It's an impressive set-up at Two Smoking Barrels with a grill rig used to smoke and season meats with native ironbark. It has everything from melt-in-your-mouth pit-smoked brisket to pork rolls, house sausages and short ribs on offer. There's a feed for every appetite, whether you need a quick, smashable burger or you want to settle in for a big ol' meat platter before you hit the road again. The sides are classic barbecue soul food: potato gems, slaw, cornbread, mac 'n' cheese and speciality burnt-end beans (the crispy, well-seasoned end bits of smoked meats). Warning: this is not food for the faint of heart, so wear your loosest pair of jeans.
East Ocean, one of our favourite late-night dining spots, is a total dumpling rock star. Try the prawn, pork, vegetable and peanut butter dumplings ($4.80 for three) for an all-in-one taste sensation. Open until late every night, East Ocean’s the perfect place for your midnight dumpling binge.
If you're the kind of person who picks their getaway spots based on great travel prices, then we come bearing important news: you're going to Australia's Red Centre. That's a worthy holiday destination regardless of whether or not you can nab a deal, but Webjet's current flight sale is likely to get you packing your bags ASAP. Until 11.59pm AEST on Thursday, August 18, the travel site is slinging one-way flights to the Northern Territory from just $15 one-way — at a discount of up to $200 off in total on some fares. Of course, that first figure is just the starting point, so you mightn't score such a cheap flight depending on which day you're planning to travel, but there are still some mighty cheap prices available. The sale covers trips to Uluru and Alice Springs, for travel between September 2022 — yes, next month — through to March 2023. Fancy a spring jaunt to the middle of the country? Making summer plans to help cope with the last of the winter chill? Know that you'll be craving an early-autumn break next year? They're all options. One key caveat: the discounted prices are available for inbound flights only, so you won't receive the same discount to come home. [caption id="attachment_773731" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NT by Tourism Australia[/caption] As always, the prices vary depending on where you're leaving from, too — but, at the time of writing, $16 tickets from Sydney to Uluru, $15 from Melbourne and $17 from Brisbane are available on select dates. A variety of airlines are covered, too. Wondering what to do once you get there? Uluru's incredible Field of Light installation is a permanent recommendation — and you can also check out our guide to visiting the Red Centre. [caption id="attachment_773730" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Field of Light by Tourism Australia[/caption] Webjet's Red Centre sale runs until 11.59pm AEST on Thursday, August 18.
For cinephiles who like their movies dark, twisted, offbeat and out there, Monster Fest has been a beloved name on Australia's festival circuit for more than a decade. The event started back in 2011 as a Melbourne-only showcase of weird and wild cinema, and has expanded to hit up Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, too — because everyone deserves a strange and surreal (and sometimes chilling and horror-fuelled) night or several at the pictures. In 2022, Monster Fest is back for another whirl, although you're forgiven if that idea sounds familiar: earlier in the year, it hosted weekender mini fests to sate movie buffs' appetites. Now, it's time for the full festival experience, which unfurls over four days in Sydney, again highlighting the latest and greatest in genre filmmaking. If it's a horror, sci-fi or thriller movie and it's destined for a cult following, you'll likely see it here first. When it arrives at Event Cinemas George Street from Thursday, December 8–Sunday, December 11, Monster Fest 2022 will kick off with the Yuletide terrors of Christmas Bloody Christmas, which features a robotic Santa malfunctioning, then going on a murderous rampage. 'Tis the season and all that. From there, other standouts include Stephen Dorff- and Emile Hirsch-starring The Price We Pay, which begins with two criminals on the run and gets deadlier from there; The Offering, about a family battling an ancient demon; and Swissploitation flick Mad Heidi, which has its namesake fight fascist rule in a grindhouse frenzy. Or, there's On the Edge, the latest from American Mary filmmakers Jen and Sylvia Soska; Subject, the sophomore release by Australian Watch the Sunset filmmaker Tristan Barr; and Ribspreader, another Aussie effort, this time about getting rid of smoking — and smokers. Closing night features Kids vs Aliens, a coming-of-age sci-fi/horror effort that sees a house party gatecrashed by visitors from another galaxy as directed by Hobo with a Shotgun's Jason Eisener. Elsewhere on the lineup, even though the idea of people fighting to survive their way through a building isn't new by any means — see: High-Rise, Dredd and The Raid, for starters — French film Lockdown Tower is giving it another go. A must-see for everyone: the special presentation of Friday the 13th Part III to celebrate its 40th anniversary, as screening in 3D and 4K. And a word of warning: if you like your movies happy and chirpy, this clearly isn't your kind of festival. For everyone else, settle in.
After screenwriter and TV showrunner Damon Lindelof played a pivotal part in bring Lost to screens, but before he revived Watchmen as a phenomenal miniseries, he was behind HBO's The Leftovers. Based on Tom Perrotta's 2011 book of the same title, the applauded show only ran for three seasons; however, it has been a constant topic of conversation since its 2014 premiere for good reason — namely, because it is thought-provoking, absorbing, exceptionally acted and, well, just excellent. The Leftovers is also grim, too. Starring Justin Theroux, Carrie Coon, Liv Tyler and Christopher Eccleston, it follows the aftermath of a world-changing event, with two percent of the planet's population disappearing in an incident known as 'the sudden departure'. That's 140 million people gone without a trace, and it has quite the impact — including on Kevin Garvey (Theroux), a small-town chief of police. And, while plenty happens in the show that makes it a must-see, the fact that much of its third season takes place in Victoria is a definite point of interest.
Some of the world's best chefs will descend on Sydney for the 21st edition of Good Food Month. Taking over restaurants across the city this October, the annual food festival will see pop-up restaurants and dinners from the likes of Alain Passard, Hiroyuki Sato and Thomas Frebel, as well as pasta parties, vegan feasts and the return of the Night Noodle Markets. For one night, Restaurant Hubert will host the legendary Alain Passard, whose Paris restaurant Arpège has three Michelin stars and is currently ranked the eighth best in the world. In Bondi, Hiroyuki Sato will transform Icebergs into a pop up version of his highly coveted Hakkoku restaurant in Tokyo (which only has six seats). While this seaside version will be a little bigger (20 seats), it won't be any less exclusive, with tickets to the two dinners going for $1000 a pop, which includes over 20 courses, beer, wine and luxury car transfers (of course). The luxury theme continues with a one-off dinner at Quay with Peter Gilmore and Jock Zonfrillo (Adelaide's Orana), and with Thomas Frebel (head chef and co-founder of Tokyo's Inua and former head of recipe development at Copenhagen's Noma) taking over Chippendale's Automata for two nights. Frebel is known for hunting down and experimenting with weird and wonderful local ingredients — so expect some lesser-known items to end up on your plate in Sydney, too. On the more affordable side of the series, cake queen Katherine Sabbath with be hosting a colourful high tea — paired with wine and Pimm's — at the QT, and Shannon Martinez (Smith & Daughters) will cook an all-vegan feast at the newly opened Mary's Underground. Some of the city's best young chefs will also team up for a pasta party at Otto. And of course, Good Food Month's ever-popular Night Noodle Markets are back for another season, taking over Hyde Park from October 11. Expect a tasty assortment of over 40 street food stalls, along with a program of performers, live acts and DJs. For those not wanting to spend heaps of cash, the affordable Let's Do Lunch returns, allowing punters to dine at Good Food hatted restaurants for cheap. This year, lunch with a wine, beer or soft drink will only set you back $45 at these top Sydney spots: Surry Hills' Nomad, waterside seafood spot Cirrus Dining, Bentley in the CBD and Pilu at Freshwater. To check out the full list and lunch details, head to the Good Food Month website. First image: Leticia Almeida. Second image: Pilu at Freshwater.
Priding themselves on being behind one of the St George area's best florists, the dedicated team at Hillcrest Florist are a must-visit for any occasion that marks the need for a new arrangement. Hillcrest delivers on the same day to homes, offices, hospitals, churches, nursing homes, schools and wedding venues in and around Hurstville Grove — you name the place, the team will get your blooms there. And we're not just talking traditional blooms like roses, lilies and gerberas, but native Australian arrangements and plants, too. Oh, and if you're prone to sending house plants to an early death, the team will give you step-by-step instructions on keeping your leafy companion alive. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
Two Spiegeltents, two labyrinths and close to two hundred events are part of the program for Sydney Festival 2015, announced today. A happy 85 of the events are free this year, so it's looking like a long, wallet-friendly summer. "What’s really special about Sydney Festival is the diverse programming, with the best local and international artists from high arts — opera, theatre, and contemporary dance — to circus and family shows," says festival director Lieven Bertels. "Sydney Festival gives audiences the perfect excuse to celebrate the city in summer." Music Music at Sydney Festival has doubled this year, with Domain concerts, Spiegeltent gigs and late-night parties dominating the program. Latin and South American tunes take centre stage, from The Life Aquatic-popularised Brazilian legend Seu Jorge to Afro-Brazilian hip hop powerhouse Karol Conka and Argentinian WTF genre-spanners Frikstailers. Beats stake their claim as festival favourites this year, from Warp Records legend Nightmares on Wax to Young Turks’ Oneman, while strummers like #1 Dads and Kim Gordon’s Body/Head take things up a notch from the myriad of female folk artists on the bill — Alela Diane, Olivia Chaney, Jessica Pratt, Tiny Ruins. Anna Von Hausswolff takes to the Sydney Town Hall grand organ supported by NZ’s Aldous Harding, Moroccan trance dancers Fez Hamadcha explore Sufi sounds, co-founder of The Saints Ed Kuepper delves into a retrospective, while Ben Frost and Tim Hecker team up for a co-headline show at the Opera House. Then Tex Perkins plays Johnny Cash tunes at the historic Parramatta Gaol (check out the Parramatta program, announced yesterday over here), while Gotye realises the music of William Onyeabor with members of LCD Soundsystem and Hot Chip, among others. Sydney Festival’s love for the eclectic ‘who the hell?’ wildcards shines once more, from frenetic Barcelona multi-layering duo ZA! to the unexpected J-pop-meets-noise-pop team-up of Salyu and Cornelius. International hype cards How to Dress Well, Omar Souleyman, Wye Oak and return SydFester Dan Deacon are sure to get punters' paws rubbing. Giving local artists a sophisticated SydFest high-five, one third of the program features Australian musicians. Raise a plastic cup to the likes of Client Liaison, Kirin J Callinan and Firekites among the big Tex Perkins/Gotye guns. Public art Home to much of the festival's music, two Spiegeltents will be anchoring the expanding Festival Village, one of the real successes of last year and a true hub for hanging out in. Also within it will be a huge-scale art work from Ireland's answer to Banksy, street artist Maser. The maze-like, colour-splashed, two-storey-high installation, called Higher Ground, is said to be "a dream come true for those who always wished they could step inside a painting", and will be the focus of everyone's Instagramming this festival (which for the first time in two years, is Rubber Duck-less). Maser will be the artist-in-residence at the Village, though as he operates in anonymity, we don't expect to see too much of him. Other highlights among art installations include the must-ride Waterfall Swing at Darling Harbour, a giant swing that sends you flying towards a curtain of water that, thanks to the work of sensors, parts just before you hit it. Over at Carriageworks is another super-enticing labyrinthine experience, Inside There Falls (by UK-based Mira Calix), an immersive, tissue-paper environment you walk through, guided by haunting audio and the occasional glimpse of dancers. Also at Carriageworks, you can watch the meditative, 45-minute SpongeBob SquareTimes, an accidentally shot video of a man in a SpongeBob suit trying to make friends in Times Square. Performance Another big pillar of the festival is international theatre, dance and performance works. This year the big draws are Belgium's Kiss & Cry, a cinematic romance performed by two hands (yes, hands); India's The Kitchen, a spectacle of cooking and drumming from the creator of The Manginyar Seduction; France and the UK's The Night Dances, a celebration of the words of Sylvia Plath and music of Benjamin Britten, performed by Charlotte Rampling; and France's On the Harmful Effects of Tabacco, a Chekov one-act comedy performed by Theatre Des Bouffes du Nord (former home of Peter Brook) with costumes by Christian Lacroix. These join the already announced Tabac Rouge, a festival centre piece from another French innovator, circus performer James Thierree. On the smaller and more experimental side, there's one-woman memory mission I Guess If the Stage Exploded and, told entirely through the contents of one man's shoebox, Wot? No Fish!!. There's plenty of Australian contributions too, of the likes of Kate Mulvany's Masquerade, Force Majeure's Nothing to Lose, ambitious multimedia ethical exploration The Experiment and the return of the folks from Alvin Sputnik for Falling Through Clouds. On the circus side of things, the new Aurora Spiegeltent will be home to both last year's Limbo and new minimal circus artists A Simple Space, while the USA's Wau Wau Sisters lead the cabaret lineup. Those still holding a torch for the iconic Festival First Night will have to keep holding it; there's no sign of its return any time soon. Absent that inclusive and accessible event, hit up Sounds in the Domain, the Festival Village and the POP Parramatta Opening Party for free outdoor shenanigans. The 2015 Sydney Festival is on from January 8-26. Multipack tickets go on sale on October 24 (tomorrow!) at 9am, and will get you nice discounts. Single tickets go on sale on October 27 at 9am. To buy tickets and check out the full program, see the festival website. By Rima Sabina Aouf and Shannon Connellan.
