Before European invasion, the Parramatta River was flanked with mangrove forests. These days, many of them are gone, but, on Badu Mangrove Boardwalk, you can still surround yourself with trees that are centuries old. Wandering among the twisting branches and above water roots, you'll also see the many creatures that call mangroves home, from crabs to cormorants. Be sure to wander north to the waterbird refuge to see all sorts of birds, including Australian pelicans, black-winged stilts and sharp-tailed sandpipers. Take your binoculars with you. Image: City of Parramatta
Thanks to a plan to turn Sydney into a 24-hour city, its laneways, streets and car parks are being transformed into al fresco dining havens. Following the City of Sydney's announcement of this outdoor dining scheme, precincts around the CBD have begun spilling out onto the streets. First up was The Rocks, and now Darling Harbour has been given the al fresco treatment. This community recovery plan aims to reactivate the CBD and other local precincts by making it easier than ever for venues to offer outdoor dining, late-night trading and live music. A whopping 22 venues are participating in the al fresco dining pilot across Darling Quarter, Darling Harbour and Cockle Bay. Those include fan favourites like craft brew bar Bucket Boys, soba specialists Iiko Mazesoba, Shanghainese restaurant Lilong, ramen joint Hakata-Maru, the longstanding Pumphouse, Korean fried chicken shop Arisun and sushi spot Umi. The much-loved Dopa by Devon is getting in on the action, too, offering up half-priced dessert specials alongside its outdoor dining (weekdays 3–5pm, second dessert only). Then, over at The Gardens by Lotus, there is bottomless yum cha every weekend for $69 each. [caption id="attachment_790302" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lilong by Dallas Kilponen[/caption] A few of the restaurants have also set up summery activations in their newly expanded outdoor spaces. At Planar, there's a picnic-style dining area, complete with a floral swing installation, cushioned bench seating and $10 pomegranate spritzes during happy hour (3–6pm daily). Cyren Bar Grill Seafood has its own summer-themed space, and Braza Churrascaria has reinstated its Brazilian dancers for outdoor entertainment. Even more live entertainment is on the docket across Cockle Bay, Darling Quarter and along the Harbour, with acts on every Thursday through Sunday from 5–9pm. To achieve this al fresco goal CBD-wide, the government bodies are working together to cut red tape for businesses to easily reclaim outdoor space. Soon enough, you'll begin to see many more parking spots, traffic lanes and footpaths turned into outdoor dining — with activations across Pitt, Barrack and Crown streets, and Tankstream Way and Wilmot Lane all currently in the works. For more information about the al fresco dining plan, head to the Darling Harbour website.
So far, 2022 has been the year of Wordle — of waking up, busting out your best five-letter guesses over your morning coffee, bragging about your prowess online, getting annoyed about American spelling and grumbling about changes since The New York Times took over the popular game, too. But come March, it'll also be the year of Celebrity Letters and Numbers for the second year running, because SBS is bringing back the star-studded version of its initial 2010–12 hit that first debuted last year. Whether you watched along back when famous folks weren't doing the puzzling, you've been hooked to repeats of old episodes over the past ten years or you jumped onboard when Celebrity Letters and Numbers premiered in 2021, there's no denying the joys of this simple but delightful game show. It celebrates clever contestants doing word and number brain-teasers, each episode has an engagingly low-key vibe — all while still remaining tense as competitors try to work out the right answers, of course — and it's very easy and immensely enjoyable to play along with from home. Accordingly, it's no wonder that SBS has made a second season of its new starry format, which'll start airing on SBS and via SBS On Demand from Saturday, March 5. Comedian Michael Hing is still on hosting duties, after taking over from the OG version's Richard Morecroft. Lily Serna is also returning to flip numbers and show off her maths skills, while David Astle will again tell contestants whether they've found real words or just made them up, all with his trusty dictionary in hand — as they've both done since before Letters and Numbers had an extra word at the beginning of its moniker. As happened during season one of Celebrity Letters and Numbers, they'll be joined by three different well-known faces and a special guest each week, some vying for glory and others sitting with Astle in dictionary corner — with season two set to feature Merrick Watts, Ben Law, Tanya Hennessy, Akmal Saleh, Susie Youssef and Aaron Chen, among others. And, this new run of episodes will again span an hour each, and feature 12 instalments. Making words out of nine randomly selected letters, using six also randomly chosen numbers in equations to reach a set figure, and rearranging a jumble of nine more letters into one lengthy word in the final round — that's still all on the bill, naturally, because it wouldn't be any version of Letters and Numbers otherwise. And yes, to answer the obvious question: this is basically SBS's Aussie version of the great 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown (which SBS also airs, so it clearly knows that it's ace). Letters and Numbers, both with and without celebs, owes a big debt to a few European shows, in fact. When it first aired sans comedians more than a decade ago, the original Letters and Numbers took its cues from both French TV's Des chiffres et des lettres, which dates back to 1965 — and also from Britain's Countdown, which has been on the air since 1982, and then inspired 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. Check out the trailer for season two of Celebrity Letters and Numbers below: The second season of Celebrity Letters and Numbers will start airing on SBS and via SBS On Demand from Saturday, March 5, with new episodes dropping weekly.
No longer a mere science-fiction movie concept or a gag in The Simpsons' Stonecutter's song, electric cars have slowly been riding their way into greater use. Last year, Tesla started production on its first mass-market electric vehicles — and, for those planning a road trip in Queensland, Australians now have an 'electric super highway' to drive them along. While the name sounds like something your grandparents might say — and will likely bring back cringeworthy memories of calling the internet the 'information super highway' — the idea itself is worth getting buzzed about. Over the past six months, the State Government has installed 17 electric vehicle charging stations between the Gold Coast and Cairns, enabling electric car drivers to trek the length of the state. Apart from the fact that the highway is the longest in one state in the entire world, as Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey announced, it mightn't sound like that big a deal; however, one of the crucial aspects of using an electric car is being able to juice them up. Regular cars need petrol, electric cars need power — it makes sense. That's all well and good if you're only driving close to home, but if you want to take your electric ride further afield, you need somewhere to plug them in. A network of fast-charging stations, which will power up vehicles in around 30 minutes, solves that issue. For those dreaming of an electric road trip, stations are located in Cairns, Tully, Townsville, Bowen, Mackay, Carmila, Marlborough, Rockhampton, Miriam Vale, Childers, Maryborough, Cooroy, Brisbane, Coolangatta, Springfield, Gatton and Toowoomba — with an 18th to come in Helensvale after the Commonwealth Games. They're also available for free for an initial phase, in an even bigger attempt to encourage more car owners to make the switch.
What date was Beethoven born? What was Jimmy Barnes' surname at birth? What is Taylor Swift's favourite number? Whether you're an expert in 18th-century classical music or 21st-century pop, you now have a new way to show off your knowledge. Music trivia has landed at Baptist Street Rec. Club in Redfern. Every Tuesday night, from 7pm in the trophy room, Colin Delaney is asking round after round of questions on everything and everyone in music. There are no limitations on genres, artists or periods. While you're working your brain, you'll be listening to a rotating playlist of bangers — from pop, rock and country to hip hop, indie and R&B. Plus, music trivia coincides with Pad Thai Tuesday, letting you take your pick of chicken, beef or pork for $15. Head along as part of a team of up to seven, or fly solo (and prove that one head is better than many). Either way, excellent prizes are up for grabs.
If it's been a while between visits to Chippendale, you may notice a few changes next time you drive up Regent Street. A strip of colourful brick-fronted townhouses has been demolished to make way for the multibillion-dollar Sydney Metro project, cabbie favourite Michael's Malaysian & Chinese Restaurant is gone and, in its place, a bright red neon sign has appeared. The sign belongs to Manny's, a matchstick-sized diner, whose pizza by the slice and juicy philly cheesesteaks are sure to be a hit with punters leaving Freda's and The Lord Gladstone in the wee hours. Run by Evan Hansimikali, who also owns the attached petrol station, Manny's opens from 6.30am on weekdays, for coffee and B&E rolls, all the way through to 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. So, if you do stumble out of one of the aforementioned establishments after witching hour, you'll be able to grab a $5 slice of thin-crust New York-style pizza topped with double-smoked leg ham and artichoke, perhaps, or cabanossi and pepperoni. Vegan night owls are catered for, too, with about 40 percent of the menu meat- and dairy-free. Their late-night slice of choice might be topped with vegan cheese, potato and rosemary, instead. With only three seats, Manny's is more of a takeaway joint, and it knows this. A delivery service is in the works, it's setting up a happy hour deal with Freda's and it's primed for meals on-the-run, able to turn out a cheesesteak in a minute. And those cheesesteaks sound like they're more than worth the 60-second wait. To replicate the popular PA sangas, Hansimikali has hoagie-like rolls — a cross between baguettes and panini, he says— custom-made for him by Sydney's Fuel Bakery. Then, there's the all-important meat. "We use grass-fed scotch fillet steak," says Hansimikali. "We thinly slice it and throw it on the hot plate. It's so thin it falls apart in your mouth." After that, the rolls are loaded with American cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo. Some are also topped with meatball sauce and provolone, others eggplant and green peppers. They're not traditional, but Manny's isn't following any rulebook too closely. While the food is predominantly Italo-American, you'll also find Greek influences scattered throughout. One cheesesteak comes topped with tzatziki, you'll spot a hot dog with black olives and feta, and you can order fries covered in chilli and garlicky yoghurt. Cabbies might no longer be lining up for the Regent Street restaurant, but it looks like Ubers and personal cars will be soon, with plans for one of the petrol station lanes to be converted into a 'drive-thru'. Next time you're looking for fast meal beyond the Golden Arches, Manny's may be your answer.
It was the follow-up that had to happen. The sequel we crossed everything for. After gaining viral status and worldwide applause for her 2013 book Shake, photographer Carli Davidson is back with a brand new series to follow her comical, high-speed images of dogs mid-shakedown. Yep, you guessed it. This time, it's cats. Shake Cats is the brand new book from Davidson, who actually took the photos of cats shaking themselves dry back in 2011, at the same time as taking the Shake dog photos. "I had originally thought I would do cats and dogs in the same book, but looking back I think it was best to give each animal its own book so their unique features could be highlighted," says Davidson. Shooting with Nikon D4s at a very rapid frame rate, this animal-loving photographer shot close to 100 cats for the series, including her own cat Yushi and hectic cat celeb Lil' Bub. Almost all of the cat models are local Portlandians, or from rescue shelters. In addition to the shake shoot, Davidson would get a pretty headshot of the kitty for the rescue shelter to post on their website — and most of these cats were adopted almost immediately as a result. "Taking a good photo of an animal in a shelter can go a long way to help that cat or dog find a home. So much of rescue is done online; people pick out a pet before they even get to the shelter. They fall in love online with an expression, so capturing that personality in a photo is really important." So how exactly did Davidson get those money shots? How do you make a cat shake itself clean (we're pretty sure you're asking yourself this question daily)? Simple, you pamper them like crazy. "Getting the cats to shake was actually more of a grooming process than a waiting game. We basically treated the shoot like a mini grooming session with lots of treats and cat cuddles... Ear cleanings are what generally caused the shake to happen, I just had to be ready." Apparently the cats weren't too hard to wrangle either — apparently they couldn't get enough of the warm studio lights. Cuuuute. It goes without saying that Davidson's tapped into social media's favourite thing, cats and dogs. But this animal-lover sees more in internet kitties than a grumpy face. "Cats are popular because they are awesome, independent thinkers and humans love to worship them. We have been worshipping them as spiritual icons for 10,000 years," she says. "The rise of the cat back into worship status on the Internet seems natural if you look at their historic significance... Cats combat internet negativity with their sheer visual presence." Shake Cats is out now via Harper Design, available to purchase from Booktopia. All images courtesy Carli Davidson with permission.
