Suitcases at the ready: your latest excuse to not just dream of a getaway, but actively start looking forward to your next one, is here. Virgin is putting on another flight sale, and this one expands its usual Happy Hour promotions. For one day only, and for the first time ever, the airline is extending its weekly window for specials to a full day. That means that today, Thursday, February 23, you have until midnight AEDT to score a bargain fare to destinations around Australia. Included on the sale list is everywhere from the nation's capital cities to Sunshine State hotspots such as Hamilton Island, Cairns and the Gold Coast. So, whether you're keen to explore a different concrete playground than your own or to soak in some beach time on an endless summer, you've got options. A huge 250,000 discounted one-way flights are on offer, starting at at $55. As always, that price will get you from Sydney to Byron Bay, which is consistently the cheapest route during sales like this. Other cheap fares include Sydney to the Gold Coast from $89, Adelaide to Melbourne from $99, Brisbane to Hamilton Island from $119, Sydney to Hobart from $95 and Melbourne to Launceston from $69. And, the discounts apply both ways, and for economy seats. If you're wondering when you'll need to travel, the dates cover between Thursday, March 9–Friday, September 15, all varying per route. Get ready for autumn and winter getaways, or to start off spring with a break. As usual when it comes to flight sales, you'll need to get in quick — quicker than usual, in fact, given the midnight deadline. Virgin's day-long Happy Hour sale runs until midnight AEDT on Thursday, February 23 — unless sold out earlier. 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.
A quick search through magazines and online will bring up hundreds of bucket lists suggesting the bright lights of Manhattan or the ancient ruins of Rome. However, for many people a city is a city, and to truly live and experience beauty one has to look further — much further. Here's just a few of the world's hidden wonders. 1. Mount Roraima in Venezuela/Brazil/Guyana Mount Roraima, the highest of the Pacaraima Mountains, is a massive tabletop plateau that spreads into three countries. Boasting a variety of plant life — such as pitcher plants, bellflowers and heather, some of which are unique — Roraima creates some of the most spectacular waterfalls in the world and has steep sides that reach over 400 metres in height. Popular with backpackers and hikers, who usually hire a guide from the village of Paraitepui below, the plateau has only one route up, a perilous ascent of near constant cloud cover and uncanny rock formations. 2. The Door to Hell in Turkmenistan It's not strictly one of Mother Nature's greatest creations as mankind lent a hand in making it, but the locally dubbed Door to Hell in Turkmenistan is unlike anything else in the world. A giant hole in the ground with a never-ending supply of burning gas, the crater is around 60 metres across and easily just as deep. Supposedly formed in the '70s when geologists, drilling for natural gas, went too deep and caused a massive cave-in and explosion, the Door to Hell has been ablaze ever since, and may never go out. 3. Chocolate Hills in the Philippines Formed, according to legend, by the tears of a giant that had lost his love, the Chocolate Hills appear on the provincial flag of Bohol and all stand between 30 and 50 metres high. A more reliable explanation for this unusual landscape could be that the hills were the result of the self-destruction of an active volcano. Mostly uniform in shape and size, the hills are covered in rich, green grass that turns brown during the dry season (hence the name). It's thought that there are as many as 1770 of these mysterious hills spread out over an area of 50 square kilometres. 4. Stone Forest in Madagascar Home to many unique species, including the white lemur, which can be found in the passageways below as well as above, Madagascar's Stone Forest is filled with pillars of extensively eroded limestone that rise up to 70 metres above the ground. From the air, the area appears harsh and barren, but beneath the jagged peaks lies a world of forest canyons and humid caves, all teeming with plants and animals. The Stone Forest is known locally as 'Tsingy' (where one cannot walk barefoot). It's quite clear why. 5. Mount Sanqingshan National Park in China Shrouded in mist for 200 days of the year, Sanqingshan National Park, which is considered a sacred place, is used by many for meditation and is believed to grant immortality. Home to about 2500 species of plant, the area's granite formations and strangely shaped pine trees resemble silhouettes of people and animals. 6. Socotra in Yemen Considered to be the most biodiverse place in the Arabian Sea, world heritage site Socotra has some of the most unusual looking plant life in the world, including the distinct Dragon Blood Tree, mainly because of its harsh climate. Located within the Republic of Yemen, the group of islands are also home to a huge number of spiders, birds, and spectacular coral reefs. Socotra's main island has three different terrains: narrow coastal plains, a limestone plateau dotted with deep caves, and the Haghier Mountains, the tallest of which is 1503 metres high. 7. Devils Tower in the USA According to Sioux Indian legend, a group of young girls were out picking flowers when they were suddenly chased by bears. Seeing and taking sympathy on their plight, the Great Spirit moved the ground beneath them and raised them to safety. The bears, who couldn't climb the rock's steep sides, fell, leaving scratches in their wake. The mysterious rock is sacred to a number of tribes, and during the month of June, when they conduct ceremonies around it, climbing is prohibited. The truth behind the formation of Devils Tower, located in Wyoming, has experts baffled. While many believe it is the neck of an extinct volcano, as evidenced by the surrounding landscape, others are sceptical. We may never really know. 8. The Eye of the Sahara in Mauritania Used by shuttle crews as a landmark since the earliest days of space travel, the Eye of the Sahara, which has a diameter of 50 metres, resembles a giant bull's-eye in the desert or, to be more descriptive, the fossil of a giant ammonite. A true geological wonder, it was once thought the Richat Structure, as it is also known, was formed when a meteorite struck the earth. Nowadays experts believe it was formed by the constant lifting and erosion of the earth. 9. Dune of Pyla in France Completely out of place in France, the Great Dune of Pyla, Europe's largest sand dune, is a popular hot spot for paragliders and holidaymakers. With a height of around 100 metres, the dune comes in from the coast and runs along 3 kilometres of coastline, with its steepest side facing a green forest beyond. A strange sight indeed. 10. Cano Cristales in Colombia For most of the year, Cano Cristales, a river so remote it can only be reached by horse or on foot, is different to no other, littered with waterfalls, rapids, wells, and hollows, but for a brief period it transforms and earns its nickname, 'The River of Five Colours'. During the gap between the wet and dry seasons, a unique species of plant that lines the river floor suddenly appears to turn a brilliant red, which, along with yellow and green sand and blue water, turns the whole area into a vision of paradise.
After hitting up the beach for a morning swim, folks in Sydney's eastern suburbs are spoilt for choice when deciding where to go for a morning coffee or big breakfast. Adding to the overwhelming amount of options, a new cafe has opened up on Campbell Parade in North Bondi, just a short walk from the sand. Decked out in nostalgic pastel colours and serving up twists on cafe classics, Cafe Bondi has opened in the digs formerly occupied by The Depot. Drop in and you'll find a sprawling all-day breakfast menu, plus burgers and bowls for lunch, all on offer seven days a week. The menu contains all your breakfast favourites like smashed avo, acai bowls and buttermilk hotcakes — but if you're looking to shake up your first meal of the day, you can also branch out with options like zucchini fitters with avo salsa, grilled chorizo and watermelon radish or a vegan turmeric tofu scramble with eggplant, sautéed spinach, roasted cherry tomatoes, avocado and house salsa. Lunch is served from 12pm, and includes a slow-cooked beef brisket sandwich, as well as a vegan falafel bowl filled with quinoa, kale, butternut pumpkin, pickled beetroot and falafel. If a vegan bowl isn't going to hit the spot and you're just in the mood for a burger, Cafe Bondi's is made with a tajima beef pattie accompanied by cheddar, bacon, tomato, lettuce, pickles and onions. While the menu is full of enough goodies to have you beelining down to Cafe Bondi come the weekend, the drinks list also includes a series of breakfast cocktails. A yuzu spritz (Aperol, yuzu, pink grapefruit and prosecco), three types of bloody marys and jugs of rose sangria sit beside a selection of beers and an extensive wine list ideal for your next boozy brunch. Cafe Bondi is located at 286 Campbell Parade, North Bondi. It's open 6.30am–4pm, seven days a week. Images: Kimberly Low.
Sometimes, getting out and doing something is really just an opportunity to get out and do nothing, and that's perfectly fine. Especially on our public holiday that celebrates the movement that lead to a shorter working week. For those trapped in loveless leases that don't allow even the tiniest (and cutest) of puppies, doing nothing can very easily involve checking out other people's doggos in a park. Kick off the day with some mates and a trip to Mary's for a takeaway classic cheeseburger and fries, then take your stash over to Camperdown Memorial Rest Park to get serious about some dog spotting. We've even heard tales of owners letting you pat their dogs if you say nice things to them beforehand. Image: Kimberly Low.
Imagine a room filled with pinot noir, with red drops after red drops from wineries around the country poured for your sipping pleasure for hours. If that's your preferred type of vino, it likely sounds like your idea of boozy heaven. There's no need to just dream up the concept, however. Thanks to Pinot Palooza, it already exists, has been doing the rounds in Australia for more than a decade, and has locked in its return for 2024. A guiding principle here: that being spoilt for choice can be overrated when it comes to deciding which wine varieties you feel like at any given moment. So, let this event do the picking for you. Pinot Palooza celebrates exactly the type of vino that's in its name, and makes the sound of a light- to medium-bodied red wine sloshing around a glass its standard soundtrack, including in Sydney in spring. Expect to hear that noise a whole heap — before the pandemic, the Melbourne-born wine-tasting festival had notched up an estimated 65,000 tickets sold globally. In 2024, Pinot Palooza is hitting up Carriageworks for a two-day stint across Friday, October 4–Saturday, October 5. The Pinot Palooza team has also revealed that up to 100 wineries will be taking part in 2024, up from more than 50 winemakers last year, and surveying everything from organic and vegan to biodynamic and low-intervention drops. The full list of producers hasn't been unveiled, but Tasmania's Meadowbank, Oakdene from Geelong, Murdoch Hill and Vinteloper from the Adelaide Hills and New South Wales' M&J Becker are among the names that'll be involved from Australia. New Zealand tipples will be showcased by Two Paddocks, Burn Cottage, Mt Difficulty, Te Whare Ra, Greystone and others. As always, attendees will spend their session swirling and sampling that huge array of pinot noir, and making the most of up pop-up bars and food stalls between drinks.
