By now, you know there's only one true way to celebrate a national or international food day — and that's by enjoying a huge giveaway dedicated to said food, whether it's doughnuts, burgers or gelato. The question is, who's feeding you with freebies this month when National Fried Chicken Day rolls around? The answer, my friends, is Gami Chicken & Beer — the Korean-style fried chook chain that has grown to include 32 restaurants across Australia and is a regular among our top fried chicken picks. On Wednesday, July 6, these crispy chicken experts are getting into the spirit of the USA's National Fried Chicken Day (hey, any excuse, right?) and giving away literally thousands of wings. Rather than handing out actual chicken, the group's East Coast stores are giving away 5000 vouchers, each redeemable for an eight-piece wings pack. That equates to a huge 40,000 Gami wings, going for free. To nab your voucher, simply order something dine-in, or via takeaway or delivery, from any Gami store in NSW or Victoria on July 6 — you can check where your local outposts are online. The wings vouchers can then be used on a dine-in Gami feast up until August 31.
Randwick City Council has announced that Little Bay Beach will be out of bounds from Monday, April 26, with the spot closing on weekdays for up to a fortnight. The popular location will be shut to the public to enable a site inspection to take place, with materials containing asbestos found onsite over the past nine months. The inspection will help the council better understand the location, source and extent of the asbestos. Asbestos was first discovered on the beach on Sunday, August 2, 2020. In the first week after the discovery, approximately 100 asbestos fragments were discovered, with that number growing to more than 1000 across the subsequent eight months. The continued discovery of new material containing asbestos suggests an ongoing source of contamination, potentially from nearby creek gullies containing old building material. Over the two weeks, a detailed site investigation will take place, including the collection of soil samples. Those soil samples will be analysed and tested for asbestos in a laboratory, with the outcome of the testing made available via the Randwick Council website. Since August, expert asbestos removalists have been inspecting the beach regularly to ensure it hasn't posed a risk to the general public, and signs were installed last year advising patrons not to touch any material that look like fibro sheeting. The beach will still be open to the public over weekends, with the work only taking place Monday–Friday. So, if you're keen to go snorkelling in Sydney's eastern suburbs, or to escape the hustle-and-bustle of popular nearby beaches like Coogee and Maroubra, you'll be able to on a Saturday and Sunday. While test pits will be dug during the week, the beach will be reinstated to its original condition before it reopens on weekends. The council advises that it'll endeavour to do the work will be done as quickly as possible, with the two-week time period incorporating time for possible delays due to weather or tidal movement. Little Bay Beach, located at 4R Coast Hospital Road, Little Bay, will be closed for an asbestos investigation from Monday, April 26. For further details, visit the Randwick City Council website.
Sourcing restaurant-quality takeaway is a tall order at the best of times. The team behind Paddington favourite, Saint Peter, is looking to change that with their latest Rose Bay venture — Charcoal Fish. The seafood equivalent of your neighbourhood charcoal chicken shop, co-owners Josh and Julie Niland will reinterpret the Aussie family takeout tradition with restaurant-quality dishes, all available to go. The menu features Aquna Murray Cod from Griffith, a sleepy regional town in the NSW's northwest colloquially known as the food bowl of Australia. The cod has been specifically chosen for its grill-ablity and stability in transit — each cod is in for a 6-hour journey from home to Rose Bay. The Aquna Murray Cod also gives the Nilands the ability to use 92 per cent of each fish, in line with the same nose-to-tail philosophy at Saint Peter. [caption id="attachment_811440" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The interior of Saint Peter, by Nikki To.[/caption] Gravy will be extracted from fish heads, frames and fins — and lathered over floury rolls stuffed with boneless cod fillets, stuffing and crispy skin. Rotisserie whole cod, grilled cod collars served with fermented tamarind hot sauce, and a unique cod fat caramel ice cream are just some of the other menu highlights. The star of the show is butterflied, boneless cod cooked over smoky charcoal. Available as a whole fillet, half, quarter or single, it gives families in all shapes and sizes the perfect weeknight option. A rotating selection of salads and chargrilled veggies, along with a permanent rotisserie cod, cod skin, lettuce, avo and charcoal tomato salad rounds out the elevated takeout options. Charcoal Fish is tipped to open in late June, 2021 at 670 New South Head Road, Rose Bay. To keep up to date with the latest or to view the menu, head to the Charcoal Fish website. Images: Nikki To at Saint Peter.
Sydney sprawling new rooftop restaurant Babylon is giving us even more to love with the introduction of its weekend Meze and Mimosas deal. Every Saturday and Sunday, head to this inner city hideaway for unlimited mimosas and a selection of meze — all for just $49 per person. Head Chef Arman Uz (Efendy) is cooking up treats like labneh with peppers, chilli butter and house-made bread; smoked eggplant salad with woodfired capsicum; lentil kofte with pomegranate, parsley and lemon; and hummus topped with wattleseed dukkah. While the food is not bottomless, the booze sure is — you'll be treated to two full hours of mimosas, poured to your heart's content. The deal is available from 11am–1pm every weekend — with no end in sight — and bookings can be made via email. Once 1pm rolls around, you can extend the day with Middle Eastern-inspired cocktails and live music. Image: Steven Woodburn
With his flowing strawberry blonde hair and perfectly applied eyeliner, Tim Minchin has made a name for himself as Australia's most ridiculously talented comedian and musician. The Tony Award-winning musician will be bringing his eclectic catalogue of comedic tunes to Sydney's first 'special entertainment precinct', the Enmore Theatre, for a six-night run of shows as part of his latest national tour, Back. Audiences can catch Minchin debut new songs and dip into his well-worn crowd favourites like 'White Wine in the Sun' while enjoying the heritage architecture of the newly renovated inner west venue. Minchin's last tour sold out on all dates and picked up a Helpmann Award for Best Australian Contemporary Concert, so be sure to snag yourself a spot quick. Prices range from $81–$234 depending on where you're looking to sit. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCNvZqpa-7Q Top Imaage: Amy Whelan, Flickr
Get ready for the adrenaline-fuelled action of watching sailing's greatest athletes race on Sydney Harbour in Australia Sail Grand Prix this summer. To be right in the heart of the action, head to Waterfront Premium - Shark Island for the best land-based view of the race in the middle of Sydney Harbour. Tickets start at $230 for adults and includes return ferry transfers from SailGP Village at Barangaroo, a gourmet picnic hamper, premium open bar, big screens for action replays and live commentary. If you'd prefer to watch the race from the water, hop on one of the official spectator boats courtesy of Captain Cook Cruises. On-Water Access tickets allow you to bring your own food and purchase beverages from the bar while you soak up include an incredible view of the race and live commentary. If you want to elevate your day on the harbour, choose the premium package that includes a buffet and an open bar. Finally, if you've got your own boat, you can register to the free 'Bring Your Own Boat' program to receive live updates from race management from your preferred spot on the water with friends. Don't forget, you can also check out the SailGP Village in Barangaroo which will host events for all sailing fans across the two days of racing. Ready for a thrilling day on the beautiful Sydney Harbour? Head to the Australia Sail Grand Prix, Sydney from Friday, December 17–Saturday, December 18. For more information and to book, visit the website.
Every corner of every city comes with its own history — and on Cockatoo Island, that's especially true. The tiny patch of land has been home to a prison, ship-building facilities, a reform school and a wartime boat repair port over the years, all in the middle of Sydney Harbour. Depending on what you believe, it's also apparently home to a few ghosts too. Indeed, plenty of mysteries and stories surround the island, which the returning Haunted History Night Tours will help you uncover. Running nearly every Saturday up until the end of the year, the popular sessions will take you on a 90-minute stroll through the atmospheric site, visiting the convict workshops and gaol, the grain silos, dry docks and more. Tours kick off at 7pm, with bookings required. $25 gets you a spooky guided walk and a trip into the city's past, and wearing comfy shoes is recommended — as is bringing a torch. Updated: August 29, 2019.
Gone are the days when a wine tasting meant travelling all the way to the Hunter Valley — or the Barossa. Cellar doors have evolved into urban creatures, found in inner city neighbourhoods, like Moore Park and Chippendale. Now, Sydney is set to become home to the world's first cellar door at sea. Taylor's Wines, who hail from South Australia's Clare Valley, will be setting sail on Sydney Harbour this summer. For just one weekend, you'll have the chance to climb aboard a dedicated barge and spend an hour sipping and swirling. All tastings will take place in a glass-walled room, ensuring the views are relentlessly watery and panoramic. Plus, there'll be just 12 people in each session. Your $60 ticket includes canapés curated by Will Stewart and Steve Flood (a.k.a. The Gourmet Pommies), as well as water taxi rides to and from Man O'War Steps at The Sydney Opera House. Cellar Door at Sea will take place between Friday, December 7 and Sunday, December 9, from 11am–9pm each day. Images: Will Salkeld.
Because you can never have too many baked goods, North Bondi's Shuk are doubling down on Middle Eastern deliciousness of bread, cake and pastry kind. Come March 13, they'll be throwing open the doors to their second Mitchell Street location, launching a standalone Shuk Bakery just up the road from their original cafe. Where their first eatery serves up a hearty array of Mediterranean options from coconut yoghurt mousse to fatoush to chicken in Baharat spices, their second digs will cater for everyone that loves a sweet and savoury snack straight from the oven (that is, everyone). Expect everything from freshly baked loaves to desserts galore. If their existing bakery selection is anything to go by, expect tarts, eclairs, brownies, danishes, banana bread, cookies, scrolls and bagels — and expect to feel hungry just thinking about it. Shuk Bakery will operate seven days a week from 7am until 4pm, so daytime noshing just got a whole lot tastier. It joins not only the initial Shuk, but Shuk and Salt Meats Cheese co-venture Popina in showering Sydney tastebuds with Israeli-influenced fare. Find Shuk Bakery at 40 Mitchell Street, North Bondi from March 13. For more information, check out their Facebook page and Instagram feed.
Winter is for indulging — rugging up by fireplaces, donning luxurious coats, and feasting on foods and fiery liquors all help us keep warm during the chilly season. Luckily for us, premium scotch distiller Glenmorangie is treating Sydneysiders to a next-level whisky and dessert pairing this winter. For six weeks only, Glenmorangie is teaming up with local chocolatier Koko Black to bring you Signet and Sweet — a special after-dinner treat at ten bars in and around Sydney. Meeting the cold head on, the collaboration will see you sipping on Glenmorangie's richest whisky — Signet — while tasting some mighty fine chocolate. With Signet's sweet and spicy notes, the smooth single malt is an ideal post-dinner drink and dessert accompaniment. So, down to the details. Expect Glenmorangie's Signet served neat and paired with three Koko Black chocolates. Head to any of the partaking bars and you'll be sampling spicy dark chocolate ganache, dark chocolate-dipped candied orange and cafe latte squares alongside your scotch. You can head to the CBD venues Kittyhawk, Chophouse, Bambini Trust and The Cut Bar & Grill, plus the Sheraton Grand to nab this offer. Other locations around town include The Star's Jade Rabbit, North Sydney's Green Moustache and Franca in Potts Point. Further afield, you'll also find this offer at Bannisters Mollymook and Voco Hotel Kirkton Park in the Hunter Valley. Glenmorangie Signet x Koko Black's Signet and Sweet after-dinner special is available at bars across Sydney and will run from Monday, July 15 through Saturday, August 31.
