Australian beaches are pretty damn beautiful whichever way you look at them, but the scene on Tasmania's northwest coast at the moment pretty much takes the cake. Not content with just being the only place in Australia to catch a glimpse of Aurora Australis, Tassie has had another inexplicably luminescent natural phenomena appear — but this time, in the sea. An appearance of bioluminescent phytoplankton (otherwise known as sea sparkle, which is much more fun to say) have caused parts of the ocean to light up in an otherworldly bright blue on parts of the coast. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the sparkle was spotted near the town of Penguin over the weekend, while this shot was taken by Leanne Marshall a few beaches west at Rocky Cape. A post shared by Leanne Marshall (@leannemarshall) on Mar 13, 2017 at 12:35pm PDT Apparently the phytoplankton turn bright blue when threatened, so it's hard to say how long they'll stick around for. If you can't go algae-chasing on the Tassie coastline, here's some photos of the phenomena. A post shared by Brett Chatwin (@brett.chatwin) on Mar 12, 2017 at 9:50pm PDT A post shared by Sarah Kubank (@sarah_the_explorer_76) on Mar 13, 2017 at 6:34am PDT Via The Sydney Morning Herald. Image: Leanne Marshall via Instagram.
There shouldn't have been a dry eye in the house, or watching on from around the world, when Ke Huy Quan took to Hollywood's Dolby Theatre stage in March 2023 to collect the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Everything Everywhere All At Once. His performance in the multiverse-hipping hit, which was only his second stint in front of the camera in two decades, thoroughly earned the coveted accolade on its merits. Just as with the feature's fellow Academy Award-winning actors Michelle Yeoh (The Brothers Sun) and Jamie Lee Curtis (The Bear), the sci-fi-, comedy-, fantasy-, drama- and martial arts-mashing film wouldn't have been the success it was without him. It's always moving to see a well-deserving talent get their time to shine. Quan's off-screen story was responsible for some of those tears, however. Thirty-nine years ago at the time, he was also all over the silver screen as a child actor in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Quan will always be the film's Short Round — and, in his next high-profile part afterwards, The Goonies' Data as well. After a handful of other roles, including TV's Head of the Class and 90s comedy Encino Man, he then stepped away from acting. Quan didn't farewell the screen industry, though. Off-camera, his credits include assistant fight choreography and stunt rigging on the first X-Men, action choreography assistant director on The One and first assistant director to iconic filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai on 2046. What's followed since Everything Everywhere All At Once wasn't something that he could've ever foreseen — as a teenager hitting it big, when he gave acting away and even when he was cast in the movie that changed his life. Neither was his upcoming part leading action movie Love Hurts. As Martin Gable, Quan steps into John Wick territory. He's also in Nobody terrain a touch, too. As seen in the feature's just-dropped trailer ahead of its February 2025 release, Love Hurts' protagonist is a real-estate agent who is devoted to his job, and has a Regional Realtor of the Year Award to show for it. He's also dedicated to helping people find their dream house. His slogan: "I want a home for you". His motto: "every day is an opportunity to change your life". But before this ordinary existence, Martin was in a completely different line of work as an assassin. [caption id="attachment_976823" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David Nguyen, ©AMPAS[/caption] In a film that boasts another Oscar-winner on-screen in West Side Story's Ariana DeBose (Argylle), of course that history finds its way back into Marvin's present. If Love Hurts sounds like classic David Leitch territory, that's because the stunt performer-turned John Wick, Atomic Blonde, Deadpool 2, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw, Bullet Train and The Fall Guy helmer adds it to the producing side of his resume, where Nobody also sits, courtesy of his production and action design company 87North. Another former stunt professional makes his directorial debut with the movie, with Jonathan Eusebio also a fight coordinator on the first three John Wick flicks (and on plenty others, such as Iron Man 2, The Avengers, The Bourne Legacy, Doctor Strange, The Fate of the Furious, Black Panther and The Matrix Resurrections). Quan hasn't ever been a real-estate agent and obviously was never a hitman, let alone an ex-assassin turned realtor. Still, playing someone being drawn back into a line of work that they'd moved away from has clear synergy with his own path since 2021's Finding 'Ohana brought him back to the screen, then Everything Everywhere All At Once worked its magic, leading to TV's American Born Chinese and Loki season two, voice acting in Kung Fu Panda 4 and now this. We chatted to Quan about that synchronicity, doing something that he never imagined he'd get to in being number one the call sheet for an action film and his 'no compromise' approach to the feature's fight scenes — and about the last few years, capitalising upon and celebrating second chances, and becoming an inspiration to anyone who has ever thought their dream was out of reach. On Reflecting His Own Recent Experience by Making a Movie About Someone Drawn Back Into Their Old Line of Work "Oh, my god, what a great question. You made the connection that I didn't even make. The only difference is Marvin Gable is trying to get away from his past, and it hurts him so much that he can't — versus I want to get back to my past where I am an actor, and I'm very fortunate to be able to do so and have this incredible second chance. One of the things that I love about the character Marvin Gable is that he knows what he's done in the past, and he's very ashamed of it, and he's doing everything he can to redeem himself. And that's why he's a real-estate agent, because he has destroyed so many homes in the past and now all he wants to do is to help people's dream of owning a home come true. He wants to help build homes and not destroy them. And there is beauty in that, and there's that question: are we able to get away from the past that we don't like? That's what the movie is trying to answer." On Leading an Action Film — and Jumping Into John Wick Territory "I always loved the action genre. So John Wick and any action movies, I love, because they're just really fun to watch. And they're a great escape for you to forget about all your problems and just have a good time for 90 minutes. That's what we try to do with this movie. There's no agenda. There's nothing else that we're trying to do, just to entertain the audience for 90 minutes. One of the biggest differences with this movie is what David Leitch and our producers in 87North and Universal Studios try to do to create a new kind of action star. We have seen action movies for the longest time and they always have a certain type of action hero. This one is very different. He doesn't look like an action hero. He doesn't look bad-ass. But he's truly a bass-ass when the situation calls for it. And because of that element of surprise, I find that very refreshing, and I love it. [caption id="attachment_892688" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Everything Everywhere All At Once[/caption] Also, one of the things that I was adamant about when I came onboard was that I wanted to do everything myself. I'm not talking about stunts. Stunts is jumping off a building, getting hit by a car or being set on fire. That is a very specific skill. What I mean by doing everything myself with all the fights, all the punches that I threw myself, all the kicks — and I trained very hard for it with 87North's action team for this. And mentally and physically, it was exhausting. But it was also very gratifying, because I finally got to do it." [caption id="attachment_884620" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Everything Everywhere All At Once[/caption] On How Quan's Stunt and Action Choreography Background Helped Him with Love Hurts "Oh my gosh, it was so advantageous to have that experience and that knowledge. And I did it for a long time. But the only difference is I was behind the camera, and one of my responsibilities was to train actors to do that. For example, like on X-Men, I was helping Hugh Jackman to learn those moves. So to have that knowledge and to be able to utilise all of that in this movie was incredible. And it was a big, big help. I don't think I could have done this had I not worked as an action choreographer. The only difference is I haven't done it for a long time so it's really bringing my muscle memory back to forefront — and also getting myself mentally and physically prepared for it. It was a lot of fun to do." On the Preparation Process for Starring in an Action Movie — and Giving the Genre a Different Type of Hero "I trained for almost three months with our action team, and the training didn't stop when we started production. It carried on till the end of the movie. It was very intense. There was a lot of weights, a lot of core training, muscle training — and, most importantly, a lot of stretching. Because not only you don't want to hurt yourself, but also doing those kicks, you need to be flexible. So there was a lot of stretching involved as well. And I've got to tell you, when we were shooting making this movie, one of the most-difficult things was the time constraint. Actions take time. And ever since day one, I told everybody, I said 'please, there's no compromise. If we don't get it, please do not move on. It doesn't matter how many takes we do'. [caption id="attachment_976827" align="alignnone" width="1920"] American Born Chinese[/caption] Because this is an 87North movie and the audience who watches this movie expects a certain level of action. There was a certain demand from them, expectation from them. So I didn't want to disappoint them. And what that entailed is sometimes shooting 15 hours 16, 17 — I think one day we shot 18 hours. Now 18 hours shooting a dialogue scene is exhausting. But can you imagine what shooting a fight scene is like? And as the hours progress, your muscles get tired. Your mental capacity goes down. But when you do a fight, it takes tremendous focus. One, you have to remember the choreography. And second, you don't want to hurt the person you're fighting with and you certainly don't want to get hurt by them, so you have to remember the choreography. It was really demanding and at the same time, like I said, I didn't want us to compromise. In fact, our action team, at the end of the shoot they printed a shirt that says 'no compromise' and gave it to everybody." [caption id="attachment_976825" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Everything Everywhere All At Once[/caption] On What Quan Learned From Wong-Kar Wai That He Still Draws Upon Today "Nobody makes a movie the way Wong Kar-Wai makes them. He can spend an entire day finessing one shot. And what I learned from that is the dedication, the perseverance, the determination to achieve your goal, and I applied that to this movie. That's why I said 'let's not compromise it. If we don't get it, let's keep on doing it. If we don't have the time, then let's be creative. How can we find time and how can we make it work?'. And Wong Kar-Wai was part of that training that I had. It was seeing him go ' if it's no good, let's go again, and if there are problems, okay, then let's take a step back and let's find out what the problem is'. We applied that to the fight scenes that we did. There are five big action sequences in this movie. When it's just a fight scene, the audience gets tired of watching it very quickly. So what we try to do, what I learned from my experience on those action days was that you have to put a story behind those fights. All the characters, they fight a little bit differently, because that's who they are, that's their personality, that's their character — and we tried to apply that to this movie. And it was fun, but also at the same time it was very challenging to do it in the one movie for five scenes. You understand that the audience has a very sophisticated eye nowadays. They've seen everything already. So it's hard to throw them. I'm going to give you a great quote from Steven Spielberg. He says it's very hard to throw an audience with spectacle, but it's easy to do it if you give them a good story. And that's what we try to do with this, with the fight sequences in this movie." [caption id="attachment_851369" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Everything Everywhere All At Once[/caption] On What the Last Couple of Years, From Everything Everywhere All At Once Onwards, Have Been Like for Quan "It's incredible. Like Marvin Gable the character, it's about redemption and about second chances. When you talk about second chances, I really resonate with that. I got this incredible second chance to be an actor again and everything that has happened since 2022, when Everything Everywhere came out, has just been incredible. And Love Hurts is another proof that I didn't think I would ever get — being the lead actor in a major motion studio film, being number one on the call sheet, I didn't think that would ever happen. And one of the things that I really enjoy and love that came out of all of this is so many people have come up to me and said 'wow Ke, I've also struggled and seeing what you're going through, what happened to you, leaves me a lot of hope. And it gives me a lot of strength to keep on fighting, to continue to struggle, because it can happen'. I keep saying to everybody 'if it can happen to me, it can certainly happen to anybody'. This incredible opportunity to be in Love Hurts, it's kind of my answer to all those questions that they are asking themselves: 'if I put in the work, if I'm patient enough, if I'm determined enough, will one day my future get better? Will one day my dream come true?'. It's a great feeling to have, to be able to do that." [caption id="attachment_921343" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Loki. Photo by Gareth Gatrell. © 2023 MARVEL.[/caption] On Becoming a Source of Inspiration Thanks to His Glorious Comeback "It's amazing, because I have been inspired by so many people, so many wonderful actors that I've enjoyed, so many filmmakers — and not only that, also people outside of our industry. When I watch the news and I see people do incredible charity, I'm very inspired by that. I never thought I would ever be in a position to inspire others, and to be able to do that is one of the greatest feelings I ever had. It just gives me this really warm feeling inside that, I don't know what to say. I know I've been saying a lot of the same things for the last years, where you hear me say it all the time — grateful or it's a great blessing and I'm lucky, and certainly those are true adjectives." [caption id="attachment_976824" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Phil McCarten, ©AMPAS[/caption] On Not Knowing What Was Set to Come When Quan Was Cast in Everything Everywhere All At Once "I didn't think in terms of how much it was going to change my life, and I certainly didn't expect the incredible response that we got, all those incredible accolades that the movie has received. I just thought it was a great script, and I thought the Daniels were incredible filmmakers, and I just wanted to be on that journey with them. So I didn't expect this, but I knew that I would be proud of the movie. Because when I saw Swiss Army Man and it was such an absurd premise, but they were able to move me to tears, keep me at the edge of my seat and have me totally immersed in the story — and I said 'oh my god, if they can do that with that, that's their promise, I cannot imagine what they could do with this incredible script'. And surely they did exactly that and more. And, of course, in the process they changed my life. I didn't expect them to change my life. I was just very grateful that they believed that I can act again after such a long hiatus." Love Hurts releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, February 6, 2025.
Melbourne's Moon Dog has gone and brought a whole new meaning to the words 'go big, or go home'. The brewing company has unveiled its hotly anticipated, mammoth new brewery in the suburb of Preston, dubbed Moon Dog World. And it's somewhere you'll want to put on your list for your next Melbourne visit. The team's made good on the grand plans it announced for the venue back in March. Clocking in at 12,000 square metres, the multi-warehouse site is supposedly longer than the MCG end-to-end, and has room for a huge 725 punters. The name hints at a theme park or adventure land and, between the jungle of greenery, the Tiki-style bar, the indoor waterfall and the illuminated rainforest lagoon flowing right through the centre, that's basically what awaits. Blue and white-striped deck chairs perched right by the water promise to be prime real estate in the coming months. Over to one side presides an elevated DJ booth and VIP terrace, while opposite, a two-level conglomeration of shipping containers has been transformed into a series of cosy rooms, hidden booths and open balconies. You'll even find a mini pinball arcade tucked away somewhere inside. A hefty central bar is pouring one heck of a beer list, decked out with no less than 72 taps — never has there been this many Moon Dog brews offered in one spot. True to form, it's a diverse collection, featuring label favourites including the Old Mate pale ale and Cake Hole black forest stout, alongside seasonal releases like the Cherry Seinfeld sour ale. A rotation of guest drops rounds out the beer offering, though there's also an all-Aussie wine lineup, classic tap cocktails and a few signature concoctions, for those after something different. [caption id="attachment_744578" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The swordfish skewers.[/caption] It's a space for all occasions, with a food offering to match, featuring burgers, share plates and charcoal dishes. Grab a beer and settle in with some crispy chicken ribs doused in lime and chilli caramel, squid karaage served with lemon and kewpie mayo, or maybe the swordfish skewers finished with feta, almond dukkah and a capsicum mojo rojo. Burgers run from the likes of a crispy chicken number loaded with kewpie and barbecue sauce, to a vegan creation starring a sweet potato and kimchi patty. You can even grab a half or whole free-range chook, hot off the kitchen's charcoal rotisserie and served with gravy, chilli oil or spicy za'atar oil. Perfect Sunday session food. Add to all that the handful of sports screens and a sunny outdoor beer garden, and this is one boozy theme park you'll never want to leave. The venue was heaving on its opening weekend — and it looks set to be an interstate beer destination worth travelling for. Find Moon Dog World at 32-46 Chifley Drive, Preston, Melbourne. It's open from 11am daily. Images: Kate Shanasy.
