There aren't many events where you can learn about crowdfunding, press freedom, investing, acting, pro surfing, science, the future, robotics, astronaut diets and New Zealand tourism all from the same lineup — and also about neuroscience, cyber intelligence, ethical leadership and sustainable food as well, and more. SXSW Sydney will present sessions on or featuring experts on them all when it returns for its third year. In its first lineup drop for 2025, the event has unveiled 40 of its speakers, also spanning topics such as quantum physics, the future of work and how the creative industries are evolving. GoFundMe CEO Tim Cadogan is one of the folks on the roster, taking to the stage between Monday, October 13–Sunday, October 19, 2025. So is former foreign correspondent Peter Greste, whose arrest and imprisonment in Egypt fuels new Australian film The Correspondent. Girls That Invest founder Simran Kaur, Crazy Rich Asians actor Remy Hii, former pro surfer and current World Surf League Commissioner Jessi Miley Dyer, Science Vs' Wendy Zukerman, Women's National Basketball League CEO Jennie Sager and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki are also among the initial names. There's not just more on the list now — ethical technologist Andi Mastrosavas, Silicon Valley Robotics' Andra Keay, neuroscientist Dr Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston, space nutrition expert Flávia Fayet-Moore, Black Excellence Fund co-founder Kyah Bell, Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive René de Monchy, actor Shuang Hu (Future Date), filmmaker Neil Sharma (Heartbreak High), screen producer Julie Eckersley (Erotic Stories) and The Conversation CEO Lisa Watts, for example — but more to follow. Among its 1600 sessions and events, 2025's SXSW Sydney will include over 400 conference sessions, alongside 150-plus professional development sessions. "You'll experience dynamic keynote sessions, powerhouse panel discussions and hands-on industry workshops that deliver practical skills you can apply immediately," said SXSW Sydney Head of Conference Fenella Kernebone about this first peek at 2025's program. [caption id="attachment_971190" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ian Laidlaw[/caption] "With a focus on innovation, leadership strategies and experience-driven learning, you'll gain fresh perspectives to help you implement meaningful change in your organisation. This first release of speakers is just the beginning — prepare to build an even more comprehensive toolkit as we announce many more industry leaders," Kernebone continued. After initially making leap to the Harbour City in 2023, then returning in 2024, this annual massive music, technology, screen and gaming festival will also boast more than 300 gigs, 95 film screenings and 150 games on its 2025 bill. Those program details haven't yet been revealed; however, once SXSW Sydney starts dropping announcements for the year, as it has now, they keep coming right up until the event takes place. [caption id="attachment_971189" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul McMillan[/caption] Already in 2025, the fest has advised a number changes, all designed to give more people more reasons to head along. One: additional free programming. Another: more flexibility with ticketing. On the fest's Sunday date this year, for instance, Darling Harbour will become a hub of family-friendly entertainment. Fancy hitting up the Innovation Expo without bothering your wallet? That'll now be on offer on the Saturday. As for ticketing, the single-day conference pass will set you back $295 and get you access to more than 75 sessions. The full-week pass to the conference and festival starts at $495. Plus, for movie lovers who you just want to see one flick, you can now do so for $25. SXSW Sydney's festival wristbands are back, though, giving access to either the screen, music or games showcases. [caption id="attachment_953712" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jaimi Joy[/caption] [caption id="attachment_923316" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul McMillan[/caption] [caption id="attachment_923287" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney[/caption] [caption id="attachment_923288" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney[/caption] [caption id="attachment_967878" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jaimi Joy[/caption] SXSW Sydney 2025 will run from Monday, October 13–Sunday, October 19 at various Sydney venues. Head to the SXSW Sydney website for further details. Top image: Nina Franova/Getty Images for SXSW Sydney.
Ananas is giving bottomless a new meaning: all-you-can-eat mussels and frites. If seafood and fries is your idea of a perfect culinary pairing, then drop by on Mondays to enjoy as much as you can stomach for $30. The stuff-your-face food event may not be a Mad Hatter or Willy Wonka-themed brunch, but hot and fresh mussels is a pretty great way to help cure the start-of-week blues. At Ananas' fresh digs in Circular Quay, enjoy a bucket of steaming mussels with their mariniére sauce — accompanied by plus pommes frites, of course — all while enjoying the view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Plus, their stellar new location means that you can easily walk over to the Opera House afterwards if you're in need of a little post-mussel muscle movement.
When SXSW Sydney first started revealing details of its 2025 lineup, it promised more free programming on this year's bill. If you're keen to head along to the event's third year — after making its Harbour City debut in 2023, then returning in 2024 — without spending a cent, you'll want to make a date with Tumbalong Park, then. Again, the spot is playing host to the fest's budget-friendly activities, including everything from live music to movies, as well as DJ sets, talks, fashion showcases, pop-ups and more. Free sessions have always been a component of SXSW Sydney, but adding more was never not going to be a welcome move. Accordingly, after outlining that there'd be a significant expansion of its free programming, the festival has upped its Tumbalong Park lineup to 85-plus hours of events. At SXSW Sydney Unlocked, as the hub has been dubbed, there'll be more than 200 options to engage in the fest between Monday, October 13–Sunday, October 19. This part of the lineup runs every day, but will feature extended hours from Thursday–Sunday. Weekday lunch breaks are a particular focus, spanning programming from 12–1.30pm Monday–Friday, as are happy-hour sessions from 4.30pm Tuesday–Friday. So, SXSW Sydney clearly wants the city to join in whenever suits everyone's daily schedules — and via everything from guest appearances to surprise hosts, too. Highlights include the return of FOMA: Fabrics of Modern Australia on the runway; gigs by Indonesian hip hop stars Tenxi, Filipino folk-pop singer Angela Ken, J-Pop boy band Psychic Fever and Chinese Tencent singer Tia Ray; and Blak to the Future: A Celebration of First Nations Creatives' celebration of Indigenous filmmaking. Or, hit up twilight gigs in the Seymour Centre courtyard, get line-dancing lessons and see a range of country talent — Max Jackson, The Washboard Union, Lewis Love and Big Wheels — at Tumbalong Honky Tonk, and explore the Australian Space Agency's space-themed hub. There's also Small Fry Rock for families, with Grinspoon's Phil Jamieson and Little Birdy's Katy Steele taking to the stage. The Rubens are set to celebrate ten years of 'Hoops', while K-pop is also getting a moment. On the Saturday, if you fancy attending the Games Showcase and Innovation Expo without bothering your wallet, that's also on the agenda. Images: Jess Gleeson, Paul McMillan and Ben Gibson.
Pretty on the inside isn't something a girl wants to hear but it's exactly the right way to describe Dear Pluto — the new weekend venture by those kids from Hibernian House's successful vintage pop-up shop. Wandering in from the alley like a wet cat (its been a rainy weekend) to do some 'field research', it was swell to have room to wander around the new vintage wares H.Q. It's spacious and dainty and there's loads of interesting clothing sourced from roadtrips around the state. So much in fact, that you don't have to wish someone else would put it down so you can pick it up. Yup, there's plenty for everybody and this weekend there's going to be plenty more! For the first time ever, Dear Pluto are unlocking the door to the shop's courtyard and holding a sweet Outdoor Flea Market. There'll be over ten stalls selling clothes and accessories for the ladies and the boys — all gathered, found and recovered from the depths of the uncovered treasure chests of the past. Dear Pluto's outdoor flea market will be on every Saturday and Sunday from 10am - 4pm
What happens when xenomorphs and other terrifying extra-terrestrial creatures find their way to earth? So explores Alien: Earth, which brings the iconic horror/sci-fi saga first started by Ridley Scott's (Gladiator II) Alien to humanity's home, as well as to television. Another way to discover the answer to that question has popped up in Australia to celebrate the new series' arrival: an IRL hive quarantine zone, complete with ominous eggs and organisms, which is enjoying a two-day stint in Sydney. From 12–8pm on Thursday, August 14, 2025 and also from 8am–8pm on Friday, August 15, 2025, 348 Kent Street in the Harbour City is undergoing an otherworldly makeover. Expect ovomorph eggs, a crate containing a "class-one" hostile critter and Prodigy Corp workers donning hazmat suits trying to control the area. As for the show itself, which debuted on Disney+ on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, one of the trailers has some pertinent words: "we don't lock them down, it will be too late." This time, as other sneak peeks have also made clear, there's more than just one type of extra-terrestrial to deal with. So, while watching, you can hear humanity's screams in response, with this spinoff from the iconic Alien films featuring "five different life forms from the darkest corners of the universe" wreaking havoc. Not once, not twice, but nine times now across 46 years, cinema audiences have stepped into the world of xenomorphs, facehuggers and chestbursters — and of cats onboard spaceships, androids resembling people and shouts not heard in the universe's vast expanse. When the initial Alien dropped in 1979, it started a phenomenon. 1986's Aliens, 1992's Alien 3, 1997's Alien Resurrection, 2012's Prometheus, 2017's Alien: Covenant and 2024's Alien: Romulus have all followed, as well as the 2004 Alien vs Predator and 2007 Aliens vs Predator: Requiem crossover flicks with the Predator franchise. 2025's Alien: Earth is a first, however, given that it's the franchise's debut TV series. Executive produced by Scott, this is Noah Hawley's addition to the saga — and another of his projects, after Fargo, where he's expanding upon the realm of a beloved film on the small screen. Set in 2120, his Alien entry follows the fallout of deep-space research vessel USCSS Maginot crashing onto earth, then the discoveries made as a result by a crew of soldiers that includes human-robot hybrid Wendy (Sydney Chandler, Sugar). As it peers just under a century into the future, Alien: Earth sees its namesake planet under the control of five companies: Weyland-Yutani, of course, because this is the Alien franchise, plus Prodigy, Lynch, Dynamic and Threshold. It also witnesses a society where hybrids like Wendy — the first of her kind, with human consciousness inside a robot body — live side by side with humans, cyborgs and AI-driven synthetics. Hawley's cast not only includes Chandler, but also Fargo alums Timothy Olyphant (Havoc) and David Rysdahl (The Luckiest Man in America), plus Alex Lawther (Andor), Essie Davis (The Narrow Road to the Deep North), Adrian Edmondson (Kidnapped), Samuel Blenkin (Mickey 17), Babou Ceesay (Killer Heat), Lily Newmark (A Gentleman in Moscow) and more. Find the Alien: Earth pop-up at 348 Kent Street, Sydney, from 12–8pm on Thursday, August 14, 2025 and also from 8am–8pm on Friday, August 15, 2025. Alien: Earth streams in Australia via Disney+.
Experienced the irresistible flakiness of the French pastries at Loulou Bistrot Boulangerie & Traiteur in Milsons Point? Getting your hands on them just got easier with the arrival of a second location in Martin Place. Swinging the doors open to pastry lovers on February 10, it's set to become one of the best spots in the city for freshly baked croissants and viennoiseries like petite tarts. Yet Petit Loulou's new digs is more than just a boulangerie; it's also a choice spot for bistro cuisine. On the menu, rotisserie chicken baguettes, Niçoise salads, and crunchy pork and herb sausage rolls. While Petit Loulou is intended mostly for takeaway, there's also a laid-back outdoor space for al fresco fun in the sun. Close your eyes and you might just experience the magic of Paris for a moment. "We wanted to offer Sydney locals an authentic French experience, whether they're returning guests or visiting us for the first time," says Loulou head baker, Brendon Woodward. "Our ethos is to share the joy of traditional French baking with the city, and what better way to celebrate the opening of our new CBD location than by introducing them to the essence of Loulou through our signature croissants." That all sounds incredibly exciting, but it's only half the story. In March, Loulou Bistro and Bar will open right next door, with a new 130-seat venue split across two levels. With the vibes extending onto Elizabeth Street, this Parisian-style eatery will bring that leisurely streetside atmosphere that makes dining in the City of Light so special. Drawing culinary inspiration from the south of France, this big sister offers a lighter take on contemporary and classic French cuisine. Whether you're seeking a takeaway croissant or a salad inspired by the Midi, reminiscing about your French adventures is made easy with Petit Loulou. Guided by renowned hospitality group Etymon, their latest sophisticated venue follows on from the likes of Loulou Bistro, Boulangerie & Traiteur and North Sydney's Poetica Bar & Grill, alongside a host of other upscale eateries. Petit Loulou opens at 1 Elizabeth Street, Martin Place on February 10. Meanwhile, Loulou Bistro and Bar is set for a March opening – check back for more information soon or head to the website.
