You know those wildly decadent Tella Ball milkshakes from Foodcraft Espresso and Bakery everyone lost their minds about last year? The ones with the spherical doughnut oozing with Nutella, sat proudly atop a Nutella milkshake? These ones. Well, if you'll recall the hoo-ha that happened last year, and the fact that Sydney now has it's own Tella Ball Nutella dessert bar, you'd better clear your schedule. Because no one can get enough of the hazelnut and chocolate combo we all know and love — particularly when combined with doughnuts — there's now another eatery dedicated to this heavenly pairing. Yep, the Tella Balls Dessert Bar has expanded, setting up a second shop in Entertainment Quarter. And, to celebrate, they're giving everyone exactly what they want: free Tella Balls for everyone who visits the store between 11am and 2pm on October 15. Be warned, there is a limit of one per person. As always, the general aim is to direct every scrap of Nutella in the known universe into our bodies, via all manner of indulgent treats. The Nutella-fuelled menu structures meals just the way we like it. Mains: coffee. Desserts: Nutella cruffin, Nutella cheesecake, Nutella crepes, Nutella waffles, Nutella pancakes, Nutella pizza, Nutella ice cream, Tella Ball Milkshakes (of course) and no doubt many more Nutella creations as yet unimagined by mankind. Tella Balls Dessert Bar is now open at Shop 210-G4, Entertainment Quarter, Fox Studio, 210 Lang Rd, Moore Park. Check their Facebook page for more information. Text: Imogen Baker and Sarah Ward.
Crown Street's centrally located hotel is out to ditch the crusty old pub stigma and make its well-designed mark on the Sydney bar scene with new owner Solotel. Food-wise, expect some of the best pub feeds Surry Hills has to offer. Forget any tacky surf 'n' turf here, your feed has a French twist at The Clock. It's certainly proof that you don't need a dapper French waiter serving you a warm baguette for it to taste damn fine. This isn't specialty French, it's pub food with a French twist. Instead of chicken parmi, you'll find a crumbed chicken cordon bleu with ham, gruyere and pomme fries. Fancy a fish and chips? Opt for crispy skin barramundi with baby potatoes, green beans and wholegrain mustard. You get the idea; it stretches from starters like tuna tartare with parsley, caper vinaigrette and crispy wonton skin to desserts like blueberry cheesecake with confit orange and blueberry compote. Regarding cocktails, you'll find three menus available in three different areas. The street bar offers classics like espresso martinis and passionfruit margaritas, while the balcony and whisky room offer different menus with unique blends — made with spirits of every colour and taste. The Clock is more than just a dining room, though. Several spaces throughout the venue are available for patrons and group bookings alike. Just inside the entrance, there's space for mingling with a bev in hand, plus booths that can comfortably fit a small group to sit and enjoy your meal. If the air is pleasant and the vibes are right, by all means, grab a drink and a spare stool to enjoy the Crown Street ambience from the balcony. Want something else? Venture indoors again, and you'll notice several comfortable lounge areas. The Crown Street banquette and the Collins Street corner are available for event bookings, as is the intimate Whisky Room (high ceilings, private bar and an open deck, ooh la la). The biggest space is on the second floor: the pendulum lounge, ideal for a large celebration.
Did you know there are more pets in Australia than there are people? And yet, when you think of road trips, you might not immediately think of dogs — that's not very fair. How would you feel if you always got left behind while all your bipedal mates grabbed their cars and drove away to have the time of their lives without you? It's time to change that, it's time to start bringing more dogs on road trips. So grab your car and your furry pal, and strap in for one of this country's most popular road trips: Sydney to Brisbane. And no stress if you don't have a car, because SIXT offers stress-free pet-friendly car rentals from a bunch of locations across Sydney and Brisbane — so you can worry less about logistics and focus on making memories. NEW MATES AT NEWCASTLE The journey begins in Newcastle, where the golden sands and rolling waves of Horseshoe Beach make the perfect first pit stop for some off-leash fun. The beach is a mecca for local dogs and dogs passing through alike — it's the only dog beach in central Newcastle, so your little pal can expect to make a lot of mates during this visit. You'll find it tucked beneath Nobby's Breakwall. Other off-leash areas worth exploring are Carrington Foreshore along Throsby Creek, and King Edward Park, which offers stunning views of Newcastle. Islington Dog Park is also worth a visit while you're near Throsby Creek, but it's not the only dog park in town — Acacia Avenue Reserve offers a massive 1.5-hectares of grassy paradise for dogs to run around in. It is also the first enclosed dog park in the Hunter to offer separate areas for big and small dogs, which is pretty neat if your little pal feels anxious around bigger ones. Once you and your pup are sufficiently adventured out, head to Cafe Inu — 'Inu' means dog in Japanese, so to say this cafe is dog-friendly would be an understatement. Fill up on craft coffee and Japanese fast food fare while your furry pal has their choice of puppychinos, puppy ice cream or puppy treats (or all three), which are all on the menu. Yep, there's a dedicated dog section — how cute. [caption id="attachment_913208" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Samantha Zoratto[/caption] FIND PEACE AT CROWDY HEAD As you continue north towards Port Macquarie, make a quick (or not so quick) stop at Crowdy Head. This quiet coastal spot is anything but crowded. In fact, it's kind of a hidden gem — so keep this between us, capisce? While you're around, check out the cute lighthouse that overlooks Harrington Beach. Your dog will love it — dogs love lighthouses, didn't you know? You'll also get a kick out of it too, given it's been fully operational since 1878. If waves aren't your little mate's thing, Harrington Lagoon offers all the fun of water and sand, sans the surf — for this reason, it's a popular spot for families with kids and little furry pals alike. [caption id="attachment_831355" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lindsay Moller Productions[/caption] DON'T WORRY AT PORT MACQUARIE Port Macquarie offers an array of dog-friendly activities. Explore the natural wonders of Kooloonbung Creek Nature Park or enjoy a splash at the dog-friendly Nobbys Beach. Other dog-friendly beaches include Rocky Beach and Oxley Beach — though keep in mind dogs need to be on leash at Oxley. Feeling hungry? Little Fish Cafe and Cassegrain Wines are both dog-friendly, with the latter welcoming dogs on the deck of the restaurant. Little Shack is also a great dog-friendly option for all times of day, from morning coffee to lunch by the water to a cheeky evening cocktail. Once you're ready to retire, check out NRMA Port Macquarie Breakwall Holiday Park, a dog-friendly holiday park with powered and unpowered sites. [caption id="attachment_913209" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Samantha Zoratto[/caption] CATCH WORLD-CLASS WAVES AT CRESCENT HEAD Known for its consistent waves and stunning coastline, Crescent Head is a paradise for surfers and their furry mates as the beach is dog friendly. It even has a dog swimming area if your dog wants to brush up on its dog paddle while you perfect your… human paddle? [caption id="attachment_913218" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Bailey Rytenskild via Unsplash[/caption] ENDLESS ADVENTURE AT EVANS HEAD Nestled between river and sea, Evans Head offers a mix of river adventures and oceanic exploration. Enjoy the calm waters of the Evans River with your dog or take a beach walk — or run if you really wanna stretch those legs. Or why not take advantage of the off-leash area and play some fetch, or have a beach 4WD adventure detour? FIND YOURSELVES IN BYRON BAY Ahh, Byron Bay — the ultimate destination for every dog that aspires to be spiritually awakened. Embark on the iconic lighthouse walk, where you and your furry mate can both ponder the meaning of life while marvelling at the vast expanse of stunning ocean, tourist selfies, and crystals as far as the eye can see. Belongil Beach, Tallow Beach, Seven Mile Beach, and Brunswick Heads Beach are all dog-friendly, so you'll have plenty to do in the surf and sun while you're in town. Byron also offers a plethora of dog parks to explore if you prefer more inland adventure. After all that frolicking, treat yourself at Stone & Wood, Pickled Pig, or Byron Bay breweries, all of which welcome dogs with open arms. GOLD COAST (GO ON, YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO) Forget surfers, the Goldy (we're sorry) truly is a pet's paradise. Enjoy a leisurely stroll along the esplanade, visit the absolutely stunning and vast off-leash area at The Spit, or explore the dog-friendly parks the city has to offer — Tallebudgera Offleash Dog Beach, Cabana Offleash Dog Area, and Pizzey Offleash Dog Area are particularly nice. If you happen to be around on a Sunday, head to one of the many dog-friendly markets which pop up every weekend all around the Gold Coast, with Broadbeach, Coolangatta, Burleigh Heads, and Paradise Point markets being particularly pet-friendly. If you're after a caffeine hit, Elk Espresso, Daymaker Espresso, BSKT Cafe, and Daark Espresso are all dog lovers. Or, you could also head to Wild Flower Gin in Varsity Lakes for dog-friendly dining and relaxation, and if you're lucky you might even meet Ghost, the resident Great Dane cross Bull Arab. Once it's time to rest, check out the lovely NRMA Treasure Island Holiday Resort, which has a number of pet-friendly options including powered and unpowered camp and caravan sites, as well as dog-friendly cabins. BEAUTIFUL BRISSIE Congrats, you made it. Take the opportunity to stretch your legs at the Brisbane City Botanical Gardens, where you'll find the Kangaroo Point Cliffs Loop — a fun inner-city adventure for humans and canines alike. Or if you're up for more of a challenge, head to the Kokoda Track Loop for a ten-kilometre heart-pumper, located just 20 kilometres out of Brisbane. Once you're ready to relax, check out the various dog-friendly cafes, bars, and restaurants. Also, it's been a long journey, so you've earned a treat. Stay at The Ovolo in Fortitude Valley, which is more than happy to welcome your pooch in its pet-friendly rooms. Lastly, if you're wanting to do this road trip in reverse, there are some excellent dog-friendly bars, restaurants and cafes just waiting for your tired legs to perch up. And when it's time to pack up for the night, you'll be spoilt for choice as Sydney is arguably Australia's best spot for dog-friendly hotels. Looking for a pet-friendly rental to take you and your best furry mate on the road trip of a lifetime (or looking for a bigger car to fit your furry mate)? Check out SIXT, which welcomes customers to bring their family and furmily along for the ride, so no one gets left behind. Auto club members including NRMA, RACV, RACQ, RAA, RACT, RAC and AANT will receive 15% off SIXT's daily rates. Click here to book now
If you love sashimi, you really love sashimi. And if you love sashimi and live in Sydney, chances are you've had a piece or two from Zushi at some point. In addition to restaurants in Surry Hills and Darlinghurst, they've also opened at Barangaroo with a striking fit-out courtesy of the acclaimed Koichi Takada Architects. The waterfront space boasts a semi-open kitchen, a dedicated sushi bar and a stunning, all-weather outdoor dining area with room for 106 people — it's bound to be red-hot property over the summer months. There's also a walk-up bar space, where Zushi's resident sake expert can hook you up with a few drops from the extensive range while you're waiting for that table. In true Zushi style, the modern Japanese fare here strikes a balance between innovation and authenticity, with this menu a mix of favourites, specials, and seasonal dishes unique to the Barangaroo restaurant. You'll find specialty sushi and sashimi, alongside an assortment of Izakaya-inspired share plates. Backing it up, there's that hefty range of sake, some clever sake cocktails, and a NSW-led wine list, which has plenty of love for biodynamic and organic labels. Zushi joins a slew of other eateries that at Barangaroo, including Belles Hot Chicken, Lotus, Cirrus and The Rabbit Hole.
Two hefty names in 80s and 90s music. One massive visit to Australia and New Zealand. Pearl Jam have finally announced new Down Under gigs, as a leg on their Dark Matter tour to support their next album, and they'll have huge company thanks to Pixies. Eddie Vedder and Black Francis taking to the same stage? That'll make you feel alive and ask "where is my mind?". The Seattle-born Pearl Jam are the headliners, and about time; this is the band's first visit Australia and Aotearoa since 2014, on a tour that included the final-ever Big Day Out. They've been dropping clues for a while that they were heading this way again, complete with hints at Bondi Beach since the past weekend. Now, they've locked shows in Auckland, Melbourne, Sydney and on the Gold Coast. [caption id="attachment_940844" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Danny Cinch[/caption] Dark Matter, the band's 12th album, will release in April — which gives fans plenty of time to know it by heart before the group play Go Media, Heritage Bank, Marvel and Giants stadiums in November. The record's title track is a brand-new tune, just dropping on Tuesday, February 12. Live, that song and others from Dark Matter will feature on a setlist that's sure to span past hits 'Alive', 'Black', 'Jeremy', 'Better Man', 'Last Kiss' and 'Daughter' from previous albums such as the iconic Ten, Vs and Vitalogy from the early 90s, plus No Code, Yield and more since. [caption id="attachment_940849" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wp72 via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Pixies, who were last Down Under in 2022, are responsible for a helluva one-two punch with their first two albums: 1988's Surfer Rosa and 1989's Doolittle. The first gave the world the track that's been linked with Tyler Durden courtesy of David Fincher's Fight Club since 1999, aka 'Where Is My Mind?', as well as 'Gigantic' and 'Cactus'. The second is home to 'Here Comes Your Man', 'Monkey Gone to Heaven', 'Debaser' and 'Wave of Mutilation'. Foo Fighters, blink-182, Queens of the Stone Age, Tenacious D, now Pearl Jam and Pixies: it's been a great time of late for big rock tours in this neck of the woods. Pearl Jam Dark Matter World Tour 2024 with with Special Guests Pixies — Australia and New Zealand Dates Friday, November 8 – Go Media Stadium, Mt Smart, Auckland Wednesday, November 13 — Heritage Bank Stadium, Gold Coast Saturday, November 16 — Marvel Stadium, Melbourne Thursday, November 21 — Giants Stadium, Sydney Pearl Jam and Pixies are touring Australia and New Zealand in November 2024, with ticket registrations from Wednesday, February 14–Sunday, February 18 and ticket sales from Friday, February 23 — head to the Pearl Jam website for further details. Top image: Raph_PH via Flickr.
Finding a wedding venue is no easy task. There's the toss-up between a city and country celebration, a luxe location versus staying in your hometown. Plus, the allure of the destination wedding is enough to make your bank account quiver in a corner. When you find the one, though, everything else about the wedding can fall into place. If you're looking for a destination that offers a Euro-summer event without needing to charter a 24-hour flight, you're in luck. St Siandra is Sydney's sun-soaked waterfront restaurant that can host intimate beachfront weddings, large receptions and even corporate events. It's set on a private beach in Middle Harbour and brings a little dose of Italian shores to Mosman. Here's what to expect when booking an event at St Siandra. [caption id="attachment_895511" align="alignleft" width="1920"] St Siandra[/caption] Unbeatable Views The Mediterranean-inspired venue offers panoramic Sydney Harbour views. Located just a short drive from the CBD, your Sydney guests won't need to worry about booking accommodation or hiring a car to get to an outer-city venue. St Siandra is situated in Sydney's quiet harbourside suburbs, so local guests can spend more time focusing on your day rather than the logistics of a destination wedding. If anyone is coming from out of town, they can admire the breathtaking Sydney views and experience an Amalfi-style event by the water. St Siandra has an indoor-outdoor layout, making it ideal for a relaxed yet luxe event. The interiors feature Mediterranean-inspired styling with a coastal heritage, anchoring the venue to Sydney. Outside, the private beach offers you the chance to share your nuptials on the sand. [caption id="attachment_1036463" align="alignleft" width="1920"] St Siandra[/caption] Your Wedding, Your Way Whether you're looking for an intimate dinner experience, a 40-person celebration or a full-scale party of 150, St Siandra offers bespoke packages that cater to different needs. The venue features a dedicated events team that provides hands-on guidance to help you plan your wedding. There's a range of curated packages and transparent pricing available as well, so the wedding budget won't be surprised after you've set your heart on a vendor or service. [caption id="attachment_1036462" align="alignleft" width="1920"] St Siandra[/caption] St Siandra features two space options. If you're looking for a venue that comfortably seats up to 50 guests or 85 people cocktail-style, the Bluebird Room is your best bet. It's a light-filled space featuring 180-degree water views and exclusive access to a private bar and beach views. From intimate sit-down meals to a luxe cocktail party, the Bluebird room and deck can be tailored to suit your wedding dreams. Is your guest list a little larger? The restaurant and deck at St Siandra can seat up to 110 guests and accommodate 160 people in a cocktail-style setting. This option features floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views and makes it easy to say "I do" and party the night away without needing to ferry guests from the church or gardens post-ceremony. [caption id="attachment_1014188" align="alignleft" width="1920"] St Siandra[/caption] Memorable Food and Drink Experiences While everyone's at your wedding to celebrate your love, one of the most essential parts is (undoubtedly) the food and drinks. At St Siandra, the seasonal menus have a Mediterranean focus on local produce. Head Chef Sam McCallum has crafted the menus to feature mouth-watering flavours, decadent canapés and sit-down meals to share with loved ones (no matter their dietary requirements). To complement your food selection, there's a range of beverage packages that can be tailored to suit your party. Featuring creative cocktails, wines, spirits, craft beers and mocktails, every detail is considered. [caption id="attachment_1033893" align="alignleft" width="1920"] St Siandra[/caption] More Than Weddings It's not just weddings that can be held at St Siandra. Birthdays, baby showers, bridal parties, and corporate functions can all be planned and held at the Mosman restaurant. So, whether you're looking for an Amafli-inspired wedding (without the long haul travel) or are after an intimate dining event to celebrate with your friends and family, St Siandra delivers refined dining, breathtaking beachfront views and a relaxed elegance—all without leaving the city. Learn more about hosting your wedding or event at St Siandra here.