A non-profit cultural organisation, the Japan Foundation promotes cultural exchange between Japan and other countries — and we're lucky enough to have the Australian chapter right here in Sydney. Located in Central Park, the space offers a huge range of events and programs, spanning not only exhibitions and talks, but also Japanese language courses and grant programs. The Sydney outpost of the foundation boasts three distinct departments: arts and culture, Japanese language education and Japanese studies. On the art side of things, the gallery exhibits both traditional and contemporary Japanese art, while the library houses over 18,000 Japanese publications. The Japan Foundation's office is open 9am–5pm Monday–Friday, while its library is open 10am–6pm. During exhibitions, the gallery is open 10am–6pm Monday–Friday and 10–4pm on Saturdays. Image: Brett Boardman
Projected across two double-sided screens with a lonely rug in between, Acid/Gothic, a MOP Projects exhibition at Galerie Pompom, is an original group show to say the least. Filmed in Elizabeth Bay House, this MOP Project features work by Pia van Gelder, Tracey Moffatt and Sarah Mosca, among others. It is a wandering critique of the cultural strategies ‘Acid’ (or psychedelia) and ‘Gothic’ that have “reappeared throughout Western history in response to authoritarian or highly structured theoretical regimes.” In other words, they are both means of disrupting and distorting. By evoking dreams, death and drug-induced psychosis, this exhibition engages with the hallucinatory fractures in reality, prying open alternative spheres of existence. What is unique about Acid/Gothic is that your vision is given over to a camera lens, carving in and out of this retained relic of colonialism. As the anonymous wanderer observes art alongside architecture, the point of view shot feels like being co-opted into someone else’s viewing habits. It’s a little difficult and disorientating having your personal perception stripped away. And as the works are scattered throughout the empty interior of this 19th-century house, it’s a bit of a treasure hunt figuring out which is which. Peering down hallways and up staircases, there’s a peculiar sense of doubling as we come across these works. For example, Gary Carsley’s pair of IKEA tables are decorated to look like decadent antiques. They are printed with matching portraits of 'Cate as Kate', presumably Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn — two actresses bracketing a vast history of cinema. However, one table has a broken leg and its print looks like a photographic negative. This arresting inversion might be calling upon the bipolar temperament of the Gothic, summoning up the shadowy other. With isolated moments from mainstream cinema stuck on repeat, there’s also an emphasis on the cinematic. For example, the rippling cup of water from Jurassic Park is looped, becoming a constant tremor. This scene has come to be recognised as a textbook definition of tension for filmmakers. In this context, it is a displaced quote, a suspense signal that vibrates outward into new surroundings. While there are some interesting works here, you’re always kept at a slight distance. Acid/Gothic requires a willingness to explore and a resignation to the pace set by the roaming camera lens. Consequently, the individual impact of each work feels slightly diluted. But the eerie and ethereal qualities that seep into the spaces between the works are perhaps part of the point. Highly recommended is the accompanying issue of Das Superpaper, which teases out some of the key thematic ideas.
We open on a hotel party, all the horrors of the world: a Hawaiian-themed engagement bash. Upstairs in her room, a single woman in her mid-thirties takes a swig of wine, stares into a mirror and convinces herself to join in… only to immediately abort and instead order room service, don her tracksuits pants and settle in to watch Silence of the Lambs. This is Nancy (Lake Bell), a sarcastic, self-deprecating and utterly cynical romantic train wreck. The following day, however, mistaken identity lands her on a blind date with Jack (Simon Pegg), and — against all odds — they hit it off. What follows is a sort of ‘un-romantic comedy’ transpiring entirely over the course of one evening, and while its outcome is formulaic, the journey is novel enough to warrant viewing. To its credit, Man Up dispenses with the ‘will he find out?’ subplot a lot faster than expected, focusing instead on Jack's subsequent outrage as its primary source of tension and drama. It also boasts some of the most realistic family writing in years, with Nancy’s parents, sister and brother-in-law providing a charming mix of laughs and tear-jerkers in practically every one of their scenes. Pegg and Bell hold the lion’s share of screen time, however, and their obvious chemistry keeps everything cracking along at a jolly pace. Man Up offers an amusing and — at times — honest perspective on modern dating, complete with drunken sobbing, burdensome baggage and unforgettable exes. With its “fuck the past!” mantra and enthusiasm for risk taking, the script's none-too-subtle critique of self-help books ultimately ends up proffering a fairly pronounced message of its own — but it’s not a bad one, and neither is the film.
Along a 500-metre stretch of disused rail line formerly used to transport meat, wheat and wool to and from the city for well over a century, the $15 million Goods Line running parallel to Harris Street in Ultimo is now a pedestrian walkway connecting Central Station to Darling Harbour. But there's a lot more to it than that — the area boasts full wifi connectivity, public entertainment spaces, table tennis tables and study pods. Additional features include an amphitheatre, a bike path and a children's water playground, as well as grassed areas and elevated platforms designed for public performances and events.
Another week, another film, another hero clad in spandex. For the past decade and a half, Hollywood has churned out an unrelenting stream of superhero movies. Some, like Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight or Joss Whedon's first Avengers film, manage to rise above the pack. Others, like the laughably self-important Man of Steel or the disastrous new Fantastic Four, scrape the bottom of the barrel. The rest, for the most part, are merely okay. More to the point, almost all of them stick to the same predictable playbook in which everything is taken way, way too seriously. That's where Deadpool promises to be different. This long awaited film about the popular Marvel antihero arrives in cinemas on the back of an absolutely ingenious marketing campaign, one that stresses to punters unfamiliar with the character that he is anything but your typical superhero. Decked out in red, wielding katanas and a big ass gun, Deadpool swears, cracks jokes and murders his enemies with glee. Not only that, but he knows he's in a movie, and frequently delivers his X-rated quips directly to the camera. Most importantly, he's entertaining. He doesn't mope about his dead parents, or whinge about how great power means great responsibility. In an era of increasingly reluctant and angst-riddled crusaders, he makes being a superhero look fun. That's not to say that director Tim Miller has reinvented the wheel. The same familiar narrative formula is still very much at play here, even if the specifics are different. Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) is a low-level mercenary whose life with his prostitute girlfriend Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) seems doomed after he is diagnosed with terminal cancer. A lifeline comes in the form of an offer from a shady organisation, who promise to make Wilson indestructible. Unfortunately, the process also leaves him horribly disfigured, looking roughly akin to – in his own words – "a testicle with teeth." And when the people behind his transformation inevitably betray him, he's left with no choice but to become the one thing he never thought he'd be: a hero. So yeah, Deadpool isn't exactly the second coming of the genre. Luckily, it's also so relentlessly enjoyable that its flaws are easy to forgive. The script, by Zombieland co-writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, is absolutely brimming with knowing, foul-mouthed humour – indeed, this is much more a rude, crude, fourth-wall breaking comedy than it is a standard action film. There are dick jokes and pop-culture gags aplenty, but the biggest laughs come from references to Deadpool's fellow superheroes. When a couple of ancillary X-Men try and convince Deadpool to meet with Professor X, he asks whether they mean James McAvoy or Patrick Stewart. The writers also lay mercilessly into the recent Green Lantern movie, which of course starred none other than their own film's leading man. Frankly, it's hard to fathom that Reynolds ever wore another costume, since it feels like Deadpool is the role he was born to play. His performance is the other big reason the movie works as well as it does, his irreverent, snark-laden line delivery helping keep us on side with a protagonist whose behaviour is totally reprehensible. Not that you'd want him any other way. Hell, we'll take this nutcase over that bland boy scout Superman any day of the week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIM1HydF9UA
If you truly want a break from city life and fully immerse yourself in country living, there's no finer place than the Orange region. Whether you'd love to be sipping wines by a fire pit at the Winter Fire Festival, taking a summer hike up Mount Canobolas, watching the leaves change in autumn or seeing the bud bursts in vineyards in spring, there's always a reason to make the trek to the Central Tablelands. Together with Orange360, we've collated some of the best reasons to visit the Orange region, from epic festivals and top-notch wine to some of the country's best food and cosiest country stays. Outdoor and Festive Events The highlight of the winter season in the Orange region is the Winter Fire Festival. Attendees can enjoy a series of events curated by local producers to showcase the region's finest food and wine offerings. Sample local treats and wines throughout the day. As night falls, fire pits will line the streets as you enjoy live music and family-friendly activities before the event culminates in a dazzling fireworks display. It's a celebration of community against the backdrop of the picturesque countryside. Fireworks are nothing next to this next annual activity. Massive hot air balloons take to the skies every autumn in the Canowindra International Balloon Challenge. This creative festival is held annually in Canowindra, a small but strong rural community in the picturesque and fertile Belubula Valley. It has a long history of hot air ballooning, dating back to the first modern hot air balloon flight in Australia in 1966. Stick around for the monthly Twilight Markets at The Palms Canowindra. Six times a year, this market showcases producers from Canowindra's surrounds. Peruse the produce, hunt for gifts or snack on local food and wines. There's also live music and an open mic for brave travellers wishing to share a song or two. Wine Tasting and Vineyard Visits Thanks to the Orange region's unique climate and high altitudes on the Great Dividing Range's north and west