Just in time for summer, a new tapas wine bar has landed in Bondi. Iberica takes inspiration from small Spanish towns along the stunning Balearic coast, so it's no wonder that the restaurant has chosen Sydney's most iconic beach as its home. The venue is helmed by Managing Director Joaquin Saez (previously at Cho Cho San, Fratelli Paradiso and Alberto's Lounge), who also opened the popular Mediterranean eatery Ikaria Bondi. "Iberica is a labour of love, a culmination of years of expertise and passion for creating unforgettable dining experiences," says Saez. Joining him is Executive Chef Ivan Sanchez, who brings 15 years of experience in Spanish cuisine, including stints at Porteño and Bastardo. Head of Bar Carlo Valdivia, who formerly worked at Porteño, Continental Deli, Bar & Bistro and Sokyo, is in charge of curating the Spanish-heavy wine list and creative cocktail menu. The menu focuses on supporting local suppliers and showcasing their produce. Start off with house-made bread served with a truffle butter candle, salted cod croquettes with duck mayonnaise, anchovy and boqueron toast with sobrasada and tomato and grilled octopus with smoked potato cream and paprika. Bigger plates include charred market fish, seafood paella, charcoal-grilled sirloin with a Spanish grape reduction and a charcoal-grilled spatchcock with a corn reduction. Finish off with a caramel flan with manchego cheese, churros with dulce de leche ice cream or a refreshing grape sorbet. Located at 251 Bondi Road, Bondi, Iberica is now open for lunch on Saturday and Sunday from 12pm and for dinner on Wednesday to Sunday from 5pm to midnight. Find out more and make a booking at Iberica's website.
Please note: This article contains descriptions of sexual misconduct. A shocking ABC investigation, published on September 4, revealed a culture of sexual exploitation, misogyny and failures of management at venues operated by hospitality heavyweight Merivale. Now, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Good Food have uncovered yet more troubling revelations about the hospo giant. A bombshell exposé, published on October 29, alleges that staff working at Merivale's exclusive members-only club, Level 6, located at the business' sprawling Ivy precinct in the CBD, were expected to "accommodate [the] advances" of wealthy patrons. In return, staff — who were often aged between 18 and 21 — could expect gifts of luxury goods such as designer handbags and hundreds of dollars in tips. "It was like a strip club with no one taking off their clothes," one former Level 6 staff member told The SMH, with another describing the venue as "One step away from being a brothel". [caption id="attachment_704747" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Level 6[/caption] Former staff alleged that this sexual quid pro quo intensified in 2013 when a pole-dancing pole was installed at Level 6. Around the same time, according to The SMH report, drug use by patrons became increasingly normalised and tolerated. Journalists Eryk Bagshaw and Bianca Hrovat claim they spoke to dozens of former Merivale employees during their investigation, but the vast majority of them only agreed to do so anonymously as they feared repercussions from the hugely influential hospitality employer. "They hire people very, very young. There are thousands of 18- to 21-year-old girls out there who are young, naive and sucked in by Merivale," one former manager told The SMH. "[They are] ushered into the cult and then … bad things start happening, and they feel like they can't say anything." The report alleges that on occasions when police attended Ivy, a "blue lights" warning would be shared to a staff WhatsApp group or via internal radio comms. A Merivale statement asserted that alerting staff to the presence of police was "standard industry practice", adding: "Every team member and especially our managers have duties under the law to assist police. They cannot do so if they are unaware of their presence on site." [caption id="attachment_814113" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ivy[/caption] One former host from Level 6 anonymously shared their experience of sexual assault in the workplace, saying a male patron "would grab you and throw you on the couch and put his hand up your skirt… He went underneath my clothes and grabbed my underwear." The same host said of her experiences working for Merivale, "I was disgusted. I couldn't believe it. This is my place of work and this is happening. You certainly didn't feel like you could do anything about it." The extensive reporting also detailed unsafe and abusive activities — including sexual misconduct and drug use — at several other Merivale venues, including cocktail bar Hemmesphere, Level 5 (the event space directly beneath Level 6 at Ivy), Felix and the Bondi outpost of Totti's. However, the report conceded that some former Merivale employees and guests who were interviewed for the article believed their access to drugs, exclusive venues and wealthy patrons were unofficial perks. [caption id="attachment_702661" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Totti's Bondi[/caption] While Merivale denies the allegations in the report, the company has engaged leading human rights and discrimination lawyer Kate Eastman, SC, to lead an investigation. A statement from Merivale added that if any of the allegations are found to be true, the company "regrets any distress caused." This latest reporting on Merivale echoes the seismic allegations The Sydney Morning Herald and Good Food published about Swillhouse Group, published on August 21. Anton Forte, the founder of Swillhouse Group, stepped down as the company's CEO on Friday, October 25, following months of attempted rehab, including hiring Justine Baker, a hospitality veteran and former CEO of Solotel, as well as two independent consultants, to oversee cultural reforms across the company. If you need to speak to someone about an experience you have had or are seeking information, please contact 1800Respect on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800respect.org.au.
Come July 2021, ten years will have passed since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2 reached cinema screens, wrapping up the big-screen story about a certain Boy Who Lived. But, to the delight of wannabe wizards and witches everywhere, the franchise hasn't faded away. The Fantastic Beasts films have kept it alive in cinemas, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has done the same on the page and stage, Harry Potter events have been a common occurrence, dedicated stores sling merchandise related to the saga and a Harry Potter theme park is in the works. Soon, you might be able to add a TV series to the long list of HP spinoffs — because it looks like one might be heading to the small screen. Discussions are in the works about a live-action HP show, according to The Hollywood Reporter, with streaming service HBO Max involved. There are few other details available at this point, however. So, what it'll be about, who it'll star, who'll be guiding it behind the scenes, when it'll release and where it'll screen Down Under if it happens are all obviously yet to be revealed. In fact, THR's report comes as a result of "multiple conversations with potential writers exploring various ideas that would bring the beloved property to television" — so it really is early days at present. The same report also notes that HBO Max and Warner Bros have said in a statement that there's nothing in development as yet, if you're wondering just how early the conversations about a HP show are. Of course, that bringing this wizarding world to the small screen is under consideration is hardly surprising news. The same is happening with the Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, after all, because no huge pop culture phenomenon ever disappears these days. To bide your time until further Harry Potter news comes to hand, Australian fans can stream the eight original films as they've just hit Binge. And, for a refresher on how the movies wrapped up, you can also check out the trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2 below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mObK5XD8udk&utm_keyword=referral_bustle Via The Hollywood Reporter
If there was a Morpho machine IRL rather than just in The Big Door Prize, and it dispensed cards that described the potential of television shows instead of people, this is what it might spit out about the Apple TV+ program that it's in: "comforting". This mystery-tinged existential dramedy is filled with people trying to discover who they are and truly want to be after an arcade game-esque console appears in their small town out of nowhere, and the series is both thoughtful and charming. In making the leap from the page of MO Walsh's book to the screen not once but twice now, The Big Door Prize has always also proven both cathartic and relatable viewing. Timing, dropping season one in 2023 as the pandemic-inspired great reset was well and truly in full swing, is a key factor in why the show resonates. Last year as well as now — with season two debuting on Wednesday, April 24 — this is a series that speaks to the yearning to face questions that couldn't be more familiar in a world where COVID-19 sparked a wave of similar "who am I?" musings on a global scale. Everyone now knows the scenario, then, before even watching a minute of The Big Door Prize. Everyone has been living this concept for half a decade. For viewers, of course, it was the drastic change of life as we know it due to a deadly infectious disease that got the planet's inhabitants probing how we're each meant to spend our lives — and to pine for an easy response at a time that's been anything but. Nothing IRL is doling out "royalty", "superstar" and "liar" in white lettering atop a gorgeous shade of blue, though. Actually, the Morpho in The Big Door Prize isn't anymore, either. The difference for the residents of the US midwest locale of Deerfield in the show's second spin: their path no longer simply involves pieces of cardboard that claim to know where the bearer should be expending their energy, but also spans new animated videos that transform their inner thoughts and hopes into 32-bit clips. Some snippets link to memories dating back decades. Some present alternative futures. Each ushers in a new wave of contemplation — because the focus of The Big Door Prize is how high-school teacher Dusty (Chris O'Dowd, Slumberland) and his neighbours react to the clairvoyant contraption and the information that it imparts. When the machine first made its presence known, Irishman-in-America Dusty was cynical. Initially, he held back as everyone clamoured for their business card-sized fortune. When he finally relented, he was unimpressed with the results: "teacher/whistler", the gizmo decreed about his destiny. Now, in a place where the Morpho remains the number-one talking point, he's taking the same route as everyone else in his community. As his wife Cass (Gabrielle Dennis, The Upshaws) and daughter Trina (Djouliet Amara, Fitting In) both are, Dusty has given in to letting the Morpho steer his decisions. Another question that The Big Door Prize poses: if being guided in the right direction was as straightforward as putting a quarter into a console, could you resist? Whether Dusty is making moves that'll impact his marriage, or his restaurant-owning best friend Giorgio (Josh Segarra, The Other Two) is leaping into a new relationship with Cass' best friend Nat (Mary Holland, The Afterparty), uncomplicated happiness rarely follows in this astute show. So when Dusty and Cass deem the Morpho's visions, as the townsfolk dub them, a sign that they need some space to stop being stuck in a rut, it isn't the move they think it will be. As their friends and acquaintances also hold up the Morpho up as a source of wisdom, the same keeps proving true. Trina's relationship with Jacob (first-timer Sammy Fourlas), the twin brother of her deceased boyfriend; Jacob's own efforts to grapple with loss and being without his sibling; his widowed father Beau (Aaron Roman Weiner, Power Book III: Raising Kanan) exploring echoes from his childhood; Cass' mum and Deerfield mayor Izzy (Crystal Fox, The Haves and Have Nots) working through her relationships: they all chart the same course. The Big Door Prize's tech element could fuel a Black Mirror instalment. In fact, The Big Door Prize is as concerned with what humanity does with the inventions that we create to better our existence as Charlie Brooker is. But bleakness never swirls through the mood here. Rather, this is a curious and empathetic series. While season two of the David West Read (Schitt's Creek)-developed show still treats its magical machine as a puzzle for characters and viewers to attempt to solve — and, especially through bartender Hana (Ally Maki, Shortcomings) and local priest Father Reuben (Damon Gupton, Your Honor), still ponders why the Morpho exists, how it knows what it knows and where it comes from — it firmly digs deeper into the quest for answers that we all undertake while gleaning deep down that there's no such thing as a simple meaning of life. In season two as in season one, it's no wonder that The Big Door Prize keeps feeling like staring in a mirror, then — and that it keeps constantly intriguing as well. When Dusty and company each return to the apparatus that holds such sway, they're greeted by a message: "are you ready for the next stage?". The show's audience may as well be asked the same. After 2023's episodes established The Big Door Prize's characters — and with Mr Johnson (Patrick Kerr, Search Party), who owns the store where the Morpho materialises, also among the main figures, there's no shortage of them — 2024's revisit can examine why they respond to the promise of knowing their life's purpose as they do. Not in its style of humour, but in its portrait of a town's eclectic residents, there's a Parks and Recreation, The Simpsons and, yes, Schitt's Creek vibe as the show unlocks another level of potential. It also helps that The Big Door Prize is extremely well-cast, starting with being well-led by O'Dowd. He isn't new to portraying a state of arrested development — going back to The IT Crowd, his resume is built upon it — but he turns in as sincere a performance as he ever has as someone beginning to confront the term. Everyone in Deerfield was cocooned in their routines, sometimes contentedly and sometimes not, before the Morpho appeared. Now, whether sporting oversized personalities (Segarra still steals every scene he's in) or as naturalistic as characters come (Amara, Fourlas, Maki and Gupton fall into that category), they're all fluttering towards finding light in their lives. The Big Door Prize knows that the story is in the journey, crucially — and if it continues flying, viewers will want to stay along for the ride. The Big Door Prize streams via Apple TV+. Read our review of season one, and our interview with Chris O'Dowd and Josh Segarra about season two.
Time is up for anyone who's been taking advantage of an Opal system loophole at Sydney Airport, following a technology upgrade designed to catch out those travelling with insufficient funds of their card. In an effort to curb the number of passengers travelling with negative balances on their Opal cards, new top-up machines have been installed inside stations at both the international and domestic terminals, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. Where punters have previously been able to cruise through to their final destination without sufficient funds on their card, from January 7, they'll now be forced to add credit before they can pass through these gates to their flight. The machines will let you pay with either contactless payment via credit or debit card — but, still, this could be a real hassle if you're in a hurry to catch your flight. The upgrades will save Transport for NSW a lot of cash, given recent figures from the state's Audit Office revealed a whopping $7.8 million revenue has been lost from negative balance Opal cards. As much as $3.8 million of that was during the 2017-18 financial year alone. Most of the passengers turfing Opal cards with negative balances are doing so at the airport stations. Getting to the airport via public transport is already a pretty costly exercise, with hefty station access fees pushing up the total — an adult trip from central Sydney clocks in at $18.70 during peak times. You'll be happy to know that the upgrades are yet to arrive elsewhere on Sydney's public transport system — passengers will still be able to access other train stations with a minimum balance of $3.46 during peak periods, or $2.42 at other times. Via The Sydney Morning Herald.
