The arrival of spring might have you wanting to frolic through a field of flowers — and you can do just that at Carriageworks this month as it hosts Patricia Piccinini's mesmerising field of flowers. The installation might not replicate the smells and colours of a real field of blooms, but it's a pretty special experience in itself. It's coming down from Brisbane where it was on display at GOMA and will only be in town for four days, so don't miss it. But even if you do, there's still lots of art to get amongst. White Rabbit's new show Supernatural kicks off on September 7, the Art Gallery of NSW currently has a sensory show on display and the MCA is giving you the opportunity to get to know up-and-coming Chinese artist Sun Xun before the rest of the world. On top of that you can also catch works by Andy Warhol, Sol LeWitt and James Turrell if you're willing to take a road trip down to Canberra.
In an inspiring display of hospitality — one that you’d rarely associate with anyone in the moneymaking tourism industry — a new hotel in Vienna has been set up to provide accommodation to both tourists and refugees forced to flee their native countries. Recently opened just a stone’s throw away from the centre of the Austrian capital, the magdas Hotel boasts 78 furnished rooms for visiting tourists, right alongside two residential units providing housing for up to 25 young asylum seekers displaced by persecution and war. The hotel is an initiative of the Austrian arm of the international Catholic aid collective Caritas. In addition to providing temporary accommodation, magdas Hotel also offers employment opportunities, with a majority of the staff being refugees. No two guest rooms are the same, with most of the furnishing having been donated or purchased from second-hand stores. Don’t let the ramshackle set-up fool you though. This place looks nice. Basic rooms start from around €60 a night, although you might well be tempted to upgrade to a suite. Amenities include a breakfast buffet and a fully-stocked bar, while the front door is located just a few minutes away from the Praterstern Transportation Hub as well as the Prater Recreation Park. Fingers crossed that the magdas Hotel does well. It’s always nice to see social enterprises like this succeed, especially when you’re in a country whose own track record with refugees is a little... uh... less accommodating. That being said, certain Australian entrepreneurs have been taking steps in this regard, such as the recently opened migrant-run clothing manufacturer Social Outfit in Sydney and Melbourne. In the mean time, if you’re going to be in Vienna any time soon, you can book at room at the magdas Hotel via their website. Via Design Milk. Images: AllesWirdGut Architektur/ Guilherme Silva Da Rosa.
Japan’s beloved illustrator, director and Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki is once again helping us believe in the good of humanity with his latest passion project. Miyazaki is building a park on Kume Island, in the Okinawa Prefecture, a park intended to preserve and celebrate nature and remind children that, to quote Miyazaki himself, “It’s good to be alive.” Pass the tissues please ;_;. The park, which is scheduled for completion in 2018, will inhabit 10,000 square metres of pristine forest and Miyazaki has donated $2.5 million towards the project. Although he is often touted as the Walt Disney of Japan, their parks couldn’t be more dissimilar. Miyazaki’s park will have room for just 30 guests, which leaves a whole lot of space for running through the woods and recreating iconic scenes from Princess Mononoke. And construction and development will be centred around using only local building techniques, resources and labour so you know, it’s the exact opposite of a soulless Disney theme park (and far removed from the beautifully depressing Banksy kind). Here's the plan for Miyazaki's pristine nature park: Perhaps you'll find a few little trolls in the woods: Or little kodama doing their thing: Or a casual forest spirit, hangin': Miyazaki has always been an unwavering social critic, picking apart the wrongs of society in both his films and his public commentary. The countless allegories for environmentalism in his films are not lost on the audience but unlike many celebrity crusaders, he can often be found quietly doing the hard yards as well. Earlier this year he ran a mass public clean-up of the Fuchi no Mori forest, which he saved from development 20 years earlier with a $2.56 million dollar donation, and which is believed to have inspired the setting of My Neighbour Totoro. In the 2013 documentary The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness he told documentarian Mami Sunada of walking to work every day with a rubbish bag in hand to clean up the streets and spending his weekend in gumboots, cleaning up the local river. He might actually be the river spirit from Spirited Away. So, now we all have a few new items to add to the bucket list, including ‘clean rivers’, ‘visit Kume’ and ‘become modern day version of Princess Mononoke’. All are now possible. Via Good Magazine.
In the most mathematical news since boffins discovered a pattern in prime numbers, the cast and crew behind of Adventure Time, the show that straddles generational gaps like it ain't no thing, are coming to town next March. It's going to be live, it's going to be loud and it's gonna be so flippin' awesome. Making quick trips to Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, Adventure Time Live will be an interactive, audio-visual festival that includes Q&As with cast and crew, cosplay competitions, live reads of classic episodes and much more to be announced. It's not a show, it's an experience, man. The event hits Australia between March 10 and March 12 next year, which will probably coincide with the largest gathering of adults pretending to be children pretending to be adults that this country has ever seen. Tickets go on sale on December 12, with more deets available here.
I’ll never forget my original Magic Mike experience. In a packed cinema of some 750 people, I was one of just nine men, and of those, (probably) the only straight one. After a brief welcome, the film's promoters introduced two male strippers who danced, disrobed and lap-danced their way through the crowd like bejewelled beagles at Customs, singling out the most awkward and uncomfortable with astounding accuracy. Coupled with the trailer, everything seemed in place for a movie designed to entertain everyone but me, and yet — two hours later — I stood both corrected and utterly entertained. Armed with that memory, I approached Magic Mike XXL with a much more open mind, only to once again be surprised by a film whose suggestive marketing, racy trailer and heck, even its name, belied a film of far greater substance and maturity. Magic Mike XXL is not a story about male strippers entertainers, but an old-fashioned road movie about self-discovery and friendship, where it is souls and vulnerabilities — not bodies — that the men are dared to reveal. As it happens, it's also a cracking comedy. The story itself is as scant as a stripper’s costume. Mike (Channing Tatum, whose real life story provided the inspiration for both films), finds himself visited by his old dancing buddies on their way to the annual 4th of July Strippers Convention (yes, it’s a thing). Their former emcee and manager has skipped town with the young star Adam, meaning this is to be their swan song before retiring to whatever 'normal' jobs they can find. Recently single and finding his own furniture business low on the thrills, Mike joins them in the hope of purging his demons and starting life afresh. In some ways, it’s best to think of Magic Mike XXL like a musical, given the way its stars spontaneously burst into dance routines and, this time round, singing (showcasing the talents of both Donald Glover, aka Childish Gambino, and Matt Bomer, whose voice is so remarkable it’s baffling we’ve not been treated to it sooner). Unlike most musicals, however, Magic Mike XXL navigates the almost impossible transition from acting to dancing without it ever feeling forced — the best example also being the film’s standout scene, featuring Joe Manganiello (True Blood) stripping in a gas station to a Backstreet Boys staple for no other reason than to elicit a smile from its store clerk. Funny yet provocative, childish yet heartwarming, it encapsulates everything Magic Mike XXL is about: honest desire, spiritual growth and — most importantly — intimacy. Almost every dance in this film is centred on one woman. Any woman. Every woman. No matter how large the crowd, someone is always singled out and treated to a publicly private performance, "a queen being reminded of her beauty", as Mike’s former flame Rome (played magnificently by Jada Pinkett Smith) puts it. Yes, the dancing is extraordinary (Tatum’s routines in particular are jaw-dropping in their athleticism and eroticism), but just as appealing are the ladies’ reactions — a blend of shock, lust and pure exhilaration that imbue each and every fantasy piece with a genuine sense of realism. There’s more sensuality in this film than fifty Fifty Shades of Greys, yet it never once feels sleazy, instead veering closer to something uplifting and sincere. By all means come for the bodies, but stay for everything else.
Mere days after Keep Sydney Open launched their commemorative plaques for live music venues campaign, Sydney's loudest anti-lockout lobby group have an even bigger surprise for Sydney, with fresh news that Flume has called in from the old US of A to release a brand new jam especially for KSO's new video today. Have a peep, below. Plaques organiser and KSO activist Jonno Seidler says: "This is such incredible news to receive at the 11th hour. Harley is currently on tour in North America, playing sold out theatres across the country. But he is proud of where he's from and really backs the Sydney scene, and this just shows how dedicated he really is to the future of local music." The track, called 'Heater' will presumably form part of Flume's next release, which is anyone's guess but could be an EP, coming off the international success of Skin, which dropped earlier this year. "The plaque for Harley was the easiest one to make, because I was there!" says Seidler. "It was a double header with him and Chet Faker [now Nick Murphy] at Goodgod Small Club, my favourite venue for years. Ask anyone who was in the audience, you could tell something was cooking even way back then. I've seen Flume play to tiny rooms in New York city and huge stages at Byron, and he's been world class the whole way." The video, prepared by Keep Sydney Open, features interviews with Gang of Youths Dave Leaupepe in Kings Cross and Jim Finn and Dan McNamee of Art Vs Science, who showed up at Oxford Street to play a trio of songs dedicated to NSW premier Mike Baird, including 'I Love The Nightlife', 'All Night Long' and 'Blame It On The Boogie.' "I met Jim and Dan seven years ago, and it was pretty much a mutual love fest from then on in," says Seidler. "I think they're largely seen as a festival band, but they have amazing musical chops. I've been lucky enough to jam with them a few times and they are the real deal. You have no idea how fast they learned all of those songs." The response to the plaques has been immediate, picked up by media across the country. Seidler says he that while he, Tyson Koh and the rest of Keep Sydney Open are beyond thrilled, they're not surprised at how quickly it took off. "The reason we went with this method is that everyone relates to music. We have so much incredible talent that started right here in small to medium venues that are now literally world-class talent, from Anna Lunoe and Alison Wonderland to The Preatures. When you see those names and you put the two things together, the lockouts starts to become a much bigger problem than just where you can have a drink late at night." More on Keep Sydney Open's plaque campaign over here.
Odd Culture has set up shop in the space formerly occupied by King Street dumpling institution Happy Chef, left vacant since a devastating fire in 2018. Now, a French-leaning slick diner and wine bar combo has risen, phoenix-like, out of the literal and proverbial ashes — with approval from the Happy Chef crew — to bring an exciting new venue to Newtown's busiest strip. Odd Culture is a venture by the team behind The Old Fitz and The Duke of Enmore, so the mood is decidedly relaxed. The fit out — all exposed brick, high ceilings and airy street-facing windows — has all the stamps of a good, friendly neighbourhood pub. They've even painted a vintage Reschs advertisement replica on the wall to really hammer it home. But behind the bar and in the kitchen, they're cooking up something a little more special than your average drop-in drinks joint. Executive Chef James MacDonald (formerly of Hubert) and Head Chef Jesse Warkentin, bring to the menu a collision of traditional French influence and exciting Japanese flavours, delivered with great seasonal ingredients and gorgeous plating flair. Case in point: the chicken liver pate with fish sauce caramel served with potato chips is simultaneously sweet, salty and piquant — a terrific umami hit. The menu is arranged by portion size: snacks, small and large. Smalls might include a lively beef tartare, or pickled mussels with celery and smoked cream. The large plates range from blood pancake with pork jowl and fried egg to a no-messing-around koji roasted chicken with togarashi and chicken fat congee, and definitely favours carnivorous patrons with big appetites. The wine list, steered by Odd Culture Group beverage manager Jordan Blackman, is generous and varied with a focus on natural wines, and there's a dozen beers on tap with a hefty selection of international craft beers in the fridge. Come hungry and thirsty with a date or a group of pals. Appears in: The Best Bars in Sydney
Melbourne has long suffered aquatic inferiority to its Australian (okay, Sydney) counterparts. It doesn't have a Bondi, more harbour beaches than it does train lines or a slew of pools where you can catch a glimpse of the Harbour Bridge while doing a few laps of backstroke. But that could all be about to change. In what could be the final thing to make Melbourne the greatest city in the world (subjective, of course), a local non-profit has released a concept for a goddamn swimming pool in the Yarra River. According to The Age, the designs for the Yarra swimming pool were announced last night at as part of Australia's Venice Biennale Exhibition, The Pool. The concept has been jointly created by Melbourne non-profit Yarra Swim Co and UK architects Studio Octopi, who are responsible for proposing a similar concept on London's River Thames. We could probably jump in the Yarra for our excitement. Together they've created a concept for the Yarra pool, which includes a 25-metre lap pool and a smaller children's play pool with planted pontoons off Enterprize Park, which is down under the train lines next to the aquarium. Of course, this doesn't include simply setting up some booms and some lane ropes and charging people six dollars a pop to do some laps. The Yarra is filthy (thanks to that time it was a dumping ground for industrial run-off) and that water needs to be filtered. According to the project's website, they are looking into locally developed technology that may allow river water to supply the pool. The proposed aquatic structure would also have spectacular views from the water and surrounding decks, as well as a cafe and an activated riverbank. 'Ave a look at this render. Inevitably this thing is set to cost a lot of cash — six to eight million, in fact. At the moment the project is just a concept, and Yarra Swim Co will be looking at sponsorship, grants and perhaps even crowdfunding to make up the money. Whatever it costs though, now we know it's an option, we will not rest until we can swim in the Yarra and get a specialty coffee on the banks of the river when we're done. Via The Age.
