Lots of different people hang out at dog parks. Mostly there are people who own woofers and who are taking them for their daily exercise. But there are also quite a few people like us who live in tiny rented apartments, pay exorbitant rent and are frantically saving money for the ultimate dream of a mortgage, a backyard and a pooch of our very own — people searching for some daily dog interaction.The following is a list of excellent dog parks (and beaches!) for Sydneysiders who want to give their hounds an excellent frolic, but also for puppy perverts who just want to go for a stroll and watch other people's glorious dogs romp around — and maybe pat a couple if it's ok with the poochies and their owners. [caption id="attachment_622126" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberley Low[/caption] CAMPERDOWN MEMORIAL REST PARK Inner west locals will be pretty familiar with this one — it's incredibly popular with dog owners and dog-watchers alike. It's central, green and flat and also large enough to use one of those tennis ball-throwie thingys. Frisbees are also a delight here — there is a particularly athletic German Shepherd regular who is a gun with the disc. The park is officially off-leash at all hours on weekdays and between 4pm–9am (or 5pm–9am daylight saving time) on weekends, but there always seem to be dogs running free here. It makes for an excellent afternoon of dogspotting. SIRIUS COVE, MOSMAN There's shade, grass and bins with those handy little plastic bags for your dog's business at Sirius Cove, but most importantly there is WATER for splashing and jumping and fetching. This place is basically Sydney's happiest stretch of sand — when we visited there was a dachshund and a Labrador having a tug of war with a large stick in shallows (the dachshund did not win) and a Great Dane the size of a small motorcycle doing what appeared to be backflips. Prepare for sand to go everywhere and for that delightful wet dog smell, but also for your pooch to have the best day ever. Sirius Cove allows off leash access all day on weekdays, and before 9am and after 4pm on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays. [caption id="attachment_653317" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberley Low.[/caption] ST IVES SHOWGROUND North Shore types, you have it made. This expansive patch of land happens to be Ku-ring-gai's largest sports and recreation facility, with a soccer field, equestrian ring, BMX trails — but you're here for your pooch, so we'll skip to the good stuff. St Ives Showground has four fully off-leash areas, all with great fencing. Not to mention there's a forest you can take pooches for an on-leash adventure. MACLEAY RESERVE, ELIZABETH BAY It's only teensy, but this park has views to die for, and some of Sydney's fanciest pooches to spy on. Off-leash at all times (though be careful with your woofers near the kids playground), Macleay Reserve is also a super popular wedding spot so maybe make sure Nugget isn't going to crash any nuptials before you unclip his lead. On every visit so far there has been a delightful array of white fluffballs, pugs and often a slightly beserk Boxer called Marvin. It's the best. ROWLAND RESERVE, BAYVIEW Prepare yourself for that wet dog smell again. Rowland Reserve is right on the water and perfect for aquatic dogs who like a good paddle and a wet tennis ball. It stays relatively shallow close to the beach so owners can also have a decent wade without getting soaked — there's also a bonus jetty for Rover to practice his catches off. Parking can be tricky on weekends, especially as it's a popular launch site for boats. It's always off-leash though so try a weekday afternoon for maximum puppy splash opportunities. HAWTHORNE CANAL RESERVE, LEICHHARDT This shady inner west reserve is ideal for good boys who love to run around as it's 100 percent off-leash. Plus, it has several handy taps for thirsty pups. It doesn't hurt that there's a waterway running through it, too. BUNGARRIBEE PARK, DOONSIDE On of Sydney's largest off-leash parks is BIG. The actual dog-park is called the Warrigal Dog Run, and has good strong fencing, water bowls and dog business bags. There's heaps of parking all around the gigantic park, and dogs are allowed inside the whole area if they stay on-leash. Bungarribee also has a great bike path, so it's pretty much a great day out whether you have two or four legs. Owners here are super friendly too — so head in and ask for a pat, you've got a great shot at some puppy love. Don't have a pooch to take to one of these parks? Borrow one. Top image: Marion Michele.
Beloved inner west brewery Hawke's Brewing Co's 2100-square-metre Marrickville brewery is home to its own pub paying homage to 1980s boozers and the beer's namesake. The Bob Hawke Beer and Leisure Centre boasts a retro fit-out, a highly nostalgic bistro and the full range of Hawke's beers. The 300-seat venue opened on the cusp of Hawke's fifth anniversary. Inside, you'll find a pub or community centre-style restaurant and bar decked out with wood panelling inspired by Old Parliament House. Walking through the venue, you'll find walls lined with steel brewing tanks, a patio area, and a pool room filled with Bob Hawke memorabilia. Food-wise, patrons can enjoy The Lucky Prawn, an 80s Chinese-Australian bistro that the Hawke's team has created with help from Nic Wong (Cho Cho San, Bodega). The food is a throwback, just like the rest of the venue. There's prawn toast, sang choi bao, honey king prawn, sizzling beef and the mother of all nostalgic creations, deep-fried Viennetta. While a Hawke's brew is obviously the recommended beverage of choice at The Lucky Prawn, you can also order a bottle of Crown Larger for special occasions. "While we named the venue in his honour, we were mindful of being sycophantic and simply plastering imagery of Hawkie all over the place," Hawke's co-founder Nathan Lennon says. "I think we've achieved a balance that pays tribute to Bob in the Pool Room while delivering an authentic Australian experience throughout the rest of the space." While The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre is drenched in nostalgia, Lennon and fellow owner David Gibson wanted to ensure it was also sustainable and future-focused. The brewery is run with the help of a 100-kilowatt rooftop solar farm and houses several eco-innovations alongside the venue. The building's carbon capture system, developed with UTS Tech, uses carbon dioxide from the beer's fermentation to help grow plants and vegetables in the venue. Images: James Adams. Appears in: The Best Sydney Brewery Bars for 2023
People in New Zealand's South Island are generally an active bunch. There is so much adventuring to do that your visit to the Christchurch region will most likely be packed with hikes, fishing trips, seal swims and mountain biking trips. After all of that, you're going to want to wind down, soothe your nerves and relax a little. Luckily the Christchurch region has just as much to offer to those who want to take life a little slower, and enjoy the creature comforts. Whether you're soaking in the warmth of the region's natural hot springs, glamping in luxurious nature at Lavericks Bay or sampling a couple of cheeky vinos at Black Estate, it's easy to kick back and relax in Christchurch. We've shouldered the heavy burden and picked five of the region's most relaxing activities — so you can take it easy. RIDE THE SCENIC TRANZALPINE TRAIN If you're looking to relax and explore at the same time, board the TranzAlpine train at Christchurch and wind your way through towering beech forests, over the Southern Alps and across the sweeping Canterbury Plains. You'll feel at ease in the comfort of the on-board cafe and cabins which are fitted with wide wall and ceiling windows, through which you can enjoy the views of majestic snow-capped mountains. Take the day trip returning from picturesque Arthur's Pass to Christchurch, or ride the whole way and several hours later you'll arrive at unspoiled Greymouth on New Zealand's West Coast, the ideal base from which to explore the world-renowned Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers, or perhaps hide away and relax somewhere beautiful and isolated. TASTE TEST LOCAL WINE AT BLACK ESTATE Black Estate has rustic, locally-sourced food, wine made on-site and good times guaranteed, all in a picturesque vineyard setting. Less than an hour drive from Christchurch's city centre, you'll know you've arrived when you see Black Estate's minimalist, black barn cellar door. It's set at the foot of a burnt orange hill covered in dry grass and bordered by acres of lush vines. All wine is made on-site by a fella named Nicholas, who believes in simple winemaking using organic locally sourced ingredients free of unnecessary additives. Nicholas's wife Penelope takes care of the business and restaurant, where they serve rustic country cuisine like Canter Valley duck and organic greens, or Akaroa salmon caught just down the road. Pop in, stay a while and indulge in the best cuisine, wine and hospitality that the Canterbury region has to offer. WARM UP AT THE HANMER SPRINGS THERMAL POOLS A quick 90-minute drive from Christchurch you'll find Hanmer, a small alpine town rich with character. This little region is like the setting of an adventure film, with old Victorian cottages set against a backdrop of rugged mountains and towering pine trees. The town's main attraction is Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa — the ultimate in slow paced, remote relaxation. Dip your tired body into naturally heated water and soothing rock pools, or perhaps treat yourself to a day of pampering at the premium on-site spa. SPEND THE NIGHT IN A PRIVATE GLASSHOUSE If you fancy spending a night stargazing and surrounded by nature in your own private glasshouse, then the completely isolated, sustainable PurePods that are scattered around New Zealand are perfect for you. Each PurePod has walls, a floor and ceiling made of heavy-duty glass, so you can see everything from the stars above you to the nature beneath your feet. The PurePod in Little River (just over an hour out of Christchurch) is a ten to 15 minute bush walk away from reception, so you're sure to get some peace and quiet for a night. Food packages can be ordered when you book, so you won't need to leave for a whole 24 hours — you'll only need to sit back and immerse yourself in the 360-degree views of the beautiful New Zealand landscape. CANOPY CAMP IN LAVERICKS BAY Under the clean white folds of a spacious tent, look out over the lush farmland and rolling waves of Lavericks Bay. This is glamping how it should be, with your own private black sand cove to relax in that's only an hour and 40 minute drive from Christchurch. Bathe and sunbathe at the same time in the outdoor bath on the campsite, or relax with a book on your own private deck. There are exposed rockpools at low tide and the appearance of Hector's dolphins and seals is not uncommon around your 'campsite'. Maybe you've been to New Zealand's North Island, but have you ever ventured down South? Christchurch, and New Zealand's surrounding Canterbury region, is the perfect place for a quick holiday. Use our planning guide to book your trip, then sort out your itinerary with our food, adventure and nature guides. Top image: Black Estate.
Beaches and swimming holes aren't the only way to cool off during the warmer months. It's easy to forget that Sydney is also surrounded by loads of staggeringly beautiful waterfalls — many of them hidden within national parks and wilderness areas. While some are built for swimming under, others are made just for marvelling at (and furiously Instagramming). Here are ten of the most road trip-inspiring falls you'll find near Sydney. FITZROY FALLS, MORTON NATIONAL PARK Fitzroy Falls plunge from a height of 81 metres over a sandstone cliff face in the Morton National Park, about 90 minutes' drive south-southwest of Sydney. An accessible boardwalk takes you right to the top. To explore further, choose one of the longer, circuit walks, which range from 1.6 to 5 kilometres in length. The onsite Visitors Centre provides coffee, snacks and plenty of info about local history. BELMORE FALLS, MORTON NATIONAL PARK Just a few kilometres away from Fitzroy Falls are Belmore Falls, which tumble over the Illawarra escarpment into Kangaroo Valley. Cascading through three tiers, they're anywhere between 77 and 130 metres high, depending on where you're measuring from. For the best views, stop in the Hindmarsh Lookout carpark and follow the 750-metre walking trail, which takes in several gob-smacking vistas of the valley before showing you the falls. CARRINGTON FALLS, BUDDEROO NATIONAL PARK Carrington Falls aren't just falls — they're part of a wild, watery playground, dotted with swimming holes, rainforest, walking tracks, rockpools and cascades. For a laidback picnic, visit Carrington Falls picnic area, where you can kick back and relax or choose from several short walks. But if swimming's on the agenda, make tracks for nearby Nellie's Glen, to take a dip under cascades and maybe meet a satin bower bird. Or a hobbit. MINNAMURRA FALLS, BUDDEROO NATIONAL PARK What makes Minnamurra Falls particularly spectacular is their pretty, pretty surrounds. Ensconced in the Budderoo National Park, these falls are encircled by a patch of lush rainforest, complete with bright green mossy boulders, singing streams, magical fern gardens, fluttering butterflies and lyrebirds. To visit, take the 1.3-kilometre The Falls walk, which starts at Minnamurra Rainforest Centre, just west of Jamberoo. WENTWORTH FALLS, BLUE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK Falling over three drops, Wentworth Falls are 187 metres high. You can choose your own adventure — whether you'd prefer to laze about in the picnic area or commit to a hike. For an easy stroll, there's the Charles Darwin walk, which follows the path taken by the world's most naturalist back in 1836. Alternatively, try a tougher route with the Overcliff-Undercliff track, which rewards you with dramatic cliffs, rocky overhangs and, in summer, scores of wildflowers. KATOOMBA FALLS, BLUE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK The most famous set of falls on this list, Katoomba Falls can be experienced in a variety of ways. For an adrenaline hit and a bird's eye view, catch the glass-bottomed Scenic Skyway, suspended 270 metres above the Jamison Valley. Not a fan of heights? Explore on foot instead — the 3.1-kilometre Echo Point to Katoomba Falls track and the 1.5-kilometre Katoomba Falls Circuit are both beauties. To see Katoomba Falls floodlit, drop by after dark. GOVETTS LEAP (BRIDAL VEIL) FALLS, BLUE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK Govetts Leap Falls are most easily seen from Govetts Leap Lookout, where their 180-metre drop forms a dazzling element in panoramas of the Grose Wilderness. To get a closer look, tackle the Govetts Leap descent, a steep, 1.2-kilometre trek that transports you to a picnic area at the base of the falls. Along the way, expect to meet king parrots and yellow-tailed black cockatoos. KANANGRA FALLS, KANANGRA-BOYD NATIONAL PARK Surging over two tiers and totalling 225 metres in height, Kanangra Falls is a favourite with abseilers and canyoners. Not the intrepid type? Stick to the cliff top while still getting cracking views, thanks to the accessible lookout walk, affording views of not only the falls, but Kanangra Creek's gorges, Mt Cloudmaker and, beyond, the Blue Mountains escarpment. KALANG FALLS, KANANGRA-BOYD NATIONAL PARK At the end of the Kanangra Falls lookout walk, another trail, known as Waterfall Walk, descends to Kalang Falls. On the way, you'll pass extraordinary vistas of Kanangra Deep, Kanangra Walls and Thurat Spires. Kalang Falls are found in an enchanting gully, where they splash into a deep pool. Look out for Australia red cedars and flame robins. Want to swim under a waterfall near Sydney? Check out these five. Images: Tony Heyward, Bjenks (WC), Phil Whitehouse (WC), OzIcedog (Wikipedia), profernity (WC), Diliff (WC), Terry Clinton (Flickr), National Parks NSW, Leigh Blackall (Flickr), Vern (Flickr), Sardaka.
Come summertime, there's no better way to see Australia's east coast than through the flaps in your tent. The 1600-kilometre drive between the sunny paradise of Byron Bay and the cosy bars and laneways of Melbourne is dotted with unspoiled beaches, spectacular headlands, national parks and hiking trails. Many of these places are home to campsites — from the fancy, drive-in grounds with hot showers and barbecues to the remote, walk-in pitches where you have entire stretches of sand to yourself. Except for your fellow kangaroos, that is. So grab your sleeping bag, stock up on tucker and get ready for a sun-drenched, star-speckled adventure. Here's our top ten camping spots along the way. REFLECTIONS HOLIDAYS, BYRON BAY Start (or end) your journey with a stay on the water's edge in Byron Bay. If you were in bricks-and-mortar you'd be paying hundreds of bucks a night for this stuff. But, at Reflections Holidays — Byron Bay, it's all yours for next to nothing. Byron's famously warm water and dolphins are just a stumble away, but should you feel the need for good coffee or a feast, you're close to town, too. Facilities are laid-on: you'll get toilets, showers, a camp kitchen, barbecues, a shop and free wifi. Does this even count as camping? PEBBLY BEACH CAMPGROUND, YURAYGIR NATIONAL PARK Getting to Pebbly Beach Campground is half the fun. Found about 50 kilometres north of Coffs Harbour, it's accessible by sand only. In other words, you have to drive over the beach, then cross a saltwater estuary to get there. To avoid sinking, be sure to travel at low tide. You'll be pitching just a few metres from the shore, surrounded by she-oaks and with loads of walking tails nearby. There are pitches for 60, but facilities consist of toilets only. If you're keen to light a fire, then head to the Station Creek turnoff where you'll find a stack of free firewood. Getting to Pebbly Beach is fun, but it's probably best left to the camping experts — if you have access to a decent 4wd and some genuine adventure skills (like the ability to let down your tyres and re-inflate when you get off the sand), you'll be sweet. TRIAL BAY GAOL CAMPGROUND, SOUTH WEST ROCKS Your tent gives you million dollar views when you sleep over at Trial Bay Gaol Campground, which is perched on the water at South West Rocks. End your day with a watery sunset and wake up to an immediate swim. If you're a keen diver, then you'll want to explore nearby Fish Rock Cave, considered one of the planet's best cave dives. The 116-pitch campsite gives you toilets, showers, drinking water, picnic tables, barbecues, an onsite cafe and, just in case you have your boat with you, a launching ramp. All these bonuses mean that bookings are essential. THE RUINS, BOOTI BOOTI NATIONAL PARK This open, grassy area behind Seven Mile Beach is encircled with cabbage palms and has plenty of space for campers of all shapes and sizes. Find a secluded corner for your two-person tent or peg your party kingdom smack bang in the middle of the action. When you feel like a break from surf and sand, wander to Wallis Lake for a dip or paddle in still water, or conquer scenic Booti Hill track, which takes you to Elizabeth Beach via a couple of lookouts. Then there's the rest of Booti Booti National Park to explore, as well as cafes and shops in nearby Pacific Palms and Forster. The Ruins offers toilets, showers, drinking water, picnic tables and barbecues. Bookings aren't available — you get your pitch on a first come, first served basis. TALLOW BEACH, BOUDDI NATIONAL PARK, CENTRAL COAST You'll need a bit of strength and stamina for this one — it's a 1.2 kilometre walk from the car park. The effort is 100 per cent worth it, though. With just six pitches available, Tallow Beach is one of the most peaceful camping experiences on this list. If you're serious about Bear Grylls-ing it, then bring a fishing rod and catch your own dinner off the rocks. Otherwise, there's swimming, surfing and bush walking to do — try Box Head track for red gums or Flannel Flower track for coastal views. Facilities are minimal, consisting of toilets only, and there might or might not be mobile phone coverage depending on your carrier. While you're on the Central Coast, do some exploring with our local guide. NORTH ERA CAMPGROUND, ROYAL NATIONAL PARK Like Tallow Beach, North Era Campground is only accessible on foot, so pack light. In fact, if you're a keen hiker, then you can make it an overnight stop on the 26-kilometre long Coast Track. Otherwise, drive to Garie Beach Picnic Area and walk from there. Either way, you're in for a magical escape from urban life. Welcome to the bliss of the land beyond mobile phone coverage, mind-blowing ocean views and a maximum of 11 other tents in your vicinity. All this means that facilities are limited to toilets. Make a booking before you leave home. GREEN PATCH, JERVIS BAY This is your chance to park your tent within a few metres of Australia's deepest and, many would argue, most beautiful, bay. Located with Booderee National Park, Green Patch is dotted with trees and you can expect to meet 'roos, wallabies and possums. Spend your time relaxing on Jervis Bay's fine white sand, dolphin spotting, snorkelling, paddling or bush walking. There's a bunch more local tips in our weekender's guide. Campsite facilities include access to fresh water, hot showers, toilets and barbecues. It's important to book your pitch online in advance. ARAGUNNU, MIMOSA ROCKS NATIONAL PARK Mimosa Rocks National Park — where the forest meets the sea for miles and miles — is dotted with stunning, pristine beaches. And one of the loveliest is 500-metre long Aragunnu, found half an hour's drive south of Bermagui. The campground is separated into four areas, so choose the environment that suits you best, be that right near the waves, in the shade of towering mahogany trees or up high, overlooking the beach. Leave yourself time for the Mimosa Rocks walk, which takes in an excellent lookout. The campground comes with toilets, barbecues and a car park, so you don't have to lug in your gear. However, bookings aren't possible — turn up and try your luck. WINGAN INLET, CROAJINGALONG NATIONAL PARK Croajingalong National Park hugs Victoria's eastern coastline for over 100 kilometres, protecting heathlands, rainforests and eucalypt forests. There's a bunch of tranquil camping grounds to choose from and Wingan Inlet is one of the prettiest. It's set in a tall bloodwood forest, 36 kilometres from the Princes Highway, on the inlet's western shore. There are several day walks to keep you busy, covering river rapids, a fresh water lake, windswept headlands and fur seal colonies representing both Australia and New Zealand. Take your pick of 23 pitches, but keep in mind facilities are quite basic, offering non-flush toilets, picnic tables and fireplaces. TIDAL RIVER, WILSONS PROMONTORY Any road trip between Byron Bay and Melbourne should include a diversion to Wilsons Promontory, the most southern point of the Australian mainland. Its 50,460 hectares encompass empty beaches, swathes of rainforest and rugged mountains. For access to both river and sea, take your tent to Tidal River Campground. The facilities are pretty posh, including toilets, hot showers, free gas barbecues, dishwashing stations, washing machines and device charging stations. So, if you can't bear the ol' digital detox, then you won't have to. There are 484 sites, including 20 powered ones, but bookings are essential.