There are so many reasons to head to Phillip Island for a seaside escape. You might be drawn there for the famous penguin parade, the unbeatable surf, the delicious locavore delights or for a hike into the coastal wilds. Maybe you're looking for a spa day — or maybe you're more of the adrenaline-pumping motorsports persuasion. Wherever the adventure takes you, you'll need somewhere to rest your head at the end of the day. We've rounded up the best spots to stay on your next island break — everything from surfside stays on a budget to full island resort luxury. Your getaway awaits. HIDE OUT AT A LUXURY COASTAL ESCAPE Want to enjoy the splendour of nature without roughing it? You won't sacrifice any creature comforts at Five Acres. This trio of luxury cabins ten minutes from Cowes is situated on a working, sustainable micro-farm, complete with orchards and livestock. Each one-bed one-bath cabin (charmingly named Barley, Clover and Rye) are sleek, stylish and open-plan, with top-quality linens, crackling log fires and views over Western Port Bay. Your deluxe sanctum is just a stone's throw from the island's nature parks, but you can enjoy some casual wildlife watching through the wide, full-length cabin windows — or from the steamy embrace of your handcrafted concrete outdoor bath. A STUNNING CLIFFTOP HOME WITH PRIVATE BEACH ACCESS Waikiki Beachfront is smack bang on the clifftop above Smiths Beach, with easy access to the surf and sweeping coastline. It's channelling Hamptons vibes — all sleek timber and bright white interiors. This expansive six-bed holiday house can hold up to 15 guests, making it perfect for multi-family getaways. You won't feel cramped with multiple airy living spaces, generously sized bedrooms and a big open kitchen with all the modern conveniences — including a damn fine view from the breakfast bar. The property also boasts a games room, play equipment and even hammocks, plus two sea-view sundecks and a third for the barbecue. Wander, surf, build sandcastles and explore nature all day, then return to watch the sunset from your private deck. A BOUTIQUE BEACHSIDE BED AND BREAKFAST Old-world charm meets modern comfort and convenience at this award-winning country house. Glen Isla House at Cowes is just a short walk from the beach, situated in idyllic private gardens complete with shady oak trees from the original 1870s homestead era. It's also an easy 15-minute drive to the Phillip Island Nature Parks if you're seeking inland adventures. If you like your accommodation to come with character, you'll love the classic country estate decor, antique-style furnishings and a cosy living room fireplace here — not to mention the scenic garden views. Book in on the right days for inclusive breakfast in the dining room, or wander to one of the nearby cafes. A HOLIDAY PARK SITUATED CLOSE TO TOWN Right on the sandy surf beaches of Cowes, this holiday park is perfect for happy campers or holidaymakers looking for good old-fashioned family fun. Stay in one- or two-bed cabins with kitchen-diner, TV and your own verandah (and pet-friendly options) or set up at a caravan spot on the expansive grounds. Want to be so close to the sea that you can smell it? Pitch your tent on the grass and wake up to the sounds of the waves. There's a playground at the park — but on Phillip Island, all of nature is your playground. Pack the fishing rods and surfboards, drive out early for a full day of parks and coastal adventures, then come back for a barbecue dinner. Don't worry if you don't catch anything — the shops and cafes of Cowes are right on your doorstep. PUB ACCOMMODATION A STONE'S THROW FROM THE SEA The North Pier Hotel above Western Port Bay has a place for every solo traveller and exploring troupe to bed down, beachside. There's everything from backpacker-style dorm rooms to simple guest suites, spacious family rooms, luxe stays with bay views and self-contained flats and townhouses. There's also an outdoor pool — but you're so close to the beach, you may as well head to the sea. If you're in one of the accommodation options with a kitchen, take advantage of the excellent local produce and vineyards for your cosy night in. Otherwise, the bar and bistro is open seven days a week, lunch through dinner. They've got the classics like fish and chips, pizza, steak and parmas, as well as fun twists like miso-corn cob, duck spring rolls and a spicy shark burger. Kids can amuse themselves in the play area while you grab a beer with a beach view. A LUXURY BED AND BREAKFAST WITH STUNNING RURAL VIEWS To really get away from it all, go rural. Just five minutes' drive from Cowes, Grey Goose sits on ten secluded green acres. It's your home away from home, with good old-fashioned country comfort and hospitality. And you won't have to share this peace and quiet with many people — there are only two charming guest suites and a shared lounge, plus a self-contained one-bed loft apartment. And that loft apartment is spacious, with an open-plan living space and huge sliding doors leading to the verandah. Take in the views of farm life and wildlife out over the peaceful rolling hills, and down towards the sweeping sands of Smiths Beach. A FAMILY-FRIENDLY LIFESTYLE RESORT In the hills above San Remo, Silverwater Resort offers four-and-a-half-star family-friendly accommodation. Whether you're looking for a comfortable hotel suite or a self-catered apartment, this modern, spacious accommodation is the perfect jumping-off point for exploring the Phillip Island and Bass Coast. On-site leisure activities include pools, a spa, a full gym, a kids' playground, basketball and tennis courts, plus an arcade room. The Watermark restaurant showcases the finest produce from around the region. Start the day with a gourmet breakfast and an enviable view of the sparkling sea, and finish with a hearty meal of pizza, pasta and bistro classics, or stop in at the Lounge Bar for cocktails and nibbles. LUXE HILLTOP APARTMENTS AMONG A RAMBLING HILLTOP GARDEN Looking to treat yourselves to a romantic getaway? Head to this luxe little spot in the scenic fishing village of Rhyll, overlooking Western Port Bay and Bass Coast on the eastern side of Phillip Island. This hilltop accommodation is set amidst a garden and orchard — you might stay in the Mangrove or Sandbar apartments with fully equipped kitchens, or the Black Swan and Pelican lofts. Rhyll Haven Cottage itself is for lovers of extra luxury, where you can enjoy designer interiors and spa bathrooms with all the trimmings. On cool days you can cosy up to the gas log fire, and when the sun emerges, laze on the verandah and cook up a storm on the barbecue. Breakfast is also provided, with options including fresh bread, free-range eggs, juice and muesli. Once you're fuelled, take an easy stroll to the pier and do a coastal walk, or head to the nearby Rhyll Inlet to spot black swans and pelicans. Keen to explore Phillip Island? For more information and to start planning your trip, visit the website.
Western Sydney has scored a massive new destination for secondhand shopping, with the opening of a brand-new Savers superstore in Auburn. This new site, which opened on Thursday, May 15, is the third New South Wales outpost the global thrift giant has unveiled in just a year, joining the existing Hoxton Park and Oxford Street locations. You'll find the new store smack bang in the thick of Auburn's retail hub on Parramatta Road, a stylish new addition that sits alongside major retailers, shopping centres and homemaker precincts. As with other Savers stores, it's stocked with thousands of new-to-you items arriving daily across clothing, accessories, homewares and more — with most pieces clocking in at under $10. "We've seen an incredible response to our Hoxton Park and Oxford Street stores, and Auburn is the perfect next step in our expansion," says Michael Fisher, Managing Director at Savers Australia. "The store will offer a one-of-a-kind thrift shopping experience, giving Western Sydney shoppers access to quality secondhand goods at affordable prices – all while making a positive impact on the planet." That's not just lip service — as always, sustainability and community remain a core part of the Savers mission. The Auburn store will contribute to the millions of kilos of textile waste diverted from landfill through Savers' Australian operations just last year alone — plus, shopping secondhand has been shown to conserve water, reduce pollution and minimise energy consumption, so you can feel good about doing your bit for the environment as well. On the community side, the retailer's not-for-profit donation partnerships are also expanding —the opening of the new Auburn store sees Diabetes Innovation and Impact Foundation (DIIF) join the Savers charity network, which already includes Red Nose Australia, Diabetes Victoria and Wounds Australia. As with the brand's other stores, Savers Auburn will accept donations on behalf of its non-profit partners to help them fund local community initiatives. Of course, you don't just have to shop to make an impact. Savers has set up a Community Donation Centre within its new Auburn store, where you can drop off quality clothing and household items. Each time you donate, Savers will pay DIIF for your goods, both giving them a second life while contributing to community charity efforts — a proper win-win situation for all sides. Savers Auburn is now open at 315 Parramatta Road, Auburn. For more info, head to the Savers Australia website.
"Try this," I'm told. It's a tiny, purple garlic flower and it tastes like a more gentle, sweeter version of garlic. "These are amazing, too. They're wild spinach leaves that we serve with the goat dish you'll eat tonight." Welcome to Sixpenny, the only reason to visit Stanmore on a Thursday night. We're in the backyard, in a garden, where chef and owners James Parry and Daniel Puskas pick herbs, flowers, and leaves to cook for your dinner inside. From Sixpenny's backyard and their farm in Bowral, the pair grow the majority of their produce and have a very particular point of view about food. "We want to do fine dining, because we like to think about things a bit more," says Parry. What this translates to is a tiny seven-table restaurant in the culinary ghost town of Stanmore with degustation-only dining (Small menu: $115 per person with matching wines $65; Large menu $135 per person with matching wines $75). The chefs also bring you each dish themselves. Yep, Sixpenny ain't your local bistro. A lovely touch is the parade of snacks that greets you, a fabulously fancy take on some unfashionable but delicious guilty pleasures. Thinly sliced salt and vinegar chips with herbed yoghurt, tiny handmade English muffins with cured pork (yes, like a bacon muffin on crack) and miniature potato scallops. A perfectly light-hearted (and incredibly tasty) note to start the evening. Matched beautifully with a hand crafted South Australian apple cider, I think I am going to like this place. Since opening almost a year ago, January 2013 is the first time Parry and Puskas have changed the menu, along with the wine list. The restaurant is in a new league as a result. Only one dish remains the same, one that was breathlessly raved about by food-types everywhere: the crab, silky macadamia, and camomile. While it remains on the menu, it has been refined to a more cohesive textural experience with shavings of rich, buttery macadamia nut, perfectly married to sweet crab meat and soft notes of aromatic camomile. Now let's talk about Sebastian Crowther. He is the new sommelier breathing international life into the previously NSW-only wine list. It's a major step forward for the restaurant. As admirable as the local wine philosophy was, food of this calibre really needs a broader wine list to play with, and now it has one. I'd really recommend getting the wine matches with your degustation; sharing a sommelier like Crowther with only six other tables is something you should take advantage of. One such match vouching for Sixpenny's enriched understanding of the relationship between food and wine? The Philippe Balivet Gamay Bugey Cerdon, Savoie, France — a floral, aromatic sparkling — served with an incredible shaved strawberry granita with sour cream and fennel seeds (my pick for best new dessert in Sydney). Perfect play of texture, sweetness, and savoury notes. Or the Bloodwood Malbec from Orange, which is brilliantly rich and complex with the slightly sweet gamey goat meat, served with onions, sprouts, and wild spinach. Technically brilliant at every step, I could gush for another 200 words on the cooking technique, excellent wines, the warm service, the new confidence coming from the kitchen, and the thoughtful philosophy of Sixpenny. But really the word that comes to mind, and the one I want to say a little too loudly into the open kitchen is "congratulations".
Netflix's algorithm has clearly figured out one of the most obvious facts about humankind: we all really love dogs. With the streaming platform's latest documentary series, it has dedicated six episodes to different canines from around the globe — and the two-legged folks who care for, groom, dress and even fish with them. Of course, the barking balls of fluff are the real drawcards. Called Dogs, the thoroughly feel-good show follows puppers in Syria, Japan, Costa Rica, Italy and the US, each with their own stories to tell. One episode explores life in a dog sanctuary in the Costa Rican rainforest, another relays the tale of a Siberian Husky trapped in Syria after his owner was able to flee to German, and yet another jumps into Japan's love of cute pooches — dog strollers are a common sight on the streets of Tokyo, after all. The show is described by the streamer as "an inspirational journey exploring the remarkable, perhaps even magical qualities that have given these animals such a special place in all of our hearts", and it's clearly designed to tug at your heartstrings — but if you can't get enough when it comes to adorable canines, you won't be complaining. Given that Netflix announced earlier in the year that pets make the best binge partners, all based on a study that it commissioned, the show is hardly a surprising addition to its lineup. All-too-easy to watch in one sitting (yes, Netflix, we are still watching), Dogs also boasts an impressive pedigree, with Academy Award-nominated documentarian Amy Berg (Deliver Us From Evil) both executive producing the series and directing two of its episodes. Other filmmakers involved include Life Animated's Roger Ross Williams, The Jinx's Richard Hankin, and Undefeated's T.J. Martin and Daniel Lindsay. Before diving into the full series, go barking mad for the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pLCmLgjiJ8 Dogs is now available on Netflix. Images: Netflix.
Take me with you, indeed: whether you're a Prince fan, a Purple Rain obsessive or both, you can now follow in the musician and the film's footsteps by sleeping in the house from the iconic movie. This is the actual abode from the inimitable flick, newly restored and decked out in purple aplenty. You'll slumber in The Kid's bedroom, hear rare Prince tracks, and go crazy with love for the picture and the late, great artist behind it, of course. Back in May, Airbnb announced that it was doing things a little differently in 2024 when it comes to its pop culture-themed stays. The accommodation platform is no stranger to giving travellers once-in-a-lifetime vacation options — see: Shrek's swamp, Barbie's Malibu DreamHouse, the Ted Lasso pub, the Moulin Rouge! windmill and Hobbiton, to name just a few — which it previously announced at random, with no advance warning. Now, however, it has created the Airbnb Icons category, grouping them all together. The company also revealed at the time that Prince's Purple Rain mansion was one of the many spots on the way. As a result, you might've heard about this Minneapolis listing before — but it's only about to become available now. Will you find out what it sounds like when doves cry if you nab a one-night stay here? You'll need to try to score a reservation between 11pm AEST on Wednesday, October 2–4.59pm AEST on Monday, October 7, 2024 for a stay between Saturday, October 26–Saturday, December 14, 2024. There's 25 stays on offer, each for up to four guest at a time. The booking isn't free, but only costs $7 per person because that was Prince's favourite number. That price only covers the stay itself. To get there and back, you'll be paying separately and organising your travel yourself. And your hosts, because Airbnb always gets someone pivotal involved? For this listing, it's Wendy and Lisa — aka of Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman — who were part of Prince's band The Revolution. "We were lucky enough to be a part of the music scene in Minneapolis during such a pivotal era for rock music, playing with Prince in one of the most successful bands of our generation and starring alongside him in the Purple Rain film," said Wendy and Lisa. "The Purple Rain house stands as a tribute to our dear friend Prince, the timeless character he brought to life and the lasting impact he continues to have. We hope the space gives fans a glimpse into the eclectic world Prince created, and visitors walk away feeling a little bit closer to him as an artist and person." This is what it looks like: guests can get excited about staying in a spot with purple velvet wallpaper; a spa with a claw-foot bath and stained-glass windows (and purple robes, naturally) that's decorated to resemble the 'When Doves Cry' music video; and a music lounge with a piano, drums and guitar, plus instructions on how to play the chorus to 'Purple Rain' with pre-recorded vocals from The Kid. There's also a closet filled with Prince outfits, all behind glass — and more 80s-inspired threads, not worn by the man himself, that you can pop on. When it's time for bed, you will indeed feel like you've stepped into Purple Rain (although the personal tape collection with one of Prince's demo recordings mixes the movie with reality). Still on tunes, there's a vintage 80s stereo downstairs featuring songs that inspired The Kid — and you can listen to a personal commentary by scanning QR codes. You can also consider this a Prince scavenger hunt, in a way, thanks to a secret space that you need to find. It's filled with treasures — and you'll want to be paying attention to the fake vinyl album. In the past, Airbnb has also featured the Bluey house, the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine, The Godfather mansion, the South Korean estate where BTS filmed In the Soop, the Sanderson sisters' Hocus Pocus cottage, the Paris theatre that inspired The Phantom of the Opera and a Christina Aguilera-hosted two-night Las Vegas stay. Its Airbnb Icons has also made sleeping at the Up house, Inside Out 2's headquarters, the X-Mansion from X-Men '97 and the Ferrari Museum a reality, as well as stays hosted by Doja Cat, Bollywood star Janhvi Kapoor and Kevin Hart. For more information about the Purple Rain house on Airbnb, or to book from 11pm AEST on Wednesday, October 2–4.59pm AEST on Monday, October 7, 2024 for a stay between Saturday, October 26–Saturday, December 14, 2024, head to the Airbnb website. Images: Eric Ogden. 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.
Last time I went down to Wollongong the driver announced that the last carriage of the train would be a quiet zone. No loud conversations, no chatting on the phone, no music without headphones. This was followed by a loud, automated announcement saying the same thing again, but louder. While a quiet carriage would have to be pretty appealing for the weary reader struggling to beat Game of Thrones to the end of voluminous original A Storm of Swords, you also have to wonder what else you could mandate the end of a train carriage be used for, if only the power was at your command. In places like India and Japan, there are women-only carriages (and there were some calls for that here not long ago) and in Sydney, a group is already taking this idea into its own hands with on-train, flash mob-style music sessions. In the Czech Republic, though, they’re putting space aside for flirting. According to the ABC, commuters in Prague will soon have the option of riding in a dedicated singles carriage. Flirting on the subway in Prague is nothing new — the Prague Frommers guide even has a dedicated guide to the best lines for kissing on — but a dedicated hooking-up space still makes for a first. The planned carriage is part of a drive to convince more locals to abandon their cars for public transport. People whose hooking up is already done won't be asked to leave, nor forced do sit-ups, but it does raise the prospect of Ashley Madison-ing some already committed commuters. Or maybe making for some really awkward rides with home with colleagues during those crowded peak hours. Via ABC / Reuters. Image by Brad Hammonds.
For the past 13 years, Qantas cabin crew have been dressed in Martin Grant's creations — French navy wool suits with a ruby-red vent, bold striped dresses and statement trilby hats — at airports worldwide. Now, Ballarat-born designer Rebecca Vallance is preparing to give Australia's flagship carrier a fresh look. Best known for her luxury cocktail pieces, Vallance started her namesake label in 2011 and debuted at New York Fashion Week in 2014. Since then, her collections have expanded to include categories like workwear and denim. This isn't Vallance's first collaboration with Qantas either — she's designed the business-class pyjamas for Qantas' recently-launched Project Sunrise direct flights to New York, a jersey-style navy set incorporating the airline's iconic kangaroo logo, a geometric heart motif and flight numbers QF3 and QF4. As the eponymous label grows globally — it's set to launch a modest clothing capsule in December with the Middle East market in mind — outfitting Qantas' 17,500-plus employees is just the lift-off it needs. The airline's employees are part of the design process, too. In January, it conducted a company-wide survey on the wearability of the current uniform, and the feedback will inform the redesign's fabric choices, fit and more. The project will also mark Vallance's first foray into menswear, and she's approaching it with practicality in mind. "I've been deep-diving into the staff — how they move, what they need. It's not like designing a normal collection. These garments have to withstand bending, lifting bags, and long flights," Vallance says in an interview with Vogue Australia. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Qantas (@qantas) Line up all ten of Qantas' past uniforms and you'd have a museum-worthy exhibition, with designs from fashion luminaries including Yves Saint Laurent and Emilio Pucci. Vallance hopes to carry on that legacy, this time with an emphasis on sustainability. She's exploring low-impact materials and ways to repurpose the uniforms when they reach their end of life. "Martin Grant did such a fantastic job with the current uniform, and I want to build on that. There have been incredible designers before me, who made iconic uniforms for their time period, so I hope to do the same thing, and that my uniform will last just as long when it's done, for the next 10 to 15 years, at least," she tells Vogue Australia. The new Qantas uniforms will be rolled out in 2027. Images: Qantas
Father's Day is just around the corner, and — considering it's been one helluva year so far — you may be thinking about getting your dad something a little special. Melbourne travel brand July wants to help you go the extra mile this year and is throwing in a bunch of extras. July offers up premium luggage, backpacks, suitcases and overnight bags — and you'll nab a whole heap of freebies when you order your dad a gift through the online shop this year. First up, you'll be able to add custom-printed, personalised lettering to your luggage of choice — for free. Your gift will also come with a complimentary Orbitkey leather key organiser (worth $45). All shipping to Australia and New Zealand is absolutely free, too, which is especially useful if you don't live near dad. Simply shop the Father's Day gift edit to get started. On the list are the Carry All backpack and weekender bags, along with Carry On and Checked wheeled luggage. All of the travel bags are custom embroidered too. And each one comes in heaps of colours, including black, blue, green and beige. July luggage comes with a lifetime warranty (plus five-year warranties for all travel bags) to boot. While dad might not be going on any overseas jaunts just yet, we're sure he's planning a road trip, beachside escape or mountainous adventure in Australia for sometime in the near future. And a fresh set of luggage will be just the ticket when he finally gets to jet off. To shop the Father's Day gift edit, head to the July website. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
A good breakfast always goes down better in a good location, and a literal stone's throw from the water in Warners Bay is bloody good as far as locations go. That's where you'll find Hippo Espresso, once a hidden destination known and loved solely by locals until those locals showered it with votes during the 2024 run of the Toby's Estate Local Legends competition. Now Hippo Espresso proudly stands as one of the most loved cafes in the entire state of NSW and owner Aaryn Algie, a hospo veteran of two decades, couldn't be prouder. So what landed Hippo Espresso in the top spot? It could be something in the menu. With a breakfast and lunch offering seven days a week, the menu highlights have to be the breakfast wraps with scrambled egg, hash browns, bacon, spinach and tomato relish; the beloved acai bowl with unlimited toppings; or the sizeable omelette that's described as an egg pizza with the lot by Algie. Come lunchtime, you can get a mix of Aussie and Asian-fusion treats ranging from steak sandwiches and bacon and mushroom carbonara to sticky pork belly bites and pork and prawn nasi goreng. Wash that down with coffee, smoothies, or frappes (that you can order as alcoholic if you're dining in). With variety like that, a top-notch spot by the water and a clientele that includes the likes of local Matildas players, no matter how you shake it, you're set for a good time at Hippo Espresso.