When you spend 12 days hopping between Sydney's cinemas trying to watch as many movies as possible, you learn a few things. You learn that some films demand a second viewing, that Twilight stars keep making ace post-vampire-romance choices, and that there's a whole heap of people that are really rather fond of chickens. You also learn that simply watching tourists walk around can be both heartbreaking and revealing, that some Netflix flicks demand the big screen treatment, and that the Australian film industry should have a new multicultural hit on its hand. And, you realise that Sydney Film Festival is the best time of year for the city's movie lovers — but, you already knew that, didn't you? Our film critics Sarah Ward and Tom Clift discovered all of the above at this year's SFF, and, now they've emerged from their massive movie marathon, they've shared the results. Whittling down their huge viewing lists to these 12 standouts, here's what they loved, were surprised by and utterly embraced the strangeness of — that is, the best, weirdest and most unexpected films of the 2017 Sydney Film Festival. BEST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT9m2huUTgA ALI'S WEDDING If there's any justice, the delightful Ali's Wedding will be one of the breakout hits of 2017. Inspired by the disastrous arranged marriage of screenwriter and lead actor Osamah Sami, the film, which has been billed as Australia's first Muslim rom-com, follows a young man who must navigate the expectations of his religious community after falling in love with a woman other than his betrothed. Shot in and around Melbourne, the movie is at once a vital portrait of life in multicultural Australia, a deeply moving love story, and one of the funniest local productions of the past few years. It's in cinemas in August. Tell your friends. — Tom Clift https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVyGCxHZ_Ko GOOD TIME Folks, thank the film gods for Twilight. Do it. Without it, we wouldn't have two of today's most talented actors making such interesting — and excellent — projects. SFF 2016 might've been all about Kristen Stewart, but SFF 2014 guest Robert Pattinson jumps back into the festival's spotlight with Good Time. The fast-paced flick mightn't offer a good time for his character, a low-level crim running around New York trying to rustle up some cash to get his brother out of jail after a bank robbery, but it's a mighty good time for audiences. Directing duo Josh and Ben Safdie (the latter of which also stars as Pattinson's brother) ramp up the energy and tension, shoot with gritty vividness, and bring Jennifer Jason Leigh and Captain Phillips Oscar nominee Barkhad Abdi along for the ride. And then there's the pulsating score — trust us, Oneohtrix Point Never won the soundtrack award at this year's Cannes Film Festival for a damn good reason. — Sarah Ward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A95a94CVxlg THE BEGUILED With The Beguiled, Sofia Coppola won a directing gong at Cannes, making her the first woman in more than 50 years to do so. After viewing the film at this year's Sydney Film Festival, it's easy to understand why. An immaculately shot Southern gothic thriller, the movie takes place in an all-girls boarding school during the dying days of the American Civil War, where life is suddenly thrown into turmoil by the arrival of a wounded Yankee soldier. Seething with sexual tension, and surprisingly funny, The Beguiled also benefits from an absolutely stellar cast, with Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning and Colin Farrell all operating at the top of their game. — TC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui92Scs8Mns A GHOST STORY A Ghost Story is always going to be known as that film where Casey Affleck stands around underneath a sheet. And, that description is apt. Reuniting this year's Manchester by the Sea best actor Oscar winner with his Ain't Them Bodies Saints co-star Rooney Mara and writer/director David Lowery (also of Pete's Dragon), he does just that after his character is killed — but, if you didn't think it'd make for one of the best movies of the year so far, think again. Moody and minimalistic (as a costume anyone could make gives away), the film breathes new (after)life into the idea of haunted houses in a thoughtful and emotion-filled manner. As Affleck's ghost lurks, the movie offers up an astute understanding of how mourning and memories linger over time, and remain forever intertwined with certain places. — SW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgDhpy9Z-NM A FANTASTIC WOMAN A Fantastic Woman? Yes, this sensitive drama places one front and centre. A fantastic film? You bet. After using a compassionate gaze to explore the world of an older lady trying to find happiness in Gloria, Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Lelio turns his attention to Marina (Daniela Vega), a waitress and singer whose life is thrown into disarray when tragedy strikes. The family of her much older lover is horrified, judging her transgender status rather than daring to let her into their lives — or let her mourn. The movie doesn't make the same mistake, in an effort that proves empathetic and engaging from start to finish, complete with an exceptional lead performance and one perfect song cue. — SW CALL ME BY YOUR NAME We were mighty excited about Call Me By Your Name when it screened at Sundance, we loved it at the Berlinale, and we still love it now. Oh boy, does Luca Guadagnino's (A Bigger Splash) latest and best feature to date more than deliver. Let us put it this way: when you're watching a 17-year-old become infatuated with his father's handsome research assistant, played by Armie Hammer, you're feeling every single emotion he's feeling. And, you're falling head over heels for everything about this masterpiece as well. Call Me By Your Name is the kind of effort that couldn't be more seductive, from the sumptuous sights of its scenic Italian setting to the summertime heat — and sizzling sentiments to match — that radiate from the screen. Keep an eye on Timothée Chalamet, too, who plays the teenager in question. If this movie is any guide, he should become one of cinema's next big things. — SW WEIRDEST https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojoVppEADyU OKJA Very few filmmakers would even conceive of a movie as unusual as Okja. And perhaps only South Korea's Bong Joon-ho, who previously helmed Snowpiercer, would be able to pull it off. A Netflix production about a precocious little girl who must save her hippopotamus-sized 'super pig' from a nefarious multinational, the film is a scathing corporate satire wrapped up in a rollicking adventure — and despite outward appearances, it is definitely not suitable for children. Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano and Jake Gyllenhaal lead an impressive English-speaking cast, but the real star is South Korean newcomer Ahn Seo-hyeon, as well as the flawless special effects that bring her enormous friend to life. As strangely wonderful as it is wonderfully strange, Okja is well worth your attention when it hits Netflix at the end of June. — TC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw3fHdL_D68 THE SQUARE Sometimes, films prove odd purely due to the way they approach their topic. Sometimes, it's the little things — having Elisabeth Moss' character share her apartment with a chimpanzee — for example. This year's Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or winner, The Square does both, as well as litter its frames with performance art that's both intentionally staged and organically shows how the boundaries between life and theatricality can all-too-easily blur. At face value, it's a satire of the creative world, but everything about the society surrounding contemporary art galleries comes under the microscope in what proves a dense and disarming effort. Director Ruben Östlund last made audiences squirm with relationship drama Force Majeure, and he's up to his brilliant tricks again here, as aided by a standout lead performance by Danish actor Claes Bang. — SW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjA7irNL-no CHICKEN PEOPLE Who would have guessed that one of the year's most emotional movies would be set in the high stakes world of competitive chicken rearing? Directed by Nicole Lucas Haimes, Chicken People chronicles a year in the life of three diehard chicken breeders as they prepare their best birds for the prestigious Ohio National Poultry Show. Like the best documentaries about obsessive individuals, the film is funny without ever making fun of its subjects. By the time the end credits roll, you'll be a chicken person too. — TC MOST UNEXPECTED https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSv99sd_A5o AUSTERLITZ On paper, Austerlitz sounds oh-so-simple. Filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa places his camera at certain spots throughout two former German concentration camps, lets it roll, and records tourists as they walk through the sites. He doesn't offer move his frame to follow or zoom in on anyone, provide explanatory voiceover or intertitles, or direct the audience's attention in any way. That means you're forced to peer and probe, and to see and scrutinise, as these visitors wander through places known for such horrific atrocities while wearing "Cool Story Bro" shirts and staring at their mobile phones. Prepare to draw plenty of conclusions about and insights into human nature from their ordinary exploits, including many that you won't expect. — SW BETTER WATCH OUT Picket fences, a blonde babysitter and a psychotic killer: on paper Better Watch Out sounds like the most stereotypical slasher movie imaginable. And for most of its first act, it is. But just when you think you've seen it all before, the film pivots wildly and suddenly all bets are off. Mixing genuine scares with knowing black humour — not to mention some pretty spot on commentary about how young men and boys are conditioned to think about women — this US-Australia co-production from writer-director Chris Peckover is one of the best meta horror films we've seen in quite some time. — TC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0xDZy8ejTk BRIGSBY BEAR There's a reason that Brigsby Bear made SFF's top five audience favourites this year — and it's not just because, having voted Ali's Wedding and Call Me By Your Name into the top two spots, festival attendees clearly have great taste. Rarely has a movie been so endearingly earnest without ever overplaying its hand, or devolving into triteness or schmaltz, particularly one that toys around with such a been-there, seen-that, still-living-it topic as pop culture obsession. Following a grown man still attached to his favourite TV show for reasons best discovered by watching, the film from Saturday Night Live writer/director Dave McCary and performer Kyle Mooney will make you want to give it the biggest hug possible. Mark Hamill, Claire Danes, Greg Kinnear and Andy Samberg also pop up, but Mooney and his furry best friend well and truly steal the show. — SW By Sarah Ward and Tom Clift.
This article is part of our series profiling the perfect Brisbane weekends of the city's creative personalities. Brisbane is a place that embodies exactly what Queensland is about: the sun, the outdoors and wearing flip flops all year round. It's the kind of city that has so much on offer but, a lot of time, the best finds are passed along through word of mouth. So where do you hear about the best of Brisbane? From a local, of course. Over the next few weeks, we're speaking to some of the most switched-on Brisbane creatives we could find for the low-down on the secret haunts where they spend their weekends. First up, it's architect and event organiser Morgan Jenkins (below left). "I love living in Brisbane because it’s got a sense of humour as a city," he says. "I don't think it could ever take itself too seriously in the climate that we live in. We live outside for the majority of the year and the ocean and the ranges are just a short drive away. There's a lot of great stuff starting to happen because instead of complaining about things, interesting people are investing their time into doing interesting things." This enterprising spirit is shared by Morgan, who created The End of the Line festival, which celebrates the eclectic area of Woolloongabba. "It’s a really different area to anywhere else in Brisbane — it is a real mishmash of a neighbourhood which has always been a convergence point for a huge number of different urban networks," he says. Planning is currently underway for the next End of the Line Festival, which will be held on October 24. Outside of going to that, here are Morgan's five steps to the perfect Brisbane weekend. To experience them for yourself, head to the Visit Brisbane website and get booking. SURF AT NORTH STRADBROKE ISLAND I’d start with a surf at North Stradbroke Island. The ferry is only a 30-minute drive from my house in Woolloongabba. This is one of my favourite spots on the planet. Leaving the mainland, even for a couple of hours, is often much needed after the week of work. BREAKFAST AT PEARL CAFE Pearl Cafe is a pearler of a cafe in Woolloongabba. The little Logan Road cul-de-sac is just a short stroll from where I live and it's my go-to for an easy weekend outing. The food is hearty but contemporary, so you might end up having duck eggs and bacon for breakfast. BEERS AT THE BOWLS CLUB Warm afternoons definitely call for beers and a spot of bowls at Merthyr Bowls Club on the river. This is the perfect place to enjoy living in our city as it's outside in the sun, right on the river and it has an incredible relaxed atmosphere (at 1970s prices). DINNER AT CROSSTOWN EATING HOUSE Do dinner at Crosstown Eating House in Woolloongabba. This place has always been my go-to dinner destination locally. Relaxed dining but really unpretentious, great service and food quality, good tunes and a good atmosphere. SEE A LIVE GIG A weekend isn't complete without live music somewhere: a small gig at The End in West End, something mellow at The Tivoli or The Triffid, or something a bit heavier at The Zoo. These places are all golden venues for live music and a good time. Book your own Queensland weekender at the Visit Brisbane website or follow them through the Visit Brisbane Facebook page or Twitter at @VisitBrisbane and hashtag #brisbaneanyday. Top image: Pearl Cafe by night.
