Darlinghurst is the beating heart of the inner city, bursting with things to see and do. Head to its spiritual home of Oxford Street, lined with an eclectic mix of restaurants, clubs and shops, to explore the best of the independent retailers that call this suburb home. With so much to see and do in the area it can be tricky to know where to start, so we've teamed up with American Express to bring you this definitive guide to Darlo's local gems. From the choicest places to kit out your wardrobe to a chic neighbourhood wine bar, here's where you can shop small with your Amex Card.
Do your summer plans involve hanging by the beach? Splashing around in several pools? Enjoying a few games of volleyball on the sand? Watching a movie under the stars? Would you also like to spend your sunny days and starry nights kicking back in a cabana, hopping between multiple restaurants and bars, dancing to DJs and gathering the gang on a rooftop with a view? Sometime early in 2021, Surfers Paradise will welcome a brand new attraction — and it'll feature all of the above in one spot. It's called Cali Beach Club and, yes, it's going to be more than a little jam-packed with things to do. Although an exact opening date hasn't yet been revealed, the new precinct will open on the corner of Surfers Paradise Boulevard and Elkhorn Avenue in the coming months — perched four levels about the street, sprawling across more than 5000 square metres, and boasting vantages over both the ocean and the Surfers' skyline. The Gold Coast might be known for its theme parks, but this is shaping up to be the boozy adult alternative, as run by Australian hospitality group Artesian Hospitality. Whether you're a Brisbanite heading down the highway, a Sydney or Melbourne resident enjoying the new lack of border restrictions, or hail from elsewhere in the country, you'll find quite the spread awaiting once you step inside. That includes four pools to swim in, and plenty of daybeds, sun lounges and cabanas where you can while away the hours. There'll also be exercise areas and sports facilities, such as the aforementioned beach volleyball court, and a dance floor as well. In terms of food and drink, you'll have options, thanks to two restaurants and four bars. Exact details of what they'll be serving, and what'll make them different from each other, haven't yet been revealed — but one eatery will sit right by the ocean. Come evening, a moonlit cinema will screen flicks by the water — again, though, no other details have been revealed. Showing Jaws and Point Break seems like a must, however, because everyone like catching movies about the sea while they're literally right next to it. [caption id="attachment_793063" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Map of Cali Beach Club[/caption] All the other questions you're currently pondering — such as opening hours, cost, capacity and social distancing measures — haven't been answered yet either. But, while it looks set to open during summer, Cali Beach Club plans to operate year-round. The Gold Coast does have the weather for it, after all. Cali Beach Club will open on the corner of Surfers Paradise Boulevard and Elkhorn Avenue, Surfers Paradise, sometime early in 2021 — we'll update you when an exact date is announced.
Owner Aykut Sayan opened his popular cafe Circa Espresso, found less than five minutes walk from Parramatta Station on the other side to the Parramatta Square dining precinct, with one goal in mind: sharing his love of food and coffee with others. His approach fuses Middle Eastern influences with modern Australian fare, resulting in hearty, flavour-packed brekkies, brunches and lunches. The Ottoman eggs, for example, are a feast for the sandwiches, combining poached eggs with crumbed eggplant, garlic labneh, burnt chilli, sage butter and seeded sourdough ($26), while the baked eggs with beef sujuk come topped with danish feta, diced roma tomatoes, harissa gravy, a hint of chilli and house-made focaccia ($26). At coffee time, Circa encourages you to forget about your usual cappuccino or latte. Of course, they're here on the menu, but you also have the chance to try the cafe's signature batch brew ($4–5) or cold brew ($6). There's even an option to expand your caffeine palette with a coffee flight ($12) On clear days, the outdoor terrace is bathed in sunshine, while, in chilly weather, Circa's pendant-lit interior is one of Parramatta's cosiest spots. To really hide away, find the Chesterfield up the back, surrounded by books and artworks. Appears in: The Best Cafes in Sydney Where to Find the Best Breakfast in Sydney
Winter is when Aotearoa really turns it on. There's snow on the mountains, clear skies over Lake Tekapo and hot pools to warm you up on freezing days. Whether you're hitting the slopes, exploring the wine regions, or just settling in somewhere cosy, New Zealand is all about slowing down, clearing your head and enjoying every moment. To help you plan the perfect escape, we've rounded up eight of the best winter stays across the North and South Island – and every one of them is ten percent off when you book via our dedicated travel platform, Concrete Playground Trips using your Visa card. From boutique gems to lakeside luxury, these are the hotels worth checking into this season.