Dearest reader, Melbourne has officially entered its Regency era. To celebrate the fourth season of Netflix's Bridgerton, the CBD was transformed into a real-life masquerade fantasy over the weekend, complete with colour-matching, mask reveals and promenading ton folk. For two days only, a floral-drenched door on Melbourne's Little Collins Street led fans back in time to a Regency-inspired retreat. Fair maidens greeted guests at the door and offered cucumber sandwiches, tarts, champagne and cups of tea as refreshments. Inside the parlour, guests were encouraged to get ready for a Bridgerton-worthy ball (and photo shoot op, of course). Multiple stalls were dotted around the parlour, each offering a Regency-era makeover. Guests began by getting colour-matched and were guided on which makeup and jewellery colours would best bring out their features. Next, hair coiffure accessories and a collection of vintage gloves were offered to emulate a swoon-worthy Bridgerton-esque look, regardless of whether guests arrived in traditional dress or jeans and a t-shirt. The mask maker was a real highlight, asking guests a set of questions to determine their ultimate Bridgerton archetype. Guests were then bestowed a ball mask depending on their answers. Options included the Muse, the Bohemian, the Writer, the Intellectual and more, each based on Bridgerton's beloved characters. Once guests headed upstairs, their personalised masks were ready and waiting for their masquerade ball photo shoot. Attendees stepped into the spotlight for their portrait amongst the rich tapestry, gilded details, and Regency-era oil paintings. "It's honestly unreal," said attendee Unice Wani. "I love that we get to enter an era we've always loved and seen." Unice's highlight? The colour matching. "I loved getting to test out what colour match shades I am because usually I'm gold and I just got told I'm silver! But it's been fun to try out different jewellery and masks – unreal." "The detail is incredible," said fellow attendee, Jasmine TXO, "I loved the masquerade stall and getting one that suits your personality. It's a personalised experience which is great." The masquerade makeover was the perfect way for Melburnians to get hyped for the brand new season of Bridgerton, the first part of which hit our screens on Thursday, January 29, with the second part dropping on Thursday, February 26. This season sees rising Australian star Yerin Ha take the lead as Sophie Baek, a masked Lady in Silver who captures the attention of Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson). As always, scandal, romance, and exquisite fashion abound. The Bridgerton Mask Parlour proved that the allure of the beloved series lies not just in the corsets and ballrooms, but in its invitation to indulge and escape into another world (even if you're in the middle of the Melbourne CBD). Watch Bridgerton only on Netflix.
Diggies cafe makes the most of its North Beach location, just a stone's throw from the waves. Pole position is the deck dining area, where diners can look out over the sand while having their morning caffeine hit. Unsurprisingly, given the prime real estate it occupies and the ever-hungry pre- and post-swim crowds, Diggies is perpetually busy. While you wait, consider the menu, bursting with breakfast favourites like buttermilk pancakes lashed with maple syrup and a bacon and egg roll with smoky tomato relish. When brunch rolls around, choose from a range of burgers, including a vegan mushroom option with sauerkraut and a herby green sauce. If you'd rather leave your shoes off, check out its takeaway nook, North Beach Kiosk. Located right next door, it has coffee, smoothies and beach takeaway staples like fish and chips and chicken rolls.
Dancing is permitted again in Sydney again from Monday, March 29, which is just in time for Easter. Yes, that's handy. So, in-between eating all of the chocolate — and other appropriately themed bites — you can give your limbs a workout. One of first potential events on your four-day-weekend agenda: Damn Good Saturday at Redfern Surf Club. Obviously, you now know when it will take place. Kicking off from 2pm and running until late on Saturday, April 3, this day-long party is all about dancing to DJs, having a bite to eat, sipping drinks and making the most of your time off. Hitting the decks are Shantan Wantan Ichiban and Nes, who'll be giving you plenty of motivation to make shapes. Food-wise, the holiday-themed menu will feature popcorn shrimp with chilli lime aioli, spiced jerk fried chicken tenders and shrimp po' boys. And there'll be happy hour specials, spanning both snacks and beverages — such as mango daiquiris and frozen pina coladas — until 4pm. [caption id="attachment_684551" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Images: Pat Stevenson.[/caption] Updated March 29.
"The thing about acting is that you're not on every day. It's not go, go, go. You get a lot of time off, especially because my very favourite thing to do is to play supporting roles. So I'm not in there every single day. I get a lot of downtime." If you've ever wondered how Rachel House manages to pop up in nearly every film and TV show out of New Zealand, and sometimes from Australia as well, that's her secret: she's spent more than a quarter of a century on-screen, including 22 years since Whale Rider marked her first movie credit, and she loves her supporting niche. House's resume as a performer has been exploding since the 2010s, but the 18 months since the beginning of 2023 have been particularly busy. Audiences have seen the Auckland-born talent in Creamerie, Bay of Fires, Foundation, Our Flag Means Death and Heartbreak High on TV and streaming. They've heard her voice echoing from Koala Man, What If…?, Pinecone & Pony and 100% Wolf: Book of Hath, too. The cinema side of her acting resume also hasn't been neglected thanks to The Portable Door, Next Goal Wins, The Moon Is Upside Down and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. But it's The Mountain, her debut feature as a director, that defines the past couple of years for House. "It felt like a really big year last year because it was all about The Mountain, to be honest," House also tells Concrete Playground. "When all these things come out and you go 'oh, wow, did Rachel have a break?' — yes, I had many breaks. But last year I didn't. Last year was all about The Mountain. The pre-pre-production was the year before, going all the way through Christmas. And then pre-production and then production, and then post-production. It just went on and on and on, and it was good, hard, solid work. And somewhere in there I got to do a few weeks here and there doing some acting." Although The Mountain is House's initial stint behind the lens of a full-length movie, she has helming 2010 short The Winter Boy to draw on, alongside a wealth of experience on film sets. The latter has spanned not only notching up more and more supporting parts, but also working as an acting coach on projects by compatriots Jane Campion and Taika Waititi. For the first of the two Oscar-winners, she loaned her skills beyond the camera to the second season of Top of the Lake and The Power of the Dog. For the second, she built upon her appearances in Waititi's Eagle vs Shark, Boy, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Thor: Ragnarok and Next Goal Wins. Combine decades carving out a screen career as an actor — something that House was actually told she'd never have, she explains — with helping guide performances out of other thespians, including kids, and the scene was always going to be set for an impressive first run as a feature director. With Taranaki Maunga on Aotearoa's North Island as its namesake, The Mountain tells of three children on a journey. In hospital undergoing treatment for cancer, Sam (newcomer Elizabeth Atkinson) hasn't grown up with her Māori heritage, but feels connected to it through the landmass that she's determined to climb: her mountain. Conversely, with ample time on his hands thanks to his busy dad, Bronco (fellow first-timer Terrence Daniel) considers himself a guardian of his culture. Mallory (Reuben Francis, another debutant) is the new kid initially tagging along, but appreciating more than just the chance to make friends along the way. Following its date with NZ's big screens in March, The Mountain enjoyed its Australian premiere during 2024's Sydney Film Festival, then hit Aussie cinemas in general release at the end of June. When House was showing her film to Sydney's audiences — "we got a really big crowd, and not only a big crowd, but a really receptive crowd who all really wanted to be there. So we were very, very grateful, and it was a lovely feeling in in the theatre," she shares — we spoke with her about it. Always wanting to direct a movie, what appealed about Tom Furniss' (7 Days) original script and how she reworked it, making the kind of picture out of New Zealand that she's always wanted to see, scaling mountains in multiple ways, giving Taranaki Maunga credit as a character and producer, learning from her past directors: House chatted us through all of the above and more. On Directing a Movie Always Being the Dream Back When House First Started Acting "Yes, yes — but I think it's interesting getting older. You do want to really pursue your dreams, and you want challenge yourself and all this. But, I suppose I feel — it's not less ambitious, but if I didn't direct a feature film, I would have been okay about it. I love storytelling, but I think it's because I'm in the the storytelling industry, and so I just feel very grateful to continue to tell stories in whatever way that means. I made a short film ages ago and it was a script given to me, and it was a really great lesson — because although I really loved the script and loved making the short film, it wasn't my a story that I was really connected to. And I think that was the lesson. So I've actually been sent scripts for maybe over ten years now to consider to direct, feature film scripts, and nothing appealed to me, nothing resonated to me in the same way that this this film did." On House's Initial Response to The Mountain's Original Script "Three young kids on a mission, and the possibility of the magic of that. I keep saying it but this was a real gift, actually, because the mountain, Tom [Furniss, the original screenwriter] hadn't named the mountain for whatever reason. I think his reasoning was he understands the process of filmmaking and didn't want anyone to feel locked into a location. But for me to read it, it was like 'but where are we? Where is the mountain?'. You name your mountain — you name the mountain because the mountain is going to be part of that story. It's really important. So it was a wonderful gift. And I got to talk about our Māori worldview because of being able to rework it." On the Starting Point When House Started Tinkering with the Story "To share with our country, in particular, the strength and beauty of our Indigenous knowledge. That was my intention. And to have a conversation with our country about how we see our mountains and how they shape and form us, and how they should be revered and protected." On Making the Kind of Movie That House Has Always Wanted to See Come Out of New Zealand "100%. And I think, as well, I'd love to inspire an Indigenous conversation all over the world. Mountains here in this country [Australia] all are all named and they all have beautiful, resonant, incredible stories. So let's start that conversation, let's share that Indigenous knowledge, because it's everywhere." On the Film Taking Audiences on a Journey of Finding Identity and Belonging — and Healing — in a Number of Ways "In Tom's original script, it was about three little boys and they wanted to conquer a mountain. I think that's something that seems to be so important universally, conquering — and it's gotten us all in a lot of trouble, conquering. So I wanted to really share with everybody the possibility of wanting to connect rather than conquer. It was all tied up in Sam not being raised in her culture but understanding that she was from that culture and, in the best way that she knew possible — which is Google, looking information up — she had this very, very strong belief that, even though she didn't have any evidence, that this mountain was one she belonged to. I wanted to show Bronco being from the absolute polar opposite, someone who was completely strong in in the world of Māori and really understood Sam's plight. Then I wanted to really embrace Mallory, who not only didn't understand it, but didn't believe it. I just wanted to somehow make that conversation between these three beautiful kids, and share it." On Climbing Not Only Literal But Internal Mountains in the Movie's Narrative "I was talking to somebody the other day and she described it as 'three kids who run away for different reasons but are all brought together by the power of Taranaki Maunga'. They've all got pretty clear mountainous arcs, so that was a definite intention. I suppose what I love — and maybe I would love it, I would say this — but I do love that it's Mallory who understands what's going on, that the mountain is saying 'go away. This is not good for you. This is too dangerous. I'm going to cover you in cloud. You've remembered the story of the two friends who stopped Taranaki from going into the sea and having an unhappy end.' So I love that it's Mallory who understands that it's the mountain communicating with them, and he's the one who says 'stop, we've got to stop'." On Crediting Taranaki Maunga as a Character and a Producer to Pay Tribute to Its Importance "Me and the producers and the team, we're quite a diverse bunch, the ones who make the decisions — and it just wasn't even a doubt. I don't think anyone thought that we wouldn't credit the mountain in the way that we've created the mountain. We also have made the mountain one of the producers as well, so if this film does well and we miraculously make some money, some of that money will go to the mountain, and the wellbeing and upkeep of our mountain. Otherwise, why would we make this film if we didn't believe it? But I will say that I'm so proud of our team, who, as I say, are very diverse — and it just wasn't even much of a conversation, it was just a decision that was made very easily." [caption id="attachment_965113" align="alignnone" width="1917"] Lisa Tomasetti, Netflix[/caption] On What House Makes of Her Career So Far Both On-Screen and Behind the Camera "I will say that back in the day, I'm really glad I didn't listen to some of the people who told me I couldn't do stuff, that I wouldn't be on screen. When I was at drama school, I was told I probably wouldn't do any screen work because of the way I looked. I was told by a director that directing was probably a bit beyond me. There is a kind of tall-poppy thing that we have, I think particularly with women. There is a fear of women taking up space and shining. I am of that generation that had all those beliefs — or disbeliefs, I suppose, is a better way of describing it. So I feel like my age group and up — women, I'm just talking about — I feel like we're late bloomers because of the conditioning that we had when we were younger, particularly in our country. So I suppose it's taking me a long time to enjoy it and not feel so overwhelmed by gratitude, that it puts me in a sort of constant thank you, scarcity sort of vibe. I guess I feel good about it, but I don't feel up myself about it. I just feel grateful and empowered that I didn't listen to any of those voices." On How Working with Other Filmmakers Across House's Career, Including as an Acting Coach, Helped Prepare Her for Directing Her First Feature "I've told the story a couple of times now, but I think it's a really fantastic story for anyone who's going to be working with kids, and in fact adults, all actors. Something that I learned working on Whale Rider — there's an iconic moment in Whale Rider where Keisha Castle-Hughes gets up on stage and and does this extraordinary speech to Koro, her granddad. And I was in that scene, I got to sit there in the audience and watch her over and over — and watching Niki [Caro, Whale Rider's director] and the way that Niki was going through exactly what Keisha was going through. I don't think Keisha ever felt alone. I feel like as a director, you've got to go through it with your actors emotionally. It's something that I definitely witnessed between those two. I'd see them in-between and they'd be talking, they'd be really close and talking to each other, and Niki would be crying and Keisha would be crying — and it was extraordinary to watch. And you could see that Keisha didn't feel alone. And I've seen that with Jane [Campion], with adult actors as well, actually. I just feel like she goes through it with her actors. So that was an extraordinary learning. With Taika [Waititi], he really creates a lot of fun on set, and that's incredibly important, too. I mean, you can have fun and when you need to have focus, you have focus. I feel like that's how we went about things as we were shooting The Mountain. Although, I do have to say, we were in such incredible and sometimes difficult terrain on the daily — and because we're an independent New Zealand film, we were on the move, man. So we had to go into these incredible places that took quite a lot to get there, and then we had to get out in three hours. But it was a wonderful family dynamic that we had. And that's something that I've learned throughout my whole career: the importance of family in regards to the people that you're working with." The Mountain opened in Australian cinemas on Thursday, June 27, 2024 and in New Zealand cinemas on Thursday, March 28, 2024.
