We usually assume, when at a play, that the main purpose of the undertaking was to create a great work of art. But in the case of A Long Way Home, it's secondary to (or at least shared with) with another goal: to heal. That it's an affecting, entertaining and great work of art is a bonus. The targets of said healing are Australian Defence Force servicemen and women — both the 15 involved in developing the production and the many, many more who it's hoped will come see it. On opening night, you could hear pockets of raucous laughter indicating where jokes had been deeply, deeply understood, so it sounds like the finished product is right on the mark. The Long Way Home is directed by Stephen Rayne, who led a similar production, The Two Worlds of Charlie F, at London's Theatre Royal Haymarket. It was after seeing that show that ADF Chief General David Hurley approached the Sydney Theatre Company with the idea of a partnership. This is a pretty unusual marriage — some of these performers haven't seen a work of theatre before — but it's a successful and eye-opening one. The script, built by playwright Daniel Keene based on weeks of collaboration with the soldiers, is a strong one. It's a composition of fragments — privates talking to themselves on nightwatch, a man in a coma who speaks only whispered riddles, four friends whose childhood playtime has imparted on them the mythology of war — that calls to mind the candid, boysy style of Generation Kill (probably on purpose; it's referenced as a favourite. The Hurt Locker, meanwhile, comes in for some ridicule). The through-line could be stronger but it's involving enough, and it must be said, the main performers are pretty spectacular when you consider that they're soldiers without dramatic training. Anchoring the vignettes are the stories of two returned servicemen struggling to adjust to regular life while saddled with PTSD (plus depression, plus anxiety), and in those hefty roles, Tim Loch and Craig Hancock make the acting gig look near easy. James Whitney proves a bit of a scene-stealer, too; he's got great character and conviction. The non-actors are in each scene paired or grouped with a professional actor, which must be the trick that keeps The Long Way Home on such a steady course. The show also makes a huge visual impact, thanks to a complex and ever-shifting array of sliding walls, lights and video projections. The approaching silhouettes of fully geared-up soldiers, the exhilarating bellow of 'Let the Bodies Hit the Floor' — it all adds up to make a powerful impression. This is no Powerpoint presentation at the RSL. The ultimate test passed, however, is how humanising this show is. I went in as someone with no bonds to the Australian war experience, and I came out understanding something of the people who go to war, and of the people who return. There's no macro political criticism in a circumstance like this, but on the micro, personal level, it is unabashed. After leaving the STC, the play will embark on a national tour, including performances at Brisbane's QUT Gardens Theatre and Melbourne's Merlyn Theatre.
Back in simpler times, say about 30 years ago, it felt like every special occasion was topped off with a slice of Viennetta. Call it nostalgia, but this frozen treat seemed like the height of culinary indulgence, at least compared to the usual scoop of the most generic Neapolitan ice cream imaginable. However, things have changed in the world of dessert, especially since serious ice creameries like Gelato Messina hit the big time. Now that most of us have somewhat higher expectations when it comes to rounding out our meals, inspired creations like the Milo Messinetta offer a throwback bite with a lot more quality. Conceived as the ultimate Aussie summer dessert — and playing on the once-loved Viennetta — the experts at Messina have teamed up with the malt-based favourite to serve a reimagined frozen dessert featuring Milo gelato layered with Milo fudge and chunks of baked Milo cheesecake, finished with Milo crème chantilly. As malty as it sounds, the Milo Messinetta is available for pre-order online from Tuesday, October 14, or for pick up in stores from Friday, October 17–Sunday, October 19. For those seeking even more Messina-Milo goodness, the crew has also whipped up a decadent Milo Dinosaur Sundae for its Keng Eng Kee collaboration.
The Entertainment Quarter Village Markets are back. There are some new, ambitious operators at the helm and they're creating the eastern suburbs' fresh outdoor shopping centre — under a canvas and without a chain shop or fluoro light in sight. So, get to the EQ on a Wednesday or Saturday between 9am and 2pm, ready for more fresh produce, meat, fruit, vegetables, artisanal products and gourmet goodies than ever before, and prepped with questions for local makers and growers. There's also an entirely new section dedicated to health and wellbeing, showcasing the latest and tastiest wellness products, from raw nuts and kombucha tea to gluten-free bakery treats and Egganic eggs. The EQ provides two hours' free parking, allowing you to stick around for leisurely coffee, brunch or morning tea. Plus, there's live music. "We're bringing country to the city in the most direct and exciting way," said Lindsay Frazer, who's taken over the market alongside business partner Phillip Taylor. The duo has won awards for The Beaches Market.
If you've ever fantasised about sleeping over in the hallowed grounds of the MCG, get ready to make those dreams a reality. For one night only — and for just two lucky guests — the iconic sports stadium will moonlight as a unique overnight stay. It's all thanks to booking.com, which is transforming one of the MCG's lofty guest boxes into the Unforgettable Legends Lounge — a special private guest suite for two, which is popping up for just one night to coincide with the final match of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022. Two guests will get to experience the stay on Sunday, November 13, enjoying a full VIP package with all the trimmings. That includes return flights to Melbourne, an indulgent pre-game massage in the suite, and a top-shelf food and drink offering courtesy of a personal bartender (making cocktails on demand) and personal chef. Guests will also score a gift pack featuring personalised cricket merchandise for the ultimate memento. The suite itself is a little slice of sophistication, overlooking the ground from on high. It's decked out with a large double bed, a kitchen and a living area with sweeping views across the famed turf below. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity — but of course, you'll have to put up a fight to make it yours. The exclusive stay will go to the first person to jump online and book with their speedy little fingers from 9am AEST on Friday, October 28. So yes, you'll want to be quick — cue the madness. The Unforgettable Legends Lounge and VIP experience is available to book exclusively for one person and their guest, for $30, with reservations opening at 9am AEST on Friday, October 28 at booking.com. 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.
If Circular Quay wasn't already flush with top-notch dining options — whether it's Matt Moran's takeover of Opera Kitchen, waterfront French bistro Whalebridge or the new Quay Quarter Lanes Precinct — the picturesque harbourside suburb is set to receive a swath of new restaurant openings in 2023, thanks to a new dining precinct titled Sydney Place. Not to be confused with Central Place, the set of billion-dollar tech towers currently being built on top of Central Station, Sydney Place will be compromised of three eat streets at the base of its 55-storey office tower. Across these three laneways — Crane Lane, Rugby Place and Underwood Street — you'll find new spots from renowned Sydney chefs and outposts from beloved local restaurants. While longstanding laksa specialist Malay Chinese Takeaway's Hunter Street outpost is set to be demolished alongside Frankie's Pizza to make way for the new metro station, fans of the Sydney stalwart can rejoice in the news that it will be opening Malay Chinese Noodle Bar in Circular Quay as part of Sydney Place. [caption id="attachment_782074" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Toastiesmith, Kera Wong[/caption] Elsewhere in the precinct, you'll find the second outpost for Morgan McGlone's rotisserie chicken eatery Sunday, a new Toastiesmith, loaded pie shop Lode Pies from ELE and LuMi's Federico Zanellato's, and a Japanese whiskey bar and diner by Joel Best. Rounding out the precinct will be an array of restaurants and cafes offerings dumplings, sushi, ramen, burgers, sandwiches, coffee and Middle Eastern dinners, plus a new studio from Thirteen Feet Tattoo. [caption id="attachment_880803" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sydney Place tenants, Nikki To[/caption] Alongside these newly announced tenants and the 263-metre office tower is the revamped Jacksons on George. Maurice Terzini (Icebergs, RE-, Ciccia Bella, Belongil Beach Italian Food) has taken over the longtime Circular Quay favourite which is currently undergoing a venue-wide transformation. The new iteration of the pub will span three levels, including a gastropub, a restaurant, and an open-air rooftop bar overlooking the planned public plaza and laneways. Designed by award-winning, Sydney-based architecture firm Stewart Hollenstein, the space will feature active edges and open frontages, all of which are designed to enhance social interaction within the venue and with the city below. Jacksons on George is now set to open in mid-2023, while the hospitality tenants at Sydney Place are set to open from March next year. [caption id="attachment_654432" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jacksons on George[/caption] Sydney Place is located at 180 George Street, Sydney. It's set to open in 2023. Top image: Sunday
A lot of sketch comedy on YouTube can be well...stupid. Not saying that these channels aren't, but they are definitely of the good (and funny) variety. Concrete Playground has come up with the cream of the crop as far as comedic YouTube videos go. Check them out whenever you need a laugh; there's parodies and hilarity galore. 1. Barely Political The guys behind Barely Political are best known for their politically charged parodies, of "I Got a Crush...on Obama" fame. They also produce a number of sketch comedy series;'The Key of Awesome', however, is definitely the most popular. Making fun of everything and everyone, Barely Political's videos show that no one is off limits. If you like parody songs and sheer ridiculousness, this channel is for you. 2. 5 Second Films These five-second-long films are "wasting your time, but not much". If you didn't think five seconds of one of these goofy skits is enough to make you laugh, you'll be proved wrong. We dare you to try and just watch one. 3. UCB Comedy If Saturday Night Live or The Office make you laugh, chances are so will the folks at Upright Citizens Brigade. Finding ridiculous in the everyday, these films will reveal humourous moments of truth amidst their hilarity. 4. Smosh Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox team up in these ludicrous pop-culture parodies. Over-the-top, always. Dull, never. The duo has several series under their belts, and are working on an upcoming cartoon series. 5. Funny or Die Founded by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, this site is spot-on comedy. Content is generated by high-profile contributors and skits often feature funny celebs. Stellar series include 'Between the Ferns', 'Billy on the Street', and 'Drunk History'.
Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting, Ecstasy, Reheated Cabbage) is coming to everyone's favourite den of despair, Oxford Art Factory. If you've found yourself thinking that maybe there's something more to life than getting drunk all the time and that you should read more, you should come to this. There you'll realise that there is more to life: namely reading a few books about getting drunk all the time, doing drugs and beating people up. This event is a bit unusual so we're all still a bit unclear on what exactly Mr. Welsh will be doing. Hopefully he'll yell obscenities at Jack Ladder and the Disbelievers who are "supporting" and throw a bottle at also-an-author Dominic Knight who is "presenting". We do know that he will be signing books and I will give 20 bucks to anyone who turns up with a Trainspotting DVD. As for me I'll be asking Irvo whether he's worried that maybe his audience might be a wee bit bored of reading about pretty much the same characters doing pretty much the same things they were doing in 1993. "And another thing," I'll say taking a long swig of beer, "that last collection . . . 'Reheated Cabbage' is a pretty good title, eh Irvo? HA HA HA. What's that? Glasgow kiss? That sounds nice . . . yes, please!" https://youtube.com/watch?v=koP4O6QAzx4
As the weird and wonderful program of the Sydney Fringe Festival takes over the Harbour City, potential attendees need help determining which events to attend. If you're looking for a physical theme, consider the acrobatic skills of Head First Acrobats and the three shows the group is putting on across the festival. First, some context. Head First Acrobats is a Melbourne-based group of performers that specialises in a blend of circus acrobatics and physical comedy. They have won awards and found fringe festival fame worldwide. The contributions to this year's Sydney Fringe Festival are split across three shows, each very different from the last. First up is the current flagship performance: GODZ. It's been raking in awards from fringe festivals nationwide and is now bringing its signature style of hedonism to Sydney. The stars are the gods of Ancient Greece, setting the scene for "the biggest party to hit Mount Olympus since 500 BCE". Said party involves muscles, stunts, skills and laughs of a godlike scale. GODZ is showing at Spiegeltent Festival Garden – The Vault until Sunday, October 1. [caption id="attachment_916818" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Tenae Francis[/caption] Another headline show is Créme de la créme, a variety show that combines the impressive stunts and displays of the circus with the cheeky fun of cabaret and burlesque. Attendees can look forward to world-class acrobatics that's as gritty as it is glammed and a fair warning to expect a spot of nudity. Créme de la créme is showing at Spiegeltent Festival Garden – The Vault from Tuesday, September 12 until Sunday, September 24. Finally, if you're planning to bring some younger attendees along with you, grab tickets to Prehysterical. The physical performances continue but this time even further back in history, following the antics of three Neanderthals just trying to get by in a dangerous world. Expect good old fashioned slapstick humour and some tongue-in-cheek jokes for the adults. Prehysterical is showing at Spiegeltent Festival Garden – The Vault until Sunday, October 8. Head First Acrobats are performing several shows across September and October, each in Spiegeltent Festival Garden – The Vault, for more information on GODZ, Créme de la créme or Prehysterical, visit the respective websites. Images courtesy of Head First Acrobats.
Omeio is a Paddington favourite, thanks to its incredible collection of deli goods, fresh coffee and a delicious food menu that'll have you salivating. The grocery is all about bringing love back to the neighbourhood with a selection of goods inspired by owner Niko Giourgas' Greek and French heritage. He relies on mostly local suppliers, including sourdough baguettes from nearby Organic Bread Bar and Church Farm General Store's smoked hot sauce from Billinudgel (near Byron Bay). Expect to find artisanal goods, like raw honey, handmade granola and premium olive oil on the shelves, alongside display cases stacked with cured meats, salads and quiches, perfect for a low-key picnic.
