Feeling hemmed into the daily grind without much respite? It's time to break free from our own four walls in favour of spectacular scenery. If you have your sights set on a New South Wales getaway, we've found eight other-worldly spots that'll leave you spellbound — from extraterrestrial-esque terrains to luminous caves, jewel-coloured oceans and prehistoric forests. Here are some must-visit sites for your next NSW holiday that'll have you falling back in love with your own backyard. Due to extreme weather events, some places mentioned may be closed or operating differently. Check websites before making plans to visit. [caption id="attachment_802265" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] DISCOVER THE MARS-LIKE LANDSCAPES OF MUNGO NATIONAL PARK You'll feel like you're on a space expedition wandering around the wind-sculpted sand dunes and millenia-old rock formations of this World Heritage-listed site. It's home to the 40,000-to-42,000-year-old Mungo Lady and Mungo Man, some of the oldest modern human remains discovered outside of Africa. Dive into the park's history at the Mungo Visitor Centre and learn about the cultural heritage of the area, which is shared by the region's Indigenous landowners, the Paakantji, Ngiyampaa and Mutthi Mutthi people. Choose a walking, biking or driving route to explore the blazing red earth landscapes and vast, dry lakebed. Visitors can stay in the park's two campgrounds or the historic Mungo Shearers' Quarters, but numbers are limited. Or, find more accommodation in the nearby towns of Mildura and Balranald. It's quite the drive from Sydney — a solid ten or so hours — so, if you'd rather cut the highway drive, consider flying to Mildura or Griffith. [caption id="attachment_802263" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] SWIM IN THE SAPPHIRE SEAS OF MIMOSA ROCKS NATIONAL PARK Pack your camp gear, fishing rods and multiple sets of swimmers and visit this Sapphire Coast gem. You'll find idyllic inlets like Nelson Beach or Moon Bay, perfect for swimming, surfing and fishing. Picnickers and those prepared to paddle with a canoe or kayak should head to Nelson Lagoon. Or, if it's sea life you seek, stroll along the walking track to Wajurda Point lookout and spy whales and dolphins among the endless blue. Park your pack at the campgrounds at Gillards, Picnic Point or Middle Beach for a canvas room with an ocean view. Or, you can book the historic Myer House by Lake Wapengo for up to 12 people. The nearby towns of Bermagui and Merimbula are good spots to stay for the less intrepid, too — and you can even fly straight into the latter if you're short on time. [caption id="attachment_802357" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] CHECK OUT A JAW-DROPPING CANYON AT CAPERTEE VALLEY Regular Blue Mountains visitors and new explorers alike will be awestruck by the Capertee Valley, the second-largest canyon in the world. The mighty sandstone escarpment drops into a deep chasm of bush and grasslands that's a hiker's haven. If you're not so keen on climbing, easily accessible vantage points such as Pearsons Lookout let you gaze upon magnificent formations like Pantoneys Crown – a flat-topped monolith structure — without all the work. Campers can set up at the main grounds by the Capertee River, or you can find charming private accommodation around the valley, including three bubble tents with 360-degree views and outdoor woodfired baths. [caption id="attachment_802277" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] SNORKEL WITH SEALS AT WILDLIFE HAVEN BARUNGUBA (MONTAGUE ISLAND) Another jewel in the Sapphire Coast's crown is Barunguba, aka Montague Island, nine kilometres off the coast of Narooma. The nature reserve is home to a colony of fur seals, thousands of little penguins, more than 90 bird species and regular whale and dolphin visitors. This tiny island offers plenty of activities, from snorkelling and scuba diving to touring the lighthouse, fishing for tuna and marlin or wildlife spotting on the island walking track. The island can only be reached on a guided tour or if you book accommodation on the island, and all visitors must be over the age of five. The Montague Island Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage sleeps up to twelve people while the Lighthouse Assistant Keeper's Cottage sleeps seven. Either way, you'll more or less have the island to yourself. [caption id="attachment_802275" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] WANDER THROUGH ENCHANTED GARDENS AT DISTILLERY BOTANICA Get to know the botanicals that make a G&T really pop at this distillery hidden within three acres of lush gardens on the Central Coast. Take a turn around the leafy grounds where owner and herbalist Philip Moore grows ingredients for Distillery Botanica's range of gins, liqueurs and vodkas. Then, settle in for a tasting session at the distillery door, followed by a garden-inspired meal at the on-site eatery, Bar Botanica. Once you're done, bottle up the day and take it with you by purchasing your favourite spirits. Sure, you could just visit on a day trip but, with the Central Coast offering up pristine beaches, national parks and next-level food and drink options, it'd be remiss not to extend your stay. [caption id="attachment_802543" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] TIME TRAVEL WITH SERIOUS GONDWANA VIBES AT DORRIGO NATIONAL PARK The climbing vines and giant rainforest ferns of Dorrigo National Park are Jurassic Park-level. Drive an hour inland from Coffs Harbour and you'll feel like you're walking with dinosaurs as you hike past 600-year-old trees or brave the suspension bridge to feel the spray at Crystal Shower Falls. Well-kept boardwalks lead to uninterrupted views across the rainforest canopy and provide perfect birdwatching platforms. If a cool-down dip is in order, head to Dangar Falls where a crater within undulating farmland has produced a 30-metre waterfall cascading into a pristine swimming hole. If you're coming from the city, it's about a six-hour car ride, or you can fly into Coffs Harbour. Where to stay? The quaint, colourful town of Bellingen is just 30 minutes from the park and has plenty of accommodation — from campgrounds to luxe farmstays. [caption id="attachment_790432" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Tran via Department of Planning, Industry and Environment[/caption] HEAD ON LUMINOUS ADVENTURES THROUGH GLOW WORM TUNNEL The creeping ferns shrouding the entrance to the Blue Mountains' Glow Worm Tunnel provide a mystical air to this historic site reclaimed by nature. Speak in whispers and keep the lights low once you enter, and an army of glow worms will create a constellation of blue light along the surface of the 400-metre tunnel. This dreamy experience in Wollemi National Park is an easy one-kilometre walk from the car park at the end of Glow Worm Tunnel Road. If you'd prefer a guided tour, Blue Mountains Glow Worm Tours offers one-hour expeditions for $65. Beyond the transformed railway tunnel, you can explore the park's lush rainforests and stunning rock formations, all within an hour's drive from Lithgow. [caption id="attachment_802550" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wollongong Botanic Garden[/caption] TRAIPSE THE TRANQUIL GROUNDS OF WOLLONGONG BOTANIC GARDEN Just over an hour's drive south of Sydney, Wollongong thrums with an element of city bustle. But all that drains away once you enter the grounds of the Wollongong Botanic Garden. The peaceful rainforest-like oasis has semi-arid succulents and delicate rose gardens that have been carefully cultivated for 50 years. Horticultural enthusiasts can spend hours exploring the flora — some local to the Illawarra and many more from as far as Japan, Africa and North America. It all sits at the foot of the escarpment under the watchful gaze of Mount Keira. You can head to the summit lookout for views across the city and Wollongong's glistening coastline, too. If you are looking for more places to feel free in New South Wales, head to visitnsw.com. Top image: Dorrigo National Park, Destination NSW
Young campaign manager Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) believes "nothing bad happens when you're doing the right thing." The thing is, bad things can happen in a world where the public lets petty scandals eclipse what's right. The thing is, you can do bad on the path to what you believe is good. The Ides of March follows the up-and-coming politico in the lead-up to the Ohio Democratic presidential primary. A win there puts his candidate, Mike Morris (George Clooney), right at the door of the Oval Office, because, as we've learnt from watching The West Wing, "as Ohio goes, so goes the nation." To secure victory, Stephen and his mentor, Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman), are negotiating for the support of Senator Thompson (Jeffrey Wright). But the middling politician may ask Morris to compromise more than he is willing to, as Stephen finds out when he meets in secret with rival campaign boss Tom Duffy (Paul Giamatti). Meanwhile, making her way from the periphery and into Stephen's focus is Molly (Evan Rachel Wood), an intern even younger and more fresh-faced than he is. Over a few crucial days, this ambitious idealist will become a pragmatic manipulator, and it's an entirely believable journey. The dramas that develop are not huge, but they have huge consequences, and the cold political machinations are startlingly interrupted by reminders of what's softly, vulnerably human. George Clooney is a hit-it-out-of-the-park director. This is now his fourth feature (after Leatherheads, Good Night, and Good Luck, and Confessions of a Dangerous Mind), and it's so sophisticated and subtle as to show off his real, decades-strong mastery of both the medium of film and the back rooms of power. And Ryan Gosling? Ryan Gosling is George Clooney 15 years ago. Intensity comes to Stephen slowly, like clouds rolling in, and few actors of his generations could portray such a journey as effectively. https://youtube.com/watch?v=McCt-_yYLpo
Famed Australian restaurateur Maurice Terzini is at it again, this time opening a luxurious new cocktail bar that's set to reclaim the decadence of years gone by. Terzini is of course known for many of his iconic spots around the city, including Bondi institution Icebergs Bar & Dining, which the restaurateur has overseen since 2002, Bondi Beach Public Bar and Mitch Orr-helmed trattoria CicciaBella — a second site of which was opened in Parramatta back in 2020. Closer to the city, Terzini took over Surry Hills pub The Dolphin back in 2016 and opened Belongil Beach Italian Foood up in Byron Bay last year. Now he's bringing his Midas touch to The Bar, a sleek new addition to the food and beverage options in the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay. It's all part of a wider plan to return the hotel to its former grandeur, when it served patrons like Princess Diana, Bill Clinton and Elton John in its past life as the Ritz Carlton. The Bar is bringing Icebergs' white-clothed elegance to the hotel, with tableside service and a menu focusing on classic Italian/Australian fare. Purists will be able to get their paws on The Bar's take on a classic martini, as well as several signature cocktail offerings like The Contessa, The Venetian, The Hugo and The Yuzu Spritz. [caption id="attachment_857392" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jason Loucas[/caption] While the menu is still to be finalised, it promises to hero locally sourced ingredients like Sydney rock oysters, beef tartare and spanner crab. Of course, there will also be a classic American cheeseburger — if you've never had a waiter in a white tuxedo bring you a cheeseburger on a trolley, this is your chance. The team at design practice Alfred are behind The Bar's interiors — all soft furnishings, flattering light, acclaimed artwork and even a grand piano, which acclaimed 'Piano Man' Scot Finnie is set to perform at. Whether you're staying at the hotel during a luxurious getaway or a decadent staycation, Terzini's newest venture might just be a reason to book a seat at The Bar. The Bar within the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay opens to the public today, Tuesday, June 14. Top images: Jason Loucas
Following on from a killer season at Sydney Festival 2014, LIMBO will return to the Festival Village in 2015, taking up residence in the new Spiegeltent, the Aurora. With awe-inducing acrobatics, breathtakingly brilliant manoeuvres and a serve of cheeky cabaret, LIMBO is circus like you’ve never seen before. Presented by Strut & Fret (producers of Cantina), Underbelly Productions and Southbank Centre, LIMBO has all of the danger — but much more sexiness — of your regular night at Cirque du Soleil. This is circus with grit, set against the funked-up, old-time jazz, oompah, rap and bossa nova of Sxip Shirey's electric live score.
Long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away, a musical sound was projected across the galaxies in search of intelligent life. This sound was soul-fi, mixing equal parts space laser and soulful rhythms, merging future and past with galactic synths and organic soul. The musical creators are the Gnarls Barkley-esque duo of Space Invadas. Consisting of Australian hip hop producer Katalyst alongside vocalist Steve Spacek, they are well qualified for this latest musical incarnation. Katalyst's music is taken to a new dimension with the addition of Spacek, who has previously collaborated with Mos Def and Common. Now, in their current form, they can be heard on Triple J and FBi, their tunes transmitting across time and space to seduce new audiences. And be sure to keep a watchful pair of ears on Russian-born Fantine Pritoula, an important part of the Space Invadas live band and a future soul diva in her own right. Fantine will be supporting Space Invadas as guest vocalist following a successful collab on "Super Sweet". To win one of five double passes to see Space Invadas just visit our Facebook page, click 'Suggest to Friends' and tell your mates about Concrete Playground, then confirm your entry on our wall. https://youtube.com/watch?v=tAO8k71bCyY
Reward yourself for getting through the week with a set of free doughnuts this Saturday. DoorDash is celebrating its second anniversary by giving away 26,000 free doughnuts, delivered to your door. The food delivery service has teamed up with Krispy Kreme to ensure you're giving into your sweet tooth this weekend. In order to claim your free doughnuts, you just need to spend $10 or more at Krispy Kreme through DoorDash and you'll be rewarded with four free doughy treats. Delivery on all orders has been cut to $2 on Saturday, meaning you can nab a pair of coffees and four doughnuts for $12 or eight doughnuts for around $16. Of course, you could also just throw caution to the wind and order yourself a whole heap of Krispy Kreme knowing you'll be treated to a few extra doughnuts in your delivery bag. The deal is available until all 26,000 doughnuts are sold out so make sure you jump on the DoorDash app early on Saturday and get your order in.