slopes, wine producers can cultivate a diverse range of grape varieties in the region. Cooler sub-regions are perfect for riesling and sauvignon blanc, the warmer spots are ideal for merlot, shiraz and cab sav, and chardonnay and pinot noir are happy in between. So, you simply can't come here and not make time for a wine tasting. Macquariedale Organic Wines should be on your itinerary if you're a mindful wine fan. It specialises in organic, biodynamic, low-preservative, vegan-friendly and natural wines — as nature intended. The winery hosts a range of wine tastings and experiences at its cellar door, including a Wander and Graze package that will take you up the gentle slopes of the property to take in views across to Mount Canobolas while enjoying a hamper stocked with local goodies (and wine, of course). Head to the family-owned winery Angullong in Millthorpe for a more traditional wine tasting. Visit its historic bluestone cellar door to sample its range, which includes classic cool-climate varieties such as sauvignon blanc, shiraz and cabernet. There are also some dynamic alternative wines in the mix, such as viognier, tempranillo, barbera and sangiovese. Delve deeper into the countryside and take a jaunt out to the Logan Wines cellar door. This whimsical wine brand was started by wine industry stalwart Peter Logan. Everything on the wine list is an experiment and a testament to the team's determination to create a shift from the norm. Epicurean Experiences As the Central Tablelands' food bowl, the Orange region is the perfect place to polish up your cooking skills or simply taste some delicious food. Local winery Ross Hill Wines — Australia's first certified carbon-neutral winery — hosts cooking classes every other week with chef Michael Manners, as part of its school of food and wine Barrel & Larder. Classes range from how to prepare Mediterranean share plates to mastering the art of pies, pizzas and desserts. For a taste of the region in the city centre, head to Hey Rosey, on Summer Street. This stylish wine bar celebrates local food and wines. For big feeds, opt for a roasts with seasonal veg or, for lighter bites, go for the oeuf mayonnaise with soft poached eggs, Pernod mayo and salmon roe. Another local favourite is Byng Street Local Store, a must-stop for breakfast, lunch or coffee on the go. From Wednesday to Saturday, the store opens for dinner service. The menu changes weekly but includes dishes like crispy pork belly with a mango and curry sauce, tuna tataki with grapefruit and ponzu dressing, and seven-hour beef short ribs with tamarind and kaffir lime. Cosy Stays in the Country The Orange region has many epic spots to stay, from charming cottages to elegant hotels, but what could be more immersive than a real farm experience? 11 kilometres from the city centre is a sixth-generation sheep station, Bondonga, where you'll find The Quarters' farm stay. Encounter all kinds of flora and fauna and spend the day as a farmer on an ATV Tour, where you'll meet lambs and get a taste of life as a sheep farmer. For a home away from home, The White Place Home on Byng could be the perfect stay for you. This quaint cottage, only steps away from the Byng Street Local Store, boasts four generous bedrooms, fireplaces and glass French doors that open out to an entertaining deck that overlooks an in-ground pool — ideal for a dip after a long day, weather permitting. Whether you're planning a springtime escape or a wintry weekend away, the Orange region has fine wine, good food and spectacular surroundings that make for a great break. Start planning your trip here.
Last year, Sydney's first dedicated esports and gaming bar opened in Ashfield. Now, an all-female gaming festival is heading Down Under for the first time this June. Taking over Chatswood's Concourse during Vivid Sydney, the Girl Gamer Esports Festival celebrates women in the gaming industry with live tournaments, cosplay competitions and gaming zones, to name a few. Running across Sunday, June 9 and Monday, June 10, it's an event for both full-on gamers and those just curious as to what the gaming world is all about. At the centre of the festival is the live tournament, which will see players battle it out on stage, competing in the likes of Counter-Strike, Super Smash Bros, and Overwatch. Apart from the tournament, festivalgoers can also listen to speakers and discussion panels headed up by some of the industry's leading women. As it's running in conjunction with Vivid, you can expect the lighting and design set-up to be on point, too. The Concourse will be transformed into a colourful space inspired by video game worlds. Girl Gamer is a global festival, so it'll move on to Seoul, Madrid and Sao Paulo after making its Aussie debut. Tickets are set at an incredibly reasonable $20 — and that includes entry for both days. Girl Gamer runs from 10am–7pm.
Light, art and photography – it's a proven winning combination. Australian artist Denis Smith is a professional light painter whose Ball of Light project combines traditional long exposure photography with continuous movements of lights directed by the artist. Surreal, glowing orbs are captured in peaceful yet unlikely places – a cemetery, a mountainside, a beach. Eerily they hover between land and sky, buzzing with strange energy and varied hues. Would you believe that Smith doesn't use Photoshop to edit these incredible images? Smith says "there is so much post processing of photography today, I wanted to create something that was real, yet unreal. No pixels are added or subtracted from the Ball of Light images." [Via Flavorwire]
This Christmas, all you need is love — plus a festive little cabaret that showcases all of the hit tunes from Love Actually. It's the way to celebrate the season when you're not just leaving the seasonal favourite flick on repeat at home. Yep, that's Christmas Actually. Created by the folks behind Rumour Has It and Lady Beatle, and starring Libby O'Donovan, Christmas Actually features all of the tracks that've become synonymous with this merry time of year — including Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You', naturally. Songs by Joni Mitchell, Norah Jones, Eva Cassidy, The Beach Boys and The Beatles are all on the bill as well — and, to help belt them out, O'Donovan will be joined by Joshua Robson, Stefanie Caccamo, Mat Verevis, Damian Sim, Scott French and more. There'll even be more than one nativity lobster, plus a jolly mood and a whole room full of festive cheer. That room is The Studio at Sydney Opera House, where Christmas Actually plays from Wednesday, December 14–Saturday, December 17. Get excited by revisiting Love Actually's trailer below. 'Tis the season, after all.
Got something cheeky in mind for Valentine's Day? Pier Dining can help you out with dinner and a 'fourth course' in the form of a provocative parting gift. From the lush waterfront venue at Pier One Sydney Harbour, this suggestive event kicks off with a glass of bubbly before settling into an aphrodisiac-inspired set menu. Featuring several share-style dishes designed to level up the romance; oysters dressed with fizzy raspberry vinegar, poached veal tenderloin and crab spaghetti alla vodka, the menu will set the mood for the rest of the evening. Rounding out this feast, indulge in the Pier Lova – a special Valentine's Day-inspired pavlova with strawberries and Valrhona chocolate. Before it's time to depart this dreamy spot by the water, there's still one more surprise for the so-called fourth course. Guests will take home a Bed Intentions natural water-based lubricant to make their Valentine's Day one to remember. Cheeky, right? Bookings are available now at $99 per person.
Every year, when spring hits Toowoomba, the regional city becomes the brightest place in southeast Queensland. Blooms blossom, greenery sprouts and flora reaches towards the sun — that's right, it's Carnival of Flowers time. Usually, the carnival only runs for ten days. In 2021, however, it's sticking around for an entire month. Accordingly, mark all of September in your diary — from Wednesday, September 1–Thursday, September 30 — and start planning a weekend trip west for the event's 72nd year. As always, the Carnival of Flowers will bloom at a variety of Toowoomba locations — including Laurel Bank Park and the Botanic Gardens of Queens Park — showcasing all of the gorgeous florets, growths and gardens around town. Each year, more than 170,000 blossoming bulbs and seedlings are planted, so this huge (and free) carnival won't be short on natural splendour. Attendees can also expect everything from park tours to kaleidoscopic arrays of tulips, petunias and poppies. Food trucks slinging bites to eat, a food trail showcasing local eateries and a ferris wheel with a blooming great view are also on the bill, as are a series of talks in local pubs, a dog-friendly program so that your pooch can get in on the action, both guided and non-guided walking tours, a big food and wine festival, a cinema under the stars and a floral parade. And, yes, the illuminated night garden will return as well. If you're keen to check out live tunes in flower-filled parks, the lineup for this year's ticketed Festival of Food and Wine within the broader carnival includes Sarah Blasko, Ash Grunwald, The Beautiful Girls, Grace Knight, Wendy Matthews, Richard Clapton and GANGgajang. They'll be hitting the stage between Friday, September 10–Sunday, September 11. Basically, there's no bad time to visit — and you might want to make the trek more than once. Indeed, when it comes to scenic spring sights, there's no prettier place to be. And, given it takes less than two hours to head up the mountain from Brisbane, it's perfect for a weekend day trip. Make a playlist, take a picnic and there's your Saturday or Sunday sorted. Naturally, the event will be adhering to COVID-19 requirements — so expect some social distancing with your bouquets. Image: Tourism and Events Queensland Updated June 1.
Now in its 65th year, the annual Tesselaar Tulip Festival features over a million tulips planted across 25 acres of farmland. This huge collection of tulips is the perfect excuse to wander through endless fields of flowers to celebrate the start of spring. There's heaps of stuff happening at the tulip farm throughout the month, which sits on the cusp of the Dandenong Ranges and the Yarra Valley (east of Melbourne). For the food fans, we would highly recommend pencilling the Food, Wine & Jazz Weekend (September 27–29) into your eating plans. Boasting locally brewed beer, wine and a tasty snacks from the area — including warm, buttery fire-baked scones, mini dutch pancakes and loaded baked potatoes among the tulips. If you're still not convinced, entry includes complimentary wine and beer tasting. Similarly, the Dutch Weekend (September 20–22) will showcase the best that the Netherlands have to offer – other than tulips — with music, markets, unique crafts (wooden tulip-making, anyone?) and Dutch food available inside the festival. Or, head by on the Irish Weekend (October 11–13), where Irish pipers and dancing will perform (and plenty of Guinness and Kilkenny-drinking will take place) around the site's floral rainbow The Tesselaar Tulip Festival runs from Saturday, September 14 through to Sunday, October 13. Tickets are available at the farm, but you can buy them online in advance to skip the queue.
