Winding pathways through ancient rainforest, lush valleys shrouded in mist and decadent high teas accompanied by sparkling wine — you'd have to be Patrick Bateman to visit the Blue Mountains without hearing the call of your inner romantic. What's more, the area is only 90 minutes' drive from Sydney's frantic streets. So, anytime you want to escape the daily grind and get back to feeling loved up, all you have to do is jump in the car — or on the train. If you're in need of some fresh ideas, here are five that'll bring out the softie in even the most cynical of dates. SIGHTSEE FROM 270 METRES UP According to science, experiencing an adrenaline rush in good company can inspire a sudden shot of sexual attraction. If you'd like to test out the theory, then you're in luck — the Blue Mountains offers loads of opportunities for thrill-seeking, and the Scenic Skyway is one of them. Suspended 270 metres above the Jamison Valley, this glass-bottomed cable car travels 720 metres, surrounding you with 360-degree views of dramatic rock formations and ancient forests. Look out for Katoomba Falls and the Three Sisters. You can return the way you came or disembark at the Skyway's eastern end and walk to Echo Point. ENJOY HIGH TEA WITH EXPANSIVE VIEWS Few high teas in Australia come with views like this one. The historical Hydro Majestic's Wintergarden Restaurant is famous for its expansive windows, affording panoramas of idyllic Megalong Valley. Sink into a plush high-backed chair, and sip sparkling wine in between bites of perfectly composed sandwiches, fine pastries and just-baked scones, all served on a triple-tiered silver stand. In autumn and winter, a crackling fireplace adds to the romance and, if you want to take things up a notch, sleepover in an art deco-inspired room. CRUISE AROUND IN 1920s STYLE Here's one for lovers who like to take cues from the 1920s for their adventures including gin drinking, doing the Charleston and riding around in swish Cadillacs. Jump in the back of an open-topped LaSalle Cadillac from 1929 and be whisked away to a destination of your choice — be that a hotel, restaurant or spectacular picnic spot. On request, Blue Mountains Vintage Cadillacs will provide a gourmet hamper. Alternatively, opt to see as much scenery as possible with a tour from Wentworth Falls to Mount Victoria, stopping by loads of pretty spots on the way, including Scenic World, Leura, Echo Point, the Hydro Majestic and Blackheath Rhododendron Gardens. WANDER THROUGH ANCIENT RAINFOREST ON THE SCENIC WALKWAY Sometimes, the most romantic things in life are the simplest. If you need a recharge but don't fancy getting too fancy, take a stroll along the Scenic Walkway. This 2.4-kilometre boardwalk travels through jurassic rainforest, transporting you millions of years back in time. Visit in sunshine for brilliant greens and golds or on a rainy day for enchanting mists and birdsong. The most important thing is not to rush; there are plenty of lovely places to rest, lyrebirds to watch and a pristine spring where you can drink pure mountain water. [caption id="attachment_660011" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Facebook / Everglades.[/caption] PICNIC IN EVERGLADES GARDENS Another spot where you can slow down is Everglades House and Gardens. Created in the 1930s by Danish-born landscaper Paul Sorensen, this National Trust-owned property is a 5.2-hectare wonderland of meandering pathways, tranquil pools, towering trees and colourful flower beds. Moreover, it's right on the edge of the Jamison Valley escarpment, overlooking epic views of Mount Solitary. Pack a picnic basket and find a cosy place to while the afternoon away with your loved one or pop into the gorgeous tearooms. Housed in a 1920s home, the tearooms holds an open indoor fireplace and a Jane Austen-worthy courtyard outdoors. Plan a trip to the Blue Mountains on your next romantic getaway and ensure you make your way through Scenic World to enjoy stunning views as you cuddle close to your special person.
When it comes to prime summer drinking turf, Chiswick's sprawling green lawn is up there with the best. And you can bet it's set to get a solid workout this season, as the Woollahra restaurant plays host to a series of weekly Wednesday evening pop-up bars, running now until the end of February. Join in the al fresco fun from 5.30–7.30pm each week and make the most of those balmy pre-sunset temperatures with some hard-earned hump day knock-offs. The bar will be slinging a selection of summer-perfect gin cocktails and, to cap it off, there'll be live acoustic tunes setting the mood, plus some free canapés making the rounds. Gin will be served on the lawn every Wednesday evening until February 7. Updated: January 22, 2018.
Can you think of a better way to spend a muggy, summer night than with an outdoor movie and quality food by the harbour? From October 31 to December 8, you can do just that when American Express brings back its outdoor cinema to Sydney's inner city coastline. The Pyrmont spot is just one of the cinema's ten pop-ups that'll be held across Australia and New Zealand this year. Movies on this big screen will include just-released hits like It: Chapter 2 (fittingly held on Halloween), Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Joaquin Phoenix-starring Joker and Bill Murray zombie comedy The Dead Don't Die, as well as classics — including Elf and Love Actually. Food truck Mr Papa will be supplying the movie snacks, with a menu of Peruvian street food, burgers, loaded fries and grazing plates, and drinks will be on offer from Giesen Wines, 4Pines and Pimm's. Every Wednesday, Giesen will be giving out free tasters of its wine and selling discounted bottles — a very compelling option for date night. In addition to all this, there'll be live music performances and DJs every night from 6pm (when the doors open) before the film starts after sunset. Oh, and it's a dog-friendly space, so you don't need to leave part of your family at home. Plus if you're an Amex user you'll get 15 percent off selected tickets, plus a blanket. American Express Openair Cinemas will also pop-up in Sydney's inner west (Jan 4–Feb 2) and Bondi (Feb 6–Mar 15)
Attention Paddo locals: The Royal has reopened its doors to the public after undergoing a lavish refurbishment. Revamped from the top down, all four floors of the joint have seen a complete glow up — and there's even been a refresh of its kitchen and bar offering. Situated along the Five Ways junction, this local stalwart has been a trusted go-to watering hole for regulars and passersby alike since 1888. The multi-storey heritage pub began renovations last year under Public House Management Group. While you may not recognise the old gal at first sight, she's been transformed for the better. The stalwart's new look features a chic fitout with an elegant aesthetic connecting all four levels. When dropping by for a bevo or two, you'll find that the familiar sports bar has extended its space, taking over the previous digs of the bottle shop to accommodate a dedicated social space for major sports screenings. The first level is now home to a leafy, pastel-hued Verandah Bar and Balcony where you can enjoy sun-soaked sips. The Elephant Bar pairs luxe marble and brass accents with a selection of seasonally-inspired bites and drinks in an intimate space. This particular level is designed to host the ultimate private event, so you can raise a glass in style at your next big celebration. One that's not to be missed is the famed rooftop, which maintains a coveted spot on our Best Rooftop Bars in Sydney list. The breezy location continues to serve up stellar beverages with panoramic cityscape views to match. For bites, executive chef Scott Greve has led the charge on curating a considered offering that still stars the familiar pub classics alongside new Asian-leaning additions from a prawn toast dish with miso mayo and yuzu gel to a fresh and healthy poke bowl. Opt for a feast and you'll be in need of some top-quality beverages, too. Luckily, The Royal's wine list contains drops from homegrown suppliers like Clarity Cru, Young & Rashleigh and Oatley Wines. If you're more of a cocktail drinker, you'll also spot a sweet and fruity fairy floss-topped mix that you'll want to start sipping ASAP. And that's not all — along with the massive transformation comes a slew of happy hours, as well as a bottomless dinner offering, plus cheap tacos and margaritas. There's plenty to celebrate — and explore — upon your next visit. You'll find the revamped Royal Hotel at 237 Glenmore Road in Paddington, open from 11am–12am daily. Images: Maria Boyadgis
At beachside hotspot Coogee Pavilion, the final piece of the puzzle has just clicked into place — and it's a big one. Five years in the making, the middle level of this historic building has finally been unveiled today, Friday, January 17, joining the multi-faceted ground-floor offering and much-loved Coogee Pavilion Rooftop. The hotly-anticipated Coogee Pavilion Middle Floor is actually home to three distinct venues — cocktail bar Will's, restaurant Mimi's, and a wine and tapas bar by the name of Una Más — combining to mark one of Merivale's most ambitious projects yet. While each venue has its own personality and design DNA, the whole level is an homage to the idyllic coastal location and is guided by the same Australian-accented take on modern Mediterranean cuisine. Executive Chef Jordan Toft (Bert's, Bar Topa) has taken the reins for this lot of newcomers, just as he's helmed the rest of the building's food offerings over the years. [caption id="attachment_757979" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] Boasting sweeping ocean views through its large arched windows, Mimi's pairs drops off a 600-strong wine list heroing the French wine growing region of Chablis with fresh seafood, top-quality meats and market-fresh vegetables grilled on the kitchen's josper. Don't expect any foams, gels or smokes here — Mimi's is all about letting the produce shine. Abrolhos scallops are steamed and served with summer fennel, black abalone is barbecued and skewered, and fresh peaches bathed in caramel vinegar and shiso. Larger dishes include spanner crab with preserved lemon mayo; a decadent hand-rolled pasta with pipis, sea urchin bottarga and warrigal greens; and asnapper tartare with finger lime. And, for even fancier occasions, the Mimi's Selects menu offers bumps of caviar, frozen vodka, Queensland mud crab and suckling pig. Luxe. Accompanying cocktail bar Will's exudes European charm with a lineup of Italian coastline-inspired cocktails created by two star bartenders: Luke Ashton (This Must Be the Place) and Ben Wainwright (Bert's, Charlie Parker's). Make your way through the likes of The High Tide (with peach and limoncello), the Bella Bella (nectarine, lemon myrtle and macadamia) and Greenleaf (rosemary and ruby grapefruit) or go classic with a Willy's martini or Mimi's margarita. [caption id="attachment_757975" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] Wine and tapas bar Una Más is the lively, playful sibling, where you'll happily spend a session straight off the beach. Fresh and fun, it's designed to be a modern locals' haunt, offering an approachable menu spiked with both Spanish and Australian influences. Snack on anchovies, charcuterie, octopus with fermented chilli and cauliflower with sheep's milk — then end with Catalan cream with passion fruit. To drink, there's a short list of wine, classic cocktail, sherry and vermouth on offer. It's meant to be a rainy weekend, so swap your beach visit for a day eating and drinking on Coogee Pav's middle level instead. Mimi's, Will's and Una Más are now open on the middle level of Coogee Pavilion, 169 Dolphin Street, Coogee. Mimi's is open from 6.30–10pm daily and 12–3pm Monday–Thursday, and 12–3.30pm Friday–Sunday. Will's and Una Mas are open 12pm–midnight Sunday–Thursday and 12pm–2am Friday–Saturday. Images: Steven Woodburn
If you ever managed to wrangle a trip to Disneyland back when international travel was a thing, chances are you're well acquainted with Dole Whip. The pineapple-flavoured dairy-free soft serve has long been a staple treat for visitors to the famed theme parks, with the dessert becoming as much a symbol of Disneyland as Mickey Mouse's ears and that wild Space Mountain ride. But, this April, you won't need a plane ticket or a Disneyland pass to get your mitts on one of these classic creations — because Dole Whip is headed to the Sydney Royal Easter Show. The much-loved soft serve is set to make its first-ever appearance at the annual show, after the COVID-19 pandemic put last year's planned debut on hold. A fleet of Dole Whip trucks will be onsite slinging their signature treats for the show's duration — from today, Thursday, April 1 through until Monday, April 12. If they're a hit, Aussie distributor Ted Foster has plans to take them on the road, visiting shows all around the country. Pineapple is the OG and best-known Dole Whip flavour, first launched by the Dole Food company back in Hawaii in the 80s. But at the Royal Easter Show, you'll be able to sample a whole range of signature variations, including watermelon, strawberry and the very Aussie mango. To nab yourself some soft serve, seek out the trucks at the Woolworths Fresh Food Dome and the Kids Street Giants Stadium Concourse. Find the Dole Whip food trucks at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, which runs from Thursday, April 1–Monday, April 12 at Sydney Showground.
