I am forever trying to convince some cynic there is art in fashion: that a runway show is a walking exhibition; that designers make endless, self-reflexive statements on the meaning of the body; that street fashion is innate expression. But I concede there is no art in Fashion Weekend — unless you count the art of the arc my arm will make when I slap that scrag who's gone and grabbed the delicate Fleur Wood bolero that is rightfully mine. Ahem. Fashion Weekend is perhaps the biggest sale you'll see this side of Boxing Day, and certainly the one boasting the most genuinely desirable finds. It features plenty of old- and new-season stock from a wide range of Australian designers, including Ginger & Smart, Camilla, Shakuhachi, Marnie Skillings, Rodeo Show, Milk & Honey, Peep Toe, Life with Bird, Bracewell, the Cassette Society, the Grand Social and many, many more. The organisers have promised to replenish stocks as the (long — starting Thursday) weekend goes on, but opening night is worth a look-in for the promised "extra special finds", free glass of wine and touch of glamour. If you want more than a brush with the clothes racks and a seat at the bar, a gold ticket will get you into the frequent catwalk shows, and a platinum ticket will put you in the front rows. A fashion clinic hosted by Shop Til You Drop mag editors, $10 blowdries in the Tony&Guy style bar, a $20 personal stylist, makeovers in the Napoleon Perdis makeup bar and a wine bar will also feature. You can't have art all the time.
No one does inner turmoil and domestic horror quite like the Japanese. It seems so many of their artists have found that magical space between buttoned-up manners and social graces and unbound anger, anxiety and fear. The secret seems to lie in restrained contradiction. In a major solo show at the MCA, Mekurumeku, Japanese artist Tabaimo has managed to strike this eerie balance perfectly, presenting a body of work spanning just over a decade. The exhibition of six video installations moves from early work to two brand new commissions, and it’s a satisfying progression. Where the early work recalls traditional Edo-period woodcuts in its aesthetic — intricate and rigid line work, rich vivid colours and frequently depictions of everyday life — later work displays a sparser, more monochromatic and restrained eye. Across all, the modern and traditional sit uneasily side-by-side. Despite a visible progression between her work of the early 2000s and today, there are a lot of recurring motifs in Tabaimo’s painstaking videos, each of which is hand-drawn and takes up to a year to produce. There is a sense of quiet menace, a disconnect between our interior and public lives, constantly shifting perspective and repeated visual cues — tentacles, water, disembodied or metamorphic limbs and hands all recur. Itching is another recurring feature, an artistic representation of a real-life affliction; Tabaimo has long suffered a painful and persistent dermatitis. There is a lot to be gleaned from Mekuremeku, and a lot to like. It’s surreal visual language is both metaphoric — of contemporary Japanese life, of our submerged interior lives, of the terror that waits in the home — and aesthetically sublime. The images themselves, their soundtracks and environments all combine to immerse audiences in a giddy world where your footing is never sure. Walls curve, inside becomes out, and subaquatic noises bleed from one work to the next. Ten points for install. Mekuremeku is a good move by the MCA. Coming off the back of the behemoth Biennale, it’s refreshing to see the space devoted to a singular and logical solo show, especially of an artist from the Asia-Pacific. Tabaimo’s work is accessible and appealing without losing its aesthetic or conceptual value, and it strikes me as a show that will hold up under repeat visits. The best show from a Japanese artist at the MCA this year *winky face*.
With his Edward Scissorhands hair and big staring eyes enlarged with his wife's eyeliner, Tim Minchin has made a name for himself as Australia's most ridiculously talented comedian and musician. In what seems like a surprising, but genius, move, he's taking to the road again, but this time he's bringing a 55-piece orchestra with him. Tim Minchin's most well-known songs include the 'Peace Anthem For Palestine,' which implores "if you don't eat pigs and we don't eat pigs why not not eat pigs together," 'Inflatable You,' about a man's love for his inflatable, anatomically correct lady friend, and 'If You Really Loved Me,' which outlines the reasons why real love is letting someone videotape you while you pee. The Sydney Symphony, on the other hand, is generally associated with more civilized fare, and seen by most of us at the free events they put on in the Domain during the summer. So surely, the combination of the two has to be a glorious thing. The show will combine new material that Minchin has specifically written with his orchestra in mind, as well as his more familiar songs. Tickets have been selling fast, and while the Opera House has added some extra dates it's probably a good idea to get in while you can for what will surely be an awesomely funny show. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZGzhutyOMSk
In a land where medieval magicks matter-of-factly smush with select modern technology and Amelia Earhart marks the gap in space-time by voyaging fatefully overhead throughout, a young girl rallies a village to slaughter a beast. They corner it in the forest, tear its young from the womb and feast on its flesh. Unbeknown to them, one orphaned youngster escapes down the canals to mature into bitter, lonely, vengeful adolescence at the bottom of the sea. It believes it's misunderstood and alone, but there may be someone unexpected out there yet who empathises with its plight. In the village, a curse has turned the waters septic, driven the chickens to eat their own eggs and brought misery to all, and all blame Emmeline, the now-outcast girl who slew the monster and turned the tides towards misfortune. There's whimsy, and then there's Nick Coyle. The Pig Island player, Some Film Museums I Have Known hologram and Rommy scribe, so breezily wanders into the bizarre to bring out gems of startling poignancy that he must be a native of that otherworld. This is his smallest of shows — it's just him telling you a story for an hour with fun voices and few props — but it's a great tale and a precious hour. Go on a school night and it'll be the best bedtime story you've had.
Do not rush to judge this blasphemous heathen, good believers; the last person to lie claim to being bigger than Jesus was John Lennon, and, well, he had a point. Bigger Than Jesus is a self-labelled 'multimedia mass' that uses one man and a high-tech toolbox to explore the role religion plays in our lives. Devised by performer Rick Miller and director Daniel Brooks, it is funny while thoughtful, challenging without giving total offence, and even has an eye on stirring interfaith dialogue, having already been performed in five countries and four languages. (You can catch two of these additional languages, French and German, during the Sydney Festival.) Regardless of the traditionally not-suitable-for-convivial-dinner material, you can trust Miller to keep the evening fun. Last seen here in MacHomer, the theatrical marriage of Shakespeare and The Simpsons, he has a singular talent for slipping from character to character and creating a high-octane atmosphere on an otherwise unpeopled stage. This time around, he'll be a sceptical New York Jew, a southern evangelist and, of course, Jesus Christ himself, while a supporting cast of action figures will come to his aid to re-create the Last Supper.
A world-weary aunt cautions her young niece on the power and misuse of her currently profligate shows of affection. A young man letting off steam on a tropical Darwin night holds his best friend's life in his hands. A nobleman's polite courtship of a maiden is upset when a bold ruffian swings through the doors and sweeps her into his arms. A quiet and round-shouldered Russian soldier discovers a world of obsessive fantasy after experiencing his first, accidental moment of intimacy with a woman. Each of these is a short story with the title of The Kiss, written by Guy de Maupassant in 1882, Kate Chopin in 1894, Anton Chekov in 1887 or Peter Goldsworthy in 1999. With its sweet, flirtatious and emotionally charged connotations, the kiss is a subject that can pull a theatre audience close for hours, and Belvoir's The Kiss does for more than two. Director Susanna Dowling has preserved the pieces' original prose, which the performers recite verbatim as they take on its characters (sometimes, with intended farce, more than one in each scene) or stand back as detached narrators. The approach allows the poetry and distinct styles of the four writers to be observed, making this a celebration of authorial idiosyncrasy and bringing a spark that helps sustain the performance. If anything, the reading is a little too flat, with none of the flights of irony or licences with subtext that so distinguish I Only Came to Use the Phone, a concurrent production using the same rare tack. It's also not an ideal curation; you're looking for meaning in the divergences of these texts and their interpretations, but three of the four bear a similar tone and setting (late 19th-century parlour comedy), while Goldsworthy's is wildly different (modern rural Australian drama). Still, the four actors (Catherine Davies, Rita Kalnejais, Yalin Ozucelik and Steve Rodgers) put in strong performances imbibed with their own charms, and although you do start to feel its two-plus hours of narration, this is consistently fun to watch.
