Been spending the first few months of 2021 pondering the future? Given how the past year has panned out, that's only natural. But tonight, on Tuesday, April 27, you might want to look to the skies as well — and feast your eyes on a luminous lunar sight. For folks located Down Under, this is when you'll see this year's 'pink supermoon'. While super full moons aren't particularly rare — two usually happen each year — there are plenty of reasons to peer upwards this time around. If you're wondering why, we've run through the details below. WHAT IS IT? If you're more familiar with The Mighty Boosh's take on the moon than actual lunar terms, here's what you need to know. As we all learned back in November 2016, a supermoon is a new moon or full moon that occurs when the moon reaches the closest point to Earth in its elliptical orbit, making it particularly bright. They're not all that uncommon — and because April 2021's supermoon is a full moon (and not a new moon), it's called a super full moon. It's also a pink moon, too, which doesn't refer to its colour but to the time of year. In the northern hemisphere, April and spring go hand-in-hand — which means the April full moon usually arrives with the onset of the year's floral blooms, and with the first flowers from the pink-hued wild ground phlox specifically. Of course, it's currently autumn in the southern hemisphere, and the wild ground phlox are native to North America — but the name still sticks. WHEN CAN I SEE IT? If you're keen to catch a glimpse, you'll want to peek outside on Tuesday, April 27. While timeanddate.com notes that the super pink moon is expected to be at its peak at 1.31pm during the day today in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane — and at 1.01pm in Adelaide, and 11.31am in Perth — it's still worth looking up for once evening hits. If you're eager to take some pictures — and see if you can outdo previous supermoon snaps — moonrise is expected at 5.33pm AEST tonight. That's when the moon will first peek above the horizon for the evening, and it'll move higher into the sky across the night. WHERE CAN I SEE IT? You can take a gander from your backyard or balcony, but the standard advice regarding looking into the night sky always applies — so city-dwellers will want to get as far away from light pollution as possible to get the absolute best view. Typically, haze is predicted for Sydney, and Brisbane and Perth have partly cloudy forecasts — but the Bureau of Meteorology only tips light morning showers for Melbourne, and sunny conditions for Adelaide. If you miss out tonight, another supermoon is due on Wednesday, May 26 — and it's called the flower moon. Via timeanddate.com / space.com. Image: Andrew C.
We're sure you've downed your fair share of mini pizzas over the years — probably frozen or from the school tuck shop — but we're betting you haven't bitten down on one of the quality creations from Tonda Pizza, the crew who invented the first-ever pizzetta back in 1950s Italy. Well, today, you can not only try it, but you can do so for free, as the Italian chain launches its first Australian store, at Central Park Mall. Tonda's famed (unconventionally sized) 16cm pizzas are crafted on 48-hour organic dough, made to a recipe that's been passed down through the generations. And the new store's handing out a whole heap of them for free, from 12-2pm this afternoon. The pizzettas will keep sailing from the oven the whole time, though there is a suggested two-per-person limit. If you plan to head back, there are a whole heap of other Italian dishes on the menu you can pair with your pizzetta, including baked parmigiana, lasagne, salads and soups, as well as fresh focaccia served with extra virgin olive oil. A list of imported Italian beer, wine and prosecco is on the way, too.
Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art started 2023 by musing on air, with floating mirrored spheres, volcanic mounds, and dances between light and darkness to help. When the year comes to an end, it'll turn its attention to fairy tales, complete with twisted woodlands taking over the South Bank venue. In-between, GOMA is shining a spotlight on two Australian artists, Michael Zavros and eX de Medici, in a pair of exhibitions that feature everything from cars to blood swabs. Running now until Monday, October 2, and filling GOMA for winter as well as the start of spring in the process, Michael Zavros: The Favourite and eX de Medici: Beautiful Wickedness are taking their status as major surveys of each talent's work seriously. The former covers 90-plus paintings, sculptures, videos, photos and performances by the Queensland artist, while the latter is the most extensive retrospective to-date on the Canberra-based creative and tattooist, spanning more than 100 works. With The Favourite, GOMA looks back across 25 years of Zavros' art — although Drowned Mercedes is brand new. Created for the exhibition, the sculpture fills the cabin of an original classic 90s Mercedes-Benz SL convertible with water. When attendees peer at the piece, they see their own reflection in the water. Other Zavros highlights include paintings including Man in a wool suit and Ferragamo 2000, which take inspiration from men's magazines; the Prince/Zavros, with American conceptual artist Richard Prince's late-80s Cowboy images and Marlboro Man tobacco ads an influence; architectural representations Love's temple and Unicorn in the anticamera; and a heap of portraits, with Zavros himself a frequent subject. Still-life works; equestrian paintings, drawings and sculptures; depictions of rare Japanese Onagadori chickens: they all grace GOMA's walls and halls, too. So does Acropolis Now, a large-scale mural depicting the Parthenon in Athens, which is being turned into a Greek coffee house once a month thanks to folks from Brisbane's Greek community playing backgammon and sipping Greek caffeinated beverages. "At the core of the exhibition and among the things that differentiate Michael Zavros from other artists of his generation is an unapologetic love of beauty and craftsmanship, folly, and grandeur. Audiences will enter Michael's world. They will see the rigour and breadth of his practice and how his work across multiple media reveals a subtly evolving worldview," said Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art Director Chris Saines. "His work is inescapably about who he is: his lifestyle — real or imagined — his family, his interests and values." In Beautiful Wickedness, the gallery harks back four decades, charting eX de Medici's exploration of life's fragility, death, greed, power, conflict and more. Here, visitors can peer at watercolours; intricate botanical studies; ample works featuring flowers and skulls; and even a bridal gown that takes its cues from Julie Andrews' dress in The Sound of Music. Early pieces include The Blood of Others, which is where those blood swabs come in — from eX de Medici's tattoo clients back in the 90s — while later works go large, feature moths and weapons, and explore war's pointlessness. "An avowed environmentalist and activist, de Medici's life and career has been dedicated to uncloaking misuses of power and revealing its effects on everyday lives. Exquisitely detailed and technically adept, her often large-scale watercolours seduce the viewer while seeking to expose the shadowy underbelly of consumerism and the long reach of systems of surveillance, authority, and control," said Saines. "Her artworks conceal surreptitious yet razor-sharp barbs among lush arrangements of historical and contemporary emblems of excess." Michael Zavros: The Favourite and eX de Medici: Beautiful Wickedness display at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art, Stanley Place, South Brisbane from Saturday, June 24–Monday, October 2, 2023. For further details — or to find out more about the gallery's full 2023 slate — visit its website. Images: installation views of Michael Zavros: The Favourite and eX de Medici: Beautiful Wickedness, Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, 2023. © Michael Zavros and eX de Medici / Photographs: Joe Ruckli © QAGOMA.
Plant-based eating has been steadily on the rise for the past few decades. In recent times, the Sydney dining scene has wholeheartedly embraced offering vegan iterations and reimaginings of signature dishes on a whole new level. Whether it's all-vegan hotspots like Bad Hombres; health food-focused boltholes like Cali Press; or even traditionally meat-favouring spots like Bonditony's Burger Joint, there's a stack of spots that hero plants, legumes and veggies in clever and inventive ways. In partnership with American Express, we've tracked down eight of the best plant-based plates across the city. These are the dishes where you won't miss meat or dairy whether you're a full-time vegan or a meat-eater dabbling in plant-based foods.
Check out the full photo gallery It’s one-seventh the travel time to Woodford, one-fifth the number of Southern Cross tats at Field Day, as picturesque as Falls, and the local line up is without parallel. Yep, if you were among those who chose to bring in the New Year at Peats Ridge, I don’t have to tell you that you made a wise decision. For those of you who didn’t, here’s why you shouldn’t make the same mistake twice. Day One With open-air yoga classes, healing sessions and kids running amok, Peats Ridge feels more like a gypsy community than a music festival. The sheer number of workshops and craft stalls means you could spend a whole day without your children (win) and without seeing any music. Having said that, come mid-afternoon you would have been hard-pressed to go past Canadian rockers Yukon Blonde, who played like they were aiming to blow a speaker. For other reasons, it was difficult to overlook the Dum Dum Girls, whose indie-pop tunes came second fiddle to their strategic dress sense and homogenous hairdos. In the Chai temple, barefooted folk sprawled over colourful carpet and couches were treated to an electrifying Steve Smyth, who mesmerised his audience with a spine-tingling rendition of Harry Belafonte’s ‘Sylvie.’ If you missed him, you missed one of the best acts of the festival. Later back at main stage, golden boy Xavier Rudd and his hypnotic five-piece, one-man band sung songs about Mother Earth and the evils of mankind to an adoring crowd. A fitting reception for a man who plays the didge like nobody’s business. Day Two The morning after saw more than a few dusty revellers slumped over chai lattés and gözleme. However Friday’s bill didn’t pander to anyone’s hangover. Compounding a throbbing headache were Melbourne’s Graveyard Train, who proved that all you need is a few swashbuckling dudes, a guitar, and some basic hardware tools to rock out. San Fransisco’s Hanni El Khatib took a less humble approach, describing his music as being ‘for anyone who’s ever been shot or hit by a train.’ Right. Well that may have explained the small turn out. Nevertheless, Khatib’s punchy guitar riffs soon had the space packed. A solid blues rock act like that is hard to follow, particularly when you’re armed with a bunch of classical string instruments, but the Crooked Fiddle Band dished out their special brand of high-energy ‘chainsaw folk’ to a wildly appreciative crowd. As the night drew on, dorky-cool Japanese instrumental jazz group Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro had frenzied revellers chanting ‘baggy pants’ as if they were hip-hop heavy weights at an Up in Smoke Tour. Local boys Hermitude did a better job than the much-hyped Canyons at carrying the party vibe with their electronic hip-hop set and slow hip-swinging cover of MJ’s ‘Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough.’ Day Three Dress up day. Luckily the music line-up today was a real slow-burner, which allowed campers ample time to adorn themselves in body paint or to join the queue at Fancy Schmancy costume hire. The Paper Scissors got into the masquerade theme early (on ‘em) and delivered a strong live performance largely thanks to Ivan Lisyak’s incredible drumming. At main stage, the Gold Coast’s Tijuana Cartel mixed breakbeat with some mean Afro-Cuban percussion and flamenco guitar solos. By the time they dropped ‘Letting it go’ the crowd was putty in their hands. In fact Tijuana would have been a far better way to end 2011 than the much-anticipated Gotye. The festival’s main event was a total fizzler. In the absence of any crowd banter and special guests, it boiled down to a lacklustre performer churning out his better-known hits. At the very least he could have done the whole thing painted in the nuddy. Thankfully the en masse midnight merry-making and after-party that carried on at the psychedelic Pirates’ Lair were more than enough to make up for it. At a time when Aussie music festivals are increasingly overshadowed by drug and alcohol-fuelled idiots, it’s great to see that Peats Ridge has managed to maintain a feel good eco- and family-friendly vibe. With a dome dedicated to artistic performances, a plethora of stalls selling local organic produce and crafts, art installations and a staggering variety of fresh food and high-quality drinks (fresh lime and ice with your vodka? Shut. Up.), it’s clear that a lot of love and attention has been put into the running of this event. And the results speak for themselves.
Just look at that hair. This large-scale installation — which not-so-subtly resembles the dome of Donald Trump — is the work of Canadian-born visual artist Callum Morton. Titled Monument #32: Helter Shelter 2018, the giant protruding head is now on display along Barangaroo Wharf, and you're welcome to sit inside its cavernous fiery interior, too (if you feel comfortable doing so). Morton's thought-provoking and shelter-providing sculpture is on display along with two other works as part of Carriageworks' annual art fair, Sydney Contemporary. Joining the head is Cameron Robbins' installation Remote Sensor, which combines elements of nature, wind, the tides and light in a series of drawings, photographs and moving images that will take residence along the Barangaroo foreshore. If you visit at the right time, you might also catch Mel O'Callaghan's breath-based performance, Breath repertoire. O'Callaghan and Sydney Dance Company will perform an intense movement-focused performance that uses intersecting graphic lines as a language and musical score for the dancers at 12.30pm on September 6, 7 and 13 at Barangaroo's Exchange Place. All three installations are free to view and will be on display until September 24. Sydney Contemporary will return to Sydney for its fourth year on the weekend of September 13–16. The lineup is overflowing with performances, exhibitions, tours, talks and afterparties that celebrate both homegrown and international art. The installation works at Barangaroo for Sydney Contemporary are now open from August 31 through September 24. Check the website for more information.
If heading out for a romantic dinner is part of your Valentine's Day plans this year, you might a bit more company than you were expecting. No one will be crashing your date but, if COVID-19 case numbers in Greater Sydney remain low for the next week and a half, the region's current venue restrictions are set to relax again on Friday, February 12 — so restaurants, bars, cafes and eateries will be able to welcome in more people. Premier Gladys Berejiklian revealed the news today, Wednesday, February 3 — with her press conference following on from last week's announcement about the most recent set of loosened changes, which all came into effect on Friday, January 29. Speaking a week ago, the Premier said that if there was no further community transmission related to the recent outbreak in Sydney's southwest, more rules will be relaxed in a fortnight. Today, she confirmed that's still the plan. So, come February 12, the one person per two-square-metres rule is slated to come into effect. At present, venues are operating under the one person per four-square-metres requirement. The change will apply to anywhere under the four-square-metre rule at the moment, so that means not only hospitality venues, but also houses of worship. Don't expect to go dancing, however, as Premier Berejiklian noted that the rules about making shapes won't be changing. Singing in public will still be off limits, too, with both activities "still considered too high-risk in the current environment". [caption id="attachment_781018" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannigan[/caption] It's possible that more restrictions will be eased from February 12, but just what they could be hasn't be revealed as yet. So, whether you'll be able to have more than 30 people over at your house, or gather outdoors in public with more than 50 folks, hasn't been advised. On the subject of masks, however, Premier Berejiklian advised that changes might be coming. "If there's no evidence of community transmission, we could recommend to revert back to previous mask-wearing policy," the Premier said. You'll still need to cover your faces in some situations, though, even if the rules do loosen. "I can say that, moving forward, mandatory masks on public transport will continue. We think this gives people assurance to get around their daily business and to also, given the fact that you're in an enclosed space for a long period of time, just to maintain that level of assurance," the Premier noted. The announcement comes as NSW recorded no new locally acquired COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday, February 2 — a pattern that has remained for the past 17 days. As always, NSW residents are asked to continue to get tested immediately if you experience even the mildest of COVID-19 symptoms. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. Top image: Cassandra Hannagan.