Thirty-four-metres long, more than twice as big as a regular hot air balloon and ripped straight from Patricia Piccinini's inimitable mind, Skywhale might just be one of Australia's most recognisable recent pieces of art. It's a sight to see, and the largest-scale example of the artist's fascination with the thin line that separates nature and technology — and it's about to meet its match. In 2020, the National Gallery of Australia will unveil Piccinini's new Skywhalepapa, which is designed to form a family with Skywhale. They'll both float through the Canberra skies from March, with the second bulbous sculpture commissioned as part of the gallery's Balnaves Contemporary Series. In total, the pair will take flight from a site near the NGA eight times during the nearly three-month Skywhales: Every Heart Sings exhibition, with the exact launch dates yet to be revealed. [caption id="attachment_751759" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Skywhalepapa, 2019/20 (artist's sketch), Patricia Piccinini. Courtesy of the artist.[/caption] Just how big Skywhalepapa will be is also yet to be announced, but given the impressive size of its companion, expect it to be hefty. If you can't make it to Canberra to see the growing Skywhale clan, they will also tour the country for an NGA touring exhibition, with locations and dates to be confirmed at a later date. While both Skywhalepapa and the Skywhales: Every Heart Sings exhibition will be big Canberra drawcards for the NGA next year, that's not all that the gallery has in store. In fact, it'll also welcome another incredibly famous artwork before the year is out: Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers. The 231-year-old piece will arrive in November 2020, displaying during the four-month-long Botticelli to Van Gogh: Masterpieces from the National Gallery, London exhibition. In total, more than 60 works from European masters will line the NGA's walls, including Rembrandt's Self-portrait at the age of 34 from 1640 and Johannes Vermeer's A young woman seated at a virginal from 1670 — and most of them have never before travelled to Australia. [caption id="attachment_751757" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sunflowers, 1888, Vincent van Gogh. National Gallery London; Bought, Courtauld Fund, 1924.[/caption] Art lovers can also look forward to Know My Name: Australian Women Artists 1900 to Now, which'll shine a spotlight on the nation's female creatives across more than 150 works; Belonging: Stories of Australian Art, a major collection of 19th-century Aussie pieces; a six-month focus on Chinese artist and activist Xu Zhen; and The Body Electric, a showcase of works by female-identifying creatives that are all about sex, pleasure and desire. Or, you can ponder the evolution of contemporary art with The Shock of the New and see a large-scale installation by the Tjanpi Desert Weavers. Skywhales: Every Heart Sings runs from March 7–May 30, 2020 at the National Gallery of Australia, Parkes Place East, Parkes, ACT. For further information about the NGA's 2020 lineup, visit the gallery's website. Top image: Skywhale, 2013, Patricia Piccinini. National Gallery of Australia, Canberra. Gift of anonymous donor 2019, Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program.
"Didn't seem fair on the young lad. That suit at the funeral. With the braces on his teeth, the supreme discomfort of the adolescent." That's how what just might be your favourite new novel of 2024 starts. The book in question? Intermezzo by Sally Rooney. The acclaimed Irish author, who previously penned Conversations with Friends, Normal People and Beautiful World, Where Are You, will release her fourth tome on Tuesday, September 24, 2024. It arrives three years after her last, which also hit three years after Normal People. And if you're already wondering if it will get the TV treatment, as Normal People did first — and made everyone obsessed with Paul Mescal in the process — then Conversations with Friends, it's obviously too early to answer that. Cross your fingers, though. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Faber Books (@faberbooks) Intermezzo will follow two brothers, Peter and Ivan Koubek, as they're grieving the loss of their father's death. The former is in his 30s and a successful Dublin lawyer, but turns to medication to sleep to cope with his loss. The latter is 22 and plays chess competitively. Peter also has complicated bonds with two women, his first love Sylvia and college student Naomi — which will sound familiar to Rooney fans — while Ivan meets the older Margaret not long after his dad's passing. "For two grieving brothers and the people they love, this is a new interlude — a period of desire, despair and possibility — a chance to find out how much one life might hold inside itself without breaking," says the official blurb for the book. "Intermezzo is a story of brothers and lovers, of familial and romantic intimacies, of relationships that don't quite fit the conventional structures," explains Alex Bowler, the book's publisher at Faber & Faber in the UK. "After three miraculous books, Sally Rooney's millions of readers will recognise the beauty and insight, the pain and hope that radiates from this new novel. But it marks an exquisite advance, too, in the work of a writer who seems so attuned to our lives, our hearts and our times." [caption id="attachment_842444" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Enda Bowe/Hulu[/caption] Intermezzo will be published on Tuesday, September 24, 2024. For further details, head to publisher Faber & Faber's website. Images: Normal People / Conversations with Friends.
Not content with crafting some of the most gorgeous films to ever grace cinema screens, Studio Ghibli has revealed further details about its latest piece of enchanting magic — the animation house's first theme park. Originally announced last year with a 2020 opening date, the space is now set to launch in 2022. And while that means pushing back your travel plans an extra two years, it's going to be more than worth the wait. Initially described as a My Neighbour Totoro-focused park, the new Ghibli site will actually spirit visitors away to a whole realm dedicated to its considerable catalogue of movies. As well as Totoro-themed attractions — such as a replica of Satsuki and Mei's house, which already exists at the 200-hectare Expo Park site in Nagoya's Aichi Prefecture — the antique shop from Whisper of the Heart and Kiki's home from Kiki's Delivery Service will also form part of the space. Further, a village area will pay tribute to Princess Mononoke, and a section called the Big Ghibli Warehouse will feature play areas, exhibitions and cinemas. Meanwhile, Howl's Moving Castle will show up in several forms: in a building dedicated to the imaginary scientific elements from with the studio's films, and in the main gate structure. Expect more nods to Ghibli's various features to follow, recreating other aspects from its three-decade-old body of work. If the end result is even half as wondrous as the studio's museum in Mitaka, a city on the western outskirts Tokyo, then fans are in for a treat. There, you can climb up to the building's rooftop garden to see one of the robots from Laputa: Castle in the Sky; watch exclusive shorts, including a sequel to My Neighbour Totoro; and touch a life-sized cat bus, which kids under 12 can climb and play on. Indeed, the museum is such a tourist attraction, you have to buy tickets over a month in advance — and experiencing the rush of folks in the merchandise-packed gift shop will make you feel like a susuwatari (Totoro's gorgeous little balls of floating soot). Incorporated into the existing parklands, the theme park will be heavy on greenery and the natural surroundings, which matches the environmental messaging that plays a prominent part in Ghibli's movies. The site will also encourage "enjoying walking", according to the draft concept outline, while aiming to offer "a one-of-a-kind park loved by more people". We don't think either will be difficult. Via Japan Times. Images: Aichi Prefecture.
A backstage tribute to an iconic TV series. The sequel to a huge horror hit. Amy Adams transforming into a dog. A portrait of an indie band as unique as the group itself. Disquieting filmmaking becoming a family affair. If you're heading to SXSW Sydney in 2024, you'll be able to tick all five of the above boxes, all in the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival's headline slots. When it returns for its second year, the film- and TV-focused fest within the broader SXSW Sydney will feature Saturday Night, Smile 2, Nightbitch, The Front Room and Pavements. Everything except the latter is a new addition to a program that's been unveiling titles on its roster for a few months, so you've now got more movies to fit into your schedule across Monday, October 14–Sunday, October 20. Directed by Juno, Young Adult, Tully and Ghostbusters: Afterlife's Jason Reitman, Saturday Night recreates how SNL's first-ever episode came to be. The Fabelmans' Gabriel LaBelle plays Lorne Michaels, leading a cast that includes Dylan O'Brien (Fantasmas) as Dan Aykroyd, Ella Hunt (Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1) as Gilda Radner, Matthew Rhys (IF) as George Carlin and Matt Wood (Instinct) as John Belushi as well. Also featuring in Saturday Night: Finn Wolfhard (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire), Rachel Sennott (The Idol), Kaia Gerber (Palm Royale), JK Simmons (The Union), Cooper Hoffman (Licorice Pizza), Lamorne Morris (Fargo), Nicholas Braun (Dream Scenario) and Willem Dafoe (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice). And yes, at SXSW Sydney, the film is indeed screening on a Saturday evening. If you got creeped out by Smile back in 2022, you won't be surprised that the unnerving flick has spawned a new chapter. This time, Naomi Scott (Anatomy of a Scandal) stars as a pop star caught up in the chaos around the worst grin you can see. To chat about it, returning director Parker Finn is heading to the fest to present the film, too. Nightbitch hails from The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Can You Ever Forgive Me? and A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood filmmaker Marielle Heller, and stars Amy Adams (Dear Evan Hansen) as a stay-at-home mum who turns canine. And as for the already-announced Pavements, it sees filmmaker Alex Ross Perry (Her Smell) focus on the band Pavement via an experimental blend of documentary, narrative, musical and more. Then there's The Front Room, aka one of two upcoming pictures from the Eggers family. While The Witch, The Lighthouse and The Northman's Robert Eggers has his own take on Nosferatu on the way, his siblings Max and Sam have made their feature directorial debut with this A24-backed and Brandy (Best. Christmas. Ever!)-led affair about a pregnant woman doing battle with her mother-in-law (Kathryn Hunter, Poor Things). One of Saturday Night, Smile 2, Nightbitch, The Front Room and Pavements will screen nightly across the fest's Tuesday–Saturday dates. Wondering about the Monday? There's more news to come, with SXSW Sydney's 2024 Screen Festival opening-night film still to be announced. Elsewhere, as seen in past lineup announcements, 2024's SXSW Sydney Screen Festival spans cults, cat-loving animation and Christmas carnage thanks to Azrael, Ghost Cat Anzu and Carnage for Christmas. Movie lovers can also look forward to Ilana Glazer (The Afterparty)-led mom-com Babes; Audrey starring Jackie van Beek (Nude Tuesday); coming-of-age tale DiDi; the maximum-security prison-set Sing Sing with Colman Domingo (Drive-Away Dolls); and Inside, which features Guy Pearce (The Clearing), Cosmo Jarvis (Shōgun) and Toby Wallace (The Bikeriders). There's also doco Omar and Cedric: If This Ever Gets Weird, spending time with At the Drive-In and The Mars Volta's Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala; Teaches of Peaches, which goes on tour with its namesake; the Lucy Lawless (My Life Is Murder)-directed doco Never Look Away about CNN camerawoman Margaret Moth; Peter Dinklage (Unfrosted) and Juliette Lewis (Yellowjackets) lead western-thriller The Thicket; and Aussie documentary Like My Brother, about four aspiring AFLW players from the Tiwi Islands. The list goes on, with The Most Australian Band Ever! about the Hard-Ons, That Sugar Film and 2040 filmmaker Damon Gameau's Future Council, and Slice of Life: The American Dream. In Former Pizza Huts from Barbecue and We Don't Deserve Dogs' Matthew Salleh and Rose Tucker also set to screen. SXSW Sydney 2024 runs from Monday, October 14–Sunday, October 20 at various Sydney venues. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for further details.
If you've ever had a hunch about a company that's gone on to make it big, or you think you can predict the future, you might have considered investing in the stock market. One way you can do this — without dropping a heap of cash — is by trying out Superhero, a new Robinhood-style trading platform, which has super-low fees and an easy-to-understand dashboard that lets you monitor the progress of all your stocks. Backed by the founders of Afterpay and Zip Co, Superhero offers Australia's cheapest brokerage fee of just $5 per trade. Plus, it lets you invest in ETFs (Electronic Traded Funds) and pay no brokerage fees at all, and has a $100 minimum investment — so you don't have to be moneybags to get started. While the website won't turn you into Eddie Morra (aka Bradley Cooper) from Limitless, it will let you pretend you're that good, with tips on how to spot the next big thing. At the moment, three of the most-traded shares on its platform include Zip Co, an Australian buy-now-pay-later company (think Afterpay); Brainchip, an artificial intelligence company; and Emerge Gaming, an e-sport platform. All three have seen their share prices grow between 43 and 620 percent in the last 12 months. Superhero itself has been super popular, too, with the Australian Financial Review reporting that a whopping 10,000 Aussies signed up in its first three weeks. If you want to try it out for yourself, you can sign up to Superhero for free over here. 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.