You'll notice there's not a lot of difference between the lunch and dinnertime menus at this Modern Australian restaurant in Terrigal — and that's because no matter what time you dine, you should start off with half a dozen oysters, sourced from Corrie Island Nature Reserve, and one of the bottles of Aussie wines, from Eden Valley, Beechworth, Margaret River (and many other regions). [caption id="attachment_777464" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kitti Gould[/caption] You can order the Newlands beef carpaccio with capers and shaved parmesan, or the grilled Bangalow pork cutlets with sweet potato mash, or Stone and Wood battered fish and chips day or night — the difference is you'll have to commit to a two- and three-course menu ($59–69) from 6pm. If you're here at lunch, take advantage of the steak sandwich with watercress and horseradish, or the ARC club made with bacon, iceberg and egg mayo, which won't make an appearance later in the night. Images: Kitti Gould
Okay, we don't like to get preachy but if you haven't been to the Bendigo region yet, you've been missing out. Over the past few years, the region, which includes Heathcote, Castlemaine, Maldon, Maryborough, Talbot, Inglewood and Wedderburn, has further established itself as an incredible destination for all things arts, crafts and culture — not to mention its emerging foodie scene. But it's not just the urban aspects that are drawing people to the area. The region is a treasure trove of exciting outdoor activities that demand to be explored — from getting your hands dirty and (hopefully) striking gold to uncovering strange wonders like Heathcote's powdery Pink Cliffs and specially built mountain bike trails amid the foothills of Mount Alexander. With that in mind, here are nine that should add to your list right away. [caption id="attachment_730704" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David Mitchener.[/caption] CONQUER (SOME OF) THE 210-KILOMETRE GOLDFIELDS TRACK The Goldfields Track links the two cities of Bendigo and Ballarat — but you don't have to complete the whole length of the 210-kilometre trail to experience its beauty. Whether you're on a bike or just on foot, the pathway is broken into three smaller sections to make it easier to tackle. And, the Leanganook Track, between Bendigo and Castlemaine, via Harcourt, is a real knock-out. Throughout spring and summer, colourful wildflowers and orchids line the route, which passes by the historic, still-operating Coliban Water Main Channel and the ever-imposing Garfield Water Wheel. The natural wonders are just as interesting, with highlights including lush pine plantations, tempting apple orchards, Australia's first National Heritage Park and Mount Alexander's huge, picture-ready rock formations. Be sure to stop at Harcourt for lunch, cider and wine tasting. [caption id="attachment_730703" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Michelle Jarni.[/caption] RACE AGAINST AN OLD STEAM TRAIN ON A TRAIL Opened in 2017, the Castlemaine to Maldon Trail is one of the newer kids on the block. From the dry forests of Maldon Historic Reserve and the open farmland of Muckleford to the historic Beehive Gold Mine and its impressive 30-metre-high chimney, there's so much to see and explore along this 17.7-kilometre trail, which can be completed as either a good hike or a beginner-friendly bike ride. Time your visit right (on a Wednesday or Sunday) and you can even have a race a heritage steam train operated by Victorian Goldfields Railway. Too tired to ride back? You can always ride the train back. WANDER OR RIDE ALONG THE O'KEEFE RAIL TRAIL The gold rush may be a legendary part of Australian history, but it may not have happened at all without construction engineer Andrew O'Keefe. The Irish migrant is considered a pioneer of the Victorian railway, and this line — which connects Bendigo to Heathcote, and is now a cycling hotspot — is named for him. The O'Keefe Rail Trail provides you with the perfect opportunity to uncover the stunning native bushland and wildlife — here's looking at you, adorable platypuses. If you're game, you can walk or ride the whole stretch. Be sure to pack a picnic for a riverside break at the Campaspe River Reserve or Lake Eppalock, before arriving in Heathcote and exploring some wineries or tucking into a well-earned pub feed. PADDLE DOWN THIS FIVE-KILOMETRE CREEK Give your legs a rest from all the walking and cycling, and let your arms take over with a canoe tour along Serpentine Creek. Canoe hire is readily available at Boort Lakes Holiday Park from just $10 an hour or $40 for a full day. You'll set off on your journey from Whytcross Road, Durham Ox and throughout the five-kilometre paddle, you'll see the historic red-brick inn, trees scarred from traditional practices of the Dja Dja Wurrung people and a diverse range of birds. You'll also find a bunch more canoe trails, plus training opportunities, over here. ZOOM AROUND A MOUNTAIN BIKE PARK Set amid the foothills of Mount Alexander, the La Larr Ba Gauwa Mountain Bike Park is a 34-kilometre network of purpose-built mountain bike trails. The tracks have been specially designed to take advantage of the area's tough granite-filled countryside. The 11 exciting trails feature jaw-dropping views of the surrounding rolling hills, boulder drop-offs and English-style oak forest. Plus, riders visiting the park won't just be treated to an incredible physical challenge. They'll also have a chance to take in some art along the way as the trail builders have created a few interesting installations along the tracks. Word of warning: if you're a beginner, stick to the green loop. The rest of the trails are all geared toward intermediate and experienced mountain bikers and feature a lot of drops, jumps and other technical features. DISCOVER THESE NATURALLY FORMED PINK PEAKS The gold rush era shaped the town of Heathcote in more ways than one. But, it was the introduction of sluicing in the 1880s that revealed one of the area's most notable sites. Known as the Pink Cliffs and located a short walk from town, the strange mini gorges rise and fall in a sporadic undulation and, like some kind of natural mood ring, change colour depending on the time of day you visit. As you wander through the geological reserve, you'll realise that these stone-like formations are actually made up of a pink clay that feels a lot like talcum powder — so watch where you sit or you'll find yourself covered with the stuff. [caption id="attachment_730707" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Michelle Jarni.[/caption] WALK OR RIDE THROUGH A EUCALYPT FOREST ON THIS HERITAGE TRAIL If you're hoping to immerse yourself in the history of the area while taking in the beauty of Victoria's countryside, then the Ballarat–Maryborough Heritage Trail is a great choice. The 91-kilometre trail is broken into four sections that flow through tall eucalypt forests, grand homesteads from times gone by and sprawling vineyards. Quick dips into quaint towns like Clunes — made famous by Ned Kelly — and Talbot will break up the journey, as do the unbeatable views of Mount Beckworth's imposing volcanic mound. The trail ends with a short journey through open grazing land and through box ironbark forest before you arrive in Maryborough. VENTURE INSIDE THE MELVILLE CAVES If you're searching for a great weekend hideout, then look no further than the Melville Caves at Kooyoora State Park. The rocky outcrop is not the dark and bat-filled cave system you might imagine, but rather a collection of granite boulders that notorious bushranger Captain Melville apparently used as a hiding place and a lookout in the 1800s — hence the name. The hike to reach the cave area takes about 20 minutes (or can be accessed more conveniently by driving to the top of the park) and winds its way through lush trees and shrubs while offering sweeping views of the park below. While you're wandering beneath the rocks, keep an eye out for something shiny. Rumour has it that Captain Melville left some treasure behind. [caption id="attachment_730705" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ewen Bell.[/caption] GO PROSPECTING ACROSS THE BENDIGO REGION Although the Bendigo region is now brimming with art galleries, cultural institutions and a calendar packed with exciting contemporary events, it's still one of the key places people visit hoping to strike gold — and for good reason. Its vast gold rush history has proven time and time again that the area is rich in the shiny mineral that has had people seeing dollar signs for decades. But you don't have to be a serious miner to have a taste of glory. The Coiltek Gold Centre runs tours for those interested in learning how to unearth a natural gold nugget or two — all you need to bring is your lunch (and a bit of luck). To start planning your trip to Bendigo — and to discover more of what's happening in the region — head to the Bendigo Regional Tourism website.
Have you ever needed to convey an important message to someone in a big way, but sweated to find the perfect gift to do so? Maybe you needed to say 'sorry for being a jerk', 'thanks for being a great mate', or simply 'I love you'. Well, perhaps not surprisingly, there's a store to fix that problem. Initially launching as a website in 2013, the retailer branched out into a bricks-and-mortar in Martin Place's GPO building — then moved to Westfield Sydney in 2020. The store is built around the concept of 'give different'. That means sourcing items that are unique and thoughtfully designed, so you're in very little danger of doubling up on gifts. Products include knives carved from deer antler, hand-woven scarves and handmade resin jewellery from Dinosaur Designs. Gourmet goodies include wheels of Bruny Island cheese and premium single malt whisky distilled in highland Tasmania, which you can taste test in the store. You'll also find colourful wares from the iconic Finnish design brand Marimekko. Images: Joey Clark.
This art deco pub in a corner spot on Erskineville Road is rarely seen without an assorted bunch of people merrily enjoying afternoon happy-hour sips, a quick-drink-turned-late-night or classic local feed. Family run and having sat in this place since 1932, it's no wonder there's an inherent sense of community. You'll find spots aplenty for you to perch, no matter the size of your party, spanning two floors. A soft brown-leather couch runs the length of the ground-floor space, a sports bar hosts sporting fans and fanatics alike, the rose garden makes room for anyone after an al fresco situation and the first-floor cantina (pictured below) delivers a funky fit-out and fresh menu. There's daily happy hours, a beverage list that celebrates local beers and vinos and a menu that serves everything from classic parmies and burgs, chocked salad bowls and steaks how you like them, to fancier small share plates — think eggplant yakitori, kangaroo tartare and grilled octopus. The Rose is a top-notch Inner West pub, well worth a visit on your next trip out for a beer.
Watching a scary film on Halloween is pretty much required but instead of plopping down on the couch with Netflix, head to the Hayden Orpheum for their special Halloween screening of The Silence of the Lambs. Even if you've seen this classic many a time, it's still guaranteed to scare the living daylights out of you. And if it's still on your must-watch list, what better time to cross it off than All Hallows Eve? Afterwards, stroll over to nearby Thiq Bar to calm your pounding heart with one of their heavenly pastrami burgers. A milk bun stuffed with house-smoked pastrami, Gruyere cheese, and sauerkraut, this is decadence at its most delish. Halloween plans, sorted.
The best spot in Australia for a picnic is hotly contested. Melbourne has some good ones. So do Sydney and Brisbane. Mount Buffalo, a picturesque mountain surrounded by green valleys roughly a four-hour drive from Melbourne, is now coming for the title — as long as you're not afraid of heights. The Bright Adventure Company is offering secluded picnics for thrill-seekers suspended off the cliff face of Mount Buffalo, on a platform 300 meters off the ground. For $449, you'll get a set up on the suspended ledge suitable for two people, a delicious picnic hamper and all the safety equipment and training required. Then you can relax with your partner or picnic buddy as you take in the views of the Mount Buffalo National Park. All you need to bring is warm clothes, sturdy shoes, a water bottle and a total lack of fear of heights. The experience goes for three hours with sunrise, lunch and dinner packages all available. If you have a group of four you can organise a set of two edges side-by-side so you can share the experience with your besties. Book a cliff picnic through the Bright Adventure Company. Before heading interstate, check the relevant state's COVID-19 guidelines.
Head to Sydney Olympic Park for Abbatoir Blues Cafe, a family-owned restaurant known for its hearty lunches, bottomless antipasto and house-made Egyptian rose tea — all of which you can enjoy over brunch. House specialties include the Elevated Toastie with wood-smoked scamorza, prosciutto and vincotto, and the green pea hummus toast with heirloom cherry tomatoes, dusted beetroot powder and pumpkin seeds. For something a little less brunchy but no less delicious, tuck into a hearty bowl of gnocchi napoletana, prawn ravioli or house-made lasagne. Slept in? The venue stays open late, serving antipasti, handmade pasta and larger meals alongside a selection of cocktails and wine.
Prepare to get slurping, Sydneysiders — and slurping up a different type of ramen than usual at that. While World Square's Ramen Zundo serves up brothy bowls of goodness on the regular, for four days it'll be specifically dishing out Sapporo-style ramen. If you're wondering what that is, then you owe it to yourself to go along. Across September 6–9, the store will be handing over the reigns to chef Sakae Ishida, who is considered not only a ramen master, but the pioneer of Sapporo-style ramen. He has worked with Nishiyama Seimen Co. — who supply most of Sapporo's ramen shops with their ingredients — since 1985, taught cooking classes around the world and helped ramen restaurants open around the globe too. While telling you what chef Ishida has in store isn't the same as tasting it for yourself, prepare your tastebuds for a 'double soup', which involves both chicken and pork broth. As well as noodles and sauce imported from Nishiyama Seimen Co. — and an additional high-heat wok stove to cook everything on — there'll be wok stir-fried vegetable toppings, such as fresh bean sprouts, shallots and cabbage. Two types will be available: a regular, with miso, soy or salt bases for $16, and a spicy version with a choice of the same bases for $16.50. Ramen Zuno's usual ramen menu will be put on hold for the duration of Ishida's pop-up; however you can still pair your meal with homemade gyoza, donburi and drinks.
