When mid-February rolls around each year, a specific feeling starts to sink in no matter how you feel about romance. That sensation? With autumn almost upon us and the cooler weather with it, it's the yearning for sunny, summery days to keep on stretching on. Here's one way to continue catching that vibe: chasing an endless summer by spending time anywhere from the Gold Coast up to Cairns while it gets frosty down south. For those eager to make an autumn date with plenty of sun, surf and sand — or even to book in a winter or spring getaway, too — Virgin Australia has just dropped a huge Queensland flight sale. Running until midnight AEST on Monday, February 20 or sold out, whichever arrives first, this sale is solely about trips to and from the Sunshine State — with more than 250,000 fares on offer. It might be focused on one part of the country, but you still have options in terms of departure points and destinations. Within Queensland, you can leave or arrive in Brisbane, Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton, Hamilton Island, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Mt Isa and Proserpine. And, around the rest of the country, flights to and from Adelaide, Alice Springs, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth and Sydney are all covered. One-way fares start at $69 — which'll get you from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast and vice versa. Other sale flights include Sydney–Gold Coast from $89, Melbourne–Cairns from $139, Adelaide–Gold Coast from $119 and Brisbane–Hamilton Island from $109. If you're wondering when you'll need to travel, the travel periods depend on the leg — but some span up till December 14, when summer is back again. Only select fares cover seat choice and checked baggage, however, with the airline announcing back in 2021 that it now splits its economy flights into three types. Economy Lite doesn't include checking any baggage or picking your seat, but Economy Choice does — and Economy Flex gives you extra flexibility (hence the name) if you have to change your plans later. Virgin's Queensland Is Calling sale runs from Tuesday, February 14–midnight AEST on Monday, February 20 — or until sold out. 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.
Whether Idris Elba will ever get to slip into James Bond's tuxedo is still yet to be seen, but the British actor adds another prime example of why he'd be excellent as 007 to his resume with Hijack. He plays suave and smooth, calm and collected, and resourceful and reliable in the plane-set Apple TV+ thriller series — as well as enterprising and creative while endeavouring to save lives and bring down nefarious forces alike. He's also basically in Idris Elba on a Plane, sans slithering snakes; Idris Elba Cancels the London-Bound Apocalypse, but without kaiju and giant robots; Die Hard with Idris Elba, though never just crawling around in a singlet; and, given that the seven-parter unfurls in real time, 24: Idris Elba as well. Unsurprisingly, Elba is excellent in a taut, tension-dripping nail-biter that's easy to get addicted to. Fresh from battling lions in Beast, granting wishes in Three Thousand Years of Longing, returning to Luther in Luther: The Fallen Son and popping up in Extraction II, The Wire alum plays Sam Nelson, a seasoned negotiator on his way home to the UK from Dubai. It can't be underestimated or understated how crucial that Hijack's biggest star is here. Cast the wrong person as Sam, and the show might've plummeted. When terrorists take over the flight, the series' protagonist boasts the ability to get everyone from pilots and crew to agitated flyers, wannabe saviours and air traffic control on his side. Sometimes, the hijackers join in on following his lead and taking his advice. Even if action movies have long relied upon heroes with such swagger and sway, trying to pull it off here without someone of Elba's charm and confidence would likely struggle (see: the Liam Neeson-led Non-Stop, and recent Gerard Butler flick Plane). When he disembarks Kingdom Airlines Flight 29, Sam just wants to try to patch things up with his estranged wife Marsha (Christine Adams, The Mandalorian) and spend time with his teenage son Kai (Jude Cudjoe, Halo) — aims at the top of his list before he has any inkling that this won't be an ordinary journey. Then fellow Brit Stuart (Neil Maskell, Small Axe) and his gun-toting team (Here Comes Hell's Jasper Britton, The Duke's Aimée Kelly, The Souvenir: Part II's Jack McMullen and TV first-timer Mohamed Elsandel) seize control of the aircraft before the first hour of the flight has passed. To stay alive, and to also attempt to keep the other passengers safe, Sam has no choice but to step in. Action formula dictates that he does indeed have a particular set of skills that come in handy in the situation: his way with words. Onboard, anxiety spreads fast from the pilot (Ben Miles, Tetris) down. Tracking an hour of the ordeal per episode, Hijack gets its audience experiencing the stress, chaos and life-or-death stakes in tandem with Sam and the rest of the flight's hostages — and, crucially, establishing the in-the-air space and figures that the series has to play with. The show jumps between seating classes, exploring how the ordeal affects everyone from the comfortable to the crammed-in. It ensures that viewers understand who's sitting where, and how their different personalities might have an impact. The series stalks through the aisles, making sight lines and escape routes plain, and also hovers in crew areas. In other words, it puts its various pieces in place, proving expertly aware that suspense springs not just from waiting and anticipating, but from knowing which elements could factor in. Hijack makes slick and skilled use of its main setting, but it isn't a one-location-only affair. Also getting nervous: people on the ground across several countries, all attempting to work out what's going on. Marsha and Kai are among them; the former notes that "when it all kicks off, Sam's the best at handling it", but also asks her new cop beau Daniel O'Farrell (Max Beesley, Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre) to investigate after she receives a cryptic text from the air. The police officer enlists British counter-terrorism via his ex-partner Zahra Gahfoor (Archie Panjab, Snowpiercer), while various aviation bases also start realising that all isn't right, including at Heathrow where Alice Sinclair (Eve Myles, We Hunt Together) is a flight controller. Creators George Kay (Lupin) and Jim Field Smith (Litvinenko) are masterful with tone and twists, keeping the pressure up from go to whoa and never letting the plot cruise on autopilot. Together, Kay (who writes) and Field Smith (who directs) also created the interrogation-focused Criminal, and bring the same flair for teasing out pivotal details — not just in conversation, but visually as Hijack flits between the plane and terra firma. This isn't a whodunnit, put it does reward sleuthing, tasking its audience with puzzling together what's really going on, who can truly be trusted and how the show might land. Again, Apple TV+ is in its mystery element, as everything from Severance, The Afterparty, Black Bird and Bad Sisters to Servant, Hello Tomorrow!, High Desert and Silo keeps illustrating. In hooking viewers, and quickly, Kay and Field Smith are also well-versed in the kind of series they want Hijack to be. Pivotally, they're clearly familiar with the conventions and cliches that the show is leaning into, what's soared there before, and how to do it well. Having Sam rely upon the power of persuasion first and foremost might seem like a small touch, but it's an important one: Hijack wouldn't last seven hours, or keep watching eyes invested, if guns just kept blasting and fists flying. Even an aircraft-set John Wick instalment mightn't make that work ( although who wouldn't want to see that franchise — and only that franchise — try?). All the focus on talk also gives Hijack another vital angle: it sees its characters as people, rather than merely using them a means to move the plot along. Accordingly, it dives into their complications — some more than others, and no one more than Sam, but enough to examine the many complex ways that humans behave, especially in such high-strung circumstances. This is a show that's well aware that we all have baggage, and that it's with us at every turn. Thankfully, most of us aren't forced to work through it at 35,000 feet while being held hostage, but that exact scenario with Elba at its centre makes for riveting viewing. Check out the trailer for Hijack below: Hijack streams via Apple TV+.
Travelling solo can be great fun. There's no arguments about where to go, no bickering about where to eat and no ruining of life-long friendships that don't translate well from your hometown to the road. But it can get lonely too. You can Instagram great views, delicious meals and cute animals till your fingers are sore, but sometimes even 100 likes are no substitute for real-life, two-legged company. And someone to take a photo that actually has your face in it. So an Aussie adventurer by the name of Troy Elmes has come up with a solution — he's created an app that facilitates meet-ups for people who are travelling the world on their lonesome. Called Solo Traveller, it's a bit like Tinder for travellers (but without the sexy bit). You swipe through profiles of people who are on the road near you, let them know you're keen to meet up and connect with them in real time. Search results can be filtered according to age, gender, location, common interests and/or shared goals. Elmes invented the app after extensive travel on his own along Spain's Camino Trail. "I noticed there were a lot of like-minded solo travellers out there not having someone to share life’s moments with," he says on his website. "I also noticed how difficult it was to meet new people within my age range and there was an incredibly large and diverse group of travellers out there that were looking for the same connection, information and new experiences." Wanting to put these lone travellers in touch with each other, Elmes created Solo Traveller. Download it from the App Store or Google Play and keep it on-hand for the next time you're in a foreign city and desperately seeking good conversation. Image: Steven Lewis via Unsplash
You know there’s a big difference between drinking vodka because it's Friday and drinking vodka for its silky smooth tang. Ketel One knows it because they’ve spent the last 300 years refining family recipes that make Turducken look about as complex as 2 Minute Noodles, and now they’re on a quest to find one Australian craftsman who’s been equally zealous in turning a traditional craft into a contemporary masterpiece (though probably over a lesser period of time). This quest is called the Ketel One Modern Craft Project and it bears a legacy of $100,000. The winner will be someone who’s making the world a little more exciting to be in by blending a traditional craft with a modern entrepreneurial sprit. Deciding who that person is will be Ketel One’s 11th Generation Distiller, Bob Nolet, plus three experts who have earned complete license to judge you unreservedly: Gelati artisan Nick Palumbo of Gelato Messina, bespoke jeweller Lucy Folk of Lucy Folk Jewellery, and Christian Condo from the Modern Motor Cycle Company. The top 10 finalists will be filmed and showcased via a small bar exhibition in Sydney and Melbourne so that those skilled in the art of drinking can too pass judgement before the experts cast their final vote. Ketel One's Modern Craft Project is open to residents of Australia aged 25 and over, and you have until 1 December to get your entries in via themoderncraftproject.com
One of the world's most iconic paintings is coming to Australia, as part of a cultural exchange with the Musee d'Orsay in Paris. Painted by James McNeill Whistler in 1871, Portrait of the artist's mother, otherwise known as Arrangement in grey and black no. 1 or more commonly as Whistler's Mother, will be displayed at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, forming the centrepiece of an exhibition about the painting's social and historical impact. "Alongside Da Vinci's Mona Lisa and Munch's The Scream sits Whistler's Portrait of the artist's mother as one of a handful of artworks which enjoy universal recognition and admiration," said NGV Director Tony Ellwood in a statement that accompanied the announcement. The exhibition will mark the first time the painting has travelled to Australia. In return, the NGV will loan the Musee d'Orsay Pierre Bonnard's 1900 work Siesta. The NGV exhibition, which will run from March 25 until June 19, will aim to explore Whistler's iconic work from a number of different perspectives, chronicling its initially poor reception at the Royal Academy in London, its rise in popularity over the subsequent decades, and its influence on countless prominent artists including many here in Australia. It will also delve into the life of both the artist and his mother, Anna, who is depicted in the painting. The gallery has produced a short film about the significance of the work, and will also present a number of related public programs including a floor talk series and an illustrated panel discussion. Just whatever you do, when you're visiting the exhibition... try not to sneeze. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWqVoaYxgRs Whistler's Mother will be on display at the NGV from March 25 – June 19. For more information, go here. Updated: Thursday, March 24, 2016. Image: Brooke Holm.
More than a year ago, the New South Wales Government finally announced that it will ban lightweight single-use plastic bags, becoming the last Australian state or territory to do so. By 2022, that plan is set to come into effect — and, as part of a newly revealed strategy to combat both waste and plastic, it's set to be followed by a range of other just-announced initiatives. Get ready to farewell single-use plastics in plenty of forms — such as straws, cutlery, stirrers and polystyrene containers, too — because they've all just been given an expiry date. A six-month timeline has been put on phasing out lightweight single-use plastic bags, which means that they'll be out of action when 2022 hits. Meanwhile, straws, stirrers, cutlery, polystyrene containers, cotton buds with plastic sticks and microbeads in toiletries are all set to be scrapped within 12 months. The bans form part of the NSW Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy and NSW Plastics Action Plan, both of which were announced on Sunday, June 13. Premier Gladys Berejiklian revealed that the NSW Government will spend more than $356 million over the next five years to implement the new plans, with consultations now set to take place, and legislation and regulations expected to be submitted to parliament in the next few months. The Plastics Action Plan also targets plastic bowls, plates, cups and their lids; non-compostable fruit stickers; and heavyweight plastic shopping bans, all of which are set to be banned within three years — so, by 2025. In fact, getting rid of all problematic and unnecessary plastics by 2025 is the key aim. "The single-use items we are phasing-out will stop an estimated 2.7 billion items of plastic litter from ending up in our environment and waterways over the next 20 years," said Environment Minister Matt Kean. Crucial to the plan is the existence of already-available alternatives — whether they're reusable, in the case of cutlery and plates, or 100-percent compostable, as seen with paper straws and stirrers. That said, exemptions will be available for sections of the community that aren't able to use alternative products to plastic, such as the aged care sector and people with disability. Also part of the ban: helping small businesses transition to new non-plastic products, as well as education campaigns to get everyone onboard. Plus, single-use plastics aren't the only items being targeted in NSW's war on waste. By 2030, the state's residents will also get new green bins for food scraps and organic materials — and by 2025, large supermarkets and hospitality businesses that produce significant amounts of food waste will need to have their organic scraps collected separately from their other garbage. Overall, NSW is aiming to reduce the total amount of waste generated per person by 10 percent by 2030, reduce litter by 60 percent by the same time, and triple the rate of plastic recycling by then, too. Similar laws regarding single-use plastics have already come into effect in South Australia, while Queensland's ban will kick in on September 1, 2021 — and Victoria has set a 2023 target date. As a nation, Australia is set to phase out a heap of single-use plastic items by 2025 as well. And, that's on top of smaller-scale initiatives, not only including bag bans and container schemes, but the phasing out of single-use plastics in various guises at the company level, with Coles, McDonald's, IKEA, Coca-Cola Amatil and Qantas among those making steps in the plastic-free direction. You can read more about the New South Wales' proposed single-use plastics ban via the NSW Environmental Protection Authority's website.
