Here's one of the greatest double features that you can stream right now: Emma Stone and Greek Weird Wave director Yorgos Lanthimos teaming up on 2018's ace The Favourite, then the duo working their combined magic again in 2023's Poor Things. The best film of last year is still screening in picture palaces; however, it's also hitting Disney+ on Thursday, March 7 so that you can soak up its delights at home. If you're wondering why this riff on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein is dancing like it's never danced before into your streaming queue right now, you have the Oscars to thank. Hollywood's night of nights takes place on Monday, March 11 Down Under, with Poor Things collecting 11 nominations — coming second only to Oppenheimer. So, you can either rewatch or finally catch up with the awards contender, which is up for the big gongs such as Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress for Stone and Best Supporting Actor for Mark Ruffalo. Poor Things is also in the running for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score and Best Production Design. Even if it doesn't emerge victorious in all or even most fields, it's going to get plenty of attention at the Oscars whenever these categories come up. Poor Things doesn't actually use the f-word — Frankenstein, that is — but Stone is clearly playing a version of Frankenstein's monster. The film adapts Alasdair Grey's 1992 award-winning novel, with the parallels with Shelley's mother-of-all horror greats as obvious as a bolt of lightning. The focus: Bella Baxter, a woman resurrected by an unorthodox scientist, distinctive in her mannerisms afterwards and eager to learn about a world that isn't quite sure how to react. Continuing the movie's top-notch casting — and Lanthimos' in general, as seen in everything from Dogtooth and Alps to The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer as well — Poor Things boasts Willem Dafoe (Asteroid City) as the tinkering Dr Godwin Baxter; Ruffalo (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law) as Duncan Wedderburn, a slick lawyer that Bella runs off with; and also Ramy's Ramy Youssef, plus On the Count of Three co-stars Jerrod Carmichael and Christopher Abbott. It features just one of Stone's two stunning 2023 performances, too, with the end of the year seeing her turn in exceptional work in both this and TV's The Curse. She'd been away from the screen for a short stint beforehand; Cruella released in 2021, and only The Croods: A New Age, Zombieland: Double Tap and TV's Maniac also sat on her resume after The Favourite. Check out the full trailer for Poor Things below: Poor Things is still showing in cinemas, and streams via Disney+ from Thursday, March 7. Read our review. Images: courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2023 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved.
For almost five years, Daisy's Milkbar was an homage to rockabilly and retro diner-style meals. But you'll no longer find tattoo-covered inner westies sitting in its pink booths sippin' Iced Vovo milkshakes or diggin' into banana splits — the Petersham stalwart has shut up shop. For good. Owners Jess and Jake de Varine-Bohan announced the closure in a Facebook post last week, saying they'd made the hard decision to "not reopen Daisy's in 2020". "Daisy's has been an incredible experience," Jess and Jake said in the post. "We've collaborated with so many amazing people and other businesses, hosted weddings and special events, had the space used for filming and photo shoots, done some fun pop ups and best of all met so many great people and made some of our closest friends through the cafe." https://www.facebook.com/daisysmilkbar/photos/a.1498607127046339/2493783160862059/?type=3&theater While the Petersham shop has closed forever — and the space is now up for lease — Jess and Jake have kept the business name, Daisy's Milkbar, and haven't ruled out opening another version of the retro milkbar in the near future. "I'm really going to miss so much about having the cafe," Jess said in the post. "But for Jake, Veronica [the couple's baby] and I now is the right time to finish up this chapter - I'm nervous and excited for whatever will come next!" We'll let you know if and when a new Daisy's Milkbar is announced. Daisy's Milkbar in Petersham is now closed.
Mildura has been a magnet for artists for more than sixty years. So, even though international touring artists don't always make it to Australia's outback towns, it's no surprise that Lenny Kravitz is doing the honours. On 28 November, he'll take over the Mildura Sporting Precinct with his Blue Electric Light Tour, hot from London, Paris and Berlin. Skip the massive crowds in Sydney and Melbourne, and catch the legend with just a few thousand avid fans. You can expect classic hits like 'Are You Gonna Go My Way?', 'Fly Away' and 'It Ain't Over Till it's Over', as well as tunes from Kravitz's new album, Blue Electric Light. As he has for decades, Kravitz is still winning crowds with his catchy hooks, high energy and undeniable charisma. While you're in Mildura, go exploring with our weekender's guide. There's a lot to see and do – from Bruce Munro's dreamy, contemplative Trail of Lights to cruising on a 19th century paddle steamer to wine tasting on the banks of the Murray River.
Sydney's in lockdown once again, with stay-at-home orders in place and hospitality venues closed to dine-in customers. While this inevitably means that drinks at your local will have to wait, in the meantime, you can enjoy the next best thing at home. Whether you're after wine, tinnies or freshly shaken cocktails, a stack of Sydney bars are ensuring you don't go thirsty while social distancing. Better yet, by ordering from these guys, you'll be supporting small, local businesses. So, if it looks like you need to restock your liquor cabinet, here are seven of the best boozy delivery deals (and takeaway options) around town. If you choose to pick up these drinks rather than have them delivered, have a look at the latest COVID-19 advice.
The Australian cuisine has always been mysterious, but occasionally we get a glimpse into what it might be or what it could be. Kin by Us is one those glimpses. It's an unpretentious mix of cuisines and cultures coming from My Kitchen Rules contestants Shannelle and Uel Lim. The menu reads like contrived attempt at blending pop Asian food with Australian cafe cuisine, but it's simply the food Uel and Shannelle love to eat. They both grew up overseas; Uel spent four years travelling on a ship with his missionary parents, while Shannelle is part Indonesian, part Chinese. The menu reflects the couple’s mixed cultural identities. The Waffle Belly ($17), two succulent strips of caramel soy pork belly served with slaw, shiitake mushrooms and an onsen egg atop a crunchy potato waffle, is a creative take on Uel’s memory of his Singaporean grandma. Onsen eggs, almost liquid soft poached eggs, burst somewhat pornographically onto many of the MKR couple’s dishes. Another reinvented relic from the couple’s past is the Snap Crackle Plop ($10): chicken rice and peas served under a cluster of crispy fried chicken skins and an onsen egg. Like a more textural Asian porridge, the dish is far from thrilling but inexplicably comforting. It’s one of many homages to the couple’s love for the ‘unhealthy food’ they grew up with. The brioche sandwiches, another great example, are shockingly long and generously filled. The Shandong chicken sandwich with slaw ($14) feels like eating a savoury sundae. The soft shell crab, while more delicate, is similarly intense. Uel told us the cafe’s open design was intended to reflect the mixed backgrounds and families of the two chefs, but we think it better represents the ambiguous middle line Kin sits between restaurant and cafe. The difference in detail that once separated cafes from their more serious night equivalents isn’t apparent at Kin. Like many new cafes in Sydney the fit-out and menu here are exact and inventive. Of the more classically cafe options we were most intrigued by the durian affogato ($7), a brave pairing that’s superbly executed. The durian gelato is unashamedly rich and pungent, but when doused in Rueben Hills' espresso, it mellows and adds to a balanced match. For something subtler, try the coconut cold brew ($5). In the future, the couple are planning more waffle dishes, including one with kimchi, cheese and fried chicken, and a waffle burger — yes, that’s waffle, meat, cheese, vegetable, waffle. Uel told us he’s also wants to rework something they originally called ‘breakfast’, a mysterious mix of cereal, prawns and egg. It’s an exciting future for a cafe that’s already charmed us with its effortless approach at fusion food.
While there are fewer feet dancing in the Cross than there used to be, the Kings Cross Hotel is still flying the good-time flag high. From the dive bar to the rooftop, you'll have ample opportunity to get your freak on. Bask under the neon light of the Coke sign on the club level as you pull your best moves to some of Sydney's finest DJ talents. At the occasional takeover, the entire six floors of the venue are transformed into one big party, and, yeah, you might want to take the following Monday off.
Long a staple of Good Food Month, the Night Noodle Markets are the ideal after-work hangout, combining the bustling atmosphere of an Asian hawker market with the opportunity to kick back with a couple of drinks and watch the sun go down in Hyde Park. Over 200,000 people attended last year, and with many of Sydney's top Asian restaurants amongst the stallholders, this year promises to be just as popular. The Night Noodle Markets open October 9-12, 14-19, 21-26. Opening hours are Mon-Tue 5-9pm, Wed 5-10pm, Thur-Fri 5-11pm, Sat 4-10pm. Check out the rest of our top ten picks of Good Food Month here.
As much of the TV-watching world is, Ashley Zukerman is a Succession fan. Unlike almost everyone else, however, his affection was partly built from inside of the award-winning series. In a recurring role across the HBO masterpiece's four seasons, he played political strategist Nate Sofrelli, whose past romantic relationship with Shiv Roy — portrayed by fellow Australian Sarah Snook (Memoir of a Snail) — kept spilling over into their present professional and personal spheres. But "there was periods where I didn't know if I was coming back", Zukerman tells Concrete Playground, "and there were periods where I just became more fan than part of it". A role in one of the best TV shows of the 21st century, plus a range of others in fellow international fare — big-screen horror-western The Wind and drama Language Arts; television's A Teacher, The Lost Symbol and City on Fire; and the three straight-to-streaming Fear Street movies among them — kept Zukerman away from home for years. Then In Vitro, an Aussie sci-fi thriller that premiered at the 2024 Sydney Film Festival and hit local cinemas in general release on Thursday, March 27, 2025, came his way. Before this, he hadn't worked on a homegrown project since 2017's The Easybeats miniseries Friday on My Mind. Prior to that, he'd hopped between the Australian and Aussie-made likes of The Pacific, Rush, Terra Nova, Underbelly and The Code, and Manhattan, Fear the Walking Dead, Masters of Sex and Designated Survivor overseas. Starring in In Vitro eventuated because he initially met two of the film's co-writers and fellow actors, Will Howarth (who also co-directs with Tom McKeith) and Talia Zucker, in Los Angeles when they were all stateside endeavouring to establish their careers. Due to release timing, audiences who didn't catch In Vitro on its 2024 festival run will have seen Zukerman pop up in homegrown efforts in Aussie limited series Apple Cider Vinegar first, earlier in 2025. Later this year, he also has Australian-made, New Year's Eve-set time-travel film One More Shot heading to Stan. Only In Vitro has him playing a cattle breeder in an eerie vision of the potential near future, though — a livestock farmer experimenting with biotechnology in a world, and an industry, decimated by the climate crisis and struggling to adapt to the new reality. As Jack, husband to Zucker's (Motel Acacia) Layla, Howarth (Toolies) and McKeith's (Beast) movie also tasks Zukerman with exploring the distance that clearly lingers in the the feature's central marriage, digging into the source of Jack and Layla's domestic disharmony, and unpacking the impact of controlling relationships. More than two decades have now passed since Zukerman's initial screen role, also in an Australian film, with playing Thug #2 in Tom White his debut performance. Looking back on it, "so that was my first-ever thing, and I hadn't gone to the Victorian College of the Arts yet. I had no idea what I was doing", he advises. "My family, no one in my family, was in creative industries at all. I was just trying to brute-force my way through, trying to get headshots and making cold calls and just trying", Zukerman continues. "And then when that called and I got a role, I thought it was the craziest thing in the world. Then I get there and I do it, and I'm in a scene with Colin Friels [Interceptor] and Dan Spielman [Black Snow], who I ended up playing brothers with in The Code years later. And I thought that was just very, very special at the time. Dan was on, I think, The Secret Life of Us, and Colin Friels on Water Rats, and they were heroes of mine at the time. And then to be able to revisit that with Dan years later as, I guess, equals, was very special." [caption id="attachment_997134" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Succession, David Russell/HBO[/caption] From the outside, the success that Zukerman has enjoyed over the last few years with Succession, Fear Street, City on Fire, A Teacher, The Lost Symbol and more seems huge. It is huge. He's also added Apple TV+'s Silo to his resume. For him, however, "it hasn't felt huge, but I don't think I necessarily ever have that feeling of looking at things from the outside", he reflects. "From the inside, I'd say that it's felt really fun. I know that the thing I love most is when I love the project and I feel like I'm close to the coalface of something. I thought that they were all great projects, and so that has been fun." "You're right, it's been a really nice few years, and it felt comfortable," Zukerman goes on. "I guess I'll say I've just never really stressed work. I've always known things will come, and I've always been aware that if I'm not chosen for something that it's because the person, the artist in charge of it, just doesn't need my specific colour, my specific paintbrush, and so I've never really sweated it if things haven't come to me. But the last couple of years, it's just been really enjoyable to just work on special things — and to be able to have a continuous run of that, I do feel very full now. I'm not someone who enjoys acting all the time, I don't necessarily love the experience, but I do love it when I feel that there are certain elements there, and I've been on a run projects now where those elements were largely there. It has been a really fun few years for that." From what excited Zukerman about In Vitro, his read on his complicated character and the research that went into his performance, to farewelling Succession, returning home and his initial acting dream, our chat with Zukerman covers them all — and more — as well. On What Excited Zukerman About In Vitro, and About Making His First Australian Project Since Friday on My Mind "So I knew Tahlia and Will. I'd known them before. We all met in LA when we were all younger and hustling out there. It was just this coffee shop that we all ended up frequenting, and that's where we got to know each other. It was during the pandemic that they sent the script and said 'we've been working on this, we've been thinking about you for it'. And I read it and I thought 'wow'. And I was honoured that they thought of me for it. But I thought that they had done something just really special. I think that the horror genre or the thriller genre is interesting when it's used to explore other themes. And so the thriller part of it didn't necessarily pop for me, but I thought that they were able to thread together some nuanced questions about a few issues that we're dealing with in the world, and finding a connection between them — with the climate crisis; domestic violence; how we use tech to brute-force our way through solutions; and how some people in our world don't really care about our world or the natural world or each other as the actual life that exists in it, but just what they can take from it. And I think that they were able to thread all those ideas in a very nuanced way, offering something new to the questions of 'what do we do in this world?' and 'how are we going to deal with all of these issues we have?'