With social-distancing rules firmly in place, autumn babies have copped a raw deal this year. With venues are closed and group hangs are off-limits, the classic birthday party has been scrapped until further notice. But there's nothing like some forced isolation to stir up a bit of creativity and inspire fun new ways to celebrate another turn around the sun — even at a government-approved distance. While the best birthday present would be a one-way ticket back to normal life — of course — we've found a few pandemic-friendly alternatives that should help cheer up the b-day boy or gal. From drag bingo nights to virtual drinking sessions with all the trimmings, here are the best ways to celebrate a mate's birthday, isolation-style. THE HOME-DELIVERED BIRTHDAY CAKE [caption id="attachment_768155" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Attica's Celebration Cake[/caption] A birthday just ain't a birthday without a belly full of cake and luckily, that's one thing that's still on the menu, even in isolation. Spread some love by getting a decadent dessert delivered straight to your mate's door. In Melbourne, even one of Australia's top restaurants is turning its talents to the cake game, promising to infuse any birthday do with fine-dining flair. Attica's Ben Shewry is whipping up a limited-edition, double-decker vanilla Celebration Cake, filled with white chocolate ganache and topped with a whipped yoghurt cream. There are just a handful being baked fresh each day — order via the website for delivery to a range of Melbourne suburbs. When the mood calls for something a little bit flash, try Sydney's Koi Dessert Bar. The renowned sweets spot by MasterChef dessert king Reynold Poernomo is hand delivering a whole menu of crafty celebration cakes, from a green tea and rose number to the signature Nomtella — a fusion of espresso mousse, salted caramel and rich brownie. And famed cake shop Passiontree Velvet has a lineup of special occasion cakes and mini cakes that simply ooze birthday cheer. Offering weekday delivery options for Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sydney, it's serving festive creations ranging from a classic red velvet sponge to the Italian-inspired Tiramisu Bliss. THE VIRTUAL ART CLASS [caption id="attachment_767056" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cork & Canvas[/caption] Feeling inspired? Why not gather the crew for a creativity jam session, in the form of a boozy virtual painting class? Plenty of Aussie studios have taken their drinks-matched art classes online, creating a primo birthday situation for any creative souls out there. The long-running Cork & Canvas is one venue that's made the shift, now offering a calendar full of guided online painting classes. You can join in one of the upcoming live streams for $20 per person, or pay $25 to enjoy a session on-demand. They can even set you up with all your canvases, paints and brushes, with handy home-delivered Creativity Kits starting from $65. Meanwhile, Cork & Chroma is live-streaming its Zoom painting sessions almost daily, which you can enjoy from the comfort of home for just $20. The class details list which materials you'll need, though the studio's also got a range of art supply kits it can send to your door. Just pick a date, grab tickets as a group and stock up on wine, and you're all set for a birthday art party. THE AT-HOME BIRTHDAY DRINKS [caption id="attachment_694104" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cocktail Porter[/caption] Going out for 'birthday drinks' is off the cards for now, but that needn't mean going thirsty. Plenty of local bars and drinks slingers are now happily delivering celebratory libations straight to your door. In Melbourne, renowned dive bar Heartbreaker has reinvented itself as an online bottle shop and booze delivery service, running drinks along with food from on-site pizza kitchen Connie's. You'll find a range of combination party packs, as well as chilled, ready-to-quaff bottled cocktails from sibling The Everleigh. Online drinks service Cocktail Porter is proving to be an isolation saviour, turning home bars across the country from drab to fab with its DIY cocktail kits. Each one comes stocked with all the ingredients you need to create multiple serves of a classic concoction, from the negroni to a cloudy apple spritz. And Sydney's Prince of York is taking care of all the hard work, with its new Party @ Home packs. A selection of meal kits, one-litre cocktail batches and exclusive DJ mixes from Moonshine Music, sent straight to your house. Place an order, round up the friends via video chat and you've got yourself a virtual group sipping session. THE PLANT BABY DELIVERY [caption id="attachment_746647" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Jungle Collective[/caption] Nothing brightens up a birthday quite like a present that's lush, green and living — especially if it's housed in a pretty pot and dropped at your front door. And if you are looking to gift a new plant baby to a mate in isolation, there's a stack of Aussie companies that'll have you spoilt for choice. The crew behind those much-loved roaming pop-up plant sales, Jungle Collective now has a nifty online space to sling its gorgeous greenery. The team's launched a series of virtual plant sales, available to various cities on select dates across the next few months. You'll find a sprawling selection of plants to browse and buy online, with delivery usually available within 25 kilometres of your local CBD. Brisbane plant-lovers will find a huge edit of green gifts over at Pot Me Pretty's online store, ranging from cute terrariums, to indoor plants housed in charming ceramic pots. There's even a choice of add-ons, if you fancy a luxury candle or bottle of prosecco to round out your present. The company's doing weekday drop-offs to suburbs right across the city, with next-day delivery from $12.95. THE VIRTUAL DRAG BINGO NIGHT [caption id="attachment_768186" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Flickr/Sara[/caption] If anyone knows how to inject some colour and spirit into that lockdown celebration, it's the drag queens of Australia. And luckily for your birthday crew, a bunch of them are now hosting online appearances, streaming live and loud to your respective living rooms. Gather your mates virtually and dial up the mood with a drag bingo night, courtesy of Melbourne bar Pride of Our Footscray. The venue's new Self Bingolation series streams online from 7.30pm Wednesdays, hosted by the power duo of Aurora and Archie Arsenic. Tickets are $9, which gets you a front row seat to a hilarious night of comedy, drag and prizes. Or, you can make a date with one of the new regular online drag bingo sessions helmed by Sydney starlet Prada Clutch. Sign up to play for $10 and they'll email you a printable bingo card, along with access to the video chat. Then, all you need to do is crack open a bottle of wine and don something fabulous — there's weekly prizes for the best dressed players. THE AT-HOME DANCE PARTY [caption id="attachment_760387" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hot Dub Time Machine by Pat Stevenson[/caption] The clubs might be closed, but your living room dance floor is open and ready for business. Tee up a Zoom or House Party session with the gang, to enjoy an at-home, virtual dance party guided by some of your favourite DJs and venues. The legendary party masters behind Poof Doof have headed online to unleash a series of live-streamed Saturday night sets, guaranteed to get you moving. Time-travelling dance party Hot Dub Time Machine is also serving up some hard-hitting Saturday feels, taking audience requests for its weekly Facebook Live DJ sessions. Melbourne club OneSixOne is answering your cravings with a huge four-hour, DJ-fuelled live stream every Friday and Saturday night. And if you're after a bit of midweek d-floor action, No Lights No Lyrca's Aussie collectives are now heading up regular Zoom dance parties, in place of their usual IRL sessions. Turn up the speakers and bust out some carefree moves, every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. THE ONLINE KARAOKE PARTY There's no room for birthday blues when you're belting out some bangers with your besties. Even if that sing-along session's happening over the internet, instead of in person. Video chat platforms like Zoom and House Party have become social go-tos in this strange age of isolation, but they also happen to be perfect for hosting rousing virtual karaoke parties. Set a date, invite the crew and start working on your best lung-busting material. Themes and dress-ups are definitely encouraged, and if you're stuck for ideas, you'll find plenty of online karaoke catalogues to browse and inspire. Keen for something more large-scale? Some genius recently created a 24-hour online karaoke party dubbed Karaoke Camp, where you can belt out tunes with up to 100 random people simultaneously.
Imagine a place where cheese reigns supreme, other than in your own kitchen. Imagine more than 100 different varieties on offer for the tasting. Imagine being able to sample whatever you liked from this dairy feast, too. And, picture just buying one ticket to devour all the cheddar, brie, camembert, raclette and whichever other cheeses take your fancy. Is this the real life? It isn't just a cheesy fantasy at Australian dairy festival Mould, which started making cheese-loving dreams come true in 2017. In 2024, it's not only returning — it's back for its biggest festivals yet, including adding a fifth city to its stops. As well as hitting up Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, the event is heading to Adelaide as well. If you're a cheese fiend, then you'll know that there's only one suitable way to tuck into the beloved dairy product: all the time, or at least as much as possible. As presented by Revel — who are also the organisers of Pinot Palooza — that's an idea that Mould not only understands but encourages, celebrating the mild, hard and soft bites made by Australia's best cheese wizards. When it does so again this year, it'll serve up its cheese slices and bites from May–August. Running for either two or three days in each city, Mould will kick off in Brisbane in May as it has in past years, then travel to Melbourne in early June, plus Sydney at the end of July. As for Adelaide and Perth, they're both getting a Mould x Pinot Palooza combo — because cheese and wine are a fine pairing — with the fest arriving in South Australia in June and Western Australia in August. There won't just be a few cheeses on the menu at each stop. More than 100 artisan cheeses from around the country will be ready and waiting, spanning dairy from around 27 producers. In past years, that lineup has included Bruny Island Cheese Co, Grandvewe, Milawa Cheese, Yarra Valley Dairy and Stone & Crow, as well as Section 28, Red Cow Organics, Nimbin Valley Cheese, Dreaming Goat, Long Paddock Cheese and Second Mouse Cheese. Alongside unlimited tastings of Australia's best cheeses — snacking on samples is included in your ticket, but you'll then pay extra to purchase slices and slabs to take home with you — the fest features cooking demonstrations, masterclasses and talks. Courtesy of 2024's The Grate Cheese Commission, a range of cheeses created solely for the fest will also tempt your tastebuds. This year's events will include more of the foodstuffs that pair extremely well with cheese, too, such as olives, crackers and conserves. It wouldn't be a cheese festival without beverages to wash it all down with, so expect a bar serving Aussie wines, whisky, vodka, gin, beer, cider, cocktails and sake, all of which match nicely to a bit of cheese. Archie Rose and Hartshorn will be among the tipples featured. Unsurprisingly, Mould is mighty popular. In 2023, attendees tucked into a one million samples across three cities, and also took home over 8.5-tonnes of Aussie dairy products. So, if this the kind of event that your cheese dreams are made of, you'll want to nab an early-bird ticket ASAP. Mould — A Cheese Festival 2024 Dates: Friday, May 24–Sunday, May 26 — Mould Brisbane, John Reid Pavilion, Brisbane Showgrounds Friday, June 7–Saturday, June 8 — Mould x Pinot Palooza Adelaide, Queens Theatre, Adelaide Friday, June 28–Saturday, June 29 — Mould Melbourne, Royal Exhibition Building, Carlton Friday, July 26–Sunday, July 28 — Mould Sydney, Carriageworks, Eveleigh Friday, August 9–Sunday, August 11 — Mould x Pinot Palooza Perth, Centenary Pavilion, Claremont Showgrounds Mould — A Cheese Festival tours Australia from May 2024. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the event's website.
Merivale's much talked about mammoth 2016 opening is finally opening its doors at noon on Good Friday. If you want to be one of the first to visit The Newport to experience the expansive beer garden, pizzeria, 'vintage gymnasium' and menu by chef Sebastien Lutaud, make your way up to the Northern Beaches on Friday and/or Saturday for all of the above, as well as live music and DJs. But Sunday is when the real action kicks off. They'll be holding an Easter egg hunt at 9am (with gold coin donations going to charity) and the very first Newport Sunday Sundown session will also kick off at 3pm, with Saskwatch, Yes You and Two Can playing. Best of all, it's free.
As we learn to live our lives of social distancing and self-isolation (for the near future, at least), it's easy to feel overcome with boredom. Even worse is our tendency to go looking for the latest news update, fuelling our fears in the midst of a global pandemic. But there are better ways of entertaining ourselves than being trapped in a today's news cycle. Right now, podcasts are your friends. Whether you listen to one in bed after waking up, on the balcony while you get a breath of fresh air, or in the kitchen while you cook that fun new recipe, podcasts can help you escape from today's hectic environment — without being glued to a screen all day. Whether you're a podcast veteran or a skeptic, this list has something for you. Being stuck at home can feel a little less restrictive when you can dive into brilliantly written fictional narratives, are consumed by true crime and mystery, or even learn a new language. Here are a five podcasts that will have you hooked in no time. DISGRACELAND True crime, excess and rock 'n' roll. Host Jake Brennan insists, when it comes to rock stars, we like them as bad as can be. This podcast tells stories of murder, drugs and sex, protagonised by your favourite music legends — and how they got away with it all. Disgraceland unveils the darkest side of old-school stardom, with a laidback, no nonsense narrative style. Dive into the Rolling Stones' wild lifestyles, Frank Sinatra's mobster adventures and Whitney Houston's hidden descent into drugs. If you manage to go through all 69 episodes, check out 27 Club. A new project by the same creators, this podcast takes a closer look at the unsettling truths behind rock 'n' roll, this time focusing on the members of the 27 club. The first season tells the story of iconic guitarist Jimi Hendrix, who died of an overdose at age 27. What? 69 30-minute episodes. THE WAY I HEARD IT Mike Rowe's soothing voice takes you on a guessing frenzy in every single episode, as he narrates a story about a famous historical figure, without telling you who he's talking about until the very end. He'll be talking about a prominent academic and you'll be picturing a rockstar. He'll tell you the story of a prize cow and you will be convinced he's talking about a femme fatale. With unexpected twists and so many random interesting facts, you can expect to chuckle when an episode's protagonist you've been so invested in is revealed to be someone totally unexpected. What? More than 150 20-minute episodes. ROOM 20 This LA Times investigative reporting podcast will keep you on the edge of your seat. Journalist Joanne Faryon tells the story of her search for a man's identity. A man only known as Sixty-Six Garage who has spent more than 15 years on life support in a San Diego nursing home. As a teenager, he suffered from severe brain damage after he was thrown out of a truck in a car accident. An undocumented Mexican immigrant in the United States, his identity remained unknown, and there were no paper trails to help track down his family — until Faryon launched her own investigation. What? Six 30-minute episodes. MOTHERHACKER A divorced PTA mom gets scammed out of her savings. She has no choice, but to join the team of scammers who took everything from her. Surprisingly, she's amazing at it. Told as an old-time radio drama, Motherhacker is a fictional podcast that explores the lengths someone might go to in order to stay afloat in a dire situation. Think Black Mirror meets suburban mom. Motherhacker's perfect mix of suspenseful and quirky will leave you wanting more every time you finish an episode. With only nine episodes lasting around ten minutes each, this podcast could easily become a one sit-down binge. Open a bottle of red, enjoy a few snacks and make a night of it. What? Nine ten-minute episodes. COFFEE BREAK LANGUAGES Are you a more practical listener? If so, why not take advantage of your free time to learn Italian, or fine tune that rusty Spanish you haven't worked on since uni? Coffee Break offers podcasts in seven languages, with content ranging from beginner level, where you can learn phrases and grammar, to more advanced, where you can expand your vocabulary. These podcasts use stories situated in your language's country of origin to teach you how to speak it, engaging you beyond a typical grammar-based language program. It's said that listening to native speakers hold conversations is one of the most effective methods of learning it. By doing so, you can also keep your brain busy through self-isolation and social-distancing times and gain a valuable new skill that will definitely come in handy in the future. What? Podcasts in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin and Swedish. Need more? Check out our favourite true crime podcasts.