Three mates walked into a bar — and decided to buy it. That's the rough origin story of Howlin' Wolf, which was taken over in 2017 by three friends with a love for whisky and chewing the fat. Today, the bar showcases more than 260 whisky varieties from around the world, including rare bottling and limited editions. If you don't know your malt from your maple the boys and their team are more than happy to give you the low-down on the lineup. As important as the whisky is here, having a good time is the overriding theme, so leave any lack-of-whisky-knowledge concerns at the door. Beyond the whisky, there's an impressive 50 craft beers on offer, too. Or throw caution completely to the wind and let the bar staff shake up a cocktail for you. Images: Jasmine Low
Any chance to see Yayoi Kusama's work in Australia is huge news, and reason to make a date — including travel plans, if needed — to get immersed in the Japanese icon's infinity rooms, and also be surrounded by pumpkins and dots. So when the National Gallery of Victoria announced that its big summer 2024–25 showcase would be dedicated to the artist, that was enough to make the resulting exhibition a firm must-see. Adding Friday-night parties to the mix, which the NGV has just locked in, is the cherry on top, then. How many ways can Melbourne go dotty for Kusama? Everyone is about to find out, although that question keeps being answered in the lead up to the exhibition's opening on Sunday, December 15, 2024. Already, Kusama's five-metre-tall dot-covered Dancing Pumpkin sculpture has made NGV International's Federation Court its home. Then came the revelation that the showcase will feature a world record-breaking number of infinity rooms and other immersive installations. And, outside the gallery on St Kilda Road right now, Kusama's Ascension of Polka Dots on the Trees has wrapped the trunks of more than 60 trees in pink-and-white polka-dotted material. NGV Friday Nights often forms part of the venue's high-profile exhibitions, so it should come as no surprise that the event series will be back for Yayoi Kusama. The after-hours parties will kick off on Friday, December 20, 2024 for some pre-Christmas fun, then run for 18 weeks until Friday, April 18, 2025. Come quittin' time for the week, Melburnians can add spots to their late-night shenanigans. If you're making a visit from interstate, you'll want to ensure you time it to hit one of the soirees on your trip. Seeing art is obviously on the NGV Friday Nights itinerary, but so is music and culinary experiences. The NGV's Great Hall will welcome live DJ sets, including from Dijok, Small FRY, Elle Shimada, Tanzer and more. In the NGV Garden Restaurant, acclaimed chefs Martin Benn is doing a residency for the exhibition's duration, serving up Asian-inspired dishes using Australian produce, Attendees can also look forward to other dining and drinking options, such as the Moët & Chandon champagne bar, Four Pillars gin bar, Yering Station wine bar and Häagen-Dazs ice cream cart — so there's sparkling, G&Ts, wine flights and frozen treats covered — plus a Japanese-inspired menu from the Great Hall and Gallery Kitchen. Gracing NGV International's walls until Monday, April 21, 2025, Yayoi Kusama will feature over 180 works, in what'll be the largest Kusama retrospective that Australia has ever seen — as well as one of the most-comprehensive retrospectives devoted to the artist to be staged globally, not to mention the closest that you'll get to experiencing her Tokyo museum without leaving the country. Other highlights include NGV International's glass waterwall going pink, but with black rather than white dots; Kusama's new version of Narcissus Garden, which dates back to 1966 and will feature 1400 30-centimetre-diameter silver balls this time around, sitting in front of the waterwall and in parts of Federation Court; and the yellow-and-black spheres of Dots Obsession hanging over the Great Hall. Then there's the artist's sticker-fuelled, all-ages-friendly The Obliteration Room, where audiences young and old pop coloured dots everywhere — 'obliterating', as Kusama calls it — to cover an apartment interior that's completely white otherwise. Overall, Yayoi Kusama will step through the 95-year-old artist's eight decades of making art via a thematic chronology. Some pieces hail from her childhood. Some are recent. Her output in her hometown of Matsumoto from the late 30s–50s; the results of relocating to America in 1957; archival materials covering her performances and activities in her studios, especially with a political charge, in the 60s and 70s; plenty from the past four decades: they'll all appear. [caption id="attachment_981011" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yayoi Kusama, The Hope of the Polka Dots Buried in Infinity Will Eternally Cover the Universe 2019 at Kusama's solo exhibition Yayoi Kusama: All About Love Speaks Forever at Fosun Foundation, Shanghai. Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts © YAYOI KUSAMA.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_950473" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yayoi Kusama, The obliteration room 2002–present. Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, © YAYOI KUSAMA.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_950474" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Installation view of Yayoi Kusama's Flower Obsession 2017 on display in NGV Triennial from 15 December 2017 – 15 April 2018 at NGV International Melbourne. Image courtesy of NGV.[/caption] Yayoi Kusama displays at NGV International, St Kilda Road, Melbourne from Sunday, December 15, 2024–Monday, April 21, 2025 — and NGV Friday Nights: Yayoi Kusama runs each Friday night from 6–10pm between Friday, December 20, 2024–Friday, April 18, 2025. Head to the NGV website for more details and tickets. Top image: Installation view of Yayoi Kusama's Dots Obsession 1996/2015 at Kusama's solo exhibition YAYOI KUSAMA: IN INFINITY, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebaek, Denmark. YAYOI KUSAMA Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts © YAYOI KUSAMA. NGV Friday Nights images: Michael Pham / Tobias Titz.
If you're looking to connect with nature during your next romantic getaway, then you've got to try and book into the Blue Mountains' Love Cabins (also known as the Wollemi Wilderness Cabins). Come here to marvel at some classic Australian bush landscapes from the comfort of your own timber and glass-lined cabin. All of the self-sustained accomodations are located within Wollemi National Park, which is the largest wilderness area in NSW. Forming part of the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, Wollemi is made up of a consort of canyons, cliffs and undisturbed forest. And it's only an hour drive from Sydney. The Love Cabins have a diverse lineup available including the Enchanted Cave and the Love Teepee, but our favourite would have to be the Secret Treehouse. The private treetop cabin comes with the lot. You have a kitchenette, queen-size bed, fireplace and floor to ceiling windows looking out over the Blue Mountains. They even have an old school in-floor spa bath. It sits in the corner of the treehouse and has retractable doors all around it so you can decide to either let nature in, or just look out at the views from the warmth of your room. We could spend the whole day getting pruney in here. And while each of the cabins are set up with their own little kitchen, you can get food delivered too. That's where Caroline comes in. Caroline is a local who owns her own small catering company called Come by Chance. All you need to do is ask the accommodation's hosts for some brekkie or dinner — and they'll get Caroline on the case. She'll cook and deliver great country-style meals to your room — expect a classic chicken parma, tea and scones, or a full English breakfast spread. But you don't have to spend your whole visit up in the treehouse. There are stacks of things to do around here. The hosts will direct you to the nearby trails where you can also go mountain biking or they'll send you to the nearby river for some canoeing. Pampering is also big here — and it's done in true Aussie fashion. They have a few of their own hot mud baths available on site. Sit in an old tub, surrounded by bushland, and let the in-house therapist guide you through a relaxing, muddy ritual. It's great for your skin, plus its loads of fun. You're already in a treehouse, why not embrace your inner child even more with this experience? Images By Jochen Spencer Now you can book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips, and discover inspiring deals on flights, stays and experiences.
The Flinders Hotel is officially back in business. The much-loved Sydney pub ceased operations in 2015, with management laying the blame squarely on the NSW lockout laws. The rebooted Flinders wants to get people through the doors early, an ambition that's set to be reflected by the décor. Describing the new features as "a little bit upmarket," Flinders' spokesperson says the new fitout includes a marble bar, new wallpaper and a greater emphasis on natural light. Alongside the brand-spanking new interior comes an updated menu with a focus on gourmet pizza, gourmet burgers, ribs and "a pretty decent wine list." Sounds like picklebacks are off the menu, folks. That said, the new owner hasn't ditched the old Flinders feel entirely. Hey, why squander a 3am license? "We still want to use it as a live music venue," the spokesperson assures us. "We're connected with a lot of Sydney bands and a lot of DJs."
Renowned chef and restaurateur Matt Moran has announced the launch of his new burger brand, Proper Burgers. Reflecting his cooking philosophy of 'simple food, done properly,' the elevated burgers will make their debut this summer. Matt Moran says, "I have been cooking my whole life, and one thing I have learnt is that simple food, done properly, is hard to beat. That's what Proper Burgers is all about. For me, that means starting with grass-fed beef, seasoned properly and cooked with care. It means soft milk buns, sharp cheese and sauces we make ourselves. It's the kind of burger you remember — simple, satisfying, and bloody delicious. Big flavour. Nothing fancy, just damn good burgers." On the menu, classic burgers, snacks and sides are all designed to reflect Moran's commitment to top-quality produce. The Original Proper Burger features grass-fed beef and a tangy Proper Sauce, whereas the Proper Chook showcases southern crumbed chicken with a cabbage and herb slaw. On the side, you're not limited to ordinary, soggy take-out fries. Instead, go for popcorn prawns, corn ribs with parmesan and chipotle mayo, or crunchy salt and vinegar onion rings. While the first shopfront will open at Optus Stadium, it will form the foundation of a broader national vision. Moran plans to expand the brand to reach audiences who value high-quality food that is not overly complicated for its own sake. Images: SoCo Studios. Proper Burgers will open at Optus Stadium over the summer. If you're looking for a great feed now, check out this iconic Melbourne burger, which was crowned the 14th best burger in the world, or this Sydney number, previously ranked ninth best burger globally.
Sydneysiders take their pizza seriously, and with good reason. Thanks to our superb collection of authentic Italian pizzerias, complete with woodfired ovens and traditional methods, the Harbour City's pizza-philes are well versed on the difference between sub-par 'za and the real deal. But like many dishes carried to far-flung climes by migrant communities, there are plenty of non-Stivale interpretations of pizza that are every bit as culturally legit as their Neapolitan or Roman cousins. Case in point: the United States has almost as many pizza variants as Italy, from the hefty Chicago deep dish to the rectangular-pan Detroit style and of course, the iconic New York slice. Sydneysiders can get the quintessential NYC pizza experience courtesy of a beloved Big Apple stalwart, Sal's Authentic New York Pizza, which, in addition to its Darlinghurst outpost, also boasts another Sydney venue on York Street in the CBD and four restaurants in Melbourne, as well as branches across the ditch in Wellington and Auckland. Since 1975 — when Salvatore Leo opened his first pizza parlour in Little Neck, Queens — Sal's has been producing pizzas that fuse Italian recipes, passed down through the Leo family, with American produce. The same is true in Australia, with Sal's pizzas featuring the sustainably farmed premium Wisconsin mozzarella, vine-ripened Californian tomatoes and New York-milled spring wheat flour used in the States. The only locally sourced ingredient is the water used to make the dough and even this was thoroughly vetted via blind taste tests to ensure Sydney's H2O didn't undermine quality or flavour. All the recipes on offer in Sydney were developed by Sal himself, showcasing timeless toppings like pepperoni, buffalo chicken, Italian sausage and meatballs, as well as more contemporary inclusions like black garlic and chilli-infused hot honey. While every topping is available by the slice, as is the New York way, diners can also enjoy full pizzas. However, be warned — at 18 inches, tackling the whole pie should only be attempted by the truly famished. In the unlikely event you are still hungry, there are also classic sides on offer, including fresh-baked garlic knots, pepperoni wheels, mozzarella sticks and buffalo wings made to a recipe that has been in Sal's family since 1964.
Street artist Rone has a well-documented knack for taking on unexpected spaces as canvases for his distinctive large-scale works. In 2017, he staged an immersive installation in an abandoned weatherboard house for The Omega Project, while last year saw him reimagine the deserted Art Deco Burnham Beeches mansion for sell-out installation Empire. Now, the celebrated artist returns to his hometown of Geelong to transform Geelong Gallery into an immersive, experiential exhibition. Featuring the first comprehensive solo survey of Rone's long-running career, Rone in Geelong captures the artist's fascination with the concepts of beauty and decay. Visitors will be treated to a sprawling collection of street art, early stencil works and photographs from the many abandoned spaces he's reimagined as temporary art installations over the years. One of these past exhibitions will be reborn with a specially commissioned 3D recreation, while an exclusive new installation will see Rone overhaul the precinct's historic Douglass Gallery into a derelict space decked out with plenty of his signature painted murals. Exploring the inevitability of decay, he'll play on the room's grand architectural features with help from interior stylist and longtime collaborator Carly Spooner. A haunting soundtrack by Nick Batterham will bring the installation to life. Throughout the exhibition, you'll also catch plenty of references to Rone's youth and his own connection to the Geelong Gallery, from glimpses of portraits to pieces capturing the region's distinctive landscape. Initially set to take place in winter 2020, the exhibition has — thanks to the pandemic — been rescheduled for summer 2021. It's now set to run from Saturday, February 27 to Sunday, May 16 — and tickets are on sale now. [caption id="attachment_762250" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Rone, Powerhouse Geelong (2014). Photo by and copyright of Rone.[/caption] Geelong Gallery is open from 10am–7pm daily. Top image: Rone, 'I've seen fire and I've seen rain' (2016) from the Empty series, Geelong Gallery. Purchased with funds generously donated by Geelong Contemporary, 2019. Copyright Rone.