Vivid LIVE, the 10-day musical extravaganza that sits under the Vivid Sydney umbrella, is back from from May 25 to June 11 in 2012. Beginning in 2009, each successive instalment of Vivid has seen the sails of the Opera House lit up like a psychadelic rainbow and one super-special person or two curating the festival's musical component. Past curators have included Brian Eno, Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson, and Stephen Pavlovic. This year, however, the idea of musical curator has been done away with, and in 2012 Vivid LIVE will be overseen by Fergus Linehan, head of contemporary music at the Sydney Opera House for the past two years. This year's Vivid LIVE will showcase a specially commissioned new work from Sufjan Stevens (pictured), Bryce Denner of The National and Nico Muhly, a composer who's worked with the likes of Bjork, Grizzly Bear and Anthony & The Johnsons. Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs will perform her 'psycho opera' Stop the Virgens with Yeah Yeah Yeahs bandmates, while Florence and the Machine, The Temper Trap, Janelle Monae and Amon Tobin also grace the House. There'll be a special night for the pop and progressive Modular people and a screening of the LCD Soundsystem doco, Shut Up and Play the Hits, in conjunction with the Sydney Film Festival. See our picks for Vivid Light and Vivid Ideas. https://youtube.com/watch?v=miCbEZt5-18
China sometimes feels a lot further away than geography implies — which makes visiting the White Rabbit a voyage of discovery and viewing its artworks a decoding of foreign communiques. Gallery owners Kerr and Judith Nielson, billionaires who believe art is for sharing, collect Chinese art post-2000 — an era of renaissance without contemporary peer. The Beijing they showcase is full of creatives with immaculate technical training, abundant resources and plenty to say. The Nielsons' handpicked treasures have broad appeal. From the grit and clarity of Wang Jiuliang's Beijing Besieged By Waste photo series, depicting landfills whose effects aren't buried, to the bright neosurrealism of Chen Fei's Beyond Satisfaction 2006 No.2, a stab at the consumer revolution, and He Jia's party of Happy Balloon Men (much like what they sound), the works represent an extraordinary range. They share no one theme, besides their having once called out to their collector, but you'll be struck again and again by the reflections on daily life and identity, the pop culture imagery, the sense of play and the purpose behind even the most abstracted forms. It's art that grabs you and that makes you want to grab it, art that makes you understand the omnipresence of the 'no touching' signs. (Although hover inquisitively and the nice attendant may offer you a feel of a sample of one of Ai Weiwei's individually handcrafted porcelain Sunflower Seeds from a pot beside the 500-kilogram installation.) The third of White Rabbit's six-month-long exhibitions, Big Bang goes to show that its owners' collection, and the creative engine that feeds it, will not idle anytime soon. The art isn't the only attraction, either; this is a slick converted warehouse space that makes the most of its four storeys, whether through the whirlwind of plastic refuse that reaches to the third landing (Wang Zhiyuan's Thrown to the Wind) or the musky, ethereal parchment man that, stretched out, snakes through the roof (Li Hongbo's Paper). The space also boasts a tearoom, a theatrette, some inspired events and generous staff who'll contextualise the work you're viewing without being pesky.
Anything set in the 1960s will draw the inevitable comparison with Mad Men, so let's get it done with in the first sentence: Made in Dagenham shares none of the glamour of that particular zeitgeist-definer, although it does have a charm all of its own. The movie charts the days when if you wanted to stay cool on the factory floor, you stripped down to your drawers, if you wanted to make an announcement, you stood on a chair, and if you wanted to get paid the same amount as a man, you faced derision. It's May 28, 1968, and Rita O'Grady (Sally Hawkins from Happy Go Lucky) is about to get pushed into the sexy, man's world of picketing, negotiating, speechifying and out-quoting Marx in the fight to get equal pay for Britain's women. It's all based on real events in which a group of female sewing machinists began a Ford factory-specific strike to be recognised as skilled workers that turned into a nationwide fight to pass legislation guaranteeing equal pay for equal work. Within a few years, similar laws were being made around the world. To get to that point, Rita and her friends have to outmanoeuvre the Ford bosses (including The West Wing's Richard Schiff) and some easily bought union leaders and get financially strained male and female workers on their side. Fortunately, Rita finds allies across both gender (Bob Hoskins' Albert, her union mentor) and class (Rosamund Pike's Lisa, the privileged but trapped wife of a Ford manager) and potentially in Secretary of State Barbara Castle (Miranda Richardson). Nigel Cole's picture captures the drab honesty of British working-class life in the tradition of Monty Python, although it's nicely pastel-rendered and floral-printed to allow for plenty of nostalgia, comedy and some well-played sentimentality. The movie has a great cast of characters (and actors to fill them) and contains touching moments of solidarity that will leave you longing to stand shoulder to shoulder with something. It's a subject worth documenting and a document worth watching. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Nc20m1JoDsw
If you haven’t been to a famed Pecha Kucha Night yet — title from the Japanese for ‘chitchat’ — Saturday night is your night. Saturday we are Pecha Kucha-ing not just for the symbiotic development of ideas and love-in of aesthetic wonderment, but also for Haiti. You’ve heard it said time and again that what the earthquake-levelled country needs now is money. Even in the midst of uselessness, creepy child-grabbers, and post D–Day horror stories that rob you of naiveté, money still helps. Pecha Kucha’s goal is US$1 million to go to Architecture for Humanity and their efforts to rebuild schools, hospitals, public buildings, and homes. To raise awareness of the ongoing disaster, this adrenalised slide night (featuring presentations by various artists and thought-provokers of 20 images each lasting 20 seconds) is going global. For the first time, all participating cities will join in on the same day, and organisers plan for them to “be connected by a 24-hour PechaKucha presentation WAVE that will gradually move westward city by city, circumnavigating the globe.” Many presentations will directly address the themes of disaster relief; others will be more tangential. It should be Pecha Kucha’s finest night yet.
Shake up your Sunday routine with a bushwalk around Georges Heights in Mosman, from Chowder Bay through the former military barracks and on to Obelisk Beach. Along the way, stop off at Georges Heights Lookout for sweeping views of Sydney from Manly to Vaucluse to the CBD. This is also the site of a former WWI military lookout and hospital, so you'll be able to explore the remaining historic structures. Continue along the path and head up to Frenchy's Cafe to refuel with some French-Aussie fare like quiche and goat's cheese salad. Finish your trek at the nearby Obelisk Beach — one of the only legal nude beaches in the city — for some swimming and sunning. Despite its cult status, this secluded spot is usually rather tranquil, so it's the ideal spot for a post-walk skinny dip with more stunning views over Sydney Harbour. By Yelena Bidé and Quinn Connors.
If there was ever a snack deserving of its own festival, it's surely that most moreish of morsels, the chicken nugget. The craft beer legends at 4 Pines clearly agree, as the brewery's HQ in the Northern Beaches suburb of Brookvale is hosting a free-entry celebration of the humble nuggie in all its glorious forms on Saturday, May 25. From midday onwards, fans of bite-sized chook can get their fill courtesy of a nugget-inspired menu, including nugget tacos, nugget gyros, Impossible plant-based nuggets and nugget-fried chicken burgers. There will also be a dedicated hot sauce station so festivalgoers can pimp their feed with their choice of five spice-laden dips, including the infamous Reaper Dripper. In fact, hot sauce will play the nugget's trusty sidekick throughout the day, as TikTok-famous foodie Issac Eatsalot teams up with the chilli heads at That Hot Sauce Shop to put a nugget-shaped spin on the popular YouTube show The Hot Ones. With dishes creeping up the Scoville scale from tingling to torturous, expect to see Eatsalot sobbing "what do you mean?" (à la Jennifer Lawrence) as he tests his mettle against five scorching dishes, each more fiery than the last. Reckon you could handle the heat? Prove it by heading to the That Hot Sauce Shop's pop-up stall, where an array of mouth-melting condiments will be available for purchase. Daring diners can also throw caution (and their tastebuds) to the wind with a game of Nugget Roulette, letting fate decide whether they chow down on a classic flavour or fall fowl (pun intended) of a chilli-spiked spice bomb. And because everyone knows it's impossible to stop at just one nugget, the fest's open-entry eating contest will challenge Sydney's hungriest nug lovers to scoff as many as they can in just ten minutes. The victor will receive a $200 4 Pines voucher, not to mention eternal glory. Entrants must pre-register to compete via the 4 Pines website. The day's festivities will be set to a pumping soundtrack with rolling DJ sets and live performances from 8pm by Sydney funk-rock trio and Triple J Unearthed artists Cosmix.
When Cake Wines Cellar Door closed down last month, it left a sizeable hole in Redfern's Eveleigh Street Creative Precinct. Thankfully, that gap has now been filled by another of the site's tenants, with Henry Lee's opening a new bar and restaurant. While the existing Henry Lee's cafe is still open for brunch and bites daily until 3pm, its sibling venue now serves up share plates and cocktails from 6pm from Thursday–Sunday. Thanks to a soft opening last week, it's already open and trading, with executive chef Antonio Saco (ex-Merivale) overseeing the kitchen. If you're keen on stopping by for a tipple, the three-page drinks list includes 26 vinos (complete with a couple of Cake Wines' tipples), a range of craft beer and ciders, a small selection of spirits and a ten-strong cocktail offering. It's the latter that's a highlight, especially the margarita with a black salt rim and the rhubarb-infused vodka and tonic. For folks having a few beverages with a friend, there's also an absinthe fountain. Food-wise, Saco's menu features both a cheese-heavy grazing board and a charcuterie board, as well as fresh Coffin Bay oysters served with mirin, lemongrass and sake salsa — or you can munch on garlic labneh with rosemary and olive crumb, raw tuna tostadas with avocado mousse, and three-mushroom ravioli with shaved truffles. As for the small dessert range, it includes a whiskey, hazelnut and macadamia crumble with orange sponge and caramel, plus a combination of lime yoghurt mousse, sweet vegetable coulis, raspberry sponge, meringue and mascarpone ice cream. Showcasing local and passionate producers continues to be one of Henry Lee's aims, so while you're tucking into all of the above, you'll be enjoying bread from Brickfields Bakery, brews from The Grifters Brewing Co and Moo Brew, and gin and vodka from Hartshorn. You'll also be soaking up the bar and restaurant's rustic atmosphere, with Atelier Andy Carson charged with making the most of the building's existing character. Think plenty of light, an undone feel, and the use of construction and industry materials. The venue also celebrates a rotating lineup of artists-in-residence, with Margie Doyle doing the honours first up and creating bespoke pieces for the site's launch. Down the track, Henry Lee's Bar & Dining will also join forces with its courtyard counterpart for boozy brunches, with other events also planned once the weather warms up. And if you fancy taking a few drinks home with you after dinner, the venue also has a hotel license, which means that all of its wines and beers are available to takeaway. Find Henry Lee's Bar & Dining at 16 Eveleigh Creative Precinct, Redfern — open from Thursday–Sunday from 6pm.
