Last week, we were flocking to Neil Perry’s new less-than-$10 Burger Project, to find out how the many-hatted chef fares when it comes to feeding the people. And now, the exotic-yet-bargain-priced burger is taking on yet another incarnation with the opening of Burger Liquor Lobster. The chief drawcard is its seafood menu: lobster rolls, prawn rolls, crab burgers and popcorn lobster, all for $15 a piece. Popping up for the summer in both Paddington’s The London Hotel and Manly Wharf Hotel, the eatery and bar takes the space previously occupied by Chur. The affordable prices don't mean there's any skimping on the ingredients front. The lobster is of the salt and pepper variety, accompanied with lemon aioli, chives, red onion and lettuce, while the crab is crispy soft shell, spiced up with chilli Singapore sauce and cooled down by Asian slaw. As far as burgers go, they're all $10 and come in five editions: beef, chicken, pulled pork, lamb and vege. These traditional-sounding flavours are each delivered with a twist. The chicken, for example, is dressed up with mint, shallot, slaw, chilli and lime mayo, while the vege is comprised of chickpea and lentil fritter, beetroot yoghurt, kale and corn relish. Plus, if you're carb-conscious or GF, you can opt to have your mini-feast wrapped in lettuce rather than a bun, or order it as a salad. That'll leave you a few extra calories to spend on the cocktail list. It's all about fresh, summery concoctions, such as Lychee Passionpit (vodka, lychee, passionfruit sorbet, sparkling wine), My Tini Wini (gin, lemon juice, lavender syrup, watermelon, raspberries, crème de peche), and Rock Lobster (Bulldog Gin, St Germain elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, pineapple juice, yellow Chartreuse, orange blossom marmalade). They're all priced at $16. Both venues have taken on a playful, nautical fit-out. You’ll notice it most at The London, where glass buoys, ropes and crab pots are all part of the décor. Burger Liquor Lobster opens on Tuesday, November 11, at Manly Wharf Hotel, ((02) 9977 1266; East Esplanade, Manly) and upstairs at The London Hotel ((02) 9331 3200; 85 Underwood Street, Paddington). Opening hours are midday till late, seven days a week.
Find yourself in the middle of a cross-town rivalry like no other, as the Sydney Thunder and Sydney Sixers square off in the next edition of the Big Bash League's Thunder Derby. With global superstars David Warner and Moises Henriques looking to lead their respective sides to victory, they'll no doubt need help from their fans to cheer them on from the sidelines. Plus, Sydney's very own dance and R&B artist Becca Hatch will be gracing the stadium with her electronica beats and intoxicatingly smooth vocals. Get your pals together and head for the grandstands on December 21, where you'll have the best seats in the house for fireworks on and off the ground.
A new restaurant has opened on Carrington Street from award-winning Turkish chef Somer Sivrioğlu (Efendy) with a push towards vegetarian and plant-based cuisine. Maydanoz is a new 100-seat venue from Sivrioğlu and his business partner Tarik Köni that takes inspiration from the Turkish coast and its veggie-loving meze bars. The menu at the expansive venue is predominantly vegetarian and plant-based, with a smattering of meat dishes found on the menu. "So often, people equate Turkish cuisine to kebab or lamb, but in fact, the meat is often secondary to the incredible array of vegetable-driven dishes available in Turkish cuisine, particularly in the West," Sivrioğlu said. Sivrioğlu and Köni have created a series of distinct menus, based on dishes cooked in olive oil zeytinyagli style. If you are heading to Maydanoz for dinner, you'll be greeted with an extensive a la carte menu with highlights like smoked eggplant salad; beetroot, rhubarb and aged feta sandwiches; honey, sesame and rosemary haloumi kebabs; and carrot hummus. A smattering of meat options are also on the menu, including Murray Cod collar with brussel sprouts and sheep's head wedding soup. If you want to sample your way through the menu, you can opt for the feast menu for $88pp. This includes aforementioned highlights like the hummus, sandwiches and haloumi kebabs, alongside cacik, chilbir on toast, imam bayildi and Tencere-style chicken. This fun doesn't stop at the feast menu. The restaurant has just added an express lunch deal, which offers an array of signature dishes and a glass of wine for $49pp. Featuring stone-baked bread with Pepe Saya butter, hummus and Murray cod collar kebab to name just a few of the dishes, the deal is available from midday until 3pm and is ideal for work catch-ups with your colleagues. Plus, head to Maydanoz between 4–6pm and you will receive a complimentary stone-baked bread and dips to snack on, as well as $12 cocktails and $7 hour beers, wines and spirits. Cocktails on offer include the Spice Market Negroni which adds seven spices gin, ginger, star anise and rhubarb liqueur to a usual negroni recipe; or opt for the Turkish coffee and date martini. Maydanoz marks Sivrioğlu and Köni's first of two new venues. Keep your eyes out for their next venture Tombik, which is set to arrive in Barangaroo in the near future. Maydanoz is open at Shop 1, 50 Carrington Street, Sydney for lunch and dinner Monday–Sunday. Images: Steven Woodburn
Beloved Chippendale pub the Lord Gladstone is changing its name once again. Last year, during Sydney's extended lockdown, the venue temporarily rebranded as The Lord Jabstone in a push to get Sydneysider vaccinated and back to the pub. Now, the Gladdy is transforming again, this time into The Gladsong Hotel. The latest iteration of the inner-city pub is in response to the NSW Government's recent ban on singing and dancing in hospitality venues — restrictions that don't extend to places of worship. The tongue-in-cheek play on northwest Sydney's megachurch Hillsong looks to point out the hypocrisy in the current legislation, which targets the arts and hospitality after two incredibly tough years for both industries. The Gladsong Hotel's one-off Sunday Service is being billed as "a day of worship, schooners and good times" and will be happening on Sunday, January 23. On the day, there'll be DJs spinning tunes, plus $15 jugs of 'holy water' (The Gladstone's larger) and $10 Bloody Lord cocktails on offer. And at midday, a pay-what-you-want keg will be tapped, with all proceeds going to Support Act. [caption id="attachment_823658" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The pub's previous iteration as the Lord Jabstone[/caption] "It's been an absolutely frustrating period of time for all venue owners. Right now and over the past couple of years. Once again it feels like our leaders are leaving our poor struggling musicians and artists back in the darkness," venue owner Mitchell Crum said. "Live music venues, musicians, pubs and clubs all across the state have been the hardest hit without any support or closure. I can't say I'm terribly religious though I worship live music. Does that make us exempt?" The current restrictions were brought in after rising COVID-19 cases, with rules initially placed on indoor hospitality and entertainment venues before they were extended to outdoor venues and music festivals. The measures have come under fire on social media from musicians like What So Not and Nina Las Vegas for targeting the arts sector, and also for the lack of support offered to out-of-work artists during this time. Find The Lord Gladstone at 115 Regent Street, Chippendale, with its Sunday Service happening from 12pm on Sunday, January 23. Top image: Ben Johnson and Mitch Crum in front of The Lord Gladstone.
After years of anticipation, from the first whispers to watching the plans unfold and the drip-feed of food and drink openings in the precinct, Darling Square's fancy public library is here. It's replaced the old Haymarket Library and is four times its size — meaning there are plenty of nooks for you to relax, study and work in. It takes up two floors of Haymarket's slinky-like inner-city building, made using 20 kilometres of timber. Just looking at the schmick building is a pretty good way to kill time. Head inside though, and you'll see the library has moved well beyond the standard collection of pageturners. Here you'll find more than 30,000 books that are free to borrow, plus millions more digital items, including ebooks, movies, magazines, a large Asian literature collection, retro gaming consoles (including Nintendo, Atari and Sega), and robotic and electronic kits. There are also lounges and desks scattered inside and out, meeting and seminar rooms, a dedicated kids area, workshop spaces and an ideas lab where you can attend free workshops to help you use the 3D printers, laser and dye cutter, soldering irons and more. [caption id="attachment_748258" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Courtesy of City of Sydney[/caption] If it's been a while since you stepped foot inside a public library, all you need to know is that it's free to sign up and borrow if you're a NSW resident — and you can wander the aisles and enjoy the space even if you're not a member. Plus, should you grow hungry on your next trip there, you'll find plenty of top-notch eateries right below. Darling Square Library is open 10am–7pm, Monday to Friday, and 11am–4pm, Saturday and Sunday. Top Image: Parker Blain
Local creperie Four Frogs prides itself on providing Aussies with delicious and authentic French crepes. Since 2012 when the first outpost popped up in Sydney, Four Frogs has been building a cult following of French expats and Sydney locals addicted to their crepes and galettes. Currently, you can find three Four Frogs scattered across Sydney in Circular Quay, Randwick and Lane Cove. Mosman used to also be home to its own creperie, however the building was demolished, taking the crepe specialist with it. Luckily, Four Frogs has found a new home in Mosman and to celebrate it's throwing a grand reopening party with free crepes. Now located in an 80-seat venue at 155 Middle Head Road, the new addition to the Four Frogs family will be hosting the reopening celebrations on Monday, December 6, with the free crepes on offer from 3–5pm that day. If you just can't wait until the Monday, the new Mosman spot is officially reopening from Friday, December 3. Throughout its reopening weeks, you can head along for French martinis, cider and illustrated postcards from Four Frogs' illustrator Gill Cameron.
Sydney Dance Company has just settled into its brand new, custom built studios along Ultimo's Wattle Street, and the fresh digs are looking classy. The modern studio is so excited to share its new space with the masses that it's offering up heaps of classes on the cheap until the end of October — including an all-you-can-dance membership for just $55 per week. Established back in 1976, the acclaimed dance company is made up of some of the country's leading dancers and choreographers, many of whom have performed across the world's greatest stages in New York, Paris, Shanghai and Moscow, not to mention at home in the Sydney Opera House. The company's new studios have up to 65 dance and fitness courses on offer each week — from ballet, jazz and tap to hip hop and latin funk, along with pilates and stretch. Classes are held morning to night, so it's easy to fit in a class, whether you like to shake-it-off pre-brekkie, during your lunch break or post-work. Plus, classes are held for casual drop-ins, so you can join at any point during the year without terms or start dates. What's more, there are deals on aplenty to come along with these new digs. Casual visits will cost just $22, or a week of unlimited classes will ring up at $55. Newcomers can nab three classes for $30 (valid through October 31) and Sydney Dance Company is also slinging $95 five-class or $170 ten-class vouchers (valid for six months). Whether you're a two-left-feet newcomer or a lifelong dancer, these classes are for all ages (16 years and above) and levels — so bring it on.
There are plenty of aspects of lockdown that suck, but one giant ray of sunshine through the whole experience has been all the top-notch, inventive takeaway options coming from some of our favourite Sydney businesses. One such restaurant is Redfern's Bart Jr. The Pitt Street spot is cooking up a range of lockdown specials including date night packs, heat-at-home meals and fancy panko-crumbed market-fresh ling Fillet-O-Fishes — but the crowning jewel of Bart Jr's lockdown menu is its lobster roll. Piled high with fresh WA Rock Lobster, NSW Clarence River king prawns, tarragon, chive and horseradish, Bary Jr's lobster rolls are available every Friday from the restaurant's takeaway window — lovingly named Bart Mart. With local lobster prices lower right now due to slower international trading, the Bart Jr team jumped at the opportunity to add a more affordable lobster dish to its menu. The rolls were originally created as a one-off dish, but after a huge community response, they've been added to the Bart Mart menu as a weekly Friday item. "I had about 50 people on Instagram message me asking if they could pre-order for next time, and so many people came by afterwards and said, 'please do it again'," Bart Jr owner George Woodyard said. [caption id="attachment_824127" align="alignnone" width="1920"] George Woodyard, Destination NSW[/caption] If you miss out on a lobster roll you can pre-order a beef brisket roll packed with cheddar, zucchini pickles and chipotle mayo, available every Saturday. You can also keep your eyes on the Bart Jr Instagram for weekly deals. Last week's date night pack was filled with fried halloumi dusted in a za'atar-spiced semolina, 12-hour slow-roasted lamb shoulder, orange and polenta cake and a set of two bottled cocktails. At Bart Jr's Instagram you'll also find the details on how you can pre-order both hot rolls and DIY at-home dinners. Once you pre-order, you can pick up your lockdown dishes between 12–3pm, Thursday–Saturday. Bart Jr is open at 92 Pitt Street, Redfern. During lockdown, Bart Mart is open 12–6pm, Thursday–Saturday. Remember to wear a mask and social distance, and you can keep up-to-date with the latest restrictions including mask-wearing and travel limitations via the NSW Health website. Top image: Destination NSW
Breathing some much-needed life into the after-dark economy, Hornsby is the latest Sydney neighbourhood keen to establish a Special Entertainment Precinct (SEP) in the town centre. Having received a $200,000 grant from the Office of the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner to set up a SEP, doing so means the local council has more freedom to change trading hours and sound rules within a designated area to enliven hospitality and entertainment. Just a trial for now, Hornsby's proposed SEP area includes its town square and mall, with plans for both to foster more bars, clubs and live music destinations. Delivered in consultation with the community, if the SEP trial is successful, locals and visitors can expect a much more vibrant nightlife scene, primed for both families and revellers looking for a stellar night out. One initiative leading this transformation is Hornsby After Dark. By forging connections between local businesses, they've brought the Hornsby Mall to life with monthly Twilight Markets, alongside bustling Halloween and Winterfest events. Looking ahead, once the SEP is established, the council can take steps to safeguard its precinct. For instance, authorities can notify residents and prospective home buyers that they will be living in a defined area where later trading hours and higher levels of sound have council support. Before the NSW Government's 'vibrancy reforms' were made in 2024, it had become a common story for newcomers to arrive in a neighbourhood, only to disrupt operations for long-established pubs and clubs with noise complaints and other concerns. "Our Office has been working with businesses in the Hornsby area for the last couple of years now. Initiatives like the return of the Twilight Markets show there is appetite for audiences to engage with locally led entertainment options," says 24-Hour Economy Commissioner, Michael Rodrigues. "We hope that the Special Entertainment Precinct grant will help build momentum, improving not only the amenity for Hornsby locals but for the audiences in the North West and Central Coast as well." While Hornsby Shire Council is just the latest area to express interest in establishing a SEP, 17 others across metropolitan and regional NSW communities are also at various stages of the process, including Tamworth, Fairfield and Burwood. With demand heating up for improved nightlife economy across the state, the NSW Government has responded by increasing the funding pool from $1 million to $1.94 million. "I'm passionate about transforming Hornsby Town Centre into a vibrant, active and connected destination that the whole community may enjoy both day and night," says Hornsby Mayor, Warren Waddell. "I'm confident that the Hornsby of tomorrow will be a recreational destination of choice offering a family-friendly mix of dining, entertainment and cultural experiences." Head to the NSW Government website for more information on the Special Entertainment Precinct Kickstart Grant Program.
