two.
Sydney Design descends on this city annually to wrap it in a web of style, sweet-talking much of its otherwise design-agnostic population into appreciating the form, fit and function of the useful stuff in their lives. This year, it's focused around the theme of lace, including a central Powerhouse exhibition and events with thread-centric themes, like a bicycle culture tour that makes a crochet workshop pit stop. The Powerhouse will host the annual Young Blood: Designers Market and design awards, and visitors there are invited to add to Shane Waltener's giant lace sculpture, Knitted and Looped. Hamish Ta-mé will put together a huge paste-up on the side of a Surry Hills warehouse, weaving and reweaving the same portraits night after night each evening for Reworking the Paste-Up, while up the hill in Kippax Street, you can check out choice rooftop, design-themed movies at the Design Film Screening. In Chippendale, Allen Jack+Cottier have installed a cafe in their headquarters, wrapping it with an exhibition on the neighbourhood's slow march from brewing icon to caffeine addict. Meanwhile, COFA is running the COFA Design Festival as a Sydney Design mini-festival-within-a-festival. COFA's contribution includes the annual campus-wide, one-day forum Live Futures 2020, a series of design and sustainability-themed talks and two new exhibitions by COFA staff and students. COFA isn't the only artistic institution to huddle under the festival umbrella either, with innumerable shows featuring Bauhaus, the typewriter, sand, hand-made bikes and Italian seating.