All fascinating true-crime tales double as mysteries, exploring murky cases, following thorny leads, and asking questions that don't have easy or obvious answers. With ten-episode Australian podcast Blood Territory, listeners are in for all of the above, with the new Audible release not only delving into the death of 24-year-old Northern Territory man Jimmy O'Connell, but also chronicling his parents' fight to prove his convicted killer's innocence. Back in 2006, it was a murder that sparked many a headline, as you'd expect when a body is found mummified, mutilated and missing clothes in a dry creek bed in the Northern Territory — all, apparently, because of a fight over an esky. After O'Connell's best friend and fishing companion, 33-year-old Philip Mather, was tried and convicted for his death, the case sparked even more attention. Mather insists that his confession was coerced, and that he only plead guilty to avoid spending his whole life in jail. Astonishingly, O'Connell's mother and father believe him. An examination of a grisly murder that also ponders potential police corruption, as well as possible judicial prejudice against the NT's Indigenous peoples (Mather is himself an Indigenous Australian), Blood Territory isn't short on twists — or material for journalist Mark Whittaker to draw upon. Following the O'Connells' desperate quest for the truth, his podcast chats with family members, witnesses and professionals involved in the original case, sifts through new evidence, and dives deep into the legal complications surrounding Mather's conviction. It also proposes its own theory about Jimmy's death. "The Top End of Australia is notorious for hiding people, and secrets that don't want to be found — it's the perfect backdrop for such a cryptic story," explains Whittaker. "As the sequences of events and unusual characters are revealed, it becomes clear this is one of the strangest Aussie mysteries I've ever encountered." Blood Territory marks Audible's second Aussie true-crime podcast, after exploring the tale of a ghost-hunting Sydney security guard in Ghosthunter. Blood Territory is available now on Audible — for free until November 20 with an Audible account.
Calvin Seibert just took a ten-day holiday in Hawaii. The good news for us is that we now have a fresh selection of jaw-droppingly amazing sand sculptures to marvel over (we last marvelled here). The New York-based artist is gaining a bit of a following thanks to his striking geometric designs, and the staggering level of patience it takes to construct them. Sometimes his creations resemble castles, but more often they cross over into a more imaginative realm and we see strangely shaped mountains, mysterious walled cities and futuristic landscapes. "Building 'sandcastles' is a bit of a test," says Seibert. "Nature will always be against you and time is always running out ... I rarely start with a plan, just a vague notion of trying to do something different each time. "When they are successful they don't feel contained or finished. They become organic machines that might grow and expand. I am always adding just one more bit and if time allowed I wouldn't stop." Like what you see? You can follow Seibert's work at his Flickr account.
It's been less than a month since Sydney hospitality giant Merivale revealed plans to open its first-ever venue outside of New South Wales, snapping up Flinders Lane site Tomasetti House. But the next phase of the group's expansion into Victoria has already begun, with CEO Justin Hemmes announcing Merivale has also purchased the historic Lorne Hotel on Wednesday, May 19. The well-known Great Ocean Road pub has almost 150 years under its belt, with previous owners John and Paul Upham at the helm for the past 11 years. While Merivale will receive the keys in the coming months, Hemmes has indicated The Lorne Hotel will operate as normal over summer. So, if the group is planning one of its legendary makeovers, it sounds like it won't be happening until at least next autumn. "The Lorne Hotel is an iconic venue in a truly spectacular location," Hemmes said in a statement. "We feel honoured to continue [John and Paul's] legacy and help usher the pub into the next phase of its incredible 145-year history". Merivale currently operates more than 60 venues across Sydney, including popular restaurants Totti's and Mr. Wong, pub stalwarts The Beresford and Vic on the Park, and expansive bars Ivy and Coogee Pavilion. The group's growth has been especially noticeable in recent years, with high-profile purchases including the likes of The Duke of Gloucester Hotel, Hotel Centennial and most recently, Norton's Irish Pub. [caption id="attachment_705112" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Merivale's Coogee Pavilion[/caption] Last year, Merivale copped criticism locally after announcing plans to expand its Merivale at Home delivery service to Melbourne, right at the height of the city's winter lockdown. One week later, after attracting disapproving responses from many of Melbourne's local and struggling hospitality businesses, it put the plans on hold — conceding the plans were "an oversight" in a statement to Concrete Playground. Merivale will take over The Lorne Hotel at 176 Mountjoy Parade, Great Ocean Road, Lorne later this year. Further plans are yet to be announced, but you can keep an eye out for future details at the Merivale website.
In this or any other galaxy far, far away, now and a long time ago alike, this is a first: an exhibition displaying the largest collection of life-sized Lego Star Wars models ever assembled, and ranking as the biggest touring Lego showcase ever. Lego Star Wars: The Exhibition was initially announced in 2024, and now unveils the scenes crafted from its eight-million-plus plastic bricks at Melbourne Museum on the best day for it: May the fourth. The force is strong with this one — the Lego-building force, that is, in this world-premiering exhibition featuring Lego models based on the George Lucas-created space saga. Locations, characters, duels: they're all included, such as the Millennium Falcon, Emperor Palpatine's throne flanked by two Royal Guards, a stormtrooper helmet, Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader facing off, and the Mandalorian and Moff Gideon doing the same. Lego Star Wars: The Exhibition hails from Ryan McNaught aka Brickman, who has indeed been spending time turning plastic rectangles, squares and other shapes into a recreation of the smash-hit franchise that's been soaring across screens big and small — and beyond — for almost five decades now. To build, the showcase took more than 25,000 hours at McNaught's headquarters in Tullamarine. As it constructs an immersive experience and follows in the footsteps of the Jurassic World series, which has also received the Lego treatment from Brickman, Lego Star Wars: The Exhibition has plenty of material to draw upon. On-screen, so far it spans the initial film trilogy that released from 1977–83, then the prequels from 1999–2005, then the sequels — including The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker — from 2015–2019. Rogue One, Solo, The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Skeleton Crew: the list goes on across cinemas and TV, including the wealth of animated efforts in the saga. This is not just the first Lego showcase dedicated to Star Wars, but the only Lego showcase devoted to it. Another drawcard: being able to build your own Lego brick lightsaber, then giving it a swing in augmented reality. If you're keen to check it out and you don't live in Melbourne, you'll need to head to the Victorian capital to wander through Lego Star Wars: The Exhibition. Alongside the hosting the world-premiere season, which runs until Monday, January 26, 2026, the stint at Melbourne Museum is an Australian exclusive. "Building the Star Wars galaxy from Lego bricks has been a dream project, and I couldn't be prouder of what we've created. Lego Star Wars: The Exhibition takes some of the most-iconic moments from the beloved saga and reimagines them at a scale that's never been done before. The detail, the size and the sheer number of bricks used to make this exhibition is something truly special. Whether you're a lifelong Star Wars fan or just love to build, it's an experience that everyone can enjoy," said McNaught. "This world-first exhibition unites two of the most-iconic and -imaginative forces in global culture ‚ right here in Melbourne. Lego Star Wars: The Exhibition boldly blends creativity, storytelling and interactivity into an adventure for curious minds of all ages," added Museums Victoria Chief Executive Officer and Director Lynley Crosswell. Lego Star Wars: The Exhibition runs from Sunday, May 4, 2025–Monday, January 26, 2026 at Melbourne Museum, 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton. Head to the exhibition's website for tickets and more details. Exhibition images: Eugene Hyland, Museums Victoria / The Brickman.
Rocket travel – so passe, not to mention a fuel suck. It's been 50 years since the first moon landing; surely we've hit on a better way to explore the heavens. NASA's best and brightest shake their heads, strapping cosmonauts to another huge needle-shaped petrol bomb. In reply, Sydney Festival admits it's been studying the other Armstrong to unveil… a bicycle. It's 384,400 kilometres to the moon and Sydney Festival want us to make the distance with pedal power. Stop by World Square and clock up a few kilometres on Sydney-based arts company Erth's latest invention, the Lunar Velocipede. Alternatively, 'donate' some of the kilometres you've ridden on your terra-bikes and help the city escape orbit. The Apollo 11 crew made the journey in three days, you've got two and a half weeks. Best get limber before blastoff. Fly Me to the Moon is part of Sydney Festival's dramatic and diverse 2019 program. Check out the full lineup here.
After boasting Australia's only run of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, then playing host to a natural history exhibition based on the Fantastic Beasts films, Victoria is set to enchant wannabe wizards and witches again — and muggles, too — with a new Harry Potter-themed experience in 2024. This time, you'll be walking around an illuminated woodland filled with nods to the Wizarding World, with Harry Potter — A Forbidden Forest Experience finally heading Down Under. Accio joy, clearly. Think: Lightscape, which is returning to Melbourne in 2024, but all about the world that's sprung up around the Boy Who Lived on the page, screen and stage. So, with Harry Potter — A Forbidden Forest Experience taking over The Briars, Mount Martha from Saturday, April 6, 2024, attendees will enjoy a nighttime stroll around a 230-hectare property an hour out of Melbourne. Entering the Forbidden Forest is clearly the big attraction, as lit up with dazzling lights, all while also spying creatures from the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movies. A hippogriff will feature, as will nifflers and unicorns, plus the chance to pose for a photo mid-wand duel — and to summon up a patronus spell as well. Accordingly, you won't just be surrounded by all things Wizarding World after dark in a forest; you'll be joining in like every aspiring Hogwarts student has always wanted to. Sounds and special effects will also help bring the experience to life, as aided by award-winning behind-the-scenes folks. Expect to spend around 90 minutes being immersed in the all-ages event — plus however long you need at the onsite shop afterwards buying merchandise. That's part of the village at the end of the trail, where you'll also be able to grab a bite and something to drink. Wands crossed for butterbeer, obviously. Harry Potter — A Forbidden Forest Experience comes to Australia after seasons in the UK, Europe and the US, and a current stint in Singapore, with Warner Bros behind it just like the films and upcoming Harry Potter TV series. Also helping conjure up the fun is events platform Fever, adding to a recent Australian slate spanning Banksy and NBA exhibitions, plus the Unko Museum: The Kawaii Poop Experience. Harry Potter — A Forbidden Forest Experience will take over The Briars, Mount Martha, from Saturday, April 6, 2024, with tickets on sale from 9am AEDT on Wednesday, December 202, 2023 and the waitlist open now. Head to the event's website for further details.
I learnt this week that the Queen Victoria Building has a time capsule. It was installed after the restoration of the building in the mid-1980s and won't be opened for 100 years. Time capsules are an interesting way of giving priority to certain objects and they also enable us to convey what we believe are our strongest values and attributes. If those in a century were to develop an understanding of the aesthetic of our time I would like them to do this with the help of Rene Vaile's photography. Objects in a time capsule exist in a unique temporality. Initially, they exist in the moment before being locked away. Then they remain in stasis; in a sense, they don't belong to a moment in time. Only in the future will they be used again, and the different use values attached to them will recast them as new objects, almost with a new temporal history. Rene's photos seem suitable for such a destiny because they are in a sense already petrified. The absence of any contextual detail lends these images a timelessness of their own. Only when grouped together do patterns emerge; we sense Vaile piecing something together. But what is it? Pink socks (Uniqlo?), crystals; such items are shot by Vaile without a self-reflexive gaze. One is not aware of the constructed nature of these images. Instead, they appear as a new set of symbols, a new language, with which Rene sets about communicating all that he sees around him. It's a world that seems oddly familiar. Death metal album covers, street brawls, constellations of stars — Vaile's taste for content is inspired. The installation of floor-to-ceiling images spoils the viewer with a snapshot of what Vaile is digging right now. The collaged format has long been a vital element of the workspace of many creative folk — here the photographer has transformed this into a conceptual work. None of the works were produced with this show in mind, but their accumulation has created a work in itself. Rene Vaile's exhibition Just Treasure is showing at the Edition store during opening hours until October 7. There is a limited edition print on sale also.
Lego Camera is a 3-Megapixel camera made entirely out of its namesake. It is a new go-to gadget for any shelf that’s looking a little bare and any hands that are feeling a little bored because, being Lego, you can add extra pieces to build a totally customised camera. Fortunately, it can't be pulled apart, which means you won’t find yourself scrambling on all fours looking for that missing piece. The camera, available online at Urban Outfitters, has pretty simple features: fixed focus, digital zoom, in-built flash and a 1.5 inch colour-screen with memory to store 8 shots. This may be marketed to the younger generation, but for those who never outgrew their childhood Lego fixation to operate this is certainly a fun option. [Via Desktop Mag]
Search for Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, The Jungle Book, Mulan and Cinderella on Disney+ and you don't just get one option. Thanks to the Mouse House's devotion to remaking its animated hits in live-action, viewers can watch versions brought to life with actors, too. Come April, search for Peter Pan and the same will apply, courtesy of the Jude Law (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore)-starring Peter Pan & Wendy. The first of Disney's do-overs for 2023, arriving before The Little Mermaid, this one is heading straight to streaming. There, it'll join Lady and the Tramp and Pinocchio, too, with both also bypassed cinemas. And, this take on JM Barrie's classic hails from a filmmaker with experience bringing animated fare to live with flesh and blood, with David Lowery also behind the gorgeous Pete's Dragon. Based on the just-dropped trailer, Peter Pan & Wendy's storyline goes heavy on the latter, as she meets that other titular figure, tiny fairy Tinker Bell and the Lost Boys. With her brothers, she's spirited off to Neverland, where Captain Hook awaits — listing off her full name like she's in trouble, in fact. Cast-wise, Ever Anderson — daughter of actor Milla Jovovich and filmmaker Paul WS Anderson, and also seen in the pair's Resident Evil: The Final Chapter — plays Wendy, while Alexander Molony (The Reluctant Landlord) gets flying as Peter. They're joined by Yara Shahidi (Grown-ish) as Tinker Bell, Joshua Pickering (A Discovery of Witches) and Jacobi Jupe (Cupid) as John and Michael Darling, and everyone from Molly Parker (Pieces of a Woman) and Alan Tudyk (Strange World) to Jim Gaffigan (Hotel Transylvania 4: Transformania). With Lowery coming to Peter Pan & Wendy fresh from The Green Knight, the first trailer for the former shares the latter's love of lush greenery — and memorable villains. Indeed, don't go expecting a dashing, debonair version of Law as Captain Hook. Lowery's version of Peter Pan aims to take cues from both the novel and Disney's animated adaptation. "We wanted to invigorate our retelling with emotional sincerity, an open heart, and a grand yearning for adventure. Hundreds of incredible artists spent many years bringing this film to the screen; I'm excited for audiences to see their work, to go on this ride, and to rediscover an evergreen tale from a new perspective," the filmmaker said. Check out the Peter Pan & Wendy trailer below: Peter Pan & Wendy will be available to stream via Disney+ from Friday, April 28.
Hurrah, Bannisters has opened its much-anticipated third NSW hotel in Port Stephens. With two already in Mollymook, the chain's latest outpost is perched on absolute beachfront in Soldiers Point. The brand spanking new luxury digs includes 50 rooms with stunning views (78 in total), four super-luxe suites and, for very special occasions, a penthouse. Depending on where you choose to stay, you'll be looking out at either the tranquil waters of Nelson Bay or dense forest – or both. Wherever you sleep, you can look forward to light-filled spaces, Hamptons-inspired whites, king-sized beds and decadent touches. Among the common facilities is an infinity pool — looking out across the river — and the Terrace Bar, where you can enjoy ocean vista while feasting on light bites, such as steamed bao, fish tacos and an Archie Rose gin and tonic cheesecake. If you're keen to indulge, be sure to book a table at Rick Stein at Bannisters, also on the water. Stein, together with head chef Mitchell Turner, has come up with a menu big on premium seafood – from local king prawns and Sydney rock oysters to sand whiting and snapper. Tuck into the fruits de mer platter, oysters Charentaise or the legendary fish pie. Stein and his wife Sarah have also collaborated with Brokenwood winemaker Iain Riggs AM to create an exclusive wine for the restaurant. Sarah also worked with designer Romy Alwill on the restaurant, whose earthy yet breezy interior is splashed with terracotta, brass, timber, Japanese water colour and Pacific blue. Bannisters Port Stephens is now open at 147 Soldiers Point Road, Soldiers Point, NSW. Standard rooms start at $290 (and the penthouse starts at $740).
