Sunset Cinema is a world away from the stuffy theatres you're used to. Nothing smells of stale popcorn and there are no pimply fifteen year olds trying to upsell choc tops. Instead, IMB Sunset Cinema invites you to enjoy a movie in the wilderness. Or, at least a kind of comparative wilderness for us in the inner suburbs. Kicking off on November 7 at the Lizard Log Amphitheatre in the Western Sydney Parklands, Sunset Cinema will be showing three movies a week until early December. These will range from new releases (Gone Girl, This Is Where I Leave You, Fury) to old, guilty pleasures (Dirty Dancing, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). To make the evening perfect, you can hire beanbags, or bring along some squishy chairs to stretch out on. Picnic food can be brought from home or, for the lazier among us, gourmet pies will be available courtesy of The Baker & The Builder in North Parramatta. There's also a candy bar on site featuring all the old favourites. Quenching the thirst the only way that an icy summer cider can, a fully licensed bar will also be in operation for the duration of the program. FYI: Friday nights are family nights so, if you want to avoid screaming children, maybe opt for a Thursday or Saturday session. The IMB Sunset Cinema will be open for good times from November 7 until the December 6. Movies start at 6.30pm each Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Check out the full program and buy tickets here.
UPDATE: Originally scheduled for Saturday, November 25, 2023, Hot Jazz Picnic has been postponed until Saturday, February 10, 2024. Gather any jazz fans in your life to join you for the debut of Sydney's latest live music offering — Hot Jazz Picnic. Picture a spread of vibey musicians playing throughout the afternoon, attendees dressed in vibrant summer outfits and a wide range of luxe food and drink options, all with the backdrop of Sydney Harbour. That's the essence of Hot Jazz Picnic, which comes to Lyne Park in Rose Bay on Saturday, February 10, 2024, from 12pm—8pm. The jazz comes to play with Harry James Angus, Dan Barnett Big Band with special guest Emma Pask, Katie Thorne, The Vampires, Brekky Boy, Kate Wadey, The Morrisons, Ruby Jackson, all hosted by comedy duo Sketchshe. [caption id="attachment_926238" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Anton Rehrl[/caption] Spread out across the park and enjoy the jazz alongside lawn games, a gin garden, a pop-up bar from Pommery Champagne and an artisanal food market. On the food front, look for Mary's, Sonoma Bakery, Ta Ta Ta pizza, Rock Oyster Depot, Tuckerbox and the famous Mapo Gelato truck on site. To up the luxury, pre-purchase a premium (and exclusive) 'Keep Picnic' pack from Business and Pleasure, or book VIP tickets to access the Pommery Champagne bar and bar-to-blanket food and drink service throughout the day. And perhaps most importantly, the dress code is 'colour-block chic', and the best dressed get some extra goodies to take home. Hot Jazz Picnic comes to Lyne Park on Saturday, February 10, 2024, from 12pm to 8pm. The event is supported by Create NSW and Woollahra Council, and $1 from every ticket goes to support OzHarvest. Kids under 12 come free. For more information and to book tickets, visit the website.
Thanks to the wonders of smartphones and dating apps, making connections has never been easier — and that now includes swiping your way to new pals. Launching in Melbourne this week, social media network Hobspot uses location-based services to connect like-minded people via their shared interests. That's right, there's finally a Tinder for making mates. Hobspot's co-founders Sam Ethell and Alfonso Ordonez met in a bar in 2014 and bonded over a mutual love basketball. Their friendship is what inspired them to create an app that would make it easier for people to connect and bond over shared interests, just like they did. Aaaawww, cute. The Hobspot smartphone app is available on iOS and Android. It has an easy to use interface, allowing users to create a profile, select their interests and start finding folks with the same hobbies to hang out with in their local area. Don't worry — there are hundreds of interests to choose from, including camping, sailing, bike riding, chess, movies, arts and crafts, and more. Whatever you like to do, now it's easy to find a friend to do it with. Ethell and Ordonez believe that for people moving to a new city, in particular international students, Hobspot could be a real game changer. The other major demographic they believe could greatly benefit from the app is recent parents. "Priorities change dramatically for this demographic and current friendships can be hard to maintain if you're the first person in your friend circle to have kids," they stated. Whoever you are, Hobspot breaks down the barriers that exist on other social media networks, allowing you the opportunity to make genuine friendships — and, while female friend-matching app hey! VINA has been bringing ladies together since early 2016, Hobspot is open to all genders. So, if you are looking to break outside of your regular social bubble this weekend, Hobspot might be the answer. Your new best bud could be waiting just around the corner. For more information on Hobspot, download it for iOS or Android, or head to the app website.
It just got real dark in Sydney. And in Sydney in summer, that only means one thing: a storm is coming. So if you're currently reading this from somewhere dry, warm and cosy, we suggest that you keep it that way for the rest of the afternoon. After a slew of shorts storms over the last week (and last night), another one is heading our way for at least the next few hours. And not just any old wet weather, either. At 4pm today, The Bureau of Meteorology reported that heavy rainfall is on its way to Sydney, which "may lead to flash flooding, damaging locally destructive winds and large, possibly giant hailstones". A severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for Sydney, with south Sydney, the Sutherland Shire, Campbelltown and the south coast set to be the worst hit. https://twitter.com/BOM_NSW/status/1075619880790093825 The wild weather looks to ease later tonight. At the moment, public transport looks to be running on time and no major roads have flooded, but this could change as peak hour is about to hit. Stay dry out there. And remember to check Live Traffic, Transport Info and BOM for warnings and updates. Image: Live Traffic NSW.
Black Friday sparks flight sales. Cyber Monday does, too. And when Boxing Day hits, everyone knows that cheap airfares are also a part of the occasion. Fancy a travel bargain in-between? Qantas is doing a pre-Christmas sale, so you can give the gift of getaways — including to yourself. There's 800,000-plus cheap seats on offer, spanning over 170 domestic routes, with flights to 17 destinations available for under $150 one way. The starting price: $109, which will get you either from Sydney to Byron Bay/Ballina or Melbourne to Launceston (and vice versa on each route). Flights from Brisbane to Proserpine on the Whitsunday Coast start at $115, while fares between the Gold Coast and Sydney kick off at $119. If you're keen to journey between Melbourne and Newcastle or Brisbane and Hervey Bay, flights start at $129. Specials on the Sydney–Brisbane route begin at $139, as do Cairns–Townsville and Coffs Harbour–Sydney legs. Other sale options include Melbourne–Hobart for $159, Brisbane–Hamilton Island from $179, Perth–Sydney from $309 and Darwin from both Sydney and Melbourne from $329. The list of destinations and departure points also spans Kangaroo Island, Mackay, Tamworth, Toowoomba, Albury, Port Macquarie, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo, Mildura, Broken Hill, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Whyalla, Longreach, Broome and more. [caption id="attachment_688401" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Vivonne Bar/SA Tourism Commission[/caption] You'll be able to travel between Monday, February, 3–Thursday, April 3 and Tuesday, April 29–Wednesday, June 25, ranging across summer, autumn and winter trips, although the specifics vary per destination — as always. If you're keen, you'll need to get in before 11.59pm AEDT on Thursday, December 12, 2024. And yes, the usual caveat applies: if fares sell out earlier, you'll miss out. Inclusions-wise, the sale covers fares with checked baggage, complimentary food and beverages, and wifi. [caption id="attachment_928567" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tasmania, Luke Tscharke[/caption] Qantas' 'The sale before Christmas' runs until 11.59pm AEDT on Thursday, December 12, 2024, or until sold out. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
The Guinness World Book of Records has some pretty obscure (and oddly specific) entries. The longest distance keeping a table lifted with teeth and the most swallowed sword are really just a scratch on the surface of this weird things people will put themselves through in pursuit of a record. This year will be the year that Sydney gets in on the action – through drinking beer. On Friday, August 1, beer blogger The Beer Pilgrim will be hosting a free beer tasting session, in the hope of attaining the coveted title of 'largest beer tasting in a single venue', in commemoration of International Beer Day. The current record is held in Santa Anita Park in California with a total of 322 participants. In an attempt to outdo this record, the first 350 arrivals between 6pm-7pm will be privy to their own tasting paddle with three local and international beers. All for free! The competition will be held in Ivy Sunroom: Level 3, 330 George Street. Because if there's one thing Australian's take great pride in - it’s the consumption of beer. Lots and lots of beer.
We've all been there. You are walking through Ikea, looking for that green flower print pillow cover or flexible floor lamp, when you somehow get lost in the kitchen section. Well, now you have a way out, thanks to Google Maps for Android. Google has expanded its cartography and announced that it is moving into the great Australian indoors. So now when you step off the street into the gargantuan megaplexes that house the biggest thing to come out of Sweden since ABBA, you no longer have to look silly asking for directions at every turn. More than 200 other iconic indoor locations across Australia have also been mapped, including Flinders Street Station, Sydney Opera House and Crown Casino in Melbourne, as well as many Westfield shopping centres. The bulk of the sites are in New South Wales and Victoria, but Adelaide Airport and Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre proudly represent their respective states and many more locations are on their way. The technology largely relies on local wi-fi networks and is currently only available on Android devices. No news of if or when the technology will be available for iPhone users. So if you're on Android, find your way indoors and head straight to that Gronkulla.
If you could create the ultimate Australian outdoor festival destination, what would it look like? Waterfalls? Summer gardens, blossoming with natives? Beautifully landscaped rockeries? Mount Penang Gardens has it all. That's why they're home to the Central Coast's newest festival: Mountain Sounds. On Saturday, March 15, twenty-five home-grown music acts, gourmet food stalls and practising artists will converge on the gardens' eight hectares for a sustainably produced, boutique cultural experience. Both locals and travellers-from-afar comprise the line-up. From the Central Coast, there'll be eclectic indie band Sea Legs, alt rockers Elliot the Bull and Terrigal's The Lazys. Sydney is sending in reggae-garage-surf rock group Tropical Zombies, lo-wave duo Buzz Kull, distinctive, lyrical rock outfit Thieves and SOUSEME DJs, amongst others. Hailing from Melbourne is high-energy four-piece World's End Press. Other big names on the menu include Emma Louise, Ball Park Music, Midnight Juggernauts (DJ set) and Beni. Mountain Sounds is on March 15 at Mount Penang Parklands, and thanks to Mountain Sounds, we have one double pass to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address.
Remember back in the '90s when people went crazy for Tamagotchis? They'd take them around in their backpack, forget about them for a couple of hours only to be greeted with a screen full of faeces and a terribly unhappy looking electronic friend. The Domsai is like a Tamagotchi for your desk, minus the annoying electronic beeps and constant need for attention. Designed and created by Matteo Cibic, each Domsai has its own personality. Handmade, blown and individually created to suit your aesthetic needs, they come in both white and gold, and are available for adoption now. Although they will set you back €100, the cactuses within require practically no upkeep and are so Art Deco right now.
