Fans of skyward beers, listen up — a Chippendale favourite has reopened its rooftop bar. As you might know, The Lansdowne and its sky-high outdoor area have a storied history. The rooftop spanned a few different iterations while the Mary's team was at the helm. Now, under the guidance of the crew behind the Oxford Art Factory, The Lansdowne has brought back sun-soaked sips two days a week. Head upstairs on a Friday or Saturday and you'll find a bright-blue oasis high above City Road that's perfect for a weekend catch-up with mates. The openair bar was given a quick-fire revamp during the summer and now boasts retro beach umbrellas to shade you from the sun's rays, as well as the full suite of food and drinks from the pub downstairs. Sweetening the deal is a brand-new deli menu that The Lansdowne has introduced in conjunction with its new Head Chef Eugene Novikov. The accomplished hospitality veteran takes the reins of the beloved pub's kitchen after previously working at three-hatted Queenstown restaurant Amisfield and Hamilton Island's Qualia. Sandwiches are the heroes of this new culinary offering, with options including a wagyu meatball sambo, a chicken schnitzel sanga, a classic reuben and a cajun-spiced prawn po boy. Accompanying the sandwich selection, you'll find a Chicago-style hot dog, beef and vegan burgers, chicken wings, wedges and waffle fries. [caption id="attachment_895476" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alana Dimou[/caption] "The Lansdowne was an exciting opportunity to demonstrate how food, music and culture can all come together as the city comes back to life with activity," says Novikov. Rounding out the fresh additions to the venue is the return of its weekly music series, Graveyard Shift. The late-night sessions run free gigs in the downstairs bar every Friday from 10.30pm, serving as the ultimate kick-on spot for Sydneysiders looking to start their weekend right. VB and Brookvale Union have come on board to support the series, slinging $7 VBs and $8 ginger beers each Friday. You can head to the Lansdowne website for any upcoming Graveyard Shift lineups, as well as the full suite of gigs happening at the venue. [caption id="attachment_895478" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alana Dimou[/caption] The Lansdowne is located at 4pm–12am Wednesday–Thursday, 4pm–5am Friday–Saturday and 4pm–10pm Sunday. The Lansdowne rooftop bar is open on Fridays and Saturdays.
Committed nerds, aspiring nerds and casual nerds, here's the perfect way to dedicate your weekend to bettering your brain. The Sydney Science Festival is back for another round, running from August 7–19. And it's going to be bigger (and, we're happy to report, nerdier) than ever, with more than 200 events involving over 80 organisations. Whether you want to consider the ethics of living with — and potentially loving — robots, lose yourself in tactile and visual illusions or hear about what might happen when the Milky Way crashes into the nearest galaxy, you can do it all over a couple of days. While the festival runs for two weekends, we've chosen the first one (August 10–12) to craft an itinerary of shameless nerding out, with some much-needed brain food thrown in for good measure. FRIDAY 6PM: CATCH LISA HARVEY-SMITH'S KEYNOTE SPEECH To open the festival for 2018, astrophysicist and Stargazing Live presenter Lisa Harvey-Smith will be explaining what might happen were the Milky Way to collide with its nearest galaxy — an event expected to happen in about 3.8 billion years. You'll be hearing all about stars forming in sudden bursts, the fusing of black holes and gas jets travelling at the speed of light. The impending collision is the subject of Harvey-Smith's new book When Galaxies Collide, which English physicist Dr Brian Cox described as a "fascinating and inspiring tour of the galaxies". When Galaxies Collide is happening at 6pm, Friday, August 10 at the Powerhouse. Book a ticket over here. [caption id="attachment_659315" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kitti Smallbone[/caption] 8PM: GRAB A POST-TALK DRINK AT THE TERMINUS If there's one way to get your head around the collision of galaxies, it's a stiff drink. Get just that at the Terminus Hotel, a 177-year-old pub that reopened in March this year after a 30-year hiatus and a multi-million dollar revamp. For a quiet cocktail, head upstairs to Vera's, a light, elegant space named after Vera Dempsey, a local legend among bartenders, who ran the pub back in the 1930s. Otherwise, kick back on a super comfy bar stool in the downstairs Tram Bar, which opens out to an alfresco courtyard. The current cocktail menu includes a blue cheese martini and the FCUK Yoga (bourbon, ginger, honey and house-made apple puree). The Terminus is open until midnight at 61 Harris Street, Pyrmont. SATURDAY 10AM: EXPLORE WHAT IT IS TO BE HUMAN (OR ROBOT) This exhibition delves into what it means to be human and the impact of rapidly advancing technology, which is beginning to blur the lines between human and robot. With four aspects of our experience in mind — food, work, sex and belief — a selection of artists have created an array of immersive installations, drawing on architecture, design, biotechnology, botany, chemistry, film and performance. Look out for works by Lindsay Kelley, Liam Young, Maria Fernanda Cardoso, Ken Thaiday and Jason Christopher, and expect to be challenged, surprised, confused, frightened and maybe (just maybe) even a little hopeful. Hold onto your ticket because you'll be heading back here after lunch. Human non Human is open from 10am–5pm at the Powerhouse. Entry to the museum is $15 for all-day entry. 12PM: REFUEL WITH PIZZA AT FRATELLI FRESH Just ten-minute stroll from the Powerhouse is the brand new Fratelli Fresh Emporium in Darling Harbour. This 500-seat mega venue, dotted with red-and-white umbrellas, is a wonderland of Neapolitan pizzas, gelati, Sonoma goodies, Italian wines, negronis and Aperol spritzes. If the sun's a-shining, take a seat in the outdoor courtyard to gaze over the water; otherwise, get cosy inside among the pot plants and communal tables. When you've feasted to your heart's content, stretch your legs with a stroll along the waterfront: you'll need a clear and ready mind for the brain-bending sessions coming up. Fratelli Fresh Emporium is open from 7am till midnight at 14 Darling Drive, Darling Harbour. 2PM: LEARN ABOUT SCIENCE'S RECENT BREAKTHROUGHS Scientific discoveries might seem complex, but they often begin with simple accidents, experiments and ideas. It was the sight of an apple falling that led Sir Isaac Newton to conceive of gravity, while a chocolate bar melting in a pocket inspired engineer Percy Spencer to invent the microwave. These principles of experimentation and curiosity are at the heart of the Australian Museum's Super Science Saturday, which is set to be an interactive expo-like day of scientific discovery. There'll be 20-plus booths manned by bona-fide experts so you can learn about everything from volcanoes to the science behind Indigenous bush foods and medicine. It's a little nerdy but that's what this weekend is all about — and, if nothing else, you'll be primed for the next pub trivia night. Super Science Saturday is running from 9.30am–4pm at the Australian Museum, Darlinghurst. Entry is $20 for adults and free for kids. 5PM: GRAB A WELL-EARNED WINE AT RILEY STREET GARAGE After exploring science's most important breakthroughs of the 21st century, you'll be more than ready for a good glass of red and maybe a snack or two. Cross William Street to reach Riley Street Garage and take a seat up at its impressive centrepiece bar — not only is it a great place to rest your feet, but it also has some sweet happy hour deals. Truffle soy oysters are just $1 each, and glasses of house wine and beer are just $5. Riley Street Garage is open from midday till midnight at 55 Riley Street, Woolloomooloo. 7PM: A NIGHT OF ILLUSIONS Leave reality blissfully behind when you step into an arcadia of illusions. Taking over Redfern's 107 Projects, this adventure compels you to question the fine line between what's real and what merely seems. You'll find yourself immersed in the sensory world of animals, experience the sensation of inhabiting an entirely different body and see things that aren't there. Helping you to understand what's going on in your brain along the way will be a bunch of leading scientists, including neuroscientist Dr Deborah Apthorp, behavioural ecologist Matthew Bulbert and vision scientist Erika Contini. A Night of Illusions Is running for one night only from 7pm at 107 Projects, Redfern. Tickets are $5 and you can book over here. SUNDAY 10AM: DO A MORNING DRAWING WORKSHOP Science isn't all robots and space stuff — it's about cute animals, too. Which is really a topic everyone can get behind. At this morning workshop in The Addison Road Community Centre, experts will make you a semi-expert on one species that's particularly prevalent in Sydney's skies: microbats. The centre has its own habitat tree on-site, so you might be able to catch a glimpse of them sleeping before you sit down and learn how to properly draw them. Unless you just happen to be a chiropterologist, you'll learn at least a few interesting facts to share with your mates at work on Monday. The A-Mazeing Acrobats Drawing Workshop will run from 10am–12pm at The Addison Road Community Centre, Marrickville. You can book tickets here. 12PM: GRAB LUNCH AT THE HENSON When you're done, head around the corner for a pub lunch. If the weather's nice, The Henson's beer garden will be in full swing, so grab any spot you can and don't give it up. The menu is varied, so you can grab anything from tacos to haloumi burgers to half a Balinese-style chicken. So it's good if you've amassed a crew, and it's great if you've got kids in tow. The Henson is open from 11am at 91 Illawarra Road, Marrickville. 5PM: FIND OUT IF YOU'LL SOON HAVE A ROBOT FRIEND AT THE OPERA HOUSE After spending a few hours lapping up the Sunday sun in The Henson's courtyard, catch the train to Circular Quay to round out your weekend with a contemplation of the blessings and evils of robots. They're gradually pervading all aspects of our lives, so it's time we gave them some serious thought. Getting you moving will be this panel discussion, featuring Toby Walsh (UNSW Scientia Professor, Artificial Intelligence), Ellen Broad (independent consultant, data sharing, open data and AI ethics) and Hae Won Park (research scientist, Personal Robots Group, MIT Media Lab). Just some of the big questions they'll be tackling include: what will it mean if robots are our toys, our pets, our friends and our partners? If robots can be everything from carers to warriors, what does this mean not just for human lives, but for the way we understand human intelligence, human values and humanity itself? Thought-provoking stuff and a good note to end your weekend on. Good Robot, Bad Robot will take place at 5pm at the Sydney Opera House's Drama Theatre. Tickets are $49 and can be bought here. The 2018 Sydney Science Festival will run over two weeks from August 7–19. Take a look at the full program here — there's enough there to extend your weekend to a very nerdy two weeks.
If there's a time warp we still love stepping into, it's a video store like Dr What. A local Sydney institution, the shop with Australia's largest range of rental titles brings back nostalgic memories of return dates, rewinding tapes and carefully curating the perfect combo of new releases and weeklies for $10. That was the '90s. Today, the shelves at Dr What are largely empty. The Crisford family, owners for 30-plus years, will soon be closing the doors of the iconic Bondi shop with its mad doctor mascot painted above the awning. Although the quirky name is thanks to the original owners who opened the store in 1981, it's the Crisfords who made it what is today. "It was in liquidation, there [were only] about two thousand movies and we had to work hard to build it back up," says Neal Crisford. "Very early it was porn and horror, then the action movies came in." Gradually, Neal, his wife, Carol, and later his son, Daniel, expanded the number of genres to include no less than 40,000 videos, all curated into carefully thought-out categories. "Rather than buying fifty copies of the one movie, we would buy a range," says Crisford. "We concentrate on buying odd stuff and in the early days, I … spent my time going around warehouses and finding little gems." You can hear the passion in his voice as he reminisces about finding these lesser-known movies, a testament to the store's support of the independent film industry. For years, filmmakers, university students and cinephiles have come to Dr What to source the rare and obscure, knowing that, as Crisford puts it, "if its available, there's a good chance you can get it at Dr What." At its peak, video rental was a ritual for most Australian families, with VCRs selling faster here than anywhere else in the world. Crisford considers the late '80s and early '90s as the most successful years, "before cable, before people had internet". "Back then you didn't have a lot of movies at home, they were expensive to buy," he says. "Purchases were probably 10 percent of the market, so most people would rent." But Crisford is also the first to admit the industry has been a roller-coaster. Though the store survived the transition from VHS to DVD, the online availability of films today has meant the store simply isn't profitable. "We're a non-profit organisation", Crisford adds with a wry smile. Until the end of the month, all VHS and DVD stock at Dr What is on sale and the loyal following the store has garnered over the years means "they're all going to good homes". "We worried about breaking up the collection, but people who really appreciate films, who love them and who've been our regular customers … can take a little bit of Dr What home with them". Crisford is also positive these regular customers will follow the store's move to an online platform. Though it may be the end of the bricks-and-mortar Dr What, part of the legendary collection will have an online life through Quickflix, which has bought some of the titles. Plus, Dr What will continue to provide film production services through their own website, and since Crisford has previously moonlighted as a film producer, he is keen to spend more time behind the camera. "That's an area we're going to expand … a TV show about films is one of the things we're looking at doing". In the days left, drop in to the shop for a heady dose of nostalgia and some bargain film finds to boot. Find Dr What at 562 Oxford Street, Bondi Junction, open 10am-9pm Mon-Sat and 11am-9pm Sun. The store closes for the final time at the end of August.
Founded in the late 80s, the Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative exists to celebrate, promote and support Aboriginal artists from all over NSW. The Leichhardt space showcases an original collection of works from artists both experienced and emerging. Each exhibition shares a special part of Aboriginal history and connection to Country, through multidisciplinary art forms including painting, ceramics and screen printing. We suggest visiting Boomalli for one of its regular openings, which you'll find details of on its Facebook page. Enjoy a glass of wine, check out the art at your own pace, connect with the artists and learn more from the passionate team who run the space. Images: Sharon Hickey
Popular Sydney hospitality figure Reynold Poernomo has unveiled his flagship venue in Chippendale, with the opening of a new KOI Dessert Bar featuring three distinct areas. KOI has moved to Central Park Avenue after half a decade in Kensington Street, expanding to a larger more extravagant space two streets over which Poernomo has described as his "dream venue". Reynold initially opened the dessert bar with the help of his brothers Arnold and Ronald after winning fans over on MasterChef. "This is big for me, the team and the family, because as you all know, this is the first restaurant that my family and I had started over five years ago," Poernomo said. Tucked behind Central Park Mall next to the Chippendale Green, KOI Dessert Bar now invites sweet tooths to their choice of three dining experiences. The first section is your standard dessert bar reminiscent of the original Chippendale location. Here you'll find a stone and japanese tile benchtop presenting KOI's signature range of desserts for takeaway or eat-in. The daily cake selection changes, but you can expect creations like black truffle basque cheesecake or matcha, yuzu and pistachio slice, paired with St Dreux coffee and Tavalon tea. In the evening you'll enter through the second space — the revamped Monkey's Corner cocktail bar which has also moved across from Kensington Street. At the bar, the cakes are traded for noodles and coffee swapped for sake. Highlights from the food menu include chili crab egg noodles, trout tartare, torched wagyu strips and king prawns. There's also an affinity for truffle, with a black truffle and mushroom noodle dish a mainstay of the bar, and a seasonal truffle menu on offer during winter. The final — and possibly most exciting — element of the revamped venue is an intimate 12-seat restaurant. A chef's table of sorts, diners at KOI Experiential will have a front-row show as Poernomo creates a ten-course degustation spanning the sweet and the savory. The experience resembles that of Sydney's new wave of omakase restaurants, with the head chef taking patrons through that night's intricate and expertly crafted dishes. Seatings at the degustation are available at either 5.30pm or 8pm and will set you back $130pp. KOI Dessert Bar and Monkey's Corner are located at 6 Central Park Avenue, Chippendale. The dessert bar is open 11am–10pm Tuesday–Sunday, KOI Experiential is open from 5.30pm and 8pm Wednesday–Sunday and Moneky's Corner is open 5–10pm Tuesday–Sunday and midday–3pm Saturday and Sunday.
Keen to load up on missing art history knowledge? This exhibition surveys a whole bunch of the European masters filling your high school textbooks. The Greats is the product of the Art Gallery of NSW’s special partnership with the National Galleries of Scotland. As part of Sydney's International Art Series, over 70 paintings from Edinburgh will adorn the walls, while a concurrent public program will offer talks, tours, live music, and more. From Renaissance painters through to Modernist innovators, the exhibition includes the likes of Botticelli, Leonardo, Raphael, Titian, Monet, Degas and Gauguin. In other words, The Greats features a heap of names stamped on the sandstone facade of the art gallery itself. All but two of these works have never before visited Australia. If you want to retreat from the heat and take a refreshing jaunt through the classics, this is your summer show. Image: Paul Gauguin, Three Tahitians (1899), National Galleries Scotland.
The National Gallery of Victoria has today revealed its summer centrepiece: a bold new world premiere exhibition pairing the work of Dutch artist M.C. Escher and Japanese design studio Nendo. Much like the NGV's 2016's Andy Warhol and Ai Weiwei show, Between Two Worlds celebrates two very different creators, bringing them together in an assembly of immersive art and design. More than 150 of Escher's prints and drawings created between 1916 to 1969 have made their way to Melbourne from the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague for the artist's first ever major exhibition in Australia. Optical illusion is what he's best known for — his intricate pieces use patterns and design to warp space and perception. You'll need to take second, third and fourth looks at pieces like Day and night and Drawing hands. To really mess with your mind, Nendo — led by designer Oki Sato — has created an immersive gallery space that's just as trippy. The studio has taken inspiration from Escher to manipulate geometry and space to warp perception, giving you an imagined sense of what it would be like to enter Escher's mind boggling world. Expect lots of mirrors, shrinking corridors and projections that will mess with your brain (in a good way). The exhibition will officially open tomorrow with the gallery's exclusive black tie NGV Gala. Then it opens to the public on Sunday, December 2 and will run until April 2019 alongside a public program of talks, workshops and the NGV's Friday night parties. Escher x Nendo: Between Two Worlds will run from December 2 until April 2019 at NGV International. Images: Eugene Hyland and Sean Fennessy.
