Call it cinema, the movies, the pictures, the big screen, the silver screen, a glorious excuse to sit in a darkened room without your phone for at least 90 minutes: whichever you prefer, the experience it refers to is usually the same. You hit up your favourite/most convenient theatre, get comfortable in your chosen chair, maybe munch on popcorn or a choc top, and stare at the giant rectangle in front of you as the magic happens. Sometimes the shape that glistens with films is bigger than normal, but there's always just one of them — until now. Meet ScreenX, Australia's first-ever surround-screen viewing experience, which'll use three screens within one movie theatre. Meet the new trend that is multi-projection, too, which is debuting Down Under thanks to Event Cinemas. In the chain's ScreenX's auditoriums, there'll be a trio of screens: one right there at the front where it usually is, plus one over the left wall and another across the right wall. Three walls, three screens, a 270-degree field of view: that's the maths. ScreenX will premiere on the Gold Coast, launching at Event Cinemas Robina on Thursday, August 17; however, that's just the beginning of the rollout. Event Cinemas plans to take the concept nationwide, including hitting Sydney by the time that 2023 is out. The exact details of which other sites will be scoring the ScreenX experience, and when, haven't yet been revealed — but only peering forwards is about to become outdated. If your first question is "how big will this three-screen setup get as it envelops everything that I can see, including my peripheral vision?", the answer is up to 67.7 metres in width. The surround-screen format will be paired with surround sound, of course, to truly immerse two of your senses. And while you watch, you'll be in recliners to get as comfortable as possible. If your burning query is "which films can I see?" — aka which flicks will make you feel like you've walked right into them — the response there is: big blockbusters and epic spectacles. Among the upcoming slate of releases, Dune: Part Two, The Marvels and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom are all getting the ScreenX treatment at Robina. The cinema is also looking backwards, too — not literally, just into past hits — with Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. (Cross your fingers that Barbie and Oppenheimer also get the nod down the line.) "At Event Cinemas, we are dedicated to bringing the best range of cinema experiences to Australian audiences. ScreenX is popular globally and we can't wait for our local audiences to experience it. Our next stop will be Sydney," said Luke Mackey, Director of Entertainment Australia for EVT (which owns Event Cinemas), announcing ScreenX. "We are thrilled to strengthen our partnership with Event Cinemas by premiering Australia's first ScreenX experience," added Don Savant, ScreenX's Chief Business Officer. "Our talented team of ScreenX visual effects artists work closely with the Hollywood studios and top talent to truly differentiate movie going. ScreenX provides an unparalleled experience in a completely unique format to watch the biggest blockbuster films." If there are three giant screens showing each movie in every ScreenX auditorium, patrons will have no excuse not to put their own tiny screen — aka their phone — away while the film plays. Event Cinemas' new ScreenX experience launches at Event Cinemas Robina on Thursday, August 17, with a national rollout to follow — including in Sydney later in 2023. Head to the chain's website for further details.
When winter hits — and you know when it really hits — pressing command+A and delete on all your iCal entries seems like a rational thing to do. But hold your horses, cold one — there are a few festivals happening that you won't want to miss out on. In recent years, Australia has developed quite the winter events calendar. With Vivid's lights hitting every visible surface in Sydney, Melbourne's White Night moving to August for the first time, and hedonistic shenanigans happening down in Hobart for Dark Mofo, there is plenty to inspire a break from hibernation. So pull your calendar back up and block out a weekend to have a winter adventure out of town or interstate.
Connected to the stars in more ways than one, the Aster rooftop bar at the InterContinental Sydney is gearing up to host a series of cuisine-meets-zodiac sessions throughout August. Led by Byron Bay-based astrologer Grace Tebble, Astrology Hour is the place to be for those seeking a guided journey through the cosmos, plus a few tasty sips and bites along the way. Held every Thursday evening in August on the hotel's 32nd floor, Astrology Hour is centred around the four elements — air, water, fire and earth. Featuring themed cocktails, paired small plates and personalised readings from Tebble, these playful sessions include one-on-one birth chart interpretations and otherworldly readings inspired by the mystical. As for the menu, your journey includes a glass of fizz on arrival, alongside two elemental cocktails (or glasses of wine), including options like Air, a light and floral gin-forward concoction heightened with pine, jasmine and rose. Meanwhile, the snack pairings include Fire, a chargrilled angus beef yakitori served with kimchi mayo and crispy onion. "Astrology hour is an opportunity to become more in tune with your connection to the cosmos," says Tebble. "It's about unlocking a new level of self-awareness in a really fun and creative setting. We've curated each drink and dish to reflect the energy of the four elements so that people can experience their star sign via the senses." Images: Steven Woodburn.
Wiseman's Ferry is a teeny, tiny village perched on the banks of the mighty Hawkesbury River, surrounded by national park and with a population of just 220. The settlement gets its name from one Solomon Wiseman, an ex-convict who, in 1827, organised the first river crossing by ferry. And his service still runs today. A weekend at Wiseman's usually involves hours lolling by, on and in the river; pretty walks through nearby Dharug and Yengo National Parks; a beer or two at Wiseman's Inn and perusing paintings by local artists. On top of that, the annual Return To Rio rolls into town in November for three days to add even more reason to make your way to the idyllic village. This year, Carl Cox and Eric Powell will be powering through their Mobile Disco, a twelve-hour marathon of funk, soul, disco and classic house, pumped out by a live, twelve-piece band. Also in the lineup are Incognito, Lee Foss, &ME, Fabio and Grooverider, Bedouin, Neil James and loads more dance music legends. Plus, when you're not furiously making shapes, you can take a timeout at yoga classes, meditation sessions, markets and swimming holes.
Picnic season is finally upon us. Come the weekend, the eskies are pulled out, the dogs are let off the leash and picnic rugs are laid out early as the best spots are snatched up across the city. But if you want to impress your friends (and all of Instagram), you'll need more than a wheel of brie and some seed crackers. Luckily, Sydney's top suppliers and producers make it pretty easy for you to put on an elaborate picnic spread that includes everything from the must-haves (stinky cheese, fruit and fresh bread) to important add-ons (pickles, pastries and pet-nat). So, heres our round up of the tastiest snacks in Sydney that will guarantee looks of envy from your fellow picnickers. [caption id="attachment_711917" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberley Low[/caption] CHEESE FROM PENNY'S CHEESE SHOP, POTTS POINT Cheese is the oozy, creamy glue that holds a picnic together. And whatever your cheesy preferences, Penny's Cheese Shop in Potts Point is sure to have what you need, from local cheeses to hard-to-find favourite international varieties. Most of them are cut to order so you can get as much (or as little) as your picnic team requires. Penny herself, a self-professed 'curd nerd', will help you pick the best selection of cheeses for your picnic, matching the weather and your wine. While you're there, you may as well grab one of her toasties — they're golden and crisp with fillings featuring jalapeño, kimchi and smoked wagyu. Alternatives? Fomaggi Ocello, Surry Hills; The Artisan Cheese Room, Manly; Field Blend, Balmain. [caption id="attachment_739719" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Harriet Davidson[/caption] BAGUETTES FROM IGGY'S BREAD, BRONTE The foundation of any great picnic starts with the simple combo of flour and water — and no one else in Sydney does this better than Iggy's. There's always a line, but it's most definitely worth waking up early on your day off nab a loaf. The crisp crust and sticky sourdough centre is the perfect device for transporting oozy slabs of the aforementioned cheese or mopping up any saucy remains on your plate. For a big crowd you can't go past the super long baguettes. If you're feeling a little extra, pop into the neighbouring croissant store and pick up a mixed selection of chocolate, plain and feta croissants coming out of the oven. Alternatives? Bourke Street Bakery, various locations; Infinity Bakery, Paddington, Manly, Darlinghurst; Wholegreen Bakery, Waverley (for gluten-free bread). [caption id="attachment_739710" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Harriet Davidson[/caption] FRESH FRUIT FROM KINGS CROSS ORGANIC MARKET, POTTS POINT A picnic isn't complete without a splash of seasonal produce — fresh cherry tomatoes and ripe strawberries won't just look good, but they'll add freshness to your spread, too. The Saturday morning Kings Cross Organic Markets are consistently impressive, with producers coming from Sydneys outer edges and the Blue Mountains. As you never know what will be there week to week, you're better going with no plan and making your snack decisions based on what's available. For a picnic spread we'd go for some easy dippers like tomatoes and carrots, and for something sweet grab yourself a bag of strawberries, lychees or a citrus mix. In addition to the mega selection of fresh produce, organic honey, fresh flowers and loads of nuts and seeds are for sale, too. Alternatives? Carriageworks Farmers Market, Darlington (Saturdays); Ramsgate Foodies and Farmers Market, Ramsgate (Saturdays); Parramatta Farmers Market, Parramatta (Fridays). [caption id="attachment_696538" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kitti Gould[/caption] CHARCUTERIE FROM CONTINENTAL DELI, NEWTOWN Any picnic worth its weight in truffle-infused salt requires an array of cold cuts spread out on a roughly hewn wooden board. Continental Deli in Nwetown is a one-stop shop for all your cured meat and tinned seafood needs. The curated selection of local and internationally sourced cold cuts are some of the best you'll find in the city — and don't forget to peruse the long list of canned fish, including nardin smoked anchovies and the cambados octopus while you're at it. We'd recommend getting yourself some sliced jamón ibérico, wagyu bresaola and definitely some mortadella — add some cheese and bread to create possibly one of the best picnic sandwiches you've ever had. Alternatives? Victor Churchill, Woollahra; Pino's Dolce Vita, Kogarah; Fomaggi Ocello, Surry Hills. NATURAL WINE FROM DRNKS, WATERLOO If you're a lover of natural wine — or you're just curious about the stuff — then go checkout Drnks for all your sunny day picnic juice. The online purveyor of natural wines opened its first brick and mortar store within the George Hotel in Waterloo earlier this year. It's one of Sydneys go-to destinations for all your funky beverage needs including a healthy range of wine, beer and cider. You won't find much of this stock in in your conventional bottle-o — so this isn't the place to get your $12 bottle of chardonnay. Most bottles sit between $25–40, though, so get your mates to chip in and you'll be cracking them open in the sun in no time. Alternatives? P&V Wine & Liquor, Newtown; Winona Wine, Manly; The Oak Barrel, Surry Hills. [caption id="attachment_733295" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kitti Gould[/caption] PASTRIES AND CAKES FROM CHERRY MOON, ANNANDALE Cherry Moon is the inner wests new woodfired bakery, cafe and general store which will very easily whisk you away to a sweet sugar-coated heaven. The bakery selection is much more elaborate and refined than your regular bake sale, with you favourite classics tweaked with native Australian ingredients such as wattleseed and finger lime. From the crisp outer shell of their lemon myrtle buerre noisette croissant scrolls to the creamy filling of their signature wood fired Portuguese tarts this is the place to satisfy those sugary cravings. Go in the morning to get your pick of the full range — your your biggest problem will be deciding what to not get. Alternatives? Rollers Bakehouse, Manly; Flour and Stone, Wooloomooloo; Nutie, Surry Hills (for gluten-free cakes). CONDIMENTS AND PICKLES FROM CONDIMENTAL If you're one to dip, slather and pour — meet Condimental, which bundles a heap of pickles, preserves, sauces, seasonings and relishes into a box and brings it to your door. On the menu is a changing range of limited-release and seasonal items from Australian suppliers, aka the types of condiments that you won't find in any old supermarket. With a spread of fermented spicy sauce on some fresh bread, or topping a cheesy cracker with some tangy pickles this box of treats will forever be the solution to boring snacks. Seasonal boxes can be ordered on their website and delivered straight to your door — a minimal effort item thats guaranteed to bring maximum tastiness. Alternatives? Go straight to the source to get watermelon pickles from Fleetwood Macchiato, Erskineville; or Westmont Pickles from Carriageworks Farmers Markets on Saturdays. [caption id="attachment_722768" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trent van der Jagt[/caption] FALAFEL AND DIP FROM THE SULTAN'S TABLE, ENMORE The individual who rocks up to a picnic sporting a giant takeaway container of fresh dips, falafels and a slab of still-warm Turkish bread is a goddamn hero. At Sultan's Table, the dip selection situation operates in a choose-your-own-adventure fashion where you can pick up to four dips depending on the girth of your container. Flavours include parsley, jajik (garlic yogurt), carrot, chilli, beetroot, spinach, hummus and smoky baba ganoush. Alternatives? Cairo Takeaway, Enmore; Simply Hummus Bar, Darlinghurst; Erciyes, Surry Hills.
Whalebridge sits in Circular Quay the shadow of the Sydney Harbour Bridge offering up French cuisine and specialising in seafood. The venue comes from The Sydney Collective, the team behind the Watsons Bay Hotel, The Farm in Byron Bay and The Imperial. It boasts a prestigious head chef, ultra-luxurious menu and unbeatable harbour views. Open in the former Circular Quay digs of longstanding seafood restaurant Sydney Cove Oyster Bar, the harbourfront venue is headed up by Executive Chef Will Elliot who has previously worked across London's St John, Melbourne's Cumulus Inc. and fellow Sydney CBD French bistro, the beloved Restaurant Hubert. "What's exciting about Whalebridge is the opportunity to prepare and plate a menu which is entirely new to Sydney," says Elliot. "These are produce-driven dishes rooted in traditional French technique and the articulation of those flavours." On the menu, you'll find house specialities that celebrate French cooking and fresh local seafood including duck confit ($38) and lobster thermidor (market price). An array of charcuterie and an expansive selection of caviar ($80-320) are on offer to start you off, as are mains like steak or mussel frites ($45-55). There's also an entire range of canned goods reminiscent of popular Sydney eatery Continental Deli. Enhance your meal with a selection of tinned tuna belly, scallops, or white asparagus and leek barigoule to your meal ($10-38). Accompanying the dishes will be a 150-strong wine list pulling from renowned regions in both France and Australia. "I love good produce treated simply, that's why I love French cooking. It has very humble origins, but it's been refined over so many years to bring out the best in something, without masking what made it good in the first place," Elliot continues. Most striking at Whalebridge is the view, with an uninterrupted view of the Sydney Harbour Bridge from the outdoor seating that's calling out to be enjoyed with a glass of French wine and a spread of oysters, scallops and kingfish.
Two years on from the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Plate it Forward Hospitality Group's Kyiv Social hopes to unite the community through the hope and strength of the Ukrainian people and the resilience of its displaced community members around the globe. The Chippendale restaurant has unveiled Babusya's Lane — its newly designed Grafton Lane dining area — along with a new happy hour and $59 set menu in celebration of the huge progress made by its Ukrainian hospitality team over the past year. Since opening last October, Kyiv Social has donated over 20,000 meals to orphaned children in Kyiv and welcomed more than 25 newly arrived Ukrainian refugees as employees, supporting them with training and sustainable employment. In addition to the opportunities on offer at this most recent addition to its portfolio of venues, Plate it Forward Hospitality Group currently employs almost 200 people from various marginalised groups. More than 80 per cent of the hospitality groups' employees are women and Kyiv Social boasts an entirely female kitchen team. In another nod to the indispensable contribution of women to the success of Plate it Forward, Kyiv Social's new dining area will feature a mural of Zofia Curkan, the world's oldest refugee. In the centre of each of its venues, Plate it Forward displays artworks that celebrate the wisdom and love shown by resilient women throughout history. Zofia Curkan, who fled to Poland from Ukraine at the age of 104, will be featured in a 7-metre-high mural designed by street artist Sam Mcaleer. Along with the new dining area, Kyiv Social has also introduced Babu's Hour — a two hour happy hour from 5.30–7.30pm which offerfs punters $6 snacks and drinks. Be sure to order the Skinny Dip, a traditional healthy dip made from roasted zucchini made to a recipe from Kyiv Social chef Viktoria's own Babusya – the traditional term for a grandmother in Ukrainian. You can look forward to happy hour drinks including beers from Sydney's own Young Henrys and the new Kyiv Compote, a Ukrainian summer cocktail made for five and served punch bowl-style as an homage to Ukrain's community spirit. Babusya Lane will also offer a new set menu, offering visitors the chance to support Plate it Forward's invaluable community service work. The $59 six-course set menu includes authentic Ukrainian dishes such as handmade dumplings and a Ukrainian honey cake. For every meal sold, Plate it Forward will provide someone with food insecurity from Sydney a healthy and nutritious meal and help supply food to over 50 orphanages in Ukraine. To date, Kyiv Social has provided over 20,000 meals to children who have lost their parents in the war. Find Kyiv Social at 202 Broadway, Chippendale. For more details, visit the Kyiv Social website. Images: Kitti Gould
A brand new food festival is coming to Sydney's west. Liverpool on a Roll showcases the community's multicultural vibes with a night of tunes, entertainment and a whole lot of food. It'll all happen in West Hoxton's Greenway Park on Saturday, March 30 from 5–10pm. The food truck lineup features heaps of international cuisines, with all dishes capped at $12. Expect Indonesian-inspired soft shell crab and pork belly kimchi baos from Bellbird Dining & Bar, steak subs and deep-fried Oreos from Cross Roads Hotel, Vietnamese street food from Bun Me Baguette, meatball sliders from Mac Street Diner, and pork belly eggs benedict from Black Elk Espresso. For dessert there's fairy floss burritos, Thai-style ice cream rolls, doughnut balls and deep-fried baos. For drinks, head to the pop-up beer garden, which will be slinging Pimm's cocktails and local beverages aplenty. Grab a seat by the pond as live entertainers serenade you throughout the evening, or join in on the garden games and giveaways. There'll be market stalls selling fresh seasonal produce to take home, too.
Gyuniku has been making waves in Sydney since opening in 2024, attracting table after table of hungry diners seeking its premium Japanese barbecue cuisine and unlimited self-serve sushi buffet. If that's not enough, there's also Korean street food specialties and even a DIY froyo station ripe for bottomless dessert. Yet the Haymarket rising star isn't done adding to its expansive all-you-can-eat dining offering. Now the team is ready to unveil a stellar addition — gyukatsu. Renowned as a high-class Japanese dish, beef cutlets are breaded and deep-fried to perfection, offering a tender texture with a satisfying crunch. With this prized dish not easy to find in Sydney, Gyuniku is bound to become a go-to destination for those seeking standout gyukatsu. Think top-quality wagyu sirloin dipped in crispy panko crumbs, fried to golden, then sliced for you to finish on your table's grill. Best of all, it's available as part of the buffet, so you don't even have to wait for your order. Slotting into Gyuniku's sumptuous meat offering, diners are spoilt for choice when it comes to grilling up a premium cut. Once you've filled up on gyukatsu, your tabletop stove is prime position for cooking meats hand-picked from the buffet, like wagyu brisket, oyster blade and marbled karubi. Plus, there are super fresh prawns, scallops, squid and more. Meanwhile, the restaurant's unlimited sushi buffet is a certified hit, with a massive selection of nori rolls, nigiri and delicately presented sashimi, such as kingfish, tuna and salmon. Then, if you've managed to save space for a treat, the dessert corner is stacked with frozen yoghurt flavours alongside classics like tiramisu. Centred entirely around a self-service model, just pay one price and then proceed to stuff yourself silly with Japanese cuisine and more over the next 90 minutes. Situated amid all the action in Haymarket, the chance to feast on non-stop gyukatsu is the perfect excuse to round up your pals for an all-in, all-you-can-eat session. Gyuniku is now serving gyukatsu as part of its all-you-can-eat buffet at 34/1 Dixon St, Haymarket. Head to the website for more information.
