The first half of Before Midnight made me excited for my early forties. Mediterranean holiday tans, wild-haired children running barefoot in another room, expansive dinner table conversation with a circle of worldly friends — it's a dream for a more carefree age. But then comes the second half of the movie, an epic, exhausting fight that will either be the end of the couple's relationship or just one of several milestone feuds that mark a long commitment. That's when the rare quality of Before Midnight emerges; this is not a film about idyllic love, this is a film about real love. This is the tarnished ever after. The couple is one we know oddly well, Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy), who, in a typically Gen X act of slacker romanticism, spent one night walking and talking around Vienna in 1995's Before Sunrise and were finally reunited for a further afternoon in Paris in 2004's Before Sunset. In the nine years since, it turns out they've stuck with each other, but the insouciance of those early encounters has gone. "When was the last time we just walked around bullshitting?" Jesse says in one beautifully self-aware moment, as they rediscover the pastime on holiday in Greece. Instead, they've both been learning to deal with each other's crazy while simultaneously pushing a few years' worth of upset under the carpet. Jesse hates having to be separated from his pre-teen son, who's in the custody of Jesse's estranged ex in the US. Celine feels Jesse neglected her and their daughters while on his book tour and resents his general man-childness. Celine picks fights; Jesse papers over them. They might not ever resolve these deadlocks, but they have to move past them. With this series of films, dialogue is everything. In Before Midnight, it sparkles, dances and defies the bounds we expect of film. All three instalments are the product of a unique collaborative partnership between director Richard Linklater, Hawke and Delpy; from the start the actors have written parts of their own selves into the characters, and the possibility for honest exploration seems to have deepened with the passing of time. With nine years so far separating each film, the release of a sequel is becoming an event, so it's particularly great to see Before Midnight not only meeting expectations but raising the bar. People love Jesse and Celine with the intensity normally reserved for several-season TV characters (or real people, even). If we see fifty-something Celine and Jesse next decade — 'Before Noon', I imagine they'll call it — we'll be a very lucky audience.
Artist, illustrator and muralist George Rose is a big believer in looking within to ignite that creative spark, rather than banking on anything external. "That way, I'm a lot more independent, and I don't have to wait for inspiration or wait to see something for it to trigger another thought," she explains. "It's a much more calculated way of doing things, but it means that my creative output is not reliant on anything else. I can just create my own stuff." For the artist, there's a creative freedom that comes with that assurance, knowing that inspiration is something that can always be tapped, regardless of time, place or outside muses. It's a creative process born of a lifestyle that sees the artist constantly moving between Sydney, Brisbane and her current hometown of Melbourne. We sit down with Rose to discuss her inspirations, artistic process and the denim she wears to get her creative juices flowing. "There are lots of different aspects to my work; it depends on where I am because I've got such a transient existence," she explains. "I'm travelling around quite a bit, so I'm not reliant on a lot of stable or external structures. Quite often, I've got to create my own inspiration and my own work environment. I've never been super great with structure, anyway." When the inspiration's been tapped, and it comes down to creating a piece, Rose champions a sort of back-to-front approach. "Often I'll be asking a lot of questions of my work, even before I've started anything," she explains. "In a way, it's working backwards, like asking, 'Ok, what's the output of this? Who's it for? Where is it situated? Is there anything that client wants to say or that I want to say? What feeling do I want to create for someone who's looking at the mural?' If I can answer all of them, that gives me direction for what I do next." See some of Rose's bold artworks, and it'll come as no surprise that that creative flair also extends to her wardrobe — though she'll tell you functionality is key when getting down and dirty with some paint and a wall. "I have a pair of denim overalls that I wear because they wear really well and they've got pockets everywhere and I don't have to wear belts and they don't fall down," says the artist. "And it just so happens that denim overalls are in right now so I'm pretty happy with that!" Off the tools, she likes to have a little more fun with her wardrobe. "I really enjoy Melbourne style," says Rose. "It's a lot more relaxed. You can push it in different directions and pair different things with one another; I really enjoy that aspect of it. I can mix and match things from my mum's wardrobe, things from a $2 shop and things from, say, The Iconic. There aren't many rules. "I like wearing dresses and skirts, but I'm a jeans girl," she admits. "I always feel comfortable when I'm in my jeans, and I've always got a staple selection in my wardrobe." As for her favourite piece right now, it's a black denim number she stumbled upon when collecting jackets for a potential art project. "It's oversized, it's super baggy, it looks like I'm wearing my dad's jacket — but I kind of like that aesthetic," she laughs. "Dad clothes!" Check out George Rose's work here, and find the denim that brings out the creative, innovator and gamechanger in you at The Iconic. Images: Kate Shanasy.
We think the latest dessert craze may have just landed in Sydney. Demochi Donut has opened on the streets of Banksia, and owner Dennis Chan (Dirty Bird food truck) has somehow managed to fuse the airy, crispy elements of a doughnut with that chewy mochi texture — and we can't wait to get our hands on a whole box of 'em. Chan started working on these mochi masterpieces after finding a similar fusion doughnut served at a shop in Tokyo. He spent over five years perfecting his own recipe, and has finally released the hybrid sweet to the masses. To get your hands on one (or many), head out to Banksia every Friday and Saturday evening, when the Demochi Donut stand sets up outside the Banksia Hotel. The brand's signature honey-glazed doughnut will be available each weekend, alongside one specialty flavour that will change regularly. Some of the flavours you might come across include familiar mochi varieties like yuzu-mint, roasted black sesame and matcha, as well as more traditional doughnut flavours such as strawberry or chocolate glaze. Whackier varieties may include doughnuts frosted with cereal and milk and a fairy bread number. You can also grab savoury bites from the Dirty Bird food truck, which sits adjacent to Demochi and is serving up its much-loved hot wings and southern fried chicken burgers every weekend, too. We suggest getting there early, though, because these are bound to sell out. Down the line, you'll be able to snag Demochi across cafes all over Sydney, and a brick-and-mortar shop is also in the works, so keep an eye on this space. Find Demochi Donut at 286 Princes Highway, Banksia (next to the Banksia Hotel) every Friday and Saturday from 6–9pm. Keep an eye on the Instagram or Facebook for the latest flavours.
Puppers. Woofers. Doggos. Pooch. It doesn't matter what you call your four-legged friend, dress them up and bring them down to the Easter Party hosted by Super Furry Festival on Saturday, March 24. This isn't just a celebration of canines, however. Taking place at Shannon Reserve between 9am to 2pm, the shindig's activities and stalls will be open for all pets. There'll be an eggcellent photobooth for you and your pupper to dress up, get snapped and take two polaroids home with you afterwards afterwards, plus an Easter egg hunt for humans and animals. And of course, even if you don't bring your pup down (or you don't have one), you can indulge in some pup-watching and patting, then make a beeline to both the kitty cuddle tent and the bunny snuggle tent. Entry is free, but registration is required. If you'd like to take part in the Easter egg hunt or snap a pic at the photobooth, they'll set you back $10 a pop.
Taylor Swift's Eras tour is the gift that keeps on giving, whether or not you're actually heading along in person when it finally hits Australia in February. Since October 2023, concert film Taylor Swift: The 'Eras' Tour has let Swifties enjoy the show on the screen, first in cinemas and then via digital. Its next stop, if you're ready for it: Disney+ from mid-March. When the blockbuster movie hits the Mouse House's streaming platform on Friday, March 15, it will feature five extra tunes, including 'cardigan' and four acoustic tracks. So, Disney is calling it "the concert film in its entirety for the first time". You might be dubbing it reason enough to don your friendship bracelets in your lounge room. If your wildest dreams have been about getting in on Taylor Swift's Eras tour since it was first announced, then this is gorgeous and enchanted news, clearly. And if you missed out on tickets to the live shows, consider this the next best thing. Look what the world made Swift do: turn her current massive tour into a movie that's also proven a smash, taking in over $260 million at the worldwide box office. The film offers a money-can't-buy view of the 'Shake It Off', 'We Are Never Getting Back Together' and 'Bad Blood' musician's gig, working through her entire career so far by playing tracks from each of her studio albums in a three-hour, ten-act spectacular. The IRL Eras Tour kicked off in March 2023 in the US, then headed to Mexico and Brazil. Japan — around the Super Bowl — then Singapore, France, Sweden, Portugal, Spain, the UK, Ireland, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Poland, Italy, Germany, Austria, Canada, a return to the US and, of course, Australia, are all on the itinerary in 2024. "The Eras Tour has been a true phenomenon that has and continues to thrill fans around the world, and we are very excited to bring this electrifying concert to audiences wherever they are, exclusively through Disney+," said Disney CEO Bob Iger, announcing the film's impending arrival on the service. If you fancy picking yourself up some Eras tour merchandise to wear at home while you dance along, and you'll be in Sydney or Melbourne in February, that's on the agenda as well — via merch presales and a one-day-only Melbourne pop-up. Check out the trailer for Taylor Swift: The 'Eras' Tour Concert Film below: Taylor Swift: The 'Eras' Tour will stream via Disney+ from Friday, March 15, 2024. Read our review. Top image: Ronald Woan via Wikimedia Commons.
For more than 20 years, Il Baretto served up its pappardelle with duck ragu and just the right amount of hipster charm on Bourke Street. Earlier this year, in the midst of the global pandemic, it suddenly shut up shop — but, thankfully, it's just about to make a triumphant return. The Italian diner is reopening on Oxford Street in Paddington on Friday, October 9. Many of its signature dishes are excitingly making a comeback, including, yes, that ragu, as well as the spaghetti alle vongole, the meatballs and the saltimbocca alla romana. But, apart from a very similar black-and-white Il Baretto sign, the setup and fit-out is going to be a little different. Instead of its own space, Il Baretto 2.0 is going to be located out the back of Solotel's Paddo Inn, in the former dining room space. It'll have the "same unpretentious, relaxed charm" — so we're told — but we doubt it'll be a cash-only and handwritten-menu-on-paper affair. The restaurant will also have a bigger drinks offering with a list of around 11 Italian and Australian wines. The hospitality giant's front bar will remain open and continue to serve up spritzes and blood orange negronis, but it'll also start serving up bar snacks alla Il Baretto. Expect the likes of the bruschetta al pomodore, salame norcia and beef carpaccio. [caption id="attachment_661400" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leticia Almeida[/caption] Despite the move, owner Gabriella Fedeli says Il Baretto will still be laidback and affordable. "We have always had a 'no fuss', 'simple' and 'traditional' approach to the way we do things, " Fedeli said in a statement. "The attitude and style of the place is not something that I want to change. I have always liked the fact that we are a broad-church for all types of customers – families, corporates, musicians – whoever. Our price and manner of service is intended to be for everyone." It's still a couple of weeks until you can figuratively dive into a bowl of ragu, but you can already plan ahead and make a reservation. With capacity limits and Il Baretto's popularity, we're expecting nights will fill up super fast. Find Il Baretto at 338 Oxford Street, Paddington (entry via William St) from Friday, October 9. It'll be open from 12pm–3pm Wednesday–Sunday and 5.30–10pm Tuesday–Sunday. Top image: Gabriella Fedeli by Steven Woodburn
When Japan reopened its borders to international tourists late in 2022, it was the news that plenty of travellers had been waiting for, helping us all live out our Tokyo-touring dreams once more. The list of sights to see in both the country and its capital is hefty, especially with a Super Nintendo theme park launching during the pandemic, plus Studio Ghibli's long-awaited park also debuting last November. But the latest must-visit Tokyo spot won't even have you leaving the airport. That airport: Haneda, one of two servicing Tokyo, and the more central of the pair. On Tuesday, January 31, it's officially opening the new Haneda Airport Garden complex, which features with a few sizeable drawcards — 24-hour hot springs with views of Mount Fuji (on a clear day) chief among them. Located 12 floors up and spanning over 2000 square metres, rooftop facility Spa Izumi at Haneda is your new go-to for soaking before or after a flight. The onsen overlooks the Tamagawa River, as the entire Haneda Airport Garden does, and operates 24 hours a day. Using privately sourced water, it comes complete with four areas that span openair and indoor baths — a carbonated water bath, ice plunge pool and jet bath included — plus dry, steam and hot-stone saunas, as well as shower, powder and dressing-room facilities. Even better: while Haneda Airport Garden's official opening date arrives at the end of January, Spa Izumi and the hub's two hotels started welcoming in guests back in December 2022. Looking for a place to stay before or after your travels, too? Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand features a whopping 1557 rooms, while the smaller Hotel Villa Fontaine Premier boasts 160. The former offers guests 12 different types of spaces, while the latter has six varieties. Crucially, visitors looking to take advantage of the hot springs won't need to be hotel guests. So, if you're only at the airport to head home or on a layover between flights, you can still make time for a dip before hopping on the plane — no overnight stay at one of the Villa Fontaine hotels needed. You will need to pay an admission fee, however. The full new complex also includes around 60 shops and 30 restaurants — those usual airport staples — and a bus terminal for easy access to Osaka, Yamagata and more. And, there's an event hall and conference rooms. Plus, handily, Haneda Airport Garden connects through to terminal 3, which is where Qantas flies into and out of. Unsurprisingly, this is now Japan's largest airport hotel — so expect to have ample company while you're there. Haneda Airport Garden will officially open at Tokyo's Haneda Airport from Tuesday, January 31, with Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand, Hotel Villa Fontaine Premier and Spa Izumi already operating. For more information, head to the Haneda Airport Garden website. 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.