Turning your phone off during a movie is cinema etiquette 101. Not kicking the seat in front of you, or talking during the film, or taking in food with aromas so pungent they stink out the whole theatre — they're all on the list as well. Usually, so is wearing clothes; however, the returning Fantastic Film Festival Australia is making attire optional for one of its 2022 sessions. One of Australia's film fests dedicated to weird and wonderful cinema — a tranche of flicks so glorious that several events celebrate them — FFFA is back for another year, screening at the Ritz Cinema in Randwick from Thursday, April 21–Friday, May 6. It has just unveiled its full 2022 lineup, too, and its naked screening certainly deserves attention. The fest debuted the concept last year, and it's bringing it back this year. Even better: you'll be getting your kit off to mark the 25th anniversary of The Full Monty. Stripping off while seeing a classic movie about men stripping isn't the only highlight of this year's program, of course — and yes, if you want to see Robert Carlyle and company while remaining dressed, you can leave your hat on (and the rest of your clothing as well). The attire-optional session sits alongside other standouts such as opening night's viking epic The Northman, starring Alexander Skarsgård and Nicole Kidman, and directed by The Witch and The Lighthouse's Robert Eggers; closing night's New York Ninja, which was shot in 1984, only finished in 2021 and follows a vigilante tale; and a 4K restoration of the inimitable 1981 great Possession starring a young Sam Neill and always-wonderful Isabelle Adjani (The World Is Yours). In total, 22 features and eight shorts and special events sit on this lineup of strange, surreal, out-there and purposely offbeat flicks. We're All Going to the World's Fair arrives from Sundance, combining psychological horror with a coming-of-age story — and a storyline about an online roleplaying game — while French film After Blue is a sci-fi western fantasy about a mother and daughter tracking a killer in toxic forests. There's also indie animation Absolute Denial, which has been compared to Frankenstein but in a digital world; Agnes, which explores a case of demonic possession in a convent; Japan's Dreams on Fire, featuring acclaimed dancer Bambi Naka in her first lead role; Norwegian nightmare The Innocents, as directed by The Worst Person in the World co-writer Eskil Vogt; and The Timekeepers of Eternity, which is adapted from Stephen King novella The Langoliers.
We picked Steen in our top ten last year and he thoroughly deserves his spot on our list again. In the past year he has gained international fame, having been nominated for the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe Best Newcomer award before returning home with his brand new show and getting nominated for MICF’s Barry Award. He’s likely to take out another Sydney Comedy Festival award to go with his 2013 Best Newcomer trophy, so make sure you catch him before he’s crushed by silverware. This is one of our top picks of the Sydney Comedy Festival. Check out our full top ten.
Love wine? Then, boy, have we got some good news. This November, you can score a bottle of vino for as little as $8.50 a pop — and we're talking about the good stuff, too. All you have to do is head to online wine-slinger Vinomofo to purchase it and it'll get delivered straight to your doorstep. The catch? You've only got a couple of days to nab it. For the uninitiated, Vinomofo is a Melbourne-based online wine retailer that caters to vino lovers around the world. So it's safe to say it knows what it's doing when it comes to grape juice. From noon on Tuesday, November 10 (AEDT) till midnight Thursday, November 12 (AEDT), Vinomofo is hosting a Click Frenzy Sale, selling more than 100 wines at affordable prices, so you can stock up for summer. Think picnic-perfect Provence rosé, rich Barossa shiraz for red lovers and Clare Valley riesling that makes for an ideal, crisp afternoon tipple — which you can score at up to 70 percent off. Shipping for all orders purchased in that time period will be free, too. Score epic wine deals via Vinomofo's Click Frenzy Sale — for a limited time only.
A fourth birthday celebration is usually populated with such delights as creaming soda, snakes and frogs, awkward family photos, at least one pair of skinned knees, and a Woman’s Day swimming pool cake. But we have a feeling that Oxford Art Factory will be in a decidedly more debaucherous mood for their Big Four. Since they opened their doors in 2008, the Oxford Art Factory has played host to a mess of memories - seeing the stage lit up with Neil Finn's Pajama Club, the first Falling Joys show in 15 years and a solo record launch from The Birthday Partys Mick Harvey, amongst others. And the Gallery Bar has had its walls brushed over with some incredible art more times than we can count. Entry is free on the night, with the drinks flowing freely until the last drop runs out (so you won’t have to chug a bottle of Passion Pop in the back alley beforehand). Then enjoy the massive lineup: Deep Sea Arcade, Step-Panther, Betty Airs, Peppercorn, Rockets, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Mother & Son, The James Manson Blues Band and The Faults, plus Friday I’m In Love and OAF Gallery Bar DJs. Put on your prettiest and enjoy the revelry – and remember, pics or it didn’t happen.
Future Archaeology, opening just shy of November, is an exciting showcase of work from early and mid-career artists. Future Archaeology pinpoints moments of disruption, taking the somewhat antiquated discipline of archaeology and transforming it into a complex picture of social and political movements throughout Asia and the Middle East. The big themes driving this show are migration, cultural displacement and appropriation. Future Archaeology will present work from Léuli Eshraghi, Nathan Beard, Deanna Hitti, Abdullah M.I. Syed, Andy Mullen, and Claudia Nicholson. Each artist will grapple with a unique sociopolitical phenomenon, whether it is the widespread impact of deforestation in Central America of the fraught concept of masculinity in Pakistan. One of the aims of the exhibition is to rouse cross-cultural and transnational conversation. Image: Claudia Nicholson, Baby I Would Climb the Andes (2014).
The name might be staying the same, but change is afoot at Summer Hill's old flour mill in Sydney's inner west. In the 1920s, it was a hub of industry. In the 1950s, the towering silos became part of the skyline. By the time the space marks its centenary, it will have well and truly transformed into a residential and retail hub with its own foodie precinct. Currently under construction, stage two of the Flour Mill of Summer Hill will boast a village-like community space around a paved outdoor plaza filled with a curated mix of eating, dining and shopping options. Full details have yet to be revealed, but the project — to be housed in the Mungo Scott building — has just announced its first addition: natural food retailer The Farm Wholefoods, who'll be bringing their ethically sourced and ecologically sustainable food fare to a new organic cafe. Plus, with 14 buildings making up the development — which has been designed to repurpose as much of the existing industrial site as possible — they'll have plenty of company. As well as other restaurants, cafes and stores, the revamped space will feature 360 apartments (including some built into the wheat silos) and park areas, plus close proximity to Summer Hill's existing shops.
In a darkened room, points of light flicker across a screen. Abstract sound, like the lights, darts through the silence. The points of light gradually transform into streets, empty nighttime streets, which we move through in a constant stream of images. With the light from the screen, we can make out two figures in front of us, sitting in chairs at each end of the screen and looking firmly ahead of them. After a time, they speak. In turns, they tell us their stories. From the start, intertwined, they talk from the moment it happened and reach into the future, from the certainty of the disappearance into their uncertain future. The Disappearances Project speaks of the unexpected disappearances of loved ones from the words of those left behind. Video and performance both trace a carefully constructed narrative but one that is not immediately obvious to the watcher. Specific case references are there but deliberately blurred, switched. Genders, relations, locations change, heightening the sense of disorientation and confusion already present in the subject matter. Version One Point Zero's approach to the material, as we would expect, strikes right at the heart of the matter. The text has been assembled from more or less renowned cases, drawing on writings, case studies and interviews. The accumulation of stories spoken, combined with the relentlessly trawling visuals, builds into a dull ache with salient moments that take the observer by surprise. This is a departure from media treatment of such cases, a sensationalised 'whodunnit' style which assumes an outcome. Instead, this performance holds in focus those who remain in the unknowing, unresolved between. The ones who remain always wondering. It is a strangely moving production, delivering not quite what we initially want from it but perhaps something much more. Part of Performance Space's Uneasy Futures season, this is an exceptionally offering from one of Australia's most exciting theatre collectives. Being presented absolutely free (though remember to RSVP), it's hard to find a reason not to attend. Image: courtesy of Version One Point Zero
Thanks to a distinctive sound akin to acts like The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem and Joy Division Sydney indie-rockers Nantes have had a highly successful past year, with tonnes of gigs and a critically acclaimed debut EP. Now, with all that to boost them on, the band are back with a new single, Unsatisfy, and an accompanying east coast tour. The Satisfy The Unsatisfied Tour will see Nantes draw upon a wealth of gigging experience gained from supporting bands like Does It Offend You Yeah? and Manchester Orchestra to promote a track filled with dense rhythmic motives and their trademark , soaring choruses. Alongside Unsatisfy, Nantes will also be showcasing new material currently being recorded for their forthcoming debut album. https://youtube.com/watch?v=-_RXwT7jgGk
Ah, the annual festival of all things Italian — just when I thought I was out, they dragged me back in. Sunday, October 27 marks the day of celebration for the nation that brought us Julius Caesar, prosecco and Dario Argento. This year's incarnation of the street fair is a special one though, as it's celebrating 33 years of the exultation of Mediterranean multiculturalism. As per usual though, Norton Street will be lined with food vendors ranging from nonnas to professional culinary wizards. The big communal table will be back, and the Royal Hotel's verandah will be in full swing throughout the afternoon. There'll be entertainment, beverages, fashion and the Auto Festa, with as many Ferraris and Lambos as you can shake a cannoli at. Norton Street Italian Festa runs from 10am–5pm.