Darlinghurst's Pocket Bar know exactly how much a parking ticket can ruin your day. You're out in the sunshine having a wonderful time, maybe you're getting caught up in a lazy lunch or a movie that ran longer than you thought, then BAM — you get a ticket and the world feels cruel and unjustified. Now, not only are these neighbourhood heroes changing your perceptions of tickets completely, they're rewarding you when you get one. If you're parked anywhere around Burton or Oxford Streets, your car could soon be struck with a "Pocket Notice". Printing out hundreds of flyers that look exactly like parking tickets, this tricky little bar have been distributing sneaky ads for their venue offering drivers 30 per cent off their new street food menu. The offence listed on the ticket is "optimism — just being in the right spot at the right time". Just when I thought I copped a fine...well played #pocketsydney, well played! #pocketbar #darlinghurst pic.twitter.com/DNNnQgvvMf — Shireen Khalil (@Shireenkal) September 30, 2014 If the car's owner is unlucky enough to find themselves with an actual parking ticket, the venue will offer a 20 per cent discount off everything. Pocket Bar owner Karl Schlothauer started the marketing campaign in reaction to the ever-vigilant parking officers of Sydney's inner suburbs. "I have a running battle with rangers," he said. "At one stage I had $7,000 in parking fines." It's not the only thing he's been fined for either. Flyering advertisements on cars is illegal under the NSW Protection of Environment Operations Act as it often prompts people into littering. In 2009, Schlothauer received a $400 fine for leaving a Pocket Notice on a car near Hyde Park. Despite that setback, they continued on with the idea. New notices have been spotted on cars in the last couple of weeks. If you do find yourself with an actual ticket, at least this is a silver lining — you can buy a slightly cheaper drink to drown your sorrows. Via Daily Telegraph. Photo: Angelica Sotelo.
If a trip to Mexico is on your agenda, then add another stop to your itinerary: Mexico City's Future Forest. The brainchild of Danish artist Thomas Dambo, the installation can be found in the botanical garden of Chapultepec — and, intertwined with the site's natural greenery, features more than three tonnes of plastic waste fashioned into a colourful artwork across a 500-square-metre area. Dambo worked with garbage collectors, their children, local students, inhabitants of orphanages and elderly homes, and other volunteers, taking eight weeks to turn a mountain of discarded plastics into a space people can wander through. Visitors will spy plants, flowers, animals and more, all made out of recycled bottles, containers, tubing and other plastic products. Although it was created as part of the local FYJA festival, it'll remain on display for the near future. As well as drawing attention to the ongoing war on waste — an issue that is seeing single-use plastic bags, coffee cups, takeaway containers and straws slowly phased from general usage, and plastic waste turned into everything from roads to shoes to activewear — the Future Forest also recognises the efforts of workers who collect and sort trash, known in Mexico City as pepenadores. Dambo's designed his project "not only to create awareness of this huge issue, but as a tribute to these everyday heroes, not nearly getting the recognition and respect we all owe them," he states on his website. Image: Thomas Dambo.
Mozzie repellent really puts a dampener on any summer BBQ. Literally. It's potent and poisonous stench clings to your clothing and gives your skin a sickly sticky glow. It's helpful, sure. We'd much rather have this slight inconvenience than let evil little bugs suck our blood and keep us up all night itching. But now someone has given us the best of both worlds. This new beer carton, a staple at any summer fun you were already having, also functions as a mosquito repellent. Conceived by Australian creative company GPY&R, this cardboard beer carton is currently on a limited run in Papua New Guinea. Made for SP Lager, a brand owned by Heineken, the cardboard casing is laced with eucalyptus oil to keep mozzies at bay. To unleash the full effect, the box must be burned — an easy feat for the PNG locals who often drink around bonfires. For them, mozzie repellent is much more than an annoying afterthought. Malaria is an enormous problem in the area and there are up to 1.8 million suspected cases reported each year. "If we're honest, we're not going to solve malaria with cartons of beer but we are going to raise awareness of the issue," said GPY&R manager Phil McDonald. Though the boxes have been launched as a limited edition item in PNG, those behind the project say they haven't ruled out the possibility to launching the product in Australia. "We're not as liberal with the burning of fires as our friends in PNG. We'd have to get the innovation hat on and think of something different, but it's not out of the realms of possibility," McDonald said. I think we speak for the rest of Australia when we say, yes please absolutely do that. Summer is sneaking up on us, we're staying out later and drinking a few more beers. Our concerns are absolutely first-world problems (especially when compared to those facing the very real threat of malaria) but we'd really like our skin to remain unbitten this year. Plus, it's always nice to have a valid excuse to buy a slab. Via Good Food.
Last month, Melbourne's Anthony Douglas of Axil Coffee Roasters did his notoriously coffee-obsessed city proud, taking out the title of Australia's National Barista Champion for 2022 at the Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA) National Coffee Championships. Now, the rest of the world has discovered what this barista can do, too. Last week, Douglas smashed some fierce international competition to nab first place at the World Barista Championship. Yep, he's officially put himself — and Melbourne's coffee scene — on the map, as the best barista on the planet for 2022. With almost a decade at Axil under his belt and over 12 years in the industry, the coffee maestro battled it out against 47 other international hopefuls competing at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from September 27–30. [caption id="attachment_869967" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anthony Douglas[/caption] Competitors were judged by a global panel on taste, technical skill and presentation across the three-round championship, with Douglas whipping up espressos, milk-based drinks and his own original signature concoction to impress the judges. All of the local's creations were crafted using coffee from El Diviso in Colombia, while his signature drink is one that'd put all your past coffee orders to shame — featuring Colombian honey, lacto-fermented passionfruit, hibiscus cold brew tea and a 'cryodesiccated' (evaporating water via freezing) date syrup for extra intensity. Axil has a swag of cafe locations across Melbourne — find your local by jumping to the website.
Parklands Food Fest is returning to western Sydney with a lineup of some of the city's best chefs and food trucks. The festival, which is now in its eighth year, will feature celebrated pastry chef Anna Polyviou and Spanish TV chef Miguel Maestre. As well as the high-profile culinary maestros, who'll be leading a lineup of cooking demos, there'll be over 50 food stalls, serving up everything from smoked meats to soft serve-filled doughnuts and bread bowls filled with pasta. Or, you can grab something to take home with you at the fresh produce markets — complete with an Urban Farms stall where you can taste fresh-grown produce on the spot. Throw in makers' workshops to teach you a new skill or two, plenty of craft beer and cocktails to wet your whistle and live music as the soundtrack, and you won't be hungry, thirsty or bored. As an added bonus, it's also a dog-friendly affair. Just mark Saturday, September 7 in your diary, and head on down to Abbotsbury's Lizard Log amphitheatre. Parklands runs from 10am–4pm.
What do 90s lawyer comedies, recent TV sensations, Captain America's sex life and the fact that it isn't easy being green all have in common? The Marvel Cinematic Universe's latest streaming series. What gives the always-wonderful Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) a worthy comic showcase, sees Marvel's ever-sprawling franchise make a rare admission that The Incredible Hulk exists, and gifts Sorcerer Supreme Wong (Benedict Wong, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness) a hilarious new buddy dynamic, too? Yes, the MCU's likeable She-Hulk: Attorney at Law — which started hitting Disney+ in weekly instalments from Thursday, August 18, and proves savvy, self-aware, silly and satirical all at once. What refuses take itself too seriously, knows it's in busy territory, and winkingly responds to the world that's helped it to even exist? This Kat Coiro (Marry Me) and Anu Valia (And Just Like That...)-directed show, too, which just keeps ticking a long list of boxes. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is astute and amusing, skewers popular culture's obsession with superheroes, and unpacks the way society treats women — superpowered and otherwise. And where its immediate small-screen predecessor, Ms Marvel, loved the MCU more than its audience ever will, this playful sitcom about Marvel's emerald-hued, six-foot-seven-inch-tall lawyer sees plenty about the ever-expanding on-screen saga to lovingly parody. The spoofing and nudging kicks in from the outset, with She-Hulk: Attorney at Law beginning with a question: "what is the responsibility of those in power?". Yes, it's meant to spark a reaction. Yes, it be dispiriting if the show didn't patently know how familiar those words are. Jennifer Walters (Maslany) is practising a closing argument and, as anyone who has seen anything relating to superheroes over the past two-plus decades will spot, she utters well-worn sentiments. But She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is gleefully getting meta first up — and comical. No one in the world has enough fingers and toes to count the amount of times that power and responsibility have weighed upon caped crusaders, as well as the films and shows that focus on them, so this new episodic addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn't dare pretend otherwise. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is the MCU's eighth Disney+ series, all in less than two years, after WandaVision first brought a couple of Avengers figures to the small screen in January 2021. That year was filled with familiar faces sliding into their own streaming stories, such as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki and Hawkeye, while 2022 now welcomes newcomers via Moon Knight, Ms Marvel and this. In its opening chapter, however, a few things about She-Hulk: Attorney at Law quickly become apparent. Firstly, it has as much in common with Ally McBeal and Fleabag as it does with its fellow spandex-clad cohort. Secondly, it's happy being a goofy case-of-the-week sitcom about a lawyer trying to have it all, including superpowers. Thirdly, poking fun at the superhero realm — and the reaction to it, especially to women within it — is one of the smashing show's big motivations. When Jen rehearses in those introductory moments, she's her regular human Deputy District Attorney self. She isn't green or towering, or hulking out. Instead, she's the star of what she describes as "this fun lawyer show", because fourth-wall breaks are part of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law's irreverent style (and date back to the character's time on the comic-book page, starting in 1980, rather than aping Deadpool). But Jen also knows that viewers aren't here for just another legal comedy, even though that's what head writer Jessica Gao (Rick and Morty) purposefully sets up first, before any displays of strength, power and responsibility. Cut to a flashback explaining how Jen became She-Hulk, a moniker she openly dislikes. (You'd better believe that She-Hulk: Attorney at Law points out how unacceptable it is to name the character after her male counterpart, too.) In that jump backwards, Jen heads on a road trip with her cousin Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo, Dark Waters), ends up in a car accident, gets splashed with his gamma-radiated blood and wakes up sharing his traits. Smart Hulk hops into action, training Jen in the ways of being giant and grass-coloured whenever her emotions bubble up. "This is a multi-year journey you're about to embark on," he advises, complete with a binder of notes that'd do Leslie Knope proud. Jen just wants to be herself, though, and remain the attorney she's spent her life becoming, helping people via the law rather than via her new capabilities. Also, because being female involves restraining her feelings daily, she's already innately able to control her Hulk stints. There's a statement in that reaction, as there is in everything about She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. The paths traditionally dictated for women, the control over their own destinies that's often stripped away, the contrast between hard work and easy fame, that all attention has its price: they're all pondered, and smartly. Obviously, Jen doesn't get to just step back into her old life. She tries, but then a superpowered influencer named Titania (Jameela Jamil, The Good Place) crashes into court. Using her abilities, Jen saves the day, which thrusts She-Hulk into the public eye. She also loses her job, then gets hired for another one: heading a superhuman law division, because she can relate. In introducing a new character to the MCU, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law couldn't skip the origin story part of its narrative. Thankfully, it unfurls all the basics quickly. And, although every superhero movie and series examines what it means to have extraordinary gifts, including for better and for worse, this addition to the fold filters it through the daily lawyering life of a thirtysomething who wants to be an attorney — and a regular person — first. That spans juggling cases covering everything from Emil Blonsky/the Abomination's (Tim Roth, Sundown) past misdeeds to Asgardian elves and wily magicians, and trying to face the dating world. It also includes sharing her professional, personal and superpowered chaos with her best friend and paralegal Nikki Ramos (Ginger Gonzaga, Space Force), and getting support from recent sitcom standouts, aka Josh Segarra (The Other Two) and Renée Elise Goldsberry (Girls5eva) as fellow legal colleagues. The MCU is no stranger to slipping into whichever established genre it thinks fits its various heroes. See also: Ms Marvel's teen dreams and high-school hijinks already this year. But based on the first four instalments in its nine-episode first-season run, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law strikes an entertaining, perceptive and well-cast balance between the obligatory caped crusader nods and spinning a lawyer comedy about a caped crusader. If you've seen the trailers, the show is exactly what it always promised to be — in the right way. Check out the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law trailer below: She-Hulk: Attorney at Law streams via Disney+ from Thursday, August 18. Images: courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.
It's been just a few days since the Victorian government proposed new legislation in an attempt to even the playing field between taxis and ride share services. And now it looks like Sydney's ride-sharing industry could also see its own boost in competition, with Uber rival Taxify set to launch in the city by the end of the year. The Estonian company made headlines last month when licensing issues forced it to stop services in London just days after its UK launch. According to operators, Taxify's recent Paris launch saw it become the most downloaded app in France. Now with about 30 international cities under its belt, The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Taxify is slated to hit Sydney streets by Christmas. The company is promising to charge drivers a 15 percent commission on fares, a figure that's much more attractive than the company's main competitor Uber, which currently takes around 20 to 25 percent from each fare. In theory, that could see Taxify offering cheaper rides and luring customers (and drivers) to jump ship from their usual ride-share service, though Uber's domination of the market since launching in 2012 has proven impossible to crack so far. As Morningstar analyst Gareth James told The Sydney Morning Herald, Taxify doesn't have an easy ride ahead. "To have a competitive advantage, you need to have a network effect whereby everyone uses your website," he said. "What will be difficult for new entrants is competing with Uber's network effect. Taxify might get some market share but they are going to have to spend a lot of money to do it." Pending success in the Sydney market, Taxify has its sights set on Melbourne and Brisbane in the near future. Taxify is set to launch in Sydney by the end of the year. For updates, check the company's Facebook page. Via The Sydney Morning Herald. Image: Taxify.