Here's your chance to become the person you've always wanted to be — that is, a person that takes advantage of sales, instead of just letting them pass you by. Westfield Bondi Junction's Fashion Weekend is on again for the spring/summer season, with up to 30 percent off at Coach, Sass & Bide, Cue, Kookai, Seed Heritage and Witchery. If shopping isn't really your thing, or if you live near Bondi Junction, head there anyway and take a stroll through the centre – free samples will be given out at participating stores and there'll be live entertainment throughout the centre. Spend $500 in participating stores and receive a bonus Lovestar vase.
One otherwise normal day back in 2019, you probably sat down on the couch, switched on your TV, started scrolling through Netflix and came across a new show. That's a pretty regular occurrence for all of us, but we're guessing that you'll remember this particular instance. Discovering I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson isn't something that's easily forgotten. The best sketch comedy of 2019 — and one of the best TV shows in general, too — I Think You Should Leave's first season is ridiculously easily to binge. You don't even need two hours to get through all six episodes but, once you're done, you'll wish that it went for at least twice as long. Social awkwardness is satirised with absurd precision here, and the results are as offbeat and hilarious as a house completely filled with Garfield items and furniture (trust us). And, in great news, a second season is finally due to hit Netflix on Tuesday, July 6. The streaming platform hasn't dropped a trailer, but it has released an announcement video that's as awkward and amusing as fans have come to expect from the show. Exactly what Robinson will satirise this time is obviously yet to be seen, but the second season is already must-see viewing. And if he seems familiar — other than from I Think You Should Leave's — that's because Robinson was the star of Detroiters, and also spent a couple of seasons on Saturday Night Live. Haven't watched the first season yet, and not sure it's for you? Robinson had plenty of recognisable co-stars by his side over the initial batch of episodes, which he also wrote and produced — talents such as Will Forte (The Last Man on Earth), Steven Yeun (Minari), Tim Heidecker (Moonbase 8) and Vanessa Bayer (Saturday Night Live). And, the series also boasts some big names off-screen too, with The Lonely Island (aka Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Andy Samberg and his regular comedy partners Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone) its executive producers. Check out the season two announcement video below: I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson's second season will be available to stream via Netflix from Tuesday, July 6. Top image: Netflix.
Fancy learning to drum the bongos or chowing down on rich, authentic African and Latin American grub? After its impressive, crowd drawing debut in 2011, the now-annual Afro Latino Festival will stage the same energetic cultural showcase again this year. Boasting a stack of musical workshops and performances, arts and craft stalls and even the odd fashion parade, the family-friendly event aims to educate Sydney siders on the history and spirit of our African-Latino community. Kicking off at 11am, folks are also invited to open their ears up to a specially-formed performance ensemble that will demonstrate just how much of the world’s music and dance has been influenced by African performance. Candombe drumming, one of the most vibrant, heart-racing forms of the musical art, will no doubt please the masses and families can also take part in lessons from the colourful local Candombe Urumbe crew throughout the day. Last year’s event saw over 1000 attendees but something tells us this type of high-energy weekend event will grab even bigger numbers this time around. The party will wrap up at 6pm.
In more ways than one, the 2022 Sydney Fringe Festival has a theme: it will go on. After a couple of chaotic years due to the pandemic, the citywide celebration of independent arts will return in August for its first physical fest since 2019. It'll also pay comic tribute to the movie that got Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On' stuck in everyone's heads forever. (It's still there right now while you're reading this, we know.) Yes, that means that Titanic is sailing into this year's Sydney Fringe — Titanic: The Movie, The Play, to be exact, and into the Australian National Maritime Museum. It recreates the tragic romance of Kate and Leo as two lovestruck ship-dwellers attempting to overcome their different backgrounds, ignoring any rules about getting hot and steamy in someone else's car, and trying to avoid a pesky iceberg. And, you're meant to laugh along. Titanic: The Movie, The Play has been announced as part of the festival's latest round of 2022 highlights, ahead of its full program drop on Monday, August 1. And yes, when Sydney Fringe returns for its biggest ever season, spanning 500-plus events and over 2000 artists across more than 50 venues and nine hubs between Tuesday, August 16–Friday, September 30, it'll have plenty more on the lineup. Also revealed so far: queer pop cabaret YUMMY, which'll bring drag, dance, circus and burlesque to the Eternity Playhouse. And, there's also a huge live mixed-reality transglobal dance party with Box of Birds, also taking place at the Australian National Maritime Museum like Titanic: The Movie, The Play. Rather than 90s romances, though, this'll feature local underground electronic musicians, interactive audio-visual installations and aerial performance artists. And if you're wondering about the mixed-reality and transglobal parts, that's because it'll be streamed between Sydney and Mexico, with dancers in both places. Sydney Fringe is showcasing a selection of 13 award-winning Australian and New Zealand acts at the fest's Touring Hub at the Seymour Centre, too, such as Little Dove Theatre Art's Six Women Standing In Front Of A White Wall, about the objectification of women — and musician and comedian Selina Jenkins' performance BOOBS, about her decision to undergo a mastectomy. Staying local is the Made in Sydney program, which is focusing on work by Sydney-based independent theatre-makers and artists. That's where you'll see playwright Katie Pollock's one-woman play Rough Trade, which explores capitalism and the patriarchy — as well as Not Today, Ally Morgan's one-woman cabaret, plus Introducing Aunty Jude, an ode to women who do things differently. The just-announced shows join a couple of already-revealed highlights, such as the return of Bernie Dieter's Club Kabarett after a run earlier this year, and the return of the Runaway Gardens and Spiegeltent as well; micro-festival Limitless, which is all about celebrating performance and visual artists with disability; an inflatable artwork by Goldberg Aberline Studio that'll take over World Square; and Babylon, which'll fill Chippendale's Kensington Street and Spice Alley with light installations, tunes, dancing, soundscapes, food, booze and performances. Announcing the latest batch of shows and events, Sydney Fringe CEO and Festival Director Kerri Glasscock said that the fest "couldn't be more excited to support and present the work of Sydney's incredible indie arts sector as part of our most ambitious program to date". "There has never been a better time to get out and explore Sydney Fringe, and we can't wait for audiences to experience the very best the city has to offer," Glasscock continued. [caption id="attachment_856315" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bernie Dieter's Club Kabarett Opening Night Sydney at First Fleet Park, The Rocks, February 2022.[/caption] Sydney Fringe Festival 2022 will take place between Tuesday, August 16–Friday, September 30, with the event's full program set to be announced on Monday, August 1. For further information in the interim, head to the fest's website.
Rarely seen and utterly breathtaking, the ambitious contemporary ballet Kunstkamer has arrived in Sydney for a two-week run of performances by The Australian Ballet. Created by pioneering Dutch dance company Nederlands Dan Theater (NDT), this ballet had never been performed by another theatre company until the Australian premiere at the Sydney Opera House on Friday, April 29. The work of NDT House Choreographers Sol León and Paul Lightfoot, and Associate Choreographers Marco Goecke and Crystal Pite, Kunstkamer is a jagged and boundary-pushing two-part ballet that draws its inspiration from the 1734 book The Cabinet of Natural Curiosities by Dutch pharmacist, zoologist and collector Albertus Seba. The Australian Ballet Artistic Director David Hallberg calls this ballet "truly an immersive experience" and has even come out of retirement to perform as part of the run of shows. "Sol León, who's one of the four choreographers, asked me to come on board in this role," Hallberg said. "It took a little enticing because obviously I have said goodbye to the stage and I wasn't looking for opportunities to return to the stage, but I found that in this role, in this experience, in this opportunity with the dancers, in this work, it was the right time." Two dancers will perform Hallberg's part for the remainder of the Sydney shows, before he returns to the stage once more for the Melbourne premiere next month. Hallberg is not the only special guest dancer to be taking part in The Australian Ballet's Kunstkamer. The ensemble has also been joined by NDT member Jorge Nozal, who is reprising his role from the 2019 world premiere season in the Netherlands for the full run of shows down under. "Jorge is the first guest artist of my directorship, and I am really excited that it will be someone unexpected for the audience and enriching for the company," proclaimed Hallberg. "Jorge is admired by our dancers and artistic team and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to introduce him to our audience, alongside the dancers of The Australian Ballet, in the role that was created for him by Sol León." You can catch the performance at the Sydney Opera House until Saturday, May 14 before it moves onto the Arts Centre Melbourne for a run of shows between Friday, June 3 and Saturday, June 11. [caption id="attachment_852138" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prudence Upton[/caption] Top image: Daniel Boud
Free rides, demented circus performers, spooky light shows and a killer program of Australia's best beatmakers will take over Luna Park this Halloween, as the Big Top hosts its first ever Ouija Beats party. It's the product of FBi Radio, The Music and LPS putting their heads together for a contemplation of the paranormal. The Halloween action will kick off at 6pm, with every rollercoaster, dodgem car and white-knuckle experience in the joint providing partygoers with free thrills for two hours. Then you can trick or treat your way to nine of Australia's hands-down best electronic artists playing sets all night long across two stages in the Big Top. Leading the charge is Cosmo's Midnight, who inspired a rush of hero worship following the official release of their remix of Flume's 'Sleepless' and have lately played support for XXYYXX, Cashmere Cat and Tokimonsta. Then there’s Basenji (his neighbours call him Sebastian Carlos) who likes 'eating almonds and riding his bike' and has been hitting playlists all over the place with his quirky, dynamic percussive adventures. At the more ethereal end of the electro spectrum are Panama, who've been partaking in some substantial jetsetting of late, selling out rooms in London, New York and LA along the way; Twin Caverns, who, in just one year of music-making, have graced the pages of NME and appeared on stages in the company of The Kite String Tangle, Husky and Thief; and the infectious, airy yet gritty duo Willow Beats. Rounding out the bill are Melbourne's Northeast Party House, Olympic Ayres (whose 'Magic' made the FIFA 2014 soundtrack), Moonbase Commander and the Astral People DJs. By the way, you should start on your costume sooner rather than later, for two reasons. One, there’ll be prizes (like epic home entertainment systems) going to the most inventive, bizarre and creepy couture of the night. Two, the door charge includes $40 Uber credit, so you can ride in style without doing any damage to your get-up. Tickets on sale September 9 via Luna Park.
