Despite having a smorgasbord of activities and events at your fingertips, it's surprisingly easy to find yourself stuck in an after-hours rut with you and your mates kicking back at the same old after-work haunts, week in and week out. Enjoyable, though it won't exactly win you huge points for a sense of adventure. Luckily, if you are looking to shake up your after-work routine, you don't have to hunt very hard at all. To get you off to a cracking start, we've teamed up with Hahn to scout out a bunch of non-boring, new ideas for your next group activities. [caption id="attachment_631811" align="alignnone" width="1620"] Katje Ford.[/caption] SELF-GUIDED STREET ART TOUR No matter how long you've called yourself a local, we bet there's a truckload of corners and laneways you're yet to discover. So, round up the squad for some intrepid exploration, and gain a fresh perspective on that concrete jungle as you set off on a self-guided street art tour. The internet's chock full of printable tour maps curated by urban experts and art-lovers alike, directing you towards all the best art-focused walks in your area. Shake off the work day as you cruise the city at your own pace, unearthing public art gems left, right and centre. And once you've had your fill of art, head to the pub for a beer and a chat about the best, worst and most unusual sights you've seen. Where? Search 'street art' on Concrete Playground and find some of the works you should be seeing in your city, and if you're in Sydney, you can book into one of Culture Scouts tours if you need a bit more guidance. PASTA-MAKING WORKSHOP This gloomy stretch of winter will feel like way more of success if you come out at the end of it with something useful — you know, some visible gym results, a decent love life or, the most impressive of all, the knowledge of how to make a killer bowl of handmade pasta. Luckily from Brisbane to Sydney to Melbourne, we've been gifted with a delicious array of classes on making the best comfort food out there. So, if you really want to set yourself up for culinary success and a whole lot of praise, book the crew in for a post-work pasta-making class where you'll learn to create pure magic with just three simple ingredients: flour, eggs and water. And once you've learned how to make pasta, you can then study up on how to pair some beers with your creations. Just think of all those future dinner parties. Where? Learn to craft some epic noodles at Pasta Emilia in Sydney, The Craft & Co. in Melbourne and at The Pasta Company in Brisbane. LAWN BOWLS For the ultimate group bonding exercise, you can't go past the joy of kicking another team's butt in some form of organised sport. But who really wants to run the risk of a bung ankle, wrist or hammy going into summer? This year, hone your teamwork skills and sharpen that competitive edge while keeping the big hits to a minimum — join the lawn bowls revolution. Outside of the summer season, a session at most bowling clubs will cost you mere pocket change, including access to all the proper gear, a guide to get you started off on the right foot and maybe a couple post-work pitchers. What's more, after a few weeks of practice, just imagine how you and your mates will dominate against all those less practiced suckers during summer's social barefoot bowls sessions. Where? Practice your bowl at one of these greens in Sydney, at the City of Melbourne Bowls Club and one of these lawns in Brisbane. YOGA WITH A TWIST A regular ol' vinyasa may not be everyone's cup of tea. So if you want to up the ante, throw in a twist to make things a bit more intriguing. Studios across the country are taking the concept of yoga to some rather wild territory, with classes that offer the ultimate mash-up of exercise and fun. Prefer your workout tunes to have some oomph? Head along to a hip hop yoga class and get bendy to a soundtrack of fresh beats. Or, if you fancy making some new feline friends, team that stretch session with a few kitty cuddles at cat yoga. There's even a variety of aerial yoga styles which'll find you nailing those poses while suspended gracefully in mid-air. Where? Stretch it out with some kitties at Catmosphere's cat yoga in Sydney, groove into your downward dog at hip hop yoga in Melbourne and defy gravity at Brissie's aerial yoga. THEMED TRIVIA Got a swag of random knowledge just waiting to be put to good use? Round up your post-work posse for some fun of the cerebral variety: showing off your pop cultural prowess with a rousing session of themed trivia. A more focused version of the classic pub quiz, these events provide the perfect opportunity to unleash your random stash of Harry Potter facts and, if we're honest, a brilliant excuse to go back and 'revise' your favourite TV shows, cult movies and long-forgotten pop music. What's more, on any given week, there's usually a plethora of themed trivia sessions to choose from. Gather your crew and bond over not-so useless facts, a few beers and a good ol' pub parma. Where? Test your music knowledge at The Toxteth's Tuesday Night Music Trivia in Glebe, dig up some old memories at Throwback Thursdays trivia at Island Somewhere in Melbourne and dive head first into Simpsons, Seinfeld or Harry Potter trivia at Man vs Bear's trivia nights held at various bars around Brisbane. Round up the troops and head out for a new after-work activity this week, topped off with a cheeky Hahn or two.
If you're anything like us, you have an endless list of places you want to visit and things you want to do when you're there: have a whiskey in the Park Hyatt Tokyo, float along Venice's canals, get into Berghain in Berlin, eat fresh seafood on the beach in Sri Lanka (just to name a few). But, sometimes, your bank balance won't allow it. We understand, and we've teamed up with Intrepid Travel so you can tick one off your list — for free. The long-time purveyor of taking you off the beaten track, putting you outside of your comfort zone and providing A-plus travel stories, Intrepid Travel is giving you a chance to win an (almost) all-expenses-paid trip to Sri Lanka. As well as return airfares for two, you and your chosen loved one will also get to join a 15-day extensive tour of the country. Get ready to tell some cracking travel yarns in the future. The Circle Sri Lanka trip will take you from Negombo, in the east and will travel clockwise all the way round to the island nation's capital, Colombo. Throughout the two weeks, you'll have the chance to explore ruins, climb Sigiriya Lion Rock, learn to cook traditional Sri Lankan fare, explore bustling bazaars and trek through tea plantations. And all accommodation, ten brekkies (and some lunches and dinners) are included, as well as more activities than you can count on your two hands. The island is full of vibrant culture, incredible food, ancient citadels and idyllic beaches on all sides. Regardless of whether you're the lucky winner, it should be high up on your travel bucket list anyway. To enter, see details below. [competition]669353[/competition] Top image: Sigiriya Lion Rock
Everyone has one: a hangover story that's burned into your brain so strongly, it has become your own personal legend. Simply thinking about it brings back all the vivid memories — including the sights, smells, sounds and tastes; just how rotten you were feeling; and the shenanigans that ensured this wasn't just a normal morning after. Hangovers are humbling experiences, but celebrating them — or willingly reliving your hangover stories — isn't done all that often. Until now, that is, with Croatia's new Museum of Hangovers showing the love for the bleary, blurry, head-pounding results of a big, boozy night out. Now open seven days a week, the site is designed to recreate a drunken stumble home after a bender. You'll walk through different rooms just as if you were walking back from a bar or pub. Along the way, you'll peruse a collection of objects from real hangover tales, all on display alongside the stories behind them. https://www.instagram.com/p/B5lFw56nt96/ Created by Rino Dubokovic and co-founder Roberta Mikelic — based on real-life experience, naturally — the Zagreb museum features everything from a big board where visitors can detail their own tales while they're there to a mini-exhibition that shows what different forms of alcohol look like under a microscope. Portraits of seedy looking folks line the walls, and bottles of 'hangover wine' are also on sale. Plus, you can win free admission if you don some 'beer goggles', play darts at score a bullseye. And, because chronicling actual hangover experiences is what the museum is all about, it wants everyone to contribute — whether you're visiting Croatia anytime soon or not. Just head to the venue's website, type out your tale (anonymously, of course) and it could end up in the museum's collection. Find The Museum of Hangovers at Preradovićeva 8, Zagreb, Croatia, or visit its website for further details.
Russian Resurrection Film Festival director Nicholas Maksymow has a good sense of timing. Presenting a screening of Russian Ark in 2003, he suggested that a Russian film festival mightn't be a bad thing to have in Sydney. As it happened, the then NSW Premier Bob Carr was in the audience. The next year, Sydney got a Russian film festival. Russian Resurrection is in its eighth year now, and for its 2011 season it brings you an elegant sufficiency of modern Russian cinema. Innocent Saturday drops viewers into the bureaucracy of Chernobyl during the first 24 hours after the accident, opening night film Elena explores morality in post-Soviet Russia and Milla Jovavich stars in the romantic comedy Lucky Trouble. Dark, train-heavy period piece The Edge explores a fairytale-like story in a remote village in Siberia, while Dark World is fairy-tale in the more traditional vein of Night Watch. Night Watch's director Timur Bekmambetov, meanwhile, takes a break from fantasy and sews together lives across Russia in a multi-layered anthology set during New Year's eve, Six Degrees of Celebration. 3D sessions will screen at Event Cinemas in Burwood and Bondi Junction during the festival.
You know it's Good Food Month when Hyde Park is transformed into a fairy-lit backyard, dotted with stalls featuring the best Asian food that Sydney has to offer. This year, there will be 50 stalls showcasing these goodies, including the likes of China Republic, Harajuku Gyoza and popular Melbourne eatery Wonderbao, alongside old favourites such as Mamak, Longrain and Din Tai Fung. For the first time in its 16-year operation, the Night Noodle Markets will be operating on Sunday evenings as well. If you're hankering for Asian street food but can't bear the Noodle Market crush, try China Town's Asia on Your Doorstep Festival, which will feature an authentic-as-can-be Little Eat Street on October 25. Hours: Monday – Tuesday: 5pm – 9pm Wednesday: 5pm – 10pm Thursday - Friday: 5pm – 11pm Saturday: 4pm - 10pm Sunday: 4pm – 9pm. The Night Noodle Markets is one of our top ten picks of Good Food Month. Check out the rest of our recommendations.
Fun fact: Mudgee is the third largest grape-growing region in New South Wales, housing more than 35 family-run cellars. The city also happens to house a pretty rocking food scene — culinary specialities that the good folks of Mudgee are bringing to Balmoral Beach on August 10 for the 24th annual Mudgee Food & Wine Festival. From 11am-5pm, Balmoral Beach will be covered with marquees and stalls displaying Mudgee's finest fare and wine. Admission is free, with taste packages starting from $20. For the more adventurous, there is also a VIP Marquee 'grazing' event, where guests are able to chat to the producers while enjoying a menu of local and seasonal fare and wine, courtesy of renowned Mudgee chef Rachel McCarthy. Plan on drinking? Event organisers have even organised a shuttle bus to transport you around the northern suburbs. Bookings are essential. Tickets can be purchased here.