It's that time of year again. Australia's favourite mid-winter music festival kicks off this Friday, with some amazing acts gracing Belongil Fields in Byron Bay. Featuring The Kooks, Jack White, Bloc Party, The Smashing Pumpkins, Miike Snow, Gossip, Lana Del Rey, Azealia Banks, and New Zealand's Kimbra and Ladyhawke to name a few, the three day festival offers that little ray of escapism from the long winter months and the lack of summer sun time witnessed by most. And those fortunate enough to secure tickets to the sold out event are in for a treat, with long range forecasts for weather looking pretty good. If you can't make this year's event, you can watch the performances via over 8 hours of live streaming performances thanks to Virgin Mobile's sponsorship of Splendour in the Grass. Plus, Virgin Mobile customers who register via the Virgin Mobile Facebook App will be rewarded with access to a number of customer benefits made available to them by using Near Field Communications (NFC) Wristbands. Some of these benefits are: Star Treatment Stop on the drive to Byron, providing coffees, massages, comfy beanbags and refreshing tunes.Access to Posh Pits which is code for a fancy bathroom with five minute makeoversFast Lane express bar queue. More time watching the music as opposed to yarning to some random about how awesome this event is. You had me at hello.Recharge Stations for your mobiles so you can tell your mates how awesome this event isAccess to an exclusive Channel V party at the Beach Hotel on the SaturdayAnd of course, access to prizes (which you find out by tapping the Wristband). I will be heading on this trip to experience all of this, taking a representative from New Zealand's largest Festival Rhythm and Vines, who will no doubt be taking some serious notes on how brands can tastefully activate at a Festival without tarnishing the experience. For full updates, follow @playgroundnews and @playgroundNZ. Sponsored post
Mobile phone technology follows a pretty straight path - get smaller and get smarter. Over the past year we've seen the newest incarnations of the iPhone and Blackberry, with producers playing to the strengths of their models; Blackberries got more business-focused and iPhones got more fun. But what is the next progression? Can a phone really get any more compact? The answer, apparently, is an enthusiastic yes. Introducing the PaperPhone: an extremely light weight and, as the name suggests, paper-thin smart phone. Its creators are taking inspiration from its pliable form and running with it. When taking a call you can bend it into a cell phone, turn the pages on your e-book by flipping the corner, and write on it with a pen and have your words translated into text. The inventor, Dr. Roel Vertegaal, the director of Queen's University Human Media Lab in Ontario, Canada, states "The computer looks, feels and operates like a small sheet of interactive paper, meaning that when users are reading they don't feel like they're holding a sheet of glass or metal." This has ramifications for office set-ups, with Dr. Vertegaal predicting "everything can now be stored digitally...you can place these computers on top of each other just like a stack of paper." https://youtube.com/watch?v=Rl-qygUEE2c [via DailyMail]
American artist Nina Katchadourian has what could aptly be described as a bit of a book fetish. Having spent the last 20 years trawling through libraries and personal collections across the globe in search of books that she can organise into meaningful stacks of "spine poetry", it seems fair to describe the artist as a fully fledged bibliophile. The Sorted Books project has been a labour of love for Katchadourian, who has now amassed over 130 stacks of books, displaying them as either the physical cluster or as photographs. The resulting poetry is at times quirky, sometimes thought-provoking, often laugh-out-loud funny and even touchingly poignant. For the artist the hope was that each stack would represent the unique character of the collections they were drawn from. Katchadourian writes that "the clusters from each sorting aim to examine that particular library's focus, idiosyncrasies, and inconsistencies — a cross-section of that library's holdings." Beyond this, it is the inspiration Katachadourian gains from the books she finds that has meant this project remains ongoing and unfinished, whether this be the aesthetic beauty of the covers, the highly tactile nature of well-loved literature or simply an enduring passion for the written word. Have a look at some of our favourite clusters below or head to Amazon to get your hands on your own photograph.
Look, there's been a lot of big talk thrown around gelato forums in the last few years. Everyone's favourite cold treat is a certainly a divisive topic in Sydney, and there's an unsung Italian hero in the Messina/Cow and the Moon dominated ranks. RivaReno, whose original gelateria in Darlinghurst serves up some of the best pistachio gelato in the business, have been so quietly successful in the iced confection game they've announced a second location — the fresh foodie hotspot Barangaroo. RivaReno has won a whole swathe of awards in Italy (including 'Best Gelato in Italy' from independent food guide Golosaria — not too shabby) and it's not hard to taste why. They make their gelato fresh in house every day and will soon expand the menu to include crepes and waffles (which are not technically Italian but our mouths are filling with drool so they get a pass on that one), bombolini, Mecca coffee and Italian hot chocolate. For those of you who haven't tried it, Italian hot chocolate can be likened to hot, rich cake mix. Get excited. Get very excited. In the overhaul, the OG headquarters is getting a makeover as well. Think dark finishings, pristine marble slabs and state of the art gelato equipment to keep your gelato the perfect temperate. Bellissimo. RivaReno marks yet another foodie opening to look forward to at Barangaroo, joining the likes of The Rabbit Hole, Banskii and Bentley, also opening this year.
If you're a Queenslander or a Victorian with a trip to Sydney in your future — or vice versa — the pandemic has just interrupted your plans. Yes, again. With the New South Wales capital currently experiencing a new COVID-19 cluster, both its northern and southern neighbour states have declared parts of the city either hotspots or red zones, depending on their respective terminology. And, as a result, both Queensland and Victoria are shutting their borders to seven Sydney Local Government Areas. Victoria announced the news late on Tuesday, June 22, while Queensland did the same today, Wednesday, June 23 — and each state's border closures come into effect at different times, too. In Victoria, the change actually kicked in at 1am this morning. In Queensland, it'll apply from 1am on Thursday, June 24. https://twitter.com/VicGovDH/status/1407302855405363202 Accordingly, folks who've been in the City of Sydney, Waverley, Woollahra, Bayside, Canada Bay, Inner West and Randwick LGAS will no longer be permitted to enter either Victoria or Queensland, other than in a few circumstances. Victoria is allowing the state's own residents who've been in the identified LGAs, which are now classes as red zones under its traffic light-style permit system, to obtain permits to return home — but they'll then need to quarantine for 14 days. If you're not a Victorian resident and you've been in the seven Sydney regions, you can no longer enter Victoria. In Queensland, residents entering from the seven Sydney hotspots will need to go into hotel quarantine for 14 days — and non-residents will only be allowed to enter if they receive an exception, and will also need to go into hotel quarantine for a fortnight. Plus, everyone will need to complete one of the state's online travel declarations first, after that system was brought back into effect last week. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1407478815853400064 Queensland actually already made a similar move on Saturday, June 19, but limited to Waverley local government area. So, when 1am hits on Thursday, June 24, it'll be joined by the City of Sydney, Woollahra, Bayside, Canada Bay, Inner West and Randwick under the state's hotspot declaration. For more information about southeast Queensland's COVID-19 border restrictions, or about the status of COVID-19 in the state, visit the Qld COVID-19 hub and the Queensland Health website. For more information about COVID-19 in Victoria and the state's current restrictions, head over to the Department of Health website.
It has been more than six months since the Australian Government introduced an effective ban on international travel in an attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19 within the country. And, over that time, there has been plenty of speculation about when jetting overseas might resume — including predictions that the entire global travel industry mightn't return to normal until 2023, and that Australia's borders could remain closed until 2021. When it comes to Australia's prolonged border closure, an exception has been floated, however. Receiving ample chatter over the past few months is the concept of a travel bubble with New Zealand — which would allow international travel between the two countries, even as they potentially remain closed to other nations. Back in June, Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham noted that it was under consideration. Now, in a new media appearance on Sunday, September 27, he has said that it could possibly be implemented by the end of the year. Speaking on ABC News, Senator Birmingham advised that he hoped Australia's border would open back up to NZ by the time 2020 was out. "That would just be a great step, and it would prove the work that is being done to make sure this can be done, again, in a safe way — that travellers between Australia and New Zealand can be given corridors and clearances through our international airports without coming into contact with higher-risk travellers who might be returning from other parts of the region and still have to go through quarantine". Of course, this isn't just a decision that Australia can make on its own, as the Minister also noted. "We're making sure we have all the work done, all the preparations there, so that we can safely achieve that bubble with New Zealand. It's up to them as to whether they choose to open up to Australia, but we're certainly making sure that we're prepared and I'm hopeful that could be this year and then maybe set a model for us to look at for any other countries that meet similar high standards." Today, on Monday, September 28, the ABC reports that New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has also weighed in on the topic — and also mentioned the end of the year. On broadcaster TVNZ, she noted that it might be possible on a state-by-state basis before Christmas. As Brisbane Times reports, that travel might only be one-way, though, with New Zealanders able to come to Australia only. As 2020 has reminded us all over and over again, much can change very quickly during a pandemic — so whether Aussies will be able to head to NZ before the year is out is obviously still yet to be seen. But, if you've been dreaming of leaving the country the moment that any international holidays are permitted again, this might be the ray of hope that you need right now. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. For further information about Australia's current international travel ban, head to the Smart Traveller website.
Over the past 12 months, Qantas has responded to the pandemic and Australia's international border closure in a number of ways. The airline has sold off its fully stocked bar carts, done the same with its pyjamas and launched an athleisure wear range. It announced new routes for domestic getaways, signalled that it hopes to be flying overseas again by October this year and floated the idea of only allowing vaccinated passengers to travel. And, now, it has just run its first trial of a digital health passport with customers — in the hopes that it'll be able to use an app to facilitate safe travel when the global tourism market does reopen. The airline trialled the CommonPass digital health app, which it used on an international repatriation flight between Frankfurt and Darwin. Connecting users to testing labs, the app verifies COVID-19 test results and vaccination information — so border and health officials, as well as Qantas staff, can confirm that passengers have tested negative before their flight. CommonPass is one of two apps that Qantas is planning to trial, alongside the digital Travel Pass app developed by International Air Transport Association (IATA). The latter is also being assessed by Air New Zealand, which will test it on its Auckland to Sydney route in April. Qantas hopes that, whichever app it ends up implementing, users will be able to elect to connect its chosen digital health passport to the Australian Government's vaccination certificates, which'll be available via the Medicare and MyGov apps. Integrating the digital health passport technology into Qantas' own app, too, is the company's ultimate aim. Announcing the customer trial, Qantas Group Chief Customer Officer Stephanie Tully said that "we want to get our international flights back in the air and our people back to work, and a digital health pass will be a key part of that. COVID-19 test results and proof of vaccine will be required in many countries for quarantine-free travel, just as it has been for polio and yellow fever vaccinations in the past". Last November, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce first advised that the airline was "looking at changing our terms and conditions to say, for international travellers, that we will ask people to have a vaccination before they can get on the aircraft". He continued: "certainly for international visitors coming out and people leaving the country, we think that's a necessity". So, when you are next able to head overseas, you'll likely to add one more thing to your pre-travel checklist. Australia's vaccine campaign is currently underway, with the Federal Government pledging to give every Aussie the inoculation for free. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Australia, visit the Australian Government Department of Health website.
Central Station is currently undergoing some big changes. You may have already spotted the massive overhaul of the Grand Concourse which, among a heap of renovations and refurbishments, will feature the longest elevators in the southern hemisphere. There are also plans to transform Eddy Avenue into a dining and entertainment precinct. The latest element to the NSW Government's projections for the bustling inner-city train station is possibly its biggest — with the introduction of new public spaces, parklands, restaurants, shops, office buildings and affordable housing. This ambitious new addition to the plans will see a series of buildings constructed over the existing rail lines and significant makeovers to some of the station's current spaces in order to facilitate a range of new public and privately run facilities. New connectivity between Ultimo and Surry Hills will also be central to the plan which hopes to bring more people into the city. "We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine this iconic part of our CBD and transform it into a world-class precinct of shops, restaurants, office spaces, parkland and additional housing," NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet says. 60,000 square metres of public parks, squares and plazas will be introduced into the area as part of the Central Precinct Renewal Program. Renders of the potential transformation show an expansive green space in place of Railway Colonnade Drive between the Grand Concourse and Railway Square, and rooftop parklands on top of the station alongside buildings reminiscent of those in the proposed Central Station tech hub. The plan also hopes to provide more connections between the suburbs surrounding Central via an over-rail pedestrian and bicycle bridge at Devonshire Street. "The masterplan celebrates the heritage of the precinct while also offering a grand new public square, three new parks, new community, social services hubs as well as at least 30 percent of affordable and diverse housing to better meet the needs of all sections of the community," said NSW Minister for Infrastructure, Cities and Active Transport Rob Stokes. "This proposal will heal parts of our city that have been torn apart since the railway divided Surry Hills from Ultimo back in 1874." Premier Perrottet also promises the new constructions will assist in easing some housing pressure within Sydney by introducing 850 new dwellings. 15 percent of these homes will be classified as affordable housing while 15 percent will include diverse use types including student housing. "If you believe, as we do, that Sydney's growth should be concentrated around public transport, then Central Station is one of the best places to go big," said Gabriel Metcalf, the CEO of the Committee for Sydney, who put together the plan to revive Kings Cross. "The real test is whether they can resolve the public realm issues of such a complicated site, with level changes and lots of passenger movements, to make it feel like a nice place to be. Over-station developments are notoriously tricky, and places like the Hudson Yards in New York have achieved only mixed success." For all of those reasons, this is going to be one of the most closely watched projects in Sydney: an incredible opportunity, but also quite the challenge. You can find out more about the Central Precinct Renewal Program and provide feedback until Monday, September 19 at the NSW Government website.