You could easily be mistaken for thinking you'd walked into a wine bar at Izakaya Fujiyama, Kenji Maenaka's (ex-Bodega) newest Japanese venture. Rows of sake line the wall above the long wooden bar, where patrons propped up on bar stools get a front row view of the bustling open kitchen. All the usual suspects appear on the menu here – sushi, nigiri and sashimi – and they're done exceptionally well. But the real highlights are to be found on their tapas menu. The Kingfish Nuta with fried tortilla chips makes for an ideal precursor to Kenji's Fried Chicken, best enjoyed with a generous dollop of wasabi mayo. The Teriyaki Beef Rib is also a must-try. Rich, glazed and marbled with fat, I'd be surprised if the staff have yet to see anything other than raw left-over bones. Vegos need not despair: one of the best dishes is their delectable Three-Bean Salad with sesame dressing. If you can get through all of this without recourse to a defibrillator, then the gluttonous condensed milk ice-cream with chocolate cake and poached quince will surely finish you off. Dominating the drinks list are twenty-odd different sakes available by a generous 90ml pour. The wine list is concise and features some pleasant French drops but it's overshadowed by the beer selection, which includes some fantastic rarities like Hitachino Nest ales and more well-known favourites like Sapporo. And if Charlie Ainsbury's (ex-Duke Bistro) 'Fuji-Mama' is anything to go by, the cocktail list is also worth a nod. Indeed any bartender who can seamlessly blend Midori into a dry and delicious martini - without reminding me of those first few months of being eighteen - has my complete and utter confidence! Izayaka has a lot of ticks next to its name, so it's shame that it's let down by the uninspiring fit-out. Everything apart from the bar area seems somewhat carelessly thrown together and lacks that element of 'cool' that the people behind Bodega have down to a tee. Inject a little more love into the space, and Izakaya has the potential to become a Surry cult-favourite. [nggallery id=89]
Curating the perfect wine list is an oft-underrated skill. How do you balance pleasing the crowd while also pushing the envelope? Creating something far-reaching while still carving out an identity? Well, a group of Australian venues have been recognised at the international Star Wine List of the Year awards for 2023 for doing just that, with a Sydney bar taking out the top prize in one of the categories. The Star Wine List of the Year International Final took place in Stockholm in June, with Redfern's La Salut becoming the first-ever Australian venue to ever claim gold in one of its fields. The Cleveland Street haunt that specialises in Spanish and Catalonian wines, with an onus on minimal-intervention drops, was nominated for two different awards: Best Medium-Sized Wine List and the Special Jury Prize. While London's Michelin-starred Trivet took out the top mid-sized list gong for venues offering 200–600 wines, La Salut was crowned the champion in the Special Jury Prize. [caption id="attachment_860300" align="alignnone" width="1920"] La Salut, Dexter Kim[/caption] This award recognises "a venue that has done something extra with their wine list, such as the direction, the style or the value". La Salut beat out finalists from across Europe, North America, Africa and Asia to claim the prize, being praised for the exemplary spotlight it places on Spain's best vino and the storytelling it achieves through its curation. "It often feels like Spanish wine is largely ignored by wine-focused venues in Australia, which is a huge shame considering that Spain is currently producing some of the most exhilarating wine in the world," says La Salut co-owner Matt Swieboda. "I suppose our philosophy might be different to others in that we want to really push guests to try wine styles that they may never have had the opportunity to have tried." [caption id="attachment_658147" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Embla[/caption] Elsewhere, other Australian spots received nominations but didn't claim gold. Melbourne's Embla was nominated for the Best Short List for bars with under 200 wines, Bentley Restaurant & Wine Bar was nominated in the Grand Prix for bars with over 600 wines, and Perth's Rockpool Bar & Grill received nominations for both the best wine list with Austrian wines and Best Sparkling Wine List. A couple of regional favourites also picked up nominations, with Margaret River's Setter's Tavern recognised in the sustainability-focused category and Mornington Peninsula's Ten Minutes by Tractor earning some love in the Best By the Glass List category. You can start making plans for a few wine-fuelled nights around Australia — and abroad ‚ by browsing the full list of nominees and winners. [caption id="attachment_637744" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bentley Restaurant + Bar[/caption] For more information about the Star Wine List of the Year, head to the awards' website. Top image: Nikki To.
Back with a new lease on life, Sydney's oldest pub, the Fortune of War, is ready to receive guests again almost 200 years after it first opened. Relaunching with the new 60-seat Bistro 1828 and an expansive breakfast offering, this storied venue's next chapter is bound to be a bright one in its enduring history. Nestled in a heritage-listed building, two neighbouring retail stores and a bar were carefully transformed to create the new bistro, with its name serving as a nod to the year former convict Samuel Terry founded this venerable institution. While the venue has been revamped, maintaining its old-world character was a vital consideration for WDS Hotels group co-owner Steve Speed. Inside, design details reflect the building's immense legacy, from beaten copper panelling to 19th-century medicine bottles and old maps. Says Speed: "We had outgrown the previous space, so by opening Bistro 1828, more people are able to enjoy the historic charm, character and sense of community that accompanies every visit to Sydney's oldest pub." From its home on the corner of George and Globe Streets, the bar offers a mix of high, table and bench seating. Slide into the Italian leather banquettes to sip down a cold brew as the sun streams in through the stained-glass windows. Then, in the main dining room, floor-to-ceiling windows and an elevated rear space provide several cosy spots to suit your mood. Meanwhile, a new open kitchen slots between these zones, significantly increasing the venue's capabilities, with an extensive breakfast offering an exciting addition. Led by new Executive Chef Mark Williamson (The Woollahra Hotel), the menu spans classic and signature options, like avo on toast, eggs benedict and breakfast burgers, alongside the Fortune of War big breakfast. Plus, there's a new bloody mary made with the pub's secret recipe set to give your day a boost. "Going out for breakfast is such an Australian tradition, so we're thrilled to now offer it at this iconic location, whether you're enjoying it as part of your hotel stay or passing by," says Speed. The venue's all-day dining menu has also been expanded and elevated, with guests welcome to order from it in the original pub, Bistro 1828 or amid the sunny alfresco area. Regulars will be happy to know that much-loved favourites like the beef and Guinness stew and the fish and chips are still on the menu, while Williamson has added fresh salads, pastas and shared starters. Meanwhile, a Sunday roast will be served in the near future. The Fortune of War's accommodation has also received a complete renovation, with the upstairs Russell Boutique Hotel ready for bookings. Featuring 28 rooms with unique designs, each offers a sophisticated blend of modern comforts and vintage charm, from antique furnishings to marble fireplaces. "[The Fortune of War] has been a destination watering hole for almost 200 years, and this renovation will ensure it stays that way for the next 200," says Speed. Bistro 1828 is open daily from 7am–late, while the Fortune of War opens from 9am at 137 George St, The Rocks. Head to the website for more information. Images: Kitti Gould / David Li.
Mikkel Borg Bjergsø is an ex-high school physics teacher who has become one of the most prominent gypsy brewers in the world with his well-loved Mikkeller beer. He's basically a legal, Danish version of Walter White. While chemists may naturally turn to meth labs, physicists seem to turn to beer. Sydney University physicists Scott Brownless and Chad Husko have followed Bjergso's lead in starting up their own, teeny tiny Angstrom Brewery, which is not a microbrewery and not even a nano-brewery; it’s an Angstrom brewery. For those of you who skipped physics class, “Angstrom is 1.0 × 10-10 metres, which is roughly the size of an atom”, Scott explains. Chad arrived in Sydney four years ago from Chicago and says he could tell the microbrewery scene was about to “blow up”. And Sydney seems well and truly ready for what they’re selling, if their launch at Kingston Public three weeks ago is anything to go by. They came prepared with three kegs of beer, which were consumed in three hours. Scott is delighted to tell me, “We’ve got the metrics and that’s a beer being poured, at this very small bar, every 30 seconds for three hours straight.” The Scientific Method "Dude, I actually think I have a Maxwell's in the fridge upstairs!" This is the kind of hospitality I was met with at 7.30am in the Physics lab at Sydney Uni, where the pair work on super-resolution and microstructures in optics. They tried to set me straight on their science, but I’m pretty sure what they're actually doing is making an invisibility cloak so they can drink their beer in peace. They are young and smart, bona fide geeks but gregarious enough that you’d want to have a beer with them (just maybe not before 8am). And they’re not alone in the Physics Department in their love of brewing. Chad estimates he could find at least ten home brewers on his floor alone. He explains it’s not isolated to Sydney and that at his lab in New York they used to hold a regular home brew happy hour. Why the link between physics and beer? Chad has two words for me: “parameter space!” Scott kindly elaborates, “What physics brings to the table is the scientific method. There’s a huge parameter space in beer and we need to figure out a way of exploring that. Every small aspect of the beer has to be controlled — temperature controlled, pH controlled, you have an infinite set of creations of malts and hops that you could be using here.” While an artisan baker may spend decades 'getting a feel for' natural yeast and learning to love its unpredictability, these guys do not get a feel for the European Saison yeast they use in their craft; they get a metric. “That’s what we do well, we try to map the optimum beers; how-you-move-uphill-in-your-tastes kind of metric,” says Scott. “I have a record of every recipe I’ve made since 2002,” adds Chad. And when he says ‘record’ he means long spreadsheets full of data, not a scribbled note in a Moleskin diary under his bed. A lesson in a bottle Scott and Chad are well aware that people may not want a science class thrown at them while they consume a cleansing ale, but if they do, each of the bottles will don a label explaining the scientific principle behind the name (once they graduate from delivering kegs out of the back of a car to bottle distribution). For example, their Maxwell’s Demon Farmhouse Ale is named after a thermodynamics thought experiment where you imagine that entropy is in fact not always expanding but instead decreasing. "And the reason that works so well with our beer is that ... you hear Maxwell’s Demon and you think kind of dark and smoky and that’s what that beer is, but if you know the reference, you know that it’s a thermodynamics principle, which connects in very well with these farmhouse yeasts, which are very temperature controlled”, explains Scott. And while the Manhattan Project American Pale Ale may need no explanation, Chad is from New York's Columbia University, where the Manhattan project began before they all upped and left to New Mexico to work on the atomic bomb. The project was "the best scientists of the time working together. They all stopped their normal research and worked like crazy to end the war as it were. It was the birth of nuclear science, essentially," Chad explains. No doubt if all of today’s best physicists stopped work and started brewing beer tomorrow, we would be living in a hop-filled utopia within five years. Thankfully for Sydney, two of the brightest are already working steadily on their very own 'hop bomb'. Images by Annabel Campbell.
