Sydney's Taronga Zoo hasn't been humming with crowds over the past three months, given that it's been closed during the city's ongoing lockdown. It'll be roaring a little louder in its lion enclosure from now on, though. Back on Thursday, August 12, the zoo welcomed five African lion cubs — three females and two males — and this quintet of cuteness actually marks the first lion cubs to be born at the venue in more than 18 years. These little balls of fluff were born to experienced mum Maya and first-time dad Ato, and they've grown from weighing around 1.5 kilograms at birth to hitting the scales at between five and six kilograms now. As they've been growing, Taronga's staff have been keeping an eye on them via the zoo's CCTV cameras. And, if that sounds like a great way to spend your own day, you can now join them via a new 24/7 live-stream. Taronga already lets you fill your time staring at capybaras, seals, meerkats, otters, sumatran tigers, lions and elephants, all without leaving your home, thanks to its online TV channel. All those animals are all well and good. They're great, and they're very easy to spend too much time staring at, actually. But, because we all grew up watching The Lion King, we all have an extra fondness for lion cubs. The zoo's cub cam is doing things a little differently, however. This time, you'll need to make a tax-deductible donation of $7 to access the all-day camera footage. Your cash will then help support Taronga, its ongoing research and conservation programs, and its work to save African lions — and if you're able to, you can donate more if you like. There's your background viewing sorted. Popping the stream on in the background while you work from home suits these kinds of feeds, in fact, because sometimes the critters in the spotlight aren't in view. Or, in this case, those cubs like to sleep between 12–20 hours per day. Taronga Zoo Sydney and Taronga Western Plains Zoo Dubbo started their online streams in 2020, and they're back now for obvious reasons. Taronga is also releasing regular videos across its Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channels, and making keeper talks and other clips available online as well. To subscribe to Taronga Zoo's cub cam, head to the zoo's website. To check out Taronga TV, head to the channel's website — or keep an eye on its videos on its Facebook, Instagram and YouTube pages.
It was a smash in Australia with Eryn Jean Norvill (Love Me) in the lead. When it made the leap to the UK starring Succession's Sarah Snook, it became the talk of London's West End, and also earned its one and only performer a 2024 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress for her efforts. It's been picked up by Cate Blanchett's (Borderlands) production company Dirty Films to get the film treatment. And, now it's heading to Broadway. Sydney Theatre Company's version of The Picture of Dorian Gray keeps doing huge things — and its latest jump to the most-famous stage district there is will also keep Snook at its centre. She's making her Broadway debut playing all 26 of the play's parts, with the production hitting New York from March 2025. When STC's take on The Picture of Dorian Gray premiered in 2020 — and then also played theatres in Melbourne and Adelaide — it didn't just give Oscar Wilde's gothic-literature masterpiece a fresh spin; it turned it into a brand-new stage sensation. Not only does the show feature just one performer playing every single character but, to make that happen, it uses video to help. It's the work of writer/director Kip Williams, it's groundbreaking, and it's been understandably earning audiences raves and winning accolades. On the page, The Picture of Dorian Gray is exceptional, as well as astute and unnerving, as it follows the selling of its namesake's soul in order to keep indulging every corporeal whim, urge and desire. There's a reason that it just keeps getting adapted for the screen and in theatres, after all. But there's never been a version like Sydney Theatre Company's, which Broadway patrons now get to experience. "It was a singular privilege to bring The Picture of Dorian Gray to life in London and I am thrilled we will be able to share this astonishing production with audiences in New York," said Sarah Snook about the news. "From Oscar Wilde's timeless words to the masterful reinterpretation Kip Williams has created, this tale of virtue, corruption, vanity and repercussion is an electrifying journey for me as much as for the audiences, and I am filled with anticipation as we continue on this ambitious creative endeavour." "I was so humbled by the response from audiences in London to The Picture of Dorian Gray, and I could not be more thrilled to be bringing this work to Broadway. It has been extraordinary to witness the way Oscar Wilde's story continues to resonate with people today," added Williams. "I am so excited for audiences in New York to experience our show and to see the tour-de-force performance Sarah Snook gives in bringing to life the many characters in this new adaptation of Wilde's remarkable story." Check out the trailer for the Broadway season of The Picture of Dorian Gray below: The Picture of Dorian Gray will play Broadway in New York from March 2025 — for more information and to join the waitlist for tickets, head to the play's website. Images: Marc Brenner.
Autumn and winter might seem like the ideal seasons to stay indoors, but, if you don't mind the occasional gust of wind or spot of rain, then regional Victoria presents some incredible adventures. Leave behind familiarity and head to untrodden areas of the country which provide plenty of outdoorsy romps to discover — taking you to some scenic locations that might just include some great food and drink as well. Over the past few decades, Macpac has been providing new and expert adventurers with high-quality technical clothing that keeps everybody warm and dry no matter the conditions. So together, we've picked out five great outdoor expeditions around Victoria that showcase the very best of that state's natural landscape. Plan an unforgettable trip down to the southeast — just remember to pack a jacket. [caption id="attachment_717214" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Rob Blackburn.[/caption] GO FROM IGLOO TO SKIDOO This time of year, Victoria's High Country becomes covered in snow and frost, making it an ideal winter destination. One unconventional trip you can take is the Igloo to Skidoo tour, which leads you on a two-day journey through Mount Hotham's icy landscape and includes some delightful winter-warmer treats. Set off at sunset, and snowshoe your way through the backcountry, making your way to a hearty feast of French fondue. Stay in a remote eco-village as you slide into your plush, wood-heated snowdome and settle in for one of the best night's sleep of your life. In the morning, you'll wake up to a big brekkie before you round out your wintery escapade with a one-hour snowmobile tour through the sprawling alpine resort. GET SUBTERRANEAN AT BRITANNIA CREEK CAVES Formed thousands of years ago, the Britannia Creek cave system is one of only five found in the state. Featuring a series of huge underground granite boulders, this place isn't for the claustrophobic. The massive subterranean chasm exhibits flowing streams, phosphorus glow worms and tightly packed rock climbing to delight the keenest of explorers. This Adventure Caving experience is not for the faint of heart. Prepare to get grimy on your hands and knees as you squeeze and slide your way through dozens of obstacles. Less than a 90-minute drive from Melbourne, the Brittania Creek cave system is one of the best adventures you can have this close to the city. [caption id="attachment_717215" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Josie Withers.[/caption] TAKE AN OVERNIGHT KAYAK TREK Winding its way down from the Victorian Alps, the Ovens River is flanked by several scenic red gum forests and wetlands that are home to numerous threatened and endangered species. This Overnight Kayaking Adventure tour showcases many of the region's top features as you paddle down the river and make camp once the sun sets. Crowd around the fireside and crack open a beer beneath the sprawling, starlit sky. Kayakers can choose to use the Tarrawingee Camp Ground as a base, with food and equipment provided throughout the journey, or you can build your own adventure, launching from wherever you please and choosing how many days you'd like to paddle. Once you experience the Ovens River's serene atmosphere, you may be tempted to stay here forever. MILAWA GOURMET RIDE Renowned for its fantastic collection of wineries, pristine countryside and farm-to-table restaurants, Milawa can be found three hours northeast of Melbourne. It's also quite flat, making it ideal for taking a slow peddle through the charming community. The Milawa Gourmet Ride offers visitors a ten-kilometre return bike ride from the Brown Brothers Cellar Door to the Sam Miranda Winery. There's a wealth of gourmet cafes and eateries along the route that highlight the region's much-loved producers and growers, so make sure you stop in and grab yourself a finely crafted block of cheese or a perfectly made coffee. GRAMPIANS PEAKS TRAIL Undoubtedly one of Victoria's most spectacular regions, the Grampians are hard to beat when it comes to native scenery. The lakes, bushland and wildlife found here are simply remarkable. The Grampians Peaks Trail puts the very best on display. Covering 37 kilometres of astounding countryside, the trail is ideal for a multi-day hike. Plan your trek and take in some of the key highlights. Climb to the summit and admire the impressive view of the entire range, explore the ancient rock formations at the Grand Canyon and take in the views from Mount Rosea, which presents panoramic vistas that span across the Serra and Mount William Ranges.
What makes a great avocado on toast? The answer to that question is subjective, because we all have different tastes when it comes to the breakfast and brunch staple. What makes a serving of avo on toast so spectacular that it's dubbed the best that Australia, nation of avid avo toast worship, has to offer? Avocados Australia, the industry body representing the Aussie avo industry, thinks it knows — and it has just named the country's top version, in fact. Since June, the organisation has been running the first-ever Australia's Best Avo Toast competition, aiming to find the avo on toast that'd make all other avo on toasts envious if the dish had feelings (and turned even greener with envy about better avos on toast). The winner hails from Brisbane, with Balmoral's Little Hideout Cafe getting the nod for a menu item called 'seasonal avocado'. [caption id="attachment_862831" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Little Hideout Cafe[/caption] If you're a Brisbanite keen to give it a try — if you haven't already — or you now know where you're headed for an avocado fix next time you're up north, the winning dish goes with slices of avo, rather than smashing it all up. It places them atop a toasted slice of grainy sourdough, then pairs it with roast tomato aioli, whipped feta and beetroot hummus, as well as slices of radish and a sprinkle of homemade dukkah. The cost: $16.90. No, spending that on avo on toast won't rob young Aussies of their chance to buy a house. Yes, visiting the cafe for some avo will help make a dent in Australia's current glut of avocados. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Little Hideout Cafe (@littlehideoutcafe) Little Hideout emerged victorious from a list of ten finalists, with Queensland performing strongly. Nodo in Newstead, Anouk Cafe in Paddington, Cinnamon and Co in West End and Kin and Co Cafe in Teneriffe all hail from Brissie, too, while Guyala Cafe is located in Cairns. In New South Wales, Barbetta Cucina in Paddington and Bolton Street Pantry in Newcastle made the list, while Faraday's Cage in Fitzroy was the sole Victorian finalist, and The Banksia Tree in Port Adelaide the lone South Australian venue. [caption id="attachment_862832" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Barbetta Cucina[/caption] And if you're wondering how the competition worked, it was judged by Avocados Australia, with a focus on the quality of avocados used and how they were heroed in the dish. Little Hideout's avos are supplied by Big Michael's, and grown by Simpson Farms. Little Hideout Cafe is located at 2/185 Riding Road, Balmoral, Queensland. For more information about Avocados Australia's best avo toast competition, head to the organisation's website.
A year-long program of design events could be headed Sydney's way, and a two years' worth of bragging rights as well. The New South Wales capital is currently in the running to be crowned the World Design Capital, making the shortlist for the 2020 title alongside Lille in Northern France. If successful, Sydney will play host to six signature events between January and October, with an opening ceremony at the Sydney Opera House, a World Design Street Festival throughout the CBD, an array of exhibitions and conferences in the lead up to Vivid, and a forum coinciding with Sydney Fringe Festival all currently outlined in the city's bid. Masterclasses, a new Festival of the Front Yard that focuses on post-war design and a design camp on Cockatoo Island are also mooted, in a proposal that seeks to "engage, collaborate and design a new model of social impact for an increasingly urbanised world." Beyond the showcase events, much of the suggested program focuses on Parramatta and its surrounding suburbs — and if you're wondering why, there's a good reason. The bid hasn't been put together by the City of Sydney, with the Parramatta council helping to lead the charge as part of a not-for-profit organisation backed by 40 other outfits, institutions and agencies. Still, "Sydney, World Design Capital" has quite the nice ring to it. As for that moniker and how it comes about, the World Design Capital is designated by the World Design Organisation, highlighting cities that use of design to drive economic, social, cultural and environmental development. The 2020 choice will be announced in October, with Sydney potentially joining previous picks Torino (2008), Seoul (2010), Helsinki (2012), Cape Town (2014), Taipei (2016) and Mexico City (2018). Via Sydney Morning Herald / ArchitectureAU. Image: Vivid / Ash Bollard
Tim Burton is back — and, regardless of how you feel about the filmmaker's output of late, that's a good thing. While indulging his love of all things weird and wonderful has seen the likes of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland and Dark Shadows annoy rather than endear, the director is still capable of crafting enchanting efforts when he finds just the right level of quirkiness. Sure, they were made decades ago, but Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood and his two Batman movies all remain classics for a reason. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children mightn't quite take Burton back to his strange, spirited heights, however it shares much more in common with his earlier work than his more recent fare. Of course it helps that the source material couldn't be a better fit. Boasting a title that champions its oddness, a story filled with outsider characters embracing their individual traits, and an unusual journey through both dark and delightful territory, the first book in the three-strong young adult series by author Ransom Riggs feels like it was destined to end up in Burton's hands. 16-year-old Jake (Asa Butterfield) has heard about Miss Peregrine (Eva Green) and her unusual abode from his doting grandfather Abe (Terence Stamp) ever since he can remember — although as he grew up, he stopped believing that the fantastical tales were true. Then tragedy strikes, leaving Jake with many questions — which a trip to Wales to seek out the house from his childhood stories just might be able to answer. There, with the help of the lighter-than-air Emma (Ella Purnell), the fire-starting Olive (Lauren McCrostie), the necromantic Enoch (Finlay MacMillan) and many more, Jake discovers the other side of his reality. What would happen if Burton made a mashup of X-Men, Harry Potter and The Matrix? Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, that's what. In fact, screenwriter Jane Goldman worked on X-Men: First Class and X-Men: Days of Future Past, as well as Kingsman: The Secret Service. Once the 127-minute-long movie moves past its dragging, world-building first half, the director and scribe prove a well-matched pair, blending both eccentricity and adventure to mostly charming effect. And while the film follows a very familiar path and ponders recognisable themes, it does so with an ideal dose of Burton's distinctive sensibilities. Think visions of reanimated critters, gas mask-wearing kids, sunken ships and stalking monsters – to name but a few of the movie's more memorable sights. Crucially, however, the striking imagery doesn't overpower the narrative. Instead, it helps add depth and texture, and immerses viewers in the story. Cast-wise, the youthful talent proves uniformly up to the task, although if there's ever an actor that can convey Burton's bewitching brand, it's Green. Move over, Johnny Depp, there's a new muse in town.