The sun is shining, you're out of office is on and you've already spent a good amount of time curled up streaming TV shows. Now's the chance to catch up on your reading — so, find a shady spot on a beach, next to a pool or by a waterfall and start making your way through our favourite books of 2020. Even if the unexpected amount of time spent at home this year has provided you with ample reading opportunities, we're sure you'll find something on the list to fill your days. It's a mixed bag this year — we've been turning the pages of novels about First Nations languages, Nick Cave and bars in Spain. Some of them are hopeful, some are relatable and some are heartbreaking, which makes them perfect for mulling over during the holidays, and providing flavourful fodder for dinner conversations. Take your pick. THE YIELD BY TARA JUNE WINCH Awarded the 2020 Miles Franklin Literary Award, Tara June Winch's The Yield is a book at odds with itself. It's about language lost as much as it's a celebration of tongue; the beauty of the land, the blood in it and its unearthing; and a culture dispossessed as well as a homecoming. It's about both Indigenous and colonial Australia. A connection to — and raw look at — Ngurambang/Country. When August returns home after her grandfather's death, she learns that the land she grew up on is being repossessed by a mining company. What ensues is a reaping of time, secrets, storytelling and blood. Split into three interlinking narratives — Albert 'Poppy' Gondiwindi and his passing on of his language, the Reverend's tales of starting a mission in Massacre Plains and August's quest to save her ancestors' land — it shows how tied Australia's future is to its past. The Yield is stunningly astute. It's a book worthy of attention; worthy to be placed on every Australian bookshelf. It rips at your heart, but also sings of hope. Cordelia Williamson, Branded Content Producer NEW VOICES ON FOOD A timely and personal look at how we connect through food, New Voices on Food makes room for a diverse collection of voices. Edited by writer, radio presenter and Sydney gem Lee Tran Lam, New Voices on Food is the first edition of a community-oriented anthology that offers new perspectives on our collective love of food. After taking public submissions back in August, the book showcases stories of individuals from underrepresented communities and celebrates the power of diversity. Contributions come in the form of written word, comics, photo essays and sketches. Each piece exudes a deep connection with food and its relationship with family, identity, memory and our tastebuds. Together, the stories demonstrate the importance of difference and promote what will hopefully be a more diverse future culinary landscape. Ben Hansen, Staff Writer HUMANKIND: A HOPEFUL HISTORY BY RUTGER BREGMAN If you hand-counted all the good things that happened in 2020, you would probably struggle to make it past your pinky finger. "Not me," you say? Good on you — go buy a yacht or something. If that statement is accurate, read on — literally. Danish author and historian Rutger Bregman has offered up his latest enlightening view on the world, and it's the most uplifting read you'll come across this year. Humankind: A Hopeful History argues against 'veneer theory': the idea that human compassion is cosmetic, and that underneath our thin layer of kindness lies our true, savage, violent and uncaring selves. Bregman uses the Lord of The Flies scenario as a common anecdote throughout the book, backed up with real-world social experiments that show just how horrible us humans are. But the historian in Bregman digs deeper, a lot deeper, and discovers that most of these 'scientific' social experiments were fuelled by ambition, hypocrisy and self-fulfilling prophecies. It's so satisfying to read through a criminologist's pessimistic magnum opus and have Bregman break it like a matchstick. The book leaves you feeling lighter — it's an absolute joy. Reuben Gibbes, Video Producer KOKOMO BY VICTORIA HANNAN You've probably seen Victoria Hannan's Kokomo in someone's hands on the tram, at the beach or at your local cafe; it's been receiving a bit of traction since its publication in July this year. Set in Melbourne, Kokomo feels familiar. Like Helen Garner's Monkey Grip but without the heroin, it celebrates the city and its ordinariness. In this way, it is far from the tropical paradise of the eponymous song by The Beach Boys. But, at its heart, Kokomo is about relationships and the building and tumbling of them. Mina, living her so-called best life in London, gets a call from her best friend Kira. Mina's mother has left the house — something she hasn't done in 12 years. Wanting answers, Mina returns to Melbourne and, after wading through her past, gets them. Hannan's tender storytelling drives her debut novel, with moments of heartbreak and hilarity and all shades in between. Cordelia Williamson, Branded Content Producer HONEYBEE BY CRAIG SILVEY Craig Silvey established himself as a force to be reckoned with in Australian literature with Rhubarb before following it up with the exquisite Jasper Jones. This year, he returned with another tour de force coming-of-age story. Set in Perth, Honeybee opens with its protagonist, Sam, leaning over the side of a bridge ready to jump. Sam is a transgender teenager and is struggling with self-hatred and the ill-treatment of others. Sam is confused and devastated. As it happens, an elderly man named Vic is also out on the ledge, and that chance meeting changes the trajectory of both of their lives forever. At times heart-breaking, tender, wild and woolly, funny and outrageous, this book is brimming over with luminous language and characters that burrow their way into your heart and stick with you. Your heart breaks repeatedly for Sam on such a difficult journey to find self-acceptance, self-love and to accept love; and ultimately this becomes a heart-warming story of becoming. Susi Reed, Business Development Director ALL OUR SHIMMERING SKIES BY TRENT DALTON In his award-winning debut novel Boy Swallows Universe, Trent Dalton shows you the gritty underbelly of 80s Brisbane through the eyes of 12-year-old Eli Bell. In his second novel All Our Shimming Skies, the gravedigger's daughter Molly Hook takes you on a journey through outback Northern Territory in 1942. Both novels have an undeniably dark undercurrent, with war, death and domestic violence setting the scene for Molly's adventure, but they both have an air of magic. Stone hearts, gifts from the sky and 'sorcerer' Longcoat Bob all buoy Molly and her companions, sharp-tongued aspiring actress Greta and fallen Japanese fighter pilot Yukio, as they navigate greed, grief and can after can of Campbell's Condensed Oxtail Soup on their journey. All Our Shimmering Skies is a dreamlike coming-of-age novel, following Molly on her quest to find buried treasures and secrets alike. It's a novel that'll captivate you with descriptions of big fat orange caterpillars and storms that shake pennies from the clouds, and have you booking in a road trip to explore Australia for yourself. Samantha Teague, Editor INTOXICATING: TEN DRINKS THAT SHAPED AUSTRALIA BY MAX ALLEN In his latest treatise on the history of booze in Australia, lauded wine writer Max Allen describes his experience eating an apple from a 180-year-old tree in southern NSW: "It was a ravishing, moving experience: I felt for a moment as though I was travelling through time and space, from now, back through colonial Australia, all the way to Elizabethan England." The same could be said of his book. Intoxicating: Ten Drinks That Shaped Australia takes you on a journey, from gum trees on the edge of a boggy Tasmanian frost plain to the Victoria Bitter brewery in inner city Melbourne; from a Port Phillip Bay shipwreck in 1841 to a natural Margaret River vineyard in 2019. It's a history lesson — an engaging one, told by a teacher that's charming, witty and honest — a recipe book and social critique all in one. And it touches on an important not-oft-discussed topic: pre-colonial Indigenous-made alcohol and the myth of a 'dry continent'. It's a read best paired with a home-brewed peach cyder — and followed up with Bruce Pascoe's groundbreaking Aboriginal agriculture deep-dive Dark Emu. Samantha Teague, Editor BOY ON FIRE: THE YOUNG NICK CAVE BY MARK MORDUE Mark Mordue's Boy on Fire: The Young Nick Cave offers an enthralling glimpse into the formative years of the mysterious dark prince of Australian music. It's a personal peek under the hood of Nick Cave, a gripping bildungsroman and a looking glass to the wild Melbourne post-punk scene of the 70s and early 80s. If you're a Cave fan, yes, this is probably more than enough for you to run and grab a copy, but the biography goes far beyond the skimming of surfaces. Boy on Fire is the making of ten years of interviews between Mordue and Cave, as well as a revolving cast of characters from Cave's early days and those close to the enigmatic artist, including Cave's late mother Dawn, boyhood mates from Wangaratta and members of The Birthday Party. Mordue's prose is worthy of its subject; it is at once poetic and gritty, humorous and heartfelt, painting a portrait of an uncompromising, ambitious and, at times, erratic musician who came from rural Victoria to take on the world. Ben Hansen, Staff Writer and Cordelia Williamson, Branded Content Producer COCO WAS PARADISE BY GARY BRUN Coco Was Paradise is Gary Brun's debut novel, which is surprising because it reads as if he's been writing for decades. It's a boozy, sun-drenched fable of lust, jealousy, romance and madness — a tale that could have only been set in Spain. 23-year-old Arthur Washington travels to San Sebastián in an effort to escape the rut of his inner city Sydney life. He spends a night on a stolen yacht with a mystifying woman who goes by the name of Coco. Then, after a month-long coma, Arthur wakes up in hospital before being told he had fallen off a cliff. Did he fall? Or was he pushed? Coco Was Paradise is a sensory journey. Brun seems to have drunk in every bar and visited every cultural monument in Spain in the way he writes with such accurate detail. It's the perfect summer read that will leave you with a tan and a hangover. Reuben Gibbes, Video Producer UNCANNY VALLEY BY ANNA WIENER 'Doomscrolling' may be Macquarie Dictionary's word of the year, but writer Anna Wiener will tell you the act of endlessly refreshing the news on your phone is entirely by design. This won't be surprising to anyone who watched The Social Dilemma on Netflix this year (or, let's face it, to any consumer of media), but what might pique your interest is just how toxic the workplace culture is and was at many of the Silicon Valley companies responsible for our daily addictions. Casual sexism? Check. Harassment? Check. Excessive surveillance? You name it. Uncanny Valley is Wiener's memoir of her time at unnamed tech start-ups, but really it's a reality check for all of us to take off the company-branded t-shirts and start tapping into what we're really supporting with every mindless scroll. Emma Joyce, Branded Content Editor THE ANSWER IS... BY ALEX TREBEK There are many reasons to watch Jeopardy!, the long-running TV quiz show that has been on the air in the US in its current form since 1984. Alex Trebek and his love of knowledge are chief among them, though. Yes, it's fun to play along and to see contestants notch up big wins. But none of that would strike such a chord if Trebek wasn't so passionate and dedicated to the cause — even when he's getting a little sassy with the competitors. In a book that's been decades in the making, The Answer Is… By Alex Trebek sees the beloved host reflect upon his life and career across a series of vignettes, touching upon everything from the moustache that earned so much attention when he shaved it off to Will Ferrell's famed Saturday Night Live impersonations. Backstage stories abound, of course, which are catnip for longterm Jeopardy! fans; however it's Trebek's willingness to get personal that unsurprisingly resonates. The candid memoir hit bookstores earlier this year before the television icon died from pancreatic cancer in early November, but it was always going to be a witty, engaging and moving read. And, a definite Jeopardy! clue one day, too. Sarah Ward, Weekend Editor
If there are two things university is good for it's an education and a free feed. Anyone familiar with campus life knows there are always an abundance of free club BBQs and cheeky union events where you can pick up free burgers and beers, but now the University of Sydney is going one step further: they're inviting anyone to come in and grab a free lunch. Here's the catch: you have to call back on some of that long lost education. Running until Saturday, November 1, Sydney Uni's Food for Thought Truck will be popping up around the city ready to dish you out an excellent feed. Focussed on the idea of leadership, the truck will be posing different topics of discussion each day. To score some food, all you have to do is engage in debate on social media with the hashtag #ithinkleadership. Some encouragement: the menu features slow-roasted pulled pork sandwiches and kale salad with chilli and pomegranate. Jumping in at the deep end, they kicked things off yesterday with the premise that 'It's time Australia's first people came first'. Today, they're following it up with an equally large topic: 'Leadership isn't a title'. The rest of the week will see debates on the ramifications of social media, whether women make better leaders and if Lady Gaga could solve the Ukraine crisis (spoiler: the answer's probably no). Of course, it being reliant on social media and all, the campaign isn't all about shared knowledge and meaningful philosophising. A good portion of those participating have been taking the piss. For instance when the university asked its followers "If you had to describe leadership in one word, what would it be?" the responses included "Leadership", "Dumbledore", and "shirtfront". Yes, yes, yes. Give those people a sandwich. #ithinkleadership is divesting from the industry that is wrecking our planet. @Sydney_Uni — Simon Copland (@SimonCopland) October 28, 2014 #ithinkleadership is being INSPIRED to support indigenous pathways into uni http://t.co/eI2NtugI7W — Kate Alexander (@kate_alexander) October 28, 2014 Free food for thought! Participate in @Sydney_Uni's #ithinkleadership conversation for a yummy feed! pic.twitter.com/Unktn18J95 — Crystal Choi (@crystalhchoi) October 28, 2014 Where you'll find the Food for Thought Truck this week: Tuesday, October 28 — The University of Sydney, 11am – 3pm Wednesday, October 29 — Parramatta Church Street Mall, 12pm – 4pm Thursday, October 30 — Wynyard Park, 11am – 3pm Friday, October 31 — Grosvenor Place, CBD, 11am – 4pm Saturday, November 1 — Bondi Farmers’ Markets, 9am – 1pm
It's that time of year again when Sydney is transformed into the sparkling, colourful wonderland that is Vivid. Whether you're a local or visiting from out-of-town, chances are you'll make the Vivid rounds at least once during these coming weeks. You'll need to properly fuel up before fighting your way through the crowds toward all of those sights — with over 50 large scale installations going up between Darling Harbour, Barangaroo, Circular Quay and Luna Park. We've teamed up with American Express to bring you the five best CBD eateries to hit before venturing on to see the lights. Oh, and what's more, at the below restaurants, you'll save $20 if you book via TheFork and then spend $50 or more using your American Express card. From rooftop digs and sky-high views to all the dumplings and some of Sydney's finest dining, there's plenty of places to get a pre-Vivid feed. Want to skip the preamble and dive right into all the action? Even though TheFork bookings aren't applicable at the American Express Vivid Lounge, you'll still get a sweet deal — spend $30 using your American Express card at the lounge and get $5 back. Plus, you'll be right in the thick of it all without having to elbow your way through the masses. BENNELONG What more fitting place to dine during Vivid than the Opera House? Peter Gilmore's Bennelong gets you right up close to the action with sweeping harbour views. Whether you're here for the a la carte menu or to try the Cured & Cultured share plates, you know you're getting one of Sydney's best meals here. For a truly interactive experience, grab a seat at the counter for a full view of the chefs at work, all while eating the seven-course chef's tasting menu for a reasonable $70. Afterwards, you'll be perfectly situated to make the Vivid rounds (albeit a little full). To book, head here. [caption id="attachment_591893" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Alana Dimou[/caption] LOTUS BARANGAROO Barangaroo's waterfront doesn't just offer enviable views of Vivid's Darling Harbour spectacle — it also boasts one of Sydney's best Chinese dining destinations — Lotus Barangaroo. The dumpling masters at Lotus Dining are slinging an authentic Shanghai-style menu, but with native Australian ingredients. The harbourside restaurant focuses on fresh seafood and innovative dumplings, like the spanner crab and prawn, chicken siu mai and steamed pork wontons with sesame paste and black mushrooms. Of course, for Vivid, you'll want to try nab one of the tables along the waterfront for a dumpling feast with a view. To book, head here. [caption id="attachment_688954" align="alignnone" width="1920"] O Bar and Dining[/caption] O BAR AND DINING Located 47 floors up, O Bar and Dining is the closest you'll get to seeing the Vivid lights from the sky. Set in the old Australia Post building in Australia Square, the circular bar offers 360-degree views of the city, along with a modern Australian menu and a four-page cocktail list. Executive Chef Michael Moore offers something for everyone — seafood lovers should try the two-or-three course menus, and vegans will love the dedicated plant-based menu. Sit back, relax and enjoy the panoramic views with a drink in hand. To book, head here. UNTIED BARANGAROO Barangaroo's rooftop bar Untied offers a lush rainforest vibe and expansive views over the lights at Darling Harbour. The cocktail bar has drinks to match its 'on-vacay' theme with a list of tropical and Aussie-themed cocktails that'll transport you to warmer weather with just a sip. Our favourite is the Flamin' Galah, a concoction of gin, blood orange, coconut, fresh watermelon and lime juice. Plus, there's a lengthy wine and beer list if that's more your style. The food is colourful and designed to share with dishes such as the bush pepper calamari, Jamaican jerk chicken burger, poke bowls and adobo fish burger. Most importantly, the indoor-outdoor bar gives you unobstructed Vivid and harbour views. To book, head here. MEJICO The Pitt Street stalwart that is Mejico serves up modern Mexican fare with flavours from Mexico City to the Yucatan Peninsula. On the 'market-to-table' menu, expect a raw bar with ceviche and tostadas, street eats like empanadas and patatas bravas, plus tacos and chargrilled meats to boot. For drinks, there are heaps of all-agave tequilas to choose from — over 200 bottles, to be exact. Choose from classic cocktails or tequila flights based on your preferred flavour profile. There's even a tequila wheel based on price point, intensity and flavour. After your meal, you'll be just a quick walk to Circular Quay and all the bright Vivid sights. To book, head here. AMERICAN EXPRESS VIVID LOUNGE Here, you don't even have to leave your seat in order to get in on all the Vivid action. Located on the rooftop of Cruise Bar at the Overseas Passenger Terminal, right in the heart of Circular Quay, the American Express Vivid Lounge is where you can escape the masses and still see all those spangling lights. The lounge will be set up throughout Vivid, meaning you can enjoy some of the best Vivid views with a drink in hand, including spectator-favourite the Opera House sails and the glittering harbour beyond. Don't have an American Express card? You can still get in just by registering here. Top image: Bennelong by Nikki To. When you need a break from the crowds but not the lights this Vivid season, American Express has your back. Gain access to the American Express Vivid Lounge — even if you don't yet have an American Express card. All you have to do is sign-up here.