Put down your So Fresh CD. Crack open your teenage piggy bank. Keep practicing your Usher slide glide. Because afull-blown R&B frenzy is set to sweep the nation this November as live party tour RnB Fridays returns for five mammoth shows. Descending on stadiums in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide between November 9 and 17 (not all on Fridays, mind you), the event has managed to pull a pretty serious lineup of international music legends straight from the 90s and early 2000s. Heading the bill is none other than singing, songwriting, dancing superstar Usher, in what will be his first Aussie shows since 2011. He'll be joined by hip hop queens Salt-N-Pepa, rappers T-Pain and Lil Jon, mononymous ladies Eve and Estelle, Grammy Award-winning trio Naughty By Nature, Fatman Scoop and 'Pony' Ginuwine. All of them. Together. In one show. Ticket prices are as momentous as the lineup, with each one starting at $109.90. If you fancy really splashing out, you can opt for $349.90 platinum package — it comes complete with a commemorative lanyard, express entry, front-row real estate and the chance to meet Usher himself. RnB Fridays Live at will hit Melbourne's (soon-to-be) Marvel Stadium on November 10, Brisbane Showgrounds on November 16 and Spotless Stadium in Sydney on November 17. Pre-sale tickets are up for grabs from Tuesday, August 15, with general admission on sale from August 20. Image: Mushroom Creative House.
Ah, piracy. The youthful and agile foe to a government of middle-aged men with dial-up internet and longstanding Foxtel subscriptions. Copyright in the digital age has been an absolute nightmare for artists and legislators alike in the past decade (and a godsend for broke students with a healthy addiction to HBO). Though we all agree in principle that filmmakers and producers should get paid for the work they create, the shift to digital modes of delivery and a dispersed audience has made the process of distribution and regulation completely untenable. It's widely acknowledged as a global problem with no easy answer. But hey, that won't stop the federal government giving it a go. Last week saw widespread reports of potential movement on the issue spearheaded by Attorney-General and Arts Minister George Brandis. Outlining two proposals to be considered by the federal cabinet, Brandis set his sights on the users themselves as well as the torrent sites responsible for making this content available. As the news dropped on a Monday — otherwise known across the country as 'the day for downloading Game of Thrones' — this posed a potential problem for Australian pirates. Take heed of the warning or call the bluff? Since then, there's been no further news on the potential reforms. The proposed measures originally outlined in the ALRC report of Copyright and the Digital Economy have since gone through the wringer of online cynics and tech nerds — and come up wanting. Everyone watching the latest episode of Game of Thrones breathed a giant sigh of relief. In light of all this, we've done a bit of research and compiled for you a handy user's guide: five things you can expect from the Government's so-called piracy crackdown. A few angry letters The first of George Brandis's proposed measures was the creation of a three-strikes policy. In theory, this would involve internet service providers tracking the addresses of those using torrenting sites and issuing warning letters to Australian pirates. Upon receiving their third correspondence, users would be faced with potential litigation, fines and possible termination of their accounts. In reality, this is a textbook scare tactic. Known as the 'graduated response system', this policy has already been implemented in France, the UK, New Zealand and South Korea and has seen only very limited success. Since the law passed in 2009, just one French user has been penalised — 15 days without internet and a fine of €600. It has since been repealed in favour of legislation that instead penalises those profiting commercially off the piracy. In New Zealand the law still stands, though it has proven incredibly expensive to enforce and is commonly referred to as 'Skynet'. If or when this system is implemented in Australia we can expect similar problems with enforcement. As much as I like the idea of Tony Abbott and George Brandis spearheading a militant letter writing campaign with personalised stationery and blood red frowny face stamps, it's hardly a solution to the problem. Politicians yelling about The Pirate Bay The other proposal Brandis raised was the filtering of torrenting sites such as The Pirate Bay. In what is tantamount to the cursed internet filter of 2011, ISPs would be obliged to block Australian users from accessing sites that enable such illegal activity. On one level this seems like a feasible idea. Though it raises recurrent concerns around internet freedom and the bounds of free access, it outwardly seems like a good plan to stop the downloading. Here's the problem: it would never ever work. Anyone who thinks otherwise probably still uses Internet Explorer, has a Hotmail account with an embarrassing alias thought up as a teenager, and is confused why their MSN Messenger is no longer working. It's dumb. Just really, really bad. The very nature of peer-to-peer file sharing means it's near impossible to shut down. With no centralised node to attack, individual users can pop up and share copyrighted content on any platform at any time. Even if The Pirate Bay was blocked, smaller sites would rise up and take its place. It's like trying to rid your apartment of ants by attacking the colony only to realise they're actually also all over your kitchen and snuggled in your bed, obnoxiously writhing around on your face and body. Also they can never die. It won't work. Add to this the fact that a lot of Australian pirates already have location-blocking or VPN software installed on their computers. The ISP block wouldn't be able to pinpoint the user's location and The Pirate Bay would be ready and available anyway. Politicians will moan and gripe about it for awhile in an effort to look tough and scare off some casual users, but really it will do nothing in the fight against the unkillable ants on their face. A few thousand outraged Facebook statuses Of course, this all seems pretty scary to the untrained eye. People hear that Tony Abbott's coming after their Monday night Game of Thrones and they're bound to freak out. Add to that the paranoia that grows when they hear the government is blocking their internet access and ordering ISPs to watch their online activity — there'll be a clicktivism campaign that blows Kony right out of the water. In fact, The Pirate Party — who else? — are already on it. Their Change.org petition to the Australian Senate already has over 5,000 signatures and understandably takes a strong stance against Brandis's proposals. The petition declares its condemnation of laws against online piracy because they are "ineffective", "expensive", and "a serious invasion of privacy". It asks that the Senate not allow the proposed legislation to pass and put any future legislation regarding digital rights to committee, ensuring expert opinions can be considered. When translated to the Facebook dialect of that high school friend you've been meaning to delete, that amounts to: "WTF what even? As if they can look at our computers. That's fkd." Have fun with that. A fight from your ISP The most trying part of the proposed piracy crackdown is that it would have to be controlled and enforced by your ISP. And as a company that makes money off your downloads and your loyalty, why would they ever want to punish you? Not only would the restrictions harm their business, they would also come with an enormous administrative cost. If this is to happen resources must be devoted into tracking online activity, contacting individual users and then issuing punishments. Then, if the ultimate punishment is loss of connection, they lose your valued business too. Regardless, both the government and international production companies claim ISPs need to start taking responsibility for their part in online piracy — providing the platform on which it takes place. From 2008–2010 iiNet battled a mammoth law suit from 34 production houses including Village Roadshow, Universal, Disney, Paramount Pictures and Dreamworks. In a landmark decision, it was ruled that the ISP was not liable for the actions of its users. In the USA and Canada, ISPs have also gone as far as protecting their users' identities when faced with individual litigation. While a recent court ruling ordered a stop to this practice, pirates will find it comforting to know your ISP has your back. They definitely don't support piracy, but they're sure as hell not going to police it. Access to timely legal content at a fair price Loljks. Though everyone pretty much knows this is the correct answer, no one's committing to making it happen. Cheaper downloads from iTunes and streaming services such as Spotify have helped ease the burden in the music industry, but the Australian alternatives for film and television are next to naught. If you want to see Game of Thrones before spoilers flood in from overseas, you better dig deep for that $85 monthly Foxtel bill. Australians are paying more for their entertainment across the board and the lack of competition from new sources only works to drive up prices further. A government inquiry last year discovered that when compared to an industry average, we're actually paying 16 percent more for eBooks, 52 percent more for music and 82 percent more for games. It's no wonder we're all turning to piracy. However, we're definitely still willing to pay for timely, legal content. All we ask is a fair price. American services such as Netflix and Hulu are even seeing big influxes of Australian customers who are willing to circumvent the geo-blocking software in order to set up accounts. It's a legal grey area with no standing precedent, but with how-to guides already published by Junkee, Gizmodo and thousands of blogs, it's quickly becoming common practice. Local alternatives like Foxtel's Presto and Quickflix are trying to crack the market — but as they offer half the content at double the price, it's hardly a fair fight. So, when all's said and done, the piracy crackdown has little likelihood of changing matters. Little can be done about the offences until a new system emerges that better combats the realities of the digital economy — Australia needs innovation before it jumps to legislation. For now, as the trumped up bickering and outraged finger wagging gets ready to hit the nation; George Brandis can take some advice from an unlikely source. In the words of millions of teenage boys' Myspace pages from 2004: "Don't hate the player, hate the game."
When the beginning of 2023 rolls around, Australian and New Zealand fans of a certain former boy band star-turned-Coachella headliner will be heading in one direction: to your nearest stadium to see Harry Styles finally bring his latest tour Down Under. Just days after he wowed crowds in California and online with his first Coachella set — sequinned jumpsuit, Shania Twain duets and all — the ex-One Direction member turned solo music superstar has locked in February and March 2023 dates in Perth, Melbourne, the Gold Coast, Sydney and Auckland. Venue-wise, the Grammy Award-winning, Dunkirk and Eternals co-starring talent is going big — so you'll be singing along to 'Watermelon Sugar', 'As It Was', 'Adore You' and 'Sign of the Times' at arenas. And, attendees will also be listening to UK duo Wet Leg, who've scored the supporting slot. Styles was originally headed our way in November 2020; however, we all know how that panned out and why those shows didn't eventuate. That delay will mean that he won't just have two albums to play, but three, with Styles' third solo studio Harry's House set to release in May 2022. If you're keen for tickets, they'll go on sale via Ticketmaster on Wednesday, April 27, with times varying per city. Or, if you had tickets last time, there's a past purchaser window from Thursday, April 21–Sunday, April 24, plus My Ticketmaster and Live Nation pre-sales from Tuesday, April 26. HARRY STYLES LOVE ON TOUR 2023 AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR DATES: Monday, February 20 – HBF Park, Perth Friday, February 24 – Marvel Stadium, Melbourne Tuesday, February 28 – Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast Friday, March 3 – Accor Stadium, Sydney Tuesday, March 7 – Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland Harry Styles will tour Australia and New Zealand in February and March 2022. For further information or to buy tickets, head to the Live Nation website. Top image: Erin McCormack via Flickr.
Location is everything when watching horror films — your darkened lounge room, a huge screen in the oldest cinema you can find, a drive-in surrounded by creepy trees, or a movie campout dedicated to all things scary are all great examples. But while they'd all do the job, they're not even in the same league as the newest film fest coming to the US in 2017, which will be held in the creepy-as-all-hell hotel from The Shining. It's called the Overlook Film Festival, and as Stanley Kubrick and Stephen King fans could probably have guessed, it has ties to hotel-based, Jack Nicholson-starring horror effort that is The Shining. Big ties — huge ties. The festival will be held in Oregon's Timberline Lodge, which is where the exterior shots for Kubrick's 1980 cinema adaption of King's 1977 novel were filmed. We hope you have to grab an axe, chop down a door, and yell "here's Johnny" to get in. In news exciting enough for you to talk to your local friendly ghost bartender about, the enormous, unsettling-looking building that has haunted many a movie-based dream will play host to four days of experiential events, new and classic genre film screenings and interactive game-like activities between April 27-30, 2017. You probably shouldn't expect that amazing orange, red and brown carpet or red elevator doors opening to a sea of blood as neither are part of the Timberline Lodge's design — but, hey, we don't know all of the Shining-themed tricks the fest's organisers have up their sleeves. It's not the first time a Kubrick-focused horror movie celebration has taken place in the States, with the Stanley Film Festival running from 2013 to 2o15 in a Colorado hotel that inspired King to write his book. The folks behind that are actually putting together the Overlook Film Festival, so you know it is in good fans. Just be warned: if you take a typewriter with you, you might start typing out "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" over and over again. And we're not saying that you will see a photo of yourself in the hotel ballroom from decades earlier while you're there — but we're not saying you won't, either. Via Variety.
The full 2023 Splendour in the Grass lineup isn't here just yet, but the festival's only announced headliner so far is planning a decent stay Down Under around her trip to Byron Bay. Whether you know that you can't make it to the annual fest or you're just keen to see the 'Tempo', 'Juice', 'Truth Hurts' and 'Rumors' singer more than once, Lizzo has just announced four arena shows in Australia and New Zealand this winter. Here's some news that's as good as hell: Lizzo will play Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland in July, with dates both before and after her Splendour stint. Given that she's set to take to the Qudos Bank Arena stage in the Harbour City on Sunday, July 23, she clearly won't be doing the same in Byron the same night — so, if you're headed to North Byron Bay Parklands, you'll be seeing the songwriter, singer and flautist (and Grammy- and Emmy-winner, too) on either the Friday or Saturday. Back to the solo show: it's tied to Lizzo's 2022 album Special, including, of course, Grammy Record of the Year-winning single 'About Damn Time'. But attendees can expect to hear hits from 2019's CUZ I LOVE YOU as well — and an overall set filled with dance-ready beats. Joining Lizzo on all shows as a special guest is Tkay Maidza, which means two must-see talents for the price of one. [caption id="attachment_750739" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Luke Gilford[/caption] While a Lizzo tour is always a welcome announcement, fans in Brisbane will note the usual Splendour setup — that is, when someone plays the fest and does their own gigs around it, Brissie is considered close enough to Byron to not warrant a separate stop. And if you're somewhere other than Auckland in Aotearoa, you'll need to head there as that's her only NZ concert. LIZZO — THE SPECIAL TOUR 2023: Friday, July 14 — RAC Arena, Perth Monday, July 17 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Sunday, July 23 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Wednesday, July 26 — Spark Arena, Auckland Lizzo will tour Australia and New Zealand in July 2023. The American Express presale runs from 11am Friday, March 24–11am Tuesday, March 28, followed by the Live Nation presale from 12pm Tuesday, March 28–10am Wednesday, March 29 — and general sales from 11am Wednesday, March 29 — with all times local. For further details, head to the tour website.
