Never has the vegan lifestyle seemed quite so doable as right now. Chefs across the world are doing incredible things with meat-free menus, the move towards conscious fashion has spawned vegan threads that you would actually wear out of the house, and now you can even take a jaunt on the world's first all-vegan ocean cruise. Run by a company called Cruise and Maritime Voyages (CMV), the 100 percent vegan cruise pulls out of London at the end of this month, setting off on a week-long journey through the Norwegian fjords. On board, guests have all the ingredients for a luxe, plant-based vacation, right at their fingertips. Chefs will whip up gourmet vegan eats for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the bar will pouring a range of vegan wines from across Europe alongside plant-based cocktail creations, and even the cabins are stocked up with organic vegan body products. Along with organised activities, spa facilities and onshore excursions, there's also a hefty program of lectures and classes, hosted by a lineup of doctors, nutritionists and other vegan experts. The vegan voyagers will be given free reign to chat about all things vegan without one eye-roll in sight. CMV also runs cruises around Australia and New Zealand so, who knows — it could be just a matter of time before the concept comes here.
Victoria's Grampians National Park is already home to a number of world-class hiking trails, but, come next year, it will have a giant new one that's will be a whole trip in itself. Start stretching, because this will be a big one. When completed in late-2020, the Grampians Peaks Trail will cover 160 kilometres and take 13 days to traverse. It'll connect some of the Grampians' best mountain peaks, providing panoramic views of the southern volcanic plains from Mount Abrupt, winding through the parks low-lying greenery and waterfalls to Mount Zero in the north. The track has been designed so everyone can get some use out of it — whether you're looking for a leisurely day trip or an overnight hike, or ready to commit to an epic two-week adventure. Gariwerd — as it's known by the land's Traditional Owners, the Jardwadjali and Djab Wurrung people — is more than just its rugged, sandstone mountains. The park is heritage listed for its Aboriginal significance (there is a large number of ancient rock art paintings and shelters in the area), its abundance of animal and plant life, and its damn spectacular views. If you're raring to get started, a section of the Grampians Peaks Trail is already open — and it's a three-day circuit, so you can easily make a weekender out of it. As it stands, the 36-kilometre walk starts and ends at Halls Gap and has two campsites — Bugiga Hiker Camp and Borough Huts Campground — and takes in highlights like the Pinnacle, Spitters Falls, the Gate of the East Wind, Mount Rosea and Bellfield Lake. The Grampians Peaks Trail will open in full in late 2020. We'll keep you updated with new details on the track as its launch gets closer.
In news that Sydneysiders have been eagerly awaiting, it has been announced that the new Sydney Fish Market will open its doors on January 19, 2026. The market will feature more than 40 retailers at its striking new location on the harbour at Blackwattle Bay. The new space will continue to showcase the incredible seafood Australia has to offer, from sustainably farmed oysters to wild-caught prawns, and will also feature the opening of vibrant new venues from celebrated chefs such as Luke Nguyen and Junda Khoo. Sydney Fish Market CEO Daniel Jarosch says, "We've waited decades for this new market, and taking this time means we can open with a bang. A January opening gives tenants the time to finish fit-outs this year, and then train staff and prepare operationally, so that they are ready to deliver an incredible experience from day one." After decades of operating at its existing site, this news brings significant change to the Sydney culinary and cultural landscape, with the market not only being a major tourist attraction but also a central part of Sydney's hospitality scene. And for a final hurrah, there will be one last 36-hour Seafood Marathon at the existing location, a Christmas tradition that sees retailers operate from 5am on December 23, straight through to 5pm on Christmas Eve. It is expected that Sydneysiders will turn out in record numbers this year to farewell the landmark site. Jarosch says, "It's the end of an era and the beginning of something extraordinary. We will celebrate one final Christmas in our current home before we open the doors to Sydney's newest waterfront icon. It will also mean a smooth experience for Sydneysiders as they buy their seafood for Christmas. It is an important tradition among many families, and we want to guarantee their access to seafood." The reimagined Sydney Fish Market will bring together old favourites and new vendors to create a vibrant venue that is expected to draw in over six million visitors annually. There will be exciting restaurant openings such as Luke Nguyen's new flagship Southeast Asian restaurant, Lua, and renowned Malaysian chef Junda Khoo's new Tam Jiak by Ho Jiak. Hamsi will bring Turkish charcoal dishes, Le Dea Pizza will offer Italian delights, Cow & The Moon will serve award-winning gelato, and Sergios will surprise with high tea and pastries. Of course, there is a strong focus on fresh seafood, with offerings such as GetFish and GetSashimi's exciting sushi train concept, TJ's Po Boys' lobster rolls, Tin Tin Harbour's classic yum cha and live seafood, and The Japanese Collective's seafood barbecue. "For decades, Sydney Fish Market has held a special place in the hearts of Sydneysiders and visitors alike — a place where people come not just to buy the freshest seafood, but to enjoy the unique blend of culture and heritage. With the new Sydney Fish Market, we honour that legacy while looking firmly to the future. The vision is simple: to create a destination people will return to again and again, not just to buy seafood, but to experience it. This is a place where you can take a behind-the-scenes tour, discover the origins of your meal, and explore the cultures that celebrate seafood across the globe. It's about education, enjoyment, and creating a real sense of connection to the produce, the people, and the place," says Jarosch. Images: Supplied. The Sydney Fish Market is slated to open on January 19, 2026. In the meantime, check out the best seafood restaurants in Sydney.
Any chance to see Yayoi Kusama's work in Australia is huge news, and reason to make a date — including travel plans, if needed — to get immersed in the Japanese icon's infinity rooms, and also be surrounded by pumpkins and dots. So when the National Gallery of Victoria announced that its big summer 2024–25 showcase would be dedicated to the artist, that was enough to make the resulting exhibition a firm must-see. Adding Friday-night parties to the mix is the cherry on top, then. How many ways can Melbourne go dotty for Kusama? It's time to find out from the exhibition's opening on Sunday, December 15, 2024, although answers have been arriving in advance. Kusama's five-metre-tall dot-covered Dancing Pumpkin sculpture has made NGV International's Federation Court its home first. Then came the revelation that the showcase will feature a world record-breaking number of infinity rooms and other immersive installations. And, outside the gallery on St Kilda Road, Kusama's Ascension of Polka Dots on the Trees has wrapped the trunks of more than 60 trees in pink-and-white polka-dotted material. NGV Friday Nights often forms part of the venue's high-profile exhibitions, so it should come as no surprise that the event series is back for Yayoi Kusama. The after-hours parties kick off on Friday, December 20, 2024 for some pre-Christmas fun, then run for 18 weeks until Friday, April 18, 2025. Come quittin' time for the week, Melburnians can add spots to their late-night shenanigans. If you're making a visit from interstate, you'll want to ensure you time it to hit one of the soirees on your trip. Seeing art is obviously on the NGV Friday Nights itinerary, but so is music and culinary experiences. The NGV's Great Hall will welcome live DJ sets, including from Dijok, Small FRY, Elle Shimada, Tanzer and more. In the NGV Garden Restaurant, acclaimed chefs Martin Benn is doing a residency for the exhibition's duration, serving up Asian-inspired dishes using Australian produce, Attendees can also look forward to other dining and drinking options, such as the Moët & Chandon champagne bar, Four Pillars gin bar, Yering Station wine bar and Häagen-Dazs ice cream cart — so there's sparkling, G&Ts, wine flights and frozen treats covered — plus a Japanese-inspired menu from the Great Hall and Gallery Kitchen. Gracing NGV International's walls until Monday, April 21, 2025, Yayoi Kusama features over 180 works, in the largest Kusama retrospective that Australia has ever seen — as well as one of the most-comprehensive retrospectives devoted to the artist to be staged globally, not to mention the closest that you'll get to experiencing her Tokyo museum without leaving the country. Images: Michael Pham / Tobias Titz.
The winter chill is starting to set in across Sydney, which means it's time to bust out your warmest winter woolies once again. Happily enough, to coincide with the start of winter, a heap of private igloos are popping up across the city so you can get your winter escape without even having to leave the big smoke. You'll soon find pop-up winter wonderlands across Sydney as Surry Hills' The Winery and Darling Harbour's Cargo Bar are set to bring back their popular igloos from June. Head to The Winery between Saturday, June 8 and Sunday, September 26, and you can chill out in your wintry bubble with up to seven of your mates. For $50 per person, you'll get a hearty winter set menu for you and your buddies to share featuring olives, Sydney rock oysters, ricotta and pine nut ravioli, The Winery's sausage rolls, baked camembert and a triple chocolate brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Want to take things up a notch? You can add on two hours of unlimited booze for an additional $39 a head. To book, just head over to The Winery's website. [caption id="attachment_773890" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Winery[/caption] If you're keen to kick back in a waterfront igloo, head to Cargo Bar instead. Here, 90 minutes inside a fairy light-lit dome will cost you $59 a head — and includes four tasty dishes and endless drinks, with a choice of beer or wine, and the option to add an espresso martini into the mix for $10. For food, you'll be feasting on mac and cheese balls, birria tacos, buffalo wings and margherita pizza. Hit up the Cargo Bar website to book a spot between Thursday, June 17 and Sunday, September 26. The phenomenon of pop-up winter igloos has been growing in recent years, with igloos currently also occupying Pier One, as well as a bunch of venues down in Melbourne. Private igloos are available to hire at The Winery from Saturday, June 8 and Cargo Bar from Thursday, June 17.
As you're (hopefully) well aware, the season of celebrating all things Mum is mere days away. If you've got a mother in your life who can be a bit trickier to book for on Mother's Day, how about a fried chicken feed that's a hot bucket of finger-licking fun? That opportunity doesn't come around often, but it just so happens to be the occasion taking over the Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel on the big day (Sunday, May 11, if you're yet to mark your calendars). This is the world's first KFC Habanero High Tea. It's the time and place to give back to mums who love a bit of spice and childlike fun. Mums are the guests of honour, and their cliques are welcome too. A DJ will play Mum's favourites all afternoon long, while a crispy menu of fried chicken and the like occupies the tables. Drinks will be flowing to wash down KFC's Popcorn Chicken, nuggets, chips, and the new limited-time Habanero Hot & Crispy, with plenty of other delicious treats available. Tickets are on sale now for $50 per person, and must be purchased in pairs. Who would dare send their mum to a Mother's Day lunch alone? All ticket proceeds will go towards Aussie youth's mental health and wellbeing, through the KFC Youth Foundation, Black Dog Institute and ReachOut Australia.