Tired of the classic movie and dinner date night combo? Us too. That's why we're always on the hunt for new things to do, scouring the city for more inventive Sydney activities — ones that are guaranteed to extend your dating repertoire beyond beers at the pub. Whether you're taking someone on a second date or doing the 100th with your significant other, we've got some stellar Sydney date ideas for this week, no matter your budget. Recommended reads: Romantic Sydney Bars and Restaurants What's On in Sydney This Weekend The Best Films and TV Shows to Stream This Month FREE Explore the Powerhouse Ultimate for One Last Time Before It Closes The Powerhouse Museum is closing for up to three years from Monday, February 5, for its long-awaited $250-million makeover. So, this is your last chance to squeeze in one more dose of free art, history and general oddities at the inner-city museum. The institution's current exhibitions — including 1001 Remarkable Objects and Absolutely Queer — are all great date ideas, providing you with a chance to wander around and chat as you occasionally remark: "Whoa, how cool's that?". If things are going well, there are plenty of spots to head after for a spot to eat or drink. If you're after something cheap and cheerful, head to Kafe Kooks or one of the many top spots at Darling Square; if you want to catch up over a bev, The Old Clare Rooftop and Flamin Galah are good options; and if you're looking to really impress, there are a few ultra-fancy spots you could hit up — namely, seafood and snack haven Longshore. Under $50 Catch a Flick at Sydney's BYO- and Dog-Friendly Moonlight Cinema Moonlight Cinema is back for another jam-packed year of flicks under the stars. Pack a picnic, your favourite snacks, and a bottle of chilled red, and head to Centennial Park to catch a new release or a cult classic as the sun sets. You can even bring your pups, so if you're looking for somewhere to introduce Fido and Spot, this could be your chance. This week, you can catch showings of Argylle, The Boys in the Boat, Next Goal Wins and the sequel to The Dry. Or, looking ahead to the rest of February, Saltburn, 10 Things I Hate About You, All of Us Strangers, The Iron Claw and The Princess Bride are all in line for showings. Tickets are $26 (just over $50 for the two of you), but if you're a Cinebuzz member, you can snag them for just $22 each. Under $100 Hit up the Huge Banksy Exhibition at Sydney Town Hall After a blockbuster season in Brisbane, The Art of Banksy: Without Limits has finally hit Sydney Town Hall with more than 160 works from the collection of the world's biggest street artist, Banksy. A massive collection of pieces by the art world's chief enigma — including the darkly satirical, overtly political work that has turned the stencil-loving artist into such an icon — the exhibition's hefty array of artworks include Banksy's certified art, prints on a heap of different materials, plus photos and sculptures as well. For an immersive experience, there are installations, physical and digital, alongside murals and mapping shows. The experience has already proven to be super popular in Sydney, so make sure to reserve your spot before heading into the city. Standard adult tickets are $41 per person, or you can opt for premium entry, which includes a t-shirt spray painting session, after which you get to keep the garment. Putt Your Way Around This Pizar-Themed Mini-Golf Course Sydney's sunny season is in full swing — and if you like celebrating warm weather, adorable animation and mini-golf all at once, the part-tee has arrived in Darling Harbour. Everyone's favourite Pixar characters are popping up in Sydney at a putt-putt course inspired by the Disney-owned studio's loveable films. Yes, Pixar Putt has returned, with the kidult-friendly course taking over the Pier St Underpass until this Sunday. Designed to challenge both eight-year-olds and adults, Pixar Putt features nine- and 18-hole courses that take you past childhood heroes like Buzz Lightyear, Sheriff Woody and Elastigirl. Flicks such as Monsters Inc., Onward, Finding Nemo, Up, A Bug's Life, Wall-E, Inside Out, Soul, Turning Red and Lightyear all get some putting love, too. Clearly, there's no need for a trip to Disneyland — and this year's course features new holes inspired by Pixar's recent Elemental. If this all sounds up your alley, tickets are available for $29.90. Go All Out [caption id="attachment_923663" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Maclay Heriot[/caption] Combine Live Music and Harbour Views at Twilight at Taronga Where can you see live tunes with a stunning view of Sydney Harbour, all while surrounded by adorable animals as well? Twilight at Taronga. Each summer, the after-hours live music series hosts outdoor gigs with an impressive lineup — a true date-night delight. Each year, the program serves up a mix of returning and new exciting local faves. For the first week, the lineup features Meg Mac on Saturday, February 3, and Bjorn Again on Sunday and Monday, as well as Emma Memma with one for the kids on Sunday afternoon. Later in the month and into March, you can catch Ball Park Music, The Whitlams, The Cat Empire and the Comedy Gala featuring Celia Pacquola and Dave Hughes. If your ideal Sydney date idea includes harbour vistas, live music, cute (but not cuddly) animals and some fresh air, this one's for you. You can BYO a picnic, but there'll also be gourmet hampers available on-site alongside a handful of food trucks. Ticketholders can also purchase discounted same-day entry into the zoo (so you can sneak in a visit to your favourite mammal, bird or reptile beforehand), and if you want to make a weekend of it, you can add on a night at Taronga's luxe eco-retreat. Top image: Charlie Hardie.
With a sumptuous colour palette, interwoven plot lines, and unexpected humour, writer-director Rian Johnson (Looper) has assuredly marked Star Wars, Episode VIII: The Last Jedi as his own – a new chapter in the Skywalker saga that is at once deeply familiar and unique. Part two in the sequel trilogy picks up right where The Force Awakens left off, with the orphaned heroine Rey (Daisy Ridley) attempting to lure the only remaining Jedi, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), out of self-imposed exile. Meanwhile, the last remnants of the Resistance flee a resurgent New Order. The film opens with as dramatic a sequence as the franchise has ever seen, delivering an exhilarating and poignant battle that introduces a spectacularly menacing new class of space ship known as the Dreadnaught, pits ace pilot Poe (Oscar Isaac) against his superiors, and sets in motion a race against the clock. Unable to escape without detection and with only shallow reserves of fuel remaining until the New Order catches up with them, the depleted Rebel fleet limps through space like the Orca from Jaws – a hapless, crumbling ship pursued by a killer whose only remaining hurdle is time. But as ingenious as this setup may be, it also gives rise to the film's most pointless subplot. After waking from his coma, Finn (John Boyega) contrives a means by which he can disable the New Order's tracking device, albeit one that requires him to sneak off the fleeing vessel, travel to a Monaco-styled casino planet, track down a master codebreaker and infiltrate the enemy's warship undetected. This enormous MacGuffin sees Boyega partnered with the charming Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico, a Resistance engineer low in status but high in pluck. The problem is that their side adventure does absolutely nothing to advance the actual story. Finn's reluctant hero arc was already covered off in The Force Awakens, while Rose's belief in (and commitment to) the righteousness of the rebel cause is perfectly encapsulated in her fantastic introductory scene but goes unchallenged thereafter. Benicio Del Toro also pops up, then shortly thereafter departs, in an entirely forgettable cameo. Ultimately they all end up right where they began, having effected no material change except to deliver a heavy-handed critique of war profiteers. The great shame is that in both Boyega and Tran you have oodles of charisma, heart and talent that deserve scenes of equal calibre. Instead, they chew up time in a movie already guilty of using far too much of it. Thankfully the rest of the cast fares better. Hamill, Ridley and Adam Driver's Kylo Ren find themselves entangled in a fascinating and emotionally-driven power struggle, with each grappling with their complicated relationships to one another and their wider place in the universe. In an appropriate analogy to the franchise itself, Skywalker wrestles with his own understanding of legend and mythos, believing himself unworthy of hero status and wracked with the guilt of failing Ren in his training. Ren, in turn, remains conflicted about his place in the First Order and his murder of his father, whilst Rey feels the growing Force within her yet lacks the knowledge or training to understand it. It's in sequences featuring this core trio that The Last Jedi hits its highest notes. The exploration of Jedi lore, too, receives the kind of treatment that will delight the franchise's most ardent fans, including a moment of outstanding visual flair, involving replicated Reys, that reminds us of Johnson's unique style and character. And, of course, there's Carrie Fisher, whose few scenes remind us how affecting and groundbreaking a character Princess Leia is, and how captivating an actor Fisher was. Her departure is treated with all the deftness, restraint and respect that audiences could hope for. Perhaps the biggest departure from tradition, though, especially in the wake of the gritty spinoff Rogue One, is Johnson's use of comedy. With more gags, one-liners and quirky moments than all the other Star Wars films combined, The Last Jedi introduces a levity to the staid franchise in the vein of Roger Moore's turn as post-Connery Bond. At times it works, even to the point of guffaws, but ultimately the humour feels misplaced. In a story where loss abounds and crushing defeat looms large at every turn, the repeated cutaways to doe-eyed porgs purring like extras from a Pixar film distract more than they entertain. So, too, does Domhnall Gleeson, whose character General Hux plays more like a parody of a Star Wars villain. As a result, both the New Order and the film itself are robbed of their most enduring menace: the Empire. After all, pare back any of the previous films in this sprawling space opera and you'll find that, for all their Sith lords and rogue assassins, what truly terrified was a galactic military-industrial complex so vast and overbearing it was capable of repressing not just people but entire planets. Darth Vaders come and go, and individuals can be destroyed, but totalitarian regimes endure for generations. When an oppressed populace has only ever known a life under the iron fist, it cannot even contemplate an alternative. It's that, more than any great, dark mysticism, that provides the Star Wars universe with its most tangible threat. Overly long and consistently clunky, The Last Jedi ultimately proves a bit of a mixed bag. Its battle scenes are nothing short of spectacular, including a five-second shot involving Laura Dern and a hyperspace jump that almost singlehandedly justifies the entire film's existence. As a chronicle of Jedi mythology, too, the film delivers in a way the George Lucas prequels never managed, offering new and engaging insights into the Force and the balance between light and dark. Too often, though, the dialogue is exposition heavy and played for easy laughs. One senses Rian Johnson has in him a greater, more exploratory story to tell, one unburdened by so much expectation and history. The good news? He's set to follow Last Jedi with an entirely new Star Wars trilogy. May the force be with him. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0CbN8sfihY
Yes, Rhianna snuffed Big Bird and made an omelette out of him. Yes, Solange looked like she was wearing a Sliders portal. But there were more than just celebrity fashion moments happening at yesterday's 2015 Met Gala — something only the likes of Humans of New York founder Brandon Stanton would make you appreciate. Making ordinary people of celebs and stars out of ordinary people, the HONY photographer took the best snaps of the night; bringing that tried and true human interest formula to the most star-studded event on the damn calendar. Waiters become stars, pop singers become regular folk. Slam dunk, HONY. “I tried to prank him one time by putting a tuna fish sandwich in his bedside drawer. But the prank ended up being on both of us because I forgot about it for weeks.” “There’s a secret addict in me that I’m always trying to tame.” “I was too hard on my son because I couldn’t understand why he didn’t love to compete as much as I do.” “I hope to be as selfless as my mother. My father died when I was seven months old. She had to raise five kids on her own, but she made time for all of us. We used to have these days called ‘Mommy Holidays.’ She’d choose a normal school day, wake us up, have us get ready for school, cook breakfast in a hurry, and right before we walked out the door, she’d scream ‘Mommy Holiday!,’ and she’d let us skip school and go somewhere fun.” “They forced me into having an Instagram.” "I'm trying to look at my phone less." “We managed to raise two teenage girls and not get divorced.” “It was hard to see my father not become all that he wanted to be. He brought my family here from Trinidad. He really believed in the marketing of the American dream, and he thought that he’d become a DJ on the radio. He loved music and had the gift of gab. But he didn’t understand the system and he came too late in life to make the proper connections. So he ended up using his gift of gab to sell cars.” “What’s your favorite thing about each other?” “We’re fine with just a picture, thanks.” Images: Brandon Stanton/Vogue.
Ōtautahi Christchurch is a nature lover's dream. As soon as you arrive you'll notice the crisp air, and you'll soon find out that you're surrounded by scenes of otherworldly, serene natural beauty that changes with the seasons but is ever-present. From some of the world's darkest winter skies without a hint of light pollution to the deserted beaches of the Akaroa Peninsula, you will no doubt find something that will take your breath away. Lean into the naturally cooler climate of Christchurch and visit during winter to experience the full extent of the region's charms. Venture just outside of the Christchurch city centre and it's almost as if you're in another world. Drive for ten minutes in almost any direction and you'll discover something unexpected. Adventurous souls and nature lovers will relish the chance to get in touch with the great outdoors — perhaps by peeling off the layers and relaxing in a natural hot pool or barrelling through the hills on a mountain bike. It was incredibly hard to choose, but here are our favourite cool weather experiences to take on when you're in Christchurch. [caption id="attachment_986567" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Miles Holden[/caption] Look Up at One of the World's Darkest Skies Mackenzie is home to one of the only International Dark Sky Reserves (IDSR) in the world — land which usually surrounds a park or observatory and is home to exceptional views of starry nights. The darkness of the sky in this region of New Zealand is almost unbeatable, and it's the perfect place for a bit of stargazing. At Big Sky Stargazing you'll sit down for an astronomy lesson at the planetarium and take a short drive to an outdoor stargazing area where you'll use telescopes, astronomy binoculars and your own eyes to look up at constellations and enjoy spectacular, peaceful views. Soak in Hanmer Springs' Geothermal Pools When the air has a crisp bite to it and you wouldn't want to be caught outside without being bundled up, that's how you know it's the perfect weather for getting into your swimwear and making a beeline for a hot spring. Don't settle for any run-of-the-mill hot spring either. Located just outside of Christchurch is the alpine village of Hanmer Springs, where 22 natural thermal pools sit surrounded by dramatic snow-capped mountains. If the prospect of a soothing soak isn't sufficiently appealing, there are also spa treatments and massages to really kick your relaxation up a notch. [caption id="attachment_986614" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Miles Holden[/caption] Wander Christchurch's Natural Landscape Lush rolling hills are surrounded by a crystal blue expanse of water on the edges of Christchurch. If you venture slightly out from the town centre, you can explore deserted beaches and dramatic landscapes that have to be seen to be believed. In the small town of Akaroa on the water's edge, you'll find a beautiful cluster of old English-style buildings. Whether you're after a short stroll or a day-long hike, the idyllic beaches, rough bush and winding tracks of this quiet little area will keep you more than occupied. If you need more convincing, take another look at the above photo. Paddle Through Pohatu in a Kayak Head to Akaroa and jump into a 4WD for a spectacular scenic safari that stuns year-round. Travel for just over an hour through the highest passes of the Banks Peninsula with Pohatu Adventures until you reach Pohatu Marine Reserve. When you arrive you'll discover the Christchurch region's most abundant wildlife ecosystem up close via kayak. Get ready to paddle alongside blue penguins, seals and Hector's dolphins. Depending on the timing of your trip, you might even catch a glimpse of the circle of life of the region's wildlife. As temperatures dip, you'll see penguins at their most social as they build homes, find mates and head out and about. If the water is calm, get ready to lose your breath — not because of the brisk air but because of the scenery — as you paddle out to Flea Bay Island where you'll discover a mass of land characterised by desolate beaches, sheer sea cliffs and mysterious caves. Find your very own Aotearoa New Zealand here.
The latest installation of Saké Restaurant & Bar opened back in 2018 as part of the revamped Manly Wharf precinct. The rooftop digs boast the sixth iteration of the award-winning Sake brand, and the third in Sydney, to continue its signature offering of sleek and contemporary Japanese fare — but this time with a distinctly Manly vibe. The 300-seat space is designed by the highly lauded studio Luchetti Krelle (Manly Greenhouse, Terminus Hotel and Acme, to name a few) and really reflects its beachside location. Think floor-to-ceiling windows and bi-fold doors that open onto an al fresco dining terrace, and to the panoramic ocean views of Manly Cove beyond. The bright dining room includes a variety of seating with a 40-seat sushi counter, a 60-seat bar and several private dining spaces. An open kitchen centres around the robata grill, which turns out an izakaya-style menu that's available at the bar all day. Venue specific dishes include lobster tempura with jalapeños and wagyu strip loin with chat potatoes and yakiniku sauce. On the regular menu at Sake Restaurant and Bar Manly, signature Sake dishes like the hiramasa kingfish and popcorn shrimp sit alongside Manly-exclusive items like tempura miso-glazed eggplant. The expansive drinks list has a focus on Japanese sakes, with the 30-label menu served by the glass, carafe, bottle or flight. There's also a 150-strong wine list and over 30 gin distilleries represented, too. If you're coming to Sake Restaurant and Bar Manly with a group then look to book one of the elegant private dining rooms, with seatings of six to twenty available across three rooms. Images: Tom Ferguson (venue) and Anna Kucera (food and drinks).
When you first hear it described to you, Tangerine doesn't exactly scream 'comedy'. Set on the streets of Los Angeles one day before Christmas, the breakout feature at this year's Sundance Film Festival follows a poor transgender sex worker who has just gotten out of prison, only to discover that her pimp/boyfriend has been cheating on her. Sounds pretty grim, right? That's where you'd be wrong. Working closely with transgender actors Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor, neither of whom had any prior screen experience, writer-director Sean Baker and his co-writer Chris Bergoch have crafted one of the boldest, funniest and most memorable independent features we've seen in quite some time — one that puts transgender issues front and centre without ever becoming preachy or resorting to cliche. As if that weren't impressive enough, there's also the story of how they physically made the movie, using little more than a pair of iPhone 5s. Originally a budgetary decision, it ends up being Baker's ace in the hole, lending the film a brash, in-your-face aesthetic that could hardly be more fitting. We spoke with Baker about what it's like to make a movie on your mobile, as well as the importance of giving narratives like these the spotlight they deserve. Tell us a little bit about how this project came about? I live about a half a mile from the intersection of Santa Monica and Highland, which is sort of an unofficial red light district. It's known, especially as of late, for transgender sex workers. That intersection in particular was always known for its drama, and I would pass it and wonder why there haven't been more films that have taken place there. I was also in a situation where I was trying to get money for a much bigger film, but it never happened. The industry is really upside-down right now, and I was waiting and waiting and waiting, and I knew that if I waited any longer I wasn't ever going to make a film again. So I turned to Mark Duplass and said, "hey, a couple of years ago you offered me a micro-budget. I think I'm in the position where I'm going to have to take it." So does that mean the decision to shoot on the iPhone was primarily a budgetary one? Yes. Or at least, it started off that way, and then of course it became an aesthetic. Were there other films that influenced you, in terms of the way the movie looks? No, that was the cool part about it — that it seemed to me to be a pretty original aesthetic. We combined a bunch of tools. This anamorphic adapter that we used allowed us to shoot in true scope; true widescreen cinema. Then there was an app called FiLMic Pro that has a bunch of bells and whistles and allows you to shoot at 24 frames per second. And then we used the Smothee, which is a handheld stabiliser that stabilises the iPhone. Then in post production we ended up pumping the colours through the roof, which really enhanced the LA sun. So all of a sudden you have these four tools working together creating this look that I'm really happy with. When you're on location, what are some of the advantages and/or challenges of shooting on a phone? What it did was that it allowed us to basically work clandestinely. If you saw us shooting from across the street, you'd never know we were shooting anything professional, except for the fact that we had a boom pole. We got permits, but we didn't have to announce that we were shooting, so we were able to capture real street life. Of course, then we had to ask them for their releases after I yelled 'cut', which is a risk because you then have to chase people down and beg. But for the most part people are pretty nice. From what we've read elsewhere, it sounds like a lot of research went into the film. How important was it that you immerse yourself in this world? I think it's the only way. I think it's best to allow the world to speak to you, as opposed to you speaking to a world that you're not a part of. That's just an irresponsible way of storytelling. Chris and I, we're cisgender white males who are not from that world whatsoever. So we needed to do a lot of research. We had to find a collaborator and put the time in. And the collaborators in this case were our leads. Mya especially. She was the first person we met who gave us the enthusiasm we were looking for. On its face, the film's subject matter sounds fairly grim. Was there ever a version of the script without the comedic elements that played like a more straightforward drama? It's funny that you mention that, especially with you being from Australia, because the cinema coming out of Australia has been incredibly influential on me. Snowtown is such an amazing masterpiece, and that's what I thought the film was going to be originally. Not the murders, but that social realist style with that really desaturated look. So then what changed your mind? Getting to know the women, and hanging out with them regularly, I saw that even though they were dealing with incredible hardships, they used humour to cope. And I knew that the film would be dishonest if I didn't incorporate that humour. It was actually part of Mya's request as well. She said to me point blank, "I've seen your other films and I trust you, and I want to make this movie with you, but you've got to promise me that it will be funny. You've got to make a film that is entertaining for the people out here. We don't want a 'plight of' film that's all drama, hitting people over the head and leaving the audience feeling terrible." And I'm really glad she sent me down that road. On that point, how has the transgender community reacted to the film? It's been really positive. I thought this film was going to divide audiences, but so far there's been a really nice amount of love given to us across the board. One of our first reviews from a transperson came from Australia, at the Sydney Film Festival, and she was very, very positive about it. And having travelled with the film a little bit already, I've been able to see how members of trans communities react in different countries. I was in Columbia, in Bogotá, and members of the local trans community came to the premiere, and they said to me afterwards through a translator that while there are lots of cultural differences, they really connected and indentified with the sisterhood between the two main characters, which was a real nice thing to hear. With television shows like Transparent and Orange Is the New Black, as well as all the recent media coverage surrounding Caitlyn Jenner, it feels as though transgender stories are finally getting attention in mainstream culture. How important is this, and are you pleased to be part of the trend? Most definitely. Setting down this road two and a half years ago, we had no idea it was going to be as much a part of the zeitgeist as it is now. Any time visibility and awareness is increased it's a positive thing. The unfortunate part of all of this is that the murder rate here in the United State has almost doubled from last year, assuming it stays at this rate. It's hard to get up-to-date statistics because of the fact that a lot of these murders aren't investigated correctly. But we're already up to 15 murders of transpeople here in the United States in 2015, and we're only at the end of August. The hope is that increased awareness and visibility will eventually lead to acceptance, but we still have a long way to go. I also think we need a number of these types of narratives. I'm making a film about a microcosm — about transwomen of colour who happen to work as sex workers in a very small area of Los Angeles. So this is only representative of a tiny, tiny portion of the transgender community. This has to be one of many, many different narratives that are being told. Tangerine is in cinemas in Sydney and Melbourne now.
Cocktail trends come and go, but one thing is certain: the martini is always in style. A good martini is a matter of technique — it generally only contains two to three ingredients, so the way in which it is mixed is key to their flavour, texture and taste. The martini is simple, but oh so complex. Ratios must be perfect, stirring time must be exact and extra touches are key. At Grey Goose's Boulangerie Bleue waterside mansion party this summer, a classic combination of vodka and vermouth was served — but with a twist of lemon instead of an olive. We asked Grey Goose's lively global ambassador Joe McCanta to show us how to make this variation on the classic — check out his technique below. MARTINI 50ml Grey Goose Vodka 10ml dry vermouth 1 twist of lemon Fill a mixing glass to the brim with ice. Add 50ml of Grey Goose Vodka. Add 10ml of dry vermouth. Stir slowly for 45 seconds. Strain into a chilled coupe. Lightly twist your lemon into your drink, and gently rub the peel up and down the stem of your coupe, and along the brim. Fancy trying another? Grey Goose Vodka's 'discover' function will tell you what cocktail you're perfectly suited for. Dive into the luxury that your city has to offer — check out our Luxe Guide to Sydney and Melbourne. Food, spas, glamorous hotels and extraordinary experiences are waiting. Image: Steven Woodburn.