Settled into the upstairs space of The Warren View Hotel is another one of the Damianakis family's ventures, a cosy neighbourhood bar called Teddy's. Following a revamp, this elegant addition to the Enmore corner pub has an attractive fit-out with exposed brick walls, timber beams and mid-century design inspiration. The star of the upstairs space is a bar that runs the length of the room wall to wall, and a fireplace fit for braving chilly winter nights in the Inner West. Head in for a drink and you'll be met with a stellar lineup of independently-owned Australian beverages. The Teddy's menu features fresh, fruity takes on classic cocktails, as well as all-Australian beer and wine lists — supporting local is at the forefront of the venue's ethos — alongside an array of non-alcoholic beverages to pick from. For bites, you'll be able to pair your beverage of choice with a selection of elevated share plates. Take your pick from Aussie pub classics like calamari, sausage rolls and focaccia made in-house, as well as charred octopus, heirloom cherry tomato panisse and tuna crudo. And if you opt to swing by in a group of four or more, you'll be able to select the 'Feed Me' set menu for $55 per person to enjoy a no-fuss and no-thinking-required option that serves up the best that Teddy's has to offer. All in all, Teddy's makes for a great addition to the neighbourhood and a new treat for local punters who've been patronising the pub for years.
Sydney is now home to a dedicated Harry Potter-themed store. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is set to return to Melbourne's stage this year. It looks like a new HP-related TV show is in the works, and Japan is due to score a theme park dedicated to the titular wizard. Yes, if you're a fan of the wizarding franchise, there are plenty of ways to keep indulging your love. Another one is coming, too, thanks to Harry Potter: The Exhibition. If the name sounds familiar, that's because it has existed since 2009 — and came to Sydney in 2012. Come 2022, however, a huge new version will start making its way around the planet, in a partnership between Warner Bros Consumer Products and Imagine Exhibitions. This time, Harry Potter: The Exhibition will cover all things Fantastic Beasts-related, too, if that's how you've been getting your magical fix over the past few years. In total, the big HP showcase will span between 929–1858 square metres, and feature everything from props and costumes from the ten movies to-date to installations that recreate the world of the books and films. While exact details of what'll be on display haven't been revealed as yet, the exhibition is set to "present beautifully crafted environments that honour the beloved characters, settings and beasts seen in the films while exploring the filmmaking magic that brought them to life" according to Imagine Exhibitions' statement announcing the new tour. The company also advises that Harry Potter: The Exhibition will "celebrate the most iconic moments of the films and stories of Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts and the expanded Wizarding World". Just where it'll be heading hasn't been announced so far either, but the showcase will tour to multiple regions, including cities in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. So, you can start crossing your fingers that a visit Down Under will be among its stops — or saying "accio exhibition" as often as you like. For now, Australian fans can stream the eight original films as they've just hit Binge. And, for a refresher on how the movies wrapped up, you can also check out the trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 2 below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mObK5XD8udk&utm_keyword=referral_bustle Harry Potter: The Exhibition will start its world tour from sometime in 2022 — we'll update you with further details when they're announced. Image: Warner Bros.
When I think of dumpling bars, chipped teapots spring to mind. I think of wobbly tables and watery soy, a plate of salt and pepper squid that was never ordered (but they won't take back), and finally the bill, so absurdly cheap, how can this possibly be right? Then there's Lotus Dumpling Bar, a glamorous 270-seater dining room with pretty blue day lounges and brasserie chairs, attentive wait staff and bathrooms so lovely you'll make the effort to go twice. Toto, I've got a feeling we're not in Chinatown anymore. It's easy to start the evening a little sceptical when you notice that eight dumplings are going to set you back $25. I mean that's a banquet for two in Ashfield right there. Thankfully they're good, and by good, I mean some of the best I've ever had, in a long and illustrious career of dumpling eating. Gather round Mr Wong, Din Tai Fung and Tim Ho Wan, you've got lots to learn. Start your evening with the mixed dumpling plate ($25), a pretty array of siu mai, crystal clear gow gee and silky dumpling purses in blemish-free skins that look like perfect little jellyfish. While the squirty soup-bellied xiao long bao ($9) reach new levels of perfection, it's the jade dumplings that steal the show; their gossamer skins stained green with spinach, and from inside spills a tumble of ingredients, thickly cut shiitake stems, scallops, prawns and vegetables that will take you completely by surprise. For the perfect accompaniment, try the Asian soup-inspired Tom Yum Yum cocktail ($18) which features a mix of Wyborowa vodka, Havana three-year-old rum, lemongrass, fresh chilli, kaffir lime leaves, coconut and palm sugar; it's every bit as delicious as it is clever. From here, we make the move over to the food menu, starting with a knockout wok-fried pork with fermented chilli and black bean ($27) or change it up for the wok-fried wallaby rump if you're feeling game. On the restaurant's recommendation, we try the crispy eggplant ($16) coated in a thick, crunchy batter, drizzled in honey and sprinkled in sesame seeds, although it's a little too sweet for my taste. Instead, save room for the lemon myrtle creme caramel ($12) which puts us in absolute raptures with its golden disc of syrup and the hints of warm Asian flavours such as lemongrass and ginger. You've heard of high tea; well from 3-5pm Lotus serve their own brand of Lo Tea, an afternoon tea ceremony which includes a pot from their signature range of teas, handmade dumplings, artisan chocolates and Asian-inspired sweets such as sticky rice balls with sesame and chocolate and purple sweet potato and yam cake. You can keep your crumby cucumber sandwiches QVB. How I'll ever go back to Chinese lunch specials after this I'll never know.