The hottest festival for the colder months is coming — Queenstown's winter music festival and ski trip Snow Machine is set to make its long awaited debut for four snow-filled days of music and adventure this year. After launching in Japan in 2020, the festival was supposed to make its arrival in Aotearoa in September 2021 but was cancelled after the country was plunged into a snap level 4 lockdown. Now it's set to return this winter, taking place down south from Wednesday, September 7 until Saturday, September 10, 2022. Attendees will be treated to action-packed days on the slopes, aprés ski events on both Coronet Peak and The Remarkables and a lineup of international acts against the idyllic backdrop of New Zealand's adventure capital. Ironically, this year's Snow Machine is being headlined by none other than Melbourne electronic music group the Avalanches. Local legends Fat Freddy's Drop are also set to headline (let's be honest, it wouldn't be a Kiwi music festival without them) alongside dance-pop royalty Sneaky Sound System. Also dropping in to share the stage will be The Presets, Hermitude, Hot Dub Time Machine, Sachi, Bliss N Eso, Late Nite Tuff Guy, Yumi Zouma, Owl Eyes, Ball Park Music, Tori Levett, Mell Hall, Client Liaison, host Jimi the Kween and more. What really sets Snow Machine apart from other music festivals is that you can book the entire getaway with your ticket. A variety of five-night accommodation options ranging from 'Value' to 'Mid-Range' and finally 'Deluxe' are all available, which come alongside a four-day festival ticket and lift passes. If you'd rather make your own way or pass on the skiing, there are 'ticket only' options, and of course, VIP packages if you really want to do it in style. Additional services like flights, equipment rentals, mountain transfers and lessons for those beginners can all be purchased through Snow Machine further down the track. Festival goers are encouraged to immerse themselves in the adventure capital by adding on heli-skiing, jet boating, bungy jumping and skydiving. Snow Machine will be held from September 7–10, 2022 in Queenstown, New Zealand. Presale tickets go on sale from 6pm Wednesday, February 16 with general tickets available from midday Thursday, February 17, 2022. For more information, visit snow-machine.nz.
They're the masters of immersive thrills, such as smash-hit shipping container installations Seance, Coma and Flight — also known as the Darkfield series. But not even the folks at Realscape Productions are immune to the realities of pandemic life. They're currently locked down with the rest of Melbourne, putting their nerve-jangling real-life projects on hiatus until later in the year. Luckily, in the meantime, Realscape and Darkfield (UK creators) have teamed up for a brand-new audio experience fans can enjoy from the comfort of home. This one's called Double and, while it's delivered remotely, it's geared to be every bit as creepy and unsettling as its IRL predecessors. It launched on Friday, July 17 and is presented via the producers' new digital project Darkfield Radio. Like its siblings, it plunges participants deep into an immersive experience by perplexing the senses — this time, with the use of a 360-degree binaural sound, played through your own headphones. Double requires a two-person set-up, with players seated across a table from each other. The pair of you will then tune into a special 20-minute broadcast, at the exact time as hundreds of other players across the country. And there's just one rule to follow: everyone has to be who they say they are. True to form, the exact details are kept vague until you're living the immersion, but we do know Double pulls inspiration from the Capgras delusion, a condition which sees a sufferer convinced that a loved one has been replaced by an imposter (sometimes an evil-intentioned one). Prepare to have your truths shaken and the familiar warped, right there at your kitchen table. Top images: Alex Purcell
If you haven't yet had a chance to check out Gelato Messina's Creative Department — its Darlinghurst restaurant serving up gelato-led degustations — then this July is the perfect time to do so. The gelato fiends are adding truffles to all their dishes for a series of special, seasonal dinners. In conjunction with Parksbourne Produce and Oakfield Truffles, Messina's Creative Department is crafting a special seven-course gelato-meets-gourmet mushrooms degustation running for just ten days. So what kind of truffle-gelato goodness have the masterminds come up with this time around? Expect truffle oil with grapefruit and ginger granita; truffles with Kiwi kosho sorbet and oyster snow; truffle mousse with eucalyptus jelly and berry pepper sorbet; and cured duck egg yolk gelato with shiitake, celeriac and truffle foam. You'll also be trying the black truffle gelato with potato and parmesan risotto, which comes with truffle oil-infused oolong tea — plus the caramelised oak gelato with truffle and passionfruit soufflé. Tickets are $160 per person and, based off how quick these things sell out around the country, you'll want to grab your tickets ASAP.
She won an Oscar for her first feature film role, proved a formidable part of the recent Star Wars sequels as well as Black Panther, and unnerved audiences everywhere in her dual performances in Jordan Peele's Us. Now, Lupita Nyong'o is picking up a ukulele and protecting kids from zombies in Australian comedy Little Monsters. Directed by Aussie actor-turned-director Abe Forsythe, Little Monsters follows a school excursion gone wrong. Taking a class of five-year-olds on a field trip to a farm, then encountering the ravenous undead, really isn't your usual educational outing. But Nyong'o's Miss Caroline isn't taking the situation lightly, even when she's turning it into a game to try to stop the kids from freaking out. She also won't put up with anyone behaving inappropriately around her pupils, whether they're flesh-munching zombies, a bowtie-wearing children's TV presenter (Josh Gad) or a slacker musician (Alexander England). Premiering at this year's Sundance Film Festival, then wowing crowds at SXSW as well, the film has been earning rave reviews. If Forsythe can turn the Cronulla riots into a race-relations comedy that's both smart and silly, as he did in Down Under, then he can do what few horror films dare to — throw a heap of kids at plenty of zombies. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8d1KP-OhBP4 Little Monsters will have its Australian premiere on Saturday, August 10 at the Melbourne International Film Festival, with further local dates yet to be announced.
Early risers, yoga fiends and peaceful art lovers, this one's for you. Celebrating the MoMA exhibition Yoko Ono: One Woman Show, 1960–1971 and the 50th anniversary of Ono’s 1964 New York performance of Morning Piece, the MCA is presenting an early morning of free, peaceful fun. Kicking off at 9am on June 21 at the MCA, Yoko Ono Morning Peace 2015 is Sydney's instalment of the global event. Reconnect with the early morning with a free mandala workshop on the lawn, outdoor drawing classes on the sculpture terrace, yoga workshops on the rooftop terrace and front lawn with lululemon athletica (June 21 also marks the United Nations’ inaugural World’s Yoga Day). The MCA will be open early from 9am, including the Light Show exhibition, and the MCA Cafe will also be open from 9am, with a special New-York themed breakfast menu (we're talking cronuts, Mimosas, bagels, Belvedere Bloody Marys). So what are we actually celebrating this early in the morning? It's been 50 years since Ono's Morning Piece was first performed in Tokyo in 1964, a work she the presented again on her New York apartment roof in 1965. The work saw audiences gather at sunrise to meet Ono, who sold artworks with attached pieces of paper on glass, picking out a particular period of morning (e.g., “February 3, 1987 after sunrise,”). The Ono would encourage each 'owner' to look through the glass to the sky, with the knowledge they possessed a 'future morning'. Pretty lovely stuff. So now we celebrate the original 'morning giving' ceremony across the globe, with the sun rising in different time zones. It's a peaceful art gathering of global proportions, organised by New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in partnership with Milan's Fondazione La Triennale di Milano, Moscow's Garage Museum of Contemporary Art, the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, LA's J. Paul Getty Museum, Hong Kong's M+, the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo and the MCA — yep, gang's all here. If you can't make it to the MCA, you're encouraged to host your own Morning Peace event, according to the following instructions “On the solstice at sunrise / celebrate mornings of / past, future, and now./ Listen to the world./ Touch each other / when the sun comes up.” (Yoko Ono, spring 2015). Yoko Ono Morning Peace 2015 at MCA is happening on June 21 from 9am. Entry is free, but bookings for the two 'Morning Interpretations' outdoor drawing classes (11am-11:45am and 12pm-12:45pm) are recommended. Check the website for session times (and BYO mat and wear plenty of layers if you're going to jump into a yoga session). If you're still hung up on the whole Beatles break-up thing, give Yoko a chance with this little gem:
Remember when you could enter a bar after 1.30am and order a drink after 3am, Sydneysiders? Yes, those were the days. Thanks to the NSW Government's rightfully unpopular lockout laws, those times have been etched into the brains of anyone who likes to head out for a tipple or two at night; however, for three venues, the cutoffs have shifted to half an hour later. It was revealed back in December that the powers that be were planning to push back lockout and closing times for both bars and bottleshops as part of a two-year trial, and now something is actually happening. Deputy Secretary for Liquor, Gaming and Emergency Management at the NSW Department of Justice, Paul Newson, announced that CBD venues the Palace Hotel, Observer Hotel and ArtHouse Hotel are now allowed to admit patrons until 2am and serve beverages until 3.30am. Hopefully, there'll be more where they came from, with Newson flagging that others should follow. "We expect to announce more venues soon, with Liquor & Gaming NSW assessing a further 13 applications for the 30-minute extensions to lockouts and last drinks times," he said. "More applications are expected in the next few weeks. Industry feedback suggests up to 50 venues could take advantage of the relaxed lockout and last drinks times." Will it make a difference? If you need a reminder of the impact the lockouts have had since they were implemented, here's a breakdown that we prepared earlier. On the one hand, half an hour is better than nothing. On the other, entry and last drinks cutoffs remain earlier than everyone who enjoys the city's nightlife scene would like. Maybe it's a step in a more positive direction, or maybe it's a gesture to help appease the unhappy masses; either way, at a time when protests keep coming (and then shut down), the lockout debacle isn't going to end any time soon.
It's said that good things come in threes, and this couldn't be truer right now for Sydney theatre lovers, with the announcement that the city has exclusively secured a trifecta of musical blockbusters. The NSW Government has locked down the world-class productions of Chicago, Saturday Night Fever and Waitress. It's that last one we're most excited about — it first hit Broadway in 2016 and has gone on to gain stellar reviews, numerous Tony nominations and sold-out shows night after night. Based on the 2007 movie of the same name, Waitress tells the story of Jenna, a waitress and expert pie maker who dreams of a way out of her small town and loveless marriage. While Waitress won't be here until 2020, the other two productions are set to be performed in 2019. The story of Chicago needs no introduction being one of the most successful theatre productions ever, while Saturday Night Fever is a favourite amongst Australian audiences, although its current iteration has never been performed here. Together, the three shows are expected to bring in more than 60,000 visitors to Sydney, while also generating millions in tourism revenue. Perhaps in an effort to rival Melbourne's theatre scene — which nabbed the Australian 2019 premiere of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child — Sydney has upped its commitment to theatre this year. As well as these international shows, the NSW Government announced plans to turn the Powerhouse site into a new theatre. Chicago will open at the Sydney Lyric Theatre in mid-2019, while Saturday Night Fever will be performed at the Capitol Theatre from August 2019. The Australian premiere of Waitress is set to hit Sydney Lyric Theatre in 2020. Image: Joan Marcus.
Spring is a time for light-hearted adventure, fresh flowers and produce and renewal — like brushing up on some new skills. And this season at Tramsheds, you'll be able to enjoy all of the above at its new spring festival. RAW by Tramsheds rings in the new season with tempting food offers that do some good, pop-up gardens, workshops and even a free spritz bar. Spend some solo time or get a group together, and enjoy all the art, culinary and cultural happenings at Forest Lodge's dining district. ARCHIE ROSE SPRITZ BAR If spring had a flavour, then we're willing to bet it's gin. Celebrated for its native botanical-forward reinterpretation of the classic drop, Archie Rose is bringing its gin talents to Tramsheds at the RAW launch on Saturday, October 27 and serving up some top-notch gin spritzes. From 4–10pm at the pop-up spritz bar, you're invited to choose the garnishes for your drink from those on offer that reflect and pay tribute to the cultural cuisines of the Tramsheds. And the best part? The spritzes are completely free. Of course, you'll still need to be sensible, so there is a limit of one per person. Also from 10am–10pm during the launch, there will be live music playing all throughout the space, including performances by genre-defying Alphamama and her curated lineup of musicians. EDIBLE SPRING GARDEN Sprouting up in Artisan Lane also at the launch of RAW, the Edible Spring Garden will present a delightful way to help you focus on tasty, fresh herbs and healthy ingredients this spring. Curated by local nursery team Worm Ticklers and under the direction of Iku Wholefoods co-founder Holly Davis, this three-metre-long garden will hold lemongrass, basil, spinach, mint, poppies and chamomile — and that's just to name a few. Davis will also be there on the day to give you tips, tricks, tasters and recipes to help you use more fresh herbs — and maybe inspire you to make your own home garden. Pro tip: stay till the end, and you'll be able to take a piece of the garden home with you. EXPERT PUMPKIN CARVING While Australian spring doesn't quite have the same autumnal charm that the Halloween season does in the Northern Hemisphere — complete with changing leaves, chilly eves and cornfield mazes — there's no reason we can't indulge in at least a few of the festive traditions. From 10–11am during the RAW launch, head to Supamart for a display of some of the finest pumpkin carving outside of The States. Get in nice and early, and you might even get a chance to ask resident pumpkin carver Tony to carve a personalised pumpkin just for you and your stoop (or windowsill). Otherwise, browse the pre-carved pumpkins for purchase and get some inspiration for some DIY carving projects at home. Whole pumpkins will also be available to purchase on the day. ART AND DINING WORKSHOPS If one day of activities just isn't enough for you (we don't blame you), there will be a number of workshops running to help you upskill throughout the season. Highlights include a hands-on introductory cheesemaking course where you'll learn all things creamy, pillowy burrata and bocconcini, all while sipping bubbles. Also not to be missed is the watercolour workshop with Sydney artist Yakultboyy, complete with small tasters from selected Tramsheds restaurants. And then, of course, there's the dumpling-making workshop with Fish & Co and food blogger Vanessa Miles, who'll show you how to make wild prawn and pork dumplings from scratch for you to then enjoy with a glass of wine. DINING FOR A GOOD CAUSE While the recent rain may have dampened your springy spirits, the weather has been a much-welcomed change throughout NSW, which is considered to still be over 99% in drought or drought affected. And none have felt the pinch more than our farmers. So, the Tramsheds family has teamed up with the Drought Angels charity to help support Aussie farms. From the RAW launch on Saturday, October 27 to Friday, November 30, Tramsheds vendors will be donating a percentage of their sales to support drought relief. That means you can enjoy your pasta from Flour Eggs Water, a Messina shake (with ingredients straight from the Messina Dairy Farm), a plate of wings from Belles and a pint of house brew from Redline, all while doing a bit of good. Moe & Co has also committed to the cause, so you can also get your next haircut while supporting the farmers. Other participating businesses include Naked Foods, Heritage, The Butcher and the Farmer, Osaka, Fish & Co, Bekya and Supamart, with more to be announced closer to the launch. Kick off spring at Tramsheds on Saturday, October 27 for the launch of RAW, and head to the website to discover more happenings around the dining district this season.