. The climate crisis, like so many of us, that keeps me up at night. One of the things I worry most about it is this idea that it's happening just, just slow enough that we get used to it, and it's so hard to talk about. It's so difficult to engage with it, because it's so scary for so many of us. As soon as, I know for me personally, it's hard for me when I see an article written about it for me to click on it, for me to actually open that page and delve into it. It's hard for me to watch something about it. And I thought that what they did here was they did it in a very nuanced way, where they offered something very new to that conversation, and in a way that I thought was going to be very useful and interesting — and human. It was just that the film seemed to have a very new idea to approach this issue, and that's I think what moved me about it. And then, as we went on, there were questions about the character that became far more important for me to ask. But when I first read it, that's what touched me." On Zukerman's Read on Jack and His Motivations "I think it depends how far back we go with him. If we go from what we know backwards, I think he's gotten to a stage where he has lost his sense of humanity and he's just so far down the rabbit hole on this that he can't actually turn back. I was working on this show, The Lost Symbol, the Dan Brown thing, at the time that I read this, and I was researching these secret societies and how people who were doing bad things justified them. And I came across this quote, which was from the Bible: 'to the pure, all things are pure'. I think that that is key to Jack, that because he felt he was doing something worthy and important, everything else he was doing was fine and justified … It's this idea that he's probably just a bucket with a hole in it. It doesn't matter what you pour in, he's always going to be empty. I think he's one of these just incredibly ordinary people who thinks that he's a vulnerable genius, and no one is giving him the adulation he deserves, and he will never get enough love from his partner, and that then leads to control and violence. So I think those are the things that are at play in him." On Playing a Part That's a Puzzle for the Audience as They Try to Piece Together the Full Story "Typically, the more complex a character, the less challenging I find it, because then there are just so many things underneath the surface. So those things were great, and once I knew the approach, what we were trying to do, we talked, Will, Tom and Tahlia and I talked early about this idea that we'd be doing a disservice to this story if he was arch — especially the domestic control, domestic violence story. And that he had to be so ordinary in that way, that if we were trying to portray a villain, it would do a disservice to Tahlia's story and it would be doing a disservice to the wider story. So the fact that we could let all of that complexity live in him, that gave me a lot of freedom. But you're right that the challenging thing in any of these stories is how we bury the lead when we choose to drop breadcrumbs, how we lean on awkward moments as clues for the idea — like leaving just enough the information for the audience to question what is going on to lead them down the rabbit hole with us ,but gently. That is the more challenging thing, because that's not necessarily about just living in the scene naturally. That's trying to plan the larger story. I was buoyed when I saw it — I thought we did that quite well. I really loved especially how they put it together in the edit, leaning on those awkward interactions, I thought was quite nice." On the Research That Goes Into Playing a Part Like This, Digging Into Coercive Control, Biotech and More "Typically I do love a lot of research, and I started down the path of him being an engineer. I wanted to make sure those thoughts were in there. I wanted to know where we were at with that stuff. But I think ultimately where I got to was, all that stuff — like you like feel at the end of the film — I think is window dressing in a way. I needed to know enough about that so that I could know what he was doing, but ultimately the key to him is what we're talking about — how to actually think about these men who do these things, like 'what is the wiring going on in in them?'. That's the work of understanding this character. It's the domestic work. It's the human work. And to try to explain, empathise, not absolve, but just to understand what makes these people do those things. I think that was the work with him." [caption id="attachment_997132" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Succession, Macall Polay/HBO[/caption] On Saying Goodbye to Succession, and What It Meant to Zukerman to Be a Part of It "I think it's so nice that that show will exist forever. I think it's now part of television canon, and to be a part of it, I'm just so proud. So I think it will just always have a life. I grew up loving The Sopranos and Six Feet Under and The Wire and Oz, and those seminal TV shows — and The West Wing. I knew characters that were there for an episode, that were there for three episodes. I was so aware of every little storyline on all of those shows, and I was just like 'if only I could be in something like that, that would be it'. Like, 'I would be fine'. [caption id="attachment_997133" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Succession, Peter Kramer/HBO[/caption] And I'm lucky that I got to do one of those, and I got to be there for a little bit, and I got to witness how they made it, and I got to be around those people. I just feel so lucky. I was there and I was a part of it, but I got to also be an audience just as much as, I think, in it. It's an interesting question. It was something just so special about that production that I think I'll continue to try to, I guess, understand and learn from and think about. [caption id="attachment_997137" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Succession, David Russell/HBO[/caption] All I love about any work is how close to the creative muscle I can be, and I think what was special about that show was that. I was on the periphery. There were moments when I was a little more forward in the story, but largely I was orbiting the story. And I think what was special about that is that it doesn't matter how big your role must have been — that's both the cast and crew — everyone on that set felt like they were a part of it, that they had agency to make decisions, that they were genuinely like what was being asked of them was what was special about them to only bring that. That was what was special, and that's what I'll remember. And I think it left something with me that I've taken to other things. I think it's that energy that I've brought with me after that show. " [caption id="attachment_997145" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Apple Cider Vinegar, courtesy of Netflix © 2025[/caption] On Heading Back to Australia After a Significant Run of Roles Overseas "It was never by design that I would be away. It was just that the right things didn't come up, or scheduling got in the way, or something happened for me over there that meant that I couldn't come back for various things. And it was just always I missed it. I really missed being back. I really love it here. I love the way we work. I love how fast we are, how efficient we are. We work with few resources sometimes, but it's an advantage, it creates the style of TV and film that we make. It all goes into it. It ends up on camera, that energy. And it kind of has become our visual language sometimes. [caption id="attachment_997144" align="alignnone" width="1920"] One More Shot, Ben King/Stan[/caption] And I also guess there is something about being overseas and an expat which means I'm always playing someone else in a way. There's something about home, is what I'm saying, that's important. That I know the rules of Australia. I know how people interact, that there's the micro gestures between us all, how we all interact. I guess that is home for me, that when I get back to Australia my shoulders drop and I just know how to live here. Even though the US isn't that different, it's different enough that it changes me. It requires something else of me to live there. And that's a joy sometimes. I mean, to leave is wonderful — but to come back is really, it's home. It's just a very special thing. And also, I feel very fortunate because of what I've been able to do overseas, I can now come back and work on these great things, and help these great things get up." On the Initial Dream for Zukerman's Acting Career When He Was First Starting Out "It's such a great question, because it's so rare to look back and go 'what was it that that younger person had actually wanted, and are you there now?'. That's a very special question that I don't really often give myself time to do. But I think I probably had a lot of chutzpah and a lot of ambition back then. I probably had ideas, but I didn't know what the job was, even. I didn't know what the work of being an actor was. I had a feeling that acting gave me the ability to do something I couldn't do in life, that I loved the analysis of human beings, and I loved being able to express things that I didn't express in my normal life. I loved that. But that hadn't really congealed yet, and probably at the time I just had ideas about wanting to play these big roles and do these big things, but I didn't know what it was. [caption id="attachment_997146" align="alignnone" width="1920"] City on Fire, Apple TV+[/caption] Once I started studying and I started understanding what it was, I think very quickly the only goal of mine was to have choice — just to be able to do the things I love. Like I said, it's just not always the case that I love acting, and I knew that early on that sometimes the experience can be difficult for myriad reasons. But to be able to get to a point where I can just, from project to project — based on, whether it's the quality of the work or it's the quality of the people, or both — that I could just choose to do that. I think that's nice to think about that. I think I have it, I am doing that now. I get to be pretty picky with what I do, and I get to do things for the right reasons." In Vitro opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, March 27, 2025.
It's not just you and I that struggle through these hot summer days — particularly this week, during the heatwave — our pups get hot, too. Thankfully, there are a few places you can take them to cool down. And one of them is a new pool exclusively for very good dogs. Located at the southern end of Sydney Park, near City Farm, the dog-only pool is the perfect spot to visit at the end of a (slightly sweaty) summer walk. Sydney Park, which borders St Peters and Erskineville, is one of 44 off-leash parks in the City of Sydney — but it's the only one with a dedicated doggy pool. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bsv6Q2zFYmu/ You might even spot Lord Mayor Clover Moore there with her two staffies, Bessie and Buster. If Sydney Park isn't a convenient stop off for you, you could also take your pet to one of Sydney's dog-friendly beaches — which include Sirius Cove in Mosman up north, and Horderns Beach in Bundeena down south — or to one of our favourite dog parks. Then, you can both head for a pint or two at these ten pubs and bars that cater for pups.
When Lorde announced that she'd be bringing her Ultrasound world tour to Australia in 2026, Sydneysiders and Melburnians embraced the green light to buy presale tickets. In fact, the demand for the Aotearoan star's Qudos Bank Arena and Rod Laver Arena gigs has been so huge that new shows in both cities have already been announced — before general tickets to the originally locked-in concerts even go on sale. In February 2026, the 'Royals', 'Solar Power' and 'What Was That' singer-songwriter will hit the stage across both Australia and New Zealand, making dates with arenas at every stop across a six-city run. Sydney and Melbourne are now hosting not one gig apiece, but two. Ella Yelich-O'Connor is playing the Harbour City on Wednesday, February 18 and again on Thursday, February 19, then the Victorian capital on Saturday, February 21 as well as Sunday, February 22. These are the final Sydney and Melbourne dates that'll be added to the tour. [caption id="attachment_1012905" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joseph Okpako/WireImage[/caption] Lorde last took her Solar Power tour to Australia in 2023. Her new series of concerts begins in September 2025 in the US — and also includes gigs in Canada, the UK and across Europe before this year is out. When the initial Australian and NZ dates were revealed, they came fresh from Yelich-O'Connor's surprise 2025 Glastonbury set, as well as her fourth album Virgin releasing at the end of June. The latter debuted at number one in Australia and New Zealand alike. This is Lorde's biggest tour of her career in general, too, with nights at the likes of Madison Square Garden in New York City and O2 Arena in London already sold out. [caption id="attachment_1012901" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Thistle Brown[/caption] Featuring the aforementioned 'What Was That' — her first original new track in four years — alongside 'Man of the Year', 'Hammer', 'Favourite Daughter' and 'Shapeshifter', Virgin also hit number one in the UK and number two on the Billboard 200 chart in the US. There might be a three-year gap between Lorde's last Down Under shows and her upcoming Ultrasound tour concerts; however, in addition to writing and recording Virgin, she's been busy making a surprise Sydney club appearance back in May 2025 at a Lorde-themed night. Since 2013, when her debut record Pure Heroine arrived, Yelich-O'Connor has also released 2017's Melodrama and 2021's Solar Power, won two Grammys, picked up a Golden Globe nomination for 'Yellow Flicker Beat' from the soundtrack for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1 and notched up over 18 billion streams worldwide. [caption id="attachment_1012904" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joseph Okpako/WireImage[/caption] Lorde Ultrasound World Tour 2026 Australian Dates Monday, February 16 — Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Wednesday, February 18–Thursday, February 19 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Saturday, February 21–Sunday, February 22 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Wednesday, February 25 — Perth Arena, Perth Lorde is touring Australia and New Zealand in February 2026, with ticket presales for the new shows from 2pm local time on Thursday, July 17, 2025 and general sales for all shows from 2pm on Friday, July 18, 2025 — head to the tour website for more details. Top image: Thistle Brown.
Eating takeaway fish and chips from Bondi's Best on the grassy knoll of North Bondi is one of the best things you can do in Sydney — hands down. Fish and chips make winter taste like summer and summer taste like some kind of Coke ad for summer that's too good to be an actual thing that you get to live through. But the real magic here is the view back to one of the most postcard-perfect views in Sydney. North Bondi's little grassy knoll at the end of the beach has become a bit of a local go-to for picnics, solid book-reading sessions and all-round social get-togethers. Over the last few years, the local police have become a bit ancy with the whole drinking in public thing, so watch the BYO. Locals bring sound systems, cook up barbecues and parade their tiny dogs on the promenade. The perfect spot for long summery Sunday afternoons — if you can get a spot. By Rima Sabina Aouf with Shannon Connellan. Image: J Bar.