A fiesta of birria tacos and golden churros has made its way up from Melbourne, landing in Bondi. Until Sunday, June 16, CDMX Taqueria is mounting its first interstate kitchen takeover at Bondi Mexican joint Taqiza, where it is serving up some of the Victorian capital's best Mexican fare. Head over from 5pm Tuesday–Friday or 12pm Saturday–Sunday to snap up an array of casual Mexican eats, including CDMX's legendary birria tacos. Among the limited-edition selection, you'll also find three more lip-smacking taco options: the al pastor, which pairs spit-roasted pork with pineapple and salsa; the pescado, starring a fried-fish filling; and the chicharron norteno, featuring fried pork belly in a spicy sauce. Picking what to eat from the pop-up's menu may be tricky, but the easiest solution is to opt for the award-winning signature birria tacos. Each one features a grilled corn tortilla topped with beef brisket that's been braised in a birria consommé, plus salsa, coriander, onion and melted cheese. Best of all, a cup of the consommé comes with your order, so you can dip your taco in it for the ultimate flavour bomb. Throughout CDMX's Bondi residency, the eatery's owner Beatrice Nacor, as well as Head Chef Marc Cruz and his team of Tashi Wangyel and Ritchie Abellanosa, will be on the pots, making sure every mouthful is as delicious as possible.
Cook & Archies have survived the Surry Hills cafe scene for almost ten years. They're no spring chickens, but they've managed to lock down a tried and true brunch-happy formula that's made them a cornerstone of the area's culinary scene — if you know where to find 'em. If you're one to photograph your food, Cook & Archies is a flatlay-ers dream — rustic pans, wooden tables and pretty, hearty food (occasionally topped with fresh black truffle slices). Like many other cafes in Surry Hills, their coffee is blended by Single Origin Roasters. But unlike the rest, this may be one of the few cafes in the area with a designated brunch menu. Nice. Ruebens and porcini mushroom risotto make for the ultimate comfort food, or for something lighter you could opt for a breakfast wrap or a superfood smoothie. Can't really decide what you want? Bring a few friends and steal from their plates. Sharing is caring at C&A.
The past lingers. At the heart of Scrublands, both in its debut season in 2023 and now in its second — aka Scrublands: Silver — history doesn't just fade as time goes by. Portrayed by Luke Arnold (Last King of the Cross), investigative journalist Martin Scarsden witnessed this truth in action in the town of Riversend the first time that this page-to-streaming series based on Chris Hammer's novels hit the small screen. There, the character was chasing a story about a shocking tragedy impacting the entire community. As he met and became closer to bookstore-slash-cafe proprietor and single mother Mandy Bond, as played by Bella Heathcote (The Moogai), he wasn't just watching on from the outside, either. Streaming on Stan from Thursday, April 17, 2025, season two of Scrublands swaps Mandy's hometown for Martin's. In their new coastal surroundings of Port Silver, she isn't free from the past's persistent grasp despite being a newcomer to the close-knit seaside spot; however, her other half is equally haunted. Martin left town as a teenager to pursue his journalism dreams, but not before sparking a scandal. Until the first episode begins, he hasn't been back since. What's meant to be a fresh beginning for a couple already burdened by recent woes soon gets swept in other directions. The murder of Martin's childhood best friend Jasper (Hamish Michael, Apple Cider Vinegar), Mandy being named as the key suspect and Martin using his reporter instincts to try to get to the bottom of another mystery affecting the woman he loves will do that. So will Scarsden's own history bubbling back up. Looking back to the start of their Scrublands journey with Arnold and Heathcote, the pair are both clear that one season was all that they were focusing on when they initially stepped into Martin and Mandy's shoes — even though Hammer's novels about their characters had already notched up three entries thanks to 2018's Scrublands, 2019's Silver and 2020's Trust. That approach was partly pragmatic. "I think having been in this game for a while, you very much try to practice not getting ahead of yourself. And I think we were all in that mode, going 'okay, this would be great. We know the books are there. And so if we do a good job, we might be asked to come back and do some more'," Arnold tells Concrete Playground. "But at first you're just going 'hey, let's try to get through this thing and not screw it up, and then let's see what people think'." "It is always tough when there is this existing property there that people really love — sometimes that can go well, sometimes it can go the opposite way, and you find 'ohh no, you didn't', and it wasn't what the fans wanted or something went awry. So I think first season, we were just trying to do the best we could with that. And then I think the response to the show was so great and kind of beyond what we could have hoped for, so once that happened, things quickly started moving towards coming back for season two." Heathcote was instantly drawn to Mandy when the project crossed her path via Wolf Creek, Rogue and Jungle director Greg McLean, who she worked with on fellow Aussie series Bloom, but the pitch was for a one-and-done project. "Bizarrely, not at the time," she advises when asked about whether season two was ever on her mind to begin with. "I've now drunk the Kool-Aid and now I've read all the books, but in the first season I didn't — because it was pegged as a miniseries, and I thought 'okay, great'. But now I think we're all hooked, on the books and each other. I just want to work with everyone again." "There was something so comforting about coming back to this role, and being back with Luke, and Sarah Roberts [Runt], Toby Truslove [La Brea], taking the band on tour to WA. It feels sort of like coming home." Both Arnold and Heathcote have enjoyed a coming-home journey themselves, as Australian actors who enjoy overseas success tend to. (See also: Jacob Elordi and Odessa Young with The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Ashley Zukerman with In Vitro, and Radha Mitchell and Jesse Spencer with Last Days of the Space Age, to name just a few recent examples). Scrublands' two leads each have the almost-requisite Aussie soaps on their resumes, Home and Away for Arnold and Neighbours for Heathcote — and, for Arnold, four seasons on seafaring American series Black Sails, around gigs in everything from Rush Hour and MacGyver to Lethal Weapon; for Heathcote, a main part in Dark Shadows led to the eclectic likes of Not Fade Away, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, The Neon Demon, Fifty Shades Darker, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women and The Man in the High Castle. Neither have been absent from Australian fare lately, though, via the likes of Glitch, The End, Preppers, True Colours and Arnold's Home and Away stint, plus Relic, C*A*U*G*H*T and others for Heathcote. With Scrublands, they're both hooked, including as viewers. Indeed, both binged Silver's four parts, texting each other, when they were able to see the finished product. And yet, Arnold wouldn't be bringing Scarsden to the screen at all if he had followed the advice given to him back on his first taste in the business, as assistant sword fight choreographer on 2003's Australian-made Peter Pan more than a decade before playing Michael Hutchence in Never Tear Us Apart changed the course of his career. The person offering those ignored words of wisdom: The White Lotus season three's Jason Isaacs. Heathcote's early experiences also resonate with her now, specifically when it comes to being part of a great cast on Scrublands (The Artful Dodger's Luke Carroll, Good Cop/Bad Cop's Debra Lawrance, Spit's David Roberts, The Twelve's Tasma Walton and Transfusion's Damian De Montemas are among Silver's ensemble). "Oh man, it's everything. I remember early on in my career, just being really terrified of working with some big-name actor — but you're also as good as the actors around you. It's pretty hard to act in a vacuum if the people around you aren't good," she notes. From the process of stepping back into Martin and Mandy's shoes for the second time, navigating complicated emotional journeys and pondering how the past keeps haunting, through to why this Aussie noir hit resonates and whether either of its leads initially dreamed of where acting would take them, we also chatted to Arnold and Heathcote about plenty more. On What Excited Arnold and Heathcote When Scrublands First Came Their Ways Luke: "I hadn't read the books yet. It came through a lovely casting director, Lou Mitchell here in Melbourne — who, back in the day, I used to read for her at auditions for other people. And so when it came through her and I had a look, and because I have in the last few years also been writing — and writing mystery novels, fantasy, mystery stories — being able to play a writer in a mystery show just felt like the perfect fit. There's sometimes a little battle in my head between the writer and the actor, and I was like 'oh, I get to bring both sides of my creative self to this job'. And so from when I put the first tape down, I put it down with my now-fiancée, and out of all the jobs I've ever done, it was the one, she was reading opposite me, she thought it was a done deal from the beginning — and ended up being right. So I think Martin and I were a good fit from the beginning, and it is a very comfortable place for me to be when I get to step into it." Bella: "It did get me excited. It's so funny, because it came about in a really surprising way. Greg McLean and I had a project that we were doing together that fell apart, and I emailed him just checking in about something and he said 'you know what, I'm doing this show, and I feel like you might be right for this role in it'. And it was Mandy. And he's like 'read the scripts and tell me what you think' — the thing that we all say to each other, where it's like 'oh, don't worry if you don't like it'. And I read it and I just ripped through them. And then I was just like 'where do I sign?'. Because I thought she was great, and I loved how spunky she was. And I loved how much — there's something that I do that tat I really share with Mandy, where if she likes someone, she hangs shit on them. If she doesn't like someone, she also hangs shit on them. But if she really likes someone, then she just hangs even more shit on them. And I just loved that interaction that she had with both Martin and Byron [Territory's Jay Ryan in season one], and how quickly it cut through and established these relationships. Particularly the Byron storyline, I was just so impressed at how you could really feel the intimacy between them in such a short period of time. You know that expression 'show don't tell'? I just thought it did that so well, but with the thrill of the crime drama. And yeah, I just thought it was so well done and I loved it." On How the Job and Your Performance Evolves When You're Stepping Back Into a Character's Shoes for a Second Season Bella: "I guess it does evolve, because you're just layering up, aren't you? I get terrified before every job. I maybe erroneously thought that — no, I just know that I get terrified before every job. But this one felt like I put more pressure on myself or I was scared because I loved Mandy in season one, and I didn't want to do her a disservice in season two. So god, I hope I didn't. I guess the circumstances evolve, and you just put that suit back on and hope that you show up and do it justice." Luke: "It's interesting, because it's both much more comfortable and it's nice knowing 'okay, I know to a degree where this guy sits'. I also think sometimes the trap is to get too comfortable in that, and to make sure you're really looking at what the arc of this season is, what the story is. In a lot of ways, there's a lot of things that are completely different between these two seasons. The first season, Martin is the outsider. He is not emotionally or personally connected to this mystery in any way. He's got his own personal journey going on, but he is the somewhat-dispassionate journalist coming in just to tell this story, and everyone else in town has been traumatised and connected to it. This is the opposite. When we when we jump into Silver, it's Martin's old best friend who's been murdered — in a town where a lot of terrible things happened to Martin, but also he did some things that we'll find out he has some regrets, some shame over, potentially. The person who is accused of the murder is his now-partner. So he could not be more personally connected to every aspect of it. So in that way, he's going to approach it completely differently to how he did the mystery in season one. So it's somewhat comfortable, but also a completely new character in some ways." On Whether One of the Challenges of Returning to a Role Is Conveying How a Character Has Grown and Changed Between Seasons Luke: "I think so, mainly in context to Martin and Mandy. The potential relationship is only just blooming by the end of season one. So the whole year has happened for those two. So I think that's the hardest bit of catch-up to do, is to work out 'all right, how close are these two? How established is the relationship? How much trust has been built?'. Because very quickly, going back to Port Silver and the events that happened there, both of them realise that maybe they have to question how much this other person is opening up to them, how much they trust them, how truthful they're being. [caption id="attachment_929182" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sarah Enticknap[/caption] So I think that is the first thing that we had to consider — what this relationship between Martin and Mandy is, how that year has been between, how established are things, how much do they trust each other? And because it is an ongoing series — but each of these is its own standalone mystery. So in some ways, you want to get that established really quickly so you can get into the real meat of what this season's about." On How Heathcote Approached Mandy's Complicated Emotional Journey in Scrublands: Silver Bella: "I really just went off what was on the page and in the book. Although, you know what comes to mind — and this is a book that has really spoken to me, a book that I've told everyone I know to read and rabbited on about for so long. I don't know if you've ever read it? Any Ordinary Day by Leigh Sales. Oh my god, so just this idea that Mandy — everything that's happening to her is so in the present, but given everything that's happened in season one, it's just like she just has to keep going on, even given everything happened with Byron and with her dad. But she has this son and she has to raise him. And there's all this stuff happening and it's just a trauma that she doesn't have time to process right now because she just has to do the next indicated thing, and she's just so focused on Liam. It's almost like Martin has to try to think of things around the crime and what's going on, because all she can think about is like 'where's my son? I have to go get him. Is he okay? Who is he with right now?. And in some ways, I guess that sort of protects her, insulates her. I feel like if you looked at Mandy five weeks later, she'd be grappling with something different than just what she's dealing with in the shock of the moment." On Navigating the Conflicts Within Both Martin and Mandy — One So Astute in His Work and Yet Awkward in His Personal Life, the Other Fiercely Protective of Who She Loves But Struggling with Trust in Their Relationship Luke: "I think it's the great thing about having the whole story from the beginning — this feeling that 'all right, we've got all these four episodes', and so even before starting, you get to chart some evolution about what can change for him over the course of the story and why. And I think it is knowing that this guy has mostly been on his own, single, bouncing around the world, caring about one thing — which is the story — and believing that is important above all things. That would even mean that in a lot of these situations, while he would be making friends, building relationships, if some of those people are implicit in the story, if they're part of it, that he'd know professionally it's his job to put that aside in the service of the truth. So I think once you know that that is a core part of who Martin is, then it becomes a little easier to play those moments where he could maybe act in ways that are disappointing or upsetting to the people around him. And I do think that's the fun of the season. Every time you do any part, it's always fun to look at 'all right, what are you hoping they learn through the course of this story? So how do we take them a few steps back from that at the beginning?'. And I think it's sometimes the most fun stuff to see when characters are oblivious, when they put a foot wrong — when you hopefully still enjoy watching them, but you can also be frustrated by them as well." Bella: "I think she just loses patience pretty quickly with Martin and his jealousy, Martin and his inability to deal with his past and his family. I think she calls him out on it quite a few times because she just hasn't, doesn't, they don't have time to luxuriate in whatever six months of couples' therapy they need in order to deal with this. It's just like 'get over yourself. Go deal with your family. I'm going to do this thing that's right in front of me. I'm going to deal with the next crisis. I don't have time for whatever nonsense you're bringing to this'." On the Series' Exploration of the Fact That the Past Can Haunt You — Whether You've Tried to Leave It Behind in a New Setting or You're Returning Home Bella: "I don't think you need to dig deep into it because it's true. I mean, it's true for me. I think we're all shaped by our past and whatever traumas we've experienced or whatever loss we've experienced, so I think it's just something that we all carry. We carry the scars of it, hopefully to a lesser extent — or hopefully we are able to do the work so that it doesn't impact our daily life in a way that becomes unmanageable. But I guess I just agree with what Mandy says, because that's been my experience." Luke: "I think what was really great is there were extensive flashbacks in the book, and I think Felicity [Packard, Pine Gap], our writer/producer, and Ben Young [Hounds of Love], our director this season, and everyone else did a really good job of going 'okay, how do we crystallise the ideas, the themes, the character moments in those very broad flashbacks down to something that fits our format?'