Spring is here and the Icebergs team want you to be aware of this fact sooner rather than later. So, Maurice Terzini and Giovanni Paradiso have yet again pulled their mighty hospo weights to bring you a fifth incarnation of Italo Dining and Disco Club. For one long, balmy evening on Thursday, October 13, Icebergs will be flooded with all things Italo in an event that's part-dinner, part-bar and part-disco. On the menu, you'll find Italian cocktails, like the Contratto Spritz, as well as a slew of street festival-style dishes. The two restaurateurs will combine the kitchens of four of their venues — Icebergs, Da Orazio Pizza + Porchetta, Fratelli Paradiso and 10 William Street. Meanwhile, the dance floor will be drawing inspiration from — you guessed it — Italo disco. International acts Mike Simonetti (who co-founded the label Italians do it Better)Stefano Pierozzi will be flying direct from NYC and Rome respectively to Bondi to keep you moving. After all, Terzini and Paradiso are old hands at this Italo thing, having previously delivered it at Grace Jones' Vivid pre- and post-show parties, Gourmet Traveller's awards, Warner Music's post-ARIA shindig and The Island's summer party. Tickets are $150 and include all food and drinks from 7pm until midnight.
A very unconventional coffee shop is coming to Newtown for two days at the end of March. Alternate milk brand Minor Figures will be opening a pop-up cafe where the patrons have to climb inside a carton to order a free latte. Across Thursday, March 30 and Friday, March 31, a Minor Figures Barista Oat M*lk carton will be set up in front of a two-level terrace house on King Street. Anyone who enters can climb up and poke their head out of the carton's nozzle where they'll be greeted by a barista serving up free oat lattes. Each coffee will be made using Sample Coffee's Pacemaker Espresso blend as well as Minor Figures Barista Oat, of course. The peculiar pop-up will be open 7am–3pm each day at 424 King Street, Newtown, directly across the road from Repressed Records and Maiz. If you get lost, just venture south down the bustling Inner West street and you should be able to spot the giant carton of oat milk.
Ever so slightly east of central Sydney, Darlinghurst blends the hustle and bustle of busy Sydney life with refined urban charm and the occasional flair of extravagance, making it a mecca for style, cuisine and culture. It's easy to spend a day getting lost wandering through the suburb, and it's even easier to indulge a little while you're doing it. From bars with funky natural wines and hard-to-find craft beers to vintage stores filled with preloved (but very luxe) designer gems, Darlinghurst is packed with ways to treat yourself — and perhaps a lucky mate, too, since its always more fun to splash out with someone by your side. We've teamed up with craft beer haven Bitter Phew to put together a list of top spots to go in the neighbourhood when you want to spend that hard-earned cash on something a little bit special.
As COVID-19 continues to affect daily life in Australia, a whole host of regular activities have come to a pause. For Melburnians, heading to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image's home away from home at The Capitol for Melbourne Cinémathèque's weekly sessions is one such shuttered event, with screenings suspended for the time being — so ACMI and Melbourne Cinémathèque are going virtual. Available to movie buffs everywhere — not just in Melbourne — Virtual Cinémathèque will host weekly sessions from Wednesday, March 25. Cinephiles, folks looking for something to watch in self-isolation and everyone who has exhausted their Netflix queue can expect double bills showcasing both new and old movies, as linked by a common director, performer or theme. The folks at ACMI and Melbourne Cinémathèque will be on curation duty and, where possible, they'll be accompanying each week's lineup with introductions and further information about the films showing — just as Melbourne Cinémathèque usually does at its in-person events. They'll also do their best to pick flicks available on free and easily accessible platforms, so getting your movie fix won't cost you a cent. For details of what's on each week, keep an eye on ACMI and Melbourne Cinémathèque's social media channels. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
Modern Bondi is the epicentre of all the latest health-food trends, so the desire for fresh and minimal intervention produce is in high demand. This is why Nio and Tony's is legendary in the area — the neighbourhood store has provided the goods since 1976, growing from a humble fruit and veg stall into a famously family-run grocery on Campbell Parade. Right by the beach at North Bondi, you can affordably fill a picnic basket with its carefully selected produce and skip down to the water in mere minutes. Live your best life — the locals do every day.
After a funding dispute resulted in the cancellation of Corroboree Sydney, the fate of the Black Arts Market was up in the air. But, luckily, Carriageworks came to the rescue, and has given the Indigenous arts market a new home at their Eveleigh site this November. Featuring 55 stallholders and 93 Aboriginal artists from Australia's southeast region, the two-day market is a showcase of the cultural heritage of southeastern Aboriginal Australia. The market itself has been curated by former curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art at the Art Gallery of New South Wales Hetti Perkins, and Sydney-based Aboriginal multimedia artist Jonathan Jones. According to Perkins and Jones, the market "showcases artists who have transformed their traditional knowledge and skills into contemporary artworks and products of wonderful and inspiring diversity". It will feature 55 stallholders, including shell artist Esme Timbery (whose work earned her the inaugural Parliament of New South Wales Indigenous Art Prize back in 2005), Aboriginal florist Flannel Billy, who will be creating native floral arrangements on-site, and Uncle Greg Simms, who'll demonstrate wood carving techniques. Visitors will have the opportunity to interact with the artists and learn about southeast Australian Indigenous cultural practices, as well as purchase works, which will include homewares, ceramics, weavings and contemporary visual arts. Local Indigenous students from Alexandria Park Community School and Darlington Public School have also collaborated with established artists to create a Welcome to Country book and a collection of contemporary rugs called the Jarjums Collection, respectively. The Black Arts Market will take place at Carriageworks on November 12-13. For more information, visit carriageworks.com.au.
In the lead-up to Sydney's inevitable lockdown extension, the New South Wales and Federal Government announced new financial support packages to assist individuals and businesses impacted by the lockdown. The packages included assistance for individuals, small businesses and sole traders who have lost income, as well as renters struggling to pay their bills. While the financial support on offer is quite far-reaching, it can feel a little daunting deciphering if (and where) you fit into it all. So, here's an easy-to-read overview of all the support on offer across NSW and Greater Sydney if you've been financially impacted by the latest lockdown. EMPLOYEES Individuals can apply for COVID-19 Disaster Payments through the Services Australia website as of Wednesday, July 13. The joint plan between the federal and state government means individuals who have lost between eight and 20 hours of work due to stay-home orders can access recurring payments of $375 a week from July 15 for parts of Sydney, and July 18 onwards for people in Greater Sydney. Those who have lost more than 20 hours can access payments of up to $600. There are a few eligibility rules, for example, you must be an Australian resident or on an eligible work visa, over the age of 17 and not on an income support payment like JobSeeker or Youth Allowance. Head to Services Australia for more information, but keep in mind that the opportunity to submit your first period of claims (July 1–July 7) closes on Wednesday, July 28. [caption id="attachment_817711" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Arvin Prem Kumar[/caption] SMALL BUSINESSES From Monday, July 19 businesses, sole traders and not-for-profits can apply for grants of up to $15,000. There are three grants available, $7,500 for a decline in revenue of 30 percent or more, $10,500 for a decline of 50 percent or more, or $15,000 for a decline of 70% or more. The full eligibility for these grants will be available later in the week. Microbusinesses with a revenue of between $30,00–75,000 that have seen a loss of at least 30 percent are eligible for up to $1500 a fortnight, applicable from the beginning of lockdown. Applications for these support payments will open from Monday, July 26. On the same day, the Saving Jobs scheme designed to minimise jobs and hours lost to the lockdown will also be rolled out. The scheme will offer businesses with a turnover of between $75,000 and $50 million payments of $1500–10,000 to keep people in jobs if they've experienced a downturn in profits of 30 percent or more. If you run a business that doesn't employ others, you may be eligible for payments of $1000 a week to keep you afloat. RENTERS AND HOMEOWNERS Renters are being given greater protection during Sydney's lockdown, in an attempt to soften the blow of lost hours and jobs. A freeze on evictions has been implemented — meaning nobody can be evicted between now and Saturday, September 11. Services NSW has a series of resources for struggling tenants that may need a rent reduction or a pause on any evictions due to income loss. Landlords have also been provided with an incentive to lower rent prices during the lockdown, with residential landlords that lower the price of rent for tenants impacted by the lockdown eligible to apply for grants of up to $1500 or reduced land taxes, equal to the value of rent reductions provided to tenants. The full details of this grant will be available soon on the NSW Government website. [caption id="attachment_720224" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud[/caption] THE ARTS INDUSTRY The NSW Government has announced a $75 million support package for the performing arts and live music industry. Applications will be open from Thursday, July 23 through the Create NSW website for not-for-profit and commercial performing arts organisations, as well as live music organisations that have been impacted by canceled shows. The funding is designed to keep people in the sector employed and help organisations keep the lights on. It will be delivered in two stages, an initial immediate relief payment to any organisation that had shows or performances booked during the lockdown, and a secondary package to help organisations reschedule shows. Any artist or crew worker who has lost work due to the lockdown, not-for-profit Support Act is also offering a helping hand. Support Act is offering one-off grants of $2000, or $2700 to families with dependant children, to musicians and crew members that have been financially impacted by the lockdown in order to help soften the blow of lost gigs and shifts. The organisation also offers financial relief to members of the music and arts community that are unable to work due to injury or illness, and a Mental Health First Aid program to assist those struggling with their mental health. If you're still confused, we recommend heading to the Service NSW website where you can look around the 2021 COVID-19 Support Package page or input your details into the COVID-19 Assistance Finder. Member for Sydney Alex Greenwich also has a page full of helpful resources. Top image: Cassandra Hannagan