Take advantage of the Labour Day holiday and get out of town. Dance the night away and recover in style at Establishment Hotel, indulge in award-winning food at Lake House or sample the best wine the Margaret River has to offer at Empire Retreat and Spa. Whether you go bush at Arkaba Station, swim with the manta rays at Pinctada Cable Beach or pamper yourself at Lyall Hotel and Spa, it will be a weekend well spent. Establishment Hotel, Sydney The building that holds the decadent Establishment Hotel is an all-in-one affair, with a two-hatted restaurant, nightclub, speakeasy and exclusive cocktail bar at your fingertips. For the ultimate opulent experience, book the top-floor Loft Penthouse or huge two-level Duplex Penthouse. Either way, you’ll want a room on the higher levels; the all-inclusive set-up means noise from the revellers downstairs is unavoidable. Head to .est on level one for a fine dining experience like no other, and continue the party with drinks at Hemmesphere, the luxurious cocktail lounge on level four. When the music calls, venture downstairs to Establishment Main Bar to dance until the early hours. Step outside the door to be in the heart of the city — the Harbour Bridge and Opera House are literally a hop, skip and a jump away. Smith Extra: VIP access to Establishment’s lounge bar Hemmesphere, nightclub Ivy and Pool Club, and a bottle of sparkling wine. QT Port Douglas, Qld Soak up the spring sun at QT Port Douglas, the tropical getaway tucked away from the bustle of the main town. Lounge by the lagoon-shaped pool with a good book; the island deck will ensure you’re the centre of attention. Use the free guest bikes to explore the town or take the path down to Four Mile Beach for a leisurely ocean swim. Recover with a luxurious treatment at spaQ before spying on the shenanigans by the pool’s swim-up bar from the balcony of your One-Bedroom Pool View Villa. In winter and spring, QT also hosts Moonlight Cinema — enjoy a delicious snack while watching a classic or latest release on a state-of-the-art outdoor screen. Indulge with a meal at Bazaar, the resort’s main restaurant. The glass fridges hold fabulous produce that the chefs cook to order. Start with salad and seafood, before moving onto dishes from around the world (just make sure to leave room for dessert). Smith Extra: A bottle of bubbly plus late check-out (12 noon). Arkaba Station and Walk, Flinders Ranges Find your inner farmer at Arkaba Station and Walk, a 60,000-acre homestead and sheep station. Nature is king here; watch for kangaroos and emus or listen for the pink-hued galahs flocking the trees around the property. The exclusive homestead has five rooms, meaning you can bring friends along for an adventure. Each room brings a little of the outdoors inside, with cowhide rugs and wool-sack-wrapped bedside tables. Escape the spring heat with a dip in the outdoor pool, admiring the view of Arkaba Creek, hills and bush. The more adventurous can book a three-night guided walk, sleeping in comfy campsite swag beds for two nights before a night at the station. Eat food made over the fire, have an alfresco bush shower and fall asleep with a sheepskin hot-water bottle keeping you warm. Smith Extra: An assortment of Australian bush spices. Pinctada Cable Beach, Broome Perched between one of Australia’s most iconic beaches and the vast Kimberley, Pinctada Cable Beach delivers both beachside relaxation and rugged desert adventures. Rooms reference the town’s Asian heritage: the Honjin (meaning ‘most honoured guest’ in Japanese) Courtyard Suites share a serene courtyard and a plunge pool between four. Ocean adventurers can go swimming with manta rays on Cable Beach or take a camel ride along the white sand. Meanwhile, guests in search of rejuvenation can be pampered with an Aboriginal-influenced treatment at Pinctada Spa, which champions Li’Tya products and local plants and spices. Finish the day at Selene Brassiere, where the menu blends North African, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavours with a taste of the Kimberley. Pair your meal with an excellent selection of Australian wines. Smith Extra: A bottle of wine and canapes. Lake House, Daylesford The runner-up for Best Hotel Restaurant in the Smith Hotel Awards 2013, Lake House boasts an award-winning restaurant, rural lodge and a state-of-the-art spa just outside the rustic town of Daylesford. Indulge in a signature Salus Bliss treatment at the Salus Spa, or unwind in the hot mineral-water tubs looking over the lake. For a private experience, try the Spa Villa, which boasts a courtyard with a sunken hot tub and direct access to the lake. Sample the local produce at chef Alla Wolf-Tasker’s destination restaurant — almost everything on the menu is grown in the kitchen garden or in the region. Alla’s husband Allan is responsible for the paintings that adorn the interiors, adding a splash of exuberance to an otherwise tranquil space. Smith Extra: Elemis spa products presented in a satin travel pouch. Lyall Hotel and Spa, Melbourne For a stylish mini-break with designer shopping on your doorstep, look no further than Lyall Hotel and Spa. The spacious one-bedroom suites are a sleek affair, resembling deluxe city apartments. For extra room, try the Platinum Suite — it comes with a living room, ensuite bathroom, double spa bath and full kitchen. You’ll find the space filling up after an afternoon in the boutiques of South Yarra; the credit card — and your legs — will be given a proper workout. Comfort your weary pins with a signature treatment at the hotel’s destination day spa, a three-storey space perfumed with mandarin and ylang-ylang. Unwind in one of two steam rooms or just relax in the indoor-outdoor area. Wear your latest purchase to the sexy Lyall Champagne Bar, an intimate space with a soundtrack of easy listening tunes. Choose between an apple crumble martini and a selection of champagne by the glass. Smith Extra: A bottle of Chandon NV on arrival. Empire Retreat and Spa, Margaret River While the weekend away at the slick Empire Retreat and Spa, smack-bang in the centre of Margaret River wine country. Tour the onsite vineyard and sample the estate’s chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon, the region’s dominant varieties. Sip a glass in front of the open fireplace in a Luxury Villa or have a shower in your private courtyard. There’s no pool, but a secluded Jacuzzi should satisfy your watery whims. Achieve full relaxation with a treatment at Empire Spa — the three-hour Opulence session lives up to its name with an exfoliation, wrap, massage, bath and facial. There’s no restaurant, but the communal kitchen in the heart of the property is open to guests, meaning you can whip up a meal to match your wine. You can find excellent examples of the local offerings at Moss Wood, Cullen Wines and Leeuwin Estate. Smith Extra: A bottle of Empire Estate wine and a cheese plate. Saffire, Tas Just minutes from the azure water and white sand of Wineglass Bay, Saffire goes back to nature with a blend of stone and timber, beach views and locally sourced food and wine. For the ultimate in private comfort, book one of four Private Pavilions — they each have their own courtyard plunge pool, spacious living and bedroom areas, a front deck and a kitchen where a hotel chef can rustle something up for you. Room rates also include a treatment at Spa Saffire, so you’d be silly not to visit. The facials in the Jewel Collection are particularly special — all of the therapists have been trained by celebrity facialist Marionne De Candia. Other free activities include exploring the secret life of oysters at Freycinet Marine Farm, learning about the local produce with the hotel’s award-winning chef or quad biking around the wetlands. Smith Extra: A bottle of champagne. The Australasian Circa 1858, Fleurieu Peninsula With the facade of a heritage pub and graced with light, Asian-inspired interiors, The Australasian Circa 1858 offers the weariest of weekenders an intimate and stylish retreat from reality. The Parlour Room whispers extravagance with a huge tub in a step-up area of the bedroom, perfect for a spot of reading and relaxing. This adults-only sanctuary specialises in fine dining, with co-owner and head chef Juliet Mitchell preparing meals with an Asian theme. The restaurant is only open to guests (except Saturday night), but for extra privacy, dine in your room. The hotel is only open from Wednesday to Sunday each week, but its location makes it a perfect stopover before continuing onto Kangaroo Island — only a 45-minute ferry ride away. Smith Extra: A tasting selection of ales from the Steam Exchange Brewery at Goolwa Wharf Kingsford Homestead, Barossa Valley, SA Put your station-owner hat on at Kingsford Homestead, an historic estate with an impressive cellar in the Barossa Valley. The rooms are named after the former owners of the property — the Kerry Packer suite catches the afternoon sunshine and has a gorgeous claw-foot bath tub, and the Stephen King suite (named after the founder, not the famous author) is perfect for families as it connects to the John Angas Suite. There’s no pool, but the alfresco bush bath, located in a secluded corner of the grounds, is big enough for two. Follow up with an in-room massage or facial — but be sure to book in advance. Local produce dominates the menu here; chef Stuart Oldfield has developed strong relationships with local farmers. The menu changes by the season, but the wine will always be Barossa. Enjoy drinks and canapes on the veranda while watching the resident kangaroos have their dinner. Smith Extra: A picnic hamper. Browse other long weekend stays, or contact Smith’s expert Travel Team on 1300 896 627.
Bondi's Rocker restaurant and bar is ushering in autumn with a new bottomless brunch. Settle in for one-and-a-half hours of free-flowing beverages and endless share plates designed to warm you up on chilly days. Your booking gets you all the mimosas, sparkling wine, rosé and beer you can handle. As for the bites, taste your way from Mount Zero olives served with tangy pickles, to smoked mozzarella and mushroom arancini, to slow-roasted lamb gnocchi in a tomato-red wine ragu topped with aged Parmesan and herby breadcrumbs. Three sessions are available, all between Thursday and Sunday, which means there's a time for every occasion. Book in at 11:30am for a late morning feast, at 1:45pm for a late lunch or 4pm for a pre-evening session. You'll find Rocker on a bright corner on a hill in North Bondi, a stone's throw from the golf course. Look out for the quirky murals and listen out for DJs.
When Walt Disney Animation Studios had Dwayne Johnson sing a ridiculously catchy tune that was penned by Lin-Manuel Miranda in 2016's Moana, it gave itself the perfect response to all the love thrown the film's way. Adore the movie? You're welcome. Can't stop crooning its songs? You're also welcome. Excited about the just-confirmed sequel that'll hit cinemas in November 2024? What can the Mouse House say except... yes, "you're welcome" again. Disney has announced that Moana 2 is on its way to the big screen before the year is out, on November 27 in the US. Down Under, films usually release on Thursdays, which would make it November 28; however, the exact local date is yet to be revealed. It'll be another animated musical, and both Moana and Maui will return — and there's also a first-look announcement video. [caption id="attachment_940041" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Moana[/caption] Story-wise, the feature will see its namesake take to the seas of Oceania to answer the call from her ancestors, which is where new characters will come in. Who they'll be and who'll be voicing them hasn't yet been revealed. Neither has whether Johnson (Fast X) will be back as Maui and Auli'i Cravalho (Mean Girls) as Moana. In the director's chair: Dave Derrick Jr, who was a storyboard artist on the original Moana. And on music duties this time are singer-songwriter Abigail Barlow, composer Emily Bear (Dog Gone), Opetaia Foa'i (returning from the first film) and Mark Mancina (also back from the initial movie). Whether Miranda is involved again also hasn't been mentioned. [caption id="attachment_940042" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Moana 2[/caption] "This was originally developed as a series, but we were impressed with what we saw and we knew it deserved a theatrical release," said Disney CEO Bob Iger, announcing the sequel in the company's first-quarter earnings call for 2024. "The original Moana film from 2016 recently crossed one-billion hours streamed on Disney+ and was the most streamed movie of 2023 on any platform in the U.S." Moana 2 is one of two new Moana movies in the works, with a live-action adaptation of the first Moana also on the way — and with Johnson starring. "Along with the live-action version of the original film that's currently in development, Moana remains an incredibly popular franchise," continued Iger. Check out the announcement video for Moana 2 below: Moana 2 will release in Australian and New Zealand cinemas in November 2024 — we'll update you with an exact date when one is announced. Read our interview with Jemaine Clement about Moana.
What music goes best with turning eight-million Lego bricks into the largest collection of life-sized Lego Star Wars models ever assembled? 'Luke's Theme', aka the franchise's main tune? 'The Imperial March' when things get tricky? 'Parade of the Ewoks', just because? That's a question for Ryan McNaught aka Brickman, who has been spending time turning plastic rectangles, squares and other shapes into a recreation of a galaxy far, far away. The end result: Lego Star Wars: The Exhibition, which is a world-first showcase of Lego models based on the George Lucas-created space saga. It'll arrive in Australia in 2025, making its global premiere — and it sparks another question for attendees: which tracks will pair well with walking through this Lego Star Wars wonderland? The force is strong with this one — the Lego-building force, that is. Exactly where all of those millions of Lego bricks will display hasn't been revealed as yet, and neither have exact exhibition dates, but you can start getting as excited as a Skywalker learning how to first use a lightsaber. The full list of models that'll feature also hasn't been unveiled so far, but battle scenes between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader will be on display, plus Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul duelling, and also Emperor Palpatine's throne flanked by two Royal Guards. If you're in Melbourne and Sydney, you can also get a sneak peek right now — with the first two at Westfield Doncaster from Wednesday, May 1–Monday, May 6, and the third at Sydney Arcade's huge Lego store (the world's largest, in fact) for the month of May. As it constructs an immersive experience and follows in the footsteps of the Jurassic World franchise, which has also scored the Lego treatment from Brickman, Star Wars: The Exhibition has plenty of material to draw upon. On-screen, the series spans the initial film trilogy that released from 1977–83, then the prequels from 1999–2005, then the sequels — including The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker — from 2015–2019. Rogue One, Solo, The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, Ahsoka: the list goes on across the big and small screens. There's also TV's The Acolyte, which arrives in June 2024, plus the wealth of animated efforts in the saga. "Building real people and characters is one of the hardest things you can possibly make out of Lego bricks. Each model not only has to represent who it is in incredible detail, but also needs to capture the moment, the emotion, the struggle, the tension," said McNaught about Lego Star Wars: The Exhibition. "Translating those epic scenes, iconic characters and spacecraft from Star Wars into little bricks is really hard and that's why they are rarely done, and even more so on this scale. Nobody has ever recreated these fight scenes at this scale out of Lego before — and I'm excited to be able to help premiere this in Australia for the first time in 2025." Lego Star Wars: The Exhibition will hit Australia in 2025, with when and where still to be revealed — we'll let you know more when it is announced. Head to the exhibition's website to sign up for updates in the interim.
For viewers, much that occurs in Such Brave Girls inspires two words: "here's hoping". Here's hoping that no one IRL has ever been contractually obliged to slip their hand down the pants of the boyfriend that they despise twice a week and on special occasions, for instance. Here's hoping that no one has ever sat in a doctor's office caked in green wicked witch makeup waiting for an appointment about deeply intimate matters, either. The emotions that both situations capture in this brilliant new three-time BAFTA-nominated British sitcom— one digging into the feeling of being stuck on a path that's anything but your dream and dispiritedly going with it, the other surveying life's uncanny ability to put everyone in circumstances so absurd that they seem surreal — are that raw and resonant, however, that watching resembles looking in a mirror no matter your own experiences. If Such Brave Girls seems close to reality, that's because it is. In the A24 co-produced series — which joins the cult-favourite entertainment company's TV slate alongside other standouts such as Beef, Irma Vep, Mo and The Curse over the past two years, and streams via Stan in Australia — sisters Kat Sadler and Lizzie Davidson star as well as take cues from their lives and personalities. This isn't a play-by-play retelling, though. It doesn't claim to bring anyone faithfully and exactly to the screen. But it understands the truth of dealing with trauma, and its fallout and damage, making that plain vividly and with unflinching commitment. "Death, silence, hate" is this duo's personal spin on "live, laugh, love", they jest in a joking-but-not-joking way in-character; Such Brave Girls gets everyone giggling at the idea, but also backs it up. Making their TV acting debuts together — Sadler has previously written for Frankie Boyle's New World Order, Joe Lycett's Got Your Back and more — Sadler and Davidson also play siblings. Josie and Billie, their respective on-screen surrogates, are navigating life's lows not only when the show's six-episode first season begins, but as it goes on. The entire setup was sparked by a phone conversation between the duo IRL, when one had attempted to take her life twice and the other was £20,000 in debt. While for most, a sitcom wouldn't come next, laughing at and lampooning themselves, plus seeing the absurdity, is part of Such Brave Girls' cathartic purpose for its driving forces. If you've ever thought "what else can you do?" when finding yourself inexplicably chuckling at your own misfortune, that's this series — this sharp, unsparing, candid, complex and darkly comedic series — from start to finish. As well as creating the show and penning it, Sadler leads it as Josie, a bundle of nerves and uncertainty that's always earning Billie and their mother Deb's (Louise Brealey, Lockwood & Co) brutal honesty rather than sympathetic support. She's in her twenties, struggling with her mental health and aspiring to be an artist — but, above any firm sense of a career or a dream, she's largely working through a never-ending gap year as she tries to get through day after day. She receives a paycheque from a bookstore job that she abhors, usually while catching her colleagues off guard with her anecdotes. After hours, Josie's doting boyfriend Seb (Freddie Meredith, A Whole Lifetime with Jamie Demetriou) awaits — hovers at her side, pleads for sex and moves in without anyone telling her, to be precise — but she's certain that she's queer and only passionate about bartender Sid (Jude Mack, I Hate Suzie). Davidson's Billie is the eternally optimistic opposite of her sister — albeit really only about the fact that Nicky (Sam Buchanan, Back to Black), the guy that she's hooking up with, will stop cheating on her, fall in love and whisk her away to Manchester to open a vodka bar bearing her name. There's nothing that she won't do to make that happen, whether it means bleaching her hair to look identical to her competition (Carla Woodcock, Tell Me Everything) or agreeing to be Nicky's cover when he's busted at a nightclub for drugs. The other thing that Billie has an unwavering belief in, to a delusional degree: that their dad, who went out for teabags a decade ago and never came home, has just gotten lost at the shops because it rearranges its aisles all the time. Both girls live with the exasperated Deb, who also sees a relationship as the solution to her problems, setting her sights on the iPad-addicted Dev (Paul Bazely, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves). She's saddled with debt thanks to Josie and Billie's father going AWOL, and has picked her latest paramour as a path to financial stability thanks to his sprawling house alone. So, when she's not sternly advising her daughters to settle for what's easiest — "I know it's hard, but as you get older, you learn to love with less of your heart — less and less until eventually there's nothing left anymore" is one such piece of guidance; "work isn't about fulfilment, it's just so you can buy stuff to make you feel fulfilled" is another — she's telling them not to do anything to jeopardise what she considers the best chance they've all got as a family for a solvent future. With actor-slash-director Simon Bird behind the lens — alongside first-timer Marco Alessi on one episode — if Such Brave Girls seems like it belongs in the same acerbically comedic realm as The Inbetweeners and Everyone Else Burns, there's clearly a reason for that, too. That said, in its mix of humour and bleakness, alongside its dedication to diving headfirst into the messy existences of its three key female characters, it's also in Fleabag's wheelhouse. Nothing is too grim to find guffaws in, though, whether it's depression, existential malaise, suicide, termination, abandonment, daddy issues, death, grief, narcissism, infidelity or realising how much about life is simply learning to stomach disappointment. Call it searing, call it ruthless, call it insightful, call it hilarious: each one applies. Here's another "here's hoping" for Such Brave Girls' audience to put out into the world: here's hoping that there's more to come. Actually, here's yet one more: here's hoping that this is the start of big on-screen comedy careers for the show's sisters, who bring such a layered rapport to Josie and Billie that viewers who don't know that they're genuinely related will guess quickly, and who deliver masterclasses in comic timing again and again in the process. Brealey, who has Sherlock, A Discovery of Witches and Back also to her name, might appear to have a hard task, then, playing a convincing mum to real-life siblings. But Such Brave Girls doesn't just feel blisteringly authentic, even at its most ridiculous, whenever Sadler and Davidson are in the spotlight; it's that unvarnished with everyone. Check out the trailer for Such Brave Girls below: Such Brave Girls streams via Stan.