Never one to embrace cliches as an actor or director, Ralph Fiennes avoids the obvious with his latest film. While The White Crow tells the involving tale of Rudolf Nureyev, the biopic doesn't quite dance across the screen. Although it features exceptional sequences of real-life dancer and first-time actor Oleg Ivenko as the Russian ballet great, it doesn't ever let its subject's distinctive talents do the heavy lifting, or explain them away as a product of his difficult existence. There's still a flow and a rhythm to the movie, yet it's never exactly fluid. The film doesn't deny that Nureyev and his skills were influenced by the world around him, or ignore the struggles it caused him, but it doesn't simply connect the clear-cut dots either. All of this is by design, with The White Crow as restless as its central figure. The dancer couldn't ever really be pinned down, so Fiennes daren't waste his third stint behind the camera trying to achieve the impossible. Rather, as he once again highlights a complicated and conflicted man (as he did with Roman general Coriolanus in his adaption of Shakespeare's tragedy of the same name, and then writer Charles Dickens in The Invisible Woman), Fiennes builds his portrait of Nureyev by watching. The White Crow still spins a story, of course, primarily exploring the 1961 defection from the Soviet Union that'll forever remain synonymous with the ballet dancer. However, the movie particularly revels in gaining its sense of Nureyev through more than biographical data. It's clear that such an approach is behind the film's lead casting, specifically Fiennes' choice of a dancer over an actor. In the expressive yet internalised Ivenko, the picture gains a performer accustomed to conveying everything that transcends words, and one who demands an audience's attention with a fierce gaze and unwavering physicality. Making the leap from the Tatar State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in Kazan to portraying Russia's 'lord of the dance', Ivenko plays Nureyev as determined and dedicated — to his art and to himself. In Rudi's mind, they're both one and the same. Born aboard the Trans-Siberian Express in 1938, he emerges from a bleak childhood to find solace at a St Petersburg dance academy. Under the tutelage of mentor Alexander Pushkin (Fiennes), he's moulded by discipline and structure, though he rankles against the corresponding rules and surveillance. Then, on a visit to Europe while with the Kirov Ballet, Nureyev realises that his art and self will never thrive in his homeland. Parisian lights, sights and parties beckon, as do friendships with French dancer Pierre Lacotte (Raphaël Personnaz) and Chilean-French heiress Clara Saint (Adèle Exarchopoulos). Next comes his decision to flee to the west. Amidst handsomely shot frames, Fiennes tasks Ivenko with a responsibility placed upon all soloists, asking him to be one of the guiding lights without completely carrying the entire production. Despite his on-screen inexperience, the Ukrainian is certainly capable of the latter, but that's not what a ballet recital or a movie is about. And so, his co-stars add texture and detail around his central role, with Fiennes unsurprisingly the standout supporting player in a solely Russian-speaking part. Another real-life dancer, controversial superstar Sergei Polunin, acquits himself well as fellow Kirov troupe member Yuri Soloviev, whose prowess helps spur Rudi to push his own limits. From its defection focus, to its observational feel, to its solid performances, The White Crow boasts much that elevates it beyond the tried-and-tested biopic format. Alas, even though David Hare's script doesn't relay its narrative in a linear fashion, the film is far less engaging when it gets overly bogged down in the minutiae of the Cold War-era story — which can veer towards the routine, even for viewers unfamiliar with Nureyev's entire history. The same can be said of the movie's overt thematic nods, including unnecessary visual reminders of the freedom that's abundant abroad but absent under Soviet rule. That's all too straightforward, which Nureyev definitely wasn't. Although no single scene, on-stage or not, can wholly capture his essence, the ballet legend is better served by The White Crow's contemplative moments; as the title intimates, drawing from a Russian idiom, he's an outsider through and through. Accordingly, when he's seen staring intently at Géricault's painting The Raft of the Medusa and Rembrandt's The Prodigal Son at the Louvre, agonising over their detail and finding an unexpected creative connection in a different type of art, that's when Nureyev's spirit truly leaps off the screen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8M2n8YGFus
Three nights of showstopping performances and plant-based eats will descend on the Red Rattler Theatre as part of Sydney WorldPride this February. Following a sold-out premiere, Don't Cha Wish You Yum Cha? is returning for a set of five packed events, serving up live music, drag and dance from queer Asian creatives from across the country. Each scheduled performance will feature a different set of artists, with the likes of Aysha Buffer, Daddy Charles and Kim Schotte being joined by fire artist Silvy, dancers Onyx and Asap Merc, and live musicians BVT and AnSo as just a few of the names across the program. You can explore which artists are performing on which night via Humantix. While you're soaking in the performances, you'll also be treated to a plant-based yum cha feast. On the lineup of tasty treats: mushroom and water chestnut shumai, steamed cheong fun, broccoli in crispy garlic oil, fried rice and, of course, mango crepes. There will also be seasonal fruit-, flower- and herb-infused iced tea to enjoy alongside Red Rattler's usual selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Tickets for Don't Cha Wish You Yum Cha? are $80 or can be purchased in groups of four for $300.
UPDATE: JUNE 28, 2019 — Well, the time has come. Route 66 will close its King Street doors this Saturday, June 29. Pop by and say bye — and make a final purchase — before then. In the summer of 1988, a vintage emporium opened on Crown Street with a retro cowgirl (Miss Completely) painted on the building's side. And it's been there ever since. For 30 years, Route 66 has been a top-notch second-hand clothing destination and neighbourhood gem — and now it's closing its Darlinghurst doors and heading to Newtown. Opening first in Melbourne (the store has since closed), Route 66 is the child of Tina Lowe and Ross Waddington. After a trip through America's heartland, the couple wanted to encourage a lifestyle of "anti-fashion" in Sydney and create a hub for like-minded folk. Now run by Tina and Leroi Waddington (actual human child of Tina and Ross), the shop continues to stock some of Sydney's best quality denim, vintage boots, pomades and rare clothing. "I'm amazed I've been here for this long too," says Lowe. https://www.instagram.com/p/BwQeyHgB41d/ "Is it sad to leave the neighbourhood?" Lowe says, echoing our question. "Of course it is. I know we shouldn't be afraid of change and development and all those things but at the same time they're just homogenising the whole neighbourhood and Sydney. It's hard for people who are trying to do something different to have their own space." The move comes out of pre-emptive necessity due to local council approving a development application to build office blocks and carparks on the Crown Street block. If the build goes ahead, it will also impact the beloved The Record Store below — and most of the block, according to the vinyl haunt's co-owner Stephan Gyory. For now, The Record Store is holding its ground, but if the build goes ahead, it will have to move like its neighbour. "We looked around for a while and [Newtown] seems to be the only place that suits what we're doing," says Tina. "I think it'll be good. I'm excited about the space we found. And it's time for change." Taking over the former retro furniture shop Collectika, which is relocating to Burleigh Heads, Route 66 will make Newtown its new home sometime in June. According to the owners, much will be the same, just a bigger shop and a new postcode. Route 66's Crown Street location is slated to close son Saturday, June 29 and will reopen at 2/82 Enmore Road, Newtown soon after. We'll keep you updated with an exact date.
You may not be in Florence, Prague or Paris, but that doesn't mean you can't wander the city streets on foot, admire buildings or settle in for a candlelit dinner on the water's edge. Embrace your inner tourist, and you'll discover Sydney has plenty of romantic locations of its own, where historic landmarks, striking architecture and sparkling harbours make for their own soft-focus setting. No need to open the guidebook or ask for directions on the street — we've teamed up with Sydney's long-running Nick's Seafood Restaurant, in celebration of its 20th anniversary, to bring you a full date itinerary for those times when you want to be a tourist in your own city. [caption id="attachment_582765" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Sculpture at Barangaroo.[/caption] MEET FOR GOLDEN HOUR ON THE HARBOUR, BARANGAROO RESERVE This beautiful waterside district with its wide promenades and bustling restaurants, bars and providores is just begging to be explored. Start your date hand-in-hand with an amble through Barangaroo Reserve's six hectares of native greenery, past lapping water, rugged sandstone and fluffy bunches of golden wattle — all while taking in those sweeping water views. (When's the last time you made a point to marvel at our beauty of a harbour?) Plan it perfectly, and you'll make it there for that golden hour when the sun sets everything a glow on the water. It's also the perfect time (and place) for that couple selfie you've been trying to nail. [caption id="attachment_659941" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cole Bennetts.[/caption] ENJOY SUNSET DRINKS BY THE WATER, BARANGAROO Sunset drinks scream holiday — it's not all too often that you make it out of the office in time to enjoy a cocktail with those gold, orange, pinks and purples. Luckily with daylight savings now on our side, it's a little bit easier to catch the sun. After your golden hour stroll, head to the waterfront for killer drinks with a privileged view. Look to Smoke at level three of Barangaroo House, where you'll find a fine selection of spritz and swizzles, as well as sunsets so dazzling they could make the most stoic cry. Alternatively, waterfront vermouth bar Banksii will have you sipping from its long list of botanically infused fortified wines. Order it on the rocks and take in those last glittering moments of the day with your special someone. DINE BY THE WATER, NICK'S SEAFOOD RESTAURANT A trip to Darling Harbour always feels like an escape to somewhere else (even if you're just walking through). Opt to stay a little while longer and indulge in those tourist vibes with a big Sydney seafood dinner. With its crisp white linen, crystal glassware and shimmering water views, open-air diner Nick's Seafood Restaurant in Darling Harbour has been romancing couples for decades. There are fresh oysters to get you started, lobster and crab meat pastas, seafood platters to share and even some turf to go with the surf. For those looking to make a grand gesture, there's also the whole lobster on offer served fresh, mornay, garlic butter, tomato chilli or thermidor, grilled in a cheesy, cream sauce. There are also ten desserts on the menu, so there's lots to fight (and make up) over. You can pretty much taste the whole lot on Nick's Dessert Extravaganza, which lines up a gooey salted caramel tiramisu with macaron ice cream, seasonal creme brulee and chocolate biscotti, for a guaranteed feel-good end to the meal. What's even sweeter, if you dine anytime during October you'll go in the draw to win a return trip to Greece for two, so you can really play tourist on your next big date out. [caption id="attachment_635252" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jeff Busby.[/caption] CATCH A SHOW, SYDNEY LYRIC It's a rite of passage for any visiting tourist to check out the city's vibrant cultural scene, often by taking in a show. While it's not the most romantic script around, Trey Parker and Matt Stone's smash hit musical, The Book of Mormon will have you laughing until you're crying, then sniggering together for years and singing "hasa diga eebowai" at each other forever. What's more, now that we're eight months into the show, you can nab yourselves a ticket to almost any night you want, perfect for those evenings when you feel like being spontaneous. For everyone else, you can buy tickets online, try your luck at that day's $40 lottery or put your name down for the weekly online $40 lottery. KEEP THE PARTY GOING, CBD After all the singing, dancing and hilarity, it'll be hard to end the night once the curtain closes. Take a leaflet out of the tourist's guidebook and push the evening a little longer, trading up your responsible nighttime routine for a little impromptu revelry. If you're simply looking for a nightcap to get you ready for bed, try award-winning drinking den Baxter's Inn, for one of their many, many, many (800) whiskies. However, if now is simply the start of a big night to come, make tracks to Frankie's for margaritas, retro vibes and top-notch late-night pizzas. Plan an impromptu date night this week, tuck into a seafood feast at Nick's Seafood Restaurant and go in the running for that trip to Greece. Book here or call 1300 989 989.
Crowdfunded restaurants may sound like a dubious proposition, but Sydney's IconPark have shown they can make it work. The company's Darlinghurst restaurant space has twice opened its kitchens to pop-up operations, first in the form of Matt Stone's Stanley Street Merchants, followed American-style BBQ joint Rupert & Ruby. Now IconPark is once again looking for tenants. Only this time, there's no expiration date. As before, the recipient of the IconPark lease will be decided via reality TV-style death match. Applicants run competitive crowdfunding campaigns, giving hungry members of the public the chance to vote with their wallets. After three weeks, whichever concept has the most pledges gets a three-year contract at IconPark's established 78 Stanley Street location, with the opportunity to start cooking straight away. "If applicants raise enough money during the crowdfunding campaign to support their concept, they have the opportunity to walk into a location with an awesome existing trade, without needing to pay for the business," says IconPark co-founder Dean McEvoy. "The license is in place, and all the equipment and fittings are there to start trading the day after they win." Information on how to pitch your unique restaurant idea can be found at the IconPark website. Applications open this week, with the three week crowdfunding blitz set to occur in early 2015. The inaugural season attracted more than 100 applications, so whatever your pitch, make sure it's a good one.
Because we don't have enough incredible, intricately-made drinks on-hand at all times, New York cocktail bar Attaboy is taking a trip out to Australia to make a few concoctions for us. How thoughtful. Following in the footsteps of fellow NYC bar Please Don't Tell, which held a Melbourne pop-up last year, Attaboy will be doing two one-night-only residencies in our two biggest cities: at The Everleigh's Elk Room in Melbourne, and Dead Ringer in Sydney. It's a sort of homecoming for bartender Sam Ross, who was a part of the Melbourne bar scene before he moved off to New York. He'll be mixing drinks with fellow bartenders Michael McIlroy and Otis Florence tonight (Wednesday, February 10) in Melbourne, and Monday, February 15 in Sydney. There are no bookings, but they'll be starting their rockstar shifts at 9pm — so get there early to secure a prime posi. Attaboy, which has been a Lower East Side favourite since it opened in 2013, operates with no menu; the pro bartenders will make something that aligns with your taste or favourite spirit. So, head in with tasting notes — or an open mind. Attaboy will pop up at The Everleigh's Elk Room from 9pm on Wednesday, February 10, and Dead Ringer on Monday, February 15 from 9pm. For more info, visit Attaboy's Instagram.
If your creative juices start flowing after a beverage or several, then you're probably a fan of Cork & Chroma. The BYO art studio has been hosting paint and sip sessions across Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne for years — and now it's bringing the boozy, arty fun into your home. From Wednesday, April 1, Cork & Chroma is moving its alcohol-fuelled art classes online, so you can join in without leaving the house. The general setup remains the same, with each session teaching wannabe artists how to paint a specific picture. Whip up a gorgeous midnight scene, capture your houseplants on canvas, busy your brush painting Joshua trees or go manic for mandalas. Sessions cost $20 each, and are hosted by Cork & Chroma's artists — who'll be live-streaming their step-by-step painting instructions from 6.30pm AEST on select weeknights, and at 10am and 2pm on weekends. Classes are currently scheduled until the end of May. And if you're wondering about supplies, you can either use what you've got at home or you can order one of Cork & Chroma's new At Home Studio Kits. The latter comes in three sizes, setting you pack $60 for one person, $100 for two and $160 for four — and includes a range of acrylic paints, two canvases per person, and a palette and a set of brushes each. Pick them up from C&C yourself, or contact them about delivery options. As for the wine, beer, cocktails or whatever other booze gets you in the painting mood, you'll need to provide that yourself, as always. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=50&v=_7wmobTAPWY&feature=emb_title Updated April 25.