UPDATE, December 4, 2020: Carol is available to stream via Stan, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Telling a slow-building tale of forbidden romance, Carol is a study in clashes, contrasts and control. Within its story and sumptuous sights, everything bristles against something else, is challenged by a counterpart, and has to find a way either to work within, or burst beyond, orderly confines. That's true of the character (Cate Blanchett) that gives the movie its name, and the shopgirl, Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara), who becomes infatuated with her. It's equally true of their attempts to connect in the conservative 1950s, and of the way the film brings their efforts to life. Actually, in making his latest feature — following the likes of Velvet Goldmine and I'm Not There — director Todd Haynes hits the jackpot when it comes to matching his style to the story. An adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's 1952 novel The Price of Salt, Carol doesn't just recount a narrative considered groundbreaking at the time of publication, though writer Phyllis Nagy does a stellar job of translating the content for the screen. More than that, Haynes and company take every ounce of emotion within the book, then carefully infuse it into every aspect of the film, from its warm colour palette and fondness for lingering shots to its sweeping score and elegant performances. Think of every moment, be it an image framed through a car window or a long look at gloves left behind, as an expression of the feelings the movie's characters can't always convey, or the words they can't always say. There's plenty left unspoken between Carol and Therese after they cross paths in a department store toy section just before Christmas. A friendship blossoms, and then something more, during dinners, visits and a road trip. Yet everything seems to conspire against them, thwarting them from embracing their love freely. Carol's pal Abby (Sarah Paulson) is cautious, her estranged husband Harge (Kyle Chandler) and Therese's boyfriend Richard (Jake Lacy) disapprove, and society is far from accepting. The combination of restraint and passion that Haynes perfected in 2002's Far From Heaven bubbles up again here, with the filmmaker once more showing his prowess for probing sentiments forced to simmer below the surface. Watching the way he makes the material his own — continuing his fascination with complex stories of identity and repression, as well as his ability to ensure every frame seethes with beauty and meaning — it's almost impossible to believe that any other director could've done the material justice. Haynes isn't the picture's only source of radiance, of course, with his technical team — particularly cinematographer Edward Lachman (Howl) and composer Carter Burwell (Fargo) — helping the exquisite-looking feature come together. And then there's Blanchett and Mara, both sharing the spotlight despite the film's title seeming to indicate otherwise. Believing their pain and desire is easy, and the pair more than earn the award nominations that keep coming their way. Sure, you've seen on-screen love stories before, but cinema romances this aching and consuming are all-too rare.
Good things not only come to those who wait, but great and downright excellent things do, too — at least where Harvest Rock's 2025 lineup is concerned. Unveiled two days later than initially planned, the full rundown of acts slated to play the two-day Adelaide music festival is a list to get excited about. There's no "someday" about when The Strokes will next be in Australia now: headlining Harvest Rock and doing an Aussie-exclusive show, they're the main event on Saturday, October 25. Harvest Rock has been teasing The Strokes' spot on the bill since it pushed back its lineup announcement. Now, Julian Casablancas, Nick Valensi, Fabrizio Moretti, Nikolai Fraiture and Albert Hammond Jr are indeed locked in. Also taking to the stage on the fest's first 2025 day are The War on Drugs, also doing an Australian-exclusive gig. Vance Joy, M.I.A., Lime Cordiale and Genesis Owusu will be wowing Saturday crowds as well, as will The Presets, The Jungle Giants, Cloud Control, Bag Raiders and more. If you're a fan of Wolfmother's self-titled debut album, you're also in luck: the Australian band will play it in full. Harvest Rock's Sunday, October 26 lineup boasts Jelly Roll as its headliner, followed by Royel Otis, Groove Armada doing a DJ set, Shaboozey, PNAU, Lauren Spencer Smith, Ruel and Sneaky Sound System — and others. The fest's second day is also scoring the Ministry of Sound Classical treatment, aka dance music hits played live by an orchestra. Before August arrived, no one was likely expecting to attend Harvest Rock this year. The travelworthy festival made its debut in 2022 and returned in 2023 for a second spin, but sat out 2024. Then came the welcome news that the event is back on the agenda for 2025, a comeback that not every fest that presses pause for a year manages (see: Splendour in the Grass, which announced its 2024 dates and lineup, then ditched its plans and didn't return in 2025 — and also Groovin the Moo going through the same cycle of reveals and cancellations, and also missing 2025). The venue for Harvest Rock: still Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka and King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina. When the event was first born, hailing from the Secret Sounds crew — who were also behind Splendour in the Grass — it not only aimed to get everyone dancing in a park in Adelaide each spring, but also delivered a weekend-long blend of music, food and wine. That's once more the setup. Accordingly, the festival also spans Adelaide's top restaurants and eateries serving up dishes, a culinary-focused stage and wine tastings. In 2025, the Amuse-Bouche Stage is part of the lineup, for instance, bringing together culinary figures, podcasters and comedians — with Ben Harvey and Belle Jackson, Nat's What I Reckon, the Marmalade trio and folks from the music bill also featuring. For a bite and a sip, Wildwoods & Cellar Door by Duncan Welgemoed & Nick Stock, Denny Bradden's Dirty Doris Diner, Regent Thai, Africola Canteen, Anchovy Bandit and Gang Gang are among your options. And, label-wise from the vino selection, so are Ochota Barrels, Yangarra, Basket Range Wines, Murdoch Hill, Grant Nash, Sherrah, S.C.Pannell / Protero, Shaw + Smith / Other Wine Co, Henschke, Les Fruits / Parley, Bloomfield, Stoke Wines, Worlds Apart, Koerner, First Drop, Torbreck, Adelina and Champagne Taittinger. [caption id="attachment_1017207" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jimmy Fontaine[/caption] Harvest Rock 2025 Lineup Saturday, October 25: The Strokes The War on Drugs Vance Joy M.I.A. Lime Cordiale Wolfmother The Presets Skream & Benga Genesis Owusu The Jungle Giants Cloud Control Vacations Bag Raiders (live) Teenage Joans Divebar Youth Sunsick Daisy Oscar The Wild Any Young Mechanic Sunday, October 26: Jelly Roll Royel Otis Ministry of Sound Classical Groove Armada (DJ set) Shaboozey PNAU Lauren Spencer Smith Ruel Sneaky Sound System The Dreggs Drew Baldridge Julia Cole Folk Bitch Trio Mild Minds Anna Lunoe Velvet Trip Towns Coldwave Colter Apollo Amuse-Bouche Stage lineup: Hosted By Ben & Belle Nat's What I Reckon Marmalade Artist Appearances and more to be announced Food: Dirty Doris Diner Regent Thai Africola Canteen Anchovy Bandit Gang Gang & Many More Wine: Adelina Basket Range Bloomfield First Drop Grant Nash Henschke Koerner Les Fruits / Parley Murdoch Hill Ochota Barrels S.C.Pannell / Protero Shaw + Smith / The Other Wine Co Sherrah Stoke Wines Taittinger Torbreck Worlds Apart Yangarra Harvest Rock 2025 is set to take place across Saturday, October 25–Sunday, October 26 at Rymill Park / Murlawirrapurka and King Rodney Park / Ityamai-itpina, Adelaide. Head to the festival's website for further details — with presale tickets available from Tuesday, August 19 and general sales from Wednesday, August 20. The Strokes top image: Jim Bennett/Getty Images. Harvest Rock images: Ian Laidlaw / Mitch Lowe / Zennieshia Butts.
The Lego Ninjago Movie is the third Lego-based feature in a franchise that shows no signs of slowing down. It's also the first to take place entirely within an original Lego trademarked setting – the city of 'Ninjago' – and for its first half-hour feels like little more than an extended, big-budgeted commercial. Indeed, with the appearance of each new character, don't be surprised to see kids jumping out of their seats and pointing at the screen with gleeful recognition Still, while the film does its job as a marketing exercise from the get go, in terms of plot it takes a while longer to find its feet. Every day the evil Lord Garmadon (Justin Theroux) launches attacks upon the city from his evil villain volcano, and every day he's repelled by the colourful school-kids-cum-ninjas, the leader of whom is secretly Garmadon's own son Lloyd (Dave Franco). It's only once the lad's secret identity is revealed that the story shifts gears into something of a father/son reconciliation story – and while that's pretty familiar territory for the Lego franchise, it also provides the best material for the remainder of Ninjago. As with The Lego Movie and Lego Batman, this third movie utilises remarkable technology wherein almost everything on screen is assembled from computer-generated Lego pieces. Like the previous films, too, Ninjago is very self-aware, particularly regarding the Lego-ness of things like the absence of fingers and the way a Lego head can become stuck in the base of a Lego foot. It's these little flourishes that immediately feel familiar to anyone who's played with the toys before and, especially for adults, spark a pleasing nostalgia-based smile whenever they arise. The characters themselves, however, are noticeably less nuanced this time around, with only Lord Garmadon (played as a none-too-subtle parody of Donald Trump), Lloyd and Master Wu (Jackie Chan) offering any semblance of depth. The other five ninjas do provoke the occasional laugh but seem well below the calibre of the actors voicing them (Kumail Nanjiani, Zach Woods, Michael Peña, Abbi Jacobson and Fred Armisen). And yes, for those playing at home, you did count that correctly: six heroic ninjas, five of them male, which raises the age-old LEGO question: "uh...where are all the girls at?" It's a problem with which Lego is all too familiar. An internal review conducted by the company in 2008 revealed the damning statistic that 90% of its sales were directed towards boys rather than girls. Lego's response was to launch Lego Friends in 2012 – a toy line specifically intended for girls. Pretty smart move as it happens, with the company's annual profits shooting up by around 15 percent ever since. It's therefore both surprising and extremely disappointing that that same approach isn't being seen in the films. The Lego Movie's most kick-arse character was Elizabeth Banks' Wyldstyle, yet she was the only notable female in an otherwise male-driven story whose live action component centred upon a father/son bonding experience. Lego Batman, too, included only one notable female character in Rosario Dawson's Batgirl, and focused on the relationship between Bruce Wayne and the orphan boy Dick Grayson. Now we have Lego Ninjago, which not only suffers from a dearth of female characters but again deals largely with the father/son relationship between Garmadon and his estranged kid Lloyd. The only bright light in this situation is the announcement that The Lego Movie sequel will focus specifically on gender issues and the way boys and girls play with the toys in different ways. Solid fun for the kids and amusing enough to keep adults interested, whilst The Lego Ninjago Movie is the weakest entry in the franchise, it's still entertaining enough to satisfy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJBS1ogEVHE
A documentary that's deeply personal for one of its directors, intensely powerful in surveying Australia's treatment of its First Peoples and crucial in celebrating perhaps the country's first-ever Aboriginal filmmaker, Ablaze makes for astonishing viewing. But while watching, two ideas jostle for attention. Both remain unspoken, yet each is unshakeable. Firstly, if the history of Australia had been different, Wiradjuri and Yorta Yorta man William 'Bill' Onus would be a household name. If that was the case, not only his work behind the camera, but his activism for Indigenous Aussies at a time when voting and even being included in the census wasn't permitted — plus his devotion to ensuring that white Australians were aware of the nation's colonial violence — would be as well-known as Captain Cook. That said, if history had been better still, Bill wouldn't have needed to fight so vehemently, or at all. Alas, neither of those possibilities came to a fruition. Ablaze can't change the past, but it can and does document it with a hope to influencing how the world sees and appreciates Bill's part in it. Indeed, shining the spotlight on its subject, everything his life stood for, and all that he battled for and against is firmly and proudly the feature's aim. First-time filmmaker Tiriki Onus looks back on his own grandfather, narrating his story as well — and, as aided by co-helmer Alec Morgan (Hunt Angels, Lousy Little Sixpence), the result is a movie brimming with feeling, meaning and importance. While Aussie cinema keeps reckoning with the nation's history regarding race relations, as it should and absolutely must, Ablaze is as potent and essential as everything from Sweet Country, The Nightingale and The Australian Dream to The Furnace, High Ground and The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson. As the last filmic ode to a key Indigenous figure within cinema also did, aka My Name Is Gulpilil, Ablaze has a clear source of inspiration beyond the person at its centre. Appearing on-screen, Tiriki begins with two discoveries that put him on the path to making the movie: finding a suitcase filled with Bill's belongings, which included photographs of Indigenous boys in traditional paint peering at a film camera; and learning that the National Film & Sound Archive was in possession of footage of unknown origin that it believed to be linked to Bill. Accordingly, Ablaze is as much a detective story as it is a tribute, with Tiriki puzzling together the pieces of his grandfather's tale. Structuring the film in such a way is a savvy decision; even viewers coming to Bill with zero prior knowledge will want to sleuth along to solve the feature's multiple mysteries. Connecting the dots starts easily, after Tiriki spies the boys in Bill's photos in the NFSA's nine-minute reel — footage from which it's an enormous treat to see in Ablaze. From there, though, the what and why behind the material takes longer to tease out. So too does exactly why Reg Saunders and Doug Nicholls — the first Aboriginal officer in the Australian Army and the famed Aussie rules footballer-turned-pastor, respectively — appear in Bill's silent footage. Also an opera singer, Tiriki guides Ablaze's viewers through the answers, while delivering a biographical documentary-style exploration of Bill's existence along the way — from being born in 1906 at the Cummeragunja Aboriginal Reserve, on the Murray River in New South Wales, through to his passing in 1968 following the successful 1967 referendum on counting Indigenous Australians as part of the population, for which he spearheaded the campaign. As is any fascinating doco's curse, much in Ablaze could fuel several movies. Bill packed plenty into his time, although filmmaking, activism, and sharing his culture far and wide are recurring themes. Before shooting the reel that helps spark Ablaze sometime around 1946, Bill had gleaned how influential cinema could be to spread a message. And, from working on other productions — such as Charles Chauvel's Uncivilised in 1937 and Harry Watt's The Overlanders in 1946 — he was intent on using that power to tell the world about Indigenous Australians and their plight. In addition, with the same quest, he took to the stage. As Ablaze shows among its treasure trove of archival materials, white Aussies were flocking to a horrendously offensive-looking production called Corroboree, starring white performers in hand-stitched blackface bodysuits — which Bill set to counter. Even the newly crowned Queen Elizabeth II was among Corroboree's audience, as seen in another of Ablaze's impressive compilation of clips from decades back. Contrasting that fact with glimpses of Bill's White Justice, his theatre piece inspired by the 1946 Pilbara strike by Indigenous workers — a show that was filmed and forms part of that unearthed reel — is just one instance of a trend that keeps popping up throughout the documentary. Each time that Tiriki unfurls a new strand to Bill's story, more infuriating horrors come with it. When Bill travelled overseas to attend a peace festival East Germany to draw global attention to the situation back home, he was reportedly surveilled by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. When he received an invite from Walt Disney to go to America, ASIO helped put a stop to it. The atrocities go on, and aren't always personal. As explained by actor and now-elder Jack Charles (Preppers), even the traditional act of making possum skin wraps that chronicled the wearer's life was banned by white Australia, with the animal fur commandeered for fashion instead. With its mix of archival footage, motion graphics made from old photographs, animation and interviews — plus Tiriki's travels — Ablaze has a wealth of other threads weaved through its frames. As they're all stitched together, another truth solidifies: this film, and its wide-ranging examination of how Indigenous Australians have been treated since colonisation, is exactly what Bill was dedicated to bringing to the screen. Its moniker also feels extra apt, even after being outlined early (we have a caravan fire to thank for its subject's prowess behind the camera, and what he shot, being so little-known). Scorchingly obvious in almost every second of Ablaze, Bill was aglow with fiery determination. There's little that's remarkable about the way this cinematic homage to his efforts is put together but, given who it focuses on and his tireless crusade for equality, this doco was always going to burn bright.
