Get ready for red carpet specials, awkward presenter gaffes and all the bitter celebrity reaction shots your heart could possibly desire — it's time for the Oscars. This means one thing for all of us playing at home and not taking away $150,000 gift baskets: Concrete Playground's 2015 Academy Awards Drinking Game. As always, both Concrete Playground and the Academy support responsible drinking and the brevity of acceptance speeches. Now, thank the Academy and get into it. ONE SIP Jack Nicholson wears sunglasses. Harrison Ford wears an earring. Diane Keaton wears gloves. Harvey Weinstein is mentioned. Neil Patrick Harris (NPH) sings during his opening monologue. Jennifer Lawrence does something adorably 'real' (three drinks if it's a fashion mishap). Winner thanks God or Jesus. Winner 'pays tribute' to his/her extraordinary fellow nominees. Winner's speech is played off by the orchestra. Channing Tatum misreads his teleprompter (three drinks if he reads 'Channing' or 'Pause for laughter' aloud). TWO SIPS NPH makes a Birdman / Batman joke (three drinks if Michael Keaton does). NPH references the leaked Sony emails. Rosamund Pike makes a joke about her co-presenter being scared of her (five drinks if it’s actually funny). Steve Carrell prosthetic nose is joke-nominated for 'Best Supporting Actor'. NPH jokes that the bathroom queue is the only thing bigger than Chris Hemsworth's arms. Eddie Redmayne and Benedict Cumberbatch do a bit together about playing mathematical geniuses. You’ve actually heard of any of the nominees for 'Documentary Short Subject' or 'Foreign Language Film'. Matthew McConaughey says any (or all) of: 'Alriiiight', 'Okaaay' and 'Wooooow'. JK Simmons jokes that the orchestra is not quite in time. NPH does a bit involving a Birdman voiceover in his head that mocks various nominees. Robin Williams gets the biggest applause during the 'In Memorium' section. Someone jokes that American Sniper is the only thing more divisive than the war it's set in. Winner describes his/her film as 'important'. Winner describes his/her film’s director as 'a genius'. Brad Pitt pokes fun at actors who become directors (CUT TO Angelina Jolie smiling). Chris Hemsworth has a ponytail. THREE SIPS Liam Hemsworth has a ponytail. NPH reads the leaked Sony emails. TARS from Interstellar presents an award and tells the best joke of the evening. John Travolta welcomes to the stage "Academy Award Winner — Royce Witherspork" You’ve actually seen of any of the nominees for 'Documentary Short Subject' or 'Foreign Language Film'. Winner thanks Allah or Mohammed. Meryl Streep acknowledges her now 19 nominations and says "One more and I get a free meatball sub." NPH jokes that Boyhood is nothing special because he did Doogie Howser back in '89 and we've been watching him not grow up ever since. Any joke about Alan Turing being the only one who could make sense of something (five drinks if it's Oscars voting). Someone from The Theory of Everything thanks Stephen Hawking instead of God. NPH attempts to break Ellen's record for most-retweeted selfie. Mickey Rooney gets the biggest applause during the 'In Memorium' section. Joaquin Phoenix comes dressed as a turn-of-the-century blacksmith. NPH jokes that there have been 'back to back' gay hosts for the Oscars (five drinks if he then says he's looking forward to Clooney hosting in 2016). Selma wins Best Picture but the director isn't allowed to walk all the way to the stage. Congratulatory kiss or embrace from presenter 'gets awkward'. CHUG YOUR DRINK Bruce Willis has a ponytail… or a combover. NPH sings his opening song in black face to redress the 'white nominees only' situation (we genuinely hope he doesn't do this). Peter Jackson announces plans to turn his valet parking receipt into an epic nine-hour trilogy. Meryl Streep comes in a dress made from all her melted-down Oscars. JK Simmons hurls his award at the orchestra’s drummer and levels the most horrific slur in broadcast history. ISIS wins 'Best Foreign Short Film'. Grand Budapest Hotel wins Best Picture, Kanye crashes the stage and says Hotel Rwanda was easily the better hotel. Michael Keaton wins Best Actor but, having gone too deep into character, produces a gun and goes 'Full Birdman'.
It's 2am and time to leave your watering hole of choice for the evening and catch a cab home. You reach your destination, pay and crash on the bed. In the morning you wake and reach for your phone to remember the night before only to realise you left it in the vehicle. Oh poop. That could soon be a thing of the past thanks to innovative new technology co-created by Japanese companies Kokusai Motorcars and Ideacross. Four cameras installed within the taxi — one beneath the driver's seat, one beneath the front passenger seat, one on the ceiling and one in the boot — photograph the interior and detect any changes in the environment, such as a phone or handbag that was previously absent, via comparison against previous images. If a change is detected then an alarm sounds, providing passengers the opportunity to collect their forgotten belongings before it is too late. Obvious privacy concerns have been raised but the company has assured the Japanese public that any faces captured by the cameras will be unidentifiable. Signage will also be posted within all vehicles operating the system, which will soon be all 3100 Kokusai taxis, so that passengers are aware cameras are there. Whilst only in Kokusai vehicles at the moment, the customer service benefits offered by the system will soon see other Japanese companies competing to install it in their vehicles. Hopefully I won't lose too many iPhones before something similar arrives on our shores. Via PSFK.
When you've just given Australia the culinary experience we didn't know we needed — that'd be a luxe 11-course KFC degustation that definitely doesn't just involve slowly eating a big bucket of the Colonel's finest — what comes next? At Sydney fine-diner Nel, it's time for a bit of truth, beauty, freedom and love. Renowned for its creatively themed multi-course spreads before going fancy with chicky chicky fry fry (see also: its Christmas and Disney offerings), the restaurant is next taking its cues from Moulin Rouge! The Musical. The film-to-theatre production is about to dance its way into Sydney, kicking off at the end of May. So, if you're wondering what's inspired Nel's decadent feast, now you know. Designed as a pre-show option, it'll be available for lunch on Saturdays and Sundays in June and July. And yes, it's your spectacular spectacular reason to both see the musical and treat yo'self to a lavish meal. If you don't live in Sydney, it's also so exciting that you might want to stomp, cheer and head to the NSW capital. The world-first collaboration sees chef Nelly Robinson whip up a selection of dishes dripping with French nostalgia (no, not literally), including one dubbed 'Beauty', which is a savoury crème brulee. Or, there's also the 'Truth' steak tartare for a quintessential Parisian culinary option. Other dishes span Nel's take on pain au chocolat, beef bourguignon tarts, duck, French onion soup, beetroot with popcorn and opera cakes. "When creating this menu, I straight away saw the bohemian ideals aligned with our values, which is truth, beauty, freedom and love," said Robinson, explaining the new two-month-long menu. "I can't wait to showcase what we do. Come in, sit back and relax in my home. Then, go and enjoy yourself at the theatre." If you're ready to for your tastebuds to say "come what may", bookings are available now, with multiple sessions each Saturday and Sunday starting (at 11.30am, 11.45am, 12pm and 12.15pm). That'll set you back $145 per person, with four matching wines also available for an extra $75 each. Tickets to Moulin Rouge! The Musical aren't included in that price — and yes, this is definitely a treat yo'self kind of weekend lunch. Nel's 'Moulin Rouge! The Musical' degustation lunch is on offer on Saturdays and Sundays throughout June and July, at 75 Wentworth Avenue, Sydney. For more information or to book, head to the Nel website.
If you're flying out of Sydney Airport with Air New Zealand this week, the experience might be a little different to what you're used to. The airline is trialling a new kind of employee. On loan from the Commonwealth Bank, a humanoid robot called Chip will be getting around the airport as part of a five-day experiment, interacting with customers, giving directions and even assisting with check-ins. A video released by the airline shows Chip communicating through a screen in his chest, and even scanning boarding passes with his eyes. Way cooler than those boring self-service check-in kiosks. Up until now, Chip's been spending most of his days hanging out with students and academics at CBA's Sydney Innovation Lab, so his time at the airport will both give him valuable 'real world' practice and help Air New Zealand explore ways of enhancing the customer travel experience. "The airport is a busy and often overcrowded environment with signs, instructions and messages every which way you look," Air New Zealand chief digital officer Avi Golan explained in the video. "Our customers can feel overwhelmed. The experiment is about bringing information to life, through innovative technologies." Chip will be at Sydney Airport until today, Friday, August 25. Let's see if any Aussie airlines follow suit. https://youtu.be/6DHXa8V6N4U Via The NZ Herald. Image: Air New Zealand/YouTube.
Hold onto your paper plates, Sydney — there's another Night Market coming to Carriageworks. This time it will celebrate both the height of Sydney summer and the art precinct's latest installation Until by Nick Cave, which is the theme of this year's market. A slew of 60-plus stallholders will take over the carriageway from 5pm on Friday, February 15. You can expect to once again sample goods from New South Wales' top tier of restaurants, winemakers, breweries and providores, alongside cooking demos, talks and live music. Highlights include Ben Shewry of Attica, one of Australia's best chefs, teaching you how to cook Aussie seafood over fire, and chats with chefs from the refugee-run Four Brave Women restaurant. The menu has been curated by Kylie Kwong with dishes responding to Nick Cave's colourful, immersive artwork — which addresses topical issues of gun violence, gender politics and race relations, as well as highlighting the importance of community and compassion. While there's no word yet on what exactly you'll be eating, Carriageworks has announced some big names on the lineup. Innovative Indian restaurant Don't Tell Aunty, Josh Niland's Fish Butchery, new vegan eatery Paperbark and Neil Perry's Mexican spot Bar Patron are just some of the restaurants that'll be providing the food, while Dear Sainte Éloise, Monopole, P&V Wine and Liquor and Archie Rose and Young Henrys will be on drinks duty (among many others). Tickets are $10 — head to the Carriageworks website to book ahead. Image: Jacquie Manning.