Hailing from Brisbane's Fortitude Valley, The Emporium Barber migrated to Sydney and opened its Bondi Beach shop back in 2016. It promises 'the ultimate man's grooming experience', with premium haircuts and shaves ($45–65), facials, waxing and threading all on offer — along with Toby's Estate coffee while you wait. Those premium shaves include scented hot towels, pre-shave oils, shaving creams and aftershave balms, too. While they specialise in men's cuts, the barbershop also offers women's cuts for short-to-medium hair. [caption id="attachment_780135" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yaya Stempler[/caption] In addition to the actual grooming, the shop also sells hair care products, face masks, fragrances, beard balms and shaving kits. Set right along Campbell Parade, the barber is a prime location for quick freshening up pre- or post-swim, too. Images: Yaya Stempler
You wouldn't expect to find a cocktail bar and dining haven hidden away between a supermarket and a library, but that's exactly where you'll find Little Jean. From the elegant, ever-changing fresh flower arrangements on entry to the denim-overall-apron sporting waitstaff, this Double Bay hot spot excels in both design and service. Book in for leisurely lunch and dine on wagyu skirt steak with smoked truffle butter; or snapper belly with bacon dashi, pearl barley and a soft egg. Afterwards, order a chocolate fondant, or go for a peppy liquid dessert, and order a Little Jean Salted Caramel Espresso Martini.
The Aboriginal Cultural Centre & Keeping Place in Armidale has two galleries featuring art and crafts from local and regional Indigenous creators, as well as a cosy cafe and gift shop. The centre is home to a permanent collection of donated artworks, a history section detailing the work of the centre and an archaeological room displaying a significant collection of wooden and stone artefacts. Tours through each collection can be organised so you can be given a more in-depth insight into the people, places and stories behind the items on display. And if you get in touch ahead of time, the centre can also organise workshops on Indigenous painting and cooking plus bush tucker walks. If you want to have a deeper, richer connection to the the history and culture of First Nations people, carve out time for a visit to the Aboriginal Cultural Centre & Keeping Place on your next adventure to the Northern Tablelands region. Image credit: Visit NSW
If the waning temperatures have got you feeling frosty about the cooler months to come, here's something that'll warm up your outlook: Naarm's (Melbourne's) major citywide arts festival RISING is back. As always, it promises to be the bright spark in Victoria's winter. From Wednesday, June 7 till Sunday, June 18, a blockbuster 185-event program is transforming the city streets — and it's set to be a monumental affair. More than 400 artists are assembling for almost two jam-packed weeks of art, culture, music, performance and culinary goodness. There are 35 works commissioned exclusively for the festival and an impressive 12 world premieres set to happen. Alongside the already-announced Euphoria, which will take over Melbourne Town Hall with an immersive multi-screen film installation starring Cate Blanchett (as a tiger on the hunt, no less), the program is filled with a hefty and diverse array of happenings. Large-scale events abound, not least of which is Shadow Spirit — a showcase of First Peoples-led projects across the realms of art, performance, music, food and more — which takes over abandoned rooms in Flinders Street Station. Another large-scale offering is The Rink, which fantastically will be sticking around for longer than RISING's residency. From Thursday, June 1 till Saturday, July 8, it's the place for carving icy laps in Birrarung Marr on the banks of the Yarra. There's warming snacks (like pizza courtesy of Fugazi) and even more bevs (like boozy Mörk hot choccies and mulled wine). The Rink's precinct is free to enter and is kept toasty by fireplaces, so even if you're not lacing your skates, it's a magical spot to hang. Then on Saturday, June 10, a mass participatory work by composer Ciaran Frame will hit Federation Square. The free experience will see 10,000 biodegradable kazoos played simultaneously by eager locals (like you). While Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde's SPARK takes the form of a wondrous floating light show, animating thousands of 'fireflies' crafted from biodegradable materials from Wednesday, June 7 till Saturday, June 10. On the music front, there's a bunch of shows with tickets still available (you're too late for Ethel Cain or Thundercat, sadly). Catch Flying Lotus on Saturday, June 17; Paul Kelly on Tuesday, June 6 and Wednesday, June 7; and many more. Gigs are hitting the Forum, Max Watt's and the Melbourne Recital Centre for the duration of the festival. RISING's free festival hub Night Trade is taking over the grounds of St Paul's Cathedral for the duration of the spectacular fest. It comes to life with super-sized surrealist art from Poncili Creción, live performances, hawker-style dining by Free to Feed, patio bars with bevs and sans-booze sips aplenty, and even a smattering of drag karaoke. Gather here with your group, get fed and plan the rest of your festival explorations. RISING will take over Melbourne from Wednesday, June 7 till Sunday, June 18. To plan your visit, head to the website.
Australia's arts calendar is always world-class, but this year it is particularly jam-packed — not just with recurring festivals and events, but lots of things that will hit the city for the first time ever. Us lucky Australians will be the first people in the world to see Patricia Piccinini's Skywhalepapa take to the sky and, down in Melbourne, the works of 20th century French artist Pierre Bonnard reimagined by architect and designer India Mahdavi. Plus, we've got multiple big-name exhibitions and not one, but two new galleries. While more events, installations and and exhibitions will inevitably be announced as the year progresses, these are the ones you should get more excited about right now. THE RETURN OF PATRICIA PICCININI'S OTHERWORLDLY SKYWHALE At 34 metres long, more than twice as big as a regular hot air balloon and ripped straight from Patricia Piccinini's inimitable mind, Skywhale might just be one of Australia's most recognisable recent pieces of art. It's a sight to see, and the largest-scale example of the artist's fascination with the thin line that separates nature and technology — and it's about to meet its match. In 2020, the National Gallery of Australia will unveil Piccinini's new Skywhalepapa, which is designed to form a family with Skywhale. They'll both float through the Canberra skies from April, with the second bulbous sculpture commissioned as part of the gallery's Balnaves Contemporary Series. In total, the pair will take flight from a site near the NGA eight times during the nearly three-month Skywhales: Every Heart Sings exhibition, with the exact launch dates yet to be revealed. Just how big Skywhalepapa will be is also yet to be announced, but given the impressive size of its companion, expect it to be hefty. If you can't make it to Canberra to see the growing Skywhale clan, they will also tour the country for an NGA touring exhibition, with locations and dates to be confirmed at a later date. Skywhales: Every Heart Sings will run Canberra's National Gallery of Australia in April 2020. A BRAND NEW MULTI-SENSORY DIGITAL ART GALLERY If you prefer an art experience that extends beyond looking at works on a wall, prepare to be impressed by Melbourne's new immersive digital art gallery. Set to open sometime in autumn, The Lume will take the form of a $15 million 2000-square-metre gallery, decked out with 150 state-of-the-art projectors. Projections of some of the world's most celebrated works will be splashed across various surfaces, backed by powerful musical soundtracks and complemented by aromas. The project is the brainchild of Melbourne-based Grande Exhibitions, which, for the past 14 years, has hosted immersive exhibitions and gallery experiences in over 130 cities across the world. The company also owns and operates Rome's Museo Leonardo da Vinci. Known for celebrating art world greats like Vincent van Gogh and da Vinci through modern, multi-sensory technology, Grande Exhibitions will use a similar formula at The Lume. Instead of showcasing original works, the gallery will rely on a curation of music and moving image to create a tapestry of instantly recognisable artworks. The Lume will open in an unconfirmed Melbourne location in autumn 2020. We'll let you know when more details are announced. [caption id="attachment_750699" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Top image: Chiharu Shiota b.1972, Kishiwada, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. In Silence (2002/2019). Production support: Alcantara S.p.A. Installation view: Shiota Chiharu: The Soul Trembles, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, 2019. Courtesy: Kenji Taki Gallery, Nagoya/Tokyo. Image courtesy: Mori Art Museum, Tokyo. Photograph: Sunhi Mang.[/caption] A MAZE OF RED AND BLACK WOOL AT GOMA It's been home to David Lynch's eerie filmscapes, Yayoi Kusama's infinity rooms, a snowman and Patricia Piccinini's forest of flowers. Yes, Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art loves an immersive installation — and it has more in store for 2020. Fancy wandering through a labyrinth of red and black wool? That's on next year's agenda. As part of its just-announced 2020 lineup, GOMA revealed it'll host Chiharu Shiota: The Soul Trembles, a showcase focusing on the Berlin-based Japanese artist and her work over the past quarter-century. In an Australian exclusive, the exhibition comes to Brisbane after recently premiering in Tokyo — and while it won't sit 53 storeys up or come with panoramic views of the city, like it did in Japan, Shiota's string-heavy installations are certain to garner more than a little attention. Fashioned from millions of strands, they resemble weaved, maze-like webs and take up entire rooms. The Soul Trembles is the largest-ever solo exhibition by the artist — and although GOMA hasn't revealed just how much of the Tokyo lineup is coming to Brisbane, art lovers can expect an array of sprawling installations, sculptures and video footage of Shiota's performances, as well as photographs and drawings. Highlighting her fascination with intangible concepts, such as memory, anxiety, dreams and silence, the ticketed display will run from June 27–October 5, 2020. Chiharu Shiota: The Soul Trembles will run at Brisbane's GOMA from June 27–October 5, 2020. THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE'S FIRST MUSEUM OF UNDERWATER ART There are plenty of ways to soak in the Great Barrier Reef's natural underwater delights — and the Museum of Underwater Art is the newest one. The attraction – created by marine sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor — has been a long time in the works, but just recently installed its first two artworks just off the shore at Townsville. The first artwork, Ocean Siren, can be found 30 metres from The Strand jetty — and while it actually towers above the water, it interacts with live water temperature data. Designed to resemble Takoda Johnson, one of the area's Wulgurukaba traditional owners, it receives information from the Davies Reef weather station on the Great Barrier Reef, then changes colour in response to variations as they happen. This one can be visited now Coral Greenhouse, on the other hand, sits 18 metres beneath the ocean's surface on the John Brewer Reef. It's an underwater building filled with coral garden beds and more than 20 sculptures, many resembling local school children — and has been made to both stand up to wave pressures and cyclones, and remain visible to divers and snorkellers. While this one is installed, it won't be open for viewing until April 1, 2020. Four pieces are planned in total — another one at Palm Island is expected to be installed by the end of the year, and another at Magnetic Island will open once funding is sourced. MoUA's first artwork can be seen now just off The Strand jetty at Townsville, and the second one will be able to view from April 2020. [caption id="attachment_759712" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lisa Reihana 'Tai Whetuki - House of Death Redux' (2016) at The Walters Prize, Auckland Art Gallery.[/caption] SYDNEY'S BIANNUAL EXHIBITION THAT TAKES OVER THE CITY FOR 12 WEEKS The centrepiece of the 2018 Biennale of Sydney was Ai Weiwei's 60-metre inflatable boat, a critique and exploration of the global refugee crisis. This year, when the Biennale returns to art galleries across Sydney, the lineup of 100-plus artists will be examining another poignant issue close to the heart of Australia: First Nations sovereignty and intergenerational trauma. Running from Saturday, March 14 until Monday, June 8, the 2020 Biennale is entitled Nirin, which means 'edge' in the language of western NSW's Wiradjuri people. This year's theme is timely, for two reasons: the 2020 blockbuster falls on the 250th anniversary of Captain Cook's voyage to Australia — and it will be helmed by a new First Nations artistic director: famed Sydney-born, Melbourne-based interdisciplinary artist Brook Andrew. Andrew has selected an impressive lineup of artists and creatives — many of them First Nations — from around the world to exhibit at the Art Gallery of NSW, Woolloomooloo's Artspace, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Cockatoo Island, MCA and the National Art School for the exhibition's 12 weeks. On the just-announced program, you'll find the Southern Hemisphere premiere of Arthur Jafa's Golden Lion-awarded work The White Album, Wiradjuri artist Karla Dickens's immersive work symbolising the disproportionate number of incarcerated Indigenous Australian women and a large-scale political protest piece by Pitjantjatjara artist Kunmanara Mumu Mike Williams (who passed away last year). Cockatoo Island will be home to a wide range of works, too, including Ghanaian-born artist Ibrahim Mahama's sprawling installation of coal sacks; Tony Albert's interactive greenhouse, where you'll be invited to write and plant messages; and Tlingit/Unangax̂ artist Nicholas Galanin's excavation work that'll 'dig up' the land beneath the shadow of Hyde Park's Captain Cook statue. The 22nd Biennale of Sydney runs from March 14–June 8 2020. [caption id="attachment_747305" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Gallery at sketch designed by India Mahdavi, London, 2014, photo by Thomas Humery.[/caption] A WORLD-FIRST EXHIBITION BY PIERRE BONNARD AND INDIA MAHDAVI Heading the National Gallery of Victoria's autumn/winter program this year is a world-premiere exhibition Pierre Bonnard, created in collaboration with famed Parisian museum the Musée d'Orsay. It offers a glimpse into the life and work of acclaimed 20th-century French artist Bonnard through a sprawling collection of pieces on loan from the likes of London's Tate and The Museum of Modern Art in New York, along with other renowned French museums. A close friend of the legendary Henri Matisse, the artist is best known for his stylised decorative works evoking scenes of everyday domestic life. The Melbourne exhibition will see Bonnard's recognisable designs brought to life even further, with the help of famed Iranian-Egyptian-French architect and designer India Mahdavi. Mahdavi — who has designed eye-catching spaces like London's Red Valentino store and the famous all-pink Gallery at sketch — will use her signature colour palettes and love of textures to create an immersive, life-size version of one of Bonnard's domestic scenes. The exhibition will run at NGV International from June 5–October 4, 2020. [caption id="attachment_737971" align="alignnone" width="1920"] White Night Melbourne by Gerard Dubois[/caption] A BRAND NEW MAJOR WINTER ARTS FESTIVAL Melbourne's arts calendar never fails to keep us busy, however, it's always had a bit of a lull in winter before Melbourne International Arts Festival and Melbourne Music Week take over the city in spring. But, this year, that's all set to change. In May last year the Victorian Government announced that it will launch a huge new citywide arts festival in the winter of 2020. It's set to shake up the Melbourne arts calendar as the new festival will merge the aforementioned Melbourne Festival and arts all-nighter White Night and move them into a winter timeslot. While White Night was originally held on a hot February night, in 2019 it was moved to August. Melbourne Fest, which was established in 1986, is usually held in October. Exact timings and details are yet to be revealed, but the new "global" festival — as it's being billed by the Andrews Government — will take over the city for several weeks, much like Melbourne Festival usually does in October. While it will no doubt combine the best bits of the two existing festivals, a new creative team will come on to develop a new program and vision. We're told the the 2020 program will feature a "diverse program of visual and performing arts" coupled with with "large-scale takeovers of precincts" after-dark. The inaugural festival — which is yet to be named — will kick off with a 'transitional' year in the winter of 2020. The new winter festival will hit Melbourne in winter 2020. We'll keep you updated when new details or dates are announced. Top image: Skywhale, 2013, Patricia Piccinini. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Gift of anonymous donor 2019, Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