Executive pastry chef Anna Polyviou is spreading the Christmas spirit this year. She's creating an extravagant, four-metre long gingerbread train at the Shangri-La Hotel in Sydney. Gingerbread baking has a serious rep. In fact, in the 17th century only professional gingerbread bakers were allowed to bake it, the only exceptions being at Christmas and Easter. Although no such restrictions persist, some things are still better left to the experts — like Polyviou's ambitious creation. The giant train combines 1000 kilos of gingerbread bricks, 500 kilos of lollies, 200 kilos of fondant, 200 lollipops and untold quantities of icing. It gives sugar high a whole new meaning. And the festivities don't stop there. A festive high tea is taking place throughout December, too. Also designed by Polyviou, the menu features Christmas trifle, festive scones, choux, turkey sandwiches and eggnog pipettes. You can make your own gingerbread, too, when Polyiviou hosts two gingerbread-men making classes on Saturday, December 2 and December 16, between 11.30 am and 3.00 p.m (to partake in the class, you'll need to be booked into the morning high tea on that day). If your sweet tooth still isn't satisfied — or you're looking for sugary Christmas presents — head to the pop-up store selling Christmas puddings, mince tarts, lolly jars and, of course, gingerbread. The gingerbread train and pop-up store are open daily from 7am; the festive high tea is available daily from 12pm–2.30pm and 3pm–5.30pm, you can make a reservation for the high tea here or call (02) 9250 6295.
Inside a stately 19th-century building, you'll find the longstanding Establishment Bar. You won't miss the centrepiece of the room — a 42-metre-long marble bar, which perfectly exemplifies the vibe of this joint. This is an elegant and sophisticated establishment, and it knows a little something about drinks and dining. The menu for the main bar and the garden space outside runs the gamut from modern Australian cafe breakfasts and pub classics to traditional Thai fare, right through to a bar food menu after 10pm. For brekkie, there are simple nibbles like freshly baked pastries, fruit, muesli and toast with artisanal jams, or if you're after something more substantial, try the quinoa bowl with poached eggs, avocado and kale ($20) or scrambled eggs with prawns, shellfish oil and broccolini ($25). From midday till 3pm, Monday to Friday, there's a full menu of Thai favourites including lamb massaman ($20), geng khio gai ($25) and som tum pla salmon ($23), so you'll find plenty of business workers enjoying their lunch break here during the week. Otherwise, there's a pretty classic list of small plates, salads and mains, available until late. All this can be paired with plenty of wine from Australia, France and beyond, or step out for a seasonal cocktail in the garden. Images: Trent van der Jagt.
We’ve all heard that old adage “what’s been said, can’t be unsaid”, most of us having experienced that feeling of dread about the night before at one time or another. When the booze is flowing freely, tongues tend to get looser as inhibitions slide away, but the damage cannot always easily be undone. This is the theme of Thirty Three, the latest play from Ray Cathode Tube , written by Michael Booth and Alistair Powning, on at TAP Gallery in Darlinghurst. In a terrace house in trendy Newtown, the beautiful Saskia is welcoming her friends to a low-key dinner in celebration of her 33rd birthday. However, the unexpected arrival of her estranged brother, Josh, throws a spanner in the works and things take a turn for the debaucherous. Suddenly what should have been a civilised evening is careening off in an entirely different direction, as the guests become increasingly intoxicated, and it’s not just alcohol being consumed. The volatile recipe for disaster is finished off with a couple heading for divorce, an uninvited narcissistic cokehead and a lesbian flower child. Underlying tensions and secrets are all revealed, but will they be able to pick up the pieces in the morning?