Hey everyone, Kanye West is back at his Kanye best — being characteristically mysterious while simultaneously stirring everyone into a frenzy. Today he ambiguously announced on Twitter that he'll casually open 21 "Pablo temporary stores" around the world this weekend. 21 PABLO STORES WORLDWIDE THIS WEEKEND LOCATIONS HERE https://t.co/tYuzqs7kJW — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) August 18, 2016 He's run this racket before. In 2013, he opened a pop-up shop on Bowery in NYC to commemorate the Yeezus tour and — as you could guess, it went bananas. This time around though the whole world is getting a taste. Life of Pablo pop-ups will open briefly in cities across the globe, including Melbourne and Sydney. It's unclear at this stage exactly what range of merchandise will be available, but Vogue is reporting that each city will be selling custom merch including t-shirts with the city's name spelt out in the custom Life of Pablo font (think of the re-sale value!). At previous pop-ups Kanye's sold copies of the namesake album and associated merch. Other cities that will be graced with a Pablo pop-up are Singapore, Amsterdam, Berlin, London, Cape Town, Toronto, Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco, Portland, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Boston, New York and Miami (so we're in pretty good company). He'll announce the exact locations 24 hours prior to their opening, so prepare to stalk, line up (early) and pounce on whatever Kanye's got in store for us. Via Vogue.
Since Plan International Australia launched its Free to Be map in Sydney last month, giving women a platform to highlight safe and unsafe areas around the city, it's attracted over 2600 entries. With double the number of respondents of a similar map previously launched in Melbourne, it's a huge response — and one that has enabled the NGO to pull together a list of preliminary safety 'hotspots', which it has released to the public. The unsafe spots, which attracted the most 'sad' pins on the Sydney map, include Kings Cross, King Street, Wentworth Park, Pyrmont Bridge and the stretch of George Street near Town Hall. A big number of these negative pins around key bus and train stations also highlighted major issues surrounding safety on public transport. On a more positive note, a list of 'happy' spots has also been revealed — these include Central Park, the UNSW and Macquarie University campuses, Circular Quay and the ferries, Oxford Street and McIver Ladies Baths in Coogee. Alongside the list of hotspots, Plan International Australia has also released its Sexism in the City research report, which surveyed 500 young Sydney women to get right to the guts of street harassment issues. Some of the confronting findings include more than a third of respondents experiencing harassment for the first time between the ages of 11 and 15; those harassed on a regular basis being twice as likely to report experiencing anxiety, depression or ongoing mental health issues as a result; and alarming rates of women being harassed in front of bystanders without anyone stepping in to help. Contributions to the map have now closed, and the full results should be released shortly. Updated: June 2, 2018.
From 12.01am on Monday, August 16, residents of Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour will only be permitted to travel within a five-kilometre radius of their homes. These regions are already under lockdown, and will remain that way until at least 12.01am on Saturday, August 28; however, stricter travel limits are now being brought in. Since the end of July — more than a month into Greater Sydney's now seven-week-long lockdown — people in the Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour regions have only been able to travel ten kilometres from their homes to go shopping. That distance requirement has applied to exercising for this entire lockdown, too; however, it'll now be reduced to five kilometres across the board if you're heading outside of your own Local Government Area to shop or exercise. If that sounds familiar, that's because that shorter radius is already in effect in 12 parts of the city deemed LGAs of concern. Those areas must still stick to a strict five-kilometre zone, even within their LGA. While you're probably quite familiar with the patch of land surrounding your home thanks to the last seven weeks of lockdown, there are a few easy ways to check out your household's government-approved five-kilometre travel radius. But, none have proved quite as popular as KM From Home — a website that originally launched in Ireland back in March, when that country introduced its own travel restrictions — and was first jumped on by Melburnians back in August 2020. The online map is free and easy to use — simply centre it to your address, select a five-kilometre radius and you'll see a big red or blue bubble encompassing the zone you're free to travel in under the NSW Government's new rules. You'll find other radius apps out there as well, including the likes of Map Developers. Alternatively, if you've got a Garmin watch, you can download this range warning and it'll alert you when you're closing in on a certain distance from your run's starting point. Want to check a specific park or shopping centre to see if it falls in your five-kilometre zone? There's a function on the Google Maps app that allows you to measure a distance as the crow flies. On desktop, simply right click on a location on the map, select 'measure distance' and then click anywhere else on the map and it'll show you exactly how far the address is from your starting point. Under the current rules, you can only exercise in groups of two, or with your household members — and only one person from your household can leave home once a day to collect essential supplies. Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour will remain in lockdown until at least 12.01am on Saturday, August 28. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. Top image: Km From Home.
If you're curating an exhibition about big names and what gives them that status, here's one that ain't nuthing ta f' wit: Wu-Tang Clan and their Once Upon a Time in Shaolin album. Almost no one has heard the record, but everyone should've heard of it. Only one physical copy was ever created, with the physical masters then deleted. The CD was sold — twice now — under the strict stipulation from RZA and company that it cannot be commercially exploited for 88 years. That condition means that the 2015 release can't be made available to the public en masse in any form until 2103. But trust Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art to do what it can to give fans a Once Upon a Time in Shaolin experience. During its gap year from Dark Mofo, Mona will get its hands on the album for ten days, put it on display for visitors to peer at and hold a select number of listening parties — eight in total, two daily across two four-day weekends — that feature a 30-minute mix from the record. Not only do albums not get much rarer than the hip hop collective's seventh studio record, but chances to get a glimpse of it and hear some of it don't, either. When it hits Namedropping, the site's exhibition about status, perception and trying to look good for others, Mona will become the first museum to receive Once Upon a Time in Shaolin on loan since the album was first sold. While the overall showcase, which spans 200-plus artistic works, will fill Mona for the better part of a year — from Saturday, June 15, 2024–Monday, April 21, 2025 — Wu-Tang Clan's record will only feature from Saturday, June 15–Monday, June 24, 2024. To see the two-CD release, you'll need to make a date with the exhibition. To hear that curated half-hour selection, you'll need one of the limited free tickets to listening event Namedropping the Wu-Tang Clan, where the mix will play in Mona's Frying Pan recording studio off of a personalised Wu-Tang PlayStation 1. "Every once in a while, an object on this planet possesses mystical properties that transcend its material circumstances. Once Upon a Time in Shaolin is more than just an album, so when I was thinking about status, and what a transcendent namedrop could be, I knew I had to get it into this exhibition," explains Mona Director of Curatorial Affairs Jarrod Rawlins. "Ten years ago, the Wu-Tang Clan had a bold vision to make a single copy album as a work of fine art. To 'put it in an art gallery…make music become a living piece like a Mona Lisa or a sceptre from Egypt'," added digital art collective Pleasr, which now owns the record. "With this single work of art, the Wu-Tang Clan's intention was to redefine the meaning of music ownership and value in a world of digital streaming and commodification of music. Pleasr is honoured to partner with Mona to support RZA's vision for Once Upon a Time in Shaolin". Amid an exhibition that's set to drop names such as Ai Weiwei, Vincent Namatjira, Jacqueline Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Madonna, Marie Antoinette, J Robert Oppenheimer, Pablo Picasso, Sigmund Freud, Charles Dickens, Andy Warhol and Hello Kitty — and also Victor Hugo, Greg Chappell, Heath Ledger, Jimi Hendrix, Alan Turing, Ned Kelly, Thomas Edison, John Lennon, William Shakespeare, Henry VIII, Chopper Read, Alexander the Great, Queen Elizabeth II, Romance Was Born and Vincent van Gogh, among a heap more — another big Namedropping drawcard is the original handwritten lyrics for David Bowie's 'Starman', which Mona owner David Walsh purchased in 2022. 'I like David Bowie. If you like Bowie, it's a pretty good bet you'll like Mona. That's why we namedrop," said Walsh. "So why might this rendition of only the lyrics (after all, it's the performance that made it famous) be worth the £40,000 that the auction house estimated? Well, it makes the point about Namedropping, so it has come in handy for this exhibition." [caption id="attachment_950179" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jesse Hunniford. Image courtesy of the artists and Mona, Tasmania, Australia.[/caption] Once Upon a Time in Shaolin will be on display at Namedropping at Mona, 655 Main Road, Berriedale, from Saturday, June 15–Monday, June 24, 2024. Namedropping the Wu-Tang Clan will run twice daily Friday–Monday across the same dates — and free tickets for the listening parties are available from 10am AEDT on Thursday, May 30. Namedropping displays at Mona from Saturday, June 15, 2024–Monday, April 21, 2025. Head to the Mona website for more details. Images: courtesy of the artist, Pleasr and the Museum of Old and New Art (Mona).
No, this isn't The Onion or an ad for Portlandia. It may be the most hipster headline we've written for some time, but the news is interesting all the same. In 2002, New York-based artist Peter Coffin began a project called Music For Plants. Exploring the idea that plants can hear and respond to different types of sounds, he enlisted the help of a bunch of famous musicians and got to recording music in greenhouses all over the world. Twelve years later, he's released the relaxing, flower child goodness unto all of the internet and it's safe to say your Sunday listening has got significantly more chilled. With special compositions performed by Sonic Youth, Ariel Pink, Mice Parade, Yoko Ono, and members of Animal Collective, the two volumes Coffin has released via Soundcloud are surprisingly star-studded. Though you may find a couple of them familiar — Ariel Pink's offering 'Passing the Petal 2 U' also appeared on their 2007 EP Scared Famous — the general audience for most tracks has so far consisted of ferns and flowers. Of course, this is something you can deduct from the general meandering, floaty, chillwave style of both volumes. Most tracks are characterised by birds quietly chirping alongside delicate guitar picking, slow-paced melody and, one happy occasion, a vibraphone makes an appearance. One wouldn't usually pick Sonic Youth for such a collection, but their instrumental track 'Creepers and Climbers' fits in well; the perfect choice for the alternative pot plant among the bunch. Coffin has released both volumes online as publicity for his recent installation in New York. With the goal of recording a third volume, artists such as Kelela, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Teengirl Fantasy are currently bunkered down in a gallery greenhouse serenading more lucky foliage. Though we fully realise you are not a plant of any kind, we still recommend listening to the volumes below if you're after a weekend chill session. For optimum enjoyment, we suggest listening to the music while basking in the sun or being lightly sprinkled with a Spring rain. Though the music has not yet been tested on human brains, we're secretly holding out hope that it will somehow make us slightly taller. Via Pitchfork and Dazed Digital.
Fans of The Handmaid's Tale have had to wait longer than expected for its fourth season, with the dystopian series' next batch of episodes among the many things that were postponed due to the pandemic. But, come April, that delay will come to an end — and if you're wondering what's in store, another tense trailer has just dropped. This is the third time that viewers have gleaned a sneak peek at the show's next season, after a first teaser last year and a second glimpse last month. And yes, June (Elisabeth Moss) is still battling against Gilead after season three's cliffhanger ending. In fact, after everything that the oppressive regime has done to her and her loved ones — and the ways in which it has changed life for women in general — she's firmly out for justice and revenge. The new season will kick off Down Under on Thursday, April 29, airing weekly on SBS and streaming episodes via SBS On Demand in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Based on the three trailers so far, you can expect your anxiety levels to ramp up several notches while you're watching. Of course, viewing The Handmaid's Tale has never been a stress-free experience. Given its storyline, that was always going to be absolutely impossible. Fans will be seeing where the show's narrative heads for some time to come, too, with a fifth season of The Handmaid's Tale green-lit before the fourth even airs. Toppling a totalitarian society that's taken over the former United States, tearing down its oppression of women under the guise of 'traditional values', and fighting for freedom and equality doesn't happen quickly, after all. Neither does exploring the tale initially started in Margaret Atwood's 1985 book via an award-winning TV series. Check out the latest season four trailer below: The fourth season of The Handmaid's Tale will hit start airing in Australia and New Zealand on Thursday, April 29 — on SBS TV, and to stream via SBS On Demand and Neon, with new episodes arriving weekly.