If, mid-way through a piece of raw lasagne, you've ever wondered what makes About Life's food so tasty, yet still somehow good for you, you can stop guessing. The wholefoods cafe and supermarket mini-empire — which now has seven stores in Sydney and one in Melbourne — has released a recipe book, titled A Whole New Way to Eat. That's right, nutritionist Vladia Cobrdova — who's responsible for developing About Life's recipes — is throwing a few secrets your way. All in all, there are 135 recipes, covering familiar offerings from the wholefoods institution's cafes and self-serve meal aisles. They're all relatively simple and don't employ heaps of obscure ingredients, meaning they're recipes you're actually likely to make. Coconut turmeric quinoa porridge? That's on page 12. Umeboshi black bean spaghetti salad with sesame toasted broccoli? You'll find that on page 86. A giant lamington with raspberry Kakadu jam? It's in there too (and we've got the recipes for those last two below). There are brekkies, lunches, dinners, salads, soups, sides, drinks and desserts galore. A Whole New Way To Eat will be launched at a series of free events, to be held at various About Life stories during the first couple of weeks of March with Vladia Cobrdova. She'll be chatting, demonstrating and, most importantly, handing out samples. Catch her at in Melbourne on March 7 and at the Crows Nest store in Sydney on March 11. As difficult as it is to believe, About Life started out in Sydney in 1996 as a little juice bar, with just a handful of groceries for sale. Now, with eight stores around the country and somewhat of a cult following, they're expanding into at-home territory, which, as a grocer, makes a lot of sense. A Whole New Way To Eat is published by Murdoch Books and will be available for $39.99. We've managed to nab two of the recipes from the book below to get you started. UMEBOSHI BLACK BEAN SPAGHETTI SALAD WITH SESAME TOASTED BROCCOLI Umeboshi is a paste is made from fermented plums, which gives this recipe a salty yet still plummy taste. It's vegan, gluten- and dairy-free, and will take about 30-40 minutes to prepare. 200 grams broccoli, cut into small florets 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 200g black bean spaghetti (or brown rice noodles) 150g snow peas, trimmed and halved lengthways 250g green beans, trimmed and cut in half Umeboshi dressing 60ml (¼ cup) sesame oil 1½ tablespoons mirin (rice wine) 2 tablespoons umeboshi paste ¼ cup finely grated fresh ginger 75g (½ cup) sesame seeds 1 tablespoon tamari Preheat the oven to 180°C. Spread the broccoli on a baking tray, add the sesame oil and sesame seeds and toss to combine. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly roasted but still crunchy. Meanwhile, bring two litres (eight cups) of water to the boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook for 6-8 minutes until tender. Add the snow peas and green beans for the last minute of cooking to blanch. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. To make the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl with 60ml (¼ cup) of water. Transfer the spaghetti, snow peas and green beans to a serving bowl. Pour in the dressing and toss until well coated. Top with the crunchy broccoli florets and serve. GIANT LAMINGTON WITH RASPBERRY KAKADU JAM This cake-like lamington is gluten-free and vego, and is topped with jam made with native Kakadu plum powder. You'll probably have to go to About Life to buy some — but if you can't get any, you can use the zest of an orange. 6 eggs 11 g (⅓ cup) honey 80ml (⅓ cup) melted coconut oil 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste 65g (½ cup) coconut flour ½ teaspoon baking powder 100g (1 cup) almond meal 35g (½ cup) shredded coconut Kakadu jam 170g raspberries, fresh or frozen and defrosted 50g (¼ cup) coconut sugar 1 tablespoon Kakadu plum powder, or use the zest of 1 orange 45g (¼ cup) chia seeds 2 tablespoons coconut water Cacao frosting 40g (¼ cup) coconut oil 55g (½ cup) cacao powder 60ml (¼ cup) coconut cream Preheat the oven to 160°C. Lightly grease a 30cm x 12cm x 10cm loaf tin and line it with baking paper, leaving the sides overhanging. Use an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to whisk the eggs and honey for five minutes or until well combined. Add the coconut oil and vanilla bean paste and whisk for another 2-3 minutes until well combined. Combine the coconut flour, baking powder and almond meal in a separate bowl. Gently fold into the egg mixture until just combined, then spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin. Meanwhile, to make the jam, combine the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes or until set. To make cacao frosting, put the coconut oil in a frying pan with 60ml (¼ cup) of water and cook over low heat until the oil melts. Add the cacao powder and coconut cream and stir for two minutes or until combined. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Transfer the cake to a serving plate. Spread with jam and drizzle with the frosting. Scatter with shredded coconut. Images and recipes from A Whole New Way To Eat by Vladia Cobrdova (Murdoch Books RRP $39.99) photography by Rob Palmer.
The least surprising aspect of Tár is also its most essential: Cate Blanchett being as phenomenal as she's ever been, plus more. The Australian Nightmare Alley, Thor: Ragnarok and Carol actor — "our Cate", of course — best be making space next to her Oscars for The Aviator and Blue Jasmine as a result. Well-deserved accolades have been showered her way since this drama about a cancelled conductor premiered at the 2022 Venice International Film Festival (the prestigious event's Best Actress gong was the first of them) and, as the Golden Globes showed, they're not likely to stop till this awards season is over. Blanchett is that stunning in Tár, that much of a powerhouse, that adept at breathing life and complexity into a thorny figure, and that magnetic and mesmerising. Even when she hasn't been at her utmost on rare past occasions or something she's in hasn't been up to her standards — see: Don't Look Up for both — she's a force that a feature gravitates around. Tár is astonishing itself, too, but Blanchett at her finest is the movie's rock, core and reason for being. Blanchett is spectacular in Tár, and she also has to be spectacular in Tár — because Lydia Tár, the maestro she's playing, earns that term to start with in the film's on-screen world. At the feature's kickoff, the passionate and ferocious character is feted by a New Yorker Festival session led by staff writer Adam Gopnik as himself, with her achievements rattled off commandingly to an excited crowd; what a list it is. Inhabiting this part requires nothing less than utter perfection, then, aka what Tár demands herself, her latest assistant Francesca (Noémie Merlant, Jumbo), her wife Sharon (Nina Hoss, Shadowplay) and everyone else in her orbit constantly. Strong, seductive, severe, electrifying and downright exceptional, Blanchett nails it. That Lydia can't always do the same, no matter how hard, painstakingly and calculatingly she's worked to ensure that it appears otherwise, is one of the movie's main concerns. Directing a film for just the third time in 22 years — and the third at all, as well as the first since 2006's Little Children — writer/helmer Todd Field begins Tár with the woman, the myth and the legend. Since the feature's US release, viewers have been known to think that Lydia is an actual person, which has proven instantly memeable, yes, but more importantly is a testament to the detail and potency of the filmmaker's layered script. As Gopnik advises, Tár is a protégé of the one and only (and real) Leonard Bernstein, the first female chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic and an EGOT-winner. She has a book in the works, Tár on Tar, and she's soon to record her dream piece, Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 5. She's not fond of having her successes ascribed to battling sexism, but she's proud, confident and authoritative talking about her career, field and leap to the top of classical music. Not mentioned in this early celebration, unsurprisingly: the behaviour that'll come back to stalk Lydia, involving her treatment of mentees and students, and cracking her hard-carved place in an elite realm. With two Academy Award nominations to his name for screenwriting, for both Little Children and his 2001 feature debut In the Bedroom, Field is in his element plotting Tár's intricate and tangled life that just keeps getting more and more knotted — and penning and directing a film that's equally as complicated. Tár is many things and never merely one thing, but it's a psychological character study above all else. As the feature charts its namesake's downfall from the heights that the picture opens with, and unpacks her arrogance and ambition, it unravels Lydia. As it examines her professional dealings and personal bonds, sees transactional connections wherever she goes and shows her scant regard for most folks other than herself (although she'll happily bully a schoolgirl for her young daughter Petra, played by first-timer Mila Bogojevic), the movie chips away at Lydia's carefully established personality and mystique. And, as her standing plummets amid a scandal, and her relationships with it, the film probes and ponders who she truly is anyway — and why. Is Tár a groomer, predator and liar? A talent who took her lust for triumph too far? A celebrity overly enamoured with her own fame and power? Is she a woman fracturing? Someone literally haunted? An egotist using and emotionally bruising, then getting what she deserves? Tár is too crafty — and well-crafted — a drama to quickly or easily tick most of those boxes for its protagonist, and finds much of its depths (and much of its fuel for Blanchett's performance) in provocatively giving all of the above attention. As Lydia belittles Juilliard kids in showy lectures about JS Bach, grinds first violin Sharon down to just one of her offsiders, capitalises upon Francesca's own conducting dreams, weathers a storm with her past favourite Krista (debutant Sylvia Flote) and throws her current approval towards new Russian cellist Olga (acting newcomer Sophie Kauer), Tár is also as precise at building the world that its titular character dwells in, where her genius and thrall draws in everyone, enables her, and lets Lydia herself believe that everything is excused and even worth it if it results in her art. Collaborating with cinematographer Florian Hoffmeister (Pachinko), editor Monika Willi (Happy End), costume designer Bina Daigeler (1899), production designer Marco Bittner Rosser (Only Lovers Left Alive) and composer Hildur Guðnadóttir (Joker), Field does indeed fashion Tár immaculately. A film of cool hues, firm lines and rich surfaces — Lydia's suits encapsulate the look perfectly — as well as a gripping, tension-dripping beat, it's a film where every choice seen and heard is revealing about its story, central figure and themes. Tár is also a movie of striking scenes revelling in such tightly constructed surroundings, all with Blanchett at their centre. Every choice she makes with her facial expressions and body language, whether Lydia is regaling fans, instructing pupils, pushing aside loved ones or luring in new points of interest, is a compelling, entrancing masterclass. When Tár picks up the baton, plays the piano, holds court, tries to navigate her own fall and perhaps even orchestrate her own second rise: these moments, whether loud and intense or quiet and contemplative, are hypnotic and loaded, too. But, across a 158-minute duration that never feels that long and shows zero signs of bloat, Field fills his frames with more than just one outstanding player. He could've simply let Blanchett's awards-worthy efforts be Tár's everything alone, and this'd still be captivating, bold and intelligent. Again, there wouldn't be a film this piercing without her, and it rises in tandem with her astounding work. In what's hopefully not his last picture for another decade and a half, however, Field sees what Lydia can't and won't. Casting German acting royalty Hoss and French Portrait of a Lady on Fire standout Merlant, both of whom bring texture, vulnerability and visible signs of pain to their pivotal characters, makes a statement: that no story is one person's only.
Rockpool Dining Group is headed up to The Hills this month to open its ninth Sydney outpost of The Bavarian. The 350-seat German-style restaurant will open on Monday, May 14 at the Rouse Hill Town Centre and bring its oversized beers, food platters and sports-screening televisions along with it. The beer hall boasts 17 taps — think German mainstays like Löwenbräu, Stiegl and Hofbräu and local brews by Urban Craft Brewing — along with an outdoor beer garden. The fit-out will follow suit of the brand's existing venues and will include stone walls, alpine timber finishes, beer barrel tables and a stein chandelier, plus bar-side dining. Those massive, litre-sized beer steins that The Bavarian is known for serving are accompanied by hearty dishes like crispy pork knuckle with sauerkraut and creamy mash, or crackling pork belly with onion bier jus; plus a range of gourmet sausages, giant pretzels, share platters and loaded schnittys — from American, Mexican and Hawaiian to one that weighs an insanely hefty one-kilogram. Weekday deals include $15 lunch specials, all-you-can-eat meat platters on Mondays and two-for-one cocktails on Thursdays, along with a daily $5 drinks happy hour from 4–7pm. Apart from food and booze, The Bavarian is a go-to for watching sports, with several extra-large screens available throughout the space. Rockpool Dining Group — which was formed when Urban Purveyor Group acquired Neil Perry's Rockpool Group — has signed 15 new leases in the last 90 days, so we'll surely be hearing about more openings in the months to come. The Rouse Hill location not only marks the ninth across Sydney but is one of six additional Bavarians slated to open across the country in the next few months, including another in Castle Hill. So while it isn't necessarily new or breaking new ground, it is a significant opening for the suburb. The Bavarian Rouse Hill will open from 11am on Monday, May 14 at the Rouse Hill Town Centre, corner Windsor Road and White Hart Drive, Rouse Hill. For more info, visit thebavarians.com.
