Despite what governmental and mainstream media outlets may have you believe, Australia isn't the only nation where people are desperately seeking asylum. Europe's currently in the middle of a very real refugee crisis, with the civil war in Syria leaving over four million Syrians displaced and looking for a new, safe home. That's an absolutely unfathomable amount of people. And while most of us have gawked and sat around wondering what we can do to help refugees, three Dutch twenty-somethings have actually gone and done something about it, creating a new non-profit accommodation platform for refugees. Refugee Hero essentially works like Airbnb. It looks a lot like it too. The website allows people to advertise their spare room to refugees looking for a place to stay when they arrive in a new country. It's geared around people putting up rooms available in their residential homes, but organisations are encouraged to open up their facilities, such as churches, mosques, schools and universities as well. And the best part is, the service 100 percent free. In that regard, it's more like Couchsurfing than Airbnb — but with hosts that are socially conscious legends with hearts of gold. The Netherlands-based startup was founded by Germaine Statia, Jamal Oulel, and Ayoub Aouragh, who are all aged 23-25. "We want to give back humanity to mankind," says Germaine Statia on their website. Since launching in September last year, Refugee Hero has rooms listed everywhere from Bulgaria to Johannesburg to Maryland in the States. And while there aren't any Australian listings yet, we can't see any reason why you can't get involved. Hop to it! Via PSFK.
Blooming gardens, citrus fruits and delicious local food and wine are on the lineup of the annual Griffith Spring Fest. Headlining the event — which will run between Sunday, 8 October and Sunday, 22 October — is the Garden Festival where green thumbs can wander through six delightful landscaped sites, created and nurtured by local gardeners. If you can make it to the official launch party on Friday 13 October, we highly recommend you do. If for no reason other than to tuck into the super-sized communal paella that will be whipped up on the day (it's served in a very covid-safe and hygienic way, just in case you had concerns). Other standout activations include over 50 unique citrus sculptures which will line Banna Avenue for two weeks. Made from more than 100,000 locally grown oranges and grapefruit, these displays are proof that when life gives you lemons in Griffith, you transform them into robots, reclining chooks or a giant giraffe. Go old-school and join a guided bus tour, or DIY and discover the best that Griffith has to offer all by yourself. The only non-negotiable is that you squeeze the day. (Sorry). Griffith Spring Fest will run from Sunday, 8 October till Sunday, 22 October 2023. For the full event program visit their website.
Summer might be in full swing on both sides of the ditch, but it's never too early to start thinking about your music festival plans for the year ahead, as well as how to spend the frostier months. One solution that ticks both boxes: Queenstown winter music festival and ski trip Snow Machine, which is returning in September 2023 for its huge second year. It's the hottest festival for the colder months, packed with five snow-filled days of music and adventure at two mountain-topping ski resorts this year. On the just-dropped lineup sits a heap of must-see names, including Art vs Science, Hayden James, Hilltop Hoods, The Jungle Giants and Peking Duk, all helping give Snow Machine's winter wonderland a thumping soundtrack. After launching in Japan in 2020, the festival was actually supposed to make its arrival in Aotearoa in September 2021 but was cancelled due to the pandemic. It finally debuted in September 2022, and now makes a comeback from Tuesday, September 5–Sunday, September 10, 2023. Attendees will be treated to action-packed days on the slopes, après ski events on both Coronet Peak and The Remarkables, and a hefty roster of international acts against the idyllic backdrop of New Zealand's adventure capital. Also dropping in to share the stage will be Benee, Broods, Coterie, Danny Clayton, Jacotène and Jimi The Kween, as well as Kate Fox, Neil Frances, Northeast Party House, Pete Murray, Set Mo, Shapeshifter, Stace Cadet (doing a DJ set), Sweet Mix Kids and Zahn Walker. Other than the wintry backdrop, one of the things that sets Snow Machine apart from other music fests is being able to book your entire getaway with your ticket. Packages span both five and seven nights of accommodation, and include a four-day festival ticket and five-day ski pass. If you'd rather make your own way or pass on the skiing, there are 'ticket only' options — and VIP packages if you really want to do it in style. Festival goers are also encouraged to immerse themselves in the adventure capital by adding on heli-skiing, jet boating, bungy jumping, canyon swinging and skydiving — and that's on top of Snow Machine's huge welcome party, and vintage retro day dedicated to old-school ski suits. Also returning in 2023: the second annual Polar Bare, which endeavours to set a world record for the most amount of people heading down the slopes their swimwear. SNOW MACHINE 2023 LINEUP: Art vs Science Benee Broods Coterie Danny Clayton Hayden James Hilltop Hoods Jacotène Jimi The Kween The Jungle Giants Kate Fox Neil Frances Northeast Party House Peking Duk Pete Murray Set Mo Shapeshifter Stace Cadet (DJ set) Sweet Mix Kids Zahn Walker Tom Tilley and Hugo Gruzman present First Base Snow Machine will be held from Tuesday, September 5–Sunday, September 10, 2023 in Queenstown, New Zealand. Presale tickets go on sale from 12pm AEDT on Tuesday, January 17, with general tickets available from 12pm AEDT on Wednesday, January 18. For more information, visit the festival's website. Images: Pat Stevenson/Ben Lang. 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.
The lower north shore has the best of both worlds. You can zip into the CBD easily and (traffic depending) quickly, and it's close to some of the country's finest beaches. Chuck in some sweet harbour views and you can see why Neutral Bay in particular is such a popular neighbourhood. We've teamed up with American Express to uncover seven of the suburb's top spots. Whether you're after a fresh hairstyle, doing your weekly shop or just craving a good cup of joe and some eggs for brekkie, Neutral Bay has you covered — no matter the occasion.
Maybe you share your home with a very good pooch who likes sprawling out on soft surfaces. Perhaps your live-in company is a frequently slumbering feline who can turn anything — and we mean anything — into a bed. Either way, tell your pet that they're about to get comfier. Tell them to relinquish ownership of any Hommey cushions and throws they've taken as their own, too, because the homewares brand has just released a dog- and -cat-friendly collection. Hommey's first-ever pet range goes big on cosiness, just for your furry friends rather than for you. That said, the line looks so comfortable that you might find yourself snuggling up with your pupper or mouser while atop its soft memory-foam mattresses, resting on its bone-shaped pillows and beneath its cosy faux-fur blankets. First, those beds. Ranging from $159–229 in price, they're available in small and medium sizes, and in an array of colours including olive, cherry, stone, raven, milkshake, lilac, latte, blush, duke, marshmallow, mushroom, coffee, tan and rose. The covers come off so that you can pop them in the wash when your pet has given them a bit too much love, plus they come in either durable boucle fabric or faux fur. For popping on top, the bone-shaped cushions are decked out in almost as many colours, and in the same choice of fabrics. These cost $29 and, depending on the size of your pooch, can even be carried out in their mouth. As well as blankets priced at $49 completing the treat-your-pet set, the Hommey pet collection also spans leads ($49) and collars ($39) in a heap of hues. "Outside of playing with dogs everyday, the challenge of finding the perfect mix of function, style, convenience and affordability has been a fun process," said Hommey Founder and Chief Comfort Officer Justin Kestelman. "We love creating products that work to solve a problem, and over 12 months of development and testing our products with 30-plus owner/pets it's so exciting to see this come to life." The Hommey pet collection is on sale now — head to the Hommey website for further details.
I'm told that 11.30am will be less busy at Papercup in Stanmore, but the tables are still full when we get there just after. It seems the locals have already discovered this one-year-old café, previously a storage facility for the bottle shop next door. Luckily there's space at the timber bar. And we quickly realise it's a pretty good spot to watch the action taking place behind the counter. As well as coffees (Coffee Alchemy beans, roasted in nearby Marrickville) the tiny galley service area puts out a focused breakfast menu, and sandwiches with Middle Eastern flavours providing a hit of spices and texture to the signature dishes. After drinks – soy hot chocolate ($3.50) and long black ($3) – we take food suggestions from owner-to-be, Eloise. Easy decision: Arabian-style bircher muesli with poached fruit, yoghurt, pistachios and honey ($10), and the Dr. Shakshuka eggs poached in cumin and chilli-infused tomato sauce with local ricotta and feta ($13). Both are excellent. The pear is perfectly poached, the nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, pistachios) are a crunchy addition, and cinnamon is an entirely appropriate and unexpected surprise. Dr. Shakshuka can cure any ailment. Okay maybe that's an exaggeration, but it makes me pretty damn happy. The flavours are exotic and the spices balanced by a sprinkling of herbs and parmesan. It's beautifully presented on a tiny chopping board with bits of toast, topped with za'atar – tiny details that make this culinary experience stand out. And it's so reasonably priced, especially for this Eastern Suburbs local. There is a sweet local vibe. The staff chat to the customers, and one of the parents from the school across the road supplies the gluten free chocolate brownies; another the chai tea. Everything else (besides the bread) is prepared right in front of you, with the assistance of an induction cooktop and slow cooker. Although weekdays will be busier with tradesman, parents and young professionals en route to the train station down the street, today it feels relaxed despite being at capacity (maybe around 20 people). The light interior adds to the feeling of calm spaciousness. White walls are enhanced by coffee-inspired line graphics and an artwork by Hugh Ford, and the backdrop – glass-covered exposed original brickwork – adds visual texture while also respecting the heritage of the building.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations — giving you a little inspiration for your text trip. In this instalment, we take you to The Hotel Britomart, where you'll find modern eco-friendly accommodation set on Auckland's city harbour. If you're due for a VIP escape to this sensational hotel, you're in luck. Right now there's an ultra exclusive Auckland getaway, curated by our editors, that you can snap up on Concrete Playground Trips. But we only have 20 packages (for two travellers) so when we say 'ultra exclusive' we really mean it. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? This is where luxury design and amenities are perfectly paired with sustainable practices (it is New Zealand's only 5-Green Star hotel). THE ROOMS Each of the 99 rooms is designed for tranquil escapism. Think of Hotel Britomart like a city retreat, lined in natural and sustainably sourced timber. Guest rooms all come with in-built sofas, hand-made ceramics and minibars full of locally sourced treats. Attention to detail is on point. But that's just your entry level experience of Hotel Britomart. You've then got the hyper luxe suites, each with their own unique selling point. The Poraenui Suite is one of their very best, giving a whole new meaning to rooftop living. This 74-sqm living space occupies a glassy pavilion tucked discreetly onto the rooftop of the heritage Buckland Building (blending heritage with modernity). Up here, both the living room and bedroom open onto a private 28-sqm terrace with views across neighbouring heritage rooftops to the city and Takutai Square. Pick a book from their mini library, order up some local New Zealand wine, and you have just found your new happy place. You won't regret staying up here. FOOD AND DRINK The in-house restaurant, kingi, is also a must-see. It is set within the heritage Masonic House, and showcases sustainably caught seafood paired with unique wines. Chef Tom Hishon has devised an evolving menu that's perfect for this all-day food-consuming haven (you'll usually find a mix of guests staying at the hotel as well as local foodies). Expect dishes like octopus carpaccio and pan-roasted snapper, alongside stories about the talented fishermen and women who sustainably caught the produce on your plate. It's all traceable and tasty. THE LOCAL AREA The Britomart area is located in central Auckland, right along the harbour. It's a 24-hour hub of culture, food and shopping. Boutique stores championing local designers are scattered all over. Restaurants, bars and pop-up food stalls keep the local workers and the tourists equally happy. And you can easily get all around Auckland from here. THE EXTRAS You can rest peacefully knowing you are staying in one of the most sustainable hotels in New Zealand — it is New Zealand's only 5-Green Star hotel. You can even make your stay eco-friendlier by booking a Green Package. For every day you're there, these guys plant a native tree at sister property The Landing, located in the Bay of Islands. Guests even have the option to fly there via helicopter, for an even longer and more luxurious getaway. And lastly, to add to its green credentials, Hotel Britomart rents out its own bikes so that guests can get around town without having to call cabs or use public transport. 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.
Circular Quay has welcomed a new rooftop bar into its ranks as the Salt Meats Cheese team opens Bar Ombré on the top level of the Gateway Dining Precinct. The bar boasts house-made cheese, a dedicated spritz menu, a daily happy hour, free bar snacks and sunset views across the Harbour Bridge. Expect a bright fit-out with heaps of greenery and colourful furnishings to greet you as you enter the bar on the third level. Inside, you'll find stretched cheese —made onsite daily — along with antipasto plates of cured meats, burrata and wood-baked focaccia. Share plates include marinated white anchovies with tomato, fried calamari with crumbed zucchini and prosciutto with grilled eggplant, basil and rocket pesto. If these snacks don't quite touch the edges, you can head downstairs for a heartier meal — woodfired pizza or a big bowl of pasta, for example — at the Circular Quay outpost of Salt Meats Cheese, which is located on level two of the dining precinct. To drink, the European-inspired cocktail menu includes the likes of the Forget Me Not (gin, lychee and elderflower liqueurs, egg white and plum bitters) and the Smokin' Nights (amaro, mezcal, Angostura bitters, cream and cinnamon), as well as a pear and maple old fashioned and a vanilla and grapefruit barrel-aged negroni. You can also choose from five different spritzes and a drop off the wine list, which focuses on Italian drops and local biodynamic, vegan and organic labels. We recommend stopping by after work to catch the sunset and the daily happy hour, which runs from 4–6pm. Nab $5 beers, $10 spritzes and $20 cocktail carafes (including Aperol spritz, sangria and margarita jugs). Then, from 6–8pm, punters can enjoy free bar snacks — similar to Venetian cicchetti. Expect truffled pecorino, roasted peppers with salsa verde and wood-fired crackers with pesto, plus smoked olives, cured pancetta and truffled popcorn all on offer (for free). This is the 13th venue for Salt Meats Cheese co-founders Edoardo Perlo and Stefano de Blasi, with other recent openings including SMC outposts in Dee Why and Brisbane's South Bank. Images: Kitti Gould.
China Diner has been a longstanding eastern suburbs hotspot for locals to hit up for a luxurious spread of dumplings or after-work cocktails by the beach. The moody interiors are the perfect place to while away the hours, while working your way through the drinks menu and that day's exciting mix of modern Cantonese eats. The mixed steamed dumplings ($24) are an easy place to start and always a home run with the whole party. Similarly, the chicken and sesame spring rolls with blood plum ($17) and the prawn and black fungi wontons ($17) are certified crowd-pleasers. More sizeable options are available to share or to order for a solo feast. The stir-fried king prawns ($37) come marinated in XO sauce and accompanied by asparagus and baby corn, the steamed silken tofu ($17) is topped with black vinegar, chilli and sesame seed dressing, or you can go all-out and opt for the twice-cooked crispy half chicken ($36). If you're with a group and you're looking to splurge, turn your attention towards the banquets which are available for $49, $59 and $69 per person depending on how extravagant a meal you're planning. The $59 option comes with all of your favourites including barbecue pork buns, xiao long bao, twice-cooked crispy chicken and pork san choi bao. And, as of Sunday, May 8 2022, yum cha is back on the menu. Exclusive to the Bondi outpost, China Diner's yum cha has made a return from 11am until 3pm every Sunday. Carts are roaming with a range of dumplings and buns (the prawn tom yum is definitely the way to go) with other China Diner favourites like 'chiko spring rolls' and chilli caramel pork belly on hand to ensure you have a memorable finish to your weekend. Updated Thursday, May 11 2022.