. And I think they did a fantastic job of that. I think it's really about tying the tragedies of Martin's history here to his own actions, and to the man he is now. And knowing that, yes, some of those blocks he might have emotionally and relationship-wise all have to do with those walls he put up at a very young age, and those decisions he made to go 'no, this is important, what I'm doing is important, so I'm going to go down that road'. So I think it's a theme that pops up with a lot of characters there, but what's fun is I think all those themes, those character moments and the mystery all end up overlapping each other really nicely." On Why the World of Scrublands Resonates with Audiences, Both on the Page and as a TV Series Luke: "This Aussie-noir thing is obviously captivating people here and around the world. It taps into that feeling of Australia I think we all have — I feel like each of these stories so far take place in an Australian small town where some dark things happened, where you've got this tight-knit community. And there is something interesting here, I think, compared to Riversend. Riversend was a place where an awful thing happened that I think really affected the whole community in terrible ways. There's a bit of a different thing going on here with Port Silver, where the change is different — there's some stuff here that happened in the past that compromised everyone and there is still some pain of that, but there's also this gentrification and other shift happening in the town. But I think overall it's that mix of a really good mystery, first and foremost. I think sometimes we can put those darker themes front and centre, and the mystery is somewhat there to support a story that's more interested in theme, in pain, in trauma — and sometimes those stories can be fantastic. But I think this story, for us, especially when we lift it to the screen, we're really trying to tell the mystery first and making sure that we fill it in with all that beautiful texture, but that from scene to scene, we're keeping you on the hook, trying to find out what happened, why and who committed the crime." Bella: "I talk to my dad about this a lot because he loves crime fiction, and it's sort of the only genre he reads. And it tracks because he was a lawyer. I can see why that would be fun for him. But I also I ripped through these books so quickly, and I don't typically read crime fiction. I read them all in two days each — less, maybe. Just couldn't put them down. And I don't know, why is that? They're just delicious and moreish. And you can't, you just want to know what happens. I want to know what happens. I wanted to know what happened watching the show. I was trying to prep this job I'm doing now, and I just thought 'I'll just watch one episode' — and then cut to it's midnight and I'm supposed to be working the next day, and I'm like 'shit, okay, stop watching them'. And I was texting with Luke, and he was still up in Australia because he and his partner had stayed up to watch them. Yeah, they're just moreish." On Scrublands: Silver Taking Aussie Noir to a New Setting in Coastal WA and Helping Expand the Vision of Australia On-Screen Luke: "I think it is the kind of secret weapon of the season, that we could not get over when we were there. This is not a side of Australia people have seen a lot of. Augusta, the town that we shot in, is like the most-southwesterly point of Australia. It's got its own little microclimate. There are humpback whales that you're seeing every day. And funnily enough, there was just this amazing silver sheen over the whole place. Very different to season one, and very different to most things that we've seen in Australia. And I think it is really great. And that just because we're making so much more stuff — and I think we're making so much interesting stuff these days, and enough of it, that we don't feel like what it would have been in the old days, where if you were trying to make a show in Australia that you wanted to export to the world, there's almost an Australian brand. And so you go 'no, don't try and' — like a show like this, you might go 'no, no, no, you buy a show that looks like this from somewhere in Europe. Let's do another McLeod's Daughters or something like that'. Where, because we're exporting so much great stuff these days, we do get to step outside that. We do get to shoot in all corners of the country, and I think it's really exciting for so many reasons. We get to really start showing the world that this isn't just a bunch of beer-drinking — even though, look, we drink a bit of beer in this as well — but it's it's not quite that one image of Australia that we were showing for a very long time." Bella: "My god, I love it — and I love the fact that they let us do it, because I think for most people, Australia, its selling point is the sun-bleached country or the beaches and sunshine and barbecues or something. So to be given — permission is the wrong word, but to be given carte blanche to shoot in winter in WA. And it's so beautiful, it's so breathtakingly beautiful that coast in winter, and the whales and that lighthouse. I just thought it was so idyllic and just really set a certain tone and mood, and I think it's incredible. I'd never been to WA before shooting there, so I'm grateful that we shot there. Because Australia, everywhere you go just feels like it could be its own little universe. They're so different, season one to season two, those settings are so vastly different — and both are so, so special and so beautiful." On What You Learn From Playing Parts Like Martin and Mandy for Two Seasons Bella: "The thing that comes to mind is that you can be tough and sensitive. That you can be tough and vulnerable, and that those things aren't mutually exclusive. I think through so much of my twenties, I thought you were either one or the other, and I feel like Mandy is all of those things all at once." Luke: "I think there's a great window, in both seasons, there's a real window into journalism that I didn't quite know before that's really interesting, and that I had to get my head around then to start playing Martin. Being in the arts, I do think we're often going to the human element first, and are empathy-forward in our ways of how we think about any story. And so just ticking over into not only the mindset of a journalist, I guess, where it's like 'it's about the truth, it's about the facts, that's what's important' — the human element is part of it, but your job as a journalist is to go in and get the truth first, and that's what matters. And I think that's so fun to play. I don't think is a spoiler to say that Toby Truslove as Doug Monkton is back, and so is Sarah Roberts as Beth, so when you get these scenes between the journos, I think that's really, really fun. And that's something that also feels different. We've seen a lot of shows of cops talking and lawyers talking and that kind of thing. I think that the camaraderie and competition between journalists is really fun to play, a whole new window. So I think extending my understanding of that world and getting to play with that is one of my most favourite elements." On Whether Arnold and Heathcote Ever Dreamed of Where Their Careers Have Taken Them Both at Home and Overseas When They Were First Starting Out — Behind the Scenes on Peter Pan and in Australian Film Acolytes, Respectively Luke: "No, of course not. It's funny on that job, being assistant to the swordmaster from Peter Pan. I'm just like everyone watching The White Lotus season three at the moment. And so I was still at high school, really, doing that job — and Jason Isaacs from White Lotus was playing Hook. And on my last day, I went in and had a chat with him, and he was like 'so what are you going to do now?' And I was like 'ohh, I'm going to go to film school, or do a writing course or go to acting school'. And there in his full Hook regalia, he was like 'well, just so you know, writers and directors often have much happier lives than actors'. And I was like 'all right' — and I ended up not taking his advice and went to drama school. And during that time, you're just hoping — like you really get it in your head that 'hey, if I can be a jobbing actor, if I can get to a point where I make most of my money from being an actor, that'll be great'. And that is a kind of dream, and it is tough. It's really hard to do. So then you spend, for a while there, doing a bunch of jobs that are really rewarding but without any — you'd go and do an acting job and then you go back to one of the countless terrible casual jobs that I've done in between. And that felt like 'well, this might be my life'. And then going through those couple of years where I got to do Never Tear Us Apart and Black Sails, obviously that really changed things. Since then, I've just been able to solely work in the creative industries, and I am eternally grateful for it. And there's always a sense that it could change at any moment. But on that, I think as well, that also led me — not to go on a whole big thing, but from that as well, that led to a bit of time where I was spending a lot of time overseas. And I then also had that moment where I was like 'oh, I don't — this isn't the life I want'. It's very easy to get drawn into this feeling of trying to go bigger and further away. And while I'm always open to working overseas, there was a shift even before 2020, when I really, I think, felt really appreciative of the industry we have here in Australia, the great things we do and being able to have this quality of life — working with these people on projects like this was really appealing. So what I'm really most grateful for is that I was able to come back to Australia and really cement myself here, and the work I've been doing the last few years has been some of the most fun and rewarding I've done." Bella: "I suppose that's what you want when you start as an actor, but also I had no concept of really where it could go — because I didn't have anyone in my family who was in this industry. It seemed sort of improbable. But I just didn't want to do anything else, so it's just like 'well, this is what I have to do'. I mean, it's a dream. I still think about that now, like the fact that I've just been able to earn a living doing this thing for the last, jeez, 18 years or whatever it's been now, feels like a small miracle." On What Heathcote Looks for in a New Homegrown Project When Adding to Her Recent Run of Scrublands, Bloom, The Moogai and More Bella: "I guess it's the same thing I'd look for overseas — just a role that speaks to me and creatives that I'm excited by. I mean, The Moogai, for example, I just thought that was a really important story and I'm always fascinated by horror films that are sort of an allegory for something bigger than just horror, genre. And Bloom, I remember just being excited to work with Phoebe [Tonkin, Boy Swallows Universe], and I was in Australia — and I met with Greg and Glen [Dolman, I Met a Girl], the writer, and just thought this would just be a laugh. I also love the comedic element of it, or the situation just felt so ludicrous, to play this old woman, this very uptight old woman, but in a young woman's body. It's giving Freaky Friday. And then Scrublands, I just love Mandy. I just thought she had such spunk. A friend of mine said something once: 'you need two out of three'. And it was pay, creative, location. Sometimes, if you're lucky, you get all three. And I suppose that's how I make most of my decisions." On What Gets Arnold Excited About a New Role in General Luke: "It can go both ways. I think what excites me sometimes is if there's some crazy challenge — where the script is so good and there's some amazing challenge in there that I haven't done yet. And you go 'all right'. And it's going to push me in ways where I can't rely on the things I think I know and the things I've done before, and just launch into something with faith in the people I'm working with and in the process, and get to just stretch myself in new and exciting ways. That's both really exciting — and also what's really exciting sometimes is when I feel like 'oh, I think I'm the right guy for this job'. It's a really rewarding, exciting thing, because there's so much self-doubt here. And every job you do, you always go 'well, everyone's going to think I suck in that'. And every audition you do, you go 'of course, I'm not going to get this'. But occasionally these things come forward where you're like 'I think this is my skill set. I think I know how to do this. And I think I can maybe bring something to this that not every actor could'. And I think, from a kind of craft sense — and just, as we said, how long I've been in this industry — it's a really nice thing when I feel 'oh, I think I could be helpful to this thing'. And that's why there was maybe a sense with Martin that I felt like 'oh, I think my writer's mind will be really useful in this role'. Because when you are in the position where your character is, you are with the audience as you're putting the pieces together, you are part of shaping the story and putting the pieces of that mystery together, I did feel like 'oh, I think I might be the right actor to make this character work'. So I think that is sometimes a great thing, when I can enter into something with a little less self-doubt and a little more excitement to bring all of me to a role." Scrublands: Silver streams via Stan from Thursday, April 17, 2025. Read our review of season one. Images: David Dare Parker / Sarah Enticknap.
'Jazz' is a term that's never been easy to define. Its evolution has depended on the constant challenging of conventions. Even some of the world's most iconic jazz musicians question the label altogether — Louis Armstrong once famously quipped, "All music is folk music. I ain't never heard a horse sing a song." The Sydney scene is defined by a tendency to push musical boundaries, jazz often meeting rock, world music, folk or roots. Artists such as Darren Percival, Thirsty Merc's Rai Thistlethwayte and Hermitude's Luke Dubber were all well known on the jazz circuit before reaching a mainstream audience. What's more, the NSW Government's 2009 relaxing of the PoPE laws has led to a diversification of staging opportunities, putting the intimate wine bar experience firmly back on the map. Our guide takes you through ten of Sydney's favourite jazz venues. 505 Where: 280 Cleveland St, Surry Hills When: Monday to Saturday nights, 8.30pm Cover: Free-$20 Established in 2004, 505 has transformed from an ‘underground’ space into one of the city’s most important venues. Super-comfy couches, quirky decor and a 100 percent performance-focused sensibility are its defining characteristics. Jazz and her many cousins, from roots to groove to world music, comprise the programme, with high quality being the unifying element. The menu caters to the whole spectrum of tastes and budgets, and whiskey lovers certainly won't mind sampling the top shelf. SIMA @ THE SOUND LOUNGE Where: Cnr Cleveland St and City Rd, Chippendale When: Friday and Saturday nights, 8.30pm Cover: $10-$20 If you enjoy your jazz with a dash of sophistication and an emphasis on the listening experience, the Seymour Centre's Sound Lounge is the place to visit. The cream of the crop appears here on Friday and Saturday nights. Hosted by SIMA (the Sydney Improvised Music Association), the programme features emerging artists, seasoned veterans and innovative projects. Global touring musicians are often on the bill — 'International Season' occurs every May/June, in conjunction with the Melbourne Jazz Festival. Recent renovations, including new sound and lighting systems and a heightened ceiling, have given the room a fresh resonance. Light refreshments are available at the bar. DOME BAR Where: 1/598 Crown St, Surry Hills When: Tuesday to Thursday nights Cover: Free on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; $10 on Tuesdays With its French chandeliers, commodious red leather furniture and Baroque-style mural, Dome Bar offers a jazz experience that’s at once glamorous and relaxing. The choice is yours: sit close to the band and listen intently or kick back and enjoy a cocktail with a friend. Tuesdays feature new instrumental collaborations; every Wednesday there’s a jam session; and Thursdays see the city’s finest jazz vocalists matched up with various all-star bands. Legendary drummer Andrew Dickeson is the man behind the programme. JAZZGROOVE @ 107 Projects Where: 107 Redfern St, Redfern When: Tuesday nights, 7.30pm Cover: $15/$8 (members) Jazzgroove was started in 1998 by a group of young improvising musicians who wanted to inject some vitality into Sydney's live music scene. Apart from running a record label, an annual festival and the prestigious JARA Award, the collective hosts a Tuesday night gig, which moved to 107 Projects in February. Each week is witness to exciting, original, unpredictable projects. Cushion-covered benches and couches are the seating options, and it’s BYO. No need for arguments if you're down to the last beer, though — the Tudor Hall pub is just across the road. COLBOURNE AVENUE Where: Cnr Colbourne Ave and St Johns Rd, Glebe When: Thursday nights, 8pm Cover: $20/$10 (conc.) Checking out a gig at Colbourne Avenue is a bit like watching a private concert in your lounge room. The couches are so comfortable, you’d most likely fall asleep, were the music not so good. The only trick is, you have to be there early if you want to secure yourself a cosy spot close to the band. Organised by keys player Barney Wakeford, the room features an excellent piano and that rare asset — great acoustics. Noise levels are kept to a minimum because there’s no bar — glasses are provided, but, like 107, it's BYO. Glebe Point Road has plenty of bottle shops and a nearby Thai restaurant is on-call for food deliveries. BLUE BEAT Where: 16 Cross St, Double Bay When: Various nights Cover: Various Blue Beat is one of those rare venues in which everything seems to sit just right. That probably shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, given that it is run by two of Sydney’s live music gurus — Christopher Richards, who managed and booked The Basement for four decades, and Nicholas Rice, an expert promotions and venue consultant. The room has the feel of a classic jazz club, but with a classy, contemporary edge. A Steinway Grand graces the stage and the sound is always crystal-clear. Big name touring artists, like Mike Stern and Trombone Shorty, often appear on the bill. THE BASEMENT Where: 7 Macquarie Place, Sydney When: Various nights Cover: Various If you were to compile a list of all the artists to have appeared on The Basement stage, it would read like a Who’s Who of Australian, if not international, jazz. Dizzie Gillespie, Herbie Hancock and Art Pepper are just some of the names you’d see. For years, the famous club was more or less exclusively devoted to improvised music; however, these days it forms just one part of a multifaceted programme. When jazz does happen at The Basement, it’s usually of a high calibre, involving the likes of Vince Jones, The Necks and James Morrison. Securing a table close to the band usually requires a dinner reservation, but even if you’re standing, you’re always very close to the action. STARFISH CLUB @ CLOVELLY BOWLO Where: 1 Ocean St, Clovelly When: First Monday of every month, 7pm Cover: $20 Kate Ceberano reading poetry, Jon Stevens performing the Stax repertoire, and Renee Geyer making a live ABC broadcast are just a few of the surprises that Starfish Club audiences have been treated to over the past 15 years. On the first Monday of every month, bassist/composer extraordinaire Jonathan Zwartz puts together an evening of live music that sees some of Australia’s finest musicians in action, often breaking out of their usual artistic confines. Clovelly Bowlo’s ocean views form the backdrop, delicious food is on the menu, and under-18s are welcome, as long as they’re accompanied by grown-ups. JAMES VALENTINE SUPPER CLUB @ THE GOLDEN SHEAF Where: 429 New South Head Rd, Double Bay When: Tuesday nights, 7pm Cover: Free Apart from pursuing a successful career as a broadcaster and writer, James Valentine has been playing jazz and rock saxophone for decades. In the early '80s he played with the likes of Jo Camilleri, Kate Ceberano and the Models. Every Tuesday, he takes his quartet to the Sheaf for a weekly Supper Club. A different special guest joins them on each gig, guaranteeing some unpredictable and exciting dynamics. Entry is free and dinner is available. MR FALCON’S Where: 92 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe When: Wednesday nights Cover: Free Visiting Mr Falcon's feels a bit like wandering into some Bohemian bar in a Parisian back street. That's especially the case on Wednesday nights, when Gadjo Guitars bring their scorching gypsy jazz to the floor. Bar snacks are available, or you can have a meal delivered from Mengen Sofrasi Turkish Kitchen, which is just across the road. As far as alcohol goes, the cocktail menu is extensive. It's hard to resist the hot apple cider, served with spicy rum or bison grass vodka.
Alice Springs is not what it seems. For a start, it’s not the actual centre of Australia. It’s also not a sleepy, dusty, desert town — there’s a pulse and underlying ferocity that you can find only in the middle of something. What’s beneath the surface is what’s addressed in Alex Kershaw’s One of Several Centres. Filmed over a number of visits to the red centre, the work is a series of vignettes on unlikely characters, representing Alice through personality, encounter and landscape. He first visited Alice Springs years ago as a photographic assistant and, after subsequent returns, was struck by the gap between his experience of the place and familiar representations of it. One of Several Centres is a reimagining of the town; the stories are authored, but the characters’ reactions within them spontaneous. They raise more questions than they answer, making Kershaw’s tale unique, surprising and provocative. Hear about it from the artist himself, this Saturday 6 March at 2pm.