Hip hop culture, graffiti and architecture combine as one. The Hive apartment, the coolest apartment around, is graffiti inspired and located in Melbourne, the city renowned for its funky, impressive street-art. Designed by the architect Zvi Belling of ITN Architects, the Hive is the first in a series of Hip Hop buildings. Made mostly of concrete, this building symbolises the tumultuous relationship between architecture and graffiti. Whether it appeals to you or disgusts you, graffiti exists and is a common form of art around the world. Belling teamed up with old schoolgraffiti artist, Prowla RDC, to make this unusual, radical and not-so-humble looking abode. Not only is the house inovative and cool, but it is environmentally friendly, too. Fully equipped with solar panels lining the roof, the Hive is a green hip-hop home. Arrows, swooshes, and drips have been incorporated into the concrete walls but the biggest statement of all is the four meters high concrete letters spelling 'hive' across the building. Watch out for ITN's next unconventional design as it is bound to be interesting.
A sleepy small town. A body on a beach. A local detective trying to solve the case, plus an outsider dropping in to lend their expertise. Viewers have seen this scenario plenty of times before, complete with secrets swirling, a killer lurking among a close-knit community and ample friction between the new arrival and the town's inhabitants — but until now, we've never seen Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan's take on the situation. Anything that The Katering Show and Get Krack!n's duo make is an instant must-see — see: those two very shows — and Deadloch, their newest effort, is clearly no different. Announced in 2022 and set to hit Prime Video from Friday, June 2, this mystery-comedy series is created, written and executive produced by the comic duo, with McCartney and McLennan acting as showrunners as well. They're not listed among the cast, sadly, but The Kates are still back. Another Kate — Kate Box (Stateless) — stars as local senior sergeant Dulcie Collins. When a local man turns up dead on the beach, her life and Deadloch's titular seaside spot are thrown into chaos, as the just-dropped first trailer for the show illustrates. And no, it isn't by accident that the series subverts the usual dead-girl trope that's such an engrained part of these kinds of TV setups, even when they're at their best as in Twin Peaks. Enter Darwin-based senior investigator Eddie Redcliffe (Madeleine Sami, The Breaker Upperers), too, who isn't afraid to make a splash as she teams up with Dulcie to get to the bottom of the case. There's also junior constable Abby (Nina Oyama, Koala Man), who couldn't be more eager to join in, all while Deadloch is busy getting ready to launch its annual Winter Feastival — an arts, food, and culture festival. "We are both so thrilled to share the dark, strange little town of Deadloch with the world. We're particularly excited for everyone to meet Dulcie and Eddie, performed by the powerhouses Kate Box and Madeleine Sami, who are far better actors than we'll ever be," said The Kates. "The supporting cast is sublime, the crew are a delight, and the experience of making this story with Prime Video globally on the incredible land of lutruwita (Tasmania) is one we'll never forget." As well as Box, Sami and Oyama, Deadloch's cast spans a heap of recognisable faces, including comedian Tom Ballard, Alicia Gardiner (Wakefield), Susie Youssef (Rosehaven), Pamela Rabe (Wentworth), Kris McQuade (Irreverent), Duncan Fellows (The Letdown), Harvey Zielinski (Love Me) and Shaun Martindale (Sissy). Shot in and around Hobart, Deadloch's eight-episode run also sports a stacked roster of directors: Ben Chessell (The Great), Gracie Otto (Seriously Red) and Beck Cole (Black Comedy). Check out the trailer for Deadloch below: Deadloch streams via Prime Video from Friday, June 2, 2023.
Another Sydney stalwart has been given a new lease on life. Hotel William, a historic four-storey hotel on Darlinghurst's William Street, has reopened after a big round of renos as Hyde Park House — and it now boasts a public bar, cocktail parlour and lounge. But we're already heading up to the hotel's top level, where Slims Rooftop offers views across Hyde Park, izakaya-style eats and Asian-inspired drinks. The bright fit-out starts with retro frilly orange and pink umbrellas covering all-white furnishings, which include a mix of low and high tables, along with a few picnic-style benches. Heaps of tropical greenery and potted cacti add to the lush surrounds. It's no secret that cocktail-sipping and rooftops go hand-in-hand, and Slims follows suit with a selection of classics like Aperol spritzes and margaritas ($16–$18), sitting alongside signatures starring Asian ingredients. Sip on a Try Relaxing at Lake Tahoe (Suntory whisky with matcha tea and pisco) or the La Dolce Vita (rum with hibiscus tea, mint and lime), priced at $18 a pop. An all-Australian/New Zealand wine list and local brews by Balter, Modus Operandi and Young Henrys are also up for grabs. The menu focuses on modern Japanese-inspired small plates — think sushi rolls and poké bowls, along with snacks like truffle oil edamame ($9), pan-fried pork or veggie gyoza ($10) and wasabi karaage chicken ($17). If you're looking for larger dishes to share, there's a traditional teppanyaki slinging grilled goods like salmon teriyaki ($30), miso eggplant ($19) and barbecued prawns ($29). While Slims launched in early winter, with spring well on its way (and our first 30-degree day behind us) now's the time to head upstairs and throw back a spritz or two in the sun. Hyde Park House and Slims Rooftop are now open at 47-49 William St, Darlinghurst. The hotel's opening hours are Monday through Saturday from 10am–3am and Sunday from 10am–10pm. Rooftop opening hours are Tuesday through Sunday from noon until late.
With the temporary nationwide closure of restaurants, bars and cafes and restrictions set to be in place for at least another few weeks, we're seeing more and more places — from pubs and pizza joints to cocktails bars and some of the country's top fine diners — offering new delivery services. So, there's really no need to go through iso living off cans of tuna and mi goreng. Plus, occasionally treating yourself is a surefire way to break up the daily at-home routine, which less face it, is getting pretty tedious by now. Whether you've had a small WFH win, it's your housemate's birthday or you just need a little luxury in your living room right now, it's worth celebrating them. And what better way to do so with some A-class oysters delivered straight to your door. Mimosa Rock Oysters usually supplies its oysters to a bunch of Australia's top restaurants, including famed Sydney seafood spot Saint Peter. Now, as a means to support its farmers, the family-run distributor is supplying its top-quality molluscs to homes across Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra — at reduced prices, with free delivery. Sourced from Wapengo Lake and Nelson Lagoon, both located in the stunning Mimosa Rocks National Park, these oysters are harvested wild and known for their complex taste, yet smooth, creamy texture. And as soon as tomorrow, you could be slurping them for as less than $2 a pop. https://www.instagram.com/p/B7XsT3LgvxU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Currently, there are two sizes available: the Lil Ripper and The Boxer. The former are smaller in size and a minimum of three years old; The Boxer oysters are larger and aged between three-and-a-half to five years old. The minimum order is three dozen, which will set you back $58 and $72 respectively. If you're really wanting a feast, you can opt for ten dozen, which will save you up to 43 percent per dozen. All oysters will arrive live and unshucked, so if you were in need of a shucking knife, you can also purchase one via its website. If stored properly — kept in the box and stored in a cool, well ventilated area between 10°C and 17°C, the Sydney rocks will keep for up to 14 days from harvest. For more storage tips, check out Mimosa Rock Oysters Instagram post here. Delivery is free and is available across Sydney and Melbourne metro areas, as well as around Canberra. For regional NSW and Vic, you can make enquiry by emailing mimosarockoysters@gmail.com or calling 0408 130 718. Mimosa Rock Oysters new home-delivery service is available across Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. For more information and to place your order here.
Brave the cold weather this month with a trip to the Hunter Valley. Aside from the excellent vinos you'll be sipping, you'll also get the chance to explore Australia's (and the Southern Hemisphere's) largest display garden — Hunter Valley Gardens. And, this chilly season, the gardens have been transformed into a winter wonderland. Running until Sunday, July 21, Hunter Valley Garden's Snow Time in the Garden is the perfect addition to a weekend getaway to the Hunter. Kidults, you can expect ice skating, a toboggan slide, wintry carnival rides and snowy activities aplenty. And, we're giving you the chance to enjoy it all — and then some — without spending a dime. You and a mate will score a double pass ($68) to Snow Time in the Garden, which includes free access to the outdoor ice skating rink and a 40-metre ice toboggan course. You can also check out the igloo cave and the snow play zone, which will ensure plenty of snowman building, snow angel making and friendly snowball fights. You'll also have unlimited access to the Gardens' four carnival rides, including a 25-metre-high ferris wheel, flying swings, the Venetian carousel and a giant slide. And, when all this snow time gives you a chill, head to the cafe, where you'll be treated to a complimentary lunch. If you're keen to treat your date (or a mate) to a wintry weekend getaway, enter your details below to be in the running. [competition]730680[/competition]
If you've been dying to put that part of your mind which is great at cryptic crosswords and problem-solving games to work, head on down to Glebe's MYST — Australia's largest escape room complex. Yes, complex. Here you'll find not only the three themed escape rooms but several board game rooms and an immersive multi-room theatre experience. So, round up a group of clever mates and rediscover the highs and lows of teamwork (remember group assignments?) while trying to get out of some frightening simulated situations. You'll have your pick of three rooms all with multiple rooms within them. You and your mates will be immersed in a world that isn't your own, where you're slaying a vampire, searching for hidden treasure or escape from an ancient crypt. In the end, either you all escape or none of you do. And, if you want more chilling thrills, you can also join a three-hour, case-cracking murder mystery theatre, centred on the Qiang Dynasty. MYST is open every day, from 10am–8.30pm.
Home to one of the biggest decorative art archives, Signature Prints is "the spiritual home of the Florence Broadhurst design library in Australia". Over the weekend of March 14-15, the Rosebery studio will be transformed into a richly coloured world of interactive art and design to celebrate the unveiling of their new Blume Collection. Created by New Zealand designers Chris and Hannah Lane, the Blume Collection is a long-lost assortment of prints. Characterised by bold geometry and lavish motifs, these screenprinted wallpapers have a strong English influence, inspired by nouveau and deco designs. In addition to the unveiling of this collection, there will be time set aside for dabbling designers. The public will be offered the opportunity to contribute to a 20 metre long interpretation of Blume. There will also be the chance to meet design industry VIPs and gain valuable insights into the printing industry. Plus, every ticket purchase will include a limited edition Blume print. If you're on the hunt for interior decorating inspiration, this is the place to start.
The vibey restaurant meets vinyl bar Rekōdo arrived at Solotel and Matt Moran's Barangaroo House in September 2022 and since then the spot has earned a name for itself with its melding of inventive Japanese-inspired dishes and vinyl DJs spinning records in the centre of the room — a nod to Japanese 'listening rooms'. The crew have levelled up its offering with the newly-launched Jukebox Bottomless, a regular weekend special that pairs bottomless drinks with beats for party-ready patrons. Upon arrival at your booking, the sonic sommelier that is your host will present a selection of tunes for you to choose from, with the likes of Whitney Houston and ABBA on offer — so you know it's a pro classic bangers atmosphere. Pair those tasty tunes with some tasty brews. The bottomless drinks menu includes both cocktails and bubbles. Indulge with a seasonal spritz, watermelon margarita or glass of prosecco while you vibe out to the classic bangers. If your booking is for 10 people or more, head chef Tara Chua will serve a menu of omakase-style dining in either nine or 12 courses. Smaller group? No worries. Simply spend $50 per person on food and you can add the two hours of bottomless drinks to your booking. Everyone deserves a chance to enjoy the vibes. Jukebox Bottomless is available from 12-4pm on Saturdays and 12-2pm on Sundays, from $75 per person. For more information, visit the website.
When you're a major literary showcase, you're dedicated to not only celebrating words but examining the topical ideas they discuss, and you've weathered the considerable pandemic-inspired ups and downs that every event has over the past two years, what do you focus your next big fest on? If you're Sydney Writers' Festival, you embrace the chaos and uncertainty that's been inescapable of late — all thanks to a whopping 2022 program on the theme 'Change My Mind'. As Artistic Director Michael Williams explains, this year's SWF "is underpinned by a sense of urgency and a dedication to change. It is a response to a world where public debate is increasingly polarised and toxic." "Change My Mind is an invitation, a challenge and a promise of intent. Because uncertain times — a world divided and ruptured, at odds and in crisis — requires a willingness to be open-minded, and a commitment to generosity and reciprocity," Williams continues. That's what SWF will be skewed towards when it runs across Monday, May 16–Sunday, May 22, hosting almost 400 writers and thinkers across 234 events around the city. And, that theme for the year is particularly timely, too, given that the event will also likely take place either during or just after the federal election. Taking to stage to get chatting: The Promise Booker Prize-winner Damon Galgut, To Paradise's Hanya Yanagihara, and Becoming Abolitionists writer — and human rights lawyer and activist — Derecka Purnell, who lead the international contingent of guests. All three will be heading to Sydney in-person, in fact. Other global speakers will do the honours via livestream, which is how Rebecca Solnit (Orwell's Roses), Art Spiegelman (Maus) and Jennifer Egan (The Candy House) join the bill, alongside Claudia Rankine (Just Us), Julian Barnes (Elizabeth Finch), Sarah Winman (Still Life), Torrey Peters (Detransition, Baby) and Johann Hari (Stolen Focus), A trio of overseas-based Aussies will be doing the same: Warren Ellis, chatting about Nina Simone's Simone's Gum, and video-linking in ahead of his Australian tour with Nick Cave later in the year, plus Yassmin Abdel-Magied (Talking About A Revolution) and Steve Toltz (Here Goes Nothing). Other highlights include Ali Cobby Eckermann (Inside My Mother), Jackie Huggins (Sister Girl) and Nardi Simpson (Song of the Crocodile) opening the fest at Sydney Town Hall; Chloe Hooper (Bedtime Story) doing the closing night address at Carriageworks; and the return of the dual-author Aussie spotlights — pairing Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers' Liane Moriarty with Caroline Overington, Brendan Cowell with Boy Swallows Universe's Trent Dalton, and Clementine Ford with Bridie Jabour, for instance. Or, word nerds can head to a gala session about using storytelling to change minds, enjoy a song-filled literary night about the finest musical adaptations never made, but up the club stage at Carriageworks — complete with The Literary Death Match, Queerstories, and a Nakkiah Lui-hosted session on radical and rebellious storytellers — and soak in the politics-focused Party Room Live with Barrie Cassidy, Fran Kelly and Patricia Karvelas. Free events are a big part of the program as well, with almost a quarter of the entire lineup costing zip to attend. And if you're wondering where you're heading, the venue list also includes City Recital Hall, Riverside Theatres, and 26 suburban venues and libraries across the Sydney. Sydney Writers' Festival runs at various venues across Sydney from Monday, May 16–Sunday, May 22 Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday, March 25 via www.swf.org.au. Images: Prudence Upton.