Once upon a time there lived a man named Joe who was beloved Shire-wide for his milkshakes and hot dogs, served with a smile to hungry surfers fresh from the waters of Cronulla. Sadly Joe passed away, but his memory now lives on thanks to the team behind the Hamptons-style beachside bar and eatery Old Joe’s. You can still get a hot dog and milkshake, of course, but the former is much bigger and the latter 100 percent boozier. From the outside this place looks like everything it tries to be. Brought to life by Sydney-based interior designer Sibella Court, Old Joe’s is colourful and playful, and the huge space inside has been worked well. The main dining/dancing area is large, complete with table tennis, high tables, low tables, games machines for the kiddies (and drunk big kiddies) and a big bar right across the back. To your right (or right in front of you if you enter via the outside/smoking area), you’ll find a light and bright lounge area with nods to its namesake, like cute vintage sign reproductions and candy-striped awnings. Unfortunately, while it may look the part, for a Saturday afternoon it was practically deserted and the people-fuel needed to fire a bustling atmosphere was running on empty. Slightly surprising, as the location is killer and the aforementioned alcoholic milkshakes are decent. In fact, the cocktail menu is good in general. If you’re hankering for dairy, the Joe-J-Fox of vodka (interchangeable with bourbon), banana liqueur, chocolate liqueur, Milo, caramel, regular fruity banana and milk is as tasty as it sounds. But if you like your cocktails sans cow, the Breakfast with Nonna is fresh; sharp; filled with gin, Aperol, maraschino, pink grapefruit, a squeeze of lime; and served in its own dark-glass, apothecary-style bottle. On the food front, it seems the menu has gone through a few transformations since opening, beginning as a one-page American-style selection of dishes ideal pre-binge drinking. It now has a few more modern Australian dishes, most likely to appeal to a wider audience. The Mexican plate to share was generous and the burger was big, juicy and actually really quite delicious. The hot dog, Old Joe’s signature dish, while very large, was just a Frankfurter in a bun, smothered in mustard: a great belly filler but nothing special. As a dining destination, you’ll find somewhere better than Old Joe’s; however, as a beachside bar this place is actually a pretty cool addition to Cronulla’s nightlife. If its Facebook pics are anything to go by, Old Joe’s is already attracting a big crowd come the weekend and if you’re in the area, you should probably go.
According to Toronto-based Richard Smith, 'I have a laptop. It needs a case. So I make laptop sleeves.' Although a simple idea at heart, Richard's computer sleeves are nothing short of unique. Made from vintage sweaters and shirts, Computerwear repurposes unused and unappreciated clothing into suave, handmade laptop and iPad cases, transforming your gadget from an inanimate piece of technology into a proper gentleman. If you never leave home without your laptop or iPad, Computerwear will save your gear from the unwanted and unavoidable bumps and scratches of everyday life. Available on Richard's Etsy store, Finders&Keepers, the cases are machine-washable (unless otherwise noted) and dryer friendly, and make for a pretty dapper tech accessory at US$65.
It's safe to say that Song Tea aims to have a little fun. And so it's slinging more than just milk teas — it also offers vibes aplenty. Think claw machines, a ball pit jacuzzi and millennial pink everything. Plus all of the menu items have amusing names: there's the Eating Fries on a Treadmill Japanese green tea, the No Money for Plastic Surgery Taiwanese oolong tea and the Single Not Cause I'm Ugly, Fine I Am brûlée milk tea. Regardless of the puns, the teas themselves are top notch, and offer something a little different from the usual — such as Thai caramel pearl and sparkling tea varieties, plus additional toppings like egg pudding and konjac.
Sydney's largest Halloween celebration, Halloscream, is back, and it's set to be even more terrifying than ever. This October, Luna Park will transform into a terrifying realm of nightmares with new scary attractions, spine-chilling live performances and unlimited rides. Punters have the choice of two ticket options: general admission and the VIP ticket. Both have unlimited access to Luna Park's rides, while VIP ticket holders have dedicated access to Round & Round and Red Light, Green Light from the highly anticipated Squid Game: The Experience. The ticket also includes food and a merchandise discount. Back again this year is The Carnival Breath, plunging guests into a sideshow from hell. Here, nightmare-inducing clowns and creepy performers lurk in the shadows, waiting for unsuspecting victims. Plus, a brand-new addition to this year's stacked lineup of scares is Crystal Ward, a terrifying maze set within the heritage-listed Crystal Palace. Wander through an abandoned hospital ward with secret experiments still unfolding behind locked doors, so make sure to hold on tight to your loved ones. Throughout the night, you'll also encounter roaming entertainers to keep you occupied. Of course, you can always take breaks from the spooktacular and get your heart racing in a different way on any of Luna Park's long-standing rides. Don't forget to grab a bite to eat, too, with Halloween-themed food and drinks to keep you satiated. Halloscream runs from Thursday, October 30 to November 1, with tickets now available on the Luna Park website. General admission tickets are $110, with VIP tickets available for $150.