Sydney guys and girls now know they better watch out, as Lauryn Hill killed the Opera house softly with her song last night (with another show up tonight for Vivid LIVE). With vocals as strong as ever and a rapping speed that ain't slowing down, Ms. Hill triumphantly took her rightful place at the top of the hip hop class. After a buzzing Opera House excitedly thrusted to red red wiiiiiiine R&B and reggae classics, the crowd was well geared up for the hour-late Ms. Hill. It's been a good four years since Hill has visited Australia. The multi-Grammy award-winning singer disappeared from public life in 2000 after staggering fame, later undergoing a prison stint and three months house arrest after failing to file her tax returns on time. Returning to the Sydney stage with a vocally-charged, raptastic journey through her Fugees years, acoustic ballads, a Bob Marley cover and highlights from her legendary solo albums The Score and The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, the 39-year-old left no stone unturned. Swanning out in a black sequinned onesie, cape-like coat and broad-brimmed hat, Hill opened the set with an epic fifteen minute version of The Fugees' seminal cover 'Killing Me Softly'. One of the best selling hip hop artists of all time, Hill then dove headfirst into her epic repertoire — starting with her harmony-fuelled 1998 Miseducation single 'Everything Is Everything'; her super stylin' backup singers throwing down some seriously baller choreography. Hill still sits at the top of the class as one of the fastest rappers in the game. Slowly but surely speeding up during a funked up version of Miseducation's 'Final Hour', Hill furiously threw down every rhyme without blinking an eye. Ever the crowdpleaser, Hill somewhat cheesily inserted 'Sydney' into every possible lyrical corner — a guaranteed squeal-jerker employed at her Melbourne show just days before. Quite the control freak, the former Fugees frontwoman directed her band, backup singers and crowd like a bossy conductor, knowing every drum beat, vocal harmony and keyboard solo and attempting to make magic happen with furious pointed fingers. During a slightly bungled audience participation attempt of 'In Zion' the crowd slightly feared for the professional lives of the backup singers as Hill tried to lead an unsteady call and response moment, but eventually she busted moves with her band and gave shout-outs all round. Taking time out for a sentimentally-charged acoustic moment or three, Hill showcased her gospel-folk vocal strength with tunes from her 2002 album, MTV Unplugged 2.0 with 'Mr Intentional' and 'Oh Jerusalem'. Hill kept rolling through to a stunning cover of Bob Marley's 'Could You Be Loved' — by her late father-in-law. Finishing up with a revisit to 'Killing Me Softly' and a celebratory rendition of her 1998 Grammy-winning debut solo single 'Doo Wop (That Thing)', Hill triggered clasped hands Concert Hall-wide by bringing out two of her children to join her on (unsurprisingly badass) vocals. One of the most hyped-up moments in the Vivid LIVE lineup, Lauryn Hill made it clear she's still every inch the hip hop superstar she's been since before iPods were born. No throwbacks to Sister Act 2 though. Dayum. Lauryn Hill plays her second show at Sydney Opera House tonight for Vivid LIVE. Details over here. Images by Prudence Upton.
This is the first significant Australian showing of Alfred Stieglitz's work and contains more than 150 of the finest prints of his photos. Alfred Stieglitz is important in a way that's kind of hard to explain. That's partly because he did so many different things as a photographer and partly because his influence on subsequent technical and aesthetic practices has been so pervasive. He termed his approach 'straight photography' and intended it to portray and convey its subjects in ways that were uniquely photographic rather than imitative of other media. Stieglitz created an identity for photography as an independent art form in the American context, an art form with expressive 'equivalents' to painting or music or drama. He also created a particularly American imagery in the visual vocabulary of his medium. His pictures of New York in the 1930s show the scaffolds of skyscrapers begun in the '20s; the skies he so often captured are met by huge frontier horizons. Stieglitz was also a modernist of the highest order, photographing not only Duchamp but one of the most-used images of his Fountain. He was married to Georgia O'Keeffe and took just a few photos of her, roomfuls of which you'll see alongside the country and cityscapes, the skies and the pictures of people who adored him. Make sure you say something about the apples as symbols of American spirituality and/or the prominence of hands in the portraits and/or the sexual innuendo about one of those things. Bonus points for all three: it's what multitasking Alfred would have wanted.
Sequels to romantic comedies are rare. When a movie trades in the dream of finding love and living happily ever after, exploring what comes next tends to ruin the fantasy. That's the problem My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 faces as it endeavours to revisit the characters from its popular predecessor — and like Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and Sex and the City 2, it struggles. Everyday relationship issues, coping with kids and the minutiae of marriage are more the domain of sitcoms than rom-coms, after all. It's little surprise, then, that this return to the big fat Greek world wouldn't feel out of place on the small screen, rather than in cinemas. In fact, 2002's My Big Fat Greek Wedding already inspired one season's worth of television, My Big Fat Greek Life, back in 2003. The latest extension of the story ignores the TV series' existence, although it firmly follows in its footsteps. In fact, from the angsty teenaged daughter who wants nothing to do with her parents, to the demanding relatives who can't keep out of each other's business, it's the kind of fare you'd expect to watch in 30-minute weekly episodes in the comfort of your own living room. After close to two decades together, Toula (Nia Vardalos) and Ian (John Corbett) have well and truly settled into wedded bliss — and made themselves a little too cosy and complacent, they begin to realise. They try to reignite the spark in their romance; however Toula's obsession with where their only child, Paris (Elena Kampouris), will go to college doesn't help matters. Nor does the sudden need of her elderly mother (Lainie Kazan) and father (Michael Constantine) to throw their own wedding ceremony, after discovering that their marriage certificate wasn't formalised 50 years earlier. Cue a second big fat Greek wedding, and an excuse to get the whole gang from the first film (including Australian actress Gia Carides) back together. The broader group is still a collection of walking clichés, with neither subtlety nor skirting stereotypes high on the film's list of priorities. Given that their antics are constantly commented on by a couple of snarky neighbours, observations about the difference between Greek and American culture provide the bulk of the movie's content. And while such obvious insights are clearly designed to be jokes by Vardalos, who writes as well as stars, they rarely inspire more than the occasional laboured chuckle. And yet, Vardalos' honey-coloured view of her ancestry, the immigrant experience and the eccentricities of living with such a big, close Greek family as she wades further into middle age remain sweet, even if they're hardly amusing the second time around. There are traces of ragged charm to this Kirk Jones-directed effort, like slipping on an old item of clothing and finding it still technically functional – even if it is rather scruffy and well-worn. If the film's core couple are too comfortable, so is the sitcom-style sequel itself. It knows that recapturing its initial magic is a difficult task, but it also knows that it may as well try anyway — and doesn't even contemplate attempting something more.
Where can you see live tunes with a stunning view of Sydney Harbour, all while surrounded by adorable animals as well? Twilight at Taronga. Each summer, the after-hours live music series hosts outdoor gigs with an impressive lineup, and 2024 is set to be no different. On the bill: Meg Mac, Ball Park Music, The Whitlams, the returning drag and comedy galas, and more. Held in Taronga Zoo's natural amphitheatre, this year's batch of shows runs for a month from Friday, February 2–Saturday, March 2, 2024. Also set to take to the stage: John Butler, The Waifs, The Cat Empire, and the Australian Rock Collective featuring members of Spiderbait, Powderfinger, Jet and You Am I. It isn't a Twilight at Taronga series without a few annual favourites. So, ABBA parody/tribute Bjorn Again will also bust out their tracks again, as will James Morrison, with the latter celebrating tunes from swing to soul. And, the big drag gala will bring together Karen From Finance, Art Simone, Spankie Jackzon, Jojo Zaho and Maxi Shield — while the comedy gala's lineup starts with Celia Pacquola, Ivan Aristeguieta and MC Daniel Connell. You can BYO a picnic, but there'll also be gourmet hampers available onsite alongside a handful of food trucks. Ticketholders can also purchase discounted same-day entry into the zoo (so you can sneak in a visit to your favourite mammal, bird or reptile beforehand) and, if you want to make a weekend of it, you can add on a night at Taronga's luxe eco-retreat. As always, all proceeds will go back into Taronga's ongoing conservation work, including its campaign to protect our marine life. So, you can see a gig and feel good about helping the zoo. Twilight at Taronga 2024 Lineup: Friday, February 2 — Meg Mac Saturday, February 3, 10am — Emma Memma Saturday, February 3, 6pm — Bjorn Again Sunday, February 4 — Bjorn Again Friday, February 9 — Australian Rock Collective featuring members of Spiderbait, Powderfinger, Jet and You Am I Saturday, February 10 — Comedy Gala featuring Celia Pacquola, Dave Hughes, Nikki Britton, Ivan Aristeguieta and MC Daniel Connell Sunday, February 11 — John Butler Friday, February 16 — Ball Park Music Saturday, February 17 — The Waifs Thursday, February 22 — Drag Gala featuring Karen From Finance, Art Simone, Spankie Jackzon, Jojo Zaho and Maxi Shield Saturday, February 24 — James Morrison's From Swing to Soul Thursday, February 29 — The Cat Empire Friday, March 1 — The Cat Empire Saturday, March 2, 10am — Zindzi & The Zillionaires Saturday, March 2, 6pm — The Whitlams