UPDATE: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14 — Avi's Kantini is open for takeaway throughout lockdown. Check out the menu here. Nestled inside The Bank alongside craft beer bar Uncle Hops, the Middle Eastern-inspired menu can be ordered anywhere in the three storey venue. Highlights include an oozy baked saganaki with honey, pistachio and rose, as well as housemade dips ($12), stuffed pides served with pickles and onion salads ($19-21) and meze plates. "Newtown has always been a popular spot for Middle Eastern and Turkish food," CEO of Solotel Group Elliot Solomon said in a statement. "With Avi's Kantini, we wanted to build on that legacy and love with a contemporary, psychedelic twist." Cocktails are curated by Ed Loveday (ex-Bar Brosé and ex-ACME), featuring ingredients like arak (an unsweetened distilled spirit), sumac, pomegranate, saffron and bergamot (a type of citrus). Taste through a refreshing Karpuz (meaning 'melon' in Turkish) with Espolon Blanco tequila, watermelon, rosewater and lime or try Avi's take on an espresso martini with spiced rum, coffee, date and black walnut. If you want to spend less time ordering, and more time dancing, we wouldn't blame you. The $45 banquet menu is a steal with plant-based and carnivorous options including chickpea falafels, lamb shish and chicken wings in a sticky fig glaze. The revamped courtyard champions custom art murals by Wollongong-based artist El Oso Negro, while 12-seater cushioned booths, seating nooks and plenty of greenery gives guests heaps of options when it comes to space.
The Royal has been kicking around in some capacity since 1907, but now it's entering into a new phase of life — the Bondi pub was acquired by Merivale late last year and has reopened with a few alterations. It's now pouring a hefty range of booze for just about every palate and budget. Swing by for a summery daiquiri post-dip, an espresso martini on tap, an interesting bottle of natural wine, or even something bubbly, celebratory and French. The Royal's attached retail offering The Bottle Shop has also reopened, and the pub's restaurant and courtyard will be back in action by summer, playing host to an exciting yet-to-be-announced food pop-up for the sunny season.
Empty streets. Long lines of cars at COVID-19 testing sites. Six-foot buffers between people. Doomscrolling. Rampant online misinformation about the pandemic. Five years ago, these were all a reality — and that's when Ari Aster has set his fourth feature. Eddington is also the acclaimed writer/director's fourth film in seven years, following Hereditary in 2018, Midsommar in 2019 and Beau Is Afraid in 2023. Two years after stressing out Joaquin Phoenix in the latter flick, the filmmaker has more tension and chaos in store for the Oscar-winning actor, all in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eddington ventures into a New Mexico town of the same name, and into the locale's attempts to cope with the abrupt change to life as its citizens know it. Phoenix (Joker: Folie à Deux) portrays the spot's sheriff Joe Cross, who decides to run for mayor against incumbent Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal, The Last of Us). Both the first teaser trailer earlier in 2025 and the just-dropped full sneak peek at the A24 release — which premiered at Cannes in May — paints an unsettling picture, not just for the feuding Joe and Ted, but also for Joe's wife Louise (Emma Stone, Kinds of Kindness). Offering a calmer vibe is Vernon Jefferson Peak (Austin Butler, The Bikeriders), whether he's meeting Joe or popping up preaching on the internet. The storyline: putting Joe and the mayor on a collision course that leads to arguments and slaps in the new trailer. Their conflict unsurprisingly causes ripples throughout Eddington, in a tale that's set to see townsfolk clash in a period that we all know couldn't have been more heightened and stressful. Aster is back cultivating unease, then, as he did so expertly in his initial three features. Alongside Phoenix, Butler, Stone and Pascal, the filmmaker has enlisted Luke Grimes (Yellowstone), Deirdre O'Connell (The Penguin) and Micheal Ward (Empire of Light) to help among his cast. Eddington releases Down Under on Thursday, August 21, 2025. If you're in Sydney or heading to the Harbour City for the 2025 Sydney Film Festival, it's also screening there until Sunday, June 15, as well as at the fest's SFF 2025 Back By Popular Demand sessions until Friday, June 20. Check out the full trailer for Eddington below: Eddington releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, August 21, 2025 — and is also screening at the 2025 Sydney Film Festival until Sunday, June 15, and at its SFF 2025 Back By Popular Demand sessions until Friday, June 20.
With over six decades under its belt, Surry Hills' The Forresters has quite the watering hole history. While the Foveaux Street site has housed a pub since the 1950s, in recent years you'd be more familiar with its $10 steak nights, value-packed happy hour deals and laidback hangs in those plaid-upholstered booths. Following an extensive $1.5-million renovation, this Surry Hills stalwart — now officially called Forrester's — has entered a whole new phase of its life under new owners. You'll probably recognise Applejack Hospitality as the group behind CBD newcomer Hester's, though Applejack is also responsible for popular venues including Neutral Bay's SoCal, bar and restaurant Bopp & Tone and Endeavour Tap Rooms in The Rocks. The latest Surry Hills takeover will mark the group's eighth venue. Forrester's now houses three distinct dining spaces: Phylli's restaurant, a public bar and an upstairs entertainment venue. Unlike the kitschy fit-out of old, Phylli's gives off luxe vibes aplenty. Think heaps of greenery and natural light paired with fresh timber finishes and a botanical mural by Sydney artist Mielo. The public bar, on the other hand, maintains a bit of that old-time pub feel, with the exposed beams, hardwood floors and tri-folding timber sash windows all kept in tact. Head upstairs and you'll find a third bar and dining space sitting alongside separate booth seating. This area is primed for the venue's weekly trivia and comedy nights. [caption id="attachment_788402" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yasmin Mund[/caption] For eats, patrons can enjoy a menu of snacks and share plates across all three venues. But it's not the classic Aussie pub fare you're used to — apart from that $10 steak special, which will return every Monday night. Instead, Head Chef Jon Barrios and Executive Chef Jason Roberson have created a menu that focuses on flavours from North, Central and South America. Think beef cheek empanadas (422), fried crab cakes ($24) with Creole-style tartare, crispy chicken wings ($18) doused in Louisiana hot sauce and pork belly cubano sandwiches ($24). In Phylli's, a succinct menu of larger plates is also on offer, and those include the grilled barramundi ($29) topped with a pumpkin mole and the slow-cooked lamb barbacoa ($69) served with freshly made corn tortillas. A few fancy steaks make the menu too, including a $39 wagyu rump and a $34 chargrilled sirloin. Phylli's also boasts its own dedicated spritz menu (all $18) that will change seasonally. At the moment, varieties include ginger, mandarin, blood orange and mixed berry. Otherwise, the three venues share a menu of classic cocktails with a twist, like the spiced grapefruit margaritas ($18), coconut espresso martinis ($18) and cold brew manhattans ($22). The public bar also focuses on Aussie craft beer, with local legends Grifter, Sauce Brewing Co and Willie The Boatman all up for grabs. Images: Yasmin Mudn
A stunning new dining experience has arrived in Sydney's inner west, courtesy of restaurateur Bill Drakopoulos (Ormeggio at The Spit, LuMi Dining, Ripples Chowder Bay, Chiosco by Ormeggio and Jardin St James). The Fenwick, a heritage-listed waterfront building, has reopened as a cafe and gallery. It boasts sweeping harbour views, seasonal fare and exhibitions by local and international artists. The tiny sandstone space was built in the 1880s and was originally used as a tugboat store. Heaps of private development proposals were rejected before the building was finally acquired by the former Leichhardt Council in 2003 (now part of the Inner West Council), thanks to a campaign by local Balmain East residents. After a restoration that cost millions, The Fenwick is now finally open to the public. To us, the space better resembles a chapel — think a pitched roof, exposed timber beams and large barn doors that open out to views across Barangaroo, the Harbour Bridge and Luna Park. At the simple yet sleek cafe, co-owner and executive chef Davide Rebeccato (Aqua Dining) is serving up modern Australian eats with a focus on seasonal dishes. For breakfast, expect scrambled eggs served on French toast and topped with prawns and eggplant; pulled pork breakfast burgers with fried egg and cabbage slaw; and poached eggs on sourdough with haloumi, mushrooms, avocado and kale. Apart from all those eggs, you can tuck into homemade granola with fresh fruit and berry compote pancakes with banana, coconut and pistachio crumble. More refined fare is on offer for lunch, including pickled sardines, burrata with prosciutto and figs, and jalapeño kingfish with tiger milk. Larger plates feature snapper tail served in a lemon and garlic butter sauce; fish stew with fregola, olives and capers; and wild mushroom and black truffle gnocchi. For the morning, the cafe is slinging Little Marionette coffee and cold pressed juices. Once the arvo hits, a specialty cocktail list will accompany lunch — it includes the Chamomile Kicker (chamomile-infused gin, elderflower liqueur, lime juice and egg), the Lavender Martini (gin, Amaro Nonino, lavender syrup and lime) and the Dark Chocolate Negroni (gin, Campari, Regal Rouge vermouth and dark chocolate bitters). Jugs of Pimm's Cup and rosé spritzes are also up for grabs, as are heaps of local and international wine by the glass and bottle. Level two houses the public gallery, which will be open daily and offers regular exhibitions featuring local and international artists. Creative events held in partnership with other local galleries and community groups are also on the docket. Keep an eye on this space for upcoming exhibitions and events.
Beginning in Narrabeen and finishing up at Queenscliff Beach (or vice versa) the Bicentennial Coastal Walk is a 10km trek encompassing the northern beaches' awe-inspiring views of sweeping beaches, lagoons, headlands and rock pools. The well-formed track also includes steps and some sections of beach walking. Highlights along the coastal walk include the Collaroy War Memorial, Long Reef Wildlife Protection Area, Dee Why Headland and the Duke Kahanamoku Statue and Memorial Park in Freshwater — the place where Duke first introduced surfing to Australia back in 1914. A perfect half-day walk, the Bicentennial Coastal Walk will take you about five hours one way — or twice as long if you plan to return on foot. Images: Mel Koutchavlis
Sydney's about to score a world-first. Launching Thursday, October 30, Solaré is a 150-foot classic superyacht reimagined as a full-service restaurant, cocktail bar and Mediterranean-style beach club — a floating escape where long lunches, sunset spritzes and daybed lounging all live on the same vessel. "Solaré is about reimagining what's possible on Sydney Harbour," said Founder Scott Robertson. "We've created a world-first, a restaurant, cocktail bar, and beach club onboard a 150-foot superyacht designed entirely around leisure." The yacht unfolds across three distinct levels. The Dining Room is a refined, sit-down restaurant built for leisurely progressions; the Terrace Deck lifts the tempo with share plates and cocktails; and the open-air Sun Deck nails the beach-club brief with custom daybeds, a panoramic bar and uninterrupted skyline views. Designer Alex Zabotto-Bentley (AZB Creative) leans into 70s-tinged Mediterranean glamour — think sunflower yellows, burnt oranges, teak and green marble. "Every detail is designed to evoke a glamorous, sun-soaked escape," says Zabotto-Bentley. In the kitchen, Executive Chef Pablo Tordesillas (Totti's Bondi; two-hatted Ortiga in Brisbane) teams up with Head Chef Nick Mathieson (Compa, Bistecca, Otto) on a coastal Italian menu with a seafood focus. The Dining Room runs as a set journey — begin with oscietra caviar over house potato crisps and cultured cream, then roll into snacks like a vinegar-and-bottarga-dusted potato scallop with chives and caviar, plus deep-sea royal red prawns with finger lime and bisque mayo. Bigger moments include reginette with Moreton Bay bug, crustacean butter and chilli, and market fish with clams, saffron butter, fregola and spring veg. Tables can add a Bistecca alla Fiorentina as a supplement. Upstairs, the Terrace and Sun Deck are made for graze-and-gather afternoons. Expect Queensland spanner crab tartlets crowned with herbs and salmon roe, a Moreton Bay bug sando with crisp iceberg and cocktail sauce, and spaghettini tossed with spanner crab, tomato, chilli, garlic and salmon roe. Desserts keep the coastal mood: lemon and mascarpone sorbetto served in a carved lemon, or fior di latte ice cream finished with an indulgent spoon of oscietra caviar. Venue Manager Mikey Hamilton (Bistecca, The Gidley, Banksii) steers service, bringing big-league polish to the harbour. Drinks are led by Ed Loveday, who builds a harbour-ready list of crisp Mediterranean wines, lively rosés and seasonal cocktails. Expect aperitivo-leaning spritzes, martinis, margaritas, daiquiris and champagne numbers — plus a Martini Trolley in the Dining Room for bespoke, tableside ice-cold pours. Art threads through the space, too, with commissioned works by Daimon Downey, Jeremy Kay and Tiarna Herczeg adding sculptural colour and texture between decks. Solaré will operate Thursday to Sunday with two cruises daily. Book a Dining Room reservation ($185 per person), reserve VIP Tables on the Terrace Deck, secure Booths or Daybeds on the Sun Deck, or opt for a Cruise Pass ($50 per person, with access to the Terrace Deck, Dining Room Bar and Harbour Platform). Bookings are now open via the Solaré website. Images: Jonny Valiant | Jason Loucas
If your idea of trifle is Aeroplane Jelly, Madeira cake from the nearest supermarket, tinned peaches and cheap rum, think again. Pastry chef and owner of Enmore's Saga and Darling Square's Saga Lyte Andy Bowdy — whose peanut butter and banana sundaes (once served at Hartsyard) are the stuff of legend — has reinvented the dessert, especially for Christmas. His festive trifles made their debut in 2017 and, thankfully, they've become something of a tradition. In Bowdy's words, "I know a trifle can be a little controversial, but lets face it — a trifle is basically a cake in a bowl." If you've ever sampled his cakes, you'll take that as good tidings. Exceptionally good tidings. These trifles are not just cakes, but OTT masterpieces, loaded with all kinds of goodies, like peach and raspberry compote, brown sugar pecans, coconut macaroon and boozy ginger beer jelly. On the Christmas trifle menu this year are four options. First up, is the Pasan, named for Bowdy's mate and hospo neighbour Pasan Wijesena (Earl's Juke Joint, Jacoby's Tiki Bar). Christmas vibes abound in the Pasan, which has layers of panettone, ginger beer jelly, booze-soaked Christmas fruit, spiced brandy custard, orange curd, caramelised almonds, vanilla chantilly, and fresh plums and blueberries, all topped with a spiced crumble. It's a mouthful. https://www.instagram.com/p/B3yZuZsl3ya/ For those after something a on the (slightly) lighter side, the Eliza is named after Bowdy's sister — he's taken her love of mangoes and run with it. It's got mango pudding, Nan's sponge, vanilla chantilly, fresh mango and passionfruit salad, salted coconut cream, jelly, and the crunch of both coconut macaroons and coconut wafers. Returning for another year, is Bowdy's modern take on the traditional trifle, the Philly. Think layers of vanilla sponge, maple custard, vanilla chantilly and peach and rosemary compote, spiked with peach and bourbon jelly, and topped with brown sugar pecans, Anzac crumbs and fresh peaches and raspberries. Then, for Italophiles, there's the Tiramisu. Each cake is $195, feeds 18–22 people, and comes in a lovely glass trifle bowl that is yours to keep, so you can endeavour to recreate the magic throughout the year. Andy Bowdy's Christmas trifles can be ordered online now and collected from Saga, Enmore, from November 1 through to December 24.
It's been three years since Koi Dessert Bar opened its doors and in that time it has become a go-to for incredibly lavish, almost too decadent looking desserts that we can't stop eating. Reynold Poernomo has gone far since being eliminated from MasterChef in 2015, and his wildly popular treats have earned him the rightful title of dessert king in these parts. As we've come to find out from Koi, Poernomo is part of a talented family. Brothers Arnold (former judge on Indonesian MasterChef) and Ronald (restaurant manager) have helped make the venue the dining destination it now is. In addition to the desserts' fame, the restaurant's lesser-known savoury dishes deserve their time in the spotlight, too. Sure, you've frequented the downstairs dessert bar, but if you haven't yet ventured upstairs for the set menu, we can decidedly say it's worth a gander. This is especially the case since this month's menu overhaul, which has seen fifteen new menu items — both savoury and sweet — added to the Koi offering. The degustation has been completely reimagined with a greater focus on native Indonesian flavours. Think starters of buttery bone marrow topped with spicy sambal and served with mini brioche buns, or king prawns with caramelised coconut and finger lime. For mains, they're serving up crisp-skinned barramundi with onion dashi and white fungus, as well as barbecue ribs with pumpkin puree and sweet tamari. The set menu desserts lean on Asian flavours as well, with oh-so-pretty options like a black sesame, chocolate and mandarin dessert bowl or the pineapple and coconut logs with mango puree. To complement the new menu, there are locally produced wines, iced green tea and black sesame lattes, plus Asian-inspired cocktails like a Geisha with umeshu, yuzu and strawberry, and the Green Sake — with pandan infused sake, apricot brandy, basil and egg whites. The set menu now comes with flexibility, too. Diners can choose between a three- or five-course menu ($60 and $90, respectively), along with which dishes they want to try, from entrees through to dessert. If you just can't get past the desserts, they get you, and they're also offering up a set dessert menu for $65 per person, which includes all four new desserts. "It's amazing to see the faces of people who dine upstairs, to see how shocked they are at the quality and creativity we plate up," says Reynold. "Our new menu is a testament to that and we want everyone to continue to be impressed." This menu revamp follows a successful three-month stint down in Melbourne's new HWKR Food Centre, where the trio ran a pop-up kitchen with sister venue Monkey's Corner. There is scattered talk of an interstate expansion, but for now, the brothers are focusing on perfecting their Kensington Street offering. The new Koi set menus are now available in the upstairs dining room for dinner from Tuesday through Sunday from 6pm to 9.30pm.
They've recently reopened after a major refurb, and if you were a local here before, you won't recognise it. Come here to escape the usual Surry Hills crowd and eat an awesome vegetarian pizza and a cider on the large wooden deck. Old songs playing on the TV screens will have you reminiscing if conversation dries out. The Strawberry Hills Hotel is one of our top ten rooftop bars in Sydney. See our other picks here. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
Sometimes, he's played by an over-the-top Robert Downey Jr. As TV fans know, sometimes a curmudgeonly Benedict Cumberbatch does the honours. Ian McKellen has even taken the job, as has Will Ferrell. In fact, on the big and small screens for over a century, a lengthy list of actors have stepped into Sherlock Holmes' shoes and worn his deerstalker cap. But Netflix's new film isn't really about the famed sleuth — instead, it's about his sister. As brought to the screen by Stranger Things' Millie Bobby Brown, Enola Holmes is the family's youngest sibling. Naturally, she has a mystery to solve — she is a Holmes, after all. When her mother (Helena Bonham Carter) goes missing on the morning of Enola's 16th birthday, it's up to the teenager to find out where she has gone and why. Her brothers, Sherlock (Henry Cavill) and Mycroft (Sam Claflin), aren't too pleased, though. They're not very happy with her demeanour either, and would rather send her to a finishing school to learn how to become a 'proper' young lady. As the just-dropped full trailer for Enola Holmes shows, yes, Enola does say "the game is afoot". She also becomes caught up in quite the adventure, as based on Nancy Springer's young adult book series. This is a period-set version of the Holmes story, too, not a modernised one — so expect to see Enola flit around 1880s England when the movie hits Netflix on September 23. In addition to Brown, The Crown's Bonham Carter, The Witcher's Cavill and The Nightingale's Claflin, the film also stars Medici's Louis Partridge as a young runaway Lord who crosses Enola's path. Behind the camera, Fleabag and Ramy's Harry Bradbeer directs — with the filmmaker earning an Emmy in 2019 for the former. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1d0Zf9sXlHk Enola Holmes hits Netflix on September 23. Image: Alex Bailey.