A new Paddington venture has just opened from Phil Wood, the ex-executive Chef of Rockpool for eight years and previous culinary director of Mornington Peninsula's much-loved Pt. Leo Estate. Initially announced back in May, Wood's first independent restaurant Ursula's is named after one of his family members who lived in the suburb. The bistro showcases Wood's exciting approach to dining while centring staples of modern Australian cuisine. Highlights from the menu include snapper, dressed with a Keen's Curry vinaigrette ($44) and margra lamb rump with brussels sprouts and mint sauce ($49) and fried Aphrodite halloumi ($30). The beef carpaccio is another must-try on the menu ($29). The dish, served with makrut lime and parmesan, is a tribute to a beloved menu item from Darcy's, the famed Italian restaurant that occupied the site of Ursula's for nearly 40 years. Sydney rock oysters ($6-8) and LP's smoked mortadella with crispy potato ($25) will easy you into the meal, while sweet selections like the strawberry and coconut flummery ($18) and golden syrup dumplings, served alongside a rum, raisin and malt cream ($20) light up the desserts menu. The venue looks to honour Australian dining and the storied history of the building Ursula's occupies. 92 Hargrave Street has housed several other chefs throughout its lifetime. Originally built in the late 19th century as a house and shop, in its first half-century, it was run as a pub and a grocer. D'Arcy Glover was the first restaurateur to take up residency with a Swiss eatery in 1968 before Attilio Marinangeli and Aldo Zuzza took over in 1975 with the opening of Darcy's Restaurant. The most recent restaurant to occupy the corner building was Guillaume Brahimi's flagship Sydney restaurant Guillaume. Brahimi made the dramatic move to Paddington in 2013 after running Guillaume out of the Sydney Opera House for over a decade. While the restaurant didn't last on Hargrave Street, Brahimi went on to take over fellow Paddington venue Four in the Hand and opened a Guillaume in the CBD. "It is an honour to be opening in a building with such a strong dining history that goes back over 50 years. These corner sites dotted throughout Paddington are so special and part of what makes the suburb a vibrant part of Sydney's story," Wood said when the venue was first announced. The restaurant is the work of Wood and his wife Lis Davies, and they'll soon be joined by John Laureti (Pt. Leo Estate, Rockpool) and Luke Cawsey (Saint Peter, Rockpool) in the kitchen, and restaurant manager Emily Towson (Fred's, Kepos & Co, Sixpenny). Inside the building, you'll find a classically fitted and welcoming dining space created in collaboration with Melbourne-based designer Brahman Perera. "Lis and I are absolutely thrilled to finally share our little restaurant with our neighbours and Sydney," said Wood. "We can't wait to see people enjoying long lunches in the beautiful dining room, and families and friends celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and just the joy of once again being together." Images: Nikki To
Having a drink with friends is such a simple act, but it hasn't been easy for Australians this year. During the country's periods of lockdown — including two for Victorians — clinking glasses with your mates was mostly vanquished to the realm of fantasy. So now that life is slowly returning to normal, we're betting that you're more than a little keen to gather the gang, pick up your preferred beverage and make the most of it. This year hasn't been smooth sailing for the folks who make your favourite drinks either, of course. But when you're saying cheers with your nearest and dearest, you can also say cheers to local standouts like 6Ft6, Billson's and 3 Ravens in the process. They're responsible for three of Victoria's most-loved tipples, and they have the votes to prove it as part of the BWS Local Luvvas initiative. Over the last few months, the bottle shop retailer asked Aussies to pick their top local drinks, in which the winners receive an extra helping hand with getting their products stocked in more BWS stores. That's a big show of love in a year where everyone definitely needs it — and we've chatted to the talented teams behind the scenes at 6Ft6, Billson's and 3 Ravens to hear about their journeys. THE GEELONG WINERY ON AN EX-SHEEP FARM 6Ft6 prides itself on three things: its location, its varieties, and its talented viticulture and winemaking team. They're must-haves for every winery, but this Geelong vineyard boasts a particularly intriguing story behind the first two components on that list. Not only does it sprawl across an old run-down sheep farm in the Moorabool Valley, but it originally began with 90 acres of pinot noir — because when you know what you like to drink and where you'd like to drink it, you naturally go all in. That was back in 1982, when Austin's Wines was first established. It is now run by a second generation of family members, Scott and Belinda Austin, and counts 6Ft6 among its brands. Although many folks in the industry can make the same claim, Scott and Belinda are now living the dream. "We've always had a passion for drinking wine," Belinda explains, "and the love and learnings of growing and making wine has been a fascinating journey to be on". These days, Belinda isn't just passionate about sipping 6Ft6's tipples, but sharing them. "We love to spread a little cheer wherever we go, and this has been very relevant in 2020," she notes. That's an impressive attitude to have in this difficult year, especially one that has brought so many changes to the winery. "We have had to adapt in more ways than we could have imagined, from finding ways to make up for lost revenue for events and restaurant trade, to shifting to a digital focus in our marketing efforts," Belinda says. "The only thing that hasn't changed in 2020 is the grape-growing and winemaking process. We are glad something was predictable!" THE 155-YEAR-OLD BREWERY AND DISTILLERY USING ALPINE SPRING WATER Back in 1865, when English brewer George Billson founded the company that still bears his name, he couldn't have imagined what would follow. Established in Beechworth all those years ago purely to enable easy access to the town's alpine spring water — which it uses in its spirits, beers, cordials and sodas, as sourced from a 150-year-old red-brick well onsite — Billson's is now a must-visit regional destination. "Historically, our small business has relied almost solely on regional tourism," says director Nathan Cowan. That statement doesn't apply to 2020, though. "It's definitely been a challenging year for everyone," he notes. But local support has helped to keep Billson's afloat, and keep its team busy. "It's so awesome to see so many people supporting their local producers. We wouldn't be here without it," he says. "When people choose local, they are supporting far more than just the business. There are so many flow-on benefits to the entire community." When someone chooses Billson's spirits, they're choosing a tipple made by a company that's "completely captivated by the process of spirit-making," Cowan explains, describing the team's approach as "a mix between creative expression and science". Unsurprisingly, Billson's is committed to using local ingredients in that process, too. "We are passionate about showcasing our spectacular region," Cowan says. "Our talented team use as many fresh local ingredients as possible, and we are lucky to be surrounded by so many amazing growers." THE OLDEST INDEPENDENT BREWERY IN A BEER-LOVING CITY It might seem like a fool's errand, asking a Melburnian to pick their favourite local brew — and to select only one, too. When BWS did just that, however, the city showed its support for 3 Ravens. Founded in 2003, the Thornbury-based beer makers, bar and barrel room helped kickstart Australia's craft beer scene, and did the same in Melbourne as well. Sparked by "a love for more flavoursome European style ales at a time when Australian beer drinkers' options were a little lacklustre to say the least," as general manager Nathan Liascos explains, it's now the Victorian capital's oldest independent brewery. That isn't a status that the 3 Ravens team takes lightly. "Brewing good beer is relatively easy, but brewing excellent, award-winning beer requires a lot more attention to detail," he notes. "We're firm believers that even people who claim to not like beer can be won over by an excellent example of something that aligns with their tastes — and we feel like our job is done whenever we hear 'I don't usually like beer, but...'." When you love beer and you feel just as strongly about making it, singing your favourite brew's praises isn't a hard task. But 2020 has thrown more than a few challenges 3 Ravens' way, although Liascos is looking on the bright side. "There have been some positive outcomes that we've been able to celebrate this year so far, such as seeing increased public awareness and support of local and independent businesses, and an incredible level of ingenuity and adaptation to an increasingly challenging world," he says. "It's also been fun delivering to the locals and personally meeting the people that have been supporting us through these turbulent times." To find these or other Victorian drinks as part of the BWS Local Luvva's initiative, head to your nearest BWS store.
If it's your opinion that the best running tracks noticeable lack scary hills, then The Bay Run is for you. Comprising a tidy seven-kilometre scenic circuit that sees you skirting the waterfronts of inner western suburbs like Leichhardt, Drummoyne, Russell Lea and Rozelle, The Bay Run is a popular track for locals wanting to combine their exercise with some outdoor time. You can walk, cycle or roller skate, too, if jogging is not your jam. Ramp up the leisure factor with a stop at Nield Park Pavilion for a takeaway coffee.
Like furniture-filled playgrounds for adults, IKEA's warehouse-style stores aren't just a shopping space — they're the place where we all go to dream about our ideal homes. Who hasn't wandered through the Swedish retailer's showroom setup, felt inspiration strike and suddenly known exactly what you want your house to look like? We all have, and that's often why visiting the chain isn't a short trip. Fancy decking out a specific part of your home, but without also conjuring up plans for every other single room in your house, then picking up three throw cushions, realising you need a new lamp, somehow buying another Billy bookcase and also eating all of the Swedish meatballs? In other words, fancy solving a particular home-design problem without indulging in the full IKEA experience? That's where the brand's Plan and Order Point concept stores come in — a place, as the name suggests, where you can simply plan out what you need, then order it, all while getting advice from IKEA experts (and, yes, without having to wander through the chain's warehouses). IKEA has been rolling out its Plan and Order Point locations around the world for a few years now, but not in Australia — until Thursday, September 29. The first Aussie version of the concept store will launch at Highpoint Shopping Centre in Melbourne and focus on the brand's more complex home solutions and products, such as kitchens and wardrobes. Know that you want to give your kitchen a makeover, but daunted by the IKEA options? Desperate to organise your clothes, but looking for some advice about what'd work best for your bedroom? That's the kind of one-on-one service that'll be on offer — after which customers can order whatever they've decided upon while they're still at the Plan and Order Point, and then either get it delivered or pick it up at your chosen IKEA warehouse. "IKEA already has a strong presence in the Melbourne market, but with the IKEA Highpoint Plan and Order Point we can engage with new Melbourne customers in a more personalised and bespoke way than ever before," said Julian Pertile, Manager of IKEA Richmond and the new Plan and Order Point. "We hope to welcome customers that have never shopped with us before, as well as existing customers that may have found creating complex solutions, such as a kitchen or wardrobe system, too daunting to tackle alone." IKEA's debut Australian Plan and Order Point comes just months after it also launched its As-Is Online Australian marketplace nationwide, allowing customers to search for and purchase discontinued, ex-display and pre-loved products. Although Highpoint's new Aussie-first store doesn't open till the end of September, it's taking bookings for planning appointments via the IKEA website from Thursday, September 15. And if this sounds like your ideal IKEA experience but you're not in Melbourne, there's still good news — if the Highpoint outpost proves a success, IKEA may look to open other Plan and Order Point locations around Australia in 2023. IKEA's Highpoint Plan and Order Point will open on Thursday, September 29 at Highpoint Shopping Centre, 120–200 Rosamond Road, Maribyrnong, Victoria. Bookings for appointments can be made via the IKEA website from Thursday, September 15.
At this point, it's not really a surprise when Uber announces some strange, attention grabbing promotion. Sometimes they bring you ice cream. Other times, it's puppies. And this Australia Day/Invasion Day/January 26, they're delivering the most important (and oft-forgotten) addition to any barbecue: bags of ice. Now, there's a heap of things to do for tomorrow's public holiday — we've put together a handy list for Sydneysiders, Melburnians and Brisbanites. You can attend one of the rallies happening around the country, head to a Survival Day festival, take the opportunity to learn up on Australian history or simply go to see an Australian film (Lion just got a heap of Oscar noms), but if you're attending a barbecue, this delivery service might come in handy — especially when you run out of ice and all your mates are already four beers in. Starting from 11am on January 26, UberEATS users in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide will be able to log onto the app and, by typing 'backyard hero', see all the locations selling bags of ice and order one. If you've never used Uber before, use the code 'backyard hero' for free ice — otherwise it'll cost you $10. By Tom Clift and Lauren Vadnjal.
Summer is almost here and that means it's getting time to whip out the sunscreen and shades and get on the group chat to organise some al fresco hangs in the sunshine. Whether you've got a huge backyard, a compact garden or a decked out balcony, there are lots of ways you can transform your openair space for parties. Think makeshift performance spaces, themed dining where everyone pitches in a plate, or active games to get everyone into the summer spirit. To help you make the most of your outdoor space, we've partnered with Jim Beam to bring you a guide to transforming your backyard for parties and hangouts to remember this summer. [caption id="attachment_789655" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cottonbro[/caption] CREATE A MAKESHIFT OUTDOOR CINEMA Each summer brings with it a new selection of romance, comedy and holiday flicks to catch at the cinema, but when you're looking to entertain your friends at home, there's a lot to be said for the old classics that bring us together. Impress your friends by upping movie night and transforming your outdoor space with a makeshift outdoor cinema. All you need is a good projector — which you can buy online or at most tech stores — and then set it up to shine on a wall or vertical flat surface away from other light sources, such as streetlights. Then, grab a cold one and some popcorn, and settle in for a night of quote-alongs and nostalgia bonding. [caption id="attachment_786454" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] HOST AN AROUND-THE-WORLD FEAST Just because you can't travel around the world right now doesn't mean you can't transport yourself elsewhere through the medium of food. Host an 'around the world' picnic where each of your guests brings a dish based on world cuisine. Think bratwurst from Germany, lasagne from Italy, sushi from Japan, chow mein from China, barbecued meats from the US and dosas from India. Then set up the food in different areas around the outdoor space and 'travel' from place to place with your tastebuds. You can even take it a step further and bring drinks from different countries too — for the US, try a Jim Beam with peach iced tea and soda, for example. [caption id="attachment_789656" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jake Ryan[/caption] INVITE YOUR MUSO FRIENDS TO PERFORM Every friendship group has a mate who loves to show off their skills on the guitar and can play a steady rotation of Oasis, John Mayer and Jason Mraz numbers. So why not take advantage of your mates' talents and invite all your muso friends to perform some classic sing-a-longs? They could even show off some originals, if they're that good. String up some coloured lights and get the drinks flowing and it'll feel like a real gig (just like old times). And, because it's your backyard, you get to mingle with the main act afterwards. HOST A MINI OLYMPICS Make up for the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics and channel the spirit of our finest green-and-gold athletes by hosting a mini version in your backyard. Get each of your guests to bring over a variety of games, including solo sports and team games — such as frisbee, cricket, bocce, basketball, table tennis and putt-putt — and arrange a tournament in your yard. You can even set up an obstacle course if you're feeling super energetic. Don't forget to provide some snacks for fuel and some drinks for good measure — then, let the games begin. After all, who doesn't love healthy competition between friends? [caption id="attachment_790604" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] SET UP YOUR OWN TINY BAR There's no better summertime classic activity than getting the mates round for a drink or two. Now imagine upping the game and playing bartender to your pals in a decked out tiny bar in the backyard. To help out in this endeavour, the global bourbon brand Jim Beam is currently running a competition to give away a fully stocked Jim Beam Tiny Stillhouse, worth over $20,000. The stillhouse includes bluetooth speakers, a mini fridge, four bar stools, an esky, bar mats, a Jenga set, a case of Jim Beam and Cola and a bottle of Jim Beam White Label. Enter here before Sunday, November 22 to get the party going. Top image: Cottonbro via Pexels
The rare and precious ability to inhale more hot dogs than anyone else in five minutes could score you both fame and fortune at The Dip this week. To celebrate its third birthday, Goodgod's canteen is hosting a hot dog eating contest with prizes including $100 in Dip dollars, a jug of Goodgod's finest punch and a copy of Levins's cookbook, Diner. Observe the mingled joy and pain on the faces of their previous spicy wing eating contest entrants. Those seeking more inspiration need look no further than one of the competitive eating world's most legendary face-off, Kobayashi versus a giant bear. The night sounds like lots of fun for non-entrants, too, since you can drink, dance, eat deep fried birthday cake (non-competitively) and watch the sweaty, straining faces of those striving for the noble title. The hot dog eating contest is on Thursday, May 29, at 8pm. Email do@thedip.com.au to register for the comp.
By now, it feels like no stone has been unturned by Sydney's big developers. But you know where they haven't developed yet? Underground. So perhaps that's why the NSW Government has set its sights below street level — today it announced its plans to turn the St James tunnels, a large subterranean space that adjoins St James Station, into an underground attraction. The tunnel is, after all, just sitting there. It was built back in the 1920s as part of a plan to connect the CBD with eastern suburbs, but the project was never realised. Since then, it's been used as an air raid shelter during World War II, an operations bunker for the air force and as a location for The Matrix Revolutions. Tours used to run, but now there's no way for the public to access the tunnels. The NSW Government is opening this one up to the floor, and is seeking expressions of interest from both local and international developers. Ideally, it would like something that would turn the tunnel and its platform into a "world-renowned attraction" — perhaps restaurants, bars, shops, or cultural and entertainment spaces. "Spaces like the St James tunnel are rare," said Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance in a statement today. "Around the world, hidden spaces are being converted into unique experiences and we want St James Station to be part of that." Expressions of interest will close November 6 — after they've been received, the process will be managed by Sydney Trains and real estate company CBRE. We'll keep you updated on the next stage of the process.
An old favourite is returning to Sydney in the form of a new Potts Point bar. Dean's Lounge, which opened November 2020, is a reinvention of the old Dean's Cafe, which made its home in Kings Cross between 1976 and 2011. Dean's Lounge promises a night of cocktails, late-night snacks, retro video games and songs from a vintage jukebox. The new owners, Justin and Louka Marmot of Barangaroo's Shirt Bar have channelled their love of the original Dean's into the new venue, bringing back it's charm and character. The pair actually met at Dean's Cafe back in 2002, while Justin was working there. The Potts Point location has expanded into multiple rooms, providing space for private dinners and larger group bookings. The front deck is home to an open courtyard ideal for sipping cocktails on a balmy summer night. As you head inside, you're offered one of four homely rooms inside the bar, with each one fitted with restored vintage furniture, exuding a relaxed throwback feeling. An array of cocktails are on offer, too, including a banoffee old fashioned and Tropicana spritz. Bar Manager Jaxon Jager's recommends the Brooklyn Sunset, a mix of rye whiskey, dry vermouth, strawberry shrub and absinthe. If you get peckish, you'll find truffle mac 'n' cheese, roast beef and spicy lamb jaffles ($12–15), as well bean nachos ($15–25). Homemade cakes — such as flourless chocolate cake ($14) and sticky date pudding ($15) — and coffee ($3.50-4.50) are also served until close if you're looking for a somewhere to dip into for dessert or your late-night caffeine fix.
