The word institution gets thrown around a lot when it comes to restaurants in Sydney — especially when talking about old school Italian joints — but no where quite lives up to the moniker than Darlinghurst's famed Beppi's. This spot has been serving up delicious Italian fare for over 67 years. It is often thought that five years is a good run for a restaurant, and ten years exceptional, but anything over fifty is almost unheard of these days. Beppi's is the exception to the rule, and it has its focus on quality meals and exceptional service to thank. When it opened its doors, Dwight D. Eisenhower was the president of the USA and Elvis had barely broken into the charts. A lot has changed since then, but thankfully Beppi's has not. The number of a-listers who have dined at Beppi's is somewhat intimidating, and includes the likes of Frank Sinatra, Neil Armstrong, Shirley Bassey, Mick Jagger and Sir Edmund Hillary. Legend has it that Bob Hawke and John Howard once dined on the same night although at different tables. Recent guests include Bono and Rhianna and its such a favourite for the megastars due to the focus on respect and privacy. Whether you're selling out Accor Arena or you've caught the train in from Penrith, everyone here is equal and afforded the same treatment. The menu includes antipasti staples such as rock oysters with lemon granita, fresh figs wrapped in prosciutto and mussels and pipis simmered in fish stock, wine, parsley and garlic. The pasta highlights include old-school favourites such as tagliolini tossed with scampis in butter, garlic and parsley. For a main, look no further than the half-roasted duck served with orange sauce and caramelised fig. If you're looking for classy and traditional Italian in a seductive dining room, Beppi's is your pick. The only thing that matches the food is the quality of the service. Images: Alana Dimou Appears in: The Best Italian Restaurants in Sydney for 2023
Move over, Sydney Harbour. Lake Macquarie, just 90 minutes drive north, is two times bigger than you. In fact, it's the largest full-time saltwater lake this side of the equator. There are 167 kilometres of shoreline for strolling, swimming and paddling, and 90 villages for coffee-ing and feasting, just a short cruise up the Legendary Pacific Coast. Meanwhile, a short scurry overland to the coast leads to a string of pretty, pretty beaches, including Caves Beach (where there are real, actual caves on the beach), to quaint Catherine Hill Bay, dotted with 1890s miners' cottages. And, just to the west, lie the mountains, waterfalls and rainforest gullies of the Watagans National Park. Here's your guide to a dreamy lake weekender. [caption id="attachment_575383" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Lake Mac Kayak.[/caption] DO To get your bearings — and stretch your legs after the drive — start with a walk. You can take your pick, in terms of length, difficulty level and scenery. One of the easiest and most popular is the 8.9 kilometre, water-hugging Warners Bay Foreshore. It's a shared path, so you can saunter or cycle, and there's a handy, 24-7 bike hire station onsite. A mightier adventure is the 25-kilometre Yuelarbah Track, which forms part of the Great Northern Walk and takes in coastal rainforest, plus two waterfalls, before finishing at Glenrock Beach. For epic views, pop inland to conquer Mount Sugarloaf. When you're done with those, you'll find stacks more walk ideas over here. After seeing Lake Macquarie from the dry safety of land, the next step is to launch yourself onto the water. Pick up a kayak or paddleboard from Lake Mac Kayak and get shaping up those biceps. If you're the intrepid type, choose your own adventure. Otherwise, book a guided tour with School of Yak, whose itineraries include uninhabited Pulbah Island and secretive Dora Creek. Both two-hour and half-day trips are available. [caption id="attachment_554861" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Robert Montgomery.[/caption] More interested in lazy beach days? Make tracks to the coast to visit Caves Beach at low tide and you'll be playing The Goonies in a network of sea caves. For safe, patrolled swimming, head to Blacksmiths, which is at the southern end of a 14-kilometre strip of sand, ending in the rocky formations of Redhead Beach. And, at Catherine Hill Bay, you'll feel like you've stumbled into the 19th century. Once a mining village, it's heritage listed, so developers have kept away for the past 100 years. While you're there, drop by the Catho Pub for a beer in a refreshingly un-renovated, un-themed, old-school, Aussie watering hole. If you're looking for a beach inside the lake, swing by Murrays. [caption id="attachment_575386" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Sephardim.[/caption] EAT AND DRINK After completing the Warners Bay Foreshore track, tuck into a Mediterranean feast at Sephardim, where the motto is, "Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we may die." Amen. When we say Mediterranean, we really mean it. The menu is a kind of circumnavigation of the Sea, with tapas-style dishes covering Spanish, Turkish and Persian influences. Be sure to try something from the Ottoman grill, which is fired up every single day, powered by Aussie charcoal. Seasoned with herbs, standouts include the swordfish, the gypsy steak and the Zhoug chicken. Vegetarians, don't panic, there are loads of dips, salads and fancy veggies. To dine surrounded by trees with water views, grab a table at The Lakehouse Cafe, at Murrays Beach. Their hearty breakfasts, like the monster bacon and egg roll or the mega signature breakfast, will sort you out for a day of action, and lunch and high tea are on the menu, too. Special events, like tapas nights, are held every now and again — keep an eye on the website for details. [caption id="attachment_574793" align="alignnone" width="1280"] The Olde Bakehouse.[/caption] Get your Italian fix on the western shore at The Olde Bakehouse, Morisset. But you can forget your usual country town spag bol or chicken parmi. Head chef Dan Way is a master of his craft and unafraid to experiment, working with the best produce that the seasons bring to his door. That's why the restaurant made the finals of the 2015 NSW Regional Restaurant Awards. So, gear up for house-made pastas, exotic inventions like wasabi-infused flying fish roe, and perfect panna cotta. Of course, the Hunter Valley's not too far away, so expect plenty of wines from the region on most wine lists in the area. If you have the time, then work your way through a degustation. On cold evenings, you won't want to rush, anyway — the fire's always a-crackling away. Another waterfront option is the Swill 'n' Grill Bistro at the Gunyah Hotel, at Belmont. Unfortunately, it was closed by a basement fire in early April, but the owners are promising to reopen soon. When that day comes, claim a spot on the verandah if you can (locals love this place). Freshly-shucked local oysters are dished up natural, Kilpatrick or mornay, while the generous Atlantic salmon steak is glazed with maple. There's also a bunch of premium quality meatiness, like the surf 'n' turf, which comes in the form of a 400 gram King Island rump with chilli garlic prawns. [caption id="attachment_575381" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Airbnb.[/caption] STAY For an old-fashioned stay on the lake's eastern edge, check into Selby Cottage at Mark's Point. You'll be cosying up among antiques and black-and-white photos, soaking in a claw-foot tub, pottering around in a private garden and catching sunsets from a waterfront verandah. Or, to be encircled by Wallarah National Park, opt for Bluebell Retreat at Murrays Beach. Designed by Queensland architect Gabriel Poole, this cottage won a UDIA for Sustainability and a HIA Greensmart Design Award. It features two large, sunny bedrooms and loads of luxe touches, from Sheridan linen to a Bose entertainment centre to decks overlooking landscaped lawns. There's also a selection of beauties on Airbnb. At The Boathouse, Wangi Wangi, on the lake's western shore, you and up to six friends can kick back in a spacious, open plan living-kitchen-dining room on waterfront reserve. Doing the romantic thing? Book peaceful Cedar Cottage, with its bamboo floors and fancy-pants bathroom and kitchen. Top image: Bill Collison.
Usually a retrospective signifies the tail-end of an artist's career. Generally, it's commissioned by a prominent gallery, and carefully curated to highlight their successes and triumphs and most iconic works. But not if you're DI$COUNT UNIVER$E. If you're DI$COUNT UNIVER$E, you know you don't have to play by the rules and conventions of art and fashion — and if you want to hold your own retrospective, you bloody well do it. That's the idea behind their new show, anyway. The Melbourne-based cult pop punk fashion brand (whos pieces have been worn by everyone from Beyoncé to Kylie Jenner to Madonna) have just announced their It's-too-soon-for-a-retrospective Retrospective Exhibition, which, like their self-described 'anti-fashion', basically subverts the very idea of the retrospective. For one, designers Nadia Napreychikov and Cami James only established the brand six years ago. They're also organising the exhibition themselves, rather than being invited to do so. "In general, as a brand, we purposely go against the grain of what is done in the arena we work in," says Napreychikov. We do this to challenge the system. To prove there are other ways of working. To show our supporters and other young people in our field that it is possible to pave your own path without having all of the resources. To create your own resources." They also won't be presenting a heavily curated selection of their works — they'll be displaying everything. And when we say everything, we mean everything. The exhibition — which will take place in their Collingwood studio gallery space — will include an excess of over 65 mannequins and 500 garments from the pair's personal archives and private collections, their showrooms, as well as garments borrowed back from the famous people who've worn them. This includes the epic Birthday Suit as worn by Katy Perry, the Pray t-shirt Miley Cyrus wore in her Terry Richardson photoshoot (before she ripped them off), and their signature studded biker jackets as worn by both Madonna and Beyoncé. [caption id="attachment_566976" align="alignnone" width="1200"] YouTube[/caption] The retrospective is reflective of how DI$COUNT UNIVER$E have used the Internet to gain rapid international success, despite having leapfrogged certain channels traditionally traversed by up-and-coming Aussie designers, such as presenting at Australian Fashion Week and being picked up by one of the big two department stores. The exhibition will run from November 29 until December 9 at their studio space in Collingwood. Open Monday to Saturday from noon until 6pm, entry will be ten bucks, and DI$COUNT will have some limited edition pieces on sale, including badges, patches, t-shirts, wallets, magnets, socks, sequin dresses and caps ranging from a couple of dollars to $400. The DI$COUNT UNIVER$E It's-too-soon-for-a-retrospective Retrospective Exhibition will run from November 29 - December 9 at 32-34 Wellington Street, Collingwood. Image: Daniel Good John.
God knows we all spend way too much time looking at our phones. Whether you're texting, tweeting or chasing imaginary Japanese monsters, it seems like people constantly have their eyes glued to tiny screens. At best, it can be a wee bit anti-social. At worst, it can actually be really dangerous. Case in point: this teenager who got hit by a car while playing Pokémon Go. Fortunately for the technology-addicted, artist and designer Ekene Ijeoma has created a new mobile app designed to get people to tear their faces away from their phones. Look Up New York City causes your phone to vibrate whenever you're approaching an intersection, while also drawing data from the New York Department of Transportation to give each intersection an "energy score." The higher the score, the more frequent the number of accidents that take place there, and the more users should maybe think about paying attention to where it is they're walking. The purpose of the app is twofold, with its creators hoping to reduce the number of accidents while also encouraging social interaction. "Whether it's strangers making eye contact and saying hello or friends hugging, Look Up hopes to tear down the digital walls we build up, opening us to seeing, acknowledging and valuing the people and city around us," reads a statement on the Look Up website. Look Up is currently available on Android devices, with an iOS app coming soon. No word on whether they're planning on branching out beyond NYC, although we can easily imagine it taking off across the world. In the mean time, if you're reading this on your phone, please keep an eye on where you're going. https://vimeo.com/171683941 Via PSFK.
Until the Internet becomes a universal, ever-present thing that radiates down from the sky and lets us check Instagram anywhere in the world, we're apparently destined to be stuck with offline maps and or paying through the nose for international roaming when travelling (read: getting lost) overseas. Until that blessed day comes, Google is trying to make life easier for travelling smartphone-wielding folk with their new travel planner app, Google Trips. Earlier this week Google unveiled the new app (which is available on iOS and Android), which is designed to help you plan your trip and help you explore your destination when you get there. It's both a planning tool and a place to store all your important travel docs in one place — and it lets you access that information when you're out and about and without access to 4G or Wi-Fi. So what can you use it for? First off, it will pull all your important travel info like flights, bookings and reservation numbers from your Gmail inbox and organises them into a chronological 'trip'. You can save these to access offline; it's meant to help you avoid that momentary panic where you get off the plane, go to look up the information for your Airbnb and then realise you can't access your emails. The more fun aspect of Trips though are the planning features. The Things to Do feature will give you a list of, well, things to do in the city you're in. These are pulled from what both you and other Google users have searched for in that city, and can be filtered by area of interest. The Day Plans feature gets a little more specific. The app will suggest a whole heap of things to do based on where you're staying and how much time you have — so if you only have an afternoon in a city, it will bring up the best things to do based on what's around you and what's open. You can then create a point-to-point itinerary that will show you where everything is and how to get there. You can save this offline too. Google have called this app "magic", and while we certainly wouldn't go that far (can tech companies stop calling themselves wizards?), it is a very useful tool if you're travelling without access to internet and is a handy way to use Google Maps offline. The planning tool looks like a smoother version of Stay.com, an app we've found useful for pinning places on a map when travelling. You can download the Google Trips app here.
This article is part of our series on the diverse highlights of NZ's Canterbury region, from city to snow. To book your Lake Tekapo trip, visit the 100% Pure New Zealand website. If your mental picture of New Zealand is all lush greenery, snow-topped mountains, vast lakes and clear skies, then you'd most likely go nuts over Lake Tekapo. The place is the idealisation of pretty much everything associated with New Zealand by way of landscape: a small town surrounded by the Southern Alps and sitting on the bluest goddamn lake you've ever seen. The water in this lake is not to be understated — it's pure magic. It shimmers like it could clear your head, cure your ails and turn you into a mermaid all at the same time. Mermaids aside, Tekapo is must-see for travellers driving through the South Island (it's less than three hours from Christchurch and Queenstown), and it's an idyllic place to stay too. The lake's obvious potential for water sports and its proximity to the nearby Round Hill ski area makes it a popular destination all year round, but time your stay correctly (that is, outside of school holidays) and you'll find a small, quiet town with enough going on to keep it interesting. You could spend two days in Tekapo just gazing out over the lake, but this small township becomes an oasis in winter with plenty to eat, see, do and take in. Got two days in the area? Here's how you should spend it in Tekapo. DAY ONE Midday: Air Safaris flight Tekapo is halfway between Christchurch and Queenstown, so no matter where you're coming from on the South Island, you can make an early start and arrive before noon. If the weather's clear, the first thing you'll want to do is book yourself in for an Air Safaris flight. It's a little bit pricey, but if you can do it, it's amazing as all hell to see the landscape from the vantage point of a light plane. They'll fly you over Tekapo, through the Godley Valley and right over the top of the Southern Alps. Flights depart every hour and last for around 45 minutes. It is totally dependent on the weather, so it's best to book on the day when you know you'll be able to see more than a few feet in front of you. [caption id="attachment_227858" align="alignnone" width="1024"] andrewXu via Flickr[/caption] Afternoon: The Church of the Good Shepherd The best thing about the Mackenzie region is that it has so much salmon swimming through its canal system that it's super fresh pretty much wherever you get it. Grab some salmon sashimi to go from Kohan (unsurprisingly Tekapo's only Japanese restaurant) and head over the canal to the Church of the Good Shepherd. The church is tiny, and — with that backdrop — is highly Instagrammable. It's usually open for prayer and admiration during the day if you want to head inside (just eat your salmon beforehand). [caption id="attachment_227862" align="alignnone" width="1024"] andrewXu via Flickr[/caption] Evening: Stargazing at Mt John Light pollution is one of those things you don't notice until it's gone, and at Tekapo it's practically nonexistent. Due to its isolation and terrain the area has an unusually high number of clear days and, as part of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, the town is restricted in how much light they emit. You know what that means? You can see the stars! They're unusually bright from wherever you are in Tekapo, but the best vantage point is up at the Mt John Observatory. Access to Mt John is restricted at night, so you'll have to book a tour with Earth & Sky to get up there. On a clear night they'll point out what's up there and you'll get to look through their telescopes and pretty much geek out on astronomy. If you're really lucky, there might even be some Aurora Australis action. But, let me emphasise: really, really lucky. Night: Dinner at Rakinui Tekapo is primarily a tourist town, so there are a heap of places to stay. If you're looking for something that's fairly new, comfortable and not a hostel (it is only two nights, after all), Peppers Bluewater Resort ticks all the boxes and has some rooms that face right over the lake. If you're staying here, head to their restaurant, Rakinui, for a late post-stargazing dinner. Their homemade bread is incredible and they also have a regional tasting platter if you're keen to sample tastes of the Mackenzie region. DAY TWO Morning: Walk up Mount John A chilly morning walk might not sound like your idea of a holiday, but it will be once you get up the top of Mt John. So grab your gloves, scarf and beanie (as well as a walking trail map that you'll be able to find at your accommodation) and head outside. You can either drive to the walking track, which starts at Tekapo Springs, or just walk (it'll just add on an extra half an hour or so). From here you head up on a pretty steep track through the larch trees, which flattens out soon enough to take you around Mt John and up to the summit. On a clear morning the views are amazing — the water looks even bluer from up there and you can see all the way over the surrounding lakes and the Mackenzie Basin. This is definitely a spot where you can take an extended breather, contemplate nature, meditate etc. When you're done, you can take the same route back down (around 2 hours all up) or via the lake shore track, which is almost twice as long. Midday: Brunch at Run 77 After every good walk comes a good breakfast, which is precisely why Tekapo has Run 77. Those assuming a place like Lake Tekapo wouldn't be home to a quality cup of coffee will be pleasantly surprised, because Run 77 rocks it. The cafe doubles as a deli and food store, and dishes out a mean brunch by anyone's standards. Choose from things like their homemade muesli, fresh banana bread served with walnut jam and grilled banana and their eggs Benedict with local Aoraki hot smoked salmon. Plus, they have a cabinet full of scones, slices and muffins for your sweet tooth. Afternoon: Tekapo Springs Now you've walked uphill and had a big brunch, it's time to take off all your clothes. This might sound crazy (and it sort of is when there's snow on the ground), but sliding into the hot pools at Tekapo Springs is exactly what you never knew your body needed — you've just got to get from the change rooms and into the water in your bikini first. Sounds difficult, but what's waiting for you is three outdoor pools filled with toasty warm natural spring water at 36-40 degrees. So, don't worry, you won't be freezing your whatever off for very long. You can top this off with a skate on their outdoor ice rink, but we're more inclined to suggest a go in the sauna and possibly even a massage at their day spa. Actually, we insist on that last one. Evening: Dinner at Tin Plate After you emerge from the day spa in a daze at sunset, you probably won't be able to find you way home. Conveniently, Tekapo Springs offer a free shuttle service back into town on request, and they'll drop you wherever you like. For dinner and a glass of wine by the fire, slink into Tin Plate Kitchen & Bar. The newest addition to Tekapo's main drag, Tin Plate has only been open since the start of this year's ski season, doing pizza, pasta and piada — an Italian pita bread served open with toppings like chorizo and prawn or artichoke, capsicum and blue cheese. Wine is available by the carafe, Three Boys Pilsner is on tap and your bed is only a short walk away. That's the beauty of Tekapo.