LOU HELLIWELL AND ALEX DE BONIS know that they're awesome. They know, because they found "you're awesome" written on a brown paper bag they got from the aptly-titled Awesome Foundation. It was for their new Oxford Street Design Store which — like the Paper Mill before it — is taking one of the City of Sydney's empty spaces and turning it into a den of art, design and cool, printed stuff. Out back, they're planning for talks, a convention, workspace and even a little education. To get a closer look, Concrete Playground sat down to chat with Alex and Lou, and checked out a typical day in their new shopfront. One of the first nights Lou Haliwell tried to close up the new Design Store, she found herself locked in. The big, heavy roller door out front popped off its runners and fell down loose onto the floor, too heavy for her to lift back up again. There's no back door. I'm stuck. she thought, I have to sleep here. Working it open a little, using a chair, she got outside and began contemplating how on earth she was going to finish locking up. Just then, a young tradie walked by. He demanded, exasperated: "What've you done now?" Lou was bewildered. But, with his help, she got the door lifted back onto its runners. He gave her a little kiss on the cheek and wandered away into the night. She never saw him again, but thanks to him she was able to go home. The weirdest thing in this story is not that he turned up out of nowhere to help out. It's how normal these unsolicited offers of aid have become since Lou and Alex started up the Store. Everybody comes in wanting to do something. And meeting this pair of professional designers in person, it's easy to understand why. Their excitement and enthusiasm about the Store is palpable. You hear them talk about the designers who've turned up to sell things here, or the events they have planned for the venue space out back. You start wanting to help out yourself. Normally the door goes up at midday. Customers wander in, a designer might wander out the back to sketch in the venue space, which is full of desks this time of day (a chair is rented out at $3 an hour, including WiFi). Lou or Alex settle behind the counter. Today it's Alex. Both of them came from the quieter end of town. Alex from Campbelltown and Lou from Leeds, near Manchester, in the UK. They met while they both worked as designers in a well-respected Sydney studio. They found themselves complaining to each other that women's design work here didn't get the respect it deserved. So they decided to do something about it. Starting the blog Tough Titties, they highlighted Australian women's work in art and design. Only last year, they were nervously hosting the blog's first exhibition. Now they have a store. The Store had a similarly casual start. Originally a Secret Garden proposal that got turned down, they read about submissions for the City of Sydney's empty spaces on Oxford Street and decided to send in a submission along the same lines. The City of Sydney loved the idea. It's a first for both. Neither had done blogs before, nor an exhibition, nor retail. This, Alex reckons, is a recurring motif. "Most of the things we've done are a first-time thing." You'd never know that from the quality of their range. T-shirts, posters, jewellery, zines and even local ice-cream fill the showroom. The shop sells things for up to $20, funding its essentially non-profit operation with a 25% commission. The two halves of the shop are divided by a sturdy, see-through cardboard partition. Next to it, a louvred chalkboard along the Store's side wall will soon fill up with the week's upcoming events. At the time of writing, the program was still on the verge of starting. However, there's already talk of getting together a skating film night, Jess Scully from Vivid Ideas is planning to organise fortnightly how-to talks and a Sydney chapter Melbourne's 'un-conference conference', Trampoline, is imminent in April. The idea is to bring the disparate elements of Sydney's art and design communities together, without getting cliquey. Alex puts it more succinctly: "We're like a dating service." While there's already a rush to do and sell things at the Store, getting the practical side of the Store together was a bit harder. The City of Sydney offers a peppercorn rent, a kettle and a little publicity. Their fridge comes from Freecycle, the furniture mostly via Reverse Garbage. Since the Store's not residential, there's no regular garbage pickup. By chance, Alex's boyfriend owns a ute, and takes it to a sympathetic family member's business' commercial allowance. It's not clear how they'd afford it, otherwise. The only grant money they've had was the Awesome Foundation's $1000. All the rest so far is out of their own pockets. It's a precarious existence. By three, a volunteer settles behind the counter. She's Lucinda, a visual communications student. Just then, a guy walks in with arms full of colourful and interesting-looking comics. He wants to sell them here. Alex checks out the comics. The guy turns out to be Leigh Rigozzi, part of Paper Mill poster-workshoppers, the (currently printerless) Rizzeria collective. What does he find most appealing about this kind of store? "That they would actually take my stuff." This afternoon is quiet. Saturdays are the busiest, says Lucinda. Around six, Alex brings down the roller door and gets to work on the day's admin. When she was little, Alex says, she always redrew, in place, the characters and words in her books. Grown up, she wondered: "How can I can I actually make money doing this?" It's a question Alex and Lou both answered with careers in design. Here, they're making it easier for the coming generation to do the same thing.
It seems almost ridiculous to introduce bills: these cafes are an institution. The first, in Darlinghurst, introduced the concept of communal dining to our nation, reputedly as a way to get around council restrictions. Bill Granger, namesake and chef, is well-known in his own right, with more than one signature dish under his belt and a plethora of cookbooks in stores worldwide. So it's with more than a touch of guilt that I admit this is my first visit. Thankfully, the casual reputation of bills lives up to expectations, and my shyness quickly gives way to enthusiasm. It's Saturday morning in the Darlinghurst edition, and I'm glad we've decided to come early. Within five minutes of our arrival, the entire room is buzzing with breakfasters. The small room, sparsely decorated, is filled with warm sunlight. We sit at a large table in the centre of the room (the famous communal table), and begin our meal with Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice ($6.50) and a Flat White ($3.90). Choosing our meals is slightly more difficult. After deliberating, we decide that signature dishes are in order for our virgin visit. We pick Sweet Corn Fritters with Roast Tomato, Spinach and Bacon ($18.50) and the Ricotta Hotcakes with Fresh Banana and Honeycomb Butter ($17.50) to share. Our waiter recommends sides of Avocado Salsa ($4.50) and Bacon ($5) to match each dish respectively, and we don't need much persuasion to agree. The serves arrive quickly and are fresh, enormous and delicious. That said, I suspect that this menu would be hard to go wrong with - definitely worth a repeat visit or two. Breakfast (or any other meal) at bills isn't cheap, but the relaxed luxury of the food and atmosphere makes this a treat worth partaking in. Any wait will be well worthwhile, but if time is scarce, opt for some Daily-Baked Bran Muffins ($4.50) to take with you.
When can you enjoy hot food, delicious drinks and comfy clothes without breaking a sweat? Winter, of course. Now, where can you enjoy all that with a stunning view to boot? From the rooftop bar of the Sydney CBD restaurant Botswana Butchery at its Winter Birthday Blast. The 25 Martin Place venue has made a name for itself by championing only the best produce from across Australia and New Zealand, with an A+ wine list too, thanks to St Hugo, all spread across three levels of 'premium fun dining'. Now it's time for its birthday, and it's throwing a cosy après ski-style party to celebrate. The restaurant's rooftop space will be decorated with winter decorations ranging from fairy lights and fake snow to a life-size gondola, which guests can enjoy alongside a European-inspired menu and drink specials. Said menu includes fleisch knödel (Austrian meat dumpling with cheese sauce), roestie (Swiss potato dish with cream, smoked salmon and caviar), pork schnitzels and more. Then there's the drinks — different offers will be available throughout the event, starting with St Hugo wine flights between August 10 and August 24 followed by cocktails from Malfy Gin (August 24–31) and Glenlivet (August 31–September 1). Here's the best part: Botswana Butchery is giving you the chance to celebrate your own birthday in a similar style. Anyone who books for the Winter Birthday Blast goes into the running to win a package to have their own birthday party on the rooftop, valued at $3000. That sounds like a pretty great party to us. Winter Birthday Blast at Botswana Butchery runs from Thursday, August 10 to Thursday, September 7. For more information and to make a booking, visit the website.
If you missed out on the chance to reenact the Office Space printer smashing scene back at the Smash Brothers' pop-up earlier this year and haven't made it to its new Alexandria digs yet, the break room experts are giving Sydneysiders a third chance to smash — and this time it'll be free. Smash Box will pop up in the Rhodes Waterside shopping centre from October 8–21. It's a mini-version of the Smash Brother's warehouse, which opened earlier this month next to Alexandria Park. With Smash Box, you'll be escorted into a 4.5-metre box with protective gear and at bat. 'Smashers' also get to choose the tunes, and they'll be blasting that music to hype you up even further. As this is just a pop-up, the smashable items are limited to a six pack of bottles, so sadly no printer this time. If that isn't enough — and, depending on your stress level, it may not be — you can opt for more, with every additional six costing $5. The pop-up is part of the shopping centre's Festival of You, which also includes two weeks of workshops and events centred on unwinding and de-stressing. Smash Box will be open 11am–3pm, Monday–Wednesday; 11am–3pm and 4pm–8pm, Thursday; and 11am–4pm, Friday–Sunday.
Sydney's northwest just got an injection of Italian glamour with the opening of Sarino's inside Mullane's Hotel in Baulkham Hills — right opposite the new billion-dollar metro Metro Northwest railway. Run by Momento Hospitality (Bella Vista Hotel, The Governor), the second-floor restaurant is sleek and minimalist, with expansive skylights catering to the theatricality of an open kitchen, where guests can watch the chefs at work around a central charcoal oven or, if they prefer, retreat to one of three hidden private dining rooms. The lofty space also has an attached craft distillery, which will begin pumping out almond liqueur for the restaurant's affogatos and limoncello using fresh lemon's from the Colosimo family (founders of Momento) orchards in early 2020. The food leaving the kitchen is sophisticated and refined, and honours the family's Calabrian heritage. It's all made using produce from regional NSW, too, where possible. Executive Chef Joe Cavallo is plating up dishes such as the buffalo ricotta, buffalo mozzarella and parmigiano regiano ravioli — we count three cheeses — with burnt sage butter and pistachio, the porchetta with roasted apple and leek ash, and a 1.2-kilogram bistecca alla Fiorentina. We're also pretty keen to try the antipasto and cheese menus, which covers cheeses from Italy and Victoria, house-roasted capsicum, marinated olives, artichokes, and salumi from Italy and Byron Bay, including a 24-month San Daniele prosciutto. Pair your meal with one of more than 200 wines and finish it off with a tipple in the adjoining cocktail bar and intimate lounge space. Try the Sunday Roast negroni, which adds notes of rosemary and butter-washed gin to the classic Italian aperitif. Guests can expect to sip rare single malt whiskies (with a hefty price tag) and store the spirit in their own private liquor cabinet for safekeeping. Two dozen top-shelf whiskies from around the world are available, and your drop will be served in crystal glassware with specialty ice and complimentary mixers and snacks. Then just lock it away for when you next come back (you know, if you have the cash).
