2023 marks 65 years since Australia's film and television industry first started recognising its best work of the year with accolades. Back then, the gongs were called the AFI Awards. When the Australian Film Institute created the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts in 2011, the awards changed names to the AACTAs. The country's standout flicks and TV highlights are still rewarded with shiny trophies, though — and, since making the switch in monikers in 2012, the big winners paint quite the picture of Australia's screen output. Red Dog, The Sapphires, The Great Gatsby, The Babadook, The Water Diviner, Mad Max: Fury Road, Hacksaw Ridge, Lion, Sweet Country, The Nightingale, Babyteeth, Nitram and Elvis have all been anointed Australia's top movie. Among the small-screen recipients, Best Drama has gone to East West 101, Puberty Blues, Redfern Now, The Code, Glitch, Wentworth, Top of the Lake: China Girl, Mystery Road, Total Control, The Newsreader and Mystery Road: Origin. They all now have company, with the 2024 awards looking back on 2023's highlights announced on Saturday, February 10. Talk to Me was named Best Film, while The Newsreader claimed Best Drama again. The AACTAs are known to concentrate the love towards a few titles each year. 2024 is different, however. The list of winners goes on, and makes an ace must-see lineup of top-notch Aussie movies and TV shows to catch up on or revisit from the past year. Here's 13 that you can watch now: Movie Must-Sees Talk to Me An embalmed hand can't click its fingers, not even when it's the spirit-conducing appendage at the heart of Talk to Me. This is an absolute finger snap of a horror film, however, and a fist pump of a debut by Australian twins Danny and Michael Philippou. As RackaRacka, the Adelaide-born pair have racked up six-million-plus subscribers on YouTube via viral comedy, horror and action combos. As feature filmmakers, they're just as energetic, eager and assured, not to mention intense about giving their all. Talk to Me opens with a party that's soon blighted by both a stabbing and a suicide. It segues swiftly into a Sia sing-along, then the violent loss of one half of the Aussie coat of arms. A breakout hit at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, where it sparked a distribution bidding war won by indie favourite A24, it's constantly clicking, snapping and ensuring that viewers are paying attention — with terror-inducing imagery, a savvy sense of humour, both nerve and the keenness to unnerve, and a helluva scary-movie premise that's exceptionally well-executed. The picture's outstretched mitt is the Philippous' Ouija board. That withered and scribbled-on paw is also a wildly unconventional way to get high. In a screenplay penned by Danny with fellow first-timer Bill Hinzman, but based on Bluey and Content executive producer Daley Pearson's short-film concept — yes, that Bluey — shaking hands with the distinctive meat hook is a party trick and dare as well. When the living are palm to palm with this dead duke, in flows a conjuring. A candle is lit, "talk to me" must be uttered, then "I let you in". Once heads are kicking back and the voices start, no one should grasp on for more than 90 seconds, as Hayley (Zoe Terakes, Nine Perfect Strangers) and Joss (Chris Alosio, Millie Lies Low) explain. But, as she navigates the anniversary of her mother's death, Mia (Sophie Wilde, Boy Swallows Universe) is up for going as far as she can. Here, being consumed by sinister spirits, not consuming booze, is an escape. That, and filming whatever twisted chaos happens when you connect with the otherworldly. It isn't all fun and frights and games, though; when her best friend Jade's (Alexandra Jensen, Joe vs Carole) 14-year-old brother Riley (Joe Bird, First Day) takes part, traumatic consequences spring. AACTAs Won: Best Film, Best Direction (Danny and Michael Philippou), Best Lead Actress (Sophie Wilde), Best Editing, Best Hair and Makeup, Best Original Score, Best Screenplay, Best Sound. Where to watch it: Talk to Me streams via Netflix, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Danny Philippou. Limbo When Ivan Sen sent a police detective chasing a murdered girl and a missing woman in the Australian outback in 2013's Mystery Road and its 2016 sequel Goldstone, he saw the country's dusty, rust-hued expanse in sun-bleached and eye-scorching colour. In the process, the writer, director, co-producer, cinematographer, editor and composer used his first two Aussie noir films and their immaculately shot sights to call attention to how the nation treats people of colour — historically since its colonial days and still now well over two centuries later. Seven years after the last Jay Swan movie, following a period that's seen that character make the leap to the small screen in three television seasons, Sen returned with a disappearance, a cop, all that inimitable terrain and the crimes against its Indigenous inhabitants that nothing can hide. Amid evident similarities, there's a plethora of differences between the Mystery Road franchise and Limbo; however, one of its simplest is also one of its most glaring and powerful: shooting Australia's ochre-toned landscape in black and white. Limbo's setting: Coober Pedy, the globally famous "opal capital of the world" that's known for its underground dwellings beneath the blazing South Australian earth, but reimagined as the fictional locale that shares the film's name — a place unmistakably sporting an otherworldly topography dotted by dugouts to avoid the baking heat, and that hasn't been able to overcome the murder of a local Indigenous girl two decades earlier. The title is symbolic several times over, including to the visiting Travis Hurley (Simon Baker, Boy Swallows Universe), whose first task upon arrival is checking into his subterranean hotel, rolling up his sleeves and indulging his heroin addiction. Later, he'll be told that he looks more like a drug dealer than a police officer — but, long before then, it's obvious that his line of work and the sorrows he surveys along the way have kept him hovering in a void. While he'll also unburden a few biographical details about mistakes made and regrets held before the film comes to an end, such as while talking to the missing Charlotte Hayes' brother Charlie (Rob Collins, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson) and sister Emma (Natasha Wanganeen, The Survival of Kindness), this tattooed cop with wings inked onto his back is already in limbo before he's literally in Limbo talking. AACTAs Won: Best Indie Film. Where to watch it: Limbo streams via iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Ivan Sen and Simon Baker. The New Boy Warwick Thornton, Cate Blanchett, Deborah Mailman, Nick Cave and Warren Ellis: name a better Australian quintet. The director of Samson & Delilah and Sweet Country, the two-time Oscar-winner and Tár tour de force, the local screen mainstay, and the Bad Seeds bandmates and seasoned film composers all combine not for the ultimate Aussie dinner party, but for The New Boy. None are debuting in their jobs. All are exceptional. They're each made better, however, by the luminous and entrancing Aswan Reid. As well as playing the titular part, the 11-year-old first-time actor lives it among such a wealth of acclaimed and experienced talent — and he's such a find in such excellent company, while saying little in words but everything in every other way, that Thornton's third fictional feature owes him as much of a debt as its applauded and awarded household names. There's a spark to Reid from the moment that he's first spied grappling with outback law enforcement under blazing rays as Cave and Ellis' (This Much I Know to Be True) latest rousing score plays. His sun-bleached hair couldn't be more fitting, or symbolic, but it's the confident way in which he holds himself as New Boy, plus the determined look on his face, that sears. Wily and wiry, the feature's eponymous figure is toppled by a boomerang, then bagged up and transported to the remote Catholic orphanage doted on by Sister Eileen (Blanchett, Nightmare Alley) in the 1940s. The cop doing the escorting notes that the kid is a bolter, but the nun is just as fast in her kindness. She sees what Thornton wants his audience to see: a boy that beams with his presence and through his sense of self, even though he's been snatched up, taken from his Country and forced into a Christian institution against his will. Sister Eileen is as drawn to him as the movie, but — and not just due to the red wine she likes sipping and the subterfuge she's keeping up about the resident father's absence — she isn't as certain about what to do. AACTAs Won: Best Lead Actor in Film (Aswan Reid), Best Supporting Actress (Deborah Mailman), Best Cinematography, Best Production Design. Where to watch it: The New Boy streams via Binge, Prime Video, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Read our full review, and our interview with Warwick Thornton. John Farnham: Finding the Voice There's no need to try to understand it: John Farnham's 1986 anthem 'You're the Voice' is an instant barnstormer of a tune. An earworm then, now and for eternity, it was the Australian song of the 80s. With its layered beats, swelling force and rousing emotion, all recorded in a garage studio, it's as much of a delight when it's soundtracking comedy films like the Andy Samberg-starring Hot Rod and the Steve Coogan-led Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa as it is echoing out of every Aussie pub's jukebox. Making a noise and making it clear, 'You're the Voice' is also one of the reasons that Farnham's 1986 album Whispering Jack remains the best-selling homegrown release ever nearing four decades since it first dropped. But, as John Farnham: Finding the Voice tells, this iconic match of track and talent — this career-catapulting hit for a singer who'd initially tasted fame as a teen pop idol two decades prior — almost didn't happen. Whispering Jack also almost didn't come to fruition at all, a revelation so immense that imagining Australia without that album is like entering Back to the Future Part II's alternative 80s. Writer/director Poppy Stockwell (Scrum, Nepal Quake: Terror on Everest) and her co-scribe Paul Clarke (a co-creator of Spicks and Specks) know this, smartly dedicating a significant portion of Finding the Voice to that record and its first single. The titbits and behind-the-scenes anecdotes flow, giving context to a song almost every Aussie alive since it arrived knows in their bones. Gaynor Wheatley, the wife of Farnham's late best friend and manager Glenn, talks about how they mortgaged their house to fund the release when no label would touch the former 'Sadie (The Cleaning Lady)' crooner. Chris Thompson, the English-born, New Zealand-raised Manfred Mann's Earth Band musician who co-penned 'You're the Voice', chats about initially declining Farnham's request to turn the tune into a single after the latter fell for it via a demo. AACTAs Won: Best Documentary. Where to watch it: John Farnham: Finding the Voice streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Shayda Whether or not Noora Niasari was ever explicitly told to write what she knew, the Iranian Australian filmmaker has taken that advice to heart. Her mother listened to the same guidance first, even if it was never spoken to her, either. The latter penned a memoir that has gone unpublished, but helped form the basis of the powerful and affecting Shayda. This account of a mum and her daughter attempting to start anew in a women's shelter doesn't entirely stick to the facts that writer/director Niasari and her mother lived through. The Sundance-premiering, Melbourne International Film Festival-opening, Oscars-entered feature — it was Australia's contender for Best International Feature Film at the 2024 Academy Awards, but wasn't nominated — isn't afraid to fictionalise details in search of the best screen story. Still, the tale that's told of courage, resilience, rebuilding lives and finding a new community is deeply and patently personal. Perhaps even better, it's inescapably authentic. Niasari peers back at being barely of primary-school age and making a new home. Fleeing to a women's shelter is the only option that the film's eponymous figure (Zar Amir Ebrahimi, 2022's Cannes Best Actress-winner for Holy Spider) has to get away from the abusive Hossein (Osamah Sami, Savage River), whose controlling nature is matched by that of their patriarchal culture. So, Shayda leaves with six-year-old Mona (debutant Selina Zahednia). As she waits for her divorce proceedings to go through — a complicated task under Iranian law and customs — she seeks refuge at a secret site overseen by the caring Joyce (Leah Purcell, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart). Even surrounded by kindness and filled with desperation for a better future, every iota of Shayda's decision is fraught and tense; Niasari starts the film with Mona at an airport being told what to do if she's ever there with her father, should he try to take her not only away from her mum but also back to Iran. AACTAs Won: Best Casting. Where to watch it: Shayda streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Noora Niasari. Carmen Breaking down a classic tale best known as an opera, rebuilding it as a lovers-on-the-run drama set across the US–Mexico border and making every moment burst with emotion, Benjamin Millepied's Carmen is a movie that moves. While its director is a feature debutant, his background as a dancer and choreographer — he did both on Black Swan, the latter on Vox Lux as well, then designed the latest Dune films' sandwalk — perhaps means that the former New York City Ballet principal and Paris Opera Ballet Director of Dance was fated to helm rhythmic, fluid and rousing cinema. His loose take on Georges Bizet's singing-driven show and Prosper Mérimée's novella before it, plus Alexander Pushkin's poem The Gypsies that the first is thought to be based on, is evocative and sensual. It's sumptuous and a swirl of feelings, too, as aided in no small part by its penchant for dance. And, it pirouettes with swoon-inducing strength with help from its stunningly cast leads: Scream queen and In the Heights star Melissa Barrera, plus Normal People breakout and Aftersun Oscar-nominee Paul Mescal. When Mescal earned the world's attention in streaming's initial Sally Rooney adaptation, he had viewers dreaming of fleeing somewhere — Ireland or anywhere — with him. Carmen's namesake (Barrera) absconds first, then has PTSD-afflicted Marine Aidan (Mescal) join her attempt to escape to Los Angeles. Carmen runs after her mother Zilah (flamenco dancer Marina Tamayo) greets the cartel with thunderous footwork, but can't stave off their violence. Aidan enters the story once Carmen is smuggled stateside, where he's a reluctant volunteer border guard in Texas alongside the trigger-happy Mike (Benedict Hardie, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson). As the picture's central pair soon hurtle towards California, to Zilah's lifelong friend Masilda's (Rossy de Palma, Parallel Mothers) bar, they try to fly to whatever safety and security they can find. That may be fleeting, however, and might also be in each other's arms. AACTAs Won: Best Costume Design. Where to watch it: Carmen streams via Stan, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Benjamin Millepied. The Giants Nature documentaries rarely simply spy the earth's wonders, point cameras that way and let the planet itself do the talking. Instead, films such as 2017's The Ancient Woods are by far the exception rather than the rule. And yet, the best footage within any movie about our pale blue dot makes viewers wish that more favoured the "a picture is worth a thousand words" approach. Take The Giants, for instance. When it includes talk, which is often, it's no lesser a feature. The conversation and commentary offered is illuminating, in fact. But when it wanders through Tasmania's colossal foliage within the Styx Valley, Southern Forests and the Tarkine, which is also regularly, it feels like it barely needs to utter a single thing. This isn't merely a factual affair about flora, with environmental campaigner and pioneering former Greens senator Bob Brown firmly at its core, but The Giants knows that paying tribute to both is best done by staring at leafy surroundings as much as it can. It's no everyday feat to get a movie-watching audience admiring the natural world while peering at a screen, even if the frequency with which David Attenborough's docos arrive has helped everyone both think and expect otherwise. Indeed, notching up that achievement is a mammoth accomplishment on the part of The Giants' filmmakers Laurence Billiet (Freeman) and Rachel Antony, plus cinematographer Sherwin Akbarzadeh (Carbon — The Unauthorised Biography). Crucially, it assists what was always going to be a fascinating ode to bloom as much as any plant that it waters with attention. When you're crafting a documentary that intertwines a love letter to Australia's ancient native forests and their ecosystems with a powerful portrait of a hefty figure who has devoted much of his life to fighting for them, showing all the green splendour it possibly can is equally a must and a masterstroke. AACTAs Won: Best Cinematography in a Documentary. Where to watch it: The Giants streams via DocPlay, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story Post-viewing soundtrack, sorted: to watch Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story is to take a trip down memory lane with the Australian music industry and hear homegrown standouts from the past five decades along the way. Unsurprisingly, this documentary already has an album to go with it, a stacked release which'd instantly do its eponymous figure proud. His tick of approval wouldn't just stem from the artists surveyed, but because Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story's accompanying tunes comprise a three-disc number like Mushroom Records' first-ever drop, a 1973 Sunbury Festival live LP. To tell the tale of Gudinski, the record executive and promoter who became a household name, is to tell of Skyhooks, Split Enz, Hunters & Collectors, Jimmy Barnes, Paul Kelly, Kylie Minogue, Archie Roach, Yothu Yindi, Bliss n Esso, The Temper Trap, Gordi and Vance Joy, too — and to listen to them. Need this on-screen tribute to give you some kind of sign that the Gudinski and Mushroom story spans a heap of genres? Both the film and the album alike include Peter Andre. Any journey through Michael Gudinski's life and career, from his childhood entrepreneurship selling car parks on his family's vacant lot to his years and years getting Aussie music to the masses — and, on the touring side, bringing massively popular overseas artists to Aussies — needs to also be an ode to the industry that he adored. The man and scene are inseparable. But perhaps Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story plays as such an overt love letter to Australian music because it's an unashamed hagiography of Gudinski. Although the movie doesn't deliver wall-to-wall praise, it comes close. When it begins to hint at any traces of arrogance, moodiness or ruthlessness, it quickly does the doco equivalent of skipping to the next track. Australian Rules and Suburban Mayhem director Paul Goldman, a seasoned hand at music videos as well, has called his feature Ego and there's no doubting his subject had one; however, the takeaway in this highly authorised biography is that anything that doesn't gleam was simply part of his natural mischievousness and eager push for success. AACTAs Won: Best Sound in a Documentary. Where to watch it: Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Small-Screen Standouts Deadloch Trust Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan, Australia's favourite Kates and funniest double act, to make a killer TV show about chasing a killer that's the perfect sum of two excellent halves. Given their individual and shared backgrounds, including creating and starring in cooking show sendup The Katering Show and morning television spoof Get Krack!n, the pair unsurprisingly add another reason to get chuckling to their resumes; however, with Deadloch, they also turn their attention to crime procedurals. The Kates already know how to make viewers laugh. They've established their talents as brilliant satirists and lovers of the absurd in the process. Now, splashing around those skills in Deadloch's exceptional eight-episode first season lead by Kate Box (Stateless) and Madeleine Sami (The Breaker Upperers), they've also crafted a dead-set stellar murder-mystery series that ranks among The Kates' best work in almost every way. The only time that it doesn't? Not putting the tremendous pair on-screen themselves. Taking place in a sleepy small town, commencing with a body on a beach, and following both the local cop trying to solve the case and the gung-ho blow-in from a big city leading the enquiries, Deadloch has all the crime genre basics covered from the get-go. The Tasmanian spot scandalised by the death is a sitcom-esque quirky community, another television staple that McCartney and McLennan nail. Parody requires deep knowledge and understanding; you can't comically rip into and riff on something if you aren't familiar with its every in and out. That said, Deadloch isn't in the business of simply mining well-worn TV setups and their myriad of conventions for giggles, although it does that expertly. With whip-smart writing, the Australian series is intelligent, hilarious, and