DON'T DESPAIR! These words should be printed in large, friendly letters across towels all over Sydney. We may have lost the first game, but there are more to come, and faith is a grand thing. More importantly, why don't you spend your time inspiring your faith at the International FIFA Fan Fest live site at Darling Harbour? Even if you're not that into football, and at this time of year I don't really understand how you can't be, there's an awful lot to keep your cockles warm and your eyes entertained these wintery nights. Of course most eyes will be looking towards the giant, floating, inflatable screens broadcasting every game live, but if you're looking for some earlier entertainment, check out the Cassette Kids (Thursday, June 17, 8pm) and Cassie Davis (Friday, June 18, 8pm) on the floating stages, freestyle football tips and round robin competitions at Tumbalong Park, football trivia and opportunities to meet the Matildas and players from Sydney FC. There's also international food stalls and the chance to try out your own Lucas Neill-inspired skills, all running until July 12.
After over a year out west, Superior Burger's Jovan Curic is heading back east to take up a weekly residency at Camperdown's Deus Cafe. Starting on April 6, Curic will be in the kitchen for Superior Fridays from 6pm — and he's bringing his much loved Wakeley burgers with him. The menu has all of the Superior classics, including the namesake burger with salt aged beef, special sauce and McClures pickles, the Dooce Dooce with double beef, cheese and bacon, plus the Magic Shroom burger with confit field mushroom, slaw and smoked barbecue sauce. Sides include dirty fries and Curic's famed hot 'n' sticky chicken wings that hail from his Pub Life Kitchen days. Part of why Curic's burgers are so damn good is that he's committed to using local suppliers. The meat is all pasture-fed, processed organically, hormone and antibiotic free, and he's using organic produce and bread to boot. The Superior menu will be paired with Deus' local beer and cocktail specials, so you can have an indulgent and eco-conscious Friday night — an all too rare combo.
He's a hip-hop and fashion trailblazer. His latest album Chromakopia dropped in 2024. He's also heading to Australia again in 2025. That'd be Tyler, The Creator — and he's coming with friends, with the genre-bending rapper boasting Lil Yachty and Paris Texas in support. Tyler, The Creator last headed this way on a headline tour in 2022, and played Splendour in the Grass as well. On his latest trip, he has a three-night date with Sydney, playing Qudos Bank Arena across Tuesday, August 26–Thursday, August 28. Luis 'Panch' PerezThe Chromakopia tour follows his 2024 Coachella headlining set, on a bill that also included Lana Del Rey, Doja Cat, No Doubt and plenty more. Before 2022 — which marked Tyler's first set of headline shows down under in over eight years — the last time that the star graced Australian shores was for a series of festival appearances over New Years 2020–21, hitting up the likes of Beyond the Valley and Field Day. [caption id="attachment_823369" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Demxx via Flickr[/caption] Top images: Raph_PH via Flickr.
Belles Hot Chicken is opening its third and most impressive Sydney outpost on Friday, March 3, bringing its cult-favourite fried chicken to Circular Quay. The Belles team has built a passionate fanbase — and landed on our favourite Sydney fried chicken spots — through its Glebe and Barangaroo eateries in Sydney, alongside multiple Melbourne outposts. Now, it's bringing its fun and flavoursome approach to takeaway to a 130-seat restaurant-style opening. To celebrate the opening, the Belles team is giving everyone the chance to come in, check out the venue and get their hands around a Belles spicy chicken sandwich on the house. That's right — the expansive inner-city opening will be kicking things off by giving away its signature Nashville-style sandwiches. The promotion will run for two periods during the opening day: 12–3pm and 5–9pm. Head down to Young Street during either of those two slots and you'll nab your complimentary burger. Leave your packed lunch at home, or head in for a cheap and cheerful Friday dinner — as well as a few after-work drinks. The fried chicken sandwich comes with chicken thigh tossed in Belles' traveller spice, then topped with lettuce, onion, cheese and specialty sauce on a fluffy milk bun. While you're there, the rest of the menu will be for sale on the day, so feel free to settle in, soak in the restaurant's harbour views, and order something and a couple of bevs. Arriving in the Quay Quarter Tower, Belles Hot Chicken Circular Quay will bring the expected hallmarks of the chain to an exciting new space. The other location's vintage Americana style is here in spades. Fresh from working with Lune, Ewert Leaf has collaborated with Belles' Design Director Vicki Punch to create a warm, welcoming space fitted out with neon signs, vintage tiles and vending machines, plus an entirely chrome ceiling and cork detailing. On the menu, things stick close to Belles' more takeaway-driven spots in Tramsheds and Barangaroo. Pair tenders, drumsticks, wings and buffalo cauliflower — all available in heat levels ranging from chicken salt to Really F**king Hot — with Belles Original Draught, orange wines and house cocktails like spiked iced tea. The aforementioned chicken sandwiches and loaded fries also feature, with a highlight-reel set menu available for $40 per person if you want the decisions taken out of your hands. Some of the more extravagant or unique drinks you'll find at the Circular Quay spot include Pappy Van Winkle 15-year-old Kentucky bourbon available for $85 a pop, Louis Roederer Cristal Brut — because who doesn't want to pair champagne and fried chicken? — and rakija and tonic RTDs from Baba's Place and DNA Distillery. Rounding out the vibrant energy of this new outpost is a set of vinyl turntables ready for a DJ to take hold and spark a party at any point in time. With enough champagne and spiked iced tea, it could just happen. Bookings are open if you want to reserve a spot at the new flagship Belles in Circular Quay. Half the venue will also be available for walk-ins if you want to make an impromptu trip. Belles Hot Chicken Circular Quay will open on Friday, March 3 at Quay Quarter Towers, 50 Bridge Street, Sydney (entry on Young Street). It will be giving away fried chicken sandwiches on opening day between 12–3pm and 5–9pm. Top image: Parker Blain
Fresh from opening a pop-up restaurant on top of a Sydney Harbour Bridge pylon (and suggesting something similar for Brisbane), celebrity chef Luke Mangan is back with a new Sydney opening, combining two of his favourite cuisines. Luc-San pairs flavours of France and Japan in what Mangan is calling a "French izakaya". "It was a meal at Joël Robuchon that triggered me to explore the union of French and Japanese," said Mangan. "I designed the menu to pay homage to my classic French training under Michel Roux, coupled with my affinity for Japanese cuisine developed during my time owning and operating Salt in Tokyo." Located in Potts Point, the 90-seat neighbourhood restaurant welcomes you in with moody lighting, a red terrazzo bar and a soft neutral colour palette running through the dining room. The menu features highlights like prawns paired with a French butter-based sauce, seaweed and shiso; tuna croissants served with Hokkaido scallop salad; and panko-crumbed pork topped with pickled mustard leaf and sauce choron. The robata grill will be firing, with pork, yuzu chicken, mushroom and wagyu beef skewers all on offer. And for dessert, the pick of the sweets is either the white chocolate pudding partnered with green team and lime chantilly, or the soft meringue, yuzu curd and brandy cumquats. If you want to sample your way through everything that's on offer, there are two set menus. The six-course option features pickles, market fish sashimi, pork skewers, confit duck and soba noodles with peanut, sesame and dojon rayu — plus the soft meringue dessert — all for $75 per person. Alternatively, you can opt for eight courses, which adds the signature prawns as well as fragrant ginger and garlic mushrooms to the mix for an extra $20 a head. Then there's the drinks. Pair your prawns and panko pork with your choice from the extensive wine and sake list — or, take your pick from the cocktail menu. The Luc-San martini is described as "a warming ginger pash laced with electric shochu", combining Summum Vodka, shochu, massenez lychee, pineapple and ginger; while the Provincial Daiquiri is pitched as "the unofficial Barbie cocktail" and features white rum, Dolin Dry vermouth, watermelon, seasonal berries, lemon and lavender tincture. Luc-San is now open on the corner of Pennys Lane and Kings Cross Road, Potts Point — operating from 4pm–late Tuesday–Saturday.
The Star Casino's food offerings are varied and plentiful. If you've ever wandered through the lower level of the casino you would have stumbled upon restaurants from the likes of Chase Kojima, Luke Nguyen and Martino Pulito, with the casino housing everything from hearty American barbecue to inventive sashimi. In order to keep the ship at these restaurants running and ensure you can eat well at home, The Star's food offerings have been wrapped up into a series of neat takeaway and delivery meals available during Sydney's lockdown. Seven of the restaurants have launched at-home menus, each accompanied by dedicated Spotify playlists to create the same ambiance of the restaurant at home and bottled cocktails available at $15 for 100 millilitres or $60 for 500 millilitres. Sokyo has three options on offer. The $140 set menu serves two and includes a seven-course offering taken from its menu. The seven dishes include kingfish ceviche and salmon with ponzu, lamb chops with fried cauliflower and yuzu vinegar, wagyu steak and the restaurant's signature miso-glazed toothfish. The $200 finish at home kit features an expanded version of the set menu that you partially cook yourself with guidance from Chase Kojima. And, the $65 Sokyo Sushi Box features sixteen pieces of seafood sushi ranging from tuna to kingfish belly. Black Bar and Grill are similarly serving up a $120 set menu for two featuring beef jerky and brioche, burrata with salted baked beetroot, buttery king prawns and a wagyu rump served with a heap of sides, and its cook-it-yourself counterpart with guidance from Executive Chef Dany Karam. Set menus and finish at home meals from Fat Noodle, Bar Tikram, Cucina Porto, Flying Fish, and a burger and salad menu from 24/7 Sports Bar are all on offer, with set menus ranging from $70-140. You can view all the offerings sorted by their restaurants at The Star's website. [caption id="attachment_825287" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Black Bar and Grill's king prawns[/caption]
Surry Hills' Folonomo has switched things up. It has closed its doors as a 'profit-for-purpose' restaurant and is now an events space for pop-ups, parties and one-off collaboration dinners. It's kicking off its new purpose with two dinners this month, when social enterprise The Pure Collective (Portal, Symbol) hosts two of Sydney's top chef's from Hartsyard and Dear Sainte Éloise on Thursday, August 15 and 29, respectively. First up, Hartsyard chefs Jarrod Walsh (Automata) and Dorothy Lee (Saga, Momofuku Seiobo) will be whipping up a seven-course vegetarian feast. Expect the Enmore restaurant's much-loved fried cheese, with hot mustard and pepper berry, to make the cut. Six new dishes will also be on the menu, including smoked celeriac with sake butter and fried bread; and shiitake mushrooms with buttermilk; and cauliflower and cured egg yolk. Tickets will also include Walsh's signature cocktail on arrive: a blend of whiskey, black tea and grapefruit. Then, on Thursday, August 29, Dear Sainte Éloise chef Hugh Piper will be in the house and he's serving up a nine-course Peruvian dinner — a cuisine he learnt during time spent cooking in the kitchen at Lima's Astrid y Gastón, which came in at 39 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants List in 2018. The feast will include dishes such as spicy ocean trout ceviche on prawn crackers, cobia topped with tiger milk and picarones — a pumpkin doughnut doused in fig leaf syrup and corn custard. Pisco sours will be poured on arrival and guests can also opt for an additional South American wine pairing. Monopole's Peter Richardson will even be working the front of house. Tickets to each night will cost $95 a head, with optional wine pairing available at each dinner. And, as always with The Pure Collective, you'll be wining and dining for a good cause. All proceeds from the Hartsyard dinner will be donated to HopeforOllie, which supports research into muscular dystrophy at The Westmead Children's Hospital. Proceeds from the the Dear Sainte Éloise dinner will go to Beyond Blue, a non-profit supporting Australians with depression and anxiety. Stay tuned for more collab dinners, too.