Do you wanna know the latest big Australian tour news? Yes, if you're an Arctic Monkeys fan, you do. Already slated to head Down Under for Falls Festival and Lost Paradise, the Sheffield rockers have just gone and added three huge standalone — and outdoor — gigs to their tour itinerary. We bet you'll look good on the dance floor when January 2023 rolls around, obviously. 2022 marks two decades since the band first formed in their Yorkshire home town, and they'll see out the year in Australia, then start next year here as well. For their solo shows, Alex Turner, Jamie Cook, Nick O'Malley and Matt Helders will hit Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl and Brisbane's Riverstage, both with Mildlife in support, before heading to The Domain in Sydney with DMA's & The Buoys. Arctic Monkeys' last tour to come our way, 2019's Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino World Tour, was massive. Actually, every tour they've brought Down Under has been. Given their career to-date — including scoring the fastest-selling debut album in UK chart history when Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not released in 2006 — that's hardly surprising. (Nor are the Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday shirts always spotted in the crowd whenever the band makes the trip Down Under, with Aussie supporters of the group's two hometown soccer teams routinely coming out in force.) It's been four years since the Monkeys' last album, the aforementioned Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino — but they won't be short of hits to play. Expect plenty of fun when the sun goes down, and not just a number-one party anthem on the set list. And if you're somehow not already excited, snap out of it. ARCTIC MONKEYS 2023 AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES — STANDALONE SHOWS: Wednesday, January 4 — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne, with Mildlife Wednesday, January 11 — Riverstage, Brisbane, with Mildlife Saturday, January 14 — The Domain, Sydney, with DMA's & The Buoys Arctic Monkeys are touring Australia in January 2023. Tickets go on sale online at 12pm local time on Friday, June 17, with pre-sales via the band from 10am AEST on Wednesday, June 15 and through Frontier from 10am AEST on Thursday, June 16. For more information, head to the tour website. Top image: Raph_PH via Flickr.
After boasting Australia's only run of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, then playing host to a natural history exhibition based on the Fantastic Beasts films, Victoria is set to enchant wannabe wizards and witches again — and muggles, too — with a new Harry Potter-themed experience in 2024. This time, you'll be walking around an illuminated woodland filled with nods to the Wizarding World, with Harry Potter — A Forbidden Forest Experience finally heading Down Under. Accio joy, clearly. Think: Lightscape, which is returning to Melbourne in 2024, but all about the world that's sprung up around the Boy Who Lived on the page, screen and stage. So, with Harry Potter — A Forbidden Forest Experience taking over The Briars, Mount Martha from Saturday, April 6, 2024, attendees will enjoy a nighttime stroll around a 230-hectare property an hour out of Melbourne. Entering the Forbidden Forest is clearly the big attraction, as lit up with dazzling lights, all while also spying creatures from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movies. A hippogriff will feature, as will nifflers and unicorns, plus the chance to pose for a photo mid-wand duel — and to summon up a patronus spell as well. Accordingly, you won't just be surrounded by all things Wizarding World after dark in a forest; you'll be joining in like every aspiring Hogwarts student has always wanted to. Sounds and special effects will also help bring the experience to life, as aided by award-winning behind-the-scenes folks. Expect to spend around 90 minutes being immersed in the all-ages event — plus however long you need at the onsite shop afterwards buying merchandise. That's part of the village at the end of the trail, where you'll also be able to grab a bite and something to drink. Wands crossed for butterbeer, obviously. Harry Potter — A Forbidden Forest Experience comes to Australia after seasons in the UK, Europe and the US, and a current stint in Singapore, with Warner Bros behind it just like the films and upcoming Harry Potter TV series. Also helping conjure up the fun is events platform Fever, adding to a recent Australian slate spanning Banksy and NBA exhibitions, plus the Unko Museum: The Kawaii Poop Experience. Harry Potter — A Forbidden Forest Experience will take over The Briars, Mount Martha, from Saturday, April 6, 2024, with tickets on sale from 9am AEDT on Wednesday, December 202, 2023 and the waitlist open now. Head to the event's website for further details.
For one night only, Little Hay Street in Chinatown will be transformed into ‘Little Eat Street’, an Asian foodie’s paradise of delicacies from Hong Kong to Tokyo. This outdoor food fair will feature stalls from over a dozen restaurants bringing their best street food. So if you have an adventurous palate, grab a sample card and load up on yum cha, takoyaki, sushi, pho and more. The night is a part of this year’s Asia On Your Doorstep Festival, a cultural and gastronomic celebration put on by the City of Sydney. During October's Good Food Month, Sydneysiders are encouraged to discover some of the best Asian dishes and restaurants the city has to offer. By eating at one of the 70 participating restaurant across Haymarket, diners can enter to win a trip to Thailand. Every meal earns you another entry in the competition, so we won’t judge you for heading to Chinatown for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
While the northern hemisphere bundles up for a white Christmas, Australia is heading into its warmest days. 'Tis the season for beer-filled eskies and backyard BBQs —ideally with a pool close enough for a cooling dip. But when public pools are packed, beaches are heaving, and your apartment complex doesn't even have a tiny lap pool, there's another option: renting someone else's backyard pool by the hour You can do that on Swimply, the pool version of Airbnb. Founded in 2018, the platform connects hosts with a pool to spare to Sydneysiders seeking a private dip — or if a pool isn't a must, pickleball courts and backyards, such as this countryside garden in Duffys Forest, are also available. Some spaces are meticulously styled for creators and brands looking to shoot content, while others come equipped with cabanas, firepits and grottos for the ultimate pool party. Don't stress about splashing out — hourly rates start from just $25. We've rounded up some of the best pools on Swimply for your next summer gathering. In the wild Surrounded by lush native and tropical plants, this saltwater pool feels like a secret alcove that you stumble upon in the wilderness. In the shade, rustic wooden furniture blends seamlessly into the natural feel of the space, with plenty of spots for lounging or a slow meal — there's even a grill on-site that you can use for a small fee. Book here. Secluded and sprawling This Balinese-style gem in the northern suburb of Warriewood screams pool party. At the back of this beachside mansion, find a spacious 12-meter infinity pool complete with a spa. Anyone chilling in the pool can join the conversation over at the grass patch, while a cosy firepit is the perfect spot for some intimate chats and drinks. Book here. Fit for a king Surrounded by waterfalls, manicured hedges and a massive alfresco area, this Castle Hill rental is right out of the ritzy country club in High School Musical 2. Its lagoon-style pool, naturalistic grottos and stone tiles are a nostalgic nod to '80s and '90s resorts, when pools were designed to look as natural as possible. The venue accommodates up to 25 people, and for just $40, you can host a girls' night with the guarantee that no men present on the property during the booking. Book here. Deckside dreams If you dream of suburban bliss, this backyard in Dee Why should be on your Pinterest board. Step inside and you'll find a low-key oasis designed with clean lines, a sun-soaked deck and marble pool tiles. Everything is set up for a refreshing afternoon, from pool toys for the kids to a lounge bed to work on your tan between dips. When the sun sets, the pool can be heated on request. Book here. Tropical escape Reconnect with nature at this Matraville tropical garden, where a tranquil magnesium pool sits shaded by lush greenery. Within the compound, there's also a mini gym, a grill for rent and two seating areas that are perfect for a quiet afternoon of recovery. Book here. Picture perfect If you need a backdrop of a pool for a shoot, this is the one. Every corner of this Fairfield location is made for the camera: the minimalist pool, black exteriors that don't add clutter and pops of colour from thoughtfully-placed cacti and plants. There's also an adorable shaded lounge and a dedicated shower by the pool — they're just as pretty as the pool. Book here. Images supplied
The team behind Wollongong cafe favourite Diggies has opened a third cafe — and this one's a thong's throw from the spectacular Kiama Blowhole. Open daily from 7am–5pm, the coastal eatery is serving up brekkie favourites, fresh local seafood and cocktails to boot. The 110-seat cafe, designed by Rebecca Riles of Roots & Wings Design, features pastel and earthy hues, heaps of hanging greenery, large windows and plenty of outdoor seating. You'll want to snag a spot here during the warmer months and dig into the likes of beer-battered flathead and chips, rolls stuffed with fresh king prawns and salmon croquettes with poached eggs and feta. [caption id="attachment_755562" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] There are salads, too — including Vietnamese tofu, tomato and peach, and green goddess numbers — and for brekkie you'll find spirulina granola with coconut yoghurt and buttermilk pancakes, as well as yolky B&E rolls, eggs benedict and an avo smash with Meredith Dairy goat's cheese. The menu also caters to many dietary requirements, including vegan, paleo, gluten-free and dairy-free. [caption id="attachment_755558" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] All of the aforementioned food is rounded out quite nicely by a cone of ice cream from The Pines Kiama or a couple of refreshing cocktails (if you're not making the two-hour drive back to Sydney after, of course). If you are, though, you'll find De Lorenzo coffees and fresh juices, too. Images: Nikki To
A new Korean fried chicken shop has arrived at a corner terrace in Chippendale, offering a range of flavoursome fried chook as well as affordable loaded burgers and special one-off chicken flavours on Abercrombie Street. Owner Kay Hwang is a Sydney hospitality stalwart, moving to Australia from South Korea 19 years ago before being professionally trained and opening Sergeant Lok in The Rocks in 2020. During the pandemic, Hwang stepped away from Sergeant Lok and shifted focus to a life-long love: fried chicken. According to Hwang, Joy Korean Fired Chicken was born from a love of snacking. The idea for the shop was based on a longing for a fried chicken spot where customers could order just one or two pieces instead of a whole or half chicken. That's exactly what you can get here at the new Chippendale opening — crispy fried chicken pieces for $4.50–5.90 a pop, plus boneless pieces in 180-gram serving sizes, both accompanied by coleslaw and pickles. Your hardest decision at Joy is deciding what flavour to get. The regulars on the menu include sweet and spicy, honey soy, lemon and parsley, and bulgogi. Plus, Hwang is always concocting exciting new limited-time flavours, adding a cranberry flavour for Christmas, and with a jalapeño green goddess flavour in the works. Hungrier patrons can place their chicken on a bun, with all of the flavours available in burger form, or combine it all into a joy box which includes fried chicken, a burger, coleslaw, pickles, chips and a drink for under $20. Plus, if you're having some fellow fried chicken lovers over, you can opt for the Party Meal, a packaged deal featuring 12 fried chicken pieces, four chips, six drinks and sides for just over $70. Hwang promises that Joy has more exciting flavours coming soon, so make sure to keep your eyes on the shop's Instagram so you don't miss out. Joy Korean Fried Chicken is located at 67 Abercrombie Street, Chippendale — open from 11.30am–2pm and 5.30–9pm Monday–Friday.