all-round cracking as a whodunnit-style noir drama and as a comedy alike — and, as Box's by-the-book Senior Sergeant Dulcie Collins and Sami's loose and chaotic Darwin blow-in Eddie Redcliffe are forced to team up, it's also one of the streaming highlights of the past year. AACTAs Won: Best Acting in a Comedy (Kate Box), Best Casting in Television, Best Editing in Television, Best Original Score in Television, Best Screenplay in Television. Where to watch it: Deadloch streams via Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan. The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart In The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, blooms are rarely out of sight and petals never evade attention. Adapted from Holly Ringland's 2018 novel, the seven-part Australian miniseries is set on a farm that cultivates native flora. It dubs the women who tend to them, an ensemble from various backgrounds largely seeking refuge from abusive pasts, "flowers" as well. Whether stem by stem or in bunches, its characters use florets as their own secret language. And yet, as much as bouquets linger, getting all things floral on the mind, star Sigourney Weaver burns rather than blossoms. Fire is another of the show's strong recurring motifs, so it's still fitting that its biggest name is as all-consuming as a blaze. She needs to be that scorching: this is a story about endeavouring to survive while weathering woes that ignite everything in their path. Weaver also draws upon almost five decades of thriving before the camera, often playing steely, smart and sometimes-raging women. Her on-screen career began sparking with Alien, the film that made her an instant icon. Since then, everyone has heard her performances scream — and, in The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, she's again dazzling. Flowers frequently surround Weaver's June Hart far and wide. With a carefully selected cutting, the shotgun-toting matriarch of Thornfield Flower Farm can say all she needs to. That's what the eponymous Alice (Ayla Browne, Nine Perfect Strangers) quickly learns about her grandmother when she arrives at the property following a tragedy, becoming one of the farm's flowers after losing her pregnant mother Agnes (Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Hotel Mumbai) and violent father Clem (Charlie Vickers, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power). The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart is a tale about traumas, secrets and lies that lurk as deeply as the earth — about the choices and cycles that take root in such fraught soil, too. When nine-year-old Alice relocates fresh from hospital, the determined June, her doting partner Twig (Leah Purcell, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson) and their adopted daughter Candy Blue (Frankie Adams, The Expanse) aim to shower the girl with sunlight to blaze away her horrors. You can't just bury problems, however, then hope that something vivid and colourful will grow over the top. Dedicating its first half to Alice's childhood and its second to 14 years later, when she's in her early twenties (Alycia Debnam-Carey, Fear the Walking Dead), The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart understands this immutable fact in its core. AACTAs Won: Best Miniseries, Best Cinematography in Television, Best Production Design in Television, Best Sound in Television. Where to watch it: The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart streams via Prime Video. Read our full review. Colin From Accounts A girl, a guy and a meet-cute over an adorable animal: that's the delightful and very funny Colin From Accounts' underlying formula. When medical student Ashley (Harriet Dyer, The Invisible Man) and microbrewery owner Gordon (Patrick Brammall, Evil) cross paths in the street one otherwise standard Sydney morning, they literally come to an impasse. He lets her go first, she flashes her nipple as thanks, then he's so distracted that he hits a stray dog with his car. As these circumstances demonstrate, Colin From Accounts isn't afraid to get awkward, much to the benefit of audiences. There's a syrupy way to proceed from the show's debut moments, intertwining sparks flying with idyllic dates, plus zero doubts of a happy ending for humans and pooches alike. If this was a movie, that's how it'd happen. Then there's Dyer and Brammall's way, with the duo creating and writing the series as well as starring in it, and focusing as much on ordinary existential mayhem — working out who you want to be, navigating complex relationships and learning to appreciate the simple pleasure of someone else's company, for example — as pushing its leads together. Just like in the Hollywood versions of this kind of tale, romance does blossom. That Dyer and Brammall are behind Colin From Accounts, their past chemistry on fellow Aussie comedy No Activity and the fact that they're married IRL means that pairing them up as more than new pals was always going to be on the show's agenda. It's how the series fleshes out each character and their baggage — including those who-am-I questions, Ash's difficult dynamic with her attention-seeking mother Lynelle (Helen Thomson, Elvis), and the responsibility that running your own business and committing to care for other people each bring — that helps give it depth. Colin From Accounts lets Ash and Gordon unfurl their woes and wishes, and also lets them grow. Sometimes, that happens by peeing and pooping in the wrong place, because that's also the type of comedy this is. Sometimes, it's because the show's central couple have taken a risk, or faced their struggles, or genuinely found solace in each other. Always, this Aussie gem is breezy and weighty — and instantly bingeable. AACTAs Won: Best Narrative Comedy Series. Where to watch it: Colin From Accounts streams via Binge. Read our full review. The Newsreader Aspiring Australian actors, take note: modelling your career after Anna Torv's so far is highly recommended. She's among the lengthy list of Aussies to call The Secret Life of Us one of her launch pads (another: Joel Edgerton). For five seasons and 100 episodes, she led fantastic US sci-fi series Fringe opposite Joshua Jackson (Fatal Attraction). The Daughter and Force of Nature: The Dry 2 in cinemas, plus Secret City, Mindhunter and The Last of Us on TV: they're also on her resume, which boasts both Hollywood and homegrown standouts. In the latter category, so is The Newsreader. Debuting with a six-episode first season in 2021, returning for the same stretch in 2023 and with another half-dozen on the way in 2024, it casts Torv as Helen Norville, News at Six's first-ever female newsreader. With the show set in the 80s, that gig isn't easy as misogyny and sexism run rife in the media industry — and as major real-life events, including the Challenger explosion, the Azaria Chamberlain case, Chernobyl and the 1987 federal election, are weaved in, all requiring news coverage. Torv is unsurprisingly excellent as Helen, and also in great company. As Dale Jennings, who starts the series as a budding reporter, Sam Reid is every bit up to the task. (He'a also someone whose own filmography is impressive both at home and abroad, thanks to past parts in The Railway Man, Belle, '71, Prime Suspect 1973, Lambs of God, The Drover's Wife the Legend of Molly Johnson and the Interview with the Vampire TV series.) The Newsreader isn't just anchored by two stellar leads, however, or guided by a cast that also includes Robert Taylor (Scrublands), William McInnes (NCIS: Sydney), Michelle Lim Davidson (After the Trial), Marg Downey (Jones Family Christmas), Chum Ehelepola (Preppers) and Stephen Peacocke (Five Bedrooms). It's textured at the character level, and also enthralling in its newsroom antics and glance backwards at Australia's past. Indeed, it's no wonder that more seasons keep coming. AACTAs Won: Best Drama Series, Best Lead Actress in a Drama (Anna Torv), Best Supporting Actor in a Drama (Hunter Page-Lochard), Best Costume Design in Television, Best Direction in Drama or Comedy. Where to watch it: The Newsreader streams via ABC iView. Love Me Add Love Me to the list of Aussie dramas set in Melbourne and featuring starry casts, alongside The Secret Life of Us, Tangle and Offspring. In this one, which first arrived in 2021, then returned in 2023, the ensemble runs deep — starting with Hugo Weaving (The Royal Hotel) and Bojana Novakovic (Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)). Bob Morley (In Limbo), Celia Pacquola (Utopia), Heather Mitchell (Jones Family Christmas), William Lodder (Bali 2002) and Shalom Brune-Franklin (The Tourist) also feature. Kim Gyngell (The Artful Dodger), Eryn Jean Norvill (Preppers) and Frank Woodley (The Ex-PM) each pop up as well. Given that this is a series about a family and their complicated romantic relationships, the who's who-esque roster of familiar Aussie talent is particularly fitting. The show steps inside the Mathieson clan's amorous ups and downs, in this Aussie adaptation of Sweden's Älska mig, and with such superb casting instantly creating a sense of intimacy in an effort that marked Binge's first local series when it initially debuted. Weaving's Glenn is the father of Novakovic's Clara and Lodder's Aaron. They quickly have death to deal with, as well as love; that life is messy thrums through the series from the outset. What stands out isn't always every minute detail in the plot, as universal and relatable as the storylines are, but the folks navigating it. That, again, is a testament to such savvy casting. Of course, putting Weaving is anything is usually reason enough to press play, especially when he's in thoughtful and layered mode as an everyman grappling with the fact that existence brings pain as well as joy. Amid the scenic vision of Melbourne roved over by helmers Emma Freeman (The Newsreader) and Bonnie Moir (Foe's second-unit director), this series brings characters to the screen with deeply engaging performances that feel layered and lived-in, and worth spending time with. AACTAs Won: Best Lead Actor in a Drama (Hugo Weaving), Best Supporting Actress in a Drama (Heather Mitchell). Where to watch it: Love Me streams via Binge.
Enchanting bathhouses are springing up all over Sydney, with the North Shore getting in on the wellness boom with the fresh arrival of Escape Bathhouse. Bringing an undeniable sense of tranquillity and relaxation to Roseville's heritage-listed Seymour Building, this brand-new sanctuary comes from the same team behind luxe Mudgee glamping retreat Sierra Escape. Spread across two levels of the striking, Spanish Mission-style building built in 1929, the 320-square-metre space offers a blend of traditional and modern therapies. Downstairs, you can dip into a hot mineral pool and unwind at the zero-alc bar, while upstairs houses steam rooms, infrared saunas, ice baths and massage treatment rooms. "We've always been passionate about creating spaces where people can truly reconnect — with themselves, with their partners, and with their friends," say Co-Founders Cameron and Tasch D'Arcy about the urban sanctuary. "After the success of Sierra Escape, we knew we wanted to bring that experience to a broader audience." Spanning the headline two-hour Escape Bathhouse experience, guests are invited to complete a hydrothermal circuit, combining a 37-degree mineral pool with chilly ice baths for restorative contrast therapy. Then, an infrared sauna and steam room deepen detoxification. During the circuit, guests can pause at the Placebo Bar to sip back non-alc refreshments and herbal tonics. "The North Shore is the perfect location for us to create a sanctuary where wellness and connection are at the forefront, allowing our guests to reset, rejuvenate, and experience the power of self-care in a social and intimate environment," Tasch says. With the North Shore still largely untapped when it comes to dedicated bathhouse experiences, this launch feels like a well-timed arrival. Alongside the bathhouse experience, restorative treatments deliver all-around renewal. The signature treatment, Nunyara, plays on its Indigenous meaning — "to be made well again" — with a two-hour ritual featuring breathwork, full-body exfoliation, therapeutic hot-stone massage and rose-quartz facial rollers. Perfect for weekend pamper sessions and post-gym recovery, Escape Bathhouse is another stellar spot to hit the pause button. Escape Bathhouse is now open Tuesday–Thursday and Sunday from 7am–8pm and Friday–Saturday from 7am–10pm in the Seymour Building, 989 Pacific Highway, Roseville. Head to the website for more information.
In much of The Queen's Gambit, Beth Harmon sits at a chessboard. As a child (Isla Johnston), she pulls up a chair in the basement of the orphanage she calls home and demands that janitor Mr Shaibel (Bill Camp, The Outsider) teach her the game. As a teenager (Anya Taylor-Joy, The New Mutants), she plays whenever she's able, earning a reputation as a chess prodigy. As her confidence and fame grows, she demonstrates her prowess at tournaments around America and the globe, while also spending her spare time hunched over knights, rooks, bishops and pawns studying moves and tactics. None of the above sounds like innately thrilling television unless you're a chess grandmaster, but this seven-part Netflix miniseries firmly proves that you should never judge a show by its brief description. Based on the 1983 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis, written and directed by Oscar-nominee Scott Frank (Out of Sight, Logan), and dripping with lavish 50s and 60s decor and costuming to reflect its period setting, The Queen's Gambit doesn't expect that all its viewers will be chess aficionados. But it's made with a canny awareness that anything can be tense, suspenseful and involving — and that every different type of game there is says much about its players and devotees. The series doesn't lack in creative and inventive ways to depict chess on-screen, whether projecting imagined matches onto the ceiling or peering down on competitive bouts directly from above. It knows when to hang on every single move of a pivotal game, and when to focus on the bigger story surrounding a particular match or Beth path through the chess world in general. And it's especially astute at illustrating how a pastime based on precision and strategy offers an orphaned girl a way to control one lone aspect of her tumultuous and constantly changing life. Indeed, from its very first moments, the series peppers all that chess gameplay throughout a knotty coming-of-age tale — because, while this is definitely a show about chess that serves up an underdog sports narrative, it's really a story about Beth's journey. After a family tragedy, she arrives at a Kentucky orphanage as a defiant slip of a girl. Forced to navigate a stern and strict environment, she finds solace in the tranquillisers that are handed out to the children like lollies, and in the game that instantly piques her curiosity from the moment that she spies Mr Shaibel playing it. Both will change her life, not only during her stint in institutionalised care, but when she's later adopted by the lonely Alma Wheatley (Marielle Heller, who is best-known for directing The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Can You Ever Forgive Me? and A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood) and her frequently absent husband (Patrick Kennedy, Peterloo). By the time that Beth is busing around the US and jetting around the world to compete with the game's most formidable players, however, she's also leaning on alcohol as a coping mechanism. Taylor-Joy has had a busy 2020 — or, to be more accurate, audiences Down Under have been spoiled for opportunities to see her on-screen this year. The New Mutants finally reached cinemas after hefty delays, Radioactive just arrived locally after debuting overseas in 2019, and Emma released back before the pandemic changed 2020 forever. But The Queen's Gambit is her best role of the year and, alongside 2014's The Witch, her best work yet. Playing a teen and then a young woman who is constantly changing from moment to moment, and making that reality feel authentic and relatable, she's one of the key reasons that the series is so compelling. She's also crucial to all those chess scenes, with her determined stare and the gleam in her eyes the source of much of the show's weight and tension. She's in excellent company, too, not only thanks to Heller and Camp but also first-timer Moses Ingram as Beth's fellow orphanage resident and Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Game of Thrones, Love Actually) as the cowboy hat-wearing reigning US chess champ; however, she's always the most pivotal piece on the board. Before his death in 2008, Heath Ledger had been preparing to bring The Queen's Gambit to cinemas. It would've marked his directorial debut, and he would've co-starred alongside Ellen Page as Beth. We'll never know how that might've turned out, but this tale works exceptionally well as a miniseries, with the longer duration giving it room to breathe and affording its central character and the themes she's grappling with the space they need to ferment. The Queen's Gambit also benefits from arriving post-Mad Men, a show that it shares a time period with, and visually resembles again and again. And it now reaches viewers at a time when more stories about women fighting their way through male-dominated realms are being made; Frank himself was also behind Netflix's seven-part western Godless, for example. When you start dreaming about chess after watching a single episode, you'll know you're hooked. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDrieqwSdgI The Queen's Gambit is available to stream via Netflix. Top image: Phil Bray/Netflix.
When Josh and Julie Niland announced in 2024 that they're launching their debut Queensland restaurant this year, with Hamilton Island their destination, it was huge news. As the venue gets closer to welcoming patrons in the door — from Thursday, April 24, in fact — it remains one of the big culinary openings of 2025. You'll find the pair's first Sunshine State eatery at The Sundays, a brand-new hotel that's launching on the same date. But Catseye Pool Club, as the Nilands' venture is called, stands out from the pair's other restaurants. There's the location, of course — and eating here does indeed mean dining at an oceanfront spot in The Whitsundays. Then there's the fact that Catseye Pool Club isn't a seafood joint. Whenever Josh and Julie's names come up, it's usually in the same breath as their preferred form of protein. Acclaimed Sydney restaurants, award-winning cookbooks, global kudos, a sustainable seafood restaurant in Singapore: championing a fin-to-tail approach to the ocean's finest, their footprint spans all of the above. Whole-fish cookery remains a feature at Catseye Pool Club, though, but it's just one part of the menu. The plan is to hero Australian ingredients and celebrate shared dining, with dishes designed to be tucked into communally. Taking your time in the sun, making the most of the fact that you're on an island and relaxing in general are also key aspects of the vibe — and the pool club part of the restaurant's name says plenty. Yes, it the eatery is by the pool, too, so you'll be peering at water from multiple sources. "Whilst 'family-style' or 'share-style' dining is very much a way restaurants have operated for many years, the Catseye Pool Club approaches its menu with each item very much designed to be enjoyed as a whole table, with all the trimmings coming with each dish," explains Josh. "The menu is still undergoing final deliberation, but guests can expect beautiful fresh pastries made by the team, 'CPC' spanner crab royale, and coconut and verjuice honey bircher." The Nilands have released a sample menu, to give a further idea of the types of dishes that might be on offer. Think: eastern rock lobster with white bread rolls and tarragon mayonnaise; roasted chicken for two and four, paired with slow-cooked zucchini, chicken-fat roast potatoes, and tomato and grilled bread salad; grass-fed beef rib eye for four, accompanied by boiled greens and house fries; hard line-caught coral trout in salt pastry, again for four; and a neapolitan sundae for dessert. Catseye Pool Club will also serve up breakfast just for hotel guests — and you'll be able to enjoy its range of meals if you're hanging out by the pool rather than sitting at a table. "It's about creating an atmosphere where everyone can detach, unplug and simply enjoy being together. We will also extend our hospitality offering to the guest's pool and sun loungers, with a Queensland ingredient-focused cocktail menu curated by Sam Cocks, the Saint Peter Bar Director," explains Josh. While The Sundays is a luxury boutique hotel, being family friendly is part of the point of difference for the 59-room venue at Catseye Beach's northern end. That mindset applies to the new restaurant, too, with catering to family holidays a guiding principle. At a hotel run by Hamilton Island Enterprises, which is also behind qualia, guests can also look forward to that oceanfront swimming pool surrounded by private cabanas, alongside a pickleball court and tropical gardens. Room options include balcony and terrace, plus interconnecting family rooms, all decked out in calming hues. Find Catseye Pool Club at The Sundays, Catseye Beach, Hamilton Island, from Thursday, April 24, 2025. Head to the hotel's website for more details in the interim. Images: Hamilton Island Photography, Sharyn Cairns, Adam Rikys, Nick Leary.