Owners of The Taphouse — one of Sydney's most awarded craft beer venues — brothers James and Josh Thorpe know a thing or two about running a specialist beer house. And with this wealth of experience in mind, the duo has announced the arrival of their latest venture, Odd Culture. Opening on The Taphouse's second level, Odd Culture will be an adaptive drinking experience with a rotating menu of Australia's finest craft beers and natural wines. From twenty beers on tap to twelve wines and Australia's largest bottle list of wild ales and sour beers (over 100), there'll be something new to drink every time you drop in. When the doors open, some of the taps that will greet you include a wild fermented cherry ale from Marrickville's Wildflower Brewing and Blending, Wild Cider from Tasmania's acclaimed Two Metre Tall and Garage Project's Dinky Pinky Rhubarb and Strawberry barrel-aged sour. After the brothers bought The Taphouse in 2017, they carried on the venue's already established reputation as one of Sydney's best spots to try out the best of independent Australian beers. Similarly, Odd Culture aims to provide an accessible space that'll also stays respectful to the art of beer brewing. The long list of beers and wines are complemented by cocktails — such as Odd Culture's signature Sour Negroni, made with house-made tart vermouth — sodas from PS40 and a neat lineup of snacks. Food is antipasto-led and will also rotate, with a "revolving door" of cheese, cured meats and tinned seafoods on offer. If you're looking for something heartier, burgers and toasties on thick-cut sourdough are available, too. At Odd Culture, beers connoisseurs will feel at home with the venue taking its cues from historic beer and wine farmhouses. Peeling back the existing paint, subtle colours emerge while rustic antique furnishings fill out the space. Those looking to expand their beer knowledge can join fortnightly meet-and-greets with brewers and winemakers, the first one being held with Konpira Maru Wine's Alastair Reed and Bridge Road Brewers' head brewer James Dittko on Wednesday, August 15. Showcasing a diverse selection of wild fermented ales, sour beers, and natural and sustainable wines, the drinks list is a collaboration between two widely respected beer nerds Jordan Blackman (Chin Chin, Ananas) and Tom Evans (ex Royal Albert, Wayward). There's no printed tap or wine list, but once you arrive, there's little chance you're going home disappointed. Find Odd Culture at Level 2, The Taphouse, 122 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst. It is open from 5pm–midnight Mon–Wed, 5pm–1am Thur, 12pm–1am Fri–Sat, and 12p–11pm Sun. Images: Jasper Avenue
Thanks to winter festivals, pop-up ice skating rinks and mulled wine, there are no longer any excuses to stay glued to the couch when the going gets cold. In fact, it's the ideal time to make a sneaky weekend getaway to cosy lodgings. If you're looking for a spot that isn't too far away yet offers adventure aplenty, then go for a staycation at one of the AccorHotels nearby in Parramatta, just 25 kilometres west of the Sydney CBD. Skip the traffic by catching a train or ferry, then divide your weekend between wandering along the Parramatta riverfront, feasting on authentic international fare, strolling in bush-tucker gardens and drinking creative cocktails. EAT AND DRINK For one of the best brekkies in town, claim a table on Circa Espresso's sunny terrace — or the lamp-lit, book-filled back room. Among the Middle Eastern-inspired offerings are Ottoman eggs with crumbed eggplant, garlic labneh, burnt chilli, sage butter and seeded sourdough. The coffee is roasted in small batches: Three Ropes — a buttery, chocolatey blend of Colombian, Guatemalan and Peruvian beans — or a single origin. Other spots for a good morning brew and bite are White Henry Espresso, tucked away in Fire Horse Lane and country farmhouse-esque Paper Plane, which serves up Little Marionette coffee. Come lunch or dinner time, head to hybrid eatery-retail space Butter. Yep, this is the sibling of the Surry Hills original, but it's twice the size. Stay downstairs for fried chicken, Champagne and hip-hop; head upstairs for sneakers, hoodies, caps, socks and bags. Another couple of inner-city favourites to have set up digs in Parramatta are BL Burgers and Neil Perry's Burger Project. For a more local experience, try dining at Temasek. Prepare to queue for a table — foodies pack out this friendly, no-frills eatery for excellent Malaysian and Singaporean dishes, from laksa to nasi goreng. Meanwhile, just one train station — or five minutes' drive — away is Harris Park's cornucopia of Indian restaurants, where Chatkazz does tasty, affordable, vegetarian street food and Not Just Curries, an array of regional dishes from all over India. Or, for something fancier, head to 350 Restaurant and Bar, the refined offering within the Novotel Sydney Parramatta, for a three-parter of blue swimmer crab with sweet corn veloute, Cape Grim beef cheeks and Frangelico panna cotta. It's recently nabbed a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, which goes to the spots with the top user reviewers. A couple of sweet spots for pre-dinner bevvies are ALEX&Co., whose cocktail bar overlooks Parramatta River, and the Riverside Brewing Company, which offers an ideal winter beer in the chocolatey Eighty-Eight Robust Porter. Note that the cellar door is only open Friday and Saturday, 2pm—6pm. After dinner, swing by Uncle Kurt's, a street art-plastered small bar hidden away in a car park that feels as though it's straight out of Brooklyn and where head bartender Alex Colman makes every cocktail from scratch. Among his winter-friendly signature creations is the Westside, a heartening concoction of kaffir lime leaf-infused gin, yellow chartreuse, citrus, sugar snap peas, honey and ginger. DO Parramatta knows how to throw a festival just as well as the Sydney CBD. Coming up from October 9–12 is Parramatta Lanes, which takes over the area's laneways, plazas and hidden nooks. Roam the night and you might stumble across bands, street eats, pop-up bars, projections, glowing sculptures and interactive art installations.Before or after, book a ticket to a show at Riverside Theatres — the diverse program features everything from political satire to orchestral performances. During the day, Parramatta's surprisingly bushy outdoors offer stacks of escapades. To immerse yourself in Indigenous culture, head to Parramatta Park, where the Burramatta Aboriginal Landscape Trail travels through terrain that's been regenerated to reflect its state before European arrival. Meanwhile, among Parramatta Lake's 73 hectares of bushland, you'll find the Arrunga Bardo Bush Food Garden, crowded with edible and medicinal plants. Need to get warm? Jump on your bike and conquer one of Parramatta's many and varied cycle paths. The Heritage Ride takes in 27 historical spots; the Parramatta Park Ride is an easy, 3.5-kilometre loop through greenery; and the riverside route travels (mostly) along the waterfront to Sydney Olympic Park. If you have more of a lazy winter weekender in mind, then head to the Wentworth Atelier, a revamped Victorian terrace, for a blow dry or hot towel shave — with a top-shelf whiskey — at Dapper & Doll or to get measured up for a shirt or suit at the old-school Tailor & Co. SLEEP When you're on a wintry break, sleeping over in a snug spot is half the fun. For a stay right on the river — and just a minute's walk from the CBD — check into the Novotel Sydney Parramatta. The 4.5-star digs vary from Standard Rooms with queen or twin beds to Spa Suites with jacuzzis, but all come with massive windows that let in buckets of winter sunshine and splashes of earthy colours. There's an on-site gym, steam room, outdoor pool, restaurant and bar. For a more affordable option, book a room at the Mercure Sydney Parramatta, right near Rosehill Gardens Racecourse. You can count on a spacious, peaceful room, plus there's a tennis court, outdoor pool and the M Restaurant and Bar, serving contemporary Australian cuisine. Go to the AccorHotels website to book your stay in Parramatta, and to discover more of NSW, swing by Visit NSW.
UPDATE: 1.19PM, MARCH 29 — Staff have returned to Sydney Airport's Air Traffic Control Tower and all arrivals and departures have resumed. Head to your airline's website to check on the status of your flight. Have an interstate — or overseas — getaway planned for this weekend? Prepare for some possible flight delays and cancellations. A fire at Sydney Airport led to a temporary full ground stop — with no aircraft departing or arriving at midday on Friday, March 29. Air Services Australia reported that the Sydney Air Traffic Control Tower had been evacuated after smoke was detected in the building. While there's no further information as to the extent of the fire at this point, at 12.17pm, the Sydney Airport reported that some arrivals were being processed — but still no planes were leaving. https://twitter.com/AirservicesNews/status/1111437366156115969 With Fridays being one of the busiest days for Sydney Airport, this could lead to delays throughout the afternoon and, possibly, into the weekend. Passengers are being advised to check the status of their flight with their airline. We'll update you as soon as we know more and when services resume. For more updates, head to the Air Services Australia Twitter or to the relevant airline website.
The Central Coast is set to gain a massive new hospitality precinct thanks to Australian entrepreneur extraordinaire John Singleton. He's done much to develop the high-end hospitality scene on the Central Coast, with his ventures include the award-winning Pretty Beach House and Bells at Killcare Boutique Hotel. Next to receive the Singleton treatment is Gosford's 14-storey Bonython Tower — a luxury waterfront mixed-use building at Point Frederick, in which Singleton will open a new six-in-one venue offering. The Bon Pavilion is slated to open mid-April. Longtime hospitality partners Brian and Karina Barry (Pokolbin Hunter Valley Resort) will get in on the action, having also joined Singleton on Bells at Killcare, Pretty Beach House and the Bluetongue Brewery. In the kitchen is celebrity executive chef Sean Connolly, who is best known locally as the man behind The Morrison Bar and Oyster Room, but also operates highly lauded venues in Byron Bay, Auckland, Adelaide and Dubai. Connolly is all about ethically sourced produce and simple food done well, which will of course be on display across Bon Pavilion's many offerings. And we mean many. The enormous pavilion is split between six 'zones', each with a distinct offering. First up there's Bonfire, the venue's main dining room, which'll open for lunch and dinner — think freshly shucked oysters, seasonal fish and premium cuts of steak, plus an extensive wine list with a strong focus on Hunter Valley drops. For even more wine, head to the Bon Vin cellar door, which'll offer up premium wines from around the globe — including Australia, New Zealand, France, Italy, Spain and South America — with bottles ranging from $38 to a whopping $750. Then there's Bon Bar, open from midday until midnight, and slinging Australian and international craft beer on tap, a wide range of spirits and seasonal cocktails, plus late-night bar snacks. For more casual fare, Bon Bon Espresso offers breakfast and lunch, along with a selection signature cocktails and house wines — a clear theme across the board. There's also separate private dining and function rooms for booking. Speaking of a many hats, Connolly is also the space's creative director and will be responsible for the fit-out, alongside design practice Alexander & Co. The firm's resume boasts The Imperial Erskineville, Park House, Stanton & Co and The Sheaf, along with The Morrison and Connolly's venues in Dubai and Adelaide. The Bon Pavilion will open mid-April at 159 Mann Street, Gosford. Keep an eye on this space for updates closer to opening. Images: Jacs Powell Photography.