If you're a bit of a Halloween buff and relish those carved pumpkins and creepy costumes, we've found the fright-filled event of your nightmares (or should we say dreams?). Over five terrifying nights, Luna Park will host the ultimate hair-raising Halloween extravaganza. As always, it's sure to be a screaming success and we've managed to get our hands on ten double passes to give away to you Halloween fiends. During Halloscream 6: The Rise of the Cursed Carnival, the park will transform into a spooky scare-fair with horror-themed mazes, haunted houses and blood-curdling rides. There's a Goosebumps-themed slime slide, an Alien Crash Landing where guests can traverse a UFO crash site searching for aliens and a terrifying Toyshop of Terrors maze. The carnival will start this Friday, October 26 and run until Saturday, November 3. Enter with your details below, and we'll see you and your creepy costume there for a screaming good time. [competition]694478[/competition]
It was meant to be the sci-fi hit of 2020. It ended up being one of 2021's standouts instead. It picked up a heap of 2022 Oscars and has a sequel about to drop. Spice saga Dune is also now back on the big screen in Australia and New Zealand, giving audiences another chance to see it in the best way possible. Directed by Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049), the 2021 film followed in David Lynch's footsteps, making a new adaptation of Frank Herbert's 1965 novel — and managing what Alejandro Jodorowsky sadly couldn't (see: excellent documentary Jodorowsky's Dune) in the process. It also gave the world a stunning new science-fiction cinema classic, which started its return season in cinemas on Thursday, February 8, 2024 Down Under in preparation for part two arriving at the end of the month. The initial Villeneuve-helmed Dune flick scored ten Oscar nominations and six wins for beginning the space-opera series' story. In the 2021 film, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet, Wonka) headed to Arrakis because his dad Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac, Moon Knight) had just been given stewardship of the planet and its abundance of 'the spice' — aka the most valuable substance in the universe — and then got caught up in a bitter feud with malicious forces over the substance. It also saw Paul meet the population of people known as the Fremen, including Chani (Zendaya, Euphoria), plus Javier Bardem's (Lyle, Lyle Crocodile) Stilgar, which is who he and his mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson, Silo) are with in Dune: Part Two. The second film has also taken the long way to cinemas, after originally being slated to release in November 2023, then postponed during Hollywood's strikes. It will now keep the tale going from Thursday, February 29. This time, war has arrived on the franchise's spice-laden planet, and Paul and the Fremen are ready to fight. The former doesn't just want to face off against the folks who destroyed his family, but for the sandy celestial body, with Chani at his side. Expansive desert landscape, golden and orange hues, sandworms, Villeneuve's reliable eye for a spectacle and Hans Zimmer's (The Son) sonic best: they're all part of the first movie. So are Josh Brolin (Outer Range), Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Beau Is Afraid) and Charlotte Rampling (Benedetta) among the cast. Some cinemas are also doing Dune double features on Wednesday, February 28, the evening before the second part officially releases, if you want the full Chalamet-led Dune experience so far in one sitting. Check out trailers for Dune and Dune: Part Two below: Dune returned to cinemas Down Under on Thursday, February 8, 2o24. Read our review. Dune: Part Two will release in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, February 29, 2024.
"When you see the movie Deep Throat, you are watching me being raped," Linda Boreman (aka Linda Lovelace) told a 1986 official inquiry into the sex industry. "It is a crime that movie is still showing. There was a gun to my head the entire time." When Deep Throat — one of the first 'skin flicks' to feature a plot and characters — hit cinemas in 1972, porn crossed over into the mainstream. Linda Lovelace, a willowy contrast to the voluptuous blondes that had dominated American erotica, with an out-of-the-ordinary capacity for fellatio, became the face of 'porn chic' and a symbol of sexual liberation. Eight years later, however, her third autobiography, Ordeal, revealed that her entry into the porn industry had been anything but a fling with freedom. Beaten, raped and threatened at gunpoint by her husband and manager Chuck Traynor, she was, she wrote, a prisoner "just as much as if I was in Alcatraz". While the creators of Deep Throat — possibly the most profitable feature film ever made — divvied up their $600 million, she limped away with just $1250. Lovelace, directed by the award-winning Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, tells the Deep Throat tale in two halves. The first is more or less the real-time, 'public' version; the second depicts the harrowing inside story of Boreman's private life. It's a structural decision with the potential to devastate. However, too much is given away in the former chapter to allow the latter to deliver the shock intended. We hear alarm bells ringing within the first ten minutes of meeting Traynor (Peter Sarsgaard), and it's obvious from the outset that the naive Boreman (Amanda Seyfried) is putty in his hands. That's not to say Lovelace doesn't have its disturbing moments. Sarsgaard, who did the parent-charming sleaze-bag so well in An Education, brings an unnerving edginess to the psychopathic Traynor, and Seyfried, a wide-eyed and prettier-than-real-life Lovelace, is believably vulnerable. Her severe Catholic mother, played by a hard-faced, domesticated Sharon Stone, so changed in the role that even Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Weinstein failed to recognise her, and her complacent father (Robert Patrick), succeed in provoking our frustration and anger. However, a simplistic script lets this strong cast down. The characters are drawn as types, demonstrative of one or two traits, lacking meaningful development. We walk away, having once again been witness to the exploitative nature of the porn industry and the horrors of domestic violence, but none the wiser when it comes to either their implications or the life of Linda Boreman. https://youtube.com/watch?v=HPJY-g-WoQo
Your phone rings unexpectedly. A gravelly voice asks "do you like scary movies?". If you live in Sydney right now, it's a great time to answer in the affirmative. Horror film buffs know that the above is a scene straight out of the Scream franchise, which kicked off in 1996 and just keeps having another stab at cinemas — including 2023's Scream VI, which is showing now. Scary movie fans also need to know that eerie event fiends Haus of Horror are playing the OG Scream at Parramatta Gaol for one night only. This event collective just loves showing classic horror movies in spectacular locations, with its Scream session following a past The Exorcist night in the same spot — and also Beetlejuice in Camperdown Cemetery, too. Unsurprisingly, all these movie events are proving popular. And what better film to show next to Sydney's horror aficionados than one that screams "Sidney" (Prescott, Neve Campbell's character, that is) over and over? Once again, the idea is for the night — which has been dubbed 'Scream in a Haunted Gaol' — is to be as immersive as possible. Parramatta Gaol already hosts ghost tours, and is reportedly haunted by its former inmates if you believe in that kind of thing. It's certainly a site with history; constructed from sandstone and slate, it was built in the 19th century and operated until 2011. It followed Parramatta's first jail in 1796, which was damaged in a fire before the 1800s hit, rebuilt, and then had its prisoners transferred to the new facility in 1842. So, if you dare, that's where you'll be watching Scream — aka the story of a town and its teenagers terrorised by a mask-wearing psychopath who really does adore scary movies. Directed by late, great horror director Wes Craven, it became an instant classic by smartly blending slasher scares and self-aware laughs. And, from Campbell (Scream, the 2022 version), Drew Barrymore (Santa Clarita Diet) and Rose McGowan (The Sound) to Courteney Cox (Shining Vale), David Arquette (Quantum Cowboys), Matthew Lillard (Good Girls) and Skeet Ulrich (Riverdale), it boasts one helluva cast. Haus of Horror's Scream screening takes place at 6pm on Saturday, April 15, and includes two hours for attendees to explore Parramatta Gaol's morgue, cell blocks and showers. Whether or not you'll see Ghostface slinking around is yet to be revealed. Also on the agenda: a bar serving beer and wine, vegan and non-vegan bites to eat, a live DJ spinning tunes while the sun sets. The movie will play at 8pm on a grassy field inside the site, showing outdoors under the stars — and picnics are welcome. Tickets cost $39, or $59 if you'd like to book a large bean bag to sit on. Check out the trailer for Scream below: Scream in a Haunted Gaol takes place at Parramatta Gaol, corner O'Connell and Dunlop streets, North Parramatta from 6pm on Saturday, April 15 — head to the Haus of Horror website for tickets and further details.