Camping is an excellent way to get away from the buzz of city living, to slow things down and reconnect with nature. While you may be stripping back to the very basics, that doesn't mean your menu has to be — even if options can feel limited when figuring out what to eat around the campfire. To help you out, we've whipped up a full menu of tasty camp cooking hacks and tips to make your next outdoor trip a culinary delight. With a little bit of prep and a few handy tools, these meal ideas won't make you feel limited by your outdoor camping kitchen. Treat yourself to these easy, delicious dishes no matter where you are. BREAKFAST Paper Bag Bacon and Eggs Love camping, but hate washing up? This is the perfect no-fuss breakfast for your next rendezvous with the great outdoors. All you need to do is rub the inside of a paper bag with bacon to grease it, then line the bottom with a few strips of bacon, creating a nest for your eggs. Crack one or two eggs into the bag, fold the top down a few times, then poke a hole through the fold and put a stick through to hold the bag over the fire — though not so close that your breakfast bursts into flames (which can happen, so take care). Your bacon and eggs should take around five to seven minutes to cook, depending on how crispy you like your bacon and how soft your eggs. Make sure you have a bit of paper towel underneath the bag as you eat, otherwise you may end up with a nice greasy patch on your pants. Hot tip: Take your eggs and bacon to the next level by adding add some mushrooms or spinach. Campfire Blueberry-Orange Muffins For something pretty special for your next camping breakfast, we recommend breaking out these special muffins. All you'll need is twelve oranges and some blueberry muffin pre-mix from the supermarket. Make up your muffin mix in a jug so it's easy to handle, slice the oranges in half and scoop out the flesh (which you can save for your camping sangria — more on that below). Pour the muffin mix into one orange cup, then top with the other emptied half. Wrap each orange in a layer or two of al foil, and rest them on some hot coals just next to the flames. Turn each wrapped orange over every minute or so for about ten minutes until they're cooked through. Unwrap and enjoy. [caption id="attachment_630716" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Flickr/brenneman.[/caption] LUNCH Campfire Nachos The secret to making exceptional nachos is all in the layers. Making these nachos is super easy with a good camp oven and your preferred ingredients: tortilla chips, cheese, tinned black beans, tinned tomato, avocado, coriander, shallots, lime, salsa and more cheese. Start with a hefty layer of chips, followed by black beans, salsa, shallots, tomatoes and cheese, then repeat. Cook over the fire, so the cheese melts and the ingredients are warmed through. If you have an esky, bring some sour cream to add on top post-cooking, and unless you're a fan of warm avocado, top with avo and coriander as well. Finish off with fresh lime. Camping Toasted Sandwiches Few things hit the spot better than a gooey, melty toasted sandwich — especially when it's infused with some campfire smokiness. Bring a great jaffle iron, some bread and the fillings of your choice, and you're in business. If you don't have a jaffle iron, you can achieve similar results with foil and a skillet, or by cooking straight on the pan with some oil to stop your sandwiches from sticking. Filling options can range from roast chicken, swiss cheese and avocado to gruyere and blue cheese with fig jam. DINNER Campfire Potatoes Cold nights call for toasty warm, wintry food, and you can't go past campfire-cooked potatoes. As you fry up the spuds, the campfire will add a highly delicious smokey flavour. Warm up your camp oven by resting it over the fire on a tripod or straight on some hot coals. Slice brown onion into rings, and add them to your pan or camp oven with some minced garlic. Get those bits sizzling, as you cut your spuds into slices about half a centimetre thick. Toss the potatoes and a handful of diced bacon in with the onion and garlic, then pop on the lid, stirring every five minutes to make sure nothing sticks. Once everything's cooked, top your smokey, meaty, potatoes with that sour cream you brought for the nachos. Camp Oven Pizza Make sure you have plenty of hot coals for this one; it takes around 20 minutes to bake through. For ease's sake, grab some pre-made pizza dough — or prep some dough beforehand if you have a good recipe. Line the bottom of the camp oven with baking paper so that some paper sticks up on the sides, and press your dough in. Top with sauce, cheese and whatever toppings you fancy, put the lid on, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese is golden and dough is cooked through. Using the extra baking paper on the sides, lift your pizza out, slice and dig in. [caption id="attachment_630717" align="alignnone" width="1920"] @racheena.[/caption] DESSERT Campfire S'more Cones Bring along some some waffle cones for an easier-to-eat, more decadent take on the s'more. Fill the cones with marshmallows, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, almond slices, coconut, peanut butter and anything else you can think of, and wrap each cone tightly in foil. Roasting them in the fire takes a bit of balancing skill, as you'll want to roast them upright if possible. Leave them near the fire for about five minutes. The al foil shouldn't get hot, but if the cones are too hot to hold, use tongs to hold them, or MacGyver some kind of cone holder. Ten points of the latter. Baileys Marshmallows This is straightforward excellence. Toast your marshmallows as usual, and once they're golden and gooey, dip them in Baileys. That's all there is to it — be warned though, things can get a bit messy. Best for each person to have their own little mug of Baileys for sipping and dipping. DRINKS Campsite Sangria Be the hero of the campsite with this boozy, fruity sangria. The night before you head off camping, add fruits like the orange flesh from the muffins, apples, peaches, strawberries and blueberries, plus a quarter cup of vodka to a large mason jar. Fill the rest of the jar with white wine, and leave to sit overnight. Once you arrive at the campsite, you'll have the perfect mix to combine with ginger ale and lemonade. Speedy Mulled Wine Mulled wine at a campfire is mighty fine, but there's a lot of fussing around with sugar, cinnamon and spices, plus the mulling time. Keep things simple with two easy ingredients: cinnamon tea and port. Use a billy can to brew up some of the spicy tea, which is as simple as steeping cinnamon quills in water. Once the tea is sufficiently brewed and hot, fill mugs halfway and top off with port. The sweetness of the port balances out the cinnamon tea to add some extra warmth at night.
Australian movie lovers, prepare to be spoiled for choice when it comes to getting your next big-screen fix. With Sydney out of lockdown and Melbourne likely to do the same this month, cinemas across the country are about to be inundated with high-profile features — and, with film festivals showing them. One such event getting the projectors whirring is the annual British Film Festival, which'll tour its 31-movie lineup of Brit flicks around the country between Wednesday, November 3–Wednesday, December 1. Gracing the fest's titles is a who's who of UK acting talent, so if you're a fan of The Crown's Olivia Colman, Claire Foy and Josh O'Connor — or of everyone from Jamie Dornan, Colin Firth, Judi Dench and Benedict Cumberbatch to Helen Mirren, Michael Caine, Joanna Lumley and Peter Capaldi — you'll be spying plenty of familiar faces. The festival will open with true tale The Duke, starring Mirren and Jim Broadbent, with the latter playing a 60-year-old taxi driver who stole a portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London. From there, highlights include the Kenneth Branagh-directed Belfast, about growing up in 1960s Northern Ireland; Last Night in Soho, Edgar Wright's new thriller featuring Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomasin McKenzie; romantic period drama Mothering Sunday, with Colman, Firth and O'Connor; and Best Sellers, a literary comedy with Michael Caine and Aubrey Plaza. Or, there's also Stardust, a biopic about the one and only David Bowie — and The Electrical Life of Louis Wan, about the eponymous artist, with Cumberbatch and Foy leading the cast. Opera singing in the Scottish highlands drives the Lumley-starring Falling for Figaro, which also features Australian Patti Cake$ actor Danielle Macdonald; Benediction marks the return of filmmaker Terence Davies (Sunset Song), this time focusing on English poet and soldier Siegfried Sassoon; and Firth pops up again in World War II-set drama Operation Mincemeat with Succession's Matthew Macfadyen. Plus, To Olivia dramatises Roald Dahl's marriage to Oscar-winning actress Patricia Neal, Stephen Fry explores bubbly booze in documentary Sparkling: The Story of Champagne, and novelist Jackie Collins also gets the doco treatment. And, as part of the British Film Festival's retrospective lineup, Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon will grace the big screen — the former in a 4K restoration to celebrate its 50th anniversary. BRITISH FILM FESTIVAL 2021 DATES: Wednesday, November 3–Wednesday, December 1 — Palace Norton, Palace Verona, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinema, Sydney Wednesday, November 3–Wednesday, December 1 — Palace Electric, Canberra Wednesday, November 3–Wednesday, December 1 — Palace James Street and Palace Centro, Brisbane Wednesday, November 3–Wednesday, December 1— Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas and Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas, Adelaide Wednesday, November 3–Wednesday, December 1— Palace Raine Square, Luna Leederville, Luna on SX and Windsor Cinema, Perth Wednesday, November 3–Sunday, November 21 — Palace Byron Bay, Byron Bay Friday, November 5–Wednesday, December 1 — Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema and The Astor, Melbourne The 2021 British Film Festival tours Australia between Wednesday, November 3–Wednesday, December 1. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the festival website.
It's never too cold to party. At least, that's what the guys behind Snowtunes say. And for its third year, this Snowy Mountains music festival is coming back even bigger — twice the size actually. With the addition of a second night of festivities, the party people have also added a second stage so punters can enjoy live music at one and dance it out at the other, dedicated to EDM. And with our Snowy Mountains giveaway, you could be right there listening, dancing and partying with the snowy revellers. Who's expected to take to the stage at the festival? Plenty of Aussie-born talent, including L D R U, Gang of Youths, Nina Las Vegas, Mashd N Kutcher and Tigerlily, plus New Zealand-born singer-songwriter Mitch James and French DJ Klingande with some tunes from abroad. Mark your calendars and find some snow gear, because you could win a double pass to both days of Snowtunes on September 1 and 2, plus two nights accommodation in your own studio apartment. Enter your details below. [competition]631762[/competition] Image: Perisher Ski Resl.
When A Quiet Place hit cinemas in 2018, did stellar things with its mostly dialogue-free premise and gave alien invasion films a creative spin, it quickly proved a big box office hit. That's hardly surprising; Emily Blunt (Wild Mountain Thyme) added another formidable role to her resume, John Krasinski (Detroit) did great work both in front of and behind the camera, both Millicent Simmonds (Wonderstruck) and Noah Jupe (The Undoing) turned in excellent performances, and the entire movie made the absolute most of its silence-heavy approach and its niche in the horror genre. So, a sequel was always likely. That follow up was delayed by more than a year due to the pandemic, but A Quiet Place Part II is now finally screening in cinemas. Don't think that the story will end there, though, because a third flick is now coming. At the moment, the next film in the series doesn't have a title — but it does have a release date. Come March 30, 2023, you'll be spending more time in the franchise's eerie dystopian world, and also learning more about the folks who've been learning to survive by keeping their lips zipped as tightly as possible. And, make no mistake, this is definitely a franchise now. The next movie is a spinoff rather than a direct sequel, although exactly what its story will tell is yet to be announced. Still, our time with the Abbott family could very well be up, and the flick could find another corner of its post-apocalyptic realm to explore. One big change is definitely locked in: instead of Krasinski sitting in the director's chair, fellow filmmaker Jeff Nichols will be doing the honours. That's a great fit, at least based on much of his work to date. With 2011's Take Shelter, he followed a father struggling with apocalyptic visions and uncertain of what to do to protect his family. In 2012's Mud, he told a coming-of-age tale about two young boys and a fugitive, while 2016's Midnight Special spent time with a dad and his son as they tried to evade a cult and the government. All three are excellent, and it's easy to see how Nichols can jump from that trio — via 2016 drama Loving — to the next A Quiet Place movie. Casting details haven't yet been revealed; however, Nichols has reportedly just handed in the script for the new film. And yes, everything seems to be a franchise these days, with The Conjuring movies up to their eighth flick, Marvel still doing its thing, and everything from Bond and Fast and Furious to Star Wars and Harry Potter still unfurling new chapters — but given how well both A Quiet Place features have done at the box office so far, more films in the series were always likely to follow. Until further details about the upcoming third A Quiet Place movie are announced, check out the trailer for A Quiet Place Part II below: The currently untitled third A Quiet Place film is set to release in movie theatres Down Under on March 30, 2023. A Quiet Place Part II is screening in cinemas now — read our full review. Via Variety.
Sydney may be a delightful city in which one spends their time, but, let's face it, isn't it nice to get away too? Especially when you don't have to travel too far to get to something as rewarding as this year's High & Dry Festival.Only two hours north of Sydney on Aboriginal land this weekend is Australia's first festival run on 100% renewable energy (combination of solar, wind and bicycle power). Born from a makeshift, spontaneous event over New Year's Eve in 2007 when poor weather cancelled the Peats Ridge Festival, High & Dry returns to its own set of loyal fans and no doubt a whole bunch of new ones. And who wouldn't be a fan of a festival that boasts a focus on creative and performative arts and not just music. There'll be puppets, installations, markets and much, much more. That said, there's music too, with the likes of Entropic, The Barons of Tang and Combat Wombat treading the boards. They are but three of the one hundred acts programmed at this three-day event.There's bound to be an emphasis on sustainable community and intimate summertime magic this year at High & Dry.
Back in 2010, Ryan Gosling starred in a crime drama called All Good Things, playing a real estate heir suspected to be behind his wife's disappearance, as well as other murders. It isn't a highlight on his resume, but you'll see the feature very differently once you've watched six-part HBO docuseries The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst — because Gosling's character is based on Durst, and because filmmaker Andrew Jarecki directed both the movie and the series. True crime isn't a new genre, but The Jinx proved one of its big hitters when it was initially released in 2015. While it was originally airing, Durst was arrested on murder charges, with the criminal proceedings still ongoing to this day. Jarecki's series draws upon more than 20 hours of interviews with Durst, conducted over a number of years, and it'll drop you right into the middle of a twisty case. The minutiae is best experienced by watching, but the show's finale isn't easily forgotten.