From towering silos to inner-city suburban landmarks, Melbourne-based street artist Rone has always been pretty creative about where he paints his large-scale murals. But for the last 12 months, he's been hiding away in the lush community of Sherbrooke, in the Dandenong Ranges, transforming the dilapidated art deco mansion Burnham Beeches into an artsy dreamland. Famous for his massive portraits that combine elements of beauty and ruin, alongside concepts of new and old, Empire is Rone's most ambitious project to date. It's set in the 'decaying glory' of the 1930s estate, which has periodically acted as a family home, research facility, children's hospital and luxury hotel. The mansion is now owned by the Vue Group but has been vacant for over 20 years. Empire spans 12 (previously empty) rooms over multiple storeys and centres around a series of the artist's signature 'Jane Doe' monochrome portraits — the muse for which is actress Lily Sullivan (Mental, Picnic at Hanging Rock). Apart from the murals, the art deco-era furnishings are courtesy of interior stylist Carly Spooner (Fitzroy's The Establishment Studios), who also worked on Rone's The Omega Project. The rooms have been furnished with over 500 antique pieces, including a moss-covered grand piano — which was left exposed in the open garden for several weeks to attain an aged effect. The four seasons play a major role in Empire, and this varying atmosphere was accomplished by a team of specialists — flairs of art, vision, sound, light, virtual reality, scent and botanical design will take visitors on an immersive multi-sensory experience. Expect a hauntingly beautiful vibe of an era-gone-by, as Rone seeks to create an ambiguous storyline that can be felt by each guest individually. Rone takes personal inspiration for the space from the Mark Romanek-directed music video for the Johnny Cash cover of Hurt (originally by Nine Inch Nails) — which should give a sense of what you're in for. Empire will run from Wednesday, March 6 to Monday, April 22 at Burnham Beeches. Tickets start at $15 and can be purchased here.
A quick scroll through Instagram is likely to uncover greenery decorating pretty much every home, with potted plants beloved for making apartments and courtyards feel leafy and peaceful, adding extra zen and helping to purify the air around you. Mona Vale's The Pot Warehouse is your one-stop shop on the northern beaches for adding some garden vibes to your home, offering every size imaginable when it comes to pots, indoor and outdoor plants and accessories. The shop is located in a very chic, dark grey warehouse on Harkeith Street, making it super easy to pick up a couple of new plant babies if you find yourself in the centre of town. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
Maybe Sammy is no stranger to winning an award. It was named in the top 50 bars in the world in 2019, 2020 and 2021 — and named the Best Bar in Australasia at The World's 50 Best Bars in all three years. Back in 2019, it was also named the Best International New Cocktail Bar at the 2019 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards in New Orleans. The Spirited Awards recognises the best cocktail bars from around the world since 2007, and this year Maybe Sammy has one-upped itself taking out two honours at the 2022 ceremony. Firstly, the bar's staff have been crowned Best International Bar Team, while co-founder Martin Hudak has also been awarded Best International Brand Ambassador. Maybe Sammy beat out the Best International Bar Team shortlist which included Columbia's Alquimico, Greece's The Clumsies and Spain's Two Schmucks to be named the cream of the crop in the areas of experience, professionalism, hospitality and consistency of service. While the entire team was recognised, Hudak was singled out and named Best International Brand Ambassador for his work with the beloved local coffee liqueur brand Mr Black. Maybe Sammy was the only Australian bar to be recognised at the ceremony. Elsewhere in the world, London featured heavily in the international categories, with Tayer + Elementary taking out the Best International Cocktail Bar, Sexy Fish being named Best International Restaurant Bar and the confusingly named A Bar with Shapes for a Name winning Best New International Cocktail Bar. Plus, Katana Kitten out of New York was named Best US Cocktail Bar, New Orlean's Jewel of the South took out Best US Restaurant Bar and fresh Albuquerque face Happy Accidents won Best New US Cocktail Bar. [caption id="attachment_794856" align="alignnone" width="1920"] DS Oficina[/caption] You can find the list of winners for the Tales of the Cocktail 2022 Spirited Awards at the award ceremony's website.
Vegans must have a tough time in pubs, with meat and cheese usually front and centre of most menus. The Green Lion — the new eatery above The Red Lion Hotel in Rozelle — however, is catering exclusively for vegans and recreating pub classics like burgers, hot dogs and nachos with meat- and dairy-free alternatives. If you're not vegan or a regular to the category, it can be hard to judge how good vegan pub food is. Visually though, the resemblance is uncanny. Here, soy-based products are turned into beef patties, mince, battered fish, pepperoni and even melting cheese — the success of which is variable. For instance, a Green Mack Burger with a beefless patty, 'cheese', pickles, and special Mack sauce ($18) definitely resembles a cheeseburger; the mind boggles at what has to be done to soy products to make them look, and taste (sort of) like meat. And while it's perhaps not the most delicious thing you'll ever eat, it's definitely not bad. But, for carnivores at least, the vegan substitutes don't live up to the rich, savoury, salty cheese and creamy mayo flavours the brain is expecting. The fish tacos ($16) are more successful — the fishy-tasting tofu is battered, fried and thrown into a tortilla, and benefits from a fresh tomato salsa. The Panko tofu chips with wasabi mayo ($11.50) are oil-heavy, not really crunchy and the mayo lacks any real wasabi heat. It's a shame the less processed options like a vegetable curry ($15.50) don't deliver in flavour or texture, but it's early days and we're hoping they're still tinkering with dishes in the kitchen; adding a bit more spice, sharpness and freshness could smarten things up. The tiny cups of chocolate coconut vegan ice cream ($4) are cute and tasty. The interiors are — to put it one way — eclectic. There's a fairly bare dining room that's generally busy with families, younger and older locals and other mix of other punters. It's pretty tattered, in a nearly charming pub-like way. There's a library-cum-bookshop, green carpet, dark brown upright dining chairs and a redeeming wrap-around balcony. Service is friendly and we give major props to the vegan drinks list, particularly the vegan wines. The soy-based meat substitutes at The Green Lion do an okay job of recreating the real thing, but if you're vegan, the experience of being in pub — and being able to order anything off the menu and drink anything behind the bar — is a fantastically rare experience. It's worth a visit for the vegan and the non-vegan, the curious and the ardent alike. Images: Steven Woodburn.
Next time you're out on the town on the weekend, when 1.30am rolls round and you're at a loss at where you can go (and get into), you'll have another option. Chippendale's Lansdowne Hotel has just had a new 5am lockout-free licence approved for Friday and Saturday night. The multi-room bar, live music venue and pizzeria was resurrected in 2017 by local hospo legends Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham (Mary's Newtown, Mary's Underground, The Unicorn Hotel), and now they're helping to pump a little fun back into the early hours of the weekend. It's not the only venue doing so either, with nearby favourite Freda's recently having its licence extended till 4am, too. Collectively, it's a big win for Sydney. With a reported 176 venues having closed since the lockout laws were introduced to curb alcohol fuelled-violence four years ago, this slight loosening of the State Government's vice-like grip on the industry can only mean good things. While Chippendale isn't in the lockout zone, its bars have still been impacted by the State Government's strict late-night and live music policies. [caption id="attachment_626498" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lansdowne Hotel by Bodhi Liggett[/caption] To celebrate its new licence, the Lansdowne is bringing one of LA's biggest parties to Australia for the first time. A Club Called Rhonda is an extravagant and inclusive party — described as a "pansexual paradise, a haven for all identities and inclinations" — known for its art, music and pumping dance floors, which has danced its way across LA, San Francisco, New York, Canada and Berlin. You can get a little feel for it by watching this short YouTube doco. Smyth and Graham have teamed up with Maurice Terzini (Icebergs, The Dolphin) and A Club Called Rhonda Founders Loren Granich and Gregory Alexander to throw Rhonda Intl 'A Night in LA' on Saturday, August 24. The two-storey party will run from 9pm all the way through till 5am (yes, a full eight hours), with guests told to expect an over-the-top night with local artists and to-be-announced international DJs — oh, and lots (and lots) of glitter, lasers and colour. As an added bonus, you'll be able start the party with cocktails from award-winning bartender Yael Vengroff. The 2018 American Bartender of the Year, who is currently the bar director at The Spare Room inside LA's Roosevelt Hotel, will be whipping up drinks from 9–10.30pm. Vengroff will also be making an appearance at the Rhonda Intl recovery session at The Dolphin on Sunday, August 25 from 7–9pm. Rhonda Intl 'A Night in LA' will run from 9pm–5am on Saturday, August 24 a The Lansdowne, with the venue open till 5am every Friday and Saturday thereafter. Tickets for the party are $40 and can be purchased via The Lansdowne website. Top images: A Club Called Rhonda
One of 2013's best album covers, Pennsylvanian Kurt Vile's LP Waking On a Pretty Daze featured a specially commissioned mural by Steve "ESPO" Powers in Philadelphia. Now the bright, purely inoffensive mural — which controversially features a rampaging dancing snowflake, threateningly adorable postbox and a terribly welcoming couch surround by a love heart and the words "There's a place for all my friends." — has been painted over by local man DJ Lee Mayjahs, according to Philadelphian radio station WXPN. Why? Apparently the mural was "attracting graffiti to the neighbourhood." WARNING: Vile fans, this photo hurts a little. Philadelphia journalist Leah Kaufmann spoke to Mayjahs, turns out he really didn't know what he was doing when he took to the mural with white paint. Mayjahs is apparently horrified by his actions and has offered every sincere apology. "I got home and started doing research on my computer. I can't believe what I had done ad I wrote a letter to Kurt Vile apologising," he said. "I wrote a letter to the artist Espo apologising, telling them that I would pay Espo to come down and repaint it. I also wrote a letter to the mural arts apologising. Apparently it wasn't official. Even though it wasn't official I'm sorry for everything I did. I would do whatever I could do to make it right. I really am sorry. I don't know what I was doing. I literally lost my mind and took it out which was the dumbest thing I've ever done in my entire life." "I live in that neighbourhood. I've lived there for 15 years. I'm always cleaning up the streets and alleyways. I don't know… for some reason I feel like ever since that piece has been there it's attracted more and more graffiti to that neighbourhood, he said. "Every time I paint over illegal graffiti I was blaming it on it (the mural) and I didn't realise the people in the neighbourhood love it, I've never really sat and looked at it. I never did any research on it and then I just snapped." "I didn't think anything through and acted false pretence. I didn't think about the consequences of my actions. I'm sorry about that, I love Philadelphia, I love my neighbourhood and I love the arts. I'm a big supporter of the arts and so for me to do something that offends all of these people is completely out of character for me. Anybody who knows me will tell you the exact same thing. I'm sorry about it." Vile's rep has confirmed to that ESPO will head back to the mural and repaint it. The building's owner and the attached restaurant are apparently fans, seeing no reason to fear a graffiti influx to their Philadelphian streets because of it. Check out the mini-doco about the creation of the mural and just stare forlornly at the Waking On a Pretty Daze album cover for consolation: https://youtube.com/watch?v=I4RlljcBKg0 Via Pitchfork, Metro and WXPN.