John Malkovich took time off from being John Malkovich to be Everyone Else for a change. Shot by Sandro Miller in Los Angeles, a new series of photographs dubbed Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich recreate some of the most iconic portraits in recent history — from John and Yoko to Che Guevara, Dorothea Lange's Migrant Woman to Andres Serrano's Piss Christ. According to the exhibition statement, Miller decided to undertake the project in 2013, wanting to honour the photographers whose work had inspired him and shaped his career. After selecting thirty five images to recreate, Miller got in touch with his ol' mate Malkovich — who apparently immediately agreed. "John is the most brilliant, prolific person I know," says Miller. "His genius is unparalleled. I can suggest a mood or an idea and within moments, he literally morphs into the character right in front of my eyes. He is so trusting of my work and our process… I'm truly blessed to have him as my friend and collaborator." All at once creepy and genius with Malkovich rocking an excellent Marilyn and a spot-on Dali, the series is actually less about Malkovich than it is an homage to the photographers responsible for the portraits themselves: Dianne Arbus, Annie Leibovitz, Art Shay, Dorothea Lange, Alberto Korda. That being said, it's supremely satisfying to see Malkovich in dress-up like this — his Jack Nicholson and Albert Einstein are top notch. Sandro Miller, Albert Watson / Alfred Hitchcock with Goose (1973), 2014 Sandro Miller, Philippe Halsman / Salvador Dalí (1954), 2014 Sandro Miller, Alberto Korda / Che Guevara (1960), 2014 Sandro Miller, Andy Warhol / Green Marilyn (1962), 2014 Sandro Miller, Andy Warhol / Self Portrait (Fright Wig) (1986), 2014 Sandro Miller, Annie Leibovitz / John Lennon and Yoko Ono (1980), 2014 Sandro Miller, Arthur Sasse / Albert Einstein Sticking Out His Tongue (1951), 2014 Sandro Miller, David Bailey / Mick Jagger "Fur Hood" (1964), 2014 Sandro Miller, Herb Ritts / Jack Nicholson, London (1988) (A), 2014 Sandro Miller, Andres Serrano / Piss Christ (1987), 2014
The sun is out, the cicadas are humming and the beaches are calling – but don't let the summer go by without taking an indoors break to check out Rembrandt and the Dutch Golden Age: Masterpieces from the Rijksmuseum at the Art Gallery of NSW. Until Sunday, February 18, you can gaze at 78 incredible artworks — including a rare Vermeer and an entire room devoted to Rembrandt — by the greatest Dutch painters of the 17th century. From stormy seas to tranquil domestic scenes to intricate studies of flowers and fruit, each work radiates with the abundant artistic energy of an era buzzing with power, wealth and cultural confidence. We spoke to exhibition researcher Josephine Touma to get a glimpse into a seriously unmissable, beautifully arranged exhibition. [caption id="attachment_649477" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Johannes Vermeer: Woman Reading a Letter, 1663, Rijksmuseum, on loan from the City of Amsterdam (A. van der Hoop Bequest).[/caption] JOHANNES VERMEER: WOMAN READING A LETTER (1663) Vermeer nerds will already know just how exciting it is to have this work in Sydney. Not only is it one of only 35 surviving Vermeer paintings in the entire world, it's also completely enchanting. Typical of the serene domestic scenes Vermeer painted at the height of his powers, the work captures an uneventful domestic moment — a woman at home reading a letter — and, through sublime use of light, colour and atmosphere, elevates it to a thing of extreme beauty. "These are the paintings that he's become most loved for and I think it's because they're very beguiling," says Touma. They also spark curiosity: in this case, the woman's bent head and parted lips create a sense of romantic suspense. "There's a story there but we don't know what it is. Who is the letter from? What's she thinking? What's she feeling? There's a sense of expectation, there's a bit of mystery and there's enough to ignite the viewer's imagination." Fun fact: Van Gogh was apparently a big fan of this work, particularly for the gorgeous ultramarine (what he called 'celestial blue') seen in the woman's bed jacket, a costly pigment Vermeer made from finely ground lapis lazuli stones imported from Afghanistan. [caption id="attachment_649475" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Judith Leyster: The Jolly Drinker, 1629, Rijksmuseum, purchased with the support of the Vereniging Rembrandt.[/caption] JUDITH LEYSTER: THE JOLLY DRINKER (1629) One of just two works by women painters in the exhibition — and by far one of the most entertaining — Leyster's The Jolly Drinker immediately raises a smile. A large painting in a much brighter key than was typical of the period, the work depicts a rosy-cheeked, feather-capped fellow holding up an empty (and we assume, recently full) tankard. It's the kind of character study that was fairly common for the period, with one difference: he actually looks like a real person. "What Leyster brings to that genre is a real sense of the character of an individual. He's got such a distinctive face. He looks like a real person you could know," comments Touma. (True; he bears an uncanny resemblance to this writer's Uncle Martin after a few too many Riojas.) The painting doesn't feel like a warning against drunkenness. Touma notes the gorgeous green sage colour, the infectious sense of joy and abandon within the work. "For all their reputation for being pious and austere, protestant and strict, the Dutch had fun, and they also poked fun at themselves." Art trivia: For a long time, Leyster's works were wrongly attributed to fellow Haarlem painter Frans Hals or her husband Jan Miense Molenaer. [caption id="attachment_649474" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jan Davidsz de Heem: Still Life With Flowers in a Glass Vase, 1665– 70, Rijksmuseum, on loan from the City of Amsterdam (A van der Hoop Bequest).[/caption] JAN DAVIDSZ. DE HEEM: STILL LIFE WITH FLOWERS IN A GLASS VASE (1665-70) "We deliberately placed this picture as the final painting in the exhibition, because I think it's a real statement of artistic dexterity and ingenuity," says Touma of De Heem's illusionistic Still Life with Flowers in a Glass Vase. Reflecting both the period's fascination with botany and a tendency for artists to show off their refined technique, the work displays De Heem's incredible ability to transform a three-dimensional natural scene into a two-dimensional painting. Particularly impressive is the sense of texture: it really seems like you could touch the cold, smooth glass of the jar, the silkiness of the petals, even the sliminess of the tiny snail in the bottom right corner. For the flower buffs: tulips were imported into the Netherlands from Turkey the century prior and considered an exotic symbol of wealth. In fact, a few decades before De Heem painted this work, tulips were so popular that people went a little crazy. "There's evidence in the archives that says people spent as much on a single bulb as they did on an Amsterdam house," reveals Touma. (Feel better about your $5 avocado yet?) You'll spot two kinds of tulips in the painting - the 'Viceroy' and the 'Semper Augustus,' which at the time were the two most prized varieties. [caption id="attachment_649473" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jan de Bray: Judith and Holofernes, 1659, Rijksmuseum.[/caption] JAN DE BRAY : JUDITH AND HOLOFERNES (1659) Anyone familiar with other painterly interpretations of this biblical subject might be used to seeing a bit more gore (Artemisia Gentileschi's Judith Slaying Holofernes springs to mind). There's still a lot of blood red present, but it's used for the velvet bedding and the colour of Judith's ornate dress, and instead of a grisly scene, de Bray chooses to depict the final moment before all hell breaks loose, resulting in a painting that brims with tension despite it's fairly small scale. Touma notes that, interestingly, de Bray's Holofernes isn't depicted as a massive brute. "There's a vulnerability there in the way he's painted the flesh, he's so vulnerable and pale, his neck open," explains Touma. "He doesn't look like a threatening, rugged figure." Judith in comparison seems incredibly strong and solid. The figure of the maid — in Gentileschi's version, a capable contemporary rolling up her sleeves and helping to pin Holofernes down – is here a cowering, child-like figure, perhaps serving as a point of empathy for the viewer. Hot tip: look out for the candle in the foreground that's been snuffed out, which Touma suggests may symbolise that Holofernes' life is due for a similar fate. "It's a bit obvious town but he's a Dutch painter, he loves symbolism!" [caption id="attachment_642223" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rembrandt Harmensz van Rijn: Self-Portrait as the Apostle Paul, 1661, Rijksmuseum, de Bruijn-van der Leeuw Bequest, Muri, Switzerland.[/caption] REMBRANDT HARMENSZ. VAN RIJN: SELF-PORTRAIT AS THE APOSTLE PAUL (1661) Last but certainly not least, the iconic Self-Portrait as the Apostle Paul by Rembrandt. Hailed as one of the greatest minds in the history of art, Rembrandt worked consistently throughout a long career and produced over 40 self-portraits (not a vanity thing, self-portraits meant both a constantly available sitter and a chance to return to the same subject with endless innovation and experimentation) including this one, painted eight years before his death aged 63. See it with a mate or two, and odds are you'll all read something different in the complex, ambiguous facial expression. "Everyone who stands in front of a Rembrandt self portrait reads a different emotion," says Touma, for whom it is a painting about "resignation, wisdom and pathos." Created later in life after the death of his first wife and many financial losses, the work stands in stark contrast to an early etched self-portrait completed in his 20s that you'll find in the opposite corner of the room. Comparing the two is revealing. "You can see the progression from a young, cocky, ambitious artist in this haughty self portrait to this later one where he's feeling perhaps a bit more brittle, but experienced," says Touma. "If anyone embraced the signs of ageing and the wisdom of old age, it was Rembrandt." Rembrandt and the Dutch Golden Age: Masterpieces from the Rijksmuseum runs until February 18 as part of the Sydney International Art Series 2017–2018.
Whether you're trying to find your way around your a far-flung holiday destination, a part of your own city you're not so familiar with or your own neighbourhood, Google Maps has probably helped you out of a bind more than once. Over the years, you've been able to play everything from Pac-Man and Mario Kart to Where's Waldo and Snake via the online service, too — so using it for a global Easter egg hunt really isn't too far out of the ordinary. Because it's almost that time of year, and because Cadbury wants to remind us all to eat chocolate, the brand has teamed up with Google Maps for the second year in a row to create a virtual way for you to hide and search for Easter eggs. It's all digital, though, so it does mean that you won't actually be eating any choccies. If you want to dive into your own stash while you're clicking and scrolling away, though, absolutely no one is going to stop you. Here's how it works: you head to the worldwide Easter egg hunt website, sign up and then get hiding. Once you've picked your spot — somewhere of significance to you and the person you're hiding it for — you'll write a clue, which'll then get sent to your chosen person. For those on the receiving end, it's up to you to decipher the details and find the virtual egg. If it's too hard, that's all down to whoever enlisted you in the hunt — so, if you can't find your digital egg, you might want to ask them for more hints. You can only hide one egg at a time, and only send the corresponding clue to one person. But, you can repeat the process as many times as you like. While there is a physical component, it sadly doesn't involve racing around the world, the city or even the house actually trying to get your hands on chocolate. Instead, you can arrange to send one of seven Cadbury products to someone in Australia, including tins and hampers. Staying virtual doesn't cost a thing, however, if that better suits your budget. To take part in the worldwide Easter egg hunt, head to the Cadbury website.
Both Sydney institutions and both beloved around Redfern and the Inner West, Young Henrys and the South Sydney Rabbitohs are a match made in heaven. The brewery and the NRL club have been linked for the last half-decade with Young Henrys the team's official beer sponsor for the past five years. To celebrate the anniversary, the pair have teamed up to create a new limited-edition beer. Taking inspiration from South's team song Glory Glory to South Sydney, the Young Henrys Glory Haze XPA is an easy-drinking beer with citrus and tropical aromas. The collab has just launched across the country, with the can decked out in the club's signature red and green to celebrate the long-running partnership. The limited-run beer is available in bottle shops nationwide in both six-packs and cases. It's also getting a run in kegs so you can expect it to pop up in a pub or bar near you as well. "This beer is all about the fans!! Fans of the Rabbitohs. Fans of Young Henrys. Or just fans of bloody good-tasting beer," says Young Henrys Director Dan Hampton. The collaboration is the latest creative brew produced by the Young Henrys crew following previous team-ups with the likes of Dune Rats, The Art Gallery of NSW, Foo Fighters, DZ Deathrays and Dylan Alcott. "Young Henrys are all about bringing people together — sharing a beer when celebrating moments with friends and family — a sentiment shared with the South Sydney Rabbitohs and their members who enjoy celebrating our victories both on and off the field," said South Sydney Rabbitohs CEO Blake Solly. The pre-sale for the Glory Haze XPA is already sold out, so you'll have to pick up a six-pack from your local bottle shop if you want to get your hands on them. In the meantime, you can watch the passionate launch video below: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Young Henrys (@younghenrys) Young Henrys' and South Sydney Rabbitohs' Glory Haze XPA is available in stores now across Australia in six packs, cases and kegs.
Taste of Coogee is back with a new name and a stacked new two-day program of culinary pop-ups and demonstrations. Following eight years under its original name, the festival will return to Moore Park's Entertainment Quarter under the banner of Taste in the City, serving up its annual array of tastings and experiences, live music and its always popular long lunch. Highlights of this year's event include a return of Lobster & Co's lobster rolls following their successful run in Darling Harbour, cocktail masterclasses from the award-winning Maybe Sammy, a Caffeine Caravan from Mr Black and live music from the likes of Hot Potato Band and Top Shelf Live. Ready Steady Cook's Peter Everett will be back to host the celebrity kitchen demonstrations with guests including Mindy Woods, Jason Roberts, Tom Walton and Rowie Dillon. Plus, the long lunch will also return for 100 guests featuring food curated by Tom Walton and Jason Roberts and a quality selection of NSW wines. Tickets are $40 for adults which gets you entry to the festival, a tasting cup and access to the cooking demonstrations, while kids under 18 are free. If you're looking to take your visit to the next level, you can purchase a seat at the long lunch with your ticket which will set you back an extra $110. Rowie Dillon will also be running a Kids in the Kitchen program with tickets for the little ones available for $45. To top off the fun, the event is dog-friendly so you can spend the day with your four-legged pals or expect to run into some adorable fluffballs as you make your way around the festival.
Charging your phone is probably one of the most mundane things you do each day. Your phone's on three percent, you scramble to find your charger cord, you plug it in, it makes a noise and, hey, it's charging. But a Canadian startup has decided to take the downright borezo process of charging your phone and make it look like literal magic — they've created a charger that makes your phone levitate while it's powering up. The OvRcharge is a wireless charging base that puts your smartphone on show. While it's charging your device it not only suspends it in mid-air, but it can slowly rotate it too through an invisible magnetic field. The product, which has been created by Toronto studio AR Designs, is currently being funded on Kickstarter, and is $10k (Canadian dollars) off their $40,000 goal. Of course, it's not actual magic. The OvRcharge is able to simultaneously charge and suspend the device through magnets, which will transmit from the base to a special phone case that plugs into your device. "It consists of two main technologies: electromagnetism and induction," AR Designs' founder and CEO Rukhsana Perveen told Digital Trends. "Electromagnetism is responsible for maintaining its altitude and balance, [while] induction is for wireless power transfer." The charger is set to be compatible with the iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Sony Xperia and a few other models. If you want one, you'll have to pledge to the Kickstarter campaign — there's 15 days left. Via Digital Trends.
Home to stacked burgers named after Kanye West, Drake and Kevin Bacon, loaded fries of both the potato and doughnut variety, and boozy shakes and spiders, Milky Lane's regular menu brings one word to mind: indulgent. We all know that we shouldn't be eating fried chicken and maple smoked bacon burgs, mac 'n' cheese croquettes and deep-fried Golden Gaytimes every day — or drinking Bubble O' Bill and Zooper Dooper cocktails, either — but that's exactly what the chain serves at its stores across Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Canberra. If you think that those aforementioned dishes are OTT, they are. The brand's latest additions to its menu earn the term several times over, too, because mixing up Caramilk and Biscoff cocktails will do that. From Monday, June 28, Milky Lane will try to tempt your tastebuds with 12 new items — and whether you're keen on its burgs, desserts or boozy beverages, you're likely to find something to try on the new menu. On the burger lineup, the Hail Caesar will feature a herb and panko-crumbed chicken schnitzel and a parmesan deep-fried mozzarella patty; the Chicken Parmy comes loaded with a schnitty, ham, mozzarella and smashed potato gems on a mozzarella coated bun; and the Big Poppa pairs a smashed pattie, pulled brisket, bacon, mozzarella and twice as much American cheese as usual. Still sticking with all things savoury, loaded potato gems are exactly what they sound like — and if you like the deep-fried cheese curds that come on top, you can also order them separately. For folks with a sweet tooth, the new desserts range spans deep-dried Snickers served with liquid peanut butter, Nutella, crushed peanuts and vanilla ice cream, as well as a Caramilk and Biscoff cookie skillet — combining two cult dessert items in one dish. And, there's more Caramilk and Biscoff concoctions on the booze list, including Biscoff espressos, shots and loaded shakes, all featuring crushed Biscoff pieces, and Caramilk-heavy cocktails and loaded shakes. A grape Hubba Bubba spider made with grape vodka, bubblegum syrup and grape Fanta rounds out the new offerings, if you'd like to combine sweet treats and booze in a different way. Sydneysiders can head to Milky Lane's eateries in Bondi, Cronulla, Parramatta, Gregory Hills and Crows Nest, with fellow New South Wales stores also located in Newcastle and Terrigal. Queenslanders can hit up joints in Newstead and Surfers Paradise — and there's a store in Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory, too. Milky Lane will start serving its new menu from Monday, June 28 at all of its stores across Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Canberra. For further details, head to the chain's website.
Jaffles and toasties hold a very special nostalgic place in people's hearts. A new cafe in the shire is dedicated to serving up a healthy dose of childlike delight through its menu of creative savoury and sweet jaffles. Miss Jaffles Cafe opened last week on Gerrale Street in Cronulla, with an offering of premium coffee, a reserved brekkie menu and most importantly, piping-hot jaffles. The fifteen-strong list of jaffles includes everything from your classic baked bean or ham, cheese and tomato options, through to more inventive choices like smoked salmon with cream cheese and capers, shepherd's pie, or the Miss Chicky which packs in chicken, cheese, sundried tomatoes, red onion, sweet chilli sauce and mayo. There's also an unholy Miss Mary Mac mac and cheese jaffle with bacon bites. The savoury selections range from $7–12 and come on the option of white, wholemeal, Turkish or gluten free bread. Those with a sweet tooth can indulge their inner child and turn their attention to the dessert jaffles where they'll find creations like the Miss Biscoff jaffle stuffed with Caramilk chocolate, biscoff, strawberries and ice cream. Or try the Miss Berrilicious and you'll find a mixture of berries, white chocolate, maple syrup and ice cream inside. A standard cafe drinks menu is on hand with a range of hot and iced coffees all made with Miss Jaffle's own blend of coffee beans. The cafe is the first venture of friends Vass and Michelle who have been working in hospitality since they were 14-years-old. The pair are shire locals who decided to take the plunge and open a cafe despite the uncertainty of COVID-19. Located just a stone's throw from South Cronulla Beach, Miss Jaffle is still serving shire residents takeaway during Sydney's current lockdown and will open for seated dining as restrictions surrounding hospitality rollback. Miss Jaffles Cafe is located at Shop 9/20 Gerrale Street, Cronulla and is open 6am–3pm Monday–Sunday.
