Uber might be stepping up its war on New York City’s famous yellow taxis, with the introduction of a pre-paid service last week. But it ain’t faring so well on this side of the Pacific. This morning, the New South Wales Road and Maritime Services (RMS) put the company on notice. Officially. And, as of midnight, September 30, 40 Uber drivers will have their vehicles suspended for three months. It's pretty serious stuff; if police catch any suspended vehicle on the road, they’ll view it as unregistered and uninsured. So, the owner will cop a $637 penalty on the spot and, if the matter goes to court, could be up for as much as $2200. As far as RMS is concerned, Uber is breaking the law. “Taxi and hire car services in New South Wales must be provided by an operator accredited by Roads and Maritime, in a licensed and insured vehicle, which is driven by an authorised driver,” Peter Wells, director of safety and compliance at the RMS, told the ABC. “Thousands of dollars in fines have already been issued to drivers offering illegal ride-sharing activities and compliance actions will continue.” Needless to say, the New South Wales Taxi Council welcomed the announcement. And the New South Wales Government has an independent task force looking into the future of taxis and hire cars. Its findings are set to reach the Government in October, so sit tight. Whether this will affect Uber in the long term remains to be seen. It's definitely not the first time the company has been hauled into an Australian court. Importantly, Uber's also been pretty open about their intention to simply pay the fine — the company has copped whopping fines in multiple countries, including a $1.7 million fine in Queensland in June 2015, and a hefty US$7.3 million in California, just to name a couple. And they simply paid the fine. Uber's likelihood to simply budget for these driver fines in the foreseeable future could prove problematic for the RMS, and the Australian taxi industry. Via ABC.
Every year, on the last Saturday in March, Earth Hour focuses the world's attention on the planet via a vitally important symbolic gesture. Although carbon is saved by turning things off, the point is the unmissable demonstration — with a huge chunk of the world's population caring about the same thing at the same time. If we can manage this for Earth Hour, why not for grander environmental things? It all started in Sydney in 2007, and has become an international event in the years since, with hundreds of millions of people taking part in more than 7000 cities across over 180 countries. Of course, in 2020, things will be a bit different, with no out-of-home activities taking place — but Earth Hour is still asking everyone to join in by staying in the house and turning off the lights at 8.30pm AEDT on Saturday, March 28 (7.30pm AEST). While you're sitting in the dark, you can also live-stream a heap of performers thanks to Earth Hour Live, with Montaigne, Cody Simpson, Jack River, Polish Club, Bobby Alu, Ella Haber, Dulcie and Alice Skye all on the bill — and journalist Patrick Abboud on hosting duties. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89ZegTD4buQ&feature=emb_logo And, although you won't be able to see them yourself, local and global landmarks and tourist spots such as the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Luna Park, the Wheel of Brisbane, Melbourne Star Observation Wheel, the Eiffel Tower, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Tokyo Skytree, Brandenburg Gate, the Colosseum in Rome, Taipei 101, the Petronas Twin Towers, the Ali Qapu Palace, the Akropolis and Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong are all getting into the Earth Hour spirit by switching their lights off for an hour, too. Images: Earth Hour 2019. Sydney. Luna Park, The Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House, photographed from Lavender Street, Lavender Bay. Photography by Quentin Jones. 30 March 2019. © Quentin Jones / WWF-Aus The Melbourne Star turns out its lights for Earth Hour 2018. © Alain Nguyen / WWF-Aus Story Bridge, Brisbane with lights switched off to celebrate 10 years of Earth Hour, Brisbane, 25 March 2017. © Anastasia Woolmington / WWF-Aus.
The stories we see on screen become the stories we tell ourselves as a person and a society. So it matters that the default story character is a dude — specifically, only 10% of protagonists in our major motion pictures, or a third of ensemble casts, is female (Bechdel test, drive this point home). It turns out there's one simple fix for this: have women direct, write, produce or edit the film. As the organisers of the Seen and Heard film festival point out, having at least one female director bumps up women's screentime by 25%, and one female writer by 33% — but only 38% of 2011's top 250 films had women in any major production roles. Jeez Louise. Seen and Heard is out to spread awareness in us filmgoers and simultaneously celebrate the achievements of women in film. At the Red Rattler over three consecutive Thursdays in March, they'll screen short, mid, and feature-length films that have a woman's (not necessarily gentle) touch. Included is Australian feature Black & White & Sex, which has eight actresses play the singular, seductive character of Angie; Puerto Rican Tribeca Film Festival selection Gabi, the story of an independent woman in her 30s who's tested when she has to return to her small town; and Ali Russel's study of the personal meanings of Native Title, Keeper. Image from Black & White & Sex.
Check out the full photo gallery It’s one-seventh the travel time to Woodford, one-fifth the number of Southern Cross tats at Field Day, as picturesque as Falls, and the local line up is without parallel. Yep, if you were among those who chose to bring in the New Year at Peats Ridge, I don’t have to tell you that you made a wise decision. For those of you who didn’t, here’s why you shouldn’t make the same mistake twice. Day One With open-air yoga classes, healing sessions and kids running amok, Peats Ridge feels more like a gypsy community than a music festival. The sheer number of workshops and craft stalls means you could spend a whole day without your children (win) and without seeing any music. Having said that, come mid-afternoon you would have been hard-pressed to go past Canadian rockers Yukon Blonde, who played like they were aiming to blow a speaker. For other reasons, it was difficult to overlook the Dum Dum Girls, whose indie-pop tunes came second fiddle to their strategic dress sense and homogenous hairdos. In the Chai temple, barefooted folk sprawled over colourful carpet and couches were treated to an electrifying Steve Smyth, who mesmerised his audience with a spine-tingling rendition of Harry Belafonte’s ‘Sylvie.’ If you missed him, you missed one of the best acts of the festival. Later back at main stage, golden boy Xavier Rudd and his hypnotic five-piece, one-man band sung songs about Mother Earth and the evils of mankind to an adoring crowd. A fitting reception for a man who plays the didge like nobody’s business. Day Two The morning after saw more than a few dusty revellers slumped over chai lattés and gözleme. However Friday’s bill didn’t pander to anyone’s hangover. Compounding a throbbing headache were Melbourne’s Graveyard Train, who proved that all you need is a few swashbuckling dudes, a guitar, and some basic hardware tools to rock out. San Fransisco’s Hanni El Khatib took a less humble approach, describing his music as being ‘for anyone who’s ever been shot or hit by a train.’ Right. Well that may have explained the small turn out. Nevertheless, Khatib’s punchy guitar riffs soon had the space packed. A solid blues rock act like that is hard to follow, particularly when you’re armed with a bunch of classical string instruments, but the Crooked Fiddle Band dished out their special brand of high-energy ‘chainsaw folk’ to a wildly appreciative crowd. As the night drew on, dorky-cool Japanese instrumental jazz group Mountain Mocha Kilimanjaro had frenzied revellers chanting ‘baggy pants’ as if they were hip-hop heavy weights at an Up in Smoke Tour. Local boys Hermitude did a better job than the much-hyped Canyons at carrying the party vibe with their electronic hip-hop set and slow hip-swinging cover of MJ’s ‘Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough.’ Day Three Dress up day. Luckily the music line-up today was a real slow-burner, which allowed campers ample time to adorn themselves in body paint or to join the queue at Fancy Schmancy costume hire. The Paper Scissors got into the masquerade theme early (on ‘em) and delivered a strong live performance largely thanks to Ivan Lisyak’s incredible drumming. At main stage, the Gold Coast’s Tijuana Cartel mixed breakbeat with some mean Afro-Cuban percussion and flamenco guitar solos. By the time they dropped ‘Letting it go’ the crowd was putty in their hands. In fact Tijuana would have been a far better way to end 2011 than the much-anticipated Gotye. The festival’s main event was a total fizzler. In the absence of any crowd banter and special guests, it boiled down to a lacklustre performer churning out his better-known hits. At the very least he could have done the whole thing painted in the nuddy. Thankfully the en masse midnight merry-making and after-party that carried on at the psychedelic Pirates’ Lair were more than enough to make up for it. At a time when Aussie music festivals are increasingly overshadowed by drug and alcohol-fuelled idiots, it’s great to see that Peats Ridge has managed to maintain a feel good eco- and family-friendly vibe. With a dome dedicated to artistic performances, a plethora of stalls selling local organic produce and crafts, art installations and a staggering variety of fresh food and high-quality drinks (fresh lime and ice with your vodka? Shut. Up.), it’s clear that a lot of love and attention has been put into the running of this event. And the results speak for themselves.
Over-the-top food and drink mashups might be popping up on seemingly every menu these days, but one has been around for much, much longer. That'd be the humble shandy, which mixes beer with something that's definitely not beer — something lemon-flavoured, usually — and makes for perfect summer sipping. Why just knock back a brew when you can also be drinking mango juice, ginger beer and squash? That's the thinking behind The Bavarian's summer shandy series — although no, you won't be downing all of the above ingredients at the same time. Instead, those tipples and a heap of others are featured in nine different shandies, which'll set you back between $10–15 each, come in 500-millilitre steins and are available all summer long. On the menu: the Summer Mango, which combines Franziskaner Hefe Weissbier with mango juice; the Michelada, a blend of 4 Pines Kolsch, bloody mary spiced juice and lime juice (with a chilli-salt rim); the Nightcap, which pairs Hofbrau Dunkel with coffee liqueur; and the Snake Bite, a mix of Bulmers apple cider, 4 Pines Kolsch and Chambord. Butterscotch, apple rye spice, whiskey and ginger, and a tequila concoction are also available — the latter called the Largarita — because these shandies can also include liqueurs and spirits. You'll find The Bavarian at Charlestown, Rouse Hill, Castle Hill, Shellharbour, Tuggerah, Manly, Penrith, Miranda, Macarthur, Green Hills, Entertainment Quarter, York Street, World Square, Wetherill Park and Chatswood in New South Wales.
The shock of unkempt hair, the Irish brogue, the misanthropic attitude: there's no mistaking Dylan Moran for anyone else. It was true in beloved British sitcom Black Books, when his on-screen alter ego abhorred mornings, ate coasters and claimed that his oven could cook anything (even belts). And it's definitely true of the comedian's acerbically hilarious live shows. Moran is no stranger to Australia, but if you haven't guffawed at his bleak wit live, he's coming back late in 2019 to give you another chance. This time around, expect the kind of deadpan gags, wine-soaked insights and blisteringly sharp one-liners that've kept him in the spotlight since 1996, when he became the youngest-ever winner of the Edinburgh Fringe's Perrier Award. From late October to early December, Moran will tour the country with his latest show, Dr Cosmos, bringing his grumpily lyrical musings on love, politics, misery and the everyday absurdities of life to 14 Aussie cities. Kicking off in Wollongong and coming to the Sydney Opera House for two nights in October, his upcoming visit marks his first Australian trip since 2015, when he was eliciting giggles with his Off the Hook tour. That mammoth effort took in a whopping 149 cities worldwide. As well as his stint as the world's worst bookshop owner in Black Books, Moran has popped up in films such as Notting Hill and Shaun of the Dead, should you been keen to get watching (or rewatching) before his new gigs. Nabbing tickets to his Dr Cosmos early is recommended — his shows usually sell out quickly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gy3C7cMNeg Image: Andy Hollingworth.
It's been almost two years since Stranger Things last graced our streaming queues, and left everyone wondering what might've become of Hawkins' beloved police chief Jim Hopper (David Harbour, Hellboy). Just when the Netflix series is set to return for its fourth season hasn't yet been announced, but the platform knows that its viewers are all waiting eagerly — and, to keep us occupied, it has started teasing new glimpses at the long-awaited next batch of episodes. The platform initially provided a sneak peek at Stranger Things season four back at the beginning of 2020, which now seems like a lifetime ago. Given that things didn't seem to end too well for Hopper at the end of the show's third season — all thanks to the mind flayer, the Russian lab below Starcourt Mall and that pesky gate to the Upside Down — that initial glimpse picked up after the third season's Russian-set post-script. That said, while it did resolve the big cliffhanger, it also only ran for 50 seconds. This time around, the two new (and also brief) clips look backwards — and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown, Godzilla vs Kong) is the focus. Both sneak peeks take place in Hawkins Laboratory, with the first peering at security camera footage, and the second listening on as Dr Martin Brenner (Matthew Modine, Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal) performs tests on kids with special abilities. The latter video then works its way down a corridor to a door marked with the number 11, and then shows a quick look at Eleven's face. So, it seems that as well as hopping over to Russia, Stranger Things is headed to the past. It's worth remembering that, when the platform announced the show's renewal for a fourth season back in 2019, it did so with the catchphrase "we're not in Hawkins anymore". We'll have to wait to see what that all means for its cast of characters — including not only Hopper and Eleven, the latter of which was last seen leaving town with Joyce (Winona Ryder, The Plot Against America), Will (Noah Schnapp, Hubie Halloween) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton, The New Mutants), but also for Mike (Finn Wolfhard, The Goldfinch), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo, The Angry Birds Movie 2), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin, Concrete Cowboy), Max (Sadie Sink, The Last Castle), Steve (Joe Keery, Spree) and Nancy (Natalia Dyer, Things Seen & Heard). Check out the two new Stranger Things season four teasers below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRIpYFIlg5U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILwLN6hV-X8 Stranger Things season four doesn't currently have a release date — we'll update you when Netflix announces its plans. Top image: Stranger Things season three.