Having just reopened earlier this month, Merivale's The Royal in Bondi wasn't quite ready in time to take part in the group's Bottoms Up, Sydney campaign, where each of the group's venues slashed its drinks by 49 percent from 5–7pm daily across the entire month of June. But that doesn't mean the eastern suburbs pub has missed out on the happy hour fun completely — instead, The Royal will be hosting its own (almost) half-price happy hour — Bottoms Up, Bondi — offering the same 49 percent off daily deal throughout October. Head in from 5–7pm any day next month to score some very impressive savings on all cocktails, beer, spirits, wine and Champagne, as the pub sets out to cement itself as a favourite in the hearts of thirsty locals. The pub, which has been kicking around in some capacity since 1907, was acquired by Merivale late last year and is now pouring a hefty range of booze for just about every palate and budget. Swing by to get your nearly half-price kicks with a summery daiquiri, an espresso martini on tap, an interesting bottle of natural wine, or even something bubbly, celebratory and French. The Royal's attached retail offering The Bottle Shop has also reopened, and the pub's restaurant and courtyard will be back in action by summer, playing host to an exciting yet-to-be-announced food pop-up for the sunny season. Find The Royal at 283 Bondi Road, Bondi. It's open 10am–midnight, Mon–Sat and 10am–10pm, Sun. Bottoms Up, Bondi will run from 5–7pm daily for all of October.
Fridays are great, except for when your morning trip to work takes much longer than expected. That's the scenario many Sydney commuters faced this morning — Friday, August 23 — when the train network was hit by major delays because of a mechanical issue at Town Hall. As it turns out, it was quite the issue as the delays are set to continue into the evening commute. Make sure your phone's got a lot of juice — or you've at least got a book with you — because Transport for NSW is currently reporting major delays on the T1 North Shore and Western Line, T2 inner West and Leppington Line, T3 Bankstown Line, T4 Eastern Suburbs and Illawarra Line, T8 Airport and South Line and T9 Northern Line. Yep, that's six out of nine inner city train lines. If you're heading out of town this evening, you should be ok unless you're planning to jump on the Central Coast to Newcastle train — that one has been hit by big delays, too. This morning's incident continues to delay our services into this afternoon's peak. The Rail Operations Centre is working on a plan to run a frequent service on all lines. Please consider travelling home earlier/later or delay any non-essential travel. Updates to follow. pic.twitter.com/EfFeOpiB4l — Trains Info (@TrainsInfo) August 23, 2019 Travellers are being advised to either leave work early, head home later or avoid travelling at all if possible. You'll definitely need to allow plenty of extra time for travel, and make sure you listen to announcements and check indicator boards as trains may have altered stopping patterns. At the moment, the delays don't seem to have hit buses, so, if you're travelling to or from North Sydney you could try the 290, M20, 343 or 263. This morning saw long lines for buses, though, so you can probably expect the same to happen in the after-work rush. The delays come after trains were stopped between Town Hall and North Sydney for over three hours while an electrical crew worked to repair a loose hatch on a train, which was close to overhead wiring. While the mechanical issue was repaired at around 8.45am, but the flow-on effect has been huge. Here are some pictures of just how close this hatch was to 1500 volts of overhead wiring today. It appears that something has struck this hatch prior to arriving at Town Hall. We're investigating. As you can understand, we needed to isolate the power before starting repairs. pic.twitter.com/Px3YkkPDck — Trains Info (@TrainsInfo) August 23, 2019 To stay up-to-date with delays, check the Transport for NSW website and real-time apps. Image: This line for buses at Newtown Station this morning, by Quinn Connors.
Fridays are great, except for when your morning trip to work takes much longer than expected. That's the scenario many Sydney commuters are facing this Friday, August 23, as the train network is hit by major delays because of a mechanical issue at Town Hall. No trains were running between Town Hall and North Sydney for over three hours while an electrical crew worked to repair a loose hatch on a train, which was close to overhead wiring. While the mechanical issue was repaired at around 8.45am, the partial T1 line closure has caused heavy delays across the T2 Inner West & Leppington, T3 Bankstown, T8 Airport & South Lines and T9 Northern Lines. https://twitter.com/T1SydneyTrains/status/1164658072255631360 Commuters travelling from the city to North Sydney are being told to catch buses 290, M20, 343 or 263 from Town Hall. Special charter buses are also running from Clarence Street at Wynard Station, stopping at Milsons Point and North Sydney Stations. Travellers on the T2, T3, T8 and T9 lines are being told to allow for plenty of extra travel, listen to announcements and check indicator boards. Commuters on the ground in the inner west are reporting extremely long lines for buses as commuters avoid the train. [caption id="attachment_738837" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Quinn Connors[/caption] To stay up-to-date with delays, check the Transport for NSW website and real-time apps.
If you experienced lauded director Barry Jenkins' last film Moonlight, then you would know that he's able to load his movies up with an emotional punch like no one else can. And if you believe the early reviews for his latest production If Beale Street Could Talk, this time around could possibly be even more powerful. Starring Kiki Layne as Tish and Stephan James as Fonny, this adaptation of James Baldwin's acclaimed novel is a love story set within the bustling world of 1970s New York. As the leading couple fall in love and come to expect their first child, their promising future is left in tatters when Fonny is arrested for a crime he didn't commit. Elegantly adapting Baldwin's celebrated portrayal of black America, the three-time Academy Award-nominated Jenkins offers up a cinematically stunning masterpiece that considers the power of love and family alongside a razor-sharp social commentary. Currently sitting at a 94% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it seems like Jenkins has produced yet another massive success. You can catch his latest flick nationwide from Thursday, February 14 — be sure to check out the trailer here beforehand. But if you can't wait until Thursday, we've got our hands on a bunch of double passes to the preview screening at Palace Central Cinemas on Wednesday, February 13. To be in with a chance, enter with your details below. [competition]707652[/competition]
Over the last 19 years, Kylie Kwong's semi-eponymous Billy Kwong has not only fed a lot of Sydneysiders — it's been an integral part of the evolution of Sydney's dining scene. While diners have been chowing down on the restaurant's crispy saltbush cakes and steamed warrigal greens dumplings, other spots in the city — and the country — have too embraced locally grown foods, ethical practices and native Australian ingredients. So it's no small deal that the restaurant is closing. Kwong has today announced that, as she approaches her 50th birthday this year, she will close her Chinese-Australian restaurant forever. It's set to stop service in the coming months. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs64b5tDDej/ It's not all bad news, though. The closure of Billy Kwong will make way for a brand new Sydney restaurant from the chef and restaurateur. Kwong has revealed that she will open a "completely new dining concept" in collaboration with Adelaide furniture designer Khai Liew that celebrates her "unwavering love of food, family and connection to the broader community at large". While details are still vague, this new restaurant will be more casual and smaller in size than Billy Kwong. Kwong first opened Billy Kwong on Crown Street with Bill Granger back in 2000. She soon bought him out and later, in 2014, partnered with restaurateur David King to move the restaurant into a bigger (and grander) space in Potts Point. It's since become a Macleay Street mainstay and many loyal locals will be sad to see the restaurant — as well as Kwong, who is regularly seen on the floor with her long-serving restaurant manager Kin Chen — go. A closing date has not been set as the team is waiting to secure a new tenant for the space first. We'll let you know when the restaurant's last service is announced, along with any info on Kwong's new venture. Find Billy Kwong at 28 Macleay Street, Potts Point. It will be service as usual for the time being, with dinner running every night of the week as well as lunch on Sundays.