After many months of announcements, Sydney's new food-filled laneway has finally opened its doors. Steam Mill Lane marks the first opening for Darling Square's new food and retail precinct, which we've been gearing up for since back in September last year. Of the restaurants that open this week, possibly the most exciting is the arrival of Melbourne's famed burger joint, 8bit. It's brought to you by hatted chef Shayne McCallum and Alan Sam, and the 130-seat diner will be the pair's biggest venue yet. Sydneysiders can expect mega burgers, loaded hot dogs and over-the-top shakes to be paired with vintage arcade machines and lots of hip-hop. Joining 8bit this week is Belles Hot Chicken's third Sydney outpost, The Sandwich Shop number two, Sichuan eatery Ricefields, modern Italian restaurant Il Bacio, bubble tea cafe Gong Cha and Matcha-ya. But it's not just food. These eateries are joined by a few boutique retail shops, including travel and leisure store Alifehaus, streetwear brand Pict and Men's Culture Barber. The laneway also boasts a permanent light installation by Adelaide-based artist Peta Kruger — she's created eight neon-lit artworks that take inspiration from 'nightlife cityscapes' and light up the lane at night. The second round of openings will happen in May, with Bexley gyro shop Gyradiko, Marrickville Pork Roll, poke joint Fishbowl, Tokyo-style street food vendor BangBang and Edition Coffee Roasters all due to open. Steam Mill Lane sits within the precinct's new 8000-square-metre retail space, which will eventually house approximately 80 new restaurants, cafes and shops. Darling Square has direct access to to Darling Harbour via The Goods Line and is part of Lendlease's 20-hectare development around the area — along with ICC Sydney and Sofitel Darling Harbour. The precinct has already locked in some pretty big names — but even though Darling Square will house around 2500 CommBank employees, 3000 residents and 1300 students, it will be interesting to see how the new area flourishes, especially considering its proximity to Barangaroo.
For many, the idea of camping — packing the car with a tent, sleeping bag or swag and going bush for a healthy dose of nature – is fun. For others, the idea of getting out into the great outdoors sends a shiver of displeasure up the spine. But no matter which camp you fall into, we're happy to report that there's a middle ground. And that middle ground is glamping. A portmanteau of glamour and camping, glamping has gained popularity among those of us who are happy to camp as long as we have small luxuries such as wifi, coffee and comfortable bedding. Take a coffee break and scroll through ten of the world's most incredible, luxurious glamping experiences — from Queensland to Tanzania, via Chile. NIGHTFALL, LAMINGTON NATIONAL PARK, QUEENSLAND Breathe in the pure, fresh mountain air at Nightfall, and you'll feel like you've finally arrived at the life you should have been living all of these years. This super-exclusive camp is limited to six guests at a time, so you'll be guaranteed privacy. Take a dip in a natural spa pool in nearby rapids, or just laze in your private luxury tent accommodation. Located in a 'Lost World' paradise, this luxury camping accommodation would be absolutely perfect for a special anniversary, a birthday holiday, or just because you want to. MERZOUGA LUXURY DESERT CAMP, MOROCCO Imagine enjoying a sumptuous Moroccan feast under the stars in the heart of the desert, before retiring to your tent for a sound sleep in a squishy-soft bed. And when you open the traditional camel-skin door on your tent the next morning, a sea of red sand dunes rise up to greet you. Well imagine no more, because this is exactly what you're going to get when you head to the Merzouga Luxury Desert Camp in Morocco. Located in the quiet and idyllic sand dunes of Erg Chebbi, this tastefully appointed and endlessly glamorous camp is perfect for those seeking a luxury stay in one of the most incredible deserts in the world. WILD RETREAT, TOFINO, BRITISH COLUMBIA Few wilderness camps even come close to the experience you're going to have at Wild Retreat. ScarJo and Ryan Reynolds honeymooned here (that's enough reason in itself to visit), and since it's only accessible by seaplane or boat, you're at greater risk of being accosted by a bunch of raccoons than being overrun by tourists. Enjoy the charming vintage-style tents, and then get out there and explore the incredible wilderness of British Columbia. PAWS UP, MONTANA, USA If you have something special to celebrate and you happen to find yourself in Montana, then we suggest that you get yourself to the Paws Up luxury camping park and indulge in the Cliffside Camp experience. Each safari-like tent comes complete with a private bathroom, fans, heaters, fine bed linen and a chef and butler at your beck and call. There's a dining area with a view you'll never find in Australia, and you won't have to sacrifice a good coffee and breakfast in the morning. LEWA SAFARI CAMP, KENYA If seeing the "big five" (lions, elephants, buffalo, leopard and rhino) is on your list of things to do, then you might just want to fling yourself in the direction of the Lewa Safari Camp. Spread out in your comfortable private tent under your thatched roof, and enjoy the sight of animals sunning themselves on the stunning Lewa plains through your opaque tent. Perhaps you might feel like taking a picnic out onto the plains. That's totally acceptable, and indeed encouraged. SPICERS CANOPY, SCENIC RIM, QUEENSLAND There are only ten tents at the Spicers Canopy accommodation in Queensland's Scenic Rim, so you're not going to be grappling with the crowds when it's brekky time. Meals are prepared from local produce by Spicers' experienced chefs, so you're about as far from the 'traditional' camping fare of beer-cooked barbecue as you can get here. Rejoice. Pull up a log at the open fire by night, and then snuggle up in your luxury tent (complete with hot water bottle turn down service) to sleep the night under the stars. SANCTUARY RETREATS PRIVATE CAMPING, TANZANIA Go on a safari trip in the game-filled wilderness of Kenya by day, and then enjoy a perfectly heavenly naval bucket bubble bath under the stars at this glamorous safari camp in Tanzania. Afterwards, slink back to your tent and sink into your bed, which has been tastefully draped with fabrics and covered in the softest of mosquito nets. You'll enjoy finding nods to Balinese and Italian styling throughout your luxury accommodation. Sanctuary Retreats encourage you to spend two weeks glamping with them in the wilderness — that's how luxe this place is. PATAGONIA CAMP, CHILE Enjoy the luxury of kipping in a yurt in the heart of the Chilean wilderness. Feel ever so spoiled as you laze in your cosy king-sized bed, tastefully decorated with local handcrafted textiles at the luxury Patagonia Camp in Chile. Thanks to a large central dome, you can look up at the clouds by day, and then enjoy the sight of a million and one stars overhead at night. PAMPERED WILDERNESS, WASHINGTON, USA Switch on your flat screen TV, snuggle up on the king-sized platform bed and then toast some marshmallows for s'mores on your outdoor fire pit when you stay in the Safari Suite cabin at Pampered Wilderness in Washington. Nestled in the heart of the historic 842-acre Millersylvania State Park, you can enjoy relaxed rambles though old growth cedar and fir forests, or take a dip in the freshwater Deep Lake. After tiring yourself out on a walk, head back to your cabin to enjoy a drink from your minibar as you watch the sunset from your deck. PRIORY BAY HOTEL, ISLE OF WIGHT, UK While most of the guests who stay at the Priory Bay Hotel live it up in the hotel, you're going to buck the trend and get what is arguably a far better experience when you stay in one of the designer crafted yurts. Enter your yurt home through stable doors with French windows before stepping down onto your secluded terrace. Maybe laze on a beanbag if the ordeal of standing on your own feet all becomes too much. Spend your days gazing out on sandy Priory Bay beach, taking bracing countryside walks, or rambling along woodland paths, nibbling on blackberries, and spotting squirrels. Top Image: Wild Retreat, Tofino, British Columbia.
Potts Point is now home to a new micro-deli, and it's slinging loaded sandwiches, salad bowls and smallgoods to the Victoria Street masses. Small's Deli now occupies the hole-in-the-wall that previously housed French restaurant Mère Catherine (for 45 years, no less). New owners Emily Van Loon and Ben Shemesh have revamped the pint-size digs to create an Italian-style delicatessen with freshness as its focus. There's none of that pre-made nonsense here. Instead, all Small's sandwiches are built-to-order, and the offering will change regularly based on seasonality. Famed Bronte bakery Iggy's is the bread of choice, and diners can purchase loaves of the stuff every Tuesday–Saturday from 11am (until sold out). House specialties include the croque monsieur ($13) — double smoked ham and dijon mustard with a blend of comté, béchamel and gruyère cheeses, all served on toasted Iggy's sourdough — and the fan-favourite Florence & the Aubergine ($14): a panini piled with sopressa, eggplant, walnut paste, creamed pecorino and rocket. Other recent sando specials include Le Bateau ($14) with marinated tuna and hard-boiled egg; the Comrade Ovo ($13) featuring 'smooshed' eggs baguette with dill and cornichon remoulade; and the June Bug ($14) a panini stuffed with roast pumpkin, ricotta, and mint and hazelnut pesto. [caption id="attachment_778825" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leigh Griffiths[/caption] The tiny takeaway counter also displays charcuterie and cheeses, which are sliced to order and available from 11am. A daily rotation of salad bowls with house pickles, olives and labneh are up for grabs, too. And, if you're looking for a new morning go-to, head in from 7.30am to grab a pastry and a cuppa — made using Reuben Hills coffee beans. As it's a (very) small space, expect a minimalist fit-out by Son Architecture — think a terracotta tiled counter, concrete floors and stainless steel finishes, plus a chalkboard menu. One wall is lined with shelves and stocked with Small's own preserves, jams and pasta sauces, as well as other smallgoods from artisanal suppliers. While the focus may be on the takeaway counter, there's also one banquet table in the corner for dine-in — if you're lucky enough to nab it. Or, if you're in a rush, make a quick phone call before heading in, and your lunch will be ready and waiting for your arrival. Images: Leigh Griffiths
That Banksy. Who knows what he’s going to do next, or where she’s going to pop up, or how they stay so tricksy? In the latest unofficial edition of 'where in the world is Banksy?', the answer is Gaza. Yes, the art world’s chief enigma has visited the conflict-ravaged strip of coastline — and he’s made a video to prove it. Exit Through the Gift Shop this isn’t, though it does share the same sense of humour. Banksy’s Gaza clip might just be the darkest tourism video you’ve ever seen. With the plight of the 1.8 million Palestinians who call Gaza home clearly on his mind, Banksy walks through the streets — unseen by the camera, of course — to show the daily reality of its miles upon miles of rubble. “Make this the year YOU discover a new destination,” he tells us, before surveying the dismal sights well off the beaten track. Typical advertising catch-phrases — such as “nestled in an exclusive setting” and “plenty of scope for refurbishment” — pop up over footage of crumbling buildings. The sad facts follow, telling in no uncertain terms what life is like for Gaza residents. It’s a bleak picture. The video also features other evidence of his time there, or what may be his gloomiest residency in history. New Banksy artworks litter the bomb-damaged strip, as first seen on his Instagram account two days ago, followed by his website this morning. Yes, he’s been spray-painting up a storm all over the place, making a statement with street art. His murals call attention not only to the situation but to the disinterest displayed by most of the world in response. One, an image of a cute cat, perhaps says it all. Or maybe the accompanying text on his website does: “A local man came up and said 'Please — what does this mean?' I explained I wanted to highlight the destruction in Gaza by posting photos on my website — but on the internet people only look at pictures of kittens.”
Have you ever found yourself wondering, “How old is too old to use a ball pit? Will it be creepy if I dive right in?” Well, wonder no more (although for the record, the answer to both is 'never, if it's art'). NY studio Snarkitecture have created a massive, minimalist ball pit at in the National Building Museum in DC that will transport you to another dimension (one populated with opaque white balls and fulfilled childhood dreams). The project, titled The Beach, utilises 750,000 recyclable (thank god) plastic balls enclosed in the towering, Grecian columns of the National Museum to create a surreal beach scene; a bizarre juxtaposition of old and new. White deck chairs are lined up along the artificial shore and the mirrored wall at the back of the space makes Snarkitecture's beach seem to go on forever and ever. Like most high-fiveable things these days, the project was crowdfunded by the people of Washington DC who said definitively, “Yes, we do want a giant ball pit, kthnxbai,” and raised $12,155 in a month. The funding has gone towards building the beach and stocking it with deck chairs, pool toys and snack vendors to create the perfect beach experience for people who generally hate the outdoors. The interactive exhibit patriotically opened on July 4 and will run until September 7, which is still enough time to buy a plane ticket, escape winter and get away to the beach. Watch a nifty timelapse of the buiding of The Beach here: Via designboom. Images: Noah Kalina and snarkitecture.
Think enjoying a pint and making a difference are mutually exclusive activities? Think again. Thanks to The Good Beer Co., the next drink you knock back could help save the world — or at least the Great Barrier Reef. The Good Beer Co. is Australia’s first social enterprise beer company, with a mission to match nice drinks with nice deeds. The company aims to pair the nation's top craft brewers with worthy causes — as their maiden beverage demonstrates. That'd be the aptly named Great Barrier Beer, as brewed in Bundaberg by the local legends at the Bargara Brewing Company. Once it hits the shelves, they'll donate 50% of the profits to the Australian Marine Conservation Society. To get to that point, though, The Good Beer Co. needs your help, which is why they're launching a crowdfunding campaign. You can assist them with brewing, distributing and promoting the Great Barrier Beer, and with startup costs to get established and roll out the idea to other great causes. Backers will enjoy the warm and fuzzy feeling of supporting something good, as well as the chance to taste the tipple before anybody else. You'll also get the opportunity to have a say in future recipes, labels and causes. So if you like beer and are keen to help the planet, it really is a win-win situation. After all, who doesn't want to put their beverage consumption to good use? For more information about The Good Beer Co, visit their website. Image via Dollar Photo Club.
Berlin is a city that's constantly evolving. But despite the change, one thing will remain true – the German capital will always be cool. Yes, the days are gone when Berghain youths could pay a mere Australian $150 a month to rent a loft-like penthouse we could only dream of, but don't let the Berlin locals tell you that that means the city has been gentrified. The anarchist vigour that was born out of a city in political and economical shambles for the last 60 years lives on, and the middle finger to the man attitude in Berlin is present in almost everything. We asked an actual local to show us where we should spend our time in Berlin to ensure an unforgettable experience. If you've been thinking about booking that European holiday, do it now. Swapping your Australian winter for a European summer is a great way to make your 2017 something to look forward to. In partnership with Topdeck, here is the first instalment of our Less Obvious city guides. Episode one: Berlin. [caption id="attachment_589108" align="alignnone" width="1280"] @streethaus via Instagram.[/caption] PACK A PICNIC AND HEAD TO KORNERPARK Hidden in Neukolln, Berlin's answer to Fitzroy in Melbourne or Surry Hills in Sydney, Kornerpark is a pretty breath of fresh air compared to the suburb's usual grungy surrounds. Pack a picnic and enjoy the views of manicured flora while people-watching the local cool kids who hang out in this palace garden-esque retreat. On Sundays there's a free guided tour of the art gallery that overlooks the grounds. [caption id="attachment_589109" align="alignnone" width="1280"] @mr.akman via Instagram.[/caption] VISIT A GALLERY IN AN OLD RAILWAY STATION For all the contemporary art lovers out there, the Hamburger Bahnhof Museum boasts one of the best collections of Andy Warhol, Joseph Beuys and Keith Haring you'll find in Berlin. The former railway station was turned into a gallery in the mid-90s and its architecture is just as impressive as the artwork inside it. Entrance to the main building and temporary exhibitions will set you back €14 but with over 10,000 square meters of gallery space the bang is well worth the buck. As with all museums and big city attractions, avoid going on the weekend. Instead, get in first at 10am, the earlier in the week the better. Still check out some of Berlin's street art though – there's a reason it's so famous. [caption id="attachment_589113" align="alignnone" width="1280"] @burgermeisterberlin via Instagram.[/caption] TRY A GERMAN BURGER AT BURGERMEISTER Berlin has a slight burger obsession. For the true enthusiasts, make your attempt at getting through a patty three thumbs thick at The Bird near Schonleinstrasse train station. Or, brace yourself for the omnipresent line at Berlin Burger International (BBI) on Neukolln's Pannierstrasse. The true Berlin burger experience can be found at Burgermeister on Shlesisches Tor in the original hipster town of Kreuzberg. It's underneath the train station built into what used to be public toilets. Yum. Nowadays It's totally sanitary and arguably the best burger in town. Don't forget to order chilli cheese fries on the side. [caption id="attachment_589220" align="alignnone" width="1280"] @olamajaw via Instagram.[/caption] FLY A KITE AT TEMPELHOFER FELD There are over 2,500 public parks and gardens in Berlin but Tempelhofer Feld is undoubtedly one of the most unique. A functioning airport until 2008, the city of Berlin eventually claimed back the space (it's 386 hectares) and turned it into the number one BBQ destination for Berliners in summer. Grab a kite, dust off your skates or bring some beers and a frisbee to enjoy the ultimate Berlin park experience. Whilst you're in the area walk through Schillerkiez, one of Berlin's most covetable living destinations, get a burger and Augustiner beer from one of the many restaurants, cafes and spatis (small milk bars that sell alcohol) that you'll discover walking through the streets. [caption id="attachment_589225" align="alignnone" width="1280"] @___feede___ via Instagram.[/caption] DRINK FREE WINE? AT WEINEREI In a city where beer is often cheaper than water, it's not hard to drink on a budget. Even still, a pay-what-you-want wine bar has its appeal. In the yuppie happy suburb of Prenzlauer Berg you'll find Weinerei. Dodge the prams and start-up entrepreneurs and head straight to the wine bar run by Bavarian and Argentinian connoisseurs Jurgen Stumf and Mariano Goni. There are three different locations but the Forum Cafe & Weinbar is easily the most popular. Get tipsy in atmospheric candlelight and when it's time to move on, use your discretion and pay what you think you owe in a small money box left at the bar. [caption id="attachment_589120" align="alignnone" width="1280"] @markthalleneun via Instagram.[/caption] DEVOUR SOME MULTICULTURAL FOOD AT MARKTHALLE NEUN (MARKET HALL 9) Bringing all the multicultural food flavours you can enjoy in Berlin together under one roof, Markthalle 9 officially reopened in 2011, exactly 120 years after its first opening. Inside the huge hall, there's a Breakfast Market held every third Sunday of the month or the Naschmarkt (snack market) held once a quarter with all the snacks and sweet delicacies you could imagine. Your best bet though is Street Food Thursday. Get there early at 5pm to avoid the huge crowds and struggle with the agonising decision over what to order. British pies, Thai tapioca dumplings, Mexican tacos, Allgäu cheese spaetzle or Nigerian FuFu? It's a delicious smorgasbord. Don't worry if you can't make it on either of those special days, the market is open every day of the week. ENJOY AUTHENTIC GOZLEME AT THE TURKISH MARKET For a true local's experience, take a stroll along the Turkish Market on Maybachufer canal every Tuesday and Friday. Everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to flowers to yards of fabric is on offer at this sort-of farmer's market. It's organised by the Turkish community living in Berlin (the city is home to the largest Turkish community outside of Turkey), and the produce is fresh and unbelievably cheap. Snag a carton of avocados for under €5 (seriously) or grab a freshly baked spinach and cheese gozleme and join the crowd of impossibly cool kids listening to the busker who sets up shop at the end of every market. [caption id="attachment_589134" align="alignnone" width="1280"] @chrisfosterrr via Instagram.[/caption] SAVOUR RARE TABLE SERVICE AT NATHANJA AND HEINRICH At the end of bar-laden Weichselstrasse in Neukolln you'll find Nathanja und Heinrich. With the typical Berlin bar vibe with raw walls, exposed brick and mismatched furniture, Nathanja's is equally as great for an afternoon coffee as it is for an evening gin and tonic. Order first and pay later, at this bar they often play the blues and even offer table service, a rare occurrence in Berlin. Like almost all places that serve alcohol in the city, smoking inside is allowed after 9pm. It's a popular local hangout so make sure you arrive before 8pm on weekends to grab a table. Visit Europe (including Berlin) with a Topdeck trip and make 2017 a year to remember. Book early (that means now) and save up to $999.