From moving road trip dramas and joyous concert documentaries to passionate anthologies and wondrous animation, plenty of excellent films reached screens large and small throughout 2020. Indeed, the past 12 months were filled with cinematic delights — even when we've been watching them at home while movie theatres were closed — but, sadly, they can't all be great. Each year delivers its fair share of exceptional and awful movies, of course. And, both the best and the worst of the bunch can all score awards. The Oscars and the Golden Globes rank among the accolades that recognise the former, while the Golden Raspberries devotes its attention to the other end of the spectrum. After announcing its nominees from the past year's films last month, the Razzies has just revealed its latest batch of winners. Leading the pack from the 41st Razzie Award recipients is the terrible Sia-directed Music, which picked up three of the four categories it was nominated for: Worst Director (for Sia), Worst Actress (for Kate Hudson) and Worst Supporting Actress (for Maddie Ziegler). It didn't take out the Worst Picture field, though, with that gong going to Absolute Proof. Peddling conspiracy theories about the 2020 US election, it also picked up the Worst Actor award for Mike Lindell as himself. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm similarly picked up two awards. Also linked to the election, it deserves its nods in a different way. The film is smart, funny and savage, and definitely not awful, but scored dual wins for Rudy Giuliani (for Worst Supporting Actor, and for Worst Screen Combo with his pants zipper). Although Polish erotic drama 365 Days nabbed six nods and became the awards' first-ever contender in a language other than English, it only won one, for Worst Screenplay. Dolittle, the Robert Downey Jr-starring remake that hit cinemas before the pandemic, also only received one award from its six nominations, emerging victorious in the Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel category. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEf412bSPLs Reflecting the past year's general chaos, the Razzies also handed out a special trophy to the 2020 overall, naming it 'the worst calendar year ever'. Check out the full list of winners and nominees below: GOLDEN RASPBERRY NOMINEES AND WINNERS 2020: WORST PICTURE 365 Days Absolute Proof Dolittle Fantasy Island Music WORST ACTOR Robert Downey Jr, Dolittle Mike Lindell, Absolute Proof Michele Morrone, 365 Days Adam Sandler, Hubie Halloween David Spade, The Wrong Missy WORST ACTRESS Anne Hathaway, The Last Thing He Wanted and The Witches Katie Holmes, Brahms: The Boy II and The Secret: Dare to Dream Kate Hudson, Music Lauren Lapkus, The Wrong Missy Anna-Maria Sieklucka, 365 Days WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR Chevy Chase, The Very Excellent Mr Dundee Rudy Giuliani, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Shia LeBeouf, The Tax Collector Arnold Schwarzenegger, Iron Mask Bruce Willis, Breach, Hard Kill and Survive the Night WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy Lucy Hale, Fantasy Island Maggie Q, Fantasy Island Kristen Wiig, Wonder Woman 1984 Maddie Ziegler, Music WORST SCREEN COMBO Robert Downey Jr and his utterly unconvincing Welsh accent, Dolittle Harrison Ford and that totally fake-looking CGI dog, Call of the Wild Rudy Giuliani and his pants zipper, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Lauren Lapkus and David Spade, The Wrong Missy Adam Sandler and his grating simpleton voice, Hubie Halloween WORST DIRECTOR Charles Band, All three Barbie and Kendra movies Barbara Bialowas and Tomasz Mandes, 365 Days Stephen Gaghan, Dolittle Ron Howard, Hillbilly Elegy Sia, Music WORST PREQUEL, REMAKE, RIP-OFF or SEQUEL 365 Days Dolittle Fantasy Island Hubie Halloween Wonder Woman 1984 WORST SCREENPLAY 365 Days All three Barbie and Kendra movies Dolittle Fantasy Island Hillbilly Elegy
When I travel, I don't buy souvenirs — I bring back groceries. I find this a particularly rewarding thing to do when I spend time in a place where I don't speak the language. Food, after all, is the universal language. And a grocery store can act as a window into cultures that are different to my own. In multicultural and ethnically diverse places like Sydney, grocery stores are especially important for diaspora communities — new arrivals seeking a connection to home (like my own Greek and Cypriot grandparents). It's this connection that inspired Ketan Patel and other partners to open Indian grocery store Radhe in Harris Park in 2006. "As young migrants to Australia during that time, we were desperate to find ingredients for cooking our everyday staples and we realised this is a shared struggle for many Indian-Australians." Opening in Harris Park was no accident, either. "Harris Park is the hub for all things Indian-Australian," Patel says. "We genuinely appreciate its multiculturalism, diversity, happening nature and vibrant energy. Many of our friends mention that whenever we miss our home country, just a ride around this bustling area makes things right." In the years since Patel and his partners opened Radhe's Harris Park outpost, Australia has become home to one of the largest groups within the Indian diaspora. Our Indian-born community is in fact one the fastest-growing migrant groups in the country. Radhe has expanded in line with the population growth, with the grocer now boasting six locations throughout Sydney. It's also since cemented its position as a key pillar in the communities it serves. "Our food was not only a daily meal for us," Patel says. "It was our connection, a feeling of being truly at home and missing it was irreplaceable for many — but what we did get was quite expensive due to the lack of shops. That is how Radhe was incorporated — to make sure all Indian-Australians and everyone else can get the ingredients for cooking tasty and healthy Indian meals at home." Browsing the aisles, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the vast selection of products on offer. Indeed, the Radhe range is reflective of the diversity within India itself. "India, being a multicultural and diverse nation, has a variety of cuisines as per its different regions," Patel says. "It is important to us that we can make a variety of ingredients available to suit all cuisine types. Especially with Indian-Australians now one of Australia's biggest migrant groups, it is crucial for stores like ours to supply everything they need to build a kitchen and a home for themselves here." So, where to start? Patel highlights five items to find at Radhe that will add depth to any pantry. PANTRY ESSENTIALS TO SHOP AT AN INDIAN GROCERY STORE FROZEN GOODS "Samosas, naans and other frozen varieties are ready to eat and great for all foodies looking for a quick treat at home." Patel notes that not only are frozen items "hands-down" a favourite among Radhe staff, but a hit with customers, too. SPICES "Turmeric, cinnamon, chilli powder, the list goes on. These are a staple in every Indian household and gaining popularity in many other cuisines, too. Indian spices are undoubtedly a must-have for that perfect synchrony of taste in your dish." FRESH PRODUCE "Indian cooking liberally uses fresh coriander — in chutneys, as a seasoning, as an ingredient and more. Fresh herbs and veggies — from the common ones to the more exotic Indian vegetable varieties — are a must to prepare an excellent salad or a healthy cooked dish at home." LENTILS AND PULSES "These are the heart of Indian cuisine — think red lentil dal, yellow dal and more. They make for a filling and hearty meal." CHEESE, PLEASE "Paneer, or Indian cottage cheese, is soft, healthy and tasty. It is fabulous for a range of delicious curries, barbecuing or adding to salads." You can find Radhe Wholesale and Retail at 8/10, Harris Street East, Harris Park. For more ways to experience Harris Park, head to the website. Images: Nikki To
Can't make it to Venice any time soon? Don't worry — a taste of the Italian city is coming to Australia. At the beginning of every year, the canal-heavy locale erupts into a colourful festival complete with elaborate costumes and masks. It's a tradition dating back to the 12th century, and it's making its first trip to our shores. The Carnevale Australia Masquerade Ball will brighten up The Peninsula at Docklands on February 11, 2017, asking attendees to don their fanciest threads and best facial covering in the name of the most appropriate theme imaginable in mid February: amore, or love. Indeed, the event certainly plans to share plenty of affection, and not just through its elaborate theming and food. The ball will also include a live silent auction, with proceeds going towards earthquake victims in the Italian village of Amatrice. If that sounds like your kind of shindig (and who doesn't want to dress up, party and pretend they're in Venice?), be prepared: masks are mandatory, and with tickets starting at $450, your masquerade fun doesn't come cheap. In good news for anyone that doesn't have that kind of spare cash, it's also a taster for things to come, with the ball acting as a launch event for Carnevale Australia's full two-week celebration, slated to be held in late October / early November 2017. The Carnevale Australia Masquerade Ball takes place on February 11, 2017 at The Peninsula, Docklands. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the event website and Facebook page. Image: L G.
Thanks to Serial, Making a Murderer, Dirty John and Zac Efron's recent role as serial killer Ted Bundy, true crime might feel like a relatively new trend. With all manner of podcasts, shows and movies devoted to the topic these days, the genre is certainly enjoying an extended moment in the spotlight — but grim real-life tales didn't just begin with the case of Adnan Syed. Around the same time that everyone was obsessing over Serial's first season, Aussie television was turning one of the country's most notorious cases into a two-part drama, with Catching Milat the end result. Dramatising the NSW backpacker murders of 1989–1993, as well as the hunt of now-convicted killer Ivan Milat, it aired on Channel Seven back in May 2015. If you missed it, or you're a new true crime obsessive, it's now on Stan. You can revisit the mini-series — with Malcom Kennard as Milat, Sacha Horler as his ex-wife Karen, Leeanna Walsman as his sister Shirley, and Richard Cawthorne, Geoff Morrell, David Field and Craig Hall as the cops on the case. It's worth noting that Catching Milat is a work of drama — and while it's not as fictionalised as Wolf Creek, which writer/director Greg McLean noted was partly inspired by Milat, it's definitely not a documentary either. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_g7cHhCBCs You can watch Catching Milat on Stan here. Updated: May 9, 2019.
British culinary figure Rick Stein has had a years-long love affair with the Australian coast. In 2009, he opened Rick Stein at Bannisters by the Sea in the breezy south NSW coastal town of Mollymook, and followed it up a decade later with Rick Stein at Bannisters Port Stephens, which debuted in 2018. Now, the legendary chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and television presenter will bringing be his signature brand of "fresh fish, simply cooked" to Sydney for the very first time, with Stein and his Australian wife Sarah set to open their Australian flagship in one of the city's most iconic beachside destinations. Rick Stein at Coogee Beach — which comes 50 years after he opened his very first restaurant, The Seafood Restaurant, in a Cornwall fishing port — will be an expansive 224-seater set in the upcoming InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach, offering the refined beachside dining experience for which Stein is known. For his third Australian restaurant, Stein will be showcasing premium Australian regional and local produce across three distinct, yet quietly elegant, spaces: a signature dining room, a more casual bar area and a sun-washed courtyard terrace. "Coogee Beach is yet another stunning coastal location for our Australian restaurant portfolio — perched by the sea and full of the laidback charm we've come to love so much here," says Stein. "It's especially meaningful for me as my wife Sas grew up in Sydney, so opening a restaurant in her hometown makes this venture all the more special for us both." The menu will hero some of NSW's very best seafood, including mahi mahi from Nelson Bay, Stockton pipis from Port Stephens and line-caught mackerel from Ulladulla, while Stein's show-stopping Singapore chilli crab will feature blue swimmer from Nelson Bay. Naturally, Stein's beloved British-style fish and chips — complete with hand-cut chips and mushy peas — will also make the cut. "There's an abundance of top-quality seafood in Australia and we'll be championing local, seasonal produce with the benefit of accessing the biggest fish market in the southern hemisphere," says Stein. "We'll continue to utilise the relationships we've built in our regional locations to source that same produce in Sydney. It's the best of both worlds." On the ops side, Sarah Stein, Rick's wife and long-time collaborator, will bring her touch to the restaurant's interiors and ambience. For their Coogee dining room, the couple are working in partnership with Salter Brothers, who acquired the Bannisters Group in 2024 and will also operate the InterContinental Coogee. Rick Stein at Coogee Beach is slated to open in November, 2025 at InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach, 242 Arden Street, Coogee. For more information, head to the restaurant's website.
Whether you're a political junkie or simply appreciate the 44th American President's annual end-of-year culture lists, block out your diary for March: you've got a date with Barack Obama. The former US leader is heading Down Under in autumn 2023 for a two-date, two-city speaking tour about leadership — marking his first Australian visit since 2018. President Obama is making the trip for an event dubbed An Evening with President Barack Obama, as presented by business leadership and events provider Growth Faculty. He'll be the organisation's first headline speaker as part of its return to in-person events, in fact — and restarting with the ex-US leader is quite the statement. Obama will take to the stage on Tuesday, March 28 at Aware Theatre in Sydney and on Wednesday, March 29 at Melbourne's John Cain Arena. For folks who can't make it, won't be in either city or miss out on tickets, the Sydney session will also be livestreamed. As for exactly what Obama will be focusing on — leadership is a broad topic — Growth Faculty quoted the man himself, from back in November 2019, as a guide. "Being a leader is not a matter of having your name up in lights, making speeches or corralling power at the top. It's identifying the power in other people and unleashing it," Obama said. The former US President will also cover unpredictable futures and how to navigate them, something that comes with his past job. In-person tickets start at $195, or there's a VIP option in Sydney with a pre-speech cocktail party — although Obama won't be there sipping drinks before taking the stage. AN EVENING WITH PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA 2023: Tuesday, March 28 — Aware Theatre, Sydney Wednesday, March 29 — John Cain Arena, Melbourne An Evening with President Barack Obama heads to Sydney and Melbourne in March 2023, with tickets on sale from 9am on Thursday, November 24. Head to the Growth Faculty website for further details. Top image: Carol M Highsmith via Wikimedia Commons.
The National Gallery of Victoria has just announced its 2019-20 Spring/Summer program — and it's sure to get more than a few people excited. Last winter, the NGV saw over 200 works from New York's famed MoMA and over summer it housed the Escher x Nendo: Between Two Worlds — an exhibition showcasing the works of both Dutch artist M.C. Escher and Japanese design studio Nendo. So, it had some big shoes to fill. Its summer blockbuster, announced this morning, is Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines — and the NGV has succeeded in bringing yet another world-class exhibition to Australian shores. Similar to the Escher x Nendo and 2016's Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei exhibitions, it will showcase an intersection between the two artists' lives, ideas and practices, delving into their radicalism, socio-political standings and distinctive imagery. A world-premiere retrospective exclusive to Melbourne, Crossing Lines will feature over 300 works, including Haring's iconic dancing figures and Basquiat's crown and head motifs throughout a collection of painting, sculpture, objects, drawings, photographs, notebooks and pieces in public spaces. The exhibition will also house the artists' collaborations with some of the world's most-celebrated pop culture icons, including Andy Warhol, Grace Jones and Madonna. [caption id="attachment_717213" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Untitled 1982, Keith Haring, copyright Keith Haring Foundation.[/caption] On top of this stellar exhibition, the NGV will also host a number of smaller (yet no less impressive) exhibitions over spring and summer, including a look at New Jersey artist Brian Donnelly (aka KAWS) in Companionship In The Age Of Loneliness, and a collection of hyperreal photographs by Sydney-based artist Petrina Hicks in Bleached Gothic. A photography exhibition featuring the works of over 100 contemporary photographers from around the world, and a solo show by Australian photographer Polixeni Papapetrou round out the list. Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines will run from December 1, 2019—April 13, 2020 at the National Gallery of Victoria International, Melbourne. Top images: Portrait of Keith Haring by William Coupon; Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, copyright George Hirose; Untitled 1982, Jean-Michel Basquiat, copyright estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat.
The #BanTheBag campaign has scored a major win, with New South Wales grocer Harris Farm Markets making good on its promise to ditch single-use plastic bags entirely. As of today, shoppers at all of the retailer's stores will now choose between the more planet-friendly options of bringing or purchasing a reusable bag, or taking advantage of Harris Farm's free paper bags and cardboard boxes. The family-owned store is now the first major retailer to do away with plastic bags at the registers, with competitors Woolworths and Coles expected to phase out their own by the end of the year. Harris Farm has long been a vocal supporter of minimising plastic bag use and and it's continuing the push, calling for the NSW Government to enforce a statewide ban on the single-use bags. South Australia, the ACT, the Northern Territory and Tasmania already have a full ban in place, with Western Australia and Queensland enforcing their own from July 1 this year. Victoria is expected to announce a start date for its statewide ban in the coming months. Here's hoping we won't be waiting too long for other big-name retailers to follow stop stocking plastic bags altogether.