What would Salvador Dali's melting clocks look like if they were replaced by eggs? Or Yayoi Kusama's dots with circles of tomato sauce? Forget however your local cafe plates up smashed avo — designer Kyle Bean, photographer Aaron Tilley and food stylist Lucy-Ruth Hathaway's Artisan Brunch photo series turns everyone's favourite mid-morning meal into art. Created for an issue of Kinfolk magazine, the trio gives a quintet of iconic artworks the food-focused makeover no one ever realised they needed until now. Here, bacon, sausages and toast hang from strings in the style of Cornelia Parker, and a pancake feast becomes an Alexander Calder-esque mobile. And then there's the the savvy switching of a sea predator for the green fruit supposedly slaying all of our finances — aka Damien Hirst's formaldehyde-suspended shark swapped with half an avocado. https://www.instagram.com/p/BUe9tIxhgwc/?taken-by=kylejbean&hl=en Yes, they're playing with their food just like their mums probably told them not to, and yes, these famous works never looked tastier. Bean and company's pieces might make you look at art and brunch in a whole new way — or, they might just make you hungry. Via Design Boom. Images: Kyle Bean
A new spin on classic pub grub has arrived in the Sutherland Shire, with the relaunch of the Bangor Tavern under a bold new identity: Roberto's. Now open seven days a week, the new-look venue blends Italian flavours with the comforting familiarity of a quintessential local pub. Behind the revamp are Adam and Kylie Micola, the duo behind Cronulla waterfront hotspot Bobby's. They're bringing the same coastal flair and culinary smarts to their newest venture, making full use of the venue's expansive al fresco space. "Our heavily al fresco-forward venue is so well suited for Roberto's to provide our customers a gentle pivot into the regions of Italy," says Adam Micola. "Curated to inject more personality into the venue, Roberto's is promising to deliver on all you love about a pub meal, just with a whole lot more fun." The fun is evident on the plate. You can expect playful dishes like grilled octopus with nduja vinaigrette, chickpeas and oregano; pork schnitzel with pancetta, mushroom and thyme cream; and an elevated chicken parmigiana with prosciutto cotto and stracciatella. There's also a clever selection of pizza and pasta, including a signature pappardelle with a rich beef shin ragu, as well as hearty salads and hefty burgers. On the drinks front, Alex Cameron — owner of vibey Bronte spot Table Manners — has curated a menu balancing Aussie varietals with international gems. Cocktails lean into Roberto's Mediterranean vibe, with a range of Italian-style spritzes, old-school classics and breezy, sippable signatures, while beer lovers can enjoy local brews on tap or a rotating beer of the month that spotlights indie brewers. The tavern's sleek contemporary refresh — led by celebrated design studio Tom Mark Henry — channels the warming tones of the Med, awash with neutral hues, soft terracottas and clean lines. Despite the new look, it'll still be an honest local watering hole — new features include an expanded kids' playground and a sports lounge the boasts a giant 3.5-metre indoor screen. Roberto's at Bangor Tavern open daily from 11am until late at 121 Yala Road, Bangor. For more information, head to the venue's website. Images: James Pellegrino.
Whistler is most famous for the mountains that surround the village, Whistler and Blackcomb, and in turn the eponymous ski resort that just so happens to be the biggest in North America. But there's much more than ski runs to explore. To begin, the scenery is jaw-dropping in every direction, and you can take it all in from way above or by getting in the thick of it. Soar over all the snow, trees and idyllic scenes via helicopter or gondola, or get up close on foot, along lakeside cross-country ski trails. And when you're looking to relax after a day of exploring, you can kick back in Scandinavian-inspired hot pools or friendly boutique hotels laden with private baths, day spas and mountain views. Meanwhile, the food and drink scene is all about local produce, independent brewers and, thanks to the cold climate, comfort — think delicious bakery treats, melted cheeses, handmade pastas and tasty ales. The trick is avoiding the tourist traps and making tracks for the locals' favourites. Luckily, we've done some research for you, and with a little help from Tourism Whistler, have developed a full guide to doing Whistler like a local. [caption id="attachment_632302" align="alignnone" width="1920"] @PurebreadWhis.[/caption] EAT AND DRINK When there's some serious, snowy adventuring ahead, it's important to start the day right: with a massive, hearty breakfast. Make your first stop Elements, where you can choose from seven different benedicts (including one with crab meat) or one of the most decadent French toasts we've ever heard of, stuffed with honey ham and double-cream brie. If your cholesterol levels are threatening a heart attack though, then head to The Green Moustache for a just as delicious brekkie, like their superfood-charged, all-organic Buddha bowl with quinoa, veg, sprouts and avocado. And if you're on the move or in need of a warming snack with your coffee, look to one of Whistler's best bakeries, Purebread, for their buckwheat sour cherry scones. [caption id="attachment_632434" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Facebook/Bar Oso.[/caption] When the midday stomach rubbles start up, set your sights on Ingrid's Village Cafe. The delicatessen has been nourishing Whistler locals and visitors for over 20 years, serving up burgers, salads, sandwiches and a daily selection of soups. And come evening, after a day out and about, the most satisfying way to refuel is with a bowl of house-made pasta and a good Italian wine at Pasta Lupino. Otherwise, it's Bar Oso for excellent tapas, including wild chilli-garlic prawns, scallop crudo and hearty fresh and cured charcuterie boards. Plus, Bar Oso has an extensive cocktail menu, with a whole section dedicated to gin and tonics using gins from around British Columbia. Finally, it'd be plain rude to visit Whistler without finding out what the local brewers have been up to. Swing by Coast Mountain to sample the signature IPA and Whistler Brewing, where, in case you're feeling homesick, you can sip an Aussie Sparkling Ale. [caption id="attachment_632417" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Whistler/Mike Crane.[/caption] DO It goes without saying that most holidays in Whistler involve a bunch of skiing, boarding, snow shoeing and dog sledding in nearby mountains. But, there are plenty of less obvious escapades to be had in and around town. To get some perspective, take a helicopter tour. You'll soar over the region's famous peaks, valleys and rivers, and fly scarily close to a glacier. You can even book into a tour that'll take you on an exploration of ice caves, ending with a dip in some natural hot springs. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF7DJBGk2U8[/embed] Another ethereal experience is the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola. Instead of taking the Whistler Village Gondola up to then ski back down with everyone else, head up and stay at the summit to take in the views and enjoy the idyllic, snowy surrounds from a journey on the PEAK 2 PEAK. As you ride over the Fitzsimmons Valley, you'll get a full view of the snowy dreamscape below from this extraordinary feat of engineering. Linking Whistler and Blackcomb summits, the PEAK 2 PEAK holds three world records: longest continuous lift system, highest lift of its kind (436 metres above the ground) and longest unsupported span for a lift of its kind (3.024 kilometres). If you prefer to see some spectacular scenery with your feet firmly planted on the ground, a snowshoeing journey around the lesser known sights for Whistler will have you feeling like a local. Transporting you to a time before Whistler existed, Parkhurst sits on the banks of Green Lake, where it started life as a logging town in the 1920s, but was emptied out by the time the '60s came around. [caption id="attachment_629882" align="alignnone" width="1920"] @katstjames.[/caption] As you wander through, you'll come across derelict cabins splashed with street art-style paintings, collapsed houses, rusty cars and a mammoth-sized tractor that looks like it froze mid-use decades ago. Snowshoe to Parkhurst from Whistler Village along the Sea-to-Sky Trail to discover the eerie, abandoned town. And to keep up the adventure, you can hoof it to Rainbow Park, Cheakamus River and the Train Wreck, featuring box cars from a 1956 wreckage that have become works of art among the trees. [caption id="attachment_632415" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Whistler/Justa Jeskova.[/caption] Meanwhile in town, there's the Audain Art Museum. Opened in March 2016, the understated building made of local materials holds a huge collection of British Columbian art, beginning with works by First Peoples and culminating in those of contemporary artists. Architect John Patkau designed the building to feel like a part of the surrounding spruce forest. "The feeling is that the museum will be quietly inserted into a void within the forest," he says. And within you'll find an exhibition program that changes three times a year, as well as 200 permanent works depicting the history of art from coastal British Columbia. [caption id="attachment_632422" align="alignnone" width="1922"] Nita Lake Lodge.[/caption] STAY There's only one stay in Whistler right on the waterfront, and that's Nita Lake Lodge, 500 metres from Whistler Mountain and the Creekside Gondola. If you choose this lakeside retreat during your time in Whistler, you'll be snoozing in a mega-sized villa on a king-sized bed, relaxing your tired muscles in a private hot tub and hanging out in front of your very own gas fireplace. There's also an onsite day spa, yoga studio and an outdoor plunge pool by the lake. The best news of all? Your dog is welcome with open paws. [caption id="attachment_630995" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Summit Lodge.[/caption] Another boutique hotel to check out is Summit Lodge, smack bang in the middle of Whistler Village. Another pet-friendly stay — in fact there are two Rottweilers among the staff members — the wintry lodge holds rooms varying from deluxe studios to one-bedroom suites. All come with kitchenettes, hot tubs and bright design features, including walls covered in colourful geometric shapes, hand-knitted toys and art works. There's also an outdoor pool, hot tub, cedar sauna and an onsite day spa. [caption id="attachment_632419" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Whistler Platinum.[/caption] Another option outside of the boutique hotel is, of course, to hire your own chalet — preferably with a few mates as a lot of these places can hold ten or more people. There are many lovely accommodations to find on Whistler Platinum. Go for rustic with the warm and cosy log-walled Horstman 4590, which comes with sleeping room for ten across five bedrooms, plus awesome panoramas. And if you're keen to wake up, strap on your skis and hit the slopes immediately, book into Kadenwood 2939. Located in one of Whistler's swishest on-snow villages, this accom has its own forest-encircled hot tub, as well as five ensuite bedrooms, a log fireplace, massive windows looking onto the mountains, a pool table and floor heating. Plan an adventure into the great Canadian outdoors, and discover all Whistler as to offer here. Top image: Tourism Whistler/Mike Crane.
Three First Nations artists share their personal processes of decolonising mind and body, at The Bearded Tit's powerful exhibition Green On Red. Running until August 18, the multidisciplinary show coincides with NAIDOC Week celebrations, embracing its 2018 theme 'Because of her, we can!' as it pulls together the work of three uncompromising females. Amala Groom's video piece The Invisibility of Blackness explores the disappearance of cultural identity, while her Totes Appropes bags are a not-so-subtle dig at Chanel's $1930 limited edition luxury boomerang, highlighting the issue of cultural appropriation. You'll also catch a thought-provoking work by Southern Arrernte, Kaytetye and Anmatyerre artist Carmen Glynn-Braun, featuring variously coloured paint 'skins' hung in rows — a reference to the lengths fair-skinned First Nations people are forced to go to prove their 'Aboriginality'. Yamatji Wajarri woman Nicole Monks offers visitors a peek through her Invisible mirror, while a collaboration between Nicole Monks & Amala Groom, titled FAIRER 2018, pays homage to the 'Boycott '88' bicentennial protests 30 years on. Image: Carmen Glynn-Braun, Untitled, 2018
Fairy bread popsicles, ice cream sandwiches and new age choctops; this is a delicious branding exercise we can truly get behind. To celebrate the synchronised opening of Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids and West Elm at Chatswood Chase, Williams-Sonoma have collaborated with Gelato Messina to create wonderfully twee, bespoke gelato flavours to match their four brands. Dubbed the 'Welcome Home' collection, the four bespoke experiments have been designed to embody the individual brand identities of Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids and West Elm. Individually handmade by the Gelato Messina team, the iced confections will be handed out to customers on Saturday August 30 (opening weekend) until there's none left. They've even designed a special Williams-Sonoma Gelato Cart, and we're guessing its going to be a classy little set-up judging by Pottery Barn and West Elm's usual visual merchandising prettiness. "Each of the four Williams-Sonoma Inc brands have such distinct personalities, says Declan Lee, partner at Gelato Messina. "We really wanted to create something bespoke that reflects the brands respectively and appeals to the customers who love them." Williams-Sonoma has been realised as the Choc-Chuck Cone, made for WS founder Chuck Williams (who loves a spot of vanilla ice cream, apparently). If you're a fan of a good ol' fashioned choc-top, this is next level cinematic goodness from Messina — handmade waffle cone, Madagascan vanilla gelato, dipped in Barry Callebaut 70% cacao chocolate. West Elm is reppin' Brooklyn as the classic, classy NY Ice Cream Sandwich: Fair Trade espresso coffee gelato snuggled between chewy white chocolate and macadamia cookies. Pottery Barn is the cornerstone of the collection, as the 'Welcome Home' gelato: lightly-spiced apple gelato fused with a hazelnut crunch and butterscotch swirl. If you can't get to Chatswood Chase for August 30, the Pottery Barn gelato will be available at all Messina stores from August 30 — September 6. Finally (and most adorably), Pottery Barn Kids boats the most squealworthy of the four creations: Fairy Bread Popsicles. Velvety bread and butter gelato is coated in white chocolate ganache then dipped in hundreds and thousands. Nostalgia is just eekin' out everywhere right now, actual fairy bread gelato. The new openings come after WS opened its first Australian stores for Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, and West Elm in Oxford Street Mall, Bondi Junction in May last year. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. will open a further four stores in Chadstone Shopping centre late 2014. Here's hoping there's more childhood-inspired bespoke ice cream involved. The 'Welcome Home' collection will be handed out to customers on Saturday August 30 at Chatswood Chase. The Pottery Barn gelato will be available at all Messina stores from August 30 — September 6.