Highly awarded cocktail bar Maybe Sammy, which was named the 11th best bar in the world in 2020, has just welcomed a sister venue to the CBD. First announced last year, and throwing open its doors today, Tuesday, March 23, Sammy Junior is slinging cuppas by day and mini cocktails by night — until 5pm Monday–Wednesday and 10pm Thursday–Friday, that is. Sitting in the heart of the CBD along King Street, the new espresso bar takes its design cues from Maybe Sammy, with its interiors overseen by famed architect George Livissianis (The Dolphin Hotel, Chin Chin Sydney, The Apollo, Cho Cho San). Patrons can expect pistachio hues aplenty, including in the terrazzo floor and bar surfaces and stucco walls. Seating-wise, you can choose from the ten chairs around the bar, banquettes in the back and scattered tables elsewhere. For its coffee, the cafe is offering a blend that's been specially crafted for the venue by coffee connoisseur and Maybe Sammy Co-Founder Martin Hudak (2017 World Coffee in Good Spirits Champion). Sammy Junior Spiritual Coffee features hand-roasted Brazilian, Columbian and Ethiopian beans, or you can choose from a seasonal bean selection — or from Ms Cattea's teas, chai from Bespoke Chai and Callebaut's hot chocolates. Classic Aussie breakfasts, as well as sandwiches and salads for lunch, cater to both takeaway and dine-in customers, with around 50 seats for the latter. The food menu has been created by Chef Robert Lechowicz of Cronulla's Blackwood Pantry, and includes tomatoes on toast, smashed avo, toasted banana bread and strawberry chia pudding to start the day, as well as a daily pastry selection from Sonoma Bakery. For a midday bite, tomato and basil paninis and smokey chipotle chicken wraps sit alongside both Mediterranean and Asian-style bowls. Then, in the evenings on Thursdays and Fridays, Sammy Junior will have similar cocktail-den vibes to its sibling. Mini cocktails in 100 millilitre servings are available on tap — and at lunchtime five days a week, too — including coffee negronis and an Aussie take on the martini made with lemon myrtle. A few wines and beers are also on the docket, with the vino sticking to the small-sized theme by coming in half bottles only. And, on the two nights that the venue stays open late, $2 oysters are available from 3pm, while marinated olives and a salumi and cheese selection are on offer from the same time Monday–Friday. Explaining the hybrid cafe and bar setup, Hudak said "traditionally, a venue is either great at coffee or great at cocktails but there's not many venues that combine those two offerings successfully. We're fortunate to have a team who is internationally awarded for delivering exceptional bar and coffee experiences, so it made sense to combine them into one venue." You can also pick up something from Sammy Junior's retail arm while you're onsite, including take-home coffee packs, its bottled cocktails in mini and 500-millilitre sizes, T-shirts, cocktail glasses and Sammy Junior takeaway cups. And, head by between Tuesday, March 23–Friday, March 26 and you'll also score a free cuppa, with one free coffee available per person, per day across the four days. Find Sammy Junior at 66 King Street, Sydney — open from 7am–5pm Monday–Wednesday and 7am–10pm Thursday–Friday. Images: DS Oficina
No one can know for certain what tomorrow will bring; however, the tales told on screens big and small, and through games and comics as well, have delivered plenty of visions of what might come. Will androids dream of electric sheep? Will a Keanu Reeves (John Wick: Chapter 4)-voiced rock star and terrorist make their presence known? Will Afrofuturist technologies transform life as we know it? These are some of the future possibilities conjured up by beloved pop-culture titles — and they're all part of the Australian Centre for the Moving Image's just-announced world-premiere exhibition The Future & Other Fictions as well. Displaying at the Melbourne screen museum across Thursday, November 28, 2024–Sunday, April 27, 2025, taking pride of place as its big summer showcase, The Future & Other Fictions is a love letter to and deep dive into futuristic storytelling. More than 180 works will be on display, including from Blade Runner 2049, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Cyberpunk 2077 and The Creator. Saltsea Chronicles, comic series NEOMAD and Björk's music video 'The Gate': they're all also featured. Before he was just Ken, Ryan Gosling (The Fall Guy) starred in the 35-years-later sequel to Blade Runner — and before he brought Dune and Dune: Part Two to the screen, Denis Villeneuve directed Blade Runner 2049. The Future & Other Fictions lets attendees follow in their footsteps via miniature sets, which are one of the exhibition's definite must-sees. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever gets the nod thanks to Academy Award-winning costumes by Ruth E Carter, while sketches from NEOMAD also feature — as do concept art from The Creator, Cyberpunk 2077 and Saltsea Chronicles. This showcase isn't just about well-known renderings of the future, though, thanks to work by Olalekan Jeyifous, Osheen Siva and Tāgata Moana art collective Pacific Sisters. Plus, via new commissions, DJ Hannah Brontë has her own take, and so does Liam Young and Natasha Wanganeen (Limbo). [caption id="attachment_974744" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andrew Thomas Huang[/caption] As it celebrates how screens imagine the years ahead via its array of artwork, sets, props and scripts — alongside clips, costumes and original design materials, too — The Future & Other Fictions also features a film season focusing on Björk, complete with Björk: Biophilia Live on the lineup. "This exhibition reminds us that the way we imagine the future is shaped by popular film, TV shows and videogames. Many alternative visions of the future can and do exist," explains ACMI Director and CEO Seb Chan. "From two-time Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E Carter to Italian fashion designer Alessandro Michele; New Zealand's renowned special effects studio Wētā Workshop to the Pilbara's own Love Punks. We hope that visitors leave optimistic about what might be possible — and find hope in designing the futures we need." [caption id="attachment_877485" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_974749" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mahia Te Kore[/caption] [caption id="attachment_920309" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 20th Century Studios. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_974745" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andrew Thomas Huang[/caption] [caption id="attachment_974750" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mahia Te Kore[/caption] The Future & Other Fictions will display at ACMI, Federation Square, Melbourne, from Thursday, November 28, 2024–Sunday, April 27, 2025. Head to the venue's website for more details.
UPDATE, April 16, 2021: Brigbsy Bear is available to stream via iTunes and Amazon Video. In Brigsby Bear, a grown man finds himself unable to let go of his childhood obsession. No, it's not a documentary. While farewelling beloved franchises, characters and TV shows is an increasingly rare occurrence in today's remake-, revamp-, reboot- and resurrection-centric popular culture, this sweet, insightful and genuinely moving comedy doesn't simply chronicle an adult fanboy suffering from a severe bout of arrested development. Brigsby Bear's furry heart beats with more than easy nostalgia. For the shy and awkward James Pope (writer and star Kyle Mooney, best known for his work on Saturday Night Live), his love of Brigsby Bear Adventures and its eponymous animal hero isn't driven by a wistful yearning for a past long passed. The television series might look like a relic – with its cheap sets, stilted acting and kid-friendly life lessons – and yet a new episode arrives like clockwork on VHS every week. James devours each instalment with wide-eyed enthusiasm, in his room packed wall-to-wall with Brigsby merchandise. Having spent the bulk of his life in a homely underground bunker with just his parents (Mark Hamill and Jane Adams) for company, it's literally the only escape he knows. It's also his only experience of the world beyond his contained existence. Directed by Dave McCary and co-written by Kevin Costello (two of Mooney's primary school pals), Brigbsy Bear follows James' reaction when he's thrust out of his comfort zone, forced to interact with reality and confronted with the realisation that his favourite program isn't quite what he thinks. The precise nature of the revelation is best discovered by watching, though it's not a spoiler to say that his post-Brigsby life comes as quite a shock. As he endeavours to cope, the film couldn't be more earnest or astute in exploring why we become so attached to shows and movies, or the cathartic role they play in shaping how we approach the world. Sure, it might sound like the kind of quirky concept that Mooney could satirise in an SNL skit, but empathy rather than parody proves the guiding principle here. Steeped in warmth as well as melancholy, while also flirting with darker territory, Brigsby Bear is the type of film that's cute yet never cloying, heartfelt but not schmaltzy, and amusing without resorting to caricature. It's a big bear hug of a movie, but one that ultimately makes it clear that even the most eager embraces can't last forever. Thanks to McCary's DIY-esque aesthetic, Brigbsy Bear offers viewers quite a cosy visual cuddle as well, reminiscent of Be Kind Rewind and YouTube fan films. Hey, if you're going to make a film about undying '80s-style passions, you have to make it look the part. Throw in Mooney's impressively deadpan central performance, and this is a flick that excels in hitting the right notes — in its images, its themes and its emotions alike. And, like the fictional show at its centre, it also imparts a lasting message: we're more than the things we love, but we wouldn't be who we are without them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MdrGM27yQ8
There is a clear marking of time in Penrith — BHSD (Before High Street Depot) and AHSD (After High Street Depot). When these guys set up shop it was a sign Penrith had reached maturity. Operated by husband-and-wife team Tim and Noreen Bryan, who met while working at Matt Moran's Aria, High Street Depot was the cafe we'd all been waiting for and desperately needed, serving up perfected classics like eggs benny and smashed avo, made a little more adult with a sprinkle of nuts and creamy feta. The food is as consistent as the service, which is excellent, and you'll never be disappointed with your Single Origin coffee.
Jaffles and toasties hold a very special nostalgic place in people's hearts. A new cafe in the shire is dedicated to serving up a healthy dose of childlike delight through its menu of creative savoury and sweet jaffles. Miss Jaffles Cafe has found its home on Gerrale Street in Cronulla, with an offering of premium coffee, a reserved brekkie menu and most importantly, piping-hot jaffles. The fifteen-strong list of jaffles includes everything from your classic baked bean or ham, cheese and tomato options, through to more inventive choices like smoked salmon with cream cheese and capers, shepherd's pie, or the Miss Chicky which packs in chicken, cheese, sundried tomatoes, red onion, sweet chilli sauce and mayo. There's also an unholy Miss Mary Mac mac and cheese jaffle with bacon bites. The savoury selections range from $7–12 and come on the option of white, wholemeal, Turkish or gluten free bread. Those with a sweet tooth can indulge their inner child and turn their attention to the dessert jaffles where they'll find creations like the Miss Biscoff jaffle stuffed with Caramilk chocolate, biscoff, strawberries and ice cream. Or try the Miss Berrilicious and you'll find a mixture of berries, white chocolate, maple syrup and ice cream inside. A standard cafe drinks menu is on hand with a range of hot and iced coffees all made with Miss Jaffle's own blend of coffee beans. The cafe is the first venture of friends Vass and Michelle who have been working in hospitality since they were 14-years-old. The pair are shire locals who decided to take the plunge and open a cafe despite the uncertainty of COVID-19. Located just a stone's throw from South Cronulla Beach, Miss Jaffle is still serving shire residents takeaway during Sydney's current lockdown and will open for seated dining as restrictions surrounding hospitality rollback.