The Intern is one of those films that’s not easily labelled. It absolutely feels like a romcom, especially with writer/director Nancy Meyers at the helm (responsible for the likes of Father of the Bride and It's Complicated), but there’s not really any romance in it to speak of. It’s also a funny film, though you’d fall short of calling it a comedy, and it consistently packs in the feels, only there are too many lighter moments for it to be an out-and-out drama. Ultimately, whether by chance or design, The Intern's indeterminate status actually offers us a neat reflection of the story within it, for this is a story about two individuals — the ‘retiree’ and the ‘working mum’ — both grappling with the expectations and misconceptions that accompany those characterisations. De Niro, the retiree, is a 70-something widower without a purpose. Intelligent, polite and openly uncomfortable with inaction, his character Ben Whittaker applies for (and secures) a place in a senior’s intern program at fashion tech startup About the Fit. Anne Hathaway, the ‘working mum’, is the company’s 30-something founder and CEO, Jules Ostin. Passionate and driven but overworked, Jules is fending off shareholder insistence that she hire a ‘proper’ CEO while simultaneously struggling to keep her family together on account of her relentless schedule and the restless ‘stay-at-home dad’ (another unhelpful label) waiting at home. When De Niro is assigned to be Hathaway’s personal intern, their initially uncomfortable partnership soon develops into an indispensable friendship: he the calming influence on her, and she his newfound sense of purpose. The early scenes in The Intern are enough to give serious pause. De Niro’s ‘old guy in a young person’s tech world’ shtick had the potential to be incredibly hammy, and moments like not knowing how to wake up his laptop or use a USB did not augur well for avoiding the tired ‘analog meets digital’ cliche. Hathaway’s character, too, was immediately unlikeable, wearing her wireless headset and riding her fixed-gear bicycle through the office from meeting to meeting. Thankfully, though, neither concern plays out for long. De Niro’s reserve — that trademark smile and gentle nod that has traditionally masked violent intent — works perfectly as a juxtaposition to the madness of the Gen Y workplace around him. His old-school approach to both work and life endears him to all, as he offers advice from fashion and accessories through to putting down the phone and actually talking to people. Similarly, as soon as Hathaway’s pristine veneer reveals its vulnerabilities, she becomes at once an entirely sympathetic character and a surprisingly cogent representation of the unresolved workplace gender debate. In many ways, The Intern plays out like an adaption of Annabel Crabb’s The Wife Drought or Unfinished Business by Anne-Marie Slaughter, the first female director of policy planning at the US State Department and author of the controversial ‘Why Women Still Can’t Have It All’ essay in the Atlantic. Both these texts highlight the difficulties and hypocrisies surrounding successful women in the workplace, including why we never hear the label ‘working dad’, and — at its heart — this is what The Intern ultimately concerns itself with. There are plenty of laughs along the way, as well as some admittedly saccharine scenes, but mostly this is a heartwarming tale of friendship and a constructive engagement with feminism and gender inequality.
Whether you're a Marshmallow or just a soul naturally curious about one of the most high-profile Kickstarter success stories around, you'll be happy to learn that the new Veronica Mars movie will be made available to rent or buy online on March 14 — the same day it hits cinemas in the US. Usually, there's at least a 90-day window between theatrical and DVD or VOD releases, but Warner Bros. is in a position to bypass it this time around, since they don't have a standard distribution deal and are instead renting the theatres that will screen the movie. They see a big market in couch-dwelling non-cinemagoers for this TV-to-film crossover, and they're tapping it. It's just one more way Veronica Mars is doing things differently. After becoming the most widely supported Kickstarter campaign in history with more than 91,000 backers, it has kept fans involved in the process throughout and will make its world premiere at SXSW on March 8. The Australian digital release date has not yet been confirmed, but it seems possible it'll be March 14 here too, and Moviehole is reporting it as so. You can preorder the movie on iTunes, or wait for a definite date before you plan your downloading strategy. As for whether anyone else is listening to consumer requests for timely, legal, convenient access to content, it's not looking so good. https://youtube.com/watch?v=wq1R93UMqlk
Theatre company Belvoir has made itself the hero of children, grown-ups, and welfare advocates alike by announcing its new production of Peter Pan will be free for families on Newstart. Belvoir's initiative is a big thumb-of-the-nose to the Federal Government, who on January 1 reduced the benefit available to single-parent families by moving them from the parenting payment to Newstart. It's attracted extra ire since Families Minister Jenny Macklin claimed she could live on Newstart, which is currently just $35 a day. "At Belvoir we think theatre is a necessity, but we know that for a lot of families it is a luxury, especially for single parent families," Belvoir said in a statement. "We'd like to share the joy of theatre with some of these families." Peter Pan, which opens tomorrow, is a perfect family show that comes complete with an ensemble cast of theatre's cheekiest. The poster boy for never-ending youth with the sociable habit of flying into strangers' windows will be played by Meyne Wyatt, who has brought a contagious energy to each show he's done from Silent Disco to Buried City and was most recently seen in the hit film The Sapphires. Charlie Garber, John Leary, and Geraldine Hakewill are his allies in Neverlandian adventure. The team claims to have been struck by the strange, wholly un-Disney-like quality of JM Barrie's original text, which is what they'll be bringing to the fore in their adaptation. The undertaking is helmed by artistic director Ralph Myers with Tommy Murphy as dramaturg — sure hands at plotting a course past the second star to the right and straight on till morning. The free tickets to Peter Pan are limited and can be secured by getting in touch with Belvoir.
Shipping container cafes and eateries might be on trend at the moment; however, as always, New York is a step ahead of the latest fashions. While the city that never sleeps has boasted its own four-storey shipping container house since 2013, the tiny abode is now opening its doors to Airbnb bookings. If you have a spare US$297 per night at the time of writing, you can get some shuteye in NYC's first (legal) home built entirely of recycled shipping containers, which you'll find on the other side of the East River in Williamsburg. Guests can stay in a self-contained private container apartment on the ground floor and enjoy what the hosts are calling "sustainable, comfortable, wonderful living". It might seem like a gimmick, but don't be fooled by the 8 foot by 40 foot home's compact dimensions. As your mum probably told you, good things come in small packages. Inside, you'll find everything you could need for a night away, including a wall full of books and boardgames, plus a kitchenette. As well as a full-size bed, the space also features a sofa bed, so four people can spend the night. As for the entire architect-designed structure itself, it was made out of six containers, is insulated by NASA ceramic-infused paint, and has two roof decks on top for outdoor entertaining fun. If you want to see more, the owners live on the second and third levels, and are happy to give interested guests a tour of the house. Via 6sqft/ Inhabitat.
Some bands are so influential, so pioneering and so ahead of their time that they change the course of music history. Electro trailblazers Kraftwerk are one such group. Forming in Düsseldorf in 1970, they quickly segued from krautrock to diving into the electronic scene — and imagining the future, including experimenting with robotics, in the process. The song 'Computer Love'? Back in the 80s, it foresaw internet dating. Unsurprisingly, Kraftwerk have left their mark on everything from their chosen genre and techno to synth pop and hip hop since. Also, more than five decades later, the German outfit is still touring. Kraftwerk's live shows are an experience, combining the band's electronic music computer animations and performance art. Take note, audiences Down Under, because the group is heading to Australia and New Zealand in November and December. The multi-media project founded by Ralf Huetter and Florian Schneider, and that aims to create "gesamtkunstwerk — a total work of art" — in each gig, will play seven shows in total across both countries. The 2023 tour starts in Wellington on Wednesday, November 29. From there, Kraftwerk will take to the stage in Auckland, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, then end their trip in Perth on Friday, December 15. Expect synthetic voices and computerised rhythms aplenty — it is what Kraftwerk's music is known for, and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame for — plus a visual show that ponders man and machine to match. Kraftwerk's latest visit Down Under comes after the band played Vivid in 2015, as part of 3D Kraftwerk — The Catalogue 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8, which saw them perform eight albums from 1974's Autobahn through to 2003's Tour de France over four nights at the Sydney Opera House. Since starting their retrospective gigs at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2012, they've hit up everywhere from London's Tate Modern and Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum to Tokyo's Akasaka Blitz and Los Angeles' Walt Disney Concert Hall. KRAFTWERK AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND 2023 TOUR: Wednesday, November 29 — TSB Arena, Wellington Friday, December 1 — Spark Arena, Auckland Monday, December 4 — Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Brisbane Wednesday, December 6 — Aware Super Theatre, Sydney Friday, December 8 — Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne Tuesday, December 12 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre Theatre, Adelaide Friday, December 15 — Riverside Theatre, PCEC, Perth Kraftwerk tours Australia and New Zealand in November and December 2023, with pre-sale tickets available from 11am local time on Monday, July 17 and general sales from 10am local time on Wednesday, July 19. Head to the tour website for tickets and further details.
The West Wing first premiered in 1999, while Bill Clinton was president and over a year before George W Bush was elected. But when the latter happened, the acclaimed series inspired a strong and pervasive feeling — because every fan wished that Martin Sheen's President Jed Bartlet was really the commander in chief. That response wasn't just a case of escapism. It reflected The West Wing's top-notch writing and its passion. Unsurprisingly, even though the show wrapped up in 2006, that sentiment has echoed again throughout the past four years. In 2020, in fact, original cast members including Sheen, Rob Lowe, Dulé Hill, Allison Janney, Richard Schiff, Bradley Whitford and Janel Moloney reunited in the lead up to the election for a special stage version of a season-three episode. Called A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote, it was filmed, of course. That means you can now stream the entire seven-season series and its trademark Aaron Sorkin-penned walk-and-talks, and also enjoy the political drama's most recent gift to the world. Yes, it's still as topical and timely as ever.
Bloody Melbourne. They're having a great time right now, cuddling up to kitties while they sip their precious cat-flanked cappuccinos at Australia's first cat cafe. Yeah, enjoy it while it's exclusive y'lucky feline-surrounded jerks. Because an official campaign to bring yet another Sydney cat cafe (the first, Catmosphere, has apparently been funded) to fruition is under way and guess what? There's an adorable-beyond-all-reason pop-up kitten cafe coming to Paddington to mark the occasion. We'll say it again, just in case you closed your eyes for maximum squealidge. There's going to be a pop-up kitten cafe in Paddington. Next week. In association with Maggie's Rescue, Sydney Cat Cafe is hosting a pop-up cafe from May 14-17 at William Street Gallery. Sydneysiders can book cuddle sessions with fluffy little kittens handpicked by the Maggie's Rescue team, with the opportunity to pledge funds towards turning the Sydney Cat Cafe concept into a permanent fixture. Only 15 people can clamber into the pop-up at a time, booked on a half-hourly basis for $5 per person. And no little ones, for safety and tail-pulling reasons, this pop-up is restricted to cat lovers above the age of 8. While you're there, snuggling and nuzzling your new whiskered BFF, you can also think about pledging funds to towards the Sydney Cat Cafe Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign; hoping to raise $15,000 to cover part of the seed funds needed to realise the café. Alright, alright, donating, donating, how do we pat the kitties? Enquire after availability by emailing info@sydneycatcafe.com.au — and spots are already filling up, so get on it. KITTIES. The Sydney Cat Cafe and Maggie's Rescue pop-up kitten cafe is open at William St Gallery, 14 William Street, Paddington, running May 14 -17. The cafe is open 9am to 7pm Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm on Sunday.