Disclaimer: I've never been a hospitality operator. But I've spoken to hundreds in my time as a food journalist, and one thing is clear — life on the tools is rarely straightforward. It's a rocky industry at the best of times, and survival depends on staying adaptable. We've seen it through COVID, recessions and supply chain breakdowns. Now, in the wake of global conflict and rising fuel costs, operators are being pushed to recalibrate again. There's no rulebook when there's no precedent. But across the industry, people are finding ways to stay afloat — sometimes by design, sometimes by accident. Take the shift to electric kitchens, long considered the bane of many chefs' existence. Cooking without flame lacks the romance, and often the responsiveness, of gas, but it's fast becoming the default. The 203 in Brisbane, Elchi and Rumi in Melbourne, and Rockpool Bar & Grill in Sydney have made the switch, while Trinity St Kilda is planning an all-electric setup as part of its $2 million overhaul. Originally driven by environmental targets and practicality — electric stoves are easier to clean and maintain — the move is now proving financially beneficial as gas prices rise. Climate pressure is also reshaping the industry in other ways — particularly in wine, where one bad season can wipe out a year's income. As temperatures climb higher in parts of Australia, producers are trialling clay-based "sunscreen" to protect grapes and preserve flavour. And in regions hit with unseasonal cold, vineyards are being lit with anti-frost candles overnight — an old-world fix for a new-world problem. France was the first to popularise this approach but as climates shift worldwide, Australia may follow. Back in the kitchen, constantly rotating menus and one-off specials allow venues to respond to fluctuating supply and minimise waste. While most restaurants change their menus seasonally, Little Black Pig & Sons in Heidelberg updates theirs fortnightly based on availability, while Henry Sugar in Carlton North runs low-waste Mondays designed to clear excess stock. What's happening behind the scenes is just as telling. Staffing shortages and rising overheads are forcing operators to rethink the basics, embracing shorter menus, tighter service and more sustainable rostering. Take the rise of highly specialised venues like Melbourne's Yang Thai or Gamja Hotteok, which focus on a single core product and reduce the need for excess staff or ingredients. [caption id="attachment_1051091" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Manteiga Darlinghurst[/caption] These shifts aren't just about sustainability; they're about staying viable. Diners are more selective, more price-conscious, and more easily swayed by novelty. Venues need a reason to stay in rotation, which has driven a wave of pop-ups, chef takeovers and limited-run offers. Even Attica is leaning into it, with a midweek Chef's Table that offers a lower-commitment entry point while filling quieter nights. For other operators, viability can come down to rethinking the space itself. At Gemini, that means opening during the day for coworking, positioning the venue as a third space rather than a single-use destination. Maintaining longevity in hospitality has never been easy, even in a city full of institutions. The venues that last aren't the ones clinging to tradition — they're the ones that build around change and treat it as part of the model. Like what you see? Subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter to get stories just like these straight to your inbox.
Airport accommodations are normally pretty drab but the lively 150-room Citadines Connect (formerly the Felix Hotel) is bucking this trend with a truly first-class stay. Yes, we're as surprised as you are. Inspired by the golden age of air travel in the 60s — that is, before budget airlines made you pay for water and wearing leggings as pants became the norm— the seamless experience starts from the get-go with guests heading straight to the top-level penthouse to check-in. Expect bright pops of pastel colours alongside smooth woods and polished metal finishes. They do a pretty good job of blending modern chic and retro cool design features. From here, overlooking the runway, guests can enjoy the rooftop cinema, dining area, heated outdoor terrace and colourful cocktail bar — the latter of which will undoubtedly be a departure from the usual monotonous airport watering holes. It's a surprising inclusion to our choice of the best hotels in Sydney.
By the time that March 2025 is out, Australians will have a new streaming service vying for their eyeballs. As rumoured since 2024, confirmed the same year and given an exact launch date earlier this year, Warner Bros Discovery's Max platform is launching locally on Monday, March 31. As that date approaches, more details have arrived regarding what'll be on offer, as well as pricing and plans, if you're keen to sign up to the new Aussie home of HBO's shows. As already revealed, you'll want to subscribe if you're a The Last of Us fan — that's where you'll be watching the hit game-to-screen series' second season when it debuts on Monday, April 14. Max will also boast other HBO Originals, returning, new and old alike, such as The White Lotus; House of the Dragon, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and any other Game of Thrones spinoffs; Euphoria; upcoming IT prequel series Welcome to Derry; and everything from True Detective,The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, The Wire, Oz, Deadwood, Big Love, True Blood, Big Little Lies and Westworld through to Succession, The Larry Sanders Show, Sex and the City, Flight of the Conchords, Bored to Death, Girls, Veep, Barry and Enlightened. The platform's own Max Originals — so made for it, rather than for HBO — include And Just Like That...,, Peacemaker and The Pitt, while the Warner Bros television library also spans Friends, Rick and Morty, Gilmore Girls, Gossip Girl and more. Adventure Time, Looney Tunes and Scooby Doo are among the cartoon names hitting the service. Plus, content TV networks Discovery, Cartoon Network, TLC, Food Network, ID and HGTV are also on their way to the platform. If you're a film fan, get excited about access to recent cinema releases at home, as well as classic fare. Alongside boasting movies from Warner Bros Pictures from the past few years, such as Barbie, Wonka, Trap, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice and Twisters — and also big franchises like The Lord of the Rings, Dune, the DC Universe and Harry Potter — Max will screen blockbusters fast-tracked from their silver-screen dates. And, the service will feature a TCM hub, which is where all-time greats such as Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket and Rebel Without a Cause will be available. As for plans and pricing, there's three of the former — starting with a basic package that includes ads, then offering standard and premium options. The first spans full HD resolution and two devices streaming simultaneously, as does the second, with the latter also including 30 downloads to watch offline. Opt for premium and 4K resolution plus Dolby Atmos sound are featured, if they're available per title; four devices can stream simultaneously; and the downloads go up to 100. As a launch special until Wednesday, April 30, 2025, the basic with ads plan is available for $7.99 per month for the first 12 months or $79.99 for the first year (or $11.99 per month/$119.99 per year from Thursday, May 1, 2025). The standard plan special is $11.99 per month for the first 12 months or $119.99 for the first year ($15.99 per month/$159.99 per year afterwards), while premium is available for $17.99 per month for the first 12 months or $179.99 for the first year (or $21.99 per month/$219.99 per year afterwards). While the great streaming service rush, when new platforms seemed to appear every few weeks or so, is a few years in the past, HBO bringing Max to Australia remains huge news. At present, the US network's shows largely screen and stream to Aussie viewers via Binge and Foxtel. When the former launched, boasting HBO's catalogue was one of its big selling points. The deal between Binge, Foxtel and Warner Bros Discovery — which owns HBO — was extended in 2023, but it was reported at the time, accurately so it proves, that Max might debut in Australia from 2025. Max will be available direct to consumers via its website and app stores — you'll sign up for it by itself — for viewing via mobile, tablet, gaming consoles and connected TV, but it will still keep a connection with Foxtel. If you subscribe to the pay-TV service, you'll get access to the Max app without paying extra. Max launches in Australia on Monday, March 31, 2025 — head to the streaming service's website for more details.
There's a universal expectation that docos are meant to run the gamut from confronting all the way to absolutely horrifying. In its 97 minutes of screen time, The Family manages to traverse the whole scale, leaving you absolutely chilled to the bone. Rosie Jones's poetic documentary is about one of Australia's most notorious cults, known as 'The Family'. It operated in and around Melbourne from the mid 1960s, under the leadership of a bizarre woman whose look appears to have been modeled on Yzma from The Emperor's New Groove. Anne Hamilton-Byrne drew power and money to herself, wielding her impressive charisma, emotional manipulation, and yoga to amass new followers. Before long they were snatching babies directly from hospital wards and were administering LSD to adults and children in order to convince them that Anne was their God. Dramatic panning drone shots of Lake Eildon, eerie piano music, and old footage of children in matching outfits running through the woods creates a very True Detective aesthetic that matches the horror of the events. The film churns your guts, growing more and more tense as events unfold, leaving you shaken when it finally ends. But where the documentary differentiates itself is with the surfeit of interviews with survivors. Many of the children who grew up at the cult's residence at Lake Eildon (a two-hour drive from Melbourne) are adults now, with children of their own, and they each speak candidly and emotionally about the toll their childhood had on them and how they now relate to their new families. The story of the cult itself is fascinating and grotesque, but the humanity and candour of the victims is absolutely redeeming. Jones doesn't always succeed in translating a messy chain of events and conflicting accounts into a digestible, linear format. At times it can feel as though the film circles back on the same events – although even then, the story is so consuming that you'll be willing to forgive the repetition. Moreover, unlike many documentaries, The Family hits close to home, with the familiar sites and sounds of country Australia compounding the sense of unease. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_KeVkZ_JhM
One of Sydney's prime pieces of culinary real estate has found new life. After being placed into liquidation, the legendary Manly Pavilion made a huge comeback, reopening with a slick fit-out both inside and out. Sitting on its well-known overwater site on the Manly Cove Esplanade, Manly Pavilion boasts breezy open spaces, a slick dining space (somewhat straightforwardly) called Bistro at Manly Pavilion, repurposed Chesterfield lounges and parquet flooring. The revamped Pav has multiple spaces to lounge around in, from a casual openair balcony deck to a lounge bar area, a ballroom and the fancier aforementioned Bistro dining room. The heritage-listed venue also features an array of refreshed menus, spanning the standard selection of dinner and drinks menus starring elevated Mediterranean dishes to a small desserts menu and an exclusive happy hour, aptly named the 'High Tide' happy hour, offering the likes of wines, spritzes and pints for a steal from 5pm to 7pm on weekdays. Standout offerings include the snapper paired with mussels and lime butter, the chilli and lemon-coated calamari accompanied by aioli, the extensive wine list, and the nautical-themed boathouse margarita. Plus, the waterfront space also features live music sessions from 3pm to 6pm, and hosts DJ sets every Friday night, which spin epic tunes from 5pm to 8pm.
There was a time (and not so long ago, either) when a Sydney restaurant serving seasonal, locally sourced produce and dotted with greenery and touches of millennial pink would barely cause us to bat an eyelid — but The Botanica Vaucluse takes these well-practised trends to a new level. And it's beautiful. The restaurant boasts one of Sydney's most eye-catching fit-outs, beginning with an entrance by landscape designer Charlie Albone (Selling Houses Australia), marked by a copper archway draped with hanging succulents. Inside, the airy, light-filled dining room — the vision of award-winning designer Evette Moran — lands somewhere between greenhouse and dreamhouse. Floor-to-ceiling windows open onto a lush garden, while custom floral wallpaper and cleverly placed greenery create a sense of natural abundance. Plush pink velvet armchairs and invitingly soft carpets complete the upscale tea party feel. And that's before we get to the luxe on-site spa next door (but more on that below). There's plenty of substance behind the style, though. The menu, from co-head chefs Abby James (Quay) and Thai Sams (Bentley Restaurant + Bar), is entirely gluten-free, built around farm-to-table ingredients like veggies from the restaurant's own kitchen garden, sustainably sourced seafood and free-range meats. Highlights include stracciatella with charred greens and leek oil, Glacier 51 toothfish with buttermilk and smoked hock and Margra lamb with kombu, buttermilk and pea blossom. Cocktails also speak to seasonality, with bright, fruit-forward cocktails and a dedicated spritz menu joined by a tight wine list of Australian and European varietals, plus a solid lineup of non-alc options. Next door is Sol Spa, a tranquil, lemongrass-scented retreat where therapists use botanical-infused products, minerals and active compounds to revitalise guests through a suite of old- and new-world treatments. So where exactly did they find the space for this opulent garden restaurant and spa? It's actually part of Mark Moran Vaucluse, a $115 million luxury aged care residence on Old South Head Road. Not that it feels like one — the restaurant and spa have their own entrances, while the vibe is more tropical resort than retirement retreat. [caption id="attachment_666632" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] Top images: Nikki To
In the Melbourne–Sydney rivalry, the Victorian capital beat its New South Wales capital to score the first-ever Australian IKEA Plan and Order Point concept store back in 2022. But the Harbour City isn't too far behind, with the Swedish retailer announcing its second condensed site: in Belrose in the Northern Beaches, and opening this winter. If you believe that IKEA's warehouse-style stores are basically furniture-filled playgrounds for adults, then you'll know their regular sprawling outposts are more than just a shopping space — they're the place where we all go to dream about our ideal homes. Who hasn't wandered through the Nordic brand's showroom setup, felt inspiration strike and suddenly known exactly what you want your house to look like? We all have, and that's often why visiting the chain isn't a short trip. Fancy decking out a specific part of your home, but without also conjuring up plans for every other single room in your house, then picking up three throw cushions, realising you need a new lamp, somehow buying another Billy bookcase and also eating all of the Swedish meatballs? In other words, fancy solving a particular home-design problem without indulging in the full IKEA experience? That's where the brand's Plan and Order Point concept stores come in — a place, as the name suggests, where you can simply plan out what you need, then order it, all while getting advice from IKEA experts (and, yes, without having to wander through the chain's warehouses). IKEA has been rolling out its Plan and Order Point locations around the world for a few years now, finally bringing the idea to Australia last year. Now, the second Aussie version of the concept store — and first Sydney one — will launch on Belrose's HomeCo shopping centre, and focus on the brand's more complex home solutions and products, such as kitchens and wardrobes. Know that you want to give your kitchen a makeover, but daunted by the IKEA options? Desperate to organise your clothes, but looking for some advice about what'd work best for your bedroom? That's the kind of one-on-one service that'll be on offer — after which customers can order whatever they've decided upon while they're still at the Plan and Order Point, and then either get it delivered or pick it up at your chosen IKEA warehouse. "The Plan and Order Point format has opened up new opportunity for IKEA to be exactly where our customers need us to be, and this is a key part of our growth strategy for IKEA in Australia," explains Johanna Gbenplay, IKEA Australia's Market Area Manager. "We already have a strong presence with three IKEA stores in Sydney, but we will now be on the doorstep of the many people of the Northern Beaches area, who we know are avid home furnishers and renovators, but may have not considered IKEA as close or convenient for them previously." "We have learnt valuable lessons from our first opening at Highpoint, Melbourne, and are anticipating an exciting response from existing and new customers when IKEA Belrose arrives in June." This more compact IKEA outlet will only span 215 square metres, but it still gives customers access to the full IKEA range. Keen to order something that isn't a new kitchen or wardrobe? You can also do that here. Although Belrose's new IKEA doesn't open till June — with an exact date still to be revealed — you can keep an eye out for bookings for planning appointments on the IKEA website. IKEA's Belrose Plan and Order Point will open sometime in June at 4–6 Niangala Close, Belrose. Head to the IKEA website for more information and bookings.
Since 2017, Biang Biang has satiated cravings of hot, spicy noodles from Haymarket to Liverpool. Bringing a taste of the Shaanxi Province in central China to Sydney, Biang Biang stays true to its name, specialising in biang biang noodles. They're long, hand-pulled noodles made from wheat flour. It can be hard to choose from the nine different dishes that incorporate these chewy noodles — you can get them topped with tomato and egg, eggplant, stewed pork or chicken. But, whatever you decide, expect a chilli bomb. You know, the type that you'll feel in the very back of your brain? Yep, that level of spice. Thankfully, it's a little easier to choose a side: the rougamo is a must-order. This Shaanxi-style 'burger' is a flaky pastry stuffed with pork, cumin beef or spicy potato. It's crunchy on the outside and tender inside, and will quash any doubts you had about staying in and ordering a takeaway. Images: Letícia Almeida.
Before it was a ten-part Prime Video series, Daisy Jones & The Six was a book. And before Taylor Jenkins Reid's 2019 novel jumped back to the 70s rock scene, Fleetwood Mac lived through, stunned and shaped the era. No matter where or when an adaptation popped up, or who took to the microphone and guitar in it, bringing Daisy Jones & The Six to the screen was always going to involve leaning into Mick Fleetwood, Stevie Nicks, John McVie, Christine McVie and company's story. Reid has said that she took loose inspiration from the band; "it's a Fleetwood Mac vibe," she's also noted. Those parallels are as obvious as a killer lyric in Daisy Jones & The Six. Creators Scott Neustadter and Michael H Weber have a recent history of riffing on true and classic tales, too — their last two projects were The Disaster Artist, which they co-scripted based on Greg Sestero's memoir about making Tommy Wiseau's The Room; and Rosaline, a retelling of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet from the titular Romeo-spurned character's perspective. With directors James Ponsoldt (The End of the Tour), Nzingha Stewart (Inventing Anna) and Will Graham (A League of Their Own), the duo approach Daisy Jones & The Six exactly as that pedigree brings to mind: it's heightened, impressively cast, and well-versed in what it's tinkering with and recreating; it also isn't afraid of romance and tragedy, or of characters going all-in for what and who they're passionate about. On the page, this melodramatic tale of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll unspools as an oral history. On streaming, it's framed by two-decades-later documentary interviews where key figures — Daisy Jones (Riley Keough, Zola), members of The Six and other pivotal folks in their careers — share memories to-camera. The eponymous musicians burned bright but flamed out fast together, opening text on-screen informs the audience before anyone gets talking. A huge stadium gig at Chicago's Soldier Field late in 1977 was their last, coming at the height of their popularity after releasing hit Rumours-esque record Aurora. Viewers immediately know the ending, then, but not what leads to that fate. Introduced in the show's flashbacks as the ignored child of wealthy parents, Daisy couldn't be more obsessed with music. A childhood spent internalising her mother's cruel comments that she doesn't have the voice or talent to follow her dreams holds her back in Daisy Jones & The Six's first episode, however, even as she couldn't spend more time hopping between Sunset Strip's venues. Cue another piece of IRL rock history, of course, thanks to Keough's pitch-perfect casting. She doesn't play her part like she's playing Elvis Presley's granddaughter — aka herself — but she makes fantastic use of her rockstar genes, including in her energy, swagger, stare, volatile temperament, and all the ferocious singing that the American Honey, The Girlfriend Experience and The Lodge star does herself. Daisy Jones & The Six takes its time putting the two parts of its moniker together, but follows The Six's origins from the outset as well, when Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin, Book of Love) agrees to front his younger brother Graham's (Will Harrison, Madam Secretary) high-school band. The full group initially spans guitarist Eddie Roundtree (Josh Whitehouse, Valley Girl), drummer Warren Rojas (Sebastian Chacon, Emergency) and bassist Chuck Loving (Jack Romano, Mank). But when dental school and the security it represents beckons the latter, and British keyboardist Karen Sirko (Suki Waterhouse, The Broken Hearts Gallery) joins their number, there's still just five band members moving from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles to make a proper go of it after tour manager Rod Reyes (Timothy Olyphant, Amsterdam) tells them that's where the serious action is at. Aspiring photographer Camila (Camila Morrone, also a Valley Girl alum) is the sixth person with The Six; she's Eddie's crush but Billy's girlfriend, then his wife and the mother of his child. She's also one of the reasons that the love-hate pull he feels towards Daisy earns two oft-used words: it's complicated. As much as Daisy Jones & The Six is a portrait of a band and a snapshot of an era, it's firmly a love triangle, too. Does great art only spring from deep feelings? Does faking it till you make it apply to discovering your artistic groove with someone and selling a bond that'll sell albums? What's the difference between finding a soulmate and seeing your own reflection peering back in another's eyes, struggles and life? They're all queries the series ponders. Fleetwood Mac's tumultuous relationships and breakups are a matter of history, which no one needs to know when sitting down to Daisy Jones & The Six. As Keough twirls onstage, adores shawls and lengthy sleeves, glares pure determination and fire, and self-medicates heavily, though, consider this a condensed fictionalisation. The Buckingham to her Nicks is Claflin, obviously, as duelling lead singer-songwriters Daisy and Billy keep circling around each other from the moment that ace record producer Teddy Price (Tom Wright, True Story) puts them together. She's desperate to make it big and not just be her lyric-stealing ex-boyfriend's, or anyone's, muse, but seeks solace all day with pills and booze. He's sober and trying to get his band another shot after a tussle with drink and drugs derails their first tour, almost ruins his marriage and sees him miss his daughter's birth. No one needs to have seen Almost Famous, either, to know where Daisy Jones & The Six heads. Still, this quickly engrossing series engages in the moment like a catchy refrain. Spinning a familiar but nonetheless involving story of chasing dreams, fame's excesses and troubles, and learning whether someone is a mirror or a kindred spirit, it looks the part in every wardrobe choice — including the disco attire worn by Daisy's pal Simone Jackson (Nabiyah Be, Black Panther), who gets close to her own episode about trying to make it in an industry unwelcoming to Black and queer artists, and the embrace she finds in New York with DJ Bernie (Ayesha Harris, Abbott Elementary) instead. Daisy Jones & The Six's songs are earworms as well, whether the show is giving the suite of 70s-style tunes written by Phoebe Bridgers, Marcus Mumford, Jackson Browne and more a whirl, or dropping a soundtrack of other cuts that, yes, even features Fleetwood Mac. Check out the trailer for Daisy Jones & The Six below: Daisy Jones & The Six streams via Prime Video.