And now for something completely impractical. Artist Victor Solomon has created our dream basketball hoop, one we're encouraged to miss and be too short to slam dunk. For his newest series Literally Balling (heh), Solomon has crafted three beautiful backboards of stained, Tiffany-style glass. The whole thing's kind of Meret Oppenheim for basketball. Solomon has made unusable the tools of million-dollar paycheck earners — the Le Brons and Durants of the globe's top basketball stars. Fascinated by the obvious link between the players and their affluent lifestyles, Solomon has cheekily rendered their main moneymaker useless — but pretty as hell. The artist spend hundreds of hours cutting and shaping the stained glass backboards, and used gold chains and crystals to replace the net. Pretty sure no one should try a Jordan on one of these. Via Vice.
Focusing on natural and minimal intervention wines, Where's Nick is a sign of things to come in Sydney's wine bar market, and also for the suburb of Marrickville. The area has seen a slate of new operators heading in recently, and the brothers — Julian and Dominic Abouzeid — behind the new venue took over a cake shop after noticing the area had an up and coming market and little competition. They kept the cake shop sign out the front but the long bar, bottle display and chalk board of wines by the glass let you know things have changed. It's said that wine with less chemicals gives you less of a hangover (we can't make any promises), so, with that in mind, pick from the rotating selection of 25 wines which feature small and sustainable producers. For anyone who isn't sure if they buy into the natural wine movement, Where's Nick is a good place to start. After all, it did win Wine Bar of the Year in 2019 for a reason. Now, award winning sommelier Bridget Raffal (Formerly at Sixpenny) is running the bar while the brothers keep next door at the Goblin Wine Shop, ready for all your takeaway needs. The menu by head chef Leila Khazma is Mediterranean inspired. It's snack-centred with plates made to share. Think a crunchy and rich potato galette with confit artichoke and a creamy pecorino custard. Or, keep it simple with some house-made focaccia with extra-virgin olive oil. Images: Kitti Smallbone
A few weeks ago, Merivale announced eight new venues that will seriously raise Sydney's food and drink game (Danielle Alvarez at Fred's, Eric Koh at The Queen Victoria, a spruced-up Ivy Pool Club, a Merivale-style chicken shop and Ben Greeno at The Paddington? Yes, please). Let's add to those venues J&M — a plush new whisky bar in the Angel Hotel. Opening on November 11, the bar draws on its glamorous past as the former site of the iconic House of Merivale and it shows in the interiors. Think rich green velvets, sleek brown leathers and copper accents. It also wouldn't be a whisky bar without the prerequisite chesterfield lounges. Merivale is going all out with this one; J&M boasts a specially imported drinks trolley, named 'The Sidecar' (a collaboration between Moore & Giles and acclaimed barman Jim Meehan) and a long glass bar. J&M is a tribute to the late John Hemmes and his wife Merivale, so it only seems fitting that it would be located where their empire began. Initially launching as a Chivas Regal 18 showcase, J&M wants you to have a "unique, sensory whisky experience". In a clever nod to the empire's roots as a fashion label, the bar's bespoke haberdashery cabinets will be filled with the ingredients that make up Chivas 18. Settle into one of the comfy lounges and enjoy personal trolley service, or sit at the bar to get a side of whisky knowledge with your drink. J&M has an upper hand compared to other bars in that it will stock exclusive whiskies that you can't buy anywhere else in the country. If straight whisky isn't your thing, you can try one of their specially-crafted cocktails with fun names like the 'Blood and Marie' (Chivas Regal 18yo, Cynar, Cherry Heering, Antica Formula, pink grapefruit and cherry dust) and the 'POPSCOF'(buttered popcorn washed Chivas Regal 18yo, salted caramel syrup, bitters and Himalayan salt). A short menu will also be available if you need some nibbles with your drink. J&M is a welcome addition to the city's bar scene and your chance to savour a slice of Sydney history and some world-class whiskies. J&M will be located on Level 2 of the Angel Hotel, 125 Pitt St, Sydney and will open on November 11.
Seasonal change is finally settling into Melbourne and with it comes one of the NGV's best annual exhibitions: the Winter Masterpieces series. This year, it's no secret they've snagged a true master, Vincent Van Gogh, the poster boy for post-impressionism and dramatic self-mutilation. Set to open on April 28 and running until July 19, blockbuster exhibition Van Gogh and the Seasons has been years in the making, and is expected by NGV to draw one of the gallery's biggest audiences yet. Curator Sjraar Van Heugten has fine tuned a thematic exhibition after Van Gogh's own heart, an exploration of the seasons in over 60 works. "In the seasons, he [Van Gogh] has perceived infinity, something larger than humanity. The seasons represent ongoing life," he says. Inside the exhibition, you'll find a fascinating investigation into Van Gogh's life, alongside some of his best naturalist pieces. The artist's character, and his fluctuating mental health, often receive as much attention as his best works. The story of his life, and his death, are expounded wonderfully (and sensitively, snaps for not stigmatising mental health) through quotes, correspondence and essays. Although the collection itself doesn't feature his most famous works, you'll leave with a window into the artist's true persona and an understanding of the sheer breadth of his talent. Structurally, Van Gogh and the Seasons is broken into (you guessed it) the four seasons, that masterfully weave a narrative through the artist's life. The NGV has produced a short accompanying film, narrated by David Stratton and David Wenham, that's worth a watch before you proceed through the exhibition, as it explains the structure of the exhibition and sets the mood. We'll let you experience the exhibition for yourself, but in case you'd like a little guidance in your visit, here are five works you shouldn't miss. A WHEATFIELD WITH CYPRESSES, 1889 This painting is perhaps one of the exhibition's best known pieces. You'll see it emblazoned on all the NGV's marketing collateral and once you're standing in front of it, you can feel why. The vibrant colours and rolling cloud banks are euphoric. There's nothing more to say except this painting is worth the ticket price alone. TREE TRUNKS IN THE GRASS, 1890 The composition of this painting is a departure from the Van Gogh tradition. It's an awkward close-up of a tree trunk and surrounding vegetation but it stands out for the detail, the peaceful atmosphere, and the perfectly balanced colours. Van Gogh painted this in the spring (April) of 1890, just after a period of severe mental illness and only months before taking his own life. VIEW OF SAINTES-MARIES-DE-LA-MER, 1888 Love a good Cezanne town landscape? Don't miss this work. Painstakingly composed and one Van Gogh's more structured pieces, View of Saintes-Maries-de-la-mer will catch you off-guard. While his style was overwhelmingly more fluid and impressionist, this scene is clearly defined and an interesting counterpoint to the rest of the spring and summer pieces. ORCHARD IN BLOSSOM, 1889 This is part of a series in the 'spring' section that is collectively stunning. The delicate pastels used in this season represent Van Gogh's time in Paris, living with his doting brother Theo in Montmartre, where his style lightened and evolved into what we know today as his best works. As a lover of nature, the fertile spring inspired some of his most beautiful pieces. SELF PORTRAIT, 1887 And at the very end of the exhibition, we get a final glimpse of the man who had previously remained faceless. A small but articulate self portrait of a weary looking artist, rendered three years before he died. Van Gogh's final words, spoken to his brother Theo, were famously, "The sadness will last forever". There's a lot of sadness in this exhibition. If you can, we recommend you walk through alone and take it all in. Van Gogh and the Seasons runs April 28 to July 19 at NGV. Installation images: Tom Ross.
Park City, Utah is getting a hit of Australian coffee culture, with the tourist hotspot set to become home to the first international cafe by home-grown coffee roasters Campos Coffee. The Sydney-born coffee shop has announced that it will open its first US store in Park City in mid-December, ensuring locals can finally enjoy a halfway decent flat white. Sorry not sorry, Starbucks. "We've considered the US market for more than ten years, but never found the right fit for us," said Campos founder and president Will Young in announcing the brand's stateside expansion. "As soon as we visited Park City, we knew it would be a perfect extension of the Campos Coffee brand." Park City is known for its tourist economy, driven by multiple ski resorts as well as the annual Sundance Film Festival. "Walking around, you can see the whole town has an active, inclusive and diverse community that cares about the environment," said Young. "Add to this a significant dedication to the arts, such as the Sundance Film Festival, and the decision was made." Campos, which currently has seven stores across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, is following in the footsteps a number of Australian coffee brands who have set up shop in the United States. Most recently Paramount Coffee Project opened up a base in Los Angeles. Look for Campos Coffee in Park City, Utah from mid-December.
Icebergs restaurant manager David Owen is quitting multi-million dollar South Bondi views in favour of of the north. In five weeks, he’ll open his new eatery, Paradise Road Diner in North Bondi, alongside Bondi’s Best, The Hill and the bus terminal where 380s break between loops. Though details are still scant, Good Food reports that Owen is planning on a "modern American diner". We're not too sure if the name 'Paradise Road' is any kind of reference to the 1997 fact-based war film starring Glenn Close recounting of a group of women who are imprisoned in Sumatra by Japanese troops during World War II, but we're banking on the fact that it's simply a naive, tropical, beachy, unrelated name. Owen will run the restaurant in league with Gaudi Diaz, who co-owns Byron Bay’s Italian at the Pacific. And Owen's no spring chicken at the restaurant game. Before taking on the management of the Icebergs restaurant, he held numerous positions both here and overseas — we're talking a string of fancy, fancy joints, including London's Soho House, Cecconi’s, Gordon Ramsay and Aqua Group. Paradise Road will join a slew of new restaurants to have opened up in Bondi during the past couple of years, from Matt Moran’s North Bondi Fish to Maurice Terzini’s Da Ozario Pizza + Porchetta. What’s more, Ian Oakes, ex-Grand National chef, has told GF that he’ll be taking over the space previously occupied by La Macelleria. And who knows what culinary adventures might be factored into the Bondi Pavilion’s $10 million revamp over the next decade? Via Good Food.
Few documentarians have the same taste for hot button issues as Academy Award winner Alex Gibney. From Julian Assange (We Steal Secrets) to Lance Armstrong (The Armstrong Lie), enhanced interrogation (Taxi to the Darkside) and sexual abuse in the Catholic Church (Mea Maxima Culpa), the New York filmmaker certainly isn’t afraid of controversy, as his latest film once again proves. Going Clear is a revealing and often disturbing look at the history, tenets and purportedly shady practices of one of the most divisive religious organisations in the world. If even half of what is alleged in it is true, then it’s not just an incredible doco, but a first-rate horror movie as well. Early sections of the film concern the early days of Scientology, and in particular the life of its creator, L. Ron Hubbard. Throughout the ‘30s and ‘40s Hubbard worked as a struggling science-fiction and fantasy writer, during which time his then wife claims he often remarked that “the only way to make any real money was to have a religion”. It was in the early '50s that Hubbard released Dianetics, a self-help book that would form the basis for Scientology. Yet as the movement grew, so too did its founder’s neurosis. The latter half of the film concerns Scientology under David Miscavige, who became head of the church after Hubbard’s death. This section leans heavily on a number of interviews with ex-Scientologists, including Oscar-winning Hollywood director Paul Haggis, as well as the head of the shadowy Office of Special Affairs — a kind of church secret service charged with running smear campaigns against members who dared to speak out. “People will judge me as really stupid,” says Haggis ruefully. “But then, I was really stupid.” With these chilling testimonials, Gibney dismisses the idea that the church is simply a group of harmless eccentrics. Stories of intimidation, brainwashing and emotional and physical abuse are but the tip of the iceberg — and the agony doesn’t always end once you leave. Many members who abandoned the church have found themselves cut off from their friends and family, while others have been targeted for ongoing public harassment. But perhaps the most telling thing about the film has been the way the church has reacted to it. Almost every person involved in the production of the documentary has had their character viciously attacked; the organisation has even gone after film critics who published positive reviews. So, at the risk of opening ourselves up to unwanted confrontation: go and see this movie as soon as you possibly can.