The Red Bull Music Academy Weekender is gearing up for a second visit to Aussie shores. The globally acclaimed festival announced today that it will return to Sydney from August 31 through September 3, and, if last year's lineup is anything to go by, we're in for one cracking weekend of live music. The travelling event sees a sharp curation of performances, conversations, installations and club nights take over some of the city's best-loved venues, with a careful selection of internationally recognised artists coming together in a celebration of contemporary music. Sydney was lucky enough to be tapped last year, joining previous host cities including Tokyo, Dubai, Vienna, and Stockholm. Announcement of this year's lineup will drop next Tuesday, July 11, with tickets on sale the same day. Last year's program featured a sold out show with Flight Facilities and Sydney Symphony Orchestra, along with a massive club night at Oxford Art Factory and gigs by Stones Throw and Mr Fingers. Red Bull Radio will also be broadcasting live across all four days with a program of conversations, special guests, local stories, and live streams to accompany the tunes. The rest of the country is getting a taste of the action, too — this year's festival will kick off with a little help from the Road to Weekender, a series of events and lectures slated for Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne in the lead-up to Sydney from August 26 through 31. The Red Bull Music Academy boasts a long-held legacy of cultural celebration, fostering musical talent and collaboration across the globe. In Australia alone, the Academy has also hosted stages at Splendour in the Grass and Laneway Festival, as well as put on an industrial rave at Dark Mofo. Red Bull Academy Weekender and Road to Weekender will take over Australia from August 26 through September 3, with both lineups announced and tickets on sale next Tuesday, July 11. Keep an eye on this space for first dibs as tickets will no doubt sell out.
No longer just the realms of Monica Trapaga residencies and kiddie-aimed pantomimes, Twilight at Taronga presented by ANZ — the after-hours live music series that boasts perhaps the best view of Sydney Harbour as well as lots of adorable animals — has proven they've got some real cred when it comes to hosting outdoor gigs in the past few years. Aussie rock band The Rubens are making their Twilight at Taronga debut this year, and they've already sold out their first show. As a result, they've announced a second show on February 2. They'll be supported by pop punk legend (newbie) Bec Sandridge. Picnic-bringing is encouraged, but there'll also be incredibly delicious hampers available onsite — we tasted them, they're extremely generous and genuinely great. There's a bar on-site, and general nosh available from the canteen. Either way, it's actually the one of the best dates in Sydney — lock those tickets down. All proceeds from Twilight at Taronga go back into the zoo's ongoing conservation work, including support of the first global community action tool, Wildlife Witness, which helps fight against illegal wildlife trade. PLUS, your ticket includes free entry to the zoo on the same day and return public transport. That's a big deal. View the full Twilight at Taronga line up here and get your tickets to The Rubens here.
Here's your latest excuse to stop dreaming about a holiday and start booking: a flight sale by new Australian low-cost airline Bonza. Soaring through the local skies since January, the carrier is already all about cheap fares, but now it's doing 20-percent off all of its routes and destinations for a five-day start-of-spring frenzy. New to Bonza? The local outfit was initially announced in 2021, then secured regulatory approval this year, launching its first flights shortly afterwards. It boasts two bases so far: the Sunshine Coast, where it's been soaring out of since January; and Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport, which joined the list in March. From November, the Gold Coast will become its third home. [caption id="attachment_916931" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tennis Australia/ Fiona Hamilton[/caption] This fresh face in the Aussie aviation scene isn't just about more-affordable tickets all year round, but also opening up routes to more of the country's regional destinations. On its list so far: 18 destinations and 34 routes. They're all getting the 20-percent-off treatment — and you've got from 10am on Thursday, September 7 up to 11.59pm on Monday, September 11 to book. As for where you can travel, Bonza's coverage includes the Whitsunday Coast, Cairns, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville, Bundaberg, Gladstone and Toowoomba — and also Port Macquarie, Newcastle, Albury and Mildura. Prices start at $39.20. The caveats: you'll need to want to travel this year, specifically from Tuesday, October 10–Wednesday, December 6. Also, you'll need to use the promo code LETSGO when you book. And, that discount is only applicable to the actual fare. So, any costs for bags, seats and payment fees aren't getting cheaper. With the code, if you don't use it at the time of booking, you'll miss out — you can't go back and apply it later. To book during the Bonza sale, you'll need to download the airline's app or hit a registered local travel agent. App-only online reservations are one of the carrier's points of difference. Another: an all-Australian in-flight menu, spanning both food and craft beer. Bonza's flight sale runs from 10am on Thursday, September 7–11.59pm on Monday, September 11. For more information, and to buy fares — using the using the promo code LETSGO — head to the airline's website to download its app for Android and iOS. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
Just in case you needed a timely reminder that girls can, and indeed do, run the world, the Sydney Opera House's All About Women festival has a pretty inspirational lineup for its 2017 program. Set to return to the House on March 5 next year in the lead up to International Women's Day, the annual event both explores and celebrates what it means to identify as a woman in today's changing world. And, following on from a record-breaking attendance in 2016 — which saw the likes of Miranda July, Carrie Brownstein and Mallory Ortberg share their wisdom with the crowd — next year's festival is shaping up to be a doozy, as legendary ladies from across the globe descend on Sydney for a jam-packed day of talks, panel discussions, performances and female-centred fun. With 22 events, there's something in this lineup that'll speak to just about every woman out there. Academy Award-winner and advocate Geena Davis will be diving into the latest research on entertainment stereotyping and on-screen gender diversity, while Janine di Giovanni, Newsweek's Middle East editor, will discuss her own work on violence and the human cost of war. Elsewhere in the program, you'll find Jess Thom's eye-opening performance about life with Tourette's, Seattle-based writer and fat acceptance activist Lindy West talking about her memoir, comedian Zoe Norton Lodge's side-splitting storytelling session, and an insightful glimpse into some of writer and activist Clementine Ford's wildest hate mail. Image: Prudence Upton.
The last time that Alien and Ghostbusters legend Sigourney Weaver appeared on-screen, she played a 14-year-old Na'vi girl in Avatar: The Way of Water. The next time that the iconic actor pops up, she'll be in Australia, in a seven-part streaming drama. That series: The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, which sees Holly Ringland's 2018 novel get the miniseries treatment, and casts Weaver as the grandmother to the titular nine-year-old, who has just lost her parents in mysterious circumstances. On the page and on Prime Video — where The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart will debut on Friday, August 4 — Alice moves to Thornfield flower farm after the life-changing tragedy, and starts to find solace among its wildflower blooms. But her new home is also the place where secrets about her family and their past start to blossom. The just-dropped first teaser trailer for the series emphasises that it hails from the producers of Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers, if you're wondering about the show's mood. Lambs of God's Sarah Lambert, Mustang FC's Kirsty Fisher and A League of Their Own's Kim Wilson penned the scripts, while Penguin Bloom's Glendyn Ivin directs every instalment. As well as Weaver as Alice's grandmother, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart stars Alycia Debnam-Carey (Fear the Walking Dead) as its namesake, plus Ayla Browne (Nine Perfect Strangers) as the younger version. The cast from there is a who's who of homegrown talent, including fellow Nine Perfect Strangers alum Asher Keddie, Leah Purcell (The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson), Tilda Cobham-Hervey (Hotel Mumbai), Xavier Samuel (The Clearing) and Alexander England (Black Snow). Frankie Adams (The Expanse), Charlie Vickers (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) and Sebastián Zurita (How to Survive Being Single) also feature, and the first glimpse at the show unsurprisingly highlights the Aussie backdrop, all the swirling lies and its big-name stars. When it hits Prime Video, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart will join the streaming platform's growing Australian-made lineup, which keeps dropping local fare in 2023. Already in queues: Class of '07, about the mayhem that follows when an apocalyptic tidal wave hits during an all-girls college's ten-year reunion; and the exceptional Deadloch, a Tasmania-set murder-mystery comedy from The Kates. Check out the first teaser trailer for The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart below: The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart will start streaming via Prime Video from Friday, August 4.
Your dreams of ditching the slow peak-hour crawl for a quick flight through the skies could very soon become a reality, with Uber today announcing Melbourne as its third — and first international — trial city for Uber aircrafts. Having already flagged the US's Dallas and Los Angeles as launch cities for its new flying service, dubbed the Uber Elevate project, and after some speculation last year, the ride share company has now confirmed it'll also start testing in Melbourne in 2020. If these trials are a success, we should see regular services start from 2023. The all-electric Uber Airs will operate a little like helicopters (but 32 times less noisy, supposedly) with the 'electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles' (eVTOLs) using helipad-style 'Skyports' located on high rooftops at key points around the city. As the company has just announced it'll be teaming up with the Scentre Group (owners of Westfield), expect a lot of these to be located atop shopping centres. And at Melbourne Airport, thankfully. Uber has announced it'll be continuing its partnership with the airport for the new venture — which will most likely launch before construction even begins on the long-awaited airport rail. At least there'll be one fast way to get to the airport. While a car ride from the CBD to the Melbourne can currently take anywhere from 25 minutes to an hour, Uber is promising that its Uber Air will only take about ten minutes. [caption id="attachment_725578" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Skyport[/caption] By taking travel to the air, the company is hoping to "open up urban air mobility and help alleviate transport congestion on the ground". Passengers will be able to tee up a flight in the same way they order a car, with a push of the button, and hopefully it'll be just as cheap. While the company has not announced how much it'll cost initially, it has said that an Uber Air will eventually be as cheap as taking an Uber X ride of the same distance. While this all sounds a bit too good to be true, we do hope we'll be Jetsons-ing around the city for pittance soon. Uber Elevate will start tests in Melbourne by 2020 with regular services kicking off in 2023. To read more about the program, head to the Uber website.
This article is part of our series on the 17 most unique things to have come out of Japan. Check out the other 16. You may not have cut the circus auditions, but, thanks to Japan, your unicycling might still have a future. Honda has cooked up a high-tech unicycle that’s much easier to ride than your regular one-wheeler. The Uni-Cub, as it’s named, hasn’t yet been released for public purchase, but you can get a sneak preview of its potential on OK Go’s ‘I Won’t Let You Down’ video. Battery-powered and self-stabilising, the vehicle can travel at up to 6 kilometres per hour and move in any direction. At this stage, you must be at least 155 centimetres tall and weigh less than 100 kilograms to ride it. Unlike the rather cumbersome Segway, which never took off as anticipated, the Uni-Cub is made to fit in seamlessly with street life, even in crowded areas. Riders are positioned at eye-level with pedestrians and the slimline design means that it doesn’t take up too much space. Plus there are no handle bars. “The keyword is pedestrian,” Shinichiro Kobashi, chief engineer of Honda’s smart mobility development division, told the Japan Times. “People are riding on the Uni-Cub but still able to act like pedestrians.” Honda are also working on refining the Uni-Cub to explore its suitability as a mobility solution for the elderly and the wheelchair dependent.