It's been more than two decades since the Peninsula Hot Springs became one of Victoria's must-visit spots, especially if you enjoy getaways of the pampering, wellness-oriented and relaxing kind. Since then, the Fingal venue and its geothermal pools have become synonymous with blissful jaunts beyond the city. But in the coming years, it might become just one stop on a whole trail filled bathing spots — all thanks to the proposed Great Victorian Bathing Trail. First floated back in 2019, and set to gain its next new location mid-2022 when Metung Hot Springs opens its doors in East Gippsland — also stemming from the team behind Peninsula Hot Springs — the Great Victorian Bathing Trail is exactly what it sounds like. It'll span more than 900 kilometres along the Victorian coast, and have one big aim: linking the state's hot springs and other bathing spots into one must-trek route for folks fond of soaking away their woes. Also slated to join the trail: Phillip Island Hot Springs and Saltwater Hot Springs on Phillip Island, Nunduk Spa Retreat in the Lake Wellington part of Gippsland, 12 Apostles Hot Springs on the Great Ocean Road, Geelong Mineral Spa and the Eden project in Anglesea. The soon-to-launch Alba Hot Springs on the Mornington Peninsula is joining the lineup, too. Gippsland Regional Aquatic Centre in Traralgon will also feature, for fans of splashing around in a regular community pool, and so will Warrnambool's existing Deep Blue Hot Springs. [caption id="attachment_845455" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Peninsula Hot Springs, Visit Victoria[/caption] In other words, if you're keen to escape the big smoke and kick back in a body of water — steamy or cool alike — the Great Victorian Bathing Trail will help you connect the dots. The plan will see the route stretch from Portland in the state's southwest over to East Gippsland, and also include beaches along the way. The idea: to give Victoria a calming tourist attraction to rival hot springs and spa hotspots such as Beppu and Kurokawa in Japan, Guangdong in China, and the Nordic region's many go-tos — including in Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark's Copenhagen harbour bath trail. [caption id="attachment_845443" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Peninsula Hot Springs[/caption] The numbers for Peninsula Hot Springs certainly give the concept plenty of hope, given that about 500,000 annual visitors make the visit to the spot. 2030 has been outlined as the ideal launch date — but, given that was the plan pre-pandemic, that timing could easily change. The good news is the Mornington Peninsula's new Alba Thermal Springs and Spa, which forms part of the trail, will launch in September and is already taking bookings. And while an exact date for Metung's midyear opening hasn't yet been revealed, hot springs fans can look forward to a multi-faceted attraction and wellness precinct with steamy thermal pools and sauna options. It'll encompass various hot springs bathing facilities at the main King Cove site, and also a spa relaxation centre and further hot springs constructed at the nearby King Cove Golf Club, all-around 3.5 hours out of Melbourne. And, there's set to be a glamping site as well. For more information about the Great Victorian Bathing Trail, head to the project's Facebook page. Top image: Peninsula Hot Springs, Visit Victoria.
Some see the arrival of children in their lives as the time they transition into maturity. This is not the article for those people. Jumping on trampolines, climbing obstacle courses, patting baby animals, learning new facts about Egyptian mummies — these are some of our favourite things to do, so it's fortunate that the kids enjoy them as well. With that in mind, there's no reason why the next family outing shouldn't be to someplace that delights your entire multigenerational crew — mums, dads and sprogs included. We've teamed up with Holden Equinox, the SUV for parents with nothing to prove, to help you find those excursions in Sydney. From treetop swings to cafe petting zoos, these are the destinations where you'll come together to make memories, make Instagram Stories, make a fool of yourself (in a good way) — and all while making your kids' day. SKY ZONE Ever been stuck indoors on a wet weekend, and the kids bouncing off the walls in boredom drove you mad? Take them to Sky Zone's indoor trampoline park and you can bounce off the walls together — literally. With over 100 interconnected trampolines, a new indoor climbing centre with mad obstacles and free-fall jumps, and a Little Leapers program for under fives, there's anti-gravity fun to be had for every member of the family. Want to up the ante? Grab your troupe and square off in a dodgeball game that will see you flexing your competitive muscles as you hurtle through the air. Sydney Corporate Park, Building 3, 160 Bourke Road, Alexandria SEA LIFE SYDNEY AQUARIUM Go on and indulge your inner Jacques Cousteau at the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium, where you can wander the underwater depths and try to find Nemo or 12,000 of his aquatic buddies, including sharks, dugongs and stingrays. And the fun isn't limited to what's under the sea. Last year the aquarium added the ride-through Penguin Expedition; its rafts take you into a rugged sub-Antarctic environment (maintained to a chilled but comfortable 6°C), right into the heart of a colony of king and gentoo penguins. Meanwhile, old-school favourites like the Discovery rock pool let kids big and small get hands on with sea stars, crustaceans and shark eggs. 1-5 Wheat Road, Sydney WET'N'WILD Remember the joy of rushing down an overheated plastic slide at your local council pool? Well water slides have come a loooong way since then, and Wet'n'Wild's 40 slides — one featuring a 12-metre almost-vertical drop followed by two 360-degree loops — are an adrenaline-junkie's best friend on a hot summer's day. Ten kid-friendly water slides (ie ones that won't drop your littlies down a vertical chute) and a splash zone mean a dedicated adult (say, gran) can watch them as you indulge your inner thrill seeker. The park opens at 9.30am, so arrive early to snag a sun-lounger or patch of lawn (both disappear quickly), or splurge on cabana hire if you're feeling indulgent. 427 Reservoir Road, Prospect [caption id="attachment_648143" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] by Rick Stevens[/caption] TARONGA ZOO Snuggle up to a koala, feed a cheeky penguin or go on a tiger tree — or step aside and let your little sprog get in on the action. There's way too much kidult fun to be had at Sydney's favourite zoo, and after a day traipsing through bird sanctuaries and lemur forests, The View a la carte restaurant is the perfect spot for a well-earned vino or beer. If playing Attenborough for a day wasn't enough, the new sky-high adventure, Wild Ropes, means you (or your little one) can burn off any extra energy on flying foxes and aerial challenges set to the picture perfect background of Sydney Harbour. Bradley's Head Road, Mosman AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM If the Australian Museum is every hip parent's day-out crush, the 200 Treasures exhibition in the restored Westpac Long Gallery exhibit makes it even easier to bring your offspring along for the date. The 350 curated objects on display — including a 2000-year-old Theban mummy coffin, a Tasmanian tiger pup and a cape given to Captain James Cook in Hawaii — are nothing if not Very Good For Their Education. If your little one isn't taken with them, there's always the dinosaur exhibition and gallery of spiders. Want to experience your own night at the museum? DinoSnore is perfect for inquisitive mites who aren't afraid of the dark and love a sleepover. 1 William Street, Sydney SKYPEAK ADVENTURES Thrill-seeking parents and their offspring have a new place to get their adrenaline fix: Sydney's newest aerial park, Skypeak Adventures. Play tug-of-war or ride a bike across a balance beam four storeys in the air. Or climb your way through a series of obstacle courses and challenges, all suspended high in the sky. Think bridge walks, barrel runs, rope climbs, chasm jumps or trapeze swings, 22 metres above ground. Your little one not a daredevil? The free Skypeak Tree Tourist Walk and Kids Course also cater to little adventurers who prefer to be closer to terra firma. 243 Forrester Road, St Marys LUNA PARK What school holiday as a kid was complete without a train ride over the bridge or a ferry trip under it to Luna Park? If your ankle-biters have gone too high-tech, introduce them to old-school but Insta-worthy faves like the 40-metre Ferris wheel, and the mazes and mayhem of Coney Island. For anyone older and wilder, start with the rattling Wild Mouse roller coaster and work your way to the Hair Raiser and its 50-metre, high-speed drop. Got a big crew? Go on a cheap Monday during the school term and save your dollars for sugarific treats or sideshow games. Laughing Clowns anyone? 1 Olympic Drive, Milsons Point NEW LEAF NURSERY Pink chickens foraging for food, a cool cafe serving barista-made coffee, and a nursery where you can live out your River Cafe sustainability dreams — what isn't there to love about this quirky gem tucked away in the northern beaches? For little ones, New Leaf Nursery has a petting zoo with guinea pigs and a junkyard-style playground; think repurposed tyres, shabby chic chairs, teepees and old pianos. Kidults with green thumbs can go wild in the nursery, which stocks everything from edible plants to native bush tucker and raised garden beds. Fancy a backyard pet? New Leaf specialises in chooks and ducks, so indulge your homestead dreams and bring home a bantam brown or silkie chicken. 224 Powderworks Road, Ingleside Drive your family on adventures in and outside of town in the Holden Equinox, the SUV for parents with nothing to prove. Find out more on the Holden website.
With international travel set to be off the cards until mid 2021, many Aussies are looking to explore their own backyards a bit more. One of the ways we're doing that is by hitting the trails and mountain paths. While your regular trainers and favourite leggings are probably all good for a one-day hike (depending on terrain), if you're looking to do something a bit longer — like a multi-day adventure across NSW, Victoria of Queensland — you might want to invest in some slightly more serious hiking gear. This can usually cost a pretty penny, but, thankfully, good ol' Aldi is about to drop a heap of adventure gear that won't empty your bank account. Available at stores across the country from Saturday, July 4, the gear includes everything from down jackets to hiking shoes and backpacks. You can snag headlamps for just $4.99, wool hiking socks for $11.99, $12.99 gloves , shoes for $29.99, a $34.99 30-litre backpack, merino thermals from $26.99 and a waterproof jacket starting at $39.99. There's also an Ultralight down jacket, which is water repellent, insulated and can be packed into a easy-to-carry pocket, is on offer for just $49.99 — still less than a pineapple — as well as some outdoor-appropriate technology such as binoculars ($39.99), handheld radios ($49.99) and GPS watches ($79.99). Once you're all kitted out, it's time to start planning your adventure. We suggest you aim high (literally) and tick off these ten epic mountain walks across Australia. The Aldi Adventure Range is available from Aldi stores nationally from Saturday, July 4. From 11.59pm on Wednesday, July 1, until at least Wednesday, July 29, stay-at-home orders have been reintroduced in ten Melbourne postcodes, which means their residents can only leave for one of four reasons: work or school, care or care giving, daily exercise or food and other essentials. For more information, head to the DHHS website.
It may sound like a novel idea, but there are few better places to get lost in a book than a great neighbourhood bar. Think about it — comfy furniture, high-quality wines and all those delicious salty nibbles, plus you won't be distracted by the temptations of home or subject to the shushings of your local library. But first, let me preface this by saying not all bars are cut out for the task — there shouldn't be big crowds, dim lighting or amateur rock bands playing. Instead, you want serenity, snacks and some seriously good drinks. If you've been struggling to find the right nook, here's our list of the best bars to drink alone with a book.