If you liked choosing your way through Black Mirror: Bandersnatch — or telling Bear Grylls what to do in interactive series You vs. Wild — then Netflix has more where that came from. Come Tuesday, May 12, you'll be able to decide what happens to everyone's favourite kidnapping victim turned wide-eyed New Yorker in a one-off Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt special. While the Tina Fey co-created, 18-time Emmy-nominated comedy finished up its regular run with 2019's batch of episodes, which closed out the show's fourth season, it's coming back this year to put viewers in control. Netflix has actually been in the interactive game for a couple of years thanks to its children's shows like Puss in Boots, Buddy Thunderstruck and Stretch Armstrong; however this'll mark the streamer's first interactive comedy. Always wanted to curb Kimmy's (Ellie Kemper) ample enthusiasm? Keen to steer ex-socialite Jacqueline White (Jane Krakowski) towards a few sensible decisions? Think that landlord Lillian (Carol Kane) could be more eccentric and misanthropic? Just love everything that aspiring actor and singer Titus Andromedon (Tituss Burgess) does? Then this is for you, obviously. If you're fond of Jon Hamm's Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne, too, you're also in luck — this interactive episode is called Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend, after all. A whole heap of other famous faces co-star as well, including Daniel Radcliffe, Amy Sedaris, Fred Armisen, Chris Parnell, Jack McBrayer and Johnny Knoxville. Story-wise, few details have been announced, other than a wedding, a journey across three US states, explosions, an evil plan and potentially starting a war against robots. Announcing the special last year, Tina Fey explained that "fans will be able to make choices on behalf of our characters, taking different story paths with, of course, different jokes," in a Netflix statement. Check out a sneak peak below: https://twitter.com/KimmySchmidt/status/1250446252786847745 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend will hit Netflix on Tuesday, May 12. Image: Netflix.
For Sydneysiders who look at a jacket potato and think, that looks a little too healthy — relax, Lord of the Fries is coming! The Melbourne-based fast-food sensation that thought 'we can fry that' is expanding from its Victorian stronghold and migrating north with its sights set firmly on the boozy, the bored and the lazy who populate fair Sydney. The announcement, which went live on Twitter, gave little specifications past a George Street location and September launch date, so get yourself on a strict diet of all things grease in preparation for LOTF (that’s what Melbournites call it, or so I am told). Oh, and they do burgers and hot dogs, too. Win.
Forbidden love — so much more appealing than ordinary, feasible love. Centuries ago a Frenchman called Jean Racine adapted a play by Euripides which British poet laureate Ted Hughes later spent the last few months of his life translating, perhaps as a sort of self-imposed penitentiary act for not protecting his partner in poetry, Sylvia Plath, from her own passionately wrought fantasies. Hughes' highly regarded free verse translation of Phedre has been adapted for the stage by the Bell Shakespeare Company. The plot is a psychologically compelling, proper Greek tragedy complete with pathos, jealousy and screaming frustration. The character Phedre is a cursed, cougar-esque queen afflicted with an all-consuming passion for her stepson Hippolytus — ignore the name, he's a handsome if diffident 'objet d'adoration'. Fatefully, Phedre's husband Theseus is missing, presumed dead. At the encouragement of her well-meaning nursemaid Oenone, Phedre decides to confess her dangerous and libidinous obsession to the boy in the hopes that he will respond with equal passion. Instead, Hippolytus backs away from the raving madwoman in her stilettos and tight pants in horror, as his pursuer stumbles across the stage, half-crippled by her unrequited lust. It's an unfortunate time for Theseus to return unexpectedly home — literally from Hell. Hell hath no fury like a woman forced to think on the spot of how she became so visibly distressed. Phedre accuses Hippolytus of rape and Theseus promptly invokes the power of Neptune to curse his son, who retreats quite understandably to the blonde and barefooted Aricia with a view to intertangling limbs and lives. Director Peter Evans highlights how our lives can become defined by destructive relationships — both with ourselves and with others — if we allow them to. From the scratchy heartbeat of the fitful soundscape to the frenzied intensity of an apparently powerful woman seeking control in a world where female control just isn't possible, it's easy to identify with her quest and subsequent failure to achieve fulfillment. Her powerlessness turns love into mania and passion into a destructive force. The male characters are victims, too; Theseus too readily believes his son is a rapist, perhaps because of his own philandering history. His realisation that he's got it fatally wrong comes much, much too late. Some stories transcend space and time and Phedre remains a remarkably compelling psychodrama in the context of contemporary life. Anna Cordingley's set is as damaged as the characters' hearts and Hughes' translation is lean, mean and lyrical. The most tragic thing about Phedre is that she realises how the contamination of her consciousness is self-induced: the foregone conclusion of forbidden love. This review is based on the Melbourne run of the production, which ran in May 2013. Photo by Rush.
His video collection is filled with 80s and 90s educational films. When we chat, he's staring at a Teddy Ruxpin doll. If anyone was destined to make Brigsby Bear, a delightful, insightful comedy about a fictional television show and its number one fan, it's Saturday Night Live star Kyle Mooney. With Mooney in the lead, his childhood pal Kevin Costello with him on co-screenwriting duties, and another of their friends, Dave McCary, in the directors chair, Brigsby Bear feels like it has been ripped not just from Mooney's mind, but from his heart. It's the most earnest and genuine film you could imagine about an adult discovering that his favourite show isn't quite what he thinks — one that isn't afraid to give nostalgia a hearty embrace while wading through dark terrain. It's also a perfect addition to a career that started with web sketches with his friends in comedy troupe Good Neighbour and segued into the most famous late night comedy show there is. Along the way, he's also racked up parts on Parks and Recreation, the US version of Wilfred and Hello Ladies. With Brigbsy Bear currently screening in Australian cinemas, we spoke with Mooney about turning his VHS obsession into a movie, getting the confidence to make the leap to film, and doing so with his best friends. ON FINDING INSPIRATION IN GREEK CINEMA AND 80s VHS TAPES "I don't know how it came to me — if I was just hanging around the house or in some sort of dream state or what, but I became really obsessed with this idea of a guy who watches a TV show that's being produced just for him," explains Mooney. "And I kept on thinking about that concept until eventually the story became not just that, but more about the world he explores after that, and outside of that." "There was a movie that came out a few years ago called Dogtooth. It has some similar qualities, with a family being raised in seclusion, so maybe that played a part. But generally I couldn't tell you where it came from, except from me being that obsessive myself, and watching these shows — I have a big VHS collection of kids shows, and I watch them over and over again." "It's mostly stuff that's made for kids, and mostly stuff from the 80s and 90s. I especially really like stuff that was released straight-to-video, and was produced regionally. And where there's maybe only 200 copies made. Educational films, religious videos, stuff like that. What I really like is when it has a low budget, and low production values, but you can tell that whoever's in charge of this thing is trying to do their best impression of Jim Henson or Walt Disney — and it's totally not working." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sgs81IOU0m4 ON MAKING THE LEAP FROM SHORTS, TO SNL, TO HIS FIRST FEATURE FILM "I started working on videos with Dave, our director, in my early 20s — right out of college. And with every video you learn something. And then, after a few of them you start trying new things, and you add people to the crew, or maybe start to put a little more money into the production. So it was kind of a gradual build where the stakes rise a little more each time." "By the time we got SNL — I went there with Dave and with Beck Bennett, who's a cast member who is also in our movie — again, there is a little more pressure at it, but you get used to it. And now you're working with a huge celebrity host each week! And you do that for a few years, and it has been building so that, by the time we were on set last summer shooting the movie, I felt pretty prepared." ON MAKING A MOVIE WITH HIS CHILDHOOD BEST FRIENDS "We had all of these shared experiences. With Dave and I, like, there was this very specific kid who went to middle school with us. And I can just be like, 'Jim said this in science class in 1998', or whatever it is, and we can get a laugh out of it. And there's just a level of trust that's there, I think, when Dave is directing me. He knows what I'm capable of. We have the same sensibilities, pretty much." "So it's easy for me, and I think it relieves a lot of the pressure of working on something and not knowing how it is going to turn out. We're also all in it together — and we fail together and we succeed together. But yeah, certainly like having so much history and sharing a sensibility helped." "And I had enough fun on that set that I felt like, 'if this is all we get out of it, I feel pretty good'. Even if the movie didn't turn out well, I would've just considered it a rad summer where we got to work on something together. When we weren't shooting, we would hang out in our hotel rooms or get beers or sing karaoke. It was truly a wonderful crew and cast, and it's nice that what comes through on screen is true to what the experience was like." ON THE FILM'S EARNESTNESS AND OPTIMISM "We have so much genuine love for the things we were trying to recreate. The Brigsby show that's in the movie — I love children's entertainment, and we never wanted to poke fun. I think we always really wanted to pay tribute to it." "And also, the film's underlying theme of creativity, or storytelling, or finding something that you love — we never felt like we wanted to make fun of that. We just wanted to embrace it. We just really liked the idea of playing everything earnest and honest, and hoped the laughs would come along naturally along the way." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MdrGM27yQ8 Read our Brigbsy Bear review.
Summer nights mean warm air, good vibes and great company shared longer and later. One iconic summer experience is food markets, treasured events for communities around Sydney, and some experts in that field are launching a new series of markets this summer in Canterbury Park. Taking place at Kia Friday Racing in Canterbury Park, the Canterbury Summer Night Markets are the latest project of Cambridge Markets — organisers of similar events, day and night, year-round across Sydney. Now, the team is coming to Canterbury for this evening offering alongside events at the park. The markets are kicking off on Friday, November 17, and will run sporadically at Canterbury Park until Friday, February 23. Coinciding with the summer racing calendar, attendees will be able to take advantage of both events simultaneously. Expect free activities for the kiddos, like face painting, a petting zoo and a jumping castle. Plus, for all ages — there'll be local (and delicious) hot food, decadent desserts and cool drinks to beat the summer heat. The Canterbury Summer Night Markets will run alongside Kia Friday Night Racing throughout summer. For more information, visit the Cambridge Markets website.
Cosmic bass visionary Flying Lotus (aka Steven Ellison) specialises in crafting a whirlwind of sounds you've never heard in combination before. Praised as the most revered producer of his generation, he is the supreme genre-traverser and genre-creator. Before sneaking down south to showcase his mind-melting magic at Golden Plains Festival, he will be treating Sydneysiders to the years-in-the-making audiovisual spectacular Layer 3 at the Opera House on March 9, 2014. Over the years, Ellison has carved out a unique brand of ambient hiptronica that folds together the pulse of contemporary urban life with sci-fi futurism. With his hypnotically off-kilter beats, Flylo's musical palette is meticulously designed. He creates immersive soundscapes that voyage through downtempo jazz, pulsing electronica, and 1990s trip-hop. In an interview with the UK magazine The Wire, he described his recent album Until the Quiet Comes as a more pared back attempt at "a children's record, a record for kids to dream to." And true, there is a sense of musical wanderlust embedded in this record, with its thick dreamy textures and mystical harmonies. Ellison has had a busy year collaborating with Odd Future's Earl Sweatshirt and Kendrick Lamar, as well as curating the soundtrack for Grand Theft Auto V. Thus, we are truly fortunate to have scheduled in a session of head-spinning avant-garde electronica. This one-off performance will be a swirling array of video-game funk and room-rupturing beats, translating basslines into cinematic beauty. It is fair to say that no-one can do what Flying Lotus does. Simply unmissable. Tickets will go on sale at 9am on November 15, 2013, from the Sydney Opera House website. https://youtube.com/watch?v=rbuQuvoc0YE
After more than two years of severe drought — including Australia's driest year on record — the recent thunderstorms have added much needed liquid to our dams. February's heavy rainfall has seen Greater Sydney's water supply levels increase to 81.5 percent up from 41.7 percent on February 6. As a result, Sydney Water has this week announced the current level two water restrictions will likely drop back to level one on March 1. The NSW Government introduced level one water restrictions in June, before increasing those restrictions to level two in December due to a "rapid rate of decline" in dam levels throughout 2019. https://twitter.com/SydneyWaterNews/status/1229936726853869568 The last time level two water restrictions were enforced in Sydney was in 2004 (with restrictions lasting till 2009) during the Millennium Drought. At one point during the 2000s drought, Sydney's total water supply dropped to a historic low of 33.9 percent. So what does this mean for Sydneysiders day-to-day? At the level one restriction level, you'll once again be able to use a hose to water your garden before 10am or after 4pm, just make sure you use a trigger nozzle. You'll also be able to use that same trigger nozzle hose to clean your car or garbage bins. Sprinklers, leaving a hose unattended and using a hose to clean pathways, driveways or other paved areas (unless it's an emergency) are still off limits. But, remember, level two restrictions are still in place at the moment. Here's the full list of what you can and can't do. Fines for not following restrictions (including current restrictions) range from $220–550. While Sydney sees an easing of conditions, some areas in regional NSW are still experiencing the worst of the drought. One of these is Orange, where level five water restrictions have been in place since October. For Orange residents, this means showering for a maximum of three minutes and watering gardens for one hour, once a week. Level two water restrictions are still in place for Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the Illawarra, though are expected to be dropped to level one on March 1, 2020. To find out more about what you can and can't do, head to the Sydney Water website. To stay up-to-date with the state's dam levels and the ongoing drought, keep an eye on WaterNSW website and Twitter.
If you've ever dreamed of packing in the nine-to-five life, moving to the beach and running your own eatery with a view, here's your chance — Island Wholefoods Cafe, situated on Victoria's Phillip Island, is being raffled off. It's the kind of shortcut to completely changing your life, owning your own business and living by the seaside that everyone dreams about, and it's on offer for just $15. To enter, you need to buy a 'golden ticket' chocolate bar before midnight on Tuesday, October 16, with all entries going into the draw to become the new proprietor of the plant-based and plastic-free cafe. The winner will also receive $10,000 in cash and $4000 in stock, all fixtures and business assets, and rent, body corporate fees and council rates paid up until March 4, 2019. Valued at $187,439 in total, the prize includes all of the relevant taxes, duties and costs involved with transferring the business and lease as well. Current owners Laura and Matt McNamara opened the site back in 2015, but now they're keen to move onto the next chapter of their lives — which involves travelling around Australia in a caravan with their young family, still living a plant-based lifestyle and focusing on zero waste, all as part of a project they're calling The Avocado Tribe. And if they're off on a new adventure, they're keen to give someone else one too. Plus, as well as gifting the lucky winner a debt-free, profitable and already established business, the McNamaras are donating $2 from every chocolate bar to charities Take3 for the Sea, Plastic Free Phillip Island and Boomerang Bags Phillip Island. As for the $15 caramel chocolate bars themselves, they're made from mylk chocolate, including fair-trade and organic ingredients such as virgin cacao butter, coconut nectar, raw cashews, coconut, raw cacao beans, buckwheat and pink lake salt — and they're also dusted with 24-carat gold. Of course, if you'd be willing to buy absolutely any old chocolate bar for the chance to win your own cafe, that's understandable. Image: Island Whole Foods.