Designed by Sydney's Pattern Studio, Glebe's new two-storey wine bar — No. 92 — is so opulent you'd never realise the building had previously been a boot factory — and a bank, a tailor, a pizzeria, a grocer and a private investigator's office. No 92 Glebe Point Road has quite the history. For its latest costume change, the building has been decked out with banquettes, gorgeous marble-topped tables, plush lounges, works by Taiwanese Australian artist Angie Pai on the walls and elaborate pendant lights hanging from the ceiling. The wine list expertly curated with a range of cocktails on offer. The No. 92 menu, created by head chef Galia Valadez, is inspired by authentic Mexican flavours but expect the unexpected. Lighter snacks include tacos and tostadas, like kingfish with smoked shoyu mayo, fermented chilli and shiso. For heartier option, go for the Mexican fried chicken with habanero mayo and togarashi. Or there is some inventive pasta dishes on offer, like the spaghetti chitarra with roasted poblano sauce, asparagus and zucchini flower. [caption id="attachment_759744" align="alignnone" width="1920"] T Pakioufakis[/caption] Images: T Pakioufakis
With the launch of a brand new Japanese-style menu, The Rook Rooftop is transforming into a cherry blossom garden for the season. Inspired by the Japanese tradition of hanami, which translates to 'seeing flowers,' The Rook has launched a dining experience that is aesthetically pleasing all around. As you walk through its doors, you'll be immersed in a world of pastel pink, artful cocktails and funky dishes — all while being surrounded by wonderful views of Sydney's CBD. Some must-try bites include its loaded gyoza, served with furikake, tonkatsu sauce, kewpie and bonito flakes ($17), and the fried chicken burger, which comes with golden curry mayo and lettuce ($22). The Rook is also offering a bottomless dumpling special on Saturdays from June 6. For $30 (or $59 with bottomless tap beers and wine), you can eat as many dumplings as your heart desires for two hours. Sittings are at 11.30am and 2pm on Saturday and 12pm and 2pm on Sunday. Images: Jasper Ave
Potts Point has seen many restaurants and bars come and go in its time, with upscale digs moving into sites previously home to the dives of The Cross's colourful yesteryear. Taking over the former home of Fratelli Fresh, Franca arrived with the area's move towards becoming more residential (and increasingly affluent). It's one of the many elegant-yet-casual eateries (see: Cho Cho San, Ms.G's and Ezra) that has sprung up in the area since its vast transformation — and certainly one of its best. With its moniker derived from lingua franca — a common language adopted by those whose native languages are different, historically a mix of Italian, French, Greek, Arabic and Spanish — Franca takes cues from all corners of the Mediterranean, though it leans heavily on France. The menu features reinvented French classics, be it a niçoise salad with sashimi-style tuna or duck a l'Orange. For entrees, expect king crab rolls with cocktail sauce, heirloom beetroot and stracciatella tarts and pan-fried mushroom and goats cheese gnocchi. For mains, there are seasonal dishes alongside 250-gram sirloin steak frites, Murray cod with crispy potatoes and kmbu crumb and more extravagant sharing plates like whole rock lobster or a lamb rack with roasted eggplant, pistachio caramel and mint jus. Dessert includes silky chocolate and caramel brulée with Little Marionette coffee ice cream, pillowy passionfruit soufflé with popcorn ice cream and a fresh lemon tart with creme fraiche. As well as the a la carte menus, the restaurant also has a dedicated vegan offering, with lunch options like the Franca wagyu burger and two set menus: Signature and L'Aristocrate. The cocktail list features European classics made with local ingredients, such as the Spring Bellini made with Chandon Blanc de Blancs NV, strawberry and pear puree and sage; or the Noble Cut Negroni combining Young Henrys Noble Cut Gin, Campari, strawberry dolin blanc and lemon myrtle. A 250-strong wine list focuses on labels from across France, Australia and New Zealand. Located on the ground floor of Macleay Street's Ikon building, Franca looks wildly different to its predecessor Fratelli Fresh. Extensive renovations in the lead-up to its opening were led by Steel and Stitch, the design firm behind some of Sydney's top hospo fit-outs, including Potts Point's Chula and the city's Havana-inspired Lobo Plantation, with the space home to spacious leather booths, red velvet chairs, an open wine cellar and lots of marble details. Franca Brasserie has been named in Concrete Playground's Best Restaurants in Sydney. Check out the full list for 15 Sydney spots that should be at the top of your must-try list. Venue images: Jennifer Soo Updated Tuesday, March 21, 2023. Appears in: The Best Restaurants in Sydney
Žalec, Slovenia just jumped right to the top of the list of our must-visit holiday destinations. Located roughly an hour outside of the capital of Ljubljana, the small town of just under 5000 people is known for its natural wonders including an underground waterfall, and historical sites such as an ancient Roman necropolis. And yet we kind of suspect these attractions will be somewhat overshadowed by the local government's latest plans to bring tourists to the area: Europe's first ever public beer fountain. The €340,000 fountain, which currently has no set completion date, will reportedly spout a variety of Slovenian beers. For six euros, visitors will be able to try three 300mL samples, served in a commemorative mug. The project was apparently inspired by a drinkable mineral water fountain in the nearby town of Rogaska Slatina (whose own local government members must be kicking themselves for not having thought of this clear improvement first). The fountain did face some opposition from people who thought that taxpayer money could be put to better use. Thankfully, common sense prevailed, and a motion to cancel the project was defeated in a two-to-one vote last week. Democracy wins again! Via Fox News. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
From Sydney Brewery to Young Henrys and all the little guys in between, it seems like Sydney is welcoming new breweries every day. But where can you actually buy the handcrafted stuff to take home? Lucky for all you enthusiasts out there, the craft beer scene isn’t restricted to brew houses and taps. These ten bottle shops have it all: from the American to European, the Aussie favourites, Kiwi's best and the most bizarre on the market. Cutty Cellars Quite possibly one of the only good reasons to trek out to Crow's Nest, this once generic bottle shop has been recently transformed by new ownership into a beer lover's haven. For its size, the shop is unusually easy to navigate, especially thanks to the knowledgeable, friendly staff that love to talk beer (ask for Youk). Aussie mainstays like Holgate and James Squire have found a home on these shelves, plus some more obscure picks like the Montana natives at Big Sky Brewing and the industry famous Nail Brewery’s Clout Stout ($79.99). The mix-and-match six-packs deal at 20 percent off is the best introduction to the big bad world of craft beer. 342 Pacific Highway, Crows Nest; Mon – Sat 9am – 9pm; Sun 10am – 9pm; cutty.myshopify.com/; (02) 9436 4955 Bondi Beach Cellars This family-owned operation has been a Bondi institution for 27 years. The Chappell brothers now run the show — Nick is a clear craft beer enthusiast whose emphasis on supporting the small guys in brewing nods to his 'mom and pop shop' roots. He's focused on seasonal and limited releases and eager to talk about his favourite brews going, like Moa Large Breakfast Stout and Riverside Brewing Company 777. Whether you're a tourist or Bondi beach bum, a mixed six-pack from Nick should be your last stop before hitting the beach. Tastings Friday – Saturday 6pm-8pm. 50 Hall Street, Bondi; Mon – Fri 9.30am – 10pm; Sat 9am – 10pm; Sun 10am – 10am; (02) 9365 3889; bondibeachcellars@bigpond.com Camperdown Cellars Endless fridges stocked with 650+ craft/international beers. A knowledgeable and (actually) helpful staff. It's no surprise that this once 1940s local bottle shop has spread across the CBD and just won ALIA’s Liquor Store of the Year award. Still, 2050 claims it as their own, as there is nothing chain about the service or selection you get here. Jackson Davey and Liam Pereira stock brews you won't find anywhere else, like Garage Project's Wabi-Sabi Sour made with yuzu and honeydew, and the Tassie favourite Moo Brew Vintage Stout ($22.99). With a constantly expanding beer choice and a huge international selection, this craft beer originator will continue to be a Sydney favourite. 140-144 Parramatta Road, Camperdown; Mon – Thurs 10am – 9pm; Fri – Sat 10am – 9:45pm; Sun 10am – 8pm; (02) 9517 2000; www.camperdowncellars.com.au Lord Raglan Ever wanted beer for your beard? What about beard for your beer? At Lord Raglan, bearded beer guy Johnathan Hepner will give you both. He's turned the Rocks Brewing Company tap house into a zany bottle shop on the side. Johnathan is always looking for something new or out there. Whether excitedly telling the story of Rogue Beard Beer ($12.50) or the sadness that inevitably comes after finishing a bottle of Shenanigans' Red Sky ($12.50), he sets the beer lover's vibe that makes 'locals' come from five suburbs away to see what he has brewing next. 12 Henderson Road, Redfern; Mon – Thurs 11am – 10pm; Fri – Sat 12pm – 10pm; Sun 11am – 10pm; lordraglan.com.au(02) 9699 4767 Oak Barrel While this CBD cellar is no trendy east/west suburb shop, Oak Barrel has an undeniably impressive stock. The craft beer corridor that will seal your inevitable doom could take days to navigate and can make even the biggest beer snob's jaw drop. You'll need beer buyer Ian Chainey in house to make an educated pick, as the staff is split into booze-specific roles. For a safe bet, don't miss the impressive growler taps which rotate on two kegs and are refillable at no extra charge. 152 Elizabeth Street, Sydney; Mon – Fri 11am-8.30pm; Sat 11am – 8pm; (02) 9264 3022; www.oakbarrel.com.au President Cellars The price is right at this bottle shop where owner Chris Austin and his beer-adoring staff are rocking the 'burbs craft beer scene. The first-class selection includes basically every style of James Squire, as well as brews you won't find anywhere else, like the range of McLaren Vale ($4.99 single, $14.99 six-pack) and Dad & Dave's #1 Pale Ale ($3.99 single, $17.99 six-pack). As with any stock this size, there are bound to be some duds, but Chris is no beer baron trying to push his experimental finds on the unwitting buyer. His trustworthy nature, industry acumen and customer first attitude makes any patron confident they're walking out with a brew they'll love. Don’t believe us? Catch their backyard tastings every Friday from 4pm – 7pm. 49 President Avenue, Kogarah; Mon – Sat 10am - 8pm; Sun 12pm – 7pm; (02) 8021 1860; www.presidentcellars.com Lord Nelson Brewery History speaks for itself: Sydney’s oldest pub brewery is still bottling one of the best craft beers in town. While Sydney's now booming craft beer scene may have been some 173 years in the making, Lord Nelson's sat patiently and waited. Though you can now get crowd favourites Three Sheets and Old Admiral in bars and bottle-os across the city, the brewery remains the local go-to, as every beer served from the pub, bottled or kegged, is made in-house. 19 Kent Street, The Rocks; Mon – Sat 11am – 11pm; Sun 12pm – 10pm; (02) 9251 4044; www.lordnelsonbrewery.com Barny’s Fine Wines and Ales A maze of craft beer, this well-known shop could easily compete with the best of Doomsday Preppers. Find yourself up close and personal with the likes of Happy Goblin and Mikkeller — just a few of the uncommon brewers you'll find in this stack. While it's overwhelming to the untrained eye, the well-versed staff can talk shop with the best of them. Though a stock of the best craft beers Oz has to offer may not save you in the apocalypse, we suggest you head here when the zombies finally attack. 252/741 Botany Road, Rosebery; Mon – Wed 10am – 8.30pm; Thurs 10am – 9pm; Fri – Sat 10am – 9.30pm; Sun 10am – 8pm; (02) 9699 2213; www.barnys.com.au Bottle-O The disco balls and pimp hats hanging from the ceiling shouldn't distract from what a piece of craft this joint is. As you choose your mixed four pack (10 percent off), focus on the row of 'esoteric' finds like the Norwegian Lervig Rye IPA ($7.50 per bottle) or Bridge Road Brewers' Aurora Borealis, a Norwegian collaboration brew ($15 for 530ml). The dance parties are a great retro addition, and the smell of freshly baked goods from Christopher’s Cake Shop next door doesn't hurt this beer buying experience either. 407 Bourke Street, Surry Hills; Mon – Tues 11am – 9pm; Wed 11am – 9.30pm; Thurs – Sat 11am – 10pm; Sun 12pm – 9pm; (02) 9331 7700 Beer Cartel No craft beer list can be complete without this online-turned-megastore beer extravaganza, boasting Sydney’s largest selection with 1100+ bottle. It’s best to go here with a game plan. Feeling bogged down among the choices? Buyer Richard Kelsey smartly recommends the most unique among the best. For something intense, go BrewDog's 34 percent Tactical Nuclear Penguin or 42 percent Sink the Bismarck, dubbed the world’s strongest beers. For a bit of the strange, check out Cantillon Brewery, the sour beer connoisseurs from Brussels. Tastings Saturdays 12.30pm-3.30pm. 9/87 Reserve Road, Artarmon; Mon – Wed 10am – 6pm; Thurs 10am – 6.30pm; Fri 10am – 6pm; Sat 10am – 5pm; Sun 10am – 4pm; 1300 808 254; www.beercartel.com.au
Wild fermentation wines have been around for as long as the hills on which they're grown, but lately the resurgence of the movement has been gaining a lot of momentum. Questions abound as to the nature of these beverages, from how its production differs from traditional methods, to how the taste of these vinos compare to the drops that we're more accustomed to. So, in the interest of immersing oneself in the experience, crack a bottle and have a read — your wine education has begun. FIRST OF ALL, WHAT ACTUALLY IS IT? Wild fermentation wines are the result of winemakers removing most of the artificial processes involved in producing a bottle. The whole idea is to let the natural processes of winemaking take over, to interfere with the fermentation process as little as possible. In winemaking, grapes are pulped into a sugary juice, then yeast is added to the juice which eats up all the sugar and creates waste products of carbon dioxide and alcohol until you're left with a finished wine. In wild fermentation winemaking this process is dramatically altered. Rather than adding a yeast known to produce a certain flavour, the yeasts and bacteria that naturally present on the grapes (aka microflora), are tasked with the fermentation. By letting nature do its thing the wine ends up with a more complicated flavour profile. WHAT DOES IT TASTE LIKE? Wild fermentation wines are often more complex, textural and layered. Making it involves a longer fermentation process than your standard bottle, which gives the wine a softer taste. The different types of microflora present on the grapes all add their own bit of flavour. Standard wines have yeast added to them, which creates a specific flavour when fermented. Because you're leaving the flavour up to nature, what you end up with is unique from vintage to vintage. The Stoneleigh winemakers in New Zealand's Marlborough country use the naturally occurring elements in their vineyards to produce wild fermentation wines with as little intervention as possible. The grapes used for the Wild Valley range are grown using 'sunstones' — stones derived from the ancient river bed the winery sits on. The stones soak up all the sunlight during the day, and keep ripening the grapes at night. Once the grapes are picked, the process is to sit back and let the microflora do the work. The grapes can be picked earlier, and they deliver a flavour profile that is unique to each vintage. Sulphites are often added to wine produced in this way, to maintain its freshness and keep it crisp from bottling to delivery. WHO IS MAKING IT? Wild fermentation winemaking methods have been used for millennia in Europe and they're still incredibly common in places like France, Italy, and Austria. The process is still fairly new here. With a move by wine drinkers towards a more organic approach — and the rise in popularity of minimal intervention, organic and orange wines — more and more winemakers are taking on the minimalist approach. Stoneleigh have been using nature in their winemaking since the foundation of the winery, so the next natural step was taking on wild fermentation wines for their premium range. WHAT DO I EAT WITH IT? Experiment a little (like the winemakers) and try to nail that perfectly balanced combo. Pairing wine with food is a subjective matter, despite the rules we've been told for decades. You don't have to pair red wine with red meat, or white wines with white meat. A good rule of thumb is to just eat and drink what you like and then look for something to balance the palate. As long as the goal is to keep it balanced, the world is your oyster with pairing food to wild fermentation wines. Wild fermentation wines are a little richer on the flavour profile, so will generally pair well with food that is a little more subtle. Good cheese always matches good wine. A nice brie will do well with the intense flavours of a wild fermented Pinot Noir for example, because it supports the flavours in the wine rather than competing for dominance in the taste party. Jamie Marfell, Stoneleigh's head winemaker, recommends pairing a minimal Sauvignon Blanc with a salad that has some more tropical elements. Something with a healthy dose of citrus or vinegar, like a top-notch papaya salad that will cut through the more rounded palate of the wine. Try some Wild Valley wild fermentation wine at the Stoneleigh Hotel, a sandstone house in Chippendale overrun by nature. It's at 48 Kensington Street, Chippendale from November 11 until December 11.
If you're a regular coffee drinker, no doubt you've been caught up in the recent push towards recyclable or reusable coffee cups. And for many of us, drinking the sweet nectar from a one-use, environmentally-unfriendly takeaway cup is just not the same as a weighty, handmade ceramic cafe cup. But who has the time to stop and sip? Where can you find a fusion of both? Thanks to a talented Queensland couple, you can now have your ceramic-bound coffee and drink it (on the go) too. Queensland potter Renton Bishopric and partner Clare Botfield have recently launched Pottery for the Planet — a series of limited edition pottery pieces that raise money and awareness of environmental issues. "If we want to continue living in a beautiful clean country and world, we have to make some serious changes and that starts with the choices of each individual," says Bishopric. In an effort to make this choice a little more design-savvy, the duo has begun making what customers have dubbed 'Planet Cups', bespoke ceramic coffee cups that reduce paper cup wastage, one coffee at a time. Bishopric and Botfield make each 8oz or 12oz cup by hand on the pottery wheel, drying and firing them in the kiln before glazing in a selection of colours. The intricate process by which they are made means each Planet Cup is unique. "With a handmade product there are so many variables starting with the hands of the person that threw the pot, down to the firing environment in the kiln. So no matter what, each cup is unique from its brothers and sisters," says Bishopric. Each Planet Cup comes with a silicone lid and the option of a heat band so extra hot coffee drinkers can protect their fingers. Due to the incredible popularity of the Planet Cups, an online shop is set to be launched soon. In the meantime, the colourful creations can be purchased through the pair's Sunshine Coast retail store, Cinnabar Soul. You can also check out the Pottery for the Planet website for a list of local stockists. If you live in Hobart, you're going to need one very soon. Image: Renton Bishopric Ceramics.
Art buffs and those who enjoy being in the buff will love Nude Live, an orgy of art and dance put on by Sydney's peak cultural bodies, Sydney Dance Company and the Art Gallery of NSW. A ticket to Nude Live buys you entry into the gallery's current exhibition, Nude: Art from the Tate Collection, where you'll be confronted with fleshy masterworks by renowned artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Bacon and Rodin. As part of the experience, you'll also be confronted by some real-life dangly bits too, as a troupe of naked dancers pose, parade and perform, responding to the themes explored in the exhibition. (It's all strictly artistic mind you, so leave the dolla bills at home yeah?) If you're already starting to feel a little constrained by your clothes, there's also a nudist session on Jan 23, which gives you plenty of time to book in that spray tan. Head along to the gallery after-hours for Nude at Night to complete your de-robed experience. This is a world premiere show at Sydney Festival 2017. Check out more world firsts coming to the festival over here. Images: Pedro Greig.
Sydney's most insanely Insta-famous café The Grounds of Alexandria has finally swung open the antique doors of its new sister venue inside The Galeries on George Street. This time around there's no luscious garden, no Kevin Bacon or Margoat Robbie. Instead, get ready for a 1920s dining experience so elaborate, so completely over-the-top that you'll swear you've walked onto the set of The Great Gatsby. Setting a new and impossibly high standard for themed dining in Sydney, The Grounds of the City has created a lavish 1920s coffeehouse complete with shoe shines, a tea lady and an impressive array of vintage glassware, art, crockery, books and silverware. It's essentially one big dine-in antiques store. As to be expected, the new venue is crazy busy at the moment, so a love of lines is essential should you choose to come on a weekend. However, despite the venue operating at maximum capacity pretty much all day every day, the staff appear to have no trouble keeping up and the operation runs like a well-oiled Singer sewing machine. Currently serving breakfast and lunch with dinner soon to follow, the food menu takes inspiration from the '20s and brings it up-to-date with contemporary ingredients and technique. Steak and eggs are given a new lease on life by way of a punchy chimichurri sauce and an expertly-cooked medium-rare fillet ($25), while fluffy homemade crumpets make the perfect base for a serve of poached eggs with citrus-cured ocean trout and a roasty pine nut hollandaise ($19). It's the bee's knees of the breakfast menu. The lunch menu follows the same vein with modern versions of old-hat classics, including Maine lobster with seaweed butter ($46) and lamb chops with buttered zucchini and chervil yoghurt ($28). Otherwise, make-your-own meat and three veg. Choose from rump cap ($34), rib eye ($42) or tenderloin ($36) and stock up on the knock-out sides, which include smashed potato with burnt onion and bone marrow ($10), minted heirloom tomatoes ($11) and cauliflower and almond mac 'n' cheese ($12). Good coffee is a non-negotiable in the CBD and The Grounds of the City doesn't disappoint. There's a dedicated barista's bar with a coffee sommelier (yes, really) as well as batch brews, cold brews, espresso, filter coffee and a killer affogato made with tiramisu ice-cream and popping candy. Those who prefer tea can order a bottomless cup ($8). Just signal the tea lady and she tootles over. Sadly there's not quite enough time to really savour the experience of The Grounds of the City, with tables being turned over every hour and a half. If you find your time cut short, head to the takeaway counter at the back for puffy cream cakes, fruit tarts and eclairs to-go. It's at least a little piece of The Grounds to take home with you. Images: Bodhi Liggett.