"Come with me, and you'll be in a world of pure imagination" if you're dining at one of the restaurants across Sydney operated by star chef Luke Mangan this spring. The golden star of that menu is Luke's Golden Chocolate Bar, available as a dessert on the à la carte menu in each of Mangan's restaurants from now until October, and ten lucky diners will find a prize attached to their order. Inside the hand-painted golden exterior is chocolate mousse, a wafer and a gloriously oozy salted caramel core, making a treat that's as theatrical as it is tasty. "We want people to feel joy, surprise, and anticipation like a kid again, but in the best grown-up way," says Mangan. "That moment of cracking the bar is meant to be shared, photographed, and remembered. It's about creating moments that spark connection and conversation." [caption id="attachment_1018479" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] "Like many people, we grew up watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, dreaming of what might happen if we unwrapped a bar and found a golden ticket inside," continues Mangan. "We wanted to recreate that thrill for adults, but in a way that's luxe and elevated, whilst maintaining that essential fun factor that makes dining memorable." The aforementioned prizes are ten golden tickets (in the form of scratch cards underneath the plate) and are available across three of Luke Mangan & Company venues — Luke's Kitchen, at Kimpton Margot Hotel, Luke's Bistro & Bar in the Sydney Domestic Qantas Terminal, and Luc-San in Potts Point — with each ticket offering different and extremely limited experiences. The highest-tier prizes include a four-day cruise with Carnival Cruise Line Australia and two $10,000 superyacht dining experiences for ten, hosted by Luke Mangan. That could see you and nine guests enjoying Sydney Harbour with the maximum style possible, and fantastic food to boot. Other prizes include a three-course dinner for two at Luke's Kitchen, with a welcome drink, or a bottle of Luke Mangan wine to enjoy at home. Prize or not, it's worth trying out the Golden Chocolate Bar before it's gone in late October, or after all ten tickets have been claimed.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations, giving you inspiration for your next trip. In this instalment, we set the compass to regional Victoria and take a trip to Sorrento for a special stay at the newly renovated Hotel Sorrento. [caption id="attachment_899023" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Rising High Media[/caption] WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? Here, in a buzzy pocket of the Mornington Peninsula, Hotel Sorrento has sat for nearly 150 years boasting enviable bay vistas. Now, the historic sandstone building is welcoming a massive expansion including a soon-to-come 30-metre pool and rooftop yoga studio. At the moment, Hotel Sorrento boasts five separate bars, two restaurants, newly refurbished accommodation rooms as well as private dining areas. It's an all-in-one destination escape just over an hour from Melbourne's CBD. THE ROOMS There are plenty of rooms to choose from at Hotel Sorrento, starting from $325 a night. Contemporary and light-filled, rooms are accented with a variety of deep European oak, natural limestone and marble. Heritage Balcony Rooms are the crowning jewel of this hotel, boasting private balconies with exclusive vistas overlooking the bay. [caption id="attachment_899027" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Threefold Social[/caption] FOOD AND DRINK Hotel Sorrento has recently overhauled its food and drink offering, helmed by George Calombaris. "The goal is to create dishes that not only satisfy the palate but tell a story of the region and the community's rich history," George Calombaris says. Shihuishi is the newest addition to the Hotel Sorrento family, nestled in the original, grand Hotel Sorrento ballroom. Head chef Junlin (Jerry) Yi (ex-Red Spice Road) is unafraid to stray from tradition, from prawn crackers paired with crème fraîche; to spanakopita dumplings that marry whipped feta and dill. Deeper into the menu, patrons will discover Australian-Canto cuisine that nods to the Chinese restaurant that stood onsite back in the 1980s. A prawn, lap cheong and onion stir-fry is a crowd-pleaser, along with duck pancakes and black pepper beef, served on a sizzling plate. Other classics run to the likes of steamed barra with soy, ginger and spring onion, or the ever-popular pork and prawn shumai. Otherwise, if you fancy a short but sweet wander, head across the road to the Conti for a slew of venues including a public bar, beer garden, speakeasy and fine diner. Luxe speakeasy Barlow is our pick for a pre-evening tipple. Sorrento institution Stringers has also recently been revamped by The Darling Group (Higher Ground, Kettle Black, Top Paddock), turning the corner store and cafe into an all-day restaurant, pizzeria, bar and providore. THE LOCAL AREA Sorrento is a much-loved spot for both Mornington Peninsula locals and regular holiday blow-ins, due to its accessibility from Melbourne. In warmer months, swimming, snorkeling and water activities at Sorrento Beach is a must-do. If you're looking to sidestep the crowds, Diamond Bay is a popular spot for both families and couples. A range of short, all-weather walking tracks are stunning year-around, including Coppins Track which finishes at the clifftop of Diamond Bay. The cliffside Millionaires Walk is named as a nod to the lavish private residences that line this path, or try the 7km Sorrento Circuit Walk, which hits all of this town's main attractions. THE EXTRAS Hotel Sorrento is looking to install a new 30-metre pool alongside a pool-friendly bar, rooftop yoga studio and gym by the end of 2023. If you're looking for a staycation special, Hotel Sorrento's winter escape package includes overnight accommodation for two, dinner for two at Shuihuishi and a bottle of local Pinot Noir for your room. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world. Images: supplied.
It may be a new name on the Sydney dining scene, but Gogyo is already a well-established ramen chain back home in Japan. The specialty is, of course, the ramen, and one ramen in particular — the kogashi (burnt) variety. For those thinking, "whoa, hold up, I can burn my own dinner at home thank you very much", let me assure you — there's much skill to the Gogyo method. Burnt fresh to order, the kogashi ramen is made by cooking lard at extremely high temperatures (over 300 degrees) until the substance turns black and bursts into flames. Miso or soy is then added, followed by Gogyo's slow-cooked pork broth, then springy noodles, chashu pork belly, nori and an unami egg. By the time it reaches the table, the ramen is resting at a comfortable 80 degrees. As for the taste, it's unlike anything you've ever had before. The scorched soup is thick with oil and swirling with thousands of charred black flecks, the flavour is rich, smoky and sweet, not bitter or acrid as you may have expected. It's an intense dish, so if you haven't tried it before, perhaps share it with a mate — that way you can leave room for some of the other dishes on the menu. Despite the celebrity status of the burnt ramen, Gogyo isn't a one-hit-wonder. There are plenty of other impressive dishes on the a la carte menu. We love the goma kingfish sashimi, which gets a spicy shake-up with the fresh fish bathed in a peppery marinade of Japanese tahini, red shiso and shichimi spice. Other highlights include the nasu dengaku — miso-glazed eggplant — which has crunchy charred edges in place of the usual caramelisation; and the wagyu flank doused in shiso butter and seared to perfection on the robata grill. Unlike many other ramen chains in Sydney, Gogyo isn't your usual wobbly-chaired slurp-and-dash lunch spot. Rather it's a well-dressed, contemporary space fitted out with exposed brick and concrete, timber detailing and moody lighting. It's the kind of place that screams ~date night~. The room features private and communal dining spaces, as well as counter spots and a dedicated bar, which serves up Japanese cocktails, beer, sake, whiskey and wine. From the drinks list, we recommend trying one of the fruit wines (kajitsushu). A stand-out is the Uzenshiraume Umeyusui sake-based plum wine which has sweet apricot and honey flavours (and tastes a a bit like a rice-spiked botrytis sémillon). Gogyo Surry Hills marks the fifth outpost for the Tokyo-based ramen chain, and, right now, it's the only one in the world without lines out the door. We can tell you one thing: it won't stay that way for long.
More so than any other in recent memory, this summer is going to be all about socialising. And, whether you've got a special occasion to celebrate or looking for places to have those overdue catch-ups, you can't beat a private dining room if you want to go all out. We've teamed up with Hennessy to highlight six impressive private rooms in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane for your next baller night (or day) out. Round up your crew, get the Henny flowing and your night is set.
Hoping that 2022 proves brighter than the last couple of years? Aren't we all — and, in Sydney, it's set to do exactly that in one particularly eye-catching way. After cancelling its 2020 and 2021 events due to the pandemic, Vivid will be back with its citywide celebration of creativity, innovation and technology (and luminous lights) from Friday, May 27–Sunday, June 18, and the festival has just revealed the first must-sees on its lineup. Words like dazzling, glowing, radiant and vibrant get thrown around a lot when describing Vivid, but there's a great reason for that: its installations and events — and especially its art displays and light projections — really are spectacular. 2022's bill looks to live up to the hype, too, based on the four inclusions revealed from first-time Festival Director Gill Minervini's program so far. Get ready to see plenty of Sydney in a whole new light, naturally. At The Goods Line at Central Station, Convergence will surround Sydneysiders in an immersive light-and-sound experience — all in the disused Goods Line railway tunnel, which'll be used for the first time ever. It'll actually be Vivid's largest-scale laser exhibition ever, too, if you need any more convincing. Next, over at Customs House at Circular Quay, none other than famed Aussie artist Ken Done will be joining forces with Sydney-based projection specialists Spinifex Group to deliver a work called For Sydney With Love. Yes, it's a love letter to the city, and it spans everything from Sydney's landmarks to its natural environment, which Done will bring to life. Also a highlight: Earth Deities, which'll set up at Hickson Road Reserve in The Rocks. It's the work of Western Sydney-raised artist Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, who is known for making large-scale sculptural forms out of compacted earth, steel and paint. Here, Nithiyendran will craft what's been dubbed as a "multi-limbed avatar", which'll come complete with animated fire and electricity. And, spanning an eight-kilometre continuous stretch from Sydney Opera House to Central Station, Future Natives will guide folks along Vivid's Light Walk. You'll find your way along thanks to sculptures along the route, including a flock of 200 Sydney bird species created by Sydney artist Chris Daniel. [caption id="attachment_843269" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Future Natives, Chris Daniel[/caption] The full Vivid 2022 lineup will be announced mid-March, but you can also look forward to spending time elsewhere in the Sydney CBD, Circular Quay, The Rocks, Barangaroo and Darling Harbour, and at the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, MCA and Customs House. Can't wait? You have to, sorry, but because Wednesday, February 16 marked 100 days till Vivid 2022 kicks off, the event has also stationed countdown clocks designed by artist Elliott Routledge — who'll also feature in the full festival program — outside the Queen Victoria Building at Town Hall and at Gateway Plaza at Circular Quay. So, you'll always know how many days are left until Sydney gets brighter for a few wintry weeks. [caption id="attachment_843267" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dallas Kilponen / DestinationNSW[/caption] Vivid Sydney 2022 will run from Friday, May 27–Sunday, June 18. We'll update you with the full lineup when it's announced in mid-March — and for further information in the interim, visit the event's website. Top images: Convergence, Mandylands / Earth Deities, Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, Jessica Maurer, Kane-Sullivan.
For the past few months, Netflix has been drip-feeding The Crown fans sneak peeks of the show's fourth season. By now, you've probably watched the first teaser, which gave a brief 46-second snippet of the royal drama's latest ups and downs. And you've likely also viewed the longer trailer, which sported quite the heavy mood. If you can't wait for more, however, a new glimpse at the series' next batch of episodes has just hit — just over a fortnight before you'll be able to watch the entire thing, too. Of course, it has been a huge year for The Crown all round, even before the show started dropping teasers and trailers. At the beginning of 2020, Netflix announced that it would end the royal drama after its fifth season. Then it had a change of heart, revealing it would continue the series for a sixth season. That's quite the drama — and, obviously, there's more to come on-screen. This season focuses on two showdowns. Firstly, as shown in some detail in the new trailer, Queen Elizabeth II (Oscar-winner Olivia Colman) and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (The X-Files icon Gillian Anderson) don't quite see eye to eye. Also, with Prince Charles' (God's Own Country's Josh O'Connor) marriage to Lady Diana Spencer (Pennyworth's Emma Corrin) a big plot point, the latter clashes with the entire royal establishment. When season four hits Netflix on Sunday, November 15, it'll be the last chance for fans to see the current lineup on talent. The series' fifth and sixth seasons — which are expected to follow the Queen in the 1990s and 2000s — will switch out its cast again, as it did after seasons one and two. This time, after season four, Downton Abbey, Maleficent and Paddington star Imelda Staunton will don the titular headwear, and Princess Margaret will be played by Staunton's Maleficent co-star and Phantom Thread Oscar-nominee Lesley Manville. Also, Game of Thrones and Tales from the Loop's Jonathan Pryce will step into Prince Philip's shoes and Australian Tenet, The Burnt Orange Heresy and Widows star Elizabeth Debicki will play Princess Diana. Check out The Crown's latest season four trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiXEpminPms The Crown's fourth season will hit Netflix on Sunday, November 15. Image: Ollie Upton / Netflix
Yesterday afternoon, Melbourne hosted a climate change rally and knocked it out of the park. Upwards of 60,000 people attended the march through the CBD, which according to organisers would make it the largest rally of its kind in Australian history. The demonstrators marched from the State Library to Parliament House, and were joined by the likes of Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, Greens Senator Richard Di Natalie and national treasure Paul Kelly, who led the crowd in a rendition of 'From Little Things, Big Things Grow.' The People's Climate March in Melbourne was the first of many set to take place around the country this weekend, with Australian's calling on their leaders to take a strong stand against climate change ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris next week. According to the Australian Conservation Foundation, a further 10,000 people marched through Brisbane this morning, while there's a demonstration scheduled for Sydney tomorrow afternoon. Here's hoping they can amass even bigger numbers. If there was ever a time to put the ol' Sydney-Melbourne rivalry to good use, this would have to be it. To find the closest People's Climate March near you, go here. And if you want to feel good about humanity, we've gathered some of the best social media reactions from the Melbourne rally, below. "Coal- don't dig it! Leave it in the ground, it's time to get with it!" Huge crowds at Melb #peoplesclimate march! pic.twitter.com/IHRG8mLm1L — Adam Bandt (@AdamBandt) November 27, 2015 'The largest climate change rally we have ever seen in Australian history' #peoplesclimate #COP21 #melbourne https://t.co/Rcs2IjuU58 — CAHA Inc (@healthy_climate) November 27, 2015 That's a great view #Melbourne #peoplesclimate march @Peoples_Climate 50,000 pic.twitter.com/MPAXtslZgo — Samantha Dunn (@SamanthaDunnMP) November 27, 2015 Pics from the #peoplesclimate march in Melbourne this evening. Organisers think they have 30,000. #PeoplesMarch pic.twitter.com/IA1zFib0om — Melissa Davey (@MelissaLDavey) November 27, 2015 Pretty sure this guy just won #peoplesclimate (via @350Australia) pic.twitter.com/dAN3TSEjjO — GetUp! (@GetUp) November 27, 2015
As far as the team at WOHA is concerned, green cities are the future. Their latest project, Singapore's Park Royal Hotel, is evidence of how it's done. As a result of the building's construction, the site's capacity for natural growth has doubled. Comprised of twelve storeys that overlook Singapore's CBD, the Park Royal is not just a hotel, it's an oasis - not merely another building, but a kind of extension of the adjacent park. Elevated gardens, filled with palm trees, frangipanis and rambling tropical flora, extend from every fourth level. Inside, the green theme continues, with plants and water features forming an inherent part of the interior design. On the top floor, the Hotel's club lounge offers panoramic views, and on the fifth, the spa area features an expansive pool and a 300-metre long botanic 'strip'. All rooms are northward facing, looking over the elevated gardens and/or the park. Energy efficiency is prioritised throughout, with maximised natural lighting, self-shading, harvesting of rainwater, thorough recycling systems and motion-stimulated sensors. Where much of Singapore's architecture tends towards the insipid, faceless and generic, WOHA's bold, environmentally aware design represents a mighty gesture. In the view of architectural photographer and writer, Patrick Bingham-Hall, '...finally the city has a uniquely expressive landmark that reinterprets and reinvigorates its location...The Park Royal on Pickering is a purely commercial development...But as with many of WOHA's projects built throughout Asia over the last decade, the hotel performs unambiguously as a public building...proposing that commercial architecture must respond to the city as its civic duty.' Previously, WOHA has won three Green Good Design Awards from the Chicago Athenaeum and the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies - for the Sanya Intercontinental Hotel, China; the Hansar Rajdamri, Bangkok, Thailand; and the Wilkie Edge, Singapore. [Via Inhabitat]
Whatever lengths you think you'd go to in order to watch your favourite sporting team, the Wellington residents that inspired big-screen comedy Red, White & Brass have you beat. In 2011, New Zealand hosted the Rugby World Cup. As part of the competition's games in the Aotearoa capital, Tonga was set to play France. Understandably, the local Tongan community was thrilled — and, amid painting the town red and white, also determined to go along. The avid fans at one particular Wellington church hit a snag, however: with tickets to attend the match both expensive and popular, they didn't end up with seats. Then, they lucked into a unique opportunity. If they said they were a brass marching band, exaggerating their experience with instruments — which was largely zero — they could perform on the field before kickoff, and sit down to watch their heroes afterwards. It's the kind of story that sounds like a pure Hollywood concoction, but it genuinely happened to Halaifonua (Nua) Finau and his family. Now, it's exactly the tale at the heart of NZ comedy Red, White & Brass. Not only stepping through this wild IRL twist of fate, but celebrating Tongan pride and māfana in the process, the resulting movie is an instantly heartwarming crowd-pleaser. It has also proven a big hit, both at home where it premiered in March, and now that it's both doing the film festival circuit — complete with a stop at the Sydney Film Festival — and opening in general release in Australian cinemas. Nua co-wrote the script, and also produces, with first-time feature director Damon Fepulea'i and on-screen movie debutant John-Paul Foliaki taking on a daunting task. How do you turn someone's real-life experience into a movie with them right by your side? That was Fepulea'i's job as both Red, White & Brass' helmer and co-scribe. How do you play the person that's there on set with you, including with his parents as your character's parents? That was Foliaki's gig as fictionalised on-screen ringleader Maka, in his first-ever acting credit after coming to fame as a NZ Popstars personality. With Red, White & Brass now screening in Australia, Fepulea'i and Foliaki chatted with Concrete Playground about their Red, White & Brass journey, including discovering the true story at the movie's core, working with Nua and his family, making a love letter to the Tongan community and the response so far. ON WORKING WITH A STORY THAT'S SO WILD THAT IT CAN ONLY BE TRUE Damon: "Writer and producer Halaifonua (Nua) Finau, it's basically his story, his family's experience. So he's an actor and a producer, and he's was just sort of telling people the story — and everyone was like, 'oh man bro, this is a really great story, you've gotta turn this into a film'. And him being like the real-life Maka, he basically just shopped the idea around and then ended up getting the film made. So when I was brought on, he told me the story and I was really connected to it as well, and we worked together and wrote the script." JP: "Honestly, when I got the script, when I got that audition — when I got the audition and when we did that first table read — that was something special. That's the first time I'd heard about it properly, and knew the story as based on a true story, and also got an insight to how special the project was going to be." ON TURNING REAL-LIFE EVENTS INTO A MOVIE WITH THE PERSON WHO LIVED IT Damon: "I think Nua and I had a really good chemistry when we were writing, because I think I had more experience as a screenwriter, but Nua is such a natural, gifted storyteller. So he would come in and yeah, lots of stories. Whether they're true or not, who knows?" JP: "Yeah!" Damon: "But actually, he would just tell stories, and we would talk and I'd ask him questions. I have a documentary background as well, so I'm always genuinely interested — and me being non-Tongan, a lot of it was just like 'what makes Tongans Tongan?'. So we explored that during the writing process — and it was actually, looking back, it was really quite a joy because we I think we complemented each other in terms of me being more kind of structure-focused, having experienced writing feature-length films, but also him bringing the truthfulness and the just the funny stories. He just would talk and he wouldn't even know he's being funny. It would just be like 'oh bro, tell this' — he'd go on these long stories and it'd be like 'oh, that's a scene'." JP: "It's like the real-life Maka and Veni from the movie." ON STEPPING INTO NUA'S IRL SHOES WHILE HE WAS THERE WATCHING JP: "I think at first I had a lot of doubts about myself being able to do good job of the role. But I think also just having him on set, yeah, I did feel like 'oh, man, I need to bring my A game'. But it was also super helpful, and he was really supportive — and he was definitely open to Maka being my own interpretation, and to bringing someone to life that I could relate to as well. And also just asking him questions when I wanted to. And his mum and dad in real life played Maka's parents in the film, so they were there and I could ask them lots of questions. We all have that type of cousin. To be honest, I'm that type of cousin to a lot of my cousins — so that was good. I had multiple sources that I could pull from." ON HAVING NUA'S PARENTS PLAYING MAKA'S REAL PARENTS JP: "For me, I think it was the kind of thing that — priceless may be the wrong word, but I think what I'm trying to say is that's the kind of thing that you almost can't cast or you can't wish for. Or, you wouldn't even think that's possible that they're writing the story about this family and the real parents from that family are going come play the parents. You know, no acting experience, Tongan through and through. They are part of the older generation of Tongan parents where they would think that this kind of thing is a joke, and you just do it when you're mucking around, or you do it for Sunday church productions and things like that — but it's nothing too serious. So to have them support their son and his story, and their family story, but also to be on the set, yeah, it meant a lot. It was sometimes really hard because it reminded me a lot about of my parents and my grandparents, and the journey that we took to get there, and all those themes of migration and having limited resources, and reaching an end goal and not worrying about what people say about you. And, that constant battle between church culture and family. Those themes are able to be brought to life — one, because of the cast, but also because the parents from the real story were there actually on set as well." Damon: "Yeah, they brought that authenticity that you just couldn't get from actors, I think. I don't know if there was actually that much acting going on — it's just them being themselves. Sometimes, in terms of directing, it'd just be like 'oh, what would you say to Nua? And how would you say it?'. And they just do it. It's just how they how they'd say things. It was an amazing blessing to have them." JP: "I was so proud of them, too. Because I'd see them highlighting their lines, learning their lines — and one of them forgets their lines, and the other one is trying to correct them. And they're talking to each other on Tongan on set, and it's so funny. They did such a good job." ON MAKING A LOVE LETTER TO THE TONGAN COMMUNITY Damon: "It was always meant to be a feel-good film right from the start. The game plan was always to capture that Tongan energy and the extraness. And the film explores what it means to be Tongan — and the way that Tongans go to these great lengths in showing the amount of pride that they have for their country and for their family. It's really about capturing that and the energy to go with it." JP: "A love letter to the community — that's such a good way to put it. I think when you think about being Tongan and and all the things that you love about being Tongan, a lot of that is displayed through the film. And not even just the things you love about being Tongan, but also the many challenges that we go through being New Zealand-born Tongans, or Tongans that, obviously, a lot of us have migrated to Australia, New Zealand, America and beyond. So all those challenges that we face, it was so cool to be like 'man, regardless of where we've moved overseas, we all share this and have this shared experience, and we can make a good movie out of it'." ON THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT COMES WITH SUCH A STRONG ODE TO TONGAN CULTURE Damon: "It was really important for us right from the start that we wanted to tell the story as authentically as possible, and also to represent Pacific culture as real as possible, and to not make it feel like it was like we were pandering to an audience, or taking out things just to make it easier to watch for non-Tongans. We always wanted to make sure the Tongan language was in there, and it was realistic, and that all the details from the costumes to the props were also all there. We really wanted to make sure that we got it right — and for me being a non-Tongan, I wanted to make sure that what I was doing represented Tonga in a good way as well." JP: "I think from an artist perspective or performance-wise, Tongans, we support 100-percent over and above — and we let it be known to the whole world that something is Tongan or something's happening that has to do Tonga. But when they don't like something, they also come out in full force as well. So I was very nervous about that. It was my first official acting role and I really just wanted to do the role justice, and make my family and my country proud, because I could see after our first reading and getting the script that it truly was going to be something special. And you don't know until you see the final cut, so I'm really happy that translated well and that we were able to do that." ON THE FILM'S SUCCESS — AND THE RESPONSE FROM TONGAN VIEWERS Damon: "It's been surreal, I have to say. We had the world premiere in Wellington, and that was in the Embassy Theatre, which is Peter Jackson's theatre. It was pretty much just full of Tongans, and they were waving flags— and it was probably the best screening experience I've ever had. It was just so much fun. It feels like we've just been on this whirlwind since then as well — it's been kind of surreal as well. It's sometimes hard to believe like 'oh, we made a film' and 'oh, people are watching it'. So yeah, it's still a lot of 'pinch me' moments." JP: "It's been incredible. I think a lot of people have shown a lot of love, and I think it's the whole idea of being able to see themselves on-screen and carrying out the themes that we know so well as Tongans, and the life that we live in our churches and our communities and our families. And having so many different versions of our cousins on the screen, but then also having universal messages and themes throughout the film. So Tongans have been very supportive — but honestly a lot of people, regardless of their ethnicity, have shown a lot of love." Red, White & Brass is currently screening in Australian cinemas. Read our full review.