Sit down to dinner at Arthur when it opens in Surry Hills this week and you'll have some idea of how chef-owner Tristan Rosier best remembers his grandfather. The original Arthur, with his love of getting friends and family together over food, was the main inspiration behind Rosier's 35-seat restaurant, which is he's launching with partner Rebecca Fanning. It will open its doors in the old Bar Baretto space on Bourke Street today, Thursday, October 25. The space has been given new life with modern light fittings, brass and timber tables and more windows that make the dining room glow in the afternoon. It marks the first solo venture for the chef (ex-Farmhouse and Dead Ringer), whose focus here is on using interesting, seasonal ingredients in unexpected ways, through dishes as elegant as they are exciting. As much as possible is done in-house from scratch, from the breads and preserves, to a raft of pickled things. Food at Arthur is enjoyed as part of a $70 a head shared "dinner party"-style feast of around 11 set dishes — a move Rosier says is designed to allow punters space to really enjoy that good eating and company, rather than worrying about the whole decision-making and ordering affair. Dinners will be done in sessions — two a night, plus a lunch session on weekends — and the menu will be an oft-changing one, though there'll always be at least one raw dish making an appearance and two desserts sweetening the finish. The starting lineup includes dishes like mozzarella with broad beans and green tomatoes, fried artichokes, King prawns with romesco and hazelnut and beef short rib served with mash. And for dessert: a chocolate delice with mandarin and macadamia. Even though it's a set menu, vegetarian, vegan and other dietary requests can be catered for with notice. The wine offering is entirely Australian, showcasing "easy-to-drink wines" with brightness, balance and crunch. Arthur is now open at 544 Bourke Street, Surry Hills. It runs sittings at 6pm and 8.30pm Wednesday to Saturday, as well as 12.30pm session on weekends and a 6pm session on Sundays.
With a certain mid-November leaders' summit coming up ever sooner, you'd be forgiven for succumbing to some of the niggling public confusion that's abounding in Brisbane. Common questions are "What even is the G20?" and, more importantly, "Do I get a public holiday?" While we can't answer those ones for you, we can tell you that reigning Brisbane burger empire Burger Urge is crafting a special, G20-exclusive burger that'll give meaning and purpose to those coming three days of inevitable road closures, military-level security, and jokes about presidents with a penchant for macho publicity stunts involving doing equestrian sports in the (semi) nude. It's called The Big Bad Vlad, it's billed as the "taste of G20," and it's only available when the G20's happening — November 14, 15 and 16. Burger Urge say they're not naming names, and that "The Big Bad Vlad in no way singles out any individual leader." But with the timely tagline "Shirtfront one today!", picking up one of these babies is basically the same as giving a big fat up yours to a certain oppressive leader of an unnamed ex-Soviet megastate, a la this. (The cringe level on that one is high, click at your own discretion.) The Big Bad Vlad comes from a long tradition of continually rotating Burger Urge specials. Recently they've cooked up Fat Elvis burgers with lashings of bacon and three types of sauce, made magic of a plain ol' bun with pork and fried noodles and called it The Genghis Khan, and gone all US of A with ranch sauce and cheddar for The Manhattan Project. Now, while world leaders and delegates are discussing Important Stuff like the future of world economies and labour mobility, you can do your bit for sticking it to the shirtless horse-riding man. So what, according to Burger Urge, does that undoubtedly highly satisfactory feeling taste like? Although the burger contains their much-loved thick-cut fries, the Vlad is far from being your regular old chip butty — this is a megalithic stack of two chicken breasts, two rashers of bacon, two slices of cheese, lettuce 'n' tomato, and a dollop of sweet chilli mayo that you'll be hard pressed not to slop all down your own shirtfront. Yeah. Shirtfront that one, Mr. President-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. Image by Ria Novosti.
The flavours of Southeast Asia are heading to the beach. Chef Milan Strbac of Sugarcane in Surry Hills confirmed this week that the upscale eatery would be launching a second site in Coogee. The 100 seat restaurant and cocktail bar is set to begin service in mid-July – and if you're anything like us, you're already counting down the days. "The area is in need of an upmarket Asian restaurant," Strbac told Hospitality Magazine. "There are a couple of decent restaurants offering different styles of food down there at the moment, but nothing similar to my style." In addition to Strbac himself, the team at Sugarcane Coogee will include ex-Longrain chef Tristan Balian and Strbac's Juicy Lucy co-owner Griff Pamment. Not a half bad roster, we think you'll agree. Open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday, the restaurant will occupy the Carr Street site previously held by Nissaki Greek Taverna. The menu is expected to be similar to the one at Sugarcane Surry Hills, albeit with more of a seafood focus befitting the beachfront location. Sugarcane Coogee will open mid-July at 56 Carr Street, Coogee. Via Hospitality Magazine. Image: Sugarcane Surry Hills.
In a year that has already seen Australians spend plenty of time on their couches, Netflix is serving up a new reason to stay seated, get cosy and start your next binge. From Thursday, September 17, beloved US sitcom Friends will land on the streaming service — so if your sofa happens to be a Central Perk-style shade of orange, you'll have an extra reason to celebrate. All ten seasons of the show will hit at once, which means you'll have 236 episodes to work your way through. Obviously, that's a whole heap of time in the company of New York's most famous posse of pals. Whether you once had your hair cut like Rachel (Jennifer Aniston), spout catchphrases like Joey (Matt LeBlanc) or are known to sing about cats like Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) — or have spent way too much time thinking about Monica (Courteney Cox) and Chandler's (Matthew Perry) relationship, or about Ross' (David Schwimmer) pet monkey, too — you'll be in your element. In fact, you could even say your favourite TV mates will be there for you. https://twitter.com/NetflixANZ/status/1295843163123245057 Of course, Friends fans will already know that the show's entire run is currently available in Australia via fellow streaming service Stan, and has been for some time. If that continues to be the case, you'll now have two places to get your 90s and early 00s sitcom fix. The past few years have been eventful for Friends aficionados. An orange couch toured around Australia, anniversary marathons have screened in cinemas, boozy brunch parties have showered the show with love and trivia nights are still held regularly. A musical parody of the series is about to liven up Aussie theatres as well. And, at some point in the near future, the whole gang will even reunite for a TV reunion special — which was originally due to surface earlier this year, but has been delayed due to the pandemic. All ten seasons of Friends will hit Netflix on Thursday, September 17.
When you think of ghosts and ghouls you most likely think of rickety houses covered in ivy, or old asylums on misty moors. The oceanic paradise of Australia is probably the last place to come to mind. But with waters full of stuff that eats you, and often inhospitable lands teeming with things just as iffy, this land with a darker history than most really does seem the perfect home for things that go bump in the night. So, here is a look at haunted Australia, a list of ten haunted prisons, houses and townships. Reader beware. OLD MELBOURNE GAOL Completed in 1844, the Old Melbourne Gaol is one of the most famous buildings in Australia. Before closing in 1929, the prison housed dangerous criminals among petty offenders, the homeless and the mentally ill. Executions were undertaken, and at least 133 prisoners, including the infamous outlaw Ned Kelly (whose remains were later sent to Pentridge and recently exhumed) and Jack The Ripper suspect Frederick Bailey Deeming, met their end on the hangman’s rope. The Gaol is an imposing building, but despite a bloody history, it isn’t known for its hauntings — though the things are reported, the building is relatively quiet. Some believe Elizabeth Scott, the first woman to be hung at the gaol, still walks the halls. MONTE CRISTO HOMESTEAD Compared to the Old Melbourne Gaol, and most other buildings in the country, the Monte Cristo Homestead is a hive of ghostly activity. Finished in 1885, the double-storey late-Victorian manor sits on a hill overlooking the town of Junee, and claims to be Australia’s most haunted house. Now a museum, it has a bloody past — a caretaker was murdered in the 1960s, a stable boy burned to death, a maid fell from a balcony, a baby was dropped from a stairwell and a man was imprisoned in the dairy. With wall and floors practically running red with blood it’s not exactly surprising that people report seeing ghosts. Supernatural occurrences range from strange voices, phantom lights and invisible forces, to ghostly figures and animal mutilations. Hardly the best place to spend a night. JENNY DIXON BEACH In 1870 a coal schooner called the Janet Dickson ran aground during a storm along the central coast. All on board survived, but others in subsequent years weren’t so lucky. Before the construction of a lighthouse, more than 20 people were killed. The area is famous for its ghosts; there have been many reports over the years, including that of a woman in a flowing dress who walks the beach at night, and the legend of a phantom hitchhiker that haunts a nearby road. STUDLEY PARK Now a country club and home to Rolls Royce enthusiasts, Studley Park was built in the last years of the 19th century, and has had many different uses. A highly recognisable building, it served as a school for nearly four decades, and it was during that time that Ray Blackstone, a fourteen-year-old student, tragically drowned while swimming. Sadly, that wasn’t the only premature death to befall a resident of Studley Park; in 1939 the son of Arthur Gregory, a former director of 20th Century Fox Australia, lost his fight with appendicitis. Visitors to the area report feeling of being watched, and mediums have claimed the presence of several entities, including a soldier who could have called the place home when it served as a command school, and a young girl who was supposedly raped and murdered in a top floor bedroom. THE GUYRA GHOST In 1921 in the town of Guyra events that would come to be mirrored by a cult movie of the same name saw twelve-year-old Minnie Bowen apparently possessed by a violent poltergeist. What began as shaking walls and thrown stones led to the cottage being constantly surrounded by people and international interest. Minnie’s parents did all they could to calm the spirit, but try as they might they could not. Soon the young girl claimed to be possessed by the ghost of a sister that had died just a few months earlier. The terrors continued even when Minnie was moved from the house, but all of a sudden they just stopped. PICTON Founded in 1822, the small town of Picton would appear to have more dead residents than living ones. The tiny St. Mark’s church and pioneer graveyard is the playground of children often seen walking hand in hand. Legend has it the children are Blanche Moon, who was crushed to death by falling sleepers in 1886, and David Shaw, who died from polio in 1946. The old maternity hospital is one of the scariest places in town. Haunted by an unpleasant matron, visitors report hearing the cries of unearthly babies, and waking with spectral hands wrapped around their necks. There are many more stories to be told in the town of Picton. THE STREET WITH NO NAME Believed by locals to be home to inexplicable evil, the area in Sydney's Annandale has served as a dumping ground for numerous mutilated corpses, and is thought to provoke strange behaviour in children and dogs. The street with no name has its share of resident ghosts to go along with the horrific happenings, including that of “Jock”, a railway worker struck while attempting to rescue an injured animal from the same fate. CHANNEL 9 Studio 9 in Willoughby was originally a church that was built in 1858. The building had been converted into a music hall and in the late 1950s it, and the surrounding area and cemetery, was purchased by the future owners of Channel 9 Studios. A new television production centre was built atop the old cemetery, where it’s rumoured the bodies still remain. Perhaps an unusual setting for a haunting, the staff at Channel 9 believe that a World War I soldier called Charlie roams the corridors, and is responsible for many ghostly goings on. Perhaps Charlie’s body still remains somewhere beneath the foundations. THE TEA TREE GULLY HOTEL Named after the trees that thickly dotted the landscape on which it was built, the Tea Tree Gully Hotel was opened in 1854 and since then its walls have played host to horror. Staff at the hotel refuse to visit parts of it alone, complaining of bad atmospheres, whilst others have heard voices, seen lights flash on and off, and heard phantom footsteps all around. Like many hotels of its age this one has seen its share of death, with accidents, suicides and murders all taking place there. Several people have reported seeing and speaking to a cheeky girl in period dress, though no records mention her. ARADALE ASYLUM An abandoned psychiatric hospital preserved as if it were still in operation, the Aradale Asylum is a labyrinth of dead ends and dark passageways, many of which could easily hide a ghost. Made up of 63 buildings, the complex looks imposing, so much so that sceptics sweep aside all notion of paranormal activity. But so many reports of footsteps, loud bands and apparitions by visitors and staff add up.
Are you sick of YouTube constantly delaying your enjoyment of cute animal videos? Do you want to avoid the awkwardness of sitting through an ad with a coworker who just wanted to show you a funny video of a guy ordering pizza? Need something else to add to your credit card statement? If you answered yes to all three of those questions, you might be interested to know that YouTube is launching its premium ad-free streaming service in Australia today. It's called YouTube Red and it's basically a way to make you pay for a premium version of an otherwise free service, much in the way that Spotify Premium works. It was launched in the US in November last year, and Australia is the second region to get the service. For a monthly subscription fee, you'll be freed of all advertising (including display and pre-roll ads) and be able to save videos to watch offline — which is pretty handy if you're jumping on a flight or your data provider is charging you through the roof. You'll also have access to original Red content, which at the moment includes shows from the likes CollegeHumor, Lilly Singh and PewDiePie. It's an obvious attempt to cut in on the success of Netflix's original shows (but show us a series as good as House of Cards and then we'll talk). On top of this, they've also launched their YouTube Music app, which aims to make listening to music on YouTube a much less roundabout and awkward experience. Recognising that there's a whole heap of people that use YouTube to crank tunes, YouTube Music simply arranges the mammoth amount of music content (including music videos, songs, albums, remixes, lyric videos and live performances) into a functional music browsing system. Like Spotify and Apple Music, they'll also have a radio function and will create personalise playlists according to your taste in tunes. Anyone can access YouTube Music, but if you have a Red account, you'll be able to listen ad-free as well as when you don't have the app open on your mobile. Unsure if this is a video streaming service or a music streaming service? We are too. It seems to take elements from both Spotify and Netflix's offerings, however the real drawcard will be in the original content they can produce. Price-wise, it's comparable to other streaming services — you can get a month free trial, and if you sign up before June 6, it'll cost you $9.99 a month (otherwise it's $11.99 a month). However, if you want to watch Beyoncé's Lemonade in full, you'll still need to get Tidal. Sorry.