When winter begins to thaw, with leaves growing back on trees and flowers coming into full bloom, we want to celebrate the warmer weather and the world's annual rebirth. And, come September, Australia's biggest festival of spring will roll around. Now in its 34th year, Floriade will once again fill Canberra's Commonwealth Park with more than one million blooms. But this month-long flower festival is more than just smelling the tulips. After a successful introduction last year which saw more than 80 community groups plant a stunning tulip trail through Canberra's suburbs, the Floriade Community initiative will return with an additional 300,000 bulbs and annuals available. While you're in town, you may as well take the time to check out Canberra's best microbreweries, cafes and cultural hotspots, too. Start looking at accomodation ASAP. [caption id="attachment_736041" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Martin Ollman Photography[/caption] Top image: VisitCanberra
Flickering across a cinema screen, even the greatest of movies only inherently activate two senses: sight and hearing. Audiences can feel the seats they nestle into in their favourite picture palaces, and savour both the scent and flavour of popcorn while they watch, but no one can touch, taste or smell films themselves as they're playing — even if adding scratch-and-sniff aromas to the experience has become a cult-favourite gimmick. British director Peter Strickland knows all of the above. And, he hasn't ever released a feature in Smell-o-Vision, Smell-O-Rama or Odorama. But his work still conjures up sensations that viewers know they can't genuinely be having, such as running your fingers over an alluring dress with In Fabric, detecting the flutter of insect wings against your skin via The Duke of Burgundy and, courtesy of his latest movie Flux Gourmet, relishing the fragrances and tastes whipped up by a culinary collective that turns cooking and eating into performance art. If you've seen his features before, Flux Gourmet instantly sounds like something that only Strickland could make — and from its first frame till its last, it proves that with every moment. While spinning this innately sensory tale, which he both helmed and penned, it does indeed literally sound like something that only Strickland could've come up with, in fact. As the acoustics-focused Berberian Sound Studio demonstrated, the filmmaker's audioscapes are always a thing of wonder, too. His movies may manage to magically engage senses that cinema's sound-and-vision combination intrinsically shouldn't, but they also make the utmost use of every echo. The same applies to each image; unsurprisingly due to his strong and distinctive sense of style and mood, everything about Flux Gourmet looks and feels like pure Strickland. His films can't actually be injected into anyone's veins, but the director's devotees will instantly want this delirious farce pumping through their system. The setting: The Sonic Catering Institute, a conservatory specialising in blending sound and cuisine, as its name makes plain. The "institute devoted to culinary and alimentary performance" is overseen by the couture-coveting Jan Stevens (Gwendoline Christie, Game of Thrones), and regularly welcomes in different groups to undertake residencies. Those visiting artists collaborate, percolate and come up with eye-catching blends of food, bodies and creativity. Hosting OTT dinners, role-playing a trip to the supermarket, getting scatalogical and turning a live colonoscopy into a show: they're just some of the menu items that Jan's latest guests cook up. In Elle di Elle (Strickland regular Fatma Mohamed), Lamina Propria (Ariane Labed, The Souvenir: Part II) and Billy Rubin's (Asa Butterfield, Sex Education) case, however, that unique kind of kitchen virtuosity only springs when they're not broiling in messy bickering. Chaos bubbles through and troubles the trio's troupe, who stir up mayhem among themselves as heartily as any chef stirs their dishes. But Elle, Lamina and Billy aren't the Institute's only current visitors. Watching and chronicling is journalist Stones (Makis Papadimitriou, Beckett), who is also suffering from gastrointestinal struggles that he worries might be something more. As his subjects keep riffing on the human digestive system, or trying to, he can't control his own. Endeavouring to withhold his flatulence 24/7 is his constant struggle. Somehow, keeping a straight face as everything gets absurd around him is a far easier task, but Flux Gourmet's viewers shouldn't want to share that achievement with him; this purposefully strange, silly and surreal film is far too deliciously hilarious. Let Stones' struggle sink in again: to fart or not to fart, that is his question. Yes, one of Flux Gourmet's key plot points revolves around letting it rip. Yes, Strickland masterfully finds empathy in that toilet humour, understanding that we all break wind as a normal bodily function, and pairs it with a savvy takedown of art-world and showbusiness pretension. As a satire, his film dips its spoons into smug attitudes, exclusionary conventions, and all the pompousness and ceremony that's stereotypically ascribed to every art form's upper echelons, then delights in gobbling down biting parody after biting parody. Thanks to Stones and his questions, Flux Gourmet is a spin on This Is Spinal Tap, too, complete with The Sonic Catering Institute's version of rockstar behaviour. Elle, Lamina and Billy play instruments, after all, even if they're often egg whisks, blenders and saucepans. They have post-show orgies. Tempers boil, even before Billy ends up in bed with Jan, their residency version of a manager — and an argument about a flanger threatens to tear everything apart. That heated disagreement, and the key scene that sees Jan and Elle face off about the amusingly named audio-effects equipment — and say the word "flanger" again and again — screams everything about Flux Gourmet. It's ridiculous and riotous, never stops simmering, and proves entertaining as a piece of farce and a statement on the domain and personalities that Strickland is skewering. Crucially, it also owes as much to its leads as it does to its director. Strickland has Billy and Jan's relationship, Elle and Lamina's tension, and vengeful attacks by a rival sonic catering group called The Mangrove Snacks (who applied for the same stint but missed out) among the plot's courses, but his film not only gleams brightest but bounces around at its liveliest when neither the magnetic Mohamed nor Christie at her uproariously domineering best hold back. Every recipe hinges upon its ingredients and Flux Gourmet is no exception. Its cast is committed, all playing characters attempting to control something, everything or both, and each peppering in their own seasoning — including the affable Papadimitriou as the seemingly sanest of the lot. Cinematographer Tim Sidell (I Hate Suzie) lenses the raucousness with verve and pop, and also like he's peering at a dream that's as intimate and visceral as a medical procedure, and yet as out-there as our brain's nocturnal imaginings come. Strickland's own hyper-stylised flair naturally flavours the whole meal, and saying that Flux Gourmet stands out even among his inimitable work is saying something. Wild, warm, witty, weird, wonderfully its own curious concoction: that's this delectable affair, which only falters in its slightly overindulgent pacing. That said, when a cinematic feast is this nourishing in so many ways — and to so many senses — who doesn't want it to go on?
Detective Robbie Green (Jonathan LaPaglia) is called in to investigate the murder of his former partner, Detective Jason Pearson (Luke Hemsworth). Green and his new partner, Detective Jane Lambert (Viva Bianca), find themselves on the tail of two runaways, ultra-religious cancer-ridden Rachel (Hannah Mangan Lawrence) and her unstable boyfriend, AJ (Alex Williams), who are filming a "documentary" as they seek Biblical retribution for the drug-related death of Rachel's sister. If this sounds like the type of story (and character naming conventions) of an American film circa 1993, you wouldn't be far off. The Reckoning, despite being filmed in Perth and featuring an Australian cast, feels like as if its main concern is ensuring that every element be a facsimile of US thriller tropes. LaPaglia's Green is a short-tempered alcoholic who is trying to be a good father despite being married to the job. Priests wait in candlelit gothic churches to talk wisely to those seeking guidance. High-tech, CSI-style equipment can be used to facially identify anyone spotted on a security camera. And so on. This aping isn't inherently a bad thing. Even the best Australian films are criticised for not even trying to appeal to mass audiences, and the ones that do are so often dismissed as being populist. An industry that produces as few films as ours does cannot afford sub-genres, and so there's little patience for films that are not all things to all people. So with the wider context established, let's pull back before we fall into the trap of reviewing the industry instead of the film. As a gritty crime thriller, The Reckoning is moderately successful. It's diversionary, predictable, derivative and silly, and there's no denying that there's an audience for that. It's slick, too. The kind of slickness that will make it palatable to someone who wants to have something on in the background when it finally does the home video and TV rounds. But there's little in here that would interest a modern audience looking to plonk nearly $20 down for a night out at the cinema. It's not just the story and style that feels dated, but the idea that this possesses anything to distinguish it from a thousand other similarly themed thrillers. Everything in The Reckoning is achingly American, and this would be annoying if it wasn't so obviously deliberate. This is a film with its eye firmly on international sales and goes out of its way to filter out anything that makes it feel Australian. The religious angle, for instance, is weirdly anachronistic, with a priests talking in haughty "my child" this and "the Lord says" that dialogue. Blurry number plates are zoomed in on and enhanced into the sort of clarity that only made sense about twenty years ago when nobody knew how video worked. If all this sounds like nitpicking, well, yes, it is. But it is these details that make or break a film, and with a plot that is as by-the-numbers as this one is, we rely on details to turn it into something more interesting or unique. The Reckoning is a fascinating film for all the wrong reasons. It is out of time, decades too late to be of any interest, and so desperate to cover up its country of origin that its edges are sanded down into something that is ultimately of zero consequence. https://youtube.com/watch?v=gjJgFijldaw
You've read the books, you've watched the flicks, you've sat through the theatre production, and you've devoured your fair share of pop-up bars and themed experiences. But if you're eager to get your fill of wizard-related goodness any way that you can, here's another option: a series of immersive (and unofficial) wizard-inspired high tea events is coming to town. A Wizardry High Tea will return to Sydney in 2023 from Thursday, January 12–Sunday, January 15, then again from Saturday, July 8–Sunday, July 9, descending on the University of Sydney. So what sort of magical shenanigans are guests in for, you ask? Well, choose either a daytime (all-ages) or nighttime (over 18s) session and you'll enjoy appropriately themed cocktails and appearances from folks in costume, as well as immersive activities including spellbinding trivia and games. Of course, the high-tea spread will stick to the theming as well, though exactly what's on the menu is being kept under wraps for now. Tickets to the all-ages 'daybreak' sessions are $70, while 'twilight' passes come in at $95, with the latter including a cocktail.
You probably took it once. Headed for the Powerhouse Museum on a single rail loop, careening across Pyrmont Bridge and taking in some shitty elevator-style 'Girl From Ipanema'-stylin' on the crackly speakers. I remember my last monorail trip, I really do. I jubilantly boarded a Star Wars-themed monorail toward the 2002 exhibition Star Wars: The Magic of Myth, cranking the 'Imperial March' through Haymarket. The days. But those transport times are over. The Monorail is long gone from Sydney's mid-skyline, closed in June 2013, now with only abandoned stations to trigger the probably vague and halfhearted nostalgia Sydneysiders have for the thing. But you could drive the Sydney Monorail back into your life, with a few measly G's. According to Junkee, the Sydney monorail is up for sale on Gumtree (of all places). Advertised just a few days ago, the monorail carriages are apparently being sold for an extremely doable fee. Guessing that means $3000 per carriage. Here's the inventory and they've even created a promo vid: Whether this is a Real Thing or not remains to be seen, but if you're one of those people throwing $3000 down the pokies every week, why not take a different kind of gamble? The gamble that could pay off in obsolete travel devices and sweet, sweet nostalgia. Here's the description by seller Harry Tsoukalas, which absolutely doesn't look like the kind of copy written by one Mr A. Nonymous, 123 Fake Street, Notting Here. Via Junkee. Image: Hpeterswald, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Well, well, well, summer, looks like you finally made it. We're diving headfirst into December's balmy days with this month's cruisy Sydney itinerary. From all the smoked meats you could eat to Tokyo-style bicycles, hidden coves to Kurt Cobain's sunglasses, this month's looking pretty promising for Sydneysiders. Let's swim, play and eat our way through, with a little retail therapy at the close. Just remember to be a total legend and whack on some sunscreen and a hat before you head out; check out Pretty Shady for their (free) go-to skin savers. SWIM: MILK BEACH Clearing one thing up, the water at Milk Beach is completely dairy free. This sandy cove is hidden behind Strickland House at Vaucluse, one of Sydney's best harbour beaches and perfect for long, summery days by the sea. With views across to the Sydney skyline and the Opera House, Milk Beach has the perfect balance of city buzz and beach hideaway elements. Pitch your umbrella, pick out your best and brightest bucket hat and lather up with SPF30+. 53 Vaucluse Road, Vaucluse. PLAY: KURT COBAIN, THE LAST SESSION The perfect plan for those dastardly summer thunderstorm days. Although it’s been a long time since we farewelled the god of grunge, this year marks the 20th anniversary of the death of Kurt Cobain. Photographer Jesse Frohman was behind the lens of the last ever formal shoot Nirvana did. Taken in November 1993, mere months before Cobain’s suicide, the photographs were published for an article in the London Observer. In their larger and more vivid glory, they are currently on display at Paddington’s Blender Gallery. December 14 - January 17; Blender Gallery; FREE. EAT/DRINK: MEAT DISTRICT CO. Darling Harbour and Old Pasedena now have something in common. Meat. Meat District Co., to be precise: a brand new addition with a big fat focus on ribs, burgers and waterfront views. And while the Harbour many love to hate may not have the same glam-fest reputation of LA, the guys behind Meat District Co. (brothers Coco and Gary Simonian, owners of Platinum Restaurant Group) have done well to land themselves this location and we’re pretty certain they’ll pull in the crowds even in Sydney’s saturated bun-and-patty market. If you can nab a table upstairs facing the water you’ll definitely be set for an hour or two (and you'll be in that cool, cool shade). 11 Lime Street, King Street Wharf. SHOP: TOKYOBIKE This store opened in 2010 as the first permanent tokyobike outside the suburb of Yanaka in Japan. The name came from the design of the bikes; in the same way a mountain bike was designed for the mountains, tokyobike was designed for Tokyo. Pedalling through the streets of Surry Hills, we may be a fair way from the Japanese capital, but we'll be damned if we don't like to pretend otherwise. The four tokyobike models are designed with simplicity, enjoyment and comfort over speed front of mind. And they come in a range of preeetty colours. Cue heart eyes for days. Suite G.02, Ground Floor Paramount Building, 80 Commonwealth Street. Check out Pretty Shady for more summer tips and ideas on how to beat that dastardly sun at its own game. By the Concrete Playground team. Image credits: Milk Beach by Jayphen and Eddy Milfort cc.