Peter Bibby might be based in Melbourne, but this spinner of VB-soaked yarns calls Perth home. Having recently returned from the USA (seems like Americans have a thing for earnest, self-deprecating Aussie guitarists at the moment — see Courtney Barnett), the hugely hyped crooner is about to kick off his first national tour. You can expect a damn fine show from the 'Hates My Boozin' singer — not for nothing has he played Sydney Festival, Laneway and SXSW already. Releasing his debut album Butcher/Hairstylist/Beautician in November last year, Bibby named his first release for a hidden Perth gem that brings all three businesses under one roof. So we thought we'd put his local knowledge to the test, asking Bibby to unearth five hidden treasures only Perth locals would be able to recommend. From pubs filled with kangaroo regulars to go-to guitar shops and super glam petrol station cafes, let's take a bonafide Bibby tour through Perth. MOJOS BAR "The best bar in Australia in my opinion, besides maybe Dan's Pub in Tasmania. Pool, beverages and live music on offer every night of the week." 237 Queen Victoria St, North Fremantle STRUMMERS GUITARS "To my knowledge, the best second-hand guitar dealer/repair shop anywhere near Perth. Huge range of rare guitars and equipment at very reasonable prices and run by two very lovely fellows." 811 Beaufort Street, Mount Lawley MIDLAND GATE SHOPPING CENTRE "Everything you could ever hope for in a shopping centre. Likely to see some of Midlands finest scumbags on every visit." 274 Great Eastern Highway, Midland JOHN FORREST TAVERN "This little tavern is a great place to get a bit merry before you walk around a pretty beautiful part of the world. They have a resident kangaroo and there is usually native birds just hanging out inside the pub. It’s pretty legit." Park Rd, Glen Forrest VIBE CAFE "Situated on Charles Street in North Perth, the Vibe Cafe offers a range of fine delicacies at affordable prices. You can also buy petrol there." 427 Charles Street, North Perth Peter Bibby is currently touring in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane this week and next. By Jessica Surman and Shannon Connellan. Top image: Matt Sav. Images: Mojos, Strummers, Caputi Enterprises, Publocation, Vibe.
Anyone who's familiar with The Whitlams' back catalogue knows that the scourge of the poker machine has long been a concern of Tim Freedman's. His 2000 hit 'Blow Up the Pokies' was a response to the gambling addiction of the band's original bassist, Andy Lewis. Now, he's getting behind a new movement called Proudly Pokies Free, which aims to draw attention to — and reduce — the destructive impact of pokies in communities across Australia. The initiative has been instigated by sibling duo Anna and Tom Lawrence, whose late father, Neil Lawrence, created 2015 ABC doco Kaching! Pokie Nation. Proudly Pokies Free will kick off on Sunday, October 23 with a launch party at the Oxford Art Factory. There'll be performances from Freedman himself, alongside Joyride, Wild Honey, Left. and Bad Deep DJs, as well as guest speakers. "I'm proud to be involved with the Proudly Pokies Free movement to hopefully encourage a mindset that rewards and encourages venues that show imagination in programming and curating their activities," said Freedman. "It's time for the people of Sydney to push back against the pokies."
Ask people about voguing and the first thing most can come up with is an offhand reference to that music video Madonna did back in 1990. While her hit single 'Vogue' did serve to catapult the dance form onto the world stage, the story of its origins as a queer, black cultural practice born in the marginalised locales of New York is a more obscured tale. For the young kids living back in Harlem back then (and even today), it wasn’t so much of a dance form as it was about cultivating a safe space for self-expression and community. In a world so primed to reject these minorities, voguing was a fresh cause for celebration. Australian performance artist Bhenji Ra is out to shatter people’s Madonna-imbued misconceptions and redefine how we think of voguing. Performing in Performance Space’s weekend of live art, Day for Night, Bhenji and Liverpool-based dance troupe The Pioneers will be conducting a series of vogue ‘classes’ that explore the appropriation of the practice across different subcultures. With Day for Night looming and Mardi Gras hot on its heels, we thought it time to learn about the true history of voguing. Here it is, from its streetside beginnings to its commercial success. ORIGINS: THE DRAG BALLROOMS OF HARLEM Just as the name suggests, voguing drew its start from the pages of Vogue magazine, as dancers took to emulating the elaborate poses struck by editorial models. Harlem’s community halls were transformed into drag ballrooms, places that working class, queer, Latino and African Americans could truly claim as their stomping ground, removed from the judgment of the heteronormative world. They established different ‘Houses’ – a network of fraternity that was almost a home away from home for these young outcasts. Away from Harlem, others were also playing it up. "The gay inmates [of Riker's Island in New York] would imitate the models of Vogue magazine and it became a thing of replicating the catwalk and also having drag battles," says Bhenji. THEN: STRIKE A POSE So how did such a localised cultural practice become thrust into the world spotlight? As was the answer to most things in the '80s, it was Madonna. Her song 'Vogue', with its ubiquitous music video, disseminated a washed-down version of vogue culture, easily digestible for the pop audience (“It makes no difference if you’re black or white, if you’re a boy or girl,” she sings). For the original voguers, the success of this new publicity was only short lived. “[For] people like Willi Ninja, who really had a vision for vogue to be known globally, to think that something that started in the community hall went into this hyper-globalised market and just being known by millions around the world, I think that blew their mind," says Bhenji. "But I guess from my point of view, post-post all of that, you can sit back and say, it's not really correct in a way in that what happens to [the voguers] after that? They're in the same place, their careers haven’t escalated." NOW: VOGUING GOES VIRAL In the 20 plus years since, voguing has gone through countless reinventions and interpretations, transforming from a pose-heavy expressionism to a much more fluid and stylised choreography as influences from sub-genres of dance such as femme, waacking, and dancehall fed into its evolution. And with technology of course, voguing can be taught anywhere, anytime: “Kids are learning from YouTube and screens and they’re not learning from the OGs [Original Gangsters], or the legends, or the originals in New York ... people exploring voguing in Australia or anywhere outside of New York, there’s always a new twist to it,” says Bhenji. DECONSTRUCTED AT DAY FOR NIGHT The Madonna moment of vogue is just one instance of cultural appropriation that Bhenji Ra and the Pioneers aim to address in Performance Space's Day for Night. But what happens when vogue is transferred and reincarnated across marginal groups, from the original African Americans on the New York piers to Australia’s suburban centres of diaspora? “People go ‘Oh why isn't there vogue groups that we know of?’. Well sometimes, especially in Australia, we don't need them," says Bhenji. "But then you go out into the fringes, in the suburbs, where there's mostly Polynesians or Asians ... then you see these kind of things pop up where people start to gather together and create crews. "We should question ourselves when we pick up the form. We should talk about the form, that it's not just wavy arms ... It's a community, it's a culture, just like any other traditional form of performance." Presented by Performance Space, Carriageworks and Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, Day for Night is on in February in two parts: a party on the night of Friday 20 (7.30 - 11.30pm) and the live art exhibition on February 21 – 22 (where you can catch Bhenji, from 12 – 8pm daily). Image by James Brown for Performance Space.
Seasonal change is finally settling into Melbourne and with it comes one of the NGV's best annual exhibitions: the Winter Masterpieces series. This year, it's no secret they've snagged a true master, Vincent Van Gogh, the poster boy for post-impressionism and dramatic self-mutilation. Set to open on April 28 and running until July 19, blockbuster exhibition Van Gogh and the Seasons has been years in the making, and is expected by NGV to draw one of the gallery's biggest audiences yet. Curator Sjraar Van Heugten has fine tuned a thematic exhibition after Van Gogh's own heart, an exploration of the seasons in over 60 works. "In the seasons, he [Van Gogh] has perceived infinity, something larger than humanity. The seasons represent ongoing life," he says. Inside the exhibition, you'll find a fascinating investigation into Van Gogh's life, alongside some of his best naturalist pieces. The artist's character, and his fluctuating mental health, often receive as much attention as his best works. The story of his life, and his death, are expounded wonderfully (and sensitively, snaps for not stigmatising mental health) through quotes, correspondence and essays. Although the collection itself doesn't feature his most famous works, you'll leave with a window into the artist's true persona and an understanding of the sheer breadth of his talent. Structurally, Van Gogh and the Seasons is broken into (you guessed it) the four seasons, that masterfully weave a narrative through the artist's life. The NGV has produced a short accompanying film, narrated by David Stratton and David Wenham, that's worth a watch before you proceed through the exhibition, as it explains the structure of the exhibition and sets the mood. We'll let you experience the exhibition for yourself, but in case you'd like a little guidance in your visit, here are five works you shouldn't miss. A WHEATFIELD WITH CYPRESSES, 1889 This painting is perhaps one of the exhibition's best known pieces. You'll see it emblazoned on all the NGV's marketing collateral and once you're standing in front of it, you can feel why. The vibrant colours and rolling cloud banks are euphoric. There's nothing more to say except this painting is worth the ticket price alone. TREE TRUNKS IN THE GRASS, 1890 The composition of this painting is a departure from the Van Gogh tradition. It's an awkward close-up of a tree trunk and surrounding vegetation but it stands out for the detail, the peaceful atmosphere, and the perfectly balanced colours. Van Gogh painted this in the spring (April) of 1890, just after a period of severe mental illness and only months before taking his own life. VIEW OF SAINTES-MARIES-DE-LA-MER, 1888 Love a good Cezanne town landscape? Don't miss this work. Painstakingly composed and one Van Gogh's more structured pieces, View of Saintes-Maries-de-la-mer will catch you off-guard. While his style was overwhelmingly more fluid and impressionist, this scene is clearly defined and an interesting counterpoint to the rest of the spring and summer pieces. ORCHARD IN BLOSSOM, 1889 This is part of a series in the 'spring' section that is collectively stunning. The delicate pastels used in this season represent Van Gogh's time in Paris, living with his doting brother Theo in Montmartre, where his style lightened and evolved into what we know today as his best works. As a lover of nature, the fertile spring inspired some of his most beautiful pieces. SELF PORTRAIT, 1887 And at the very end of the exhibition, we get a final glimpse of the man who had previously remained faceless. A small but articulate self portrait of a weary looking artist, rendered three years before he died. Van Gogh's final words, spoken to his brother Theo, were famously, "The sadness will last forever". There's a lot of sadness in this exhibition. If you can, we recommend you walk through alone and take it all in. Van Gogh and the Seasons runs April 28 to July 19 at NGV. Installation images: Tom Ross.
The process of getting takeout is about to become even easier, thanks to a brand new online service that lets you order using emojis. New York-based startup company Fooji works in partnership with local restaurants on a weekly rotating menu, and lets hungry customers place their order via twitter. Yes friends, the future has arrived...and it's really, really lazy. The way the service works almost literally couldn't be simpler, which is probably a big part of the appeal. When you sign up for an account, you list your address and billing information. Then, whenever you're feeling peckish, you just head on over to the Fooji homepage for that week's menu, which corresponds different dishes to different emojis – emojis you then tweet to @gofooji. Typical options include pizza, chicken wings, noodles, curries, sandwiches, pasta and sushi. Or if you're feeling adventurous, just tweet a knife and fork and the Fooji team will order for you. The service costs users a flat US$15 per meal, which includes delivery and tip. They're currently only operating in NYC and San Francisco, although their website mentions the possibility of expanding further down the line. There's also no way to customise your order or stray from the menu – tweeting a burger emoji plus an ice-cream emoji won't get you a dessert burger, no matter how delicious that may sound. It's also a bit rough for people with dietary requirements or food allergies, although don't forget you can still just pick up the phone and call the restaurant yourself. Fooji are currently pursuing a patent for their idea, although they may get some competition from Dominos, who actually rolled out a similar service back in May. That being said, Fooji probably has the edge in that the end result doesn't involve you having to actually consume a Dominos pizza. Yeah, that's definitely a plus. Via PSFK.
If you're a sucker for punishment, or happen to be one of those undeterrable humans without any mortal fear of heights, you're going to love this. Airbnb have revealed their latest terrifying stay, a penthouse apartment at the end of Norway's famous Holmenkollen ski jump. At the end. Of a ski jump. Yep, seems people aren't content dangling from cable cars overnight, there's apparently a market for taking a nap hanging high over the ski fields. The clincher? Your checkout is by zipline, like a regular James Bond (or you can take the lift if you hate fun/prefer your pants unsoiled). Airbnb is providing one lucky, brave-ass couple the opportunity to spend a night in the admittedly beautiful Holmenkollen penthouse apartment, built where daredevil world champion athletes usually meet to prepare before a bowel-defying jump and will be used by skiers at the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup, held at Holmenkollen later this month (March, 14-15). The chosen Airbnbers will enjoy two nights in the fully-furnished, panoramic apartment, with floor-to-ceiling windows letting you gaze out over Oslo beneath the Northern Lights. This is particularly aimed at the hardcore skiers among you. The world’s first ski museum is right below you on the first floor. You can grab a pair of cross country skis and enjoy 1500 kilometres of fresh powder right outside your door — although only pros are allowed to use the ski jump, so don't think you're going to be pulling any tricks on your toboggan. Feeling peckish? The highest roof terrace in town is right above the apartment, and breakfast is served in the VIP lounge. All you have to do to enter the competition is tell Airbnb by 11.59pm on March 16 why you (and your most courageous friend) would like to spend the night. Best bit? Airbnb will fly the winners in from anywhere in the world outside of Norway. Head here to apply.