One of Australia’s most distinctive and spectacular installation artists, Nike Savvas has long had a flair for the genuinely epic, but Rally is her largest installation yet. Comprised of some 60,000 coloured strips of plastic bunting hanging from the ceiling, it covers a whopping 480 square metres and occupies almost the entire roof of the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ cavernous entry hall. Art scholars have often evoked colour theory in describing Savvas’ work, but this is theory harnessed to crowd-pleasing, ecstatic effect with a sense of fun and kitsch. You could see it as an exercise in using geometry for a purely aesthetic result, or a contemporary twist on pointillism’s approach of synthesising pure individual colours into a cohesive whole. But most of all, it’s an eye-catching, conversation-starting transformation of a previously functional and underused aspect of the gallery space into a day-glo bright visual feast. Previous Savvas works have included the unforgettable Atomic: Full of Love, Full of Wonder, made by stringing up literally thousands of coloured bouncy balls. Like that work, which involved a laborious process of hand-painting every single element of the work, there’s a sense with Rally that a meticulous, factory-like process has gone into producing something which is ecstatic and in the best way, quite simple. The work can also be blown around by fans and the movement of people below, meaning the work is interactive and is never quite viewed the same by any two different viewers. Savvas has previously talked about her interest in “the idea of using materials from the real world and turning them into high art”. This is both a fascinating continuation of her approach to her work and a successful one-off. It’s a work that functions on a number of levels; you could write an art theory paper on it, remix the work’s colour scheme yourself with a camera phone and Instagram filters or just reflect that the Art Gallery of New South Wales has never seen anything quite like this.
According to one urban myth, Sydney's jacarandas are the work of an unknown hospital matron who sent every new mother home with a seedling. Another states that soldiers brought the trees home as gifts on their return from World War II. The problem is that there's no evidence for either. So no one really knows how Sydney came to have so many. What we do know, though, is that, come late October, the city begins to transform into a vision of purple, as hundreds of jacarandas bloom. But they don't hang around for long — the flowers are expected to peak in mid-November and usually disappear by early December. So, if you're keen to see them, it's time to start planning a day out. Here are a few spots — both in and near Sydney — where you can get your jacaranda fix this spring. [caption id="attachment_692359" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Circula Quay, Destination NSW[/caption] CIRCULAR QUAY AND THE ROCKS The Rocks' heritage-listed sandstone provides another striking backdrop. Turn your adventure into a lovely walk by starting at the Royal Botanic Gardens and following the Harbour shore line to The Rocks. PADDINGTON Paddington's most famous jacarandas line Oxford Street, just outside Victoria Barracks. But you'll find plenty more among the suburb's back streets and parks — especially around Five Ways. LAVENDER BAY To see a purple sea against the brilliant blue of the Harbour, head to Lavender Bay on the lower north shore. Other spots to check out nearby include Wollstonecraft, Waverton and Kirribilli's famous (and always packed with photo-takers) jacaranda 'tunnel' on McDougall Street. HUNTERS HILL While you're on the north shore, head a little west to take a stroll through Hunters Hill. For a local's perspective, jump on board a walking tour with the Hunters Hill Trust. CAMDEN Found an hour's drive southwest of the Sydney CBD, Camden's town centre transforms into a blaze of purple, thanks to 39 trees planted way back in the 1920s. The town hosts its own annual Jacaranda Festival, too, which this year falls on the weekend of November 22–24 . Images: Destination NSW.
We are all well acquainted with the fascinating leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy. Shrouded in mystery, marvelously eccentric and either architecturally amazing or atrocious, leaning towers and buildings are simply fascinating structures, which arouse our amazement and curiosity. However, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is far from being the only leaning tower in the world; in fact, it doesn't even top the list for being the oldest, tallest or having the greatest lean. Here are ten of the most stunning, mystifying leaning buildings from around the world that will be sure to make you look at buildings from a new angle. Capital Gate, Abu Dhabi Granted the title of the world's furthest leaning man-made tower, the recently built Capital Gate in Abu Dhabi boasts of a whopping 35 stories, all leaning at an impressive 18-degree slant. This structural wonder is a 520-foot sleek and futuristic design which requires 49 piles drilled 100 feet into the Earth to maintain its integrity. Qianwei Leaning Tower, China In Huludao City in China's Liaoning Province lies the world's first leaning tower. Aside from it's rich historical background, the Qianwei leaning tower is believed by many to also have the largest lean in the world, yet it is not recognized by Guinness World Records. Leaning Tower of Barceloneta, Spain Situated on Barceloneta Beach in Spain, this iconic tower features four cubes stacked precariously on top of each other at varying angles. Scores of tourists and visitors flock to this beautiful part of the country, not only for the sun and sand, but also to take in the view of this unorthodox building. Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan, Malaysia The Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan, formerly known as just the water tower, is one of the major attractions of this small Malaysian town. Shortly after the construction of the tower the building began to tilt due to the stream of water running through the ground below, which made the foundation soil weak. Neuer Zollhof, Germany Part of the redeveloped port in Dusseldorf, this unconventional building was created by renowned architect Frank Gehry. The three buildings curve and lean in varying directions and are made of different cladding, whether that be white plaster, red brick or reflective stainless steel. Leaning Temple of Huma, India The only leaning temple in the world, the Temple of Huma was built in 1670 on the banks of the Mahanadi at an angle of 17 degrees, and is dedicated to the Lord Shiva. It is said that the construction of the temple came about due to enquiries made because of a milkman's daily ritual of crossing the Mahanadi and offering his milk to the rock which cropped out on the bank, and the rock would miraculously consume the milk each time. Tilting Hypo Alpe-Adria Bank, Italy This eco-friendly building is an architectural feat in its own right as, rather than using shading devices to protect the south-facing walls, the solar passive design instead uses its own floors with the 14 degree tilt. The office also features a myriad of sustainable building strategies to provide comfort and save energy. Leaning Tower of Nevyansk, Russia The mysteries surrounding this Russian tower work to make this ethereal building all the more stunning. No-one knows exactly what the tower/prison/science lab for secret experiments is actually for, when in the 18th century it was constructed, by whom, or the origins of its tilt. Although there are bizarre speculations including crying walls or throwing architects off the balcony, this one is better shrouded in mystery. Gate of Europe, Madrid The twin towers that make up the Gate of Europe are named as such for good reason. These foreboding structures, known as Puerta de Europa, lay at the top of a stone staircase and appear to barricade the city of Madrid. The 114m towers have 26 floors of office space and have fittingly appeared in a number of movies, such as The Day of the Beast. Leaning Tower of Suurhusen, Germany Before the Capital Gate was built in Abu Dhabi, this medieval steeple held the title of the most tilted tower in the world. Located in a village in North Western Germany, the 14th century church was built with oak tree trunk foundations, which rotted in the surrounding marshy land.
Facebook is swiftly becoming the radar of global activity, now obtaining the power to track not only people's social networking patterns but also their travel paths, their ages and even their political inclinations. With over 800 million active users the social networking site is rampant, with immense data processing required for the constant stream of check-ins, status updates and photo uploads. Data scientist at Facebook, Justin Moore, created these global maps as a captivating visual indicator of where and who the world's Facebook users are to make sense of some of the unique data. SEASONED TRAVELLERS WHO WANT TO MAKE IT KNOWN Forget the old maps of showing aeroplane's routes across the globe because we can now follow travel patterns through Facebook users' check-ins. This map uses check-ins at two far off locations as a way of tracing globe-trotting journeys. NYC HUSTLE AND BUSTLE Check-ins over several days in New York City alone reveal the heavier users are situated around more heavily trafficked commercial and tourist areas. Shouldn't you guys be working or studying or something? NEW VS. OLD The colour ranges of this dazzling map represent the ages of users, again through their check-ins on Facebook. The green zones constitute the older and more established Facebookers whilst the blue are the younger rookies. PRETTY POLITICAL Although what may look like some sort of beautiful and rare star constellation, this last image actually maps American users' political affiliation. Democrats are shown as blue and the Republicans are red. Better pick up your game Obama, the social world has spoken.
The Olympic Games bring nations together in a worldwide contest of sport and competition. But the Olympics do much more than this too by providing an arena for remarkable triumphs, terrible failures, true perseverance and utter determination. Even through devastating wars, ongoing global conflicts, drastic terrorism acts and natural disasters, nations of the world have managed to unite (almost) every four years for over a century in a demonstration of friendly competition and unity. With the approaching London Olympics, it got us thinking about the spectacular images from past Olympic Games — photos that make you think, laugh, cringe or cry. Here is our pick of the best photographs from each summer Olympic Games throughout history. Athens 1896 - The Starting Gun Fires The first international Olympic Games to be held in the modern era. Being the 'birthplace of the Olympic Games', Athens was a suitable first venue. Athletics events obtained the most international field of the sports on offer, with the major highlight being the marathon; this was the first time the event had been held in international competition. Paris 1900 - Women Compete for the First Time Women donned their sporting caps and get-ups (apparently dresses in those days) for the first time at an international sporting event in Paris in 1900, with Charlotte Cooper being crowned the first female Olympic champion. 1000 competitors took part in 19 sports at these Games, which was held during the 1900 World's Fair. St. Louis 1904 - 3rd Time Not Such a Charm The St. Louis Olympic Games almost became the last due to such poor management. Making the same mistake as Paris did four years earlier, the World's Fair was run at the same time, causing audience members to be lost to other cultural exhibitions and events. Many athletes were also a no-show due to the Russo-Japanese War. London 1908 - Kings, Queens and Cramming London only had a short amount of time to ready themselves for these games as the original location, Rome, had to focus funds on restoring Naples following the destruction of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius two years earlier. The London games saw the setting of the new official distance for the marathon; in an attempt to restore the importance of the monarchy, British officials changed the track to start below the window of the Royal Nursery and finish in front of the King. Stockholm 1912 - Women's Gymnastics The Olympic Games in 1912 was the year of many firsts - and one last. The final Games to issue solid gold medals, Stockholm also held the first Olympics to have art competitions, the first to feature the decathlon and pentathlon, the first to have an Asian nation participate (Japan), and the first death during competition after Portuguese competitor, Francisco Lazaro, died from hyperthermia in the marathon. The Games also had a whopping 48 women compete (most of which appear to be in the Norwegian's Gymnastics team above). Berlin 1916 - A No-Show The Olympics were due to take place in Berlin in 1916, and it was expected to be a grand affair with the development of the new 'Deutsches Stadion'. The stadium was released with a parade, 10,000 pigeons and 60,000 people. If only they could get that many people to turn up to the real event though, because the Games didn't go ahead in this year due to the turmoil embroiling Europe at the time with the outbreak 0f the Second World War. Antwerp 1920 - Return to the Stadium The Games of the VII Olympiad were offered to Antwerp to honour the suffering the citizens had endured during World War I. The Games had originally been set to appear in Budapest, however as a German ally, Hungary, and many other nations such as Germany, Austria, Bulgaria and Turkey, was banned from competing. France appeared strong in the games, as is evident through Suzanne Lenglen's valiant effort on the tennis court. Paris 1924 - The Old Switcheroo Known as 'The Flying Scot', Britain's Golden Boy, Eric Liddell, stubbornly refused to take place in the 100m finals, as the event was to take place on a Sunday. The devout Christian thus decided to simply swap events in favour of the 400m sprint, ignoring the vast differences in distances and strategies. Despite the public's low expectations of his abilities, Liddell managed to not only win the competition, but also tied the Olympic record. Amsterdam 1928 - Jumping for Joy After being denied the ability to play host to the Games in both 1920 and 1924, the Olympics were finally celebrated in Holland in 1928. This was the first games to have an Olympic flame lit during the event and was also the first time that 400m athletics tracks were used. Los Angeles 1932 - Jumping Hurdles Mildred Zaharias wasn't the only one overcoming hurdles and breaking records in 1932, with California attempting to look past the worldwide Great Depression plaguing the globe at the time. These Summer Olympics held less than half the number of participants that competed in its previous location, Amsterdam, because many nations were unable to pay for the trip to Los Angeles. However, this didn't seem to impact the US too negatively as newspapers reported that the Games nevertheless reaped a profit of US$1,000,000. Berlin 1936 - Showing Off After being denied their chance to host the games in 1916, Berlin gained a second opportunity in 1936. The games were held on the eve of the Nazi Regime's rise to power in Germany, which occurred two years later. In an attempt to outdo the Los Angeles Olympics four years prior, the Nazis built a new 100,000 seat track and field stadium, six gymnasiums and many other small arenas. London 1948 - Third Time is a Charm After the Games were cancelled in Tokyo in 1940 and again London in 1944 (due to the Second World War), the Olympics finally returned to the world stage in 1948. Due to the destruction the war had caused in Europe, the games became known as the 'Austerity Games'. No new venues were built for the games and rather than being housed in an Olympic VIllage, athletes were housed in existing accommodation. Helsinki 1952 - A Record Breaking Event Known for being the games in which the most number of records were broken (until the 2008 Olympics in Beijing that is), Helsinki also saw the return and first appearance of a large number of nations. A total of 69 nations competed in the games, a figure 59 higher than that of the 1948 Games. Japan and Germany both appeared this time, along with 13 totally new nations such as The People's Republic of China and the USSR. Melbourne 1956 - Exceeding Expectations Melbourne was selected by a mere one vote margin and many were skeptical of its suitability as the reversal of seasons would mean that athletes would be unaccustomed to the wintery weather at the Summer Games. The Games proved to be a success and later became known as the 'Friendly Games'. Betty Cuthbert (above) was a star for the Australian nation by securing three gold medals, in the 100m, 200m & 4 x 100m sprint relay. Rome 1960 - Frozen in Time After emerging from the quarter and semi-finals of the 100m with the quickest times, German Armin Hary jumped the gun by false-starting twice in the finals. By the third, time, he seemed to have honed his panther-like reflexes to run a speedy 10.2 second and take out the Gold Medal. Tokyo 1964 - Savvy Games The Olympic Games held in the Tokyo in 1964 were the first Olympics to be telecast internationally without the need for tapes to be flown overseas, as was required previously. They were also the first games in which South Africa was barred from participating due to its apartheid system. Mexico City 1968 - Black Power Although you've probably seen this image a thousand times, the use of sport for making overt political statements and to become a vehicle for change, which is embodied in this photo, cannot be ignored. The Black Power Salute, made by African American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos in the 1968, was a contentious gesture. Ostracised at the time, their demonstration only became recognised as a demonstration for dignity years later. Munich 1972 - Shadows The Games in Munich were largely overshadowed by the Munich Massacre, in which eleven Isreali athletes and coaches, a West German Police Officer and five terrorists were killed. Despite the event, the West German Government was determined to present a new democratic government, after the last games held in Germany was under the Nazi Regime. To this aim, the official motto of the games became 'the Happy Games'. Montreal 1976 - A Perfect Performance Romanian Gymnast Nadia Comaneci made Olympic history in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal by becoming the first female gymnast to ever be awarded a perfect score of 10 for her wondrous display on the uneven bars. Comaneci was also the the first Romanian gymnast to win the all-round event and was only 14 at the time - no wonder she appears to be floating on air. Moscow 1980 - Boycott Because of the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, the United States and a number of other countries boycotted the games in Moscow. As a result the games garnered a mere 80 participating nations, the smallest number since the 1956 Olympics. All in all a fairly non-eventful Games evidently. Los Angeles 1984 - Yep, another Boycott In retaliation to America's boycott four years prior, this time the Eastern Bloc nations boycotted the games. Seems like the fighting fire with fire approach is being employed here. Seoul 1988 - Cracking Under Pressure In the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the world's best diver at the time. Greg Louganis seemed to crack under the pressure - and that's not the only thing he cracked. In his attempt to complete a reverse 2 and a 1/2 pike somersault, the diver didn't get enough distance from the board and hit his head on the board, requiring temporary sutures. Barcelona 1992 - A Family Affair Renowned 400 metre sprinter Derek Redmond tragically tore a hamstring in the middle of the semi-final race at the 1992 Games in Barcelona. However, after his father tore past the security to go to his son's aid, Redmond was able to fight through the pain to complete a full lap, finishing with a standing ovation from the crowd. Atlanta 1996 - A Bombshell of an Olympics In the middle of the Atlanta Games in 1996, Eric Rudolph conducted his first of four terrorist bombings, killing two people and injuring 111. Rudolph bombed the Centennial Olympic Park, which was designed as the 'town square' of the Olympics. Sydney 2000 - Controversial Cathy Making the history books, Freeman brought glory to the Australian population by claiming the title of winner of the 400m track event. She was only the second ever Australian Aboriginal Olympic Champion. Following the race, the sprinter proceeded to (somewhat controversially and against Olympic norms) take a victor lap carrying both the Aboriginal and Australian flags. Athens 2004 - Making Waves Charnvudth Saensri of Thailand made waves with his strong stroke in the men's swimming 1500 metre freestyle heat in Athens. (Ok he didn't do that well but you can't go past the beauty of the photograph and his sheer determination). Beijing 2008 - As Fast as a Bolt Despite unfavourable wind conditions, Usain Bolt smashed through the 100m sprint world record with a swift 9.69 seconds. If that wasn't enough Bolt then went on to win gold and set another world record in the 200m. This made Bolt the first sprinter to ever break both records at the same Olympics.