Pizza Hut. The noble and long-serving ‘za provider who filled our tummies at last-day-of-school pizza lunch and, in our uni student years, staved off hunger and calcium deficiency with cheap Tuesday deals. That is until in 1983 when the Dominos chain hit our shores. Dominos grew in reach and popularity and brought the Hut to its knees (or at least, to mainly smaller takeaway-only venues, less all-you-can-eat restaurants). Sure, there's still a few floating around (lookin' at you Goulburn), but they're harder and harder to come by nowadays. Once a dignified, family-friendly palace of soft serve on-tap, mini marshmallows and slice after slice after slice, Pizza Hut is now reduced to stunt-like takeaway grotesquery such as the Four 'N Twenty Meat Pie crust and its ilk, cramming more and more fast food, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, cheeseburgers into the crust until it’s just a misshapen farce oozing with disappointment. There's not much scope for an in-house sit-down pig-out any more. Apparently someone else has also noticed the decline. Sydney-based photographer Ho Hai Tran has taken up the quest of documenting the last surviving original Pizza Hut buildings before they pass into irrelevance. Tran has travelled 14,000kms across Australia, New Zealand and the USA to try and capture the photos of the buildings, most of which have been converted for other uses. “Pizza Hut buildings might not seem like the most aesthetically compelling structures, but they do ooze a certain charm”, says Tran. His purpose in all of this is historical record-keeping and maybe making Gen Y-ers shed a little tear because our world is crumbling to pieces. He’s even launched a Kickstarter to help him on his way. The archive of photographs will eventually be compiled into a book which has, in our humble opinion, the greatest title ever: Pizza Hunt. And the special edition even comes in a pizza box. Ouch, right in the childhood. Help Ho Hai Tran on his quest to immortalise the ‘Hut through by chipping into the Kickstarter.
Sydney's dining scene is not only well-known across Australia, it has a reputation around the world as being one of the best. And that's, in part, thanks to a handful of legendary dishes. Our fair city is home to pancakes regularly eaten by the Japanese Prime Minister and a dessert The New York Times described as "the world's most Instagrammed cake". With the help of American Express, we've rounded up the dishes that helped put Sydney on the map — and still hold up today. Bookmark this list and start ticking them off.
Dishing up a young, fun take on Southeast Asian fare, with an infusion of classic Aussie ingredients, Chubby Cheeks has burst onto the scene in Paddington. Making its home within Oxford Street's former Max Brenner site, the vibrant Thai street food eatery has all the makings of a neighbourhood favourite, with all exposed brick, raw timber and bold tropical prints. From the same minds that brought you Mona Vale's coastal café and retail space Armchair Collective, Songpol and Lyn Manoonpong, it's pitched at that coveted balance between relaxed and stylish. The menu leans to the crafty, bringing traditional Asian flavours to life with the addition of top local produce. Big-flavoured fare includes the likes of tea-smoked duck breast on banana blossom salad, a 12-hour smoked Rangers Valley wagyu brisket with green papaya and a burnt chilli sauce, and crispy turmeric rice crêpes, stuffed with either prawns and pork, or tofu. If you're rolling with two or more people, leave decisions at the door and share your way through the $49 tasting menu. From the central bar comes some equally gutsy cocktails — including a Thai-spiced negroni, and a bright and breezy lemongrass and lychee caprioska — a beer list mixing local craft brews with crisp Asian imports, and a largely Aussie wine lineup heroing lighter, fresher varietals.
Balmain scores a new all-day dining bistro and live music hang-out, as Elliott's opens on an iconic corner in the heart of the buzzing neighbourhood. The venue that was once home to Casa Esquina has been entirely reimagined with a new layout and design, a reenergised team, a fresh culinary direction, and a bar reworked into a standalone destination. The vision of evolving from a regular dining space to a hybrid social and dining entertainment destination was sparked by the recently loosened live music laws. Michael Fegent, Director of Atticus Hospitality, says he has "imagined it as a space where people could enjoy a meal or just come in for drinks and let their hair down with live bands and vinyl DJS bringing a festive upbeat vibe. When council finally approved the courtyard cover this year and live music rules changed, it was the perfect moment to bring that vision to life." The menu, which leans into classic European technique, is designed to pair with great wine, good company and an energetic soundtrack. A dedicated kids' menu makes families feel at home, while generous share plates invite relaxed group dining, whether it's leisurely lunches or lively dinners elevated with Elliott's signature cocktails. Classic dishes are refreshed with thoughtful amendments, such as steak tartare served with crisp rice, garlic and chives, oysters dressed with ponzu mignonette or a cheeseburger sandwiched between a croissant bun. Elliott's live music program officially launches in September, however, surprise acts will roll out from opening day. Jordan McDonald, Director of NITE-RITE Entertainment, who heads up the music program, is thrilled that the team behind Elliott's have taken advantage of the new music reforms so quickly. "The atmosphere in this place is pretty special, it's that blend of buzzy service, high calibre food and drink and masterful performance that you don't often find hanging out under the one roof. I think the neighbourhood's gonna [sic] love this, but I'm excited to give music-fans another compelling reason to visit Balmain". Guests can expect DJs on the decks every weekend from lunch until late, with some of Australia's most celebrated funk, soul, boogie and blues personalities set to curate bespoke sets for Elliott's courtyard showcase act each Saturday. Images: Leigh Griffiths.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to watching anything, we're here to help. We've spent plenty of couch time watching our way through this month's latest batch — and, from the latest and greatest to old favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue from July's haul of newbies. BRAND NEW STUFF YOU CAN WATCH IN FULL RIGHT NOW MYSTERY ROAD: ORIGIN Origin stories: everyone's getting them. Caped crusaders like Batman and Spider-Man have several; Hercule Poirot's moustache even has its own. Originally played by Aaron Pedersen on both the big and small screens, Mystery Road's Jay Swan doesn't particularly need one, given that plenty about why he's the man and detective he is, and the balancing act he's forced to undertake as an Indigenous cop as well, has already been teased out. But Mystery Road: Origin isn't jumping on a trend, repeating itself or prolonging a long-running saga. It isn't trying to justify having someone else play Swan, either. Rather, this latest entry in Australia's best crime saga leaps backwards because this franchise has always danced with history anyway. It has to; you can't explore the reality of life in Australia today, the racial and cultural divides that've long festered across this sunburnt country, and all that Swan encounters and tussles with, otherwise. In Mystery Road: Origin, it's 1999 — and, when its six episodes begin, Swan isn't quite a detective yet. He's already a man of weighty thoughts and few words, though, and he's played by Mark Coles Smith (Occupation: Rainfall), who couldn't do a more impressive job of stepping into Pedersen's (High Ground) shoes. The series spies Swan as he's driving along sweeping salt plains. His destination: Jardine, his Western Australian home town, population 1000. Resident sergeant Peter Lovric (Steve Bisley, Doctor Doctor) welcomes Swan back eagerly, but his return isn't all cheers, especially when he stumbles across a robbery en route and gets cuffed by senior constable Max Armine (Hayley McElhinney, How to Please a Woman). Tensions also linger with Swan's estranged dad Jack (Kelton Pell, another The Circuit alum), the town's old rodeo hero, and with his hard-drinking elder brother Sputty (Clarence Ryan, Moon Rock for Monday). Indeed, that initial stickup, the crimewave waged by culprits in Ned Kelly masks that it's soon a part of, and those persistent family struggles will all define the detective's homecoming. Mystery Road: Origin streams via ABC iview. Read our full review. GREAT FREEDOM Great Freedom begins with 60s-style video footage captured in public bathrooms, showing Hans Hoffmann (Franz Rogowski, Undine) with other men, and with court proceedings that condemn him to prison purely for being gay. That was the reality in West Germany at the time due to Paragraph 175, which criminalised homosexuality — and, when he's incarcerated at the start of this equally tender and brutal Austrian film, Hans isn't surprised. He's been there before, as writer/director Sebastian Meise (Still Life) conveys almost like he's chronicling time travel. It's a canny touch, as relayed in the movie's cinematography, editing and overall mood. The minutes, days, hours, weeks and more surely move differently when you've been locked up for being who you are, and when being in jail is the better alternative to being in a concentration camp. Meise jumps between Hans' different stretches, exploring the imprint all that time behind bars leaves, the yearning for love and freedom that never dissipates, and his friendship with initially repulsed fellow inmate Viktor (Georg Friedrich, Freud). In the process, Great Freedom resounds with intimate moments and revealing performances, as anchored by another stellar turn by Rogowski. The German talent has had an outstanding few years thanks to Victoria, Happy End, Transit, In the Aisles and Undine. He's as absorbing as he's ever been here, too, in a movie that stares his way so intently — and with such a striking sense of light and shade — that it could be painting his portrait. Friedrich is just as impressive, in an outwardly thorny part. Great Freedom streams via SBS On Demand. THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH Who'd want to try to step into the one and only David Bowie's shoes? Only the brave and the bold. Two people earn that description in The Man Who Fell to Earth, the new TV sequel to the iconic 1976 movie that starred the music legend in the role he was clearly born to play: an alien who descends upon earth and ch-ch-changes history. Bill Nighy (Buckley's Chance) is charged with taking over the character of Thomas Jerome Newton and, thankfully and with style, he's up to the task. Chiwetel Ejiofor (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) slides into the same kind of part that Bowie owned in the original, however, as fellow extra-terrestrial interloper Faraday. He's this follow-up's newcomer to the planet, and he's just as destined to do big things. That's not a spoiler — early in the first episode, Faraday addresses a massive crowd like he's Steve Jobs announcing Apple's latest product, and The Man Who Fell to Earth's tech success uses the occasion to spin his origin story. Who'd want to try to pick up where one of the best sci-fi films ever made left off? That'd also be the brave and the bold, aka Clarice creators Jenny Lumet and Alex Kurtzman. Drawing inspiration from silver screen gems is obviously the pair's niche of late, but it's worth remembering with this new effort — which takes its cues from Walter Tevis' 1963 novel of the same name, too — that Kurtzman was also behind exceptional 2008–13 sci-fi series Fringe. Indeed, The Man Who Fell to Earth 2.0 feels like the perfect use of his talents, with the series thinking big and brimming with urgency in its vision of a world that might only be able to be saved by a spaceboy who truly cares about stopping climate change's damage. To follow through with his mission, though, Faraday also needs the help of former MIT physics whiz Justin Falls (Naomie Harris, No Time to Die). The Man Who Fell to Earth is available to stream via Paramount+. STRANGER THINGS For the second time in about as many months, Stranger Things has dictated everyone's playlists. While Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)' is still getting a workout, so is Metallica's 'Master of Puppets' thanks to the big two-episode end to the 80s-set hit's fourth season — two bumper movie-length instalments which clocked in at 85 minutes and 150 minutes each. Yes, it likely would've worked better if those two episodes had been split up, rather than going for length. Based on episode durations from earlier seasons, the Duffer brothers could've dropped five parts instead. The psychology behind the move was effective and ingenious, though; who didn't make a date to binge their way through as soon as they hit, because diving into two huge instalments in one night felt different than committing to five shorter chapters? Everyone did, and Netflix even momentarily crashed as a result. This season across both volumes certainly had a theme: going big in as many ways as possible. Season four gave the horror/slasher vibe a massive workout, thanks to new big bad Vecna — and ramped up the confrontations, showdowns, killings, flashbacks, drama and globe-trotting in the process. Clearly, the soundtrack budget was hefty. So was the performance given by season four MVP Sadie Sink (Fear Street) as Max Mayfield bore the brunt of Vecna's murderous and mind-bending games, and the place that Joseph Quinn (Small Axe) will always have in the show's fans' hearts thanks to his turn as Eddie Munson. And, the list of questions about what comes next in Stranger Things' upcoming fifth and final season, and where Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown, Godzilla vs Kong), Mike (Finn Wolfhard, Ghostbusters: Afterlife), Will (Noah Schnapp, Waiting for Anya), Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo, The Angry Birds Movie 2), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin, Concrete Cowboy), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton, The Souvenir Part II), Steve (Joe Keery, Free Guy), Robin (Maya Hawke, Fear Street), Nancy (Natalia Dyer, Things Seen & Heard), Joyce (Winona Ryder, The Plot Against America) and Hopper's (David Harbour, Black Widow) stories will end, is sizeable. Stranger Things streams via Netflix. Read our full review of volume one of Stranger Things' fourth season. I LOVE THAT FOR YOU It works for television networks greenlighting new comedies, and it works for viewers picking what to watch, too: take one of Saturday Night Live's extremely amusing ladies, give them their own show, see laughs and smarts follow, profit. I Love That For You actually boasts two such talented women, although they didn't crossover during their SNL stints: Molly Shannon and Vanessa Bayer. The latter plays Joanna Gold, who has always dreamed of being on SVN — Special Value Network, that is. When she was a kid (Sophie Pollono, Small Engine Repair), she was diagnosed with childhood leukaemia, and obsessing over her idol Jackie Stilton (Shannon, The Other Two) as she sold anything and everything helped as a distraction. Now an adult, Joanna still wants to do exactly the same, and leave her job alongside her dad (Matt Malloy, The Sex Lives of College Girls) at Costco behind. But when she gets the chance, she pulls an unimpressed face during her first on-air stint that kills sales, so she says her cancer has returned to avoid getting fired. On paper, that's an extremely tricky premise. In lesser hands, it'd be downright horrible. As well as being a comic gem here, in SNL, and in everything from I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson to Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, Bayer had childhood leukaemia herself — and if she didn't, and wasn't also one of I Love That For You's creators and writers, it's highly likely that this series wouldn't work. Thankfully, instead, it takes the same approach that Bayer has clearly always taken since her teenage experience, using humour in clever, sensitive, sincere, amusing, savvy and sometimes surreal ways. The show keeps demonstrating why its setup is worth tackling, too, asking questions about trying to live a normal life and work out who you are after surviving such a diagnosis; how and when sympathy is genuine, earned and milked; and guilt on several levels. It's also an entertaining workplace comedy and a takedown of consumerism, greed and the fact that anything, including sob stories, are for sale if there's something to be sold. And, of course, Bayer and Shannon are dynamite in their shared scenes. I Love That For You streams via Paramount+. NEW AND RETURNING SHOWS TO CHECK OUT WEEK BY WEEK THE RESORT If the last couple of years in pop culture are to be believed, it mightn't be a great idea to go away with a character played by Cristin Milioti. In three of the always-excellent actor's most recent high-profile roles, she has decamped to idyllic surroundings, only to find anything but bliss awaiting. Palm Springs threw a Groundhog Day-style time loop her way in its titular setting. Made for Love saw her trapped by sinister futuristic possibilities. In The Resort, which hails from Palm Springs screenwriter Andy Siara, she now has the ten-year itch — and a getaway to Mexico that's meant to soothe it slides swiftly into a wild mystery. In this instantly twisty comedy-thriller Miloti plays Emma, spouse to William Jackson Harper's (The Good Place) Noah. After a decade of marriage, they're celebrating at the Bahía del Paraíso in the Yucatán, but they're really trying to reignite their spark. At this stage in their relationship, he recoils at her bad breath, she makes fun of him falling asleep on the couch, and they're rarely in sync; even when they're floating along the resort's lazy river, cocktails in hand, they want different things. Bringing them together: a missing-persons case from 15 years ago, after Emma goes tumbling off a quad-biking trail, bumps her head and spies an old mobile phone. It belongs to Sam (Skyler Gisondo, Licorice Pizza), a guest at the nearby but now-shuttered Oceana Vista Resort, who was on holidays over Christmas 1997 with his parents (IRL couple Dylan Baker, Hunters, and Becky Ann Baker, Big Little Lies), as well as his girlfriend Hannah (Debby Ryan, Insatiable). As Emma learns via Sam's photos and text messages, all wasn't rosy in his romantic life. After running into fellow guest Violet (Nina Bloomgarden, Good Girl Jane), who was travelling with her dad Murray (Nick Offerman, Pam & Tommy), his SMS history skews in her direction. But the pair promptly disappeared, and any potential clues were lost when a hurricane struck and destroyed their getaway spot. If The White Lotus joined forces with Only Murders in the Building, it'd look a whole lot like this entertaining series, which also includes an ace performance by Luis Gerardo Méndez (Narcos: Mexico) as Baltasar, Oceana Vista Resort's head of security. The Resort is available to stream via Stan. Read our full review. WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS Live life long enough and anything can happen. Enjoy an undead existence for hundreds of years and that feeling only multiplies, or so the wealth of movies and TV shows that've let vampires stalk through their frames frequently remind viewers. A sharehouse-set mockumentary focused on bloodsucking roommates who've seen more than a few centuries between them, What We Do in the Shadows embraces that idea like little else, though — as a Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi-starring movie, aka one of the funniest New Zealand comedies of this century, and then as a hilarious American TV spinoff. The premise has always been ridiculously straightforward, and always reliably entertaining. A camera crew captures the lives of the fanged and not-at-all furious, squabbles about chores, a rising body count and avoiding sunlight all included. Their domesticity may involve sinking their teeth into necks, blood splatters aplenty, sleeping in coffins and shapeshifting into bats, but it also covers arguing about paying bills, keeping the house clean and dealing with the neighbours. The TV version's stellar fourth season picks up after a climactic end to the show's prior batch of episodes, which only finished airing back in October 2021. Its bloodsucking roommates were all set for their own adventures, but a year has passed in the show, bringing them back together. Nandor (Kayvan Novak, Cruella) returns from exploring his ancestral homeland, and he's more determined than ever to find a wife. He also thinks that one of his many from the Middle Ages could be the one again; bringing back a Djinn (Anoop Desai, Russian Doll) to grant his wishes helps. After a stint in London with the Supreme Vampiric Council, Nadja has big ambitions, too, setting her sights on opening a vampire nightclub. As for her beloved Laszlo (Matt Berry, Toast of London and Toast of Tinseltown), he's still taking care of the baby-turned-boy that burst its way out of energy vampire Colin Robinson's (Mark Proksch, The Office) body. For the fourth time around, nothing about this delight sucks, not for a second, with season four as wonderful as ever. What We Do in the Shadows streams via Binge. Read our full review. BETTER CALL SAUL When the middle of August arrives, the best show on television for the past seven years — other than the one-season return of Twin Peaks — will come to an end. That isn't new news, but it's still monumental, especially given that Better Call Saul is the spinoff to an