A piece of history is making history in Australia. Until October 2024, Melbourne Museum has a must-see sight on display for everyone interested in dinosaurs — so, everyone — courtesy of its Victoria the T. rex exhibition. The titular fossil isn't any old Tyrannosaurus rex, not that such a description ever fits the first kind of dino that always comes to mind when anyone thinks about dinos. This one happens to be one of the world's largest and most-complete T. rex skeletons, and also the biggest and most-complete specimen ever to display Down Under. Showing until Sunday, October 20, 2024, Victoria's fossil has made Aussie debut in the state with the absolute best name for the occasion. In the process, it also marks the first time that a real T. rex has ever been on display in Victoria. And it isn't small: found in South Dakota in 2013 but dating back 66 million years, Victoria is comprised of 199 bones, including a skull that weighs 139 kilograms. The fossil reaches 12 metres in length and 3.6 metres in height. And, because the skull is so heavy, it has to be displayed separately as it can't be mounted upon Victoria's body. The Victoria the T. rex exhibition also features interactive elements, such as multi-sensory installations that let you experience how the Tyrannosaurus rex saw and smelled, plus dioramas and a section where you can make your own customised 3D T. rex. Welcome to... the cretaceous period, then. The informative side of the showcase steps through recent palaeontological findings, so that you can get an idea of what Victoria's life was like all that time ago — and also find out what brought about her end. If that's not enough dino action to make you feel like David Attenborough — or his brother Richard in Jurassic Park and The Lost World — Victoria the T. rex is displaying alongside Triceratops: Fate of the Dinosaurs, which has been open at Melbourne Museum since 2022. The latter permanently features Horridus, the world's most complete Triceratops fossil, and entry to both exhibitions is included in one ticket. At IMAX Melbourne, 45-minute documentary T.REX 3D is also be showing, complete with footage of Horridus. "Victoria the T. rex is a monumental addition to our world-class exhibition lineup. Melbourne Museum is the home of dinosaurs in Australia, and currently the only place on earth where visitors can see two of the finest examples of a real T. rex and a real Triceratops under one roof." said CEO and Director of Museums Victoria Lynley Crosswell. As Museums Victoria Research Institute senior curator of vertebrate palaeontology Dr Thomas Rich explains, there's another highlight, too. "Not only can visitors to Melbourne Museum see one of the world's finest examples of a T. rex; they can also see a related and extremely rare fossil cared for in the State Collection: Timimus hermani, one of the state of Victoria's most unique dinosaurs and possibly a great-great-great grandfather of T. rex. This 105-million-year-old fossil is an example of the only undoubted tyrannosauroid from the southern hemisphere and is on public display in the exhibition 600 Million Years." Victoria the T. rex is on display from Friday, June 28–Sunday, October 20, 2024 at Melbourne Museum, 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton. Head to the museum's website for tickets and further information. Images: Eugene Hyland.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas across the country. After months spent empty, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, Australian picture palaces are back in business — spanning both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, comedies, music documentaries, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5kkZAKjkiw COLLECTIVE We can only hope that one day, likely in a far distant future, documentaries will stop doubling as horror films. That time hasn't arrived yet — and as Collective demonstrates, cinema's factual genre can chill viewers to the bone more effectively than most jump- and bump-based fare. Nominated for Best Documentary Feature and Best International Feature at the 2021 Academy Awards (only the second time that's ever happened, after last year's Honeyland), this gripping and gut-wrenching Romanian doco starts with a terrible tragedy. On October 30, 2015, a fire broke out at a metal gig in Bucharest, at a club called Colectiv. Twenty-seven people died in the blaze, and 180 people were injured as they tried to escape via the site's lone exit; however, that's just the beginning of the movie's tale. In the four months afterwards, as burn victims were treated in the country's public hospitals, 37 more passed away. When journalist Cătălin Tolontan and his team at The Sports Gazette started investigating the fire's aftermath and the mounting casualty list, they uncovered not only widespread failures throughout Romania's health system, but also engrained corruption as well. This truly is nightmare fuel; if people can't trust hospitals to act in their patients' best interest after such a sizeable disaster, one of the fundamental tenets of modern society completely collapses. Early in Collective, director, writer, cinematographer and editor Alexander Nanau (Toto and His Sisters) shows the flames, as seen from inside the club. When the blaze sparks from the show's pyrotechnics, hardcore band Goodbye to Gravity has just finished singing about corruption. "Fuck all your wicked corruption! It's been there since our inception but we couldn't see," the group's singer growls — and no, you can't make this up. It's a difficult moment to watch, but this is a film filled with unflinching sights, and with a viscerally unsettling story that demands attention. Nanau occasionally spends time with the bereaved and angry parents of victims of the fire, even bookending the documentary with one man's distress over the "communication error" that contributed to his son's death. The filmmaker charts a photo shoot with Tedy Ursuleanu, a survivor visibly scarred by her ordeal, too. And yet, taking an observational approach free from narration and interviews, and with only the scantest use of text on-screen, Collective's filmmaker lets much of what's said rustle up the majority of the movie's ghastliest inclusions. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zadWJ8tPmnU VOYAGERS He's an Australian treasure, he's one of Hollywood's recent villainous go-tos and he definitely isn't in Voyagers. That'd be Ben Mendelsohn, who comes to mind anyway while watching this sci-fi thriller. In a softer mode, the Rogue One and Ready Player One star could've played Colin Farrell's part here. That's not why Voyagers makes him pop into viewers' heads, though. Rather, it's because his brand of slippery menace still slinks through this space-set flick, all thanks to its most vivid performance. Should an upcoming movie ever need a fresher-faced version of Mendelsohn's latest bad guy or next morally complicated figure, Dunkirk, The Children Act and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch's Fionn Whitehead needs to be on speed dial. He channels Mendo perfectly as Zac, one of 30 test tube-bred teenagers who are rocketed into the heavens as humanity's last hope for survival. In the latter half of the 21st century, Earth is near-uninhabitable, so he's on an 86-year mission to a newly located planet. The young Humanitas crew's main purpose is to beget the next generations who'll colonise their new home — but, after learning that he's being drugged into obedience, Zac decides not to play nice. Ten years in, when the quieter Christopher (Tye Sheridan, X-Men: Dark Phoenix) realises that the drink they all call 'blue' contains an unidentified compound, the decision is easy. First Christopher, then Zac, then the rest of their shipmates all stop sipping it and start letting their hormones pump unfettered for the first time in their intricately designed and highly controlled lives. Richard (Farrell, The Gentlemen), the lone adult and the closest thing any of the crew have ever had to a father, is suddenly treated with suspicion. Christopher and Zac begin testing boundaries, indulging desires and flouting rules, too — and realising that they're both attracted to dutiful Chief Medical Officer Sela (Lily-Rose Depp, Crisis). Then an accident changes the dynamic, with the two pals challenging each other while fighting to lead. Factions are formed, chaos ensues and the very folks entrusted with saving the species are now simply trying to outlast each other. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE5-hkHIZF4 WILLY'S WONDERLAND If you've ever wondered how Nicolas Cage might've fared during cinema's silent era, Willy's Wonderland has the answer. A horror film about killer animatronic restaurant mascots, it's firmly a 2021 feature. It wasn't made a century ago, before synchronised sound forever changed the movie business, so it's definitely a talkie as well. Cage doesn't do any chattering, however. He groans and growls, and often, but doesn't utter a single word. The actor's many devotees already know that he's a talent with presence; whether he's cavorting in the streets under the delusion that he's a bloodsucker in Vampire's Kiss, grinning with his locks flowing in the wind in Con Air, dousing himself with vodka and grunting in Mandy or staring at a vibrant light in Color Out of Space, he repeatedly makes an imprint without dialogue. So, the inimitable star needn't speak to command attention — which is exactly the notion that Willy's Wonderland filmmaker Kevin Lewis (The Third Nail) put to the test. First, the great and obvious news: Cage doesn't seem to put in much effort, but he's a joy to watch. Playing a man simply known as The Janitor, he glowers like he couldn't care less that furry robots are trying to kill him. He swaggers around while cleaning the titular long-abandoned Chuck E Cheese-esque establishment, dances while hitting the pinball machine on his breaks, swigs soft drink as if it's the only beverage in the world and proves mighty handy with a mop handle when it comes to dispensing with his supernaturally demonic foes. Somehow, though, he's never as OTT as he could be. Cage plays a character who doesn't deem it necessary to convey his emotions, and that results in more restraint on his part than the film demonstrates with its undeniably silly premise. Accordingly, cue the bad news: as entertaining as Cage's wordless performance is — even without completely going for broke as only he can — Willy's Wonderland is often a ridiculous yet routine slog. Read our full review. Willy's Wonderland opens in Sydney and Brisbane on April 8, and hits home entertainment on April 21. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZmgl4TkFBc ANTOINETTE IN THE CÉVENNES In some other parts of the world, Antoinette in the Cévennes is known as My Donkey, My Lover & I. Both titles summarise the French comedy in a literal sense, but only one taps into the unexpected survivalist thread weaved through its woman-and-animal antics. Parisian primary school teacher Antoinette (Laure Calamy, Only the Animals) does indeed travel to the Cévennes, the mountain range in France's south. The lovestruck fortysomething makes the trip to follow her married lover Vladimir (C'est la vie!), who has cancelled their plans for the school holidays to hike with his wife Eléonore (Olivia Côte, No Filter) and daughter Alice (first-timer Louise Vidal), the latter of which is one of Antoinette's students. And, setting off on a six-day trek, she walks with a donkey, just like Treasure Island and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde author Robert Louis Stevenson did in the 1870s — as he chronicled in his book Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes. Chaos and convenient plotting ensues, with the film's eponymous figure unprepared for her journey, inexperienced at both hiking and walking with a donkey, quickly becoming the talk of the trail and greeted with awkward horror by Vladimir when they eventually cross paths. But as a tale of a woman finding herself — and finding out how to truly survive and thrive in her own skin — Antoinette in the Cévennes is both thoughtful and charming. Luminous star Calamy is so essential to Antoinette in the Cévennes, it's hard to see the feature working without her. She plays her titular part with the commitment rather than recklessness or naive confidence; Antoinette knows that her decisions are guided by her heart rather than by any amount of consideration, but she's determined to see them through. In the movie's opening sequence, when Antoinette dons a sparkly dress and overshadows her class during a performance, Calamy conveys both yearning and spirit. In the many moments that her character finds herself alone on the trail unburdening her romantic woes to Patrick, the stubborn donkey who becomes her unlikely confidante and much-needed animal companion, she's unguarded and without a drop of self-consciousness. Just as crucially, writer/director Caroline Vignal (Girlfriends) has penned a character who smacks of typical rom-com traits at first glance, yet continually proves anything but. Her script gives its central figure time and space not just to grow, but to realise who she really is. That time can pass more patiently than the film's 97-minute running time should, and that gorgeously lensed space — by Knife + Heart cinematographer Simon Beaufils — is as much the star of Antoinette in the Cévennes as Calamy and her four-legged co-star; however, the end result is never anything less than a winsome and perceptive jaunt. Antoinette in the Cévennes opens in Sydney and Melbourne on April 8, and in Brisbane on April 15. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6vOhD_fI2I&feature=emb_logo ASCENDANT More than halfway into Australian sci-fi thriller Ascendant, Aria Wolf (Charlotte Best, Tidelands) finds herself facing one of the modern world's worst nightmares: a dying phone battery. She's trapped in a 120-storey Shanghai building, and in an elevator that plunges downward and jerks back up seemingly at random. She awoke bound, gagged and blindfolded, and with no recollection of how she came to be in such a predicament. She's at the mercy of sinister Russians (led by The Mule's Alex Menglet), who are holding her father (Jonny Pasvolsky, The Front Runner) hostage and live-streaming his torture into her suspended cage. But if her phone was to stop working, it'd be the movie's most monumental development. She'd no longer be drip-fed Ascendant's exposition, and first-time feature writer/director Antaine Furlong (co-scripting with fellow debutant Kieron Holland) would also lose his main way to relay those details to his audience. The low battery hardly comes as a surprise, given that Aria has spent the bulk of the film to that point using the device. Because logic is absent here, Aria's mobile keeps working long after she starts stressing about its demise, too. But the importance placed on her phone — both in relaying much of the feature's story, Buried- and Locke-style, and in providing an easy source of drama — speaks volumes about this muddled struggle of a film. The Russians want information, but Aria doesn't know what they're talking about. Enter flashes of memories from her childhood, which help fill in the gaps. Throw in flimsy supernatural elements as well, and that's the crux of Furlong and Holland's screenplay, which primarily feels like a series of one-upping "what if?" questions — "what if she isn't merely stuck, but she's being tormented?", "what if one wall of the elevator is a big TV screen?", "what if her name makes everyone think of Game of Thrones?", "what if it's all taking place in China?", "what if the CIA is involved?" and "what if there's an ecological aspect?", for instance. Living up to her surname as the feature's standout actor, Best turns in a convincing and layered performance as the perplexed Aria. Stunt double Marlee Barber (The Invisible Man) deserves ample credit given the amount of time that the film's protagonist spends being thrown around, and production designer Fiona Donovan (Back to the Rafters) makes the movie's eerie setting look both unsettling and striking. Their efforts can't lift a picture that's big on ideas but light on cohesion, though. Furlong has a keen eye and doesn't lack in ambition — but Ascendant sinks rather than rises. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on January 1, January 7, January 14, January 21 and January 28; February 4, February 11, February 18 and February 25; and March 4, March 11, March 18 and March 25; and April 1. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman, The Dry, Promising Young Woman, Summerland, Ammonite, The Dig, The White Tiger, Only the Animals, Malcolm & Marie, News of the World, High Ground, Earwig and the Witch, The Nest, Assassins, Synchronic, Another Round, Minari, Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra, The Truffle Hunters, The Little Things, Chaos Walking, Raya and the Last Dragon, Max Richter's Sleep, Judas and the Black Messiah, Girls Can't Surf, French Exit, Saint Maud, Godzilla vs Kong, The Painter and the Thief, Nobody and The Father.
Located in Sydney's inner west, the Polish Club has been a cornerstone of the community since it first opened in 1967. Born out of the arrival of former Polish World War II soldiers in Australia, the venue served as a meeting place for migrants and provided a reminder of home. The club was founded by 208 members and, nearly six decades later, remains a thriving hospitality venue. The Polish Club has recently undergone a major redevelopment. With upgraded venues, al fresco dining, and even a grand ballroom for hosting events, the vibrant destination is not just for the proud Polish community but welcomes guests from all walks of life. Here's what you can expect from the upgraded venue that's offering a taste of Europe in the heart of Ashfield. European cuisine The Polish Club prides itself on serving simple, delicious Polish and European cuisine. Its restaurant, Sto Lat, serves comforting Polish classics including pierogi, gołąbki (stuffed pork cabbage rolls), potato pancakes, as well as the Polish Club's famous golonki (pork knuckle). The restaurant's menu has also struck a chord beyond Ashfield. In 2025, Sto Lat won the Your Local Club 2025 Perfect Plate Award for their pork schnitzel, which was judged the best in New South Wales for small clubs. Polish deli selections Beyond the recently upgraded Sto Lat, the venue offers a relaxed bar and lounge, perfect for trying some Polish vodka, European beers or a glass of wine. Polka Cafe and Deli is your destination for authentic Polish treats and ingredients, offering a taste of Europe. Select from a carefully curated selection of deli products and browse the imported food and drink. Summer events Alongside the Polish Club's dining options, the grand ballroom hosts weddings, salsa and Ceroc dancing, club nights, annual Christmas and Mother's Day markets, and even wrestling events coming this January. Yes, wrestling. Looking ahead, the calendar is packed with events in the coming months. The Polish Club will celebrate Wigilia (the traditional Polish Christmas Eve dinner), New Year's Eve celebrations, and from December to February, the Passport to European Summer campaign. The weekly dining series sees Sto Lat spotlight a different European cuisine with exclusive menus inspired by regional flavours. Diners can stamp their "passport" as they eat their way through Europe and go into the draw to win a $2000 Flight Centre Voucher, in partnership with Flight Centre Birkenhead Point. So, if a European summer is on your 2026 vision board, be sure to book in a meal (or three) in the coming months. The Polish Club Ashfield is a cultural cornerstone. Whether you're dropping in for some pierogi and vodka, shopping the deli, or enjoying the relaxed lounge bar, The Polish Club invites everyone in for a warm, generous slice of Europe with a touch of old-world hospitality and charm, right in the heart of Sydney's inner west. Book a table at Sto Lat restaurant. Image credit: Supplied