Plenty has happened across Brisbane for Melt Festival, the city's annual LGBTQIA+ celebration, in past years. Getting more than a thousand people singing together to support and champion the LGBTQIA+ community will be a first, however. After already locking in a a Brissie-only show by Broadway icon Bernadette Peters for its 2025 event, and also confirming the return of the River Pride Parade for this year, Melt has now announced 1000 Voices, which will see singers from queer and pride choirs — plus anyone else who wants to join in — get crooning. Set to take place on Sunday, November 9 to close out Melt 2025 — which runs from Wednesday, October 22–Sunday, November 9 — the choral event will feature voices from across both Australia and New Zealand. Already, participation by the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir and Brisbane Pride Choir is confirmed, but that'll be just the beginning. It's expected that folks from Melbourne, Darwin, Adelaide, Northern New South Wales, Perth, Canberra, Auckland and beyond will take part as well. Adam Majsay, Music Director of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir, is leading the charge — which will also give the River City a preview the day prior. On Saturday, November 8, a flash mob featuring some of 1000 Voices' talents will hit up a Brisbane bridge (there's plenty to choose from) as a sneak peek before the main event. "There's nothing quite like the sound of hundreds of voices rising as one — it lifts the spirit, opens the heart and reminds us what true family feels like. I've had the privilege of leading large-scale choral projects that centre inclusion and visibility, and I've seen first-hand how music welcomes people in," said Majsay, announcing 1000 Voices. "1000 Voices at Melt Festival will be more than a performance — it will be a powerful moment of connection for LGBTQIA+ singers, allies and anyone who simply loves to sing. Whether you're part of a choir or stepping into something like this for the first time, there's a place for you in this sound. And what a sound it will be — joyful, bold and unapologetically full of pride." "I'm personally so excited to be coming to Brisbane for this extraordinary event, and I can't wait to stand together with voices from all over Australia and New Zealand. Come be part of it — lift your voice and help us share in something unforgettable." If you're keen to join in, whether with your existing choir or lending your solo voice to the event, registrations are now open via the Melt Festival website. Melt takes place in spring, and returns in 2025 after being reborn in 2024 as a fringe-style celebration of queer arts and culture that not only fills Brisbane Powerhouse, but spreads across the city. Last year, more than 120 events popped up in 70-plus venues across southeast Queensland, complete with a Wicked-themed Halloween ball, a pool party and plenty more. 1000 Voices is taking place on Sunday, November 9 in Brisbane, with registrations available via the Melt Festival website. Melt Festival 2025 runs from Wednesday, October 22–Sunday, November 9. Hit up the festival website for more details.
Just when you think you've conquered pretty much every coastal trail in Sydney, a brand new adventure opens up in the southeast. Last month saw the official launch of the Western Escarpment Walking Track in the Malabar Headland National Park, a 1.15-kilometre walkway that connects Pioneers Park in Malabar, with Arthur Byrne Reserve in South Maroubra. The track cuts through bushland and, at its highest point, affords some stunning views across the beach, the headland and Botany Bay. It runs along the western edge of the Malabar Headland Rifle Range — but outside it, rather than within it. So, you don't have to worry about shooting days spoiling your fun, and you can go sauntering seven days a week, 365 days a year. It's possible to complete the trail on its own or turn it into a much longer escapade. In fact, it forms part of Sydney's Great Coastal Walk, a seven-day hike starting at Palm Beach and finishing at Cronulla (or vice versa). If that sounds a bit overwhelming, another, far easier option is to add the adjacent, three-kilometre-long Boora Point Walking Track, thereby creating a loop, which allows you to circumnavigate Malabar Headland. Do note, however, that the Boora Point walk is on rifle range territory, so, when the guns are out, it's closed. [caption id="attachment_659652" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Randwick City Council[/caption] You can get to the Malabar Headland Western Walking Track either via Arthur Byrne Reserve, Fitzgerald Avenue, South Maroubra or Pioneers Park, Anzac Parade, Malabar. When you've done that, check out our top walks in Sydney, our favourite coastal walks, these mountain treks and these multi-day hikes.
ARIA has revealed the full list of nominees for its 39th annual ceremony, returning to Sydney's Hordern Pavilion on Wednesday, November 19. In partnership with Spotify, this year's awards will celebrate artists who are redefining the sound and scope of Australian music — from club floors to global charts. Ninajirachi leads the pack with a record-breaking eight nominations, the most ever for a female electronic artist in ARIA history. Her debut album I Love My Computer has cemented her place at the forefront of a new wave of Australian producers pushing pop and club sounds forward. Close behind is Dom Dolla with seven nods, recognised for his chart-topping track 'Dreamin''. Other major contenders include Amyl and The Sniffers and Thelma Plum, each earning six nominations, while Hilltop Hoods and RÜFÜS DU SOL scored five and four, respectively. The 2025 ARIAs will also debut a new category: Best Music Festival. Nominees include Ability Fest, Beyond the Valley, Bluesfest Byron Bay, Laneway Festival and Yours and Owls — a nod to Australia's thriving live scene. Meanwhile, rock legends You Am I will be inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. "This year's nominees are living proof that Australian artists are shaping the global cultural narrative in real time," said ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd. "There's no longer a singular image of what success looks like for an artist — and the stories celebrated in November are absolute proof of that." For the first time, fans can vote for public categories directly through Spotify, with voting open until November 10. The 2025 ARIA Awards will take place at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion on Wednesday, November 19. For the full list of nominees, visit the ARIA Awards website. Images: Supplied
Right now, it's the 2020s, not the 1920s. If you'd like to jump back a century while sitting in a cinema, however, Babylon is here to help. And, if you'd like to see the latest film from jazz-loving, Oscar-winning La La Land director Damien Chazelle before everyone else — at the Australian premiere no less, and with stars Margot Robbie and Diego Calva in attendance — you can on Monday, January 16. Because big premiere screenings aren't just for Hollywood — aka the place where Babylon is set, right in the middle of its Golden Age — Sydney's State Theatre is rolling out the carpet for Robbie and Calva. And, for Sydneysiders as well. These kinds of famous folk-filled screenings aren't often open to the paying public, but you can indeed nab a ticket to this one. Babylon follows Robbie, Calva and Brad Pitt as they wreak havoc throughout Tinseltown when the silents were in full swing, then try to navigate the jump to talkies. Robbie (Amsterdam) plays Nellie LaRoy, a 1920s actor. After winning an Oscar for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood — set in a different era of Los Angeles' past — Pitt (Bullet Train) plays Jack Conrad, an industry veteran. And Calva (Narcos: Mexico) joins them Manny Torres, who desperately wants to be in the industry. As the decade comes to an end and Hollywood changes, these three characters have much to grapple with in this tale of ambition and excess. Expect decadently staged parties galore in the process — the kind that look right out of The Great Gatsby, or at least as if Chazelle is channelling his inner Baz Luhrmann. And if you weren't already thinking that anyway, up pops Tobey Maguire in only his fifth movie role since The Great Gatsby. Tickets to head along to Babylon's Australian premiere cost $55.94. Dress your 1920s best, obviously. Images: Paramount Pictures.
It's the best way to feel like you're at one of the world's top music festivals without physically being there, and it's back for 2025: the Coachella livestream. When the world's eyes turn to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California for six days each April, it isn't just folks on the ground that are paying attention. Courtesy of the fest's partnership with YouTube, everyone can stream along. Wondering when to watch? Enter this year's set times. For 2025, Coachella has made a change — or, another one, after revealing its lineup earlier than usual when it dropped in late 2024. With who'll be taking to the stage when, the festival is letting you plan ahead, unveiling both weekends' rosters at once rather than week by week. [caption id="attachment_980914" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Flickr[/caption] Accordingly, you can now plot out how to work in Lady Gaga, Green Day and Post Malone's headlining sets into your diary across Saturday, April 12–Monday, April 14 and Saturday, April 19–Monday, April 21 Down Under — and when you can catch Missy Elliott, Charli XCX, Megan Thee Stallion, Travis Scott, The Prodigy, Kraftwerk, Kneecap, Benson Boone, Basement Jaxx, The Go-Go's, Djo, Miike Snow, T-Pain, Jimmy Eat World, Beth Gibbons, Amyl and the Sniffers, and plenty more as well. The fest's set times have come with a few lineup amendments, however, with FKA twigs no longer playing the event on either weekend. Instead, Weezer has joined the bill for the first three-day run for 2025, while Ed Sheeran is doing the same the following week. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachella (@coachella) Coachella was livestreaming its sets long before the pandemic — and while beaming festivals to the world is no longer such a novelty, the calibre of the event's lineup means that it's still a mighty fine way to spend a weekend or two. The festival also has a new Coachella livestream app for this year, which lets you see the full livestream schedule, set reminders for your favourites, then watch the highlights afterwards. [caption id="attachment_912640" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hunter Kahn via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] [caption id="attachment_975321" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Harley Weir[/caption] [caption id="attachment_994173" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Flickr[/caption] Coachella 2025 runs from Friday, April 11–Sunday, April 13 and Friday, April April 18–Sunday, April 20 — which is Saturday, April 12–Monday, April 14 and Saturday, April 19–Monday, April 21 Down Under — at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, and livestreams via YouTube across the same dates. Top image: Raph_PH via Flickr.
A converted warehouse that's both a bar and restaurant, dog-friendly and offers live music — yep, No. 5 Restaurant & Bar sure ticks a lot of boxes. While many in Alexandria already call this their local, for most, this hidden warehouse space has been flying under the radar. But with an updated menu that has moved from low-key, burger-type fare to sophisticated and experimental dishes from chef Emrys Jones that hero local produce, now's the perfect time to drop by this inner-city gem. KINGFISH CEVICHE AND A LIVELY COCKTAIL It's clear from the outset that the McCauley Street venue has fun with its dishes and decor. Entering No. 5, you're greeted with an industrial bar that runs half the length of the warehouse — a throwback to the space's previous life as an old gem factory — and a collection of colourful armchairs. The area is at once eclectic and inviting — it asks you to sink in to savour a cocktail and a couple of snacks. To oblige, nibble house-made pickles and a creamy chickpea and gremolata dip. Then, sip something fresh, like the Lively Up Yourself with white rum, elderflower liqueur, lychee, lime and mint ($19) and shake of the day that was. BEEF TARTARE AND BEER Creamier than most, No. 5's beef tartare ($18) features rich, chunky pieces of lean Australian beef, a generous handful of herbs and pretty little dollops of cured egg yolk. While the dish comes with herb-infused crackers, we think the fluffy sliced white bloomer ($5) with cultured butter — both made in-house — is great for mopping up the final bits of beefy juice left on the plate. The bar has a couple of Fremantle-made Gage Road brews on tap. We'd recommend the classic US-style Atomic pale ale — it's refreshing yet punchy, countering the richness of the tartare perfectly. POACHED LING WITH A GLASS OF PINOT GRIS When No. 5 made the call to revamp its offering and move away from pub grub staples, the new chef set his sights on a menu that made quality local produce the centrepiece. These top-notch ingredients shine in bigger plates, like the blue cheese risotto or charred lamb ribs, which can be tackled solo or shared with friends. If you're looking for something a little left of centre, tuck into the poached ling with a light and creamy lemon thyme velouté ($28). The dish, which is described as having 'sea flavours', pairs well with a crisp and acidic drop. We suggest the 2017 Black Estate Circuit pinot gris from New Zealand; it's extremely drinkable and cuts through the creaminess of the velouté with ease. FLANK STEAK AND A BOTTLE OF RED A prime example of letting good produce do the legwork, the 300-gram Riverine flank steak ($36) is moist, delicate and speaks for itself. (The chimichurri and accompanying roast baby capsicums are an added, but non-essential, bonus.) The dish deserves a bold red to accompany it and the 2014 Tumblong Hills 'J Block' syrah from Gundagai fits the brief. This tasty drop is one of only two Aussie reds on the list — so while the food hails from Australia's outback, the vino takes you further abroad to France, Spain, NZ and Italy. ROSEMARY MOUSSE AND A FRUITY COCKTAIL No. 5 is all about marrying high-quality food with booze — and that doesn't stop at dessert. To finish the night on a high, treat yourself to this dreamy duo of creamy mousse and tart sour. The rosemary yoghurt mousse with fresh fig and sable cookie goes swimmingly with the subtle Fox Is Berry Sour, made with gin, ruby rose, elderberry, lemon, sugar and egg white ($19). Cheers, sweet teeth. Grab some mates, or a date, and check out the new summer menu at Bar No. 5 in Alexandria.