After nine decades in operation, a disused mental institution in Massachusetts became a public art space as artist Anna Schuleit filled the empty rooms and corridors with thousands of brightly-coloured flowers. The temporary artwork, which was commissioned as a tribute to the building's emotive history, gave local residents a chance to remember and memorialise the work of the medical centre before it will be demolished to make way for new facilities. The artwork, called 'Bloom', filled a former children's psychiatric unit with white tulips, covered the basement floor with vivid green grass, blue African violets in the annex and orange tulips in one of the patients' treatment rooms. [Via This Is Colossal]
For many of us, Australia Day means the smell of beach air, roaring barbecues, ice-cold beer, breathtaking views, fist-pumping tunes, or some combination of all of the above. From some of the country's finest rooftop bars to unforgettable festival experiences and the best in late-night entertainment, we have ten great venues for you to get down and party this Australia Day long weekend. 1. The Glenmore For us, it's hard to go past one of our favourite haunts for Australia Day: the Glenmore's rooftop bar. With spectacular 360-degree views overlooking the harbour, a barbecue firing all day long, and the Triple J Hottest 100 countdown blasting through the speakers, the Glenmore does Australia Day the good old-fashioned way. The beers look set to flow freely into the early hours of the morning as well with a DJ getting the rooftop a-rockin' from 9pm, so head into the Glenmore for the best harbourside party Sydney has to offer. Visit The Glenmore website for more details. January 26, 11am-late; 96 Cumberland Street, The Rocks. 2. Yabun Festival The rapidly expanding cultural phenomenon that is the Yabun Festival is Australia's largest single-day Indigenous festival. Celebrating the very best in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music and culture, this year's line-up includes Warren H. Williams' unique brand of country music with a twist, barnstorming rock 'n' roll from Mop and the Drop Outs, and even a little of the risque from burlesque performer Constantina Bush. There's also panel discussions, arts and craft stalls, and even traditional didgeridoo lessons. With 25,000 people expected to turn up to Victoria Park this year, the Yabun Festival promises to be a fascinating remembrance of Australia's Indigenous past and a thrilling exhibition of the very best in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music and culture today. January 26, 10am-6.30pm; Victoria Park, City Road, Camperdown. 3. Water Polo by the Sea After the roaring success of the Bondi edition of Water Polo by the Sea, in which Bondi's iconic Icebergs pool was transformed into the venue of a world-class water polo match, on Sunday, January 27, Water Polo by the Sea is heading harbourside to the picturesque beach at Watsons Bay. The sand-speckled water polo fixture is set to feature a gaggle of local sporting celebrities from the Sydney Swans, GWS Giants, and, of course, the Australian Water Polo team. Combined with this unique spectator experience will be an Aussie barbecue brunch, a meet and greet with the players and sporting superstars themselves, and then kick-ons at the Watsons Beach Club, where DJs and ice-cold beer have been promised to be in abundance. January 27, 10am-late; Watsons Beach Club, 1 Military Rd, Watsons Bay. 4. Bondi Openair Cinema The fiendishly popular Bondi Openair Cinema, located on Bondi Beach's Dolphin Lawn with an enormous screen overlooking Sydney's most famous beach, is offering a fairly irresistible Australia Day package. For a measly $30, not only will you get entry to the Australia Day screening of Mel Gibson's fantastically trashy, cult classic Mad Max but also a choice of either a lamb burger, veggie burger, or prawn skewer and a free beer, wine, or mocktail upon entry. If true-blue Aussie cinema, a roaring barbecue, and Sydney's most iconic beach sounds like a winner to you, then you can hardly do better than this. January 26, 6pm-11pm; Bondi Openair Cinema, Dolphin Lawn, Bondi Beach. 5. Sweethearts Rooftop BBQ The Sweethearts Rooftop BBQ is running a four-day party for anyone in search of super-cheap beer and great Aussie food over the Australia Day long weekend. Located in Potts Point, Sweethearts Rooftop BBQ is one of Sydney premiere rooftop bars, priding itself on its consistently hearty, cheerful vibe, enormous servings of succulent meat, and $5 tinnies. Set up camp on one of their large wooden tables overlooking the city and you're guaranteed to have yourself an awesome Australia Day that also won't break the bank. January 25-28; 33-37 Darlinghurst Rd, Potts Point. 6. MS Colour Run Bizarre, beautiful, and utterly unforgettable, the MS Colour Run is one of the more creative charity events you are likely to encounter and undoubtedly one of the most memorable ways you can choose to spend Australia Day this year. The MS Colour Run will have you running, skipping, and dancing through Darling Harbour awash in a veritable rainbow of coloured dust. All you have to do is show up at 9am on January 26 wearing a white T-shirt, and as you pass through the 5 Rainbow Dust stations scattered across the 5km track your whole body will quickly become a vibrant, dancing piece of art. All funds raised will also go towards services and support for the 23,000 Australians who live with multiple sclerosis. January 26, 9am; Darling Harbour. 7. Festival of the Voice If you're in the mood for something a little bit different to a barbeque or day at the beach for Australia Day (and crowds don't bother you), head to the Festival of the Voice at The Rocks. As well as markets and food, it's all about the bands. Oh, and the karaoke. George Street will be renamed 'song street' for the day, and will be jam packed with musos, including award-winning Ash Grunwald and Indigenous singer-songwriter Gurrumul. And if you prefer to be in front of the microphone, the Karaoke Bandstand in The Rocks Square might appeal. January 26, noon-8pm; The Rocks. 8. Great Sydney Swim The 2.2km Great Sydney Swim across Sydney Harbour is not quite as daunting nor painstaking as its name may first imply. In fact, with a variety of swims ranging from 300 metres to 750 metres to the whole 2.2km kit and caboodle, the Great Sydney Swim offers a refreshing and unique way for doggie-paddlers of all standards to start their Australia Day. With the event beginning at the doorstep of the Sydney Opera House and led by dual Olympic and seven-time Iron Man champion Ky Hurst, the Great Sydney Swim has quickly evolved into an awesome and unforgettable Australia Day tradition. January 26, 8.30am-11.30am; Farm Cove. 9. Future Classics - Paradiso at Town Hall The old-world opulence and splendour of Sydney's Town Hall has been transformed into a premiere new-age music venue with 10 back-to-back nights of live music over January and the Australia Day weekend. On January 26, it'll host the Future Classics bash, with special guests Lindstrom, Classixxx, Mitzi, and the Future Classics DJs. Dance the night away with these pioneers of the new wave of electro-dance. 10. Oz Fest - Cargo Bar Four-Day Festival If you see hardcore, 24-hour parties as less of a hobby and more of a lifestyle choice, then Cargo's four-venue, four-day mega-party may well be perfect for you. With over 50 DJs and live acts, a whole bunch of Australia Day-themed games (from thong tossing to beach volleyball to the Tony Abbot-friendly 'Budgy Smuggler Pool Party'), and drink specials aplenty, all taking place at four of Kings Street Wharf's favourite late-night locations (Bungalow 8, The Loft, Cargo Bar and Cargo Lounge), Oz Fest is undoubtedly the biggest and loosest club event on offer this Australia Day weekend. With the offer of all the thrills and spills of a festival, thanks to such musical highlights as the Minx She Can DJ tour, Sosueme DJs, and Strummer, Oz Fest is a must for those who find that bigger is better.
For some living is easy. Some people have all the luck, and all the charm, but for those of us that struggle help is at hand; for the very first time An Introduction to the School of Life is coming to Sydney. Drawing on her experience as an author, filmmaker, comic, voice artist and journalist Gretel Killeen will share her knowledge in How to Communicate Authentically. Speaking on a topic of increasing importance, co-founder of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition Anna Rose will share her motto of “those who say it can’t be done should get out of the way of those already doing it” with How to Make a Difference to Climate Change. Author, philosopher and civilisation conceptualist John Armstrong will clear confused heads with How to Worry Less About Money, while the UK's Tom Chatfield will give a bit of advice on How to Thrive In the Digital Age. In total the talks will span about 90 minutes, which is about the length of an average film. So, why not leave the popcorn at home and give your brain a workout instead? Image: Union House - the school room by Evelyn Simak.
This year will be the return of international travel for many of us. After such a long time between global jaunts, you wouldn't be blamed for running away to Europe or the US. But there's plenty of fun to be had a little closer to home. Within a few hours, you could be sipping cocktails on a beach in Bali or eating your way around Tokyo. And that's only the beginning. Asia is bursting with diverse cultures, dramatic landscapes and delicious things to eat and drink — which you can experience for yourselves by booking one of these seven getaways via Concrete Playground Trips. [caption id="attachment_893314" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Bernard (Unsplash)[/caption] SOUTH KOREA FOOD AND DRINK TOUR Love your Korean fried chicken? Or your lunchtime bibimbap? Then you best check out this eight-day culinary tour that takes you from city restaurants to rural farms, trying some of the country's best dishes. Most of the tough travel decisions will also be taken care of during your vacay — hotels, local transport and a bunch of unique food and culture activities. It makes discovering the flavourful diversity and heritage of this rich culinary scene all too easy. BOOK IT NOW. THE ULTIMATE SEMINYAK ESCAPE If you're looking for a stylish stay in one of Bali's most sought-after locations, then Double-Six Luxury Hotel will likely be your jam. Raising the bar for beachfront luxury, this hotel is set along the iconic Double-Six Beach, within walking distance of some of Seminyak's best bars, restaurants and shopping streets. Serving up exceptional service alongside delicious eats and hand-crafted cocktails from four bars and restaurants, this five-star hotel has everything you need for a relaxing Bali getaway. But we aren't just getting you a room here. You'll also get daily breakfasts, one hour of free alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks each day, a dinner for two at Suzie Q and vouchers for its spa. This is how you Bali. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_893317" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Colin Meg (Unsplash)[/caption] EXPLORE THE BEST OF BORNEO'S NATURAL WONDERS Experience natural wonders and abundant wildlife only found in Borneo during this ten-day adventure. You'll hang out with orangutans in Sepilok, cruise along the Kinabatangan River, chill out on the stunning Manukan Island and get a taste of city life in Kota Kinabalu. It ticks off all the top spots in Borneo, while taking you to some hidden gems only known by locals. You'll also travel with a small group of fellow nature-loving travellers, making some new mates for life. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_893088" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jezael Melgoza (Unsplash)[/caption] TOUR FROM TOKYO TO OSAKA Home to sake, geishas, karaoke, kawaii culture and onsens, Japan's got a lot going for it. And on this nine-day trip, you'll get to see the country at its very best. Take in the neon nightlife of Tokyo, relax in the manicured gardens of Nikko and discover thousands of years of culture and history in Kyoto. Of course, no trip to Japan would be complete without trying a heap of local dishes, so world-class sushi, ravishing ramen and delectable donburi are all on the menu. Experience the culture and charm of the Land of the Rising Sun during this ultimate Japan holiday. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_883655" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tom Bixler (Unsplash)[/caption] AFFORDABLE LUXURY STAY IN LOMBOK We are obsessed with Lombok — Bali's less crowded neighbour. It has a high calibre of beaches, food and hospitality but at a significantly lower price point and with fewer tourists. To best take advantage of this stunning island, we teamed up with KU Villas Lombok to create three different travel deals. The first deal is the simplest and includes a two-night stay with daily breakfasts (for two people) in this lavish accommodation for just $105 a night. The second deal includes a three-night stay, private chauffeur, $200 credit for the clifftop SIWA Clubhouse, a one-hour massage for each guest and all your breakfasts — and is just $455 total for two people. And the third deal is $655 for all the same inclusions plus extra spa treatments. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_893322" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Silver Ringvee (Unsplash)[/caption] IN-DEPTH CULTURAL TOUR OF VIETNAM Trace Vietnam's eastern coastline on this epic 15-day adventure, tackling the country from south to north and discovering the many wonders that lie along the way. From the modern chaos of Ho Chi Minh City all the way up to old-world Hanoi, you'll experience tumultuous history, colonial charm, vibrant colours, delicious food and inspiring scenery on your adventure. You'll join a boat cruise along the Mekong Delta, tour the backstreets of Hoi An with a local, enjoy a rural homestay in Da Bac and explore the beautiful karsts of Lan Ha Bay. If you've ever wanted to visit Vietnam, this is how you do it properly. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_893321" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marvin Meyer (Unsplash)[/caption] LAIDBACK BALI SURFING TRIP Calling all surfers. Or anyone who is keen to try surfing and isn't worried about looking like a fool while learning. This tropical getaway takes guests to Keramas, a somewhat sleepy surfer town in the south of Bali for three to seven nights. Dig into delicious dishes and poolside bites from Komune Resort and Beach Club, head out to tackle the four surf breaks right out the front of your hotel or take a stand-up paddleboard out for a ride (skipping the waves altogether). Whether you want to surf every day or just watch the surfers from your pool, this trip will have you sorted. BOOK IT NOW. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips to destinations all over the world. Top image: Nomadic Julien (Unsplash)
Melbourne still knows how to draw a crowd. Whether you're a sucker for the city's killer food scene, a mad AFL head or simply enjoying the pleasure of travelling by tram, there's no bad time for a weekend stint in the Victorian capital city. To make the journey even easier, we've teamed up with plush CBD hotel Dorsett Melbourne to offer you an all-inclusive one-night stay for you and a guest. For all your vacay (or staycay) needs, you'll receive one night in a balcony suite, access to the hotel's heated indoor pool, sauna, steam room and jacuzzi, pre-dinner drinks at Jin Bar AND dinner and breakfast in Port Bistro. Plus, the hotel has an extensive collection of art that you can take in during your stay. To enter this giveaway, all you need to do is complete the form below by Monday, July 31. [competition]907586[/competition]
Some days you start the working day waiting and wishing for lunchtime to roll around. Oftentimes, it's the only chance you have to step away from your desk, clear your mind from the endless stream of tasks and take some time out for yourself. Whether you're working in an office, at home, or on your feet all day, we've teamed up with Oporto to bring you five easy ways to win back your lunch break so you can head back into the afternoon feeling rejuvenated and refreshed. Trust us, your productivity levels will thank us later. [caption id="attachment_767363" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Centennial Parklands[/caption] MONDAY: TRY AN ONLINE WORKOUT What better way to make the most of your hour than to sweat it out over a free YouTube workout? Endorphin rush? Check. Post workout glow primed for Zoom calls? Check. For those looking for an intense midday workout, we recommend Cassey Ho's Blogilates workouts — a mixture of fitness and pilates videos of varying difficulties. Those looking for something more low-key, but equally as challenging, should look to lockdown sensation Adriene Mischler. You'll find her stream of yoga and pilates videos on her channel Yoga With Adriene. TUESDAY: READ A BOOK Take a break from your screen, pick yourself up from your desk and immerse yourself in a novel. After all, it's often better to escape and spend an hour in an imaginary world than to waste that hour scrolling your phone for news. For those stuck for reading inspiration, we've made a list of some killer book recommendations. Find a quiet corner, switch off those notifications or hide your phone, and even if you only read a page you'll have started something new that you can return to on your next break. WEDNESDAY: CATCH UP WITH A FRIEND After chatting with work colleagues all day, it's nice to break up your day by catching up with a close friend, or someone who's known you for yonks. It's often hard to catch up with those dearest to us, especially if they live far away. For those who have their loved ones in the same city, make time to head to a cafe, grab a bite to eat and catch up over a coffee. For those of us who have loved ones far away, you can't go wrong by scheduling time in your lunch break to pick up the phone — or make use of that Zoom account for something other than endless meetings. [caption id="attachment_781768" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hamilton Lund via Destination NSW[/caption] THURSDAY: GO FOR A WALK Sometimes all you need is walk outside and some fresh air. For those working in the city, take a walk down to Circular Quay, Darling Harbour or Pitt Street Mall, where the natural surroundings are stunning and the endless stream of people watching is even better. For those working from home, take a walk around the block, say hi to a neighbour and explore the side streets of your neighbourhood — you never know what you might find. And, if you've got access to wheels and time to spare, check out these seaside walks that'll make you feel like you're on holiday. [caption id="attachment_656237" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberley Low[/caption] FRIDAY: EAT YOUR LUNCH OUTDOORS Wherever you live or work, there's nothing better than having a bite surrounded by nature and taking a well deserved break in the great outdoors. It's the end of the week, so forgive yourself for not having time to prep your lunch and instead grab one of Oporto's Vegan Rappas on the way to the park. It has a pea and herb patty, mixed lettuce leaves, slaw, tomato and avocado, and a tomato and capsicum relish, all wrapped up in a pita bread wrap. Take your pick from our city's impressive parks, whether it's Hyde Park or The Domain in the city, or Sydney Park, Centennial Parklands, Parramatta Park or Camperdown Park. Or, check out this list of picnic spots for inspiration. Check out Oporto's full Rappa Range here, then make tracks to your closest store — or order online. Top image: Parramatta Park, Destination NSW
All those years you spent waiting for Hedwig to drop a Hogwarts acceptance letter in your letterbox or your fireplace were not in vain. No, my muggle friend, they were all leading up to this: the day when Hollywood's Universal Studios announced that they'll be opening the (wonderful) Wizarding World of Harry Potter, complete with a replica of the magical school itself. The date? April 7, 2016. Yep, you'll be able to enter into Hogwarts and presumably stand on the sacred ground where Harry got placed into Gryffindor by the Sorting Hat, Hermione punched Malfoy in the face and everywhere Snape threw shade. They'll also be replicating Hogsmeade, recreating shops like Ollivanders, Zonko’s Joke Shop and Honeydukes, as well as The Three Broomsticks and the Hog's Head. We assume you'll be able to order by way of accio butterbeer. This isn't the first Harry Potter theme park — there's already one in both Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Japan — but this definitely looks like the coolest. Plus, it's Harry Potter. Losing your shit is totally acceptable. So keep an eye out for that acceptance letter. Or, alternatively, a return flight to LA doesn't seem too out of the question either. It's Hogwarts.