For one afternoon only, Messina's headquarters in Marrickville is transforming into a massive dance floor. The gelato maker is teaming up with events collective Maple Social for a sun-drenched day party. Leading the DJ lineup is TikTok hero Touch of Funk, who'll be joined by locals CHRS and steevie. They've all been charged with getting you moving, and keeping you that way. In between dance breaks, kick back with a burger and hand-cut fries from Marrickville's Whole Beast Butchery. Meanwhile, Messina's Erin Bar will be peddling signature cocktails. Then, of course, there's the gelato — bucketloads of it. Tuck into all the usual flavours at your leisure, but do make sure you leave room for the Maple Social-inspired special. It's a Canadian maple scoop infused with butter, dotted with chunks of waffle cone crunch and drizzled with maple caramel. Entry to the Maple Social x Gelato Messina Car Park Party is free, but you need to RSVP beforehand. Do that via Instagram @maplesocialclub or Partiful.
Two years after closing to the public back in early 2019 — and three years after first announcing it was undergoing a big makeover — Melbourne's Australian Centre for the Moving Image is set to reopen its doors on Thursday, February 11. And, when film and television lovers step back inside its Federation Square building, they'll notice plenty of changes. If you're going to shut down to undertake extensive $40 million renovations, you want people to see it, after all. Details have been announced over the past couple of years; however, that doesn't make the revamp any less impressive. So, visitors can expect revamped exhibition spaces, new immersive experiences and added interactive activations, including a permanent ode to Mad Max. And, the venue definitely looks different, all thanks to Melbourne architects BKK and experience design firm Publicis Sapient/Second Story. Also part of the makeover: the Lens, a handheld device made out of compressed cardboard that you use while physically moseying through ACMI's galleries, and tap at around 200 different touchpoints to collect objects of interest as you wander. You then take it home with you, and whip it out again to check out all the items you've collected — even after you've left the museum. One of the things you'll want to use the Lens on is ACMI's huge — and free, and permanent — The Story of the Moving Image exhibition, which has an online component and also physically sprawls across 1600 square metres. It's all about the past, present and future of screen culture in all of its forms, including optical illusions, the first projected images, and the ways in which cinema, TV and games have evolved over the past century. ACMI has also spent big on commissioning new work — to the tune of $880,000, which has gone towards 15 projects. Seventy percent are by First Nations artists, and 60 percent feature women in a lead creative role. Visitors will be able to see one, from Gabriella Hirst, during the venue's first solo exhibition after reopening. Called Darling Darling, the video work finds commonalities between the efforts to preserve colonial paintings of the Australian landscape and the real-world preservation of the Murray Darling Basin. The site's two cinemas are also restarting their screening program, beginning with Love & Neon: The Cinema of Wong Kar Wai, a season dedicated to the acclaimed director. And, its curated streaming service, which launched in 2020, is still up and running as well. Other big new ACMI highlights include the Blackmagic Design Media Preservation Lab, which is dedicated to preserving Australia's analogue past and also ensuring that the country's digital present remains accessible — and the high-tech Gandel Digital Future Labs, which are aimed at fostering young creatives. There's also a retail space that boasts decor as vivid as the film and TV-focused items on sale, plus a new dining space called Hero. The latter is a collaboration with Melbourne chef Karen Martini and new venture HospitalityM, takes inspiration from Jacques Tati's 1967 film PlayTime, and serves bites to eat and casual drinks all day. HospitalityM will also run a coffee cart on Flinders Street, and sell cinema snacks. The Australian Centre for the Moving Image reopens its doors on Thursday, February 11, at Federation Square, Flinders Street, Melbourne. Images: Shannon McGrath.
Sip, savour, and step into spring with Roku Gin. The Japanese craft gin brand is celebrating the beauty of the season and the launch of Roku Gin Sakura Bloom Edition with a series of special offers at select Sydney venues. Each venue will craft a bespoke cocktail showcasing the refined flavours of the newly launched gin—the first in the Japanese gin's Seasonal Festive Collection—which highlights the delicate cherry blossom notes. So, which venues are getting involved? Check them out below: [caption id="attachment_970468" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Roku Gin Sakura Bloom Edition at Botanic House[/caption] Botanic House — October 1–31 First up on the roster is Botanic House hidden away in the heart of the Royal Botanic Gardens. Fresh off the launch event for Roku Gin Sakura Bloom Edition with Luke Nguyen, the talented bartenders at this watering hole are adding a special cocktail to its menu called 'A Night in Tokyo' — a delicate fruity number with Roku Gin Sakura Bloom Edition, strawberry-infused Campari and jasmine tea. Terrace on the Domain — October 1–31 Next on the list is this convenient locale at the cusp of the Royal Botanic Gardens opposite the Art Gallery of NSW. Finish a day of perusing the incredible art exhibitions at the Gallery or its new modern art sister gallery next door with a special cocktail and some tasty bites here. Bar 83 — October 1–31 Not one for the faint-hearted — or those afraid of heights — this literal next-level venue is perched atop the iconic Sydney Tower. Bar 83 doesn't just deliver great views; its food and cocktails stack up as well. Its bartenders are serving up the My Amai cocktail. Translated, it means "my sweetness," and it is a subtly sweet drop with Roku Gin Sakura Bloom Edition, rose syrup for even more floral notes with lemon juices and whites for balance. Make the journey up Sydney's arguably most recognisable tower and toast to good company and epic vistas. [caption id="attachment_972384" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Roku Gin at Reign at The QVB[/caption] Reign at The QVB — October 1–31 The 120-year-old Queen Victoria Building has added a regal-themed bar to its decadent offerings. After spending an arvo working your way through the building's sprawling retail venues, make your way here to perch by the opulent windows and people-watch as you enjoy a delectable Roku Gin Sakura Bloom Edition cocktail with your friends (and some delicious eats). Dubbed the Sakuragi Spritz it's a suitably bubbly and fruity number made with Roku Gin Sakura Bloom Edition, St Germain, Pommery Brut Royal Rosé Champagne and chrysanthemum syrup. Me-Gal Mosman — October 1–31 Taronga Zoo's one-of-a-kind eco-retreat is home to an elegant dining room that opened to the public last year. Me-Gal Mosman boasts panoramic views of the Sydney skyline from across the harbour — and a soundtrack of wildlife that you won't enjoy anywhere else in the city. We can't think of a more unique spot to wile away an evening this spring with a delicious floral cocktail. Kid Kyoto — October 1– November 31 Transport yourself to the bustling Japanese city — without the airfare — with an evening at this neon-lit izakaya, Kid Kyoto. Expect nineties tunes (think grunge and rock: lots of Nirvana and Nine Inch Nails) paired with a menu that pays homage to classic Japanese flavours while toying with surprising ingredients and textures. Contrast your surroundings with a bright and floral concoction dubbed the Hanami-tini with Roku Gin Sakura Bloom Edition, Cinzano Bianco and a dash of cherry blossom syrup — it'll put you in the mood for spring. [caption id="attachment_972494" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Roku at Bistro George at Jackson's on George[/caption] Jackson's on George — October 15–November 15 This CBD stalwart is back with inventive pub feeds, a European bistro and an expansive rooftop bar. Jackson's on George is a flash multi-storey and multi-concept pub with a classic pub on the ground floor, a lush bistro above that and an expansive rooftop bar up on top. Here, you can enjoy a Pink Sakura cocktail, a nice celebration of the floral gin with Roku Gin Sakura Bloom Edition, apricot, honey-fermented blueberries and lemon as the sun sets on these warmer evenings in the city. Green Moustache — October 1–November 15 North Sydney's foliage-filled Green Moustache is also taking part in Roku Gin's spring series with a cutesy Princess Peach cocktail. It's a delightfully fruity blend of Roku Gin Sakura Bloom Edition, crème de peche, lemon, rose syrup and whites for lift. Located mere steps from the new Victoria Cross Metro station, it's the perfect place to relax away from the hustle and bustle of the city north of the bridge with a bespoke cocktail. [caption id="attachment_972819" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Roku Gin Sakura Bloom Edition and Grandiflora fragrance[/caption] Each participating venue will offer a unique cocktail, and as a special gift, anyone who orders one of the special cocktails will receive a complimentary sample-sized Grandiflora sakura perfume crafted by florist-turned-perfumier Saskia Havekes, founder of Grandiflora. Havekes used the seasonal gin as the template and inspiration for the delicately floral perfume. This fragrance will only be available at exclusive Roku Gin and Grandiflora events happening throughout spring in Sydney. Sip, savour, and step into spring with Roku Gin. The gin is available at Dan Murphy's stores nationwide. Find out more info and purchase on the website. Enter Roku Gin's competition to win a full-sized perfume here. Images: Mark Sherborne
Darlinghurst's Japanese cafe Sandoitchi has a new addition to its katsu menu — and it's the most over-the-top sando we've seen yet. Co-Owner and Chef Pureephat "Bhass" Kraikangwan (Long Chim) has teamed up with Sydney's wagyu experts Osawa Enterprises to create the kobe katsu sando. And it'll set you back a casual $200 a pop. A high-end variety of wagyu, kobe beef is raised to strict standards in the Japanese prefecture of Hyōgo (its capital city is Kobe). The super-premium kobe used in Sandoitchi costs a whopping $400 per kilo. While the exact price of each sando will depend on portion size, expect around 200-grams of pink-centered kobe sandwiched between Japanese-style thick-cut white bread topped with tonkatsu mayo and mustard. These kobe katsu sandos are available by pre-order only, via DM on Sandoitchi's Instagram. The dish will be available for all of October — and potentially beyond if there's enough thirst for it in Sydney. [caption id="attachment_785328" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kobe katsu sando by @dangimhungry via Sandoitchi.[/caption] If dropping four pineapples on some meat and bread sounds extravagant to you, you can also opt for a few less OTT options. Those include a South Australian wagyu strip loin for $59 — it boasts a marble score of 9+, which is the highest score possible — and the regular wagyu sando with beef from NSW's Rangers Valley for $29 (marble score 4+). These sandos are also topped with tonkatsu mayo and mustard and served on pillowy white bread. This rather pricey sando is a departure for the cafe, which generally serves up reasonably priced eats — like the katsu-heavy dinner menu from July, which saw most dishes sit under $20. We're not sure who can afford this latest katsu offering, but we're sure it'll be a memorable bite for those who can. The kobe katsu sando will be available at Sandoitchi Cafe for the remainder of October. It must be pre-ordered via DM on Sandoitchi's Instagram here.