Love theatre? Desperate to see all the latest and greatest shows that London's West End has to offer, or the British theatre scene in general? Live in Australia, rather than the UK? If you answered yes to all of these questions, and you can't afford to zip over to Britain and back to indulge your stage fix — because who can? — then you're probably a huge fan of National Theatre Live. Since well before the pandemic, this theatre-to-cinema program has beamed live versions of hit London stage productions into Australian picture palaces. If you watched Danny Boyle's phenomenal version of Frankenstein starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller, as everyone should've, then this is how you saw it. If you caught Carey Mulligan and Bill Nighy in the also-phenomenal Skylight, it was thanks to NT Live, too. (And if you found yourself streaming other British theatre shows during lockdowns, that's because National Theatre set up its own online platform when we were all at home as well.) NT Live's Aussie cinema program has been back up and running as the venues themselves have been doing the same, and it has something massive in store in July: Prima Facie. The one-woman play marks the West End debut of Killing Eve star Jodie Comer, who plays a brilliant young barrister. And it'll be showing in movie theatres Down Under from Saturday, July 23. Penned by Australian British playwright Suzie Miller — and an AWGIE winner in 2020 at home for its Griffin Theatre premiere season — Prima Facie also sees Miller herself make her West End debut. Her play follows legal eagle lead Tessa (Comer, The Last Duel, Free Guy), who has succeeded in her field after working her way up from working-class origins. Then, thanks to an unexpected event, she's forced to examine power dynamics, the patriarchal force of the law, morality and burdens of proof. NT Live's recording of Prima Facie was captured live at the Harold Pinter Theatre — and, as all such stage shows that make the leap to cinemas as filmed versions of the original plays, the visual presentation is designed to make you feel like you're really there. Prima Facie will play in select cinemas around the country — including the Hayden Orpheum, Dendy Newtown, Palace Chauvel and Ritz Cinemas in Sydney; Cinema Nova, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Como, Palace Balwyn, Lido Cinemas, Classic Cinemas, Cameo Cinemas and Yarraville's Sun Theatre in Melbourne; and Palace James Street, Dendy Portside and Dendy Coorparoo in Brisbane. It'll also show in Palace Nova Eastend in Adelaide, as well as Luna Leederville and Luna on SX in Perth. And if you're wondering what else is on NT Live's schedule, it's doing Shakespeare — Henry V starring Game of Thrones and Eternals' Kit Harington, in fact — from Saturday, June 25. Check out the Prima Facie trailer below: Prima Facie will screen in Australian cinemas from Saturday, July 23. Images: Empire Street Productions, Helen Murray.
It took more than 25 years for Twin Peaks to revisit its moody, otherworldly and all-round odd small-town mysteries — and if you're not done diving into the television show's wonderful and strange world just yet, don't stress. Whether there'll be any more episodes is anyone's guess, but you can spend an evening with the show's stars in the interim, with five of the series cast members heading to Australia later this year. Although David Lynch famously refuses to talk in-depth about any of his work, including Twin Peaks' three seasons to date and the film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, expect Sheryl Lee (Laura Palmer), Kimmy Robertson (Lucy Moran), Michael Horse (Deputy Hawk), Al Strobel (Philip Gerard) and Dana Ashbrook (Bobby Briggs) to be much more forthcoming as they chat about their experiences both on- and off-screen. Between August 25 and September 2, they'll be joining forces with Twin Peaks producer Sabrina S. Sutherland for a series of 'Conversation with the Stars' discussions around the country. If you've ever wondered what it was like to be wrapped in plastic, or to line up piles and piles of doughnuts, or to play the other half of the series' evil entity, here's your chance to find out. While Twin Peaks' lead Kyle MacLachlan won't be making the trip, the lineup is still a Peaks-lover's dream come true. Lee played Laura Palmer, the teen sweetheart whose murder sparked the whole series, while Ashbrook swaggered through highs-chool hallways as her boyfriend Bobby Briggs, and then turned unlikely cop in the latest season. Robertson is best known as bubbly police station receptionist Lucy, and Horse played the enigmatic Deputy Hawk — and had one of the most recent series' most moving scenes. As for Strobel's Phil Gerard, he was pals with Bob before becoming a resident of the Black Lodge. If all of the above gets you thinking about damn fine coffee and the Double R Diner's cherry pie, then you'll be keen to nab tickets to the intimate chat, which heads to Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney for one night only. No word yet if the cast members will be sitting in front of red curtains or being interviewed by someone called Diane, but we can only hope. And if you're an absolute die-hard Peaks fan with some spare cash (around $500 in spare cash), meet-and-greet tickets are also available. Twin Peaks: A Conversation with the Stars comes to Melbourne's Palais Theatre on Saturday, August 25, Brisbane's Eatons Hill Hotel on Sunday, August 26 and Sydney's ICC Theatre on Saturday, September 1. Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday, July 6, with a pre-sale at 10am on Thursday, July 5 — for more information, visit the event website.
Succession isn't the only Emmy-winning HBO show dropping its fourth and final season in 2023. Bill Hader's just-as-excellent hitman comedy Barry is also finishing its run when season four wraps up, and it's just-as-certain to be deeply missed. The reason is all there in the killer concept, and the phenomenal performances, writing and direction that goes with them. When you've got Hader (Lightyear) playing a military sniper-turned-hitman-turned actor, something special was always bound to result. If you've watched season three, which was characteristically spectacular, you'll know why things seem to be coming to an end for Barry in more ways than one. A show about an assassin trying to be an on-screen star in Hollywood can't keep its main figure away from the law forever. So, in the just-dropped full trailer for Barry season four — which follows an earlier sneak peek from HBO — the series' namesake is in reflective mode. "I'm really sorry. I didn't think it would end up like this. I am a good person — that is who I am," Barry tells himself in the new trailer. Everyone he knows seems to be taking stock, too, whether they still have their freedom or not. In this season, Barry is incarcerated, his mentor and veteran thespian Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler, Black Adam) is being hailed as a hero, but this turn of events is clearly going to have consequences. That includes for his former handler Monroe (Stephen Root, Succession), as well as his ex-girlfriend Sally (Sarah Goldberg, The Night House). Is this where the killer-for-hire will be when the eight-episode season concludes? Will Chechen gangster Noho Hank (Anthony Carrigan, Bill & Ted Face the Music) somehow intervene? What's happening with Sally's career after season three? These are all natural questions to have about the show's return. Answers will start coming soon, with Barry season four set to start streaming via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand from Monday, April 17. If you're new to all things Barry, Hader not only stars but created the show, has directed a heap of episodes, and also co-wrote others. The initial setup: when Hader's Barry Berkman heads from Cleveland to Los Angeles for his job, he discovers a previously unknown passion for acting after he stumbles into a class held by veteran thespian Cousineau. The catch? Barry kills people for money, and that isn't a line of work that you can leave easily, especially when you become caught in the Chechen mafia's violent and deadly dramas. Check out the full trailer for Barry season four below: Barry's fourth season will start streaming via Binge in Australia and Neon in New Zealand from Monday, April 17. Images: Merrick Morton/HBO.
Jarryd James has been waiting for his time to headline. Two months ago, this quiet achieving Brisbanite released a tune by the name of 'Do You Remember'. Blending ambient beats with progressive R&B, and featuring James's mesmerising vocals, the single jumped straight onto the charts — hitting #22 on iTunes singles and debuting at #44 on ARIA singles. Triple j's been giving it no shortage of love, either, offering spot play in mid-January and full rotation at the month's end. The languid yet catchy track was co-written with powerhouse, Grammy-winning producer Joel Little, who's worked with the equally bright-young-thing likes of Broods and Lorde. Having shared stages locally with both Broods and Angus and Julia Stone, James is now heading out for his first-ever headline Australian tour. He'll be appearing in Melbourne at Brunswick's Howler on 3 April, in his home town at Fortitude Valley's Woolly Mammoth on 9 April and in Sydney at the Oxford Art Factory on 10 April.
In the latest of its comeback moves, Polaroid has jumped on the Instagram bandwagon with a brand new camera, Socialmatic. Not only does it print photos on the spot (let's face it, the only reason anyone buys Polaroid cameras any more), it also lets you upload them to your social media accounts instantly. Seems like Polaroid wants to remind us all where those square-shaped, Nashville-filtered snaps came from. Available for pre-order at US$299 and expected to hit shelves in January 2015, the Socialmatic runs only with Android. It uses Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet, and Bluetooth to connect to your smartphone. Shots can be sent to Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and any other network with an Android App available on Google Play. At the same time, Polaroid's instant-print tech has received an upgrade. Gone are the days of shaking your photos until the black layer disappears. And, if you request it, every photo comes with its own QR barcode, so you can keep up with its movements in cyberspace. Shots are printed at dimensions of 5 x 7.5 centimetres. What’s more, the Socialmatic comes equipped with two cameras in one. The regular camera measures 14-megapixels, and there’s another on the back, which provides 2-megapixels of resolution and is designed specifically for taking selfies. Seems Polaroid really want to get in the game with this one. Before this, Polaroid’s most recent attempt at modernising happened with the release of the Polaroid Cube. It’s a teeny-tiny, HD, cube-shaped video camera that competes with the GoPro, selling at just US$99. Via Racked.
It was set to be one of the biggest Australian tours of the year, but Childish Gambino fans will have to wait a little longer for some summertime magic. Promoter Live Nation has announced that the US hip hop star has cancelled his Aussie trip due to an ongoing injury. Childish Gambino was due to play solo shows at HBF Stadium, Perth on November 8; Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne on November 10; and the Sydney Opera House, Sydney on November 14 and November 15. He was also slated to be the headline act at Canberra's Spilt Milk festival, which will take place on November 17. The performer — AKA Donald Glover, AKA writer/director/star of Atlanta, if you haven't already worked that out — reportedly broke his foot at a show in Dallas last month, and was already forced to postpone the final US leg of his 'This Is America' tour as a result. In a statement posted to Live Nation's social media feeds about the Aussie cancellation, the star said, "I'm not ready to put on 100 percent shows. Apologies to the fans. I will be back soon". Live Nation is working to reschedule Childish Gambino's dates, so if you've nabbed yourself a ticket, keep your eyes on the company's website and social media for further updates. With the single 'This Is America' tearing up the US charts — and the accompanying video — racking up hundreds of millions of views, it's safe to that Australia was pumped for Childish Gambino's arrival. This would've marked his first Aussie shows since performing at Falls Festival in 2016. CANCELLED TOUR DATES: November 8 — Perth, HBF Stadium November 10 — Melbourne, Sidney Myer Music Bowl November 14 — Sydney, Sydney Opera House November 15 — Sydney, Sydney Opera House November 17 — Canberra, Spilt Milk Festival
Before soaking up some rays, sifting through Greenpeace bumper stickers and grooving to some alternative-rock at Newtown Festival, muse over the sights and smells of this iconic inner-west suburb at the turn of the millennium. A '90s themed Newtown walking tour will take place on Saturday, October 19, supported by the City of Sydney and hosted by writer Vanessa Berry. Newtown has a long-held reputation as being the heart of counter-culture. However, with the onset of boho chic and skyrocketing real estate prices, whether it has retained its gritty edge is debatable. The pre-yuppie utopia saw the burgeoning of grassroots political activism, the boom of pub rock heralded by the late Sando and the colourful main drag of King Street with its multicultural cuisine and cheap student eats. There was also the former glory of the Newtown Hotel as the keystone of gay and lesbian pride, and the Goth-den that was Camperdown Park. Departing from the Newtown Library, the tour will stop at various sites of cultural and historical interest. Allow yourself to be transported back to a period of anarchist fervour and avant-garde excitement, retracing the steps of queens, punks, Goths and rockers. This unique opportunity is perfect for both locals and tourists. Image Credit: Reclaim the Streets Rally, courtesy of Vanessa Berry.
For the last couple of years, Pablo Galindo Vargas and Liber Osorio have been spreading Mexican food across Sydney, through their Bondi restaurants Taqiza and Carbon, and last year's Potts Point newcomer Sonora. Now, the Mexico City-born pair has teamed up with Joaquin Saez (Cho Cho San, The Apollo) and shifted its gaze slightly east for its latest venture: a Caribbean-inspired rum bar. Located on Bondi's Hall Street, La Palma is designed to look like a Havana bar from the 1920s and 30s, when the tourism and hospitality industries were booming (partly thanks to prohibition in America). To that end, the bar is filled with rattan seating, wicker pendant lights and a timber-clad bar with lots of green marble. An outdoor area — decked out with palms, banana leaves and other plant life — looks set to be a go-to for post-work cocktails during the warmer months. In the kitchen, husband-and-wife duo Maryann Yong and Mario Malvaez are dishing up a menu heavy on traditional Caribbean and Central and South American flavours. Peruvian anticuchos (grilled meat skewers) are a highlight and come in three varieties: short rib lathered in adobo sauce, octopus and blood sausage with chimichurri, and salmon belly with yuzu koshu. More substantial bites include the Cuban sandwich with roasted pork belly, whole-grilled market fish, grilled jerk spatchcock and wild mushroom quesadillas. To finish, there are just two desserts: Mexican buñuelos — a deep-fried cinnamon fritters with pineapple, mango and coconut — and Cuban sweetcorn cakes served with spiced rum cream. The man behind the bar at Sonora, Rafael Redant, has crafted the cocktail list here as well. Embracing rum in all its iterations, Redant has put a spin on mojitos, daiquiris, mai tais and piña coladas for the La Palma menu, as well as delivering a range of creative new concoctions. We're keen to try the Miami Splice (a cross between a piña colada and a japanese slipper), the Dive Master (starring white and dark rum, spiced cacao butter syrup, yuzu and orange) and the Rice Bubbles — vodka-infused Rice Bubbles milk, pandan, macadamia liqueur and a splash of citrus. La Palma is now open at 75–79 Hall Street, Bondi. It's open 5pm–midnight Monday–Friday, 12pm–midnight Saturday, and 12–10pm on Sunday.