As one of the world's biggest cities, London sort of has it all. Now they've got scored something most cities most certainly do not have: an urban zip line. Zip World London has this week launched what they say is the world's biggest and fastest urban zip liner, right in the heart of the city. According to the Evening Standard, the adrenaline-fuelled experience will see punters hoisted 35 meters into the air before being pushed down the 225-metre zip line. It's been billed as the "fastest city zip wire in the world" and people will reach speeds of up to 80 kilometres per hour, which is, well, pretty terrifyingly fast. The whole thing takes place right next to the Thames at Archbishop's Park in Lambeth, so — aside from gliding through the sky like Batman for 30 intense seconds — riders will also get to take in some of the best views of London's iconic skyline, Big Ben included. If you're escaping winter for a London summer, you're in luck, because the zip line is open until Sunday, October 1. Adult tickets are £22.50 and can be booked here. Via the Evening Standard.
It's happening months earlier than anticipated, but New Zealand is set to reopen its doors to tourists from next month, kicking things off by welcoming back its closest neighbours. In news sure to trigger a sigh of relief for tourism operators and those keen on a winter break, from 11.59pm NZST / 8.59pm AEST on Tuesday, April 12, Aotearoa will scrap its current international border ban for Australian tourists — meaning double-vaccinated Aussie holidaymakers will be able to travel across the ditch without requiring isolation. Then from 11.59pm NZST / 8.59pm AEST on Sunday, May 1, double-vaccinated holidaymakers from visa-waiver countries like the US and UK will be able to follow suit. New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the move in a press conference on Wednesday, March 16, revealing that she's excited and ready "to welcome the world back". "In particular, I'm ready to welcome back our trans-Tasman travellers… they'll be able to arrive in time for the Australian school holidays and provide a boost for our winter ski season," she said. "I'm asking our Australian family and friends to book their tickets." Tourists will be required to test negative for COVID-19 with a PCR or RAT before leaving Australia for their trip, before providing negative tests on day one and day five of their stay in New Zealand. The new plan is an expedited version of the New Zealand Government's original border-reopening arrangement announced back in February, when it was proposed tourists from Australia and around the world would probably be able to visit New Zealand by July. However in March, NZ COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said he believed that would be "at the latest". The change of plans has come amid New Zealand's current Omicron outbreak, which sees the country currently ranking among the highest rates of COVID-19 transmission in the world. Australian tourists will be able to enter New Zealand without isolating from 11.59pm NZST / 8.59pm AEST on Tuesday, April 12. For more information, head to the New Zealand Government's official COVID-19 website.
Craft beer fans, get those hops-loving palettes ready; Sydney Craft Beer Week (SCBW) is returning. Marking its fourth year of beer-fuelled frivolity, SCBW will find its way into over 40 Sydney venues from October 18 – 26 for the city's largest celebration of craft beer from Bourke Street Bakery to the Local Taphouse. With a craft beer pub prawl (complete with beer passports), massive Carriageworks festival-within-a-festival, a wonderfully-named four-course 'beergustation', beer high teas, tap takeovers and an entire sitting of gourmet sausage/craft beer pairing, there's plenty to raise a glass to this year. And you won't need an app to let you know if you're drinking the real deal. The nine-day festival is making a snuggly home of Sydney's craft breweries, pubs, eateries and galleries — with a few pop-up installations along the way. One of the biggest and most anticipated events of the program, Sip and Savour is a two-day beer festival within the wider SCBW lineup. Bringing over 250 craft beers and ciders to Carriageworks for October 25 – 26, Sip and Savour pairs your crispy libation with local gourmet food, homebrewing, live music and a swag of interactive seminars designed to have you appreciating, brewing and tasting like a craft connoisseur. Now, about those beer passports. The so-called Craft (Pub) Crawl encourages seven days of beery exploration, with solid snaps awarded to hopping tasters at participating venues. Bragging rights abound with this one, as well as ideal tweeting conditions. Hopefully some of these winners are on offer this year. Food pairing beer lovers will love two meatlover events from Byron Bay's Stone and Wood and Northern Beaches' Ekim Brewing Co. S&W are bringing back their celebrated, pork-happy event 'The Big Pig Out' (with four pigs and all four Stone and Wood varieties on tap. Then Ekim collaborate with The Welcome for the awkwardly-named '[It's a complete] Sausage-fest!' — with five types of gourmet sausage paired with the Northern Beaches' brewing team's catalogue. Mega craft beer fan and SCBW director Joel Connolly sees the ever-developing festival as a quintessentially Sydney event. "Though we’ve grown faster than we ever imagined, we’re proud the event still has a local and relatable feel, giving everyone attending a sense of ownership of these locally produced craft beers," he says. "In a way, there is a definite form of community spirit and kinship built and celebrated during the festival, as we give craft beer a much deserved time to shine." Kicking off with a big ol' launch party at Giant Dwarf on Friday, October 17, SCBW's opening night will see over 25 Australian and international craft breweries offering up their wares and competing for your continued sippage. Sydney Craft Beer Week runs October 18 – 26. To check out the full program, visit www.sydneycraftbeerweek.com.
If you can hold on tight for one teeny, tiny minute longer, the long weekend will be with us. We know you have all sorts of awesomeness planned, so to get you in the mood (and help you through this final, painful hour or two), we'd like to treat to you a little visual relaxation. These gorgeous, dreamy cinemagraphs (the technical word for GIFs that are partly animated but don’t qualify as video) are the creation of a Strasbourg-based photographer by the name of Julien Douvier. He’s a 24-year-old freelancer who studied design and is now making inroads into the visual world via various creative projects. On his Tumblr, Douvier says, "As you can see, I attach a great importance to quality and details in my work. I will never release something I'm not satisfied of [sic.], even if I have to spend a lot of extra time on it. The meaning is very important too; I could create a lot of personal projects, but I don’t want them to be meaningless." Douvier isn't in too much danger of that with this collection. Every carefully composed image is just begging you to take a moment out of your day and pause to meditate. And that would be Friday. Just. About. Over. Via PetaPixel. Image credit: Cinemagraphs by Julien Douvier
Each year the same thing happens: you return to work after Anzac Day, not really able to explain to your friends and colleagues how you managed to pass the time. You're pretty sure there was gambling, you think you remembered to remember, and you're definitely hungover. This time around, do all of that and a little more with Concrete Playground's round up of the ten best things to do in Sydney this April 25. You might just surprise yourself. 1. ANZAC Day Dawn Service Australians have been rising early since 1916 to commemorate military servicemen in the Navy's Day Dawn Service. Arrive at the Cenotaph in Martin Place before the ceremony's start at 4.15am to greet the ANZAC Day sun. 2. ANZAC Day Parade Veterans, serving personnel and descendants of veterans will march in the ANZAC Day Parade, commencing at 9am in Sydney's CBD. The parade will proceed along Pitt Street and Martin Place and then through George, Bathurst, Elizabeth and Liverpool Streets, finishing at the ANZAC War Memorial in Hyde Park ahead of the Commemorative Service at 12.30pm. 3. Treat yourself to a biscuit or two Many cafes will be closed on Anzac Day, but fear not, at least three of our favourites will be open. We’re hoping for a creative take on the famous biscuit of the day from Adriano Zumbo (open from 11am at The Star; 8am to 1pm at the Balmain patisserie), for the rain to hold off for the line outside Bourke Street Bakery (8am to 5pm in Surry Hills and Potts Point), and for space in our bellies to carb-load at Iggy's Bread (8am to 4pm, Bronte). 4. Play a national sport: Two-up Legal only on Anzac Day and Armistice Day (November 11), two-up is synonymous with the national holiday. Played in a number of pubs and bars across the city, our recommendation is to hit one of Sydney's best pubs in the Rocks, Paddington or the inner-west for a lively crowd, tradition and good beers. Go to The Australian or The Hero of Waterloo in the Rocks; Bellevue Hotel or the Royal in Paddington; Dick's and The Exchange in Balmain or Newtown's Bank Hotel. 5. Play an underground sport: Ghetto Handball BYO booze, coins to flip, and a damn strong wrist for a game of ghetto handball at 12 noon on a street corner in Chippendale. 6. Sunset Service If you missed the early start, or want to mark the end of the day the way you watch it begin, there's a sunset service at the Cenotaph in Martin Place. Get there in time for the 5pm start. 7. Chopper's Big F**ken Anzac Day Show Back to help us all remember what it truly means to be Australian... or something like that, Chopper brings his annual show of Aussie-bred humour to the Enmore Theatre in Newtown. Last year's show was a sell out, so get tickets today for the 8pm 0ne-off show. 8. Take your pick of the Sydney Comedy Festival If Chopper doesn't tickle your funny bone, check out the many international and homegrown talents performing on April 25, as part of the Sydney Comedy Festival. Saturday Night Live veteran Jim Breuer is making his Australian debut at The Metro, the UK’s Mark Watson and Ireland’s David O’Doherty will be at the Seymour Centre, and Canadians DeAnne Smith (The Factory Theatre, Marrickville) and Jon Dore (Enmore Theatre, Newtown), plus many others ready to make you cry with laughter. 9. Watch a free movie at the AGNSW Sneak away from the hustle and bustle of the big two-up gatherings to catch a free screening at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, as part of their Postcards from LA series. Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy star in the satirical comedy Bowfinger (1999), showing at 2pm and 7.15pm. Tickets are free and available an hour beforehand at the Domain Theatre. 10. Catch Van She at the Beach Road Summer may be over, but that doesn't mean you should leave your smile and good vibes in the sand. Words by Anya Krenicki and Emma Joyce
Gallery controversy usually involves debate over the price of a painting, or whether various products of the body count as art. The Art Gallery of NSW has done its best to keep complaint from the crowd with its celebrity talks, but has tended to do it one speaker at a time. Wednesday, it plans to push your orthodoxies aside with a challenging quartet of young speakers who want to give you their ideas. Four Interesting Young Polemics brings them to the gallery's stage, each with a point to push in a brief Pecha Kucha-length harangue or artistic philippic. It's hard to bring you to a new mental place in the space of just over six minutes, but these speakers will try. Taking the mic to move your mind will be comedian and sometime FBi radio-er Genevieve Fricker, artist, Chaser cartoonist and Chalk Horse co-founder Oliver Watts, the Marcel Duchamp-loving Jaime Tsai and Senthorun Raj, who plans to bring Picasso and politics back together. They may be four short slices of thought, but they're plenty enough to convince you to get in there and bend an ear.
If you've been worrying that beautiful blue skies would mean the end of rainbows over the summer, think again. American artist Megan Geckler's current installation in the atrium at Customs House will make you feel like you're inside a real-life rainbow (minus the pot of gold at the end). Geckler creates her art using thousands of metres of hyper-colourful, translucent flagging tape — the kind you'd normally see used by surveyors on construction sites – and a highly mathematical technique that essentially produces "drawings in space". Her installation in the atrium hovers from the ceiling — add sunlight, look up at the ceiling and the result is spectacular. It's named A Million Things That Make Your Head Spin after a line from Brisbane-based band The Jungle Giants' song 'Don't Know What Else to Do', but this head-spinning effect equally refers to the combination of our sensory systems and physics that makes her artwork appear kinetic when the viewers' perspective changes. The current installation provides plenty of opportunities for this — it can be viewed from different entrances that shape the focal point of the artwork or from the different levels of the atrium. The installation is part of the City of Sydney's Art & About, an ongoing program of temporary artwork throughout the city. Images: Jessica Lindsay and William Short.