After shining a spotlight on films that engage with social justice and human rights issues for the past decade, the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival has announced yet another packed lineup of topical titles for 2017. Screening in Melbourne from May 4 to 18 before touring a selection of highlights to Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth and Hobart, HRAFF's tenth anniversary program boasts 32 features, 31 shorts, four forums and eight events in the festival's arts-focused component. HRAFF 2017 will open with The Opposition, the debut effort from Australian filmmaker Hollie Fifer — and a film tackling content so controversial that legal disputes and injunctions have attempted to block its release. Also screening at the Sydney Film Festival after its HRAFF berth, the documentary steps through the struggles of Papua New Guinea's Paga Hill community. In 2012, their homes were bulldozed by developers to make way for a luxury resort, sparking a battle of David vs Goliath proportions. Highlights from the rest of the program include closing night's Quest, which heads to HRAFF from Sundance to chronicle the efforts of the Rainey family to create a musical sanctuary for their North Philadelphia community, as well as the world premiere of the Australian-made, Manilla-set documentary Happyland, about street artist Kaff-eine and her team's attempts to turn slums into something creative. Elsewhere, Nowhere to Hide takes a paramedic's-eye view of Iraq, An Insignificant Man follows the politician becoming known as "the Bernie Sanders of India", Plastic China tells the tale of the recycling workshop workers and their families that literally live in mountains of plastic, and Tempestad goes on a road trip to explore the victimisation of women in Mexico. For those after a piece of gripping fictional filmmaking, War Book delves into British civil servants practising crisis protocol for a fictional nuclear attack on Mumbai. HRAFF also gives audiences the chance to catch up with other festival standouts that have already done the rounds, such as Berlinale's 2016 Golden Bear winner Fire at Sea, Cannes Film Festival's 2015 Palme d'Or recipient Dheepan, and the crowd-pleasing, Afghan rapper-focused Sonita. Going local, Australia's freshly minted best foreign language Oscar nominee Tanna, rousing documentary Zach's Ceremony and magical realist fable Satellite Boy also feature. With arts also part of the program, attendees can hear discover the experiences and knowledge of Koorie Elders, hear accounts from people detained while trying to seek asylum in Australia, and view portraits of the persecuted Rohingya people in Western Myanmar. The Human Rights Arts and Film Festival screens at Melbourne's Australian Centre for the Moving Image from May 4 to 18, Sydney's Dendy Newtown from May 23 to 27, and Brisbane's Palace Barracks from June 1 to 3. For more information, check out their website. Image: Zach's Ceremony.
Opera Bar is about to get a big ol' revamp. Matt Moran’s restaurant group, MorSul and the current operators of Opera Bar, Solotel, have won the tender to sign on for another ten years at the waterfront venue. Culinary heavyweights Justin Hemmes and Fraser Short had vied for the space, whose winning team has been announced this week. Closing for about four week in late 2014, the revamped Opera Bar will be open for trading by the end of the year. Celebrating the next phase of the Sydney Opera House-partnered, can’t-get-more-waterfront postcard venue, Moran (notable owner of Chiswick, Bondi Fish and Aria) revealed a sneak peek at the new Australian produce-focused food concept for the bar: "We have had a terrific 13-year partnership at Opera Bar with Sydney Opera House and we can’t wait to reveal a new food concept including a charcuterie, raw bar and cafe, with a strong focus on the best Australia has to offer in the way of produce and drinks," he said. The venue's new charcuterie room will focus on pork meat and offal, while the raw seafood bar should satisfy seaside tastes. There'll also be a brand new cafe section at the southern entrance. Moran's successful signing marks another Opera House notch in the celebrity chef's belt. Good Food report speculation of Moran's interest in a permanent operation at the venue, after his short-term catering contract at Bennelong this year (the Trust are looking elsewhere for a marquee operator for now). The process of winning the tender is being kept rather under wraps. GF noted the Bennelong process was considered a little lax by some, while apparently Opera Bar contenders (including the current owners, Solotel) were put through a laborious submission process. Solotel's input is sure to draw a different crowd to the Circular Quay bar with a more pub-like vibe; they also own Newtown's beloved Courthouse and the Darlo, as well as the Golden Sheaf, the Bank and Bridgeview. Creative director of Solotel, Anna Solomon (who owns the company with her father Bruce) said, "We are over the moon with the decision and look forward to unveiling our new design concept and fit-out for the best location in Sydney. Our vision showcases the celebratory experience of the Opera House and we're excited for Sydney to fall even more in love with Opera Bar." Stay tuned for more details of the Opera Bar redesign over the coming weeks.
Opposites attracting is a basic romantic-comedy staple. When it comes to folks from different worlds falling head over heels even though they're told they should stay apart, Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story have long been singing that tune, too. So, focusing two different elements — the fiery Ember (voiced by Leah Lewis, Nancy Drew) and go-with-the-flow Wade (Mamoudou Athie, Archive 81) — who cross paths and enjoy sparks flying, Pixar's upcoming Elemental obviously follows in some hefty footsteps. "Elements cannot mix," Ember is told sternly in the animated flick's just-dropped full trailer, which arrives after a first sneak peek back in late 2022. From there, of course Ember and Wade keep floating and sizzling in each other's orbit, all while living their daily lives as Captain Planet-like characters in the gorgeously rendered world that is Element City. The setup is classic Pixar, however, because the Disney-owned animation studio knows what it likes and what it does well — usually to heartfelt and delightful effect. So, add this to the pile of movies about whether toys, fish, monsters, feelings and more have feelings. The question this time: what if the elements, aka fire, water, land and air, had emotions? The film dubs its characters fire-, water-, land- and air-residents, but getting big Inside Out and Soul vibes comes with the territory. That said, the new full trailer plays up the romance angle, including walk-and-talks that could've jumped straight out of the Before franchise. So far, it all looks as adorable as you'd expect, too, even if you've ever just seen one frame of a Pixar picture. Big on pastel hues, that animation springs from director Peter Sohn (The Good Dinosaur), and hits cinemas on June 15. Literally a story of water and fire trying to get along — maybe Pixar is staffed by George RR Martin fans? — Elemental also features Ronnie del Carmen (Soul) as Ember's dad Bernie, Shila Ommi (Tehran) as her mother Cinder, Wendi McLendon-Covey (The Goldbergs) as Wade's boss Gale, Catherine O'Hara (Schitt's Creek) as his mum Brook, first-timer Mason Wertheimer as Ember's neighbour Clod and Joe Pera (Bob's Burgers) as city bureaucrat Fern. And, when it hits the big screen, it'll come with a Pixar short that links back to 2009's Up. In Carl's Date, it's time to catch up with Carl Fredricksen (the late Ed Asner) and his talking dog Dug (writer/director Bob Peterson) after the former reluctantly agrees to go on a date, but is out of practice and needs the latter's help. Check out the first trailer for Elemental below: Elemental releases in cinemas on June 15, 2023. Images: © 2023 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
All across Australia, accommodation is popping up in unlikely places. There's the glamping set-up on top of a Melbourne CBD shopping complex, and — for the more low-brow traveller — a tent pitched on some dude's balcony for $90 a week. And now, in a more architecturally-sound and downright genius move, the Doma Group have erected their newest hotel on top of a four-level carpark. The site, which is located in the Parliament House suburb of Barton, was designed to accommodate 489 car parks for Canberra commuters. But rather than just being a place to house cars, Doma thought it would be an ideal spot to house humans as well. Working with Redgen Mathieson Architects, they've made clever use of the space and created 120 rooms over the fifth and sixth levels of the structure. There are also two very slick common areas, which have great views over Parliament House and Canberra, and might just be an ideal spot to run into a pollie or two. The hotel is another addition to Canberra's boutique accommodation selection, which includes the East Hotel and the much-lauded HotelHotel. Rooms start from $119 a night — and yes, fluffy robes are included. Little National Hotel is located at 21 National Circuit, Barton, Canberra. Find out more here.
Mucho Hospitality Group, the team behind some Sydney's most beloved bars (Cantina OK!, Tio's and The Cliff Dive) has added another notch to their belt with the opening of an exciting new cocktail bar on Enmore Road. Located on the Newtown end of Enmore Road, Bar Planet swaps margaritas for martinis. The signature Bar Planet Martini is made with a seasonal gin the team has created with Poor Toms distillery named the Infinite spirit, served with an olive and citrus from a lemon rind. Always accompanied by a bag of seasoned popcorn, the drinks menu is short but self-assured. You can also make a martini your way with a range of gin and vodka options, or opt for something fruitier. The Scorpino is a mix of P&V prosecco, vodka and an in-house gelato made with different market fruit each week (this week's flavour is a muscat grape). Bar Planet marks the first foray into the inner west for Mucho, an exciting venture for a group of inner west locals. "I've spent my life on Enmore Road," explains Marking Director Daisy Tulley. "I went to school at Newtown Performing Arts, I was lucky enough to play some shows at the Enmore, I live five minutes down the road. We've wanted to add to this amazing strip for years. Really, we just opened the bar we wanted to see in the area." The small bar lies next to a street art-adorned alleyway leading down to another recent Newtown addition Uncanny. Leading patrons in with the glow of its neon blue sign, the bar throws together hallmarks of bistros and diners with psychedelic patterns, enlisting the team that created Restaurant Hubert and Alberto Lounge's interiors to bring it to life. And, adding to the psychedelic feel, the bar-top has been designed by accomplished local artist David Humphries, mixing surfboard resin, marble, jade and French glass to create a delight for the eyes. Bar Planet is located at 16 Enmore Road, Newtown. It's open 4pm–midnight Monday–Sunday. Images: Nikki To
We know. We've all done it. Home alone with a block of cheddar, a few scraps of brie and a lone Kraft Single. It all seemed so promising. When your mum/housemate/significant other returned, though, the truth became apparent. You'd made a cheese quagmire in your microwave, hadn't you? Hadn't you. Fortunately, the guys behind PappaRich, the ST Group, are now getting set to help you realise all of your cheese dreams without the weird kitchen smell three weeks later — they're bringing Malaysian chain Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart to Australia for the first time. With multiple stores in Kuala Lumpur and other areas of the country, the cheese tart connoisseurs will expand to open not one, but five Australian stores by the end of the year — four in Melbourne and one in Sydney. Their namesake is the cornerstone of their offering: a savoury-sweet three-cheese situation encased in a shortcrust shell, designed to be eaten either hot or cold. The cheese, while made with local produce, is based on the distinct taste and texture of the dairy products of Hokkaido. The Japanese island is known for their dairy — it produces half of Japan's total milk and a huge 90 percent of their natural cheese — and HBCT have worked tirelessly to replicate it. Malaysia has gone nuts for it; people have been queuing out the door to get their hands on one (or 12). If the popularity of Sydney's Uncle Tetsu Japanese cheesecakes is anything to go by, punters might do the same here too. For those of you interested in more than just shovelling ludicrous amounts of cheese and pastry down, the tarts themselves will apparently be "displayed like precious gems, much like an elegant high-end jewellery shop". We're waiting for a self-serve option that makes you feel like you're committing a diamond heist. Hokkaido Baked Cheese Tart will launch from 11.30am on Saturday, December 10 at Melbourne Central, and December 17 at QV Melbourne, with Chadstone and Box Hill, as well as Sydney's World Square on dates TBC. For more info and to look out for an opening date, keep an eye on their Facebook page.
It's that time of year when Bondi swaps beach cabanas and swimwear for ferris wheels, art shows, live music and history walks — all components of the annual Bondi Festival. And with the Bondi Pavilion revamp complete, the festival is due for an epic homecoming in 2023 with more than two dozen events planned between Friday, June 30 and Sunday, June 16. The Bondi Vista Ferris Wheel is back to send riders soaring 32 metres above the iconic Bondi sand and waves throughout the festival. If you prefer your spinning a little closer to the ground, you can do just that at the Bondi Festival Ice Rink, the fan favourite pop-up that brings a little bit of winter magic to Sydney's eastern suburbs. [caption id="attachment_902724" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sinead McBrien[/caption] Alongside those returning favourites, look for stage shows like the celebration of street dancing culture that is Betwixt, the bittersweet story of love and war in the terrific one-woman theatre piece Waterloo and, on the other end of the emotional spectrum, burlesque circus CAKE. Those with an eye for art and culture should check out Marang, a celebration of First Nations culture. If you're in the mood for some musical laughs plan for a visit to 1800-REQUEST, described as "Melbourne's favourite queer piano bar" fronted by the ever-charming Rosie Rae who makes her Bondi debut on Saturday, July 13. And for any ChatGPT users, a cutting-edge AI Tarot Reader will also be attending the festival. You can also check out crowd-friendly events like the Bondi Skate Dance, a communal disco-themed roller skate tour along the beach in the golden hour. Led by skating experts and soundtracked by EastsideFM, you'll cruise past landmarks like Bondi Skate Park and Sea Wall before ending the adventure back at the forecourt. If you plan to bring any four-legged plus ones, Bondi Pavilion will be hosting a Pavilion Paw Parade that's open for any pooches to enter, where they can enjoy artisan treats and even get their portrait sketched. [caption id="attachment_902474" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Narrative Post[/caption] Local businesses will also be joining the party in the Bondi Festival Local Program — Curly Lewis Brewing Co will be hosting night tours of their brewery and revealing the secrets behind the sips. If you know any kids with a flair for the creative, Bondi Clay Studio will be hosting kids pottery workshops, and grownups can visit The Futures Factory for open studio sessions that aim to break down the unknowns that surround AI artworks. Bondi Festival runs from Friday, June 30 to Sunday, July 16. For more information on the program and to get tickets, visit the website.