Possessed doll and recurring subject of childhood nightmares, will return to his twisted ways in his latest film Cult of Chucky. Coinciding with Sydney Underground Film Festival, the film's premiere will be screened free of charge, at the stroke of midnight on Saturday, September 16, at Marrickville's The Factory Theatre. With his grotesque appearance and slightly murderous tendencies, the supernatural serial killer quickly made it into the ranks of Hollywood's most feared film characters, alongside the likes of Freddy Krueger and Leatherface. Chucky's first appearance was in Child's Play nearly 30 years ago, and since then he has been the subject of six sequels. With more inventive killing techniques and an increasing body count, this one's for the horror buffs. Sydney Underground Film Festival is the city's largest festival celebrating bizarre, audacious and controversial visual works will screen over 100 films, running from September 14 to 17.
There's just about a Gelato Messina on every corner now, right? Well, with their Newtown store opening last week, there kind of is. And while King Street ice cream lovers haven't exactly been starved for choice, what with the 'best gelato in the world' at Cow & the Moon, 100 percent vegan scoops at Gelato Blue and chewy Turkish ice cream at Hakiki nearby, it was probably only a matter of time before the ice cream lords opened up there. And now they've done it — Messina has come to Newtown. Messina announced they would take over the Gelatomassi store at 262 King Street back in July and last week they opened their doors. According to a statement on Messina's website, Gelatomassi had apparently "been looking to move on...for some time now" and sold the store to concentrate on their other businesses. They passed the store onto Messina after a massive 14 years of operation. The Newtown store is be Messina's ninth in Sydney and 13th Australia-wide — although they've just opened another newbie at Tramsheds. "We've always liked Newtown as a potential destination, but the truth is it felt a bit crowded with gelato operators, so the time was never quite right," said Messina's Nick Palumbo on their website. "With the boys now moving on, it felt like a nice transition for everyone. We move into a site with a bit of history and take over from someone that's been a true local in the Newtown food scene for years." Gelato Messina Newtown is now open at 262 King Street, Newtown. For more info, visit gelatomessina.com.
Last month it was announced Sydney would play home to the first edition of SXSW outside of Texas, but if you can't wait until 2023, you're going to have another chance to head along to a huge tech and music festival as part of next month's SOUND WEST festival. The new event was announced last year and is coming to Parramatta for nine days between Saturday, August 20 and Sunday, August 28. Networking, workshops, mentoring, big tech brands and music industry leaders, performances by local, national and international talent — that's all on the bill. And more than 15 live music events and programs will pop up across Parramatta venues throughout the festival. Kicking off SOUND WEST on Saturday, August 20 will be viral Australian rap sensation Masked Wolf performing at CommBank Stadium for the Saturday Sounds concert followed by a clash between Western Sydney rivals the Parramatta Eels and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in the NRL. Come Thursday, August 25, a massive marquee event will be heading to CommBank Stadium. This one-day conference will feature over 30 different keynote talks, sessions and workshops from music industry leaders and mentors. Headlining the day will be Masked Wolf returning to talk with local favorite B Wise. Also on the lineup: musicians L-FRESH the Lion, A.GIRL, Nardean; NFT artists Serwah Attafuah and Bianca Beers; and songwriters Styalz Fuego and Khaled Rohaim — the latter of which has been nominated for six Grammys and has worked with the likes of Doja Cat, The Kid Laroi and Ariana Grande. [caption id="attachment_831234" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Khaled Rohaim[/caption] The conference will also feature appearances from Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott and music and tech leaders from the likes of Finder, Shopify and Culture Kings. Plus organisations like Triple J Unearthed, TikTok, Music NSW First Nations Meet Up and The Area Movement will all be hosting workshops. "SOUND WEST is held in the heart of Greater Western Sydney, a region loaded with diverse and incredibly talented artists and creatives," said Alcott. "I'm a massive music fan and love a good festival so I'm excited to be here with NEC Australia to share with the industry the vision we have for an inclusive festival with AbilityFest." Other events include free gigs at the Albion Hotel and Novatel, while the Xaddy's Out with My Bestie Party will be popping up at a secret location on Saturday, August 27. A queer, trans-BIPOC club night highlighting LGBTQIA+ talent from across Western Sydney, the dance party will feature performances from Jamaica Moana, Kilimi and Tyra Bankstown. Head to the SOUND WEST website to catch all the events as they're announced as well as more details on the conference. [caption id="attachment_861223" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dylan Alcott[/caption] Sound West Technology and Music Festival will run from Saturday, August 20 and Sunday, August 28, in Parramatta. Tickets for the conference on Thursday, August 25 are on sale now.
Mark your calendar: if you like free ice cream, as everyone should, then you have a date with a Ben & Jerry's store in April. Each year, the dessert brand chooses one day per year to give everyone a treat without paying a cent. In 2024, that day is Tuesday, April 16. If there's one thing this chain loves above all else, it's the obvious: ice cream in a huge array of ridiculously named flavours. It's the brand behind Chunky Monkey, Cherry Garcia, Phish Food and The Tonight Dough — and has been responsible for Liz Lemon Greek Frozen Yoghurt, Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream and Schweddy Balls, too. But, to the delight of your sweet treat-loving tastebuds, on Free Cone Day it loves giving away free scoops just as much. The occasion is exactly what it sounds like: a day where your ice cream is on the house. It ran annually since 1979 until the pandemic, then took a break for obvious reasons — returning in 2023 for the first time since 2019, and now backing it up in 2024. Here's how it works: if you adore ice cream as much as Ben & Jerry's adores ice cream, then you just need to hit up your local participating store (which is most stores) between 12–8pm. You can choose whichever flavour you like, and you can also line up for a free cone as many times as you like within that eight-hour period. Free Cone Day is happening Australia-wide — worldwide, too, in more than 35 countries — at both Ben & Jerry's Scoop Stores and its Hoyts outlets. In New South Wales, that means hitting up Manly, Bondi Beach and Parramatta, plus some Hoyts cinemas.
Portraits aren't all regal furs and awkward "Oh, didn't see you there," poses. Tim Storrier nabbed the Archibald Packing Room Prize today with his unflattering-as-blazes portrait of Dr Sir Leslie Colin Patterson KCB AO, with this morning's announcement of the finalists for Australia's prestigious Archibald Prize. Capturing a realistic, unrelentingly vulnerable likeness of your own reflection, someone you've just met or one of your oldest buds takes a fair few stories, maybe a few beers and a willingness to tackle the intimidating notion of thinking up something new after decades of Archie winners. At the risk of sounding like an HSC essay opener, the final image isn't the whole story. Here's eight of the Archibald finalists making us wake up and pay attention (whether for great or WTF reasons) to Australia's big ol' faces — as told to the Art Gallery of New South Wales in their own words. Peter Churcher, Four self-portraits in a bunch of balloons "One particular evening I was walking down a street and coming towards me was a fellow holding an enormous bunch of balloons. I thought it would make a wonderful subject for a still life. I set up a large bunch in my studio. To my delight, I noticed my own reflection very clearly looking back at me in many of the balloons. I particularly like the way each individual balloon slightly distorted my reflection the way those mirrors in the funfair used to. "I quickly realised I was no longer looking at a straightforward still life. The subject had transformed into a quadruple self-portrait showing myself in my painting studio in four different ways. All this sets up a complex set of different scenarios within the painting. Who is looking at what? Who is looking at who? Is it a still life or a self-portrait?" James Powditch, Citizen Kave "I want to stop people in their tracks with this work and have them scratching their heads, thinking “that’s one hell of a film, how come I don’t remember it? Then when the penny drops that it’s all make believe, that it’s a 'what if' picture from 30 years ago, they’ll start thinking about what they were doing back then, remember all the influences and events in their own lives, all the stuff that moulds us over time and makes us who we are. "Artists like Nick Cave gather all that stuff up: a book from here, a great film from there, music and art. It’s all repackaged and sent out into the world where it is evaluated, absorbed and informs the next generation. He becomes an influence — or if they saw him, maybe a pivotal moment in their lives — and the process just keeps rolling along, repeating endlessly. So the painting represents an imaginary rock opera made in 1983 when Cave was 26 years old, the same age as Orson Welles when he made Citizen Kane in 1941. But it’s about a modern-day media tycoon, Rupert Murdoch rather than William Randolph Hearst. I see Cave and Welles as similar, extraordinary talents, across multiple disciplines." Sophia Hewson, Artist kisses subject "I sought out working with Missy [Higgins] because I belt out her songs in the car. I also know her to be genuinely egoless with a deep respect for artistic autonomy, which meant she was willing to work with me outside the traditional portrait structure. "I’ve been thinking about the proximity of the orgasm to death and spiritual revelation. In my work I’ve been considering the orgasm as a kind of transcendence, and using metaphors like 'orgasming against something plastic' to explore the human experience of when revelation falls short and faith is not found. In this painting it is the constructed nature of the intimacy that suggests ecstasy is just out of reach. I wanted to create something equally portrait, self-portrait, and an examination of post-feminist self-objectification." Rebecca Hastings, The onesie "It’s difficult to take anyone seriously when they are wearing a onesie. In this self-portrait I mock my own inadequacies as a mother and lament the struggle to also be an artist. Instead of a paintbrush I hold aloft a lollypop-like object, satin gloves replace my usual hand protection, and the painter’s apron becomes instead a shimmering onesie. "As a mother of two children I find myself constantly beset by guilt, frustration and anxiety. I consider myself ill-equipped and a bit of a joke when it comes to meeting the lofty, idealistic heights of mummy perfection. This painting is part of a broader exploration of themes relating to 'maternal ambivalence', reflecting my desire to subvert the romantic ideal of motherhood, and chart the unacknowledged, darker side of the complex and contradictory experiences that come with having children." Wendy Sharpe, Mr Ash Flanders, actor "I first saw Ash in a production called Little Mercy. He played Virginia, the mother of an evil seven-year-old girl. Although it was crazy and surreal, Ash played her absolutely straight. It is really moving when something can be ridiculous, funny and poignant at the same time. Ash has now been cast as Hedda Gabler, the female lead in Henrik Ibsen’s famous play at Belvoir Street Theatre: a brave and exciting choice. He is not being a drag queen but will play Hedda seriously with intelligence and sensitivity. "This painting is not about Ash himself but about the uneasy stage persona he will create as Hedda Gabler. The disturbing mix of masculinity and femininity was what excited me to paint the picture. Ash understood exactly what I was after. We worked together in my studio trying different poses and clothes (my dresses, his shoes) to get something intriguing and unnerving, vulnerable and powerful. I was thinking of the paintings of Edvard Munch who, like Ibsen, was Norwegian." Sally Ross, Harvey "His [Harvey Miller of Flight Facilities] elaborate corporate narratives and performances combine beauty, brains and youthful hedonism with rump-shaking, turn-of-the-nineties synth pop, blurring the line between art and pop, performance and cultural satire,’ says Sally Ross. ‘When I first saw his epic Aussie montage music video End of the Earth, I thought I had just experienced the work of Barry Humphries’ secret love children. Harvey and lead singer Monte Morgan have featured in my paintings ever since. "I want to paint clever people that I get to meet in my life, creative people that dare to make the leap of faith required to make art, perform, put their ideas out there. This is a labour of admiration and enthusiasm. My portraits are about asking what do clever people look like? Can a picture have a presence? There is a particular, quite intimate scrutiny created when you paint someone. When I do the “reveal” and show the sitter their portrait for the first time it is completely awkward and wonderful." Rodney Pople, Well dressed for a Sydney audience "During his Weimar cabaret in Sydney last year, Barry Humphries commended the crowd as being “well dressed for a Sydney audience”. The same could have been said of the performer. Later, as he transitioned from performance mode to talking with me backstage, I glimpsed a momentary uncertainty behind the facade of Humphries’ various theatrical personae. It is this image, in addition to the sketches made both backstage and from my seat in the audience that evening, on which the painting is based. The result has, to quote Humphries’ response upon seeing the finished painting, achieved a 'more than flattering likeness'. "The portrait takes its composition form Max Beckmann’s Self portrait in tuxedo 1927, chosen because of Humphries’ interest in Weimar culture. The work of both men combines unsentimental insight and sharp satire to comment on the contemporary society of their respective eras. Where the Beckmann self-portrait conveys a sense of assurance, this painting reveals insight into the man as he moves between roles from stage to sitter. Beckmann’s portrait describes a man at the height of his powers; similarly, this portrait of Humphries celebrates the outstanding career of a man at the pinnacle of success in his 80th year." Paul Ryan, Rox "It was Rox’s inspired character Cleaver Greene in the television series Rake that was the catalyst for my desire to paint [Richard Roxburgh]. My regular practice is an exploration of ideas and images of early colonial men and wild colonial boys: lieutenants, squatters, cowboys and dandies. Cleaver Greene is a contemporary portrait of the wild colonial boy. A larrikin, drunk, womaniser and dandy, he falls somewhere between hero and anti-hero. Some of us want to be him, until he wakes with a hangover in another man’s bedroom with another man’s wife. "The painting is a portrait of an idea of Rox. He is dressed in colonial coat and shirt. It has elements of a likeness but is clearly not a photographic likeness. In the early stages it looked more like Rox but I wasn’t happy with the paint. I moved it around in vigorous swirls with large palette knives. In an instant the image changed and came to life. I had broken free from the constricting desire to capture the face. For me, the best portraits move on from likeness and go deeper." Peter Daverington, The Golden City has ceased "This is a self-portrait of my imagination, where my signature geometric and spatial elements appear among figurative compositions drawn from various painting traditions. The painting’s title is inscribed as a motto beneath the coronet within a coat of arms. The phrase comes from the Old Testament book of Isaiah and refers to the fall of Babylon. In the centre field is a self-portrait in which my face and arms are connected to a female torso. I appear again in a portrait miniature hanging from ribbons beneath the ring. A second motto written at the base of the star on a blue scroll reads From the future with love. My wife Kianga stands on the step-ladder. The image of burning buildings at her feet is taken from a photograph of the fall of Baghdad in 2003. "This painting developed intuitively over 18 months. I have drawn inspiration from socialist propaganda posters, Renaissance art, Romantic landscape painting, medieval European heraldry and religious iconography. The unusual combination of breasts and beard has an interesting precedent in Jusepe de Ribera’s The bearded woman, a portrait of a husband and wife from 1631." Find more stories and the rest of this year's Archibald finalists at the AGNSW website.