When the colonising British left Nigeria in 1960, the nation welcomed a new era of transformation, but with independence came instability. This festering civil unrest forms the backdrop of Half of a Yellow Sun, with personal troubles coloured by political uncertainty. As the country attempts to cope with the fighting of power-seeking factions, two sisters become immersed in the conflict. In her 2006 bestseller and Orange Prize for Fiction winner, author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie balanced the broader context of the war with the circumstances of twins Olanna (Thandie Newton) and Kainene (Anika Noni Rose), their efforts to forge lives beyond their well-to-do Lagos upbringing forever shaped by Nigeria's volatility. The film adaptation, written and directed by novelist and playwright Biyi Bandele in his directorial debut, sparkles with potential but plays out with predictability. The setting and the characters may be unique to this tale, but audiences have seen the story — or one just like it — many times before. Providing the punctuation between handsomely shot scenes, archival newsreel footage furnishes chapter stops to the episodic slices of the siblings' lives, with Olanna the film's centre. A sociology professor freshly returned from London, she struggles with her romance with revolutionary-leaning fellow academic Odenigbo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), blissful domesticity never a potential outcome. Odenigbo's overbearing mother (Onyeka Onwenu) is forceful with her disapproval, and instrumental in his affairs. Running the family business, Kainene flits in and out of Olanna's orbit with her British lover, writer Richard (Joseph Mawle), offering her own headstrong opinions and status-climbing ambitions. As a melodrama of strained interpersonal relationships that threatens to betray its based-on-a-true-story origins, Half of a Yellow Sun makes its emotional arcs apparent. As a portrait of the Biafran war, it goes to great efforts to show the wide-ranging impact upon the Nigerian populace, never shying away from the many horrors. What proves less successful is the use of the former to enhance the latter. An emotionally embellished narrative isn't needed to emphasise the devastation and turbulence of the civil war, nor is the absence of subtlety to the feature's benefit. Within such confines, the cast switch between concentrated emoting and smouldering restraint, Newton and Ejiofor faring best as the obvious points of focus. Their innate talents anchor the sentiments beyond their sweeping treatment in the story, even if the feature's female leads swiftly stand in their male co-stars' shadows. Sumptuous but strained, Half of a Yellow Sun thus waxes and wanes between its aspirations and authenticity, reaching for more but restricted by its adherence to convention and cliche. Resonance lingers, but more so in the reality than the depiction. The true scenario speaks for itself, with the incursion of overt theatrics lessening the film's power. https://youtube.com/watch?v=WlINmnyLO9E
Technology has made many of the household items we once relied upon redundant. The Yellow Pages, CD players, and shopping lists are all rapidly becoming relics of a pre-smart phone, pre-digital era. And if designer and inventor, Andrey Kokorin has anything to do with it, the kitchens of the future will also replace knives with electromagnetic lasers. The 'Innovative Laser Device For Cutting Of Foodstuff' uses a series of rotating rings fitted with electromagnets and controlled by an internal microprocessor to slice food into whatever shape your appetite desires. Simply place the food in the spherical pod, customise the shape and size of your slice (with anything from spirals to smily-faces available) and press 'Go'. This groundbreaking, and ecologically friendly, creation was submitted by Kokorin for the James Dyson Award, an internationally renowned competition for young innovators to come up with problem-solving inventions. For Kokorin the inspiration came from a study of kitchen knives and discovering that they can be a hotbed for infectious disease. Peer into your kitchen of the future with this video of the pod in action.
What is personal style? For many of us, it's about the clothes we wear or the accessories we pick — the impression we give of ourselves when heading out the front door each day. But for many creatives, it's about all that alongside the personal artistic expression they reveal to the world through their work. This concept has been captured by Danish jewellery design house Georg Jensen in its new campaign Art of Style, giving insight into how some of our favourite creative personalities let their style trickle into their artistic process — and vice versa. One such featured personality is Australian artist Amanda Shadforth, who revealed in a video for the campaign that she unleashes her creativity both in her art studio and through her chosen jewellery. She even created a bespoke art piece inspired by the retailer's collection. The two go hand-in-hand — similar to Georg Jensen's core design values, Shadorth's style is classic and understated, and her artistic inspiration comes from nature. In collaboration with Georg Jensen, we've delved deeper into some of the key characteristics of Shadorth's style and handpicked some of our favourite pieces from the Offspring, Mercy, Reflect and Curve collections that work together to reflect it. EMBRACE THE IMPERFECT Any fan of Shadforth's work knows she has an eye for organic shapes drawn from nature — her bespoke art piece for Georg Jensen does away with traditional fine art techniques and digital influences. Shadforth says that's one of the main things that draws her to the design house: the perfectly imperfect, organic shapes that feel like they're a natural expression of the human body. "Some of the pieces actually feel like they could have been part of nature once," says Shadforth. If you're also a fan of wearing pieces that reflect the calm dynamism of nature, opt for Georg Jensen's Mercy collection. This range, by acclaimed American designer Jacqueline Rabun, uses sterling silver and 18k gold to create unique pieces reflecting the shifting sculptural forms of nature and the human experience. Our pick: The Mercy Double Ring in sterling silver. This piece at first gives the appearance of two rings, but on closer inspection reveals itself to be one continuous, flowing shape. The curve of this double ring almost appears like ocean waves or the essence of time, captured on the wearer's fingers. RRP: $475 Pair it with: The Mercy Earrings in 18k yellow gold Another Rabun design, these striking earrings are made from one organic flowing shape, twisting through the ear hole and hugging the lobe — almost acting as an extension of the ear. According to the designer, the strands are inspired by the twists and turns of time. RRP: $1175 DON'T BE AFRAID TO MIX AND MATCH Shadforth reveales she uses everything from giant stainless steel trowels to tiny delicate brushes to create depth and texture in her artworks — she even makes her own equipment when she needs a particular way of applying paint. Her affinity for mixing and matching is echoed in her favourite pieces from Georg Jensen's collections, where style 'rules' are made to be broken. If you've previously considered yourself a solely silver or gold girlie, change things up and create a fresh, contemporary look by mixing metals, stacking and layering pieces from different collections — perhaps a mix of delicate understated pieces and striking standouts. The classic chain designs seen in Rabun's new Reflect collection for Georg Jensen can be paired with her larger statement forms of the egg-shaped Offspring collection, or Regitze Overgaard's bold and sculptural Curve bangles, earrings, pendants and rings. Our pick: The Large Offspring Ring in sterling silver: an eye-catching conversation starter in the Offpsiring collection's signature oval shape, this chunky piece lends itself perfectly to stacking with more delicate shapes and offsetting with different metals. RRP: $345 Pair it with: The Medium Curve Bangle in 18k yellow gold and sterling silver. The line dividing the gold and silver in this statement bangle contrasts with its soft, organic shape — and proves that any outdated rules you might have about mixing gold and silver can be nixed. Instead, combining different metals creates a look as individual (and striking, of course) as the wearer. RRP: $7700 PAIR FEMININE AND MASCULINE STYLES Again showing that mixing and matching is key, Shadforth describes her style as a paradox between masculine and feminine. She has a "tomboyish" tendency to gravitate towards trousers and blazers, which she pairs with classic, understated pieces. Jewellery is an effective way to achieve such a mix — since the dawn of civilisation, it's been used as a tool by both sexes to embellish and stand out. Achieve it yourself by taking classically unisex shapes like the chains and striking rings from Georg Jensen's Reflect collection and pair them with the feminine shapes celebrated in the Curve collection or the egg-shaped Offspring collection. Our pick: The Reflect Ring in sterling silver. Designed by Rabun and formed by two ends of a piece of sterling silver wrapped around each other, this striking unisex ring can be a bold statement piece or used to stack with other forms. RRP:$375 Pair it with: The Offspring Bangle in sterling silver. Delicate silver bangles are, of course, always in vogue, but this one adds a modern, feminine twist on a classic shape thanks to its wave-like curve. Combine it with the Reflect Ring for a contemporary mix of thick and thin metals. RRP:$475 SHE'S SO GOLDEN There's no doubt that chunky gold jewellery is having a moment — but loyal fans of this glittering shade know that it never really goes out of style. Shadforth opts for gold in both her artistic and fashion expressions — her art piece in collaboration with Georg Jensen uses a thick application of dark ochre, amber and gold tones that give the piece real warmth. And you only have to take a look at some of Shadorth's other stunning works to know it's a theme that carries through much of her oeuvre. If you're keen to give gold a go, opt for timeless pieces in yellow gold that can be easily stacked with other metals and shapes. Our pick: The Mercy Earrings in 18k yellow gold with diamonds — because when is that combination ever not fabulous? Inspired by the passage of time, these delicate twisted hoops manage to be both classic and contemporary — and can be passed down through generations. RRP: $3350 We'd pair them with: The Large Reflect Bracelet in 18k gold. The classic link bracelet has been given a modern and luxurious makeover with this Rabun-designed gold chain piece. With a bit more 'tude than other chain bracelets tanks to its interlocking links, it definitely doesn't come cheap, but again is timeless enough to be passed down from mother to daughter over many years. RRP: $14,000 Feeling inspired? You too can express your own art of style through Georg Jensen's Mercy, Reflect, Curve and Offspring collections — the pieces are designed to be layered and stacked together, across collections and combined with different metals. For more information, head to the website.
It's a familiar problem: your lounge room corner or kitchen windowsill is screaming for a bit of greenery, but finding time to shop for a fiddle leaf fig or a monstera is easier said than done. That's where plant delivery services come in, whether you're after something new each month or a one-off parcel of nature's goodness. And, in the latter camp, Australia has a new site ready to send a baby rubber plant, bird of paradise or peace lily to your door. That'd be The Plant People, a Brisbane-based nursery that takes care of the whole process, including seeding, growing, potting and delivery. At the company's base in Burpengary, green babies are nurtured by propagators and horticulturalists, then sent to eager customers — not only in Brissy or on the Gold and Sunshine coasts, but throughout Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, the ACT and South Australia. Greenery-wise, The Plant People specialises in low-maintenance plants that can be grown indoors and arrive room-ready, with its range spanning familiar names and more creative types. You can nab a birds nest fern, Swiss cheese plant or string of pearls, or perhaps a philodendron, string of dolphins, Chinese money plant or manda succulent. The collection will continue to grow, following the latest trends and adding new varieties. The Plant People also sells pots, which are made by an artisan in Vietnam, as well as handy accessories such as garden scissors and moisture meters. Prices range from $14.95–$395 — and, no matter where you're getting your plant delivered to in its custom-designed box, shipping is free. The Plant People delivers to Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, the ACT and South Australia. For further details, visit the company's website.
Heads up, Mother's Day is just one week away. Yep, you can pucker up on our tootsies later. But there's pressie planning afoot, and we've found quite the showstopper for your dear ol' Mumsie this year thanks to Gelato Messina. Never one to miss an opportunity to experiment with new ways to inhale gelato, Messina have been cooking up quite the delicate novelty dessert for Mum: a Italian-inspired chocolate box of gelato-filled nibbles. Each box comes with 12 handmade chocolate and gelato bon bons; best enjoyed with opera blaring in the background, with a strong, black cup of coffee and a shoulder massage. Go on, your mum put up with you through puberty, you owe her one massage. So which crazy tell-your-friends flavours have Messina come up with for their bitty bon bons? There's six in total, each more decadent than the last: blood peach sorbet with rosewater gel, roasted banana gelato with white chocolate ganache, mandarin puree with salted butter caramel gelato, hazelnut and coffee gelato with roasted hazelnuts, wild strawberry sorbet with pistachio praline and (wait for it) shiraz sorbet with dark chocolate ganache and popping candy. If you can find us something that says 'perfect Mother's Day gift' better than shiraz sorbet bon bons, we'll eat this empty bon bon box. The Messina chocolate and gelato bon bon boxes are going for $39 a box (with a cute little card), available to order from Monday, May 4. They're available for collection from May 8-10 from Darlinghurst, Miranda and Parramatta stores in Sydney, as well as the Fitzroy and Coolangatta stores.
Heading to Moonlight Cinema has been one of the best ways to spend a balmy night across Australia since 1995. Kicking things off 30 years ago with a screening of Tarantino classic Pulp Fiction, the much-loved outdoor cinema is celebrating its milestone birthday with the launch of a special cinematic lineup selected by the audience — The People's Program. While the cinema never misses a beat when it comes to the silver screen schedule, showcasing new releases, timeless masterpieces and family-friendly hits, now audiences are invited to have their say on which films return to the big screen. With voting open, choose from a curated list of classics, sing-alongs and cult favourites, from Shrek and Dirty Dancing to The Castle and Jurassic Park. "For three decades, Moonlight Cinema has been a quintessential summer ritual for millions of Australians," says John Boero, General Manager of Entertainment Operations, EVT. "The People's Program gives fans the chance to help shape the season and enjoy their most-loved films — under the stars, where Moonlight magic happens." However, there's more to this event than just picking the flicks. Everyone who votes will receive a 30 percent discount on general admission tickets to The People's Program sessions, screening the top-voted requests from January through March. Plus, voters go into the draw to win a double season pass alongside other stellar prizes so that you can experience Moonlight Cinema at its very best. As for the rest of the season, this year's Moonlight Cinema is particularly merry. From Tuesday, December 9–Tuesday, December 23, movie-lovers will be treated to Christmas Favourites. Spanning two weeks of crowd-pleasing festive films, Love Actually, Elf, Home Alone, The Holiday and more are taking over massive al fresco screens around the country. Then it's time for summer blockbusters, including new releases like Wicked: For Good, Eternity and Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere. Meanwhile, there's no shortage of new family flicks bound to become old favourites, like Zootopia 2, Moana 2 and How to Train Your Dragon. Moonlight Cinema runs in various locations with specific dates from Friday, November 21–Sunday, April 5, 2026. Head to the website for more information.