If you're sick of buying tops that don't quite fit, you may want to consider investing in custom-made t-shirts. The sustainable basics label makes one thing and one thing only — really comfy, tailor-made men's and women's tees in every colour. And, best of all, you end up with ones that actually fit correctly and last longer. With a bricks-and-mortar shop in Haymarket's Steam Mill Lane, Citizen Wolf has a local and ethical approach to clothes-making. It exclusively uses local materials and manufacturing services, buying all of its fabric — cotton, organic cotton and Merino wool — from a series of ethically accredited mills in Melbourne and with every single garment made in a micro-factory in Darlinghurst. Plus, it makes every piece to order, meaning there's no unsold inventory going to landfill. So, you can pick up quality threads and feel good about it, too. In an era of fast fashion and temporary trends, Citizen Wolf is undeniably going against the grain — and its proving less certainly is more.
Nerds and drinks? Don't mind if I do. The secret's out and Tokyo Sing Song's a treat. The vibe at the late-night bar is part Mai Tai jelly square, part Asahi schooner, and the gorgeous guys in bubble wrap skirts — one of whom I swear was dressed as a game of Tetris — clashed swimmingly with the Tokyo decor, black-and-white film projections and pop rock candy conversation. There's a strong aesthetic of darkness and intrigue: a stage draped in foil and flickered with red, blue and white lights is smooshed in between cosy old-school vinyl booths with silver-topped tables scattered with sweets in shiny wrappers, plates of beans, and bright cans of Mount Fuji and Giddy Geisha — tasty "poptails" in soft drink fancy dress, with a sprig of mint or a handful of candy and a "shot 'n' a half" of booze. Each month sees a new curator tizzy up the joint and the debut month has been designed by Melbourne based artist and lighting designer, Duckpond. "I'm thrilled with the way it looks and feels," he said at the midnight launch party on October 10. "I like to explore the dark crevices, the nooks and crannies." With his mop of grey hair, dark-rimmed glasses frosted with the silver glitter covering his eyebrows and sporting a bright purple pair of soft cotton pyjamas, Duckpond hardly stood out on launch night amidst the gowned and glowing. He's an advocate of sleepwear at any time of day — "'at any given moment you can have either just stepped out of bed or be perfectly ready to go back to bed" — and Tokyo Sing Song is just the venue to tout such activism. Christa Hughes as Fanny Warhol tooted off proceedings at the launch party with a breathless rendition of Celine Dion and later on in the eve See More Butts and local icons Matt Format and Aaron Manahan kept the eve on the wide and windy. Poptails go for $12 a can and the Sumo Sour — plum wine, lime, Suntory CC Lemon Soda and sour candy is a winner. Cocktails are $16 and the sashimi platter — a trio of alcoholic jelly cocktails served with Midori 'wasabi' — is delish. There's zilch in the way of food, although complimentary edamame beans are served all night.
There are many ways to start – or jump start – attraction, from getting cosy in romantic bars to taking a weekend getaway. But, if you want your frisson backed up by science, then one of your best bets is to give your lover (or prospective lover) a serious fright. Why? Because it's said an adrenaline rush can increase feelings of attraction. Luckily, you don't have to go crawling through canyons or abseiling cliff faces to get your kicks, because there's plenty of them to be had at Luna Park this winter. Plus, if thrills really aren't your thing, loads of other romantic possibilities are on offer, including ice skating, watching dreamy light shows and cuddling over Baileys hot chocolate. Here are five ideas to get your started. Note that, on weekend nights, Luna Park stays open late – till 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays — and entry is free. So you can spend all your loose change on sideshows. [caption id="attachment_673818" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Oliver Minnett[/caption] ICE SKATING There's an undeniable magic about ice skating, whether you and your date are making figures like Torvill and Dean or bumbling along like a couple of awkward penguins. Either way, you're never short of excuses for holding hands and giving one another a little help. Luna Park's pop-up ice skating rink was so popular in 2017, it's making a comeback this winter. It'll be open throughout the July school holidays – from Friday, July 6 to Monday, July 23 – and entry is included with a Twilight Saver, which gets you unlimited rides and ice skating after 6pm for only $35. HAVE A FAIRGROUND FEAST Go straight back to your childhood with a fairground-style feast. At Helter Skelter, a retro takeaway outlet, you'll be tucking into Hot Diggity Hot Dogs, Pluto Pups and American burgers, including the Easy Peasy Nice 'N' Cheese. Meanwhile, health-conscious dates are catered to with rotisserie chicken and salads, plus there's a bunch of vegetarian and gluten-free options. If you'd prefer to sit, head for the carousel-inspired Hungry Horse restaurant. Here, you'll find pizza, seafood and salads, as well as sticky pork ribs, buttermilk fried chicken and cheesy chicken loaded fries. DESSERT AT THE POP-UP FOOD HUT To help keep visitors warm through winter, Luna Park is hosting a pop-up food hut. This cosy little spot is right near the ice skating rink, so you can refuel after conquering some newfound skills. The menu is all about sweet, comforting snacks and piping hot drinks. To beat winter German-style, tuck into a pretzel layered with gooey caramel. Alternatively, head across to France, with a crepe, cooked before your eyes and covered in Nutella or Grand Marnier. Its perfect match is a hot chocolate infused with Baileys. GET LOST IN A LIGHT SHOW Vivid might be over, but Luna Park's Ferris Wheel installation is yet to be switched off. Titled Phantasos – after the spirit of surreal dreams – the five-minute display involves 3,000 LED lights, which continually change colour and pattern, soundtracked by hypnotic music. You're welcome to watch it for free from the ground or immerse yourself completely by jumping on the Ferris Wheel. Either way, Phantasos is definitely a mesmerising escape from the winter blues: and a dreamy way to spend time with your date. RIDE THE RIDES For a major adrenalin rush, go straight for the Hair Raiser, which lifts you 50 metres above the ground, before plummeting at a rate of 80 kilometres per hour. Then there's the Wild Mouse rollercoaster, a 61-second blitz of dips and drops and hairpin bends. Meanwhile, the old-school, hand-painted carousel – fitted with 1,640 lights and dazzling mirrors – travels at a slower pace. The same goes for the Ferris Wheel, which transports you to a height of 40 metres, taking in epic views of the Opera House, the Bridge and the Harbour. You can pay for each ride individually or grab the aforementioned Twilight Saver, letting you ride to your heart's content for just 35 bucks. To find out more about what's happening in Luna Park this winter, and to secure your Twilight Saver tickets, head to lunaparksydney.com.
Nestled at the south end of Darling Harbour, you'll find a hidden oasis: the Chinese Garden of Friendship. While the silhouette of the city skyline shadows the garden, you'll be put at ease by the towering willow trees and soon forget your workday woes. The garden is at once peaceful and harmonious, making it the perfect place to stop and recharge your batteries or devour a good book. Take a deep breath and feel instantly revived. If you're keen to stretch your legs and explore, the garden has waterfalls, sculptures, lakes and local wildlife, such as koi carp, water dragons and lots of pretty birds. As you meander through the winding pathways, be sure to stop by the tea house which offers traditional Chinese refreshments. The gardens are open every day from 9am–5.30pm (excluding Good Friday and Christmas Day), entry ranges between $3–6. Top Image: Destination NSW
This spring, Sydney's Night Noodle Markets will finally make its glorious return for six nights of tasty things on sticks, bowls of noodles, all the bao you can handle and oh-so-many extravagant desserts. After a couple of disrupted years, the beloved food event will hit up Sydney from Tuesday, October 4–Sunday, October 9 at Prince Alfred Park. With just under two months until the festival returns, the markets' lineup of food stalls and activations has been announced with some beloved names popping up on the roster. Leading the program is Filipino barbecue group and frequent Gelato Messina collaborator Hoy Pinoy, alongside Bangkok Street Food, Shallot Thai, Roll Up, Raijin, Calabang. Messina will also be on-site serving its highly sought-after scoops, as well as Redfern favourite Donut Papi. Plus, Brendan Pang's Bumplings, May's Malaysian Hawker, Teppanyaki Noodle, Flying Noodles and Wonderbao will all be setting up stalls to deliver their signature eats to Sydneysiders. There will also be a range of pop-up bars stationed around the markets. Dan Murphy's is bringing its short-term zero-alcohol bar concept from Melbourne to Sydney for the event; Rekorderlig will be pouring its fruity strawberry-lime, wild berry and low-sugar ciders; an Aperol Kombi bar will be making spritzes and Gage Roads Brew Co will be in attendance with a range of beers. [caption id="attachment_785200" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Donut Papi leche flan[/caption] The Night Noodle Markets were originally set to return in March this year, but had to be postponed due to Sydney's wet weather. Autumn's loss is spring's gain, with the markets now making a comeback when the weather gets warmer — to give Sydneysiders the opportunity to get out and fill their night with Asian street food, drinks and entertainment. Like most major events, the last two years haven't been smooth sailing for the Night Noodle Markets. In 2020, it was forced online, offering special meals from local restaurants and selections from its usual vendors via home delivery. Last year, the markets were unable to run at all, but now it's finally time to get excited again. The 2022 Sydney Night Noodle Markets will run from Tuesday, October 4—Sunday, October 9 in Prince Alfred Park, Chalmers Street, Surry Hills. For more information, head to the event website.
It's time to get your boogie on (again) — because the Archie Party is returning for its second instalment. Following the success of last year's red-hot debut, the Art Gallery of NSW and Vyva Entertainment have teamed up to bring back the huge night dedicated to local artists and producers — and 2023's version of the event will shine a spotlight on talent from Western Sydney. Come Friday July 14, you'll be able to celebrate the best of contemporary art, music and food at the Art Gallery of NSW with live performances, interactive installations and some of Sydney's best DJs spinning tracks to take care of the event's tunes. This year, you can look forward to a night with exhilarating performances from Haiku Hands, hip hop mainstay A.Girl alongside her full band, and rapper MRVZ, plus electrifying DJ sets from Diola and DJ D. There will also be a bunch of interactive art experiences from local artists (and this year's Archibald Prize finalists) Laura Jones, Billy Bain and Jason Phu. Plus, tickets to the Archie Party also includes exclusive all-night access to the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes for 2023. You'll also be able to enjoy a massive feast at this year's bash. Expect to see the likes of Fishbowl, Chatkazz, Miss Pearl and Tacos Muchachos filling out the savoury selection, while the dessert range will include but is not limited to Messina, Sweet Belem and Butter Boy. Plus, there will be pop-up bars serving up drinks to accompany the array of treats on the menu. This exclusive after-dark winter party is around for one night only — and will have limited capacity — so be sure to secure your spot with tickets from the event's page. The night will start at 7pm, running til late, and is an 18+ event. Prices for members sits at $36, while non-member tickets are $45, and students or those with concessions can score tickets at $40.
In early 2019, Western Sydney will not only score a brand new zoo, it will also add a new community running event to its calendar: RunWest. Its first incarnation will see joggers sharing the route with lions and tigers, as they race through Sydney Zoo, which is due to open early next year. Open to runners of all ages and abilities, RunWest will follow a 12-kilometre course, through several major landmarks. You'll begin at Sydney Motorsport Park, before visiting the zoo, traversing Western Sydney Parklands, heading into Blacktown International Sports Park and winding up at West HQ. If 12 kilometres sounds too far, conquer the more friendly four-kilometre Family Fun Run instead. Either way, there'll be plenty of action to keep you on course. Keep an ear out for live music and an eye out for live performers. Plus, on crossing the finish line, you'll find yourself immersed in the Finish Line Festival, an extravaganza of food trucks, music and rides. If you're a City2Surf regular, this might be a good race to enter in the off-season — although, being March, chances are the weather will be pretty warm. But, like City2Surf, you're encouraged to raise funds for a charity of your choice, so your sweat will be all worth it. If you're ready to commit, sign up right now at super early bird rates, which are $15 per person for the fun run and $30 for the 12-kilometre event. Plus, your ticket includes entry to Sydney Zoo, valid for a year from 1 August, 2019. RunWest will happen on Sunday, March 31, 2019. You can enter here.
UPDATE, FEBRUARY 21: This That has been postponed and will now take place at Wickham Park on Saturday, March 12. Here's something that has been as rare as a good night's sleep this year: the announcement of a music festival to look forward to. Come February 2022, This That will be returning to Newcastle's Wickham Park for its sixth event — so mark Saturday, March 12 in your diary, tell your mates and get ready for a road trip. On the bill is an all-Australian lineup, featuring Client Liaison, Dune Rats, Mallrat, Hayden James, Jack River, San Cisco, The Chats and more. Yes, you'll be listening to electronic, hip hop, pop and rock tunes all day — and, as the event's name suggests, you'll be doing so across two stages. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Thursday, November 12, and more acts will be announced down the line. Naturally, everything will be held in a COVID-19-safe way. Plus, if you're in need of some more good news, This That will actually be hosting two fests in 2021, with its second event currently planned for Sandstone Point in Queensland. Images: Jordan Munns.
Spoilt as we are by a city of surf and sun, it's no secret we Sydneysiders are prone to a bit of a whinge when the weather starts to turn. Now, don't get us wrong: we love binge-watching Netflix in our snuggies as much as the next guy. But we're here to bust all your best excuses to stay home when it pours with our picks of the ten best things to do on a rainy day (or even a crisp, less-than-outdoorsy one) in Sydney. GET SWEATY AT SKY ZONE There is nothing more gleeful than jumping around with reckless abandon like a child. And by opening its trampoline-lined doors until 10pm on weeknights and midnight on weekends, Sky Zone (75 O'Riordan Street, Alexandria) lets you do just that without jumping on a child. Sydney's first indoor trampoline park sits in Alexandria and brings you foam pits into which to fling yourself, basketball hoops to dunk like Shaq and dodgeball games to join, as well as some pretty intense 'skyfit' classes that channel all that bouncy fun into strategic cardio and muscular workouts. Other places to get sweaty this winter: Enjoy an 80s aerobics workout at Retrosweat, shake what your mama gave you at No Lights No Lycra, or get high and mighty at ClimbFit. GET FULL AT THE FOUR IN HAND No amount of rain can bring you down when you've got a craft beer in one hand and some warming comfort food in the other, so make your way into the back streets of Paddington for award-winning pub grub at the Four in Hand (105 Sutherland Street, Paddington). You don't even need to book into the fancy dining room to enjoy the renowned nose-to-tail experience; the bar offers creative (and surprisingly delicious) dishes like pan-fried duck egg with a rich slab of black pudding and crispy bits of pig's ear ($18), or you can keep things simple with a burger and crunchy chips ($19). If you're celebrating, 48 hours' notice and $35 per head will score you a whole roast pork belly plus trimmings for ten people. Other places to get full on a rainy day: Smash a brilliant burger at the Duck Inn, or go for the razzed-up pub grub at Hart's Pub. GET WATCHING AT THE GOLDEN AGE CINEMA AND BAR Watching Marilyn make Manhattans while sipping on our own is our idea of heaven. The Golden Age Cinema and Bar (80 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills) has gifted us this fabulous reality by restoring the old screening room of the heritage-listed Paramount Pictures building in Surry Hills and running two screenings a day (tickets $20, Tuesday-Sunday) of old favourites like Some Like It Hot and Casablanca all the way through to critically acclaimed newbies. The teensy art deco cinema is made even cosier by clever cinema snacks such as cinnamon doughnut popcorn and a 'Spielberger' pastrami toastie, which you'll want to wash down with a wintery classic like a Maple Pecan Old Fashioned or a Golden Negroni. Other places to get watching this winter: Catch an arthouse film and a vegetarian feed at Govinda's or enjoy a free cult classic at Smash Cut Cinema. GET SKILLED AT THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT Homeware emporium The Essential Ingredient (731-735 Darling Street, Rozelle) boasts an industrial kitchen in which you can learn to create all sorts of deliciousness this winter. From Mexican street food to Moroccan stews to gluten-, dairy- or sugar-free treats, the chef-run cooking school schedule has something for everyone and covers both the total beginner and the Masterchef in making. The classes are relaxed and communal, with everybody pitching in to create the day's feast and then sitting down to devour the tastiness created together. You'll go home with a recipe pack and, no doubt, a basketful of artisanal goodies from the adjoining store. Other places to get skilled this winter: Get pickled with Cornersmith, step outside your comfort zone at Work-Shop; or get trigger happy with Sydney Photographic Workshops. GET LISTENING AT THE OLD 505 The sexy, brooding jazz den that unfolds at 5 Eliza Street, Newtown only gets cosier as the rain outside gets heavier. This intimate artist-run space has transformed (not to mention physically moved) in recent years from an underground secret into a stalwart of the music scene, now operating not only as a fantastic venue but also a centrepoint for local music and theatre communities. You can snuggle up in one of the comfy couches and catch some serious local or international talent, Pinot and tapas in hand. There's no wonder we're drawn here when the skies start to fill: in the words of Duke Ellington, the rain drumming on the roof and the storm raging in the sky are music. Other places to get listening this winter: Get noisy among the vinyl at Black Wire Records. GET BUZZED AT THE LOBO PLANTATION What's more warming than rum? Rum that's been delicately spiced, generously buttered and served piping-hot for you to sip in your comfy lounge chair by candlelight, that's what. Yours awaits in the underground Cuban den that is the Lobo Plantation (209 Clarence Street, Sydney), together with an epic collection of the sugarcane liquor ready to be devoured neat or in cocktail form. Add to that some fiery empanadas prepared by the team at Food Society and spontaneous bursts of flame when the delightfully pyromaniacal bartenders torch their cocktail garnishes and you're all set for a seriously snug evening in from the rain. Other places to get buzzed this winter: Sip on 'Gunther's Gluhwein' at Arcadia Liquors, hug a steaming mug of mulled cider at Mr Falcon's or get technical with a titrated hot toddy at the Eau de Vie Apothecary. GET WIRED AT GOWINGS BAR AND GRILL It's no secret that inclement weather operates as an energy-sucking black hole, so perk yourself back up with the double-coffee double-chocolate caffeine-fest that is Gowings' (49 Market Street, Sydney) renowned affogato ($16 or $24 with a shot of Patron). Creamy dark chocolate ice-cream is sprinkled with crispy Valrhona chocolate pearls and organic prunes, all ready to be drenched in a double shot of Allpress ristretto and, at your choosing, a liberal serve of Patron XO Coffee Tequila. You'll be singing in the rain like Gene Kelly by the time you're through with this little number. Other places to get wired this winter: Check out the brew bar at the Paramount Coffee Project, indulge in High Coffee at the Intercontinental or learn to distinguish origins at the Campos Coffee Cupping Room. GET PAMPERED AT CHI SPA Head in from the cold and spoil yourself with a hot stone treatment at CHI at the Sydney Shangri-La (Level 2, 176 Cumberland Street, Sydney). CHI massages and treatments are based on authentic natural healing methods drawn from traditional Asian cultures and feature local botanical ingredients like lemon myrtle and eucalyptus. The signature hot stone massage ($175) involves the placement of heated basalt stones on key points in the body to relieve tension, improve circulation and rebalance the body and mind. The indulgent treatment ends with a light oil massage, a refreshing facial spray and a warming cup of T2 tea. Other places to get pampered this winter: Snuggle into a natural clay and hot oil massage at the Park Hyatt, indulge with a honey exfoliation and yoghurt cocoon at Endota Day Spa or experience a Moroccan hammam-inspired ritual at the Darling Hotel. GET CULTURED AT WHITE RABBIT GALLERY Step inside White Rabbit Gallery (30 Balfour Street, Chippendale) for some warm, dry kulcha. Check out their bold, rotating major exhibitions, alongside the gallery's super eclectic permanent collection — the upper floors are crammed with more colourful art communicating the stories of 21st-century China. Plus, there's a tea room calling you to rest your weary, art-appreciating legs. Other places to get cultured this winter: Experience some of Australia's best theatre talent at Belvoir St Theatre, absorb yourself in grassroots urban arts at the Red Rattler or get some laughs at the Giant Dwarf. GET SMART AT DARLO BAR Every Wednesday from 8pm, keep your head with 'Texas Chainsaw Trivia' at Darlo Bar (306 Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst). Hosted by rambunctious Darlinghurst locals Coffin Ed and Jay Katz of FBi Naked City fame, trivia here involves three rounds of eccentric questions, spot quizzes and novelty segments. The winning team at the end of each round scores drinks for the table, with the ultimate champion going home at the end of the night with a hamper of animal-themed DVDs such as The World's Scariest Bears (don't ask us) and a couple of bottles of wine. Good fun to be had by all. Other places to get smart this winter: Win the heads or tails pot at the Four in Hand or snuggle into the Dove and Olive for their Tuesday triv.