When any and every film festival rolls around, plenty of numbers get mentioned. With the 2022 Sydney Film Festival now fast approaching, the Harbour City's annual cinema showcase is no different. This year will mark the fest's whopping 69th event, as well Festival Director Nashen Moodley's 11th time bringing the latest and greatest flicks to the glorious State Theatre and other Sydney picture palaces — and, if its first 22 movies are anything to go by, it's set to be another winner. There's no such thing as a bad SFF, of course, because its program always spans so far and wide — and how you watch your way through it is always dictated by personal choice. But 2022's event already has a new Aussie horror standout that proved a hit at SXSW, the latest from freshly minted Oscar-winner Jessica Chastain, multiple Sundance award recipients, and the new comedy from inimitable Berberian Sound Studio, The Duke of Burgundy and In Fabric filmmaker Peter Strickland. Yes, we're already spoiled for choice. Taking place between Wednesday, June 8–Sunday, June 19 — back in its usual timeslot after moving to November in 2021 due to lockdowns and restrictions — SFF 2022 will show some local love to Sissy, the aforementioned Australian horror film. Starring The Bold Type's Aisha Dee, it follows a successful social media influencer who gets stuck in a remote cabin with her old high-school bully. Also in the homegrown camp: street dancing documentary Keep Stepping, car-bound docudrama The Plains and the music fest-focused 6 Festivals, with the latter about three friends who decide to hit up as many live gigs as possible after one is diagnosed with brain cancer, and also featuring cameos by the likes of Bliss n Eso and Peking Duk. Hailing from further afield are the Chastain-starring The Forgiven, which also marks the latest movie by Calvary and War on Everyone's John Michael McDonagh; Strickland's Flux Gourmet, which sees the director reteam with Game of Thrones' Gwendoline Christie; 80s-set, Charlotte Gainsbourg-led Parisian drama The Passengers of the Night; and genderqueer musical Please Baby Please, which follows a 50s couple in Manhattan who witness a violent incident and undergo a sexual awakening. Or, there's also Sundance Film Festival-winning doco The Territory, which follows an Indigenous fightback over rainforest land seized for farming; Yuni, the latest coming-of-age tale by Indonesian The Seen and Unseen filmmaker Kamila Andini; We Met in Virtual Reality, a documentary filmed entirely inside the world of VR; and Incredible But True, a time-travel caper from Deerskin and Rubber's Quentin Dupieux. Other titles of interest include Bootlegger, which stars Reservation Dogs' Devery Jacobs; doco A House Made of Splinters, another Sundance winner that was filmed in pre-invasion Ukraine; Sirens, about the Middle East's first all-female, queer death metal band; and Gentle, which stars real-life bodybuilder Eszter Csonka. As for what'll join them — among a lineup that usually spans hundreds of films — that'll be revealed on Wednesday, May 11. You can already start getting ready to spend most of June in a cinema, though, obviously. The 2022 Sydney Film Festival will run between Wednesday, June 8–Sunday, June 19. Check out the event's just-announced titles by heading to the festival website. The full program will be released on Wednesday, May 11 — head back here then for the rundown.
For most folks, starring in one of the best new shows of 2022 so far would be the highlight of their resume for the year. But, of course, most folks aren't Taika Waititi. After getting streaming viewers swooning over warm-hearted pirate comedy Our Flag Means Death, he's about to unleash a little movie called Thor: Love and Thunder upon cinemas. And, based on the just-dropped first teaser trailer for his second contribution to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a director, the goofy vibes, old-school rock tunes and delight that is Chris Hemsworth firmly in comedic mode are all back this time around. In fact, if you watched Thor: Ragnarok, laughed along heartily, lapped up the looser mood and instantly wanted more of Waititi's take on the MCU, you're in luck — because he also co-wrote the script for Thor: Love and Thunder with Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Sweet/Vicious). In the trailer, that results in a comic look at Thor (Hemsworth, Extraction) dealing with the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame by reassessing his future and opting for retirement. But, if that was all there was to the story, it wouldn't be a Marvel movie. As shot in Australia, Thor: Love and Thunder sees its namesake come up against Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale, Ford v Ferrari), a galactic killer with a world-changing plan: eradicating the gods. So, Thor has to give up his search for inner peace, and call upon help from King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson, Passing) and Korg (Waititi, doing triple duty) — and his ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman, Vox Lux), who is now in possession of Mjolnir. Thor: Love and Thunder marks Portman's return to the MCU after appearing in the first Thor flick back in 2011, but sitting out the rest. Given the path her character has taken, it's easy to see why she's back. As set to the sounds of Guns 'N Roses' 'Sweet Child 'O Mine', the trailer makes the most of her new ownership of the god of thunder's magical hammer — understandably. Also popping up in the initial sneak peek for the fourth Thor flick: the Guardians of the Galaxy crew (as played and/or voiced by Chris Pratt, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel), and a lightning-bolt wielding figure who it's safe to expect is Russell Crowe (Unhinged) as Zeus. When it hits cinemas Down Under on Thursday, July 7, following Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in early May, Thor: Love and Thunder will mark the 29th MCU movie overall. And, it mightn't be the last big-screen release Waititi has for us this year, either, with his documentary-to-feature adaptation of soccer story Next Goal Wins also in the pipeline. Check out the teaser trailer for Thor: Love and Thunder below: Thor: Love and Thunder opens in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, July 7.
Known for its minimalist design, Japanese home goods giant MUJI made a sizeable leap back in 2015, adding houses to its range. As well as selling items to fill your home with, it started selling prefabricated homes as well. Compact but functional — and, perhaps most importantly, affordable — the new additions understandably garnered plenty of attention. But, while the company also released a tiny hut in 2017, it hasn't expanded its house lineup since. Until now, that is. And while MUJI's first three flat-pack houses were all multi-storey abodes made for city living, it has just designed its first one-storey version. Called Yano-no-ie, it's a response to customer demand — and its designed to adapt to different living requirements. Thanks to sliding doors that open out onto a deck, it's also the result of a concerted effort to combine indoor and outdoor living. https://www.instagram.com/p/B2atw0eHEUu/ Taking over 73 square metres of floor space, with a total construction area of 91.50 square metres, Yano-no-ie's standard configuration features a bedroom, living area, combined kitchen and dining room, bathroom and outdoor area — so, as you'd expect, it keeps things simple. That said, its spaces are meant to be multifunctional. The bedroom features furniture that can be used throughout the day as well, for example, with the company suggesting that you can deploy it as a place for reading or using a computer throughout the day, and to have a drink in of an evening. Designed in a box shape, Yano-no-ie is fashioned out of wooden siding made from Japanese cedar. Linking in with MUJI's existing products, it's made to accommodate the brand's storage range in its kitchen — and, in the bathroom, it features the same type of wash basin used in MUJI's hotels. https://www.instagram.com/p/B3wNEt9HMkc/ Like MUJI's existing prefab homes, it's also far more economical than your average house, starting at 15.98 million yen or around AU$211,000. Alas, although the company has stores in Sydney and Melbourne — including its first Australian MUJI concept store — the houses aren't available to buy outside of Japan as yet. Via: MUJI.
Haymarket hole-in-the-wall Mr Chen Beef Noodle is serving up steaming hot bowls of Lanzhou-style, hand-stretched noodles and Shanghai-style dumplings on the daily. Apart from the signature beef noodle — which comes topped with sliced radish, green garlic and coriander — you can choose from a heap of other versions, too. One is topped with pickled cabbage, another is filled with pork and chicken wontons and a third is served with slow-cooked beef brisket and fresh chilli. They arrive with your choice of five freshly made noodle types, which range from extra thin to super thick biang biang-style. Mr Chen sells plenty of well-trodden Chinese dishes, too — including numerous varieties of fried rice and heaps of stir-fried veggies, plus mapo tofu, sweet and sour pork and kung pao chicken.
If this isn't a golden ticket to a great night on the couch, then we don't know what is: the delightful Willy Wonka prequel starring Timothée Chalamet (Bones and All) and directed by the Paddington films' Paul King is now spreading its sweetness to your couch. Although it's still playing in cinemas after opening in mid-December 2023, Wonka has been fast-tracked to digital so that you can get chocolate cravings at home. And you will be have a hankering for desserts as Chalamet sings, twirls around an umbrella, and talks about making weird and wonderful treats — and as a childhood favourite gets a prequel. Our tip: choose your movie-watching snacks accordingly. Otherwise, your stomach will start grumbling amid the songs, dancing and Hugh Grant (Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves) stealing scenes as an Oompa-Loompa. Wonka hitting digital helps add to any pre-Dune: Part Two Timmy C marathons that you might be planning before the latter film reaches the big screen at the end of February. With King writing and directing, the first with co-scribe Simon Farnaby, this new stint with Roald Dahl's chocolatier gives the character an origin story starring the actor who has had his heart broken during a lusty Italian summer, romanced Saoirse Ronan in a Greta Gerwig film not once but twice, spiced up his life in a sci-fi saga and sported a taste for human flesh. Here, Chalamet croons his way through a whimsical world of sugar and pure imagination. First gracing the page almost six decades back, in 1964 when Charlie and the Chocolate Factory initially hit print, Willy Wonka has made the leap to cinemas before with Gene Wilder playing the part in 1971, then Johnny Depp in 2005. The difference this time: not just Chalamet, but a film that swirls in the details of Wonka's life before the events that've already been laid out in books and filled those two movies. The picture's main man has a dream — and, after spending the past seven years travelling the world perfect his craft, he's willing to get inventive to make it come true. Starting a chocolate business isn't easy, especially when the chocolate cartel doesn't take kindly to newcomers, selling choccies at an affordable price and sharing their wares with the masses. From there, brainwaves, optimism, determination, Wonka inventions and life-changing choices all spring, plus big vats of chocolate, chocolate that makes you fly and Willy's dedication to making the greatest chocolate shop the world has ever seen. Beyond Chalamet and Grant, Wonka's cast is as jam-packed as a lolly bag, with the pair joined by Farnaby (The Phantom of the Open), as well as Olivia Colman (Heartstopper), Sally Hawkins (The Lost King), Keegan-Michael Key (The Super Mario Bros Movie), Rowan Atkinson (Man vs Bee), Jim Carter (Downton Abbey: A New Era) and Natasha Rothwell (Sonic the Hedgehog 2). And the magical tone sprinkled throughout Wonka doesn't just fit the tale — it's exactly what King and Farnaby spun when they were celebrating a marmalade-loving bear. King helmed and penned both Paddington movies, while Farnaby also did the latter on the second (and acted in each). The duo worked together on wonderful and underseen 2009 film Bunny and the Bull as well, and on The Mighty Boosh, of which King directed 20 episodes. Check out the trailer for Wonka below: Wonka is available to stream via platforms such as YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. It's also still showing in cinemas Down Under. Read our review.
This article is part of our series on the diverse highlights of NZ's Canterbury region, from city to snow. To book your snow trip, visit the 100% Pure New Zealand website. As someone with little-to-no coordination and balance, the prospect of skiing for the first time in my life was pretty terrifying. I honestly couldn't think of a sport that’s scarier for beginners — and I tried, multiple times — or a situation where I wouldn't be hurtling down a vertical run into a tree and/or small child. That's why I’ve always thought it lucky that, for me and every other Adult Who Can't Ski, snow sports are generally pretty easy to avoid. But with the ski season ramping up — and snow weekends already being floated by my seasoned snow bunny friends — I thought it was time to see if I would sink or swim on snow. With myself as sacrifice, and some words of wisdom from Mt Hutt's media coordinator and resident snowboarder Georgie Boyd, we headed across to one of New Zealand's most renowned ski areas (and, as it turns out, biggest mountains) to find out how to slide down a slope without losing a limb — or your dignity. Don't forget your gloves Preparation is key when it comes to skiing, mostly because it involves a lot of stuff. This is no spontaneous sport. If you don't own any snow clothes and can't borrow any from a similarly sized friend (your boyfriend's oversized pants probably won’t make things any easier, just saying), you should look at hiring proper, waterproof clothing. Mt Hutt hire out snow pants and jackets as well as boots and helmets — all of which you'll probably need as a beginner. What they don't have, though, are gloves and goggles, so make sure you you've got that covered before you get up on the mountain. Freezing fingertips don’t make for fun times. Image thanks to arquera via photopin The things you think are the easiest are actually the hardest Here's the thing: no one tells you that walking in ski boots will feel like your shin is snapping in half (which it isn't, but I still have the bruises to say that it came pretty close). Those things are painful, but they say it gets better. Apparently getting on and off the lift gets less terrifying too, but maybe that comes later. And think you can sling your skis over your shoulder like they do in the movies? Think again, noob. There's a particular trick to carrying your skis out to the snow that involves sliding them together and holding onto one of the brakes, but I'll let the ski staff show you that one. Image thanks to Paxson Woelber via photopin Don't think you don't need a lesson Sure, head up to the top of the slope with your friends and be left side-stepping up the mountain while they pass you as they go up and down the run. It's enough to ruin friendships, so heed this: experienced skiers and beginners don't match. Don't underestimate the power of getting a lesson. "The action of skiing and snowboarding isn't always common sense," says Georgie. "Taking a lesson gets you on the right track straight away and will speed up the zero-to-hero process." Contrary to popular misconception, there are plenty of functioning adults who also don't know how to ski — you'll be in a class with them, not four-year-olds (who can probably ski better than you, anyway). Image thanks to Nick J Webb via photopin It's actually not that scary Only after you've strapped on your skis and are successfully standing on a flat lay of snow will you start to feel like maybe this skiing thing isn't so terrifying. Like Georgie says, the most intimidating part for learners is the fear of going too fast and the chairlifts. Once you've mastered slowing down in a lesson (it doesn't matter how long your lesson is, even an hour or two makes a difference), then you can tackle the chairlift. "There are always lifties at the top of the lift to ensure that everyone is getting off the lift safely,” Georgie says. And to make things even easier, Mt Hutt's beginner’s area even has a conveyor belt 'magic carpet', which is the pre-chairlift training to the real deal. Image thanks to Mt Hutt, NZSki Ltd. and Patrick Fallon. It's all about pizza Not the pizza pie kind (well, maybe it can be afterwards — hell, you will have deserved two pizzas by then), but the pizza slice made by the shape of your skis. That's how you stop. For snowboarders, Georgie recommends digging in your heel-side edge will slow you down and safely control an exit off a ski lift. Best you get that one down before you take off down the slopes. Image thanks to FredrikF via photopin What not to do Whatever you do, don't look down. Even though you'll want to look down and make sure your skis are doing what you want them to, it's important that you look at what’s in front of you. There are a lot of obstacles — they're called people. On the subject of people, don't use them as props. Seriously, you grab someone on the way down and no one will look at you the same again. Image thanks to radloff via photopin Any time's a good time The best thing about being a beginner is that you don’t need a lot of snow to have a good time. While all the pros are complaining about lack of snowfall, you'll have all the snow you need. So basically, any time's a good time to start skiing, so just do it already. Image thanks to laszlo-photo via photopin Remember, there is hot chocolate and/or a good story waiting at the end of it Like this one. Image thanks to PunkJr via photopin. Feature image courtesy of Mt Hutt, NZSki Ltd. and Miles Holden.