This is your annual opportunity to show your ma how much she means to you. And there's no better way to do that than with an unexpected adventure. Ditch your usual local this Sunday, May 12 and take mum somewhere she's never been before — whether that's a decadent lunch and show at the Opera House or a special screening at Golden Age. All kinds of mums — from artists and foodies to feminists and philanthropists — are covered on this list, as is the entire spectrum of budgets. Organising Mother's Day doesn't get any easier. EAT A MOUNTAIN OF DESSERTS AT KOI If your mum's a sweet tooth, then this one's for her. For the second year running, Koi Dessert Bar will be hosting a Mother's Day high tea on the Saturday and Sunday at both its Chippo and Ryde locations. Think three tiers of Koi's stunning treats and as much tea and coffee as you can drink, for $75 a head. There'll be two savoury bites and seven desserts all up, including mixed berry and pomegranate macarons, a mango dragon egg and an elderflower-yuzu cake. If you're really keen to impress her, then add the decadent $20 rose lychee cake to your order — it's made up of peach mousse, bergamot ganache, rose gel and matcha sponge. CATCH A SYDNEY COMEDY FESTIVAL SHOW All mums deserve a good laugh. Make your job easy by nabbing her a ticket to a Sydney Comedy Festival show. There's a bunch taking place on Mother's Day. Highlights include the UK's Alfie Brown and Australia's own Alex Reynolds, who will both be at Marrickville's Factory Theatre the entire weekend. Can't make up your mind? Go for the Best of the Fest Showcase, which gives you a surprise lineup of the funniest of the funniest for just 20 bucks. TAKE HER TO A ROOFTOP LUNCH AND HELP A GOOD CAUSE The Glenmore is hosting a Mother's Day lunch on its rooftop with a difference — this year, it will be raising money for the Women's and Girls Emergency Centre, which helps women and girls at risk of homelessness. If you book, mums will receive a glass of G.H. Mumm champagne on arrival, too, and the panoramic views of the harbour don't hurt, either. The restaurant will be open for both lunch and dinner on the day, and its menu of elevated pub eats has something to make every mum happy — from salads and schnittys to pan roasted barramundi and beef cheek curry. Afterwards you can wander through The Rocks' special Mother's Day Market, which will run until 5pm. [caption id="attachment_660591" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] HEAD TO LUNCH AND A SHOW Treat your mum to dazzling Harbour views and Peter Gilmore's modern Australian marvels with a Mother's Day lunch at Bennelong. You're free to choose from the two- or three-course a la carte menu ($110–145) or try the Cured and Cultured menu, which lets you nibble according to your appetite. All mums score a complimentary glass of champagne on arrival, too. Hang around afterwards and head to a show at the Opera House, most notably for Festival Unwrapped, which celebrates the work of five emerging artists across the various stages. CONQUER A SUNDAY MORNING JOG TOGETHER The Mother's Day Classic will return for its 22nd year on Sunday, May 12. The community event raises funds for the the National Breast Cancer Foundation through a series of 4–8 kilometre walks and runs. The morning begins at Macquarie Street at Martin Place and finishes in the Domain around noon. Registration is still open and is a great surprise for all those active and/or philanthropic mums out there. If you don't want to joint the walk or run, there are plenty of ways to help raise funds and awareness at the Royal Botanic Gardens carnival — it features food, jumping castles, roving entertainers, and live music throughout the day. SEE A MOTHER'S DAY MOVIE AT GOLDEN AGE Add a dash of Art Deco glam — and a cocktail or two — to Mother's Day with an outing to Golden Age Cinema and Bar. The picture house has organised a couple of special screenings with your mum in mind. At 3pm, catch the Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire classic, Funny Face. At 5.30pm, watch a doco exploring the work of iconic Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. Our top pick is the 8pm showing of Women at War, a Cannes award-winning Icelandic film for the environmentalist mums out there. Each screening has the option of adding a Mother's Day bundle, which includes a film ticket, a glass of Moët and a Gelato Messina choc top for $40. [caption id="attachment_662280" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] SEE DRAG OVER DINNER AT THIS RENOVATED PUB A restaurant fit for a queen, Priscillas in Erskineville is hosting a special Mother's Day lunch and dinner. The vego-friendly restaurant inside the renovated Imperial Hotel is pairing your meal with with performances by the pub's resident queens, Ruby Slippers and Farren Heit. Plus, entertainer Etc Etc will interview her own mum about raising a drag queen. Donations on the day will go toward the local family support organisation Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. Sittings are at either 12.30pm or 6pm, and reservations can be made via the website. INDULGE IN CUBAN HIGH TEA WITH HARBOUR VIEWS Harbourside bar Hacienda is offering up a Cuban-style high tea this Mother's Day, along with impressive views of the Harbour Bridge and Circular Quay. For $89 per person, you'll get a full menu of Cuban eats and a Limoncello Spritz to boot. For small bites, think choripan sandwiches (grilled chorizo and tomato salsa on crusty bread) and slow-cooked beef empanadas with veggies and sriracha. For desserts there will be coconut and pineapple tarts with hazelnut praline and scones with rose petal and strawberry preserve and clotted cream. You can check out the full menu here and grab a table here while you still can. Mums will also go home with a goody bag by Benefit Cosmetics and Lindt. HAVE A SUNDAY ROAST IN THE GREENERY OF THE GROUNDS OF ALEXANDRIA Head to The Grounds of Alexandria's Atrium on the Sunday for a family roast lunch in honour of mum. Starting at 11.30am, all guests will receive a glass of sparkling wine on arrival, along with canapés and a one fine roast lunch to share. Expect a whole-roasted rib sourced from six-week dry-aged Cape Grim grass-fed beef. It'll be served with brioche-crumbed bone marrow, wild harvested mushrooms, horseradish and red wine jus. Accompaniments include sautéed greens with black garlic butter, cauliflower and gruyere gratin, glazed heirloom root vegetables and pan-roasted Lyonnaise potatoes. The table bookings are for four or more, priced at $85 per head. If you'd prefer, you can book in for brunch or high tea instead. GO OUT FOR A DECADENT GIN AND GELATO DEGUSTATION If you prefer an event that isn't strictly Mother's Day themed, take mum out the week after to the Gelato Messina and Archie Rose Degustation dinner on May 16, 17 or 18. The Messina Creative Department head chef Remi Talbot has joined forces with the gin, rum and vodka distillery in the form of an eight-course (and eight-drink) gelato degustation. Dishes include foie gras ravioli, beetroot and hibiscus granita, a savoury gelato sandwich served with bouillabaisse and a take on the French dessert Paris-Brest made with choux pastry, almond and burnt vanilla. Drinks are equally extra and include the Peach Cobbler, made with sparkling wine and nitrogen frozen peach, and the Wattle You Make Of It, with wattleseed, finger lime and black walnut. It'll cost a pretty penny at $190 per head — but, if you're willing to break the bank for a night out with mum, we reckon this one will be worth it.
Kitchen by Mike's casual approach to fine dining was game changing when the restaurant first opened in Rosebery all those years ago (way back in 2012). It combined casual eating, American high school lunchrooms, locally sourced ingredients and an acclaimed chef — Mike McEnearney — to create a flexible, no frills restaurant that sold itself through the main event: food. The canteen-style restaurant then closed — to much despair from fans — in 2015. But, now, it's back. This time, it has reopening in the CBD, which means city workers' lunch and breakfast options have just improved tenfold. Moving into the digs of McEnearney's now-closed fine diner No.1 Bent Street — located, fittingly, at 1 Bent Street — Kitchen by Mike is serving fresh, nourishing food from breakfast through dinner. Those familiar with the now-closed flagship KBM in Rosebery, or the new canteen at Sydney International Airport, will be pleased to know that well-loved breakfast favourites are still on the bill, such as McEnearney's bacon butty and avo toast with buckwheat, miso and nori, which are joined by new dishes like bone broth shots and handmade crumpets with honeycomb. His famed woodfired sourdough is also available — at all times. For lunch, you can browse an array of salads, woodfired and slow-cooked meats, tartines, pizza and puddings. Many vegetarian options are on offer, too, including cauliflower, sheep's curd, green apple and radicchio on sprouted buckwheat toast, and the famed cucumber, mirin, ginger and sesame salad. Salads will be made using all-Aussie produce — sourced at the markets that morning — and rotate daily. To check what's on that day's menu, check Kitchen By Mike's Instagram Story after 10am. While breakfast and lunch are only available on weekdays, dinner will also be available on Saturday nights. It includes more produce-led dishes such as burrata with grilled lemon, ash-baked eggplant, whole-baked cauliflower with chermoula and wood-roasted groper. The restaurant's drinks list is equally extensive, with Five Senses coffee, cold-pressed juices and kombucha available during the day — and all-Australian wines, beers and spirits available at night. Keeping with McEnearney's environmentally friendly approach to running venues, the restaurant is also low waste and single-use plastic free. Customers are encouraged to bring their own reusable takeaway containers — and coffee cups, of course — when ordering food to-go (and will receive a 10-percent discounts for their efforts). And there are plans to rebuild the Physic Garden on Bent Street, which was once attached to the Rosebery KBM outpost. At its biggest, the urban garden contained 100 different plant species, 50 of which were grown for their medicinal properties. Find Kitchen by Mike at 1–7 Bent Street, Sydney. It's open for breakfast and lunch from 7–11.30am and 12–3pm, Monday–Friday and for dinner from 5.30–11pm Monday–Saturday.
Twenty years after releasing their ninth and most celebrated record, The Soft Bulletin, Oklahoma rock legends The Flaming Lips are heading back Down Under. They're coming to Melbourne and Sydney to play the highly acclaimed album in full, as well as some of their greatest hits. Taking over the Sydney Opera House and Hamer Hall (the latter as part of Melbourne International Arts Festival), The Flaming Lips will bring their signature technicolour shows to life across four nights. Expect elaborate costumes, confetti cannons and even neon unicorns to fill the stages as the seven-piece band performs hits such as 'Waitin' for a Superman', 'Race for the Prize' and 'A Spoonful Weighs a Ton'. Released in 1999, The Soft Bulletin is widely accepted as the band's greatest album, named by NME as the Album of the Year and by Pitchfork as a 'masterpiece' and the third best album of the 90s. As well as playing this seminal album in full, The Flaming Lips will also perform some of their other greatest hits, including 'Do You Realize??' and 'Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1'. [caption id="attachment_724481" align="alignnone" width="1920"] George Salisbury[/caption] The Flaming Lips — The Soft Bulletin 20th Anniversary will take place at the Sydney Opera House on September 30 and October 1, and at Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne on October 3 and 4. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday, June 7, with pre-sale starting at 9am on Wednesday, June 5. To sign-up head to the SOH or Melbourne International Arts Festival website. Top image: George Salisbury.