When the pandemic started impacting events in 2020, Dark Mofo was one of the first to scrap its plans for the year. So, when festival organisers said that they'd be forging ahead in 2021, it was welcome news for fans of its weird, wonderful, distinctive and attention-grabbing programs. There's a difference between pushing boundaries and completely misjudging them, though, as the Tasmanian fest has discovered in the past few days. Accordingly, after revealing its first artwork for the 2021 festival, Dark Mofo has now announced that the piece will no longer go ahead. The backlash to the event's first program reveal for this year hasn't been surprising. In a piece called Union Flag, Spanish artist Santiago Sierra was planning to immerse a British flag in the blood of First Nations peoples from territories colonised by the British Empire. Yes, that sounds ill-thought-out, as well as immensely tone deaf and traumatic — as did the accompanying request for First Nations peoples to donate their blood for the artwork. Dark Mofo announced its plans for Union Flag on Saturday, March 20, and received calls for it to be cancelled the same day. Again, that should surprise absolutely no one. Nor should the fact that those calls have only grown since the weekend — as you'd expect given that the project asks First Nations peoples to literally spill their blood, and for a piece of art that purports to comment on a painful colonial history of being forced to do just that. Today, Tuesday, March 23, Dark Mofo Creative Director Leigh Carmichael has announced that Union Flag has been scrapped, and also issued an apology. "We've heard the community's response to Santiago Sierra's Union Flag. In the end the hurt that will be caused by proceeding isn't worth it," Carmichael said. "We made a mistake, and take full responsibility. The project will be cancelled. We apologise to all First Nations people for any hurt that has been caused. We are sorry." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dark Mofo (@dark_mofo) The news comes just a day after Carmichael issued a statement supporting the piece. Yesterday, on Monday, March 22, Carmichael said that Dark Mofo had "been overwhelmed with responses to Santiago Sierra's Union Flag by Indigenous and non-Indigenous people from around the world, but that "self-expression is a fundamental human right, and we support artists to make and present work regardless of their nationality or cultural background." Dark Mofo will announce its 2021 program — without Union Flag — in April. Dark Mofo will run from Wednesday, June 16–Tuesday, June 22 in Hobart, Tasmania. For further details, head to the festival's website. Top image: Lusy Productions.
Fear not, there is a cure for the Monday blues — a cure that's been tried and tested by sufferers since the dawn of the five-day week. It's simple, and only requires three things: cheese, wine and a cosy setting. An excellent place to find this special cure is at The Wine Library in Woollahra, one of our favourite wine bars in Sydney. It has an intimate interior and an exquisite selection of wines, in addition to incredible cheese and charcuterie options. Wash down some spicy salami and red peppers with a selection of five cheeses, and roll into Tuesday safely knowing that you made the most of your Monday.
For a country that's girt by sea, as our anthem reminds us, Australia has become rather obsessed with waves of the man-made kind of late. The Sunshine Coast was supposed to be getting a wave pool that hasn't yet come to fruition, work on URBNSURF's 2.1-hectare space near the Melbourne airport has already begun — targeting an April 2019 opening — and a 3.2-hectare Sydney spot was approved late last year. Indeed, 'who needs real beaches?' seems to be the current line of thinking. If a regional Queensland surf park that's set to become operational this year proves a success, we could all living out at Point Break dreams at more places — called Surf Lakes, it's actually a prototype facility designed to give a new kind of technology a whirl. Located near Yeppoon on the Capricorn Coast, the park is built around a central mechanism that sends waves from the middle of the 200-metre by 150-metre lake towards the edge. With the water lapping over eight distinctive breaks, it'll produce 2400 surfable waves per hour. [caption id="attachment_676066" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Surf Lakes[/caption] Surf Lakes also has some high-profile support, with Aussie surfers Mark Occhilupo and Barton Lynch the park's two ambassadors. More than just lending his encouragement to the project, Occy is lending a hand on an attraction called Occy's Peak, The Morning Bulletin reports. It's a barrelling break that'll range up to 2.4 metres high — the park record — and span across 60 metres. The full-scale demo site is currently to slated to be up-and-running around August, according to Stab Magazine; however don't go booking a trip to central Queensland just yet. At present, it'll be run as a test facility for media and folks who might be interested in licensing the idea for other parks, although there are plans to open to the public at a later date.
It's goodbye everyday blues, and hello margarita magic. Say adios to the ordinary and step into a lunchtime fuelled by bottomless margaritas at Henley's Motel Mexication pop-up. Every day between now and June 30, you can book in from midday to drink as many margs as you can handle in 90-minutes – infused with your pick of summery flavours, including passionfruit, watermelon, strawberry and mango. Or, if you're more traditional, stick with the classic. And, for your non-marg-loving mates, wines and beers are included, too. On top of all the drinks, you'll be treated to bottomless corn chips, guacamole and salsa, created by executive chef Jason Roberson. If that's not enough, splash out on one of his other Mexican dishes, like Trashcan Nachos or DIY Tacos. Then there are the views; Henley's is right on the waterfront, so you'll be gazing over Sydney Harbour as you sip. Should you be visiting on a Friday, be tempted to stay on into the evening for DJs accompanied by live saxophone and vocals, which kick off at 5:30pm.
Two friends meet for a beer. Which are you? The one who pulls out a chair, sits down and starts checking who's been 'totes amazed' by your status update since you jumped off the train ten minutes ago, or the other, looking around, feigning fascination with the pub decor, muttering passive aggressive incantations under your breath? Whether you're the connectivity addict or the addict's tortured friend, you'll be pleased to know that a remedy is nigh. It involves drinking more beer and sitting close together. Brazilian beer company Polar has invented a beer holder that not only keeps your beverage cold but also blocks any 3G or 4G signal within a 1.5m radius. 'Share a Polar Beer, not a link', suggests the ad campaign. The product of collaboration with communications agency Paim, the device employs a scaled-down version of the technology that prevents prisoners from connecting via cell from their, ah, cells. Previous attempts to discourage mobile phone obsession have included an oddly shaped beer glass (also a Brazilian invention) and the designation of 'cell phone areas' in Los Angeles restaurant Bucato. The big question is: will the Polar 'cell phone nullifier' actually boost conversation, or merely cause people to stand further apart (at least 1.5m from their beers, that is)? Via PSFK.
In one of the biggest Australian art exhibitions of the year, Patricia Piccinini's weird and wonderful creations took over an entire floor of Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art. Among its many eye-catching delights, a massive room packed with more than 3000 flower sculptures proved the undoubted centrepiece — and, come September, it's coming to Sydney. Called The Field, Piccinini's immense installation turns the gallery space into a flora-filled landscape, both immersing viewers in its sheer size and asking them to peer deeper at each of the individual sculptures that comprise the artwork. From September 13–16, Sydneysiders will get the chance to walk through and stand inside its wonders at Carriageworks as part of this year's Sydney Contemporary Art Fair. Given that The Field has never been seen outside of Brisbane, it's a rather big deal — and the version coming to Sydney will be re-imagined to specifically adapt to its new location, Carriageworks' Elston Room. As well as The Field, Sydney Contemporary Art Fair will present works from more than 70 Australian and international galleries, spanning six continents and including artists from 32 countries. If you're keen to get a look at Piccinini's piece, prepare to have company — over the past three years of SCAF, more than 60,000 visitors have attended. Image: Installation view 'Patricia Piccinini: Curious Affection' at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art, 2018, featuring The Field 2018. Photograph: Natasha Harth, QAGOMA
After an epic pop-up at Parramatta standout Misc, DNA Distillery is bringing its locally distilled rakija down south with a night of cocktails, Mediterranian eats and midweek celebrations at Bobbys in Cronulla. For $110, guests will be treated to a feast of seafood and snacks as well as five paired cocktails all starring DNA's spirits. You'll kick off the night with cured meats and bread, a cucumber and feta salad, and grilled octopus. From there, you can expect tagliatelle loaded up with garlicky prawns and cuttlefish, and grilled butterflied spatchcock. For the main course, whole snapper will be brought to life with burnt butter, citrus and caperberries (above), and will be paired with shoestring fries, a green goddess salad and grilled broccolini. Rounding out the night's eats will be the Bobbys pavlova for dessert. The cocktails on the night will range from highballs to rakjia margaritas. Highlights include the Balkan Side which combines DNA's classic rakija with lime juice, mint, sugar syrup and sparkling wine; and the Bobbys Spritz made with a rakija limoncello. It's all going down on Wednesday, March 27 from 7pm. You can secure your spot at the DNA Distillery website.
An all-female instalment in the Ocean's series, set at the Met Gala and starring a killer cast of famous faces? On paper, it sounds like a dream come true. Eleven years after George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and more last fleeced a casino in Ocean's 13, and nearly six decades since Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and the '60s-era Rat Pack did the same in the first-ever Ocean's 11, Ocean's 8 thrusts women into the blockbuster heist franchise. The elaborate setups, easy banter and split-screen imagery all make the jump to this gender-swapped chapter, as does the buddy-movie vibe, which makes it feel like you're hanging out with a group of glam pals as they happen to stage an intricate robbery. But there are a few things missing in this stylish but slight attempt to extend the Ocean's brand – things like actual drama, a decent villain, and a plot that's anything other than a routine walk through familiar territory. The parallels start from the film's opening frames, with the incarcerated Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock) trying to talk her way into early parole, just as her brother did back in 2001. And, like her sibling, she's not being completely honest when she promises she'll be a model citizen upon release. Spending five years, eight months and 12 days in the slammer has given her more than enough time to plan a new job, and it takes barely a few hours to convince her righthand woman Lou (Cate Blanchett) to join in. Amassing a crew that includes fence Tammy (Sarah Paulson), fashion designer Rose (Helena Bonham Carter), jeweller Amita (Mindy Kaling), fleet-fingered thief Constance (Awkwafina) and IT whiz Nine Ball (Rihanna), they're soon ready to cause a splash on the first Monday in May. Their plan: steal a $150 million diamond necklace from the neck of starlet Daphne Kluger (Anne Hathaway) during the star-studded party. Actually, the gang is ready to steal big but stay out of sight. As Debbie tells the crew during the obligatory motivational pre-heist speech, "a him gets noticed, a her gets ignored — and for once, we want to be ignored". It's a delightfully loaded piece of dialogue that speaks to our post-#MeToo world, but it's the movie's only step towards making any kind of statement. Instead, Ocean's 8 represents Hollywood's current gender-switching trend at its most basic, doing little more than bringing in female stars to follow the same old path. If the powers that be were worried about a Ghostbusters-style backlash, they've countered it in the most mundane fashion. If they just wanted to capitalise upon the trend as simply and literally as possible, well, that's exactly what they've achieved. Indeed, writer-director Gary Ross (The Hunger Games) and his co-scribe Olivia Milch are happy to follow the beats established by their predecessors, and to mimic the look and feel that served Ocean's 11, 12 and 13 filmmaker Steven Soderbergh so well. Still, you can only pass off a cubic zirconia as a diamond for so long — and in the words of the under-utilised Rihanna, this movie doesn't shine bright like the latter. Bullock, Blanchett and company try their best to liven up the by-the-numbers caper, and do plenty with their evident chemistry. In fact, you'll wish the film spent more time watching the group chat. But that's a feat of casting, rather than any stroke of writing or directing genius. Throw these charismatic ladies into any scenario, and they'd always demand attention. To be fair, there's ample fun to be found in Bullock's rapport with both Blanchett and Paulson, and in Bonham Carter's scene-stealing awkwardness. Having Hathaway skewer her public reputation is among the movie's best touches too, although it's nowhere near as savvy as her role in last year's Colossal. And yet, the sparkling cast can't lift a film that merely watches their characters put a plan into action with minimal roadblocks or tension. A subplot involving Debbie's duplicitous ex (Richard Armitage) is instantly forgettable, as is James Cordon's involvement as an insurance detective — and it never feels like these gals are facing any real threats, stakes or problems. Working through the nuts and bolts of any heist might be one of the thrills of the genre, but without a sense of drama as well, Ocean's 8 is a barely passable knockoff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuCqLop7N6w
Since late in 2019, when Disney launched its own streaming platform, fans of its animated classics, beloved hits and many, many super-popular franchises have been able to binge their way through the Mouse House's back catalogue from the comfort of their couch. At the end of March and throughout April, however, movie buffs are being asked to leave their houses to check out a selection of the company's famed titles — all thanks to the pop-up Disney+ Drive-In that's returning to Sydney. Yes, a streaming service is running a drive-in. Or, to put it another way, a product designed to get everyone watching on small screens at home is now endeavouring to lure viewers out to watch its flicks on a big screen from their cars. That's a very 2020–21 situation, with Disney+ first teaming up with Openair Cinemas to make it happen last year, and now bringing it back again. The drive-in will arrive in Sydney — at the Northern Private Carpark of Bankwest Stadium, to be specific — on Wednesday, March 31, screening films every night until Thursday, April 29. As for what'll be screening, the Disney+ Drive-In is working through the Mouse House's hits, screening single features each night. It's also drawing upon movies from the streaming platform's new Star expansion, too. On the bill: throwback titles like 10 Things I Hate About You, Mrs Doubtfire, Freaky Friday and The Devil Wears Prada; crooning tunes to The Greatest Showman and The Rocky Horror Picture Show; and Taika Waititi's Jojo Rabbit and Thor: Ragnarok; and Leonardo DiCaprio in both Titanic and Romeo + Juliet. If you really love your Disney movies, you can also expect animated versions of Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as sing-along Moana, The Little Mermaid and the first Frozen film. Plus, Marvel fans can look forward to Guardians of the Galaxy and Deadpool. Popcorn, snacks and drinks will be available onsite — or you can bring your own. It's strictly a no-alcohol affair, though. And, ticket-wise, you'll be paying per car; however, prices vary depending the number of people in your car.