Mystery Road's Jay Swan has always been a man of questions. With his penetrating gaze, the Indigenous detective glares a thousand enquiries whoever's way he's staring, and has for almost a decade now. But ever since the fictional character first reached cinemas in 2013, with Aaron Pedersen in the role, the exceptional big- and small-screen crime saga he anchors has also kept sparking a key query: how do you follow that up? The answers keep coming in what's now Australia's best film and TV franchise — in multiple ways, just like this gripping series itself. How do you follow up a stellar politically charged Aussie neo-western about an Indigenous detective excavating the nation's small-town woes, as well as the impact that its colonial past has on its First Nations inhabitants? With 2016's Goldstone, which doubled down on and deepened that on-screen quest. How do you then follow up that fellow silver-screen gem? By moving to television, where Mystery Road retained the same setup but revelled in a lengthier running time. Following up the show's first hit season meant making a second, and following that up has now resulted in a third. But how do you keep digging in further with each and every followup? Right now, the answer resides in Mystery Road: Origin. Origin stories: everyone's getting them. Caped crusaders like Batman and Spider-Man have several; Hercule Poirot's moustache even has its own. Jay Swan doesn't particularly need one, given that plenty about why he's the man and detective he is, and the balancing act he's forced to undertake as an Indigenous cop as well, has already been teased out. But Mystery Road: Origin isn't jumping on a trend, repeating itself or prolonging a long-running saga. It isn't trying to justify having someone else play Swan, either. Debuting via ABC iview from 8.30pm on Sunday, July 3 — and also airing weekly on ABC TV on Sundays at 8.30pm — it leaps backwards because this franchise has always danced with history anyway. It has to; you can't explore the reality of life in Australia today, the racial and cultural divides that've long festered across this sunburnt country, and all that Swan encounters and tussles with, otherwise. In Mystery Road: Origin, it's 1999 — and, when its six episodes begin, Swan isn't quite a detective yet. He's passed his exam, though, and is awaiting the official paperwork. He still sports the same intense glint in his eye, topping the character's now-famous stern expression and as inescapable a part of the saga as Australia's rust-hued terrain. He's already a man of weighty thoughts and few words, too, as viewers have witnessed in every previous instalment. Here, he's played by Mark Coles Smith (Occupation: Rainfall), who couldn't do a more impressive job of stepping into Pedersen's (High Ground) shoes. The two actors worked together on 2007–10 series The Circuit, before Jay Swan entered either's worlds, and Coles Smith has visibly internalised everything that makes Pedersen one of Australia's greatest screen presences. His younger version of Swan always feels like exactly that, crucially, and never an impersonation. Mystery Road: Origin first spies Swan as he's driving along sweeping salt plains. His destination: Jardine, his Western Australian home town, population 1000. Resident sergeant Peter Lovric (Steve Bisley, Doctor Doctor) welcomes Swan back eagerly, but his return isn't all cheers, especially when he stumbles across a robbery en route and gets cuffed by senior constable Max Armine (Hayley McElhinney, How to Please a Woman). Tensions also linger with Swan's estranged dad Jack (Kelton Pell, another The Circuit alum), the town's old rodeo hero, and with his hard-drinking elder brother Sputty (Clarence Ryan, Moon Rock for Monday). Indeed, that initial stickup, the crimewave waged by culprits in Ned Kelly masks that it's soon a part of, and those persistent family struggles will all define the detective's homecoming. As much as each addition to the Mystery Road canon always places Swan at its centre, every new entry also paints a portrait of outback Aussie life. Just like its similarly dusty predecessors in movies and TV seasons gone by, Jardine boasts a motley crew of inhabitants and its fair share of long-simmering troubles. Local prosecutor Abe (Tony Leonard Moore, Mank) claims that the town is hardly a murder capital, but killings keep popping up alongside holdups. Thanks to newly arrived Legal Aid lawyer Anousha (Salme Geransar, Clickbait), old secrets bubble up as well, including the past death of a teenage boy. Swan's return also sees him cross paths with Mary, with Tuuli Narkle (All My Friends Are Racist) as the younger version of the character previously played by Tasma Walton (Rake). Every time that Mystery Road takes another spin, another who's who of Aussie film and TV fills its frames. Here, A Sunburnt Christmas' Daniel Henshall and Blacklight's Caroline Brazier also feature as siblings from a wealthy mining family, while first-timer Grace Chow leaves an imprint as fresh-faced constable Cindy Cheung. There are no weak links among the cast, but Mystery Road: Origin easily belongs to double denim- and Akubra-clad Coles Smith as its new Swan. That's on-screen, and if more chapters were to fill in the gaps between this and the OG movie with him leading the charge, they'd be welcome. Off-screen, there's also a passing of the torch, with Finke: There & Back and Robbie Hood filmmaker Dylan River in the director's chair. He follows on from his father, Sweet Country and The Beach's Warwick Thornton, who helmed half of Mystery Road's second season. That Mystery Road: Origin has an eye firmly on the future isn't just nice or apt; it's essential. As the franchise surveys Australia's past and present landscape of racial injustice, it probes the country that's existed since white settlement, while also pondering where the nation is heading. The constantly smart, thrilling and well-written on-screen examination that results revolves around another question, actually. Swan is asked if he's a policeman or a blackfella, a query that all things Mystery Road have continued to delve into ("why can't I be both?" is his answer here), but a different line of inquiry also sits at the saga's core. A now five-entry series about the crimes that rock outback communities already rocked by engrained and historical inequality, prejudice, oppression, exploitation and land grabs, Mystery Road interrogates which horrific misdeeds and atrocious attitudes Australia is and has been willing to look past — and the grave ramifications. No one should be looking past any of Mystery Road's chapters, of course, Mystery Road: Origin included. Check out the trailer for Mystery Road: Origin below: Mystery Road: Origin is available to stream via ABC iview from 8.30pm on Sunday, July 3 — and airs weekly on ABC TV on Sundays at 8.30pm. Images: David Dare Parker.
With over 45 million visitors globally, Body Worlds is one of the world's most visited health and wellness exhibitions. It's also frequently described as a "life changing experience" — visitors can expect to leave with an understanding of the marvel that is the human body. Now, after its popular Australian premiere in Melbourne, the original exhibition of real human bodies is coming to Sydney for the first time. Body Worlds Vital — which is different to the Real Bodies exhibition that, earlier in the year, garnered protesters amid claims the bodies were of executed Chinese political prisoners — will be on display at Sydney Town Hall from December 3 until March 2019, taking attendees on an intricate journey of the workings of the human body, through an authentic, visual display of over 150 donated specimens. The human bodies and body parts, donated for the benefit of public education, have gone through a meticulous process of plastination, and demonstrate the complexity, resilience and vulnerability of the human body in distress, disease and optimal health. The exhibitions were founded by anatomist and scientist Dr Gunther von Hagens and physician and conceptual designer Dr Angelina Whalley. And all the specimens displayed at the exhibitions are from an established body donation program with consenting donors — so far 17,000 bodies from around the world have been donated to Dr von Hagens' Institute for Plastination. The Australian tour specifically focuses on contemporary diseases and ailments and how everyday lifestyle choices can improve health and wellness, to live with vitality. The 150 specimens on display stem are preserved through a scientific process that replaces body fluids with polymers. Interactive elements include the Anatomical Mirror, where visitors will see how organs are positioned in their own body, a photo display that showcases longevity and healthy ageing, and healthy organs shown in direct comparison with diseased organs. Body Worlds Vital will be on display from December 3 – March 31 at Sydney Town Hall, 483 George Street, Sydney. Tickets are $32 for adults and are on sale now here.
On a hot summer's day, a sweet frozen treat will always hit the spot. A new brand has just launched in Australia that's providing a dairy-free solution to your sweet summer cravings. Originating in Thailand, Buono has created 100 percent plant-based frozen desserts that are vegan, gluten-free and contain no artificial colours or flavours. Buono has two types of frozen treats available in Australia currently. The first, Buono Boru Boru, is a tub of bubble tea-inspired ice cream. It's vegan, of course, made using coconut milk and containing flavour-filled balls reminiscent of the those you get in bubble tea. The Buono Boru Boru comes in two different flavours: classic Thai tea and genmaicha, which combines the flavours of green tea and roasted rice. The second range of dessert goodness Buono has created are called Mochi Ice. Made with coconut milk, these ice cream-filled mochi balls are a great bite-sized snack, but, be warned, you might find yourself returning to your freezer multiple times a day to grab one. They come in a range of flavours including strawberry, black sesame, vanilla, mango, coconut, chocolate and Japanese green tea. If you find yourself craving a cold creamy treat this summer, the Buono range is available at Coles and Woolworths stores nationally — and can be delivered to your door via Coles Online. Buono's range of plant-based desserts are available to order online or at select Coles, Woolworths and specialty stores nationwide. 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.
The excitement of most annual holidays starts to wear off as you get older. You realise that bunny rabbits don’t generally grow taller than a couple of feet, you start having to buy more Christmas gifts than you actually receive, and spending New Years Day hung over and full of regret kinda puts a damper on the idea of new beginnings. One holiday that only gets better as you age, however, is Halloween. It’s the holiday where all you’re basically expected to do is get loose and act da fool, which is a fun thing to do regardless of your age. This is, of course, unless you’re stuck at home and have to repeatedly get up off the sofa to give away all your candy to small children. So avoid this situation and make the most of a holiday we really know very little about by doing things like dressing up, drinking something called Green Juice and engaging in various Halloween antics to the sounds of Dead China Doll, Unity Floors, Dreamtime, Anonymeye and The Fighting League. Another thing that makes Halloween so great is that you can adjust the date to something more convenient if it happens to fall on an annoying weekday, so all of these things will be going down at Dirty Shirlows on Friday. Contact the organisers via their Facebook page for location details. Image by Irargerich.
If you're after a traditional Italian grocer, look no further than Quattro Deli in Chatswood Chase. The delicatessen sources local and imported specialty items, offering a huge range of cheeses — think Italian gorgonzola, buffalo mozzarella and plenty of washed-rind numbers — and heaps of Italian cured meats, including salami, mortadella and prosciutto. Its impressive selection also extends to olives, antipasti, jams, spreads, fresh pasta and sauces. You can grab desserts aplenty, too, including Italian nougat, biscuits, chocolates and other packaged sweets. If that's not enough, a huge cellar features vinos from Italy, France, South America and Spain, along with Australia and New Zealand. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
In the mood for an art adventure? Across February and March, when you grab a ticket to Brett Whiteley: Drawing is Everything at the Art Gallery of NSW, you can hop on a free return shuttle bus that'll take you between the gallery, the Brett Whiteley Studio in Surry Hills and Wendy's Secret Garden in leafy Lavender Bay. It's the perfect way to spend an afternoon and immerse yourself in the exuberant, expressive world of one of Australia's most beloved artists. Running every week from Friday to Sunday, the bus departs the gallery at 2pm and brings you back at 5pm. Though we wouldn't blame you if you find yourself tempted to linger longer in the Secret Garden; it's a pretty dreamy spot for an impromptu picnic, romantic assignation or sketching session. On that note, the exhibition provides visitors with a pencil and drawing booklet, in case the urge to record a creative response does arise. It's kind of great to know you're gazing on the iconic view that Whiteley found inspirational enough to capture on canvas time and time again. Word to the wise — seats are extremely limited, so make sure you pop to the Members Desk (located at the gallery's entrance) on the day to secure yourself a spot. You'll just need to flash your Brett Whiteley: Drawing is Everything exhibition ticket or Art Gallery of NSW membership card. For more information on the tour, visit the Art Gallery of NSW's website.
Opened in early 2025, Miji Bar & Grill made an immediate splash amongst Japanese food fans, as its dazzling izakaya-inspired design, playful cuisine and self-pour sake station made for a lively dining experience. Now the place has got a new winter special, launching a Hotpot Set Menu for $75 per person. Available from May–July, the menu gets diners in the mood with fresh edamame topped with sea salt. Then, the pace ramps up quickly, with two serves of steamed abalone adorned with awabi kimo sauce, kombu jelly and pickled radish. Next, it's time for the tantalising main event: sukiyaki beef hot pot brimming with a hearty combination of wagyu beef, wombok and fresh mushrooms in a rich sukiyaki broth. Then, this soothing hotpot feast rounds out a choice of two desserts — a hojicha choux or Mont Blanc. Michelin-trained Executive Head Chef Jacob Lee earned his culinary stripes working in a host of highly rated restaurants around the globe, from New York's A Voce Columbus to Seoul's acclaimed Mingles and Tartine Bakery. Now, Lee's latest adventure in Sydney is ready to make your winter.