We know how it goes, the sun starts shining and your desire for a cocktail grows. You fish around in the fridge for some ingredients and end up with some flat tonic, a skerrick of sad-looking cucumber and you make do with a subpar G&T. Well, we're here to tell you, summer cocktails don't have to be last-resort failures. It's time to take some pride in your gin-based tipple and treat your tastebuds to something special. To set you off in the right direction, we've partnered with Greenall's and crafted five foolproof recipes for some top-notch summer cocktails — and with a particularly summery drop we might add. Inspired by the blackberries growing in English hedgerows, England's oldest gin distiller's Wild Berry Gin offers a delicate sweetness with subtle red fruit notes that develop into rich camphor and citrus tastes. While the spirit can be enjoyed simply with soda and lime, take things up a notch and try out these cocktails below. Whether you're shaking them up for a group of friends or giving your significant other a nice cool treat on a hot summer's day, these pink-hued cocktails are sure to impress. [caption id="attachment_683817" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Shansay.[/caption] DOLCE VITA 'Dolce Vita' is Italian for 'sweet life' and the surest way to keep things saccharine is to pair your Wild Berry Gin with palate-smacking zingy passionfruit and sweet vermouth. — 45ml Greenall's Wild Berry Gin — 15ml Aperol — 15ml sweet vermouth — 5ml passionfruit syrup — slice of orange Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, pour in all your molto bella ingredients — minus the orange, that comes later — and stir vigorously. Hey, you've gotta work for your sweet treat. Strain over an ice-filled tumbler — or a whisky glass and a chunk of ice, if you're feeling fancy — and garnish with a slice of orange. Salute, sweet tooths. PRETTY IN PINK Just like the 1986 Molly Ringwald masterpiece, this feel-good tipple is super sweet in all the right ways and bound to be a cult favourite. — 40ml Greenall's Wild Berry Gin — 20ml raspberry puree — 30ml cream — 10ml crème de fraise de bois Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker along with a good handful of ice, then holler at Ducky and get him to give it a good shake. Next, strain the pink concoction into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a fresh raspberry, or two. Get the 80s hits pumping and enjoy this pretty little drink. FLORA DORA This is Greenall's take on a West End comedy which went on to become one of Broadway's biggest musicals, a round of applause for the Flora Dora. Get ready, this cocktail is a real showstopper. — 40ml Greenall's Wild Berry Gin — 20ml fresh lime juice — 10ml raspberry syrup — ginger beer You're the choreographer to these sweet, tart and spicy ginger elements. Your job: build all ingredients in a highball glass over ice and give 'em a good stir to make sure they hit their mark. Then, take a bow and a well-deserved sip. FOREST FRUIT CUP Give the shaker a rest and make a cocktail jug to share instead. This fruity delight will draw all your long-lost friends out of the woods (or forest) and into your home. — 50ml Greenall's Wild Berry Gin — 25ml fresh lemon juice — 10ml Cointreau — 15ml sugar syrup — 1 thin slice of ginger — 150ml ginger beer Gently press your ginger slice into the bottom of a large highball glass (a hurricane or sling will work equally well). Pour over the rest of the ingredients and stir. For added pizzazz, chuck in all the fruits of the forest along with some lemon, mint and cucumber. To make a jug, simply multiply by four. WILD BERRY FROSE Finally, you don't have to choose between your G&T, slushie or wine. It's a real problem, we swear. Greenall's have married together all three in this refreshing cocktail cool enough to tackle any heatwave. — 50ml Greenall's Wild Berry Gin — 20ml lemon juice — 10ml strawberry puree — 10ml raspberry puree — 30ml sugar syrup — 65ml rosé wine Grab your trusty blender and pulverise all ingredients with ice until a smooth granita texture is achieved. Pour the mixture into a large highball, hurricane or sling glass. Garnish with a strawberry fan if you're feeling fruity or a paper umbrella if you're feeling sassy. Make 'em all to find your go-to sweet Greenall's drink for summer. Top image: Leícia Almeida.
Melbourne's Cat Cafe is opening this Wednesday, and already they've had more than a few drop-ins looking to get a sneak peak at the feline residents. Since pasting the Cat Cafe logo on the windows — with the words 'COMING SOON' printed clearly beneath — the reception staff have been inundated with locals, visitors from interstate and international travellers asking to see the furry creatures. They've all been turned away, so we feel pretty chuffed to waltz on in. We've already become acquainted with a few of the furry companions via Facebook, but it's more than time to meet them in person and have a chat with the owner Anita Loughran about getting this highly anticipated project off the ground. We make our way upstairs to where the kitties live and when I enter the room, they're all either fast asleep or are in absolutely no rush to greet me. Typical. Three are comfortably reclining on a fluffy white mat, one hiding in a massive climbing frame, another snuggled in a soft tunnel and another settled in its own cushiony bed. I count six, but I'm told there is at least three to five other sneaky felines hiding in here somewhere. I nervously sit on a couch in fear of accidentally squashing one and being forever banned from the establishment. Five of the cats are from the Geelong Animal Welfare Society, seven are from the Lost Dogs Home. Getting a cat from a rescue shelter is ideal for this sort of project. "You actually get to know what their personality is before you take them home," says Anita. "When you get a cat from a pet shop at a very young age, they haven’t yet developed that personality." The venue will be able to hold up to 15 people per hour. Anita recommends booking online for the first little while to guarantee a visit, but walk-ins are possible. "We really want to provide a relaxing environment that people can de-stress, it helps with high anxiety and depression," says Anita. "I think that’s really important to have a space like that, especially in the CBD. It’s also a great social atmosphere, it just gives you a different environment to socialise with your friends." The cats don't flinch when I walk over to pat them, but as tempting as it may be to give one a cuddle, the cats cannot be picked up without permission. If one happens to wander over and plonks itself on your lap that's a bonus, but there’s no hope of that happening today. I do feel unexpectedly calmer than when I first walked in, and I can certainly see this place being packed out with people looking for a little break outside of work deadlines and overdue university assignments. In short, the Cat Cafe is pretty well adorable and we'll most likely be dropping around more often than a nosy neighbour. It is certainly worth a look even if you're a self-professed dog lover, as it really is a concept that stands alone in the notoriously competitive Melbourne cafe scene. If it works for New York City, why not give Aussie cats a chance? Opening Wednesday, July 30, Cat Cafe can be found at 375 Queen Street, Melbourne.
It brought Stephenie Meyer's vampire romance saga to the big screen. It helped make Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson superstars. Indeed, for its two biggest names, it saw KStew go soaring to everything from Clouds of Sils Maria and Personal Shopper to Charlie's Angels, Crimes of the Future and Spencer — earning an Oscar nomination for the latter — and RPatz going from The Rover and Good Time to High Life, Tenet and The Batman. And, now, The Twilight Saga is making a comeback. The undead don't die, after all, and neither does much in the pop-culture realm. No big movie franchise ever says goodbye these days, with making the leap to the small screen one sticky trend at the moment. The Marvel Cinematic Universe did it, as has the rival DC Extended Universe. The Star Wars realm took the jump, too. So did The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter, IT and The Conjuring series are also on their way. There's also a John Wick show in the works — and yes, the list goes on. With Twilight, Lionsgate Television is in early development on a small-screen version, as per The Hollywood Reporter. That said, it apparently hasn't yet been decided whether this'll be a spinoff from the OG books and the movies that initially brought them to the screen, or if it'll take the remake route like HBO's new Harry Potter show is set to. Either way, given their careers right now — see: all those films mentioned above — it's probably safe to say that Stewart and Pattinson won't be involved. Of course, there's zero word on casting for Twilight's television iteration so far, with only writer and producer Sinead Daly (The Get Down, Dirty John, Raised by Wolves, The Walking Dead: World Beyond and Tell Me Lies) named as being involved and Meyer also expected to have some input. Exactly when the Twilight TV series will arrive, and where it'll air or stream, similarly hasn't been revealed. Forgotten what the five vamp films cover? They start with teenager Bella Swan (Stewart) moving to the small town of Forks, Washington, where she meets and falls in love with vampire Edward Cullen (Pattinson). This romance between a human and a vampire isn't particularly straightforward, otherwise there wouldn't be four books and five movies devoted to it. In cinemas, Twilight also starred everyone from Taylor Lautner (Cuckoo), Anna Kendrick (Alice, Darling) and Dakota Fanning (The First Lady) to Michael Sheen (Good Omens), Rami Malek (Amsterdam) and Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World Dominion). There's no sneak peek at the Twilight TV show yet, understandably, but as well as the original Twilight trailer above, plus the New Moon trailer, you can watch Eclipse and two Breaking Dawn trailers below: The TV version of Twilight doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when one is announced. Via The Hollywood Reporter.
If you're full of music trivia, racked with the frenetic need to get your intimate knowledge of Victor Banana into the public domain, there's a problem on the horizon. Spicks and Specks, the ABC panel show stuffed with music trivia, comedy and Frank Woodley getting naked, has hit its final few episodes. As part of its attempt to bow out while its ahead, Adam, Myf and Alan are taking their musical show on the road to wish its fans farewell in the climatic Spicks and Speck-tacular. Cementing Sydney's reputation as a musical powerhouse, or just using us for a series of 3,500-seat warm up shows, the Speck-tacular is kicking off its final national quest for the fruits of sweet, rock obsession at the Horden this week. Music for the shows will be provided by house band the Specktators, but the answers to the increasingly complicated minutae of fandom will come from you, in their eager audience. So, if you need one last chance to let your trivia breathe in public, the Speck-tacular is giving it to you before next week's final ever TV outing to get up close to this Aussie musical institution. Image by Mushroom and Rooster.
Cutting-edge Sydney fashion retail space Chinatown Country Club (aka CCC) is hosting an archive event in its multi-functional CBD space. For just three days, you'll be able to browse vintage and archival pieces from fashion houses around the world, handpicked by CCC's expert buying team. This time, CCC is showcasing pieces from a range of Japanese studios and designers including the always colourful COMME des GARÇONS, Yohji Yamamoto, known for his over-sized, avant-garde style, and the late Issey Miyake, who took inspiration from art and technology. You'll also find items from the archives of current 'it' label Miu Miu and avant-garde French brand Maison Margiela. You can also browse styles from Melbourne brands Aphidmarket, Garb and Midnight Mart. In between sorting through the racks, take a break in the in-store cafe. In addition to a weekly rotating selection of single-origin espresso and filter brews showcasing beans from local roasters, CCC has partnered with indie, small-batch St Peters roaster Grace & Taylor Coffee Company for its house blend — you can try this in signature drinks like the Moon River, an orange blossom-infused cold brew topped with a maple cream float.
That whole car ownership caper can now be a little less stressful, thanks to the arrival of Melbourne's new car subscription service. Operating a bit like Netflix, only with cars, Carbar+ can hook users up with a vehicle based on their needs, for a minimum one-month period. Prices currently run between $169 to $400 a week and cover all insurance, services and expenses, such as rego. If you want to opt out, a simple two weeks' notice is required before returning a car. To hire a car, you'll also need to hand over either $2000 as a bond or $495 for a lifetime membership. It works out to be cheaper than renting a car and way more flexible than leasing one, with customers able to swap between car models depending on the sort of driving they're doing. So one week you could drive around the city in an Audi A4, the next go off-road with a Jeep Grand Cherokee. The group's new program Carbar Connect, which will launch later this month, also offers users extra fuel savings and benefits for servicing. Car subscription services have already proved popular overseas, though Carbar is the first to operate on Aussie shores. After tackling Melbourne, the group has got plans to roll out its program across Sydney and Brisbane. That said, it could face competition further down the track, as international car companies claim a piece of the local action — Audi On Demand is already set to launch here by 2020. Pitched as a "vehicle owning experience", Carbar's four founders — Desmond Hang, Davie Saw, Richie Chen and Kenneth Teo — launched the company three years ago as a car sales website that allowed users a three-day road test period when buying a new or used car online. For more information and to sign-up for a car, head to the Carbar website.
Finding a drink to match the place you're in hasn't been too hard in recent years. For folks in Sydney, two different types of gin have paid tribute to the Sydney Opera House. For people in Melbourne, there's a juniper spirit that nods to St Kilda live music institution The Espy. And Brisbane scored its own themed gin, too. They're just some examples — and now Jetstar, of all companies, is serving up four more. Having a tipple to celebrate turning 18 is the done thing, after all. Yes, the discounted Australian airline has come of age, and it's hosting a two-day birthday flight sale to mark the occasion. But, once you've bought cheap fares, you can also say cheers to your trip — or just in general — by knocking back a few sips from Jetstar's new hard seltzer range. The boozy beverage line is a collaboration with 'Ray, the Hop Nation crew's hard seltzer side hustle. Obviously, a Melbourne-themed seltzer is on the menu — and it somehow tastes like a deconstructed cafe latte. If you're not so fond of the idea of coffee-flavoured seltzer, the other options include a coconut, fairy floss and sea salt number for the Gold Coast; mulled wine, cloves and cinnamon for Queenstown; and rambutan, soursop and hibiscus for Bali. The four tipples are also meant to exude a particular vibe that reflects their cities of inspiration — so urban vibes for Melbourne, good times for the GC, adventure for NZ and balmy nights for Bali. Or, maybe take that as advice on where and when to knock back said drinks, since who knows what "urban vibes" taste like. If you're keen to give the seltzers a sip, you'll have to nab some online via the 'Ray website. They'll be available from Tuesday, May 17 — and because they're a limited-edition affair, getting in quickly is recommended. Jetstar's Bali, Gold Coast, Melbourne and Queenstown seltzers will be available to purchase online from Tuesday, May 17.