If truth is stranger than fiction, then prepare to attend the oddest film festival around. There's nothing unusual about Hot Docs at Palace Cinemas itself; indeed, given that the brand new film fest is an Aussie offshoot of Canada's renowned documentary showcase, has been curated by former Brisbane and Melbourne International Film Festival director Richard Moore, and takes over Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney from June 14 to July 3, it's exciting for the most typical of reasons. But the real life tales the festival's features promise to tell — well, they're another matter. You just can't make this stuff up may as well be Hot Docs' catchphrase as it explores the extraordinary, uplifting, awe-inspiring and heartbreaking sides of life — and everything in between as well. In its first ever Australian edition, the festival boasts 24 films from 15 countries, which means that getting your true story fix just got a whole lot easier. If you don't know where to jump in, we've selected five must-see Hot Docs flicks as a starting point. CHUCK NORRIS VERSUS COMMUNISM We don't recommend judging a film by its title, but when it comes to Chuck Norris Versus Communism, that might be an impossible task. Years of memes and jokes about the actor and martial artist's prowess will do that. But as much as the movie's name might indicate otherwise, they're not the subject of this documentary. Instead, it explores the impact Chuck's action flicks had on Romanian viewers. When everything but propaganda was banned throughout the nation in the oppressive period that was the '80s, it was actually smuggled VHS tapes of Norris and his fellow fist-flinging heroes that helped give people hope. RAVING IRAN Whether you love it or hate it, you probably can't imagine a world without electronic dance music. Neither can aspiring Iranian DJs Anoosh and Arash — even though they're supposed to be living in one. Raving Iran charts the duo's attempts to chase their dreams and keep Tehran's underground techno scene alive in a country that punishes their chosen art form with imprisonment. Their secret raves have to stay a literal secret, but their struggle isn't just about spinning decks, scratching records and throwing all-night parties — it's about fighting for freedom. DIVING INTO THE UNKNOWN A word of warning: if you're claustrophobic, not so fond of caves or don't like spending much time in the ocean's depths, then Diving Into the Unknown mightn't be comfortable viewing. In fact, even if small underwater spaces don't usually freak you out, this account of a group of Finnish divers in a five-kilometre-long, 130-metre-deep Norwegian cave might just do the trick. It's the stuff that nightmares are made of as the team gets into life-or-death trouble under the icy surface. It's also the type of psychologically intense true tale that's bound to get made into a fictional feature — although in this case, we're betting that nothing beats the real deal. JIM: THE JAMES FOLEY STORY In a better world, no one would know Jim Foley's name — or if they did, it wouldn't be because of his kidnapping in Syria and subsequent public execution. In the Sundance audience award-winning doco Jim: The James Foley Story, Foley's childhood friend Brian Oakes shares the American photojournalist's story beyond the heartbreaking headlines and horrific video footage. Family, friends and fellow journalists explore the man behind the tragedy, and former hostages offer accounts of his courage in captivity. And then there's the footage that Foley shot himself, which offers an insider's view into one of the most awful ordeals imaginable. T-REX Forget Rocky, Creed and every other big screen boxing underdog — there's a new contender in town. In fact, saying that Claressa 'T–Rex' Shields fought her way from the streets of Michigan to the US Olympic boxing team isn't an exaggeration. Directors Drea Cooper and Zackary Canepari chart her battle to get to the top of her chosen sport, both in and out of the ring. Sure, you've seen boxing films before, but you haven't seen one as raw, resonant and real as this. Hot Docs at Palace Cinemas screens at Sydney's Palace Verona from June 21 to July 3, Melbourne's Palace Westgarth and Cinema Como from June 14 to 29. Check out the full program by visiting the festival's website and Facebook page.
Directed by Joe Carnahan (The A Team) and produced by Ridley and Tony Scott, The Grey tells the story of a group of oil-rig workers who find themselves stranded on the freezing Alaskan tundra after their plane home crashes. John Ottoway (Liam Neeson) is forced to lead a group of roughneck men in their fight for survival when the men come under attack by a pack of vicious, aggressive wolves. The wolves are on the hunt for these stranded humans as they see them as intruders in their territory who must be killed. The Grey is a thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat in the fight between man versus nature. The film is based on the short story Ghost Walker by Ian MacKenzie Jeffers. To win one of five double passes to see The Grey, just make sure you are subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address through to hello@concreteplayground.com.au
Urthboy thundered his way into 2016 with his brand new album, The Past Beats Inside Me Like A Second Heartbeat, inspiring one four-star review after another and making feature album on triple j. So, if you couldn't get your mitts on a ticket to one of the preview gigs, here's your chance. Get there in time to check out the supports. First up will be Sydney's Okenyo, whose voice you'll know from Urthboy's 'Second Heartbeat' and in the second slot is L-FRESH The LION, Western Sydney's beloved outspoken hip hop artist who recently signed to Elefant Traks — you might have heard his single '1 in 100,000'. This is one our our top ten picks of Vivid gigs you should buy tickets to right now. Check out the whole list.
It doesn't matter how good your cast is if you don't give them a compelling story to tell. That's the lesson of My Old Lady, the motion picture debut of playwright Israel Horovitz. An obvious stage-to-screen adaptation that shows little consideration to the differences between the two, it's a film so stuffy and slow-moving that it makes its geriatric headliner look positively spritely by comparison. The great Maggie Smith plays the old dame in the title, a 92-year-old British expatriate named Mathilde Gerard, who lives in a spacious Parisian apartment thanks to a peculiar French real-estate law called a viager. Under the arrangement, Madame Gerard receives regular cash instalments from a buyer, who will eventually gain full ownership of the property when the old lady finally dies. It's a fantastic deal for her, but a right pain in the arse for Matthias Gold (Kevin Kline), a deadbeat New Yorker who inherits the building in his estranged father's will. So Matthias skulks around Paris, trying to figure out a way to sell his newfound property while contending with his stubborn new tenant and her hostile adult daughter, Chloe (Kristen Scott Thomas). But soon the comic setup gives way to something much more serious. Information comes to light regarding the relationship between Matthias' father and Gerard, unscrewing the lid on a can of Daddy Issues in the process. It's interesting subject matter, to be sure. The problem is that Horovitz doesn't know how to translate his material to the screen. A vast majority of the truly relevant action takes place inside Gerard's apartment — and no number of aimless shots of Paris can disguise the film's origins on the stage. The dialogue itself feels better suited to the theatre as well, with a number of theatrical monologues in the movies' second half running unnecessarily long. At least it goes without saying that all three of the film's main actors are fantastic. Frankly, it's hard to think of a single bad performance across their entire combined body of work. In truth though, none of their characters are particularly easy to like, each one of them consumed by a mixture of blind entitlement and self-pity. That's the other lesson to be learned from My Old Lady. When a film's central conflict comes down to bickering over a $9 million deed, it's difficult to feel much sympathy for anyone involved.
If you live in Australia and you love French cinema, then you already have a hefty chunk of autumn blocked out in your 2023 diary. To help cap off 2022, the annual Alliance Française French Film Festival locked in its dates for the year ahead, when it'll take its movie-adoring show on the road throughout March and April. What's even better? Unveiling the initial 15 titles that'll be gracing its big screens in Aussie capitals, and also a heap of regional locations. Among the first titles revealed, both variety and high-profile names feature heavily. Among the latter, there's a big focus on France's leading ladies, such as Juliette Binoche (The Staircase), Marion Cotillard (Annette), Virginie Efira (Benedetta), Léa Seydoux (Crimes of the Future), Laure Calamy (Call My Agent!), Noémie Merlant (Portrait of a Lady on Fire), Bérénice Bejo (The Artist) and Isabelle Adjani (The World Is Yours). And, AFFFF already boasts its usual smattering of homegrown box-office sensations and up-and-comers, aka already-proven hits and the talents who'll be making them in years to come. Get ready for zombies, comedies, Cannes titles, acclaimed filmmakers, Oscar contenders and more. One big highlight: Final Cut, a French remake of Japanese cult hit One Cut of the Dead from The Artist director Michel Hazanavicius, starring Bejo and Romain Duris (Eiffel), and a movie that is playful with that whole setup. If you missed the original, it follows a film crew making a zombie special that's being broadcast live — but then things get real. Selected as France's submission to this year's Oscars, in the Best International Feature category — and already named on the Academy's shortlist — Alice Diop's Saint Omer is another absolute must-see. The documentarian draws from true events to craft a drama about a young Parisian journalist and novelist attending murder trial, then wading through the complexities it surfaces within her own family history. Acting icon Adjani is part of the cast for Masquerade, which has the honour of opening this year's AFFFF. Directed by La Belle Époque's Nicolas Bedos, and playing at last year's Cannes Film Festival, it tells of glitz, glamour and a far-less-glossy underbelly in the Côte d'Azur, as led by Pierre Niney (Yves Saint Laurent). Or, film fans can also look forward to One Fine Morning, the latest film by Bergman Island's Mia Hansen-Løve, this time a family drama starring Seydoux; The Innocent, as written and directed by, and starring, Louis Garrel (A Faithful Man), based on his own experiences and featuring Merlant; and Other People's Children, an Efira-led effort about being a stepmother that's also inspired by director Rebecca Zlotowski's (Planetarium) own life. And, Efira pops up again in Paris Memories, which is set in the aftermath of Paris' November 2015 terrorist attacks, and is helmed by Proxima director and Mustang screenwriter Alice Winocour. Binoche features in Winter Boy, the new film from Sorry Angel's Christophe Honoré, an autobiographical drama focusing on 17-year-old Lucas (newcomer Paul Kircher). As for Cotillard, she's part of the cast of Brother and Sister, playing a stage actor and sibling to Melvil Poupaud (Summer of 85). And, after proving so astounding in 2022's Full Time, Calamy appears in two of AFFFF's 2023 titles: Two Tickets to Greece, a comedy about estranged childhood friends heading off the eponymous country, as hailing from fellow Call My Agent! alum Marc Fitoussi and also starring Kristin Scott Thomas (Slow Horses); and the 1974-set Annie's Fire, which follows a working-class mother of two who unexpectedly falls pregnant at a time when abortion isn't legally accessible. Rounding out this first drop of titles: November, one of the biggest French box-office hits of 2022, with Jean Dujardin (Deerskin) playing the lead anti-terrorist squad investigator into the Paris 2015 attacks; Notre-Dame on Fire, about the 2019 blaze; Everybody Loves Jeanne, a comedy about self-doubt; and Lie with Me, as based on Philippe Besson's award-winning autobiographical novel. Notching up its whopping 34th year, AFFFF will play Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart — plus Byron Bay, Parramatta, Victor Harbour, Bendigo, the Gold Coast and Margaret River. ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL 2023 DATES: March 7–April 5: Sydney, NSW March 8–April 5: Melbourne, VIC March 8–April 5: Perth, WA March 9–19: Hobart, TAS March 9–April 5: Canberra, ACT March 15–April 12: Brisbane, QLD March 16–April 5: Byron Bay, NSW March 23–April 19: Adelaide, SA March 29–April 2: Parramatta, NSW March 29–April 16: Gold Coast, QLD March 31–April 2: Margaret River, WA April 3 and 10: Victor Harbour, SA April 21–23: Bendigo, VIC + encore dates in some cities The Alliance Française French Film Festival tours Australia from Tuesday, March 7–Tuesday, April 25, 2023. For more information, visit the AFFFF website. Check back here on Wednesday, February 1 for the full program.