Warning people not to wear mascara in anticipation of the tears you're going to provoke is a gutsy move. You risk putting undemonstrative types on their guard and liberal criers in front of an insuperable mountain of anticipation. Still, some situations are so inescapably, heavily tragic as to warrant the disclaimer. And No More Shall We Part is one of them. It's about love, and death, what it takes to close the curtain on the days ahead you've dreamed of and what it means to let someone go. Don (Russell Kiefel) and Pam (Linda Cropper — that's Geraldine Proudman, for the Offspring lovers) have built their whole lives together, filled a home with family, rediscovered their private lives when their kids have left and now, in their late 50s and early 60s, find themselves facing new inevitabilities as Pam's cancer worsens. There's not much more to say of their path through assisted suicide; this is a journey best undertaken blindly, with only the people on stage to guide you over the rocks ahead. The actors each shine in moments — she wrapping up her frailty with strength, he looking at her with such intensity it could start a fire — and what they give each night must drain them entirely. It's beautifully staged in the intimate theatre, which takes you past pastel walls and under doorways into the couple's home and fixes you to Pam's bedside. Stories as emotive as And No More Shall We Part are highly personal, so whether you think it succeeds will be personal, too. The extent to which this particular scenario, with this particular writing and these particular actors affects you is nearly unpredictable. On this night, some people were in floods of tears from the start, some people choked up in a moment that floored them, and some people appeared either unmoved or very stoic. For me, the everyman and woman characters and interjection-heavy dialogue that sometimes veered into the distractingly stilted were obstacles to fully realising the latent power of the subject. However, it still stands as an accessible and amazing vehicle for this fraught topic to be brought out into the light of public discourse, which may have been what really earned this play its 2010 AWGIE Award. And No More Shall We Part picks up that great prerogative of art to open up audiences to different perspectives on big issues through small, simple acts of empathy. You'll leave the theatre thinking and talking about it, whether your mascara's run or not.
We've all seen the packs of brightly coloured, hi-tech bicycles stationed on the footpaths of the city. And just when we thought that the shared bike situation had reached peak bike-pocalypse, Beijing-based company Ofo has begun rolling out a fleet of yellow bikes in Sydney. Billed as the world's first and largest dockless bike sharing platform, Ofo has ten million bikes available in 180 countries across the globe, processing 32 million rides per day. The smartphone-enabled service was trialled in Adelaide earlier this month, receiving mixed responses from city councillors and the public. However, Ofo's staggered rollout of 400 bikes in Sydney has been endorsed by the state's leading cycling body, Bikes Australia. Ofo reckons it's ironed out the kinks in this whole share bike game, saying it improves on Sydney's existing services. How? Well, firstly, the Ofo app indicates 'preferred parking' zones, to discourage riders from dumping their bikes on any old bit of footpath. Then there's the company's monitoring system, which uses thermodynamic diagrams to monitor the distribution of the bikes. This is obviously difficult to manage, but the company's got a local team on the ground, checking the bikes twice a day, shifting wayward bikes back to the proper zones and fixing any damages. As with Uber, Ofo also implements a credit rating system — well-behaved riders will earn points, while those who park outside the preferred zones and neglect to move them back will have points deducted. The launch comes at a time when Australia's dockless bike sharing services are under fire. In Melbourne, three councils have signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding with Singapore's oBike to ensure the bikes are parked upright, don't block footpaths and will be removed from any dangerous locations within two hours. Ofo launches 200 bikes in Sydney today, with an extra 200 in coming weeks. New users will score their first Ofo ride for free, with subsequent trips paid via debit or credit card priced at $1 for every half hour. For more info, visit ofo.com. By Libby Curran and Jonathan Ford.
If you're on the hunt for something a bit different this gift-giving season, the MCA Store is an excellent place to start. Here, you'll not only find an impressive selection of items from Australian artists, designers and makers but also everything from coffee-table books to homewares and games — perfect for gifting all your favourite budding creatives, art enthusiasts, design buffs, fashion mavens and hard-to-buy-for friends. And, every purchase from the MCA Store supports Australian artists and the work of the world-class art institution. So in a way, it's a gift that'll keep on giving. We've gone through the extensive catalogue to hand select our favourite gift ideas for this festive season. [caption id="attachment_880360" align="alignnone" width="1920"] MCA Store, 2022, Katje Ford[/caption] IKUNTJI TEXTILES, $69 Ikuntji Artists, the first arts centre established by and for women in the Western Desert art movement, invites design lovers to take a closer look at the stories behind the works with this self-published, full-colour book. The volume is centred around 14 artists who paint wearable textiles, delving into their design process, personal stories and collaborations via artist interviews in Luritja and English and writings from expert voices in the field of textile design. The lovingly assembled tome makes a perfect coffee-table book — the ideal read to either leisurely flip through or take in some of the remarkable stories from First Nations women. BACKGAMMON SET, $195 The MoMA team has given this classic game a vibrant makeover. The colourful design, inside and out, makes this beechwood backgammon board a style-heavy travel accessory, ideal for groups or just two. The game is fun, practical and easy to learn — even if you've got no idea how to play. Gift this to your modern boardgame-loving pal who could do with something a little simpler and nostalgic. Then next time you're over at theirs, you can suggest a chill game of backgammon instead of Settlers of Catan. Looking for a stocking stuffer for your games-obsessed mate? This Ken Done edition of Uno ($19.95) is just the ticket. [caption id="attachment_834248" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jacquie Manning, MCA Members. Featured: Noa Eshkol, installation view, 20th Biennale of Sydney, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, 2016, Image courtesy and © the Noa Eshkol Foundation for Movement Notation, Holon.[/caption] 12-MONTH MCA MEMBERSHIP, $75 If you're buying for someone who really appreciates the arts, an MCA Membership is a sure-fire win. It will give them access to exclusive behind-the-scenes programs, discounts on a range of art experiences, unlimited free entry to ticketed exhibitions — like Do Ho Suh, which is part of the 2022/ 2023 Sydney International Art Series — and plenty more. Any and every art lover will be thanking their lucky stars (or just you) with a gift as good as this. FLENSTED MOBILE, $125 Mobiles aren't just for kids, they're also a fun and funky way to add some colour and movement to your home. And at the MCA Store, you can find no less than ten artistic mobiles by Danish design house Flensted. Our pick: the minimalist Life and Thread, which is made up of colourful wings dancing around a small green sphere. You can find more literal pieces too — hot air balloons, birds, planes, elephants and more, all made to hang and swing from the ceiling. They're simple yet striking pieces of art. [caption id="attachment_880357" align="alignnone" width="1920"] MCA Store, 2021, Anna Kucera[/caption] FINK WATER JUG, From $395 If you're buying for someone who loves to entertain or is always on the hunt for unique homewares, these FINK water jugs might just be perfect. Designed in 1993 by celebrated Australian silversmith Robert Foster, these elegant vessels come in eight striking colours and can be found in contemporary collections at institutions (including MoMA), as well as in design-forward homes and restaurants around the globe. It's a great gift for those who like to make a statement, even when they're simply pouring a glass of water. [caption id="attachment_880353" align="alignnone" width="1920"] MCA Store, 2022, Katje Ford[/caption] 3D-PRINTED SUPERVASE, From $50 These brightly coloured vases by The Daily Rabbit are reminiscent of the Hub series and Staircase-III (2010) by Do Ho Suh. Like the South Korean artist's large-scale installation pieces, as you move around these vases, they appear to change in shape. The SuperVase, which comes in two sizes, is 3D-printed using eco-friendly, degradable PLA bioplastic derived from cornstarch, making it ideal for sustainably-minded friends and family members. It's watertight, so you can gift it with fresh flowers if you'd like, too. [caption id="attachment_881162" align="alignnone" width="1920"] MCA Store, 2022, Katje Ford[/caption] DO HO SUH MCA CATALOGUE, $45 Here's yet another great addition to a curated coffee table. This softcover MCA catalogue (exclusively sold at the MCA Store) surveys Do Ho Suh's creative practice, focusing on his large-scale sculptures and architectural installations with commissioned texts by curators Rachel Kent and Megan Robson and architectural historian AnnMarie Brennan. Take a deeper dive into the artist's process and the meaning behind his colourful, thought-provoking installations that have a strong connection to our shared understanding of 'home'. MID-CENTURY MODERN COASTERS, $38 This pack of four cork coasters features works from Tony Albert's Mid-Century Modern series, depicting used ashtrays with First Nations people and designs on them. For Albert, "there was something quite metaphoric about the ashtray and the Australian condition attached to Aboriginal people. What does it actually mean to butt out a cigarette on someone's face and someone's culture?" And, we ask, what does it mean to rest your drink on a coaster of that artwork? Who knew a humble coaster could be such a conversation starter? Got an art lover in your life? Gifting someone with an eye for design? Make sure you're their fave this year with a gift from MCA Store. Head to the website for the full range. Top image: MCA Store, 2022, Katje Ford
Lumi is Italian for 'small lights', and, true to that theme, LuMi Bar and Dining creates a delightfully intimate (and well-lit) atmosphere. Led by head chef Federico Zanellato and his wife and sommelier Michela, LuMi combines Italian heritage with Asian flavours to offer a casual yet refined dining experience. The simplicity of the European decor is in stark opposition to the complexity of the cuisine it houses. Meanwhile, the food is a fusion of modern Italian and Japanese flavours, serving up refined seasonal produce over a series of spectacular courses that look almost too good to eat. The chef's menu ($185 per person) lets you explore it all, with the Italian-focused wine pairing highly recommended ($115 per person).
The team behind beloved Surry Hills wine bar Mille Vini has arrived in the city with Rovollo, an all-day Italian restaurant and wine room on the ground floor of 25 Martin Place. Rovollo has been designed to whisk you straight to the Amalfi Coast — or at least a swanky Roman supper club — via a 75-seat space that blends golden-age glamour with old-school hospitality. It all takes place under a ten-metre-long, hand-painted ceiling mural; a dramatic lighting pendant fashioned by artist Moya Delaney from an old parachute; and, of course, the shadows of Harry Seidler's iconic modernist monolith. It's a maximalist space with maximalist flavours. The menu, overseen by Executive Chef Cami Feliciano (ex-Seta) and Head Chef Zane Buchanan (ex-Clam Bar, Fish Butchery) veers between classics done well — think snacky Italian starters like arancini, burrata and house focaccia — and more opulent options, like seafood towers stacked with oysters, crab, prawns and sashimi. All pasta is handmade daily, though none are perhaps as theatrical as the signature pici carbonara, set alight tableside before being tossed through a parmigiano-reggiano cheese wheel and topped with a freshly cracked egg. When in season, you can also add a fresh shaving of Australian black truffle to any dish of your choice. There's a spotlight on large-format proteins here as well, with the likes of wagyu rump cap and whole market fish grilled to order and served with your choice of sauce. Desserts follow a similarly 'more is more' philosophy — the panna cotta is finished with limoncello and burnt honey, while a towering 24-layer dark chocolate cake is served with a warm rosemary-infused berry compote. Drinks are just as transportive. The 250-strong wine list features bold Italian picks, Australian varietals and champagne, while the cocktail menu — designed by award-winning bartender Alissa Gabriel — has been designed as a journey through Italy in seven sips, from the citrusy Amalfi with its blue-hued salted limoncello foam to the pizza-oven warmth of the martini-style Napoli, lifted with charred focaccia vermouth, burrata whey, basil and tomato oil. Image credit Food images: Nshot Creative Cocktail and venue images: Christian Michael Photography
It's the trend that's spreading the fun of surfing beyond the beach, and it has finally hit Sydney: man-made surf parks in general, and the Harbour City's first Urbnsurf specifically. From Monday, May 13, surf's now up at Sydney Olympic Park. Who said that you could only ride waves on the coast? Originally greenlit back in 2017, construction on Urbnsurf Sydney took its time; however, the facility has been targeting opening before winter 2024 since last year. Back in April, the Urbnsurf crew confirmed the Sydney site's exact launch date, and that it had begun pumping out waves — and the time to welcome surfers of all skill levels into the lagoon is now here. The brand's second location in Australia, after opening in Melbourne in 2020, the $75-million development isn't small. How much space do you need to give Sydney its first Urbnsurf complete with perfect waves year-round, plus impressive food and beverage offerings? And to be able to accommodate up to 1000 people a day? A whopping 3.6-hectares. The diamond-shaped lagoon pool with waves up to two metres in height — and capable of churning out waves every eight seconds, with surfers set to catch between ten and 12 waves per hour — also isn't petite, coming in at around the same size as the Sydney Cricket Ground. "Finally seeing the gates open and the wave machine pumping is a feeling like no other," said Urbansurf CEO Damon Tudor. "Just like Melbourne, Urbansurf Sydney offers the perfect surfing conditions that cater for high-performance athletes and advanced surfers through to people trying surfing for the first time. We're extremely proud to be celebrating this achievement and we are stoked to see our customers ripping it up in the lagoon." "Urbansurf is much more than a surf park and one of the benefits born out of Melbourne is the strong sense of community guests feel when walking through the doors, creating a sense of culture is deep rooted in our core values — and we're excited to start to build our Sydney community," continued Tudor. Urbansurf Sydney offers a range of sessions catering to all types of surfers, whether you're just learning, are returning to the sport or consider yourself an expert. Also, thanks to LED lighting illuminating the man-made waves after dark, visitors have the option of an evening swim. When surfers are done riding waves, Urbnsurf Sydney also features a wellness studio, skate park, Rip Curl store and a surf academy for those looking to take their skills to the next level. Just keen to swim, not surf? There's a pool for that as well. Plus, Sydney hospitality group Applejack is in charge of the culinary offerings at the park, as announced in 2023. Applejack owns and operates venues across Sydney such as Forrester's, The Butler, RAFI and Bopp & Tone. The team is bringing the same produce- and service-driven approach found at its other venues to surfside eatery Sandy's, which launched with the park — and RAFI Urbnsurf, which is on the way, opening this winter. Applejack joins the Urbnsurf family alongside farm-to-table favourites Three Blue Ducks, who provide the food and drink offerings down in Melbourne. Find Urbnsurf Sydney at Sydney Olympic Park — open from 6am–10pm daily.