Navigating the early morning, peak hour commute via train can only be made bearable by one thing. Coffee. Just a groggy stumble up the escalators of Wynyard Station is a caffeinated light at the end of the tunnel: York Lane. Taking the name of the laneway it sits on, York Lane provides everything you need to wipe the sleep out of your eyes in the AM right through to your night-time Negroni. The breakfast menu has all the usual suspects, Shukshuka baked eggs ($12), corn fritters ($10.80) and eggs on toast ($8.50). For empty stomachs there's the gluttonous Kerry Packer's breakfast; eggs, tomato, bacon, sausage and mushroom with toast ($17) will fix you right up. Takeaway specials are also available and the toast and coffee combo ($5.50) is a quick and cheap choice for those who hit the snooze button three too many times. After dark York Lane transforms into a trend setter's bar all set to whet your whistle after a tough day at the office. The wine list is small but varied and the list of craft beers will entice both hipsters and beer snobs alike. If you need something with a little more edge, there's a short cocktail list including the classic Negroni ($16) and the refreshing Dark and Stormy ($12). Nibble on something from the tapas menu with Asian flavours such as duck pancakes ($12) or crispy pork belly ($12) or European favourites like the antipasto platter ($22) or cheese-stuffed polenta rounds ($10). With a capacity of just 30 people, York Lane also offers itself as an intimate nook for a small function. The multi-level wooden interior is the perfect platform for the occasional live music featured. Otherwise vinyl records play all the classic crooners and the beautiful wooden lamps, 70s style tiling and warm, eclectic interior, transport you to a vibrant, vintage world. The concrete jungle you've just escaped will remain miles away for the entirety of your visit. York Lane is just the place to rectify your early morning blues with decent coffee and easy brekkie. And of an evening you'll replace the caffeine for some well deserved booze. Just do it.
If action isn't taken to reduce rubbish in our oceans, it's estimated there will be more plastic than fish in the world's oceans by 2050. To raise awareness about the severity of this issue, at least 120 kilograms of this plastic waste has been hauled from the sea and put to better use to create this thought-provoking public artwork. Titled Wasteland and produced by local creative studio Mundane Matters as part of Art & About Sydney, the piece features 2255 orange orbs made from recycled ocean debris. Inspired by a fortuitous Costa Rican forest that saw 12,000 tons of orange peels dumped into an empty pasture only to flourish into a forest 16 years later, this piece uses waste collected from around the Great Barrier Reef — where a group called Eco Barge has been busy recovering more than 180,000 kilogram of plastic junk over the past nine years. The haul used to create Wasteland included everything from plastic bottle necks and lids, to a broken chair and even someone's abandoned kettle. After being ground down, melted together with some plastic and moulded into the spheres. It now hangs suspended from the ceiling of Customs House as a compelling reminder of how our daily lives impact the environment on a global scale. "Each orange object is a movable dot, allowing the whole system to be reconfigured and reformatted with endless possibilities," explains Danling Xiao, the creative brains behind Mundane Matters. Wasteland is open on weekdays from 8am–midnight, Saturdays from 10am–midnight and Sundays from 11am–5pm. Images: Katherine Griffiths
Forget about roasting chestnuts over an open fire. A traditional Aussie Christmas is all about tinsel, toys and a seafood feast with all the trimmings — which, for many a Sydneysider, starts with a trip to the Sydney Fish Market. And there's plenty of fish in the sea — but even more things you need to know when it comes to cooking them. Which is where the Pyrmont seafood institution steps in. From sniff tests and storage tips to a summer school series designed to teach you how separate your scallops from your salmon, here are the answers to all your fishy FAQs — straight from the experts at Sydney Seafood School — that'll help you host the perfect festive feast. [caption id="attachment_878750" align="alignnone" width="1920"] James D. Morgan/Getty Images for Sydney Fish Market[/caption] How do I ensure my fish is fresh? Customers who commit to Sydney Fish Market's 36-hour seafood marathon will find more than 100 different varieties of seafood on display (and 10,000 times as many people strolling through to get their fix), so, unsurprisingly, it can be a little overwhelming trying to work out where to start. However, buying almost directly from the source is one of the easiest ways to ensure that your fish is fresh. Other telltale signs of the fish's freshness include shiny skin or scales, firm flesh (with no marks or tears) and bright, red-pink gills. Or, if you're a touchy-feely kind of fish person, grab a pair of gloves from a stall owner and test the texture of your trout or tuna for yourself. Fresh fish flesh should be firm and spring back when touched, crustaceans such as crabs should feel heaver than they look (with no sound of sloshing water inside when shaken), while bivalves like mussels and pipis should have intact shells that are closed or close when tapped. However, the most important sense you can utilise when seafood shopping is your smell. All seafood should have a pleasant, fresh fragrance, with product that smells particularly "fishy" best left behind. What's the best way to transport fish from the market to my fridge? Once you've stocked up, avoid the temptation to pop past the stores for last-minute present-buying and head straight home. One of the cardinal rules of transporting seafood is that for every hour your seafood is off ice, one day is taken off the shelf-life. So, remember to bring an esky along with you on your trip to the markets, and ask the fishmonger to pack some ice with your purchase to keep it fresh on the journey home. Sydney Seafood School's experts recommend you place your fish on a plate or in a lidded container, and cover it with a damp cloth followed by plastic wrap or a lid and put it in the coldest part of your fridge as soon as you get home. But, contrary to popular belief, you don't have to eat your seafood straight away. In fact, most seafood species will keep for up to three days in the right conditions, so don't stress too much if you're still eating crab sandwiches for lunch on Boxing Day. Fun fish fact: There's also nothing wrong with freezing seafood if you need to. Just ensure you seal it in an airtight freezer bag and consume it within three to eight months. So, what about sustainability? Overfishing is a serious problem globally — however, Australian fisheries have been internationally recognised as among the best-managed in the world. Both state and commonwealth legislation requires that our fisheries be sustainable and that the environmental impacts of fishing activities be regularly assessed. Stocks of even previously overfished species continue to increase under careful supervision, with recovery plans for such species mandatory. To keep it simple, one of the best ways to be sure you're buying sustainable seafood is to buy Australian. And some of the freshest you'll find? At the Sydney Fish Market, of course. It's also worth taking note how many people you're feeding so you can stock up on the right amount and avoid unnecessary waste. I want to put on a seafood spread but don't know where to start. Help! There are two types of seafood shoppers: those who have specific seafood in mind, and those who do not. If you're open to ideas, start with a cooking method you'd like to explore and get the fishmonger to suggest something that suits. However, if you're following a specific recipe, make sure you order exactly what you need — or ask one of the experts to offer alternatives if your first option is unavailable. Remember, a seafood spread doesn't have to be expensive to be impressive. If you've got cash to splash, try a crustacean (lobster, bugs or crab), a whole fish for a centrepiece and classic crowd favourites like oysters, octopus or prawns. However, if you're working within a tighter budget, there are still plenty of options. The price of more popular fish such as barramundi, salmon and snapper go up slightly around Christmas in response to demand, but lesser-known species like gurnard, flounder and eastern school whiting are just as delicious, readily available and can be significantly cheaper. The perfect Christmas seafood spread should balance both temperature and flavour. This will satisfy guests without overwhelming them in the height of the summer heat. Regardless of budget, all you really need is two hot dishes and two cold. The final thing to consider for a truly stellar festive spread is all the extras — think salads, sides and small, simple seafood snacks. What's the best way to cook my seafood? Sunny weather is barbecue weather. And fortunately, for those who fear fudging up their fish, the barbie is one of the easiest ways to prepare seafood. As a general rule, firm fish prefer direct contact with the grill or hotplate as they can hold together well, allowing the heat to penetrate their often thicker flesh. Working with more delicate species? Try wrapping your fish in foil and barbecuing them with the lid down to avoid direct heat. If you've gotten this far but you're still struggling to figure out the difference between pan-frying and poaching and want to work out whether your bream is better off baked or boiled, it might be time to take your cues from the professionals. Enter: the Sydney Seafood School Sumer Series. With lessons led by some of Australia's most celebrated chefs and favourite foodies, it won't take you long to o-fish-ially (you know we had to) achieve superstar seafood expert status. Check out the full range of classes on offer at the Sydney Seafood School Sumer Series and make the move from seafood amateur to expert this season.
Resting on the shores of the always-iconic Bondi Beach is a looming structure. Earthy colours and openair designs help it blend into its breezy surroundings, but locals know the weight carried by the so-called 'pav'. Bondi Pavilion is, in fact, a piece of local history. For over 90 years, it's stood proud on the shoreline as a hub of local culture and activity, welcoming visitors through its doors for almost every activity you could think of. And now, after a lengthy seven-year facelift, it's better than ever. The Pav continues its vision of being a home for community, arts and culture in Bondi and is now better equipped to do so. The building boasts 15 indoor and two outdoor creative spaces — including a pottery studio, art gallery, theatre, radio studio and interactive exhibition room. You'll also have plenty of chances to feed your stomach, not just your mind. Several hospitality venues line the walls of the Pav for any hungry passerby. During daylight hours, you can grab a meal at Glory Days (and Surfish cafe, which is due to open soon), and after-dark diners can get their fix at Promenade Bondi Beach or Upstairs by Glory Days a few floors above. The icing on the proverbial cake of Bondi Pavilion comes in the form of the beloved local label Between the Flags, which has been dishing out SLSC-inspired clothing wear for beachgoers for the better part of 29 years. The building's many rooms and creative spaces are also available to hire for events and community groups. Just visit the website to find out how.
Warm. Dry. Temperatures above average, and rainfall below usual levels. That's been the trend across 2019 so far, thanks to a record-breaking summer, a hotter-than-standard autumn and a toastier-than-normal winter, so it should come as no surprise that the Bureau of Meteorology expects the pattern to continue for the rest of the year. Releasing its latest climate outlooks — which focus on spring, while also looking ahead to December and January, too — BOM doesn't have great news if you were hoping for an average end to 2019. Well, as average as this traditional warmer period can be. Instead, below average rainfall is forecast around most of the country, as well as above average temps. In other words, if you call mainland Australia home, there's a very good chance that you'll experience spring and summer temperatures that are toastier than the median. Apart from Tasmania and the absolute lower edges of South Australia and Victoria, the whole country is tipped to endure maximums at least 80 percent higher than normal. That includes the entirety of Queensland and New South Wales. While the peak time for particularly hot temperatures will kick in from October onwards, September is also expected to weather an extended warm spell, with the mercury reaching two–to–three degrees above where it usually sits at this time of year in central and eastern Australia. If you're wondering exactly what's in store, then it's worth keeping the usual daily temps across the period in mind — and remembering that they'll be exceeded. In Sydney, that means the mercury will soar above a 20.1-degree maximum in September, a 22.2 top in October, a 23.7 max in November and a 25.2 high in December, while Melbourne can expect temps above 16.8, 19.4, 21.9 and 24.6 in the same months. In Brisbane, the standard tops range between 25.6–29.5, and in Perth it spans 20.3–29.1. Yet again, farmers are in for not-so-great news. The rest of the year is predicted to be drier than average everywhere other than northern Western Australian and western Tasmania. Yes, it's a familiar story. Let's not forget that in 2018, overall, Australia copped its third-warmest year ever. If it isn't part of your end-of-year routine already, we suggest planning plenty of time in the coolest places you can find — beaches, pools, rivers or anywhere with a refreshing swimming spot — this spring and summer. Images: Bureau of Meteorology.
If you're commuting to work from Sydney's western or northern suburbs this Tuesday, February 25, morning, get ready for some major delays. Urgent overheard wiring repairs at Hornsby has caused cancellations and delays across the T1 North Shore and T9 Northern lines, with flow-on effects also impacting the T1 Western Line. To make some of the repairs, Sydney Trains had to turn off the power, which it said wasn't "a quick process"; however, at 7.30am it reported that power had been restored and crews were working hard to "prepare the trains for service". https://twitter.com/TrainsInfo/status/1232038114341687296 Passengers on the T1 and T9 lines have been advised to delay their journeys or make alternative travel arrangements if possible, and to check real time apps and listen to announcements if already at the stations. A limited number of buses are supplementing services between Hornsby and North Sydney. The Central Coast and Newcastle lines are also making additional stops to help ease some of the passenger congestion. https://twitter.com/T1SydneyTrains/status/1232018195680096257 Adding to this morning's delays, a fire safety alarm was activated at Town Hall Station at approximately 7.30am, with no trains stopping at the station. Thankfully, services have now resumed. To stay up-to-date with delays, check the Transport for NSW website and real-time apps.