Venture down to the southernmost point of King Street and you'll find hot pinsa romana emerging five days a week from Newtown's newest Italian restaurant, Casa Mia Osteria. Pinsa romana is a contemporary reinvention of ancient Roman pizza that is growing in popularity across Italy — the fluffy oval-shaped pizzas have a distinctly different appearance from their circular Naples-style cousins, but that's not the most important distinguishing factor. That would be the flour and dough. Dough at Casa Mia combines three different types of flour, including rice and soy flour, and the team uses a ratio of 900 millilitres of water per one kilogram of flour. It means that the dough rises more when cooking compared to the Naples-style pizza base Sydneysiders are familiar with, and results in the pinsa romana's signature light and crunchy bases. Casa Mia Osteria comes from duo Andrea Nazzari and Valerio Boncompagni, who are passionate about bringing a fresh take on traditional Italian flavours to Sydney's inner west. The pair worked at Michelin star restaurants in their hometowns of Rome and Milan before moving to Sydney and meeting while working at Baccomatto in Surry Hills. From there, a friendship blossomed which would eventually give birth to Casa Mia Osteria. "It's our baby," Boncompagni tells Concrete Playground. "That's why it's called Casa Mia. Casa Mia means my home and this is going to be our home." When it comes to what's on top of the dough, the restaurant will have a new seasonal menu every few months. Currently, you can find a four-cheese and pear combo ($22), a puttanesca pinsa ($27) with cetara anchovies, olives, capers and stracciatella on a tomato base, or a zuvvhinem black olives and sundried tomatoes vegetarian option ($23). "When you go to an Italian restaurant you always find almost the same thing. You always find the caprese, the carbonara, the cacio pepe," says Boncompagni. "When we decided to open this restaurant, we decided to offer to our customers a different type of real Italian cuisine." "We're obviously doing something different from the rest of the pizza places," Nazzari adds. And the fun doesn't stop with the pinsa. An exciting mix of antipasti including garlic or rosemary focaccia ($10) and marinated mushrooms ($6), and a reserved pasta list featuring a beef and pork lasagna ($24) is accompanied by a collection of Italian and Australian wines. "We believe in a small wine list with good quality," says Nazzari, explaining that he is excited to introduce Sydneysiders to unique Italian wines. "Like the food, I want to give the people something different. Always try to surprise the customer." As well as its dinnertime menu, Casa Mia also offers lunch specials on Saturdays and Sundays. Swing by during the day and you'll find a spread of Italian treats ready to brighten what might otherwise be a gloomy lockdown weekend. You'll find a selection of baked goods including bomboloni, cakes and cannoli, plus fresh bread, cook-at-home lasagnas, bottled cocktails and mini lunch pizzas. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Pizza in Sydney
When writer Diablo Cody, filmmaker Jason Reitman and actor Charlize Theron first teamed up for 2011's Young Adult, it really couldn't have worked out better. Charting the exploits of a thirty-something ex-prom queen returning to her home town, their acerbic and amusing movie served up a perceptive portrait of arrested development. Joining forces again for Tully, the trio have another aspect of adulthood in their sights, this time exploring the ups and downs of motherhood. It's not Cody and Reitman's first stab at the subject, given that the pair initially worked together on teen pregnancy comedy Juno. But if they'd like to keep pumping out films about different life stages every couple of years, please, no one stop them. In Tully, Marlo (Theron) is a mum of two who's days away from giving birth to her third child. Unsurprisingly, she's already utterly exhausted. When her new bundle of joy arrives, she's even more stressed and tired, with her husband (Ron Livingston) hardly a hands-on dad. Enter a gift from her well-off brother (Mark Duplass), albeit one she's reluctant to accept at first. He's adamant that a night nanny will change her life, and when serene and soothing twenty-something Tully (Mackenzie Davis) arrives on her doorstep, Marlo soon discovers that he's right. Tully doesn't just take care of the baby each evening so that Marlo can sleep. From cleaning the house and cooking cupcakes for the kids to providing much-needed pep talks and sharing sangrias, Tully takes care of Marlo too. The scenario inspires rich performances from a particularly raw Theron and a suitably sparkling Davis — the former committed to conveying the hardships of maternity in all of its unglamorous glory, the latter calm and kind as Tully brings Marlo back from the brink of desperation. The pair complement each other perfectly, while fleshing out their characters with the type of detail that can only be drawn from reality. As Theron switches from weary to anxious to utterly fed up, the star couldn't offer up a more relatable picture of parenthood. As Davis embodies the caring yet carefree figure every woman has wished she could be, she helps show why such fantasies are ultimately just that. Indeed, while the film couldn't feel more authentic than when Theron is in unhappy wife and mum mode, it kicks into another gear when its two leads share the screen. Cody's script segues from relaying honest truths about being a mother to exploring the importance of female connections, and neither element should be underestimated. Few flicks lay bare the struggles of postnatal depression in such frank but funny terms, and even fewer present complicated, unconventional but unconditionally supportive bonds between women. The writer's usual cynicism is ever-present, recognisable to anyone who's seen the screenwriter's previous films; however if she actively set out to refute every mainstream depiction of idealised mums and stock-standard gal pals, she's nailed it. That said, Tully is likely to divide audiences, all thanks to one decision that this review won't spoil. A bold choice that initially seems like Cody and Reitman might be taking the easy way out, it's actually one of the movie's most astute moves, as well as a development that the director's naturalistic, roaming visual approach subtly builds up to. Tully shows that mums don't stop being people when they usher new life into the world. It firmly demonstrates that everyone needs support. It warmly depicts women looking after each other. More than all of that — and most importantly — the film probes society's willingness to believe that mothers can do it all, often single-handedly. Admitting how ridiculous that expectation is would upset the long-held status quo, but this movie happily takes aim at the idea in a smart, savage and still empathetic fashion. It shouldn't come as a surprise that Cody wrote the script after having her own third child, or that this excellent ode to self-care ranks among her finest, most mature pieces of work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9iVra2kdD4
End-of-year markets are always excellent for those of us who tend to leave gift purchasing until the last minute — and, thankfully, Etsy is bring its market back to Sydney in November. Etsy Made Local is a grassroots initiative that celebrates crafters, collectors and artisans in local communities, and provides them with the opportunity to sell their creations both online and in a physical space. So whether you're on the hunt for handmade wares or vintage goods, these guys have got you covered. Returning for the fifth year (and now open for applications if you're a crafty Etsy maker yourself), the market will take place at Sydney Town Hall from 9.30am–5.30pm on Saturday, November 23 — and because it focuses on the best local talent, every year is filled with different stallholders and unique creations. Supporting creative small businesses and scoring a killer Christmas gift is a win for everyone involved, so head along and get your festive shopping done early, for once.
In the two years since its opening in 2022, popular Potts Point Japanese diner Bones Ramen has become a trusted go-to for fans of soupy noods. Now, Bones' head chef Jake Riwaka is branching out with a month-long pop-up exclusively serving the ultimate golden, crispy, deep-fried Japanese comfort food, alongside his brothers Conner and Kyle. Much like its sister venue, Don's Katsu is an intimate space with seating for just 16 diners on Bayswater Road. This walk-ins-only concept has an unapologetically streamlined menu with just a single item: a katsu set featuring a pork loin coated in nama panko crumbs and fried till perfectly golden and crisp on the outside and juicy and succulent within. Katsu is typically served with cabbage or curry and rice, but Don's is more ambitious with its sides, adding a rich pork, tofu and seaweed miso soup, cucumber and kombu pickles, smoked chilli and grated daikon to the traditional fennel and cabbage salad, and Japanese rice. Loins from free-range Berkshire pigs, sustainably sourced from regenerative Bundarra Farm in the Murray River region, are the star of meal and echoing the Japanese tradition of dish personalisation, diners are also offered a choice of different katsu portion sizes to suit their appetite, budget or preference. The drinks selection is another highlight — floats blending ice cream with yuzu, cola and a striking Midori-hued melon are a must-try. Diners can also wash down their katsu with a selection of Japanese beers and saké. Images: Lily Austin
Sydney's annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is more than just the parade. In fact, the festival features over two weeks of events — both official and not. One such place that's getting the party going early is The Winery. This year, the Surry Hills' garden oasis is hosting the perfect warm-up shindig with four fun-filled nights of good tunes, tasty food, great booze and, of course, drag queens. Go along between Tuesday, February 26 and Friday, March 1 with your dancing feet and vocal cords ready as the queens from Sydney Drag Royalty engage in an old-fashioned drag battle. Each night there'll be three heats where the queens perform to classic pop hits — we're talking tracks from Elton John, Tina Turner, Dolly Parton, Madonna and George Michael — to the whim of the crowd, who'll vote to decide who'll make it through to the grand final 'battle royale' on Friday, March 1. The nightly show will set you back $20, which includes an Absolut cocktail on arrival. Plus, $5 from that goes straight to the Black Dog Institute (a mental health research facility). While you're watching these fabulous renditions, you can snack on tasty treats including prawn skewers, chicken wings and wagyu beef sliders. A carb-free option comes in the form of a dress-your-own-lettuce-cup station with meats from the barbecue on offer — vegetarian options will be available, too. Food is not included in ticket price. And if you want to be close to the action, but not so close that you're actually stuck in the crowds of people, The Winery will be screening the Mardi Gras parade on Saturday, March 2 on the big screen for free. The Mardi Gras Laneway Tribute Nights will run nightly from 5pm, Tuesday, February 26 to Friday, March 1. To purchase tickets, visit The Winery's website.
The CBD is undergoing a bit of sprucing with a collection of contemporary Australian artists adding some design to the streets as they brighten up construction sites across the city. The Site Works initiative saw the City of Sydney hold a nationwide call-out with more than 520 artists submitting considered, colourful and eccentric designs. From the hundreds of artists, just ten Aussie talents were selected to kick off the program and create the arty hoardings currently decorating our streets. What is a hoarding you ask? They're those imposing fences placed around construction sites to hide the demolition, drilling and excavating from the street. With this initiative, the chosen artists have transformed these featureless facades into vibrant, creative spaces, and have pushed the initiative to a much larger scale than what's similarly popped up in cities like New York and Toronto. Both established and emerging Australian artists were the focus of Site Works, with the diverse contingent chosen from across the country, each getting the opportunity to have their work viewed by thousands of passers-by daily. These colourful hoardings will bring to life areas of Sydney undergoing transformation and, on the whole, make the city a more evocative and engaging place to live and work. The lively hoardings are now mandatory on all high-visibility construction sites in the CBD, so you can say goodbye to boring building site coverings for good. To delve a bit further into the initiative, we had a chat with some of the selected artists to take a look at the eye-catching hoardings you'll see springing up across Sydney. [caption id="attachment_632104" align="alignnone" width="1620"] Katje Ford.[/caption] OBSTACLE COURSE BY ELLIOTT BRYCE FOULKES Sydney-based designer Elliot Bryce Foulkes applied all his hometown expertise to produce his hoarding design. With the imaginative designs featured on the hoarding representing various existing and in-development Sydney architectural sites, the work is fittingly located at Wynyard Station, which is currently an obstacle course of development with the construction of the light rail. Foulkes' work typically employs strong typography, language, graphics and space to explore ideas around identity, publication, art direction and design — with Obstacle Course symbolically expressing the individual experience of wandering throughout the city. Find Obstacle Course at Wynyard Station. [caption id="attachment_632113" align="alignnone" width="1620"] Katje Ford.[/caption] BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA BY EGGPICNIC Bird-lovers Camila De Gregorio and Christopher Macaluso, aka Eggpicnic, merge spirited design with wildlife conservation to kickstart conversation around preventing animal extinction. Currently situated near the intersection of Kent and King Streets (and Bay Street in Glebe), Birds of Australia features an eclectic mix of iconic and endangered Australian birdlife species, serving to highlight the "uniqueness and ecological power of Australian birds". "The aim of our work is to open hearts and minds," explains De Gregorio. With their work already receiving a great reaction from city dwellers, De Gregorio says Eggpicnic hope their art can continue to "reconnect an increasingly disconnected human population with the environment we not only come from, but also rely on." Find Birds of Australia near the intersection of Kent and King Streets, also on Bay Street in Glebe. [caption id="attachment_632111" align="alignnone" width="1620"] Katje Ford.[/caption] POLY UBIQUITOUS BY CYNTHIA SCHWERTSIK Finding the seemingly "endless trail of plastic pollution" was getting her down, Adelaide-based artist Cynthia Schwertsik went in search of beauty within the humble plastic bag. Located at 201 Kent Street, Schwertsik's Poly Ubiquitous appears at first glance to feature effervescent and abstract forms, but on closer inspection images of submerged plastic bags surface. "I am quite excited that this work is up and around in Sydney, and I really hope that it brightens up the streets," says Schwertsik. "But I do hope people discover the origins of the work and how there are landscapes full of plastic bags. In a way, this work is a recognition of a possible future — so we want to make more conscious decisions today." Find Poly Ubiquitous at 201 Kent Street. [caption id="attachment_632107" align="alignnone" width="1620"] Katje Ford.[/caption] REAL MYTH BY CAPTAIN PIPE Inspired by the "bonkers shenanigans" of 15th century Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch, Neil McCann, aka Captain Pipe, presents his offbeat party scene at 71–79 Macquarie Street. Having recently been exploring how "our ideas shape the way we view the world around us" and how these stories can create meaning in our lives, McCann says he created his hoarding "in a style that was accessible and riotous to look at." "It was so weird seeing the work so tall — taller than me! The original drawings are only three-to-five centimetres high, so seeing them over two metres tall was confronting. I feel really proud to be part of the street." Find Real Myth at 71–79 Macquarie Street. [caption id="attachment_632100" align="alignnone" width="1620"] Katje Ford.[/caption] DOUBLE-TAKE BY RACHEL HARRIS To create Double-take, South Australian designer Rachel Harris worked closely with the folks at the City of Sydney Archives, sourcing historical imagery of Sydney before photoshopping present-day objects into the frame. As her work currently occupies the busy corner of Bathurst and Sussex Streets, Harris explains how the brief was to create an artwork that would be viewed repeatedly, so it was really important to her that the audience uncover something new each time they view the work. "To me it was really important I created works that would engage viewers multiple times, and to offer them something new every time they saw it. Most importantly I wanted people to have some fun with the work and give them a game to play during their daily commute." Find Double-take at the corner of Bathurst and Sussex Streets. [caption id="attachment_632099" align="alignnone" width="1620"] Katje Ford.[/caption] STONE JEWELS BY FIONA CURREY-BILLYARD Fiona Currey-Billyard is an emerging artist, whose films, photography and paintings utilise new media and experiment with the viewer's experience. Having long held an interest in Indigenous art and culture, Currey-Billyard illustrated Stone Jewels to showcase the vivid stone cutting tools that were made from materials quarried and shaped by various Indigenous populations and have been unearthed all throughout New South Wales. Crafted from materials like glass, basalt and greenstone, the luminous stone cutting tools are almost like precious jewels. So, Currey-Billyard depicted these tools as the jewels they are in their many striking colours. Find Stone Jewels on the corner of Bathurst and Sussex Streets. [caption id="attachment_634050" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Katherine Griffiths.[/caption] A SONG FROM NATURE BY DANLING XIAO Best known for her daily food-art creations on Instagram, Danling Xiao's work focuses on sustainability, ethical eating and leaving minimal waste. Through her Mundane Matters moniker, Danling hopes to use creativity as a means to reflect on how we interact and affect the natural environment. "I have complex feelings about construction. On the bright-side it is about progression and making our city more vibrant and accessible for our growing population. On the downside it creates noises, pollution and disruption," describes Xiao. "Through my design I am hoping to remind people of the bright side of our city life." Find A Song For Nature at 24-30 Springfield Avenue, Potts Point. [caption id="attachment_634768" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Katherine Griffiths.[/caption] SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE AT NIGHT BY EMILY CROCKFORD Capturing one of Sydney's most unmistakable icons, Sydney-based painter and visual artist Emily Crockford depicts the Sydney Opera House at midnight on New Year's Eve as glowing fireworks light up its famous sails. The use of colour is central to Crockford's paintings, sculpture and plush works, boldly combining delicate patterns with solid blocks of bright colours. Describing the Site Works project as "awesome and really exciting," Crockford is supported by Studio A — a local social enterprise dedicated to "providing creative programs with whole-life outcomes for adults with disability". Emily Crockford has previously worked as part of UNSW Art & Design's Cicada Press initiative, held a residency with prominent furniture and design brand Koskela and exhibited at the Underbelly Arts Festival. Find Sydney Opera House at Night 21 Bent Street. Top Image: Katje Ford.