When you're up for an out-of-town adventure, head south to Bulli. The rockpool dates back to the 1930s and sits against the cliff on the headland with sandy beaches to either side. Waves breaking against the wall of this 50-metre seawater pool make it feel like you're doing laps at the edge of the world. When you're all swum out, explore the gorgeous seaside town of Bulli. Historic buildings include the Bulli Heritage Hotel, established in 1889. It's now a vibrant live music venue that also does a top pub feed. Or, go from the pool to Bulli Beach Cafe for cocktails and fresh seafood with an ocean view. [caption id="attachment_795671" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dee Kramer via Destination NSW[/caption] Images: Destination NSW
A fire has broken out at the historic Mosman Rowers on Centenary Drive, with the incident starting in the fireplace on the building's second level. Emergency services were called to the site earlier this morning, with large plumes of smoke seen coming from the three-level harbourside building. Fire and Rescue NSW reported that several crews and trucks were on-site and have since controlled the blaze. The fire was was contained to the second floor, the newly opened Archie Bear cafe. According to Mosman Rowers, all staff and customers were evacuated and have been accounted for. No injuries have been recorded. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvxh6lFg3Nk/ Mosman Rowers is one of the oldest sports clubs in Sydney, and, after falling into disrepair, had reopened just last month under the Bird & Bear Group. The club announced via its Facebook page that the venue would remain closed until further. Mosman Rowers is located at 3 Centenary Drive, Mosman, and will remain closed until further notice. Image: Mosman Girl.
In its entire concept, Sydney Opera House's All About Women has always pushed girls, ladies and women to the front. So, when the venue announced that the next version of its key feminist festival would feature riot grrrl pioneers Bikini Kill, it couldn't have been a more perfect way to start its lineup. That in-conversation event is just the beginning of the event's 2023 program, however, with the just-announced complete bill also going big on high-profile guests — such as child actor-turned-I'm Glad My Mom Died author Jennette McCurdy and human rights barrister Jennifer Robinson. Former iCarly star McCurdy will chat through her experiences, including growing up in the spotlight, finding her independence and the events that led to her New York Times best-selling memoir, in an Australian-exclusive conversation. After successfully representing Amber Heard in Johnny Depp's UK libel case, Robinson will feature in a panel called 'The War on Women', about fighting for both rights and lives, alongside Egyptian American journalist Mona Eltahawy, Pakistani author and journalist Fatima Bhutto, and Mununjali Yugambeh and South Sea Islander Professor Chelsea Watego. [caption id="attachment_885156" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jennifer Robinson by Kate Peters[/caption] Running from Saturday, March 11—Monday, March 13, All About Women's 2023 festival marks its 11th, and sees the event held across three days for the first time ever — growing again after it only just expanded to two days in 2022, in fact. And, in another significant change for this year, the event's lineup is guided by four festival co-curators. Doing the honours: author, podcast presenter and gender equality advocate Jamila Rizvi; Gamilaroi academic and Tell Me Again author Dr Amy Thunig; feminist social commentator, novelist and writer Jane Caro AM; and Sydney Opera House's Head of Talks and Ideas Chip Rolley. Their full program includes 25 events featuring 60-plus international and Australian artists, thinkers, and storytellers, starting with an evening of storytelling, poetry, dance and music for the fest's Opening Night Gala, hosted by Clare Bowditch and featuring actor Eryn Jean Norvill (The Picture of Dorian Gray), "mother of African contemporary dance" Germaine Acogny, Iranian Australian singer and instrumentalist Gelareh Pour, and Fatima Bhutto. And, it also spans Cult Classic author Sloane Crosley chatting about modern dating with journalist Maddison Connaughton — and a romance and reality TV-focused discussion between Bachelorette Brooke Blurton, Just The Gist podcaster Rosie Waterland, and Gamilaroi and Torres Strait Islander writer and actor Nakkiah Lui. [caption id="attachment_885157" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brooke Blurton by Jarrad Seng[/caption] In a session about neurodivergence in women and gender-diverse people, 2021 Australian of the Year Grace Tame, Heartbreak High's Chloe Hayden, and research psychologist and activist Dr Jac den Houting will talk with Thunig — and a panel examining trying to achieve justice in sexual abuse claims, and the trauma the process can bring, will feature sexual assault law reform advocate Saxon Mullins, criminal lawyer Katrina Marson, Yorta Yorta woman and survivor advocate Amanda Morgan, and lawyer and author Bri Lee. Or, attendees can look forward to Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies scholar Kylie Moore-Gilbert hosting a session on the women-led revolution in Iran, as joined by Pour, scholar and poet Dr Saba Vasefi, and author and journalist Shokoofeh Azar; plus a panel about the body positivity movement's struggles to be genuinely inclusive, featuring Wadjanbarra Yidinji, Jirrbal and African-American former model Sasha Kutabah Sarago, body love activist and podcaster April Hélène-Horton aka The Bodzilla, fashion editor and queer rights activist Deni Todorovič, disability rights campaigner Elly Desmarchelier, and comedian and broadcaster Tanya Hennessy. [caption id="attachment_844646" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jacquie Manning[/caption] The list goes on, covering Clementine Ford exploring the history of demonising single women, a session on women's activism through a First Nations lens, diving into starting a family in a modern world, unpacking gendered emotions, and turning Eltahawy's FEMINIST GIANT newsletter into a panel. The Girlboss movement, making tough decisions, the shame often imposed on women and girls, leading movements, a Bikini Kill gig: they all get their time in focus, too. Just like in 2022, the festival will host its sessions in-person for Sydneysiders, and will also live-stream to viewers both around Australia and worldwide — which is ace news if you live outside of the Harbour City. [caption id="attachment_874299" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Debi Del Grande[/caption] All About Women 2023 will take place from Saturday, March 11—Monday, March 13 at the Sydney Opera House, with tickets on sale from 12pm AEDT on Thursday, January 19. Head to the festival's website for further details. Top image: Jennette McCurdy by Brian Kimskey.
UPDATE Monday, September 27: Guns N' Roses Australian and New Zealand tour has been postponed to November and December 2022. You can find all the details at the Guns N' Roses website. "Stadium rock is back!" pronounces the tour poster for the newly announced Guns N' Roses tour of Australia and New Zealand. The tour, scheduled for November 2021, is the first international stadium tour announcement since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The eight-stop tour will hit Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide and Perth, as well as Wellington and Dunedin, between Saturday, November 6, 2021 and Wednesday, November 24, 2021. The idea of stadium shows doesn't feel too far fetched after the latest State of Origin match was played in front of a full crowd following the rolling back of event restrictions in Queensland. New Zealand stadiums are also back to full capacity and Sydney is hosting a pair COVID-safe stadium gigs on Saturday, November 28 and Saturday, December 5. The biggest challenge to the tour going ahead will be Australian borders, which remain shut with no clear indication of when they may reopen. It's been a while between drinks for Guns N' Roses fans, with the rock band last touring Australia in 2017 on the Not in This Lifetime tour, the first tour to see founding members Axel Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan all take the stage together in over a decade. Following the tour, the band left fans hanging with Slash tweeting that the band would be back Down Under soon. Three years on and fans are waiting for a November Rain singalong in a packed stadium. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SbUC-UaAxE GUNS N' ROSES AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR DATES 2021 Gold Coast – Saturday, November 6, Metricon Stadium Adelaide – Tuesday, November 9, Adelaide Oval Melbourne – Thursday, November 11, Melbourne Cricket Ground Sydney – Sunday, November 14, ANZ Stadium Wellington – Friday, November 19, Sky Stadium Dunedin – Sunday, November 21, Forsyth Barr Stadium Perth – Wednesday, November 24, Optus Stadium Members of Guns N' Roses Nightrain Club will have access to pre-sale tickets on Monday, November 23 from gunsnroses.com. General public tickets are on sale on Thursday, November 26 from Ticketek Australia and New Zealand. Image: Raph_PH via Flickr
Spent too much time staring at your same old furniture this winter? Wish you were relaxing somewhere coastal? Digging the desert oasis vibe? Here's one solution to all of the above: Kmart's latest homewares range. The department store's furniture drops have picked up cult followings, perhaps even more so in these steep cost-of-living times. Taking its cues from sandy locales, the August 2023 collection will only fuel that trend. When it comes to decking out your house with impressive but affordable items, Kmart has been giving IKEA a run for its money in recent years. Indeed, if you're already a convert, you probably know just how popular the department store gets whenever it drops a new range — or, you've likely seen everyone else's Instagram snaps that prove it. The current collection arrives on Thursday, July 27 with a mix of neutral tones and bursts of colour, cues taken from seashell and palm silhouettes, a heap of contrasting textures, and even coastal- and desert-themed items for pets. Expect it to fly off the shelves as always. With prices starting at $1.75 — for dinnerware, should the contents of your kitchen cupboards need a revamp — the August Living range in Australian and New Zealand stores is also about mixing and matching trends and styles. Yes, you can deck out your place like it's the beach and somewhere peppered with cacti all at once. Yes, you can do just that without stretching your budget as well. Covering items for the living, bedroom, bathroom and dining room, Kmart's current drop spans everything from oh-so-soft throws and salted caramel-scented candles through to globe-shaped lamps, timber bathroom furniture and several options for four-legged friends. The next time that your cat gets the urge to sharpen their claws, as all felines do, don't get them scratching on any old post. Direct your mouser towards a cactus-shaped version. And when your dog wants to get comfy, perhaps they'll sleep more soundly on a lush green bed. For humans, towels, crockery, wavy glasses, palm-print cushions, forest-hued quilt covers and shell-shaped bath mats are just some of the other items featured. You know how they say that change is as good as a holiday? It isn't, obviously, but swapping your home decor to the kinds of items that you might find on a getaway to the sea or desert should help lift the vibe at least. The August living range goes on sale online, in-store and via Kmart's app from Thursday, July 27 while stocks last. Kmart's August Living range goes on sale in Australia and New Zealand online, in-store and via the brand's app from Thursday, July 27 while stocks last.
A couple with a secret invite another couple over for dinner. It’s a familiar premise. But unlike Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Mr Kolpert has considerably more laughs. And although there's plenty of colour in the set design, this play is pitch black on the spectrum of dark comedies. Fledgling company pantsguys have been racking up some success lately. We've had the stress-ridden sixth formers of Punk Rock and even more recently the melancholic family saga, On the Shore of the Wide World; however, Mr Kolpert, by German playwright David Gieselmann, offers an opportunity to loosen things up a bit. Under the charismatic direction of James Dalton, this play is a pretty wild ride. In a no-frills apartment, Sarah (Claire Lovering) and Ralf (Tim Reuben) are expecting guests. As they hurriedly tidy up, their conversation is strung together of half-sentences and unfinished thoughts. Then Ralf blurts out to visitors Edith (Paige Gardiner) and Bastion (Garth Holcombe) that they have murdered a co-worker. Though immediately palmed off as a joke, the question of the possibly deceased accountant, Mr Kolpert, keeps cropping up. It’s a wry party game that doesn’t quite feel like a game. Indeed, the tension of the play is built around the confusion between confession and elaborate practical joke. Lovering and Rueben are a good match as the would-be killers. They oscillate between cool and collected and outrageously over-the-top. Holcombe is wonderful as the prickly architect, Bastion, and Gardiner is simply hilarious as his co-operative wife, Edith. Brimming with faux innocence and gawkiness, she is magnetic even when not delivering lines. Both these characters have a psychotic edge and undergo something of a role reversal as the play unfolds.There’s also a pizza delivery guy (Edan Lacey) that gets sucked into the action, lending a deadpan humour. I wondered why Ralf and Sarah allow their secret to hover so close to the surface. But then, as thrill-seekers, it becomes apparent that each character is yearning to “feel something again”. And murky motives become less of a problem as the play spirals into a taboo-busting Tarantino-esque blood bath. It is fast-paced and truly unpredictable. When it comes to staging, Mr Kolpert feels like an ambitious project, but it's realised through some creative choices. The set is splattered with fluro paint, and there’s UV lights, smoke and bubbles. Taking the dinner party disaster genre to new levels, Mr Kolpert will keep you on your toes. Although the performances of Gardiner and Holcombe really stand out, the physical comedy is a collective effort and given the constraints of the space, it’s probably as fluid as it can be. In any case, this entertaining play is like being stuck inside an absurd practical joke that just won't end.