For everyone who can't make a trip to IKEA to buy furniture and homewares without eating meatballs, but also doesn't eat meat, the Swedish retailer has added both vegetarian and plant-based versions to its range in recent years, including Down Under. But what if you feel the same about the chain's hot dogs? Enter IKEA's plant dogs, which have just hit Australian stores. Let's be honest — getting through a visit to the brand's warehouse-sized outlets doesn't just involve shopping, and also deciding that everything in your house could use a facelift, but also working up an appetite while browsing and buying. Accordingly, it usually entails tucking into one of IKEA's famed bites, whether you're sitting down for those meatballs mid-shop or nabbing a hot dog on the way to the car. Obviously, the original meaty hot dogs that've been on offer for more than four decades aren't going anywhere; however, these new plant dogs expand the range. They're made from rice protein, plus carrot, onion and apple — and they'll set you back $2 a dog. IKEA is working to make 50 percent of the meals in its restaurant meals plant-based by 2025, with offering plant dogs the next step in that direction. In Sydney only, on four individual dates, the brand is also busting out a plant dog truck to hand out freebies. You'll find it at IKEA Marsden Park from 2–6pm on Tuesday, May 28 and at IKEA Tempe from 11am–3pm on Wednesday, May 29. After that, it's popping up at Centenary Square in Parramatta from 12–4pm on Thursday, May 30 and at Dolphin Court at Bondi Pavilion, Bondi Beach, from 11am–3pm on Saturday, June 1. To nab a free taste — your choice of a plant dog or plant balls — from the yellow-hued truck at its Sydney stops, you will need to show your IKEA Family membership (and if you're not already a member, you can sign up for free online). IKEA's plant dogs are now available at its Australian stores — head to the chain's website for further details. The IKEA plant dog truck is popping up across Sydney from Tuesday, May 28–Thursday, May 30 and on Saturday, June 1.
We may still be stuck in the dying days of a rainy, rainy winter, but for one afternoon, on one rooftop in Sydney, summer is coming to town. To celebrate the launch of their latest beer, Heineken are teaming up with the five star Primus Hotel for a full blown beach party six stories up. The fun kicks off at 3pm on Saturday, August 27, with a handful of spots on the proverbial sand still available. The hotel's rooftop pool area will be transformed into a fully heated indoor-outdoor beach club, complete with DJ, live entertainment and all your favourite summer foods, plus a whole bunch of ice-cold brews. The whole thing is to mark the release of Heineken's new beer — a beverage that, for the time being, remains shrouded in secrecy, and that guests at the rooftop event will be among the first in the world to try. Mystery beer by the pool? We're in. To score an invite to Heineken's Ultimate Summer Rooftop Pool Party, register your details via the link on the Facebook event page.
If you want to know what it feels like to have Siri laugh at you, ask them to search for "small garden hideaway with excellent food, drink, music in Sydney's CBD". Once you've done that, head back here so we can give you what you want. Since I Left You, the 21st-century city speakeasy nestled in a heritage-listed storehouse in the centre of Sydney, has announced another chapter of The SILY Sessions. The once-monthly sessions are live gigs, but not as you know them. This month, you'll catch the immensely talented Kaloune who heads to Sydney all the way from La Reunion Island, plus local talent Maia Marsh and SILY Sessions alumni Jannah Beth. But rather than spending the day being elbowed in the face at varying intensities, the performance is small — 50 people max — generally acoustic and includes antipasti and special cocktail offers. The gig takes place in SILY's courtyard which is transformed into a 'tropical oasis' for the occasion. With only 50 tickets to each session, you'll need to clamour for seats. Once you're there, though, relaxation, fine food and great music are all that need concern you. For those left out in the cold, each performance is recorded and available for purchase. Plus there's always next month. Take that, Siri.
With patches of spring starting to infiltrate the city, one might be forgiven for assuming that winter has done its dash. Perhaps. But theatre is not a beast governed by the seasons and August has some seriously chilly offerings to impart. A bitter old man losing his mind and his furniture as he hurtles headlong into death's maw. A rebel racing to tear down an asylum before his brain fries. A Gordian knot of emotional destitution that its creator would never see performed. Dispense with the mittens, sure. But theatrically speaking, you're not out of the woods yet.
It's great that rum is no longer only associated with pirates and over the top tiki bars. In the past few years we've seen a resurgence of this spirit that's born from sugarcane — it now doesn't just appear in the mojito, but is a staple of the bar menu. Bartenders regularly use rum to spice up classic cocktails and create over the top drinks. Sydney has many specialty rum bars in which knowledgeable bartenders (who know the difference between light and dark rum) perfectly mix up rum cocktails and know exactly what to mix with each type. In partnership with Baron Samedi Spiced, we asked our friends at The Lobo Plantation in Sydney for a few ways to use rum — so we can reignite our love for this tropical spirit and shake up our at-home cocktail routine. TASTE THE FLAVOURS IN AN OLD FASHIONED An old fashioned is a classic cocktail, often enjoyed with whisky, but best enjoyed with rum. It's a simple combination of rum, bitters and orange peel — easy to make, and a great way to take time to taste the flavours in your rum (rather than having it mixed into a tropical cocktail where the other flavours will overwhelm it). To make the The Lobo Plantation old fashioned, simply fill an old fashioned glass (the same size as a Negroni glass) with ice, add a shot of Baron Samedi Spiced (4oml), a splash of bitters and sugar syrup and stir it all together gently for 30 seconds. Top with an orange peel for a little citrus twist. TRY SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE TROPICAL Another classic way to enjoy rum is to mix it into a tropical, colourful cocktail and pretend you're on holiday. This type of drink should preferably be served in an extravagant glass, or served with a creative garnish (The Lobo Plantation serve theirs with a mini pineapple on top). To make The Lobo Plantation's Carribean-inspired Bajan Julep, build crushed ice into a tall glass and add a shot (40ml) of Baron Samedi Spiced. Mix in a dash of blackberry liqueur and a dash of fresh lemon juice, then add a teaspoon of passionfruit, a teaspoon of sugar and top it all off with ginger beer. ENJOY ON ITS OWN If you've decided that you really like rum, an easy, delicious way to enjoy it is to drink it on its own, stirred with a little ice. Rum was manufactured, distilled and made long before any other spirit was, and each brand has developed its own particular flavours and methods of distillation. Baron Samedi Spiced is infused with vanilla, cocoa, cinnamon that give off rich flavours of butterscotch, coffee and vanilla. Like whisky, when you sip rum the flavours are much more apparent. Although rum is made by distilling the byproducts of sugarcane — that long grass that's prevalent in countries like the Carribean and the Philippines, it tastes much more complex than that. It's delicious. Images: Kimberley Low at The Lobo Plantation.
In European rural communities, wine-making has been an inclusive experience for centuries. What better way to forge village connections than by the mass squashing of grapes and shared sampling of the results? Here in Australia, however, exorbitant distances mean that our quaffing usually happens a long way from the bottle’s source. Even if you are curious about setting up your own winery, it all looks rather pricey and tricky from the outside. Three guys in Melbourne want to change all that. They’re set on opening the city’s first interactive ‘urban winery’. And, through their Pozible campaign, they’re hoping to enlist your help. At Noisy Ritual, you’ll be able to take a hands- and feet-on role in the creation of people-powered, group-owned, premium quality wine, using old-school strategies — from the messy luxury of the mid-March stomp, to the squidgy fun of early-April pressing, to the spring magic of bottling — without leaving the Melbourne met area. The project came about when winemaker Alexander Byrne (of Lethbridge Wines) discovered a fermentation tank beneath the Thornbury house of schoolmate, Cam Nicol. “We decided then and there that we’d have to make use of it, because it was the only logical thing to do,” Cam says. “So, in autumn this year, Alex brought two half-tonne batches of shiraz grapes up from Geelong, from where he works. A few friends put in money to buy them, and we formed a basic winemaking syndicate. When it came to labour time, we’d have mini-parties, doing our stomping or pressing downstairs then coming upstairs, to eat and socialise.” Before that, Cam, a "music industry multi-tasker", was new to winemaking. “The process was a massively educational one for me,” he says. “I’d never known much about wine, so being involved in the making of it was a doorway into wine culture. It was something I’d always felt intimidated about and found it hard to converse about, because there’s a lot of assumed knowledge when you’re talking to people who actually know about wine.” Nervous whenever you sidle up to a wine-tasting counter? Not sure about deciphering the difference between a leather tone and a blackberry one? Noisy Ritual intends to have you demystified in a matter of months. Figuring that other people might benefit from the same learning curve, Cam suggested to Alex and another winemaking school buddy, Sam Vogel (Provenance Wines), that they take their neighbourhood operations citywide. Once funding is secured for Noisy Ritual, they’re planning on moving from Cam’s place to a bigger space, somewhere near Brunswick. In 2015, members (join up by pledging) will be able to take an active part in winemaking, in a party atmosphere fuelled by live music, DJs, wine tastings and food. To stem your loneliness in the lapses between the action, there’ll be special events and ample opportunities to drop in, to "taste the wine straight from the barrel, take some measurements, bend a winemaker’s ear or just give a barrel a hug". Images by Tajette O'Halloran.
With summer glimmering on the horizon — bringing with it the promise of gloriously warm, long nights — it's the perfect time to start thinking about your first dinner party of the season. But if the thought of hosting yet another classic evening meal around your dining table fills you with something close to dread, why not make this summer one of experimentation instead? To help make this social season more exciting, we've collaborated with KitchenAid (to celebrate the launch of the KitchenAid Mini in Australia) and come up with five simple ways to take your next dinner party from conventional to creative. Pick your favourite idea, send out the invitations, and get ready to become your friends' favourite host. TAKE IT OUTSIDE There's something about dining al fresco that always feels so luxurious. So why not take advantage of the warm weather and host your party in the backyard? Decorate a table with a bright cloth, a few fresh flowers, heaps of candles, and artfully mismatched crockery and your guests will feel like they're dining in a romantic European café. For additional charm, hang fairy-lights from the trees and use lanterns to illuminate the walkway between your house and the garden. If you've got a pool, make sure to set your table near it — while it's not exactly oceanfront dining, it comes pretty damn close. You could also switch things up by taking a page out of the pop-up restaurant playbook and having dinner in the front yard – the enhanced opportunity for people-watching is an added bonus. PARTY FOR A GOOD CAUSE Take inspiration from initiatives like the Big Aussie Barbie and turn your dinner party into a mini fundraiser for your favourite charity. Simply ask guests to pay a small entry fee to attend (set up a simple webpage to streamline the process and avoid having to hassle your mates for cash on the day) and then donate the funds to the charity of your choice. Make sure to tell your guests a little bit about the organisation so they understand where their contributions will be going. As for the party itself, your options are endless. You could, for example, host a BBQ, a cocktail party, or a games night. You could also theme your event in a way that aligns with the charity, like having guests dress up in the colour associated with the cause (pink for breast cancer, for example). UP YOUR ALCOHOL GAME Instead of the predictable bottles of wine and beer, treat your guests to an alcoholic summer punch. Serve your concoction in a pretty glass bowl, with a medley of colourful fruits at the bottom, and you've also got yourself a sweet centrepiece. Another idea is to try your hand at homemade frosé—we promise it's easier than it sounds and is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser. If you're feeling especially creative, why not set up a little cocktail station with a few easy classics? Gin & Tonics, Dark & Stormies, and Caipirinhas are perennial favourites that can all be made with just three ingredients. Pre-garnish the glasses (ant-rimmed Aussie South Side, anyone?) for a lavish finishing touch. HOST A GIG IN YOUR HOUSE So you've hosted a brunch party, are an old-hand at whipping up delicious homemade cocktails, and have mastered the art of al fresco dining? Then it's time to take your party to the next level with Parlour Gigs. This ingenious initiative lets you bring live music into your living room. We know, it sounds almost too good to be true. Hosting a gig is insanely easy: simply sign up on the website, invite a local artist to play, and, once they've accepted, share a private invite with your mates. Then, set up your space with a few comfy chairs, plush pillows, and some mood lighting for a unique evening that is guaranteed to have your friends talking all summer long. BRUNCH PARTY? Yes, we know, "dinner party" connotes an evening meal but why not switch things up and host a brunch party instead? Not only is brunch arguably the best meal of the day, having people over in the late morning or early afternoon let's you make the most of the summer sunshine, while also being cheaper and easier to put together than dinner. What's not to love? To pull off a successful brunch party, make a few easy main dishes with your KitchenAid Mini (meals you can prep in advance, like french toast or quiche, are ideal), pick up some pastries from your favourite bakery (here are our picks), cut up some seasonal fruits, throw everything onto a pretty tablecloth and you're good to go. For an extra touch, set up a simple mimosa bar with a few pitchers of orange or grapefruit juice and a couple of bottles of bubbly.