Ahh karaoke: the best fun you can have with a microphone in one hand, a beer in the other and a group of giggling friends tumbling over themselves around you. And let's be honest, karaoke establishments are not thin on the ground in Sydney - head down to Chinatown and there's a plethora of skeezy joints with dim lighting, squashy booths and '80s ballads coupled with K-pop videos and mis-translated lyrics. While these places have their charms, the best karaoke experiences are to be had in a select few of the city's sing-along establishments. So we've taken it upon ourselves to provide you with a list of the places we reckon are best for belting out renditions of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and 'I Will Survive' in the wee hours of the morning to your nearest and dearest. 1. Ding Dong DangDing Dong Dang is something of a Sydney institution for karaoke fans. Down the Central Station end of Surry Hills, it's much like the karaoke equivalent of the suburb itself: understated, intimate, offbeat and quirky. There's a fully stocked bar to choose from and an easy-to-browse song directory with all the classics lined up, accompanied by K-pop videos which are nothing short of endearing. The rooms are reasonably priced, but better yet they're themed - the space odyssey room is a particular favourite. There's a decent selection of beer and wine to be had, mirror balls and couches sturdy enough to jump around on. Overall, you couldn't ask much more of a karaoke joint. Address: 7 Randle St, Surry Hills 2. MizuyaUnlike many of the more dodgy karaoke establishments in this area of town, Mizuya inexplicably closes at midnight as opposed to three or four or even six in the morning. With over 100,000 songs which are constantly being updated, Mizuya is clean and well-designed and a good choice for a birthday party or awkward after-work bonding session. Mizuya a full bar with over 200 drinks - significantly more than you'll find at most karaoke joints - and there's also a Japanese restaurant attached, from which you can order tasty things on sticks through the touch screen in the room. Genius. Address: 614 George St, Sydney 3. Ju JuKaraoke is served alongside dinner on most nights at this underground Japanese restaurant in the Cross. The best dinner and karaoke combination night to be had in Sydney, it's not for the shy or belligerent. There are no private booths, just a microphone that circles the room, so everybody gets to hear you sing. Generally you'll have to wait until a reasonable post-10pm time to begin belting out tunes, but being part of a restaurant there's a pretty good range of tasty Japanese comfort food to be had, and beers like Asahi and Sapporo are readily available. And remember, it's bad manners to wear your shoes here, so put on your best socks. Address: 82-94 Darlinghurst Rd, Kings Cross 4. Strike Bowling BarThis is karaoke attached to ten-pin bowling, and possibly a spot of laser skirmish if you're keen. Strike charges per room, as opposed to per person, so it works out well if you're in a big group. All the rooms are immaculately themed and clean - there's the polka dot room, the Victorian boudoir, the executive party room, and there's a pretty flash touch screen to order your songs, but sadly no soft-filter video clips to accompany your choices. Moreover, there's a prop box with wigs and over-sized glasses to enhance your performance, and a couple of tambourines and maracas to add a bit of pizzazz to your performance. They've also got an excellent menu of snacks and a decent bar serving cocktails for your tipsy lady-friends. Address: 22 The Promenade, King Street Wharf and 207/122 Lang Rd, Moore Park 5. The Pickled PossumA room filled with middle-aged karaoke enthusiasts belting out '70s and '80s classics has never been as fun as this; just make sure to show up in a big group later at night and with a couple of stiff drinks in you. Widely renowned as one of the more bizarre establishments in Sydney, the person with the microphone is king at the Pickled Possum, and drinks are frequently made by seniors wearing rubber gloves. There are no booths, so you have to be prepared to sing to a crowded room, but the eccentric collection of inebriated 'characters' are having so much fun and taking the karaoke enterprise so seriously you wouldn't want to be in a booth. Address: 254 Military Rd, Neutral Bay
Your mates at Concrete Playground know how much you guys love Nutella. Sydney went nuts over those damn Tella Ball milkshakes, Melbourne eats so much of the stuff they caused a temporary nation-wide shortage back in 2015, and Australia lost its collective shit when, last year, a toaster-shaped Nutella food truck started rolling around the country. Long story short, the food truck will be hitting the road again this month, this time embarking on a road trip from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast. We figured you'd want to hear about it — especially since all the goodies on board will be free. Alistair Fogg, the man behind Sydney's Nighthawk Diner, must have had excess Nutella lying around, because he's once again devised the menu for the food truck. This time, he'll be drizzling Nutella on crumpets, pancakes, granola, bagels, egg waffles and, most interestingly, smashed sweet potato on brioche. And, yes, it's all free — although there is a limit of only one item per customer per day, unfortunately. The 12-stop road trip begins in Sydney's Henry Deane Plaza in Haymarket on Thursday, June 22, before heading to Manly Wharf on Friday, June 23 and Penrith's Tench Reserve on Saturday, June 24. From there the truck will head up to the Central Coast, through Newcastle, Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay and the Gold Coast before pulling up in Brisbane's Reddacliff Place on Monday, July 3. It will round out the trip in on the Sunshine Coast the day after. Find the complete list of dates, times and locations for the Nutella Road Trip at their website.
If you're the sort of person who likes to eat meat until you start shaking with the meat sweats and can (m)eat no more, then a festival very relevant to your interests is coming to town. Meatstock Festival, a two-day celebration of all things animal, is setting up its smoky self in the Sydney Showgrounds on the weekend of May 5 and 6. Not just your regular food festival, bands on the Meatstock lineup include Tex Perkins, Henry Wagons, Nicole Brophy, the Davidson Brothers and Dusty Boots. Sure, there'll be less music than there is at Woodstock, but there will be 200 percent more tasty meat-related foods. The food stars of the show are Burn City Smokers, Black Bear BBQ, Rangers Texas BBQ and more. Try both, or all of the food stalls and then fall into a sweaty, cholesterol-heavy heap — don't say we didn't warn you. Finally, for a little old-fashioned rivalry, the festival will be running its Butcher Wars, which will basically be a bunch of hopefully unbloodied people running around competing and wielding various knives. What a weekend.
A few years ago, Sydney was whistling a hesitant tune when it came to the beauty of craft beer, with Sydney Craft Beer Week consisting of only a handful of events. Now in its fourth year, SCBW has grown to be a massive affair, involving over 100 crafty, boozy events from October 18-26. Sydneysiders have begun jumping on the bandwagon of the microbrew. Just as the first sweltering days of the season descend on Sydney, brewers far and wide are becoming our heroes with their individual take on the much-loved frosty beverage. As we start to count down the days, here are the events that we are most looking forward to. Sydney Craft Beer Week Gala Opening If this week has been patiently marked in your calendar for the past 365 days, then you have no excuse to miss SCBW’s opening gala. The scene will be set at Giant Dwarf Theatre, and the event is guaranteed to bring you into SCBW with a bang. Live shows and tastings will take place all evening, and your ticket includes three drink tokens and a fancy commemorative glass to carry around for the rest of the week. Food will be provided by Sydney's food trucks and the perfect companion after a few strong drinks. 17 October from 6-10pm. Giant Dwarf Theatre, 199 Cleveland Street, Redfern. Tickets $37.50. Beer Street Bakery What’s not to love when we bring Sydney’s favourite baked goods and craft beer together in perfect harmony? No longer does the perfect sausage roll need to be a morning-after debacle, for SCBW, the two will unite in perfect harmony. The entire week will see special baked treats creatively fused with The Grifter Brewing Co.’s Inner West brews. And on the first Saturday of SCBW, the brew team will also make a special guest appearance pouring a few of their favourite non-baked treats. So pair your beer with a pastry filled with beer; it’s the perfect carb-to-carb ratio. 18-26 October from noon-5pm. Bourke Street Bakery, 46a Macleay Street, Potts Point. Free entry. Australiana Spice Bonanza Surry Hills' staple restaurant for vegos and a favourite for non-vegos alike has always been known for its extensive brew list. In honour of SCBW, not only are they offering a special beer-inspired dumpling menu but they are also bringing a little extra Australiana to their beer menu. The list will include an exclusive range of beers flavoured with native Australian flavours, including one brewed in-house by their head brewer James Harvey. Free entertainment will also be on offer each of the seven evenings of the week, including 'Get Your Yarn On' (Australian spoken word poetry) and 'A Night of Brown Grass' (Australian styled Bluegrass). 18-25 October from 11am-12am. Yulli’s Screening Room, 417 Crown Street, Surry Hills. Free Entry. Feral Brewing Sunday Sounds Session – Take 2 There are few finer things in life than good beer and good music on a sunny Sunday arvo. Not only will you spend a glorious Sunday soaking up rays at the Collaroy Beach Club but a ticket to this event includes the whole lot; there will be no Sunday worries on your mind. Tickets include transfers from the city to the Collaroy Beach Club, five schooners of Feral brews, a sausage sizzle, a DJ spinning tunes all day long and a 6pm return to The Welcome Hotel for the tap takeover. Sure to be an afternoon for the books. 19 October 12-6pm. The Collaroy Beach Club, 1058 Pittwater Road, Collaroy. Tickets $55. Platinum and HopDog present True Grit Take midweek break with a screening of The Coen Brothers adaptation of True Grit at Golden Age Cinema and Bar. The men behind Platinum Liquor and HopDog bring you ‘La Boeufes Bete Noire’, a special 7 percent American stock ale, aged on oak chips for three months, and in their humble opinion, the perfect companion to a little action with Ol’ Rooster and Le Boeufe. Ticket includes film, a glass of beer, a cocktail shaker of popcorn and live bluegrass music before the film. 22 October from 7:30-11:45pm. Golden Age Cinema and Bar, 80 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills. Tickets $31.51 (incl. booking fee). Brewers and Chewers Dinner Each year this proves a favourite event at SCBW, selling out on most occasions. Hosted by the craft beer legends at The Local Taphouse, the annual event presents as a sort of speed dating for beer lovers. Great food will be paired with seven specially chosen brews from Two Birds, Young Henrys, Garage Project, Beavertown, Sixpoint and NOMAD. The event will feature a ‘meet the brewers’ style set-up where diners can take the opportunity to chat to the makers of their favourite beverages. 23 October from 6-10pm. The Local Taphouse, 122 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst. Tickets $97.75. The Great Swillhouse Collaboration Coup If it comes from Swillhouse, you expect it to be a little out there. The boys behind The Baxter Inn, Shady Pines Saloon and Frankie’s have travelled to the ends of Australia to bring you the best Australian breweries have to offer with a whole host of special collaborations for SCBW. The taps of Frankie’s Pizza will be taken over with the Swillhouse creations, ranging from Beer Monster BBQ II to Gout Stout to Euro Porn Pale, and that doesn’t even scratch the surface. Frankie’s famous house band will play both nights, so bring an appetite for great beer and leave your Monday blues at home. 20-21 October from 6pm-3am. Frankie’s Pizza, 50 Hunter Street, Sydney. Free Entry. Batch and KP Baltimore Crab Feast With one of Batch Brewing Co.’s head brewers hailing from Baltimore, expectations are high for some of the best Atlantic-style seafood at this event. Batch Brewing and Kingston Public are partnering for a Friday feast of epic proportions. Maryland-style crab and limited release Old Bay Spice-inspired brews will be served, and this will be a cracker of a long lunch (pun intended). Dig into some choice seafood and beer, bib and all. 24 October from 1-4pm. Batch Brewing Co., 44 Sydenham Road, Marrickville. Tickets $57.50. The Big Pig Out Byron Bay is all about the laidback vibe and the independent lifestyle, and it was just that which inspired the team behind Stone & Wood to start their brewery. Now one of the oldest and a true favourite in the still new craft beer scene, they are a welcome sight at SCBW. This year, they are bringing a whole heap of fun with whole roasted pigs at The Mule at the Newington. Three whole pigs will be spit-roasted on the day and all four of Stone & Wood's beers will be on tap, plus seasonal favourites and special one-offs. This is bound to be a Saturday BBQ of epic proportions. 25 October from 12-5pm. The Mule, 292 Stanmore Road, Petersham. Tickets $28.75. Sip & Savour Rounding out the week, the Australian Beer Ambassadors are hosting their inaugural event, Sip & Savour. Each day will be a celebration of all things craft beer, with over 250 beers and ciders on tap. Most importantly, these two days are an opportunity for the craft brewers of Australia to get on the floor to interact with the drinkers themselves. Saturday will focus more on the cultural aspect, with live music from local acts including Castlecomer and a viewing of Hop Flicks Short Film Festival winning pieces, while Sunday will be a child-friendly Sunday session vibe. Check out the website for more information on each session. 25 October 11:30am-4:30pm and 6pm-11pm; 26 October from 12-6pm. Carriageworks, 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh. Tickets from $44.