UPDATE, December 4, 2020: Mank is available to stream via Netflix. In 2010's The Social Network, David Fincher surveyed the story of an outsider and upstart who would become a business magnate, wield significant influence and have an immense impact upon the world. The applauded and astute film tells the tale of Mark Zuckerberg and of Facebook's development — but it's also the perfect precursor to Fincher's latest movie, Mank. This time around, the filmmaker focuses on a man who once spun a similar narrative. A drama critic turned screenwriter, Herman J Mankiewicz scored the gig of his lifetime when he was hired to pen Orson Welles' first feature, and he drew upon someone from his own life to do so. Citizen Kane is famous for many things, but its central character of Charles Foster Kane is also famously partially based on US media mogul William Randolph Hearst, who Mankiewicz knew personally. Accordingly, Mank sees Fincher step behind the scenes of an iconic movie that his own work has already paralleled — to ponder how fact influences fiction, how stories that blaze across screens silver and small respond to the world around them, and how one man's best-known achievement speaks volumes about both in a plethora of ways. Mank is a slice-of-life biopic about Mankiewicz's (Gary Oldman) time writing Citizen Kane's screenplay, as well as his career around it. It's catnip for the iconic feature's multitudes of fans, in fact. But it also peers at a bigger picture, because that's classic Fincher. The director chased killers in Seven, Zodiac, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Mindhunter, painting meticulous portraits of obsession each time. He unpacked the myths we make of our own existence in Fight Club and Gone Girl, and interrogated the societal perceptions such self-told tales play with and prey upon along the way. Naturally, with him at the helm, Mank was never going to simply serve up a straightforward snapshot of a Hollywood figure. That isn't Fincher's style, and it wouldn't suit Mankiewicz's story, either. When Mank introduces its eponymous scribe, it's 1940, and he's recovering from a car accident. In a cast and confined to bed due to a broken leg, he has been dispatched to a Mojave Desert ranch by Welles (Tom Burke, The Souvenir) and his colleague John Houseman (Sam Troughton, Chernobyl) — all so he can work his word-slinging mastery. As Mankiewicz toils, the movie wanders back to times, places and people that inspire his prose, especially from the decade prior. Dictating his text to British secretary Rita Alexander (Lily Collins), he draws upon his friendships with Hearst (Charles Dance, Game of Thrones) and the news baron's starlet mistress Marion Davies (Amanda Seyfried) in particular. And yes, as anyone who has seen Citizen Kane will spot, Mank's nonlinear structure apes the script that Mankiewicz pens. Many of the latter film's glimmering black-and-white shots do as well, although you won't spot a sled called Rosebud here. The authorship of Citizen Kane has long been a point of controversy, with Mankiewicz agreeing not to take any credit, as Mank shows. (When the screenplay won the film's only Oscar, however, it was awarded to both Mankiewicz and Welles.) Fincher's movie doesn't actually scrutinise the matter too deeply. It recognises that Mankiewicz was frequently asked to work uncredited — he's known to have polished the script for The Wizard of Oz, for example — and sides with the idea that Citizen Kane's screenplay was largely his creation. Of far more interest to the film is the role that Mankiewicz held not just for Welles, but also throughout his time in such an ambitious, ruthless, ethically dubious and uncaring industry. As such, it's impossible not to notice how, with Houseman trying to keep Mankiewicz's notorious love for a drink under control, the scribe feels trapped by his task for Welles. In flashbacks, the way that Mankiewicz is expected to ply his alcohol-addled wit to entertain Hearst and MGM studio chief Lous B Mayer (Arliss Howard, True Blood) is similarly inescapable. And so, Mank posits, it's little wonder that Citizen Kane became an epic takedown of the type of man whose success depends upon enlisting others to do their bidding. In a script by Jack Fincher — father of David, who wrote the screenplay in the 90s before passing away in 2003 — Mank suggests other factors that made Mankiewicz the person he was, and that shaped Citizen Kane's script as well. Scenes of Mankiewicz and his co-workers spitting out whatever ideas came to mind while lapping up the Golden Age of Hollywood and its studio system show the writer at his most content. His response to the use of movie-making trickery to create a fake news campaign to sway a 1934 Californian election by Mayer and film producer Irving Thalberg (Ferdinand Kingsley, Doctor Who) show Mankiewicz at his most passionate about something other than booze and bon mots. Also evident: the abundant cynicism that helps him wade through Tinseltown's trappings, the melancholy shared with Davies, and his reliance upon his wife Sara (Tuppence Middleton, Downton Abbey). Combine all of the above, and a dense and detailed movie results. That's Fincher's wheelhouse, after all. Mank is also visually ravishing and textured, and tonally cutting and icy — which, along with weighty performances, are all Fincher hallmarks. But there's both depth and distance to Mank. Its shadowy monochrome images, as shot by Mindhunter alum Erik Messerschmidt, dance across the screen. The Jazz Age score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is just as delightful. Oldman's certain-to-be-Oscar-nominated portrayal demands attention, and Seyfried's luminous efforts prove the best kind of surprise. And yet this movie about a man observing and interrogating a particular world, made by someone doing exactly that, always feels like it should be more intimate and resonant. It peers in and pokes about, but it never wholly lures the audience in — and watching Oldman and Seyfried's rich scenes together, viewers will wish it did. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSfX-nrg-lI&list=PLsRQmb9N_1G9EZgWWwmSyr_fS0nrjZOBA
Kick start your day in decadent fashion at Balmain's newest cafe, where booze and ricotta stuffed doughnuts are calling your name. Opening without much fanfare on Darling Street late January 2017, the 40-seat Mr. is open from 7am to 4pm, seven days a week. Caffeine fiends can get their hit courtesy of Will and Co. coffee, before the liquor license kicks in at 10am. Alcoholic affogatos and traditional lemonade with vodka or gin both sound perfect for a boozy weekend brunch… or a boozy Friday arvo… or a boozy Wednesday breakfast. Who are we to judge? Speaking of breakfast, standout dishes on the early morning menu include avocado, cumin salt, lime and radish on activated charcoal quinoa toast, and the aforementioned doughnut sprinkled with cinnamon and served with grilled peach, honey and ginger crumb. Lunch options, meanwhile, include a poached chicken sandwich with lime kewpie mayo, and the requisite Sydney eatery staple: a cheeseburger with house tomato ketchup and pickles. The cafe also boasts a distinctly local flavour, with jams and preserves bought at local markets, and bread baked by the artisan bakers at the Bread and Butter Project, a social enterprise where profits are invested in employment pathways for asylum seekers and refugees.
While Messina's main jam is crafting supremely scoffable varieties of gelato, the brand's love of food extends far beyond the freezer — as it has proven through a series of pop-ups dubbed Messina Eats. Before the pandemic, the cult gelateria would team up with a savoury-focused culinary hero every couple of months, then throw a big ol' food party in the carpark at its Rosebery headquarters to celebrate the collaboration. After a year that's been lacking in many things, Messina Eats is finally making a comeback on Friday, April 16 and Saturday, April 17. For those two days, Messina is again teaming up with Melbourne Filipino barbecue masters Hoy Pinoy to create a meaty menu as mouthwatering as the gelato it will be served alongside. Hoy Pinoy's skewers are always a big hit at the Night Noodle Markets, so the team will be grilling some of those (both chicken and pork belly), along with Filipino spring rolls, vegan fries topped with charcoal grilled adobo eggplant, cups of grilled corn kernels with coconut and chilli, and steamed fried rice with green papaya pickle. On Friday, you'll be able to tuck into rolled lechón belly charcoal roast (pork belly rolled with adobo marinade, then roasted over charcoal and served with rice), too, while on Saturday your tastebuds can be tempted by the full lechón (lemongrass and pandan-filled whole pig roasted over charcoal). For dessert, Messina will be whipping up milo milo — which riffs on shaved milk ice dish halo halo, and combines layers of malt flan, choc-malt crumble, Jersey milk gelato, choc-malt ice and choc malt powder. To drink, there'll be a combination of sweetened coconut milk and pandan jellies, plus lemongrass iced tea. The whole thing will go down over Friday and Saturday in the carpark at Messina's Rosebery HQ. It'll be open from noon for lunch and dinner until sold out.
While Budapest is praised for its "courteous drivers", Savannah, Georgia for its "animated guides in seersucker suits" and Cambodia's Siem Reap for its "resiliency and kindness", Auckland and Melbourne have taken out the top spot as the two friendliest cities in the world. Run as a Reader's Choice award by Condé Nast Traveller and focused on how a visitor feels in each city, the Friendliest and Unfriendliest City in the World poll asks readers to submit reviews of each city with a focus on the overall warm fuzzies generated by their experience. "Everything from location (no one likes an airport city) and political perception (everyone watches the news) to size and basic language barriers can make a destination unattractive to tourists and be a factor in their evaluation of a place's 'friendliness'." Praised as a "friendly bunch" with a "wonderful sense of humour", Melbourne was awarded the friendly blue ribbon for being "one of the classiest cities in the world", boasting an "abundance of parks and fabulous public art." CN also gave high-fives to Melbourne's food, nightlife and hotels. Tied for the top spot, Auckland's residents were given big ups. "The people are friendly, and their humour and view on life is something to aspire to attain." Positioned as the "ideal starting place" to see New Zealand, Auckland was given the thumbs up for being a "clean, youthful, adventurous, beautiful city," and was praised for its "clear air," "fresh food," and "amazing culture." Although Brisbane and Wellington didn't make it in the top ten, Sydney came in at number five; tied with Dublin. Sydney was praised for being super friendly ("They’re always so helpful, and they love Americans!") and its ever-applauded nosh: "Sydney is also home to the best food in the world. Don’t visit without stopping by at the spectacular Quay for Chef Peter Gilmore’s nature-inspired cuisine." Here's the list of amicable cities, double numbers are ties. THE FRIENDLIEST CITIES IN THE WORLD: 1. Auckland, New Zealand 1. Melbourne, Australia 3. Victoria, BC, Canada 4. Charleston, South Carolina, USA 5. Dublin, Ireland 5. Sydney, Australia 7. Siem Reap, Cambodia 8. Cape Town, South Africa 9. Savannah, Georgia, USA 9. Seville, Spain 11. Budapest, Hungary 11. Salzburg, Austria But what of the jerks? The Unfriendliest Cities in the World side of things is a little hairier, with no Australian or New Zealand cities making the cut. Up high. Nassau in the Bahamas was dissed for feeling "unsafe... and mundane," while Morocco's Monte Carlo was called "conspicuous consumption at its worst," and "just too rich for my blood." Beijing got a bad wrap for being a "smoggy, crowded city," while Marseilles (one of three French cities in the top five) was flagged for pickpockets and Johannesburg took out the top unfriendly spot as "a city of crime and contrasts." THE UNFRIENDLIEST CITIES IN THE WORLD: 1. Johannesburg, South Africa 2. Cannes, France 3. Moscow, Russia 4. Paris, France 5. Marseille, France 6. Beijing, China 7. Frankfurt, Germany 8. Milan, Italy 9. Monte Carlo, Monaco 10. Nassau, Bahamas Via Condé Nast Traveller.