Looking for an excuse to start making holiday plans? A massive flight sale with one million discounted fares on offer will do the trick. For a week, Qantas is slinging cheap tickets across its domestic network, spanning 60-plus routes — and prices start at under $150 one-way on more than 30 of them. Getaway dates vary, but winter is the ideal time to make a booking for one inescapable reason: when we're all spending more time rugged up indoors to escape the chillier weather, who isn't dreaming of their next break away from their own four walls? The sale runs until 11.59pm AEST on Sunday, June 30, 2024, but the usual caveat applies: you'll want to get in quickly to nab a bargain (and, as always, if fares sell out earlier, you'll miss out). Whether you're a Sydneysider thinking about a Gold Coast jaunt, a Melburnian keen to finally hit or return to Tasmania or a Brisbanite eager to make a date with The Whitsundays, you have options. Indeed, you can get from Sydney to the Gold Coast for $109, Brisbane to the Whitsunday Coast from $129 and Melbourne to Hobart from $149. Other routes and fares include Adelaide to Melbourne from $139, Launceston to the Gold Coast from $199, Sydney to Cairns for the same price, and Sydney to Perth for $339. Business class flights are on sale as well, if your budget can stretch that far. Trips to and from Ballina, Newcastle, Mildura, Albury, Coffs Harbour, Kangaroo Island, Townsville, Tamworth, Rockhampton, Port Macquarie, Alice Springs, Uluru and Darwin are also on the sale list. Inclusions-wise, the sale covers fares with checked baggage, complimentary food and beverages, wifi and seat selection. Qantas' one million seat sale runs until 11.59pm AEST on Sunday, June 30, 2024, or until sold out. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
When it comes to festivals, 2023 is gearing up to be a non-stop party all across the Sunshine State, right up to the year's end. We're looking at a jam-packed calendar of cultural events, from long-running festivals to exciting newcomers and immersive experiences. Whether you're into classical, country or blues, or folk and rock 'n' roll — or you simply want to discover the hottest emerging artists in the country — there's a good chance you'll find a fest that hits your chosen genre (or lets you delight in something new). And there's more than just tunes on offer. There's cultural spotlights and event programs highlighting fantastically unique communities, as well as activities bringing together artists and performers across different media forms for thought-provoking creative collabs. Plus, these festivals are in some pretty amazing locations, from the desert to the forest, seaside or sprawled across a vibrant city suburb — ideal for an adventure that mixes music with some travel. It's time to make space in the calendar, culture vultures — Queensland calls. [caption id="attachment_878012" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dave Kan[/caption] CMC ROCKS QLD Now in its 16th year, CMC Rocks QLD is a pilgrimage for every country-lovin' cowpoke. From March 17–19, the biggest country acts (and fans) will descend on Willowbank Raceway in Ipswich — just a short drive from Brisbane — for a three-day hoedown. The lineup this year features some real heavy hitters, plus Zac Brown Band's only Australian show. There's big representation from US artists, including Kip Moore and Morgan Wallen, as well as a truly standout suite of homegrown talent. While the 2023 edition is sold out, this red-hot event is one to keep on your music bucket list. Hopefully you can mosey on up in the future for three days of tunes, local markets and fully stocked food stalls and bars. Go enjoy some good old country hospitality. CMC Rocks QLD, Friday, March 17 till Sunday, March 19, 2023 BLUES ON BROADBEACH MUSIC FESTIVAL From May 18–21, Broadbeach is taken over by one of the biggest free, all-ages music festivals in the country. Blues on Broadbeach is in its 22nd year, and this celebration of blues and blues-inspired sound has some true legends hitting the stage — including two-time Grammy nominated acoustic guitarist Tommy Emmanuel, Australian Songwriters Hall of Fame-er Don Walker, and acclaimed act Emma Donovan and The Putbacks. There's blues straight outta Memphis as well as a solid contingent of all-Aussie performers dominating the impressive roll call. The sprawling festival boasts multiple stages and venues around Broadbeach, so you can easily check out the local bars and restaurants between gigs. Blues on Broadbeach, Thursday, May 18 till Sunday, May 21, 2023 BIRDSVILLE BIG RED BASH Run away from the cold this winter and hit the desert. Birdsville Big Red Bash has been going strong for a decade, drawing folks from all over out to the Simpson Desert. At 35km from Birdsville, it's the most remote music festival in the world. From Tuesday, July 4 till Thursday, July 6, this little patch of desert will become Bashville, the home of concerts, campsites and a festival community all beneath the Big Red Dune. The team have even got the nifty Bash App to help you navigate the massive site, epic lineup and vast array of food trucks and activities. This year's festival features headliners Icehouse, John Williamson, Hoodoo Gurus, Pete Murray and Kate Ceberano. As well as being an all-ages event, it's also dog-friendly and BYO friendly. Nice one. Birdsville Big Red Bash, Tuesday, July 4 till Thursday, July 6 AUSTRALIAN FESTIVAL OF CHAMBER MUSIC A festival for the classical connoisseurs, the Australian Festival of Chamber Music is a massive 10-day celebration of the genre — and it just so happens to take place in the gloriously idyllic tropics. From Friday, July 28 till Sunday, August 6, performers and composers from all over the world join Australia's finest chamber musicians in Townsville-Gurambilbarra. The celebration covers a broad range of chamber music — from full orchestras performing classic pieces to beachside acoustic sessions, solo singers, quartets, concert pianists and more. Stimulate your intellect and be stirred by old works, new commissions and collaborations, which explore many stories and themes, both modern and timeless. All that right by the beautiful northern beaches of Queensland? Perfect. Australian Festival of Chamber Music, Friday, July 28 till Sunday, August 6 GYMPIE MUSIC MUSTER Penned as the "festival in the forest", this gathering has been going strong since 1982. And excitingly, after being on hold for 2020 and 2021, the Muster returned last year with a bang (and a hoot 'n' holler). This year, over four days and six venues, more than 100 artists, including country legends Kasey Chambers, Adam Brand and Troy Cassar-Daley, will perform in Amamoor State Forest on Kabi Kabi country. They're part of a huge lineup covering country, blues, folk and rock, which includes workshops and bush poetry too. This here is real country — proper bush — so bring your tent and your true-blue music passion and get in on this unmissable forest party. Gympie Music Muster, Thursday, August 24 till Sunday, August 27 [caption id="attachment_809942" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lachlan Douglas, Kymie at BIGSOUND 2019[/caption] BIGSOUND Here it is: a mid-week music fest right in the heart of the big city. More than 180 exciting emerging artists will perform across 23 stages in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley from Tuesday, September 5 till Friday, September 8. Well-known up-and-comers like Budjerah, Mia Wray and Teenage Joans lead the way, but there are also so many fresh acts to discover across all genres. There's everything from indie pop, R&B, soul and electronic to heavy rock, country and an Auslan-incorporated performance from Alter Boy. There's a full First Nations program, with music, workshops, talks and gatherings, and a special After Midnight program of late night performances and parties. The festival runs alongside the BIGSOUND conference, which is the biggest music industry gathering in the southern hemisphere. Discover the future of Aussie music — the next big sound starts here. BIGSOUND, Tuesday, September 5 till Friday, September 8 [caption id="attachment_892555" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cynthia Lee[/caption] CALOUNDRA MUSIC FESTIVAL A huge three days of "sun, surf and soul", the Caloundra Music Festival is a diverse showcase of the Aussie music industry that celebrates homegrown talent at the seaside Kings Beach Amphitheatre. Last year saw some of Australia's hottest acts, including Baker Boy and Client Liaison, and long-time faves Ben Lee and Missy Higgins, take to the stage, and this year's artists are sure to be just as impressive — keep your eyes peeled for the announcement. Both family friendly and not for profit, this festival has real heart, prioritising the support of all things local and welcoming excited festival-goers from all over Australia. Come for the music, stay to experience the unique Caloundra community and environment, from its natural beauty to its local vendors, makers and creative spirit. It's a one-of-a-kind weekend and well worth a visit. Caloundra Music Festival, Friday, September 29 till Sunday, October 1 [caption id="attachment_892225" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Troy Cassar-Daley performing at Savannah in the Round[/caption] SAVANNAH IN THE ROUND From Friday, October 6 till Sunday, October 8, Savannah in the Round brings three days and nights of rootin' tootin' country music to tropical north Queensland's Mareeba, in the Cairns Hinterland. Although this is one of the newer festivals on the scene, it's already making its mark. In 2022, it brought in big names from overseas, including Brad Paisley, as well as local acts like Vanessa Amorosi, Tex Perkins and The Waifs. The lineup for 2023 is yet to be announced, but promises to be packed with world-class country, rock and pop acts. What we can tell you is that music on the main stage kicks off late on Friday arvo, but the two support stages (Big Top Music Hall and Bull Bar) start in the morning and finish late. There's also plenty of art and cultural activities running over the long weekend. Expect a chockers First Nations-led cultural program complete with hands-on workshops, art installations, dance performances and storytelling. For your thrills, you can hit the fun fair's Ferris wheel and carnival games; and if you're a foodie, the paddock-to-plate experience will serve you the best of the region. Once you're there, you'll be just a moment from the gorgeous beaches and towering rainforests of the tropics — so it's well worth taking a few extra days to explore en route to the rodeo. Savannah in the Round, Friday, October 6 till Sunday, October 8 [caption id="attachment_891347" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bianca Holderness[/caption] GROUNDWATER COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL Throw on your cowboy hat and tropical shirt, you're goin' to where the country meets the sea for three days this October. Each year, this award-winning three-day event delivers free live music via an exceptional mix of performers from all over. Whether you prefer traditional country, rock or laid-back acoustic sessions, you'll find it on the beachside main stage or other venues around Broadbeach's stunning locale. This seaside hoedown has something for everybody, including markets, food stalls and fairground rides, with a big focus on celebrating the local community and spotlighting everything that makes it unique. Groundwater Country Music Festival, Friday, October 20 till Sunday, October 22 WOODFORD FOLK FESTIVAL This immersive, magical — and quite frankly, iconic — festival is the perfect way to close out the year. Over 25,000 people gather annually in the temporary village of Woodfordia, on regenerated native habitat, to experience music, art, culture, craft and convivial camping in an eco-friendly setting. It's a massive event, with more than 2000 performers from around Australia and abroad bringing high vibes — as well as writer's talks, circus arts, parades, an environmental program, a children's festival and workshops where you have the chance to flex your own creative muscles. Woodfordia itself becomes a thriving little community, complete with cafes and bars, with activities all day and into the night. Woodford Folk Festival, Wednesday, December 27, 2023 till Monday, January 1, 2024 To explore more arts and culture events taking over Queensland in 2023, head to the website. Top images: Andrew Rankin (third); Matt Williams (fourth); Jess Gleeson (fifth).
To combat the multitude of incoming phone calls which remain unheard in the depths of your purse, Nokia is seeking a patent for magnetic-ink tattoos which would alert you to every phone call. The company's 'Haptic Communication' patent describes an electronic device (your smartphone) which will generate a magnetic field. This will stimulate the ferromagnetic ink that has been stamped on, taped to, or - yes - tattooed on skin. The ink will then react with stimuli that corresponds to the digital content of the original device. Similar to the 'vibrate' setting on existing phones, different vibration patterns would be received, and felt, for a voicemail, text message, etc. This technology may aid users in distinguishing which type of notification their phone is receiving from their back packet or book bag - all without audio. It all may sound a tad drastic, but who knows? Perhaps some fresh ink will finally allow us to unglue our phones from our palms. [via Wired]
They've been making ace threads for almost two decades, and now they're making a spot in Sydney their own. Jumping from the shelves of other stores to their bricks-and-mortar outlet, denim label Ksubi has set up shop in Paddington. While they've dabbled in their own retail outlets in the past, the new digs mark the brand's only current stand-alone store in the world. Opening its doors at 130 Oxford Street as part of the designer boutique-filled The Intersection shopping precinct, the new Ksubi store turns 250 square metres into a minimalist, monochromatic space for their full clothing collection, plus YSL frames and Henson jewellery. On the shelves, think distressed denim jeans, jackets, cut-off shorts and skirts aplenty, obviously. Interior design-wise, think industrial-esque touches that evoke Ksubi's unfussy style. Indeed, inside eager shoppers will find white neon lighting, flat black fixtures, raw concrete floors, and an array of very memorable magenta change rooms complete with defaced doors. Plus, Ksubi's new digs also feature a number of permanent installations by commissioned artists. Find Ksubi at 130 Oxford Street, Paddington, or head to their website for further information.