UPDATE, January 7, 2021: Pieces of a Woman screens in Sydney cinemas from Wednesday, December 30, and will be available to stream via Netflix from Thursday, January 7. Everyone has heard the claim that women forget the pain of childbirth, with hormones and maternal stirrings washing away the agony of labour once a mother meets their bundle of joy. How true that proves is the subject of debate, but if you've only seen life brought into the world via on-screen depictions, you can be forgiven for subscribing to such a school of thought. Childbirth, like sex, is usually sanitised for cinema. Courtesy of thrusts, groans, screams and part-exhilarated, part-exhausted smiles, films typically convey the gist, rather than the nitty gritty. The visceral reality rarely exists in a fictionalised world of convenient meet-cutes, perfect make-up adorned faces and zero signs of sweat; however, thanks to a tense and harrowing 23-minute delivery scene that plays out in one continuous take, Pieces of a Woman doesn't shy away from the mess and chaos. It doesn't evade the devastation when a planned home birth not only experiences hiccups, but leaves Boston-based expectant mother Martha (Vanessa Kirby, Fast & Furious: Hobbs and Shaw) struggling to cope, either. Martha won't forget what occurred when her water broke, her husband Sean (Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy) remained by her side and midwife Eva (Molly Parker, Words on Bathroom Walls), a fill-in rather than the couple's first choice, delivered her baby. Neither will viewers of this daringly intimate drama from White God and Jupiter's Moon director-writer duo Kornél Mundruczó and Kata Wéber. The unbroken birthing scene isn't the movie's first, but it does precede its title card — with the filmmakers making it plain that, after getting a front-row seat to Martha's trauma, the audience will now witness her attempts to stitch herself back together. That's Pieces of a Woman's storyline. Shattered instead of feeling ecstatic and complete, as she had anticipated, the feature's protagonist tries to work out how to go on. But her marriage has lost its lustre, her overbearing mother Elizabeth (Ellen Burstyn, House of Cards) won't stop giving her two cents — and trying to throw around piles of money to help a problem that can't be fixed by cash — and, at Sean and Elizabeth's urging, there's also a court case to deal with. Pieces of a Woman doesn't lack narrative developments, involving both Martha and those in her bereaved orbit. Ex-alcoholic Sean also endeavours to process the situation, including falling back on old habits. His relationship with Elizabeth flips from bickering to conspiratorial, too; he's a construction worker, and his mother-in-law has always disapproved of his and Martha's class differences, but now they agree on what's best moving forward. Also having an impact: the involvement of Martha's lawyer cousin Suzanne (Sarah Snook, Succession), and the attention that comes from pursuing legal proceedings. Martha can't escape any of the above, but they're the film's scaffolding, rather than the main attraction. These external ups and downs will all pass, while Martha's maelstrom of despair and anger will remain. Accordingly, after stepping through her life-changing moment in realistic detail, the movie makes the bold choice to explore its protagonist's emotional and mental state. The Crown brought Kirby to broader fame and acclaim, earning her awards for her on-screen work after years of receiving them for her stage career — but, as stellar as she is in the regal drama, Pieces of a Woman is a career-best performance. She's tasked with weathering an ordeal rarely laid bare with such candour, and doing so via a dynamic and lived-in portrayal. She's asked to convey the torrential torment that Martha endures in every second after pushing through the contractions in Sean's embrace, holding their child in hers, and then suffering the worst type of absence. In the birth scene, she's primal and unfiltered in a way that's never seen on film. Afterwards, Kirby is glassy with and distant from those around Martha in a manner that rarely resonates as authentically as it does here. Pieces of a Woman is well-cast, and its star is ably matched — by Burstyn especially, particularly in one big monologue that rides a remarkable rollercoaster — but the intensity in Kirby as Martha crumples, yet remains resolute about her right to fracture and fray however she needs to, is near-overwhelming. Mundruczó and Wéber tackle an array of weighty notions through Martha, and through Kirby's performance, the ravenous monster that is grief being one. Pieces of a Woman is heartbreakingly unrestrained in showing how it feels to navigate loss, specifically the kind that isn't often addressed in society let alone in cinema. It does so with disarming potency, as if everything within its frames has been ripped from truth by the filmmakers. Just as effectively, the movie also unpacks how women are constantly expected to stick to set roles, even when tackling what might be the most distressing thing that'll ever happen to a mother. That's where all the struggles with Sean, Elizabeth and the court case really strike a chord — because, no matter what's going on, Martha is always supposed to fit a type dictated by long-held ideas about being a woman, and her husband, mum and anyone else with an opinion can't quite accept her refusal to adhere to convention. If Pieces of a Woman wasn't so deeply moving, some of its overt symbolism might've fallen flat, including repeated shots of a bridge being built by Sean, plus Martha's obsession with apples. And yet honesty reverberates from both, reflecting how easy it is to cling to anything and everything when life isn't progressing as planned. This excellent movie does spend its 126 minutes as intended, of course. From its attention-grabbing early sequence and intricate emotional landscape to its astonishing lead performance and its masterful direction — and its fittingly solemn score by Howard Shore (a two-time Oscar-winner for The Lord of the Rings) and roaming yet lingering visuals lensed by Benjamin Loeb (Mandy), too — it plunges viewers headfirst into Martha's experience. Nothing has been sanitised for anyone's comfort or protection here, either by the filmmakers or by their unforgettably real and raw central character. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zLKbMAZNGI Top image: Benjamin Loeb / Netflix.
Lightning Ridge might be best known for its enduring opal mining history, but the community's collection of bizarre museums and creative spaces are definitely a close second. Kangaroo Hill Complex is the stop for you if you're into off-the-wall antiques and unusual souvenirs. Others not to miss are the Bottle House Museum, Amigo's Castle, Beer Can House and the Astronomers Monument. Image: John, Flickr
If you made your way through most of Netflix during iso and are now wondering how else to while away winter, never fear. Regional NSW town Orange is bringing a brand-spanking-new streaming service to your screens. An antidote to all the hours spent at home, it'll offer a bunch of locally produced shows that celebrate the region. With Orange recognised as one of Australia's finest culinary regions, you can expect food and drink content aplenty. Aptly dubbed Very Local, the subscription-style service will transport you to the depths of the Central West's winter. It's set to launch on Friday, July 31, coinciding with the annual Orange Winter Fire Festival, and will feature everything from A-class chefs and winemakers to artist studio sessions and stunning cinematography of the local landscape. You'll catch veteran winemaker Phillip Shaw in conversation with renowned wine critic Peter Bourne and, to really be a part of it, you can get a wine pack delivered. Be warned, though, it'll set you back a cool $477, but comes with four seriously good drops. Another highlight is Fire, Family and Friends, where former Rockpool chef Dom Aboud, who now runs The Union Bank restaurant and bar in Orange, and Michael Chiem of lauded Sydney bar PS40 prep a mean feast. There'll also be a stargazing session that focuses on First Nations peoples' knowledge and stories of the skies and a tasting with Pioneer Brewing's Pete Gerber. For the latter, you can get the brews delivered, too, so you can join in the fun from the comfort of your couch. There'll also be a dedicated Slow TV channel that'll showcase the likes of the traditional Japanese technique of making miso, scenes from local vineyards, scapes of mountainside forests and a 24-hour bonfire, which will bring the hygge vibes in spades. It'll run for a month and set you back $25 for a season pass, which will give you unlimited access to the program. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYTdsN7oyWU&feature=youtu.be The inaugural season of Very Local launches on Friday, July 31 and will run till Monday, August 31. To sign up, head here. Images: Orange360 and Destination NSW
Conspiracy theories involving Shakespeare have been around for centuries. Mark Twain scoffed that the son of an illiterate tradesman couldn’t possibly have written such literary masterpieces, Sigmund Freud alleged that the Bard wasn’t the real author of all 38 plays ascribed to him, and Virginia Woolf shrewdly speculated that Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman, adding that a woman with Shakespeare's gifts would have been denied the same opportunities to develop them. The historical facts about Shakespeare are few and far between, and scant documented evidence actually exists of him receiving an education, buying a book, or writing a play. Mankind is characterised by our great thirst for a good conspiracy theory — call it cynicism, call it curiosity; while Shakespeare’s masterpieces remain in our cultural consciousness, we’ll feel compelled to make sense of the man behind them. Part of the fascination with the Shakespeare authorship question is perhaps a strain of tall poppy syndrome – we simply cannot seem to accept that the greatest playwright who’s ever lived kept a life that was so, well, anonymous. Hence Roland Emmerich’s epic new period film. Set in Elizabethan London, it's historical melodrama of the highest order — well-coiffed royals conduct clandestine affairs while conniving courtiers collude in cramped chambers. It’s like Shakespeare in Love fused with The Da Vinci Code, or The Tudors filtered through Black Adder. Derived from a book written 90 years ago called "Shakespeare” Identified, Anonymous dramatizes the theory that the 17th Earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere, was the man who penned all of Shakespeare’s works. Most of the film’s action is concentrated in the years between 1598 and 1603, and pits the dashing blonde earl against puritanical noblemen and unscrupulous politicians. It’s filled with murder, sex, lies and incest — the stuff of true Shakespearean drama. It’s entertaining enough, but it serves better as a political thriller than an alternate history. Go see it if costume drama’s your thing — as Shakespeare himself said in Hamlet, “the play’s the thing”, and until the day that there is conclusive evidence to end the authorship conversation, we’ll continue to create conspiracy theories about how such an ordinary man wrote such extraordinary verse.
In a dimly lit room in a grimy train station, a capuchin monkey sits at a table. In walks a detective, who then starts smoking a cigarette and interrogating the animal in front of him. They chat, bantering back and forth as the cop asks questions and the primate answers. At one point, the monkey even sings. Queries range from "do you know anything about birds?" to "you ever ride the rodeo?", all in a quest to solve a murder. A chicken also pops up, and a waitress. If the above scenario sounds more than a little surreal, that's because it is — especially given that it's part of David Lynch's new 17-minute short film. Called What Did Jack Do?, the black-and-white piece also stars the inimitable Lynch as the detective. At this stage of the acclaimed director's career, that just sounds natural, really. Intrigued? If you're a fan of the filmmaker's work — spanning everything Eraserhead and Blue Velvet to three seasons of Twin Peaks across nearly three decades — then of course you are. And thanks to Netflix, you can now spend a small chunk of your day watching the latest unique, delightful and inescapably odd work by one of the most distinctive auteurs to ever stand behind a camera. While first screened at Paris' Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain back in 2017, and then playing Lynch's own in Festival of Disruption in New York in 2018, What Did Jack Do? hadn't been widely seen until now. And although Netflix isn't known for stacking its catalogue with shorts, when it adds one, it's worth checking out — like last year's also far-from-ordinary Paul Thomas Anderson and Thom Yorke collaboration. Check out a clip of What Did Jack Do? below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crzwq4CjhvA What Did Jack Do? is currently available to stream on Netflix.