After playing two balloted shows that sold out faster than you could say "Best New Music," The xx have made good on their promise that they would come back in 2013 to sate the appetites of everyone who missed out. Now that they've released their second album, Coexist, the buzz around the trio is only louder. But Jamie Smith, Romy Madley Croft, and Oliver Sim are capable of being heard above the din by turning up the volume on one of the most valuable (and most underrated) instruments of all — silence. Their strength is seen through the gaps between bone-chilling reverbs and papery vocals, and they're sexy because they don't specifically mention sex. That's not to say The xx don't get noise. They get much of their inspiration from London's dark techno dance scene, and Jamie and Romy both have thriving satellite careers as DJs. The trio's bankability is bigger than ever, so be sure your credit card is handy and your clicking finger poised when tickets go on sale at noon on January 15. Update: A second Sydney show on Saturday, April 6 has been added after the first sold out in under 15 minutes. Tickets for that are on sale now through Ticketek. https://youtube.com/watch?v=_nW5AF0m9Zw
As emotional punch-ups go, Mike Bartlett’s Cock (directed by Shane Bosher) is brutal. There’s plenty of sharp wit and awkward charm, but this is a love triangle in which everybody’s hearts get properly stomped on and it’s impossible to tell whether it’s the lovers or the competing parties who are visiting the most damage upon each other. When John (Michael Whalley), a young gay man, rather skittishly informs his long-term boyfriend, M (Matt Minto), that he’d like to put their relationship on hold, it is with no small surprise that he almost immediately finds himself neck deep in an affair with W (Matilda Ridgway), a divorced woman with the faintest notion that John might be ‘the one’. With a jilted M circling and a smitten W dreamily planning his future, John, desperate not to have to choose between them, decides not to decide. He leads both of them as far up the garden path as he can before M and W decide to force the issue. At the exceedingly awkward dinner party that ensues, John is forced to make a hard and fast decision not only about his partner but about his sexual identity. Like all prizefights, Cock is performed in the round in a stark white room with functional lighting and no props. That said, the actors have no trouble filling the space. Whalley’s nervous and naive energy makes his John endearing and sympathetic, even as he begins to employ some fairly detestable measures against those he claims to love. Minto’s M is brusque and sarcastic; he belittles and mocks John mercilessly, so familiar with his partner that he bothers to conceal few of his numerous flaws. Ridgway produces an excellent performance as W; her warm, focussed calm is a natural counterweight to John’s scatterbrained back-pedalling. Once the gauntlet has been thrown, though, she also shows herself more than capable of going blow for blow with Brian Meegan, who despite being hauled in at the last second as a replacement, emanates a quiet power as M’s father. His measured intractability is of great value at the dinner party, where everyone else is busy losing their heads. Bartlett’s work has no easy answers to offer about love or identity; one might argue that the end finds John just as conflicted as he was at the beginning. While Cock explores the difficulty of the fight to find love, it is also under no illusion that, once attained, the act of love itself can be just as big a slugfest. Bosher’s stripped-back production works particularly well in a space where the audience can see the sweat. This is an intense night of theatre, but well worth it, particularly if you can bag ringside seats.
No matter who you are, the need for a nice, long holiday is real. And, while far-flung adventures on the Mediterranean may not be in your cards, you can find a wealth of sensational coastal destinations right here in your own backyard. The stretch of the Mornington Peninsula offers sandy beaches, untouched bushland and award-winning wineries, all less than two hours south of Melbourne's CBD. You can find luxury retreats peppered throughout the region, ranging from plush waterfront hideaways to peaceful farm escapes. Get into holiday mode and start scrolling for some of the most luxurious stays you can book on the Mornington Peninsula. Because if ever there was a time to treat yourself to a taste of the high life, it's now. Recommended reads: A 48-Hour Guide to the Mornington Peninsula The Best Hotels in Melbourne The Best Summer Day Trips From Melbourne The Best Places to Go Glamping in Victoria Monterey Stud, Shoreham Set among rolling green hills, this designer farmhouse boasts both good looks and a tranquil setting. Plus, a stunning wraparound deck for sunset drinking sessions. Sleeps eight, from $900 a night. Barefoot, Blairgowrie A stylish holiday pad with a breezy indoor-outdoor flow, nestled right on the beach. This spacious beauty has loads of modern features and a solar-heated pool. Sleeps nine, from $775 a night. Bay Crest Manor, Mount Eliza Perched on top of the cul-de-sac of the Morning Peninsula, this manor resembling an ancient Greek temple boasts an unbeatable bay view. Watch the sun set in the infinity pool or take on your friends in life-sized lawn chess. Sleeps eight, from $1023 a night. Hart's Farm Retreat, Shoreham This smartly appointed farm stay makes for an idyllic couples' retreat, featuring high-end furnishings, a sun-drenched private deck and a magical outlook over olive groves and vineyards. Sleeps two, from $650 a night. Coastal Bush Retreat, St Andrews Beach Unwind in style at this quiet, leafy beach escape which boasts modern interiors, a chic coastal style and a roomy deck primed for sunset drinks. Sleeps four, from $250 a night. The Red Hill Barn, Main Ridge This charming barn has been reworked into a stylish couples' studio, featuring a bright, breezy fit-out and secluded setting in the heart of wine country. Sleeps two, from $470 a night. Crown Cove Villa, Safety Beach A luxury waterfront stunner with open-plan indoor-outdoor living that'll take your breath away. Enjoy the private jetty, dedicated dining room and spectacular heated pool. Sleeps 12, from $1590 a night. Coastal Luxe, St Andrews Beach Decked out in soothing natural tones, this designer beach pad is a dreamy home away from home. Spa, pool table and incredible outdoor living, all included. Sleeps 12, from $836 a night. Portsea Dairy, Portsea This lovingly restored farmhouse will win you over with its modern features, sun-drenched yard and spacious deck complete with an outdoor spa. Sleeps four, from $329 a night. Sunset Coastal Retreat, Mount Martha 180-degree views of Port Phillip Bay await you in this modern abode tucked away on Mount Martha. Enjoy the solar-heated pool, unwind in the spa, or take in the stunning city skyline from the expansive balcony. Sleeps nine, from $1219 a night. Images: Airbnb FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
Sometimes it festers in the hearts of killers. Sometimes it's the reason that villains keep stalking heroes. Sometimes, otherworldly forces are at play. However it graces the big screen, evil is a complicated concept — but cinema also frequently handles it in a muddled and simplistic fashion. Increasingly, as seen in origin stories like Joker and Cruella, profound wickedness has a relatable, almost-excusable reason. Acknowledging that bad things can just happen and unpleasant people can just exist without explanation (so, opting for something far more sinister and also much more realistic) is becoming rare. The other frequently deployed movie rationale, especially in horror, sits at the heart of one of the biggest cash-earning current franchises there is. In The Conjuring films and their spinoffs, evil lurks because literal demons also lurk. Different tactic, same result. Starting in 2013 with The Conjuring, expanding with 2014's Annabelle, and also including The Conjuring 2, both terrible and much better sequels to Annabelle, the dismal The Nun and the formulaic The Curse of the Weeping Woman, The Conjuring Universe now spans eight evil-fighting flicks — and they're all as straightforward as it gets regarding battling the nefarious. Circling around real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren, the franchise posits that the supernatural exists, darkness preys upon the innocent and its central couple usually has the tools to combat everything untoward. That template remains firmly in place in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. That said, the third Conjuring flick within the broader Conjuring realm does attempt a few changes. Rather than getting creeped out by haunted houses, it gets spooked by a kid and then a teenager who are both possessed. True to form, bone-shakingly horrific things can't simply occur without some kind of excuse and entity at play. The Warrens (Patrick Wilson, Aquaman, and Vera Farmiga, Godzilla: King of the Monsters) are first tasked with saving eight-year-old David Glatzel (Julian Hilliard, WandaVision) from a demon after his family moves to stereotypically sleepy Brookfield, Connecticut. Their efforts seem successful, even if Ed has a heart attack mid-exorcism, but the evil force they're fighting has really just jumped ship. Arne Johnson (Ruairi O'Connor, The Spanish Princess), the boyfriend of David's sister Debbie (Sarah Catherine Hook, NOS4A2), is quickly besieged by strange occurrences. He's soon also covered in blood after stabbing his landlord to Blondie's 'Call Me'. The death penalty beckons; however, the Warrens convince Arne's lawyer to plead not guilty by reason of demonic possession — the first time that ever happened in the US — and then commit to unearthing whatever paranormal details they can to save his life. The trailer for The Devil Made Me Do It teases legal thrills, but in a bait-and-switch way — because this film is barely concerned with Arne's court case. The true tale, which was previously dramatised in a 1983 TV movie starring Kevin Bacon, merely provides an easy setup here. Sticking to the facts hardly bothers director Michael Chaves (The Curse of the Weeping Woman) and screenwriter David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick (Aquaman). Instead, the pair focus on the usual bumps, jumps and scares that have haunted this franchise since day one. Taking their cues from James Wan, the Australian Saw and Insidious co-creator who helmed the first two Conjuring flicks, The Devil Made Me Do It has all the eerie noises and sudden frights down pat, in fact. More of them are just splashed across the screen, attempting to unnerve the movie's audience with the gusto of a well-oiled machine. As the series' creator and producer, if Wan had opted to call this one The Conjuring 3: Conjuring Harder, the title would've fit. There's a difference between nailing the technical basics and making them engaging, though. This many movies in, The Conjuring Universe should be aiming for more than the former. It definitely shouldn't be cribbing from The Exorcist as gleefully as The Devil Made Me Do It does. Chaves and Johnson-McGoldrick — and Wan, who has a story credit — also forget that if you repeat something too often, it stops being unsettling. In comedy, some gags grow the more they go on, such as The Simpsons' classic Sideshow Bob rake sequence, but the same doesn't prove true in horror when shadowy figures loiter, things keep moving that shouldn't and sounds blast suddenly. All three use the element of surprise, and yet there's no chance anyone watching will be caught unawares by the The Devil Made Me Do It's souped-up demonic antics. And, don't go expecting a meaningful examination of satanic panic, or the way that conservative sections of society need something to blame for life's ills. In this movie, it's just a given that some folks stray from faith, become evil occultists and commit dastardly deeds. As this series has done over and over, it's also a given that femininity draws the short straw. An accused witch, a Raggedy Ann doll, a nun and the ghost of a mother have all symbolised evil in The Conjuring Universe's eyes, but the franchise does look fondly at one woman: Lorraine Warren. As played by Farmiga, she's depicted as the unwavering maternal presence always by Ed's side, and almost the clairvoyant Scully to his demonologist Mulder. It's that dynamic, and the investment that Farmiga and Wilson put into their roles, that keeps prolonging the series. It gives the Conjuring films, including this one, a centre to clutch onto — no matter how much Hollywood sheen has been buffed over the real-life figures, which is plenty. The Devil Made Me Do It needs them, even emphasising their love story, but that feels as standard as everything in the movie. Nonetheless, alongside Australian actor John Noble (Fringe) as a priest, Farmiga and Wilson are the best things about this routine, happily by-the-numbers, never remotely terrifying threequel. Indeed, the fact that more flicks will undoubtably still follow is the scariest thing about the film.
All those jokes you made about jumping into IKEA display beds are about to come to fruition. IKEA is the latest registered accommodation on Airbnb, offering Sydneysiders the opportunity to stay the night instore at the furniture giant's Tempe store. For free. Airbnbing airplanes, igloos and backyards just got old hat. Setting up their room displays as so-called quirky accommodation, IKEA is letting three winning groups of up to four guests snuggle in to their fake homes for one epic slumber party on Sunday, August 31, as reported by SMH. Sydney's the only lucky location for the Airbnb shindig, with the rest of the country's IKEAs just settling for kicking out rotten teenagers trying to hide in the displays after hours. On the night, you won't just be sitting awkwardly in a fake kitchen with fake fruit and fake dogs, or playing frisbee with novelty ice cube trays. You're invited to a big communal dinner feast (probably featuring dem meatballs), there'll be Playstations to take the slumber party vibe next level (as well as something painfully wine-dependent called "circus games" according to SMH) and Airbnb are putting on a whole bunch of sessions with top notch hoster Claire Ferguson on how to make your home better equipped to become an Airbnb hosting. Ahp, there's the branding exercise. But don't get all tipsy on that elderflower syrup; apparently you're in for a "remarkable wake-up call" the next morning, because nothing says the first day of spring like an airhorn to the face in a giant furniture store. But they're giving you free IKEA breakfast and you're probably going to want to bail before all those rotten customers roll in. Because they don't want to be left with your dirty, dirty sheets (because you know everyone's gonna get buckwild in IKEA), you'll nab them as a little gift. You're not allowed to take anything else from your set, so put those fake family photos down. Incredibly, the cost for the night is zero beans (plus $12 Airbnb admin fee). But dude, you're getting free sheets. And you're staying the night at IKEA, who are probably going to pour meatballs down your gullet. To enter, head over here. Families are more likely to nab a spot so don't plan on an instore booze-up just yet. Via SMH and Gizmodo. Image: David/CC.