What's better than a freshly brewed cup of coffee? Only having to wait 15 seconds for it. Much-loved Surry Hills cafe Single O (previously Single Origin Roasters) has streamlined the filter coffee process, launching a first-of-its-kind coffee on tap. As well as being extremely fast, Single O's new filter coffee taps are also self-serve. Just tap your credit card (if you're not heading in on the free day), choose one of the four taps and wait 15 seconds while your reusable cup, or loan-a-mug, fills with freshly brewed batch coffee. You can choose from uniquely crafted brews such as the Sweet Sixteen Birthday Blend, with notes of peaches and cream; and the mango- and guava-heavy Nicaragua Cup of Excellence. It'll set you back between $4–5 a cup, or you can order a tasting flight of three for $7. It's also serving up a varied brunch and lunch menu, which includes everything from avo toast and bacon and egg rolls through to crocodile and corn croquettes. There are also a few gluten-free and vegan options, and a motherload of great sides to customise your eggs on toast. You'll also be able to check out the popular coffee spot's recently renovated and expanded interior, which was designed by Sydney architect Luchetti Krelle, who's also behind Barangaroo restaurant Banskii, lower north shore bar Manly Greenhouse and Marickville cafe Matinee Coffee.
Snapchat is hardly the most discerning of mediums. If you had to break down the subject of all content sent on the service, the vast majority of snaps would surely consist of people's faces perched atop cartoon animal bodies, drunken selfies with indecipherable words slapped across the screen, and an obscene number of dick pics, sexts and various videos somehow including the presence of a penis. You can't expect that much more from a service founded by the king of all dudebros. Anyway. Snapchat is about to get all grown up. According to the Wall Street Journal, the much-loved startup is introducing some news and advertising to your drunken, sext-loving feed. Set to launch this November, these new inclusions are being planned under the moniker of Snapchat Discovery; a service to complement the already released Snapchat Stories. And it's already generating a lot of interest. Lots of brands eager to get into the snap-loving teen market have already started accounts and are now looking for ways to maximise their presence with users. Branded messages with 'Snapchat celebrities' are already a standard practice and straight-up advertising seems like the next logical step. There are reportedly a dozen companies already in line for the service including MailOnline, the online component of The Daily Mail. Allowing users to read news content and watch small portions of TV and movies, Snapchat's self-destruction of messages outwardly seems like a tidy way to deal with copyrighted content. Other than that, it's unsure as yet how any of it will really work. This is the startup's first move to monetise content and everyone understandably has a whole lot of questions. For instance, how many ads for Guardians of the Galaxy am I going to have to wade through before I can see my friend's daily work selfie? At what point can I get my dinner snaps sponsored by Dominoes or Pizza Hut and live off the wonderful oily spoils? Is Snapchat the future of journalism as we know it? The answers: at least one, soon hopefully, and for the sake of all humanity let's hope not. Via Mashable and Wall Street Journal. Images: jeffgoldblum236.tumblr.com and superwholock4lyfe.tumblr.com via Buzzfeed.
It's not often I finish work, throw down my tools, loosen my tie and think to myself, "god I'd really kill for some lobster". We're not a lobster-obsessed nation like the States, so it's a bit of a strange choice for an inner-city rooftop bar, particularly at $50 per half with a side of truffle fries. It feels a bit extravagant and incongruous to the casual bar vibe. The lobster itself, however, is super-fresh and handled beautifully, the firm flesh still moist and cut nicely by a clean citrus vinaigrette. With only lobster or burgers for food, the Rook is going for a an American diner kind of experience, though you wonder if they're cornering themselves out of the market in doing so. The Rook is working in threes. There are three burgers, three lobsters and three desserts including a sundae, alcohol-spiked fruit and a deep-fried Mars Bar. And we're talking about deep-fried Mars Bars of the 'for real' variety. I had to order it. A big part of me wishes I hadn't. Not the part that I would like to not get any bigger, but the part of me that likes things that are really, really tasty. This had a weird, gluggy texture and an overpowering alcoholic taste courtesy of the rum and raisin ice-cream. The burgers, however, are pretty ace. The saltiness of haloumi ($23) is balanced by spinach and soft, sweet peppers. Meanwhile, the sundae with Special K ice-cream, cherries, banana, peanut butter crunch and cream ($23) fills you with a bit of child-like enthusiasm and subsequent nostalgic buzz from a sugar high. Half of this eclectic, recycled and colourful space is seating for eating and half is a bar for cocktail sipping, with drinks being mixed by Cristiano Beretta from the highly regarded Black Pearl in Melbourne. The cocktails are a mix of classics and regularly changing signatures. The Fire in the Pisco ($19) with elderflower and violet liqueur gives a summery, floral twist to a traditional pisco sour. Being a sibling to the Keystone Group's The Winery and Gazebo, the wine list here is above cocktail bar standards, pulling some more interesting internationals from France, Spain, Italy and New Zealand with a nice clutch of them by the glass, like the Telmo Rodriguez Rioja from Spain ($13). It's a fun spot, with a retractable roof in progress which will be a major win. Young professionals and casual drinkers mix it up at the Rook with some sweet tunes to boot. Perched up so high, it's a slightly smug experience peering eye-level into office workers' windows as they hunch over computers. Sitting here with a cocktail in hand, lobster tail in the other, you know they might just be staring back thinking, "man I'd really kill for that". Photos by Madeline Milani.
They're the TV equivalent of page-turners: the shows that have you hanging on every twist and revelation, and that you just want to keep watching when each episode comes to an end. You know the type. They're filled with mystery and intrigue, as well as wild plot developments that constantly keep you guessing. And they're exactly the thing to watch when you've had a long and busy day and just feel like immersing yourself in someone else's ups and downs. Perhaps you want to jump into a moody supernatural thriller. Maybe an involving crime drama is more your style — or you could prefer the ins and outs of a marriage rocked by scandal, the trials and tribulations of a hitman who really just wants to be an actor, or to see what happens when a flight attendant comes under suspicion for murder. They're all on offer on Binge, and we've teamed up with the streaming service to explain why you'll want to add them all to your must-watch list — including via a 14-day free trial for new customers.
The stomping singalongs, Guinness stews and rowdy, fiddle-fuelled shindiggery of Paddington's long-serving Irish pub, Durty Nelly's, have seen their last day. There's a brand new pub in the Intersection, sitting where the songs of the Irish were once sung, and making its presence felt in Paddo's pretty streets. Meet The Village Inn, owned by Leeroy Petersen (owner of The Print Room upstairs, brother of Brody, owner of Surly's, Riley Street Garage, The Stuffed Beaver). It's a sharp new spot that's giving pub renovations hope, and it's already pretty packed. With the reopening of the Hotel Palisade, the revamp of the Bellevue Hotel and the recent Vic on the Park-steered reno of The Lord Gladstone, the debate over great and terrible pub renovations is rife in Sydney at present. The Village Inn is the latest of this trend, and they've quite honestly nailed it. With the help of designers Alexander & Co. (Surly's, The Morrison, Daniel San and The Print Room), the space is a quirky jumble of taxidermy, exposed brickwork, leather banquettes, a hand-wrought communal bar and blonde wood tables. The designers have worked within the bones of the 1840s-built pub, swept away any possible remnants of ol' Durty Nelly's, and forged a brand new, genuinely friendly personality in the space. Pub nosh at The Village Inn is a well-thought-out affair, from the usual Scottish tavern-inspired suspects to Actually Interesting Salads. One of the most effective crowdpleasers, The Glenmore ($23) sees a stout-braised lamb shank with white truffle and chive mash, the tender meat falling right off the bone. Thumbs way up for the spring salad ($16), an artful little dish of roast pumpkin, peptic seeds, toasted walnuts and blue cheese croutons, alongside the Rowe salad ($16), a hearty but colourful concoction of winter baby beets, watercress, cashews and chive balsamic dressing. For something a little lighter, the kitchen has developed the 'Mid-Priced Affair' menu, with The Nordic ($17), a little plate of smoked salmon and a teeny tiny dill, pickle and smoked baby potato salad. The Heritage ($17) is full of flavour, with heirloom tomatoes, basil and burratta (but we honestly could have done with a little more burratta for 17 beans). No pub renovation is complete without a novelty food hybrid to get writers sucked in. But the Inn hasn't gone completely OTT, going with a safe mix: 'burwiches' (burgers crossed with sandwiches, so a pretty straightforward concoction). But these aren't your regular tired pub 'wiches, with a steeper price tag but worth every penny. The Big Bad Wolf ($19) is a pork lovers' delight, with three serves of piggery (smoked ham, pork belly and bacon) on one milk bun with a fried egg and gruyere. For the non-carnivores there's The Forbes ($17), a messy, messy creamy egg and chive salad with pickles on a toasted panini. All come served with a generous helping of hand cut chips, but you'll be hard pressed to finish them. While we'll (sorta) pine for the pints of Kilkenny and the knee-slapping live Irish music of Durty Nelly's, we're pretty happy the quirky little pub on the corner has found itself in safe hands. A solid addition to the Paddo pub scene and a prime example of a great pub reno. We'll be back.
Winter is here, and while unfortunately, we will have to wait another whole year for the finale series of Game of Thrones, there is an event coming for Sydney that will tide fans over (at least temporarily). Call your banners and get ready for a medieval-style banquet in the vein of GoT from the team behind Beyond Cinema. If, like Jon Snow, you know nothing, Beyond Cinema aims to create larger than life, immersive cinema experiences, notably entering the scene with its debut production The Titanic Experience, which happened on an actual ship with a crowd of 1000 people. But you can forget steamy car windows and any kind of dainty romance, as the collective's next offering is an immersive medieval-style banquet replicating the fascinating and often terrifying world of HBO's hit series that so many have come to depend on for meaning in life. While many details of the event are still shrouded in mystery (much like the eventual outcome of the series), we can be assured that Beyond Cinema's usual flair will ensure a night of gruff entertainment. There are rumours there will be knights, a performing jester, medieval music, a meal fit for a king and many tankards of hearty ale. Seeing as it's ominously titled the Red Wedding Banquet, we may also assume there will be some recreations of scenes from George R. R. Martin's saga. Here's hoping there's no regicide at this one. The Red Wedding banquet will happen in Sydney sometime this year. We'll let you know when tickets go on sale or you can sign up for updates here.
If Colin From Accounts won you over as quickly as a cute dog in the street when it first arrived in 2022 — when it became one of that year's best new TV shows in the process — then you've probably been hanging out for the Aussie rom-com sitcom's second season. The show was unsurprisingly renewed in 2023, and now has an official return date: Thursday, May 30. When it debuted, Colin From Accounts had everyone bingeing their way through this tale of an awkward but memorable meet-cute, which began when a medical student and a microbrewery owner crossed paths in Sydney, ended up with an injured dog between them, then went from strangers to pet co-owners almost instantly. This time, however, the series will be dropping its episodes weekly on Binge instead of in one batch. If you're new to the show, which won Best Narrative Comedy Series at the 2024 AACTAs and a trio of Logies — Most Outstanding Comedy Program, Most Outstanding Actor and Most Outstanding Actress — in 2023, it's the latest collaboration between real-life couple and No Activity stars Harriet Dyer (The Invisible Man) and Patrick Brammall (Evil). Story-wise, the first season of Colin From Accounts charted what happened after Brammall's Gordon was distracted by Dyer's Ashley one otherwise ordinary morning, then accidentally hit a stray dog with his car. The pair took the pooch to receive veterinary treatment, then committed to look after him — and, yes, named him Colin From Accounts — causing their already-messy lives to intertwine. In season two, Ashley and Gordon are living together, which brings its own chaos — including the quest to get Colin From Accounts back from his new owners. A heap of fresh faces are joining the series for its second date, such as Celeste Barber (Wellmania), Virginia Gay (Mother and Son), Justin Rosniak (Wolf Like Me), Lynne Porteous (Frayed) and John Howard (Bump). Season two of Colin From Accounts doesn't yet have a sneak peek, but you can check out the trailer for season one below: Colin From Accounts season two will stream via Binge from Thursday, May 30, 2024. Read our review of season one. Images: Lisa Tomasetti.
There might be a familiar face missing when you next venture through Berry, a town located about two hours drive south of Sydney. The region's legendary Berry Sourdough Cafe shut its doors for good in October, wrapping up an incredibly popular 17-year run. But while one institution's gone, there's another in the making, with the owners' other venture Milkwood Bakery still happily baking up a storm over on Queen Street. With seven years under its belt, this one's got its own legion of fans and is known for slinging a tempting lineup of signature cakes, pastries, bread and coffee. The cabinets are chock full of sweet delights, including fruit-filled danishes, buttery croissants and delicate chocolate caramel hazelnut tarts. Savoury options might include rustic sausage rolls and pizza slices, while the bread selection showcases classics like organic sourdough and chewy ciabatta. It's the perfect pit-stop for travellers, though if you've got the time, nab a seat in the leafy courtyard for a coffee and some brunch. The extended menu features cheery options like a loaded brekky burger, cheesy toasties and a vibrant brunch bowl.
For a country that's girt by sea, as our anthem reminds us, Australia has become rather obsessed with waves of the man-made kind of late. The Sunshine Coast was supposed to be getting a wave pool that hasn't yet come to fruition, work on URBNSURF's 2.1-hectare space near the Melbourne airport has already begun — targeting an April 2019 opening — and a 3.2-hectare Sydney spot was approved late last year. Indeed, 'who needs real beaches?' seems to be the current line of thinking. If a regional Queensland surf park that's set to become operational this year proves a success, we could all living out at Point Break dreams at more places — called Surf Lakes, it's actually a prototype facility designed to give a new kind of technology a whirl. Located near Yeppoon on the Capricorn Coast, the park is built around a central mechanism that sends waves from the middle of the 200-metre by 150-metre lake towards the edge. With the water lapping over eight distinctive breaks, it'll produce 2400 surfable waves per hour. [caption id="attachment_676066" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Surf Lakes[/caption] Surf Lakes also has some high-profile support, with Aussie surfers Mark Occhilupo and Barton Lynch the park's two ambassadors. More than just lending his encouragement to the project, Occy is lending a hand on an attraction called Occy's Peak, The Morning Bulletin reports. It's a barrelling break that'll range up to 2.4 metres high — the park record — and span across 60 metres. The full-scale demo site is currently to slated to be up-and-running around August, according to Stab Magazine; however don't go booking a trip to central Queensland just yet. At present, it'll be run as a test facility for media and folks who might be interested in licensing the idea for other parks, although there are plans to open to the public at a later date.