Well, it's happening. After months of hostility from taxi drivers and general confusion about what the future of the taxi industry should look like, the NSW government looks set to announce some pretty big state reforms — which, according to reports, will legalise the much loved and lauded ride sharing, ice cream delivery, kitten appreciation service, Uber. The Daily Telegraph last night reported that, in reforms to be announced today, Uber drivers would be required to pay a licence fee for the first time, and would be subject to criminal record checks and vehicle inspections. Basically, they'd be forced to operate under same regulations as regular taxi drivers. In an attempt to compensate regular cab drivers for suddenly losing their monopoly over the market, the cost of taxi plates would become significantly cheaper. They'd also retain the sole right to use taxi ranks and be hailed on the street. How exactly existing drivers will be compensated for the drop in value of their plates is not yet known, and would be decided by Cabinet next month. The decision to legalise Uber seems like it was inevitable, if not a little surprising — especially considering the New South Wales Road and Maritime Services effectively put the company on notice in September. It comes two months after the ACT made the move to legalise and regulate Uber and its drivers, and if the same does indeed happen in Sydney and NSW, it will surely see the rest of the country look towards integrating the ride sharing service into their taxi system. Via The Daily Telegraph.
Putting the fun into fundamental learning, the Two Up talk series is a weekly event at Work-Shop HQ in Redfern. Two experts from completely disparate fields of interest will take the stage for 15 minutes to educate the audience on their topic of choice. Unique subjects are covered, stimulating ideas are thrown around and collaboration is necessary. The first talk event is on Sunday, September 21, and will cover trash cinema and South American cooking, by Josh Wheatley and Andrew Levins respectively. Having completed his PhD on the topic at the University of Sydney, Wheatley looks past the stilted facade of glossy Hollywood blockbusters and analyses the underappreciated Z-grade films that dwell in the gutter of cinema history — the trashier the better. Andrew Levins, of The Dip fame will be providing some insight into South American cooking through an exploration of the culture that comes with local cuisine. Start off the working week with some useful (or, at the very least, interesting) knowledge that you can whip out at parties next weekend.
If the idea of dancing to techno in a lurid club on a Saturday night is repulsive to you, then get excited because The Chip Off the Old Block has got you covered. For the month of August, Saturday nights at The Chip will be dubbed Whisky Business and Old School Saturdays. It's all about the music, without any of the headache-inducing thudding beats and creepy guy grinding on you. But it's not just any music. There's old school rap, R&B and hip hop. We're talking Ice Cube, TLC, Busta Rhymes, Mary J Blige. It's all happening. Bust out your best Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: it's time to party like it's 1999. As the name implies, the whisky will be a flowin', with whisky specials on from 8pm until 10pm. It's guaranteed fun when Ice Cube is involved. It's not the only welcome themed night at the Chip. Try Bend It Like Tuesdays (Young Henrys brews, bhajis and samosas), Game On Wednesdays (Snap. Spoons. Gin Rummy. Dominoes. Jenga. Go Fish. Etc. With a complimentary glass of house wine for your first win), Trip In & Chip In Thursdays (DJ Trip Off and mulled Young Henrys cider infused with sloe gin) and Chipper Fridays (house wine and beer $5, with a side of Chips Off The Old Block for $8).
The CBD establishment that houses legendary bookshop Kinokuniya, The Galeries Victoria is bringing more joyful words into our lives with an intriguing art exhibition, paying homage to some of the most memorable movie quotes of all time. Think about the great '90s movies we grew up on, the expected and the unexpected — this temporary gallery will showcase it all. The exhibition is called Based on a True Story and was created by The Writing artist Tania Debono. Debono is well-known in the art world for her colourful and unique approach to typography as artwork. The showcase is being held in The Galeries' public art space, Lane Four. Revered quotes are splashed across the walls in a three-dimensional mural that celebrates the power of film and the actors that immortalised those epic lines. The iconic quotes lining the exhibition walls were the amalgamation of communal input and social commentary. The exhibition is a visual nod to the great writers who have had a significant impact on the film industry — and in some cases influenced the way we talk today (essentially every line in Mean Girls). See if you can match them all to their movies. Based on a True Story will be running until November 1 at the Galeries Victoria. Entry is free.
"Justin Bieber is the future of rock music." Iggy Pop It may sound like the start of a Tui billboard is actually part of a new Amnesty International Belgium anti-torturing campaign featuring Karl Lagerfield, the Dalai Lama and Iggy Pop. Stop Torture quotes these celebrities saying the unlikeliest statements of their careers while looking like they've just been 240/242d pretty badly. Amnesty International Belgium director Philippe Hensmans explains, "For us it was a quirky but not sloppy way to attract public attention to [the] tragic reality [of torture], which often happens in the greatest secrecy." In addition to being inhumane, torture is also ineffective. "The history has shown that tortured people are often willing to say anything for the pain to stop – the whole truth, only a part or its opposite... Torture a man and you can get him to say anything." The UN adopted the Convention Against Torture in 1984, but many governments like the US, Mexico, North Korea, Philippines and Nigeria are still torturing today. "Governments around the world are two-faced on torture - prohibiting it in law, but facilitating it in practice" says Salil Shetty, Amnesty International's Secretary General. Check out the campaign posters below. "The summit of elegance is a hawaiian shirt with jandals." Karl Lagerfield "The future of rock and roll is Justin Bieber." Iggy Pop "A man who doesn't own a Rolex watch by the time he's 50 has failed in life." Dalai Lama Article via The Independent
Some people collect stamps; others are passionate about coins; but we think if you're going to spend so much time thinking about one thing, it should be extraordinary. It should be something prolific and inspired — something that has the capacity to change the course of people's lives. For Ryan Beitz this something is VHS copies of the timeless 1994 Keanu Reeves classic, Speed. That may not be his exact reasoning, but regardless of motivation this guy now has upwards of 500 copies in his collection. What started out as a bizarre bulk buy from the op shop has now led to Beitz founding The World Speed Project, a group whose end goal is to collect every copy in existence. "The World Speed Project is satisfied by a compulsion to repeat [things]," said Beitz in an interview with VICE. "When you get one, you want to get another! And another! And another! Like the bus in Speed, we collectively cannot — and will not — stop." The group don't stop there, either. The WSP also want to take their message to the streets. Launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund it, they hope to convert an existing van into a small sized replica of the bus from their favourite film, and travel around the country while building their collection. Asking for a mere $2,500, WSP want to not only change their vehicle cosmetically, they also crucially need to fix the speedometer. Because how else will they avoid the 50mph marker, duh? Faced with increasing media scrutiny, Beitz is increasingly optimistic about his mission. "I think the World Speed Project is awesome in the truest sense of the word," he said. "It's larger than life. Imagine all of [the tapes] in one place! It’s uncompromising." If you share his unbridled joy, or maybe just have a morbid curiosity, you can donate to the bus fund here or send your VHS tapes to the address below (assuming you're willing to part with your most cherished possession). Chairman Ryan Beitz, The World Speed Project, 20204 SR 195 Pullman, WA 99163 USA Via Vice.
It's been five years since Taylor Square's rainbow crossing was removed in the middle of the night, without a word of warning. But the future's looking a whole lot brighter, with the City of Sydney announcing the installation's return, just days out from the 40th anniversary of the first Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. With the support of NSW Roads and the RMS, the colourful crossing is set to grace the corner of Bourke and Campbell streets, with construction due to kick off in October. Lord Mayor Clover Moore has applauded the move, calling it "a powerful acknowledgement of the importance of our LGBTQI community and history". The original rainbow crossing was installed in February 2013, but was removed two months later by the NSW Roads Minister amidst safety concerns. Residents have since spent years petitioning for it to be reinstated — this Change.org petition got over 16,000 signatures — so this is undoubtedly welcome news to the LGBTIQ+ community and commuters that pass through Taylor Square each day. The new installation, which will also incorporate a local street upgrade and coincide with "a trial to prioritise pedestrian movements ahead of vehicular movements", will be in place for six months, before a safety review is undertaken by the RMS. If it ticks all the boxes, this rainbow icon will be sticking around permanently.
What makes for a great speaker at a music conference? Experience and insight, obviously, and also plenty of stories from their time in one of the most exciting creative industries there is. Unveiling the first folks that'll grace its stage in 2023, BIGSOUND knows this. When you enlist ROC Nation's Omar Grant, who was once the road manager for Destiny's Child and now shares the President role at Jay-Z's entertainment agency — and also helped Rihanna's album ANTI become the smash it is — you're after a whole heap of wisdom and tales. Brisbanites and music obsessives hitting the Sunshine State capital between Tuesday, September 5–Friday, September 8 can look forward to Grant's chat, which means listening to one of the top names in the American music industry. And if you're keen to show off your own musical talents, he will indeed be looking for new discoveries. "Australia is at an exciting place right now musically and I can't wait to head down under to discover some great new artists," said Grant. "Some of the most innovative artistry in the world comes from Australia — and in an industry that's often so caught up online these days, getting in a room with passionate music people and discovering real talent performing live is a true privilege." While the full speaker roster hasn't yet been revealed, let alone the music bill, Grant has company in this debut drop. Also coming to Brisbane: Michele Ronzon from Interscope/Geffen/A&M Records, Hazel Savage from Soundcloud, Flighthouse's Ash Stahl and JKBX's Scott Cohen. Ronzon has overseen talent including Machine Gun Kelly, YUNGBLUD and Alesso; the Australian-born Savage was behind music AI company Musiio; Stahl is CEO of quite the hefty TikTok agency; and with Cohen, BIGSOUND is bringing in a royalties technology expert. In what'll be its 22nd year, the event has also started revealing some of the decision makers visiting the River City in search of deals. On the list: Netflix's Manager for Soundtracks, Strategy and Operations Andy Kalyvas, who heads to the fest fresh from working on Oscar-winner All Quiet on the Western Front; Paramount Television Studios' Vice President of Music Vanessa Palmer; and Downtown Music Publishing's Director of Sync and A&R Cabrea Casey. [caption id="attachment_851422" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lachlan Douglas[/caption] In total, BIGSOUND 2023 expects to welcome in over 100 international and national buyers, agents, music supervisors, bookers and other industry decision makers, all taking over Fortitude Valley as the event always does. And yes, deals are firmly in the fest's spotlight. "We approached this year's BIGSOUND with a singular vision: deals mean meals," advises programmer Tom Larkin. "Every person we are bringing to Australia can further an artist's career immeasurably. Whether that's formalising a global partnership or simply giving them a piece of advice that could transform their ability to create a sustainable career, BIGSOUND 's focus is to provide real results for Australian artists." Elsewhere, the huge music-fuelled celebration will keep doing what it always does: showcasing impressive acts, artists and bands, which usually sees more than 150 talents hit its stages at 20-plus Brisbane venues. If you're a BIGSOUND regular, you'll know that this entails filling as many spaces as possible with musos, industry folks and music-loving punters, all enjoying the latest and greatest tunes and talent the country has to offer. Past events have showcased everyone from Gang of Youths, Flume, Thelma Plum, Tash Sultana, Sampa the Great, Courtney Barnett and Cub Sport to San Cisco, Violent Soho, Baker Boy, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Methyl Ethel, Tones and I, Spacey Jane and The Jungle Giants, so BIGSOUND's program is usually a very reliable bellwether. If your spring routine usually involves bar-hopping around Brisbane while listening to bands — whether you're a local or you head north for the event — mark your calendars accordingly. And if you're an artist looking to take part in the event in general, applications are now open until Tuesday, May 2. BIGSOUND 2023 will take place between Tuesday, September 5–Friday, September 8 in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. For more information — or to apply to take part if you're an artist — visit bigsound.org.au. Images: Lachlan Douglas / Bianca Holderness.