For many, the idea of camping — packing the car with a tent, sleeping bag or swag and going bush for a healthy dose of nature – is fun. For others, the idea of getting out into the great outdoors sends a shiver of displeasure up the spine. But no matter which camp you fall into, we're happy to report that there's a middle ground. And that middle ground is glamping. A portmanteau of glamour and camping, glamping has gained popularity among those of us who are happy to camp as long as we have small luxuries such as wifi, coffee and comfortable bedding. Take a coffee break and scroll through ten of the world's most incredible, luxurious glamping experiences — from Queensland to Tanzania, via Chile. NIGHTFALL, LAMINGTON NATIONAL PARK, QUEENSLAND Breathe in the pure, fresh mountain air at Nightfall, and you'll feel like you've finally arrived at the life you should have been living all of these years. This super-exclusive camp is limited to six guests at a time, so you'll be guaranteed privacy. Take a dip in a natural spa pool in nearby rapids, or just laze in your private luxury tent accommodation. Located in a 'Lost World' paradise, this luxury camping accommodation would be absolutely perfect for a special anniversary, a birthday holiday, or just because you want to. MERZOUGA LUXURY DESERT CAMP, MOROCCO Imagine enjoying a sumptuous Moroccan feast under the stars in the heart of the desert, before retiring to your tent for a sound sleep in a squishy-soft bed. And when you open the traditional camel-skin door on your tent the next morning, a sea of red sand dunes rise up to greet you. Well imagine no more, because this is exactly what you're going to get when you head to the Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp in Morocco. Located in the quiet and idyllic sand dunes of Erg Chebbi, this tastefully appointed and endlessly glamorous camp is perfect for those seeking a luxury stay in one of the most incredible deserts in the world. WILD RETREAT, TOFINO, BRITISH COLUMBIA Few wilderness camps even come close to the experience you're going to have at Wild Retreat. ScarJo and Ryan Reynolds honeymooned here (that's enough reason in itself to visit), and since it's only accessible by seaplane or boat, you're at greater risk of being accosted by a bunch of raccoons than being overrun by tourists. Enjoy the charming vintage-style tents, and then get out there and explore the incredible wilderness of British Columbia. PAWS UP, MONTANA, USA If you have something special to celebrate and you happen to find yourself in Montana, then we suggest that you get yourself to the Paws Up luxury camping park and indulge in the Cliffside Camp experience. Each safari-like tent comes complete with a private bathroom, fans, heaters, fine bed linen and a chef and butler at your beck and call. There's a dining area with a view you'll never find in Australia, and you won't have to sacrifice a good coffee and breakfast in the morning. LEWA SAFARI CAMP, KENYA If seeing the "big five" (lions, elephants, buffalo, leopard and rhino) is on your list of things to do, then you might just want to fling yourself in the direction of the Lewa Safari Camp. Spread out in your comfortable private tent under your thatched roof, and enjoy the sight of animals sunning themselves on the stunning Lewa plains through your opaque tent. Perhaps you might feel like taking a picnic out onto the plains. That's totally acceptable, and indeed encouraged. SPICERS CANOPY, SCENIC RIM, QUEENSLAND There are only ten tents at the Spicers Canopy accommodation in Queensland's Scenic Rim, so you're not going to be grappling with the crowds when it's brekky time. Meals are prepared from local produce by Spicers' experienced chefs, so you're about as far from the 'traditional' camping fare of beer-cooked barbecue as you can get here. Rejoice. Pull up a log at the open fire by night, and then snuggle up in your luxury tent (complete with hot water bottle turn down service) to sleep the night under the stars. SANCTUARY RETREATS PRIVATE CAMPING, TANZANIA Go on a safari trip in the game-filled wilderness of Kenya by day, and then enjoy a perfectly heavenly naval bucket bubble bath under the stars at this glamorous safari camp in Tanzania. Afterwards, slink back to your tent and sink into your bed, which has been tastefully draped with fabrics and covered in the softest of mosquito nets. You'll enjoy finding nods to Balinese and Italian styling throughout your luxury accommodation. Sanctuary Retreats encourage you to spend two weeks glamping with them in the wilderness — that's how luxe this place is. PATAGONIA CAMP, CHILE Enjoy the luxury of kipping in a yurt in the heart of the Chilean wilderness. Feel ever so spoiled as you laze in your cosy king-sized bed, tastefully decorated with local handcrafted textiles at the luxury Patagonia Camp in Chile. Thanks to a large central dome, you can look up at the clouds by day, and then enjoy the sight of a million and one stars overhead at night. PAMPERED WILDERNESS, WASHINGTON, USA Switch on your flat screen TV, snuggle up on the king-sized platform bed and then toast some marshmallows for s'mores on your outdoor fire pit when you stay in the Safari Suite cabin at Pampered Wilderness in Washington. Nestled in the heart of the historic 842-acre Millersylvania State Park, you can enjoy relaxed rambles though old growth cedar and fir forests, or take a dip in the freshwater Deep Lake. After tiring yourself out on a walk, head back to your cabin to enjoy a drink from your minibar as you watch the sunset from your deck. PRIORY BAY HOTEL, ISLE OF WIGHT, UK While most of the guests who stay at the Priory Bay Hotel live it up in the hotel, you're going to buck the trend and get what is arguably a far better experience when you stay in one of the designer crafted yurts. Enter your yurt home through stable doors with French windows before stepping down onto your secluded terrace. Maybe laze on a beanbag if the ordeal of standing on your own feet all becomes too much. Spend your days gazing out on sandy Priory Bay beach, taking bracing countryside walks, or rambling along woodland paths, nibbling on blackberries, and spotting squirrels. Top Image: Wild Retreat, Tofino, British Columbia.
They say home is where the heart is. If that's the case then we need to get our heart into one of these places as soon as physically possible. Houses Magazine has just revealed the winners of the 2015 Houses Awards, singling out some of the most innovative and extravagant homesteads in the country. The top prize, Australian House of the Year, went to Planchonella House in far north Queensland; the extravagant tropical abode that bears at least a passing resemblance to a villain's lair in a Bond film also won the gong for New House over 200m². The prize for New House under 200m² went to Sawmill House in regional Victoria, which combines more than 250 one ton concrete blocks with a timber screen and a nine metre long sliding glass wall. Best Apartment or Unit went to The Darlinghurst Apartment, a one-bedroom dwelling in inner-Sydney just 27m² in size. The competition also hands out awards for Outdoor and Sustainable residences, which this year went to the partially roofless (and bafflingly named) Cut Paw Paw in Seddon, Victoria and the QV8 apartments in the Melbourne CBD, respectively. The Houses Awards are decided by a panel of esteemed designers and architects. You can find the full list of this year's winners below. AUSTRALIAN HOUSE OF THE YEAR – Planchonella House by Jesse Bennet Architecture. NEW HOUSE UNDER 200M² – Sawmill House by Archier Studio. NEW HOUSE OVER 200M² – Planchonella House by Jesse Bennet Architecture. HOUSE ALTERATION & ADDITION UNDER 200M² – West End Cottage by Vokes and Peters. HOUSE ALTERATION & ADDITION OVER 200M² – Tower House by Andrew Maynard Architects. APARTMENT OR UNIT – Darlinghurst Apartment by Brad Swartz Architect. OUTDOOR – Cut Paw Paw by Andrew Maynard Architects. SUSTAINABLE – QV8 by Breathe Architecture. HOUSE IN A HERITAGE CONTEXT – House in House by Steffen Welsch Architects.
Melburnians rejoice! Our time has come to put on our red shoes and dance the blues. David Bowie Is, the most talked about exhibition all year, has graced us with its almighty presence. Now you can all stop complaining that you only just missed it when it was in London, and get to ACMI ASAP. The exhibition features a whole heap of Bowie-related items, including costumes, sets, lyrics, album artwork, rare footage and obviously, music. Really, you had us at 'Bowie Exhibition'. You could charge $20 to come and view just one sequinned shoulder pad, and we’d still be running one-another down to get to the entrance. But before you rush too quickly out the door, you might want to prepare yourself for the onslaught of aggressively competitive Bowie fanatics who'll be lining up and no doubt loudly exclaiming various facts and quotes to out-Bowie each other. You know, the kind who will be all, "That’s not even David’s correct blood type..." So to help you stand your ground, we've put together this list of pointers. Consider this your David Bowie homework. WATCH (OR REWATCH) LABYRINTH First and foremost, rewatch Labyrinth. Or, at the very least, get your fix through one of the greatest, most terrifying moments from everyone’s childhood that is the clip above. Bask in the glory of Bowie as he dances around with a large swarm of tiny alcoholic goblin puppets. It truly is something to behold. Extra fun fact: Toby Frouder, the actor who, as a baby, quite convincingly played the baby in Labyrinth, is now a puppeteer himself. A goblin puppeteer, in fact. It's true and it's amazing. HAVE SOME BOWIE MERCHANDISE TO FLASH Drunkenly purchase yourself some Bowie merchandise in the wee hours of the morning. Not speaking from experience at all, but when your new Aladdin Sane queen-size bed set arrives in the mail, you'll thank your past boozed-out self. Take a snap on your phone and set it as your background so when you waltz around the exhibit, you can be like "lol, I’m sleeping with Bowie tonight lol lol." Everyone will love you for it and think you are hilarious and original. They will. BRUSH UP ON YOUR BOWIE CAMEOS Remember that time Bowie starred as Pontius Pilate alongside Willem Dafoe’s Jesus in The Last Temptation of Christ? Yeah. That happened. Well, just in case someone quizzes you on that, you can memorise the full scene from here (but don’t, because it’s not great.) In fact, Bowie has a habit of popping up in unexpected places, everywhere from Zoolander to Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwdORJVw3-o[/embed] GET THE LIVE(ISH) EXPERIENCE There’s a million videos of Davey B killing it on stage, but our personal favourite is this performance of ‘Under Pressure’ featuring Annie Lennox at the Freddie Mercury tribute concert in 1992. Unfortunately Bowie and Mercury never performed the song together live (can you actually imagine how incredible that performance would have been?), but it’s fair to say Lennox did a pretty phenomenal job. The dress, the three-piece green suit, the long loving embrace. It’s all too much. MEMORISE AT LEAST ONE BIT OF OBSCURE BOWIE TRIVIA When he was 13, Bowie was punched by his mate George Underwood over some mix-up with a girl (cuuute), and was left with a permanently dilated pupil. This story is relatively well-known and won’t earn you any Bow-n-ie points amongst aficionados. But what you may not know is that Underwood continued being one of Bowie’s best mates. Not only that, he's responsible for two of Bowie’s album covers, in Hunky Dory and The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars. This proves that Bowie's a forgiving gentleman and all-round top bloke, just like we always knew he was. David Bowie Is will be at ACMI until November 1. See the full program of exhibition-related events at www.acmi.net.au/bowie. Top image: Masayoshi Sukita, The David Bowie Archive.
