Over in the US, August 4 is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. While this isn't a nationally recognised holiday here in Australia, there's never a bad excuse to eat cookies, so Sydney's favourite cookie-maker Bennett St Dairy is bringing the celebration of gooey choc chip goodness down under with a uniquely Australian twist. Not satisfied with just stealing the American day, Bennett St is injecting some quintessential Australiana into the celebration by unveiling a new choc chip vegemite cookie sandwich. The sandwich combines the bakery's classic cookie dough with a vegemite caramel and whipped butter. The adventurous culinary mash-up will be available for those that head down to its flagship store on Thursday, August 4. "There's nothing more Australian than a Vegemite sandwich, so when we decided we were going to bring Chocolate Chip Cookie Day Down Under, we got to work seeing how we could blend the two flavours together," Bennett Street Dairy co-founder James Meek said. The first 100 people to visit the Bondi venue between 9am and midday on Wednesday will receive a free slice of the enormous vegemite cookie sandwich Bennett St is cooking up. If you don't make it down on your own, you can also create it yourself with the range of Bennett St Dairy cookie dough rolls that are available at Woolworths and the recipe that has been posted online for everyone to use.
Prepare to say "accio remote!" and get comfier than Hermione Granger in a library. In news that'll keep you glued to your couch this winter — timely news given that Sydney is currently in the middle of a lengthy lockdown — everyone's favourite boy wizard is now working his magic on Netflix. You won't need the Marauder's Map to find these enchanting flicks. Today, Thursday, July 15, all eight movies in the Harry Potter series have hit the streaming platform, bringing their Hogwarts-set adventures to Australian subscribers. If you've watched your DVD copies from the 2000s so many times that they're showing a little wear and tear — or your laptop no longer has a disc drive — this is butterbeer-worthy news. Yes, everything from Harry's (Daniel Radcliffe) first visit to Platform 9 and 3/4, the Yule Ball and the Triwizard Tournament to many a fluttering snitch and He Who Must Not Be Named are now at your fingertips. It's prime viewing for wizards, witches and muggles alike — all 19 hours and 39 minutes of it. The Fantastic Beasts films haven't joined them, though with wizarding journey keeping its focus on the original franchise. If you're thinking that a time-turner might come in handy over the next few months, we completely understand. And if this sounds like familiar news, that's because all eight movies were also available on Netflix back in 2019. They jumped to Binge after that, too, because the thing about streaming services — unless they're making and funding a movie or series themselves, films and shows can switch platforms as the rights deals behind them change. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG37G--drDs&list=PLnpIp0ksj4UlQWQlPaRd6WrI9XSmS6B4u Find Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber Of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 and Part 2 are all now streaming on Netflix.
The rapid redevelopment of the Sydney CBD shows no sign of slowing, with Lendlease's $1.6-billion Circular Quay development proposal now including a remodelling of Jacksons on George. As the three-storey venue currently stands — consisting of Magners Rooftop Cider Bar, PJ's Irish Whiskey Bar and Temple Bar — it is essentially your run-of-the-mill pub catering mainly to CBD visitors and commuters. While it has remained an after-work haunt for years, it could definitely do with an upgrade. The venue has already closed its doors in preparation for its demolition next month, which will see it undergo quite the transformation. According to new renders and plans released by Lendlease, the new "social destination" will still span three levels, including a gastropub, restaurant, and an open-air rooftop bar overlooking the planned public plaza and laneways. Designed by award-winning, Sydney-based architecture firm Stewart Hollenstein, the space will feature active edges and open frontages, all of which are designed to enhance social interaction within the venue and with the city below. The renders are certainly a huge, futuristic leap from the existing building, and we must say they do look pretty schmick. The venue's facade will be distinguished by a ceramic tile exterior that wraps around the building, with the curved form meant to resemble a boat, paying homage to the building's past life as a boat yard. The development application for the structure hasn't been approved yet though — it's currently under assessment by the Central Sydney Planning Committee. The new venue will be connected to Lendlease's Circular Quay development, which also includes a 55-storey office tower, a mixed-use podium and ground-floor retail laneways that seek to link the Sydney CBD with Circular Quay. Though other closings and redevelopments have left us feeling blue — including the sale of the iconic Sirius Building — this is a change that could add to Circular Quay.
At last, the gluten free gods have answered your prayers. The Gohil family — whose coeliac-friendly products have been gracing local supermarket shelves for 20 years — are making lives even easier, launching the country's first dedicated gluten free, ready-cooked meal delivery service. Just like the recently launched Freshara is doing for Australia's vegan contingent, The Gluten Free Meal Co is opening up the meal delivery game to a whole new group of foodies, with a collection of nourishing, ready-prepared dishes endorsed by Coeliac Australia. They've also done away with the whole subscription caper. Instead, users simply order by selecting from the lineup of $9.90 single-serve meals on The Gluten Free Meal Co's online menu. And, while there's a minimum spend of $65 for each order, you will score free delivery Australia-wide. All meals are whipped up in a state-of-the-art facility and undergo external gluten testing before arriving at your doorstep — although by the looks of that menu, they're designed to tempt taste buds just as much as any gluten-filled goodies. We're talking global-inspired main dishes like crumbed fish fillets and a country-style chicken pie, a solid range of vegetarian meals, and even a dessert selection featuring sweet treats like chocolate profiteroles. "The gluten free community deserves the same privilege of eating a wide variety of high-quality, nourishing food as everyone else," said Pran and Jitesh Gohil. "We're so excited that we can look after everyone with this fantastic range of delicious mains, finger foods and desserts that are indistinguishable from dishes everyone enjoys." For more information about The Gluten Free Meal Co visit www.gfmeals.com.au.
Uber apparently just wants Australians to be effortlessly happy and righteously lazy, and nothing says bliss like enjoying a few cheeky brews in your underwear. If last year's introduction of UberEATS hasn't already made us lazy enough, the company has just announced that, as of today, March 23, they'll be delivering booze too, starting with Melbourne. As part of the launch, UberEATS has partnered with Carlton Draught to release their alcohol delivery service just in time for the start of AFL season tomorrow. On Friday, March 24 from 12pm, the general alcohol service kicks off, and from 5pm, Melbournian's can choose one of the nineteen $30 plus meal deals on their app and receive a free four pack of the specially brewed Carltons to enjoy with (or without) the game. After supplies run out, normal hours of alcohol service are midday to 9pm. Thirty liquor license holding restaurants across Melbourne's city and inner city suburbs are participating so far, and we're pretty confident the service will quickly spread to the rest of metropolitan Australia as well. There are a few things to note before rushing to your app — alcohol will only be delivered with a food order and only a bottle of wine or six pack of beer is permitted per order. The drivers won't deliver to intoxicated folk either, so if you answer the door looking like a hot mess you'll be denied your booze. Under 18s shouldn't be cheering either — you'll need proof of ID to accept the delivery. Obviously the service isn't meant to completely replace bottle shop runs, but is more about bringing a 'complete restaurant experience' into your home — something existing booze delivery services will need to consider. It comes well timed with the turn of the season as well, as the Melbourne winter sure doesn't promote outdoor activity. So go ahead and order from your favourite dumpling joint, pop open that delivered brew, turn on Netflix and let the pants-off binge-watching commence.
One day a year, each and every year, American football attracts fans around the world who don't watch any NFL games at any other time. The reason: the Super Bowl. Maybe you just check it out for the half-time show. Perhaps you're just keen on the film and TV trailers that drop during the match. Either way, there's no avoiding Super Bowl Monday, as it is in Australia, when it rolls around. The 2024 Super Bowl is different. The Kansas City Chiefs are taking on the San Francisco 49ers. Usher is doing the mid-game performance. But plenty of people watching will be hoping to say "yeah!" to a different music superstar. Everyone knows that Taylor Swift is dating Travis Kelce, who plays for the Chiefs. In fact, the NFL has already confirmed that Swift is on the ground in Las Vegas for the match. Taylor Swift is here with Ice Spice and Blake Lively! #SBLVIII pic.twitter.com/0x4XIDRupW — NFL (@NFL) February 11, 2024 So, where can you watch in Australia? If you're streaming along from work or home, you have a few options. Via free-to-air TV, 7mate and 7plus are showing the game, which starts at 10.30am AEDT / 10am ACT / 9.30am AEST / 7.30am AWST, with coverage commencing half an hour earlier. Or, if you have Foxtel or Kayo, you can also stream the match there. The half-time show is expected to kick off at midday AEDT / 11.30am ADCT / 11am AEST / 9am AWST. [caption id="attachment_940494" align="alignnone" width="1920"] D.roller.saparena via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] While much of the focus has been on Swift, including if she'd make to Las Vegas after her Tokyo Eras gigs before heading to Australia for her Down Under tour leg, there's another reason for Aussies to be interested. Mitch Wishnowsky plays for the 49ers, and could become the first Australian to play in and win the Super Bowl if his team beats the Chiefs. Jesse Williams received a Super Bowl ring for the Seattle Seahawks in 2024, but didn't actually play in the match. The Chiefs also won 2023's Super Bowl, plus 2020's — against the the 49ers in the latter. [caption id="attachment_940492" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Accedie via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] The 2024 Super Bowl takes place from 10am AEDT / 10am ACT / 9am AEST / 7.30am AWST on Monday, February 12 in Australia. Watch along via 7mate and 7plus, Foxtel or Kayo. Top image: All-Pro Reels from District of Columbia via Wikimedia Commons.
Need a gift at short notice? Flowers are usually a pretty safe option, but the thing about flowers is…they die — and sometimes pretty quickly too. Cacti, on the other hand, last practically forever, no matter how badly you neglect them. That's the practical reasoning behind new Sydney-based startup Little Succers anyway, who launched their same-day succulent delivery earlier this year. And now, they've launched a same-day cactus delivery, delightfully dubbed Little Pricks. Little Pricks will offer same-day delivery to the inner suburbs of Sydney — from Pyrmont to Rushcutters Bay and down to Redfern and Alexandria. Place your order by 11am (Monday to Friday only) and it'll arrive at your chosen destination by 6pm. $35 gets you a nine centimetre wide by nine centimetre tall potted cactus with neon packaging along with a handwritten card. "Fact: Love hurts," says the Little Succers team. "Pricks are among us. Maybe your BFF just got dumped and you want to send them a little prick to remind them of their ex-bae's failings? Or maybe you're just a fan of a good-lookin' cactus? Either way, these little pricks are the ballz. Get on it." To order a Little Prick, visit littlesuccers.com.au.
If there is one thing we can learn from the social network juggernaut that was Kony2012, it is that the pervasive power of Facebook provides internet activists or hacktivists with a unique capacity to transform public consciousness on a truly global scale. As such, a number of environmental activists are not only taking to the streets but taking to Facebook in an attempt to raise awareness about the pressing environmental issues that face society today. Here are six innovative groups and apps that have taken the fight for a greener future into the world of Facebook. Tree-Nation Tree-Nation is one of numerous Facebook groups committed to fighting deforestation and desertification through replanting trees. For every ten people who join the Tree-Nation Facebook page, the organisation will plant one tree. Even more ambitiously, Facebook group iChapter has promised to plant one tree for every new member, with the aim to eventually plant a total of 100,000 trees. For the more Facebook savvy of you, the Earthkeepers have created an app that allows users to plant a virtual tree, tend to it and share it with friends, with every fully matured virtual tree resulting in Earthkeepers planting a tree in the real world. Make Me Sustainable Make Me Sustainable allows users to measure their impact on the environment by tracking energy consumption and carbon footprint, allowing you to see how an action as simple as changing a light bulb can reduce your environmental impact. While there is a great range of software available for individuals and businesses that help in reducing your environmental footprint, Make Me Sustainable is unique as it provides a forum for sharing information and strategies for sustainable living and a virtual space to network with other environmentally-minded individuals on a national and even international scale. A Climate for Change Not simply a Facebook application, A Climate for Change is in fact a whole new social network built around the goal of tackling the issue of climate change. Users create profiles where they share anything and everything they have to say about global warming from rants about the Carbon Tax to interesting articles and videos about the effects of our warming planet. The We Campaign As the name suggests, The We Campaign hopes to shift our focus from what 'I' can do to make a difference but what 'we' as a global community, connected through our shared desires and the power of Facebook, can do together to protect and preserve the environment. The We Campaign app awards points to users for taking certain environmental actions, with donors giving $1 to fight global warming for every 10 points earnt. Trees Have Rights Too In the age of social networking environmental activists no longer have to chain themselves to giant oaks in order to fight for their right to exist. Trees Have Rights Too not only functions as an awareness group, describing how every Christmas season 6 million trees are killed and then disposed of, but also as a particularly vocal advocacy group for the rights of trees everywhere. The group is currently aiming to petition the United Nations to create a Bill of Planetary Rights that places guidelines and regulations on government deforestation. (Lil) Green Patch The now defunct Facebook app, (Lil) Green Patch was once the most used application on Facebook and well-and-truly silenced the doubters who believed that social media couldn't be used to create meaningful environmental change. The app allowed users to tend to a virtual garden, adding little munchkin-like people, plants and flowers and in the process users would raise money for "Nature Conservancy" to save the rainforest. According to one count (Lil) Green Patch raised more than $200,000 for Nature Conservancy over two years, which represented the conservation of rainforests across the globe with an area of 70 million square feet of Costa Rican saved in the first six months alone. (Lil) Green Patch is now the benchmark for every new environmentally-minded Facebook app.
It's been a long wait in Sydney if you want to rock 'n' roll with AC/DC live. 2025 marks ten years since the iconic Harbour City-formed band last took to the stage Down Under. It's also the year, thankfully, that they're making their Aussie concert return. After kicking off in 2024, the group's Power Up tour will play Australian dates, with Brian Johnson, Angus Young and company hitting up Sydney on Friday, November 21 and Tuesday, November 25. Let there be rock at Accor Stadium, then. This is the first time that the legendary Australian rockers have toured Down Under since their 2015 'Rock or Bust' world tour. In November in New South Wales capital, Amyl and The Sniffers are onboard in support to make this massive concert even more so, and to give attendees a taste of two different generations of Aussie rockstars. Playing Sydney isn't just part of a fitting homecoming for AC/DC, but comes more than half a century since the band played their first-ever show in the Harbour City. This 2025 gig will be just over a month and a half short of 52 years since that 1973 debut. Power Up is also the name of the group's 2020 album, their most-recent record — which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, made multiple best-of lists for that year and scored Grammy nominations. For those about to rock, AC/DC's high-voltage current set list spans their entire career, however, including everything from 'If You Want Blood (You've Got It)', 'Back in Black' and 'Hells Bells' to 'Highway to Hell', 'Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap' and 'You Shook Me All Night Long'. Images: Christie Goodwin. Updated: Thursday, June 26, 2025.