Dinner and a show: a classic formula for a night out in the big city for a reason. You get your fix of culture, have your horizons broadened and get your stomach filled in one after-hours excursion. If you're keen to fill your 2024 calendar with this kind of action, start with a subscription to Griffin Theatre Company's 2024 Season. Next year might be Griffin's biggest year yet, with a facelift slated for its iconic SBW Stables Theatre to increase capacity and accessibility and allow Griffin to keep doing what it does best — showcasing exciting and innovative Australian voices — for decades to come. Just like your loo paper or wine subscription, Griffin's will get you a bunch of perks, including up to 20% off ticket prices. Now the cultural side of your calendar is sorted, let's focus on the food. We've devised dinner and show duos based on Griffin's exciting 2024 lineup. Think of it like a wine pairing — the restaurant experience highlights the finer points of unparalleled storytelling and vice versa. 'THE LEWIS TRILOGY' — THE OLD FITZROY HOTEL With The Lewis Trilogy, you can experience a trifecta of plays by esteemed dramatist Louis Nowra. The pieces follow the story of protagonist Lewis through his coming-of-age as a teenager in Melbourne (Summer of the Aliens) to his post-university stint directing a production of Così fan tutte in a mental hospital (Così) and, finally, his middle-age spinning yarns in a historic pub (This Much is True). You can see the plays as individual performances over three weeknights or, on Saturdays and Sundays, you can take in the whole trilogy in a day, with the same cast featuring throughout. If you opt for the weekend marathon, there's a break for dinner after Così, and what better place to head for a feed than the pub that inspired the final act — The Old Fitzroy in Woolloomooloo? It's a 150-year-old pub with a touch of the glamour of theatreland, including portraits of playwrights adorning the walls. The hearty bistro menu comes courtesy of James MacDonald, who's worked in Michelin-starred restaurants throughout Europe. You'll know you'll be heading back to Griffin satisfied before finishing this spell-binding series of performances. 'SWIM' — BUSH SYDNEY The first work to be performed away from the Stables while it undergoes redevelopment is Mununjali poet Ellen van Neerven's stage debut, swim. Since most people live relatively close to the coast in Australia, swimming is part of our national identity. Van Neerven's story focuses on the municipal pool rather than the ocean, but it's about more than just water — it's a tale of strength, gender identity and family. swim is being performed at Carriageworks throughout its July run, meaning you're in pole position for the best food Redfern offers. You can't go wrong with Bush, the restaurant that opened in 2019 with its focus on promoting native produce and using invasive species in its cuisine. Both swim and Bush sensitively consider the environment around us, and Bush's menu featuring saltbush, Illawarra plum and Warrigal greens is an excellent accompaniment to the play's powerful message. 'FLAT EARTHERS: THE MUSICAL' — BAR PLANET Just the title alone is enough to make you want to go and see Flat Earthers: The Musical, right? If you still need some convincing, this story is about two women who meet online and fall in love. Everything is going as well as can be until it's revealed they don't have the same beliefs about, well, what shape the world is. Cue pandemonium as pop bangers soundtrack the couple's descent into a conspiracy theory rabbit hole as they try to find what connects them rather than divides them. A chaotic, queer spectacular that's as iconic as it is tongue-in-cheek. And speaking of tongue-in-cheek, go and hit up Bar Planet afterwards (assuming you're Team Globe Earth rather than Team Flat Earth). Here, you can discuss what you've just seen and heard in an environment brimming with cosmic décor and friendly faces. Bar Planet might not do its own food — it has a partnership with Turkish restaurant Saray down the road — but the martinis are genuinely out of this world. 'JAILBABY' — TWO GOOD CO CAFE Back by public demand, Suzie Miller's Jailbaby returns to the Stables in January for a limited run. A thematic follow-up to the enormously successful Prima Facie, Jailbaby shines a light on the criminal justice system in an unflinching portrayal of one young man's harrowing experience in prison. Andrea James directs Lucia Mastrantone, Anthony Taufa and Anthony Yangoyan in a play described as "Miller's writing at its most potent." This experience shows the audience what can happen when society fails vulnerable individuals, so a meal earlier in the day at Two Good Co Cafe in Yirranma Place is a good fit. Two Good Co's mission is to help the women who need it most by providing employment, safe spaces and community initiatives. The Yirranma Place cafe focuses on seasonal produce and local suppliers and has partnerships with social enterprises such as The Bread & Butter Project, T Totaler and Kua Coffee. There are also plenty of gifts and products to purchase, so you can do even more good while you feel good and eat well. 'GOLDEN BLOOD' — HARRY'S SINGAPORE CHLLI CRAB Despite featuring only two performers, Merlynn Tong's Golden Blood is broad and ambitious in scope. Tong tells the story of a recently bereaved brother and sister battling against the odds, living in poverty among the high-rollers of the Singapore CBD, and their entanglements with the criminal underworld. Golden Blood premiered at the SBW Stables Theatre in 2022, and its 2024 run is taking place at Sydney Theatre Company. After immersing yourself in the neon jungle of everyday Singaporean life, a meal at Harry's Singapore Chilli Crab will round the evening off perfectly. An institution for over four decades, Harry's boasts a menu that is like a love letter to the Singaporean staple, with crab cooked every way you can think of, as well as a glut of other seafood options. Griffin Theatre Company's 2024 Season begins on Thursday, January 4 and runs until Saturday, November 9. For more information and to start your subscription, visit the website.
Spontaneity and Gelato Messina's special desserts don't usually go hand in hand. Normally when the ice cream chain drops a limited-edition dish, you need to order it days or even weeks in advance, then collect it at an allocated time. And, that was indeed the case with its new honey joy version of its bake-at-home sticky scroll, which was announced earlier this week. The key word: was. Messina baked too many, so now you can also nab one across the weekend of Friday, September 22–Sunday, September 24. This brand, nostalgia and limited-edition desserts go together quite nicely. The cult-favourite ice creamery not only loves making one-off specials in general — it adores whipping up delights based on the dishes you loved as a kid. Scrolls — or snails, as Messina calls them — are no strangers to the brand's range. Neither are honey joy treats, after it made a honey joy cookie pie in 2022. But combining the two is indeed a new development. Yes, it'll take you all the way back to your tuckshop days, and ensure that you can skip your next cereal breakfast. So, what exactly is a honey joy sticky snail? It's a scroll-like dish that's made to feed several people — four-to-six is Messina's recommendation — as filled with vanilla crème pâtissière. On top, you'll find honey joy clusters and honey caramel. And to go with it, because Messina is all about frosty desserts, is cereal milk gelato. This is another of the chain's Frankenstein's monster-style indulgences — and the entire pack includes the snail and a one-litre tub of gelato. If you're keen to get yourself a piece, you can order online to collect in store over the weekend, get it brought to your door via Uber Eats or try your luck by heading into your nearest Messina in person. Apparently the scroll serves four-to-six people, but whether that proves true or not is up to you. You can order Gelato Messina's honey joy stick snail packs online to collect in store over the weekend of Friday, September 22–Sunday, September 24, get it brought to your door via Uber Eats or try your luck by heading into your nearest Messina in person.
Now settled into Wunderlich Lane, Island Radio has gone about impressing those from Surry Hills and beyond with its hawker-inspired cuisine paired with a dazzling tropical fit-out. Yet this vibey spot is turning up the volume dial even further, hosting the Unico Zelo Wine Rave from 5pm on Thursday, October 23. Bringing together natty wine, bold flavours and high-energy chaos, this one-night-only experience features an eight-dish set menu riffing on Southeast Asian–inspired cuisine, with dishes including raw salmon with red curry dressing, and charred turmeric-brined chicken with coconut sambal. Meanwhile, a suitably tasty Unico Zelo wine pairs with each dish. Born in the Adelaide Hills back in 2012, Unico Zelo is renowned for its playful, sustainable wines crafted from drought-resistant grapes. On the night, diehard wine-nerd and brand ambassador Noah Ward will be in the house, leading this multi-course dinner and playing a pivotal role in the chaotic accoutrements on the agenda. That includes DJs spinning tunes from behind the decks, wine-fuelled jelly shots on arrival and even spin the bottle. Don't worry, there's only prizes up for grabs, like bottles of Unico Zelo, exclusive merch and food and drink vouches. Conceived as a dinner party meets dance floor fun, this rave-like wine night is set to defy all expectations.
Here's a lesson that no one in horror movies and television shows ever seems to learn: don't mess around with the dead. Whether they're zombies or vampires, or ghosts haunting various abodes, or spirits possessing people or dolls, little good ever seems to come of this. But if folks did heed this advice, we wouldn't have anywhere near as many scary flicks to watch — including the next big eerie film heading to cinemas from A24. The independent film and TV company has found its latest frightfest Down Under: Talk to Me, which stems from Adelaide-born twins Danny and Michael Philippou. They're also known as RackaRacka, which you might know from the YouTube channel, and this is their feature debut. A word of warning: if you're not a horror person — and, generally, you either are or you aren't — even the just-dropped trailer isn't for you. Based on a concept by Bluey producer Daley Pearson, Talk to Me's premise is horror 101, but it never feels like that for a second in the first sneak peek. This nerve-shredder is all about conjuring up spirits using an embalmed hand — because what else would you use a mummified appendage for? It starts as a game between friends, another scary-movie staple, then opens the door to the spirit world. Starring Sophie Wilde (The Portable Door), Miranda Otto (Wellmania), Zoe Terakes (Nine Perfect Strangers), Otis Dhanji (June Again), Chris Alosio (Millie Lies Low) and Alexandra Jensen (Joe vs Carole), Talk to Me enjoyed its world premiere at the 2022 Adelaide Film Festival, and has kept doing the rounds from there. Sundance, Berlin, SXSW, Overlook: it's scared them all since. General cinemagoers in Australia and New Zealand will get the chance to get spooked out themselves come July 27. The film's soundtrack is a drawcard, too, including New Zealand hip-hop collective SWIDIT — plus tracks from Lucianblomkamp, IJAE, Sia, Takara, ONEFOUR and The Kid Laroi. Composer Cornel Wilczek (Clickbait) takes care of the score. And yes, A24 has a mighty fine track record with on-screen nightmares, including The Witch, Hereditary, Midsommar, In Fabric, X, Bodies Bodies Bodies and Pearl, putting Talk to Me in immensely impressive company. Check out the trailer for Talk to Me below: Talk to Me opens in Australian and New Zealand cinemas on July 27, 2023.
A new year, a new swirl of rumours about new Apple updates and features. Basically, it's business as usual in 2017 so far. If you like sitting in darkened rooms to watch movies — and actually watching them, not just paying to use the latest big screen flick as a backdrop while you have a text message convo, check Facebook, scroll through Instagram pics of cute dogs, book a holiday, send an email, take a selfie or a sneaky pic of the film, swipe through Tindr, play Angry Birds or live tweet the movie in question — then the technology behemoth's reported new option isn't just another routine addition. It's an abomination. Behold 'theatre mode'. Or, start weeping over the fact that humanity has regressed to a state where we can't even last two hours without using the electronic devices we're all always glued to every other second of the day. As first tweeted by Melbourne's Sonny Dickson — who is known to be quite the prolific and accurate leaker of tidbits and updates from the company Steve Jobs built — Apple's new iOS 10.3 could allow you to select an option that's kind of like airplane mode for cinema-goers. You'd expect that theatre mode will mute all calls and sounds, and we can only guess that it will also dim the iPhone's screen in a new way that is supposedly less bright, glaring and intrusive to others who, you know, are happily watching a film. https://twitter.com/SonnyDickson/status/814931454828412929 Those in favour of the proposed new feature point out the fact that if people are going to use their phones in theatres anyway (and we all know that plenty do), then at least this will try to minimise the disruptive effect it has on everyone around them. Sure, that's one way of looking at it. The other is that Apple is normalising a type of behaviour some folks indulge in at the cost of everyone else's enjoyment. Seriously, we all love our phones, but two hours isn't that long. And wouldn't we all rather just soak in what we're watching, rather than half-view, half do a million other things? Indeed, there's a reason that the Alamo Drafthouse's anti-phone and talk PSAs have garnered worldwide attention, and not just because they're usually hilarious and have enlisted a heap of celebrities to help out: most movie-goers want to watch the film they've paid for without the distraction of the person next to them pawing at their iPhone during the flick. And let's face it, no matter how supposedly wondrous the new Apple feature is, dimming that aggravating neighbourly phone glow, if you're sitting even vaguely near someone engaged with their phone, you're undeniably still going to notice it. Some cinemas have already tried to head in the opposite direction, like American chain AMC, who revealed that they were open to hosting 'texting sessions' in April last year, only to backtrack after quite the predictable backlash. The idea of specific sections for phone-using patrons has also been floated. Sadly, each idea brings us closer to a time like this: when using your iPhone while you're in a theatre is perfectly acceptable. In case you're wondering, that list of in-cinema behaviour that we outlined at the beginning of this piece — they're just some of the antics that this writer has witnessed during a movie. If the phones most of the population own start actively encouraging their use while watching films in cinemas, expect more to follow. And we're not on board. Ed's note: Sarah Ward is one of Concrete Playground's senior film writers and weekend editor. Read her current reviews here, here and here because she watches the whole damn movie.
It wasn't that long ago that sleeping somewhere other than your own home meant two things: camping in a flimsy tent, or cosying up in a hotel. Thanks to glamping, the lines between the two are blurring — and the list of places you can stay is expanding in tandem. The latest? A helicopter. First things first: no, the aircraft won't take flight while you're sleeping in it. I'm sure we can all agree that's actually for the best. Instead, the decommissioned Royal Navy ZA127 Sea King has been converted into luxury accommodation on Mains Farm in Thornhill, Stirling in Scotland, ready to sleep five. While Helicopter Glamping's vessel looks exactly as you'd expect on the outside, the inside features sleeping areas, a kitchenette and a lounge in what used to be the cockpit. You'll also find a sun dome, glazed patio doors that lead out onto a deck, and a bathroom where the sonar station used to be. And, if you can stay there without exclaiming "get to the chopper" over and over, well done. Via Travel + Leisure. Image: Helicopter Glamping.