Just look at that hair. This large-scale installation — which not-so-subtly resembles the dome of Donald Trump — is the work of Canadian-born visual artist Callum Morton. Titled Monument #32: Helter Shelter 2018, the giant protruding head is now on display along Barangaroo Wharf, and you're welcome to sit inside its cavernous fiery interior, too (if you feel comfortable doing so). Morton's thought-provoking and shelter-providing sculpture is on display along with two other works as part of Carriageworks' annual art fair, Sydney Contemporary. Joining the head is Cameron Robbins' installation Remote Sensor, which combines elements of nature, wind, the tides and light in a series of drawings, photographs and moving images that will take residence along the Barangaroo foreshore. If you visit at the right time, you might also catch Mel O'Callaghan's breath-based performance, Breath repertoire. O'Callaghan and Sydney Dance Company will perform an intense movement-focused performance that uses intersecting graphic lines as a language and musical score for the dancers at 12.30pm on September 6, 7 and 13 at Barangaroo's Exchange Place. All three installations are free to view and will be on display until September 24. Sydney Contemporary will return to Sydney for its fourth year on the weekend of September 13–16. The lineup is overflowing with performances, exhibitions, tours, talks and afterparties that celebrate both homegrown and international art. The installation works at Barangaroo for Sydney Contemporary are now open from August 31 through September 24. Check the website for more information.
Napoli Food and Wines is a mega warehouse for all things Italian and it has been serving the Marrickville community for nearly 30 years. The wholesaler is owned by Raffaele Angrisano, who is considered a neighbourhood local legend. The expansive warehouse contains imported goods directly from the motherland (as well as carrying local produce, such as Australian cheese). You can get it all here, from Italian salumi and burrata, bocconcini and fresh mozzarella to imported coffee and olive oil. There's even an entire pizza making section and plenty of pasta, too. In addition to the food, Napoli also carries Italian wines and craft beers, and the deli is currently offering home delivery to boot. Images: Cassandra Hannagan
As COVID-19 continues to affect daily life in Australia, a whole host of regular activities have come to a pause. For Melburnians, heading to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image's home away from home at The Capitol for Melbourne Cinémathèque's weekly sessions is one such shuttered event, with screenings suspended for the time being — so ACMI and Melbourne Cinémathèque are going virtual. Available to movie buffs everywhere — not just in Melbourne — Virtual Cinémathèque will host weekly sessions from Wednesday, March 25. Cinephiles, folks looking for something to watch in self-isolation and everyone who has exhausted their Netflix queue can expect double bills showcasing both new and old movies, as linked by a common director, performer or theme. The folks at ACMI and Melbourne Cinémathèque will be on curation duty and, where possible, they'll be accompanying each week's lineup with introductions and further information about the films showing — just as Melbourne Cinémathèque usually does at its in-person events. They'll also do their best to pick flicks available on free and easily accessible platforms, so getting your movie fix won't cost you a cent. For details of what's on each week, keep an eye on ACMI and Melbourne Cinémathèque's social media channels. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
The flavours of Korea and Mexico have formed an unlikely, but delicious allegiance, given equal billing at Canterbury's modern fusion eatery Vecino. It's an uncommon culinary mash-up, but not one you'll forget in a hurry, thanks to a creative menu packed full of big flavours. Co-owners Tony Lee and Eunice Lim play on the similarities between two famously lively cuisines, drawing both on Lee's Korean heritage and his experience working in Mexican kitchens across the world. At Vecino, the lineup is crafty, rather than quirky, with instant hits including the bulgogi tacos (two for $13.50) — the Korean classic reimagined with black beans and guac — and the loaded fries ($14.90), here topped with bulgogi, pico de gallo, kimchi, sour cream and cheese. There's a ripper Korean fried chicken, too —served either original, sweet and spicy, teriyaki, rosemary honey garlic and chimichurri — while the burrito ($16) comes loaded with kimchi fried rice, spicy pork, black beans, guac and hot sauce. Equally vibrant and just as memorable is the funky cocktail selection. Head in for gutsy creations like the Makgeorita, blending tequila with Korean rice wine, alongside a lineup of soju-infused signatures and giant frozen margaritas.
When it comes to casual group dining, Motel Mezza ticks all the boxes. You can come in for drinks and share mezze plates by the fireplace, or book in for a banquet feast with a group of mates and stay for electric blue coloured cocktails and a chat with the bartenders. It's easy-breezy. The Middle Eastern restaurant menu has dips and small plates, and its mains include zaatar cauliflower served with tahini and garlic dip, lamb kafka served with Lebanese bread, fresh tomato and onion, and shish taouk — sauteed chicken in a tomato marinate, served on rice with almonds. For the best value, share a banquet between two; the $45 plant-based mezza includes hummus, vine leaves, tabouli, zaatar cauliflower, falafel, lubia green beans and rice. [caption id="attachment_777186" align="alignnone" width="1620"] Kitti Gould[/caption] Everything here is designed to share, so the more the merrier. That way you can add in labneh dressed with olive oil and zaatar and mint, kabis pickles or warmed olives to start — and a medley of desserts, like the halawi ice cream, rosewater panna cotta or orange and almond cake, to round out your night. From the bar, cocktails are colourful and playfully named. The Axel Rose mixes up vodka, rose water, lime and cucumber and the Blue Sky is a striking blend of vodka, blue curacao, lemon and pineapple. Like any good bar, it also offers the classics, so if you're here for a cosmo, no one will judge. Wine and beer drinkers have their pick from a plentiful list of Australian and New Zealand wines and craft beers. Plus, there are lots of non-alcoholic options that aren't limited to sugary soda. Images: Kitti Gould
Two of Sydney's favourite activities have come together at a new winter pop-up — glamping and boozy feasting. Surry Hills' The Winery has introduced a limited-time winter glamping area to its idyllic al fresco dining space, and while you won't be staying the night, you will get to indulge in a private getaway for a couple of hours. Visitors to the venue can hire out their own private glamping tent fitted out with tables, rugs, blankets and cushions for an intimate dining experience for them and their friends. Available for groups of up to eight, the tents are available for $55pp which includes a three-course tasting menu for the group. The degustation starts with a platter of cheese and charcuterie. From there, you'll be treated to wagyu beef sliders, smoked Andouille sausages and flash-fried chat potatoes with chimichurri, before the feast is finished off with s'mores. You can then add seasonal drinks to the menu for an additional $29 a head. Take your pick from the winter cocktails including mulled wine, mulled cider, a hot toddy and a spiked hot chocolate to begin. From there you'll be cheers-ing with a choice of beer and wine before rounding things out with an espresso martini to pair with your s'more. Bookings are available from midday each day. If you want to bring your four-legged companions, the tents are dog-friendly and you can add catering for your pup in the form of a bark-uterie board for $12. Plus, there are options for families with kids packages available for an additional $15 — and date nights that couples can book for $240. If you want to escape the world for a few hours, head to The Winery's website to book your spot.
Christian Thompson is one of the most celebrated contemporary Indigenous artists working today, and Ritual Intimacy represents the first major survey of the artist's extensive and diverse works. Through photography, video, sculpture, performance and sound, he explores notions of identity, race and history, often placing these themes against the backdrop of the Australian environment. Thompson's prodigious talents were recognised from an early age with his early career spent at the side of world-renowned artist Marina Abramovic, who became his mentor. Later, Thompson was accepted into Oxford University, making him one of the first Indigenous Australians to study at the institution in its 900-year history. Taking place at the UNSW Galleries, Ritual Intimacy features a new major commission first unveiled at the exhibition's Melbourne run last year, while also highlighting Thompson's continued exploration of musical works centred around Indigenous language. The showcase will be on display until July 14.
Hyde Park Barracks, built in 1819 to house male convicts and now a UNESCO World Heritage-listed museum, has reopened after undergoing an $18-million makeover. In the year since it closed, Sydney Living Museums has installed state-of-the-art interactive experiences. Prepare to step back into convict history and discover its impacts on First Nations peoples. Behind the revamp is Local Projects, a New York-based design studio, who has worked with Sydney Living Museums to breathe new life into the Barracks' 4000-strong collection, many of which are now on display for the first time. They've drawn on powerful stories, added interactive elements and created installations that surround you with visuals and sound over three storeys. [caption id="attachment_763829" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brett Boardman[/caption] "The new design for Hyde Park Barracks places the personal narrative at the centre of the experience, creating a deeply moving journey for our visitors," said Sydney Living Museums Executive Director Adam Lindsay in a statement. For tens of thousands of years, the land on which the museum stands was home to Gadigal People, who remain the land's traditional custodians. The new Museum explores their connection to the area, as well as how their lives where impacted by the Barracks' construction and, more generally, colonisation. [caption id="attachment_763828" align="alignnone" width="1920"] James Horan[/caption] Commissioned by Governor Lachlan Macquarie and designed by convict-turned-architect Francis Greenway, the building served as a convict prison from 1819–1848, when it transformed into temporary accommodation for female immigrants, mainly Irish orphans escaping the Great Famine. More than 100,000 people lived in the building between 1819 and 1887. But it wasn't until the early 1980s that archaeologists dug up the 120,000 objects – from coins and soup bones to clothing and bottles – left behind. If you head to the new-look Hyde Park Barracks before Sunday, March 15, you'll get to see its (temporarily) transformed courtyard, too. For his site-specific art installation untitled (maraong manaóuwi), Wiradjuri/Kamilaroi artist Jonathan Jones has covered the building's 2500 square-metre courtyard with red and white stones from Wiradjuri Country. You'll spot a symbol on the rocks that can be interpreted in two ways (and conveys two very different historical perspectivies): the maraong manaóuwi (which means emu footprint in the local Gadigal language) and English broad arrow. You're invited to look at — and walk across — the artwork for free until it disappears mid-March. A heap of workshops are running alongside the installation, too, which you can check out over here. Hyde Park Barracks Museum is open daily from 10am–5pm at Macquarie Street, Sydney, and tickets are $20–24. Top images: Brett Boardman
In repentance for all the times you've ordered take away and slumped on the couch feeling like the worst, you can now do the exact same thing while feeling like the best. On Friday, July 15 Uber is teaming up with OzHarvest and a horde of celebrity chefs to design and deliver a range of gourmet ice creams for a good cause (sorry Gelato Messina, you're out of the gang). The guys at OzHarvest hope to deliver 100,000 meals for vulnerable Aussies to help them get through the harsh winter season. The profits from a $15 half-litre tub of ice cream will provide five square meals to struggling Aussies — and one indulgent meal to yourself. George Calombaris, Matt Moran and Neil Perry have all signed up, and each has designed a custom ice cream flavour. There are no prizes for guessing that George's has an amazing Greek twist — it's called Caramel and Walnut Baklava Smash. Matt Moran has wisely gone with the deliciousness of banana with his Banoffee Crunch and Neil Perry will be scooping Spiced Cookie and Caramel Swirl. They all sound bonkers, which is a good thing because distribution is randomised. All you have to do is jump on the app between 11am and 5pm on Friday and press the ice cream button for ice cream delivered straight to your door. If only all things in life were that simple. Check out their service areas on their website. Like all of Uber's extracurricular pursuits, demand will be high. But if you miss out, just buy an ice cream and donate to OzHarvest directly over here.