Some of Sydney's best foodmasters have joined forces to take over The Unicorn on Oxford Street. Mary's owners Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham have teamed up with Bodega/Porteno's Elvis Abrahanowicz and Young's Henrys' Oscar McMahon as a Sydney supergroup to revamp the Paddington pub. Yeah, holy crap. And now it's open. It's not a Mary's in the eastern suburbs, it's a craft beer pub, and it's not the dreaded buzzword: a gastropub. It's a pub the lads would drink in themselves. With no TVs and no pokies, but a reclaimed red gum bar and native Australian flora illustrations, the revamped Unicorn is an Aussie-inspired pub without the tacky trimmings — although VB sits proudly on tap beside Young Henrys brews. Speaking of tipples, the dranks in this establishment is largely and wonderfully local, with a totally Australian wine list — some of South Australia's top South Australian winemakers (think Tara Ochota, James Erskine and Tom Shobbrook) are already armed with wine for the new pub. Obviously Young Henrys have plenty of goodies behind the bar, but there's also a round-up of Australian beers represented. With the minds behind Mary's and Porteno behind this, what of the nosh? Abrahanowicz is in charge of the menus, and the horizon is pub food done well, going back to basics instead of doing any fancy schmany modern twists — roast chicken, both 'daily' and 'fancy' steak, and generous sangas with cheese, chutney and glazed ham cut right off the bone. Obviously, there's Mary's burgers on the menu too. This will hopefully be a long and happy new chapter for The Unicorn, who just closed their doors a few months ago — along with the closure of '70s basement bar Easy Tiger. Redesigned in March 2014, after a disastrously Westfield-like renovation of Fringe Bar in 2012, The Unicorn seemed to have found its Paddington groove once more. But after closing up shop, here's hoping the Mary's, Young Henrys and Porteno crew can see The Unicorn ride again. The Unicorn is now open at 106 Oxford St, Paddington. Open Mon-Wed 11am-late, Thurs-Sat 11am-3am, and Sun 11am-midnight. Via Australian Gourmet Traveller and Good Food.
These days, you pretty much know what you're getting going into a Michael Moore film: snappy (if also convenient) editing, some cringeworthy stunts, and a broad comparison of America's woes compared to all those other countries doing it better. You watch Sicko and you leave feeling a little bit glum, a little bit entertained, and convinced universal healthcare would be better for the United States, but that it's probably never going to happen because of big business and dirty politics. Then you watch Where To Invade Next and you leave feeling a little bit glum, a little bit entertained, and convinced that US drug and prison policy would be worth overhauling, but that it's probably never going to happen because of big business and dirty politics. Fahrenheit 11/9 kicks off in exactly the same fashion, but oh man does it shift gears and deliver something unexpected by the end. You leave feeling a little bit entertained, a whole lot glum, and entirely convinced that nothing short of democracy itself (to the extent it exists at all within the United States) is at risk of collapse because of, yes, big business and dirty politics. And no, that's not even close to hyperbole. This is a fine return to form for Moore, pulling a remarkable bait and switch such that his ultimate point comes at you just as you're beginning to question if he even has one. He achieves this by constantly changing Fahrenheit 11/9's subject matter and tone, beginning with an amusing recap on the smug and almost jovial certainty with which everyone from the Democratic National Committee to the Republican Party to the media (including Fox) and even the Trump camp itself assumed Hilary Clinton had the 2016 election in the bag. Like Showtime's excellent The Circus, this section of the film carries with it an uncomfortable blend of dramatic irony, on account of us knowing how it all ended up, coupled with an ongoing dismay that, well, that's actually how it all ended up. But then it changes tact and jumps to Flint, Michigan, where the contamination of the city's water supply led to an ongoing lead poisoning crisis. And then it jumps again, this time to school shootings. Then it's Ivanka Trump. Then Bernie Sanders and Hitler, and you find yourself wondering what the hell is this guy doing? What he's doing is establishing a pattern, using small-scale examples examined with deep journalistic scrutiny, and then stepping back and applying that insight to national, global and even historical events. The litany of unfathomable scandals in Flint are used not only to shock us, but to reveal how Governor Rick Snyder's corporate influences first emboldened, then enabled, his wholesale suspension of democracy in the state (effectively a coup d'état in Moore's opinion). That it's unfathomable is the point: these successions of outrages, whilst shocking, do not in isolation feel like a crisis point to anyone other than those hapless few affected. Combined, though, they serve to steadily erode matters of far-reaching significance like voter confidence and trust in the three branches of government. The takeaway is, if it can happen in a town like Flint with the world watching on and still nobody does anything, then it can happen in your town, too. And then your state. And then your country. But back to the whole Hitler thing. Ordinarily, thanks to Godwin's Law, you'd assume it's at that precise moment when Moore's point, however salient, loses all credibility. Instead, courtesy of some unsettlingly frank interviews with experts like Yale History Professor Timothy Snyder, we realise Moore isn't saying Trump is Hitler 2.0. Rather, he's showing that the current apathy and perhaps even amusement with which everyone from the experts to the press to the voting public dismisses or downplays each of Trump's outrageous comments and racist, bigoted, sexist or protectionist policies, is precisely what happened in Weimar Germany. It's just puffery until it's not. Just a weather balloon until it's not. Just a joke, until there's nothing funny about it at all. And that's the same for Fahrenheit 11/9. It starts out quite amusing, but by its conclusion there are no more cheeky edits from Moore, nor any sniggers from the audience. It's a straight-up slap in the face, softened only by buying into Moore's unbridled enthusiasm for the activist youth movement in America (led by the likes of the survivors of the Parkland school shooting) and the surge of independent candidates and representatives poised to shake the foundations of the DNC. There are still some unnecessary stunts from Moore, along with some broader-than-usual bows drawn, but they're fleeting enough to have no impact on his broader message. The Flint section alone makes Fahrenheit 11/9 a film worthy of your time, but it's the whole that makes it so affecting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZeLvaflLLc
Meredith is a festival where you're guaranteed to have a good time, no matter what. But whatever your reasons for heading to the three-day December festival in central Victoria, you won't be disappointed with the acts Aunty Meredith has just announced for this year's lineup. They're absolutely spiffing awesome. Superwoman and curator of all things wacky, Peaches, will be headlining the bill, bringing her extravagant live show to The Sup. Kelela will be coming all the way from Washington to kick off the after-dark vibbes on Friday night, and Geelong boys King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard will be providing that dose of psych rock every weekend at Meredith needs. BADBADNOTGOOD will be fusing jazz and electro, while Angel Olsen will be bringing all them feels and The Triffids will be there for a shot of nostalgia. And that's not even a half of it. Aunty has really covered all bases here. You're wondering how you can get tickets to this aren't you? Meredith tickets are only available by entering the ballot. You can still do so at aunty.mmf.com. Fingers crossed that we can all hang out in The Sup on December 9, 10 and 11. But we know what you're really here for. We'll cut to the chase. Here's the full lineup MEREDITH MUSIC FESTIVAL 2016 LINEUP Peaches Sheila E King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard BadBadNotGood Angel Olsen The Triffids Kelela Ben UFO Japandroids The Congos Baroness Archie Roach Jagwar Ma Mount Liberation Unlimited Fred & Toody Cole Chiara Kickdrum Cass McCombs The Goon Sax Ross Wilson CC: Disco! Cable Ties Wilson Tanner Silence Wedge The Sugarcanes Terry Judith Lucy Sheer Mag Dungen Meredith Music Festival will return to Meredith on Friday 9, Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 December, 2016. Onsite camping will once again be available from Friday. To put your name in the ballot to win tickets, go to aunty.mmf.com.
When Vivid Sydney took place in 2016, wearing pyjamas was acceptable. As Max Richter performed Sleep at the Sydney Opera House, the composer did so while attendees slumbered, which is what the eight-hour performance is specifically designed for. Did anyone taking a kip to the music dream up a future idea for a Vivid event? Audiences might find out when the festival returns in 2025 for its 15th year across Friday, May 23–Saturday, June 14. It's save-the-date time, with Vivid locking in its next winter return, aka when it'll next take over the Harbour City with its showcase of tunes, luminous sights, culinary events and conversation. Also revealed: 2025's theme, which is where dreaming comes in again. "Dreaming is something we all do. It's as old as time and as universal as life itself. Dreams don't discriminate — they are borderless, ageless and endless. They can be personal or public. When shared, our dreams can become a movement. They can inspire, motivate, spark excitement and connection," explains Vivid Sydney Festival Director Gill Minervini about the event's next focus. "The whole world dreams, it is something we have in common, something that unites us. Our human story is embedded in dreams, they help explain our existence and our past," Minervini continued, also opening the call for expressions of interest to take part in 2025's Vivid. "We want the very best in homegrown talent to be part of our vibrant Vivid Sydney event program, with a unique opportunity to foster community connection, spark imagination and showcase the multitude of ways creativity can enrich our lives." "Each year, Vivid Sydney aims to deliver unparalleled artistic brilliance, and we look forward to welcoming the inspirations within our community that will help shape Vivid Sydney 2025 into a show-stopping cultural phenomenon." Vivid's lineup won't be announced until 2025, but you can lock in one venue: Taronga Zoo. Whatever pops up at the iconic spot can link into light, music, ideas and food, the four pillars that Vivid has at its core. If you're excited about which events will follow in past years' footsteps — 2024's lineup included Amy Poehler, Air, Budjerah, Yasiin Bey, Tekno Train by Paul Mac, a fan of light from Sydney Tower, artwork by Archibald Prize winner Julia Gutman on the Sydney Opera House's sails and plenty more, all ruminating on the theme 'humanity' — then mark your diaries accordingly. If you have a dream-inspired idea that you'd love to see come to life at Vivid 2025, no matter whether you're an artist, musician, chef, speaker or something else, then head to the fest's website to go through the expression of interest process. Vivid Sydney will run from Friday, May 23–Saturday, June 14, 2025 at various locations around Sydney. We'll update you when the program is announced next year — head to the festival website for further details in the interim. Images: Destination NSW.
When the French city of Toulouse gets its first skyscraper in 2022, it won't just see 40 floors of of shining glass, concrete and steel join its skyline. It'll also gain its tallest garden — and one of the world's as well. A "continuous vertical landscape" will spiral around the outside of the building like a ribbon of greenery, lined with trees and reaching all of the way up to the top level. Called the Occitanie Tower after the administrative region of France that Toulouse falls within, the structure will measure 150 metres in height and boast 11,000 square metres of offices, as well as a Hilton hotel, up to 120 apartments, plus space for retail and hospitality outlets. The latter will feature a restaurant with panoramic views, including towards the Pyrenees mountain range less than 100 kilometres away; however there's no mistaking it's eye-catching vertical garden that'll be the centre of attention. Designed by the New York and Zurich-based Studio Liebskind — aka the folks behind everything from Berlin's zigzag-shaped Jewish Museum to the World Trade Centre Master Plan development to a Swarovski chess set modelled after iconic buildings — the Occitanie Tower is slated to start construction in 2018. While it'll certainly give the area a new landmark, and weave in nicely with the vertical garden trend that just keeps growing, it won't be quite as tall as Australia's addition to the lofty fold. That'd be 166-metre-high, 250-species-filled One Central Park in Sydney's Chippendale. Via dezeen. Images via Morph / Luxigon.
It was announced this week that the City of Sydney would be continuing their efforts to grow Sydney's nighttime economy. The council said they would be committing funds and support to the State Government, local businesses, artists and performers in order to facilitate more live music and performance in town. The argument could be made, however, that it's not red tape and lack of funds that's the major contributor to the slow decline of live music after dark, and the culprit is really the state government's lockout laws that have forced many major music venues to shut down. It would appear that the City of Sydney is aware of this, as their Live Music and Performance February 2017 status report would illuminate. The report covers all the initiatives in the City's June 2014 Live Music and Performance Action Plan — which identified that live music, unsurprisingly, brings significant cashflow to the local economy (we're talking $353 million in 2016 alone) — and details on their progress. February marked the halfway point of the plan, and the report states that 82 percent of projects are either already underway or completed. One of the more interesting aspects of the report is its repeated emphasis on "working collaboratively with the NSW Government". While this is to be expected, the report also makes reference to the recent extension of trading hours for venues, saying "this measure, while an incremental and symbolic move in the right direction, is not at all sufficient and we will continue to advocate for more to be done". The report also makes mention of the impact the laws have had on "city reputation and audience motivation", and how these impacts have "required more focus on this work [than] originally anticipated". Research conducted by the City shows that they valued the contribution made to Sydney's economy by live music at $353 million in 2016 alone, and the February Status Report would, we think, show that the lockout laws are stopping that figure from being substantially higher. One of the 29 actions that have already been implemented, and is mentioned in the status report, is a "pilot research study into alcohol consumption in live music venues", which is currently being finalised — results of this study are sure to have an impact on the State Government's stance on the lockout laws, as this study by Dr Anne Fox, published in 2015. It shows that live music in venues tends to lower alcohol-related incidents (although, it must be noted that the research was initiated by Lion, which owns alcohol brands like Hahn and Little Creatures). Or, as Kerri Glasscock, festival director and CEO of Sydney Fringe, told The Sydney Morning Herald in February last year, "people come in and have a drink, then bar sales drop while the band is performing". Glasscock also said in this week's announcement that venues around Sydney would be "feeling the pressure ease" with the City of Sydney's Action Plan. The real strain of state legislation might not be lifted overnight, but the next action item in the February status report is to deliver regulatory reform around devlopment and noise that will "help improve trading conditions for venues", which is another step in a positive direction. You can read the full action plan here and the status update here.