Dark Mofo is back for another devilish year where truly anything can happen. The annual winter festival is one week in for 2023, and it has already served up a slate of highlights delighting the senses of festivalgoers and local Hobart residents. Whether you were on the hunt for packed dance floors into the early hours of the morning, unbeatably fresh feeds around a firepit or hedonistic masquerade balls, there's been no shortage of sinister activations so far to prove why the festival is such a must-attend event — and, if you haven't made it along yet, to show why it should be at top of your hit list. As the fest's second week kicks off with even more debauchery — including A Divine Comedy, an Australian premiere and an Aussie exclusive that reimagines Dante's classic examination of hell, purgatory and paradise; Soda Jerk's Hello Dankness, which compiles samples into a 70-minute survey of American politics circa 2016–21; and performances from Molchat Doma, HEALTH, RVG and Moktar — here's a look at seven standouts from the first week of Dark Mofo 2023. [caption id="attachment_905439" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rosie Hastie[/caption] THE BLUE ROSE BALL BROUGHT TOGETHER CHILDLIKE JOY AND LYNCHIAN CHAOS Hidden among the haunting grounds of Dark Park at the base of Ryoji Ikeda's awe-inspiring light beam Spectra, The Blue Rose Ball unofficially opened Dark Mofo 2023's festivities the night before things well and truly got underway. A mysterious masquerade ball with nods to David Lynch and his television classic Twin Peaks, the event seamlessly paired debauchery with unbridled glee. Dressed to the nines and faces covered, guests were met with a hedonistic ballroom encouraging them to indulge in their every desire. While wandering around the ball, attendees discovered eerie dancing teddy bears; tables piled high with lollies, cheese and charcuterie; a fairy floss machine; hidden rooms with NSFW performances; a brief interlude from a fully functional soft serve van; and a central stage with surprise sets from artists like The Huxleys — plus an open bar, of course. [caption id="attachment_905440" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Remi Chauvin[/caption] THE GATHERING KICKED THINGS OFF — AND BARKAA WAS IMMENSE After The Blue Rose Ball acted as a curtain-raiser, the ribbon was officially cut with The Gathering, a celebration of First Nations artists featuring Tasman Keith, dameeeela, Denni, Uncle Dougie Mansell and Madelena. While the night was a hit from start to finish, BARKAA brought the house down with a headlining performance that cements her as one of the nation's best and most important live performers. The dynamic set was a certified rollercoaster of emotions, seamlessly switching from heartwrenching explorations of pain to moments of love, joy and laughter — sometimes within the same song. The power of BARKAA's performances comes from her willingness not to shy away from making non-Indigenous audience members uncomfortable while celebrating the strength of the First Nations community, before bringing everyone back together to dance, sing and have an all-around great time. When she brought out her friend and collaborator Dobby to perform their 2020 track 'I Can't Breathe' together, the audience was already in the palm of BARKAA's hand. It was a momentous performance that set the tone for the next 14 days. [caption id="attachment_905437" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jesse Hunniford[/caption] THE FESTIVAL'S INTERNATIONAL ACTS DELIVERED THE GOODS While many people head down to Dark Mofo to immerse themselves in the wonders of Hobart as the chaos descends, the event also pulls some impressive big-name acts to headline the festivities. Week one of the 2023 fest saw Thundercat take to the stage to perform winding ten-plus-minute versions of his tracks, inserting long jam sessions into fan favourites like 'Them Changes' and 'Dragonball Durag'. Earlier that same night, Sleaford Mods provided a you-had-to-be-there kind of moment. The group's producer Andrew Fearn pressed play on his laptop and bobbed about, while vocalist Jason Williamson shouted tales of working-class England accompanied by erratically dance moves — all of which whipped the crowd into a euphoric frenzy. Punk legends Black Flag were in town for an Australian exclusive set and rolled out the classics, running through the band's influential catalogue of 80s and 00s heavy hitters. Max Ritcher popped up for two sombre orchestral performances of his piece VOICES, which was broadcast live across the entire city during Saturday night's performance, soundtracking people's journeys between that night's festivities. And despite bringing in a much-younger audience than the other global acts, "next big thing" singer-songwriter Ethel Cain felt squarely at home on the Dark Mofo lineup, blending dark religious imagery with her tales of small-town America — the anthemic choruses gliding over the screams of her rabid cult-like fanbase. All of this proved a Dark Mofo wonder without a mention of the likes of Squarepusher, Witch, Eartheater and Drab Majesty, who also peformed over the first week. [caption id="attachment_905450" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rosie Hastie[/caption] TRANCE PROVIDED A WILD, UNIQUE AND FULLY IMMERSIVE UNIVERSE FOR 36 HOURS Berlin-based Chinese artist Tianzhuo Chen's TRANCE offered Dark Mofo attendees the opportunity to drop in and out of an all-encompassing performance space for 36 hours across three days. Depending on when you arrived and how much time you spent in MAC2, you might've had a vastly different experience to someone else. Some audience members may have discovered a full-on rave with bass-heavy techno and screamed vocals, while others would have stumbled upon a delicate moment of dance and ambient music. A grand heavy-metal set, an intimate communal dinner, a hip hop dance circle, noisy experimental R&B, a downpouring of rain: they all featured throughout each of the three 12-hour performances, which were set in an otherworldy space filled with colourful larger-than-life characters and dream-like set designs. After wowing audiences in Asia and Europe, TRANCE found itself in the sleepy town of Hobart but couldn't have felt more right at Dark Mofo, asking attendees with an open mind and an affinity for the strange to let themselves be transported into Chen's one-of-a-kind world. [caption id="attachment_905441" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jesse Hunniford[/caption] NIGHT MASS TOOK OVER AN ENTIRE HOBART BLOCK, CREATING A DEBAUCHEROUS ARTS PRECINCT Spread across four nights over the two weeks of Dark Mofo, this year's Night Mass has taken over an entire block of downtown Hobart, filling every stage, street, alleyway, bar and theatre with music and art between 10pm–4am. The festival's centrepieces, these debaucherous six-hour parties encourage you to wander through the different spaces and stumble upon something that you've never experienced before. On entry, there's a set of burning cars manned by performance artists that look straight out of Mad Max. Wander around the corner to discover a three-storey-tall teddy bear standing over a stage serving up deep electronic tunes and uplifting ballads of friendship (you can even livestream footage from a camera in the bear's face throughout the festival). Journey across the dozens of performance spaces at Night Mass and you'll find dimly lit dens, seated shows, multi-storey house parties, DJs perched on fire escapes and heaving dance floors. There's really not much else like it. [caption id="attachment_905434" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jesse Hunniford[/caption] THE WINTER FEAST PUT ALL OF AUSTRALIA'S OTHER FOOD FESTIVALS ON NOTICE Always a highlight of Dark Mofo, the Winter Feast once again served up a showcase of the best Tasmanian food and drink. From Bruny Island oysters, top-notch local wines, truffle-topped pizza and winter warmers like mulled negronis to the headlining collaborative kitchen between Chef's Table alum Ana Roš and The Agrarian Kitchen, this culinary night market shows up its interstate rivals with the most diverse and produce-focused array of stalls of any Australian food festival. Adding to the ambience is the hall's famous cross-filled ceiling, firepits to congregate around and a constant lineup of musicians to soundtrack your meals. There were even some surprise sets from musicians on the festival lineup, with Ugandan Afrofuturist-punk collective Fulu Miziki popping up to close out the festivities with a late-night Sunday-night set that had everyone hitting the dance floor with squid on a stick and a local Moo Brew in hand. [caption id="attachment_905438" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rosie Hastie[/caption] HOBART SHOWED WHY IT IS AUSTRALIA'S MOST UNDERRATED CITY While Dark Mofo served up plenty of standouts and surprises, the backdrop for the entire festival is the beauty of Hobart. MONA remains one of the country's best galleries, serving up weird, wonderful and thought-provoking art in its stunning subterranean space; the city's pubs, bars and restaurants remain top-tier for anyone looking for quality seafood, beers, wines, whisky and produce-driven meals; and the surrounding harbour and mountains make for a spectacular backdrop for your adventures around town. In winter, just be sure to pack plenty of warm clothes. Dark Mofo 2023 runs from Thursday, June 8–Thursday, June 22 in Hobart, Tasmania. Still looking for Dark Mofo inspiration? Check out our wholesome-to-hedonistic guide, which'll help you stack your festival itinerary based on the level of chaos you're after — and our last-minute picks, too. Top image: Jesse Hunniford. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
The Sydney Opera House's contemporary music program is all about breaking down barriers. Once upon a time the Concert Hall was pretty much exclusively dedicated to the classical genre, but these days the likes of Paul Kelly, Sharon Jones and Nick Cave can be found gracing the stage. Later this month, Sarah Blasko will make her Opera House debut when she and the Sydney International Orchestra perform her boundary-obliterating fourth album, I Awake. Blasko has never been one to rest on her creative laurels and her new LP is no exception. Last year, she travelled to Sweden and Bulgaria, where she hooked up with the Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra to record twelve tracks. Featuring rich string arrangements and a vocal performance that producer/musician Robert Cranny has described as her recorded "best", I Awake has been inspiring four and five star reviews from the critics. If you're under twenty or hold a Healthcare card, you can book a standing room ticket for just $20 (Note: these tickets are only available in person at the Sydney Opera House Box Office – you can't buy them online). https://youtube.com/watch?v=LD137cd7Cw0
Since 2024, the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Awards doesn't just give out awards when its annual ceremony celebrating the best of the year's big- and small-screen output rolls around. When the accolades moved its night of nights to the Gold Coast, it turned the whole event into a festival, getting the folks behind — and starring in — Aussie movies and TV shows, plus homegrown talents enjoying success overseas, chatting at sessions open to the public. That's the AACTA Festival setup — and when the nation's screen academy promised that the fest would be bigger this year, it meant it. The lineup for the event from Wednesday, February 5–Sunday, February 9, 2025 has just expanded again, after the initial program details were revealed in November 2024, then more highlights were added in December. One impressive new inclusion is Oscar-winning Memoir of a Snail animator Adam Elliot talking about his work and career, including his latest delight (which, fingers crossed, could be an Academy Award-nominee by then, too). Another is the return of Talk to Me filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou after they were involved in 2024, this time with ONEFOUR to discuss challenging stereotypes via both horror and drill music. AACTA Festival is also hosting Actor on Actor talks, first teaming up Lee Tiger Halley from Boy Swallows Universe with Alyla Browne from Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and Sting, then getting Better Man and How to Make Gravy co-stars Kate Mulvany and Damon Herriman talking. [caption id="attachment_986977" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jono Searle/Getty Images for AFI[/caption] If you're keen to find out more about Binge's upcoming The Last Anniversary, which is based on a novel from Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty and stars Teresa Palmer (The Fall Guy), the latter will be in attendance with some of the show's team — including director John Polson (Law & Order: Organised Crime) — to dig into the adaptation. Heard about snake-movie remake The Anaconda with Jack Black (Dear Santa) and Paul Rudd (Only Murders in the Building) that's being shot in Queensland?. US film producers Brad Fuller and Andrew Form (A Quiet Place: Day One) are heading along to dive into it, and the topic of bringing making blockbuster films in general. Aussie acting icon Jack Thompson (Runt) is also on the lineup, with 1975 classic Sunday Too Far Away celebrating its 50th anniversary. Thomas Horton, the VFX producer/supervisor on House of the Dragon, will explore bringing Westeros to life as well. And, as part of the screening program — and giving some love to film and TV successes in general — Wicked is receiving a free outdoor showing. The current additions join already-revealed sessions with The Invisible Man and Wolf Man writer/director Leigh Whannell, Better Man and The Greatest Showman filmmaker Michael Gracey, a live How to Make Gravy concert featuring Paul Kelly, Colin and Cameron Cairnes talking Late Night with the Devil and a behind-the-scenes look at Netflix's ripped-from-the-headlines Aussie series Apple Cider Vinegar. In still-huge news, the Working Dog team, aka Santo Cilauro, Tom Gleisner, Jane Kennedy, Michael Hirsh and Rob Sitch, are coming together for an in-conversation session that's bound to touch upon everything from The Castle, Frontline, Thank God You're Here and Utopia to The Dish, The Hollowmen and Have You Been Paying Attention?. The Dish is also the screening program, and the Working Dog team will receive the prestigious AACTA Longford Lyell Award. Australian cinematographer Greig Fraser, who won an Oscar for Dune and is highly tipped for another one for Dune: Part Two, is another significant inclusion, chatting about his Hollywood work. Also in the same category: John Seale, who took home an Academy Award for The English Patient, and was nominated for Witness, Rain Man, Cold Mountain and Mad Max: Fury Road. Everyone can also look forward to authors Trent Dalton and Holly Ringland returning from 2024's lineup, talking about Boy Swallows Universe and The Lost Flowers of Alice on the small screen, respectively; a dive into the Heartbreak High soundtrack; a panel on queer storytelling with RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under season two winner Spankie Jackzon and Deadloch's Nina Oyama; and a session with First Nations filmmakers. And if you're keen to watch movies, Gettin' Square followup Spit will enjoy its Queensland premiere, complete with star David Wenham (Fake) diving into the feature's journey; Looney Tunes: The Day The Earth Blew Up will make its Australian debut, at Movie World, of course; and upcoming action film Homeward with Nathan Phillips (Kid Snow) and Jake Ryan (Territory) will take viewers behind the scenes. [caption id="attachment_926549" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Moshcam[/caption] [caption id="attachment_985262" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Courtesy of Netflix © 2024[/caption] AACTA Festival will run from Wednesday, February 5–Sunday, February 9, 2025 at HOTA, Home of the Arts, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast. For further details, head to the fest's website.
Bourke Street would probably argue, but everyone knows that Queen Street in Woollahra is the Paris of the East. Nothing better to close the case on the matter than the new Woollahra Artisan Market. Setting foot in the market, one immediately hears French accents selling cheese, canelés and salami. Come for your weekly provisions from stalls selling organic produce, grass-fed meats, free-range eggs and organic breads. There are also plenty of breakfast/brunch/lunch options, with pastries, bagels and bacon and egg rolls on offer. Our pick is the pho by Eat Fuh (make sure you get the extra lemon and chilli) — it makes for great slurping in the sun. The usual bunch of health nuts appear, with stalls selling herbs, paleo snacks, fermented stuff and gluten-free loaves heavy enough to do your bicep curls with. There are plenty of opportunities to blow cash on jams, oils, chocolates, cakes, ceramics and, of course, designer dog biscuits. This is Woollahra, after all. The Woollahra Artisan Markets runs every Sunday from 8.30am - 2.30pm in the car park next to Zigolini's on Queen Street.
Yes, it was Agatha All Along — the title for Marvel and Disney+'s WandaVision spinoff about Agatha Harkness, that is. Since the show was announced back in 2021, it has been given plenty of names, but House of Harkness, Coven of Chaos and Darkhold Diaries aren't sticking around as the miniseries' moniker. Instead, it's going with the tune that everyone who saw the character's first on-screen appearance now has stuck in their heads. Also new: a release date for the show. Agatha All Along will hit streaming queues from Wednesday, September 18, 2024. If nothing else joins the Marvel slate between now and then, that'll make it just the second Marvel Cinematic Universe TV series of the year, after Echo (by design, with the Mouse House noting several times that it wants to better space out its releases). View this post on Instagram A post shared by Marvel Studios (@marvelstudios) When the MCU made the leap to Disney+ back in 2021, WandaVision was the first program to arrive. It also finally made everyone take notice of the always-great Kathryn Hahn (Tiny Beautiful Things), who stole every scene she was in each and every time that she popped up — hence Agatha All Along getting the green light. Obviously, WandaVision was about Wanda and Vision, with Avengers: Endgame's Elizabeth Olsen (Love & Death) and Paul Bettany (A Very British Scandal) reprising their roles. But Hahn played a significant part as neighbour-slash-witch Agatha, even nabbing an Emmy nomination for her efforts. So, because she was such a fan favourite, Disney magicked her up her own show. Hahn returns, of course, to play a character that has a considerable history — only some of which WandaVision dived into. In comic books, she's been around since the 70s. Story-wise, her tale dates back to the Salem witch trials. Agatha All Along also stars Joe Locke (Heartstopper), Patti LuPone (Beau Is Afraid), Aubrey Plaza (Scott Pilgrim Takes Off), Sasheer Zamata (Unfrosted), Emma Caulfield Ford (a Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum) and Debra Jo Rupp (That '90s Show). There's no trailer for Agatha All Along yet, but you can get the Emmy-winning tune of the same name stuck in your head below: Agatha All Along will be available to stream via Disney+ from Wednesday, September 18, 2024. Read our review of WandaVision. Images: Marvel Studios, Disney.