Ignite your imagination at IAC 2025 Space Day as LEGO PLAY transforms Darling Harbour into a free intergalactic wonderland on Friday, October 3. Inspiring adults and kids alike to look to the stars and beyond, expect a free, family-friendly festival of space exploration and curiosity. Equipped with myriad building blocks alongside curious characters, ranging from spacewalking astronauts to shape-shifting mutants, guests can spend the day building rovers, shuttles and space stations primed to take a minifig on an interplanetary adventure. Meanwhile, the program is jam-packed with fascinating encounters. Moonwalk into Martin Place to snap a selfie with a 10-metre-tall inflatable astronaut, then take remote control of Roo-Ver — an Aussie-built rover destined for the lunar surface as part of NASA's Artemis campaign. There's also the chance to meet and greet astronauts, including Australia's first female astronaut, Katherine Bennell-Pegg, alongside a host of other international space leaders. With loads more to explore, IAC 2025 Space Day is ripe for all things celestial fun.
As the great writer Mark Twain said: "Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough." Here's your chance to put his wisdom to the test. Much-loved restaurant nel. is gearing up to host a degustation inspired by Bushmills Irish Whiskey. Over the course of one evening, you'll try six decadent dishes, created by award-winning chef Nelly Robinson, each matched to a whiskey drink. On arrival, expect to be greeted with a Bushmills Smash cocktail, before moving on to Black Bush, an intense yet smooth drop aged in former Oloroso sherry casks, served with beetroot crème brulée and vinegar popcorn. As the evening deepens, so will your whiskey. Course number three is a ten-year-old single malt aged in bourbon season casks — whose honey, vanilla and milk chocolate notes are a perfect fit for the burnt hay snapper with lemongrass, grape and charcoal. After that, look out for a 16-year-old single malt — matched with whiskey and coffee-cured beef, macadamia, onion and cabbage. Then, finally, the pièce de résistance: a majestic 21-year-old single malt in the company of banoffee pie. Before heading home, linger over a cheese platter and an old fashioned. Robinson will be joined by whisky expert and bartender Rachael Hand (Mjolner Melbourne) to talk through the pairings. Bushmills Irish Whiskey is handcrafted in small batches at the world's oldest licensed whiskey distillery in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Of the collaboration, Robinson said "Bushmills works really well with my style of cooking. Each expression has so much warmth and personality which is something I strive to bring out in all my dishes." The Bushmills Whiskey Degustation will take place on Wednesday, November 21 between 6.30–9.30pm. Tickets can be purchased here.
“Romance is the glamour which turns the dust of everyday life into a golden haze.†(Amanda Cross)Thursday evening, Hugo’s Lounge: Leanne Carroll of El Cee's Designs will be launching her new line of vintage inspired millinery and fashion accessories Queen of HeArTS, with Nadia Garcia’s hand-making bespoke couture. The sparkling headwear will include fascinators and top hats, which will be shown alongside hand-beaded accessories and gowns; not to mention free cocktails on arrival and $5 pizza all night.
If you thought that Michael Jordan was the epitome of cool and Albert Einstein didn't know how to have a good time then prepare to have your perceptions shattered. A significant part of being a successful celebrity is the act of persuasion. This includes the constant act of generating and maintaining a public image that appeals to a wide audience. Kurt Cobain did dense and brooding, Bill Clinton did regal and commanding, and Stalin did intense and intimidating. Yet here are ten photos that prove that sometimes what the spin media show us about famous people is not exactly the whole story. Teenage Eminem adorned in Alf T-shirt Kurt Cobain eating pizza Hillary and Bill 'The Dude' Clinton at Yale Dean Martin and John Wayne cooking spaghetti Hitler looked ominous even when riding a sled Michael Jordan as a dorky College kid Stalin: Part time dictator, part time model Colonel Sanders with Alice Cooper Winston Churchill says 'Line up, ladies!' Albert Einstein: everyone's favourite drunk uncle
Sydney has been teased with the prospect of having its own Taco Bell for over a year now. But, after a much-anticipated opening up in Newcastle last month, it's finally here. From 11am, Tuesday, December 17, you'll be able to waltz into Blacktown's Westpoint shopping centre and grab a Cheesy Chipotle Burrito, Crunchy Taco or a big ol' frozen margarita. While it is Taco Bell's third attempted foray into the Australian market — the chain tried to launch here in 1981 (and was then taken to court by Sydney store Taco Bell's Casa) and again in 1997, but both attempts were unsuccessful and the brand withdrew — this time, the US chain seems to be doing things seriously. It launched its first NSW store in Jesmond last month and opened one (and soon a second) in Melbourne — and that's in addition to the seven Queensland locations that've popped up in the last two years. Going by the Newcastle menu, we can safely assume that quesadillas, burritos, Crunchwraps, nachos, power bowls and, of course, tacos (including the Gordita Crunch with both a crunchy and soft tortilla) are all on the lineup. It looks to be affordable, too, with $2.50 tacos, $3.50 mini quesadillas, $3 churros, $4 burritos and $3 cinnamon twists. And there's booze, including frozen margs and Coronas and a bit of local flavour thanks to Coopers Light and Young Henrys pale ale. [caption id="attachment_753094" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Taco Bell Newcastle[/caption] If you manage to make it to Blacktown for opening day, you can snag yourself some limited-edition merch and one person will score free tacos for a year. Keep an eye on the Taco Bell Facebook page for upcoming freebies and limited-edition menus, too. It won't stop there, either, with Taco Bell saying it'll open a minimum of 40 stores across NSW and the ACT in the next five years. We'll let you know when anymore locations are announced. Find Taco Bell at Westpoint, 17 Patrick Street, Blacktown from 11am on Tuesday, December 17. Top image: Taco Bell Robina by Hugo Nobay.
Everyone remembers studying ancient Egyptian history in school. Pyramids, pharaohs, boy kings, mummification: they aren't easily forgotten. Your next chance to explore this chapter of the past will get you walking through works from centuries ago, covering the time of Tutankhamun, Ramses II, Nefertari, Khufu and even Alexander the Great, all as part of an impressive exhibition at Melbourne's NGV International called Pharaoh. Meet the venue's midyear blockbuster for 2024, which will fall into Victoria's annual Melbourne Winter Masterpieces season. Following on from 2023's Pierre Bonnard: Designed by India Mahdavi, this middle-of-the-calendar spectacular will run from Friday, June 14–Sunday, October 6 and feature items from the British Museum. That loan is quite significant, too, with Pharaoh including the venue's biggest-ever borrowing of ancient Egyptian jewellery, as well as pieces that previously haven't been shown. In total, more than 500 works will be on display as the NGV peers back at Egypt from the 1st Dynasty to the Roman era — so, from around 3000 BCE to the 4th century CE. Expect to see plenty of gleaming artefacts given that focus on ancient Egyptian jewellery. The exhibition will also span coffins and other funerary items, as well as examples of architecture spanning tombs, temples, and also massive monuments and sculptures. [caption id="attachment_918945" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Plaque of Amenemhat IV, Probably Byblos, Lebanon, 12th Dynasty, reign of Amenemhat IV, about 1808- 1799 BC, Gold, H 2.9 cm, W 3.1 cm, D 0.1 cm, © The Trustees of the British Museum.[/caption] Among the specific highlights, a hefty wall from a 2.5-metre-high, three-metre-wide limestone wall from a mastaba tomb dating back to the Old Kingdom is one of them — complete with hieroglyphic texts carved into the surface. Also going big: a huge fist made of stone from a statue of Ramses II that hails from Memphis, in the temple of Ptah, and weighs in at almost 1.5 tonnes. Still on that particular ruler, Pharaoh will feature an enormous limestone statue of Ramses II that shows him as a high priest. Visitors will also be able to see a seated statue of Sety II, Ramses II's grandson, which is also notable for being one of the most complete sculptures that still exist from the time. Or, check out Pharaoh's oldest item, a five-centimetre-wide ivory label that shows the 1st Dynasty's King Den. Jumping forward, a green siltstone head of the 18th Dynasty's Tuthmose III wearing the cobra headdress will also feature. Among the gold, silver and gemstone-studded jewellery, everything from rings and necklaces to collars and girdles will be on display — and as sourced from tombs, so will amulets that were placed to protect the deceased, to examine the role that adorning bodies played in ancient Egyptians' beliefs about the afterlife. Pharaoh won't just focus on jewels used after death, however, with pieces from places such as Akhenaten's royal city Amarna also part of the exhibition as it examines everyday life. Still on royals, the showcase will boast objects from Deir el-Medina, where the craftspeople who were responsible for carving and decking out the Valley of the Kings' royal tombs resided. Here, attendees will see letters, notes, sketches and poems carved on limestone fragments. [caption id="attachment_918948" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Statue of Ramses II as a high-priest, Abydos, Egypt, 19th Dynasty, reign of Ramses II, about 1279-1213 BC, Limestone, H 171cm, W 71.5cm, D 98cm, © The Trustees of the British Museum.[/caption] Top image: Shabti of Pharaoh Sety I, Tomb of Sety I, Valley of the Kings, Thebes, Egypt, 19th Dynasty, reign of Sety I, about 1294-1279 BC, Blue faience, H 22.8 cm, W 9.6 cm, D 9.6 cm, © The Trustees of the British Museum.
Last month, you learned that Sydney would play host to the first Global Cities After Dark forum, held in collaboration with the Electronic Music Conference and Amsterdam Night Mayor Mirik Milan this November. Now, the one-day event's inaugural speaker lineup has been announced, promising a thought-provoking program led by night culture specialists from across the globe. The invite-only forum, to be held on November 28, will give local leaders and planners the chance to score valuable insights from international experts, which in turn will hopefully instigate some positive changes to Sydney's own troubled nightlife culture. Global Cities After Dark will feature inspiring keynotes from five overseas visitors, with Mirik Milan joined by the likes of Lutz Leichsenring of Berlin non-profit The Creative Footprint, who'll discuss indexing the artistic landscape of urban spaces, and consultant psychiatrist and CEO of Global Drug Survey Adam Winstock, who will chat about health and wellbeing in night culture, and striving for zero harm. Meanwhile, a Sydney at Night panel discussion led by guests from City of Sydney and Create NSW will explore new initiatives in development. There'll also be a range of expert sessions hosted by the likes of Icebergs' Maurice Terzini, Animals Dancing's Andee Frost and SLAM's Helen Marcou, which will delve into specific aspects of night culture, including food and housing creativity. Describing his involvement in the event as 'a dream come true', Milan explains that "by sharing ideas for a safe and vibrant nightlife, it empowers bottom-up initiatives after dark that contribute to and strengthen creative cities around the world". You can read our chat with Milan on how to build a nightlife-friendly city here. The forum will return to Sydney each November for the next three years. GLOBAL CITIES AFTER DARK 2017 LINEUP Adam Winstock, Global Drug Survey Andee Frost, Animals Dancing Andreina Seijas, Harvard Graduate School of Design Anne Loxley, C3 West Anne Malloch, City of Melbourne Baby Guerrilla, Artist Barrie Barton, Right Angle Studio Brett Robinson, Icebergs Group Chris Raine, Hello Sunday Morning Clare Holland, FBi Radio Declan Lee, Gelato Messina Dr Caitlin Hughes, National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre Emily Collins, Music NSW Glen Cassidy, Cake Wines Helen Marcou, Bakehouse Studios / Save Live Australia Music (SLAM) Jemma Cole, Soft Centre Jess Scully, City of Sydney Joel Edmondson, Q Music Kate Becker, Office of Film & Music City of Seattle Kees Dorst, UTS Kevin Nuttall, Waterfield Kirsty Rivers, Creative Victoria Libby Harris, City of Sydney Lutz Leichsenring, Berlin Clubcommission/The Creative Footprint Marie-Louise Theile, James Street Initiative Maurice Terzini, Icebergs Group Mirik Milan, Night Mayor of Amsterdam Sarah Barron, MCA Simon Shaw, Capstone Collective Tyson Koh, Keep Sydney Open Global Cities After Dark will take place on Tuesday, November 28. The event is invite-only and registrations have now closed. But you can join the waiting list at globalcitiesafterdark.com. Image: Yaya Stempler.