Coachella's first 2023 weekend brought a heap of highs, including for folks livestreaming at home from around the world. Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK, the late addition of blink-182, a typically stunning set from electronic music legends The Chemical Brothers, none other than Blondie taking to the stage: they're just some of the week-one standouts. Now, it's time to do it all over again as week later, as the Indio, California music festival always does. This year, the event is streaming six stages across both weekends, and it has just dropped its set times after a tumultuous few days. First, the bad news: Frank Ocean is off the bill, dropping out after Coachella's first weekend. That said, everyone beaming in from their couches didn't see his week-one set either because it wasn't livestreamed. Neither was fellow high-profile star Björk's time in the desert. Now, the good news: blink-182 have moved to the Coachella stage to replace Ocean on Sunday, April 23's bill (which is Monday, April 24 Down Under), and there's a TBA slot after them. Variety is reporting that that time will be filled by Skrillex, Fred again.. and Four Tet, and the festival has also named the trio on Instagram — and noted they'll pop on the evening of Sunday, April 23 (again, Monday, 24 Down Under). View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachella (@coachella) Whoever else ends up on the lineup as a late addition, you'll be able to make shapes at home while pretending you're at the real thing at the Empire Polo Club across Saturday, April 22–Monday, April 24 Australian and New Zealand time. Like last week, Bad Bunny is headlining the first night and BLACKPINK is doing the second, with The Chemical Brothers, Gorillaz, Blondie, Kaytranada, Pusha T and Idris Elba still on day one as well — and Calvin Harris, The Kid LAROI, ROSALÍA, Charlie XCX, boygenius, The Breeders and Underworld on day two. And on day three, there's Björk, Fisher, Porter Robinson, Gordo and Weyes Blood. Obviously, across the whole weekend there's more where they came from. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Coachella (@coachella) Coachella has been teaming up with YouTube for 11 years now. Earlier in 2023, the fest announced that it has locked in that arrangement till 2026. In-between this year's sets, YouTube will fill its feeds with more on-the-ground coverage, so you'll be able to scope out the art and installations around the fest, head behind the scenes, see how the acts get partying before the hit the stage and more. Bookmark Coachella's YouTube channel ASAP — or hit it up below: Coachella's second weekend runs across April 21–23 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. To watch the livestream, head to YouTube from 9am AEST on Saturday, April 22 Down Under.
The Yarra Valley is set to score its first big name hotel, with IHG announcing plans to open one of its new 'voco' accommodation sites there in 2021. The 170-room hotel, which has nabbed a hillside address in Lilydale, will feature its own on-site gin distillery, natural amphitheatre, mirrored maze, lavender farm and a providore selling local produce. Across one quirkily designed main building and 20 standalone cabins, it'll boast a gym, a restaurant and multiple bars with views across the region. Less than an hour out of Melbourne, it's in a prime location for visitors hitting the Yarra Valley's famed wine region and is on the way to popular ski field Mt Buller. Launched in June, voco is IHG's newest brand, pitched at delivering accommodation options that are upscale, yet fun. The same group has announced it'll be opening a Holiday Inn in Coburg in 2020, and has plans for 22 more hotels to launch across Australasia. voco is slated to open at 486 Maroondah Highway, Lilydale in 2021.
Three new exhibitions at Gaffa are dominated by rural themes and empty spaces. Tanya Baker's large, serene photos sit at the edges of isolation in Disappear Here. In one of her photos, a polygonal water tank sits in a clearing of trees. A harsh, snot green electrical box sits in front. Someone has graffitied 'DESOLATE' on it. Nearby sits a photo of an isolated house, hut-like under ivy, connected to just two things: a thin electric wire and a water tank. In three pairs of photos, dogs lie on their sides looking left and right. They are satisfied and tranquil, in order albino, wolf-like and big eared. In a later pair of photos, a girl looks into the distance. The sea wells up out of focus behind, the wind picks at her hair. She's not going anywhere. Jasmin Faulhaber's Adaptation explores shadows and form. The painting from which the show takes its name stretches blue denim across canvas, a swirl of coloured, heart shaped scales made from purple, rose and gold silk pinned down in waves. Other images are paired, with faded etchings on perspex echoing leafy images beside them on canvas. Gallery Three's Shadowed by a Roadside collects Simon Hewson's country photographs. Like Manuwangku at Pine Street, this is a collection of everyday rural scenes, but where Manuwangku focuses in on its people, Hewson's focus is on all the detritus of rural life. His photos are quiet, people free. A tin rocking horse sits in the doorway of a converted shop, a computer shop has only a keyboard for sale in its vast window, and a wooden church has a green sign proudly proclaiming when it was first opened, and when it was closed for good. Thomas C Chung's crocheted food and dinnerware also huddle in safety high up the wall of Failspace, spilling over into the office next door. Photograph You've seen things I never will by Tanya Baker.
After a super popular pop-up at the Annandale Hotel — in which lines snaked around the corner even at brunch — Burgers by Josh has made its next move: a kitchen takeover at Hotel William. The residency will kick off on Wednesday, June 8 at the recently refurbished William Street pub — and although it's initially locked in for two months, the man behind it all, Josh Arthurs, is scoping out the venue as a potential long-term home for his delicious burgs. Could this be an end to the shifting sands of short term burger availability? We hope so. The menu will feature the burger that started the Burgers by Josh craze, the New Yorker, as well as all the deliciousness from the Annandale pop-up. Arthurs has also teased at a collaboration with a secret Sydney kebab shop to recreate the Halal Snack Pack burger. The monstrosity — which is essentially a kebab plate with meat, chips, wagyu, cheese and tabbouleh in a bun — was created for the final night of his Annandale Hotel pop-up, and it looks set to come back with a vengeance. A photo posted by 🍔🐓🍟🍺Burgers by Josh🍺🍟🐓🍔 (@burgersbyjosh) on May 24, 2016 at 12:20am PDT Burgers by Josh will be running the Hotel William kitchen for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday from Wednesday, June 8. If you dig it, let the BBJ team know — it might convince them to set up shop permanently.
Planning a Japanese getaway, or dreaming about eventually planning one? You can take one thing off of your to-do list: packing. Instead of carefully researching all possible weather conditions, obsessively trying to predict what you'll want to wear and then trying to jam it all into your suitcase, you can now simply rent whatever you need when you arrive at your destination. Luggage-free travelling comes courtesy of a new service called Locarry, which lets you hire everything from clothes to costumes to cameras — and sporting equipment, strollers and more — from residents on the ground, rather than taking your own. Prices are set by those leasing out the goods, with no fees charged by the sharing platform itself. The service can be used by friends to arrange to lend items to other friends as well. There are a few restrictions, understandably. While users can rent things out individually or as a collection (that is, a pack of objects that you might need if you're going sight-seeing in Tokyo or wandering through cherry blossoms in Kyoto, for example), they can't hire out food, drinks, booze, medicines, animals or a number of other items. And — as you'd completely expect — underwear is off the table as well. Of course, the idea of hopping on a plane without your own outfits won't appeal to everyone. Still, packing lighter than usual, being able to nab a raincoat if the weather turns or pick up a camera to use while you're away just might. For more information, visit Locarry's website.
Troye Sivan has something to give Australia and New Zealand: his Something to Give Each Other tour, which has just announced 2024 dates Down Under. The Grammy-nominated and ARIA Award-winning 'Rush', 'I'm So Tired...', 'My My My!' and 'Youth' artist has spent the last couple of months playing shows in Europe to sellout crowds. Next, he's hitting America for a co-headline arena tour with Charli XCX. After that, he'll be making an Aussie return for gigs in Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney, then hopping over to Aotearoa to start off December. The Perth-raised pop star doesn't have the Western Australian city on his roster, starting his Australian leg at The Drive in the South Australian capital instead on Tuesday, November 19. From there, he has a date with Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Thursday, November 21, then with Brisbane's Riverstage on Tuesday, November 26. Last up for Aussies, everything from 'Got Me Started' to 'One of Your Girls' will echo across the Sydney Opera House Forecourt on Thursday, November 28, before it's NZ's turn at Spark Arena on Monday, December 2. Set to get a huge workout: the 2023 album that gives the tour its name, of course, which was Sivan's first since 2018's Bloom, earned a heap of placings on best-of-2023 lists at the end of last year and hit number one on the album charts in Australia. But given that his discography dates back to 2007's Dare to Dream — and includes fellow EPs TRXYE and Wild, plus his debut album Blue Neighbourhood — he has tracks from across almost two decades to bust out. "It's happening..." said Sivan on social media. "Good morning specifically to Australia and New Zealand. I'm home and I have news." View this post on Instagram A post shared by troye sivan (@troyesivan) Sivan will have Nick Ward in support, and is also set to appear at after parties in Sydney and Melbourne, where fans will have the chance to meet him. For more information on that part of the tour, you'll need to keep an eye on vodka brand Smirnoff's Instagram. It's already been a huge few years for Sivan — as a musician, acting in Boy Erased and The Idol, being parodied by Timothée Chalamet (Dune: Part Two) on Saturday Night Live — and now 2024 is getting even bigger. Dance to this, obviously. Troye Sivan Something to Give Each Other 2024 Australian and NZ Tour Dates: Tuesday, November 19 — The Drive, Adelaide Thursday, November 21 — Sidney Myer Music Bowl, Melbourne Tuesday, November 26 — Riverstage, Brisbane Thursday, November 28 — Sydney Opera House Forecourt, Sydney Monday, December 2 — Spark Arena, Auckland Troye Sivan is touring Australia and New Zealand in November and December 2024, with multiple rounds of ticket presales beginning from 10am local time on Thursday, July 11 — and general sales from 12pm local time on Tuesday, July 16. Head to the tour website for more details. Top image: Arden.
Melbourne's Yarra River is known for a lot of things — like instigating a north-south city divide, being a sweet spot to have drinks next to, etc. — but being clean isn't really one of them. It's got a lot to do with that time it was a dumping ground for industrial run-off, sure, but it's also more visibly attributed to the litter that finds its way into the river. To help remedy this (literally) rubbish situation that's affecting the health and quality of that Yarra's water, local industrial designer Rowan Turnham has developed a floating device to help trap and remove litter from the waterway. In collaboration with non-profit vegetation renewal group the Yarra Link Project, Turnham (through his company Amass Design) has developed Project Galada. Galada is a modular capture barrier that floats on the surface of the water to capture and collect litter that accumulates there. Designed to look like bike chains (very Melbourne), the pods link together to create a barrier suitable for the environment. As the Yarra flows both ways, so the flap is opened by downstream flow (letting in litter), while an upstream flow pushes the flap closed (trapping litter). The blue pods also act as buoyant planters, with roots that are submerged into the water to provide bio-filtration for the river. As well as removing cheeseburger wrappers from the Yarra, Project Galada will also help improve the health, biodiversity and quality of Melbourne's waterways both now and for the future. We still wouldn't swim in it, but still.
Creatives can rejoice at the return of Semi Permanent's annual design, business and tech festival this August. The Sydney-based design and experience company has revealed details for its flagship program, including the theme Bridges for this year. The program's line-up focuses on an emphasis on the unexpected, from surprising collaborations to unique shared experiences. Returning to its home in Carriageworks, design fans can discover works and ideas from a slate of local creatives and international designers across the three-day festival. Semi Permeant 2021 will expand on previous iterations, featuring a suite of art, talks, workshops and experiences. On the Semi Permanent stage and across Carriageworks, attendees can gather to listen to talks and contributions from the likes of artist Reg Mombassa; Marvel-associated visual effects company Industrial Light and Magic; Dollhouse Pictures co-founders Gracie Otto, Krew Boylan and Jessica Carrera; Formist founder Mark Gowing; and illustrator, podcast and comedian Campbell Walker, or as he's better known, Struthless. Outside the core program of talks, the festival will feature a range of workshops and experiential activations. The popular Singapore Art Book Fair will pop-up as part of Semi Permanent, featuring 30 hand-selected titles by the fair's director Renee Ting. The range will champion Southeast Asian artists and independent publishers. Artist and film director Clemens Habicht will create a never before seen large-scale interactive artwork for Semi Permanent. Local furniture and bookstore BTWNLNS will be presenting designs from a range of Berlin-based designers alongside a pop-up of the German bookstore Do You Read Me?! Elsewhere, Ta-ku's 823 will be running a series of hands-on photography workshops and exhibitions. "We're so excited to see so many of our friends again at Carriageworks and present to them an experience that is inspiring, educational and deeply collaborative for us all," said Murray Bell, CEO & Executive Creative Director of Semi Permanent. 2021 will also mark the first year Semi Permanent is heading online, with a range of yet-to-be-announced digital experiences running simultaneously with the in-person festival. "Semi Permanent has always been at the forefront of an ever-changing world, but 2020 has exposed the need for more urgent conversations about where we are now vs. where we can and need to be," Bell said. As with previous years, Semi Permanent will pop-up during this year's iteration of Vivid. The festival will occupy Carriageworks alongside Vivid activations including a Cantina Ok! pop-up and gigs from the likes of King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Barkaa, meaning you can head in for a day of mind-expanding design, and stay for food, drinks and music. Semi Permanent will run from 12-14 August, 2021 at Carriageworks. Tickets are on sale now for single and half-days on the Semi Permanent website.