It's never too late to learn. With infinite sources of knowledge on offer, there's no reason to avoid up-skilling. You could scroll through the works of a specialty Tiktokker or catch a multi-hour YouTube documentary of some kind. But that's no way to live. Let's explore ways you can enjoy a great night out in Sydney while also feeding your brain with sweet, sweet knowledge and exciting new ideas. [caption id="attachment_945610" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Nicola Bailey[/caption] Raising the Bar: 20 free talks, ten local bars, one night Experience a different take on pub trivia at Raising the Bar, an unmissable free event that lets you engage with the research and ideas shaping your city. One of the most significant educational events in Sydney's calendar and an annual globally touring series, Raising the Bar originates from the Big Apple and holds regular events in San Francisco, Hong Kong, London, Auckland and, of course, Sydney. Presented by the City of Sydney and the University of Sydney, it all comes down to 20 free talks across ten Sydney venues for one night only — Tuesday, April 9. This year the theme is 'Healthier Futures', exploring topics like the potential of AI algorithms in treating depression, a case for pet permissions on public transport in Sydney, how works of fiction can shape our realities and how aviation can become emission-free. The talks will be hosted at The Abercrombie, Wayward Brewing Company, Hotel Harry, Brix Distillery, Hermann's Bar, Soultrap, The Clare Bar, The Barrie, Fortress Sydney and The Private Kitchen. All talks are free, but registration is required. Astronomy at the Calyx: stargazing in the heart of the Royal Botanic Gardens The Royal Botanic Gardens aren't mainly known for looking up at the sky but more so for looking down and around at the plants surrounding you. However, an exception can be made inside the immersive 'Love Your Nature' exhibit, where on Wednesday, March 20; Wednesday, April 17; Tuesday, June 18; and Tuesday, October 22, immersive astronomy nights are taking place. With a free glass of wine on arrival, you'll spend the evening learning from First Nations Astronomer and Astrophysicist Dr Ángel Lopez-Sanchez. You'll hear about how we've discovered the multitude of 'exoplanets' in the stars, including some of the alien details of the closely studied ones, then head outside for personal stargazing led by First Nations storyteller Drew Roberts. [caption id="attachment_663766" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Art Gallery of NSW[/caption] Art After Hours: when the Art Gallery of New South Wales stays up past its bedtime Of all the grand historical architecture found on Macquarie Street, none quite compare to the stoic exterior of the Art Gallery of NSW. Dating back to 1871, the gallery has spent the better part of 150+ years growing into the beating heart of the NSW art industry. It makes sense for a venue like this to operate fully during daylight hours, but there's an after-dark offering every week, too. That offering is Art After Hours, where the gallery keeps its doors open until 10pm every Wednesday night, giving visitors more time to explore the galleries and enjoy some unique one-off events, too. Options vary on a week-by-week basis in terms of activities, be it a guided tour of a limited-time gallery, a talk from an artist, a film screening, a drop-in workshop, a comedy show or more. You can also grab drinks and dinner from the on-site restaurant and the evenings' pop-up bars. Future Science Talks: monthly chats with emerging scientists at the East Village Future Science Talks is an organisation that runs a series of programs all across the country, including a comedy school for scientists and monthly science talks at a Darlinghurst local favourite, the East Village. Future Science Talks champions initiatives designed to connect the general public with the leading work of scientists but also to make those scientists more confident speakers and storytellers. You can participate in that initiative with Science Talks at the Pub, running on the first Wednesday of every month at 7pm at the East Village. Each month brings together six scientific minds to chat about their field, their research, and how it affects or will affect our lives. Whether the subject under the microscope is climate, microbiology, psychology or technology, there's something for everyone every month. [caption id="attachment_653319" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Kitti Smallbone, Friend in Hand Hotel[/caption] Sydney Poetry Lounge: mingle with wordsmiths in a beloved Glebe pub If after-dark artwork is a little too grand for your tastes, there's a much more intimate event that takes place on a monthly basis in Sydney. If you prefer your learning in a spoken or written format rather than visual, crack open your poetry book and make plans to visit The Friend in Hand Hotel in Glebe. It's here on the third Wednesday of every month that you'll find the Sydney Poetry Lounge. Each month is an open invite to the community, with ten open-mic slots for three minutes each and appearances from one or two featured poets. Being hosted at the Friend in Hand Hotel ensures you can get a beer and pub feed to go with your poetry too. Dymocks Books in Bars: meet your favourite Aussie authors over a drink The odds of you, dear reader, having read this much of our article and not having made a purchase from a Dymocks before are next to none. The massive bookshop brand has a presence all over Australia with some of the biggest bookstores this side of the equator. Dymocks is all about connecting audiences and authors, and one of the ways they do so is through the annual event series Books in Bars. Every year in the autumn months Dymocks brings some of the rising literary stars of Australia to bars to discuss their new work over drinks and nibbles. For Sydney in 2024, two events remain. On Tuesday, May 7, Anna Downes will discuss her outback-set thriller Red River Road and on Tuesday, May 21 Ariane Beeston will talk through her memoir of motherhood Because I'm Not Myself, You See. Both events will take place at the East Village from 6—8.30pm. Raising the Bar will be taking place at a variety of Sydney venues on Saturday, April 6th. Events are free, but registration is required. For more information, visit the website. Header image: Nicola Bailey
There's sailing, and there's sailing. Most folks are familiar with a trip out over the water, the hum of a motor, the feel of the breeze and the billowing of a sail. It can be relaxing or a red-hot shot of adrenaline straight into the veins. The latter is sailing, not just the roll of the swell but the stinging sea spray, the groan of a sharp turn, and the deafening crack of a sail as it catches the wind. That's what Sail Grand Prix is all about. February 2023 will see Sydney Harbour host the next leg of the world's most exciting sailing championship with the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix Sydney. This event will bring together the best sailing athletes from nine countries to battle it out in F50 racing catamarans, twin-hull vessels that use cutting-edge engineering to move at speeds close to 100km/h. This is a global series and it's worth making the trip to see it in person while it's in town. Here are the best ways to get up close to the action: [caption id="attachment_882905" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Bob Martin for SailGP[/caption] GENESIS ISLAND: LUXURY FRONT-ROW SEATS Are you looking for the full SailGP spectator experience with the ultimate view and would prefer to stay on dry land? Genesis Island tickets put you in the centre of the action. Literally, the tiny island (which is actually on Shark Island just off Point Piper) is directly adjacent to the start line and finish line, smack bang in the middle of the course. It's as close as you can get without getting in the water. It's also going to be a party with luxury additions to the action and spectacle of the racing. You can make the most of the day with a provided gourmet picnic hamper, open bars stocked with the good stuff, a DJ to keep the vibe optimised, live commentary and big-screen replays of the racing itself. These F50s are as long as a bus and, when you can win by inches, you need a big screen to break it down into tiny details. Mind you, if you're sitting that close you have a good chance you'll see it with your own eyes. A return ferry trip is included in the ticket so you'll get your own small slice of boat action. [caption id="attachment_882908" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Chris Elfes for SailGP[/caption] SPECTATOR BOATS: UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL Genesis Island is close but, as we noted, it's as close as you can get on dry land. There's one closer option: the official spectator boats. The critical difference is that you're on a boat inside the public exclusion zone. You'd be close enough to hear the crews talking to each other as they roar past. The spectator boat tickets offer two levels to the experience: If you like a little bit of luxury to pair with the hefty serving of up-close action, then the on-water premium option is what you're after. This is the ultimate spectator experience, there are plenty of seats and outdoor viewing decks. And with the added benefit of canapés, a buffet and a sizeable selection of beer and wine included in your ticket, what's not to love? If you like the sound of getting up close but don't feel the need for the other bells and whistles, you can still get an on-water ticket with access to purchasable snacks and drinks from the bar. [caption id="attachment_882904" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Phil Hillyard for SailGP[/caption] SAILGP VILLAGE: WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS The SailGP Village is a different kind of central. The racing happens on the water but everything else happens right here. Barangaroo is the hosting location for the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix Sydney and it's the central location that all fan experiences depart from. But it's also going to be a hub for other event activities. Wandering the village, you can seek out the beats of DJs, stay hydrated with a drink from the pop-up bar, get your hands on some SailGP merch and enjoy the special offers from local retailers. This is also the place for aspiring sailors and SailGP superfans – you can get a good look at the Australia Team F50, listen to Q&A sessions with the competing athletes and enjoy the F50 'fly by' parade. [caption id="attachment_882907" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] David Callow for SailGP[/caption] TEAM BASE TOURS: PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN If the magic of the racing isn't enough, the team base tour ticket offers an opportunity for you to peek behind the proverbial curtain. The racing is a concert, and the tour is more than just a backstage pass. You're practically in the dressing room. The 45-minute walk will take you into the pit lane garages where each team's boat crew and shore crew work on maintaining the beast that is the F50. Your guide, a champion sailor or Olympian, will take you on tour to show what it takes to maintain cutting-edge vessels. Here's some trivia to get you started: First developed in 2019, the F50 has become the one-design standard for all of SailGP and is exclusively built for that purpose. They're crewed by a team of five and are 15 metres long, eight metres wide, and 18-24 metres high. [caption id="attachment_882906" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Brett Costello for SailGP[/caption] SUPER FAN PASS: CHASE THE RACING AROUND THE WORLD If you're a big fan of SailGP and looking for an excuse to travel, the answer is right in front of you. These are global events. Teams from Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, Spain, Switzerland and the United States compete in 11 events in ten countries throughout the season. There are four still to come in 2023 and the Super Fan Pass includes access to three of them. January 14-15 2023 is the first ever Singapore Sail Grand Prix and the year's first competition. The reigning Aussie champs are coming into it with a nine point lead, but team NZ could have what it takes to topple them. Following that is the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix Sydney from February 18-19, then the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix a month later in Christchurch, and then the grand final will take place in San Francisco in May. A Super Fan Pass gives you VIP access and exclusive perks to Singapore, Australia and New Zealand (or just the latter two) SailGPs. The KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix Sydney will run from Saturday, February 18, to Sunday, February 19 2023. For more information on the event, the teams and the season so far, or to get tickets, head to the SailGP website.
Just days after confirming that picnics are a permitted form of outdoor recreation — and after hitting the six-million-jab threshold, too — New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has today, Thursday, August 26, announced that folks in much of NSW will soon be able to gather outdoors in larger groups in the very near future. Greater Sydney remains under lockdown until the end of September; however, the Premier had previously announced that NSW residents would see at least one rule loosen once six million doses of the COVID-19 vaccination had been administered statewide. So, from 12.01am Monday, September 13, that's exactly what'll occur. Residents who live outside of Sydney's Local Government Areas of concern will be able to enjoy outdoor recreation in groups of five, as long as all adults are fully vaccinated. That means that as long as you and four of your friends have all had both of your jabs, you will be able to gather outside for recreation — so, for "sitting for relaxation, or to eat, drink or read outdoors", as defined by the NSW Government rules — within your LGA or within five kilometres from home. That cap includes children, but only the adults must be fully vaxxed given that Australia's vaccination campaign hasn't opened to kids yet. And, all those adults came come from different households. "It means that if you have friends or relatives within your LGA or within the five kilometres, you will be able to congregate together in an outdoor gathering of five, as opposed to just two from different households," said the Premier. "We know people coming together is what people miss the most. From the various options we looked at, that was the option that met the mental health needs and wellbeing of our community, but also provided the lowest-risk setting," she continued. Live inside one of the LGAs of concern (so, in the Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta and Strathfield LGAs, as well as 12 suburbs in the Penrith)? Change is coming there, too. Outdoor recreation currently isn't allowed at all; however, it'll be back on the cards from the same date. From that point onwards, families with fully vaccinated adults in LGAs of concern will be able to go out together for an hour of outdoor recreation — and that's in addition to your one hour of exercise each day — although it'll have to be between 5am–9pm given the nighttime curfew. Because there's a strict five-kilometre rule in place in these LGAs, you'll need to abide by that requirement for your picnics there as well. NSW recorded 1,029 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. Of these locally acquired cases, 185 are linked to a known case or cluster – 160 are household contacts and 25 are close contacts – source of infection for 844 cases under investigation pic.twitter.com/6VcaKAXjno — NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 26, 2021 The announcement comes as NSW recorded 1029 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Wednesday, August 25 — and yes, it does feel strange to hear about restrictions easing when case numbers have hit their highest levels so far during the pandemic. That said, the NSW Government sees hitting the six-million-jab vaccination milestone as the first step in easing the Greater Sydney region out of its current lengthy lockdown. After that, when NSW reaches 70-percent and 80-percent vaccination rates, restrictions are meant to loosen even further — including allowing restaurants and bars to reopen to fully vaccinated patrons at the 70-percent mark — which falls in line with the country's new overall 'National Plan to transition Australia's National COVID Response' that was announced in July. "I also want to strongly message today that New South Wales is calling on industry and citizens to get ready for when we are 70-percent double-vaccinated. That's when things will start to open," said the Premier. "The New South Wales Government will start conversations with industry, but we do say that the condition of you participating in what will be reopening is on you being vaccinated. Because when you start opening at 70 precent, there are certain activities only vaccinated people can do — because we know that whilst a certain portion of the population is unvaccinated, that poses a risk to many people." This isn't quite the full roadmap out of lockdown that Berejiklian promised in mid-July and is still yet to announce, but a few further details were provided. At the 70-percent full vaccination mark, a range of yet-t0-be-revealed family, industry, community and economic restrictions will be lifted for jabbed folks — and at 80 per-cent, restrictions will be further eased when it comes to industry, the community and the economy. The Premier has previously advised that the NSW Government does expect case numbers to remain high in September and October; however, she expects that there'll still be scope to ease some rules for vaccinated people — with encouraging folks to get vaccinated obviously a very big part of the strategy moving forward. If you're wondering were you can get vaccinated, there's a handy online map that helps you find your nearest clinic. Australia's vaccination campaign is also expected to get a boost from Monday, August 30 once the Pfizer jab opens to under 40s around the country — and from September as well, which is when the Moderna vaccine has been approved for use and will join the rollout. Fully vaccinated adults in much of NSW will be able to gather in groups of five outdoors for outdoor recreation from 12.01am on Monday, September 13. Families in Sydney's LGAs of concern will be go outside for recreation for an hour a day from the same date. For more information about the changes, head to the NSW Government website. For further details about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. Top image: Destination NSW.