Thanks to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, everyone in Australia will forever remember where they were at two specific moments: when the Matildas beat France in a stunning penalty shootout, and when Sam Kerr kicked the goal of a lifetime in the semi-final loss to England. The Sunshine State doesn't just want the team's feats at football's ultimate competition to live on in our hearts and minds, however, or via footage of the games. Rather, Brisbane will commemorate the Australian national women's soccer team's achievements physically, with the Queensland Government announcing that it will build a Matildas statue. That epic match against France was played at the River City's Suncorp Stadium, as was the Matildas' 3–2 loss to Nigeria in the group stage and 2–0 third-place playoff defeat by Sweden. Accordingly, that'll be the site of the new monument to Sam Kerr, Ellie Carpenter, Mackenzie Arnold, Hayley Raso, Steph Catley, Katrina Gorry, Mary Fowler, Caitlin Foord and their teammates, as a permanent reminder of their history-making World Cup campaign. No Australian soccer team has made it as far into the coveted contest as the Matildas did in 2023 — not the Matildas themselves in the past, and not the Socceroos, either. Indeed, it's no wonder that their games kept smashing ratings records, with the England match now the country's most-watched TV program since 2001, and also likely ever. Exactly what the statue will look like will be left to Football Australia to decide, with the Queensland Government advising that it'll work with the sporting body "on the design and recognition of the team to ensure the statue depicts the success of the Matildas now and into the future". And as for when it'll be unveiled, that hasn't been revealed. But when it does grace the Milton stadium, it'll add both female and football representation to a site that currently features statues of rugby league stars Wally Lewis, Arthur Beetson, Darren Lockyer, Mal Meninga and Allan Langer, plus rugby union's John Eales. View this post on Instagram A post shared by CommBank Matildas (@matildas) "The Matildas have created history. Not only has their performance set new benchmarks for sport, they have captured our hearts and inspired a nation," said Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, announcing the statue. "As a FIFA Legacy Ambassador I am so proud of our Matildas. They are role models who will inspire thousands of girls to pick up a football and play the game. It's only fitting that we recognise all they have achieved with a permanent tribute." Until the statue becomes a reality, you can spend more time celebrating the Matildas via documentary Matildas: The World at Our Feet. Brisbane's new statue at Suncorp Stadium celebrating the Matildas' 2023 Women's World Cup efforts doesn't yet have an installation and unveiling date — we'll update you when further details are announced. Top image: LittleBlinky via Wikimedia Commons.
If you've never been to an oyster room, here's your chance. A welcome addition to the lower end of George Street and a proper alternative to the vicinity's 'pubish' priorities, Morrison's Oyster Bar & Grill is a class act. Enter, and you're greeted by an industrial chic interior complete with exposed brick and concrete pillars. Bursts of colour complement the many pot plants and mosaic tables, while the mood lighting, dark wood, and fresh produce on display recall a sultry British Indian oasis. The space is suited to the after-work business crowd and also caters to smaller groups or couples. The food is also quite impressive at The Morrison but the oysters that you're here for. Perch yourself at the bar where you can watch the magic unfold as the Morrison's oyster maestros shuck your Pacific, Angassi and Rock oysters to order. The St Helens oysters are crisp on the palate and firm in texture. The Laurent-Perrier champagne compliments these well, but if you want to get experimental with your wine/oyster pairing just ask one of the helpful waiters. Morrison's Oyster Bar & Grill has injected lower George Street with that little bit of glamour we've all been waiting for. We'd recommend you'd get down there quick, because word's out. Interior images: Steven Woodburn. Food images: Mia Forest.