Maybe your house needs the kind of colour and flair that only art can bring. Perhaps you're keen on supporting artists. If the first applies, the second should as well. Whichever fits, one event has you covered without requiring you to bust your budget to enjoy art on your walls. Even better: Affordable Art Fair is doing the rounds of Australia's east coast again in 2025, including popping up for a four-day run in Sydney in spring. Everyone should be able to fill their home with art no matter their bank balance. That's the idea behind this event, and has been since 1999. Back in the 20th century, Affordable Art Fair initially popped up in London to share eye-catching pieces with the world at manageable prices, and then started spreading its art-for-all ethos around the world. Clearly Sydneysiders are fans, given that it's returning again in 2025. [caption id="attachment_866848" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Reed Photographic[/caption] This year, you'll be heading to Carriageworks from Thursday, November 6–Sunday, November 9. On offer: original artworks by the thousands, with prices starting from $100. If you do happen to be flush with cash, however, costs will max out at $10,000 per piece. Alongside London and its three Down Under host cities, Affordable Art Fair has brought its budget-friendly wares to Brussels, Hamburg, Stockholm, Amsterdam and Berlin in Europe; Singapore and Hong Kong in Asia; and New York and Austin in the US. Unsurprisingly, democratising art has been proving the hit as Affordable Art Fair notches up the years. Up to 2024 across its stops worldwide since 1999, the event had sold 568,000 artworks at a value of over AU$820 million.
The chill in the autumn air brings with it a buzz. The bite against your skin hints that the new season of fashion is upon us. With Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week gone for another year, it’s time to get real about our winter fashion purchases. IDENTITY is an exciting fashion event held at the Treasury Casino & Hotel and is the perfect way for those who couldn’t make it down to Sydney for the big MBFWA, or for those who simply can’t get enough fashion in their lives to get the seasons fix. Back for it’s fourth year, IDENTITY has lined up a fantastic experience for Brisbanites. This year sees one of Australia’s most treasured designers, Akira Isogawa, share his secrets during an exclusive interview with stylist Di Cant. You will also be treated to the designs of Mother & Daughter designer duo Carla Zampatti and Bianca Spender. Your dollars will get you a 2.5 hour beverage package, gourmet canapés, runway shows, entertainment and an exclusive goodie bag. This year’s event has been themed around race day fashions and accessories in light of the looming Winter Racing Carnival. Contact the Treasury Casino & Hotel to secure your place at Brisbane’s ‘must do experience’ on the fashion calendar.
Rhythm of the Night, Goodgod's '90s dance night and the best excuse to dress up in your finest Hot Tuna ensemble, is turning one this Easter Sunday, giving you just another reason to celebrate this long weekend. For the birthday bash DJs Levins, Ariane and Radge will be blasting '90s dance hits in the Danceteria, with '90s RnB taking over the front bar from G Coo, babygirl, Nacho Pop, Leon Smith and Flossy from Laprats. Head to the Facebook event to get in requests for your favourite jams. Don't dally on the night either; last Easter they hit capacity before 10pm.
Australia's much-loved cook, author, restaurateur and The Great Australian Bake Off host Maggie Beer is helping you become a culinary whiz while you're spending more time at home. So, next time you're reaching for the instant noodles, do yourself a favour and turn to Maggie. Dubbed Cooking with Maggie, the series features the cooking legend whipping up delicious dishes in her Barossa home. She'll be putting up a new video every day via Instagram or Facebook, showing you how to make an easy rustic-style dish in under 20 minutes. From eggplant and eggs to a caramelised onion and Persian feta side dish and Maggie's take on a panzanella salad, every recipe uses simple ingredients, which you probably already have most of sitting in your pantry. Otherwise, a quick trip to your local grocer — or your garden if you've a green thumb like Maggie — will sort you out. But perhaps best of all is watching Maggie in her own kitchen, offering up little wisdoms. Her enthusiasm and charm is undeniable and will warm your soul. So, even if you're not looking for dinner inspiration, you may want to watch the affable cook anyway. Because, we're all in need of a little comfort — food or otherwise — right now. https://www.facebook.com/OfficialMaggieBeer/videos/242070486919378/
If you’re a lover of Wensleydale cheese, spontaneous elbow and hands wobbling and bits of plasticine, you might want to check out Wallace and Gromit's World of Invention this summer (along with any children you find handy). It might also be the perfect place to let loose a group of little people you’ve been assigned the task of entertaining over their holiday break. And this is one of those exhibits where they — and you — are allowed to touch almost everything and learn a thing or two about inventing, Wallace & Gromit style, without being thrown out of the museum (not guaranteed). There will be interactive exhibits, film sets and props on display, and a creative station set up, where you can lean about all things copyright (for when you, or they, come up with the next best thing since sliced bread). The Karaoke Disco Shower, The Thinking Cap, Telly-scope II, the Blend-o-matic, Chocolate Teapot, and the Ice Hot Water Bottle will all make an appearance, alongside real inventions by Aussies — like ear implants and a mousetrap making machine.
Maybe you're still planning your winter getaway. Perhaps you're already thinking about spring holidays. Or, you could just be keen to grasp any excuse to take a vacation. Whichever fits, as long as you're eager to spend your next break somewhere in Australia — which still gives you a heap of options — then Jetstar has the sale for you. On offer: domestic fares from $35, which spans trips from Sydney to Byron Bay. The rest of the prices are still cheap, however, and the list of destinations is sizeable. The Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, the Whitsunday Coast, Hamilton Island, Hobart, Launceston and Uluru are all covered, and all the usual capitals as well, with prices and routes varying depending on the departure point. Dubbed Jetstar's mates' rates sale, this batch of discounted fares includes $62 flights from Sydney to Melbourne, and $110 fares from the Harbour City to Cairns. From Victoria, prices kick off at $39 to Tasmania, and also cover $141 legs to Margaret River. Brisbanites can go to Mackay for $65 and Darwin for $106, too. From Adelaide, deals include $49 to Melbourne and $101 to the Sunshine Coast, while Perth's options start at $149 to Brisbane — and that's just the beginning of the sale's fares. You will need to be happy to head away from July 23–September 20 or October 11–December 12, though. Dates for sale flights also vary depending on the departure and arrival points. 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. Jetstar's mate's rates sale runs until 11.59pm AEST on Tuesday, June 20 — 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.
If the words bubbly and antipasto are your requirements for a damn good time, read on. Sydney's first ever Italian sparkling wine festival, Bolle Italia is coming to the recently opened Bar Machiavelli in Rushcutters Bay this October. This brand new festival will give wine enthusiasts and people who just really like the sound of a popping cork the chance to taste a glass (or a bottle) of some of the world's best sparkling wines — in particular paying tribute to world-class Italian sparkling wines from Friuli to Sicily and Piedmont to Sardinia. Festival founders and Italian sparkling wine importers Heath Felton and Marco Zaccariotto created the festival after they noticed the increased demand for quality sparkling wines in Australia over the past few years. "The Bolle Italia wine festival will give Australians the rare opportunity to taste quality Italian sparkling wines coming into the market, and learn how to recognise the difference," said Felton. For those wanting to improve their dinner party chit chat, sommeliers will be running masterclasses, so you can drop comments like 'creamy' or 'nuanced flavours of brioche and lemon zest' and actually know what you are talking about. If pairing your bubbly with a meal is more your thing than swilling the cheapest sparkling from a plastic flute at the races, be sure to nab a ticket to the Bolle Italia Degustazione — a six-course degustation with an exclusive menu designed by Bar Machiavelli's owner and chef, Paola Toppi, for 2016's Good Food Month.