For the first time since it launched in 2000, World Pride is heading to the Southern Hemisphere. And it's not just heading anywhere — the world's largest LGBTQI+ celebration is coming to Sydney. Taking over the city's streets, bars, clubs, galleries and theatres between February and March 2023, the World Pride event will coincide with the 45th Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. The decision to host the international pride celebration in Sydney was announced overnight with members of InterPride — the organisers of World Pride — voting between Sydney, Montreal (Canada) and Houston (Texas). The Aussie state capital came out on top with a whopping 60 percent of the votes. Of the host city, World Pride Committee Chair Robyn Kennedy said, "InterPride has recognised how far Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras has come since 1978, and now the world will march with us down Oxford Street to celebrate our community and support our region." Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2018 and this year hosted over 100 parties, shows, and late-night shindigs for the annual event. The State Government usually relaxes the lockout laws in the surrounding areas for the local Mardi Gras, but in 2023 they could be gone altogether in the CBD and on Oxford Street. Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced plans to repeal the lockout laws in those areas by the end 2019 — they will, however, remain in place in Kings Cross for now. We'll keep our fingers crossed that they'll be wound back by 2023 there, too. https://www.instagram.com/p/B31TjkcD0qZ/?igshid=x6c9d4q0ay1w As the Sydney World Pride will be also be the first in the Asia Pacific, it's expected that the celebration will also have a focus on communities and cultures from across the region. In Sydney's bid for the event, organisers said: "it's an opportunity to focus the world's attention on LGBTQI rights, communities and culture in our Asia-Pacific Region. Many of our closest neighbouring countries do not have the same level of equality and human rights as we do." While Australia finally passed a marriage equality bill in late 2017, the same rights do not exist in many countries in the surrounding region — in fact, same-sex relations are still illegal in some Asia-Pacific countries. The 2023 World Pride will help raise awareness about these issues and help fight for equality for LGBTQI+ people across the region. For the Sydney event, expect, also, the biggest, most fabulous celebration of pride the city has ever seen, with parades, parties, and more to take over the city. It's expected 25–40 percent more than the usual 1.2 million Mardi Gras visitors will be heading to Sydney for the 2023 event — so it's going to be big, loud and colourful. World Pride 2023 will take place across Sydney in February and March. Top image: Jeffrey Feng
When you step inside an IKEA superstore, it feels as though you have been transported to a different world entirely. Endless floors filled with endless shelves, filled with endless minimalistic, cost-effective products. It's planet IKEA. And now we might not be too far from the real-life version. Not long after launching fully furnished IKEA homes, IKEA has published plans to build a private neighbourhood. Set to start construction next year, the neighbourhood will cover 11 hectares of land in London to be named 'Strand East'. It will incorporate 1,200 homes and apartments, all owned by the Swedish furniture company. “We are in keeping with the IKEA philosophy: we don’t want to produce for the rich or the super-rich; we want to produce for the families, for the people,” says Harald Müller, the head of LandProp, the property-development branch of Inter IKEA, told The Globe and Mail. IKEA promises that the all-rental homes will appeal to a variety of income levels, and 40% will be large enough to house a family. The neighbourhood will be peppered by condominiums and offices, and will include a hotel as well. Underneath it all will lie an underground parking lot to avoid cars cluttering the interior streets. It all sounds rather Utopian, but does a furniture company really have what it takes to manage 6,000 residents? “We’d have a very good understanding of rubbish collection, of cleanliness, of landscape management,” Andrew Cobden, the project manager, says. “We would have a fairly firm line on undesirable activity, whatever that may be. But we also feel we can say, okay, because we’ve kept control of the management of the commercial facilities, we have a fairly strong hand in what is said in terms of the activities that are held on site.” Mr. Müller says that IKEA will act much like a municipal government to its neighbourhood, organising community events and creating a "sense of place". Looks like IKEA execs have had a lot more on the brain than "Ektorp" sofas and Swedish meatballs. Welcome to Ikea-land. [via PSFK]
As a movie, it's a masterpiece. As a stage musical, it's one of the most famous there is. And when it returns to Australia for the first time in almost 20 years with Sarah Brightman starring as Norma Desmond, Sunset Boulevard is going to be big. Andrew Lloyd Webber's Tony-winner, which first took the leap from the screen to the stage in 1993 — and picked up Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical, and awards for leading actor, leading actress and featured actor for its efforts, among more — is bringing its Hollywood story Down Under again in 2024. The production will kick off its new Aussie run in Melbourne in May, debuting at the Princess Theatre, then move to the Sydney Opera House from August. As Desmond, Brightman will make her global debut in the part, taking on her first theatre role in over three decades. She'll also add to a spectacular career that includes originating the role of Christine in The Phantom of the Opera back in the 80s. Here, she's taking on a part that saw Gloria Swanson nominated for an Oscar in 1951 and Glenn Close win a Tony in 1995. Debra Byrne played the part in Australia back in 1996, while Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls is doing the same in West End right now. "I am so delighted to be returning to Australia after many years, and to be marking my return to the stage in a musical after so long. It is only fitting for it to be with such an exquisite production as Sunset Boulevard," said Brighton. "I have always admired Andrew's work on this musical and I very much look forward to exploring the incredible score and also the iconic character of Norma Desmond. Mr DeMille, I'm ready for my close up!'." As Billy Wilder's 1950 film first covered in a feature that's been influential not just in inspiring stage adaptations, but on every other movie about Tinseltown since, Sunset Boulevard follows silent star Desmond. With her career getting small with the advent of the talkies, she dreams about making a comeback. The movie famously starts with a man's body floating in a swimming pool, then flashes back to Desmond's time with screenwriter Joe Gillis, her latest attempts to reclaim her success and the events that bring about that watery end. On the stage, Sunset Boulevard will echo with tunes such as 'With One Look', 'The Perfect Year' and 'As If We Never Said Goodbye' as it tells the above tale. GWB Entertainment and Opera Australia are behind Sunset Boulevard's latest Aussie stint — and if you're wondering who'll star alongside Brightman, the casting process has just begun. For audiences outside of Melbourne and Sydney, details of possible stops in other cities are yet to be announced. View this post on Instagram A post shared by @sunsetmusicalau SUNSET BOULEVARD 2024 DATES: From May 2024 — Princess Theatre, Melbourne From August 2024 — Sydney Opera House, Sydney Sunset Boulevard will play Melbourne from May 2024 and Sydney from August 2024, with Melbourne pre sales from Tuesday, October 10 and general sales from Friday, October 13. To join the ticket waitlist and for more information, head to the musical's website. Sarah Brightman images: Simon Fowler.
Since launching around the country back in 2013, the British Film Festival keeps standing out for three reasons. Yes, it ranks among Australia's most obvious cultural film fests; however, it's also a star-studded affair, and a popular one. If you're keen not only for a slice of Old Blighty, but to watch well-known talents do what they do best, then prepare to spend a few weeks staring at the big screen. 2018's lineup keeps hitting those same marks. Why mess with a good thing? Running in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra until November 14, this year's program includes Kiera Knightley's latest star turn, a four-film tribute to Michael Caine that'll blow the bloody doors off, and Star Wars' Daisy Ridley in a playful take on Hamlet — plus these, our five must-see picks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfWIfwKJ7vA ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE Anna and the Apocalypse is a zombie movie. It's a high-school comedy. It's a Christmas flick. And, it's also a musical. Just when you thought you'd seen every take on the undead available, this all-singing genre mash-up pops up to prove you wrong. A crowd-pleaser at overseas festivals, it's based on the BAFTA-winning short Zombie Musical — and, story-wise, follows the eponymous Anna (Ella Hunt) as she reacts to the rather inconvenient fact that her Scottish hometown of Little Haven is now filled with the shuffling masses hankering for brains. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qItW6evHbE8 YARDIE After coming to fame with to The Wire, Idris Elba is no stranger to sprawling crime dramas that chart the next generation's involvement in the drug trade. With Yardie, however, he's stepping behind the camera rather than appearing in front of it. The actor's feature directorial debut hops between Jamaica and London, and between the 70s and 80s, at it charts the path of Denis. As a boy (Antwayne Eccleston), he watches his brother get gunned down on the streets of Kingston. As a young man (Aml Ameen), he finds himself selling cocaine in the UK and seeking revenge. The result is a film with vibrant style, that knows what it wants to be and knows when it's hitting familiar beats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj5h1kKjVYc PETERLOO Whenever Mike Leigh has a new film, it's reason enough to rush to the cinema. The great director has seven Oscar nominations to his name for the likes of Secrets & Lies, Vera Drake, Happy-Go-Lucky and Another Year, and tends to alternate between character-based and historical-leaning dramas. With his latest, Peterloo, he's operating in the latter camp, examining a momentous event in Britain's past. The feature is named after and explores a massacre in Manchester in 1819, when 700 working folks were injured — and 15 killed — during a peaceful pro-democracy gathering. Yes, it sounds more than a little relevant today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE5xbDTkzQQ STAN & OLLIE To the world, they were Laurel and Hardy — one lean and English, the other rotund and American, and both funnier and more famous when they were hitting the stage and screen together. Starring Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly, Stan & Ollie delves into the story behind the fame, when the comedians were approaching the end of their career. The film arrives in Australia fresh from premiering at the London Film Festival, and closes out BFF with the promise of laughs, love and excellent performances. Indeed, when it comes to spot-on casting, it's already a winner. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8YiltlZGB0 THE HAPPY PRINCE Another blast from the past in the BFF program, another look at a well-known figure past their heyday, and another well-known actor making their filmmaking debut, too. With the dreamily tragic The Happy Prince, Rupert Everett steps into Oscar Wilde's shoes — and it's a role that he was born to bring to the screen. Writing and directing as well, Everett approaches Wilde's dying days in a rundown Parisian hotel room with both passion and sorrow, two traits that the poet and write knew well. It's a hardly a happy portrait, despite the name, which riffs on one of Wilde's works. That said, interweaving flashbacks to fonder times and co-starring Colin Firth, it does Wilde justice. The 2018 British Film Festival tours Australia until November 14, screening at Sydney's Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinemas from October 23 to November 14; Melbourne's Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay and The Astor Theatre from October 25 to November 14; Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace Centro from October 24 to November 14; and Perth's Cinema Paradiso, Raine Square Cinemas, Luna on SX and Windsor Cinema from October 25 to November 14. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the festival website.
Just about everyone has a friend or relative who would describe themselves as a "struggling artist". For this most beleaguered of professions, the frustrations of the world's most competitive and highly lucrative industry often turns "struggling artists" into "failed artists". Pippin Barr, one such dejected artist, has found a most unusual way of channelling his grievances and disillusionment with the art world: a part-personal, part-satirical, and entirely addictive online video game, Art Game. The monochromatic, 8-bit game takes place in the cutthroat, dog-eat-dog world of the New York City visual art scene. Players choose between three contemporary artists as their avatar: minimalist painter Cicero Sassoon (with his reference-heavy name), Russian sculptor Alexandra Tertanov, and video artists William Edge and Susan Needle. Within a style of gameplay modelled on the classic video games of Snake, Tetris, and Space Invaders, your task is then to create a piece of art worthy of display in an upcoming show at New York's legendary Museum of Modern Art. Your path to artistic glory is a far from smooth one, however, as before you can have your work showcased you must get past the deliciously snooty MoMA curator. The curator's selection of which of your artworks (if any) make the cut seems to be based on a fairly arbitrary and even random set of criteria, in a quite pointed dig at how "good art" is selected and endorsed within the art scene, with decisions handed down in a series of cliche-enriched tirades (another beautiful touch from Barr). The game is filled to the brim with knowing references to the art scene, from the inane chatter of the MoMA visitors to the stereotypical studio apartments of the artists. It is these details that transform the game from not simply being a form of light-hearted procrastination but also a very clever and totally unique piece of satire. The surprisingly heartbreaking experience of being told that your work is not up to scratch provides a fresh understanding of just how brutal and controlled the art scene can be. To see if you have what it takes to be counted amongst New York's artistic elite, click here to play Art Game. Via Hyperallergic.
For more than six decades, fans of Disney have been able to step into the Mouse House's wonders IRL, thanks to a theme park empire that started in the 1950s with Disneyland. For even longer, touring your way through Universal Studios' wares — first during lot visits, then theme parks as well — has also been a reality. While Japan's beloved Studio Ghibli joined in back in 2001 via its Ghibli Museum, now it has launched its very own theme park. Get ready to get spirited away, and to skip around a sprawling place that's both gorgeous and magical. The venue at Aichi Prefecture Expo Park has been in the works since back in 2017, and has also been through a few delays over that five-year period — but as of Tuesday, November 1, it's finally and officially open to animation lovers. If that's you, Ghibli Park is welcoming in fans to wander its 200-hectare expanse in Nagoya's Aichi Prefecture, around a three-hour train trip from Tokyo, with the space's first three stages launching on opening day. Ghibli has been dropping early glimpses at the park over the past few months — even if its recent Hayao Miyazaki-directed cat train trailer was solely animated (but still wonderful) — and there's plenty of store for visitors. Part of the first phase is a space that's been dubbed Ghibli's Great Warehouse, aka the park's main area. Think of it like a fair within the overall attraction, featuring a video exhibition room, three special exhibition rooms, plus shops and cafes all in one space. Many movie lovers' first stop should be Orionza, a cinema that sets 170 patrons and screens ten Ghibli shorts — all of which have only previously been seen at the studio's existing museum in Mitaka, a city on the western outskirts Tokyo. The easy highlight: the 13-minute-long sequel to My Neighbour Totoro, which is an absolute delight, unsurprisingly. Fancy entering one of Ghibli's films? The park also includes recreations of 13 famous scenes from the company's cinematic catalogue that you can step into, including becoming Spirited Away's Chihiro by sitting next to Kaonashi on a mysterious train by the sea. Or, another exhibition focuses on Ghibli's knack for drawing delicious-looking food, and is certain to make you hungry. And, if you're curious how Ghibli's works — such as posters, videos, music and books — appear overseas, there's an exhibition about that as well. Because you'll want souvenirs, the Ghibli's warehouse store sells Ghibli goodies galore, including items specific to the park. Expect two things: to want to purchase everything, so much so that you'll contemplate whether it's worth getting another suitcase to take home with you; and plenty of company while you're browsing and buying. For a bite or a drink, the Great Warehouse's cafe and milk stand both take their cues The Wind Rises. One slings sandwiches and pizzas, while the other focuses on sips to drink — and a sweet made of red bean paste between two pieces of castella, as seen in the movie. Yes, it all truly does resemble the Japanese animation house's glorious frames in real life — as that aforementioned Studio Ghibli museum already does as well. Also open in the first stage: gardens, including the antique shop and verandah from Whisper of the Heart, plus Satsuki and Mei's house from My Neighbour Totoro. The latter was already a part of Aichi Prefecture Expo Park, but that doesn't make it any less stunning. Indeed, there's a reason that Ghibli Park was initially described as having a My Neighbour Totoro focus. Also slated to feature across the whole park: a life-sized version of Howl's Moving Castle, Kiki's home from Kiki's Delivery Service, a village area that pays tribute to Princess Mononoke, nods to the cat from Whisper of the Heart and The Cat Returns, buildings with design elements that take their cues from Laputa: Castle in the Sky, and a super-sized garden that'll make you feel like you're one of the tiny characters in Arrietty. If you're now planning a Ghibli-centric holiday, Japan reopened its borders to individual international tourists, and ditched its visa and package tour requirements, back in October — which, yes, is handy timing. A note re ticketing: like Ghibli's museum, Ghibli Park opens for bookings one day per month, working months ahead. On Monday, November 14, for instance, you'll be able to buy tickets for January visits. Ghibli Park is now open at Aichi Expo Memorial Park, 1533–1 Ibaragamama Otsu, Nagakute City, Aichi Prefecture. For more information, head to the venue's website. Images: © Studio Ghibli.