All the best superheroes can zap enemies with laser eyes. Wouldn't it be cool if us ordinary folk also had the power to control the objects in our sights? OK, so the technology empowering our eyes to pulverise hasn't been invented yet... and that's probably a good thing...but today saw the release of the next best thing to it. One of the world's largest computer companies, Lenovo, has partnered with eye-tracking technology experts Tobii to produce prototypes for the first ever eye-controlled computer, and the public has the chance to test it out at digital tradeshow CeBIT in Hannover, Germany. Barbara Barclay, general manager of Tobii North America says “We anticipate that people will be extremely excited to be able to control their computer with their eyes.” Using an infrared light source and a camera that observers a user's eyes, the technology combines software that works out where the eyes are positioned in space in front of the computer, and where they're looking. Computer commands powered by the user's eyes, such as as selecting an icon or scrolling through text, will complement existing functions of the mouse and keyboard. [Via Fast Company]
Located in the harbourside suburb of Woolloomooloo, Viand Thai is a classy Thai restaurant where the dishes are served up like miniature artworks and the ambience is designed to relax and enthral. Head chef Annita Potter is driven by the sensory pleasure of eating — clearly evident as the fragrant aromas waft from the open plan kitchen into the dining room all night long. The unique ceramic dinnerware is also a visual feast for the eyes. Viand is an archaic English word which means "an unlimited assortment of foods" and looking at its menu you know it wasn't kidding when it took that name. This is a tasting menu only type of place, with the options ranging from five courses to eight courses, including vegan and pescatarian options. Highlights on the five-course menu include grilled Hokkaido scallops with shallots and peanut chilli dressing and the deep fried crispy king dory with roasted chilli dressing in long leaf coriander. Dessert is a mix of sweet Thai wafers with coconut meringue and preserved lychees. The vegan menu is equally as impressive, with the aromatic curry of kipfler potatoes, baby tomatoes and pickled cucumbers a big win. We also can't overlook the broth of assorted mushrooms with tapioca and green onions. It is unlike anything you've had before. Then you've got Viand's extensive drinks list. Expect local beers and classic cocktails as well as an carefully curated wine list including French and Italian reds, German resilings and classic Aussie chardonnays. This is the kind of place you go to treat yourself to an extra special dining experience.
Back in 2021, news arrived that Round the Twist was joining The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Muriel's Wedding, Strictly Ballroom, Starstruck and Moulin Rouge! in making the leap from Australia's screens to its theatres as a stage musical. If you've ever, ever felt like you needed to see the classic 90s and early 00s Aussie children's TV series with singing and dancing, the end result finally has a debut date. Your destination if you want to catch it first: Brisbane, with Round the Twist The Musical making its world premiere as part of Queensland Theatre's 2024 season. The homegrown gem is going the screen-to-stage route in a production that hasn't yet unveiled its cast, but already has the entire country well-acquainted with its characters. It'll hit QPAC's Playhouse from Tuesday, November 12–Sunday, December 1, closing out Queensland Theatre's 2024 run. We bet you're now more excited right now than a Twist family member in a lighthouse. Airing for two seasons between 1990–93, then another two from 2000–01, Round the Twist adapted Paul Jennings' popular books into an offbeat fantasy series. If you were the right age, it was must-see TV — and now it's your next must-see musical. Here's hoping that the new stage production not only does justice to the show that absolutely every Aussie kid watched in the 90s and 00s, and more than once, but that it taps into its balance of humour, strangeness and scares. There's definitely a big lighthouse involved, because of course there is. Obviously, we all know which song absolutely has to be included — and multiple times, ideally. Yes, it's the theme tune by Andrew Duffield that you've now got stuck in your head and will keep singing to yourself for the rest of the week. (And no, we're not sorry for putting it there.) Writer/composer Paul Hodge and director Simon Phillips (Muriel's Wedding: The Musical, Ladies in Black) are guiding the show, which will focus on single father Tony Twist; his children Pete, Linda and Bronson; and their efforts to save their home from the Gribble family while also attempting to solve a 200-year-old mystery. Expect haunted spaces, ghosts, smelly feet and a crystal ball as well, and songs. "Round The Twist The Musical is iconically Australian and it is our absolute pleasure to bring these characters, these stories and these songs to the stage for the first time ever," said Queensland Theatre Artistic Director Lee Lewis, announcing the 2024 program. "This has been a giddy labour of love for all of us here at Queensland Theatre for years now, and we're beyond excited to finally see this production come to life." Where Round The Twist The Musical will play after its Brisbane debut hasn't yet been announced, if you're hoping to see the production elsewhere around the country. Back in the Queensland capital, Queensland Theatre will also stage versions of Gaslight and Medea in 2024, the latter by Kate Mulvany and Anne-Louise Sarks. Football drama 37 will enjoy its world premiere, while Pulitzer Prize-winner Cost of Living and the Veep-style POTUS, Or Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying To Keep Him Alive will make their Australian debuts. If you need something Round the Twist-related to watch until November 2024 hits, all four seasons of the show are streaming on Netflix. You can also check out the trailer for Round the Twist's first season below: Round the Twist The Musical will premiere at the QPAC Playhouse, South Bank, Brisbane from Tuesday, November 12–Sunday, December 1, 2024 as part of Queensland Theatre's 2024 season — head to Queensland Theatre's website for further details. Top image: Round the Twist filming location Split Point lighthouse, Natalie Maguire via Wikimedia Commons.
Stuff. I know I have too much of it. And storage? Far too little. This weekend I just finished reading What's Mine Is Yours, a book by Rachel Botsman and Roo Rogers advocating collaborative consumption. Basically, it talks about all the avenues through which people swap, share, barter, trade and rent on a massive scale with the help of communication technologies like the interwebs. I was left staggered by the sheer amount of stuff I own which spends most of its time in my possession gathering dust. How exciting, then, to stumble upon a solution to my problem both local and nation-wide in its reach. The Garage Sale Trail will be held on Sunday, April 10 this year in backyards, front yards and garages right across Australia. You can register your garage sale on the website, and on the day people can hop between garage sales in their local area. Pop in your post-code to check out what's near you. The pilot project held in Bondi last year attracted droves of people, emptied ATMs in the area and saw the equivalent of 15 shipping containers of goods exchanging hands. Sounds like a pretty sweet way to get sustainable. https://youtube.com/watch?v=AuOBz7FF7z4
Four decades back, and three as well, Clown in a Cornfield would've stood out on a video store's shelves. It would've proven an instant hot rental, in fact. The slasher film just has that kind of title. The immediately evocative name comes from the page, where this tale of a killer jester sparking bloody mayhem rather than big laughs in a rural Missouri community initially appeared courtesy of author Adam Cesare. Not just for its moniker, the book won the 2020 Bram Stoker Award for Best Young Adult Novel. Eli Craig, the director of Clown in a Cornfield as a film — and its and co-screenwriter with Carter Blanchard (G vs E) — is no stranger to terrific titles himself. He was initially interested in this as his third feature due to its name, because who wouldn't be? That tracks across his career, however; his first two movies also had marvellous monikers. Fifteen years ago, Craig's Tucker and Dale vs Evil started earning horror- and comedy-loving devotees, and now is deservedly considered a 21st-century classic. When Little Evil arrived in 2017, it also had a title that stood out. How much stock does Craig put in a great name for a movie? "I think a great title is what gets people's attention more than almost any marketing. And it's very fun to me to mashup a title in a way that feels provocative — like you say, and unique. And feels like it tells the story," he tells Concrete Playground. "But then when you go see the movie, it actually has a lot more depth and complexity than the title gives you. So for Tucker and Dale vs Evil, it seems kind of silly and goofy — and, of course, it is a very heightened comedy. But it also has these layers of things it's about, and that is much deeper than you would think." "And it's the same with Clown in a Cornfield," Craig continues. "I think once people see it, they'll be like 'oh, this is actually saying a lot of things. It's not just a goofy movie about a clown and a cornfield'." Clown in a Cornfield is definitely a flick about a clown and a cornfield. It makes good on that promise. It also pushes horror further to the fore than Craig's past features did. This is equally a slasher that uses that high-concept premise to dig into generational divides, economic uncertainty, and both capitalism and the American dream gone wrong, though. As it follows high schooler Quinn Maybrook (Katie Douglas, Ginny & Georgia) and her widower father (Aaron Abrams, Children Ruin Everything) to Kettle Springs, where the latter is about to be the new town doctor — and where the existing resident adults, such as Sheriff Dunne (Will Sasso, George & Mandy's First Marriage) and Mayor Arthur Hill (Kevin Durand, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), yearn for the locale's past, while teens such as Arthur's son Cole (Carson MacCormac, Shazam! Fury of the Gods) are looking forward instead — it has societal bite to go along with its blood and gore. In Clown in a Cornfield, the character that lives up to the movie's moniker is Frendo, the mascot for the local Baypen Factory, which once kept much of the town employed. Since the corn outfit closed down, its harlequin has become a symbol of happiness and prosperity corrupted, embodying everything that Kettle Springs has lost — and sparking that chasm between its authority figures and everyone of their age with the next generation. In both the picture's 90s-set opening and its present-day bulk, a slicing-and-dicing Frendo is hardly a pal, then. It's positively homicidal, with dispensing with Quinn and her peers its aim. Craig himself has a phobia of them — "I'm terrified of clowns," he shares — but these makeup-adorned figures have long been both jovial and creepy characters in pop culture. His isn't the first feature to play up their eerie side, of course, including in the last decade. IT and IT: Chapter Two became huge box-office hits in 2017 and 2019, and a TV prequel is on the way to HBO. The currently three-strong Terrifier franchise has been getting gruesome on-screen since 2018, with a fourth flick in development. Is making a movie about a murderous clown cathartic when you're already afraid of them? Our chat with Craig started there. Also covered: Clown in a Cornfield's clear love for other slasher and horror films, what goes into a great scary-flick kill, and how the gulf between the film's younger and older characters also provides inspiration for some of its humour, including a pitch-perfect moment with a rotary phone — plus why Douglas was the right choice for Quinn, and fleshing out Sasso and Durand's parts. What does the affection now held by horror-movie lovers for Tucker and Dale vs Evil 15 years on, even if it wasn't the success that Craig was expecting when it released, mean to him, too? That was part of our discussion as well. On Being Afraid of Clowns While Making a Movie About Murderous Jesters — and No, It Isn't Cathartic "I've always found them to be very duplicitous and very not-trustworthy. And I always thought it was kind of funny that clowns would go to kids' birthday parties. I find magicians kind of scary, too. And we once had a magician to my son's birthday, but we elected not to have a clown. But in my last film Little Evil, I had a scene with a clown that spontaneously combusted on fire, because the kid had superpowers — and I really was thinking 'I have to do more with these clowns because they are just naturally disconcerting'. You'd think that maybe I'd have less fear of clowns now, but it's actually the opposite. I think Frendo has surprised me at various publicity events already, where he sneaks up behind me — and I'm always the one that's like 'aah'. So I haven't gotten over my fear of clowns, but there is something quite magical and fun about them, too. So it's that mixture of fear and loathing." On Clown in a Cornfield's Societal Bite — aka Making a Killer Clown Flick About Generational Chasms, Capitalism Gone Wrong and Economic Uncertainty "That was in the book, and that's why I wanted to make the movie, because I was really surprised at what Adam Cesare was able to get at about this generational anger, I think — and this divide between a younger generation that's more progressive and maybe cares about the earth and cares about their future, and maybe an older generation that just feels like they're just harvesting the earth for their own greed. And I thought that frustration is just really apropos to our time. And also, I would say the thing that's so interesting about using a clown to tell that story is that originally clowns were like court jesters, and they were the only ones that were kind of allowed to tell truth to power and to tell the king what maybe was really up — but they had to do it with a sense of humour and satire. So this movie, in a way, it's fun because it has these layers of truth underneath it, and it's a clown telling that story to people. That isn't necessary to love the movie. You could love the movie and not really care about anything deeper. But I think through humour and entertainment is a lot of the ways we get some of our ideas that break through the walls to meet us. So that was quite fun to play with." On Balancing the Film's Evident Love for Slasher and Horror Greats That've Gone Before with Being Its Own Addition to the Genre "I just want to embrace all the movies I saw as a kid. I grew up in the 80s and early 90s, and watched everything from the Halloween movies, Friday the 13th, all of Freddy Krueger stuff — and I also loved the comedy-horror movies like Evil Dead 2. And so a lot of it, to me, just lives in like this bouillabaisse inside my brain, and I don't necessarily know when I'm picking a trope from this movie or that, but they kind of live there. And it's funny to watch other people pick them out and say 'oh, you did this here and this here'. I just kind of feel the tropes and I start writing them, and I don't necessarily pick them all out. The one thing is Jaws, I did play directly to Jaws in this movie, because that is probably my favourite horror movie that goes under the radar as not really being a horror movie — but it definitely is. It scared the pants off me." On What Makes a Memorable Slasher-Movie Kill for Craig — and How Easy or Difficult That Is to Achieve "Well, I think a lot about how to heighten it, how to make it just a little bit more than say — I always love the Scream movies, but I find that Ghostface with this knife gets a little repetitive, so I'm trying to come up with a new way for each kill to be just slightly different. And what are the tools this farmer-type Frendo the clown might use? And so you come up with pitchforks and chainsaws and axes and sledgehammers and all kinds of tools, and then you just try to heighten that and make it something people will grin at and laugh and cheer, and also be freaked out about, all at the same time." On Skewing More on the Horror Side of the Scale Than Comedy Compared to Craig's Previous Features "I did a real comedy-first horror with Tucker and Dale, and then I did almost just a comedy with horror elements with Little Evil. And I really wanted to dive back into horror and do kind of a hard-R, gritty in some ways, horror film — but with some levity because that's just the way I am. I'm not a really dark person — and I like humour in my stories. And I think there's just humour in the darkest parts of life." On Layering the Film with Comic Touches That Also Get to the Heart of Its Generational Clash "When you have the opportunity to nail a joke that also is just inherent in the theme, it really makes me smile. It makes me really excited when I'm sitting there writing and I go 'oh, oh, this is going to be really good' — because you're not breaking out of the story to make a joke. It's just very much within the context of the film. So it's really exciting when those present themselves. I don't feel like I'm making a joke. I feel like comes to me out of the ether. And it just presents itself to me, and then that's the opportunity to do it. There's a few points in this movie that grabbed the theme and make a joke out of it." On Knowing That Katie Douglas Was Clown in a Cornfield's Lead "You'd be surprised — I wanted to cast her before even auditioning her. I had watched a ton of her work. I saw that she had been working since she was about six years old, and she actually has a ton of work under her belt — and all of the stuff I saw from her from, like Ginny & Georgia and also this show called Pretty Hard Cases, and she did some Lifetime movies and she did some short films, and I literally went in and I watched them all. And I just always saw this sort of grounded, natural performance with the toughness and an edge to her, and sort of a sarcasm to her, that I felt just was Quinn. She auditioned for it, and completely nailed the audition. And I couldn't have been more blessed to have somebody that was so ready for being number one on the call sheet. She was so ready to lead this film. And she carried the film — and she does a fantastic job." On the Kind of Guidance That You Give Actors Like Will Sasso and Kevin Durand When They're Tasked with Fleshing Out Horror-Movie Characters That Could Be Cartoonish in Other Hands "I tell them kind of exactly what you just said. I wanted this character to be deeper, and we talk about what their motivations are. So usually they're not thinking about the characters being a villain — they're thinking about them being justified. So every good actor is always justifying their hatred or villainy for their character, and it make has to make sense to them. So anytime it doesn't make sense, we have to work on it. But those guys are so talented. They brought so much of themselves to the role. Will Sasso, as the sheriff, was just fantastic because he's threatening and creepy, but he's also just funny. He just brings a sense of humour and life to everything he does. And Kevin Durand, I don't think I could get an actor that could be this role without playing into something that we've seen before. He really created a new character. And that was really important that we weren't like the Joker or something. He was really, really his own — and very grounded and more gritty and real — character." On the Response to Tucker and Dale vs Evil 15 Years on — and What It Means for It to Be So Beloved as a Horror-Comedy Cult Classic "It actually means I'm not crazy. So when I first made that film, I just believed in it naively, like with all of my heart. And I thought 'well, this is just going to be the biggest hit since Evil Dead 2'. And it wasn't that way. It didn't come out as a big hit. I thought I was making the next Shaun of the Dead or Evil Dead 2 — and it went to some great film festivals, but then once we came out, it kind of disappeared for a while. And then over the years, people discovered it, and it truly became what I always believed it would be by now. And it's kind of validated my own feeling of art and my feeling of 'what entertains me should entertain other people'. Because I'm just ultimately trying to make a film that that I want to go see. And if people start telling me they don't like what I would want to go see, it becomes much harder to make a movie. And now I feel like 'wait a minute, maybe, maybe my sensibility is a sensibility a lot of other people share'. So that means a lot." Clown in a Cornfield released in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, May 8, 2025.