If you look good, you tend to feel good. It's a simple equation really and Esteem Hair Beauty Spa has you covered on both fronts. Whether you're there for a full makeover or a quick lash lift, the team has thought of every aspect of your visit. The staff has 23 years of experience, there's a bank of iPads to keep you entertained while you wait, and the shop's lighting is just low enough to help you relax and listen to those classic R&B tunes on the stereo.
The flash mob has become synonymous with making a statement, a bold one at that. It isn't everyday that a group of people randomly assembles in a public place to perform a silly choreographed dance number, so on the rare occasion a flash mob does take over the streets, passersby pay attention. American Airlines took advantage of this increasingly popular public display to make a statement of their own. The airline broke away from traditional methods of advertising and organised a flash mob at the U.S. Bank Plaza in downtown Los Angeles to promote the launch of their new flight services. The performance began with a single man dancing past a father and his daughter, and he was soon joined by 40 dancers descending the steps of the public plaza. After shocking onlookers with their meticulously choreographed routine, the mob created the American Airlines logo with their travel bags above their heads and then nonchalantly dispersed. Few things grab attention quicker than a flash mob, but this form of marketing has surely been done to death. And what are the new services that this quirky advertisement was meant to showcase? The airline now offers daily non-stop flights from LAX to Shanghai as well additional flights to nine new U.S. destinations. https://youtube.com/watch?v=a_w0lX3NIOk
No, you're not having a stroke. Although you might be after a few dozen cheeseburgers. Everyone's favourite LA fast food powerhouse In-N-Out Burger has secretly popped up in Sydney today. Set up at Parramatta's Mixology Lounge this time, these total legends are pumping out hamburgers, regular cheeseburgers and double cheese until 3pm today. Get amongst the inevitable burger-crazed mosh. This is happening right now. This isn't the first time these sneaky sneaksters have done this either. Last year, In-N-Out popped up for a one-day appearance in Sydney and stock sold out in a frantic two hour free for all. All we can say is get to Parramatta immediately. There's a reason this joint is frequented by celebrities and regularly called "heaven on earth". Admittedly, it has a lot to do with cheese fries. The In-N-Out burger pop up runs from 11am until around 3pm — or until they sell out — at Parramatta Mixology Lounge, 25 Wentworth Street, Parramatta. Move. Now.
If summer for you means tequila cocktails at rooftop bars with your mates, then we have the perfect event for you. Towering Sydney rooftop bar CIRQ is hosting a Patrón El Cielo tequila takeover from Friday, December 1, until Sunday, January 28. Perched 26 floors above Barangaroo, CIRQ boasts one of the best views of the city. The open terrace has a blend of indoor and outdoor spaces with comfy lounges and chairs for punters to sip and savour the views. The iconic tequila brand is celebrating the launch of its new super-premium tequila, Patrón El Cielo —the world's first four-times distilled tequila — with this takeover of CIRQ and a bespoke cocktail menu. Punters will not only enjoy tasty tequila tipples, but they can also groove to electrifying beats from the Patrón DJ Booth or snap the perfect selfie at the photo station overlooking Sydney Harbour and the CBD. Patrón El Cielo marks a new stage for the Hacienda. Patrón's master distiller, David Rodriguez, added a fourth distillation — unusual for tequila — using the smallest copper pot still, which unlocked the natural rich sweetness and citrus notes from the agave to deliver an exceptionally sweet and smooth tequila. Its signature serve is over ice with a slice of orange or in the Patrón El Cielo Spritz, a summery cocktail made with Patrón El Cielo, rosé and chilled Fever Tree ginger ale. Both feature on the exclusive Patrón x CIRQ cocktail menu as well as other classics like Tommy's margarita, Paloma, and a classic Patrón Silver tequila and soda with lime. So head up to CIRQ, watch the bartenders pop the gold cork off the sleek bottle of Patrón El Cielo, and chill in the summer sun. CIRQ is open Wednesday to Friday from 4pm until late and Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm until late. Bookings can be made on the website.
For the month of March, Sydney will be sprinkled with fun and informative events to bulk up your knowledge of contemporary art. Curated by Glenn Barkley and happening throughout March, Art Month Sydney is now in its sixth year and has been refreshed with the theme 'Where Art Happens'. It’s all about testing the boundaries between public and private, local and global, and emerging and established. While there's nothing too new or revolutionary from previous years' programs, this year does see the return of favourites like Art at Night and ARTcycle, alongside some provocative talks and intriguing exhibitions. To save you trawling through the extensive list of events, we’ve picked out the best ones — many of which won’t cost you a cent.
Pleasures Playhouse took over an abandoned Chinatown cinema back in September, bringing a pop-up concert venue to Sydney for six weeks. Hosting a variety of gigs, parties and film screenings, the venue was a hit — so much so that after closing earlier this month there was a wave of support to make it a permanent fixture in Haymarket. While the venue hasn't been able to confirm it'll be sticking around long term, it has just announced another six weeks of parties running until the end of the year. Pulled together by Sydney party starter Kat Dopper of Heaps Gay, Pleasure Playhouse will continue its far-reaching program of events throughout the next couple of months. It'll be kicking off next week on Wednesday, November 23 with Hannah Reilly and Jonny Hawkins' night of speeches I'd Like to Say a Few Words which will feature appearances from the likes of Froomes, Jane Caro and Nina Oyama. From there, Heaps Gay will be hosting a relaunch party on Saturday, November 26, Sydney collectives like Leak Your Own Nudes, Superficial and AM//PM will be throwing parties and the Send Noods Cinema will be returning among a whole range of different events. You can check out everything that's been announced so far over at Pleasures Playhouse's Instagram, with the venue promising that there are more announcements to come. [caption id="attachment_871129" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Hay[/caption] Adding to the excitement, the multi-disciplinary space has also announced that it will be open until 3am for this run of shows, meaning late-night dance parties are sure to feature heavily in the programming. In October, Pleasures Playhouse received support to stay open from across the Sydney cultural landscape. "What an incredible venue and vibe you created, Pleasure People. Thank you. You brought so many overlapping communities together and embraced so many different kinds of creativity," former City of Sydney Deputy Lord Mayor Jess Scully said on Instagram. Sydney band Baby Beef mirrored the support saying: "Playing here was a beautiful mix of sexy, historical, safe and haunting. A unique experience and important new part of Sydney's nightlife." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pleasures Playhouse (@pleasuresplayhouse.xo) Pleasures Playhouse is located at the Harbour City Cinema, 12/6 Harbour Street, Sydney. Head to the venue's Instagram to stay up to date on all of the shows that have been announced.
Surry Hills' Los Angeles-inspired fitness centre Paramount Recreation Club is bringing its wellness kick to health food with a weekly Autumn Harvest Lunch. Every Sunday until the end of April, the venue's head chef David Rigby will create an organic feast for the masses — starting on March 3. All of the seasonal produce will be sourced by The Locals Market, which also runs a farmers stall on the rooftop every Saturday. For $55 a pop, expect a banquet featuring ethically sourced meat, organic salads and other sustainable produce — the meal will change weekly depending on what's available. For drinks, punters are encouraged to BYO whichever bevvy they prefer — including beer, wine and Champagne — with a $5 corkage fee per person. The two hour sittings will take place in the lush rooftop garden at 11.45am and 2pm each Sunday. There are limited tickets available each week, though, so be sure to book ahead. Updated March 23.
If you didn't already know, Erskineville's much-loved Imperial Hotel is home to Priscillas, a "drag and dine" restaurant where you'll find everything from plant-based food to late-night drag shows. And for October, Priscillas is bringing back its raunchy X-rated Rood Food festival for a second year. Every Wednesday and Thursday night in October, a combo of dirty dishes, cocktails and kinky drag will take over the pub's dining room. At its centre is three-act drag extravaganza performed by Sydney queens Etcetera Etcetera, Ruby Slippers and Riot. The show will be hosted by Sunday Best and, of course, comes with a side of phallic fare and crude cocktails. You can opt for either a two- or three-course set menu ($55 or $65) — this'll get you a glass of bubbly on arrival, but if you want the stuff to be free-flowing, you can tack on two hours of bubbles for $29. Expect to see The Big Banger (a plant-based sausage) on the menu alongside last year's fave, the 'perky' Panna Knockers. The coconut ceviche comes with headphones and an aural experiences that's supposed to trigger ASMR. If you can't make it on a school night, the experience will also be happening over lunch on Sunday, October 20 and Sunday, October 27.