The Art Gallery of New South Wales is getting nude, and not nude in some kind of metaphorical minimalist kind of way. Nude in the most literal sense of the word. The full frontal kind. And really, is there any better way to celebrate summer that getting your kit off? Every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night at the Art Gallery of NSW in January 2017 you can. Well, not really, thats all kinds of illegal. But you can go see the Art Gallery's celebration of nudity in their major summer after-hours program, Nude at Night. Hinged around the Nude: Art from the Tate collection, Nude at Night is a free series of talks, live music, nude-themed film screenings, guided tours from local artists and thinkers, as well as nearly-nude drawing workshops (the best kind of workshop). In association with the Sydney Festival, our limber friends from the Sydney Dance Company will also be performing a work inspired by the exhibition. The cornerstone exhibition Nude will display more than 100 iconic works by iconic artists such as Pablo Picasso, Lucian Freud, Henri Matisse and Louise Bourgeois. After a night of admiring the human form, you're invited to wind down at the pop-up bar in the gallery forecourt. Each Nude at Night will have a different theme. Wednesdays are all about talks, with prominent Australian writers taking to the stage to compose fictional backstories to the featured artworks. The lineup includes some top writers including Christos Tsiolkas, Linda Jaivin, Benjamin Law, Anita Heiss and Michael Leunig. Thursday nights take on a more philosophical edge, with thinkers from The School of Life gathering to discuss writing and theories behind the fluid concepts of nudity and nakedness. Topping off your week the best way possible is the 'Nearly Nude' drawing workshops on Friday nights, conveniently located in the pop-up bar every Friday eve in January. Nude at Night kicks off Wednesday, January 4 and runs until Friday, January 27 at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. For more information about nightly events, please visit the Nude at Night website.
Bad news for online shopping addicts: Federal Treasurer Joe Hockey has declared his intention to abolish the $1000 GST-free threshold on overseas purchases by July 1, 2017. The announcement, which came after a day of tax reform talks between state and federal treasurers, means that all items purchased from overseas retailers, including those bought through online shopping services such as Amazon, will soon be subject to the same standard 10 percent GST surcharge as items purchased in Australia. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Hockey said that the change will help deliver "competitive neutrality for Australian businesses, and ensure fair and equal treatment of goods and services. If goods and services would have the GST applied in Australia, then the same should apply for goods from overseas." He also stated that the decision had been made "with the unanimous agreement of Labor and Liberal states and territories". Hockey told the ABC that "what it effectively means is that we're going to have taxation officials travel around the world and visiting these companies and asking them to register for GST purposes." Only those companies with an annual GST turnover of more than $75,000 will be affected. This will also include companies that provide digital content services, such as Netflix and Facebook. If overseas companies prove unwilling to comply with Australian government requests, an alternative method of collecting the GST could be for Australians to pay the surcharge separately upon receipt of their purchased item. The potential issue with this method would be the cost of assessing each item as it reaches the border – something that Hockey as dismissed as "plainly ridiculous." The treasurer is apparently confident that the amount of revenue raised by this new scheme will outweigh the costs of enforcing it – despite recent findings by the Productivity Commission to the contrary. According to news.com.au, however, a spokesperson for Mr. Hockey yesterday admitted that the treasury has yet to perform any modelling on the economic impact of the proposed changes. Ultimately, the most depressing thing about this story is that regardless of whether we end up paying the GST, it may still be cheaper to purchase things online — which does rather put a damper on Hockey's 'levelling the playing field' rhetoric. As it stands now, you've got just under two years to get in all your impulse buying before you get whacked with an additional fee. Image: Dollar Photo Club
Run away with the circus on New Year's Eve (and stay there for early morning on New Year's Day). If your new year celebrations are often filled with unrealised expectations and warm beer, this year could be the year you vow to make it different — and the perfect solution might be Sydney's Harbour Hoopla, a new event looking forward to shaking its sequins and twirling its hoops at you. Harbour Hoopla is 'vintage-circus themed', meaning there will be some highly sassy costumes as well as props popping up everywhere. Held at Tarpeian Way (inside the Botanic Garden Sydney), there will be games, a theatrical photo booth, circus performers a-plenty, and a DJ once the night gets into swing. It's the perfect location to watch the iconic New Year's Eve fireworks, the harbour bridge is right next door and it's sure to supply incredible views. You and your mates can come dressed in your circus best (or your stroke-of-midnight-best will do), or hit up the photo booth props at the venue for some snaps. Hungry after all that frolicking? You get a picnic hamper upon entry with a salad, poached chicken main, dessert and cheese plate, and there's a (cash only) bar on premises. BYO rug, that ridiculous dress at the back of your wardrobe, and cash (no ATMs on site). We also suggest you start practicing your cartwheels for when you decide that joining the circus is the best thing to do with your life this year. Tickets are selling fast — two out of four of the Royal Botanic Garden's events have already sold out. We've got six tickets to Harbour Hoopla to give away — enter your details below and you're in the running to head along and take five of your friends. [competition]599091[/competition]
A few of Sydney's hospo greats have joined forces to revamp Double Bay's old Limoncello site, giving it new life as an Italian eatery. Orazio D'Elia (Da Orazio Pizza and Porchetta), Eddie Levy (Kittyhawk, Lobo Plantation and Darlo Country Club) and Adam Abrams (also of Darlo Country Club) will open Matteo on Wednesday, July 5. The restaurant is named after D'Elia's two-month-old baby boy. "Finding the name is the hardest thing and in the end Eddie convinced me to go with Matteo," says D'Elia. "It means I have to put a lot of soul and work into this restaurant because it has to be perfect with my son's name." This genuine big-heart Italian nature is indicative of of D'Elia and his signature ventures. The three mates had been chatting about opening a new venue together for a while — and when they visited the Limoncello site, things just fell into place. "They knew I was looking for something and said they liked the look of the Limoncello site,"says D'Elia. "I actually used to work as head chef there and we got a good opportunity to take it." While Matteo will cater to families during the day, the vibe will change to a cocktail den by night, with DJs on the weekends and Quynh Nguyen (Brooklyn Social, Luis Tan, Icebergs and China Diner) behind the drinks list. Cocktails will focus on simple ingredients with some Italian twists, like blood orange and Amaro Montenegro. As with Da Orazio, the Italian eatery will be all about house-made pastas, pizzas and share plates, focusing on simple Italian dishes — think seasonal snapper cooked in rock salt, char-grilled octopus (this reminds D'Elia of summer in Europe), and, for winter, saffron capunti (that's a pea pod-shaped pasta) with osso buco ragu. The traditional pizza menu will include a few focaccias and tiramisu for dessert because, as D'Elia puts it, "every Italian restaurant needs to have a tiramisu". The 150-seater features a Mediterranean-style fit-out by interior designer Ian Nessick, which includes a six-metre-long marble and stone bar, hand-rolled porcelain light fittings and upcycled aged timber ceilings and panelling that give the feel of an old Italian house. The new pizza oven, which just arrived from Italy, is the hero of the open kitchen and the finishes are multicoloured Italian terrazzo throughout — that chipped marble set in concrete that is characteristic of the Mediterranean. "We wanted to elevate the interior to match the food," says Nessick. "Ori [Orazio] is authentic Italian and cooks from the heart, so that is at the soul of the fit-out as well, and why the kitchen is at the centre of the venue." The colour palate is earthy and light, with blonde American oak tables and chairs with rust coloured upholstery. The open deck out front has been designed to feel like you're sitting on a luxury yacht, and will host an aperitivo hour. "The space has a really handmade feel and is turning into the most beautiful little restaurant," says Nessick. D'Elia has recently made the decision to leave his hatted Bondi restaurant so he can focus on Restaurant Matteo full time, with his business partner, Maurice Terzini, taking the reigns and Icebergs' chef Monty Koludrovic stepping up in the kitchen at Da Orazio. Of the new Double Bay restaurant, he says: "I want this space to be something people will enjoy as an experience and make them feel like they're coming to eat with me and my family." Matteo will open on Wednesday, July 5 at 29 Bay Street, Double Bay. For more info, visit matteosydney.com. Images and video: Steven Woodburn.
God knows we all spend way too much time looking at our phones. Whether you're texting, tweeting or chasing imaginary Japanese monsters, it seems like people constantly have their eyes glued to tiny screens. At best, it can be a wee bit anti-social. At worst, it can actually be really dangerous. Case in point: this teenager who got hit by a car while playing Pokémon Go. Fortunately for the technology-addicted, artist and designer Ekene Ijeoma has created a new mobile app designed to get people to tear their faces away from their phones. Look Up New York City causes your phone to vibrate whenever you're approaching an intersection, while also drawing data from the New York Department of Transportation to give each intersection an "energy score." The higher the score, the more frequent the number of accidents that take place there, and the more users should maybe think about paying attention to where it is they're walking. The purpose of the app is twofold, with its creators hoping to reduce the number of accidents while also encouraging social interaction. "Whether it's strangers making eye contact and saying hello or friends hugging, Look Up hopes to tear down the digital walls we build up, opening us to seeing, acknowledging and valuing the people and city around us," reads a statement on the Look Up website. Look Up is currently available on Android devices, with an iOS app coming soon. No word on whether they're planning on branching out beyond NYC, although we can easily imagine it taking off across the world. In the mean time, if you're reading this on your phone, please keep an eye on where you're going. https://vimeo.com/171683941 Via PSFK.
Flume is teaming up with LA-based, Australian-born visual artist Jonathan Zawada for a blink and you'll miss it multimedia pop-up in Surry Hills this December. Named after the ARIA chart-topping musician's sophomore album Skin, for which Zawada created the cover art, live graphics, related videos and merchandise, the free exhibition will be open at Special Group Studios on Devonshire Street from Wednesday, December 7 through to Sunday, December 11, and will feature a series of new video works created exclusively for the show. "I've always been a huge fan of Jonathan's work so it's been a privilege to have him involved in the visual aesthetic around Skin, from the album art to the live show and merch," said Flume. "Visually I'm interested in the contrast of organic and synthetic, Jonathan's work so cleverly depicts this so it's been a natural fit for the music. I love the way he embraces technology to twist and contort things from the real world in alien ways." The pop-up will feature eight never-before-seen videos that combine fantastical animation by Zawada with ethereal sound design by Flume. Alongside these will be a series of large scale silk prints that further highlight the pair's unique creative partnership. You can check out Skin from December 7 to 11 at Special Group Studios, 270 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills. Keep your eyes on social media for more information closer to the opening date.
A new prepaid initiative from Uber looks set to deal yet another blow to the rapidly dying taxi industry. You remember taxis don’t you? They were those cars that used to drive around the city not picking you up, which didn't show up when you called them and whose drivers didn't know how to operate a GPS. They were all the rage back in the day, before people had literally any other option. Rolling out in New York City over the next couple of weeks, UberEVENTS will allow event organisers to arrange prepaid Ubers for their guests. You simply log on to the Uber website and enter your information, including how many guest passes you'd like to prebook. Uber then sends those passes to you so you can forward them on to your guests. When the big day arrives, they enter their passcode into the Uber app, and before they know it they're being whisked away to your very exciting party. If you didn't follow all that, don't worry: this nifty little graphic helps lay it all out. "When planning a company happy hour, client appreciation dinner, or even upcoming nuptials, there is a lot that goes into ensuring that your event goes off without a hitch—including how your guests can safely get to and from without any fuss," wrote Uber Senior Marketing Manager Kimiko Ninomiya in a post on the Uber blog. "We want to make the experience of planning transportation logistics as seamless as ordering a ride at the touch of button [sic]." The service will only be available to select riders and Uber for Business users at first, although assuming it's a success, then presumably it won't be too long before it becomes a standard feature. In the meantime, Uber's legal status in Australia remains a point of contention. A Victorian state Magistrate yesterday rejected the company's attempts to have a legal case against one of its drivers thrown out of court. The taxi industry, for their part, continues to flail around feebly in the face of progress. A strike in Melbourne a couple of weeks back saw about 500 cabs taken off the roads – Uber retaliated by offering people free rides across the city. Yeah, it's pretty clear who's winning this fight. Via Tech Crunch.