Welcome mats be damned; a red neon sign declaring "Everything with tequila" is the best way to be ushered into a venue. It beckons you off the street and downstairs into a dark basement space with hanging wire lamps, potted succulents, booth seating and a cluster of chandeliers above one long table. There are underplayed touches of the Mexican influence throughout, but it's more a stylish hang-out for suits than a dive bar to swill Tecate. A spinoff of the once popular Kings Cross restaurant/bar Barrio Chino, it features a cocktail list that makes good on the promise of that neon sign, with seven variations of the classic margarita and a huge selection of signature cocktails — championing tequila and mezcal. Barrio Cellar used to have a secret menu that featured a bowl of fries with guacamole, salsa and chunks of steak, but everything is written out these days. Try some loaded fries and tuna poke nachos, or get around some of the nine different tacos. Come Tuesday, these bad boys are all $5 each — an absolute steal. Burgers, quesadillas and churros round out the rest of the menu, with a $50 set menu available to those who want to feast without the fuss of choosing what to order. Barrio Cellar works equally well for those just wanting tequila and snacks, and groups of diners looking for a big night out of eating and drinking in the city. Appears in: Sydney's Best Underground Bars for 2023
In the relatively small Sydney suburb of Auburn lies a rich cultural melting pot that locals will tell you makes it one of the most diverse communities in the whole city — with residents from the Middle East, Asia and Africa coming together in a sharing of ideas, practices and some damn tasty food. Thanks, in part, to its mosque, Auburn specifically attracts Muslim people from many different countries and backgrounds, making the foodie scene here dominated by a range of Middle Eastern cuisines — from Turkish and Lebanese to Afghani and Pakistani — each with their own specialties, ingredients and cooking methods. The suburb is a collection of small businesses that are proudly family-owned and the cornerstone of an overwhelmingly welcoming community that really loves its food. If you missed October's Flavours of Auburn festival, you can make your own way through the top seven foodie experiences that this delicious part of Sydney has to offer. [caption id="attachment_604802" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Marissa Ciampi.[/caption] FRESHLY BAKED SIMIT AT MENZIL TURKISH BAKERY Menzil's is a true local legend in these parts, supplying their delectable bread to most shops in the area. Simit — a circular, bagel-like bread, only much larger, flatter and crusted with sesame seeds — is a quintessential part of cuisine in Istanbul and is popular not only in Turkey but also across the Middle East. Crunchy on the outside and fluffy in the middle, a fresh batch could rival New York bagels. At Menzil's, you're sure to get the freshest in town. The shop may look generic, but they take baking very seriously. The business has been family-run for generations, opens at 6am every day of the year, is 100 percent halal and they bake everything in-house. If you're here for breakfast, grab one of their flaky and buttery pastries, but be sure to get in early before they inevitably sell out. Lunch is all about the cheese simit sandwiches. Those with a sweet tooth will naturally gravitate toward the display of desserts, from baklava and elaborate cakes to traditional Turkish biscuits — colourfully dipped and playfully shaped shortbread cookies that are traditionally bought by the box for Turkish parties. Grab a few with your coffee and enjoy while you walk. 40 Auburn Road, Auburn [caption id="attachment_604803" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Marissa Ciampi.[/caption] SAFFRON ICE CREAM FROM AUBURN FRESH JUICE CENTRE The Auburn Fresh Juice Centre may look like a brightly lit Boost mimic, but the flavours immediately reveal that it's something else all together. Despite the shop's name, the ice cream, more akin to frozen custard, is the real draw here. Owned by an Afghani family, the flavours are not your average chocolate and vanilla — think a bright yellow saffron ice cream with real threads of the spice throughout, giving that foolproof mix of savoury and sweet. They use fresh pistachio in the pishawari and you can immediately taste the difference, while the rose flavour and fig and date smoothie are top contenders as well. For authenticity seekers, try the Falooda milk drink — a combination of arrowroot vermicelli, basil seeds, tapioca pearls and rose syrup — which is a classic treat from Pakistan that may sound foreign for the western palate but is even more reason to try it. If you're keen to try a few flavours, five bucks will get you a sizeable cup with multiple — and there's no extra charge for combo scoops. Or go for the 'Sunshine' option, which comes in the form of a big-ass sundae with three massive scoops of your choice, all topped with fresh fruit. 9 Auburn Road, Auburn [caption id="attachment_604804" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Kimberley Low.[/caption] TURKISH BREAKFAST AT ELIF MARKET INTERNATIONAL DELICATESSEN This unassuming deli counter is full of all things Turkish delicacy, from a variety of cheeses and dried meats to imported homewares and cooking utensils. Don't know where to start? Have a chat to Elif's proud owner, Fevzi, who is a regular Auburn character and happily shows guests around the shop. Elif has all of the makings for a traditional Turkish breakfast, which consists of simit, marinated kalamata olives and kasar cheese (a Turkish version of a mozzarella/provolone hybrid). Fevzi stocks only the most legit of these imported ingredients, apart from his own specially-treated olives — which he's created a homemade marinade for — and the simit which is baked around the corner at Menzil's (see above). Grab the lot to go and you've got yourself one hell of a picnic. If you're more of a bacon and egg kind of breakfast eater, include some sliced sucuk — a dried, spicy Turkish beef sausage — in your purchase and the meal can become the perfect mid-afternoon charcuterie instead. Don't forget to ask for a small bottle of 'lemon perfume', a traditional Turkish hand sanitiser that is used in most homes and also ideal to have on any foodie trip. 6-8 Civic Road, Auburn [caption id="attachment_604805" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Marissa Ciampi.[/caption] FALAFEL ROLL FROM JAMAL TAKEAWAY Jamal's is considered by many to serve the best falafel in Sydney and we were easy converts. This small grocer serves nothing but, so it comes as no surprise that the Lebanese owner knows his way around the falafel ball. Despite being the size of oranges, the falafel are not dense whatsoever. Topped with pickled turnips, tomato, salad and, of course, homemade yoghurt and chilli sauces, then double wrapped in pita, this falafel roll is an overall behemoth but one you won't want to share. Don't be intimidated by the owner's full-on personality — he may first seem a Seinfeld'Soup Nazi' type, but after your first bite and inevitable subsequent joy, you'll easily see how proud he is of his shop and how much he loves sharing this impeccable food with his customers. On your way out, grab a jar of the homemade chili paste, which ranges in spice level from mild to "xxhot" — trust us, you'll be craving it afterward. 73 Auburn Road, Auburn BURANEE-BADENJAN AT KHAYBAR AUTHENTIC AFGHAN CUISINE Khaybar is true Afghan cuisine — with recipes passed down from generations, you know it doesn't get more authentic than that, hence the name. It's also abundantly clear that the owners just love food. The menu of course includes your traditional kebobs and koftas, standouts in their own right, but come here for the lesser known dishes that you can't get at your average shop. If you only try one dish here, it has to be Buranee-Badenjan — a dip of slow-cooked eggplant in a chunky tomato sauce, topped with mint and yoghurt (entrée $6.90; main $19.95). The dish is rich with spices and perfect for dipping their signature bread in. The Qaboli Pallaw, or jewelled rice ($14.95-16.95), is another traditional dish of seasoned chicken or lamb, served under a mound of browned basmati and topped with carrots, raisins, almonds and pistachios. The combination of the sweet raisins with the nuttiness and spicy meat really makes this dish and gives Halal Snack Packs a run for their money. 64 Auburn Road, Auburn [caption id="attachment_604809" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Marissa Ciampi.[/caption] TURKISH DELIGHT FROM REAL TURKISH DELIGHT This beautiful, nostalgic chocolate shop feels like a step back in time to the confectionery shops of the mid-1900s. The first Real Turkish Delight shop opened in 1974 in Flemington and continues to be independently owned and run by the Pektuzun family, who really know a thing or two about these Turkish sweets — the shop's first generation owner, Bahattin Pektuzun, worked for years in a Turkish confectionery shop before relocating to Australia. The Turkish Delights here are not of the Cadbury variety. All use the original recipe of this 14th century treat, made all naturally in old cauldrons and with no substitutes. Think flavours from the traditional rose to pomegranate, mint, vanilla and almond. This family takes their trade so seriously, in fact, that they've won the Guinness World Records back in 2005 for the largest Turkish Delight ever made — weighing in a 3.21 tonnes. While you're here, try some of the dark chocolate lollies as well, which are also made in house and won't disappoint. 1/3-5 Station Road, Auburn LAHMAJUN FROM ALI BABA CHARCOAL CHICKEN This Turkish chicken shop is a contender for best in town, and Auburn is a town of many kebab shops. The charcoal chicken is of course their namesake, and for good reason — it's juicy and tender with a perfectly grilled skin. Plenty of regulars also tuck into their signature pide, with the homemade dough hand-rolled right in front of your eyes and stuffed with spinach and cheese or minced meat and sauce. For us, Ali Baba is the go-to spot for lahmajun, a flat pastry dough that is similar to gozleme, only topped instead of stuffed — topped more specifically with minced beef or chicken, onions, tomatoes and parsley, then spiced with the quintessential combination of cayenne pepper, paprika, cumin and cinnamon. Top it all off with a slice of fresh lemon and you have the ultimate zesty and spicy combo. To wash it all down, grab a yoghurt drink or pomegranate juice, both traditional Turkish libations. 2 Civic Road, Auburn Top image: Kimberley Low.
There's a moment when you're drinking mead from a polished, gilded cow horn in a Redfern basement that you become smugly aware that Sydney's restaurant scene had a strong start to 2017. It's not every year that begins with an underground contemporary Viking luxe bar. Or a 1920s-style city coffeehouse with tea trolleys and shoe shines while you wait. Or a George Orwell-inspired moody bar with 350-strong wine list. With so many openings hitting the city in a six-month period, we whittled it down to our favourite newcomers raising the bar for Sydney's hospitality scene. Well, our favourites so far — and there's still another six months to go.
Mexican cuisine has been flourishing in the spotlight lately, with the likes of MAIZ, El Primo Sanchez and Ricos Tacos cementing their status as Sydney staples and new openings such as Gitano, The Happy Mexican and Cancun Boat Club fuelling further excitement. Joining the ranks of newbies slinging quality south-of-the-border fare is Comedor, Australia Street's new restaurant, which celebrates community through food. This modern diner in a converted warehouse spotlights modernised Mexican dishes, with Head Chef Alejandro Huerta (ex-El Primo Sanchez, Chica Bonita, No.92) and Venue Manager Kieran Took (ex-Tio's Cerveceria, Big Poppa's) at the helm. "I want to make sure Comedor is seen as a place where you go to have a great time and experience new flavours," Huerta explains. "I'm looking forward to being able to really show who I am and what I'm passionate about." [caption id="attachment_965179" align="alignnone" width="1920"] (L–R) Kieran Took and Alejandro Huerta[/caption] The 100-year-old building where the restaurant is housed is owned by Newtown local Walter Shellshear, who shares a mutual appreciation for the culture and food of Mexico with the duo behind the venue. The vision to create a sense of connection and community through food is one that's been realised by all three, whose collaborative efforts have created an inviting and relaxed dining space for guests to enjoy. "I love my culture and Mexican food, but I don't like doing the same thing everyone else is doing," said Huerta. Huerta's ethos shapes the menu, which showcases the modern techniques he picked up working at some of the very best restaurants in the world, Noma in Copenhagen and Pujol in Mexico City, blended with traditional elements that pay homage to his heritage and carry the comfort of a home-cooked meal. The share-focused set menu includes smaller plates like a kingfish tostada with nduja, pineapple and spring onion and scallops coated in a corn miso vinaigrette and notes of wattleseed and saltbush. For heftier options, you can dig into a mushroom-glazed steak served with enoki and XO sauce, Murray cod in a honey-infused fermented black bean sauce or a pipis-starring linguine finished with chilpachole butter and nasturtium. Rounding out the menu are desserts like a persimmon and manchego tart or chocoflan topped with dulce de leche. The dinner tasting menu will set you back a quite reasonable $79 — you can also add on an agave or wine pairing for an additional $65 — but lunch is just as good a deal, with a weekly-rotating three-course chef's choice for $35. For drinks, expect an agave-forward selection. Took takes charge of the beverage offering, with hopes to encourage guests to explore spirits such as tequila, mezcal, sotol and raicilla. The cocktail menu stars a fresh and fruity raicilla-spiked strawberry spritz, a Tommy's-style marg with a rose almond and cardamon twist and a mezcal colada with honeycomb, coconut and pineapple for a sweet sip. You'll also be able to pair curated cocktails with each dish if you're feeling adventurous, while non-alc options include house-made sodas in a range of flavours. As for the fitout, the airy, natural light-filled space encourages casual dining by day while summoning a more sophisticated feel by night. Welsh + Major have led the charge on Comedor's design, drawing on artist Josef Albers' Mexico-inspired works to create an ambient earth-toned venue awash with vibrant reds, buttery yellows and deep blues. You'll also spot a 16-foot stone bar, as well as timber banquette seating lining the walls and a huge communal dining table, perfect for a slice of community paired with overlapping conversations and thought-provoking cuisine. Images: Dexter Kim
Back in 2018, Chatswood scored a big infusion of contemporary Chinese flavour in elegant newcomer Mama Mulan. Located in The Concourse, the 180-seater made quite the impression, with its restaurant, bar and private dining areas boasting striking interiors by creative agency DS17. To match the polished, modern aesthetic, the kitchen is dishing up a culinary exploration of China, delivered through a mix of traditional techniques and new-school flair. The chefs have pulled together an approachable menu full of tightly executed dishes from a range of Chinese provinces. Wok-fried lobster is dressed in the restaurant's secret Szechuan sauce, dandan noodle soup is made with noodles hand-pulled before your eyes and roasted lamb ribs are cooked Mongolian style. The addition of duck drives a san choi bao into modern territory, while the Mama Mulan fried rice is supercharged with asparagus, wagyu beef and XO sauce. If you decide to look to the tanks for inspiration, pick out a live mud (or snow) crab and order it typhoon shelter-style, piled high with dried chilli and black beans. Headlining the dessert offering is a range of signature fried ice cream flavours, created in collaboration with Sydney's famed dessert masters, Duo Duo. A hefty selection of Chinese booze, clever cocktails and international beer rounds out the fun. If you're coming for a special event then be sure to book out the private dining room. With polished floorboards, floor to ceiling linen curtains and a curved, steel-grey interior, the room is sophisticated and fun, elegant without being overbearing. They can seat over fifteen guests so you can kick back and relax while the professional staff take care of your evening.
The cities of the future won't be built. They'll be printed. Or at least that seems to be the idea, after Dubai unveiled its first office building created using a 3D printer. Located near the Emirates Tower complex, the 250 square metre building, dubbed The Office of the Future, was printed in just 17 days at a cost of around US$140,000. Now they just need to convince people it won't collapse around their ears. The building was constructed out of special cement mixture, using a custom-made printer measuring 6m by 36m by 12m in size. Only a single supervisor was required to oversee the actual printing process, although seven installers and ten electricians were needed to fit-out the structure once it had been assembled. Even so, the process represents an enormous saving in terms of labour cost, with the Dubai government saying it cut the total bill in half. "We implement what we plan, and we pursue actions not theories," said UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum at the building's official opening. "The rapidly changing world requires us to accelerate our pace of development, for history does not recognize our plans but our achievements." Via PSFK.
Since opening way back in 2015, Willie the Boatman has become a household name in the Sydney craft beer scene. And the brewpub, located within St Peters' Precinct 75, has garnered extra attention since its Luchetti Krelle-designed makeover in the same year. It's a bright and airy space with hanging greenery and tasteful bric-a-brac adorning the walls, plus a mix of timber and steel finishes. The space offers booths and long communal table seating, along with a comfy leather couch for good measure. The beers, like the brewery, all have fun names and stories — from the easy-drinking Tempe Tim pale ale to the bolder Crazy Ivan IPA. The bar is also slinging its specialty Albo corn ale (on tap and in tinnies) — it's a farmhouse-style ale that's named for the current Prime Minister of Australia. This beer is in a league of its own and could easily keep you at the brewery all arvo. Willie the Boatman has your back for every season and every weekend. If you're new to the beers, grab a tasting pony and give them all a go. And when you realise how good this beer is, we'll see you at the takeaway fridge. Images: Esteban La Tessa Appears in: The Best Sydney Brewery Bars for 2023
Picture this: a cosy, wooden structure somewhere remote, away from the hustle and bustle — and far, far away from mobile phone coverage — of your everyday life, perhaps with a fireplace and/or some kind of heated outdoor bathing fixture. You know the kind of place we're talking about. In fact, you're fantasising about it right now, aren't you? Take a coffee break and take a scroll through some of the world's most dreamy winter cabins that you can actually stay in. We've teamed up with NESCAFÉ to help you take the desk break you, as a hardworking human being, deserve. So start planning your worldwide cold weather escape — we promise none of them were featured in a Joss Whedon-written, Chris Hemsworth-starring horror movie. [caption id="attachment_580297" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Justin Muir[/caption] FOSSICKERS HUT, MARLBOROUGH, NEW ZEALAND Want to go off the grid? Well you've found your place. Fossickers Cottage is located just an hour from Nelson in NZ's Marlborough region, but it feels at least nine hours away from any kind of civilisation. The stunning early settler-style hut is the perfect perch in the middle of the bush right next to the amazingly clear water of the Wakamarina River. Along with a cosy kitchen room and bedroom (with a loft up top for a few extra mates), there's also a fire-heated outdoor bath. It doesn't get much better than that. LAKE O'HARA LODGE, CANADIAN ROCKIES, CANADA If you're looking for an old-school cabin that really does feel like it's in a movie (but sans scares), then Lake O'Hara Lodge is the place to be. This is the type of cabin that Parks and Recreation's Ron Swanson would be proud of — well, aside from the fact that it's in the Canadian Rockies. Constructed in 1926, it's the perfect spot for skiing in winter, hiking in summer, and enjoying the serenity of British Columbia's Yoho National Park all year round. Their one-bedroom lakeshore cabins are of the 'no muss, no fuss' variety, boasting little more than a queen bed for sleeping, a day bed for relaxing, and a deck for looking out at the world. It's just what you need after a long day revelling in the splendour of the site's surroundings. UFOGEL, NUSSDORF, AUSTRIA Whichever way you look at it, there's nowhere quite like Austria's unique Ufogel cabin. You can take that literally, given the mountain hideaway's inimitable design, or you can see it as a statement on the once-in-a-lifetime experience you're bound to have in the one-of-a-kind structure in the village of Nussdorf. Inside, expect wood as far as the eye can see; the entire compact building is completely made of it. Bring a few mates — the place can sleep up to five — and don't waste your time wondering about the name. It's a blend of UFO and vogel, the German term for bird, as inspired by the structure's distinctive appearance. CHALET JEJALP, MORZINE, FRANCE Who hasn't fantasised about a snowy sojourn holed up in a chalet? If you like wintry sports, it's the ideal break: you'd hit the slopes when the sun is shining, and then enjoy the facilities inside looking out over the frosty valley of an evening. Chalet Jejalp is the exact place you want to get snowed in; the house includes a double-height glass wine cellar, bar, pool table, gym, sunken jacuzzi, sauna, cinema room, and on-site chef and chauffeur. Yep, this is the kind of place you need to win the lotto to stay in — but you know it'd be totally worth it. MOONBAH HUT, NEAR JINDABYNE, AUSTRALIA If you stay local, prepare to do some driving to get your Aussie cabin fix. But if you're willing to commit, the rewards really are stunning. Moonbah Hut is located on private frontage on the Moonbah River, the Snowy Mountains' cleanest, most unspoilt home for trout. Give your fishing muscle a flex from your front doorstep, while keeping an eye out for wildlife, from wombats to deer to brumbies. Or bunker down inside, with a huge, stone open fireplace for company. Previous guests have taken the experience next level and invited personal chefs along for an evening. Spanish chef Miguel Maestre is among those to have done the honours. LION SANDS GAME RESERVE, SABI SANDS, SOUTH AFRICA Cabins come in all shapes, sizes and heights — and suited to all climates, too. Your idea of a winter cabin might involve snuggling up by the fire; however if you head to Lion Sands Game Reserve in South Africa, it could involve hanging out in a treehouse, spotting wild animals and gazing at the stars as you nod off to sleep. Constructed out of wood and glass, their Kingston treehouse is designed to welcome visitors all-year-round, so there's no need to worry about any inclement weather. And if that's not enough to tempt you, how about this: it comes complete with a wooden drawbridge. Yes, really. EAGLE BRAE LOG CABINS, SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS, SCOTLAND That ideal image of a wood log cabin you've been dreaming about? Well, that's what you'll find at Eagle Brae. Their seven two-storey open-plan dwellings have been hand-built using massive western redcedar logs sourced from the forests of Canada. And although it's cold, the cabins feature log-burning stoves to keep you warm. Indeed, if there's ever been a place tailor-made for staying indoors and snuggling up, this is it — though there's plenty to see outside, of course. That's where you'll find out just how the Scottish Highlands got their name, spot plenty of wildlife, and maybe even go salmon fishing as well. AZUR LUXURY LODGE, QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND Talk about a room with a view — and a bed and a bath too. If it's a private villa with stunning lake and mountain sights available from every available floor-to-ceiling window that you're after, then Azur Luxury Lodge has you covered. So it's not exactly a 'cabin', but when you're hanging out by the fire with a glass of wine, you're not going to concerned with specifics. Plus, for those who just can't unplug from the outside world completely, the Queenstown resort offers the best of both worlds, with all the mod cons like Wi-Fi in the middle of a gorgeous natural setting. BODRIFTY ROUNDHOUSE, CORNWALL, ENGLAND Centuries ago, in Celtic villages in the Iron Age, chiefs slept in thatched roundhouses. Seeing one is quite a sight, particularly since there's only a handful of replicas littered throughout the world — but spending a night in one? Well, that's something else. At Bodrifty in Cornwall, you can do just that. As well as marvelling at the experimental architecture, you can set up camp inside and stoke the open firebowl as well. And while it might appear as though you're stepping back in time, expect a touch of luxury when it comes to sleeping, as visitors will relish the modern comfort of a four-poster bed. POST RANCH INN, BIG SUR, USA Perched atop the cliffs of Big Sur in California, Post Ranch Inn provides several riffs on the cabin experience. Everyone wants a bit of rustic charm — and you'll get that here in a variety of accommodation types, including circular houses inspired by redwood trees and stand-alone treehouses. Choose from mountain or ocean views, and enjoy a dip in two infinity pools, a spot of fine dining and everything from yoga to nature walks while you're there. Okay, so this one's a modern interpretation of a cabin — but hey, who doesn't want to try that at least once? Words by Sarah Ward with Jasmine Crittenden. Top image: Justin Muir.