What do Cher, Frank Sinatra and Neil Perry share in common? Much like the Goddess of Pop and Ol' Blue Eyes, the revered chef and restaurateur isn't much good at sticking with retirement. In July of 2020, after nearly four decades as one of Australian dining's brightest guiding lights, Perry announced that he would be stepping down as Culinary Director of Rockpool Group and hanging up his apron for good, much to the dismay of his many foodie fans. Just over a year later, however, Perry backflipped on this supposed farewell, making his comeback in spectacular fashion with what would be the first site of his now four-venue-strong Double Bay empire. While we now know that Perry had a lot more to show Australian diners (although he insists that his recently opened martini lounge Bobbie's and the sprawling three-storey Cantonese diner Song Bird, also in Double Bay, really are the last ventures of his career), when it opened in 2021, Margaret was pitched as the chef's final swan song. Named in tribute to his mother, it would be the first restaurant launched by Perry without any outside financial backing, giving him the freedom to create a fine diner entirely of his own making — a deeply personal ode to his years in the kitchen, free from the pandering pressures of expectant business partners. The menu reads like an autobiography, showcasing the cuisines that have defined Perry's career. His love of Asian flavours is writ large with dishes like Perry's delicate signature Thai-style salad — fragrant and fresh with shreds of blue swimmer crab meat and sweet pork, the textural foil of green mango and crushed cashews, and a thrill of heat from sliced red chilli. A spicy, kimchi-inspired Korean-style tartare is another Eastern standout, with generous cubes of bigeye tuna tossed in a sweet-yet-bold gochujang sauce and finished with sesame and the bright zing of house-made pickles. Surf and turf, kissed by flame, has long been an idée fixe of Perry's previous venues, so it's little wonder that the char and complexity of woodfired cooking is another key pillar of Margaret's offering. Seafood lovers are well served with red throat emperor with peanut salsa; southern garfish with an Asian tilt, spiked with yuzu and fermented green chilli; and Eastern Rock lobsters, served dressed with either a sparkling lime and sambal sauce or mornay style, with a bubbling topping of cheese and garlic. Slice into a perfectly cooked wagyu fillet or bone-in sirloin and you'll see that it's not for nothing that Margaret was declared the second-best steakhouse in the world by the World's 101 Best Steak Restaurant rankings in 2025. While the skilled team under Perry's veteran eye are experts at achieving just the right sear and smokiness from every cut on the grill, it's also the provenance of Maraget's steaks that make them world-leading. Indeed, the relationships Perry has carefully cultivated over decades with the nation's finest producers underpin this menu's magic — the likes of small-scale, low-impact fishers Bruce Collis and Anthony Heslewood, and organic beef producers CopperTree Farms and Blackmore. With such a kaleidoscopic range of world cuisines represented, navigating Margaret's menu could seem daunting. Rather than sticking to either Asian fare or committing to the more Euro-leaning dishes, we suggest a more cohesion-be-damned approach. Perry is offering diners the chance to colour outside the lines, hopscotching from one spectrum of flavours to another within the same meal. An extensive wine list, with by-the-glass options paired upon request by the restaurant's superb sommeliers, help blur the edges, but what really brings it all together is the vision and passion of a once-in-a-generation chef displaying the full gamut of his technical powers, his understanding of what makes food great, and a love of cooking that even retirement couldn't contain. Images: Petrina Tinslay
Not only is Lunar New Year one of the biggest celebrations in the Asia Pacific region, it's easily also one of the most delicious. If you're not celebrating it already, your palate is missing out. Cue family feasts — friends are also more than welcome — and a table stacked with all the greatest hits. The biggest at-home celebration of LNY typically happens on Lunar New Year's Eve and usually takes the form of a dinner that's not unlike Christmas lunch. The best part about the celebration is that the dishes you'll typically find are surprisingly simple to prepare and come together in no time at all. Whether the celebrations are taking place in Hanoi or Hong Kong, Singapore or Sydney, everyday dishes tend to land on Lunar New Year's Eve dinner tables. There are regional differences when it comes to must-have Lunar New Year dishes, but dumplings and fish or seafood are mainstays in most places where Lunar New Year is celebrated. You'll find them at LNY dinners and enjoyed as ordinary meals throughout the year. The enduring appeal of these dishes is just how easily they can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion. And that's before we even factor in how delicious they are. [caption id="attachment_987199" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] After some inspo for an authentic festive spread that's easy enough for everyday meals but seriously impressive for a celebratory gathering? Look no further. In partnership with Oriental Merchant, we've called in chef Jason Chan, owner of newly opened pan-Asian restaurant Rice Kid, for two recipes he turns to when it's time to ring in Lunar New Year at home. XO Pipis [caption id="attachment_987205" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] Seafood is a staple ingredient in many quintessential Lunar New Year dishes. The festivities are a reason to shell out on premium seafood to celebrate the special occasion. For Chan, Lunar New Year is the time to "have all those special dishes that you don't really get to eat every week." And it doesn't get more impressive or mouth-watering than XO pipis, which — despite being known as a restaurant special — is a surprisingly straightforward dish that can be replicated at home. In Chan's recipe, half a kilo of fresh pipis transform into a delectable showstopper that packs an umami punch thanks to the sauce trifecta of XO, soy and oyster. Ingredients: 500g fresh pipis (if you can't find live pipis, you can substitute with prawns or any other seafood to your liking) 100g Lee Kum Kee XO Sauce 50ml Lee Kum Kee Premium Dark Soy Sauce 50g Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Oyster Sauce 100ml Shao Xing cooking wine 1 tsp sugar ½ tsp salt 1 tsp chicken powder 1L water 50g shallot rondelle Coriander for garnish Slurry: 50g corn starch or potato starch 100ml water Method: Use a wok or pan on high heat and add Lee Kum Kee XO Sauce and cook for 5–10 secs, deglaze with Shao Xing cooking wine, add water and bring it to the boil. Once boiling, add pipis and cook until they are completely open. Discard any unopened pipis. Add Lee Kum Kee Premium Dark Soy Sauce, Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Oyster Sauce, sugar, chicken powder, salt and shallot rondelle and cook for a further minute to infuse all the flavours into the pipis. Mix slurry and pour into the XO pipis to thicken. Garnish with coriander or shallot rondelle. [caption id="attachment_987287" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] Moreton Bay Bug and Prawn Siu Mai or Wonton [caption id="attachment_987203" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] Dumplings are another dish which sit proudly on dinner tables — particularly in northern China — during Lunar New Year festivities. Traditional dumplings are said to resemble ancient Chinese money and are symbolic of prosperity. Today, all kinds of dumplings and wontons make the festive cut. Whether they're crescent-shaped dumplings, wontons or siu mai, this is a dish that is great for everyday dinners as well as during Lunar New Year. For an elevated everyday wonton or siu mai (the only difference is how you wrap them), this recipe is as fun as it is delicious. Finesse your folding skills by wrapping your parcels of seafood yourself, or get the whole dinner crew involved before sitting down to celebrate. Ingredients: 250g fresh or frozen prawn meat 250g Queensland Moreton Bay bug meat 25ml Lee Kum Kee Premium Soy Sauce 25ml Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand soy sauce 10g minced garlic 10g coriander root finely sliced (use stems for extra aroma) 5g lime zest 20g sugar 25g potato starch 50ml garlic oil (canola oil can be substituted) 1 packet of wonton skin Method: Place prawn and bug meat in food processor and slightly pulse 4–5 times. Ensure the prawn and bug meat retain small chunky pieces for texture. Take out the processed prawn and bug meat and place in bowl. Add in Lee Kum Kee Premium Soy Sauce, Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Oyster Sauce, minced garlic, coriander, sugar, garlic oil and mix until everything is combined and bound together. Add in the remaining ingredients: potato starch and lime zest. CHEF'S TIP: You don't want the starch to form clumps, do not skip step 3 with step 2! Place filling in fridge for 30 minutes. Once it is set, you can begin making the dumplings. Blanch wontons for about 5–6 minutes or until they float. To serve, place blanched wontons in a bowl and garnish with shallot and a few drizzles of sesame oil. Dip into preferred sauce (see below for sauce options). [caption id="attachment_987286" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] Simple Dipping Sauce for WontonAdd Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Style Chilli Oil, soy sauce, sesame oil and black vinegar. Season to taste. Simple Dipping Sauce for Siu Mai Add Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Style Chilli Oil and soy sauce. Season to taste. Experience the flavours of Lunar New Year everyday with Oriental Merchant authentic Asian ingredients.
While everyone's been wining and dining in Surry Hills, Darlinghurst and Newtown, Crows Nest has been sitting on one of Sydney's best-kept foodie secrets. Hailing itself as "the best dining experience north of the bridge" (big call), Annata brings inventive Italian dishes from an exciting young chef and an unbridled love of wine to its humble neighbourhood surrounds. Unlike many of the other long, narrow spaces on Willoughby Road, this one doesn't sell hand soaps or cardigans. Instead, you'll find a hatted brick-walled wine cave serving seasonal produce-driven food with a perfectly paired drop patiently waiting. Owner John Bligh brought his passion for hospitality to the restaurant when he took over operations during the pandemic, pushing the menu to more intriguing places with the help of the new Head Chef Jordan Garcia. Garcia's menu changes every six weeks, ensuring it's built around fresh seasonal produce, delivered daily. Italian sensibilities run through the dishes, but the Anatta team isn't afraid to stray from the classics. While each time you visit, you'll be presented with a fresh selection of eats, you'll be treated with a mix of the expected — like marinated olives, Bass Strait beef tartare or ricotta and chilli fregola — and the unique — like toast soldiers with smoked eel, coffee-cured ocean trout or Japanese cheesecake. The simplest way to approach the menu is to opt for the five-course sampler which guides you through that six-week period top picks for $95, or $185 with wine pairings. If you can afford it, the wine pairings are a must — this is a haven for one of the most impressive collections of bottles on this side of the bridge. Whether you decide to indulge in the pairing experience or just after a solitary glass, Restaurant Manager and Sommelier Cisco Ramirez and the Annata staff can guide you through the possibly intimidating 250+ wine list personally curated by Ramirez. Bligh's ownership has also brought with it a push for Annata to be a neighbourhood mingling spot, introducing events like the Wine Lover's Club tasting afternoons, regular wine-driven degustations highlight drops from specific regions, and Chef's Tuesday Tasting, at which you can be the first to sample the latest dishes Ramirez has been whipping up. Adding further to the community feel is the ongoing art auction running on the walls of Annata. Bligh and the team invite local artists to exhibit their works in the restaurant with price tags, so if you see a piece you like as you're enjoying your duck breast, you can take it home with you.
With its massive deserts, wild seas and expanses of ancient forest, Australia offers space a-plenty for sculpture parks. Here, we take a look at eight of the most spectacular – from Mornington Peninsula's Pt. Leo Estate, set among vineyards and wildflowers, to Western Australia's Inside Australia, where metal figures appear on the surface of a gigantic salt-crusted lake. Next time you're in the mood for an arty road trip, pay a visit to one of these wonders. [caption id="attachment_641338" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anson Smart[/caption] PT. LEO ESTATE, VICTORIA Set among vineyards, flowers and oceanic backdrops on the Mornington Peninsula, this 135-hectare park features epic works by local and international artists, all belonging to multibillionaires John and Pauline Gandel (owners of Chadstone Shopping Centre, FYI). Among the main attractions are the late Australian sculptor Anthony Pryor's Horizons (1988) — a spiral staircase that seems to disappear into the sky — and the late Israeli-American artist Boaz Vaadia's Ma'aseyahu. In between wandering, sample wines at Pt. Leo Estate's cellar door and feast at Laura, the stunning on-site restaurant, headed by ex-Rockpool Bar & Grill chef Phil Wood. Where? 3649 Frankston–Flinders Road, Merricks — about an hour south of Melbourne. [caption id="attachment_696465" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] NGA SCULPTURE GARDEN, ACT While many sculptures are made with a particular site in mind, at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA), things are topsy-turvy. The Sculpture Garden was landscaped to fit the artworks. Built in 1981, the grounds stretch between the NGA building and the sparkling waters of Lake Burley Griffin. There are 26 sculptures by Australian and international artists, including Japanese artist Fujiko Nakaya's Foggy wake in a desert: An ecosphere, a cool, mist-filled forest through which you can wander, and a collection of Pukamani burial poles from the Tiwi Islands. Where? Parkes Place, Canberra — about three hours southwest of Sydney and seven hours' northeast of Melbourne. BROKEN HILL LIVING DESERT RESERVE, NSW The best time to visit Living Desert Reserve is sunset. This is when the sculptures look their most dramatic, backdropped by endless plains, flooded with the last rays of the day. There are 12 sculptures in total, created in 1993 by artists from all over the world during a sculpture symposium led by Australian artist Lawrence Beck. Each artwork has its own story, told through an accompanying plaque. While you're there, take a stroll through the Flora and Fauna Sanctuary, where you'll find stunning displays of Sturt's Desert Peas and learn about the site's significance to the area's Aboriginal people. For more tips in and around Broken Hill, check out our weekender's guide. Where? Living Desert Reserve, Broken Hill — a hefty 13 hours west of Sydney. MCCLELLAND SCULPTURE PARK AND GALLERY, VICTORIA Also on the Mornington Peninsula is McClelland Sculpture Park and Gallery. Its origins lie back in the 1920s, when artist Harry McClelland and his poet sister, Annie May, moved to Long Island, Frankston, where they surrounded themselves with arty, bohemian types. Harry built his studio on the current site of the gallery, which was designed by modern architects Munro and Sargent and opened in 1971. Dotted among open fields and pretty lakes are more than 100 sculptures by well-known Australian artists, including Inge King, Lenton Parr, Clement Meadmore, George Baldessin, Robert Owen, Norma Redpath, Rick Amor, Lisa Roet and Ken Unsworth. Where? 390 McClelland Drive, Langwarrin — about 45 minutes southeast of Melbourne. GLENORCHY ART AND SCULPTURE PARK, TASMANIA Located one kilometre from the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), this extraordinary space is a fusion of art and nature. It occupies nine hectares along the shores of Elwick Bay, accessible by a boardwalk that passes through parklands and wetlands. The artworks respond to the site – often through their watery or amphibious qualities. James Guests' Refraction Principle, for example, launched in October this year, is a piece made of marine grade aluminium that marks the spot in the River Derwent where fresh and salt water meet. Where? Brooker Highway, Elwick Bay, Glenorchy — about 15 minutes' drive north of Hobart. HEIDE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART, VICTORIA Like McClelland, Heide Museum of Modern Art began its life at the centre of a bohemian community. Philanthropists John and Sunday Reed bought 15 acres 16 kilometres northeast of the Melbourne CBD and it wasn't long before artists, writers and intellectuals were dropping by, such as Sidney Nolan, Albert Tucker and Joy Hester (who is soon to have an exhibition at TarraWarra). In 1950, the duo established the Gallery of Contemporary Art on the property, which, in 1958, became the Museum of Modern Art of Australia and went public in 1981. The program focuses on temporary exhibitions of modern and contemporary works, including major surveys. Among previous shows are Modern Times: The Untold Story of Modernism in Australia (2009), Cubism & Australian Art (2009–10) and Less is More: Minimalism and Post Minimalism in Australia (2012). Where? 7 Templestowe Road, Bulleen — about 20 minutes northeast of Melbourne. GALERIA ANIELA, NSW Surrounded by the rugged Kangaroo Valley escarpment, Galeria Aniela's sculpture park gives you 7.9 acres of green, landscaped gardens to explore. In between perusing works by Australian and international artists, rest beneath cherry blossom trees and among herb gardens. If you're lucky, you might meet a wombat or wallaby. Indoors are three gallery rooms dedicated to temporary exhibitions. While you're in the area, stop by Southern Pies for a cheeseburger pie and swing by Fitzroy Falls. You'll find more Kangaroo Valley ideas over here. Where? 261A Mount Scanzi Road, Kangaroo Valley — about two hours southwest of Sydney. [caption id="attachment_696466" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] INSIDE AUSTRALIA, WA Inside Australia, created by one artist, is the biggest outdoor art gallery in Australia. Its setting is Lake Ballard, a completely flat expanse that lies 11 hours' drive northeast of Perth, in the Western Australian goldfields. The artist is Antony Gormley, a Turner Award winner, who made the sculpture series in 2003, to celebrate the Perth International Arts Festival's 50th anniversary. He has scattered 51 metal figures across the lake, which stand out vividly against its dazzling, salt-crusted surface. Where? Lake Ballard, Menzies — about 11 hours northeast of Perth.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZAQT0jTFuU AMMONITE Looking at an ammonite fossil is like putting your ear up to a seashell: in their ridged spirals, it feels as if a whole new world could exist. In the latter's case, each one is made from the remains of extinct molluscs from millions of years ago, and lingers now as a reminder of a different time and existence, its compact coils encasing all of its secrets. The striking specimens from the past provide the film Ammonite with its title, and with an obvious metaphor as well — but also an apt one that's brought to life with meticulous delicacy. In the second feature from God's Own Country writer/director Francis Lee, the two central characters in this patient yet always evocative 1840s-set romance are the product of centuries of convention and expectation, with society's engrained views about women both weathering away at them and solidifying their place. In a queer love story that once again arises organically in heightened circumstances, dives into a labour-intensive field with a resolute connection to the land, derives an elemental tenor from crucial locations, watches on tenderly as a new arrival upends the status quo and gifts two lonely souls a connection they wouldn't otherwise admit they yearned for, they're also as tightly wound as the historical remnants they tirelessly search for along the craggy, cliff-lined West Dorset coastline. Lee's impeccably cast, exquisitely acted, solemnly beautiful and moving film isn't just the lesbian counterpart to its predecessor, though. While the movies complement each other perfectly, Ammonite unearths its own depths and boasts its own strengths. Lee has made the concerted decision not just to focus on two women, but to fictionalise the relationship between real-life scientists who find solace in each other as they're forced to fight to be seen as anything other than housewives. Living in Lyme Regis with her ailing mother (Gemma Jones, Rocketman), Mary Anning (Kate Winslet, Wonder Wheel) is no one's wife, and doesn't want to be — but, working in the male-dominated realm of palaeontology, she's accustomed to being treated differently to her peers. As a child, she found her first ammonite fossil, which is displayed in the British Museum. Now scraping by running a shop that sells smaller specimens to rich tourists, she hasn't stopped looking for other big discoveries since. When geologist Roderick Murchison (James McArdle, Mary, Queen of Scots) visits Mary's store, however, he's after her services in a different way. In a casual reminder of just how dismissively women are regarded, she's asked to take care of his melancholic wife Charlotte (Saoirse Ronan, Little Women) while he travels abroad for work. Roderick thinks it'll be good for Charlotte to learn from Mary, to get outside daily and to have a sense of purpose, but Mary only agrees for the money. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZQz0rkNajo THE DIG When Ralph Fiennes first trundles across the screen in The Dig, then starts speaking in a thick Suffolk accent, he's in suitably surly mode, as he needs to be. But, playing forthright and hardworking excavator Basil Brown, the adaptable Official Secrets, Hail, Caesar!, Spectre and A Bigger Splash star also flirts with overstatement in his initial scenes. Thankfully, he settles into his role quickly — and this 1939-set drama about an immense real-life archaeological discovery finds its rhythm with him. Hired by Edith Pretty (Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman) to burrow into what appear to be centuries-old burial mounds on her sprawling estate, Basil doesn't unearth any old find. His kindly employer has always had a feeling about the small hills on her property, she tells him in one of their friendly, leisurely chats, and her instincts prove accurate, sparking national interest. Adapting the 2007 novel of the same name by John Preston, this graceful movie explores Basil's dig, Edith's fight to retain both recognition and the items buried deep in her soil, her increasing health woes, and the keen excitement of her primary school-aged son Robert (Archie Barnes, Patrick). It also follows the circus that kicks up when the British Museum's Charles Phillips (Ken Stott, The Mercy) insists on taking over, and the love triangle that arises between his married employees Stuart (Ben Chaplin, The Children Act) and Peggy Piggott (Lily James, Rebecca) and Edith's airforce-bound cousin Rory Lomax (Johnny Flynn, Emma). Whether you already know the details or you're discovering them for the first time, The Dig tells an astonishing story — and while a mid-20th century archaeological dig mightn't sound like rich and riveting viewing, this fascinating feature proves that notion wrong. As well as its true tale, it benefits from two important decisions: the casting of Mulligan and Fiennes, and the involvement of Australian theatre director-turned-filmmaker Simon Stone. After the anger and raw energy of Promising Young Woman, Mulligan finds power in restraint here. Once Fiennes finds his knack as Basil, he's a source of stoic potency as well. Their scenes together rank among the movie's best, although, making his first movie since 2015's The Daughter, Stone ensures that even the most routine of moments is never dull. The Dig abounds with sun-dappled imagery of Suffolk fields, their green and yellow expanse being carved into one shovel at a time, but it's a gorgeously lensed film in every frame. Stone and cinematographer Mike Eley (who also worked on The White Crow, which was directed by Fiennes) rarely shoot anything within view in the expected manner, resulting in a movie that steps back into the past, chronicles an historical discovery, appears the handsome period part, yet also looks and feels fluid and lively as it ponders the reality that time comes for all things and people. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-0w6yTt3lg MY SALINGER YEAR Cinema's recent obsession with JD Salinger continues, with My Salinger Year joining 2013 documentary Salinger, 2015 drama Coming Through the Rye and 2017 biography Rebel in the Rye. The reclusive The Catcher in the Rye author famously wouldn't permit his acclaimed novel to be adapted for the big screen, and that absence has clearly made the filmmaking world's heart grow fonder in the years since his 2010 death — although, in this case, Joanna Rakoff's 2014 memoir was always bound to get the movie treatment. In 1995, fresh from studying English literature at college and newly arrived in New York to chase her dreams, the wide-eyed aspiring scribe (Margaret Qualley, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) takes an assistant job at one of the city's oldest and most prestigious literary agencies. Landing the role requires lying about her own ambitions, telling her new boss, Margaret (Sigourney Weaver, Ghostbusters), that she isn't trying to become a writer herself. (That's one thing the seasoned agent won't abide; another: any new technology beyond typewriters and telephones.) Joanna soon finds an outlet for her talents, however, when she's asked to reply to Salinger's fan mail. She's advised to send a generic response to the author's aficionados, as has always been the agency's policy, but she's moved to both secretly read and pen personal responses to them instead. French Canadian writer/director Philippe Falardeau's Monsieur Lazhar, from 2011, was one of that year's tender, touching and thoughtful standouts. But My Salinger Year, which opened 2020's Berlinale almost a year before reaching Australian cinemas, is far more perfunctory — making an interesting true story feel far more formulaic as it should. The filmmaker retains a gentle hand, fills his script with affection for the enthusiastic Joanna, and literally gives a voice to those who've been moved by exceptional literature, and yet the end result spins an adult coming-of-age story just pleasantly and affably enough, rather than strikes much of a lasting chord. It also feels slight while proving overstretched, making obvious statements about art and commerce, the past and the future, and the eternal struggle to maintain a personal-professional balance (with Salinger, or Jerry as Margaret calls him, weaved throughout each point). At the same vastly different junctures in their careers as the characters they play, Qualley and Weaver are the feature's obvious highlights, however. They're placed in a well-worn Devil Wears Prada-style relationship, but their back-and-forth provides the film with its spark (and, for Weaver fans, even recalls her Oscar-nominated supporting role in 1988 workplace comedy Working Girl). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35jJNyFuYKQ THE WHITE TIGER Adapted from Aravind Adiga's 2008 Man Booker Prize-winning debut novel, The White Tiger shares an animal metaphor in its name; however, it's another, about roosters and coops, that truly cuts to its core. Like poultry in a cage awaiting slaughter, India's poor are kept in their place as servants, explains protagonist Balram (Adarsh Gourav, Hostel Daze) in the pacy narration that drives the film. At the mercy of cruel and ruthless masters, they're well aware that they're being treated thoughtlessly at best. They watch on as others around them are stuck in compliant lives of drudgery, in fact. But, ever-dutiful, they're unwilling to break free or even defy their employers. That's the life that Balram is supposed to lead, and does for a time — after he ingratiates his way into a driver position for Ashok and Pinky (Bollywood star Rajkummar Rao and Baywatch's Priyanka Chopra Jonas), the American-educated son and New York-raised daughter-in-law of the rich landlord (Mahesh Manjrekar, Slumdog Millionaire) who owns his village and demands a third of all earnings from its residents. The White Tiger starts with a car accident outside Delhi involving Balram, Ashok and Pinky, then unfurls in flashbacks from a slick, unapologetic Balram in the future, so it's immediately apparent that he won't always be kowtowing to those considered above him in his country's strict caste system. It's also evident that his tale, as cheekily told via a letter penned to 2003–13 Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, will take the audience on quite the wild journey. The White Tiger's framing device is a little clumsy, and its overt, blackly comic observations about the wealthy taking advantage of everyone they consider below them aren't new — but this is still a savage, compelling and entertaining film with something smart to say and an engaging way of conveying its central message. Thanks to 2005's Man Push Cart, 2007's Chop Shop and 2015's 99 Homes, Iranian American writer/director Ramin Bahrani is no stranger to street-level stories about everyday folks trying to survive and thrive under capitalism's boot, or to the twisted power dynamics that can ensue in society at large and in close quarters. Accordingly, he's a perfect fit for the material here, and brings a constantly probing eye to the narrative penned by his college classmate Adiga. Also ideal is Gourav. The actor is in excellent company, with Rao and Chopra Jonas each finding multiple layers in their characters' lives of privilege and eagerness to regard Balram as a friend while it suits. But as a bright-eyed but still calculating young man trying to work his way up in the world, and then as a cynical experienced hand who has seen much, endured more and knows how he wants the world to work, Gourav is electrifying. It's a performance that's bound to catapult him into other high-profile roles, and it's also the likeable and empathetic yet also ambitious and slippery portrayal this rollercoaster ride of a story hinges upon. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7OVB-7gjJ0 MUSIC Sia isn't the first musician to try her hand at filmmaking. Music is barely a movie, however. As co-penned with children's author Dallas Clayton, the scantest of cliche-riddled, Rain Man-esque narratives is used to stitch together ten whimsy-dripping musical numbers — packaged as brightly coloured and costumed insights into the unique way in which the film's titular character sees the world, but really just lavish music videos to new Sia-penned songs performed by the feature's cast. And, awash in rainbow hues, surrealistic outfits and jerky, stylised dance moves, these frequent video clips are actually the most subtle parts of the movie. Sia's regular dancer and muse Maddie Ziegler jumps from the singer/songwriter's 'Chandelier' and 'Elastic Heart' videos to play Music, a nonverbal teenager on the autism spectrum, with such pronounced mannerisms that her performances feels like a caricature from her first wide-eyed stare. As the girl's just-sober, on-probation, much-older half-sister Zu (and acting in her first screen role since 2017), Kate Hudson stamps around with a shaved head that's supposed to signify the character's alternative credentials — and, as her character scowls about her new responsibilities to her sibling, drops phrases such as "people pound" and flits around town dealing drugs to fund her dream of starting a yoga commune, she's just as forceful. Music starts with its headphone-wearing namesake's daily routine, which has been carefully established by her grandmother Millie (Mary Kay Place, The Prom), and is maintained with help from the kindly local community. But then tragedy strikes, Zu is called in to look after Music, and she quickly establishes that she knows far less about what she's doing and about her sister than Millie's doting neighbours, such as boxing teacher Ebo (Leslie Odom Jr, a Tony-winner for Hamilton) and building mainstay George (Hector Elizondo, one of Hudson's co-stars in 2016's also abysmal Mother's Day). The movie might bear Music's name, but it tells Zu's story. Controversy swelled around the film when its first trailer dropped in 2020, with Sia called out for the fact that the neurotypical Ziegler isn't from the autistic community — and it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the first-time feature director happily uses Music as a catalyst to spark Zu's growth, rather than as the movie's actual protagonist. Zu's journey involves learning not to resent her sibling or dump her on others (something that should be self-evident) and falling for Ebo, while Music becomes little more than her sidekick. By the time that Sia shows up, playing a version of herself and purchasing pills from Zu to send to Haiti as an act of charity, Music has already outstayed its welcome; however, her brief on-screen appearance hammers home not just the film's indulgence, but the fact that the movie is really just an advertisement for a concept album above all else. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjLnk8YriCQ SHADOW IN THE CLOUD In Shadow in the Cloud, a passenger on a plane spies a gremlin peering at them from outside the aircraft — and science fiction fans will know that in 1963 with William Shatner, in 1983 with John Lithgow and in 2019 with Adam Scott, The Twilight Zone got there first. The second of those instances, in Twilight Zone: The Movie, was produced by filmmaker John Landis. In what's hardly a coincidence, the script for Shadow in the Cloud is co-credited to Landis' controversial son Max (Chronicle, American Ultra). Plenty of details have been changed here, with the second feature from director and co-writer Roseanne Liang (My Wedding and Other Secrets) set in 1943, primarily taking place on a B-17 bomber from Auckland to Samoa and focusing on Flight Officer Maude Garrett (Chloë Grace Moretz, Greta). From the outset, the film also endeavours to draw attention to gender politics. After its airborne scenes, it gets gleefully absurd, too. Still, after some initial intrigue, Shadow in the Cloud kicks into gear with a been-there, seen-that air that can't be shaken, even as the movie tries to fly into over-the-top B-movie territory. It doesn't help that, while endeavouring to mixing feminist sentiments with gonzo genre flourishes, it spends far too much time letting men voice their utter surprise that a woman could be caught up in this narrative. Those comments echo as Maude sits in the ball turret hanging beneath the aircraft. She's hitching a ride with an all-male crew (including The Outpost's Taylor John Smith, Hawaii Five-O's Beulah Koale, Love, Simon's Nick Robinson, Operation Buffalo's Benedict Wall and Avengers: Endgame's Callan Mulvey) for a secret mission that she isn't allowed to let them in on, and they're none too happy about the situation. So, that's the only space they're willing to give her. They're content to chatter away obnoxiously about her, though, and to dismiss her worries as hysterics when she spies a critter wreaking havoc outside. This part of the picture is enough to give viewers whiplash. In the tension-dripping creature-feature tradition, and as a Twilight Zone remake, Maude's experiences during the flight are the film's best. If her anxiety-riddled time with the gremlin had been stretched out to movie-length and packaged with example after example of how society overlooks women, they could've had real bite, too. And yet, the way the movie's sexist dialogue is used to make a girl-power point proves near-excruciatingly clunky and cliched, rather than clever or meaningful. Imbalance plagues the film over and over, actually — as evidenced in the 80s-style synth score that sounds great but doesn't quite fit, its constant tonal shifts, Moretz's performance, and the overall feeling that the movie thinks it has nailed the combination of out-there and astute. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; September 3, September 10, September 17 and September 24; October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22 and October 29; and November 5, November 12, November 19 and November 26; and December 3, December 10, December 17, December 26; and January 1 and January 7. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Tenet, Les Misérables, The New Mutants, Bill & Ted Face the Music, The Translators, An American Pickle, The High Note, On the Rocks, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Antebellum, Miss Juneteenth, Savage, I Am Greta, Rebecca, Kajillionaire, Baby Done, Corpus Christi, Never Rarely Sometimes Always, The Craft: Legacy, Radioactive, Brazen Hussies, Freaky, Mank, Monsoon, Ellie and Abbie (and Ellie's Dead Aunt), American Utopia, Possessor, Misbehaviour, Happiest Season, The Prom, Sound of Metal, The Witches, The Midnight Sky, The Furnace, Wonder Woman 1984, Ottolenghi and the Cakes of Versailles, Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman and Summerland.
Underground CBD favourite Burrow Bar moved from its original home in De Mestre Place to 96 Clarence Street with big plans to expand into two levels and open a restaurant above the bar. Those plans became a reality with the opening of Cash Only Diner, a Vietnamese eatery serving up dishes with roots in owner Chau Tran's family heritage and the dishes of Hue, Vietnam. Tran has taken dishes she learned from her mother — a classically trained chef who studied at a French finishing school in Hue — and, with the help of co-owner Bryce McDonough and the Burrow Bar team, has put together a menu that bursts with flavour and showcases the cuisine of the coastal Vietnamese city. The venue embraces seasonality and so the menu changes day to day. Some dishes you could enjoy include the cá kho tộ, caramelised and braised salmon served in a clay pot and dripping in marinade; the giò thủ, a pork and mushroom terrine; and C.O spring rolls filled with prawn and minced pork. Every Tuesday, aka Tuesday Noodz-day, where the venue runs a new noodle special with limited bowls that showcase regional noodles and unique dishes, not many people have heard of or get to try outside of Vietnam. Cash Only Diner sits above Burrow Bar, meaning you can bet the drinks are as exciting as the food. Pair your Vietnamese feast with a selection from the cocktail menu, like the green mango negroni, a pineapple and gin creation called Napoleon's 2nd Vice, and a boozy Vietnamese iced coffee, a creative twist on the espresso martini.
As far as unnerving settings go, The Third Day's couldn't be better, with the HBO miniseries unfurling its story on Osea Island. The real-life locale boasts an intriguing history, including its purchase in 1903 by brewing company heir Frederick Nicholas Charrington, his passionate efforts to turn it into a treatment centre for addicts and alcoholics, and the fact that he was once apparently suspected of being Jack the Ripper. Osea also spans just 1.5 square kilometres, sits within an estuary along England's east coast and is connected to the mainland via a Roman-built causeway, which can only be accessed during low tide. Both within the show and in reality, that means that cars are limited to making the journey during two four-hour windows each day. At all other times, travellers can only get to and from the island by boat. So, if you venture over but don't time your return drive just right, you'll end up stuck there until the tide next subsides — whether you like it or not. That's exactly what happens to Sam (Jude Law, The Nest) and Helen (Naomie Harris, Spectre). The Third Day tells its main tale via two separate halves, with its three 'summer' episodes focusing on Sam and its trio of 'winter' segments switching to Helen. Their experiences have unmistakable parallels, but start out differently. Sam doesn't intend to visit the island, only making the trip after he rescues a teenage girl nearby. Helen books a holiday rental with her daughters Ellie (Nico Parker, Dumbo) and Talulah (debutant Charlotte Gairdner-Mihell), but those plans don't pan out. Accordingly, both Sam and Helen are forced to adjust to a sudden change in circumstance, and miss their initial windows to leave Osea in the process. The longer they stay — and the more they interact with the island's residents, such as pub proprietors Mr and Mrs Martin (The Outsider's Paddy Considine and Chernobyl's Emily Watson) — the harder it becomes to head home. Each of The Third Day's halves takes place over three days, as per the show's title. Each day proves even more chaotic than the last, too. And, each altercation that Sam and Helen has with Osea's inhabitants only plunges them both deeper into the small island's many big mysteries. Here, Osea is a place of distinctive traditions, beliefs and rituals. The locals are not only fighting among themselves to retain their way of life, but will do whatever it takes to preserve the customs they proudly claim date back to ancient times. So, when Sam notices that a bathroom floor is covered in salt, and Helen and her daughters keep spotting the same symbol graffitied on the island's buildings, that's just the start of their strange journeys. Both groups keep seeing dead animals, too — and they're hardly greeted warmly by the insular community, including those who do and don't wear masks. If you're already thinking about Midsommar, you won't stop while you're watching. As horror's creepy cabin subgenre has shown, good things rarely happen when someone finds themselves in a secluded spot on-screen. That idea proves just as true in tales of island trips gone awry — including shows that ran for too long such as Lost, terrible horror remakes of decades-old TV series like Fantasy Island and now The Third Day. The details vary (no one in Lost intended to end up on a beach, for instance), but the underlying concept is simple. Take a picturesque setting, fill it with folks eager to escape their troubles, then use those gorgeous surroundings and that bliss-seeking mentality to augment their underlying woes. When done well, however, the notion is far from straightforward. And, thanks to the exceptional work of its main screenwriter and co-creator Dennis Kelly (Utopia) and his colleague Felix Barrett (director of Britain's Punchdrunk theatre company), The Third Day takes to the idea in an instantly engaging and involving way. Plenty about the miniseries' storyline feels familiar at first, by design. An unsettling tone radiates from The Third Day's opening moments, though, working hard to push everyone out of their comfort zone. For Sam and then Helen, that happens easily as their trips to Osea just get weirder and weirder. For the show's viewers, the efforts of directors Mark Munden (The Secret Garden) and Philippa Lowthorpe (Misbehaviour) and their cinematographers Benjamin Kracun (Promising Young Woman) and David Chizallet (Mustang) couldn't be more crucial. The Third Day is a striking piece of folk-horror TV all round, but what often proves most staggering is its constant ability to immerse its audience so firmly in its characters' headspace. Roving visuals that feel cast adrift, toying with focus and perspective, placing the camera unnaturally close to Law's face, letting Harris's stare bore through the screen, colouring the island's forest with almost-otherworldly hues — they're all deployed here, and they all work a treat. Also excellent are Law and Harris, with the former turning Sam's swift unravelling into riveting viewing, and the latter as steely as she has ever been on-screen. The Third Day's entire supporting cast is terrific, too, which includes Katherine Waterston (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald) as an American visitor obsessed with the island's history and the imposing John Dagleish (Farming) as a local who doesn't take kindly to strangers. It isn't streaming in Australia along with the show's six main parts, but The Third Day also boasts a third section. 'Autumn' screened overseas as a twelve-hour live event, and is set during the big festival that Osea's residents are preparing for during Sam's half of the story. You don't need to have seen it to get the full tale, but even just knowing it exists paints a picture — because this is a series that dives headfirst into its sea of eeriness. Check out the trailer for The Third Day below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T43V6z9wYyE The Third Day is available to stream via Binge. Images: Liam Daniel/HBO.