Based on the classic novel by Jack Kerouac, On The Road follows Sal Paradise (Sam Riley), an aspiring New York writer, and Dean Moriarty (Garrett Hedlund), a young and dangerously seductive ex-con, as they hit the road in pursuit of freedom and life's greatest teacher: experience. Directed by Walter Salles (The Motorcycle Diaries) and starring Kristen Stewart, Amy Adams, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen and Steve Buscemi, the film is in cinemas from September 27. Concrete Playground has 10 double passes to giveaway to see On The Road. For a chance to win, make sure you're subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address to hello@concreteplayground.com.au
Easily spooked by things that go bump in the night? Can't bring yourself to sing "I ain't afraid of no ghosts" whenever you're belting out the Ghostbusters' theme? Not so fond of the concept of mortality? If so, you might want to stay away from Melbourne's next pop-up. Coming to Hawthorn's Glenferrie Road for four days only, A Ghost Store has one thing on its hangers: an outfit that will last an eternity. From July 27 to 30, customers will enter the shop, complete a questionnaire about their garment requirements and get kitted out in a minimalist, one-size-fits-all piece of cloth made to last for centuries (and supposedly suitable for inter-dimensional apparitions operating on parallel planes). If that hasn't given the game away, then the fact that the item of clothing in question comes in three colours (white, ivory and bone) might — yep, this store is offering up good ol' fashioned sheets so that you can get your ghost on in the afterlife. The store's moniker also gives away just why this pop-up is coming a-haunting right now — it's actually an inventive marketing idea to promote the David Lowery-directed, Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara-starring A Ghost Story, which hits Australian cinemas this week. In the film, which the trio shot in secret before it premiered at Sundance earlier this year, Affleck spends most of his screen time decked out in ghostly attire. To say more would be to say too much — but no, this isn't a comedy. Visitors to A Ghost Store can expect an interactive experience, though it comes with words of warning: "the transition from active participant to passive observer can be a difficult one", its website cautions. If you're keen on more details, Indiewire spent some time in the US version. Or, if you'd like getting fitted out for what comes next to remain a mystery — appropriately — just show up and try your luck. A Ghost Story releases in Australian cinemas on July 27. Melburnians can find A Ghost Store at Shop 12, 673 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn from 5pm to 10pm on July 27 and 28, and 12pm to 10pm on July 29 and 30.
New Zealand's far north is rich in history and beauty. Just a three-hour drive, or a 50-minute flight, from Auckland is the Bay of Islands, a breathtaking destination where the British first settled and the nation's founding document was signed. A journey off the beaten path will give access to sleepy towns that roll on to crystal clear inlets and more than 144 undeveloped islands up for exploration. In the colder months you may struggle to pass another soul on the streets but the region still boasts mild temperatures that welcome outdoor adventures and even a dip with some wildlife — there's a reason why they call it the winterless north. In anticipation of your next weekend getaway, this is our guide to New Zealand's Bay of Islands. SEE AND DO It's called the Bay of Islands for good reason; there are 144 islands that make up the region. A good way to cover the region is by going off-land for a water cruise. Explore Group's Hole in the Rock tour journeys out to the Bay's most iconic geological formation. But before even approaching, and potentially sailing through the giant opening, you'll be treated to a display of wildlife in the area. Dolphins are abundant. So much so that the company promises a 90 percent hit rate of spotting the ocean mammals. Elsewhere, you can expect to spot the smallest penguins in the world, large schools of mullet and blue maomao and the New Zealand fur seal. On the way back the trip stops off at the secluded Otehi Bay on Urupukapuka Island for lunch. Afterwards, you can venture out for a swim, go for a walk and catch sweeping views across the Bay. Boasting kilometres of white sand coastline, kayaking is great way to explore the area without forking out on boat hire. Coastal Kayaks hosts tours out of Paihia and Waitangi, covering the stunning Haruru Falls and historic lagoon which is abundant with native birdlife. One particular excursion with the company involves a five-kilometre walk through native bush and mangrove forests to the falls, with a three-kilometre guided kayak return through the country's first river port. In large groups it's all about fun and owner Chad heightens the experience with interactive games, onboard water pistols and lighthearted yet informative banter. On the other side of the one-way bridge lies the official birthplace of New Zealand, Waitangi. In 1840, British representatives and a number of high ranked Māori chiefs signed the Treaty of Waitangi to share ownership of the land — albeit only the English version was signed, leaving little in favour for the land's original inhabitants — you'll learn more in the onsite museum. Guided tours of the historical Waitangi Treaty Grounds give insight into Māori culture, the arrival of the British and subsequent Treaty signing. You'll also discover a traditional Māori waka (or canoe) that gets its yearly outing on Waitangi Day and the restored cottage of the former governor. For further interest, there's the option to book the interactive Māori cultural show showcasing traditional music, weapons and games and sample the goods from a hāngi — a traditional Māori earth oven. FOOD AND DRINK It's all about local, seasonal produce in the Bay which opens up a whole world of fresh meal options. A good place to start is at The Old Packhouse Market. Found in Kerikeri (in an old packhouse, no less) the weekly vendor gathering is the perfect spot to load up on supplies before hitting the road. Expect to pick up everything from homemade pies to raw milk, deep-fried oyster po' boys and fruit and vegetables from literally just around the corner. Enjoy your finds while listening to live music, receiving a palm reading or getting a reflexology massage. Across the road is another must-visit attraction. As soon as you enter the Makana Confections giftshop the smell from the adjoining factory will be tugging on your heartstrings. The best part is that free samples are handed out upon arrival so you can try before you buy — you'll also see staff crafting the exact same thing through the window, so you know it's fresh. The cafe offers a selection of gelato, chocolate truffles, cakes and slices. While in Kerikeri head to The Rusty Tractor for a modern interpretations of breakfast classics and a four-shot bucket of coffee, Cafe Jerusalem for authentic Israeli cuisine, and La Taza Del Diablo for portions of Mexican cuisine that not even the ravenous could get close to finishing. Not many would relate the far north to wineries but there are plenty worth stopping into. At Kerikeri's Marsden Estate you can enjoy an educational wine tasting before settling on your preferred varietal and sampling a platter under the vines in the courtyard. Found just outside of Russell, Paroa Bay Winery is a family-owned property set against the rolling hills. Stay for a flight and try the Mediterranean-inspired menu at newly opened restaurant, Sage. Elsewhere is Russell, The Crusty Crab is the place to order piping hot fish 'n' chips to enjoy on the beach; in the warmer months Hone's Garden offers wood-fired pizza, fresh beer and friendly community vibes; Hell Hole is a great option to start your day with loaded bagels and fresh coffee; and Gables offers both bistro fare and a history lesson as the oldest licensed restaurant in the country. Check out our full guide to eating and drinking in the Bay of Islands here. STAY Thirty minutes from Kerikeri, well off the beaten path down a gravel road, you'll find Takou River Lodge. Once owned by a pair of bachelors, the 150 acre site is now the pride and joy of environmental scientist Anna and engineer Ian O'Reilly. Nestled in the surrounds of certified organic beef farm and regenerating native bush are five luxury cabins for all different price points and occasions. The pick of the crop is the aptly titled Magic Cottage. Set on the edge of the Takou River, the property ticks all the boxes for a romantic escape, including an open-air bath and early morning birdsong. Along with the accomodation, guests can explore the native forest, use supplied kayaks for an adventure to the beach and book the riverside hot tub, which after-dark is the perfect place to spot glowworms. Unless you plan to make the trek back into Kerikeri, you'll need to bring your own supplies. A dinner option can be provided by the highly regarded Food at Wharepuke by chef Colin Ashton who presents a blend of modern European and Thai-inspired cuisine. With the ocean practically lapping into its foyer, The Duke of Marlborough is a pristine destination to unwind in four star accommodation or simply stop by for a bite to eat in an award-winning restaurant. The property was erected in 1827, originally operating as an unlicensed grog shop by an ex-convict. It later became the first licensed hotel in New Zealand. The property still retains its vintage appeal; the rooms are grand with high ceilings, the walls are covered with marine memorabilia and the solid furniture certainly has a story to tell. The restaurant is all about showcasing local seasonal produce and modern interpretations of classic favourites. You can expect to sample local oysters or oven roasted fish that was caught directly in front of the hotel. The beverage list is extensive with over 100 wines and 30 beers from the region and further abroad. The wine tasting rack is a good option for indecisive diners, offering three generous samples to sip back as the sun drops over the inlet. GETTING THERE Kerikeri Airport is the region's main port of call. From Auckland Airport it's a breezy 50-minute flight to the sleepy terminal. Alternatively, it will take you just over three hours to drive from Auckland to Paihia and Russell. Feature image: The Duke of Marlborough.