For eight years now, being in the room where it happens has been the only thing that's mattered in musical theatre. Back in February 2015, Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton officially opened off-Broadway. By July the same year, it was previewing on Broadway itself. The rest is Tony-, Grammy-, Olivier-, Drama Desk- and Pulitzer Prize-winning history — including a stint in Australia since March 2021, starting in Sydney, then playing Melbourne and now treading the boards in Brisbane. Anyone lucky enough to be in the room where Hamilton has been happening — and everyone who has watched the smash-hit show in its filmed form, too, courtesy of a recording from 2016 that's been streaming on Disney+ since 2020 — has experienced a phenomenon. They've also enjoyed a crash course in American history, no matter where they're from or where the musical is playing. That's always been part of the excitement for Miranda, who made the trip to Australia over the weekend of Saturday, March 4–Sunday, March 5 to be in the room where the Aussie production's Brisbane leg is happening, much to the delight of Sunshine State audiences. "My kind of dirty secret answer is we don't know much about American history in America," Miranda advised at a press conference to discuss the show. "I didn't learn any of this. All I knew about Hamilton when I picked up that book was that the dude was on the $10 bill. I knew his son died in a duel because I wrote a report about him in my junior year. I knew his son died in a duel and that he died in a duel in nearly the same spot three years later." Miranda is talking about American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, of course, and about the Ron Chernow-penned 2004 non-fiction book about him that Hamilton is based on. After finally seeing the Australian show, which features Jason Arrow as Alexander Hamilton — the role Miranda originated — the acclaimed talent chatted through the musical's beginnings, its commitment to diversity, his songwriting process and more at a Brisbane press conference. STEPPING BEYOND WELL-KNOWN US HISTORY — AND CHALLENGING WHOSE STORIES GET TOLD Most folks don't take someone they've vaguely heard of at school and turn their tale into the biggest musical of the 21st century. Miranda isn't most folks, clearly. Armed with exactly that amount of knowledge, Miranda began to adapt Chernow's book, a process that took seven years. At its centre: the Caribbean-born "bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman", with Miranda's musical charting Hamilton's impact upon America from his arrival in New York in the early 1770s. As the show's opening number explains, Hamilton went on to become "the ten-dollar Founding Father without a father" — and also "got a lot farther by working a lot harder, by being a lot smarter and by being a self-starter". Bringing that tale to the stage wasn't just about picking a figure from US history and unpacking their tale, though, but also about exploring whose stories get told. "One of the secret ingredients in the recipe is my excitement in the fact that not a lot of people knew this story — at least, this is not a story I learned. We got a few highlights, but we didn't learn this story in our AP history classes. And so, I think that the story is just a compelling one, and I think one of the central themes in it is which stories get told and which don't depending on who survives us," Miranda noted at his Brisbane press conference. "And their reputations rise and they fall because people are complicated. There are no heroes or villains in this piece, there's just really flawed people making a really flawed country." "It's funny, the emails I would get when we first opened were always 3am emails. They weren't like 'thank you, I like your show, thank you for inviting me'. They were like 'what am I doing with my life?'. Because when you have a show that documents several lives over the course of many years, it makes you ask your own questions. And I think that's the secret also — it starts as being this very specific history piece, but it really invites you to think about what kind of legacy you'll leave." CREATING OPPORTUNITIES AND CHAMPIONING DIVERSITY Hamilton doesn't just question who gets immortalised in history, who becomes a mere footnote, who is forgotten and why. It also confronts and challenges how representation and diversity have typically been handled in theatre, in the tales told in general and in who's telling them. "It's my prerequisite for being in the room talking to you," said Miranda at the press conference about Hamilton's diverse casting, including in Australia. "I began writing musicals because I didn't see roles for myself in musicals." "I was in love with this art form, and at the same time I knew I don't dance well enough to play Bernardo or one of the Sharks [in West Side Story], and that's kind of all there is for Puerto Rican guys in musical theatre — it's just what there was, what existed," he continued. "So I really began writing the first show, In the Heights, out of this desire to write what was missing, and also represent my neighbourhood in a way that I didn't see it portrayed in mainstream media, to speak nothing of musical theatre." [caption id="attachment_846530" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud[/caption] "An amazing side effect of that, and with Hamilton, I realised that I'm trying to create opportunities in my shows. The concept of this piece is that we are living 200 somewhat years past when this story was told and the country looks very different than it did then, and so we get to tell this story with all its messiness — we get to tell it, too." "It also just gets us new stories. That's the other exciting part of it — to invite more people into the room means to invite new stories and to invite new narratives." [caption id="attachment_774807" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hamilton filmed version courtesy Disney+.[/caption] FINDING HAMILTON'S SONGS ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE Hamilton's meaningful and essential aims will always remain crucial to its success. As anyone who has had 'My Shot', 'You'll Be Back' or 'The Room Where It Happens' stuck in their head knows, however — so, anyone who has ever seen Hamilton in any form, or even just heard its soundtrack — the show's songs are also pivotal. "I'm really egalitarian," Miranda explained about his songwriting process. "I'll take it whatever way it wants to show up. I do believe they show up, and different songwriters have different theories about it. There's the famous story of Michael Jackson's insomnia, and someone said 'Michael, why don't you get some sleep?'. And he said 'if I go to sleep, god will give the song to Prince'. I love that story." "Hamilton is a fantastic example where every kind of song got written in every kind of way," Miranda continued in Brisbane, giving examples. "'My Shot' took over a year, and it was six months before I even sat at a piano. It was very much a lyrics-first song, because I knew that my thesis was [that] Hamilton's the best writer of that circle, [so] his bars better be good. And I just worked on his bars because I wanted his bars to be good over this beat and this beat before I even put my hands on the keys." "'You'll Be Back' showed up on my honeymoon, without a piano anywhere in sight. The 'ya-da da-da da' got stuck in my head, and I think the reason it's so catchy is because I had to remember it for the two weeks I was in Bora Bora with my wife until I could get back to piano in the real world — because I was in a cabana." FINALLY MAKING THE TRIP DOWN UNDER TO SEE THE AUSTRALIAN CAST When Hamilton wraps up its Brisbane season at QPAC's Lyric Theatre on Sunday, April 23, the show will leave the country for a New Zealand run. Miranda acknowledges that he's left it late in the musical's Australian tour to make a visit — two years to the month it premiered Down Under, in fact — but, given the events of the past few years, there's a good reason for that. "Honestly, the timing was as soon as I could make it work," Miranda told the Brisbane press conference. "I think you guys know there was a moment during the global pandemic when Australia was the only company of Hamilton running in the world. That was a real beacon of hope to our actors and other companies that theatre would come back, and they'd hopefully be able to one day put on the show again." "But it was also harder to visit. You had a 14-day quarantine, and you had to really — that was the kind of time I didn't get to have, because I was writing, making and editing Tick, Tick… Boom!. So this has really been the soonest that I could see it. I made a promise to see the Australian company while it's still in Australia, and they're leaving soon, so I came as soon as I could." As every Aussie fan of Hamilton already knows, getting to see the musical is always worth the wait. "I mean, they're so fantastic," Miranda noted of the local cast, who he helped assemble virtually. "I remember seeing Jason Arrow's audition — it had to have been April or May of 2020, and it was around the time that we were watching and editing Hamilton for [the Disney+] release. So they were really stacking up against the originals in a very tangible way, and so we were really proud of the incredible company that we were able to put together from there locally." "Every original cast is like a four-minute mile," Miranda continued. "They said scientists proved you couldn't run the mile in under four minutes, and then someone did it, and then suddenly everybody's running it — and I feel like original casts are like that. It's impossible to find that first cast, and then it attracts the people who know they can do it." "So it's been wonderful to meet OG cast members last night, and also members who joined it in Melbourne or joined it in Sydney — they're really wonderful. I mean, I saw it last night, they're wonderful." Hamilton's Brisbane season runs until Sunday, April 23 at QPAC's Lyric Theatre, South Bank, with tickets available via the musical's website.
A 1930s-style brasserie with a 750-strong wine list. A moody underground restaurant specialising in one cut of steak. A dedicated hopper eatery from one of the city's best chefs. These are just three of the boundary-pushing restaurants that have opened their doors this year. Sydney's restaurant scene has had an impressively strong 2018. And the restaurants that have opened are as diverse in their cuisines as they are in their decors — French, Sri Lankan, Australian and Italian; pastel pinks, leather banquettes, edible candles and walls covered in grapes. At Concrete Playground we encourage exploration and showcase innovation in our city every day, so we thought it fitting to reward those most talented whippersnappers pushing Sydney to be a better, braver city. And so, these six new restaurants, opened in 2018, were nominated for Best New Restaurant in Concrete Playground's Best of 2018 Awards.
The days are getting longer, after-work swims are back, frangipanis scent the air, and we've officially completed the switch to iced drinks only. That can only mean one thing: summer has arrived. Like clockwork, MILKLAB's Summer Sensations program is back for another year to help us kick our coffee ruts aside with a season-defining new drop of drinks. Each year, the number one plant-based barista milk brand officiates the start of summer with a curated lineup of summer-approved drinks. Each drink has been developed with specialty coffee roasters Golden Brown Coffee to be equal parts delicious and aesthetic. If 2024 was the year of strawberry matcha and adding sparkling water to espressos, yuzu, and cold brew, what's in store for summer 2025? We asked MILKLAB for a sneaky first look at this summer's trending drinks, from matcha to coffee and beyond. Glazed Doughnut Iced Latte Hailey Bieber may have made us temporarily think of skincare when we think of glazed doughnuts, but this summer, that's about to change. Why? Because we're set to see the Glazed Doughnut Latte pop up on cafe menus everywhere and become your new summer sweet treat. Think espresso, white chocolate, and caramel shaken over ice until frothy and served alongside MILKLAB Macadamia on a hot summer's commute. If you've ever wanted to turn a doughnut into a drink, this is absolutely for you. Mango Matcha If matcha has become a part of your daily routine — and your entire personality — you will be thrilled to see the Mango Matcha popping up everywhere this year. Yes, it's time to bid farewell to the 2025 zeitgeist's favourite drink, the humble strawberry matcha. Just like your beloved iced matcha, this one comes with a hefty dose of everyone's favourite summer fruit, mango. Perfectly whisked matcha poured over ice, the right balance of MILKLAB Oat, vanilla, and a punchy layer of mango purée make this drink the perfect way to welcome summer. Who knows, you might even like it better than the strawberry version. Ube Matcha Ube has taken the drinks world by storm in Asia, and now it's Australia's turn. If you haven't seen it on menus yet here, prepare for its total takeover of cafes this year. The bright purple drinks are made with ube, a technicolour sweet potato native to the Philippines that has a nutty, earthy vanilla-like flavour. The ugly-on-the-outside and purple-on-the-inside vegetable is boiled down and turned into a delicious syrup, perfect for drinks. Think of it like one of nature's prettiest and tastiest sweeteners. This summer, find it adding a purple punch to your regular matcha — perfect if you're not a fan of overly sweet drinks. Almond Iced Pistachio Latte Pistachios have had one of the biggest years on record, soaring in popularity and becoming an ingredient in just about everything. Now that summer has arrived, you can expect to see it added to coffees. Different from the in-your-face flavour profile of Dubai chocolate, here you'll find the pistachio (and white chocolate syrup) whisked vigorously and dissolved into your espresso shot, meaning each sip tastes of the delicious ingredient we all can't get enough of. Then, it's topped with MILKLAB Almond and garnished with crushed pistachios and pistachio spread. Coconut Mango Frappe Just because you don't drink coffee doesn't mean you should miss out on having an ice-cold drink at a cafe this summer. Frappes are back in a big way this year, so prepare to see them on cafe menus across the country, and even bars for the sober-curious among us. Think of the Coconut Mango Frappe as the piña colada's daytime equivalent, but with mango. Mango, MILKLAB Coconut, coconut cream, ice and sugar syrup are blended up and served topped with shredded coconut and a lime wedge. Best enjoyed from a glass dripping with condensation when the mercury rises. Find your new summer obsession in store at your favourite cafe now, or head to MILKLAB's website for more inspiration.
This holiday season, restaurateur Maurice Terzini (Icebergs Dining Room, Ciccia Bella, Bondi Beach Public Bar) has once again joined forces with Sonoma Bakery to bring Sydneysiders a festive treat: an extra-special, limited-edition panettone. An Italian sweet loaf first created in Milan, panettone is typically baked and eaten during the holidays. The Icebergs and Sonoma version is made for Christmas lunches and dinners, too. But, as Sydneysiders first discovered in 2019, this one combines traditional Italian techniques with native Aussie ingredients — so, it's made for enjoying alongside a plate of fresh prawns next to the pool (or on the beach). The 2020 panettone goes heavy on ingredients sourced from Something Wild and Daniel Motlop in South Australia, with a big focus on supporting First Nations communities. While the traditional version is studded with the likes of dried raisins, candied orange and lemon zest, this one uses sandalwood, davidson plum, lemon myrtle and green ants — with the latter giving it a citrusy flavour according to Icebergs head chef Alex Prichard. These panettones are not simple creations in general, either. Each one takes more than 36 hours to make, including time spent hanging upside down — to keep the dome shape and the crumbly texture — as soon as it comes out of the oven. If you're keen to nab a taste, the panettone is now available on the dessert menu at Ciccia Bella in Bondi and Parramatta and, of course, Icebergs. You can also nab a whole one for $65 to take along to your next Chrissie party from Icebergs and Ciccia Bella, as well as Woollahra's Victor Churchill, Newtown's P&V Wine + Liquor Merchants and natural wine bottle shop Drnks (online store only). Yes, this collab panettone is fast becoming a Christmas tradition. The Icebergs X Sonoma panettone costs $65 and is now available to-go from Icebergs, Victor Churchill, P&V Wine + Liquor Merchants and Drnks online store. You'll also find it on the dessert menu at Ciccia Bella and Icebergs.
With your next dessert, you could help send a message to the Australian government about climate change. That's the aim behind Ben & Jerry's new limited-edition 'Unfudge our Future' flavour. Made with almond milk, the chocolate and peanut butter non-dairy ice cream features chunks of fudge brownies and peanut butter cookie dough and, as well as tempting your tastebuds, it's designed to raise awareness about the country's use of fossil fuels. The latest addition to the brand's range is specifically part of a campaign targeted at Aussie leaders, complete with personalised tubs created for Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor. Ben & Jerry's has joined forces with 350.org Australia and the Climate Council, with all three are calling for the Australian Government to invest in sustainable and renewable energy in this year's budget, and to adopt a science-based approach to climate change in general. Accordingly, the flavour links in with a new section on Ben & Jerry's website that allows you to send a message to the Prime Minister, Treasurer and Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction. And, for every punnet sold, Ben & Jerry's will also be donating part of the proceeds to 350.org Australia. It is hosting a virtual ice cream and climate change event on Thursday, August 20, too; however, because it includes free ice cream, registrations have already reached capacity at the time of writing — unsurprisingly. Fans of both non-dairy ice cream and fighting against climate change can pick up the new 'Unfudge our Future' flavour at Ben & Jerry's stores, as well as grocery and convenience stores around the country — and, via delivery services. For more information about Ben & Jerry's new limited-edition 'Unfudge our Future' flavour, and its campaign against fossil fuels, visit the brand's website.
The thing about the great outdoors is that there's a depth to it that photos and secondhand accounts can't fully capture — its full grandeur has to be experienced firsthand to be truly appreciated. Whether you're hoping to catch a glimpse of rare species endemic to the region, hankering after an adrenaline rush — or simply can't imagine a holiday without taking in the natural wonders of your destination, the landscapes of the American South are just waiting to be explored. In partnership with Travel South USA, we've curated a range of ways to get into the great outdoors in each of the South's nine states. Mammoth Cave — Kentucky A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mammoth Cave is the world's longest known cave system, with over 400 miles (over 643 kilometres) explored. Visitors can take guided tours to marvel at its vast chambers, unique rock formations, and fascinating underground ecosystems. Not only is it the largest cave system in the world, it's also situated in a National Park that's ideal for hiking, biking and camping. Atchafalaya National Heritage Area — Louisiana One of the most ecologically diverse regions in the US is found in south-central Louisiana's Atchafalaya National Heritage Area. Not only is the Atchafalaya the nation's largest freshwater swamp, the twisting bayous are where alligators, raccoons, bears, catfish, shrimp, crawfish and over 270 species of birds call home. Within the swamp grounds, ancient oak trees and impressive cypress trees also tower — and can be seen when exploring the swamp on a guided tour either by boat or kayak. Whitewater Rafting in Almost Heaven — West Virginia For an experience that gets you out of your comfort zone and into the splash zone, take to West Virginia's river rapids. The state is home to world-class whitewater rafting, with the highest density of whitewater runs in the country. Beginners all the way through to rafting veterans are all welcome, with family-friendly fun and wild adrenaline-pumping adventures alike to be found in Almost Heaven's wide range of rivers. The rafting is so good in West Virginia that National Geographic crowned it a 2024 "Best of the World Experience". Loggerhead Sea Turtles at Edisto Beach State Park — South Carolina South Carolina's beaches are as warm as they are wide, and are home to a population of loggerhead sea turtles — one of the seven species of the beak-and-flipper-boasting marine reptiles worldwide. Female loggerheads return to the beaches where they were born to nest and every year between May and August, Edisto Beach State Park is home to returning loggerheads and hatchlings as they make their treacherous scurry out to sea. Ranger-guided nighttime beach walks during this period offer a chance to witness the baby turtles take their first breaths and first scurries firsthand. Katy Trail State Park — Missouri Built along the corridor of what was once the Missouri-Kansas-Texas railway, today the Katy Trail State Park is home to the longest continuous rail trail in the US — and an unrivalled way to witness the heritage of the state. The trail consists of 26 trailheads stretching over 386 scenic kilometres meandering through once-thriving small towns along the Missouri River, wine country in the state's east and rural farmland in the west. Hugh Branyon Backcountry Trail — Alabama Situated along Alabama's beautiful Gulf Coast beaches, the Gulf State Park spans a formidable 6150 acres (about 2500 hectares). Despite the size, the Hugh Branyon Backcountry Trail makes exploring this expanse of pristine nature much more accessible. Over 28 miles (about 45 kilometres) of paved trails it's possible to explore all nine of the distinct ecosystems that make up the State Park. There are a plethora of wildlife-watching opportunities and the trail is ideal for hiking and biking, making it a homegrown favourite that was crowned 2024's Best Recreational Trail by USA Today. Coastal Mississippi — Mississippi Mississippi's extensive coastline is a nature lover's playground. Whether by boat or on foot, there are breathtaking Gulf views to behold and a smorgasbord of experiences unique to the region, including the possibility of fresh local seafood in the catch of the day on a chartered fishing trip or shrimping excursion. The coast's many serene bayous and waterways are ideally suited for exploring from a kayak or paddleboard, while a boat ride is the best way to reach the Gulf Islands National Seashore's pristine beaches. Birdwatchers can flock to Pascagoula River Audubon Center to spot migratory species and there are countless coastal trails just waiting to be strolled along. WildSide in Pigeon Forge — Tennessee In the backyard of Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains with over 18 miles (about 28 kilometres) of trails across 900 acres of terrain (about 365 hectares) lies WildSide, one of the ultimate adventure parks in the South. Head off-road on guided UTVs (utility terrain vehicles) or on a mountain bike for thrilling wilderness experiences to suit every skill level and appetite for adrenaline. Grandfather Mountain — North Carolina Standing at 5946 feet (1812 metres), Grandfather Mountain in northwest North Carolina is more than just the highest peak of the Blue Ridge Escarpment, which is itself one of the chains that make up the expansive Appalachian Mountains. With 16 distinct natural ecosystems, the mountain is classified as an International Biosphere Reserve owing to its rare plant and animal diversity, many of which are also endemic or endangered. The reserve has a multitude of hiking trails, opportunities to see local species in natural habitats and is also home to America's highest suspension footbridge. Find your next adventure in the South. Discover more unforgettable destinations and start planning your trip with Travel South USA.