Nostalgia alert: The Wiggles are coming to your streaming queue and you won't need to tune into children's programming to watch along. As announced in 2022, the famous Australian entertainers, skivvy fans, Hottest 100 winners, Big Red Car drivers, and Mardi Gras and Falls Festival performers are getting the documentary treatment. Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles arrives on Prime Video in October — and it now has a trailer. This behind-the-scenes look at the globally famous group will tell exactly the tale you think it will, following The Wiggles' career over more than three decades, including the new levels of fame and popularity that 2022 sent their way. Sure, Dorothy the Dinosaur mightn't need an origin story, but OG Wiggles Anthony Field, Murray Cook, Greg Page and Jeff Fatt are getting one, with Sally Aitken (Valerie Taylor: Playing with Sharks, David Stratton: A Cinematic Life) directing. How did four friends become one of the biggest names in Aussie music and TV? This is the tale that Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles tells. First, they met while studying early childhood teaching. Then, they turned their learnings there into a one-off album in the early 90s. After that, they made blue-, red-, yellow- and purple-wearing history, but not without getting rejections aplenty first. Also covered, including via lively to-camera chats as teased in the film's sneak peeks: the decisions and the reactions when four of the original group decided that it was time to wear clothing with looser-fitting necks and step away from being Wiggles. And, the doco covers Page's onstage cardiac arrest — with a crowd of adult fans watching — as well as The Wiggles' evolution over the decades, including now delighting both the young and the young at heart. Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles will arrive on Prime Video on Tuesday, October 24; however, that isn't the film's first stop. Before that, it'll enjoy its world premiere at the first-ever SXSW Sydney, showing as part of the event's Screen Festival. At the fest, The Wiggles in attendance for this trip down memory lane — their own, and everyone in Australia's as well — including for Q&As and performances. Check out the trailer for Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles below. Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles will stream via Prime Video from Tuesday, October 24.
Not that you need any extra incentive to do your bit for the environment, but here's a fun one anyway: your mates at Victoria Bitter have just started a new program that lets Aussies swap their excess solar energy for beer. Under the VB Solar Exchange initiative, locals can turn the power bill credit earned by their home's solar panels into a few icy cold brews, rather than simply selling it back to the grid. Specifically, VB is offering participants in its program a slab of beer for every $30 worth of energy credits they rack up. And, those brews will be delivered straight to your door, too. Of course, not just any old beer lover can get involved — and there are a few tight eligibility requirements to meet. First, you'll need to already have solar panels and be connected to the grid as a residential customer in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria or South Australia. You'll also have to switch over to VB's chosen energy retailer, Diamond Energy. And you'll obviously need to be over the age of 18, so you can properly enjoy the spoils of your solar swapping. If you do tick all the boxes, you can register your interest over at the website and then sit back and wait to hear if you've been accepted into the program. Once in, you'll earn yourself a VB for every $1.25 of credit generated — and a slab once you've clocked up enough for 24 beers. Participants can track their progress as they go, with beers delivered to your door quarterly. That said, VB's producer CUB is only accepting 500 people into the program. It's also only handing out a maximum of 30 slabs per person each year, with debit cards sent out to cover the remaining credits. So if you're keen, don't wait too long to sign up. CUB is set to reinvest the solar credits back into the Solar Exchange program, as well as using a portion to hit the company's broader sustainability targets. The program is the latest in a suite of initiatives by CUB's parent company Asahi Beverages, as part of an ambitious sustainability program. It's committed to being powered by 100 percent renewable electricity by 2025. Registrations for the VB Solar Exchange are open now. Head to the website to check if you're eligible and to sign up.
There aren't many spots in the city catering to both the pre-work and post-work crowds, but Kahii Kissaten Bistro aims to do just that. It transitions from a cafe slinging specialty tea, coffee, sandwiches and pastries to an intimate cocktail, wine and snack bar, ideal for after-work drinks or date night spots. The younger sibling to the nearby bar and restaurant Kuro, Kahii Kissaten is found on Kent Street in a heritage building. It's a modern take on the traditional Kissaten coffeehouses in Japan, which focus on coffee, socialising and small bites. Wile away the morning with house-roasted small-batch coffee, Uji-sourced matcha or the viral black sesame cloud drink and croissant. Return for lunch to enjoy one of Kahii's famous pork katsu sando or green tea soba noodles As day transitions to night, Kahii converts into a bistro with a largely French wine menu carefully constructed by their in-house head sommelier. There are also classic, tea-based and coffee-based cocktails from renowned bartender Fumiaki Michishita, plus an extensive range of sake and spirits. Kuro also offers a curated evening menu for Kahii's punters. Small bites include appellation rock oysters, confit salmon with herb tofu and seared kingfish sashimi. Or for something heartier: fried chicken and wagyu steak with crispy potatoes. Images: KW Photography, Matthew Wong
Halloween is over, so it's officially that time of year: time to get Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' stuck in your head for two months straight. That's been a Christmas tradition since 1994, when the upbeat ditty became everyone's go-to seasonal soundtrack — and it has only grown in popularity since. Back in 2019, the track even topped the US charts. It didn't achieve that feat back when it was initially released, making it the song that has taken the longest journey ever to the top spot. And yes, the end of the year was obviously filled with plenty of festive cheer before Carey released the song, but no one can now remember Christmas without it. Last year, the singer actually gave us all another holiday staple, too, thanks to Apple TV+'s Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special. What's better than just listening to 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' on repeat? Watching the pop queen sing it, obviously. If you were planning to rewatch the 2020 special again this year, that's understandable — but Carey has another gift for us. As Apple TV+ has just announced, she's teaming up with the streaming platform again on Mariah's Christmas: The Magic Continues. Another Christmas, another Mariah Christmas special. Yes, that's the present we all need in 2021. While Carey has re-recorded 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' several times, and already has several holiday albums to her name, this new special will coincide with her new festive single 'Fall in Love at Christmas'. It's a collaboration with Khalid and Kirk Franklin, and they'll all be performing it on Mariah's Christmas: The Magic Continues. As for what else the special has in store, that'll be unwrapped sometime in December. If that's now all you want from the rest of 2021, Mariah's Christmas: The Magic Continues hasn't been given an exact release date yet — but obviously it'll arrive at the right time of year. There's no trailer for the special as yet either; however, because we already know you're humming it to yourself, you can check out the music video for 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' below: Mariah's Christmas: The Magic Continues will hit Apple TV+ sometime this December — we'll update you with an exact date when it's announced.
Almost three decades ago, Spiderbait made Australian music history when they won Triple J's 1996 Hottest 100 with 'Buy Me a Pony'. They were the first local act to top the countdown. Now, that catchy track has a chance to again notch up a huge feat: taking out Triple J's new Hottest 100 of Australian Songs. Aussie tunes have emerged victorious in the station's annual countdown plenty of times since, of course. So, it isn't just 'Buy Me a Pony' that's in the running to be a two-time winner. That feat mightn't be achieved at all anyway — because there's no shortage of excellent Australian tracks that haven't topped a Hottest 100 before but might just come out in the number-one spot in the Aussie-only poll. Whichever song that you're certain should be named Australia's best, voting is open as at 8am AEST on Tuesday, June 17. You've got a month to pick your favourites — until 5pm AEST on Thursday, July 17, 2025. The results will then be broadcast from 10am AEST on Saturday, July 26, 2025 on not only Triple J, but also Double J, Triple J Unearthed and its dedicated Triple J Hottest station. Although no one needs a reason to celebrate Aussie music, Triple J has one: 2025 marks its 50th birthday. That fact ties into one big caveat when you're voting, you do need to choose a track that was released before the station hit that milestone on Sunday, January 19, 2025. [caption id="attachment_854346" align="alignnone" width="1920"] M Drummond[/caption] The Triple J and Double J voices that'll be counting down your picks include Ash McGregor, Dave Woodhead, Dylan Lewis, Yumi Stynes, Abby Butler, Tyrone Pynor, Concetta Caristo, Luka Muller, Zan Rowe and Lucy Smith. And if you're curious about which other tunes, aside from 'Buy Me a Pony', could score the double win, 'No Aphrodisiac' by The Whitlams, 'These Days' and 'My Happiness' from Powderfinger, 'Amazing' by Alex Lloyd, 'Are You Gonna Be My Girl?' from Jet, 'Wish You Well' by Bernard Fanning, 'One Crowded Hour' from Augie March, and 'Big Jet Plane' by Angus and Julia Stone are also in the running, for starters. Gotye's 'Somebody That I Used to Know', Vance Joy's 'Riptide', Chet Faker's 'Talk Is Cheap', The Rubens' 'Hoops', Flume's 'Never Be Like You' and 'Say Nothing', Ocean Alley's 'Confidence' and The Wiggles' 'Elephant' have also all topped the yearly poll before. Tame Impala's 'The Less I Know the Better' won the 2010s-centric countdown, while DMA's 'Believe' did the same for the Like a Version poll. Triple J's Hottest 100 of Australian Songs will broadcast from 10am AEST on Saturday, July 26, 2025 — with voting open between 8am AEST on Tuesday, June 17–5pm AEST on Thursday, July 17, 2025. Head to the Triple J website for further details. Top image: Ocean Alley, Neegzistuoja via Wikimedia Commons.
The perpetual re-creation of urbanscapes amounts to copious waste. It's true that an abundance of recycling processes aims at diminishing resource use. However, they're often heavy on the energy consumption front. Consequently, designer Omer Haciomeroglu, in conjunction with Atlas Copco, has come up with 'ERO: Concrete De-Construction Robot'. It's programmed to pull apart reinforced concrete structures, so that they can be re-used in the construction of pre-fabricated concrete buildings. 'Today, operators manually control different sized demolition machines to smash and crash the concrete structure into dusty bits within the demolition location,' Haciomeroglu explains. 'All of these machines consume a lot of energy to operate. Water has to be sprayed constantly over the pulverised surfaces with fire hoses to prevent harmful dust from spreading around. After the work is done, big machines come and scoop the rebar and concrete mixture and transfer them to the recycle stations outside the city. There, the waste needs to be separated manually.' So, Haciomeroglu designed ERO to separate materials during the de-construction process, achieved through Hydro-demolition and Centrifugal Decanter technologies. This means that new concrete blocks can be created onsite. In the 2013 International Design Excellence Award (IDEA), ERO won First Prize in the Student Designs category. Haciomeroglu has studied design at California State University, Istanbul Technical University and the Umea Institute of Design, Sweden. 'As a developing designer I always look forward to being part of design teams that develop projects, concepts and products that will grant us, the humankind, valuable and entertaining vision of a better and sustainable future,' he explains. [via PSFK]
Peering at ancient pyramids isn't normally an Australian pastime, but it will be come spring without needing to leave the country. In 2024, the nation's fascination with Egypt thousands of years ago has already been fuelled by Sydney exhibition Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, which wrapped up in May — and also by Pharaoh in Melbourne, which is on display until October. Next up is Horizon of Khufu, a virtual-reality experience rather than a showcase of treasures and trinkets. You won't get up close to historical items here, but you will become immersed in the past like it's all around you. Patrons will see the Great Pyramids of Giza, including flying over the Giza Necropolis. You'll climb to the top of the Pyramid of Khufu, in fact, and gaze out over Egypt with a 360-degree view. Getting a glimpse of burial chambers and embalming ceremonies, finding the queen's chamber, sailing down the Nile, attending Khufu's funeral: that's all also on the agenda, as is checking out the Great Sphinx of Giza and witnessing these ancient wonders by night. That's where your eyes will be heading, at least, via a VR headset that'll take you into a shared play space. Your peepers will also be checking out recreations of sights dating back 4500 years, to the time of Khufu, the second pharaoh of Egypt's fourth dynasty. He's the figure that's believed to have commissioned the largest of the pyramids, which was also his tomb. Your body will need to be in Sydney at the Harbour City's Fever Pavilion, where Horizon of Khufu is making its Australian debut from Thursday, September 5, 2024. There's no word yet whether the experience will then head to other Aussie cities, as some past events from entertainment platform Fever have, including its Banksy and NBA exhibitions recently. Once they've popped on their headsets, attendees will be led through Horizon of Khufu by a virtual guide, all while benefiting from design by Egyptologist and Harvard University professor Peter Der Manuelian. If you're with your date or mates, or family, the 45-minute experience also lets you visuals others in the VR space, so you won't all just be off on your own wander through bygone years. Australia joins France — where Horizon of Khufu debuted in 2022 — as well as the US, Canada and the UK in being able to enjoy this blast from the past. Unsurprisingly, it has proven popular around the globe, notching up more than one million visitors so far. If you've seen plenty of other Egypt obsessives at Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs and Pharaoh, you'll know that Aussies will help boost those numbers. Horizon of Khufu will open at Fever Pavilion, Olympic Boulevard, Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney from Thursday, September 5, 2024 — with the waitlist open now and tickets on sale from Tuesday, July 23, 2024. Head to the exhibition website for more details.
Following in the footsteps of Toshiro Mifune, the Japanese acting icon and frequent Akira Kurosawa collaborator, isn't an easy job. But enlisting Hiroyuki Sanada (John Wick: Chapter 4) to tread where the Rashomon, Seven Samurai and Yojimbo star once did is a genius move in television's second adaptation of Shōgun. James Clavell's bestselling 1975 novel has reached the small screen before, in 1980. Back then, with Mifune as war hero Lord Yoshii Toranaga, it told its tale in five movie-length parts. Now, boasting the resolute and restrained Sanada in the role (and also as one of the show's producers), it returns 44 years later as a sweeping, dazzling and thrilling ten-episode miniseries — streaming on Disney+ Down Under from Tuesday, February 27 — that perfects many things, its casting high among them. Sanada has equally well-chosen company; picking him, Cosmo Jarvis (Persuasion) and Anna Sawai (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters) as Shōgun circa 2024's leads is a masterstroke. The 17th century-set series makes plenty of other excellent decisions, but getting its core trio right is still pivotal. Richly detailed, the samurai series knows how to thrust its viewers into a deeply textured world from the outset, with complex performances at its centre an essential anchoring tactic. Sanada's Toranaga is among the political candidates vying to steer the future of the country. Jarvis is John Blackthorne, a British Protestant sailor on a Dutch ship that has run aground in a place that its crew isn't sure is real until they get there. And Sawai is Toda Mariko, a Japanese noblewoman with her own complicated history, who is also tasked with translating for the Englishman. Each of Shōgun's three key characters encompasses much more than their basic descriptions, of course. The portrayals that bring them to the screen make that plain from the moment they're each first seen. Weight and heft have long lingered in Sanada's layered performances — be it in his turns in J-horror's original Ringu films, or in Sunshine, Lost and Westworld — which befits a regent with his own plans for his nation, separate from his fellow council members, a year after of the death of the last supreme ruler. He cuts a contemplative but determined figure, who is as canny with strategy as with seizing opportunity; Blackthorne's arrival sees him in both modes. Reminiscent of Tom Hardy (Venom: Let There Be Carnage), Jarvis brings raw bluster and astonishment to his part at first, then slowly dawning understanding. As for Sawai, she exudes duty, stoicism, shrewdness and sorrow as a woman whose choices are so rarely her own. When it opens, Shōgun finds feudal Japan in crisis mode given its heir is to young to rule, Toranaga facing enemies and Blackthorne among the first of his compatriots that've made it to the nation, the latter much to the alarm of Japan's sole European inhabitants, all Catholic and from Portugal. While it is indeed still a story where a Westerner enters as an outsider, then becomes enmeshed in the daily goings-on, this Shōgun doesn't ever present Blackthorne's as the only or chief perspective. Sanada is the show's first-billed talent. The series' devotion to unravelling its narrative with Toranaga, Mariko and Blackthorne evenly at its heart never wavers. And, nor does its exploration of perspective — because what a splintering Japanese society means to one of its leaders, an interloper fresh to its shores and someone accustomed since childhood to be at its whims ("we live, and we die; we control nothing beyond that," Mariko says more than once) is completely different. Early in, creators Justin Marks (Top Gun: Maverick) and Rachel Kondo (on her first TV credit) don't let the fact that "barbarian" is flung around by almost everyone escape attention. Usually it refers to Blackthorne, as used interchangeably with "anjin", the Japanese term for pilot. Toranaga swiftly gleans how handy the Brit's 500 muskets and 20 cannons will be if the acrimony directed his way by his regent counterparts results in war. His new vassal lives at his direction, then, as does Mariko. She'd prefer to surrender her life than exist without her disgraced family or stay with a warrior husband (Shinnosuke Abe, Keiji Shichinin) that she feels nothing warm for, but honour dictates otherwise. It's obligation, too, that has her convince her spouse's niece-by-marriage Usami Fuji (Moeka Hoshi, Turn to Me Mukai-kun) to submit to a heartbreaking decree, which is how Mariko is introduced. In another of the dialogue's aphorisms, people are compared to pebbles that are pushed here, there and everywhere by the elements. It isn't just the metaphor that lands, but also the granularity; Shōgun looks and feels intricate, and is staged and plotted to match. Spies, love, loyalty, courtesan life, gardening practices, earthquakes, rabbit stew, duplicitous allegiances, ambition in a variety of forms, how gravely one's word can be taken: they're all weaved in. In its overarching narrative, Toranaga is beckoned to Osaka, where his main rival Ishido Kazunari (Takehiro Hira, Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story) wants to put him in his place to snatch up overseeing the country for himself. That's truly the framing, however, as is Blackthorne initially washing up in a fishing village. Although Toranaga declares several times that he's not after the titular position, Shōgun is another series for the streaming pile that's about fighting for supremacy, as Game of Thrones and Succession both famously were. As with just the former, it's another grand and gripping epic. While it's impossible not to see those links, knowing that both battling over who'll grasp power and traversing sprawling worlds are among pop culture's favourite things right now (and for some time) doesn't make Shōgun any less impressive. Rather, Marks and Kondo's spin on Clavell's book is a reminder of how magnificent and mesmerising such efforts can be when they're at their very best. The scale is immense, and yet there's no skimping on intimacy. With authenticity as its guide, the minutiae is meticulous, demanding that the utmost notice is paid to everything at all times. The scenery alone is so exquisitely and sumptuously shot that it'll doubtless inspire tourist pilgrimages. Shōgun is visceral, too; gore is also no stranger from the get-go, when being boiled alive proves one way to deal with Japan's newcomers — and frequently from then on, including via seppuku. This is potent, thoughtful and immediately engrossing viewing, and lavish and precisely made also. As skilled at giant setpieces as it is at plunging into political scheming and emotional yearning, Shōgun makes getting drawn in instantaneous. Check out the trailer for Shōgun below: Shōgun streams via Disney+ from Tuesday, February 27. Images: Katie Yu/FX.