Following the decline of Trumps Tavern and Noble Canteen, hospitality wizard Justin Hemmes is next in line to have a crack at 50 King Street in the CBD. And, for a while at least, his Merivale group are putting the focus on art. The company recently acquired the space and is working on long-term plans for a refit. In the meantime, however, we're to be treated to a pop-up bar, opening May 2. Rather than the usual drinks and dinner, the temporary space will be home to a constantly changing art studio. The project, knowingly called A Work In Progress, will be the progressive work of two stalwarts of the Australian art community. Curated by Glenn Barkley, formerly of the MCA, it will play host to the pop art stylings of Darwin-based Franck Gohier. It will be up to the two of them to transform the former bar into an evolving and interactive art space. It wouldn’t be a Merivale establishment, though, without a little something to eat and a lot of something to drink. Joining the experiment are ex-Sailor's Thai chef Air Jantrakool and group bar manager Paul Mant, cooking up traditional Thai street food paired with a rotating menu of cocktails, both with a focus on local produce. Apart from the potential disaster of spilling a plate of pad thai on a developing (and potentially valuable) canvas, the combination of art and boozing is a promising new turn from Merivale. A Work in Progress is open for a limited (and unspecified) time from May 2.
Friends, the time has come. Summer has, at last, arrived. La Niña has given us in Sydney a break from the endless barrage of rain, so it's time to dust off the sandals and cossies and enjoy the sun. There are activities galore to explore this summer season now that we can finally live large the way we've been aching to. When the weather for a banging beach day comes around, you might be looking for something free from a crowd. Don't worry, together with Sheridan — the expert purveyor of luxe beach towels — we've got you covered with a shortlist of only the finest swim spots in and around Sydney. [caption id="attachment_880577" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Lance BB (Flickr)[/caption] SOMERSBY FALLS, SOMERSBY If you fancy a drive up to the Cenny Coast, Somersby Falls is a local summer favourite. Somehow it's secluded, while only being a quick hour up the freeway and turnoff from the Pacific Motorway. You'll find an all-day carpark (which requires a small fee) and a short (but steep) journey down rocky stairs of all shapes and sizes. Only 100 metres into your journey, you'll reach the larger of two pools, with the second waiting for you at the bottom — delightfully, both are great spots to cool off. Like all waterfalls, they're best after a bit of rain, just be careful not to slip. Ideal for a day trip, the journey in and out will take 20 minutes all up. [caption id="attachment_880563" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Tim Patch (Unsplash)[/caption] AUSTINMER OCEAN POOLS, AUSTINMER Down south, approximately 90 minutes drive from Sydney, is the village of Austinmer. Easily reached by car, cityslickers can also jump on the South Coast train line to get straight to the seaside destination. It has two of the best ocean pools in the greater Sydney region, sometimes overlooked due to the legendary ocean drive to the north and The Gong's easy-breezy hub to the south. Famous as an entry-level ocean swimming spot, Austinmer's twin beach-pool design means strong swell can roll over the walls during high tide and create a natural wave pool. And when calm, it's as flat as a pancake. The southernmost pool is shallow and popular with kiddos, so if you're looking for some quiet laps, head for the longer pool. [caption id="attachment_860442" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Andrew Harvey (Flickr)[/caption] UPPER GLEDHILL FALLS, KU-RING-GAI CHASE NATIONAL PARK If you've ever driven along McCarrs Creek Road on a drive up to the West Head Lookout or an intimate lunch at Cottage Point, you've passed within a stone's throw of this Northern Sydney favourite — Upper Gledhill Falls sits just below the road. You can park on the roadside near the bridge and make the short-but-tricky walk over – but fair warning, there are a few rocky outcroppings and big boulders to clamber over. The falls collect into a picture-perfect swimming pool — about 10 metres from end to end – that pulls in a crowd on most sunny days. It's perfect for cooling off after a long hike. A short stretch of sand offers a less-rocky alternative to sunbathing spots, and if you're in an adventurous mood, there's even a rope that swings out over the water. Just be careful to aim for the water and not any spectators. [caption id="attachment_880448" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Phillip Terry Graham[/caption] KARLOO POOLS, ROYAL NATIONAL PARK Tucked away in the massive Royal National Park, the green realm that separates Sydney and Wollongong, Karloo Pools is one of the largest swimming pools in the greater Sydney region. It's either a 50-minute drive from the CBD or a similarly long train ride to Heathcote station, followed by a brief walk to the Karloo Track. It's a long journey, but one that's not that difficult and more than worth it. The bushy journey is accessible for all ages and most experience levels, but it's unpaved and sometimes overgrown in places. The track — which is a six-kilometre return trip — takes you directly to the pools. The largest is the most popular and, with a rim of shallow rock ledges, is easy to dip in and out of. Be warned: the hike out is uphill, so save some strength. [caption id="attachment_755788" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Andrew Gregory[/caption] WHALE BEACH, NORTHERN BEACHES In the other direction, far into Sydney's locally dubbed 'insular peninsula', there's a beach often ignored by visiting swimmers. Whale Beach is sandwiched between Palm Beach and Avalon Headland, and can be easily passed if you're breezing up Barrenjoey Road searching for a dip. So, go there with intent or directions, otherwise you'll probably miss it. The beach is 600-metres long and feels quite secluded despite its location, which is no surprise considering it only became a residential suburb in the 1950s. If you fancy a surf, you may have heard of 'the Wedge', a famous break on the north side of the beach. But if you forgot the board, no stress. There's plenty of sand and a 25-metre rock pool at the other end (if you prefer your oceanic exposure to be cool and calm). [caption id="attachment_880568" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Brian Waldron (Flickr)[/caption] VICTORIA CREEK CASCADES, BLUE MOUNTAINS In the magical splendour of the Blue Mountains, there are more than a few famous walking tracks that'll take you to creeks, cascades, falls and pools. But our pick of the lot is Victoria Creek Cascades, where a creek turns into falls and falls into a swimming pool. Plus, it's just under two hours out of Sydney. Be warned, this is a Blue Mountains track: it's going to be steep and mostly dirt. From the carpark, it's a one-hour walk to the pool at the base of the falls, which is the perfect place to soak your tired bones. The water stays cool even on hotter days, and it's mostly shallow and sandy, so your toes will remain unstubbed. Once you find your new favourite swim spot, elevate your summer game even further with a Sheridan beach towel. To make your pick, head to the website. Top image: Karloo Pools by Aiden Casey via Flickr
If this is the first time you've seen a story about Harvest Rock on Concrete Playground, you're either a first-time reader or you need to pay attention, because we're quite excited. It's the delight of South Australians and visiting festivalgoers alike, and we're here to run you through it one last time — tickets are still available but going fast, so read on quickly to find your ideal package before someone beats you to it. HARVEST ROCK 101 Firstly, some context, in case you haven't been keeping up with the news. Harvest Rock isn't quite a festival mainstay. It's actually a newcomer in the game — this year's festival is only the second iteration. After seeing 15,000 guests per day in 2022, the Festival is returning to Murlawirrapurka, also known as Rymill Park, and Ityamai-Itpina, also called King Rodney Park, Adelaide. Both sites are inner city parks, so this isn't a festival that requires extra travel beyond your flight. When it comes to the lineup, it's all hit and no miss. Starring acts include Jamiroquai, who will be performing their first Aussie show in over a decade, Beck will bring a full band to belt out 90s Californian anthems alongside new hits (both Jamiroquai and Beck are coming to Australia exclusively for Harvest Rock), musical satire and comedy specialists Sparks will draw from 50+ years of repertoire and many more. Expect to be wowed by legends since Harvest Rock is a project of Secret Sounds, one of Australia's leading festival organisers. BUDGET-FRIENDLY Where else to start but good old fashioned general admission tickets? Available in either one-day or weekend options, this is the basic go-to ticket for any first-time or financially-conscious visitor. Single-day tickets for either Saturday, October 28 or Sunday, October 29, are $239.48 for 18+ guests or $169.13 for guests aged 13-17. Two-day passes grant entry for the full festival at $412.79 for 18+ or $290.45. To make the experience even more memorable, you can upgrade to a collector's ticket for an extra $15.29 on either age group ticket fee and get some exclusive Harvest Rock II merchandise — perfect if you're a big fan of Harvest Rock. General admission, of course, grants you entry to the festival precinct and all the activities within, from catching tunes from the 30+ acts, enjoying a celebrity chef experience at the HELLO CHEF stage, accessing food from top-notch South Australian restauranteurs and imbibing in bespoke drinks from SA cellar doors. To unwind between activities, head to The Grape Escape wellness centre, where you'll find hot drinks, tarot readings, massages and more. TREAT YOURSELF There's nothing wrong with a little bit of self-love, as living without an occasional treat is pointless. Treating yourself at Harvest Rock II means booking your experience via the VIP Village or Harvest Lounge tickets. These two tiers offer the same basic VIP experience, with a few minor upgrades on the Harvest Lounge end. Being a VIP at Harvest Rock means you have access to the following: An express entry lane, an elevated viewpoint of the main stage, a concierge, fancy toilets, a cocktail bar, premium food, shading and seating and a complimentary drink daily. That's the VIP Village, comfortable, elevated, worthy of a treat yourself moment. The Harvest Lounge offers all of the above, plus a private lounge bar, an exclusive lawn area by the main stage, exclusive drinks at the VIP cocktail bar, and perhaps most importantly — complimentary phone charging. VIP tickets are only available to guests aged 18 and older. VIP Village tickets start at $341.43, and Harvest Lounge tickets start at $514.74. FEELING LUXURIOUS If treating yourself isn't enough, if you must go absolutely all out for your Harvest Rock II experience, then you've come to the right place. We've arrived at the most luxe and exclusive ticket options. The highest-end packages start with Platinum tickets, perfect to hit Harvest Rock like a rockstar. Platinum tickets include full access to the VIP Village and Harvest Lounge plus a whole range of extra goodies: front row or elevated seats to the main stage, an air-conditioned private bar, complimentary food and drinks, the Wildwood Restaurant dining experience, wine tasting, an exclusive entrance, private parking, lockers and phone chargers. And then, there are the suites. These are luxurious but also quite exclusive tickets — available only to groups of 30 to 50 people. If you have a large group of fellow festivalgoers, this is the ticket for you. Each suite includes elevated views of the main stage, shaded lounge seating and a viewing deck, a private bar, screens and speakers connected to the stages and options for food and drink packages to add on. Both Platinum and Suites are enquiry only, as price varies on the number of guests per booking. For more information on Harvest Rock 2023, including the lineup, how to get there or to book your tickets, visit the website.
Icon alert: in a year that's already bringing everyone from Kraftwerk, Devo and Paul McCartney to Sparks, Ms Lauryn Hill and Christina Aguilera Australia's way, Chaka Khan is also heading Down Under. The American singer and ten-time Grammy-winner will headline the 2023 Melbourne International Jazz Festival, putting on a one-night-only Aussie-exclusive show at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. And joining her onstage? Nile Rodgers & Chic while they're in the country for Harvest Rock. That evening of tunes will be all about icons teaming up with icons, clearly. Khan — aka the Queen of Funk — will celebrate five decades in the music industry with talents that've been around just as long. Among the Chicago-born singer's hits: 'I'm Every Woman', which was later covered by Whitney Houston; the Prince-penned 'I Feel for You'; and 'Ain't Nobody' with her funk band Rufus. Rodgers and Chic will bust out 'Le Freak' and 'Good Times', and also revel in their own hefty history. And, there's also the former's prowess as a guitarist to relish — which has seen him pop up on Daft Punk's Random Access Memories, including single 'Get Lucky'. As a writer and producer, too, he's had a hand in everything from David Bowie's Let's Dance album to Madonna's 'Like a Virgin'. Khan, Rodgers and Chic will be supported by Kaiit and Horns of Leroy at their six-hour opening-weekend show, which will help launch MIFJ's 26th festival. Running from Friday, October 20–Sunday, October 29 at venues around Melbourne, the rest of the fest's lineup spans more than 100 events, with 11 world premieres and ten Australian-exclusive performances on that list. Lisa Simone, daughter of Nina Simone, will take to Hamer Hall's stage to sing her mother's songs, while the Hot 8 Brass Band will host and lead the Second Line Street Party, a New Orleans jazz parade along the Yarra, Southbank and into Fed Square. The fest's international contingent is bringing Cécile McLorin Salvant, Makaya McCraven, GoGo Penguin and SFJAZZCollective to Melbourne as well, alongside trumpeters Marquis Hill and Ingrid Jensen. Also on offer: Raw Denshi, with the Australian Art Orchestra teaming up with Japanese hip hop's Kojoe and Hikaru Tanaka — and a collaboration featuring William Barton's didgeridoo sounds and Nduduzo Makhathini's jazz stylings. Or, jazz fans can hit up Federation Square to see Bumpy Thndo and Rita Satch play for free, then get their toes tapping to Afrobeat at Beasts of No Nation, where 87-year-old Ghanaian guitarist Ebo Taylor will make his Australian debut. Throw in Australian names such as Elixir and Paul Grabowsky AO, Chapel Off Chapel hosting five days of jazz, JazzLab in Brunswick welcoming late-night jams, and outdoor dining and tunes at Grazeland, and this hefty program keeps throwing up more and more reasons to attend. The 2023 Melbourne International Jazz Festival runs from Friday, October 20–Sunday, October 29 at venues around Melbourne. Head to the festival's website for further details, and for tickets from 8am on Tuesday, August 29.