In 2016, a French documentarian with Senegalese heritage attended the trial of a Senegalese French PhD student who confessed to killing her 15-month-old daughter, who was fathered by a white partner, by leaving her on the beach to the mercy of the waves at Berck-sur-Mer. The filmmaker was fixated. She describes it as an "unspeakable obsession". She was haunted by questions about motherhood, too — her mum's and her own, given that she was a young mother herself as she sat in the courtroom. That story is the story of how Saint Omer came to be, and also almost exactly the tale that the piercing drama tells. In her first narrative film after docos We and La Permanence, writer/director Alice Diop focuses on a French author and literature professor with a Senegalese background who bears witness to a trial with the same details, also of a Senegalese French woman, for the same crime. Saint Omer's protagonist shares other traits with Diop as she observes, too, and watches and listens to research a book. A director riffing on their own experience isn't novel, but Saint Omer is strikingly intimate and authentic because it's the embodiment of empathy in an innately difficult situation. It shows what it means to feel for someone else, including someone who has admitted to a shocking crime, and has been made because Diop went through that far-from-straightforward process and was galvanised to keep grappling with it. What a deeply emotional movie this 2022 Venice International Film Festival Grand Jury Prize-winning feature is, understandably and unsurprisingly. What a heartbreaking and harrowing work it proves as well. Saint Omer is also an astoundingly multilayered excavation of being in a country but never being seen as truly part it, and what that does to someone's sense of self, all through Fabienne Kabou's complicated reality and Laurence Coly's (Guslagie Malanda, My Friend Victoria) fictionalised scenario. As Laurence gets her time in court, Diop takes it all in. "It would make life easier" is the defendant's early characterisation of her crime, a gut-punch of a way to describe infanticide. But before Laurence unravels the minutiae of her life prior to and after moving from Senegal to study — and her daughter Lili's brief existence and death — Rama (film debutant Kayije Kagame) is dreaming, being comforted by her French partner Adrien (Thomas de Pourquery, Perfect Nanny), teaching and finally making the trip for the trial. When she packs, she grabs a sleeping bag. When she checks into her hotel, she replaces the bed's quilt with this small piece of home. It's a revealing gesture, conveying how intensely that Rama is already connecting with Laurence and her journey through the justice system; they're strangers but, as Rama gathers specifics for her book, which will compare Laurence's plight to Medea, this is never anything less than personal. The bulk of Saint Omer is chatter, as Laurence is questioned about what happened, why, her studies, her hopes and dreams, and her relationships with her mother (Salimata Kamate, Represent) and Lili's father (Xavier Many, Notre Dame on Fire). In France's legal setup, interrogating isn't limited to attorneys — the judge (Valérie Dréville, Wonder in the Suburbs) guides the proceedings, with Laurence's lawyer (Aurélia Petit, Rosalie) and prosecuting counsel (Robert Cantarella, My Best Part) inquiring sporadically. The defendant states from the outset that she killed her baby, but doesn't consider herself responsible. She wants the trial to inform not just the court but herself as to why this tragedy occurred. She brings up sorcery, and the immediate incredulity that hangs in the air in a room with only two other Black people, her mum and Rama, is among the plethora of ways that Diop calls attention to the contrast between France as a racially diverse nation and the truth of not being white in the European country. Befitting a movie about a writer, language is one of Saint Omer's stars, courtesy of a script co-written by Diop with the film's editor Amrita David, plus Marie N'Diaye (White Material). Often reworking text from Kabou's case, Laurence's story is told in such an evocative fashion that picturing what she's saying is a given. She talks, and cinematographer Claire Mathon (Spencer, and also Céline Sciamma's Petite Maman and Portrait of a Lady on Fire) hones in on that talking — always as Laurence wears skin-tone matching shirts that visually reinforce how invisible she feels; always standing against wooden panelling with the same effect; and always expressing as much in her stance, gaze and all the things she doesn't say. Occasionally, the judge takes the frame, or lawyers, witnesses or Rama, usually centred. Diop wants viewers to focus on their words, too, and the reactions betrayed by their faces and physicality. This is filmmaking at its most meticulous and emotional, with such carefully measured scenes proving puncturing and searing. As talk flows, so does judgement within the court and beyond. Rama begins querying herself — in her dreams, alone in her hotel, and via flashbacks to her childhood, where things with her mum (first-timer Adama Diallo Tamba) are complex and tense — but the scrutiny Laurence is placed under transcends her deeds. While Saint Omer doesn't excuse her actions for a second, it keeps illustrating how life in France has treated and continues to treat her, and why Rama can spy echoes between their otherwise vastly dissimilar predicaments. During a call after part of the testimony, Rama's editor (Alain Payen, Golden Moustache) notes that Laurence speaks "very sophisticated French". There's no doubting that that wouldn't be said about someone white with the same college background; Rama replies that she just "talks like an educated woman". When the judge also can't believe the claims of witchcraft, or entertain diving into what they mean, it too is a loaded response. There are no easy moments in Saint Omer, or easy answers. There can't be. Diop looks at this delicate situation with sensitivity and probing — and, in yet another parallel with Rama, questions why she's making the film, what she's saying about the situation, the role of myth in processing the incomprehensible, and motherhood's many intricacies and challenges. Indeed, this is a movie made with uncompromising rigour as well as understanding, as expected from a documentary filmmaker turning to fiction. It's a stunning legal drama that's as brilliantly crafted as Custody, another Venice standout from France about a grim situation. And, it's home to astonishing performances by Malanda and Kagame, each haunting in their own ways. Diop will never forget Kabou, and audiences won't be able to get her film, its extraordinary story or its exceptional lead actors out of their heads, either.
TEDxSydney is back for yet another year, and this time it's bringing you ten speakers at the forefront of thinking in the areas of energy, economic, politics, science and creativity. Each will give you their take on the event's theme, Three Horizons, looking at three aspects of the problem they present – triage (what's happening now), transition (how we're changing) and transformation (what the future might look like). On the program are human rights lawyer and Grata Fund founding Executive Director Isabelle Reinecke, who'll be discussing how law can challenge gridlocks in human rights, climate change and democratic freedoms, as well as climate philanthropist Simon Holmes à Court, who'll dive into how political independents can transform Australian politics. Look out, too, for rewilding adventurer Gina Chick, waxing lyrical on how connecting to nature and each other can improve our future; author and broadcaster Sarah Wilson on "what a former climate activist does in the face of collapse"; and Saibai Seisia Elder Aunty McRose Elu discussing how we can bring Indigenous knowledge lore into our legal system. Other speakers include Bega Group chair Barry Irvin; global ecology professor Corey Bradshaw; singer-songwriter Ruby Rodgers; insect ecologist Tanya Patty; climate finance advocate Tim Buckley; poet and performer Jessica Chapnik Kahn and singer-songwriter Luke O'Shea. Registration is open now.
Discover the romance and tranquillity of The Old Bakery Cottage, a beautifully restored historic Millthorpe cottage that once served as the town's bakery. Lovingly extended and restored, this charming property is an ideal location for a couples' romantic weekend away or a quiet countryside retreat. Dating back to the 1890s, The Old Bakery Cottage is a spacious two-bedroom cottage surrounded by an English country-style garden — complete with rambling roses and a bird bath — that has become a popular destination on the Millthorpe Ramble. The original bakery at the back of the cottage has been converted into a large dining space with seating for eight, perfect for hosting intimate dinners or special occasions. Inside, the cosy cottage is adorned with chandeliers, books, and candles, perfect for unwinding and enjoying a glass of wine by the fireplace. The cottage's two bedrooms are spacious and comfortable and can accommodate up to five guests. Take a short stroll to the charming historic village of Millthorpe and discover award-winning restaurants, cellar doors offering the best of the region's cold climate wines and quaint homeware stores.
Twenty years since the Australian fashion designer launched her easy-to-wear feminine collection at fashion week in Sydney, Lee Mathews continues to create ethically driven clothing designed for people like her — laidback, socially conscious and stylish. Nothing fits too closely, from wide-fit linen pants to floaty satin skirts and loosely structured culottes. Fabric is important — cotton, denim, wool and silk is thoughtfully sourced from around the world and Mathews' prints are all designed in-house. In fact, she's originally from the northern beaches of Sydney so the Glenmore Road store is the flagship and it has all those architectural and industrial finishing touches you'd expect from the designer known for her minimalist style. When you don't know where to start, let the team guide you to one of the Spanish-milled cotton tank dresses that'll become a summer wardrobe favourite.
About ten minutes from Oxford Street is Woollahra's Ginkgo Leaf — a shop of Japanese-inspired designs and kitchenwares that'll take your home style from chintz to minimalist chic. Sleek simplicity is what unites the broad range of items in store, whether it's simple brass ornaments to decorate your bookshelves, bamboo cooking utensils, or a cast iron teapot for your own at-home tea ceremonies. Expect to pay around $40 for a statement yumoni ceramic cup or $15 for super kawaii Kokeshi Dolls stickers that come in a retro box, but as much as $500 for exquisite urushi bowls.
Winter is for indulging — rugging up by fireplaces, donning luxurious coats, and feasting on foods and fiery liquors all help us keep warm during the chilly season. Luckily for us, premium scotch distiller Glenmorangie is treating Sydneysiders to a next-level whisky and dessert pairing this winter. For six weeks only, Glenmorangie is teaming up with local chocolatier Koko Black to bring you Signet and Sweet — a special after-dinner treat at ten bars in and around Sydney. Meeting the cold head on, the collaboration will see you sipping on Glenmorangie's richest whisky — Signet — while tasting some mighty fine chocolate. With Signet's sweet and spicy notes, the smooth single malt is an ideal post-dinner drink and dessert accompaniment. So, down to the details. Expect Glenmorangie's Signet served neat and paired with three Koko Black chocolates. Head to any of the partaking bars and you'll be sampling spicy dark chocolate ganache, dark chocolate-dipped candied orange and cafe latte squares alongside your scotch. You can head to the CBD venues Kittyhawk, Chophouse, Bambini Trust and The Cut Bar & Grill, plus the Sheraton Grand to nab this offer. Other locations around town include The Star's Jade Rabbit, North Sydney's Green Moustache and Franca in Potts Point. Further afield, you'll also find this offer at Bannisters Mollymook and Voco Hotel Kirkton Park in the Hunter Valley. Glenmorangie Signet x Koko Black's Signet and Sweet after-dinner special is available at bars across Sydney and will run from Monday, July 15 through Saturday, August 31.