Stay tuned. More info on its way.
When Jetstar launched a big domestic flight sale in mid-June, it sold 70,000 seats in just five hours. Today, July 3, the airline has just kicked off another one — so get your clickers ready. The Friday Fare Frenzy sale kicks of at 12pm today and runs until 8pm — if it doesn't sell out prior. In the sale, you'll find cheap flights on a heap of routes from destinations across NSW, Queensland, Tasmania and South Australia. But, before you book, we suggest you check in on when interstate borders are opening. NSW and ACT borders are both open to everyone except those from the 36 Victorian hotspots suburbs. Residents of those suburbs are currently under stay-at-home orders until at least Wednesday, July 29. Similarly, Victoria is open — but you can't visit the aforementioned suburbs. Queensland is reopening to everyone (except those from the hotspots) on Friday, July 10, as is the Northern Territory on Friday, July 17. Tasmania is working towards a July 24 reopening date (but this has not yet been confirmed) and WA has yet to announce anything. SA is open to those from Queensland, NT, Tasmania and WA, but has postponed its July 20 reopening for the rest of the country because of the spike in Victoria. A new date has not yet been announced. [caption id="attachment_774386" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bannisters in Port Stephens by Destination NSW[/caption] Now you know where you can and can't go, here are the deals: Sydneysiders can snag tickets to the Sunshine Coast for $49, Cairns for $79 and Uluru from $99, as well as to the picturesque Whitsunday Coast from $69. Queenslanders, with their (almost) newfound freedom, can hop on a plan to Port Stephens for $45 or Hobart for $79 (and cross your fingers). Flights to and from Melbourne, because of the current situation, are not included in the sale. Tickets in the sale are for trips between July 28 and September 23, 2020. So, if you're keen to get away, book some now and start planning. Jetstar's Friday Fare Frenzy runs from 12–8pm (or until sold out) on Friday, July 3.
It's been 65 million years since dinosaurs went extinct, but they still keep roaring on screens big and small, in exhibitions dedicated to the prehistoric creatures, and in dino-loving hearts and minds. If you happened to be at Bondi Beach today, Thursday, July 27, you might've also noticed one wandering around — and a seven-foot velociraptor at that. Yes, a dino roamed around one of Australia's most famous beaches. Yes, obviously it wasn't a real dinosaur, but fans of the Jurassic franchise will be happy to go along with it. And yes, this clever girl did look supremely lifelike. Also yes: life really does find a way. The velociraptor was first spotted at Marks Park, then made its way to the beach's south end. Next, following a stint near Icebergs, it ventured up around Bondi Pavilion. That's where it was captured — or, really, where the promotional stunt for Jurassic World: The Exhibition came to an end. Letting a realistic-looking dino loose on Bondi was all about letting people know that the Jurassic World showcase that's been touring the world will hit Sydney this spring, and celebrate 30 years since the first Jurassic Park movie rampaged through cinemas in the process. Before now, the exhibition has made its way to London, San Diego, Paris, Madrid, Seoul, Shanghai, Toronto and more, complete with life-sized and lifelike versions of the movie franchise's animals. What do Bondi Beach and Isla Nublar have in common? Dinosaurs now, although Bondi didn't score its own version of the famous Jurassic Park and Jurassic World gates. That entryway will be on show at the exhibition, however, when it arrives at the 3000-square-metre SuperLuna Pavilion at Sydney Showground in Sydney Olympic Park from Friday, September 22. Tickets are now on sale for Jurassic World: The Exhibition, which is another reason for the promo stunt. Sadly, there were no sightings of Sam Neill, Laura Dern or Jeff Goldblum at Bondi today — just the raptor. Add an ancient critter to the list of attention-grabbing Bondi pop-ups in the past year, including a Stranger Things rift, a giant rainbow sand sculpture in the countdown to Sydney WorldPride and a mass installation for photographer Spencer Tunick, which briefly turned the sandy stretch into a nude beach. It's been a big few years for pop culture-themed pop-ups in Australia, too, including Borat, Nicole Kidman, Homer Simpson and the creepy Red Light, Green Light doll from Squid Game also making an appearance in Sydney. Homer Simpson's huge head made its way to Queensland, too, while Melbourne has scored an Everything Everywhere All At Once-style multidimensional laundromat and a massive Timothée Chalamet mural to promote Dune. Jurassic World: The Exhibition will display at SuperLuna Pavilion, Sydney Showground, Sydney Olympic Park from Friday, September 22 — head to the exhibition's website for tickets.
Darlinghurst is already famously home to a rainbow crossing. In Surry Hills, the City of Sydney has just implemented a lengthy path in Prince Alfred Park decked out in the same multicoloured stripes, too. And now, Coogee has also joined the brightly hued celebration of Sydney's LGBTIQA+ community, turning part of the suburb's beachfront into a rainbow walkway. First announced in December, and unveiled to support this year's Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, the vibrant pathway stretches along a 200-square-metre patch of the promenade — right by the sand, at the bottom of the existing steps. It's a great spot for it, given that the area already bends around in a circular fashion. So, it's not only rainbow-hued, but also coils around in a rainbow-shaped curve. Unsurprisingly, the path stands out — as you'd expect given that it spans approximately 4.2 metres wide and 47 metres long. It's also certain to become a favourite photo backdrop, as Instagram is already demonstrating. When the walkway's lively makeover was approved by the Randwick City Council at its December 2020 meeting, Randwick Mayor Danny Said noted that "this proposal enhances that tradition and makes a strong public statement of support for our wonderfully diverse local community". The pathway is a temporary addition to Coogee, however, although it will stay in place for a number of months. Exactly how long it'll remain — and when it'll stop sharing its radiant beachside colours — is yet been revealed. Coogee Beach's rainbow walkway is now on display, and will remain in place for a number of months — although just when it'll be removed hasn't been announced. For further details, visit the Randwick City Council website.
When we watched The Fifth Element almost 20 years ago (yes, it's been almost 20 whole years), we didn't dare imagine that we could have Bruce Willis' flying car with autopilot mode. Thankfully, we're not quite at the flying car stage in history, but self-driving cars are most definitely a thing. Still can't imagine getting in a car without a driver? You better get used to the fact — and fast. US ridesharing company Lyft (a major competitor to Uber in the States) is teaming up with General Motors to test out self-driving cabs. On real life customers. The trial doesn't have a confirmed location yet, but it will be offered as an option to punters in one of the cities Lyft services sometime in 2017. According to The Wall Street Journal, customers will have the opportunity to choose a self-driving or human-driving car when ordering one from the Lyft app. The app will also allow passengers to contact customer support if something goes wrong, and to tell the car when to go and when it can leave after they've reached their destination. The partnership comes after GM invested a cool $500 million in Lyft a few months ago, and it signals the entry of driverless cars into the mainstream. They'll be testing out their self-driving Chevrolet Bolt electric taxis in the trial — the first time they'll be placed on public roads. Watch out, world. Via The Wall Street Journal.
Could this be the most missed-the-mark themed eatery yet? East London's latest pop-up might have taken things a little too far down the provocatory rabbit hole. For £50 a head (around AU$80), punters can make a reservation at a new temporary eatery called Death Row Dinners — a 'high security restaurant' with a five-course menu inspired by the last meals of death row inmates. According to the website, "for a short time only in beautiful Hoxton you can enjoy the idea of the last meal, without the nasty execution bit." DEATH ROW DINNERS IS COMING TO TOWN. The dates for your sentence have been confirmed and your meal tickets are now on sale. — Death Row Dinners (@DeathRowDinners) September 4, 2014 Capitalising on the apparently "age-old question" — "What would your last meal be?" — Death Row Dinners works like this, according to the website: "On the night of your incarceration, you will join 80 fellow inmates and experience a night behind the bars of one of London’s toughest high security restaurants where our prison chefs serve up a five-course feast of their culinary twists on some of death rows most interesting and popular last dinners. You don't need to know anymore than that really, but prepare to be charged, sentenced, searched and frisked." Because nothing says bon appetit like cheerfully chowing down on someone's final request before they're killed by the state. The website featured real photos (before they were taken down) of inmates with their last menus around their necks. Reactions were pretty angry across the board, ranging from pure anger to bluff-calling. Publications like Vice are calling it "an elaborate ruse set up by art students," while Twitter has inevitably erupted. @DeathRowDinners using pictures of people who were executed with "menus" round their necks, how on earth did you think that was okay?! — Primrose Prints (@PrimrosePrints) September 16, 2014 Hi @DeathRowDinners I want the full "death row" experience but without any of the trials, imprisonment, death or indignity. Can you do that? — linkshund (@linkshund) September 16, 2014 But some thought the idea 'genius' and chose novelty over thematic implications. Am I a bad person because I actually love the idea of #deathrowdinners ? Only in East London. #EC1forever — Alex (@girlfridayx) September 16, 2014 When you move past the eery factor, it's sort of genius. I would absolutely go there. #deathrowdinners #njom-njom pic.twitter.com/O36uBx5W8z — Cubcake (@iBearo) September 16, 2014 After sufficient cons (heh) outweighed the pros the team had no choice but to put the whole thing on pause and formally apologise. This statement was issued on the Death Row Dinners website: "We're shocked and saddened by the response to Death Row Dinners and are genuinely very sorry for any offence caused. The pop up is intended to explore the concept of last meals; anyone who has ever been to a dinner party has probably had this conversation – what would they love their last meal to be." After such a unanimously opposed reaction to the idea, Death Row Dinners are considering their next steps; promising to update the angry mob with their decision. Via Vice and Buzzfeed. Top image: British artist James Reynolds recreated Death Row meals in 2010.
When Andres Walters (The Lobo Plantation, Kittyhawk), partner Gabrielle Walters (Black by Ezard) and mate Daniel Noble (Ramblin' Rascal Tavern, Mojo Record Bar) decided to open a new bar, finding the perfect location turned out to be much easier said than done. But when eye-watering rents fortuitously forced the trio to start looking up, they stumbled upon an unassuming space within a run-down office building, and Old Mate's Place was born, opening its doors two weeks ago. A little tough to find, but well worth the effort, the two-level set-up makes for a charming hideaway, pulling inspiration from the diminutive drinking dens you'll find hidden throughout office blocks in Japan. Inside, the trio has paid homage to the Clarence Street building's "beautiful guts" and its heritage-listed facade. The bar's lower floor calls to mind an old library, complete with stately bookshelves, dapper furnishings and family heirlooms throughout. Foliage creeps in and around like it's been there forever, stretching up to encompass the secluded rooftop space above. While their previous bars might have built reputations on showcasing specific spirits, Old Mate's sees Walters and Noble widen the focus, embracing the creative space that comes with celebrating all booze in equal measure. Expect a cocktail list that's broad and oft-changing, spreading plenty of love across a 300-strong back bar selection. To match, they've currently got a trio of Philly cheesesteaks and a rotation of cured meats, though there's whispers of a waffle croque monsieur — complete with roast cauliflower bechamel — making an appearance in the not-too-distant future. Find Old Mate's Place at Level 4, 199 Clarence Street, Sydney from Tuesday–Saturday, 5pm–2am, and Sunday, 2pm–2am.
Just six months after opening his first solo venture, Jared Merlino (co-owner of Big Poppa's, Kittyhawk and Lobo Plantation) is already changing this up. Bartolo (FKA Caffe Bartolo) has just reopened with a new name, a new interior and a new menu to boot. As part of the all-day eatery's revamp, the venue now features a 13-seat bar space, which has launched alongside the approval of the bar's PSA licence — allowing punters to drink without having to order any food. When you visit, expect a sleek fit-out with walnut floorboards and high tables, along with a cocktail menu that spans spritzes ($15), classics ($14–20) and signatures ($22). The menu changes with the season and has been created by the group's lauded head bartender, Grazia Di Franco. At the moment, there's a Vermuttino spritz (vermouth, lemon myrtle and soda), the Rain cocktail (tequila, two types of vermouth, verjus and golden beetroot), the Merino Wool (sherry, cognac and vermouth with apple, almond milk and egg whites) and the Fireplace (Rinomato Aperitivo and Americano Bianco with plum, cacao and earl grey), which is served hot. Over at the dining room, Merlino wanted to serve up something that Crown Street didn't already offer. For that, he called in chef Teofilo Nobrega, who spent the past 13 years working at Potts Point's Fratelli Paradiso. When creating the food menu, Nobrega's aim was to create a lineup of dishes that you could happily spend 17 hours — how long the cafe's open for each day — eating. And, indeed, you can. For lunch and dinner, there are grilled lamb rump skewers with rosemary and garlic ($15), locally made burrata with white anchovy ($18), charred octopus with salsa verde and pickled onion ($23) and pan-fried Spanish mackerel with asparagus and celeriac puree, ($26). Pair these with one (or both of) the house-made pastas — at the moment, those include the tagliolini alla sorrentina with buffalo mozzarella ($21) and the duck ragu pappardelle ($31). And don't forget a serve of the veal and pork meatballs in tomato sugo ($15), which is made using a recipe from Merlino's nan. On weekends, head in for the regularly changing brunch specials, with house cocktails available from 8am — including the bloody mary, mandarin and prosecco mimosa, espresso-based Coffee Break and a campari and grapefruit concoction. For eats, enjoy the likes of brekkie meatballs with poached eggs and parmesan, or brioche French toast with apple and rhubarb compote and mascarpone. For weekday breakfast before heading into the office, the espresso bar is open from 7m till 3pm, at which you can grab Gabriel coffee and a pastry from Organic Bread Bar. Images: Kitti Gould Words by Samantha Teague and Marissa Ciampi