Public transport could be about to get a whole lot more delightful thanks to pioneering auto company Local Motors. After last year unveiling the world's first fully functioning 3D-printed car, the US-based startup has continued to innovate, and this week introduced the world to a self-driving bus named Olli. Rolling out across Washington D.C., the electric shuttle can transport up to 12 passengers at one time, and is capable of travelling at speeds of around 20km/h. Also, it's ridiculously cute. The autonomous, 3D-printed vehicles can be summoned by D.C. commuters using a mobile app. Moreover, thanks to IBM's AI Watson technology, they're also capable of understanding voice commands. So basically it's like Uber, except your driver is a computer. If your first thought after reading that sentence was to freak out over an inevitable Terminator-style robot uprising, don't worry. Although Olli drives itself – and is capable of making decisions much faster than human drivers – all vehicles are monitored by real people at all times. Y'know, just in case. Assuming things go well in Washington, Local Motors are hoping to bring fleets to Las Vegas and Miami by the end of the year. They've also outlined a number of other potential uses for Olli...which you can hear about, below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymz4SYVr_EE Via Quartz.
As a treat to us for being such good eggs (or so we like to think), the National Gallery of Victoria are hosting a huge exhibition next year featuring the works of French Impressionist artist Edgar Degas as part of the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces. The exhibition will run from June 24 to September 18 at the NGV International and is comprised of over 200 works by Degas, from collections the world over. For those of you who don’t know, Degas is a pretty big deal in the art world and practiced during the late 1800s-early 1900s. At a time when many artists where still painting posed works, Degas and a sect of bohemian Parisian artists (including Honoré Daumier and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec), were cultivating the first big art movement that focused on candid impressions of subjects en plein air (meaning in ‘open air’ style, as opposed to in the studio or from memory). A lot of his pieces feature ballerinas and inevitably, this did lead to a lot of lurking around backstage at the ballet and, in Lautrec’s case, in a tonne of brothels (for the artistic potential, surely). Degas’ work also focused on an infrequently explored subject: the everyman. Blue collar workers in their natural habit where a recurring and novel theme in his work; French Impressionism tapped into that vein of human curiosity that makes reality TV so popular (“They’re just like us!”). Degas actually rejected the Impressionist mantle and referred to his style as realism, so intent was he on representing the world around him. In fact, according to art historian Carol Armstrong, Degas said “No art was ever less spontaneous than mine. What I do is the result of reflection and of the study of the great masters; of inspiration, spontaneity, temperament, I know nothing". Well damn. We can’t wait to check it out. Degas: A New Vision will be displayed at the National Gallery of Victoria International from June 24 to September 18, 2016. Image: Edgar Degas, In a café (The Absinthe drinker) 1875–76, oil on canvas, Musée d'Orsay, Paris, Lemoisne 393, © RMN-Grand Palais (musée d'Orsay) / Martine Beck-Coppola.
As if Melbourne's laneways weren't ace enough already, they're going green — well, four of them are anyway. Meyers Place, Katherine Place, Guildford Lane and Coromandel Place will be transformed into little sustainable metropolitan Gardens of Eden with new designs released by the City of Melbourne as part of their Green Your Laneway initiative last week. The City of Melbourne announced their plans to transform four laneway spots in the CBD back in October of last year, and opened up the nominations to Melburnians to help them choose which ones they would give the green treatment. With more than 200 laneways in the city centre, picking the spots was no easy feat. But after collating over 800 public nominations as well as advice from engineers, landscape architects and sustainability professionals, and taking environmental factors — such as the amount of sunlight the laneways receive and their exposure to wind — into account, the council has settled on the four laneways as the ones that would most benefit from the added greenery. The draft designs show the laneways filled with planter boxes, vertical gardens, climbing plants and trees. Among the proposed additions, there are plans to give Katherine Place a mini tree-lined boulevard and an ivy-covered archway, and Guilford Lane (which is largely residential) could score a community garden. All up, the City of Melbourne is investing $1.3 million in the project. "Melbourne's laneways are internationally renowned for their quirky and eclectic culture and feel," Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said. "We can add another layer to their attraction by enhancing the sustainability of our laneways and making them 'green' and therefore more efficient at cooling the city, intercepting and cleaning stormwater and improving air quality and ambience." If you'd like to check out the designs in more detail, they'll be on display in Meyers Place from November 3-14. There's also some pretty detailed info on their website. Plus, to further warm you to the idea, Meyers Place will also host gardening workshops and live music on Saturday, November 12 from 2pm. Green Your Laneway is on trial as one arm of the City's Love Your Laneway program. Meanwhile, the Urban Forest Strategy is striving to address climate change and reduce Melbourne's summer temperatures by four degrees Celsius. Green days ahead. By Lauren Vadnjal and Jasmine Crittenden.
Wocka wocka! After almost two full decades away, The Muppets are heading back to television. A new Muppets series was confirmed by the US ABC network last week, and has been described as a behind-the-scenes-style program for a grown-up audience. To give you an idea of what that might entail, they’ve just dropped their first trailer via Twitter. Give it a watch. While we’ll reserve final judgement until the show is actually on their air, there’s definitely a lot to like about this initial tease. All of Jim Henson’s iconic characters are back, as is their signature fourth wall-shattering humour. We’re also digging the Cersei/Margaery vibe between Miss Piggy and her young, brunette replacement. And is it just us, or did Kermit make a weed joke? According to ABC’s official announcement, "The Muppets return to primetime with a contemporary, documentary-style show. For the first time ever, a series will explore the Muppets' personal lives and relationships, both at home and at work, as well as romances, break-ups, achievements, disappointments, wants and desires. This is a more adult Muppet show, for 'kids' of all ages." The mockumentary format marks a bit of a departure from the variety-style setup of the '70s era Muppet Show, but seems like a smart choice given the popularity of The Office and Parks and Recreation. Sure Gonzo, maybe it is just a "totally overused device to make easy jokes." But if it ain't broke, why try and fix it? The Muppets is currently set to air in the United States at 8pm on Tuesdays starting in autumn. No word on an Australian airdate/Netflix addition as of yet. Via Empire.
UPDATE: MAY 24, 2018 — Brisbane City Council has officially approved plans for BrewDog's proposed development, meaning that construction will start on a the $30 brewery in July this year. If all goes to plan, construction should be finished by the end of the year, and the first Brissie-brewed beers will be pouring within the first few months of 2019. Watch this space for more information as we get closer to the opening. Brisbane's craft beer scene just scored itself a very high-profile new addition, with legendary Scottish brewer BrewDog announcing it'll build a state-of-the-art $30 million brewery in Murarrie. The city nudged out Newcastle to be chosen as BrewDog's first Australian home, following six months of public submissions, location scouting trips and feasibility studies. And the plans for these new riverside digs are nothing short of grand, incorporating a 3000-square-metre brewing and canning facility, as well as a visitor centre, taproom and restaurant. The brand's first brewery outside of the USA and the UK, the Brisbane operation will be crafting all of BrewDog's core beers — like the Dead Pony Club pale ale, the Jet Black Heart and the Punk IPA — alongside a selection of small-batch creations designed especially for local beer drinkers. It'll also showcase plenty of locally grown hops, from across Australia and New Zealand. "Australians are some of the most passionate and informed beer drinkers on the planet," said BrewDog co-founder James Watt. "I'm glad our Australian fans at home and in the diaspora were relentless in pushing for a brewery, and I look forward to sharing my first can of Aussie brewed Punk IPA with them." Construction on BrewDog Brisbane set to kick off in July 2018, with the first of the label's locally brewed beers slated to hit shelves in early 2019. For updates, visit brewdog.com.
One of the great things about Japanese food is that it rarely leaves you feeling horrendously full, even after scoffing an insane amount of it. Which means that an unlimited feasting situation at somewhere like Okami packs a serious punch in the value department. With over 20 outposts across Melbourne, Okami launched its first Sydney restaurant in Marrickville in 2020. Like the others, it also offers an all-you-can-eat menu. Go to town on sushi and sashimi, karaage chicken, agedashi tofu, chicken sausage skewers and takoyaki (crisp octopus balls), knowing you'll probably even have belly room left over for some green tea ice cream for dessert. The inner west spot is also BYO and has robust takeaway menu, featuring the likes of pork katsu with curry sauce, terriyaki chicken don and bento. Sydneysiders are lucky enough to now have eight Okami restaurants scattered all over the city — it's never been so easy to find affordable Japanese fare in the city.
UPDATE: Due to an electrical fire in September, Nomad had to move up the road into the old Longrain space on Commonwealth Street. But, we have some good news: the OG restaurant will be back up and running on October 20. It's difficult to know what to love first about Nomad. Walking in off drab Foster Street in Surry Hills' fringe, you're hit first by the simple beauty of the interior design. High ceilings, clean lines and polished concrete create a chic warehouse aesthetic warmed by bursts of colour from scattered jars of preserved turnips, gherkins, cauliflower, carrots and other pickled surprises. Attractive wooden tables are arranged cleverly throughout the large space, but the most coveted seats are those that wrap around the oversized open kitchen: from here, you can whet your appetite with a view of Heston-trained chef Nathan Sasi working his culinary magic. With 50 hand-picked wines available by the glass, you'll need some time to make decisions; a plate of Nomad pickles ($8) is the perfect accompaniment for the process. The wine list has been cultivated by Rob Geddes, one of only 18 Masters of Wine in the country, and is a proud celebration of Australian viniculture. The menu is intended to shift and transform between every visit, with each iteration showcasing a rising Australian luminary. The inaugural honouree is Michael Hall, whose pleasurable 2012 Adelaide Hills Chardonnay ($15/$72) evokes stone fruit and truffles and whose spicy Flaxman Valley Shiraz is an ideal bedfellow for the rustic Mediterranean feast to follow. The 'snack' menu of small but explosive dishes offers one hit after another. The Devils on Horseback are succulent prune spheres wrapped in paper-thin pancetta and drizzled with liquid orange blossom marmalade ($8). For another burst of flavour, try the cured bonito, layered with goat horn peppers and thin, toasted pastry for a devastatingly perfect textural balance ($12). The Nomad charcuterie ($24) is a must; the house-cured meats are displayed grandly in the cool room by the kitchen and feature interesting combinations like wallaby with juniper berries and beef heart salami. The menu expands into more substantial servings like a flavoursome BBQ quail with smoked pork hock and crispy Brussels sprouts ($28) and Chermoula-braised lamb neck with trimmings for two ($36). It's worth ordering one of the barbecued options just to watch the drama of the woodfired grills being raised and lowered over the hot coals in the open kitchen. Whichever delicacy you choose, keep an eye out for the care with which it is arranged on the plate before being gently drizzled, dusted or decorated with pretty, edible flowers. The attention devoted to each dish is palpable, and it pays generously in terms of both aesthetic and taste. In addition to making its mark on the culinary scene, Nomad is set to become a fully functioning cellar door, offering you the opportunity to taste at the table and then take home a case of whatever you loved the most. All in all, 'Nomad' appears to be a misnomer: this is one place we'd be very content to set down some roots. Images: Petrina Tinslay.