Bookshops are known for their variety. Everyone should be able to step into any store celebrating the printed word and find something they want to read ASAP. Writers festivals operate under the same principle, bringing together a wide array of authors covering a broad range of subjects and styles — so of course the 2023 Melbourne Writers Festival jumps from viral recipes to beloved movie stars, and also from award-winners to Australian music icons. One huge highlight of this year's MWF program: Alison Roman, whose home-cooking tips you might've followed more than once. Making her first trip to Australia, the Brooklyn-based food writer and chef will chat about her dessert-focused cookbook Sweet Enough, and also all those recipes that've had the internet salivating, plus her general approach to the kitchen. [caption id="attachment_894138" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alison Roman by Chris Bernabeo[/caption] Roman leads a lineup with its commitment to surveying writing in a wealth of forms, and from a swag of scribes, firmly intact — and a festival that hits Melbourne a little earlier in 2023, too. If it feels like the last MWF was just upon us, that's because it happened in September last year. From now on, however, the fest is settling into May dates instead, running from Thursday, May 4—Sunday, May 7 in 2023 at a variety of venues around the city. One such location is Melbourne Town Hall, which'll play host to four blockbuster sessions over two evenings to get MWF 2023 started. That includes an opening night event that asks a cast of writers to reflect upon the fest's theme 'I've Been Away for a While', with Penguin Random House copy chief and author Benjamin Dreyer doing the honours alongside nonfiction writer Bill Hayes, Sweet Country filmmaker and Kaytetye man Warwick Thornton, writer and critic Sarah Krasnostein, and Wiradjuri poet and artist Jazz Money. Also at the same venue that evening: Paul Kelly celebrating words penned by others — and likely not about making gravy — which'll see him perform Shakespeare, Sylvia Plath, Les Murray and more. Jurassic Park favourite Sam Neill is set to do the writers festival rounds, coming to Melbourne to chat about his career and new memoir with comedy star Jane Kennedy before doing something similar in Sydney — and two Booker Prize-winners are hitting both fests as well. So, the Victorian capital can also look forward to the most-recent recipient, with Shehan Karunatilaka emerging victorious in 2022 for The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida; plus Girl Woman Other's Bernardine Evaristo, the first Black woman to ever win the award. Other 2023 highlights include Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow's Gabrielle Zevin exploring the New York Times bestseller; Emma Straub, writer of This Time Tomorrow and owner of Brooklyn bookstore Books Are Magic, getting talking; and Grace Tame chatting about The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner: A Memoir. Or, there's Dreyer doing his 'Guardian of Grammar' thing in-conversation with Richard Fidler — and Fidler himself focusing on his new historical nonfiction publication The Book of Roads and Kingdoms. Stan Grant will discuss his latest The Queen is Dead — on the weekend of King Charles' coronation, no less — and Ellen van Neerven will unpack Personal Score, their examination of sport from a First Nations and queer perspective. Also, aforementioned author and photographer Hayes dives into Sweat, which is about exercise and its history; and actor Heather Mitchell (whose recent credits include Love Me, Blaze and The Great Gatsby) joins the guests with memoirs to unfurl. The festival's events lineup also features the return of the MWF Big Debate, asking 'do books matter more than sport?'; Queering the Canon, which'll see its speakers plunge into the texts that influenced how they think and write about sexuality and gender; and a discussion of the past year in politics. Spanning talks, panels, workshops and other activities, the program keeps turning pages from there — so if you're keen on hearing from Shirley Hazzard's biographer Professor Brigitta Olubas, learning about art and writing from a First Nations viewpoint, exploring where memoirs stand in the search for meaning, pondering how difficult it is to write about your heroes and celebrating the return to travel, that's all on the bill. So is the In the Suburbs series, which takes authors beyond the Melbourne CBD. This year, that includes The Dry writer Jane Harper chatting about Exiles, her final instalment in the Aaron Falk series, in Narre Warren — a handy session to go to ahead of Force of Nature hitting the big screen in August. Melbourne Writers Festival 2023 runs from Thursday, May 4—Sunday, May 7 at a variety of venues around Melbourne. For more information and to buy tickets, head to the festival's website. Top image: Alison Roman by Chris Bernabeo.
Ever wondered how all those Bondi folk manage to pull off that casual-yet-cool look so convincingly? Assembly Label has something to do with it. Set up in 2011 by Damien Horan and Dan Oliver, this brand specialises in minimalist, beach-going basics for men and women. Think linen singlets, mohair cardis, studio pants, silk shorts, long-sleeved shirts and track pants in whites, blues, greys, blacks, seaside-inspired stripes and tropical prints. Having opened in early 2015, this shop is Assembly Label's first (you'll find the second in Manly). Horan and Oliver designed the interior in collaboration with Mr and Mrs White. The light and airy feel reflects the brand's values: simplicity and functionality delivered with clean-cut style. Ash panels are washed with a lime finish. Shelves are made of white-painted plywood. Cactii in white, black and terracotta pots line the window sills. In addition to a handpicked selection of clothing, there are impeccably-arranged homewares and accessories.
Philly Cheesesteak rolls. Peanut Butter and Chocolate Shakes. A Barbie Q Tofu Sub. Carbs. Protein. Unholy combinations. Is this real life? Is classic diner food really coming to World Square? Deliciousness, ahoy. As someone who spent the better part of four years' worth of midnights gorging herself on disco fries at cholesterol-spiking diners in New York, I must say the Nighthawk Diner food truck is definitely something to be excited about. Those dang Yankees have been enjoying diner food on wheels without us for far too long. Over the next fortnight, beef brisket, Monterey Jack cheese and oceans of mustard will be tantalising your tastebuds at World Square when the chic 1959 International Harvester Scout ('Queen Latifa') and retro silver trailer roll in, opening for business from 30 September to 13 October. Surely there is no more appropriate way to fuel your shoe-shopping at Hype. Chefs Alistair and James' slobber-worthy creations are feeding the besneakered masses every day from 11am to 10pm. Lox and cream cheese bagels, potato salad, Mexican Coke, meatball sub and chilli fries are waiting for you right now. If for some unimaginable reason you can't make it to World Square, you can check out on Nighthawk's website where Queenie is heading next or catch the diner's dishes at Play in Surry Hills.
Winter might currently be in full swing in Australia, but here's a trusty reminder that there's plenty of summer fun to look forward to: the ticket ballot for 2025's Meredith Music Festival is officially open. If spending three days and two nights watching one stage at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre is your favourite way to kick off the warmest season of the year, then you'll want to go in the running to attend the regional Victorian fest ASAP. 2025 marks the beloved event's 33rd year, and its' promising "a midland melodrama in three parts". This three-decade-plus tradition will take over its namesake locale across Friday, December 5–Sunday, December 7, 2025. In the festival's own words, patrons can look forward to the "same shape, same size, and all on the one stage" once more. The other crucial date for your diary right now is Monday, August 11, 2025 — and 10.33pm AEST specifically that day. As at Wednesday, July 16, 2025, that's when the three-day BYO camping festival's ticket ballot is open until for this year. So, book that long weekend, enter for tickets, then cross your fingers that you'll be spending a trio of days at The Sup. There's no lineup as yet, as Meredith has long stopped being the kind of festival where attendance is dictated by whoever is taking to the stage. In both 2023 and 2024, the roster of acts dropped in mid-August. This year, Meredith has confirmed that 2025 lineup will be revealed with the ballot draws. 2023 saw Kraftwerk, Caroline Polachek, Alvvays, Alex G, Eris Drew & Octo Octa, Flowdan, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, Sneaky Sound System, No Fixed Address, Souls of Mischief and plenty more on the bill. For 2024, Jamie xx, Waxahatchee, Genesis Owusu, Mk.gee, ZAPP, Angie McMahon, The Dare and Glass Beams were just some of the fest's names. Meredith Music Festival will return to Meredith from Friday, December 5–Sunday, December 7, 2025. To put your name in the ballot to get your hands on tickets, head to the festival's website before 10.33pm AEST on Monday, August 11. Images: Chip Mooney, Ben Fletcher, Chelsea King and Steve Benn.
First Nations cultural currents run deep across Australia, marking the landscape with diverse history and meaning from its glistening coastlines, across the mountains and out to the expansive desert plains. With more than 60,000 years of human experience to contemplate, the best way to learn about this living history is by seeking guidance from the Traditional Custodians of the lands. Join First Nations tour operators and guides on these nine experiences that will take you across New South Wales on knowledge-seeking journeys.
Pull out that old Discman, break out the cargo pants and start practising your smoothest early noughties dance moves — the pop tour of your wildest teenage dreams is hitting Aussie shores this summer and it's got more stars than a TV Hits sticker collection. Next January and February, the inaugural So Pop festival is set to deliver a huge serve of nostalgia to stadiums across the country, pulling together an extra juicy lineup of old-school icons, headlined by none other than Aqua and Vengaboys. Stages in Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Auckland will be transported back to the 90s and 00s for one glorious night each, playing host to the pop-drenched soundtrack of your youth. Heading up the show are Danish group Aqua, who promise to leave tunes like 'Barbie Girl' and 'Doctor Jones' firmly wedged in your head, and from the Netherlands, Vengaboys, with party-starting smash hits like 'Boom Boom Boom Boom!!' and 'We Like to Party! (The Vengabus)' — and none other than Lou Bega with, of course, 'Mambo No.5'. Relive more of the glory days with sounds from Irish legends B*Witched — who gifted us with the likes of 'C'est La Vie' and 'Rollercoaster' — UK heroes Blue, of 'All Rise' fame. Italy's Eiffel 65, dance pop act Mr. President ('Coco Jambo'), the USA's Outhere Brothers and The Netherlands' 2 Unlimited ('No Limit', 'Get Ready') round out the throwback showdown. SO POP 2019 DATES Perth — HBF Stadium on Wednesday, January 30 Sydney — Qudos Bank Arena on Friday, February 1 Melbourne — Melbourne Arena on Saturday, February 2 Adelaide — Entertainment Centre on Sunday, February 3 Auckland — Spark Arena on Tuesday, February 5 Brisbane — Eaton Hills Outdoor on Saturday, February 9 So Pop pre-sale tickets are up for grabs — on the concert's very retro website — for 24 hours from 11am AEDT this Thursday, October 11, while the rest are on sale from 10am AEDT on Tuesday, October 16.
A new Catalan-inspired wine bar is set to open in Redfern this spring from the team behind Love Tilly Devine, Dear Sainte Eloise and Ragazzi. Popping up inside the newly renovated Norfolk House and Hotel on Cleveland Street, La Salut will serve Spanish wines and a seafood-heavy Spanish fare. At the helm of La Salut is Love Tilly's Matt Swieboda and Nate Hatwell, alongside Executive Chef and co-owner Scott McComas-Williams (Ragazzi, Fabbrica). The wine bar will sit inside the old sports bar of the hotel and will be fit-out with earthy tones and polished concrete. It will have a focus on rare Spanish wines and vermouth, with Hatwell describing it as "wine-focused, but not wine-serious". Some drops you can expect to discover include pestillant-naturel wine from Nuria Renom, oxidative Palomino-based whites from Ramiro Ibáñez and wines aged in underground amphoras. [caption id="attachment_827388" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Scott McComas-Williams, Matt Swieboda and Nate Hatwell by Dexter Kim[/caption] If you're feeling peckish while you're on your journey through these Spanish tipples, you'll be able to snack on manchego and anchovies, spiced fried quail, and a dish pulled from McComas-Williams' favourite Barcelona vermouth bar Morro Fi made with mussels, hot sauce and chips. Just like at Ragazzi, the menu will change regularly, with the seafood dishes being informed by the catch of the day. McComas-Williams waxed lyrical about his passion for the Catalan snacking culture when we asked him about the inspiration behind his latest culinary venture. He said, "The cuisine itself obviously holds a significant space in my heart, but I think it's just as much the culture of drinking and eating that warrants my obsession. The service style is perfectly laidback yet so, so important to life there. Particularly in Barcelona, where vermouth and simple but delicious snacks are a part of life." "This venue excites me because, in true Barcelona style, there isn't really a kitchen," he explains. "Some of the best bar food in Barcelona isn't prepared by chefs but just put together by the same old man that will pour your vermouth or top up your cerveza. We've dedicated a portion of the bar for raw seafood service as well as a slicing section purely for jamon." [caption id="attachment_827390" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] While the full experience of La Salut will only be available by heading to the wine bar, a lineup of the venue's wines will be available for purchase throughout the Norfolk House and Hotel, and for takeaway to enjoy at home via the Norfolk's bottle shop. The 40-seat venue is a collaboration between the Love Tilly Group and new hospitality and accommodation group The People_ who were behind the transformation of Norfolk House and Hotel. The historic pub underwent a huge renovation and was set to reopen with two bars, an expansive outdoor courtyard, a new barbecue-focused menu and accommodation in July before Sydney's lockdown hit. Now it's set to swing open its doors to the public once the state hits 70-percent double vaccination — with La Salut set to follow it soon after. It will be a fantastic addition to the ever-growing lineup of great eats settling in the inner west, something that Scott McComas-Williams is pretty psyched about too. "I'm very excited about this, too, being an inner west man myself," he told us. "I've always been keen to do something around those traps. The space is a great vibe for a vermouth bar and has a little more natural light than our other venues... Come hang with your mates on a Saturday lunch or bring your date and sit at the bar on a school night. Your parents will love it, too. It really is a place for everyone." We're ready. La Salut is located at 305 Cleveland Street, Redfern and will opening in spring 2021 (but not until after 11 October so watch this space). Top image: Trent van der Jagt
UPDATE: JANUARY 30, 2020 — Due to "current community health concerns", organisers have postponed Burwood Chinatown's Lunar New Year festival. The two weeks of celebrations will now run from May 18–30 to coincide with the dining precinct's birthday. The 1000 free bubble tea giveaway will also go ahead, but slightly later on Friday, May 22 and Friday, May 29. Free bubble tea. Mochi doughnuts. Fried chicken. Burwood Chinatown is throwing one tasty party to celebrate the incoming Year of the Rat. The inner west dining precinct's Lunar New Year celebrations kick off on Thursday, January 23 and run all the way through till Saturday, February 8, with different after-dark happenings each day. As well as nightly ping pong games, you'll find pop-ups from Dirty Bird and Demochi Donut on Thursday, January 30 and Friday, January 31 from 5pm–9.30pm, and 2 Smoking Arabs and Duo Duo Ice Cream the following week on Thursday, February 6 and Friday, February 7 from 12–9.30pm. Dragon and lion dance performances will fill the area on Saturday, February 8 and 500 free bubble teas will be given away at 6pm on Friday, January 31 and again the following Friday. To snag yours, just head along to the Burwood Chinatown grounds (via Clarendon Place) and pick up a milk or fruit tea courtesy of the precinct's six bubble tea makers: Chatime, Cha Ball, King Tea, Milk Flower, The Burwood Hotel or The Whale Tea.