It has been a while coming, but Australia will finally see the opening of a long-awaited Ace Hotel in May 2022 — with the first look inside the Surry Hills-based outpost unveiled at last to reveal gorgeously sleek, modernist lodgings for Sydney-based travellers or staycationers. Melbourne-based architecture and design studio Flack Studio was responsible for creating the spaces, which balance warm minimalist designs, earthy tones that feel lifted straight from the Australian landscape, and the heritage of the site housed in the historic Tyne House brick factory on Commonwealth Street. Says Flack Studio founder, David Flack, "Surry Hills has been home to so many culturally important movements and people, and has always been a home for creatives and migrating cultures. We wanted to preserve the creative, slightly renegade energy of the space since its origins as one of Australia's early brickworks." We do love a renegade energy! This will mark the first Southern Hemisphere address for the American hotel chain - a favourite among the global creative set (and hilariously parodied in the Portlandia episode "Blunderbuss"). And while specific details are being kept on the downlow, we do know that Sydney's Ace will feature a ground floor restaurant, bar and cafe in the lobby and a restaurant and bar on the rooftop. Each of the hotel's 264 rooms are either doubles or twin doubles for four guests. Reservations are now open for booking for when the Ace opens from 1 May 2022. Ace Hotel is located at 47 Wentworth Avenue, Sydney. Images: Anson Smart
Donut Papi is no stranger to new and inventive flavours. The Sydney favourite has been creating doughnuts packed with flavours like pandan, matcha, milo and bittersweet calamansi since its pre-Redfern days as a mainstay at Sydney markets. Since opening a brick-and-mortar store, the doughnut haven has been able to push its creations into even more experimental territory. The latest new flavour combo from Donut Papi is a collaboration with Cointreau that's given your typical circular treat a boozy makeover. The limited-edition range includes two unique flavours — both centred around the humble margarita. The first is orange Cointreau margarita flavoured, which takes a plain doughnut and adds orange glazed icing, plus a pipette of Cointreau to inject into the doughnut. Flavour number two combines a ginger glaze with coconut flakes and its own pipette of Cointreau, of course. The easiest way to get your hands on these limited-time desserts is to head in-store to Donut Papi's Redfern Street home where you can pick up an individual margarita doughnut for $8 a pop or $63 for a nine-pack. While you're there you can also nab a signature pandan and coconut-glaze doughnut, a blueberry bear claw or a sticky cinnamon scroll. Donut Papi also delivers to postcodes within 15 kilometres of its Refern digs. You can check out the full list of postcodes the store delivers to at the FAQ page. The margarita doughnuts will be available until Saturday, September 10, meaning you can purchase a cheeky nine-pack of these boozy treats to bring along to any Father's Day celebrations you have lined up, or send some to the father figure in your life if they live in the inner-city or the Inner West. Donut Papi is located at 34A Redfern Street, Redfern. Its Cointreau margarita doughnuts are available until Saturday, September 10.
UPDATE: Thursday May 6, 2021 — New COVID-19 restrictions have been announced. We'll keep you updated on this event as the situation changes. For the latest information, visit NSW Health. What time is it? Showtime! After taking the world by storm when it hit Broadway in 2015, Lin-Manuel Miranda's critically acclaimed musical Hamilton is finally coming to the "greatest city in the world": Sydney. If, like us, you've been watching the filmed version of Hamilton with the original Broadway cast on repeat since it was fast-tracked to Disney+ in July, then we bet you could not be more satisfied with the news you'll finally be able to see it live on stage. The record-breaking production, which nabbed 11 Tony Awards (including Best Musical), six Laurence Olivier Awards, a Grammy Award and a Pulitzer Prize, was inspired by Ron Chernow's 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton. It tells the story of Caribbean-born immigrant Alexander Hamilton, who rose to become America's ten-dollar Founding Father ("without a father"). Directed by Thomas Kail, the musical tracks Hamilton's arrival in New York in the early 1770s, fighting in the Revolutionary War, and working alongside the likes of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and his rival Aaron Burr to form the United States of America. On paper, the subject matter may sound a little dry. But Miranda's energetic lyrics and music, which spans hip hop, R&B, soul and traditional show tunes, as well as Andy Blankenbuehler's choreography ensure it's anything but. You'll be captivated by cabinet rap battles, hip hop-heavy duels and heart-wrenching ballads about Hamilton's complicated love life. The Aussie production has also continued the Broadway musical's colour-blind approach to casting, by enlisting BIPOC actors to play historical white figures. The cast includes Jason Arrow (Disney's Aladdin, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) as Alexander Hamilton, Lyndon Watts (Disney's Aladdin, West Side Story) as Aaron Burr, and Chloé Zuel as Eliza Hamilton. A common feature of Hamilton is actors playing two different roles throughout the show — Marty Alix, who played Sonny in Sydney Opera House's season of Miranda's other Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights, has signed on for the dual roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton. If you want to be in the room where it happens, Hamilton is opening at the Sydney Lyric Theatre on Wednesday, March 17, 2021, booking through to September. Tickets will set you back $70–250 a pop. There are flexible ticket options available, now including gift vouchers, which might suit those planning to travel to Sydney especially for the show. They'll also make excellent Christmas presents. The Sydney Lyric Theatre also has a COVID-19 safety plan in place, in accordance with NSW Health. Top images: Images 1–5, US National Tour, Joan Marcus; Images 6–7, Broadway. Courtesy of Destination NSW.
The Yellow House leaves the '70s behind this September 8-15 for History Week as part of an exhibition that celebrates creative artists and muses across the decades. The Yellow House exhibition, inspired by the 1970s artist collective, will display the works of five renowned contemporary Aussie artists who’ve each taken inspiration from legendary artistic figures from Sydney’s past. Reg Mombassa pays homage to 1960s pop artist and Cream cover art designer Martin Sharp; Leo Robba takes inspiration from 1930s photojournalist Samuel Hood; Jane Gillings recreates the 1920s girl and ‘Queen of Bohemia’, Dulcie Deamer; Wendy Sharpe pays tribute to the 1950s cabaret artiste Tracey Lee; while Jenny Sages channels 1940s interior and wallpaper designer Florence Broadhurst in her works for this dynamic installation. Forget Andy Warhol’s factory and Hotel Chelsea, join some local talent down at David Jones. I mean, Martin Sharp and Florence Broadhurst-esque works in the one room? Unbeatable. On September 7, the On Seven at David Jones space will play host to the Artists' Ball, a contemporary reimagining of the bohemian Sydney Artist Ball of 1933.
Legendary architectural historian and photographer, Richard Nickel, once famously said that "great architecture has only two natural enemies: water and stupid men". Private developers, whom are often viewed as the modern equivalent to the Biblical tax collector, seem to sit fairly squarely in this latter category. Derided and debased by society, private developers are seen as men who value profitability above productivity, men who look at an architectural treasure and only see it's potential for money-making and who with one foul swoop of a wrecking ball can reduce cultural icons into rubble and dust. While this characterisation may not be entirely fair, these photographs commemorate the destruction wreaked by private developers. They provide a vision of beautiful buildings being demolished and the modern monstrosities that are often left in their wake. Here are seven stories of stunning theatres transformed into multi-storey carparks, modernist masterpieces replaced with multi-lane highways, and sandstone sanctuaries turned into apartment blocks. Have a closer look at these fascinating photographs and the stories behind them to see how the price of "progress" often appears to be the destruction of a rich and beautiful architectural history. Garrick Theatre - Chicago, Illinois Formerly known as the Schiller Theatre Building, the Garrick Theatre was one of the tallest buildings in Chicago upon its completion in 1892. Despite quickly gaining a reputation for being one of the city's premiere cultural centres, housing everything from German operas to traveling theatre productions to television studios in its 68-year-history, the theatre was demolished in 1960 after a long battle with Chicago residents and preservationists. While Richard Nickel attempted to honour the theatre's legacy by hording and collecting hundreds of artifacts and ornaments that adorned the iconic building, the site now plays home to a car parking facility. The Wabash Terminal - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The demolition of the Wabash Terminal provides a snapshot into the incredible destruction that was Pittsburgh's post-WWII urban development project. 1,500 businesses were forced to relocate, more than 5,000 families were uprooted and more than 3,700 buildings were razed. The Wabash Terminal was one of the centrepieces of robber baron, Jay Gould's elaborate (and ultimately failed) plans to construct a transcontinental railroad empire at the turn of the 20th Century. Its demolition, beginning in late 1953, was a long and brutal process with workmen armed with crowbars and sledgehammers taking down the building brick by brick. Biltmore Hotel - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma These images, taken from a live video broadcast in 1977, played a significant role in sparking public outrage and subsequently bringing to an end the "Urban Renewal program" in post-war America. The 26-story, 300-room Biltmore Hotel was one of the largest buildings to be demolished in this nationwide program to eliminate urban slums. These startling images, for many Americans, brought into sharp focus what terms like "redevelopment" and "restruturing" actually meant: widespread and often indiscriminate destruction of major cities. Before and after shots of the US Post Office - Boston, Massachusetts The majestic US Post Office was located in the heart of Boston and was an architectural centrepiece of the city upon its opening in 1870. Only half a century later, the building fell victim to the wrecking ball with very little explanation given as to why this beautiful building was seen as requiring demolition. Pennsylvania Station - New York, New York On July 14, 1966 Pulitzer Prize-winning architectural critic, Ada Louise Huxtable wrote this "obituary" of New York's iconic Pennsylvania Station in the New York Times: “Pennsylvania Station succumbed to progress this week at the age of 56, after a lingering decline. The building’s one remaining facade was shorn of eagles and ornament yesterday, preparatory to leveling the last wall. It went not with a bang, or a whimper, but to the rustle of real estate stock shares. The passing of Penn Station is more than the end of a landmark. It makes the priority of real estate values over preservation conclusively clear. It confirms the demise of an age of opulent elegance, of conspicuous, magnificent spaces, rich and enduring materials, the monumental civic gesture, and extravagant expenditure for esthetic ends.” Pruitt-Igoe Public Housing Complex – St. Louis, Missouri Depending on who you speak to, the demolition of this massive 33-building public housing complex designed by George Hellmuth and World Trade Center architect Minoru Yamasaki represents either the death knell of Modernist architecture or the rebirth of St Louis as a modern metropolis. Initially built to combat the problem of St Louis' ever-growing slums, the buildings experienced a rapid and dramatic deterioration upon its unveiling in 1956. By the late 1960s the overcrowded complex became a hotbed for gang violence and crime and Pruitt-Igoe, St Louis' shining example of the wonders of urban renewal, was a national embarrassment and a global symbol of American poverty, crime and racial tensions. When it was torn down in the mid-1970s, St Louis may have been able to say goodbye to an embarrassing icon, this was little consolation for the thousands of poor and disadvantaged Americans who woke up one morning to find they were now homeless. Astor House - New York, New York Through much of the 1800s Astor House was considered to be America's most luxurious 5-star hotel, with the likes of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Abraham Lincoln (on his way to his inauguration no-less) frequenting the iconic Broadway hotel. By the early 20th Century however Astor House gained a reputation as an "old-fashioned" establishment and in 1913 the building began its long drawn-out demolition, with subway constructions and a transportation building eventually replacing the decadent hotel.
The Alley Lujiaoxiang sets itself apart with its 'deerioca' — tapioca balls made from scratch, with each batch kneaded and rolled in house. The brand also makes its own sugar cane syrup and hand-picks and roasts its tea leaves. The signature Brown Sugar Deerioca Series is available in limited quantities each day, and comes in cocoa, matcha, milk tea and fresh milk varieties. The finished product often has an appealing marbled look as the different ingredients are layered, and is a favourite among Instagrammers. And, with seven Sydney locations across the CBD, Burwood, Bankstown, Cabramatta, Canley Heights and Parramatta — plus one soon to open farther afield in Orange — it's easier than ever to get your hands on these bobas.