Australia's touring all-inclusive music and arts festival Summer Camp is returning in December — and it's just dropped the full lineup of over 100 artists, as well as info on its new venues. Following Summer Camp's inaugural run in 2022 which combined great tunes and LGBTQIA+ pride, the blockbuster event will be hitting St Kilda Marina on Saturday, December 2 and the Wentworth Park Sports Centre in Sydney on Sunday, December 3. Leading the latest lineup announcement is viral sensation Rebecca Black who has had a major career revival since 2021, releasing a slate of acclaimed pop projects ten years after achieving global infamy for her so-bad-it's-good track 'Friday'. Heaven will be a place on earth at the Sydney edition of Summer Camp with Belinda Carlisle joining the lineup, while Ultra Naté will be exclusively hitting St Kilda with her catalogue of hits including the iconic dance cut 'Free'. [caption id="attachment_919632" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matto Lucas[/caption] Also gracing both Summer Camp lineups: Brooke Candy, Kito, Meg10, The Illustrious Blacks and Tom Aspaul alongside a stacked program of local musicians, DJs, dancers and performance artists comprising more than 100 acts. The BEAT stage will be dedicated to thumping house, disco and techno tunes. Sydney will also be treated to Club Love — a haven for cheesy singalongs and big emotions, while Melbourne's Summer Camp will host a cutting-edge Rave Cave. [caption id="attachment_919633" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matto Lucas[/caption] The huge program will be headlined by previously announced headliners Jessie Ware and Trixie Mattel. Ware teased that she was playing the festival back in May, advising that she'd be appearing on an episode of her podcast Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware before confirming her place on the lineup in July. It's been a long time between Australian visits for the UK disco-pop queen. The last time she graced our shores was for Laneway Festival all the way back in 2013. In the period since, she's released four albums, including the immensely critically acclaimed What's You Pleasure in 2020 and its equally vibrant recent follow-up That! Feels Good!. But now Ware's drought of Aussie appearances is officially coming to an end. [caption id="attachment_899478" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] The St Kilda edition will be taking place as part of the huge 17-day ALWAYS LIVE program that's hitting the state throughout November and December. The massive program also includes performances from Christina Aguilera, Jai Paul and Eric Prydz. As for the new location in Sydney, the festival has decided to head to an indoor-outdoor facility after facing issues with flooding at Centennial Park last year. SUMMER CAMP FESTIVAL 2023 LINEUP: Jessie Ware Trixie Mattel Brooke Candy Kito Meg10 Rebecca Black The Illustrious Blacks Tom Aspaul Sydney Only: Belinda Carlisle Abby & Tyrone Akala Newman Atomic Blond & Dutch Kiss Ballroom Australia Baschoe Charlie Villas Chic Coach Cleo Rapture Club Chrome Dads Mayo Dan Azzo Diva Cups Dyan Tai Feta James Fried Pork Chop Half Queen Jackie Daniels Jane Jason De Cox Jimi the Kween Karlee Misi King C*ntessa Lady Fur Matt Vaughan Never Enough DJs (Dunny Minogue x Estèe Louder) Rosie Rivette Melbourne Only: Ultra Naté Alex Morris Ballroom Australia Bathesba Crescendoll Daws Dilonce' Disco Daddies DJ Gay Dad Ecterera Ecterrea x Art Simone Fragile Future House of Buffet Jesse Boyd Kat Zowthabag Kween Kong Mz Risk Nick Spurway Saint Eve Sal Simple Sovblkpssy Stone Motherless Cold Sullivan The Huxleys Tilly Capulet Tyoow Vb Unicorns Yo Mafia Summer Camp will be hitting Sydney and Melbourne in December 2023. For further details or to nab tickets, head to the festival's website. Top image: Matto Lucas
Whether you're a big nature nerd or err on the indifferent side to the science of it all, chances are you've seen at least some of Sir David Attenborough's Planet Earth. The BBC nature documentary series — narrated by the man himself and accompanied by an epic score from Hans Zimmer — first aired back in 2006, and its follow-up second season, Planet Earth II, was released just two years ago. But the bits you've seen on TV or YouTube are sure to be belittled when the BBC brings the live show to Australia this April. Like the performances of Harry Potter and Star Wars we've seen in recent months, Planet Earth II Live in Concert will see the documentary screened in all its glory accompanied by a live orchestra. And it's a big sore. The music for Planet Earth II was composed by none other than Hans Zimmer (responsible for epics like The Lion King, Gladiator, The Dark Knight Rises and Inception) alongside Jacob Shea and Jasha Klebe. In Australia, the score will be performed by four of the country's leading orchestras with conductor Vanessa Scammell and, in lieu of Attenborough, Eric Bana will be narrating in real time. The show will travel around Australia from April 27 until May 4, visiting Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney for just four shows all up. Tickets go on sale next week. In the meantime, you can watch ehe first season of Planet Earth on Netflix. PLANET EARTH II LIVE IN CONCERT TOUR DATES April 27 — Perth Arena (with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra) April 29 — Plenary, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (with the Melbourne Pops Orchestra) May 1 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre (with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra) May 4 — International Convention Centre, Sydney (with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra) Planet Earth II Live in Concert will tour Australia from April 27 – May 4, 2018. Presale tickets will go on sale at 10am tomorrow, Friday, February 16. The rest will go on sale at 3pm on Tuesday, February 20. For more info, visit ticketek.com.au.
It's now easy to get your hands on Berkelo's crowd-pleasing breads and baked goods thanks to the beloved bakery's newer sites in Mosman, Mona Vale and Manly. Having clocked up two years in its original Brookvale space, owners Tom Eadie and Matt Durrant have taken an even bigger bite out of Sydney's northern beaches. The Mosman store is on bustling Military Road and is open daily. The space is built around that same passion for simple, healthy fare that's made its sibling such a hit. It's slinging a range of revamped breakfast classics and seasonal lunch dishes, most of them starring Berkelo's legendary, long-fermented sourdough breads. Think, smashed avo with fermented vegetables, and duck served with mushrooms, onion jam and potato focaccia. You'll also find freshly baked croissants, a daily-changing lineup of generous sandwiches, and coffee made using Single Origin beans. And of course, there's plenty of that beloved Berkelo bread available to go, all naturally leavened and crafted with all-Aussie, unbleached stone-ground flours.
Looking to brighten up your Monday? Mt Lewis Pizzeria in Bankstown and Hurstville is serving $1 za'atar manoush pizzas every Monday from Monday, June 30. The much-loved Middle Eastern pizza joint has become Sydney's go-to destination for authentic manoush, serving tasty pizzas from recipes passed down through generations. Combining traditional flavours with a cosy, modern setting, the pizzeria brings the spirit of Lebanon to Sydney. Usually enjoyed for breakfast, manoush is an authentic Lebanese flatbread-style pizza made combining za'atar spice and olive oil. The za'atar topping is a delicious blend of herbs including thyme and oregano. On top, toasted sesame seeds and sumac add the perfect subtle crunch. Enjoy it on its own or topped with fresh vegetables, labneh yogurt or melted cheese. Already salivating? We don't blame you. All you have to do is find $1 lying around and head into Mt Lewis Pizzeria in Bankstown or South Hurstville. Grab a manoush for a cheeky breakfast, lunch or snack anytime between opening and closing, which is 5am–4pm at Bankstown and 6am–6pm at Hurstville. $1 manoush is limited to three per customer. For the full menu, visit the Mt Lewis Pizzeria website. Images: Supplied.
National Reconciliation Week is here for 2022, running from Friday, May 27–Friday, June 3 — and The Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation and Australian clothing label Deus Ex Machina have just the threads for the occasion. Collaborating to raise awareness about the ALNF's efforts to transform and empower First Nations communities around the country via literacy, language and education, the two organisations have teamed up on a new range of 'Literacy Is Freedom' t-shirts. And, as well as adding to your wardrobe, they'll help you support Indigenous Aussies as well. On sale from today, Friday, May 27, the limited-edition shirts come in black and white, both featuring the same 'Literacy Is Freedom' logo on the front. Printed upon 100% cotton, that design emulates the colours and format of the Aboriginal Flag. But, it's the fact that 100% of the profits from the tees are going to the ALNF's work with First Nations communities that's even more exciting. To launch the shirts, the ALNF and Deus Ex Machina have launched a campaign featuring a heap of familiar faces — including ALNF ambassadors — all decked out in the new gear. Doing the honours: everyone from AFL legends Adam Goodes and Lance Franklin through to ex-footballer and ABC News Breakfast sports reporter Tony Armstrong, plus Baker Boy, Casey Donovan, Brooke Blurton, Isaiah Firebrace and Hugo Weaving. The list goes on, with Michala Banas, Isaiah Firebrace, Benjamin Law, and Chloe Zuel and the cast of Hamilton all involved, too. And, so are Miriam Margolyes, Tim Minchin, Asher Keddie, Vincent Fantauzzo, Virginia Gay, Jesinta Franklin, Nathan McGuire, Luke Carroll, Clare Bowditch, Eddie Perfect, Zoe Norton Lodge, Alan Brough, Narelda Jacobs and Zindzi Okenyo. If you're now keen to slip on a tee and help a fantastic cause, you'll find them on sale for $59.99 from David Jones online, in-store at select David Jones locations, and in-store at Deus Ex Machina Camperdown and Good Ways Deli Redfern. "We need collaboration, bravery and commitment if we want to pave the way for a brighter future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities," said ALNF Co-Founder and Executive Director Kim Kelly, launching the shirts — and the campaign. "We are excited to be partnering with an iconic Australian brand, standing with us and supporting our goal to give every single Australian a voice through literacy, language and education. Reconciliation is everybody's responsibility, and it's an important time for us all to reflect on what we can do to be part of the change. The simple act of buying and wearing this powerful t-shirt contributes to the creation of a fairer and more just Australia," Kelly continued. Deus Ex Machina and The Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation's 'Literacy Is Freedom' shirts cost $59.99, and can be purchased at David Jones online, in-store at select David Jones locations, and in-store at Deus Ex Machina Camperdown and Good Ways Deli Redfern. For more information about the ALNF, head to its website.
Since 2019, Netflix's Dead to Me has contemplated endings — starting with a just-widowed woman trying to cope with losing her husband in a hit-and-run incident. Taking a few cues from 2018 film A Simple Favour, the grief-fuelled dark comedy has twisted its way through plenty of chaos from there, including via the unlikely friendship at its centre; however, the fact that everything comes to a conclusion sooner or later has always hung over the show. When it returns for season three on Thursday, November 17, that notion will remain — and Dead to Me itself will wrap up. Back in 2020, after the second season aired, it was revealed that the show would finish after a third and final run. So, get ready for your last swim through its murders, mysteries and cover-ups. The premise, if you missed Dead to Me when it premiered back in 2019: two women meet, become friends despite seemingly having very little in common, and help each other with their daily existence. From there, however, they find themselves immersed in more than a little murky business. Christina Applegate (Bad Moms 2) plays Jen Harding, whose husband has just died, while Linda Cardellini's (Hawkeye) Judy Hale is the positive-thinking free spirit that breezes into her life. They initially cross paths at a grief counselling session, sparking a definite odd-couple situation — which has evolved to feature secrets, lies, complications and cliffhangers galore across the show's two seasons to-date. Season two ended with a big car crash, in fact — and as well as announcing when Dead to Me would return to close out its story, Netflix has just dropped a teaser trailer for season three. Get ready for a glimpse of Jen and Judy in hospital and unhappy about it, as well as a recap of exactly what's brought them to this point. As for where the story will head afterwards, that'll only be revealed when Netflix drops the third season itself. If it's as easy to binge as the first two seasons, you'll know how the show ends quickly. Created by 2 Broke Girls writer Liz Feldman, Dead to Me marked Applegate's first lead TV role since 2011-12 sitcom Up All Night when it debuted. For Cardellini, it saw a return to Netflix after starring on the streaming platform's drama Bloodline — and she also featured in A Simple Favour, too. Check out the first teaser trailer for Dead to Me's third season below: Dead to Me's third season will hit Netflix on Thursday, November 17. Images: Saeed Adyani / Netflix.
Aussie brick enthusiasts, get excited. Sydney will join the likes of New York, London, Hong Kong and Copenhagen on the list of cities boasting a flagship LEGO store very, very soon. The Harbour City is set to welcome the world's largest official LEGO store to Sydney Arcade, overlooking Pitt Street Mall, on Saturday, November 11. Announced earlier this year, the massive two-storey, 900-square-metre Sydney LEGO store will officially swing open its doors at 9.30am next Saturday morning and promises to be your one-stop shop for all things colourful plastic bricks. "Every new store contributes to the LEGO Group's global mission of inspiring and developing the builders of tomorrow," Vice President and General Manager of LEGO Australia and New Zealand Troy Taylor says. LEGO fans can expect an interactive storytelling table that will give them behind-the-scenes looks at their favourite sets and designs; Australia's first Minifigure Factory, where visitors can create LEGO versions of themselves or their loved ones; and a pick-and-build wall boasting an enormous catalogue of different pieces. Official Brick Specialists will be on hand to help guide you through everything the superstore has to offer — and if you're after a challenge to get your creativity flowing, there will be in-store builds and monthly events. Basically, you'll have everything you could need to bring your wildest imagination to life. There will also be Australia-specific elements of the store with large-format sculptures of Australian and Sydney cultural touchstones decorating the new Sydney LEGO store's space. "The world's largest LEGO Store will stand as a must-see destination for LEGO fans across the globe whilst bringing a world-class retail experience to Australia," says Executive Chairman of the store's retail partner Alquemie Group Richard Facioni. The flagship Sydney LEGO store will open at Sydney Arcade, Pitt Street, Sydney on Saturday, November 11.
When you launch a scheme that's all about getting people out of the house, it obviously isn't going to work as planned when folks are in lockdown. We're talking about the New South Wales Government's Dine & Discover program, of course. It gives the state's residents four $25 vouchers to use at restaurants and entertainment venues — and, in unsurprising news, it has just been extended until Thursday, June 30, 2022. When Dine & Discover was initially rolled out statewide from mid-March, the COVID-19 situation in Greater Sydney was rather different than it is now; however, the NSW Government actually started pushing back its end date before lockdown started. First, at the beginning of June, the State Government announced that it was extending the program for until the end of July to give people even more time to use their vouchers. Then, at the end of June once lockdown had started, it moved that date again until the end of August. The latest change to June 2022, which was just announced on Friday, August 13, means that Dine & Discover has now been extended for a full year past its original finish date. Clearly, the hope is that folks in NSW will have plenty of time to go out and use their vouchers once the current outbreak is under control, lockdown ends and most people are vaccinated. The vouchers still cover takeaways, if you do want to use the two food vouchers now. The NSW Government recommends getting your food delivered direct to your house by whichever restaurant or cafe you're ordering from, but you can also go pick up your meal if you'd prefer — if it's within either five or ten kilometres of your house, depending on the restrictions in your area. Crucially, the vouchers can only be redeemed if you're dealing with the eatery directly, so they can't be used on orders via third-party delivery platforms. [caption id="attachment_779832" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] By now, every NSW resident should know how the scheme works, but here's the basic details if you need a refresher. The Dine & Discover program hands out food and entertainment vouchers to NSW residents, in an effort to boost patronage at hospitality businesses and cultural institutions that've suffered during the pandemic. Four vouchers are available to everyone in NSW over the age of 18 — two $25 vouchers to use at restaurants, cafes, clubs and other food venues, and another two $25 vouchers specifically for performing arts, cinemas, amusement parks and the like. The vouchers can be used at a hefty number of participating COVID-safe registered businesses, with the full list available on the Service NSW website. You can't use them on tobacco, alcohol or gambling, and you can only use each voucher once, including if your transaction totals less than $25. Also, you'll need to use all of your vouchers separately. To access the vouchers, you'll need a MyServiceNSW account — and the corresponding Service NSW app, so you can use the vouchers digitally. The NSW Government's Dine & Discover scheme will now run until Thursday, June 30, 2022. For more information, visit the government's website. Top image: Kitti Gould
When autumn starts winding down, end the season with a bit of sunshine. When winter kicks in, begin it with beaming rays, too. Virgin wants you to book in a Queensland getaway across May and June 2025, so much so that it's putting on a big flight sale. Fares start at $45, and you've got three days to nab a bargain. Also, your efforts will help the Sunshine State's tourism industry after the weather hasn't been kind to it so far this year. This round of specials is available until 11.59pm AEST on Saturday, March 29 — unless sold out earlier — and covers destinations from the Gold Coast up to Cairns. You have two months to head away, between Thursday, May 1–Monday, June 30, 2025, although dates vary per route. While the sale is firmly focused on one part of the country, you still have options in terms of departure points and destinations. Within Queensland, you can leave or arrive in Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton, Hamilton Island, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Mt Isa and Proserpine. And, around the rest of the country, flights to and from Adelaide, Alice Springs, Canberra, Darwin, Launceston, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth, Sydney and Uluru are available. The cheapest price, $45, will get you between Sydney and either the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast. For $55, Brisbane–Proserpine and Melbourne–Gold Coast fares are on offer. From there, $79 covers Sydney–Cairns and Sydney–Hamilton Island, while Brisbane–Hamilton Island is $85 and Melbourne–Cairns is $99 — and the list goes on. The sale has the backing of the Queensland government, to assist the Sunshine State's recovery after the weather events of the past few months — and thousands of seats have been discounted. Only select fares cover seat choice and checked baggage, however, with the airline announcing back in 2021 that it now splits its economy flights into three types. Economy Lite doesn't include checking any baggage or picking your seat, but Economy Choice does — and Economy Flex gives you extra flexibility (hence the name) if you have to change your plans later. Virgin's 72hr Queensland sale runs until 11.59pm AEST on Saturday, March 29 — or until sold out. 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.
The northern beaches has long been associated with sand, surf and sun. After all, this stretch of Sydney coastline is home to some of the country's most picturesque beaches. And, in buzzing Avalon, you can also track down fun-loving bars, boutique shops and ideal date-night spots. Yes, the locals may be known to rarely leave, but with so much on offer, it's easy to see why. You could happily spend a few days — or weeks — in Avalon going for leisurely walks, catching up with friends over coffee and forgetting about your worries by diving into the ocean. With the help of American Express, we've picked some of the top spots to visit around this neck of the woods — from lively Mexican restaurants to go-to florists and small shops stocking unique gifts. Whatever the occasion, Avalon has you sorted.