Last summer, Australians sat down in front of their televisions to watch a famous train cross the country. And, it proved a hit. In fact, a three-hour documentary about Adelaide-to-Darwin locomotive The Ghan was such a success that SBS aired a 17-hour version that followed the entirety of the train's daytime trip. Yes, 17 whole hours. It cut out the evening parts, where the screen would just be black, for obvious reasons. Come January 2019, The Ghan will have company in the very niche genre that is TV docos about super-lengthy Aussie train journeys — and, once again, there's two versions. Following the Indian Pacific, the transcontinental railway line that crosses Australia from Perth to Sydney, the documentary will air on SBS in a three-hour format at 7.30pm on Sunday, January 6. It'll then be followed by the entire 17-hour marathon, which'll run on SBS Viceland from a yet-to-be-confirmed time on Saturday, January 12. Now, The Indian Pacific: Australia's Longest Train Journey could've been longer. Much, much longer. In fact, the whole 4352-kilometre trip takes 65 hours from coast to coast, with stopovers in places such as Broken Hill, Adelaide, the Barossa Valley, Kalgoorlie, Rawlinna and Cook depending on the direction of the journey. A train with a hefty history, the Indian Pacific first ran along the rails on February 23, 1970, and is now considered an Aussie icon. The lengthy doco forms part of the slow TV movement, and it's not the only instance that's coming to SBS this summer. Like boats? Multiple types of transport? The broadcaster is also airing The Kimberley Cruise: Australia's Last Great Wilderness, which follows a Broome-to-Darwin route through the Top End; plus North to South, which ventures from Auckland on New Zealand's north island down to the Southern Alps and Milford Sound on the country's south island, including railways, sailing and driving the route. Both will screen three-hour cuts as well as lengthier versions up to 18 hours, with the Kimberley getting its time to shine on Sunday, January 13 and Saturday, January 19, and NZ in the spotlight on Sunday, January 27 and Saturday, February 2. If that's not enough, SBS Viceland will replay the whole The Ghan experience on Saturday, January 26 too. If staring at transport trekking across landscape is your kind of thing, there's your Saturdays in January well and truly sorted. For further details, visit the SBS website. Image: Great Southern Rail.
The 2014 National Young Writers' Festival's program launch is set to pack a punch on August 26, with the appearance of NoViolet Bulawayo. In 2013, she became the first black African woman and the first Zimbabwean to hit the Man Booker shortlist, when her novel We Need New Names made the cut. In conversation with social commentator Zoya Patel, Bulawayo will be traversing the work's dominant concerns: identity, culture, belonging and place. "For me, life outside the homeland is a story of perpetual mourning for what is gone," she said in a Guardian interview last year. "It's amazing how the simplest things can trigger that melancholy, from walking down the street and hearing on the car radio a song from home, to the smell of food, to a face that looks like somebody's face." The National Young Writers' Festival, Australia's biggest meet-up for young writers, happens in Newcastle during the Labour Day long weekend. This year, that's October 2-5. More than 80 literary stars — both established and emerging — are on the menu, including Benjamin Law, Clementine Ford, Omar Musa and Lawrence Leung. MC Ben Jenkins will give away all the juicy details at the launch.
We've reached the point in 2020 where, after the hectic developments of this year, it's becoming clear that 2021 won't be as normal as we'd all like either. So, after watching this year's events from March onwards adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, we're now seeing next year's start to do the same — including the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade. In 2021, the famed event will undergo a significant COVID-safe change. As announced today, Thursday, November 5, it won't be taking to the streets as normal, but will instead host its signature festivities at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). And, when it happens on Saturday, March 6, it'll be a ticketed affair — so prepare to sit down, watch a pageant of costumes, puppetry and props, and just generally celebrate queer art and culture. Tickets will set you back $20 for an adult or $50 for a group of four. Tickets go on sale on Monday, November 9, with 23,000 available — in line with New South Wales' current capacity limits for stadiums, which came into effect in early October. If that cap eases, more tickets for the SCG will become available. Either way, for those who can't make it along, the entire event will be broadcast on SBS on the evening. "Mardi Gras has always been the epitome of creative expression through art and culture — two things severely impacted by COVID-19 this year," said Mardi Gras CEO Albert Kruger, revealing 2021's plans. "So it was important to Mardi Gras that we rise to the occasion and to give the community the creative platform to express their pride to the world. The 2021 parade may look look different to how it has been in the past, but we feel very lucky to be able to give this opportunity to our communities during these times." [caption id="attachment_749878" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jeffrey Feng[/caption] In another big change, there'll be less of a focus on large floats — which makes sense given that 2021's event will no longer be a street parade. Although it'll all take place at an oval, expect all the colour and liveliness the parade is known for, of course. Performers will be responding to the year's theme, 'rise', which Mardi Gras describes as "call to action that now is the time to rise again through love, compassion, respect and understanding, and to work together to make the world a better place for all". Also reflecting the changed world we now live in, Mardi Gras has announced a new 'Always On' program. As the name suggests, it's a year-round suite of activities and events for the LGBTQI+ community, which'll include queer performance and content, more events beyond Oxford Street, plus increased efforts to highlight social injustice and support major campaigns — and helping out community and grassroots organisations, too. And if you're wondering about the other big events that usually fall within Mardi Gras' usual dates, such as Fair Day, it's working on a plan for those for 2021 — with details still to come. The 2021 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade will take place at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday, March 6, with tickets on sale from Monday, November 9. For more information, head to the Mardi Gras website. Top image: Jeffrey Feng
Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art started 2023 by musing on air, with floating mirrored spheres, volcanic mounds, and dances between light and darkness to help. When the year comes to an end, it'll turn its attention to fairy tales, complete with twisted woodlands taking over the South Bank venue. In-between, GOMA is shining a spotlight on two Australian artists, Michael Zavros and eX de Medici, in a pair of exhibitions that feature everything from cars to blood swabs. Running now until Monday, October 2, and filling GOMA for winter as well as the start of spring in the process, Michael Zavros: The Favourite and eX de Medici: Beautiful Wickedness are taking their status as major surveys of each talent's work seriously. The former covers 90-plus paintings, sculptures, videos, photos and performances by the Queensland artist, while the latter is the most extensive retrospective to-date on the Canberra-based creative and tattooist, spanning more than 100 works. With The Favourite, GOMA looks back across 25 years of Zavros' art — although Drowned Mercedes is brand new. Created for the exhibition, the sculpture fills the cabin of an original classic 90s Mercedes-Benz SL convertible with water. When attendees peer at the piece, they see their own reflection in the water. Other Zavros highlights include paintings including Man in a wool suit and Ferragamo 2000, which take inspiration from men's magazines; the Prince/Zavros, with American conceptual artist Richard Prince's late-80s Cowboy images and Marlboro Man tobacco ads an influence; architectural representations Love's temple and Unicorn in the anticamera; and a heap of portraits, with Zavros himself a frequent subject. Still-life works; equestrian paintings, drawings and sculptures; depictions of rare Japanese Onagadori chickens: they all grace GOMA's walls and halls, too. So does Acropolis Now, a large-scale mural depicting the Parthenon in Athens, which is being turned into a Greek coffee house once a month thanks to folks from Brisbane's Greek community playing backgammon and sipping Greek caffeinated beverages. "At the core of the exhibition and among the things that differentiate Michael Zavros from other artists of his generation is an unapologetic love of beauty and craftsmanship, folly, and grandeur. Audiences will enter Michael's world. They will see the rigour and breadth of his practice and how his work across multiple media reveals a subtly evolving worldview," said Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art Director Chris Saines. "His work is inescapably about who he is: his lifestyle — real or imagined — his family, his interests and values." In Beautiful Wickedness, the gallery harks back four decades, charting eX de Medici's exploration of life's fragility, death, greed, power, conflict and more. Here, visitors can peer at watercolours; intricate botanical studies; ample works featuring flowers and skulls; and even a bridal gown that takes its cues from Julie Andrews' dress in The Sound of Music. Early pieces include The Blood of Others, which is where those blood swabs come in — from eX de Medici's tattoo clients back in the 90s — while later works go large, feature moths and weapons, and explore war's pointlessness. "An avowed environmentalist and activist, de Medici's life and career has been dedicated to uncloaking misuses of power and revealing its effects on everyday lives. Exquisitely detailed and technically adept, her often large-scale watercolours seduce the viewer while seeking to expose the shadowy underbelly of consumerism and the long reach of systems of surveillance, authority, and control," said Saines. "Her artworks conceal surreptitious yet razor-sharp barbs among lush arrangements of historical and contemporary emblems of excess." Michael Zavros: The Favourite and eX de Medici: Beautiful Wickedness display at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art, Stanley Place, South Brisbane from Saturday, June 24–Monday, October 2, 2023. For further details — or to find out more about the gallery's full 2023 slate — visit its website. Images: installation views of Michael Zavros: The Favourite and eX de Medici: Beautiful Wickedness, Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, 2023. © Michael Zavros and eX de Medici / Photographs: Joe Ruckli © QAGOMA.
If you've been feeling fandangled by Facebook and in a tangle over Twitter, it's time to take a deep breath, kick back and relax. Good news is General Assembly has cooked up a plan to make the decompression process a whole lot easier for you. Welcome to the epic Digital Detox giveaway. The digital education whizzes are giving five lucky, lucky readers among you a lush prize package made up of a sleepover in an Airbnb property of your choice (to the value of $400), a gastronomic indulgence courtesy of Lime & Tonic, a case of top-shelf wine from Vinomofo and, for when you come floating back to life on the Earthly plane, $200 credit towards a General Assembly course. Having started in New York in 2011 and since spread its wings to 11 other cities around the world, General Assembly is all about empowering you to pursue the career that inspires you. There are full-time, part-time and online courses, as well as one-off workshops and events, so you can either dive off the deep-end into a possibly life-changing experience or nibble around the edges and experiment with something that attracts your interest. Workshops coming up in Sydney and Melbourne include Programming Fundamentals for Non-Programmers, Lean UX Fundamentals, and Code in One Day: HTML & CSS Crash Course. As to the Airbnb stays, it's entirely up to you, but may we recommend this Tree Top Eco Retreat in Queensland. This uber-cosy retreat, with its thatched roof and king-sized bed, brings a touch of Bali to Noosa. Floor-to-ceiling windows afford panoramic views of the national park and the west-facing position means sunsets worthy of a Ron Fricke film. Plus you get your own indoor-outdoor covered bathroom, your own deck (complete with hammock) and access to the onsite yoga room. The entire structure is separate from the main dwelling, so there's total privacy. Beaches and restaurants are just a few minutes' walk away. Alternatively, there's this luxurious accommodation. Byron's Secret is found on a five-acre property, just off a tranquil country lane in the Byron Bay hinterland. The 180-degree panorama includes Byron Bay's renowned coast-scape foregrounded by Myocum Valley, as well as Mount Chincogan. Inside, you can detox in style in a pillowtop queen-sized bed fitted with bamboo linen, curl up in the lounge room or bliss out on the ocean views visible from the deep cast-iron bath. A hamper brimming with local organic produce meets you on arrival. To enter the the Digital Detox head to the General Assembly website. You have until September 29.