This year, Easter hunts are not just for the kids. Inventive bakeries, restaurants and other businesses around Sydney are getting busy creating sweet treats and other Easter-themed goodies for an audience that may have outgrown the Easter bunny. From haute dessert chocolate eggs to all kinds of wild hot-cross-bun creations, here's a curated list of Easter goods worthy of a spot in every Sydneysider's grown-up Easter hunt. Andy Bowdy and Starward Whisky's Hot Cross Bun at Ace Hotel Sydney Looking for a hot cross bun with an extra kick? Pastry savant Andy Bowdy has teamed up with Starward Whisky and Ace Hotel Sydney to invent a boozy holiday hot cross bun. Baked to perfection, the top-quality fruit studded throughout each bun is soaked in Starward Two-Fold Wheat and Single Malt Whisky, giving each bite a spiked finish. Available in limited numbers from Wednesday, April 16–Saturday, April 19, these liquor-laced hot cross buns are served exclusively at Good Chemistry – Ace Hotel Sydney's laneway cafe. As an added bonus, if you purchase two or more buns, you get a complimentary Starward (New) Old Fashioned cocktail at the bar. What's more? Buying a six-pack earns you a free 500ml bottle of this special tipple. Blueberry Hot Cross Bun at Black Star Pastry For those with an Instagram algorithm that knows you can't get enough mouthwatering dessert content, there's a good chance you've seen Black Star Pastry's goods. After all, they're the proud creator of the world's most Instagrammed cake. This Easter, they're grabbing headlines again with a special blueberry hot cross bun. More evolution than revolution, they've replaced the raisins in traditional hot cross buns with juicy dried blueberries. Then, each bun is topped with a colourful crunchy biscuit crumb, made with dairy-free butter, flour and blueberry purée. Excited? Score a single bun or purchase packs of six or 12 online and in-store until Monday, April 21. The Easter Egg Cake at Dear Florence You probably remember wolfing down chocolate crème eggs as a kid (or perhaps as an adult) for Easter. As good as they were, they don't have much on Dear Florence's modern-day version. For the holidays, the Japanese-inspired French patisserie has created The Easter Cake Egg – a lavish reimagining that draws inspiration from the supermarket fave. Shaped by renowned pastry chef Aoife Noonan, creamy coconut mousse stands in for the egg white, passionfruit curd is used for the yolk and coconut dacquoise delivers that nostalgic spongy texture. Available for pre-order only, the Easter Egg Cake is produced in white chocolate and dark chocolate-coated versions for $32 each. Scotch Cross Bun at KOI Dessert Bar Let the expert sweet-makers at KOI Dessert Bar level up your Easter feast with their Scotch Cross Bun. Made in collaboration with Benriach Distillery – the acclaimed maker of Speyside single malt scotch whisky – these boozy buns blend traditional flavours and aromas with contemporary cake design to create a luxe treat bound to impress the fam. Here, rich vanilla mousse has been infused with autumnal spices like nutmeg and cinnamon, then spiked with currants soaked in Benriach's The Original Ten whisky. Ready to buy? The Scotch Cross Bun is available for $22 at KOI Dessert Bar's Chippendale and Ryde locations for dine-in or takeaway. Every purchase also comes with a free 50ml bottle of Benriach's finest. Traditional Hot Cross Buns at Humble Bakery There's no shortage of incredible Easter treats to explore at this time of year. While many look to reinvent the wheel – often with exceptional results – others like Humble Bakery elevate a timeless formula to make it even more special. True to their name, this outfit's hot cross buns rise above most, without forgetting what makes this classic treat such a hit. So, what can you expect? Perfectly baked and oh-so-fluffy buns with just the right amount of spice and fruit, including ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, apricot and orange peel. Slather on some butter and you're good to go. Available at Surry Hills, Kent Street and Circular Quay stores, these buns are available for $5 each, or in six- or nine-packs for $28 or $40, respectively. Fruit Hot Cross Cruffins and Chocolate Hot Cross Cruffins at Lune Croissantrie First, Lune perfected croissants, so much so that the Australian bakery chain became renowned for its flaky pastries all around the world. Then came cruffins, aka croissant-muffin hybrids. For Easter, the obvious next step was hot cross cruffins, for when you want a hot cross bun, but you're also hankering for a croissant and a muffin. Lune's hot cross cruffins have been popping up annually for years, but 2025's batch is different. This time, they're made using the acclaimed bakery's signature croissant dough. You can also pick between two varieties this year: the OG and chocolate, both for $10.50 each. Can't decide which one? You can get mixed six-packs featuring both for $63. Not-Cross Buns at Sonoma Bakery If you're craving a different take on a traditional hot cross bun this Easter, Sonoma bakery has put its own twist on the dessert. Instead of the traditional cross you'll find at most bakeries, Sonoma adorns its treats with an "S", giving them the name of Not-Cross Buns. Before they're piped with the signature "S", each bun is baked with Sonoma's special blend of raisins, sultanas, candied orange, cranberries and apricot. They are then brushed with a coffee- and spice-steeped sugar glaze for the perfect finish. The buns are available in-store individually for $4 or in a box set of six for $20. Just pre-order online and swing by your nearest location to collect them. Yuzu Hot Cross Buns, Lamington Hot Cross Buns and Hot Cross Lamingtons at Tokyo Lamington The lamington wizards and collaboration kings at the Inner West's Tokyo Lamington have a trio of limited-time Easter treats, all of which are a play on the hot cross bun. The first is a zesty, citrus-forward twist on the Easter classic: a yuzu hot cross bun. Sultanas have been macerated for three months before being added to a Japanese yuzu-unfused spiced dough. Treats two and three from Tokyo Lamington are hot cross lamingtons and lamington hot cross buns. This might be a little hard to get your head around — the words lamington, hot and cross are used a lot. One is a classic hot cross bun, with the addition of chocolate and coconut, while the other is a lamington infused with all the flavours of a hot cross bun. Obviously, the best way to wrap your brain around them is to head into your closest store. Hot cross lamingtons are available for $8 each, while the buns are $5 a pop. Alternatively, you can opt for a half-dozen ($27) or a dozen buns ($50), while Easter Packs start at $35 if you want to try them all. Hot Cross Cubes at Banksia Bakehouse Known for its multi-layered, cream-filled croissant cubes, Banksia Bakehouse has gotten in on the Easter spirit with a hot cross variety. These buttery blocks are made from the bakery's famous croissant cube pastry, then filled with a cinnamon crème patisserie centre and Australian Sunmuscat sultanas. They're available in-store and online throughout April. You can pre-order from the Banksia Bakehouse website. Hot Cross Brûlée Buns and Hot X Gelato Sandwiches at Madame & Yves Clovelly's Madame & Yves' Easter lineup is full of hot cross bun hybrids. The star of the bunch is the hot cross brûlée bun, which comes filled with spiced custard and coated in a crunchy caramel toffee. Also up for grabs are a classic hot cross bun, a choc cross bun and the crosskie – a Pistachio Papi-stuffed bun topped with a cookie. For something a little more outrageous, they've also got a hot cross bun gelato sandwich. As wacky as it sounds, you can scoop any gelato between two bun slices, although the team at Madame & Yves recommend café au lait or salted caramel. All of these wild inventions are available in-store on Clovelly Road.
May 5 isn't just May 5 — it's Cinco de Mayo. That's when the spotlight shines on Mexico; however, despite beliefs to the contrary, it isn't the country's Independence Day. Instead, the celebration marks the nation's 1862 victory against French forces in the Battle of Puebla. Back then, the day was declared a holiday. These days, the occasion is actually a bigger deal in the US. That said, it's still a great chance to appreciate Mexico's culture and heritage. There are plenty of ways to do this, although we suggest taking the traditional path: a party. So just how do you throw your own Cinco de Mayo gathering? What should you eat, drink and listen to? Follow our guide, and you'll be having a fiesta in no time. AVOID STEREOTYPES Starting on a serious note, Cinco de Mayo should celebrate Mexican culture, not stereotype it. Avoid the easy route when it comes to theming — so that means no sombreros, no fake moustaches and no Day of the Dead (which actually happens in October, so the timing doesn't work anyway). In fact, just discourage people from dressing up altogether. You'll be more likely to avoid accidental cultural appropriation. Focusing on the colours of the Mexican flag is one good option, with splashes of green, white and red certain to look festive. Or, you could champion the country's creative talents. Frida Kahlo deserves many parties in her honour, with her paintings considered iconic for good reason. Mexican cinema is among the world's best (think: Del Toro, Inarritu, Cuaron, Rodriguez), so if you have screens or projections going, look to these guys. Or just bring a splash of summer to your bash — grey, late-autumn Australia will thank you. FIND YOUR HERO FOOD This might be the easiest part of the party-planning process, but you don't just want the food to be good — you also want it to be authentic. That means tacos made with corn tortillas, chorizo, guacamole, salsa, onions and coriander, and quesadillas filled with stringy Oaxaca cheese. Put your focus into the central component of the dish and no one will notice if you go with store-bought stuff for the rest. A good option is always to take your cue from Neil Perry — his chicken (or pork) adobo for tacos sings with chipotle, honey and vinegar. You might also have time to try making your own churros for dessert. Yum. You can also get your guests in on the action (and take the heat off yourself) by asking them to bring their own homemade guacamole or salsa. Add a competitive element, and call it a guac off. The chef behind the best wins bragging rights, and everyone else wins by getting to eat it. Just stock up on corn chips beforehand, because there's going to be plenty of dipping to do. THREE DRINKS TO COVER ALL BASES When it comes to Mexican beer, it's an easy choice. Chill some Coronas in as big a bucket as you can find, and make sure you have plenty of extra lime slices lying around for people to pop in the tops. If you want something stronger, it wouldn't be Cinco de Mayo without margaritas making an appearance. Just combine 2 parts tequila to 1 part Cointreau (or another triple sec) and 1 part freshly squeezed lime juice. Choose a silver tequila, and look for the words '100% agave' on the label. That means it's the real stuff. Pour over or blend with ice, but don't forget the glass rimmed with salt. For a non-alcoholic option, agua fresca is your beverage of choice. It couldn't be easier to make or tastier to drink. Watermelon is a popular flavour, and all you need to do is blend cubes of the fruit then mix it with the juice of four limes, three quarters of a cup of castor sugar and a cup of mint leaves. Stir, stand for an hour, strain and top up with sparkling water. GO TO CONTEMPORARY MEXICO WITH YOUR PLAYLIST A party isn't a party without a soundtrack to match the occasion. Here you have multiple options, but we're only going to recommend two. Acoustic guitar fans need look no further than Rodrigo y Gabriela (fans of nuevo flamenco, rock and heavy metal too). The duo's sound is certainly diverse, which isn't surprising given that they mix traditional Mexican music with European influences over their five studio albums and three live records. For a more unpredictable playlist, there's always Spotify. Any one of their hundreds of Mexican playlists will spit you out a party-ready concoction of mariachi music, contemporary Latin songs and questionable Ricky Martin numbers. HIT THINGS WITH STICKS There's one party staple that never gets old, even as you get older. That'd be the piñata, something that the Spanish brought to Mexico, and also links in with Mayan culture. You know how it works: you wear a blindfold, swing a stick and try to break open a suspended, decorated container filled with goodies. That's the fun part — but making your own is just as fun, too. Papier mache away using newspaper scraps and a paste made from equal parts flour and water, plus a tablespoon of salt. Balloons work well as a sturdy base, as you might remember from primary school. Once everything has dried, decorate it with paint and crepe paper, and then stuff it full of goodies. Lollies are fine, but you might want something a bit more age-appropriate. We were thinking mini bottles of tequila or hot sauce, individually packaged T2 teabags, discs of pour-over hot chocolate, playing cards or obscure Mexican lollies — or a combination of the lot. Top image: Dollar Photo Club.
Scientifically, the only way to watch the entire Academy Awards sober and survive is if you actually win one on the night. For everyone else, there's booze. Presenting our best shot at a Best Original Screenplay: Concrete Playground's 2016 Oscar Drinking Game. Remember to always drink responsibly and don't forget to thank your fellow nominees. One Sip Jack Nicholson wears sunglasses. Harrison Ford wears an earring. Diane Keaton wears gloves. Jennifer Lawrence does something adorably "real". Three drinks if she trips and falls. Leo’s date is his mother. Host Chris Rock makes three or more jokes about the Oscars’ diversity problem. A non-human presents an award. Three drinks if it’s Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2 or BB-8. Winner thanks God or Jesus. Winner pays tribute to their "extraordinary" fellow nominees. Winner is played off by the orchestra. Winner describes their film as "important". Winner describes their film’s director as "a genius" and/or "visionary". Kate Winslet talks on the red carpet about how happy she is for her "best friend" Leo. Two Sips Chris Rock dresses up as the other black storm-trooper. Sylvester Stallone wins for Best Supporting Actor in Creed and delivers his speech using only the ‘A’ and ‘O’ vowels. Chris Rock asks if Meryl Streep wouldn’t mind giving Kanye a few of her Oscars to melt down and pay off some of his debt. Winner describes their film’s director as "a high-functioning sociopath". Travolta jokes that Scientology documentary Going Clear was "the best comedy of the year". Tom Cruise and Will Smith laugh heartily. Paul Haggis does not. Ryan Reynolds arrives dressed as Deadpool, just so no one forgets he’s finally had a hit. Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson perform a scene from Ex Machina dressed as Poe Dameron and General Hux. You’ve actually heard of one of the nominees for Documentary Short Subject or Foreign Language Film. Three Sips Bryan Cranston wins Best Actor for Trumbo. Pulls face mask off to reveal he’s actually Dalton Trumbo. Chris Rock explains how he thought The Big Short was just a Tom Cruise biopic. Joaquin Phoenix comes dressed as a 19th century blacksmith. Winner thanks Allah or Mohammed. Jennifer Jason Leigh begins her acceptance speech with "REMEMBER ME!?" and then cackles maniacally until she’s forcibly removed from the stage. Kate Winslet’s accent changes markedly throughout her acceptance speech in a nod to her performance in Steve Jobs. Having scored acclaim for his last two roles as a cosmologist with a motor neurone disease and a transgender artist, Eddie Redmayne asks if anyone wants to cast him as an electrician or a plumber. Ridley Scott and/or Harrison Ford offers a plausible reason for making a sequel to Bladerunner that doesn’t include the words "pay cheque". You’ve actually seen one of the nominees for Documentary Short Subject or Foreign Language Film. Finish Your Drink DiCaprio declines to accept his award. God appears and says he can only claim credit for the Best Sound Editing winner. The performance of 'Earned It' from Fifty Shades of Grey features five minutes of graphic S&M on stage. Winner for Spotlight thanks the Catholic Church "for making all of this possible". Peter Jackson announces plans to turn his valet parking receipt into an epic nine hour trilogy. Chris Rock doesn’t mention the Oscars’ diversity problem but performs a song and dance number in white face.
Superheroes are taking over Brisbane — and if you're a fan, it's marvellous. Between May 27 and September 3, Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe brings caped crusaders, their costumes, props and the artistry that makes them soar — both on the page and on the screen — to the entire ground floor of the Gallery of Modern Art. Featuring more than 500 objects (including more than 60 costumes), the exhibition provides a peek behind the scenes of one of the biggest film franchises ever made. In fact, it's the largest amassing of Marvel movie artefacts of its kind in the world, ever. You could dub it a blockbuster, and you'd be right. Launching the exhibition, QAGOMA director Chris Saines was eager to explain that some of the items on display have Chris Hemsworth's DNA on them; however getting up close to objects touched and worn by Thor — including on the forthcoming Thor: Ragnarok, which was shot on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane last year — is just part of the fun. Casting your eyes over original and concept artwork, exploring the interconnected realm that has been splashed across cinemas for the past decade, and playing with the pre-and post-production techniques behind the movie magic are also on offer. Indeed, Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe endeavours to show that popular mainstream entertainment and art can be one and the same, especially given the level of detail that goes into both comic books and their movie adaptations. Walking through areas dedicated to the exhibition's three key themes — 'The Cinematic Assembled', 'Decoding the Universe' and 'Behind the Scenes' — delves into both individual and interconnected narratives, and highlights the creativity involved on a movie as well as an overall cinematic universe level. Along the way, you'll say "I am Groot" to giant humanoid trees, pretend you're a smart-talking racoon, peer into a yet-to-be-seen planet and star in your own Marvel poster too. Discovering the full collection is something best experienced for yourself, and, if you can make it to GOMA before September, here's five things to look out for. THE ASGARDIAN THRONE ROOM The eagerly anticipated Thor: Ragnarok mightn't hit cinemas until October; however Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe offers a glimpse of just what's in store (don't worry, there's no plot spoilers). You can't miss the giant, gleaming throne room that takes centre stage in the exhibition, and nor would you want to. Just look at it! Costumes and weaponry from 2013's Thor: The Dark World also feature. HULK'S BED Speaking of Asgard and its famous warrior, he's not alone in his next cinema outing. The giant green mass of muscles that is the Hulk is set to tear things up on screen — and, as you'll see here, take a rest as well. What kind of bed does the Hulk sleep on? This one. Saying that it's huge is an understatement — this photo really doesn't do it justice. Also on display are his weapons, which make Thor's mighty mjolnir seem absolutely tiny in comparison. IRON MAN'S SUITS He's the reason the Marvel Cinematic Universe even exists, and, in typical Tony Stark style, he gets his own room. It was back in 2008 when Iron Man demonstrated that the world wanted more superhero movies, and one of the suits from that pioneering flick lines GOMA's walls — alongside versions from 2010's Iron Man 2 and 2013's Iron Man 3. As you can see, over the years he's had quite a few upgrades. THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF SPIDER-MAN Spider-Man just keeps slinging his way into cinemas, but 57 years ago, he was only starting to crawl his way across paper. With the initial movie in what will be his third film series in the past 15 years due to drop in July, checking out the first piece of artwork to feature his image proves quite a timely experience. It might seem amazing now, but these kinds of things were usually thrown away back in the day — no one knew just what a big deal they'd become. DOCTOR STRANGE'S MIND-BENDING WORLD Every one of the 15 films that comprise the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date is represented in the exhibition — and, thanks to the forthcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming and Thor: Ragnarok, the 16th and 17th flicks too. Doctor Strange mightn't get quite as much space as some of the bigger titles, but the GOMA folks sure know how to make the movie's costumes stand out. With Inception-like visuals playing a bit part in the flick, expect to witness them in person thanks to some mirrored fun. Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe is on display at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art from May 27 to September 3. For more information, visit the exhibition website. Images: Sarah Ward and Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe' Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, 2017 / © 2017 MARVEL.
You'd be a real boob to pass on Redfern's arts bar and creative space, The Bearded Tit. Named after a moustachioed song-bird, this is a place where colourful characters flock. The Bearded Tit sits on the quiet side of Regent Street, surrounded by residential buildings, office spaces and convenience stores, as well as a couple of killer cafes and bakeries. That is, until you reach number 183. Inside, it's a museum of oddities, where the weird and wonderful come together in a circus of colour and activity. Leave your inhibitions at the door by the collection of crocheted penises (or whatever other alternative selection of items is on display when you visit). There are barber chairs, fruit chandeliers and a taxidermy boar playing the trumpet — you get the idea. For so much zaniness, the cocktail list is surprisingly sober, with a short selection of time-honoured classics and a few house signatures. On tap, take your pick from Philter XPA, Shark Island Lager, Grifter's Serpent's Kiss Pilsner or the Tit Ale which is the team's own specialty brew. While The Bearded Tit doesn't have a proper kitchen, it does plate up some pretty good food. Try the Starving Artist Plate which is described as "a fat serve of creative fuel on the cheap". It includes cheddar cheese, cabanossi, cured sausages, Sicilian olives & Jatz crackers. You can also try a classic hotdog or a vegan alternative, with a bunch of toppings added — think pickles, sauerkraut, cheddar and vegan cheese, chilli sauce and all your usual condiments. With a revolving cultural program of arts and music regularly released on the website, you can guarantee a good lark at The Bearded Tit. Images: Katje Ford. Updated Tuesday, March 21, 2023 Appears in: The Best Bars in Sydney
Sydney bakeries these days are in hot competition for your dough. There aren't many left just churning out simple loaves of white bread — now it's all about sourdough, fruit loaves, croissants, cronuts and cruffins. But not all of them rise to the occasion, so we're here to sort out which establishments you knead to visit, and which crumby ones you can be gluten-free of. It's the Concrete Playground Crust-See Sydney Bakery list — so use your loaf and follow it. BOURKE STREET BAKERY It's been written about, blogged about, hyped by almost every foodie and has queues out the door every single day — so is Bourke Street Bakery actually all that good? Um yes. Yes it is. One bite of their buttery and crisp ginger brulee tart and you'll be working out how you can schedule in a visit here every day of the week. The loaves of bread for sale are excellent — all the sourdoughs are solid and last for about a week, but the fig and cranberry is our favourite served toasted with butter or with ham and brie for an incredible sandwich. The beef brisket pie and lamb and harissa sausage rolls are so good you won't even need a squeezy packet of tomato sauce. Grab a dark chocolate and sour cherry cookie for later — you won't regret it. Various locations, but the original is 633 Bourke Street, Surry Hills IGGY'S BREAD There's a reason so many cafes around Sydney trumpet the fact that they use Iggy's bread on their menus. It's got an intensity of flavour, a solid crumb and a chewy density that somehow never feels too heavy. The queues spilling down the street will alert you to exactly where this humble shopfront is, though the staff are efficient and the wait is never all that long. The dark rye is our pick — malty and slightly sweet, it's perfect paired with fresh tomato, avocado and just a sprinkle of salt. The cranberry pecan rolls are also amazing warm with a dab of butter. Textbook croissants and legit bagels are perfect morning snacks, as you trot home with the weekend's bread wrapped snugly in your bag. 49 Belgrave Street, Bronte BREADFERN We like puns. We also like the smell of hot, fresh bread spreading through the streets of Redfern. Breadfern's ethical and organic approach to bread making also ticks a lot of boxes, as do their custard tarts and cheesy spinach rolls. In short, there is a whole lot to love at this corner bakery. Run by the legends at Tapeo (literally across the road, and yes they use their own bread in those legendary breakfasts that you've probably inhaled many times), all the loaves are made daily and onsite. Tuck a crusty olive sourdough under your arm to take home, but first grab a chicken pie and chocolate caramel tart to smash in the park that's also literally across the road. 308 Chalmers Street, Redfern OREGANO BAKERY It's like a sweet snowstorm. What seems like three kilos of icing sugar is somehow packed on top of the best cinnamon scroll you've ever tasted, all buttery gnarled layers coated in spicy deliciousness. The scrolls at Oregano Bakery may have made this place famous, but their pizzas are also mindblowingly good — try a 'meat pizza' with lamb, onion, tomato and herbs scattered across a traditional Lebanese-style pizza base. But you'll want to save room for those scrolls, whether you go for the cookies and cream, salted caramel or tahini and sesame you won't be disappointed. Grab a box to take home — they'll disappear in minutes. 56 Connells Point Road, South Hurstville GLENORIE BAKERY There's outdoor seating, a decent breakfast menu and award-winning pies but it's the quality of the bread that keeps us going back to the Glenorie Bakery. The seven-seed sourdough is golden brown, crusty and coated with seeds – hunks of it are perfect with a hearty winter soup. The ciabatta is great to take on a picnic with some sliced meats and cheeses. You may also get distracted here by the pastry counter – dozens of éclairs, tarts, cupcakes and other sweet treats vie for your attention. The quiches are also better than your average bakery, while the beefy meat pie has been voted Sydney's best in past years so try one to see if it makes your list. Shop 4, Old Northern Road, Glenorie GOOSE BAKERY It's the pastries that set this place apart. Croissants that are somehow dense with butter, yet light and flaky. Try one of them spiked on top with toasted coconut for a flavour combo you will want to come back for. The golden danishes and brioche studded with fruit are also worthy partners to the bracing cups of coffee served here. It will come as no surprise that the owners and bakers trained at Bourke Street Bakery — the cake counter and loaves of bread wordlessly attest to that. The only real shock is that this place doesn't yet have massive queues out the door, despite the incredible reasonably priced breakfast menu. 38 Ross Street, Forest Lodge SONOMA Another bread brand that Sydney restaurants and cafes boast on menus about stocking, Sonoma sourdough loaves are dense, chewy and delicious — reflecting the years of work that went into perfecting the recipe in the NSW country town of Bellata. The family-run business now has seven cafes spread across Sydney selling this bread, as well as treats like the signature 'Morning Bun' that's like a cronut on citrusy steroids. The cafes also take coffee super seriously, so make sure you grab a takeaway when you pop in for a morning loaf. Various locations including 32 Birmingham Street, Alexandria BAKEHOUSE ON WENTWORTH Maybe it's the cold mountain air, maybe it's the hike we just finished but the pies at Bakehouse on Wentworth are just totally irresistible. The beef and Guinness has crisp, short pastry and rich gravy as well as recognisable chunks of wonderful quality beef. The almond croissant is also worth a mention — it tastes of actual almond meal rather than artificial almond flavouring. Loaves of bread are also available for takeaway — the garlic loaf has whole cloves of caramelised garlic studded across the top. Keep the winter vibes going and rustle up a casserole to serve it alongside. 105 Wentworth Street, Blackheath ST HONORE Good French-style bread is surprisingly hard to find in Sydney. Finding a baguette with a light, moist crumb and chewy intensity of flavour is rare in this city of sourdough, but St Honore wears its Coeur on its sleeve, serving traditional, excellent loaves and breadsticks. The sourdough here is also excellent, with a starter that's been passed down so long that a baker tells me he's not quite sure exactly how old it is. Add in moist banana bread, creamy and moreish fruit tarts and a large variety of choux pastry treats and you're in for a French flavour explosion. 2/40 Miller Street, North Sydney KNAFEH It's a bakery, but not as you've ever seen it before. This pop-up bakery is inside a shipping crate, and moves locations every couple of days. You won't find loaves of sourdough inside – instead turn your attention to a plate of their namesake 'knafeh' dessert – pronounced ku-nah-feh – which is sort of like a baked cheese pudding with a crunchy coating. It's served piping hot and has a stretchy, oozing quality. You add your own sugar syrup so make it as sweet as you like – and don't even think about sharing because you'll want the plate all to yourself. It moves – check their Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for the latest location HONOURABLE MENTIONS Infinity Sourdough Luxe Bakery Wild Cockatoo Black Star Pastry Brickfields Top image: Oregano Bakery. All other images c/o venue except Breadfern (Shannon Connellan).