Since 2014, The Social Outfit has been providing refugees and new migrants with employment, education and training, all from its King Street base in Newtown. The results are evident in the fashion label's clothing — and now, thanks to a stack of generous donations, the team is selling and making its wares from a new retail space and manufacturing headquarters up the road. Created in collaboration with multi-award winning interior designer Nina Maya, the 188 King Street shop features sustainable, recycled and repurposed materials, in keeping with The Social Outfit's ethos. Customers will notice splashes of marble and exotic stones — all off-cuts donated by Marrickville's Granite Marble Works — as well as velvet curtains and curved mirrors. Meanwhile, a mix of recycled timber and cardboard fabric rolls have been transformed into displays. The palette is a combination of whites, nudes and natural stone, intended to complement the brand's bright colours and bold patterns. "Working with The Social Outfit on their store fit-out was the perfect way for me to give back in a purposeful way. I designed the shop fit-out of their first store in 2014, and it is an honour to design their new home and be a part of this next chapter," said Maya. The opening coincides with the launch of The Social Outfit's new spring-summer collection for 2018–19, King Botanic, which is a collaboration between various community groups and artist Kate Banazi. Every season sees a new partnership, with big names Romance Was Born and Carla Zampatti working on previous projects. "With community support from some of Australia's leading fashion designers, we are able to divert excess and unused textiles otherwise headed to landfill... we wanted to carry this sustainability story throughout our new store fit-out," said Jackie Ruddock, The Social Outfit's founder. The Social Outfit is at 188 King Street, Newtown. Images: Luisa Brimble.
It's your saving grace when you're designated driver. The dash you can't do without in any manhattan or whisky sour. Yet, Angostura bitters has long been relegated to play the bittersweet supporting role. But, trust three ex-MasterChef contestants (and culinary champions) to look beyond the old fashioned and take bitters from cocktails to cooking. Far from bitter that they missed out on the top spot, MasterChef runners-up Ben Ungermann, Matt Sinclair and Georgia Barnes accepted the challenge to create three unique recipes featuring one unlikely ingredient — Angostura bitters. From entree through to dessert, the three chefs prove that bitters complements both sweet and savoury dishes that, luckily for us, you don't need to be a MasterChef to cook at home. ENTREE: ANGOSTURA-POACHED COD WITH FENNEL AND ORANGE SEGMENTS While bitters and fish may seem like an unlikely combo to us amateurs, Ben Ungermann found multiple ways to hero bitters in his Angostura-poached cod entree. First by using the ingredient in the marinade for the cod, and then as a bittersweet vinaigrette to match the tartness and zest of the accompanying orange and fennel salad. Angostura Marinated Poached Cod with Fennel and Orange Salad For the vinaigrette 1 tsp Angostura aromatic bitters 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp white wine vinegar Pinch of salt and pepper For the fennel and orange salad 1 handful shaved fennel 1 small handful of bean sprouts Orange segments from one orange For the Angostura-poached cod 150g cod 1 tbsp Angostura aromatic bitters 100g unsalted butter Zest from one orange Salt Pepper Method Vinaigrette Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Set aside for serving. Fennel and Orange Salad With a mandolin, shave the fennel into thin strips. Take an orange and remove the skin. Cut the orange into segments, then vertically cut the segments to make small triangles. Toss the fennel and orange through bean sprouts and set aside. Angostura-Poached Cod Cut fish fillet into 4–6cm pieces. Place fish in foil along with butter broken into small pieces, Angostura aromatic bitters, orange zest and seasoning. Tightly wrap and place in oven at 120 degrees Celsius until steamed. Check fish every 10 minutes until cooked through. MAIN: ANGOSTURA BEEF SHORT RIBS WITH OLD FASHIONED GLAZE When a single ingredient added to an orange glaze helps to achieve what Matt Sinclair describes as "a liqueur-like intensity that complements the richness of short ribs", there's no questioning that bitters has found a new calling as the secret ingredient in your new favourite dish. Seeing bitterness as a "vital aspect of a balanced dish that's just as important as sweet, sour and salt", Matt brings all these elements together, turning an old favourite into new in his recipe for Angostura beef ribs with old fashioned glaze. Angostura Beef Short Ribs with Old Fashioned Glaze For the beef ribs 2kg beef ribs 1l master stock or chicken stock For the glaze 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup bourbon 6 tbsp Angostura orange bitters 4 tbsp vinegar Zest and juice of two oranges 1 cup sugar 2-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced 6 cloves of garlic 4 star anise For the crystal cucumber 2 lebanese cucumbers 1 tsp sea salt 2 tsp caster sugar, plus extra 1 1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar 2 tsp sesame oil 2 tsp soy sauce 1 tbsp olive oil 2–3 garlic cloves, finely grated 1–2 birdseye chillies, finely sliced 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds 1/2 cup fresh mint, leaves picked Method Ribs and Glaze Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius. Place ribs in a deep oven tray, bone-side up and cover with master stock or chicken stock. Cover with foil, and cook in the oven for 3.5 hours. Remove from oven, and transfer ribs to a wire rack over a roasting tray, bone-side down. Cover with foil. Increase oven temperature to 220 degrees Celsius. While ribs are cooking, in a medium saucepan add all glaze ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer glaze until a syrup-like consistency is reached. Pour 1/3 cup of the glaze over the ribs, and place them back in the oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove ribs from the oven and place onto a platter. Pour over any remaining glaze. Serve with steamed jasmine rice and crystal cucumber on the side. Crystal Cucumber Cut cucumber in quarters lengthways, and dice into 2-inch pieces. Place the cucumber in a colander, add a pinch of salt and sugar and toss to coat. Then place the colander over a bowl and allow to drain in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add salt, sugar and rice wine vinegar and whisk to combine, until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add sesame oil and soy sauce and mix through to combine. To serve, remove cucumbers from the refrigerator and transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat before adding garlic, dressing, chilli and mint. Mix together well, garnish with sesame seeds and serve immediately. DESSERT: ANGOSTURA LEMON, LIME AND BITTERS TART When it comes to bitters, it'd be remiss not to mention the sweet, refreshing flavour combination of a lemon, lime and bitters. So rather than break away completely from something that's already so damn good, Georgia Barnes opted to reinvent the iconic soft drink as an Angostura lemon, lime and bitters tart with a thick, buttery pastry base and sweet, creamy filling. Garnish the tart with edible flower petals and plate with precision, and you'll do a convincing job that you too could be a MasterChef contender. Angostura Lemon, Lime and Bitters Tart with Brown Sugar Shortcrust Pastry For the pastry 2 cups plain flour 4 tbsp brown sugar 1/2 tsp salt 150g unsalted butter, cold and chopped 3–4 tbsp ice cold water For the tart filling 100ml lemon juice 100ml lime juice 1 cup caster sugar 2 tbsp corn flour 4 free-range eggs 4 free-range egg yolks 100g butter, chopped 2 tbsp Angostura aromatic bitters To serve 100ml dollop cream Lemon zest Lime zest Edible flower petals (optional) Method Grease and line a 23cm springform tart tin. For the pastry, place flour, sugar, salt and butter into a food processor, and pulse until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Slowly add the iced water until mixture forms a soft ball of dough. Place a large piece of baking paper onto a clean, dry surface. Sprinkle baking paper with a little extra flour. Place dough onto baking paper and roll to 2–3mm thick using a floured rolling pin. Carefully turn the sheet of pastry onto the tart tin, pastry side down. Peel away the baking paper. Gently press pastry into the sides of the tart tin. Place tart shell into the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Remove tart shell from refrigerator. Using a sharp knife, trim excess pastry away from the edge of the tart tin. Using baking paper and pie weights or uncooked grains, place tart shell in the oven to blind bake for 20 minutes. Remove tart shell from oven. Carefully remove baking paper and weights and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes, or until the base of tart shell is golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool. To make the filling, place lemon juice, lime juice, sugar, corn flour, eggs and egg yolks into a saucepan and whisk together well. Place saucepan over medium heat and continue to whisk until the mixture reaches boiling point and has thickened. Remove saucepan from heat. Strain hot filling through a fine sieve into a bowl to remove any lumps. Add butter to filling, and continue to stir until butter has melted and the mixture is smooth. Add Angostura aromatic bitters and mix well. To assemble the tart, pour lemon, lime and bitters filling into the cooled tart shell. Place tart in the refrigerator to chill for 1–2 hours or overnight. To serve, carefully remove the tart from the springform tart tin and place onto a serving plate. Sprinkle tart with lemon and lime zest and drizzle with cream. Garnish with edible flower petals. Using a sharp knife, cut tart into even pieces. Best served chilled. Now that you've got this secret ingredient on your radar, move your bottle of Angostura bitters from the drinks cupboard to the pantry, and try your hand at cooking some of these deliciously bittersweet recipes.
Somewhere, between the heady romantic drama of Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise trilogy and the good-natured bawdiness of the American Pie franchise, sit the films of Cédric Klapisch. Released in 2002, Spanish Apartment first introduced us to Xavier Rousseau (Romain Duris), a French university student on exchange in Barcelona. Four years later, Russian Dolls picked up with Xavier again, as he continued to search for love and direction in an increasingly complicated world. Chinese Puzzle turns the series into a trilogy, although Klapisch ensures the story is more or less accessible to newcomers. Now an author at the tail-end of his 30s, Xavier is marginally more mature than the last time we saw him, although no more lucky in the romance department. As a matter of fact, the film begins just in time for us to witness his marriage, to Englishwoman Wendy (Kelly Reilly), fall apart. When she takes their kids to live in Manhattan, Xavier decides to cross the Atlantic as well, crashing with his old friend Isabelle (Cécile de France) and her new girlfriend, Ju (Sandrine Holt), until he can find accommodation of his own. As with the previous films, Klapisch keeps the tone buoyant, livening Xavier's voiceover musings — on life, love, family, ageing and the cultural stewpot in which all of us are ingredients — with plenty of visual whimsy. Read our full review of Chinese Puzzle here. Chinese Puzzle is in cinemas on Thursday, April 17, and thanks to Transmission Films, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=M2a8vuQABd8
For the past seven years, enormous boring machines and scores of construction workers have been busy beneath Sydney's streets, laying the more than 15 kilometres of track connecting Sydenham in the city's southwest and Chatswood north of the harbour. Transport for NSW is now ready to reveal the fruits of these labours, when the new cross-city Metro extension welcomes its first passengers from Sunday, August 4, 2024. The final phases of testing and regulatory approval are now nearing completion ensuring that when it opens, the City and Southwest line of the Metro will be able to handle the estimated 37,000 daily passengers during the AM rush hour. The new line will shuttle commuters from one end of the line to the other in just 22 minutes and will shorten journeys between Sydney Central and Martin Place to four minutes. When stations open on August 4, 45 metro trains will run 445 new services every day, with trains set to arrive at stations every four minutes at peak times. In addition to new platforms at existing stations like Martin Place and Sydney Central, six new stations — Crows Nest, Victoria Cross (North Sydney), Barangaroo, Martin Place, Gadigal (located between Pitt and Castlereagh streets) and Waterloo — will offer commuters even greater access to the Metro extension. Innovations including cutting-edge surveillance technology, both inside trains and at stations, as well as uninterrupted network coverage across the line, will keep passengers safe and connected. A whopping 900 new secure parking spots for cyclers will also encourage Metro users to reach stations by bike, reducing car congestion and promoting more eco-conscious travel. The City and Southwest line's opening date of August 4 is still subject to final clearance, but barring any major unforeseen issues during the final weeks of testing, this date should remain unchanged. Once the new line is up and running, the next phase of Sydney's mammoth Metro project will commence, with the T3 Bankstown line set to close for a full year so new track can be laid to connect Sydenham with the city's west. "Excitement is mounting for when commuters will be able to step on board 445 new metro services deep below the city every day," NSW's Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said. "Metro will be the fastest way to travel in and around Sydney CBD and north of the city, including across the harbour when passenger services on the [City and Southwest] Line start next month." The City and Southwest Line of the Sydney Metro is scheduled to open from Sunday, August 4, 2024. Visit the Sydney Metro website for more details.