Is your dad all stocked up on socks and silly gadgets? That'll make figuring out a gift for Father's Day a challenge. Luckily, Ardbeg Whisky is here to your rescue. On the Father's Day Weekend (Saturday, August 31 and Sunday, September 1), you can get the premium scotch distillery to deliver a bottle of its smoky, peaty, complex whisky directly to your dad. And it'll arrive wrapped up in a gift pack and in the company of Shortie, the Ardbeg dog. He's travelling all the way from Scotland especially to celebrate Father's Day Down Under. For $99, this (adorable) gift includes a ten-year-old bottle of Ardbeg, packaged in a collectable tin, with a personalised card from you. Shortie will be making the rounds over the weekend. Your dad will also get some play time with Shortie to see his tricks in action and take a few pics. Yep, this is for real. The only problem is Shortie can't deliver to everyone. The service will be available on a first come, first serve basis via Dan Murphy's. So, when the offer opens on Monday, August 12, you'd better be quick. Before then, you can register your interest over here.
Nothing screams summer quite as loudly, or more on pitch, than live music and cold beers in the sunshine by the beach. And this season, Merivale — in partnership with Furphy — is delivering just that with its See Sounds Festival series. Across summer, Coogee Pavilion, Bondi's The Royal and Marrickville's Vic on the Park will be delivering a slate of gigs on a weekly basis — and they're all completely free. The lineup is jam-packed with local and international names, but there's one name that Merivale is keeping mum on. On Sunday, January 13, a major secret act is set to take the stage on Coogee Pavilion Rooftop and it's a biggie. We're talking ARIA nominations, international tours, supports for massive acts and appearances at major festivals, like Splendour in the Grass and Groovin' The Moo. It's a very rare opportunity to catch this artist for zero dollars. Coogee Pavilion will reveal all just after midnight on the day of the gig on Facebook and is recommending that you head down around 2pm. While this is a free event, it's expected to reach capacity very quickly. That's where we come in. We're giving away a VIP package which will guarantee spots at the performance for you and a mate, plus dinner and a bucket of Furphys. Enter with your details below. [competition]701431[/competition]
Have you ever thought you could easily step in for Matt Preston on Masterchef Australia? Or are you a budding writer or photographer with a love of food so great you're just itching to start writing about Australia's best restaurants and bars? If so, head to the Vibe Hotel Sydney in the CBD on Thursday, July 25, with a notebook and pen in hand, and prepare to be schooled in being a food critic. Renowned Aussie food critic and editor Grant Jones (Chef's Garage, The Daily Telegraph) will be hosting a one-off dinner and food critic masterclass geared toward teaching you how to review and flat lay like a pro. Set up in the hotel's Storehouse Sydney Café Central and Bar from 6.30pm, the workshop will teach you how to taste and write about food like a critic, as well as perfecting the craft of social media snaps. Dishes will be served share-style with pizza to start, followed by Cone Bay barramundi, beef flank or basil pesto penne pasta. For dessert, the kitchen will whip up zabaglione trifle and chocolate semifreddo. If you're vegan, there'll also be a plant-based menu available on request. It'll cost you $45 all up, including food, drinks and all the tasting tips you can imagine from a restaurant reviewing master. The Vibe Hotel Sydney's Copy the Critic will run from 6.30–9pm on Thursday, July 25. Tickets can be purchased here.
Romantic comedy cliches have earned their label for a reason; the more they're used, the more expected they become. And so it's that films like Love, Rosie emerge, wholly comprised of the seen-before and the been-there-done-that, as rendered with similarly customary sweetness. Here's the gist: girl and boy have clear feelings for each other, but are forced to stumble through a range of obstacles. Even if you've only ever seen one rom-com, you know where this is going. Rosie Dunne (Lily Collins) is an average 18-year-old girl. She's about to finish school and looking forward to a future certain to include her neighbour and lifelong best pal, Alex (Sam Claflin). There's a spark to their friendship that suggests something more, however when they take others to the prom — he escorts Bethany (Suki Waterhouse), and she goes with Greg (Christian Cooke) — it appears fate has other plans. The night has long-lasting repercussions pushing them in different directions. Alex moves to the US for medical school and after falling pregnant, single mother Rosie stays in the UK. Of course, they keep in touch. Cecelia Ahern's best-selling novel Where Rainbows End, upon which Love, Rosie is based, relates its tale through the pair's emails, letters and texts. The film uses the gimmick to a lesser extent, but their correspondence still guides a feature that charts the will-they-or-won't-they of this unconventional long distance relationship. Director Christian Ditter (best known for French for Beginners) and screenwriter Juliette Towhidi (Calendar Girls) don't stray far from the source material, nor do they need to. When it comes to cloying romantic plots, Ahern literally wrote the book. What good rom-coms do well, the most predictable included, is cultivate investment in the central couple. And even when forced into silly situations and saddled with stereotypes, Collins and Claflin are suitably charming, selling the camaraderie central to their close platonic relationship, as well as the uncertainty needed to make their 12-year flirtation endearing. They're the bright sparks in an effort otherwise happy with obviousness. You can count on picturesque imagery, heavy-handed pop cues, and tonal wobbling between contemplative drama and over-the-top comedy. Having each actor play their characters from ages 18 to 30 never quite convinces, but that's a minor issue. That's the film all over — never believable, constantly trite, but endlessly likeable. It's also the rom-com prescription in willingly evoking a necessary wish-fulfillment fantasy. Soppily telling tales of yearning loves and lives dictated by wanting what you can't have, Love, Rosie seemingly aims to be a younger-oriented successor of Bridget Jones' Diary. In its focus on its messy but spirited heroine, its lacings of cringeworthy humour and its adherence to genre formula, it doesn't miss the uninspired mark. https://youtube.com/watch?v=cweASWVpkVM
In the spirit of the spooky season, here's a scary fact: the year 2023 is less than 3 months away. Once October starts wrapping up, we'll be in back-to-back festivities. The tail end of the year is jam-packed with immediate events, but it might be time to think ahead and start considering where to spend New Year's Eve. If you want a good view of the fireworks, somewhere that's just as suited to a family gathering as it is a mates night out, here's the option you seek. Picture this: You're settling down on a picnic rug and everyone is happy to be outside, so you sip on a BYO beverage and wait for the celebrations to paint the sky. That's what you'll be doing at the New Year's Eve Picnic hosted by the Foundation and Friends of the Botanic Gardens. Experienced walkers and joggers of the gardens may already be familiar with the harbour views of the Mare and Foal lawn, but if you're not, it's the best picnic seat in the house. On the final night of the year, it will be closed off for the event where you can unfold a blanket, unpack a snack and pour a drink (the only glassware allowed is bottles of wine and champagne). If you burn through your food supplies before the show starts, there are limited snacks and non-alcoholic drinks available for purchase on the night. Please note tickets are available for members of the Foundation and Friends of the Botanic Gardens, and you can purchase a ticket in a bundle with a membership. It's a celebration with a cause, as every ticket purchased supports the Gardens. Visit the website for booking and more information. Images: Craig Brokensha
If you haven't already heard, a blockbuster exhibition by Australian Chinese artist Lindy Lee has landed at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Titled Lindy Lee: Moon in a Dew Drop, the free retrospective is running till the end of summer and features over 70 works, including Lee's early photocopy works to whole-room installations and newly commissioned sculptures. Now, the MCA and its major exhibition partner Telstra have announced a bunch of events running alongside the exhibition for those wanting to learn more about the celebrated artist's life, practice and Buddhist beliefs. First up, you can join in a guided mindfulness session alongside the artist, taught by meditation teacher Patrick Kearney. Happening on Saturday, January 16, the one-hour session takes place by Lee's sculpture 'Secret World of a Starlight Ember' in the MCA's forecourt, right by the harbour. Although it's free to attend, you'll need to get in quick and get your name on the waitlist for when tickets are released. Otherwise, the Museum is running more meditation sessions, dubbed 'The art of mindfulness', which will take place inside the exhibition walls. The intimate sessions ($76–90) will run from 8.15–10am on Saturday, November 21 and Saturday, November 28 for a maximum of 18 people — the first session has already sold out, but you can book here for the latter. There are also a bunch of tours happening, both online and IRL, from kid-friendly walk-throughs to Auslan tours. You can check out dates and times here. Plus, you can catch an immersive 180-degree video of Lee's studio as part of the exhibition. And, if that's not enough art-fuelled fun for your calendar, the MCA's popular Sundown Sketch classes have moved online, which you can join in from 6pm on Wednesday, November 4 and Wednesday, December 2 for $20–25. [caption id="attachment_787817" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lindy Lee, 'Secret World of a Starlight Ember' (2020), installation view, Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney. Photograph: Anna Kucera[/caption] The MCA is running public program events in conjunction with its exhibition 'Lindy Lee: Moon in a Dew Drop'. You can check out the full program — and book tickets — via the MCA website. Top images: Lindy Lee in 'Birth and Death' (2003), installation view, Campbelltown Art Centre, 2007, image courtesy the artist. Photograph: Robert Scott-Mitchel; and Lindy Lee, 'Listening to the Moon' (2018), installation view, 'Lindy Lee: Moon in a Dew Drop', Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney, image courtesy the artist and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Sydney. Photographs: Anna Kucera.