If you're the sort of person who already has a hard time heaving yourself out of bed each morning, best look away now. The aesthetically gifted comfort connoisseurs at luxury lifestyle and homewares label In Bed have today opened the doors to their first bricks-and-mortar store. And, yep, it's the embodiment of those dreamy photos you've swooned over on the brand's online store and journal. The 80-square-metre Paddington flagship store has been imagined with the help of interiors experts We Are Triibe, using natural timbers and warm tones to create a home-like space that's stylish, comfy and downright aspirational. A mix of custom furniture and designs from Made by Morgan and Hay help bring the Sydney-based label's curation to life, including a specially commissioned camphor laurel dining table from Exit Eighty Six, which you'll probably want to take home along with the rest of your haul. In Bed's full range of kitchen, bath, bedding and home textiles products will be on show here, alongside a selection of pieces from brands like Wingnut & Co, Tara Burke, Henry Wilson and Walk in the Park. Keep your eyes peeled for a range of exclusive products and in-store events in the future, too. "We wanted to create a unique retail experience that brings the ideas and personality behind In Bed to life," explained the label's founder and director Pip Vassett. "We're excited to really connect with our customers in person". In Bed's flagship store is now open at 72B Oxford Street, Paddington. For more info, visit inbedstore.com.
If you've spent more than a few weeks in southeast Queensland, then you've heard someone wax lyrical about their last trip to Noosa. The Sunshine Coast may be filled with coastal towns and suburbs perfect for short and long stays, however, there's just something about the region around the Noosa River and Noosa National Park that continues to lure visitors in. Perhaps it's the siren's song that is Hastings Street, with its strip of shops and cafes located just a stone's throw from the beach (and no, we're not exaggerating). Perhaps it's the choose your own adventure factor of this vibrant, multifaceted area, which doesn't just offer up the more touristy experience seen in the main drag. Head to the North Shore, and you're in sand dune and bushland territory. Hop over to the other side of the river, and you may as well be in a sleepy little place with a much, much smaller population. Or, maybe it's the just fact that at 138 kilometres north of Brisbane, Noosa is far enough away to feel like you've been on a decent road trip, but still close enough to conquer in a couple of hours — exactly what you need to make a weekend of it. So, just what should you do after trekking up the Bruce Highway on a Friday evening? Here's how to spend a few days and nights there. EAT/DRINK Any place that boasts its own chocolate factory is all right in our books. Alas, the Noosa Chocolate Factory doesn't actually have a store in town — and while its factory can be found in Noosaville, that's not open to the public. Don't despair: there's plenty of other tasty things to eat, so you're never going to be hungry. Trust us, you'll forget all about your desire to relive Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in no time. In fact, run — don't walk — to Wasabi. The Japanese eatery whips local ingredients, as plucked from the owner's farm, into the kind of taste explosion that'll have you spending too long trying to pick from the menu. Luckily, they also have just the option for eager but indecisive diners: omakase, or 'let the chef decide'. Over your choice of seven or nine courses with optional matching wines, you'll discover the absolute best dishes the restaurant has to offer. We also recommend keeping an eye on their calendar of bespoke events for one-off offerings like sake brewing and ceramic-plated degustation. Of course, if you're hanging out near Hastings, you'll have no shortage of food options. In fact, you could spend your whole weekend eating your way along the street, one restaurant and meal at a time. Make sure beachfront haunt Sails is on your agenda if you're after a fancy bite with a fantastic view (plus the best potato bread you're likely to munch on). If you're a seafood fan, keep treating yo'self at Noosa Beach House Peter Kuruvita, while Locale has Italian-style feasts covered. Bistro C is an ideal brekkie spot, complete with the mouthwatering Yaddah's Breakfast of walnut and pomegranate hummus, olives, goats cheese, muhammara, boiled egg, heritage tomatoes and sesame crackers. And if you want something a bit greasier, you can't go past Betty's Burgers. It's not just the titular bundles of meat and bread that's the attraction here, but their Shake Shack-style frozen custard desserts known as 'concretes', which are available in everything from apple pie to strawberry doughnut to banana peanut butter cup flavours. So, that's your stomach taken care of, but what about your hankering for cheeky weekend beverage? If the salty sea air is making you thirsty, then Noosa Boathouse's Sunset Bar serves up $9 Noosa River Slings — and yes, it's a 'when in Noosa' kind of thing, obviously. Village Bicycle on Noosa Drive is your go-to low-key haunt, particularly if you want to pair a beer with some pub food, while just trying not to spend a whole boozy afternoon perusing the hefty beverage list at Noosville's Flux Lounge is pretty much impossible. But, if whiskey is your tipple of choice, there's only one place to drop into. That'd be Whisky Boy. Yep, this kitchen and bar delivers exactly what it promises. DO Seriously, where do we start? Or, perhaps the better question is: what kind of a weekend trip are you after? Let's kick off with the outdoors activities everyone heads to a beach spot for. Basically, in Noosa, you can select any stretch of sand and find something going on (or a form of water toy to hire), or just pick a nice patch to put out your towel, catch some rays and marvel at that deep blue sea. Or, given that Noosa is one of the country's national surfing reserves, take some surfing lessons and be on your way to pretending you're Keanu in Point Break in no time. Plus, if you time your stay just right, you might just get to see a pack of pooches do the same at the annual Surfing Dog Spectacular. Surefire golden memories come from making your own destiny, rather than following a prescribed plan, which is why just cruising around by foot, 4WD or boat really is the ideal way to spend a day or so here. Hikers should head to the coastal track in Noosa National Park, where you'll come across secluded swimming spots and perhaps even spy a few pods of dolphins or whales. Whether you've brought your own or you need to rent one, driving along North Shore's dunes in a 4WD is probably the closest you're ever going to get to feeling like you're in an action movie, with the added bonus of stunning scenery. And if you'd prefer to take to the water, we heartily recommend hiring a boat — the kind you don't need a license for, don't stress — and pottering around the Noosa River. It's the perfect way to go fishing and see scenic sights at the same time. Plus, most come with barbecues, so you can cook what you catch (maybe bring some lunch along with you, just in case). If you're an indoorsy type or just after something not so strenuous, you can still expect to have a heap of fun. Peruse galleries galore, both in Noosa itself and within the surrounding area. Making a Saturday morning trip to the famous Original Eumundi Markets may as well be compulsory if you're travelling by car — and it's a place where you can grab tasty food to take home with you, plus browse for all the arty trinkets your heart desires. And while we won't list all the other touristy activities on offer up and down the Sunshine Coast, we will nudge you in the direction of the Majestic Theatre in nearby Pomona. It's Queensland's longest-operating picture theatre, and it now dedicates its screens to showing silent movies. STAY Expect all types of accommodation in Noosa; it is one of the region's biggest tourist drawcards, after all. If you're happy living it up in the great outdoors, then embrace the experience that is camping at Noosa North Shore Campground. You really can't get much closer to nature than this — but make sure you book well in advance. Need more mod cons? That's okay, we understand. Keep in the thick of it by picking one of the many hotels on Hastings Street. Plenty of the options will test your bank balance, but hey, who doesn't want to stay in luxury on the beachfront every once in a while? On the Beach offers penthouses and suites with private balconies and spa baths, so that's as good a reason to check in there as any. Seahaven includes three heated pools in case it's too cold for a dip in the neighbouring ocean. And at the more affordable end of the scale, there's the cute, newly refurbished 10 Hastings Boutique Motel & Cafe. Yes, you can eat there as well. [caption id="attachment_580701" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Flickr.[/caption] ALRIGHT, LET'S DO THIS Noosa is a 90-minute drive north of Brisbane via the Bruce Highway. Trains from Brisbane stop at Nambour and Cooroy, with connecting buses available. Anyone looking to hop on a plane up from New South Wales or Victoria should book a flight to Sunshine Coast Airport, which is located 30 minutes away. Top image: Daisy R.
Get excited, cinephiles. One of the biggest film festivals in the world just wrapped up for another year, after unveiling a wealth of new movies from around the globe over a jam-packed 11-day period. And even if you weren't at this year's 69th Berlin International Film Festival — enjoying the brisk but not unbearably frosty German winter, and sneaking in a few schnapps and schnitzels while rushing between cinemas — this huge, high-profile annual fest always brings good news. Between February 7–17, the highlights were many, especially for anyone looking to add a whole heap of flicks to their must-see list. Among the official competition titles sat everything from blistering dramas to topical real-life tales, as judged by the likes of Juliette Binoche, Toni Erdmann actor Sandra Hüller and A Fantastic Woman filmmaker Sebastián Lelio. Elsewhere, the stars and stories kept flowing, including Jonah Hill's first stint as a feature film director, Tilda Swinton sharing the screen with — and getting outshone by — her daughter, and an essential music documentary finally seeing the light of day. And it wouldn't be a Berlinale without a few controversies, including the last-minute withdrawal of Zhang Yimou's Cultural Revolution drama One Second and the grim reception received by Fatih Akin's serial killer flick The Golden Glove, which earned a hefty amount of walkouts. After emerging from Berlin's many, many picture palaces, that's just the short version. Here's the long round-up — aka the ten movies that'll hopefully be headed to Australian screens. These are the films that stuck in our head beyond the hustle and bustle. Fingers crossed that they'll be hitting a local cinema sometime soon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9Al2nC0vzY THE SOUVENIR With The Souvenir, another Swinton becomes an acting powerhouse. Honor Swinton Byrne stars in this 80s drama about aspiring filmmaker Julie and her older boyfriend Anthony (Tom Burke) — and while Tilda Swinton also features as her kindly mother, this is the younger Swinton's show. Struggling to pursue her passion and falling hopelessly for someone who's not quite who he seems, Julie's tale might seem familiar. And yet, with writer/director Joanna Hogg turning her own life into this stunning fictional effort, and unafraid to take aim at love, life, ambition and middle-class privilege, the film becomes a deeply moving adult coming-of-age story. Elegantly and insightfully scripted, lensed and performed, The Souvenir also acts as its own memento, leaving an imprint that lingers long after its frames have stopped rolling. [caption id="attachment_710369" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] © Guy Ferrandis / SBS Films[/caption] SYNONYMS A highly worthy winner of Berlinale's Golden Bear, the festival's top prize, Synonyms refuses easy categorisation. It's a fish-out-of-water affair, following young Israeli Yoav (Tom Mercier) upon his arrival in Paris, but it's also a savvy take on today's fragmented world, a blistering character study about a man who refuses to be pinned down, and a ruminative reflection upon the difficulties of starting life anew, even by choice. Yoav is eager to put his Tel Aviv days behind him as quickly as possible, renouncing his homeland, refusing to speak another word of Hebrew and doing whatever it takes to become French; however, his transition is far from straightforward. Mercier is electrifying in his first acting role, while filmmaker Nadav Lapid draws upon his own experiences to cement his spot as a rising directorial star. [caption id="attachment_710361" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] © BBP LOML[/caption] LIGHT OF MY LIFE The world mightn't necessarily need a Casey Affleck-written and directed survivalist movie about a father, his pre-teen daughter and a post-apocalyptic world otherwise absent of women. It mightn't seem to need a mash-up of Leave No Trace, Children of Men and The Handmaid's Tale either. But that's exactly what the Manchester By the Sea Oscar-winner delivers in his first fictional helming effort (although mockumentary I'm Still Here almost counts), and Light of My Life lives up to its concept and the obvious comparisons it inspires. Thoughtful and heartfelt from start to finish, Affleck's feature uses its dystopian premise to ponder the struggles of parenting a child who'll eventually need to make their own way in life. On screen, the actor-turned-filmmaker is at his nuanced best playing a man trying to protect his curious offspring (Anna Pniowsky) from the harsh reality of her existence, while his young co-star brightens up the movie in a manner wholly befitting its title. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JywE77VYpWc BY THE GRACE OF GOD Exploring sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, By the Grace of God was always going to prove both topical and sorrowful, regardless of its timing. Based on a real-life French case, the film's ripped-from-the-headlines storyline has recently seen two figures portrayed within its frames take legal action, in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to block its release. In Australia, the movie arrives hot on the heels of high-profile local legal proceedings; however, the anger, dismay and empathy the Silver Bear recipient inspires is all its own. Focusing on three men (Melvil Poupaud, Denis Ménochet and Swann Arlaud) who were inappropriately taken advantage of by the same priest (Bernard Verley) as children, this is a measured, moving, sensitive and sobering picture from filmmaker François Ozon, who ventures worlds away from previous efforts such as Swimming Pool and Young & Beautiful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO6avRMFGSQ MID90s Thanks to all-girl flick Skate Kitchen and Oscar-nominated documentary Minding the Gap, the past year has ushered in a new golden age for teen-focused skateboarding films. Mid90s falls happily in the middle of both — exploring the exploits of a group of kick-flipping guys in a way that's both dreamily nostalgic and tenderly clear-eyed — and firmly belongs on the list. Marking Jonah Hill's first full-length solo effort as a writer and director, it follows 13-year-old Stevie (Sunny Suljic). The shy kid wants nothing more than to ollie his way around LA with his new older pals Ray (Na-Kel Smith), Fuckshit (Olan Prenatt), Fourth Grade (Ryder McLaughlin) and Ruben (Gio Galicia), despite the wishes of his worried single mum (Katherine Waterston). As well as getting devastatingly naturalistic performances out of his cast, Hill directs this blast from the past exactly as it demands, with every inch feeling like the product of someone who's been there and seen it, even if he hasn't strictly lived through it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylJrxh-4MG8 VARDA BY AGNES Two years after gifting the world Faces Places, her delightful and insightful documentary about placing oversized portraits of villagers around the French countryside, Agnès Varda returns with another factual effort that's just as wonderful. While the cinema legend co-directed her last movie with much-younger artist JR, this time around she's back on her own, as the 90-year-old has been for much of her 65-year filmmaking career. Indeed, her lengthy life behind the lens is the subject of Varda by Agnes, with the inimitable figure taking viewers through her career as only she can. Spanning from her French New Wave beginnings to her adoption of digital technology, this is a self-portrait, a celebration and a masterclass — and, as always, it's an absolute pleasure spending time in Varda's company. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPdqXdN-Xtg AMAZING GRACE Told on screen via text, the story behind concert documentary Amazing Grace is worth its own movie. Over two nights in January 1972, Aretha Franklin recorded her best-selling gospel album of the same name at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, with the Southern California Community Choir as backing singers, and with filmmaker Sydney Pollack on hand to capture the whole thing. But, due to both technical and legal issues — including Franklin suing to stop the movie's belated release before her death — the end result hasn't made it to the big screen until now. 47 years is a long time to wait; however, this doco is worth it. Amazing Grace is joyous for many reasons, from witnessing the Queen of Soul's talent, to paying tribute in an intimate fashion, to seeing the effect of faith and artistry on the on-screen audience. And when Franklin sings the title track for 11 minutes, its a moment no one will forget in a hurry. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTWLFlWJEWs GHOST TOWN ANTHOLOGY There's an alluring mood to this French-Canadian film, which isn't quite a horror flick but certainly isn't a standard drama either. An atmospheric kindred spirit to the Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara-starring A Ghost Story from 2017, of sorts, Ghost Town Anthology enters the remote Quebec village of Irénée-les-Neiges, population 215. Suddenly, after an accident, that number drops to 214, and the townsfolk don't know how to cope. Grief is an immensely difficult feeling to convey on screen, but Denis Côté's haunting movie does a stellar job of capturing the deep-seated yearning to reunite with lost loved ones — and the unnerving impact when mysterious figures start popping up around the tiny locale. The grainy effect of shooting on 16mm certainly enhances Ghost Town Anthology's ethereal tone, as does its willingness to let images and actions speak louder than words. SKIN It has been 19 years since Jamie Bell danced his way into audience's hearts in Billy Elliot, with his character escaping a harsh home life and a narrow view of masculinity through ballet. In Skin, the British actor is covered in tattoos and sports a shaved head as real-life figure Bryon Widner — and while the American white supremacist doesn't take to dance, he's similarly trapped in a restrictive environment and subconsciously yearning to break free. Widner's path changes when he meets a single mother (Danielle Macdonald), turns away from the right-wing scene and tries to say goodbye to his hate-spewing pseudo parents (Vera Farmiga and Bill Camp). Directed by Oscar-winning short filmmaker Guy Nattiv, Skin might be blunt as it charts Widner's journey; however, thanks to a potent performance from Bell and his co-stars, it's always effective. [caption id="attachment_710366" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] © Rafael Winer[/caption] BUOYANCY In recent years, Australian filmmakers have explored the plight of refugees and immigrants in a variety of compelling ways — in hard-hitting documentary Chasing Asylum, in the more meditative Island of the Hungry Ghosts, and now in Buoyancy. Shot in Cambodia and Thailand, and spoken in Khmer, Thai and Burmese, this Aussie drama examines human trafficking, with 14-year-old Chakra (Sarm Heng) leaving life on the rice fields in search of something more, but finding himself tricked into slave labour on a fishing trawler. Informed by real-life experiences, Rodd Rathjen's feature debut doesn't pull its punches, as Chakra's time at sea proves bleak and brutal to say the least. Indeed, every moment and frame is designed to immerse viewers in the boy's despairing, a feat that the film achieves.
Bring your family, your mates and your dogs — along with your sandy feet — to the newly reopened harbourside sports club Mosman Rowers. Now managed by Bird & Bear Group (The Sandy Bear, The Flying Bear & Foys), the century-old clubhouse boasts a brand new fit-out and an elevated pub offering across three levels. First up is Archie Bear cafe, a 100 seater slinging coffees, breakfast and long lunches, plus dinner on the weekends. Designed by Studio Etic (Barangaroo House), it has floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook an expansive outdoor deck and the bay views beyond. Inside, there are polished timber floors, brass and gold finishes and a fireplace for the cooler months ahead. Brekkie includes classic bacon and egg rolls alongside green breakfast bowls and maple granola with stewed rhubarb and mint. Meanwhile, the lunch and dinner menus focus on share plates like Sydney rock oysters, baby squid with lemon and aioli and antipasti plates — think prosciutto, burrata, olives and flatbread. There's also a selection of salads and sandwiches, such as the soba noodle salad with poached chicken and soy-lime dressing, and the wagyu pastrami reuben with raclette, sweet and spicy pickles, coleslaw and smoky sauce. One level up is The Rowers Bar, which offers its own bar snacks and mains, as well as another 100 seats. For bar bites, there are wagyu sliders and rice paper rolls with daikon and water chestnuts. Larger dishes include the zucchini pasta with lemon, chilli and basil and grilled barramundi with butter bean puree and bean salad. Compared with the bright digs downstairs, the heritage interior upstairs boasts low-lighting, warm timber tones and nautical vibes. Expect more brass trimming here, too, alongside terrazzo table tops, navy leather banquettes and a marble bar with 11 beers on tap. The wider drinks list will be up for grabs in both venues, including R!ot Wine Co. rosé on tap, seasonal cocktails — try the spicy margarita or melon fizz — and an extensive local and global wine list. Plus Pimm's, spritzes and white sangria jugs for sharing. There'll be heaps of weekly specials on too, including $6 beers and house wines during weekday happy hour, $12 spritzes from 3–6pm on Saturdays and $20 beer buckets and cocktail jugs on Sundays. While the venue will remain a registered club — with a private members space on the top level — non-members can access the lower two levels by signing up (free of charge) as a temporary member. The waterside digs will remain a community hub for activities such as rowing, paddling and kayaking, with a reinvigorated member events calendar in the works. Archie Bear is open Monday through Wednesday from 7.30am–3.30pm and Thursday through Sunday from 7.30am until late. Opening hours for The Rowers Bar is open Monday through Friday from 4pm until late and Saturday through Sunday from noon until late.
When Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi invited the world to experience the vampire sharehouse mockumentary genre, one of the best comedies of the decade wasn't the only result. Every film seems to spawn sequels, remakes, spinoffs and the like these days, but no one's complaining about spending more time in the What We Do in the Shadows universe. A follow-up, We're Wolves, is in the works, focusing on the undead bloodsuckers' Rhys Darby-led lycanthrope enemies. So is six-episode television spinoff Wellington Paranormal, following the movie's cops (Mike Minogue and Karen O'Leary) as they keep investigating the supernatural, and expected to air in New Zealand mid this year. Add a US TV remake of the original flick to the pile as well, but withhold any "do we really need a remake?" judgement. First revealed by Waititi last year, given a pilot order earlier in 2018 and now officially moving ahead with a 10-episode first season, the American version will be written by Clement and directed by Waititi, The Hollywood Reporter notes — and will see a documentary crew follow three vampire flatmates living in New York City, according to Variety. The series will star Toast of London's Matt Berry, Four Lions' Kayvan Novak, British stand-up comedian Natasia Demetriou and The Magicians' Harvey Guillen. It's unknown whether Clement and Waititi will reprise their on-screen roles in a guest capacity. With What We Do in the Shadows actually starting its life as a short back in 2005, the concept of flatting members of the undead arguing about bloody dishes has taken quite the journey since those early beginnings. If any idea was going to come back in multiple guises, it's this one. Of course, so have Clement and Waititi. Clement has a new Flight of the Conchords TV special airing on HBO this month, while Waititi two post-Thor: Ragnarok flicks in the works — a stop-motion animated effort called Bubbles, about Michael Jackson's chimp, and another by the name of Jojo Rabbit, set during World War II and starring Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell. As for feasting your eyes into What We Do in the Shadows' new TV version, fans will have to wait until next year. The US remake isn't set to air in America until early-to-mid 2019. Via The Hollywood Reporter / Variety. Image: Kane Skennar.
Lewis Hamilton has called F1 "the most-authentic racing film you will ever experience in a cinema". "Audiences around the globe are going to feel like they're on the track and in the driver's seat," the superstar driver — who is one of the film's producers — has also advised. Director Joseph Kosinski, who knows a thing or two about making immersive high-octane movies thanks to 2022 smash Top Gun: Maverick, has talked about his determination "to make it authentic" and to represent the sport "in the absolute best way we could", including via collaborating with Hamilton and other Formula 1 insiders. F1 shot on real Formula 1 race weekends. Stars Brad Pitt (Wolfs) and Damson Idris (Snowfall) do their own driving, too. The world will discover how the end result turns out in cinemas Down Under from Thursday, June 26, 2025 — but if you'd like a taste of the flick's commitment to authenticity and immersion in advance, Apple's new haptic trailer will do the trick. Across the past few months, F1 has dropped multiple trailers, but its latest sneak peek is different — because it isn't just about watching. If you have an iPhone, Apple wants you to feel this glimpse at the film. It means that literally. That's where the haptics come in, with your iPhone vibrating as engines rev and roar throughout the trailer. Why Apple? Because, although F1 definitely has a date with cinemas and has been made for the big screen, the technology company's Apple Original Films is behind it. Accordingly, eventually it'll join Apple TV+'s catalogue — but long after it speeds into cinemas. This Formula 1 racing thriller tasks Pitt with feeling the need for speed as a former driver who returns to the track. Fictional team APXGP is at its centre, with Pitt as Sonny Hayes and Idris as his colleague Joshua Pearce — and reaching the sport's heights is their aim. Also featuring on-screen: Kerry Condon (Skeleton Crew) and Javier Bardem (Dune: Part Two), giving the movie a recent Oscar-nominee (for The Banshees of Inisherin), plus another winner (for No Country for Old Men) alongside Pitt. Tobias Menzies (Manhunt), Sarah Niles (Fallen), Kim Bodnia (Nefarious) and Samson Kayo (House of the Dragon) co-star as well. Hamilton's involvement comes courtesy of his Dawn Apollo Films production company. The feature is also being badged as a collaboration with the Formula 1 community, spanning its teams, drivers and promoters. Check out the regular trailers for F1 below — and hit up Apple's website via an iPhone for the haptic trailer. F1 releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, June 26, 2025. Check out the haptic trailer via Apple — and read what Joseph Kosinski and Lewis Hamilton told us about the film.
Gin has come a long way in the past few years. Once relegated to the back of your nana's pantry, reserved for particularly rough nights on the bingo circuit, this infamous clear spirit is now front and centre in Australia's bars. With tonic and citrus, it's your ideal summer refreshment, and in its various other forms it's the perfect winter warmer. Though Australia doesn't have a huge part to play in today's World Gin Day celebrations — c'mon it's still the most British thing around since bangers and mash — we do sure love to drink it all the same. So, in honour of this spirit that's known less as a drink and more of a mascara thinner, we've compiled our favourite creations. Swing by the bottle-o on your way home, roll up your sleeves and get a little classy — here are five perfect ways to toast World Gin Day (or any other day for that matter). Negroni This Italian classic is not for the faint-hearted. A more alcoholic version of the Americano, this hard-core aperetif is perfect for a luxurious nightcap or after-dinner punch in the mouth. While the other spirits definitely dwarf the flavour of the gin, it's also a stereotypically gin-drinker's beverage — no nonsense, no fuss, and no prisoners. 30 ml gin 30 ml Campari 30 ml sweet vermouth orange rind Method: Stir and pour over ice in short glass. Drink: In the comfort of a leather armchair in the smoking room of a swanky Italian restaurant. Gin Fizz This is a fun, summery drink with a bunch of variations. Though each cocktail bar likes to put their own spin on this versatile hit, anything with St Germain or elderflower liqueur is guaranteed to be a winner. With the rich flavour of rosemary thrust among the citrus tang of the lemon, this is a drink any cocktail pro will rave about (and happily sit on all night). 30ml gin 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 30ml elderflower liqueur 1 lemon slice 1 rosemary sprig soda Method: Shake alcohol and lemon juice, then strain over ice into highball and add garnishes. Drink: Under the sun with a smug, satisfied look on your face. Southside Though its history is widely contested, it's widely established that this mint and lemon concoction dates back to the 1920s. Yet another gin cocktail with no mixers, the Southside is definitely for those with class. With a single sip it's guaranteed to transport you back to the late-night cafes of Hemingway's Paris or the dingy clubs of 1920s Chicago (depending on your historical biases). 60 ml gin the juice of 1 lemon 15 ml sugar syrup a decent handful of mint leaves Method: Shake all ingredients until the mint is pulped, and finely strain into a coupe glass. Drink: With an outstretched pinky and a 1920s cigarette holder. Tom Collins Are you sick of gin and tonics? Does the thought of one more Gordon's London Dry and home brand tonic make you cringe? It's probably time to spice it up a bit (or alternatively, stop drinking). The Tom Collins is a classic cocktail that doesn't vary too much from the well-trodden G&T terrain. Swap that tonic for soda, sweeten the deal with some cherries and sugar, and away you go — a convenient twist on a summer classic. 30 ml gin 30 ml sugar syrup 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 2 lemon slices 1 glazes cherry soda Method: Stir and pour over ice in a highball glass. Drink: At your next picnic or beach getaway. Martini While a vodka martini may be the standard (for James Bond fans at least), gin martinis are undoubtedly for the more refined palette. And either way, the martini is a drink for the purist. This is a cocktail with no junk in it — it lives and dies on the quality of its spirits. Of course, there are a million types of variations out there (Espresso, Apple, Marshmallow etc) but really those are all amateur hour. To raise a drink to World Gin Day, it has to be the real thing. 60 ml gin 30 ml dry vermouth olives or a twist of lemon for garnish Method: Shake gin and vermouth with ice, stir for 30 seconds, then strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish. Drink: In a morose fashion while at a bar you feel slightly intimated by. Photo credits: Oriol Lladó, sushiesque, and Isabelle @ Crumb, Clint Gardner, and RenaudPhoto via photopin cc.
Annie Leibovitz once famously stated that "there are still so many places on our planet that remain unexplored. I'd love to one day peel back the mystery and understand them". It is in this spirit that National Geographic presents its Photo of the Year winners. In an effort to uncover the "unexplored" and clandestine wonders of the world, National Geographic's annual competition provides a fascinating glimpse into the incredible beauty and complexity of the natural world, the places that define it, and the people that inhabit it. In 2012 a whopping 22,000 photographs from over 150 countries were submitted, with an expert panel of judges whittling this number down to a winner in each of the three categories (people, places, and nature) and the $10,000 Grand Prize Winner. Based on its remarkable creativity and visual flair, this year's "nature" winner and overall champion was Ashley Vincent's image of Busaba, the Indochinese tigress from Thailand's Khao Kheow Open Zoo (above). Have a look below to see the rest of the winners along with the National Geographic readers' favourites and some other honorable mentions. Winner - Places The Matterhorn in Zermatt, Switzerland. By Nenad Saljic. Winner - People Workers in Kenya's Dandora Municipal Dump Site, the only dumping site for waste in Nairobi, East Africa's most populous city. By Micah Albert. Viewers Choice - Nature Female cheetah Malaika and her cub in Masai mara National Reserve, Kenya. By Sanjeev Bhor. Viewers Choice - Places An iceberg frozen in place in Pond Inlet, Nunavut, Canada. By Adam Coish. Viewers' Choice - People Explorers follow a race route over 100km of the Hardangervidda Mountainplateu, Norway to cross Greenland. By Kai-Otto Melau. Honorable Mention - Nature Thousands of fish moving in synchrony in Komodo, Indonesia. By Fransisca Harlijanto. Honorable Mention - People The traditional Chinese entertainment Dragon boating is a water sport, in Yanbu Town, Foshan City, Guangdong Province, China. By ? ??. Honorable Mention - Places The Eiffel tower in Paris on a grey day. By Indra Swari Wonowidjojo. Honorable Mention - Nature A red fox goes after a mouse hidden under 2 feet of snow in Squaw Creek, Park Country, Wyoming. By Micheal Eastman. Honorable Mention - People Stilt fishing in Midigama, Sri Lanka. By Ulrich Lambert.
The Oxford Tavern, one of the Inner West's best pubs, will close its doors this Sunday, April 2, with its current custodians Odd Culture Group stepping away from the Stanmore Road spot. Known for its Sunday roasts, inclusive dance parties and greenery-filled beer garden, the venue has sat under the guidance of the Odd Culture crew since 2019. Following last drinks on Sunday, when the team will be running the kegs and spirits dry, the hospitality group's lease will expire — with Odd Culture unaware of any incoming or prospective tenants at this stage. "It's with a heavy heart that we announce our lease is up at the Oxford Tavern," a statement from the group reads. "This pub has always held a special place in our heart — a space for our people to march to the beat of their own drum, and create the wild and wonderful, queer-coloured programming that resonated with the Inner West." "It was a saving grace for us, and a lot of people in the industry, through two (or three?) lockdowns, with our Tav Delivers stint, and a lot of that drew us even closer to the community. The pub has a rich history and we are grateful to have operated the place as an inclusive Petersham local and a queer institution. We're proud of everything we've put into The Tav. It's been a wild ride, but the time has come to end this chapter." The announcement comes as Odd Culture shifts its attention elsewhere, with several exciting announcements from the hospo team in the last few months, including a new live music venue on King Street with a 4am license and its first foray into the Melbourne hospitality scene with a wine bar and bottle shop in Fitzroy. If you want to head in for a last beer or a sample of the recently revamped menu before The Tav closes, the pub will be open midday–midnight Thursday and Friday, midday–3am Saturday and midday–10pm for its last day on Sunday. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Oxford Tavern (@theoxfordtavern) The Oxford Tavern is located at 1 New Canterbury Road, Petersham. Its last day of operations under the Odd Culture group will be on Sunday, April 2. Top image: Kitti Gould
So, you want to start your own business. Maybe you're tired of your nine-to-five gig and looking for a change of scenery. Perhaps it's time to turn your side hustle into a full-fledged venture. Or maybe you're still throwing around a few ideas? Whatever stage of the start-up cycle you're at, doing your research is a smart idea. And what better resource to leverage than the entrepreneurs who've paved the way before you? To help you get your big idea off the ground, we've teamed up with Westpac to hear from five powerhouse business owners about the lessons they've learned along the way. These entrepreneurs know the importance of building a strong foundation and staying connected when it matters most, which they do with the help of Westpac's Presto Smart point-of-sale system. This platform is designed with small businesses in mind, delivering reliable coverage, real-time settlements and simple setup to help you get started sooner. RESEARCH AND UNCOVER A GAP IN THE MARKET When we stumble upon a great idea, it's easy to get carried away. But, what makes your offering unique? What competitors will you have to contend with? And, most importantly, are you filling a gap in the market? For entrepreneur, environmental advocate and caffeine enthusiast, Benjamin Young, his business idea was forged over his morning brew. Founded in Melbourne, frank green was launched in 2013, delivering stylish, convenient and well-designed reusable cups and (more recently) bottles. But the journey from concept to cup didn't happen overnight. "The most important thing that we did to bring frank green to life was market research. We looked at why reusable products weren't being used by mainstream consumers," explains Young. "We went through a painstaking process of really looking at what a consumer wanted out of a product. There were a hundred things on our list that we had to tick off before we went live, otherwise we were doing reusable products a disservice." [caption id="attachment_740542" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kitti Gould[/caption] TAKE TIME TO CONCEPTUALISE YOUR BUSINESS When we're young, the question 'what do you want to be when you grow up?' looms overhead like a dark cloud. One day, we're picking our favourite crayon colour, the next we're diving into four-year degrees, blindly hoping everything will fall into place. And as many of us will now attest, our careers don't follow a linear path. When Luke Powell, head chef and owner of Chippendale's LP's Quality Meats, decided to leave an established gig, he couldn't imagine how his career path would shift and unfold. "It was 2012, I had just left the head chef job at Tetsuya's, and I really wanted to open something but was not sure what," says Powell. By taking the time to scope out the field, Powell slowly uncovered where he wanted to head next. "I decided I would do one last trip to New York for inspiration and stayed at Blue Hill at Stone Barns for one month. They were pulling pigs off the property and turning them into sausages and charcuterie. I had never done anything like that before... I was hooked." BE OPEN TO SHAKING THINGS UP Getting a new business off the ground is the first hurdle. But then, the challenge to remain relevant emerges. Since launching the award-winning Rosebery distillery in 2014, Archie Rose's founder Will Edwards has always been looking at the next move. With a stellar selection of gin, vodka and newly launched whisky, keeping things fresh is his key to business success. "We can be quite restless, and being a young company, we like to explore," tells Edwards. "Some great examples of innovation product-wise are our Virgin Cane Rhum, our Summer Gin Project Bush and Coast Gins and our latest release, ArchieMite, a buttered toast spirit created in collaboration with Sonoma and Pepe Saya butter." Although Archie Rose's core range remains unchanged, Williams believes investing in small-batch releases with likeminded brands is key to staying ahead of the pack. "Collaborations are a huge part of what we do and a key way in which we can present our products in new and interesting ways." [caption id="attachment_709543" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jasper Avenue[/caption] IF IT'S NOT BROKEN, DON'T FIX IT As tempting as exploring new avenues can be, it's also important not to lose sight of your original purpose. For Derek Puah, owner of much-loved cafe group Devon changing things up proved one of his biggest learnings during his first years in business. "When we first opened [in Surry Hills], changing the menu too many times and having too many options on there was a big mistake," Puah explains. "While some customers like the variation, others get upset that they missed out on beloved products and menu items." With this wisdom in mind, Puah has gone on to open another three more Devon locations (Barangaroo, North Sydney and Brisbane), plus a new venture, Dopa, in Electric Treat Street in Sydney's Darling Square precinct. His secret to building a successful brand has been sticking to a successful concept and listening to customer feedback along the way. [caption id="attachment_693841" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] EMBRACE THE UNKNOWN AND TAKE A RISK Trying something new can be a daunting experience — it takes guts and grit to keep you going. Backed by the success of their beloved Bronte brunch spot, Three Blue Duck's co-founder Mark Labrooy remembers the moment his team decided to expand their operations. The urge to try something new became an itch they couldn't ignore. "You start wondering, 'I wonder what else is out there?' You have thoughts of exploration and start considering what are you capable of," Labrooy explains. When a new opportunity arose at Byron Bay's The Farm, the TBD team knew they had to take the plunge. "A couple of us relocated up north to Byron, I moved up there… and then we embarked on the project at The Farm," explains Labrooy. He cites the data (which you can get from tools like Westpac's Presto terminal) of how many people were coming through the doors and the capital they were generating making it feel like a safe leap. "If the same opportunity came up tomorrow I would 100 percent do it all again," he says. Now that you have these handy tips, it's time to make the jump. And when it comes time to set up your payment technology, look to Westpac's Presto Smart terminal. It's made for speedy payments, busting queues, reducing keying errors and seamlessly connecting to a range of Point of Sales systems to help you keep track of cashflow. Please note that the above information is intended to be general in nature and should not be relied upon for personal financial use. Request more info and speak to Westpac here. Top Image: Trent Van der jagt.
Catching a blockbuster or indie flick beneath the stars is already pretty special. Yet part of the reason so many people love Moonlight Cinema is that you can bring your dog along for the ride. Good luck finding a conventional cinema with that perk — unless Yarraville's Sun Theatre and their doggy day sessions are within reach. Now the experience for your pooch is getting even better, as Moonlight Cinemas across the country (except Perth) are adding exclusive Lyka doggie bag meals to the menu for the first time. So, when it's time to hit up the kitchen and bar for your movie night snacks, pet parents can also grab some dog-friendly goodies to keep their pup occupied. While you get stuck into the popcorn and perhaps a wine or two, your dog could be munching on a tasty kangaroo meal. Served as part of a goodie bag for $17, it comes with a handy DOG by Dr Lisa Lick Mat and a Turkey Dental Jerky Treat, perfect for times when your dog grows a little restless. And with everything handed over inside a convenient Lyka cooler bag, it's easy to keep the doggy snacks chilled on a warm evening. Ready for a night out with the fam — pets and all? Moonlight Cinema's 30th season kicks off on Friday, November 21, in Sydney, with Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne soon to follow.
As the creator and host of This American Life, one of modern radio's truly great story hours, Ira Glass needs little introduction. But now Ira is trying his hand as a film producer. Marcus Costello caught up with him ahead of the Australian release of Sleepwalk with Me, a comedy based on the life of, directed by and starring Ira's longtime friend and collaborator Mike Birbiglia. There's a sequence in Sleepwalk when Matt (Birbiglia) stays overnight in a hotel. For a guy who moonlights in a bar to support himself, this is the sign of making it — so he orders room service and dances on the bed. You also had a day job when you first started making radio: temping as a secretary. Was there a jump-on-the-bed-moment when it dawned on you that radio was going to work out? There were a few moments, but they were not early in my career! I took longer to figure out how to make a living making radio than anyone I've ever met. I was always a very good editor but all the other parts of making a radio story — being a solid interviewer, writer, knowing how to write something that could be read out loud — I was just so bad at these things. And I don't say that with false modesty. If you poke around you can find examples of my early stuff. I have. And, yeah, well, you only got better and better. [laughs] All through my twenties my parents kept telling me "you've got to get out of radio, you've got to get out of radio!" and I always thought they were being so unsupportive. But when I go back and listen to what I was producing, I completely understand where they were coming from. Did you ever turn to them and say, "look at me now"? Yes. Well, not in so many words. When they saw me on The David Letterman Show they stopped telling me I should go to medical school. Nice. Staying with the hotel experience, I have you as saying, "Just when did I get to the point when staying at a hotel wasn't fun?" I have a cousin who's a composer, Philip Glass, and when he was starting out his mother said to him, "You're just going to be travelling around staying in hotels", and he said, "Yeah, exactly!" But, you know, the novelty comes and goes. These days, I've come back around to embracing the escapism of hotels. In that scene, Matt looks around the hotel room sort of awestruck and I remember seeing it in the script and thinking "Well, that's going to look stupid" but it worked! It's a perfect example of something that's utterly convincing on film but if you think about it, 100 percent BS. And that was one of the key things I've learnt about filmmaking. And what about bumping into famous people at fancy hotels and thinking "I'm famous too, I can talk to them!" Is there still novelty in that? I mean, This American Life is a show about ordinary people's stories. Tell me, who's the most memorable person you've met? I can definitely answer this question but it's hard because if an interview is going well I fall in love with that person a little bit... Are you falling in love me with, Ira? Exactly. And after this interview, where are you taking me, Marcus? [laughs] I guess, be it with a man, woman or child, any age, I know an interview's going well, that we're both feeling good about it, when I start talking honestly about myself with them. Okay, here's something that really stands out in my memory. We did a show about babysitting and I interviewed a guy called Myron Jones. It was one of those stories that starts out light-hearted and funny but gets darker and sours. The deeper into it we went, I realised the story wasn't about what we thought it was about but actually about his mum; she was kind of crazy. At one point she actually followed through with her threats to send him away to an orphanage, like, who does that? It was the kind of complicated, emotional story that is so hard to come by. I mean, he was from another generation, another part of the world, there's no other way I would have had access to a story like his. And he really opened up to me. But the thing that touched me most was how graceful he was about his past. I mean, his mum did some terrible things, some really terrible things, and yet he had no bitterness about it. He was beyond bitterness and almost onside with his mum. I remember thinking to myself after that interview, when I get old I want to be like Myron. It's so touching and telling that people open up to you. I wonder, if you're asking someone who you've just met to talk about a traumatic period of their life, have you ever felt you've pushed too hard, gone too far? Hmm. Well, there have certainly been times when people have told me too much without having to push for it. I remember when I was a producer for the daily news back in the '80s when AIDS first hit, I was interviewing this couple and I asked them, "Do people still have sex when they have HIV?" And then they gave the most graphic, like, graphic, account of how they do it. I thought, wow, you are just so much less inhibited than I am. Well, journalists are compelled to get the truth out there in all its graphic detail. On the other hand, artists are compelled to create truths. As a sort of hybrid of these two, what compels you? Truthfully, I feel that my interests are really basic. I'm looking for something that is exciting or amusing. I like to be entertained. Balancing funny moments with emotional moments in the one story is always powerful. I like being told stories about people I don't know or places I haven't been but told in a way that I can relate to. I certainly relate to This American Life, and I'm an Australian. Have you ever thought about selling the concept to other countries? Say, This Russian Life? [laughs] The name of the show goes to show just how shortsighted we were! Back in the early '90s when we started out, we honestly never thought anyone outside of America would ever hear us. I don't know how we'd go in Russia, but we're on in Canada and they're such chauvinists up there we actually thought about inserting a little snippet into the intro so it's like, 'This North American Life'. I often reflect on what you have to say about starting out, "For the first couple of years you make stuff and it's just not that good. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. You gotta know it's normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work." (Read the full quote here.) I loved This American Life the TV series, but it was abandoned so early on! Yeah. Basically, for things to work in the This American Life format things have to unfold, somebody has to learn something, somebody to change. On radio, we get people to tell us what happened to them but on TV you want the cameras to be there rolling as the events transpire. So it becomes a really tall order to find something worth filming before it's happened. Look, I'm proud of what we produced and we even won some awards for it, but it was just so hard, like, really hard, and we had trouble meeting our deadlines. And it's so much more expensive to experiment with stories in TV than it is to run with something in radio then let it go if it's not working out. We asked to be taken off television and very graciously Showtime let us out of our contract. You seem to have a love-hate relationship with hard work. Speaking about your first time producing a film, you said, "It was a shocking amount of work — the despair-making sort of work where you aren't really sure if it's ever going to work." And yet your team is ploughing ahead with six more films. Something tells me it's all going to work out just fine. [laughs] Thank you. Ira's Sleepwalk with Me collaborator Mike Birbiglia is currently in Australia with his show My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, on at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival until April 4 and at the Sydney Opera House on April 6. He'll also be appearing at a special Q&A session and Sleepwalk with Me screening at the Dendy Newtown on April 5. Read our review of Sleepwalk with Me here.