Unique accommodations are available in abundance on Airbnb. So what makes Aussie Host Quentin Dempster's Table Cape home, which was recently named Australia's Best Unique Airbnb Stay, the most innovative of all? Affectionately named The Winged House, this extraordinary Tasmania property boasts a long list of features that has seen it recognised as one of Australia's best stays. It starts with its ability to stand out — literally — with architecture that sees it cantilevered over a cliff to deliver dramatic 180-degree views of the seascape that surrounds it. Designed by Australian artist Richard Goodwin (and engineered by Harry Partridge), Dempster's abode is a liveable art installation, inspired by the appearance of the wings of an aircraft stretching over a cliff. Guests who drive into the property have also noted its resemblance to a bird poised to take off. However, not content to simply serve breathtaking vistas of waves breaking on rocks to the east and Rocky Cape National Park to the west, changing cloud formations, eagles and even an occasional seal, Dempster's commitment to offering guests an unforgettable experience extends to every room of his house. The bathroom features a traditional Japanese soaking tub, the living room shelves are stocked with best-selling books, the gourmet kitchen is fully equipped and the pantry is packed with premium condiments — including extra virgin olive oil produced by Dempster himself. In addition to complimentary bottles of local wine on arrival, Dempster also offers a unique "call-in" service, where guests can dial-a-massage or dial-a-chef, connecting with the best local suppliers and service providers. Impressed with Dempster's understanding that "it's the hospitality that truly makes all the difference when it comes to helping guests feel like they are living in a place, not just travelling to it," we caught up with him to talk about his Airbnb hosting journey, as well as what he believes makes for a truly unique Airbnb stay. What made you decide to become an Airbnb Host? My wife and I use Airbnb when we travel. We've enjoyed it from a guest perspective so I joined up as a Host and things developed from there. We've attracted people from all over the world. What do you think Hosts can do to make an Airbnb listing outstanding? We provide a stocked larder, breakfast victuals, a complimentary bottle of Josef Chromy chardonnay or Tasmanian pinot noir as well as our own extra virgin olive oil. In addition to the dramatic views, we have found this warm welcome and generosity makes all the difference to the guest experience. What do you love about sharing your unique property? The sense of a special place and guests who love to share it with us. We chat happily with guests from all over the world and give advice on local things to do. What's something you wish you knew when you started hosting? The importance of taking the edge off guest stress about cancellations. During the early stages of the COVID pandemic we quickly adopted a lenient booking policy, one which gave a full refund to people who had to cancel because of lockdowns. Or offered them a credit voucher against a future stay so they were not out of pocket. What are some of the benefits of hosting? The income derived through hosting has allowed us to pay for a cleaner, manager, suppliers and tradies, which all helps to contribute to the local economy. We also pay Tassie land tax which returns some revenue to the Tasmanian taxpayer. So it's a win-win. Want to begin your own hosting journey with Airbnb? If you're feeling inspired, head to the website to find out how to get started. 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. Images: Bec Baxter
This French-Vietnamese fusion restaurant at the recently renovated Sofitel Sydney Wentworth channels the vibrant old-world spirit of Hanoi but with a refined sense of luxury. With seating for 150 diners, plus space for an additional 60 on the sweeping horse-shoe terrace, this impressive restaurant seamlessly blends al fresco charm with indoor elegance. On arrival, guests can visit the intimate champagne bar, where seven by-the-glass sips — from single-village grower champagnes to vintage selections — are on offer. The 390-square-metre dining room's interior design, by Fender Katsalidis, also sets a luxe tone, taking its cues from French-colonial architecture and Vietnamese-style textiles and prints. "In this space, east meets west, vibrancy and structure collide, and there's a magical balance of neutrals and colour," says Karen Morris of Fender Katsalidis. A soft, nature-inspired palette of muted greens and greys counterpoints the verdant wallpaper, designed by artist Kerrie Brown, featuring lush foliage and exotic birds, while seating crafted from solid reclaimed teak with woven rope backs underlines the 1920s colonial-era look. On the menu, fresh, crisp, quintessentially Vietnamese flavours take centre stage. Crafted by the hotel's Executive Chef Elliott Pinn, who has formerly overseen the dining offering at House Made's other major dining hub Hinchcliff House, there are some playful flourishes for diners to enjoy, such as the bánh mì trolley, which constructs the crowd-pleasing Vietnamese sandwich tableside to the diners' taste, before it's sliced into bite-sized pieces for easy sharing. Many of the mains are also social affairs designed to share. Guests can get hands-on with roasted duck legs, a whole roasted snapper or a dry-aged steak, accompanied by nuoc cham, rice paper, butter lettuce, and pickles, to create classic Vietnamese wraps. A fresh crab and green mango salad loaded with fresh herbs or a banana blossom salad featuring a textural mix of shaved banana blossom, pineapple, and chilli make for the perfect side dishes. Washing that down is a wine list that skews 70 percent French alongside a range of local and international fortified and dessert wines. The cocktail list is also French-leaning with some homegrown winks thrown in, such as the French 75 featuring Pommery champagne, Unico Zelo pomelo vermouth, pear eau de vie and finger lime extract.
Cinema is one of humanity's greatest artistic inventions — and the joy of sitting in a darkened room, locking your eyes on the screen and becoming immersed in the movie in front of you will never grow old. But, now that the medium is well into its second century, it's worth acknowledging a bleak truth: most movies are average. It's a numbers game, really. With thousands of new films hitting screens and streaming platforms each and every year, they can't all be masterpieces. They're not all rubbish either, which is why so many sit in the middle. Some are watchable trash, others are almost better than okay, but a whole heap fall between those two points. If you're thinking "hang on, isn't this an article about the best films of the 2019?", you're not mistaken — the two topics are related. When a movie isn't average, it stands out. When it's something special, magnificent, glorious and astounding, it sticks in your mind for days, weeks, months and more. In fact, the best films are even more exceptional because they've found the perfect blend of components to soar far beyond the standard. They're the movies that make you excited when you leave the cinema, even if you've just been put through the emotional wringer or scared out of your wits, because you're ecstatic that these films exist. 2019, like every other year, had its share of great, excellent and outstanding movies — and with all of the above in mind, we've picked our best. We could've gone on, so apologies to the films that barely missed the cut. The Souvenir, If Beale Street Could Talk, Midsommar, Vox Lux and Ad Astra are all worth seeking out. So are Knives Out, Booksmart, Weathering with You, Apollo 11 and Hustlers. But we could only choose ten, which is a tiny fraction of the 550-plus movies that released on Australasian screens this year — and our favourites are the absolute opposite of average. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEUXfv87Wpk PARASITE 2019 may be the year that the best film of the past 12 months wins cinema's top two awards. At the Cannes Film Festival in May, Bong Joon-ho's Parasite nabbed the Palme d'Or — and the twisty thriller is one of the frontrunners to be named Best Picture when the Oscars roll around in February. If it scores the latter as well, it'll be the first movie since 1955 to win both — and only the second film ever. Parasite deserves to earn that feat, but it'll still remain an astonishing, smart and supremely enjoyable picture if it doesn't. Following the intersection of two South Korean families — one wealthy, entitled and oblivious to their privilege, the other unemployed and scraping by however they can — this is a precisely layered feature that unravels an engrossing mystery while making a decisive statement about class disparities. The puzzle-like social satire is also written, shot and acted to perfection by the Okja and Snowpiercer helmer, with Bong regular Song Kang-ho leading a dynamite cast. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfPxmnMAyZw THE NIGHTINGALE Back in 2018, after The Nightingale first screened for media at the Venice Film Festival, it hit headlines. Barely a handful of people had seen it, but word of its tough nature spread quickly — as did news of vocal reactions and walkouts. Such reports would only continue as the film toured the festival circuit overseas and in Australia; however Jennifer Kent's second feature after The Babadook wants to evoke that response. Tracking an Irish convict (Aisling Franciosi) on a quest for revenge against the British soldier (Sam Claflin) who brutally took away everything she loved, and following her trek through Van Diemen's Land with an Indigenous guide (Baykali Ganambarr), this isn't meant to be an easy watch. Clawing through the misogyny, racism and oppression baked into Australia's history, and the violence with which it has been dispensed, should leave a visceral impact. Making a different kind of horror movie, Kent uses every tool at her disposal to put viewers in her protagonists' shoes, including a boxed-in 4:3 aspect ratio that stares at assault, death and more front-on. The results don't just leave an imprint — they leave a scar. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn_-YoG69Sw PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE In a film that's sumptuous and striking from start to finish, Portrait of a Lady on Fire's approach to its love story stands out. This is a subtle, slow-burning movie that simmers with restraint and yearning as its central women fall for each other, but it's also bold and uncompromising in depicting what society demands of their lives — and how the expectations placed upon them are incompatible with their happiness. In the 18th century, artist Marianne (Noémie Merlant) has been commissioned to paint the portrait of bride-to-be Héloïse (Adèle Haenel). With Héloïse reluctant about both her nuptials and being immortalised on canvas, Marianne must pose as her new companion, study her closely as they spend time together and paint in secret. As romance blooms within Celine Sciamma's (Girlhood) radiant, exquisitely detailed frames, her equally luminous feature explores both the freedom they find in each other's arms and the stark reality of their future. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJEDh4ikcWA PAIN AND GLORY It's impossible to look at Antonio Banderas in Pain and Glory and not think of the man who put him there. Pedro Almodovar has directed the Spanish actor to many of his top performances over the past four decades, and here he gives him a formidable task — with Banderas virtually playing a fictionalised version of the filmmaker. His character, Salvador Mallo, looks like Almodovar and even wears his clothes. He's also a director and, via a collaboration with a star from his past, he's in the process of taking stock of his life in a new project. The result is a rich and deep exploration of choices made, dreams forgotten, paths followed and possibilities lost, as rendered with Almodovar's usual bright, expressive colour palette. Penelope Cruz also features in flashbacks to Mallo's childhood, playing his mother, but it's the marriage of Cannes Best Actor-winning Banderas and Almodovar in reflective mode that makes this gorgeous, heartfelt, bittersweet movie a piece of cinematic perfection. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bavqDA_3vIo US As a filmmaker using genre to lay bare society's oppressive ills — and to entertain audiences with audacious and ambitious horror stories in the process — Jordan Peele is now two for two. Just a couple of short years ago, Get Out felt like a breath of fresh air with its smart and savage tale of racial alienation. That feeling remains with his second feature, Us, which simultaneously splashes in the same thematic pool and rides its own narrative wave. Focusing on a family of four, a summer vacation to Santa Cruz and sinister lookalikes who start stalking their every move, Peele finds a new way to ponder America's divisive reality both historically and at present, all while making an immensely unnerving addition to an already unsettling genre: the doppelgänger movie. Playing dual roles, Lupita Nyong'o puts in one of the year's very best performances as the matriarch doing whatever it takes to fight for both her family and her freedom, while many of the film's meticulously crafted visuals are pure nightmare fodder. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZeIHrx7Oyc HIGH LIFE Not only sending Robert Pattinson into space with a baby, but marking the first English-language film by acclaimed French director Claire Denis (Let the Sunshine In), High Life was always going to stand out. Pattinson plays Monte, who's caring for an infant alone on a space station when the film opens. Sci-fi history dictates that this was never going to be a cosy situation, with said intergalactic vessel hurtling towards a black hole. While flashbacks fill in the story, they never tell the expected tale. In a film that also stars Juliette Binoche as a twisted doctor experimenting on convicted criminals — and features a masturbation chamber called The Box — nothing was ever going to fit a nice, neat template. Belonging to the contemplative side of space-set sci-fi, High Life is unflinching in its depiction of the dark, cruel side of human nature, with its haunting and distinctive portrait of our species at its worst not easily forgotten amongst its weighty existential musings. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI9UYcEwUYA BURNING On cinema screens Down Under, 2019 has been an exceptional year for South Korean movies by acclaimed auteurs. Parasite has earned so much deserved attention that it's easy to forget that it was the second of this year's big-name theatrical releases from the country — and the second to explore class and gender divisions in a thrilling manner, too. The first was Burning, the visually detailed and emotionally loaded masterpiece by Lee Chang-dong that's based on a short story by Haruki Murakami. Here, society's inequities come to the fore in a blend of contemplative mystery, intricate character study and exquisitely observed examination of human relationships. It all starts when part-time deliveryman Jongsu (Yoo Ah-in) crosses paths with his former neighbour Haemi (Jun Jeong-seo), feels a connection between them, but finds himself pushed to the side when she returns from an African holiday with the wealthy Ben (Steven Yeun) by her side. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELeMaP8EPAA ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD Three words: Rick fucking Dalton. In Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Leonardo DiCaprio is fantastic as the 60s TV cowboy who pines for a career renaissance; however, he's just one of the film's stellar components. As the stuntman and driver that Dalton relies so heavily on, Brad Pitt oozes complicated cool. As Dalton's neighbour Sharon Tate, Margot Robbie sits at the heart of the film — and demonstrates that dialogue isn't the only indicator of an excellent performance. Jumping back to 1969, and to the summer that the Manson family famously wreaked murderous havoc, Quentin Tarantino plays with real-life details, but he's in the revisionist mode that served Inglourious Basterds so well. The end product is an intricate, mature, laidback and thoroughly enjoyable film that's also purposefully shaggy, and invites audiences to not only ponder its perspective on weathering seismic personal and cultural shifts, but to enjoy the time spent hanging out in its world. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHi-a1n8t7M MARRIAGE STORY Noah Baumbach makes movies about unhappiness, whether he's following titular New Yorker in a state of arrested development (as seen in Frances Ha), a middle-aged couple at a crossroads (While We're Young) or dysfunctional adult siblings sorting through their issues (The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)). And, although Marriage Story commences with odes of love penned carefully and thoughtfully, the film's once blissfully wed protagonists Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) are far from content. Rather, in a story that spans both US coasts, they're divorcing. In the process, they're locked in a bitter custody battle over their young son (Azhy Robertson). Sharp, naturalistic and devastatingly astute, this always-empathetic drama follows the pair's efforts to adjust to their new status quo — with Driver in particularly blistering form as a New York-based experimental theatre director expending all of his energy on a fight that his heart might not be in. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHXxVmeGQUc THE IRISHMAN Only the very best filmmakers can continually return to the same domain, but still make each new visit feel like something new. Martin Scorsese is one of them, as The Irishman illustrates. On paper, it seems like a typical Scorsese-directed movie. It's about gangsters, it stars Robert De Niro, and it even coaxed the great Joe Pesci out of retirement. As anyone with even a passing interest in cinema knows, that's Goodfellas and Casino territory. But with this lengthy epic, the masterful auteur shows that he's not one for needlessly repeating himself. Based on the life of truck driver-turned-mob hitman Frank Sheeran (De Niro) and his time working for union boss Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), this potent saga may revisit familiar themes — but, as pieced together with patience and impeccable performances (especially from Pesci), its portrait of two forces constantly fighting for supremacy, even to their own detriment, is also keenly relevant today. Read our full review. These are our ten favourite films of 2019, and we listed ten other standouts above as well. But we've also put together a list of the best films hardly anyone saw this year — y'know, the ones that sort of went in and out of cinemas without much fanfare but definitely deserve a watch.