Feeling more than a little stir-crazy is entirely possible considering how 2020 has turned out so far. But rather than turning to the pub to get your weekend kicks, why not try something a little more extreme that's really going to get your blood pumping? Adrenaline and its unbeatable range of adventure activity providers are ready and waiting to reboot your year. Whether that means getting in touch with nature through a whale watching cruise or kayaking through Mosman's twisting mangroves, these first-rate experiences are bound to liven up your mood a whole lot more than your average local boozer. [caption id="attachment_777571" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Adrenaline[/caption] ABSEIL DOWN WATERFALLS IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS The Blue Mountains is one of Australia's top canyoning destinations, featuring approximately 900 unique sections sculpted over millions of years. This thrill-seeking excursion sees beginners and experienced canyoners alike travel to Empress Falls, renowned for its towering sandstone cliffs. Across three invigorating hours, you'll traverse through the lush forested landscape and take a quick dip in several pristine river crossings before the journey culminates in a 30-metre abseil down the fast-flowing falls. Located 90 minutes' drive from Sydney CBD, Empress Falls is the ideal spot to descend some of the country's most striking ravines. LEVEL UP YOUR BARBECUE HOSTING GAME Australians love a backyard barbie. But if you want some of the tricks of the trade that'll take your tong game up a level, check out this Beer and BBQ Cooking Class. It sees two expert chefs provide the lowdown, with attendees guided through a series of essential grilling techniques and given the inside word on how to pair craft beer with your meat of choice. Don't fret — this isn't some kind of theory session. You'll be replicating the chefs' instructions on the barbecue before sitting down to dine with your fellow classmates. Following starters of turkish bread and half-shell scallops, this informative feast rounds out with Cape Grim scotch fillet and chocolate lava pudding. STRETCH YOUR MENTAL MUSCLES AT AN ESCAPE ROOM It's no secret we love the pub, but it's not always the best place to give your brain a workout. Instead, grab up to three of your sharpest mates for an hour-long session at one of Sydney's top escape room joints. Test your brainpower through a variety of themed puzzles, ranging from a 19th-century bank heist to the mystery of a missing prime minister. There are also innovative outdoor escape rooms featuring augmented reality and geolocation tools, making for an even more immersive experience. Once you've cracked the case, chill out in the lounge bar with a celebratory drink. KAYAK THROUGH MANGROVES The bougie waterfront community of Mosman is renowned for its moneyed lifestyle. But this sea kayaking adventure leaves behind the glitz and glamour in search of nature. After a 20-minute safety session on manoeuvring your double sea kayak, a knowledgeable guide will lead you from Middle Harbour through the mazy waterways and into the tranquil Garigal National Park. Here, you'll get an up-close look at the region's lush mangroves and native flora while learning about the area's fascinating natural history. Then it's time to put away the paddles and enjoy morning tea in a peaceful tucked-away spot. SOAR OVER THE HUNTER VALLEY IN A HOT AIR BALLOON At just two hours' drive from Sydney, the Hunter Valley has long been a top weekend destination for those who fancy plenty of world-class vino and fresh country air. This one-hour sunrise hot air ballooning experience offers a unique perspective on the acclaimed winemaking region as you soar above the valley's picturesque vineyards and rolling hills. Once you've had time to soak up the panoramic views and the sun cresting over the distant horizon, you'll touch down and be whisked away to Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley for a lavish champagne buffet breakfast. SPOT MAJESTIC SEA CREATURES ON A CATAMARAN From May to November each year, Sydney's rugged coastline comes alive with an extraordinary whale migration. Adrenaline offers nature lovers the chance to climb aboard a 16-metre catamaran and experience these majestic creatures as they go in search of warmer waters. From the vessel's 360-degree viewing platforms, you'll be ideally positioned to get a glimpse of numerous whale species including humpbacks, Bryde's blues, southern rights, orcas and minkes. Other marine life, such as dolphins and sea turtles, often make an appearance too. Bypass the pub this weekend for something a little more exciting. Head to the Adrenaline website and make some unforgettable memories. Images: Adrenaline.
Anyone who's been outside in the last few days will have noticed that Sydney's been unseasonably warm. Yesterday hit 20 degrees and last night the low was just 12 — in the sun you don't even need a light jacket. Although this undeniably adds to our ever-present anxiety about global warming, it's hard to deny it: this winter has been delightful. And you probably won't have to raid your house for your beanie anytime soon — well, not this week, anyway. Meteorologists have predicted that this next winter week could hit temperates more than seven degrees above the average maximum temp for July (which is 16.4, according to the Bureau of Meteorology). The temp is expected to hit 20 degrees on Saturday, July 20 before rising to 22 degrees on Sunday, July 21. Next week, it's meant to peak at 24 (!) on Tuesday before dipping back down to 20 on Wednesday. [caption id="attachment_663537" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paros Huckstepp.[/caption] The highest temperature on record for July is 26.5 degrees (on July 30, 2017), so we could come pretty close. This is a bit of contrast to the end autumn — when we were dealing with some frosty cold fronts and a whole heap of snow (even in the Blue Mountains) — although, it's not unexpected. Australia did swelter through its hottest summer on record and autumn was our third warmest ever. If you've got the weekend off, make the most of it — visit a beach, do a seaside walk or catch a ferry to explore islands and national parks. Top image: Bondi Beach by Paros Huckstepp
Have you heard the rumour that we're heading into one of the coldest winters ever? While we're sad to say goodbye to lazy beach days and rooftop bars, we're (very) warmly embracing the news as a good excuse for indoor activities — think intimate dinners, house parties and plenty of gigs. To help with the seasonal transition, we've launched a new gig guide in partnership with JBL Link Speakers. Here, we'll give you the low-down on all of the best performers filling our fair cities with their tunes. And since we love doing the hard work for you, we'll also include a curated Spotify playlist of our recommendations for pre-gig study and post-gig reminiscing. To celebrate this new partnership, we're giving away three sets of JBL Link 10 speakers, valued at $229 each. As well as wireless connection, these mighty music boxes have hands-free voice control so Google Assistant becomes your personal DJ — simply shout "OK, Google" and your tune of choice and music will start streaming directly via Chromecast. With up to five hours of play time and high quality sound, the JBL Link 10 speakers are the perfect home accessory for music mavens. To enter, see details below. [competition]659863[/competition]
If someone had told me years ago that the Old Clare Hotel would become the most sophisticated venue in Sydney, I would have laughed in their face. Today, however, I'm just hoping they let me inside. The first restaurant to open in the Old Clare complex is Automata, which marks the debut solo opening for ex-Momofuku Seiobo sous chef Clayton Wells. We're given a dining room that looks like a luxury spaceship, filled with sleek polished metals and machinery-styled fittings. I can't wait to see where this meal takes me. The decision-making process is fairly straightforward: there's one option, a five-course, frequently changing degustation ($88), which is pretty reasonably priced as far as degos go. If you can afford to, splash out and get the matching drinks ($55), which will have you sipping umami-based sakes and spirits alongside thoughtfully chosen boutique wines. The meal kicks off with a starter of storm clams swimming in a fishy seawater made from rosemary dashi and ground nori; it's a much more delicious mouthful than you'll find at the beach. It's followed with a clean and cleansing serve of blanched asparagus rolled in sesame leaf and topped with umeboshi plum stock, poured at the table. Dish number two takes a bolder step forward. A meltingly tender hapuka fish is served with creamy roe emulsion and little pops of sea succulents, draped in a melty sheet of dashi-dipped seaweed. The dish combines silky textures with umami punch to create an absolute knockout of a dish. It's about this time that the bread and butter arrive. I wouldn't bother mentioning it except it's pretty much the best butter in the entire world. This ambrosia of the gods is made by whipping butter with chicken jus (chicken jus), anchovies and sunflower seeds until it's as light and fluffy as Chantilly cream with just a hint of nutty crunch. Well done, Wells. Mid-way through the meal, they bring out a big steamed cabbage leaf. Thanks for that. Wait, there's more underneath! Phew. Talk about an Instagrammer's worst nightmare. Concealed beneath a head of braised purple witlof is a slow-roasted quail and creamy smear of burnt eggplant puree. The final savoury dish is a slab of Rangers Valley skirt steak served with morel, shiitake and wood ear mushrooms in a brown butter and tamari sauce. Skirt is the unlikely hero of the day; it's expertly flamed to create a rich, winey caramelisation on the crust while staying moist, pink and tender within. The meal concludes with a scoop of not-so-sweet pumpkin seed sorbet, served alongside freeze-dried mandarins and meringue with a hint of Angostura bitters. The flavours are quite savoury, but it makes perfect sense within the context of the meal. As we leave, we're given two green chartreuse petit fours. I warn you now: consume at your own risk. Chewing on one unleashed a burst of freshness not akin to chugging a bottle of Listerine; it completely wiped my body clean like a herbal nuclear explosion. With no trace of the meal left at all, I started to question whether the dinner even took place. The Old Clare Hotel, the most stylish restaurant in town? Couldn't be.
Drawing in nine million viewers in the US for the final episode of season two, The Walking Dead is breaking ratings records all over the world. Fast-tracked to Australian fans, The Walking Dead season three is already available to download from iTunes for $49.99. As the fight for survival continues, Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and friends attempt to take refuge from the 'walkers' in an abandoned prison and in a (possibly too good to be true) town of survivors run by The Governor (David Morrissey). To mark the launch of season three, Concrete Playground has the ultimate catch-up giveaway: seasons one and two on DVD. Get up to speed with the action or simply indulge in a thrilling undead bloodbath marathon! Concrete Playground has five sets of DVDs to giveaway. To be in for a chance to win, make sure you're subscribed to Concrete Playground, then email your name and postal address to hello@concreteplayground.com.au
As of September, BridgeClimb will be no more. The company released a statement on its website today stating that it would be ceasing all operations as of later this year. The statement says BridgeClimb's application to win a new 20-year contract to operate tours on the Harbour Bridge was unsuccessful. BridgeClimb was first launched on October 1, 1998 by Founder and Chairman Paul Cave, and has seen over four million climbers safely scale the monument since. The Roads and Maritime Services put the Sydney Harbour Bridge Tourist Climb Business, which also includes the Bridge Museum within the South Eastern Pylon, out to tender last year. The company that has won the 20-year tender — out of a total 13 applicants — is another NSW tourism stalwart, Scenic World Blue Mountains. The company is the largest privately owned tourist attraction in Australia and has been operating for 73 years. The family-run owner of Scenic World, Hammons Holdings, also released a statement saying, "returning Sydney Harbour Bridge to the people will be a priority" and that the company will be exploring ways to safely expand access to new areas of the Bridge. And what does these all mean for the common folk? At the moment, we're not sure. But it could see changes made to tours run and (hopefully) pricing. BridgeClimb will run as normal until September 30, 2018. Scenic World Blue Mountain will commence as operators of Sydney Harbour Bridge Tourism Activities from October 1.