Revving up the bikie drama genre and ramping up the bloodshed and brutality, 1% is a shiny new ride made from familiar parts. It's ostensibly Australia's big-screen answer to Sons of Anarchy, with that comparison both a curse and a blessing. The two share so much in common narrative-wise that, if you've seen the American TV series, it's impossible not to think about it while you're watching 1%. That said, Stephen McCallum's directorial debut still offers an engaging West Australian-set and -shot take on leather-clad brotherhood — one that never feels like its motoring down a new path, and yet never feels like it's blindly sticking to the expected route either. The story falls firmly into the first camp, but the film's energy falls into the second. Dwelling in Perth's seedier side, 1% steps into the world of the Copperheads Motorcycle Club. For the past three years, vice president Paddo (Ryan Corr) has overseen the gang with his ambitious girlfriend Katrina (Abbey Lee), trying to steer the club down a legitimate road. He wants to stop the outlaw life and start making cash they're actually able to splash around, but two things threaten to derail his plans. Firstly, his brother Skink (Josh McConville) gets on the wrong side of a rival motorcycle gang, with its leader (Aaron Pedersen) demanding that the two crews start laundering money together — or there'll be deadly consequences. Secondly, Copperheads president Knuck (Matt Nable) is released from prison and, helped by his wife Hayley (Simone Kessell), is quick to throw his weight around. Both within the club and within WA's broader gangland underbelly, conflict roars louder than a two-wheeled chopper down an open highway. So too does a term that's often bandied about when bikie battles get serious on-screen: Shakespearean. Across its seven seasons, Sons of Anarchy moulded its mayhem in Hamlet's image, throwing in a bit of Macbeth for good measure. Each rears their heads here as well — and while nodding to the Bard can signal that a film or TV series is trying to bulk up otherwise routine material, 1%'s violent clashes, grim power struggles and testosterone-soaked atmosphere all prove suitably tense and tragic. Also adding bulk is the film's cast, a roster of talent that fires on all cylinders. Bringing depth, nuance and authenticity to characters that might've seemed one-note in the hands of other actors, Corr and Nable are memorable as two leaders striving for the same thing in different ways, while McConville fleshes out Skink to become more than merely a plot device. Lee and Kessell ensure that 1% isn't just a boy's club, even if the idea of scheming women standing behind their men is far from a new one. Indeed, if there's a disappointment in this department, it's a matter of screen time rather than performance. One of Australia's best contemporary talents, Pedersen makes his presence known, however his part falls firmly in the supporting category. Nable also wrote the script, his second after jumping from playing rugby league to making movies. Perhaps he's the Sons of Anarchy fan? Or perhaps he's simply fond of a genre that has enjoyed plenty of entries, including 1970s Aussie classic Stone. Either way, exploring male-dominated realms has proven his recurrent fascination — whether featuring in front of the camera in Underbelly, Son of a Gun and Hacksaw Ridge, or penning 2007's The Final Winter, which was set in and around a football club. Given visual grit by McCallum, Nable's latest story fits his usual mould, and does enough to leave an impression. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nva4s76JW_o
Here are some things that have happened in the stories of American writer David Sedaris: A man goes in search of a stuffed owl to give to his boyfriend for Valentine's Day. Befriending a taxidermist who confirms his interest in formerly alive creatures is strictly non-professional, the man finds himself in a London basement gazing at the 400-year-old preserved head of a 14-year-old girl and the skeleton of a 19th-century Pygmy. They raise questions, uncomfortable ones. Like, 'how much are they?' A man takes a job at Macy's department store as a Christmas elf named Crumpet. He encounters fistfights, vomiting and magnificent tantrums, children with modelling contracts and children with adjectives instead of first names. He tells a child that Santa has changed his policy, and no longer brings coal if you misbehave. Instead he will break into your house, steal all your appliances, and leave you alone, in the dark, with nothing. A father imagines his children forming a jazz quartet. Hoping to make the fantasy reality, the father gifts the son 'that guitar you always wanted'. The son, while regularly petitioning for a brand-name vacuum cleaner, had never mentioned a guitar. He takes lessons from an artistically thwarted midget, until one evening the son admits to his teacher that what we really wants to do is perform a medley of television jingles in the voice of Billie Holiday. David Sedaris has developed a cult-like following for penning insightful, satirical, real-life stories like those above. His latest book is entitled Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls. You could read it, if that is a thing you would like to do. You could also read Naked, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, Me Talk Pretty One Day or any of his other fine collections available at your local bookshop. A regular contributor to This American Life, Sedaris will be touring Australia and New Zealand in January 2014. You can sign up for exclusive pre-sales at his website. SYDNEY Sydney Opera House Saturday 18 January MELBOURNE Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Tuesday 21 January CANBERRA Canberra Theatre Centre Wednesday 22 January BRISBANE Brisbane Powerhouse – Powerhouse Theatre Thursday 23 January PERTH Perth Concert Hall Friday 24 January AUCKLAND Civic Theatre, Auckland Sunday 26 January https://youtube.com/watch?v=1msZQjwlebU
Suicide Squad is essentially a remake of 1967's The Dirty Dozen, with two key differences. Firstly, it uses comic book villains instead of WW2 soldiers as its heroes. Secondly The Dirty Dozen was actually good. On premise at least, the two films are identical: in order to defeat a great evil, the US Government takes the worst of the worst from its own prisons and sends them on a suicidal mission with the promise that – should anyone come back – their sentence will be reduced. In substance, though, Suicide Squad is such a red hot mess that all other comparisons to Dozen only serve to highlight the anti-superhero movie's countless, crippling flaws. Start with the characters. Dirty Dozen's dozen were legitimately bad people: rapists, murderers and certifiable psychopaths who never hesitated to indulge their predilections whenever the opportunity presented itself. Suicide Squad purportedly boasts similarly terrifying evildoers, but its cushy M Rating (PG-13 in the States) results in almost all instances of their villainy either being spectacularly watered down or the cameras cutting away just before shit hits the fan. Worse still, they're all ultimately presented as inwardly decent souls seeking redemption and a close-knit family unit, rendering them more babysitters club than actual suicide squad. The best of the worst is Margot Robbie as fan-favourite Harley Quinn, aka the Joker's girlfriend. Decked out in a 'Daddy's Lil Monster' t-shirt like some sort of terrifying by-product of a BDSM fantasy taken to its nightmarish conclusion, Robbie's Quinn is the only character to gleefully embrace the chaos, making her the only one worth watching for most of the movie. Even then, the majority of her few good lines (as with the rest of the film) were given away in the trailer, leaving little else to celebrate. Alongside her stand some genuinely bargain-basement bad guys. There's Deadshot (Will Smith), the hitman who never misses; Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), the guy who's kind of a crocodile; Slipknot (Adam Beach), the guy who is good at climbing things and Boomerang (Jai Courtney), the Aussie who…well...uses a boomerang. The only other one to hold court with Robbie is Jay Hernandez's character Diablo, whose incendiary powers are almost inevitably untouched for most of the movie because of his determination to never again use them. Together, they battle waves of literally faceless henchmen with all the vim and vigour of a second-rate video game as they come up against Cara Delevingne's Enchantress, whose legitimately spooky behaviour is tragically reduced to stock-standard 'Big Bad' status just as she's hitting her straps. Then, finally, there's the Joker, arguably the greatest villain in comic book history. Played by Jared Leto, his screen time is limited, but that can't hide the fact that the actor's performance is inescapably dull. Compared to Jack Nicholson's whimsical psychotic, or Heath Ledger's unhinged anarchist, Leto plays the character like a pantomime gangster whose only threatening quality is the possibility of more scenes. Everything about Suicide Squad feels rushed, underwritten and overproduced. Additional characters pop up like afterthoughts (most notably Karen Fukuhara as Katana), scenes come and go with neither purpose nor continuity, and the stakes are so absent you don't even know when to be concerned, or what to be concerned about. Don't let the trailers fool you: this is one of the biggest disappointments of the year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9TpswDIBS8
Visiting the lush Riverina region in southern NSW? Take flight above the countryside with Sport Aviation, one of the top attractions in Tocumwal. Courageous passengers can experience heart-pumping flights in both gliders and light sports aircraft, whether you're just looking for a thrill or keen to learn the basics of piloting. Leaving from the runway located just outside town, you'll soar high above the rolling hills and sprawling river system with an expert guide. Traversing across the landscape, these nimble aircraft provide a striking bird's-eye view, ensuring you have the best possible vantage point to soak up the scenery. Head to the website to book your flight. Image: Rob Blackburn, Visit Victoria
Mary, Queen of Scots is a film steeped in two time periods, yet firmly of the times. A historical drama set in the 16th century as two female monarchs battle for supremacy, it's also a movie that could've only been made today. The true tale itself has graced the screen before, but the angle favoured by this interpretation of the story is straight out of the #MeToo era. As much as Mary, Queen of Scots tells of its titular ruler (Saoirse Ronan) and her conflict with her cousin Queen Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie), it also explores the forces pitting them against each other and putting them in their places. When Mary returns to Scotland after a childhood spent in France, she regains her throne and sets her sights on her other birthright. The only legitimate child of King James V, she boasts a claim to England, even if Elizabeth already wears that crown. What follows is a quest for sovereignty by two relatives as different as they are alike. Mary is a teenage Catholic open to love, life and birthing a successor to both kingdoms, while Elizabeth is a Protestant who refuses to marry and isn't expected to bear an heir. But they're each headstrong, intelligent and passionate, and determined to fight for what's theirs regardless of the obstacles in their path. In a movie filled with men unhappy about serving the fairer sex, including Mary's disapproving half-brother (James McArdle), a scare-mongering religious leader (David Tennant) and Elizabeth's duplicitous chief advisor (Guy Pearce), there's no doubting how cruel the world can be to a woman in power. While political manoeuvring and machinations drive Mary, Queen of Scots' plot, confident first-time director Josie Rourke works with screenwriter Beau Willimon (House of Cards) to focus on the bigger picture. Behind both queens stands a line of wolves in sheep's clothing, complying with their rulers to the bare minimum and trying to push their own agendas. If the male posturing and plotting didn't ring so true, it might've felt like a forced, convenient modern revision designed to highlight that women still struggle to be taken seriously, even if their troubles are finally getting more attention. Sadly, men attempting to tear down female leaders hasn't gone out of fashion in the past five centuries. A veteran of the London stage before this, Rourke knows where the strength of the story lies. Although her handsomely mounted picture is based on the biography Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart and clearly favours the Scottish monarch over her cousin, Mary's struggles are deepened by the comparison to Elizabeth. Indeed, through skilled, fluid cross-cutting, the film convincingly closes the gap between two women who only actually share one scene. Their face-to-face, when it comes, is climactic, emotional and memorable (not to mention strikingly staged by Rourke and her team), but Mary, Queen of Scots places them face-to-face from start to finish, in a manner. History branded Mary and Elizabeth competitors; this version of history sees them as kindred spirits. Still, for all of Mary, Queen of Scots' successes, it ultimately mirrors the plight of its protagonists: striving for greatness, and to make an impact, yet often weighed down. It's a fine, meaningful film that could've been stellar, but sometimes makes its minutiae feel routine and elongated. After a while, the letters back and forth, the scheming and strategies, and the fears and the threats all bleed into each other, even for those already familiar with the details. Thankfully, the same can never be said of 2018 Oscar nominees Ronan and Robbie, each worlds apart from their respective acclaimed roles in Lady Bird and I, Tonya. One is plucky and idealistic, the other fierce yet silently fraying, and both are tinged by exhaustion and frustration — not from squaring off against each other, but from simply fighting to exist. Any movie would be lucky to have them, and their equally timely and timeless vision of women holding their own. Mary, Queen of Scots is lucky to have both. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEC-F8cBD9s
An underground sensation has been stirring in Australia since 1999. That's when the country's first truffles were harvested, following years of careful preparation, and as a nation we've embraced this black gold of haute cuisine ever since. To see how the prized fungi are farmed firsthand, there's nothing better than to join a truffle hunt and tasting at Black Cat Truffles. This truffiere on the edge of Victoria's Creswick State Forest, just outside of Ballarat, boasts more than 1000 French and English oak trees with truffles slowly, moodily growing on their roots. To help you sniff them out, you'll have a little animal assistance from Black Cat's resident dogs, Ella, Harry and Narla (pigs are famously naturally drawn to truffles, but you don't want to fight one for the rights to its find). Farmers Andres and Lynette Haas will be there too, sharing their truffle-related knowledge, tales and tasting notes. You'll also get to try a selection of truffle-infused dishes, ranging from oozy d'Affinois cheese to potato stacks and ice cream. This is a quintessentially winter activity — truffles aren't in season for long — so prepare to rug up, pull on your wellies and get enveloped in the highland mists. Black Cat's Truffle Hunts and Tastings run from June to August. If you're really enamoured with the catch of the day, it's yours to take home for $2.50 per gram. To find more winter adventures in Ballarat, Daylesford and the surrounds, visit the Wander Victoria website.