Easter is one holiday that can lose its sheen pretty quickly. Usually once your parents decree you're "too old" for Easter egg hunts. But with the four-day break and eating-centred celebrations (because you fasted for the last six weeks for Lent, right?), there's plenty to get excited for, particularly with the nearby Anzac Day turning this into a ten-day holiday for many.* While some venues shut, others turn on the charm. Only the best have made it into this list, our Ultimate Easter Weekend Itinerary. See you at the Fish Markets, Aqua Egg Hunt and hot cross bun burger queue. *Did you notice that we didn't say egg-cited? That took all of our effort. Friday 5am: Easter Feastival at Sydney Fish Market Sydney Fish Market is the place to be if you want some fresh Good Friday seafood. Expect lots of Easter-themed activities and prepare for massive crowds, as this is the market's busiest day of the year. Make your best fish face and tag it #seafoodieeaster. You'll be immortalised in a printed Polaroid available for pick up at SFM's Tag-n-Print box. Sydney Fish Market is open from 5am to 5pm on Good Friday. 1pm: Seafood lunch at The Bucket List It’s all well and good to kick back on the long weekend with a few well-earned brews, but getting home unscathed is always a priority. With this in mind, the helpful crew at The Bucket List in Bondi, a premium location to enjoy the Good Friday fish fest, are offering a courtesy car to five locations around Bondi, as well as the closest public transport hubs, operating all weekend. Ride on. Shuttle available all day. Drop off points include Seven Ways Bondi, North Bondi Bus Terminal, Bondi Junction Bus Terminal, Waverly Council, and the corner of Fletcher St and Bondi Rd. 6.30pm: Cruise around at Shipfaced Sydney is sorely lacking in places to drink on Good Friday. Luckily, a floating festival is there to fill the void, featuring two floors of music. Cruise around the harbour on a boat whilst sipping on cocktails and listening to some tunes. An array of DJs will be on deck to provide music, including Doctor Dru, Touch Sensitive and Triple J's Lewi McKirdy. Boat departs from King Street Wharf at 6.30pm. Buy tickets here. Saturday 8am: The Grounds of Alexandria Easter Market Come Saturday, the Grounds of Alexandria will be filled with fresh foods and handmade crafts galore. Gather ingredients for Sunday brunch and watch little people search for eggs. Enjoy the live music while waiting for your chance to pose for a photo with the resident Easter Bunny. 2 Huntley Street, Alexandria. The Easter Market is open Saturday through Monday from 8am to 3pm. 12pm: Easter chocolate shopping Head to Four Friends Coffee Chocolate & Tea in Crows Next to find some more unique Easter gifts — their chocolate bunnies are organic, and they do a wicked range of vegan chocolate made with all-natural ingredients and super foods like goji berries, sunflower seeds, and nuts. Or take a trip to Banksmeadow for the Haverick Meats Saturday Store and stock your fridge for weekend festivities. They'll be hosting pop-ups from Little General Olive Oil, Fine French Food and Infinity Bakery. 5/29 Holtermann Street, Crows Nest. Four Friends is open on Saturday from 9am to 5pm 2pm: Record Store Day As the music industry gradually moves online, it’s becoming more and more important to recognise and celebrate our local record shops — those guys that have the rare vinyls, the T-shirts and the posters physically in the shop. So, on the third Saturday of April, check out your local guy. Expect crazy specials, in store appearances and live music to accompany your browsing. At Mojo Record Bar, expect special releases, 'hidden' giveaways, a chance to win an oil painting, free play on the jukebox, drink specials and guest DJs. Everywhere they're lucky enough to have a record store. 6pm: See Mikelangelo for free at Shady Pines The Shady Pines Saloon will be getting extra dirtied up this Saturday night, when the dapper crooner, 'Bull of the Balkans' and sometime Amanda Palmer ally Mikelangelo takes to the stage with his perfectly sculpted quiff and rich baritone to soothe the soul. Not that Shady Pines normally lacks for atmosphere, but on this night it may be at its peak. As part of the 'Two-Faced Weekender', Mikelangelo will also appear at Frankie's on Sunday with band. 256 Crown Street. Show starts at 6pm. Sunday 4pm: Aqua Egg Hunt Who says Easter egg hunts are just for kids? Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel is hosting an egg hunt unlike any other on Easter Sunday, with their inaugural aqua egg hunt for children and kids at heart alike. Suit up in your best snorkelling gear to find eggs littered on the sandy floor of Watsons Bay and win prizes like free seafood platters or a weekend stay at the hotel. They've got a whole weekend of festivities happening; this is just the pinnacle. 1 Military Road, Watsons Bay. Egg hunt starts at 4pm 9pm: Strictly Vinyl at Cliff Dive As the UNDER Ctrl crew have so delicately put it, before everybody in the world became a DJ, DJs used to spin records. In a collaboration with music bloggers Stoney Roads, the guys behind Not Another Boat Party are bringing a night of disc jockeys spinning their real-life actual discs to Cliff Dive. 16 Oxford Square, Darlinghurst. Show starts at 9pm. 10.30pm: The Rhythm of the Night at GoodGod It’s a fact universally acknowledged that we all miss the '90s. The style, the tunes, everything. So, if you’ve got ten bucks, head to GoodGod on Sunday night, where they’ll be cranking the very best that the '90s had to offer the music world . Radical. 55 Liverpool Street, Chinatown. Show starts at 9pm Monday 12pm: Recovery Brunch at the Beresford Hotel So, the long weekend was rough. There were drinks on Sunday night, which is just plain crazy. The only logical conclusion is to head to the pub for a brunch and a beer, and revel in the fact that work doesn’t start until Tuesday. To cater for this, the Beresford is hosting a recovery brunch to cure what ails you, which is probably a hangover. 354 Bourke Street, Surry Hills from noon to 5pm. 1pm: Hot Cross Bun Burger Reuben Hills What better way to spend your Monday off than enjoying some good food? If you're still in the Easter spirit grab lunch at Reuben Hills and munch down on the too-good-to-be-true Bugs Burger. It's a beef burger served with pineapple and pickled zucchini. The crowning glory, however, is the fact that it's sandwiched between a hot cross bun, making for an experience that's both sweet and savoury. 61 Albion Street, Surry Hill. Open Mondays from 7am to 4pm By the Concrete Playground team.
2024's working year might've only just begun, but it's already time to book in a big overseas holiday. Put in that leave request ASAP. Block out your calendar. Bust out your suitcase, too, and make sure your passport is up to date. Your destination: the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, because Coachella is back for 2024 with a characteristically impressive roster of acts. Mark Friday, April 12–Sunday, April 14 and Friday, April April 19–Sunday, April 21 in your diaries — including if you you're just keen to check out the livestream. (Remember, Coachella was livestreaming its sets long before the pandemic.) The full bill is a jaw-dropper, as usual, with Lana Del Rey headlining the Friday nights, Tyler, The Creator doing the Saturday nights and Doja Cat on Sunday nights. Also, the reunited No Doubt are on the bill, but without a set day so far. Also hitting the stage: a stacked array of acts that also spans everyone from Blur, Ice Spice, J Balvin and Peso Pluma to Sabrina Carpenter, Grimes, Lil Yachty and Flight Facilities. Whether you're after new tunes, the biggest music names right now or dripping nostalgia, it's on offer at Coachella 2024. Anyway, let's be honest, you haven't truly read any of those words — you'll be wanting this: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachella (@coachella) For music lovers planning to watch along from home, Coachella will once again team up with YouTube to livestream the festival. That's no longer such a novelty in these pandemic times but, given the calibre of Coachella's lineup, it's still a mighty fine way to spend a weekend. For those eager to attend in-person, you can signup for access to tickets over at the festival's website — with pre-sales starting at 11am PT on Friday, January 19 (aka 5am AEST/6am AEDT on Saturday, January 20). At the time of writing, the festival advises that best bet for passes is the second weekend. Coachella 2024 runs from Friday, April 12–Sunday, April 14 and Friday, April April 19–Sunday, April 21 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Find out more information and register for tickets at coachella.com — with pre-sales starting at 11am PT on Friday, January 19 (aka 5am AEST/6am AEDT on Saturday, January 20). Top image: Casey via Wikimedia Commons.
Suitcases at the ready, eager travellers: your dream Japanese getaway is back on. After two-and-a-half years of border restrictions due to COVID-19, the nation will fully reopen to individual international tourists from Tuesday, October 11 — and you won't need to book a package through a travel agency, or abide by the country's pandemic-era visa restrictions, to enjoy your holiday. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced the news on Thursday, September 22 US time during a trip to New York, The Japan Times and Nikkei Asia reported. "We are a nation that has flourished through the free flow of people, goods and capital," the Japanese Prime Minister advised at a press conference at the New York Stock Exchange, as per Reuters. "COVID-19, of course, interrupted all of these benefits, but from October 11 Japan will relax border control measures to be on par with the US, as well as resume visa-free travel and individual travel," he said. That means that visitors to Japan will be able to make their own travel arrangements — a huge change to the current rules, even though requirements were only altered recently. Until May, the country was closed to international tourists. Then, the Japanese government started trialling in letting strictly controlled package tours, including with Australian tourists. Next, in early June, it broadened those entry requirements to allow in visitors from a heap of nations under the same rules. And, since early September, it has permitted travellers, including from Down Under, to make the journey even when they aren't on guided tours, as long as they have organised their flights and accommodation through a travel agency. From October 11, dropping the visa requirement applies to visitors from nations that weren't required to obtain tourist visas before the pandemic — including from Australia and New Zealand. So, in several ways, heading to Japan will return to the pre-COVID-19 status quo. Japan is also ditching its daily cap on international arrivals, which is currently set at 50,000, on the same date. The timing is fantastic for Studio Ghibli fans eager to make a date with the animation house's upcoming theme park — which opens on Tuesday, November 1. Desperate to hit up a Super Nintendo theme park, too? Always wanted to walk across Shibuya's famous scramble crossing? Keen to sing karaoke in a ferris wheel — or simply eat and drink your way around all the ramen joints and izakayas possible? This is supremely welcome news for you as well. Japan's new border rules will come into effect on Tuesday, October 11. For further details about visiting Japan and its border restrictions, head to the Government of Japan website. Via The Japan Times / Nikkei Asia / Reuters.
Have you ever wanted to send something suggestive in the mail, but thought a bag of penis-shaped gummy lollies was just a little too on the nose? In that case, we might have just the service for you. Inspired by everybody's (apparently) favourite vegetable emoji, Eggplants Express lets users mail an eggplant to anywhere in the country. You can send it anonymously, or with a personalised greeting scrawled right onto the aubergine itself. "It's real," founder Anthony Daniel tells Concrete Playground, when we call to inquire whether the whole thing is a sham. Apparently he had the idea after forgetting to arrange a gift for his girlfriend on their anniversary. "I didn't want it to be flowers again," explains Daniel. "We always joke about the eggplant emoji, which is how I came up with the idea of an anonymous eggplant." How, uh, romantic? Asked who he saw as the target audience for his service (which is very similar to Eggplant Mail in the US), Daniel admits it's probably best suited to folks who are in on the joke. "It's for people that understand the emoji," he says. "If I sent it to my father, he probably wouldn't get it." He also asks that you refrain from using their service to harass people (come to think of it, having an eggplant show up on your doorstep does seem vaguely ominous). Although Daniel sources his produce fresh from Sydney Markets in Flemington, a disclaimer on the website warns against actually eating them. Which brings up the bigger issue of food waste — is the joke worth wasting a fine bounty of perfectly-edible eggplants? We're not so sure. If we're going to receive an eggplant in the mail, we at least want to be able to eat it for dinner. For more information visit eggplantsexpress.com.au. Image: Lufa Farms via Wikimedia Commons.
Just when you finally upgraded to the Spotify premium package, Apple announces they're bringing iTunes Radio to Australia. In its first international release after a wildly successful run in the US, this goliath music streaming platform is throwing its hat in the ring against already popular services such as Pandora and Spotify. Boasting a wealth of scientific algorithms to curate personalised listening streams, Apple are basically asking you to, please, for the love of God, start using your iTunes again. The main drawcard Apple has here is its huge catalogue. No longer will the infuriating words 'artist not found' pop up under your search bar; iTunes has pretty much everyone on board. There are over 100 stations programmed including both basic genre offerings ('Dance Radio', 'Pop Hits Radio') as well as specific artist streams (the universal: 'Beatles Radio', the good: 'Yeah Yeah Yeahs Radio', and the meh: 'Bruno Mars Radio'). But, as Apple said in a statement yesterday, "The more you use iTunes Radio and iTunes, the more it knows what you like to listen to and the more personalised your experience becomes." That being said, the service still doesn't have the capacity for music on-demand that Spotify offers. Once you skip tracks, iTunes will take note and avoid that genre of music, but ultimately playlists are curated for you according to what's already in your music library. Like its competitors, the service is free with interspliced ads between tracks, with the option of upgrading. An annual subscription will set you back $34.99, as compared to $39 with Pandora or $11.99 per month with Spotify (although that also includes the capability to download music and listen offline). Also, you can guarantee that every track you listen to will have that guilt-inducing 'buy' button hovering right next to it. While many will stick to their current platforms, it's comforting to see a major player like Apple get on board with such services. At the very least, it's an acknowledgement that our listening habits have changed — a step in the right direction for an industry that's been failing for far too long. iTunes Radio was made available to Australians on February 11. You can access it via your iTunes account.
Most years, the arrival of winter heralds more than just colder weather for Sydney's cinephiles. When June hits, so too does the Sydney Film Festival, unleashing hundreds of movies upon the city's cinemas. By now, we all well and truly know that little has been normal about the past 12 months, so SFF has been adjusting with the times. In 2020, it cancelled its physical event completely, opting for a virtual-only festival instead. This year, it's planning to come back as an in-person fest; however, it'll be doing so a bit later than normal. Movie buffs, you'd best block out the last couple of weeks of August in your diary, because that's when SFF will be starting up the projectors. The 2021 event will now take place from Wednesday, August 18–Sunday, August 29, so you'll be ending winter by running between cinemas and watching as many films as you can, rather than beginning it that way. While Sydney's COVID-19 case numbers have remained under control for the past month or so — on Sunday, February 14, New South Wales marked 28 consecutive days without any locally acquired cases, in fact — that hasn't been the situation overseas. Accordingly, it's hardly business as usual at big international festivals such as Berlinale and Cannes. After completely cancelling last year, the latter has postponed its 2021 dates from May to July. SFF typically programs a number of brand new titles straight from Cannes, so moving to the end of August allows it to keep accessing the kind of big-name flicks that'll premiere at the French event. If you're the type of cinephile who pays attention to Australia's nationwide festival scene — and travels interstate to keep getting your movie fix — you might've noticed that SFF's new dates overlap with the Melbourne International Film Festival's regular August timing. MIFF also hopped online in 2020, and has announced August 5–22 as its 2021 dates. Whether that'll change, or if diehard film fans will find themselves picking which fest to attend (or zipping from one to the other), is obviously yet to be seen. The 2021 Sydney Film Festival is now scheduled to take place from Wednesday, August 18–Sunday, August 29. For further details, head to the festival's website.