Thanks to our sweltering weather, abundance of beaches and all-round love of creamy, frosty desserts, Australia has given rise to many a great ice cream. But, one has always reigned supreme. That'd be the humble, colourful, swirl-filled Rainbow Paddle Pop, which tastes like caramel, summer, nostalgia and not having a care in the world (and every Aussie has the childhood memories to prove it). Licking your way through a single Rainbow Paddle Pop on a stick is all well and good (and often messy and sticky). In fact, even though it's the king of Aussie ice creams, you probably no longer give buying a whole box of them a second thought. Plunging a scoop into a tub of Rainbow Paddle Pop ice cream is something new, special and completely different, however — and, thanks to Streets' new one-litre range, it's now on the menu. The ice cream company has rolled out tub versions of three classic Aussie flavours — so, if you're not obsessed with Rainbow Paddle Pops for some reason, you can also tuck into scoopable servings of Bubble O'Bill and Golden Gaytime. And yes, the Bubble O'Bill tub includes bubble gum-flavoured candy pieces scattered throughout its chocolate and caramel ice cream, because we all know that it'd be pointless without them. Expect the new dessert line to be popular — announcing the tubs, Streets' Brand Manager Samantha Jarmul advised that "these are the top requests we receive from Streets' fans". If that's your next at-home sundae sorted, you can pick up tubs for $8 each from IGA supermarkets. They'll also be available in Woolworths stores nationwide by mid-next week, and will then be on Coles' shelves from mid-August. Streets' Bubble O'Bill, Rainbow Paddle Pop and Golden Gaytime tubs are now available at IGA supermarkets, will hit Woolworths stores by mid-next week, and will then be on Coles' shelves from mid-August — and will set you back $8 each.
Happy hour is always over too soon – whether you're sipping on $6 rose and charcuterie at Armorica in Surry Hills, or $10 cocktails at Bobbie's in Double Bay. But Surry Hills bar Island Radio has the antidote. Step inside on a Sunday and you'll be transported to a world where happy hour never ends. All day long, you can sip on a Reccy lager or a glass of house-made wine for just $7. Prosecco, pinot grigio, rosato and montepulciano are all on the list. Alternatively, upgrade to cocktails for a just few bucks, with $10 strawberry yuzu spritzes, $10 whisky highballs and $12 negronis. Whatever your drink of choice, you'll be kicking back in Island Radio's 'tropical futurist' surrounds – dotted with bright colours and vibrant greenery. The hawker-inspired food menu ranges from light bites, like Malaysian king prawn roti and crispy adobe chicken skewers, to noodles, curries and large share plates. Book your Sunday happy hour session over here – and keep the weekend going just that bit longer.
With such a special Sydney location, Surry Hill's Foreign Return is an Indian dining experience like no other. The team at Foreign Return pride themselves on not taking things too seriously. From the buzz of Crown Street at its doorstep to the charming Taj Mahal mural in the main dining area, this is the kind of place that shouts optimism and fun, rather than solemn and earnest dining. Founded by seasoned restaurateur Javed Khan of Delhi 'O' Delhi fame, along with hospo mainstays Gaurang Gahoi ('GG') and Kunal Patel, Foreign Return will challenge the Australian idea of Indian cuisine – lamb rogan josh get the day off in favour of regional and forgotten dishes. Head chef Tanvi Goswani, whose passion is fusing Indian flavours with other cuisines from around the world, brings the menu to life with bold flavours and traditional cooking methods. The tandoor and grill produce delights such as minced goat kebabs from Lucknow, cooked with ground spices, saffron and onion, while vegetarians can feast on khichdi, a lost recipe from the eighth and ninth centuries, made of black rice, lentils and fresh herbs. Another standout is the vari kokaru curry, a recipe from an ancient East Indian tribe, consisting of lamb shanks, home-made masala and fresh coriander. Foreign Return is more than just fabulous food, accentuating the fun with a vibrant and eclectic drinks list. Cocktails include the Marigold Sour, a twist on a classic gin sour and dedicated to Asia's biggest flower market, the Mullik Ghat in Kolkata. Elsewhere there is the Curry Colada, a mix of rum, curry leaves, coconut, pineapple and lime. It's the perfect pairing to balance the spiced Tangra colony chilli prawns. Foreign Return offers an a la carte menu, bottomless brunch, pre-theatre dining and an all-vegan fare. For a night of fun and frivolity, you'll struggle to find a better Indian restaurant in Sydney. Top images: Leigh Griffiths