We're not quite sure how it happened but Valentine's Day is once again on the horizon. Whether you're part of the group that considers V Day a corporate conspiracy or are totally into the opportunity to get all unashamedly romantic, coming up with a creative way to celebrate can be a tall order. To help, we've rounded up five ideas guaranteed to make this V Day memorable — without breaking the bank. So, whether you're with a date, the mates, or gloriously solo, you can kiss the cliched set menu dinner goodbye and do something different. [caption id="attachment_760737" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Silversalt courtesy of Artbank[/caption] CELEBRATE L-O-V-E WITH A FREE EXHIBITION ABOUT THE FOUR LETTER WORD For art-lovers — and romantics — this is the one for you. Head down to Waterloo for The Four Letter Word: Artbank's latest exhibition celebrating love in all its forms. Covering topics from intimacy and desire to vulnerability and self-expression, you (and your special someone) can explore 25 artworks from Artbank's collection and select loans curated by Sophia Cai. If you're happy to have you date night on V Day eve, you can also catch a free love letter reading at 6pm on Thursday, February 13 — RSVP over here. PICNIC BY STARLIGHT IN CENTENNIAL PARK If there's anything more romantic than a picnic under the stars, we've yet to find it. So it's a good thing that Centennial Park's annual Valentine's Day stargazing night is returning this year. This isn't your usual spot-the-Southern Cross affair, though — professionals will be on-hand to show you what you should be looking for. Tickets are $19 each and allow you to share a telescope with your special someone. There'll be plenty of space to throw down a rug so pick up a picnic and a nice bottle of wine, and set up for the night. Or, if you run out of time, goods will be available on the night. [caption id="attachment_757115" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bit[/caption] CHECK OUT THE MARDI GRAS FILM FESTIVAL Want to go to the cinema but don't want to sit through another heteronormative rom com? Check out the annual Mardi Gras Film Festival instead and choose between three queer flicks that are premiering for the first time. For those looking for a laugh, there's The Shiny Shrimps a French flick that sees a former champion swimmer overcome his prejudice as the coach for a flamboyant water polo team. Fans of horror and 90s nostalgia can check out Bit, where a young transgender woman finds her place in LA among a group of lesbian vampires. Finally, romantics can go see Season of Love, a Christmas rom-com following six queer women navigating the ups and downs of relationships. Tickets are $19.90 each and you can catch all three at Event Cinemas George Street. GET LOST IN THIS IRIDESCENT INSTALLATION AT THE GROUNDS If you're angling for a smooch with someone special this Valentine's Day, you might as well line up a spectacularly photogenic backdrop for the occasion. And we doubt you'll find any quite as OTT as the one that awaits at The Grounds of Alexandria. The lush greenery-filled venue is turning the charm up to 100 for lovers this romance season, unveiling a shimmery laneway installation that's sure to sweep just about anyone off their feet. Sticking around for only a limited time, it's decked out in a rainbow of iridescent hues and comes complete with a neon-lit kissing booth to spark that ol' romantic spirit. But the real theatre happens at 9am and 11am each day, when a bunch of glistening bubbles are sent cascading over the entire space. Brownie points for aesthetics, right there. INDULGE YOUR INNER KIDS AND PLAY SUPER SMASH BROS Feel like a kid again by heading out for a night of classic video games from the 80s and 90s — without paying a cent. The team at 1989 in Newtown is offering everything from Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles to Street Fighter II — which would usually cost $1 a game — for free on Valentine's Day. You'll just have to pay for your pizza and drinks, the latter of which includes some quirky brews — think gelato ale and watermelon pilsner — and will be cheaper during happy hour from 5–7pm. Or, if you're not near Newtown, hit up B. Lucky & Sons in Moore Park or Archie Brothers in Alexandria — both are open until midnight on Friday nights. Top image: B Lucky & Sons
They say one a day keeps the doctor away — so you're sure to be some sort of medical miracle once you attend the City of Ryde's beloved Granny Smith Festival this spring. After two years of COVID cancellations and online offerings, the festival dedicated to Australia's favourite apple is making its hotly anticipated comeback on Saturday, October 15. Why all the apple hullabaloo? It's because the first known crop of Granny Smith apples was accidentally grown by Ryde local Maria Ann 'Granny' Smith back in 1868. Subsequently, since 1985 Eastwood has celebrated the discovery with a giant free and family-friendly festival of market stalls, food trucks, rides and live entertainment — which quickly became one of the largest festivals in Sydney. Of course, the last couple of years have been a little lacking, so the 2022 iteration will be making up for lost time. Head in nice and early when festivities kick off at 9am to fuel up for the day with some delicious apple goods, including toffee apples, apple pies, caramel apples, apple juice, and of course, freshies for the purists. Then secure your spot to watch the festival highlight: the traditional 2,000-strong Grand Street Parade marching through the city streets. Kicking off at 9.30am, the parade includes bands, dancers and a giant festival float with a celebrity guest (Granny Smith herself). While away the subsequent hours by browsing the market stalls (there'll be over 250 of them) to check out some of the apple-inspired products including handmade jewellery, clothing and homewares. Pop by the animal farm to say hi to some furry pals, and don't miss the family-friendly entertainment going down across five stages — including cultural performances, a singing competition and even a meet-and-greet with some Paw Patrol stars. If you need something to break up the sweet offerings, come lunchtime hit up the food stalls and trucks to feast on delicious delights — Italian pork and apple rolls from Bella Porcetta; prawn and chorizo rolls from Mojo Picon; Dutch poffertjes (tiny pancakes); teriyaki pork ribs (with apple sauce of course) and more. And don't forget to stop by the pop-up Batlow Cider Bar on the oval, where you'll get free cider samples, as well as apple seltzers and local brews. Closing out the day with a literal bang is X Factor Australia winner and Eurovision alum Dami Im, who is taking to the stage for an especially exciting performance before a spectacular fireworks finale at 8pm. The City of Ryde Granny Smith Festival will run on Saturday, October 15, from 9am–8pm. Check out the rest of the Granny Smith Festival program and plan out your festival journey over here.
Back in 2014, before he slipped into Black Panther's suit, Chadwick Boseman stepped into James Brown's shoes. Playing the iconic musician in Get On Up, Boseman lit up the screen — and while he'll forever be known for his time in Wakanda, the biopic ranks among his greatest performances. Although Boseman's career was tragically cut short due to his death to cancer in August this year, the actor has one more film set to reach screens — and it too sees him playing music. To be specific, he's playing the blues as an ambitious trumpeter called Levee in the new movie adaptation of August Wilson's play Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. On the stage since 1982, and now in this new Netflix movie version, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom focuses on an afternoon recording session in 1920s Chicago. Ma Rainey, the "Mother of the Blues" (played by Viola Davis), is the star of the session, but she's running late as she fights with her manager over control of her music. As the band waits, Levee and fellow musicians Cutler (Colman Domingo, If Beale Street Could Talk), Toledo (Glynn Turman, Fargo) and Slow Drag (Michael Potts, True Detective) bide their time swapping stories in the rehearsal room. As helmed by Tony-winning playwright and theatre director George C. Wolfe (for Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk), Ma Rainey's Black Bottom hits streaming on December 18 — and, while this time of year brings awards speculation about almost every weighty drama with a high-profile cast, Boseman and Davis in particular have been the subject of plenty of predictions. As well as marking Boseman's final film, it's his second this year — and his second Netflix feature, too — following his potent supporting role in Spike Lee's Da 5 Bloods. Check out the trailer for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ord7gP151vk Ma Rainey's Black Bottom will be available to stream via Netflix from December 18. Top image: David Lee, Netflix.
A huge milestone birthday, a homecoming, and a stacked lineup filled with top talent from the creativity, design and technology fields: that's what's on Semi Permanent's agenda this May. A go-to event for all things design-related, the festival will return to Sydney's Carriageworks for three days between Wednesday, May 25–Friday, May 27 — and while impressive lineups always go with the territory here, this year's bill stands out in plenty of ways. Firstly, it's the event's biggest program ever. The theme for Semi Permanent's 2022 fest, which also marks its 20th anniversary, is 'perspective'. As founder and executive creative director Murray Bell explains, "2022 is a demarcation in the evolution of both our purpose and our organisation." Bell continues: "a milestone like this triggers a moment of reflection, imploring us to look back on our achievements and mistakes as the things that helped shape where we are today. It begs us to look forward, too, challenging us to think about where we might be in another 20 years' time. And after two years in which our lives were disrupted by the pandemic, so too have perspectives on the future completely shifted." [caption id="attachment_843324" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dick Sweeney[/caption] To help sort through the theme, more than 25 speakers have been announced — spanning everything from journalism and film through to art and typography. Attendees will be able to hear from the folks behind The Betoota Advocate; learn more female-driven on-screen storytelling from Dollhouse Pictures co-founders Gracie Otto, Krew Boylan and Jessica Carrera; and glean insights from British visual-data journalist Mona Chalabi. Or, you can also look forward to listening to furniture and textile designer Jonathan Saunders, typographic designers Jazlyn Fung and Tony Wong, and That Sugar Film and 2040 filmmaker Damon Gameau. The hefty lineup of talent will anchor Semi Permanent's talks program, of course, but the fest is keen to expand its format even further in its big birthday year. That includes the launch of the Permanent Art and Design Book Fair, which'll bring together more than 30 leading publishers, artists and designers showcasing — and, for your reading pile, will showcase hundreds of books, magazines, zines, posters and digital editions, spanning both new and previously unseen works. [caption id="attachment_843326" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Toby Peet[/caption] The festival's lineup isn't finished yet, either, with more talent set to be announced in late March when the event's daily schedule is released. The southern hemisphere's biggest and longest-running creativity and design fest, Semi Permanent certainly has plenty to celebrate — such as hosting 50-plus events in 13 cities with more than 800 speakers so far over its 20-year run, all with more than 300,000 people in attendance. As usual, it'll unleash its festival-slash-birthday party during Vivid, which makes a comeback in 2022 after a two-year pandemic-enforced hiatus. [caption id="attachment_843322" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Toby Peet[/caption] Semi Permanent will run from Wednesday, May 25–Friday, May 27 at Carriageworks. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the Semi Permanent website.
Benja Harney is a 'Paper Engineer'. This does not mean, as it might at first glance seem, that he is an engineer made out of paper, but that he does engineering with paper. Although maybe he could engineer paper into a paper engineer? In any case he hasn't done that this time; he's instead recreated a roomful of discarded objects upstairs at the appositely-named Object Gallery. Harney's first solo show, The Paper Attic forms part of the Sydney Design 2011 program and reflects the intersection of art and design. He has worked across advertising, fashion, illustration and in making pop-up books alongside his fine art practice, and shows the precision of someone who has been doing this professionally for the last six years as well as the ingenuity of the self-taught artist/artisan.
Tino Sehgal. The name carries significant art-world cache. A former dancer and choreographer, Sehgal is acclaimed for his wonderfully thoughtful and engaging performance art. This is so contemporary, now on ‘show’ at the Art Gallery of NSW and running until February 23, is the 29th Kaldor Public Art Project. It's not good. Three performance artists dressed as museum guards swarm unsuspecting visitors, gyrating madly around them while singing "this is so contemporary, contemporary, contemporary". Unfortunately, the tune they’re singing doesn’t accommodate all the syllables in the word ‘contemporary’ (except for the last line, when they really go nuts with it). The word becomes ‘con-tem-po-ree’. If you’re a fan of the English language and don’t enjoy hearing it butchered, I would recommend a Xanax washed down with liberal amounts of Sauvignon Blanc prior to approaching the gallery forecourt. According to the press release, “[Sehgal] orchestrates interpersonal encounters through dance, voice and movement as well as philosophical and economic discussion. These works, which respond directly to gallery visitors, are renowned for their intimacy and critical reflection upon their environment." Most of Sehgal’s works are successful in this aim. This is so contemporary, frankly, isn’t. How exactly is your average gallery-goer meant to engage with a trio dressed as guards running around them, singing an inane song at the top of their lungs before scampering off at the end? Most visitors stood there awkwardly until the ordeal finished. Two women fled. You can’t help but immediately freeze when it happens, and there’s no chance to engage with the performers as once they’ve finished shrieking, they run off. Nothing about the work engenders any kind of engagement between performer and visitor. As for the lyrics of the short song, ‘this is so contemporary’… really? There is something oddly sophomoric about the whole performance. It is perhaps an attempt to be witty and meta but ultimately comes off as overly literal and uninspired. The work is such a disappointment because Sehgal is a great artist. It’s like when you go to a fabulous restaurant and get a dodgy meal. You’d be fine if it was McDonald’s but it’s just so much more disappointing when it’s from somewhere you expect to be topnotch. The same could be said of Kaldor Art Projects — thus far, they’ve been sensational. Remember how terrific 13 Rooms was? The work is silly and fun. You will probably enjoy watching people’s reaction to being suddenly swarmed by museum guards performing obscure early '90s dance moves. But is This is so contemporary great art? Not a chance.
One of the world's most visited multi-sensory experiences will come alive in Sydney this spring. From Friday, September 18, Van Gogh Alive will see more than 3000 large-scale images of the Dutch master's works projected onto walls, columns and floors at The Royal Hall of Industries in Moore Park. The project is the brainchild of Melbourne-based Grande Exhibitions, which, for the past 15 years, has hosted immersive exhibitions and gallery experiences in over 140 cities across the world. The company also owns and operates Rome's Museo Leonardo da Vinci. The family-friendly experience will create the sensation of walking right into Van Gogh's paintings. Famous works including The Starry Night and Sunflowers are presented in fine detail using Grande Exhibitions' state-of-the-art technology combining 40 high-definition projectors, while a classical musical score accompanies the vibrant colours in cinema-quality surround sound. The exhibition has already wowed audiences at 50 cities throughout the northern hemisphere and parts of South America — and was was initially meant to be unveiled in Melbourne this year inside a new multimillion digital art gallery in Melbourne called The Lume, but, because of the city's strict lockdown, the Australian premiere will now happen in Sydney.
If we didn't watch horror movies in cavernous darkened rooms, projected large on shimmering screens and with every noise echoing throughout the theatre, would they be as unsettling? If you've ever jumped out of your chair while staring at your TV at home, you'll already know the answer to that question: yes, yes they would. Still, there's nowhere better to see a scary flick, new or old, than at the cinema — where hopefully loud popcorn-munching is the only distraction. This Halloween, the Ritx is taking that idea to heart with a Halloween Horror program. Four sessions, one big screen, four supremely spooky horror-movie classics: that's the bill from Thursday, October 27–Monday, October 31. These aren't just any old eerie flicks. They're must-sees that've influenced almost every horror film ever made over the past five decades. In other words, if you're a movie buff, it's the perfect Halloween experience. Thanks to The Shining, you can see what happens when all work and no play help Jack Nicholson get creeped out in the Overlook Hotel — and learn why hedge mazes will always be chilling. Also, it's time for a date with a demon via The Exorcist. A word of advice: don't eat anything green beforehand. Maybe don't wear a red-and-green striped jumper, either, given that the original A Nightmare on Elm Street is also on the lineup in all of its supremely 80s glory. And, while it has spawned a heap of sequels — like almost everything in this program — nothing will ever live up to the OG The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. If you're easily frightened (and that isn't part of the fun for you), this film lineup isn't for you, clearly.