Ninety years is an impressive milestone. To get that far, something's got to be built to last, withstanding everything from war to the whims of fashion. True icons need staying power to endure and earn their place in the hearts and lives of generations of Australians. In 2022, we're celebrating three golden oldies that are hitting this milestone and continue to shape important cultural slices of Australia, from influencing fashion to defining our identity and becoming an integral part of everyday life. At just shy of a century, these Australian icons are still going strong — and, frankly, it's hard to imagine life without them. R.M.WILLIAMS It started with a dream in the South Australian bush. A dream of providing stockmen with a hard-wearing, Australian-made pair of boots of lasting quality. In 1932, Reginald Murray Williams (ol' RM himself) handcrafted the unmistakable elastic-sided boot and changed outback fashion forever. The business quickly took off and in two short years RM opened a factory on Percy Street in Adelaide. People flocked to join his workshop and in 1970 the business expanded again to new digs on Frost Road. From a humble mail-order service to pride of place in city department stores and boutiques across the nation (and the globe), R.M.Williams demonstrated, to the world, the quality of Australian craftsmanship and design. A brand with staying power as strong as its leather, the boots are still crafted right here in Australia at the Adelaide workshop. Fashion trends have come and gone but the heart of the R.M.Williams style and craft remain. No other brand can take you straight from the paddock to the pavement in quite the same way. While the brand has expanded to the entire wardrobe, its soul remains grounded in its boots. To celebrate the success of reaching 90 years in the boot making business, R.M. Williams has released limited-edition Craftsman and Lady Yearling boots as well as Jerrawa belts with special 90th anniversary commemorative trims (and a neat little plaque) — so you can wear a piece of Australian history. SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE It's hard to picture the Sydney Harbour view without this staggering feat of engineering across the water, facing off its equally admired younger icon, the Sydney Opera House. The Sydney Harbour Bridge took almost nine years to construct and the opening ceremony was famously interrupted by a sword-wielding disgruntled royalist on horseback. Ninety years later, it's still a sight to behold and one of the most photographed and instantly recognisable landmarks in the world. Sure it's grey, but that's got nothing to do with age — the colour is a specially mixed paint known as 'Bridge Grey' which is regularly splashed across the frame to give it a fresh coat. There's one for your next trivia night. The Bridge is more than a vital transport link. It's also been the focal point and spiritual heart of Sydney's New Year's Eve celebrations for almost 30 years. It's been the destination of joyous events and notable protests, including holding the Olympic rings and the Walk for Reconciliation within that same year — not to mention the Millennium fireworks featuring Arthur Stace's 'Eternity' blazing across it. Declared a Historic Civil Engineers Landmark in 1988, added to the Australian National Heritage List in 2007 and affectionately called 'The Coathanger', the Sydney Harbour Bridge remains a defining feature of Australian landmarks. AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION The ABC — known as Aunty — is turning 90 and boy does she look great for her age. She's been a trusted voice in Australia since July 1, 1932, from reporting on wars, commentating cricket, covering elections or keeping us connected during environmental disasters. Starting out as a suite of radio stations broadcasting across the nation 11 hours a day, the ABC has seen us through the advent of television, digital media and now on-demand streaming, never missing a beat. That distinctive wavelength logo — chosen for the use of Lissajous vibration patterns in tuning equipment — was designed by Bill Kennard in 1965. Now, it's the symbol of our longest-running public broadcasting network. The ABC has been an integral part of life for generations of Aussies. Play School has moulded young minds since July 1966 and music has been discovered across Classic FM, Countdown, Rage and triple j. The ABC also has a long history of championing homegrown creators, writers and performers who have made world-class dramas like Cleverman and Mystery Road. From humble beginnings to more than 50 local and four national radio stations, a streaming service and a digital archive of radio, TV and media, the broadcaster has continued to evolve over time to ensure it keep Australians connected. To celebrate the 90th anniversary of the brand, R.M.Williams is giving away 90 pairs of limited edition boots. Learn more about the history of the iconic brand and visit the website.
Nothing gets you out of a winter funk like a weekend away, and the crisp mountain air of Leura is particularly up to the task. This picturesque town, just two hours west of Sydney on the train, puts you at the doorstep of all the outdoor adventures of the Blue Mountains while nailing the kind of cosy indoor culture that wraps you in a big warm hug at the end of the day. Set up home base at the very scenic Fairmont Resort and Spa Blue Mountains, and spend your days trekking along ancient trails and your nights indulging in hearty meals, local wines and fireside chat. Here's our guide to a winter short stay in the area. EAT AND DRINK After the journey in, your first stop in Leura should be for a little sustenance. Fortunately, the cafe culture here is another part of what makes this town a winter dream. Among the best cafes in the region, the hidden Lily's Pad Cafe has just-baked breads and cakes — including gluten-free options aplenty — along with homemade toppings like chutneys, jams and curds. The courtyard is covered, heated and, best of all, dog-friendly. On Leura's main street, the leafy Red Door Cafe is a standout for healthy eating, with organic coffees and freshly squeezed juices. For eats, we're all about the zucchini and feta fritters, served with cumin yoghurt and mesclun salad, as well as the smoked rainbow trout with rocket and lentil salad, all topped with a poached egg. View-seekers should head to Solitary, set in a 100-year-old cottage overlooking the valley. Its fireplace makes this an ideal sanctuary after a winter's hike through the nearby Leura Cascades. For fireside dining in the evening, look no further than the appropriately named Embers restaurant at the Fairmont Resort and Spa. Enjoy views over the Jamison Valley along with the soundtrack of crackling flames and the flavours of a classic beef brisket given a contemporary twist. Back in town, unassuming North Indian restaurant Tamarin offers some serious eats in the most unlikely of places, just across from the station. The samosas trump most in Australia, as does its samosa chaat — a smashed and dressed version. For a dinner to remember, book yourself a table at the award-winning Leura Garage. Set in a repurposed mechanic's workshop (hence the name), the environmentally conscious restaurant focuses on locally sourced and seasonal ingredients. We suggest going with the surprisingly affordable tasting menu, which includes plenty of winter warmers, like 12-hour braised lamb shoulder and truffle mashed potatoes. Accompanying drops come from NSW wine regions like Orange and Mudgee. Your wine journey doesn't have to stop at dinner. Meander down the street to bar and bistro Bon Ton for after-dinner drinks. For winter, sip a martini in the protected comfort of the enclosed terrace. For a nightcap, stop in at the Sublime Lounge, another fire-warmed space within the Fairmont Resort and Spa. Their signature cocktail is the Berry Sublime, designed to evoke the nearby orchards with its mix of strawberry, tequila, lime, mint and an unexpected dash of white balsamic. DO If this isn't your first rodeo in the Blue Mountains, chances are you've already frequented the landmarks of Three Sisters and Wentworth Falls. And that's fine, because the region has much more to offer, with a seemingly endless number of bushwalks, lookouts, caves and valleys to explore. For a different mountain view, check out Evans Lookout, 20 minutes' drive away in Blackheath, then continue on the steep clifftop walk to Govetts Leap. If you'd rather a more leisurely stroll (and one walking distance from town), Leura Cascades is a serene canopy walk through tall eucalyptus trees. Take a short trek along the rapids on Leura Falls Creek down to Bridal Veil Falls and Leura Falls. Several walks can be accessed from here, including the Fern Bower Circuit, Echo Point and Leura Forest. Feeling like a serious adventure? Then book yourself into an abseiling and canyoning day trip. A few businesses in nearby Katoomba run tours, including the Australian School of Mountaineering and the Blue Mountains Adventure Company. They'll have you abseiling waterfalls and trekking through ancient crevices and canyons. For a more leisurely level of activity, stroll the boutiques along Leura Mall and do a spot of shopping at the likes of Quidditas General Store. If you visit during the first Sunday of the month, you can also hit Leura's flea market for everything from jewellery, clothes and homewares to local eats. For a full dose of the quirky and quaint history Leura is known for, drop by the Leuralla Toy & Railway Museum, Bygone Beautys' Teapot Museum or the National Trust property Everglades Gardens. In what might be the high tea capital of Australia, the latter two are good spots to partake. Once night falls, take a short drive over to Blackheath to catch an indie film at Mount Vic Flicks. The renovated 1930s movie theatre makes for a relaxing night out and offers house-baked treats. STAY While Leura offers an array of accommodation options, the Fairmont Resort and Spa Blue Mountains is an enduring classic. The hotel's boutique rooms and suites are individually decorated for that personalised touch, while its public spaces offer sweeping views across the Jamison Valley. It's close to the Leura Cascades, Inspiration and Sublime Points, and Empress, Gordon and Wentworth Falls, so you're well situated for many of the region's best hikes and treks. Taking time to relax within the vast gardens and grounds should also be on the itinerary. The resort houses a golf club, four luxury restaurants and a lounge. The new Ubika Day Spa opens on August 13, so now's your chance to be one of the first to lie across their massage tables and be pampered with local organic iKOU products. Don't miss the resort's signature high tea, where your miniature cakes and sandos come with a pretty spectacular view. A perfect preformed weekender comes in the shape of the MGallery Memorable Moment package, which includes one night accommodation, a full buffet breakfast and a wilderness experience for two. At the heart of the getaway is a four-hour bushwalk led by a tour guide dedicated to reconnecting you with nature — an experience exclusive to the Fairmont Resort and Spa. Go to the AccorHotels website to book your stay in Leura, and to discover more of regional NSW, check out Visit NSW.
Two Succession brothers facing off in the same category. A musical crime melodrama making history, earning more nominations than any film not in the English language ever has. Brazil's second contender for Best Actress ever — the daughter of its first, in fact. A female filmmaker in the running for Best Director for only the tenth time in 97 years. They're some of the big stories among the 2025 Oscar nominations, involving A Real Pain, The Apprentice, Emilia Pérez, I'm Still Here and The Substance. There's more where they came from — but which of those movies, and the talents involved, will earn shiny statuettes on Monday, March 3, Down Under time? And will Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune: Part Two, Nickel Boys and Wicked have any luck, too? Just like in 2022, 2023 and 2024, we've watched everything — many of which you can as well in Australia right now — and singled out who and what will likely be credited as an "Oscar-winner" moving forward. Surveying 11 categories, we've also named which nominees deserve to, and what else might be in with a chance. Best Motion Picture The nominees: Anora The Brutalist A Complete Unknown Conclave Dune: Part Two Emilia Pérez I'm Still Here Nickel Boys The Substance Wicked Should win: The Brutalist Could win: Conclave Will win: Anora What a field. Worthy films will always miss the cut among the ten Best Picture nominees each and every year (Love Lies Bleeding, A Different Man, The Apprentice, I Saw the TV Glow, A Real Pain, Challengers, Babygirl, Hard Truths, All We Imagine as Light, Kneecap, La Chimera and Kinds of Kindness are just some absences in 2025), but the current batch nominees still showcase a staggering variety of movies. Sandy sci-fi blockbusters, hit musical adaptations, body-horror, papal thrillers, multiple features that show how stunning that filmmaking ambition and an unflinching vision can prove: they're all there. Brady Corbet's The Brutalist is a towering achievement. It could repeat its Golden Globes glory at the Oscars. It should. But Anora won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, then top gongs from America's Directors Guild and Writers Guild, and is also a tremendous winner. Conclave emerging victorious wouldn't be a miracle, though, after its BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild wins. Best Director The nominees: Anora, Sean Baker The Brutalist, Brady Corbet A Complete Unknown, James Mangold Emilia Pérez, Jacques Audiard The Substance, Coralie Fargeat Should win: Coralie Fargeat, The Substance Could win: Sean Baker, Anora Will win: Brady Corbet, The Brutalist Some films feel like a force of nature — and like a vision ripped from a filmmaker's mind wholesale to dance and strut across the screen, too — and Coralie Fargeat's The Substance is one such movie. Jane Campion is the only woman to have been nominated for Best Director twice so far (for The Piano and The Power of the Dog), but this shouldn't prove the only nod in Fargeat's career. Likely down to Brady Corbet and Sean Baker, where the field actually goes might depend on which of the pair's features win Best Picture — and if the Academy is in the mood to share the love or consolidate it. Awarding Corbet's achievement for a three-and-a-half-hour film that's had audiences glued to the screen, was made using a format in VistaVision that was favoured by Alfred Hitchcock on masterpieces such as North by Northwest and Vertigo, and brings back intermissions seems the most probable — and well-deserved — bet. Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role The nominees: Cynthia Erivo, Wicked Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez Mikey Madison, Anora Demi Moore, The Substance Fernanda Torres, I'm Still Here Should win: Demi Moore, The Substance Could win: Mikey Madison, Anora Will win: Demi Moore, The Substance She's been giving stunning speeches around Hollywood, and Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild-winner Demi Moore best have another prepared. Rewarding her for a deeply committed performance more than four decades into her acting career, and after a significant time lacking substantial roles, also rewards The Substance's hefty and blatant fight against women being deemed past their prime when they hit a certain age. If Mikey Madison repeats her BAFTA feat, the Anora star will join the top-ten youngest-ever Best Actress-winner's ranking, knocking Gone with the Wind's Vivien Leigh off the list. The film's final scene alone, in all of its emotional glory after Ani's rollercoaster ride, could nab her the accolade alone. Had Marianne Jean-Baptiste been nominated for Hard Truths, however, it'd be hard to see how anyone else could grasp the accolade. Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role The nominees: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown Colman Domingo, Sing Sing Ralph Fiennes, Conclave Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice Should win: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist Could win: Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown Will win: Adrien Brody, The Brutalist Will the youngest-ever winner of the Best Actor Oscar make history again 22 years later, joining the incredibly small list of two-time victors (only ten other performers have one this accolade twice or more)? Or will someone else not only grasp this year's prize, but also that spot as the gong's freshest-faced recipient? The Brutalist's Adrien Brody is the former. A Complete Unknown's Timothée Chalamet is the latter. Neither of their movies would be the films that they are without either actor leading the charge. Intensity simmers in their respective performances alike. Either could take it — but Brody's portrayal wouldn't just be a once-in-a-lifetime piece of work for another actor; it'd be impossible. As for the rest of the field, in other years Colman Domingo for Sing Sing, Ralph Fiennes for Conclave and Sebastian Stan for The Apprentice (or for A Different Man, which he won the Golden Globe for) would be certain winners. Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role The nominees: Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown Ariana Grande, Wicked Felicity Jones, The Brutalist Isabella Rossellini, Conclave Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez Should win: Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez Could win: Isabella Rossellini, Conclave Will win: Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez Emilia Pérez will always be the first non-English-language film to receive 13 Oscar nominations, but its chances of scoring a big bag of trophies have dwindled courtesy of lead actress Karla Sofía Gascón's awful past tweets. As a result, the excellent Zoe Saldaña, portraying the eponymous character's conflicted lawyer, might end up being the movie's only winner — and hers is a powerhouse performance. Or, Emilia Pérez mightn't even be a lock here, despite Saldaña winning the Golden Globe, BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Award in the lead up. Isabella Rossellini is exceptional in Conclave as Sister Agnes, the nun that's also the Head Caterer for the bickering cardinals — and it'd recognise her for her entire career, and redress the fact that she wasn't nominated for David Lynch's Blue Velvet. Ingrid Bergman, her mother, won three, including in this category in 1974 for Murder on the Orient Express. Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role The nominees: Yura Borisov, Anora Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown Guy Pearce, The Brutalist Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice Should win: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain Could win: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain Will win: Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain There's no bad picks in the Best Supporting Actor field. There's the vulnerable yet irreverent portrayal that's clearly going to win — the recipient of accolades at the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Screen Actors Guild Awards and Film Independent Spirit Awards as well — and there's also the spur-of-the-moment speech that everyone will get to enjoy when Kieran Culkin does, but each one of the five nominated performances is outstanding, including from first-time Australian nominee Guy Pearce for The Brutalist. Jeremy Strong is on another level even for him in The Apprentice. The lifelong Oscar fan will win one of the coveted awards before his career out. He knows what it's like to lose out to Culkin, though, and not just on-screen in Succession — the only time that they were both nominated for the Best Actor in a Drama Emmy in the same year, Culkin won (beating Roy family patriarch Brian Cox, too). Best Original Screenplay The nominees: Anora, Sean Baker The Brutalist, Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold A Real Pain, Jesse Eisenberg September 5, Moritz Binder, Tim Fehlbaum and Alex David The Substance, Coralie Fargeat Should win: A Real Pain, Jesse Eisenberg Could win: The Brutalist, Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold Will win: A Real Pain, Jesse Eisenberg Sean Baker took out this category for Anora at the Writers Guild Awards, where Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold weren't nominated for The Brutalist. But at the Oscars, A Real Pain should go home a winner in every field — two in total — that it's up for. The Academy does have a history of pairing the winner of Best Original Screenplay with Best Supporting Actor, including with Django Unchained and Green Book. As a performer, Jesse Eisenberg has only been in the running for an Oscar once, in 2011 for Best Actor for The Social Network — and in a different year, he could've been nominated for starring in A Real Pain as well. His script for the film makes the personal universal, and understands existential angst and anxiety, and how it manifests in different manners, with both intensity and humour. That said, this could also be where Coralie Fargeat gets some love for The Substance. Best Adapted Screenplay The nominees: A Complete Unknown, James Mangold and Jay Cocks Conclave, Peter Straughan Emilia Pérez, Jacques Audiard in collaboration with Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius and Nicolas Livecchi Nickel Boys, RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes Sing Sing, Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin and John 'Divine G' Whitfield Should win: Sing Sing, Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin and John 'Divine G' Whitfield Could win: Nickel Boys, RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes Will win: Conclave, Peter Straughan The possibility that either or both of Nickel Boys or Sing Sing could go home empty-handed from this year's Oscars is a travesty. Each 2025 releases in Australia, where the former sadly didn't get the big-screen date that it deserves, they're already among the year's best for viewers Down Under. Both possess screenplays of deep feeling — one adapting a Pulitzer Prize-winner, the other drawing from a helluva slice of real life. Nickel Boys emerged victorious at the Writers Guild Awards, but over A Complete Unknown, plus three films not in the running here: Dune: Part Two, Hit Man and Wicked. Here, this looks like Conclave's guaranteed time to shine, and the Vatican City-set script based on Robert Harris' novel about electing a new pope after the sudden death of the last one — and what the manoeuvring around it says about faith — is indeed a gem. Best International Feature The nominees: I'm Still Here The Girl with the Needle Emilia Pérez The Seed of the Sacred Fig Flow Should win: The Seed of the Sacred Fig Could win: The Seed of the Sacred Fig Will win: I'm Still Here Once a near lock for Emilia Pérez, Best International Feature now has fellow multiple-nominee — and fellow Best Picture and Best Actress contender — I'm Still Here in its sights. Brazilian filmmaker Walter Salles has notched up two nods in this category over his career, and winning for his Fernanda Torres-led account of love, loss and holding onto life under the shadow of a dictatorship would be an extra-nice feat given he was last in contention for Central Station starring Torres' mother Fernanda Montenegro. Dialogue-free animated marvel Flow deserves to win every award that it's nominated for, so this and Best Animated Feature, but The Seed of the Sacred Fig is as powerful as filmmaking gets — with Mohammad Rasoulof (There Is No Evil) fighting on- and off-screen against the regime that's long tried to silence his voice. Best Animated Feature The nominees: Flow Inside Out 2 Memoir of a Snail Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl The Wild Robot Should win: Flow Could win: The Wild Robot Will win: Flow Flow's title couldn't be more perfect. To watch Latvia's first-ever film to be nominated for an Oscar is to swirl, surge and sweep along with the gorgeous dialogue-free feature, and with the animals — a cat, some dogs, birds, a capybara, a lemur and more — that are trying to survive, and learn how to heal together, when a flood gushes in. It's astonishing. The Wild Robot doesn't scrap chatter, but it too is heartfelt and wondrous as it watches animals carve out an existence — here, with the sudden arrival of a robot (voiced wonderfully by Lupita Nyong'o) disrupting the usual status quo, and also redefining what makes a family. Australian claymation Memoir of a Snail would easily win in many previous years, deservedly so. For big-name animation studios Pixar and Aardman, it doesn't look likely that Inside Out 2 and Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl will back up Inside Out and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit's past Oscars. Best Documentary Feature The nominees: Black Box Diaries No Other Land Porcelain War Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat Sugarcane Should win: Black Box Diaries Could win: Porcelain War Will win: No Other Land Fury or hope? What takes home 2025's Best Documentary Feature prize might come down to how voters want to feel. There's no escaping anger while watching No Other Land or Black Box Diaries, both deeply personal docos featuring their filmmakers and telling their stories — one about the Israeli campaign of displacement in the West Bank region of Masafer Yatta, the other about a Japanese sexual-assault survivor taking on the system that won't punish her attacker. In Sugarcane, too, digging into the abuse experienced at a Catholic Church-run mission school isn't just a job for Julian Brave NoiseCat, nor an outrage-free watch for audiences. Porcelain War heads to Ukraine, as 2024's victor 20 Days in Mariupol did — but there's more optimism in its heroing the power of art, even in small acts, amid the fight. It's also among Australia's Oscar hopes for 2025, as an Aussie co-production. The winners of the 2025 Oscars will be announced on Monday, March 3, Australian time. For further details, head to the awards' website. Wondering where to watch this year's Oscar contenders? We've put together a rundown for Australia.