Everything about the Apia International Sydney looks slick and focused and white-knuckle competitive. And parts of it are — the parts on the court. But what the ads don't tell you is that the tennis is a damn fine day out for those of us off it. What goes down on the court is a world away from that tiny table-tennis match you see on TV. As David Foster Wallace wrote in his New York Times essay 'Federer as Religious Experience', "A large part of what's lost is the sheer physicality of top tennis, a sense of the speeds at which the ball is moving and the players are reacting." From even the back rows of the stadium, but especially courtside, you can see the true speed of that scary-fast ball and appreciate the real technique, tenacity, and grace of the players as they stretch out to meet it. The modern tennis game is breakneck. But that's, as mentioned, on the court. If you're more aesthete than athlete, it's the perfect opportunity to wear white cotton and plimsolls, grab some strawberries and cream from the stand, and imagine you're part of Rene Lacoste's personal entourage at Wimbledons past. The tennis is like a picnic, with entertainment included. Silence is a must while each point is being played, so there's rarely such a thing as tennis hooligans to cramp your style. A single session ticket lets you spend either a day or a night at the Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre, wandering between the Ken Rosewall Arena court with its star players, the outer courts with their more intimate set-ups, and the activity marquees around the grounds. Or, if you take the casual premium hospitality option, a fully stocked esky means you never have to leave your seat at all. Confirmed for the 2013 tournament are high-ranking athletes Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, "our" Sam Stosur, Li Na, Caroline Wozniacki, Fernando Verdasco, and Bernard Tomic. It's their last stop before the Australian Open in late January, so they'll really want to go out of this one on a high. Image: Victoria Azarenka at the Apia International Sydney, Thursday January 12, 2012. Photo by Murray Wilkinson (SMP Images).
This year, the AICE (Australia Israel Cultural Exchange) Israeli Film Festival, the only country-wide event to focus on Israeli film, celebrates ten years of bringing assumption-shattering documentaries and controversial features to Australian audiences. Opening night will see the national premiere of The Ballad of the Weeping Spring, nominee for nine Israeli Academy Awards and winner of four. Stylistically influenced by both spaghetti Westerns and samurai epics, it explores the often blurred lines between life and art in its portrayal of the emotional reunion of a once legendary band torn apart by tragedy. Other highlights of the fortnight-long festival include The Gatekeepers, an Oscar-nominated documentary in which six ex-leaders of the Shin Bet (Israel's internal secret service) discuss their success and failures in "overseeing Israel's war on terror"; Good Garbage, winner of Best Documentary at Shanghai's Magnolia Film Festival, which depicts the hardships of 200 Palestinian families who depend upon the Hebron Hills garbage dump for survival; and Zaytoun, a drama about the development of an unusual friendship between a Palestinian orphan and an Israeli fighter pilot. "The festival continues to highlight not only the breadth and strength of the Israeli film industry, but also presents the broad spectrum of Israeli society and everyday issues," explains co-curator Keith Lawrence. "A common thread in many of the films this year is that of the concerns of young adults — social, sexual and political — whether Jewish, Christian or Muslim."
Maybe your suitcase is still looking a tad dusty, following a few years that saw travel plans put on hold. Perhaps you've given it the best workout you possibly could ever since local, interstate and international trips became a thing we could all do again. Whichever fits, scoring flights as cheap as $55 should tempt you to give that trusty bag another spin. Your destinations? Everywhere from The Whitsundays to Japan, all as part of Virgin's latest flight sale. If you're after discounted fares to a heap of places — including around Australia and the globe — Virgin is slashing prices again. This batch of special flights has been badged the Bring on 2023 sale, and can be booked now. You've got until midnight on Monday, February 6 to lock in your plans, unless the cheap fares sell out earlier. As usual, there's a sizeable number of discounted flights on offer: more than 500,000 in this run. They cover local spots such Byron Bay, Cairns, the Gold Coast and Hobart, plus overseas destinations including Bali, Vanuatu, Samoa and Fiji. Offering up to 30-percent off, one-way domestic fares start at $55, which'll get you from Sydney to Byron Bay. As proves the case in every sale like this, that's cheapest route. Other discounted flights include Sydney to the Sunshine Coast from $75, Adelaide to Launceston from $85, Brisbane to Proserpine for the same price, Melbourne to the Gold Coast from $99 and Brisbane to Hamilton Island from $119. Internationally, return deals include Sydney to Fiji from $459, the Gold Coast to Bali from $489, Melbourne to Vanuatu from $539 and Cairns to Tokyo from $699. If you're wondering when you'll need to travel, the fares cover between Wednesday, March 1–Thursday, December 7, all varying per route. As usual when it comes to flight sales, you'll need to get in quick. Sure, the chaos of Black Friday and Boxing Day is behind us for another year, but everyone loves a holiday — and, even better, a bargain holiday. Virgin's Bring on 2023 sale runs until midnight on Monday, February 6 — unless sold out earlier. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Big, bustling blockbusters have been absent from cinema screens for much of the past 12 months, as film studios adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to coronavirus restrictions, hygiene requirements and protocols, huge movies filled with hordes of people haven't been the easiest things to shoot of late, either. So, cinephiles can expect more than a few new features to hit both the big screen and streaming services in the coming weeks, months and years that have been made under much more intimate circumstances. Malcolm & Marie is one of them, and it's heading to Netflix from Friday, February 5. The black-and-white film stars recent Euphoria Emmy-winner Zendaya opposite Tenet and BlacKkKlansman's John David Washington, with the pair playing a couple who've just returned home from a movie premiere — and end up spending what started as a celebratory evening working through the ups and downs of their relationship. The streaming service has just dropped its first trailer for the feature — which, as well as proving as intimate as expected, also promises an acting showcase from its two stars. Malcolm & Marie may be a talk-heavy film, focusing on its titular characters chatting about their feelings, but both Zendaya and Washington look set to continue their recent impressive runs. In Zendaya's case, she's also reuniting with writer/director Sam Levinson, who created Euphoria. Cinematographer Marcell Rév also has a history on the show — so if you're fond of vivid and expressive imagery, you'll be able to see what he can do while working in monochrome. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGZmwsK58M8 Malcolm & Marie will be available to stream via Netflix on Friday, February 5. Images: Dominic Miller/Netflix.
Imagine Planet of the Apes, but hurtling 65-million years backwards in time rather than forwards. What would a crashed spaceship's survivors find? Jurassic Park's favourite critters, obviously. Now imagine that other hit franchise, but also with a twist. Instead of making a new playground for genetically engineered dinosaur clones, picture people being plonked in the prehistoric creatures' existing realm. Whichever of the above options that you're now thinking about, you're currently on 65's wavelength. There's a bit of the Predator series to the upcoming sci-fi flick's just-dropped first trailer as well. And, there's a touch of Logan and A Quiet Place, too. The latter actually gets a boost thanks to writer/directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, who penned the first AQP feature. Here, however, they're also giving the world what it's always wanted, even if it didn't know it yet: Adam Driver fighting dinos. The White Noise, House of Gucci, Annette and Star Wars actor has long had a knack for interesting choices, and 65 fits the bill for that whole Driver-versus-prehistoric animals setup alone. If a movie about Idris Elba fighting lions can exist, aka Beast, so can this . There's more to 65's narrative, of course but it really does sound cobbled together from all that aforementioned science-fiction fare. Driver plays pilot Mills, who is charting a long-range exploratory mission through space when his ship is hit by an undocumented asteroid. Out of the 35 passengers, only young Koa (Ariana Greenblatt, In the Heights) is also left once they realise where and when they've landed — which sparks a fight to survive. Chloe Coleman (Gunpowder Milkshake) is also credited among the cast, but this looks set to largely remain a two-hander — well, two people and however many dinosaurs come rampaging their way. Viewers can see the end result in cinemas in March 2023, after a few release-date delays over the past year. And, among the film's impressive pedigree, The Evil Dead filmmaker Sam Raimi is one of its executive producers, while Wednesday and White Noise composer Danny Elfman is on score duties. Check out the trailer for 65 below: 65 releases in cinemas Down Under on March 9, 2023.
Whether Banksy is building the world's most depressing theme park, crafting a dark tourism ad for Gaza, opening a Bethlehem guesthouse with a view of the Israeli-Palestinian border or spray painting his pieces all over the globe, the artist's work tends to make a statement. That said, nothing sends a message quite like ripping your own painting to shreds. In a turn of events that the crowd at London's Sotheby's auction house definitely weren't expecting, Banksy's Girl with Balloon artwork self-destructed as the hammer fell on the winning bid. The moment that the painting had been sold on Friday, October 5 — for the hefty sum of £860,000 (AU$1.6 million) — the piece emitted a beeping noise. Then the artwork began to slide through a shredder embedded in the bottom of the frame, coming out the other side in torn pieces. In a video posted on the artist's Instagram feed and YouTube channel, Banksy is shown secretly building a shredder into a painting, with an explanation that this was done a few years ago "in case it was ever put up for auction". The clip then jumps to the scene at Sotheby's during and after the auction. Unsurprisingly, things get chaotic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiO_1XRnMt4 Sotheby's has advised that it had no knowledge of the prank before it happened. "It appears we just got Banksy-ed," Alex Branczik, head of contemporary art for Europe, told The Art Newspaper. Just what will happen to the piece now is still being determined, with suggestions that the work has gone up in value after being partly shredded. It certainly does continue Banksy's fascination with both creation and destruction, which has long been a theme at the centre of the street artist's work. Images: Olga Rozenbajgier, The Art of Banksy / Banksy.
Well, Monopoly just took its reputation as the game that will destroy your family to the next level. HBO is teaming up with Hasbro for the version we've all been waiting for: Game of Thrones Monopoly. According to Mashable, the game has locked in a 2015 release — we're hoping most likely to coincide with the Season Five premiere in April. Instead of the usual boardwalks of Rich Uncle Pennybags, the board will take bloody, bloody real estate to the key spots of Westeros. Ditching the dog and thimble, GoT Monopoly will let you play as a direwolf, three-eyed raven, White Walker, dragon egg, crown, and of course, and Iron Throne. And you'll be building villages and keeps instead of houses and hotels. “The Iron Bank is the Iron Bank.” Coming in 2015, Monopoly #GameOfThrones edition: http://t.co/UBuXb0iqcc @usaopoly pic.twitter.com/fubi9rdgKz— Game Of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) February 13, 2015 Hasbro haven't revealed the individual board spaces for the GoT edition. We're thinking King's Landing has a good chance of Mayfair, and we'd probably drop Craster's Keep on Old Kent Road. You'll likely be nabbing your Gold Dragons from the Iron Bank, and keeping everything crossed for a Get Out of The Wall Free Card. Game of Thrones Monopoly is set for release in 2015. Via Mashable.
The next seven nights will see parts of Alice Springs and its surrounds shine brighter than ever before, as the region's third annual Parrtjima - A Festival In Light delivers its most expansive program yet. The free public celebration of Indigenous arts, culture and storytelling is perhaps best known for its dazzling light installations, as First Nations' identity is shared across a whole swag of genres. This year, Parrtjima — the nation's first indigenous festival of its kind — will feature seven of these luminous displays, gracing both Alice Springs Desert Park and for the first time, Todd Mall in the Alice Springs CBD. The expanded CBD program includes a series of huge lit-up caterpillar designs, as well as a symbolic 'river of light' LED projection, flowing through the mall precinct in a striking display of textures, colours and patterns. Just out of town, tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park will also come alive, awash with light from 6.30–10.30pm each night of the festival. Once again, a huge artwork will transform a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic MacDonnell Ranges, this year working to the theme "from sunset to sunrise" with a more immersive light show experience than ever before. Visitors will be able to weave through a series of large-scale tree-inspired light sculptures for the Forest Space installation, or immerse themselves in art and storytelling as part of Grounded, where installations are projected onto the earth accompanied by a striking soundscape. There's the interactive Colour Space booth, featuring over 500 individually controlled LEDs responding to each person's movements, and even a hands-on kids' playground space, with captivating designs by Keringke Arts. The light installations are backed by a jam-packed program of dance, music, workshops and talks, sharing stories and celebrating First Nations' culture. It's a nice supplement to the area's Field of Light installation, which has been extended until 2020. If you can't get to the red centre this week, the images show just how incredible the landscape looks lit up at night. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light runs from September 28 until October 7 around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Images: James Horan.