On Saturday, October 26, prepare to experience Australia's largest LGBTQIA+ Halloween party. A haunting takeover of Liberty Hall will go from dusk till dawn (6pm–2am), so get ready for a night full of eerie excitement, spine-tingling surprises, and ghostly good vibes. Brought to you by Sydney based LGBTQIA+ events company, GAYM Entertainment, this spook fest will star local artists and international headliners in the DJ booth, including Dani Brasil, John Course, Mario Beckman, Nat Valverde, Sam Gee and Tommy Trash. Two custom-built stages, both indoors and outdoors, will deliver a high-energy mix of house, tech, tribal, and circuit beats. Expect scream-worthy performances and blood-curdling roaming characters to keep the thrills and chills alive throughout the night. To keep you fuelled up for the festivities, food trucks will be dishing up tasty bites all night long and the signature scare tunnel is making its return, offering spine-chilling frights just like in previous Horrorween events. Final tickets are on sale now, so don't delay in securing your spot at this strictly 18+ party.
It's that time of the year when people get extra lovey-dovey, so booking a romantic escape feels like the perfect move. Alternatively, the love-sick nature of Valentine's Day might just make you want to escape to a different continent altogether. Whatever your motivation for boarding a plane, Scoot's latest Gotta Scoot Tuesdays sale is stacked with heavily discounted fares to a host of dream destinations. This way, you can plan out one romantic experience after the next, or trade the overpriced roses for a date-worthy retreat. Running now through Monday, February 16, this limited-time sale features stellar travel periods, so you can take your romance to the next level right away or hold off until later in the year. This time around, the available travel dates are: February 24–March 20, April 14–May 29, July 13–September 17, and October 4–October 31. And the destinations? Well, they're primed for starry-eyed couples' trips, backpacking adventures with your best pals or an overdue solo vacation where you hopefully won't have to hear another word about Valentine's Day. Highlights include one-way fares from Sydney or Melbourne to Singapore starting from $210. You can also book flights to Koh Samui from Sydney for $315 or from Melbourne for $300. If you'd prefer the Thai mainland over the island life, Sydneysiders fly to Chang Mai from $295, while fares from Melbourne start from $285. For those envisioning nonstop date nights in big cities, Scoot is offering discounted airfares for those places, too. Trips from Sydney or Melbourne to Bangkok start at $255 and $260, respectively, while fares to Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City start from $230 for Sydney travellers or $245 for lovebirds departing Melbourne. Scoot's Gotta Scoot Tuesdays sale is on now, running until Monday, February 16. Head to the website for more information.
It might be his catchphrase, but "elementary, my dear Watson" isn't something that Sherlock Holmes originally said. You won't find it in the pages of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's books, although it pops up quite frequently in the many, many film and television adaptations of the doctor-turned-author's work. Robert Downey Jr. mixing sarcasm and violence in the Guy Ritchie-directed Sherlock Holmes movies, Benedict Cumberbatch becoming the internet's boyfriend in Sherlock, Jonny Lee Miller taking the sleuth to the US in Elementary — they're the most recent offerings; you've probably seen one or two of them. That's just one of the Holmes tidbits you're likely to learn at The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes, and you don't have to be a world-renowned detective to figure out what it's all about. For the first time, the collection of Sherlock Holmes-related objects and manuscripts — and an interactive experience that lets you conduct experiments and solve a mystery — is venturing beyond North America for a five-month run at Sydney's Powerhouse Museum from June 3 to October 29, 2017. For those keen on delving into the items behind the 127-year-old literary and pop culture legend, prepare to cast your eyes over 350 different bits and pieces, including first editions, props, costumes, period artefacts and one of the world's most accurate recreations of 221B Baker Street (that is, the place that Holmes and John Watson call home). If chasing clues and figuring out puzzles is more your thing, then don your deerstalker to not only discover the science behind his investigative ways, but put it to use. You'll become Sherlock's eyes and ears on a new case, because, yes, the game's afoot.
Belles Hot Chicken has flirted with all sorts of chook-centric creations over the years, but there's one classic Aussie chicken dish that it's left untouched. Until now. Head chef and co-founder Morgan McGlone has just gone and dropped the group's first ever chicken parma sandwich, as part of Belles' new limited-edition Italian menu, Parma di Bella. This star sanga ($13) teams a garlic-brushed Italian bun with crumbed chicken tenders, rich napoli sauce, melted pecorino and a shaved fennel and rocket slaw. And it's got a worthy accompaniment in the new chicken skin mac 'n' cheese ($6), featuring McGlone's classic macaroni side topped with crispy fried chicken skin, smoked paprika and a dusting of Italian seasoning. On offer at all Belles outposts from May 29 to June 19, the pop-up menu also showcases a couple of fittingly Italian booze matches. You'll find crisp tinnies of Peroni Red ($6), along with a special pull from the cellar: the unique Sicilian red, Frank Cornelissen Contadino ($16 a glass). Parma di Bella is available at Belles Hot Chicken Barangaroo, Darling Square and Tramsheds.
Who needs facts when you can have a ball with irreverently riffing on history? It worked for Blackadder decades back, then with The Great and Our Flag Means Death more recently, and now does the same for The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin. It was evident from the concept when it was announced, and the trailer afterwards as well: this Apple TV+ series is firmly in the same mode as the pirate comedy that gave streaming two wonderfully funny and heartfelt seasons, then was cancelled. The similarities don't stop being apparent now that Noel Fielding's latest stint of silliness is unfurling its six-episode first season. Accordingly, viewers looking for something to help with their Our Flag Means Death heartbreak have somewhere to turn. Everyone who loves The Mighty Boosh's Fielding when he's getting surreal — something that his The Great British Bake Off hosting stint can't quite offer, even with his outfits — is also catered for. Awaiting in The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin is an entertaining jaunt that's exactly what anyone should expect given its premise, star, his fondness for whimsy and flamboyant outfits, plus Britain's love of parodying its own past. Fielding co-writes and executive produces, alongside leading — and his brother Michael is among the fellow The Mighty Boosh alum on-screen. Dick jokes abound, because who could pass up the opportunity given its protagonist? A who's who of English comedy also features. The year is 1735. The place is the UK, obviously. The subject is a real-life highwayman. Streaming from Friday, March 1, an instantly amusing revisionist history about Britain's equivalent of Ned Kelly is the result. Stand and deliver: as Dick, Fielding does. While he isn't attempting to be anything more than Vince Noir but an outlaw centuries back, no one creating, funding or watching the show wants otherwise. With Rhys Darby (Next Goal Wins) and Flight of the Conchords' Murray instead, Our Flag Means Death had its main star do much the same. Although chances to spot commonalities between the two shows just keep coming, it's in an enjoyable way, like hearing a cover of a beloved tune by someone that you also adore. That someone being Fielding, who has such a rich resume of hilarious and absurdist TV comedy thanks to Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, Nathan Barley, The IT Crowd and Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy as well, is clearly pivotal. If Dick Turpin isn't familiar, he's another figure from the 18th century, as Darby's Stede Bonnet was. Swap the sea for the land, though; the whole robbery angle remains the same. The son of a butcher, he was his father's apprentice, but then took on a different career as part of the Essex gang. In reality, he was executed by hanging at the age of 33. In The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin, standing on the gallows provides the opening. From there, the series steps through his time as a thief after being a vegan pacifist didn't gel with the family business. The key things that Dick takes with him when he leaves home, when his father John (Mark Heap, Significant Other) quickly replaces him with his cousin Benny (Michael Fielding, Merry Little Batman): eye-catching purple boots and a sewing machine. The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin creators Claire Downes, Ian Jarvis and Stuart Lane — who've collaborated on Around the World in 80 Days, Timewasters and We Can Be Heroes before this — then puts the mascara-laden, silky-locked, jollily talkative Dick in charge of his criminal colleagues, and at odds with the usual highwayman antics. He falls into his new gig accidentally, becoming the crew's leader in the same way. Dick wants sticking up stagecoaches and dog walkers to be charming, and done with panache. Working with his version of pleather, aka parsnip leather, he's just as certain that his crew needs to be better dressed. Also, toxic masculinity definitely isn't his vibe. As frequently chronicled in pamphlets by local scribe Eliza Bean (Dolly Wells, Pandemonium), so springs an array of episodic adventures for Dick, the wary Nell (Ellie White, Wonka), eager Honesty (Duayne Boachie, You Don't Know Me) and tender Moose (Marc Wootton, High & Dry). Cue magic mittens, a wild twist on a nun's habit as a disguise, capes, a haunted coach, warlock exams, knitting, trying to avoid letting in a witch by not saying her name a set amount of times Candyman-style, pretending to be a time traveller from 15 minutes into the future, suave rivals and other law breakers who are actually villainous, for instance. Usually on Dick's trail is corrupt thief-taker Jonathan Wilde (Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey: A New Era). Also interested in his actions is crime bigwig Lady Helen Gwinear (Tamsin Greig, Sexy Beast). Plus, this is an on-screen realm where the pub is run by an eight-year-old called Little Karen (Kiri Flaherty, Darklands). Popping up here and there are Asim Chaudhry (Barbie) as the aforementioned sorcerer, alongside Joe Wilkinson (Sex Education) as a gaoler. The cast list goes on, turning watching The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin into a game of Spot That Recognisable Face. When Fielding's Never Mind the Buzzcocks host Greg Davies (The Cleaner) makes an appearance, their banter could've been taken straight from the Spicks and Specks-inspiring music game show. The Mighty Boosh's Simon Farnaby (Ghosts) and Rich Fulcher (Still Up), Cunk on Earth's Diane Morgan, Spaced favourite Jessica Hynes, Matilda the Musical's Sindhu Vee, another Barbie and Sex Education link via Connor Swindells: one of them is never far away, all having as much of a blast as Fielding. Breezy, goofy, impish and oddball fun bounds through the series no matter who else is on-screen with The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin's lead — and while fleshing out its frames with such top talents is among its achievements, Fielding is always the star attraction. He's also the reason that its thematic dive into finding your chosen family and being accepted for who you are still feels potent, as slight as it is. As the show builds its romp around its him, it also ensures that an inescapable sentiment lingers at every moment: 17 years since The Mighty Boosh's last episode, it's a pleasure to have Fielding taking a sitcom's centre stage and loving it once more. Here's hoping that a second season of The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin promptly follows. Check out the trailer for The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin below: The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin streams via Apple TV+ from Friday, March 1, 2024.