It's Australia's annual slice of Italian cinema, and it's back for 2018 in its usual jam-packed fashion. That'd be the Italian Film Festival, which not only returns for its 19th year, but does so with a hefty touring lineup of 37 features and two short films, including 33 Australian premieres. It heads to Sydney's Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinemas from September 11 to October 7. Bookending the festival are two movies that couldn't be more timely, one delving into a media tycoon who becomes a world leader (no, not that one), and the other a stone cold horror classic that has just been remade by one of today's best Italian filmmakers. Exploring the scandals surrounding former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Loro kicks off this year's fest with an epic, nearly two-and-a-half hour drama from The Great Beauty and The Young Pope's Paolo Sorrentino. Then, at the other end of the event comes Dario Argento's original 1977 giallo masterpiece Suspiria — just weeks before the new Tilda Swinton and Dakota Johnson-starring version from Call Me By Your Name's Luca Guadagnino hits cinemas. Elsewhere, IFF also boasts three of the biggest Italian flicks doing the rounds of this year's international festival circuit, courtesy of Dogman, Happy as Lazzaro and Daughter of Mine. A diverse trio from a diverse range of Italian talents, the first sees Gomorrah's Matteo Garrone spin a story about a criminal who loves dogs (winning this year's Palm Dog Award at Cannes for its canine cast), the second unravels a time-bending fable from The Wonders' Alice Rohrwacher, and the third offers a devastating look at two mothers and the daughter they share courtesy of Sworn Virgin's Laura Bispuri. Other highlights range across the entire spectrum of Italian offerings — think comedies based on off-Broadway plays, such as My Big Gay Italian Wedding; underworld dramas like Boys Cry; and an amusing mystery about an inspector investigating the death of a local prosecco wine maker, as aptly called The Last Prosecco. Or, there's also detective thriller The Girl in the Fog, based on the best-selling novel and starring Italian veteran (and Loro actor) Toni Servillo; plus Italian box-office hit Couples Therapy for Cheaters, which focuses on exactly the narrative you think it does. And, looking back at cinema history as film festivals crucially do, this year's IFF retrospective will showcase the work of Italian-Turkish filmmaker Ferzan Özpetek. If his name sounds familiar, that's because he had a hand in movies such as Naples in Veils, Facing Windows and Ignorant Fairies — and if his name doesn't ring any bells, here's your chance to discover his celebrated filmography.
Baked Patisserie is one for the south Sydney folks. Nestled in the industrial area of Kirrawee, this family-run business is the type of cake shop every Sydney suburb wishes it had. Baked Patisserie was an early adopter of the 'cronut' craze. It occasionally sells them, including a lamington version for patriotic sugar fiends. Filled doughnuts are also on offer, and they are everything you want in a sweet treat: pillowy-soft dough with a creamy filling (in classic flavours like cookies 'n' cream, Nutella and vanilla bean custard) and covered in sugar. Bring on the sugar high and immediate crash. Baked Patisserie makes cakes to order, too, so next time your four-year-old nephew wants a Hulk-themed cake for his birthday, you know who to call.
The end of winter is finally within sight, but that doesn't mean the weather isn't still ripe for a comforting midweek feast. With this in mind, much-loved bakery Fabbrica Bread Shop is indulging your carb-loaded dreams, hosting a brand-new weekly Lasagna Night across three locations every Wednesday throughout August. Perfect for those chilly evenings where the last thing you want to do is cook, pasta lovers are invited to pre-order a selection of house-made lasagne, salads and sides from Fabbrica locations in Rozelle, Coogee and Sydney CBD. With the team taking care of all the prep, just collect your food before heading home to enjoy. The menu is teeming with Italian delights, with the classic lasagne — layered with Fabbrica's signature pasta sheets and slow-cooked beef ragù — an obvious choice. Meanwhile, the 'nduja alla vodka lasagne with a spicy, vodka-infused tomato sauce, or a veggie spinach and ricotta lasagne with house-made cacio e pepe sauce, makes an easygoing Wednesday night just a little special. With each lasagna available in serving sizes for two or four people, letting the crew at Fabbrica take care of your dinner plans is a wise decision, whether you're catering for the family or putting together a stress-free date night. Of course, there are sides to elevate your feast further, with sourdough garlic bread and two salads — a zesty mixed leaf option and a hearty chickpea and feta number — ensuring your home feast leaves you zonked on the couch. Did we mention there's tiramisu, too? Yet this feast isn't just aimed at home-diners. Fabbrica Bread Shop in Rozelle is welcoming walk-ins from 4–6.45pm, giving guests the chance to relish an early feast and make it home with time to spare before bed. Just know, if you're planning to pre-order, the cut-off time for each Wednesday night session is 11.55pm on the Monday prior, with collection time slots available at the three locations from 4pm–6.45pm on Wednesday afternoons. Founded in the CBD by the brains behind spots like Ragazzi and Love, Tilly Divine in 2020, Fabbrica's blue-and-white hue has spread across Sydney. With pasta bars rolled out in Newtown, Darlinghurst and Chatswood, the Fabbrica Bread Shop offshoot has also made waves, with Rozelle and Coogee stores brimming with classic and inventive baked goods. Swing by to pick up your lasagne, and don't forget to say ciao. Fabbrica Bread Shop's Lasagne Night is on every Wednesday throughout August. Pre-orders must be placed the Monday prior by 11.55pm, while the Rozelle location is open for walk-ins on Wednesdays from 4–6.45pm. Head to the website for more information.
Saying that M. Night Shyamalan's latest film offers an improvement over his most recent efforts isn't really saying much. After impressing with The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, and a little less so with Signs and The Village, the likes of Lady in the Water, The Happening, The Last Airbender and After Earth won the writer/director few kind words. The Visit seems to fall somewhere in the middle; however, in plodding towards his usual twist and doing so with a clumsy blend of shocks and laughs, it soon proves closer to his latter work than his former. Fifteen-year-old Becca (Olivia DeJonge) and her thirteen-year-old younger brother Tyler (Ed Oxenbould) take the trip of the movie's title, leaving their single mother (Kathryn Hahn) for a week with the estranged grandparents they've never before met. Upon arriving at the remote farm their Nana (Deanna Dunagan) and Pop Pop (Peter McRobbie) call home, the siblings find their elders a little odd, but are reassured that their eccentricities stem from their advanced age. When even stranger occurrences start happening at night, Becca and Tyler are convinced that something else is going on. To complicate what becomes little more than kids simply being spooked by creepy old people, pseudo fairytale-style, Shyamalan throws the current horror movie trend — found footage — into the mix. Accordingly, The Visit is presented as a documentary being shot by wannabe filmmaker Becca, with Tyler assisting with the camerawork when he's not rapping in front of the lens. Shyamalan's found footage effort is not a slapdash attempt to capitalise upon the current fondness for a certain subgenre of film — at least as far as the actual found footage conceit is concerned. The director never abandons his approach, and even weaves the consequences of a constantly rolling camera into the story. Expect bit players performing because they know they're being watched, just as Tyler does. Don't expect shots from angles that can't be justified in the narrative, just because they look cool. Alas, around the well-executed and committed stylistic gimmick sits cliche and a veering tone that colours everything that happens. Attempted frights are easily foreseen in the shadowy Hansel and Gretel-like offering, though thankfully Shyamalan's love of the supernatural never rears its head. The predictability of the script certainly inspires much of the guffawing that will echo around the cinema, though many of the feature's gags are intentional. Making a good horror-comedy is as difficult a feat as mastering found footage, but The Visit doesn't succeed in the first instance. Giggling at, not with, the film, feels like the more frequent outcome as bodily functions are mined for humour alongside the naked elderly form. And with the jump scares few and far between, comic moments aren't quite being used to diffuse tension. Australians DeJonge and Oxenbould try hard to wade through the wavering mood, turning in playful performances that brighten up the standard story, but being asked to spout dialogue about filmmaking technique doesn't do their characters any favours. Still, to say that the duo ranks alongside Shyamalan's handling of found footage as the feature's highlights is accurate — although, in the context of the complete movie, that's once again not saying much.
This post is sponsored by our partners, lastminute.com.au. People don't know much about Western Australia. For something that's the combined size of Texas, Ireland, New Zealand, Japan and the UK, we should really know more than the fact Little Creatures is brewed there, and sometimes they have sharks. But this could be a blessing in disguise. Now you have an entire new land to discover out west, and all for the small price of a domestic flight. Here's our guide of where to go once you touch down. Perth and surrounds The first place people can think of in WA, Perth is not only the sunniest capital city in the world, but also one of the top ten most liveable. It may be pretty isolated from the rest of the country, but that creates a kind of camaraderie among its citizens that Melburnians and Sydneysiders can only dream of. Oh, you're trapped in peak-hour traffic on Parramatta Road? Perth locals are taking a weekend jaunt to Rottnest Island via ferry. What's that? You're in a packed train carriage staring at the filthy brown Yarra? People in Perth are having picnics next to the beautiful, dolphin-dotted Swan River. While visiting, we recommend Cottesloe Beach for some surf, this small bar tour for some culture, and the Swan Valley for some local vino. Also, Fringe World Festival is happening at the moment! Why aren't you there already? Where to stay: Esplanade River Suites if you're on a budget, or Crown Metropol Perth or Best Western Premier The Terrace Hotel Perth if you're splashing out. South West South of Perth lie even more treasures, including the renowned wine region, Margaret River. While just a 50-minute flight from the capital, we recommend you hire a car and drive. It will take about three hours, but as WA has 12,000km of the most beautiful coastline in the world, we're sure you won't be disappointed. Once there, it's all about leisure. Spend all day eating and drinking, then cycling off a few meals around the Margaret River. Where to stay: Kalbarri Edge Resort if you're on a budget, or Smiths Beach Resort or Injidup Spa Retreat if you're splashing out. Broome and the Kimberley To venture even further into the unknown, take a trip up north to these great, sunburnt plains. Here, you can expect camel rides along the beach, cheeky and profitable trips to Broome's pearl farms, and endless hours spent on Cable Beach (with sunscreen, because oh lord, you're much closer to the equator up there). This one is a bit more of a hike from Perth, at either a 2-hour 30-minute flight or 24-hour drive, but it's probably worth it. Taking in the entire Coral Coast could be just the first of your exciting experiences. Where to stay: Cable Beach Club Resort & Spa or The Pearle of Cable Beach. Exmouth and Coral Coast This place is like a real-life Seaworld, but you'll need a few days to see it all. A two-hour flight out of Perth, Ningaloo Marine Park and Cape Range National Park will be your first stops on this trail of aquatic wonder — world-heritage listed prime sites for snorkelling, diving with whale sharks and swimming with dolphins. In fact, every morning at Monkey Mia, wild bottlenose dolphins freely come to the shallows for no more than a pat hello. It's surely some kind of magic. Where to stay: Novotel Ningaloo Resort. Golden Outback Of course, most of this big, sprawling state is desert — the wild outback that our country is known for around the world. If you get sick of being greeted by dolphins every morning and visiting wineries in the afternoon (as unlikely as it may be), the outback could serve as the perfect getaway. First stop: wave rock. This natural anomaly is roughly 2,700 million years old and a true wonder to behold. Alternatively, if you don't like the idea of nature looming over you, you can get on top of it. Hot air ballooning is really popular over the Avon Valley, or you can get an unhindered view of the red terrain with a 14,000-foot skydive. Why not get a little dangerous in our most wild state? Where to stay: Black Wattle Retreat or The Grandhouse York. For more information on flights and accommodation in Western Australia, check out lastminute.com.au.