From holding a bake sale to selling off your bodily organs to teaching your dog to do this, artists, artisans and inventors have always had to be creative when it comes to getting dollars in the bank. If you’re not the baking or self-mutilating or dog-training type, Australia’s top crowdfunding platform Pozible might be up your alley. Pozible is more like a superhighway that started in 2010 and has since grown to support over 4,500 projects in Australia and around the world. It’s not hard to run a campaign, but it can be tough to succeed. We spoke to Pozible co-founder Rick Chen and compiled a hit list of top tips to help you on your way to making that money pool you always dreamed of. The Anything's Pozible pop-up is on in Sydney until March 13. Check it out for more tips and workshops to help you crowdfund your next project. Research ten similar projects First off the bat, do your research. Make sure you know how Pozible works. Search the Pozible website to find out how other similar projects have been funded. Read the FAQ, get in touch with Pozible and ask all the dumb questions. According to Rick, the Pozible team “work with project creators to educate them and let them know what works and what doesn’t work. This face-to-face guidance is a rare thing, and no other platform approaches crowdfunding in this way”, a contributing factor to high success rates. Tell a story “Most of the time it’s not about the project itself, it’s about the person behind it," says Rick. "People want to be part of you and your journey, so you need to be able to open those doors for people to get in.” Keep it simple, keep it personal, and make your crowdfunding supporters feel that they are all just as much a part of the process as you are. Transparency is also key in your storytelling. Tell people exactly what you are going to do with your money if you meet your target. (The more specific you are with this, the more it will feel as if your supporters are making a tangible difference). Include a video of yourself: you'll raise 114 percent more money if you That’s according to American crowdfunding site Indiegogo. And who doesn’t love a selfie? If you star in your own video, people will connect better with your story. The key is to create content that is visually compelling to compete with the visual noise of the internet. Offer a combination of physical goods and experience-based rewards "Physical products give your supporters a tangible sense they are getting something out of their contribution," says Rick. "Experience gives them the sense they are part of something exclusive. These two combined make it personal for people to get behind your project.” And how many rewards should you offer up? The sweet spot is somewhere between three and eight. Get another three people on your team If you have four or more people on your team, you’ll raise 70 percent more money than if you only have one person. That is, use your networks to build your team; it’s not about how many friends you’ve got, it’s about how you use them. Have your family and friends help to get the ball rolling. Don’t be afraid to ask people you know to contribute. In addition, line up a few key influential people to help spread the word. Build your networks before you launch to create hype. Shoot for 25 percent of your overall goal within the first 24 hours Go hard or go home. You are more likely to hit your target if you can reach 25 percent of your overall goal within the first 24 hours. People are more likely to donate to a campaign if other people have already donated. Pozible advises not to run a campaign for less than 20 days unless you have a good reason or are super confident. You need time to disseminate your marketing material. Indiegogo supplements this advice with the fact that on average, successful campaigns will cross their target fundraising goal on Day 36. Don't all-out beg on social media Only directly ask people to pledge to your campaign in 20 percent of your social media posts. The other 80 percent of posts should add meaning to your project, reveal exciting project news and engage people in the story. Plan your social media posts before beginning your campaign. According to Rick, “It is not about the social media platforms that you use, it is about how you use those platforms as a tool to carry out your activity — to tell your story”. Write medium-specific posts. And don’t get too disheartened if things slow down in the middle of your campaign, it happens to everyone. What’s important is you keep communicating during this period. Don’t be shy to post every day. Only ask for the amount you really need Consider the size of your networks and how many people you can realistically reach. Surprisingly, the average contribution size on successful campaigns comes in at around $70, with performance projects the most successful category. According to Rick, this is often because “these campaigners have strong existing followings — sometimes small but strong audiences who come to see shows, hardcore fans who follow these artists”. So it isn’t necessarily how many people you target, it’s who. Be realistic, write a budget. Factor in the cost of delivering your rewards. The more people you have promoting, the more pledges you will receive. Finally we asked Rick the ultimate question: What’s the biggest reason people don’t reach their targets? His response goes right back to point one: “Absolutely no question, it is because people don’t do their research properly and don’t know what they’re doing. We try to educate as much as we can, we run workshops on a monthly basis across cities in Australia. We strongly encourage people to prepare before they launch a campaign. Lack of research is basically what kills campaigns." Roslyn Helper crowdfunded her project zin's PARTY MODE on Pozible. Supplementary information sourced from US crowdfunding site Indiegogo.
If you’re the forgetful type and your keys often go rogue then this new technology may be the solution for you. KeyMe is a cloud-based key management platform where you can now store your keys digitally so you no longer need a physical key in order to make a copy. KeyMe’s newly launched free mobile app which scans a copy of your key and generates a set of instructions that you can give to any locksmith to create a new key from scratch instead of bringing in a physical key to make the copy, very handy when you’ve misplaced the original. KeyMe can even mail you a key within two to three weeks if you’re not in a rush. The app also allows you to share your digital keys and create digital key chains to share with flatmates or overnight guests, but be wary of you who trust with your digital keys, once shared you can’t revoke them. Currently only available in the USA, this technology will be a saving grace for the almost 90 million forgetful folks who get locked out of their homes each year. Now just makes sure you don’t lose your mobile phone with your keys. [via mashable]
As you might expect from the epic multitasking folk at The Greens, their NYE celebration has it all. That includes roving performers, live music, tasty food and excellent views come firework time. While you're savouring gourmet hotdogs, fried chicken, oysters, charcuterie, sliders, risotto and roasted corn, don't be surprised if a hula hooper sneaks up behind you or a juggler wanders by unannounced. And, when you're feeling the need to move, get your dance on to six-piece live band King St Swing and DJ Natural Selector, featuring percussionist Luke Herbert. Then, of course, when the fireworks go off at 9pm and midnight, you'll be in prime position to see the bridge looking its prettiest. The action kicks off from 6pm and will continue till late. It's a family friendly shindig, so if you're minding your nieces, nephews, cousins or your own children, bring 'em along for kiddy entertainment and food, including a lolly bar.
Throw those GoPros, bubble bottles and novelty gumboots in your rucksack, Splendour in the Grass is returning to North Byron Parklands for another year of festival merriment. As usual, speculation has run wild in anticipation of the lineup announce — will Kendrick and the Arctic Monkeys make an appearance? Will there by more than three females on the lineup? — but the details for Splendour 2018 are finally here. And we're happy to report that some of the rumours were true. There will be no Arctic Monkeys, but King Kunta himself, Kendrick Lamar, will be Splendouring. The lineup also doesn't state that Splendour is his only show, so stay tuned for news of a national tour (hopefully). The other huge name is Lorde, who will be doing her only Oz show at the Parklands — better get practising that 'Green Light' hair flip now. She leads a female contingent — that is kick-ass but still nowhere near as big as the pool of male performers — which includes Amy Shark, the Lauren Mayberry-led Chvrches, Sampa The Great, Alex Lahey, Jack River, Anna Lunoe, Stella Donnelly, female four-piece All Our Exes Live in Texas and Wafia. Also doing their only Australian shows at Splendour will be Vampire Weekend, Khalid and Girl Talk. The lineup seems to go on forever, including The Wombats, Gang of Youths, Franz Ferdinand, Superorganism and MGMT. Anyway, we know what you're here for. We'll cut to the chase. SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2018 LINEUP Kendrick Lamar Lorde (only AUS show) Vampire Weekend (only AUS show) Khalid (only AUS show) The Wombats Hilltop Hoods Chvrches Miguel Girl Talk (only AUS show) Angus & Julia Stone Gang of Youths Franz Ferdinand MGMT Ben Howard Dune Rats & Friends James Bay PNAU Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite The Avalanches DJ set Chromeo DMA'S Ball Park Music Henry Rollins (only AUS show) SAFIA The Jungle Giants Lil Xan Methyl Ethel Amy Shark The Bronx Ocean Alley Carmada (L D R U & Yahtzel) DZ Deathrays Lord Huron Middle Kids Hockey Dad Towkio Cub Sport Touch Sensitive Sampa The Great Dean Lewis Skegss Albert Hammond Jr Mallrat Marmozets Alex Lahey Riton & Kah-Lo Jack River Superorganism Anna Lunoe Lewis Capaldi All Our Exes Live In Texas Alex The Astronaut Yungblud Crooked Colours Nina Las Vegas Soccer Mommy (only AUS show) Elderbrook Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever Tim Sweeney Stella Donnelly Bully Baker Boy Wafia No Mono Waax Angie McMahon West Thebarton Eves Karydas G Flip The Babe Rainbow Haiku Hands Didirri Alice Ivy Amyl & The Sniffers Ziggy Ramo Fantastic Man Lo'99 Human Movement Manu Crook$ Kasbo Madam X Andras Alta Ara Koufax Two People B Wise Made In Paris Jensen Interceptor Woodes Teischa Antony & Cleopatra Muto Elk Road triple j Unearthed winners (TBA) Mike Gurrieri Love Deluxe Lauren Hansom Poolclvb Godlands Nyxen Emma Stevenson Ebony Boadu Splendour will return to North Byron Parklands on Friday 20, Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 July. Onsite camping will once again be available from Wednesday, July 18. Tickets go on sale Thursday, April 19 at 9am sharp AEST. More info will soon be available at the official Splendour In The Grass site. Image: Bianca Holderness.
When December hits in Sydney, 'tis the season to be jolly. From Friday, December 2 onwards, 'tis the time to sip BrewDog's beers, too. That's when at the Scottish craft beer giant will open its long-awaited first-ever Sydney bar, a 910-seater space in the old locomotive workshop in South Eveleigh. Sydneysiders have been waiting for this to happen for some time, given that BrewDog launched its first Australian brewery and taproom in Brisbane in 2019, and just threw open the doors at its second Brissie venue as well. The South Eveleigh location was announced back in September, after the company previously advised that it was teaming up with hospitality group Australian Venue Co (AVC) to set up new beer bars around the country. Indeed, when Sydney's debut spot opens its doors, it'll be the brand's fourth nationwide, with a Melbourne site in the historic Pentridge Prison launching at the end of November. The Harbour City mightn't claim bragging rights for BrewDog's first, second or even third Aussie outposts, but there'll still be much to boast about in South Eveleigh. Settling into a precinct that already hosts Lucky Kwong and Re, the $3.2-million venue will literally be huge, for starters, spanning a large indoor dining space, a bar and a beer garden. It'll seat 720 beer aficionados inside and 190 outside, and pour 40 brews through its taps. Those beverages will cover the brand's own beers, of course, as well as 'BrewDog & Friends' guest beer tap takeovers and collaborations with local breweries. Don't feel like a brew? Cider, wine, spirits and cocktails will also be on offer, alongside a range of non-alcoholic options. All of the above will help wash down a food menu that'll feature burgers and pizzas, and do all-you-can-eat wings every Wednesday. BrewDog South Eveleigh is embracing vegetarian and vegan dishes in a sizeable way, too, dedicating half of its range to plant-based bites — including two-for-one vegan eats on Mondays. Given the location, the beer behemoth's first Sydney spot will pay respects to the site's history, with the architects at Studio Y designing the venue around the original workshop machinery collection. You'll be able to peer at it as you drink, in fact, truly turning your day, afternoon or evening sinking pints into a unique experience. Also inside, punters will find neon signs, plus fittingly industrial-style decor and lighting; think: polished concrete floors, as well as a concrete bar and kitchen countertop. Seating-wise, booths, low and high tables will fill the beer hall. BrewDog's Sydney welcome comes via that new partnership with AVC, aka the group behind spots such as Cargo, Kingsleys and The Winery. It sees the world's largest craft beer bar operator join forces with one of Australia's big pub operators, and will span multiple sites — but exactly where and when any venues beyond South Eveleigh and Pentridge will open hasn't yet been revealed. BrewDog currently operates over 100 beer bars worldwide and, if you need an extra incentive to head to South Eveleigh on its opening day, it'll be giving the first 200 customers through the door on that date — and that date only — the chance to win free beer for a year. BrewDog South Eveleigh will open in Bays 1 & 2, Locomotive Workshop, South Eveleigh, 2 Locomotive Street, South Eveleigh from Friday, December 2 — operating from 11am–10pm Sunday–Wednesday and 11am–12am Thursday–Saturday.