Maybe you're desperate to hit up a Super Nintendo theme park. Perhaps you've always wanted to walk across Shibuya's famous scramble crossing. Or, you might just want to sing karaoke in a ferris wheel. Whichever applies — and if you'd prefer to scope out the Studio Ghibli museum, wander through a kaleidoscopic maze of digital art, or hit up all the izakaya or ramen joints possible, too — travellers from Australia and New Zealand now can on a trip to Japan. Before the pandemic, Japan had cemented itself as a favourite holiday destination for tourists from Down Under, but making the journey has been impossible for the past few years due to both local and Japanese border restrictions. Then, back in May, the Japanese government started trialling letting strictly controlled package tours — including with Aussies — into the country. Now, from Friday, June 10, it has broadened its entry rules and reopened to visitors from a heap of nations, albeit still with strict requirements in place. So, if a Tokyo trip has been at the top of your post-restrictions bucket list, that's now a possibility. The huge caveat: you can only head to Japan as part of controlled package tours. That means that travellers from Australia and NZ will need to be visiting with organised tours in conjunction with travel agencies, and must be chaperoned during their whole stay. Visitors also need to test negative to COVID-19 before leaving for Japan, wear masks everywhere — including outdoors — and have private medical insurance to cover your trip. And, physical distancing, sanitising and washing your hands frequently, and minimising time in shared dining areas is also required. The changed rules place Australia and New Zealand into the 'blue' band of countries under Japan's new border entry system, alongside 50-plus other nations. That's the highest tier, above yellow (which has vaccination and testing requirements) and red (which has even tighter vaccination and testing rules). In total, folks from 98 countries can now head to Japan — but there's also an entry cap of 20,000 people per day. Japan has reopened for package tours from 98 countries from Friday, June 10. For further details about visiting Japan and its border restrictions, head to the Government of Japan website.
You asked — and Cadbury has gone and delivered. The confectionary giant has responded to hordes of over-eager fans and brought one of its most beloved creations back onto Aussie shelves: the humble but widely worshipped Caramilk. Cadbury has confirmed that its former fan favourite, with its golden-hued concoction of caramel and white chocolate, will indeed be making a comeback, returning to local supermarkets across the country from tomorrow, Wednesday, October 2. And, if you fancy being one of the first to get your mitts on the relaunched Caramilk, you can even nab a freebie this Wednesday, October 2. Cadbury will be handing out 1000 free Caramilk blocks at Town Hall and Central stations from 7am. Understandably, there are plenty of sweet-toothed Aussies who are salivating at the prospect — not least of all, those in the Facebook groups dedicated to requesting its return — and the blocks are expected to move quickly. The first 500 sold on eBay last week in just 28 minutes, so you better get to Woolies early tomorrow. They'll be available to buy for $4.80.
On the long list of streaming services on offer to Australian viewers, DocPlay has carved out a pivotal niche: showcasing the best factual filmmaking both locally and globally. It's where you can watch 2025 Oscar-winner No Other Land — and 2024 and 2023's equivalents, 20 Days in Mariupol and Navalny — then catch the remastered version of Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense, plus not one but two recent films about Blur. It's also where you can enjoy a range of docos about Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander culture without paying a cent during NAIDOC Week 2025. Between Sunday, July 6–Sunday, July 13, DocPlay is making 11 films available to stream to everyone, no subscription required, to mark Australia's annual week to celebrate First Nations history, culture and achievements. Some of the documentaries in the platform's free collection step into the world of sport. Others contemplate art, battles to protect Country and the education system. Canberra's Aboriginal Tent Embassy and efforts to gather support for the Australian Indigenous Voice referendum are also covered. The Adam Goodes-focused The Australian Dream is one title that audiences will be able to watch for free — and, as it examines the hurtful treatment directed the former AFL player's way at the height of the champion's career, it makes for powerful and essential viewing. Still in the realm of Aussie Rules, Like My Brother charts the efforts of young women from the Tiwi Islands as they attempt to chase their dreams in the AFLW. In You Can Go Now, Richard Bell is in the spotlight, exploring both his art and his activism. With their jumps back to 1972, Ningla-A'na and Still We Rise each also follow the latter thread. Voice heads to Cairns in the lead up to 2023's referendum, while Incarceration Nation examines the impact of the judicial and prison system upon Indigenous Australians. With The Dark Emu Story, Bruce Pascoe's book of the same name is in the spotlight. Via In My Blood It Runs, so is First Nations childhood in Australia via a ten-year-old boy's experiences. And in Connection to Country, the fight to protect sacred sites in the Burrup Peninsula is front and centre. Rounding out the collection is Winhanganha, which was commissioned by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, and sees Wiradjuri artist Jazz Money examine archives through a First Nations lens. Check out the trailers for the films in DocPlay's 2025 NAIDOC Week collection above and below: DocPlay's NAIDOC Week 2025 collection streams for free — no subscription required — from Sunday, July 6–Sunday, July 13. Head to the streaming service's website to watch.
Owned by award-winning hospo veteran Jules Bouillon (NOLA, Love Fish and Mr. Wong), the 50-seat Pistou draws inspiration from France and the Mediterranean. The all-day Newtown eatery takes the deli counter concept and adds in a dine-in aspect, with a large share table at the centre of the space. But, the best seats in the house look out through the floor-to-ceiling front window and onto bustling King Street. In the kitchen, former Glorietta head chef Katie Morris is serving up a weekly changing selection of seasonal share plates, cheese and charcuterie. Expect the likes of olive fougasse with smoked tomato butter ($11), pickled octopus with pistou (a Provençal pesto-like sauce made from garlic, basil and olive oil) and borlotti beans ($25), salmon gravlax with cured cucumber ($23) and burrata with anchovies and vine leaves ($20). Then there's the huge selection of cheese and charcuterie, currently spanning 12 of each. You can settle in with 18-month-old jamón ($15) and wagyu bresaola ($17), enjoy a plate of burrata ($10) and decadent Cremeux de Bourgogne ($16) or skip the decision making and go for a cheese ($28/53) or charcuterie ($28/53) plate. [caption id="attachment_801722" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] On the drinks side of things, Tilly Sawrey (Buffalo Dining Club) has created a succinct wine list that focuses on minimal-intervention wines and includes a mix of Australian and international labels. Elsewhere behind the bar, an ever-rotating list of just three cocktails — an offering that changes almost daily — features options like the Short and Strong (gin, peach liqueur and bitters), the Tall and Refreshing (a choice of spirit with freshly squeezed juice) and a St Germain spritz. Designed by Amy McLeod (The Paddington, The Newport), the fit-out feels homey, with lots of timber and earthen tones, plenty of plants and wine bottles and jars lining the walls. Whether you stop by for takeaway, wine and nibbles or weekend brunch, it's walk-in only for small groups and bookings for groups of six and more — so round up some friends or be prepared for a wait. Images: Cassandra Hannagan
Darlinghurst has scored a new Japanese fusion restaurant and bar with Moku. The sleek new venue joins the likes of Besuto and Bay Nine Omakase in Sydney's ongoing movement in omakase-style dining. Moku also boasts the city's first-ever bottomless highball brunch offering. The stellar team behind the latest addition to Darlinghurst's dining scene includes Head Chef Ha Chuen Wai (formerly Sushi E & Sokyo) overseeing the pass, while celebrated mixologist Charles Chang is guiding the drinks program, creating artisan cocktails for guests. Head to Crown Street and you'll easily find the two-storey restaurant — two bright red flags with 'Moku' written across them indicate you've arrived at the entrance. Inside, you'll be greeted by textured brick walls and an intimate dining atmosphere. The name comes from the Japanese word for 'wood', and it lives up to the promise with a fit-out largely consisting of appealing timber furniture, exposed beams and earthy tones. There is also a bar on each level so that you can enjoy the team's creative cocktails from every space. When it comes to the food, Moku heroes Japanese classics and flavours combined with native ingredients for a modern Australian twist. If you're in for lunch, the chirashi lunch offering stars unagi kabayaki — eel, kinshi tamago and jellyfish salad accompanied by finger lime and sencha dashi, the kaisen chirash — a combination of fresh seafood including Mt Cook salmon, yellowfin tuna, scallop and ikura, and wagyu beef carpaccio. For dinner service, small plates feature Sydney rock oysters, corn tempura and prawn katsu sandos. Opt for the larger plates and you'll find buckwheat okonomiyaki (a savoury Japanese pancake), hoijcha-smoked duck breast and octopus paired with chilli miso, wakame vinaigrette and witlof. While the dessert course melds Italian classics with Japanese influences, such as a matcha tiramisu. Looking to try a bit of everything? Or perhaps indecisiveness plagues you. Whatever the case, the banquet menu could present an ideal solution. For $75 per person, you can enjoy the best Moku has to offer, from the chicken and saltbush tsukune and the eggplant and miso dengaku, through to the dessert of the day. Moku's omakase experience is only available on Wednesday and Thursday nights, so you'll want to book in advance. When it comes to the drinks program, the menu is inspired by the different regions of Japan and ranges from the best Japanese whisky, bespoke highballs and a brand-new line of sake. For those with a particular yen for the highball, Moku's bottomless highball brunch is available on Saturdays where you'll enjoy 90 minutes of exciting chef-selected bites to share and free-flowing highballs for $95 per person. Moku's dinner service is 5:30pm-11pm Tuesday to Saturday, and the lunch offering from 12pm to 3pm on Fridays and Saturdays. You'll find the venue at 163 Crown St, Darlinghurst, and you can book your reservation at Moku's booking page or simply walk in.
As a tourist, it's easy to get swept away by Sydney's inner-city galleries, restaurants, and bars. But just 25 kilometres south of the capital lies the Sutherland Shire — a destination known for its lush nature — including stretches of beaches (and Sydney's only beach directly accessible by train, Cronulla), as well as the Royal National Park. To learn more about the Sutherland Shire, we spoke with local restaurateur and owner of Hazel Kitchen and Bar, James Lancaster. Located within the Hazelhurst Arts Centre in Gymea (a historic cottage that transformed into an arts haven), Hazel Kitchen and Bar is a cafe-restaurant and events space showcasing the best in local produce and Sutherland Shire dining. We asked James for the best-kept secrets in the local area for you to save next time you find yourself south of the city. CP: What do you love the most about the Sutherland Shire? James: Natural beauty, beaches, forests, waterfalls, and an abundance of incredibly talented people in our community: artists, chefs, musicians, and actors. The Shire really has something for everyone to enjoy. [caption id="attachment_1078693" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Peter Harrison[/caption] CP: Why should someone make a trip to the area? James: The coast has some incredible beaches, whether you enjoy calm water swimming at Gunnamatta Bay, Boat Harbour aquatic reserve, Wattamolla Beach, or Jibbon Beach. There are so many waterfalls, wonderful swimming holes, and bushwalks for all fitness levels, making it [somewhere] everyone should explore. There's a great food scene, from casual cafes to wonderful restaurants. The nightlife is vibrant with cool bars, a funky live music scene, and an incredible depth of talent across music, theatre, and visual arts. CP: If you only had one day in the Sutherland Shire, where would you go? James: I'd start with a swim at North Cronulla, followed by breakfast up the road at Rushi. Then I'd head up to Hazelhurst Gallery to check out an exhibition, before a delicious lunch at Hazel Kitchen and Bar. Next, I'd head to the Royal National Park for an afternoon walk and a freshwater swim at Olympic Pool, just past Karloo Pools. I'd pop into Audley Dance Hall Cafe on the way to grab a great coffee and takeaway for afternoon snacks. After sunset (and listening to birds in the forest), I'd head out to Brass Monkey to listen to some live music and have a few cocktails. CP: What do you think is the Shire's best-kept secret? James: The Royal National Park. Though large and commonly known, there are many secret waterholes, trails and endless adventure. For food, my favorite secret spot is tucked down the side of the Coptic Church in Kirrawee and is almost impossible to find. In Paradise is a gem for real Napoletana style wood-fired pizza. Super thin, great ingredients, charred crust, and, if you like chilli, ask Alfonso for his harrissa sauce… it's delicious. CP: Hazel Kitchen and Bar sits within the Hazelhurst Arts Centre. What's it like having a cafe and restaurant in a location with such rich Australian art history? James: The art and artists have really taught us to be more free and flexible in what we do. The inspiration from watching the art change around us all the time is liberating. The community that participates in the Arts Centre, the studios, the exhibitions, and the wonderful gardens brings us joy. We are very blessed to a view of art on one side, a beautiful garden on the other and a kitchen making delicious food in the centre — perfect combinations really. CP: Talk to us about Hazel Kitchen and Bar: what's your top menu recommendation? James: For breaky, I love the breakfast roll with its streaky bacon. For lunch, I often eat the green goddess salad, or if I'm in more of a dining mood, I'll have a grass-fed Scotch fillet and spice-roasted cauliflower with one of our sommeliers' wines from around the world. That lunch can morph into dinner and a few cheeky cocktails. CP: What's Hazel's philosophy? James: Being a public space, we really wanted a comfortable restaurant, a place you can relax and ponder the art you've just experienced over a coffee, scones and jam, or with a martini if you've really been thought-provoked and need to deep dive. We've curated a space for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and those moments in between. The peaceful gardens and the running creek provide the perfect backdrop to the ever-changing art inside the gallery and on your palette. CP: What does the Sutherland Shire do differently from Sydney City? James: So much diversity is accessible in a relatively small area. All your senses can be ignited in a few hours, and there's always more to explore and experience. It's adventures for all your senses. Images: Supplied.