There's the parade, yes. But before that, nearly a month of cultural and celebratory events of all stripes makes up the festival of Sydney Mardi Gras, and there's something for everybody, even Straighty McStraight-Straight. Who relates absolutely and 100 percent to the social expectations of their gender and sexuality? Nobody, probably. And that's something to love, savour, and take away from this most iconic of Sydney events. This year, there's a push to establish a Mardi Gras Museum, starting off with a temporary exhibition of Sydney's queer history. Then there's family-friendly fair day, art, roller derby, and one of New York's premier cabaret artists, among all the parties between February 8 and March 3. With gay marriage rights so firmly on the agenda at the moment, 2013's Mardi Gras will definitely be one that's remembered. Here's our pick of the ten best events. 1. Sydney Mardi Gras Museum Could this be the most colourful museum in the world? In the 35 years since its inception, the Mardi Gras has been the site of not only liberation and artistic extravaganza but also fiery controversy. Take a wander through the spectacular events and extraordinary lives that have contributed to making Sydney’s proudest parade what it is today. From February 12-19, catch special evening talks featuring the likes of Julie McCrossin and C. Moore Hardy. January 30 to March 3; 11am-7pm; free entry; cnr Oxford and Palmer Streets, Darlinghurst; http://www.mardigras.org.au/events/sydney-mardi-gras-museum/ 2. Fair Day Preen your pooches and pack your picnic in preparation for Fair Day. Every year, tens of thousands of Sydneysiders and visitors come together at Victoria Park to celebrate the arrival of Mardi Gras season with international food, stalls, and carnival rides. Main Stage has the music pumping all day long; the Youth Hub keeps the young 'uns out of trouble, and Doggywood plays host to some of the most fabulous canines you could ever hope to lay eyes on. One little tip: you might want to secure yourself a front-row position for the late afternoon Tug-o-War. Sunday, February 10; 10am-7.30pm; free entry; Victoria Park, City Rd, Camperdown; http://www.mardigras.org.au/events/fair-day/ 3. Justin Vivian Bond Is Mx America Is there anything Mx Justin Vivian Bond can’t do? In a career spanning more than 20 years, the cabaret hero has played Huck Finn as a tranny prostitute; reinterpreted the likes of Radiohead, Kate Bush, and Tracy Chapman; and written an award-winning autobiography (Tango: My Childhood, Backwards and in High Heels). Along the way, Bond has picked up an Obie Award (2001), a Bessie Award (2004), an Ethyl Eichelberger Award (2007) and a Tony nomination (2007). On a return visit to Australia in late February, Bond will present a new show: Justin Vivian Bond Is Mx America. February 16; 8pm; Carriageworks, 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh; http://www.mardigras.org.au/events/justin-vivian-bond-is-mx-america/ 4. Mardi Gras Film Festival If all the partying starts to tire you out, you can always recharge your batteries by dipping into Mardi Gras' quieter side: the Film Festival. Some of the picks of this year's program include Joshua Tree 1951: A Portrait of James Dean, a stunning black-and-white re-creation of the Hollywood hero's life on the edge; the Australian premier of Kyle Henry's quirky, funny Fourplay; and Head On, the movie that set the benchmark for queer filmmaking in Australia. February 14-28; $14-$18; http://www.mardigras.org.au/events/mardi-gras-film-festival-presented-by-queer-screen/ 5. Queer Thinking What happens when you blend fashion, art, music, technology, and a fearless desire to transcend the outer limits of convention? Chicks on Speed, that's what. For 10 years now, Melissa Logan and Alex Murray-Leslie have been blowing boundaries out of the water with their artistic experimentations. As part of Queer Thinking, they'll be discussing and performing with their latest creations, 'Objekt Instruments'. Other thinkers on the day include Mx Justin Vivian Bond. February 16; 12pm-8pm; $15; Seymour Centre, Cleveland St, Darlinghurst; http://www.mardigras.org.au/events/queer-thinking/ 6. Battle on the Bent Track If Chicks on Speed aren't fast enough for you, don't despair. You're sure to be struggling to keep up when some of Australia's quickest, toughest roller girls battle it out on the Bent Track. This major roller derby festival is the brainchild of the Australian Vagine Regime, a queer association committed to raising cash for charity. Where do the country's fastest girls go after the country’s toughest race? The bar! The Standard, to be specific. DJ Sveta and Adele Moleta have teamed together to magic up an http://www.mardigras.org.au/events/battle-on-the-bent-track-official-after-party/">all-night party. Expect sexy, danceable beats, live cabaret, and some serious roller action. Guests include burlesque performers Lillian Star and Miss Kelly Anne Doll and DJs Sveta, Lady Bones, Ariane, Del Cat, and Mall St. Saturday, February 16; 5pm; Hordern Pavilion, 1 Driver Ave, Moore Park; http://www.mardigras.org.au/events/battle-on-the-bent-track/ 7. History Walk with the Order of Perpetual Indulgence Don your walking shoes and your wildest imagination for a rollicking journey through the history of gay activism in Sydney. Sisters from The Order of Perpetual Indulgence, a group of locally based gay male nuns and lesbian monks, will meet you at Hyde Park Barracks at 10am. As you traverse the sites where significant events of protest have occurred, the Sisters will be letting you in on all the intimate details. Like the history of most fights against institutional discrimination, it's not all pretty, but the Sisters are sure to keep the mood high with their irreverent humour. Sunday, February 24; 9.45am-3pm; free; Hyde Park Barracks, Macquarie St, City; http://www.mardigras.org.au/events/history-walk/ 8. Take My Breath Away - Daniel Mudie Cunningham In 1977 in Belgrade, Marina Abramovic and Ulay created a video titled Breathing In, Breathing Out, in which the two kneel face to face, with their mouths locked together and their noses obstructed with cigarette filters. For twenty minutes, they depend upon one another entirely to breathe. The intimate physical interaction that results, as the two struggle to work together to survive, leads us to ask questions about human interdependence. Take My Breath Away is a remake of this seminal performance. This time, however, the breathing is channelled through a white balloon, giving rise to a whole lot of sucking and blowing and putting a postmodern spin on the concept. February 8-23; 1pm-5pm; free; Peloton, 78A Campbell St, Surry Hills; http://www.mardigras.org.au/events/take-my-breath-away-daniel-mudie-cunningham/ 9. Confessions of a Grindr Addict Gavin Roach's one-man monologue makes its way back to Sydney after sell-out seasons at the Edinburgh Fringe 2012 and the Melbourne Fringe 2011. It's an expedition through the intimate emotional and physical world of Felix, who is about to go on a date for the first time in a year. Accustomed to interacting in cyberspace, Felix grows increasingly uncertain and frightened and starts to wonder why he ever wiped his Grindr app off his smartphone. According to Stage Whispers, Confessions of a Grindr Addict is one of those rare one-man shows that enables you to "forget that's what you're watching". Tuesday, February 19, to Friday, March 1; 8pm; $20; TAP Gallery, 278 Palmer St, Darlinghurst (upstairs); http://www.mardigras.org.au/events/confessions-of-a-grindr-addict/ 10. The Parade On June 24, 1978, a few hundred people gathered on Oxford Street to voice their opinions against anti-homosexual discrimination. Late in the evening, when the numbers rose to 2000, the police put an end to the march and arrested 53 of the protestors, many of whom lost their jobs as a result. Thirty-five years on, the Mardi Gras is the largest gay celebration on the planet, with about 10,000 participants and hundreds of thousands of spectators. It’s a glamorous, glitzy, outrageous, fun expression of every individual's right to love freely. Get there early if you want a view. Saturday, March 2; 7.45pm; free Oxford and Flinders St, Darlinghurst; http://www.mardigras.org.au/events/sydney-mardi-gras-parade/ Mardi Gras is on from February 8 to March 3.
Big screen, big highlight of Sydney's summer for cinephiles, big movie: when Westpac Openair Cinema kicks off its 2025 season, returning to Mrs Macquaries Point with its three-storey-high screen as it does every January and February, it'll do so with Timothée Chalamet (Dune: Part Two) as Bob Dylan. Biopic A Complete Unknown has been announced as the outdoor picture palace's opening-night pick, which will start 41 nights of movies under the stars in stunning surroundings. A Complete Unknown steps through the early days of the music icon's career, focusing on how Dylan became a sensation. Directed by Walk the Line helmer James Mangold (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) — swapping Johnny Cash for another legend, clearly — the film covers folk singer's early gigs, filling concert halls, going electric at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival and more. That's what Westpac Openair Cinema attendees will be watching on Thursday, January 9. Across the rest of the season until Tuesday, February 18, highlights revealed so far include the previously unveiled Paul Mescal (All of Us Strangers)-starring Gladiator II; the first Wicked movie with Ariana Grande (Don't Look Up) as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo (Pinocchio) as Elphaba; and 2024 Cannes Palme d'Or-winner Anora from Tangerine, The Florida Project and Red Rocket filmmaker Sean Baker. Newly added to the lineup ahead of the full program drop at the end of November 2024: We Live in Time, Nightbitch, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Conclave and Better Man. We Live in Time stars Florence Pugh (Dune: Part Two) and Andrew Garfield (Under the Banner of Heaven), leading a romance from Brooklyn filmmaker John Crowley, which follows a couple's relationship across a decade — and Nightbitch hails from The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Can You Ever Forgive Me? and A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood filmmaker Marielle Heller, with Amy Adams (Dear Evan Hansen) playing a stay-at-home mum who turns canine. Rom-com Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is the fourth film in the franchise, again with Renée Zellweger (The Thing About Pam) in the eponymous role; Ralph Fiennes (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar) is at the centre of witty papal election thriller Conclave, alongside Citadel's Stanley Tucci, Killers of the Flower Moon's John Lithgow and Spaceman's Isabella Rossellini; and Better Man adds to Westpac Openair Cinema music biopics, putting Robbie Williams in the spotlight. [caption id="attachment_980239" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Buffet Digital, @patstevenson[/caption] Also announced: the fact that this year's season will feature a Festival of Food, with Luke Nguyen (Botanic House's Culinary Director), Danielle Alvarez (Chef and Sydney Opera House's Culinary Director of its event venues) and Scott McComas-Williams (Love Tilly Group's Group Executive Chef) curating. Three dining experiences will greet moviegoers. At the casual Luke Nguyen at The Point, Vietnamese fusion menu will be on offer. Summer House Dining by Danielle Alvarez is all about Mediterranean-inspired meals and full-service dining. And at Fabbrica at Chandon Garden, there'll be a pasta bar-style menu. As happens every year, tickets to Westpac Openair Cinema likely to go quickly when they go on sale on Monday, December 9. Across the summer of 2018–19, more than 40,000 tickets sold within the first two days of pre-sale, for instance — so put it in your diary ASAP. [caption id="attachment_978120" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fiora Sacco[/caption] [caption id="attachment_978121" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chris Grundy[/caption] Westpac Openair 2025 runs from Thursday, January 9—Tuesday, February 18. The program will be announced on Thursday, November 28, 2024 with tickets on sale on Monday, December 9 — check back here then for further details, and head to the event's website in the interim. Top image: Buffet Digital, @patstevenson.