Twisted true tales getting the TV treatment: that's 2022 in a nutshell. The trend isn't confined to this year alone, it won't go away once December 31 hits, and it isn't new or a passing fad; however, the list of crime dramas based on IRL events has just kept growing in recent months. From Pam & Tommy to Inventing Anna, and The Dropout through to The Girl From Plainville and The Staircase, one case after another has been filling streaming queues — and that's just to name a few such shows. Still, even with such a hefty roster reaching screens of late, Black Bird grabs attention. It also boasts an immediately compelling premise: the quest to get a serial killer to confess to his crimes to ensure that he'll never be released from prison. Now available to stream in full via Apple TV+, the six-episode miniseries focuses on Jimmy Keene (Taron Egerton, Rocketman), a former star high-school footballer turned drug dealer. A charmer — with women and in his illicit line of work alike — he's happy in his narcotics-financed life, even if facing hairy situations comes with the territory. But that all crumbles when he's arrested in a sting, and has zero chance of escaping jail time. Offered a plea bargain with the promise of a five-year sentence (four with parole) by prosecutor Edmund Beaumont (Robert Wisdom, Barry), he takes the deal on the advice of his former cop dad Big Jim (the late Ray Liotta, The Many Saints of Newark), but ends up getting ten anyway. Seven months afterwards, still fuming at Beaumont and worried about Big Jim's ailing health, Keene is given the opportunity to go free. The catch: as put to him by FBI agent Lauren McCauley (Sepideh Moafi, The Killing of Two Lovers), he needs to transfer to a different maximum-security prison out of state, where the most vicious and violent are held, and where hellish conditions await. While there, he'll have to befriend suspected kidnapper and murderer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser, Cruella), an avid civil war reenactment attendee. Hall is accused of abducting, raping and killing up to 14 girls young teenage girls, possibly more, and Keene's job is to get him to reveal where he's buried his victims' bodies. The first instalment of Black Bird is unsurprisingly instantly gripping, charting Keene's downfall, the out-of-ordinary situation put to him and the police investigation into one Hall's suspected victims. When Jessica Roach (debutant Laney Stiebing) is found dead, Vermilion County sheriff's investigator Brian Miller (Greg Kinnear, Crisis) tracks the clues to the man considered a harmless weirdo by those who know him — and given that includes local law enforcement in Hall's own hometown, the cop's intuition is dismissed. The slow-spoken, sideburn-sporting person of interest, and grave-digger's son, also has a history of confessing to murders, then routinely recanting and proving unreliable. Accordingly, Hall is labelled an attention-seeking serial confessor, but Miller isn't convinced that's all there is to his story. Black Bird takes its tale from Keene's autobiographical novel In with the Devil: a Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption, making two things plain from the outset for those who don't know the tale. Clearly, he'll have to get to the point where there's a memoir to write — and he'll have to be alive to do so. But that doesn't make the series any less compelling, tense or chilling; in fact, the wild and riveting details just keep on coming in each episode. With Dennis Lehane, author of Gone Baby Gone, Mystic River and Shutter Island, as its behind-the-scenes driving force, Black Bird dives deep into its complicated scenario as Keene starts to truly realise that his own life and freedom aren't the most important things at stake. A prison drama, a catch-a-killer game of cat and mouse, a psychological thriller, a redemption journey: Black Bird ticks all of these boxes. As Keene strikes up a tentative friendship with the reluctant Hall, the series also features a sadistic guard (Joe Williamson, All Rise) extorting Keene for cash under threat of blowing his cover, plus a mafia old-timer (Tony Amendola, Father Stu) with his own veiled threats — and Miller and McCauley's continued investigations, especially after one of Hall's appeals is granted. It covers Hall's relationship with his handsome twin brother Gary (Jake McLaughlin, Quantico) as well, and Big Jim's guilt over failing to stop Jimmy ending up behind bars, which compounds his health woes. These all add emotion and detail, but if Lehane had solely focused Black Bird's grey-hued frames on its two central inmates, the series wouldn't have been any less powerful. At its core, this is an intense two-hander about two men laying bare their true natures in thorny, anxiety-dripping back and forths, and Keene learning the cost of getting his life back in the process. In a weighty acting showcase, the look on Egerton's face frequently says it all in; Keene will always have to live with what he discovers from Larry, with crimes like these impossible to forget. 2022 marks a decade since Egerton's first on-screen credit as a then-23 year old, and he's rarely been out of the cinematic spotlight since — but Black Bird is his most mature performance yet. The confidence that's so crucial to his work in the Kingsman movies dissipates the further that Keene is plunged into a nightmare. The adaptability that worked so well for Egerton as he hopped through Eddie the Eagle, Robin Hood and Rocketman also comes in handy. It's a multi-faceted turn, and it's fantastic. Black Bird is home to excellent performances all round, each one proving pivotal. Liotta makes a firm imprint as Big Jim, and is particularly heartbreaking to watch after the actor's sudden passing in May. Hauser's menacing efforts won't ever be forgotten, either — and ranks among the great on-screen serial killer portrayals. That too is a packed field, but from the sluggish, wheezy voice through to the distinctive casual-yet-taught body language, his time as Hall is that unnerving, that raw, and that eerily extraordinary. If you were to come across the actor in-character after watching the series, you'd want to run the other way. That, and feeling echoes of Mindhunter as well, couldn't be more of a compliment. Check out the trailer for Black Bird below: Black Bird streams via Apple TV+.
When winter arrives in Australia, the nation copes with the cold by heading out of the house and into a heap of stunning arts festivals. That's true in Sydney, with Vivid hitting just as the weather gets frosty. It's also the case in Melbourne, all thanks to RISING. But there's something extra enticing about Dark Mofo — perhaps because it's an excuse for mainlanders to head to Tasmania, and also because it always delivers a program filled with weird and wild surprises. Run by Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art — the venue's winter festivities, with sibling event Mona Foma happening in summer — this is an arts celebration where anything truly can occur. In 2023, on the just-dropped full program, that includes a Twin Peaks-inspired ball, a teddy bear with laser eyes, sleeping over, catching Soda Jerk's latest film and seeing punk icons Black Flag play their first Aussie gig since 2013. [caption id="attachment_895363" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Teddy | Dark Mofo 2023. Courtesy of the artist and Dark Mofo.[/caption] A haven for shows, gigs and installations of the dark, sinister, confronting and boundary-pushing variety, Dark Mofo unveiled its first 2023 highlight back in January — and with Florentina Holzinger's dance theatre performance A Divine Comedy, an Australian premiere and an Aussie exclusive that reimagines Dante's classic examination of hell, purgatory and paradise, it set itself a high bar. Just from the aforementioned events, the complete program is set to match, all taking place in Hobart between Thursday, June 8–Thursday, June 22. That ball both wonderful and strange? That'd be Dark Mofo's hedonistic masquerade, which this year is called The Blue Rose Ball. David Lynch fans, this sounds like heaven — in a mystery venue turned into the Blue Velvet Lounge, and with live tunes and performances all on theme. If your costume includes red and white zigzags, you've obviously nailed it. [caption id="attachment_886260" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nicole Marianna Wytyczak[/caption] That teddy bear? It's called Giant Teddy, a new commission by Dark Mofo from EJ Son. Festival attendees will see a giant Korean pop culture-inspired teddy bear that, yes, has lasers for eyes — plus a camera that'll show its live surveillance elsewhere in Hobart. The sleepover comes courtesy of Max Richter's SLEEP, which returns to Australia for an eight-and-a-half-hour overnight stint. You'll slumber, and Richter's compositions will play. The former will happen on beds provided by Dark Mofo, and the latter is based on the neuroscience of getting some shuteye. And if you've seen the documentary about it, you'll already be excited — and have your pyjamas ready. [caption id="attachment_895364" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Zan Wimberley. Courtesy of the artist and Dark Mofo, Nipaluna/Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.[/caption] Soda Jerk joins the fold with Hello Dankness, which compiles samples into a 70-minute survey of American politics circa 2016–21 — so, a chaotic time. And Black Flag won't have Henry Rollins with them, but will be doing a one-off exclusive Australian show in Tassie. Other highlights from founder and Creative Director Leigh Carmichael's final program, of which there's a treasure trove, include Richter also doing two other performances, large-scale light-and-sound installation Silent Symphony, the jailbroken musical toys of Jason Phu's Without Us You Would Have Never Learnt About Love, and 1974 experimental time-lapse film The Text of Light paired with an improvised live soundtrack by Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth with Alan Licht and Ulrich Krieger. [caption id="attachment_895371" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Drab Majesty | Dark Mofo 2023. Image courtesy of the artist and Dark Mofo.[/caption] The music bill also features First Nations artists BARKAA, Tasman Keith, dameeeela, DENNI, MARLON X RULLA, Uncle Dougie Mansell, Katarnya Maynard, Rob Braslin and more on opening night; Ethel Cain hitting Australia for the first time; Thundercat breaking out the bass; and Witch with Dinosaur Jr's J Mascis on the drums. Squarepusher, Trentemøller, Drab Majesty, Plaid, Sleaford Mods, Deafheaven — yes, the list goes on, with Zindzi & The Zillionaires, as led by Play School host Zindzi Okenyo, also on offer for younger attendees. Dark Mofo's arts lineup spans two new pieces by Martu artist Curtis Taylor: video work Ngarnda (pain) about blood rituals, cultural rites and lived experiences; and multi-media installation Boong, which focuses on exposing racial violence. And, there's Western Flag from Irish talent John Gerrard — aka a ten-metre-by-ten-metre digital screen depicting a flagpole, but spewing out black smoke non-stop, in a reference to the world's first major oil find in Texas in 1901. [caption id="attachment_895366" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trentemøller | Dark Mofo 2023. Courtesy of the artist and Dark Mofo.[/caption] Alongside the masquerade, other adored Dark Mofo rituals returning to the program range from the Winter Feast and art hub Dark Park through to final-night fire The Burning and, of course, the Nude Solstice Swim. It's no wonder that the fest has a hefty list of venues playing host, then, including the Odeon Theatre, In The Hanging Garden, Altar, Federation Concert Hall, Princes Wharf 1, MAC2 and the Goods Shed. Festivalgoers will also be hitting up MyState Bank Arena, the Baha'i Centre, Hobart Town Hall, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Contemporary Art Tasmania, Good Grief Studios, Plimsoll Gallery and Hobart Library — plus Long Beach in Sandy Bay. [caption id="attachment_895365" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dark Mofo/Rosie Hastie, 2021. Image Courtesy Dark Mofo, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.[/caption] Dark Mofo 2023 runs from Thursday, June 8–Thursday, June 22 in Hobart, Tasmania, with subscriber tickets on sale from 12pm AEST on Wednesday, April 5 and general tickets from 2pm AEST Wednesday, April 5. Top images: Winter Feast, Dark Mofo 2022. Photo credit: Rémi Chauvin, 2022. Image courtesy of Dark Mofo 2022. // Dark Park | Dark Mofo. // Ethel Cain | Dark Mofo 2023. Photo credit: Helen Kirbo. Image courtesy of the artist and Dark Mofo. // Western Flag | Dark Mofo 2023. Image courtesy of the artist and Dark Mofo. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Cereal doesn't just come in a bowl in your lap on the couch anymore. No, it comes in cafes — or more specifically, cafes centred around cereal. Just like London and Melbourne before it, Sydney will be getting its very first cafe dedicated to the stuff. Sponsored by cereal kings Kellogg's and surprisingly held at Surry Hills' cutest cafe Kawa, the Kellogg's x Kawa Cereal Café is set to open for one week only starting Tuesday, April 19. The pop-up will feature a menu of Kellogg's classics with a twist, serving up cereal for brunch, lunch and dessert. That's one serious ode to Corn Flakes. The full menu will be announced next week, but the 'sneak peek' promises Corn Flake-crumbed chicken burgers with homemade mayo on warm brioche and Rice Bubble-crusted French toast topped with banana, maple syrup and crispy bacon. On the drinks side of things, you're looking at Crunchy Nut and Nutri-Grain cereal milkshakes and a Coco Pops creamy hot chocolate, which you can enjoy with a Froot Loops muffin cake topped with cereal milk icing. We'll admit we were a little sceptical of the Kellogg's branding, but the Kawa team have actually made everything look pretty damn delicious. And any excuse to get back to the days of eating mammoth bowls of Coco Pops as an after-school snack is a-ok with us. So whether you love scoffing handfuls of Crunchy Nut from the box or you just wanna pretend you're at NYC's Momofuku Milk Bar for a moment, this is a pop-up you'll want to pop into.
Sun, surf, sand, ice cream: what a combination. As cemented in the childhood memories of most Australians, there's nothing like pairing a trip to the beach with a frosty dessert. Haven't had the pleasure of that experience lately? Keen for a sweet treat by the shore just because? Fancy enjoying one of life's simple delights for just 36 cents? Enter the ALDI ice cream truck. For one day only in each of Sydney, Melbourne and the Sunshine Coast, the supermarket chain is sending an ice cream van to the beach with cheap chilled bites. While the 36-cent price only applies to mini yoghurt sticks, nothing else on the nine-item menu costs more than $1 each. [caption id="attachment_987508" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kgbo via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] So, you can enjoy ALDI's take on choc-coated ice creams on a stick for 40 cents, its version of Splices for 50 cents and its Paddle Pop alternative — in both chocolate and rainbow — for 62 cents, for instance. An ice cream sandwich will cost you 95 cents, a Drumstick equivalent is 92 cents and the brand's version of a Golden Gaytime is $1. Sydneysiders will need to head to Balmoral Reserve, near the rotunda, at Mosman on Thursday, January 30. Melburnians have a date with Green Point Reserve, Brighton on Sunday, February 2, while Queenslanders should make the trip to the Alexandra Heads Surf Life Saving Club at Alexandra Headland on Saturday, February 8. At all three locations, the truck will be serving up its menu from 11am–3pm. [caption id="attachment_781735" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] The reason for the pop-ups is to spruik ALDI's in-store ice creams, which is what it's dishing up — and at the same price that you'd pay per ice cream if you were to purchase a box of each in the supermarket. Buy them individually from the truck and you'll also be helping a good cause, with 100-percent of the sales going to Camp Quality. In the past, Aldi has showcased its low prices by hosting a pop-up bar where gin, wine and cheese only cost $4.41, serving up six gyoza for $1.44 at a pop-up dumpling truck, slinging 37-cent barista-made coffee and opening a pop-up pub with beer for just $3.25. ALDI Ice Cream Truck Stops Thursday, January 30 — 11am–3pm at Balmoral Reserve (near the rotunda), 8 The Esplanade, Mosman Sunday, February 2 — 11am–3pm at Green Point Reserve, Brighton Saturday, February 8 — 11am–3pm at Alexandra Heads Surf Life Saving Club, 167 Alexandra Parade, Alexandra Headland The ALDI ice cream truck is popping up in Sydney, Melbourne and on the Sunshine Coast in January and February — keep an eye on ALDI's social media for more details.
You can always count on Hunter S. Thompson for memorable epigrams and useful life lessons. The same man who pioneered Gonzo journalism, penned Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas and requested that he have his ashes fired out of a cannon has always been good for a bit of advice. And as an inveterate drinker and connoisseur of a range of substances, he tended to know what he was talking about. Since his suicide in 2005, various bits and pieces have posthumously emerged from the Thompson archive, most recently with Playboy's publication of its entire correspondence with him during the 1960s and 70s. This, of course, was when Playboy was a little bit classy, and included writings from Vladimir Nabokov, Kurt Vonnegut, Anne Sexton and Saul Bellow amongst its pictures of scantily-clad women. Found amidst the papers was Thompson's hangover cure, undated and scrawled on stationary from the Beverly Hills Hotel. The cure reads: "P.S. — inre: Oui's request for "my hangover cure" — it's 12 amyl nitrites (one box), in conjunction with as many beers as necessary. OK H." That's right kids, it's beer and amyl nitrate that will really kill that throbbing in your skull. According to Hunter S. Thompson, anyhow. If you want to check out the rest of his Playboy correspondence you can do it here. [Via Gawker]
Mooncakes, ramen, fried ice cream, taiyaki, DJs and immersive light projections. These are all part of the Darling Square Moon Festival that's taking over the Haymarket precinct from Thursday, August 25-Sunday, September 11. The traditional Mid-Autumn or Moon Festival will be celebrated over the 18 days of festivities, with some of Darling Square's beloved restaurants and bars whipping up special celebrations for the festival. From Thursday, September 1, the Gong Grocer mooncake stall will be popping up in front of Nina Tea, with special mooncakes from the likes of Wing Wah, Meixin, and Golden Century's XOPP who will roll out its popular lava mooncakes. Elsewhere, Auvers Cafe has created themed custard mooncake and soft shell crab dishes, IIKO Mazesoba is offering limited-time ramen, mochi taiyaki and tuna kakiage creations, Wingboy is serving up fried salted caramel ice cream served with coconut crumb and chocolate fudge sauce, and Chinta Ria has crafted three celebratory set menus named Love, Peace and Happiness. An immersive art cube installation will also be popping up between September 7–11, depicting the scenery of South Korea across the four seasons. Check out the full program at the Darling Square website.