Talk about a big hook: while shark movies and serial-killer films comprise their own unnerving genres, each swimming with ample must-see viewing, Dangerous Animals combines the pair into an entertaining thriller mashup. The Gold Coast-made and -set picture boasts marine predators aplenty. The real monster in the hierarchy, however, lives on land and is very much human. Indeed, in a post-Jaws world — June 2025 marks five decades since Steven Spielberg's blockbuster sparked many a permanent case of galeophobia — one of The Loved Ones and The Devil's Candy filmmaker Sean Byrne's aims with his third feature, and first in ten years, is to do justice to rather than villainise the feared toothy fish. His new antagonist: Tucker, Dangerous Animals' shark-obsessed murderer. The victim of an attack in his younger days, he's now in the cage-diving business. As viewers learn early on, tourists frequenting his boat to swim with the ocean's creatures get more than they bargained for. From Jai Courtney (American Primeval) in the part, the movie receives exactly what it needs, though: an unforgettably terrifying performance, bringing to life a figure that's charismatic from the outset, while equally unsettling from the get-go as well. Tucker charms his customers, but there's aways an edge to him. He's menacing and obsessive, and also believable and fleshed out — and a little vulnerable, too. When Dangerous Animals introduces American-in-Australia Zephyr (Hassie Harrison, Yellowstone), everyone watching knows that the dedicated surfer is bound to paddle into Tucker's orbit, even as the solo traveller is making a rare connection with local real-estate agent Moses (Josh Heuston, Heartbreak High). The screenplay by first-timer Nick Lepard obliges — but this isn't the type of film where foreseeing such a turn of events kills the tension and suspense. Although Tucker abducts Zephyr to indulge his sadistic shark-feeding ritual, she knows the true threat and isn't afraid to sink her own teeth into fighting back. An engaging big-screen experience results, as does a movie that earned a rare endorsement on its way to cinemas Down Under. At 2025's Cannes Film Festival, Dangerous Animals became the first shark film to ever grace the event's program. "To be the first shark film to be officially selected for Cannes was kind of mindblowing," Byrne tells Concrete Playground. "And to be in Directors' Fortnight as well, which traditionally is a very film-literate sidebar — but it was a great vote of confidence that, I think, the selection committee saw this as a subversion of the traditional shark film." [caption id="attachment_1009141" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Belinda Rolland © 2025.[/caption] "What I loved the most was, the Cannes experience, that was the first time that an audience had seen the finished film," Byrne continues. "So I was terrified. And because it is a very film-literate audience over there, I was thinking 'how are they going to perceive this?'. But they absolutely understood that this is just a fun, unhinged night at the movies, and really responded to that, and laughed and gasped. And we got a ten-minute standing ovation. So, yeah, it was incredibly gratifying. But to begin with I was petrified, because it was the first time that an audience had seen the finished film and on quite a big stage, so the stakes felt high." Playing Tucker, the stakes are raised for Courtney, too. It's a complex role — and one that Byrne has likened to Kathy Bates in Misery, Jack Nicholson in The Shining and Christian Bale in American Psycho. The Australian actor, making his second homegrown flick in succession after the immensely different, family-friendly Runt, hasn't shied away from playing the bad guy across his career so far. Here, the IRL true-crime fan was excited about the many layers to his Dangerous Animals part, as he adds to an on-screen resume that began two decades back in short Boys Grammar — and has spanned the likes of Jack Reacher, A Good Day to Die Hard, Terminator Genisys, the Divergent movies and two Suicide Squad entries in Hollywood. Is a willingness to get dark behind the range of antagonistic parts to Courtney's name? "I think it's just something that's started to happen. You find things that are in your wheelhouse," he advises. "And I'm not afraid of that or necessarily in search of it, either. It's just that, I guess, things that tend to be the stuff that come my way, that meet up with where my interests are, happen to be that way. But the goal for me is just to try and shake it up whenever I can. And fortunately films like Runt come along and I get to play a loving father of two, and completely depart from this world whatsoever. As long as I pepper a few of those in here and there, hopefully I'm not pigeonholed too heavily." A premise like Dangerous Animals' is a rarity, no matter how common both shark and serial-killer fare are separately. Yes, for both Byrne and Courtney, that's a drawcard. Respecting the film's sea-dwelling creatures, complete with using real animal footage as much as possible, was another key element for its director. So was the fact that this is as much a movie about the importance of love, and the power that someone believing in you can give. For its star, Tucker's dance sequence to Steve Wright's 'Evie' wasn't a motivating factor — but it's one of the film's most-memorable moments in a flick filled with them. We also chatted with Byrne and Courtney about the above, unpacking Australian larrikins and ideas around Aussie masculinity, how starring in a shark picture leaves you feeling about them and their career journeys as well, among other subjects. On the First Reaction When a Horror Movie About a Shark-Obsessed Serial Killer Stalking the Gold Coast — and About Man Being the Real Monster, Too — Comes Your Way Jai: "I think I read something that felt really original. It was a great story and had really strong characters at the centre of it, which is a sort of immediate way in — because I think with something like this, you get a loose logline before you're about to crack it open and it's like 'okay, it could go either way'. But Nick Lepard, who wrote our script, had really done a lot of work in giving these characters maybe a bit more depth than you'd come to expect from a film of this nature. And I think that's what made it a bit of a unique experience, and certainly made it appealing to me to want to get involved with. I think Tucker, he's so much more than the shark-obsessed serial killer. And we don't get to explore tons of his backstory, but there is a lot of colour to him, and I think seeing a chance to bring all that to life with this undertone of his morally ambiguous intentions was what really attracted me to it. And then, just speaking to Sean and kind of getting on common ground as far as what we thought was necessary for him. I didn't want this character to feel like a broad-strokes-washed-over-evil-intentions guy. If that was the movie he was trying to make, I don't think I would have been there. But I think we both wanted him to feel like there was a sort of deception there. And it had to feel fun. I wanted it to feel familiar and uniquely Australian, but also the genre speaks to the world, and we play into all the classic tropes that you might expect. It also does a good job of not taking yourself too seriously. There's a few winks to the audience in this film, where I think if you get onboard — it's why it's so important to see it with an audience, too, I really believe, because there's an energy to it that when you're sharing the space with others who are on the same ride, it becomes really palpable." Sean: "I tend to write my own scripts, much to the frustration of my agent and manager. And then this crossed my desk, and immediately I was just struck by the high-concept of serial killer film meets shark film. And I thought 'why hasn't anyone done this?', especially when you had the fact that this is the first shark film where the sharks aren't really the antagonist — man is. So I felt like Nick Lepard had actually kind of cracked the code. Because, Jaws masterpiece though it is, has done such a disservice to the sharks, where the same formula has been followed over and over again to the point that sharks are beginning to become an endangered species — because it was so culturally seismic. And so to get this shark film that was unlike any other shark film, but also had a conservation angle — but on top of that, was just a wild, fun night at the movies — it was just irresistible.' On Exploring Tucker's Layers — Including His Childhood Shark Attack and the Physical Scars It Left, Plus the Trauma, Vulnerability and Emotional Damage — All While He Remains a Shark-Obsessed Serial Killer Jai: "You just have to find the quiet moments and allow them to be there without trying to sell it too hard. The camera is an interesting thing, because it sees things that are saved for the audience for later. It's not like on set — you can't kind of like sell it all for the people that are in the room. And I think Tucker, there's an opportunity with him sometimes — where even just his response to certain comments made by Zephyr, or questions he's asked by Heather [Ella Newton, Girl at the Window] in the start of the film, there's things that can be quite potent. I just wanted to find opportunities with him to reveal a bit of his tenderness. And I think that's the thing that, for me, was like the gateway into figuring out who he was — is like this wound. We don't get to hear a lot about it in the film. There's one moment that sort of touches on it. But there's a bit of arrested development. He's stuck in a place where he was abandoned as a kid, and this somewhat otherworldly encounter touched him, and that's by way of being victim of an attack. But it almost made him feel chosen in a way. And so a lot of that is really just figuring out the path for yourself, where you're going 'alright, here's this bloke who's got this gaping wound in him, this trauma, but feels this immense connection to the animal'. All of that is just sort of say that he's found a crusade for himself that feels real. And it might be misguided, but he has a true belief in it. And so there you have the building blocks of who he might be, and then the fun part is stacking on the colourful bits on top. Even just costume and makeup and finding his look, finding the shape of his body — I mean, that for me, it's all part of building who Tucker is, and I wanted him to feel like a real salty, kind of born-out-of-the-marina, familiar Australian figure." On Courtney's Chance to Turn in a Horror Performance That Aims to Be as Memorable as Kathy Bates in Misery and Jack Nicholson in The Shining Jai: "Oh no, I didn't really approach it with any of that in mind. I just approached it with a goal to just do something that was dynamic and big, and get to explore all the corners of this human, really. And I think Sean and I were onboard with each other, and there was an immediate trust. And I think he let me — I was kind of like 'you help me with the temperature, and the volume of where we're pulling moments up and down and in and out, and I'll take care of sending it as hard as I think it needs to'. I mean, the material is there. But that stuff is a blueprint, it's not prescriptive. Every actor is going to come and do that with their own instincts. I saw a version of it in my head when I first read it, and I felt like that was the version that would work for the film. And fortunately I was given the chance to do it, and I'm proud with what we came up with." Sean: "I think any kind of horror film that stands the test of time, the antagonist haunts the audience's nightmares well after they've left the cinema. But I wanted it to be a great time as well. You think of Hannibal Lecter, and as disturbing as he is, he's fun. And Kathy Bates in particular, that character is just so wonderfully goofy, and she doesn't swear. And there's a certain theatricality to antagonists in commercial horror films, and we really wanted to aim for that and keep it fun. But also, the great thing about Jai is he's such a great character actor. I knew he would bring emotional nuance to the character where it was required — and capture the broken child inside the man, and point to this shark attack that he'd had as a child and capture all that. But also, he was also Captain Boomerang. He's got this wild charisma that reminded me of kind of Eric Bana in Chopper. And that's how the spider catches the fly, with charisma and letting tourists, they let their guard down. And finally, he's physically really intimidating and genuine — he could kill you with one punch. So I just thought combining the charisma with the kind of character actor that he is and the physical intimidation would be a really electric mix, to the point that I thought that this was the role that he was born to play. And so I was so thankful that we got him." On What Goes Into a Good Dance Sequence for Courtney, Given That He's in Quite the Unforgettable One in Dangerous Animals Jai: "God, I couldn't even tell you. I was daunted by that whole thing, because I'm by no means a dancer and it should never be filmed when I'm dancing. But we knew what it wanted to feel like. It's completely unchoreographed and just improvised. Tucker's kind of having this wrap party for his own little film that he's made, and it's a private look at this person in a light that we don't really get to spend a lot of time with them outside of that moment in the film. That needle drop of 'Evie' was written into the script. I know that song very well. I could already see it and hear and feel it. And I didn't plan any of it. I just had to go in, get in that mindset that he's in that night and just go for it. I think we did it in two takes. We did one, and we just ran it again from a different angle, and it was just me and Shelly [Farthing-Dawe, In Vitro], our cinematographer, with a handheld camera in the space. It was kind of like 'what we get is what we get'. And fortunately it turned out to be something really fun." On Unpacking Australian Larrikins and Ideas Around Aussie Masculinity Through Tucker Sean: "I think we've all had that kind of tour-guide experience. It doesn't necessarily need to be a shark-diving boat, but we're always in the hands of the tour guide. So yeah, there was that, but also he's almost an outdated representation of the kind of masculinity or toxic masculinity that I think the film works as a Trojan horse to say that this is something that needs to be kind of defeated. And Moses, in many ways, is the anti-Tucker. But I think it's inherent in the title. It's called Dangerous Animals. He is definitely more dangerous than what's in the water. But ultimately, I think Zephyr is the most-dangerous animal — and the allegory is she needs to defeat this. This is something that needs to be defeated. His philosophy needs to be destroyed." On Whether Being a True-Crime Fan Helps When You're Portraying a Serial Killer Jai: "I think so. I think I leant on my curiosity for people that are capable of things that we can't quite understand. And yeah, I do just have a fascination with it. It's one of those things where I think it's easy to judge that and feel like for some reason you're excusing these behaviours, or we're glorifying it or whatever — but I don't know, I've just always been fascinated by how close we might get to people that are capable of these crazy things without even knowing it. And that's interesting to me. You know, you don't really know who you're sitting next to on the bus or in a pub or whatever, and for some reason that doesn't terrify me — it intrigues me. There's not a story you could tell me that's too dark. I'm kind of here for it in a strange way. So yeah, I guess it led me in a little bit. But even with Tucker, the experience of shooting it, there were moments that hit a limit. There's a night we had where Ella Newton, who plays Heather, is strung up in the harness over the open water in the middle of the night, screaming for her life — and everyone was squirming, honestly, after a few minutes. We were all kind of, the whole crew, myself included, we're just like 'can we make this stop? This is too much'. And it's a testament to her performance and what she was giving it. But yeah, when your disbelief is suspended somewhat, even as a performer, you know you're stepping into wild territory." On the Importance of This Being Not Just a Killer Shark Flick and a Serial-Killer Movie, But Also a Survivalist Thriller, Plus a Film About Love and Finding Someone Who Helps You Believe in Yourself Sean: "Oh absolutely. I'm so glad you said that, because I think that's almost a central theme — that it's about love, or the difference that love can make in a life, and what an absence of love can do to a person as well. And I think it's this collision course between these two broken people that have had to learn to survive on their own, which actually sharks do. They're birthed in the shallows, and then they're left on their own to survive. So in many ways, Zephyr and Tucker know each other better than anyone else on the planet does — in a similar way to De Niro and Pacino doing Heat. Even though they're opposites and they're trying to kill each other, it's like, well, they actually understand each other as well. I think ultimately, Zephyr uses the ocean to ease her loneliness, and she uses it in a way that's about solace — whereas Tucker takes advantage of the ocean, ultimately, and it comes back to bite him." On How Making a Film About Sharks — Even When They're Not the Villain of the Movie — Leaves You Feeling About Them Afterwards Jai: "Sharks are scary. Let's get one thing straight, right: I don't think anyone's not scared of sharks. Maybe there are people out there that have a completely different affinity with them, but I don't need to come closer than anyone should. I would love to cage dive with whites. I've been in a tank, in a cage with some sharks, but they weren't exactly maneaters, so, you know, I wasn't in fear of my life. But there's something so incredible and mythical about giant beasts that could consume humans, that I think it's rare — that's sort of a rare quality on this earth. You think of big cats and maybe bears, and other than that, there's things that will kind of poison you. But sharks are a very unique threat, and they live in a world that we really can't get too close to or understand. So I think there's always going to be this quality to that that keeps people in fear. But they're beautiful. And nature is beautiful. And it's just the nature things. There's a line in the movie about it not being the shark's fault, Tucker references his own, being the victim of his own attack, and yeah, that is the case — it isn't." On How Crucial It Was to Use Real Shark Footage, Including to Dispel the Notion That They're Villainous Creatures Sean: "I feel like shark films recently have become so reliant on CGI, just because you can have lots of them in the shot. And they tend to be super sleek and more like a video game. But since Jaws, there's been so much overfishing of sharks. And they carry scars the same way that we do. And so I wanted to present them in a kind of documentary, real light — because our scars as humans are a big part of our personality. So I wanted to depict that with the sharks and show them as the majestic creatures that they truly are. And the only way to do that is treat them with the respect and show them for real. So 80 percent of the sharks that you see are real. Everything underwater is real. It's all taken from 4K footage that our shark researcher sourced to match storyboards and photographic references. The only CG is the fins above the water, because it's pretty much impossible to cover the intricate shark blocking with real shark fins. And all the shark photography really happens underwater because no one ever captures fins. So that was a necessity. But yeah, it just felt like I hadn't seen that in a shark film for such a long time, just real sharks in their element and appreciating them in all their beauty." [caption id="attachment_804997" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Suicide Squad[/caption] On How Courtney's Franchise Experience in Everything From Die Hard and Terminator Flicks to the Divergent Series, Jack Reacher and Suicide Squad Helps on a Film Like Dangerous Animals Jai: "Filmmaking is weirdly all the same. Your experience of it might change because the budget is different, but that's really not — you're just telling different stories. It doesn't really get better or worse. Maybe some people wouldn't like to work on a film of this size and give up a few basic luxuries, but that doesn't really — having more money to spend on screen doesn't make something more fulfilling to make. Sometimes it's just the bare-bones stuff where the story is as good as it gets and the character's really well rounded out and you're working with a phenomenal director, and it can be a really contained drama, but it's just as alive to shoot because of what we do as storytellers, as people that play dress ups. And it's all make believe. It's nice to put a big costume on sometimes and jump around on huge stunt rigs, and get to be involved with epic crash sequences or whatever. It's a lot of fun. But I enjoy the intimate, small stuff just as much. I guess I'm fortunate to be able to shake it up and operate in many different spaces." On What It Means to Courtney to Be Able to Come Home and Make Films That Are as Diverse as Runt and Dangerous Animals Jai: "It's everything. I hope that never ever ends. Australia's such a great place to work. I love the crews there. I've been fortunate to be part of some really special films — and I don't think it'll ever change. As long as we keep telling stories, I'll keep wanting to be involved." On Byrne's Journey From The Loved Ones Through The Devil's Candy to Dangerous Animals Sean: "I think it's probably a perception out there that if you do something that a lot of people end up seeing and gets some kind of cult status, that there's going to be money on tap. And the unfortunate reality is if you write original films about humans hunting other humans, they're not that easy to get off the ground. That's why there's more supernatural films than there are serial-killer films, because it's easier to blame the devil. In fact, I kind of had to do that in The Devil's Candy to get the money. So I've written constantly in the years between The Loved Ones and The Devil's Candy, and The Devil's Candy and Dangerous Animals, and optioned all of my scripts. But then Hollywood is so risk-averse, that that's why they want something that can mitigate the risk and justify their decision. Hence it's got to be either IP-driven or a sequel, or kind of supernatural — and that's why I was so thrilled when this crossed my desk. I had another film that was a lower budget that actually got the money at the same time as Dangerous Animals. So after all that time, it was like an embarrassment of riches. But Dangerous Animals felt the most-commercial choice, just because it's a shark film that has a very loyal following, plus it's a serial- killer film. And I was really happy to have that safety net that I could explore the extreme nature of man, but have the loyal shark fans to hold it up." On How Courtney Sees His Path From His First Screen Acting Role Two Decades Back, Through Huge Hollywood Franchises, Comedies, Local Fare and Much In-Between Jai: "I don't know. I'm still figuring it out, I think. Just trying to stay engaged with the material that I'm choosing nowadays. I'm a big believer in it all being part of the story, and there's some elements of that that you can control and a lot you have none over. So, I don't know, man. It gets tough out there. I'm just really grateful to get to do this for a living. There's nothing else I would be doing or ever will. [caption id="attachment_884171" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kaleidoscope. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022.[/caption] And I really am in touch with that gratitude when I'm working. It's a real pleasure to get to do this. So I'm just trucking along, trying to keep growing as an artist — and try to hopefully do stuff that I'm thrilled to roll out of bed and get to involve myself in." Dangerous Animals opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, June 12, 2025.