Pier One's panoramic views and harbour breezes are no longer just for the enjoyment of the luxury hotel's guests, as pop-up smokehouse The Kerrigan pulls into dock next door. The meat-focused food shack is ringing in barbecue season with a custom-made charcoal-burning grill, on-site smoker, and one ripper of an al fresco dining space from which to enjoy the spoils. Daily, over the coming months, top-notch produce from Marrickville's Black Forest Smokehouse will be given the star treatment — it'll be smoked in-house for up to 14 hours and brought to life with an array of house-made rubs and sauces. Barbecue purists will find plenty on this menu to get excited about, from the smoked half or full rack of pork ribs, to the crispy chook wings, prepared Aussie, Indonesian, or Korean-style. There are hefty burgers, melt-in-your-mouth brisket tacos, and a daily-changing handcrafted snag, which comes with green chilli pickle and sauerkraut. Plus, there'll be a range of local brews and those ace harbour views to round out the whole delicious deal. The Kerrigan will be open from 11.30am until 9pm daily next door to Pier One, at 11 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay.
Today, Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the new arrangements for NSW, specifically for Greater Sydney, in relation to New Year's Eve. Back in November, the Government announced it would be allocating spots along the Sydney Harbour foreshore for frontline workers to view the seven-minute fireworks display at midnight. While the Premier has confirmed the fireworks will be going ahead, the vantage point offering for frontline workers is no longer available, stating the government "don't want any crowds on the foreshore around Sydney whatsoever". Instead, she encouraged everyone to watch the fireworks on television. Events at hospitality venues are permitted to proceed provided they adhere to the four-square-metre rule and have a COVID-safe plan in place, and all patrons who have a reservation must apply for a permit through Service NSW to attend. In keeping with the current restrictions on indoor gatherings, residents of Greater Sydney (outside the northern beaches), Central Coast and Wollongong are allowed to have ten visitors in their home. If you are a resident or guest of a resident within the designated green zones on New Year's Eve, you must also apply for a permit through Service NSW. Meanwhile, outdoor gatherings, including picnics and barbecues, are restricted to 50 guests (down from 100). Stay-at-home orders remain in place for northern beaches residents until January 2 for the southern zone and January 9 for the northern zone, with some easing of restrictions for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Residents of the northern zone are allowed to have indoor and outdoor gatherings of up to five visitors provided they are also from the northern zone. Meanwhile, those in the southern zone can have indoor and outdoor gatherings of up to ten visitors from within their zone. Restrictions on gatherings in regional NSW remain unchanged, with 50 allowed at indoor gatherings and 100 at outdoor. The announcement comes as NSW records five additional cases of locally acquired COVID-19 in the 24 hours leading up to 8pm on Sunday, December 27. Four of those are directly linked to the Avalon cluster with one under investigation. Yesterday saw around 15,364 tests — a significant drop from the high testing numbers between December 24–27 — with the Premier stating she wants the testing rates to "go higher and stay high to give us confidence about the decisions we can take moving forward". For more information about NSW's coronavirus restrictions and NYE plans, head to the NSW Government website. Top image: NYE Fireworks 2016 by City of Sydney.
Think you’d be okay in The Walking Dead? Pretty sure you’d keep your cool in the American Horror Story house? Do you chortle at freakiest bits in Insidious? Then Running Scared might be for you. Basically, Running Scared is a fun run. At night. Through an obstacle course. Filled with terrifying sights, sounds and what-the-hell-is-that creatures leaping out from the shadows. What’s not to love? It’s 8km long, and you’ll run, jump, climb, swim and generally freak out. It’s a full-on workout, similar to Tough Mudder or the Color Run, except those don’t promise to make you fear for your life. As well as the obstacle course lifted straight out of an Argento film, there’s a dress-up competition for the most weirdly dressed competitor, though organisers stress you don’t wear your brand spankin’ new Nikes, because you’re going to get dirty. Registration is essential, so get in quicker than your favourite jump scare for a freaky night of frightful fitness.
Phamish is one of those places that a friend of a friend will tell you about, you'll go, your mind will be blown and you'll wonder how you'd never heard of it before. It's been a local favourite for years, dishing out some of the best Vietnamese food outside of Hanoi to a packed out shop. The menu changes relatively often, though they keep the old favourites (did someone say salt and pepper squid?) going for a while to keep the crowds happy. Of course, there are the rice paper rolls and the papaya salad, as well as more inventive dishes like the crispy chicken in plum sauce. And they are all unbelievably tasty. The portions are monstrous, the prices are reasonable and you'll never leave unhappy. Takeaway is on offer, too, so you can always get your fix at Phamish.
Pint-sized Maisie (Onata Aprile) has a skewed view of adult life, with slammed doors and whispered rows as much a part of her world as playmates and puzzles. Her parents are Beale (Steve Coogan), a globe-trotting, supercilious art dealer and Susanna (Julianne Moore), a rock star who fails to notice how heavily she is flirting with cliche as a rock star with panda eyes, messy hair and ever-present cigarettes. Their marriage has dissolved into open hostility as Susanna locks Beale out of their luxurious Manhattan apartment. They next meet at divorce court, where both seek full custody of Maisie. The court instead orders joint custody in allotments of ten days for each parent, starting a heart-sinking cycle where both parents fail to keep up with their responsibility to pass the child onto the other, meaning the wide-eyed Maisie is left at school, in a bar, in the lobby of the apartments. Beale quickly ups the stakes, marrying Maisie's somewhat timid but well-meaning nanny Margo (Joanna Vanderham) and setting up house with her. Fuelled by spite, Susanna retaliates with a marriage of convenience of her own, quickly wedding Lincoln (Alexander Skarsgard), a naive bartender who soon develops a bond with Maisie. Both parents continue to throw emotional barbs at each other through their daughter, but as they both start spending more time out of the city for work, Maisie ends up increasingly left in the care of either Margo or Lincoln, or sometimes both. Told entirely from the point of view of the neglected Maisie, this is a fragmented story made up of overheard snippets of conversation, claim and counterclaim. Completely convincing and beautifully nuanced, it becomes an involving affair, all the more effective for taking an unconventional route to your heartstrings and generally eschewing the kind of histrionics or easy sentimentality that could have come with this territory. Based on Henry James' 1897 novel of the same name, the story has been seamlessly moved from the 19th century to the present and from London to New York, suggesting there is something essentially timeless at the heart of this story. Despite the presence of a quartet of first rate actors who nail all the details of their respective roles, the narrative's exclusive focus on the child's perspective of events means What Maisie Knew has to live or die on the performance of Aprile, who was aged just six at the time of filming. Thankfully her performance never hits a false note. Acting as the tale's unlikely moral centre, she is remarkable as a child who maintains her essential goodness in the face of deplorable neglect and selfishness. https://youtube.com/watch?v=GHHt5eYl95c
UPDATE, July 16, 2021: The Favourite is available to stream via Disney+, Google Play, YouTube Movies and Amazon Video. Whenever Yorgos Lanthimos' name comes up in film-related chatter, it's usually accompanied by the words 'Greek Weird Wave'. Since Dogtooth earned an Oscar nomination, the director has become synonymous with the offbeat cinema coming out of his homeland — movies that, like the filmmaker's grief-focused Alps, proudly explore life with more than a dash of absurdity. He's since moved on to English-language productions with high-profile stars, but the same strange sensibilities remain baked into his work. That said, perhaps Lanthimos' movies aren't all that odd. Perhaps he's simply stripping away the social niceties that we've all been taught to accept, and exposing human interaction for the transactional exchange that it is. If The Lobster's vision of love or The Killing of a Sacred Deer's tale of a family facing tragedy didn't already make it plain, Lanthimos' films present the world as a constant fight between giving and taking. Rarely has that been more apparent than in The Favourite, where a monarch's lackeys view friendship with a royal as a path to personal glory. So, Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) gives the needy, gout-stricken, often bedridden Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) everything she wants: companionship, love, sex, an ear to hear all of her worries and a steady hand to help rule the kingdom. Well, almost everything. She can't abide the 17 rabbits that Anne treats as her surrogate children for a very sad reason, and she's not afraid to tell the sovereign when her makeup makes her look like a badger. But Sarah also takes, elevating her own power as the country tries to survive the War of Spanish Succession, and then flouting her status over the rest of the scheming court. Into an ostensibly comfortable situation arrives Abigail Hill (Emma Stone), a cousin of Sarah's who has fallen upon hard times. The newcomer's request for a servant job goes smoothly enough, but here's the catch when life is a perpetual tug-of-war: everyone only wants to give if they're going to get something in return. Oozing ruthlessness and cunning despite her innocent facade, Abigail makes herself indispensable to the Queen. Soon, it's the younger woman who's always by the ruler's side. The equally calculating Sarah might be trying to oversee England's military strategies against the French and keep an influential landowner (Nicholas Hoult) in his place, however she still has time to battle it out for Anne's attention and affection. The savage dialogue, each line wittier, bleaker and yet still funnier than the next. The gleeful abandon of polite, ordinary behaviour. The acerbic insights that prove equal parts perceptive and awkward. Thanks to all three — plus an utter disdain for meeting anyone's expectations — being an actor in Lanthimos' films seems like one of the best jobs in the world. Working with a script by first-timer Deborah Davis and Australian screenwriter Tony McNamara (Puberty Blues), Colman, Weisz and Stone all lap up their parts. Colman might've been deemed the lead for awards consideration (and may very well win a deserved Oscar as a result), but this is a stellar three-hander. The trio of talents relish Lanthimos' usual penchant for stilted conversations, as well as his foray into new territory. While a politically charged, 19th century, somewhat slapstick comedy isn't the filmmaker's usual wheelhouse, maybe it should be. As fantastic a director as Lanthimos is of actors, he's also an auteur with a distinctive eye. His movies resemble no one else's — and when he's satirising history in a lavish period picture that also keenly reflects today's political chaos, that fact is blatantly apparent. The Favourite looks the part, with its action largely confined to the Queen's ornately appointed castle, and with its characters donning decadent dresses and powdered wigs. But, using fish-eye lenses to literally give a different perspective, plus wide shots to emphasise the stifling nature of the palace's empty spaces, Robbie Ryan's (American Honey) cinematography is anything but stiff and formal. There's a bite to Lanthimos' approach, of course, as there always is. He isn't just interested in depicting the selfishness and arrogance behind Anne, Sarah and Abigail's twisted triangle. As one hell of a final shot hammers home, he's all about the cost. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2G8SetsNM4
With its exposed brick walls, pendant lighting and leather furnishings, Mr Burrows' fit-out better resembles a bar than a salon. And so does its upstairs 'relaxation station', complete with cheese boards and wine for patrons, plus spritzes on Saturdays. Lounge in large leather slingbacks while getting your hair washed and massaged, then settle in with one of the expert stylists. It offers cuts for both men (from $74) and women (from $115), along with a range of experimental colouring and gradient dyes. Mr Burrows also works with Sustainable Salons, which helps to minimise the salon's footprint. [caption id="attachment_779932" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] Images: Cassandra Hannagan
Three Malaysian architecture students have won the 2010 Skyscraper Competition for their revolutionary and ambitious design of a prison in the sky. Chow Khoon Toong, Ong Tien Yee and Beh Ssi Cze proposed the Vertical Prison System, a prison that would be suspended above a city with the prisoners living in a 'free' community that contributes to the host city below, with the only access via elevator pods that run from the prison down to the ground. The reasoning behind the design is that studies have shown that rates of re-offending are so high because prisoners are not given the opportunity to rehabilitate in a desirable community. As well as avoiding the need for prison bars, the design includes farms, factories and recycling plants to produce goods for the wider community and serve to rehabilitate the inmates. The Vertical Prison System would revolutionalise the penitentiary system in a sustainable and ecological friendly design. The design also makes potential escape from the prison more difficult or at the very least more exciting, there would be no scaling walls, no Shawshank Redemption tunneling, however there would be plenty of opportunities for Hollywood blockbuster escape plans involving helicopters, jetpacks or ridiculous parachute designs.
Let's be honest. When it comes to live entertainment, Sydney kind of feels like the town from Footloose at the moment, where music and dancing and general after-hours fun has been pretty crushed by arcane legislation, and venues defined by their live tunes have been reduced to plaques on walls, or simply to nothing at all. Lord Mayor Clover Moore, however, has promised to pop on the rubber gloves, bust out the Gumption, and try and get this mess cleaned up. "We're using every lever at our disposal to encourage more live music and performance," the Lord Mayor said tpday, as well as committing to efforts to "reduce unnecessary red tape". According to the Live Music and Performance Action Plan, the City has identified that live music, unsurprisingly, brings significant cashflow to the local economy — we're talking $353 million in 2016 alone, according to research conducted by the council. After Sydney's CBD live music venues lost half their revenue after the lockout laws were introduced, some venues were granted exemptions from the restrictions — but not all. The plan was implemented in June 2014 and has been having a crack at keeping Sydney open, with targeted spends on live music and performance including $2.77 million in small grants since the program's inception. Other actions detailed by the City include continued collaboration with State Government departments and local business owners to activate Sydney when the sun goes down. The action plan is currently halfway through its projected life cycle, so stay tuned for further updates on the City's efforts to keep the city kicking on.
Sydneysiders who have been to two council areas in the city's southwest will no longer be able to enter Queensland, with the Sunshine State today, Tuesday, July 14, declaring both Liverpool City Council and Campbelltown City Council in NSW COVID-19 hotspots. Last week, on July 10, Queensland opened its borders to visitors from all states and territories — except Victoria, which is also declared a hotspot — but from midday today, visitors from one of the two new Sydney hotspots will be turned away at the border. Returning Queensland residents or those entering for a range of essential reasons will be required to quarantine in a hotel for 14 days. The move comes as a cluster of 21 positive COVID-19 cases are linked to the Crossroads Hotel in Sydney's southwest. Earlier this week, both the Queensland and NSW Governments sent out public health alerts urging those who had visited the pub between Friday, July 3 and Friday, July 10 to get tested and self-isolate for 14 days. Queensland currently has only four active cases of COVID-19, but 18 Brisbanites who visited the Crossroads Hotel have been tested and are in isolation awaiting results. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1282814220304650246 When asked what classifies a hotspot, Queensland's Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said, "It's when there's clearly a growing numbers of cases and there's community acquisition of cases — so we've seen that here." From midday, Tuesday, July 14, anyone who has visited Liverpool City or Campbelltown City in the past 14 days will not be allowed to enter Queensland unless they are a returning resident or are entering for one a few essential reasons. For more information, head to the Queensland Government website.