For the past decade, personal health has become a paradox. Never have people exercised more, tracked more, supplemented more or optimised more and yet uncertainty has never been higher. Protein intake is debated daily. Sleep protocols multiply. Longevity routines proliferate. People are trying. Consistently. But largely without visibility. This is the cultural gap Everlab is built to address, not as another wellness brand promising better habits, but as a fundamentally different way of approaching health: calm, preventative and data-led. Their premise is simple, most people aren't failing their health because of motivation. They're failing because they're guessing. The invisible years of health One of Everlab's central ideas is that longevity doesn't begin later in life, it begins decades earlier, in the silent phase before symptoms. Most chronic conditions develop gradually and invisibly, cardiovascular disease, metabolic dysfunction, hormonal decline, inflammatory disorders. For years, people can feel entirely fine while risk quietly accumulates. Traditional healthcare rarely intersects with this phase. It is designed for treatment, not early detection. Appointments are short. Testing is symptom-driven. Investigation begins once a problem is suspected. Everlab's model inverts that timeline. Rather than waiting for symptoms, the program maps health proactively through comprehensive diagnostics across cardiovascular, metabolic, hormonal, immune and musculoskeletal systems, alongside imaging, advanced blood biomarkers and genetic insights. The aim is not diagnosis of illness. It is visibility into trajectory. Why guessing keeps people stuck Modern health culture offers abundant advice but little precision. People experiment with supplements, diets, training plans, and recovery tools. When results plateau, motivation is often blamed, discipline, consistency, adherence. Everlab reframes this entirely. Without biomarker insight, health decisions become trial-and-error. Symptoms are lagging indicators. Fatigue, weight change or poor recovery often appear only after underlying physiology has shifted. The company's position is that most people are not under-committed; they are under-informed. Through advanced blood panels screening hundreds of biomarkers, physiological testing and longitudinal tracking, Everlab attempts to replace guesswork with clarity — identifying which systems actually require attention, and which interventions are unnecessary. In this sense, the program is as much about subtraction as optimisation, reducing wasted effort, spend and misplaced focus. Beyond transactional healthcare Everlab also reflects a broader shift from episodic healthcare to continuous health management. Traditional models operate in snapshots, isolated tests, individual appointments, fragmented records. Preventative health requires continuity: baseline, monitoring, retesting, adjustment. Everlab structures this as an ongoing cycle. Members build a comprehensive baseline integrating historical records, advanced diagnostics and imaging. Results are reviewed by a multidisciplinary care team including longevity physicians and nutrition specialists. A personalised protocol is created across lifestyle, supplementation and, where clinically indicated, medication. Biomarkers are then tracked over time, typically at six- and twelve-month intervals, allowing physiological change to be measured rather than assumed. A digital platform consolidates results and trends into a longitudinal health record. Data-led prevention Everlab arrives as health culture itself matures. The early wellness era emphasised motivation. The optimisation era emphasised performance. The emerging phase emphasises measurement and prevention. In this model, biomarkers become the organising principle of decision-making. They allow risks to be identified years before symptoms, interventions to be personalised to physiology rather than averages, and progress to be measured rather than guessed. Everlab frames this shift succinctly: health decisions should be guided by data, not trends. A framework, not a fix Notably, Everlab avoids positioning itself as a quick-outcome wellness product. Its language is structural: baseline, diagnostics, monitoring, optimisation. This reflects its deeper claim, that prevention is not an intervention but a framework. The company reports that a meaningful proportion of members discover previously unknown health risks through testing, reinforcing its central thesis: feeling well does not necessarily mean being physiologically optimal. The opportunity lies in the gap between the two. Stop guessing Everlab's relevance lies less in any individual test than in the question it poses to modern health behaviour, what if the problem isn't effort, but visibility? In a category saturated with motivation and optimisation narratives, Everlab positions itself differently, as a rational infrastructure for prevention grounded in biomarkers and longitudinal data. A calm voice in a noisy space.And a reframing that may define the next phase of personal health. Stop guessing. Start knowing. To start a deep dive into your health journey visit Everlab to explore a framework suited to your needs.
A good night at the theatre is like a night in the garden of Gethsemane: your ideologies are shaken up and you are forced to doubt your beliefs, but because of that you come away with a deeper understanding of things. A night with David Hare can have a similar effect. He writes dialogue that is sharper than razor blazes, with which he cuts through the crap to reveal uncomfortable truths about the way the world is. "It's an organised hypocrisy, it's called democracy," says embattled Home Secretary Meredith Guest as she tries to explain her politics to her ideologically rebellious daughter Suzette; and Gethsemane essentially is a play about multi-levelled moral hypocrisy. While the critique of Tony Blair's corrupt party fundraising is not particularly timely, the exposure of the degraded state of modern journalism and politics as well as our society's perpetual cynicism are pertinent and provocative. This is one of director Neil Armfield's final productions during his time in charge at Belvoir and he has brought together a shining cast who execute the perfectly crafted script memorably. The set and lighting design are also worthy of note; while both are sparse and restrained they work together to subtly transport us around the offices and living rooms of Downing Street to a buzzing cocktail bar and the Sicilian seashore. Hare's cold and unforgiving world is offset by the honesty of the relationship between Suzette and her ex-teacher Lori Drysdale, but as usual his attempts at touching the heartstrings don't come off as well as the intellectual appeals: at the end of the three-hour journey there is not a dampened eye in the audience, but minds are buzzing for hours. Photo by Heidrun Lohr
Sydney's oldest park will soon be the home of the city's newest cafe. The kiosk located at Museum Station in Hyde Park will undergo an extensive upgrade in the coming months, with the construction of a new open-plan cafe to commence later this year. The works take advantage of the already-underway improvements to the station, allowing for the upgrades to take place concurrently. The new cafe, designed by Andrew Burns Architects, will replace the old kiosk at the same site and bring a new paved outdoor area with seating for around 90 people. The whole project will be sensitive to the heritage of the location and the existing building, and add garden beds, retaining walls and stairs. "We're thrilled the stunning design is consistent with the heritage setting of Hyde Park and Museum Station," says Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore. "The new cafe will be set back to allow better access and lines of sight to the park and recently upgraded Anzac War Memorial." The construction already underway at the site is being completed by Transport for NSW with the aim of improving access to Museum Station, with the addition of new lifts, bathrooms and improved accessibility. As you may have noticed from the constant construction, further works are underway to improve the rest of Hyde Park, such as renovation of the pool of reflection, transplanting of palms within the park and restoration of secondary paths, enabling better access to all areas. The renos, including the cafe, are due to be completed mid-2018 along with all other currently approved Hyde Park works. Considering the park's proximity to the CBD, the new cafe will no doubt be a prime position for mid-week lunch breaks.
Midnight in Paris, which opened the Cannes Film Festival in May, is a deliciously frothy, light, fun film which shows Woody Allen is still in top form. Few film directors have experienced as many dizzy highs and debilitating lows as Mr Allen at the box office, but his 41st film definitely has that certain 'je ne sais quoi' that holds you in thrall to this most irreverent of directors. Gil (Owen Wilson), a self-described Hollywood hack screenwriter, is in Paris with his sexy but spoilt fiancee, Inez (Rachel McAdams). Gil wants to walk around the higgledy-piggledy streets in the rain; Inez prefers the company of her Tea-Party type parents and an insufferable pedant called Paul (Michael Sheen). Gil is, we are given to understand, financially successful, but harbours an increasingly desperate desire to move to Paris and strike out as a novelist. He's already written most of his first novel — aptly about a man who runs a nostalgia shop — but Inez isn't exactly encouraging him to finish it off because she fancies a beach house in Malibu. One moonstruck night, Gil wanders off on his own after a wine tasting, slightly drunk and somewhat maudlin. As a bell rings midnight, a yellow vintage Peugeot pulls up, and unseen champagne drinkers beckon him into the carriage. Gil finds himself magically transported back in time to his favourite era, Paris in the 1920s. Suddenly, he is swapping witty repartee with Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemmingway, and Pablo Picasso's muse, the beguilingly lovely Adriana (Marion Cotillard). Allen's film is not just a love letter to Paris; it's a beautifully envisaged valentine to all the literary luminaries who lived in Paris during the Roaring Twenties. Some literary references will make you wish you had paid more attention at university, but others, like Salvador Dali, are gratifyingly universal. He sprouts some very funny lines about rhinoceroses. Midnight in Paris isn't a serious film — it makes no effort to justify how or why Gil can time travel, because it simply doesn't matter. It's an exercise in fanciful filmmaking, a frolic through his light-as-a-feather fantasy of bohemian Paris. The most implausible thing about this film isn't, strangely enough, the plot; it's that Gil is with a woman like Inez in the first place and that he can tear himself away from Gertrude Stein's famous salon long enough to trawl expensive furniture shops with her. https://youtube.com/watch?v=BYRWfS2s2v4
Another week, another cookie pie. That's how it feels sometimes thanks to Gelato Messina's beloved desserts — and no, we're not complaining. After the gelato chain first introduced its cookie pies to the world in 2020, it has kept bringing the OTT dessert back. We all need an extra dose of sweetness every now and then, obviously, including while both Sydney and Melbourne are in lockdown. So, it should come as no surprise that Messina is serving up the decadent dessert yet again. This time, though, it's quite the Frankenstein's monster of a dessert. This version is also a returning favourite — and, if you like fairy bread, cookie pies and Messina's gelato, prepare to get excited. Hang on, a cookie pie? Yes, it's a pie, but a pie made of cookie dough. And it serves two-to-six people — or just you. You bake it yourself, too, so you get to enjoy that oh-so-amazing smell of freshly baked cookies wafting through your kitchen. Now that you're onboard with the overall cookie pie concept, the fairy bread version really is exactly what it sounds like. That crunchy, crumbly cookie dough is filled with milk and dark Messina chocolate chunks, as well as vanilla custard. It's then topped with more 100s and 1000s than you've probably seen since your childhood birthday parties. It wouldn't be a fairy bread version otherwise, of course. You can only buy this pie in kits, which means that you'll get some of the cult ice creamery's famed gelato along with it. You can opt for a 500-millilitre tub for $38, a one-litre tub for $44 or a 1.5-litre tub for $48. If you're keen to get yourself a piece of the pie, they're available to preorder from 9am on Monday, July 19 — with pick up between Friday, July 23–Sunday, July 25 from your chosen Messina store. Once you've got the pie safely home, you just need to whack it in the oven for 30 minutes at 160 degrees and voila. You can preorder a Messina fairy bread cookie pie from Monday, July 19, to pick up from all NSW, Vic and Queensland Gelato Messina stores except The Star.
UPDATE, Thursday, February 27, 2025: Drake was also scheduled to play Sydney on Friday, March 7, but that gig has been postponed to a yet-to-be-confirmed future date. Here's the headlines: Drake is coming to Australia in 2025; it's his first trip this way since 2017; and you're now going to have 'Hotline Bling', 'Too Good', 'Passionfruit', 'Nice for What', 'In My Feelings', 'One Dance' and 'Laugh Now Cry Later' stuck in your head again. The Canadian artist is bringing his Anita Max Win tour Down Under, including to Sydney in February and March. The five-time Grammy-winner is hitting the Harbour City for four shows. Drake will play Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday, February 16–Monday, February 17, then on Wednesday, February 19–Thursday, February 20. The Degrassi: The Next Generation star last took to the stage in this neck of the woods on his Boy Meets World tour, which means that eight years have passed between those gigs and his 2025 visit. The platinum-selling singer is fresh off his 2023–24 It's All A Blur Tour, which saw him chalk up over 80 soldout shows in North America. On that prior trip, Drake had four studio albums to his name: 2010's Thank Me Later, 2011's Take Care, 2013's Nothing Was the Same and 2016's Views. He's doubled that since, so expect tunes from 2018's Scorpion, 2021's Certified Lover Boy, 2022's Honestly, Nevermind and 2023's For All the Dogs, too. Images: The Come Up Show via Flickr.