Bondi Hardware is ushering in the winter solstice with a new menu that feels like a (very fashionable) cosy woollen scarf to pull around you on a chilly Saturday night. Nana's honey lemon tea moonlights in cool cocktail form as The Flower Doctor ($17), made naughty with Tanqueray and elderflower liqueur and lifted with a hint of orange blossom water. To really warm the cockles, opt for a hot Batlow cider, mulled with cinnamon twills and melted butter (yes, really) and served over warm orange pieces. Winter continues on the plate, with a menu designed to encourage huddling and cuddling over delicious shared dishes. Roasted garlic, chilli and pomegranate bring warmth to a delicate albacore tuna ceviche ($19), while a buttery braised beef cheek, served on a bed of horseradish mascarpone, pulls apart at the softest touch of the fork ($20). The salads are rustic and the dips are creamy and rich, with whole baby beetroots, pickled mushrooms and charred bread making welcome appearances. The Notorious P.I.G. leaves no doubt as to who is King Pig; succulent pork belly pieces are topped with a sticky candied apple glaze ($20). Fun, casual elegance abounds in this winter wonderland. Warm candlelight dances against recycled timber panels and exposed brickwork, and catches on the wall-mounted tools that hark back to the venue's history as a hardware store. Winter orchids in rich, dark colours fill mismatched bottles and jars, and alternate with wax-laden DIY candelabra on the tables. On the wine front, a range of appealing by-the-glass options makes decision-making pleasantly difficult. The beers are boutiquey and international, and include the Vale IPA ($9): an American-style Indian pale ale that combines hops from three different countries. The bustle by the bar is friendly and interested, with a communal atmosphere that merges conversations and guarantees new friends. On the wall, a mural-enshrined handyman encourages Bondi's Twitterati to live in the moment. "The only thing that tweets here," he instructs, "are the birds."
Musical theatre fans just keep getting more reasons to celebrate Jonathan Larson. In the past few years, none other than Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda took one of the composer, lyricist and playwright's works and turned it into a movie. After tick, tick…BOOM! hit screens, a stage production toured Australia as well. Next, Aussie audiences can catch the show that made him an icon: Rent. In 2024, it too will do the rounds Down Under, including a New South Wales stop in Newcastle. Larson created and composed the smash-hit production. Also, his Rent journey comes with quite the heartbreaking behind-the-scenes story. In the 90s, Larson passed away at the age of 35 on the day that that now-huge show premiered its first off-Broadway preview performance. So, he didn't get to see the Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning phenomenon that it would become. Plenty of other people have — when it first hit Broadway, Rent ran for 12 years, making it one of the famed theatre district's longest-running shows. And among those prizes is the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer for Drama, all for a tale about seizing the moment, facing adversity and finding one's community. [caption id="attachment_918480" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Team Dustizeff via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Loosely based on Puccini's La Boheme, and written to include real-life locations and events, the rock musical will bring tunes including 'Seasons of Love', 'Take Me or Leave Me' and 'La Vie Bohème' to Newcastle's Civic Theatre from Friday, March 15–Sunday, March 17. If you need a refresher on the story — or you're coming to Rent for the first time, having missed past performances and the 2005 film version — then prepare to step back to New York in 1991. Over the course of the year, as their neighbourhood is being gentrified and HIV/AIDS casts a shadow, a group of friends chase their dreams and strive for their place in the world. Top image: Wendell Teodoro.
Hotel Ravesis, the legendary Bondi establishment where locals and tourists alike have had many a memorable night out, enters a new chapter with the opening of Spanish restaurant Alzado on the first floor. With Bondi Beach as a backdrop and lively energy from its customers seeking good times, Ravesis is a prime location for Alzado's vibrant, easy-going holiday vibes. The new Spanish coastal diner arrives by way of collaboration between Ravesis owner Aya Larkin, executive consultant chef Pablo Tordesillas, and head chef MJ Olguera. Larkin says, "There's always been a rhythm between the beach, the Bondi village, and its end-of-day sunset dining culture. We wanted Alzado to capture that — creating a space where people can wander up straight from the sand and find themselves staying all afternoon. It's elevated, yes, but not formal — it's about a shared table full of great food and ice-cold drinks, and those moments where lunch effortlessly rolls into the evening. We're excited about this new chapter for Hotel Ravesis and to give this magnificent dining space its time in the sun once again." Spanish-born Todesillas (ex Merivale executive chef) and Olguera's menu is designed for long, boozy lunches, apertivo afternoons, and bustling dinners that stretch long into the evening. There are plenty of easy-eating snacky options that pair perfectly with a glass of featured dry sherry or vermouth on ice. Spain's deceptively simple favourite pan con tomate is served with a tin of anchovies or Jamón Ibérico. There's whitebait with aioli, patatas bravas with salsa brava, and grilled sardines with saffron. The sun-soaked wrap-around balcony is primed for another round of oyster martinis — made with oyster shell-infused vodka, and served with a Sydney Rock oyster — with a selection of small plates such as preserved tuna with the pickled goodness of onions, chilis and olives, and potato crisps piled high and layered with Jamón Ibérico and pickled peppers. For mains, opt for seafood rice, lamb belly ribs, fresh grilled market fish, or a hefty one-kilogram ribeye. Todesillas says, "Alzado is about distilling the essence of coastal regional Spain into a Bondi setting. When you eat in Spain, the best meals are often the simplest — a piece of fish grilled on the plancha, a plate of peppers with nothing more than olive oil and sea salt, a glass of something cold alongside. That approach — letting produce speak, cooking with heart, and keeping flavours true — is what we've brought to Alzado. It's food designed to be shared, to linger over, and to always feel generous." Images: Parker Blain.
Earlier this year, the Gold Coast skyline was set to become home to its own Trump Tower, with the proposed $1.5-billion project slated as Australia's tallest building. But according to reports out today, the deal has collapsed just three months after it was struck. With an agreement reached between the Altus Property Group and the Trump Organization to bring a luxury resort to Surfers Paradise, the controversial project aimed to construct a 91-storey tower on Rickett Street, packed with 272 luxury apartments, a 285-room resort hotel, an exclusive beach club and a retail plaza. However, Altus Property Group chief executive and founder David Young has said the development will no longer go ahead, citing the ongoing war in Iran and the toxic nature of the Trump brand in Australia as reasons for the Trump Organization pulling out of the project. "Let's just say that with the Iran war and everything else, the Trump brand was increasingly toxic in Australia," he said. "Some time ago, we knew it was time to part company." At the time of the project's announcement, Gold Coast Acting Mayor Mark Hammel told the ABC that the council had yet to receive a formal development proposal on the tower. And according to the latest news, that application indeed was never lodged. Yet the Altus Property Group is not giving hope of developing the site, which has sat vacant since 2013, even without the Trump Organization. In a statement to the ABC, Young said, "It was not about not meeting obligations. There are other luxury brand options for us. The project is live." Read more via the ABC. Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox. Images: Altus Property Group.
Sports-mad Macarthur residents have a new spot to take in a game over beers with mates. It's called The Sherwood and it's a pub-meets-sports bar right next door to Campbelltown Stadium, the current home of the Wests Tigers. Formerly a tennis club, the space has been completely transformed and is now a huge, open plan tavern designed to cater to the full swathe of community locals. That includes an expansive courtyard with ample al fresco dining options (and plenty of space for bigger groups), designated family friendly areas, and an enormous four-metre screen for broadcasting live matches for everything from the NRL (of course) to live NBA games and UFC bouts. If you're dining in as well as drinking, The Sherwood's food offering is very much in the realm of something-for-everyone pub fare. A classic schnitty, beef nachos and steak and chips are in the lineup alongside more elevated options like prawn orecchiette, gin-cured kingfish and a fresh poached salmon salad. The menu also has an entire section dedicated to smash burgers, so it's safe to assume that's a kitchen special. There's a lot of members specials including a daily happy hour from 3-5pm where house beers are $5 and 'Wing Night Wednesday' where you get a kilo of wings for $20. Ah, the perks of being a local. Learn more at the full offering at the venue's website.
Vivid Fire Kitchen has returned to The Goods Line for 23 nights of smoky, fire-fuelled feasting. Running until Saturday, June 14 as part of Vivid Sydney, the nightly event will welcome a stellar lineup of local and international pitmasters, barbecue experts and chefs, from Firedoor's Lennox Hastie and Viand's Annita Potter to US-based, Australian live-fire chef and TV host Jess Pryles and American chef and TV personality Nyesha Arrington. On the menu, you'll find fire-flecked fare from celebrated Sydney kitchens like Aalia and Bar Copains alongside food trucks slinging a veritable world of flavours, including Filipino skewers by Hoy Pinoy, South American-style barbecue by Burn City Smokers, and creative plant-based Indian bites by Pocket Rocketz. There's also a dedicated seafood barbecue stand showcasing the best of Australia's fruits of the sea — plus, Mapo Gelato and Korean donuts from Miss Sina sweetening the deal. There'll be heaps of masterclasses and demonstrations, too, including wine sessions led by Mike Bennie at a bar pouring drops exclusively from NSW. First Nations Nights will spotlight Indigenous chefs and traditional fire cooking, highlighting native ingredients and cultural connections to fire. The National Indigenous Culinary Institute and chef Mindy Woods — recent winner of the Champions of Change award as part of The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 — will also be appearing to share their knowledge. Entry is free — you'll have to pay for what you eat and drink, though — and with so many demos, masterclasses and chefs, no two nights are the same. And if you're still hungry, there's plenty more on the menu at this year's Vivid, from a plant-based 1950s-style American diner — complete with roller rink — to openair street eats on the steps of the Sydney Opera House.
There will always be a place in our hearts for cheese-smothered, salsa-drenched high-street Tex-Mex — may foil-wrapped logs of spicy meat ever be our hangover saviour. But if you think burritos, nachos and slushy margs represent the true breadth and depth of Central American cuisine, Sydney's growing collection of new-wave Mexican restaurants should make you think again. Double Bay's Gitano makes one of the more persuasive cases for Mexico's fine-dining alter ego. Head Chef Alvaro 'Clark' Valenzuela, formerly of Potts Point mezcal bar and eatery Chula, is expanding his diners' horizons with a menu that highlights the nuance and shade of Mexican cuisine, showcasing popular dishes from Mexico City, Oaxaca, Puebla, and the Yucatán Peninsula, with the menu's crudo selection highlighting flavours from the country's northwestern coastal regions. Prepared using traditional techniques, animal fats such as tallow and ghee are favoured over seed and vegetable oils, just as they would be in Mexico. However, this is no slavish lesson in authenticity. Many cultures have invaded, influenced, traded with and integrated into Mexico over the centuries, bringing with them food traditions that have percolated through the country's diverse culinary vocabulary. Valenzuela offers clever riffs on the classics that speak to these surprising cross-cultural histories with plates like the atun tostada, featuring tuna sashimi, a tangy ponzu drizzle, crispy taro, pops of tobiko roe and an anchoring hit of heat from a chipotle aioli, nodding to the influx of Japanese migrants who came to Mexico City and Guadalajara in the 1940s. There's also the carne tartara, a loosely minced grass-fed wagyu tartare served with a molten trough of roasted marrow on the bone, spiked with aji amarillo, a mild Peruvian chilli, recalling flavours first brought to the New World by the French army in the 1860s. Valenzuela's food not only draws on his home country's heritage, but also from his own family's traditions, taking inspiration from his abuelita. "She taught me that everything in life should be done with love, and that includes cooking," Valenzuela says. "There's a lot of love in everything I create — from a simple taco to a more complex dish." True to his grandmother's wisdom, the street-food inclusions on the menu are executed with an emphasis on excellence and care — even the guacamole is heightened with a drizzle of jalapeño oil, which lifts the judicious combination of minced and diced avocado folded with crunchy raw onion, a heady garnish of fragrant unchopped cilantro leaves, and of course, the all-important house-made tortilla chips on the side, dusted with chilli salt. Baja fish tacos, dressed with sweet pickled cabbage, bright hunks of green tomato and a fresh, zesty pico de gallo, get a glow up with the snapper fillets coated in corn masa and fried in ghee, creating a wonderfully crisp exterior around the succulent, moist fish within. The same commitment to quality and creativity can also be found behind Gitano's bars. By the main entrance, a Patrón bar focuses on premium tequila, while the dining room bar is a shrine to agave spirits, with multiple varieties of mezcal, tequila and raicilla. "Because we have several different flavours of margaritas, we blend multiple mezcals to get that variety from dry and spicy to more fruity," Gitano's General Manager Francisco Rosales says. "We also have a twist on the mojito which is something that I really love. It's really refreshing, with the smokiness of the mezcal and bitterness of grapefruit juice — it's a party in your mouth." Speaking of partying, Gitano is more than just an eatery. Behind the main dining room, a spacious cocktail lounge with a dance floor and resident DJs spinning Latin-Afro house music channels the swagger and spirit of Central America. There's even VIP bottle service on offer for those who really want to make a night of it (and have cash to splash), complete with dedicated wait staff, a reserved booth and top-shelf booze. Gitano's arrival in Double Bay is yet another feather in the cap of this ascendant hospitality enclave. In addition to its established stalwarts like Neil Perry's Margaret and popular pub The Golden Sheaf, a glut of recent openings, including Tanuki, Bartiga and Perry's new Asian concept Song Bird, have put Bay and Cross Streets back on the map as a top dining destination in inner Sydney. With a 3am licence and 200-patron-capacity club, Gitano is adding an extra dimension to this fast-rising hospo hub, making it not only a go-to for quality dining, but a nightlife hotspot to boot. Images: Kitti Gould
UPDATE: FRIDAY, JUNE 1 — To celebrate the release of the new batch of Bloody Shiraz Gin, Four Pillars will be giving keen drinkers a free taste of the stuff this Saturday, June 2 at bottle shops around the country. This includes the Oak Barrel, P&V Merchants and Paddington Cellars in Sydney; Mr West, Carwyn Cellars and Blackhearts & Sparrows in Melbourne; and The Cru and The Wine Emporium in Brisbane. See the full list (and tasting times) here. For the past three years, gin lovers across the country have tripped over themselves to get their spirit-loving fingers on a bottle of Four Pillars' Bloody Shiraz Gin — and that's before they've even had a sip of alcohol. The limited edition shiraz-infused concoction really is that good, so we thought you'd like to know that the next batch goes on sale this Friday, June 1. If you haven't come across the gin before, it's basically what it says on the label: gin infused with shiraz grapes. This gives the spirit a brilliant deep cerise colour and some sweet undertones (without a higher sugar content). That, along with its higher alcoholic content — 37.8 percent, compared to an average 25 percent in regular sloe gin — makes the Bloody Shiraz Gin a near-perfect specimen. Four Pillars created the game-changing gin back in 2015 when it came into a 250-kilogram load of shiraz grapes from the Yarra Valley. Experimenting, the Victorian distillers then steeped the grapes in their high-proof dry gin for eight weeks before pressing the fruit and blending it with the gin, and hoping like hell it would turn out well. It did. The last few batches have sold out really quick, so this year the distillery has acquired more shiraz to make more of the gin than ever before. Still, you'll need to move fast. The gin will go on sale for $85 this Friday, June 1 at selected bottle shops and online at fourpillarsgin.com.au. Godspeed.