If you've ever whiled away your evening hours watching MasterChef while enviously eating a two-ingredient pesto pasta for dinner, we have some good news for you: Jacob's Creek is setting up its pop-up kitchen again, and it's aimed precisely at those who want to refine their chef skills a little — i.e., you. Plus, this time, Kitchen Collective will take place at Bennelong Lawn in the Royal Botanic Garden, meaning sweeping harbour and city views. For the Kitchen Collective, Huxtaburger chef Daniel Wilson (a past judge on MasterChef Australia) and Rocker's Stuart Toon (a former MasterChef UK contestant) will guide attendees through a two-course cooking demonstration. Diners will learn from Wilson and Toon and then take part in a little friendly competition as they recreate one entree and one dessert in teams. While there will be prizes up for grabs, there won't be any eliminations (and hopefully no tears, either). To take a little of the pressure away, Wilson and Toon will take care of your main course and Jacob's Creek Barossa Signature wines will be matched to each course. Wine experts Kristy Farrel and Katherine Candy will be present to chat through each free-flowing drop and share the secrets to food and wine pairing. As well as helping you hone your top chef skills, the pop-up will also contribute to an even greater good: 100 percent of profits are being donated to SecondBite, a charity that provides food and support for the needy. Jacob's Creek Kitchen Collective will take place between Tuesday, July 16 and Sunday, August 4. Daytime sessions will run from 12pm–4pm every Thursday to Sunday, and the nighttime experience will run from 6pm–10pm every Tuesday to Sunday. Only 16 seats are available for each session, so move quickly and nab your spot here. Image: Kai Leishman.
This June celebration of all things punani, foo foo and vagina has one message — love your lady parts! Philip Werner's photographic exhibition, 101 Vagina, and the Festival of the Vagina are en route to Redfern so "get your bits out, they're all fine" (if you watch the promo video that should make more sense). The exhibition is from Werner's coffee-table book of the same name, which features black-and-white stills of full-frontal vaginas and accompanying messages from the subjects. The show will be up for three days at 107 Projects in a bid to not only celebrate but redirect the plight of the forgotten vagina. Tied up in all kinds of taboos, mandatory porno airbrushing and a dramatic increase in labiaplasty, it sounds like the old girls could use a breath of fresh air. So feel free to giggle, scream or get naked (but don't say it came from me). 101 Vagina is also the centrepiece for an all-day vajayjay fest on Saturday, June 29. The Festival of the Vagina will unite educators, performers, artists, journalists and the rest of us with the noble goal of taking the shame out of vagina. Did I mention there is also a ukulele band called the Three Sisters Katoomba? Awesome. Check out the full line-up at the 101 Vagina website.
Summer might be over for another year, but chasing endless sunny days, sandy spots and crashing waves is a rather easy pastime in Australia. The country is girt by sea, after all, and boasts thousands of beaches — including Western Australia's Cable Beach, which has just been named one of the best coastal spots in the world for 2023, plus the absolute top beach in the South Pacific for this year as well. The scenic Broome locale nabbed those honours thanks to Tripadvisor, which unveils a lineup of top beaches each year. Among the international plaudits, Cable Beach came in third behind Baia do Sancho in Fernando de Noronha in Brazil and Eagle Beach in Aruba in The Caribbean. It also ranked higher than spots in Iceland, Turks and Caicos, Portugal, India, Sicily, Cuba and Hawaii. Yes, that's mighty fine company to keep. [caption id="attachment_891596" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cable Beach[/caption] In the South Pacific rundown, Cable Beach beat six other Aussie locations and one from New Zealand. Also getting some love locally: Sydney's Manly Beach in second place, Emily Bay on Norfolk Island in third and Mooloolaba Beach in fourth spot. Four Mile Beach in Port Douglas and Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island adding two more Queensland locations to the list at sixth and seventh place, while Turquoise Bay in Exmouth in WA came in ninth after topping the South Pacific spots in 2022. Across the ditch, Tahunanui Beach in Nelson sits at eighth place, too. The two beaches deemed the best in the South Pacific that aren't from Down Under? Matira Beach on Society Island in Bora Bora, French Polynesia, which sits fifth and Natadola Beach in Sigatoka, Fiji, at tenth. If it's an overseas beach holiday you're after this year, you now know where to head. [caption id="attachment_891589" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Manly Beach[/caption] Back to the worldwide list, it spans 25 places, with Manly coming in 13th there ahead of locations in Grand Cayman, San Sebastian, Bali, Costa Rica, Rio de Janeiro and more. Across both the worldwide and South Pacific rankings, winners were chosen as part of Tripadvisor's Traveller's Choice awards, which is based on millions of reviews and ratings left on the online platform across 2022. [caption id="attachment_891592" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Whitehaven Beach[/caption] TOP TEN BEACHES IN THE WORLD FOR 2023: Baia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil Eagle Beach, Aruba, The Caribbean Cable Beach, Broome, Australia Reynisfjara Beach, Vik, Iceland Grace Bay Beach, Turks and Caicos, The Caribbean Praia da Falésia, Algarve, Portugal Radhanagar Beach, Havelock Island, India Spiaggia dei Conigli, Sicily, Italy Varadero Beach, Cuba, The Caribbean Ka'anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii TOP TEN BEACHES IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC FOR 2023: Cable Beach, Broome, Western Australia, Australia Manly Beach, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Emily Bay, Norfolk Island, Australia Mooloolaba Beach, Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia Matira Beach, Society Island, Bora Bora, French Polynesia Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, Queensland, Australia Tahunanui Beach, Nelson, New Zealand Turquoise Bay, Exmouth, Western Australia, Australia Natadola Beach, Sigatoka, Fiji [caption id="attachment_891590" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matira Beach[/caption] To check out the full list of top beaches for 2023, head to Tripadvisor. Images: Getty Images / Tripadvisor. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
You can forget about cramped seats and other people's heads obscuring your view of the big screen when you next catch a flick, because Sydney has scored a new next-level movie-going experience. And it's from the same minds behind Gold Class, V-Max and the multi-sensory 4DX cinema. The latest luxe additions to Event Cinemas George Street, the two boutique theatres each boast their own unique design, the 'Paparazzi' auditorium inspired by red carpet glamour and sibling space 'The Library' celebrating the art of storytelling. They're intimate cinemas, with room for just 46 and 28 guests, respectively. Dubbed Event Boutique cinemas, they're decked out with luxurious recliner chairs, state-of-the-art sound technology, in-seat waiter service and a not-boring menu of food and drinks. [caption id="attachment_725804" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Library[/caption] Step inside and you're in for a premium experience, helped along by extra large screens featuring world-class laser projection. What's more, while you're kicking back watching a film, you'll also be tucking into a top-notch lineup of eats and drinks — delivered to your seat by a waiter, of course. Think platters of cheese and charcuterie courtesy of Vic's Meats, smashed avo, croissants and banana loaf from Sonoma Bakery, as well as wagyu beef burgers, braised brisket pies, reuben sandwiches and mini pizzas topped with the likes of mortadella and pumpkin and goat's cheese. For dessert, there are fried-to-order cinnamon doughnuts, pints of Magnum ice cream and popcorn-topped chocolate brownies, as well as all the candy bar classics. As an added bonus, each Event Boutique cinema is customisable, so they're primed for functions, special events and private screenings (if you wanna be that extra). It's just the latest luxe cinema experience to land in Aus, too, with Palace Cinemas also recently stepping things up a notch with its Palace Platinum offering, now available in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne.
If there's one thing that Breath just had to perfect, it's something that everyone can relate to: the experience of truly appreciating the ocean's wonders for the first time. No matter when it strikes, the feeling hits with the power of a wave — whether it inspires you to jump into the sea, bake by the shore or just stare at the water in awe. Adapting Tim Winton's award-winning Australian novel for the screen, Breath conveys this moment in a simple but potent fashion, through the twinkle in two teenagers' eyes and an excited exclamation. "I'll surf that one day. You dare me? I dare you to dare me!" 14-year-old Loonie (Ben Spence) tells his 13-year-old best mate Pikelet (Samson Coulter). They've just hitched a ride from their inland home town to the coast nearby and, from the look on their faces, they've found their calling. In narration provided by Winton himself, Breath also describes the sea's allure in more poetic terms. "Never had I seen something so beautiful, so pointless and elegant, as if dancing on water was the best thing a man could do," says the author as the voice of an adult Pikelet. But the movie doesn't just saddle its characters with relaying this perspective. Thanks to the expert assistance of water cinematographer Rick Rifici (Storm Surfers 3D, Drift), Breath boasts jaw-dropping surf footage that captures the full majesty of the ocean. Grey might come in 50 shades (or so we're told), but there are just as many hues of blue in Simon Baker's first film as a director, most of them found in Western Australia's stunning waters. After locking their sights on the enticing waves in all of their crashing, thrashing glory, Pikelet and Loonie are keen to pursue their newfound passion. It's the 1970s and, while the duo are largely left to do what they please by their parents (played by Richard Roxburgh and Rachael Blake as Mr and Mrs Pike, and Jacek Koman as Mr Loon), surfing represents the kind of freedom and danger these eager teens equate with finally growing up. When they're not rustling up the cash to buy boards, they're convincing reluctant, reclusive ex-professional surfer Sando (Baker) to show them the ropes. Soon, however, Pikelet's attention is split — between catching bigger and bigger breaks with Loonie and his new idol, and spending time with Sando's injured aerial skier wife Eva (Elizabeth Debicki). Throwing its youthful protagonists into complex waters both figuratively and literally, Breath makes the most of its obvious metaphor. The movie's textured, detailed ocean imagery speaks to the sea's threats as much as its thrills, and really couldn't better encapsulate Pikelet's seething inner turmoil. In each meticulous, expressive shot, the character's restless energy, his desire to transcend his otherwise ordinary life, and his need to prove himself, all come to the fore. And while the parallels between the water's ebbs and flows and the film's exploration of one of Winton's favourite topics — blossoming masculinity — aren't particularly subtle, pairing them together is still effective on a visual, emotional and thematic level. If Breath's images swell with feeling, then so too does its cast, with Baker coaxing fine-tuned performances out of his small ensemble. While The Mentalist star himself is quiet and contemplative in his return to Australia's film industry after nearly two decades, and Debicki finds the line between no-nonsense and vulnerable, Coulter and Spence bring the film to life with the same force as the curling sea seen so often throughout the movie. The young talents are actually surfers who learned to act, rather than vice versa, and their portrayals always remain genuine and naturalistic. Whether Pikelet and Loonie are splashing around, testing the boundaries of their friendship, or grappling with what it means to become a man, the teenage newcomers ensure this soulful, lyrical picture never merely wallows in familiar coming-of-age waters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY8KFlOm7qo