Awarded Unearthed Artist of the Year at the 10th annual J Awards last night, Meg Mac — or Megan McInerney to her folks — is the Melbourne-based soul-pop artist making a serious name for herself in the indie music scene. The 23-year-old singer songwriter has come a long way from recording lyrics on her phone while still in high school. If her fast-growing fan-base, sell-out performances and distinctive, soulful sound are anything to go by, McInerney is definitely one to watch. Here are the top five things you should know about her. She's no one-hit wonder Though you may have already heard her powerful first single 'Known Better' played on triple j in the lead-up to the J Awards, don't overlook McInerney's more recent tracks. These songs showcase her bold, rich vocals – think 'Roll Up Your Sleeves' – as well as her talent for raw, personal lyrics — check out 'Every Lie'. 'Turning' also highlights the soul-meets-electronica sound she's developing, a unique style that has already captivated audiences. She takes cues from Motown, Irish folk and French chansons McInerney recently admitted to triple j Unearthed that, when she was nine, "I could not get enough of Vanessa Amorosi… please don't judge me. 'Absolutely Everybody' was my favourite." Lucky, then, that her dad introduced her to soul, primarily Motown, while her mum would sing her Irish folk ballads from an early age. It wasn't until she was 17 that she started writing her own songs and working on a personal style, inspired by her love of "big voices and a bit of that drama — [artists who] sing because they have to or they would die sort of thing, like Edith Piaf". She also counts Ray Charles and Sam Cooke among her primary influences, and more recently, James Blake and Frank Ocean. She's going from strength to strength It's an understatement to say 2014 has been a big year for the up-and-coming artist. In September she released her first EP, the self-titled MEGMAC, featuring four original tracks plus an impressive cover of a classic Bill Wither's song, 'Grandma's Hands'. The EP launch kicked off a national tour, with Melbourne and Sydney shows selling out in days, and Brisbane and Perth following soon after. Later nominated as Breakthrough Independent Artist of the Year, McInerney opened the Australian Indie Music Awards in October. #dogswearinghats A photo posted by MEGMAC (@megmacmusic) on Oct 10, 2014 at 12:11am PDT Her second favourite thing to do is dress up animals in human clothing When she isn't performing or making music, McInerney likes nothing better than to play dress ups with her dog. She told Music Feeds that she and her sister sent a photo of their pet to the Facebook page Dogs Wearing Hats, where "she got more Facebook likes than my whole music page in one hour." Following her knock-out live performances, its safe to say this is about to change. . @megmacmusic @kcrw So very welcome — Jason Kramer (KCRW) (@kcrwkramer) August 13, 2014 An international career is on the horizon While McInerney is gaining a serious fan base here, she's also making waves internationally, with 'Roll Up Your Sleeves' recently played on independent US radio station KCRW. The singer is already considering a trip to the US, where, she told Music Feeds, she'll "catch up with some label type people [who] want to meet me. It is exciting to think I can reach people away from my home." You can catch her at Falls Festival for NYE But before she jets off, McInerney will be taking on her first major festival as winner of the Falls Festival competition. Next to the likes of John Butler Trio, La Roux, Vance Joy and Empire of the Sun, she'll be performing some newly written songs with her sister as backing vocalist. Expect more bold piano sounds, big vocals and electronic elements from this promising young artist with a big future ahead of her.
Whalebridge sits in Circular Quay the shadow of the Sydney Harbour Bridge offering up French cuisine and specialising in seafood. The venue comes from The Sydney Collective, the team behind the Watsons Bay Hotel, The Farm in Byron Bay and The Imperial. It boasts a prestigious head chef, ultra-luxurious menu and unbeatable harbour views. Open in the former Circular Quay digs of longstanding seafood restaurant Sydney Cove Oyster Bar, the harbourfront venue is headed up by Executive Chef Will Elliot who has previously worked across London's St John, Melbourne's Cumulus Inc. and fellow Sydney CBD French bistro, the beloved Restaurant Hubert. "What's exciting about Whalebridge is the opportunity to prepare and plate a menu which is entirely new to Sydney," says Elliot. "These are produce-driven dishes rooted in traditional French technique and the articulation of those flavours." On the menu, you'll find house specialities that celebrate French cooking and fresh local seafood including duck confit ($38) and lobster thermidor (market price). An array of charcuterie and an expansive selection of caviar ($80-320) are on offer to start you off, as are mains like steak or mussel frites ($45-55). There's also an entire range of canned goods reminiscent of popular Sydney eatery Continental Deli. Enhance your meal with a selection of tinned tuna belly, scallops, or white asparagus and leek barigoule to your meal ($10-38). Accompanying the dishes will be a 150-strong wine list pulling from renowned regions in both France and Australia. "I love good produce treated simply, that's why I love French cooking. It has very humble origins, but it's been refined over so many years to bring out the best in something, without masking what made it good in the first place," Elliot continues. Most striking at Whalebridge is the view, with an uninterrupted view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge from the outdoor seating that's calling out to be enjoyed with a glass of French wine and a spread of oysters, scallops and kingfish.
Are you ready, Sydney? Madame Truffles is opening her pop-up shop for the fourth truffle season running, bringing city folk black truffles sourced from Tasmania, Victoria, NSW and Western Australia. These 'gourmet mushrooms' will be available from June 14 until September 2 at the Madame's pop-up shop — which is setting up at a new location at 28 Kensington Street, Chippendale. As well as straight-up truffles, the shop has an array of truffle-infused goods for you to fill your pantry with, this year using French black truffles. The 2018 store will be stocked with both ravioli of both the truffle and potato and truffle and porcini mushroom kinds, plus truffle salt, truffle ice cream, truffle butter and truffle honey. This is made with extra grade black truffle and pure Australian honey from Victoria that's good enough to eat straight out of the jar. If you live in a sharehouse, you might want to hide this from your housemates. Truffles sold in-store are harvested fresh each week, so you know you'll get that fresh truffle smell when you pull them out at dinner (or breakfast, for that matter). The Madame Truffles pop-up shop will open from 9am–5pm Thursday and Friday, and 9am–4pm Saturday and Sunday.
There may be a lot of prospects for high speed travel, like Elon Musk's Hyperloop, but when we can travel between continents without the agony long haul flights, that's when we'll know the future is well and truly here. And while we wait for teleportation to make it to the molecular mainstream, we'll have to settle for second best: high speed supersonic air travel. Looking to bring back supersonic travel to the people, Sir Richard Branson is set to make high speed transatlantic passenger flights (relatively) affordable and accessible. Working with a Colorado aviation startup called Boom, Branson — under The Spaceship Company (an arm of Virgin Galactic) — wants to create a new plane that can fly at supersonic speeds of up to 2335 kilometres per hour. That would see the flight from NYC to London take a mere three and a half hours (rather than the seven hours it takes now). That's essentially a Sydney peak hour commute. Supersonic air travel has already been achieved by the passenger plane the Concorde, which provided flights between London and Paris to New York, Washington and Barbados between 1969 and 2003. It was decommissioned due to the $20,000 per trip price tag; by comparison, the Boom is set cost only $5000 USD. According to Boom founder and chief executive Blake Scholl, this new plane will be more cost effective by having have less seats and being more fuel efficient. Scholl also told The Guardian that, aside from the London to NYC route, they would also be concentrating on getting up trips from San Fran to Tokyo and LA to Sydney. It's all very ambitious, but the first Boom plane is expected to be tested by the end of 2017. Via The Guardian. Image: Boom.
Flying interstate can be frustrating at the best of times — especially during peak periods — but you can expect more than a few cancellations and delays this weekend as some Jetstar employees prepare to strike over three days, on Friday, December 13 until Sunday, December 15. Last week, both the Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) and the Transport Workers' Union (TWU) voted to proceed with industrial action in response to ongoing failed negotiations with the airline. The TWU has announced that it will hold a series of two-hour work stoppages on the Friday, while the AFAP will hold two four-hour stoppages — one on Saturday, and one on Sunday. In a statement released today, Jetstar Group CEO Gareth Evans said that, because of the action, Jetstar will cancel 44 flights on Saturday and another 46 on Sunday — which is 90 of an estimated 740 across the weekend. If you're flying with Jetstar on these days and your flight is affected, you've probably been sent your new flight details. Jetstar has re-timed flights and transferred some passengers to Qantas flights to avoid too much chaos, but there's likely to be delays to across Sydney, Melbourne, Avalon, Brisbane, Cairns and Adelaide airports. https://twitter.com/YourAFAP/status/1204269727264034816 The TWU is at loggerheads with Jetstar after failed negotiations with the airline that sought to secure a number of demands for employees – like more rest breaks, annual wage increases of four percent and a guaranteed 30 hours of work a week. TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said that "disappointingly, Jetstar have rejected the vast majority of the workers' demands outright". Jetstar, however, says the impact of the TWU action is likely to be "minimal" as it would involve "less than half" of its regular ground staff. In a statement released last week, Evans said that the airline has offered a three percent annual wage increase to the union. The AFAP strikes are set to be more disruptive — as they will leave aircraft without anyone to actually fly them. However, despite earlier reports that the action could impact flights over the upcoming busy Christmas period, the union has said that it won't strike between Saturday, December 21 and Friday, January 3. The strikes will take place this weekend, December 13–15. If your flight has been cancelled or changed, Jetstar will contact you directly. For any further flight status updates, check the Jetstar website.
This article is sponsored by our partners, Wotif.com. Writer Benjamin Law recently performed a glorious piece of erotic fan fiction about his two culinary idols, Stephanie Alexander and Maggie Beer. We'll spare you the gory details, but the story involves a fair bit of verjuice and self-saucing pudding. The two food goddesses both call South Australia home, because, basically, that's where the good food and wine is. Restaurateurs in Adelaide respect the exceptional produce and wine at their doorstep. Here are ten who are doing it very nicely indeed. BISTRO DOM South African born chef Duncan Welgemoed brings the best of his training under Gordon Ramsay and Heston Blumenthal to Bistro Dom on Waymouth Street in the CBD, where he’s serving up French-inspired cuisine such as steak tartare ($19.90) and duck with boudin noir, apple and cinnamon ($39.90). While Welgemoed has a keen interest in the science of cooking, you’ll see no clouds or foams here; his focus is on showing off the produce, unadorned and simple. Bistro Dom boasts a truly varied wine list of French, German and boutique local wines. Make sure you have a crack at the Alpha Box and Dice ‘Tarot’ from McLaren Vale — an elegant blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Tempranillo. 24 Waymouth Street, Adelaide Street ADL and Orana A two-part venture from chef Jock Zonfrillo, together Street ADL and Orana span two levels, offering two unique dining experiences within the one venue. Downstairs is Street ADL; it's informal, casual and accessible, offering up ‘Australian street food’ such as pulled kangaroo sangas, cheeseburgers, Goolwa pipis and lamingtons. Venture upstairs, however, and it's a whole different story. Orana is delicate, intimate (it only seats 25 guests) and very much a fine dining experience. The food continues to tread the line of Australiana, with Zonfrillo paying homage to rich flavours of the land. 285 Rundle Street, Adelaide RUBY RED FLAMINGO Ruby Red Flamingo has an ever changing menu of Italian share plates and a blackboard wine list with Italian wines including Nero D’Avola. Snuggle down in front of their open fireplace with a comforting favourite like macaroni with eggplant and smoked mozzarella or osso bucco risotto. 142 Tynte Street, North Adelaide Peel Street Tucked away on Peel Street (go figure) this restaurant may not look like it's got a lot going on, but once you step in, see the food slapped on the concrete bench, let the smell of freshly baked goods hit your nostrils and take a seat, there'll be no desire to ever leave. Open from 7.30am on weekdays and serving up dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, Peel Street has quickly become a favourite amongst city dwellers — particularly those who frequent the small bar scene in the adjoining streets. If you like what you see on the counter, order 'from the concrete', or otherwise order something bigger 'from the blackboard'. Whatever you go for, you won't be disappointed. And you will be taking a muffin, pie or cupcake on your way out. 9 Peel Street, Adelaide Gin Long Canteen Gin Long has been open for little over six months, but already it's a favourite. You might be hard off getting a seat on a Friday or Saturday night; don't let that deter you because this is possibly the closest Adelaide comes to modern Asian. As well as rice paper rolls and betel leaf cigars, expect to chow down on gin long wings, nom nom barramundi, spicy caramel chicken and sticky braised pork belly. The cocktail list makes it extra fun, and the whole space is spot on — worth the wait, if you ask us. 42 O'Connell Street, North Adelaide MAGILL ESTATE RESTAURANT Magill Estate is the showcase restaurant for Penfolds wines just out of the city in the Adelaide foothills. Head chefs Scott Huggins and Emma McCaskill deliver an ever changing degustation menu designed to show off the Penfolds range (and not just the '51 Grange) starting off with calamari, chlorophyll and preserved lemon and finishing with South Australian Mayura wagyu with radishes and mustard. 78 Penfolds Road, Magill PRESS FOOD AND WINE Press Food and Wine is a new addition to the Adelaide dining scene, and a very welcome one. The two-level restaurant on Waymouth Street is at once homely and elegant. Head chef Andrew Davies prides himself on in-house pickling and curing and their custom-made chargrill. A la carte and degustation menus are on offer, with sophisticated starters such as king fish and pickled radish ($21) and heartier mains such as house-made pappardelle with blue swimmer crab ($29). 40 Waymouth Street, Adelaide EROS OUZERI Eros Ouzeri is a bit of an Adelaide institution. The grand daddy of Rundle Street, its cafe is home to the best damn kataiffi in town and the restaurant proper will sort you out with classic Greek mezze fare such as grilled haloumi, octopus and gyros as well as heartier mains such as lamb shoulder ($29.90) or a charred Angus fillet with mustard skordalia ($35). All this deliciousness is accompanied, of course, by a robust, SA-faithful wine list. Head in for a lunch banquet ($45) and let the famously hospitable Eros staff welcome you to the fold. 277 Rundle Street, Adelaide The Grace Establishment Located on The Parade — which is generally busy with shoppers and alfresco diners, but don't let that put you off — The Grace Establishment is a nice option for a sit-down lunch without breaking the bank. Relatively new and still very shiny, it's part bar, restaurant and beer garden, meaning you can sit indoors or out for a charcuterie board, plate of Kinkawoona mussels or a hearty SA sirloin. 127 The Parade, Norwood GOLDEN BOY RESTAURANT Golden Boy Restaurant popped up last year to feed the hungry punters at the Botanic Bar at the East End of the city and it has quickly become a destination in its own right, serving honest, home-style Thai food in a relaxed setting. Open till midnight, Golden Boy offers the perfect late-night fix of spicy chicken wings and pork belly — you can lick your fingers in style. 309 North Terrace, Adelaide Words by Lauren Vadnjal and Jessica Keath. Peel Street image courtesy of Kristina Dryža via Facebook.