Last week, NASA announced that it would start rocketing into space from Australia. This week, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration has revealed plans to allow tourists to not only soar beyond the earth, but spend time on the International Space Station. If you've ever wanted to hang out in an artificial satellite that's orbiting the planet — and you have spare piles of cash secreted away — your dreams might just be about to come true. Possibly commencing as early as 2020, private astronauts will be able to spend up to 30 days on the ISS, with two tourists allowed onboard at any one time. But before you go getting too excited, it'll come at a cost, obviously. Visitors will need to pay US$11,250 a day for use of life support and bathroom facilities, plus an extra $22,500 per day for food, air and medical supplies — and also fork out for the presumably ultra-expensive trip to actually get there. NASA won't be running an off-planet bed-and-breakfast, unsurprisingly, or a space public transport system. Rather, the move comes as part of a broader approach, with the ISS opening to commercial ventures in general — including private tourist outfits. The latter will be able to arrange the privately funded, dedicated commercial spaceflights for eager visitors, using NASA-developed US spacecraft. They'll also be responsible for flight crews, as well as ensuring that private astronauts meet the necessary medical and training requirements. https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1137000745922957313 Overall, NASA's statement talks of accelerating "a thriving commercial economy in low-earth orbit" — with businesses able to operate out of the station. While more than 50 companies are already involved with the ISS, their work is currently restricted to research and development; however that'll no longer be the case. Expect to keep hearing more about the agency's commercial efforts, given that there's another aim in store as well: landing the first woman and next man on the moon by 2024.
Speedsters of Australia, it's time to don your best red cap, slide into a pair of overalls and jump behind the wheel. If you want to take part in Mushroom Racing, the outfit isn't optional — if that's not your style, you could pick a green hat or a dinosaur costume instead. Not content with zipping through the streets of Tokyo and causing quite a stir, a real-life version of Mario Kart is headed to Australia. At yet-to-be-disclosed dates and sites in Sydney and Melbourne, participants will dress up as their favourite character, get cosy in a go-kart, race till their heart's content and collect stars to win prizes. While Tokyo's MariCar lets racers zoom along the city's actual roadways — yes, really — we find it hard to believe that's what'll happen here. And, we're certain that throwing shells or bananas at your opponents won't be allowed either. Sure, that's all well and fun when you're mashing buttons and trying not to fall off the Rainbow Road while you're playing one of Nintendo's many console versions (or counting down the days until the first Mario Kart smartphone game is released), but it's definitely not cool in real life. If you're keen, you can sign up to receive further information when it comes to hand. Organisers are calling it "the rally of a lifetime", and while that's definitely overstating the significance of driving around pretending you're Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Wario or whichever other character you like, you know you're eager to give the novelty a go. And, let's face it, it's not quite as ridiculous as human bowling. Mushroom Racing is coing to Sydney and Melbourne in 2018. Tickets will be limited — register on the Mushroom Racing website for further updates.
It was only a matter of time before Australia's penchant for themed brunches spawned an all-out, fairytale-inspired breakfast feast. And you'll have the chance to partake — and channel your inner Ariel, Mulan or, even, Simba — when a huge (unofficial) Disney-themed bottomless brunch and sing-along party rocks into town for the first time ever. There's no word yet on where or when this shindig‚ dubbed The Magical Brunch, is going down, but we do know that it's heading to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane — and costumes are definitely encouraged, so you'd best start hunting for your best Elsa gown or Cruella de Vil two-tone wig. Prince, princesses and singing candelabras will sit down to an afternoon brunch feast "served fairytale-style" — we're hoping for something similar to Belle's 'Be Our Guest' feast in Beauty and the Beast — along with two hours of unlimited Champagne, beer or mimosas. Word is there'll be themed entertainment and a Cinderella-worthy dance floor for post-brunch twirling, too. Best dust off the DVD collection and start singing, and dancing, to those classic tunes. Tickets are apparently limited, so head over to the Magical Brunch website and sign up now for the chance to be involved.
Since Disney got its lightsabers out again with Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens, a galaxy far, far away has rarely been far from screens. That includes on streaming, where the force has proven particularly strong across three seasons of The Mandalorian, 2021–22's The Book of Boba Fett, and also 2022's Obi-Wan Kenobi and Andor. The next Star Wars show on its way: Ahsoka, which will give warrior, outcast, rebel and Jedi her own series from August. Rosario Dawson (Clerks III) returns as the limited series' titular figure, after playing the part in both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. If you're new to the character, she was Anakin Skywalker's padawan before he became Darth Vader — and, here, she's an ex-Jedi Knight who is determined to battle a threat to the post-Empire galaxy. Her latest exploits will hit Disney+ from Wednesday, August 23. Ahsoka follows animated film Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the TV series it spawned, too, plus fellow animated show Star Wars Rebels — because yes, this franchise about a galaxy far, far away will keep spreading far and wide in this one. From the latter series, Star Wars aficionados will spot rebel crew member Hera Syndulla and former bounty hunter Sabine Wren. Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)) plays the former in Ahsoka, while Natasha Liu Bordizzo (Guns Akimbo) steps into the latter's shoes. Also among the familiar characters: fellow Jedi padawan Ezra Bridger from Star Wars Rebels, with Eman Esfandi (King Richard) doing the live-action honours — and Grand Admiral Thrawn, too, as played by Lars Mikkelsen (The Kingdom). Ahoska's cast includes Ray Stevenson (RRR) and Ivanna Sakhno (The Reunion), plus David Tennant (Good Omens). Also, reports have been bubbling for years about Hayden Christensen returning as Anakin, as he did in Obi-Wan Kenobi. This is Disney+'s first series focused on a female Jedi; indeed, as a character, Ahoska has long been one of the few women among the franchise's Jedi ranks, dating back to 2008. Off-screen, The Mandalorian writer/director/executive producer Dave Filoni writes and executive produces Ahoska, with Jon Favreau, Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson, and Carrie Beck also doing the latter — all seasoned Star Wars veterans. Check out the first teaser trailer for Ahsoka below: Ahsoka will stream via Disney+ from Wednesday, August 23. Images: ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd & TM. All Rights Reserved.
Virtual reality — everybody's doing it, and hoping that everyone else will follow in their footsteps. To be precise, the majority of companies in the technology and entertainment fields are trying it out to see what sticks, and endeavouring to discover which interactive, immersive worlds consumers are keen to play in. Add IMAX to the list of organisations moving into the VR space via a number of new initiatives designed to take your screen viewing to another dimension. Not content with their existing giant, high-resolution efforts, earlier in 2016 they announced that they're setting up virtual reality centres around the world, and partnering with Google to develop cinema-grade VR cameras. Now, they're financing at least 25 new interactive virtual reality content experiences. For viewers, that not only means that you'll soon be able to head to a series of physical spaces dedicated to showing VR short films, but you'll also be able to see, feel, move and venture into more high-quality virtual reality offerings. The first IMAX virtual reality centres are due to launch in Los Angeles and Manchester by the end of the year, complete with pod-like viewing stations, with more planned in China, Japan, the Middle East, and Western Europe. As for the stuff you'll be feasting your eyes and ears upon, it'll focus on event-style productions made in conjunction with film studios, filmmakers and game publishers, will be developed over the next three years, and will be made available at IMAX as well as other VR platforms. Like every other development in the virtual reality realm, such as concerts, venue tours, department stores, video calls and travel fly-overs, it's really a "watch this space" kind of deal as IMAX works out what works best, and audiences figure out what they actually want to do with the technology. If the first ventures are successful, they plan to roll out the concept globally, including at cinemas, shopping centres and tourist destinations. Fingers crossed that their Australian venues — including their rebuilt Sydney site, which is expected to open 2019 — are included. Via IMAX.
Checho's opened in 2020, bringing contemporary Mexican dining to Penrith. The aesthetic is breezy, almost coastal chic, with pastel tones and tiles and neon feature pieces. But you're here for the food: expect vibrant flavours that pop. We're talking Tex-Mex-style snacks like jalapeño poppers with maple bacon; Latin-inspired zesty ceviche or steak with chimichurri sauce; and melt-in-your-mouth brisket tacos. The plates are made to be shared, especially larger dishes like sizzling fajitas and lamb shoulder. And the fresh house guac is, of course, non-negotiable. For bevs, there are classic margaritas and signature agave-focused cocktails, with tropical fruit flavours, spices and citrus.
Forget subway tunnels and highway billboards. The latest canvas for the modern artist is that big blue expanse above us. Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang has made like God and conjured his very own rainbow out of colourful smoke bombs in a daytime fireworks display. The stunt required 8000 shells and 2 months of planning, only to be detonated within minutes. With an impressive resume including the fireworks show that opened the Beijing Olympics, Cai's "daytime fireworks" marked the opening of his exhibition at the Arab Museum of Modern Art in Doha, Qatar. Spattering the sky with clouds of dreamy pastels as well as inky flock-like forms, the unsuspecting passer-by would be forgiven for running for cover with arms flailing beneath an apparent actualization of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. It's easy to see why Cai had lovers of design raving about his ingenuity. And the show's set-up created a spectacle in its own right, providing viewers with a greater appreciation of the intricate timing and elaborate engineering required to paint the sky. Still, the magic of night time fireworks that seemingly materialise out of thin air is lost in the harsh sunlight that exposes the mechanics behind the colourful explosions. So here's hoping this wizard of pyrotechnics doesn't give up his night job.
This Japanese variety store is an Aussie favourite. Daiso has long been the local go-to for a real-deal Japanese shopping experience. With over ten stores in the Sydney vicinity, our pick is the Chippendale shop, located in Central Park. At the chain, you can find everything from brightly coloured cooking utensils and decorative homewares to stationery, party decorations and even bento supplies. Plus clothing, crafts and beauty products to boot. Daiso sells everything and anything you can think of — and plenty of things you've never considered, too. You could spend an entire afternoon browsing the shelves, and leave with something you didn't even know you needed.