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 Wollemi Wilderness Cabins in the Blue Mountains, where Lionel Buckett has constructed the Secret Treehouse overlooking two National Parks and a World Heritage listed rainforest. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? You'll spend a few nights in your own uniquely designed treehouse looking out over 600 acres of Australian wilderness. It's escapism on stilts. THE ROOMS The private treetop cabin comes with the lot. You have a kitchenette, Queen bed, fireplace and floor to ceiling windows looking out over the Blue Mountains. But our favourite feature has to be the in-floor spa bath. It sits in the corner of the treehouse and has retractable doors all around it so you can decide to either let nature in, or just look out at it from the warmth of your room. We could spend the whole day getting pruney in here. But they only have one treehouse, which fits two guests – and it's pretty damn popular. If you can't book the treehouse, don't be scared off. These guys do have other accommodations on site. They have a few large wooden cabins (and a tipi accommodation) with impressive views over the surrounding area. They aren't adult-sized treehouses, but they are still great for nature lovers. FOOD AND DRINK The treehouse is set up with its own little kitchen so you can be fully self-sustained here. BYO groceries and booze, and cook up a storm. But, we get it, sometimes you just want to be taken care of by someone else when you're on holiday. That's when Caroline comes in. Caroline is a local who runs her own catering company called Come by Chance. All you need to do is ask the accommodation's hosts for some brekkie or dinner — and they'll get Caroline on the case and she'll cook and deliver great meals to your room. Expect a classic chicken parma, tea and scones, or a full English breakfast spread. THE LOCAL AREA Come here to marvel at some classic Aussie bush landscapes. All the cabins are located within Wollemi National Park, which is the largest wilderness area in NSW. Forming part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area - Wollemi is made up of a consort of canyons, cliffs, watering holes and undisturbed forest. And it's only an hour drive from Sydney. Winner! THE EXTRAS But you don't have to spend your whole visit up in the treehouse. There are stacks of things to do around here. First off, there are hikes galore, of course. The hosts will direct you to the nearby trails where you can also go mountain biking, or to the nearby river for canoeing. Pampering is also big here — although it's done in true Aussie fashion. They have a few of their own hot mud baths available. Sit in an old tub, surrounded by bushlands, and let the in-house therapist guide you through a relaxing, muddy ritual. It's great for your skin, plus its loads of fun. You're already in a treehouse, so why not embrace your inner child even more with this experience? 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. Images by Jochen Spencer
Trekking across a continent is the type of bucket-list activity plenty of people think about, but few ever manage. If you're in Canada, however, walking across the country just got a whole lot easier. Spanning 24,000 kilometres across 13 provinces and territories, the world's longest hiking track has just been completed. It has taken 25 years to come to fruition, so it's no wonder that they're calling it The Great Trail. Opening in its 100% connected form at the end of August, the path connects Canada's east and west coasts via an outdoor journey through all of the terrain the nation has to offer. Urban, rural and wilderness landscape is featured, plus greenways, waterways and roadways, with track perfect for not only hikers, cyclists and horse riders, but anyone keen for a paddle, cross-country ski or snowmobile trip as well. The trail was first conceived as part of Canada's 125th anniversary celebrations in 1992, with Pierre Camu, Bill Pratt, and Paul LaBarge coming up with the idea to connect all of the country's various tracks. As well as the types of treks you'd expect — over rocky ground and through leafy forests, for example — highlights include wanders through major cities such as Toronto and Ottawa, a sea-to-sky marine trail around islands and waterfalls, and dog-sledding during snow season. Via Travel + Leisure / Image: The Great Trail.
Redfern is one of Sydney's most-renowned and colourful areas, rich with Indigenous history, creative output, murals and lots of local flavour. In recent years, the suburb has seen an influx of bars, restaurants, cafes and cultural hotspots which have completely reimagined the neighbourhood while retaining much of its grit. And in Redfern's spirit of embracing people from all walks of life, the suburb has welcomed the influx with open arms (and full stomachs). Here, we bring you the must-sees of Redfern. Make sure you have an empty belly, and get set to tick off some stellar spots. Plus, for a few more hot tips, check out our video above for Liam Ridgeway's — co-founder of 100 percent Aboriginal-owned digital agency Ngakkan Nyaagu (NGNY) — favourite spots around the suburb.
It's been more than two decades since the Peninsula Hot Springs became one of Victoria's must-visit spots, especially if you enjoy getaways of the pampering, wellness-oriented and relaxing kind. Since then, the Fingal venue and its geothermal pools have become synonymous with blissful jaunts beyond the city. But in the coming years, it might become just one stop on a whole trail filled bathing spots — all thanks to the proposed Great Victorian Bathing Trail. First floated back in 2019, and set to gain its next new location mid-2022 when Metung Hot Springs opens its doors in East Gippsland — also stemming from the team behind Peninsula Hot Springs — the Great Victorian Bathing Trail is exactly what it sounds like. It'll span more than 900 kilometres along the Victorian coast, and have one big aim: linking the state's hot springs and other bathing spots into one must-trek route for folks fond of soaking away their woes. Also slated to join the trail: Phillip Island Hot Springs and Saltwater Hot Springs on Phillip Island, Nunduk Spa Retreat in the Lake Wellington part of Gippsland, 12 Apostles Hot Springs on the Great Ocean Road, Geelong Mineral Spa and the Eden project in Anglesea. The soon-to-launch Alba Hot Springs on the Mornington Peninsula is joining the lineup, too. Gippsland Regional Aquatic Centre in Traralgon will also feature, for fans of splashing around in a regular community pool, and so will Warrnambool's existing Deep Blue Hot Springs. [caption id="attachment_845455" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Peninsula Hot Springs, Visit Victoria[/caption] In other words, if you're keen to escape the big smoke and kick back in a body of water — steamy or cool alike — the Great Victorian Bathing Trail will help you connect the dots. The plan will see the route stretch from Portland in the state's southwest over to East Gippsland, and also include beaches along the way. The idea: to give Victoria a calming tourist attraction to rival hot springs and spa hotspots such as Beppu and Kurokawa in Japan, Guangdong in China, and the Nordic region's many go-tos — including in Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark's Copenhagen harbour bath trail. [caption id="attachment_845443" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Peninsula Hot Springs[/caption] The numbers for Peninsula Hot Springs certainly give the concept plenty of hope, given that about 500,000 annual visitors make the visit to the spot. 2030 has been outlined as the ideal launch date — but, given that was the plan pre-pandemic, that timing could easily change. The good news is the Mornington Peninsula's new Alba Thermal Springs and Spa, which forms part of the trail, will launch in September and is already taking bookings. And while an exact date for Metung's midyear opening hasn't yet been revealed, hot springs fans can look forward to a multi-faceted attraction and wellness precinct with steamy thermal pools and sauna options. It'll encompass various hot springs bathing facilities at the main King Cove site, and also a spa relaxation centre and further hot springs constructed at the nearby King Cove Golf Club, all-around 3.5 hours out of Melbourne. And, there's set to be a glamping site as well. For more information about the Great Victorian Bathing Trail, head to the project's Facebook page. Top image: Peninsula Hot Springs, Visit Victoria.
Long before the peri-peri craze reached its peak in Australia, Frango had been serving up Portuguese-style charcoal chicken for well over a decade. With its first store opening in Petersham in 1989, the family-run business has just launched its 16th Sydney location, bringing its marinated goodness to the Shire for the first time. Opening the doors in Caringbah on Wednesday, September 24, the founding Fernandes family remains at the helm, resisting a franchise model for something a little more personal. With the lineage migrating from Madeira in Portugal to Angola in Africa, this heritage still rings through its brand of spice and smoke. "We are so proud to finally open our first Shire outpost in Caringbah. Offering our fan favourites along with the launch of our new expanding fried chicken menu and healthy wrap options menu, there really is something for the entire family," says husband and wife directors, Luis and Rima Fernandes. Spanning whole charcoal chickens and vibrant salads to barbecue sweet corn, Frango regulars will know that burgers are the star of the show. The OG Portuguese burger combo remains the go-to order, with creamy mayo and signature chilli sauce making for a flavourful kick. Plus, desserts like Portuguese tarts and crème caramel make for an even more indulgent visit. "We don't have a central kitchen either, unlike our peers in the industry, which means all our food is prepared daily on each site and displayed for our customers to have a truly gourmand experience — it doesn't get any fresher than that!" says Luis and Rima. With the grills and fryers now pumping out big flavours on the daily in Caringbah, Frango is looking ahead to another round of new store openings. While details are being kept hush-hush, expect a Brisbane and Melbourne expansion to be on the cards in the near future. Frango Caringbah is now open daily from 10am–9pm at 344 Kingsway, Caringbah. Head to the website for more information.