This autumn, for four nights from Thursday, May 4–Sunday, May 7, Mov'In's drive-in cinema is returning to the Entertainment Quarter rooftop — and it's all about electric cars. In fact, this is Australia's first EV drive-in cinema, and you do indeed need to rock up in a pure electric vehicle to gain entry. Try to roll in driving anything but a full electric vehicle with zero tailpipe emissions — so, attempt to arrive in any car with an internal combustion engine, including hybrids — and you won't be permitted entry. Ticketed spots are available to drivers of all EV brands; however, because the cinema is sponsored by Polestar, owners of the Swedish car brand's Polestar 2 can score free entry. As for what you'll be watching, the lineup starts with Guy Ritchie's latest Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre, then goes blue with Avatar: The Way of Water. Next up is the nostalgic animated fun of The Super Mario Bros Movie, before retro openair cinema staple Dirty Dancing closes out the program. Yes, it's always on every drive-in and outdoor cinema lineup. There'll also be food and beverages available to buy, complete with pizzas and bottomless popcorn. Mov'In Car isn't BYO, so you'll have to purchase all hot food and drinks inside — but you can bring your own non-alcoholic beverages and snacks. Each film kicks off after last light each night, so around 7.30pm, with gates opening at 6pm. Price-wise, tickets for a car with up to five people cost $49.90. Also, Mov'In Car is dog-friendly, although your pet pooch will need to stay in your electric vehicle.
The White Rabbit Gallery has gotten us well acquainted with the vibrant powerhouse that is 21st-century Chinese art — so bright, witty, and full of winking commentary on politics and pop culture. Now we have the chance to see the stage version of that with Fight the Landlord (Do Di Zhu), on at Carriageworks in 2013. Its set-up is a card game evocatively known in China as Fight the Landlord. Here it is played by three panda-costumed women of unspecified relation, which shifts dramatically with every round. But it's their wry chatter that will keep you rivetted, as they discuss their love lives, gossip mags, the role of work, and the housing crisis, among all else, as the game escalates around them. The cross-cultural co-production between Ireland's fun and subversive Pan Pan theatre (last here with Oedipus Loves You in 2010) and Beijing's Square Moon Culture has been recognised as representing the heights of contemporary Chinese absurdism in reviews from China and Melbourne. You can get a particularly close perspective on it if you pull up your chair to the big, round game table, as the audience sits on stage with the actors (although for the apprehensive, more distant seats are also available).
It's the first Australian-produced show to win the Tony Award for Best Musical. It's based on an adored Baz Luhrmann-directed, Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor-starring film that celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. With its tale of star-crossed lovers set to a toe-tapping soundtrack, it's been a Broadway sensation — and it's finally opening in Australia. That'd be Moulin Rouge! The Musical — and, if you're as keen to attend its Melbourne premiere season as its central duo are about each other (and about professing their affection through song), then you just might be able to nab yourself a cheap ticket. As has happened with The Book of Mormon, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Hamilton, a ticket lottery is being held for the production's homegrown debut run. Via Today Tix, you can sign up for your chance to score a ticket for just $30. Yes, that figure is accurate. This is your spectacular (spectacular) chance to see the acclaimed screen-to-stage musical for less than the price of a dinner. To take part in the lottery, you will need to download the Today Tix app — which is available for iOS and Android — and submit your entry each week for the next week's performances. The lottery will go live at 12.01am every Thursday morning, starting from today, Thursday, November 11, with winners drawn between 1–6pm on the following Wednesday. If your name is selected, you'll have an hour to claim your tickets from when you receive the good news. If you need a reminder, you can also sign up for lottery alerts via Today Tix, too. Opening at Melbourne's Regent Theatre on Friday, November 12, Moulin Rouge! The Musical brings to life the famed Belle Époque story of young composer Christian and his heady romance with Satine, actress and star of the legendary Moulin Rouge cabaret. Set in the Montmartre Quarter of Paris, the show is known for its soundtrack, celebrating iconic tunes from across the past five decades. The film was, too; however, the stage version backs up the movie's tracks with even more hit songs that have been released in the two decades since the feature premiered. Usually, tickets will set you back $95–219 a pop — so the $30 lottery really is an absolute bargain. There's no word yet on whether Moulin Rouge! The Musical will head to other Aussie cities later on. It's possible, as other big musicals, such as The Book of Mormon, have — and Hamilton has announced a move from Sydney to Melbourne, too. But, if you don't want to risk it, those located interstate should to start planning a trip ASAP — we think it'll be more than worth it. Moulin Rouge! The Musical will make its Australian premiere at Melbourne's Regent Theatre from Friday, November 12. To enter the Today Tix $30 lottery, download the company's iOS or Android app, and head to the company's website for more information — and to set up an alert. Images: Michelle Grace Hunder.
When Moonlight Cinema returns for its 2019–20 season, the annual feast of outdoor movies will give film fans exactly what we all want. Sure, we're all keen to roll out our picnic blankets, sit under the stars and stare up at the big screen — but, given that this openair cinema launches at the end of each and every year, we also want Christmas movies. In the week leading up to the big festive day, Moonlight will screen Last Christmas, Die Hard, Home Alone, Love Actually and Elf. Yep, all the basics are covered. They're not the only highlights from the just-dropped November, December and January program, but they sure do twinkle brightly among a heap of other movie standouts. If you're wondering what else will tempt your inner cinephile from November 28 in Sydney and Melbourne, November 30 in Perth and December 14 in Brisbane, it's a lengthy list. With recently or newly released movies a big part of Moonlight's lineup, expect to watch Rocketman, Hustlers, Joker, Ford v Ferrari, Knives Out, Cats, Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker and Charlie's Angels — and, in some cities, to see Brad Pitt twice thanks to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Ad Astra. Moonlight also showcases advanced screenings of upcoming films, so add the Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron and Margot Robbie-starring Bombshell and Tom Hanks in It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood to your must-see pile. Going retro, the outdoor cinema will mark 20 years since Bring It On first waved its pom poms, step back into The Matrix in some cities, and revisit last year's A Star Is Born — as well as Bohemian Rhapsody in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. Dirty Dancing is also on the bill, like every year — it wouldn't be a Moonlight without it. The February and March lineup will be announced on January 15, so there are even more movies to come. As always, Moonlight will also boast its usual food truck and licensed bar offering, and its reserved bean beds. You can also BYO booze everywhere except Brisbane — and bring your dog everywhere but Perth. MOONLIGHT CINEMA 2019 DATES Sydney: Nov 28–Mar 29 (Centennial Park) Melbourne: Nov 28–Mar 29 (Central Lawn at Royal Botanic Gardens) Perth: Nov 30–Mar 29 (Kings Park and Botanic Garden) Adelaide: Dec 13–Feb 16 (Botanic Park) Brisbane: Dec 14–March 29 (Roma Street Parkland) The Moonlight Cinema kicks off on November 28. For more information and bookings, visit the website. Top image: Moonlight Cinema Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.
An artist-led research centre and creative hub, Culture at Work has a mission to connect art and science by collaborating with people in both the artistic and scientific fields. The eclectically-painted building inspires future generations through exhibitions, events, public talks and programs.
Somehow, it's already Easter, which only means one thing – the 2025 Sydney Royal Easter Show is here. This year, from Friday, April 11 to Tuesday, April 22, Australia's largest agricultural event will be hosting an exciting array of entertainment and world-class competitions at the Sydney Showground at Sydney Olympic Park, ready and waiting for the whole family to enjoy. We've narrowed down our top recommendations for things to do and see while you're there to help you out. Live Entertainment Nightly Evening Entertainment Head to the Main Arena from 7.00pm each day for hours of after-dark fun. Standouts include the 'Disco Fever Street Parade', the 'K9 Superwall Challenge' where city and country dogs compete in a test of strength, agility and determination and off-road buggy races. But the proverbial iceberg of entertainment runs deep, and there'll be epic fireworks displays to round it all up. Grand Parade Get up close and personal with the very best in Australian agriculture as prize-winning animals are paraded through the main arena. One of the most long-standing events – taking place every year since 1907 – this iconic tradition of the Sydney Royal Easter Show, one true to its core, isn't one to be missed. Bluey Bonanza Bluey has well and truly taken over the world as Australia's most beloved export, and this year's Sydney Royal Easter Show is putting the beloved Heeler family front and centre. Keep the kids happy by treating them to Bluey and Bingo's live interactive spectacular, which will see the duo play their favourite games of Magic Asparagus, Magic Xylophone, Keepy Uppy and more. Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Show New to the Sydney Royal Easter Show for 2025, the lumberjack shows bring high-energy action and crowd-pleasing, log-chopping entertainment to the show. Watch on as lumberjacks saw, chop, axe, and log roll across the pond with daily shows including two-man cross-cut sawing, chainsaw vs cross-cut races, axe throwing, underhand and standing block chopping, quick chainsaw carving, log rolling and log run. Who knew logs could provide so much fun? Wrangler Federation Rodeo Challenge Not for the faint-hearted, but an agricultural classic: watch as Aussie riders take on bull riding, bareback, saddle bronc and female breakaway roping with the biggest and brawniest cattle you've ever seen in the Main Arena. Animal acts ADVANCE™ Sydney Royal Cat and Dog shows Taking place for more than 150 years, the cat and dog shows are not to be missed. If your a dog person, witness more than two hundred breeds battle it out in categories including obedience, rally, agility, jumping, scent work and trick dog. Or, if you're more of a cat person, head to the Pat a Cat interactive experience. Sydney Royal Aviary Bird Show If you're in your bird-watching era, then this one's for you. Featuring judging of breeds, including Finches, Budgerigars, African Lovebirds, Canaries, and Parrots, the Sydney Royal Aviary Bird Show is a celebration of aviculture in Australia, with some of the prettiest domestic birds you're likely to ever see on display. The Animal Walk Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Sydney Royal Easter Show is home to over 13,000 animals representing over 400 different breeds and over 6,000 agricultural exhibitors. And when you come and visit, you can see them up close, organised by species, along The Animal Walk – you'll feel like you're on a country farm despite being in the city. See sheep, pigs, goats, horses, alpacas and plenty more, and get your steps way up on the way. Jamison Station Get down and dirty with a 2025 addition: the new 'working farm' precinct, which will host hands-on animal experiences as well as live milking and blacksmithing demonstrations. And yes, you can try your hand at milking a cow. Food Woolworths Fresh Food Dome Another iconic Sydney Royal Easter Show offering, the Woolworths Fresh Food Dome, is where you get to see and taste everything under the sun. From fresh fruit, rich charcuterie, boutique sauces, baked goods and quite literally everything in between, it's easy to get lost in this culinary wonderland for hours, so come hungry. Live judging: Aquaculture edition While you're at the Dome, head to Aquaculture to watch oyster judging live. Taking place on Wednesday, April 16. You might think you know your oysters, or at least your fresh from your Kilpatrick, but here, foodies can watch on as judges assess the precise uniformity of shape, presentation, texture, colour, freshness, and the all-important taste of these oceanic morsels. Don't miss your chance to be a part of the action with tickets for the 2025 Sydney Royal Easter Show on sale now. Images: Supplied.