Nestled up a set of stairs overlooking Surry Hills' Bourke Street, you'll now find the light-filled hair studio that's home to Marc & Maxwell. It's the work of internationally trained duo Sabrina Maxwell and Marc Armstrong, who together boast over three decades of senior salon experience as colourists and stylists. The boutique salon offers the full spectrum of cutting, blow-drying, colouring and treatment services, with cuts for women starting from $120 and for men from $95 — each including a full personalised consultation. Touches of polished concrete and exposed brick lend an urban chic feel, and soaring French windows offer the sort of natural light and leafy outlook you might expect if you were sitting in a treehouse. Here, you're invited to reconnect with your best self (and your best-ever hair), in a setting that's stylish, yet relaxed and unfussy. [caption id="attachment_816058" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Owners Sabrina Maxwell and Marc Armstrong.[/caption]
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations — giving you a little inspiration for your text trip. In this instalment, we take you to Queensland's very own Mount Cotton, where Sanctuary by Sirromet have set up a series of accommodations right by their own vineyard. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? Stay at a rural winery in your own glamping 'tent' surrounded by Australian wildlife. You'll spend your days exploring the area with a full glass of wine in hand. THE ROOMS Sanctuary by Sirromet has a few accommodation options – with the tented pavilions being some of their best. Each of the pavilions looks over the large lagoon surrounded in gum trees, with wild wallabies roaming its banks. It's a proper Australiana paradise. The rooms are all open plan, where the bedroom and lounge lead onto a private deck. Grab a few bottles from the winery and really relax up here. Bathrooms are also more hotel than tent with proper tiled walls and modern plumbing that is nothing like the campsite drop toilets you might have encountered on previous adventures. You won't be roughing it here. You're connected to nature (helped with large windows on all sides of the pavilion) without losing any of your creature comforts. FOOD AND DRINK You're also spoilt for choice when it comes to food and drink options. First off, you're on a winery – so you'll have to do a cheeky wine tasting or two. And be sure to add a behind-the-scenes tour to see how the Sirromet Winery team creates their award-winning Granite Belt wines. There are also three separate restaurants at Sanctuary by Sirromet. The Cellar Door is your casual light lunch spot and Lurleen's opens for special events (weddings and big birthday bashes). Thirdly, the Tuscan Terrace restaurant is something altogether flashier. Spend a long afternoon on the 75-metre timber deck or under the shade of the fig trees, eating great Italian dishes paired with emerging Italian wines as the Moreton Bay sea breeze rushes through the property. But that ain't all. These guys even make up special picnic hampers for those wanting to find their own hidden paradise on the grounds — we highly recommend the lavender-covered paddock . Just watch out for the wallabies! THE LOCAL AREA When staying here, you'll feel as if you're in the middle of nowhere – but you're actually not far from Brisbane. Either head into Brisbane to experience everything this northern Australian city has to offer or run away to even more remote parts of the area. Take a chopper or ferry over to Moreton Island and North Stradbroke Island, the second and third largest sand islands in the world – where you can even feed wild dolphins. The stunning beaches, snorkelling spots and native wildlife all make these destinations two of Australia's best islands to visit. Don't miss them while you're in the region. [caption id="attachment_869501" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] THE EXTRAS This winery offers over 10 different wine tasting experiences. Just pick your fave and let the wine experts do the rest. You can take an in-depth tour and learn a little about their wine making process or just spend the whole day trying different varieties of local and imported wines, while snacking on cheese and charcuterie boards. You can even schedule your trip around one of their live music events. They host a series of large and small gigs on their grounds throughout the year. If you are super keen to get away and ready to book a winery getaway now, we have worked with Sanctuary by Sirromet to create the ultimate glamping experience (including a few nights stay, sunset dinner and bottles on bottles of complimentary wine). Feeling inspired to book a getaway unlike anything else out there? Only through Concrete Playground Trips, our new travel booking platform, can you now purchase holidays specially curated by our writers and editors. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips at destinations all over the world.
In Frances Ha, Greta Gerwig became the on-screen embodiment of a predicament most twenty-somethings can relate to: knowing what you don't want out of life, rather than what you do. In Mistress America, she offered a different side of failing to achieve your dreams, this time from a slightly older perspective. Now, in Maggie's Plan, she grapples with the fact that you can't control everything, no matter how hard you try. Consider it the next phase in her ongoing examination of the idiosyncrasies of quarter-life malaise. Written and directed by Rebecca Miller (The Private Lives of Pippa Lee) based on an unpublished novel by Karen Rinaldi, the film explores two schemes hatched by the eponymous Maggie (Gerwig), a college careers advisor whose life is...well...a bit of a mess. When the film opens, she's telling her married best pal Tony (Bill Hader) about her intention to become a mother using sperm donated by their high school classmate turned pickle entrepreneur Guy (Travis Fimmel). Cut forward three years and she instead has a daughter with John (Ethan Hawke), an anthropology professor and aspiring novelist who's struggling to cut ties with his imposing ex-wife Georgette (Julianne Moore). Although it may certainly sound like one, to simply call Maggie's Plan a romantic comedy doesn't quite do the film justice. While the situations the characters find themselves in are by no means unique, there's a level of intricacy to all the major players that ensures Miller's screenplay feels as authentic as it does amusing. When Maggie tries to muster a polite response to Guy's offer to help her get pregnant "the old-fashioned way", for example, her awkwardness feels ripped from reality. That's the gift that both Gerwig and Miller bring — an understanding of how to convey life's ups and downs in a way that's equally playful and relatable. The two prove as an apt a pair as Gerwig and Frances Ha filmmaker Noah Baumbach, — yet they're not the feature's only standouts. Adopting a severe Danish accent that she takes time to settle into, Moore proves both hilarious and surprisingly sympathetic. Of course, with its jaunty jazz score and New York setting, Maggie's Plan can't escape the shadow of other, similar films gone by. It's not only Baumbach that springs to mind, but Woody Allen — though any resemblance is likely by design. Miller has crafted a movie knowingly comprised of familiar parts, but cleverly filled with astute reflections that tell the tale from a fresh perspective. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAoEoWrOe8g
Ippudo, the beloved international Japanese ramen chain, has opened a new Sydney restaurant in World Square. World Square will sit alongside Ippudo's other noodle-slinging outputs in Sydney's CBD, Circular Quay, Chippendale and North Ryde. The latest Ippudo restaurant, like all 277 locations worldwide, is made to resemble both an izakaya (Japanese-style pub) and a traditional ramen house. It's been the same since Ippudo opened its first ramen joint in Japan in 1985. Its famous bowls of ramen take centre stage — the classic shiromaru ($19), a Hakata-style ramen with juicy pork loin, crunchy bean sprouts and silky black mushrooms is the speciality that put Ippudo on the map — but there are stacks of a la carte dishes designed to be eaten like tapas too. Grab some beers, wine or sake after work (or during a long boozy lunch) and nosh on a bunch of Japanese classics that are made for sharing. First off, there are the bao buns ($6.50) — fluffy clouds of dough filled with either fried chicken, prawn katsu, BBQ pork or braised pork. Get a bunch of these for the table and add a few gyoza ($11) and Takoyaki octopus balls ($10) for good measure. Ippudo is one of our favourite ramen houses in Sydney, so we are stoked to see yet another spot open up in World Square. Tuck a napkin into your shirt and slurp up these ramen noodles with great abandon. Images: Leigh Griffiths
Tim Minchin's “wee secret” is out of the bag. Yesterday, he confessed via blog that a stage production of Groundhog Day is in progress. Yes, Groundhog Day. As in the 1993 classic film written by Danny Rubin, directed by Harold Ramis and synonymous with actor Bill Murray, who plays a grumpy, self-centred weatherman doomed to live the same day over and over. And over. With Minchin on board, it’s bound to be a musical affair. He’s conjuring up the songs and lyrics, Rubin is writing the book and Matthew Warchus is in the director’s chair. Rather than producing a carbon copy of the film, they’re going to do it their own way. “It would be impossible to try to translate the style and tone of the movie to stage," Minchin writes, "and even if it were possible, it wouldn't interest me." We can expect a work that’s “both instantly recognisable and utterly different”. He’s planning on introducing elements of darkness and complexity whilst maintaining the film’s joy, comedy and romance. Five or so years ago, Stephen Sondheim was toying with Groundhog Day’s theatrical potential. He’s since shelved the idea but has expressed full support for Minchin et al’s ambition. Minchin and Warchus have previously proven themselves as a winning team. Since 2010, their musical Matilda has sold out London’s West End and New York’s Broadway, picking up a Grammy nomination and Tony Awards along the way.
If there's ever been a reason to jump out of bed early on a Saturday morning (or stay up until daybreak after a big night out), it's seeing cosmic history made before your very eyes. The longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century delivered just that when it put on its sky-high show from 3.14am AEST — with the partial eclipse starting at 4.24am, the total eclipse at 5.30am and maximum eclipse occurring at 6.21am. For anyone that missed the event — and the news in the lead-up — this lengthy event lasted 103 minutes in the total eclipse phase, a duration that won't be seen again until the 2100s. It was also the last total lunar eclipse of any length that is visible from Australia again until May 2021. And, thanks to sunlight that was filtered and refracted by the earth's atmosphere, the moon also turned a blood-red share as well. So, in addition to spying a total lunar eclipse and a full moon, sky-gazers also saw a blood moon as well. Last but by no means least, Mars was also seen twinkling in the sky right next to the moon, with the planet at its closest position to earth in 15 years. As always, social media is packed full of stellar photo from those who saw and snapped the astronomical event — so whether you saw it with your own eyes or blissfully slept through it, here are some of the best shots of the lunar eclipse from around the planet. https://www.instagram.com/p/Blv7VuFHds_/?taken-by=seathebreezee https://www.instagram.com/p/Blv6W6klmLn/?taken-by=bodrumlayasa https://www.instagram.com/p/BlwBF0PHUUk/?taken-by=dorpell https://www.instagram.com/p/BlwBAQRlHpR/?taken-by=imikov https://www.instagram.com/p/BlwFT2cntgc/?tagged=lunareclipse2018 https://www.instagram.com/p/Blv4yWnBsC7/?taken-by=daves_snippets https://www.instagram.com/p/Blv2RLhnqqB/?taken-by=evrensongun https://www.instagram.com/p/BlwEgD1H6jO/?taken-by=matthias.hangst https://www.instagram.com/p/BlwHTeTn207/?taken-by=mel_weber_photography https://www.instagram.com/p/BlwFhjXH5K1/?taken-by=milkyway_scientists
When Sydney's first Harry Potter-themed boozy brunches were announced, the city couldn't say "accio butterbeer" fast enough, with the first two stints selling out quickly. Due to massive muggle demand, a third round of feasts is now occurring on July 21 and 22 — across four sessions, spanning both brunch and dinner. Camperdown's MacLaurin Hall is the location that'll be turned into the Great Hall for the occasion, complete with an enchanted meal (Pixie Puffs, please), bottomless butterbeer (obviously), 'magic' potions (aka cocktails, we're assuming) and other wizard-themed beverages. There'll also be quidditch, a couple of sorting ceremonies and wand lessons — and Harry Potter characters mingling with attendees, if that's your idea of some perfect HP fun. Tickets are currently on sale, but they're not likely to stay that way for long, even though you'll need a bag full of galleons to head along. At $231 per head, you'll be hoping for a Yule Ball-type experience. Find more information about The Wizard's Brunch here. Tickets for the July 21 and 22 Sydney events are currently on sale.