Not even Australia's balmy December temperatures can keep us from embracing the ironic ugly Christmas sweater trend. Christmas in July is here again, my friends, and so too is the Colonel's line of OTT Yuletide-themed pullovers for another year. Yep, KFC has just dropped its 2023 Christmas jumper range — and, like in 2022, there's a matching outfit for the furry mate in your life, too. Available to snap up now, the limited-edition designs are primed for cheesy family photos, rocking a cheery red-and-white pattern and emblazoned with a cheeky nod to fried chicken: "Tis The Seasonings". Both the human sweaters ($60) and the pet versions ($40) come in a range of sizes, so you're sure to find a good fit no matter how hard you — or Murphy— have gone on the winter comfort food this year. What's more, there's zero shame to be felt in this daggy knitwear purchase, since all profits from the jumpers are going to support KFC's charity partners such as The Black Dog Institute, ReachOut Australia and Whitelion. 2023's range also includes socks ($25) — if you're all about business on top and a party on your feet — and a black long-sleeved jumper ($60) that's a bit more subtle in its seasonal cheer (although KFC buckets and drumsticks still feature). And if the matchy-matchy outfits have left you and your pooch really wanting to cash in on that Christmas in July spirit, KFC is also doing festive food specials until Tuesday, July 11. KFC's 2023 Christmas in July sweaters are available to buy online, costing $60 for the human jumpers and $40 for pets.
High in the sub-alpine region you'll find the remote Gummi Falls Campground, which is well and truly out there in the wild. You'll need to take a 4WD to access this untamed, natural bit of country, but don't worry, there are barbecue facilities and toilets once you're there. Spend your day mountain biking or horse riding through the many trails that surround the bewitchingly beautiful region, and try to spot elusive native fauna like the long-nosed potoroo, spotted-tail quoll and powerful owl. If you fancy a different angle, drop a line in the crystal clear Manning River, known for its abundant supply of freshwater bass. Image: Elliot Kramer
What do killer Squid Game dolls, Stranger Things rifts, Jurassic World raptors and very nice Borat statues all have in common? They've all brought pop-culture hits not just to Sydney but to Bondi, albeit temporarily. On the morning of Thursday, December 19, 2024, a towering toy loomed over Bondi Icebergs, accompanied by plenty of red and green outfits — and yes, as part of the latest pop-up celebrating the upcoming return of the South Korean Netflix smash for season two, a game of Red Light, Green Light took place. Ever since the world initially watched Squid Game in 2021, the streaming platform has been obsessed with bringing everyone's favourite South Korean streaming series into real life. First came pop-up stunts. Then arrived reality competition show Squid Game: The Challenge, obviously without a body count. Experiences that let everyone play the show's games without appearing on TV also keep proving part of the IRL fun. As the show's second season approaches, dropping on Boxing Day 2024, Australia has welcomed three Squid Game activations — starting in St Kilda, where 200 pink guards relaxed on the Melbourne suburb's beach to kick things off; then cruising through Sydney harbour; and now at the pool so famous that it recently earned the documentary treatment. The Harbour City is no stranger to Squid Game stunts, or to Young-hee. Three years back, the Red Light, Green Light doll first made its eerie presence known in Sydney. When it took to the water this time around, it did so by ferry with 300 pink guards as an escort to get to Luna Park Sydney for Squid Game: The Experience. And now it has visited another iconic location. At Bondi Icebergs, 50 Squid Game guards were also in attendance, while ten players tried their hand at avoiding Young-hee. And the winner? Steve Bradbury, chalking up another claim to fame.. Come Thursday, December 26, Squid Game will unveil its second batch of episodes — and fans' second-last opportunity to press play. The show will return in 2025, too, with its third season; however, that will be the end of the series. More Squid Game: The Challenge is on the way, however. Squid Game season two streams via Netflix from Thursday, December 26, 2024. Season three will arrive in 2025 — we'll update you when an exact release date for it is announced. Squid Game: The Experience is now on at Luna Park Sydney, 1 Olympic Drive, Milsons Point. Head to the venue's website for more information and to buy tickets.
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, Sydneysiders can finally start enjoying its fancy new public library inside Darling Square's Exchange Building, which opened its doors just this week. Replacing the now-closed Haymarket Library (and four times its size), Darling Square Library has opened across two storeys of the slinky-like inner-city building, designed by Japanese architect Kenga Kumo and made using 20 kilometres of timber, offering plenty of new places to relax, study and work, with free wifi and public computers. The schmick new library has more than 30,000 books that are free to borrow, and 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 signup 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. You can check it all out straight away or head to the official opening on Saturday, November 9 — there'll be DJs, plus you can hear all about the workshops and events on offer, see the laser cutter in action, and enjoy some free coffee and gelato. And, speaking of food, forget stale egg sandwiches and sub-par coffee from the uni cafe. When you're studying here, you'll be fuelling up for a study session at one of the many (many) new eateries now whipping out delicious food right there inside the Exchange Building, and throughout the Darling Square precinct, including a Japanese pasta spot, a milk bar from the Devon Cafe team and next-level toasties and cakes from the crew behind Enmore's Saga. Find Darling Square Library at level 1–2, Darling Exchange Building, 1 Little Pier Street, Haymarket. It's open 10am–7pm, Monday to Friday, and 11am–4pm, Saturday and Sunday. To check out the opening library workshops, head to the City of Sydney website. Image one: Parker Blain. Image two–four: Courtesy of City of Sydney.
Tacos Muchchos burst onto the scene as a pop-up boasting flavour-packed quesabirria tacos and takeaway margaritas during lockdown. Now at a permanent residence in Redfern, the Muchachos team is adding salsa sessions to its weekly repertoire. Every Thursday, the Cleveland Street restaurant clears the tables and brings in a DJ and a salsa instructor. From 8pm, the instructor will be on hand running beginners through the basics. Once everyone is in the swing of things, they'll step back and leave things up to you, with music continuing all the way until 11.30pm. Some weeks, there's even a live band soundtracking your time on the dance floor. Attendees of all salsa experience levels are encouraged to attend, and entry is $10 to cover the cost of the instructor and DJ. Throughout the night you can, of course, charge up with selections from Tacos Muchachos menu, whether you're on the hunt for a taco set, a burrito, quesadillas, a spiked agua fresca, or a selection from the restaurant's tequila and mezcal collection. You can also expect regular food and drink specials available on Thursdays, making Salsa Night a little bit more special.
It's a tradition we all know well: go to IKEA with the intention of picking up some new water glasses, spend two hours wandering the labyrinth and filling a basket with tea light candles (you can never have too many), bath rugs (so soft!) and plants (you'll keep this one alive, promise), then sit down for a plate of delicious meatballs and mash. During COVID-19, IKEA has had to temporarily shut its in-store restaurants, in line with the government's closure of non-essential indoor venues. But, so you can get your fix at home, it has just released the recipe to its blessed meatballs. The Swedish flatpack experts are also now offering contactless delivery (in Australia) and have a podcast that reads through the IKEA catalogue, so you can really relive your time strolling through its endless corridors. But, we'll skip the smalltalk and get straight to what you're all looking for: the recipe. IKEA'S MEATBALLS Serves four 500 grams beef mince 250 grams pork mince 1 onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic (crushed or minced) 100 grams breadcrumbs 1 egg 5 tablespoons of milk Salt and pepper to taste For the cream sauce Dash of oil 40 grams butter 40 grams plain flour 150 millilitres vegetable stock 150 millilitres beef stock 150 millilitres thick double cream 2 teaspoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon dijon mustard To make the meatballs Combine beef and pork mince and mix with your fingers to break up any lumps. Add finely chopped onion, garlic, breadcrumbs and egg and mix. Add milk and season well with salt and pepper. Shape mixture into small, round balls. Place on a clean plate, cover and store in the fridge for two hours (this will help them hold their shape while cooking). In a frying pan, heat oil on medium heat. When hot, gently add your meatballs and brown on all sides. Add to an overproof dish and cover with aluminium. Place in a hot oven (180°C conventional or 160°C fan) and cook for a further 30 minutes. To make the cream sauce Melt butter in a frying pan. Whisk in flour, stirring continuously for two minutes. Stir in vegetable and beef stock. Stir in double cream, soy sauce and dijon mustard. Bring to a simmer and allow sauce to thicken. Serve with your favourite potatoes — either creamy mash or mini new boiled potatoes.
We all know that video piracy is a crime and that we should pay for the music we are listening, too, but just how far we have come from 20th-century entertainment is not always present in our minds. Enter photographer Julia Solis and her new book Stages of Decay — a feat that took her across Europe and the US over a period of years to document over 100 disused and dilapidated theatres that once housed The Who, witnessed the cinematic events of their eras and were symbols of popular culture, cultural hubs and signifiers of Western affluence. The images tiptoe along that enticing line between nostalgia, beauty, decay — actually it is all very Tintern Abbey — and all those butterfly feelings that come up when we dream of days long gone. Solis sees the images as more experiential, as she told Flavorwire: "You want a one-on-one encounter with it, to open secret closets and fondle plaster and play with rusted machinery without your parents' interference. In a society that's increasingly controlled, monitored and publicised, a wild space like that can't help but have an incredible allure." Be sure to note the cars parked underneath the ornate ceiling of the old Michigan Theatre, and for the trivia buffs, it is now the parking lot for the new cinema. Circle of life?