Taronga Zoo has taken the plunge into Sydney's competitive luxury accommodation market with its epic 62-room Wildlife Retreat, opened in 2019. And we've already listed it as one of the best hotels in Sydney. This complex of modern, timber-clad lodges encircling a private bushland garden full of native fauna combines sustainable design with high end amenities. Thanks to these guys, you don't have to go far to see nature in all its glory. Carved into the natural landscape of the zoo, each room allows you to overlook both the bushland and sweeping views over Sydney Harbour. The location is unrivalled. Jut open your door to see koalas in nearby trees, wombats wandering by and platypuses swimming in their thoughtfully designed habitats within the Taronga Zoo. It's uniquely Australian. The Wildlife Retreat at Taronga includes a range of experiences and inclusions from a two-day entry into the Zoo, complimentary car parking, meals at their award-winning Me-Gal restaurant (you might want to go vegetarian after living alongside all these friendly Aussie critters) and a guided tour of The Sanctuary.
From the CBD to the west, Sydney Festival will take over the city yet again this January, with over 130 art, music, theatre, comedy and cultural events happening across three weeks, between Wednesday, January 6 and Tuesday, January 26. Get your calendar ready, it's going to be a busy 21 days. Things will look a little different from previous years, with all 2021 events adhering to COVID-19 safety guidelines, including capacity limits and social-distancing regulations. The festival, however, is a big step for the city's culture and nightlife, marking a slow return to normality. 2021 will be the festival's last year under the helm of Artistic Director Wesley Enoch, with Olivia Ansell taking over in 2022. Due to border closures, Enoch has had to craft an Australian-only program, calling on the best established and up-and-coming talent the country has to offer. [caption id="attachment_789697" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'The Rise and Fall of Saint George' by Peter Rubie[/caption] Highlights of the newly announced program include a pop-up stage at Barangaroo; the telling of Evonne Goolagong's life story, which will see Sydney Town Hall transformed into a tennis court; an installation of large floating bees around Vaucluse House called Hive Mind; an homage to musical legend George Michael starring Paul Mac; and the return of the festival's Blak Out program, promoting and uplifting First Nations voices and storytelling throughout the festival. The Barangaroo pop-up titled The Headland, will see a 32-metre-wide stage, larger than both the Capitol and Sydney Lyric, constructed in front of Sydney Harbour. The stage will operate over 16 nights, playing host to performers and musicians such as the Bangarra Dance Company, Sydney Symphony and Paul Mac, all for just $25 a ticket. Taking to smaller stages across the city, including The Lansdowne, Factory Theatre and Tokyo Sing Song, will be a whole bunch of Australian favourites including Christine Anu, Urthboy, E^ST, Alice Ivy and Emily Wurramara. [caption id="attachment_789696" align="alignnone" width="1920"] 'Hive Mind'[/caption] Alongside the giant bees taking residence in Vaucluse, visual art will consume the city, with exhibitions at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Museum of Contemporary Art and outside Customs House, Circular Quay, where a new large-scale immersive experience from audio-visual artist Matthias Schack-Arnott will be set up for the public to interact with. The festival will also see the return of long-running favourites, such as Parramatta Park's Sydney Symphony Under the Stars and Barangaroo's The Vigil on Australia Day eve. Sydney Festival 2021 runs from January 6–26 at venues across the city. For further details and to buy tickets, visit the Sydney Festival website. Tickets are on sale now. Top image: The Headland stage and 'Sydney Symphony Under the Stars' by Victor Frankowski
Getting a top-notch slice might just be right around the corner, as Divide 8 spreads its wings further across Sydney with the launch of two new locations in Stanmore and St Leonards. Following on from the OG locales in Bronte and Gymea, this expanded offering means ordering a pizza that comes with a side of community goodness is even more within reach. First up, the Stanmore store is nestled into a convenient spot on Percival Road. Seating 20 patrons indoors and out, the decor is a familiar but inviting affair, as exposed brick walls combine with Divide 8's signature orange branding. Perfect for a casual sit-down with friends or a takeaway pit-stop on the way home, expect an authentic and communal aesthetic. The menu is decked out with fan favourites, like the Miss Marg with fresh tomato, buffalo mozzarella and 16-month aged Grana Padano topped with fresh basil. There's also the Marrickville Mercedes, featuring lemon and garlic-marinated lamb, heirloom tomatoes, Spanish onions and feta on an eggplant base, topped with golden peppers and fresh cucumber dill yoghurt. With these new locations carrying on Divide 8's reputation for top-quality ingredients, trust that everything on your pizza is made and prepared in-house. For instance, the pizza dough is made using a protein-enriched flour produced in NSW. You also won't find a canned good in the place, with fresh local ingredients taking your slice to the next level. Sustainability is also central to Divide 8's thoughtful operation, from packaging and ingredient sourcing to production. Here, the ovens, equipment and benches are repurposed from previous pizza stores, plus your pizza box is biodegradable. You might even notice the shelving is made from an old brick fireplace. The brand is also known for its support of the local community. If you're getting down to the Stanmore location, Divide 8 has teamed up with Hearthe – a cafe and cake shop just a few steps away – to use their fresh sourdough for a garlic bread base. In St Leonards, there's a similar collab happening with Fiore Bread. This way, you can feel extra good about your next slice. Open Sunday–Thursday from 4pm–9pm and Friday–Saturday from 4pm–10pm, find Divide 8 Stanmore at 104 Percival Road, Stanmore, and Divide 8 St Leonards at Shop 1/48 Albany Street, St Leonards. Head to the website for more information.
The silly season is at last upon us. And you know what that means, plenty of long lunches with your friends, family and work crew. If you have a long list of social commitments on your calendar, let us help with some of the work. We've gathered this list of celebratory lunch specials available at Solotel venues across Sydney, perfect for your festive feast needs.
Haven is often the port of call for those of us who only accept the finest specialty coffee, with sleek stores in happening spots like Darling Square and Barangaroo. Now, a decade after its launch, the team has opened a new flagship cafe, bringing its top-notch brewing game and inventive cuisine to Green Square in Zetland. With the brand characterised by its pared-back ethos, tactile materials and neutral hues also define the latest store's minimalist space. Guided by award-winning interior architect MOYA & CO, Haven Directors Kit Tran and Herman Chui collaborated with the studio once more for Green Square, shaping a thoughtful design that elevates daily rituals while fostering connection. The brew bar is where the magic happens. Stacked with cutting-edge coffee technology that caters to serious javaphiles, Haven's selection of house-roasted beans each deliver a sophisticated flavour profile. Choose a special release like their Guatemala, Colombia or Panama beans, or see what rotating origin is brewing on the day. Don't stress if you're outside your comfort zone. The experts behind the bar will help you craft the perfect order, whether you're looking for espresso, pour-over, cold brew or batched brew. And if you're not feeling coffee, there's always the option of sipping down an iced matcha, a chai latte or a house-made strawberry mint soda, alongside several more options. Food is also an essential aspect of the Haven experience. An Asian-inspired menu spans refined takes on classic breakfast and lunch fare. Think smashed avo and cinnamon custard french toast alongside XO prawn spaghetti and truffle congee. Meanwhile, a dedicated sweet treats menu features ideal coffee pairings like house-baked banana bread and Haven matcha cake. Reminiscent of the high-end cafes epicurious locals and travellers seek out in cities like Tokyo, Hanoi and Singapore, Haven Green Square is an inviting third space where coffee-lovers feel right at home. Set within a rapidly growing precinct, this highly intentional cafe offers a safe retreat from the chaotic nature of inner-city life.
It's a case of new year, new idea at the Australian National Maritime Museum in January, with the Darling Harbour spot hosting its first series of after-hours waterside parties. Head by on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the month and sunset shindigs await at Summer Lates — with DJs spinning tunes, food and drinks available to purchase, and the museum's exhibitions open as well. Yes, a boozy night at the museum is in store on January 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25 and 26. You'll be able to wander through the world of sharks at On Sharks & Humanity's showcase of artwork, step into an a story about the fight for recognition of Indigenous sea rights via Gapu-Monuk Saltwater, and venture to the ocean's depths thanks to James Cameron's Challenging the Deep. Like the parties, the first two exhibits are free to enter; however peering beneath the sea with the director of the Titanic does attract a $12–20 fee. Timing-wise, the waterfront bar will start serving up summery cocktails from 5pm, running through until 10pm — and you'll be able to enter the museum until 8pm. Teaming up with Surry Hills' Fishbowl, ANMM is putting on a tasty salad menu for the occasion. Think salmon sashimi with beets, edamame and kale; free-range chicken with coriander, cucumber, roast sesame dressing and and wasabi peas; and hand-pressed tofu with radish, shallots and a miso tahini dressing.
When Shaun Christie-David launched Colombo Social — a contemporary Sri Lankan diner and social enterprise that supports asylum seekers, refugees and people facing food insecurity — his parents' experiences migrating to Australia in the 1980s were a major inspiration. Memories of his mother's cooking and the way her food bridged cultural divides in her adopted home continue to resonate in every aspect of Colombo Social and Plate It Forward, Christie-David's meal donation charity. Given their close relationship, it might not seem all that surprising that the restaurateur is now joining forces with his amma, Shiranie, for a new series of special menus. What's less expected, however, is that Christie-David is also inviting some of Australia's top chefs to team up with their mothers in the Enmore Road kitchen as well. Colombo Social's Mum Cha events will be delivering multi-course set menus on the last Saturday of every month. In June, Christie-David tapped Merivale's Executive Chef and TV personality Dan Hong (Mr. Wong, MuMu), who was joined on the pots by his mother, Angie Hong. The second event in the series, which takes place on Saturday, July 27, will showcase the talents of Melbourne's Atlas Dining founder Charlie Carrington, who will be cooking alongside his mother Jacqueline. Carrington's impressive CV includes stints at the Michelin-starred Restaurant Gordan Ramsay in London and pyro-powered Surry Hills diner Firedoor. The eight-course menu will be inspired by Charlie and Jacquie's trips around the world, featuring elevated interpretations of international dishes including a garlic butter-infused smoked drumstick paying homage to the chicken Kiev, a curious fusion of Italian and Asian flavours via a bolognaise vermicelli san choy bao, and a beef taco with European inclinations, dressed with cabbage, peas, mint and ricotta. There are just 40 seats available for the eight-course meal every month, so you'll have to book quickly if you don't want to miss out. Each $150 ticket includes a welcome cocktail on arrival, plus unlimited premium red and white wines for the duration of the 90-minute sitting.
When Donato Salomone opened Salumerie in Potts Point in 2024, his mission was straightforward: bring the energy and flavours of the delis in his native Naples to Sydney. Two years on — and with additional outposts in the CBD and Manly under his belt — Salomone has unveiled his fourth Salumerie in Bondi, bringing his pillowy house-made focaccias and sliced-to-order deli meats to Hall Street lifestyle precinct The Hub. Rather than a carbon copy of its siblings, Salumerie Bondi leans into crowd favourites while also offering a few exclusives. Expect signatures like mortadella with buffalo ricotta and pistachio pesto; seasonal combinations such as peach with stracciatella and hot honey; and an unapologetically saucy, Bondi-only vodka lasagne sandwich. As always, you can build your own focaccia from the deli selection, piled high with antipasti, fresh salumi and cheeses. There's also house-made lasagne and tiramisu on rotation — you can also try the tiramisu with the $2 espresso al banco, another Bondi exclusive served with a generous spoonful of the dessert. While daytime is devoted to the focaccias and deli staples, things take a turn from 4pm. Wednesdays bring lasagne and wine nights, while Thursdays to Sundays see the laneway shift to aperitivo mode, with DJs, antipasti and spritzes setting the tone.
Feeling bold to start 2023? Brave? Fearless? Ready to take on a new year, embrace life and show your spirit? That's the standard January vibe, but this year has a colour to match: Viva Magenta, aka the hue of the year according to the Pantone Colour Institute. Each year, Pantone's colour experts pick a tone for the 12 months ahead. As announced back in December 2022 but supremely relevant now that 2023 is actually here, its latest selection is Pantone 18-1750. This hue from the red family — a colour that Pantone says "vibrates with vim and vigour" — is meant to both set the trend for and sum up the year ahead. Pantone is never short on words for its picks of the year, and has also dubbed this tone as "a pulsating colour whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative". Viva Magenta is meant to be powerful and empowering, too, and a colour that "revels in pure joy, encouraging experimentation and self-expression without restraint — an electrifying and a boundaryless shade that is manifesting as a standout statement". View this post on Instagram A post shared by PANTONE (@pantone) "Viva Magenta welcomes anyone and everyone with the same verve for life and rebellious spirit. It is a colour that is audacious, full of wit and inclusive of all," Pantone's announcement continues. Explaining the decision, Pantone Colour Institute Executive Director Leatrice Eiseman said that the tone has a natural, primordial, galvanising feel to it. "Viva Magenta descends from the red family, and is inspired by the red of cochineal, one of the most precious dyes belonging to the natural dye family as well as one of the strongest and brightest the world has known." Expect to see all things Viva Magenta popping up around the place throughout 2023, with Pantone suggesting how it can be used in fashion and accessories, home decor, design and beauty, too. The new shade takes over from 2022's Very Peri, and 2021's Ultimate Gray and vibrant yellow Illuminating before that. In 2020, Pantone went with Classic Blue, while 2019's colour was Living Coral, 2018's was Ultra Violet and 2017's was Greenery. To find out more about Viva Magenta — and to check out all the previous Colours of the Year — head to the Pantone website.