If you've been plotting any food-and-drink-related Victorian adventures of late, you probably already have the newly revamped Continental Sorrento and its suite of new must-visit venues on your radar. But now, you've got a fresh excuse to book that visit, with the coastal precinct's luxury 108-room InterContinental Hotel opening this week. The latest Aussie offering for IHG Hotels & Resorts, the new seaside hotel occupies both a reimagined section of the existing 147-year-old limestone building and a separate newly-built wing. A collection of penthouses is also to come, to be unveiled later this year. Steered by renowned firm Woods Baggot (W Melbourne, Barlow), sophisticated interiors mirror this old-meets-new energy, with plenty of modernised nods to the art deco and Victorian elements the site's rocked in eras past. There's a refined Mediterranean edge to the aesthetic, with sweeping bay vistas and, in each of the premium options, a complimentary in-room bar heroing local craft brews, vino and spirits. Of course, facilities here lean to the fancy, including the blissful cabana-ringed guest-only pool deck, with palms, water views and a look that's plucked straight from your dream Euro beach holiday. Guests also have the Continental Sorrento's full suite of offerings on their doorstep, from the public bar, to fine diner Audrey's upstairs. Gracing the walls throughout the hotel, expect to see a standout art collection, further fusing the past and the present with a broad-ranging curation of works by Aussie artists. Keep an eye out for the reimagined snaps from vintage Mornington Peninsula beach parties, capturing those cool coastal charms through the decades. There's more luxury to come, too, with the site's Aurora Spa & Bathhouse slated to launch later this year, featuring a thermal bathhouse and wellness centre. Find the InterContinental Sorrento at 23 Constitution Hill Road, Sorrento. Rooms start from $595 per night. You can learn more and book a stay over on the website.
Boasting zombies, cats, ramen, crime and a Palme d'Or-winning filmmaker, the annual Japanese Film Festival is back — and it's making its way around the country with a hefty lineup. Touring Sydney until November 25 and Melbourne from November 22 until December 1, JFF's 2018 iteration delves into the breadth of Japanese cinema. Indeed, ranging beyond the usual suspects is where this festival excels. Everyone loves Studio Ghibli and Godzilla, two of the Asian nation's biggest cinema icons; however there's more to Japan's film industry than gorgeous animation and giant beasts. Much, much more, in fact. JFF features 31 movies that prove that's the case, including our six must-see picks. Because this festival really is all about variety, one of them even stars Josh Hartnett. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du2XfUDfjN0 ONE CUT OF THE DEAD A box office extravaganza in Japan that has made its super low budget back several hundred times over (yes, several hundred), One Cut of the Dead starts out like many a zombie flick. Combine a group of people, a creepy setting and a sudden attack of the undead, and you know what you're in for — even if the victims are a team of filmmakers making a zombie movie, and even if it's all initially captured in one unending take. With Shinichiro Ueda's movie, however, you really don't know what you're in for, even when you're certain that you do Saying more is saying too much, but this is a smart, energetic and highly enjoyable take on a busy genre that has a heap of tricks and twists up its sleeves. Book here. https://vimeo.com/252904630 OH LUCY! Resembling a reversal of Lost in Translation, Oh Lucy! follows a Japanese woman seeking more in her life — and finding it in an American in Tokyo. That said, this engaging drama is never quite that straightforward. When the single and unhappy Setsuko (Shinobu Terajima) falls for her English teacher John (Josh Hartnett), she's also trying to hold onto the blonde wig-wearing alter-ego, Lucy, that he's asked her to adopt as part of their lessons. Terajima is fantastic as a lonely soul seeking a different future that she didn't know she wanted, while Japanese-American director Atsuko Hirayanagi combines a somewhat whimsical scenario with deep character insights as she adapts her short film of the same name. Book here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f0nXOk8kJk THE TRAVELLING CAT CHRONICLES The cutest film on this or any film festival lineup this year, The Travelling Cat Chronicles isn't afraid to dial up the emotion. Splashing such strong feelings about works a treat for this book-to-screen adaptation, with themes of loyalty, positivity and kindness shining through. The four-legged Nana is an ex-stray cat who is taken in by the kindly Satoru (Sota Fukushi), but her human companion eventually has to find the feisty feline a new home. As they hit the road to visit Satoru's friends, this heartfelt film steps through his backstory and his time with his adorable moggie, all with Nana offering her thoughts. As an ode to the joys of having a pet through life's ups and downs, this moving movie is a sweet delight. Book here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plr3V4TYBQE THE THIRD MURDER Before Hirokazu Kore-eda made one of 2018's great movies in the form of Palme d'Or-winning family drama Shoplifters, the prolific Japanese director stepped into the world of crime. The Third Murder might seem like a departure for a filmmaker known for exploring the bonds of blood, but this quiet yet poignant effort hews closer to his preferred territory than it initially appears. After Misumi (Koji Yakusho) is arrested for murder and robbery, lawyer Shigemori (Masaharu Fukuyama) is tasked with finding the truth, although that proves far from a simple task. A big winner at this year's Japanese Academy Awards, the end result takes Kore-eda's trademarks into darker yet no less open-hearted and empathetic terrain — complete with his usual winning way with actors. Book here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slop_4sK5PE THE BLOOD OF WOLVES Crime is a gritty, bloody, pulpy business in The Blood of Wolves — and a violent one, too. That's typically the case in yakuza dramas, which filmmaker Kazuya Shiraishi has clearly seen plenty of; however he has still crafted an involving addition to the fold that nods to the past while standing on its own merits. Detective Ogami (Koji Yakusho) and his newly graduated partner Hioka (Tori Matsuzaka) drive the action as they attempt to find a missing person, only to be drawn into the all-out gang turf war that's taking over the city. Set in Hiroshima in 1988, this Japanese underworld flick doesn't hold back, including when it comes to gruesome interrogations — and to ramping up the brutal thrills. Book here. WILDERNESS A word of warning: Wilderness isn't a quick endeavour, with this marathon two-part film clocking in at more than five hours. JFF will screen it with an intermission; however this epic cinema experience is worth getting cosy for. Based on a 1961 novel, Yoshiyuki Kishi's feature might take place just three years in the future now, in 2021, but it has much to say about Japanese society and its expectations, as well as about male friendships. Ultimately a boxing-focused drama set in in a Tokyo that's crumbling rather than bustling, and exploring the stories of quick-tempered Shinji (Masaki Suda) and shy Kenji (Yang Ik-June), this lengthy effort packs a considerable punch. Book here. The Japanese Film Festival screens at Sydney's Event Cinemas George Street from Thursday, November 15 to Sunday, November 25, and at Melbourne's Australian Centre for the Moving Image from Thursday, November 22 to Sunday, December 2. For more information, visit the festival website.
As you might expect from the epic multitasking folk at The Greens, their NYE celebration has it all. That includes roving performers, live music, tasty food and excellent views come firework time. While you're savouring gourmet hotdogs, fried chicken, oysters, charcuterie, sliders, risotto and roasted corn, don't be surprised if a hula hooper sneaks up behind you or a juggler wanders by unannounced. And, when you're feeling the need to move, get your dance on to six-piece live band King St Swing and DJ Natural Selector, featuring percussionist Luke Herbert. Then, of course, when the fireworks go off at 9pm and midnight, you'll be in prime position to see the bridge looking its prettiest. The action kicks off from 6pm and will continue till late. It's a family friendly shindig, so if you're minding your nieces, nephews, cousins or your own children, bring 'em along for kiddy entertainment and food, including a lolly bar.
If you watched Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi's vampire sharehouse mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows back in 2014, then instantly found yourself yearning for more, that's understandable. Smart, silly and hilarious, the undead flick is one of the past decade's best comedies. Thanks to two TV spinoffs, that dream has come true, letting viewers keep spending time in the movie's supernatural world — and that's not going to end any time soon. In 2018, the New Zealand-made Wellington Paranormal premiered, following the movie's cops (Mike Minogue and Karen O'Leary) as they keep investigating the supernatural. It proved a hit, and has already returned for both a second and third season. In 2019, an American TV version of What We Do in the Shadows also debuted, focusing on vampire flatmates living in Staten Island. Featuring Toast of London's Matt Berry, Four Lions' Kayvan Novak, British stand-up comedian Natasia Demetriou, The Magicians' Harvey Guillen and The Office's Mark Proksch, it sticks to the same basic concept as the original movie, just with memorable new characters. And yes, it too has already aired its second season, and is about to come back for its third. The US take on What We Do in the Shadows was first hinted at back in 2017, and then confirmed in May 2018. While Clement and Waititi don't star in the new-look series, Berry, Novak and company have been doing them proud as the next batch of ravenous — and comic — vamps. Novak plays the gang's self-appointed leader, 'Nandor The Relentless', who dates back to the Ottoman Empire days and is somewhat stuck in his ways. As for Berry's mischievous British dandy Laszlo and Demetriou's seductive Nadja, they're like a blood-sucking Bonnie and Clyde (but much funnier). Guillén plays Nandor's familiar, who'd do anything to join the undead, while Proksch's Colin is an 'energy vampire'. You know that colleague that sucks all the fun out of the room? That's the kind of vibe Colin has. Plus, this vampire gang has been joined by plenty of familiar faces over the two seasons to-date, including some fellow undead favourites from across popular culture. Can't wait to sink your fangs into more? Nandor, Laszlo, Nadja and Colin will return this year — and, as the just-dropped first season three teaser shows, they'll experience 'vampire reality', the undead's version of VR. The show's new season is due to start airing in the US from September 2 and, if past seasons are any guide, will hopefully show up Down Under not long afterwards. An airdate in Australia and New Zealand hasn't been announced yet, but here's hoping we'll be watch the hilarious small-screen spinoff's latest season sooner rather than later. Check out the first season three teaser below: https://twitter.com/theshadowsfx/status/1415400811346202628 What We Do in the Shadows' third season starts airing on September 2 in the US. Expect it to hit Foxtel in Australia sometime this year, too — we'll update you when exact local airdates are announced.
In the centre of Victoria Park sits this 50-metre outdoor pool. It's heated, so it's worth a winter detour, too. As well as the pool it has a gym and hosts group glasses and yoga sessions.
World Cocktail Day rolls around on Friday, May 13 — yes, it's a real thing — and to celebrate, Monkey Shoulder is getting pouring. The scotch brand has created Australia's biggest cocktail mixer truck called Monkey Mixer (which looks a little like a cement mixer truck, but shiny) and is serving free cocktails at a heap of breweries around Sydney. The giant orange and silver truck is hitting the road between Wednesday, May 11–Friday, May 13, giving you three days to nab a complimentary drink. First stops on the Wednesday: Wayward Brewing Co in Camperdown (from 5.30–6.30pm) and Sauce Brewing Co in Marrickville (7–8pm). Then, Thursday's itinerary spans Kirrawee's Sunday Road Brewing (4.30–5.30pm) and North Wollongong's Illawarra Brewing Co (6.30–7.30pm), before heading to North Wollongong Hotel in Wollongong (12–10pm) on Friday. If this all sounds familiar, that's because Monkey Shoulder did something similar back in 2020. If the brand wants to hand out free cocktails every now and then, we're obviously happy to drink them. And if you're wondering why it's pouring cocktails at breweries, the aim is to get beer fiends to switch up their sips.