Thirty years, hundreds of films and thousands of minutes spent staring at the silver screen — that's what the Alliance Française French Film Festival is celebrating in 2019. Three decades since first launching in Australia, the event is marking its mammoth milestone with a particularly huge festival. And like all of the best big birthday bashes, the fest has assembled quite the on-screen guest list. When AFFFF hits Sydney's theatres from March 5 until April 10, it'll not only screen 54 movies across a month-long period, but also showcase a heap of French acting greats. Think Juliette Binoche, Audrey Tautou, Isabelle Adjani, Vincent Cassel, Catherine Deneuve, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Mathieu Amalric, plus Vanessa Paradis and her daughter Lily-Rose Depp. The list goes on (obviously). With acclaimed French directors Claire Denis and Jacques Audiard each making their English-language filmmaking debuts over the last 12 months, this year's AFFFF also boasts a bit of Hollywood star power. Robert Pattinson and André Benjamin (aka André 3000) join the aforementioned Binoche in Denis' stellar dystopian space effort High Life, while Joaquin Phoenix, John C. Reilly and Jake Gyllenhaal star in Audiard's western, The Sisters Brothers. Both titles have been gathering praise on the international festival circuit since late last year, and will hit Aussie screens for the first time at AFFFF. From opening film The Trouble with You to closing night's Kiss & Tell — both comedies — the full lineup boasts plenty of other features to get excited about. Intimate drama A Faithful Man steps into the complications of romance, with Louis Garrel both in front of and behind the camera; César award-nominee Amanda follows a twentysomething forced to bond with his niece; and doco fans can get a fashion fix with both Celebration: Yves Saint Laurent and Jean-Paul Gaultier: Freak & Chic. Elsewhere, famed director François Ozon returns with By the Grace of God, which comes our way after premiering in Berlin in February, and Olivier Assayas is back with his thoughtful latest offering, Non-Fiction. While the trio of The World Is Yours, Knife + Heart and Sorry Angel have already played on Australian screens, specifically in Melbourne last year, they're also worth looking out for — the crime caper, campy slasher and queer romance all made our best of MIFF list for a good reason. Finally, if you're keen on both old and new French talents, they're both in the spotlight in a considerable way. The former comes courtesy of a restored screening of Alain Resnais' classic 1961 effort Last Year at Marienbad, and a dedicated program strand highlights the latter, including emerging filmmakers such as Coralie Fargeat (Revenge), Cécila Rouaud (Family Photo) and Dominique Rocher (The Night Eats the World).
This year will be the return of international travel for many of us. After such a long time between global jaunts, you wouldn't be blamed for running away to Europe or the US. But there's plenty of fun to be had a little closer to home. Within a few hours, you could be sipping cocktails on a beach in Bali or eating your way around Tokyo. And that's only the beginning. Asia is bursting with diverse cultures, dramatic landscapes and delicious things to eat and drink — which you can experience for yourselves by booking one of these seven getaways via Concrete Playground Trips. [caption id="attachment_893314" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Bernard (Unsplash)[/caption] SOUTH KOREA FOOD AND DRINK TOUR Love your Korean fried chicken? Or your lunchtime bibimbap? Then you best check out this eight-day culinary tour that takes you from city restaurants to rural farms, trying some of the country's best dishes. Most of the tough travel decisions will also be taken care of during your vacay — hotels, local transport and a bunch of unique food and culture activities. It makes discovering the flavourful diversity and heritage of this rich culinary scene all too easy. BOOK IT NOW. THE ULTIMATE SEMINYAK ESCAPE If you're looking for a stylish stay in one of Bali's most sought-after locations, then Double-Six Luxury Hotel will likely be your jam. Raising the bar for beachfront luxury, this hotel is set along the iconic Double-Six Beach, within walking distance of some of Seminyak's best bars, restaurants and shopping streets. Serving up exceptional service alongside delicious eats and hand-crafted cocktails from four bars and restaurants, this five-star hotel has everything you need for a relaxing Bali getaway. But we aren't just getting you a room here. You'll also get daily breakfasts, one hour of free alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks each day, a dinner for two at Suzie Q and vouchers for its spa. This is how you Bali. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_893317" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Colin Meg (Unsplash)[/caption] EXPLORE THE BEST OF BORNEO'S NATURAL WONDERS Experience natural wonders and abundant wildlife only found in Borneo during this ten-day adventure. You'll hang out with orangutans in Sepilok, cruise along the Kinabatangan River, chill out on the stunning Manukan Island and get a taste of city life in Kota Kinabalu. It ticks off all the top spots in Borneo, while taking you to some hidden gems only known by locals. You'll also travel with a small group of fellow nature-loving travellers, making some new mates for life. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_893088" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jezael Melgoza (Unsplash)[/caption] TOUR FROM TOKYO TO OSAKA Home to sake, geishas, karaoke, kawaii culture and onsens, Japan's got a lot going for it. And on this nine-day trip, you'll get to see the country at its very best. Take in the neon nightlife of Tokyo, relax in the manicured gardens of Nikko and discover thousands of years of culture and history in Kyoto. Of course, no trip to Japan would be complete without trying a heap of local dishes, so world-class sushi, ravishing ramen and delectable donburi are all on the menu. Experience the culture and charm of the Land of the Rising Sun during this ultimate Japan holiday. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_883655" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tom Bixler (Unsplash)[/caption] AFFORDABLE LUXURY STAY IN LOMBOK We are obsessed with Lombok — Bali's less crowded neighbour. It has a high calibre of beaches, food and hospitality but at a significantly lower price point and with fewer tourists. To best take advantage of this stunning island, we teamed up with KU Villas Lombok to create three different travel deals. The first deal is the simplest and includes a two-night stay with daily breakfasts (for two people) in this lavish accommodation for just $105 a night. The second deal includes a three-night stay, private chauffeur, $200 credit for the clifftop SIWA Clubhouse, a one-hour massage for each guest and all your breakfasts — and is just $455 total for two people. And the third deal is $655 for all the same inclusions plus extra spa treatments. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_893322" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Silver Ringvee (Unsplash)[/caption] IN-DEPTH CULTURAL TOUR OF VIETNAM Trace Vietnam's eastern coastline on this epic 15-day adventure, tackling the country from south to north and discovering the many wonders that lie along the way. From the modern chaos of Ho Chi Minh City all the way up to old-world Hanoi, you'll experience tumultuous history, colonial charm, vibrant colours, delicious food and inspiring scenery on your adventure. You'll join a boat cruise along the Mekong Delta, tour the backstreets of Hoi An with a local, enjoy a rural homestay in Da Bac and explore the beautiful karsts of Lan Ha Bay. If you've ever wanted to visit Vietnam, this is how you do it properly. BOOK IT NOW. [caption id="attachment_893321" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Marvin Meyer (Unsplash)[/caption] LAIDBACK BALI SURFING TRIP Calling all surfers. Or anyone who is keen to try surfing and isn't worried about looking like a fool while learning. This tropical getaway takes guests to Keramas, a somewhat sleepy surfer town in the south of Bali for three to seven nights. Dig into delicious dishes and poolside bites from Komune Resort and Beach Club, head out to tackle the four surf breaks right out the front of your hotel or take a stand-up paddleboard out for a ride (skipping the waves altogether). Whether you want to surf every day or just watch the surfers from your pool, this trip will have you sorted. BOOK IT NOW. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips to destinations all over the world. Top image: Nomadic Julien (Unsplash)
Set just a stone's throw from Sydney's CBD, Centennial Homestead recently became the proud host of two new dining destinations – The Paddock and Treehouse Rooftop and Bar. Immersed in the lush surrounds of the Centennial Parklands, plans for these new venues were in the works for the past decade. The results were worth the wait, with both spaces bringing an exciting element to this expansive central location. Open every day of the week for breakfast and lunch, The Paddock is a light and breezy space with stellar park views and greenery adorning virtually every nook and cranny. The menu is similarly lush, with local, seasonal and native ingredients used to produce flavourful dishes like tempura zucchini flowers with pumpkin, goats curd, dukkha and chilli oil; and grain-fed Angus top sirloin with charred broccolini. In addition, The Paddock was also conceived as a dynamic event space, featuring plenty of room for you and your best 220 pals. If that isn't enough capacity, you can fit 1000 guests when combined with the venue's adjoining Oak Room. So, whether you've got a corporate function, a social get-together or even a wedding to host, this high-end venue makes elevating the experience that much easier. There's also the option of taking things up a level, with Centennial Homestead's other new arrival – Treehouse Rooftop Bar. Open from 12–7pm on Saturdays and Sundays, this stylish vantage point offers great views across the parkland and even more space for guests to spread out. Find a lounge beneath a shady umbrella to soak up the warm weather or head to the bar to score a refreshing cocktail. "We're so excited to open The Paddock and Treehouse venues at Centennial Homestead to Sydneysiders," says Kevin Zajax, CEO of Trippas White Group. "While both venues celebrate the local community and have a local charm about them, we want to welcome guests from far and wide, as well as those planning events, to experience these dynamic new venues." The Paddock and Treehouse Rooftop and Bar are open now – head to Centennial Homestead at 1 Grand Dr, Centennial Park. Check out the website for more information.
As we're sure you've heard, Japan has quite a reputation as a travel destination. But even beyond the most hyped experiences — like eating endless bowls of ramen in Tokyo, walking among cherry blossoms with views of Mount Fuji, feeding deer in Nara — the country has an incredible array of lesser known regions that, if you cover, will take your holiday from great to practically life changing. For instance, the region of Tohoku in Japan's northeast is one of the country's less travelled but no less impressive destinations. It presents visitors with outstanding dining, unique stays and natural landmarks that'll blow your mind. So, if you truly want to make your next trip to Japan one to remember, consider riding the shinkansen (bullet train) just a couple of hours north of Tokyo, where you'll discover a wealth of experiences that you likely weren't aware existed (until now). VISIT AN ANCIENT EARTHQUAKE-PROOF PAGODA Found throughout Yamagata Prefecture, the Three Mountains of Dewa are considered some of the holiest anywhere in the country. And while Mount Haguro, Mount Gassan and Mount Yudono each provide a spectacular setting to explore during sun or snow, only the foremost has a 600-year-old pagoda buried deep within its cedar forest. Make your way down Mount Haguro's famous 2446 stone steps and you'll soon be surrounded by towering cedar trees. After a short walk, you'll come across the so-called Five-Storey Pagoda, which features an interior wooden pendulum that counteracts the shock of an earthquake. The pagoda dates back to the Heian Period (794–1185) and was rebuilt in the late 14th century — and it's been standing strong ever since. DO A FOUR-DAY PILGRIMAGE WITH A MOUNTAIN MYSTIC You'll also have the chance to reconnect with nature in the most fascinating way possible within the holy Three Mountains of Dewa. Link up with a mountain mystic such as Master Hoshino — a white-robed priest who teaches the ancient Japanese mountain religion known as Shugendo — and you'll learn about a range of traditional techniques to refresh your body and soul. This practice is called yamabushido. During your four-day 'journey', you'll hike a series of sacred trails, stay in a pilgrim lodge and try waterfall meditation. Shugendo dates back to the eighth century and combines elements of Shinto, Buddhism, Animism and mountain faith to explore ways to reduce excesses in day to day life. Here, you can try it for four days and see how you go. PRETEND YOU'RE WALKING ON THE MOON AT THIS EPIC CRATER Set along the border of Miyagi and Yamagata Prefectures, Mount Zao features some of Tohoku's most spectacular scenery. Besides the steaming hot springs and sprawling ski resorts that dot the landscape, the area's biggest draw is the renowned Okama Crater. Surrounded by three soaring mountaintops, the active volcano's distinctive shape has earned it the nickname of the 'cauldron'. Great to visit all year long, Mount Zao's steep landscape comes alive with alpine flowers during summer, while autumn reveals a charming smattering of red and yellow vegetation that contrasts with the turquoise crater below. SEE CONTEMPORARY ARTWORKS FROM YOKO ONO AND YAYOI KUSAMA Japan's well known for its forward-thinking tech innovations, but it's also the birthplace of some of the world's greatest contemporary artists. Featuring a permanent collection of 38 commissioned projects, the Towada Art Center, in Aomori Prefecture, is dedicated to showcasing many of the nation's top artists, alongside some international superstars, too. Inside, you'll come across an eclectic mix of installations by the likes of Yoko Ono, Ron Mueck, Yayoi Kusama and Ana Laura Aláez, among many others. With the gallery's airy, purpose-built design linked intrinsically with the outside world, there's a range of striking exhibition rooms, a café and a collaborative art space to explore. DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF SAKE AT A 400-YEAR-OLD BREWERY The precise origins of sake might still be something of a mystery, but who better to guide you through its ancient history than a producer who's been making it for more than 400 years? Situated in Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture, the Toko Sake Museum highlights the work of Kojima Sohonten, a renowned sake brewery that, 24 generations on, is still owned by the original family. Inside the museum, you'll be guided through the traditional brewing techniques and tools that provide the foundation for the brand. Meanwhile, in the adjoining shop, you'll get to sample a variety of sakes and umeshu, a plum liqueur that'll please your tastebuds. STAY IN A HOTEL INSPIRED BY YAMAGATA'S NATURAL BEAUTY Shigeru Ban is perhaps one of Japan's more famous architects and was the brains behind some of the world's most beautiful buildings. Having moved to Yamagata in 2014, Ban was struck by the natural beauty of the area and soon set about translating this into the design of the Shonai Hotel Suiden Terrasse. With everything but the foundation and the building's core made out of wood, the entire two-storey structure is designed to sink into the surrounding rice fields, making for one very peaceful stay. Featuring stunning views of the mountains and fields in the distance, the hotel also has a luxe onsen and a restaurant serving local produce. SAMPLE JAPANESE VINO AT A RENOWNED WINERY Japan might be most famous for its rice wine, but those who love the grape-based variety are in for a treat — if they know where to look. During your visit to Tohoku, drop into Takahata Winery, in Yamagata Prefecture, and take your pick from some stellar vintages, which are produced from grapes surrounding the property or on a nearby farm. Inside the shopfront, you'll come across award-winning wines ranging from chardonnay and pinot noir to cabernet sauvignon. Plus, there's a host of locally produced cheeses and snacks to pair with your wine. Need more reasons to visit Japan's stunning Tohoku region? For more travel inspiration and to start planning your adventure, head this way. Top image: Okama Crater by Σ64 via Wikimedia Commons.