Strolls around the city have been much brighter in recent weeks, all thanks to the addition of some unexpected blooms. The CBD's grey, concrete streets have had a makeover as a part of the City of Sydney's twice-yearly 'Living Colour' floral display project, taking over Martin Place, Castlereagh Street, Alfred Street, Queens Square, Cathedral Square, Springfield Gardens, Taylor Square, Sydney Town Hall and QVB, Green Square, Union Square, the forecourt outside St Mary's cathedral and more. But as the nearly 100,000 plants have been blooming since September, these flowers need a new home. Want some more snapdragons, celosia, golden marjoram and bromeliads in your life? On Sunday, November 13 from 8am, St Mary's Cathedral will be the spot to snag some cut-price botanical beauties. For just a gold coin donation, you'll be able to take home everything from petunias to curly parsley. Plus, with the spring displays created in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney as a celebration of its 200th birthday, all funds raised will be heading to the Foundation and Friends of the Botanic Gardens. Add some colour to your own space and feel good about it too. Who could resist adopting these little blooms that've seen it all?
Man against the elements: it's the familiar staple of survivalist film fare, crafted as a feat of cinematic endurance as much as entertainment. J.C. Chandor's nautical All Is Lost adheres to that description to the letter, unraveling in near wordlessness with its emotion carried in Robert Redford's world-weathered face. The combination of existentialism and action on offer, however, reaches beyond the customary depictions of fortitude and perseverance. Details — names, places, dates — are rendered irrelevant; all that matters is "our man", his boat and the endless expanse of sea that forms his surroundings. Awakening to the thud of an adrift shipping container bursting through the hull of his vessel, the film's nameless protagonist pits his resourcefulness against the water, wind and weight of other worsening difficulties conspiring against his subsistence. For 106 minutes of running time and eight days of narrative, Margin Call writer/director Chandor crafts a tension-riddled thriller despite the sparseness of his cast and setting; again, Redford and his sea-faring abilities monopolise the movie to the exclusion of all else. Even the most mundane of tasks — including shaving, eating canned food and conserving water — seethe with suspense. The singular spotlight heightens the anxiety to unrelenting levels, the knowledge that any peaceful moment could take a turn for the worse unable to be shaken. Withholding information about Redford's character similarly amplifies the feature's focus, centring on the circumstances over the individual in its treatise on existence and mortality. As the stoic veteran is battered and beaten by forces beyond his control, eventually acquiescing to his inevitable fate as the title suggests, the feature's commentary upon the broader human condition is unmistakable — but its assurance doesn't hamper its haunting heartbreak. In such context, the who and the why just don't matter. It has been a big year for well-known faces stranded in inconvenient spaces (quite literally for Sandra Bullock in Gravity); however, Redford is the unsung hero in the survivalist race, as is his film. Eschewing dialogue, the actor conveys every ounce of resilience and weariness in his physicality and performance. Though storm-fuelled special effects enliven the drama in a deft display of Chandor's direction, much of the film's power comes from understated scenes of a man at nature's mercy. The sounds, sights and overall thrust emphasise solitude, swelling to operatic proportions due to striking visuals and an immersive score, yet what echoes loudest is the film's vitality. All Is Lost may leave viewers broken in its transcendent contemplation of the beauty and brutality of life, but it also embodies those very aspects. Nothing is easy in the feature's austerity, but nothing is lost either. https://youtube.com/watch?v=no1rl9Gvx-s
Insert Coin(s) combines club tunes, retro gaming, graffiti art and geek culture at Oxford Art Factory. Following on from their sneak peak of The Darkness II, this fourth round of Insert Coin(s) will feature multiple screens of FIFA Street (not out till March 15) and SSX (released March 1). You'll also get access to a custom '80s style milk bar (mmm… alcoholic milkshakes), contemplate foot-long dogs at a New York-style hot dog vendor (wow… so many condiments), and rediscover your skills at pinball, arcade and tabletop units, including Pacman, Addams Family, Donkey Kong, Frogger, Shinobi, Back to the Future, Fish Tales and World Cup Soccer. DJs will spin classic tracks from the '80s and '90s all night long and the Insert Coin(s) team have even got some graffiti artists coming to create live art inspired by the video games of yesteryear. Since the launch event last September, this event series has become a hit with gamers, geeks and social gypsies everywhere, so take a boozy trip down memory lane and revisit the all-time classics from the 8-bit era. What the heck happened to my pinball machine points anyway? Game on!
Considering it's part of the inner city, Erksineville's high street isn't as big or bustling as you may expect. But it does have everything one needs: cafes, takeaway joints, bottle shops, pubs and a grocer stocked with all of your kitchen essentials. The Fruit Village has been around since 2013. It's the sort of reliable local you can count on to have an ingredient you're missing from the fridge or pantry when cooking up a storm. But it doesn't jack up the prices just because it can — it sells everything at bargain rates, particularly in-season fruit (we've seen trays of lemons and mandarins for just two bucks each). Alongside its fresh fruit and veg, it also stocks rice, pasta, Sonoma bread and snacks.
Whether you spend January 26 pumping the Hottest 100 and wading in an ankle-deep paddling pool in your mate's backyard, knocking back tinnies and listening to live music, lazing on the beach or taking the opportunity to wear your favourite bucket hat un-ironically, Australia Day means different things to different people — and that's just fine. It's a day for doing stuff that's uniquely Australian, and no matter what your preference (and yo' price range) we have something for everyone this Aussie Day. 'Strayaaa! Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel There are some pretty epic events on offer over the upcoming Australia Day long weekend. But no schedule is quite as epic as that of Watsons Bay Hotel. With a line-up set to stretch over three days, gear up for beach volleyball, crab racing, beach cricket, stand-up paddle board races, live DJ sets and an Aussie BBQ featuring the special 'Watsons Bay Sausage'. And okay, we're not really sure what an 'epic water trampoline' is, but we know it is running all weekend and sounds really, really rad. Those keen on the stand up paddle races will need to register online here. January 25, 26 & 27 from 7am; Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel, 1 Military Road, Watsons Bay. The Rocks There's nothing Aussies like more than a freebie. And Australia Day at The Rocks will be no exception. A fusion of music, arts and activities, the event will stretch across George Street, The Rocks Square and First Fleet Park — uniting Sydneysiders in the very place our nation began. With an unapologetically good musical bill including the uber-popular indie unit Cloud Control, visual art-freestyle rap fusionist Sketch the Rhyme and killer up-and-comers Jones Jnr, this totally free celebration will kick off from 12 noon. Check out George Street for pop-up bars, installations, karaoke stages and paddling pools. January 26; free; 12 noon-6pm. Yabun Festival January 26 is also vital in that it marks the annual Yabun Festival, a showcase of the very best in Indigenous artwork and music, Australia-wide. The biggest of its kind in the country, Yabun will this year celebrate its 12th at Camperdown's Victoria Park and completely free of charge. Emphasising the 2014 theme, 'Survive', come performances from Bart Willoughby Band, Leah Flanagan, King Brown and many more. Then boogie on into the evening with the Yabun After Party at Marrickville's The Factory Theatre. Featured are some of the biggest names in Aussie hip hop, including MC Sky'High and Native Rhyme. January 26; 10am-6pm; Victoria Park, City Road, Camperdown. Old School Bakery Pop-Up at Adriano Zumbo Thought the days you could buy finger buns — with their iconic pink icing and coconut shavings — with the silver scraped from the bottom of your bag were gone? Not quite (you might need more than just silver). Adriano Zumbo is transforming his Rozelle and Waverley patisseries into 'Fluffy's Aussie Bakery' as a creative homage to Australia Day. For ten days Zumbo's will be the classic Aussie bakery with kitsch decor, vintage chalkboard art and baked goods. Among the treats on offer from tomorrow until January 26 are finger buns, neenish tarts, cream buns and lamingtons. All that's missing is a milkshake and sausage roll. January 17-26; 114 Terry Street, Rozelle and 24 Arden Street, Waverley. Great Sydney Swim, Sydney Harbour For many people, Australia Day means donning your saggiest Speedo and getting amongst some sun and saltwater. Beginning at the doorstep of the Opera House, The Great Sydney Swim incorporates all of this Aussie goodness. And the 2.2km swim across Sydney Harbour doesn't even have to be as strenuous as it sounds; there's a variety of swims for every skill (or effort) level. Distances include 300 to 700 metres, as well as the whole 2.2km shebang. Australia Day marks the final swim in January 2014, with prizes up for grabs and every participant receiving a race pack. January 26; 6.30am-noon; Farm Cove, Sydney Harbour. Son of a Beach at The Bank Hotel If you live in the Inner West you probably claim that the only thing the I-dub is lacking in is beaches. But fear not this Australia Day, with The Bank Hotel Newtown bringing the beach west side. We’re talking sand, beach volleyball, DJs, thong-throwing comps — even lifeguards. Sausage sambos and slow-roasted lamb rolls will be available all day, along with Australia’s own Vale Ale and a tequila cart (for those a little confused of their location). And when the sun goes down, head Upstairs at the Bank for live music and cocktails. Son of a Beach will run from 11am till reaaaal late. January 26; The Bank Hotel, 324 King St, Newtown. Ben and Jerry's Openair Cinemas Sundae Session Need another excuse to spend this Australia Day by the beach? The Ben and Jerry's Openair Cinema returns in January, bringing with it a regular stream of summer tunes by day, and killer flicks by night — held beachside at Sydney's iconic Bondi. In celebration of January 26 comes the Australian comedy classic Crocodile Dundee, as well as a fully licensed bar, lawn games and free ice cream all day long. Not feeling like a Paul Hogan fix but still in the mood for an al fresco movie experience on Aus Day? The Castle will be screening at Moonlight Cinema on January 26, and Muriel's Wedding on January 27 (and for free!) at The Beresford. January 26; $17-40; Dolphin Lawn, Bondi Beach. Symphony in the Domain For an Australia Day that's a little less reminiscent of stubbies and cheap Straya paraphernalia (made everywhere but Australia), Sydney Festival's annual Symphony in the Domain offers something a li'l more refined. The free event welcomes you, your hamper, a blanket and friends to settle in under the stars. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra will perform Gustav Holst's The Planets — an astrological journey through the solar system — along with readings from Bell Shakespeare's John Bell and fireworks to finish off the night. Performances kick off at 8pm, but many set up camp at The Domain throughout the day. January 26 at 8pm; free; The Domain, Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Camping Australia Day is the perfect time to appreciate all that our great southland has to offer — beautiful beaches, endless bushland and summer weather not to be rivalled. So why not spend an Aus Day taking it all in and camping under the stars. The abundance of coastal beaches and inland lakes in New South Wales means you can close your eyes, point to a map and end up in a place that possesses its own unique beauty. Alternatively, check out our own list of ten killer camping getaways, all within easy driving distance of Sydney. Whenever/wherever ya bloody want! Australia Day Colour Dash, Darling Harbour The Good Samaritans of Australia (which, um, is probably what the day is 'sposed to be all about: remember that good ol' Aussie spirit thing?) will be spending the 26th raising money for the 23,000 who live with multiple sclerosis. The MS Colour Dash is a non-competitive 5km run (or skip/walk/dance) along Darling Harbour as volunteers shower you with natural rainbow dust. Participants reach the finish line covered in colour and then dabble in the range of live music, food and drinks on offer. An even better idea might be volunteering — which means throwing stuff at strangers and not getting arrested for it. January 26; Darling Harbour. By Mairead Armstrong and Rachel Eddie.