Forget taking the hobbits to Isengard. In March 2023, Airbnb wants to take you to Hobbiton instead. In news that's better than second breakfast, more precious than a certain glimmering piece of jewellery, and worth journeying there and back again for, you can live your best Lord of the Rings-loving life on the New Zealand sets where the original LOTR film trilogy and The Hobbit movies were shot — and slumber like one of Middle-earth's shortest residents on the very property as well. You shall pass — and enjoy the enchanting place's first-ever overnight stays — but only if you're lucky enough to score an Airbnb booking. 2022 marks a decade since the first of The Hobbit flicks, An Unexpected Journey, hit cinemas, if you're wondering why the accommodation-sharing platform is now offering the one vacation to rule them all. Actually, there are three different two-night stays available, all in 2023: from March 2–4, March 9–11, and March 16–18. To nab one, you'll have to try to make a booking at 8am AEDT / 7am AEST / 10am NZDT on Wednesday, December 14 via the Airbnb website. And, you'll need to pay the hobbit-sized fee of AU$10 per night, to further pay tribute to The Hobbit films' tenth anniversary. This once-in-a-lifetime stay will take you and up to three friends to the set, which includes both Hobbiton and The Shire, that helped make such entrancing movie magic in Peter Jackson's flicks. That means you'll be trekking to New Zealand's Waikato region, and to a 2500-acre working farm owned by Russell Alexander. Seeing why the iconic director and his crew realised it had to be their on-screen backdrop instantly comes with the territory. While walking in Bilbo Baggins' footsteps, you'll score a private tour of the Hobbiton Movie Set's 44 hobbit holes, The Millhouse and The Green Dragon Inn, as well as a range of other sites inspired by JRR Tolkien's books. Get ready to spend a heap of time in those locations, too, courtesy of your own personal hobbit hole, a writing nook at The Millhouse, and an evening banquet at The Green Dragon Inn complete with beef and ale stew, whole roast chickens, freshly baked breads and plenty of ale. And yes, second breakfast and elevenses will be served each day. "For more than two decades, we've welcomed millions of passionate fans to Hobbiton Movie Set, but never before has anyone had the opportunity to spend a night in Middle-earth," said Alexander said, announcing the stay. "I am delighted to share the beauty of my family's farm and pleased to be hosting this iconic location on Airbnb for fans from around the world." One big caveat: while the stay itself will only cost you AU$10 per night, you will be responsible for your transport to and from Auckland, flights and all. From there, a round-trip drive to the set is included, covering the two-hour journey between the airport and Hobbiton. Also, whether you're a hobbit, elf, wizard or Sauron — ideally not the latter — you'll need to have a verified Airbnb profile, a history of positive reviews and be aged over 18. Hobbiton joins Airbnb's growing list of movie and TV-inspired getaways, including the Bluey house, the Moulin Rouge! windmill, the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine, The Godfather mansion, the South Korean estate where BTS filmed In the Soop and the Sanderson sisters' Hocus Pocus cottage just in 2022 alone. For more information about the Hobbiton listing on Airbnb, or to apply to book at 8am AEDT / 7am AEST / 10am NZDT on Wednesday, December 14, head to the Airbnb website. Images: Larnie Nicolson.
For a lot of us, 2020 so far has involved a whole heap less travel than we'd usually like. With devastating bushfires raging across the country, many had to forego our annual summer trips and stay at home. Then, COVID-19 hit Australia, resulting in nationwide restrictions on travel. To say we have a bit of wanderlust would be an understatement. Last week, on. Friday, May 8, the Australian Government announced its three-step roadmap out of COVID-19 lockdown, with talks of interstate and possibly trans-Tasman travel happening before the end of July. Finally, we can start thinking about leaving our four walls and dreaming of our next trip away. While we can't jet off to Europe or make our way through Southeast Asia yet, we'll soon be able to explore our own backyard — from its pristine coastline, lush bushland, snowy mountains and expansive plains. And, to help inspire your post-iso plans, Tourism Australia is launching an online program of virtual travel experiences and entertainment. Best of all, it's completely free. Dubbed Live from Aus, the program will run from Saturday, May 16 to Sunday, May 17 via its YouTube channel and Facebook page. It'll feature everything from Phillip Island's penguins to underwater reef tours at the Great Barrier Reef, music by First Nations artists with Uluru as its backdrop, Mona's Spectra light show, an Australian wine tour with Adelaide Hills' Unico Zelo, a cheesemaking session with Jo Barrett and Matt Stone, and sunrise yoga at Byron Bay. All up, expect a taste for Australia's natural beauty, food, music, wildlife and culture. [caption id="attachment_769947" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sunrise Yoga with Elements of Byron Bay, courtesy of Tourism Australia[/caption] Other highlights include a disco party with The Wiggles, an exploration of Indigenous Australian ingredients with famed chef and MasterChef Australia judge Jock Zonfrillo, tours of Australia's greatest golf greens, pub trivia, a coffee making tutorial with Ona Coffee, a tour of Kangaroo Island, a night at the Opera House and Dreamtime stories with Darren 'Capes' Capewell. You can check out the full program and times here. Live from Aus will kick off at 7am AEST on Saturday, May 16 till Sunday, May 17. You can tune in for free via Facebook or its website. Images: Underwater Reef Tour at the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru Sunset Session with First Nations music curated by Sounds Australia, Penguin Parade Bedtime Stories from Phillip Island and Kangaroo Island Tour with Craig Wickham — all courtesy of Tourism Australia.
A museum celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community and educating visitors on the community's history is set to open in Sydney, after being granted nearly $300,000 worth of funding from the City of Sydney. The announcement came from the city council and Lord Mayor Clover Moore on International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism and Transphobia. The proposed museum will be set up on Oxford Street by local not-for-profit Qtopia Sydney, an organisation designed to empower and support the LGBTQIA+ community. Led by Patrons The Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG and Ita Buttrose AC OBE, the organisation promises to showcase exhibitions on the AIDS/HIV pandemic, marriage equality, the different communities that LGBTQIA+ represents, how the queer community has shaped society and celebrate storytellers in the queer community. "Qtopia Sydney's proposed museum aims to provide a safe and inclusive space for the public to celebrate, remember and learn more about the rich history of Sydney's LGBTIQA+ community," City of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said. The City of Sydney funding comes in the lead-up to WorldPride 2023 which is set be held in Sydney next year. Last month, the city council announced five priority areas it would be working on to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and protect its history as the global event approaches. [caption id="attachment_828652" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2021[/caption] The five-part innovation includes recognising historic places, increasing queer communities' visibility, sustaining Oxford Street, ensuring support programs and safe spaces, and increasing LGBTQIA+ cultural places like this museum. "We are ready to stand as a proud, new, celebratory, amazing museum, ready to welcome the world for WorldPride 2023, and the community before and after," Qtopia Sydney CEO Greg Fisher said. "We're ready to succeed and to be a meaningful part of Council's important Oxford Street precinct rejuvenation initiative." WorldPride 2023 will feature over 200 events ranging from arts and theatre through to sport and parties on top of Sydney's existing annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival. WorldPride 2023 will take place from Friday, February 17 until Sunday, March 5 2023. You can stay up to date with the LGBTQIA+ museum at Qtopia Sydney's website.
UPDATE: July 13, 2020: The Goldfinch is available to stream via Netflix, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. A best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. A filmmaker fresh from directing another literary adaptation to three Oscar nominations. A cast of high-profile faces spanning Nicole Kidman, Jeffrey Wright (Westworld), Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things) and Ansel Elgort (Baby Driver). Regardless of whether screenwriter Peter Straughan counts as a strength or a weakness — he scripted the excellent recent version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, but was also responsible for the horrendous The Snowman — The Goldfinch definitely doesn't lack in pedigree. Alas, as based on Donna Tartt's 2013 book and directed by John Crowley (Brooklyn), the result is a curious film. It's easy to see how this neo-Dickensian coming-of-age tale about a traumatised teen, an explosion, a stolen painting and the chaos that follows could enthral on the page; however it's just as easy to remain distanced from it on the big screen. When viewers first meet Theo Decker (Elgort), he's a suave, drug-addicted twentysomething in Amsterdam. How he got there, why he's so stressed and strung out, and why he's muttering about an artwork called The Goldfinch are all soon relayed via flashbacks. At the age of 13, Theo (Oakes Fegley, Pete's Dragon) visits the Metropolitan Museum of Art with his mother, survives a bombing that claims her life, and leaves with a ring he's asked to return to an antiques dealer (Wright) — as well as the famed 1654 piece by Carel Fabritius that gives the movie its name. When he's happily bunking down with the wealthy family of one of his private school classmates, and hoping that their matriarch (Nicole Kidman) will adopt him, Theo hides the stolen painting. As he's struggling through a strained Las Vegas reunion with his compulsive gambler dad (Luke Wilson) and bartender girlfriend (Sarah Paulson), the portrait haunts him. And, after he's all grown up, back in New York and trading in antiques himself, the picture remains out of sight but never out of Theo's mind. While The Goldfinch takes its moniker from the beloved masterpiece and tasks its protagonist with fixating on it, the priceless artwork means more here as a symbol than as an object. A knowledge of art history will help audience members, but the film does eventually explain the painting's fascinating background, its parallels with Theo's journey, and why it represents the enduring nature of beauty in shaping both individual and collective memories. That said, on a narrative level, the piece is hardly crucial — especially given the hectic wave of unlikely events that keep befalling Theo both as an adolescent and as an adult. Indeed, as their lead character befriends a rebellious Ukrainian (Wolfhard), obsesses over a flame-haired fellow survivor (Ashley Cummings), reignites old acquaintances and gets immersed in shady dealings on opposite sides of the world, Crowley and Straughan can't be accused of skimping on plot. Story-wise, there's rarely an empty moment. What the feature lacks, however, is the space to truly value anything of importance — and space to appreciate why its namesake is so emotionally and thematically pivotal. Much of The Goldfinch's troubles stem from its on-screen structure, which, ditching the novel's linear timeline, flits back and forth between the younger and older Theo. While it's an expressive choice, designed to convey the adrift and uncertain inner state plaguing its central figure, it largely plays as needlessly convoluted. As a result, the movie feels simultaneously laborious, rushed and distracted across its 2.5-hour running time — like it's packing as much as possible onto its large canvas in a purposeful, painstaking way, then devoting its time to watching paint dry rather than soaking in the details. In the film's visuals and performances, there's still something to relish. It helps immensely that The Goldfinch has enlisted one of the best cinematographers in the business, with Roger Deakins as talented at making his peach and gold-tinted frames resemble great art as he was at navigating a neon-hued futuristic world (and winning an Academy Award, too) in Blade Runner 2049. Fine-tuned portrayals by Kidman, Wright and Fegley also assist, although Elgort comes across as opaque rather than conflicted, Wolfhard is blighted by his cartoonish accent, and Wilson and Paulson seem like they've stepped in from another movie entirely. What ultimately lingers, though, is an unfortunate comparison. It's an obvious one, as happens whenever a movie calls attention to a far superior work, and it doesn't serve Crowley's film well. It never escapes attention that Fabritius' painting depicts a creature capable of flying high, but firmly stuck in place — a feat that, despite seemingly boasting all the right elements, The Goldfinch mirrors in all the wrong ways. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_nRqgk1HgM
MCA's tradition of after-hours schmoozing with art, music and glass of wine in hand, ARTBAR, is back for another year. They're always a fun way to spend a Friday night, thanks to the rotating cast of curators who continuously find fresh, eclectic ways for audiences to interact with what's on show. Artist Tom Polo fills the January 30 edition with an evening promising all manner of jokes, gags and lols — including a TV Tunes Dance-Off and stand-up from Dayne Rathbone. As a visual comedian of sorts, Polo's work frequently draws from vignettes of the everyday, whether its collaging hilarious tidbits from eavesdropped public transport exchanges or his paintings of abstract portraiture. Speaking of portraits, for an extra $10, visitors can also view MCA's latest exhibition on American painter Chuck Close.
Set within the walls of the old Sebel Townhouse — once the beating heart of Australia's music industry — Divino Osteria brings a slice of homely Italian charm to Elizabeth Bay. Owner Anthony Alafaci has reimagined the storied space as a welcoming neighbourhood eatery that's all about warm, attentive service and traditional southern Italian flavours. Sicilian-born Head Chef Andrea Di Stefano has crafted a menu that showcases honest, home-style recipes prepared with finesse. Expect handmade pasta, stone-baked pizza from a hand-built brick oven, oversized ravioli filled with wagyu sirloin, and slow-cooked sauces that carry generations of flavour. Dishes like the signature costoletta d'agnello (a herb-crusted lamb cutlet with beetroot puree and potato terrine) speak to a chef who isn't afraid to break from tradition. To drink, you'll find a thoughtful list of sustainable wines from Italy, Australia, France and New Zealand. The cocktail list mirrors the food menu in that you'll find both traditional classics, like limoncello spritz, alongside reimagined classics, like the Aperol margarita or the mango-infused amaretto sour. Whether you're coming in for a slow Sunday lunch or a lively midweek dinner, Divino Osteria welcomes you to enjoy good food and good company, the southern Italian way. Images: Guy Davies.