Back in 2021, news arrived that Round the Twist was joining The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Muriel's Wedding, Strictly Ballroom, Starstruck and Moulin Rouge! in making the leap from Australia's screens to its theatres as a stage musical. If you've ever, ever felt like you needed to see the classic 90s and early 00s Aussie children's TV series with singing and dancing, the end result is debuting in Brisbane, with Round the Twist The Musical making its world premiere as part of Queensland Theatre's 2024 season. The homegrown gem has gone the screen-to-stage route with a show that already has the entire country well-acquainted with its characters. Taking over QPAC's Playhouse from Tuesday, November 12–Sunday, December 8, it closes out Queensland Theatre's 2024 run. We bet you're now more excited right now than a Twist family member in a lighthouse. Airing for two seasons between 1990–93, then another two from 2000–01, Round the Twist adapted Paul Jennings' popular books into an offbeat fantasy series. If you were the right age, it was must-see TV — and now it's your next must-see musical. Here's hoping that the new stage production not only does justice to the show that absolutely every Aussie kid watched in the 90s and 00s, and more than once, but that it taps into its balance of humour, strangeness and scares. There's definitely a big lighthouse involved, because of course there is. Obviously, we all know which song absolutely has to be included — and multiple times, ideally. Yes, it's the theme tune by Andrew Duffield that you've now got stuck in your head and will keep singing to yourself for the rest of the week. (And no, we're not sorry for putting it there.) Writer/composer Paul Hodge and director Simon Phillips (Muriel's Wedding: The Musical, Ladies in Black) are guiding the show, which will focus on single father Tony Twist; his children Pete, Linda and Bronson; and their efforts to save their home from the Gribble family while also attempting to solve a 200-year-old mystery. Expect haunted spaces, ghosts, smelly feet and a crystal ball as well, and songs. Images: Lyndon Mechielsen. Updated: Friday, November 22, 2024.
They're the masters of immersive thrills, such as smash-hit shipping container installations Seance, Coma and Flight — also known as the Darkfield series. But not even the folks at Realscape Productions are immune to the realities of pandemic life. They're currently locked down with the rest of Melbourne, putting their nerve-jangling real-life projects on hiatus until later in the year. Luckily, in the meantime, Realscape and Darkfield (UK creators) have teamed up for a brand-new audio experience fans can enjoy from the comfort of home. This one's called Double and, while it's delivered remotely, it's geared to be every bit as creepy and unsettling as its IRL predecessors. It launched on Friday, July 17 and is presented via the producers' new digital project Darkfield Radio. Like its siblings, it plunges participants deep into an immersive experience by perplexing the senses — this time, with the use of a 360-degree binaural sound, played through your own headphones. Double requires a two-person set-up, with players seated across a table from each other. The pair of you will then tune into a special 20-minute broadcast, at the exact time as hundreds of other players across the country. And there's just one rule to follow: everyone has to be who they say they are. True to form, the exact details are kept vague until you're living the immersion, but we do know Double pulls inspiration from the Capgras delusion, a condition which sees a sufferer convinced that a loved one has been replaced by an imposter (sometimes an evil-intentioned one). Prepare to have your truths shaken and the familiar warped, right there at your kitchen table. Top images: Alex Purcell
The luxe Central Coast surf retreats at Surfaris can shift like the tides to meet your seaside whims. You can pack your stay with a structured itinerary of surfing classes, yoga and pilates sessions by the pool and 4x4 driving expeditions through the sandy bush backroads. Or, live a sleepy summer lizard life sipping cocktails and dining on an ever-changing roster of snacks from the on-site bar and cafe that are stumbling distance from your plush room. It's all hidden between the bush and waves with a zen summer camp ambiance that meet the relaxation and adventure desires of summer children all grown up.
Every Friday night, you'll find Bibo Wine Bar's Head Sommelier Louella Mathews drinking wine with her regulars. COVID-19 hasn't gotten in the way of this tradition, either, with Mathews now recreating the experience for fans of the Double Bay bar via Zoom — with the help of some Bibo-like virtual backgrounds, of course. To help keep staff employed while the wine bar is closed to dine-in customers, Mathews and the Bibo team have launched Bibo at Home. Like many Sydney restaurants and bars, Bibo is currently offering takeaway and delivery meals — including an eight-course chef's menu for a very reasonable $50 — as well as wine and cocktails to go. But, Mathews has taken the at-home wine bar experience a step further and is now offering personalised wine boxes paired with one-on-one Zoom consultations. Called Sommelier's Choice, the personalised wine boxes with bonus human interaction were launched by Mathews in response to her "withdrawal from connecting with customers on the restaurant floor". Once you've connected with Mathews via Bibo, she'll set up a Zoom meeting (or phone call, or interview — "whatever they feel comfortable with") and "we'll have a chat about the weather, the current pandemic crisis and then, of course, to what wine they would enjoy". "The process is very natural and as if you were ordering wine in a restaurant", says Mathews. "I don't have one set of criteria, but a few basic questions include what they generally like to drink and how adventurous they would like to be." Once you've had a chat, Mathews will put together a box of six wines with tasting notes and food pairing suggestions, which you can either pick up from the wine bar or have delivered if you live within five kilometres from Double Bay. All of this will set you back $200 — about $33 a bottle. Much cheaper than you'd be paying if you were to drink six bottles at the wine bar itself. And you get access to one of Australia's brightest wine minds, too. Mathews, before working at Bibo, managed the wine list and 4000-bottle cellar at Sydney's Rockpool Bar & Grill, and is currently studying for the Court of Master Sommeliers Advanced (that's just one level under Master Sommelier, which is the focus of Netflix's Somm). What you'll get in your box, depends on your tastes, of course, but Mathews says it'll be like "taking a trip around the world, but without the fuss of border patrol". In the current COVID-19 crisis, travelling via your tastebuds doesn't sound like a terrible idea. It's been a month since bars, restaurants and cafes were forced to close their doors to dine-in customers as part of the government's non-essential indoor venue closure, and, while it looks like some restrictions could be relaxed in another month, one expert says hospitality venues are unlikely to be open again until September. Jobkeeper allows businesses to pay eligible employees a fortnightly wage, but does not cover some casual employees and those on a temporary worker visa. This has led to businesses looking for new ways to stay connected with customers and make money, such as delivery booze services, virtual happy hours and cooking classes. For customers looking for other ways to help their locals, Mathews suggests, as well as the obvious buying a meal or wine, to leave them a five-star review on the likes of Google, Facebook and Tripadvisor and to 'share, like and comment' on their posts on social media. "Small business can't afford — especially now — PR or marketing companies," she says. "So little things really do help and only take a second of your time." When it's all over though, get ready for a massive party at Bibo "to celebrate that we survived this mess". To order food, wine or cocktails from Bibo Wine Bar, head to the website. To find out more about the Sommelier's Choice box and set up a Zoom meeting, email louella@bibowinebar.com.au.
This post is presented by the All New Toyota Corolla Sedan. There's plenty of fun to be had in this city each week, but there's only a small handful of truly fresh urban adventures to be had. We've partnered with Toyota to find the very best of these shiny-new experiences in Sydney. Presented by the All New Toyota Corolla Sedan, these are our picks to put you on the road to a life of goodtimes. Now your only challenge is getting to them all. This week is all about being a glutton for chicken, loitering till late at Sydney's favourite garden estate, seeing the sun float in the harbour and picnicking in total style. Eat: Fat Bubba's Chicken Wednesdays Building on the popularity of their insanely valuable Dollar Dawg Tuesdays, Sydney favourite The Soda Factory has launched two new evenings of cheap eats, sure to add spice to your week and keep dollars in your pocket. Wednesdays will celebrate all things chicken, with Fat Bubba's Chicken Wednesday bringing with it outrageous $1 hot buffalo wings, plus a $10 bucket of fried chicken that'll give Colonel Sanders a run for his money. You can also get your hump day groove on, with live retro swing tunes from the Soda Factory resident bands. Thursday's Late Night Soda Social has a '50s vibe and $5 diner specials. 16 Wentworth Avenue, Surry Hills Drink: The Potting Shed The Grounds of Alexandria is expanding, with The Potting Shed, a late-night bar and eatery, set to open on Monday, March 24. In what is sure to be another outstandingly popular move by the team, the Potting Shed will be an extension of the unique Grounds experience, mirroring the impressive design aesthetic and staying true to its comfortable charm. There's a lot still in the works before opening, but what we do know is that the bar will be open 11am till late (later than the CBD lockouts? That remains to be seen), seven nights a week. Expect to see the fresh herbs and produce-driven techniques specific to the Grounds experience reflected in the cocktail list. Building 7A, 2 Huntley Street, Alexandria See: Madama Butterfly Yes, that is the sun floating in Sydney Harbour. It's just part of the no-holds-barred set-up for Madama Butterfly, this year's Handa Opera on the Harbour. The night is a sensation whether you love opera or can't fathom it, which is why each year it brings in a huge audience of opera newbies. There's so much to enjoy: the transporting music, the lively choreography, the larger-than-life costumes, the themed pop-up bars and that eternal fail-safe — the outlook over the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and other wonders of Sydney Harbour. If your thoughts wander away from the action on the stage, it's to drink in the sense of occasion and feel immediately intoxicated. March 21 - April 12; Mrs. Macquaries Point , Fleet Steps Do: Lost Picnic For many of us, the festival season's been plagued by cancellations and hot chips that are actually cold. Thankfully, the clever Simon Beckingham and Wade Cawood are lifting the game with their new boutique festival. Appropriately named Lost Picnic, the Centennial Park event will begin a new festival tradition of gourmet eating this Sunday, March 23. While you graze on the hampers on offer, local musos — including singer-songwriter Megan Washington, alt-rockers The Rubens, Emma Louise, Dustin Tebbutt and Sons of the East — will make for a more bohemian alternative to the festival season. The gourmet hampers are put together by renowned chefs Martin Boetz from The Keystone Group and Maurice Terzini from Icebergs and the Cherry Kitchen. March 23; Centennial Park
Sydney Festival has always been synonymous with live music, and after a year of very few opportunities to dance and sing along to live tunes, the festival is teaming up with the city's live music venues to bring us a suite of intimate gigs. Waywards, Club Parramatta, The Marly, The Lansdowne and the Old 505 are all hosting local musicians, record label owners and DJs from January 16–23. You can see Triple J favourites E^ST and Jaguar Jonze at the Seymour Centre, Alice Ivy and futurist R&B project KYVA at Waywards, Emily Wurramara at Eternity Playhouse and Haiku Hands at The Albion Hotel. Tickets range from $15 up to $95 for a night of cabaret, and as spaces are limited some gigs are already running a waitlist. Okenyo image: Kate Williams
September 16 marks the anniversary of Mexican Independence — and while the holiday generally doesn't get as much attention (read: margarita parties) as Cinco de Mayo, this year you can celebrate it with a taco feast. Potts Point's Chula is hosting an all-you-can-eat taco and bottomless margarita brunch on Saturday, September 14 — so best start making room in your stomach now. You'll be able to tuck into as many tacos and down as many margaritas as your tum can handle. There'll be five different tacos — filled with fish, barbecued chicken, pork, stewed beef and veggies — and two types of margaritas. The festivities kick off at noon and will continue until 2pm. The tacos and margs will cost you $99, so make sure you rock up early and get your fill. Image: Kai Leishman.
Tokyo Tower's stunning views, Studio Ghibli's theme park, various Godzilla statues, Mount Fuji, ramen everywhere, all of the temples, taking the shinkansen, karaoke on a ferris wheel, the Rainbow Bridge, cherry blossom season, the best sushi you'll ever eat, becoming addicted to Pocky: these are some of the highlights of a trip to Japan. In fact, when it comes to dream vacation itineraries, they're just the beginning. Something else that should be on your list: Suganuma Village. The World Heritage-listed site sits on the Shō River, and is known not only for its stunning scenery — think: spectacular mountains and forests — but for its Gasshō-style thatched-roof houses. Usually, visitors to the town can only appreciate them by looking, not staying within them, with the village normally only open to residents after dark. Indeed, that's been the case for decades, and it's the reason that the locale is considered a hidden spot; however, via Airbnb, that's changing for two lucky travellers for a two-night stay. Add a once-in-a-lifetime getaway to this nine-home spot to the list of unique experiences that the accommodation platform has offered up in recent years, alongside the Ted Lasso pub, Hobbiton, the Paris theatre that inspired The Phantom of the Opera, the Bluey house, the Moulin Rouge! windmill, the Scooby-Doo Mystery Machine, The Godfather mansion, the South Korean estate where BTS filmed In the Soop and the Sanderson sisters' Hocus Pocus cottage, to name just a few. The Suganuma stay boasts something else special, though: it's free. As with all Airbnb specials, the service's price — here, $0 — only covers accommodation and the specific inclusions listed. Travelling there and back isn't part of the deal, so you'll be paying to fly to Japan and home. Still, this is the type of experience that doesn't come up often (or, before now, ever). And, you'll be hosted by the Nakashima family, who are fifth-generation locals, under their 170-year-old thatched roof. During your two-evening trip, you'll be immersed in the area's cultural traditions while marvelling at those distinctive buildings, which boast the style they do to last — as the Nakashimas' home clearly has — and because of winter's heavy snow. "I am delighted to open my family's home for a unique stay that will enable guests to enjoy the traditional life of our beautiful village of Suganuma. Through our collaboration with Airbnb, my family and I look forward to providing guests with unique experiences that have been part of our village for centuries," commented Mr Shinichi Nakashima. "We are honoured to offer a truly unique experience in Suganuma village, a World Heritage Site, through our collaboration with Airbnb. The rich history and vibrant culture of this charming small town, coupled with the warm hearts of the people who live there, will make for a fascinating and restorative stay. We hope this campaign brings attention to this beautiful destination for both Japanese residents and guests from around the world," stated Mr Mikio Tanaka, Mayor of Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture. If you're keen, you'll want to try to score the only booking at 10am AEST / 12pm NZST on Friday, June 30 — and if you're successful, you'll be having a money-can't-buy stay across Monday, July 17–Wednesday, July 19 this year. The reservation includes a welcome tea, plus Gokayama tofu, mountain vegetables and fish caught from the local river, as prepared by Mr Nakashima; a guided bike tour around the village and its surroundings; a hands-on workshop to learn about crafting thatched roofs; and also finding our more about the town's traditions such as making washi and sasara, a paper made of local fibre and a traditional instrument, respectively. And, you'll also be treated to a light show with folk songs one night, Suganuma Village's residents illuminating their homes. For more information about the Nakashima family's Gasshō home listing on Airbnb, or to apply to book at 10am AEST / 12pm NZST on Friday, June 30, head to the Airbnb website. Images: Satoshi Nagare. 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.