Although our arteries may be crying foul, we in Sydney have become well and truly besotted with American food. From the nostalgia of 1950s milkbars to the soul-steeling heartiness of Southern cuisine, there's a certain homey, convivial charm we can't resist. And though we may be over establishments that borrow a little too directly from their US counterparts, there are others that continue to surprise and impress us. The best places, the ones on this list, have risen above imitation and novelty, and they delve deeper into American food than mere burgers. Enjoy one tonight and celebrate America's Fourth of July. Just remember: cookies (deep-fried and dolloped with spicy mayo) are a sometimes food. 1. Hartsyard There is no denying Hartsyard's heritage; it is palpably American in taste, substance and style. As soon as you push open the glass door, the smell of hickory smoked pork greets you with open arms. You'd be forgiven for thinking you had mistakenly stumbled across a classic American backyard cook-out, but that's what’s beautiful about this Newtown newcomer. You never know what to expect. Start with the poutine ($23) for a no-holds-barred introduction to American cuisine that borrows generously from the Bible Belt, French Canada and the friction between urban and rural dining. 2. Soda Factory What you're looking for is a kitschy neon sign reading 'Bobby’s Boss Dogs'. Bobby’s draws the comparison to New York's Crif Dogs, the entrance to clandestine East Village cocktail lounge PDT. Pull on the handle of the Coke Machine and you're inside The Soda Factory — a dimly lit industrial expanse lined with inviting booths and comfy mid-century sofas. For just $9, the Johnny Drama (beef sausage topped with bacon, sour cream, avocado and tomato salsa) straddles the line between gourmet and good old-fashioned grub. 3. Marly Kitchen Chicken and waffles are a classic southern American breakfast combination that makes no sense to us Australians. Deep-fried chicken? Served with waffles? Drizzled in gravy? It just doesn't compute. And it's great that the Marly Kitchen in the hotel's new Garden Bar is doing it, because the risk, complexity and creativity is a foil to the many safe options around town where American equals burger. Choose from crispy buttermilk deep-fried chicken, smoked pulled pork, cheesy BBQ sirloin or Mexican lentil toppings ($8) for the waffles, or try something from the constantly changing special board, featuring more sophisticated options such as crispy skin roasted kingfish with tender confit kipfler potatoes and a finger-licking bushpepper aioli ($26). 4. Eathouse Diner One of the originals, and still one of the best. The red vinyl stools around a curved bar and crimson walls with a chalkboard menu on the wall conjure 1950s Americana, but there's no schtick here. The menu features Southern classics that aren't too heavy, such as fried okra in corn maize batter with spicy chipotle and tomato sauce and the delicious spicy Creole gumbo, as well as dishes with a more English or Australian heritage. The fun atmosphere and seriously good food means that, years in, this place is still full most nights of the week. 5. Miss Peaches Soul Food Kitchen Step off Missenden Road in Newtown and be transported to a pseudo-Louisiana where Miss Peaches and her Soul Food Kitchen are waiting. The spacious brick bar has old-school Southern charm with plenty of comfy booths, a balcony overlooking the hustle and bustle of King Street below, plus a blues-infused vinyl collection to get any feet dancing. The menu is the antithesis of all diets and not for the faint of heart. Think cornbread sliders filled with deep-fried mac and cheese, chicken or beef short rib (3 for $18), crispy tater tots with maple bacon ketchup ($8) or flaky crawfish pies ($12). The blackened fish ($15) is spiced up nice and jerky and a real standout of the menu. 6. Santa Barbara With its Californian atmosphere (at the Coke sign junction of King's Cross, it even feels like a highway) and lengthy menu of American/Asian/Tex-Mex/Pacific fusion, Santa Barbara is a bit of a diversion from the American norm. From the BBQ, the Coke Can Chicken ($18) is enough to feed a small army, and goes well with some jerk prawn and papaya salad ($14). 7. The Dip Founder Andrew Levins' love of food apparently began on a family holiday to Memphis. He's road tested and experimented with his recipes at legendary barbeques for family and friends, and now both family and friends are involved on the floor. There couldn't be a better fit for the stucco booths and jukebox tunes of the Goodgod's front room. The menu is heavily themed and, thankfully, priced to reflect the diner vibe. You want to get the Lev's Dawg, a kosher hotdog topped with chipotle mayo, fresh tomato salsa, grilled yellow peppers and American mustard and definitely, definitely follow up with an ice-cream sandwich. Now closed 8. Hinky Dinks Step off Darlinghurst Road and into the 1950s. The boy's hair is quaffed, the floor is black-and-white chequered, and creamy, frozen drinks come in tall, frosted sundae glasses. Except it's like an American adult milk bar because here, those drinks have (a lot of) bourbon in them. It is indeed a very specific theme here. Every detail has been considered, from the uniforms and cherry-red bar stools to the original 1950s Crosley fridge that took four people to move. But the best part about Hinky Dinks, and the part that prevents it from falling into the Disney theme category, is the staff. They are passionate bartenders and in such a small space they really make it a warm and fun experience. 9. The Bourbon Louisiana Creole food is a mishmash of different cultures, like the population of New Orleans. French, Spanish, African, Italian and Portuguese are thrown into the mix, with jambalaya the signature dish. From the oyster bar, the theme continues with grilled jumbo shrimp ($24) in creole butter and spiced salt. A gumbo with a thick, spicy duck broth and smoked sausage ($18) and clam and corn chowder ($22) pop out from the soup menu. It's interesting, amid the glittery surroundings, to eat this food that has come from simple origins. But then New Orleans does have a thriving drinking scene amongst strip joints and red light shops, so perhaps this is the ideal location. 10. Jazz City Milk Bar To end with? Dessert, of course. Try the banana cream pie, one of our favourite pies in Sydney, combining a foolproof balance between generous servings of banana, sweet caramel and cream. Part of the philosophy of the milk bar is for people to visit with their friends to enjoy American sweet delicacies like pies, cookies, cotton candy and ice cream sandwiches. However, they've also included dinner specialities like gourmet burgers and hot dogs as well as more adventurous dishes like a New Orleans BBQ Shrimp ($28) and A&W Root Beer Braised Chuck Steak ($24). Now closed. By the Concrete Playground team.
On the edge of the rapidly gentrifying Central Park area, lies The Lord Gladstone. Now in the hands of the OG crew (Benny Johnson and Mitchell Crum), the pub had a makeover of sorts back in 2019. While its retained its old-school feel and general laidback vibe, the boys have amped up the entertainment with more live gigs and parties, plus more art exhibitions in the upstairs gallery space, Goodspace. But still, the stern visage of The Lord Gladstone hangs outside tiled walls with a big screen showing sports on one wall while the Regent Street traffic buzzes outside. It's a laidback space, perfect for locals to congregate for a midweek dinner. In the kitchen, chefs are turning out all your pub favourites. Expect a solid chicken schnitty or parmie, lamb chops, fish and chips, nachos, a house curry and a few burger options. Drinks include some (very) local craft beers, such as Young Henrys, 4 Pines, Resch's and Akasha. There's also a short wine list and espresso martinis on tap. With a dedication to live music and an existing killer sound system for the purpose, the Lord Gladstone seems comfortable in its skin, neither trying too hard for design magazine hip nor chasing the food trend of the month. From the graffiti-strewn courtyard to the tartan carpets in the front room, it's an approachable pub set to be a reliable local for years to come. Appears in: The Best Pubs in Sydney
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. ETERNALS It's the only Marvel movie by an Oscar-winning director. Focusing on a superhero squad isn't new, even if everyone here is a Marvel Cinematic Universe newcomer, but it's the lone instalment in the franchise that's about a team led by women of colour. It's home to the MCU's only caped crusader who is deaf, and its first openly gay superhero — and it doesn't just mention his sexuality, but also shows his relationship. It happens to be the first Marvel flick with a sex scene, too. Eternals is also the only film in the hefty saga with a title describing how long the series will probably continue. And, it's the sole MCU entry that features two ex-Game of Thrones stars — Kit Harington and Richard Madden, two of the show's Winterfell-dwelling brothers — and tasks them both with loving a woman called Sersi. (The name isn't spelled the same way, but it'll still recalls Westeros.) When you're 26 movies into a franchise, as the MCU now is, each new film is a case of spotting differences. All the above traits aid Eternals in standing out, especially the empathetic, naturalistic touch that Chloé Zhao brings to her first blockbuster (and first film since Nomadland and its historic Academy Award wins). There's a sense of beauty and weight rippling through almost every frame, as well as an appreciation for life's struggles. Its namesakes are immortal aliens sent to earth 7000 years ago to battle intergalactic beasts, and yet Eternals shows more affinity for everyday folks who don't don spandex or have superpowers than any Marvel flick yet. It's also largely gorgeous, due to its use of location shoots rather than constantly stacking CGI on CGI. But everything that sets the film apart from the rest of Marvel's saga remains perched atop a familiar formula. Perhaps that's fitting; thematically, Eternals spends much of its lengthy 157 minutes contemplating set roles and expectations, and whether anyone can ever truly break free of either. Spying an overt statement in these parallels — between the movie's general adherence to the MCU template and the ideas bubbling within it — might be a little generous, though. Of late, Marvel likes giving its new instalments their own packaging, while keeping many of the same gears whirring inside. That's part of the comic book company-turned-filmmaking behemoth's current pattern, in fact. Still, even after Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals finds its own niche. It both intrigues and entertains, and it's ambitious — and it's often more than the sum of all those MCU firsts and onlys it's claimed. As opening text explains, Eternals' central group were dispatched by a Celestial — a space god, really — called Arishem. With the monstrous Deviants, another alien race, wreaking havoc, the Eternals were tasked with fighting the good fight — and were forbidden to interfere otherwise, which is why they've been absent in the last 25 movies. But now, a new Deviant attacks Sersi (Gemma Chan, Raya and the Last Dragon), her human boyfriend Dane Whitman (Harington) and fellow Eternal Sprite (Lia McHugh, The Lodge). That gets the gang back together swiftly, including the flying, laser-eyed Ikaris (Madden), the maternal Ajak (Salma Hayek, The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard), Bollywood star Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani, The Lovebirds), the super-strong Gilgamesh (Don Lee, Ashfall), warrior Thena (Angelia Jolie, Those Who Wish Me Dead), the super-speedy Makkari (Lauren Ridloff, Sound of Metal), tech wiz Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry, Godzilla vs Kong) and the mind-manipulating Druig (Barry Keoghan, The Green Knight). Read our full review. THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK So much about The Many Saints of Newark is a matter of when, not if: when familiar characters will show up looking younger, when well-known New Jersey locations will be sighted and when someone will eat ziti. This all occurs because it must; it wouldn't be a prequel to The Sopranos otherwise. Servicing fans is a key reason the movie exists, and it's far more resonant if you've already spent 86 episodes with Tony Soprano and his mafia and blood families while watching one of the best TV shows ever made. This is a film with a potent air of inevitability, clearly. Thankfully, that feeling reaches beyond all the obligatory nods and winks. That some things are unavoidable — that giving people what they want doesn't always turn out as planned, and that constantly seeking more will never fix all of life's woes, too — pulsates through this origin story like a thumping bass line. And yes, on that topic, Alabama 3's 'Woke Up This Morning' obviously gets a spin. Penned by The Sopranos' creator David Chase and series alum Lawrence Konner, and helmed by veteran show director Alan Taylor, The Many Saints of Newark doesn't merely preach to existing devotees, even if they're the film's main audience. Marking the last of the big three 00s-era prestige US cable dramas to earn a movie spinoff — following El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie and Deadwood: The Movie — the feature is aware of its own genesis and of gangster genre staples in tandem. Casting Ray Liotta, who'll forever be associated with Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas, was always going to show that. Travelling back to the 70s, when The Godfather franchise electrified cinema, does also. Indeed, The Many Saints of Newark plays like a hybrid of pop culture's three most influential and essential mob stories. A bold move, it also explains what works and what falters in a film that's powerful and engaging but firmly baked in a well-used oven. The first detail that Sopranos fans should've picked up when this flick first got a title: in Italian, many saints translates as moltisanti. While The Many Saints of Newark spends time with young Tony as a pre-teen in the late 60s (played by feature first-timer William Ludwig) and a teen in the early 70s (when The Deuce's Michael Gandolfini, son of the late, great James Gandolfini, steps into the character's shoes), its protagonist is Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola, The Art of Self-Defense). He's seen as an uncle and mentor by Tony, who'll eventually hold the same roles for Dickie's son. The Sopranos mainstay Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli, One Night in Miami) turns narrator here, in fact, offering knowing voiceover that occasionally channels the show's dark humour — calling out Christopher's death at Tony's hands, for instance. Dickie was recalled with reverence in the series, yet threw a shadow over Tony's middle-aged mob-boss malaise — as seen in his duck obsession, panic attacks and reluctant chats with a psychiatrist. Here, Dickie falls into a similar pattern with his dad 'Hollywood' Dick (Liotta, No Sudden Move), who returns from Italy to subject his new, much-younger bride Giuseppina (Michela De Rossi, The Rats) to domestic violence. One of The Many Saints of Newark's finest traits is its layering, honing in on cycles that keep echoing through generations as it examines Dickie's role in turning Tony into the man viewers watched from 1999–2007. Its greatest stroke of casting plays with the same notion as well, and the younger Gandolfini is a soulful yet primal revelation. To call his performance lived-in is the epitome of an understatement, and it's never a gimmick. Read our full review. JULIA Call it the SNL effect: in two of their past three films, Julie Cohen and Betsy West have celebrated pioneering women who've been parodied on Saturday Night Live. They've referenced those famous skits in RBG and now Julia, in fact, including their subjects' reactions; Ruth Bader Ginsburg was seen howling with laughter when she first saw Kate McKinnon slip into her robes, and Julia Child reportedly played Dan Aykroyd's blood-soaked 1978 impersonation to friends at parties. Cohen and West clearly aren't basing their documentaries on their own sketch-comedy viewing, though. Instead, they've been eagerly unpacking exactly why a US Supreme Court Justice and a French cuisine-loving TV chef made such a strong impact, and not only in their own fields. Julia makes an exceptional companion piece with the Oscar-nominated RBG, unsurprisingly; call it a great doco double helping. Julia arrives nearly two decades after its namesake's passing, and 12 years since Meryl Streep earned an Oscar nomination for mimicking Julia in Julie & Julia. If you've seen the latter but still wondered why Julie Powell (played by The Woman in the Window's Amy Adams) was so determined to work her way through Julia's most famous cookbook — first published in 1961, Mastering the Art of French Cooking completely changed America's perception of printed recipe collections — let this easy-to-consume doco fill in the gaps when it comes to the culinary wiz's mastery and achievements. Let it spark two instinctual, inescapable and overwhelming reactions, too: hunger, due to all the clips of Julia cooking and other lingering shots of food; and inspiration, because wanting to whip up the same dishes afterwards is equally understandable. In their second film of 2021 — after My Name Is Pauli Murray, another portrait of a woman thoroughly deserving the spotlight — Cohen and West take a chronological approach to Julia's life. The two filmmakers like borrowing cues from their subjects, so here they go with a classic recipe that's been given slight tweaks, but always appreciates that magic can be made if you pair a tried-and-tested formula with outstanding technique. Julia's entire cooking career, including her leap to television in her 50s, stirred up the same idea. Her take on French dining was all about making delectable meals by sticking to the right steps, even while using supermarket-variety ingredients, after all. Julia boasts a delightful serving of archival footage, as well as lingering new food porn-esque sequences that double as how-tos (as deliciously lensed by cinematographer and fellow RBG alum Claudia Raschke), but it still embodies the same ethos. Born to a well-off Pasadena family in 1912, Julia's early relationship with food is painted as functional: the household's cooks prepared the meals, and wanting to step into the kitchen herself was hardly a dream. In pre-World War II America, the expectation was that she'd simply marry and become a housewife, however, but a hunger for more out of life first took her to the Office of Strategic Services — the US organisation that gave way to the CIA — and overseas postings. While stationed in the Far East, she met State Department official Paul Child. After a berth in China, he was sent to France, where the acclaimed Cordon Bleu culinary school eventually beckoned for Julia. From there, she started her own cooking classes in Paris, co-penned the book that made her famous, turned a TV interview into a pitch for her own show and became an icon. Read our full review. RED NOTICE When Interpol hunts down the world's most wanted international criminals, it issues red notices — and for anyone who isn't already aware of that fact, Red Notice starts by spelling out the details. If the film world circulated the same kinds of warnings about bland, cliched, charmless and tedious movies, this Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot-starring supposed action-comedy would earn several. That it bears far too much in common at times with two of its stars' most recent features — Johnson's likeable-enough Jungle Cruise and Reynolds' excruciatingly terrible The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard — says plenty about this by-the-numbers affair. If only they were the sole instances that it conjured up other movies; Reynolds does a Borat impression, whistles the Indiana Jones tune and verbally references Jurassic Park, and it's all as dated as it sounds. Also tired and trying: Reynolds' performance in general, which is permanently stuck on the same kind of schtick at the heart of both Deadpool and Free Guy. This time, however, he's playing the globe's second-best art thief — and his character, Nolan Booth, desperately wants the top spot. But a couple of people stand in his way, which is where Red Notice's other big names come in. Firstly, FBI profiler John Hartley (Johnson) interrupts Booth's latest heist, which involves tracking down three golden eggs that were once owned by Cleopatra (the third of which has never been found before). Secondly, the planet's number one art thief, The Bishop (Gadot, Wonder Woman 1984), is on the same hunt for the same $30 million payday. She's also constantly one step ahead of not just her professional competitor, but also the man pursuing both criminals. Red Notice plays like the result of watching 80s and 90s hits, its three leads' filmographies and the National Treasure flicks, then throwing their basic ideas into a blender and pouring the jumbled mess onto the screen. It's Netflix's most expensive movie yet, and it's also shiny-coated garbage. That its opening scene involves a decoy egg doused in Coca-Cola to reveal an empty shell inside is far more telling than it's meant to be. Also landing with a thud: a dance between Hartley and The Bishop at an Eyes Wide Shut-styled party that's supposed to herald this as the next True Lies, but just makes viewers wish they were watching that instead. That's the thing with shovelling in reference after reference instead of penning a decent and coherent script, even when around half of those winks are done with writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber's (Central Intelligence, Skyscraper) tongue firmly in his cheek: constantly calling attention to better movies but failing to live up to them is like punching yourself the face. They're three of the highest-profile names in blockbuster cinema, but Johnson, Reynolds and Gadot all sleepwalk through their parts here — not that the screenplay asks much more. Not a single gag lands, either, and neither does any tension, chemistry, timing or reason to care about its lead trio, their characters' globe-hopping quest and all the chaos they leave in their wake. Of course Nazis are involved, even though it's now 2021 and not 1981 when Raiders of the Lost Ark did the exact same thing. Of course the whole film looks like the dullest kind of CGI onslaught, with green screens standing in for Rome, Russia, London, Egypt and more. Of course it also plays like something an algorithm would spit out — and one that thinks Ed Sheeran is the height of stunt cameo casting after Game of Thrones already proved that idea oh-so wrong four years ago. Red Notice screens in select Australian cinemas from Thursday, November 4, and streams via Netflix from Friday, November 12. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on June 10, June 17 and June 24; July 1, July 8, July 15, July 22 and July 29; August 5, August 12, August 19 and August 26; September 2, September 9, September 16, September 23 and September 30; and October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28. For Sydney specifically, you can take a look at out our rundown of new films that released in Sydney cinemas when they reopened on October 11, and what opened on October 14, October 21 and October 28 as well. And for Melbourne, you can check out our top picks from when outdoor cinemas reopened on October 22 — and from when indoor cinemas did the same on October 29. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Herself, Little Joe, Black Widow, The Sparks Brothers, Nine Days, Gunpowder Milkshake, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Old, Jungle Cruise, The Suicide Squad, Free Guy, Respect, The Night House, Candyman, Annette, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Streamline, Coming Home in the Dark, Pig, Big Deal, The Killing of Two Lovers, Nitram, Riders of Justice, The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills and Passing. Top image: Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Home to the oldest vines in Australia, the Barossa Valley is renowned worldwide for its bold and beautiful wines. In particular, it's the rich jammy reds with complexity, texture and tannin structure that have contributed heavily to this reputation. It's in this region that Krondorf Wines lives, the estate making shapes to become the next go-to premium wine producer — a fact exemplified deliciously with the release of its 2023 five-bottle collection. The Krondorf story actually begins in 1847. The hamlet was founded by a collection of people from Silesia — what is now Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic — and among them notable wine families that regularly show up on standout wine lists and bottle shop shelves across the world: Henschke, Lehmann and Nitschke. The intrepid group named their newfound home Krondorf, meaning 'crown village' in German. Today the custodians of the Krondorf legacy, under the watchful eye of chief winemaker Nick Badrice, are realising the potential of their vines with consistently award-winning drops. The ripe bottles here showcase the best of the Barossa style, perfectly illustrated in the five-strong 2023 collection. Crafted with the traditional minimalistic approach, the 2023 release includes an ultra-expressive grenache, an intense but structured cab sav and a rich and robust shiraz. The standout of the collection is the winery's newest Icon wine: the aptly named King's Mantle Shiraz. It's described as having a luscious palate, evocative of juicy black forest fruits and plums, with an earthy liquorice undertone and velvety tannins — you're going to pay a pretty penny to taste it at $150 a bottle. If you're in the area, carve out some time to visit the cellar door and wine bar. With pouring beginning in 2021, the spot's housed inside a converted heritage-listed flour mill from the 1800s. You can taste your way through the whole range — including the 2023 collection — with a bespoke wine flight or set tasting that can be happily tailored to personal taste. For those that like nibbles with their tipples, the cellar door slings artisan pizzas as well as cheese and charcuterie boards (with the option to add on Maggie Beer's premium nosh and other local produce, too). Krondorf Winery's 2023 collection is a true celebration of the winery's history and dedication to producing wines that speak to the wonders of the locale. If you're heading to this bucolic South Australian region, the cellar door is a must-visit. But if you can't make it, we suggest you peruse the 2023 collection online, choose your libation and have it sent direct — truly stellar sipping guaranteed. Concrete Playground travelled to the Barossa Valley as a guest of Krondorf Wines. Book your Krondorf cellar door tasting experience here. The cellar door is open Monday – Saturday, 12–7pm and Sunday from 12–5pm.