With every new year comes new ambitions, goals and hopes for the next 12 months. Despite not quite ticking off everything from last year's resolutions list, there's something about a new year that restores your faith in your own ability to achieve your dreams this time around. And, if the world has shown us anything these past few years, it's to lean into fun while you can. While trying new things can be somewhat daunting, we hear that getting out of your comfort zone is where the magic happens. Whether you've been promising yourself to sign up to an acting class for years or you feel like trying a different sport, there are loads of ways you can get involved in a new activity this year. We've teamed up with Just Play to give you some inspiration for your extracurricular activities in 2022. PLAY A TEAM SPORT After so much time in solitude and indoors over the past few years, there's never been a better time to get involved in a team sport. Although this may sound very intimidating to some — especially if your high school dabbled in dodge ball — being part of a team sport can be a completely supportive and enjoyable experience. If you're ready to play but haven't got enough mates who are as keen you, Just Play is here to help find you a team. Simply sign up to one of the sports on offer — basketball, netball, futsal, soccer, touch footy, cricket, volleyball and more — as an individual or with a mate and you'll be added to a team in your area. How good. Once you've registered, Just Play will then send you a playing top and you'll be off and away with your new teammates. LEARN A NEW CREATIVE SKILL There's something super satisfying about getting your hands dirty to learn a new skill or to make something. And Work-Shop offer plenty of courses that will leave you feeling creatively fulfilled. You can try your hand at workshops across various art forms including ceramics, jewellery making, pot painting or simply sip on some wine as you paint a watercolour masterpiece. It even offers Kintsugi classes — the art of repairing broken pottery. By the end of each workshop, you'll leave with a beautiful piece of art and a story to tell your mates at dinner. Plus, classes fall on a range of different days and timeslots, making it easy to fit in around your busy weekly schedule. VOLUNTEER FOR A CAUSE YOU CARE ABOUT Volunteering is a top-tier way to get involved in your community and potentially discover new areas of interest. In Sydney, Story Factory has ongoing volunteer opportunities, both online and in person, focusing around greater western Sydney schools. If helping under-resourced communities through creative writing sounds like something for you, this will be right up your alley. There are heaps of other places you can volunteer, too. Consider yourself an animal lover? You could volunteer at an animal shelter. Love to read? Libraries could use your help. Or, if you like life on the more dramatic side, your local theatre is likely to love your creative input. Go Volunteer can help you get started with opportunities and organisations listed or Volunteer Match can help you find something that aligns with your interests. HIT YOUR MARK IN AN ACTING CLASS Ever think you could be the next Cate Blanchett or Eric Bana but just haven't been discovered yet? Well, it might be time to enrol in a NIDA Open course to help you discover your true acting ability or to simply have a bit of fun centre stage. There are intensive part-time courses and shorter weekend and evening classes available in stage acting, screen acting, stand up comedy, design, writing and more. Some courses require an audition to enter but many are available to anyone ready to take on a creative challenge. The best bit? NIDA Open offers regular classes in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. ELEVATE YOUR CULINARY SKILLS You can never stop learning when it comes to cooking. Some of us simply want to master the art of slicing things up a little more intricately. Others might want to figure out which spices should go with what dishes while some might want to perfect a pad thai recipe. Whatever skill you want to refine, a cooking class could be your answer. You can find a range of classes on Red Balloon to suit a range of palate preferences. Want to finally learn how to make some proper Italian pasta? How about delicious Japanese or Middle Eastern food? Either way, Red Balloon has you covered. You can even take a cocktail masterclass and impress all your mates next time they come over for drinks. ENROL IN A LANGUAGE COURSE Learning a new language is one of those things that perpetually seem to be on the 'I should get around to finally doing that' list. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to answer 'Parlez-vous Francais?' with more than 'Oui'? Well, this could be the year. There are plenty of courses to help. The Vocational Language Learning Centre offers courses in Arabic, French, Italian, Greek, German, Japanese, Indonesian, Russian and Spanish at centres in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. EXPLORE YOUR CITY ON SKATES Time to limber up those legs and get on some skates to see your city in a whole new way. Rollerskating is an excellent way to keep active and try something new and still maintaining an element of social distance (ideal in 2022). There are plenty of routes for you to roll around in our major cities. Hit up the St Kilda Beach Promenade in Melbourne, let loose on the long and scenic Brisbane River run or lap it up at Centennial Park in Sydney. In terms of purchasing the gear, Impala Roller Skates online store has plenty of good stuff. Or, there's Bayside Blades in Melbourne, Extreme Skates in Brisbane and Skater HQ in Sydney. Ready to try something new in your city this year? For more information on Just Play, visit the website.
If you're a garlic girlie, then you should make your way to the fresh eatery located in the foyer of the recently opened Novotel City Centre on York Street: Birdie Bar and Brasserie. The new spot boasts a fusion of British and modern Australian fare on its menu that champions local produce and celebrates Aussie fauna of the feathered variety. The charming space has an avian theme throughout, from its colourful wallpaper and nest lampshades to its cocktail list. British Head Chef John Lyons is at the helm of the kitchen. Lyons cut his teeth working in Michelin-starred and AA Rosettes-earning establishments back in the UK, and now he's here to put his own stamp on Sydney's hospo scene with a menu best described as playful with plenty of British elements, and with local suppliers and producers championed throughout. "We are proud to embrace and showcase many local artisan suppliers on Birdie's menu, from the local ingredients Lon's creatively combines on our plates to the breweries and distilleries we partner with," says the venue's Director of Food and Beverage, Ben Nicholls. [caption id="attachment_941003" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Duck[/caption] Some menu items that exemplify this philosophy are the Fremantle octopus with koji sourced from Keiko Ikeda in Bondi, and the black sesame dessert, which is a take on a classic British sponge cake and includes the rare citrus fruit poorman's orange, which has been resurrected by Peter Dryden in Gordon. And it wouldn't be a British spot without Sunday roast with all the trimmings, including the mandatory Yorkshire puddings and lashings of gravy. "Birdie tells a tale of time through food, which we have proudly brought to life with spices and herbs sourced from Birdie's travels around the world. I can't wait for people to dine in this alluring atmosphere and try our dishes, especially those where we've had some fun to create something truly unique," says Lyons. [caption id="attachment_941009" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Head Chef John Lyons[/caption] You can tell Lyons and his team are having a lot of fun with this menu, with entrées like The Duck — duck liver parfait shaped into two little duckies — and the cheeky The Bird — bumps of caviar Paris with shots of Grey Goose vodka in wooden shot cups and a polaroid snap of you and your dining guest. Don't leave without trying the garlic bread that does not skimp on the butter, garlic or bread — lots of texture and plenty of garlic flavour. The mains don't skimp on flavour either, with options like the equally garlic-forward allium risotto with comte and chervil, the massive one-kilogram t-bone steak with a side of house-made mustard (of course), and smoked ocean trout with cucumber and horseradish. The fun continues on the dessert menu, with the not-so-appetisingly named Dogs Dinner, which literally comes plated in a dog's bowl and features chocolate "kibble", mini biscuits, moose and nuts with an oat biscuit in the shape of a bone. [caption id="attachment_941001" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Freemantle Octopus[/caption] If you can't decide on your mains, there is a chef's choice menu called Canary in a Coal Mine — a minimum of four people required — that features eight plates to share from the mains, sides and desserts. The portions are big, so you definitely won't be going hungry for days. You can level up this chef's choice with a pairing for four drinks for $30 per person. The drinks menu takes the venue's theme to a new level with each inspired by a Aussie native bird. There's the Sulpher-Crested Cockatoo, with gin lemon, meringue foam, and shortbread crumble; the Satin Bowerbird, with Irish whiskey, lemon, blackberry and hibiscus; and the Galah, with strawberry gin, guava liqueur and sparkling rosé. Each cocktail comes with a cute description of the beverage, with the bird theme extending into these stories. The wine list includes drops from across Australia, Europe and South America, while the beers include Birdie's very own lager and bevs from local breweries Young Henrys, Atomic Brewery and Lord Nelson. [caption id="attachment_941007" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sulphur-crested Cockatoo Cocktail[/caption] [caption id="attachment_941002" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Sunday Roast[/caption] [caption id="attachment_941010" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Birdie Bar and Brasserie Interior[/caption] You'll find Birdie Bar and Brasserie open from 12–10pm Sunday–Thursday and 12–11pm Friday–Saturday at the foyer of Novotel City Centre, 7–9 York Street, Sydney. Head to the restaurant's website for more information and to make a booking.
Sydney's luxury lifestyle and homewares label In Bed is hosting its annual warehouse sale this July. After launching its first bricks-and-mortar store in Paddington last year, In Bed is now taking over an Oxford Street studio with discounted linen and cotton bedding, bath towels, kitchen textiles, sleepwear and homewares. As well as discounts of up to 70 percent on the above, there'll also be a slew of samples, seconds and surplus stock to get your mitts on. If you've been lusting after the label's all-natural linens for a while now, here's your chance to finally take them home. But, a word of warning: it's going to make getting out of your cosy bed this winter even harder. In Bed Sydney Warehouse sale is Friday 11am–7pm, Saturday 9am–5pm and Sunday 8am–3pm.
Salt Meats Cheese has expanded again. This time, it has ventured across the Bridge — to the northern beaches. The restaurant chain's sixth New South Wales establishment, which opens its doors today, is a 120-seater located on the ground floor of the Lighthouse by Meriton in Dee Why. It boasts a big open kitchen, lots of reclaimed timber and recucled terracotta tiles and its signature woodfired pizza oven. And it's the chain's biggest venue yet. The pizzas are, of course, the hero here, and include house favourites like the Amatriciana — topped with smoked scamorza, amatriciana sauce, pancetta and pecorino — and the Tartufo, made with fior di latte, mushrooms, pecorino and truffle oil. A new (extravagant) signature sees house-made dough topped with Balmain Bugs, broad beans and 'nduja oil. There are gluten-free bases and dairy-free mozzarella up for grabs, too. With pizza must come pasta, and a standout is the tagliolini with blue swimmer crab, zucchini and chilli. Other Italian staples on offer include antipasti and cocktails. The latter includes a menu of signature spritzes, like the Garden (Hendricks, mint, rose and cucumber) and the Riviera Spritz (ruby red grapefruit aperitif, prosecco and soda). One of the cocktails better suited to later in the meal is the tiramisu martini — which is made with Frangelico and Sydney's own Mr Black coffee liqueur. Salt Meats Cheese's NSW expansion doesn't stop in the Northern Beaches, either — a seventh instalment is coming to a rooftop bar in Circular Quay in the coming weeks. Keep an eye on this space for updates. Salt Meats Cheese Dee Why is now open at 882A Pittwater Road, Dee Why. It is open 11am–3pm and 5pm–9.30pm, daily.
Kitchen by Mike's casual approach to fine dining was game changing when the restaurant first opened in Rosebery all those years ago (way back in 2012). It combined casual eating, American high school lunchrooms, locally sourced ingredients and an acclaimed chef — Mike McEnearney — to create a flexible, no frills restaurant that sold itself through the main event: food. The canteen-style restaurant then closed — to much despair from fans — in 2015. But, it's about to return. This time, though, it's reopening in the CBD — which means city workers' lunch options are about to improve tenfold. Moving into the digs of McEnearney's soon-to-close fine diner No.1 Bent Street — which is located, fittingly, at 1 Bent Street — Kitchen by Mike will start serving fresh, nourishing food, from breakfast through dinner, from Wednesday, May 1. Those familiar with the now-closed flagship KBM in Rosebery, or the new canteen at Sydney International Airport, will be pleased to know that well-loved breakfast favourites are still on the bill, such as McEnearney's bacon butty and the sourdough pancakes with lemon curd. His famed woodfired sourdough will also be available — at all times. For lunch and dinner, you'll be able to browse through an array of salads, woodfired and slow-cooked meats, tartines, pizza and pastries. Many vegetarian options will be on offer, too, including cauliflower, sheep's curd, green apple and radicchio on sprouted buckwheat toast, and the famed cucumber, mirin, ginger and sesame salad. While it seems like the Rosebery KMB has been closed forever — four years is a long time — McEnearney says plans to reopen the restaurant have been in the works for quite some time. "We've been trying to re-open Kitchen by Mike for a while," said McEnearney in a statement. "Then it hit me— it was right under my nose all the time. No. 1 Bent Street is the perfect fit." According to the acclaimed chef, the casual style of eatery is more fitted to the CBD at the moment — with city workers on the look out for "casual yet wholesome places to eat" — so, he decided to close No. 1 Bent Street, and open KBM instead. Keeping with McEnearney's environmentally friendly approach to running venues, the restaurant will also be low waste and single-use plastic free. Customers will also be encouraged to bring their own reusable takeaway containers — and coffee cups, of course — when ordering food to-go. And there are plans to rebuild the Physic Garden, which was once attached to the Rosebery KBM outpost. At its biggest, the urban garden contained 100 different plant species, 50 of which were grown for their medicinal properties. Find Kitchen by Mike at 1–7 Bent Street, Sydney from May 1. It will be open from breakfast through dinner, with both dine-in and takeaway options available. No 1 Bent Street will close on Thursday, April 18.