Bluesfest has lifted the lid on its first artist announcement for 2020 and heading the stampede are famed American singer Patti Smith, rockers Dave Matthews Band and the legendary Crowded House. All three are repeat Bluesfest offenders, with Patti Smith and her band returning after a standout performance in 2017, the "magical and unmissable" Dave Matthews Band heading back for their third festival and Crowded House once again trekking up the coast — this time for an exclusive Australian performance. Expect to hear plenty of huge tunes from the likes of Smith's 'Because the Night' to Matthews' 'Crash Into Me' and the anthem that is 'Don't Dream It's Over'. Other acts to hit the stage over the weekend include the multi Grammy Award-winning George Benson, American singer Brandi Carlile, Aussie favourites The Cat Empire, British trip-hop band Morcheeba and John Butler. The festival will return to Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm — just outside Byron Bay — for 2020 despite Festival Director Peter Noble threatening to leave NSW earlier this year because of the State Government's strict new music festival licensing regime. An inquiry into the licence is currently underway. Better start making Easter plans because tickets are already on sale. Anyway, here's the full lineup (so far). [caption id="attachment_737186" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dave Matthews Band[/caption] BLUESFEST 2020 LINEUP Dave Matthews Band Patti Smith and Her Band Crowded House George Benson Brandi Carlile John Butler Xavier Rudd The Cat Empire Morcheeba John Prine Jenny Lewis Frank Turner John Mayall Buffy Sainte-Marie The Marcus Kind Band Walter Trout Christone 'Kingfish' Ingram Greensky Bluegrass Larkin Poe The War & Treaty Bluesfest 2020 will run April 9–13 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay. Tickets are on sale now via Moshtix.
If your life could use a bit more Pixar magic at the moment, then Disney is here to help, with the Mouse House rushing the beloved animation studio's latest film to Australian and New Zealand audiences via digital rental and its streaming platform Disney+. Featuring the voices of Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Octavia Spencer, Onward was originally slated to release on the big screen Down Under on Thursday, March 26; however those plans changed when cinemas were ordered to shut. While the movie did play in Australian theatres for a few days over the weekend immediately beforehand, giving dedicated audiences a sneak peek, cinemas were hardly packed at the time — so, if this elf-filled adventure is still on your must-watch list, you're not alone. Pixar fans will be able to get their animation fix via video on demand from Friday, April 3, which'll require paying separately to view the film. Or, if you're already a Disney+ subscriber — or you've been thinking of becoming one — you'll be able to watch Onward on the company's own streaming platform as part of its regular package from 6pm on Friday, April 24. Story-wise, Onward tells the tale of brothers Ian and Barley Lightfoot (Marvel co-stars Holland and Pratt), two teenage elves who've grown up without their dearly departed dad. Thanks to an unexpected flash of long-dormant magic, they're given the chance to spend one last day with their father — but, in order to do so, they'll have to undertake a perilous quest in Barley's rundown van Guinevere. From the above description, you might've noticed that Pixar's usual formula isn't at play here, with the company branching beyond the "what if toys/cars/rats/robots/monsters/feelings had feelings?" setup that's served it so well in everything from the Toy Story franchise to Inside Out. Rest assured, however, that Onward's central elf siblings do indeed experience a whole heap of emotions as they cast spells, try to decipher mysterious maps, endeavour to avoid curses, explore their complicated brotherly relationship and team up with a part-lion, part-bat, part-scorpion called The Manticore (Spencer). Fast-tracking Onward to digital platforms is the latest example of film industry's efforts to adapt to the changes forced by the spread of COVID-19. In Australia and New Zealand, Disney follows fellow distributor Roadshow's lead — with the latter also speeding up the online release of a number of its big titles as well. Check out the trailer for Onward below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxKXiQvyG_o Onward will be available to purchase separately on digital platforms in Australia and New Zealand from Friday, April 3, before hitting Disney's streaming platform Disney+ as part of its regular package at 6pm on Friday, April 24. Images: © 2019 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
These days, the best bakeries in Sydney are in hot competition for your dough. There aren't many that are just churning out simple white sandwich loaves — now it's all about sourdough, fruit loaves and the three CRs (croissants, cronuts and cruffins). While the local mum-and-dad bakery will always hold a soft spot in our hearts, there are some Sydney spots that are really taking the art of bread and pastry-making to a whole new level. We've compiled a list of where to find the butteriest croissants, softest sourdough and most innovative sweet treats around the city. Recommended reads: The Best Cafes in Sydney The Best Coffee Shops in Sydney's CBD The Best Boozy Bottomless Brunches in Sydney The Best Restaurants in Sydney
Tita is a bustling Filipino cafe from the beloved Donut Papi team. The Illawarra Road spot brings hearty silogs and a contender for Sydney's best breakfast muffin to the Inner West. Kenneth Rodrigueza, Karen Rodrigueza-Labuni and Christopher Palamara created Tita (Filipino for aunt or aunty as) a homely love letter to Filipino breakfast, with a fun colourful fit-out and more of the Donut Papi crew's signature sweet treats. The core of the Tita menu is the silogs, a classic Filipino breakfast plate made up of sinangag (garlic fried rice), a fried egg, pickled green papaya and mixed veggies with your choice of protein. There's the longsilog featuring the spiced Filipino longganisa sausage; the tapsilog, which pairs the rice with soy and garlic-marinated beef strips, and tocilog; bringing a sweet char siu-style pork belly to the fold. If the silogs are the star of the show, the breakfast sandwiches are a standout supporting cast. In place of your standard English muffin, the Tita team has made their muffins from pandesal, a sweeter bread reminiscent of a dinner roll. This is paired with a range of fillings including the longganisa which returns on the signature sambo alongside egg, cheese, banana ketchup and mayo. There's also a deluxe spam muffin and an egg, cheese and hashbrown variety for the non-meat eaters. Plus, you'll find sides like cheesy chismosa chips, queso chicken nuggets and pork spring rolls. Then there's the doughnuts and other sweet treats. Tita is the only spot in Marrickville where you'll find bibngka basque cheesecake wrapped in banana leaves, or pandalisa filled with Tuyo (dried herring) and topped with Everything Bagel seasoning. There's plenty of ube to be found on the menu as well, including ube soft serve, ube cheesecake, ube lamingtons and and ube affogato. Gabrielle Coffee is providing the beans behind the more traditional brews, which are served alongside a couple of Filipino-inspired drinks like the Manila latte — a mix of iced vanilla latte and condensed milk.
Show me someone who says they don't like road trips and I'll show you a liar (or someone you should be blocking ASAP). Road trips are the backbone of travelling around our giant island nation, and exploration is in our DNA — but what do you do when you yearn to take off into the great beyond but all your mates are busy? Well, why not take your dog? Chances are you have one (especially if you clicked on this story) — about half of Australian households do. So who needs friends when you can take your best furry mate down one of the most mesmerising road trips Australia has to offer? That's right. Pack your bags, grab your car 'cause we're ditching Perth and heading south along the great southern coast of WA, all the way to Esperance, with plenty of dog-friendly pit stops along the way. Don't have a car? Check out SIXT, which offers pet-friendly car rentals from Perth Airport, Perth City, Fremantle and Kewdale. Now, on with the show. PAW-FECT PERTH Hey, what's the rush? Before we scoot off, why not check out some of the best stuff to do with your pooch in the great capital — plus it gives you plenty to do at the end of your trip if you want to do this itinerary in reverse. Check out some of the West's best dog cafes in the form of Slate Cafe in Bennett Springs and The Dog's Breakfast Cafe in Swan Valley — the former features a fully enclosed dog playground with a large, grassed area, while the latter is home to an agility park and dog playground, as well as a doggie pool and spa. Kind of jealous. If you're looking to stretch your legs, the Swan River Foreshore Loop and the Sir James Mitchell Park to Charles Peterson Park walks are scenic, accessible, and most importantly, dog-friendly. DOG-FRIENDLY WINERIES IN MARGARET RIVER First stop: Margaret River, one of the best wine regions in the country. Take this golden opportunity to pretend to be a wine connoisseur with the peace of mind that comes with knowing your dog — who knows you actually don't know a thing about wine — can't talk to rat you out. Sip on fancy wines at dog-friendly wineries like Woody Nook Wines, Xanadu Wines, Passel Estate, Cape Mentelle, and Stonefish Wines. Just watch your little pal doesn't knock over a wine glass or two. If wineries aren't your thing, Drift Cafe, White Elephant Cafe, and The Hairy Marron are all lovely options for you and your pal to enjoy a nice coffee break together. Or if breweries are more your scene, you're in luck, with Margeret River being home to a bunch of dog-friendly options, including Cheeky Monkey Brewing Co, Margaret River Brewhouse, Beerfarm and Bootleg Brewery. If you feel like crashing for the night, check out RAC Busselton Holiday Park, a pet-friendly powered campsite nestled on the doorsteps of Busselton and Dunsborough — not too far from Margaret River. DOG-FRIENDLY CAFES IN ALBANY Need a pick-me-up? Stop by Albany's dog-friendly cafes, where you can indulge in a much-needed caffeine hit while your bestie scoffs down its third puppuccino (relax Rex). Dylans on the Terrace and Hybla Tavern are the paces to be when it comes to dog-friendly cafes and pubs, with both offering outdoor seating so you can both enjoy the fresh air. Albany also has plenty to offer in its many stunning beaches dotted along Frenchman Bay. Or if you'd fancy some lush green over sandy gold, head to Whalers Cove, which offers a nice five-kilometre loop bushwalk in the form of the Uredale Point Heritage Trail. [caption id="attachment_912573" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Albany Wind Farm. Image: Harry Cunningham (Unsplash)[/caption] CATCHING THE WIND AT ALBANY WIND FARM Next up, Albany Wind Farm, where you can witness wind turbines that make you feel as insignificant as raisin cookies at a potluck (no one's touching those). Enjoy the coastal breeze and panoramic views, while your little pal probably wonders why you dragged them to this windy wonderland. On a serious note, the wind farm offers some lovely walking tracks, including one leading up the coast and another to the lookout. Keep in mind that while the area is dog-friendly, off-leash is prohibited. [caption id="attachment_913228" align="alignnone" width="1920"] World of Travoluton 360, Flickr[/caption] CHECK OUT NATURE'S POOCH: ALBANY'S FAMED DOG ROCK That's right, it's a rock that looks like a dog — and on this road trip, you'd be a fool to miss it. There's nothing artificial about this rocky canine, the formation is completely natural. And besides being a testament to the endless wonder of mother nature, it's also the perfect spot to snap a cute pic of your lil pal in front of their giant rocky cousin — if that doesn't get you Insta engagement, nothing will. Once you're ready to hit the hay, you'll be spoilt for choice in Albany, as there's a cornucopia of pet-friendly accommodation options available. [caption id="attachment_784595" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Great Ocean Drive. Image: supplied[/caption] THE GREAT OCEAN DRIVE As you continue towards Esperance, take the scenic Great Ocean Drive. Brace yourself for stunning coastal views, turquoise waters meeting pristine white sands, and a reminder that nature's beauty is clearly showing off. The 40-kilometre loop of picturesque winding roads includes plenty of perfect spots to stop and take in the natural splendour of WA — a sight to behold for any species. [caption id="attachment_897522" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Weilim Zheng[/caption] EXPERIENCE ESPERANCE You've made it, now you both deserve to chill out — and what a perfect spot to do so. Running along Esperance's beaches must feel like winning the lottery to dogs — sandy, wet, and vast. Check out Eleven Mile Beach, Salmon Beach, Blue Haven, Fourth Beach, and Ten Mile Lagoon for endless sandy adventures for your favourite mutt. Saving the best for last, check out Lucky Bay to catch one of the only places in the world where kangaroos sunbathe on the beach (yes, you heard me) — so you might wanna bring a leash for this one. And once you're ready to rest those tired legs, head to RAC Esperance Holiday Park, where dogs are always welcome. Looking for a pet-friendly rental to take you and your best furry mate on the road trip of a lifetime (or looking for a bigger car to fit your furry mate)? Check out SIXT, which welcomes customers to bring their family and furmily along for the ride, so no one gets left behind. Auto club members including NRMA, RACV, RACQ, RAA, RACT, RAC and AANT will receive 15% off SIXT's daily rates. Click here to book now
Hidden underground in the basement level of the new four-storey Sydney venue Hinchcliff House is Apollonia, a cocktail bar with an affinity for negronis and romance. The dimly lit bar is named after a character from The Godfather and looks to embody the stricken nature of Apollonia and protagonist Michael in the film. Whether you're swinging by to grab a drink or heading downstairs for a nightcap after your meal at one of the building's other venues, you're going to want to start and end with the cocktail list. Here you can sip the Love at First Sight, a dry gin, amaro and strawberry gum cocktail, or A Letter Never Sent, a wheat vodka and Italian honey liqueur creation. Further down the menu, you'll find a milk gin, citrus and lavender drink called the Hills of Savoca, or a Wedding Cake made with rye, local coffee amaro and amaretto foam. You can, of course, stray off on your own drinks journey, with an expansive list of spirits and liqueurs to choose from. If you stick around until midnight on a Friday night, you'll be treated to The Thunderbolt. This weekly tradition at Apollonia is a toast to what's important: friends, life, love and negronis. Images: Jiwon Kim Updated Tuesday, May, 1 2023. Appears in: The Best Bars in Sydney Sydney's Best Underground Bars for 2023
Leichhardt’s supine pub scene has been given an overhaul with the newly renovated The Royal bringing back the historic hotel’s charm and charisma. The Royal Botanical, situated upstairs, is the schmick new dining room, bar and garden terrace that is offering up not only an appealing new menu, but also a welcoming venue at which to sample this fare. The layout of the main room is traditionally bistro-style, yet freshened up with hanging baskets and framed botanicals on the wall, as well as views over the district, should you nab a window seat. The sophisticated outdoor terrace is a horticulturalist's heaven — wall-to-wall plants and greenery make the covered space a verdant, airy alternative — especially in the warmer months. Those seeking a change from Norton Street’s Italian flavour will be rewarded with a jazzed up menu that hasn’t boycotted the usual pub culprits. To start with, sharing plates such as the salt & pepper squid ($14) is a staple that can’t be missed, nor the potato wedges ($8) with sweet chilli sauce and sour cream (a match made in heaven). Even more tempting is a 1kg bucket of hot chicken wings ($17.50) — get your napkins ready, with flavours of coriander, chilli and lemon punching through, these are tasty sticklers. For the main fare, hearty pub grub lives up to its name with the classic schnitzel ($19), or dressed up with chunky tomato sauce and melted cheddar to turn it into a parmi ($21). The royal burger ($17.50) is indulgently royal: with everything you could want in a burger, plus more, same with the pulled pork roll ($16.50). The sirloin steak ($24) will curb any appetite — nothing like a 300g Black Angus steak served with gravy and green beans on a bed of mash. As for something more refined, crispy skin salmon ($23) is perfectly seared, yet hungrier bellies may be craving that bed of mash to really hit the spot. If you’ve got room for dessert ($11), go for it — the chocolate trifle will convert anybody who detests the old favourite. But our bet is that you’ll want to get started on the cocktails — the decent list has got numerous tantalizing options, all at reasonable prices. The Quince Cup ($14) is a sweet and fragrant blend of gin, pear, quince and lemon but it’s the Ginger Nut ($13) that’s the standout — Frangelico with vodka, apple juice, lemon and bitters shaken through, topped with ice cold ginger beer ($13). The bar also has a solid selection of craft beers and top notch wines from Australia- a Mr Riggs shiraz from McLaren Vale is a tasty drop at $8 a glass and the Margaret River Semillon sav blanc ($8/$38) is delicate, yet balanced with a fresh acidity. Needless to say, the hotel — which has been a part of Leichhardt’s fabric since 1886 — has been spruced up a notch, yet managed to stick to its customary roots with class.