The Hills district loves its food trucks — so much so that it dedicates a free two-day festival to the best of the bunch every year. Park Feast is returning to Bella Vista Farm on Saturday, September 28 through Sunday, September 29. You'll find 30 of Sydney's best food trucks parked over the weekend, serving up everything from cannoli to fried haloumi, paella, pulled pork burgers, halal snack packs, Korean fried chicken and elaborate soft serve-filled doughnuts. Some of the big names in attendance include The Cannoli Truck, Tsuru, Pimp My Chimey and Chur Burger. For the full list of tasty vendors, scroll down. When you're not busy eating, there's an amusement park for all ages and live music throughout the day and night — all for free. It's dog friendly, too, so bring your fur baby if you wish. PARK FEAST 2019 LINEUP Chur Burger The Cannoli Truck Norma's Burger Bar Bao Brothers Stroop Bros Tsuru Mr Puff Satay Brothers Wafflo Emmy's Gozleme Chillato Gelato Mr Pig Pimp My Chimney Dutch Poffertjes House Halloumi Me Lambda Mr Shish Dos Churros Gdup Burgers La Flamenca Paella Fritz Wieners You Pizza Bar Coco Retro Classics Potato Corner Rolling Schnitzel Punto & Pasta Birdman Texas Ranger BBQ Twist Potato Smoking Grill BBQ Park Feast runs from 12pm–9.30pm each day. Updated September 5, 2019
For local residents, the Paddington Reservoir Gardens is a serene pocket of green sunken beneath busy Oxford Street, but there was a time when the reservoir served as just that, a water reservoir for a growing Sydney. Once Paddington's main water supply, it's now an idyllic park inspired by the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Experimentation and creative flair have been at the forefront of Sydney's diverse culinary space, with a plethora of venues breaking into new, exciting ground. An exciting eatery spearheading this shift is Lima Nikkei in Dawes Point. The shiny addition to Hickson Road has rebranded, changing its name from Folkor to Lima Nikkei and zeroing in on Nikkei cuisine. Residing just opposite Lotus Dumpling Bar, Lima Nikkei heroes a blend of Japanese and Peruvian dishes, drawing inspiration from Executive Chef and co-owner Hector Chunga's culinary journey and heritage — including his time at a leading culinary school in Lima. This 100-seat outpost is the sibling venue to Surry Hills' much-loved locale, Warike. Blending the aesthetic of Lima's Barranco bars and Sydney's sleek CBD, Lima Nikkei features dark interiors paired with colourful LED lighting decorating its walls. The elegant bar is adorned with a ring of cherry blossoms and an intricate mural spans across its feature wall, creating an alluring ambience perfect for intimate dining. When perusing Lima Nikkei's menu, you'll immediately be met with the expansive range of ceviche, tiraditos (Peruvian-style sashimi) and anticuchos (charcoal-grilled skewers), leaving you spoilt for choice. Of the many options available, the El Trio ceviche, starring cured salmon, tuna and kingfish, is a highlight. Other starters on offer include the chicken- and prawn-filled dumplings, pulled pork bao buns and sushi in the form of nigiri or rolls — and you won't want to skip the deep-fried Furai Crab Roll. Accompanying the starter selection is a variety of heftier mains. A standout is the charcoal-grilled beef paired with ponzu and huacatay sauce, while the noodle-heavy tallarin saltado is coated in a citrus-forward lomo sauce. For dessert, take your pick from the chocolucuma cake or the Lima special — a rice pudding with coconut and a chicha morada (a native purple corn drink). There are also a pair of set menus starting from $75 per person for those eager to sample the menu. And for sips, partner your meal with a crisp pisco sour, a fragrant gin cocktail or a chilled beer. Images: VJB Group
20,000 Days on Earth is a documentary that's fiction. Though it's by no means the only documentary to question the form and take things meta, it is one of the most boldly experimental ones out there. It's a work that's highly constructed from start to finish — and since it's constructed with and about Nick Cave, there's plenty of fun to be had. The film imagines the 20,000th day on earth of the Australian-born, UK-based singer and raconteur. It's a day that includes him talking to his shrink, recording an album, helping archivists make sense of his historical record, lunching with his pals, driving Kylie Minogue around Brighton, and playing at the Sydney Opera House. A pretty great day, really, particularly for its impossibilities. Running throughout is, naturally, Cave's own music, rumbling out of the studio and guiding his path through the world. Instead of clarity and chronology, what you get in 20,000 Days on Earth is a fragmented sense of biography that is sometimes deeply insightful, sometimes electrifying and sometimes frustrating. Major characters in the life of Nick Cave, such as collaborator Warren Ellis and The Proposition star Ray Winstone, appear without context or label, meaning that to really follow this winding ride, you have to be au fait with the life of Cave. If you're not, just let it go; there are plenty of moments here that are plain entertaining regardless, while a live performance montage set to a frenzied, ever building version of 'Jubilee Street' is near rapturous to witness. The conversation between Cave and Minogue feels painfully intimate and revealing, despite all the scripting that frames it. Artists-turned-directors Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard have basically conjured a new format here, one that's wondrously poetic and imaginative. There's a sense that it could be applied to tell nearly anybody's fragmented, personal tale, though having the flair and flamboyance of Cave certainly helps. Eavesdropping on a conversation with Cave is right up there with the high points of cultural consumption. 20,000 Days on Earth gets points for pure brio. It's not like anyone would want every documentary to be made this way, but it sure is an interesting divergence. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ap0_y5EGttk
The Hills is getting a luxurious new rooftop restaurant with the arrival of Ciel in 2024. Chef Joshua Mason, the mind behind Baulkam Hills' acclaimed French restaurant Quoi Dining, will lead the charge at this lush new opening in Sydney's northwest. Translating to "sky" in French, Ciel will take over half of the seventh floor at Infinity Park, a new development that will boast 287 apartments by the time it's completed in 2025. The dining room will boast views of the neighbouring Castle Hill Country Club and the Sydney city skyline in the distance. Mason describes the soon-to-open restaurant as: "A woodfired-inspired dining experience honouring the south of France and the light finesse of the Mediterranean cuisine." "Ciel is inspired by my Sicilian heritage, celebrating a seafood-forward menu. There will be an ice well at the front of the restaurant featuring an array of fresh oysters, lobsters, crustaceans and Australian fish." A custom-made grill built in Barcelona has been shipped in to ensure the seafood is given the exact woodfired touch that Mason has envisioned, and the green stone bar has been imported from Argentina. Ciel will bolster the Hills District's fine dining chops, joining Mason's Quoi Dining and the Mullane's Hotel's Italian diner Sarino's in a neighbourhood more known for casual eateries and takeaway favourites like Frango, El Jannah and Good Fella Coffee. If you want to stay up-to-date with the restaurant you can sign up for the Ciel mailing list, or learn more about Norwest's massive new residential development at the Infinity Park website. Ciel is set to open inside Infinity Park, Norwest in mid-2024.
Fancy the SXSW Sydney experience without stretching your budget? As part of the event's inaugural trip Down Under, all things SXSW are taking over Tumbalong Park — and for free. That includes seeing movies under the stars without paying a cent, with the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival setting up an outdoor cinema for four nights. Alongside indoor sessions at Darling Harbour Theatre and Palace Cinemas Central, these outside screenings are popping up at the SXSW Sydney 2023 hub in Tumbalong Park. On the program: a small survey the OG fest's best and brightest. Since SXSW added its film component in 1994, playing at the Austin fest has been a filmmaker's dream — so the Sydney event has picked four big highlights to share with the Harbour City. The SXSW Sydney Outdoor Cinema will get its projector whirring for the first time at 8pm on Monday, October 16 with classic anime masterpiece Ghost in the Shell, then follow it up at 8pm on Tuesday, October 17 with records and romance courtesy of the OG High Fidelity. Come 8pm on Thursday, October 19, Richard Linklater's Dazed & Confused will get a whirl. And to wrap it all up at 8pm on Saturday, October 21? Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement's What We Do in the Shadows — the movie, not the also-ace TV show. If you're keen to make the most of Australia's first SXSW, take advantage of our special reader offer. Purchase your SXSW Sydney 2023 Official Badge via Concrete Playground Trips and you'll score a $150 credit to use on your choice of Sydney accommodation. Book now via the website.
Easter in 2020 is going to look a whole lot different. With social distancing and public gathering rules in place across the country, we can't skip town to our favourite holiday spot or even go round to a mate's place for a hot cross bun breakfast. But, joining the Easter Bunny this year to spice up this long weekend is another famous figure: The Colonel. For the first time Down Under, KFC is offering free home delivery on orders over $30 via Menulog. So, round up your housemates for a weekend of eleven secret herbs and spices. The limited-time offer is available nationwide and kicks off on Thursday, April 9. To get your hands on some finger lickin' good chook with no extra cost, head to Menulog's website or use the Menulog app and enter KFCatHOME at checkout. And while you're food is on its way, you can meditate with KFChill, a wellness website that lets you unwind to the sound of chicken frying, gravy simmering or bacon sizzling away in a pan. Yes, it'll make you hungry. While you can't road trip to the world's first drive-thru-only KFC or marry your loved at the famed chicken chain this Easter, free delivery on a Family Feast, Mates Burger Box or Party Starter is sure to lift your spirits. Plus, Popcorn Chicken is a pretty good snack for when you're binging Tiger King or streaming this year's Oscar-winning flick. KFC is offering free delivery across Australia on orders over $30 via Menulog and is available from Thursday, April 9 for a limited time only. To order, head here and enter KFCatHOME at checkout.
Byron Bay might steal the headlines, but we'll let you in on a secret: neighbouring Brunswick Heads, just a 15-minute drive north of Byron, provides the truly serene beach holiday you've always dreamed about. Thanks to its location on the Brunswick River and among mangrove forests, this welcoming coastal community is teeming with spots for stellar scuba diving, hiking and dining. If you're ready to hit up the Northern Rivers, we've teamed up with Wild Turkey to present an alluring selection of activities that ensure your visit is simply unbeatable. Whether you prefer wildlife encounters or hanging out in celebrated restaurants, Brunswick Heads has both in spades. [caption id="attachment_745641" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Centophobia (Flickr)[/caption] GO WHALE SPOTTING The next whale-watching season is coming up fast, and Brunswick Heads provides the ideal spot to catch these majestic creatures cruising northbound from May to July. The team at Blue Bay Whale Watching has been leading on-water expeditions since 2011, meaning an incredible sighting of a majestic humpback whale or two is almost guaranteed. Each adventure only takes ten passengers on board the Bay Warrior, an 8.5-metre catamaran with 360-degree views of the ocean. There's plenty of shelter if the weather unexpectedly turns, too, so there are indoor and outdoor vantage points for you and your crew to get a glimpse of these magnificent creatures up close. [caption id="attachment_702566" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sebastian Pena Lambarri (Unsplash)[/caption] TAKE A DIVE A visit to this part of the world would not be complete without experiencing the striking underwater world that exists off the coast of Brunswick Heads. Julian Rocks is widely recognised as one of the region's premier dive sites, with this craggy outcrop providing several moorings that make reaching this location a relatively straightforward affair. There are suitable spots here for divers of all experience levels, meaning just about anyone can explore the surrounding waters frequented by manta rays, leopard sharks, and yes, the occasional great white, too. While this subtropical oasis certainly isn't for the faint-hearted, diving at one of Australia's top scuba locations will give you plenty of stories to tell. [caption id="attachment_805448" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Forson (Pexels)[/caption] PADDLEBOARD AT TORAKINA BEACH Torakina Beach should be your number one choice for stand-up paddleboarding. Set at the mouth of the Brunswick River, this sheltered paradise sees barely a ripple for waves, so pushing yourself along the crystal-clear waters is relatively hassle-free. You're also well within touching distance of Brunswick Heads, with the community's thriving cafe scene just a five-minute walk away for a post-paddle refuel. Want to keep it a bit more rustic? With picnic areas, barbecues and showers spread throughout the surrounding bushland, Torakina Beach is a truly dreamy spot for a day in the sun. [caption id="attachment_844191" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mia (Flickr)[/caption] TAKE A GUIDED KAYAK TOUR Brunswick Heads and its surrounds are renowned for kayaking — the series of creeks and tributaries ensures you can get up close with lush landscapes and native wildlife. If you're looking for an expert to give you the inside word, there's no shortage of guided kayaking tours available to book. Byron Bay Eco Cruises provides a comprehensive three-hour tour where you'll take part in a river cruise that delves deep into a rainforest before loading into kayaks to scout out local wildlife (with binoculars provided, too). Finally, there's the chance to stand-up paddleboard amid the Brunswick River's serene environment. [caption id="attachment_844211" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Christy Gallois (Flickr)[/caption] EXPERIENCE A LOCAL RITE OF PASSAGE It seems like every small town has a slightly hazardous rite of passage that provides endless stories — both good and bad. In Brunswick Heads, this initiation involves making the leap from the South Beach Road Bridge into Simpson's Creek about four metres below. With the creek providing a wonderful swimming spot at high tide, dozens of people, young and old, test their mettle on a hot summer's day. There's every reason to get involved, but do take caution if you decide to take the leap from this 85-year-old wooden bridge. DISCOVER BRUNSWICK HEADS' DINING SCENE Don't assume the pinnacle of Brunswick Heads' dining starts and finishes with fish and chips on the beach (though we would absolutely recommend doing this). The town has a growing reputation for fine-dining institutions that will knock your proverbial socks off. Fleet (pictured above) is one such venue, but with seating for only 14 guests, you'll have to book early to sample its award-winning hyper-local tasting menu. La Casita is another stellar example of the region's booming culinary scene. The team here works alongside the region's top makers and producers to create its mouth-watering dishes, which feature hearty Mexican flavours that put many city-centric options to shame. Plus, the boozy cocktails ensure you depart with an extra bounce in your step. [caption id="attachment_844194" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Elliot Kramer[/caption] TAKE A HIKE AND PICNIC IN THE RAINFOREST There are so many incredible vistas to enjoy throughout the Northern Rivers region, but you don't have to bust a gut to experience some of the best. The easygoing North Head walking track, located on the edge of town in the Brunswick Heads Nature Reserve, is a 30-minute trail guiding you through the coastal rainforest. As you break through the canopy and look down upon the Brunswick River, you'll find several spots perfect for unfurling a picnic rug and basket. Once you're back on your feet, the trail leads you through fascinating wildlife habitats and eventually out to the ocean beach. Find out more about Wild Turkey's Discovery Series at the website. Top image: Graham Cook (Flickr)
Ever thought that your childhood toys defined who you've become as an adult? Photographer Richard Hedger's Toy with Me is a new body of work exploring the intricacies of that notion. In a series of intriguing portraits, Hedger portrays people from all walks of life — such as Tom Ballard, Brendan Maclean and Alex Greenwich — through the toys of their past. It's an invitation for audiences to visually match each toy with its significant other, while reflecting on the debate around the increasingly gendered presentation of toys. Want more Mardi Gras events? Check out our top ten picks of the festival.