also-phenomenal series. Unlike when Breaking Bad wrapped up, though, there's no future immediately in sight. Perhaps that's fitting. Better Call Saul is TV's great tragedy precisely because we always knew what its prequel segments, which comprise the overwhelming bulk of the show, will lead to. We know who Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk, Nobody) is when he's a shady Albuquerque criminal defence attorney aiding Walter White (Bryan Cranston, Your Honor) and Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul, Westworld). We know what all his choices then lead to, because we've already seen it. But every single moment that's been brought to the screen in sunny colour in Better Call Saul so far, including in the now-airing second half of the series' sixth and final season, desperately makes you wish that everything you know is destined to occur won't. That said, this latest and last batch of episodes has already overflowed with surprises as it works towards that big farewell. And, it's been delighting and astonishing as only Better Call Saul can — with meticulous precision in everything that it slips across the screen, including in its tightly plotted and never-predictable narrative, its cinematic imagery and its many, many marvellous performances. That includes continuing to unfurl Lalo Salamanca's (Tony Dalton, Hawkeye) part in this long-running crime saga, as the first half of the season did with Nacho Varga (Michael Mando, Spider-Man: Homecoming). It spans seeing where being Saul's wife, as well as his happy co-conspirator in getting revenge against their old boss Howard Hamlin (Patrick Fabian, Gordita Chronicles), leads Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn, Veep). TV won't be the same without Saul Goodman. It certainly won't be s'all good, man. Still, what a swan song this extraordinary show is treating viewers to — even with three episodes left to go. Better Call Saul streams via Stan. Read our review of the first half of Better Call Saul's sixth season. BLACK BIRD 2022 marks a decade since Taron Egerton's first on-screen credit as a then-23 year old. Thanks to the Kingsman movies, Eddie the Eagle, Robin Hood and Rocketman, he's rarely been out of the cinematic spotlight since — but miniseries Black Bird feels like his most mature performance yet. The latest based-on-a-true-crime tale to get the twisty TV treatment, it adapts autobiographical novel In with the Devil: a Fallen Hero, a Serial Killer, and a Dangerous Bargain for Redemption. It also has Dennis Lehane, author of Gone Baby Gone, Mystic River and Shutter Island, bringing it to streaming. The focus: Jimmy Keene, a former star high-school footballer turned drug dealer, who finds his narcotics-financed life crumbling when he's arrested in a sting, offered a plea bargain with the promise of a five-year sentence (four with parole), but ends up getting ten. Seven months afterwards, he's given the chance to go free, but only if he agrees to transfer to a different prison to befriend suspected serial killer Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser, Cruella), and get him to reveal where he's buried his victims' bodies. Even with new shows based on various IRL crimes hitting queues every week, or thereabouts — 2022 has already seen Inventing Anna, The Dropout, The Girl From Plainville and The Staircase, to name a mere few — Black Bird boasts an immediately compelling premise. The first instalment in its six-episode run is instantly gripping, too, charting Keene's downfall, the out-of-ordinary situation posed by Agent Lauren McCauley (Sepideh Moafi, The Killing of Two Lovers), and the police investigation by Brian Miller (Greg Kinnear, Crisis) to net Hall. It keeps up the intrigue and tension from there; in fact, the wild and riveting details just keep on coming. Fantastic performances all round prove pivotal as well. Again, Egerton is excellent, while Hauser's menace-dripping efforts rank among the great on-screen serial killer portrayals. And, although bittersweet to watch after his sudden passing in May, Ray Liotta (The Many Saints of Newark) makes a firm imprint as Keene's father. Black Bird streams via Apple TV+. THE REHEARSAL Early in the first episode of The Rehearsal, Nathan Fielder meets Kor Skeete, a Jeopardy!-watching, trivia-loving New Yorker with a problem that he's seeking help with. Skeete has been lying to his bar trivia team about his educational history, claiming that he has a master's degree instead of a bachelor's degree, and he's hoping for assistance in coming clean. His biggest worry: how his pal Tricia might react, and if it'll end their friendship. First, however, in their initial meeting in Skeete's apartment, Fielder asks Skeete if he's ever seen any of Fielder's past work. Skeete says no, despite claiming a particular interest in television as his favourite trivia subject — and his response to what Fielder explains next will likely mirror anyone watching who comes to this with the same fresh eyes. Until now, Fielder was best known for Nathan for You, in which he helped companies and people by using his business school studies. Fielder played a version of himself, and the result is best described as a reality comedy. It's the kind of thing that has to be seen to be truly believed and understood, and it's both genius and absurd. In The Rehearsal, Fielder is back as himself. He also wants to use his skills to help others again. His tactic this time is right there in the name, letting his subjects rehearse their big moments — baring all to a friend in that first episode, and exploring parenthood in the second, for instance. The show's crew even build elaborate sets, recreating the spots where these pivotal incidents will take place, such as the bar where Skeete will meet Tricia. Fielder hires actors to assist, too. And, adding yet another layer, Fielder also steps through the same process himself, rehearsing his first encounter with Skeete, with thanks to an actor, before they cross paths. If you've ever thought that life was a big performance, and that every single thing about interacting with others — and even just being yourself — involves playing a role, you'll find much to think about in this fascinating, funny, often unsettling, quickly addictive series. There's reality TV and then there's the way that the deadpan Fielder plays with and probes reality, and while both can induce cringing, nothing compares to this. The Rehearsal streams via Binge. A RECENT CINEMA RELEASE TO CATCH UP WITH RIVER Some actors possess voices that could narrate almost anything, and Willem Dafoe (The Northman) is one of them. He's tasked with uttering quite the elegiac prose in River, but he gives all that musing about waterways — the planet's arteries, he calls them at one point — a particularly resonant and enthralling tone. Australian filmmaker Jennifer Peedom (Sherpa) knew he would, of course. She enlisted his vocal talents on her last documentary, Mountain, as well. Both films pick one of the earth's crucial natural features, capture them in all their glory at multiple spots around the globe, and wax lyrical about their importance, and both make for quite the beguiling viewing experience. Thanks to writer Robert Macfarlane, Dafoe has been given much to opine in River, covering the history of these snaking streams from the planet's creation up until today. He hones in on their importance to human civilisation — in making much in our evolution possible, in fact, and also the devastation we've wrought in response since we learned to harness all that water for our own purposes. That said, River could've simply paired its dazzling sights with its Australian Chamber Orchestra score and it still would've proven majestic and moving. The footage is that remarkable as it soars high and wide across 39 countries, and peers down with the utmost appreciation. Here, a picture truly is worth a thousand of those Dafoe-uttered words, but the combination of both — plus a score that includes everything from Bach to Radiohead — is something particularly special. River is available to stream via ABC iView. Read our full review. A STONE-COLD CLASSIC TO BINGE IN FULL THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW TV shows about TV are like movies about movies: someone somewhere is usually making one. But every television series that's told a tale about making a television show since the early 90s has owed an enormous debt to The Larry Sanders Show — and everything that's still to come always will. One of HBO's earliest examples of original programming, it parodies the late-night talk show world. (Yes, 30 Rock's satire of Saturday Night Live took more than a few cues from it.) The show within the show is also called The Larry Sanders Show, as hosted by its namesake (the late, great Garry Shandling), and its day-to-day production is always hectic. There's Larry's ego to deal with, the distinctive management style of producer Artie (the also late, great Rip Torn), the parade of staffers and assistants (including a pre-Entourage Jeremy Piven and Reality Bites-era Janeane Garofalo), and a constant array of demanding guests. And, Larry's personal life always bleeds into the chaos, including the spoils and trappings of fame, and his romantic relationships. Curb Your Enthusiasm, another series set within showbiz that's also about someone called Larry, similarly wouldn't be what it is if The Larry Sanders Show had never existed. Tonally, they share plenty — the acerbic humour, the willingness to be both blunt and brutal, and the well-known names skewering themselves, too. Thanks to its fondness for walk-and-talk scenes, The Larry Sanders Show has left its imprint as far and wide as ER and The West Wing as well. It isn't just phenomenal because it helped shape so much great television that followed, however. Perhaps the best sitcom ever made, it's as smart as it is savage, surreal and hilarious, and the combination of Sanders and Torn, both at their absolute best, is what TV dreams are made of. Making your way through the 90 episodes, which originally aired across six seasons between 1992–98, is a breeze. Wanting to binge them again immediately afterwards comes just as easily. The Larry Sanders Show streams via Binge. Need a few more streaming recommendations? Check out our picks from January, February, March, April, May and June this year. You can also check out our running list of standout must-stream 2022 shows so far as well — and our best 15 new shows from the first half of this year, top 15 returning shows and best 15 straight-to-streaming movies.
If you have plans to visit the Blue Mountains sometime soon, here's a culinary activity to add to your itinerary. Megalong is an elegant 50-seat bistro offering up elegant dining paired with panoramic 360-degree views of scenic bushland and escarpment of the Megalong Valley. Executive chef Colin Barker (formerly of The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay) has led the charge on the venue's kitchen and food concept, ensuring that Megalong's produce-forward menu honours the ingredients sourced from its adjoining 600-hectare farm, Lot 101. Megalong's farm-to-table approach pushes the envelope on sustainability within restaurant practices. Almost all of the produce used in the kitchen is grown onsite, hence Executive chef Colin Barker's mission to do justice to the fresh ingredients when crafting seasonally-inspired and ever-changing menus. When dining in, expect to find a similar structure to your experience. While the service plan and portions may remain similar, you'll rarely encounter the same dining experience twice. The gist of dining at Megalong follows the structure of a 'moveable feast' consisting of five to six courses for either a lunch or dinner service. To start, there will be a trio of snacks on arrival, with meat and fish plates paired with a vegetable side to follow. Then, to round out the meal, a fruity dessert course alongside petit fours. And the menu is subject to change daily. At Megalong Restaurant, you get to combine in the indoors with the outdoors, combining the best of the Blue Mountains' vistas and produce with a warm dining experience worthy of the journey.
Saporium, the urban marketplace connected to Rosebery's Cannery food precinct, is expanding yet again. This time it's with a weekly market day, which, like the precinct itself, celebrates all things organic and quality produce. Each Saturday, some of Sydney's best market stalls will join forces, including fan-favourite venders from Mr Bao Buns and Brooklyn Boy Bagels to Wild Kombucha and Little Creek Cheese. The Saporium and Cannery tenants will of course also represent, with artisan butchers Kingsmore Meats manning the barbecue, while pizza connoisseurs Da Mario toss Neapolitan pizza from their new food truck — a Naples imported shipping container with three-tonne wood burning oven to boot. Other Saporium tenants will offer up tastings and one-off workshops, which we suspect will include special market offerings from their newest addition, The Red Spoon Co. Add live music into the mix and you've got your new Saturday go-to. The Saporium Market Day will be held every Saturday from 10am – 3pm, adjacent to The Cannery at 61 Mentmore Avenue Rosebery.
This independent boutique on the corner of Booth and View Streets is where you come when you know you need to buy a gift, but you're not yet sure what to get. It started life as a children's toy and clothing store in 2002, but five years ago it broadened its range to include women's fashion, homewares, beauty products and indoor plants and pots. It still has kids' toys and a cute selection of baby clothes, swaddles and teething toys, but if you're not here to purchase a baby shower gift (and even if you are), you'll find Australian made products like Bondi Wash body wash, Leif kakadu plum hand cream and hand-poured soy candles from Maison Blanche. [caption id="attachment_779245" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] You'll want to run your hands over the soft blankets and quilts from Kip and Co, Indus, Citta Design and Jamie Kay; finger through the racks of dresses and shirts from Elk the Label; and open every Gentleman's Hardware pocket tin of miniature tools. Whatever the occasion, there'll be a gift here that fits the brief. Images: Cassandra Hannagan
At the foot of architect Harry Seidler's striking heptagonal skyscraper in the heart of the CBD, this most recent incarnation of the former MLC centre has aimed high with its collection of venues. At its heart are four popular restaurants — Aalia, an outstanding Middle Eastern fine diner from the Nour team; Kazan, a modern Japanese fusion eatery; Cabana Bar, where resort vibes and Central Sydney's largest outdoor terrace have made it a favourite with the after-work set; and L'uva Pasta and Wine Bar, a boutique Italian restaurant with an all-Australian wine list. Add to this its extensive subterranean food court, The Theatre Royal, and the CBD outpost of Gelato Messina, and it's easy to see why 25 Martin Place has quickly become a trusted hotspot both during the working day and after dark. Cementing that reputation, Point Group (who also operate Shell House) have plans to transform the former digs of Botswana Butchery into a hospitality hub within a hospitality hub. Called The International, it will showcase a range of world cuisines via a wine bar, restaurant and rooftop bar, with November as the loosely slated opening date.
Since 1987, if you've wanted to hit up South by Southwest, then you've needed to visit Austin in Texas. In October 2023, however, that'll no longer be the case. In what was perhaps Australia's biggest cultural news of 2022, the acclaimed tech, innovation, music, gaming, screen and culture festival and conference announced that it'll stage its first-ever non-US event in Sydney this year — and it's just added a bunch more musicians and speakers to its lineup. Headlining the latest announcement is a new featured speaker, who will be talking at the event's music-industry conference. Chris Lee (also known as Lee Sung-Su) is the Chief A&R Officer and former CEO of SM Entertainment, a K-pop powerhouse. Lee and the label have played a part in popularising breakout K-pop stars like aespa (who recently dropped a Sydney-heavy promo for their new album), SHINee, EXO, Red Velvet and NCT. Two of the biggest annual parties from SXSW Austin have also joined the program. Dr Martens and Vans slide in alongside local legends Young Henrys as major sponsors, bringing their respective music hubs — Dr Martens Presents and House of Vans — to the debut Australian festival. Both showcases are regular occurrences over in Texas, pulling big-name guests to perform, with past lineups including the likes of The Stooges, Denzel Curry, ODESZA and Wolf Alice. More artists have been added to the live music lineup, which already boasts previously announced acts Redveil, Connie Constance, Otoboke Beaver, Ekkstacy and Los Bitchos. The majority of the new announcement is dedicated to the first local Australian acts to join the program, with Teenage Joans, Phoebe Go, MALI JO$E, Ashli, Andrew Guruwiwi Band, Alter Boy, Mi-Kaisha, VV Pete, Rum Jungle and Golden Vessel's side project 1tbsp among the 18 Aussie additions. There are also seven fresh international names, including New Zealand's Soaked Oats, Japan's Chameleon Lime Whoopiepie, South Korean's HYPNOSIS THERAPY and American indie-pop star Wallice — who recently supported The 1975 on their Australian tour. [caption id="attachment_899225" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Chameleon Lime Whoopiepie[/caption] "The lineup features an essential array of styles, ranging from post-punk, jazz and experimental pop to club-tinged hip hop, R&B and indie folk," says Claire Collins, SXSW Sydney's Head of Music. "It is a vibrant snapshot of the undeniably exciting next wave of talent from across the globe, from Western Sydney to the Top End, South Korea to the UK, and beyond. We can't wait to reveal more in the coming weeks and months." The first lineup announcement back in February included American futurist, The Genesis Machine author, and Future Today Institute founder and CEO Amy Webb as the festival's first-ever keynote speaker. Webb will be joined by other featured speakers like Ben Lamm and Andrew Pask, who'll discuss their work on the de-extinction of the woolly mammoth and the Tasmanian tiger; Guy Kawasaki, Chief Evangelist of Canva and former Apple Chief Evangelist, who'll talk evolving tech; lawyer, writer and filmmaker Larissa Behrendt, fresh from helming Richard Bell-focused documentary You Can Go Now; and Saudi women's rights activist Manal al-Sharif. [caption id="attachment_899226" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Teenage Joans[/caption] SXSW Sydney will all take place between Sunday, October 15–Sunday, October 22 within a walkable precinct within the Sydney CBD, Haymarket, Darling Harbour, Ultimo, Chippendale and more. Think of the fest's footprint as a huge hub, with festivals within the bigger fest, exhibitions, talks, networking opportunities and streetside activations popping up everywhere. So far, venues named include Powerhouse Museum, ICC Sydney, UTS, Central Park Mall, the Goods Line Walk, The Abercrombie and Lansdowne Hotel. Attendees can hit up the SXSW Sydney Conference, which is where those keynotes, presentations, panels, workshops and mentor sessions come in — more than 400 of them. And, there's the SXSW Sydney Technology & Innovation Exhibitions, which is all about innovative and emerging tech and entertainment companies from across the Asia-Pacific region. Plus, at the Startup Village, up-and-comers from all industries and sectors will have space to meet, present and chat. SXSW's arts fests will span the SXSW Sydney 2023 Music Festival, which will be focused on live music venues in central Sydney — and the SXSW Sydney Gaming Festival, complete with more than 100 local and international independent games to play at venues (alongside demonstrations, launches performances, exhibitions and social gatherings). Movie and TV lovers, get excited — because the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival isn't just a film fest. There'll be flicks to see, including at red-carpet premieres; episodic content; and digital, XR and social content. Expect Q&As and panel discussions with the folks behind them as well. Can't wait, whether you're a Sydney local or planning to head along from elsewhere in Australia — or New Zealand? Platinum and industry badges are already available at early-bird prices, with more ticketing to come. SXSW SYDNEY 2023 — SECOND LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT: FEATURED SPEAKERS: Chris Lee (aka Sung-Su Lee) SXSW SYDNEY MUSIC FESTIVAL: 1tbsp Alter Boy Andrew Guruwiwi Band Ashli Dean Brady DICE dust Elle Shimada MALI JO$E Mi-Kaisha Mikayla Pasterfield Milku Phoebe Go Teenage Joans Vv Pete PANIA GO-JO Rum Jungle Hans. hanbee Soaked Oats Nuha Ruby Ra Wallice HYPNOSIS THERAPY Chameleon Lime Whoopiepie Joining: KEYNOTES: Amy Webb FEATURED SPEAKERS: Andrew Pask Ben Lamm Guy Kawasaki Jack Reis Kyas Hepworth Larissa Behrendt Manal Al-Sharif Michael J Biercuk Per Sundin Que Minh Luu Robyn Denholm Rohit Bhargava Sam Barlow Sean Miyashiro Sheila Nguyen Sung-Eun Youn Tom Verrilli Yiying Lu Yoomin Yang SXSW SYDNEY MUSIC FESTIVAL: Connie Constance Ekkstacy Los Bitchos Otoboke Beaver Redveil SXSW Sydney will run from Sunday, October 15–Sunday, October 22 at various Sydney venues — head to the festival's website for further details. If you're keen to make the most of Australia's first SXSW, take advantage of our special reader offer. Purchase your SXSW Sydney 2023 Official Badge via Concrete Playground Trips and you'll score a $150 credit to use on your choice of Sydney accommodation. Book now via the website.