2023's working year might've only just begun, but it's already time to book in a big overseas holiday. Put in that leave request ASAP. Block out your calendar. Bust out your suitcase, too, and make sure your passport is up to date. Your destination: the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, because Coachella is back for 2023 with a characteristically impressive roster of acts. Mark April 14–16 and April 21–23 in your diaries — including if you you're just keen to check out the livestream. (Remember, Coachella was livestreaming its sets long before the pandemic.) The full bill is a jaw-dropper, as usual, with Bad Bunny headlining the Friday nights, BLACKPINK doing the Saturday nights and Frank Ocean on Sunday nights. Also on the bill: a stacked array of acts that also spans everyone from Calvin Harris, Gorillaz, The Chemical Brothers, ROSALÍA and Blondie through to The Kid LAROI, Björk, Fisher, Charlie XCX, Porter Robinson and Idris Elba. Whether you're after new tunes, the biggest music names right now or dripping nostalgia, it's on offer at Coachella 2023. Anyway, let's be honest, you haven't truly read any of those words — you'll be wanting this: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachella (@coachella) For music lovers planning to watch along from home, Coachella will once again team up with YouTube to livestream the festival. That's no longer such a novelty in these pandemic times but, given the calibre of Coachella's lineup, it's still a mighty fine way to spend a weekend. For those eager to attend in-person, you can signup for access to tickets over at the festival's website — with pre-sales starting at 11am PT on Friday, January 13 (aka 5am AEST/6am AEDT on Saturday, January 14). At the time of writing, the festival advises that there are very limited passes left for weekend one, so your best bet is the second weekend. COACHELLA 2023 LINEUP: $uicideboy$ ¿Téo? 070 Shake 1999.ODDS 2manydjs A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie Adam Beyer AG Club Airrica Alex G Ali Sethi Angèle Ashnikko Bad Bunny Bakar Becky G BENEE Big Wild Björk BLACKPINK Blondie Boris Brejcha boygenius BRATTY Burna Boy Calvin Harris Camelphat Cannons Cassian Charli XCX Chloé Caillet Chris Stussy Christine and the Queens Chromeo Colyn Conexión Divina DannyLux Dennis Cruz + PAWSA Despacio Destroy Boys Diljit Dosanjh Dinner Party featuring Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper and Kamasi Washington DJ Tennis + Carlita Doechii Dombresky Domi & JD Beck Dominic Fike Donavan's Yard DPR LIVE + DPR IAN DRAMA EARTHGANG El Michels Affair Eladio Carrión Elderbrook Elyanna Eric Prydz presents HOLO Ethel Cain Fisher + Chris Lake FKJ Flo Milli Fousheé Francis Mercier Frank Ocean Gabriels GloRilla Gordo Gorillaz Hiatus Kaiyote Horsegirl Hot Since 82 IDK Idris Elba Jackson Wang Jai Paul Jai Wolf Jamie Jones Jan Blomqvist Joy Crookes Juliet Mendoza Jupiter & Okwess Kali Uchis Kaytranad Keinemusik Kenny Beats Knocked Loose Kyle Watson Labrinth Latto Lava La Rue Lewis OfMan Los Bitchos Los Fabulosos Cadillacs LP Giobbi Maceo Plex Magdalena Bay Malaa Marc Rebillet Mareux Mathame Metro Boomin Minus the Light MK Mochakk Momma Monolink MUNA Mura Masa NIA ARCHIVES Noname Nora En Pure Oliver Koletzki Overmono Paris Texas Pi'erre Bourne Porter Robinson Pusha T Rae Sremmurd Rebelution Remi Wolf Romy ROSALÍA Saba Sasha & John Digweed Sasha Alex Sloan Scowl SG Lewis Shenseea Sleaford Mods Snail Mail SOFI TUKKER Soul Glo Stick Figure Sudan Archives Sunset Rollercoaster Tale Of Us TESTPILOT The Blaze The Breeders The Chemical Brothers The Comet Is Coming The Garden The Kid LAROI The Linda Lindas The Murder Capital Tobe Nwigwe TSHA TV Girl Two Friends UMI Uncle Waffles Underworld Vintage Culture Wet Leg Weyes Blood WhoMadeWho Whyte Fang Willow Yaeji Yung Lean YUNGBLUD Yves Tumor Coachella runs from April 14–16 and April 21–23 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. Find out more information and register for tickets at coachella.com — with pre-sales starting at 11am PT on Friday, January 13 (aka 5am AEST/6am AEDT on Saturday, January 14).
Beloved Chippendale art gallery White Rabbit is turning ten. To celebrate, curator David Williams has programmed a retrospective of works from the gallery's first ten years — including highlights from the very first exhibition held back in 2009. Then looks back, but also forward, bringing us a new instalment of White Rabbit's signature colourful madness, sombre reflections of a rapidly evolving culture and everything in between. Explore the gallery's three levels and you'll find giant neon-lit underpants, creepy hanging figures, six-metre-long paintings, digital prints, ominous children's dresses and more from over 60 different artists. Here are seven of our favourite works from the show. [caption id="attachment_742805" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Left: Bingyi, Six Accounts of a Floating Life (2008)[/caption] BINGYI 黄冰逸: SIX ACCOUNTS OF A FLOATING LIFE (2008) Artist, curator and activist Bingyi Huang, known simply as Bingyi, is renowned for their ink paintings. Six accounts of a floating life, however, is a painting in oil. It aims to provoke discussions around contemporary Chinese ink painting, which continues a tradition dating back to 206 BC. Some say that ink is no longer necessary. The work also references the memoirs of 18th-century writer Shen Fu. While two chapters are missing (or perhaps were never completed) from his memoir Six Records of a Floating Life (浮生六記), the four that remain — 'Wedded Bliss', 'The Little Pleasures of Life', 'Sorrow' and 'The Joys of Travel' — are represented in Bingyi's painting. In the six-panel work, we see the poetics of painting unfold through brushstrokes and figures, which conjure a narrative that is as familiar and unfamiliar as the passage of time itself. [caption id="attachment_742743" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wang Zhuyan, Object of Desire (2008)[/caption] WANG ZHIYUAN 王智远: OBJECT OF DESIRE (2008) An enormous pair of pink, fibreglass underwear gives a very loud shout-out to the commodification of love, sex and relationships in Wang Zhiyuan's 2008 piece, Object of Desire. Working together splashes of neon and gaudy tones, it's a playful, yet deliberate fusion of low and high culture, inspired by the materialistic attitudes of modern Chinese society. Riffing on the tale of Beauty and the Beast, it shows a woman trading favours for diamonds with an anthropomorphic old boar. A sky filled with clouds nods to an ancient Chinese euphemism for sex and a soundtrack of songs by 1930s and 1940s singer Zhou Xuan proves a fitting audio backdrop, spinning titles like 'The Hatred of the Brothel' and 'Don't Rely on Youth'. It's just one of many underwear-themed sculptures from Wang, who along the way has scored himself the nickname of 'the underpants artist'. [caption id="attachment_742816" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jin Nv, Exuviate 2 — Where have all the children gone? (2005)[/caption] JIN NV 金钕: EXUVIATE 2 — WHERE HAVE ALL THE CHILDREN GONE? (2005) Twenty tiny starched organza children's dresses. Despite the title, artist Jin Nv doesn't connect her work with China's one-child policy and a society that valued sons more than daughters. The artist instead says the work is about memories from her own childhood and the idea that we emerge as adults as if from a cocoon. Jin had the dresses especially made, drawing inspiration from memories as well as from dresses her mother saved. Each dress in the installation is coated in a hardening material to evoke the cast-off shells of cicadas. The meaning we make of this artwork is up to us — whether that's love, loss, transience or political commentary. [caption id="attachment_742741" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Zhang Dali, Chinese Offspring (2005)[/caption] ZHANG DALI 张大力: CHINESE OFFSPRING (2005) This 2005 work by artist Zhang Dali paints a powerful picture, featuring 30 life-sized naked figures hung upside down from the ceiling. Each of Zhang's suspended figures is cast from the body of a real-life migrant worker, their eyes closed and their body marked with the simple label 'Chinese offspring'. Capturing Zhang's more recent artistic focus on people rather than physical environments, it offers a confronting snapshot of China's rural migrant worker underclass, symbolic of the country's transition from an agricultural to a largely urban nation. Separated from city dwellers and without any of the rights that come with a hukou permit (a household registration system that has been used to restrict the movement of people between rural and urban areas), these workers are on their own, living between the city's edges and the countryside. WU JUNYONG 吴俊勇: DEATH OF THE HAMMER, KARL MARX'S WORRIES, SISYPHUS, SQUARE (2008) If you liked Huang Hua-Chen's 黃華真 The Family Album—So See You Later from the last exhibition at White Rabbit, take a closer look at Wu Junyong's series of paintings in oil in Next. This series of four paintings shows a recurring character in a dunce's hat, or gao maozi, which references the Chinese expression 'to flatter insincerely'. The seemingly simple artworks exhibit a masterful handling of paint — look closer and you'll see faint red breath mingling in the deep blackness behind the first character, and a series of painted-over lines in the last. Are these accidents, or planned parts of the work? The careful drawings suggest nothing is a coincidence, but Wu is careful to avoid explaining his pictures. The artist has said: "As far as I'm concerned every picture is a riddle. It might suggest a story we think we're familiar with, but then I put a whole lot of other random things in there with that to confuse." What meanings we find, says as much about our own inner worlds and the societies we inhabit as it does about worlds of his ambiguous characters. XU BING 徐冰: SQUARE WORD CALLIGRAPHY SIGN: MEN • NURSERY • WOMEN (2003) At first glance, Men • Nursery • Women is a simple representation, even a reproduction, of the everyday symbols for male, female and baby. These familiar pictograms have beneath them what might seem like characters written in Chinese (to non-Chinese speakers), presumably spelling out the words represented by the pictures. However, these black and white screenprints are part of Xu Bing's intricate exploration of language, and how it structures our brains. His black and white silk screenprints create new characters that form the words 'men', 'nursery' and 'women', but in English, not in Chinese. Here three languages are fused: English, Mandarin and an increasingly globalised language of signs and symbols. By combining these, Xu "challenges us to think anew about what we take for granted, including how language structures the human brain". His other work includes dragonfly eyes and a feature-length narrative of video footage taken from Chinese surveillance cameras. DAI HUA 代化: I LOVE BEIJING TIANANMEN (2006) Dai Hua's I Love Beijing Tiananmen is a work to get up close to. Stretching across some six metres of wall space, the digital print features tiny pixelated figures, animals and cultural references that blur the lines between narrative and symbolism. A question mark appears above the head of a man who watches a monkey playing chequers with a bearded figure. People paint graffiti on the ground next to an oblong with rainbow colours of the spinning wheel of death (the one we're all familiar with from when our computers crash). An emperor with no clothes finds his way among contemporary military displays. This work references the song 'I Love Beijing Tiananmen' from the time of China's Cultural Revolution, sung by schoolchildren every morning after 'The Internationale' and 'The East is Red'. Then is open until Sunday, January 26, 2020 at White Rabbit Gallery, 30 Balfour Street, Chippendale.
In 2023, IKEA celebrated 80 years of operation. To mark the occasion, it unveiled the Nytillverkad collection, which scours the company's design archives to bring back pieces that've proven a hit in the past, and also riff on its prior highlights in general. Like anyone commemorating a big birthday, the Swedish giant isn't done with the festivities yet. Just because it's now 2024, that doesn't mean that it can't keep dropping retro products. With the brand's lengthy history, there's a reason that almost everyone can't remember a time the chain was a homewares go-to. Started by Ingvar Kamprad, aka the IK in IKEA's moniker, it began in 1943 and moved into furniture in 1948. The company then opened its first store in Sweden a decade later — and came to Australia in the 70s. It's the decade of IKEA's Aussie arrival — and the 60s as well — that gets a massive nod in the Nytillverkad collection's latest drop, which hit stores and online on Wednesday, January 10. Think: shaggy rugs, bold patterns and swivel armchairs. Think bright pops of colour as well. Among the side tables, cushion covers and more, 12 of the newly available pieces are re-introductions, with IKEA's Karin Mobring and Gillis Lundgren reviving them from the brand's history. "Vintage furniture has made a big comeback lately, and there's been a growing demand for certain IKEA products that have become collector's favourites," said IKEA Sweden Global Design Manager Johan Eidemo. "That is why we decided to bring back a selection of our design icons, and we are excited to see interest coming from customers of all ages, especially young people who are discovering our design legacy and using these vibrant solutions to express themselves at home. To us, these products are the essence of democratic design, they are timeless, as they combine a beautiful form, a great function, sustainability, an affordable price, and quality that lasts long." Does your lounge room need a white and chrome two-tier side table that first graced IKEA's catalogue in 1971? A yellow-hued armchair from 1969? A black armchair that's designed to reduce stress from 1967? A pendant lampshade that debuted in 1979? They're part of the Nytillverkad range's current vintage focus. Prices vary from $5.50 for a cushion cover to $299 for an armchair — and like with all IKEA limited-edition drops, including its recent first-ever workout collection, you'll want to get in quick before everything sells out. IKEA's Nytillverkad collection is on sale now in Australia, in store and online, until stocks last. Head to the IKEA website for further details.