Our city's nightlife may be doing it tough, but it's just been thrown a bit of a bone. The City of Sydney has just announced the recipients of its late-night grant program, and it looks like we've got a load of new after-dark cultural events and gigs to look forward to. The business support grant program aims to reinvigorate the city's nightlife scene by supporting live music venues and small businesses that want to expand their programming and late-night offering. The grants — which offer matched funding up to $30,000 — will go toward infrastructure upgrades, including acoustics, staging and equipment. Basically all the things that help venues introduce new nighttime performances, talks and film. The first round of funding will go to 18 local businesses, including Oxford Art Factory, The World Bar, Freda's and historic jazz venues Foundry 616 and The Roosevelt. "We know the NSW Government's lockout laws have had a significant impact on Sydney's night-time economy, so we are finding practical ways to help local businesses and live music venues get back on their feet," says Lord Mayor Clover Moore. "We want to do everything we can to encourage businesses to provide more diverse night-time activities." Apart from these iconic nightlife venues, City of Sydney will also work with retail stores, theatres and bookshops to expand their programming — in Darlinghurst alone, patrons can expect to see arthouse movie nights and painting classes at the The Tribe, fortnightly conversations with local authors at Ariel Bookshop and small-scale cabaret performances at Eternity Playhouse. New musical offerings for Hudson Ballroom and slam poetry at City Recital Hall are also on the bill. These events will be rolled out over the next 12 months — look out for them in our events calendar. If you own a small business in the City of Sydney, you can apply for the next round of funding until March 12.
Located inside Harris Farm in Manly, The Butcher & The Chef specialises in grass-fed and ethical cuts of meat. With over 20 years of experience in the butchery industry, this place is for anyone who wants to make better choices regarding what they're putting on their plate. Head here to do your weekly meat shop — or to stock up the fridge and freezer. Beyond prime cuts, you can also grab handmade pies, bone broth and fancier meats like chicken leg fillets with chorizo and gorgonzola, and cold cuts like saucisson, pancetta and truffle salami. And, yep, you can order it all online, too.
Pop-up parties, grow-your-own shindigs and art-food combos are just some of the new events foodies will be able to experience at this year's Good Food Month. For those who find change a little frightening, though, there's no need to worry, as plenty of staples are also on the menu, including the Night Noodle Markets, Let's Do Lunch and Hats Off Dinners. Five hundred events make up the program, which runs throughout October and was previously known as Crave, with Australia's finest chefs, best restaurants, most skilful farmers, most knowledgeable wine experts and fanciest artisan food producers making an appearance. "As we relaunch Good Food Month, an event which started 15 years ago in Sydney, we celebrate all that is great about our outstanding and remarkably diverse food scene," explained festival director Joanna Savill. "The program is packed and there is truly something for everyone." One of the headlining events is The Great Australia Dinner with Rene Redzepi. Redzepi produces his culinary masterpieces from the kitchen of Noma, Copenhagen, which was placed First on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list (sponsored by San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna) for three years running, and is currently ranked second. As part of Good Food Month, he'll be joining forces with Neil Perry, Peter Gilmore, David Chang, Kylie Kwong and others. There'll be some other one-offs, including the 15th Annual Young Chefs Dinner, the Pyrmont Growers' Market Birthday Bash and Omnivore Sydney, as well as some "regulars" running throughout the month, including Breakfast Club, Surprise Saturday Lunch and Supper Club. Check out our picks of the ten best things to do during Good Food Month.
Acclaimed contemporary French artist Daniel Buren is bringing his captivating large-scale installation to Sydney's Carriageworks. The fourth work in the Schwartz Carriageworks series, a five-year collaboration between veteran Melbourne art collector Anna Schwartz and the contemporary art space, Buren is coming to Sydney to present the Australian premier of his Like Child's Play (Comme Un Jeu d'Enfant) artwork. Running from July 7 to August 12, Like Child's Play is inspired by the German theorist Friedrich Fröbel, who laid the modern-day foundations for the education of children – perhaps most famously through the use of wooden block toys. Using more than 100 blocks, arches, triangles and pediments that have been amplified in size, Buren upends Fröbel's work by shifting the focus from toys we towered over as children, to structures that loom over us as adults. First presented at France's Strasbourg Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in 2014, Buren carefully arranges the varied installations to produce differing sight lines throughout the space. These large cavities are made up of multiple blocks each featuring Buren's iconic striped designs, and while one half of the installation is an explosion of colour, the opposing half takes on a minimalist appeal with white floors and white structures. Like Child's Play carries on Buren's long exploration of the relationship between art and its shapes, considering how we perceive, borrow and use space. Buren has exhibited numerous times at the Venice Biennale – winning the prestigious Golden Lion award for his French Pavilion in 1986 – and has held solo exhibitions at Paris' Centre Pompidou and New York's Guggenheim Museum. Throughout a career spanning more than 50 years, Buren has been an agitator creating controversial texts, provocative public artworks and forging inventive collaborations with emerging and established artists.
Sky-watchers across Australia are in for a bright few months, with the first of this year's three supermoons — the October "harvest moon" — rising tonight. The moon will appear at its fullest on Tuesday, October 7, though it will remain spectacular on Wednesday when it reaches its closest point to Earth. Unlike most celestial events, there's no special equipment needed — as long as the skies are clear, it'll be visible rising in the east at sunset and setting in the west at sunrise. [caption id="attachment_1031874" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 2016's supermoon over the Sydney Opera House[/caption] A supermoon occurs when a full moon coincides with the point in its orbit where it's closest to Earth, known as its perigee. Because the Moon's orbit is slightly oval-shaped, its distance from Earth changes each month — and sometimes several full moons in a row fall near that closest point. "When the full moon is closest to the Earth, the full moon before and the full moon after are still a fair bit closer to the Earth than average," University of Southern Queensland astronomer Jonti Horner told the ABC. Horner explained that while the size and brightness differences are measurable — supermoons can appear up to 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter — they're often subtle to the naked eye. "It would be obvious if you put the two next to each other," he said, "but it's not a wow, leap-out-of-your-seats type thing." Australia will see follow-up supermoons on November 5 and December 4, with some astronomers also including the January 3 full moon in the series. The biggest and brightest of the lot is expected in November. [caption id="attachment_1031875" align="alignnone" width="1920"] May 2021's supermoon[/caption] And if the view alone isn't enough, the Moon's close approach will also slightly intensify tides — known as "perigean spring tides" or king tides — as its stronger gravitational pull interacts with Earth's oceans. This trio of supermoons marks the start of a lively period for stargazers. Beyond the lunar events, the Orionids meteor shower will peak later in October, and in March 2026, Australians will be treated to a total lunar eclipse — a blood-red moon lighting up the night sky. Want to get a good look? Here are our favourite places to stargaze around Australia. Images: Getty Images
University ruined lectures for us all. Some were amazing, interesting or even mind-blowing, but the fact remains that lectures are dull. Right? Wrong. Rather than let lectures remain the domain of the masochistic university professor, the folks at the Giant Dwarf (the Chaser team) are bringing us TOD Talks — a series of talks from some of the greatest minds of our generation. Well, some of the minds of our generation. It’s an opportunity for pop culture personalities to sit us down and tell us what they really think. The audience drinks, and the lecturer plays with a PowerPoint presentation, delivering an epic speech on whatever the hell topic they like. TOD Talks promises to be an amusing and informative way to garner some varied perspectives on life, the universe and everything.
For 24 hours from 6pm on Saturday, February 4, Macquarie Street East will score a new — and free — all-night art, music, food and creativity festival: Mopoke. Taking place from Shakespeare Place through to Hyde Park Barracks, it promises an impressive feast of pop-ups, activations and cultural offerings, and it is indeed running all throughout the evening. If you're a cinephile, however, it's the free 24-hour cinema that'll have you most excited. Across Mopoke's duration, the fest is teaming up with the crew behind Mov'in Cinemas — aka the team that's given Sydney and Australia in-bed cinemas, and also a rooftop drive-in and a floating cinema with boats in the Harbour City — to set up a non-stop outdoor cinema. It all kicks off at 6pm, like Mopoke itself, and has movies playing in specific slots for the evening and day afterwards. The last will start screening at 3.30pm on Sunday, February 5. Even better: Mov'in's powers-that-be clearly know that everyone loves Studio Ghibli flicks because there's two on the lineup. Greet the dawn with a 6am session of Spirited Away, or enjoy an 11.30am Sunday morning date with My Neighbour Totoro. Still with filmmaking favourites, Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation is the midnight movie — if you want to do karaoke before or afterwards, you'll need to head elsewhere, though — and Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch has the 8.30am slot. Also on the bill: ABC documentary Secrets of the Australian Museum at 6pm, The Mopoke Short Film Festival from 7pm, Aussie art doco Whitely at 10pm and 1928's Show People at 2am. Or, there's Oscar-winner The Artist at 4am, Midnight in Paris at 1.30pm (in what seems like a missed opportunity, time-wise) and the Willem Dafoe-starring Vincent van Gogh biopic At Eternity's Gate in the last slot. While entry is free, bookings are required in advance — and expect to have plenty of company. As for the rest of Mopoke, it includes theatre performances and gigs, as well as live art and magic shows — plus ten multicultural rotation of food trucks to keep you well-fuelled — as connected by black-lit paths.
The team behind Redfern's katsu-slinging Oratnek in Redfern have opened their latest culinary venture one suburb over in Surry Hills. Named Cafe Kentaro (which, for keen anagrammers, is Oratnek in reverse) is a bright brunch spot, nestled down the quiet, leafy end of Bourke Street. Head chef Kentaro Takayama has an impressive resume, listing head chef of bills in Darlinghurst among his accomplishments. Chef Kenny's unique style adds a Japanese twist to modern Australian cafe fare, as is evident in the dishes on the all-day breakfast and lunch menus. Be sure to try the famed katsu white bread sandwich and karaage sambo with layers crispy chicken with kimuchi (the Japanese cousin of Korean favourite, kimchi) with slathers of mayo. The umami mushroom toast features the classic sautéed mushrooms on toast — but with a twist. The infusion of butter and miso with a sprinkle of fresh goats' cheese and herbs on top works out to be a salty yet sweet party upon your tastebuds. Most of the food at Kentaro is made in-house with the exception of the Brickfields bread and the coffee, which is roasted especially for Kentaro by Aroma Coffee. And while the coffee is excellent, it's the matcha latte that will win you over. As you would expect from a Japanese cafe, this bright green concoction is the real deal — milky and vegetal yet not overly sweet. Matcha itself is a powerful antioxidant, and green things are almost always healthy — so, logically, you can rationalise ordering two. You probably deserve a post-meal goody too. There's the usual smattering of cupcakes and brownies, but the matcha lamington sits like a beacon among them. Treat yourself to this spongy matcha and coconut-covered cube of joy — it will put you in good stead for the day. With two cafes now, chef Kenny and his team clearly know a thing or two about feeding the hungry brunch-goers that dot inner city pavements on weekends. Blending Japanese ingredients with Australian brunch fare, Kentaro manages to do things a little differently while still keeping it simple and not overpriced.
Think of a New York-set or -shot movie or TV show, and odds are that it probably featured the Waldorf Astoria. Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums filmed there, for one. Sex and the City did as well. Booking in a luxe stay within its stately confines might be high on your travel bucket list as a result — but come 2025, you'll be able to enjoy the Waldorf Astoria experience right here in Australia. Adding to its 30-plus sites around the world — including in Las Vegas, Cancun, Beijing, Berlin, Bangkok and the Maldives, to name a selection of spots — the hotel brand is setting up shop in Sydney in just a few years. Set to tower over Circular Quay, it'll be the Hilton-owned chain's first-ever Aussie location. It'll also join the lineup of six Waldorf Astoria properties in the Asia-Pacific region. [caption id="attachment_849250" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Roosevelt New Orleans, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel[/caption] So, whether you're Sydneysider now dreaming of an indulgent staycation or you hail from elsewhere but you're always looking for an excuse to visit the New South Wales capital, you'll have a new place to spend a lavish night (or several). And, given the location — at One Circular Quay, 1 Alfred Street — you'll be able to lap up impressive vistas over the Harbour Bridge and Opera House while you're there. Now under construction, Waldorf Astoria Sydney will feature 220 rooms — 179 guest rooms and 41 suites — across its 28-floor expanse. Also a huge highlight: two new restaurants, the Waldorf Astoria Spa on level one, and the central gathering space that the brand has dubbed 'Peacock Alley' at its sites around the globe, which'll come complete with the Waldorf Astoria clock. Plus, to truly take advantage of the views, the hotel will also include a rooftop bar — and yes, peering out over the harbour here will be a given. Design-wise, Tokyo-based firm Kengo Kuma & Associates is doing the honours alongside the Sydney-based Crone Architects; expect a luxurious look that'll "artfully blend contemporary living with cutting-edge design," according to the statement announcing the hotel. "As the first Waldorf Astoria property to debut in Australia, Waldorf Astoria Sydney signals Hilton's commitment to expanding our luxury portfolio to the world's most sought-after destinations," said Hilton Chief Brand Officer Matt Schuyler. "Our highly personalised, elegant service and iconic environments are at the heart of every hotel, and we look forward to delivering unforgettable experiences to our guests in Sydney." Waldorf Astoria Sydney is one of 20 new hotels that the chain is set to open around the globe — so if you get accustomed to the brand's deluxe stays once it opens its doors locally, you'll have plenty of additional sites worldwide to add to your must-visit list. The Waldorf Astoria is due to open at One Circular Quay, 1 Alfred Street, Sydney, sometime in 2025 — we'll update you with further details when they're announced. Top image: Waldorf Astoria Beijing.