Do you sweat good ideas through the day? Do you have the a major game-changer on some napkin tucked into your pocket? Or have you the savvy eyes to spot fantastic innovation before the mainstream? If you even started to nod silently to any of those questions, then you will have a ridiculously good time at the REMIX Sydney 2016 conference — a maelstrom of keynotes, panels, masterclasses and mixers centred at the nexus of creativity, technology and entrepreneurship. The REMIX Sydney schedule is silly with inspiring sessions across many platforms. Hear keynote speeches and round-table conversations from around 100 leading creative pioneers onstage, including Secret Cinema founder Fabien Riggall, director of the Cirque du Soleil Creative Lab Gillian Ferrabee, president and CEO of NYC's Governor's Island Leslie Koch, Bloomberg global creative director Damian Totman, British Museum's head of digital and publishing Chris Michaels, Huffington Post CEO Chris Janz, Noma COO Ben Liebmann, head of design at New Zealand's Te Papa museum Ben Barraud, Change.org country director Karen Skinner, Airbnb country manager Sam McDonough, Dubai Design District (d3) CEO Lindsay Miller, Arts Centre Melbourne CEO Claire Spencer, Moonlight Cinema co-founder James Tutton and many more. Your mates Concrete Playground will be there too, introducing you to Sydney's most successful new entrepreneurs — the businesses we couldn't write fast enough about — with a special curated session on 'How Long Does It Take to Become an Overnight Success?' featuring Kristen Francis (festival founder and director of Wine Island, winner of CP's Best New Event of 2015), Georgia van Tiel and Carla McMillan (co-founders of citywide gym class pass Bodypass, winner of CP's Best New Product of 2015) and Michael Chiem (co-founder of Sydney's first ever soda factory bar PS40). You'll have the frontal lobe equivalent of a food baby after this summit. Best get ready to digest. We had early chats with our panelists before REMIX, find out the secret to overnight success here.
First came Messina. Then came kittens. Now, finally, Uber has rolled the dice on the ultimate delivery treat, and will be bringing babies right to your office. That's right — we're talking UberBUBS. Like some sort of stork in an Audi with a 4.8 star rating, Uber drivers have teamed up with trusting mums and dads all around the country to unlock the clucky in all of us, but be warned: the waiting list is expected to be huge. "If there's one thing you hear time and time again from successful, white collar types in the CBD," explains Uber Australia CEO Pieter Rank, "it's the regret of having put career ahead of family. Today at least, even if only for 15 minutes, we're giving them the chance to have both — no strings attached." Naturally, parents will be present at all times, and if the younglings find themselves overwhelmed, the visit will be cut short and a 50 percent refund offered in return. So how can you grab your chance to experience all the adorableness of kittens with the added benefits of dribble and mumbling? 1. Download the Uber app. 2. Request the 'BUBS' option in the app TODAY between 12pm and 4pm within the Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane CBD and surrounding suburbs. 3. If available, you'll get to enjoy 15 minutes of wide-eyed (or possibly stinky, wailing) cuteness delivered to your office, your home or even your reluctant partner to show them what they're missing. All funds raised will go to local not-for-profit nappiesandinsomnia.org.au to help raise funds for future Uber marketing activations.
The wildflowers are a-blooming, the sun is a-shining and the air is clear. Now that summer has stolen the cooler weather away for keeps, it's time to make a beeline for the Blueys. The days are warm enough for walking, but the evenings still cool enough to get cosy before a log fire (bushfire warnings permitting). So don't forget your walking boots or your whiskey. Here's our guide for squeezing the most out of a mountains weekender this summer. SEE The Three Sisters and Katoomba Falls are bound to be high on your list. For the most magical views (and the fewest tourists), visit by night. Or try checking them out from a new angle at Sublime Point Lookout (Sublime Point Rd, Leura). Other lookouts worth visiting include Cahills (258-276 Cliff Drive, Katoomba), Evans (Evans Lookout Rd, Blackheath) and Govetts Leap (Govetts Leap Road, Blackheath). For more water, head to Wentworth, where you can picnic while watching the most majestic waterfalls in the mountains, and Leura, to explore cascades of more fairy-like dimensions. If you feel like a dip, take on the 1 kilometre walk to Minnehaha Falls. Image: Gary P. Hayes. DO The quintessential Blue Mountains experience is to be had at Scenic World (corner Violet St and Cliff Drive, Katoomba; (02) 4780 0200). Your adventure starts with an invigorating ride on the 270-metre high Scenic Skyway, taking in some of the mountains' most spectacular vistas, including Jamison Valley and Katoomba Falls. Once you're safely back on land, jump on the Scenic Railway (the steepest railway in the world), which descends 310 metres, dropping you on the valley floor, where the Scenic Walkway takes you on a 2.4 kilometre stroll through ancient rainforest, passing local lyrebirds. Make a gentle return via the Scenic Cableway's slow, 545 metre climb. If you're after some more intensive hiking, leave time for an all-day walk. Two of the best are the 6 kilometre Grand Canyon track and the relentlessly scenic Mount Banks trail. Alternatively, get into some local culture. The Blue Mountains have long provided a refuge for Sydney artists, so there's no shortage of galleries and exhibitions. You'll find diverse touring shows of both minor and major varieties at The Blue Mountains Cultural Centre (30 Parke St, Katoomba; (02) 4780 5410; Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm; Sat-Sun, 10am-4pm). Or revisit your childhood at the Norman Lindsay Gallery and Museum (14 Norman Lindsay Crescent, Faulconbridge; (02) 4751 1067; daily, 10am-4pm) and at Leura's Toy and Railway Museum (36 Olympian Parade, Leura; (02) 4784 1169; daily, 10am-5pm). EAT At least one (if not all) of your dining experiences should come with dreamy mountain views. Katoomba's Scenic World (corner Violet St and Cliff Drive, Katoomba; (02) 4780 0200) is home to two eateries looking over uninterrupted vistas of Jamison Valley and the Three Sisters. Book at EATS270 (10am-3pm daily) for local produce, craft beers, a killer Angus beef burger and a seat right on the giddy edge of the escarpment. Or, for a casual snack or coffee, there's the Terrace Cafe (10am-5pm daily). Occupying an equally extraordinary position is the airy, elegant Solitary Restaurant (90 Cliff Drive, Leura Falls; (02) 4782 1164; Wed-Sun, 11am-4.30pm, Fri and Sat, from 6.30pm). On a clear day, you can see as far as the Southern Highlands. The seasonal menu includes dishes like roasted sage spatchcock with Dutch finger carrots, Parma ham, asparagus and carrot puree. More refined dining is on offer at nineteen23 (1 Lake St, Wentworth Falls; 0488 361 923; Thu-Sun, from 6pm, Sat-Sun, from 12pm) and Blackheath's Vesta (33 Govetts Leap, Blackheath; (02) 4787 6899; Wed-Fri, 5pm-10pm, Sat-Sun, from 12pm), where the specialty is slow roast, cooked in a 120-year-old scotch oven, fuelled by good ol' Mudgee vintage ironbark. For a more casual munch, head to Leura Garage (84 Railway Parade, Leura; (02) 4784 3391; daily from 12pm), an arty, community-minded cafe-restaurant. The menu is hearty and the coffee is a special, Umami-created Ethiopian-Brazilian blend. DRINK After a ten-year closure and $35 million reno, the glamorous Hydromajestic Hotel, built in 1904, reopened in October 2014. Drop by the Shanghai-inspired Salon du The Bar & Lounge (52-88 Great Western Highway, Medlow Bath; (02) 4782 6885; Fri-Sun, 3pm-9pm) for a cocktail, wine or high tea and amazing views of Megalong Valley. For a more old-school, classic hotel experience, visit Mount Victoria's Imperial Hotel (1 Station St, Mount Victoria; (02) 4787 1878), built in 1878, where you can kick back in front of a crackling fire. Lilianfels Lounge & Bar (5-19 Lilianfels Avenue, Katoomba; (02) 4780 1200; daily, 11am-11pm) offers a long wine and beverage list covering local and international wines, single malt whiskeys and signature cocktails. STAY Those travelling in a group should explore Airbnb to nab a cracking deal on a private residence. An eco-friendly, passive-solar house, Nagual Retreat in Leura comes with incredible views over Mount Hay and sleeping space for 11 across five bedrooms and two levels. But if you want to go all-out deluxe, check out Katoomba's stunning, architect-designed The Last Straw. Meanwhile, rowdy crews might consider surrounding themselves with land. There's this gorgeous, four-bedroom timber home on 2 acres at Medlow Bath, this tranquil property on 7 acres at Blackheath with its own tennis court, trampoline and cubby house (yay!), or the immense Dantosa Retreat, which sleeps 16 and is set on 9 acres of landscaped gardens, private lake included. If you're more in the market for a romantic hideaway, there are loads of rustic mountain cottages to choose from. Stay within walking distance of Leura at the sunny, spacious Little Haven, with its own courtyard, king bed, spa bath and log fire. Or plant yourself in nature at the irresistibly cute Jemby Rinjah Eco Cabin, with its Japanese spa and treetop-level bedroom. And then there's this Enchanted Cave. GET ME THERE By car: The Blue Mountains is 90 minutes from Sydney via the M4 motorway. Alternatively, take the scenic route through the Hawkesbury along Bells Line of Road. By train: The journey from Sydney's Central Station to Katoomba is two hours on the Blue Mountains Line. Scenic World: Scenic World is 3km from Katoomba's town centre. Park in the all-day free parking, or hop on either a Blue Mountains Explorer or Trolley Tours bus and disembark at Scenic World main building.
Tired of only having sugary, soulless mixers to pick from in Sydney bars? PS40 opens in Sydney's CBD this week as the newest bar concept by the creators of PS Soda, an all-natural soda line. "Instead of an open cellar door, we have an open soda door," says co-founder Michael Chiem (ex-Sokyo, Bulletin Place and the Star's Black by Ezard). Along with business partner Thor Bergquist (ex-Experimental Cocktail Club (ECC) and Der Raum) and creative director Livia Lima (ex-Maud), it's an all-star crew behind this factory's curtain. This warehouse gem is well-hidden down Skittle Lane and designed with a modern and bright fitout. "It's a soda factory, so we want it to be super playful," says Lima. "Everything is handmade and hand-designed." The homemade motif extends to the bar, with all PS sodas sourced from local, native produce and made with community input at that; Archie Rose Distillery helped to develop the tonic that would complement their gin and LP's Quality Meats' Luke Powell helped create the lemonade. An eight-tap bar will include soda taps, with one tap left open for experimental releases, like their collaboration soda made from leftover pomace supplied by Hunter Valley's Thomas Wines. "Collaboration is a big thing for us" says Chiem. "We have close relationships with our suppliers and want suppliers that care about what they're doing." The local love doesn't stop there, with the wine list curated by Lo-Fi Wines and taps from Sydney brewers Wayward and Young Henrys. All PS Soda will be made and bottled in-house and used for the line of signature cocktails available at PS40. "A mixed drink is the sum of its parts and making our own sodas gives us 100 percent control over the final flavour," says Chiem. The cocktail menu is as unusual as the sodas, each with its own story. The Stockholm Syndrome ($18) is inspired by Bergquist's time in Sweden. "I wanted to pack all of the flavours of Sweden into this drink — from the gravlax to the pickled things," says Bergquist. We gave it a whirl, and the drink does taste of fresh sea air with a mixture of cumin and dill infused vodka, Aquavit, lemon and pink Himalayan salt. Double the Funk ($19) is another crazy concoction that just works — bourbon mixed with passionfruit husk, fermented pineapple and pickled raspberry. "This drink is a bit of a tropical kitsch," says Bergquist. Many of the ingredients found in the cocktails will be reflected in the food menu, which is focused on "preserves and reserves" made in-house along with a selection of Banh Mi inspired by Chiem's mum. You won't find PS Sodas in the corner store, but for a taste outside of PS40 check out partner venues including Bennelong, The Old Clare Hotel, Firedoor and Archie Rose. PS40 is located at 40 King Street, Sydney. Open Monday – Saturday, 4pm - midnight (closed Sundays). Images: Marissa Ciampi.