If you're the kind of bar patron who picks their next boozy go-to based on accolades, then this week is the gift that keeps on giving. Not only have four Australia bars earned places among the World's 50 Best Bars for 2021, but the Wineslinger Awards has announced its top picks for this year's Aussie wine-sipping spots — calling out another four spots. Wineslinger isn't about vino itself, or bars in general. As the name makes plain, it's about watering holes that focus on wine. Only four awards are handed out each year, covering the best Wineslinger, Best New Haunt, the Maverick prize for venues that push the limits and the People's Choice gong. While the first three awards are voted on by more than 150 industry experts, the latter stems from vino aficionados at home. Nabbing the big prize this year: Melbourne's Embla, which marks the second year in a row that the Victorian capital took out the Wineslinger award — and the second year it did so despite a hefty stint in lockdown. Announcing Embla's win, the Young Gun of Wine team — which runs Wineslinger — said that "Embla has become a Melbourne icon in quick time, a dogma-free temple to wine that is made from the ground up, by hand and with minimal tinkering, and all paired with Dave Verheul's breathtakingly simple fire-fuelled cooking." [caption id="attachment_836612" align="alignnone" width="1920"] P&V Merchants Paddington[/caption] In the other fields, Sydney's P&V Merchants in Paddington nabbed the Best New Haunt prize. Yes, that gong is rather self-explanatory. In the Maverick category, Perth's Si Paradiso emerged victorious for being "a venue that takes its wine as seriously as it does its quest for good times". And, the People's Choice went to Good Gilbert in Adelaide, meaning that all four winners hailed from different cities. The Wineslinger Awards were created in 2018 by Rory Kent, who also founded the Young Gun of Wine Awards. Where the latter prize aims to recognise stellar up-and-comers, the former is all about excellent and innovative places where vino lovers can enjoy an ace drop. Wineslinger also releases a list of top places to drink wine across the country each year — and the 2021 list expanded from 50 to 100. It was revealed back in November, if you still need a few more places (or 96 more, because all of this year's prize-winners are on it) to add to your vino-drinking itinerary. For further details about this year's Wineslinger Award winners, visit the awards' website. Top image: Embla.
It's been a nice week. Maybe you've been readying to discard your (semi)malfunctioning umbrella and pack away your raincoat, but, pause and take a look out the window — Marge, the rains are 'ere. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the city is expected to be hit with about 70mm of rain over the new three days. If you take a look at its radar, it looks like the first of it could hit any minute. https://twitter.com/BOM_NSW/status/1047379035733614592 According to the SMH, if this prediction is correct, it'll be the most rainfall the city — and parts of the state — has seen in more than three months. Just last month, Australia experienced its driest September on record. This rain, while slightly annoying for umbrella-less commuters, will be welcomed by NSW farmers, with 100 percent of the state currently in drought. With the majority of the rain (30–50mm) expected to hit tomorrow — Thursday, October 4 — we suggest snagging yourself a poncho or two if you plan on heading along to the opening night of the Night Noodle Markets.
There's a certain magic about paints and canvas — whether it conjures nostalgic memories of pre-school afternoons or more recent artistic attempts at boozy adult art classes. For those who want to give their masterpiece another crack, head straight for Tilly's Art & Print. Stocked with oils, markers, paper, and pencils a plenty, this inner west institution is a must-see for aspiring artists. Whether you're looking to craft your own handmade cards or perhaps give that creative side-hustle a go, a wander through these aisles are bound to leave you inspired.
Under current COVID-19 restrictions, there are restrictions on where and how far you can travel. When leaving your house, please ensure you wear a mask and social distance. For up-to-date information on Public Health Orders and restrictions in Greater Sydney visit the NSW Health website. Marrickville bagel speciality store Brooklyn Boy Bagels is making sure Sydneysiders aren't missing out on its fresh crispy bagels with a series of pop-ups at different cafes across the city. The inner west favourite has taken a hit due to the lockdown with wholesale sales down by nearly 50 per cent. "We lost thirty-thousand dollars in just two weeks," New York-bred founder Michael Shafran says. So, in order to get more bagels into hands, Brooklyn Boy is collaborating with some Sydney cafes for special one-off pop-ups across various locations. On Friday, July 16, Brooklyn Boy will appear at St Ives' Stanley Street Cafe, the first time the bagels have popped up in a north shore location. Then on Saturday, July 17 the bagels move to Surry Hills eatery Tokyo Bird, where Shafran is concocting once-off product collaborations with Tokyo Bird owners Jason and Tina Ang. "I'm thinking about making a tobiko cream cheese, where the flying fish roe – you know, the kind that you normally use on sushi and sushi dons – brings a kind of smoked salmon quality, but with a texture that's like popping candy," Shafran says. Each pop-up will run with COVID-safe precautions currently in place at all cafes, and bagels will only be available for takeaway. More locations are also set to be announced, plus a new outdoor storefront has been set up in front of Brooklyn Boy's Marrickville bakery. The 'Home Away From Home' store is open at 19 Carrington Road, Marrickville, seven days a week. If you aren't comfortable leaving the home or don't live close to one of the pop-up's, you can also have Brooklyn Boy bagels delivered to your home. Orders over $50 are available for next-day delivery to the inner west, north shore, lower northern beaches, City of Sydney and eastern suburbs for $6.50–9.95 depending on your area. [caption id="attachment_716408" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brooklyn Boy Bagels[/caption]
Another day, another story about natural wine, with Pyrmont snagging itself a natural wine bar. Bar Clementine opened next door to Clementine's cafe in late March and it's slinging funky drops, aperitif-style cocktails and European share plates. Owner and sommelier Eric Mendoza really knows his grapes, having previously curated the award-winning wine lists at lauded Sydney venues Bloodwood and The Baxter Inn. Mendoza has also clocked in time at Rockpool and Melbourne's MoVida. Oh, and did we mention that he makes his own vermouth? "The focus will be on authenticity and intention, which can often be lost in the hedonism of Sydney," says Mendoza. Plenty of experimental labels from around the country and the world will be on display at Bar Clementine, though more accessible drops have a place here as well. At the moment, there are Aussie bottles from Gippsland, Hunter Valley, Ballarat and Margaret River on offer, as well as varietals from France and Germany by the glass. Bottled beers and classic cocktails are also up for grabs, including dirty martinis and one called the Adonis — it's made from coffee-infused vermouth, sherry and orange bitters. For eats, Mendoza has partnered with chef Craig Gray (ex-Neighbourhood Wine and Taxi Dining in Melbourne) who has created a menu of modern European fare. The food is, of course, tailored to pair with a glass of wine (or two). Expect a rather elevated version of the classic wine bar trio of cheese, charcuterie and share plates. The seasonal menu focuses on local produce with a smattering of Asian influence. Think lunch items like Sydney rock oysters with eschallot mignonette, snapper with kohlrabi kraut and apple, and a beef flank paired with pommes frites. And for the dinner tasting menu, there's dishes such as celeriac churros, beetroot with nectarine, preserved lemon and hazelnut, and a chocolate tart topped with creme fraiche. The fit-out takes cues from Europe as well, with Parisian-style aplenty. Though a small space, it benefits from a large, street facing bay window which allows for heaps of natural light. Pull up a stool at the marble-topped bar — which extends all the way to the window — and get stuck in. Bar Clementine is now open at 52 Harris Street, Pyrmont. Opening hours are Wednesday through Saturday from noon–9pm.
He's one of the world's most renowned chefs, his three Michelin-starred restaurant Osteria Francescana claiming top spot on this year's prestigious World's 50 Best Restaurants list. And now, culinary powerhouse Massimo Bottura is swapping kitchen for stage, heading Down Under and travelling the country for a speaking tour next August. Bottura, who you'll have spied getting wildly creative with his native Italian cuisine — and doing so to save thousands of wheels of parmigiano-reggiano — in episode one of Netflix series Chef's Table, is well-known for his storytelling, as well as for a deep love of art, music and history. Audiences are sure to gain colourful insight into the chef's childhood, his life spent in the Northern Italian city of Modena, and the rich local history and culinary traditions that helped ignite his love of food. Bottura will also share another of his passions, speaking about his own work in the fight against food waste and hunger. As founder of non-profit Food for Soul, which empowers communities to fight food waste and social isolation, the Italian chef's helmed a series of community kitchens and drop-in dining halls across Milan, Paris, Rio de Janeiro and London. He's long championed the idea that a chef's responsibility extends far beyond the kitchen and into their community, to help inspire global change. MASSIMO BOTTURA 2019 DATES Perth — Riverside Theatre, August 6 Sydney — The State Theatre, August 8 Melbourne — MCEC, August 10 Brisbane — BCEC, August 13 Tickets are on sale April 3, 2019. Register now for pre-sale.
The Rocks is often described as the birthplace of modern Sydney, so it only makes sense that this historic precinct is transforming into a creative hub for September. Presented as the first-ever Arts & Culture Month, this addition to the city's early spring cultural calendar is a welcome one. Running from Monday, September 1–Tuesday, September 30, the inaugural event is stacked with fascinating experiences, from live music and stand-up comedy to diverse markets and weekend workshops. Get to know the local creative scene through Art Trail Night on Thursday, September 25, as renowned precinct artists Shazia Imran and Max Mendez host meet-and-greets in open-late galleries. For a self-guided adventure, this is also your chance to check out pieces by Nancy Liang, Jumaadi, Vanessa Berry and Linda Brescia tucked down local laneways. Meanwhile, The Rocks Square will be activated throughout the week, with Comedy Night on Wednesday, September 10 and Poetry Slam on Wednesday, September 17. Plus, there are live jazz sessions every Thursday from 6pm, while local DJs light up Sundays as they go crate digging for their favourite dance floor tunes. Take part in vino tastings and listen to viticulture tales at the NSW Wine Cellar Door Talk from Saturday, September 27–Sunday, September 28. Blak Markets returns for one day only on Sunday, September 21, celebrating First Nations creativity and culture. Then, Wildflower's Native Displays offers the chance to learn about bush food through native botanical installations crafted by the namesake Indigenous landcare experts. With loads more to explore, journey to The Rocks for a culture-filled encounter.
USB sticks are stripped back to basics with Flashkus, an innovative design by Russian company Art Lebedev Studio. Reflecting on the disposable nature of electronic storage, the design team foresaw a near future in which "all electronics will be contained on the tip of a detachable cardboard module." Each Flashkus is created from thin strips of recyclable cardboard, allowing for easy disk-labeling and the potential to recycle the body of the disk once you're done. The Flashkus is eco-friendly, no-nonsense and minimalistic. The team behind its creation predict it "is going to be an even more convenient storage device than the floppy disk was back then."
Oxford Street's Taylor Square is set for a revamp after Moelis Australia acquired neighbouring venues the Kinselas Hotel and the Courthouse Hotel in a $67 million deal. The private equity firm has revealed the purchase of the adjoining properties is part of a plan to combine them to create a singular Taylor Square hospitality precinct. Moelis currently owns several venues, including the Beach Hotel in Byron Bay, which it reportedly bought for more than $100 million late last year, and the Australian Brewery. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, both the Kinselas Hotel and the Courthouse Hotel were hotspots for late-night visitors to Oxford Street. The three-level Kinselas, which was once a funeral parlour, includes the top-level bowling ally and nightclub The Standard Bowl, the aptly titled second-level Middlebar and Johnny Wong's Dumpling Bar. [caption id="attachment_794200" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jan Smith via Flickr[/caption] The Courthouse Hotel has been an Oxford Street stalwart for decades. The sale of the Darlinghurst venue is its first in 30 years. "The Courthouse has to be one of the most recognisable pubs in Sydney," said Dan Dragicevich of HTL Property who brokered the deal with Moelis Australia. "The widely held view is that Oxford Street is in for a renaissance in the years to come as astute investment houses and developers seek a foothold in what will be the city's only 24-hour precinct following the reshaping of the lockout laws." Moelis Australia Hotel Management CEO Dan Brady sited the repealing of Sydney's lockout laws in January and the City of Sydney's plan to revitalise nightlife and the creative industries as influencing factors in the purchase of the venues. In the past twelve months, the City of Sydney has announced plans to reignite the nightlife in Kings Cross and Oxford Street, while the NSW Government has scrapped several archaic laws surrounding liquor licenses and live music. The settlement for both hotels is expected to occur in February 2021. The Kinselas Hotel is located at 383 Bourke Street, Darlinghurst and the Courthouse Hotel is located at 189 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst.