It turns out you can loosen that grip on your wallet and breathe a little easier — Sydney has abandoned its position in the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) list of the world's top ten most expensive cities. As reported by the Age, in 2019's Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, our Harbour City fell from its 2018 standing of tenth place, in the most expensive cities index, to 16th. Melbourne, meanwhile, dropped eight spots down to 22nd position from 2018's number 14 ranking. For the first time, three international cities have shared the not-so-enviable top position, with Singapore, Hong Kong and Paris all clocking in scores of 107. The rankings are determined by price comparisons across more than 150 products and services, with the EIU looking at things like food, transport, utilities, clothing and rent in all the major cities. https://twitter.com/TheEIU/status/1107929944267603968 There are now no Aussie names in the top ten, with Brisbane, our third most expensive city, at number 41. In fact, Adelaide (which shuffled 21 spots down to 51st position) and Perth (now in 64th place, having dropped 18) are among the index's top 10 biggest downward movers, along with cities like Wellington and Istanbul. According to the EIU Global Chief Economist Simon Baptist, much of Sydney and Melbourne's drops were thanks to the weaker Australian dollar, with currency fluctuations having a hefty impact across the board worldwide. New York, Los Angeles, Osaka all increased this year, re-entering the top ten and knocking out Sydney. Via: theage.com.au
If you've wandered through Surry Hills or the CBD recently, you've probably seen quite a few passenger-less trams zooming around. And you've probably been wondering, like us, if they'll be taking passengers anytime soon. The answer is yes: next week. It's been a heck of a long time coming, but after multiple delays, you'll finally be able to board a tram on Sydney's new light rail from Saturday, December 14. Finally. Finally. And you'll be able to do so for free, too. Trips on the L2 Randwick-Circular Quay line won't cost a cent during the opening weekend. Time to make the most of your tax dollars. https://www.facebook.com/SydneyLightRailProject/photos/a.1175128939280346/2838116559648234/?type=3&theater To summarise the saga that is the CBD and South East Light Rail project: it was first announced back in 2012, construction began in 2015 and, since then, it's faced legal stouches, cost blowouts (to almost $3 billion) and delays galore, due to everything from awry overhead wires and a discovery of thousands of Indigenous artefacts. It was initially meant to be completed in early 2019, but that was pushed out to March 2020. Now, Transport for NSW has announced the first commuter services will be up and running by December 14. Just in time for all that Christmas shopping and economy boosting, of course. The project's completion also tidily coincides with the scrapping of the lockout laws in the CBD on January 14, 2020. Cynics will say it's more than a coincidence. After kicking off on 11am on Saturday, December 14, trams will run daily between 5am–1am. It'll also be a turn-up-and-go service with trams running every 4–8 minutes between Circular Quay and Central, and 8–12 minutes between Central and Randwick between 7am–7pm on week days (what's considered "peak" times). It'll be just one of the lines, the L2 line from Circular Quay to Randwick, that'll be up and running, however, with the L3 Kingsford to Circular Quay stretch expected to open in March 2020. It's not the first time trams have run through Sydney's CBD — just the first time in almost 60 years, with the old tram tracks ripped up back in 1961. Commuter services on the L2 Randwick Line (Randwick–Circular Quay) of the CBD and South East Light Rail will start on Saturday, December 14, 2019.
Is it your turn to plan date night or the next weekend adventure, and you're coming up short? Let us help. The Blue Mountains is great for a wintry escape — it's relatively close to Sydney, which means you get away without completely draining your annual leave balance, and it's chock-full of adventures — be it of the food or recreational kind. So, we want to help you trade the rush of the city for a breath of (very) fresh air with a winter weekend escape to the Blue Mountains — including the opportunity to explore the depths of an ancient rainforest. Alongside a voucher to spend on the Airbnb property of your choice, you'll score two adult Scenic World passes, so expect plenty of marvelling at the wonders of nature to ensue. There, you'll swap phone scrolling and swiping for panoramic views of the wilderness, waterfalls and the notable Three Sisters on the Scenic Skyway. You'll also get to ride the world's steepest train, the Scenic Railway. Then, after being immersed in the Jurassic-era temperate rainforest of the Jamison Valley Floor, you can feed your culture and food appetite with some of the Blue Mountains neighbourhood gems. We're talking a squiz at Platform Gallery, Australia's first dedicated feminist art gallery, a caffeine hit from Sorensen's Glasshouse and Garden, sipping some local drops at Dryridge Estate's cellar door and a bite or two of eclectic street food from around the world at 8Things. Enter your details below for a chance to win. [competition]723631[/competition]
The crew at Beyond Cinema have a knack for turning bedtime stories and big-screen flicks into immersive, larger-than-life adventures. Just look at last year's Great Gatsby-inspired party, which took over a glam northern Sydney mansion, or the more recent Harry Potter-themed potions classes, which were so popular the season had to be extended. Well now, it's the much-loved tale of Alice in Wonderland that gets the Beyond Cinema treatment, by way of an all-new immersive pop-up experience inspired by the nonsensical Mad Hatter. Descending on a secret Surry Hills location in the not-too-distant future, The Alice Bar invites punters to dive through the looking glass and into a fantasy world. Expect things to get curiouser and curiouser across your 90-minute visit, whether you're creating your own liquid concoctions under the guidance of The Mad Hatter, settling in for an indulgent tea party, or getting raucous with the likes of the March Hare and the Cheshire Cat. [caption id="attachment_740466" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Wizard's Cauldron[/caption] As always, Beyond Cinema is keeping most of the details scarce until closer to the date, though they're already old hands at bringing Alice In Wonderland to life. The team's earlier Mad Hatter's Tea Party events have proved a hit in both Sydney and Melbourne over the past couple of years. Beyond Cinema's The Alice Bar event will take place at a yet-to-be-revealed Surry Hills location in February, 2020. You can sign up for more details here.
As much as we love catching a movie under the stars, outdoors cinemas are usually more of a summer activity. After all, it's sort of hard to focus on the story when your extremities are going numb. Enter Hot Tub Cinema Sydney. Coming to a secret rooftop location in the second week of July, this novelty nickelodeon works exactly the way you think it does: you and your mates strip down to your togs and enjoy a flick from the comfort of a bubbling tub. Melbourne has already dabbled with the concept, with retro films and cocktails aplenty. The organisers of Hot Tub Cinema Sydney are yet to reveal which four films will feature on the program, although shame on them if they don't include Jaws or, failing that, Splash. Spots will be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis, although you can sign up for pre-release tickets. For more information and to stay in the loop about Hot Tub Cinema Sydney, visit their website.
Make sure you get your proper Sunday morning sleep in, because today you'll be dominating one, or many of the 13 bouldering courses at Nomad, a new bouldering gym that's popped up in Annandale. Home to the largest bouldering arch in the Southern Hemisphere, Nomad has 980 square metres of wall surface for you to climb all over. The somewhat terrifying difference between bouldering and normal rock climbing is that you'll be doing this activity without a harness. After you've finished working up a sweat, wind down with an arvo session at Wayward Brewing just around the corner. Check out who may be dishing out eats this weekend, cosy up on the vintage couches surrounded by friendly people and enjoy some Sunday live music from 4pm to 7pm.
If you've been using every birthday, wedding and office party as an excuse to jump online and order box upon box of Bakedown Cakery's sesame-raspberry chocolate bark, blood orange flavour bombs and white chocolate skulls, then we'd like to introduce you to your new home. Today, Bakedown opened a flagship on the Lower North Shore, where you can buy their creative sweet hits anytime you get a craving. You'll find the shop, which doubles as a chocolate studio, in the TWT Creative Precinct in St Leonards. Paint splashes, neon signs and sparkles make it hard to miss. If you're in any doubt, look out for the cabinet packed with bite-sized chocolates, the block-o-chocs in flavours such as passionfruit-sesame and matcha, and the face bark, printed with customers' faces, so you can eat not just your hat but your head as well. "We wanted to develop a store that delighted the senses and gave our customers the 'kid in a candy-store' experience, with stunning products that really catch the eye, but also have sophisticated flavour profiles," said Jen Lo, Founder and Creative Director, Bakedown Cakery. More often than not, you'll find Jen herself there, in chocolate-making and cake-decorating action. After all, there are always pralines that need filling, cupcakes that need icing and new flavour combinations to dream up. One of the secrets of Bakedown's success is never staying still for long. "Our in-cabinet chocolate range is on constant rotation, using different products and seasonal ingredients," said Jen. "One day you may bite into a mandarin, yuzu and dark chocolate bonbon; the next, a summer-inspired infusion of blood peach and white chocolate; and the next some homemade, heartwarming fudge." Find Bakedown Cakery at 62 Atchison St, St Leonards.
The Rocks is a big Sydney drawcard for both tourists and locals alike. The area's colonial history, evident in the iconic cobbled laneways and heritage pubs, gets most of the attention. But unmistakably interwoven into these storied streets is the culture and history of the earlier land custodians. The Rocks Dreaming Aboriginal Heritage tour allows you to take a step into the rich history and culture of Indigenous Australia. Owned and operated by Dunghutti-Jerrinjah elder Margret Campbell, this 90-minute tour takes visitors through The Rocks while providing commentary on Aboriginal Dreamtime and customs. It will lead to a deeper appreciation of the area and of how indigenous culture still thrives today. Tours depart daily at 10.30am.