Melburnians now have even more of a reason to head down the Mornington Peninsula for a pampering session, as the acclaimed Peninsula Hot Springs unveils some swish new facilities as part of a $13 million upgrade. The award-winning wellness destination now has a revamped program of offerings as part of its biggest expansion since opening back in 2005. This includes the addition of two cold plunge pools and seven new hot spring pools — which, if you've ever jostled for a spot in the top pool on a busy Saturday, you'll know is good news. An impressive outdoor Bath House Amphitheatre has also been added to the Fingal site, which is set to host a whole swag of shows. Baths also now have views of the stage and underwater speakers have been installed so visitors can get stuck into some live entertainment while they're submerged. The Hot Springs is also delving into cryotherapy for the first time with a new 'ice and fire' experience. This will allow bathers to switch between hot and cold therapy — the hot being two new 30-person saunas, and the cold being a new (and Australian-first) ice cave and a 'deep freeze' treatment room, which will be kept at a cool 25 degrees below freezing. The idea is that, by jumping between hot and cold, you will sweat out toxins, cleanse your skin and potentially burn calories. The venue also has a new cafe, a cultural meeting space designed in collaboration with local Indigenous elders, and a multipurpose wellness centre for classes and talks. Meanwhile, a new on-site veggie garden marks the start of a planned three-acre terrace 'food bowl', which will grow produce for the Peninsula Hot Springs' kitchens. Thermally heated glasshouses and an underground mushroom cave are also in the works. If that doesn't sound like enough, there's more growth in store for the Peninsula Hot Springs, with glamping facilities and 126 rooms of accomodation to be built on-site over the next three years. The Peninsula Hot Springs is located at Springs Lane, Fingal. Booking is recommended on weekends. Updated: October 5, 2018.
Dance classes, laidback pub parties, late night house sessions — this is going to be one energetic weekend. Celebrating its very first year in this beats-happy city of ours, MoVement Sydney is a brand new, four-day citywide festival celebrating some of Sydney's best and favourite dance party crews and artists. Running October 22 to 25, MoVement Sydney will see live shows, parties, workshops and more popping up across the city, from the likes of FBi Radio, Motorik, Heavenly, House of Mince, Champain Lyf and plenty more where that came from. Putting a big spotlight on the best party collectives, DJs and producers, and general beats lovers of Sydney, this is one of the most comprehensive marathons of dance, techno, house and everything in between Sydney's seen in an age. Stock up on Berocca. TAKE A DANCE CLASS AT FBi RADIO Sydney’s beloved community radio station and general bunch of legends FBi Radio have had enough of the lad-heavy dance industry and have teamed up with V Energy MoVement to launch to launch a brand new initiative called Dance Class, a means to get more female talent behind the decks. Of course, this needs a big ol' launch party. Kicking off the party and simultaneous live broadcast at 6pm on Thursday, October 22, FBi will see Perth producer Catlips perform, FBi DJs play tunes, and then (of course) there'll be an actual dance class from choreographer Amrita of Hollaback. It’s free and all ages, you'll need to RSVP to get a spot. Thursday, October 22 from 6pm, FBi Radio, 44-54 Botany Road, Alexandria, free with RSVP. GO CRATE DIGGING IN THE ROLLING RECORDS TRUCK This is music you'll have to chase around Sydney, but super worth it. Driving around the city for MoVement Sydney, Rolling Records is a mobile record store, all decked out with wood panelling, selling second-hand vinyl. But it's not just any pop-up shop set-up; there's a DJ booth, listening station and a big ol' sound system. Created by top notch Katoomba resident George Pizer, Rolling Records has been up and running since January this year, popping up all over the joint. Head to the MoVement Sydney website to find out where the truck and George will be parked over the four days of the citywide event. Thursday to Sunday, October 22-25, various Sydney locations PARTY IN THE SUPER OPENAIR WITH THE HOUSE OF MINCE If you're looking for some seriously top shelf and earthworm-level underground house and techno, this is your party. Super OpenAir, one of Sydney’s best outdoor beats parties, is heading back to the Factory for MoVement Sydney, presented by local party crew House of Mince. Music-wise, NYC club queen and genre-spanner Miss Honey Dijon will be bringing her brazen style to the Factory, alongside local legends Simon Caldwell, Ben Drayton, Phil Smart, Matt Vaughan and DREEMS, with Gang of She is hosting the whole thing. Sunday, October 25, The Factory Theatre, Marrickville. Tickets $12-16 +BF. DIVE INTO THE BAD DEEP AQUATIC Enmore's regular late night dance party crew, Bad Deep, is putting on the works for MoVement Sydney. They'll be rolling out their tried and true formula: take some of Sydney's best DJs, pick a crazy theme and bring it all together with some mad sick production design to create one heck of an immersive party. For MoVement Sydney, they'll be diving into an aquatic theme at the Sly Fox for a party tipped to go until 6am. According to the crew, "you might find some pretty weird creatures moving about, some who use bioluminescence to intrigue and entice." You'll also find triple j's Linda Marigliano, Simon Caldwell, The Completely Boys, Human Movement (DJ set) and Bad Deep DJs. Friday, October 23, Sly Fox, Enmore, 9pm - 6am, $10. FIND MOTORIK AND BOYS NOIZE SHOWCASING IN JAM GALLERY Sydney's long lauded rave generators and record label Motorik are teaming up with Alexander Ridha's German label Boysnoize (yep, the same Boys Noize), who have whittled their way into the Australian dance scene. Teaming up for one heck of a techno showcase for MoVement Sydney, the pair will take over Bondi Junction's Jam Gallery with Spank Rock, Jensen Interceptor, Stephane 1993, Made in Paris, Vivi and Motorik Vibe Council to throw everything in their god damn power down. Saturday, October 24 from 9pm to 3am, Jam Gallery, Bondi Junction, $20 first release or $30 on the door. KICK BACK AT A HEAVENLY PUB PARTY If you're looking for a truly local slice of Sydney beats, follow Heavenly to the Chippendale Hotel. Hot damn, local lads Ben Fester, T Mingus and Adrian E sure know their stuff, and they've invited quite the crew for a laidback but inevitably epic pub party. This isn't your regular collection of beatsmiths: Sleep D, Ben Fester back to back with Preacha, Luis CL, Alba, Hannah Lockwood, Cop Envy, Noise in My Head, Subaske, Lady Shave and Aidan Gavin. If you're looking for a different dance vibe, this is your party. Saturday, October 24 from 2pm - midnight, The Chippendale Hotel, Chippendale, $10-25 +BF. TAKE A UK GARAGE ODYSSEY If you've found yourself at Goodgod Small Club surrounded by garridge, chances are you've enjoyed the delights of Champain Lyf. Sydney's UK garage-loving collective have been putting on beats-heavy nights in the CBD basement for some time now, but now they're inviting Sydneysiders to board the H.M.A.S. Lyf and embark upon a UK garage odyssey, somewhere in Sydney. Expect two levels of UKG, NY Garage, 2 step and a whole bunch of Craig David from an Aussie-centric lineup: B_A (Just: Wax), Ritual (The Record Store), 'fm' (Dysney), T-Syd, Adrian E, LUPR, Jon Watts and Danny Banger. Saturday, October 24 from 6-11pm, H.M.A.S. Lyf, $15-25 +BF. ENJOY A FEW SUNDAY SUNDOWNERS AT DANIEL SAN It's not all late-night journeys and early morning kick-ons for MoVement Sydney, there's some daytime action as well. Daniel San's regular weekend session Sunday Sundowners has become a bit of a go-to in Manly, bringing all the deep tropical house to the beachfront. Manly's only Japanese fusion rock and roll bar, Daniel San is keeping punters on their toes as usual, teeing up six house DJ battles for a MoVement Sydney afternoon party, with Robbie Lowe, Tyson Bruun, Garth Linton, Pip Dalton, Tech No More, Persian Rug, Sam Roberts, Jimmi Walker, Kaiser Waldon and Tristan Case playing back to back. Spin the sushi roulette and let some solid Sydney tropical house soothe your wasabi rush. Sunday, October 25 from 3pm, Daniel San, Manly, free. There's plenty more where these came from, including a huge party at Chinese Laundry with Seekae and Ghastly, a huge S.A.S.H. day party at the Greenwood, Picnic Social at Harpoon Harry, vinyl DJ lessons at The Record Store, a UV party at Northies and more. MoVement Sydney runs October 22-25 across Sydney. Check the website for the full program and tickets. Images: MoVement Sydney, Rolling Records, Super OpenAir, Dollar Photo Club, Motorik, Heavenly, Champain Lyf.
Ah vino. Best paired with a fine cheese or a hearty meal, or enjoyed around the fireplace with your oh-so-classy friends. Or at least, that's how it works in your mind. In reality, we're more likely to be inhaling a $6 vintage straight from the goon sack, or using the discarded bottle as a microphone in our solo rendition of 'All By Myself' – all before stumbling woozily off to bed. Hopefully your experience lies somewhere in the middle of those two scenarios. But the reality is that, for every bona fide sommelier out there, a large portion of the rest of us are more likely to pick our poison based on the price and how nice the label looks, as opposed to things like acidity, provenance or bouquet. And something about tannins. Those are a thing, right? Embracing this fact, VinePair co-founder Adam Teeter (which is an excellent surname for a wine buff, by the way) has teamed up with illustrator Jeff Licciardo to produce 26 hypothetical wine labels that better reflect the average wine drinker's true experience. Forget about drinking to forget: these vintages know you better than you know yourself, offering everything from handy pairing suggestions ("drink me with post-break-up anger and takeaway") to positive affirmations ("yes, you're definitely on key") to nuggets of brutal honesty ("you're turning into your mother"). Look, somebody needed to tell you. At least this way you can get drunk immediately after hearing it. For more honest wine labels, visit VinePair. Via BuzzFeed.
Ours is a generation for whom concept hotels are a wildly popular and sometimes baffling reality but hey, just lean into it. Here's a good'un that's caught our eye in central Spain: the Hotel Aire de Bardenas. The concept, executed with see-through bubble rooms, lets you sleep in the desert without roughing it — although the question of 'Do you trust the Spanish desert is not littered with creeps who want to watch you sleeping?' lingers in the air. The Hotel Aire de Bardenas is comprised of a series of bubble rooms connected by bubble tunnels and serviced by Michelin-tyre-man style bubble butlers (alright, so we made up the last one but theming provokes imagination). The bubbles don't offer much privacy but they certainly are Instagrammable (which is the whole point right?) and the views are predictably amazing. Architects Emiliano Lopez and Monica Rivera say the design is more than a gimmick and responds to the context of the site; it allows guests to take in the desert's stunning landscape but protects them from the harsh sun, wind, dust and heat that characterise a desert. #BalloonRooms #airedebardenas #hotel #luxury #balloon #sky #life #peace A photo posted by Serhat özdek (@serhatozdek) on May 25, 2015 at 9:32am PDT Amazingly enough, this isn't the world's only bubble hotel — France's version Attrap'Rêves lies outside Marseilles. While we dig the bubble life, we can't help but think windows offer the same protection — FYI the hotel also has beautiful rooms with traditional walls, ceilings and said windows. So if you're looking for a weird and wacky activity to do while cruising through the deserts of central Spain, consider dropping $200 a night to stay in a bubble under the stars. Wandering the desert has never been so luxurious. Keen to put yourself in a Spanish desert bubble? Check out the Hotel Aire de Bardenas for more info. Via The Creators Project. Images: Hotel Aire de Bardenas, Instagram.