What's better than watching a heap of top Australian talent sit around and talk about music? Watching them do all of the above while answering questions, competing for points and just generally being funny, too. That's the concept behind ABC TV show Spicks and Specks, which took a few cues from the UK's Never Mind the Buzzcocks, pit Aussie musos and comedians against each other, and has proven a hit several times over. It was a weekly favourite when it first aired between 2005–2011 — and it will be again this year. As fans will already know, Spicks and Specks just keeps coming back; however, that has meant different things over the years. When the program was first revived back in 2014, it did so with a new host and team captains, for instance. And when it started to make a return with its original lineup of Adam Hills, Myf Warhurst and Alan Brough, it first did so via a one-off reunion special. That 2018 comeback proved more than a little popular. It became the ABC's most-watched show of that year, in fact. So, the broadcaster then decided to drop four new Spicks and Specks specials across 2019–20 and, for 2021, to bring back Spicks and Specks in its regular format. As first announced last year, the show is returning for a full season — and, as the broadcaster has just revealed, it'll kick off on Sunday, April 18 at 7.40pm. You'll be able to watch it on TV when it airs, or stream it via iView afterwards. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ABC TV + iview (@abctv) Hills, Myf Warhurst and Alan Brough are all settling back into their old chairs, obviously; however, who'll be joining them as guests hasn't been revealed. Still, you can add playing along with the show from your couch to your end-of-weekend plans from next month. Spicks and Specks will return to ABC TV for a regular full season from 7.40pm on Sunday, April 18. You'll also be able to stream the series via ABC iView.
Paddington's Piermarq Gallery is hosting the newest exhibition by Endcount, an Australian-based duo which takes a fine art approach to raise awareness about endangered species. A collaboration between French painter Aurelie Perthuis and UK-born engineer Joe Bramwell-Smith. Their artistic focus combines research, fine art, code, digital art, printing and painting to create a modern portrayal of the human impact on extinction rates. Endcount's second series focuses on endangered birds of Australia. Their complex process began with building an app which uses the the IUCN Red List — a source which documents the total number of a threatened species remaining in the wild — to create a digital image of these numbers. Once the digital version is generated, it is printed on a canvas and painted, providing an even greater depth to the pieces. The result is a morosely beautiful and thought-provoking body of art that depicts the fragility of these species while also appealing to our scientific reasoning. Through their multimedia approach, Endcount is able to aptly create data visualisation for these IUCN findings and evoke an emotional response to a problem that too often goes overlooked. The work will be on display until Saturday, November 5.
Do you remember how Nokia got us feeling all nostalgic by re-releasing its iconic 3310 handset earlier this year, only to crush our dreams by making it available only in 2G? Well now owner HMD is righting its wrongs, last night relaunching the much-loved phone in 3G, complete with the device's hit game, Snake. That's right, the best-selling handset is set to make a proper comeback, Snake and all. It will be released in Australia from mid-October. A new-school riff on a handset first released back in 2000, this little guy comes in two distinct matte colours (azure and charcoal), retails at just $89.95 and boasts a six-and-a-half-hour talk time. It also features a new-and-improved customisable user interface, with an online browser that has Facebook and Twitter capabilities. Best of all, it's got an extra long battery life — just like they used to make 'em back in the day. So you'll be able to text your mates and play Snake all night. The reborn Nokia 3310 3G will be available this October from JB-Hi Fi, Harvey Norman and on pre-paid through Vodafone and select Optus retailers. For more info visit nokia.com.
If you've walked the back streets of Newtown and Erskineville, you've probably stumbled upon one of several random little parks that are in blocks between houses and sweet but decidedly empty. Performance Space and Sydney Festival have a solution to that: put An Art in it. With Micro Parks, they've commissioned four new installations and performances to fill the scattered spaces, which you can seek out by aid of a map, which you can download or pick up from the Carriageworks base. Leslie Knope would surely approve. In 2012 Performance Space brought us some of the best site-specific works (that's the quirky stuff that makes its stage outside of a theatre) in Sydney, and we're thrilled they'll be continuing with that mission in 2013. January's Micro Parks will feature dance by Martin del Amo and Julie-Anne Long, tea ceremonies by Sarah Goffman, social sculpture by Kate Mitchell, and performance by Jess Olivieri and the Parachutes for Ladies before returning with new works in new 'hoods later in the year. Read our list of the 12 best things to see at the Sydney Festival in 2013.
It's a sad point in the yearly calendar when the chilly weather hits and invites to Aussie backyard barbecues stop rolling in. But it does pave the way for you to lend your taste buds to the grilled offerings of our global barbecuing buddies. American barbecue is about as A-grade an alternative as you'll get, particularly when the mercury drops a few notches (thanks to the smoky and juicy flavour cues). And The Oxford Tavern is the place to get it. The Petersham pub takes the business of barbecuing very seriously for its Black Betty BBQ sessions, which emulate the style of barbecue typical to the US's southern states. Meat is prepped and rubbed with spices three days in advance and cooked 'low and slow'. The menu is priced by 100-gram servings, so if decision-making isn't your strong suit (or you're just really hungry), load up your plate with juicy beef brisket, tender lamb ribs, a smoked 1/4 chicken and perhaps a smoked snag. All orders come with slaw and cornbread but you'll want to add on burnt end beans ($6) for good measure. The Black Betty smoker operate every Friday, Saturday and Sunday until sold out. Our advice? Get there early so you don't miss out, and wear stretchy pants. Starting Thursday, June 14, Black Betty BBQ sessions will run seven days a week. From 5pm, Monday–Friday; and 12pm, Saturday and Sunday until sold out. For more info, head to theoxfordtavern.com.au.
Based on Leslye Headland's play, Bachelorette is a comedy that tells the story of three best friends from high school turn bridesmaids. Their less-attractive friend, Becky (Rebel Wilson), is getting married, and the competitive Regan (Kirsten Dunst) accepts her role as maid of honour. Gena (Lizzy Caplan) is on a mission to confront her high school ex after he left her bitter with a broken heart, whilst Katie (Isla Fisher), the last of the bridesmaids, adds some extra laughs with her sometimes ditzy personality and impulsive sass. Bachelorette combines humour, drunken romance and the dynamic of female relationships in a raunchy and intoxicated weekend that these women will certainly never forget. The film will be released in cinemas November 1. Thanks to Hopscotch, Concrete Playground has ten double passes to giveaway. To go in the running just subscribe to Concrete Playground (if you haven't already) then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au
Here's what it will look like when the Sydney Light Rail finally launches into action in 2019. The brand new trams, dubbed the Citadis x05, are the world's longest light rail vehicles to date and we're the very first city to nab 'em. Built in France and Spain by Alstom, the trams ring in at 67 metres and can carry 450 passengers, which is nine times the capacity of a bus. The new schmick design was unveiled in Randwick on Tuesday, August 1 by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Andrew Constance, Minister for Transport and Infrastructure. "It is a really exciting day to be standing here with the first of our world-class light rail vehicles and offering the people of NSW a glimpse of this innovative, modern vehicle," said Premier Berejiklian. Despite its behemoth size, the Citadis x05 is pretty efficient. Compared with your average bus, it uses four times less energy, as well as ten times less energy than a car. It's also very, very wheel-friendly — think loads of room for prams and wheelchairs, double doors, low floors and easy-to-reach intercoms. All in all, there will be 30 tram sets operating in the CBD and South East Light Rail, which will run from Circular Quay and the CBD through Surry Hills, Moore Park and Kensington, ending in Randwick and Kingsford. You can expect to see the Citadis x05 getting some test runs around town later this year. Sure, from the outside the tram basically looks like every other modern light rail vehicle we've seen. But, even though Sydney is still obviously behind Melbourne on the tram scene —and, let's be honest, in a lot of ways — we can finally firmly lay claim to having the best of something other than beaches. Which are amazing and unbeatable.
The world's first wandering institution dedicated to showcasing the creative efforts of ordinary folks is coming to Australia. That'd be the Museum of Everything, which will head to Tasmania for a ten-month stint filled with pieces that you won't find in any other gallery. Launching during MONA's Dark Mofo in June, then running through until April 2, 2018, the Museum of Everything, the exhibition will feature over 1500 works in themed spaces, taking visitors on an informal journey through human making. Drawings, sculptures, paintings, ceramics, collage, photography, assemblage, found objects and installations will all be on display during its first trip to our shores. Starting in London in 2009, and touring to Paris, Venice, Moscow and Rotterdam since, the Museum of Everything aims to improve the profile of art that falls outside of the usual channels. Forget famous names — you won't find them here. Instead, lining its walls are works crafted by untrained, unintentional, undiscovered and and otherwise unclassifiable artists from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. Indeed, the people responsible for the kind of pieces favoured by the travelling display are compelled to channel their creativity into new, different and experimental works, but they don't fit the conventional definition of artists. As founder James Brett explains, "our artists do not create for the markets or museums. They make because they must and— from Henry Darger to Nek Chand Saini — have something vital to say about the essence of their lives". The Museum of Everything will exhibit at MONA from June 11, 2017 to April 2, 2018. For more information, visit the MONA website. Image: George Widener, c. 2007, Courtesy of The Museum of Everything.
Overnight, Jimmy Fallon lived out every '90s kid's dream — he danced with the Fresh Prince. Oh yeah, and he hosted his first Tonight Show, inducting him into late night history forever. But who's to say which makes him more successful? The Tonight Show is a big deal, and some still had their doubts about Fallon. Even after proving himself as a host for five years on Late Night, many just couldn't shake that first impression of him as the baby-faced goofball who screwed up every SNL skit by laughing. (Seriously, he even laughed through Will Ferrell's classic cowbell scene). In last night's show, Fallon played up this doubt in a clever bit about celebrities making $100 bets against him even making it to the Tonight Show. Cue appearances by Robert DeNiro, Tina Fey, Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey (WHAT?), Joan Rivers, Seth Rogen and a spiteful Stephen Colbert. But, after an emotional opening monologue and a solid first show, it's clear Leno's legacy is in good hands. With his backing band, The Roots, travelling over from Late Night, it's been clear for awhile now that Fallon loves himself some hip hop. We saw it at the end of last year too when Justin Timberlake came by for a duo in the History of Rap. This was reinforced further with last night's show, as Will Smith dropped in for an excellent demonstration of the Evolution of Hip Hop Dancing. Pulling moves like 'the running man', 'the pop and lock', 'the MC Hammer' and 'the I'm about to breakdance', Fallon showed he's not scared to bring some fresh ideas to the much-coveted show. He even finished it off with a twerk. I doubt Leno would have ever pulled that off.