Shenanigans will run rife from the Chinatown basement to the Joan Sutherland Theatre, as Good God Small Club packs up and brings its undying party vibes to the Opera House on May 30 for Vivid LIVE. Headlined by the man Rolling Stone called "the next Rodriguez", cult South African musician Penny Penny and his seven-piece band, the stage will get some support act lovin' from Bart Willoughby of seminal indigenous band No Fixed Address, ever theatrical Royal Headache frontman Shogun flying solo, Melbourne soft rockers Montero and Sydney's indescribable Donny Benét. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Blk2nsFCt8I
With Opal's electronic ticketing system solidly in place and paper tickets a thing of the past — not to mention the rise of alternative bank card and smart tech payment methods — you may have noticed quite a few of Sydney's ticketing offices closed for business. To be exact, 300 have closed across the city's train stations since the introduction of Opal in 2014. Now, some of these redundant spaces will be given a new purpose, with The Sydney Morning Herald reporting that Sydney Trains has released plans to turn 30 of these offices over to retailers by November. The locations chosen are both regional and metropolitan, and specifically include closed offices at Central Station and Martin Place. The repurposed retail spaces boast central positions within each station and are up to 135-square-metres in size. Sydney Trains recently presented this opportunity to potential lessees, stating that the introduction of Opal had "streamlined operational and staffing requirements" and resulted in "the creation of new retail opportunities". In the nearly two years since transport officials ended the sale of paper tickets, the Sydney Trains Annual Report 2016/17 shows that station staff numbers have fallen from 1918 employees in the 2013–14 financial year to 1408 in 2016–17. Apparently, all revenue from the retailers will be invested back into network operations, which a Sydney Trains spokesman said will potentially ease taxpayer subsidies. No information on lessees has been provided just yet — we can only hope it won't just be another 30 City Convenience and 7/11 outlets. Via The Sydney Morning Herald. Image via Wikimedia Commons.
Cinephiles, picnic-lovers and everyone in between, rejoice — the annual combination of movies, outdoor eating and park hangouts that is Moonlight Cinema is back for another round. After locking in their dates back in September, Australia's biggest outdoor cinema this morning announced their full 2026-17 summer program — and it's a goodie. Kicking off on the first day of summer (how fitting) in Sydney and Adelaide before launching in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth just a few days later, this year's setup boasts all the regular features that make this one of the country's most popular summer events. Big screen shimmering beneath the stars? Check. Food trucks serving the ultimate movie munchies? Check. Letting super-organised patrons BYO their own snacks? Check. A huge lineup of new releases and cult classics? You betcha. Expect all the big summer releases, like sci-fi thriller Passengers, the much-anticipated La La Land with Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, and Lion, based on the true story of Saroo Brierley who found his birth mother in India via Google Earth after 25 years of separation. Naturally, they'll also be playing Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (which was released today) as well as the yet-to-be-released Star Wars: Rogue One and game-turned-film Assassins Creed. As always, they'll also throw in a few cult favourites — this year it's Grease and Back to the Future — and some Doggie Nights, which will kick off with The Secret Life of Pets. Of course, heading to Moonlight isn't just about the movies shown, as fun as getting a sneak peek of upcoming flicks or sharing the joyous glow of watching iconic favourites on a big screen is. It's also about the experience, which is why you're allowed to start getting excited without knowing which films you'll be watching — and why you should be blocking out December through to April in your calendar. Tickets are on sale now. MOONLIGHT CINEMA 2016-17 DATES: Sydney: December 1 – April 2 (Belvedere Amphitheatre in Centennial Park) Melbourne: December 8 – April 2 (Central Lawn at Royal Botanic Gardens) Brisbane: December 8 – March 5 (New Farm Park at Brisbane Powerhouse) Adelaide: December 1 – February 19 (Botanic Park) Perth: December 3 – April 2 (Kings Park and Botanic Garden) Moonlight Cinema's 2016-17 season starts screening around the country from December 1. For more information and to buy tickets, visit moonlight.com.au.
If you're a long-term fan of Veronica Mars, you can be forgiven for taking an 'I'll believe it when I see it' attitude to news of the show's resurrection. It eventually worked for the Veronica Mars movie, however, and it also seems to be working for the series' small-screen comeback, with a teaser dropping for the long-awaited fourth season. Veronica Mars initially lasted three seasons across 2004–2007, then set a crowdfunding record to get a film off the ground in 2014, and even spawned two novels and a web series spin-off after that. Now, as confirmed in September last year, an eight-episode revival is slated to hit television screens in 2019. The teenage private eye drama is getting a similar treatment to Twin Peaks — it's a revival featuring original cast members, rather than a new effort that remakes the same concept with different folks and starts all over again with its narrative. And yes, crucially, Ms Mars herself is back, with Kristen Bell resuming the role that brought her to fame. Bell is also the star of Veronica Mars' first fourth-season sneak peek, with her character sat at her desk and listing everything that's in store during spring break in her home town of Neptune — "drunks, derelicts, flashers, frat boys, sorority vomit, pickpockets, bottomless drinks and topless dancers" all included. Crucially, the teaser also delivers an important piece of information: a US air date of July 26. https://twitter.com/veronicamars/status/1116744093646905344 Hulu, the streaming platform that turned The Handmaid's Tale into the phenomenon that it is, is behind the new season. As reported by Variety last year, Veronica Mars creator and writer Rob Thomas (no, not that one) has also returned — and is executive producing and writing the first episode. Bell also executive produces alongside Diane Ruggiero-Wright and Dan Etheridge, who were both involved in the original seasons and film. The new season will see Neptune's favourite blonde-haired, pint-sized sleuth again solving mysteries in the seaside town. This time, she has been hired by the parents of a dead spring breaker to investigate a string of murders and is drawn into a power struggle between the town's wealthy elite and its working class. Familiar faces such as Enrico Colantoni, Percy Daggs III, Jason Dohring, Ryan Hansen, Francis Capra and Max Greenfield are all returning, along with new inclusions such as Patton Oswalt, Clifton Collins Jr and Bell's The Good Place co-star Kirby Howell-Baptiste. There's no word yet on whether any other big names have been signed on for the show — or if any of Veronica's other ex-boyfriends will re-emerge — but, given that the original show featured appearances from Amanda Seyfried, Arrested Development's Alia Shawkat and Michael Cera, Buffy's Alyson Hannigan and Charisma Carpenter, Thor: Ragnarok's Tessa Thompson and more, you can probably expect a few familiar faces to pop up. With Hulu airing the revival, we're not sure when Veronica Mars 2.0 will be hitting Aussie and NZ TV screens — or where it'll air. Here's hoping it won't take long to head down under. We'll update you as soon as we know more.
Australia's most sinister festival, Dark Mofo, is back for its seventh year and is set to be as boundary-pushing as ever, with its full lineup announced today. As always, the festival will take place in the lead up to the winter solstice, exploring connections between old and contemporary mythology through art installations, performance, talks and music — all taking place in the darkness of Tasmanian winter. Hosted by the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), Dark Mofo will takeover most of Hobart between June 6–23, showcasing a melting pot of artists, creatives and thinkers who dwell in the shadows of mainstream culture. Just-announced musicians include FKA Twigs — who's also bringing her experimental dream pop to Vivid Sydney this year — New York-based composer Nicolás Jaar, American singer John Grant and multi-instrumentalist Roger Eno. Other highlights of the music program include an audiovisual 'soundbath' by Sigur Rós; an international metal program, featuring Brazil's Mystifier; and the return of Night Mass — a ritualistic series of multi-venue, late-night parties featuring Sampa the Great, FAKA and Empress Of. These musicians and creatives join those announced in the first lineup drop last week, which included boundary-pushing speakers in the Dark + Dangerous Thoughts program, artists Ai Weiwei and Mike Parr, and singer and actor Sharon Van Etten. [caption id="attachment_716526" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Saeborg, Pigpen. Courtesy of Dark Mofo and the artist.[/caption] The festival's dark and quirky arts lineup has grown, too, with the addition of a latex-filled installation and performance by Japan's Saeborg and an immersive group exhibition — of ten international artists, including Canada's Cassils, USA's Paul McCarthy and India's Shilpa Gupta — inside the former Forestry Tasmania Building. The award-winning building — which once housed its own forest — is just one of many new venues to join this year's program. Come June, revellers will also be able to party inside the Old Hobart Blood Bank, the Avalon and Odeon theatres, the Old Davey St Congregational Church and aboard a floating natural wine bar, dubbed Natty Waves. Of course, all the festival favourites are set to make a triumphant return, too. You'll be able to drink and eat amongst inverted crosses and candles at the Winter Feast, try not to freeze during the very cold Nude Solstice Swim and absolve your sins at Night Mass. Dark Mofo returns to Hobart from June 6–23. Pre-sale tickets are available from 6pm on Monday, April 15 with general tickets on sale from midday on Tuesday, April 16. For more information, and to check out the full lineup, head to the festival website. Images: Andy Fraser; Meagan Streader, Response VII — Partition III, photo by Sam Whiteside; and All This Coming and Going, Terrapin.
It's just as unmistakably Italian, but Matteo Downtown, soon-to-launch sister venue to Matteo Double Bay, is worlds away from its laidback coastal counterpart. For this second joint project, owners Adam Abrams, Orazio D'Elia and Eddie Levy are taking their cues from the Italy's buzzing urban destinations of Milan and Rome, in contrast to the relaxed coastal vibes of its Double Bay sister. In the CBD, expect a dynamic, all-day operation, that cruises from early morning espressos to late-night negronis. Sydney design firm Acme & Co has shaped the Bond Street space to suit, complete with an intimate dining room, bustling open kitchen, sophisticated bar area and roomy al fresco terrace, primed for people-watching. Head Chef D'Elia is tapping into his southern Italian roots, to deliver a menu that's steeped in tradition, yet executed with modern flair. In the morning, you'll find pastries and panino for the fly-by crowd, alongside a full breakfast offering of creations like Italian-style shakshuka. From 11am through 11pm, you can nab something off the express menu, or head over to the dedicated mozzarella and antipasti bar, stocked daily with fresh cheese and house-cured meats. If you prefer to linger, head to the dining room, and do so over dishes like squid ink fregola, and osso bucco teamed with saffron risotto. In true Italian style, Matteo Downtown will celebrate aperitivo hour wholeheartedly — from 4-6pm weekdays, drop by to team your after-work spritz or wine with a selection of complimentary snacks from the kitchen. The bar offering itself boats a hefty Italian contingent, with a carefully curated range of craft beers, spirits and small-batch liqueurs, all sourced from the homeland. A spritz selection changes with the seasons and the house wines are on tap, while a broad-ranging, 300-strong collection of bottled wines make a masterpiece of the dining room's back wall. Find Matteo Downtown at 20 Bond Street, Sydney, from August. Images: Kai Leishman
Every December, fans of sparkling sights are gifted a luminous feast for their eyes. No, we're not talking about Christmas lights. Regardless of whether you're bathing in a festive glow or hardly fond of all the merriment, 'tis the season for the Geminids meteor shower to soar through the sky — starting on Monday, December 4 and finishing for 2023 on Wednesday, December 20. Even better: Down Under, it's at its peak on the evening of Thursday, December 14 and the morning of Friday, December 15. If you have a telescope at hand, it's clearly a great time to put it to use. Eager to catch a glimpse, even from just your backyard or balcony? Here's everything you need to know. [caption id="attachment_754955" align="alignnone" width="1920"] A composite of 163 photos taken over 90 minutes during the Geminids by Jeff Smallwood for Flickr.[/caption] WHAT IS IT? Lighting up the end-of-year skies, the Geminids meteor shower is considered the most spectacular meteor shower of the year. Again, Christmas lights aren't the only spectacle worth peering at this month. The Geminids is caused by a stream of debris, left by an asteroid dubbed the 3200 Phaethon, burning up in Earth's atmosphere — and it was first observed in 1862. Some years, you can catch as many as 150 meteors every 60 minutes, so this definitely isn't just any old meteor shower. [caption id="attachment_699423" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, Jeff Dai.[/caption] WHEN TO SEE IT The 2023 shower kicks off on Monday, December 4, running through till Wednesday, December 20. As with every year, it's expected to be at its peak in Australia overnight mid-month — between Thursday, December 14–Friday, December 15, specifically. If you fancy a stint of stargazing, the best time to look up is on Thursday, December 14 from around 9pm in Brisbane, 10pm in Perth, 11pm in Sydney, 11.30pm in Adelaide and 12am in Melbourne. The best time to catch an eyeful will be after midnight, when the moon has set and its light will not interfere, but before sunrise. [caption id="attachment_882304" align="alignnone" width="1920"] ESO/G. Lombardi via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] HOW TO SEE IT For your best chances, it's worth getting as far away from bright lights as possible. This could be a good excuse to head out of the city to a clear-skied camping spot — and pray for no clouds. To see the meteors, you'll need to give your eyes around 15–30 minutes to adapt to the dark (so try to avoid checking your phone) and look to the northeast. The shower's name comes from the constellation from which they appear to come, Gemini. So that's what you'll be looking for in the sky. To locate Gemini, we recommend downloading the Sky Map app — it's the easiest way to navigate the night sky (and is a lot of fun to use even on a non-meteor shower night). If you're more into specifics, Time and Date also has a table that shows the direction and altitude of the Geminids. The Geminids meteor shower runs from Monday, December 4–Wednesday, December 20, and will be at its peak during the night on Thursday, December 14–Friday, December 15. For further details, head to Time and Date. Top image: A composite of 88 photos taken over 60 minutes during the Geminids by Paul Balfe via Flickr.