Some of the most satisfying and thought-provoking conversations happen over a drink or two at a bar. That's before we even factor in all the fascinating tidbits gleaned during a pub trivia night. The University of Sydney's annual event Raising the Bar, proudly supported by the City of Sydney, ups the stakes on your typical after-dark D&M. Academics and alumni will deliver entertaining talks unpacking big topics ranging from AI to longevity and diversity. Gain deeper insight into the solutions being developed in real-time to pressing societal challenges, develop new perspectives on big questions, or simply enjoy having your brain tickled over a great glass of wine. Block out your diary on Thursday, April 3, as Raising the Bar will take place on one night only across 20 free sessions (going down at 6.15pm and 7:30pm) at ten inner-Sydney bars. So where to first? Get to know our picks for the evening, including what to expect from the talks and the bars where they'll be taking place. Hermann's, University of Sydney Starting on home turf, Hermann's is one of the University of Sydney's top on-campus bars where drinks are well-curated and affordable. Arrive early to make the most of the beer garden before settling in for a talk on how astronomers are bad at naming things, including a look at the latest innovations in Australian astronomy tech, and what scientists are using right now to search for life beyond Earth. Stick around for the evening's second session and get an insight into how to make workplaces more welcoming for refugees, who make up some of Australian society's newest members. Fortress Sydney, Central Park Mall Part entertainment venue and part classic bar, Fortress Sydney is a mega-venue with a capacity of 1000 people. It's a good thing, too, because the two talks taking place here promise to be some of the evening's most topical. The night kicks off with a discussion of how to grow brains in a lab and what we can learn from them, before the conversation turns to how society gaslights climate anxiety and the emotional impacts of climate change. The Harold, Forest Lodge Located a stone's throw from the University of Sydney, Forest Lodge's local gastropub The Harold is the place to go if you're interested in learning why obesity persists, why the old adage 'eat less and move more' might not quite work, as well as a better way to potentially lose weight from a professor who is also a clinical trials director. Stick around to hear about fighting Australia's leading cause of death and learn about preventing a heart attack, as well as the surprising risk factors you should know. The Barrie, Chippendale Occupying the spot where Freda's used to be, The Barrie is a pub that's a true local's favourite — and it'll set the stage for talks on two topics that are just as popular. The night starts by pondering the morality of parenthood in a world impacted by climate change, as well as offering practical tools to navigate raising kids in said world. Then, settle in for a thought-provoking talk about making your personal life more experimental, where a data-driven toolkit might help you navigate major life choices such as relationships and career moves. Explore the full Raising the Bar program to discover a talk or two that piques your interest. Or, if you simply need an excuse to visit Brix Distillers, Foundry 616, Bank Hotel, the Rose of Australia, The Toxteth or New Britannia, look no further. Don't miss out and register for your free ticket now.
Cooking and entertaining at home has hit peak popularity during the pandemic, and many Sydney venues have been forced to adapt. But the clever folks behind CBD pasta bar Ragazzi — namely Matthew Swieboda, Nathanial Hatwell (Love, Tilly Devine, Dear Sainte Éloise) and Scott McComas-Williams — are taking this shift in stride. Following the success of Ragazzi's lockdown pasta kits, the team has decided to launch Fabbrica Pasta Shop in the CBD this September. The retail space will sell fresh pasta by the gram, sauces and related smallgoods to help Sydneysiders create the perfect Italian feast at home. Through a big glass window, you'll be able to watch the staff making pasta of all shapes and sizes, including rigatoni, egg farfalle, semolina pici (thick hand-rolled spaghetti) and gluten-free varieties. Add on a sauce or two and you'll be able to whip up Ragazzi fan-favourites at home — such as spaghetti cacio e pepe and duck ragu over rye casarecce (short twisted pasta) — along with your own creations. Other Italian items will also be for sale, including a range imported cheeses, house-cured meats, sausages, olive oil and flours. Plus tinned tomatoes, Cantabrian anchovies and fresh produce like biodynamic eggs and organic garlic. Alongside the pasta, breads will be made in-house too and paired with compound butter. And, to complete your meal at home, bottles of minimal-intervention Italian drops will be on offer, too. [caption id="attachment_780345" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] There will also be a dine-in aspect to the space, with four outdoor high tables designed for snacking while you wait for your takeaway order. For this purpose, there will be a daily sandwich and baked pasta option, plus coffees and natural wines by the glass. The space will also act as a prep kitchen for Ragazzi and host regular pasta making, wine tasting and baking classes. You'll also start seeing Fabbrica products in other delis, butchers, grocers and markets around Australia, with Cameron Birt (Fino Foods) running the wholesale arm of the business. And the entire venue will be available for private bookings if you really want to treat your nearest and dearest. Designer Sarah Watt, who also designed Ragazzi, will be responsible for the fit-out — expect stainless steel finishes and a clean, brutalist space to unfold over the next month. Fabbrica Pasta Shop will open in late September at 161 King Street, Sydney. Keep an eye on this space for updates. Images: Nikki To
Sydney's latest dessert craze has landed in Banskia. Demochi Donut owner Dennis Chan (Dirty Bird food truck) has somehow managed to fuse the airy, crispy elements of a doughnut with that chewy mochi texture — and we can't wait to get our hands on a whole box of 'em. Chan started working on these mochi masterpieces after finding a similar fusion doughnut served at a shop in Tokyo. He spent over five years perfecting his own recipe, and has finally released the hybrid sweet to the masses. To get your hands on one (or many), head out to Banksia every Friday and Saturday evening, when the Demochi Donut stand sets up outside the Banksia Hotel. The brand's signature honey-glazed doughnut will be available each weekend, alongside one specialty flavour that will change regularly. Some of the flavours you might come across include familiar mochi varieties like yuzu-mint, roasted black sesame and matcha, as well as more traditional doughnut flavours such as strawberry or chocolate glaze. Whackier varieties may include doughnuts frosted with cereal and milk and a fairy bread number. You can also grab savoury bites from the Dirty Bird food truck, which sits adjacent to Demochi and is serving up its much-loved hot wings and southern fried chicken burgers every weekend, too. We suggest getting there early, though, because these are bound to sell out. Down the line, you'll be able to snag Demochi across cafes all over Sydney, and a brick-and-mortar shop is also in the works, so keep an eye on this space.
Sydney's creative champions, 107 Projects, are getting some seriously impressive additional new digs. The not-for-profit has been chosen to manage the Joynton Avenue Creative Centre — the helm of Green Square's new 278-hectare community and cultural precinct. Expected to open later this year, the centre will occupy the former nurses' quarters in the refitted three-story Esme Cahill Building, located on the grounds of the former South Sydney Hospital site in Zetland. As the 'head tenant', 107 Projects will manage the daily operations of the Creative Centre and all of its tenants by doing what they do best — bringing together like-minded people to create workshops, exhibitions, performances and other activities that engage the community. The centre will feature artist studios, creative offices, exhibition spaces, workshop spaces and indoor/outdoor areas for community hire. The centre will act as the hub for this new cultural precinct, which the City of Sydney is taking very seriously — they're spending a whopping $540 million over the next ten years on extensive infrastructure and streetscaping works, as well as community facilities including an aquatic centre, library, plaza and more than fifteen parks and open spaces. The wider precinct will also include an early education and childcare centre, a community garden and playground. Once development is complete, Green Square will accommodate close to 61,000 people living in 30,500 new homes, as well as provide around 21,000 permanent jobs for the surrounding suburbs of Beaconsfield, Zetland, and parts of Rosebery, Alexandria and Waterloo. Lord Mayor Clover Moore is among those championing this cause and praised 107 Projects as the ideal choice for the centre. "Their experience working with creative practitioners and artists of all disciplines and their passion for engaging the community in diverse projects makes them perfect for this new opportunity at the Joynton Avenue Creative Centre," says Moore. Happily for inner west folks, 107 Projects will continue to operate their existing space at 107 Redfern Street. The decommissioned car garage is known to host quality exhibitions, performances, artist studios and creative offices that has rightfully secured 107 Projects as a crucial leader of the Sydney creative sphere. The Joynton Avenue Creative Centre will open later this year in the former South Sydney Hospital site at 3 Joynton Avenue, Zetland. Visit the City of Sydney website for more information.
It might just be Australia's brightest festival, and it's back to light up Alice Springs once again. That'd be Parrtjima - A Festival In Light, which kicked off for 2020 on Friday, September 11 and runs through until Sunday, September 20. And, while it's being held as a physical event, the fest also has something on offer for everyone who can't be there in person. For the first time, Parrtjima is hosting a virtual tour — via a four-and-a-half-minute video that showcases the event's dazzling, glowing sights. Expect luminous lights and plenty of them, with the tour giving viewers a peek at the Indigenous arts, culture, music and storytelling fest's enthusiastic celebration, including its signature installations and new displays. This year, all of the above falls under the theme of 'lifting our spirits'. Even from afar, via your screen, seeing the Alice Springs Desert Park come alive will do just that. You'll also see the huge artwork that transforms a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic, 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges each year, showering it with light each night of the festival. Yes, it's spectacular — and called The Ebb and Flow of Sky and Country in 2020, it's designed to reflect the colours and movement of the changing seasons. Check out the virtual tour below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=217&v=l0v6l2LeP4E&feature=emb_logo Of course, Parrtjima is just one of Northern Territory's two glowing attractions in 2020, with Australia's Red Centre lighting up in multiple ways. The festival is a nice supplement to Bruce Munro's Field of Light installation, which — after multiple extensions — is now on display indefinitely. And, in good news for everyone who can't head to the NT this year, Parrtjima will be back in 2021 — taking place again from April 9–18. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light's runs until Sunday, September 20. For further details, visit the festival website. Top images: Lachlan Dodds-Watson, Greg McAdam.
Taking his homegrown charm to fans one last time, Bored Nothing is wrapping things up in spectacular classic pub style. Launching his second album 'Some Songs' (the first to be recorded outside his beloved bedroom set-up), frontman Fergus Miller will be playing two unforgettable shows in both Sydney and Melbourne. Born and bred in Geelong, Miller has decided to call it a day after three years of recording and producing the dreamy, melancholy tracks Bored Nothing is famous for. After two months gallivanting through Europe for late 2014 touring, a string of support gigs for Brisbanites The John Steel Singers and the release of a handful of hypnotic singles, the new year feels like the perfect time to end Bored Nothing's killer run on a truly great note. Pinned for two packed-out performances in Sydney and Melbourne, these intimate east coast gigs are a fitting send off before Miller sheds his Bored Nothing moniker once and for all.
Greenlighting Anyone But You with Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell as its leads must've been among Hollywood's easiest decisions. One of the rom-com's stars has been everywhere from Euphoria and The White Lotus to Reality of late, plus Sharp Objects and The Handmaid's Tale before that, and has a stint in the superhero realm on Madame Web to come. The other is fresh off feeling the need for speed in Top Gun: Maverick, including getting sweaty and shirtless in the beach scene. They both drip charisma. If this was the 80s, 90s or 00s, they each would have an entire segment of their filmographies dedicated to breezy romantic comedies like this Sydney-shot film, and probably more than a few together. From here, they might achieve that feat yet — because if there's much ado about anything in Anyone But You, it's about how well its two main talents shine as a pair. Regardless of that gleaming casting, director and co-writer Will Gluck crafts his first adult-oriented flick in 12 years — since Friends with Benefits, with Annie and the two Peter Rabbit movies since — as if it's still two, three or four decades back. The gimmick-fuelled plot, the scenic setting, the swinging between stock-standard and OTT supporting characters: they're all formulaically present and accounted for in Anyone But You. Also eagerly splashed in is the picture's biggest twist, courtesy of its filmmaker and co-scribe Ilana Wolpert (a feature first-timer sporting writing and story-editing credits on High School Musical: The Musical: The Series on her resume). With Easy A, Gluck took inspiration from The Scarlet Letter, giving it a modern-day remake. Now, complete with some character names to match (there's no Dogberry, though, but there is a dog), ample matchmaking gossip and lines from the play clumsily dotted around the sets for viewers to see, Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing scores the overt riffs. Always apparent as well: the fact that, even as it follows in the Bard of Avon's footsteps, Anyone But You's story constantly comes second to Sweeney and Powell's smouldering chemistry. Plus, most of its obvious jokes only land because the twosome sell them, and the whole movie. Takes on Shakespeare's 16th-century-penned, 17th-century-published rom-com have graced the big screen before. In the past 30 years, see: 1993's with Emma Thompson (What's Love Got to Do with It?) and Kenneth Branagh (A Haunting in Venice) as Beatrice and Benedick, and Branagh directing, and also 2012's with Buffyverse alums Amy Acker (The Watchful Eye) and Alexis Denisof (How I Met Your Father) for Joss Whedon (their guiding hand on Buffy and Angel). But this one is as merry as the day is long about being a playground for Sweeney and Powell first and foremost. Law student Bea (Sweeney) and finance bro Ben (Powell) meet-cute over a restroom key in a busy cafe. She's desperate to use the facilities, the staff won't let her unless she buys something, the line is morning-rush long and he claims that she's his wife to help. So begins a dreamy day of flirting, walking, talking, cooking grilled-cheese sandwiches and connecting over deep secrets like Gluck is fashioning a sped-up version of the Before trilogy, too. That heavenly first date ends badly the next morning, however. More pain is in store when Bea's sister Halle (Hadley Robinson, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty) starts dating Ben's best friend Pete's (GaTa, Dave) sister Claudia (Alexandra Shipp, Barbie) months later. When an engagement is next, cue Bea and Ben's feud going international at the destination wedding in Australia, then getting a shakeup when the quarrelling duo pretend that they're together. There's kindness in this faux truce, alongside trickery and self-interest. Bea and Ben are trying stop their squabbling ruining the nuptials, yes, but they're attempting to get her parents to back off from campaigning for a reunion with her ex-fiancé Jonathan (Darren Barnet, Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story) at the same time — and to make his own past love Margaret (model-turned-acting debutant Charlee Fraser), Claudia and Pete's Australian cousin, jealous. Anyone But You's protagonists are also well-aware that the rest of the wedding party is conspiring to push them into love, subscribing to the whole "fighting means you like them" theory, and quickly tired of overhearing conversations that they're meant to about each other. Romantic-comedy logic dictates what happens next, of course, as packaged with slapstick gags, literal bathroom humour, sing-alongs, farce everywhere, as much flaunted bare flesh as an Aussie beach, and far more horniness than has been typically seen in 2010s and 2020s cinema. Every expected narrative beat is struck, then. Almost every genre cliche is hit as well. Nodding to other rom-com wedding flicks — My Best Friend's Wedding co-stars Dermot Mulroney and Rachel Griffiths play Bea's mum and dad, and the latter is also a Muriel's Wedding alum — is also heartily on the menu. So are fish-out-of-water Americans-in-Australia jokes, and being cheesily Aussie via koalas, endless shots of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House to make both Tourism Australia and Destination NSW proud, and Bryan Brown (Faraway Downs) and Joe Davidson (Neighbours) playing the stereotypical parts. The vision of Sydney that the film inhabits is not only overseas tourist bait, but a one-percenter paradise, as evidenced by the sprawling seaside home of Pete and Claudia's parents (Brown and Star Trek: Picard's Michelle Hurd) that becomes the movie's on-screen base. And yet, as Anyone But You needs and knows with gleeful self-awareness that it's going to get, Sweeney and Powell ace their performances and rapport, and couldn't be more watchable in the process. While no one has a particularly difficult job — least of all cinematographer Danny Ruhlmann (True Spirit), with the film's two stars and a sunny, picturesque locale to lens — it's their lively back and forth and game-for-anything commitment that keeps the picture afloat. For months, this was the feature that sparked headline-grabbing off-screen rumours about life imitating art. Now, it's an audition piece for a second silver-screen team up. Back in the 80s, Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn did it (in Swing Shift and Overboard). The 90s had Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks (Joe vs the Volcano, Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail), plus Julia Roberts and Richard Gere (Pretty Woman and Runaway Bride), while it was Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey's (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Fool's Gold) turn in the 00s. After Anyone But You, audiences won't want anyone but Sweeney and Powell to be next.