When Thomas Weatherall was in high school, that he'd eventually spend his days pretending to be back there wasn't his plan. Until his final year, neither was acting. Dancing was the dream, and he had no awareness of Heartbreak High, which aired its seven 90s seasons before he was born. Now, he's one of the stars of Netflix's revival of the show. For his performance as Malakai Mitchell in the 2020s take on Australia's most-beloved teen series — which itself has become a huge hit that's rocketed up the streaming platform's viewership charts with both its first and second seasons, and has a third and final season locked in — he's now an AACTA- and Logie-winner. Weatherall's acting career started with ABC miniseries Deadlock back in 2018, when he was finishing high school. So, it didn't kick off with Heartbreak High. Next came short film Shed, short-form comedy series All My Friends Are Racist, the detective-driven Troppo and RFDS, which was also follows on from a past series — The Flying Doctors — that aired in the 90s. Onstage, his playwriting debut Blue premiered in Sydney, and now heads to Brisbane, with Weatherall also starring. But Heartbreak High and Malakai have been life-changing by his own account ("it feels cliched to say," he tells Concrete Playground about how that description rings true). Next up: two very different TV series, with Exposure a thriller led by Alice Englert (Bad Behaviour) that's bowing at the 2024 Sydney Film Festival and The Narrow Road to the Deep North a page-to-screen drama with Jacob Elordi (another on-screen high schooler in Euphoria). Weatherall knew that Malakai, the sporty Bundjalung student who is new to Hartley High in season one, was a standout role from the get-go. "I just hadn't seen a character like this," Weatherall tells us. The depth of the writing in fleshing him out on the page, the fact that he was an Indigenous teen pushed to the fore and never a token inclusion, that his culture wasn't what defined him: they all left an impression. After getting cast, so did the script for season one's fourth episode — the unforgettable instalment that sees Malakai experience police brutality — which he read in one sitting in his car. He was then willing to do whatever it took for the part. Again, his performance earned him Australia's top TV accolades. That episode had a title that means something in Heartbreak High history: 'Rack Off'. Utter the phrase to anyone familiar with the 90s iteration and they'll instantly think of Hartley High's first run on-screen. Weatherall didn't go back to watch the OG show when he got the gig, but there's no escaping the legend of those two words, and that they were as strong as a free-to-air series could get in its language. "It is funny, I forget — I read the script sometimes and the things that we're allowed to say, I just imagine if we had that same network TV censorship, you're probably cutting about 80-percent of the show. So we're probably lucky in that regard," he advises. In season two, as Hartley's students keep expressing themselves in not-safe-for-90s-Aussie-television terms — and also getting caught up in an ideological battle about toxic masculinity, and terrorised by a mystery figure they dub Bird Psycho — Malakai's journey takes him from stairwell hookups with Amerie (Ayesha Madon, Love Me) to connecting with the latest newcomer in Dubbo export Rowan (Sam Rechner, The Fabelmans). A love triangle, exploring both his sexuality and his identity, and yearning to connect all follow. It's another complicated path for the character, as for each of Heartbreak High's main figures. Crucially, it also satisfies one of Weatherall's aims as an actor. "It can feel like quite a selfish career a lot of the time, because you're often on your own, and you have to put a lot of time and effort into breaking down characters, and spending time on your own and things like that — but for me, I never want to just be playing the one character. That's the beauty of Malakai, it feels like you're playing several different characters and notes in one person," he says. From how the response to the first season felt through to the way its second season ended for Malakai, we chatted with Weatherall about all things Heartbreak High — choosing not to check out the original, what excited him about stepping into Malakai's shoes in the first place, how he sees the character's story across the two seasons so far and making the leap to acting from dancing all included. On the Massive Success of Heartbreak High's First Season "Very surreal. Very unexpected. It's a funny thing, I think you never know how a show's going to come out while you're making it — and while we were making it, and once we wrapped, you knew that we had something special. It felt really good. I think that was pretty unanimous across the board. There wasn't any real stress. Sometimes, I think you can also finish a job and know if it's a dud. But for it to then get picked up the way that it did, and for people to care about it in the way they did, was pretty shocking. And it's very flattering and humbling to be in that position. I was having dinner with Bryn [Chapman Parish, Mr Inbetween], who plays Spider, and we were chatting about that. Because it's your job, it's a great job to have, but you do get used to it and it becomes a normal part of the career. You forget that it means as much as it does to some audiences — and I think that's the special thing. It's lovely that it had a big reach and that it was successful, but when you get to actually talk to an audience member who really identifies with Malakai, or one particular storyline, or the show as a whole, that's — I've been very lucky that I've got to do quite a few shows now and all I'm very proud of, but none have landed in that way and built that connection with an audience. And for it to kick off in the awards and things like that, it really, it feels cliched to say, but it is pretty life-changing once that conversation starts and you find yourself in that world professionally and artistically. It opens you to a lot more professional opportunities. It then does make the second season a bit more terrifying, because there's something to, I guess, try to live up to and match. But it's a very lucky position to be in at the same time." On Starting the Show as a Heartbreak High Newcomer Off-Screen — and Not Going Back to Watch the Original "I was at drama school at the time when I got cast, and the only reason I knew about the show was the head teacher at my drama school played one of the teachers in Heartbreak High. And so it was this whole thing always that she'd mention Heartbreak High — and all of us, it was a bit of an eye roll. We were like 'okay, we get it'. But it wasn't something that I had seen before. It was before my time, and I didn't even, with my older siblings, I didn't really have any gauge on it. When I got cast, initially I was going to go back and watch the show. That felt like the right thing to do, and it would be helpful. But once the scripts came through, it felt as if it was going to be quite different, and much more obviously rooted in today's climate and what's going on for young people now — it became too scary and intimidating to go back and watch it. Because you also don't want to try to recreate something. That show was great and did everything that it did, but it is a product of that time. I think there's still similarities between the two versions. We're speaking to a lot of the same truths. But for me, I didn't want to confuse those contexts, and try to not have any anticipation or idea of trying to replicate anything — and just stay true to what we're trying to say in this show." On What Excited Weatherall About Playing Malakai When He Was First Cast "I'm still quite early on in my career, but it was very early on back then. I'd been up for a few things and I'd done a little bit of work. I was getting good auditions, but I just hadn't seen a character like this. I had never been sent a role like this, obviously, for a show with this scale or anything like that. But to see — he was just a really well-written character, and that was it for the self-taped scenes before the audition, and that was exciting to be seen for that. It wasn't till when I got offered the role and was sent the scripts, they sent me episode four of season one, which is a very significant episode for Malakai. And I finished that episode and just called my agent straight away and went 'I'll do anything to play that'. I think back to when I was 16 and the sort of the shows that were being made. There were some for young people that I felt were doing a pretty decent job and honestly depicting what it's like to be a teenager, but it always felt like they were holding the punches a little bit. And this show was just not afraid to do that at all. And then to have that lens of this young Indigenous character not just being a side plot point but being one of the lead characters — and being one of the main lead romance arcs as well, and then having a very dramatic storyline. A lot of the scripts that I'd seen and read, or a lot of the shows that I had watched growing up and even lately, often those characters, they're one little subplot. They're one little mention. They serve one capacity or another. And suddenly you had this young Indigenous kid, one of the leads of the show and getting to do a bit of everything, and that was really refreshing. He's part of the massive ensemble, but I hadn't read anything like that. He wasn't ashamed of his culture, but it also wasn't the most-important thing in his life, and he was going through the same experience as every other kid from every other culture and every other gender and every other experience. And for me, that was a really refreshing take, rather than trying to tokenise it in any way. Then, as I said, pretty much I'm in credit to the writing team. The moment episode four landed in my emails, I read it in one sitting on my phone. I didn't even get out of my car. I just read the whole thing and went 'yep, okay, anything for that'." On Stepping Back Into Malakai's Shoes for Season Two — and What Changes, and What Gets Easier and Harder "I was shooting the second season of this other show I do called RFDS, and I had four days off between wrapping that and starting the second season of this. I flew in from Broken Hill, where we shoot the other show, and it was just four days of existential crisis because I was going 'do I still remember how to play this character? How does he sound like? What does he look like?', you know, and trying to tap into that again. I think it's a credit to the writing on this that all of the characters are fully formed. Really, the writing does all the work for you. You don't have to bring much to them and they kind of jump off the page. But I also noticed the difference, as we get to know the writing team and the producers, I think they tend to tweak little things to match you and your sensibilities as well, which is nice. The moment you shave and you go into makeup, and they do that Malaki haircut, and they put the colourful jumpers on me. Music's a big thing for this character, back to those playlists — it really was muscle memory and just kicked in, which was nice to still feel that that was there. So the actual transforming and getting back into the character was quite easy and swift, which was a relief, frankly. But that first few weeks of filming, it was that voice in the back of your head going 'you've got to make sure that you're staying to that same level as last season'. I'm very grateful for the recognition it got and the success that I received from the show, and that the show was a whole received, but it definitely did put that pressure on trying to go 'well if you don't get nominated for an AACTA again, did you do your job?' sort of thing. It was lovely that audiences responded well to Malakai, but you want to make sure that you sustain that throughout the second season. But the more days on shoot and the more I get to spend time with this cast — we have a lot of group scenes that we tend to load at the top of the show as well, and once that dynamic creates — all that concern sort of falls away and you can just get the job done." On Weatherall's Take on Malakai's Journey in Season Two "Once I read the whole show and knew the entire arc, it was really bittersweet. I don't mean it in a rude way, but I don't tend to get too attached to the characters. I sort of go 'whatever services the story, that's the job'. But I really felt for him, and I don't know if it was just a reflection of where I was in my life. I often think back to myself at 16 and there's a few similarities between us, but we are very different. But really at the heart of it, he's just searching for contentment and he's trying to find his people in a romantic sense, but in just a friendship and community sense as well. I think he's this charming and charismatic guy, but underneath all of that, there's this real search for belonging, which I can definitely relate to at 16. I mean, I can relate to it at 23. I noticed that. It was hard, because he's charming and he knows how to have fun, and there's all the romance and things like that — that was a big thing that stuck with me this entire season, that journey and never quite getting it right, or the times where he thinks he is and something changes, and the indecision of being 16 and not knowing what the right choice is but also desperately attempting to make that decision. When you're 16, everything feels like the most important thing in your life, and then you leave high school and you go 'yeah, life goes on'. I definitely I felt for him a lot this season. I think he's crammed a lot of a self-discovery journey into a term of high school. I don't know how I would have held up if I was 16 doing that." On Balancing Malakai's Charm and Outgoing Nature with His Interiority, Uncertainty and Being Caught in a Love Triangle "That's kind of the best — it's a blessing as an actor, is that you've always got that in the back of it. So it's the question of when he is being that charming, charismatic, loud, funny, whatever it is, that he's using the persona that he's putting on, how much of that is a facade to cover up either that insecurity or that questioning or discomfort? Again, Malakai and I are quite different, but I remember at 16, that's exactly how I coped with those questions or with whatever was happening in my life — that facade that you can put on. As I said, for an actor, it's wonderful that you get to play both sides of that. And in this show particularly, you have one scene where you're on the top of the world and it's this beautiful romantic moment, and it's all about love and the joys of being a 16-year-old, and being ignorant and free. And then the next scene, you're crying on an airplane, because you know you also have very little control over a lot of the things that happen to you at that age. Because you're still a minor. You're still figuring things out. And you're at the mercy of your peers in school and your parents, and all of those bigger concepts. As an actor, that's the best thing to do, rather than just having to be the funny guy or be the heart of the show or the introspective one. He fluctuates between all of them." On the Acting Dream When Weatherall First Made the Leap From Dancing "There wasn't one, to be honest. I'm still just holding on for dear life and seeing where it goes. I was certain to be a dancer. That was the be-all and end-all of my life. And I got interested in acting through writing. I was really interested in writing and filmmaking towards the end of high school, and got cast in this ABC series in year 12 and that was just it. My first day on set, I just went 'this is it. I want to do this'. I remember telling my mum after 11 years of 40-hours-plus dance training a week, I was like 'I'm going to be an actor, no more dancing' — and just quit on the spot and made that decision. And to her credit, she completely supported that. I think I've always been interested in creativity in a larger sense, with writing, and the thought of maybe directing or producing one day and creating work. And I think acting is a part of that, and it's a part that I love and I hope I can do for as long as people keep giving me jobs. I like to think of it in a bigger sense in creating a bit more work. If you had told 17-year-old Tom who's getting his first audition that he'd be on a Netflix show or doing some of the other work I've been doing recently, I wouldn't have believed a word of it. I've been very lucky, again, to be on a show like this and have the reach it has. I've been able to work with actors I really admire, and creatives that I've sort of genuinely dreamt of working with. So yeah, it's been very surreal." Heartbreak High streams via Netflix. Read our reviews of season one and season two. Images: Netflix.