If we have to have more superhero movies, and it would seem we've no say in the matter, let's just hope they at least try to be as disruptive and refreshing as Shazam! After early misfires in the shape of Justice League and Man of Steel, DC, at long last, have got another one right. Full of life, laughs and (thank God) light, Shazam! is the kind of carefree superhero film that reinvigorates the fantasy of actually being a superhero. For so long now, the "with great power comes great responsibility" mantra has sucked the enjoyment right out of the genre (at least on the DC side), making the very idea of having extraordinary powers seem like a complete drag. Here, though, thanks to the wide-eyed, goofy-grinning performance by leading man Zachary Levi, it seems like an absolute blast. Levi plays Shazam (Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury all rolled into one), a muscle-bound, invulnerable and electricity-enhanced hero whose magical powers lie within his alter-ego, 14-year-old foster kid Billy Batson (Asher Angel). Batson is given his powers by an old wizard in a last-gasp effort to stave off the impending attack from a gang of demons known as the Seven Deadly Sins, who take up residence within the deliciously-evil Thaddeus Sivana (Mark Strong). Where Shazam! departs from most other films of this genre is how long it spends with Batson and his foster-care brother Freddy (Jack Dylan Grazer) as they explore the possibilities and powers stemming from the sudden discovery of superhuman abilities. Can Shazam fly? Is he bulletproof, or is it just his suit? And, most important of all, can they buy beer now that one of them looks like an adult? It may feel a little childish at times, but that's actually a testament to writer Henry Gayden and director David F. Sandberg (Annabelle: Creation), since children is precisely what Billy and Freddy are. Perhaps even more critical to Shazam!'s appeal, though, is its heartfelt relationships. It's a family film about family – the search for a missing mother, the sting of a father's rejection and the love from a family united not by blood but by circumstance. Led by foster parents Victor and Rosa Vasquez (Cooper Andrews and Marta Milans), Billy's new foster home brings together an impossibly endearing gang of multicultural misfits: Mary (Grace Fulton), Pedro (Jovan Armand), Eugene (Ian Chen), and Darla (Faithe Herman). Orphans are just about the superhero genre's most consistent trope, but here it's explored in an entirely new way, and the foster family scenes are amongst the film's best. A word of warning, though: whilst Shazam! is a big bunch of laughs and a whole lot of silliness, there's definitely enough to spook younger viewers. The Sins, for example, are like the red-eyed Gozer dominions from Ghostbusters, and their nightmarish takedown of a company board meeting in the film's opening stages isn't without a heady dose of horror. Still, the rest of the movie offers mostly light fare, and some of its greatest gags are also those most closely linked to the superhero staples (Strong's villainous speech during the film's climax being the best of the bunch). In all, Shazam! is like Superman's goofball cousin; a casual, crazy and cheeky take on the childhood fantasy of being bigger, faster, stronger and, above all, wanted. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go6GEIrcvFY
We're calling this one. It's the end of October. Anything you had your heart set on doing in 2018 has either been done or postponed till next year. Don't waste time planning out the next few months. Christmas is a train wreck every year. Accept it. Cast your eyes instead to the year to come. More specifically, to the hulking great arts extravaganza that ushers in the new year in Sydney. That's right — Sydney Festival has released its 2019 gameplan and it is cranking. From a Tour de Lune to Shanghai in the 1930s, we've taken a stab at predicting the must-sees below.
Towards the end of Victoria and Abdul, Judi Dench's face fills the frame during an extended speech. For the second time in her career she's playing Queen Victoria in a film about the British monarch's relationship with a servant. Whereas 1997's Mrs Brown saw her bonding with Billy Connolly, this time the 19th century sovereign has forged a strong platonic bond with Indian Muslim clerk Abdul (Ali Fazal), but her son (Eddie Izzard) and staff are none too happy about it. Cue a memorable dressing down delivered by a figure well-aware of her power and responsibilities, as well as the type of scene designed to garner awards nominations. That's Victoria and Abdul in a nutshell. The latest regal flick from The Queen's Stephen Frears, it's the kind of film that knows where its strengths reside, and how viewers are likely to react. That's not to downplay Dench's formidable talents, or her ability to inhabit Queen Victoria's many shades and depths. Indeed, she's the best thing on screen. But there's no ignoring the fact that Frears has plunged the beloved actress into a decidedly average historical drama that isn't always worthy of her talents. Despite taking its inspiration from real life, Victoria and Abdul sticks closely to a familiar culture-clash formula. Typically, one of two things happen when folks from different stations in life meet in a movie. Either they get along nicely, but their connection isn't met with the same fondness by those around them, or, after a rocky start, they're forced to learn from their differences. When Abdul is picked to journey to Britain to present the queen with a ceremonial coin during her Golden Jubilee celebrations, the film seems destined to take the second path. Then he breaks protocol by making eye contact with the monarch, she's intrigued by the good-natured newcomer in her midst, and before long they're facing off against institutionalised racism. While Dench plays Queen Vic with considerable texture and nuance — more than early scenes seem to indicate, in fact — the feature around her doesn't share the same fortune. There's a difference between probing engrained prejudices and just presenting a scenario filled with them, with Victoria and Abdul taking the easier, latter option. Adapting the book of the same name by Shrabani Basu, screenwriter Lee Hall (War Horse) keeps things light and simplistic when it comes to scheming naysayers, cultural disharmony and Abdul himself. Given that the film supposedly sets out to dispel racist stereotypes, the fact that Abdul is portrayed as a jovial, exotic outsider who helps Victoria get her groove back is more than a little bit troubling. Where the film succeeds is as a misty-eyed ode to friendship. As Rose-tinted as much of the lavishly shot movie proves, it thoughtfully and tenderly conveys the effect that having someone to talk to, and to listen back, can have. The rapport between Dench and the spirited Fazal helps, ensuring that Abdul remains an engaging presence, even if he's flimsily written. Their time together mightn't delve deep into the intricacies surrounding their characters, but Victoria and Abdul is at its best when its stars share the screen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtC8jNHSxgQ
When he's not playing the hero — anti- or otherwise —, Vin Diesel is quite the fan of Dungeons & Dragons. It's worth keeping that tidbit in mind as The Last Witch Hunter unravels, because that's where the film finds its basis. Cory Goodman, one of the movie's three writers, reportedly bonded with Diesel over their shared fondness for the fantasy role-playing game, then wrote a script based upon the actor's witch hunter D&D character. Goodman's love letter to his leading man's favourite pastime has since been filtered through two other scribes (Dracula Untold's Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless), as well as Sahara and The Crazies director Breck Eisner. But that doesn't stop it from feeling like the indulgent exercise that it is. And while no one is decrying Diesel for wanting to do something on film other than driving fast cars furiously and exchanging lingering glances with The Rock, he's not asked to do much here other than look serious amid some supernatural special effects. As the movie's moniker gives away, Diesel's Kaulder is the final fighter of the bewitching folk who live among humanity, and has been for eight centuries. After he vanquished the Witch Queen in the 13th century, he was cursed with immortality, meaning years of trying to rid the world of the evil and enchanting. As his offsider (Michael Caine) prepares to retire and let a newcomer (Elijah Wood) take his place, a fresh source of wicked sorcery strikes. With his past the key to his present predicament, Kaulder must call upon bar-owning good witch Chloe (Rose Leslie) to help him plunge into his own memories and track down his new foe. That The Last Witch Hunter comes across as Batman-esque isn't just a byproduct of Caine playing a butler-like priest. When a moody, brooding warrior stalks the city streets slaying enemies, motivated by personal losses and a blistering sense of righteousness, it's not hard to find similarities between the two. Alas, the comparison doesn't bode well for the derivative film currently on screens, particularly when there's not much more of a plot to tie it to. Diesel tries his best to make his scowling charm cover up the lack of narrative excitement, but though his efforts are noted, they're not the magic fix the movie needs. Still, other than slick-enough visuals and a few fun touches (a ravenous monster for a prison and a tree bewitched to appear to grow gummy bears, for example), he remains the best element of the surprisingly action-sparse film. He might stand around more than you'd think he should, but you have to admire his dedication to the messiness that surrounds him. Audiences might not be engaged in the occult antics that pad out the film's running time, nor the plodding dialogue that does the same, but at least Diesel is committed — and considerably more so than his seemingly bored co-stars, as doesn't escape attention. Unfortunately, as the later two Riddick films proved, his enthusiasm isn't enough to brighten up the blandness he willingly and affectionately wades into when he's not behind the wheel of a high-octane franchise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsuG2JUgs_8
There are so many incredible vistas to enjoy throughout the Northern Rivers region, but you don't have to bust a gut to experience some of the best. The easygoing North Head walking track, located on the edge of town in the Brunswick Heads Nature Reserve, is a 30-minute trail guiding you through the coastal rainforest. As you break through the canopy and look down upon the Brunswick River, you'll find several spots perfect for unfurling a picnic rug and basket. Once you're back on your feet, the trail leads you through fascinating wildlife habitats and eventually out to the ocean beach. Head to the website for visitor info. Image: Elliot Kramer
Tasers, telephoto lenses and a new spate of crimes terrifying the beachside town of Neptune: yes, Veronica Mars is back. Everyone's favourite pint-sized TV private eye is finally returning to our screens, all thanks to the show's long-awaited, eagerly anticipated fourth season. As played with the usual pluck and determination by Kristen Bell, she's ready to sleuth her way through a whole new mystery. Of course she is. Due to release in the US in July, via streaming platform Hulu, Veronica Mars' revival follows its titular heroine as she endeavours to get to the bottom of a wave of bombings that've been blasting their way through her home town. The fictional seaside spot is quite the tourist spot — especially come spring break — and Ms Mars thinks that someone wants to blight its reputation. After dropping a very brief teaser in April, Hulu has released the first proper trailer for the series — and, as well as showing the no-nonsense Veronica doing what she does best, it features a heap of familiar faces. Her dad Keith Mars (Enrico Colantoni) and on-again, off-again love interest Logan Echolls (Jason Dohring) also pop up, as does her ex-classmate Weevil (Francis Capra). Also set to make an appearance: returning cast members Percy Daggs III, Ryan Hansen and Max Greenfield, plus new inclusions such as Patton Oswalt, Clifton Collins Jr and Bell's The Good Place co-star Kirby Howell-Baptiste. Oh and JK Simmons, too, and it appears that he's the new season's bad guy. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuhCFAtFE-A If you've been following Veronica's story for the past 15 years, you'll know that the TV series originally debuted in 2004, ran for three seasons until 2007, and then set a crowdfunding record to get a film off the ground in 2014. Next came two novels and a web series spin-off — and now, as first confirmed in September last year, this eight-episode revival. Break out the marshmallows, obviously. The fourth season of Veronica Mars hits Hulu on July 26. Details of the show's Australian and New Zealand release are yet to be confirmed — we'll keep you posted.