You might associate Newcastle with surf, sand and summer, but the coastal location also makes this a perfect winter short break. There's no more invigorating way to start a frosty morning than with a brisk beachside walk. What's more, winter equals whale-watching season, and for spotting humpbacks, Newie's towering headlands are spectacular. When you're ready to head back indoors, you'll find the city packed with excellent chefs, baristas, artists, designers and makers. Many of them have escaped the big smoke to set up digs here, where they get to be beside the sea without paying torturously high rents. With that in mind, set up home base at one of the AccorHotels in the city and follow our guide to a warming, delicious winter weekender, just a two hours' drive north of Sydney. EAT AND DRINK Good cafes aren't hard to find in Newcastle; it's choosing one that's the tough bit. For a cheery beginning, settle among the bright tiles, artworks and plants of Ground Up Espresso in Carrington, a waterfront suburb on Newcastle Harbour's north shore. The most decadent, comforting brekkie on the menu has to be the crepes with smoked salmon and creme fraiche. Afterwards, cross the water to Maryville to warm your mitts on bakery treats at Uprising. Alternatively, if you want to stick to the CBD, then One Penny Black serves a bunch of single origins and blends, as well as winter-inspired dishes including coconut and cinnamon porridge. For tea drinkers, The Tea Collective in inner-city Cooks Hill is something of a mecca. Here, leaf obsessive Becci Fowler serves premium-quality, perfectly brewed cuppas. On a frosty morning, the gingerbread chai is hard to beat. Downstairs are The Autumn Rooms, a sun- and greenery-splashed space, offering buttermilk waffles with chai-infused mascarpone, pistachio crust, mixed berries and dark chocolate ganache, among other delights. At a nearby bowling club is Bistro Lowlands, home to some of Newie's tastiest burgers, including the Firebird 2.0 (buttermilk fried chicken, double cheese, sriracha slaw and jalapeno mustard). If it's Italian you're hankering for, head to the CBD's Napoli Centrale, where Naples-trained chef Alfonso Muras whips up traditional pizzas and a mean black truffle gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce. Mediterranean eatery Rustica offers both stunning views overlooking Newcastle Beach and a hearty share-style menu. Start with tapas and small plates, think Turkish-style carrot labne, before graduating to roast pork belly and Moroccan vegetable tagine. Meanwhile, for indulgent dining, book a table at hatted restaurant Subo. You'll be treating yourself to a set five-course menu, designed especially for winter. Dishes include carpaccio of Hervey Bay scallops with jamon, nori and XO sauce, as well as Cape Grim short rib cooked overnight in Guinness and red wine with bagna cauda (an Italian dipping sauce), turnip and fried herbs. Pre- and/or post-dinner drinks? There's The Grain Store for an epic craft beer collection, Reserve for hundreds (really, hundreds) of wines and The Koutetsu for cocktails among antique lampshades, dark timber and secretive nooks. DO Winter might not be the most appealing time for a swim at Newcastle's pretty, blissfully uncrowded beaches, but it's a whale watcher's dream. Get an eyeful on foot at either Nobbys Headland or Shepherds Hill Lookout, or take to the sea aboard the trusty vessel Coast XP. Another way to embrace the salty air is with a hike. The Bathers Way coastal walk stretches from Nobbys to Merewether Beach, with views of Newcastle from every which angle and a chance to learn about the city's history at Fort Scratchley, where guns were fired in 1942 during shelling by a Japanese submarine. Another key point along the walk is the Anzac Memorial Bridge, an icon of Newcastle that offers a 450-metre clifftop walkway. Not enough outdoorsiness for you? Hit the dunes of Stockton Beach on a quad bike (hire from Sand Dune Adventures, Quad Bike King or Port Stephens 4WD), take to the skies at TreeTops adventure park, or get some wind in your hair on one of Newie's many cycle paths. The 15-kilometre Fernleigh Track takes in peaceful bushland and wetlands. Meanwhile, you can get your art dose at the Olive Tree Art and Design Market, where local creatives gather on the first Saturday of every month, or anytime among the indie shops and galleries of the Darby Street Precinct in Newcastle's urban heart. Also worth checking out is the Newcastle Art Gallery — which hosts talks, tours and concerts throughout winter — and the Newcastle Jazz Festival that comes to town in August. SLEEP If there's one element that's vital to a winter weekender, it's a warm, tranquil hideaway for the evenings. If you're keen to snuggle up with the beach at your doorstep, book at the Novotel Newcastle Beach. Rooms — which range from Standard to Superior Balcony — come with king-sized beds, bucketloads of winter sunshine, loads of space and uplifting splashes of orange and blue. There's also a spa, sauna, gym, on-site restaurant and 24-hour room service. For a real indulgence, head to the on-site restaurant, Bistro Dalby, for high tea. Mini pressed Cuban sandwiches and prawn brioche sliders feature among the savouries, with salted raw caramel slice and chocolate eclairs in the sweet selection. A more affordable, yet still cosy, hotel option is the Ibis Newcastle, located near the city's Honeysuckle Precinct, a harbour-front area where former shipping wharves have been transformed into eateries and apartments. Some rooms offer water views, while all give you a super-comfy bed, flat-screen TV, free wifi and 24-hour room service. Alternatively, if you're on a brief visit, then the Mercure Newcastle Airport could be the way to go. It lets you easily explore nearby areas, such as Port Stephens, and all rooms have a sleek, minimalist design and photos of iconic landmarks taken by local Owen Signs. Go to the AccorHotels website to book your stay in Newcastle, and to discover more of regional NSW, swing by Visit NSW.
If you haven't been over to Cockatoo Island in a while, now might be the time to do it. The historic Sydney Harbour site is preparing for a big Ai Weiwei installation as part of the 21st Biennale of Sydney and is currently playing host to a pop-up shipping container hotel. While a night at the boutique hotel will set you back $305–385 a night, the attached pop-up restaurant and bar Don Tapa is a more affordable way to visit. It's open Wednesday to Sunday each week, but for two nights this March the restaurant will bring in Indigenous chef Zach Green for two very special dinners. On Tuesday, March 6 and Wednesday, March 14 Green and his team from Elijah's Kitchen will take over Don Tapa for A Night on Wareamah (Wareamah being the Indigenous name for Cockatoo Island). The evening will start with a Welcome to Country and a traditional smoking ceremony, before you make your way through a six-course feast. Each dish will hero native ingredients (some of which are found on the island) and be matched with stories about the food and the Indigenous culture it's tied to (as well as A. Retief wines from Urban Winery). Of course, if you fancy making a proper stay of it, you can always book a waterfront shipping container hotel room on-site. A further program of one-off Contained events will also be held over the coming months, including more guest chef dinners. And the 21st Biennale of Sydney will run from March till June. Tickets are $120 but include six courses, matched wines, snacks and petit fours. You'll have to make your own way there and back on the ferry though.
I want to dance with you. I want to dance with you your way at the Pan Pacifics. Is there an Australian alive in the '90s who doesn't know the meaning of those immortal words? That paragon of multiculturalism, suburban sparkle and following your dream, Strictly Ballroom, not only launched the career of writer-director Baz Luhrmann but also implanted itself in our national consciousness as few films have. Now the team behind the movie have brought it to the stage as Strictly Ballroom: The Musical, and the big surprise? It's actually pretty damn good. Thomas Lacey and Phoebe Panaretos play Scott and Fran, the conflicted star of the amateur ballroom circuit and the newbie dancer who's the one vote of confidence in his choosing to dance 'his own steps' not approved by the surreally dictatorial Australian Dancing Federation. Scott may have the moves but he hasn't quite found the fire in his heart and the rhythm it connects to. It's something he's set to learn from Fran's Spanish family and their powerful ways with the paso doble, a style of dance modelled on the bullfight. Lacey and Panaretos are hugely likeable. He has a heart-melting popera voice, while she's simply hilarious, and they're backed up by a characterful supporting cast. Costumes and sets by the legendary Catherine Martin steal a lot of the spotlight — they're both larger than life and stunningly detailed. But the most impressive element of the show is how the pageantry combines with clever, inventive staging. In a rare outing directing for theatre, Luhrmann shows why he's the superstar he is, crafting mesmerising scene transitions and hyperactive overlaps as sets spin in and out of place. Internal struggles find beautifully stagey expression when a downhearted Scott is overwhelmed by looming dance studio mirrors. Best of all is the 'Time After Time' sequence, as Fran and Scott practise on the roof, complete with Coke sign backdrop. It's a mesmerising montage of huge scale, quietly underscored by a lonely dance from Scott's isolated father, Doug (Drew Forsythe). A slight letdown is the score. Hits from the movie ('Time After Time' plus 'Love Is in the Air', 'Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps' and the waltz 'The Blue Danube') are, of course, hits here too, while a rendition of the 'Habanera' from Bizet's Carmen gives a rousing familiarity to the paso doble. But of the original songs, only 'Dance to Win' — written by Eddie Perfect for the ignoble dancing federation president Barry Fife (Robert Grubb) — is memorable. That said, it is highly memorable, with a Russian flavour and bawdy, unexpected lyrics. That cheek lacks in the other numbers, by various composers, which melt into a samey singsong. The charms of Strictly Ballroom the Musical, however, win out in the end. It's high gaudiness done with total style. I went in cynical but I came out a convert. My hardness may have finally withered from the audience participation elements — so cheesy but so good (nothing to strike fear into the heart of front-row ticketholders, not to worry). The extent to which the audience was on board was evident in the climax of the show, that famous moment when Doug's slow clap pierces the silence of the power-cut Pan-Pacifics. On this evening, the audience was applauding madly long before Forsythe could make a sound, and although he was eventually able to corral us into clapping in time with him, it does undercut the emotional climax of the story, and there's nothing to be done to prevent it. The hope is that you'll find the feeling of collective fun an acceptable substitute. I did.
If this Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles secret lair Airbnb listing wasn't evidence enough that we're desperate to relive our youth through '90s TV shows, this latest pop-up should be. Some nostalgic diehard decided that Chicago didn't have enough diners that resembled that of high school sitcom hangouts, and has promptly launched a Saved by the Bell-themed diner and bar in the neighbourhood of Wicker Park. The Saved by The Max pop-up is a replica of The Max, the diner frequented by the Bayside High students. It's a perfect recreation of early '90s bowling alley meets milkshake bar decor with an insane clashing of bright, block colours, laminex tabletops, neon lights and a jukebox. It sort of hurts our eyes, but so did lots of things in the '90s. A photo posted by Saved by the Max (@savedbythemax) on Jun 3, 2016 at 7:52am PDT The pop-up will undoubtedly have patrons eating better than the characters did on-screen, with things like AC sliders, Tori's fried chicken and Max's Magical Sweet — which reportedly comes with words of encouragement — on the menu. Of course, there'll be milkshakes and floats, along with the addition of alcohol because we're all really old now. According to CBC News, the genius behind the pop-up is local bar events manager Derek Berry, who is "a former DJ at '90s nostalgia-oriented events". After collaborating on the concept with some friends, they then went to NBC Universal and got the rights to use the show as the diner's inspiration. So this is as legit as it gets. Saved by The Max opened on June 1 in Chicago. Unsurprisingly, they've been inundated with bookings, but you can still try your luck as a walk-in if you're in town. For more info, visit savedbythemax.com. Via CBC News.
Do you have a friend in Wellington who likes writing, and going to cafes where the baristas are knee-deep in tattoos and serve organic ethnic blend coffees? A friend who knows what a cold brew is, can stomach eating fine cuisine on a weekly basis, and gets enthused about going to the latest Bats plays and being 'in the know'? Would that friend enjoy getting paid to do all of the above and more? Well, good. We're looking for writers in Wellington city and need someone like your friend (you can subscribe here to read about it soon). So pass this message on to them and get them to send us through their name and wee bit of their writing (no personal postcard to your aunt or your Mills & Boon-esque short fiction piece, please) to wellington@concreteplayground.co.nz We'll be waiting.
When Bondi's iconic Icebergs pool shuts for cleaning each Thursday it usually just gets a bit of a scrub. But this week something much more exciting than a high-pressure hose was put into the beachside basin — instead, a giant print of the Amalfi Coast was installed across the entire bottom of the pool. A post shared by Canon Australia (@canonaustralia) on Feb 23, 2017 at 12:46am PST If you're familiar with his work, you have probably already guessed that the print was shot by prolific Bondi ocean photographer Eugene Tan, a.k.a Aquabumps. The umbrella-lined beach print — named Peppermint Fresh and shot on the Amalfi Coast last year — is available to buy on Tan's website, but at a huge 50-metres-wide, this is definitely the most large-scale you'll get to see it. Unfortunately the installation was a one-day-only thing and the pool is back to its normal clear blues today. Nonetheless, it made for a great aerial shot. Top image: Amaury Treguer via Instagram.