If you're itching to head off on a long-awaited, well-deserved overseas getaway once Australia's borders reopen to international travel, then getting vaccinated is likely part of your pre-travel plans. And, once you get both of your jabs, you'll be eligible to receive an extra bonus to put towards your next holiday thanks to Australian airline Qantas. Via its newly launched 'Been vaccinated? Be rewarded' vaccination incentives initiative, the Aussie carrier is handing out flight discounts, frequent flyer points and status points to Australians who've been fully vaxxed. Everyone over the age of 18 who has received both jabs can score their choice of one of the three rewards — as long as you're a member of Qantas' frequent flyer program. You can pick between a $20 flight discount for a Qantas or Jetstar flight, 1000 Qantas points or 15 status credits (which you need to move up tiers in the airline's frequent flyer scheme). If you've already had both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and you're a member of the carrier's frequent flyer program, you can hit up the Qantas app from 8am on Tuesday, August 24 to claim your reward. Otherwise, once you've had both jabs — with Australia's vaccination rollout opening up to Aussies aged between 16–39 from Monday, August 30 — you can then do the same. Qantas frequent flyer membership is free, too, if you're not yet onboard. Also up for grabs: a year of flights, accommodation and fuel, worth around $85,450, which'll be given to eight people — one from each state and territory. To have your travel covered for a year, you'll need to win the prize draw. But, as soon as you hop onto the Qantas app to claim your other reward, you'll automatically be put in the running for the big giveaway, which'll let you jet between any destination that Qantas and Jetstar fly to and from once borders begin to reopen. Keen to nab a flight voucher, some points or credits? And to give yourself the chance to win a year of free flights, accommodation and fuel? You can claim away until Friday, December 31 — with just one claim per person, obviously — and then the mega prize winners will be announced in January 2022. Also, if you're wondering how you'll verify that you've been vaxxed in order to nab your Qantas reward, you'll need to use the Medicare app to access and upload your COVID-19 digital vaccination certificate before you're able to select your chosen option. The airline will then delete the certificate information once you've been through that verification step. Announcing the scheme, Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said that "getting vaccinated is an important step that every Australian can take that brings us that little bit closer to life as we knew it. As the national carrier, we want to recognise those who have made the effort to protect themselves and the community." Virgin Australia has also announced that it'll be launching a new competition called VA-X & Win, which will hand out millions of Velocity Frequent Flyer Points and dozens of free flights to Aussie who've had the jab — and make one person a Velocity Points millionaire, with the lucky winner then able to put those points to plenty of use. It hasn't opened the campaign yet, or announced how you'll prove you're eligible, how to enter and exactly what prizes will be on offer, as it has opted not to do so until COVID-19 vaccines are made available to all Australian adults. If you're eager to look for vaccination clinics — to get vaxxed now, or to plan ahead for when you can get the jab — you can check out a handy online map that collates vaccination hub, clinic and GP locations. It covers all Australian states and territories, including New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. To redeem your reward from Qantas' 'Been vaccinated? Be rewarded' vaccination incentives campaign, head to the Qantas app from 8am on Tuesday, August 24. For further details about the initiative, head to the airline's website. Top image: Brent Winstone.
In need of a foolproof cure for those Monday blues? Make your way over to Cleveland street favourite 505 for an evening of jazz and board games. This artist-run spot has something going on pretty much every night of the week but we're especially big fans of the Monday jazz and boardgame sessions. The in-house game selection is big enough to include childhood classics and new favourites, and your game-playing will be accompanied by smooth sounds by supremely-talented musicians from Australia and abroad. Throw in a few snacks from the Italianesque menu and a couple of craft beers, and Mondays might just become one of your favourite days of the week.