Surrounded by water on three shores, The Entrance is nearly an island. It's an ideal place to spend a winter weekender staring into endless blue, especially when you've been desperately longing to forget all about work, traffic and the general chaos of life. And it's just a 90 minutes' drive north of Sydney. On one side lies tranquil Tuggerah Lake, and on the other, the mighty Tasman Sea. Further north are the tiny settlements of Magenta and Norah Head, where you'll come across friendly cafes, rugged lookouts and white-sand beaches backdropped by national park. Set up home base at the Pullman Magenta Shores Resort and follow our guide to fending off the winter blues with a sneaky getaway. EAT All great weekenders start with ace coffee. Get yours at the Burrow Coffee House. This cosy spot offers nice brews and beautifully composed brekkies, including a bacon and egg roll with avocado, haloumi and balsamic. When you're ready for your next brew, head a couple of kilometres south to Long Jetty. Here you'll find The Glass Onion Society, a fun, art and music-loving cafe that does Sonoma baked goods, vegan doughnuts and 'Soul Soup', among other eats sure to warm up even the frostiest morn. When lunchtime arrives, explore a bit of history in the best way possible: while eating cake. Do so by booking high tea at The Entrance Lake House, an airy, elegant cafe that's been licensed since 1905 but underwent a reno in 2012. If you happen to be around Norah Head when hunger hits, then swing by The Ark Cafe, which serves Campos coffee and gourmet bites, such as a poppyseed bagel loaded with heirloom tomatoes, haloumi, spinach, avo and pine nut pesto. This place isn't just an eatery but a social enterprise, too. A percentage of profits goes to The Welcome to Paradise Foundation, which supports aid workers in South Sudan and a food program in Nepal, among other worthy causes. There's also a quirky retail space, where you can invest in a hand-shaped surfboard created by local Christian M. Laing and peruse a bunch of ethically produced clothing and homewares. Been saving up your pennies for a posh feast or looking to impress your date? Reserve a table for dinner at Ocean, a fancy restaurant whose floor-to-ceiling windows let you gaze straight out over the Tasman. You'll get premium seafood transformed into cracking dishes, such as ocean trout with lemon mayonnaise, beetroot, asparagus, peas and potato, or mussel and shellfish chowder. A more affordable option is The Shallows Bar where you can build your own charcuterie board or grab a few wood-fired pizzas. Or head to Bistro Jinja to sample dishes from all over Asia. Tuck into Shanghai braised pork belly, Chiang Mai chicken curry and dark chocolate tart with honeycomb and sticky fig ice cream, while seeing the sunset over Lake Tuggerah. DO One of the best things about visiting The Entrance during winter is that you get all the beaches but none of the crowds. Soldiers Beach, just south of Norah Head, has the whitest sand on the Central Coast and backs onto the lush greenery of Wyrrabong National Park. While you're there, keep an eye out for whales, which pass by from May until August. An even better vantage point is Pelican Beach Road Lookout, from where you can walk the 3.4-kilometre Red Gum Trail through towering red gum forest and the 3.5-kilometre Lillypilly Loop through rainforest, cabbage palms and burrawangs. Whales aren't the only creatures worth watching around here, either. The Entrance is famous for its pelicans. It's been named the 'Pelican capital of Australia', in fact. These kooky and characterful birds make great subject matter for photos, particularly if you stop by the waterfront at 3.30pm, their daily feeding time. It's not purely about feeding either — it's a chance for volunteers to make sure none of the little guys are tangled up in hooks, lines or other debris. Make your next stop spectacular Norah Head, whose lighthouse has been operating since 1903. In fact, this became the very last lighthouse in New South Wales to lose its lighthouse keeper when it became fully automated in 1995. Half-hour tours, which take you up the building's 96 stairs for epic 360-degree views are available every day for just $6 per person. Keen to travel further? Continue another 15 kilometres north to reach Munmorah State Conservation Area, a coastal wonderland of empty beaches, lookouts and walking trails. SLEEP To sleep with still water on one side and roaring surf on the other, check into Pullman Magenta Shores Resort. This beautifully designed luxe five-star resort is ten minutes' drive north of The Entrance, on the southern edge of Wyrrabalong National Park. The resort offers apartment-style accommodation options, complete with views overlooking the landscaped gardens. Recreation is the name of the game here, so don't even think about complaining of boredom. You've got the exclusive Magenta Shores Golf Course and Country Club, a day spa, tennis courts and three swimming areas: a 2o metre indoor heated lap pool, rock pools and the Lagoon with a swim-up pool bar, all at your fingertips. Go to the AccorHotels website to book your stay in The Entrance, and to discover more of regional NSW, check out Visit NSW.
A dinner party filled with AI versions of famous figures? Or a meal enhanced by virtual reality? Restrictive diets that focus on fasting over feasting? Eating dishes purely because they'll help you sleep? Over the next 12 months, all of the above might come to fruition. Also on the 2018 hit list: African cuisines, creative genetic modification in food and beer, and getting paid to have strangers over for dinner. At least, they're the trends that culinary artists Bompas & Parr are predicting for the year ahead, with Sam Bompas and Harry Parr releasing their first-ever foodie forecast. After ten years in the business, evolving from making jelly to catering to a food-focused experience design agency, their report draws upon their own experience, as well as the psychology behind human behaviour. If technologically enhancements pique your interest, Bompas & Barr expect bots based on celebrities to become the next dinning partners, and mixed reality dining to adorn diners with wearable technology to create a more immersive eating experience — including "embedded microelectronics in crockery and glassware, projection technologies, responsive sound environments and more broadly digital content that's coupled to the taste and aroma of the food and drink on the table". For those keen on making a buck from making dinner for folks you don't know, think Airbnb and Uber, but for the simple act of hosting a meal. That's how you share food in 2018's sharing economy. Elsewhere, watching what you eat might be taken to a fasting extreme, though its hardly new — and it comes with health repercussions. African cooking styles are expected to rise in popularity, exploring the cuisines of the continent's 54 countries. So is food that'll help you get a good night's rest (and no, a nightcap doesn't count), plus biological tinkering with edible substances. You can peruse the full report for further details, and if you're wondering why you should, Bompas & Parr's past culinary exploits should provide all the convincing you need. They've made bespoke cocktails catered to each drinker's DNA, hosted anatomical whisky tastings where spirits were sipped from actual people, served a beating pig's heart as a starter and made London diners kill their next meal. In addition, they've made edible fireworks, a molten lava barbecue and held a 200-course dinner party. Expect them to play with their seven outlined trends next, as part of their continued and creative interrogation of our eating and drinking habits. Via Dezeen. Image: Bompas & Parr.
Pull out your loose change stash and check under the couch, because one of the best food deals we've seen in a while will hit The Rocks next week. For one day only, The Argyle is slinging dumplings for just ten cents a piece. Head on in from 11am on Tuesday, April 23 and bring your appetite — and all the silver coins you can find. Expect a dim sum feast of gyoza, har gow and shumai on offer, with prawn, vegetable and pork varieties up for grabs. There is one catch — punters must purchase a full-price drink to access the ten-cent dumpling extravaganza. The deal is available all day and bookings are recommended — so head here before all the tables for next week are snatched up. If you miss out this round, you can still nab $1 dumplings (and $5 Asahi) at the venue every Tuesday — though the deal isn't nearly as appealing once you've considered the ten-cent version.
If any Sydney neighbourhood was going to change the perception of something from unattainable to accessible, it would be Oxford Street. It's where you'll find Izy.Aki, a far cry from the dimly lit, luxe restaurants you might first think of when you hear the word omakase. Visible for passerbys, its bright lights, exposed brick walls, open kitchen and 18-seat marble countertop paint a welcoming picture. While this is still an upscale destination, it's homely. Izy.Aki is what's called a kappo omakase. Kappo is a culinary experience defined by an intimate space and chef-diner interaction, while omakase is a dining experience where the menu is left up to the chef. The final result? A relaxed, informal take on your typical omakase experience, packed full of honest interactions with the chef as they take you through your meal. The guides on this journey will make you feel right at home. Chefs Darren Templeman (Atelier, O Bar and Dining) and Bonnie Yu, alongside bartender, host and sommelier Aurelian Jeffredo, work hard to create an experience that feels more like being welcomed into a friend's home than a booking at a high-end restaurant. Every dish and drink is explained when served, and Jeffredo is more than happy to recommend drinks for each guest to accompany the dishes and match your preferences. The food here is set — it is omakase after all — so each booking is either a six-course or ten-course meal, decided by the chefs and your dietary requirements. As such, what you could be dining on is often in flux, but there are some house specialties. Chief among them is The Egg: a hen egg filled with white onion puree, foie gras, smoked eel and a topping of trout roe. You'll also find a wide range of grilled offerings, including yakiniku-style meats and 9+ Australian wagyu. The drinks menu stars cocktails, alongside Japanese spirits, beers and plenty of sake to keep the thirst at bay as the courses flow.
We can't yet zipline around the entire world, though it does sound like something Elon Musk might dream up. We can, however, come up with an increasingly impressive holiday itinerary by touring the globe's scenic zipline spots. From this week, the Grand Canyon joins the list. Zooming along tightly stretched cables is already a reality at the world's longest zipline opening at Jebel Jais in the United Arab Emirates and across Dubai's skyline. London recently had one, currently letting locals and visitors fly across the city, as did Sydney did, stretching between two skyscrapers 75 metres above Circular Quay. Seeing the Grand Canyon from such lofty heights is now on offer at Grand Canyon West, at the Hualapai Ranch in Arizona, reaching 300 metres above the floor of the rock formation. Capable of accommodating 350,000 visitors each year, two ziplines have been strung across the natural wonder, one measuring 335 metres and the other spanning 640 metres while traversing a steeper run. Each consists of four steel cables running side-by-side, which means that groups can enjoy the experience together. Riders will reach speeds of up to 80 kilometres per hour. For those planning a high-adrenaline sight-seeing stint as part of their next US trip, tickets cost AU$115, with the zipline operating from Tuesday to Friday from 9am to 4pm. The ziplines join the resort's helicopter tours and 1.2-kilometre-high skywalk among its sky-high attractions. Via PR Newswire.
Kumiko (Rinko Kikuchi) is a superfan. Joel and Ethan Coen's Fargo is the object of her excessive attention, and she doesn't just fixate over it, she believes it. In particular, she believes there's a briefcase filled with money buried in the Minnesota snow. To understand why she's so intent on thinking the movie is more than fiction is to understand her largely solitary existence in Tokyo. Kumiko is 29 years old and still working as an office lady, a position her boss thinks she should've well and truly outgrown. Her mother only calls to scold her about her dismal personal life, and her only friend is her pet rabbit, Bunzo. So when she happens across a VHS copy of Fargo, embracing its tall tale as truth adds purpose to her days, and trekking across America to find the stack of cash it tells of becomes her destiny. Filmmakers David and Nathan Zellner delve into an urban legend that sprang up around the death of a Japanese woman in the US, first chronicled in 2003 documentary This Is a True Story. Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter makes its own fable out of diving into the strangeness that can stem from both truth and fiction, as well as the tenuous relationship between the two. Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter is in select cinemas on April 29, and thanks to Palace Films, we have 15 double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter and then email us with your name and address. Read our full Kumiko review here. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
For three weeks in February, Sydney's streets will come alive with dance and martial arts performances in a huge cultural celebration. The Lunar Lantern Community Performance Program will see 1000 performers take to the streets from over 40 local Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese and Thai groups. The performances will happen every Friday and Saturday night beginning on Friday, January 27. They're also being split across two locations: the Westpac Lunar Lantern Hub in Martin Place and outside Customs House in Circular Quay. With so much planned, it's easy to be overwhelmed, but there are a few highlights you definitely shouldn't miss. On Friday, February 3 and Saturday, February 4, Martin Place will let loose for 'Massaoke' — a mass karaoke singalong that will also feature live music and traditional lion dance performances. Make sure you see the CNY Festival Dancers on Saturday, January 28, Friday, February 10 and Saturday, February 11. Their performance has been choreographed by Performance Director Virginia Ferris with input from Festival Curator Claudia Chan Shaw. At the other end of the city, there will also be more lion dances in Chinatown.