Two things to say up front. Firstly, Drive is the coolest film of 2011. Backed by an ultra cool soundtrack (think Bladerunner meets TRON), it's the story of a cool guy (Ryan Gosling) who wears cool clothes, says cool things and — perhaps most importantly — drives cars (which are, in general, cool). Secondly, you must not watch the trailers. None of them. Without exception they reveal every single plot point for the entire movie. Whoever produced them should be dragged out back and made to watch The Last Airbender on repeat. They're basically what the trailer for The Sixth Sense would've been had it opened with the kid declaring: "I see dead people. Oh and Bruce, while we're on the subject…" That's not to say Drive is a 'twist movie', but its suspense rests heavily on the periodic revelations and plot turns that throw the ever-in-control protagonist into an increasingly out of control predicament. Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn whose previous films include Valhalla Rising and Bronson, Drive is an ode to the classic loner-hero movies of Eastwood and McQueen, coupled with the desolate crime tales of Michael Mann and Scorcese, then rounded out with some ultra-stylised Tarantino violence. In short: it's a genre film where the genre is constantly changing. Drive is part chase movie, except that the most exciting example is the opening scene in which Gosling's character deftly evades the police with guile and subtelty rather than speed and aggression. It's also part romance, except that the love interest, played with beguiling tenderness by Carey Mulligan, is already married and mother to a young boy. The performances are fantastic across the board, with Gosling and Mulligan in particular achieving an extraordinary chemistry despite having very few lines of dialogue between them. Strong supporting roles are also provided by Bryan Cranston, Ron Perlman and Albert Brooks, with Brooks almost certainly enjoying the lion's share of witty one-liners throughout. As the film throws to the final credits the repeated lyric of 'real human being and a real hero' offers an interesting perspective on the story that's preceded it. Drive is heavily stylised but it somehow remains altogether personal and even relatable. It's a very human story about very real people. Whether Gosling's character is also a 'hero' or not, though, depends on your understanding of the term. There's no doubting his courage and selflessness, but his methods are far removed from the kind of stoic acts you'd tell your grandchildren as bedtime stories. The result is a somewhat emotionally ambiguous transformation from sympathetic nice guy to violent avenger that might seem out of place were it not just so impossibly, impossibly cool. https://youtube.com/watch?v=eAc23x2JJG0
Randwick has a new kid on the block. Taking its name from the opening lines of Hunter S. Thompson's cult classic Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Bat Country adds a touch of cool to The Spot's bustling hub of tapas and Thai restaurants. Opposite the beloved, golden-age Ritz Cinema, this sharp new drinking hole brands itself as a local's bar, aiming to create an atmosphere that bridges the gap between restaurant and watering hole. Or, as owner Collin Perillo puts it, "the kind of place where Raoul Duke would go to write copy." The decor of the raw brick interior reeks of Beat Generation swagger. Wander through and you'll find a cluster of cosy booths and a sweet little nook by the kitchen that feels just like hanging out in your grandma's living room. There's also a spread of '60s Americana paraphernalia and some kickass antler chandeliers. The overall effect is a stylishly outdated but authentic atmosphere. It's also refreshing not to be overpowered by the music. Looping through the likes of Johnny Cash and the Rolling Stones (testament to a committed theme), this small bar has achieved the perfect balance of tunes and chatter. Bat Country offers a tight cocktail list of innovative concoctions, served by very competent bartenders in Hawaiian shirts (if you're lucky). From the happy-go-lucky Junkie George Fizz (Wild Turkey Bourbon, honey, orange and mint, $16) to the slightly formidable-sounding God's Own Prototype (Havana 7 year rum, Chartreuse, Maraschino, lemon, Angostura, $16), there's a bright array of sweet and sour that will tickle your tastebuds well into the night. Also, The Best Drink in the World (Flor de Cana Extra Dry Rum, lime, sugar, $18) is bound to strike your attention. Whether it is or not is disputable, though it's darn refreshing. Onto beer. There's a steady flow of Young Henrys on tap, a handful of craft brews from Western Australia, and a hearty Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA ($11), which is probably kingpin of the beer list. Bat Country also caters a luscious range of tasty share plates, such as the Bloody Chunk'a Rump ($15), served strictly medium rare. Or, if you're hankering for a seafood fix, Kitchen Chef Tim's Salt and Pepper Squid with wasabi mayo and dressed greens ($16.50) is sure to sort you out. This nifty addition offers a friendly and relaxed vibe. It's a much-needed diversification of The Spot's dining scene, and it's already a buzzing success. Swing by around 8pm on a Friday or Saturday, and you'll struggle to get a seat. It is a touch pricey, which may not fly with the student demographic, but you get what you pay for. On the whole, Bat Country is bound to make you feel like a local. Here's hoping it's the leader in a burgeoning Randwick bar scene.
An absolute monster of a lineup and a special treat for anyone who missed out on Laneway tickets, with three of 2013's hottest hip hop acts set to tear the roof off the Enmore. Earl Sweatshirt came into the spotlight as part of the Odd Future crew but missed much of the group's huge first year of tours and releases, and no one knew quite why — was he in prison? At boarding school in Samoa? At a military academy? Whatever it was, Earl has been making up for lost time with his debut album, Doris, both a critical and commercial smash hit, and featuring on countless end-of-year lists. Danny Brown also had a big year with the release of his third album, Old, a throwback album that wears its love for old-school hip hop proudly on its sleeve. Brown's first successes as a musician came from very 'now' styles and sound like trap and electronica, but with this album Brown says he wanted to return to a sample-based, 'classic' sound that borrows most from J Dilla and Wu-Tang. The result somehow sounds both fiercely new and groundbreaking as well as immediately familiar. Run the Jewels is a new name, but the two names behind it are anything but. El-P and Killer Mike joined forces in 2013 after featuring on each other's albums the year before, and they somehow found the perfect balance between Mike's aggressive Southern flow and El-P's tense, hyper delivery. There have been lots of high-profile collaboration albums in hip hop, but it's been a long time since anything was released that is this cohesive and this wholly developed. And as anyone who saw El-P at Laneway this year will know, he's a tireless, frenetic live performer who never lets the intensity drop even for a moment. https://youtube.com/watch?v=anRkutaPS9w
Time doesn't quite fly when you're setting up Australia's newest airline, with low-cost carrier Bonza first announced in 2021 but only securing regulatory approval to hit the skies at the beginning of 2023. Still, just weeks after receiving its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), aka the official go-ahead, Bonza has just put its first-ever fares on sale — and will take to the sky from Tuesday, January 31. Yes, your 2023 getaways just got cheaper — and you now have a new way to fly off on holidays, too. The soon-to-launch carrier's aim: opening up routes to more of the country's regional destinations, flying 27 routes to 17 locations, and offering low-cost fares in the process. In its first batch of flights, one-way fares start at $49, with tickets available to 12 destinations on 15 routes. In this initial batch of fares, most routes leave from the airline's Sunshine Coast base, with the $49 options getting passengers to Coff's Harbour, Port Macquarie and Rockhampton. Legs to the Whitsunday Coast, Mackay and Newcastle come in at $59 from the Sunny Coast, while the $69 fares include trips to Albury and Townsville. The most expensive? $79 to get to Victoria's Avalon airport, Mildura and Cairns. Departures from Cairns to Mackay cost $49, and to Rockhampton costs $59. Bonza's just-dropped first fares also include Rockhampton to Townsville for $49 and Newcastle to the Whitsunday Coast for $79. The number of flights per route varies, ranging from two to five — with the Sunshine Coast to Cairns getting the most each week. When its full range of flights hits the air, the airline will also service locations such as Bundaberg, Gladstone and Toowoomba, in Queensland — plus Tamworth in New South Wales — as part of its big focus on regional destinations. Bonza's second batch of fares is expected to drop in a few weeks, covering flights from its second base in Melbourne To book, you'll need to download the airline's app. For travellers who have already done so, the carrier advises that you will need to delete it and then reinstall the latest version to get access to reserve flights. App-only reservations are one of Bonza's points of difference, unless you're booking via a registered local travel agent. Another: a previously announced all-Australian in-flight menu, spanning both food and craft beer. Passengers will get soaring in planes given names as Aussie as the carrier's itself: Bazza, Shazza and Sheila. The trio will take passengers to places they mightn't otherwise been able to fly to, too, with Bonza noting that 93 percent of its routes aren't currently served by any other airline — and 96 percent of them don't presently have a low-cost carrier. The airline is launching with the backing of US private investment firm 777 Partners, which also has a hand in Canada's Flair Airlines and the Southeast Asian-based Value Alliance. Bonza's fares don't include baggage and seat selection, which you need to pay extra for — and it is cheapest to do so when you make your booking, rather than afterwards. Bonza is set to start flying from Tuesday, January 31 , with flights on sale now. For more information, and to buy fares, head to the airline's website, or download its app for Android and iOS.
One pair of Aussie pastry chefs are on a mission to make the humble lamington famous. Well, famous outside of Australian borders — just how Iranian-born jalebi and Italian cannoli are now found the world over. To do this, Min Chai and Eddie Stewart, founders of Australia's N2 Extreme Gelato, have launched Tokyo Lamington. While the duo initially focused on piquing the interest of overseas tastebuds — selling the lamingtons in Singapore and Tokyo — the chefs have now brought the international brand Down Under. After popping-up in Koko Black stores in Sydney and Melbourne for one day in June, Toyko Lamington opened its flagship Australian store in Market City. The dessert brand doesn't just make traditional takes on the quintessentially Aussie chocolate- and coconut-covered cake. Instead, the sponge gets an international makeover with iterations in pandan, ube, lemon myrtle, black sesame, matcha and milk tea. Nikki To The Sydney outpost of Toyko Lamington will serve some Aussie-as flavours, too, such as fairy bread with popcorn butter and Ferrero Rocher — plus the OG chocolate and coconut version, of course. Each lamington costs $7 a pop and can also be ordered online (for pickup only). The shop's fit-out is loud with black walls and brightly coloured geometrical shapes, timber furniture and hanging greenery. The open space has a few booths and table seating, but will function mainly as a takeaway joint — selling nothing but lamingtons and a few canned drinks.
Rooftop bars are so last season. If you're still heroically bracing a trembling Aperol Spritz against a fifth-floor autumn wind on one of Sydney's dying summer days, here's an alternative for you: a new way to get high and party, and this one's much more spectacular. From May 26 to June 17 as part of Vivid Sydney, the Sydney Tower Eye is launching Eye Live Project — a program of live music nights, 250 metres above the city, against a jaw-dropping 360-degree view. Sydney label Etcetc, propelled by ex-Ministry of Sound talent Aden Mullens, will kick things off on May 26 with a lineup featuring infectious sun-soaked house from POOLCLVB, as well as the badass, vintage electro-funk of Luke Million, who caused a stir with his take on the Stranger Things theme. The same weekend will also see The Eye unveiled as a neon Tron-like playground for Discovery — Australia's Daft Punk Tribute show. Touch Sensitive, with his cult-favourite cosmic beats, headlines the rollover into June, alongside electronic DJ sets from vocalists Elizabeth Rose and Annie Bass. An all-nighter with Dr Packer — remix-king of old-school soul, disco, hip hop and reggae — follows on June 3, and sets the vibe for intoxicating club pop DJ KLP's set the following weekend. There'll also be raw, electronic R&B from Thandi Phoenix and beats from one of Australia's biggest names in getting down, Ministry of Sound's DJ Samrai, to see in the final weekend, before Heaps Gay take the wheel for a massive sky-high finale. Headliner Brendan Maclean will perform a live set alongside a host of Sydney DJs and vibrant performers, sending off the Eye Live Project in a whirlwind of glitter and spectacle. Adding to Vivid's already formidable events program, the Eye Live Project is the first of its kind at the Sydney Tower Eye. With a strict venue capacity of 200 and a secret headliner still to be announced, tickets are set to sell fast. The Eye Live Project takes place on Friday and Saturday nights between May 26 and June 17.
First there was Bondi Hardware. Then there was The Botanist in Kirribilli. And now Applejack Hospitality have expanded their near-water empire to SoCal. It's time to slip into something a little more comfortable. Grab those large dark sunnies, your best dressed-up beach chic and head on over to the growing bar area of Neutral Bay. Sit back and allow Cali to introduce herself. This is for the good-looking North Shore crowd who have been calling out for more stylish drinking venues. And it's not just for booze. There are great things to munch on; in fact, you could call it a dinner venue just as much as a drinking den. The space use to be a 'gentlemen's karaoke bar' (although how much singing went on is questionable), which might explain the long staircase as you ascend into the bar. Once at the top you're greeted with a palette of bright yellows, including the large Cerveza Pacifico Claro sign in the courtyard area, pink flamingos, white timber, sky blue cushions and a stack of plants. The bar area with its large 'bar' sign (so there's no mistaking it for anything else?), old crates acting as shelves for the booze, adds a slightly different aesthetic to the mix, and the tunes, well, they're perfect for chilling out to. Then there's the staff. There's something about a bearded barman that just screams knowledgeable about liquor. Especially when paired with a Hawaiian shirt. There are three options for jugs of cocktails at $35 each, including the Caliente Punch — Ketel One Vodka, elderflower and pomegranate liquors, strawberries, lime, orange and ginger beer. They're very drinkable, though don't look for high alcohol content return on your investment. The Salted Caramel Espresso Martini ($16) could do with a dash more of salted caramel to the mix, but is a great espresso martini if that's what you're after. Other cocktails are classics with a twist like the Momma's Moonshine ($17) or the Muscle Beach Mai Tai ($18). To eat there's a MexiCali-inspired share plate scenario, with a focus on fresh flavours and seafood. The pulled pork, black bean, rosemary and grilled eggplant quesadillas ($20), served with cheese and salsa on flour tortillas, are the pick to go with a drink — perfectly crispy on the outside, yet soft and squishy on the inside. There's also the usual suspects like chilli dogs and pintxos, as well as a raw section including the likes of kingfish tiradito ($19). But you just can't go past the value-for-mulla tacos, even if they're a little bit drippy on the sauce side of things. You get three large ones for $20 — choose from Baja fish, shredded beef and Sriracha chicken. From the share section of the menu, the seared salmon with zucchini, coriander and walnuts ($20) is also worth trying out. A table inside is perfect for a hot date (there's no way anyone at any other table will be able to hear your conversation), or there's outside for large groups. The half-covered courtyard is great for warm-weather weekends, and if you squint really hard you could be mistaken for thinking you're in California. One of the best parts? The 2am licence, which means ol' Maisy's down the road has some competition. Okay, not really. SoCal wins hands down. Here's hoping more inspired venues spring up around the area. The younger locals are clearly dying for it — based on how packed it was. Yes, my booking for an outside table on my birthday was messed up, but it was rectified a few hours later. Hopefully any small issues like this are just teething issues. Get your white-toothed smile ready and pair with a laidback attitude for some serious drinking and chowing down in the sun.