Nothing says Aussie summer like an afternoon courtyard bevvy, whether you're at your local for a schooner and a pub feed, or kicking on after a brunch date and making the most of the good weather. What makes a summer arvo session even better is that the days are longer, the nights are warmer, and you can choose from lots of different drinks to keep your palate interested. To give you some inspiration for your next catch-up, we've teamed up with Maker's Mark to pin down the best courtyards in Sydney where you can enjoy an old-fashioned, a whisky sour, or whatever refreshment takes your fancy.
What happens when a croissanterie known for perfecting its signature dish, and also for getting inventive with its pastries, joins forces with a distillery that both knows how to make a stellar dry gin and equally likes experimenting? We're talking about Lune and Four Pillars, of course — and the result is the world's first croissant gin. Is this the new perfect brunch drink? Will this help you enjoy a breakfast of champions? You can be the judge from Wednesday, February 19, 2025, when the croissant gin hits stores — and online. And yes, it's a buttery sip. "Lune croissants are made with nearly double the butter of your average croissant, so we knew that butter had to be a key part of the gin," explains Four Pillars Head Distiller Sarah Prowse, with Lune's own clarified butter a key ingredient. Alongside that caramel slice-smelling dairy product, the croissant gin is made with almonds that've been roasted in the Four Pillars distillery kitchen, juniper and a range of other botanicals, plus wattle seed and nutmeg. The recommended way to knock it back? In G&Ts or in espresso gin-tinis. While this isn't the type of tipple that just anyone could've dreamed up, Lune and Four Pillars joining forces couldn't seem more obvious — not only for their similar meticulous approaches to their chosen wares, but as Melbourne-born success stories that hero local ingredients. The croissant gin sprang from shared visits and tours, then hand delivering butter and testing distillations. If it sounds like a bucket-list collab, Lune Founder Kate Reid agrees. "Infusing our Lune magic into my favourite gin was a dream come true. I can honestly say I've never been thirsty for a croissant before but once you taste this gin, you'll understand what I mean." "It turns out there is a knack to distilling butter, but after a few trial distillations we found our sweet spot and we couldn't be happier with the end result," explains Prowse. "The nuts and spices add a real depth to the gin, the vanilla bean brings a hint of sweetness, and then we've bought in our signature organic oranges to deliver lovely brightness and balance." The croissant gin retails at $80 a bottle — or $100 with a Four Pillars x Lune tote bag exclusively from Four Pillars. If you're among the first to get your hands on it, free croissants are also on offer. On launch day, the Four Pillars Sydney Lab in Surry Hills will be giving away free Lune croissants with first 50 bottles of gin sold, for instance. At Dan Murphy's Malvern East and BWS Hawksburn in Victoria, plus Dan Murphy's Double Bay and BWS Potts Point in New South Wales, as well as Dan Murphy's Newstead in Queensland, there'll be a limited number of Lune vouchers up for grabs on launch day as well. And on Saturday, February 22, the Four Pillars Distillery in Healesville will have free Lune croissant for the first 50 bottles purchased, too. Croissant Gin will be available from the Four Pillars website, Four Pillars Distillery, Four Pillars Lab, and select Dan Murphy's and BWS stores from Wednesday, February 19, 2025 — head to the Four Pillars website for further details.
If you've got a hard-earned thirst for some spiffy beer merch, the folks at Victoria Bitter have you covered, and that's been the case for a couple of years. Already decked out most of your wardrobe with VB gear, but still looking for something to splash around in at the beach? Then you'll be pleased to discover that the famed Carlton & United Breweries beer has just joined forces with Budgy Smuggler on a new range of swimwear. Available via Budgy Smuggler's website, the Victoria Bitter collection includes briefs for men — budgie smugglers, obviously — plus one-piece swimmers for women, with both types available in multiple designs. If you're keen to have the classic beer logo emblazoned across your body, you can choose between green and white backgrounds. You can also opt for a 'sticker bomb' design, which features multiple different VB logos, or pick one with cartoon beers as well. Whether you're a beachgoer or you prefer lazing around a pool, you'll need a towel, too, with four different types available with the same imagery. They'll set you back $55 each, while the mens' bathers cost $65 and womens' togs cost $100. If you're keen on other VB-themed items as well, you can still head to the brand's site to check out its retro-styled collection, which nods firmly to the brew's lengthy history quenching the thirst of hardworking Aussies. There are crewneck jumpers, t-shirts, hoodies, beanies and caps, all emblazoned with that instantly recognisable logo. Alongside all the clothes, you'll also find VB jigsaw puzzles — plus glasses, water bottles, coolers, speakers, bar mats and even fridges. And, as part of its ever-expanding range of merch, don't forget that VB also has its own scent now, too. The Victoria Bitter Collection is available to purchase from Budgy Smuggler's website. Top image: VB.
There's nothing humdrum about rum. A favourite with pirates, sailors and scoundrels alike, this rich, golden dram works equally well as a neat shot or for a disorderly night of mojitos. Here's our list of the top destinations for rum-sipping in Sydney, so you can get better acquainted with the spirit of the sea. THE LOBO PLANTATION The Lobo Plantation on Clarence Street will transport you to the glamorous, old world estate of Julio Lobo, a wealthy Cuban sugar trader from the 20th century. Splash out on their Millionaire cocktail ($17), which features a powerful blend of Appleton Estate VX, apricot brandy, sloe gin, lime juice and grenadine, served with a rolled up bank note attached to the stem. Otherwise, cosy into one of the leather banquettes with their Lobo Rum Journal, a 100+ page compendium of rum tasting and production notes which leaves you spoilt for choice. Basement Lot 1, 209 Clarence Street, Sydney PAPA GEDE'S Named after the Haitian voodoo spirit of love and laughter, Papa Gede is just one of many spirits in this witch-doctor apothecary bar. Specialising in Caribbean rum and fruit concoctions, the signature drink is The Zombie ($16), a bright and spicy mix of Appleton Estate rum, brandy, Cointreau, grapefruit and falernum (a sugar syrup made with almonds, ginger and cloves). It's strong enough to resurrect the dead, Papa Gede's warns. This is definitely a venue to add to your regular haunts. 348 Kent Street, Sydney EAU DE VIE This dimly lit speakeasy is the darling of Darlinghurst, serving some of Sydney's best rum cocktails (with a glass cabinet of awards to prove it). If you're a mighty fan of the mai tai, try their tiki version, Captain Zissou ($21). This inspired blend is made with Appleton VX rum, grapefruit and passionfruit marmalade, dry fino sherry, freeze-dried mint leaves and liquorice root syrup, vigorously shaken over ice. As a final touch, it's flamed to impart a burnt rum aroma over the top. C'est magnifique! 229 Darlinghurst Road, Darlinghurst GRANDMA'S BAR Isn't it time you paid Grandma's a visit? This cosy den of cosmopolitan kitsch on Clarence Street is one of the last places you might expect to find such a vast battery of rum. Just like Grandma, the mai tai ($21) is an oldie but a goodie. Her version uses Appleton Extra Jamaican rum, Creole schrubb (an orange and rum liqueur), orgeat, lime, pineapple and bitters, set alight. Grandma would never let you leave hungry, so tuck into an old-school spaghetti jaffle ($8) while you're here. Basement 275 Clarence St, Sydney THE CUBAN PLACE Directly across from the Queen Victoria Building, The Cuban Place recreates the heydays of 1950s Havana, considered to be the home of the mojito. This classic rum, lime and mint medley is available in three sizes, or you can thumb your way through their extensive rum list, with over 150 entries from around the globe. You can also order a Cuban cigar, something that will surely make the smokers light up. 125 York Street, Sydney THE CLIFF DIVE Decorated with artefacts from the South Seas, this little treasure on Oxford Street features a one-of-a-kind underwater dance floor and tiki bar with a rum focus. To drink, we recommend the Monkey Hat ($25), which combines home-spiced rum, Aperol, passionfruit and lime and is served in a monkey head, just like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. 16-18 Oxford Square, Darlinghurst BUTTON BAR Welcome aboard button bar, a pirate-themed watering hole by the crew behind Pocket Bar and Stitch. There's no X marks the spot at this inconspicuous address on Foveaux Street, but once inside, you'll find a gorgeous, wood-panelled ship's hull with 19th-century long rifles and dripping. The go-to cocktail is the Pleasure Vessel ($17) a tasty, tart combination of Appleton dark rum, Grand Marnier, orange marmalade, fresh grapefruit, lemon and orange blossom water. We're sure ye will love it. 65 Foveaux Street, Sydney MOONSHINE CIDER & RUM BAR Located upstairs in the Hotel Steyne, Moonshine is one of the only pirate bars with an outdoor wooden deck and beachside views, which makes it a breath of fresh sea air. Racks of caged rums line the walls, priced from $7.50 for the house to $40 for a top shelf selection. There's also a stage for live bands and DJs, if you feel like hearing a few shanties. 75 The Corso, Manly
You'll find handcrafted Australian made furniture alongside a range of contemporary pieces from international brands at The Wood Room, a bespoke store located in North Narrabeen. The beautifully designed furniture includes dining tables, chairs, coffee tables, sofas and outdoor pieces, as well as lighting, rugs, mirrors, art and other homewares. Owners Kate and Simon, who founded The Wood Room in 2012, say they are inspired by simplicity and minimalism in design and love embracing the natural beauty of timber. All of The Wood Room's furniture is made to order, and each item can be custom designed to specific requirements such as dimensions, materials and finish — making it possible to create the pieces that you've been searching for. Images: Marie Homer
Look, some things are definitely better fresh. Things like like produce, sashimi and hot chips. But other things get better with age, things like you and, surprisingly, beer. There's an idea floating around that beer only belongs in the former category, but in celebration of Cooper's 2017 Vintage Ale release, we're shedding some light on the beers that age gracefully. If you're intimidated by the idea of a cellar, don't be. Modern cellaring doesn't require you to own a sprawling mansion with a decked-out cellar door. All you need is a dark, cool and consistent space to cellar beer and bring out its mature flavours. A basement or garage will do the trick, as long as the temperature stays between ten to 12 degrees celsius and doesn't fluctuate. Also, keep the space between 50 and 70 percent humidity if you can, but if you can't, an air humidifier will help control any mould issues. The other very important item you'll need is self control — don't go downing your cellared beers just because they're there and you can. Good beers come to those who wait. (And so do some pretty tasty food and beer pairings.) Once you've got the set-up, which beers should you choose? Which actually age well? Well, that's where we come in. Follow our lead, and look to these brews for your home beer cellar. In a year or so, you'll be thanking us. STOUT A good rule of thumb is that heavier beers with a higher alcohol content will cellar the best. Aim for beers that are heavy on malt and have an alcohol content of eight percent for good results. Stout is an excellent beginner's brew for cellaring. The word stout is even a synonym for heavy, determined and forceful, making it an ideal candidate to develop some extra depth. The rich, dark (but never heavy) texture of a stout starts off great, but is made even better with time. The roasted malt component, which is what gives the beer its depth, becomes even more complex. The consensus on how long to cellar a stout for is mixed, but the best approach for a DIY beer-ager is through experimentation. Buy the brew of your choice in bulk (like Cooper's Best Extra Stout) and drink a few fresh, making sure to take notes as you go. Age the rest and every six months, repeat the experiment, each time taking notes. Everyone has different tastes, but when you have your perfectly aged stout, pair it with a slow-cooked pork roast or oysters. DARK ALE Dark ale is one of the lesser known dark beers, but its reputation (or lack thereof) is undeserved; this beer warrants a place in your DIY cellar, especially if you're into chocolaty, coffee flavours. Think of dark ale as a dessert beer — heavy, creamy and rich. This strong flavour profile is what makes the beer excellent for cellaring, as it gets stronger, yet subtler, after a few years in the dark. For your home cellar, look for either barrel-aged or bottle-conditioned beer, like Cooper's Dark Ale. The active yeast contained in the bottle means they were designed to cellar well. Also note, thanks to their high alcohol content, dark ales can withstand a slightly higher temperature — between 12 and 14 degrees celsius — compared to their wheaty brethren, making this one a kinder brew for the home cellar novice. VINTAGE ALE From time to time, brewers will develop and release beers that are designed to age. Cooper's Vintage Ale is the perfect example and a must have for any DIY beer cellar — trust us, you'll be glad you added it in couple years. In its infancy, it has a bitter and punchy flavour with pineapple and pear undertones (unusual flavours for such a heavy beer, but somehow it works). During the production process, the introduction of live yeast as a conditioner gives this brew its longevity. So, if you're patient, you'll notice as the beer ages that the bitterness evolves into a sweet, caramel palette. Keep an eye out for these kinds of limited releases at your local as they're often designed — bottle and all — to be cellared, and may even become collector's items in years to come. SPARKLING ALE Now, we have just said that dark and heavy beers age well, so it may surprise you to see sparkling ale on this list. As a lighter brew, it may not be a go-to for most cellars, but sparkling ales do actually age beautifully and (if you do it right) you'll end up with a rich brew a lot faster than the heavier drops. The cellaring process takes the sparking ale's fruity, floral notes and smooths them out. Any acidity, over-the-top sweetness or rough edges age into honeyed undertones. But make sure you check these beers more regularly than their darker counterparts as they'll mature a little faster. Also, make sure to keep the temperature under control; these brews won't react well to any heat. Once you've nailed your desired aged flavours, pair them with bold tastes. Spicy food will match with the bubbles, and charcoal and rotisserie barbecue flavours will sit well with fruity tones. SOUR BEER If you like your beer a little bit tart, then turn your attention to sour beer. These acidic brews famously cellar well, but be warned, they're an unpredictable beer to begin with. Sour beers have always been brewed differently from other beers. Before modern brewing, beer was intentionally soured by introducing wild yeasts into the fermentation process — a method still used today. And although the modern brewing method is a little more controlled — brewers often use a Belgium yeast called brettanomyces to sour, instead of leaving the beer out to the elements — things can still go wrong. On the plus side, if the initial brew goes well, the beer will taste even better a few years down the track, since brettanomyces take months to develop a full flavour profile. Even if you don't traditionally like sour beer, we recommend you hop on down to your local and try an aged sour — you might be pleasantly surprised. (Beer pun intended.) A limited number of the 2017 Coopers Vintage Ale cartons have been released, so get to stocking your cellar with these brews quickly. Otherwise, you can find the vintage available on tap at a few key venues in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and beyond. Find your closest pub serving the brew here.