There may be a lot of prospects for high speed travel, like Elon Musk's Hyperloop, but when we can travel between continents without the agony long haul flights, that's when we'll know the future is well and truly here. And while we wait for teleportation to make it to the molecular mainstream, we'll have to settle for second best: high speed supersonic air travel. Looking to bring back supersonic travel to the people, Sir Richard Branson is set to make high speed transatlantic passenger flights (relatively) affordable and accessible. Working with a Colorado aviation startup called Boom, Branson — under The Spaceship Company (an arm of Virgin Galactic) — wants to create a new plane that can fly at supersonic speeds of up to 2335 kilometres per hour. That would see the flight from NYC to London take a mere three and a half hours (rather than the seven hours it takes now). That's essentially a Sydney peak hour commute. Supersonic air travel has already been achieved by the passenger plane the Concorde, which provided flights between London and Paris to New York, Washington and Barbados between 1969 and 2003. It was decommissioned due to the $20,000 per trip price tag; by comparison, the Boom is set cost only $5000 USD. According to Boom founder and chief executive Blake Scholl, this new plane will be more cost effective by having have less seats and being more fuel efficient. Scholl also told The Guardian that, aside from the London to NYC route, they would also be concentrating on getting up trips from San Fran to Tokyo and LA to Sydney. It's all very ambitious, but the first Boom plane is expected to be tested by the end of 2017. Via The Guardian. Image: Boom.
Face it. There's nothing, nothing more heartbreaking than going out for a casual walkie with your beloved dog, grabbing a cheeky gelato cup at the beach and not being able to share it with your pooch. Much whimper. Such fail. Too long, too long have pups been shunned from ice creameries simply because the pockets in their dog hoodies rarely hold money and dairy products make them incredibly ill. Enough! No longer will this integral gelato market and prime branding opportunity be ignored. Gelatissimo are stepping up and doing what should have been done years ago (because trending topics). They're releasing a range of doggie gelato that can be enjoyed by both pets and owners alike — please avoid sharing though. Please. Importantly, the gelato is gluten free and flavoured peanut nougat (which is a dogwide favourite ice cream flavour, apparently) and gentle on puppy tums. From March 26, you can grab a scoop from 18 Gelatissimo stores (including Balmain, Bondi Beach, Central Park, Coogee, Cronulla, Newtown, Watsons Bay, Wagga, Manuka, Lane Cove, Lygon Street, Coolangatta, Mackay, Mooloolaba, Noosa, Toowoomba, Norwood and Surfers Paradise). Alright we so know it's a bit much and most of us don't have a weekly budget for dog iced treats, but think of it more as a treat for yourself that you can share with your pupper (if they whimper at you enough). Image: Mochi and Miranda @justanotherdogblog.
If you managed to nab a ticket to Paul Kelly's Making Gravy tour last year, then you were one of the lucky ones. If you weren't and have been lamenting ever since, you can stop. The songwriting legend has just announced that he'll be performing the show all over again this December, in Perth, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane (on Gravy Day itself, December 21). Like the song, the tour — now in its third year — is becoming a bit of an Aussie Christmas tradition. Time to start thinking about getting the tinsel and ugly jumpers out of storage. As in 2018, you can expect to hear a stack of songs from Kelly's four-decade long career. Listen out for all the hits, from 'Dumb Things', from the album Live, May 1992, to 'Love Never Runs On Time' from Wanted Man (1994). The Christmas classic 'How To Make Gravy', first released in 1996 on an eponymous EP, is on the menu, too. The tour will coincide with the release of Kelly's new greatest hits album Songs From The South (1985–2019), his collaborative avian-inspired album 13 Ways To Look At Birds and a book of poetry he's curated, called Love Is Strong As Death. Kelly won't be hitting the road alone, either — he's inviting a bunch of special guests. He'll be joined by ARIA Award-winning rocker Courtney Barnett, Aussie Eurovison finalist Kate Miller-Heidke, NZ singer Marlon Williams and Gamilaraay songstress Thelma Plum (in Sydney only). [caption id="attachment_737416" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mia Mala McDonald[/caption] MAKING GRAVY DATES 2019 Perth — Optus Stadium, Saturday, December 7 Melbourne — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Thursday, December 12 Sydney — The Domain, Saturday, December 14 Brisbane — Riverstage, Saturday, December 21 Paul Kelly Making Gravy pre-sale tickets will be available from midday on Tuesday, August 20 with general sales from midday on Friday, August 23. Perth, Sydney and Brisbane tickets will be available via Ticketmaster with Melbourne's via Ticketek. Top image: Cybele Malinowski
It just got real dark in Sydney. And in Sydney during the warmer months, that only means one thing: a storm is coming. So if you're currently reading this from somewhere dry, warm and cosy, we suggest that you keep it that way for the rest of the afternoon. And not just any old wet weather, either. The Bureau of Meteorology has reported that severe storms, strong winds, heavy rainfall and large hail is on its way, which is looking to affect the Metro, Illawarra and Hunter regions. Taking a peek at its nifty colour-coded map, below, it looks like Sydney is going to be worst hit, too. https://twitter.com/BOM_NSW/status/1103073062612844546 With storms come falling trees (and sometimes falling powerlines) and Ausgrid is telling customers to top-up their phones before the storms hit — just in case — and to stay well away from any powerlines that have been knocked over. The wild weather looks to ease later tonight. At the moment, public transport looks to be running on time and no major roads have flooded, but this could change when peak hour hits. Stay dry out there. And remember to check Live Traffic, Transport Info and BOM for warnings and updates. UPDATE: MARCH 6, 2019 — At 12.35pm, the BOM released a severe thunderstorm warning for damaging winds over the next several hours. Those in the Metropolitan, Central Tablelands, Hunter, Illawarra and surrounding areas are advised to move their cars under cover, secure loose items and stay indoors during this time. Image: Live Traffic NSW.
For loved ones that prefer their flowers edible, Gelato Messina is once again happy to oblige. It has created a new frozen floral creation, dubbed The Tart Breaker: a limited-edition gelato rose cake, which will be released exclusively for Valentine's Day this year. The red rose cake is complex inside and out — in true Messina fashion. It's a chocolate tart shell filled with layers of Basque cheesecake gelato and dulce de leche, topped with petals made from hand-piped burnt vanilla chantilly. Yes, it's as decadent as it sounds. The rose cake will cost you $69 — likely less than a big bouquet of (non-edible) V-day roses — and can be cut into 6–8 slices, which can serve 6–8 people or just you and your partner; the decision is yours, we're not here to judge. Orders are only available for pickup on the days leading up to Valentine's Day. The Tart Breaker is available to pre-order from all Messina outposts except The Star from Monday, February 1 for pick up between Friday, February 12–Sunday, February 14.
Spend a Saturday getting your hands dirty, or rather, floury. Pasta Emilia, which moved from its original home in Bronte to Surry Hills in 2012, is not just a restaurant, but a cooking school as well. With local, organic ingredients at your fingertips, you'll learn how to make pasta the traditional way. That includes creating the best flour mix, fashioning it into dough and stretching it into sheets. Alessandro Grisendi, who's been making pasta by hand for fifteen years, will teach you how to make all kinds of pasta, from ravioli and cappelletti, to linguine and strozzapreti. And when your work is done, you'll sit down to a hearty lunch, including pasta, a veggie salad and glass of organic wine.
Unless you somehow haven't looked at a screen, billboard or newspaper in the past few weeks — or listened to the radio, heard any streaming ads or had a TV on in the background, either — you'll know that Black Friday is upon us for another year. Absolutely everything is on sale, or so it seems, including bargain holidays. Whether you're keen to explore Australian destinations or fancy a getaway further afield, Virgin's addition to the 2023 shopping frenzy has you covered. A whopping 500,000 fares are currently up for grabs as part of the airline's Black Friday, Bright Holidays sale, covering a heap of Aussie and international spots. Sticking with home turf, you can head to Byron Bay, the Sunshine Coast, Cairns, Hamilton Island, Alice Springs, Hobart and more. And, if you're eager to journey overseas, you can hit up Bali, Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, Tokyo and Queenstown. One-way domestic fares start at $49, which'll get you from Sydney to Byron Bay. As always, that's cheapest route. Other discounted flights include Melbourne to Launceston from $59, Brisbane to either Cairns for $105 or Hamilton Island for $115, Adelaide to the Gold Coast from $125 and Perth to Hobart from $239. Internationally, the return deals start with Sydney to Queenstown from $435, Brisbane to Fiji from $509, Melbourne to Bali from $629 and Cairns to Tokyo from $679. If you're wondering when you'll need to travel, there's a range of dates from Wednesday, January 10–Thursday, June 20, 2024, all varying depending on the flights and prices. As usual when it comes to flight sales, you'll need to get in quick. Virgin's discounted fares are now on offer until midnight on Tuesday, November 28 or sold out, whichever arrives first. Virgin's 2023 Black Friday, Bright Holidays sale runs until midnight AEST on Tuesday, November 28 — or until sold out. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Sydney is taking a major page out of the globally progressive book with this week's announcement that the state government is creating an 'entrepreneur school' to advance the startup potential in NSW. The Sydney School of Entrepreneurship (SSE) will welcome students as early as 2017 from multiple partner universities, most notably Ultimo TAFE, where the new school is likely to be based. The school is very smartly modelled on Sweden's renowned Stockholm School of Entrepreneurship, which is run by Australian Nick Kaye. More than one in three graduates of the Stockholm school have successfully launched startups, including two 'unicorns' – a startup valued at more than one-billion USD. If this is any indication of what can be accomplished in Sydney, we're in for a large influx of Mark Zuckerbergs over the coming years. Sydney's the right city for what could become Australia's premier dedicated entrepreneur school. Industry minister Anthony Roberts reported that 46 percent of all Australian startups are based in Sydney and NSW accounts for 64 percent of the total in Australia. So who's funding this? Iconic businessman Tony Shepherd is among backers, with the state budget set at a massive $25 million. But hey, you can't put a price tag on becoming the 'epicentre of entrepreneurship' in the entire Australasia region, now can you? The government has estimated that the tech startup sector could be worth $109 billion to the national economy and create 540,000 jobs by 2033. So we're not enthused with the NSW Government's antiquated, catch-all lockout laws and general nanny state shenanigans, but we're pretty impressed with this new venture. The SSE is expecting 1000 students from partner universities and TAFE to join the school in its inaugural year. You go, Sydney. Via SMH.