Some holidays arise from months of planning. Others happen simply because an airline has cheap flights on offer. Both are perfectly acceptable ways to lock in a getaway — and if you're keen for the latter, Jetstar is doing a big 48-hour sale with 400,000-plus fares to Bali, Phuket, Hawaii, Vietnam, Japan and Seoul, among other destinations. Actually, the Australian carrier is doing discounted flights across Australia as well as to international spots — but after the couple of years we've all had, with closed borders both locally and overseas, you're probably (and understandably) itching to venture to other countries. International fares start from $199 return — yes, both ways — because this is Jetstar's 'return for free' sale. Running from 12am AEST on Wednesday, May 4–11.59pm AEST on Thursday, May 5, or until sold out, it's as straightforward as it sounds. Whatever flights you opt for as part of the sale, you'll get the return fare for nothing. Overseas, one big caveat is worth keeping in mind: some destinations, such as Japan, haven't yet opened to international tourists. But if you'd like to book cheap flights to Tokyo or Osaka and back for later in the year and cross your fingers that the border situation changes, you can. Also on the list: fares to Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch and Queenstown, to name a few, with 29 international routes covered. Locally, you've got a choice between 59 routes — all with return legs for free — starting from $69. Tickets in the sale are for trips from this coming spring onwards, with exact days varying in each region. There are a few other rules, as is always the case. You have to the same departure and arrival ports for the two fares — so you can go from Melbourne to Honolulu and back, for instance, but can't return via another place or to another city. And, the sale fares don't include checked baggage, so you'll need to travel super light or pay extra to take a suitcase. Jetstar's 'return for free' sale runs from 12am AEST on Wednesday, May 4–11.59pm AEST on Thursday, May 5 — or until sold out.
When you want to cosy up with your special someone but don't want any interruptions, your best bet is to get out of town. Just a 90-minute drive southwest of Sydney puts you in the Southern Highlands, a wonderland of cool climate wines, waterfalls and beautiful hotels. Sounds idyllic, right? Well, that's why romantics have been retreating there since the late 19th century. Now, our friends at Peppers, who have not one but two properties in the Highlands where you can call home during your time away, know a thing or two about the region and have helped us create an itinerary for all you lovers out there. So, here are five ways to build even more romance into your next weekend away with your SO. DRINK WINE IN FRONT OF A ROARING FIRE Elevated 600 metres above sea level, the Southern Highlands is a mecca for wine lovers — especially those fond of cooler climate. Pioneering winery Joadja was the first winery to open in the region in the 1980s, and, since then, another 16 wineries — plus 60 vineyards — have jumped on the bandwagon. Visit Tertini for multi-award winning boutique drops, Centennial for crisp sparkling wines and the eco-friendly Tractorless, where you'll find sheep helping out in the vineyard. Once you've found a bottle or two to suit your tastes, it'll be time to scope out a roaring fire. Luckily, you'll find a ton in the hotels and pubs throughout the area, including Peppers Manor House and Peppers Craigieburn. [caption id="attachment_665487" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Biota Dining.[/caption] INDULGE IN AWARD-WINNING LOCAL PRODUCE Once you've sampled a few wines and stretched your legs, you'll be ready for a hearty feast. Make tracks to one of the Southern Highlands' most famous restaurants, Biota Dining, a double-hatted marvel in Bowral dedicated to local produce — including that from its flourishing kitchen garden. The best way to experience chef James Viles' magnificent creations is via a five- or seven-course tasting menu, matched with local wines. Other hatted spots include Katers at Peppers Manor House where Executive Chef Thomas Pirker transforms local veggies, herbs and edible flowers into artfully plated dishes and Eschalot, which sits in a stunning 19th-century sandstone house in Berrima. CHASE WATERFALLS If you and your date are craving some outdoor time, do go chasing waterfalls (sorry, TLC). The best known are Fitzroy Falls, which tumble 81 metres over a sandstone cliff face in the Morton National Park. You can reach them via an accessible boardwalk or wander along one of the circuit tracks, which range from 1.6 kilometres to five kilometres in length. From there, it's just a few minutes' drive to Belmore Falls, which cascade for 130 metres across three tiers. The best makeout point, erm vantage point is at the end of the Belmore Falls Walking Track, a 750-metre stroll from Hindmarsh Lookout Car Park. Also worth a good look are Carrington Falls in Budderoo National Park. [caption id="attachment_693679" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Flickr.[/caption] GO PLATYPUS SPOTTING There's nothing like ooing and awwing over cute animals, especially rare Aussie ones. So, head out to the bush for some platypus spotting. The only catch is, you'll need to be patient — and super quiet. The favourite place of Southern Highlands platypuses to meet humans is the Wingecarribee River around Berrima, where a walking track travels for 1.8 kilometres along the water's edge. If you see some teeny-tiny bubbles on the water's surface, then you might be in luck. Hang tight and wait for a duck-like bill to appear. If no one's prepared to meet you, there's not much you can do. At least you'll get to take a romantic stroll through pretty bushland. [caption id="attachment_693681" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Peppers Cragieburn, Destination NSW.[/caption] STAY AT A COUNTRY ESTATE Many of Australia's rich and famous – including Nicole Kidman, Peter Garrett and Jimmy Barnes – have owned country estates in the Southern Highlands. But, if you're not in a position to buy a grand manor, you can stay in one for a night or two, at least. Peppers Manor House, built back in the 1920s, places you among landscaped gardens and peaceful paddocks. Whether you book a Highland Queen Room or the mighty Elizabeth Broughton Suite — with a king-sized bed, expansive living areas and a free-standing bath — you can count on high ceilings, plenty of natural light and relaxing rural views. Meanwhile, just outside Bowral, Peppers Craigieburn occupies a century-old estate, with its own nine-hole golf course, billiards room and guest lounges with open fires. Start planning your trip to the Southern Highlands, and book you and yours into a luxurious stay at Peppers. Top image: Destination NSW.
Feeling a little dusty on Sunday morning? Two words: Grumpy Donuts. There's no headache these spectacular conglomerations of perfect dough and sugary brilliance cannot handle. Check to see if there's a weekly special on for a chance to try a tasty, new creation, otherwise, count on a tried-and-tested favourite, such as The Buttered Toast (yep, that's brekkie and dessert right there). Other hits include the perfectly sprinkled Pink Somer Donuts, the light and tangy Vanilla Glazed Donut, the classic Cinnamon Cake and the cartoon-looking Choc Somer Donut. It also sells a great range of sodas from Soda Boss, with flavours such as the Grape Chewie, Raspberry Red Frogs and Peach Rings.
Sure, you've flown in a seaplane. And there was that time you jumped out of a plane for a dare. But have you ever skimmed past the clouds in a two-person light aircraft with an open cockpit and minimal controls? Microlighting is probably not as terrifying as it sounds, and in an intimate 15-minute flight ($100 for groups) you could be spotting whales from an impressive height, while also catching glimpses of national parks and surfers in the distance. Taking off from Somersby Airfield, Microlight Adventures operates flights over Central Coast's 42 beaches every week. And to make the most of it, opt for the $250 flight and you'll join a qualified flying instructor for a full hour of soaring above the sights.
Love indulging in a few-too-many gins on a summer evening, but don't love the dull, dehydrated, hungover face you wake to the next day? We've now got the perfect solution, thanks to an exciting new collaboration between two beloved Aussie brands: Four Pillars Gin and Go-To Skincare. Together they've launched My New Go-To Gin, a new "wildly limited edition" spirit set to be your tipple of summer. The perfect Christmas present for both that skincare fanatic and gin connoisseur in your life, this new addition to your liquor cabinet has all of the peachy goodness you'd expect from Zoe Foster Blake's beloved beauty brand. Not only is it made with quandong, a native Aussie peach and some tart ruby grapefruit, the familiar Go-To label aesthetic means you could probably add it to your bathroom counter's line-up, and nobody would notice anything out of the ordinary. And if you sip a few too many the night before another event (hello, festive season) you're in luck: Every bottle comes with a Go-To 'Transformazing' sheet mask to soak your skin in much-needed moisture. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Go-To (@gotoskincare) Go-To Skincare has become well-known for its cult following of skincare fanatics across the world. The beauty venture from Foster-Blake has been so wildly successful since its 2014 launch, she just sold her majority stake in the company for a cool AU$89 million. Meanwhile, Aussie spirits producer Four Pillars has also become well-known known for innovation. Its inventive collaborations and tasty creations like the rare dry and bloody shiraz gin ranges have earned it the title of World's Best Gin for two years running now. With two very intense fanbases onboard, we imagine this one is going to sell out from shelves quick smart, so do yourself a favour and grab it while you can. Currently, it's just available for sale on the Four Pillars website, with orders limited to maximum of one per order — it's up to you if you gift it to a friend, or keep it for yourself. They've also included a specialty cocktail recipe, perfect for the festive season. Find more information about My New Go-To Gin on the Four Pillars website.
Haruki Murakami's novel Norwegian Wood is filled with fuzziness, unreliability, landscapes that shift between the real and imagined, and the saturated sensation of tragedy. It's not the easiest thing to adapt to film, but director Tran Anh Hung (I Come with the Rain, The Scent of Green Papaya) has found a rich cinema language for it that's as affecting as Murakami's words. Concrete Playground spoke to him ahead of the film's Australian release. When did you first encounter Murakami's work? It was in '94. This book [Norwegian Wood], it was the first one. Since I really liked it, I didn't want to read other books from him and I didn't want to know anything about him. It's the way I work — I really want to keep my feelings for the book really fresh, and nothing can mix with it … I read his other books later on, during the editing of the movie. And what made you want to adapt Norwegian Wood into a movie? I loved the book because of the character and the story. Because it has to do with love and loss of love and that was a very strong thing, and something that talked to me directly, intimately. It's also about the burdens we acquire in youth that have to be left behind for us to move into adulthood. Tell us about the journey the main character, Watanabe, is on. It's someone who experiences love for the first time. It's a very strong feeling, and then the next day he loses it; Naoko just disappears. And it puts his life in suspense — like he's holding his breath. He's not breathing the same way as before. And when he meets Midori, she offers him her love and he cannot accept it because he has something unfinished with Naoko … [Where Watanabe's journey goes] is very disturbing, but behind it, there is something that is really beautiful, in terms of meaning and in terms of spiritual deliverance. Murakami's works are often regarded as 'unfilmable'. What were the challenges in adapting such a story to screen? There was one thing that was really strong in the book, and that was the feeling of melancholy ... For some scenes I need to give the feeling of something that is a little bit dreamy, that is between reality and dream ... Like the night when [Naoko] comes and kisses him and ask him if he loves her, this kind of scene is very like a dream. And this gives us the feeling that it could be something that will be later a souvenir for Watanabe; it has that texture of a souvenir. And it gives us that feeling of melancholy. And you made the story linear, cutting out the older Watanabe we meet at the beginning of the book? Yes, because if you keep that older Watanabe, then you have that structure of flashback, back and forth between the present time with the older Watanabe, 36 or 39, and the past when he was 20. It will give the audience a feeling of something that is very well known as a structure, so it was not interesting for me to use this. And also because when you go in a movie back and forth, you have to show what in the past influenced the present time. Then you need to create some events, some actions in the present time, because it's not in the book. And that doesn't make sense, because the book is so rich, too rich, I needed to get rid of a lot of things to be able to make a movie, so I'm not going to add some new scenes. And that's why I didn't keep the older Watanabe. You worked with cinematographer Mark Lee Ping Bin, known for his work with Wong Kar-wai (In the Mood for Love). What was the vision the two of you had for how the film should look? What I really appreciate in working with Mark is he has this quality of being really sensual with movement of the camera ... I really need it for all of my movies because I like people to have a really sensual feeling of the image. And I ask everyone to work in a way to make the skin of the actor very obvious — not to enhance it, not to make it more beautiful, but to make it obvious — so that the people wish to touch it, to smell it on the screen. So with Mark I really asked him to use the light in a way so we can feel the skin, because for me, cinema is the art of incarnation. We put ideas and stories, drama in blood and flesh, meaning in the actor. So we need to see the skin very precisely. That's what I'm going for, because I don't like pretty pictures; the beauty must come from the fact the feeling is right, and it's right because its right with the story, with the psychology, with the characters. If everything is right, then it's beautiful. https://youtube.com/watch?v=kYBgsyBwYso