The Kooks were back in Sydney last week at the tail end of their Australian tour. We spoke with band member, Hugh Harris, about bringing in the New Year at Falls, cooking spag bol and retracing his roots in his spiritual homeland, Sydney. Hey Hugh, thanks for chatting with me today. So you have just landed in Sydney ready for the gig tonight? Well, we arrived last night but I have family in Sydney so we had dinner plans and then after dinner plans. Hopefully I will have time to have a rest today before the gig. But it is great to be in Sydney. I was down in Tassie for Falls so I saw you guys ring in the New Year! Oh, that's great, yeah, I think that was one of the best gigs we played, in Tasmania. And we managed to get the countdown right which was a bonus. Yeah, I was speaking to Alex Turner [Arctic Monkeys] the other day and he was a bit miffed that the countdown didn't really work out at Falls in Lorne when they were playing for NYE? Yeah, well I think in Tasmania it was OK because we had the big screen so it was pretty hard to mess up. In Lorne, there was no TV screen so it would've been hard for the Arctic Monkeys to count down. Have you played a summer NYE gig before? No, no summer NYE before, not on stage. I always think it is better just to have a party, then there is no pressure on anyone to provide the fun. But we have always wanted to do it and the opportunity came up so now we have. And did you get to see Pnau come on after you guys? Pnau? No. I stuck around for a bit. I had my cousins there from the countryside. My sheep shearing cousins. But it is hard you know when you are working, it is hard to know when the partying starts, but we just partied afterwards. Do you guys like playing festivals as compared to standard gigs? Yeah, I mean I think we are a festival band in a way. And it is a happier vibe. You get to play to people who aren't necessarily fans and that is an exciting prospect, you know, to gather a larger following. And you get that at festivals, everyone's drunk and they don't have a choice but to listen! You've been to Sydney a lot and having family here is there anything you really look forward to doing whilst you are here? Yeah, I have this nostalgia route that I take. We used to come here for Christmas because my grandmother was here. And one Christmas I got a skateboard and I used to take this route around Rushcutters Bay. So I will do that. On your skateboard? No, those days are past! I just walk it now. So I start at Rushcutters and then walk up the hill and go to No Frills [an offshoot of the supermarket chain Franklins that no longer exists] in the Edgecliff Centre and get a cake. It's where I used to buy my holiday cakes. And then I will head down to the Golden Sheaf and try and get a beer. And then a swim at that harbour pool. Redleaf? Yeah, Redleaf. So I will try and do that today. I think perhaps the Sheaf might have changed a bit since you were last there.. Yeah, I've heard that. What happened? Well, it is pretty much an empire now. When did you last go? Well, my Dad was here in the 1970s. Yeah, well it is not the Sheaf of the '70s! And neither of us was around then! You guys have been playing now for 7 years and you were only 18 when The Kooks signed to Virgin – did you always want to be in a band? No, absolutely not. I actually wanted to be in espionage, I always wanted to be a spy. And then second I wanted to be in a band. Well, maybe you could be a spy in your thirties? No, I think that might be too late. You know you have to do all this training, martial arts training; I think the dream is over. And maybe it will be too hard, you know needing to be inconspicuous and all? No, I'll shave my head that will be fine! And what do you guys get up to in your free time whilst you are on tour? Do you get into sightseeing or art galleries or whatever? Yeah, art galleries for sure. You hit the nail on the head. I love art galleries and try and go as much as possible. Modern art galleries. And cooking. I really love cooking, but mostly when I get home. I find it really relaxing and I cook a mean spaghetti bolognaise. Like all good boys! All boys have the staple spag bol! Yeah, but I would like to say that I think mine is better than anyone else's! You know, I leave it for a really long time, even cooking overnight, and it just comes alive. Well, not with bacteria hopefully. And other stuff? I like tennis. My favourite colour is yellow. And… Ok, just one more question. Your new clip for Is it me is particularly nostalgic with the typewriter and the 1960s primary colours – considering your musical influences how do The Kooks feel about nostalgia and looking back at the past? Yeah, we love the past. I love my past. And yeah, we are influenced by a lot of music from the past. But I think when we were young we used to go through our parents' record collections and just sift through, you know. But also I like that things from the past are spun and renewed and regurgitated. It's a blending of the past. Like with our new album, you know it is a bit of a bridge. It is The Kooks staple sound but then there are all these warm synthesisers in there so it blends the past and the present. That's what we do.
Pointless, derivative follow-ups to profitable Hollywood films aren't exactly a recent concept. The first big-screen sequel can be traced back to 1916's The Fall of a Nation, which attempted to cash in on the popularity of D.W. Griffith's silent (and incredibly racist) epic The Birth of a Nation after it stormed theatres the year before. While in that case the sequel was a commercial failure, the seeds of soulless corporate greed had been planted. Suffice it to say, studio executives have been laughing their way to the bank ever since. So why the film history lesson? I guess it's to point out the fact that, even in the context of Hollywood's long legacy of artistic bankruptcy, it takes a particular brand of cynicism and greed to make a comedy sequel, about three working guys sticking it to The Man, for the sole purpose of exploiting the financial success of the original. The fundamental hypocrisy of Horrible Bosses 2 is staggering, although admittedly that wouldn't be nearly as much of an issue if the movie was actually, y'know, funny. Unfortunately, not even the proven chemistry of its cast can redeem this formulaic comedy con-job, one that's totally unworthy of your time and, perhaps more importantly, your money. Directed with barely a shred of visual personality by the same hack responsible for such yuck-fests as Sex Drive and the Adam Sandler statutory rape comedy That's My Boy, the second film in the Horrible Bosses please-don't-let-it-be-a-trilogy reunites idiot protagonists Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) and Dale (Charlie Day). This time out, they're their own bosses, until they make the mistake of partnering with a German businessman (Christoph Waltz) who swindles them for everything they've got. So they decide to kidnap his son Rex (Chris Pine), because after all, if the previous film taught us anything, it's that there a no consequences to your actions and that crime definitely pays. Bateman, Sudeikis and Day are all talented comedians, but there's only so much they can do with such a formulaic and puerile screenplay — incidentally, for any aspiring screenwriters out there, any time your opening scene steals a sight gag from Austin Powers: Goldmember, it's probably time to go back to the drawing board. The best moments in Horrible Bosses 2 have the feel of cast improvisation, but are few and far between. The same can't be said, unfortunately, of jokes at the expense of women, gay people and ethnic minorities, although to be honest these moments feel born more of laziness than genuine malice. Then again, on further reflection, that might actually be worse. Say what you will about the woeful sequels to The Hangover, but at least they were unrepentant in their nastiness. Horrible Bosses 2, on the other hand, manages to be both offensive and bland. The good news is that we'll probably only have to sit through two more sequels and a Jennifer Aniston spinoff before the whole thing finally goes away.
Tokujin Yoshioka is a designer who puts striking curves into the fabric of everyday furniture, boxes or even shop displays. His vision of design rests on making a strong emotional connection, and a lot of industrial-size glass. He also does art, having made temples of glass or shimmering ice-like slabs which seem to ripple even as they are, in reality, completely still. An upcoming exhibition at the Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation is bringing his work to Sydney, collecting his work here for the first time, under the title Waterfall. As well as the eponymous, rippling Waterfall the show promises to introduce Sydney to the variety of Yoshioka's career. Thousands upon thousands of drinking straws are already in Paddington, the hallmark of room-filling sculpture Tornado, a life-size confection which wraps the viewer in a rickety cloud of stalky plastic. Geometry, smooth forms and a lightness all combine in his work, whether making a life-size, functional paper chair which molds to your shape (but only the once), or papering a wall with suede flowers for a Campers shop in London. This is Yoshioka's first foray to Australian shores, but odds-on you'll soon be hankering after a return engagement.
Beloved Woolloomooloo drinking establishment The Old Fitz has been cooking up something exciting. The pub's charming upstairs dining room and perpetually well-populated front bar is getting a culinary overhaul under new head chef, Toby Stansfield. Bistro Fitz is the does-what-it-says-on-the-tin name of the revamped, second-floor restaurant and the menu reveals a compelling intersection of influences from Stansfield's previous gigs (most recently he was head chef at CBD pasta bar Fabbrica). In keeping with all the expectations that 'bistro' implies, there's plenty of fare faithful to the classic European bistro. An alluring beetroot tarte tatin with 'holy' goat fromage frais, for example, is a natural precursor to steak frites with Diane sauce or mustards, which will no doubt be a crowd-pleaser. Elsewhere on the menu things get a little more unexpected. The influences bypass the culinary cues of Paris and make a break for the Mediterranean with dishes like the Insalata di Maré where mussels, octopus and herbs are punched up with black garlic and ancho chilli. For Stansfield's carryover fan base of Fabbrica pasta heads, don't sleep on the bowls of handmade trofie with pine nut pesto, pangrattato and pecorino. It wouldn't be a pub menu without a few options that are unmistakably pub food. The confit rooster roll, roast chicken mayonnaise and dill — a more luxurious take on the classic hot chook in bread — is a signature of the front bar menu. Of his approach to running the new kitchen, Stansfield says, "I have a mixed bag of experience and I'm excited to get creative and draw on it in lots of different ways. The Old Fitz is always a good time and I want to make really approachable and fun food that reflects this." [caption id="attachment_858320" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Kitti Gould.[/caption] The Old Fitz has undergone many a transformation over the past decade. The one thing that remains consistent is the familiar yet elusive je ne sais quoi of any great pub: You always feel like you've made a good choice as soon as you step your feet on that carpet, perch your elbows on the bar and have a tap beer mid-pour. Toby Stansfield will officially take over as head chef this Friday, June 24. Bookings can be made at the website. The Old Fitz is open seven nights a week at 129 Dowling St, Woolloomooloo. Images: Kitti Gould.
Just over an hour outside Sydney, this sunshine-soaked venue sits on the gorgeous shores of Terrigal Beach. Meribella is a lavish restaurant boasting a produce-driven menu with Mediterranean influences and a Head Chef with Michelin star cred. Situated on the first floor of the Crowne Plaza Terrigal Pacific, Meribella revamps the classics by drawing inspiration from two key concepts: old-world European architecture and its primetime seaside surroundings. The sunlight-filled space is adorned with breezy, coastal tones, restored marble and luxuriously high ceilings to really show off those views. Head Chef Joshua Mason heads the kitchen, using Michelin star cred gained at his time at acclaimed international restaurants like San Francisco's Atelier Crenn to craft a seasonally-inspired offering. When dining in, you'll want to ensure you've got the barbecued scallops topped with crispy chicken skin, aged duck with beetroot and blackberry and caviar and gold leaf tart on your must-try list. Other menu highlights include the creamy Balmain Bug linguine and the decadent chocolate crémeux cake accompanied by hazelnut and cherries, which pair beautifully with the restaurant's extensive wine list. The venue is open for dinner throughout the week, with an additional lunch option on Fridays and Sundays. If you're looking for upscale dining for a special occasion or are simply ready to splash your cash on a memorable dining experience, this sophisticated Central Coast gem is worth the trip.
If a sunny north Queensland holiday sounds like your kind of bliss at the moment, you're not alone. Spring is here, a toasty summer beckons and Australia's tropical region is mighty enticing all year round anyway. So, whether you're a Brisbanite eager to relax at the other end of the state, or you live elsewhere around the country, Tourism Tropical North Queensland has launched a new tour voucher giveaway that'll give you an extra reason to head to the area. Under the Cairns & Great Barrier Reef Travel Bonus scheme, 8000 vouchers worth $250 each are up for grabs for folks spending their holidays in Queensland's tropical north. You will need to fork out at least $1000 on your trip anyway. But, if you do, you can nab a voucher to use on tours while you're there. The scheme is open all through the warmest parts of the year, too, ending on April 20, 2022. And, unlike previous Queensland travel incentives that've been run at the state government level, these vouchers are open to all Aussies. That said, obviously folks in locked-down parts of New South Wales and Victoria won't be able to head north until the rules in their respective areas allow it, and Queensland's border restrictions as well. To take advantage of the deal, you'll need to book through one of Tourism Tropical North Queensland's travel partners, which includes Viva Holidays, My Queensland and Flight Centre. And yes, you can add the scheme to the list of incentives enticing Aussies to make the most of everything the nation has to offer — when and where they're allowed to, of course — with the Northern Territory doing a tourism giveaway this summer as well. Tourism Tropical North Queensland's Cairns & Great Barrier Reef Travel Bonus scheme runs until April 20, 2022. For more information, head to the $250 Tropical Travel Bonus website.