Some of the world's fringe festivals go for curation, featuring the cream of the crop of local and touring indie talent. Others open their doors wider, allowing for the truly weird, unexpected or unconnected a chance to step under the spotlight and make a lasting impression. The Sydney Fringe Festival falls mainly into the latter camp, with its bewildering and Bible-thick program containing the wonderful, the luckless and every inflection in-between. The independent festival has grown into the city's largest alternative arts event, spanning most of September and including the media of visual arts, film, digital arts, theatre, music, comedy, musical theatre, circus/physical theatre, dance, cabaret, books, kids and family shows, poetry, food and wine and things just plain 'other'. The festival is spread out over five 'creative villages' mainly centring around the Inner West, and this year welcomes a new festival hub, Emerald City garden bar. Located in the Seymour Centre courtyard — in front of a key Fringe venue and a popular spot during summer's Courtyard Sessions — the late-night garden bar will give the sprawling festival a social heart, in the vein of the Sydney Festival's Festival Garden or Adelaide Fringe's famed Garden of Earthly Delights. Also among the new venues is Eliza's Juke Joint (at the old 5 Eliza festival bar); the Dendy Cinema car park, which will host the Artcore Guerilla Artfair; and the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre, transformed into Camp Super Happy Sunshine Fun, a thing that we're assured is for adults (yay!). Comedy will continue to be based in the Factory Theatre, while Marrickville will also lead in the live music stakes, with artists such as Abby Dobson in the Camelot Lounge. "We have discovered hundreds of hidden gems within the city, not only focusing on a terrific arts program but opening up to artisan food, crafts and sub-cultures," says Sydney Fringe Festival spokesperson Kerri Glasscock. "We have unlocked the city and invite you all to join us in celebrating the wonderful world that is Sydney’s fringe." In the Night Garden at Tortuga Studios Tortuga Studio's In the Night Garden has been a strong mark on our cultural calendar across its brief existence. From a promising 2011 debut to an enthusiastic 2012 follow-up, it has taken the laneway intersection behind St Peter's Tortuga Studios and filled it with luminescent art of all descriptions. The night has featured realtime projection, heads aglow, a mushroom-like tree of lamps, live binding and live painting. This year, Tortuga is adding writers to the mix. Visitors will be able to settle into an overlapping mashup of writers' workspace, as a single desk switches faces from one set of writers to the next. The word work will be curated by Zoe Adler Bishop, with local wordsmiths Tabula Rasa (long-time, critical denizens of the Sydney arts scene and fresh off a recent relaunch) adding their keyboard-pounding power into the back-lane lineup. 13 September, 6.30pm; Tortuga Studios, 31 Princes Highway, St Peters; free 2SER History of... at Emerald City Don't know your music history? Want to? One of the most public-spirited sidelines of this year's Fringe Festival will be the 2SER-fronted series of musical evenings at new festival hub Emerald City Garden Bar. Stepping in for former festival focus 5 Eliza, this new venue brings the Fringe to the Seymour Centre courtyard, offering weekend DJs and free Friday night Fringe teaser nights to whet your appetite for the week to come. In the History of.. series, two hours across three September Thursdays will feature 2SER presenters and friends to shepherd you through key DJs, Motown and Afro-Caribbean beats. The series comes with evenings of Hip Hop (12 September), Funk & Soul (19 September) and Rhythm Out of Afrika (26 September) at 7pm. Emerald City Garden Bar at the Seymour Centre Courtyard; free Jude the Obscure at PACT Fringe Conventional wisdom is that Fringe is your chance to see something truly, deeply weird that would never get a sniff of the main stage but might remind you of the brilliant range of human endeavour. The show to see, in that case, is Jude the Obscure, in which writer/performer Alice Williams plays Australian comedian Judith Lucy (see uncanny resemblance above), in space, in the the future, doing a catalogue of "little known material" from her oeuvre. Because Judith has been accepted into Mars One, of course. Jude the Obscure is on at PACT, which has curated its own lineup of seven Fringe shows, and, as usual, you can be guaranteed that any show you see there is compelling in its own, offbeat way. Among the picks are Animorphed by Applespiel's Simon Binns, in which he reflects on beloved childhood series Animorphs and whether his favourite character was a racist stereotype, and The Defence, a cerebral-fun look at August Strindberg and misogyny within the rehearsal room. 4-14 September; PACT Centre for Emerging Artists, 107 Railway Parade, Erskineville; tickets $25/20/15. Make Way for Winter This is a sketch comedy show themed around Game of Thrones. What more do you need to know? The hilarity latent in the Seven Kingdoms and at the Red Wedding finally revealed. Everyone as well as Tyrion bringing the funny. The White Walkers twerking, probably. This show comes from Sydney University's home of comedy, Project 52 (which we named one of Sydney's best alternative comedy rooms), and is an offshoot of their weekly sketch night, Make Way for Ducklings. Book early, GoT fans. 12-14 September; The Fusebox at The Factory; tickets $15 Mad Mex Tequila Masterclass Tequila is distilled from agave nectar, and, like champagne, it's only really Tequila if its drawn from some specific parts of Mexico. If you can't tell Jalisco from mescal, then early starters in the Sydney taco wars Mad Mex are eager to steer you down the smart path when it comes to downing this Mesoamerican delicacy. They're running two free Tequila Masterclasses in their King Street store, which should leave you ready to mix a better margarita and feel at home sorting out Hornitos from Patron. 12 and 19 September; Mad Mex, Newtown; free, but you'll need to register via hola@madmex.com.au or (02) 8197 3077 Green Mohair Suits at 5 Eliza's Juke Joint With the Seymour Centre's Emerald City Garden Bar taking over Festival hub duties from 5 Eliza, this former library and current Fringe headquarters gets reborn as 5 Eliza's Juke Joint. The Joint fahsions itself in the style of Mississipi delta blues, with one of the standout appearances at this haven of Southern sound being local country/bluegrass band the Green Mohair Suits. The group has gone from friends turned bandmates to playing backup to Josh Pyke at Beck Hansen's Song Reader fundraiser last year at the Standard. They'll be joining other Joint luminaries, including the Cope Street Parade, the Hoo Haas and Mic Conway and Liz Frencham. 19 September, 7pm; Eliza's Juke Joint, 5 Eliza St, Newtown; tickets $15. Bushpig Bushpig was called "hands-down the most intriguing show to surface in this year’s [Adelaide Fringe]" by theatre guide Heckler — high praise indeed. Like many Fringe Fest events, its a one-person show, but writer/performer Hannah Malarski, a NIDA playwriting grad, makes hers stand out. Her range and vivid characterisations bring to life an eccentric small town of characters, centred around Aunt Vivian and her missing child. 10-13 September; Sound Lounge, Seymour Centre; tickets $20/15. 2013 - When We Were Idiots Walking Tour The year is 2113, you are about to embark on a walking tour that dissects the consumerism, ignorance and individualism of 2013. Well, sort of. It's not really 2113, but this comedic tour of our fair city, led by a penguin (writer/performer Xavier Toby) pokes fun at the rampant idiocy of contemporary living and the possible implications of living in an age of overconsumption and intolerance. The mixture of comedy, activism, archaeology and strolling is a rare one that prompted Artshub to call When We Were Idiots "interactive theatre at its energetic best". 6-15 September, departing 6.30pm daily as well as 2.30pm on weekends; meet at The Pie Tin, Newtown; tickets $15/10. Camp Super Happy Sunshine Fun We're called Concrete Playground; how could we not endorse a bit of childhood regression? Camp Super Happy Sunshine Fun is setting up at Newtown Neighbourhood Centre to help you shed the baggage of adulthood and get silly with games, arts and crafts, a 'Potato Olympics' and friendship circles. Camp director Maya Sebestyen has actually worked at US summer camps, so authenticity is a given. 6, 20, 21, 27 and 28 September, 8pm; Newtown Neighbourhood Centre; tickets $15. Artcore Guerilla Artfair Art in the car park is nothing new in Sydney these days. Oversize art fairs aren't sitting too far away on the cultural horizon, either. But while the looming Sydney Contemporary will work at the pricier end of the scale, and the bounty of Alaska Projects comes with a modicum of urban spelunking, the Fringe's annual art market spread sits conveniently just off King Street. Artcore Guerilla Artfair is situated in the Newtown Dendy's cavernous car park, bringing together art by 30 local artists. It's guerilla by price as well as by name, with its art starting around $5. All day 12 September 12; behind the Dendy Cinemas Newtown, 16-28 Lennox St; free By Zacha Rosen and Rima Sabina Aouf.
Show us a guy with a drum machine or a girl with a guitar who purports to never having wanted to be a rock star and we'll show you a liar-liar-pants-on-fire. Thankfully, you don't have to release a Pitchfork-approved debut album or sell out a stadium to live the life of a travelling troubadour. Boutique travel experts Mr & Mrs Smith, admittedly slightly more Elvis Costello and Diana Krall than Kurt and Courtney, have scoured the globe to find the greatest music-inspired and inspiring getaways. 1. Geejam Where: Lot 122 Skippers Boulevard, San San, Port Antonio, Jamaica If you've been planning to record your own Is This It or My Generation for some time now, you might want to check out the facilities at Geejam boutique hotel in Jamaica. Not simply a cluster of heavenly Caribbean villas and cabins blanketed by rainforest with ocean views, Geejam also has its own recording studio. Book Drum & Bass, a junior suite on the ground floor of the studio, and start strumming - or tinkling on the ivories at the piano overlooking the sea. If it's good enough for No Doubt and Gorillaz, it's good enough for you. 2. The Drake Where: 1150 Queen Street West, Toronto, Canada The bunk-ups are hip at Toronto budget-boutique hotel The Drake. A sock doll on your pillow may greet you on check-in, indie rock is on a loop on the flatscreen TV, and photographs of guitars and other gear hang on the walls. But it's the dining, drinking and entertainment up for grabs that will edify the party animal within. Start your evening with a cocktail at rooftop Sky Yard, follow it with steak frites in a banquette at the Dining Room, then head downstairs to the Underground, the hotel's basement club that's seen performances by everyone from the Killers to MIA. 3. Establishment Hotel Where: 5 Bridge Lane, Sydney, Australia An acquaintance of Mr & Mrs Smith once confessed to being tucked in to her huge bed at Establishment Hotel in Sydney, completely unaware that in one of the bars Jamiroquai's Jay Kay was DJing up a storm. Don't be caught napping when you check in to this multi-tasking pleasure palace. It's the premier destination for visiting rock royalty in the Harbour City. Who knows who you might be rubbing shoulders with, when Robbie Williams, Scissor Sisters and Outkast have all partied hard within its four walls. 4. Le Royal Monceau Where: 37 Avenue Hoche, Paris, France Arty, classy boutique retreat Le Royal Monceau hotel in Paris is definitely not the sort of place where hair metal bands throw televisions from windows. But the more contemplative singer-songwriter side of your soul will love the acoustic guitars in each room. Draw inspiration from the City of Love and express it in a tune. Loving your next big hit sick? The hotel has a mobile sound studio available to musos of all descriptions. 5. Hotel San Jose Where: 1316 South Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas, USA Music fans will feel right at home at retro-hip boutique digs Hotel San José in Austin. Originally built in 1939 as a ‘motor court’, it’s been given a stucco overhaul and now nestles in happening 'hood SoCo buzzing with bars, stores and cafés. The mellow rooms – pea green is a favoured hue – are hung with vintage gig posters, their floors covered with cowhide rugs. Get into some tunes by borrowing one of the iPods stocked with Americana classics then head to the courtyard. During the day, beardy guys and tattooed gals knock back espressos; after dark musicians and DJs play alfresco. 6. Karma Kandara Where: Jalan Villa Kandara, Banjar Wijaya Kusuma, Bali, Indonesia Sure, the super-sized villas with vast plunge pools and views of the azure Indian Ocean at Bali boutique hotel Karma Kandara are private and impressive enough to suit even the most outrageous behaviour. Want to bake naked in the sun? No issue whatsoever. But you might prefer to get your togs on to check out what many people consider the best beach club in south-east Asia. Nammos is accessed via a cliff-front inclinator. Book one of the shady day-beds and settle back for chilled choons, icy cocktails and intermittent seaside splashing. 7. Shoreditch Rooms Where: 1 Ebor Street, Shoreditch, London, UK The skinny-jeaned massive frequents converted warehouse-turned-members’ club Shoreditch Rooms hotel in East London. There’s a rooftop pool, a bowling alley on the fourth floor and a Cowshed spa (perfect for overcoming night-before excesses), but the compact rooms are, most importantly, within staggering distance of Shoreditch’s coolest clubs and music venues, and grungy, bar-packed Dalston. Plus, because this is an outpost of Soho House, the see-and-be-seen crowd drapes itself around the Square Bar and on the roof, so there’s always action aplenty. Both Madonna and Harry Styles have celebrated their birthdays here. 8. Ace Hotel & Swim Club Where: 701 East Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, California, USA All those youngsters who like to declare that vinyl is dead, well, you’re probably not going to find them at Ace Hotel & Swim Club in Palm Springs. Thankfully. Vintage furniture, swathed fabrics on the walls, full-size bottles of spirits in the minibar and handicrafts in all the rooms scream hipster heaven. Plus, if you book a Patio room – go for one with a garden – or one of the more expensive boudoirs, your digs come with a record player and a selection of retro vinyl that could range from Dylan to Zeppelin. When the temperature rises, though, it’s all about the pools. Yoga classes, bands and impromptu dance parties take place regularly by the water’s edge and, unlike many hotels, you can hang here until 2am. 9. Atzaró Where: Ctra San Joan km 15, Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain Sometimes even rock stars need downtime, and family-run Atzaró finca in Ibiza, the world’s most famous party island, delivers with a soothing blend of white-washed surrounds, day-bed-circled pool (and neighbouring cold-water Jacuzzi) and luxury spa. Recovering from the night before? The breakfast room is open until an incredibly civilised 1pm, after which a 90-minute Zen Shiatsu massage should improve your outlook enough to consider the evening once again – perhaps starting with mojitos at the Music & Sushi Lounge. 10. Dar Darma Where: 11/12, Trik Sidi Bohuarba, Medina, Marrakech, Morocco There wasn’t a Sixties rock icon worth his leather pants that didn’t get on the opium in exotic Morocco. Now, we’re not going to pretend that Jim Morrison, Keith Richards, Jimi Hendrix or Neil Young sucked the hookah at Marrakech boutique hotel Dar Darma, but you can easily imagine they did. In the heart of the medina, this darkly exotic five-suite guesthouse partners 300-year-old zouak ceilings and faded antique textiles with Versace-esque velvet settles, distressed metallic stripes and leopardskin rugs. Don your best boho-chic threads, head up to the plunge pool on the roof terrace and imagine you’re Talitha and John Paul Getty.
One of Liverpool's last remaining, 20th century industrial buildings is getting a new lease on life, with Sydney's Coronation Property announcing plans to transform The Paper Mill into a buzzing cultural and community precinct. Once home to Australia's first paper manufacturing business, the historic riverfront site will soon play host to the area's new drinking, dining, and shopping destination — complete with a broad-ranging food and drink offering, 1,400 square metres of retail space, and a contemporary mix of indoor and al fresco dining areas. Slated to be up and running by the end of this year, a substantial part of the project is the rejuvenation of the heritage-listed mill warehouse, which will feature an open plan dining venue beneath its carefully-restored, iconic sawtooth roof. A diverse collection of vendors will include the likes of a wood fire pizza kitchen, an artisanal bakery and cafe, dessert carts and even an in-house brewery — primed for lunchtime pit-stops, dinner feasts, and mid-shopping snack sessions alike. And, in keeping with Liverpool's booming population, the site has also been earmarked for its own residential community, with 882 Coronation Property apartments set to take advantage of that prime riverfront real estate in the not too distant future.
Before summer's out, western Sydney will have a new rooftop bar, complete with pool, sun lounges, cabanas and panoramas of 300 acres of greenery. It's called The Chiltern and you'll find it atop the five-star William Inglis Hotel in Warwick Farm, which is set to open in January 2018. In between taking dips and gazing out at the views, there'll be cocktails and light bites. Should you work up an appetite, head downstairs to the Newmarket Room, a paddock-to-plate restaurant headed by chef Samuel Bull (The Stables, North Bondi Italian). The menu is yet to be released, but he's promising a mix of "rural soul" and "refined elegance". If you have any whisky-swilling mates, you'll probably notice them heading straight for the mezzanine level, where the 1867 Lounge will be serving up high-end spirits, Champagne, fancy cocktails and boutique wines. The $140 million hotel precinct is named after the founder of William Inglis and Sons, one of Australia's best-known thoroughbred companies, and has been funded through thoroughbred horse sales. It's located across from the Warwick Farm racecourse. Anyone who happens to have too good a time in the whisky bar will be able to sleep over in one of 144 uniquely-designed rooms. The hotel is an MGallery by Sofitel, so you can expect decadence galore, including über-comfy beds, luxe bathrooms, picture windows, racing memorabilia, a state-of-the-art 24-hour gym and a posh day spa. The William Inglis Hotel is set to open at 155 Governor Macquarie Drive, Warwick Farm in January 2018. For more information or to book in advance, visit williaminglis.com.au.