A lacklustre vehicle for two fine actors, Diane Keaton and Brendan Gleeson are wasted in Joel Hopkins' Hampstead, a light-on-charm plod-along which harbours not much more than a giggle every now and then, some pretty scenery, and a particularly nice looking veggie patch. Keaton is Emily, a recently widowed woman who lives in an upmarket block of apartments in London's Hampstead, neighboured mostly by other rich women her age. Her days involve throwing her hands up in the air about her debts while wandering around with her peers signing petitions and having brunch. Unsurprisingly, she feels as though something is missing from her life. Enter Gleeson as Donald, a gruff Irishman who lives in a ramshackle hut on the heath, in perfect binocular-spying distance from Emily's attic. He grows his own food and fishes in the lake. One thing leads to another, there's some perfunctory plot development, and the two meet and strike up a romance. The only problem is that there's so little chemistry between the two that at one point, during a scene where they're kissing in bed, I found myself wondering whether it would rain tomorrow and if I had washing to put on at home. The two actors do their best with the cloying, Richard Curtis-wannabe script, which aims for whimsical and lands on limp. Turns out Donald has built a cottage on the Heath without permission, doesn't pay rent or taxes, and is being evicted by the council who plan to build apartment blocks in place of him, leaving him homeless without any relatives to rely on. Emily, on the other hand, is worried about whether she's going to have to sell her super lush apartment because she's bad at accounting. Naturally the two bond over their "similar" circumstances. Based on the true tale of Harry Hallowes, who did actually live on Hampstead Heath in a DIY shack, the story itself is quite interesting. But the romantic comedy angle feels as though it's being squeezed out of a nearly-dry sponge. Hampstead isn't bad. It just isn't, in the grand scheme of things, particularly good either. If you want to feel warm and fuzzy, there are plenty of better, sweeter and more charming British films worth watching. Also, if fishing and cheese picnics are someone's idea of "trampy" dates, then line me up. I'd swipe right on that any day of the week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsJv_bJBHSY
Sydney cinephiles, we now know just what you'll be viewing across a certain 12-day block in June. After releasing a sneak peek last month, Sydney Film Festival has unveiled its massive lineup in full for its 64th year, and it comes with 288 films from 59 countries, including 37 world premieres. Oh, it features Aussie legend Ben Mendelsohn chatting about his career too. In exciting news for fans of the ace local actor and his recent rise through Hollywood's ranks (The Dark Knight Rises, Girls, Bloodline, Rogue One — the list goes on), Mendo will be in town for an in conversation session, as well as a screening of his latest flick Una. The latter also features Rooney Mara and his Star Wars co-star Riz Ahmed, and marks the filmmaking debut of Australian theatre director Benedict Andrews. Staying on the homegrown front, festival director Nashen Moodley is once again opening SFF with a locally-relevant title for the sixth time in a row. This year, the new effort from Samson and Delilah's Warwick Thornton is doing the honours. Enjoying its world premiere at the fest, We Don't Need a Map explores the significance of the Southern Cross as a symbol within Australian culture. Other Aussie fare includes two films from Red Dog filmmaker Kriv Stenders: a look at our diverse society in the Bryan Brown-starring Australia Day, and a chronicle the career of one of Brisbane's greatest bands in The Go-Betweens: Right Here. Actor David Wenham turns director for the first time with Ellipsis, which is being called a Sydney-set Before Sunrise. Ali's Wedding offers up the country's first Muslim rom-com, while ecological doco Blue examines the destruction of marine life happening off of our coastline, and Otherlife serves up some sci-fi from the director of Wasted on the Young. Given that one of SFF's main attractions is its official competition, it's hardly surprising that the festival has stacked the lineup of titles vying for its $60,000 prize with must-see flicks. We Don't Need a Map and Una are in the running, and they have plenty of company. Coming fresh from Cannes is Sofia Coppola's American Civil War thriller The Beguiled, starring Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning, as well as the long-awaited return of Austrian auteur Michael Haneke courtesy of his Isabelle Huppert-led Happy End. Berlinale's Golden Bear winner On Body and Soul, and other trophy recipients Félicité and The Other Side of Hope also feature. Those looking for familiar faces can catch Michael Fassbender, Ryan Gosling, Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman and Mara again in Terrence Malick's Austin music scene-set love story Song to Song, plus Aubrey Plaza being hilarious in both social media satire Ingrid Goes West and nun comedy The Little Hours, and Armie Hammer smouldering up the screen in the swoon-worthy Call Me By Your Name, too. Or, get some starry monster action with closing night's Okja, with The Host and Snowpiercer helmer Bong Joon-ho taking Jake Gyllenhaal, Tilda Swinton and Paul Dano into creature feature territory. Other general standouts include gripping transgender drama A Fantastic Woman, vintage clothing store horror flick Fashionista, and rap-focused Sundance hit Patti Cake$, as well as Julian Assange doco Risk, Johnny Rotten profile The Public Image is Rotten, and a look inside the world of competitive poultry breeding — yes, really — in Chicken People. Horror fans can get scared when a board game goes wrong in Game of Death, and see some slasher action in the Portuguese woods in The Forest of Lost Souls. Plus, SFF will shine the spotlight on female filmmakers in Europe for the second year. Scouring through the greats of the past as well as the ace flicks of today, restorations of Aussie classics The Year My Voice Broke and The Well, erotic French drama Belle de Jour and Abbas Kiarostami's Taste of Cherry will also grace SFF's screens, alongside an already-announced retrospective of Japanese master Akira Kurosawa's works. Sydney female filmmakers from the '70s and '80s get their own sidebar, as does a showcase of modern Canadian cinema and a celebration of essential punk rock cinema.
Bottomless cocktails, paella, waffles and beats... it's hard to think of a better way to banish a hangover on a winter's afternoon. Introducing Since I Left You's first ever hip hop brunch. On June 24, doors will open at midday, which is when the bottomless cocktails will start to flow — lasting an hour-and-a-half and helping everyone to settle in, before giving way to drinks specials. Keeping everyone's hunger at bay will be a massive paella, as well as a selection of Since I Left You's well-known waffles. Meanwhile, on the decks you'll find Waza, spinning relaxed beats, followed by the Post Pluto Intergalactic Groove Committee with a stack of hip hop jams. Hip hop karaoke is also rumoured. Even though this thing's called a brunch, it'll inevitably carry onto into the late, late afternoon. UPDATE JUNE 26, 2017: Due to the overwhelming interest in SILY's inaugural Hip Hop Brunch, the team has just announced that brunch will now be a monthly affair. Tickets are on sale now for July 29.
Sydney will play host to the best bartenders in the world next year, when the 11th annual Diageo World Class Bartender of the Year Global Final heads Down Under. If you haven't heard of it, the competition pits the best bartenders from over 60 countries against each other. Apart from the main tournament, the competition includes a week-long festival of pop-ups, collaborations and tastings. So, while nothing has been announced just yet, expect Sydney to be buzzing with exciting one-off events come next spring. Launched in 2009, the competition boasts some notable local winners, including Bulletin Place's Tim Philips-Johansson (2012) and, most recently, Lûmé's Orlando Marzo (2018). This year's World Class, held in Glasgow, featured another Aussie finalist: Alex Boon — the lauded bar manager at the Melbourne instalment of The Speakeasy Group's famed Viking-inspired restaurant Mjolner. Bannie Kang of Singapore bar Antidote took out the top gong for 2019. [caption id="attachment_721694" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bulletin Place by Cesar Echeverri[/caption] The competition comes to Sydney at an exciting time, too, with Sydney's lockout laws set to be scrapped in the CBD early next year and the City of Sydney planning to introduce 24-hour trading in the area. The CBD is also home to an exciting lineup of new bars — including Maybe Sammy, Employees Only, Prince of York, Cantina OK! and Double Deuce Lounge — which have all opened in the last twelve months, and join world-class stalwarts like Bulletin Place, The Baxter Inn, The Lobo Plantation and PS40. The 11th annual Diego World Class Bartender of the Year Global Final will take place in Sydney in 2020. For more information and to stay up to date, head to the website. Top image: World Class 2018 winners, Orlando Marzo and Alex Boon.
Redfern's getting ready to play host to another mix of light, performance and drama as the suburb gears up to film another series of Redfern Now. Around the same time that the shooting gets going, the Media and Entertainment Arts Alliance — the union that bravely mixes entertainers and journalists — throws open the doors to its Redfern digs for the Heart of Redfern. It's a night of light, dance and music focused on the history of the suburb. It's a rare chance to see inside the building without joining up and an excuse for another night out around this already-these-days bustling suburb. The night is free, but you'll need to RSVP first.
Whether hustling those last-minute party beers, or scouting a bottle of vino for that after-hours couch session, getting booze to your doorstep just got even easier. Alcohol delivery service Jimmy Brings, who'll deliver drinks to your door in thirty minutes until 10.30pm, has expanded its offering, this week adding a swag of new areas to its coverage. In an era of harsh lock-out laws, the platform has been embraced launching in Sydney back in 2012. But for all the buzz, its popularity's been limited by the stable of suburbs it services. Now, having entered the Melbourne market earlier this year, Jimmy Brings has again stepped things up a notch, expanding to 49 new suburbs in Sydney and an extra 31 in Melbourne; conveniently enough, just in time for the party season. In NSW, places like Collaroy, North Ryde, Mona Vale and Newport can now enjoy a slice of the Jimmy Brings action, while the likes of Thornbury, Essendon, Brighton East and the generally dry suburb of Surrey Hills have joined the party in Melbourne. To celebrate the new and improved lineup, all first-time Jimmy Brings customers can score themselves a $10 discount by downloading the free app and plugging in the code LAUNCH10 at the checkout.
Pull out that old Discman, break out the cargo pants and start practising your smoothest early noughties dance moves — the pop tour of your wildest teenage dreams is hitting Aussie shores this summer and it's got more stars than a TV Hits sticker collection. This February, the inaugural So Pop festival is set to deliver a huge serve of nostalgia to stadiums across the country, pulling together an extra juicy lineup of old-school icons, headlined by none other than Aqua and Vengaboys. Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney will be transported back to the 90s and 00s for one glorious night each, playing host to the pop-drenched soundtrack of your youth. Heading up the show are Danish group Aqua, who promise to leave tunes like 'Barbie Girl' and 'Doctor Jones' firmly wedged in your head, and from the Netherlands, Vengaboys, with party-starting smash hits like 'Boom Boom Boom Boom!!' and 'We Like to Party! (The Vengabus)' — and none other than Lou Bega with, of course, 'Mambo No.5'. Relive more of the glory days with sounds from Irish legends B*Witched — who gifted us with the likes of 'C'est La Vie' and 'Rollercoaster' — UK heroes Blue, of 'All Rise' fame. Italy's Eiffel 65, dance pop act Mr. President ('Coco Jambo'), the USA's Outhere Brothers and The Netherlands' 2 Unlimited ('No Limit', 'Get Ready') round out the throwback showdown.