Post-pandemic, the remote work dream was simple: ditch the commute, work in pyjamas, maybe squeeze in a midday run or load of washing. But after a few years, it turns out working completely from home isn't all it's cracked up to be. It can be lonely, hard to switch off and, let's be honest, not always that productive. In fact, while 77% of employees say hybrid work improves their work-life balance, many also report the downsides: lack of social collaboration and feeling of disconnection between colleagues. It's no wonder coworking spaces are becoming more popular, and why small business owners and freelancers are trading in the dining table for a more functional, flexible setup. Enter: Servcorp. With 22 coworking spaces across Australia and Aotearoa, Servcorp blends the best of both worlds. The flexibility of working remotely, with the structure, community and premium amenities of a traditional office. The difference? You're not locked into a lease, stuck in a cubicle, or battling your cat for desk space. The Downside of Remote Work Remote work has its perks, but without structure, it's easy to spiral. One minute you're answering emails in bed, the next you haven't spoken to another human in three days. Add in the unreliable internet, lack of proper meeting rooms and the temptation of TikTok breaks, and suddenly "flexibility" starts feeling more like chaos. Coworking spaces fix that. You still get control over your schedule and the option to work from home when it makes sense for you, but you also gain a work environment that's purpose-built for productivity, collaboration and getting the job done. Work Life Balance That's Actually Balanced The biggest coworking myth? That it's just a room full of people on laptops not talking to each other. At Servcorp, it's designed to be the opposite. The spaces are intentionally built to support collaboration and real work-life balance, where you have a clean, quiet space to work and catch up with colleagues, and then can leave it all behind when you walk out the door. Servcorp's coworking packages include access to high-end meeting rooms, breakout spaces, premium espresso machines, and helpful reception teams to make the work day feel fun and restore home as a place you can actually relax in. More Just Than a Desk One thing that sets Servcorp apart is its top-tier infrastructure. You'll get fast, secure internet (the kind that doesn't crash mid-meeting), an in-house IT team that knows what they're doing, and a dedicated support crew to ensure everything runs smoothly. In other words, it's a workspace you can trust to back you up, whether presenting to a new client, launching your brand, or just trying to make it through Monday. A Community You'll Want to Be a Part Of Freelancers, solo founders and remote teams often say the same thing: it's hard to network when you're isolated at home. At a coworking space, you're automatically plugged into a community of like-minded people. There are regular networking events, shared lounges to casually chat with new people, and a built-in support system that doesn't feel forced or awkward. Collaboration is best when it happens organically: over coffee, in the lift, or while trying to work out how the printer works (some things never change). No Long-Term Lock Ins Whether you need a desk once a week, a few times a month, or Monday to Friday, Servcorp's flexible coworking and virtual office packages have you covered. It's ideal for growing businesses, startups and hybrid teams who want access to a professional space without the hassle and overheads of a traditional lease — plus, enjoy your first month free with no deposit. You can even choose your location — from a city-view suite in Melbourne's Collins Street to a harbourside spot in Circular Quay, or central locations in Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and more. So if you are looking to level up your work life this new financial year, it might be time to retire the dining table. Servcorp gives you the facilities, community and freedom to take your work setup to the next level, without sacrificing the flexibility you've come to love. Servcorp has 22 premium coworking spaces across Australia and Aotearoa. Explore flexible packages and find your closest location on the Servcorp website. By Elise Cullen Images supplied by Servcorp
Butter — Sydney's palace of fried chicken, sneakers, Champagne and ramen — is adding yet another layer to its already over-the-top offering: an eight-week run of limited edition chicken sandwiches. And even though Butter's chicken sandwich is a thing of legend in its own right, the kitchen has enlisted a gang of Sydney's best chefs to take the new additions to the next level. Every Monday from March 4, the eatery will add a new fried chicken sammie to its menu that's been created by a guest chef. And the lineup is pretty impressive. You've got Restaurant Hubert's Dan Pepperell doing his take on a spicy chicken diavolo, a chicken banh mi from Chin Chin chef Graeme Hunt and Kerby Craig bringing his Ume Burger style in for a Japanese-influenced nanban roll. If you head in during week five, you'll score Andy Bowdy's sweet take on the brief: a white bread sandwich with salted caramel ice cream, peanut butter and chicken skins. Yep, chicken skins. [caption id="attachment_709474" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kerby Craig's chicken nanban roll will be available for week three.[/caption] On top of that you've also got Butter's own Julian Cincotta bringing over a kebab-style sandwich from sister restaurant Thievery and Icebergs' Monty Koludrovic doing something special on the last week. Each sandwich will be available at both the Surry Hills and Parramatta stores for the week. As always, there are no reservations at Butter, so be prepared to wait. SANDWICH SERIES LINEUP March 4–10 — Graeme Hunt (Chin Chin) — chicken banh mi with special pineapple hot sauce March 11–17 — Julian Cincotta (Thievery) — chicken kebab with garlic sauce, chips and pickles March 18–24 — Kerby Craig (Ume Burger) — chicken 'nanban' roll with ponzu March 25–31 — Dan Pepperell (Alberto's Lounge, Restaurant Hubert): spicy fried chicken diavolo April 1–7 — Andy Bowdy (Saga) — a sweet sandwich with salted caramel ice cream, peanut butter and chicken skins April 8–14 — Nelly Robertson (Nel Restaurant) — Japanese curry fried chicken katsu April 15–21 — Gregory Llewellyn (Wishbone, ex Hartsyard) — country fried chicken sandwich with smokey hot sauce April 22–28 — Monty Koludrovic (Icebergs, The Dolphin) — TBC The Friends of Butter Sandwich Series will run for eight weeks from March 4 until April 28. The sandwiches will be available at both the Surry Hills and Parramatta stores.
We're sure you've heard of a haunted house, but what about a haunted suburb? Dust off your witch's hat, grab a pumpkin and prepare to be immersed in the Halloween spirit because Funlab is taking this spooky season to a new extreme. Until November 3, the competitive socialising venues will be partnering with Fireball Whisky to take over the Alexandria precinct, transforming Hijinx Hotel, Holey Moley, and Archie Brothers Cirque Electriq into the premiere spot for chills and thrills this Halloween. Most known for bowling alleys, mini golf courses, and arcades, Funlab is putting a frightening spin on its classic concepts."Taking inspiration from Beetlejuice, Tim Burton and of course, Wes Anderson in our Hijinx Hotel, we've created spooky fun that we hope Sydney residents can enjoy" says Funlab CEO Michael Schreiber. "And rather than making it one night, we're celebrating the whole month." At no additional charge, anyone who purchases activities this October will be able to participate in the immersive experience, including Halloween-themed challenge rooms, mini-golf courses, laser tag and much more. To top it all off, Fireball will be turning Holey Moley's Caddyshack Bar into the Dragon's Lair, complete with new cinnamon-fuelled signature cocktails to keep visitors in the Halloween spirit. Along with Hijinx Hotel's signature challenge rooms, guests will be able to roll in ball pits with spiders, skulls and eyeballs, spell spooky words in the scrambled room, and hear screams that will make their hairs stand on end throughout the challenges. Holey Moley's course will be crawling with creatures, crime scenes, eerie doll houses, and beloved Halloween pop-culture references. Venture into the laser tag arena turned abandoned graveyard at Archie Brother's Cirque Electriq and battle your way through friends and monsters. Stick around afterwards for an in-venue spooky scavenger hunt with themed arcade games and attractions. Top your experience off with a visit to the virtual world, dodging zombies with Zero Latency's VR Undead Arena Zombie Experiences for a discounted $30 per person all month. For those who attend after dark (6–10pm), steel yourself for the Witching Hour, where an array of monsters roam the venues, searching for unsuspecting revellers. After an evening of scares, stop by Fireball's Dragon's Lair, designed by Australian artist Callum Preston. New on the menu will be a variety of drinks that taste like heaven - and burn like hell, including the Dirt-y Martini with Fireball, Marie Brizard Coffee Liqueur, First press Coffee with Biscoff "dirt" garnish and sour worms, and the Eye of Fire - Fireball, raspberry syrup, lemon and soda with a "blood" drip rim and blueberry eyeball. But don't be fooled by the sweet treats - the bar's interactive space may seem like a respite from the excitement of Alexandria's spooky venues, but it will scare you when you least expect it. Funlab's month of tricks and treats will culminate on Halloween night with live DJ sets, tarot card readers, VFX makeup artists, and costume pop ups to help you get into the spirit. "We strive to continue taking our venues to the next level", says Schreiber. "Halloween is the perfect time for us to bring our venues to life in a new, fun way."
It has finally happened again, Sydneysiders. The city's projectors remained silent, its theatres bare and the smell of popcorn faded during the city's almost four-month-long lockdown; however, Sydney's picture palaces are now back in business. When stay-at-home restrictions are in place, no one is ever short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made over over the last year or so, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent more time than usual in the past 18 months glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that. And, after checking out the best new movies that you could only see on the big screen when picture palaces reopened, we've now rounded up, watched and reviewed the new movies that have just arrived in theatres this week. LAMB Just over a decade ago, Noomi Rapace was The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo — The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, too. After starring in the first film adaptations of Steig Larsson's best-selling Millennium books, the Swedish actor then brought her penchant for simmering ferocity to Alien prequel Prometheus, and to movies as varied as erotic thriller Passion, crime drama The Drop and Australian-shot thriller Angel of Mine. But Lamb might be her best role yet, and best performance. A picture that puts her silent film era-esque features to stunning use, it stares into the soul of a woman not just yearning for her own modest slice of happiness, but willing to do whatever it takes to get it. It also places Rapace opposite a flock of sheep, and has her cradle a baby that straddles both species; however, this Icelandic blend of folk-horror thrills, relationship dramas and even deadpan comedy is as human as it is ovine. At first, Lamb is all animal. Something rumbles in the movie's misty, mountainside farm setting, spooking the horses. In the sheep barn, where cinematographer Eli Arenson (Hospitality) swaps arresting landscape for a ewe's-eye view, the mood is tense and restless as well. Making his feature debut, filmmaker Valdimar Jóhannsson doesn't overplay his hand early. As entrancing as the movie's visuals prove in all their disquieting stillness, he keeps the film cautious about what's scaring the livestock. But Lamb's expert sound design offers a masterclass in evoking unease from its very first noise, and makes it plain that all that eeriness, anxiety and dripping distress has an unnerving — and tangible — source. The farm belongs to Rapace's Maria and her partner Ingvar (Hilmir Snær Guðnason, A White, White Day), who've thrown themselves into its routines after losing a child. They're a couple that let their taciturn faces do the talking, including with each other, but neither hides their delight when one ewe gives birth to a hybrid they name Ada. Doting and beaming, they take the sheep-child into their home as their own. Its woolly mother stands staring and baa-ing outside their kitchen window, but they're both content in and fiercely protective of their newfound domestic happiness. When Ingvar's ex-pop star brother Pétur (Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga) arrives unexpectedly, they don't even dream of hiding their new family idyll — even as he's initially shocked and hardly approving. Enticing, surreal and starkly unsettling all at once, Lamb also benefits from exceptional animal performances — it won the Cannes Film Festival's Grand Jury Prize for Palm Dog, the prestigious event's awards for best canine acting — and its own savvy. It nabbed Un Certain Regard Prize of Originality at Cannes as well, but the movie's shrewdness isn't limited to its standout concept. Each patient shot that roves over the hillside, peeks through the fog, and soaks in the strain and pressure is just as astute. Each rustle, huff and jangle in the film's soundscape proves the same. Every aesthetic decision paints Lamb in unease and uncertainty, in fact, and lets its lingering gaze towards the steely Rapace, affecting Guðnason and their four-legged co-stars unleash an intense and absurdist pastoral symphony of dread and hope, bleakness and sweetness, and terror and love. Read our full review. THE ALPINIST Standing atop Yosemite National Park's El Capitan after scaling it alone and without ropes, harnesses or any other safety equipment, Alex Honnold cut a surprisingly subdued figure. As the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo captured, he was obviously ecstatic, but he isn't the type to leap and scream with excitement. So, he smiled blissfully. He also advised the cameras that he was "so delighted". In the opening moments of new doco The Alpinist, however, he is effusive — as enthusiastic as the no-nonsense climbing superstar gets, that is. In a historical clip, he's asked who he's excited about in his very specific extreme sports world. His answer: "this kid Marc-André Leclerc." Zipping from the Canadian Rockies to Patagonia, with ample craggy pitstops in-between, The Alpinist tells Leclerc's tale, explaining why someone of Honnold's fame and acclaim sings his praises. Using the Free Solo subject as an entry point is a smart choice by filmmakers Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen — industry veterans themselves, with 2014's Valley Uprising on their shared resume and 2017's The Dawn Wall on Mortimer's — but their climber of focus here would demand attention even without the high-profile endorsement. Indeed, dizzying early shots of him in action almost say all that's needed about his approach to great heights, and his near-preternatural skill in the field. Scaling hard, immovable rock faces is one thing, but Leclerc is seen here clambering up alpine surfaces, conquering glistening yet precarious sheets of ice and snow. Any shot that features the Canadian twenty-something mountaineering is nothing short of breathtaking. Describing it as 'clambering up' does him a disservice, actually, and downplays The Alpinist's stunning footage as well. Leclerc is just that graceful and intuitive as he reaches higher, seemingly always knowing exactly where to place his hands, feet and axe, all while heading upwards in frighteningly dangerous situations. As Mortimer notes, narrating the documentary and almost-indulgently inserting himself into the story, alpine free soloing is another level of climbing. No shortage of talking-head interviewees also stress this reality. Protective equipment is still absent, but all that ice and snow could melt or fall at any second. In fact, the routes that the obsessive Leclerc finds in his climbs will no longer exist again, and mightn't just moments after he's made his ascent. Simply charting Leclerc's impressive feats could've been The Alpinist sole remit; Mortimer and Rosen certainly wanted that and, again, the film's hypnotic, vertigo-inducing imagery is just that extraordinary. Some shots peer at the mountains in all their towering glory, letting viewers spot the tiny speck moving amid their majesty in their own time, before zooming in to get a closer look at Leclerc. Other nerve-shattering scenes intimately capture every careful choice, every movement of his limbs and every decision about what to hold on to, inescapably aware that these are sheer life-or-death moments. But The Alpinist isn't the movie its makers initially dreamed of, because Leclerc isn't Honnold or The Dawn Wall's Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson. While affable when posed in front of the camera, he's also silently begrudging, because he'd visibly rather just be doing what he loves in total anonymity instead of talking about it, having it filmed and earning the world's eyes. Read our full review. PERFUMES Add Perfumes to the lengthy list of odd-couple comedies that bring folks with opposing personalities together, and suddenly, all so that they can learn life lessons, face much-needed realisations and ultimately live better futures. This French feature also hinges upon an only-in-the-movies setup, after a professional "nose" — someone with enhanced olfactory receptors who plies their talents in the fragrance trade — strikes up an unlikely connection with the struggling father that starts working as her chauffeur so that he can eventually win shared custody of his tween daughter. The key here: sincerity. There's sweetness in writer/director Grégory Magne's (L'air de rien) film, and whimsy, too, but this tale about two lost souls unexpectedly finding commonalities in each other never plays up its quirks. Instead, as penned with heart, helmed with patience, and performed with soul by stars Grégory Montel (Call My Agent!) and Emmanuelle Devos (Violette) as well, Perfumes is like smelling a familiar yet still enticing, comforting and surprising scent. Just as fragrance designer Anne Walberg (Devos) builds aromas out of recognisable ingredients while striving to create something that stands out, this charming movie blends its array of easy-to-spot elements into a pleasingly distinctive cinematic treat. In the latest French-made or -adjacent feature to include a custody battle of late (see also: Custody and My Zoe), all that Guillaume Favre (Montel) wants is to convince a judge that he can spend every other week with his daughter Léa (Zélie Rixhon, The Ideal Palace). To do so, he needs to radiate stability, something that he starts seeking through his driving job. When he's assigned to ferry Anne between assignments, he's far from impressed by her aloof demeanour or unusual demands. Helping her change the sheets at her hotel isn't in his job description, he notes. But he's also intrigued by her work, which currently involves recreating the specific odour of a cave, masking an unpleasant smell that's infected a leather brand's handbags, and trying to counteract the stench being pumped out by a rural factory — new gigs she's pushed into by her money-motivated agent (Pauline Moulène, Boomerang) after starting out concocting designer perfumes. Magne's film isn't about narrative surprises, but about emotions. It's also about spending time with two nicely fleshed-out characters who find friendship blossoming despite their initial misapprehensions, and bring out the best in each other as a result. Perfumes wouldn't work if it didn't unfurl with gentle but genuine warmth, if it didn't value attention to detail so highly, and if it didn't have both Devos and Montel as its anchors; however, thankfully they're all a part of this elegant Gallic effort. EIFFEL Speculating on the past, and on the creation of one of the planet's most famous monuments, Eiffel asks a question: why did Gustave Eiffel build the tower that shares his name? That mightn't be the usual query that runs through people's minds as they stare up at the iconic structure; however, competing to win the right to construct it for the Exposition Universelle of 1889 in Paris represented a significant change of opinion for the engineer, after he'd initially turned down the concept when it was suggested to him by his employees. The result of that about-face has left its mark on history, France and the travel itineraries of everyone who has enjoyed a Gallic holiday ever since. Although he'd already achieved fame and acclaim due to his help building the Statue of Liberty, his eponymous tower is the reason the world know's Eiffel's name now, too. Writer/director Martin Bourboulon (Daddy or Mommy) and his co-scribes Thomas Bidegain (The Sisters Brothers), Martin Brossollet (Détectives), Natalie Carter (Thérèse Desqueyroux) and Caroline Bongrand (Parlez-moi d'amour) posit a reason, and the fact that their film is a romantic drama spells out everything it needs to. Here, Eiffel (Romain Duris, All the Money in the World) decides to assemble the A-shaped mass of wrought-iron lattice because of the woman, Adrienne Bourgès (Emma Mackey, Sex Education), he was set to marry when he was younger, lost touch with after their nuptials were called off, and then sees again just as the Exposition Universelle project is under discussion. The idea driving Eiffel is simplistic and sentimental, given that it's a film about a man erecting something unmistakably and plainly phallic for love. A biopic, this definitely isn't. But it's to Bourboulon, Duris and Mackey's credit that everything here flickers with enough feeling, even though a behind-the-scenes look at how the Eiffel Tower was built between 1886–89 — including the actual mechanics of assembling its pieces, and also the complex reaction in France at the time — could've easily fuelled an entire movie without a romance layered on top. (Charting someone simply achieving a great feat, such as constructing what was the tallest structure in the world at the time, and what remains one of the most well-known landmarks there is, would've also proven suitably rousing without the extra tugging at heartstrings.) Turning history into amorous fiction is the path this feature has chosen, however, and Bourboulon wraps it up in handsome period staging and a passionate tone. There's also a soapiness to Eiffel, too, filled as it is with yearning looks, secret trysts and will they, won't they twists. But if it wasn't for Duris, Mackey and their convincing performances — Duris' reliably ability to convey inner conflict with charm, particularly — the film would lean further in that direction. Marrying the origin story of an iconic tower with a grand love story still makes for an awkward and overly melodramatic fit, though. WAITING FOR ANYA Great intentions and great films don't always go hand in hand, with Waiting for Anya the latest example. The World War II-set drama treads a path that everything from Lore and The Book Thief to Jojo Rabbit and When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit already have, exploring the conflict's impact upon young hearts and minds — and jumping, as those four other movies did, from the page to the screen. It contrasts the efforts of a French boy in Vichy France with those of Jewish children trying to stay alive, the former aiding the latter in his small village in the Pyrenees. It's a feature made with the utmost earnestness and sincerity, expectedly given the scenario. And yet, it also makes every obvious and easy choice, diluting any potential emotional impact by happily wallowing in Second World War-themed movie-of-the-week territory. As adapted by writer/director Ben Cookson (Almost Married) and screenwriter Toby Torlesse (My Dad's Christmas Date) from a book by War Horse author Michael Morpurgo, Waiting for Anya doesn't waste any time in demonstrating its overt approach. In an early scene, shepherd Jo (Noah Schnapp, Stranger Things) tends to his flock when a bear comes a-lumbering. Soon, the Nazis will do the same. The bear couldn't be more heavy-handed a metaphor, especially in a movie that begins with Jewish man Benjamin (Frederick Schmidt, The Alienist) escaping the train to a concentration camp and secreting away his daughter Anya (debutant Dolma Raisson). In a movie that confronts the Holocaust from the outset, and also provides on-screen text explaining the historical situation, that initial animal attack can only play as needlessly blunt. Jo and Benjamin meet because of that bear, however. And when the teen follows the stranger afterwards, he learns his story. Staying with his mother-in-law (Anjelica Huston, John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum), Benjamin is now doing exactly what the movie's moniker explains, all as other kids make their way to the same farm as a stopover before crossing the mountains to safety in Spain. Jo pledges to help, initially fetching food from the village, and hiding his actions from his mother (Elsa Zylberstein, Selfie) and grandfather (Jean Reno, Da 5 Bloods). But then the Germans arrive, making the situation far more precarious — even if one officer (Thomas Kretschmann, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels) shows uncharacteristic kindness towards Jo. Yes, Waiting for Anya includes a friendly Nazi among its cliches, which is just one of its many poor decisions. Every character is so thinly written, they could fall over if a bear even looked their way or a stiff mountain breeze swelled up. The cast, all putting in passable performances at best, can't improve the material's sore lack of depth — or its inescapably clumsy dialogue. The choice to speak in accented English proves clunky as well, unsurprisingly, making the film feel like a relic from the 70s or 80s. And although the setting should look gorgeous and scenic, visually the sappy and overstated feature resembles one of the many fictional titles that pop up in other movies and TV shows, typically as parodies (aka the flicks listed on website Nestflix). If you're wondering what else is currently screening in cinemas, check out our rundown of new films released in Sydney cinemas when they reopened on October 11. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of movies currently screening, such as In the Heights, Black Widow, Nine Days, Space Jam: A New Legacy, Old, Jungle Cruise, The Suicide Squad, Free Guy, Respect, The Night House, Candyman, Annette, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Pig, The Killing of Two Lovers, Nitram and A Fire Inside.