Most of the time, when bands take a break, they disappear into the land of never-to-be-heard-of-again. It's a kind of ex-rockers' purgatory, where would-have-, could-have- and should-have-beens sit around listening to early demo tapes, bemoaning the halcyon days when a record deal was forever just around the corner, and growing bitter about the fact that such-and-such became too egotistical or whatshisname retreated to the countryside to clean up his act. Not so The Basics. In their three-year hiatus, they've managed to win three Grammys (via Wally de Backer's transformation into Gotye), write a film score (Tim Heath's contribution to The Rise and Rise of Richard Latt) and catch malaria while checking out Kenya's local music scene (just one chapter in Kris Schroeder's excellent adventures). With all of that out of (or should that be in?) their system, they're ready for a reunion. So they've released new single 'So Hard For You' and will be touring nationally throughout September and October. "It's been a great challenge nutting out how to bring a large band, visuals and studio compositions together for the Gotye live shows over the last two years," Wally says. "But right now I'm looking forward to getting sweaty behind the drums and playing rock 'n' roll in these fab clubs with my brothers Kris and Tim." https://youtube.com/watch?v=bnDf9zLiUII
For the past two decades, flying between Sydney and Melbourne — or any major Australian cities — has meant picking between Qantas, Virgin, Jetstar and, for a period, Tiger Airways. After a particularly rough year for the airline industry, however, 2021 will see Aussies get another flight option. Regional carrier Rex is expanding its routes, and will start covering the country's capitals from March. First up, it'll travel between Sydney and Melbourne, kicking off on March 1, 2021. Three of the airline's Boeing 737-800s will fly back and forth from the two cities, doing nine services a day. And, while Rex's expansion was actually already flagged earlier this year, the airline has just launched tickets between the New South Wales and Victorian capitals today, Wednesday, December 2. Those keen to book a trip with the airline can now nab tickets for $79 each way as part of Rex's launch sale. There are 100,000 tickets currently available — although, given how popular flight sales have proven in 2020, getting in quickly is recommended. Rex, which has been hitting the skies for almost seven decades, is selling fares that include checked baggage, food, pre-assigned seating and online check-in. Economy passengers can also pay extra to access onboard wi-fi — or, if you opt for one of each plane's eight business class seats, you'll get internet access thrown in for free. The Sydney–Melbourne route is just the beginning, too. Flights to and from Brisbane are due to start taking off by Easter 2021 — and to other capitals as well. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rex Airlines (@rex.airlines) Rex will start flying between Sydney and Melbourne from March 1, 2021. For further information, or to book a flight as part of its $79 sale, head to the airline's website. Top image: Rex.
Khanaa has just arrived on Crown Street, shaking things up with unrivalled Bangladeshi cuisine by Chef Opel Khan. Khan has worked with over 20 restaurants across Australia, Asia and Europe and runs Métisse, Acqua e Farina and Pizza Boccone in Sydney. The notable chef is known for pushing culinary boundaries and leading the charge with cutting-edge cuisine. His latest restaurant is no exception — the menu fuses Khan's love of gastronomy and his mastery of fine-dining techniques with his Bangladeshi culture and childhood. In the open kitchen, chefs Lucinda Khan and Jazz Singh prepare elegant dishes such as aloo pakora (fried potato) topped with buffalo curd and shiraz caviar, duck leg confit samosa with fermented daikon and paaya made from bone marrow and oxtail consommé. Guests will be treated to unexpected textures and flavour combinations like tomato marshmallows (which literally melt in your mouth) served with a tart and tangy tomato chutney sorbet or tender marinated beef shortribs with aloo bhorta (mashed potato) and crispy saltbush. A highlight is Chef Opel's Mosaic, which is almost too pretty to eat — delicate slices of raw tuna, kingfish and trout are held together with edible carbon on a bed of refreshing spiced watermelon, topped with clarified ghee. If you're unsure where to start, the team, including Khan, are more than happy to chat you through the menu, or you can opt for the tasting menu to experience a curated selection of nine courses. Khanaa is located at Shop 3, 335 Crown Street, Surry Hills and is open for dinner between 5–10pm from Tuesday to Sunday. Make a booking at the restaurant's website.
When Greta Gerwig's Margot Robbie-starring Barbie takes audiences on an opening tour of Barbie Land, it makes one thing supremely clear: Barbie can be anything. The famous doll can be President, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, a diplomat and a Supreme Court justice. It can be a mermaid, doctor, lawyer and Pulitzer-winner, too. Off-screen, Barbie the movie can be one helluva pink-hued pioneer in smashing records as well — including by reaching $1 billion at the box office globally. It took just 17 days from release for Barbie to notch up that figure, Variety reports. In the process, it earned that massive stack of cash faster than any other movie from Warner Bros, beating Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2's 19-day feat. Raking in all those takings from all those cinemagoers basking in Barbie's joys is all well and ace, but making Lady Bird and Little Women filmmaker Gerwig the first solo female director to hit the billion-dollar mark is a stunning achievement — the kind that really deserves a giant blowout party with all the Barbies, planned choreography and a bespoke song. [caption id="attachment_907779" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Caroline McCredie[/caption] Barbie is only the second film this year to crack a billion at the worldwide box office, after The Super Mario Bros Movie. Since the pandemic hit, only Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water, Jurassic World Dominion and Spider-Man: No Way Home have also brought in that much money. Wondering where Barbie's Barbenheimer buddy sits? Christopher Nolan's vastly dissimilar atomic-bomb thriller Oppenheimer has hit half a billion at the time of writing. The Robbie- and Ryan Gosling (The Gray Man)-led film has beaten Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Fast X, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, The Little Mermaid, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts' respective 2023 takings too — all of which sit alongside it, Mario and Oppenheimer in the global top ten right now. On the list of highest-grossing films of all time, only Frozen, Frozen II and Captain Marvel place higher with a female director at the helm — but all three were co-helmed with male filmmakers. Back when Barbie reach the half-billion mark on July 28, Warner Bros Pictures President of Domestic Distribution Jeff Goldstein and President of International Distribution Andrew Cripps said that "the extraordinary Greta Gerwig and her marvellous cast and crew have delivered an event for every kind of moviegoer everywhere in the world and, as critical praise continues to mount, what is quickly proving to be one of the best-reviewed movies of the year." "We couldn't be more thrilled or proud of these phenomenal results, and congratulate the filmmakers, cast and our colleagues at Mattel on this spectacular run, which — like Barbie herself — continues to defy all expectations." In Australia, Barbie made history almost instantly. The film notched up the biggest opening at the Australian box office for 2023 so far, raking in $21.5 million including preview screenings, over its first weekend — and earned the biggest opening weekend ever for a film directed by a female filmmaker. Alongside Oppenheimer, it also saw the Aussie box office score its biggest-ever Saturday and Sunday takings. And, it's likely to soon surpass The Super Mario Bros Movie as the highest-grossing film of 2023 in Australia so far. Yes, Barbie definitely can do anything. Check out the trailer below: Barbie is showing in Australian and New Zealand cinemas now. Read our review. Via Variety.
'Tis the season for indulging, celebrating and catching up with friends you haven't seen for a while. You can tick all three of those boxes at the newly renovated Forrester's in Surry Hills, which has just launched a new lunch offering. For a sensible $79 per person, you can enjoy two hours of endless rosé and eight dishes to share, including king salmon tiradito (Peruvian-style crudo), fried crab cakes, guacamole, and roasted lemony chicken. You'll be eating in drinking in the sunny Phylli's restaurant, which is filled with plants, art and plenty of blond timber. The bottomless lunch is a weekend affair, with spots available on Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm–3pm. Bookings can be made for groups of four people more — so, if crab cakes, guac and a never-ending pour of rosé sounds like the perfect way to spend a sunny weekend afternoon, round up three of your closest and make a beeline for Surry Hills. [caption id="attachment_788391" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yasmin Mund[/caption] Bottomless rosé lunches available 12pm–3pm on weekends. Top image: Yasmin Mund
The team behind multi-venue dining destination Hinchcliff House has been hard at work creating four new restaurants and bars at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth. The historic hotel, which has been undergoing a mammoth $60 million renovation, will eventually feature a Vietnamese-French fusion diner, Delta Rue, and a leafy rooftop oasis, Wentworth Bar, on its higher floors. However, before that duo open, its sister venues on the hotel's ground level will be welcoming their first guests from Wednesday, October 9. [caption id="attachment_974651" align="alignnone" width="1920"] (L–R) Nathanael Merchant and Elliott Pinn | Jason Loucas[/caption] A luxury 110-seat diner heroing Australian-sourced seafood cooked over charcoal, tilda will combine refined cuisine with a laidback Aussie vibe. Head Chef Nathanael Merchant (ex-Bently), alongside Precinct Executive Chef Elliott Pinn, has created a menu that features native ingredients incorporated into dishes that nod to Australia's multicultural culinary heritage, such as scallops with lemon myrtle, tamarind and coconut, and crab toast with seaweed butter, avocado and caviar. Sommelier Paul Sadler (ex-Chophouse) will also favour locally produced drops, with major vineyards sharing the cellar with small-batch, contemporary and progressive makers. One distinctive offering at tilda will be the tableside bread and butter service, mirroring a popular dining trend from the US. Presented on a butler's tray with Dinosaur Designs-made utensils, guests can choose their own adventure, with options including softened butter spiked with pepper and chive, whipped macadamia and seared Jersey cow's milk drizzled in honey, perfectly paired with saltbush focaccia. [caption id="attachment_974654" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jason Loucas[/caption] Pitched as "where old-world charm meets contemporary cool", live jazz performances, sleek decor and dazzling bartending will set the tone at bar tilda. Also located on the ground floor, it will be yet another welcome addition to Sydney's recent boom in martini bars — including Bobbie's in Double Bar, Dry Martini in Chippendale and Midtown at The Bristol in the CBD. Whisky will also be a prominent focus, not only on the drinks list but also in the decor. A grand, gilded whisky armoire containing more than 100 varieties of amber nectar will create an impressive focal point. House Made Hospitality's Director, Jason Williams, has crafted a cocktail menu that includes some theatrics. The martini experience, for example, invites guests to get up close and personal with one of the bar team as they mix their preferred martini at their table from a dedicated martini cart. Vinophiles are well served with 30 by-the-glass options to sample, primarily championing Australian producers. These include drops from both stalwart vineyards and new-wave cellar doors. Bar snacks will lean luxe yet playful, with light bites including cacio e pepe popcorn and loaded fries topped with 24-month-aged parmesan and bacon aioli. Hungrier guests can opt for classic dishes like a chopped salad topped with lobster, a Rangers Valley Black Onyx rump cap steak with peppercorn sauce, and an ever-faithful cheeseburger. "Whether you're just passing through Sydney or you're a local looking for a change of pace, the bar offers a lively pause," Williams says. "It's a chance to unwind and soak up the best of what's pouring in our own backyard." Find tilda and bar tilda at Softiel Sydney Wentworth, 101 Phillip Street in the CBD. Tilda is open Monday–Tuesday, 7am–10pm; Wednesday–Friday, 7am–11pm; Saturday, 5.30–11pm; and Sunday, 5.30–10pm. Bar tilda is open Monday–Tuesday, 6am–11pm; Wednesday–Friday, 6am–late; Saturday, 7am–late; Sunday, 7am–11pm.
Directed by Joe Carnahan (The A Team) and produced by Ridley and Tony Scott, The Grey tells the story of a group of oil-rig workers who find themselves stranded on the freezing Alaskan tundra after their plane home crashes. John Ottoway (Liam Neeson) is forced to lead a group of roughneck men in their fight for survival when the men come under attack by a pack of vicious, aggressive wolves. The wolves are on the hunt for these stranded humans as they see them as intruders in their territory who must be killed. The Grey is a thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat in the fight between man versus nature. The film is based on the short story Ghost Walker by Ian MacKenzie Jeffers. To win one of five double passes to see The Grey, just make sure you are subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address through to hello@concreteplayground.com.au
This Sydney Festival favourite returns to Parramatta Park for another evening of gorgeous music by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under the open night skies. Grab your friends, family, or current flame, pack a picnic and a blanket, and relax into the summery dusk for a night of music that will make you feel a bit like you're living in a film. The orchestra, conducted by Benjamin Northey, will run through some classics from the likes of Rossini, Strauss and Tchaikovsky, as well as some John Williams film scores that you're likely to recognise. The whole thing goes for three hours, so be sure to pack a good haul of snacks and drinks. Image: Victor Frankowski.