Every year during our wintertime, so many lucky folks jet off to Europe and other parts of the northern hemisphere seeking sin-filled holidays, but there are still stacks of Aussie destinations that are warm and summery throughout the year. If you're seeking a coastal vacay, there's no need to get on a long-haul flight — especially with the likes of Byron Bay being a short trip away. In northern NSW, this dream destination boasts sun, sand and rainforest in abundance. Plus, it's full of romantic studio spaces and quaint coastal bungalows, ideal for unwinding with your significant other or favourite travel buddy. We've done the hard work for you and rounded up 20 of Byron Bay's greatest couples' escapes. Book a favourite, pack your bags and prepare for that well-deserved beach retreat. Recommended reads: The Best NSW Glamping Spots The Best Hotels in Sydney The Best Beach Camping Sites in NSW The Best Luxury Stays Near Sydney WOLF BEACH RETREAT, BYRON BAY A sleek, modern take on the classic beach shack, complete with open-plan living and secluded backyard. Cocktails on the deck are a must. How much? From $295 a night, sleeps two. THE STUDIO, BYRON BAY Decked out in soothing whites and natural finishes, this serene hideaway is primed for maximum relaxation. Check in and recharge in style. How much? From $263 a night, sleeps two. THE BUNGALOW, BYRON BAY It's hard not to embrace the Byron lifestyle at this relaxed coastal retreat, featuring modern boho styling throughout and a tropical garden out back. How much? From $427 a night, sleeps four. BEST LOCATION IN BYRON, BYRON BAY This stylishly minimalist studio space is the epitome of a calming getaway. It's filled with natural light and located just a quick stroll from the beach. How much? From $271 a night, sleeps two. LUXURY LOFT, BYRON BAY New York loft meets tropical bungalow for this breezy Byron hideaway. Get set for daily soaks in the outdoor tub, surrounded by nature. How much? From $395 a night, sleeps three. HILLSCAPES STUDIO, BYRON BAY Escape the hustle at this serene studio space, among the trees. A fireplace promises cosy nights and the deck boasts panoramic views. How much? From $242 a night, sleeps two. CACTUS ROSE VILLA, BYRON BAY With chic white interiors, a palm-fringed pool and a romantic loft-style bedroom, this private villa will have you living the holiday dream. How much? From $548 a night, sleeps two. PACIFIC EDGE, BYRON BAY Want to wake to the sound of the waves? This self-contained couples' escape is newly built and perched just minutes from the beach. How much? From $220 a night, sleeps two. BYRON BAY STUDIO, BYRON BAY A designer retreat for two, complete with glass-walled bathroom, secluded terrace and roomy outdoor tub. All just a quick hop from the beach. How much? From $379 a night, sleeps two. BAM STUDIO, BYRON BAY The luxurious self-contained hideaway you'll never want to check out of. Destress with the help of a private leafy garden and sun-dappled deck. How much? From $292 a night, sleeps two. EAST COAST ESCAPES STUDIO 105, BYRON BAY A contemporary coastal abode boasting a sun-drenched deck and beachy white colour palette, this one's handily located between the shops and the sand. How much? From $262 a night, sleeps two. JADE STUDIO, BYRON BAY Swap city life for some time spent recharging at this bright, breezy studio. It's got a sunny courtyard, outdoor shower and cracking location close to the shoreline. How much? From $297 a night, sleeps two. THE LOFT, BYRON BAY This beautifully restored cottage has cruisy coastal vibes on tap, just a ten-minute walk from Byron's Main Beach. The ultimate couples' hideout. How much? From $633 a night, sleeps two. THE APOLLO STUDIO, BYRON BAY Your own Mediterranean-inspired paradise, in the heart of town. With luxe fixtures and a leafy courtyard, this self-contained bungalow is a true holiday gem. How much? From $252 a night, sleeps two. THE TREEHOUSE, BYRON BAY A light-filled hilltop escape, with sweeping views across the trees. This designer space boasts a leafy terrace and ten acres of lush green backyard. How much? From $283 a night, sleeps two. SCANDINAVIAN SIMPLICITY, BYRON BAY Filled with luxe touches and boasting its own sunny green courtyard, this Scandi-inspired studio has holiday charms aplenty. An ideal escape for two. How much? From $180 a night, sleeps two. BASK & STOW SEA, BYRON BAY A cheery splash of Palm Springs style, by the beaches of Byron. This whitewashed villa features resort-worthy interiors and a sparkling plunge pool. How much? From $448 a night, sleeps two. PARADISO PROPERTY, BYRON BAY Embrace beachside living with a stay at this quaint bungalow for two. It's a breezy, open-plan situation, flanked by two grassy, sun-drenched courtyards. How much? From $339 a night, sleeps two. BOUTIQUE RETREAT, BYRON BAY A cheery self-contained apartment that's sure to win you over with its plush linens, palm-filled courtyard and pink stone outdoor tub. How much? From $275 a night, sleeps two.. ARTFUL WAREHOUSE CONVERSION, BYRON BAY Swap the beach shacks and bungalows for a stay at this lofty converted warehouse, featuring mod-industrial styling and some primo mountain views. How much? From $344 a night, sleeps two. 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.
Following Australia's wettest summer in four years, the Bureau of Meteorology predicted an equally rainy autumn was on the cards for the east coast, with above-average amounts of rainfall touted to fall across the region. If you live in the area, you're probably quite aware that the climate is well and truly living up to that prediction, with a dark and wet start to March that's only expected to worsen — especially in Sydney over the next three days. According to BOM's forecast, the New South Wales capital is expected to be hit with anywhere up to 220 millimetres of rain between Thursday, March 18–Saturday, March 20. A high-pressure system in the Tasman Sea will create a coastal trough, bringing heavy rain to Sydney, as well as to the Hunter Valley and northern NSW from Friday and into Saturday. Heavy rainfall, strong and gusty winds, large waves and a chance of thunderstorms are all forecast for the NSW coast across the weekend. https://twitter.com/BOM_au/status/1372066510399709185 Further north, a heavy rainfall warning with possible flash flooding has been issued for the mid north NSW coast, including areas like Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie. In Queensland, the central highlands has already experienced heavy rainfall, with 200-plus millimetres of rainfall being recorded in some parts of central Queensland, leading to evacuations and rescues. These wet conditions have been pushing into the Brisbane metropolitan area, where it has already been rainy for a couple of days. Showers are expected to continue right into next week — at least — with up to 25 millimetres of rain on Saturday, March 20 and possible thunderstorms impacting the area over the weekend. Weatherzone meteorologist Ben Domensino has predicted wet weather across the country over the next eight days, with rainfall predicted to impact every state, and warnings of possible flooding. https://twitter.com/Ben_Domensino/status/1372030326596276224 If you need to head out, don't forget to pack your umbrellas and raincoats — and keep an eye on the warnings. As the weather conditions continue to develop, stay up to date with the latest forecast and weather warnings via the Bureau of Meteorology.
There's been a big, fat question mark hanging over the future of The Midnight Shift, ever since Sydney group Universal Hotels snapped up the beloved gay bar for $12 million back in July. But now, it's been confirmed that the Oxford Street pub will be resurrected this October — with a three-day launch party, no less. But things will be a little different. For one, the new venue will be called Universal, with the new owners leaving the name to rest in peace. "Universal will be an evolution of the Midnight Shift, rather than a revolution," explained owner Jim Kospetas. He did, however, confirm that the group — which conducted an online survey to gauge what the community wanted them to do with the venue — plans to respect the "special role that it has played for the LGBTIQA+ community" and continue its and long-held legacy of inclusivity. While the full suite of Universal offerings is yet to be revealed, the jam-packed opening program — which lands on the October long weekend — should give you a pretty good hint of the fun to come. On Friday, September 28, catch a sneak preview of new monthly party FAB, featuring live performances, DJs and drag shows, while new weekly event Satori launches with a bang on Saturday, September 29, promising a healthy dose of creativity in all forms. And on Sunday, September 30, the entire venue's set to fire up for Heaps Gay Resurrection, with a lineup of the city's finest queer talent helping to simultaneously wrap up Sydney Fringe Festival and welcome Universal to the 'hood. In the past 18 months, Universal Hotels has not only bought The Midnight Shift, but Darlinghurst haunts The Brighton Hotel, Kinselas and The Oxford Hotel, too. These make up its already-large 11-venue stable, which also includes Civic Underground and Middlebar. It's clear that the group has big plans for the area — we just hope that it tries to keep Oxford Street's spirit alive, rather than trying to reinvent it. Universal will open on Friday, September 28 at 85-91 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst. We'll keep you updated on any more details or parties that are announced.
The New South Wales Government wants to overhaul "outdated, complicated and often duplicated regulation" across the state in order to facilitate a more thriving nightlife. Newly introduced Vibrancy Reforms legislation is set to deliver changes in six key areas that the government hopes will lead to more live music, more outdoor dining and less trouble with noise complaints. The six areas of reform that are expected to be addressed are sensible sound management, nightlife precincts, outdoor dining and entertainment, the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner's remit, licensing and an improved night-time sector for workers. "This is a clear statement of intent from the State Government that the night-time economy matters," said Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) CEO Mick Gibb. "If NSW is going to realise the full potential of these reforms, we need Local Governments to get behind the suite of options at their disposal. By creating vibrant, diverse and safe Special Entertainment Precincts, a local council can shape the type of night-time ecosystem it wants to create for its community," Gibb continued. Among the reforms, you'll find commitments to streamline noise complaints, extend the success of the Enmore Road Special Entertainment Precinct to other areas across the state, make applications for al fresco dining quicker and less strenuous, and make the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner a statutory role. While many local councils have been pushing for an overhaul of the noise complaint system, venues such as The Great Club in Marrickville have still run into issues with neighbours, even in supportive councils like the Inner West. These new reforms will remove noise tests, which are highly subjective, from the system. They'll also see all issues go through Liquor and Gaming NSW. "The NTIA is delighted to see the government stick to its election commitment and make the 24-Hour Economy Commissioner's role a statutory appointment. This is a measure that will mean there's a champion for the night-time economy embedded into the government so we can avoid ever going back to the devastation of lockout laws while maintaining public safety at all times," said Gibb. The Vibrancy Reforms also include promises to remove outdated regulations, meaningfully encourage venues to host live music and the arts, and ensure that after-dark staff from healthcare workers to security and retail have the support they need. The announcement comes less than a month after Western Sydney's Lakemba was named a global Purple Flag-accredited safe nightlife zone alongside international areas including London and Stockholm. It's the third Sydney precinct to gain the recognition, following YCK Laneways' and Parramatta CBD's certification. [caption id="attachment_798916" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] For more information on the New South Wales Government's proposed Vibrancy Reforms legislation, head to the NSW Government website. Top image: Jasmine Low.
With international travel still limited, jetting off to wherever you'd like around the globe isn't currently on anyone's agenda. But if you'd like to while away a few days or weeks at the best beach in the world, you can — because it's right here in Australia. In Tripadvisor's just-announced 2021 lineup of the planet's best beaches, which ranks 25 idyllic locations, two Aussie spots made the cut. In news that will come as no surprise to anyone, the Whitsundays' Whitehaven Beach took first place. It's the latest accolade for the picturesque Queensland favourite, which has placed second twice in Flight Network's list on the same topic, and was also named Tripadvisor's best Australian beach for travellers back in 2017. Turquoise Bay in Exmouth, Western Australia made the list as well, coming in at number six. And if you're wondering which overseas spots you should think about visiting when global travel begins to return to normal, Cuba's Santa Maria Beach placed second, Brazil's Baia do Sancho came in third, Grace Bay Beach in the Turks and Caicos Islands placed fourth, and Florida's Saint Pete Beach in the US was named the fifth best beach. Also in the top ten: Eagle Beach, Aruba; Spiaggia dei Conigli in Lampedusa, Italy; Ka'anapali Beach in Hawaii; and Baía dos Golfinhos in Brazil. Alongside the best beaches in the world, Tripadvisor also released a list of the ten best beaches in the South Pacific — with Whitehaven and Turquoise Bay in first and second spots. Places three, four and five all went to WA locations, with Cape Le Grand National Park in Esperance sitting at third, Greens Pool in the town of Denmark at fourth and Cable Beach in Broome coming fifth. After sweeping up the top half of the list, Australia gave way to Bora Bora's Matira Beach, Piscine Naturelle in New Caledonia, and Ohope Beach, Kaiteriteri Beach and Mt Maunganui Main Beach in New Zealand for spots six through to ten. [caption id="attachment_648438" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Damien Dempsey via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] The winners were chosen as part of Tripadvisor's Traveller's Choice awards, which is based on reviews and ratings left on the online platform — as well as the number of saves (where users bookmark places they like, or they'd like to visit) — across 2020. To check out the full list of top beaches for 2021, head to Tripadvisor. Thinking about taking your own trip to Whitehaven Beach? Check out our Outside Guide to the Whitsundays.
Don your birthday suit. Get your kit off. Disrobe. You're going swimming — the way nature intended. Like Michelangelo said: "What spirit is so empty and blind that it cannot grasp the fact that a human foot is more noble than the shoe, and the human skin more beautiful than the garment with which it is clothed?" So — you heard the man — it's time to get nude. And because it's not exactly legal to do it just anywhere, here are five beaches where your feet and skin can embrace their noble, beautiful selves, without inciting the wrath of the law. [caption id="attachment_556370" align="alignnone" width="1280"] National Parks NSW[/caption] LADY BAY BEACH, SOUTH HEAD We have the late Neville Wran to thank for all the naked bodies at this glorious stretch of sand, which is tucked into the harbour just north of Watsons Bay. In 1976, as Premier of New South Wales, he legalised going in the buff here, turning Lady Bay into one of Australia's first legal naturist beaches. The easiest way to get there is via ferry from Circular Quay to Watsons Bay Wharf, from where it's an easy one-kilometre walk. Those pesky clothes might well be weighing you down — but do try to keep them on 'til you hit the sand. [caption id="attachment_556382" align="alignnone" width="1280"] National Parks NSW[/caption] COBBLERS BEACH, MIDDLE HEAD This 100-metre strip of sand, flanked by rocks, is located just north of Middle Head and 700 metres east of Balmoral. It's best known as the starting point for the Sydney Skinny. Heading into its fourth year on February 28, this event involves hundreds of people stripping off, diving in and swimming 900 metres around a diamond-shaped course. But you can take a dip in the raw there any time. Park at the end of Middle Head Road and follow the signs marked Cobblers Beach. [caption id="attachment_556386" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Ernest McGray Jnr. via Flickr[/caption] OBELISK BEACH, MIDDLE HEAD Another nudie opportunity awaits you on the southern side of Middle Head. Obelisk Beach is even smaller and more private that Cobblers — plus, it comes with panoramic views of Watsons Bay. Drive to the car park at the crossroads of Middle Head Road and Chowder Bay Road. Walk along the latter, until you see a marked track on the left. Follow the path downwards. [caption id="attachment_558305" align="alignnone" width="1280"] National Parks NSW[/caption] WERRONG BEACH, ROYAL NATIONAL PARK Located at the southern end of the Royal National Park, this is one of the most remote and wild beaches on the list. Getting there takes a bit of effort, though — it's a two-kilometre walk each way, down a steep path, starting from Otford Lookout. That said, you'll pass through some stunning scenery, taking in sandstone rock formations and lush rainforest, with cabbage tree palms and ferns. The beach isn't recommended for swimming, as the surf is pretty rough, rippy and unpatrolled by lifeguards — clothed or unclothed. [caption id="attachment_558306" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Webaware via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] BIRDIE BEACH, CENTRAL COAST To fit a naked dip into a Central Coast weekender, head to Birdie Beach. It's located between Wybung Head and the Budgewoi Peninsula, and is backdropped by the Munmorah State Conservation Area. You can drive straight there along Birdie Beach Drive and even camp the night at nearby Freemans campground. Or, to add a hike to your beach visit, walk along the Geebung Heath Track, off Wybung Head Road. Top image: Dollar Photo Club