Television has delivered many great characters over the decades, but Leslie Knope is the best there is. As played to perfection by Amy Poehler, she's the determined, passionate and persistent local government employee and later politician — not to mention a huge fan of waffles and Joe Biden, too — that we all wish really existed. Where The Office turns a regular paper company's operations into must-see comedy, Parks and Recreation weaves the same magic with the titular department in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. Creators Mike Schur and Greg Daniels worked on both shows, but P&R evolves into its own overwhelmingly good-natured, heartwarming, hilarious creation. If you wanted to call it literally the best TV comedy of the 21st century, Chris Traeger-style, we'd wholeheartedly agree with you. And yes, with Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Aziz Ansari, Adam Scott and Rob Lowe among its cast, it's the show that just keeps giving.
As the name suggests, Lounge Lovers is the place to head when your cosy spaces need a bit of a zhuzh. A company dedicated to providing beautiful homewares at affordable prices, Lounge Lovers has a team of in-house buyers that works directly with the suppliers to ensure it can continue to offer modern and luxurious decor pieces at a competitive price. Initially starting out as an online store, founder, Derek Kerr, quickly realised the demand to sit on and feel furniture before purchasing is a huge priority for people like us who aren't willing to risk being stuck an uncomfortable couch.
They call it Tina — The Tina Turner Musical, oh Tina — The Tina Turner Musical — and, while it finally arrived in Australia in May, it now has more dates around the nation. After premiering in London back in 2018, this stage ode to the music icon that's had Aussies dancing to 'Nutbush City Limits' for decades will tour Down Under, following up its current first local stint in Sydney with seasons in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne. No, it isn't taking to the stage in a church house, gin house, school house or outhouse — or on highway number 19, either. But Tina — The Tina Turner Musical will obviously have Crown Theatre, Festival Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre and Princess Theatre enjoying Turner's greatest hits in one massive show. The list of musical numbers includes 'Nutbush City Limits', naturally, as well as everything from 'River Deep, Mountain High' and 'Proud Mary' through to 'Private Dancer' and 'What's Love Got to Do with It?'. Tina — The Tina Turner Musical has made its trip Down Under courtesy of TEG DAINTY, Stage Entertainment and Tali Pelman, in association with Tina Turner herself before her passing in May this year. Announcing the show's stint on our shores back in 2022, the singer said that "Australia has always shared abundant love with me, going back to my early concerts in the late 70s through the uplifting partnership with the National Rugby League. It is very special for me that we will be reunited." "The joy, passion and message of resilience in my musical is so important now as ever. Thank you from the bottom my heart for welcoming me with open arms once again," Turner continued. The singer didn't mention her appearance in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, but she is indeed part of the beloved Mad Max franchise, too. In Australia, The Lion King, We Will Rock You, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Ragtime and Moulin Rouge! The Musical star Ruva Ngwenya plays Tina, with In the Heights, Fame: The Musical and fellow Moulin Rouge! The Musical alumni Tim Omaji as Ike Turner. Penned by Tony Award-nominee and Pulitzer Prize-winner Katori Hall, plus Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins, and directed by fellow Tony-nominee Phyllida Lloyd, Tina — The Tina Turner Musical clearly has quite the story to tell. The show steps through Turner's life and fame, including growing up in Nutbush, Tennessee, the hard work that led to her career, all of those aforementioned hits, her 12 Grammy Awards, her volatile time with Ike and her huge solo success. If you're a fan, Turner herself summed it up — yes, it's simply the best. "I first heard about the possibility of a stage musical portraying Tina's life eight years ago and I immediately reached out to Tali Pelman at Stage Entertainment. At that point there was no script and no book; however, I was hooked on the idea of it," said TEG DAINTY CEO Paul Dainty about Tina — The Tina Turner Musical. "We have been on that journey ever since, and here we are today announcing the Australian tour! Australians love this theatrical masterpiece which tells the story of Tina's life, of empowerment and success, and is ultimately the best music industry comeback story of all time." TINA — THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL AUSTRALIAN DATES: Now until Sunday, December 31, 2023 — Theatre Royal, Sydney From Tuesday, February 27, 2024 — Crown Theatre, Perth From Wednesday, April 24, 2024 — Festival Theatre, Adelaide From Sunday, July 2, 2024 — Lyric Theatre, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane From Tuesday, September 24, 2024 — Princess Theatre, Melbourne Tina — The Tina Turner Musical is currently playing in Sydney, and will tour the rest of Australia in 2024. For more information and tickets, head to the musical's website. Images: Daniel Boud.
Not content with creating four of Sydney's favourite venues in Bar Planet, Cantina OK!, Tio's and The Cliff Dive — plus the beloved OK! sparkling margarita seltzer — Mucho hospitality group has just served up another absolute home run with its new hidden underground cocktail lair Centro 86. Described as an "old, fancy Mexican cantina on shrooms", the fresh Sydney CBD opening takes the magic of Bar Planet, as well as Cantina OK!'s love of margaritas, and applies it to an expansive 110-seat space. But before you settle in for a few fanciful cocktails, you've got to find the bar first. Wander down Pitt Street until you find the Centro 86 sign. At this point, you'll have to take a right-hand turn and venture around to the unassuming Hoskings Place, where you'll find a fire escape and luminous Centro 86 sign, which will lead you down two flights of stairs to the moody subterranean watering hole. Mucho has kept things local, working with a collection of Sydney and Australian artists to transform the space. David Humphries, the mind behind Bar Planet's psychedelic countertops, is back to inject big splashes of colour into the bar — while the team has enlisted local stained-glass artists, ceramicists, furniture makers and visual artists to bring the venue to life. Margaritas are the name of the game at Centro 86, with five varieties on the menu, including the sensational and ultra-unique parsley-topped Verde — a must-try. Adding to that something special is a set of three old-school ice shavers, bringing a dose of theatrics and a melt-in-your-mouth touch to the drinks. The inventive cocktails don't stop with the margs, with sherry-forward mixes and a fresh take on Bar Planet's Scorpino gracing the menu, alongside a refined wine and beer list featuring a few minimal-intervention drops and Wildflower Brewing's beloved table beer. There's also an expansive tequila collection featuring spirits available from $13–180. You'll find varieties that the Mucho team has aged themselves, ultra-rare options, plus Australia's first agave spirit that's distilled up in Bowen, Queensland. And it wouldn't be a Mucho venue without a bag of popcorn on your table — this time with a new secret spice mix that's promised to rival the fan-favourites of the group's other venues. Located just metres from The Caterpillar Club and Ragazzi, this opening marks another impressive addition to the ever-improving Sydney CBD as it bounces back from the lockout laws. A few city-best margs and a bag of popcorn before heading off to enjoy a bowl of artichoke ravioli at one of our favourite restaurants in Sydney — sounds like a match made in heaven. Centro 86 is located at Basement 86/88 Pitt St, Sydney — find the entrance on Hoskings Place. It's open 4pm–12am on Tuesday and Sunday, and 4pm–2am on Wednesday–Saturday. Stay up to date with the bar at the venue's Instagram. Images: Dexter Kim.
With Winter's Bone, Debra Granik directed one of the undoubted film highlights of 2010. More than that, she directed the haunting drama to four Oscar nominations, earned herself a nod for Best Adapted Screenplay, and helped put Jennifer Lawrence on the path to superstardom. And yet, it still took eight years for the masterly filmmaker to helm her next fictional feature — eight years where her empathetic perspective could've been brightening up cinemas. Blame the difficulties faced by female directors, projects falling by the wayside or the vagaries of fate; whichever you choose, the big screen has sorely missed her work. It's not just that Granik makes movies about American life on the margins, as her 2014 documentary Stray Dog also illustrates. What sets her films apart is her probing yet compassionate approach, not only spinning stories about struggling folks striving to get by, but ensuring that her pictures feel humane and authentic above all else. They're traits that are much more rare in today's blockbuster-heavy cinema realm than they really should be, and they help Granik's gentle, thoughtful work soar. While that was evident in Winter's Bone, it's even more apparent in Leave No Trace, an equally tender and devastating father-and-daughter effort that's handled with supreme sensitivity, shot with unwavering kindness and, as a result, proves one of the best movies of this year. Adapted by Granik and her Winter's Bone co-scribe Anne Rosellini from Peter Rock's novel My Abandonment, Leave No Trace takes its title from what might as well be military veteran Will (Ben Foster) and teenager Tom's (Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie) unspoken motto. Living well off the grid in an Oregon forest, their entire existence relies upon not being spotted. And, as long as they're able to enjoy their lives in the manner that they prefer, they're happy hiding out and keeping things simple. The local authorities soon have other plans, busting up their modest camp, arresting Will and forcing the pair to re-integrate into society. To her own surprise, Tom warms to more traditional confines, but her PTSD-afflicted dad can only stomach mod cons and social worker check-ups for so long. Where Winter's Bone coiled a coming-of-age tale around a bleak mystery, Leave No Trace steeps its story in lighter but no less meaningful waters. Both feature young women learning to survive in fraught circumstances; however, even given the films' thematic similarities, Granik's latest is its own textured, complicated and delicate creation. At the movie's core sits a familiar battle that's fleshed out in an intimate and heartbreaking fashion — the choice between following in the footsteps of someone you adore, or following your own wisdom even if it'll completely change your life forever. This is a film about breaking free and forging a new path on many levels (from trauma, from the prevailing concept of normality, from the structures enforced by a broken country and from the parent-child bond), and they're all expertly and intelligently intertwined. As also seems to be Granik's remit across her small oeuvre to date, Leave No Trace overflows with everyday detail. Thanks to the director's patient gaze, no moment of Will and Tom's lives is too small or insignificant. That's never more evident than when the movie hones its focus on revelatory New Zealander McKenzie, who demonstrates not only Granik's keen eye for observation, but for talent. Acting against the similarly exceptional Foster (who's in career-best form), the young star's seemingly effortless naturalism radiates from the screen, with a cocktail of potent emotions always emanating from her pores. Indeed, while Leave No Trace is visually sumptuous with its lush wilderness-set visuals, it's downright sublime when it's simply watching its two leads quietly encapsulate the effects of America's increasingly fractured society. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVkX1qAyMrY
Update Tuesday, June 7: Due to COVID-related concerns, this event has been rescheduled to Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26. Long weekends are a real treat — an entire extra day to spoil yourself with relaxing activities, good food and even better company. Here to make your long weekend even better, I Should Be Souvlaki is celebrating its first birthday by giving away free signature wraps at their Newtown location to the first 50 food-loving customers across Queen's Birthday long weekend. I Should Be Souvlaki prides itself on an entirely plant-based menu that adheres to traditional Greek flavours. Think dairy-free tzatziki, warm pita, fresh salads and a Mediterranean herb mixture developed by co-owner Adam Papastathopoulos's yiayia (grandmother). "We're incredibly excited to be celebrating our first birthday here at I Should Be Souvlaki, Newtown. Opening a new venue just days before Sydney went into widespread COVID lockdowns last year was not part of our initial plan, but we've received overwhelming community support over the last twelve months, and this is an important shared milestone for our customers and our team alike," co-owner Emma Langley said. Available from midday on Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26, the first 50 customers each day will be able to choose from marinated cauliflower, soy-based lamb, mushroom-based lamb or chick'n in their pita. If you miss out on the free goodies, you'll get a chance to spin a wheel for freebies like vegan cheesecake, upgraded meals and gift vouchers. "When people first try our menu, they can't believe that plant-based food can be so mouth-wateringly delicious yet still taste authentically Greek. We do not cut corners on flavour," co-owner Adam Papastathopoulos says.
No one makes neon-lit, red-hued, emotion-dripping tales of yearning and loneliness like Wong Kar-Wai, as everyone who has seen 2000's In the Mood for Love knows. It isn't the Chungking Express, Happy Together, 2046, Ashes of Time: Redux and The Grandmaster filmmaker's only masterpiece, but the 1960s Hong Kong-set romantic drama is utterly unforgettable as it unfolds its love story against a backdrop of festering societal tension. Viewers have fallen for the film for almost a quarter of a century now. Sydney Opera House clearly feels the same way. Back in 2020, it hosted and livestreamed dreamy song cycle In the Mood — A Love Letter to Wong Kar-Wai & Hong Kong, which delivered exactly what its title promised. At 2pm and 7pm on Saturday, March 22, 2025, the venue will also welcome in the Australian premiere of In the Mood for Love in Concert. As everything from Batman, Back to the Future, Home Alone and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse to The Lion King, The Princess Bride, Black Panther and Star Wars films has in the past — and plenty more — the iconic movie will return to the big screen while an orchestra brings its score to life. In this case, the film will flicker across Sydney Opera House's HD silver screen as conductor Guy Rundle leads a 39-piece group of musicians playing live. The BAFTA-nominated and César-winning film — which also picked up two awards at Cannes, including Best Actor — stars the great Tony Leung (Hidden Blade) and Maggie Chen (Better Life) as Chow Mo-wan and Su Li-zhen. In a complicated time and place, the two neighbours are drawn together when they begin to suspect that their partners are not only being unfaithful, but that they're having an affair with each other. While In the Mood for Love is rightly acclaimed for its affecting performances and evocative direction, as well as its gorgeously lush cinematography, its score is just as exceptional. Indeed, the filmmaker has called it "a poem itself". This is a stellar opportunity to find out why — and to discover why this movie, and Wong Kar-Wai, keep proving so influential.
Come on Barbie, let's go party. Let's go to the real world, too. In the second sneak peek at Greta Gerwig's Barbie, the eponymous doll (Margot Robbie, Babylon) and her also-plastic beau Ken (Ryan Gosling, The Gray Man) are living life in Barbie Land, which is meant to be perfect. If you like pink and pastel hues aplenty, which the film splashes through its frames heavily and happily, it'd clearly be a dream. But that supposed bliss brings an existential crisis for the movie's main figure, plus ample everyday angst for its central Ken. Marking Gerwig's third solo stint behind the camera after Lady Bird and Little Women, scripted by the actor-turned-director with fellow filmmaker Noah Baumbach — her helmer on Greenberg, Frances Ha, Mistress America and White Noise, and real-life partner — and boasting a cast that's a gleaming toy chest of talent, Barbie might be the most anticipated toy-to-film release ever. There's that pedigree, of course. There's also the picture's patently playful vibe, which first shone through in an initial teaser trailer that parodied the one and only 2001: A Space Odyssey, and beams just as brightly in its just-dropped next look. Here, there are Barbies everywhere, with Rae (Insecure) as president Barbie, Dua Lipa (making her movie debut) as a mermaid Barbie, Emma Mackey (Emily) as a Nobel Prize-winning physicist Barbie, Alexandra Schipp (tick, tick... BOOM!) as an author Barbie and Ana Cruz Kayne (Jerry and Marge Go Large) as a supreme court justice Barbie — and Nicola Coughlan (Bridgerton) as diplomat Barbie, Kate McKinnon (Saturday Night Live) as a Barbie who is always doing the splits, Hari Nef (Meet Cute) as doctor Barbie, Ritu Arya (The Umbrella Academy) as a Pulitzer-winning Barbie and Sharon Rooney (Jerk) as lawyer Barbie. There's also a whole heap of Kens, including Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Kingsley Ben-Adir (One Night in Miami), Ncuti Gatwa (the incoming Doctor Who) and Scott Evans (Grace and Frankie). And, Michael Cera (Arrested Development) plays Alan, Emerald Fennell (The Crown) plays Midge, Helen Mirren (Shazam! Fury of the Gods) is the narrator, America Ferrera (Superstore) and Ariana Greenblatt (65) are humans, Jamie Demetriou (Catherine Called Birdy) is a suit, Will Ferrell (Spirited) wears a suit as Mattel's CEO and Connor Swindells (also Sex Education) is an intern. Barbie brings all those characters to the screen across its dream house-filled Barbieland and its version of the real world, as its main doll seems to realise that life in plastic mightn't be so fantastic after all. The new trailer provides more of a storyline than the first did, while also teasing the film's sense of humour — largely around Gosling's Ken, whether he's insisting that him and Robbie's Barbie are boyfriend and girlfriend, fighting with Liu's Ken about "beaching" each other off or sneaking into the Barbie convertible with his rollerblades ("I literally go nowhere without them") when Barbie is driving off to reality. What happens from there, and whether this'll be the best figurine-to-film adaptation yet in a mixed field that also includes the Transformers series, Trolls, The Lego Movie and its sequel, Battleship and the GI Joe films, will all be pulled out of the toy box in cinemas on July 20 Down Under. And no, there's still no signs of Aqua's 'Barbie Girl' on the trailer's soundtrack; however, you'll likely get it stuck in your head anyway just thinking about this movie. Check out the latest trailer for Barbie below: Barbie releases in cinemas Down Under on July 20, 2023.