LOU HELLIWELL AND ALEX DE BONIS know that they're awesome. They know, because they found "you're awesome" written on a brown paper bag they got from the aptly-titled Awesome Foundation. It was for their new Oxford Street Design Store which — like the Paper Mill before it — is taking one of the City of Sydney's empty spaces and turning it into a den of art, design and cool, printed stuff. Out back, they're planning for talks, a convention, workspace and even a little education. To get a closer look, Concrete Playground sat down to chat with Alex and Lou, and checked out a typical day in their new shopfront. One of the first nights Lou Haliwell tried to close up the new Design Store, she found herself locked in. The big, heavy roller door out front popped off its runners and fell down loose onto the floor, too heavy for her to lift back up again. There's no back door. I'm stuck. she thought, I have to sleep here. Working it open a little, using a chair, she got outside and began contemplating how on earth she was going to finish locking up. Just then, a young tradie walked by. He demanded, exasperated: "What've you done now?" Lou was bewildered. But, with his help, she got the door lifted back onto its runners. He gave her a little kiss on the cheek and wandered away into the night. She never saw him again, but thanks to him she was able to go home. The weirdest thing in this story is not that he turned up out of nowhere to help out. It's how normal these unsolicited offers of aid have become since Lou and Alex started up the Store. Everybody comes in wanting to do something. And meeting this pair of professional designers in person, it's easy to understand why. Their excitement and enthusiasm about the Store is palpable. You hear them talk about the designers who've turned up to sell things here, or the events they have planned for the venue space out back. You start wanting to help out yourself. Normally the door goes up at midday. Customers wander in, a designer might wander out the back to sketch in the venue space, which is full of desks this time of day (a chair is rented out at $3 an hour, including WiFi). Lou or Alex settle behind the counter. Today it's Alex. Both of them came from the quieter end of town. Alex from Campbelltown and Lou from Leeds, near Manchester, in the UK. They met while they both worked as designers in a well-respected Sydney studio. They found themselves complaining to each other that women's design work here didn't get the respect it deserved. So they decided to do something about it. Starting the blog Tough Titties, they highlighted Australian women's work in art and design. Only last year, they were nervously hosting the blog's first exhibition. Now they have a store. The Store had a similarly casual start. Originally a Secret Garden proposal that got turned down, they read about submissions for the City of Sydney's empty spaces on Oxford Street and decided to send in a submission along the same lines. The City of Sydney loved the idea. It's a first for both. Neither had done blogs before, nor an exhibition, nor retail. This, Alex reckons, is a recurring motif. "Most of the things we've done are a first-time thing." You'd never know that from the quality of their range. T-shirts, posters, jewellery, zines and even local ice-cream fill the showroom. The shop sells things for up to $20, funding its essentially non-profit operation with a 25% commission. The two halves of the shop are divided by a sturdy, see-through cardboard partition. Next to it, a louvred chalkboard along the Store's side wall will soon fill up with the week's upcoming events. At the time of writing, the program was still on the verge of starting. However, there's already talk of getting together a skating film night, Jess Scully from Vivid Ideas is planning to organise fortnightly how-to talks and a Sydney chapter Melbourne's 'un-conference conference', Trampoline, is imminent in April. The idea is to bring the disparate elements of Sydney's art and design communities together, without getting cliquey. Alex puts it more succinctly: "We're like a dating service." While there's already a rush to do and sell things at the Store, getting the practical side of the Store together was a bit harder. The City of Sydney offers a peppercorn rent, a kettle and a little publicity. Their fridge comes from Freecycle, the furniture mostly via Reverse Garbage. Since the Store's not residential, there's no regular garbage pickup. By chance, Alex's boyfriend owns a ute, and takes it to a sympathetic family member's business' commercial allowance. It's not clear how they'd afford it, otherwise. The only grant money they've had was the Awesome Foundation's $1000. All the rest so far is out of their own pockets. It's a precarious existence. By three, a volunteer settles behind the counter. She's Lucinda, a visual communications student. Just then, a guy walks in with arms full of colourful and interesting-looking comics. He wants to sell them here. Alex checks out the comics. The guy turns out to be Leigh Rigozzi, part of Paper Mill poster-workshoppers, the (currently printerless) Rizzeria collective. What does he find most appealing about this kind of store? "That they would actually take my stuff." This afternoon is quiet. Saturdays are the busiest, says Lucinda. Around six, Alex brings down the roller door and gets to work on the day's admin. When she was little, Alex says, she always redrew, in place, the characters and words in her books. Grown up, she wondered: "How can I can I actually make money doing this?" It's a question Alex and Lou both answered with careers in design. Here, they're making it easier for the coming generation to do the same thing.
In celebration of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture held on the traditional lands of the Gadigal people in Sydney, Koori Radio 93.7FM presents the annual Yabun Festival. The largest one-day celebration of its kind, the festival seeks to showcase some of the best Indigenous music, speakers and creative talent in the country. Get cultured in traditional dance as performers kick up the dust; wander the market stalls of Corroboree Ground; or be enlightened by some of Australia's leading artists, authors and thinkers at the SpeakOut Tent.
It might just be Australia's brightest festival, and it's currently lighting up Alice Springs once again. That'd be Parrtjima - A Festival In Light, which has just kicked off the event's fourth and most expansive annual program. Running until Sunday, April 14, it's a shift from the fest previous timeslot, moving from spring to autumn. The nation's first indigenous festival of its kind, Parrtjima may have moved its dates, but it is still filled with dazzling light installations. As part of, the free ten-day public celebration of Indigenous arts, culture and storytelling, seven luminous displays are gracing both the Alice Springs Desert Park Precinct and the Alice Springs Todd Mall. [caption id="attachment_715716" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Language of Kin, Parrtjima festival, Alice Springs, Australia. 5/4/2019. Image courtesy Parrtjima / NTMEC.[/caption] While Alice Spring's CBD is being lit up with new installations and events, just out of town, tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park has come alive with the festival's main attraction. Once again, a huge artwork has transformed a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic MacDonnell Ranges, showering it with light from 6.30–10.30pm each night of the festival — and featuring an audio track voiced by Aussie acting legend Aaron Pedersen. Visitors can also immerse themselves in art and storytelling as part of the returning Ahelhe Itethe – Living Sands (Grounded), where installations are projected onto the earth accompanied by a striking soundscape. While Parrtjima's returning slate is strong, new additions to this year's lineup include an illuminated tunnel that greets attendees as they enter the festival space, called Angkentye Anpernirrentye-kerte – The Language of Kin; an array of over-sized sculptures that relay the social history of First Nations station workers and their language of the land, dubbed Angkentye Stockmen Mape-kenhe – The Language of Stockmen; and a series of sculptured large-scale moths, badged The Language of Moths, which are brightening up Todd Mall. There's also a huge maze for kids and a set-up of three bush taxis displaying works by First Nations artists. [caption id="attachment_715717" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Parrtjima festival, Alice Springs, Australia. 6/4/2019. Image courtesy Parrtjima / NTMEC[/caption] As 2019 is the UN's Year of Indigenous Languages, the festival also has a linguistic edge — as many of the light installations' names make plain. With a theme of 'Language Expressions', the full program features talks and workshops focused on Central Australia's many Indigenous languages. Also on the bill is jam-packed program of dance, music, workshops and talks, sharing stories and celebrating First Nations' culture. It's a nice supplement to the area's Field of Light installation, which has been extended until 2020. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light runs until April 14, 2019 around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Images: James Horan.
Your local takeaway spot might be convenient when you've been stuck at work all day, but it's far from kind on the environment — or your wallet, for that matter. With the right know-how, you can spice up your midweek meals without too much hassle. We've partnered with Glad and its Glad to be Green range to bring you six simple, eco-conscious dinner ideas that'll not only keep more cash in your bank account, but also see fewer takeaway containers ending up in landfill. Roll up those sleeves and get ready to whip up feasts every night of the week. ADD MEAT-FREE MONDAYS TO THE DIARY After an indulgent weekend, you'll want to put your best foot forward when the new week comes. Regardless of whether you're consciously looking to go full vegan, starting the week off a plant-based dinner means you're cutting back on one of climate change's biggest contributors: the meat industry. If you're someone who likes numbers, according to this study beef has a carbon dioxide equivalent of 59.6 kilograms. To compare, tofu has an equivalent of three kilograms. These days, about 12.1 percent of Aussies eat a fully or mostly vegetarian diet. Don't know where to start? Treat yourself to a couple of cookbooks. Some go-tos include Hetty McKinnon's To Asia, With Love and Neighbourhood; Smith & Daughters' Shannon Martinez's cookbook Vegan with Bite; and, of course, Ottolenghi's newest title Flavour (or any from his Plenty series). Once you've cooked up your veg-packed feast, simply cover any leftovers with Glad to be Green cling wrap — made from 50 percent sugarcane and with a smaller carbon footprint — and consider tomorrow's lunch sorted. HAVE POTLUCK DINNERS WITH MATES Next time you're having mates round, organise a potluck dinner rather than hitting up the local pizza shop for a mediocre slice (and subsequent greasy box that can't be recycled). First up, it's a gamble as to what everyone will bring and, therefore, you'll be tucking into all sorts of delicious dishes. Plus, it's likely to save everyone some cash and your friends get to flex their kitchen skills. With everyone bringing a plate — and some quality stories — to share, this is a great way to add some more home-style cooking and community to your life, too. And, there'll be a lot of food going around the table, which means no one will go hungry. SLOW ROAST AS YOU WFH Many of us have come to know the pros and cons of WFH life. But one undeniable benefit of working from your home office (or couch) is that you can slink away from the computer to prepare a glorious dinner. Whether you're cooking for your partner who has to go into the office or prepping a feast for your friends, slow roasting is super easy — when you actually have the time to do it. So, as time is on your side when you're commute-less, you can try out new roast dinners each week. Whether you prefer sticky pork, rosemary-covered lamb shoulder or bourbon- and honey-glazed brisket, these slow-roasted meats are heartwarming meals for when the cold weather hits. Just be sure to layer your roasting pan with Glad to be Green compostable baking paper to cut down on the messy cleanup. It's certified home compostable, and it even breaks down in a worm farm. KEEP THINGS SIMPLE WITH ONE-POT WONDERS Replace the convenience of takeaway with an even more practical one-pot dinner. Although your meal might not get delivered straight to your door, there's not much cleaning involved when you throw all the ingredients into the same cauldron. Which, let's be honest, is a big reason why we often turn to delivery apps in the first place. From quick 'n' easy stir-fries and soups to veggie laksas and casseroles, there are plenty of one-pot wonders out there. Plus, you can put any leftovers in Glad's new plant-based resealable sandwich bags, which are made with 50 percent sugarcane (a renewable resource). These bags are also freezer safe, so you can store leftovers for longer, ensuring you have a quick, fuss-free dinner for the next time cooking from scratch is too much of a chore. MAKE A HOUSEMATE ROSTER Coming up with homecooked dinner ideas doesn't have to be harder than picking something on Uber Eats. But, sometimes inspiration is lacking after a day at your nine-to-five, we get it. If you live with others, why not come up with a roster? That way, it's easy to plan for, everyone gets a night off the pots and pans, and you don't have to cook those sad dinner-for-one meals. After all, food is better when shared, right? To make your new schedule a success, it's a good idea to liven up each night of the week with some broad themes, too. It'll also help ensure no one is stuck for ideas. Of course, you'll want to take into account your housemates' culinary and dietary preferences to avoid encountering any awkward dinner conversations. COME TO LOVE LEFTOVERS Leftovers are a godsend when you've got an itch for cheeky takeaways. Instead of having to dip into your savings (and even possibly impact your chances of a future homeloan), you can swing open your fridge or freezer and pull out a tasty creation cooked by yours truly. Not to mention, you're doing your bit for the planet, too. In fact, you can store your leftovers in Glad's plant-based snack and sandwich size resealable bags if you want to divvy them up into perfect portions. So, when you CBF to cook next week, you've already got yourself covered. Go green and visit the Glad website for more tips and tricks.