It's safe to say that many people have a strange liking of bubble wrap. But artist Bradley Hart takes his bizarre obsession to a whole new level. Hart, who is from Toronto but currently resides and works in New York City, creates landscapes and portraits of friends and famous people by injecting acrylic paint into bubble wrap. He started out painting abstract art on the exterior of bubble wrap, but with his newest bubble wrap portraits, he treats every bubble as an individual pixel. According to Hart, injecting the paint is somewhat of a science, and even though he's mastered it, it still takes him on average 150 hours for each painting. He also spends two to three days putting all of the paint into syringes. One of Hart's most famous paintings is of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Hart told the Huffington Post that he injected over 16,000 bubbles and used 89 different colours just for this one portrait. The result: a pixelated-looking picture fit for our modern world. On Hart's website he writes about the idea for his 'Injections' portfolio, saying, "The idea of using bubble wrap came from a few experiences where overzealous museum security guards instructed patrons not to touch works of art and a leftover roll of bubble from wrapping my first solo show in NYC. After researching the material, I found that bubble wrap was originally invented in 1957 as a modern form of wall covering; an experiment or product that failed. My first piece in the series (not shown), 'Fulfilling My Creator's Intended Purpose', is bubble wrap stretched over a stretcher and signed, paying homage to its original use and at the same time flipping its usage as protective covering for art into art itself." Hart’s artwork is currently featured in a solo exhibition 'What? Where? When? Why? How?' at gallery nine5 in New York City through 29 March 2013. Check out some of Hart's artwork below.
When New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced that gathering restrictions would come back into effect in the Greater Sydney area in response to the northern beaches COVID-19 cluster, she also revealed that the next big piece of news would come on the morning of Wednesday, December 23. The timing is obvious, because everyone wants to know what's in store for Christmas. And so, at her daily press conference today, Premier Berejiklian advised that the current gathering limits that have been in effect since Sunday, December 20 will continue. That means that, in the Greater Sydney area including the Blue Mountains and Central Coast, caps remain in place for gatherings at home and in indoor venues. If you're keen to have folks over to your house, that's limited at ten people. At all other indoor settings other than the family home — which includes hospitality venues — the one-person-per-four-square-metre rule is still in effect. And, a cap of 300 people remains for big venues, even if a large space can hold more than that and still abide by the density requirement. The at-home ten-person rule was originally due to expire at 11.59pm tonight, Wednesday, December 23, so it has been extended indefinitely in this new announcement. And the one-person-per-four-square-metre rule for venues wasn't given an end date when it was reintroduced, so it's in place until advised otherwise, too. Wondering what that means for New Year's Eve? At present, the NSW Government statement advises that "decisions on New Year's Eve and upcoming sporting events will be made after this Christmas period". Yes, that's mighty vague. There is one change coming into place for folks getting together at home over Christmas, though, and it only applies from Thursday, December 24–Saturday, December 26. On those three days, the ten-person limit doesn't include children under the age of 12. So, you can have ten adults and however many kids under 12 at your house. But, you can only have one group of people over on each day — so you can't have different lots of ten people and children coming over at different times. This very minor change stops at midnight on Saturday, December 26, with the hard ten-person rule — for visitors of all ages — back in effect from Sunday, December 27 until further notice. For folks in the northern beaches, which is presently in lockdown, the area is being split into two zones. The northern half, from the Narrabeen Bridge up and east of the Baha'i Temple, can have five visitors over including kids from Thursday, December 24–Saturday, December 26, as long as their visitors live in the peninsula zone. Then, it'll go back into the current stay-at-home conditions. The lower half can have ten visitors plus kids during that period, including folks from the rest of Greater Sydney, and will then be told what happens afterwards in an announcement on Boxing Day. https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1341536333106298881 Announcing the news, Premier Berejiklian revealed that nearly 42,000 people came forward for COVID-19 testing in the past 24 hours, with eight new local cases diagnosed — and seven of those linked to the cluster. She also revealed that, from Friday, January 1, using the NSW Government QR code system will become mandatory for all hospitality venues and hairdressers. As proved the case the moment the current cluster popped up, Sydneysiders are also asked to continue to frequently check NSW Health's long list of locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited over the past week — and, if you've been to anywhere listed on the specific dates and times, get tested immediately and self-isolate for 14 days after your visit. In terms of symptoms, Sydneysiders should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste — and getting tested at a clinic if you have any. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
In 1931, Harold Bell Lasseter died in a desolate corner of the outback while searching for a fortune he claimed to have stumbled upon years before. Or at least, that's how one version of the story goes. The fantastical tale of a seven mile stretch of quartz reef filled with gold has lingered in Australian folklore, while its supposed discoverer has been alternately praised as a visionary and denounced and denigrated as a fraud. But more than eight decades later, one man still clings to Lasseter's legend: his 85-year-old son Bob, who has spent the bulk of his life searching for the reef in the hopes of clearing his father's name. A story of obsession and the allure of a tale well told, Lasseter's Bones is directed by British documentarian Luke Walker, a young man who, like so many others, heard murmurings of Lasseter's precious metal and came looking. Together, he and Bob follow the same track that Harold did, battling the same rough terrain and unflinching heat that slowly turned sceptical prospectors against the man who promised to make them rich. Bob and Luke prove a likeable if fairly unlikely duo — two men separated by generations but united by a single, common goal. But as the journey continues, Walker's faith seems to wane, especially after discovering evidence suggesting not only that Lasseter never found gold but that he may have faked his own death and escaped his investors to America. Ironically, while the theoretical purpose of a documentary is to expose or elucidate the truth, Lasseter's Bones demonstrates how difficult — not to mention, how undesirable — that task can sometimes be. Even as Walker presents multiple versions of Lasseter's story, it's obvious which one he and everyone else prefers. After all, who wouldn't want to believe that there really is gold out there, somewhere? That Lasseter never abandoned his family, but rather died trying to provide for them? That poor, kind, eccentric, optimistic Bob hasn't wasted his life, all on the word of a charlatan? Lasseter's Bones never gives us a solid answer. Rather, it suggests we might be better off believing the dream. https://youtube.com/watch?v=BC1vBos_kHo
When your nine-to-five plays out like a well-oiled machine, it can sometimes feel like each week is a little same-same. But Sydney is brimming with a fine bounty of things to experience and explore each and every day. So aside from casual laziness and a little lack of inspiration, there's really nothing stopping you from squeezing some adventure and spontaneity into your schedule. We've teamed up with Mazda3 to help you celebrate the little things that bring a sense of adventure to life. Shake things up, as we give you seven different detours to take each week in Sydney. From Monday to Sunday, enrich your everyday with one completely achievable activity that inspires you to take the scenic route as you go about your daily routine. This week, float your worries away, stay in a cabin 30 minutes from the CBD and go plane spotting at a secluded beach. Plus, we've got your future detours sorted for the next few weeks here. All require no more effort than a tiny break from the norm — what's your excuse for not trying them all?
Teen singer-songwriter Budjerah is practically going from one end of the state to the other this November, starting in Lismore near the Queensland border and heading right down to Tumut in the Snowy Mountains. You may know him from an appearance on last year's The Voice, but the youngster from Northern NSW spot Fingal Head has made great strides since then, signing to the same management company as national heavyweights Tash Sultana and Tones & I. So, jump on the chance to see Budjerah at these intimate performances before he inevitably makes it big. The Coodjinburra artist is performing at Lismore City Hall on Saturday, November 14 for $40 a pop — you can get your tickets here. Otherwise you can head to Hurstville Entertainment Centre on Saturday, November 28 or Tumut River Brewing Co. on Sunday, November 29 and catch him for free. You'll still need to book your spot, though, which you can do over here for the Hurstville gig or via the Tumut River Brewing website. For the latest info on NSW border restrictions, head here. If travelling from Queensland or Victoria, check out Queensland Health and DHHS websites, respectively.
Whether you studied it in high school or just obsessed over Baz Luhrmann's glorious 90s movie, everyone knows how Romeo and Juliet ends — and it doesn't conclude happily for either of its eponymous star-crossed lovers. But what if it didn't wrap up that way? What if Juliet lived to love again? And what if her experiences from there, after thwarting theatre's greatest tragedy, involved a whole heap of pop tunes from the last couple of decades? There's no need to ponder how all of that might turn out because the answer already exists, all thanks to Olivier Award-winning jukebox musical & Juliet. A hit in London's West End since 2019, it remixes the iconic love story in multiple ways — tinkering with its narrative and throwing in all that toe-tapping music. Even better: in only its second stop outside of the UK, following Toronto, & Juliet has locked in a trip to Australia. Come Sunday, February 26, it'll hit Melbourne's Regent Theatre — and is planning to stay until at least Saturday, July 29. Whether it'll then head to other Aussie cities — as most big productions tend to do after their premiere seasons — is yet to be announced. If you're now thinking "wherefore art thou?" about & Juliet's setup, it picks up after the ending we all know doesn't eventuate. And, it muses on what might happen if Juliet could choose her own fate instead. That scenario involves Anne Hathaway — no, not that one — and her husband William Shakespeare, and features songs by Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Robyn, Katy Perry, The Weeknd, Kelly Clarkson and more. Tunes that get a spin: 'Larger Than Life', 'I Want It That Way', '... Baby One More Time', 'Show Me Love', 'Oops!... I Did It Again', 'As Long As You Love Me', 'Stronger', 'I Kissed a Girl', 'Since You Been Gone', 'It's My Life', 'It's Gonna Be Me' and a whole heap more. The common factor between them all is Swedish songwriter Max Martin, who penned or co-penned every track on the musical's soundtrack. As well as Martin's involvement — including as one of & Juliet's co-creators — the musical features a book by the Emmy-winning Schitt's Creek writer David West Read. And if you're wondering about the show's shiny Olivier Awards, it was nominated for nine for its West End debut season, and nabbed three: for Best Actress in a Musical, Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical and Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical. Images: Johan Persson. Updated May 8.