Made famous by Emma Thompson and Kenneth Brannagh back in their heyday, Much Ado About Nothing is arguably, (well if you argue with me), Shakespeare's greatest comedy. It has everything a good comedy should — love, sex, evil plots, mistaken identity and two weddings. For those unfamiliar with the tale, Beatrice and Benedick are the precursors to every rom-com couple you've ever seen. They are the classic couple: hating each other at the beginning of the play, partaking in the most witty verbal abuse, and then by the end realising they are of course, desperately in love. And that's not all of it. There's also a plot to stop the young Claudio marrying the rich Hero, a faked death, a collection of hilariously stupid security guards, and a masked party to make up the rest of the story. Starring the up-and-coming young darlings of the Sydney theatre scene, Toby Schmitz and Blazey Best, not to mention the ever amazing Max Gilies, Bell Shakespeare's production of Much Ado About Nothing should really have its fair share of ado about it, promising to be an exuberant and entertaining performance.
It has been twenty years since James Cameron, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet recreated one of the deadliest ship disasters in modern history — you know the one. Titanic also launched a lifetime of folks standing at the bow of boats and exclaiming "I'm the king of the world", and made the world endure a Celine Dion song that, as the lyrics promised, would go on. As well as snag a huge bag of Oscars and big, big bucks at the box office, the film did something else: reignite public fascination with the 1912 sinking. If you've ever watched and wondered what it'd be like to see the real thing, then wonder no more. You'd just better have a cool $137,000 sitting in your bank account. Commencing in 2018, travel company Blue Marble Private will be taking nine fascinated seafarers down to the famous ship on an eight-day journey. Departing from the coast of Newfoundland in Canada, they'll dive four kilometres down into the North Atlantic Ocean in a titanium and carbon fibre submersible — accompanied by experts, of course — to cruise around the passenger liner's deck, glide over its grand staircase and wander through the vessel that went down on its maiden voyage, taking more than 1500 people with it. The hefty price tag is supposed to reflect the cost of a first class ticket on the RMS Titanic 105 years ago, although it's hardly surprising that plunging deep into both the ocean's depths and a historical wreck costs a massive stack of cash and then some. This isn't the first time tours have been offered — indeed, presumably using some of the loot his romantic drama pulled in, James Cameron has made the journey three times — but it's still estimated that only 140 people have seen the site in person since it was first discovered in 1984. Via: The Australian. Image: OceanGate.
Thanks to Taronga Zoo, you can already spend your days staring at capybaras, seals, meerkats, otters, sumatran tigers, lions and elephants, all without leaving your home. With Sydney back in lockdown, the famed venue has relaunched its online TV channel, where it livestreams its adorable critters all day and all night. All those animals are all well and good. They're great, and they're very easy to spend too much time staring at, actually. But if you'd like to scope out some penguins as well, now you can. Yes, penguin cam is now part of Taronga's live-stream lineup, with its 45 little penguins and four Fiordland penguins being caught on camera 24/7. Melbourne's zoos have been live-streaming their penguins during the pandemic also, so this isn't the first time you've been able to gawk at black-and-white creatures while they go about their business — but when it comes to watching animals, the more the merrier, obviously. There's your background viewing sorted. Popping the stream on in the background while you work from home suits these kinds of feeds, in fact, because sometimes the critters in the spotlight aren't in view. The online television station was established by Taronga Zoo Sydney and Taronga Western Plains Zoo Dubbo in 2020, and it is back now for obvious reasons. Taronga is also releasing regular videos across its Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channels, and making keeper talks and other clips available online as well. Or, you could always take a peak at its new Southern hairy-nosed wombat joey via our own website. It's just as adorable as you'd expect, naturally. To check out Taronga TV, head to the channel's website — or keep an eye on its videos on its Facebook, Instagram and YouTube pages. Top image: Rick Stevens
I've always thought of Utah as just another landlocked American state — a puzzling enigma of deep conservatism and desert monuments. Little did I know that a recent visit to America's most underrated state would unearth a skiing and mountain community steeped in beauty, history and epicurean experiences that wouldn't feel out of place in Australia. You'll find Park City — the ski town you've probably never heard of — a short 45-minute drive from Utah's capital. After leaving Salt Lake City International Airport, it's not long before the lights of the city's historic Main Street (as well as the headlights from the army of snowcat groomers on the hill) emerge on the horizon, as if glints of silver have been etched from the bowels of a mine shaft. [caption id="attachment_893649" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Park City, Utah.[/caption] In fact, it was rare minerals like silver which first had people rushing to these mountains in the 1860s in the first place. At one point, there were more than 300 mines in the Park City area. But the industry's collapse catalysed its rebirth as a skiing and tourism destination, and thus was born the allure of some of the greatest snow on Earth. In fact, the phrase: 'The Greatest Snow on Earth' was officially registered by the state in 1975. But geography and science help lay a solid claim to back this up. Giddy up, because this is America's most remarkable ski town. [caption id="attachment_893650" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Salt Lake City, Utah.[/caption] What makes it the Greatest Snow on Earth? Utah's geography to the mountains in the west makes it an arid state compared to its northern neighbours. The typically dry conditions, cool winters, and high altitudes (Park City's altitude is over 2,000 metres) allow the snow crystals that fall in the region to be thicker and more symmetrical in their structure; therefore, they accumulate fluffier powder. [caption id="attachment_893663" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Park City, Utah.[/caption] What's it like skiing at Park City Mountain? It's brisk at the top of the Super Condor Express chair lift (a balmy minus 24 degrees celsius), and while my face is frozen, I can't help but smile. "That was awesome. Do we go again?" I ask our guide Halle from Park City Mountain Resort. "Absolutely!" she replies, and within a few seconds, we're hurtling down Upper and Lower Boa for a second time. I'm not cold anymore because my legs are burning from another three-kilometre, nine-minute journey and nearly 550 metres of vertical descent. [caption id="attachment_893648" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Deer Valley Resort, Park City, Utah.[/caption] The terrain at Park City Mountain Resort is enormous. Technically made up of two individual ski areas of, Park City Mountain and Canyons Mountain, which were merged by Vail Resorts in 2014 and subsequently were joined by a gondola in 2015. With almost 3,000 hectares of terrain, there are 43 lifts, six terrain parks, and ski-in-ski-out access to Main Street. There are 330 named trails, but chatting to Halle (once a former Ski Patroller), that number is closer to 800 if you're in the know. There is a required proximity between 'resort' and 'town' when it comes to North American ski destinations. And that distance is what defines the culture of the town itself. Park City manages the balance of both on and off mountain activities better than anyone. Whether you ski down to Mountain Village for brunch and espresso at The Bridge Cafe or, carve your way right to the bar at High West Saloon, the only ski-in-ski-out distillery in the U.S. [caption id="attachment_893639" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Deer Valley Resort, Park City, Utah.[/caption] Where you also sleep matters. The new YOTELPAD Park City in Canyons Village is as Instagram-able, a hotel as they come. The reception and common spaces are filled with neon, and as the newest mid-range option on the mountain, it comes with all the expected mod-cons: spa, sauna, games room, and heated outdoor patio for afternoon Apres-ski. But the most significant novelty is the retractable Murphy beds in each room, which are a welcome addition on a luggage-heavy ski holiday. [caption id="attachment_893647" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Salt Lake City, Utah.[/caption] What about Deer Valley, Park City's quieter cousin? Like an expensive, out-of-reach necklace dangling just over a ridge is where you'll find the exclusive Deer Valley Resort (still technically within Park City.) It's one of only three resorts in the United States that does not permit snowboarders, often considered the riff-raff of the snow sports world. Both old money and the nouveau riche choose Deer Valley over Park City Mountain, not just because the skiing is quieter (lift ticket sales are regularly capped) but because the on and off-mountain service is exceptional. Skiers at Deer Valley are referred to as "guests" and not "customers", plus there's complimentary overnight ski valet for your gear. [caption id="attachment_893640" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Deer Valley Resort, Park City, Utah.[/caption] The Resort also offers a complimentary service with 25 luxury Cadillac Escalades. Don't be fooled; this is well and truly earned in your $500 daily lift pass. As a snowboarder, I'm used to being looked down upon by skiers at most other U.S. mountains. But here, I have no choice but to don a pair of skis for the first time in 20 years and set off with Uros, my Slovenian personal guide, for the next 48 hours. We ski together for hours through untracked Aspen tree runs. We wait only minutes in lineless lifts while ogling together from above at his favourite gated community. He points out to me the house where he was invited to a dinner with Steve Jobs and Al Gore after a day on the slopes. [caption id="attachment_893662" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Park City, Utah.[/caption] On the deck at the prestigious Stein Eriksen Lodge, the final pieces of the Deer Valley puzzle are assembled once inside their temperature-controlled Alpen Globes. It's only 3 pm, but in the fading afternoon sun, Après-ski well and truly has begun, and I'm handed a wine list by the Lodge's Sommelier with a cost price of over $4,000,000. Pioneers, distillers, hunters, snowboarders, paddlers, and mountain bikers. Like their world-class ski resorts, Utahns are in a class of their own. They're genuine outdoor people who personify a bygone and future America, and I'm happy to confirm them as the rightful custodians of the Greatest Snow on Earth®. Images: Jeremy Drake, Park City Chamber/Convention & Visitors Bureau & Deer Valley Resort. 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.
In modern marketing, you often hear the sentiment that everyone is a content creator now. And few spaces reflect that idea more than tourism and hospitality when it comes to generating social buzz. But if we're being honest, some creators know their way around content better than others. If you'd like to level up your skills to a professional level, the new ALL Accor Creator Academy is opening the door to the next generation of travel storytellers. Now launched in Australia, the program gives budding travel creators incredible access to one of the world's leading hospitality groups. A series of eight modules instils the skills needed to produce content that meets both audience expectations and brand standards, covering substantial ground while offering graduates direct access to Accor's global network of hotels, brands and experiences. Delivered over three to five weeks, these bite-sized, mobile-first modules help you get up to speed quickly on what it takes to build a successful career. After completing the entire course, you'll have learned all about storytelling, filming techniques, brand collaboration and the fundamentals of travel content creation. And with professional creators leading the modules, the information shared is real, practical and full of insight. "Creators are playing an increasingly important role in how people discover and experience travel. As brands automate more content, the value of authentic human storytelling is only increasing, and we're thrilled to be the first hotel group to invest in a trained creator pipeline with our industry-first initiative," says Jessica Baider, Influencer and Content Manager for Accor MEA APAC. View this post on Instagram Of course, when many people think of creators, followers are what come to mind first. However, the ALL Accor Creator Academy is doing things differently. Teaching participants how to develop their creative voice, respond to briefs and produce professional content, graduates join an invite-only network of recognised content creators within Accor. That means accessing a global network of future stays, campaigns and creative opportunities with Accor and its brand partners. Best of all, the ALL Accor Creator Academy is free to join and open to emerging creators, plus those who wouldn't typically see themselves as part of the influencer space. Featuring lessons from leading guest mentors and expert travel content creators, including James and Alex from Twosome Travellers, Lola Hubner and Lee Besser, you'll soon understand exactly what it takes to capture content and share travel experiences to the highest standards. The ALL Accor Creator Academy is now accepting applications for its first student intake until Sunday, May 17. Head to the website for more information. Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox. Images: Supplied.
UK singer-songwriter Olivia Dean will make her ARIA Awards debut in Sydney this November, performing live just one day before a special headline show. ARIA confirmed the news today, announcing that Dean will take the stage at the Hordern Pavilion on Wednesday, November 19. The London-born artist will stick around for a one-off Sydney gig the following evening, before returning in 2026 for a full arena tour. "I love Australia and I'm so excited to perform at the 2025 ARIA Awards," Dean said in a statement. "This will be my first time at the awards ceremony, it's going to be lots of fun!" The announcement follows the release of Dean's sophomore album The Art of Loving, which dropped last week and is already climbing the ARIA charts. Its third single, 'Man I Need,' is sitting at #2 on the Singles chart and is tipped to go Platinum within a fortnight. This year's ARIA Awards are shaping up to be a big one, with Ninajirachi, Dom Dolla and RÜFÜS DU SOL among the top nominees. The ceremony will stream live on Paramount+ and air on Channel 10. Check out the full list of ARIA Award nominees. Images: Getty