Lost Paradise is back for the fourth year in a row, after selling out its past three incarnations. Returning to Glenworth Valley from December 28 to January 1, the event will host 76 local and international artists, including local electronic goalkickers RÜFÜS, Sweden's Little Dragon, Aussie folk favourites Matt Corby and Meg Mac, Sydney lads DMAs, dynamic Melburnian duo Client Liaison and more. There'll be two new stages this year, My Mum's Disco, where, in between retro beats and '80s kitsch, you'll be playing bingo and banging out karaoke, and K-Sub Beach Club, to be run by Kraken, a collective dedicated to all things Victorian. Main stage Arcadia will host what's been designated as 'indie', while techno and dance will settle into the Lost Disco stage. Meanwhile, the Paradise Club will take care of late night shape-throwers with DJs and surprise guests. If you've blissed your way through previous New Year's Eves at Lost Paradise's Shambala Fields, you'll be glad to know they're making a return, with their cornucopia of yoga classes, dance workshops and meditations. Teachers on the schedule include Ana Forrest, Jose Calarco, Mark Whitwell, Simon Borg Olivier, Nicole Walsh and Mark Breadner. In between dancing and getting mindful, you can fuel up in Lost Village, where a herd of food trucks will be dishing out all sorts of tasty morsels. Look out for Eat Art Truck's hot smoked pulled pork buns, Agape's organic goodies, The Dosa Deli's handmade samosas, Maverick Wings' crispy chicken and kimchi coleslaw, Harvest Life as Tsuru's poke bowls and Cuba Cantina's street food from Havana. Here's what you're in for this year: LOST PARADISE 2017 LINEUP: RÜFÜS Little Dragon Matt Corby Meg Mac DMA's Client Liason Cut Copy San Cisco Tourist Stephen Bodzin Cigarettes After Sex Patrick Topping Jon Hopkins (DJ Set) Jackmaster FKJ Middle Kids Âme (Live) Skeggs Palms Trax Apparat Nadia Rose Sampa The Great Koi Child Mall Grab Dean Lewis B.Traits Roland Tings My Nu Leng Cut Snake Human Movement Billy Davis & The Good Lords CC:Disco GL Tiny Little Houses Alex The Astronaut Nyxen Sloan Peterson Mammals The Ruminators Motorik Vibe Council Robongia Krankbrother Thunderfox Gypsys of Pangea Uncle Ru Ariane Ben Nott Brohn Dibby Dibby Soundsystem DJ Gonz Elijah Something Foreigndub Inner West Reggae Disco Machine Kali and more... Lost Paradise returns to Glenworth Valley from December 28 to January 1. Tickets are on sale now from the festival website. Image: Dave Anderson and Boaz Nothham.
What begins in Milan, then heads to Puglia and the Italian Alps, plus Naples, Sicily, Tuscany, Florence and Rome, too? An impressive getaway, and also the 2023 Italian Film Festival. What dives into history, includes love and treasures, and also soul-searching journeys, stunning threads, labyrinths and great art? Again, a dream holiday, and also Australia's annual celebration of Italy's best and brightest on the big screen. Running from Tuesday, September 19–Wednesday, October 18 at Palace Central, Palace Norton St, Palace Verona and Chauvel Cinema in Sydney, 2023's IFF will open with The Last Night of Amore, which is where the fest's jaunt to Milan comes in, and one of its thrillers as well. Making its Australian premiere after a successful stint at the Italian box office, writer/director Andrea Di Stefano's (The Informer) police flick stars Pierfrancesco Favino (The Hummingbird) as it tells of an about-to-retire honest cop facing a chaotic, crime-riddled, corruption-fuelled situation. Also among the event's spotlight flicks, Kidnapped sits in the centrepiece slot, recreating the tale of the Vatican's abduction of a young Jewish boy in the 19th century, plus as the scandal that unsurprisingly followed. As part of a focus on actor, filmmaker and screenwriter Massimo Troisi, 1994's The Postman, the talent's two-time Oscar-nominated final film, will close out the fest with a 50s-set whirlwind of love and friendship. There's more where they both came from — more special-presentation and special-event movies, and more of Troisi's work. First, the features getting some extra IFF love. Starring Josh O'Connor (Mothering Sunday) and directed by Alice Rohrwacher (Futura), La Chimera heads to 80s-era Tuscany as a British archaeologist gets caught up in ring selling stolen Italian wares — while Beautiful Boy's Felix van Groeningen shares directing duties with his The Broken Circle Breakdown co-screenwriter Charlotte Vandermeersch on The Eight Mountains, which stars Luca Marinelli (Martin Eden) and Alessandro Borghi (Devils), and won 2022's Cannes Jury Prize. Also, Burning Hearts dives into crime and revenge in black and white, Carravagio's Shadow features Riccardo Scamarcio (John Wick: Chapter 2) as the eponymous painter, and documentary The Genius of Gianni Versace Alive unravels its namesake fashion designer's career. With IFF's Troisi retrospective, viewers can see three more of his films: 1981 comedy I'm Starting From Three, his debut as both a big-screen actor and director; Nothing Left to Do But Cry, where he acts opposite and travels back in time with Roberto Benigni (Pinocchio); and the cinema-adoring Splendour, also featuring the late, great Marcello Mastroianni. And, there's also Mario Martone's (Nostalgia) doco Somebody Down There Likes Me, about his exploration of Troisi's movies. Elsewhere on the bill, Nanni Moretti (Three Floors) directs himself playing a director grappling with today's streaming reality in A Brighter Tomorrow; Strangeness enlists Toni Servillo (The Hand of God) as Literature Nobel Prize-winning playwright Luigi Pirandello; The First Day of My Life also features the prolific actor, this time in the latest effort from Perfect Strangers' helmer Paolo Genovese; and both Like Sheep Among Wolves and Prophets sit among the fest's thrillers. The list goes on, including the family-friendly Supernova and The Properties of Metals, plus comedies Orlando and My Shadow Is Your Shadow. And, there's the music-focused My Soul Summer featuring Italian X Factor-winner Casadilego.
In one of Sydney's main thoroughfares, where Oxford Street meets Crown amid a flurry of quick-fix fast-food, clubs, pubs and bottle shops, lives this surprisingly authentic Japanese experience. Chaco Ramen feels more intimate than small. The use of natural timbers and earthy shades creates warmth, while fanciful droplights cast a welcome glow. The room is divided by a communal table which sits adjacent to an exposed kitchen gallery, where inside, the smells and sounds of meat against coals make for a promising start to the evening. The restaurant's name, Chaco, comes from the word charcoal, and while the Darlinghurst restaurant used to specialise in grilled yakitori, only serving ramen for lunch and one night a week, now it's all ramen all the time. For all things skewered, you'll now have to head to Chaco Bar in Potts Point, a roomier outpost for the Chaco team specialising in yakitori. [caption id="attachment_772483" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chaco ramen, Alana Dimou[/caption] The ramen at the OG Crown Street location comes in six different variations: classic soy, fish salt, yuzu scallop, vegetable, chilli coriander or cold tomato truffle. While the soy lives up to its name, delivering a classic chashu pork ramen to the highest quality, the chilli coriander and yuzu scallop variations are must-trys. Opt for something a little spicy and the chilli coriander will deliver a flavour-packed broth accompanied by poached chicken, half egg, black fungus mushrooms and a healthy dose of coriander, of course. As for the yuzu bowl, you'll be treated to a multi-fasceted seafood ramen starring hokkaido scallops, john dory fish and prawn wantons, with black fungus, leek and mizuna. Each ramen variant can be made 'special' with the addition of extra chashu pork, egg and bamboo shoots for an added $7. Plus, there's also the option of gluten free noodles and a kid-friendly chicken soy ramen for family visits. Sides include bone marrow curry, edamame, fish dumplings and karaage chicken wings, and as with any good ramen joint, there's a solid selection of sake, beers — both Japanese and local — shochu, wine and yuzu punch to accompany your meal. [caption id="attachment_659262" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Letícia Almeida.[/caption] Updated Tuesday, March 21, 2023. Appears in: The Best Restaurants in Sydney The Best Japanese Restaurants in Sydney
It sounds like an obvious premise, and one that countless films and TV shows have already mined in the name of laughs. In Hacks, two vastly dissimilar people are pushed together, with the resulting conflict guiding the series. Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder, North Hollywood) and her new boss Deborah Vance (Jean Smart, Mare of Easttown) couldn't be more different in age, experience, tastes and opinions. The former is a 25-year-old who made the move to Hollywood, has been living out her dream as a comedy writer, but found her career plummeting after a tweet crashed and burned. The latter is a legendary stand-up who hasn't stopped hitting the stage for decades, is approaching the 2500th show of her long-running Las Vegas residency and is very set in her ways. They appear to share exactly one thing in common: a love for comedy. They're an odd couple thrust together by their mutual manager Jimmy (Paul W Downs, Broad City), neither wants to be working with the other, and — to the surprise of no one, including each other — they clash again and again. There's no laugh track adding obvious chuckles to this HBO sitcom, though. In other hands, guffaws would've come on cue, only the most blatant beats would've been hit, and the performances would've been big and broad. It would've been a series that tried to fill every space in the room, as Deborah has spent years doing in her gigs, and it would've been happy to give its easiest viewers what it already knows they want. But that isn't Hacks' approach. Just like its title, its basic concept isn't indicative of the series that results. Created by three of the talents behind Broad City — writer Jen Statsky; writer/director Lucia Aniello; and Downs, who does double duty in front of and behind the lens — Hacks isn't solely interested in setting two seemingly mismatched characters against each other. This is a smart and insightful series about what genuinely happens when this duo spends more and more time together, what's sparked their generational conflict and what, despite their evident differences, they actually share beyond that love of making people laugh. The straightforward clashes still bubble up, as Ava and Deborah's entire world views constantly niggle and jostle. Ava doesn't think twice about discussing everything from her sex life to her menstrual cycle with anyone she meets, and deems nothing too personal to bring up in conversation or make jokes out of — and she's certain that comedy is all the better for it, even if that perspective has cost her her dream job, made it impossible to get another gig in Los Angeles and brought her to Deborah's doorstep as a last resort. She's also sure that her new boss could improve her crowd-pleasing sets by taking her advice, but that isn't an idea that Deborah initially warms to. An ex-sitcom star who made the leap to stand-up back when the industry was even more unwelcoming to women than it is now, Deborah has worked tirelessly for her success, wealth and lavish mansion, and knows that Home Shopping Network appearances and attending the opening of fast food chains are as important as the residency she's being pushed out of. As a result, she's also fiercely protective of her current fame and status quo, and everything that goes with it. Other characters bob in and out of the pair's daily lives — Jimmy and his clueless assistant Kayla (Megan Stalter, The Megan Stalter Show), Deborah's daughter DJ (Kaitlin Olson, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia), her Chief Operating Officer Marcus (Carl Clemons-Hopkins, The Chi) and casino owner Marty (Christopher McDonald, Ballers), mainly — but it's the push and pull between Ava and Deborah that's at Hacks' core. Through that dynamic, the show keeps probing what makes these women who they are, what they've faced and who they want to be moving forward, all while interrogating the reality of showbusiness without a trace of sugarcoating. Making a life out of being funny isn't easy for this pair, or for any woman in comedy, and nor is navigating everything that the entertainment industry constantly throws their way. Some of the sharpest observations about today's Hollywood landscape come in tiny but knowing moments, too; "what if first girl band during Salem witch trials but prestige drama?" an intoxicated Ava pitches, and that series definitely wouldn't look out of place on most streaming platforms' catalogues. Hacks wouldn't be the show it is without two key inclusions: Smart and Einbinder. Deborah feels like a part that Smart could play in her sleep, but that isn't how the exceptional Fargo, Legion and Watchmen actor handles the character. Deborah has fought for everything in her life, and that determination comes through amid the Joan Rivers-style brassiness and flashiness of her favoured lifestyle. Smart's is a textured performance that's keeps diving deeper and, although almost everyone watching has never been a famous comic, it's a relatable portrayal as well. She ensures that all those desires and yearnings we all have — to succeed, be respected, be valued for our talents and truly be ourselves — sit at the heart of Deborah's every move, even when she's hardly sympathetic. The same proves true of Einbinder's work as Ava, too, as relevant to the character. Ava projects an over-chatty air of confidence and wades her way through the world unfiltered, but she's also awkward, prone to failing as much as succeeding, and is really just trying to weather life's chaos like the rest of us. When the 2021 Emmy nominations were announced, Hacks collected 15 nods — including for Smart, Einbinder and Clemons-Hopkins for their on-screen work, and for Statsky, Aniello and Downs for their off-screen efforts. Plenty of great shows don't ever win shiny trophies or even get nominated, but every accolade thrown this series' way is thoroughly well-deserved. It's been picked up for a second season by HBO Max, just like the platform's other standout 2021 sitcom Starstruck. Australians had to bide their time for a local streaming platform to air both programs' first seasons but, when they've each arrived in easy-to-binge blocks, both have proven worth the wait. Watching Hacks is the best way to spend five hours on the couch right now, in fact, and its frank, funny and biting assessment of being a woman in entertainment is as always as canny as it is hilarious Check out the trailer below: Season one of Hacks is available to stream via Stan.
Just like that, Salty's is ready to celebrate its fifth birthday. And the Bondi-based gang isn't going about things quietly. Instead, they're hosting a three-day bash loaded with free drinks, live saxophone fun and a massive headlining set from disco-funk hitmaker, Touch Sensitive. Best of all, it won't cost you a cent to enter this weekend-long party running from Friday, September 19–Sunday, September 21. Opening with a bang, Salty's is hosting a locals bar shout where you can score a free beer, wine or spirit from 5–6pm. Then, DJs mixed with live sax carry the crowd from sunset onwards. On Saturday, the freebies step up a notch. With your first margaritas on the house when you book a table, make sure the crew clears their calendars for a bottomless package paired with DJ-led tunes from 1pm until late. Of course, the weekend peaks on Sunday, with Touch Sensitive getting behind the decks to guide a crowd-pleasing Bondi Beach party. Having sold out national tours and massive festivals, expect the same sun-soaked energy that has made Salty's a go-to destination.