For eight years, CBD bar Kittyhawk has been known for its Parisian end-of-the-war ambience. But now, regulars can expect a different vibe from the reborn cocktail bar, with its French feel giving way to a raw, underground aesthetic that takes more than a few hints from New York City. At Kittyhawk 2.0, you can expect a high-energy experience anchored by a stacked program of live music, while a sumptuous Italian-American menu means you can tuck into top-quality pasta late into the night. Kittyhawk's new direction has been inspired in no small part by one of its sister venues, late-night Darlinghurst hangout Big Poppas. For founder Jared Merlino (who is also the mind behind The Lobo) the success of the Oxford Street venue served as a launching pad to bring a similar kind of atmosphere to Kittyhawk — or, as Merlino himself puts it, "to introduce some more fun". "Sydney has loved what was created at Big Poppa's with great food late into the night without any pretension or fluff," says Merino. "This will be the same at Kittyhawk New York, with delicious food all night long and amazing staff to serve you. But this will also be a great live entertainment venue with some of Sydney's top DJs making sure you are having a great music experience all week long." As such, Kittyhawk New York will feature DJs five nights a week, spinning the distinctive soundtrack of NYC. Whether it's hip hop, soul, funk or disco, these tunes will keep the vibe going late into the night. Plus, Merino intends to expand the music program to include an international scope, where renowned DJs and musicians from around the world will be invited to come and play. Complementing the mood is an Italian-American menu designed by head chef Marco Costa's (ex-Glorietta). It's available until close, meaning you'll be able to snack on a selection of seasonal pasta dishes, high-quality proteins and Italian snacks until midnight. There's also a refreshed cocktail list that plays on classic combinations, while the wine offering balances stellar Italian varieties with bottles from Australia, France and further afield. As for the decor, the front of the venue has been transformed with a DJ booth and drinks lounge capturing the spirit of underground NYC venues — think: plush carpets, red and purple velvet curtains and a raised DJ booth framed by stacks of vinyl storage. Meanwhile, a handmade tiled mural of legendary rapper and Brooklyn native Busta Rhymes adorns the dance floor and links Kittyhawk with Big Poppa's through its similarly massive Notorious B.I.G. artwork. Kittyhawk New York is open Tuesday–Saturday from 4pm–midnight at 16 Phillip Lane, Sydney. Head to the venue's website for more information. Images: Chris Pearce.
Over winter, Pier One brought back its harbourfront igloos. Now that summer is here, it's setting up a luxe hangout zone by the water instead. If you've been hankering after a few drinks in a scenic spot — and a dip in a spa plunge pool while you're there — this should be a very viable option. The hotel is calling its new offering The Cabana Suite, and you can hire it for yourself and up to 14 mates. You do need to be willing to indulge in a few cocktails and bites to eat, however — and you can even get cooking yourself. To hire out the suite, you have to spend $200–300 for 2.5 hours ($200 Monday–Thursday, $300 Friday–Sunday) as a hire fee. You also need to fork out a minimum of $200–500 (depending on the day and time) towards food and drinks. Regarding the latter, you'll choose your beverages from the Bar One menu — including glitter cocktail carafes — and you can nab something from the barbecue meats and marinades lineup that you can either grill yourself, or pay a private chef to cook for you. Gourmet hampers and feasting platters are also available. You can hire out the suite from 12–2.30pm, 3.30–6pm or 7–9.30pm, all across summer up until Sunday, April 18. If you opt for the latter time slot, you can add on a night's stay for an extra $350, which includes overnight accomodation for two, plus breakfast and parking. Images: Anna Kucera.
If the benefits of waking up at sunrise (like better sleep, less stress) aren't enough to entice you to set an early alarm, perhaps Shangri-La Sydney's opulent Sunrise Lobster Breakfast will. The lavish hotel in The Rocks already has a reputation among night owls for Blu Bar on 36 and its spectacular vantage over Sydney harbour. But guests who make a morning booking (6.30–8am) for the Sunrise Lobster Breakfast at its restaurant Altitude from Thursday through Sunday, can enjoy a decadent serve of lobster, sparkling and a window seat (that's hopefully doused in sunshine). Specifically, if you make it out of bed at those hours, your $109pp bill will have you watching the sun rise over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House, while devouring an omelette that heroes West Australian lobster (the freshest, of course). A creamy lobster bisque, fresh rocket salad of candied walnuts, orange braised fennel and avocado and toasted Sonoma sourdough joins your lavish eggs — as does an ice-cold glass of Veuve Clicquot. You can upgrade with Black Oscietra Caviar and blinis, or elevate an already exceptional glass to a pour of Dom Perignon. Still hungry? Don't forget to weave through the buffet of treats — such as scrumptious pastries, artisanal cheeses, luscious salads and charcuterie — also included in the price. Consider all excuses to hit snooze put to bed. Shangri-La Sydney's Sunrise Lobster Breakfast is offered from 6.30–8am, Thursday through Sunday. To make a booking, head to the website.
Despite Australian supermarkets' current two-item limits, trying to get your hands on — and covered in — sanitiser is much harder than it should be at present. The liquid disinfectant is on everyone's must-buy list, leaving empty supermarket shelves seemingly everywhere. Luckily, a bunch of Australian distilleries are using their booze to make the now-essential product. It makes sense, because alcohol is a crucial ingredient in sanitiser — especially ones that are effective against COVID-19. So, next time you slather your hands with sanitiser, you could be covering them with your favourite booze, too. Meaning there's now no excuse not to clean your hands, you detty pigs. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. MANLY SPIRITS CO Normally, north Sydney's Manly Spirits Co makes gin, vodka, whisky and liqueurs. Of course, these aren't normal times, so it's using its high-grade gin to whip up its own sanitiser. So, if you're wanting to disinfect your hands and smell like botanicals, now you can. Understandably, that's likely to make you thirsty, so the company is making 50 millilitre bottles available for free with every Manly Spirits Co bottle of spirits purchased, which can be ordered here. To discourage stockpiling, however, there is a limit of one free sanitiser per person. Plus, it's supplying its Manly Spirits Hand Sanitiser with Gin Aroma to local community groups, charities and organisations in larger five-litre sizes, to assist with their crucial operations. MR BLACK COFFEE LIQUEUR Fans of caffeinated booze can look forward to freshening their fingers with their preferred tipple thanks to Mr Black's new hand sanitiser. The distillery has made thousands of bottles and you can grab a maximum of two 500 millilitre bottles, for $19.95 each, plus a $10 flat-rate national shipping fee. It's also donated bottles of its A-class sani to a bunch of charities, medical centres and COVID-19 testing clinics. The hand sanitiser is made using a World Health Organisation recipe with 80 percent ethanol, and as bottles don't come with a pump they're designed to be used as refills. While currently out of stock, Mr Black will be adding more early next week and you can join a waitlist over here. And if you decide to invest in some actual coffee liqueur while you're on the site — the OG ($60), single-origin ($75) and amaro ($80) versions are all for sale, as is the most adorable 50-millilitre bottle ($5.99) — or some sweet merch, and spend over $80, you'll get free shipping. BRIX DISTILLERS Sydney's only rum distillery has also jumped on the sanitiser wagon — and selling twin-packs of 300-millilitre bottles for $34. While you're on the site, you can nab a bottle of white, gold or spiced rum; a mix-your-own espresso martini pack; or barrel-aged rum negroni from these guys, too. Plus, Brix is offering $10 off and free shipping on its core range of rums. Nab your booze and sani over here. CAPE BYRON DISTILLERY Premium spirits slinger Cape Byron Distillery is turning its awarded Brookie's Byron Gin into a natural hand and surface sanitiser. Made with 70 percent ethanol, gin byproducts, filtered spring water, aloe vera and citrus, this hand cleaner is also scented with lime and gin botanicals, so your hands will smell like a G&T. As well as supplying large containers of the stuff to local medical centres, doctors, hospitals and care workers, 500-millilitre bottles are also available for purchase via Cape Byron's website for a reasonable $14.99. ARCHIE ROSE The much-loved Rosebery distillery has reallocated its spirits production capacity to hand sanitiser. And in doing so, it's been able to keep majority of its staff in a job. Unsurprisingly, Archie Rose's sanitiser sold out in an instant, but you can pre-order a 500-millilitre bottle via the website. The latest release will leave Archie Rose's facilities the week of April 27, so hopefully you have some in the cupboard for the meantime. ANIMUS DISTILLERY Located in Victoria's Macedon Ranges, Animus is known for its small-batch gins and is using its distillery to now make sanitiser. A 100-millilitre bottle will only cost you $10 and is available for purchase online or pick up in person at the distillery. To discourage hoarding, there's a six-bottle limit per person. You can feel good about buying it, too, with 50 percent of all profits being used to subsidise access to sanitiser for those in need. POOR TOMS GIN Need to restock your gin supply? Poor Toms is still delivering its goods — and it's throwing in a free bottle of its hand sani with any gin purchase. But only for a limited time, so best be quick. As the distillery is supplying frontline healthcare professionals, the botanical-scented sanitiser is not available for retail sale. So, nab yourself some of its classic, strawberry-infused or Fool's Cut gin and maybe throw in a bottle of its amaro, too, and you'll receive 200 millilitres of high-grade, limited-edition sanitiser. It's only $10 shipping across Australia. Available online.
Every three years, the Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) and Queensland Art Gallery take stock of their place in the world. From their riverside stretch of South Brisbane, the neighbouring art institutions are keenly aware of the importance of celebrating not only the city's creativity, but that of the country and the Asia-Pacific region as well. That's exactly what the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art is all about, and has been since 1993. The huge multi-gallery exhibition highlights the wealth of artistic treasures crafted in our own backyard — from the skyscrapers to the suburbs, the outback to the ocean, and the heart of Australia to the sprawl of neighbouring Asian cities. Marking its ninth event and running until April 28, 2019, the latest APT takes its task seriously. There's so much excellent art from the region to showcase, and so many talented artists as well. Indeed, the numbers paint one of the exhibition's biggest pictures, with the 9th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art featuring more than 400 artworks by over 80 individuals, collectives and groups. If you're wondering which of APT9's pictures, paintings, sculptures, videos, installations and more that you should see at the free exhibition, we've singled out six must-sees. [caption id="attachment_700271" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Gary Carsley 'Purple Reign'. APT9 Kids. GOMA 1.4. Installation view.[/caption] 'PURPLE REIGN' BY GARY CARSLEY Ignore GOMA's Children's Art Centre at your peril. The home of Yayoi Kusama's Obliteration Room every time that it comes to town, it's a space where art and interactivity combine for big and little kids alike. For APT9, it's overflowing with something that (basically) everyone loves: jacarandas. Most of Brisbane has just been blossoming with the distinctive purple flowers, but here they're taking over the walls. This piece is called Purple Reign for a reason (and not just to make a great Prince pun). As inspired by R Godfrey Rivers's painting Under the jacaranda 1903, visitors play with touch screens and video to explore the gorgeous blooms, which brighten up nearly every surface in the room. [caption id="attachment_700275" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] ALBAIQUNI Zico. Indonesia, b. 1987. When it Shook - The Earth stood Still (After Pirous) 2018. Oil on canvas. 200 x 120 cm. Courtesy: The artist and Yavuz Gallery.[/caption] THE WORK OF ZICO ALBAIQUNI In a huge exhibition designed to catch many an eye — both as a whole, and via its individual artworks — some of APT9's most vibrant pieces take art aficionados to Indonesia. More than that, they delve into the country's landscape and history — but not quite how you might expect. That's what artist Zico Albaiquni does, with exploring his country's traditions, its time under Dutch colonial rule and the state of the environment today all part of his practise. Working at the larger end of the scale, his paintings envelop viewers with their size, their scale and with their use of design, as well as with their almost forceful (and definitely attention-grabbing) use of colour. [caption id="attachment_700270" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] CAO Fei. Beijing, China b. 1978. Asia One 2018. HD video installation: 63:20 minutes, sound, colour, ed. 2/7 (edition TBC). Collection: Queensland Art Gallery.[/caption] 'ASIA ONE' AND '11.11' BY CAO FEI Every room holds a treasure at APT9, particularly the darkened corner of GOMA where Cao Fei's video works play on a loop. The Chinese artist is particularly interested in a topic that's beginning to monopolise cinematic pieces from the region: the changing way of life that's accompanying China's rapid modernisation. For both narrative effort Asia One and documentary 11.11, she steps inside the logistics hub of online retailer JD.com, exploring today's daily reality and pondering the intersection of humanity and technology in the future. And while the videos are worth watching alone, the exhibition's staging helps draw you in — you'll feel like you're in a warehouse rather than a gallery. [caption id="attachment_700273" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] "On the second day, Saturday, your three minutes..."Art Basel HK Encounter, 2017, performance/installation[/caption] 'ON THE SECOND SATURDAY, YOUR THREE MINUTES' BY JOYCE HO Need a rest, art lovers? Fancy sitting down and contemplating everything that you've seen? Thanks to Joyce Ho's addition to the exhibition, you'll find two lines of seats ready and waiting. This isn't about getting cosy, however, with the seats set up in separate spaces that resemble waiting rooms. There are no magazines or muted TVs here, but rather a mirrored window between the two chambers. Plonk yourself down on either side, and you'll spy both your reflection and the ghostly image of whoever happens to be sitting opposite, with the two combining in quite the striking and memorable fashion. [caption id="attachment_700267" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, GOMA, The 9th Asia and Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT9), Exhibition no. 2018.05.Organisation Queensland Art Gallery, Start date 24 November 2018. End date 28 April 2019. Installation view.[/caption] 'UNTITLED (GIRAN)' BY JONATHAN JONES Nearly 2000 sculptures comprise Australian artist Jonathan Jones' piece, which spans across an entire wall. It's the kind of artwork that stuns from afar, making you step back to appreciate its full glory, while simultaneously inviting you closer to investigate its exceptional detail. Curved in appearance and with feathers featuring prominently, it's designed to resemble birds flying on the wind, although each individual element is actually one of six different types of tool. Made with family and Wiradjuri community members from raw materials, and crafted in collaboration with elder Dr Uncle Stan Grant Snr, it instantly conveys the movement and change that comes with the breeze — and turning an already evocative static piece into an immersive installation, it's also accompanied by sounds of the wind, bird calls, breathing and the Wiradjuri language. [caption id="attachment_700272" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art. QAG Watermall. The 9th Asia and Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT9). Exhibition no. 2018.05. Organisation Queensland Art Gallery. Start date 24 November 2018. End date 28 April 2019. Installation view.[/caption] 'MY FOREST IS NOT YOUR GARDEN' BY DONNA ONG AND ROBERT ZHAO RENHUI A sea of green above a pool of water sounds like everyone's ideal of blissful eye candy. At APT9, it's Donna One and Robert Zhao Renhui's contribution to the fold, as found in QAG's already peaceful and serene Watermall. Walk across the platform above the indoor pond, and plenty of plants await, although these aren't any old potted pieces. They're actually a mixed-media assemblage that makes a statement about the use of nature in both Chinese and European art, with each one littered with tiny animals. Plus, while you're wandering through this leafy part of the exhibition, you'll also be able to see Kawayan de Guia's bright wall of works — a mashup of pop culture images and references to Filipino politics — in front of it. The 9th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art runs until April 28, 2019 at the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art, South Brisbane. Top image: CAO Fei. Beijing, China b. 1978. Asia One 2018. HD video installation: 63:20 minutes, sound, colour, ed. 2/7 (edition TBC) Collection: Queensland Art Gallery.