UPDATE, September 27, 2022: Live and Proud: Sydney WorldPride Opening Concert general admission tickets have sold out, with only Sydney WorldPride's affordability option left — but you can still head along thanks to Concrete Playground Trips. The Sydney WorldPride package includes tickets to the Domain Dance Party and Live and Proud: Opening Concert, plus three nights at the PARKROYAL Darling Harbour Sydney. On a Sydney stage on Friday, February 24, 2023, here's hoping that Australia's princess of pop utters four specific words: "come into my WorldPride". The massive LGBTQIA+ festival is heading to the Southern Hemisphere for the first time, taking over Sydney for two and a half weeks — and who else but Kylie Minogue could open it? Sydney WorldPride has been announcing parts of its lineup since June, including the return of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade to Oxford Street after the 2021 and 2022 events were held at the Sydney Cricket Ground due to the pandemic — and it will drop its full program in November. But Kylie headlining Live and Proud: Sydney WorldPride Opening Concert, spinning around The Domain and making sure that Sydney WorldPride festivalgoers can't get her out of their heads is obviously massive. LOVERS! For the first time ever, WorldPride is coming to the Southern Hemisphere. YES! I'm so excited to announce that I will be performing at the opening concert in Sydney on 24 February, 2023 at The Domain. Can't wait to see you there! 💖 https://t.co/ExghPi5NEw pic.twitter.com/Wt0q1Szg2n — Kylie Minogue (@kylieminogue) September 23, 2022 Sydney shall be so lucky — and so will Live and Proud: Sydney WorldPride Opening Concert attendees, because it'll mark Kylie's only WorldPride performance. Her set for the night is also being created especially for the evening, so this isn't the kind of Kylie show you've seen before. Already know that you can't make it along? The performance will also be broadcast live nationwide on the ABC. On a night like this, Casey Donovan and Courtney Act will be on hosting duties — and the rest of the Live and Proud lineup will be revealed later this year. Hand on your heart, you know you want to be there, with tickets on sale now. The event doubles as a celebration of 45 years of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, if you needed more motivation to break out your best 'Loco-Motion'. "Kylie is not only a beloved musician and rainbow icon, but the highest selling Australian-born solo artist of all time," said Sydney WorldPride CEO Kate Wickett, announcing the news. "We are honoured and INCREDIBLY excited to have Kylie again stand with our community at Sydney WorldPride 2023 — the global rainbow family reunion we've been waiting for." Sydney WorldPride will run from Friday, February 17–Sunday, March 5, 2023, with the opening concert taking place at The Domain on Friday, February 24. Tickets for Live and Proud: Sydney WorldPride Opening Concert are on sale now. For more information about Sydney WorldPride, or for general ticket sales, head to the event's website.
You might reasonably assume that taking the spotlight in front of an adoring audience would be the number-one perk of the job for a performer, particularly if they happen to be headlining one of the biggest musical theatre blockbusters in living memory. However, for Vidya Makan, who is currently appearing as Eliza Schuyler in the final Australian season of global megahit Hamilton, it's the moments she's not on stage that mean the most. "What I get to do as Eliza every night is an honour and a joy. But honestly, more often than not, It's actually just watching the incredible talent of my cast mates and the genius of everyone involved with this show that I most love," she shares. "Everyone in this company is the best in the world at what they do. And every night I get a front-row ticket to see some of our nation's and the world's best artists in action." [caption id="attachment_980455" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Williams[/caption] It's been almost a decade since the original cast of Lin-Manuel Miranda's hip hop-driven history play about the meteoric rise and ultimately tragic fall of American founding father Alexander Hamilton first shook the bedrock of Broadway. And for almost a decade, Makan has been listening to that original cast's recording of the Grammy, Olivier, Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning show. While she admits this helped her learn her lyrics (given most of the show was already thoroughly committed to memory), being a Hamilton superfan has also posed some challenges. "After getting cast, I stopped listening to the original recording. I didn't watch any other reference videos — I needed to forget everything I already knew," she explains. "The most important thing for me is that I bring my own version to a character. So I read the Ron Chernow book that the musical is based on to try and find as many clues as I could to the essence of who this real woman was. She's described as vivacious. She used to put the boys to the test when she was a kid. She'd go hiking up mountains without the help of gentlemen, unlike the women around her, and I think it's that aspect of her that I really relate to. [caption id="attachment_980456" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Williams[/caption] "Crafting my Eliza, I wanted to make her really forthright and lean away from the idea of her as someone who just let's things happen. She's this incredibly courageous woman and I think that is very much reflected in her generosity. I certainly learn from her every night I get to play her." Beyond this research, Makan's account of Eliza also shifts depending on the actors she's appearing opposite — particularly the titular leading man. "I find it really exciting when we have different Hamiltons on — it changes my character and that's a really, really wonderful thing," she says. "If you come to see the show and you get to see an understudy, count yourself lucky, because they really bring it — it actually elevates everyone's performance and brings new magic to the world of the show as well." [caption id="attachment_980457" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kate Williams[/caption] In the majority of performances, however, Makan stars alongside Jason Arrow, who has delivered the title role since Hamilton first premiered in Australia in March 2021. "He's been playing this part for almost four years — that's like doing an undergraduate degree," Makan jests. "When I'm creating my Eliza, I'm working off someone who knows their Hamilton so intimately and as an actor, you don't often get that privilege. One of the first things Jason said to me was, 'Please don't feel like you have to fit into what we've created. I'm really excited to meet your Eliza and to see what that does to my Hamilton.' I think that generosity is reflected everywhere in this cast. And that's really what makes this particular production something you will never see again. It's so special, that dynamic and every night it's why it's so charged and electric and nuanced." [caption id="attachment_980459" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud[/caption] Much like the handful of talented artists who have had the opportunity to portray Eliza in various productions around the world, Makan is an astonishing performer. But her skillset also shares a unique synergy with Hamilton's creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, who in addition to composing the show, also starred in its original production in the title role. Makan, who trained in musical theatre at Queensland Conservatorium in Brisbane, is also a composer who starred in her own debut show, The Lucky Country, which received broad acclaim when it premiered at Sydney's Hayes Theatre in June 2023. "Every night [performing in Hamilton] is a masterclass for me. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I'm here to perform on stage but it's hard to stop analysing the whole genius of the thing," she says. "We've done over 100 shows now in Sydney, but even now I'll be lying in bed and I'll have a line going through my mind and something new will suddenly reveal itself. You never stop learning from this show — that's why it truly is one of the greatest of all time." [caption id="attachment_979301" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud[/caption] Hamilton is playing at the Sydney Lyric Theatre until January 25. Head to the Hamilton website for more details. Top image: Daniel Boud
No, it's not a crazy quilt stitched by a mad granny. These are bird's eye views of Holland's tulip fields, blooming into life just in time for the annual Tulip Time festival. Throughout winter, tulip bulbs lie dormant in the freezing ground. When the first few blooms poke their coloured heads through the earth for a breath of sunshine, everyone knows that spring has very much sprung. The festival runs from May 7-14 and celebrates Dutch heritage, culture and hundreds of varieties of the tulip. Over one billion tulips are exported internationally from Holland every year, so you can see what the fuss is all about. Plus these rainbow flower formations are pretty damn gorgeous to boot. [Via Lost At E-Minor]
Missed Coldplay's sole Down Under stop in 2023, when they played exclusively in Perth? Didn't nab tickets when the British group announced 2024 shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland? Caught the Chris Martin-fronted band's Glastonbury set via the livestream and started wishing you could catch them live next time that you had the chance? Ahead of their upcoming Australian and New Zealand visit, Coldplay have dropped more tickets for their late-October and November concerts. The limited number of additional tickets are on sale now, releasing at 8am AEST and 10am NZST on Tuesday, September 24. There's no extra shows, just extra seats for their four already-announced dates in the Victorian capital, four in the Harbour City and three in Auckland. [caption id="attachment_926978" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Lee[/caption] It'll be all yellow at Marvel Stadium on Wednesday, October 30–Thursday, October 31 and Saturday, November 2–Sunday, November 3, then at Accor Stadium across Wednesday, November 6—Thursday, November 7 and Saturday, November 9–Sunday, November 10, before heading to Eden Park on Wednesday, November 13 and Friday, November 15–Saturday, November 16. Coldplay's current tour kicked off in March 2022, meaning that the band will have been on the road for almost three years when they make their return to Australia and Aotearoa. Packed stadiums have also been awaiting; when the Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland gigs were initially announced, every show between then and October 2024 had already sold out, with the group hitting up Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Singapore, Bangkok, Athens, Bucharest, Budapest, Lyon, Rome, Düsseldorf, Helsinki, Munich, Vienna and Dublin before their return trip Down Under. When they take to the stage in Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland, the British band will play their first shows in each city since 2016. Fans can look forward to a setlist that covers Coldplay's 27-year history, including everything from 'Clocks', 'Fix You' and 'Sparks' to 'A Sky Full of Stars', 'Viva la Vida' and 'The Scientist. On all dates, Ayra Starr, Shone and Emmanuel Kelly are on supporting duties. Coldplay Music of the Spheres World Tour Australia and New Zealand Dates 2024 Wednesday, October 30–Thursday, October 31 + Saturday, November 2–Sunday, November 3— Marvel Stadium, Melbourne Wednesday, November 6—Thursday, November 7 + Saturday, November 9–Sunday, November 10 — Accor Stadium, Sydney Wednesday, November 13 + Friday, November 15–Saturday, November 16 — Eden Park, Auckland Coldplay is touring Australia and New Zealand in October and November 2024, with new tickets available online now. Head to the tour website for further details. Images: Anna Lee.
When the weather warms up, there's nothing better than heading out to catch some live music with your mates. After a year of cancelled gigs and music festivals, you can safely say we're extra hungry for it this summer. Sydney is full of live music venues for big-ticket gigs, but when you want to catch a show on a whim, sometimes you need to dig a little deeper. Together with Jim Beam, we've compiled a list of places where you can catch live music on the fly every night of the week. LAZY BONES LOUNGE Lazy Bones Lounge is known for serving up quality live music in the heart of Marrickville seven nights a week. Across its two floors you'll find up to 15 bands playing each week from a variety of genres, including R&B, jazz, afrobeat and soul. Tickets will set you back around $30–35, which includes a whole pizza. For an even cheaper and more improvisational option, make sure you check out its Jazz Jam Mondays where you can see some of Australia's best jazz musicians for just $15. [caption id="attachment_793729" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Louisiana Loudmouth at Gasoline Pony via Diana Carniato[/caption] THE GASOLINE PONY Also in Marrickville, cosy neighbourhood bar The Gasoline Pony hosts local musicians most nights of the week. The Gaspo leans into its namesake showcasing all things folk, blues and country-adjacent as well as jazz, rockabilly and swing. It's got an extensive drinks menu, too, including a stacked selection of local beers that pair perfectly with its pizzas and dumplings. Head here for a laidback Saturday afternoon in the sunny courtyard, or for a midweek pick-me-up. [caption id="attachment_793807" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Buoys at Waywards; April Josie for Happy Mag[/caption] WAYWARDS Upstairs at The Bank Hotel in Newtown is where you'll find Waywards — a narrow-shaped live music venue showcasing the best and brightest in Sydney's burgeoning indie music scene. It's where you'll catch local acts in an intimate setting, before they blow up and go on to bigger venues. Catch shows here from Thursday to Saturday at either its early time slot, 6.30pm, or the later one at 9.30pm for around $20–25. [caption id="attachment_793809" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Lazy Eyes at the Marly; Tom Wilkinson for Happy Mag[/caption] MARLY BAR Live music at The Marly Bar in Newtown will return this summer after taking a break for most of 2020. At this Newtown institution you can see local acts playing in the front room of the pub in a setting that makes you feel like you are best friends with the band. Here you'll get a mix of newcomers and local darlings playing their new songs for the first time. It's the perfect spot to discover your next favourite outfit and also the place to go if you want to stay ahead of the curve and hear songs from your favourite local artists before they're officially released. VIC ON THE PARK For all your weekend music needs, head to bustling corner pub Vic on the Park for live tunes from some of Sydney's rising stars, without paying a cent. The Marrickville venue is where you'll catch your favourite local artists, including Annie Hamilton, Andy Golledge and Babitha. Shows kick off from 10pm and bookings are strongly encouraged. Since you don't have to fork out for a ticket to see gigs here, use that cash to tuck into a bit of pub grub such as its mushroom burger or eggplant parmy. [caption id="attachment_786619" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] OXFORD ART FACTORY A mainstay in the Sydney music scene, Oxford Art Factory is dishing up tasty musical treats all summer long from its home on Oxford Street in Darlinghurst. Viewed by some as a place where artists are anointed by the industry, here you'll find both established artists who've already started to make their mark on the Australian music scene as well as fresh, emerging acts playing in support. Ticket prices start from $15 but vary in price depending on the act. [caption id="attachment_793714" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] DARLO UNDERGROUND Usually you'd think of Darlinghurst Theatre Company for exactly that: theatre. However, this summer the team at DTC is soundtracking your midweek drinks, too. On Wednesdays, its home at Eternity Theatre is transformed into a New York-inspired jazz bar called Darlo Underground. Then, on Thirsty Thursdays, it offers a loose and lyrical night featuring the country's best musical theatre and cabaret stars. Treat yourself to one of its signature cocktails and a few share plates from its restaurant Two Trout, then let performers like Brendan Maclean and Miss Cairo transport you to the Big Apple from $25–38. Top image: Oxford Art Factory, Destination NSW
Country and city will collide this September when Pyrmont and Orange join forces for the annual Pyrmont Festival. The collaboration will bring you the culinary powers of not just one, but two mighty gourmet scenes with Orange on board for the second time this year. As always, the event's centrepiece is a two-day extravaganza of food, wine, music and art on Sydney Harbour, at Pirrama Park. On Saturday, September 28 and Sunday, September 29, head along to sample delightful regional produce, tuck into decadent eats and sip on some of the 120 or so fine wines on offer. Plenty of winemakers, growers and chefs will be on-hand to share their stories, ideas and secrets. As an added bonus, it's dog friendly, too. Before and after Pirrama Park's fun and festivities wind up, Pyrmont Festival will continue in the form of food and wine happenings throughout the neighbourhood. Local bars and restaurants will be teaming up with winemakers and producers from Orange to bring you a series of degustations and one-off events. We'll let you know when more details about those drop.