You may already know that the Stockton Beach sand dunes are the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. But, it's hard to truly appreciate the sheer size of them until you hop on a sandboard and start sliding down one of the hills — and you just keep sliding. There are a few companies that offer sandboarding experiences in the Port Stephens region, but Sand Dune Safaris is our pick for a couple of reasons. It's a family owned and operated business, and because it doesn't accept large inbound tour groups, the team are able to offer a more intimate experience — and this includes allowing you to stand on the board and 'surf' down the dune if you're game. You'll also get to travel to Sand Dune Safaris' spot on the dunes in 4WDs which, they say, is "half the fun". Normally, the company has a continuous shuttle service heading out to the dunes and back every 15 minutes, so you can stay and play as long as you please. It also a shaded picnic area out on the dune, so you can take along an esky with drinks and snacks when you need a rest. Also be sure to pack sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat as the sand is extremely reflective due to its high silica content, so it can get mighty toasty out there. Due to current COVID-19 restrictions, Sand Dune Safaris is now running six two-hour sessions per day. Bookings are essential with a limit of nine people per group. Sessions are subject to change as restrictions are lifted so keep checking the website for the latest info. Images: Destination NSW
Upon returning from a winter escape to sunny Vietnam, my response to the obligatory "how was it?" was consistent in message, and in enthusiasm. "THE FOOD! Oh my God!", pretty much sums it up. Most surprising was just how regional the cuisine is and how it can differ from the north to the south, east to the west. Of course, if you go along looking for pho, spring rolls and banh mi, you will indeed find — and no doubt enjoy — them everywhere. However, if you open your eyes and mind a little wider, you'll discover each region has a set of specialties, and an approach to food that differs slightly from everywhere else. What does consistently run through the entire country is a commitment to freshness and flavour; fragrant fresh herbs liven even the simplest of meals, and local dishes are borne from what's available to be caught from the sea or picked from the ground. In one reasonably short trip you can experience vast differences in not only the food, but also in the scenes and 'scapes. From city madness — which mostly entails throngs of scooters careering around the roads and tourists closing their eyes and hoping for the best when crossing the street — to beautiful beaches, and mountain peaks to rice fields in the valley. Here are a few highlights to be discovered with eyes, mind and mouth wide open. HANOI Hanoi in the north is the country's capital, and yet seems a touch more modest and visitor-friendly than Ho Chi Minh (Saigon). The traffic system will leave you aghast for the first day, and after that you must embrace it, roll with it and trust in the controlled chaos of the road when you close your eyes and run towards the other side. Taking the city on foot will let you discover hidden laneways, a hint of French architecture, buzzing street food stalls, plenty of cheap fake goods for sale, and a snippet of local life. The Old Quarter and area around Hoan Kiem Lake is the perfect base to explore the city. Hit the lake early one morning to get a glimpse of what keeps the locals so happy, healthy and vibrant: plenty of Tai Chi, stretching, breathing and all manner of interesting morning rituals. HANOI FOODNOTE Here it seems nearly all to do with rice noodles and soup (yes, you will find pho aplenty in Hanoi). One of the local specialties here is bun bo nam bo — which is not only delicious, but incredibly fun to pronounce. This is a beef noodle dish of vermicelli, barbecued beef strips, a tasty stock sauce, chopped peanuts and lashing of fresh herbs on top. At Bun Bo Nam Bo (67 Hang Dieu – be careful of imitators who have popped up nearby), you need only to walk in and tell them how many serves and you will be presented with a bowl of this tasty meal for all of about $2.50. Similar local options include bun cha (pork and noodles) and bun ca (crispy fish and noodles, this time served in a soup), while cha ca is a slightly different local treat – barbequed fish with chilli and lemongrass, served with dry rice paper, fresh salad and peanuts, and a dipping sauce all to be wrapped, dunked and downed. An unsung hero of Hanoi cuisine, cha ca will prove its worth if you seek it out. MAI CHAU Mai Chau lies about four hours south-west of Hanoi and is home to a White Thai community of people. There are small villages that can be reached by wandering through the rice fields (among the song of frogs, geese and cows), where you'll find homestay options, stalls selling woven scarves, bags and clothing, and even a few traditional looms on display or in use. It's a beautiful change from the city and a real taste of rural life. If you stay at Mai Chau Lodge, there are plenty of activities to book, such as walking tours with local guides, cave explorations, market trips and cooking classes. MAI CHAU FOODNOTE Because this area is inhabited by White Thai people, the food is highly varied and pulls strong influences from Chinese and Thai cuisines. So while dishes such as tom ka ghai and fried noodles might have you wondering if you've strayed from traditional Vietnamese cuisine, just think of how little you worried about the 'Frenchness' of that banh mi baguette. The cuisine here holds a very interesting identity, and that is precisely thanks to the different influences. Of course, being in the rice fields, the ubiquitous white grain features heavily, and is served with pretty much everything. As are the flavours of lemongrass, lime, garlic, chilli and salt. And, somewhat surprisingly, sweet potatoes that are grown in the fields and sold at the local markets in abundance. HOI AN Hoi An in central Vietnam is a quaint little delight of a town that seems highly geared towards tourism, yet still retains some element of small-town charm. Lanterns hang outside the shops and the old town's cobbled streets are filled with wanderers of the non-motorised variety, in very European fashion. Don't be overwhelmed by all the clothes tailors and shoemakers. Save time and energy and head straight to Miss Forget-Me-Not (37 Phan Chu Trinh Street) for clothes and shoes, and Tu Chi (24 Phan Boi Chau Street) for bags — they come highly recommended by many travellers, including this writer. Then find respite from it all at An Bang Beach, about four kilometres out of town. My recommendation is to base yourself out there, in one of the few homestay properties (there are no hotels, per se, but Beach Hideaway and Seaside Village both offer glorious villa-style cottages), and cycle into town when the days calls for dining or shopping. For the other times, the beach provides long stretches of white sand dotted with traditional fishing coracles, warm calm water to float about in, and a stretch of bars and restaurants with shaded beach lounges for their customers. Watch the local families descend on the beach as the sun recedes — they bring tables, chairs, big pots of rice and grilled meats, make a fire and settle in for an evening on the sand. It's quite a sight. HOI AN FOODNOTE Perhaps the jewel in Hoi An's food crown is cao lau, a traditional dish of noodles made using water from the well to give them a heavier, chewier texture. These noodles are sandwiched between rich, salty stock at the bottom and grilled pork and fresh leaves on top. It's served at breakfast time (although you can find it any time of the day) and is a surprisingly great way to start the day of eating. Other treats specific to Hoi An include white rose (rice paper dumplings filled with minced prawns) and com ga, shredded chicken with yellow rice. Of course, being by the sea, fresh seafood also features heavily. Ordering the fish special often means whatever the local fishermen have brought back in their coracles that morning, so you can guarantee it will be fresh, and local. Beyond all that, wherever you are in Vietnam, remember to wear sunscreen, cross the road with bravery, barter with a smile, look for regional specialties and try ca phe sua da (Vietnamese iced coffee) at least once, if not daily. Photography by Greg George and Julia Gaw.
One of the best ways to celebrate winter is to spend a chilly day spinning around an ice skating rink. From July 6–22, St Leonards Park will transform into Winterland North Sydney with ice-centric amusement and carnival rides for all. Ice skating sessions are run hourly each day, giving you 45 minutes to show off your skills in the rink. On Saturdays, you can watch ice show performances at 6.45pm and enjoy ice hockey demonstrations on Sundays at 3.45pm. There'll also be a chance to go tobogganing down a snow-covered slide (with three rides for $10). If you need a break from the ice, step in line for carnival attractions, like a scenic ferris wheel, or go to the food village for some hot chocolate and other cosy creations. Festivities will kick off with an ice show and other entertainment at 7pm on Friday, July 6. For tickets and times, visit the Winterland North Sydney Facebook page.
As soon as the title card appeared on-screen â€" a hand-painted "Antichrist" in manic scrawl, with the final 't' incorporating a female symbol â€" my usually objective back was up. The films of Lars von Trier tend to rub the viewer the wrong way, but this one has a little more venom in it than that. It has rub, it has tug, and at some point falls entirely into hell.As married couple, only known as She (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and He (Willem Dafoe), are engrossed in their own sexual world that covers the short first act of the film, their young son tumbles to his death through an open window. An event that occurs at apparently the same time as Gainsbourg's close-up climax. Thus begins the heavy (and more often than not, draining) use of symbolism throughout the rest of the film. The use of stark black and white for that scene gives way to a murky, magnificent hue that seems strangely darker than the previous black as the rest of the tale unfolds.The remainder of the film (believe me, the above was not a spoiler), centres on Gainsbourg's descent into grief, and the needling cognitive therapy of Dafoe who defies the code that one mustn't counsel their own family, to unpredictably sadistic results. They venture to their cabin in the woods known as Eden, first a mental journey for Gainsbourg, and then (presumably) a physical one for them both. Herein, acorns fall heavy as hooves, fears are faced, a fox talks, a bird is bludgeoned, and then fears of those previously faced fears rear their terrifically ugly, domestic heads.Much has been made of the seeming rampant misogyny in Antichrist, but it lingers more on a world already dented by existing patriarchal systems â€" She grappling with the history of witchcraft trials and gynocide â€" rather than approaching women/nature as inherently evil. Certainly, the character of He has no pedestal on which to stand (may have something to do with the bum leg). Neither does the director. Still, von Trier's legacy does focus substantially on dragging both its female leads and the audience through hell. Antichrist provokes questions from its viewers, prodding and poking until you’d rather just close your eyes. There is a real power to the fable at the black heart of this story, Gainsbourg delivers an excruciatingly good performance, chaos does indeed reign, (and yes, there is graphic castration of both sexes), but I’m not convinced that Antichrist is worthy of the complex thought or dialogue it attempts to develop.Photo: Christian Geisnæshttps://youtube.com/watch?v=Z5tKBGcWQZE
Offering the best in contemporary jazz music in Sydney, Foundry 616 hosts free and paid gigs featuring some of Australia's best jazz musicians as well as special international guests from all over the world. If you like dusky blue-lit venues with a strong appreciation of brass instruments, a night out at Foundry 616 is sure to go down a treat. A tightly edited Cajun menu keeps you well fed whilst you appreciate the tunes. Check their website for upcoming acts, and it's usually best to book ahead. Images: Kitti Smallbone
A few years ago, it would've been hard to imagine millions of people getting excited about watching someone sleeping in a box. But two weeks ago, we all did just that, as that most sculptural of humans, Tilda Swinton, set up in New York's Museum of Modern Art for some shut-eye under glass. The performative art work, titled The Maybe, had been exhibited previously in 1995, but this time it generated a huge level of interest — and Swinton's heightened celebrity wasn't the only driver. Performance art — these days often called live art, time-based art or just plain performance — is having a bit of a moment. Right now, thousands of Sydneysiders are queuing to experience 13 Rooms, an installation of, yes, 13 rooms, each containing a flight of performative fancy from one of 13 internationally renowned artists. Once in, they're swapping their personal belongings for those of others, negotiating a revolving door made of people and comprehending a live person floating on air. The art form is easy to make fun of (sometimes brilliantly, as in this Portlandia clip), but that's partly because it's fun and easy to engage with. So why have we entered the time of performance art? Here are a few of the factors behind the rise. 1. Art parties The last time performance art was at its heights was in the 1960s, when Andy Warhol's 'happenings' were a major way of doing cultural business. These were events at his famous Factory studio and one of history's main moments in which artists from all different disciplines were invited to mingle — along with people who just liked to party. There might be paintings on one wall, video projections on another, the Velvet Underground everywhere. "What's happening now is happenings — where music, dancing, movies, everything happens at once and assaults all the senses," wrote Newsweek in its Pop issue in 1966. Sound familiar? Minus some orgies and taboo breaking, it's not unlike the current mode for art parties like Jurassic Lounge, ARTBAR or Next Wave events. Performance art — based, as it usually is, on a strong central concept that can be communicated within minutes, if not seconds — is the sort of thing that can thrive in a hullabaloo. Even if it's a durational performance whose real meaning will only become known over days, you can still just engage for 30 seconds and move on to the next thing. It also helps that much like then, we're into interdisciplinarity at the moment — the Australia Council even has a separate funding body for it, the Inter-Arts office. More on that in point two. 2. A response to digital The internet is big, you guys. Photorealistic blending of oil paint is great, but how much can it tell us about our technologically precipitous times? Let's throw everything we have at that moral puzzle, is the thinking: film, video games, live art, big ideas. A blend of sculpture and theatre, performance is one of the quintessential interdisciplinary arts. There are two particular aspects of it that suit our ubiquitously digital times: interactivity and the idea of 'absolute presence'. Interacting with stuff is our modus operandi now, and we don't want to stop when we put down our devices. Although it doesn't usually put you on the spot in the dreaded 'public participation' way, performance art is essentially interactive. A performer and an observer (performer #2?) in one space cannot help but have an effect on each other. And then there's almost the converse quality: sometimes we just want to cut the digital tether and just be in one place, without distraction (like mindfulness. But arty). Seeing performance art is a way of having an experience that you know is personal, private, fleeting, immediate and real. It's kind of nice. 3. Marina Abramovic Marina Abramovic has been a presence in popular culture for a while now — she was on Sex and the City back in 2003, when Carrie dated an artist. But her 2010 MoMA show, The Artist Is Present, captured public attention as few art world things have. With the still-entertaining Tumblr Marina Abramovic Made Me Cry, she basically reached meme status through the act of sitting. Since then a documentary about the exhibition and her weird mutual obsession with that other interdisciplinary something, James Franco (she's apparently making a movie about him) have continued to endear and fascinate. (In the above clip, she has a surprise reunion with her ex-partner Ulay at The Artist Is Present — gah!) 4. Art gallery infiltration Sydney's MCA is about to launch a second season dedicated to performance art, this year dubbed Workout. Previously, the Dachshund UN held there was something of a live art coup. And the MCA is not alone; traditional galleries are increasingly finding space for the oft-puzzling art form that can't be hung on the wall or put behind glass (unless it's Tilda). Melbourne's ACCA will soon host Mikala Dwyer's performance project, and last year London's Tate Modern opened the Tanks, a cavern underground that plays host to a roster of performance as well as film, sound and, of course, happenings. As Laura Cumming wrote in her Guardian review, "For the moment, the Tanks are the coolest part of the whole Tate enterprise. They have an air of freedom about them, as if anything might happen, and that comes from the ever-changing relationship between the raw building, the art and its audience." With institutional support, this era of performance art could be a long one. Settle in.