When a year ends, it's easy to pick what to watch. Just work through the best films of the past 12 months, the best movies that went straight to streaming over the same period, and the top new and returning TV shows. Or, catch up with flicks and series you might've missed — and others that are worth revisiting. When a new year begins, it's also easy to choose where to point your eyeballs. Awards season kicks into gear, bringing with it more recommendations — all newly minted recipients of shiny trophies. So, now that the Golden Globes have taken place for 2024, as held on Monday, January 8 Australian time, there's a new batch of winners to spend time with on both the big and small screens. To see some of this year's Golden Globe-recognised movies, you'll need to head to a cinema. For others — and for TV's best, too — you can get comfy on the couch to watch. Either way, here are eight of the Globes' top winners that you can check out right now. (And if you're wondering what else won, you can read through the full list, too.) MOVIE MUST-SEES OPPENHEIMER Cast Cillian Murphy and a filmmaker falls in love. Danny Boyle did with 28 Days Later and Sunshine, then Christopher Nolan followed with Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Inception and Dunkirk. There's an arresting, haunting, seeps-under-your-skin soulfulness about the Irish actor, never more so than when he was wandering solo through the empty zombie-ravaged streets in his big-screen big break, then hurtling towards the sun in an underrated sci-fi gem, both for Boyle, and now playing "the father of atomic bomb" in Nolan's epic biopic Oppenheimer. Flirting with the end of the world, or just one person's end, clearly suits Murphy. Here he is in a mind-blower as the destroyer of worlds — almost, perhaps actually — and so much of this can't-look-away three-hour stunner dwells in his expressive eyes. As J Robert Oppenheimer, those peepers see purpose and possibility. They spot quantum mechanics' promise, and the whole universe lurking within that branch of physics. They ultimately spy the consequences, too, of bringing the Manhattan Project successfully to fruition during World War II. Dr Strangelove's full title could never apply to Oppenheimer, nor to its eponymous figure; neither learn to stop worrying and love the bomb. The theoretical physicist responsible for the creation of nuclear weapons did enjoy building it in Nolan's account, Murphy's telltale eyes gleaming as Oppy watches research become reality — but then darkening as he gleans what that reality means. Directing, writing and adapting the 2005 biography American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J Sherwin, Nolan charts the before and after. He probes the fission and fusion of the situation in intercut parts, the first in colour, the second in black and white. In the former, all paths lead to the history-changing Trinity test on July 16, 1945 in the New Mexico desert. In the latter, a mushroom cloud balloons through Oppenheimer's life as he perceives what the gadget, as it's called in its development stages, has unleashed. GLOBES Won: Best Motion Picture — Drama, Best Director — Motion Picture (Christopher Nolan), Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Motion Picture — Drama (Cillian Murphy), Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture (Robert Downey Jr), Best Original Score — Motion Picture. Where to watch it: Oppenheimer streams via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. POOR THINGS Richly striking feats of cinema by Yorgos Lanthimos aren't scarce. Sublime performances by Emma Stone are hardly infrequent. Screen takes on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein couldn't be more constant. For Lanthimos, see: Dogtooth and Alps in the Greek Weird Wave filmmaker's native language, plus The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer and The Favourite since he started helming movies in English. With Stone, examples abound in her Best Actress Oscar for La La Land, supporting nominations before and after for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and Lanthimos' aforementioned regal satire, and twin 2024 Golden Globe nods for their latest collaboration as well as TV's The Curse. And as for the best gothic-horror story there is, not to mention one of the most influential sci-fi stories ever, the evidence is everywhere from traditional adaptations to debts owed as widely as The Rocky Horror Show and M3GAN. Combining the three results in a rarity, however: a jewel of a pastel-, jewel- and bodily fluid-toned feminist Frankenstein-esque fairy tale that's a stunning creation, as zapped to life with Lanthimos' inimitable flair, a mischievous air, Stone at her most extraordinary and empowerment blazing like a lightning bolt. With cascading black hair, an inquisitive stare, incessant frankness and jolting physical mannerisms, Poor Things' star is Bella Baxter in this adaptation of Alasdair Grey's award-winning 1992 novel by Australian screenwriter Tony McNamara (The Great). Among the reasons that the movie and its lead portrayal are so singular: as a character with a woman's body revived with a baby's brain, Stone plays someone from infancy to adulthood, all with the astonishingly exact mindset and mannerisms to match, and while making every move, choice and feeling as organic as birth, living and death. In this fantastical steampunk vision of Victorian-era Europe, London-based Scottish doctor Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe, Asteroid City) is Bella's maker. Even if she didn't call him God, he's been playing it. But curiosity, the quest for agency and independence, horniness and a lust for adventure all beckon his creation on a radical, rebellious, gorgeously rendered, gloriously funny and generously insightful odyssey. So, Godwin tries to marry Bella off to medical student Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef, Ramy), only for her to discover masturbation and sex, and run off to the continent with caddish lawyer Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law). GLOBES Won: Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy (Emma Stone). Where to watch it: Poor Things is currently screening in Australian cinemas. Read our full review. KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Death comes to Killers of the Flower Moon quickly. Death comes to Killers of the Flower Moon often. While Martin Scorsese will later briefly fill the film's frames with a fiery orange vision — with what almost appears to be a lake of flames deep in oil country, as dotted with silhouettes of men — death blazes through his 26th feature from the moment that the picture starts rolling. Adapted from journalist David Grann's 2017 non-fiction novel Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, with the filmmaker himself and Dune's Eric Roth penning the screenplay, this is a masterpiece of a movie about a heartbreakingly horrible spate of deaths sparked by pure and unapologetic greed and persecution a century back. Scorsese's two favourite actors in Leonardo DiCaprio (Don't Look Up) and Robert De Niro (Amsterdam) are its stars, alongside hopefully his next go-to in Lily Gladstone (Reservation Dogs), but murder and genocide are as much at this bold and brilliant, epic yet intimate, ambitious and absorbing film's centre — all in a tale that's devastatingly true. As Mollie Kyle, a member of the Osage Nation in Grey Horse, Oklahoma, incomparable Certain Women standout Gladstone talks through some of the movie's homicides early. Before her character meets DiCaprio's World War I veteran Ernest Burkhart — nephew to De Niro's cattle rancher and self-proclaimed 'king of the Osage' William King Hale — she notes that several Indigenous Americans that have been killed, with Mollie mentioning a mere few to meet untimely ends. There's nothing easy about this list, nor is there meant to be. Some are found dead, others seen laid out for their eternal rest, and each one delivers a difficult image. But a gun fired at a young mother pushing a pram inspires a shock befitting a horror film. The genre fits here, in its way, as do many others as Killers of the Flower Moon follows Burkhart's arrival in town, his deeds under his uncle's guidance, his romance with Mollie and the tragedies that keep springing: American crime saga, aka the realm that Scorsese has virtually made his own, as well as romance, relationship drama, western, true crime and crime procedural. GLOBES Won: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama (Lily Gladstone). Where to watch it: Killers of the Flower Moon is currently screening in Australian cinemas, and streams via Google Play, YouTube Movies and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Martin Scorsese. THE BOY AND THE HERON For much of the six years that a new Hayao Miyazaki movie was on the way, little was known except that the legendary Japanese animator was breaking his retirement after 2013's The Wind Rises. But there was a tentative title: How Do You Live?. While that isn't the name that the film's English-language release sports, both the moniker — which remains in Japan — and the nebulousness otherwise help sum up the gorgeous and staggering The Boy and the Heron. They also apply to the Studio Ghibli's co-founder's filmography overall. When a director and screenwriter escapes into imaginative realms as much as Miyazaki does, thrusting young characters still defining who they are away from everything they know into strange and surreal worlds, they ask how people exist, weather the chaos and trauma that's whisked their way, and bounce between whatever normality they're lucky to cling to and life's relentless uncertainties and heartbreaks. Miyazaki has long pondered how to navigate the fact that so little while we breathe proves a constant, and gets The Boy and the Heron spirited away by the same train of thought while climbing a tower of deeply resonant feelings. How Do You Live? is also a 1937 book by Genzaburo Yoshino, which Miyazaki was given by his mother as a child, and also earns a mention in his 12th feature. The Boy and the Heron isn't an adaptation; rather, it's a musing on that query that's the product of a great artist looking back at his life and achievements, plus his losses. The official blurb uses the term "semi-autobiographical fantasy", an elegant way to describe a movie that feels so authentic, and so tied to its creator, even though he can't have charted his current protagonist's exact path. Parts of the story are drawn from his youth, but it wouldn't likely surprise any Studio Ghibli fan if Miyazaki had magically had his Chihiro, Mei and Satsuki, or Howl moment, somehow living an adventure from Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro or Howl's Moving Castle. What definitely won't astonish anyone is that grappling with conjuring up these rich worlds and processing reality is far from simple, even for someone of Miyazaki's indisputable creative genius. GLOBES Won: Best Motion Picture — Animated. Where to watch it: The Boy and the Heron is currently screening in Australian cinemas. Read our full review. BARBIE No one plays with a Barbie too hard when the Mattel product is fresh out of the box. As that new doll smell lingers, and the toy's synthetic limbs gleam and locks glisten, so does a child's sense of wonder. The more that the world-famous mass-produced figurine is trotted through DreamHouses, slipped into convertibles and decked out in different outfits, though — then given non-standard makeovers — the more that playing with the plastic fashion model becomes fantastical. Like globally beloved item, like live-action movie bearing its name. Barbie, the film, starts with glowing aesthetic perfection. It's almost instantly a pink-hued paradise for the eyes, and it's also a cleverly funny flick from its 2001: A Space Odyssey-riffing outset. The longer that it continues, however, the harder and wilder that Lady Bird and Little Women director Greta Gerwig goes, as does her Babylon and Amsterdam star lead-slash-producer Margot Robbie as Barbie. In Barbie's Barbie Land, life is utopian. Robbie's Stereotypical Barbie and her fellow dolls (including The Gray Man's Ryan Gosling as Stereotypical Ken) genuinely believe that their rosy beachside suburban excellence is infectious, too. And, they're certain that this female-championing realm — and the Barbies being female champions of all skills, talents and appearances — has changed the real world inhabited by humans. But there's a Weird Barbie living in a misshapen abode. While she isn't Barbie's villain, not for a second, her nonconformist look and attitude says everything about Barbie at its most delightful. Sporting cropped hair, a scribbled-on face and legs akimbo, she's brought to life by Saturday Night Live great Kate McKinnon having a blast, and explained as the outcome of a kid somewhere playing too eagerly. Meet Gerwig's spirit animal; when she lets Weird Barbie's vibe rain down like a shower of glitter, covering everything and everyone in sight both in Barbie Land and in reality, the always-intelligent, amusing and dazzling Barbie is at its brightest and most brilliant. GLOBES Won: Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, Best Original Song — Motion Picture (Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell, 'What Was I Made For?'). Where to watch it: Barbie streams via Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review, and Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, Issa Rae and America Ferrara chatting about the film. SMALL-SCREEN STANDOUTS BEEF As plenty does, Beef starts with two strangers meeting, but there's absolutely nothing cute about it. Sparks don't fly and hearts don't flutter; instead, this pair grinds each other's gears. In a case of deep and passionate hate at first sight, Danny Cho (Steven Yeun, Nope) and Amy Lau (Ali Wong, Paper Girls) give their respective vehicles' gearboxes a workout, in fact, after he begins to pull out of a hardware store carpark, she honks behind him, and lewd hand signals and terse words are exchanged. Food is thrown, streets are angrily raced down, gardens are ruined, accidents are barely avoided, and the name of Vin Diesel's famous car franchise springs to mind, aptly describing how bitterly these two strangers feel about each other — and how quickly. Created by Lee Sung Jin, who has It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Dave and Silicon Valley on his resume before this ten-part Netflix and A24 collaboration, Beef also commences with a simple, indisputable and deeply relatable fact. Whether you're a struggling contractor hardly making ends meet, as he is, or a store-owning entrepreneur trying to secure a big deal, as she is — or, if you're both, neither or anywhere in-between — pettiness reigning supreme is basic human nature. Danny could've just let Amy beep as much as she liked, then waved, apologised and driven away. Amy could've been more courteous about sounding her horn, and afterwards. But each feels immediately slighted by the other, isn't willing to stand for such an indignity and becomes consumed by their trivial spat. Neither takes the high road, not once — and if you've ever gotten irrationally irate about a minor incident, this new standout understands. Episode by episode, it sees that annoyance fester and exasperation grow, too. Beef spends its run with two people who can't let go of their instant rage, keep trying to get the other back, get even more incensed in response, and just add more fuel to the fire again and again until their whole existence is a blaze of revenge. If you've ever taken a small thing and blown it wildly out of proportion, Beef is also on the same wavelength. And if any of the above has ever made you question your entire life — or just the daily grind of endeavouring to get by, having everything go wrong, feeling unappreciated and constantly working — Beef might just feel like it was made for you. GLOBES Won: Best Television Limited Series of Motion Picture Made for Television, Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Ali Wong), Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Steven Yeun). Where to watch it: Beef streams via Netflix. Read our full review. SUCCESSION Endings have always been a part of Succession. Since it premiered in 2018, the bulk of the HBO drama's feuding figures have been waiting for a big farewell. The reason is right there in the title, because for any of the Roy clan's adult children to scale the family company's greatest heights and remain there — be it initial heir apparent Kendall (Jeremy Strong, Armageddon Time), his inappropriate photo-sending brother Roman (Kieran Culkin, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off), their political-fixer sister Siobhan (Sarah Snook, Pieces of a Woman), or eldest sibling and presidential candidate Connor (Alan Ruck, The Dropout) — their father Logan's (Brian Cox, Remember Me) tenure needed to wrap up. The latter was always stubborn. Proud, too, of what he'd achieved and the power it's brought. And whenever Logan seemed nearly ready to leave the business behind, he held on. If he's challenged or threatened, as happened again and again in the Emmy-winning series, he fixed his grasp even tighter. Succession was always been waiting for Logan's last stint at global media outfit Waystar RoyCo, but it had never been about finales quite the way it was in its stunning fourth season. This time, there was ticking clock not just for the show's characters, but for the stellar series itself, given that this is its last go-around — and didn't it make the most of it. Nothing can last forever, not even widely acclaimed hit shows that are a rarity in today's TV climate: genuine appointment-viewing. So, this went out at the height of its greatness, complete with unhappy birthday parties, big business deals, plenty of scheming and backstabbing, and both Shiv's husband Tom Wambsgans (Matthew Macfadyen, Operation Mincemeat) and family cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun, Cat Person) in vintage form — plus an early shock, at least two of the best episodes of any show that've ever aired on television, one of the worst drinks, a phenomenal acting masterclass, a The Sopranos-level final shot and the reality that money really can't buy happiness. GLOBES Won: Best Television Series — Drama, Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series — Drama (Kieran Culkin), Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series — Drama (Sarah Snook), Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role on Television (Matthew Macfadyen). Where to watch it: Succession streams via Binge. Read our full review. THE BEAR The more time that anyone spends in the kitchen, the easier that whipping up their chosen dish gets. The Bear season two is that concept in TV form, even if the team at The Original Beef of Chicagoland don't always live it as they leap from running a beloved neighbourhood sandwich joint to opening a fine-diner, and fast. The hospitality crew that was first introduced in the best new show of 2022 isn't lacking in culinary skills or passion. But when bedlam surrounds you constantly, as bubbled and boiled through The Bear's Golden Globe-winning, Emmy-nominated season-one frames, not everything always goes to plan. That was only accurate on-screen for Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White, Fingernails) and his colleagues — aka sous chef Sydney (Ayo Edebiri, Bottoms), baker-turned-pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce, Hap and Leonard), veteran line cooks Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas, In Treatment) and Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson, Fargo), resident Mr Fixit Neil Fak (IRL chef Matty Matheson), and family pal Richie aka Cousin (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, No Hard Feelings). For viewers, the series' debut run was as perfect a piece of television as anyone can hope for. Excellent news: season two is better. The Bear serves up another sublime course of comedy, drama and "yes chef!"-exclaiming antics across its sizzling second season. Actually make that ten more courses, one per episode, with each new instalment its own more-ish meal. A menu, a loan, desperately needed additional help, oh-so-much restaurant mayhem: that's how this second visit begins, as Carmy and Sydney endeavour to make their dreams for their own patch of Chicago's food scene come true. So far, so familiar, but The Bear isn't just plating up the same dishes this time around. At every moment, this new feast feels richer, deeper and more seasoned, including when it's as intense as ever, when it's filling the screen with tastebud-tempting food shots that relish culinary artistry, and also when it gets meditative. Episodes that send Marcus to a Noma-esque venue in Copenhagen under the tutelage of Luca (Will Poulter, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), get Richie spending a week learning the upscale ropes at one of Chicago's best restaurants and jump back to the past, demonstrating how chaos would've been in Carmy's blood regardless of if he became a chef, are particularly stunning. GLOBES Won: Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy (Jeremy Allen White), Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy (Ayo Edebiri). Where to watch it: The Bear streams via Disney+. Read our full review.
Sydney's CBD is getting a major dose of the Tokyo-esque practical and compact, with plans to renovate Bar Century, rebrand it as The Century, and fit it out as a three-storey, luxury capsule hotel being announced last week. The George Street institution, which closed earlier this year, has been taken over by developer Walter Guo, who is investing a massive $5 million on a full interior refurb, which will be carried out by interior design consultants Giant Design. The heritage building will retain its vintage fit-out and have a "Soho House vibe", with the bar and hotel running as separate entities. The first two levels will act as The Century's cocktail bar and nightclub, while the top three floors of the building will be dedicated to the Century Capsules. These capsules are certainly more luxe than most you'll find in Asia. Each of the 72 capsules will contain a large LED screen and entertainment system, Wi-Fi, and even 'mood lighting' (whatever that means). Guests can choose from single or deluxe beds with entry from either the side or the end of the capsule. The communal facilities include a kitchen space, breakfast bar, lounge area, rooftop terrace and individual bathrooms. If you're worried about security, don't be — each capsule is fitted with a secure lock and the security desk runs 24-hours. But let's set the record straight — The Century is not going to be a hostel, and it's not aimed at overindulgent locals that can't seem to make it back home. And while the CBD haunt may have closed because of the lockout laws — and been a central part of a huge lockout protest as a result — these new digs are not meant as a lockout solution either. "The accommodation, which is not quite hotel nor hostel, is aimed at solo travellers looking for something more private than a typical backpackers and those who want the designer hotel experience on a budget," says Christopher Wilks, an associate at Giant Design. It's set to sit well within your budget, with prices ranging from 40-60 bucks a night. Which, depending on how far from the CBD you live, could be a lot cheaper than a cab home at 1am. Sounds futuristic (for Sydney, at least), but these aren't some plans for the distant future — The Century is coming soon. Giant Design is looking at a mid to late November opening.
Eleven years ago, Taika Waititi was a writer for hire, working on an adaptation of a beloved New Zealand book. Today, he's about to leap into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the director of the forthcoming Thor: Ragnarok. Progressing from the former to the latter hasn't been easy; however as Waititi's career has continually proven, he likes to stray off the beaten path. Indeed, before he embraces the superhero realm, he's bringing a dose of adventurous anarchy to cinema screens courtesy of his fourth feature, Hunt for the Wilderpeople. After exploring unconventional family dynamics with Eagle vs Shark, Boy and What We Do in the Shadows, Waititi ponders similar territory again. But this time, he's telling the tale of city kid Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison), his cranky foster uncle Hec (Sam Neill), and their attempts to escape an over-enthusiastic child services officer (Rachel House) by trampling through the New Zealand wilderness. And, he's actually returning to that project he started scripting more than a decade ago. Expect plenty of humour and heart, Terminator references, a dog named Tupac and Rhys Darby as an eccentric conspiracy theorist — all in a movie that has "synthesizers and a score from the '80s, and car chases and flipped police cars and all that stupid stuff," as Waititi puts it. There's a reason Hunt for the Wilderpeople has become New Zealand's biggest homegrown box office success of all time (knocking the filmmaker's own Boy off the top spot, actually). With the film's Australian release under way, we spoke with Waititi about great buddy comedies, getting annoyed at New Zealand's landscape and not being able to connect with bank robbers, and about the movie of the moment, of course. ON WHAT ATTRACTED HIM TO THE WILDERPEOPLE "I think it was just that I loved the idea of this character being on the run, sort of like Thelma and Louise or The Fugitive or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. All those kind of buddy flicks that, even films like Up, have two mismatched characters who are thrown together and stuck together. It's always been a winning combination in cinema. Paper Moon, 48 Hours, the list goes on. So I love that style and I thought it'd be a cool thing to see." ON WORKING WITH NEW ZEALAND'S UNPREDICTABLE WILDERNESS "We were shooting on locations, and we didn't really have much of an idea where we were going to shoot things, and what the weather was going to be like. We ended up in a whole lot of really remote places in New Zealand. At one of them ... we had a huge dump of snow. We had to kind of regroup that morning as the snow was falling on us, and we were like an hour from the main road, we had just driven deep inland. It was too expensive and it would lose the whole day moving everyone out of there. So we just basically decided to shoot and to set a part of the film in the snow. And that's when we got that cool 780-degree shot that turns around and around — we shot that, and spent a few hours shooting that ... While we were doing that, I was trying to figure out what we were going to do for the rest of the day. Now the film has this whole breadth of seasonal change through it. And it makes it even more epic, the fact that it has snow and it spans months and months." ON CELEBRATING THE FILM'S NEW ZEALAND HERITAGE "I'm very proud of where I come from, and I think [New Zealand's] a very beautiful place. Sometimes we take it for granted, how beautiful the land is. I think we get pissed off with it. It's like 'god you can't look anywhere without seeing some beautiful landscape'. And you forget that no one in the world has seen stuff like that. I think that's it's not often nowadays that we make films that celebrate what New Zealand looks like or like, the culture, the people, and how crazy we are. I wanted to do that. I wanted to use so much of that in there. So many parts of the film are inspired by '80s New Zealand films and Australian films. We used to make so many car chase films with people trying to drive from one end of the country to the other, and we stopped doing all that stuff. I think we started taking ourselves too seriously, and I don't do that." ON MAKING FILMS ABOUT UNCONVENTIONAL FAMILIES "Well, my family is crazy. I'm from a very crazy family — but I actually think every family is crazy. I think every single person has some insane part to their family. Every family, there's a criminal somewhere in there, there's a crazy person, there's someone who has just found religion, there's someone who's just left religion, there's someone who's been divorced, there's someone who has just fallen in love. Families are just really messed up, and they're a macro representation of earth, really. All parts of humanity all crammed into a couple of households. And it is the one thing I've found that everyone relates to the most: family dynamics. I don't relate to bank robbers. I've seen a lot of those films, and I get really bored. I don't care about the stakes, and I don't care about what they're trying to do, and I don't care about bank robbery, so I lose interest. But if you set it around a bank robber who's trying to get together with his ex-wife, at least there's something to hold on to there." ON JUMPING FROM INDIE FILMS TO DIRECTING MARVEL'S FORTHCOMING THOR MOVIE "There's not a huge difference really, to be honest. There's just a little bit more time, and you get a few more opportunities to do things that, in the normal indie world, you'd have to find cheaper ways of doing or you'd just have to have a character talk about rather than actually showing something blow up. So parts of your imagination, you actually get to shoot — and that's quite cool. It also could be dangerous to give people that much freedom, creatively. But it is very similar to the indie world in terms of it is still a bunch of people wanting to make a really good story and to make a good film." Hunt for the Wilderpeople opens in Australian cinemas on May 26.