Maybe you've gone in for pizza and had a surprisingly great cocktail. Or maybe you've done it the other way around. Either way, one thing is for sure: Maybe Frank does great pizza and cocktails. And now, the team behind the Surry Hills' restaurant is expanding its offering with Maybe Sammy, opening in The Rocks tomorrow. Owners Stefano Catino and Vince Lombardo have just completed their new Harrington Street digs, which sits just opposite Neil Perry's Rosetta. The venue is fittingly named after another jazz era icon, Sammy Davis Jr. — if you hadn't guessed, Maybe Frank is named after Sinatra. But this new venture is all about the cocktails — something that Maybe Frank has gained quite a following for. The restaurant's leading barman Andrea Gualdi most recently won the Australian Bartender of the Year at the 2017 Diageo World Class Competition. He's a co-owner along with Catino and Lombardo, and leads the bar team at the new venue. Gualdi's cocktails at Maybe Frank are theatrical — complete with rose petals, pop rocks and charred wood — and the drinks at Sammy are equally creative and entertaining. Named after the Rat Pack's favourite venues, the cocktail list features eight signature sips, including the Circus Circus, made with rye, vermouth, mint and poblano and presented with a magic trick; the vodka- and passionfruit-infused Lady Luck, which is, interestingly, served with house-made hand cream (to use, not drink); and the Thunderbird, made with jasmine kombucha, Aperol and a Czech herbal bitters called Becherovka. Those whose wallets are noticeable lighter after the festive season will be happy to know that a lineup of 'minis' also features on the menu — a rotating list of classic tipples for only $10 a pop. If, on the other hand, you came into possession of lots of coin over Christmas (lucky you) you may choose to indulge in one of the 'high roller' cocktails, which start at a cool $70 each and feature ingredients like Champagne and Hennessy. Coffee also features heavily on the menu, with a list of non-alcoholic caffeinated drinks and boozy ones, such as the Sammy Shakerato (with Ethiopian coffee, Campari and limoncello). What the new menu doesn't feature is pizza. Replacing the Italian eats are snacks inspired by 1950s Hollywood glamour, complete with a fit-out that emulates a high-end hotel bar. Designed by Sydney's LD Studio, the space is opulent, with pink velvet banquettes, gold lamps, brass fittings, marble tiles and lots of indoor plants. Find Maybe Sammy at 111 Harrington Street, The Rocks from Wednesday, January 9. It's open from 4pm–12am, Tuesday and Wednesday; 4pm–2am, Thursday–Saturday; 4pm–12am, Sunday. Images: DS Oficina. Updated January 7, 2019.
Solar power. Who needs it? Well, we do — and pretty desperately. To generate it though, we need those pesky black solar panels to be fitted to people's roofs and properties and anywhere we can find a space for them. This can be a little hard without overtaking natural environments and farmland. But France have found thousands of kilometres of space perfect for solar panels — their roads. This idea of paving roads with solar panels was first floated by Scott and Julie Brusaw, when they launched a crowdfunding campaign to pave American parking lots with the things in 2014. But this project is a little more legit. Proposed by French transport infrastructure company Colas and France's National Institute for Solar Energy, it's been given the go-ahead by France's Agency of Environment and Energy Management. And if all goes to plan, they're promising to bring solar power to 1000-kilometres of roads in the country over the next five years. Named the Wattway system, the 7mm photovoltaic road surface would be stuck on top of existing road surfaces. Both its thinness and ease of application to existing roads make it the best proposal yet — and seeing as roads are only occupied by vehicles only 10% of the time, they'll be soaking up a lot of sunlight too. Claiming they are "paving the way to tomorrow's energy" (nice one, guys), Colas say that a one-kilometre stretch of Wattway panels would be able to provide the electricity to power public lighting in a city of 5000 inhabitants. According to Global Construction Review, tests on the solar roadway panels will begin this year. Let's hope the French trial is successful, and makes its way over here. As anyone who's stood barefoot on asphalt on a hot day knows, that stuff stores a lethal amount of heat. Via Tree Hugger.
What family dynamic holds greater prospect for drama than the one between a boy and his mother? From Norman Bates to Only God Forgives to Alex Winter's stepmum in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, movies are full of memorable mother/son pairings, not all of which have been entirely healthy. It's enough to make you think Freud might have been on to something. The latest picture to plumb the depths of maternal relations is Calin Peter Netzer's Child Pose out of Romania. Actress Luminita Gheorghiu gives a towering performance as Cornelia, a wealthy, overbearing mother who attempts to subvert justice after her negligent adult son Barbu (Bogdan Dumitrache) runs over a 14-year-old boy. As Cornelia bribes and bullies her way through the country's corrupt legal system, oblivious — or indifferent — to the pain that she leaves in her wake, viewers are offered a cynical portrayal of wealth and class in post-Stalinist Romania. Clad in expensive furs, Cornelia cuts an imposing figure, particularly in comparison to the impoverished family of the deceased teen and the overworked rural police force assigned to investigate the case. In both theme and style, Child's Pose is very much in keep with the emerging Romanian New Wave — currently all the rage amongst highfalutin film fans. Netzer adopts a minimalist approach to the drama that's acidified by bitter black humour. Handheld camerawork enhances the sense of realism, along with our feelings of outrage and discomfort. The truth is, it's an extremely unpleasant experience being trapped in the same room with Cornelia. Plenty of films manage to succeed in spite of their unpleasant protagonists, but Child's Pose isn't one of them. You can understand and to an extent even sympathise with Cornelia's actions, all of which are born out of a deep — if frequently controlling and occasionally downright creepy — love for her son. But that doesn't change the reality of her behaviour, which is appalling by any reasonable standard. The pacing, meanwhile, is unyieldingly slow, while also missing that sense of creeping escalation that makes the better films of the Romanian art house moment — Beyond the Hills, the unreleased Everybody in Our Family or the masterful Four Months, Three Weeks, Two Days — so dreadfully effective. Ultimately, Child's Pose has some insightful observations, but lacks the compelling quality of its contemporaries. https://youtube.com/watch?v=wQUh3hoGSfI
Okay, it hasn't exactly turned out to be the hot vax summer we deserve, but one thing we can be thankful for is the return of live music. And after a tough couple of years for the Australian music industry, there's probably never been a better time to celebrate homegrown talent. For all of January, The Rocks will be celebrating summer — and our incredible live music scene — with a month-long series of events. Rounding things out will be Sweet Summer Sounds, a two-week mini festival of live gigs featuring over 50 local music acts. The best part? It's absolutely free. The jam-packed bill bound for First Fleet Park includes the eclectic sounds of three-piece collective Haiku Hands who have garnered a global fanbase thanks to genre-bending tunes and big-energy live shows; and electrifying Western Sydney rapper, producer and engineer Kwame, Triple J's Unearthed Artist of the Year in 2018 who has shared a stage with heavyweights including Skepta and Migos. [caption id="attachment_839264" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mia Wray by Lisa Businovski[/caption] Also taking to the Sweet Summer Sounds stage is the excellent Melbourne singer-songwriter Mia Wray, whose 2020 debut single 'Work for Me' was plugged by Elton John on his Beats 1 radio show; Northern Beaches indie-folk band Sons of the East (who are set to embark on a headline tour of Europe and North America later this year); and the alluring, cinematic sounds of Melbourne three-piece Telenova. To complete the festival experience, you can stay fuelled thanks to a pop-up prosecco bar, Bubble Bambino, as well as stalls slinging burgers, falafels and loaded hot dogs — each perfect for an afternoon session in the sunshine soundtracked by some of Australia's most exciting musical acts of the moment. For the full lineup and gig times, head the The Rocks website.
The list of luxurious stays near Sydney just keeps on growing. There's a new nature retreat and sculpture park, this fancy tiny-house in Kangaroo Valley, a secluded harbourside cottage in Vaucluse and six cottages you can reach by train. Now, joining the ranks is Jamberoo Valley Farm, which has just opened its first farm-stay set within its 65-acre property. Among its many features, it has a fireplace and outdoor hot tub — which means it's perfect for a wintry weekend escape. The six-person, two-bedroom cottage is located along the South Coast, just a two-hour drive south of Sydney. The Scandinavian-style fit-out is thanks to Evette Moran Interiors, a design firm that is also responsible for Sydney's ultra-luxe Sol Spa and The Botanica Vaucluse — a farm-to-table eatery which sources its produce from Jamberoo Valley Farm. The cottage's bi-fold glass doors open onto a wrap-around timber deck, which is covered in plush couches and a barbecue area. Adjacent to the deck is a Swedish hot tub (also a plunge pool during the warmer months) that offers sweeping views of the valley beyond — all the way to the ocean. Indoors, there's a fireplace, a standalone bathtub for luxurious soaking and a separate teal-tiled rainfall shower. Plus the telly comes complete with Foxtel, Netflix and a DVD player, so you don't need to forego your daily creature comforts, either. Beyond the cottage, guests are encouraged to interact with the surrounding organic farm — you can pick produce and herbs from your private kitchen garden, collect freshly laid eggs from the chook pen for morning brekkie and even help the staff feed the pastured-raised and grass-fed animals (cattle, sheep, pigs and chickens). Apart from the immediate surrounds, plenty of other local attractions are within driving distance, too — including the Minnamurra rainforest, the Jamberoo Action Park, the Kiama Blowhole and heaps of local beaches. Jamberoo Valley Farm is located at 185 Wallaby Hill Road, Jamberoo and is now open for bookings. Prices start at $420 per night with a two night minimum stay.
This art deco pub in a corner spot on Erskineville Road is rarely seen without an assorted bunch of people merrily enjoying afternoon happy-hour sips, a quick-drink-turned-late-night or classic local feed. Family run and having sat in this place since 1932, it's no wonder there's an inherent sense of community. You'll find spots aplenty for you to perch, no matter the size of your party, spanning two floors. A soft brown-leather couch runs the length of the ground-floor space, a sports bar hosts sporting fans and fanatics alike, the rose garden makes room for anyone after an al fresco situation and the first-floor cantina (pictured below) delivers a funky fit-out and fresh menu. There's daily happy hours, a beverage list that celebrates local beers and vinos and a menu that serves everything from classic parmies and burgs, chocked salad bowls and steaks how you like them, to fancier small share plates — think eggplant yakitori, kangaroo tartare and grilled octopus. The Rose is a top-notch Inner West pub, well worth a visit on your next trip out for a beer.