The South Island is known for its breathtaking scenery. However, if you're a culture junkie, there's no end to the beautiful experiences you can have — and not just in a gallery. Whether you're into history, art, language or music, you're bound to find something (and often with a good feed to go with). We've curated a selection of experiences in the South all cultural but none that require the four walls of a gallery. THE SHERWOOD This little hotel is a gem in Queenstown's tourismscape. Perched on three acres of spectacular alpine hillside, with views over Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables mountain range, The Sherwood is a true community hotel, built with the express intention of letting its guests connect with each other and with nature. Kitchen gardens service the holistic, natural dishes in its restaurant and the hotel has a community events schedule to boot. During your stay, attend a poetry slam, take a jewellery class or stretch it out at one of the regular yoga classes. With resident artists and writers and almost nightly live music, here, the culture comes to you 554 Frankton Road, Queenstown. FUSH Fush is not your ordinary fish and chippie. This family-owned eatery in Wigram aims to help diners integrate te reo Māori, one of New Zealand's official languages, into their conversations, by offering bilingual menus and using te reo phrases with customers. The fish and chips joint has even started offering free te reo Maori classes, accessible to anyone with the will to learn. What about the food? It's awesome — the fish comes pan-fried, coated or crumbed; hand cut chips are made from quality Canterbury spuds and the place is fully licensed, too. Have a sparkling with your order or a gin and tonic, and order a plate of shucked oysters or a smoked fish pie. It's all good. 104 The Runway, Wigram Skies. CHRISTCHURCH ARTS CENTRE A phenomenally beautiful space, the neo-gothic former home of the University of Canterbury is the heart of the arts in Christchurch. A community centre with events, stores and exhibitions, the Christchurch Arts Centre has something for everyone. If you're after some pieces for your home, visit Frances Nation, a beautifully considered homewares store inside the centre. Owner Tessa Peach stocks quality goods made from natural materials; they're New Zealand-made, functional pieces you will love forever. It sums up the ethos of the centre, really — full of heart and authenticity. 2 Worcester Boulevard, Christchurch. THE MUSSEL INN Golden Bay isn't really Golden Bay without The Mussel Inn. Worth the trip to the northwest Nelson region, this is a beloved watering hole for locals and visitors alike. After a day lounging on the beach, sink in for a night of live music and bevs. While there's no knowing who's going to show up on the bill, every week brings a new lineup of artists to the place. That's one of the beauteous things about the Inn. The team also brews its own beers, ciders and soft drinks. We'd recommend the feijoa cider if it's on tap. 1259 State Highway 60, Onekaka, Golden Bay. THE CHRISTCHURCH FARMERS' MARKET Luxe porridge? Fresh produce? People watching? You'll find it all at the Christchurch Farmers' Market, one of Aotearoa's first markets. The best way to experience a new place is to go where the people are — and on a Saturday, they're all in Riccarton buying wholesome seasonal goodness. Held on the doorstep of Christchurch's founding family's home, Riccarton House, and perched beside the Avon River, the market boasts over 80 stalls selling everything from veggies to coffee, cakes to organic dog biscuits. 16 Kahu Road, Riccarton, Christchurch. LARNACH CASTLE If history is your thing, head to New Zealand's only castle. Nestled in the beautiful Otago Peninsula, the castle was built in the 1870s by bank manager and cabinet minister William Larnach to house his large family. Restored to its former glory by the Barker family, the home and grounds are open every day of the year. While it may be considered a 'mock' castle, it's a magnificent site to see with Italian marble, Welsh slate, English floor tiles, Venetian and French glass, Kauri ceilings, rimu floors and honeysuckle panelling featured throughout. 145 Camp Road, Dunedin. MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS MAILBOAT Come summer, there may be no cruisier way to explore the Marlborough Sounds than aboard the Picton Mailboat. Hop aboard and join in on mail day, with commentary from your skipper on the history of the Sounds, the people who have lived there and those who call the area home today. Each journey is different, depending on where the post bags, groceries and freight need to go. Keep an eye out for dolphins and other wildlife, and make a stop at Ship Cove, where Captain James Cook stopped to replenish The Endeavour. Start planning your trip to New Zealand's south with our guide to the South Island journeys to take here.
The world contains a vivid tapestry of diverse countries and cultures, each woven with its own unique traditions and celebrations. What better way to immerse yourself in the culture of a region than joining in with the festivities? From the rhythmic beats of Carnival to the kaleidoscopic lights of Diwali, take a step beyond the typical tourist trail with Intrepid Travel. Discover the heartbeat of a place through the lens of its most enchanting festivities. It's time to pack your bags, strap on some comfy shoes and create memories that transcend borders. Diwali The festival of lights is celebrated worldwide, but experiencing it in India itself is something else entirely. Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights. It symbolises the victory of light over darkness, goodness over evil and knowledge over ignorance. There are variations across the region and the different local religions of the country. Some things are always included: lots and lots of candles, lights and delicious food. The festival happens in the first weeks of November to tie in with the darkest days of the year (in India). Time your adventure to this stunning country to coincide with the festival so you can see the magic of the celebrations with the locals. Dia De Los Muertos Feel the mystical vibes of the weird and wonderful Dia de los Muertos, the annual Day of the Dead festival, in Mexico City. Participate in a traditional Day of the Dead ceremony and see elaborate altars dedicated to those who have passed. Enjoy delicious tacos and other street food at the openair Mercado Jamaica, and venture outside the city to see the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon at Teotihuacan. If you are passing through the capital on your exploration of Central America, time your travel so you can be there for this iconic festival. [caption id="attachment_969162" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Heejin Yu via iStock[/caption] Kwita Inzina If you're all about nature conservation, attend the Kwita Izina ceremony in Rwanda to see the on-the-ground efforts of those fighting the good fight for Mother Earth. That's exactly what you can do with this on-the-ground tour in Rwanda. It puts you in the middle of the ceremony, an adaptation of a traditional Rwandan naming ceremony where locals name and celebrate newborn local gorillas. The festival includes a mix of formal speeches from conservationists and celebrity guests, plus music and dance performances. Prepare to go with the flow and be whisked into the celebrations, as participation is encouraged. The entire region comes together to celebrate the festival and conservation of these beautiful animals. Halloween Bram Stoker may not have intended it, but thanks to the setting of his novel, Dracula, in Transylvania, locals now celebrate his creation based on local legends with a next-level celebration on All Hallow's Eve. Head to central Europe to Bucharest, Romania and explore the haunting beauty of Sighisoara (the birthplace of the infamous creature of the night) and spooky Bran Castle (aka Count Dracula's castle) in Brasov. Break out your scariest costumes for a spooky Halloween party in Cluj-Napoca — the former capital of the historical principality of Transylvania. Christmas The Christmas season just hits different when it's in Europe. Snow falls on rooftops of buildings and market stalls on narrow cobbled streets as stallholders give out mulled wine, chimney cakes, hot cider, pretzels, hot chocolate and sweet treats to the tourists and locals meandering from stall to stall. If a trip to Central Europe is on the cards, be sure to time it so you can explore the famous Christmas markets from Munich to Budapest. And the best way to travel in Europe? By train, of course. Carnival Bright colours, headdresses and more feathers than you can count — Carnival is the world's greatest party on the streets of Rio de Janeiro, just waiting for you to rock up. Witness an elaborate parade of floats and dancers in the Sambadrome, which stretches into the wee hours. Samba your way through non-stop action, join the conga line with the locals and move to the rhythm of the drum-fuelled street fiestas. Whether you're journeying through Brazil on an epic adventure or specifically going to Rio de Janeiro for the fest, it's definitely not to miss. Naadam While the Greeks have the Olympics, the Mongols have Naadam. This festival might not be well known, but it is the best time of the year to see Mongolia. The annual colourful festival is a centuries-old tradition that dates back to the Khans and their dynasties. Expect archery, wrestling and horse racing — the primary skills a Mongol warrior requires. While in the area, explore the stunning natural landscapes of central Mongolia, such as Baga Gazriin Chuluu (granite rocks worshipped by locals), the Bayanzag Flaming Cliffs and the dunes of Khongoriin, called the 'singing sands' by locals for the whistling sound made by small avalanches of sand on a windy day. Get out, explore, dive into adventure and find your WOW with Intrepid Travel. Find out more on the website.
In an effort to further reduce the spread of COVID-19 across Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has this morning, Wednesday, March 18, announced that non-essential indoor events of more than 100 people will be banned — effective immediately. This announcement follows last week's ban on mass gatherings of over 500 people, which is still in place for outdoor events. Airports, public transport, age care, correctional facilities, law courts, parliaments, food markets, supermarkets, office buildings, factories, mining sites, hotels, motels, schools, universities and transit spots — such as Bourke Street Mall, Martin Place — are not be impacted by the ban, but the Prime Minister has said that the "advice to all Australians is do not travel abroad". State and territory leaders have the power to add to this list of essential gatherings, too. The Prime Minister also said that social distancing should be observed by all, which includes regularly sanitising your hands, using 'tap and pay', avoiding crowds and commuting at quiet times when possible, and maintaining a distance of 1.5m apart wherever it is practical to do so. You can read the Department of Health's social distancing guidelines over here. [caption id="attachment_758772" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The NGV has already temporarily closed.[/caption] While the PM hasn't stipulated what exactly a non-essential indoor event is, we can expect large art galleries — that haven't already temporarily closed — cinemas and big restaurants, bars and pubs to close in wake of this announcement. Many hospitality venues have already upped their takeaway offering in response to a downturn in customers during the COVID-19, but it's likely more will offer takeout-only options. During morning's announcement, the PM also said that the hoarding of supplies was "un-Australian" and it should be stopped, and that the above measures were likely to be in place for "six months" so they needed to be "sustainable" and "achievable" for all Australians. For now, the above bans on non-essential gatherings are in place indefinitely. The Australia-wide ban on non-essential indoor gatherings of more than 100 people is effective immediately. The ban on non-essential outdoor events of more than 500 people is still in place.
Melbourne, it's pretty much official — you're the live music capital of the world, with a music venue-to-resident ratio that trumps every other city on the planet. And that's just one of the great findings from the Melbourne Live Music Census 2017, which were revealed this week. The survey, headed up by Music Victoria and the City of Melbourne along with Collarts, RMIT and local councils, sets out to analyse the climate of Melbourne's live music industry every five years. In its second edition, conducted on November 25 last year, it found that climate to be pretty darn healthy. In 2017 alone, greater Melbourne played host to over 73,605 advertised gigs and saw a total live music attendance of 17.5 million punters — that's up 19 percent and 12 percent respectively from 2012's census. In fact, audience numbers for live music events throughout the year were bigger than for AFL, cricket, the Spring Racing Carnival, A-League, basketball, netball, NRL and the Australian Grand Prix combined. And, while we hear plenty about Sydney live music venues shutting up shop, it seems the future's looking brighter for their southern counterparts, with 55% reporting an increased audience in the past 12 months. But the biggest news is perhaps that Melbourne now boasts one live music venue for every 9503 residents, making local music lovers the best-served in the world. Compare those figures with London's one venue per 34,350 residents, New York's one per 18,554 and LA's one per 19,607 ,and you'll have to agree Melbourne's absolutely killing it. The full Melbourne Live Music Census 2017 report is set to be presented at the Music Cities Convention - Melbourne on April 19.