UPDATE, April 21, 2023: Elvis is available to stream via Netflix, Binge, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Making a biopic about the king of rock 'n' roll, trust Baz Luhrmann to take his subject's words to heart: a little less conversation, a little more action. The Australian filmmaker's Elvis, his first feature since 2013's The Great Gatsby, isn't short on chatter. It's even narrated by Tom Hanks (Finch) as Colonel Tom Parker, the carnival barker who thrust Presley to fame (and, as Luhrmann likes to say, the man who was never a Colonel, never a Tom and never a Parker). But this chronology of an icon's life is at its best when it's showing rather than telling. That's when it sparkles brighter than a rhinestone on all-white attire, and gleams with more shine than all the lights in Las Vegas. That's when Elvis is electrifying, due to its treasure trove of recreated concert scenes — where Austin Butler (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) slides into Presley's blue suede shoes and lifetime's supply of jumpsuits like he's the man himself. Butler is that hypnotic as Presley. Elvis is his biggest role to-date after starting out on Hannah Montana, sliding through other TV shows including Sex and the City prequel The Carrie Diaries, and also featuring in Yoga Hosers and The Dead Don't Die — and he's exceptional. Thanks to his blistering on-stage performance, shaken hips and all, the movie's gig sequences feel like Elvis hasn't ever left the building. Close your eyes and you'll think you were listening to the real thing. (In some cases, you are: the film's songs span Butler's vocals, Presley's and sometimes a mix of both). And yet it's how the concert footage looks, feels, lives, breathes, and places viewers in those excited and seduced crowds that's Elvis' true gem. It's meant to make movie-goers understand what it was like to be there, and why Presley became such a sensation. Aided by dazzling cinematography, editing and just all-round visual choreography, these parts of the picture — of which there's many, understandably — leave audiences as all shook up as a 1950s teenager or 1970s Vegas visitor. Around such glorious centrepieces, Luhrmann constructs exactly the kind of Elvis extravaganza he was bound to. His film is big. It's bold. It's OTT. It's sprawling at two-and-a-half hours in length. It shimmers and swirls. It boasts flawless costume and production design by Catherine Martin, as his work does. It shows again that Luhrmann typically matches his now-instantly recognisable extroverted flair with his chosen subject (Australia aside). Balancing the writer/director's own style with the legend he's surveying can't have been easy, though, and it doesn't completely play out as slickly as Presley's greased-back pompadour. Elvis is never anything but engrossing, and it's a sight to behold. The one key element that doesn't gel as convincingly: using the scheming Parker as a narrator (unreliable, obviously) and framing device. It helps the movie unpack the smiling-but-cunning manager's outré role in Presley's life, but it's often just forceful, although so was Parker's presence in the star's career. In a script by Luhrmann, Sam Bromell (The Get Down), Craig Pearce (Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge! and The Great Gatsby) and Jeremy Doner (TV's The Killing), the requisite details are covered. That includes the singer's birth in Tupelo, Mississippi, and extends through to his late-career Vegas residency — with plenty in the middle. His discovery by Parker, the impact upon his parents (Rake co-stars Helen Thomson and Richard Roxburgh), his relationship with Priscilla (Olivia DeJonge, The Staircase), Graceland, America's puritanical reaction to his gyrating pelvis, the issues of race baked into the response to him as an artist: they're all featured. Thematically, those last two points thrum throughout the entire movie. Elvis questions why any hint of sex was such a shock, and why it was so easy for a white man who drew his songs, style and dance moves from Black culture, via his upbringing, to be dubbed a scandal. Elvis also does what Luhrmann often does; he's never adapted a fairy tale (no, Moulin Rouge!'s green fairy doesn't count), but he adores larger-than-life stories that seem more than real. Like style, like narrative, clearly, and Presley's leap to the most famous man in the world and, sadly, to exploited, caught in a punishing trap, addicted, and then dead at just 42, has that touch to it here. Yes, that remains true even though this will always be a tragic story. That said, amid the visual flourishes that help cement the vibe — the filmmaker's usual circling images, split-screens, match cuts, frenzy of colour and visible lavishness, aided by cinematographer Mandy Walker (Mulan), plus editors Jonathan Redmond (The Great Gatsby) and Matt Villa (Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway) — there's an earthiness to Elvis. In fact, the ability to make everything both hyperreal and natural is one of the reasons the feature's live performance scenes have such a spark. There isn't a second of Elvis that doesn't play like a Luhrmann film, of course; crucially, it's always an Elvis movie, too. There's that balance at work, even if viewers won't walk away knowing much more about the man behind the myth-sized superstardom — feeling more, however, happens fast, frenetically and often. Most choices that could've been jarring, such as the musical anachronisms, have depth to them. Luhrmann connects Presley's songs and influence with music since and now in several ways. This is a film about influences in two directions, smartly — because noting that Big Mama Thornton (first-timer Shonka Dukureh) was the first to record 'Hound Dog', that artists like BB King (Kelvin Harrison Jr, Cyrano) shaped Presley, and that his musical roots trace back to gospel churches and revival tents, needed to be inescapable in an Elvis biopic circa 2022. Also inescapable thanks to its Gold Coast shoot: spotting almost every Australian actor around Butler and Hanks, including David Wenham (The Furnace) and Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog) as carnival-circuit performers Hank Snow and Jimmie Rodgers Snow. Stranger Things' Dacre Montgomery plays director Steve Binder, who helmed Presley's 68 Comeback Special — the recreation of which is spellbinding. But Butler is always Elvis' force of nature. His physicality in the part, including as Presley ages, is stunning. The soulfulness baked into his portrayal is as well, and moving. That he acts circles around the prosthetics-laden Hanks, who ensures that the self-serving, one-note Parker is easily the film's villain, might sound fanciful in any other movie. But this is Elvis, and seeing Butler play Elvis is one for the money. Doing just that helped make Kurt Russell a star back in 1979, a mere two years after Presley's death, and that taking-care-of-business lightning bolt should strike again thanks to this exhilarating spectacle.
Here are your Friday night plans sorted: grab your best eating partner and head to the Chinatown Markets, making its return to a temporary new location this Friday, September 5. The markets will set up shop next to the Paddy's Market Light Rail stop in Chinatown, and will operate every Friday from 5 to 10pm. The new temporary location offers the perfect opportunity to explore the restaurants and stores along Dixon Street, which forms the heart of Chinatown, before heading to the markets. Expect over 40 stalls selling food and handcrafted goods, with cultural experiences throughout. With a selection of food from street vendors who have honed their recipes over decades, and from emerging young chefs creating new takes on old favourites, you won't leave hungry. Past favourites include dumplings, noodles, takoyaki, roti, pho, and curry. To the dismay of regular visitors, the markets had been closed for several weeks due to major infrastructure works upgrading the Chinatown precinct. However, the exciting announcement of the reopening of the markets means locals and newcomers alike can still enjoy all that the markets have to offer while the upgrade works continue. The vendors of popular Dragon Bearded Candy are "excited to be able to trade in this new location. We're not just selling food — we're sharing our culture and story with every creation." The Chinatown Markets return on Friday, September 5. While nearby parking is available, the new location offers convenient direct light rail access. Images: Supplied.
The Grounds of Alexandria has proven a coffee haven for Sydneysiders for five years and now they're breaking into the craft brew game. The beer, a collaboration with the longstanding Lord Nelson Brewery, pairs a bold American brown ale with The Grounds' signature, in-house roasted espresso. 'The Lord of The Grounds Brown' is quite the mouthful in name and in drinking practice — unlike some coffee-beer pairings, this is not simply a coffee-flavoured brew. Instead, a mug of the brown ale, with its rich malt flavour, pine hop aroma and slight bitterness, is served alongside a smooth shot of espresso ($13 for the two). This is truly a collab for both beer and coffee lovers — which, more often than not, are already one in the same. The brew is currently on offer, exclusively at The Potting Shed for the duration of winter, along with share plates, snacks, a full bar menu and regular live music, all in The Grounds' expertly overgrown garden setting. The Potting Shed at The Grounds of Alexandria is located at 41/43 Bourke Rd, Alexandria. Open Monday through Friday 11.30am to late and Saturday through Sunday from 11am to late.
Next time you're jetting abroad, you might want to add a visit to Singapore's Changi Airport to your trip. After hosting a short-term Harry Potter-themed world over the Christmas period and opening the world's largest indoor waterfall in April, the airport has now added a massive new Canopy Park into the mix. It features a mirror and hedge maze, suspended sky nets and a slide-filled sculptural playground, to name a just few of its attractions. Located on the top level of the airport, the indoor park spans over 14,000 square metres and houses over 1400 trees. It's home to seven different attractions, including the aforementioned maze, which comes in at a whopping 500 square metres (we suggest you don't enter here — and get lost — just before your flight). Travellers can also catch views of it from above on one of several elevated platforms. Other sky-high features include a 23-metre-high bridge with a glass floor offering views of the Shiseido forest valley and Rain Vortex waterfall below. You'll also be able to bounce or walk along a 250-metre span of sky nets, which are suspended five storeys in the air. Or spend your time wandering through a slide-filled sculptural playground, a petal garden, a topiary walk filled with animal-shaped shrubs and a fog-covered, cloud-like play area to boot. A virtual reality lounge, dubbed Changi Experience Studio, has also just opened on level four. The 90-minute experience includes interactive games, projection storytelling, immersive shows and gallery exhibitions. An onsite IMAX theatre, the YOTELAIR Hotel and over 280 retailers and eateries (including Nike, Marks & Spencer, Muji, Zara and Uniqlo stores) can now be found within the airport as well. It's all part of the 137,000-square-metre Jewel Changi entertainment and retail complex, designed by famed architect Moshe Safdie. The ten-storey building, set under a glass-and-steel dome, is jam-packed with shops, dining options, greenery and activities — and is connected to the all-important airport, of course. Forget just killing time on a layover, searching for a phone charger or suffering in uncomfortable chairs while you're waiting for your flight home. Here, you might have to remind yourself that you're actually at an airport. For further details, visit the Jewel Changi Airport website. Entrance to the Canopy Park is set at the $5 SGD (around $5.30 AUD, $5.60 NZD), with selected attractions costing between $8—22.
Living up to its splendid first date with audiences has never been a problem for Starstruck. When the Rose Matafeo (Baby Done)-starring BBC and HBO series first strode into streaming queues in 2021, its initial episode was an all-timer in the charming stakes, as was the show's entire six-instalment debut season. When Starstruck returned for a second run in 2022, its next go-around instantly proved as much of a smart, savvy and charismatic delight. Streaming via ABC iView from 9.30pm on Wednesday, September 6 and in New Zealand via TVNZ+ since 8.30pm on Saturday, September 2, season three continues the trend — and keeps demonstrating that no romantic rendezvous, no matter how idyllic, can just keep repeating itself. Plot-wise, Starstruck has always had one couple at its centre: New Zealander-in-London Jessie (Matafeo) and British actor Tom (Nikesh Patel, Four Weddings and a Funeral). Frequently, however, they're not actually together, with the show charting the ins and outs of a complicated relationship that started with a New Year's Eve meet-cute and one-night stand. The hook from the get-go: that Tom is an A-list star, which Jessie doesn't know until after they've hooked up. So, Starstruck asks what it's like to live the Notting Hill life. In season three, more accurately, it ponders what comes after that's been and gone. Season two might've finished with a scene right out of The Notebook, and with echoes of Bridget Jones' Diary as well, but its follow-up quickly establishes that Jessie and Tom didn't get their happy-ever-after ending — they're no longer together, and haven't been for some time. Starstruck season three starts with a bold move, spending a few minutes zipping through Jessie and Tom's romance since season two via a heartbreaking montage. That choice is also deeply fitting for a show that's exceptional at endings. One of the best newcomers of its debut year and best returning series of its second, Starstruck's excellence is like a perfect bouquet, with vibrancy blooming everywhere — in Matafeo's lead performance, the show's ability to unpack a genre it clearly loves, its glorious nods to rom-coms past, and its astute insights into 2020s-era dating and life, to name a mere few. How its star, creator and co-writer wrapped up both season one and two was equally as sublime, though. So, season three goes all in on something cherished and blissful approaching its conclusion. If that train of thought has you wondering if this is it for Starstruck itself, a fourth season hasn't yet been locked in. The green light for season three came four months after season two dropped, so not having a future confirmed so far isn't an ominous sign for fans. Matafeo and co-scribes Alice Snedden and Nic Sampson have always treated their series as something to treasure there and then, too; it's the epitome of revelling in the here and now, as anyone in love should. No one knows where life will take them, including Starstruck's guiding hands. So, every season could put a bow on the tale and say farewell — but unboxing more after each finale, whether it involves a The Graduate-style stint on a bus or frolicking in a pond, wouldn't destroy the storytelling, either. Thanks its rush through Jessie and Tom's attempts to make their relationship work, then its huge leap forward afterwards, as much time has passed in Starstruck's world as it has for viewers. Two weddings now loom over the narrative: Jessie's now-pregnant best friend Kate's (Emma Sidi, Black Ops) to Ian (Al Roberts, What We Do in the Shadows), and Tom's to his fellow-actor fiancée Clem (Constance Labbé, Balthazar). It's at the first set of nuptials that Jessie and Tom cross paths again, sparking a torrent of emotions that neither has worked past (some knowingly, some not). While awkwardly trying to avoid her ex and endeavouring to make it appear that she has powered on happily without him, Jessie also connects with kindly Scottish electrician Liam (Lorne MacFadyen, Operation Mincemeat). Chronicling Jessie's blossoming bond with someone other than Tom might seem like another of Starstruck's bold season-three moves, but it's a vintage choice for a series that's obsessed with tearing into rom-com tropes. The idea that there's only one big, sweeping, heart-aflutter, existence-defining affair in anyone's life is foundational in the romantic-comedy genre, and yet that's rarely a guaranteed outcome. In a six-episode batch that's as bingeable as ever, Starstruck grapples with grappling with that fact. Jessie and Tom keep tumbling back into each other's orbits, finding themselves caught between yearning for yesterday, wishing today was different and forging a fresh tomorrow — and tossing and turning over which outcome they want. Deepening their dilemma is Starstruck's focus on reaching that late-20s, early-30s stage where committing and picking a way forward is the norm. Indeed, instead of the tension between the celebrity realm and everyday existence, this season's main clash arises from the contrast between getting settled and still feeling like you'll never have it together. There Starstruck goes, interrogating rom-com conventions again, including the notion that falling in love immediately solves or smooths life's other messes. It's no wonder that the sitcom has become one of the most-relatable romantic comedies there is — and best all round. In the show's writing, performances and directing alike, Matafeo and company understand why their chosen genre spins the fantasies it does. They're well-aware why audiences swoon over such tales as well. And, they're eager to face the reality, but with warmth, humour and empathy. Starstruck's version of laying the truth bare: a sidesplittingly frank chat directed Jessie's way, where she's told that her life mightn't be living up to her wildest dreams but, given that she has a house and a job — and she's "not even that bad of a person" — it's actually not awful. There goes Starstruck's main season-three takeaway again, as given voice: "just appreciate what you have while you have it". Being grateful for this wonderful sitcom as a whole, and for Matafeo's luminous turn at its centre, isn't just easy — it's automatic. Season after season, Starstruck keeps painting a portrait of love, life, friendship and chaos that's both clear-eyed and rosily affectionate, complete with fleshed-out and lived-in performances that embrace the fact that every person and every romance has flaws and joys in tandem. This far in, Jessie, Tom, Kate, their pals and partners are as rich and resonant as any group of long-term friends and acquaintances on-screen and -off. Matafeo, Patel, Sidi and their co-stars' efforts are also that emotionally honest. Everything about Starstruck keeps evolving, too, other than how stellar it has always been. Check out the trailer for Starstruck season three below: Starstruck season three streams in Australia via ABC iView from 9.30pm on Wednesday, September 6, and in New Zealand via TVNZ+ from 8.30pm on Saturday, September 2. Starstruck's first and second seasons are also available to stream in Australia via ABC iView and in New Zealand via TVNZ+. Read our full review of Starstruck's first season — and our full review of its second season, too. Images: Mark Johnson/HBO Max.