As if the fruits of the crowdsourcing revolution weren't clear already (hello Uber, hello Tinder) the new 'land-sharing' service, Hipcamp, is going even further and actually adding value to our environment — while finding you the perfect camping spot. Currently operating in the US (with eventual worldwide aspirations), Hipcamp is a service that connects campers with private land owners, meaning previously inaccessible, beautiful plots of land probably once flanked with "Trespassers will be shot, survivors will be shot again" signs are now available to camp on. You can camp on ranches, farms, vineyards and land preserves. Think of it as Airbnb for people who don't mind pissing in the woods. While campers are an important cog in the Hipcamp machine, it's actually the landowners who are the crux of the thing. Over 60 percent of America is privately owned and Hipcamp aims to make undeveloped land useful, even profitable, by facilitating back-to-nature style camping on private land. The site operates just like Airbnb, providing you with plenty of information on amenities and activities, photos, prices, reviews, availability and (most importantly) lots of S'mores recipes. As well as giving campers access to remote, previously private camp sites, Hipcamp lets you experience these locations with someone who's both got your back in an emergency and will make sure you leave the land as you found it — the environmentally-conscious land stewards. In order to sign up, Hipcampers have to read and engage with a Leave No Trace agreement, the main point of which is obviously to leave no trace of your trip at the camping spot (duh). So if you're planning a road trip around America and you don't want to spend your nights in a murder motel, this is the app for you. Images: Matt Lief Anderson. Via Lost at E Minor.
Perched on the slopes of Mount Canobolas in Orange's cool-climate wine region, Printhie Wines offers a uniquely elevated experience — literally and figuratively. As one of the few wineries in Australia sitting at such a high altitude (over 10o0 metres), this family-owned gem is known for crafting exceptional wines while pairing sweeping vistas, award-winning sparkling wines, and seasonal dining on Wiradjuri land. Founded by the Swift family in 1996, Printhie Wines has become a must-visit for any oenophile, with its renowned Swift Sparkling range taking centre stage. After being crowned "Best Australian Sparkling" at the 2022 Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships in London and earning the title of Best NSW Sparkling for six years running, Swift Sparkling has become synonymous with world-class quality. Until 2022, wine lovers looking for a tasting at the winery sampled vino at the pop-up cellar door, The Packing Shed, at the base of the mountain. The new cellar door, located on the picturesque Millwood vineyard, offers incredible views of the valley below, with floor-to-ceiling windows making the most of the stunning landscape. Its architectural design brings elements of the outside landscape inside with a natural flow from the cosy dining space to the wide open wine bar with a roaring fireplace (in winter) and al fresco tables with sweeping views of the valley and vines. It's an inviting space for sampling wines and learning about the Swift family's history and connection to the land and the estate's commitment to sustainability and respect for the environment, from sustainable viticulture practices and careful water management. The Printhie wine-tasting experience offers visitors the chance to explore their celebrated portfolio, from the refreshing pinot gris to their bold shiraz. However, the real star of the show is the celebrated Swift Sparkling range. Wine enthusiasts can dive deeper with a Sparkling Masterclass, which includes a private tasting of vintage sparkling wines in the cellar door's wine cave, followed by a decadent four-course lunch at Printhie Dining. Speaking of lunch, Printhie Dining is one of the region's standout culinary destinations, led by head chef Chris Lees. Lees brings a world of culinary expertise to the table. His international resume includes stints at two of Canada's most prestigious restaurants — Relais & Chateaux Langdon Hall and Restaurant Pearl Morissette — as well as Michelin-starred Frantzén and Matias Dahlgren in Stockholm. At Printhie Dining, Chris embraces seasonality and provenance, drawing on the Swift family's agricultural heritage to create a refined, agrarian-inspired menu that reflects the bounty of the Orange region. The restaurant offers a four-course degustation menu that highlights the best of local produce, including produce foraged from the vineyards for unique vinegars, preserves and ferments. For something more immersive, you can opt for 'The Chef's Table', a special culinary journey that invites you behind the scenes to sit in the kitchen and interact with the chef and his team as they craft a truly personalised dining experience. The house specialty is fresh oysters. How does one ensure super fresh oysters in the rolling hills of the Orange region? The team decided to bring the ocean to Orange with its own custom oyster tank, the only restaurant with one. The Sydney Rock Oysters, carefully sourced with the help of a marine biologist and oyster farmer, are cosy in their home away from home as water is shipped up from the Clyde River to ensure the best conditions for them. Enjoy freshly shucked oysters with a glass of Swift Sparkling and dressed with Printhie's signature banksia nectar vinaigrette set against the backdrop of sweeping vineyard views. Whether you're a wine lover, a foodie, or simply looking for a scenic escape, Printhie Wines is a destination that brings together the best of Orange's cool-climate region. With its stunning location, award-winning wines, and commitment to sustainability, it's a must-visit on any journey through NSW's wine country.
Art has prevailed in the battle to fill a Melbourne rooftop with naked people. Spencer Tunick has staged his latest mass nude photography work on the top of a car park in Melbourne's inner southeast. Seventeen years after assembling 4500 naked volunteers for a snap near Federation Square as part of the 2001 Fringe Festival and eight years after he photographed around 5000 nude people in front of the Sydney Opera House during the 2010 Mardi Gras, the polarising artist amassed another contingent of naked (and pretty brave — it was less than ten degrees in Melbourne this morning) folk for a new work titled Return of the Nude. The shoot saw a few hundred Melburnians grace the rooftop covered in nothing by sheer red sheets — from a distance, the participants looked like a little like hooded handmaids. Footage from the shoots shows the subject standing underneath the sheet and lying naked on top of it. This is what it looked like: A post shared by Will Pristel (@wpristel) on Jul 8, 2018 at 3:43pm PDT A post shared by C A R L (@car.carrr) on Jul 8, 2018 at 7:05pm PDT A post shared by Chapel Street (@chapelprecinct) on Jul 8, 2018 at 8:10pm PDT A separate shoot over the weekend saw people painted blue, yellow, orange, red, green, pink and purple. Tunick's newest work has had quite the tumultuous journey — first the New York artist was given permission to hold a mass nude photoshoot on top of the Prahran Woolworths car park as part of Chapel Street Precinct's Provocaré Festival of the Arts. But then the store said that it wouldn't like to participate. The supermarket then reversed its decision a week later after a petition spearheaded by the Chapel Street Precinct Association (CSPA), the festival's host organisation, gained some momentum in the community. The official photographs of the shoot is yet to surface, but are expected to be be released by Tunick soon. Images: Munich by Spencer Tunick; Melbourne by Provocaré Festival.
You have to hand it to the Sydney Film Festival. Putting together a program of 244 films from 60 countries isn't easy, but that's exactly what festival director Nashen Moodley and his team has done — and, they've caused many a film fan to agonise over just what to watch, too. That's understandable, given that the fest's 2016 lineup boasts big names, potential future cult classics, international award winners, Aussie premieres and everything in between. It also features films we've been hanging out to see since their Sundance and SXSW premieres, including the likes of Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World, Certain Women, The Lure, Under the Shadow and Everybody Wants Some!!. They're all on our must-see list, of course; however that's not all SFF has in store. We recommending leaving room for these ten flicks on your flexipass, and maybe contemplating a few other suggestions as well. AQUARIUS Back in 2012, a particular film got everyone talking, and it wasn't one that most expected. Roaming around a Brazilian community, Neighbouring Sounds pondered race, class and fear in a feature that was as epic as it was ambitious. Now, filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho returns with his sophomore effort, this time following a music critic resident of the seaside Aquarius building who won't sell her apartment to looming developers. It sounds like the director's second intriguing offering in a row — and it's his second entry into SFF's official competition, as well. Alternatively: If you like cinema that's audacious, cutting-edge and courageous, look no further than the rest of the competition program — they're all part of the criteria, after all. Viva stands out from the crowd, offering up an Irish-made, Cuba-set family drama about a troubled drag queen. It's already impressed film festival audiences around the globe, so a surefire bet. CHEVALIER The usual male posturing, ego-driven arguing and appendage measuring — both literal and metaphorical — takes to the sea in the latest feature to spring from Greece's new, weird wave of filmmaking, Chevalier. Athina Rachel Tsangari's follow-up to Attenberg promises yet another deadpan, offbeat delight, with its yacht-bound setting certain to heighten the absurdity on show. And even with that in mind, we still think it's safe to say that the movie is bound to veer into unexpected territory. Alternatively: Speaking of surprises, Neon Bull offers up plenty. It might appear to present a visually striking but narratively standard look at the ups and downs of rodeo life, but just like the lead character's dream of working in fashion industry, there's much more going on. CONTEMPORARY COLOR Two words: David Byrne. The legendary Talking Heads frontman takes to the stage to celebrate the colour guard: synchronised dance routines that burst with brightness, energy and movement, plus flags, sequins and glitter cannons too. He's joined by ten of America's best teams in the field, as well as Nelly Furtado, How to Dress Well, Devonté Hynes, Money Mark + Ad-Rock, and St. Vincent, too. Of course, if you've ever seen classic '80s concert film Stop Making Sense, you don't need any more reasons to watch, because Byrne's involvement in this kind of flick isn't to be missed. Alternatively: Another creative legend, and another essential documentary, this time in the form of Laurie Anderson's Heart of a Dog. The artist and musician's feature isn't your usual factual effort, though. Reflecting upon her late mother, her beloved pet pooch and her partner Lou Reed, it's as intimate and expressive as on-screen essays come. EVOLUTION The term 'dream-like' gets thrown around a lot when it comes to films that try to evoke a certain mood; however with Evolution, it's a description that definitely fits. Cult French filmmaker Lucile Hadžihalilovic creates a mysterious on-screen world solely populated by women and young boys, then charts the bristling dynamic that springs when a mother doesn't believe her son's latest tale. Favouring visual storytelling over dialogue, and emphasising a distinctive soundtrack, really is just the beginning. Alternatively: The Eyes of My Mother also ponders maternal bonds, but with a monochrome, nightmarish bent. Violence and sensuality intertwine in a film that seems the very definition of arthouse horror. FIRE AT SEA Heartbreaking tales of refugees seeking new lives aren't confined to Australia. Italian documentarian Gianfranco Rosi examines the situation on the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, which Syrian migrants approach filled with hope, only to find more horror in store. As tense as it is tragic, Fire at Sea is the end result — and the winner of the Golden Bear for Best Film at this year's Berlin International Film Festival, too. Forget big-budget disaster films; this is real life. Alternatively: In Jackson Heights employs Frederick Wiseman's usual fly-on-the-wall approach to documenting one of New York's busiest and most bustling neighbourhoods, and tallies up one of SFF's longest running times for 2016 — a whopping 190 minutes — in the process. GOLDSTONE Even if Goldstone hadn't scored prime position as SFF's opening night feature, it'd be one to watch. Not only does local filmmaker Ivan Sen write, direct, edit and shoot the film, but he offers up the second instalment in the story of indigenous outback detective Jay Swan (Aaron Pedersen). Mystery Road fans won't want to miss this thrilling follow up to one of the nation's most smart and stylish takes on the western genre, with Jacki Weaver, David Wenham and David Gulpilil also along for the ride this time around. Alternatively: SFF has plenty of local options; however catching cinema gems from the nation's past is just as important as checking out brand new features. If you haven't seen the true-crime drama that is The Boys on a big screen, then you haven't really seen it. And if you've actually never watched the David Wenham and Toni Collette–starring effort before, this is your chance to fix that — and check out an important Aussie film in all its restored glory. HIGH-RISE If there was ever an actor audiences would willingly follow into a crumbling building, it's Tom Hiddleston. In High-Rise, though, the titular setting's collapse is as much moral, intellectual and ideological as it is physical. That's to be expected given that the satirical film adapts J.G. Ballard's luxury building-set dystopian novel of the same name. And with Sightseers' director Ben Wheatley at the helm, and Jeremy Irons and Sienna Miller among the cast, expect a movie that's dark, decadent, devilish and delicious all at the same time. Alternatively: Speaking of talent no one can get enough of, Elvis & Nixon delivers the dream most of us didn't even realise we had: Michael Shannon playing none other than the King, in a dramatised version of the music superstar's real life offer to become a federal agent to protect America. Yes, really. IT'S ONLY THE END OF THE WORLD At the age of 27, many aspiring filmmakers are still dreaming about shooting their first movie. Xavier Dolan has now made six, and the prolific and prodigious talent shows no sign of slowing down. Corralling a star-studded French cast that includes Léa Seydoux, Vincent Cassel and Marion Cotillard, he once again does what he does best — i.e. delves into family drama — however no two Dolan films are ever the same. And, after winning SFF's official competition with his 2010 effort Heartbeats, it should come as little surprise that the writer/director is vying for the fest's top prize once again. Alternatively: After the comic misstep that was the lacklustre I'm So Excited, Julieta marks Pedro Almodóvar's return to the moving melodramas he does best, as well as the Spanish filmmaker's 20th feature. NO HOME MOVIE In No Home Movie, Chantal Akerman prepares to say goodbye to her ailing mother. As she explores the memories of the woman who brought her into the world — a Polish Jew who survived Auschwitz — the iconic Belgian director achieves just that, but she also prompts another kind of farewell. Sadly, this intimate documentary is the filmmaker's last, with Akerman passing away in October 2015. Factual cinema rarely gets this personal, probing or loaded with both insight and sadness. Alternatively: Because one slice of Akerman's considerable cinema catalogue isn't enough, SFF is also serving up a screening of the auteur's acclaimed 1975 feature, Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, which was made when the filmmaker was only 25 years old. RED CHRISTMAS Christmas and horror have always gone hand-in-hand — and while plenty of frightening festive flicks spring to mind, Australia hasn't had much to add to the fold. Enter Double the Fist director Craig Anderson with his big screen debut Red Christmas. Fighting families and flying axes feature prominently, as does the kind of take on Yuletide terror that only an Aussie could make, all focused around iconic The Howling and E.T. actress Dee Wallace. Alternatively: A Chinese murder mystery that has been compared to Twin Peaks? That's What's In the Darkness. It's also a stripped back procedural that contemplates crime, adolescence and the contemporary state of its country of origin. The 2016 Sydney Film Festival runs from June 8 to 19. To check out the complete program and book tickets, visit the festival website.
For those of you who don’t know/have more important things to worry about, the Pirelli calendar is a yearly project by the Pirelli Tyre company that collates sexualised photos of the world’s 'hottest' models (shot by the world’s 'hottest' — read: mostly male — photographers) into a calendar, so that you can feel strange arousal every time you glance at your schedule for the month. This year however, they’ve taken a different tact and we don’t think it’s too much to burl yasssss queen! from every balcony we can find. The 2016 calendar features figures from the other 99.99% of the population that aren’t supermodels but are damned fine, including Amy Schumer (patron saint of the everywoman), Serena Williams, Patti Smith, Tavi Gevinson and Fran Leibovitz among others — and yes, they could choose to be clothed (what a world we live in). The portraits have been making headlines not just for the obvious departure from Pirelli calendar tradition but because the images themselves, shot by none other than Annie Leibovitz, are powerful and refreshing in a mediascape of so often saturated in airbrushed Kardashians. Beautiful, gross, strong, thin, fat, pretty, ugly, sexy, disgusting, flawless, woman. Thank you @annieleibovitz pic.twitter.com/kc0rIDvHVi — Amy Schumer (@amyschumer) November 30, 2015 Amy Schumer is grabbing headlines for her choice to get raw and nekkid. Schumer posted her images to Twitter with the caption “Beautiful, gross, strong, thin, fat, pretty, ugly, sexy, disgusting, flawless, woman.” The general Internet consensus has been one of frenzied, supportive agreement. Serena Williams also opted to go nude, probably to show off the fact she could break your neck (and heart) with her general power. Other women featured include Yoko Ono, film mogul Kathleen Kennedy, Melody Hobson, Yao Chen, Agnes Gund and Sadie Rain Hope-Gund, artist Shirin Neshat, director Ava DuVernay and Natalia Vodianova. Pirelli has been applauded for celebrating ‘real’ women this year, but corporeal semantics aside, the overwhelming response to the calendar has been positive: a joyful celebration of women of all ages, races, religions and professions and we simply cannot wait to get out hands on one. Via SMH.