If money is truly no object for you, then look no further than New Year's Eve at Quay. Dinner at this award-winning harbourside restaurant generally goes for $290, so it's no surprise New Year Eve's on the doorstep of the Harbour Bridge isn't cheap. A reservation will set you back $2000 or the price of a 1999 Nissan Pulsar. Included in the price is an unforgettable view of the fireworks, champagne and canapés on arrival, plus a seven-course menu from Executive Chef Peter Gilmore with paired wines by Head Sommelier Shanteh Wong. Maybe $2000 a head feels a bit excessive to you. If so, you can head up to Quay's level four Green Room, where you'll be treated to a five-course meal from Gilmore, as well as the complimentary champagne and harbourside views. The Green Room's $1400 price tag still makes it one of the year's pricer New Year's affairs, but if you're looking to splurge after the year that has been, this might just be what you're looking for. Images: Nikki To
Whether you're puffed out from tackling City2Surf or just seeking a different kind of cool down on a Sunday morning, Gelato Messina has teamed up with New Balance and the Unofficial Run Club for a one-day takeover in Bondi. This post-run recovery is sweeter than usual, featuring 2000 free scoops of gelato in two limited-edition flavours inspired by New Balance's high-performance footwear. Specifically, that'd be on-trend colourways of the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5. With the same dedication as a world-class athlete, Messina's ice cream chefs have created a pair of winning flavours just for the occasion. You've got creamy choc malt gelato swirled with nougat gelato or the earthy notes of matcha gelato combined with swirls of dulce de leche. Scooping from 10am on Sunday, August 10, don't wait to make tracks to Gelato Messina Bondi. With these exercise-inspired flavours available on a first-come, first-served basis, plan a pitstop on the way home after the main event or treat it as motivation to embark on a mid-morning power walk.
Whatever she's in, and whether she's the star of the show or a supporting player, Chloë Sevigny's face always tells a tale of its own. That's been true in everything from Kids and Boys Don't Cry through to Big Love and We Are Who We Are, and it remains that way in The Girl From Plainville — the new eight-part true-crime miniseries led by The Great's Elle Fanning that's based on the death of Massachusetts teenager Conrad Roy III in 2014. Here, Fanning plays Conrad's long-distance girlfriend Michelle Carter. It's due to the her actions that the situation has been known as "the texting suicide case" for almost a decade — garnering not just local but international attention, and earning a HBO documentary, I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth Vs Michelle Carter, back in 2019. Fanning is fantastic in what proves an eerie character study, but the looks that Sevigny, as Conrad's mother Lynn, shoots her way scream rather than simply speak volumes. If you've ever wondered what facial expression could sum up grief, horror, sorrow, anger, disbelief, hurt, despair and utter bewilderment all at once, the always-excellent Sevigny frequently has the answer. Inspired by Jesse Barron's Esquire article of the same name, The Girl From Plainville tells a tough tale. Streaming in Australia via Stan, with three episodes available now and the rest following weekly, it starts with Conrad's (Colton Ryan, Dear Evan Hansen) suicide in his truck in a Kmart parking lot. It was his second attempt to take his life, although he'd promised Lynn that he wouldn't do it again — and when his death was investigated, police discovered text messages sent to him by Michelle, including a plethora of words encouraging him to take his own life. In 2015, she was indicted on charges of involuntary manslaughter for "wantonly and recklessly" assisting the suicide. In 2017, her trial took place. The outcome is now a matter a history, which The Girl From Plainville builds up to while also unpacking Michelle and Conrad's relationship. Accordingly, in two intertwined narrative threads, Michelle is a bereaved girlfriend who inserts herself into the Roy family's mourning wherever she can, even though Lynn and her ex-husband Co (Norbert Leo Butz, another Bloodline alum) didn't know she existed until after their son's death — and she's also a lonely high-schooler who meets a boy from a neighbouring town while vacationing in Florida, then keeps up a romance afterwards via text. In both, she's clearly a troubled young woman with body-image issues, struggles making and keeping friends, and a yearning for attention, which The Girl From Plainville unpacks without excusing her actions. Indeed, Sevigny's piercing gaze aside, this is a show about questions rather than answers, because some things can't ever truly be resolved. It's a series about feelings, too, including the many faces we wear to weather them. Michelle sports plenty: devoted, manipulative, heartbroken, rebellious, insecure, domineering and needy being a mere few. The Girl From Plainville's first episodes are full of jaw-on-the-floor moments, all stemming from Michelle's behaviour. The way that she ingratiates herself into the Roys' lives is disturbing and infuriating in equal measure — and a scene where the Glee-obsessive mimics one of the show's big emotional numbers is nothing short of chilling. The more details that are revealed, the more perturbing her conduct proves, including the fact that she was playing the victim and claiming that Conrad had been missing for days to her friends while she was actually texting him encouragement to go through with his suicide. That's what sparks local detective Scott Gordon (Kelly AuCoin, Billions) and then assistant district attorney Katie Rayburn (Aya Cash, The Boys) to dig deeper, even though they're in unprecedented territory legally. When the show turns into a courtroom drama, it still weaves through blasts from Michelle and Conrad's relationship past. In the former, the tone is understandably stark and grim; in latter, which includes reimagining the onslaught of text messages the pair shared as face-to-face conversations, it's almost dreamy. Creators Liz Hannah and Patrick MacManus know that they're making another entry in the ever-growing scandal-to-screen canon — Hannah also executive produced The Dropout, and MacManus did the same on Dr Death — but their focus on inner turmoil is both compassionate and haunting. And, it does what a straightforward retelling might've missed, giving Conrad a space to be himself and to be a main character, rather than just a casualty in someone else's story. Ryan might be playing his second suicidal adolescent in as many projects, but he's heartbreaking here as Conrad navigates unshakeable social anxiety and the traditional expectations placed upon masculinity. There's nuance in Ryan's every scene, and layers to each aspect of his sensitive performance — traits that Sevigny and Fanning also display, all to The Girl From Plainville's benefit. In fact, it's that texture, subtlety and complexity that makes Fanning's portrayal something exceptional, especially when tasked with inhabiting such a difficult character. Whether she's playing Michelle as seemingly sweet but desperate to be liked and loved, overbearing and demanding in her determination to be the centre of Conrad's death, or solemn and shaken during her trial, she's always a whirlwind of competing — and compelling-to-watch — aims and emotions. Giving room to all these shades, and to the unanswerable queries they inspire, is what gives this ripped-from-the-headlines series weight and depth beyond its attention-grabbing premise. True-crime dramas are firmly having their moment right now — see also: Pam & Tommy, Inventing Anna, The Dropout and WeCrashed in the first quarter of 2022 alone — but The Girl From Plainville is complicated, captivating and gripping. Check out the trailer for The Girl From Plainville below: The first three episodes of The Girl From Plainville are available to stream via Stan, with new instalments dropping weekly. Images: Steve Dietl/Hulu.
One of the country's premier film events, the Melbourne International Film Festival, has released a sneak peak of 2013's programming. Artistic director Michelle Carey admits that she is "especially excited about the MIFF 2013", and after a glance we can see why. Three years ago Wentworth Miller's Stoker was voted one of 2010's best unproduced screenplays, and now the rest of us finally have a chance to see what all the fuss is about. The unnerving tale is centered on 18-year-old India, who, fresh from burying her father, meets the mysterious uncle her mother has invited into the family home to fill their void. The cast includes a trifecta of Australian talent, with Nicole Kidman, Jacki Weaver and Mia Wasikowska breathing life into the Stoker family. To add to the hype, it is also the English language debut of celebrated South Korean director Park Chan-wook (Oldboy). Other movies on the radar include Tim Winton's The Turning (starring Cate Blanchett); festival patron Geoffrey Rush's turn as an eccentric art auctioneer in Italian box-office smash The Best Offer; Shane Carruth's highly anticipated follow-up to cult time-travel puzzler Primer, titled Upstream Color; and US gore-fest of a horror flick You're Next. The documentary contingent looks set to more than hold its own this year as Australia's almost-rock legend Jeremy Oxley's battle with schizophrenia and alcoholism takes centrestage in The Sunnyboy, and UK director Ken Loach looks to the England of old in The Spirit of '45. Loach's exploration of British domestic policy pre- and post-Thatcher is a rallying call to UK politicians to reject austerity and remember that great 20th-century experiment, the welfare state. What would a film festival be without something to call the next Woody Allen? MIFF fills that category with the black-and-white comedy Frances Ha. Star Greta Gerwig (To Rome with Love) co-wrote the film with director Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale). It contains dialogue like this: Guy: What do you do? Frances: It's kind of hard to explain. Guy: Why, is what you do really complicated? Frances: Because, I don't really do it. So it looks like they are onto a good thing. An annual event, the MIFF runs from July 25 to August 11. For more information, head to the website and keep an eye out for the full program, which will be released on July 2. Image: Festival patron Geoffrey Rush as Virgil Oldman in The Best Offer
Everyone knows that, in 2016, the lowest thing you can do is spoil Game of Thrones for a poor soul first-thing Tuesday morning. Usually the spoiling is an honest mistake (and the result of too many feels) — but what if it was actually something more sinister? Well, someone's created a service that is just that. Inspired by this story of a woman who sought revenge on her ex-boyfriend by sending him GoT spoilers, Spoiled will text your unsuspecting friends all the main plot points after each new episode airs. Because people are jerks. All this amazing but truly horrifying new service needs to get spoilin' is the mobile number of the friend you want to never speak to you again and your credit card number. Then, straight after the episode airs, your mate will be sent spoilers — images included. Each spoiler sent will cost you a mere $0.99 USD, and can be sent to any mobile number around the world. It truly doesn't cost much to ruin someone's day/week/year these days. We definitely do not endorse signing up your friends to this service. That guy who spoiled Breaking Bad for you though? Go right ahead.
Waking up and hearing the rain cascade over your roof, drizzle down your windows and water your plants sounds like heaven to most of us. To the cyclists among us, on the other hand, maybe not so much. Riding in the rain isn't the most desirable (or safe) way of getting to work, but for some it's the only way. So various bike umbrellas have been developed over the years (including this shocker), but here's one that might actually work. LEAFXPRO is a brand new leaf-style umbrella for your bike, looking for funding on Kickstarter. Designed with aerodynamics and ergonomics in mind, the windscreen-shaped umbrella hopes to keep you nice and dry on your way to work.You can even pick the colour from 'storm colours' to 'advanced colours'. Yep, deep breaths. The LEAFXPRO aerodynamics work to pull the water away from your body as you ride, and can be installed on any bike. We're a little worried about the visibility factor with that frontal shield, but we'd have to take it for a test run to make the call. And from the looks of the promo video, you'll need to unclip from the umbrella when you're locking up your bike — so you might get pretty wet anyway. Available for pre-order on Kickstarter, the umbrellas are going for about £99 — about $195AUD, pretty steep stuff when you add shipping. But with the amount you're likely to drop on Uber every time in rains, it might pay for itself. Maybe. Via Cycling Weekly.
Point yourself at dance floor and throw yourself in as Melbourne-based musician Kira Puru (of 'Tension' and 'Molotov' fame) is performing a free gig at Public House Petersham car park next month. The afternoon set on Saturday, December 7 is the final 2019 event in a series of female-led concerts called She Sessions. Also performing on the outdoor stage will be Triple J Unearthed artist Moody Beach with her indie-electronic tracks like 'Slave', and Sydney's Erthlings, who recently supported Amy Shark on tour, with their bright and poppy 'Bridges'. You can RSVP on the website if you want to tell all your friends about it. And you should — it's a chance to catch three of Australia's best female-led acts without paying a cent. As always, Public House chef James Elliott fires up the spit and there are Wild Yak beers for sale (Wild Yak are the main supporters of this event, helping make it all possible).
Perhaps Tony Irving was born a little too late. His current exhibit, Are we there yet?, at Eva Breuer Art Dealer in Woollahra, feels like an homage to modernism. Irving is a perfect fit in Eva Breuer's stable of artists. The works shown in the Eastern suburbs gallery are unfailingly conservative and pretty, but that's cool. Not everyone wants to look at drawings of Tracey Emin's vagina. Irving cites Canaletto (Italian guy. Painted slightly insipid portraits of 18th Century Venetian life.) as one of his favourite artists. Unsurprisingly, Irving's works are incredibly staid. That said, they're also lovely. The paintings are like Edward Hoppers but without the darkness. Giorgio De Chiricos but without the creepiness. There is a quietness and stillness in them but he uses symbolism terrifically well and it adds a fantastic surrealist flavour to the works. Each painting is a snapshot of urban life – cars, vistas, streetscapes - primarily Italian but there are a handful of American scenes in there just to mix it up. "The street is the starting point for most of my paintings", Irving explains, "but in recent years as I've started travelling more again, that has moved from Australia's urban environment to a wider world. That world is often surprising or inspirational, but the street is still there, people still go about their business and as an artist, my imagination conjures a narrative that might be playing out." Several studies and smaller versions of the paintings are included in the exhibition. Usually when galleries throw these into the mix it's to show the artist's creative process or somehow enhance the viewer's engagement with the final product. It's meant to be enlightening but in the Irving show it feels like filler. There are also a few little drawings included. They seem to serve no purpose other than to cover space on the wall and they're hung over a desk, so you can't pass by them easily. They feel like an afterthought. The works are beautiful, and you will enjoy seeing the exhibition. Even if your taste is more Munch than Monet, it's worth a visit. Just don't expect them to set your world on fire. Image by Tony Irving, care of Eva Breuer Art Dealer.