They say change is as good as a holiday, and at Church Point, we argue that brunch is as good as a holiday. This family-run general store on stilts may be in the far reaches of Pittwater. Kick back on the breezy deck and watch tug boats and tinnies drift through the water before you; stake out the gum tree-covered land across the estuary you plan to purchase when your side hustle goes global. The deconstructed breakfast tacos and French toast with ricotta and honeycomb are also very viable reasons to visit.
Situated in the highlands of Orange, just over a three hours drive from Sydney, you'll find Nashdale Lane Wines. The winery is offering wine lovers a luxurious getaway among the vines: Glamping at Nashdale Lane Wines. The family-owned and run vineyard is surrounded not only by grapes but also fruit trees, olive groves, farmland and Mount Canobolas. If you're keen to sample its vinos, the onsite elevated tin-shed cellar door offers tastings every day of the week. Nashdale produces whites such as riesling, pinot gris, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc fumé, as well as rosé and reds ranging from pinot to tempranillo and shiraz. Promising a "private escape among the vines" the winery's luxury glamping cabins (just two) are nestled amongst an established vineyard. Wake up to gorgeous views of Mount Canobolas and neighbouring vineyards and farms. Each cabin sleeps two with hardwood flooring throughout — this is no ordinary tent — private bathroom facilities, a kitchen, a custom-made four-poster queen-sized bed, sunken outdoor lough and an outdoor lounge with alfresco deck and barbecue area. Located on the grounds of Nashdale Lane Wines, it's the ideal getaway for couples looking to explore the Orange region's exceptional food and premium cool-climate wines. Updated May 2 2023
Now is the time to start planning your big adventures for 2020. After all, you have early bird flight specials to nab, spare hours to spend browsing and plenty of time to give your boss leave notice — before everyone else does. To save you time, we've scoured the globe to find the best destinations of 2020. There's something for every adventurer on this list — whether you're looking to visit the most sustainable destination in the world or keen to try out a brand new, multi-country hiking trail. KOCHI, INDIA Kochi's claim to fame is its massive, beautiful estuary — perched on India's southwest coast on the Arabian Sea. Traders, fishers, sailors and merchants have been travelling here for more than 600 years. And, more recently, it's become a mecca for artists. Spend your holiday wandering among 16th-century Portuguese architecture, bohemian cafes and thousand-year-old mosques, including the oldest one in India. In 2020, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale will fill the city with art, including the likes of site-specific installations in heritage buildings, live performance in disused spaces and exhibitions in traditional galleries. For an extra local experience, consider booking a homestay. ARMENIA Keen hiker? Make Armenia your 2020 destination. The new Transcaucasian Trail, which travels through some of the most remote countryside in Armenia and Georgia, gives you 3000 kilometres to conquer. One of the best sections is the 80-kilometre walk through Dilijan National Park, a five-day adventure among tenth-century monasteries, magical villages and enchanting forests. There's also Lake Sevan, which, at 1900 metres above sea level, is one of the largest freshwater high-altitude lakes in the world. You can camp in the wild or book into local guesthouses. If you're looking for some company, book a spot on a guided group treks, run by the creators of the Transcaucasian Trail. ETHIOPIA In 2018, tourism in Ethiopia went through the roof, increasing by 48.6 percent in just 12 months. If you have your heart set on visiting, it could be a good idea to go soon — before it gets even busier. You'll most likely begin your journey in Addis Ababa, the capital, where you'll meet Lucy, a 3.2 million-year-old skeleton of a human ancestor, in the National Museum. Other sights to add to your itinerary include the castles of Gondar, the World Heritage-listed ruins of ancient Aksum, the medieval stone churches of Lalibela and the Menz-Guassa Conservation Area, a community-managed wilderness that's home to Ethiopian wolves, geladas (baboons) and bearded vultures. TOKYO, JAPAN If Tokyo is on your bucket list, this could be the year to tick it off. The city's gearing up to host the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics — from July 24–August 9 and August 25–September 9, respectively — so it's be even more dazzling than usual. Get started with the newest developments, including Maxell Aqua Park Shinagawa, where the underwater world meets immersive digital art; Shibuya Scramble Square, a 230-metre tower with views all the way to Mount Fuji; and the Kengo Kuma-designed Meiji Jingu Museum, where history blends with nature. You'll need to relax in between sights, so be sure to take five in an ashiyu (footbath) cafe, dine in a Buddhist temple and sample some quality drops in Tokyo's many wineries. Travelling on a budget? Check out our shoestring guide to Tokyo over here. GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN For followers of 16-year-old climate change activist Greta Thunberg, Gothenburg should be on the bucket list. Located on Sweden's west coast, half way between Oslo, Norway, and Copenhagen, Denmark, it's the most sustainable destination in the world, according to the Global Destination Sustainability Index. Among its eco-friendly delights are a public sauna made out of 12,000 recycled bottles, a theme park powered entirely by wind, ethical cafes galore, 274 square metres of green space per resident and a 1200-room hotel with more than 150,000 bees living on its rooftop. GALWAY, IRELAND Galway is always one big music festival — 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. And, this year, things will go next level, as the city embraces its status as a 2020 European Capital of Culture. The action will begin on Saturday, February 8, with an epic opening party in Galway Square, which will unleash a four-part year-long programme, inspired by the seasons. Prepare for touring theatre, lively concerts in the city's surrounding villages, audio installations, poetry readings on beaches, floating light shows and loads more. Check out the full programme over here. PAPUA NEW GUINEA If you're not into crowds, Papua New Guinea might the place to go. Its tourism density is just 2.75 percent, according to Intrepid Travel's 2019 Tourism Density Index. This means that, for every 100 residents, just three tourists visit per year. And yet PNG is just four hours' flight from Sydney. Begin with a deep dive into culture and history at the National Museum and Art Gallery in Port Moresby, before checking out the white-sanded beaches of Yuo Island, the cassowaries and endangered Matschie's tree kangaroos in Lae's Rainforest Habitat and the brightly coloured haus tambarans of Maprik. Getting around Papua New Guinea isn't always easy or safe, so be sure to plan before you go. NEW YORK STATE New York City is worth a visit anytime. But there's a compelling new reason to explore the rest of New York State: The Empire State Trail. Due to be finished by the end of 2020, this mammoth achievement is a 750-mile (1200-kilometre) path that travels from Manhattan to Lake Champlain on the Canadian border, as well as from Buffalo, the second biggest city in New York State, to Albany. You'll be able to walk or cycle every section — and link to several famous trails and areas along the way, like the Appalachian Trail, Catskill Park and the Great Lakes Seaway Trail. AMAZON RAINFOREST During the past decade, a whopping 62,000 square kilometres of the Amazon Rainforest has been deforested — mainly due to beef farming, logging and palm oil production. That's equal to 8.4 million soccer fields. The good news is that, according to the World Wildlife Fund, one way to help the Amazon is ecotourism, which provides income to local communities, while sustaining the environment. Consider a stay on the floating Amazon Eco Lodge, a trip with a responsible operator like Gondwana Ecotours or supporting the work of the Amazon Conservation Association. RWANDA Rwanda's Akagera National Park is a environmental success story. Nearly destroyed by war and hunters, it's now a thriving wilderness, where lions, warthogs, impala, hipos and zebra roam — thanks to a decade-long conservation program. It's reason enough to visit Rwanda in 2020, but, while you're there, you should also check out the mountain gorillas of Volcanoes National Park and the pretty beaches of Lake Kivu. For a spot of city life, head to Huye, where you'll find the rich collections of the Ethnographic Museum, the National University of Rwanda and, most importantly on steaming hot days, Inzozi Nziza ice cream shop, run by an all-female collective.
Taking a hidden garden in Rozelle’s Callan Park as their stage, De Quincey Co will present their latest multidisciplinary dance performance Inner Garden for just three exclusive performances. Showcasing their company’s trademark sculptural choreography, the work explores imagination and obsession, inviting audiences into a lush space filled with plants, dancers, musicians and installations. The work was conceived by associate director Tess de Quincey, who says, "This isn’t sitting in a concert hall, the performance is happening all around you. Once you enter the Inner Garden you’re surrounded by artists and dancers doing strange, beautiful things and telling the stories of their own obsessions and past.” With an immersive sound design, striking costumes and dazzling installations (including a mountain constructed from tables surrounding a gigantic palm tree) this sounds like fun for anyone interested in dance, spectacle and imagination.
Before the pandemic, when a new-release movie started playing in cinemas, audiences couldn't watch it on streaming, video on demand, DVD or blu-ray for a few months. But with the past few years forcing film industry to make quite a few changes — widespread movie theatre closures will do that, and so will plenty of people staying home because they aren't well — that's no longer always the case. Maybe you haven't had time to make it to your local cinema lately. Perhaps you've been under the weather. Given the hefty amount of titles now releasing each week, maybe you simply missed something. Film distributors have been fast-tracking some of their new releases from cinemas to streaming recently — movies that might still be playing in theatres in some parts of the country, too. In preparation for your next couch session, here are nine that you can watch right now at home. Longlegs Faces carve deep impressions in Longlegs, in both their presence and their absence. As Agent Lee Harker, Maika Monroe (God Is a Bullet) does so with a clenched jaw, permanently on-edge eyes and mere bursts of words, aka the guise of a woman who'll never stop being vigilant in every moment but doesn't always know exactly why. As the movie's namesake, as announced in the opening credits, Nicolas Cage (Dream Scenario) has audiences straining to catch whatever glimpse they can whenever they can — and when a full look comes, it's scorching and haunting in tandem in the stare alone. Blair Underwood (Origin) gives Harker's boss Carter a weary gaze, but with fully rounded life experience beyond his FBI gig evident behind it. Alicia Witt (Switch Up) plays Ruth Harker, mother to Lee, as distance and struggle personified. As she relays a tale as survivor Carrie Anne Camera, Kiernan Shipka (Twisters) demonstrates how disconnected a grim reality can be from a dream. For his fourth feature following 2015's The Blackcoat's Daughter, 2016's I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House and 2020's Gretel & Hansel — the first of which also starred Shipka — writer/director Osgood Perkins has clearly assembled an excellent cast for his unease-dripping, get-under-your-skin, torment-your-nightmares serial-killer thriller. Another face leaves an imprint beyond his actors, however. Bill Clinton's portrait assists with setting the scene as it adorns bureau offices, with the majority of the movie taking place in the 90s. Think the FBI and three decades back, and there's no lack of pop-culture touchstones. The Silence of the Lambs is one. Monroe's portrayal as a newly minted operative tracking a murderer is every bit as layered, complex and unforgettable — and awards-worthy — as Jodie Foster's (True Detective: Night Country) Oscar-winning performance was. Longlegs streams via Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Maika Monroe and Osgood Perkins. MaXXXine As played as an unrelenting force by Mia Goth (Infinity Pool), even when slasher killers have other plans, Maxine Minx was always going to go big and never go home. To wrap up the horror trilogy with the ambitious actor at its centre (when Goth hasn't also been playing Pearl, its other protagonist, as both an elderly and a younger woman), MaXXXine shoots for the stars as well, including in shifting to new surroundings. Gone is the New Zealand-standing-in-for-Texas production base of X and its prequel Pearl. Absent is the claustrophobic feel of mainly making one spot the franchise's location, whether it was taking place in the 70s in its first entry or in the 1910s in its second. This Los Angeles-set leap to 1985 sparkles with the same scorching drive and determination as its titular figure — and Minx, Goth, writer/director Ti West (Them) and MaXXXine alike won't accept a life, or a swansong instalment in one of the best sagas in the genre in the 2020s, that they do not deserve. From its debut with 2022's X, which turned a porn shoot in a remote farmhouse into a bloody stalking ground, West's big-screen series has always understood that sex and violence so often intersect in the arena that it's paying tribute to: moving pictures. X, Pearl and now MaXXXine also see how censors and the pearl-clutching equate one with the other. Equally, these pictures glean how a woman with a libidinous appetite — or simply the craving to succeed and the unwillingness to settle — can be deemed a larger threat to morality than a murderer. They also spy what a battle it too frequently is for women to chart their own path free of society's expectations, no matter their aspirations. West not only continues splattering these ideas through the Elizabeth Debicki (The Crown)- and Kevin Bacon (Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F)-co-starring MaXXXine, but layering them, plus stacking his latest unpackings of them with X and Pearl. The true target in his current sights, however: what it just might cost to make it in a realm as ruthless and ravenous as stardom. MaXXXine streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Elizabeth Debicki and Kevin Bacon. The Bikeriders Can a dream ever exist for more than a fleeting moment? That isn't just a question for oneirology, the field of psychology focused on studying the involuntary visions of our slumbers, but also applies whenever tales of motorcycle clubs rev across the screen. Stories of hitting the open road on two wheels, finding camaraderie and community in a group of likeminded outsiders, and perhaps discovering a purpose along the way are stories of chasing dreams — of freedom, of belonging, of mattering, of meaning in a world seemingly so devoid of it if you don't fit in the traditional sense. So it was in TV series Sons of Anarchy and in Australian film 1%, two titles set within the roar and rush of biker gangs in recent years. So it was in The Wild One, 1953's Marlon Brando-starring classic that immortalised the query "what are you rebelling against?" and the reply "whaddaya got?". Now, so it equally proves in The Bikeriders, about a 60s and 70s leather- and denim-wearing, motorbike-riding crew formed after infatuation got motors runnin' when founder Johnny (Tom Hardy, Venom: Let There Be Carnage) saw The Wild One on TV. A family man, Johnny has a dream for the Vandals MC out of America's midwest — and so does Benny (Austin Butler, Dune: Part Two), the closest thing that the club has to a spirit animal. The latter is introduced alone at a bar wearing his colours, refusing to take them off even when violence springs at the hands of unwelcoming patrons. He won't be tamed, the sixth feature from writer/director Jeff Nichols after Shotgun Stories, Take Shelter, Mud, Midnight Special and Loving establishes early. He won't be anyone but his smouldering, swaggering, rebel-without-a-cause self, either. Courtesy of the Vandals, he not only has the space to stand firm, but the assurance. He's a lone wolf-type, but knows that he has the devoted backing of the pack anyway. Johnny has fashioned the gang as a tribe and a place to call home for those who can't locate it elsewhere, and is open about how his fellow bikers need Benny — and how he does as well — to look up to. The Bikeriders streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Austin Butler. Twisters A cinema plays a key part in Twisters. Frankenstein flickers across its screen, but mother nature proves not only more of a monster, but also an audience member worse than folks who can't manage to spend two hours in a darkened room without their phones. There's a knowing air to featuring a picture palace in this disaster-flick sequel from Minari director Lee Isaac Chung and The Boys in the Boat screenwriter Mark L Smith, reminding viewers how deeply this genre and this format are linked. Almost three decades ago, as co-penned by Michael Crichton fresh off Jurassic Park's mammoth success, 1996's Twister packed movie theatres worldwide to the tune of nearly half-a-billion dollars, doing so with a spectacle. No matter if its sequel reaches the same heights at the box office globally, it too delivers better-on-the-big-screen sights, chief among them Chung and cinematographer Dan Mindel's (Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker) naturalistic imagery. For those unaware going in that the filmmaker behind six-time Oscar contender Minari — a helmer who received a Best Director Academy Award nomination for his gorgeous and heartfelt work, in fact — is also steering Twisters, it isn't hard to guess from its look, including in its opening moments alone. The movie begins with storm chasers doing what they enthusiastically do. It also kicks off with a horror turn of events thanks to a tornado that exceeds their expectations, and with the crew's survivors afterwards struggling with trauma that'll later drive them forward. In these scenes and beyond, this isn't a picture of visual gloss and sheen, as witnessed right down to its lighting. Twisters remains polished, of course. It also can't tell its tale without CGI. But a choice as pivotal as valuing a genuine aesthetic tone over a gleaming one has a massive impact. Twisters streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos and Lee Isaac Chung. Inside Out 2 They're basic: joy, sadness, fear, disgust and anger, that is, the five emotions that swirled inside human heads in Pixar's 2015 hit Inside Out. In nine-years-later follow-up Inside Out 2, that quintet of feelings isn't enough to cope with being a teenager, which is where anxiety, envy, ennui and embarrassment come in. The newcomers arrive with the onset of puberty, literally overnight. They have no time for simple happiness; they've levelled up some of the emotions adjacent to sorrow, fright, dismay and fury, too. Although its now 13-year-old protagonist Riley Andersen (Kensington Tallman, Summer Camp) isn't actively choosing how to manage her feelings because her feelings themselves are doing that for her, Inside Out was always an all-ages ode to mindfulness, as is its sequel — and discovering how to accept and acknowledge apprehension, unease and nerves is here, like in life, a complicated balancing act. In the Inside Out world, feelings are characters, led in Riley's noggin by the radiant Joy — who, with Amy Poehler (Moxie) shining with Leslie Knope-esque positivity in the voice-acting part, is one of Pixar's best-ever cast figures. In an ideal inner world, they all get along. But workplace comedy-style, getting viewers thinking about Parks and Recreation again, that's never the case. Joy, Sadness (Phyllis Smith, Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar), Fear (Tony Hale, Quiz Lady), Disgust (Liza Lapira, The Equalizer) and Anger (Lewis Black, The Last Laugh) have their routine down pat when Inside Out 2 kicks off. They can handle everything from high-stakes hockey games, complete with a stint in the sin bin, through to learning that Riley's best friends Grace (Grace Lu, Fight Krewe) and Bree (debutant Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green) will be going to a different high school. Then their status quo is upended by the Inside Out equivalent of new colleagues storming in. Inside Out 2 streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. A Quiet Place: Day One There seems little that could be utopian about an alien invasion film where people are picked off by hulking, spider-limbed, lightning-fast, armour-clad creatures who punish every sound with almost-instant death, but prequel A Quiet Place: Day One makes the opening status quo of horror franchise-starter