Lost Paradise is back for the fourth year in a row, after selling out its past three incarnations. Returning to Glenworth Valley from December 28 to January 1, the event will host 76 local and international artists, including local electronic goalkickers RÜFÜS, Sweden's Little Dragon, Aussie folk favourites Matt Corby and Meg Mac, Sydney lads DMAs, dynamic Melburnian duo Client Liaison and more. There'll be two new stages this year, My Mum's Disco, where, in between retro beats and '80s kitsch, you'll be playing bingo and banging out karaoke, and K-Sub Beach Club, to be run by Kraken, a collective dedicated to all things Victorian. Main stage Arcadia will host what's been designated as 'indie', while techno and dance will settle into the Lost Disco stage. Meanwhile, the Paradise Club will take care of late night shape-throwers with DJs and surprise guests. If you've blissed your way through previous New Year's Eves at Lost Paradise's Shambala Fields, you'll be glad to know they're making a return, with their cornucopia of yoga classes, dance workshops and meditations. Teachers on the schedule include Ana Forrest, Jose Calarco, Mark Whitwell, Simon Borg Olivier, Nicole Walsh and Mark Breadner. In between dancing and getting mindful, you can fuel up in Lost Village, where a herd of food trucks will be dishing out all sorts of tasty morsels. Look out for Eat Art Truck's hot smoked pulled pork buns, Agape's organic goodies, The Dosa Deli's handmade samosas, Maverick Wings' crispy chicken and kimchi coleslaw, Harvest Life as Tsuru's poke bowls and Cuba Cantina's street food from Havana. Here's what you're in for this year: LOST PARADISE 2017 LINEUP: RÜFÜS Little Dragon Matt Corby Meg Mac DMA's Client Liason Cut Copy San Cisco Tourist Stephen Bodzin Cigarettes After Sex Patrick Topping Jon Hopkins (DJ Set) Jackmaster FKJ Middle Kids Âme (Live) Skeggs Palms Trax Apparat Nadia Rose Sampa The Great Koi Child Mall Grab Dean Lewis B.Traits Roland Tings My Nu Leng Cut Snake Human Movement Billy Davis & The Good Lords CC:Disco GL Tiny Little Houses Alex The Astronaut Nyxen Sloan Peterson Mammals The Ruminators Motorik Vibe Council Robongia Krankbrother Thunderfox Gypsys of Pangea Uncle Ru Ariane Ben Nott Brohn Dibby Dibby Soundsystem DJ Gonz Elijah Something Foreigndub Inner West Reggae Disco Machine Kali and more... Lost Paradise returns to Glenworth Valley from December 28 to January 1. Tickets are on sale now from the festival website. Image: Dave Anderson and Boaz Nothham.
Forget about the upcoming movie. Fans of Goosebumps need to get their butts to London, where a live, immersive theatre show based on R.L. Stine's popular children's stories will have its world premiere in April next year. Written and directed by acclaimed participatory theatremaker Tom Salamon, the show is a collaboration between London-based arts and theatre venue, The Vaults, and the book series' publisher, Scholastic. Audience members will be taken deep into the abandoned tunnels beneath Waterloo railway station, where performers will recreate bloodcurdling scenes from some of the series' best-known titles — including Night of the Living Dummy, Say Cheese and Die! and One Day at Horrorland. Just as long as there's nothing from Monster Blood. We don't need those childhood nightmares coming back, thank you very much. The series' original illustrator Tim Jacobus will create artwork for the production, while cult London music trio The Tiger Lillies will provide the score — the show they did at the Biennale of Sydney a few years back was creepy enough. Goosebumps will run for an initial six-month season and is aimed primarily at older audiences, although there will also be a child-friendly version that runs on weekends and during the school holidays. "Immersive events have become the lifeblood of London culture... and Goosebumps is perfectly suited to the genre," The Vaults' director Kieron Vanstone told The Guardian. "These stories were made to be experienced up close, with every shiver, sound and unsettling sight." Via The Guardian. Image: jozerC (Flickr CC).
With Groovin the Moo announcing its dates then cancelling, and Splendour in the Grass sadly doing the same, your plans for 2024 might be missing a few music festivals. News for the industry hasn't been great Down Under in recent years, especially in Australia this year. But Listen Out is aiming to buck the trend, locking in its return for spring, as well as its dates and venues — and all of the above for Listen In as well. "It's been a very tough time for the Australian music festival industry and we are thrilled to be back in 2024, welcoming returning and first-time attendees through the gates," said Listen Out's promoters, confirming that the event will get everyone dancing for the third time in the pandemic era after 2022 and 2023 runs. [caption id="attachment_957218" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] Last years' fest was Listen Out's most successful in terms of ticket sales ever, and the crew behind it are hoping to continue that trajectory. Something that might help: turning the fest into a 16-plus event, age-wise, which is a first for 2024. The festival's focus is staying true to its niche, filling its stages on electronic and hip hop artists — both international and local talents, too. The lineup hasn't been revealed as yet, but watch this space to see who follows in Skrillex, Four Tet, Lil Uzi Vert, Ice Spice and company's footsteps from 2023's bill. [caption id="attachment_957232" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Warr[/caption] This is Listen Out's 11th year, with four stops on the agenda: Caribbean Gardens in Melbourne, HBF Arena in Perth, RNA Showgrounds in Brisbane and Centennial Park in Sydney. Listen In, the condensed version of the fest with a smaller lineup, is headed to Go Media Stadium Mt Smart in Auckland, and also Ellis Park in Adelaide. [caption id="attachment_957226" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] Listen Out and Listen In 2024 Dates: Friday, September 27 — Listen Out Melbourne, Caribbean Gardens, Wurundjeri Land / Melbourne Saturday, September 28 — Listen Out Perth, HBF Arena, Mooro Country / Joondalup Sunday, September 29 — Listen In Adelaide, Ellis Park / Tampawardli (Park 24), Kaurna Country / Adelaide Friday, October 4 — Listen In Auckland, Go Media Stadium Mt Smart, Auckland / Te Ipu Kura A Maki Saturday, October 5 — Listen Out Brisbane, Brisbane Showgrounds, Meanjin / Brisbane Sunday, October 6 — Listen Out Sydney, Centennial Park, Gadigal Country [caption id="attachment_957230" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Samm Venn[/caption] [caption id="attachment_957221" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Venn[/caption] [caption id="attachment_957224" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitch Lowe[/caption] [caption id="attachment_957228" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Warr[/caption] [caption id="attachment_957220" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Venn[/caption] [caption id="attachment_957225" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Zennieshia Butts[/caption] Listen Out and Listen In's 2024 season tours Australia and New Zealand in spring 2024. For more information, head to the festival website — and we'll update you when lineup details are announced. Top image: Mitch Lowe.
An old garage down a service laneway doesn't sound like a spot for a bar, but that's exactly where this 20-person mezcal bar takes up its residence. Cantina OK! is located down the non-street that is Council Place, rocking forest green garage doors, an extensive collection of tequila and mezca, and no seating whatsoever. You may not be surprised to hear that this mini mezcal mecca is run by Sydney's favourite tequila joint, Tio's Cerveceria — the men behind it are venue owners Alex Dowd and Jeremy Blackmore. The duo took one helluva road trip around Mexico, hitting three states and picking up heaps of mezcal along the way before opening this hole-in-the-wall back in 2019. "We wanted to take what we saw in Mexico and really showcase it in this space," says Gilmour. "It's our way of documenting what these amazing mezcal producers can do." The team took their research very seriously, returning to Sydney with a whopping 140 bottles that now sit behind the minuscule bar. There are mezcals from regions all across Oaxaca, Michoacán and Jalisco, as well as drops of tequila, raicilla (an agave distilled spirit from Jalisco) and sotol (non-agave distilled spirit from northern Mexico). [caption id="attachment_714475" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberley Lo[/caption] "You won't find another mezcaleria in the southern hemisphere that has the particular collection that we have," said Manager Alex Gilmour back when the bar first opened. Some of his favourite labels include the experimental Michoacán producer Jorge Perez — who distils his mezcal with likes of rattlesnake and a whole coyote — a single distillation arroqueño mezcal from Oaxaca and even a few bottles that have been aged for 29 years — those, of course, are on the expensive side. If all that sounds a bit intimating, turn to the well-trained staff, who are eager to get into the "nitty gritty" of mezcal drinking with you. But you don't have to go high-brow — the place still has the casual, laid-back Tio's vibe where you can just pop in for a damn good margarita, too. That'd be the house margarita, which combines both mezcal and tequila with lime and cane sugar syrup, all served over shaved ice. Otherwise, choose from the rotating range of seasonal cocktails and whatever the special is at the time. There's one produce-driven cocktail on the menu each week, which there'll write down for you on one of the hand-stamped coasters. Images: Kimberley Low. Updated Tuesday, March 21, 2023. Appears in: The Best Bars in Sydney
We've all been there: you're interested in a movie, check Rotten Tomatoes to see what the critics thought, and disagree with the consensus. That's exactly what Suicide Squad fans are going through at the moment. Unhappy at the far-from-positive word the comic book adaptation has been receiving (especially on the popular online review aggregator), these fans don't just want to get on a soapbox — they want to shut down the whole site. In fact, Suicide Squad defender Abdullah Coldwater was so angry that took to Change.org to mobilise his fellow aficionados. Yes, really. At the time of writing, that petition had 17,614 signatures protesting against the site, motivated by the film's paltry 31 percent Tomatometer rating and the large number of negative reviews. Anyone who has caught a glimpse of similar backlash in recent times — take, for example, the huge response when reviewers dared to like the female-focused take on Ghostbusters — won't be surprised, because this type of behaviour is becoming all-too-familiar. A highly anticipated movie comes out, critics reveal their thoughts, and the online masses react. The next big title comes out, and the cycle repeats. But there's excitement about an upcoming movie, and then there's this. We see it all the time. Just read the Facebook comments on Concrete Playground's own take on Suicide Squad — many readers voiced their displeasure at our negative review, which is how it should be. Our critic didn't love, or even like, or find much of merit in the film. Scrolling through the responses provides just a glimpse of the general social media outrage swirling around the David Ayer-directed, Margot Robbie, Will Smith and Jared Leto-starring entry in the DC Comics movie. Sure, this might just be a storm in a teacup. But the worrying part of this move isn't just the instantly-attacking mindset of fans upset that someone — or more than a few someones — doesn't think the flick they've been counting down the days to watch isn't the best film ever made. Agreeing to disagree doesn't always happen on the internet, we know, but there's also the matter of timing. Given that Suicide Squad didn't start releasing around the world until today, most of those in the distressed camp — like Coldwater — haven't seen the film yet. Coldwater has since changed his tune, with the last post on the petition page noting that it was supposed to be "just for fun". After grabbing plenty of headlines with his action — something that he calls a victory in an earlier post — he has now deemed it pointless. "The only thing that it does is spreading a speech of hate and online fighting among the supporters and objectors," he writes. He's right.
The National Gallery of Victoria's Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei double bill is the exhibition to lock in this summer. A show dedicated to just one of these artists would be a blockbuster in its own right, but the two of them together side by side, will undoubtedly see this international exhibition reach epic proportions. Max Delany, senior curator of contemporary art at the NGV, sees the exhibition as a great opportunity to explore the work of two artists from two very different times. “It is an opportunity to present one of the most significant artists of the twentieth century — the century of modernity and what is often referred to as 'The American Century' — alongside one of the most significant artists living today, an artist from what is often said to be the 'Chinese Century' to come," Delany says. "It's actually a very interesting opportunity to consider the role of both artists and art of their time." The exhibition will draw out some of the untapped connections between these two artists. For instance, both artists have transformed the concept of the artist's studio, building highly interdisciplinary spaces. Both have radically reconsidered notions of artistic value, turning against the prevailing aesthetic trends of their time. And both are highly attuned to new modes of communication; Weiwei uses virtual networking and the internet to produce his work, while Warhol might be thought of as a social media artist working before his time. In the midst of a busy installation period, Delany took some time to speak about his five favourite works featured in the exhibition — five you should make no mistake to miss when the exhibition opens this Friday, December 11 in Melbourne. [caption id="attachment_551750" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Ai WeiweiChinese 1957–Forever Bicycles, 2011, installation view at Taipei Fine Arts MuseumImage courtesy Ai Weiwei Studio© Ai Weiwei[/caption] 1. AI WEIWEI — FOREVER BICYCLES (2011) "We are going to be installing a new version of Ai Weiwei's Forever Bicycles. This will be a major installation – it's made from almost 1500 bicycles. On the one hand, the bicycle wheel engages with Marcel Duchamp and the whole idea of the readymade. On the other hand, it's quite Warholian and is engaged with repetition. There is an intensely spectacular effect from the repetition of these objects. It also has an important biographical relevance to Ai Weiwei because Forever was the brand of a very popular mass-produced bicycle in China. It's something Weiwei would have desired as a child. The nice thing about these bicycles, which are all linked together, is that the bicycle is related to the individual, but there's also a connection to the multitude. It's very much about collective energy and social progress." [caption id="attachment_551761" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Steve SchapiroAndy Warhol Blowing Up Silver Cloud Pillow, Los Angeles 1966© Steve Schapiro[/caption] 2. ANDY WARHOL — SILVER CLOUDS AND COW WALLPAPER (1966) "Upon arrival to the exhibition, you will encounter Andy Warhol's Silver Clouds from 1966, which will be presented alongside his Cow Wallpaper. This is a fascinating work, which was first shown in 1966 at Leo Castelli Gallery in New York. Basically, these silver floating pillow forms float through space and are propelled by the bodies of viewers and air currents. It's an immersive experience, very much coinciding with the idea of 'the happening' during the '60s. It also introduced participation into artistic practice. Cow Wallpaper is significant because it is the very first or several designs Warhol did in wallpaper." [caption id="attachment_551740" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Ai WeiweiChinese 1957–Coloured Vases, 2006 Neolithic vases (5000-3000 BC) and industrial paintdimensions variable Image courtesy Ai Weiwei Studio© Ai Weiwei[/caption] 3. AI WEIWEI — COLOURED VASES (2006) "I'm excited to be showing Ai Weiwei's Coloured Vases, which is a newer work. These are painted Neolithic pots which really do enact an uneasy confrontation between cultural heritage and tradition on the one hand, and modernity on the other. One is mapped onto the other in quite a violent or iconoclastic way, kind of obliterating history. On the other hand, it also signals new beginnings and possibilities." [caption id="attachment_551739" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Andy WarholElectric Chair, 1967 synthetic polymer paint screenprinted onto canvas137.2 x 185.1 cm National Gallery of Australia, CanberraPurchased 1977© 2015 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc./ARS, New York. Licensed by Viscopy, Sydney.[/caption] 4. ANDY WARHOL — ELECTRIC CHAIR (1963) "Quite often people think of Warhol as quite superficial. However, if you look at some of his depictions of violence and tragedy in American society, he's really quite an epic history painter. One of the most profound and striking works in the exhibition is Warhol's Electric Chair from 1963. It's an example of his innovations in silkscreen painting from that time., but it's also a very stark and austere image. It puts the relationship between the state and the individual into sharp relief. This is also an important subject for Ai Weiwei, whose work really does address some of the critical issues of our time, such as human rights and freedom of expression." 5. AI WEIWEI — STUDIES IN PERSPECTIVE (1994) "This is a very cheeky body of work, but it is also very considered. You're probably familiar with Studies in Perspective where he raises his middle finger to various buildings representing state authority, from the White House to Tiananmen Square. On the one hand, this is a playful work about measuring the distance between the artist and his subject. On the other hand, it sets up an interesting relationship between the individual and the state. These works were made from 1994 onward and they remind me very clearly of that extraordinary image from Tiananmen Square in 1989 — that lone demonstrator standing in front of a Tank and the asymmetrical relationship between the individual and an authoritative figure." Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei will run at the National Gallery of Victoria from December 11 until April 24. For more information, visit the NGV's website.
Kittyhawk, from the team behind The Lobo Plantation, is a seductive bar and restaurant on Phillip Lane hiding in plain sight from the blur of corporate warriors and traffic that are customary for a location where the city and Circular Quay intersect. Taking its name from a US fighter jet, Kittyhawk takes you back to the historic French liberation, when US and French troops celebrated liberté, egalité and fraternité on the streets of Paris. Inside this generously sized but intimate feeling time capsule of a venue you'll find walls decorated with vintage wartime posters, gleaming leather banquettes, velvet chairs, and an impressive 12-metre-long handcrafted American oak bar across which a continuous output of smart cocktails and wine from an impressive cellar are served. The food is playful French fare where dishes with rustic tradition are delivered with dashes of contemporary luxury. Enduring classics like the duck liver pâté with cornichons and tawny port jelly or appellation oysters with mignonette are essential starters, and opulent mouthfuls of the Siberian caviar bump with frozen Grey Goose or the scallop crudo on blini with caviar and horseradish add some extra sex appeal to the table. The white anchovy tarte with caramelised onion is an exercise in perfectly executed simplicity, while the lunch-only steak sandwich with gruyere, onion jam and pickles is a flavour-packed flex. The menu options invite you to either stay and linger over several bottles of wine, or take in a quick pre-theatre or pre-gig snack with a martini (they take bookings for drinks seatings). The Kittyhawk drinks menu is presented as a pilot's flight operating manual and, like the real thing, it is a lengthy document: 32 pages of triumphant cocktails, a versatile and varied wine list, and spirits ranging from Australian whiskey to amaro. Can't decide what to drink when and with what? Leave it in the extremely capable hands of the floor and bar staff. Kittyhawk might be inconspicuously tucked away behind a deep-blue door on Phillip Lane, but those in the know are always treated to a very, very good time.