News that's noice, tight and cool cool cool hasn't been the norm over the past year or so, including when US TV network NBC announced that Brooklyn Nine-Nine would end after its next (and eighth) season. That revelation sparked plenty of questions, all of varying degrees of importance. One of the most crucial: how many more times will Jake Peralta (Andy Samberg) say "title of your sex tape"? Other essential queries have been running through B99 fans' minds since then, of course. So, if you've been wondering what this last batch of ten episodes will have in store for Brooklyn's fictional 99th police precinct, how the series will wrap up and if Gina Linetti (Chelsea Peretti) will make a final appearance — and how much more yoghurt can Terry Jeffords (Terry Crews) eat, too — you're not alone. Thankfully, in just a couple of weeks, answers will start flowing. That's when Brooklyn Nine-Nine's last season will hit screens for a final farewell. Come Friday, August 13, SBS On Demand and SBS will start both streaming and airing the show's last batch of episodes, starting with a double to kick things off, then dropping further eps week by week. Back in May, US network NBC revealed that Brooklyn Nine-Nine's last season would launch following the Tokyo Olympics — and it also dropped a teaser trailer — so, given that SBS has fast-tracked recent seasons, this is both an unsurprising and overwhelmingly welcome development. How many times Die Hard will get a mention before the series says "yippee-ki-yay" for the last time? How will Peralta and Amy Santiago (Melissa Fumero) handle parenthood? What other tidbits will Rosa Diaz (Stephanie Beatriz) drop about her past in passing? Which crazy food items will Hitchcock (Dirk Blocker) and Scully (Joel McKinnon Miller) eat? They're some of the other questions you're probably now pondering, as well as exactly what else the whole gang — including Charles Boyle (Joe Lo Truglio) and Raymond Holt (Andre Braugher), of course — will get up to. If you'd like to start planning your own Halloween heist now in celebration — yes, a few months early — that's perfectly understandable. Check out the teaser trailer for Brooklyn Nine-Nine's final season below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRFDHqFiYoE&t=3s The first two episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine's eighth and final season will be able to stream via SBS On Demand (and to view on SBS) on Friday, August 13, with new episodes dropping weekly afterwards.
2022 marks 23 years since Baltimore high-school student Hae Min Lee was found dead, and 22 years since her ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed was convicted of her murder. It also marks eight years since the case became an international obsession thanks to the first season of Sarah Koenig's grimly addictive podcast Serial. Since the latter, the details have rarely been out of the spotlight — including the legal situation, as well as Syed's ongoing quest to have the extremely complex matter reassessed in the years after he was found guilty. And come Wednesday, September 21, the case will fuel a brand-new episode of Serial as well. Yes, everyone's favourite 2014 true-crime podcast obsession is returning to its original subject, with the Koenig-hosted audio series Serial set to drop a new episode about Syed. The reason? After more than two decades in prison, Syed's conviction has just been vacated by the Baltimore City Circuit Court, with Syed released today, Tuesday, September 20, Down Under time. Syed has been released into home detention while the state has 30 days to decide whether to pursue a new trial or dismiss the case. The New York Times reports that Judge Melissa Phinn overturned the conviction "in the interests of fairness and justice". Her ruling came after finding that prosecutors did not turn over evidence that may have assisted Syed during his trial, as well as new evidence might've influenced the outcome. Serial confirmed via social media that Koenig was at the courthouse when Syed was released, and that a new episode of the podcast will arrive tomorrow morning US time. Syed was convicted of first-degree murder in 2020, sentenced to life in prison, and has been fighting his case through the courts ever since. While he was granted a new trial in 2016, that ruling was subsequently appealed by the State of Maryland — only for the Court of Special Appeals to agree to vacate Syed's conviction and finally give him that retrial. Then in 2019, in Maryland's Court of Appeals, that retrial request was denied, but Syed's attorney committed to keep battling. Lee's murder and Syed's conviction were also the subject of HBO documentary series The Case Against Adnan Syed, which picked up where Serial's 12-episode first season left off — not only exploring 18-year-old Lee's death in 1999 and Syed's conviction the year afterwards, but the latter's ongoing legal questions. The doco featured everything from Lee and Syed's relationship to the original police investigation and trial, and also the developments up until when it released in 2018, gaining exclusive access to Syed, his family and his lawyers. Keen to re-binge Serial today? Aren't we all. If you don't have time, The Case Against Adnan Syed is available to stream via Fetch in Australia — and you can check out the trailer below: Serial's new episode about Adnan Syed will drop on Wednesday, September 21 Australia and New Zealand time. Keep an eye on Serial's website for further details. Image: The Case Against Adnan Syed, Syed Family / Courtesy of HBO.
Technology allows us to easily capture what we see and hear, and to share these sensory experiences in photos and soundbites. But so far, our sense of smell has been far less casually reproducible. Designer Amy Radcliffe, acknowledging both the disappointment and value of this, has created a scent "camera" that could make us all into amateur perfumiers. Radcliffe's Central Saint Martins MA thesis project, the Madeleine, is a quaint-looking device that makes use of chemist Roman Kaiser's "headspace capture" method from the 1970s. The Madeleine is like something out of The Jetsons, with hipster appeal provided by the tasteful, white ceramic vacuum casing and terrarium-like funnel. The user places said funnel over the source of the smell to be recorded, and then before his/her very eyes, the smell is sucked through a cute plastic hose into an absorbent resin odour trap. Check out the video to see the process. Resurrecting a sense of ceremony from the pre-digital age, you'd then nip over to the local processing lab with your vial of scent and transform it into a liquid fragrance, much like getting photos developed back in the '90s. Once the chemical signature is decoded, that fragrance is captured forever. What's the imaginative power of a pocket perfumier? Scent is, of course, the most potent memory trigger among our senses. Now there's scope to preserve the unique scent of a loved one, long after they've left your life. Imagine posting your crush the smell of jasmine outside your window (or certain, naughtier things) instead of a mixtape. One day there could even be a SoundHound for smells, as in, "Love the perfume that chick's wearing, what is it?" Whip out your smell-o-cam of the future and find out. Radcliffe is now developing the Madeleine further with fragrance labs. Will our olfactory world be cheapened by oversharing and oversaturation of scents? Or enhanced by our raised awareness of the smells around us? Just as Instagram can tend to make you see life in terms of potential freeze-frames, scentography may sharpen your nose to sniffing out shareable fragrances. Via the Guardian.
A group of 88 writers and editors, including The Slap author Christos Tsiolkas, Nobel Prize winner JM Coetzee, Miles Franklin award-winning author Anna Funder, The Family Law writer Benjamin Law and Meanjin editor Zora Sanders, have written an open letter to Prime Minister Tony Abbott, Treasurer Joe Hockey and Minister for the Arts George Brandis published in The Guardian, outlining their "dismay" at "the many proposed changes to health, education and welfare support announced in the 2014 budget" and their objections to "the reduction in arts funding". On May 13, Hockey revealed a $28.2 million cut to Australia Council funding, a $38 million cut to the Screen Australia budget and a $120 million cut to the ABC and the SBS over the next four years. "This decrease in federal support will be devastating to those who make art of any kind in this country," the letter states. "Many important works, works that would inform national debate and expand the horizons of Australia and its citizens, will simply never be made. Ultimately, these cuts will impoverish Australian culture and society." However, the argument doesn’t stop at moral, emotional and intellectual wealth. The writers point out that in 2008-09, the arts were responsible for adding 7% (or $86 billion) to the national GDP, and in 2011 cultural industries kept 531,000 individuals employed, while creating another 3.7 million jobs. Meanwhile, "it is worth noting that the mining sector only provides $121bn to the GDP, and employs fewer workers (187,400 directly, 599,680 indirectly), yet receives far more government financial support at federal and state levels." Moreover, they continue, the budget not only affects major organisations such as Australian Ballet (which has actually seen a hefty $1 million top up from the government for its budget) but also the threatened international touring capacity of regional companies like Bangarra Dance Theatre. Also affected will be the ability of "decades-old publications continue to foster a love of literature, finding and supporting new writers who will become tomorrow’s great Australian authors." "The loss of funding will devastate these smaller organisations and practitioners, robbing Australia of a whole generation of artists, writers, publishers, editors, theatre makers, actors, dancers and thinkers," they conclude. "Crucially, it will deprive people, particularly in rural and regional areas and in remote communities, of the opportunity to create, educate, learn and collaborate. These proposed funding cuts endanger us intellectually, artistically and severely damage our reputation internationally. Moreover, we fear the prospect of a world of culture and art that is unaffordable to the majority of Australians." Read the full letter here. Via The Guardian.
Last week, horticulturalists at the Royal Botanic Gardens announced that one of its rarest plants was preparing to flower for the first time in 15 years. The appropriately named corpse flower, due to its famously rancid odour, has the largest flower of any plant in the world, but it only blooms for 24-hours once every several years. The last time this spectacle was seen in the Harbour City was back in 2010. While it's impossible to predict exactly when the plant — nicknamed Putricia — will bloom, experts at the Gardens suggested last week that the day could be imminent. However, more than seven days on, Putricia has yet to open, leaving Sydneysiders on tenterhooks. Since the window of time to behold this floral wonder is so fleeting, a live stream via YouTube has been keeping Sydneysiders in their thousands up to date with the latest developments. A dramatic backdrop featuring tropical foliage, theatrical smoke and a velvet curtain has been added to a public viewing area, where the corpse flower, also known as the Bunga Bangkai in the plant's native Indonesia, is currently on display. Other than its extraordinary size, the Corpse Flower is most famous of its repulsive stench, which it uses to attract insect pollinators. Describing the plant's extraordinary stench, the Royal Botanic Gardens Manager of Volunteer Programs, Paul Nicholson, said: "If you've got some wet teenage socks, throw that into a blender, then you get some cat food you've left out in the sun, whack that in your blender, and then get some day old vomit. Put that in the blender, blend it all up, rip the lid off. That's the kind of smell you're getting." Putricia the Corpse Flower is on display to the public at the Royal Botanic Gardens now. Head to the Royal Botanic Gardens website for more details.