Enron is an epic play that covers an epic true story — the rise and fall of American energy giant Enron Corporation, which went bankrupt in 2001. British playwright Lucy Prebble has turned the tale into a comedy, but a pretty depressing one. The judiciously placed direct-to-audience narrations purport that Enron was not an aberration but the birth of modern business. The play is anti-capitalist, but in a soothing way. Aside from a few angry outbursts, it tells the story as a history lesson. This production at the New Theatre, directed by Louise Fischer, is generally entertaining, with the portrayal of the Lehman Brothers as sycophantic twins by Gareth Cruikshank and David Todd stealing the show. They embody one side of the confidence cycle that allowed Enron to succeed for as long as it did. Cassandra Lee-Heschl playing Claudia gives a poised explanation of this phenomenon, using the analogy of an aeroplane that will only fly if all the passengers believe it will. As soon as one person has a doubt, it will crash. Heschl is a strong performer with a good Southern accent and the rare ability to wear an insanely short skirt with dignity. Prebble uses a number of symbolic devices to explain the confusing world of finance. Chief financial officer Andy Fastow (Nick Curnow) describes the smaller companies created to consume Enron's debt as Raptors, which are played as masked, winged creatures by Lisa Fletcher, Jorjia Gillis and Paige Leacey. Their deterioration from debt-hungry to chronically ill is a clear, humorous hook for the audience to hold on to as things get complicated. Sound designer Mehran Mortezaei and costume designer Virág Dózsa haven’t quite managed to bring back the glorious '90s in full force, but watching Peter Flett dance to La Bouche's 'Sweet Dreams' during a set change was very wonderful. Enron's demise is satisfying to watch, as its story is one of just retribution. But this is not the message Prebble would have us walk away with. In the final sequence, the cast stands as a chorus and explains that as long as businesses are savvy to regulatory loop holes and ensure that they are too big to fail, they won't. It’s an entertaining depiction of an unwieldy and gloomy topic.
For the next three months, the Sydney Opera House will not be home to any operas, Vivid Live performances, thought-provoking talks or podcast recordings, with all public performances suspended until at least June 17. But you will be able to relive many of the highlights from its 47-year history on the Sydney icon's new digital program, 'From our House to yours'. The program will see full-length performances, talks, long-form articles, podcasts and behind-the-scenes content brought to your screens. As well as a heap of footage that's never been seen by the public before. You'll also be able to access a bunch of free content on demand, plus new videos, recordings and articles will be released daily every Wednesday through Sunday, with each week's schedule announced on Tuesday. Kicking things off was award-winning Aussie musician Missy Higgins, followed by a conversation from this year's All About Women with writer Chanel Miller about her new memoir Know My Name on Thursday; footage of last year's Dance Rites; Sydney Symphony Orchestra performing Beethoven's Symphony No. 9; and a recording of The Writers Room with Celia Pacqoula (Rosehaven), Josh Thomas (Please Like Me), Luke McGregor (Rosehaven) and Dan Harmon (Rick and Morty, Community). Other highlights include the premiere screening of All About Women's panel discussion with fierce journalist Clementine Ford and DJ Flex Mami; world-renowned philosopher and author Alain De Botton discussing love; culinary legend Nigella Lawson talking about the joys of home cooking;Bangarra Dance Theatre's Bennelong; and Yotam Ottolenghi discussing simple cooking with Adam Liaw. For its fifth weekly season, the Opera House is streaming a recording of WikiLeaks whistleblower and trans activist Chelsea Manning at 8pm AEST on Thursday, April 30. Part of ANTIDOTE 2018, the recording features Manning in conversation with award-winning journalist Peter Greste via satellite, direct from LA. [caption id="attachment_768842" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prudence Upton[/caption] Then, you can catch a recording of Bach's Golberg Variations on Friday, May 1 at 8pm AEST; a never-before-seen edit featuring musicians Glen Hansard, José González, Poliç, Conor Oberst and Nai Palm at 8pm AEST on Saturday, May 2; and celebrated author Fran Lebowitz on cultural nostalgia and leading a panel on women in the age of Trump, and Tarana Burke, the US-based founder of the #MeToo movement at 3pm AEST on Sunday, May 3. Its on demand content includes an interview with British comedian, actor and musician Noel Fielding, a video on first-wave feminism, a podcast featuring intimate interviews with First Nations artists and leaders, and an article on the Opera House staff's most memorable moments. From our House to yours will run from Wednesday, April 1 till at least mid-June, 2020. Each week's schedule will be announced on Tuesday.
December is a time for reflection. A time to look back on the year that was, read round-ups to check up on what you've missed and put together best-of lists (indeed, we've just launched our own). Earlier this week Time Magazine announced Donald Trump as their Person of the Year, which, if you needed reminding, is pretty indicative of how this insane year has played out. How to deal with it all? With green, apparently. Greenery (PANTONE 15-0343) has just been named as Pantone's 2017 Colour of the Year. The inoffensive neutral shade was chosen by Pantone's colour experts not only because it's a "fresh and zesty yellow-green shade" but because of the role it plays in our modern society as a connection to nature and vitality. Referencing the year that was, Pantone executive director Leatrice Eisemen says that Greenery provides "us with the reassurance we yearn for amid a tumultuous social and political environment...it symbolises the reconnection we seek with nature, one another and a larger purpose." It's also symbolic of new beginnings — but perhaps that's being a bit too optimistic. At least Pantone was able to settle on just one colour this time. Last year, for the first time, it chose two colours to receive the title: Rose Quartz and Serenity.
Since forming back in 1981, the Beastie Boys have enjoyed quite the career. The New York hip hop outfit has sold more than 50 million records, caused a splash with its music videos and assumedly inspired plenty of folks to dance like robots in Tokyo train stations. In 2012, it also lost one of its three members — Adam "MCA" Yauch — to cancer, then officially disbanded in 2014. The above summary barely scratches the surface, of course; however Apple TV+'s new live documentary is here to fill in the gaps. Based on surviving Beasties Mike "Mike D" Diamond and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz's bestselling Beastie Boys Book, it takes audiences through the group's ups and downs — as guided by Mike D and Ad-Rock themselves. If you're wondering exactly what Beastie Boys Story will focus on, the band's 'Paul Revere' sums it up nicely. Clearly, here's a little story that Apple TV+ has to tell about three bad brothers you know so well. And yes, it started way back in history with Ad Rock, MCA and Mike D. As directed by Being John Malkovich and Her filmmaker Spike Jonze — who also helmed the Beasties' iconic 'Sabotage' music video, as well as clips for 'Time for Livin', 'Ricky's Theme', 'Sure Shot', 'Root Down' and 'Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win' — Beastie Boys Story is drawn not only from MCA and Mike D's book, but from the live performances that followed after it hit shelves. After publication, the duo took to the stage to talk fans through their career, in a show directed by Jonze as well. So mixing the performance with archival clips and turning it into a documentary was the clear next step, really. Originally due to premiere at this year's now-cancelled SXSW, Beastie Boys Story will hit Apple TV+ globally on Friday, April 24. As the just-dropped first trailer shows, it's a wild ride — and its filled with killer tunes. Ch-check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCyqR2RXoQU Beastie Boys Story hits Apple TV+ on Friday, April 24+.
Take a look at the weather forecast this week. There is no doubt about it, folks: summer is here. So how will you keep cool? Well, when the AC undoubtedly goes on the blink and your bargain pedestal fan isn't cutting it, you can always reach for a Vegemite icy pole. Wait,what? First, we had Vegemite Cadbury chocolate (for some ungodly reason). Then, everybody's favourite experimental chef Heston Blumenthal created Vegemite ice cream. Most recently, Four'N Twenty pies made the iconic spread an ingredient in a new pie. In all of this instances, the Vegemite could almost be forgiven. It was just sitting innocently on the shelf, ready to be spread on plain, ol' bread (which is the only acceptable form of consumption, really) and someone else has come along to do the dirty work. But not this time. The brand itself is behind this obscene snack suggestion. Yesterday, with no absolutely no warning, Vegemite dropped this tweet. Brace yourselves Australia... it's time for VEGEMITE Icy Poles! #Chilled pic.twitter.com/AgbsR2QKCN — Vegemite (@Vegemite) December 13, 2017 Twitter was equal parts confused and disgusted. Was this a prank? It's not April. What does a Vegemite icy pole consist of? The brand quickly followed up with a recipe, which calls for thickened cream and milk plus a whole lot of sugar to balance out that distinctive Vegemite salty tang. It can be found here if you're game. Personally, we think we'll stick to tried and trusted Zooper Doopers. Image: Twitter.
Many people say you can't have a bad meal in Japan, whether you're grabbing drinks in a small laneway bar, knocking elbows with locals at a local ramen spot, or even just having a pit stop at a convenience store. This September, Barangaroo House turns into a three-level playground celebrating Japanese food and drink brilliance with limited-time menus and pop-ups. [caption id="attachment_1020297" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption] Perth's Papi Katsu will take over Smoke Bar on September 5 to kick off the month-long event. On the rooftop of Barangaroo House, enjoy izakaya-style bites like bluefin tuna gyoza tacos and scampi tartare on crispy chicken skin, alongside Nikka whiskey cocktails. [caption id="attachment_1020295" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption] One floor down, Rekōdo's transforms into a ramen bar soundtracked by jazz vinyl records. When Newtown ramen joint Rising Sun Workshop pops up from September 17-19, lunchtime crowds will be treated to $20 ramen bowls. Pick from shio ramen, a heavier shoyu ramen or a vegetarian miso ramen — and pair your noodles with fusion snacks like yakitori with kosho romesco and momen tofu in gochujang sauce. [caption id="attachment_1020301" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption] And all month long, you'll find a Japanese kombini on the ground floor. House Bar will be serving riffs on iconic Japanese 7-Eleven items such as egg sandos, tuna onigiris and yakisoba-stuffed sandwiches alongside ice-cold Asahi and Nikka highballs. If you're going in for a second Asahi, win some Japanese snacks and exclusive merch from a vending machine. Nikka features throughout the festival, but fans of Japanese whisky will be delighted to hear that's not all. Every Friday in September, Barangaroo House will be pouring glasses of one of Japan's most exclusive whisky exports: a Nikka Decades blend made from whiskies spanning nine decades. The venue owns one of the 100 bottles available in Australia. At $60 for a 15ml pour or $120 for a 30ml pour, the whiskey is served tableside via trolley and can be paired with a $50 karaage chicken and caviar combo for a luxe night out. [caption id="attachment_1020296" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image supplied[/caption]