American singer-songwriter Tom Krell (aka How to Dress Well) once described his sound as a convergence of Mariah Carey and Elliott Smith. It's that juncture of emo-acoustic and twinkly sentimental balladry that's led to Krell's music being labelled as 'lo-fi R&B'. Certainly in his older records, that came through. But with 2014 album "What is This Heart?" Krell's moving away from those early roots, towards something more musically diverse. (That said, the chorus of 'Precious Love' is decisively reminiscent of an early '00s R&B ballad, and it's great.) Krell picked his stage name semi-randomly from the spine of an old book he bought from a used bookstore ten years ago — justifying it by pointing out that we don't generally choose our names. True. That preoccupation with the uber real is reflected in his music. His lyrics are at times so personal they're almost uncomfortable, but then he turns it all weirdly in on itself with alien synth sounds and a falsetto that's painfully otherworldly — like, as one YouTube commenter put it so aptly, the ghosts of dead R&B singers come back to sing in empty bathroom stalls. Take this cover of Janet Jackson's 'Again'. Without a ukulele in sight, it's a refreshing antidote to the tired trend of white singers doing twee covers of the work of black musicians. We caught up with the super well-articulated, notoriously candid Krell ahead of his appearance at Sydney Festival, Melbourne's Sugar Mountain Festival and Brisbane's Australia Day Eve at the Brightside to chat about his newest album, the nature of quotation, embracing your influences, and creating intense, muscular live shows that are all about presence. Earlier this year you released your newest album, "What is This Heart?" which you recorded in Berlin with Rodaidh McDonald. What was the recording process like? It was cool. I came in with what could have been a finished record and then Rodaidh really helped me go through it. I'd have a guitar recorded and he would ask me, "What do you want this guitar to sound like?" and I'd say, "I want it to sound really close to the strings, and really raw-sounding." We'd re-record it and he'd help me dial in the details of the details. He's a really helpful engineer. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwRr2YyQD80[/embed] Making this album, were you influenced by anything in particular? How do you deal with your influences? A million things. For every song there's a whole handful of influences. I really do live through my influences. A lot of people I know write, and then listen to music separately. When they're writing they want to have this control, they worry that what they're making sounds too much like something else. I kind of have the opposite approach. While I'm working, if I hit on something that sounds like something else, I'll go listen to the song and try to figure out what it was in that song that so moved me that it snuck its way into my creative process. A lot of people have anxiety over influence, but I just really find it super inspiring. Let's talk about the title, "What is This Heart?". It's in quotation marks — what effect do they have for you? Quotation is a weird thing. On the one hand, it's about attributing something to someone. It's illegal to misquote someone because we really care, for some reason, about the things we say when they're in quotes. I started thinking a lot about that. An album is sort of like a long quote from me: this is what I want to say, and what I'm willing to have said in my name. Quotes also put things in scenes. Suddenly it's not just text on a piece of cardboard, but maybe it came out of someone's mouth. These things were stirring for me when I was writing. When I look back, what kinds of things do I want to have attributed to me? What kinds of things do I want people to say that I said? When I was writing lyrics for the record I also constantly found that I would think of something that someone said to me. A lot of the lyrics are made up of different kinds of quotes — things that I said that I wish I hadn't said, things that I overheard, things that I said that I didn't know the full consequences of. There's a lot going on with quotation in general. Talking about your lyrics, a lot of them seem deeply personal, or like they're really heavy with emotion. Does something compel you to write that kind of music? I suppose so. I don't think that they're personal in the sense of the coffee shop confessional. There are people who write much more directly personal things than I do. I would say that if they're personal, they're indirectly personal. The way I write, it is quite emotional. I guess I'm interested in the emotional life of people in general, which is another way of saying I'm interested in the way people live. Not in what people say when you ask them, "Hey, how was your day?" They'll tell they went to the library, they went to work, they went to the coffee shop, or whatever. But what I'm interested in in people and the self is not that story, but more the way it feels to actually live a life, the actual experience of life. That's the emotional part of life. So you went to the grocery store? Why, when you were walking down the aisle of the grocery store, did you think of your mother ageing and feel an intense pang of guilt? That's the kind of stuff that I'm interested in. Actual life. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTkGTfsMRYE[/embed] How would you explain the progression to this album from your previous albums? Especially because Love Remains, your first album, was very raw and stripped back — how did you move towards something more produced? Weirdly, I think of this newest record as the least produced. On Love Remains every single sound is filtered and changed to the point of being something really weird. It's full of little weird, suspended-in-time sound sculpture things. But for some of the stuff on this new record I just opened the microphone and sang right into it. There's acoustic guitar on Love Remains, but there's no way anybody other than me could ever pick it out because it just sounds like a weird wash indistinguishable from some of the other sounds. That's something I was actively trying to do because I wanted to make a specific record. Each record is a different response to a different time in my life. I don't really know what's next in terms of how to produce the next record, but it felt important for me on this record to do something with that real life thing I was just talking about. I wanted the music to have a realistic quality to it. So you're coming to Australia for Sydney Festival. In the past you've said that, rather than being like dance parties, you think of your shows as being more like a theatre performances. What's a How to Dress Well show like? I still don't think of what we do as a dance party, because it just isn't. But there are moments like that. The thing for me with the live show now is that I want it to be extremely physical and really obvious that there's a person present in front of you, doing this quite demanding performance. Another thing I was motivated by on this record was having really intense dynamic shifts. Having one moment be really quiet so you can sort of hear yourself breathing while you're listening and then another moment being so loud and muscular and intense that it knocks you back on your heels. That's a tough thing to do on a record. It's a much easier thing to do live because you can literally blast someone's head off and then very quickly go to something really quiet and subtle. I really do think we have the best show I've seen right now. I don’t think I know anybody else who plays a better concert than us, right now, which is cool. I really am super extremely proud of what we're doing live. It's super musical, really funny and fun, and really sad and touching. There are tender moments, and aggressive moments. It covers all the ground I really love in music and live music and live art. We have a really beautiful visual presentation as well that's weirdly connected with my motions. When I move quickly the visuals move. It's really cool. We've worked really hard on it. It's kind of the shit. See How to Dress Well as part of Sydney Festival's FBi Radio series at The Aurora on January 23, at Sugar Mountain Festival on January 24, or at The Brightside's Australia Day Eve on January 25. "What is This Heart?" is out now via Domino.
The plastic rings that hold six packs together are both genius and hazardous. On the one hand, they're really bloody handy when you're carting six tinnies to a barbecue — have you ever tried to hold six loose cans of beer? — but on the other, they have a devastating impact on marine wildlife when they become waste. To combat the effects these pesky pieces of plastic have on the environment, a Florida brewery has developed a type of biodegradable six-pack ring that can actually be eaten by the animals they usually pose a risk to. After seeing the effect plastic has on marine animals like birds and turtles, Saltwater Brewery — a small brewery in Delray Beach, Florida — teamed up with New York advertising agency We Believers to redesign their packaging to make it more environmentally friendly. What they came up with was a biodegradable version of the plastic rings made of the wheat and barley that's left over after brewing. They claim that it's the first 100 per cent biodegradable, compostable and edible packaging in the beer industry. The first batch of rings were made using a 3D printer, and the brewery aims to produce 400,000 per month to cover their current production. It's a great move that we hope bigger breweries take on. Now to tackle aluminium cans... Via Creativity.
It is instinctive for human beings to question what the future could hold and and will look like. But just like most aspects of our lives, buildings of the future are incredibly difficult to predict. Here are some of the most mind-boggling futuristic building designs which are in the planning stage or already under construction. New Orleans Arcology Habitat In an attempt to revamp both the aesthetics and economy of New Orleans in the face of the terrible destruction of 2005's Hurricane Katrina, an incredibly modernistic Arcology Habitat has been proposed. The design includes hotels, condos, commercial property and casinos all floating on the surface of a water basin between the Mississippi River and the CBD. Spaceport America Spaceport America is now in its initial stages of development in New Mexico and has already seen a series of flights launched from its lunar pads last year. This sleek construction is set to be the first commercial spaceport the world has ever seen and would unlock the potential to allow anyone to enjoy the wonders of space. Shimizu Mega-City Pyramid This enormous construction proposed for Tokyo would be 14 times higher than the ancient Great Pyramid of Giza, and would house an incredible 750,000 people. Designed as a solution to the over-population issue in Japan, this design is on hold until super-strong lightweight materials appear in the future. Kingdom Tower This enormous skyscraper has been approved for construction in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah at the preliminary cost of $4.6 billion as part of the proposed Kingdom City to be located along the Red Sea. If completed according to plan, the tower will not only become the tallest building in the world, but also the only on the planet to exceed a height of 1 kilometre. Kuwait Airport A new terminal is undergoing construction at Kuwait International Airport this year, set to be completed by 2016. The reconstruction, designed as a three point star, should increase the passenger handling capacity from 7 million to 13 million in the first phase. Trio Vertical Garden French designer and botanist, Patrick Blanc, is starting a revolution with his amazing designs of vertical gardens. His projects started in Sydney in 2009 by embedding 4,500 seedlings into a recycled felt surface, creating a contemporary artwork that is both environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing. Taiwan Tower Sou Fujimoto was the winner of the Taiwan Tower International Competition with his interpretation of 'Primitive Future'. The 300 metre tower is inspired by the Taiwanese banyan tree and is designed to be a model of green architecture for future generations. Keret House Instead of just discounting the space of an 133 centimetre alleyway between two houses in Warsaw, architect Jakub Szczesny saw the possibility for an ingenious house. Designed as a creative workspace for Israeli writer, Etgar Keret, the hermitage would range from 72-122cm in width with remote control stairs and boat-inspired water and sewage systems. Project Utopia Floating Island After numerous references to floating civilisations in literature comes finally an inventive floating island design more like an oil rig than a yacht. The volume of the Project Utopia would be equivalent to a present-day cruise liner, measuring more than 100 metres across and including more than 11 decks.
Mona has never shirked attention. Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art has welcomed it, in fact, whether it's bringing in 80 tonnes of sand, is allowing music fans listen to the sole copy of Wu-Tang Clan's Once Upon a Time in Shaolin or is part of a TV show about potentially eating Australia's invasive animal species — and that's just in the past year. Also part of the venue's story over the past 12 months or so: the legal proceedings around Ladies Lounge, the feminist installation created by artist and curator Kirsha Kaechele, which was taken to court due to an anti-discrimination complaint. Two big developments impacted Ladies Lounge in 2024: first, in April, the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled that it must start letting men enter; then, a September decision by the state's Supreme Court upheld Mona's appeal, permitting it to reopen for women only to continue to make its statement about the lack of opportunity historically offered to ladies by such spaces. Kaechele did indeed relaunch the installation, but only briefly, while flagging that it could go on tour. So, after ending its run at its original home in January 2025, Ladies Lounge is now headed to the Gold Coast. Each year, the coastal Sunshine State spot turns over much of the city to Bleach*, its annual arts festival. This year, Ladies Lounge is on its lineup. This is the first time that it will pop up beyond Mona, and therefore also beyond Tasmania, with the Gold Coast's HOTA, Home of the Arts playing host to the feminist space. "Yes, some boys may be allowed in for domestic arts lessons and reparations," the fest advises. Bleach* 2025 runs from Thursday, July 31–Sunday, August 10, also covering music, opera, drama, food and more, all at festival hubs a HOTA, Kurrawa Park and Emerald Lakes. It has more big art names attached, too. Australian visual artist Michael Zavros is the festival's guest Artistic Director for the year, curating a program that spans 100-plus events. Among them, Patricia Piccinini's Skywhale and Skywhalepapa are on the lineup, and will float through the Gold Coast's skies. That's how Bleach* will kick off at sunrise on its first 2025 day. "It's such a thrill to come on board as guest Artistic Director and launch Bleach* 2025. We've been shaping this festival for some time now, and it's incredibly rewarding to see the program come to life and finally share it with our audiences," said Zavros, announcing this year's bill. "We've dreamed big this year — pushing for bold, ambitious moments — and it's exciting to see those ideas realised in such powerful ways. Bleach* continues to play a vital role in the Gold Coast's arts and culture scene, and this year's program is a true reflection of the city's creative spirit and growing artistic ambition." Among the festival's three world premieres of works created on the Gold Coast, plus five Queensland premieres and plenty of other must-sees, other highlights include opera, classical music and dancing horses taking over Kurrawa Beach; artist Jeff Koons getting chatting at an exclusive in-conversation event; and Selve's new album Breaking Into Heaven performed in full with lasers, Karul Projects dancers and the Australian Session Orchestra outdoors at HOTA. Or, there's also Drum As You Are, a family-friendly Nirvana tribute — one of the iconic band's albums is called Bleach, after all — that'll feature both professional and community drummers. Unsurprisingly given that he's steering this year's festival, you can also see Zavros' Drowned Mercedes, the sculpture that was first unveiled in Brisbane in 2023 and, yes, features a 1990s Mercedes-Benz SL convertible filled with water. Zavros is also taking part in life-drawing sessions, Melissa Spratt and Tal Fitzpatrick are teaming up to showcase how textiles can be comforting in public space, and Josh Cohen's Radiohead for Solo Piano II will be in the spotlight. Bleach* 2025 runs from Thursday, July 31–Sunday, August 10 at various locations around the Gold Coast. For further information, head to the festival website.
Fusing thousands of EDM lovers, raveheads waiting for the bass to drop and a formidable amount of hot sauce can't possibly go wrong right? Face-melting dance and tastebud-destroying chili will combine their unlikely party powers for the first ever Electronic Sriracha Festival in San Jose, California. There'd better be some solid water stations in the production budget. Staking a spicy claim over San Jose's St. James Park on August 30, the hot sauce-inspired festival is making David Tran's beloved Sriracha rooster the poster boy for build ups, bass drops and breakdowns. Taking over two city blocks, three stages of electronic music, four bars and 120 sriracha-infused dishes, ESF is keeping food at $6 and the amps to 11. Seems it's all about endorphins, with EDM generating the same rush as a mouthful of hot sauce (the secret's in the capsaicin). Seems the moment before the bass drops parallels the waiting game before the Sriracha heat seeps in. Goes without saying, punters to both types of caps[aicin]-fuelled adventures do often display the same facial reaction: Could be one of the most unlikely Nailed It festivals yet, more innovative than your regular phone company sponsor with only corporate tents and handouts to add to the vibe. Sriracha held their first food-focused festival in LA last year, seems the team want to take things next level. The line-up will be released Monday, July 21 at 9am. Via Grub Street.