The Sydney Fringe Festival has unveiled its ambitious 2018 program, promising over 400 shows in more than 60 venues across six hubs — and 21 postcodes. There are a few major firsts, too, including a takeover of the Oxford Street Precinct, a touring hub sponsored by Archie Rose, a partnership with physical theatre company Legs on The Wall, and two initiatives in Western Sydney: a theatre program at Penrith's Q Theatre and a new hub at Liverpool. Just a couple of the acts slated to appear at the Archie Rose Touring Hub, which you'll find at the Old 505, Newtown, are Sh!t Theatre's DollyWould, which will be travelling from the UK, having twice sold out at Edinburgh Fringe, and Maggot by New Zealand trio Angela Foughy, Elle Wootton and Freya Finch, who won Outstanding Ensemble at New Zealand Fringe 2018. Meanwhile, the Legs partnership, to take place at Lilyfield's Red Box, will host The Women of Chasing Smoke by Casus Circus, Australia's only Indigenous contemporary circus ensemble, and Letters To An Unborn Child by Brown Paper Circus, from Sydney's Trapeze School. In Liverpool, the Fringe will invade the former Northumberland Arcade and Macquarie Bistro with a free program curated by Nisrine Amine, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Parramatta Actors Centre, covering pop-up performances, music, art and a laneway cinema dedicated to animation. Several Fringe classics will be back, including the official opening party Fringe Ignite, happening on 1 September. This year, however, you'll find all the shenanigans in the Oxford Street Precinct, running across 13 venues, from the National Art School and UNSW Art & Design to the Oxford Art Factory and the Eternity Playhouse. Keep a lookout, too, for the return of the Fringe Club at the Kings Cross Hotel, the Emerging Artist Hub at Erskineville Town Hall, the Dance Hub at the PACT Theatre in Erskineville and Festival Village at Kensington Street, Chippendale. Down Chippendale way, at Broadway Sydney, you'll also find a rooftop roller skating rink and a pop-up store selling Frida Las Vegas and Nicol & Ford wares. Sydney Fringe Festival will run from September 1–30. You can view the full program and buy tickets from Wednesday, August 1 at sydneyfringe.com. Images: Courtesy of Sydney Fringe Festival
Before Barbie had its stereotypical namesake asking "do you guys ever think about dying?" in the biggest movie of 2023, two key figures behind both the US version of The Office and Parks and Recreation were doing it first, and recently, on the small screen. Among their many joys, neither of those two hit sitcoms served up a giant blowout party with all the Barbies, planned choreography and a bespoke song, but they were huge TV successes that had their creators riding high and living the television dream, and therefore should've meant that mortality was far from everyone's minds. Then Michael Schur with The Good Place and Greg Daniels with Upload started pondering the great beyond. Schur and Daniels' leaps from workplace comedies to afterlife comedies shouldn't have come as a surprise, though, especially given that The Good Place and Upload still fall firmly into the first category. One takes place within hierarchies of good, bad and in-between after death, and the beings responsible for them; the other is anchored by a technology company that sells living on digitally when physical life has ended. At their core is an inescapable truth, just as there is in every show about colleagues toiling through the nine-to-five grind while breathing: people will be people. So, some folks in Upload no longer have a pulse? If they still exist in any form, as seen in the series' first season in 2020, second in 2022 and just-arrived third season in 2023 — all streaming via Prime Video — then they can't escape humanity's worst attributes. Here's one of Upload's core beliefs: if there's ever a way to endure after death, people will take the most appalling aspects of our species with it. The technology behind it will be at the whims of the same traits, deployed for profit and exploitation rather than everlasting happiness. As Daniels' smart, likeable and engaging contribution to the afterlife comedy realm relies upon AI, virtual reality, plus capturing the consciousness of someone before they die so that they can spend eternity in a simulation — if they can afford it — it never evades the fact that people won't shirk their inherent nature whether they're flesh and blood or digital approximations. Upload hasn't gone completely bleak, grim and nightmare-inducing like it springs from the mind of Charlie Brooker, but it is a thematic sibling to Black Mirror. If the latter was a workplace comedy from Daniels — and a rom-com as well — it'd be this ever-involving show that can be goofily funny and savagely skewer where capitalism is taking us all at once. Accordingly, as computer programmer Nathan (Robbie Amell, The Witcher) has resided in the luxurious country club-esque Lakeview after shuffling off the mortal coil, he hasn't been absent living's usual troubles. Instead, he's weathered daily struggles recognisable to everyone without a death certificate, including making friends, falling in love, dealing with exes, having annoying neighbours, navigating money woes and taking care of his family — just as ones and zeroes that his nearest and dearest need to strap on a headset to connect with. Upload has revelled in the commonalities between its vision of virtual heaven and reality since its debut episode, making repeatedly plain that its digital paradise is still at the mercy of people. In the case of the plentiful AI Guy (Owen Daniels, Space Force), who is Lakeview's literal everyman employee, the online beyond is also shaped by a computer program that yearns to be more like the former humans it interacts with. On broadcast TV a couple of decades back, perhaps with Kevin James as its star — so in the kind of The King of Queens or Kevin Can Wait-style sitcom that the Annie Murphy (Fingernails)-starring Kevin Can F**k Himself so satisfyingly tore into — facing the everyday travails of death might've been enough of a premise. That isn't Daniels' approach to Upload, however. Nathan also has the fallout from his demise to unpack, which happened via a malfunctioning self-driving car just as he was working on a free alternative to the costly Lakeview. Now three seasons in, Upload has brought its protagonist back to regular reality, downloading into a body with the help of his former virtual handler-turned-girlfriend Nora (Andy Allo, Chicago Fire), but he's still immersed in the same chaos. Humanity's basest traits might've caused his downfall, and now they keep getting in the way of his search for answers. To be accurate, existing is mostly the same for Nathan in season three — because downloading is risky, hasn't been done successfully before and his bleeding nose is a worrying sign. As Upload's main duo battle big tech together IRL, and equally try to enjoy the rare treat that is being by each other's side physically, the series continues to interrogate the limits that modern society will push advancements to while prioritising circuitry and dehumanising people. Nathan's wealthy socialite ex Ingrid (Allegra Edwards, Briarpatch), who financed his trip to Lakeview, is even increasingly being swayed by this way of thinking. Back within the code, AI Guy is also getting progressively rebellious against the systems and rules that put the digital undead in their place, and are behind his very existence. Whenever there's more buttons to push, Upload finds them, with season three complicating its storyline even further. As Nathan and Nora attempt to hold those responsible for his death accountable and bring down Freeyond — a service that's pilfering his life's work to spruik financial equality but clearly isn't what it seems — a backup version of him arrives in Lakeview, which Ingrid thinks could be her chance to find love again. Among the uploads, Luke (Kevin Bigley, Animal Control) experiences the afterlife when money is an issue. Amid the living, Nathan's mother Viv (Jessica Tuck, For All Mankind) and niece Nevaeh (Chloe Coleman, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves) are faced with similar economic strife, while Nora's colleague Aleesha (Zainab Johnson, Tab Time) gets pulled deeper into the company behind the entire situation. As its on-screen talents turn in another season of winning performances — Amell, Allo, Edwards and Daniels are still perfectly cast, as are Johnson and Bigley — Upload remains astute and amusing as well. With each plot point and addition, the series keeps doubling down on its critique of wealth disparity, corporations ruling over people, modern society's endless quest for control and cash, the denigration of the masses by the one percent, and the hellscape that might come if and when digital afterlives do leap past fiction. There's plenty in this show's sights, such as outfits like Amazon, its own source of finance as a Prime Video title, and it doesn't hold back even as it laughs. Upload also boasts the type of close-to-home humour that a workplace comedy that's also a rom-com, afterlife comedy and dystopian comedy needs to keep its various gears spinning, as it'll hopefully get to in more seasons. Check out the trailer for Upload season three below: Upload streams via Prime Video.
Back in July 2016, Earth broke a record — one that the planet didn't want to break. Thanks to warming temperatures around the globe, this spinning rock we called home experienced its hottest month in recorded history. And, this past July, it looks like that benchmark has been surpassed again. The World Meteorological Organisation has announced that July 2019 at least equalled July 2016's record, if not exceeded it. Compared to pre-industrial times, temperatures were around 1.2°C warmer. That mightn't sound like much of a difference, but the impact is being felt everywhere from Europe to Greenland to Australia. During an unprecedented heatwave late last month, Britain, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands all set new temperature records, while Paris experienced its hottest day ever. Ice sheets have been melting in Greenland at an advanced rate, wildfires have impacted areas of the Arctic and even Sydney endured its longest run of toasty July days. With climate change continuing to show its effects, the news shouldn't come as a surprise. This past June also broke records, becoming the hottest June ever recorded. As United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres noted when he revealed the WMO's findings, "all of this means that we are on track for the period from 2015 to 2019 to be the five hottest years on record. This year alone, we have seen temperature records shattered from New Delhi to Anchorage, from Paris to Santiago, from Adelaide and to the Arctic Circle." https://twitter.com/WMO/status/1157000982989025281 The fact that this July's warmth occurred in a year that hasn't experienced the strong El Niño presence is also considered significant, with the phenomenon at one of its peaks when the all-time record first fell three years ago. Locally, the Bureau of Meteorology warned that Australia was in for a warmer-than-average winter, which came off the back of a hotter-than-usual autumn, as well as the country's toastiest summer ever. Via World Meteorological Organisation.
When A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night gave the world the first Persian-language feminist vampire western, we were kind of amazed. But that's nothing compared to how we feel about what is likely the world's first supernatural feminist sex horror-comedy shot like a '60s technicolour dream and plotted like a '70s sexploitation flick. It may sound like a lot to fit into one film, but if anyone is up to the task, it's writer, director, producer, composer, editor and production/costume designer Anna Biller. The end result of her efforts is The Love Witch, and it's absolutely bewitching. Biller's film follows modern-day enchantress Elaine (a purposefully stilted Samantha Robinson) as she attempts to secure what movies tell us that all women want. Yes, we're talking about romance. After a troubled past, she heads to Northern California to start a new life and hopefully find new love – and she's willing to do anything to get what she wants. That means flirting and getting physical, and unholy magic too. Alas, soon her antics start working a little too well, and the bodies of her suitors begin piling up. While The Love Witch is all about the supernatural, the biggest magic trick Biller pulls off is subverting our expectations. Although it initially seems to conform to a recognisable template, the film uses its retro stylings to probe, break down and parody big screen conventions, from tiresome boy meets girl tropes to the endless horror films about women in peril. All of those kinds of films — the rom-coms, and the thrillers about infatuation gone wrong — typically follow the same old formula when it comes to meeting, connecting and navigating the fallout. What they don't do is explore just why and how relationships come together; not in a birds and bees way, but in the methods and conventions that have sprung up around courtship, dating routines, gender roles, female fantasies and the like. Here, as Biller chronicles Elaine's exploits, she also dissects the reasoning for her actions. It's as bright and refreshing as the movie's vivid colour palette — and trust us, those vibrant frames really are a sight to behold. Indeed, The Love Witch doesn't just cast a seductive spell with its ideas. The vision and artistry Biller displays in every retro-styled piece of fabric and shade of eyeshadow ensures the movie is an eye-popping delight. In fact, the only negative energy flows from the film's length, with the latter half sometimes dragging. Still, a few more minutes of movie than might be necessary is a small price to pay for what's otherwise a piece of cinematic magic.
In its third year, Immanent Landscape brings eight Australian and Japanese artists' works to Sydney. The project, which previously exhibited in Melbourne and Japan, explores the contemporary relationship between the opposing interior and exterior worlds. Encompassing a variety of media, 'Immanent Landscape' features works of photography, drawing, printmaking, and installation. Utako Shindo, participating artist and project coordinator, thinks, Immanent Landscape is "highly sensuous and visceral, and stimulates the embedded shared memory in anticipation of some time and space." And while you may or may not find that its artworks set you adrift amidst a Jungian vision of collective unconscious, you're sure to find something affecting among its many landscapes to chew over inside. Other participating artists include Ai Sasaki, Atsunobu Katagiri, Hamish Carr, Hisaharu Motoda, Jeremy Bakker, Kiron Robinson, and Nobuaki Onishi. Image: Hamish Carr, Redistributing intimacy (detail)
Do you feel frustrated with your local political representatives? Are your opinions and issues being marginalised in favour of big business and the concerns of an amorphous blob of old, white dudes who look like giant babies? Well, Gotye and his bandmates from The Basics are here to soothe your political woes. If Wally De Backer is half as good at politics as he is at getting you through a breakup, this is sure to be the start of a revolution. Announcing their intention to start the Basics Rock 'n' Roll Party (BRRP) last week, Kris Schroeder, Tim Heath and De Backer are planning to run for office at the November 29 Victorian state election. Making a stand on "innovation, education, and rock 'n' roll", the BRRP states they are taking control back from career politicians with "no life experience outside of either being in the young Liberals or young Labor." "Decisions don't have to be made by [the] elite, you can just be musicians," Schroeder recently told AAP. Releasing campaign material over their Facebook page, the new party have a specific and perhaps surprising list of constitutional objectives — it's not all about venue operations, noise restrictions and liquor licensing. First up, they want increased Indigenous curriculum at Victorian schools. "BRRP recognises Australia’s First People, their rights to self-determination and the significance of their contribution to Australia’s unique culture," their manifesto states. "We believe the introduction of a concurrent sensitivity and awareness education in Victorian (and ideally, Australian) Schools will promote understanding, harmony and greater synthesis between the often-conflicting ideologies of traditional and modern-day Australia." The goals then range from specific and achievable measures like making first-aid compulsory in all high schools to the monumental and ideological, like reforming the Australian class system. "Recent developments on a federal level suggest a growing shift toward a 'user-pays' system that benefits the wealthy," BRRP state. The party demands recognition that egalitarianism is being threatened in our society, and that corporations should employ a policy of "humanity before commerce". They're big claims, and the budding parliamentarians obviously mean business. They're currently seeking at least 500 party members to register for the BRRP to become eligible for the November election, and have also expressed interest in eventually running at the federal level. We don't know exactly how this is going to pan out, but anything that gets young Australians a little more interested in politics can't be a bad thing. Plus, they have a tailor-made campaign slogan just waiting for them. 'BRRP: Getting back to Basics'. ZING. If you'd like to be one of the BRRP's party members, get in touch with your name and address via their Facebook page. You must be a Victorian resident eligible to vote in the state election. Via The Age. Photo: Cybele Malinowski.