"I will not sell anything that I would not put in my own home". When a store owner has this bold a motto, you know you're onto a winner. And you're certainly in safe hands at Mary Katsikas' new venture The Chic Interior Co. Having opened in early 2019, the boutique showroom in Ramsgate is filled with beautifully curated accent furniture and decorative homewares designed to give your home a few luxe touches. The store has everything from small items that give a hint to your personal style — think a brush gold and mirror tray or pink marble vase — to statement pieces like plush velvet storage ottomans or an art deco-style accent chair. Katsikas also offers personal interior styling services if you need a bit of a push in the right direction. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
Spring and summer are just the right time of year for live music, and there's just a vibe you can't find in the other seasons. One of the music festivals filling stages and venues for springtime festivities is Live and Local, a weekend of Central Coast local musicians taking over venues across the Gosford CBD. On Friday, November 1 and Saturday, November 2, you'll find musicians from all genres playing shows in everything from coffee shops and churches to bars and breweries. There'll be shows from Tiali, Shacked!, Joel Leggett, Almighty Zilla, Ruby Archer, Mindy Lou and Caitlyn Duran. In terms of venues, check out the Central Coast Conservatorium of Music, Funhaus Factory, Gosford Anglican Church, Parlour Lane and South End Social. Different genres, different artists, and different venues, but they all have the same dates in common: Friday, November 1, from 5pm and Saturday, November 2, from 10am.
Set up in 2011 by Damien Horan and Dan Oliver, this brand specialises in minimalist, beach-going basics for men and women. Think linen shirts, studio pants, silk shorts, long-sleeved shirts and track pants in whites, blues, greys, blacks, seaside-inspired stripes and tropical prints. In addition to a handpicked selection of clothing, there are impeccably arranged homewares and accessories.
In 3000 Nights, a pregnant schoolteacher finds herself imprisoned after being falsely accused of collaborating with terrorists. In The Curve, an unlikely set of companions travel across Jordan in a VW van. And in Villa Touma, three Christian sisters caught in a metaphorical time warp find their lives thrown into disarray with the arrival of their orphaned niece. Such are the stories — of adversity, companionship and transformation — that you'll find on the program at this year's Palestinian Film Festival. Returning to select cinemas in capital cities around the country, including Palace Norton Street in Sydney from November 17–20, the latest edition of this vibrant film festival boasts a handful of features along with a selection of short films than run the gamut from documentary to science fiction. For the full Palestinian Film Festival program visit palestinianfilmfestival.com.au.
Forget your morning coffee: tea is having a big ol' moment. Having had major success in Redfern since opening on Abercrombie Street late last year, specialty tea brewers The Rabbit Hole have opened a second venue at Barangaroo South. Opening yesterday, Wednesday, June 23, their spinoff will build upon the popularity of their first, bringing the same eclectic selection of teas, along with sweet and savoury food, to the bustling harbourside precinct. The Rabbit Hole is owned and operated by Amara Jarratt and Corinne Smith. The co-creators of the Sydney and Melbourne Tea Festivals, and founding members of the Australasian Specialty Tea Association, these two certainly know their stuff, and are all too happy to share their expertise. Visitors can expect an extensive menu of original and seasonal teas, as well as tea lattes, tea-infused hot chocolate, and tea sodas on tap. "We really want to redefine what tea's about," Smith told Concrete Playground. "It's about infusing food with tea in other ways, and presenting a good combination of sweet and savoury, but not in a traditional format." Indeed, the tea extends well beyond the drinks list, with a food menu featuring everything from black tea-infused beef and pickle sandwiches, to green tea noodle soup, to earl grey chocolate cake. "Take everything you thought you knew about tea, and start again with us," says Smith. Smith also says that business at Redfern has been "going gangbusters," and believes that attitudes towards tea are finally beginning to change. "There are actually people who like tea and don't drink coffee, shock horror," she says with a laugh. "You can get amazing chocolate, amazing wine bars, go to cafes that serve single-estate coffee, but tea has really missed out and been relegated to the backseat up until late." "I think that traditionally tea has been in the feminine realm," she continues. "Our experience in the wholesale business is that a lot of cafe owners a male... I think that a lot of the guys who have gone into coffee are just starting to realise that there's a lot of cool stuff about tea, and that it's not all doilies and fancy vintage teacups as they once might have thought." The Rabbit Hole is now open at Shop 1, 23 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo South. Their Redfern location can be found at 146 Abercrombie Street, Redfern. For more information follow them on Facebook or visit therabbithole.com.au.
This year, you'll have another excuse for enjoying a G&T in a garden — Australia's gin and tonic festival is kicking off its 2021 national tour with a party in The Rocks. Descending on the area's First Fleet Park from Thursday, March 25–Sunday, March 28, the Fever-Tree Gin & Tonic Festival is a huge tasting event dedicated to the classic tipple. Here, you'll have the chance to sample over 20 different gins — from Melbourne's world-renowned Four Pillars to Sydney's Archie Rose and international favourite Hendrick's — matched with top tonics from Fever-Tree's range of mixers. Plus, you'll be able to purchase one of the final 100 bottles of Garden Grown Gin's Blue Mountains Gin, which is helping to raise funds for bushfire relief. Explore the pop-up Gin Village, Tonic Discovery Bar and Ultimate Gin & Tonic Bar, then grab a snack from one of the food trucks or kick back with a gourmet picnic hamper. Rounding out the fun will be live entertainment, lawn games and activities, as well as a series of complimentary drink demonstrations and expert-led workshops. Tickets to the Fever-Tree Gin & Tonic Festival clock in at $65 (or $55 if you get in quick), which'll score you entry and six mini gin and tonics. Fever-Tree Gin & Tonic Festival runs from 5–9pm Thursday–Friday, 11.30am–9.30pm Saturday and 12–6.30pm Sunday.
Art Month 2016's program has landed — and, boy, does March look better already. It will be the first festival under new artistic director Barry Keldoulis, and while favourites like Collectors' Space and Art at Night will return, some new ideas will be thrown into the mix as well. One of these is this year's feature exhibition, which is designed to give an artist's insight into art and the art world. Titled Green Eyed Monster Eating its Own Tail, it features the works of Tracey Moffatt, Tom Polo, Heath Franco, Grant Stevens, Elvis Richardson, Gordon Bennett (aka John Citizen) and PJ Hickman — and gives some perspective on this very cultural landscape in which Art Month exists. "A key start point for the exhibition is the general suspicion of the wider public in regard to the insular nature of the art world and the idea promoted by the media that the art world is elitist," Keldoulis told us. "The role of Art Month is to overturn these assumptions, and this is an exhibition that explores these ideas in an engaging and often humorous manner, succinctly saying visually what may take hours to try to explain verbally…Why not ask artists themselves for insights into the insecurities, the ego bolstering and bruising, the delights and disappointments of seeking brand-name recognition in a simultaneously supportive yet competitive environment?" But we're getting ahead of ourselves. Art Month 2016 will kick off on Tuesday, March 1, when Beau Neilson opens the doors on a party at Eveleigh Creative Precinct. Visitors will head into a never-before-entered warehouse and discovering performances. Then, it's time to get stuck into the Art at Night part of the program. On March 3, head to Alaska Projects for a twilight tour through the East Sydney precinct; on 10 March, follow the Paddington and Woollahra night trail; and on 16 March, make tracks to Chippendale and Redfern. Between 7pm and 10pm after each event, Cake Wines will be running the official Art Bar nearby, providing drinks, live music and performances. Check out the rest of the Art at Night program over here — it's all free. Throughout the month, there'll be exhibitions, open studios, experiences, tours and talks galore. Hit Marrickville on the weekend of March 5-6 to visit 53 studios, galleries and artist-run initiatives — you’ll get to see artists doing their work, and chat to them about it. Get to Newtown on Saturday, March 12 by 10.30am to join Culture Scouts on a walking tour revealing the best of local street art. Jump on yer bike to join ARTcycle tours, which will be happening in various neighbourhoods every week. Wanna find out what's going on further afield? Curated bus tours will be travelling west, north and east. Meanwhile, Collectors’ Space is taking over an unoccupied house. We don’t know where yet — the venue won’t be announced until mid-February — but we can tell you that you'll be getting an insider's look at collections belonging to Sally Dan-Cuthbert, Courtney Gibson, Danny Goldberg and Jasper Knight. When you're ready to sit down and hear some wise words about art, grab a seat at a talk. On Thursday, March 3, City of Sydney public art consultant Barbara Flynn, curator and artist Glenn Barkley, Jess Cook of 107 Projects and artist Lindy Lee will get together to discuss how Sydney works as a creative community – and market. On Wednesday, March 9, hang out at The Bearded Tit alongside Kaldor Public Art Projects director John Kaldor, artist and publican Emma Price, and Jeff Khan from Performance Space to discuss whether performance art is collectable. And on March 12, find out what it's like for the sprogs, when a bunch of people — including Celia Bradshaw, Evan Hughes, Maddie Love, and Anna Shapiro — whose parents are famous art figures, reflect on their childhoods. More than ever, Art Month is about Sydney — it's all about lifting the city's art scene up to the renown of our harbour and pretty landscape. "When you look at the art being produced in Sydney — the artists that make it, the galleries that show it, and the collectors and art lovers who enjoy it — it becomes obvious that Sydney is a dynamic engine of creativity and that the city is a global arts hub," says Keldoulis. "Art Month '16 aims to unpick the puzzle of how a city like Sydney operates as a generator of ideas and an engine of creativity. Art Month's program investigates the various parts that make up the functioning whole." Art Month Sydney will run from March 1-20. For the full program and more information, visit their website.
Already home to a natural landmark that can be seen from space, as well as a luminous installation that brightens up the night sky, the Northern Territory is about to add another stellar sight — and site — to its list. From next year, Australia's Top End will make history when it becomes the first privately-owned location outside of the United States to launch NASA rockets. The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Goddard Space Flight Center/Wallops Flight Facility is partnering with the NT's Arnhem Space Centre, SBS reports, with private outfit Equatorial Launch Australia receiving the contract to provide temporary launch facilities in the southern hemisphere. Four rockets, measuring approximately 15 metres high, are expected to launch from the spaceport next year according to the ABC, with each spending around 15 minutes in suborbital space. Their purpose: scientific investigations. Already a lure for tourists, it was Arnhem Land's distinctive landscape and geographical location that reportedly proved an attraction — with NASA clearly taking the Top End moniker literally. The ASC is located in Nhulunbuy, around 700 kilometres east of Darwin. While NASA won't take off from the site until next year, it's expected that the ASC will be ready to launch small rockets by the end of this year. Even better — the centre is planning to launch spaceflights in 2020. The news comes as Australia keeps stepping up its space game — or reigniting it after closing down the Australian Space Office back in 1996. The federal government announced formed the Australian Space Agency in 2018, and revealed that it'd be headquartered in Adelaide from this year. In a statement, ASA Head Dr Megan Clark AC said that "NASA's interest in conducting a sounding rocket campaign in Australia shows the increasing importance of commercial launch activities from Australia". Via: SBS/ABC. Image: NASA/Bill Ingalls.