UPDATE, March 15, 2021: Skate Kitchen is available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. Skate Kitchen begins with a board, a banged-up pelvis and blood gushing down a leg. But stacking it once isn't going to keep Camille (Rachelle Vinberg) from shredding, grinding and nosesliding. Nor are stitches in her nether regions, or her mother's (Elizabeth Rodriguez) insistence that she give up her hobby. Instead, the film takes Camille gliding from the parks and pavements of Long Island to the streets of Manhattan, where a gang of girls skate like the city is their playground. They're the Skate Kitchen of Skate Kitchen. An all-female collective, they air, ollie and amble around town. They hang out, smoke joints, and shoot the breeze about anything and everything. They snap and record their tricks and kickflips, immortalising their antics on Instagram. And when they welcome Camille into the fold, it changes everything for the reserved, quiet 18-year-old. Early in what proves a laidback but layered movie, filmmaker Crystal Moselle captures Skate Kitchen's leisurely vibe and the effect it has on her picture's teenage protagonist. The irrepressibly catchy beats of Junior Senior's 'Move Your Feet' take over the soundtrack as the girls walk, dance and skate their way through New York City, and Camille couldn't look happier. As well as sending the film's frames freewheeling along with the group, cinematographer Shabier Kirchner cloaks his images in a warm glow — the kind that exists in your mind when you're simply content, regardless of what your eyes actually see. It's an ethereal sequence, and yet it's also grounded in naturalism. Sunny, carefree, comforting, vibrant: that's just how being part of Skate Kitchen feels. That's how watching Skate Kitchen feels as well, although Moselle's isn't a rosy coming-of-age portrait devoid of drama. Narrative-wise, the movie charts the push-and-pull that characterises Camille's life — first between the freedom of skating and the scolding of her overprotective mum, then between friends and family, and later between her new buddies and the wannabe photographer Devon (a flame-haired Jaden Smith) who they try to warn her away from. And, while the film marks Moselle's first fictional movie, Skate Kitchen itself is real. The endlessly fascinating Vinberg is one of its crew members. So is the scene-stealing Nina Moran, who plays the joker of the gang, as well as the affectionate Ardelia Lovelace, who becomes Camille's closest friend. Here, art both imitates life and does its utmost best to represent it accurately — even when sometimes packaged with a visual sheen that'd do Sofia Coppola proud. It's unmistakably rare to see a film featuring such authentic and candid conversations between teen girls. Such a diverse yet nuanced female group, spanning different races, sexualities and personalities, is hardly regular screen fodder either. And that's before noting the obvious: that depicting young women as skateboarders, letting them carve out a place in a male-dominated domain, and spending time with them just kicking around is so uncommon that it's almost revolutionary. Indeed, that's exactly why the movie's dreamy aesthetic is such a fitting choice. Until now, a film set in this world — that's intent on fighting back against gendered expectations, and that seems so achingly real — was basically a dream. Moselle knows a thing or two about stepping into an overlooked or undiscovered realm and revealing it to the masses. In 2015, her documentary The Wolfpack was a festival circuit hit, centring on seven home-schooled New York siblings — six boys and their sister — who were virtually forbidden to leave the house by their strict father. To experience the outside world, the factual flick's subjects escaped into movies, which they not only devoured on DVD but re-enacted and re-staged in an elaborate fashion. Skate Kitchen is The Wolfpack's fictionalised female-focused counterpart in many ways, and it also sees Moselle take her doco's core idea to the next level. There, cinema helped a sheltered family feel like they existed. Here, skateboarding does just that for a lonely soul, while the overall film will provide the same sensation for anyone who has ever been a teenage girl. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VTFLvLtdYw
They're the pieces of plastic no one can leave home without — if you want to catch a bus, train, tram or ferry. Sydney has Opal, Melbourne has Myki and Brisbane has the Go Card, aka the main way to pay for public transport in today's increasingly cash-less society. For now, that is. News Corp's Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane papers are all reporting the looming end of the current ticketing cards, in favour of smartphone, smartwatch and tap-and-go bank card payments. It's one of those obvious leaps in technology that was always going to happen at some point soon. If there's a more convenient, contactless way to pay that don't rely upon everyone remembering to stuff yet another card into their wallet, then it's hardly surprising that the New South Wales, Victorian and Queensland governments are looking into it. In Sydney, a trial began on the Manly ferry last year, with patrons tapping their Mastercards instead. It's expected to expand to other forms of transport according to The Daily Telegraph, although it's worth noting that Opal multi-trip benefits don't apply to other payment systems. Melburnians can expect to scan on with a credit or debit card in trials due to start this year, focusing on Routes 11, 86 or 96, The Sunday Herald Sun notes. And in Brisbane, The Sunday Mail reports that a trial will commence either later in 2018 or sometime in early 2019, starting with the Airtrain. Moving away from dedicated transport cards — or adding other payment options — will make things easier for tourists and travellers, who shouldn't have to buy a new piece of plastic just to catch a bus or train (or pay extra for a paper ticket if they don't) when they're visiting. Ensuring the new system remains accessible for anyone that doesn't have a smartphone, smartwatch or bank card remains a concern, however. And, there'll always need to be a backup option in case someone forgets their phone, watch or wallet. Via The Sunday Mail / The Sunday Herald Sun / The Daily Telegraph. Images: Beau Giles / Binayak Dasgupta / Andrew Thomas.
We know that we can't grow outwards forever. So coming up with new and better ways of growing upwards is high on the global architectural agenda. That's why, for nine years now, eVolo magazine has been running an international skyscraper competition. Designers from all over the world are invited to come up with groundbreaking visions for vertical living. This year, 525 entries were submitted from 43 nations. Here's what came out on top. First Prize: Vernacular Versatility Designed by Yong Ju Lee, this skyscraper can be built without a single nail. It's based on the Hakon, a traditional Korean housing style known for its curved wooden roofing, which is adjustable according to sunlight intensity. So far, it has only been applied to single-storey buildings, but contemporary software modelling is enabling the exploration of multi-storey possibilities. Second Prize: Car and Shell Skyscraper: Or Marinetti's Monster Envisioned by US-based creatives Mark Talbot and Daniel Markiewicz, the Car and Shell is a city in the sky, planned with Detroit in mind. All the elements of a regular suburb (footpaths, streets and constructions) are contained in a single cube. Third Prize: Propagate Skyscraper: Carbon Dioxide Structure Goodbye, construction team. The Propagate grows all by itself. It's made of hypothetical materials that are able to absorb carbon dioxide and transform it into, well, architectural extensions. Definitely the ultimate in sustainability. Honourable Mention: The Seawer This underwater UFO doesn't house people, but it does capture trash floating in the ocean and recycle it. Honourable Mention: Sand Babel These part underground, part aboveground solar-powered towers present a new way of living in eco-friendly comfort (and style) in the desert. Honourable Mention: Climatology Tower Not only is it the best terrarium ever, the Climatology Tower functions as a research centre where the focus is on healing our sickly environment through the analysis of microclimates and urban meteorology. Honourable Mention: Launchspire It might look like the set for the next Star Wars remake, but the Launchspire is actually an "electromagnetic vertical accelerator to eliminate the hydrocarbon dependency of aircraft during takeoff".
"Darling it's better down where it's wetter," Disney's animated hit The Little Mermaid told us; however, the Mouse House also thinks that life is pretty great on top of the water. For nearly a quarter-century, the huge entertainment company has been taking fans of its ever-growing array of pop culture wares on themed vacations, all thanks to its Disney Cruise Line. Alas, setting sail from Australia and Aotearoa hasn't been a possibility — until now. Come October 2023, Disney Cruise Line will head Down Under for the first time ever, running Disney-themed holiday cruises from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland. And yes, given that Disney own plenty of huge franchises, that means these stints at sea are Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars-themed as well. The Mouse House's first 'Magic at Sea' Australian and NZ cruises will depart from October 28, 2023, with the season running through till February 2024. On offer: sailings for two, three, four, five and six nights — your pick — where you'll watch live musical shows, see Disney characters everywhere you look and eat in spaces decked out like Disney movies. Those musicals include a Frozen show; another production dedicated to the company's old-school favourites like Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Cinderella and Aladdin; and a Golden Mickeys performance, which is obviously all about Mickey Mouse. Or, there's a Mickey party set to DJ beats, nightly fireworks and a pirate shindig on the vessel's deck. While not every show and party is available on all cruises — especially the two-night option — the entertainment also includes Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Moana, Tiana, Cinderella, Woody, Jessie and more wandering around the ship. And, Chewbacca, Rey, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel and Thor as well, if you like hanging out around folks in costumes. The dining setup rotates, so each day of the cruise takes you to a different location with a different theme. One day, you'll hit up the Animator's Palate, which focuses on bringing Disney characters to life — including getting patrons to draw their own characters — and on the next, you'll get munching in a restaurant inspired by The Princess and the Frog, and serving up New Orleans-inspired dishes. Or, there's also Triton's, which offers an under the sea theme given it's named after Ariel's father, and serves four-course French and American suppers. For folks travelling with young Disney devotees, there's also a whole range of activities just for kids — but adults without littlies in tow are definitely catered for, complete with a dedicated pool for travellers aged 18 and over, an adults-only cafe, the Crown & Fin pub, cocktail bar Signals, Italian eatery Palo, and a day spa and salon. Dates for Disney Cruise Line's first trips from Australia and New Zealand vary per city of departure, as do prices, but you can expect to enter this whole new ocean-faring world from $720 per person for two nights in a double-occupancy room from Sydney, $546 from Melbourne and $755 from Brisbane, and $760 per person for three nights in a double-occupancy room from Auckland. And, room-wise, there's ten different types to choose from — some with private verandahs, and some with ocean views through portholes. Disney Cruise Line's 'Magic at Sea' cruises will sail from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland between October 2023–February 2024, with bookings open from 8am AEST / 11am NZDT on Thursday, September 29, 2022. For more information, head to the cruise line's website. Images: Matt Stroshane / Kent Phillips.
Since the first sign was erected promoting a tasty cola, we have had a love/hate relationship with the ubiquitous advertising monsters. Where we were once outraged at subliminal advertising, now we enjoy analysing the topic on a weekly basis. But how much do we really know about the influencing power of advertising? Morgan Spurlock is going to find out. The documentary filmmaker has noticed that all the supersized Hollywood blockbusters like Iron Man and Transformers are made so successful by being paired with the biggest brands using brand integration. So in an effort to create the first 'docbuster', Spurlock is selling the entire 90 minutes of his latest film, and taking us on his journey. For most of the film Spurlock straddles the line between 'selling-out' and making us laugh so hard we won't notice the money he's making in the process. But the tag line of the film assures us he's "not selling out, but buying-in". To do this he teams up with a number of companies that amazingly trust they won't come up second best in an area ripe for criticism, and it is reassuring to know that Spurlock is making this whole process transparent. As opposed to the sneaky tactics of subliminal advertising or product placement, it is remarkably comforting to be warned and indeed thrust toward all the paid features in this film. Along the way he is joined by experts (Noam Chomsky, Ralph Nader), directors (Quentin Tarantino, Peter Berg, JJ Abrams) and musicians (OK Go) for an in-depth look at modern advertising, all while trying to sell his new-found 'love' of pomegranate juice. The film relies on Spurlock's wit and ability to poke fun at the industry he is buying into. It leads to some genuine laugh-out-loud moments yet eventually fails to deliver any sort of conclusions. Everybody knows about product placement, so what more does Spurlock tell us? Well, not a lot. Ultimately, he acknowledges that unless you would like to live a hermit existence or move to Sao Paulo there is little we can do about the constant amount of advertising we are exposed to daily. We may be stuck with it, but at least now we can have a good laugh at the situation, thanks to Morgan Spurlock. Morgan Spurlock will appear at a special screening of POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold complete with Q&A on Tuesday, August 2, 2011, at 6.45pm. The movie opens nationwide on August 11. https://youtube.com/watch?v=T4Ng2P3zxfM
Black suits, black shades, futuristic weaponry and plenty of aliens: the Men in Black are back. Because film franchises never die — they just get revamped/remade/rebooted/reimagined — the sci-fi series is releasing its fourth instalment. It's a spin-off, and it features a brand new cast. In Men in Black: International, Thor Ragnarok co-stars Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson step into the outfits originally made famous by Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. The Aussie star plays Agent H, while Thompson plays agent M, a newcomer who nabs a job after tracking down the secretive organisation. Helping them with their London-based efforts are Emma Thompson and Liam Neeson, who are also donning the requisite attire. Two (unrelated) Thompsons are better than one, clearly, and, when it comes to Neeson, why not? Directed by Straight Outta Compton and The Fate of the Furious' F. Gary Gray, Men in Black: International arrives 22 years after the original flick (and the original theme tune that you now have stuck in your head). It follows the new agents as they not only try to keep watch over the world, but attempt to track down a mole inside the Men in Black. If it wipes the franchise's rather average Men in Black II and Men in Black III out of our memories, it'll achieve something. Men in Black: International opens in Australian cinemas on June 13, 2019 — check out the trailer below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gexS_FVXdhk&feature=youtu.be