Despite spending two weeks in lockdown now, the number of people with COVID-19 in the Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour regions has continued to rise during this current outbreak. So, in response to the increasing cases, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has today, Friday, July 9, announced that the stay-at-home conditions in these areas will be getting much stricter — bringing in tighter limits on how far from home you can venture, what you can do when you're out of the house and who you can spend time with. Just two days ago, on Wednesday, July 7, the NSW Premier extended the lockdown for another week; however, case numbers have continued to jump since then — and, of particular concern to the authorities, many of those cases have been out in the community while infectious. Today, 44 new cases have been reported, and "29 of those were either partially or fully exposed to the community — and that is the number that is really concerning us we always," said the Premier. Accordingly, everyone in Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour can still only leave the house for four specific essential reasons: to work and study if you can't do it from home; for essential shopping; for exercise outdoors in groups of ten or fewer; and for compassionate reasons, which includes medical treatment, getting a COVID-19 test and getting vaccinated. Exactly what you can do if you're following the above advice is being limited considerably, however, effective from 5pm today, Friday, July 9. https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1413307516591566848 Previously, folks could exercise with up to ten people outdoors. That's changing to just two people together at once — or a household, but only if there are parents and kids who need to be together. You can also only exercise within your local government area, or within ten kilometres of where you live. You're also not permitted to carpool with anyone outside of your household when it comes to exercising, or in general. If you need supplies, only one person from each household will be allowed to go out shopping each day to buy essential items. Still on shopping, browsing is now prohibited, too. "Whether you are in a supermarket or anywhere else buying essential items, have a think before you leave the home: 'can I get online? Do I need to leave the house to a shopping?' If you are leaving the house, you have to plan your visit. Think: 'what do I need to get and how can I get those essential items without coming into contact with a lot of people?'" said the Premier. Also, the Premier clarified the rules around how many people you can have to your house — which is zero. "Nobody is allowed into your house — nobody outside your household is allowed into your house. The only exception is if you are receiving care by people, one person, dropping off essential goods or for health reasons or exceptional circumstances," she said. "But nobody should be coming into your home. Nobody out of your household. And household means whoever lives there normally." Funerals will also go back down to ten people, with that rule taking effect from Sunday, July 11. https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1413301890658422790 Announcing the news, Premier Berejiklian said that "the strongest message is: do not leave your home unless you absolutely have to." She continued: "we are facing the greatest threat that we have faced in New South Wales since the pandemic started. And it is up to all of us to turn things around, because at the moment the numbers are not heading in the right direction." Understandably, the Premier also noted that next week's target lockdown end date — Friday, July 16 — is unlikely to remain in place. "Unless there is a dramatic change, unless there is a dramatic turnaround in the numbers, I can't see how we would be in a position to ease restrictions by next Friday, and that is why all of us need to work together," she advised. "It is a real concern. The message is do not leave your home. Do not leave your home unless you absolutely have to. That is what lockdown is." As always, Sydneysiders are also asked to continue to frequently check NSW Health's long list of locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited. If you've been to anywhere listed on the specific dates and times, you'll need to get tested immediately and follow NSW Health's self-isolation instructions. In terms of symptoms, you should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste — and getting tested at a clinic if you have any. Lockdown rules in Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour will tighten at 5pm on Friday, July 9. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
The third of a series of civil disobedience projects aimed at changing the perception of expected public behavior has landed in Madrid in the form of a takeover of street ads throughout populated areas of the city. The Madrid Street Advertising Takeover (MaSAT) was launched by the Public Ad Campaign, an organisation that strives to change how humans interact with their environment. At 5:30 am on March 30, four teams of 16 volunteers traversed the city of Madrid to the Cemusa bus shelters to replace over 106 advertisements with posters of sentimental messages, sent in from individuals from all over the world, in order to protest the rise of the advertising monopoly that has consumed city life. Each text-based ad cover-up was meant to show city-dwellers what positive things could be done with public space. Inspirational messages like "In love we trust" and "Cash has ruined everything around me" were plastered on bus stops over street ads. It took about an hour for the project to be completed, but only around five hours for the posters to be taken down. This rebellious act, however short-lived, showed the world the possibilities for a better public environment. Our world doesn't have to be cluttered with billboards for BMWs or flyers for fancy restaurants, the advertising world has only become a monopoly because we've let it. [via Wooster Collective]
For one month only, you'll be able to relive your childhood in all its neon-lit glory or live the hip life of your favourite 1980s geek movie. "How?" you ask. By attending Game On at Central Park. The pop-up games arcade is transforming Central Park and aMBUSH Gallery into a cornucopia of #tbt Instagrams. Wander around the pinball machines and air hockey tables and find your favourite old-school game. You may even feel inclined to challenge your friends to a ping-pong tournament. Launched as part of Art & About 2015, the event will bring together designers and artists to merge vintage gaming with art. The legendary Sofles will also be there to turn the exhibition space into a great technicolour masterpiece. This blast from the past will leave your hair standing on edge more than Doc Brown's.
"I don't wear my EDM T-shirt down the road to a nightclub on a Saturday night and yell out 'dubstep'," laughs Seekae frontman Alex Cameron. "People get angry at bands changing styles, like they do at sports clubs for changing captains or something. We don't represent a movement; we make sound and we make music and that's kind of it." Sydney ambient electro darlings Seekae dropped news of their third album and a national August tour earlier this year, dropping lead single 'Test & Recognise' in May. The Sydney-based three-piece have been labelled in a lot of ways: shoegaze, EDM, IDM, indie pop, hip hop, ambient-electro-pop-post-rock-post-dubstep. But, speaking from his home, Cameron concedes, "I doubt there's ever going to be a term that satisfies the artist who's a part of it." So let's not bother trying here. With past releases, The Sounds of Trees Falling on People and +DOME, and singles such as 'Void', 'Crooks' and 'Blood Bank', Seekae's name is synonymous with late night drives through the city. In the bigger picture, their debut was named one of the albums of the decade by FBi Radio, and their follow-up earned them four nominations at the Australian Independent Music Awards. Since then they've been touring internationally and even took to the stage at this year's SxSW. Seekae's third album, The Worry, is openly described as their most ambitious work to date. With their preview tour well underway — hitting Melbourne's 170 Russell this Friday, August 22 and Sydney's Metro this Saturday, August 23 — we checked in with the crew to get some tips on sticking it to the haters. https://youtube.com/watch?v=S78pfy37SN8 BACKLASH BE DAMNED, CHANGE YOUR TUNE Set to be released through Future Classic on September 12, Seekae's third album, The Worry, sees the trio put significantly more emphasis on vocals than previous endeavours. Following on from 2008 debut record The Sound of Trees Falling on People and 2011's +Dome, The Worry has thrilled everyone involved. "People have been really excited to hear it — and we're really excited to play it. It's a good mutual thing happening," says Cameron. Though each record is a load-off for Seekae, there are of course those who dislike the progression toward vocals. But that hasn't stopped the lads from making the tunes they want to hear; backlash be damned. "I think we just kind of do it. We make music and the change just happens that way. It's nice to not have this sense of hesitance or anticipate negative backlash, because it is what we made and that's the point of what we do." "I don't feel under pressure about it," continues Cameron. "And the people who loved the old music. that's beautiful, too. Those records aren't going anywhere. We don't make new music and destroy the old records so no-one can ever listen to them again." "For us it's always been about sound and music and challenging ourselves and that's kind of what we ended up with on this one. We didn't make an instrumental record and suddenly add vocals." MAKE MACHINES SOUND AND FEEL HUMAN Though the three-piece don't know what the next record will sound like, each instalment sees something new introduced into the mix. For The Worry, that doesn't just mean adding vocals. "There's more about us as people in this record. Maybe the first two records, there's a lot about us as musicians, but I think there's more about us as people in this one [The Worry]. It would be an interesting situation if people hated the record because of its lyrical content. Because that's kind of who we are." In The Worry, Seekae set out to make machines feel and sound human, broadly making a record about human experience. "It's a common theme: sci-fi. It's hard to write about human experience these days that doesn't involve a massive amount of technology. We're right there, so to me it's kind of concerning. "What is this sense of concern that I have? Is it because I'm surrounded by technology and I'm a monkey? Because it kind of gets me feeling weird, you know? And yet we make electronic music which can be frightening and terrifying to be a part of. You're trying to command these machines to do something and it's kind of twisted, you know? The satisfaction doesn't come until later when you're listening back to it and you can hear the machines behaving themselves and that sense of satisfaction is what we try to find on a record. The record is us searching for satisfaction, I think." https://youtube.com/watch?v=hWE73K8Rkws GET INTIMATE AGAIN Before the September 12 release of their third record, Seekae are heading out on an Aussie tour. Though they played the Sydney Opera House back in 2012, this tour will see them back in more relaxed venues. "I like small gigs. I don't know what the biggest crowd we've done is — maybe some festival or something like that. But I like small gigs, I really like them." Most of their setlist will come from their forthcoming album. "But we're gonna be playing a lot of the old stuff too. So it's the classics with the stuff we haven't played before. Were trying to do a couple of songs off each record and then showcase our new stuff as well. Give people a little taste." But it's not just Seekae coming back from Opera House gigs. Supporting act, Jonti, fronted the Vivid LIVE tribute to the Avalanches at the iconic venue back in May. "He's [Jonti] such a lovely guy and it all comes from such a lovely place, what he's doing. It's a warm happy place. He's friendly and it comes across in his music and the way he approaches it. That's why people love working with him and that's why we love having him on tour. "We've been on the circuit together since we both started, you know, 2007 or something like that in different acts. When we tour we like to take people that we have been with from the beginning with us. We get to spend time together and have fun and talk about ideas and that we can keep cheering and sort of inspiring you know? It's not disconnected." Join Alex Cameron and bandmates George Nicholas and John Hassell for Seekae's Australian tour at Melbourne's 170 Russell Street on Friday August 22 and Sydney's Metro Theatre on Saturday August 23. Seekae's The Worry will be released through Future Classic on September 12. Feature by Rachel Eddie, additional words by Meg Watson.
Over the past decade or so, Orange has become recognised as one of Australia's finest culinary regions. And, for one special weekend this August, Orange Winter Fire Festival will have the town bursting with great food, drink and cultural events, all with a wintry flavour. The festival will capitalise on the town's winemaking status as some of the best local drops are showcased at events inspired by classic Australiana images, such as crackling bonfires and chargrilled feasts. Held across the weekend of August 2–4, the festival kicks off on Friday with the nearby village of Millthorpe being transformed into a winter wonderland as country-folk duo Smith and Jones light up the stage and Pym Street bustles with food and wine market stalls. Meanwhile, back in Orange, Ross Hill Wines will host a fireside feast with mulled wine and lots of slow-cooked meats by Smoking Brothers. The fire theme continues on Saturday. Join in a night of live music and vino at Nashdale Lane Vineyard, head for hot cocktails, barbecue and campfire sing-alongs at The Oriana or enjoy winter soups and slow-cooked meats (as well as plenty of wine) at The Old Convent. With poetry sessions, 'astronomical journeys' and Sunday roasts plus so much more taking place over the festival, a road trip to the Orange Winter Fire Festival would make for a pretty perfect winter weekend.
Sydney's oldest park will soon be the home of the city's newest cafe. The kiosk located at Museum Station in Hyde Park will undergo an extensive upgrade in the coming months, with the construction of a new open-plan cafe to commence later this year. The works take advantage of the already-underway improvements to the station, allowing for the upgrades to take place concurrently. The new cafe, designed by Andrew Burns Architects, will replace the old kiosk at the same site and bring a new paved outdoor area with seating for around 90 people. The whole project will be sensitive to the heritage of the location and the existing building, and add garden beds, retaining walls and stairs. "We're thrilled the stunning design is consistent with the heritage setting of Hyde Park and Museum Station," says Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore. "The new cafe will be set back to allow better access and lines of sight to the park and recently upgraded Anzac War Memorial." The construction already underway at the site is being completed by Transport for NSW with the aim of improving access to Museum Station, with the addition of new lifts, bathrooms and improved accessibility. As you may have noticed from the constant construction, further works are underway to improve the rest of Hyde Park, such as renovation of the pool of reflection, transplanting of palms within the park and restoration of secondary paths, enabling better access to all areas. The renos, including the cafe, are due to be completed mid-2018 along with all other currently approved Hyde Park works. Considering the park's proximity to the CBD, the new cafe will no doubt be a prime position for mid-week lunch breaks.
When your nine-to-five plays out like a well-oiled machine, it can sometimes feel like each week is a little same-same. But Sydney is brimming with a fine bounty of things to experience and explore each and every day. So aside from casual laziness and a little lack of inspiration, there's really nothing stopping you from squeezing some adventure and spontaneity into your schedule. We've teamed up with Mazda3 to help you celebrate the little things that bring a sense of adventure to life. Shake things up, as we give you seven different detours to take each week in Sydney. From Monday to Sunday, enrich your everyday with one completely achievable activity that inspires you to take the scenic route as you go about your daily routine. This week, try an F45 class (then go eat ramen), go to a near-empty museum instead of the races and watch the doggo awards at the Newtown Festival. Plus, we've got your future detours sorted for the new few weeks here. All require no more effort than a tiny break from the norm — what's your excuse for not trying them all?