Attention BLACKPINK fans around Australasia — the good news just keeps on coming. After the announcement of their new single release this month and their Born Pink album dropping in September, the world's most successful female K-Pop group have another announcement on their hands — a world tour which just happens to include us here in Australia and New Zealand. View this post on Instagram A post shared by BLΛƆKPIИK (@blackpinkofficial) The dates for the Born Pink World Tour were unveiled in a post on Instagram this week, revealing the tour kicks off in Seoul before moving through the US and Europe. Then come June 2023, BLACKPINK will spend the final leg of the tour performing over two nights in Melbourne (June 10-11), two nights in Sydney (June 16-17), and one night in Auckland (June 21). So far no ensues or ticketing information has been released, but we'll keep all those stans up to date with more news as it comes to hand. BLACKPINK's Australasian tour dates: 10 June: Melbourne, Australia 11 June: Melbourne, Australia 16 June: Sydney, Australia 17 June: Sydney, Australia 21 June: Auckland, New Zealand BLACKPINK's world tour will be headed to Australia and New Zealand in June 2023. Top image: Jiya & Arcam
If there is one thing we can learn from the social network juggernaut that was Kony2012, it is that the pervasive power of Facebook provides internet activists or hacktivists with a unique capacity to transform public consciousness on a truly global scale. As such, a number of environmental activists are not only taking to the streets but taking to Facebook in an attempt to raise awareness about the pressing environmental issues that face society today. Here are six innovative groups and apps that have taken the fight for a greener future into the world of Facebook. Tree-Nation Tree-Nation is one of numerous Facebook groups committed to fighting deforestation and desertification through replanting trees. For every ten people who join the Tree-Nation Facebook page, the organisation will plant one tree. Even more ambitiously, Facebook group iChapter has promised to plant one tree for every new member, with the aim to eventually plant a total of 100,000 trees. For the more Facebook savvy of you, the Earthkeepers have created an app that allows users to plant a virtual tree, tend to it and share it with friends, with every fully matured virtual tree resulting in Earthkeepers planting a tree in the real world. Make Me Sustainable Make Me Sustainable allows users to measure their impact on the environment by tracking energy consumption and carbon footprint, allowing you to see how an action as simple as changing a light bulb can reduce your environmental impact. While there is a great range of software available for individuals and businesses that help in reducing your environmental footprint, Make Me Sustainable is unique as it provides a forum for sharing information and strategies for sustainable living and a virtual space to network with other environmentally-minded individuals on a national and even international scale. A Climate for Change Not simply a Facebook application, A Climate for Change is in fact a whole new social network built around the goal of tackling the issue of climate change. Users create profiles where they share anything and everything they have to say about global warming from rants about the Carbon Tax to interesting articles and videos about the effects of our warming planet. The We Campaign As the name suggests, The We Campaign hopes to shift our focus from what 'I' can do to make a difference but what 'we' as a global community, connected through our shared desires and the power of Facebook, can do together to protect and preserve the environment. The We Campaign app awards points to users for taking certain environmental actions, with donors giving $1 to fight global warming for every 10 points earnt. Trees Have Rights Too In the age of social networking environmental activists no longer have to chain themselves to giant oaks in order to fight for their right to exist. Trees Have Rights Too not only functions as an awareness group, describing how every Christmas season 6 million trees are killed and then disposed of, but also as a particularly vocal advocacy group for the rights of trees everywhere. The group is currently aiming to petition the United Nations to create a Bill of Planetary Rights that places guidelines and regulations on government deforestation. (Lil) Green Patch The now defunct Facebook app, (Lil) Green Patch was once the most used application on Facebook and well-and-truly silenced the doubters who believed that social media couldn't be used to create meaningful environmental change. The app allowed users to tend to a virtual garden, adding little munchkin-like people, plants and flowers and in the process users would raise money for "Nature Conservancy" to save the rainforest. According to one count (Lil) Green Patch raised more than $200,000 for Nature Conservancy over two years, which represented the conservation of rainforests across the globe with an area of 70 million square feet of Costa Rican saved in the first six months alone. (Lil) Green Patch is now the benchmark for every new environmentally-minded Facebook app.
Spring 2022 wasn't a happy time for This That, or for Newcastle and Brisbane folks planning to dance their way through the music festival. After hosting fests in both spots earlier that year, the event had to pull the plug on its October and November dates "due to a combination of issues", organisers advised. This That had always promised that it'd be back in spring 2023, however, and now it's locked in its new dates. Queenslanders, you're heading to Sandstone Point Hotel on Saturday, November 4. Music lovers of New South Wales, make a date with Wickham Park in Newcastle on Saturday, November 11. So far, there's no word on a lineup, after 2022's fests featured Hayden James, WHATSONOT, The Rubens, Spacey Jane, Dune Rats, WAAX, Client Liaison, Meg Mac and more. The cancelled events the same year were due to host Earl Sweatshirt and Flight Facilities, plus The Presets, Vera Blue, Winston Surfshirt, DMA's, Chillinit, Skeggs, Hockey Dad and Jesswar, although whether any will pop up in 2023 is yet to be revealed. For now, organisers are teasing This That's biggest festival to date, as well as its largest roster of international acts. Expect more details soon, with the event's website already taking pre-sale registrations. THIS THAT NOVEMBER 2023 DATES: Saturday, November 4 Sandstone Point Hotel, Sandstone Point, Queensland Saturday, November 11: Wickham Park, Newcastle, New South Wales This That will return in November 2023, playing Sandstone Point in Queensland and Newcastle in New South Wales. For more information and to sign up for pre-sale tickets, head to the festival's website. Images: Mitch Lowe / Jordan Munns.
Festivals have evolved. Nowadays, they're almost unrecognisable from the pits of despair we experienced in our teens — and there's a festival to suit almost everyone. If your bag is being terrified until you poop your pants, Horror Movie Campout is the festival for you. Last year they debuted in Sydney and Melbourne, and this year it's not only coming back, but spreading further. Brisbanites had their chance back in September, and Adelaide residents can embrace all things scary in late October. Basically, it's the Meredith of monstrosity, the Splendour of spookiness…kind of exactly like Stereosonic ain its current zombied state. So what goes on at a horror festival? Well, it's full of horrifying spectres and hair-raising scenes of horror (aka, your blood will literally curdle). We've had some clues from last year: yep, survivors camped out overnight in the woods (first mistake right there, seriously). They reported roaming zombies, all the classic pop-culture murderers you can shake your pathetic choice of weapon at and of course, menacing clowns. Not only do the organisers hire actors to scare the bejesus out of you, but everyone comes to event dressed in costume. So get down to your local stuff shop before they sell out of 1920s nightgowns, fake blood and Kabuki masks. You can expect a horrifying 'death chamber' maze, as well as a main stage with live music (will it be horrifying? They haven't specified but probably). Then, the main event is a series of curated horror shorts followed by two headliners, decided by you, the victims. The Melbourne campout is happening on December 3 and 4 (giving you just enough time to recover from Halloween) at the very remote and haunted Point Cook Homestead. Hint: old Point Cook has seen its fair share of murders. Melbourne Horror Movie Campout is happening on December 3 and 4; book your tomb online. Adelaide is on October 29 and 30 — and pencil it in, Sydney, because your event is happening next year on March 11 and 12. Grab your one-way ticket to poop town through the website a little closer to the date.
Something happens when fathers get to a certain age — they get really into their hobbies. We don't know whether it's because they have more time on their hands now you're all grown up, or if some magical switch flicks, but suddenly all their downtime is spent dedicated to vintage cars, golf or DIY projects. And that has one major benefit for you: it presents a goldmine of gifting opportunities. If one of your dad's passions is his home bar, we're here to point you in the right direction. We've partnered with Maker's Mark to bring you a round-up of classy gift ideas that'll make your pop's bar the best in the street, whether it's a newfound obsession or it's been there as long as you can remember (and therefore in dire need of a refresh). FANCY GLASSWARE Part of the fun of having a home bar is the ritual of fixing yourself a drink at the end of a long day. It's a form of self-care, in our opinion. But the magic kind of disappears when the vessel you're using is a leftover plastic cup from a backyard barbecue or cloudy contraband from the local pub. So we suggest getting Dad some glassware that he'll actually enjoy drinking from. Canberra-based homewares store Bisonhome sells expertly crafted ceramics and blown glassware designed by Brian Tunks, who studied ancient designs at archaeological digs in the Middle East. If your dad is partial to a whisky mixer, this six-pack of highball glasses is a great way to start his collection. Adhering to the Bisonhome aesthetic of simple, classic designs, these glasses should suit all home bar styles, while the mix of colours will add that retro edge. COOL WHISKY STONES With two stores in Sydney — Opus in Paddington and Octopus in Newtown — plus a stellar online store that ships nationally, Opus Designs has long been one of our go-to spots for gifts. And it certainly delivers on bar cart must-haves, including this cute little set of whisky chillers. If your dad is the type that likes to sit on a nip of whisky for an hour, then complain because the ice has melted and ruined the integrity (and temperature) of his drink, these will suit perfectly. All he has to do is pop these little guys in the freezer a few hours before use, and his nightcap will remain ice-cold for as long as it takes for him to finish it. And because they're made out of granite and soapstone, he'll still hear that satisfying 'chink' as he drops them in the glass. A PERSONALISED DECANTER This personalised decanter from Hard to Find will take pride of place on your dad's home bar. It's a 700ml decanter — which, FYI, will conveniently fit an entire bottle of Maker's Mark — that comes engraved with your dad's name. If you have the type of dad that's impossible to buy for because he purchases everything he wants or needs for himself, personalised gifts are great. Nobody buys themselves personalised things, right? Plus, it shows you've put a little more thought into the gift — without really putting that much extra effort in. A SUPER SWISH APRON If Dad is going to be spending so much time behind his home bar mixing, shaking and stirring, he has to look the part. And a nice, tailormade apron is the way to go — particularly if he hasn't got his mixology skills quite down pat yet and is prone to making a big mess. Sydney-based design studio Worktones specialises in high-quality workwear for the hospitality industry. We bet a lot of your favourite bars, cafes and restaurants uses Worktones for their aprons, uniforms and merchandise. The adjustable Birdy apron is made using 100-percent mercerised cotton twill, so it'll look good and last for ages. It comes in white, dark navy and olive, and costs just $35. [caption id="attachment_746194" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Discrepancy Records, Tracey Ah-kee[/caption] A KILLER SOUND SYSTEM Something else that Dad needs if he's going to be hanging out in his bar so much? Music, of course. Pander to the 'old man' in him by splashing out on a record player, then hunt down some of his favourite classic albums on vinyl. In Melbourne, your best bet is Discrepancy Records, which boasts more than 15,000 LPs. Have a gander at its online store for some of the newest releases — including a re-release of The Rolling Stones' Goat's Head Soup and Bob Dylan's Rough and Rowdy Ways — plus a bunch of LP bundles (think Queen, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd), all of which you can get delivered for free. In Brisbane, we suggest visiting Rocking Horse Records on Albert Street. And, if Dad's taste is a little left-of-centre, Sydney's Repressed Records, based in Newtown, specialises in underrated and independent artists — so it has music that's hard to find anywhere else. [caption id="attachment_766131" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Maree Downs', Madi Whyte, Cream Town[/caption] SOME EXCELLENT ARTWORK We all know those home bars that are covered in sports team merch. But if you want your dad's version to look a little, well, classier, opt for a standout piece of art instead. Check out Cream Town, an online art shop that was started by photographer Isaebella Doherty to support Aussie artists that have been financially impacted by COVID-19. The range of prints, from photographs to collage and illustrations, start from just $100 each, and they all have a limited run, so Dad can brag about having a rare artwork adorning his bar wall. A BOTTLE OF HIS FAVOURITE WHISKY And, of course, no home bar is complete without your dad's favourite tipple. Whichever item from this list you choose to spoil your dad with, be sure to add on a bottle of Maker's Mark. This smooth Kentucky-style bourbon whisky has woody oak aromas with sweet caramel and vanilla notes making it an excellent all-rounder for a home bar. It can be enjoyed both on the rocks or in a cocktail. If he decides to try the latter, shoot him a link to this recipe guide, which has four super-easy bourbon-based cocktails to try out. Learn more about Maker's Mark by visiting the website here.