For nearly two centuries, everyone has known the Artful Dodger's story. Charles Dickens wrote the character, aka Jack Dawkins, to life in 1838's Oliver Twist — and readers have thumbed through the pickpocket's part of the famous tale ever since. But what happened once the book's narrative ended? What if Fagin's light-fingered apprentice is on the straight and narrow 15 years later, living in 1850s Australia? What if he is a navy-trained surgeon now plying his trade while living on the other side of the world from London, and great at it? What if Fagin is still alive despite Dickens' words on the page, too? In fact, what if the thieving ringleader is the latest convict arrival to the penal colony, crossing paths with his old pal with a plan that cares little about Dodge's new upstanding reputation? If you're wondering how the Aussie-set The Artful Dodger can exist, that's how: by sinking into the above scenario. Australian-made as well, with Jeffrey Walker (The Clearing), Corrie Chen (Bad Behaviour) and Gracie Otto (Seriously Red) directing, the Disney+ series that arrived on Wednesday, November 29 is not an origin story — it's an after story. Getting caught with a silver snuff box might've wrapped up Jack's exploits for the author who created him, but the latest iteration of the figure lives on from there for The Artful Dodger creators James McNamara (also one of the show's writers), David Maher (The Commons) and David Taylor (Bloom). Their take also turns its antics in the fictional Port Victory into a riff on The Knick, plus a romance. Two decades on from Love Actually, Thomas Brodie-Sangster (The Queen's Gambit) plays the show's namesake, joining a long line of actors who've done the same — many musicians, including Davy Jones from The Monkees onstage in the 60s, earning a Tony Award nomination; Phil Collins, also in the theatre in the same era; and Rita Ora in 2021's worth-avoiding crime-drama movie Twist. As in his big Christmas-movie break, Brodie-Sangster is again concerned with affairs of the heart, with The Artful Dodger's lead casting benefiting from bringing its star's best-known role to mind. In the festive rom-com, he was a kid cutely grappling with adult emotions. Here, he spiritedly steps into the shoes of an all-grown-up figure who acted wiser than his years when he was a child, too-large attire to match. Although no one saw Brodie-Sangster as the Oliver Twist version of Dodge, imagining it is easy because remembering him as a 13-year-old is that instantaneous. Also similar from Love Actually: Brodie-Sangster's character having an older guiding hand by his side, albeit with mischief and scheming this time. David Thewlis (Landscapers) gets wily — one of his finest on-screen traits — as Jack's former mentor, who isn't willing to let their links fade away. The Artful Dodger isn't a two-hander, but its biggest international names make a lively and engaging pair. Thewlis' Fagin isn't the villain, either, with both the script and the Fargo, Macbeth and I'm Thinking of Ending Things talent's performance expanding the part beyond the scoundrel — even if much of the criminal mastermind's focus is on convincing Dodge that his illicit know-how shouldn't be retired. This eight-part series also enlists a hefty lineup of Aussies, from Damon Herriman (The Portable Door), Miranda Tapsell (Aunty Donna's Coffee Cafe), Susie Porter (Mercy Road) and Tim Minchin (Upright) to Damien Garvey (Troppo), Jessica De Gouw (C*A*U*G*H*T) and Kym Gyngell (Black Snow). Chief among the homegrown cohort is Maia Mitchell (Good Trouble) as Lady Belle Fox, daughter of the Governor (Garvey) and an aspiring doctor herself — not that a female surgeon is approved of in the show's period. Familiar Australian faces aren't the only constant reminder that this is a local production. Beginning with Wolfmother's 'Joker and the Thief', the anachronistic soundtrack spins on average one Aussie track per episode, including from Spiderbait, Jet, INXS and The Living End. Playfulness abounds, then, in a series that's a caper as well. Narrative-wise, Dodge endeavours to keep on the up and up, despite a shady gambling debt to pay to crooked harbourmaster Darius Cracksworth (Minchin) on penalty of losing a hand. Given that he needs his two mitts to continue his line of work, his devotion to staying legit is quickly tested. Fagin is officially his servant, but is really the devilish force whispering in his ear — in-between ample gloating about how his pilfering instructions all that time back helped his protégé earn his new calling, teaching him the dexterity required as a cutpurse. Complicating the already chaotic situation is the ever-present Captain Gaines (Herriman), who loves nothing more than sending whoever he can to the noose. Once he becomes certain that Jack and Fagin have more than a few reasons to take the drop, he's relentless. Jack is the colony's best doctor, repeatedly besting the drunken professor (Gyngell) in charge of the hospital and his chosen successor Rainsford Sneed (Nicholas Burton, Safe Home). Accordingly, it's only in Belle that he meets his professional match. She's deeply uninterested in just finding a husband no matter what's expected of her. She's also an avid subscriber to and reader of medical journals. So springs an arrangement where her booksmarts help Jack with his patients — the very concept of germs and their role in causing infections isn't on anyone's radar until she mentions it — and he lets her put her self-taught skills to practical use. So flies sparks, too, amid an evident class clash, bloody surgeries with a live audience, Jack and Fagin trying to avoid the hangman, and a pilfering bushranger (Tapsell) drawing attention their way. As its fondness for Aussie rock makes plain, The Artful Dodger is energetically told, and also anything but an old-school period piece. Walker, Chen and Otto take the same cues visually and in the show's fast pacing, making for rollicking and always entertaining viewing. Wanting more comes swiftly, primarily thanks to Brodie-Sangster, Thewlis and Mitchell, however. While everything about the series knows that this is a lark, its key trio not only sell it but give it depth — no bait-and-switch required. Check out the trailer for The Artful Dodger below: The Artful Dodger streams via Disney+.
Australians looking to travel to New Zealand must consider the current COVID-19 advice. For information on quarantine-free travel between Australia and New Zealand, head over to the NZ Government's COVID-19 hub. You don't need to ski or snowboard to have a great time on New Zealand's powder-topped slopes. Alpine resorts across the country have a huge variety of other snow-based activities to choose from during the magical winter months. All you have to decide is whether you'd rather take a high-performance vehicle around a snow-covered race track, drive your own team of sled dogs, or ride a high-speed gondola through the clouds. FLOOR IT AROUND A SNOW-COVERED RACE TRACK Ice Driving is considered the ultimate winter driving challenge. The tyre-sliding experience invites anyone with a drivers licence and a wad of cash to jump in the hot seat and hoon around more than 40 hectares of snow-capped alps. It happens in the deep south from July to August every year with participants invited to take the wheel of a high-performance vehicle on a snow-covered race track. The experience is held at the iconic Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds on Mount Pisa, which sits 1500 metres above sea level between Queenstown and Wanaka. The snow track is the winter test centre used to test cars around the world. It's suitable for groups of ten and up who are keen to learn what it takes to drift around a snow circle, weave around a slalom course and bury the accelerator on ice. TUBE DOWN A 150-METRE SLOPE IN TEKAPO Tekapo Springs is the nerve centre for alternative winter activities in the South Island's Mackenzie Basin. Open from June until mid-September, the snow tubing park is just one attraction on offer, taking thrill-seekers on a slippery ride down a 150-metre slope. And there's no uphill walking involved once you're ready for another run — simply hop aboard the magic carpet back to the top. Once you've completed your one-hour tubing session, there's plenty to keep you occupied at the resort. Hit the outdoor ice rink, unwind in the on-site sauna and steam room, or soak in stunning lake and mountain views from one of three hot pools. [caption id="attachment_757146" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism New Zealand.[/caption] RIDE NEW ZEALAND'S NEWEST, LONGEST AND FASTEST GONDOLA Riding Mt Ruapehu's newly opened Sky Waka will take you on a journey into the clouds. Called New Zealand's largest and most technically advanced gondola, the high-speed Sky Waka travels 1.8 kilometres in just five minutes above the snow-capped terrain of Whakapapa. From the Top of the Bruce base station you'll traverse over icy waterfalls and ancient lava flows and catch a glimpse of Ruapehu and its neighbouring volcanoes, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro, through the floor to ceiling windows. Touch down will bring you to the award-winning Knoll Ridge Chalet where a selection of dining options await. DRIVE YOUR OWN TEAM OF SLED DOGS Cardrona's home of cross-country skiing is also where you can carve trails with a pack of friendly malamutes and huskies. UnderDog New Zealand has been practising the northern tradition of dogsledding in the Southern Alps since 2013, and allows visitors to drive their very own team of dogs or sit back and enjoy the ride. Exhilarating experiences start from $255 and range from one-hour high country journeys to after-dark runs and full-blown overnight stays. SNOWSHOE TO A SECLUDED BACKCOUNTRY HUT Snowshoeing is nearly as easy as putting one foot in front of the other. At Cardrona Valley's Snow Farm you can make a night of your winter adventure by trekking to a backcountry hut in the Pisa Ranges. Overnight snowshoe rental and the trail pass will set you back $29, while a spot in one of the secluded huts starts from $35. There are three to choose from: Meadow, Bob Lee and Daisy Lee. While each features a gas cooker and log burner, the former has room for 20 people. All you need to bring is food, drinks, a sleeping bag and your overnight things. For those who haven't been to a backcountry hut before, don't expect electricity and running water. WHIP AROUND THE MOUNTAIN ON A SNOWMOBILE Queenstown Snowmobiles offers the only heli-snowmobiling experience in New Zealand. The company has access to trails and backcountry riding, only by way of helicopter. The snowmobiles are easy to operate and no previous experience is required. Each wilderness tour is around two and a half hours and includes a 15-minute scenic helicopter flight each way. All of the tours come with an experienced guided and can cater for both individuals and small groups. In no time you'll be cruising across pristine snow at an altitude of up to 6000 feet above sea level. Just don't forget your camera. HAVE LUNCH ON TOP OF A GLACIER An outing with Mount Cook Ski Planes lets you toast the breathtaking beauty of Aoraki National Park with a glass of bubbly. The operator offers a range of experiences through the Southern Alps, including private ski plane flights over snow-capped peaks and chopper excursions to ice caves — which, depending on snow and ice conditions, can be explored with a guide. Once you've taken in all that mountain air, your pilot will land on one of the region's many glaciers for a private picnic on the snow. From there, you'll fly towards Mount Cook to give you a better view of the highest peak in New Zealand.
If you avoid glass observation decks atop high structures like the plague, then you might want to look away. Those cash-grabbing, genius high rise developers have taken our apparent insatiable desire to stand on a floor of reinforced glass at great heights to the next level and turned the standing attraction into a sliding one. Yep, a see-through glass slide has just opened on top of Los Angeles' highest skyscraper. Terrifying. The slide — aptly named Skyslide — is part of the iconic U.S. Bank Tower's new Skyspace development, which opened on Saturday, June 25. Skyspace has turned the tower's 70th floor into an impressive open-air observation deck (the highest of its kind in California), and the slide is just an extra addition for people who feel that merely looking at a view of Downtown LA from 1000 feet is not enough. That said, the slide is relatively short at about 14 metres — it only travels the length of one floor, from the 70th to the 69th. So it's a bit of a short-lived ride. But if you're scared of heights, you can at least take comfort in the fact that it'll be over before you know it. Well, we assume there's nothing quite like moving at high speed in a glass tube on the side of a building to truly appreciate the view. Even if it is only for 3.5 seconds.
Summer might be over for another year, but chasing endless sunny days, sandy spots and crashing waves is a rather easy pastime in Australia. The country is girt by sea, after all, and boasts thousands of beaches — including Western Australia's Cable Beach, which has just been named one of the best coastal spots in the world for 2023, plus the absolute top beach in the South Pacific for this year as well. The scenic Broome locale nabbed those honours thanks to Tripadvisor, which unveils a lineup of top beaches each year. Among the international plaudits, Cable Beach came in third behind Baia do Sancho in Fernando de Noronha in Brazil and Eagle Beach in Aruba in The Caribbean. It also ranked higher than spots in Iceland, Turks and Caicos, Portugal, India, Sicily, Cuba and Hawaii. Yes, that's mighty fine company to keep. [caption id="attachment_891596" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cable Beach[/caption] In the South Pacific rundown, Cable Beach beat six other Aussie locations and one from New Zealand. Also getting some love locally: Sydney's Manly Beach in second place, Emily Bay on Norfolk Island in third and Mooloolaba Beach in fourth spot. Four Mile Beach in Port Douglas and Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island adding two more Queensland locations to the list at sixth and seventh place, while Turquoise Bay in Exmouth in WA came in ninth after topping the South Pacific spots in 2022. Across the ditch, Tahunanui Beach in Nelson sits at eighth place, too. The two beaches deemed the best in the South Pacific that aren't from Down Under? Matira Beach on Society Island in Bora Bora, French Polynesia, which sits fifth and Natadola Beach in Sigatoka, Fiji, at tenth. If it's an overseas beach holiday you're after this year, you now know where to head. [caption id="attachment_891589" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Manly Beach[/caption] Back to the worldwide list, it spans 25 places, with Manly coming in 13th there ahead of locations in Grand Cayman, San Sebastian, Bali, Costa Rica, Rio de Janeiro and more. Across both the worldwide and South Pacific rankings, winners were chosen as part of Tripadvisor's Traveller's Choice awards, which is based on millions of reviews and ratings left on the online platform across 2022. [caption id="attachment_891592" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Whitehaven Beach[/caption] TOP TEN BEACHES IN THE WORLD FOR 2023: Baia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil Eagle Beach, Aruba, The Caribbean Cable Beach, Broome, Australia Reynisfjara Beach, Vik, Iceland Grace Bay Beach, Turks and Caicos, The Caribbean Praia da Falésia, Algarve, Portugal Radhanagar Beach, Havelock Island, India Spiaggia dei Conigli, Sicily, Italy Varadero Beach, Cuba, The Caribbean Ka'anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii TOP TEN BEACHES IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC FOR 2023: Cable Beach, Broome, Western Australia, Australia Manly Beach, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Emily Bay, Norfolk Island, Australia Mooloolaba Beach, Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia Matira Beach, Society Island, Bora Bora, French Polynesia Four Mile Beach, Port Douglas, Queensland, Australia Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Island, Queensland, Australia Tahunanui Beach, Nelson, New Zealand Turquoise Bay, Exmouth, Western Australia, Australia Natadola Beach, Sigatoka, Fiji [caption id="attachment_891590" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matira Beach[/caption] To check out the full list of top beaches for 2023, head to Tripadvisor. Images: Getty Images / Tripadvisor. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Brookvale locals have a new early morning go-to thanks to Barrel One Coffee Roasters, which has just opened a cafe inside its six-year-old roasting warehouse. The New York-style cafe is open from 6am Monday through Friday and 7am on Saturdays, making it ideal for commuters and all-around early risers. For the fit-out, founder Daniel Agapiou was inspired by a recent trip to Brooklyn. The result is a sleek design that highlights the warehouse feel with a polished concrete bar and floors, bare timber high tables and a letter board menu, all accented by lush greenery and a hanging plant garden. Barrel One is all about ethically sourced coffee — supporting farmer co-ops and trading with independent producers — so you know you're getting a (morally) good cuppa here, available in both single origin and blends. Non-coffee options range from organic sodas and fresh pressed juices ($6 each) to coconut hot chocolates and turmeric almond milk lattes ($4.7 each) Apart from the drinks, the succinct food menu is New York diner-themed and includes two types of grilled cheese toasties stuffed with produce from Melbourne's Maker and Monger ($12-13) — choose from swiss, gruyere, smoked ham and mustard or cheddar, jalapeño, roasted capsicum and cornichons varieties. Other specialties include the smoked reuben by Manly's Pastrami Kings ($14); avocado on rye with pastrami or smoked trout ($12 each); and bagels and schmear by Brooklyn Boy Bagels ($8–$12), with cashew cheese also up for grabs. It's simple comfort food at it's finest.
As we've all been told for centuries on the page, then on the stage, and also on the screen since the birth of film, vampires can live forever. Here's another undead fact: stories about the horror favourites definitely seem to. And, as Buffy the Vampire Slayer and What We Do in the Shadows have shown, such tales are mighty skilled at prolonging their lives. In both of the above instances, movies became TV shows — and fantastic ones at that. On the big screen, What We Do in the Shadows was delightful and hilarious. A New Zealand-shot and -set vampire sharehouse mockumentary made by and starring Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi was always going to be. On the small screen since 2019, the American TV version of What We Do in the Shadows has also proven the same. In fact, with fellow spinoff Wellington Paranormal — the NZ television show that stuck with the movie's cops (Mike Minogue and Karen O'Leary) as they keep investigating the supernatural — it's part of the best on-screen universe there is. Thankfully, the small-screen take on What We Do in the Shadows shows no signs of slowing down. Come mid-July, its fourth season will hit Australia via Binge and New Zealand via Neon, in fact. Even better: based on the two trailers so far — one dropping in early June, and the other to round out the month — fans are set for another wonderfully amusing bloodsuckers gem. For the uninitiated, this iteration of What We Do in the Shadows is set in Staten Island. No, Pete Davidson doesn't show up. Instead, the series focuses on a household where vamps Nandor (Kayvan Novak, Cruella), Laszlo (Matt Berry, Toast of London and Toast of Tinseltown) and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga) all live. Energy vampire Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch, The Office) and Nandor's familiar Guillermo (Harvey Guillen, Werewolves Within), slayers have also staked a claim in the story. There's much, much more to the Shadows television spinoff than that — and plenty to laugh at as well. This time around, there'll also be a vampire nightclub, undead dance-offs, a vamp freestyle rap, a genie's lamp, polyamory, multiple dead wives returning at the same time, and a baby version of Colin. Given that two 'Rasputin'-soundtracked trailers can't tell the full story, as wonderful as both sneak peeks are, expect plenty more where all of that came from. Check out the latest trailer for What We Do in the Shadows season four below: What We Do in the Shadows' fourth season starts streaming in the Australia via Binge on Wednesday, July 13 and New Zealand via Neon on Thursday, July 14.
One of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of the 21st century, Chan Marshall — aka Cat Power — is no stranger to a cover. She's been transforming other people's work into something entirely Power-esque across her entire career, including honing the art on her 2000 album The Covers Record and 2008's Jukebox. In 2022, she again dropped a project devoted to reshaping songs originally sung by others with the aptly titled album Covers, unveiling versions of tracks by Frank Ocean, Nick Cave, Lana Del Rey and Iggy Pop. Now, Power has embarked on her most ambitious cover-based project yet, covering Bob Dylan's legendary 1996 Royal Albert Hall set in full in 2022 at the titular venue in London. Receiving rapturous praise, the show is a track-by-track recreation of a legendary set that Dylan performed on his first tour after polarising attendees at the Newport Folk Festival with his new electric sound. Sydney is lucky enough to be the second-ever city to see Power perform this set, with Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert coming to the Sydney Opera House as part of the Vivid Live program. Concrete Playground chatted with Marshall before she headed to Australia to discuss why this set is so important to her, the reaction to its debut in London and the new music she has on the way. ON WHY SHE CHOSE THIS PARTICULAR BOB DYLAN SET "I got an offer to play the Royal Albert Hall in London on Bonfire Night, Guy Fawkes Night... and I was like 'well if I play there, I only want to do Dylan's songs'. And that was just a no-brainer of which songs I would do. I felt pretty alone when I was young — when he was running around being a rockstar and stuff. I wasn't a rockstar, but just knowing that someone was kind of scuzzy, and writing his own shit and saying what he wanted to say and doing his own thing, that was that peer thing he gave people. He narrated and was able to articulate people's points of view during a time of mass confusion and that confusion is the thread of our social constructs." ON HEARING THE SET FOR THE FIRST TIME "It was the film, so it might have been [in] 91 — it was the film Don't Look Back... I just felt transported to this place that reminded me of just floating and thoughts and poetry and the absurd." ON THE TEAM SHE PULLED TOGETHER FOR THE SHOW "We had a rehearsal and I tried to figure out who would be best. Because it's really specific, the style of playing — the heartbeat of that is Bob's style — and on top of that, The Band and that movement of playing. Because I could say that it's a style but there was a certain feeling, I think, that was happening at the time. I asked my friend Henry Munson, he's playing with me. He's in Arsun's band, he has his own bands, too. But he was, no-brainer, going to be the Bob guitar. I had never heard the drummer play before or seen him play or met him, but I said 'well, tell me what kind of band he's in before I go jam with him' and [my friend] said 'oh, he's in a Grateful Dead cover band'. And I said 'okay perfect, he sounds great'. " ONE DEBUTING THE SET AT ROYAL ALBERT HALL "Oh my god. So, for me, I'm secondary to the nature of what's happening when I'm doing it — I feel secondary. My major concern is for the song itself. It's not psychological, it's like I have to do it justice. I don't know. I'm secondary, my physical being is secondary but the song is always the point of me doing what I'm doing. And, I can be very hard on myself but it's the only way that I can be. In the back of my mind, you know, my consciousness, my awake mind was like 'oh yeah, I'm fucking terrified'. I've never been inside that place. I used to walk around it. I used to stay at the Hotel Columbia across the park from there, you know, the rock 'n' roll hotel or whatever. And I'd always walk around that place. I'd never been inside, and to be able to play there, it was some kind of a magic gift or something. That's how it felt. It means something individually to me to do those songs in that venue 'cause of how much I loved Bob growing up." ON THURSTON MOORE'S REACTION TO THE LONDON SET "One thing was that, at the end, there were a bunch of friends there and Thurston Moore was in town and he said — he's gonna kill me — but he said 'Mr Tambourine Man' made him cry. Isn't that sweet?" ON THE MAGIC OF COVERING OTHER ARTISTS' WORK "I knew those songs already, as a little kid, so it was like — I don't want to say second nature because, as someone who's loved all kinds of music my whole life and different things besides music, it wasn't second nature to me — it was just familiar and just easy, because it was like being a kid and singing along. If I play Michael Jackson's song or something, play me the Thriller record, I'm going to sing backup on the whole fucking record with my own harmonies, because I've been singing that shit forever. And different singers bring different shade or colour, or smell or taste, to the same old song. And that's what speaks to a new generation or a new group of people, just different emulations of one song." ON HER CONNECTION TO THE SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE "I did a record of mine called Moon Pix. I think it was the 25th anniversary. [Editor's note: it was the 20th.] I did another Vivid fest, actually... I have the poster for all two of them. And I hope to get the poster for the third. The Moon Pix thing was really moving because I was alive, you know. I wasn't dead. I never thought I'd live this much and I was there and it was great and it was beautiful. I was with Mick [Turner, from Dirty Three] and Jim [White, also from Dirty Three] and we were, all three, alive. And it was beautiful, and it was real, and it was really nice." ON WHAT'S NEXT FOR CAT POWER "I'm going right back into the studio and doing my new record. There's a song called 'Brave Liar', I think it's the good one. Another home recording." Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert is coming to the Sydney Opera House for Vivid Live on Wednesday, May 31. Head to Sydney Opera House website for tickets and further details.
When Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi invited the world to experience the vampire sharehouse mockumentary genre, one of the best comedies of the decade wasn't the only result. Every film seems to spawn sequels, remakes, spinoffs and the like these days, but no one's complaining about spending more time in the What We Do in the Shadows universe. A follow-up, We're Wolves, is in the works, focusing on the undead bloodsuckers' Rhys Darby-led lycanthrope enemies. So is six-episode television spinoff Wellington Paranormal, following the movie's cops (Mike Minogue and Karen O'Leary) as they keep investigating the supernatural, and expected to air in New Zealand mid this year. Add a US TV remake of the original flick to the pile as well, but withhold any "do we really need a remake?" judgement. First revealed by Waititi last year, given a pilot order earlier in 2018 and now officially moving ahead with a 10-episode first season, the American version will be written by Clement and directed by Waititi, The Hollywood Reporter notes — and will see a documentary crew follow three vampire flatmates living in New York City, according to Variety. The series will star Toast of London's Matt Berry, Four Lions' Kayvan Novak, British stand-up comedian Natasia Demetriou and The Magicians' Harvey Guillen. It's unknown whether Clement and Waititi will reprise their on-screen roles in a guest capacity. With What We Do in the Shadows actually starting its life as a short back in 2005, the concept of flatting members of the undead arguing about bloody dishes has taken quite the journey since those early beginnings. If any idea was going to come back in multiple guises, it's this one. Of course, so have Clement and Waititi. Clement has a new Flight of the Conchords TV special airing on HBO this month, while Waititi two post-Thor: Ragnarok flicks in the works — a stop-motion animated effort called Bubbles, about Michael Jackson's chimp, and another by the name of Jojo Rabbit, set during World War II and starring Scarlett Johansson and Sam Rockwell. As for feasting your eyes into What We Do in the Shadows' new TV version, fans will have to wait until next year. The US remake isn't set to air in America until early-to-mid 2019. Via The Hollywood Reporter / Variety. Image: Kane Skennar.
Holy Basil is the perfect pre-theatre stop for a quick bite that'll get you out the door in time for your show. With three venues across Sydney, the popular restaurant's Parramatta outpost is conveniently located just a two-minute stroll across the river from Riverside Theatres. On the menu, classic Thai and Lao noodles and curries live next to signature offerings such as the crispy snapper and mango salad ($59.90), roast duck in Holy Basil's homemade plum sauce ($29.90) and the surf and turf platter ($47.90). Don't walk out the door until you've had the fried ice cream with salted caramel and coconut ($20.90), which has been a menu staple for over a decade. Top Images: Nikki To
"Touring is the only job in the world, I think, where you are a professional and you drink," James Vincent McMorrow muses from a phone somewhere in Dublin. "If you were an accountant or even if you were an actor and you drank at the levels that some touring bands do, you wouldn't be able to function." Two years ago, he decided to give the bottle the boot. Not because he had an uncontrollable drinking problem, but because he wanted to "see what would happen". "At that point in my career, everything was on a really intense upswing and I was playing big shows. It's not that I wasn't enjoying [drinking], it's just that I didn't feel that I was in control of what I was doing. I didn't think I was doing it justice in the way that I wanted to." In a January 2014 Guardian interview, McMorrow identified a packed-out show at London's Festival Hall as a turning point. "The biggest show I'd ever played in this country... I got off stage and thought — did that go well? I don't know," he told journo Tom Lamont. At first, the sobriety inspired a sizeable dose of performance nerves. "I became incredibly aware of my hands and started making mistakes again," he recalls. "I used to think that you needed to drink to get out of your own way mentally and create. But it actually made me think from a much clearer perspective." CREATING POST TROPICAL When work began on second album, Post Tropical, the music flew thick and fast. "I had better ideas than ever before... I was much more ambitious." Where 2011 debut Early in the Morning was folk-ish and harmony-fuelled, Post Tropical sees McMorrow delve into new territory – R&B influences, dashes of Rhodes, electronica and intricate layering. There's hardly an acoustic guitar to be heard. The songs were assembled over the course of eight months and recorded "on a pecan farm half a mile from the Mexican border" — where the likes of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Animal Collective, Beach House and At The Drive In have laid down tracks. "It's the perfect place to make music... I don't think I'll record anywhere else again. I came for the equipment and stayed for the view," he adds, laughing. McMorrow sees putting together a song is akin to solving a Rubik's Cube. "Every time I look at it, there's a couple less red squares. Then I keep going and I take a look at the other side. It might go the wrong way, or it might get better. And one day, it's just done. I'll listen to it and there'll be nothing in it that doesn't make me happy." https://youtube.com/watch?v=jgE3AengS0A ON BEING YOUNG AND MUCH MORE SERIOUS The songwriting process wasn't always so intuitive for the Irish native. McMorrow remembers a younger and much more serious version of himself. "I think I went from trying to be a musician to being a musician and that was a very big change. I don't examine music anymore; I follow it where it leads me. I used to question — you'd worry about whether you were good enough, or whether you could do the things that needed to be done. But I don't worry about that anymore. I still challenge myself every day and push myself infinitely harder than I ever did, but I do it with a sense of knowing what I'm doing and how to get there." Back in his worrying days, he spent hours reading some pretty meaty literature. "I became really obsessed with people like John Steinbeck, F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner and the American idea — between 1900 and the 1930s and '40s. It's quite funny, because if I examine the books I read and where I was at musically, I can connect the dots quite quickly. I read a lot of heavy books like The Sound and The Fury, and because I was writing music there was a certain element: 'if I read these serious things then I want to write about serious things.'" https://youtube.com/watch?v=j0DvjgagJko ON GAME OF THRONES These days, however, he'll "read anything that's put in front of [him]". Even if the writing isn't quite up to scratch. "I just read the entire Game of Thrones, everything up to the point where it finishes," he explains. "I read it because I started watching the series and I got annoyed because it was ending, so I thought I'd read the book. But then I realised the books were really, really long and kind of weirdly written. I don't know if you've read fantasy novels before but they're kind of... they're not the most amazing writing in the world, even though the story is obviously compelling. And when I started reading them I didn't realise that [George R. R. Martin] hadn't finished the series. So I got to the last book and found out he had two more to write still!" Fortunately, he's moved onto Hans Fallada's Alone in Berlin, which he describes as "really beautiful". And McMorrow has a plethora of tour dates to keep him busy between reads. JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW TOUR DATES: Wednesday 21 May — Astor Theatre, Perth Friday 23 May — Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Brisbane Tuesday 27 May — Forum, Melbourne Thursday 29 May — Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House (Vivid LIVE) Saturday 31 May — Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House (Vivid LIVE)
Originally greenlit back in 2017, construction on URBNSURF Sydney's massive man-made surf park is currently underway, with the finished site set to arrive in autumn 2024. The $50-million development will hit a 3.2-hectare site in Sydney Olympic Park next year from the team behind Australia's first surf park, featuring perfect waves year-round and a new outpost for one of the best restaurants on the North Shore, RAFI. The 200-capacity RAFI 2.0 will arrive in Sydney Olympic Park next year with the same dedication to fresh, seasonal produce and quality wines as its OG counterpart. Crowd favourites from the North Sydney menu will grace the RAFI URBNSURF menu, while a new cocktail menu is being rolled out especially for the Western Sydney opening. Joining RAFI will be a surfside cafe and all-day diner called Sandy's, facilitating more casual meals and takeaways. Sandy's will be open 6.30am–8.30pm daily and will be serving up morning coffees, bacon and egg rolls, pancake stacks, fish tacos and beef barbacoa burritos. There will also be a summer-ready selection of booze, including beers, cocktails, to-go gin and tonics, and wine on tap. [caption id="attachment_927898" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] Both venues come courtesy of Applejack, the hospitality group behind Forrester's, The Butler and Bopp & Tone. And to round out the offering will be a private event space that can facilitate 120 guests, a cabana lawn that can host up to 800 people and an outdoor events space that will host live music and sporting events. As for the actual surf, Sydneysiders can expect a diamond-shaped lagoon pumping out waves up to two metres in height. Thanks to LED lighting illuminating the man-made waves after dark, visitors will also have the option of an evening swim. The lagoon will be capable of churning out waves every eight seconds, with surfers set to catch about a dozen waves per hour. URBNSURF Sydney will also feature a wellness studio, skate park, hot tubs and a surf academy for those looking to take their surfing to the next level. URBNSURF Sydney is expected to open in Sydney Olympic Park in autumn 2024. Head to the surf park's website to read more about the opening.
In 2025, Sydney Opera House's annual All About Women festival is welcoming than 50 speakers, including artists, thinkers and storytellers from both Australia and overseas, to explore gender, equality and justice. This year's lineup will participate in sessions that span women in sport and the influence of the Matildas, racism and sexism in the music industry, the impacts of skincare routines, and plenty more. For 13 years, marking International Women's Day with talks, panels, workshops and performances has been as easy as attending this highlight of the cultural calendar — a must-attend event not only in Sydney, but also nationally in recent years, thanks to the streaming of sessions online (which continues in 2025). For this year, Kate Berlant and Gina Chick joined the All About Women bill first, as did the return of the Feminist Roast. Kara Swisher, Rachel House, Jaguar Jonze and Grace Tame are among the folks joining them come Saturday, March 8–Sunday, March 9. Berlant is making her first trip Down Under, with the comedian and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Don't Worry Darling and A League of Their Own actor set to debut a new stand-up show. Alone Australia's first-season winner Chick is on the bill fresh from releasing her memoir We Are the Stars in October, and will chat about following your own path, grief and resourcefulness. On a lineup overseen by the Sydney Opera House Talks & Ideas team — as led by Chip Rolley, alongside 10 News First's Narelda Jacobs and actor and writer Michelle Law — journalist and Burn Book: A Tech Love Story author Swisher will dig into the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter, while Heartbreak High star and The Mountain director House will chat through the importance of community and her Māori culture in her career. Jonze is on the panel discussing the present state of the music industry, as is Barkaa. And Tame is part of the Feminist Roast alongside Michelle Brasier, Nakkiah Lui, Lucinda 'Froomes' Price and Steph Tisdell. The Tillies are on the roster via former Matildas goalkeeper Lydia Williams, plus Football Australia, the Matildas and the ParaMatildas Media Manager Ann Odong, with their session exploring the current situation for women in sport. Elsewhere, Dr Michelle Wong, Jessica DeFino and Yumi Stynes — plus Price again — will examine the impacts of beauty standards, especially upon younger generations. All About Women's 2025 program also spans sessions on the women who gave testimony at the Ghislaine Maxwell trial, the rise of domestic violence-related deaths in Australia, systems that are meant to protect First Nations children, perimenopause and how women's health is being commercialised, tradwives, grief, motherhood, the nation's declining birth rate, bodily autonomy and abortion, and being friends for life.
Alexandros Kouris speaks a lot about alchemy. As the owner and founder of the Nissos Brewery on the island of Tinos, he’s not just talking about the rich golden colour of his beer; he’s talking about what makes a craft beer great. “I can’t explain it chemically to you, but there’s an alchemy,” Kouris laughs. “Happy people make good beer.” Nissos Pilsner has made it to the Australian craft beer market all the way from the sunshine and aquamarine seas of the Greek island of Tinos, 6 nautical miles from Mykonos. It’s a beer craft drinkers will be drawn to not just for its unique taste (a citrusy, refreshing and full-bodied pilsner) but as a winsome example of the craft beer ethos. Nissos beer is brewed and bottled in small quantities by 15 local Tinos islanders, using purely natural, traditional and slow brewing processes, as well as Greek ingredients. For Kouris, this local authenticity is very much the appeal, and why he believes the resurgence of craft beers is well deserved. “I’m a great believer that food and drink should be — it’s not the product, it’s not the commercial product — it’s part of our culture,” says Kouris. “So if I take from your hands the production of food and drink I take part of your identity ... I come here with my beers and taste yours and I take back yours, this is beautiful, this is human. And this is human skill and it keeps the world alive.” Kouris entered the world of craft beer following the Global Financial Crisis, when he decided to sell off what companies he had. He says that while everyone in Greece was afraid and taking money out of the country, he wanted to do the opposite. “I loved beer. I followed the craft beer movement all around the world," he says. "I love the Cycladic island of Tinos and I said, putting the two together that could create a very good business, one that will make me happy and one that will, I hope, inspire people in Greece.” It seems his gamble has paid off. Last year the small brewery came away with silver in the Pilsner category at the European Beer Competition (which Kouris describes as the “Oscars” of beer competitions) against 1613 other international beers. Impressive, given the brewery was only 17 months old and produces only one beer, but hardly surprising for a pilsner whose herbal and citrus aroma and crispness tastes like a liquid advertising campaign for life on a Greek isle. This year, the taste and story of the beer has been discovered by Nick Manettas (of Nick’s Seafood Restaurant), who has embarked on a successful campaign to bring Nissos to the Australian market and into your craft beer-ready glass. “It’s very distinct, it’s very full-bodied as a pilsner and apparently it’s very good, people love it,” smiles Kouris. “And you know, this is alchemy.” You can find Nissos on exclusive release to all of the Nick’s Restaurant and Bar Group venues before it begins wider distribution to a pub near you over the next year. So keep your eyes on your craft beers and a Greek island shanty in your heart.
The eye and the brain are incredibly powerful organs through which humans receive and process a large proportion of their sensory information. What we see every second of everyday helps shapes our understanding of almost every aspect of our lives. And our brains develop certain expectations about objects based on a long history of experience. However, sometimes optical illusions can challenge our pre-conceived ideas of structures and confound both our eyes and brains. Through clever deceptive techniques, artists and architects can create buildings that elude our basic understanding of how constructions are made and what they include. Here are nine bewildering optical illusions sure to confuse and amaze and challenge your conceptions of architecture. Warped Building This apartment building is your average apartment block...with a twist. A fairly large, warped twist. The unique structure is situated in the Czech Republic's capital city, Prague, and has picturesque views overlooking the River Vitara. El Grifo Magico Appearing to defy gravity and perform some magical feat, this 'floating tap' seems to be pouring an endless supply of water from its vantage point of mid-air suspension. Even though a magician should never reveal their secrets (and stop reading now if you would like the magic to remain), it has been revealed that a pipe hidden by the water actually holds the structure up. Upside Down House Spider-man? Gravity-defying shoes? Talented acrobats? No, it's another awe-inspiring architectural design that tricks and boggles the mind. This unorthodox house has everything upside down and back to front - literally. Trompe-l'eoil Ever after looking at this image several times, it is still impossible to fathom the appearance of this melting building, closer resembling a time warp than an apartment block. In actual fact, this image actually depicts a painting, but even then it succeeds in confounding the brain.The image uses the french art technique of tromp-l'eoil, which attempts to make 2D images appear like 3D optical illusions that really exist. One-walled House History has taught us to understand a house as a building comprising of at least four walls, a roof and a door. However, in Odessa, Ukraine, they have challenges this perception by creating a disconcerting house, which from the front appears orthodox, but when viewed from the side reveals only a single walled-building. Cafe Wall Illusion In 1979 a cafe was erected in Bristol, England, with a perplexing exterior that confused and bemused, and which continues to do so into the present day. A variant of the Münsterberg shifted chessboard illusion, this tessellating pattern uses light and alternating bricks of black and white to make the parallel and even lines appear to be sloped. All the line are actually horizontal and all the levels of the building perfectly equal in size. Bâtiment Another building which seems to flout all logical laws of gravity is the artist Leandro Ehrlich's mirrored art installation for the 'In Perceptions' exhibition in Paris. Whilst people appear to be casually hanging from 3-storey balconies or chilling whilst suspended horizontally to the wall, this trickery is actually a result of a mirrored painting of a building on the ground. 3D Lichtenstein House The top image gives the impression of a quaint and colourful little house that would be fitting within the setting of a fairytale story. The second picture, however, reveals its highly deceptive nature. Cleverly using only two walls placed at specific angles, when viewed at from a particular viewpoint, this house appears to be a complete 4-walled building. Sinking House Another sneaky illusion using angles, the top picture of this house depicts a building seemingly falling into the depths of the Earth. Yet when righted, the correct angle of the house demonstrates a perfectly average home located on the slope of a hill.
Considering a road trip to the nation's capital? From feeding lions and conquering epic hikes to treating yo'self in palaces of rejuvenation, Canberra isn't short on activities that'll make any mini-break extra memorable. Of course, after visiting the city's museums and galleries and exploring the surrounding wineries and national parks, you'll need somewhere to rest your head at the end of the day. And, you'll want it to tick every box you're looking for — whether you'd prefer a plush glamping bed hidden among the vineyards or a luxurious city nest within stumbling distance of the top-notch nightlife. To help ensure you make the most of your trip to Canberra, we've found seven places to stay that'll tickle the fancy of every type of adventurer there is. Please stay up to date with the latest ACT Government health advice regarding COVID-19.