It's been 21 years since the first of The Lord of the Rings movies had everyone rushing to cinemas, obsessing over hobbits and elves, saying "precious" too many times and ogling New Zealand's natural splendours. Come September, this time via your streaming queue, get ready for much of the above to happen all over again. After five years of talking about it, Prime Video's new series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is mere months away from reaching eyeballs — and the platform has just dropped another trailer to tease what's in store. Yes, Middle-earth is about to sprawl across your TV screen — or whichever other screen you use to access your streaming queue. The JRR Tolkien-inspired fantasy series will return to the franchise's elves, dwarves, epic cities and leafy landscapes, as its first sneak peek back in February made plain. And, thanks to the just-dropped new footage, it looks set to spend a fair amount of time looking up. "The skies are strange," viewers are told at the beginning of the minute-long clip — and a fiery ball in the heavens does indeed demonstrate just that. The clip is big on mood and light on story, but still offers a fresh look at The Rings of Power's world. Full sneak peek exclusively for Prime Members on https://t.co/cofBDVThEu. #TheRingsOfPower pic.twitter.com/Md8SAMk2aT — Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) July 6, 2022 The one catch: if you're keen to check out the whole new clip, you'll already need to be a Prime member. If so, you can head to Prime Video now to watch the full teaser — as part of the platform's push to promote its upcoming Prime Day. If you're not up to date on The Rings of Power, it features a young Galadriel (Morfydd Clark, Saint Maud) and a young Elrond (Robert Aramayo, The King's Man). As seen in the initial trailer, it's also set to include elves catching arrows, humans stuck on rafts on stormy seas, cave trolls, raging fires and orc battles. Amazon first announced the show back in 2017, gave it the official go-ahead in mid-2018 and set a premiere date of Friday, September 2, 2022 back in 2021. In-between, it confirmed that it wouldn't just remake Peter Jackson's movies. Rather, the series will spend time in Middle-earth's Second Age, bringing that era from the LOTR realm to the screen for the very first time. According to show's official synopsis, The Rings of Power will follow "the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth's history," with the action set thousands of years before the novels and movies we've all read and watched. The series will also "take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien's pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness." If you're a little rusty on your LOTR lore, the Second Age lasted for 3441 years, and saw the initial rise and fall of Sauron, as well as a spate of wars over the coveted rings. Elves feature prominently, and there's plenty to cover, even if Tolkien's works didn't spend that much time on the period — largely outlining the main events in an appendix to the popular trilogy. Naturally, you can expect Sauron to feature in the new show, and to give its main figures some trouble. "Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth," the official synopsis continues. "From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone," it also advises. In terms of stars, The Rings of Power features an unsurprisingly large cast — and some impressive talent behind the scenes. Among the other actors traversing Middle-earth are Ismael Cruz Córdova (The Undoing) as Arondir, Nazanin Boniadi (Bombshell) as Bronwyn, Owain Arthur (A Confession) as Prince Durin IV, Charlie Vickers (Palm Beach) as Halbrand and Sophia Nomvete (The Tempest) as Princess Disa. There's also Tom Budge (Judy & Punch), Joseph Mawle (Game of Thrones), Cynthia Addai-Robinson (The Accountant), Maxim Baldry (Years and Years), Peter Mullan (Westworld), Benjamin Walker (The Underground Railroad) and comedian Lenny Henry. And, the series is being overseen by showrunners and executive producers JD Payne and Patrick McKay, while filmmaker JA Bayona (A Monster Calls, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom) directs the first two episodes. After you've hopped over to Prime Video to scope out the new trailer, you can revisit out the first teaser for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power below. And, watch this space — as announced in the just-dropped new clip, another trailer is coming on July 14, too. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will be available to stream via Prime Video from Friday, September 2, 2022. Images: Matt Grace / Ben Rothstein.
Some of Australia's dreamiest contemporary spaces have been given the ultimate tick of approval, taking out top honours at the Australian Interior Design Awards 2019. From the daring to the downright dapper, the esteemed awards recognised next level talent displayed in bars, hotels, cafes, public spaces and retail stores, all across the country. The top gong, known as the Premier Award for Australian Interior Design, went to George Livissianis for his work on sleek Sydney hair salon USFIN. The space was described by the 2019 awards jury as "genuinely clever" and "a bit sexy", with "a real joyfulness to it, despite its futuristic laboratory aesthetic". [caption id="attachment_724332" align="alignnone" width="1920"] USFIN[/caption] Elsewhere, BVN took out the Award for Interior Design Impact for North Strathfield's Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Primary School, while the newly rebuilt Waltzing Matilda Centre in Winton, Queensland, took home the award for Best Public Design. The designers behind some of your go-to hospitality spaces were also given serious props, including Melbourne firm Pierce Widera, which was awarded the title of Emerging Interior Design Practice. This is the team that brought us contemporary favourites like Cheek (and its rooftop bar Peaches), Richmond's Sister of Soul and Northcote cafe Bicycle Thieves. [caption id="attachment_724328" align="alignnone" width="1920"] United Places Botanic Gardens. Image: Sharyn Cairns[/caption] Melbourne-based studio Carr scooped up the Hospitality Design Award for South Yarra hotel United Places Botanic Gardens, which is also home to chef Scott Pickett's fire-driven restaurant Matilda 159 Domain. Further north, Herbert & Mason scored a Commendation in the Retail Design Award category, in honour of its work on Surry Hills' multifaceted wellness hub Paramount Recreation Club. [caption id="attachment_724331" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Escher X nendo: Between Two Worlds. Image: Takumiota[/caption] And the Installation Design Award honoured some familiar activations, with the top prize going to the National Gallery of Victoria and Nendo for the Escher X Nendo: Between Two Worlds exhibition. Anna Tregloan pulled a Commendation for her work leading us all down the rabbit hole at ACMI's Wonderland. You can check out the full list of award winners at the AIDA 2019 website. Images 1–2: Sister of Soul by Derek Swalwell. Images 3–4: Cheek by Jana Langhorst. Image 5: Waltzing Matilda Centre by Casey Vallance.
For a whole night of musical mischief in aid of raising money for homeless youths, from 6pm ‘til midnight, the Winter Warmers Festival will take over the upstairs floor of the Beach Road Hotel, with live music from Belles Will Ring, the Walking Who, Iluka, Major Tom and the Atoms, the Dusty Duets and Manchoir, along with DJ sets from Frenzie, Rob Goodburn, Sara DJ and Graham M. Long. Before the music begins raffles, markets and clothes drop offs will be on from 9am, endeavouring to raise as much money as possible for Open Family Australia, which reaches out to the 32,000 plus twelve to eighteen year olds that sleep on the streets every night. $5 from each ticket will be donated to Open Family Australia.
So I have a confession to make. I was just a tad cynical when I was asked to firstly preview, and then review the MCA's new ARTBAR. I know what you are thinking. How could anyone possibly poo poo a party? Or how about art + booze + Friday night + balcony overlooking Sydney Harbour on Vivid Opening night? Yeah. Well. It is quite a talent. Here's the thing. I went to art school. I ran an artist run initiative for a couple of years. I knew people. I loved it. And then it all came to quite a dramatic halt. I left Locksmith Project Space. I left my commercial art gallery day job. Locksmith folded. I stopped making art. And I stopped going to openings for 18 months. In a nutshell, I divorced art. And I had a heavy break-up with all that is the emerging art scene in Sydney. And I was quite happy with that. Sometimes it happens. We change direction. And then I realised that the only thing I was still doing - remotely related - was write about art. But I wasn't really writing, so much as berating. I was writing about hating art. And at the heart of it - it wasn't really art's fault. So now I say, 'Art. It wasn't you. It was me.' But all this I only really realised on say, Saturday. So let's go back to Friday night. I meet my non-art friend at the train station. We trudge into Circular Quay. We wander about soaking up the Vivid antics, we settle into a pub in The Rocks. We grab a bite to eat and catch up on the week's events. Then, eventually, with nods of 'we should go' we sidle up to the entrance of the MCA. Before we even enter I run into a girl I used to go to uni with. And she excitedly tells me that there are heaps of kids from SCA upstairs. Oooo, can't wait. She is right. I look around at the balcony of Christmas past. Everywhere lurks an artist from my previous life. Luckily I brought my #1 +1 so we set to work saying hellos and answering questions along the lines of where-you-been? And you know what? Time flew. Before we knew it the beer had run dry and we were handing over $24 in gold coins for two glasses of the last red on the shelf. We never made it into the galleries, and we didn't see any of the performances. But it kinda didn't matter. I rekindled a love, I made peace with my past. I ran into old friends who might not notice you missing but when you are in front of their faces you feel like the only person in the world. And I remember the reason for openings for artists. Just for the talk. For the 'Oh, I did this and maybe you would be interested in this' and 'What are you thinking about at the moment?' The thing is ARTBAR is not a place for artists but amazingly enough the only people left after 8.30pm were artists. And they stayed. They caught up. They drank expensive plonk and huddled around the heaters on the deck.
Spectacular spectacular news: we've just found the best excuse you'll ever have to head to Paris, other than, well, just generally heading to Paris. Making movie-lovers' dreams come true, and just fans of the French capital's as well, Airbnb has listed quite the iconic spot. When it comes to the Moulin Rouge's famous windmill, no other word comes close to describing it. You've seen it lighting up the big screen in Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge!, spotted it as part of Moulin Rouge! The Musical's sets and, if you've been to Paris before, maybe even tangoed past it. Now, you can slumber in a secret room within the red-hued site. Yes, you'll be peeking behind the velvet curtains of the famed location — and walking through them. The space inside the windmill has never before been opened to the public, let alone been made available to book via Airbnb — and yes, it's decked out to look the part. The interior has been turned into a Belle Époque-inspired boudoir, so you really will feel like you've danced back to late 19th-century France or into a film (or both). To get the details exactly right, Airbnb worked with French historian Jean-Claude Yon on the renovations, with authenticity obviously a big driving factor. The results: that opulent boudoir, which comes filled with art nouveau features and a miniature paper stage; a dressing area filled with vintage costumes, perfumes and letters from admirers; and a private rooftop terrace with an ornate pagoda and garden furniture that would've been around at the time. Come what may, indeed. That's all stunning as it is — and the fact that you'll get backstage access to the theatre, a traditional three-course French meal and the best seats in the house for the Moulin Rouge's acclaimed show Féerie as well as an overnight stay makes it even better. So does the fact that your host for the booking is Claudine Van Den Bergh, lead dancer of Féerie. Then there's the cost, with all of the above only setting you back AU$1.49 / NZ$1.63 (or €1) for the evening. Yes, that price is correct. If you've tried to sleep in the Bluey house in Brisbane, or Dracula's castle in Transylvania — or shark tanks, van Gogh's bedroom and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' secret lair — then you'll know that getting into Airbnbs like this is more about entering to score a shot than booking, though. In this case, the Moulin Rouge windmill will only be hosting three individual one-night stays for two guests each on June 13, 20 and 27 To get your chance, you'll need to head to the windmill's Airbnb listing when reservations open — at 3am AEST on Wednesday, May 18. If you score a stay, that AU$1.49 / NZ$1.63 doesn't cover getting you to Paris, unsurprisingly. Accordingly, your bank account will still get a workout. And, if you've always wondered about the windmill's history — well, since seeing Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor fall in love on-screen near it — it was first constructed in 1889, to nod to the site's rural origins. Then, after a fire, it was reconstructed three decades later. For more information about the Moulin Rouge windmill listing on Airbnb, or to apply to book at 3am AEST on Wednesday, May 18, head to the Airbnb website. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy. Images: Daniel Alexander Harris.
It's here. Oh God, oh God, it's finally here. After more than a year of bickering, speculation and a seemingly never-ending parade of scandals, in the next four to six hours we'll probably know the name of the next American President. Just about every new organisation on the planet will be covering the race. Below, we've put together a list of the best places to tune in to the finale of the most exhausting reality show in the history of modern democracy. GOOGLE This year, Google launched their new election tool that presents election results in real time. Just pop in "US election" into search. YOUTUBE Hop on to YouTube for live streams from NBC News, Bloomberg, PBS, MTV News, Telemundo and The Young Turks. Complex News is also streaming an election-night special at YouTube Space NY. TWITTER BuzzFeed News has teamed up with Twitter for an exclusive election live stream, available via election.twitter.com, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Xbox One. FACEBOOK LIVE A few US news outlets will be using Facebook Live to stream election results, commentary and analysis. Check out PBS NewsHour, AJ+, The Washington Post and The New York Times. Alternatively, Huffington Post are streaming a Donald Trump candle melting in real time. So, y'know, there's that. OTHER GO-TO NEWS PLATFORMS The Guardian has the most adorable and comprehensive map and tracker we've seen. Huffington Post and Fox News will be streaming through Verizon's go90streaming service. US news sites like CNN (also fronting a killer interactive electoral college map) and MSNBC will be streaming from their own websites, and Fox will be streaming from their Fox News Go app. BLOGS You definitely want to keep your eyes on Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight, along with The New Yorker and Politco. Oh, and The Onion, because laughing is better than crying. CLOSER TO HOME The ABC is operating an up-to-the-minute live blog, as is SBS and SMH. You can also stream ABC News 24, and yes, Antony Green will be on hand to break down all the numbers. VIRTUAL REALITY Yes, that's right, virtual reality. Because why wouldn't you want to get ever closer to Donald Trump. AltspaceVR have teamed up with NBC News to present VR coverage throughout the night. By Tom Clift and Shannon Connellan. Top image: The Guardian.