Hot on the heels of opening their second RaRa outpost in Randwick, owners Scott Gault and Katie Shortland have just unveiled a third ramen joint on Newtown's Australia Street — but this one is 100 percent vegan. Opening its doors on the weekend, Lonely Mouth is located in the old Oscillate Wildly digs, next door to Black Star Pastry and down the block from Continental Deli and the Courty. Gault said the (slightly) new direction for the popular brand was in response to how popular RaRa's vegan ramen had been at its other two outposts. "Since opening RaRa Redfern, we have been blown away by the support from our vegan customers," says Gault. "We worked on various vegan ramen and sides in the background, but due to the limitations of the size of the Redfern space were unable to give the dishes the light of day or proper attention they deserved." As Newtown is already a top destination for vegan and vegetarian dining, with the likes of Gigi's Pizzeria, Golden Lotus and Lentil as Anything, the RaRa team felt Lonely Mouth would fit-right-in alongside the other vegan "trailblazers". [caption id="attachment_694680" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Luisa Brimble[/caption] At Lonely Mouth, the team has introduced a menu that's entirely new — apart from the vegan miso ramen, which is a fan-favourite already at RaRa Redfern. Alongside it, you'll find three new (all-vegan) ramen: a sunflower and hemp seed shoyu, with plant-based 'chashu', nori, bamboo shoots and black fungus; the tantanmen (spicy sichuan-based sesame broth) topped with house 'mince', bok choy, ground mixed nuts and sichuan peppercorns; and a soy shiro miso, topped with grilled tofu, red cabbage, bean sprouts and grilled corn. And, on top of the ramen, instead of tamago, you'll find Lonely Mouth's own house-made vegan 'eggs'. Apart from ramen, the menu also features a few snacks, including cauliflower karaage infused with shoyu-tare, seasonal Japanese pickles, kimchi and tempura corn. For drinks, expect a new selection of low intervention wines — vegan, of course — as well as the brand's usual Yulli's Brews in cans and Asahi on tap. The fit-out is a cross between a modern ramen shop and a small Tokyo cafe, with art installations and a living plant wall, plus more hanging greenery, lanterns and warm lighting. You can expect more of those typical RaRa queues, too, so expect a (well worth it) wait. Lonely Mouth is now open at 275 Australia Street, Newtown. Opening hours are noon–2.30pm and 5.30–9.30pm Wednesday; noon–2.30pm and 5.30–10pm Thursday–Friday from, noon–10pm Saturday and noon–5.30pm Sunday.
The CBD's newest cafe combines three worthy elements: all-day eating, an ex-Mecca chef and serious support for charity. Now open at No. 1 Martin Place, Portal is an expansive, light-filled space from The Pure Collective, which is also behind Folonomo in Surry Hills. Whether you're there for a mid-morning coffee or a long lunch, you can count on every dollar of profit going to charity. Portal has taken over No. 1's mezzanine level, with architect Adriano Pupilli's new design featuing an undulating timber ceiling, modern art and sleek splashes of brass and black. In the kitchen you'll find Michal Siudeja (ex-Mecca, The Farmed Table). He's been busy sourcing seasonal, local ingredients for Portal's menu, including honey from a rooftop beehive in Surry Hills. Kick off your day with a brekkie roll: maple bacon, fried egg, manchego and smoked tomato chutney on a house-made milk bun ($11), or coconut sago pudding with caramelised pineapple and kaffir lime ($9). Come lunch, Siudeja puts together hearty sandwiches ($10) with whizzbang fillings, like free-range chicken with miso mayo and fried eggplant, bocconcini and romesco. There are bowls ($11), too, based on hero proteins such as braised lamb, confit salmon and soy-sesame tofu. "I want to keep the menu as fresh as possible. There are lots of healthy grains, poached proteins and raw vegetables from Sydney markets. If we don't make it from scratch, we'll buy from local producers who share the same values," says Siudeja. On top of donating all profits to charity — with diners able to pick between three different non-profits — Portal provides hospitality training to people of refugee backgrounds, who've settled in Australia but are waiting for work visas. "These are people in need who have arrived legally and yet have to survive on goodwill until they're able to work. It's a distressing time to say the least," says Nicolas Degryse, co-founder, The Pure Collective."We offer hospitality training as an option, so they can learn skills and hopefully find jobs as soon as they're able to do so." Find Portal at Mezzanine Level, 1 Martin Place, Sydney, open 8am–4pm from Monday–Friday.
It hasn't served up meals for more than a decade, but El Bulli will always be a famous culinary name. Until 2011, when the spot in the town of Roses in Catalonia, Spain was operating as a restaurant, it was the pinnacle of fine-dining. It boasted three Michelin stars to prove it. Documentary El Bulli: Cooking in Progress also told its story. Head Chef Ferran Adrià didn't just oversee one of the world's best eateries, either — he's one of the world's best chefs, too. Didn't get the chance to enjoy a dish there, for all manner of reasons? How about sleeping at El Bulli for a night instead. That's the latest money-can't-buy experience on offer via Airbnb, and for one evening only. Slumbering at elBulli1846, the museum that's now onsite, is also free — for two people, but you are responsible of getting yourself to Roses, including paying your own way from Down Under if you score the booking. Airbnb loves opening up places that you wouldn't normally be able to kip in, as seen in the past with Shrek's swamp, Barbie's Malibu DreamHouse, the Ted Lasso pub, the Moulin Rouge! windmill and Hobbiton, for starters. It has also listed the Bluey house, the Paris theatre that inspired The Phantom of the Opera, the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine, The Godfather mansion, the South Korean estate where BTS filmed In the Soop, the Sanderson sisters' Hocus Pocus cottage and Santa's festive cabin in Finland. Earlier in 2024, Christina Aguilera hosted a two-night Las Vegas stay. Adrià does the honours at elBulli1846 — which, as you'd expect, goes all in on El Bulli's history. As you spend the night in the venue at Cala Montjoi, within the Cap de Creus Natural Park, he's hoping that you'll get inspired by its gastronomic innovation while soaking in the Mediterranean sea views. The museum is named after the 1846 dishes that El Bulli created in its restaurant days, after all. "The mission of elBullirestaurante was about pushing limits. We had reached what we felt was the limits of what can be done in a gastronomic experience at the maximum level," said Adrià. "Now I'm excited to push new creative boundaries, to share this way of seeing the world with the guests who stay here and to introduce them to our latest chapter as elBulli1846." This is the first time that El Bulli has allowed anything like this within its famed culinary halls. Whoever nabs the reservation will meet Adrià, and hear all about the restaurant from him; eat at one of his favourite restaurants in Roses; and get overnight access to El Bulli, including its private rooms. You'll also have dinner the next day at Enigma in Barcelona, where Adrià's brother Albert is the chef. And, in-between all of that, you'll be sleeping in a bed designed to look like a plate, which takes its cues from El Bulli's spherical olive. To enjoy all of the above, you'll need to be free to stay across Wednesday, October 16–Thursday, October 17 — and you'll be getting booking at 2am AEST / 4am NZST on Thursday, April 18. Again, while you won't pay a cent for accommodation or the two dinners while you're at elBulli1846, you will need to fork out to get there and back. For more information about the elBulli1846 Airbnb stay, or to book at 2am AEST / 4am NZST on Thursday, April 18 for a stay across Wednesday, October 16–Thursday, October 17, 2024, head to the Airbnb website. Images: Marc Ensenyat. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Sydney Writers' Festival has launched its 2018 program, unveiling a powerful lineup of speakers and guests to match a very powerful theme. Artistic Director Michaela McGuire announced the festival's 21st edition, which will run from April 30 until May 6 at its new home of Carriageworks. It will dive deep into an exploration of "power and its adjacent qualities, and its relationship to sex, money, politics, identity, and the state of the world". Headlining this year's impressive group of big-name guests are three international literary legends, including André Aciman — author of novel Call Me By Your Name, which inspired the coming-of-age big screen drama of the same title. He'll take the stage for a talk centred around ideas of power, along with Korean-American author Min Jin Lee, and Alexis Okeowo, who penned the award-winning A Moonless, Starless Sky. Other international heavyweights on the bill include Amy Bloom — discussing her bestselling story about the affair between First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and a journalist — as well as The New Yorker's Ben Taub on his time in Syria, and Robert E. Kelly, the 'BBC Dad' from that fateful TV interview. Meanwhile, Robert Drewe, Jane Harper, Helen Garner and The Slap's Christos Tsiolkas are just some of the talent flying the flag for Australia's literary scene. Festival goers will also have the chance to hear from a swag of politicians-turned-writers, including Jacqui Lambie, Sam Dastyari and former Prime Minister Julia Gillard. The hefty event program includes what promises to be a huge SWF Gala at Sydney Town Hall, an all-day YA literary festival and a host of great family-friendly events. Images: Prudence Upton.
After making his fortune at the card tables as a professional gambler, David Walsh launched MONA as something to give back to the community. Three years later it's become a national icon, boosted Tasmania's economy and given rise to one of Australia's best festivals. Now, despite labelling gambling as "mostly immoral", Walsh has plans in the works to build a mini-casino at his much-loved Tasmanian gallery. Yes, this is confusing. In its defence, Walsh's vision for the space goes far beyond the sad state of affairs you see on an average night at Star City or Crown. Designed for the more refined gambler, the space would be "a little high-roller, tourist-only, no-pokie casino". The entire operation would consist of nothing more than 12 cards tables. Basically, it'd be the perfect place for Bond villains to hang out should they ever find themselves in Australia. To add to this eye-patch wearing, cigar-puffing, international art smuggling cartel theme, Walsh has stated he would call the casino Monaco. While a cute play on the gallery name, the choice could also be a knowing wink at the ritzy Monte Carlo casino the nation is known for — a site coincidentally used in many Bond movies. Regardless, these plans have a long hard road to becoming a reality. At present, the Federal Group (owners of Wrest Point Casino) have an exclusive license on casino operations in Tasmania and Walsh's plans would require an overturning of the license by the state government. Walsh has reportedly made initial contact but is sceptical about his chances. At one point, the MONA owner was banned from Wrest Point for card counting. If the plans were to go through, the gallery would undoubtedly enjoy a large boost in funds. At the very least it would be an un unconventional solution to the impending cuts to Australia's arts industries and a welcome salvation for Walsh himself who has bankrolled the gallery since its inception. But honestly, the outlook doesn't look great. You can't blame an eccentric, art-loving millionaire for chasing the dream. Via The Guardian and The Mercury.
Since opening its doors in 2015, Flour Drum has established itself as a Newtown hub for great food and exceptional service. Victor Li, Christopher Heaps and Chef John Ageletos have focused their different restaurant skills to create a space that embodies what a neighbourhood cafe should be. Flour Drum doesn't attribute dishes to just one cuisine. Instead, fare showcases flavours from around the world, especially the Greek, Chinese, and New Zealand cuisines the owners grew up with. "Being my mother's son, I always cook to make everyone happy," says Ageletos on the source of his inspiration. He also recalls how his mother would whip up fusion dishes, like Indian curry fried rice that the three still make during Christmas. Surrounded by secondhand stores and street murals, Flour Drum stands apart from other eateries with a charming vintage decor and personable staff. From the front room — which is perfect for afternoon lamingtons — to a dining room for long lunches on weekends, its imaginative vision shines through via walls filled with quotes, art displays and a large Outback mural among other ornaments. There's also a garden area where Heaps has pulled together garden tables, an antique Buddha head, a collage of paintings and other treasures hidden by foliage. For breakfast, Flour Drum goes beyond the realm of typical toasties and morning pastries. Its South American-esque corn fritters topped with a poached egg, avocado, tomato jam and feta balances the sweet of the fritters with the spicy kick of the tomato jam. The must-try dish is the fluffy banoffee pancakes coated in dulce de leche and Anzac biscuit crumbles with a grilled banana and mountains of whipped cream. Flour Drum's fusion-focused menu continues through to lunch. Barbecue duck ravioli dumplings accompanied by egg noodles and a sweet shiitake broth craftily combines Asian flavours with the textures of Italian pasta. If you want a heartier meal, the eight-hour braised lamb shank ragu with house-made pappardelle is melt-in-your-mouth delicious. And, if you beat the eager crowds, indulge in the best-selling beef rendang. Whatever you eat, don't leave without a slice (or more) of the ever-changing assortment of lamingtons. Dive into the Black Forest covered in coconut shreds or go for something citrus — such as the gluten-free ricotta, raspberry and white chocolate cake. And trust me when I say you'll probably walk out with one of Flour Drum's massive cookies in hand, too. Flour Drum dances to its own beat and provides an interesting dining experience each time you visit. It'll soon become an all-day eatery, with dinner services starting in August featuring dishes like duck ragu and baked bombe alaska. Images: Jenna Manto