For most creative types, the dream is to create whatever one wants, whenever one wants and somehow make a living out of it. In reality, though, a professional creative career often involves some form of compromise — be that financial (i.e. I'll make the art I want to make and earn money some other way) or artistic (i.e I'll live off my art, but I accept that, every now and again, I'll have to accept commissions). This is true of architecture as of any other field. So, a bunch of high-flying designers are getting together at the Golden Age Cinema to discuss the matter. They include Domenic Alvaro (director, Woods Bagot's global studio), Kelvin Ho (founder, Akin Creative) and Isabelle Toland and Amelia Holliday (founders, Aileen Sage Architects — recent brains behind The Pool at Venice Biennale's Australian Exhibition). Their chats will cover balancing commercial demands with the drive to innovate, the characteristics of Australia's design identity and its impact internationally, the meaning of success and the latest changes in visual languages. The event is presented by The Office Space and is part of Sydney Architecture Festival.
In the long list of things we need to do to help the environment, cutting down on the amount of plastic that end up in landfill is right up there. Many countries including France, Italy, Ethiopia and South Africa have already banned single-use plastic bags, but France has just passed legislation that goes one step further. The European country will place a ban on plastic plates, cups and cutlery from 2020. Yep, all those Parisians picnicking at the Tuileries will see themselves dining differently in the park over the next four years — under the new rules, all disposable dinnerware will have to be made of biologically-sourced materials and have the ability to be composted. This includes plastic plates, plastic cutlery, plastic glasses, plastic dishes for takeaway meals, and even plastic cups in coffee machines. They're the first country in the world to introduce such a ban. Naturally, packaging and plastic manufacturers are none to happy with the French government's decision to implement the ban, claiming that it violates European Union's rules on free movement of goods, according to The Associated Press. They're also arguing that there's "no proof" bio-sourced disposable cutlery is any better for the environment. Either way, France — who also hosted last year's Paris Climate Change Conference — is doing its bit in making legislative changes to help the environment. By contrast, in Australia only Tasmania, South Australia, ACT and the NT have bans on single-use plastic bags in place at the moment — the bigger states are yet to commit to one. Via The Associated Press.
South Dowling Sandwiches make some of the best value-for-money sandwiches in Sydney — just ask the regulars overflowing from this pocket-sized Darlinghurst alcove. For you see, once you've sampled 'Dowlo', you'll keep coming back, and while there are many reasons to return, the most compelling is their generosity. Dowlo don't just fill your sandwich; they overload it to the point where you won't need to eat again for the remainder of the day, no matter which sandwich you order. Simply choose between brown or white bread, then pick your filling and watch it crafted before your eyes in record time. While you can design your own sandwich, don't. The artists here have provided eight delicious options — tuna, vegi, leg ham, chicken schnitzel, chilli chicken, poached chicken and smoked salmon — that will satisfy any palate. And the best thing is they cost just $8. While the chicken schnitzel sandwich attracts something of a cult following, having tasted each and every one on offer, I can confidently say there are two standouts: chilli chicken and vegi. The former uses minimal ingredients to pack a delicious punch, with just lettuce, rocket, chilli chicken and red pesto cooperating to make your lunch break the highlight of your day. The vegi is built on the opposite, containing more vegetables than a farmers market. Forget everything you ever knew about vegetarian sandwiches, because this is all you need to know. The bold and hungry can add 'The Special' to their sandwich. For $5 extra, you can super-size your filling with potato salad, avocado, caramelised carrots (words cannot describe how delightful these are), boiled egg, tomato and cheese. If just one or two extras pique your interest, then you can add those instead, and they vary between 50 cents and $2 each. While the sandwiches are the heroes, Dowlo also do a number of generous salads, priced between $11 and $14 (with vegi, chilli chicken, poached chicken, chicken schnitzel, tuna and smoked salmon the available options). Plus, if you've still got room for it, grab yourself one of their muesli cookies. You might not taste a better cookie in your life. So whether you're a sandwich, salad or snack person, South Dowling Sandwiches has you covered. See you there for (every) lunch. Images: Cassandra Hannagan
If your partner or mates have been begging you to go on a weekend camping trip but the thought of spending a winter's night in the wilderness sends literal and metaphorical shivers down your spine, we have the perfect compromise. A watering hole inspired by the outdoors is popping up in the CBD, where you can sip on bourbon and snack on delicious treats by a campfire, all within an Uber-ride's distance from home. Wild Turkey is bringing the wilderness to the city with Spirit of the Wild. Set at a secret location, the pop-up bar will feature an overgrown rooftop and enough outdoors-y features for you to forget about the hustle and bustle of big city life (momentarily, at least). The chefs from Continental Deli have designed a nostalgic menu inspired by campfires and Wild Turkey's rich bourbon flavour. The two-course meal will be coupled with cocktails made with Australian native ingredients and presented in camping-chic hip flasks and bamboo cups. Tickets to this hidden sanctuary cost $69 per person and include a Wild Turkey drink on arrival plus the two-course menu with paired cocktails. It's cheaper than a two-man tent — and warmer to boot. Walk-ins are also welcome to come for cocktails and Continental Deli eats on Sundays from 12pm to 10pm. Spirit of the Wild runs Saturday, July 14 to Sunday, August 12. Dinners will be held from 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday. Walk-ins are welcome on Sundays 12–10pm. Bookings are essential for dinner and can be made here.
Continuing the trend of ingenious bike accessories, the MAMA bike rack allows your two-wheeler to literally stand above the rest. A collaboration between furniture designer Matt Elton and graphic designer Matteo Baldarelli, this neat device has two smooth hooks for you to hang your bike on. The rack also has three holes where locks and cables can be looped through and secured. The powder coated finish means that this rack can be secured to walls both inside and outside. Impressively, the rack's simple and compact design also provides a small shelf above the two hooks. This leaves an ideal platform for you to place your morning flat white. The MAMA bike rack will ensure that your bicycle stands in style, and are available for purchase from designer Matt Elton.
When it comes to history's legendary painters, Claude Monet's name stands out above most. Now, for the first time ever, Australian audiences are invited to experience the painting that the entire Impressionist movement was named after as the National Gallery of Australia exhibits Monet's world-famous masterpiece, Impression, sunrise. As well as a striking collection of other Monet paintings — including the instantly recognisable Waterlilies and On the Beach at Trouville — the exhibition features works by an array of artists who inspired or followed Monet into leaving behind the studio and painting 'en plein air'. From JMW Turner to James McNeill Whistler and Eugène Boudin, other contemporaries of Monet featured at the NGA include Alfred Sisley and Berthe Morisot, one of the few female painters among the Parisian Impressionists. With their visible brush strokes and incredible depictions of light and its subtle changes, many of these works have been gathered from the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris, which almost never loans its collection. Running until Sunday September 1, Monet: Impression Sunrise is undoubtedly worth taking a wintertime road trip to Canberra for, so grab your pals and hit the road. Images: Claude Monet, Impression, sunrise (1872), courtesy Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris and Christian Baraja SLB; Claude Monet, Waterlilies (1914–17), courtesy NGA; Claude Monet, On the beach at Trouville (1870), Courtesy Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris and Bridgeman Images.
From piecing together messages or wondrous discoveries hidden among the stars, to using the constellations as a guiding force for navigation, or simply sitting back and admiring the view, stargazing has proven to be an enduring hobby. To honour this, Vivid Sydney is taking to the skies with the return of its stunning annual drone shows, in partnership with the Australian Traffic Network. Across six nights from Sunday, May 28, you'll be able to look up and witness over 1000 drones lighting up the night sky to create the biggest drone show the Southern Hemisphere has seen to date. Written in the Stars will take audiences on a visual exploration of space, delving into the natural world of our solar system by featuring awe-inspiring landscapes from the Sun through to Jupiter — along with some unexpected stops and visitors. A rework of Gustav Holst's 'The Planets' by Peewee Ferris will soundtrack the shows, available via the Cinewav app (which you can download here), to heighten the experiential journey. And you'll be able to marvel at these sights for free. Catch the recurring light shows from 9.10pm from your vantage point of Circular Quay or The Rocks. This event will only light up Sydney Harbour for six nights throughout the duration of Vivid Sydney 2023. Written in the Stars is running from 9.10pm on Sunday, May 28 and Wednesday, May 31 then June 4th, 7th, 12th and 14th. For more information, visit the website.
Break out the martinis and prepare for a shaken but not stirred couch session: Bond, James Bond, is coming to your lounge room. Just in time for wintry binge-viewing marathons, the famed espionage franchise has hit Prime Video, spanning every flick in the series from the now 60-year-old Dr No through to 2021's No Time to Die. Sean Connery smouldering his way through everything from that first-ever Bond instalment through to Diamonds Are Forever, Roger Moore stepping into 007's shoes between Live and Let Die and A View to A Kill, Timothy Dalton's two-film run in The Living Daylights and Licence To Kill — they're all included. So is Pierce Brosnan's stint as the secret agent between GoldenEye and Die Another Day, and Daniel Craig's five contributions from Casino Royale onwards, wrapping up with what might be the best Bond film yet. Aussie actor George Lazenby's one-movie appearance as Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service is also on the bill. That's all 25 official movies in total covered, but there is also a 26th movie, Never Say Never Again, that you might want to watch. Made in 1983, it stars Connery as the suave spy. But, because it was made by a different company from the rest of the Bond movies, it's not considered part of the franchise itself. If you're a completist, it's also on Prime Video now. Exceptional Bond flicks, terrible ones, everything in-between: if 007 is involved, it's now in this one spot. For everything other than No Time to Die, this isn't the first time the franchise has all sat on one streaming platform, and we've all seen various flicks hop between different services over the years. That said, the Bond movies aren't likely to move from Prime Video moving forward given that Amazon recently purchased MGM, the nearly century-old film studio that's behind all things 007. That deal will see the platform access MGM's 4000-plus films and more than 17,000 TV episodes, spanning the likes of the Rocky and Legally Blonde franchises, as well as other classics such as Thelma & Louise, The Silence of the Lambs, The Magnificent Seven and Raging Bull. For now, though, the focus is on a certain Aston Martin-driving spy — and the villains, women, gadgets, songs and stylishing opening credits sequences that go with him. If you want to don a tuxedo while you watch, well, that's up to you. The entire Bond franchise hit Prime Video on Wednesday, May 11 — and is now available to stream.
Ever wondered what it'd be like to listen in on a chat between known besties Lena Dunham and Amy Schumer? Well, wonder no longer. The latest edition of Dunham's Lenny Letter features an interview between the two, touching upon everything from tramp stamps to body image to boundaries in comedy. Their discussion is timed to coincide with the release of Schumer's new memoir, The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo, which is currently rocketing to the top of best-seller lists. Because they're the power pals we all know and love, both prove frank and funny as they also compare experiences at this year's Met Gala ("I attempted to grind my ass on Michael B. Jordan," Dunham notes), and talk about Schumer's gun control campaign following the tragic shooting during a screening of her film Trainwreck last year ("You know, that is actually when I felt the closest to Jennifer Lawrence, because that day she texted me, 'It's your fault.' And in times like that only jokes make you feel a little better", Schumer shares). Plenty of other tidbits also come up during the piece, including something Girls fans might be particularly interested in. In the lengthy introduction, Dunham reveals that the two first met when Schumer auditioned for the role of Shoshanna. We'll give you a minute to imagine how that version of the show could've turned out. Yep, it's the kind of reading your weekend needs — and the next best thing to managing to become the third musketeer in their best friendship. And sure, it's the type of affectionate, amusing chat you'd expect from the two; but hey, if these two talented ladies want to share their banter with the world, you won't hear us complaining. Via Lenny Letter.
We've almost made it to the end of this chaotic year. Holidays are looming ever closer, and it's time to hang out with friends and fam, recharge and reflect — potentially doing so at beaches, in ocean pools, while hiking or chilling out in parks — and maybe logoff from social media for a bit. And Pantone is suggesting we do so surrounded by 'life-affirming' coral. Living Coral (PANTONE 16-1546) has just been named as Pantone's 2019 Colour of the Year. The energising — and appropriately summery — shade was chosen by Pantone's colour experts not only because it "provide[s] comfort and buoyancy in our continually shifting environment", but because it encourages lighthearted activity and pursuit of fun — exactly what we're all hoping to do over the next couple of months (and, ideally, throughout the New Year). Of course, coral is associated with nature, too, in animals (like flamingos) and in Australia's famous Great Barrier Reef. While we doubt it was on the minds of Pantone's colour experts, the colour is timely due to the recent, reinvigorated fight for emergency action on climate change in Australia. Hundreds of school students, just this Wednesday, descended on Canberra's Parliament House to demand action on climate change and to stop the Adani coal mine — a proposed Queensland mine, which, if it goes ahead, could have huge impacts on the Great Barrier Reef. Then there's Living Coral's reinvigorating nature — it's said to energise and enliven. So paint your room in it, cover your body in it or just buy some snazzy coral socks — it might help you get through this crazy messed up world in 2019.