Travel isn't just about spending some time in a different patch of turf, escaping work and earning a reprieve from your usual routine. It ticks all those boxes, but it's really about seeing the world in all of its glory. In other words, it's an experience. And, after 2020's year of staying home and mostly just experiencing our own four walls, you can be forgiven for hankering for a holiday that'll truly make you realise that you're somewhere instantly and overwhelmingly special. Travel guide Lonely Planet has put together a lineup of places that'll achieve that exact aim, which it has dubbed its Ultimate Travel List. Announcing its second edition, the publication has some great news for Aussies eager for a getaway, too — especially given international travel bans are still in place — with the Northern Territory's Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park coming in third out of a whopping 500 locations. The only Australian spot in the top ten, the 348-metre-tall Uluru received ample praise from the publication, which compared the eye-catching monolith's appearance to "a ship on fire in a desert sea". Crucially, the towering rock formation hasn't been singled out on the list, but rather the entire park around it has been recognised. Seeing Uluru isn't something that anyone forgets, of course, but there's plenty more to do in the region — with taking tours with park rangers to see sacred waterholes, spotting the onsite wildlife and visiting the park's cultural centre to learn about the area's Indigenous Australian history and significance, and learn from the local Aṉangu people, all mentioned as well. What's not mentioned is the below Field of Light, which is located at the base of Uluru and definitely worth a visit while you're there. [caption id="attachment_773730" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Field of Light by Tourism Australia[/caption] In earning third spot, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park moved up 30 places from its 2019 ranking, when it came in at number 33. It sits behind the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Petra in Jordan, which nabbed the top placing, while the Galápagos Islands ranked second. Also in the top five: the Okavango River in Botswana, plus the USA's Yellowstone National Park. As for the rest of the top ten, it includes Lake Bled in Slovenia; Iguazú Falls, which mark the boundary between Argentina and Brazil; Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni, aka the world's biggest salt lake; and Nepal's Annapurna massif. In the entire 500-location list, a huge 200 entries differed from last year. Accordingly, both close to home and overseas, you now have some new travel inspiration and then some. At present, the Northern Territory's borders are open to Australians, without quarantine, unless you're travelling from an 'active coronavirus hotspot' — which currently covers all of Victoria. Until Friday, October 9, it also included the Greater Sydney area; however, that's set to be removed today. You can check out Lonely Planet's full Ultimate Travel List via its website. Top image: Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park by Tourism Australia
Darlinghurst's Sunday roast and craft beer specialist The Taphouse is expanding — upwards. The heritage-listed pub known for its expansive list of brews, sunny courtyard and hearty food offering has opened a new rooftop bar with a focus on inventive cocktails to complement the city views. Located two storeys above The Taphouse, Elm Rooftop Bar overlooks the bustling streets of Darlinghurst. The space embodies the classic alfresco setting with an abundance of leafy vines and hanging plants soaking up the sun beside you. The retractable awning also promises shelter from the elements on less favourable days, meaning Elm is open rain, hail or shine. Unlike the bar's beer-loving downstairs counterpart, Elm's drinks menu is all about variety. Owner Joshua Thorpe even goes as far as to describe the rooftop as "an outdoor cocktail and seltzer oasis". On the cocktail list you can find a variety of juice-based cocktails including the High Passion, a gin and passionfruit liqueur creation topped with freshly squeezed cucumber juice, or Elm's take on the bloody mary made with basil-infused vodka. [caption id="attachment_802633" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jess Brown[/caption] If you haven't jumped fully on board the hard seltzer craze quite yet, Elm is a great place to start, with a wide-reaching selection of the buzzed-about drink on offer. Alongside the cocktails and seltzers, quality selections from The Taphouse's beer list will also be brought upstairs, with over 20 local craft beers available on tap, as well as a range of wines including orange drops poured by the glass. For those on the hunt for an afternoon snack in the sun, a variety of share plates can be ordered, from fish tacos with spicy tartare and southern-fried cauliflower bites, to selections of cured meats and cheeses – although there's nothing stopping you from making a cameo on the rooftop for a drink before heading back downstairs for a beloved Taphouse roast. Find Elm Rooftop Bar at Level 2, 122 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst from 5pm–10pm Thursday, 12pm–10pm Friday and Saturday and 12pm–9pm Sunday. Images: Jess Brown
Some folks just know how to rock a moustache. When Kenneth Branagh (Tenet) stepped into super-sleuth Hercule Poirot's shoes in 2017's Murder on the Orient Express, he clearly considered himself to be one of them. The actor and filmmaker didn't simply play Agatha Christie's famously moustachioed Belgian detective, but also directed the movie — and he didn't miss a chance to showcase his own performance, as well as that hair adorning his top lip. You don't need to be a world-renowned investigator to deduce that Branagh was always going to repeat the same tricks with sequel Death on the Nile, or to pick that stressing the character's distinctive look and accompanying bundle of personality quirks would again take centre stage. But giving Poirot's 'stache its own black-and-white origin story to start the new movie truly is the height of indulgence. Branagh has previously covered a superhero's beginnings in the initial Thor flick, and also stepped into his own childhood in Belfast, so explaining why Poirot sports his elaborately styled mo — how it came to be, and what it means to him emotionally, too — is just another example of the director doing something he obviously loves. That early hirsute focus sets the tone for Death on the Nile, though, and not as Branagh and returning screenwriter Michael Green (Jungle Cruise) must've intended. Viewers are supposed to get a glimpse at what lies beneath Poirot's smarts and deductive savvy by literally peering beneath his brush-like under-nostril bristles, but all that emerges is routine and formulaic filler. That's the film from its hairy opening to its entire trip through Egypt. At least the moustache looks more convincing than the sets and CGI that are passed off as the pyramids, Abu Simbel and cruising the titular waterway. It's 1937, three years after the events of Murder on the Orient Express, and Poirot is holidaying in Egypt. While drinking tea with a vantage out over the country's unconvincingly computer-generated towering wonders, he chances across his old pal Bouc (Tom Bateman, Behind Her Eyes) and his mother Euphemia (Annette Bening, Hope Gap), who invite him to join their own trip — which doubles as a honeymoon for just-married heiress Linnet Ridgeway (Gal Gadot, Red Notice) and her new husband Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer, Crisis). Poirot obliges, but he's also surprised by the happy couple. Six weeks earlier, he saw them get introduced by Linnet's now-former friend and Simon's now ex-fiancée Jacqueline de Bellefort (Emma Mackey, Sex Education). That awkward history isn't easily forgotten by the central duo, either, given that Jackie has followed them with a view to winning Simon back. Boating down the Nile is initially an escape plan, whisking the newlyweds away from their obsessive stalker. But even as the group — which includes jazz singer Salome Otterbourne (Sophie Okonedo, Wild Rose), her niece and Linnet's school friend Rosalie (Letitia Wright, Black Panther), the bride's own ex-fiancé Linus Windlesham (Russell Brand, Four Kids and It), her lawyer Andrew Katchadourian (Ali Fazal, Victoria and Abdul), her assistant Louise Bourget (Rose Leslie, Game of Thrones), her godmother Marie Van Schuyler (Jennifer Saunders, Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie) and the latter's nurse Mrs Bowers (Dawn French, The Vicar of Dibley) — adjust to the change of schedule, two things were always going to happen. The pouty Jacqueline can't be thwarted that easily, of course. Also, the fact that there'll soon be a murder for Poirot to solve is right there in the movie's moniker. Something that doesn't occur: evoking much in the way of interest in any of the film's characters, their fates and — seeing that the killer lurks among them — their motivations. This absence of intrigue springs from the same problem that plagued Murder on the Orient Express, because Branagh is still too enamoured with himself as Poirot to give his co-stars anything substantial to do. Almost anyone could've played the S.S. Karnak's passengers, aka a Christie-standard motley crew, as that's how little a splash this cast makes. Gadot does declare that the steamboat has "enough champagne to fill the Nile" like she's in a camp farce, which definitely stands out, but mostly Death on the Nile is an exercise in squandering talent. Bening is woefully underused, and Saunders and French's on-screen reunion is a wasted comic opportunity. It speaks volumes that an on-autopilot Hammer, aka the one star Branagh might now wish faded into the background, is so prominent. It also helps remind viewers that the flick is stale in multiple ways: shot in 2019, it was originally slated to release that December. Production delays, COVID-19 and just general release-schedule tinkering mean that Death on the Nile now arrives after Belfast, which Branagh made during the pandemic — and the films' close proximity to each other doesn't help this whodunnit. The man behind the two movies has always liked on-screen excess, even if he's not in the centre of the frame, but here all of his visual bombast plays like meaningless gloss. The swooping camerawork doesn't quite sell the extravagant setting as much as it exposes Branagh's style-first approach, and demonstrates a lack of care about whether he's drawing the audience into the story. Cameras circle, the score soars and the feature is fashioned like an epic, but like the cruise's victims, there's no sign of a pulse. The inconsistent pacing, dragging through the setup and then speeding through Poirot's crucial sleuthing like it couldn't be over fast enough, also lands a fatal blow. It doesn't help that the film's also-lacking predecessor already felt like it was stretching its setup, and jumping on a trend that'd seen plenty of other brilliant masterminds reach screens lately (at the time, Sherlock Holmes adaptations were everywhere, or so it seemed). Now, Death on the Nile sails into a world where Knives Out did the eccentric detective bit far smarter and better, that delightful hit is similarly getting a sequel this year, and the likes of Only Murders in the Building and The Afterparty have been unfurling immensely entertaining murder-mystery antics in streaming queues, too. Mostly, though, Branagh's second Poirot outing suffers from being so infatuated with what Murder on the Orient Express did to box-office success — and what the filmmaker himself did as its star — that it's largely happy to merely repeat the feat. There's more moustache here, and an evident effort to spin the plot's threads around love's tangled webs, but neither was ever going to keep this bogged-down slog afloat.
Cruising is a classic way to holiday. The stress-free system has you forgo most responsibilities in favour of fun, be it a two-week romp through the Pacific Islands or a midweek run up or down the Australian coastline, there's a leg of voyage suitable to any traveller. In the case of this ocean-bound writer, it was the latter, and I was in for an unfortunate surprise. Waking on day three of a five-day voyage on the Pacific Adventure to the sight of Moreton Island just out of reach, the passengers were informed that the small transfer boats would be unable to ferry us to the island due to rough seas. Would you believe the same thing happened on the last Moreton Island cruise I was on mere months earlier? I think that makes me uniquely qualified to answer this next question. What do you do on a cruise with no destination? Plan Ahead When Packing No matter how fine-tuned and considered your itinerary, the universe is unlikely to obey your wishes for the whole trip. When it comes to the weather, you should naturally be planning ahead. A good book is a must, plus headphones, a portable charger, sunglasses, a lanyard to carry around your cruise card and, probably most importantly, sea sickness medication. If the weather is bad enough for a shore visit to be cancelled, it means there's likely a large swell on the water. Everyone handles motion sickness differently, so a simple travel calm ginger might cut it, but if you need something stronger, the onboard medical centre stocks plenty of the good stuff. Make Use of the Onboard Itinerary The serious advantage of cruising is the fact that it's just as much about the journey as it is about the destination. In the case of a Moreton Island cruise from Sydney, you're scheduled for two full days at sea on either side of the shore stop. On our cruise, that became three full days at sea. Our itinerary adapted in a flash, with a fresh day of activities available to replace our cancelled stop by the time we'd finished breakfast. Exact activities vary on a ship-by-ship basis but almost all vessels share some similarities: pools, gyms, spas, theatres, arcades and lounges. You can choose to spend your time however you'd like, be it a visit to the spa, catching a comedy show or theatre act, or kicking back on the outer decks. Every night while you're at dinner, a new itinerary is left in your room for the following day. On board the Pacific Adventure, we kept our sea days busy with shopping and reading mostly. One evening was spent with In Pour Taste, a comedy show crossed with a wine tasting, helmed by Melbourne comedy duo Sweeney Preston and Ethan Cavanagh. The following day saw us hit the spa and the Byron Beach Club. Then on the final day, we took a cocktail mixing class and watched the wildly raucous Blanc De Blanc Uncorked cabaret show after dinner. Dine Differently Every Day You're massively spoiled for choice with dining while onboard a cruise ship. Buffet dining is typically the easiest choice for breakfast, with no extra cost and a great variety of dishes on offer. Come lunchtime, there are several options. The Pacific Adventure includes Luke's Burger Bar, which serves up the finest surf shack-style feeds you can get at sea. When day rolls into night, cruise ships open up multiple venues for dinner. In the case of Pacific Adventure, Waterfront Restaurant is a reliable go-to and Angelo's offers a fine-dining spin, as does Luke's Bar and Grill (the sibling of the burger bar, both created by restaurateur Luke Mangan). [caption id="attachment_967826" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Alec Jones[/caption] For more specific cuisines, there's a great mix of Italian dishes available at P&O Trattoria, or you can enjoy high-end Asian eats at Dragon Lady. Plus, since this is almost like a floating resort, you can always opt to stay in your room and order room service instead. Pacific Adventure is also home to 13 bars and nightclubs — from easily accessible spots like the Adventure Hotel (think quintessential Aussie pub but floating) to more out-of-the-way attractions like the onboard speakeasy The Bonded Store and Altitude Nightclub, where you can get a drink and have a boogie at the highest point on the whole vessel. Don't let naysayers dissuade you. A cruise with no destination is entirely survivable. Take it from us. Check any cynicism at the door (or gangplank, in this case), and you'll have a great time. In early 2025 P&O's Pacific Adventure, along with Pacific Encounter, will be integrating into the Carnival Fleet, becoming Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter. While sailing under new names both ships will continue to offer the same great holiday experience. Voyages from now until 2026 are available to book via pocruises.com.au. Concrete Playground was invited on the Sydney to Tangalooma cruise by the P&O Group. Images courtesy of the P&O Group.
They first toured Australia in 1982. They've returned plenty of times since, including on the Big Day Out and Vivid lineups. When they were last here in 2020, the pandemic got in the way, causing them to cut short their plans — and now New Order have locked in their latest visit Down Under five years later. "It's an honour to be coming back to perform in one of our favourite places. We sadly had to cancel a Melbourne show in March 2020, as a consequence of COVID and are so happy we can come back to play again," said the Manchester-formed band, announcing their next Aussie dates. "We've always loved playing in Australia and are excited to be returning for a run of very special shows in 2025. Good things come to those who wait!" [caption id="attachment_976837" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Erin Mc via Flickr[/caption] 'Blue Monday', 'Temptation', 'Bizarre Love Triangle' — more than four decades after forming, the group will play them all on a four-city Australian tour that starts at Perth's RAC Arena, then plays the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne and Riverstage in Brisbane, before hitting the Sydney Opera House Forecourt for two nights, all in March 2025. Peter Hook, Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner started New Order out of Joy Division, following the tragic death of the latter's lead singer Ian Curtis, and helped pioneer the synth-pop sound that not only helped define the 80s but has been influential ever since. If you've seen the films Control and 24 Hour Party People, you've seen part of New Order's story on-screen. And if you've caught them live before, you'll know that they're always a must-see. In Sydney, the group join Sydney Opera House's March run of forecourt concerts, which also includes Fontaines DC and PJ Harvey. "The incomparable New Order on the forecourt will be one of *those* Opera House moments to remember forever (and my 16 year-old self with his hopelessly worn-out tape of Substance can't quite believe it). Fontaines DC's moment is right now, and it's an honour to host one of the world's most fiercest live bands on the Forecourt for their massive Australian return," said Sydney Opera House Head of Contemporary Music Ben Marshall. [caption id="attachment_976838" align="alignnone" width="1920"] RL GNZLZ via Flickr[/caption] New Order Australian Tour 2025 Wednesday, March 5 — RAC Arena, Perth Saturday, March 8 — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne Tuesday, March 11 — Riverstage, Brisbane Friday, March 14–Saturday, March 15 — Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Sydney New Order are touring Australia in March 2025, with tickets on sale from 10am local time on Thursday, October 31, 2024. Head to the tour website for further details. Top image: RL GNZLZ via Flickr.
It's usually safe to assume that bottled beer is better than canned. Conjuring up unappealing images of the VB tinnies in your granddad's fridge, your options for canned beverage usually consist of the bottom rung of local draught offerings. Unless you're heading to a festival, you'll usually skip over the canned section of the bottle-o entirely. Rightly so. But now, local brewers Modus Operandi are reinvigorating the tired tinnie with the "CANimal" — at 946mL of crushable aluminium glory it's being touted as the biggest beer can in the country. In an Australian first, they are also selling this frothy beast straight from their Mona Vale brewery. Pulled from the tap and canned on request, you can fill this absolute behemoth with any of the craft brews they offer on site. Modus Operandi will in fact be the second brewery in the world to offer the service and, somewhat unsurprisingly, the owners got the idea while travelling in America. While they're a nation known for their excess and love of comically large foodstuffs, beer cans are also much more common in the US. It was only a matter of time 'til they dared to make one that packed in an arm-buckling litre of liquid. "[With cans] you have the freedom of storing beer longer and eliminating the negative effects of UV light in a portable, unbreakable and crushable vessel," brewery owner Grant Wearin told Good Food. And, while we're not sure how portable they really are for people like us (puny armed schooner drinkers), we're willing to give them a go. Oktoberfest is coming up. The CANimal is basically a pre-packaged stein. Modus Operandi Brewing Co is located at 14 Harkeith Street, Mona Vale. The brewery is open from 12pm - 10pm from Wednesday - Sunday and you can get yourself a CANimal for $17-21 depending on the type of beer. Via Good Food and Crafty Pint. Images via Modus Operandi's Brewing Co.