As Carmy in The Bear, Jeremy Allen White was born to cook up kitchen chaos. In Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, he's born to run, slipping into Bruce Springsteen's shoes in the next big music biopic that's on its way to cinemas. Less than 12 months after Bob Dylan scored the same treatment in the Oscar-nominated A Complete Unknown, another icon is getting their filmic time to shine. Deliver Me From Nowhere has a time-specific focus, too, with the making of the rockstar's 1982 Nebraska record in the spotlight. Does the just-dropped first trailer for the film deliver White singing, including belting out 'Born to Run' onstage? Does it also feature Jeremy Strong (The Apprentice) monologuing in the role of Springsteen's manager Jon Landau? Does it head into the Boss' New Jersey bedroom, where the acoustic album that joined his discography immediately before 1984's smash-hit Born in the USA was recorded? The answer to all three: yes. Also seen, alongside Allen swapping The Bear for another real-life tale after The Iron Claw: glimpses of Stephen Graham (Adolescence) plays as Springsteen's father Dutch Springsteen and Gaby Hoffmann (Poker Face) as his mother Adele. The movie's cast spans Odessa Young (The Narrow Road to the Deep North), Marc Maron (Stick), Paul Walter Hauser (Cobra Kai) and David Krumholtz (The Studio) as well. Audiences will be able to check out their efforts Down Under from Thursday, October 23, 2025. Scott Cooper (The Pale Blue Eye) both directs and penned the script, adapting the latter from Warren Zanes' book Deliver Me From Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska. The last time that the filmmaker focused on a musician was in his 2009 debut Crazy Heart, fictionalising the story of Hank Thompson — and Jeff Bridges (The Old Man) won the Best Actor Oscar for his starring role. "Making Springsteen was deeply moving as it allowed me to step inside the soul of an artist I've long admired — and to witness, up close, the vulnerability and strength behind his music. The experience felt like a journey through memory, myth and truth. And more than anything, it was a privilege to translate that raw emotional honesty to the screen, and in doing so, it changed me. I cannot thank Bruce and Jon Landau enough for allowing me to tell their story," said Cooper about Deliver Me From Nowhere. Check out the first trailer for Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere below: Deliver Me From Nowhere releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, October 23, 2025. Images: © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.
With slouchy off-shoulder tops ruling the streets, Drake's Views enjoying an unexpected chart renaissance, and a King Kylie cameo, it feels like we've stepped into the rose-tinted days of 2016 lately. As friends and celebrities alike flood the feed with decade-old throwbacks, look out for flower crowns and American Apparel tennis skirts. Pinkish Rio de Janeiro-esque overlays on grainy iPhone 7 selfies. Zara Larson's Lush Life. Safe to say, the millennials are nostalgic. Amid the never-ending summer vibes, the cult TWOOBS platforms emerged. Founded in Byron Bay by sisters Jess and Stef Dadon, the brand recently marked its 10th birthday with a nostalgic post revisiting its earlier days. A 2016 snap aptly captures the founders decked out in neoprene Triangl bikinis and early prototypes of the now-signature OG sandals. View this post on Instagram A post shared by TWOOBS (@twoobs) The Dadon sisters were part of the primordial wave of fashion bloggers who turned their outfit posts into full-time careers. Howtwolive (it's still up!) began in 2012 as a daily outfit diary documenting their shared wardrobe while one of them spent six months in Paris. They became known for their playful, slightly absurd style — think doll heads, wacky prints, and out-there sunglasses — and, above all, a devotion to platforms. "We hated heels. We hated being uncomfortable," Stef shares. "That was where the seeds for TWOOBS were planted. We were known as platform wearers." The Dadon sisters built a following the old-fashioned way: first on their blog, and then on Instagram six months later. The early posts were, as Jess puts it, "taken in very lo-fi ways that would not fly on Instagram today". A stark contrast to today's collective urge to log off, she shares that people were hungrier for content in the early 2010s — her lunch breaks were spent scrolling through iconic blogs like the Olsens Anonymous. While an Instagram following translates to cash today, influencer marketing wasn't as lucrative back then. In fact, it didn't exist. For the sisters' first big break, they were flown out to Sydney to style and model in a campaign for a major brand. Their earnings? $250 in total, plus $150 worth of clothing. In 2025, that's the rough cost of an Instagram story from a microinfluencer. "It was a very different era, and we were definitely doing it for the love of it rather than the money," Stef says. "We saw how people started to get paid for their work, which was awesome... but back then it was much more organic and fun and freeing. Everybody was just doing it as a side hustle because they loved fashion." At the height of the absurdly chunky shoe (Jeffery Campbell's Litas set the tone), Stef recalls the OG sandal being likened to orthopedic shoes. Its adjustable velcro straps and sensible flat soles exuded a utilitarian streak once reserved for the outdoors, if anywhere. It certainly stood out at New York Fashion Week in February 2016, where the Dadon sisters debuted the sandals with bikini-clad models braving the -4 degrees weather. The OG still toed the line, though — a triple-stack version was regrettably recalled when a customer almost broke an ankle in them. A decade later, the OG and its taller sister, the OG+, are performing better than before. "People still call them ugly to this day, but it's kind of like, you want ugly shoes now," Stef quips. Lately, the sisters are partial to the BFF, a chic summer thong born out of "looking at people's feet" at airports. "We noticed men, particularly, wearing these daggy flip flops a few years ago. I remember discussing that on the right person with the right outfit, they could actually be pretty cool," Jess laughs. Eight chic colour variations also amping up the summer appeal; Jess's pick is a playful red tone called Spaghetti Sauce, while Stef defaults to classic black. The BFF is constructed to feel as weightless as possible — the toe post was only perfected on the seventh try — and its cloud-like soles star carbon-soaking sugarcane and bouncy natural rubber. All TWOOBS feature 100% recycled materials — one of the sustainable initiatives introduced to the brand after the founders witnessed the volume of waste in the fashion. View this post on Instagram A post shared by TWOOBS (@twoobs) Subcultures began protesting fast fashion – a term coined by The New York Times in the '90s — as early as the 1970s, but the trend cycle was unstoppable. For decades, sustainability remained the niche domain of anti-sweatshop activists and environmental campaigners, while mainstream shoppers chased bargains bucked by supply chains that could turn runway looks into $20 tops at breakneck speed. "I think price was really what was driving the customer so heavily," Jess says. "It wasn't for another few years until the conversation started to become really environmentally-focused." Like many, TWOOBS initially introduced a cruelty-free ('vegan' was the buzzy shorthand) ethos before moving on to greener pastures. From zero-waste packaging to recyclable materials, she and Stef have inched forward until they realised that a 'sustainable fashion brand' doesn't exist. But a sustainble-r one does. TWOOBS' Byron Bay location is fitted out exclusively through Takesies Backsies — a fun recycling program where old TWOOBS are exchanged for a cash voucher, and broken down to produce office supplies — and the project saved approximately 150 kilograms of plastic from landfill. Today, the store accepts non-TWOOBS shoes too. As cozzie livs strikes again, Jess and Stef are observing an unsettling Temu and SHEIN resurgence. Consumer focus has shifted yet again and TWOOBS has repackaged itself, but that doesn't mean that sustainable-r practices go out the window. "If we can convince everyone to buy our shoes because they're so comfy and so cool, then we're convincing people to buy better for the planet." Find out more about TWOOBS story and shop the collection online. Images: supplied
Maybe your nieces and nephews got you onto it, or the other kids in your life. Perhaps you just like all-ages-friendly animation, especially when it's an Australian series about a family of blue heelers. Or, you might've become a convert at one of the hugely popular Bluey live gigs that've been touring the country. Whichever fits, and whether you're a big Bluey fan even without kids in tow or you've always wondered why adults love it as well, Airbnb is bringing the homegrown show to life. As the accommodation platform has done with other pop culture favourites overseas — such as Carrie's Sex and the City apartment and the house from Home Alone — it's putting a replica of the Bluey house in Brisbane up for rent. Two adults and two kids will be able to spend two nights in a home that recreates the Heeler family's abode — but IRL rather than in cute pixels, obviously. Given that the show was created in Queensland, is produced in Queensland and uses Brisbane as inspiration for its on-screen setting, there was clearly only one city that could host this screen-to-reality experience. The Bluey house marks the first-ever Australian location in Airbnb's Only On Airbnb program — aka the part of the platform that lists all those pop culture-themed spots and offers up the type of experiences that money couldn't buy elsewhere. So this time, Aussies don't need to feel envious of their overseas pals. You do have to be ready to spend a couple days immersed in all things Bluey, though. Here's what's on offer: a stay in the house, which is located in suburban Brisbane, between Friday, February 18–Sunday, February 20 for $20 a night; a behind-the-scenes tour of Ludo Studio, where Bluey is created; Chinese takeaway to eat in the backyard; a cake-decorating afternoon, focusing on the show's famous duck cake; and a puppet-making craft session that's all about Bob Bilby. That, and all the work that's been done to make the house look like where Bluey's eponymous six-year-old dog, mum Chilli, dad Bandit and little sister Bingo live. Those decorating touches include the red letterbox, bone-shaped chimney and recognisable bay window, plus other design features — and toys, of course — inside in the rooms and outside in the backyard for kids. If you're keen — and you've got some young relatives to take along with you — you'll need to apply to book at 7am AEST / 8am AEDT on Tuesday, February 15. You'll also need to have a verified Airbnb profile, a history of positive reviews and be aged over 18. Also, no pets are allowed, even while you're celebrating cartoon canines. For more information about Airbnb's Bluey house in Brisbane, or to apply to book at 7am AEST / 8am AEDT on Tuesday, February 15, head to the Airbnb website. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy. Image: Hannah Puechmarin.
Dumplings are a hot commodity in this city. The ability to encase pure, unbridled joy in an edible cocoon of merriment is an art respected by Sydneysiders citywide. Select few dumpling palaces are at the top of their game, those you'd happily wait many an agonising minute for. If you're any kind of dumpling aficionado, the words Din Tai Fung will have already sprung to mind. Start mixing that chilli/soy balance, the dumpling monarchs have some big ol' news for you — they've opened another new restaurant. Finding another new home at the brand new Central at Central Park development in Chippendale, Din Tai Fung have opened the doors on a new 120-seater eatery. It's the sixth Din Tai Fung chapter to open in Australia since it started serving up top notch xiao long bao six years ago in World Square. Having only opened its Chatswood instalment in April this year, Din Tai Fung are slowly but surely increasing their dumpling dominance. With contemporary Asian interiors developed by an international design house teaming up with Din Tai Fung’s Australasian Director, Dendy Harjanto, the new Central joint is licensed and sports the same menu as the flagship (think black truffle xiao long bao and those rainbow dumpling gems). “We’re very excited about bringing Din Tai Fung to the new Central Park development," says Harjanto. "The latest restaurant looks like no other Din Tai Fung but the menu, top-notch service and signature special touches, such as handbag baskets and coat covers remain. Why mess with our tried and true formula?" Why on earth would you. Din Tai Fung pumps out over 5000 dumplings daily, with dumpling training carried out at the World Square HQ. It takes two years to become a dumpling master. Two. Years. RESPECT YOUR DUMPLINGS. The newest Din Tai Fung can be found at Ten 1, Level 2 Central Kitchen at Central Park, 28 Broadway, Chippendale.