Sydney Festival is nearly upon us, but this year's massive program isn't just about arts and culture — the 2020 instalment will do its part toward bushfire relief, too. The festival has just announced that it a Bushfire Appeal fundraising concert will take over the Metro Theatre on Saturday, January 11, and it has one helluva lineup of live acts. Headlining the night are two 90s cult favourites: Brisbane-based rock band Regurgitator (which is in town for its kids show Pogogo Show) and indie group Custard. Also on the bill is alt-rock artist Dan Sultan and local Sydney favourites The Neptune Power Federation, Polish Club and Art vs. Science. [caption id="attachment_756703" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Custard[/caption] Tickets will cost $50 a pop, with all proceeds going toward Red Cross Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Appeal and WIRES. All of the artists, crew and suppliers have also volunteered their services for the night — which is set to be one of the best collab rock performances of the year. Apart from the one-off concert, Sydney Festival will continue to focus its program-wide fundraising efforts toward bushfire relief. This will include collections at several of the festival's largest events, including at Symphony Under the Stars in Parramatta and Architects of Air's inflatable labyrinth. Heaps of other major venues — most notably the Sydney Opera House — will run charity collections post-performance too, so keep an eye out as you explore the festival this January.
Something delightful is happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are starting to reopen — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney and Brisbane (and, until the newly reinstated stay-at-home orders, Melbourne as well). During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made over the past three months, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLV63nrXYSY&feature=youtu.be DAVID ATTENBOROUGH: A LIFE ON OUR PLANET Since the early 1950s, David Attenborough's stunningly shot documentaries have been awash with revelatory sights and detailed insights from the natural world, sharing the kind of wonders that eager audiences would be unlikely to see or discover themselves otherwise. Seven decades later, after becoming a constant, respected and beloved presence in the field, the now 94-year-old's passionate and vibrant work has earned its place in history several times over — but it might also become a record of a world, and of natural history, that's lost due to climate change. With this in mind, and to motivate a response to combat both global warming and the catastrophic loss of biodiversity blighting the environment, the great broadcaster presents David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet. On offer: an urgent and far-ranging exploration of how our pale blue dot evolved to its current state, what might be in store if we continue down this path, and how and why things could and should change. Determined in his tone, the veteran natural historian calls the documentary his witness statement several times within its frames, and it's as powerful and devastating as intended. Bookended by scenes in Chernobyl that are initially designed to illustrate what can happen ecologically when bad planning and human error combine — a situation that, Attenborough posits, applies to climate change as well — A Life On Our Planet is both broad and intricate, and personal and political too. Cycling through the earth's life to-date to provide a snapshot of the planet's predicament, it delivers a comprehensive overview, a raft of telling facts and figures, and a plethora of reflections from its central figure. It also features the now-requisite array of eye-catching footage that Attenborough's hefty body of work has long become known for, served up here to not only revel in its glory and showcase his exceptional career, but to demonstrate what's fading away due to humanity's impact upon the globe. Accordingly, it's impossible not to be moved by the film. If viewers won't listen to Attenborough on this topic, and as he explains what he's seen and where he sees things heading, then they probably won't listen to anyone. In the documentary's latter third, A Life On Our Planet follows in the footsteps of Australian doco 2040, too, by pondering how the world might adapt for the better — and again, if that doesn't motivate action, what will? David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet opens in Australian cinemas on Monday, September 28, with a chat between David Attenborough and Michael Palin screening with the film. The documentary only hits Netflix on Sunday, October 4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAxtH_xwlnM THE HIGH NOTE With 2019's Late Night, filmmaker Nisha Ganatra stepped inside the world of television, contrasting the journeys of a hardworking woman just starting out and a celebrated but stern female veteran of the field who is unsure of what she wants for the future. Switch the setup to the music business, then swap Mindy Kaling's smart Late Night screenplay for a thoroughly by-the-numbers affair by first-timer Flora Greeson, and The High Note is the end result. In this overtly formulaic feature, lifelong music buff Maggie Sherwoode (Dakota Johnson) is a committed and overworked personal assistant to 11-time Grammy-winning R&B superstar Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross). She's also an aspiring producer who's working on a record with up-and-coming musician, David Cliff (Kelvin Harrison Jr), on the side. Maggie toils away at a demanding gig, albeit for a legend, but clearly dreams of more than merely ferrying her idol around town, picking up her dry cleaning and administering enemas on tour. With Grace's latest string of shows wrapping up, a live greatest hits album in the works and no new music released for some time, the singer herself also wants something different; however long-time manager Jack (Ice Cube) is trying to push Grace towards the easy money of a ten-year Las Vegas residency. There's much that's likeable here, including the soundtrack and the cast. The former spans both new tracks and vintage hits (including an appealing singalong to TLC's 'No Scrubs', and Harrison Jr crooning 1957 classic 'You Send Me' by the king of soul Sam Cooke), while the latter is The High Note's best asset. If only the impressive roster of on-screen talent were working with better material. As well as hitting every obvious note and delivering an awful (and predictable) soap opera-esque twist late in the game, The High Note lacks the resonant commentary that made Late Night as clever and savvy as it was amusing and affecting. The fact that it isn't easy being a woman in music isn't ignored here, but it's pointed out via generic lines of dialogue that simply sound like throwaway soundbites. The reality that both ageism and racism blight the industry too, and that a hugely successful Black woman over 40 still gets ignored by those calling the shots, receives the same cursory treatment. Indeed, The High Note is more content to keep any statements as superficial and easy as a disposable pop song, and to serve up as standard a feel-good fairy tale about chasing one's dreams as an algorithm would probably spit out. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas, check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on July 2, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30; August 6, August 13, August 20 and August 27; and September 3, September 10 and September 17. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as The Personal History of David Copperfield, Waves, The King of Staten Island, Babyteeth, Deerskin, Peninsula, Tenet, Les Misérables, The New Mutants, Bill & Ted Face the Music, The Translators and An American Pickle.
For a month in autumn, Scenic World in the Blue Mountains will transform its stunning rainforest surrounds into a spectacular outdoor gallery. Over 35 artworks from local, national and international artists will adorn the green floors and walls of the ancient rainforest. As you meander along the 2.4km Scenic Walkway, you'll see interactive installations and subtle artworks that blend seamlessly into the environment, as well as loud masterpieces with bold statements that standout. Get the adrenalin pumping by taking the world's steepest passenger train, the Scenic Railway, to the walkway. And, if you want even more excitement, head to the glass-bottomed Scenic Skyway — an invigorating ride on the 270-metre high cablecar that takes in some of the mountains' most spectacular vistas, including the Jamison Valley and Katoomba Falls. To complete your journey (of literal highs and lows) make a visit to Sculpture Otherwise, an exhibition of smaller sculptures held at the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre.
Finding a job you're passionate about isn't always easy, but turning to your hobbies and interests for study and career inspiration is a great start. There are many benefits to building a career you love. According to research by Yale professor Dr Amy Wrzesniewski, people who orient their work around a 'calling' rather than seeing their job as purely a transaction for money, tend to be more satisfied with their work and lives overall. Here are five ways to connect what you love to a study option that will steer you towards an enriching career. What's more, these options can all be studied online through Open Universities Australia, which partners with universities across Australia to bring you over 150 degrees and 1300 subjects. [caption id="attachment_660244" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Casey Fiesler.[/caption] YOU LOVE: LISTENING TO TRUE CRIME PODCASTS Consider Studying: Criminal Justice with University of South Australia or Criminology and Criminal Justice with Griffith University Serial, S-Town, Dirty John, My Favourite Murder — everyone loves a good true crime podcast. But if you like taking things that extra mile — analysing the cases from all angles on Reddit — you could consider pursuing this passion outside of conspiracy forums. Angered by wrongful convictions? Discover how the criminal justice system works with a Bachelor of Criminal Justice with University of South Australia. Or are you more curious about theories behind who commits crime and why? If the human side appeals to you more than the technical side of law, explore a Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice with Griffith University. YOU LOVE: BLOGGING ABOUT FOOD, FITNESS AND HEALTH Consider Studying: Food and Nutrition with La Trobe University Your friends may laugh at you photographing your every açaí bowl for Insta, but it turns out you may be onto something. Aussies spend $8.5 billion a year on gym memberships, sports equipment and fitness crazes, which means if you're thinking about a career in health and fitness, there is plenty of demand. It's difficult to turn a passion for food and fitness into a viable career without some sort of credentials. Stand out from the Fitspo crowd with a Bachelor of Food and Nutrition with La Trobe University — you'll learn how to separate spurious health claims of the weight-loss tea variety from evidence-based claims supported by actual research. [caption id="attachment_670821" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Atsuko Sato: Doge.[/caption] YOU LOVE: SCROLLING MEMES, REDDIT AND VIRAL INTERNET CONTENT Consider Studying: Internet Communications with Curtin University Believe it or not, being a lover of all things meme, subreddit and retweet related is a legitimate interest that you can turn into work. To go from your average Internet humour consumer to a better than average content producer, check out a Bachelor of Arts (Internet Communications) with Curtin University. You'll level up your skills in creating, maintaining and managing online communications. In today's increasingly digital world, these are useful abilities to have. YOU LOVE: SAVING THE PLANET Consider Studying: Sustainable Development with Murdoch University You were the first to bust out a KeepCup, and you spend your time at parties explaining to strangers why the huge plastic island forming in the Pacific Ocean is a huge deal. Because without the planet, nothing else matters right? To really make a difference, learn how to transform your personal passion for environmental issues into broader policy changes and strategies. A Bachelor of Arts with a major in Sustainable Development with Murdoch University will give you a deeper understanding of the issues and help you influence sustainable policies in government and the private sector. [caption id="attachment_636262" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Bec Taylor.[/caption] YOU LOVE: GOING TO CULTURAL EVENTS Consider Studying: Society and Culture with Macquarie University If you like spending as much of your spare time as possible visiting museums, art galleries and music festivals, there are a myriad of ways you can turn your penchant for all things culture into an actual job. Studying a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Society and Culture with Macquarie University is a good option. Learn how to critically analyse society and culture, expose yourself to different ideas, and empower yourself to work in an arena related to your interests. Explore all the degrees on offer from Open Universities Australia and turn your passions into an actual career.
Thanks to an unfortunately timed COVID-19 outbreak, this year's edition of the Emerging Writers' Festival will take place entirely online. But if you're a devourer of books, you can rest assured it's still set to deliver a hefty lineup of talks, workshops, panels and more. Running from June 16–June 26, the all-digital program has events for all varieties of lit-lover — from After Dark, a night of live-streamed performance headlined by emerging stars like Wai-Mun Mah, Christy Tan, Jesse Oliver and Penny Smits, to a short story masterclass led by the award-winning Alice Bishop. Streamed via YouTube, Next Big Thing will feature readings from some of the country's hottest up-and-coming talent, while Littlefoot & Co heads up a night of spoken word on June 24. Plus, EWF favourite Amazing Babes will see a cast of familiar faces sharing stories about the women, real and imagined, who've helped shape their lives. The National Writers' Conference will also run as planned, with a full-day online program of panels, talks, workshops and pitching sessions. It's also your chance to hear from EWF's 2021 ambassadors, including poet and editor Elena Gomez (Body of Work), activist and novelist Tony Birch (Ghost River), and non-fiction star Sisonke Msimang (Always Another Country: A Memoir of Exile and Home). [caption id="attachment_811529" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sisonke Msimang[/caption]
Usually when a festival dedicated to espresso martinis pops up, it takes over one place. Such boozy fests only tend to run for a day or so, or a weekend, too. But one of Australia's big hospitality chains is ditching both of those norms, because this drink needs a whole week and more than 200 pubs countrywide to truly get buzzing. Who needs sleep when there's caffeinated cocktails to sip and celebrate? The event: ALH Hotels' Espresso Martini Festival, which'll take over venues in a heap of states including New South Wales from Monday, March 13–Sunday, March 19. If you're wondering why, the reason is the same that most food- or drink-themed fests pop up. Yes, there's an occasion dedicated to the beverage in question, with World Espresso Martini Day upon us on Wednesday, March 15. For the week around the espresso martini-fuelled date, ALH Hotels will pour $14 Grey Goose espresso martinis no matter what time you drop by. Fancy a pick-me-up over lunch? After-work bevvies with your colleagues? A cruisy weekend session giving you some extra perk? They're all options — just don't expect to be tired afterwards. Among the venues taking part in NSW, Sydneysiders can hit up the Summer Hill Hotel, Kirribilli Hotel, New Brighton Hotel, The Ranch and Harlequin Inn.