Right now, automobile design faces two significantly big restrictions: one, the need for a driver; second, it's got to be safe. Pretty straight forward. However, if tech projections are on the money, we're heading into a future in which neither will be a factor. Driverless vehicles, currently limited to Google experimentation and public transportation, will become ubiquitous. On fully-automated thoroughfares, collisions will be a thing of the past, and design will respond by moving further and further away from functionality and closer and closer to art. London designer Dominic Wilcox is pre-riding the wave. At this year’s London Design Festival, finishing up tomorrow, he's revealed a life-size concept car. Or, more accurately, a mobile sleeping pod. "In the future it will be safer to drive in a driverless car than it will in a manual car," he says. "Therefore we don't need the protection systems that are built into contemporary cars. We can just have a shell of any design." One thing's for certain, you’ll be certain to see it coming. The Stained-Glass Driverless Sleeper Car is a bed on wheels, protected by an egg-shaped dome made of multi-coloured glass panels. They're soldered together and attached to an arched wooden frame. The controls are remote; Wilcox imagines that, like that of Google, his creation will be operated via a distant computer. That, of course, leaves loads of room for sleeping, reading, relaxing and sundry work and leisure activities. To illustrate the potential, Wilcox has simultaneously launched a concept website named taxirobot.co.uk. This allows visitors to select from a variety of driverless vehicles that double as mobile facilities, including a bedroom, an office, a gym, a dining room and even a sun bed that could be programmed to avoid cloudy routes. Via Dezeen.
I love the idea of growing my own food. The problem is, I’m one of those people who only has to look at a plant for it to turn into an aphid colony. I’m pretty convinced Indira Naidoo is a magician fronting as a journo and gardener of edible balconies. If you know what I’m talking about, here’s some good news. A couple of graduates from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) have created a personal farm that you can grow in your kitchen. And they know it works because they’ve already been providing home-grown veg to their college friends. Named ‘The Grove’, the farm looks a bit like a trendy hutch. It’s actually comprised of plant modules stacked on top of one another. A fish tank is included to provide nutrients. You don’t need any soil, because growth happens through aquaponics. But you do need to know how to work a smartphone. The ‘Grove OS’ enables users to monitor and control variables such as pH levels, moisture and temperature, as well as buy plants. All you have to do is swipe through and click on any vegetable, herb or fruit that catches your eye. “Farming — how we feed our growing and urbanising population — is a big problem on so many levels,” says Grove Labs CEO Gabe Blanchet. “A fundamental shift in culture enabled by powerful but simple technology, is the solution we, as humans, desperately need.” Pre-orders are available online. Via PSFK.
Here's a cheap way to update your wardrobe, as long as you're so fond of ALDI that you're keen to show your love via your outfit. Already a go-to for budget-friendly groceries, snow gear and whatever other specials that it can rustle up, the supermarket chain started its own streetwear collection in 2024, and that move proved a hit. Accordingly, you can now get excited about decking yourself out in the company's 2025 range. Selling clothes wasn't new for the chain when the ALDImania collection initially debuted, as everyone who regularly trawls its middle aisles will be well-aware, but this was the first time that the brand released its own ALDI threads. Those pieces sold out, so 2025's collection is even bigger. Everything still comes cheap, though, clocking in at under $20. Available from ALDI stores from Wednesday, April 9, 2025, the new range features 29 pieces. ALDI-branded hoodies, track pants, sneakers, socks and beanies are back, as are sweatshirts, t-shirts, bucket hats and caps. You can also get ALDI clogs this time around. For some items, there's also multiple colours available, with grey, back and white the 2025 lineup's base hues. Both types of shoes come in two styles, as do the t-shirts. For little ALDI fans, kids' sweatshirts and track pants are also on offer. Again made from sustainably sourced or recycled materials, the collection starts at $4.99 cost-wise, which'll get you a pair of socks. The most you'll pay is $19.99 for the sneakers. In-between those maximums and minimums, hoodies will set you back $14.99, beanies and bucket hats $7.99 each, clogs are the same price, and tees $8.99. If you'd like a compact umbrella (in three designs) or a double-walled insulated mug (in four designs), they help round out the collection. ALDI's 2025 streetwear range will hit the chain's supermarkets around Australia from Wednesday, April 9. Visit the ALDI website for more details.
Last year saw a slew of announcements around new streaming platforms, including two dedicated to horror and another to the world of Disney. Now, Australia's ever-growing streaming landscape is being joined by a service spotlighting great storytelling. Landing at the beginning of March, the documentary-focused iWonder launched with more than 500 hours of on-demand content, and hopes to host over 1000 blockbuster and under-the-radar titles by the end of the month. Documentaries already available on the platform cover a huge range of topics, from fast food social experiment Super Size Me, to fly-on-the-wall spectacle Jesus Camp which follows an Evangelist summer camp, and Morgan Neville's Oscar-winning music doco 20 Feet from Stardom. Music doco series Rolling Stones: Stories From the Edge, which covers the last 50 years of music in the US, and timely political flick Alt-Right: Age of Rage are also available on the service. iWonder co-founder James Bridges says a key feature of the service is the curation of the home page, which will reflect current events through articles and relevant documentary recommendations. Subscriptions have been set at $6.99 per month or $69.90 for an annual subscription. New Aussie users will receive the first month free — you can sign up here. The service is available on iOS and Android and can be cast to the small screen via Apple TV and Chromecast. The platform previously launched with 15 million users via the iflix platform in Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East. iWonder debuted in Singapore and New Zealand at the same time as Australia. You can sign up for iWonder via the website. Top image: Alt-Right: Age of Rage.
Maleficent has a perception problem. Traditionally blamed for Sleeping Beauty's snoozing state, the evil fairy gained an on-screen backstory in 2014, which softened out her edges (but not her razor-sharp cheekbones, naturally). That leaves inevitable sequel Maleficent: Mistress of Evil in a tricky predicament. The movie's title dials up the character's supposedly unsociable ways; however, if Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) is now happily playing godmother to Princess Aurora (Elle Fanning), how nefarious can she really be? And if she's facing off against a seemingly kindly queen (Michelle Pfeiffer) who actually wants to start a genocidal war against all magical folk, well, she's hardly the most wicked creature in this film. You could say that Disney just chose the wrong name for this follow-up, but the movie's moniker is symptomatic of its generally muddled state of affairs. It's easy to see why this sequel exists — the first film made a quarter-billion dollars at the box office, and Jolie's casting as Maleficent is a dark fairytale dream — yet that doesn't explain why such little thought appears to have gone into it otherwise. Perhaps the powers-that-be assumed that audiences just want Maleficent to be somewhat evil, so they'll overlook the fact that the last flick (and the beginning of this one) establishes otherwise. Or, perhaps it was a case of trying to use the same formula by giving it the slightest of twists. Where Maleficent proved that its eponymous antiheroine wasn't really bad because she has a soft spot for Aurora, Mistress of Evil does the same by saying "hey, someone else is worse!" That someone, Pfeiffer's Queen Ingrith, comes into Maleficent's life when Aurora accepts Prince Phillip's (Harris Dickinson) marriage proposal. While Maleficent is wary at first, she's heatedly flapping her wings with disapproval after an awkward meet-the-in-laws dinner, where she's accused of working her wicked magic on King John (Robert Lindsay). Although Aurora is left distraught and confused, original screenwriter Linda Woolverton and newcomers Noah Harpster and Micah Fitzerman-Blue (TV's Transparent) ensure that viewers don't feel the same, spelling out exactly who's responsible for the sinister turn of events. After a run-in with a colony of fellow dark fairies (led by a wasted Chiwetel Ejiofor), the scene is set for Maleficent to do her worst against Ingrith — for the absolute best possible reasons. With its feuding royals, controversial nuptials and ill-motivated blonde queen, Mistress of Evil takes a leaf or several out of Game of Thrones' book — all while tasking its antagonist with trying to wipe out an entire race. Throwing homicidal xenophobia into the mix is designed to reflect today's times, rebuke toxic political structures and promote a message of harmony, but it's both bluntly and clumsily handled. This is a family-friendly flick, after all, so Disney doesn't seem to want to delve too deeply into such tricky terrain. It's still happy to use holocaust parallels to up the dramatic stakes, though. Under the direction of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales' co-helmer Joachim Rønning, the movie's visuals also prove dull and lumbering, unless you like overblown CGI onslaughts. Of course, Mistress of Evil isn't the first big fantasy blockbuster that's forgone subtlety and ramped up its battle scenes, but it never escapes attention that the film didn't need to turn out this way. Jolie is once again a commanding delight as Maleficent, a role she relishes even if it barely stretches her Oscar-winning acting skills. Pfeiffer is equally as mesmerising as her increasingly deranged adversary — and, as she did the first time around, Fanning wears innocence well. After fleshing out its titular figure's tragic past in the initial movie, this sequel could've just let its three main talents go head-to-head. Indeed, Mistress of Evil is at its strongest when Jolie and Pfeiffer are trading withering barbs and glares, or when Jolie and Fanning are exploring their characters' complex mother-daughter dynamic. Cast-wise, it helps that they're in fine company, with Lesley Manville, Imelda Staunton and Juno Temple returning as pithy pixies devoted to Aurora, and Sam Riley popping up again as Maleficent's shape-shifting offsider; however the film's three main ladies steal the show when they're just talking to each other. But, then the screensaver-like special effects start screaming for attention. The movie's swooping cinematography keeps repetitively flying over forests and castles, too. And, especially from its mid-point, Rønning repeatedly hits audiences over the head with the film's clunky themes. Instead of enchanting, it all just makes for average-at-best fairytale drama. Mistress of Evil is hardly cursed, but it won't send anyone leaping from their slumber. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MU9zRfcTI-k
Uniting Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio on the same feature-length film for the first time ever, Killers of the Flower Moon felt like a culmination before a frame had been shot, let alone seen. Scorsese and De Niro have worked together for five decades, with a wealth of highlights such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, The King of Comedy, Goodfellas, Cape Fear and Casino to their names. Scorsese and DiCaprio have done the same for two, starting with Gangs of New York. Marty and Bob have known each other since they were 16, too, and it was the latter who told the former about Leo 20-plus years back after De Niro and DiCaprio made This Boy's Life together. Finally, then, one of cinema's golden triangles has connected all of its sides, apart from De Niro and DiCaprio playing themselves in Scorsese's 2015 comedy short The Audition. Doing the linking: a tale of murder, greed and betrayal that tells of the atrocities committed against the Osage Nation a century ago, relaying a chapter of US history that's conveyed on-screen with all the gutwrenching horror and heartbreak that it demands. And, as this story unfurls, watching Killers of the Flower Moon feels like joining the dots in another way as well. Even if Scorsese hadn't enlisted his two favourite actors, plus phenomenal Certain Women star Lily Gladstone as the film's heart, soul and spirit — and also continued his frequent collaborations with editor Thelma Schoonmaker, now-late composer Robbie Robertson and cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto — the 26th feature on his resume ties together much that's recurred throughout his filmography for more than half a century. Killers of the Flower Moon is a kind of gangster movie, as Goodfellas, Casino and The Irishman also are. It's unshakeably a crime flick, boxes that Mean Streets and The Departed also tick. Viewers can see the threads to the iconic filmmaker's past works about faith and spirituality, including The Last Temptation of Christ, Kundun and Silence. Greed and corruption have long featured across Scorsese's work, as seen in everything from Gangs of New York to The Wolf of Wall Street. This is a relationship drama as well, which brings The Age of Innocence to mind. As the movie makes plain almost immediately, and then repeatedly across its 206-minute running time, it's also more unsettling than Shutter Island. Ask Scorsese if Killers of the Flower Moon feels the same way to him, as Concrete Playground did, and he explains that piecing together threads that've been weaved throughout his career wasn't what overtly appealed to him. "I never thought of it that way," he notes. Instead, he advises that it was both the real-life stories and journalist David Grann's 2017 non-fiction novel Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI that steps through them that caught the filmmaker's interest. [caption id="attachment_923847" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marion Curtis / StarPix for Apple[/caption] In Scorsese's instantly engrossing and deeply haunting film, those accounts of Indigenous Americans slain by white men chasing oil-fuelled wealth — and power and control, too — filter through the romance of World War I veteran Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio, Don't Look Up) and Osage Nation member Mollie Kyle (Gladstone, Reservation Dogs). The pair meet when he seeks a job from his cattle rancher uncle William King Hale (De Niro, Amsterdam) upon returning from combat. Sparks fly immediately and their love is real, but Hale's pushing of Ernest in Mollie's direction isn't driven by wanting his nephew to be happy and follow his feelings. And, as too much surrounding the self-proclaimed 'king of the Osage' Hale does, it has consequences with a body count. Scorsese shared his thoughts on making his latest masterpiece with Concrete Playground during an international press conference for Killers of the Flower Moon, where he also answered questions about the biggest challenge in bringing the film to the screen, casting Gladstone, teaming up De Niro and DiCaprio, and how he approaches faith in his work. Not covered: the Oscar-winning director's new Letterboxd account, but you can check that out for yourself, then watch your way through his movie picks — such as what he recommends pairs well with his features. ON HOW KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON CONNECTS WITH SCORSESE'S PAST WORK "I just was attracted to the material, but then really became attracted to it because when we were doing research and meeting all the Osage people out in Oklahoma, the Osage Nation, in Gray Horse. They gave us a big dinner, and people got up and spoke about their ancestors, their great-grandfathers and grandmothers, and uncles and aunts, and that sort of thing, who were affected by this, who were killed during that period — and the fact that they never said anything about it, the generation of today and their parents, they kept it quiet. And now this book came out by David Grann, and now a film's being made. So naturally they had some caution as to me directing the film because of the nature of the films I've made in the past, like the violence in Goodfellas, etcetera. But it took a few meetings, and it took some conversation, and just basically being open-hearted with each other and trusting each other, with Chief Standing Bear and myself, and some of the other members of the Osage community. When I discovered that most of it really hinged on this love story between Mollie and Ernest, that's when I locked in on the project for real, in a sense. I was going another way at first. But in going the other way, meaning from the outside in, from Bureau Investigation in, I found that it was too reminiscent of films that I'd made in the past. It would've been good, I think, but I'd already been there — but what really got me was that what if this trust is betrayed through love? That has to do in the marriage, has to do with these two people who really love each other, and the husband is very weak. I thought that was interesting. And I have a feeling that relates more to The Age of Innocence than to some of my other films." ON THE CHALLENGES OF MAKING KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON "I think the biggest challenge was balancing the narrative parts of the story with the emotional aspects. I think what I mean by 'the narrative parts', there are some plot points that had to be connected — and that is with the Bureau of Investigation coming in and trying to figure out who was doing what, and what Bill Hale eventually did, and what he eventually accomplished, and what he tried to accomplish, and how he tried to clean up his steps, clean up everyone around him by getting them killed or whatever. But the real core of the picture was between Mollie and Ernest. And so, the emotional core of the film really had to revolve around them because all the plot points could be easily, easily absorbed as long as they connected. If it was just done on a narrative plot, it would be good, I think. But in my mind it would've been more like films that I've seen like police procedurals, which I enjoy watching, but I don't know if I could make. So, the biggest challenge was balancing the emotional complexity of the relationship between Mollie and Ernest, knowing that the two of them were in love, basing this on information we got from the Osage people themselves, who were descendants of them. They pointed out to us: "don't forget — this isn't a matter of straight villains and victims; these people were all either best friends or in love, and yet all this happened." And so that was the biggest challenge: to keep balancing that." ON CASTING LILY GLADSTONE "Ellen Lewis, who does my casting, had worked with Rene Haynes. They had worked on a television series that had a lot of Native American actors in it [2017's Godless]. And so she put out the feelers there, Ellen, and ultimately saw Kelly Reichardt's film Certain Women. In that film, Lily has quite, quite a sequence in it. Before the COVID pandemic hit, we were really concerned about could we get somebody who could play Mollie effectively. And Ellen, whom I've worked with since Goodfellas, since 1989, she said to me, 'I think we might be okay'. And she showed me Certain Women, the film. I thought that Lily was marvellous in it. Then we got to meet, but we could only meet on Zoom because the pandemic was beginning. And from that one Zoom call, we had to wait another almost year before we could come back together again on another Zoom, get Leo on the Zoom, discuss Mollie, discuss all of that. But during that year we worked on Mollie's character. And the whole point being, of course, that their story, Mollie and Ernest, is sort of a metaphor for the entire picture, the entire world that we're depicting and this horrendous situation that occurred at that time. So what I found from Lily was perfect cinema face. I mean, she could be saying nothing, but you feel everything going on behind her eyes, and in the positioning of her face, the way she moves. But there's so much going on inside of her, and it's reflected in a very still way. She doesn't have to provoke it. She also is very strong on Native American views and activism, and helped us steer the project as best we could in the proper direction in terms of Native Americans and European Americans." ON FINALLY GETTING ROBERT DE NIRO AND LEONARDO DICAPRIO TO SHARE THE SCREEN IN A SCORSESE FEATURE "With them, the thing is that I've known Robert De Niro since we were 16 years old. So he knows where I come from, and he knows my old friends, and I know his. And we found that when we started working together on Mean Streets and particularly Taxi Driver, we found that we shared the same sensibilities, or similar interests — and also that he was a fearless kind of actor. And the key element, aside from being a genius actor, was that we trusted each other. I trusted him for many different reasons, beyond the creative issues because there were a lot of political issues, too, at that time: making films for studios, studios would take the film away from you, actors would come in and re-cut them. He would never do that. He would never insist on something if I didn't feel it was right. We had an understanding that all he needed from me was to really listen to him and sometimes show me what he wanted to try. And we got to trust each other very strongly on that. Years go by, we wound up making Raging Bull and The King of Comedy. And then it took a while again before we got to make another picture: Goodfellas. But then, we hadn't worked for 19 years before we worked on this film — before we worked on The Irishman, I should say. And he had introduced me to Leo DiCaprio 20 years ago. He said 'he's a very young actor, and he's very, very good'. And I got to know Leo, and we did Gangs of New York together. But on The Aviator, a film we did after, I found similarities, in a way. I don't say same style — a very different style — but he had the openness, and he had the trust. And he had a crazy fearlessness in the same way as De Niro. Despite the fact that we're 30 years difference, there is that trust and enjoyment working together. Really, there's a love there between the three of us. So, it also happened that suddenly they came together on this movie." ON SCORSESE'S APPROACH TO FAITH IN HIS FILMS "I think, first of all, it's not an immediate dismissal of other faiths. As much as my roots are in Roman Catholicism of the mid-20th century here in New York, I have my differences with that. But I also, in supporting my own faith, or trying to support my faith, I found it interesting to learn about other religions, other faiths, philosophy as much as possible, taking it seriously. I don't mean superstition. And yet, even in superstition, the very act of the ritual itself reflects faith. For example, if you take Roberto Rossellini's film Stromboli, there's a great sequence in it where they fish for the tuna — and before they fish for the tuna, they all say a prayer, and then there's the slaughter of the tuna. It reflects something that is a need for spirituality in having to survive as a human being. The lack of spirituality. They need spirituality going deep down into the roots, primeval roots, before you can even find the sustenance to continue to live, you see? And so, somehow that is a gift: to find the food. That's a gift from god. And so for me, that's always something that is to be respected. People feel that way about the world around them, and to be respectful of the world around them. It's more like a blessing of being alive despite all the problems. I find that with many different groups of people, and many different ways of thinking. For me, it comes down to respect and dignity for what other people believe. You may not believe that, but it comes down to that. I think a world that's like in this film, it's a world of corruption that has no roots in morality or spirituality. They [Hale and company] think they do. You can say 'well, they have religion', but that's not spirituality, you see, and so anything goes. The most important thing is winning. The most important this is getting as much money as you can, especially if some civilisation is on its way out anyway. 'As much as I love them,' Bill Hale says. 'I love them. They're great people, but they're gonna die off.' So, this is something that fascinates me and makes me think 'is that part of me, too?'. In other words, am I capable of that kind of behaviour? I'm not saying killing. I'm talking about complicity in it, by being quiet about it. So that's where all of it comes together. I think maybe that's why I was attracted to it." Killers of the Flower Moon opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, October 19. Read our review.
You can glean much about an artist by the way that they commit their own likeness to paper. You can discover plenty about someone through their possessions, too. Art lovers are accustomed to exploring what made Frida Kahlo tick through her self-portraits, and they do indeed feature at Australia's latest exhibition dedicated to the icon. Her personal belongings are as much in the spotlight, however, at Aussie-exclusive showcase Frida Kahlo: In Her Own Image at the Bendigo Art Gallery. Announced in 2024, open at the regional Victorian venue since Saturday, March 15, 2025 and on display until Sunday, July 13, this tribute to the Mexican painter sees how she bared her soul in her work, especially in pieces where she stares back at audiences — but it also dives into a treasure trove of items belonging to Kahlo as well. Garments that she wore, her favourite cosmetics, hand-painted medical corsets that she donned following spinal surgeries: they're all on display, all direct from the Museo Frida Kahlo in Mexico. Many of the artworks and items featured have never been seen in Australia before. In fact, some were sealed for 50 years in her family home when Diego Rivera ensured that the site would become a museum after Kahlo passed away in 1954, and that her most-personal objects were stored in the bathrooms away from public eyes. It isn't just paintings, plus items such as clothes and makeup that've made the trip to Bendigo, but also mementoes, sketches and photographs. As a result, a visit to this exhibition will get you peering at traditional Mexican garments, including a headdress from the Oaxaca region — and Revlon cosmetics, such as lipstick, nail polish and an eyebrow pencil. Among the medical corsets, one featuring a broken Tuscan column to represent her spine is a highlight. From the art pieces included, Appearances Can Be Deceiving, a self-portrait drawing that provides a view through her clothing to her corset x-ray style, is another. 1940's Self Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird is also one of the works displaying in Australia for the first time ever — and add 1951's Still Life with Parrot and Fruit to the same list. "It is such an honour to have the opportunity to work with the Museo Frida Kahlo to tell the story of one of the world's most mythologised artists. This remarkable collection rarely travels outside Mexico, and has never before been seen in Australia," said Bendigo Art Gallery Director Jessica Bridgfoot. "Kahlo's much-loved home La Casa Azul, now the Museo Frida Kahlo, was the embodiment of her art, philosophies, and design influences," Bridgfoot continued. Australia keeps heroing Frida Kahlo: In Her Own Image's subject at institutions around the country, with this exhibition following the Art Gallery of South Australia's 150-work Frida & Diego: Love & Revolution showcase of Mexican modernism in 2023, and also Sydney Festival's multi-sensory Frida Kahlo: Life of an Icon the same year. Frida Kahlo: In Her Own Image displays at Bendigo Art Gallery, 42 View Street, Bendigo until Sunday, July 13, 2025. Head to the gallery's website for further details. Images: Bendigo Art Gallery.