Sydney, you're about to discover (and taste) what can happen when an acclaimed Finnish chef and an award-winning Italian sommelier join forces. Giorgio De Maria (formerly of 121BC and Rootstock Sydney food and wine festival), is teaming up with Finnish-born Pasi Petanen (2015's SMH Chef of the Year and the guy behind Café Paci), for That's Amore — a series of wine dinners to be held at Mecca in Alexandria next month. Across 12 nights in March, the pair will combine culinary talents, pulling together innovative foodie flair, some serious wine knowledge, and a couple of lively personalities, for what promises to be one very rare dining experience. This fusion of front and back of house is bound to ensure some well-rounded feasting, starting with the weekly-changing, five-course menu. Here, the duo's hinted at a focus on produce-driven dishes, with an Italian edge. Meanwhile, De Maria's working his own brand of magic, proving the cross-cultural combo isn't the only perfect partnership on the table here. His handpicked selection of wine is available to try matched to each course, or simply quaffed by the bottle. That's Amore dinners will take place on March 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, and 25 at Mecca, 2/26 Bourke Road, Alexandria. The five-course menu is $75 per head, with drinks charged on consumption. Jump on the That's Amore Instagram page for a peek at the menu and nab your spot by emailing thatsamoreinsydney@gmail.com.
Bingo. Rave. Two ends of the spectrum of fine holiday fun finally came together in Australia last year. If you didn't make it along, Bongo's Bingo is a games night like you've never seen before. Part club, part rave, and, of course, part bingo night, this unlikely fusion event has been wildly popular in the UK since 2015. It's hardly surprising that taking the show on the road — that is, launching Bongo's Bingo Down Under — went well. And now, it's hardly surprising that is's coming back for yet another round either. What you mightn't expect is the event's new special guests: British boy band royalty, aka Westlife's Brian McFadden and Boyzone's Keith Duffy. Under the name Boyzlife, they'll perform their respective groups' biggest hits while all of the debauchery of the original British version of Bongo's Bingo gets underway. That includes rave intervals, dancing on tables and a loose kind of bingo that you definitely never played with your nan (well, maybe you have). The victorious players can win everything from big cash prizes to some absolutely ridiculous surprises, which is all part of the fun. Australia is the second international location for Bongo's Bingo, which recently launched in Dubai as well and, based on popularity, we imagine the event will continue to expand around the globe. BONGO'S BINGO DATES: Brisbane — Saturday, March 24 at The Tivoli Sydney — Saturday, March 31 at Big Top Melbourne — Thursday, April 5 at St Kilda Hall Doors from 6pm and shows kick off 7.30pm. Tickets are $40 per person and go on sale on Monday February 5 — the Brisbane show at 4pm AEST via Ticketmaster, and the Sydney and Melbourne shows at 6pm AEDT via Moshtix.
Looking for a pet-friendly apartment? A new Melbourne high-rise will do you one better. Opening at 5 Elgar Court in Doncaster next year, GardenHill Apartments will become the first residential apartment block in the country with its own private off-leash dog park. Construction on the 11-storey building is set to begin in September, but if you and your four-legged friend are interested, you might want to get in quick. 80 percent of the 136 one- and two- bedroom apartments have already been snapped up, at a cost of between $380,000 and $745,000. The dog park will be located on the ground floor, enclosed by secure fencing, and will include seating, a drink station and a clean-up station. Development director Adelene Teh told Domain, "By offering our Gardenhill residents a designated place they can take their dogs for exercise, socialisation or even mental stimulation, we're encouraging responsible pet ownership and, hopefully, paving the way for other developers to follow suit." Teh also confirmed that the dog park had been a drawcard with purchasers. A number of apartment blocks in the United States already boast on-site dog parks — and it's easy to see why the concept would be popular with tenants. Dogs and small apartments aren't exactly natural bedfellows, which can be a real bummer for animal lovers. Sure, you could get a goldfish, but they just don't offer the same level of affection. And don't get me started on cats. Via Domain.
In early 2018, world-famous vegan chef Matthew Kenney popped across the Pacific from California to launch his very first eatery in Australia: Alibi on the ground floor of Ovolo Woolloomooloo. Kenney isn't just any old animal-free chef — he's an international legend. His TEDx talks have attracted masses of views and Food and Wine Magazine has listed him as one of America's Best New Chefs. The Alibi Bar & Kitchen menu is big on creative combinations of fresh, local, seasonal ingredients. Kenney has a reputation for experimentation and innovation, and it shows in dishes such as the summer paella with salsa verde, kelp noodle cacio e Pepe and the chamomile spaghetti with saffron and ricotta. He worked with Kasper Christensen , who also rejigged the Ovolo's brekkie and room service menus. To match Alibi's plant-based delights, there's a regularly changing drinks list focused on Australian drops — both classic and boutique — as well as signature cocktails.
If you hadn't noticed, fermentation is a bit of a thing. One of the driving forces behind the movement is the fact that fermented food and drinks can help promote good bacteria in your gut. So it's not surprising that one of the more popular workshops at Cornersmith — who dish out hearty breakfasts and hold workshops in cheesemaking, pickling and fermenting among others — is the wild soda class, where you learn to make a fermented, fizzy fruit beverage that's both delicious and good for your digestion. That's the domain of Cornersmith's head fermenter Jaimee Edwards, a veteran in teaching lucky folks how to make wild soda, and then supervising as they make their own. For those who haven't attended one of her sessions — which have fittingly taken over nature-filled houses — go DIY and follow the instructions below. WHAT ACTUALLY IS WILD SODA? A wild soda is a fizzy fruit drink with a slightly sour, yeasty taste that's derived from the fermentation process involved in making it. The flavour is richer and more complex than any fizzy fruit drink you could pick up from a store because — like sour beer or wild fermentation wines — they're a product of nature. There are no artificial ingredients added. The fermentation process is unpredictable and gives each batch a unique flavour — even if you use the same ingredients and follow the same method each time. The process of making wild soda is similar to that of making wild fermentation wine. In winemaking, the yeast overpowers the lactic acid and turns the drink into alcohol, but in wild soda the lactic acid overpowers the yeast and creates carbonated water. Winemaking is best left to the professionals, but you can easily create wild soda on your own. Here's how. GET OUT THERE AND FORAGE To make wild soda, pick some of your favourite native plants, flowers and fruit. Edwards encourages you to get out there and forage. Supermarket fruit has likely gone through numerous cleaning processes, which means the natural microflora living on it (essential to the fermentation process) has likely been washed away. The more microflora, the easier the fermentation process — and the tastier the drink. "Foraging is pretty key," says Edwards. "That way you're not dealing with stuff that's gone through excessive washing." She recommends foraging for clean leaves and bark for bacteria, and wild flowers and fruit (strawberries, lemons and blueberries) for flavour. Once you've foraged, break up your flowers, leaves and bark, pulp your fruit and place it all into a plastic bottle. "Experiment with almost anything — that's part of the fun," says Edwards. "You're going to have some failures, and you're going to have successes. The ingredients you've added are obviously going to add a strong flavour, so you have to like them." GET THE FERMENTATION GOING When starting out, Edwards says it's a good idea to use plastic bottles. The natural carbonation that results from the fermentation process could cause glass jars to crack, and the last thing you want is a kitchen filled with half-finished strawberry and lemon verbena soda. Making a carbonated soda relies on the natural yeasts and bacteria that are available on the surface of plants. These microorganisms turn sugars into lactic acid and produce CO2 to make your soda bubbly. Because there is very little sugar in the foraged material in this recipe sugar is added. Mix all ingredients in a clean jar of filtered water and cover with a clean tea towel. Stir three times a day while the soda is fermenting. This will take between two and three days. Then strain the soda from the plants and bottle. Carbonation will occur as the CO2 builds up in the bottle over a few days. Refrigerate, and when it's nice and cold, take it out of the fridge and enjoy. HOW DOES ALL THIS RELATE TO WINE? Stoneleigh use a similar process of natural fermentation to make the wild fermentation wines in their Wild Valley range. Rather than adding a yeast known to produce a certain flavour, the yeasts and bacteria that naturally present on the grapes (aka microflora), are tasked with the fermentation. By letting nature do its thing (and because of the many different types of yeast getting involved), the wine ends up with a more complicated flavour profile. That means that just like wild soda, each vintage has its own unique flavour. Follow Jamiee Edwards' adventures at @fermentingprojects. Images: Steven Woodburn.
Since launching in the US in January, female friend-matching app hey! VINA has been the talk of BFF-seeking ladies everywhere. For anyone that's tried to boost their girl gang with people they meet at parties, work, cafes and the like, but found the process a little awkward (i.e. everyone), it's the gift that keeps on giving. Now, the popular service is finally going global — albeit with some surprising assistance. Where does the app that's been called "Tinder for girlfriends" get support to expand its remit? From Tinder, it seems. The two entities have teamed up to help more gals look for more pals in more places. With more than 17,000 cities on hey! VINA's waitlist, the demand is certainly there. In fact, the service tallied up over 100,000 users in its first two weeks of operation alone. That's the good news: Aussies, you can now get paired up with fabulous potential friends based on your preferences, location and existing networks of mutual connections (via Facebook), then swipe your way to the perfect pal. Whether you've recently moved away from your besties, or have just found life taking you in different directions, hey! VINA is here to help you make some new mates. Of course, with the app endeavouring to help ladies forge long-lasting platonic bonds, it's okay to raise your eyebrows at their new partnership with a company known for facilitating romantic hook-ups of the much, much, much briefer kind. VINA is adamant that, while they both share a mission to connect people around the world, the two organisation's services remain separate, and that hey! VINA will remain a women-only non-dating social connection platform. Their updated FAQs spell this out, and are clearly designed to assuage any fears that the app will become Tinder 2.0. As for Tinder themselves, their investment and mentorship falls in line with other recent developments aimed to expand their remit — and their status as a go-to app for meeting others. Though trialled in Australia first, Tinder Social launched worldwide in July as a way for different groups of friends to cross paths. And just this month, they joined forces with Spotify to bring music tastes into the matching and swiping process. Image via Dollar Photo Club.
"Unsettling and gross" aren't normally words you'd want associated with your bar. But then again, The Bearded Tit has never been entirely 'normal'. The much loved Redfern watering hole and exhibition space has earned a reputation for its strange and sensational artwork — and their latest piece, from Amaya Lang and Nicky Minus, is certainly no exception. Set to appear in the bar's front window from Monday, January 11, the piece will mark the second collaboration between ceramicist Lang and cartoonist Minus, following their team-up at last year's Underbelly Arts Festival. The work reflects the pair's mutual interest in distorted depictions of the female body, and is sure to draw the attention of unsuspecting pedestrians on Regent Street. "The ceramics are visceral and fleshy, while the bodies in the wall images are contorted and uncomfortably overlapping," says Lang. "Together, the works have a sexual tone that could feel a bit yuck to some." The window display is part of The Bearded Tit's larger Hole Lotta Love series, an all-female art showcase set to run until February 20. Other artists whose work will be featured include photographer Liz Ham and video and performance artists Nat Randall and Emily O'Connor. Hole Lotta Love launches on Monday January 11 at 6pm. For more information visit www.thebeardedtit.com.au.
Turns out Neil Armstrong was lacking foresight when he first stepped on the moon. What he actually should have announced was, "One small step for man, one giant leap for beer." Last year, Oregon-based brewing company Ninkasi ran their very own space programme (classic forward-thinking Oregon). Yep, they got hold of a couple of rockets and sent a bunch of brewer's yeast into outer space and back. It's since been turned into beer and as of April 13, will be available for sampling. Wonderfully-named Ground Control, the brew blends well-travelled ingredients with local ones. Ninkasi have described it as a "rich, complex imperial stout", made with Oregon hazelnuts, star anise and cocoa nibs. Take. Our. Money. Getting the yeast into outer space and back successfully took two missions. The first, which left on July 2014, carried sixteen vials. But, on returning to Earth, it wound up somewhere in the Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, which meant that the Ninkasi team didn’t find it for 27 days — way too late for brewing purposes. The second mission, carrying six vials, left on October 23 from New Mexico's Spaceport America. After journeying to 408,035 feet, and reaching a maximum speed of Mach 5, it came back to Earth safely — ready for fermenting. Ground Control will be sold in limited edition 22-ounce bottles at selected retailers across the United States. Keep your eyes on the eBay stars. Via io9.