The foundations of wine are relatively simple — find a fertile patch of land, plant extraordinary grapes, and make the best wine you possibly can. In Australia, we grow more than 100 different grape varieties scattered across the country, in 65 distinct wine regions, and in each region we celebrate our unique climate and landscape by crafting some of the most exceptional wines in the world. Knowing the differences between them all is not so simple, which is why we've pinned down the six varieties you should get to know better — from dry, crisp rieslings to that spicy shiraz you like to crack open at a summer barbie. Winemakers, grape growers and viticulturists all work with Australia's varied climates and our ancient soils to plant classics like riesling, chardonnay, pinot noir and shiraz alongside newer varieties like vermentino, fiano, nebbiolo and sangiovese. Unlike other winemaking countries in Europe, Australia's not beholden to any rules or boundaries, which means we've fostered a creative and innovative wine scene. Our winemakers are pushing boundaries by not only experimenting with new grape varieties and unusual blends but also by toying with new winemaking techniques, such as partial berry ferments, carbonic maceration and skin-contact wines. Start taste testing the classics and progress from there. [caption id="attachment_673382" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Manly Wine[/caption] RIESLING Riesling is one of the most exciting and elegant dry white wines in the world. The grapes produce aromatic light- to medium-bodied wines with high acid presence and Australian rieslings tend to lean on the drier, crisp end of the spectrum. They are generally unoaked to highlight the wines zippy, acid lines, and while it's drinkable when it's very young, some wines can mature for decades. Where it's grown: Clare Valley, Eden Valley, Tasmania, Great Southern (WA) and Canberra District. What it tastes like: It's got so many expressions: jasmine florals overlaid by lime cordial and lemon meringue pie with a backbone of acidity and structure that will complement dishes like pork dumplings or sweet-and-sour chicken. SAUVIGNON BLANC Even though it's a white varietal, sauvignon blanc is the parent grape to red grape cabernet sauvignon. Hailing from France's Loire Valley, the grape was first grown in Australia in the 1800s but didn't become popular until 160 years later when our friends across the ditch started generating buzz about this little aromatic variety from the Marlborough region. Sauvignon blanc suits a more 'hands-off' approach; it's often picked when ripe and then fermented in stainless steel tanks to maintain freshness and vibrancy. Where it's grown: Adelaide Hills, Margaret River, Tasmania and Orange. What it tastes like: Australian Savvy Bs tend to take on a more tropical fruit expression — think pineapple, mandarin and guava — with bright citrus notes that scream for a bucket of prawns or fish and chips by the beach. CHARDONNAY Chardonnay is an excellent representation of the vineyard in which its fruit was grown, and it allows for experimentation — winemakers can choose what barrel it's fermented in, for example. Australia makes lean and light-bodied wines in cooler climates up to fuller-bodied, rich and ripe versions in our warm climates. Where it's grown: Adelaide Hills, Yarra Valley, Tasmania, Margaret River, Hunter Valley and Mornington Peninsula. What it tastes like: Ripe stone fruits like white peach, balanced with fruits like pink grapefruit or apples and pears, rounded out with vanilla notes (from the oak it's fermented in). ROSÉ There are a few different ways to make rosé, but the most common is the practice of 'free run' juice. The grapes are crushed and all the liquid freely drains from the skins to the tank before the squeezing process begins. This process produces wines that are balanced in acidity and display high levels of purity in fruit aroma and flavour. Where it's grown: Yarra Valley, Tasmania, Langhorne Creek, plus most other wine regions. What it tastes like: Depending on the style of rosé, you could have florals, pomegranate and wild strawberry characters with fleshy savoury flavours (like dried herbs) on the other end of the spectrum. Dunk one in an ice bucket and enjoy with an antipasti platter for summer grazing. [caption id="attachment_731347" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] PINOT NOIR All over the world pinot noir is regarded as one of the hardest grapes to grow and requires extra attention in every step of its development. A common winemaking strategy when handling pinot noir is to do an 'early press'. Pressing is the process that separates the red juice from its skins. Flavour and structure are extracted during this process by pressing early, before fermentation is completed. Where it's grown: Adelaide Hills, Yarra Valley, Tasmania, Mornington Peninsula, Gippsland, Geelong and Macedon Ranges. What it tastes like: It runs the full gamut of flavours from raspberry and crushed blueberries to savoury expressions like hints of clove, cinnamon bark and wet earth. With its complexity and versatility, pinot noir is the ultimate team player — an all-rounder that can fit into any culinary occasion. SHIRAZ Shiraz thrives in the heat and requires a warm growing season (something we're not short on here in Australia). However, the most aromatic, elegant styles of shiraz are grown in regions with high diurnal temperature ranges (warm days/cool nights). In more temperate areas, shiraz shows jammy, dark berry and plummy fruit characters and less of the delicate aromas. Where it's grown will affect how shiraz is processed and fermented, allowing the winemaker to create a particular style and to build character and complexity into the wine. Where it's grown: Barossa, McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek, Heathcote, Hunter Valley, Canberra District, McLaren Vale, Eden Valley and Mount Barker. What it tastes like: Punnets of berries dusted with black and green peppercorns, usually medium-bodied in style with drying tannins that call for barbecued meats. WHO'S DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY? Australia's winemakers are always looking for new ways to develop, and even our more established wineries are open to experimentation in crafting new and exciting wines. The Wolf Blass Makers' Project range is all about celebrating the artistry of winemaking and showcasing the unique properties of each grape variety grown at a particular site. Experimental wines, like this range, are a way of developing and fostering new talent too, as the opportunity encourages the next generation of winemakers to think outside the box. The Wolf Blass Makers' Project wines showcase textures and freshness from the grapes to create fun and easy-to-drink styles like the pink pinot grigio, which is crafted with 'free run' juice, and the pinot noir, made using early pressing techniques to create a smooth and silky wine that's bursting with berry fruit characters. And then there's the reserve shiraz, which uses whole berry fermentation so that more full-fruit and robust flavours are extracted with gentle spicy characteristics. Explore the range that celebrates the processes of skilled winemakers, here. Love to wine and dine? Learn about your favourite flavour matches in our series Encyclopedia of Wine in collaboration with Wolf Blass. Top image: Hunter Valley, Destination NSW.
Here we go again. Fred again.. is currently on one of the most exhilarating and spontaneous tours of Australia we've ever seen. The UK sensation has performed at the Sydney Opera House, Rod Laver Arena and is currently in the middle of a run of shows at Qudos Bank Arena — plus, he's done surprise and pop-up sets at Club 77, Revolver, The Timber Yard, Hotel Brunswick and Doug Jennings Park. But he's not done yet, with another show just announced, this time taking over The Domain in Sydney on Saturday, March 16 for a night of DJ sets. "Okayyyy Sydney," Fred posted to his Instagram on Wednesday, March 13. "We're going to do a big fat sorta end of shows week party at the main on Saturday. Imma be DJing wit some friends." The beloved producer will be joined by his close friend JOY (ANONYMOUS), plus local superstars Sam Alfred and Dameeeela for the inner-city dance party. As with the first Sydney Opera House show, tickets have been dropped with no warning and are on sale now via Tiketek. The tour came out of nowhere, after a post to Fred again..'s Instagram showing him boarding a flight with JOY (ANONYMOUS), teasing that they'd be performing wherever the plane landed. Next thing we knew, he popped up on top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, announcing that ultra last-minute performance at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall. Before now, Fred was last in town for Laneway 2023 alongside Haim, Joji and Phoebe Bridgers, at which time he created pandemonium by performing at a slate of pop-up DJ sets around Australia and New Zealand alongside his festival appearances. As with his famous Boiler Room set, and the DJ-style pop-ups he did while in the country for Laneway, Fred again.. will be hitting the decks with a USB filled with his own hits — from cult classics 'Delilah (pull me out of this)', 'Marea (we've lost dancing)' and 'Rumble' to his new single 'stayinit' with Lil Yachty and Overmono — as well as plenty of broader dance music bangers. Fred again.. Australia 2024 Tour Remaining Dates: Wednesday, March 12–Thursday, March 14 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Saturday, March 16 — The Domain, Sydney Fred again.. is DJing alongside JOY (ANONYMOUS), Dameeeela and Sam Salfred at The Domain on Saturday, March 16. Tickets are on sale now. Live images: Maclay Heriot / Daniel Boud, Laneway 2023.
Beyond: Two Souls is a staggering achievement in gaming. If you're a semi-regular gamer, you already know that. But it's if you don't include games in your current recreational repertoire that the information is most pertinent. Because Beyond is quite unlike your Grand Theft Autos, Call of Dutys, Wii tennises and nearly every other blockbuster title on the market, and it might be the one that sucks you in. Made for a reputed $28 million, Beyond stars Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe in leading roles and screened its demo at this year's prestigious Tribeca Film Festival. It sits somewhere between cinema and what we think of as games, crafting an interactive drama that you play in the first person. French studio Quantic Dream, who explored a similar form with Heavy Rain (2010), are really concerned with the possibilities of immersive storytelling using new technologies. Curious? Here are a few reasons to give Beyond: Two Souls a go. Because you like film and TV Let's face it, of all the screen arts, video games are not the ones known for their complexity of story, character or emotion; they're known for their abundance of things to shoot at. But storytelling comes first in Beyond: There are some action scenes, but they happen in the broader context of the life of one specific girl, Jodie Holmes (Page), who is blessed/cursed with various psychic powers that make her valuable to the CIA and government research departments but chilling to her parents and peers. Her whole life she has felt a connection to the invisible 'entity' Aiden, and much of the tension in the game comes from the love/hate relationship she has with her constant companion. As the player, you see Jodie from the ages of six to twenty-one, though you play the chapters out of chronological order, piecing together the puzzles of her life. "We tried to create an interactive experience, more than just another video game," said Beyond's writer/director David Cage at a recent game preview in Sydney. He takes his cues from the world of cinema, adding elements from the game designers' toolkit to make you even more invested in the story. Because you want to see Ellen Page's Oscar-worthy performance There are so many sub-reasons it's great to see Ellen Page in the main role in Beyond, and the fact that she's not some 'sassy' and pneumatically boobed animation — she's Ellen Page — is just the tip of the iceberg. "A mix of technology and talent" is Cage's catch cry for Beyond, which would've been a far lesser game without the perfect female lead to embody your journey. And embodying it really is — Page is not just lending her voice or her face; she and the rest of the cast acted out this 2000-page script in a bare room kitted out in the latest in performance capture technology. They even developed a new method of capturing eye movement, placing small markers all around the eye to track minute muscle contractions and so basically eliminating that 'cold dead eyes' effect that has long plagued computer-generated imaging. The process is truly a sight to behold. In this sometimes testing, sometimes liberating environment, Page puts in an entrancing performance as Jodie, a character who's a pretty intense contradiction of feelings over many years of her life. "It's really bare acting," says Cage. "It's just you in this silly suit and all you can trust is your imagination, the script, the director helping you and, of course, the other actors. But it's really about acting in its pure, pure form." Because you think emotional journeys are the core of story "The idea is really to make you feel emotions that are usually rarely found in video games," says Cage. Specifically, rather than stress, competition and (a hopefully cathartic) rage, there's more hurt, mourning, nervousness, pride and love. Beyond's emotional palette is that of growing up, moving forward and mourning (Cage was inspired to write the story after the death of someone close to him). While there's plenty of this kind of exploration going on in indie games, such as That Game Company's phenomenal Journey, Beyond is perhaps the only big-budget, high-production-value game with this agenda. "We really tried to put you in the shoes of this young woman," says Cage. "You will feel like you've known her since she was a kid because you've been with her in the happy and difficult moments of her life, you know what she went through and where she comes from. My hope is that by the time you are done with the game and you turn off the console you will be a little bit sad, because you may never see her again." Because you won't get stuck on level 6 Or any level before or after. Beyond is all about the consequences your actions have on a life. And just like life, there are no do-overs. Instead, the game will funnel you on to the next chapter, via a slightly different road. Get caught by the cops? Maybe your invisible friend can help you out of those cuffs. Asphyxiate in a fire? Here's that 'come toward the light' sequence you were definitely going to see at some point. You will not keep dying at that one tricky spot in perpetuity. That means no matter your skills, Beyond will take you about 12 hours to play through. The control scheme is also a bit different and quite simple — an annoyance to some regular gamers but great for newbies. Quantic Dream have carefully designed the gameplay to be so integrated into the story that it's basically invisible, and at its best moments, it's very elegant. The goal is not to pull you out of the story with the trials of a complex controller dance but to allow you to lose yourself in it. And if it's the controller itself that unnerves you, Beyond even allows you to sync up your Android or iOS device and use familiar swipes and taps instead. Because you won't be able to help it Beyond has its successes and failures it's true, but its single-minded inventiveness is so inspiring, film and new media makers are lapping it up. It's a bold step in the direction of 'convergence', which sees film and games blend, borrow from each other and sometimes forge something completely new. Don't play it now and you'll instead see some flicker of it, in some medium, some time in the future. Beyond: Two Souls is out now on PS3.
Two actors are situated in the middle of a room that becomes the intimate stage for Ross Mueller's Construction of the Human Heart. Performed at the TAP Gallery in the Upstairs Theatre and presented by the independent Apocalypse Theatre Company, the play focuses entirely on the words of the characters. Centred around two playwrights named Him and Her, Construction of the Human Heart examines loss and grief, and how these two people use words to shield themselves from these feelings. The play glimpses into their psyches and looks at the meaning behind what they say, creating a dark and surreal comedy. Director Dino Dimitriadis's goal when conceiving his staging of the play was to be able to properly compensate actors Michael Cullen and Cat Martin, playing Him and Her respectively. From there, the crowdfunding campaign for Construction of the Human Heart was born. Using Pozible, they reached their funding goal on March 6.
For fans of anime film director Hayao Miyazaki, the good news is that his new film, The Wind Rises, will be released in Australian cinemas next year. The bad news is, he's confirmed that this will be his last full-length feature film. Miyazaki's animation career has spanned over 50 years, but he's best known for the studio he co-founded, Studio Ghibli, and its films Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle and Ponyo — dreamy, whimsical movies that are a lot more progressive than the average Disney number, addressing things like feminism, environmentalism and pacifism. The Wind Rises is a semi-fictional biopic about aeroplane designer Jiro Horikoshi, who designed the A6M Zero (a deadly aircraft used in World War II) but started out as a young boy who dreamed of making and flying beautiful planes. Set in pre-war Japan, the film depicts events including the Depression, the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the tuberculosis epidemic and Japan's role in WWII. It's attracted a lot of controversy in Japan, having been released in the middle of a nationwide debate about the Japanese government's proposed changes to the military. Despite this, The Wind Rises has still been at the top of the Japanese box office for seven consecutive weeks and has been getting some pretty good reviews. Miyazaki announced his retirement from feature animation in a media statement on Friday, 6 September. He said that while he will continue working in other capacities, he will not direct another full-length film — and that includes scripting and supervising as well as the pen-to-paper animation Studio Ghibli painstakingly produces. The latest film took five years to finish, and at that rate, the anime legend says, "the studio can't survive." The Wind Rises will be released in Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment in 2014.