Five nights, one familiar and comforting voice, and a time-travelling trip back 66 million years: that's the setup behind new five-part series Prehistoric Planet. Dropping one episode per evening on Apple TV+ between Monday, May 23–Friday, May 27, it's a feels-like-you're-there dive into natural history that's thoroughly remarkable. Having none other than David Attenborough narrate the daily activities of dinosaurs really seems like it should've happened already, of course; however, now that it finally is occurring — and landing in your streaming queue, too — it's always both wonderful and stunning. The reason that a show like Prehistoric Planet hasn't existed before? Given the astonishing footage that usually accompanies Attenborough's nature docos, replicating those visuals while jumping backwards to a time when dinosaurs roamed the earth was always going to be a tricky feat. But if photorealistic versions of The Jungle Book and The Lion King can bring talking animals to life — one more convincingly than the other — then the same technology can make ancient creatures look as if they're roving across the globe now. Indeed, after helming that pair of features, filmmaker Jon Favreau is one of the Prehistoric Planet's executive producers. Also, the effects company behind the two Disney movies does the CGI honours here. That task isn't a simple one. If the Cretaceous-era dinosaurs rampaging across the screen didn't appear like they genuinely could be walking and stalking — and fighting, foraging for food, hunting, flying, swimming and running as well — the magic that typically comes with watching an Attenborough-narrated doco would instantly and disappointingly vanish. Thankfully, Prehistoric Planet never looks anything less than spectacular. You won't quite forget that the creatures it surveys no longer exist, but you won't feel as if you're simply watching pixels crash into pixels (or like you're sitting down to a new entry in the Jurassic Park franchise, either). Prehistoric Planet starts each episode with the same introduction, including the only glimpse of humanity that ever graces its frames. In its opening two-minute clip, David Attenborough stands in front of a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil. Unsurprisingly, the now 96-year-old couldn't seem more excited. He doesn't ever utter the words "welcome to...", as his brother Richard Attenborough did almost three decades back in the first Jurassic Park film. The world has heard that phrase far too many times since for it to pop up here and play like anything but a gimmick. But he's as overjoyed as his sibling was at the beginning of that now-classic feature. Luckily, things turn out better in this streaming series — there's no human casualties, obviously — than they have in cinemas. Welcome to... your new insight into Tyrannosaurus rex foreplay, your latest reminder that velociraptors really don't look like they do in the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World flicks, an entertaining time spent with al kinds of animals, and your next favourite dinosaur project with an Attenborough attached. Each of Prehistoric Planet's five instalments focuses on a different type of terrain — coasts, deserts, freshwater, ice and forests — and chats through the creatures that call it home. Set to a spirited original score by Hans Zimmer, fresh from winning his latest Oscar for Dune, there's a formula at work. That said, it's no more blatant than in any David Attenborough-hosted show. Viewers watch as some dinos look after their young, others try to find a mate, plenty search for something to eat and others attempt not to be eaten. The same kinds of activities are covered in each episode, but the locations and dinosaurs involved all change. The result: as engaging a series as Attenborough has ever fronted, and one that's frequently astonishing. And yes, given the broadcaster, biologist and natural historian's impressive on-screen resume — including past shows The Living Planet, State of the Planet, The Blue Planet, Frozen Planet, Blue Planet II, Our Planet, Seven Worlds, One Planet, A Perfect Planet and Green Planet, plus Planet Earth and Planet Earth II, and documentary David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet — that's saying something. Attenborough is as careful and educational in his observations as ever here. This far into his career, with credits spanning eight decades, he could've just nattered away on autopilot — but that's never his approach. He's as respectful of the critters he's talking about as he's ever been, too. And, he's clearly as keen to provide viewers with the type of details that wouldn't resonate with anywhere near as much power and importance if they were to simply read them themselves. Sometimes, Prehistoric Planet is amusing, with Attenborough's wry sense of humour shining through. At other times, it's ridiculously cute, as watching any kind of animal can be. It's thrilling and eye-opening as well — and, a plethora of times per episode, it makes it easy to see how behaviours we see today, both in people and in the animals we presently share the earth with, have their foundation in these ancient beasts. Of course, in that repeated introduction, Attenborough stresses that Prehistoric Planet hails from scientific learnings about dinosaurs. Accordingly, the series doesn't merely look naturalistic, but actively works to serve up a meticulous nature documentary about its creatures of choice in every single way it can. That's an aim it easily achieves; no dive into the lives of dinos has felt as gloriously immersive as this. Check out Prehistoric Planet's full trailer below: Prehistoric Planet streams via Apple TV+ across Monday, May 23–Friday, May 27, with a new episode available to watch each day.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. SHE SAID Questions flow freely in She Said, the powerful and methodical All the President's Men and Spotlight-style newspaper drama that tells the story behind the past decade's biggest entertainment story. On-screen, Zoe Kazan (Clickbait) and Carey Mulligan (The Dig) tend to be doing the asking, playing now Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. They query Harvey Weinstein's actions, including his treatment of women. They gently and respectfully press actors and Miramax employees about their traumatic dealings with the Hollywood honcho, and they politely see if some — if any — will go on the record about their experiences. And, they question Weinstein and others at his studio about accusations that'll lead to this famous headline: "Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades". As the entire world read at the time, those nine words were published on October 5, 2017, along with the distressing article that detailed some — but definitely not all — of Weinstein's behaviour. Everyone has witnessed the fallout, too, with Kantor and Twohey's story helping spark the #MeToo movement, electrifying the ongoing fight against sexual assault and gender inequality in the entertainment industry, and shining a spotlight on the gross misuses of authority that have long plagued Tinseltown. The piece also brought about Weinstein's swift downfall. As well as being sentenced to 23 years in prison in New York in 2020, he's currently standing trial for further charges in Los Angeles. Watching She Said, however, more questions spring for the audience. Here's the biggest heartbreaker: how easily could Kantor and Twohey's article never have come to fruition at all, leaving Weinstein free to continue his predatory harassment? In a female-driven movie on- and off-screen — including director Maria Schrader (I'm Your Man), screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz (Small Axe) and cinematographer Natasha Braier (Honey Boy) — She Said details all the moments where the pivotal piece of reporting could've been forced to take no for an answer, something that Weinstein wasn't known for. At the NYT, assistant managing editor Rebecca Corbett (Patricia Clarkson, Sharp Objects) and executive editor Dean Baquet (Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) are always supportive, starting when Kantor picks up the story, and continuing when she brings in Twohey fresh off an investigative article into Donald Trump's sexual misconduct. But, unsurprisingly, the women made victims by Weinstein are wary. Many also signed non-disclosure agreements. Kantor and Twohey's pitch: by speaking out and ideally going on the record, they can assist in ensuring that what they endured doesn't happen to anyone else. Knowing the end result, and the whole reason that She Said exists, doesn't dampen the film's potency or tension. Instead, it heightens the appreciation for the bravery of those who spoke out — at first and afterwards — and the care with which Kantor and Twohey handled their task. The two reporters knew that they were asking women to revisit their darkest traumas, make their worst ordeals public and take on a man who'd been untouchable for decades (with the spate of NDAs and settlements with many of his targets to prove it). Even Rose McGowan (voiced by The Plot Against America's Keilly McQuail) is hesitant; she's mentioned but not quoted in the final piece. Persevering to bring Weinstein's crimes to attention, Kantor and Twohey keep digging, and keep trying to persuade their potential interviewees — and She Said doubles as a lesson in compassionately and respectfully doing just that. Read our full review. BARDO, FALSE CHRONICLE OF A HANDFUL OF TRUTHS Everyone wants to be the person at the party that the dance floor revolves around, and life in general as well, or so Alejandro González Iñárritu contends in Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths. In one of the film's many spectacularly shot scenes — with the dual Best Director Oscar-winning Birdman and The Revenant helmer benefiting from astonishing lensing by Armageddon Time cinematographer Darius Khondji — the camera swirls and twirls around Silverio Gama (Daniel Giménez Cacho, Memoria), the movie's protagonist, making him the only person that matters in a heaving crowd. Isolated vocals from David Bowie's 'Let's Dance' boom, and with all the more power without music behind them, echoing as if they're only singing to Silverio. Iñárritu is right: everyone does want a moment like this. Amid the intoxicating visuals and vibe, he's also right that such instances are fleeting. And, across his sprawling and surreal 159-minute flick, he's right that such basking glory and lose-yourself-to-dance bliss can never be as fulfilling as anyone wants. That sequence comes partway through Bardo, one of several that stun through sheer beauty and atmosphere, and that Iñárritu layers with the disappointment of being himself. Everyone wants to be the filmmaker with all the fame and success, breaking records, winning prestigious awards and conquering Hollywood, he also contends. Alas, when you're this Mexican director, that isn't as joyous or uncomplicated an experience as it sounds. On-screen, his blatant alter ego is a feted documentarian rather than a helmer of prized fiction. He's a rare Latino recipient of a coveted accolade, one of Bardo's anchoring events. He's known to make ambitious works with hefty titles — False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths is both the IRL movie's subtitle and the name of Silverio's last project — and he's been largely based in the US for decades. Yes, parallels abound. While dubbing Bardo as semi-autobiographical is one of the easiest ways to describe it, simplicity isn't one of its truths, even if the film champions the small things in life as existential essentials. Another easy way to outline Bardo: Silverio faces his choices, regrets and achievements as that shiny trophy looms, and ponders where his career has taken him, who it's made him and what that all means to him. From the filmmaker who first earned attention for telling narratives in a fractured, multi-part fashion (see: his debut Amores Perros, plus 21 Grams and Babel), and lately has loved roving and roaming cinematography that unfurls in the lengthiest of takes (see: Birdman and The Revenant), this was never going to be a straightforward affair, though. And so he weaves and wanders, and has the silver-haired Silverio do the same, while weighing up what's brought them both to this point. Bardo opens by visibly recalling Birdman, with a bounding force casting a shadow upon an arid land, but it's an early glimpse at a house from above that encapsulates Iñárritu's approach best. The home initially resembles a miniature, which Silverio then flits through — and, given its lead often segues between places and times like he's stepping through a doorway, the movie functions in the same manner. Sometimes, he's in a hospital corridor as his wife Lucía (Griselda Siciliani, The People Upstairs) gives birth to a baby boy who whispers that the world is too broken for him to want to live in, and is then pushed back into the womb. Or, he's picturing how a big TV interview with a bitter ex-colleague could go wrong, or shrinking down to childhood size to chat with his deceased father. Sometimes, Silverio is in Los Angeles holding a bag of axolotls, or striding through Mexico City streets that are empty except for corpses. Read our full review. GREENHOUSE BY JOOST When Joost Bakker helped pile 3000 kilograms of clothing waste in Melbourne's Federation Square in April 2022, all to draw attention to fast fashion, he viewed the project with his usual optimism. "Even if it's just one person who walks through that structure and gets inspired and comes up with a solution — that's what's so exciting," the renowned zero-waste campaigner noted. Those exact words could've been uttered about the venture at the centre of Greenhouse by Joost, too. A three-storey home made entirely out of recyclable materials that don't generate waste, and designed to operate as a closed food system with everything catered for onsite and not a scrap spared, it predates his spotlight on the textile industry. Clearly, it boasts the same sustainability focus. In fact, Bakker could've said the same thing about past pop-ups in the same spot over more than a decade, including fellow waste-free eateries also called Greenhouse since 2008. Scratch that — it isn't merely likely that the Dutch-born floral designer and activist could've expressed the same sentiments; it's certain he must've. Eliminating waste is Bakker's passion. Not wasting any time trying to put that aim into action is just as much of an obsession. His work doesn't merely talk the talk but walks the walk, and attempts to help the world see how crucial it is to reduce humanity's impact upon the earth. The habitable Greenhouse is quite the undertaking, though, given its purpose: building an abode that two people can get shelter, food, water and energy from, all in one cosy and clever self-sustaining ecosystem. Chefs Jo Barrett and Matt Stone (ex-Oakridge Wines) agreed to do the residing, and to put Bakker's Future Food System to the test. They were named among the world's 50 best next-generation hospitality leaders in 2021 for their efforts, for what's a vital, pioneering and fascinating enterprise. It's no wonder that filmmakers Rhian Skirving (Matilda & Me) and Bruce Permezel (The Obesity Myth) — both directing, the former writing and the latter lensing — were driven to document it. Shot since the conception and building stage, then chronicling the COVID-19 setbacks, the logistical and setup woes, and the daily reality of living in the structure, it's also no wonder that the resulting Melbourne International Film Festival Audience Award-winner makes such compelling viewing. Greenhouse by Joost is both a record and an aspirational tool: it shows what can and has been done and, as Bakker always hopes, it wants to get everyone watching following in his, Barrett and Stone's footsteps. Of course, for most, money will be a very real and practical obstacle. There's no doubting that Greenhouse stems from considerable resources, both in finances and time. But that's the thing with ambitions: they have us shooting for the stars, breaking our goals down into everyday pieces and finding ways to make even small parts of them happen. Evoking that exact response when it comes to making life's basics sustainable — what we eat and drink, where we stay and sleep, and how we power it all — is Bakker's aim, too. With Bakker as the film's on-screen guide, Greenhouse by Joost does just that itself as well, stepping through the idea and the execution like it's laying out a roadmap for its audience to chart. Viewers won't walk out of the doco ready to move into their own such dwelling, but learning plenty about the ingenious design, the bits and pieces that go into it, and the work required — to get it up, ready and operating smoothly, and also to have it function as a small-scale restaurant — comes with simply watching. Although the cooking, serving, welcoming in eager diners and sharing the titular building comes later in the movie, obviously, it's a crucial piece of the project overall and of Skirving and Permezel's feature. How much more doable does just living in the Greenhouse and taking care of yourself seem compared to running it as a mini eatery? Oh-so-much. How much easier does putting some of its principles to use in your own home seem, too? The answer remains the same. Read our full review. MILLIE LIES LOW A scene-stealer in 2018's The Breaker Upperers, Ana Scotney now leads the show in Millie Lies Low. She's just as magnetic. The New Zealand actor comes to the part via Wellington Paranormal, Shortland Street, Educators and Cousins — and the film first debuted at festivals before her role in God's Favourite Idiot — but it's an exceptional calling card. It isn't easy playing someone so committed to making such utterly questionable choices, yet remaining so charmingly relatable; however, that's Scotney's remit and achievement in this canny, savvy and amusing comedy. It also isn't easy to pull off the timing needed to highlight the hilarious side of Millie's hijinks, while ensuring that her woes, hopes and everything that's led her to lie low but lie about living it up remain understandable; consider her entire portrayal a masterclass in just that. Scotney plays the film's eponymous Wellington university student, who panics aboard a plane bound for New York — where a prestigious architecture internship awaits — and has to disembark before her flight leaves. She says she isn't anxious. She also says it isn't an attack. And by the time she realises what she's done, she's alone in the airport, the aircraft has departed and her own face beams down at her from a digital billboard. Even getting that Big Apple opportunity had made her the toast of the town, and huge things were meant to await, hence the ads and publicity. Now, a new ticket costs $2000, which Millie doesn't have. Admitting that she hasn't gone at all — to her family, friends, teachers, school and the NZ capital at large — wouldn't cost her a thing, but it's a price she isn't willing to pay. First, Millie endeavours to rustle up the cash from her best friend and classmate (Jillian Nguyen, Hungry Ghosts), and then her mother (Rachel House, Heartbreak High). Next, she hits up a quick-loan business (run by Cohen Holloway, The Power of the Dog) but is still left empty-handed. Millie's only solution, other than admitting the situation and facing the fallout: faking it till she makes it. As she searches for other ways to stump up the funds, she hides out in her hometown, telling everyone that she's actually already in NYC. To support her ruse, she posts elaborate faux Instagram snaps MacGyvered out of whatever she can find (big sacks of flour standing in for snow, for instance) and scours for every possible spot, building feature and poster that can even slightly double for New York. There's a caper vibe to Millie's efforts skulking around Wellington while attempting to finance the ticket to her apparent dreams. Sometimes, she's holed up in a tent in her mum's backyard. Sometimes, she's putting on a disguise and showing up at parties in her old flat — eavesdropping on what her mates are saying in her absence, and spying on the boyfriend (Chris Alosio, Troppo) she's meant to be on a break from. While she's doing the latter, she's also reclaiming the car she sold pre-trip to use as loan collateral, because she's that determined to get to America and leave her nearest and dearest none the wiser. Making her feature debut, director and co-writer Michelle Savill has more than just a laugh and a lark in her sights, though, as entertaining as Millie Lies Low's namesake's antics are. There's a caper vibe to the picture of Millie's supposedly perfect existence that she's trying to push upon herself as much as her loved ones as well, like she's selling herself on an unwanted fantasy. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on August 4, August 11, August 18 and August 25; September 1, September 8, September 15, September 22 and September 29; October 6, October 13, October 20 and October 27; and November 3 and November 10. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Bullet Train, Nope, The Princess, 6 Festivals, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, Crimes of the Future, Bosch & Rockit, Fire of Love, Beast, Blaze, Hit the Road, Three Thousand Years of Longing, Orphan: First Kill, The Quiet Girl, Flux Gourmet, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Moonage Daydream, Ticket to Paradise, Clean, You Won't Be Alone, See How They Run, Smile, On the Count of Three, The Humans, Don't Worry Darling, Amsterdam, The Stranger, Halloween Ends, The Night of the 12th, Muru, Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon, Black Adam, Barbarian, Decision to Leave, The Good Nurse, Bros, The Woman King, Sissy, Armageddon Time, The Wonder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and The Velvet Queen.