A Quiet Place look positively idyllic. If you're forced to try to survive an extra-terrestrial attack, where better to be than at your well-appointed farmland home with your family, as the John Krasinski (IF)-helmed and -starring 2018 feature depicted? Most folks, including the third movie in the saga's protagonist Samira (Lupita Nyong'o, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), a terminal cancer patient with just a service cat called Frodo left as kin, can only dream of being that lucky — not that there's much time for fantasising about a better way to be conquered by otherworldly monsters when what looks like meteors start crashing down to earth. Samira is in hospice care as the A Quiet Place big-screen series, which also spans 2021 release A Quiet Place Part II, steps back to the moment that its apocalyptic scenario begins in New York. She hugs her black-and-white feline companion like letting go would untether her from life even before existence as the planet knows it changes forever — when she's sharing surly poems among other patients, being convinced to attend a group excursion to see a marionette show and, when the promise of pizza on the way home is nixed, telling kindly nurse Reuben (Alex Wolff, Oppenheimer) that he's not actually her friend. Written and directed by Pig filmmaker Michael Sarnoski, A Quiet Place: Day One explores the ground-zero experience for someone who feels so alone in this world and connected only to her devoted pet, and also answers a question: how do those on more than two feet react when the worst that humans can imagine occurs? A Quiet Place: Day One streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. In a Violent Nature Again and again, fans of slasher films have seen the one about the unhinged murderer butchering teen victims. They've seen more than one, in fact. It's a horror convention: take a bunch of young adults, then dispense with them person by person as a killer works through childhood trauma. Penning and helming his first feature — his short Z Is for Zygote was included in The ABCs of Death 2, and he did special effects work on Psycho Goreman, too — writer/director Chris Nash knows the basics of his chosen genre as much as any other diehard viewer. He's just as aware of the great, and greatly influential, flicks gone by such as Halloween and Friday the 13th. He's well-versed in their tropes in storytelling and in form alike. Making his full-length debut with a picture called In a Violent Nature, he's also clued up on what happens when someone sinister gets a-stalking in scenic surroundings. Plot-wise, Nash isn't trying to break the mould with his account of Johnny (Ry Barrett, Massacre at Femur Creek) and the folks who are unlucky enough to fall across his path. But the filmmaker asks a question: what if a rampaging slaughterer's terrors came not with a score heralding their every menacing move (even when those tunes can become iconic, as John Carpenter's Halloween music has), but with the ordinary silence of everyday life in nature punctuated only by noises just as commonplace, and then by the sounds of a killer at their insidious worst? In its imagery, In a Violent Nature adds another query: what if the audience wasn't biding its time with those likely to perish, tension dripping from not knowing when and where the murderer would strike, but was stuck at the side of the force causing such gruesome mayhem as the inevitable approaches? There's seldom any escape from a slasher; however, Nash finds a new way to take that idea literally. In a Violent Nature streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. The Promised Land The transfixing terrain of Mads Mikkelsen's face has been cast against formidably frosty and inhospitable climes before, weathering mirroring weathering. Sporting a piercing and determined glint in his eye, the Danish acting great has previously surveyed the Scandinavian landscape, too, seeing possibility where others spot peril. It was true in Arctic, in Valhalla Rising and now in The Promised Land: there's no stare as mesmerisingly resolute as his. When Ludvig Kahlen, Mikkelsen's latest character, insists that he can do what no one else has done — to begin with: settling the heath on the heather-covered Jutland moorland and building a colony for the king, a feat considered virtually impossible in the mid-18th century — doubting him isn't a possibility for anyone in the movie's audience. The BAFTA-nominated Another Round star has danced in historical drama territory for his countryman director Nikolaj Arcel in the past as well, with the pair reteaming after 2012's Oscar-nominated A Royal Affair. A different king sits on the throne in this film, Frederick V instead of Christian VII; however, the regal shadow remains inescapable. This time, Mikkelsen and Arcel tell not of a doctor influencing a monarch and a country, but of a soldier aligning his quest for a better future with a sovereign's wish, and learning what it means to chase a dream only to realise that you need something less tangible. Kahlen's attempt to farm land considered barren is equally a battle against entitlement and arrogance thanks to his clash with Frederik de Schinkel (Simon Bennebjerg, Borgen), a cruel local magistrate who contends that the king's land is his own — and feels far enough away from Copenhagen for there not to be any consequences for his claim. The Promised Land streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. The Taste of Things Cooking is an act of precision. It's also one of feeling. On the movie that nabbed him the Best Director award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, Trần Anh Hùng (Éternité, Norwegian Wood) helms with the same care, spirit and emotion that his characters display in the kitchen. The Taste of Things' audience has a front-row seat to both, as this 1885-set French picture begins with dishes upon dishes being whipped up and the feature's gaze, via cinematographer Jonathan Ricquebourg (Final Cut), lenses their creation intimately and sumptuously. The film's extraordinary opening 30 minutes-plus, as the camera is trained on the stove and counter with slight detours around the room to collect or wash ingredients, is meticulously crafted and at the same time instinctual. Think: the sensations of observing the finest of fine-dining chefs and being a child watching your grandmother make culinary magic, as nearly every kid has, all rolled into one appetising introductory sequence. In the home of gourmand Dodin Bouffant (Benoît Magimel, The King of Algiers), and in its heart, his personal chef Eugénie (Juliette Binoche, The New Look) is so skilled and fastidious that she'd do small-screen hit The Bear proud; she's clearly a conjurer of the culinary arts, too. Hùng and Ricquebourg — the latter a well-deserving Lumiere Award-winner for his efforts here — are methodical with the choreography of setting the scene, while equally deeply immersed in the flow of the kitchen's tasks. As soundtracked by chirping birds, if this was The Taste of Things for 135 minutes and not just half an hour-ish, it'd remain a mesmerising movie. (A word of warning: eat before viewing, lest hunger pangs not just simmer but boil over.) Adapting 1924 novel The Passionate Epicure: La Vie et la Passion de Dodin-Bouffant, Gourmet by epicure Marcel Rouff as he scripts and directs, Hùng does more than fashion among the most-handsomely staged and shot imagery of a meal coming to life, but his approach to this entrée establishes the flavour. The Taste of Things streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Looking for more viewing options? Take a look at our monthly streaming recommendations across new straight-to-digital films and TV shows — and fast-tracked highlights from January, February, March, April, May, June and July 2024 (and also January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December 2023, too). We keep a running list of must-stream TV from across 2024 as well, complete with full reviews. And, we've also rounded up 2024's 15 best films, 15 best new TV shows, 15 best returning TV shows and 15 best straight-to-streaming movies from the first half of the year. Also, here's 2023's 15 best films, 15 best straight-to-streaming movies, 15 top flicks hardly anyone saw, 30 other films to catch up with, 15 best new TV series of 2023, another 15 excellent new TV shows that you might've missed and 15 best returning shows as well.
Gone are the days of schlepping heaving bags of soggy bread and warm, subpar booze to the middle of nowhere just for a bit of greenery. These days there's fantastic grub to be procured just around the corner from every good picnic park in the city, from European-style delis just a stone's throw from your favourite patch of grass to perfectly positioned cafes within easy reach of harbourside parks. Why go out of your way to visit a supermarket, when there's excellent produce at these local eateries and shops? We've put together a collection of our favourite booze-friendly Sydney parks and the best places nearby to grab supplies. With help from French vodka Grey Goose, we've also picked out the best cocktails to make at home before joining your friends at the park. They'll put some real punch into your picnic party. [caption id="attachment_753757" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW; James Horan[/caption] PIRRAMA PARK Get snacks from: Clementine's Pirrama Park has everything: a beautiful, Californian-style boardwalk right on the water, barbecues, parking spaces, toilets, long stretches of grass and views both east and west. It'll have you feeling oh-so-smug about our city. Right on the edge of Pyrmont, the harbourside park is minutes away from Clementine's, where you can pick up picnic snacks like the croissant cheese toastie with mortadella. Before you leave the house, prepare a pitcher of Grey Goose Summer Lemonade. The passionfruit and vodka cocktail will pair well with the cheesy sambos and you'll appreciate Sydney's summer glory with views of the Harbour and Anzac Bridge in one spot. In Pirrama Park and neighbouring Giba Park you're permitted to drink alcohol between 10am–10pm, except on New Year's Eve. [caption id="attachment_747894" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW; Daniel Boud[/caption] PARRAMATTA PARK Get snacks from: Circa Espresso Parramatta Park is an understated gem of Sydney's west. The tranquil riverside park features the elegant Old Government House and a host of traditional gazebos tailor-made for picnics. Load up on Circa Espresso's house-made focaccia with harissa cashew butter before you head to the park, and before the kitchen closes at 2pm. Circa has sticky chais, rosehip iced teas and its own handcrafted hot chocolates to take away, but if you want to level up the alfresco party with a little booze, we suggest making a Grey Goose Lychee Breeze (vodka, passionfruit syrup, lime juice, lychee puree and soda) at home for your friends. [caption id="attachment_640891" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberley Low[/caption] CAMPERDOWN MEMORIAL REST PARK Get snacks from: Continental Deli or Black Star Pastry There is no park in Sydney quite like Camperdown Memorial Rest Park — pouch-friendly, lots of open space, and it's a popular place for Sunday picnics (you can drink there between 9am–9pm). Given its proximity to Newtown, we suggest stopping off at Continental Deli to stock up; mortadella is $10 from the shop and you have your pick of cheese from Bay of Fires cheddar to a French Brillat-Savarin. Or go the whole hog with a cheese and charcuterie board for $50. For dessert, head to Black Star Pastry for Japanese forest cake with matcha moss, it's great for the 'gram and the gothic vibe matches the park. Pair your goods with a classic cocktail; make your group a Grey Goose Le Grand Fizz and watch the sunsetting on an inner west pastime. DUNBAR PARK Get snacks from: La Banette Set high over Avalon Beach, Dunbar Park is one of the Northern Beaches' prime seaside picnic spots, full of monstrous pines to keep you cool with easy access to the beach and the bohemian Avalon village. To really fit in, bring your own gourmet Grey Goose Rosé Spritz and grab some universally loved pastries from La Banette. It's tempting to reach for any number of sweet treats here, and if you can beat the hordes of locals for a Danish then power to you, but La Banette's unsung glory is its daily selection of mini quiches. [caption id="attachment_751503" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberley Low[/caption] ASHFIELD PARK Get snacks from: Outfield Ashfield Park is a picture-perfect example of Aussie outdoor culture; the park has centuries-old trees, there's a strong community that tends to the park's veggie garden, and there's a thriving bowlo. The best part is the old palm trees that give the inner west suburb a taste of the tropics, providing heaps of shade for you to nurse a couple of Grey Goose Coconut Coolers and absolutely stuff your face with pumpkin loaf and whipped ricotta, a specialty sweet-savoury snack from the close-by (and newly opened) cafe Outfield. Though you're permitted to drink booze in Ashfield Park in the day, make sure you're all packed up by 9pm. [caption id="attachment_677689" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] BICENTENNIAL PARK Get snacks from: Tramsheds Bicentennial Park is less a stretch of grass and more like its own utopian village of greenery. It's the best place to seek refuge from the claustrophobia of urban living without having to trek too far — plus, there are harbour views towards the Anzac Bridge and the city. Set around a serene lake, with winding paths and vast, open fields, Bicentennial is the kind of place you could spend a whole day, so stop off at Forest Lodge's Tramsheds for a good haul before you set up. For us, this has to include some spicy chicken sambos from Belles Hot Chicken, throw in a few Grey Goose Spiked Ice Teas for that southern barbecue feel and your picnic party is complete. Bicentennial Park is a timed alcohol prohibited zone, so you can drink here between 10am–10pm. [caption id="attachment_753658" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Centennial Parklands/Flickr[/caption] CENTENNIAL PARKLANDS Get snacks from: Simon Johnson Providore or Maloney's Opened in 1888 by Sir Henry Parkes, Centennial Park is the largest public green space in the city and though millions of people visit the park each year you can easily find a patch of green that feels private. To make it a truly delectable affair, splurge on the Perfect Picnic hamper from Simon Johnson Providore in Woollahra before you head to the park, or pick up some of the best bagels in the eastern suburbs from Woollahra's or Surry Hills' Maloney's organic bakery. For a French spin on a Spanish classic, make a batch of Grey Goose French Sangria cocktails to take with you. You can drink alcohol in Centennial Parklands, but be a good citizen and take your bottles home for recycling – and don't drink in any prohibited zones. Upgrade your summer picnic by choosing premium vodka Grey Goose. Each bottle is distilled in France, and the high quality vodka has a 100-percent traceable production process, from crop to cork.
Phil Wood, an ex-Executive Chef of Rockpool for eight years and previous Culinary Director of Mornington Peninsula's much-loved Pt. Leo Estate, has opened a new venture in Paddington. Initially announced back in May, Wood's first independent restaurant is named after one of his family members who lived in Paddington. Ursula's is a bistro that showcases Wood's exciting approach to dining while centring staples of modern Australian cuisine. Highlights from the bistro include snapper, dressed with a Keen's Curry vinaigrette; margra lamb rump with brussel sprouts and mint sauce; a strawberry and coconut flummery; and golden syrup dumplings, served alongside a rum, raisin and malt cream. You'll also find beef carpaccio on the menu. The dish, served with makrut lime and parmesan, is a tribute to a beloved menu item from Darcy's, the famed Italian restaurant that occupied the site of Ursula's for nearly 40 years. The venue looks to pay homage to Australian dining and the storied history of the building it occupies. 92 Hargrave Street has housed several other chefs throughout its lifetime. The building was originally built in the late 19th century as a house and shop, and in its first half-century, it was run as a pub and a grocer. D'Arcy Glover was the first restaurateur to take up residency with a Swiss eatery in 1968 before Attilio Marinangeli and Aldo Zuzza took over in 1975 with the opening of Darcy's Restaurant. The most recent restaurant to occupy the corner building was Guillaume Brahimi's flagship Sydney restaurant Guillaume. Brahimi made the dramatic move to Paddington in 2013 after running Guillaume out of the Sydney Opera House for over a decade. While the restaurant didn't last on Hargrave Street, Brahimi went on to take over fellow Paddington venue Four in the Hand and opened a Guillaume in the CBD. "It is an honour to be opening in a building with such a strong dining history that goes back over 50 years. These corner sites dotted throughout Paddington are so special and part of what makes the suburb a vibrant part of Sydney's story," Wood said when the venue was first announced. The restaurant is the work of Wood and his wife Lis Davies who will be joined by John Laureti (Pt. Leo Estate, Rockpool) and Luke Cawsey (Saint Peter, Rockpool) in the kitchen, and Restaurant Manager Emily Towson (Fred's, Kepos & Co, Sixpenny). Inside the building, you'll find a classically fitted and welcoming dining space created in collaboration with Melbourne-based designer Brahman Perera. "Lis and I are absolutely thrilled to finally share our little restaurant with our neighbours and Sydney," said Wood. "We can't wait to see people enjoying long lunches in the beautiful dining room, and families and friends celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and just the joy of once again being together." Ursula's Paddington is open at 92 Hargrave Street, Paddington. It's open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday–Saturday. Images: Nikki To
Sydney's seeing a lot of change from today. With NSW's latest eased restrictions coming into effect, a selection of normal, everyday activities that have been off the cards since March are permissible once again. Restaurants are reopening for dine-in service, bootcamps are resuming and you can now have five mates round, picnic in a park and — despite dropping temperatures — dive into an outdoor pool. All while social distancing, of course. So, if you prefer a swim over running or yoga in your living room, it's time to get the goggles ready. Over the past month, Sydney beaches have gradually been reopening for swimming, surfing and sand running. Now, with ocean pools open for exercise once again, you can swim some laps between the coast and the mighty Pacific, without the risk of rips (or sharks). There are restrictions in place though, with only ten people allowed in a pool at any one time. There are over 100 ocean pools lining the NSW coastline — and Sydney is home to some of the most stunning among them. Although you can now travel however far you need to do essential services (including exercise), you can't go on an overnight trip — so it's best to stay local. So, which ocean pools can you swim in? We've broken it down. The below information is correct as of Friday, May 15. We'll update as any new announcements are made. [caption id="attachment_703447" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] EASTERN SUBURBS As of Friday, May 15, Randwick Council has reopened most of its pools, including Coogee's Giles Baths, Ivor Rowe Rockpool and Ross Jones Memorial Pool, Clovelly's Geoff James Pool, Mahon Pool in Maroubra and Malabar Ocean Pool. Wylie's Baths and McIver's Ladies Baths remain closed. The council is encouraging swimmers to practice social distancing, good hygiene and are limiting numbers to ten people at a time. https://twitter.com/RandwickCouncil/status/1260470685346017281 Waverley Council is reopening its ocean pools with an anticipate ten-person limit, too. This includes North Bondi Children's Pool and Bronte Baths. Bondi's famed Icebergs remains closed. As of Wednesday, May 6, Woollahra Municipal Council reopened its harbourside pools — Murray Rose Pool (Redleaf) and Watson Bay Baths — with 'Swim & Go' measures. [caption id="attachment_663542" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bilgola Beach by Paros Huckstepp[/caption] NORTHERN BEACHES On the northern beaches, all ocean and harbour pools have reopened to swimmers (with restrictions), including rock pools at Bilgola, North Curl Curl, South Curl Curl, Avalon, Collaroy, Freshwater, Mona Vale, Newport, Palm Beach, Whale Beach, Queenscliff, North Narabeen, Fairlight and Dee Why. The Manly and Warringah Aquatic Centres are opening for swimming in outdoor pools only, with a limit of one person per lane up to a maximum of ten people. To ensure this, a booking system will be introduced. SOUTH SYDNEY Sutherland Shire is gradually reopening some services and facilities, including outdoor pools such as Cronulla Rock Pool and the pool at Oak Park Beach. For updates, check in here. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Top image: Bronte Baths, Paros Huckstepp