Outdoor clothing brand Merrell wants your photos to stitch together the world's largest panoramic photo. You can be a part of it by uploading your geo-tagged shots of the outdoors to the Add Your Own Scenery website where they are pinned to a virtual globe, or you can just browse others' photos and see what things look like in their neck of the woods. As well as inspiring people to get and share their love of the outdoors with others, the project has a philanthropic purpose: for every photo uploaded Merrell will donate $1 to a range of conservation groups, up to their target total of $250,000. Unfortunately only residents of the US, UK and Canada are eligible for the prizes on offer, but sharing your favourite part of nature with the rest of the world to help conserve it should be reward enough! [via PSFK]
That super long weekend felt good. You want another, and suddenly you're aware of how much leave you've managed to accrue. Planning your next break? While we're all about the awesomeness that Sydney has to offer, we have plenty of time for our southern sister too. From iconic rock venues and hidden cocktail gems to a far stretching food culture and enviable variety of record stores, there's always somewhere to be and something to do. Here's just a few of our top picks. 'Feed Me, Seymour.' Sonido! 69 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy (Map) Run by Santiago and Carolina Villamizar, a young Colombian couple, Sonido! is an awesome place to hang out. Naturally, the coffee is amazing and the food is even better. Get an empanada or the ropa vieja arepas and follow it up with a Brazilian cocada, or just sip an Inca Kola while you flick through the retro South American records stacked by the turntable. Swing by Chiquitica too, the new art space at Sonido!, dedicated to artworks that focus on South America. Handsome Steve's House of Refreshment Abbotsford Convent (Map) Steve Miller – Moodist, W.Minc co-founder and Geelong Cats fanatic – is a such a quintessentially Melbourne character, so it seems fitting that he'd set out to revive the quintessentially Melbourne 'wog bar', “where men played cards, smoked, watched TV and drank tiny cups of coffee or VB at quarter to nine in the morning.” The food's simple and tasty, the coffee's good and cheap and there's no bullshit to be had, nor would any be allowed. He'll seem sullen at first, but Steve's a sweetheart – more so if you're a Cats fan too. Head to the Convent then look around for the yellow umbrella. You'll find the place eventually. White Rabbit Record Bar 176 Bellair St, Kensington (Map) Decorated throughout in blue and white, the walls adorned with mirrors and lovely little ceramic rabbits, White Rabbit Record Bar has a vibe of casual elegance. While most of the space is dedicated to records, the main appeal here is in the gorgeous leafy courtyard. Share the antipasto plate with friends while you contemplate the intimidating cocktail list - the Mad Hatter (coriander vodka, wasabi, tomato juice and cucumber) could scare off any hangover. Or contribute to a new one. Yellow Bird Cafe 22 Chapel St, Windsor (Map) Owned by drummer Clint Hyndman, Yellow Bird's a great spot for a simple brunch or an evening beer. Get a spot inside to appreciate the rock 'n' roll blockmounted posters on sale (like Powder Monkeys, The Saints and Radio Birdman, from memory) while enjoying the Death Benedict - poached eggs, bacon and hollandaise on hash browns. Calorie counts are for sooks anyhow. 'One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer.' The Tote 67-71 Johnston Street, Collingwood (Map) So legendary is the Tote that when it closed its doors last year due to the pressures of restrictive licensing laws, thousands took to the street to protest. Though it looked unlikely at times, the Tote reopened under new management and continues to provide a home to both new and heritage acts. Step down into the pit before the stage or hang around in the front bar for a pot; just don't select Television's 'Marquee Moon' on the jukebox – the bar staff called a moratorium on it after too many plays. Yah Yahs 99 Smith Street, Fitzroy (Map) Entry to Yah Yahs is usually free, so it's handy if you're after a drink before dinner on one of Smith Street's bazillion restaurants, want to see the band, or just want to rage on after other places have closed. Score a booth seat as soon as one becomes available; they'll be hot property as the drinks continue to sink. Cherry Bar 103 Flinders Lane, Melbourne, Corner of AC/DC Lane (Map) What happens at Cherry Bar stays at Cherry Bar. Located in AC/DC Lane and owned by Bill Walsh of the Cosmic Psychos, Cherry Bar is a good, unpretentious rock bar with plenty of dark corners. See the bands then keep going until sunrise with a roster of local DJs. Don't request any Nickelback or you will be ejected. New Gold Mountain Levels 1 & 2, 21 Liverpool St, Melbourne (Map) If you can find New Gold Mountain it's a reward in itself – if you're beneath the bike on the wall, you're there. The drinks are identified only by number, which can make things tricky (read: fun surprises) after you've had a few of them, and they're talking points in themselves. We only wish we could remember the number of divine cocktail that came in two glasses, designed to be consumed in alternating sips, but by that point an entire algebra problem had been downed. 24 Moons End of AC/DC Lane, Melbourne (Map) Owner Simon Digby decided the two year lease on the club at the end of AC/DC Lane would be enough, hence the name. Nothing of the interior is permanently attached (though we had to be told this – there's nothing slapdash in its appearance), and everything can be easily removed when the time comes. Be sure to get in soon – we forgot to ask how much of the lease had already elasped, and you'll want to try the Charlie Chaplin cocktail at least once before it's gone. 'Right Round, Baby. Right Round.' Northside Records 236 Gertrude St, Fitzroy (Map) It's not all rock 'n' roll, nor should it be. Head to Northside for the best range of jazz, funk, soul, hip hop, dub, disco and boogaloo in the whole city. Make sure you chat to Chris Gill, the enthusiastic and afroed owner, who's also behind Diggin' Melbourne: a Tour Guide for Vinyl Record Lovers, too. His passion is utterly contagious. Pure Pop 221 Barkly Street, St Kilda (Map) An indie music haven in sunny St Kilda, Pure Pop is the best place to spend a summer afternoon. Previously, you could wander through the store and bag some rare vinyl before grabbing a cider out the back for a live gig at the small outdoor stage. These days, the gigs are inside (hopefully temporarily), so y'know, don't make things worse by being a dick while entering and leaving. Say hi to owner Dave Stevens if you see him, too; he's one of nature's gentlemen. Missing Link 405 Bourke Street, Melbourne (Map) One of Melbourne's longest running independent music stores, Missing Link is an institution. Not only can you pore over the rarities or stock up on old punk singles, you can also grab the latest from independent and small scale local labels not available in most bricks and mortar stores. Remember to wear a watch or you could lose days in there, and make sure you pick up the latest issue of Stained Sheets, too. Off the Hip 381 Flinders Lane, Melbourne (Map) Both a store and label, Off the Hip promises the best in Australian garage, power pop and rock 'n' roll. With the label roster ranging from the Pink Fits (RIP) to Johnny Casino and the Secrets, Wrong Turn and The Frowning Clouds, the variety of the store's wares is unquestionable, and so too is the quality. Cherry Bar pic by Carbie Warbie/Yellow Bird and Northside pics from their respective websites.
One pair of Aussie pastry chefs are on a mission to make the humble lamington famous. Well, famous outside of Australian borders — just how Iranian-born jalebi and Italian cannoli are now found the world over. To do this, Min Chai and Eddie Stewart, founders of Australia's N2 Extreme Gelato, have launched Tokyo Lamington. While the duo initially focused on piquing the interest of overseas tastebuds — selling the lamingtons in Singapore and Tokyo — the chefs have now brought the international brand Down Under. After popping-up in Koko Black stores in Sydney and Melbourne for one day in June, Toyko Lamington opened its flagship Australian store in Market City. The dessert brand doesn't just make traditional takes on the quintessentially Aussie chocolate- and coconut-covered cake. Instead, the sponge gets an international makeover with iterations in pandan, ube, lemon myrtle, black sesame, matcha and milk tea. Nikki To The Sydney outpost of Toyko Lamington will serve some Aussie-as flavours, too, such as fairy bread with popcorn butter and Ferrero Rocher — plus the OG chocolate and coconut version, of course. Each lamington costs $7 a pop and can also be ordered online (for pickup only). The shop's fit-out is loud with black walls and brightly coloured geometrical shapes, timber furniture and hanging greenery. The open space has a few booths and table seating, but will function mainly as a takeaway joint — selling nothing but lamingtons and a few canned drinks.
This buzzing social spot on King Street Wharf is perfect for when you want to flee the office and enjoy the last of the day's sunshine — or midday rays and a boozy lunch — as quickly as possible. Bungalow 8 has a bit of a beachside tiki vibe, so you can enjoy a spring cocktail and some freshly shucked oysters, without having to battle peak hour traffic to get out of the city. Keeping the coastal theme rolling, the menu is health-conscious with a nod to both Californian and Mexican flavours. As well as sharing snacks, sides and bigger main meals, there's a selection of tacos and Buddha Bowls — you get avo, slaw, radish, edamame, cucumber, spinach, chickpeas, brown rice and a soft boiled egg, with your choice of protein or charred broccolini, for $19. Hot tip, the bowls are just $15 for lunch between Mondays and Thursdays. The drinks list is made to be enjoyed through the warmer months, with plenty of local and international wines — including six different sparkling wines by the glass — cold beers on tap and a few tropical cocktails by the jug. There are the classic mojito, sangria and Pimm's options, or try the Strawberry Fields (gin, rosé, berries and juice) or the Blue Banana Colda (Malibu, blue curacao, banana, lime and pineapple). Enjoy the view as the sun goes down, before Bungalow 8 becomes a summer dance club into the night, or head upstairs to party at The Loft. Image: Daniele Massacci.
Despite being written and set in a period rather distant from our own, Les Liaisons Dangereuses has the ability to grip and shock in a way Gossip Girl could only dream of. The plot is a little twisted. It begins with two seasoned courtesans, ex-lovers, limping slightly from their wounds but nevertheless on top. Forming an unholy alliance, they execute a plan for revenge involving clueless innocents, merciless seduction and a generous dose of cunning. Many will already be clued in thanks to one particular prior adaptation, Cruel Intentions. Despite the spoilers, there are a few key twists that ensure STC's production stays fresh. Director Sam Strong brings the same deft touch he lent to The Boys, ensuring that even the most detestable characters come across as... well, quite likable. Hugo Weaving has no small hand in this. While Valmont is rotten to the core, his charm is palpable; it oozes from the stage in thick waves. Other characters are a little less believable. Justine Clarke as Madame de Tourvel struggles to bring together 'chaste, yet desirable, beauty' with 'woman in the throes of love' — though to be fair, this is a complex request. Pamela Rabe is extraordinary as the spider at the centre of this web of intrigue, the Marquise de Merteuil. Excruciatingly intelligent and hard as diamond, she makes us sympathise with her womanly plight while never quite believing her reasons. Strong was clearly determined to pull this play into the present, or at least into a vaguely contemporary setting. Happily, this doesn't mean throwing polished, worldly glamour out of the window. Some of the costuming choices (by Mel Page) are reminiscent of popular style blogs (Satorialist, anyone?), yet they succeed in operating as tinted insights into character inclination rather than as Fantastic Man-contrived get ups. Dale Ferguson's set is a clever maze of doors and passages, which is almost as semiotically useful as it is practical. The design seconds the assertion of the direction: playfully self-aware yet utterly believable. All in all, Liaisons is a production singularly suited to STC: innovative without being too much of a stretch; exciting and cheeky while remaining resolutely sophisticated. This bodes good things for the company's future direction. Image © Brett Boardman.
Feel like you already need a vacation to get over your yet-to-start Christmas vacation? As merry and jolly as the festive season is, all that fun, shopping, eating, drinking and partying in such a short space of time can have that impact. So, if that's your current vibe, you're not alone. And thanks to Jetstar, you can now make cheap post-Christmas holiday plans — as in $39 for domestic fares and $175 for international flights cheap, and to The Whitsundays, Byron Bay, the Gold Coast, Japan, Hawaii, Thailand, Bali and more. The Australian airline has just launched its 'post-Chrissy recovery' sale — and yes, technically it's a pre-Christmas post-Chrissy recovery' sale given the timing. Whatever you want to call it, it's an excuse to grab that suitcase and get excited about the getaway that'll help you recover from Christmas. Running from 12am AEDT on Thursday, December 8 till 11.59pm AEDT on Monday, December 12— or until sold out, if everything gets snapped up earlier — the sale's list of destinations is impressive just like the supremely affordable prices. Those starting fares cover Sydney to Byron Bay (from $39) and Sydney to Auckland (from $175), but the full list includes Brisbane to Proserpine from $59, Melbourne to the Gold Coast from $49, Cairns to Osaka from $259 and the Gold Coast to Tokyo from $299. Also on offer: Melbourne to Bali from $199, Melbourne to Phuket from $219, Sydney to Ho Chi Minh City from $195 and Sydney to Honolulu from $229. Yes, the list goes on. You will need to be happy to wait till around mid-2023 for your post-Christmas vacation, however. Dates for sale flights vary depending on the departure and arrival points, but expect to travel between early May and mid-September. There are a few rules, as is always the case. All sale fares are one-way, and they don't include checked baggage — so you'll need to travel super light or pay extra to take a suitcase. But, if you're a Club Jetstar member, you'll get the jump on the sale — with access from 12pm AEDT on Wednesday, December 7 until midnight. Jetstar's 'post-Chrissy recovery' sale runs from 12am AEDT on Thursday, December 8 till 11.59pm AEDT on Monday, December 12— or until sold out, if snapped up 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.