When Michael Shanks began writing Together over half a decade ago, he didn't start casting in his mind at the time. He didn't pen it thinking that a real-life married couple would play Tim and Millie, his debut feature's protagonists, either. To fuel the Australian filmmaker's leap from YouTube, shorts and TV — including Time Trap, The Wizards of Aus, The Slot, Parked and Rebooted, as well as visual effects on 2019 miniseries Lambs of God— to becoming the talk of Sundance 2025, scoring the first major sale of this year's fest, then playing SXSW in Austin and opening the Sydney Film Festival, however, Shanks was thinking about long-term relationships. They couldn't be more at the heart of his delightfully wild and smart body-horror must-see. So, enlisting two leads who've been together since 2012 and wed since 2017 is indeed perfect. Those stars, and also producers of Together: Alison Brie (Apples Never Fall) and Dave Franco (The Studio), adding another joint project to a shared list that already featured the latter's directorial efforts The Rental and Somebody I Used to Know, as well as the likes of The Little Hours, The Disaster Artist, BoJack Horseman and Krapopolis. Initially, though, Shanks drew upon his own romantic situation — one that owes a debt to the Aussie end-of-school rite-of-passage that is Schoolies. When an Australian thinks of that week of typically Gold Coast-set revelry playing a part in a horror film, a picture about falling for someone, sharing a life with them, commitment and co-dependency isn't a concept that naturally springs to mind. But that's Together, which is also a movie about love sticking. It takes that concept literally. Franco's Tim and Brie's Millie kick off Together as enmeshed in each other's existence as a couple generally, usually, normally can be. A big move, also literal, is their next step by each other's side: relocating for Millie's job as an elementary school teacher. But their going-away party turns awkward when a marriage proposal doesn't quite go as it should — and as aspiring musician Tim begins gleaning how shifting out of the city for Millie will practically impact his ability to play gigs and keep chasing his dreams. Tension accompanies the pair to their leafy new regional surroundings, then, where greenery-lined hiking tracks beckon, Shanks' key duo fall into a cave and the two find themselves even more linked, and unable to be apart, than ever. What if bonding with your other half had a physical dimension beyond cohabiting, sex, other displays of affection and the standard couple details? What if deciding to always be one of a pair was a corporeal connection right down to your flesh? Of the two big 80s music classics with "tear us apart" in their title, think INXS' Triple J Hottest 100 of Australian Songs-topping 'Never Tear Us Apart' over Joy Division's 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' — and not just because Together was shot Down Under, in Melbourne where Shanks is based. How love can change you, the anxieties that it can cause and the resentments that it can spark, and what it truly means to join your existence with someone else's: these are the ideas that Together ponders as it explores transformations inspired by fluttering hearts in its own distinctive and compelling way. Confronting painful real-life situations, while never being afraid to carve its own path into horror tropes such as unsettling new locales, creepy trips into bushland, eerie isolated houses and more: Together does this, too, as it spins a tale that favours life over the horror staple that is death, grief and loss. And in a picture that's firmly a body-horror flick with searing-into-your-brain setpieces to prove it, but is as much a romantic drama as well — and that always anchors its spectacle in the story, never getting gory purely for the sake of it — Franco and Brie are firmly "a dream cast", as Shanks describes them to Concrete Playground. The word "dream" earns a few mentions in our chat. "It's really, really insane," he tells us of Together's journey so far this year, even before reaching cinemas in general release on Thursday, July 31, 2025 Down Under and the day prior in the US. "Getting the film made just alone was a dream coming true, and then it getting into Sundance was a dream come true. And then it playing Sundance and selling to Neon was a dream. So it's kind of hokey to say, but it's sort of this dream that just keeps coming true. It's what every filmmaker dreams of." "When we played at Sundance for the first time, we'd spent months in post-production, just basically myself and an editor [Sean Lahiff, Territory] and an editing assistant, working on the film. We didn't do test screenings. It was just us in a little room. And then we thought it was maybe pretty good — like, we were pretty happy with the movie. And then at Sundance, we were in this theatre of 1000–2000 people, and it's like 'this is literally the first audience that's going to see it. We've got no idea. It's a midnight screening. It's a packed house. Here we go'," Shanks continues. "Five minutes in, there's a little scare, and we could feel the audience gasp — and we went 'oh'. And a few minutes after that, there's this little joke and the audience laughed, and we just felt like 'oh wow, this is going well, I think'. And fortunately it did. And now it's played SXSW and it played a couple of festivals in Italy, and it played in Mexico. And I'm traveling the world in a way I never thought I'd be able to just off the back of a film. It's an incredible privilege. It's been an amazing year," he advises. With the filmmaker that's given Australia another example of YouTube-to-worldwide horror feature success after Talk to Me and Bring Her Back's Danny and Michael Philippou — and whose script for HOTEL HOTEL HOTEL HOTEL featured on the Blacklist — we also contemplated that Schoolies link, dug into Brie and Franco's pivotal involvement, examined why making Together without an IRL couple as its stars might've been a nightmare and discussed the movie's vivid body-horror imagery, among other subjects. On How Schoolies Played a Part in Inspiring a Horror Film About Falling in Love, Commitment and Codependency — and When the Idea for Together Came to Shanks During His Long-Term Relationship "Oh, it was many years in. Because yeah, we met at Schoolies. I would have been 17, I think. And then we didn't start dating until a few months — we became friends, and we started dating a few months after. And then we've been together now — that was 16–17 years ago, so we've been together that long. I'm 34 now, I was writing the script in my late 20s. And that was about when we were moving into our second home together, and we were really beginning to amalgamate our lives, I guess. It really became true that we've been together for so long, we only had the same friends. The Venn diagram of our friendships was just a circle. And we went to all the same events, we listen to the same music, ate the same food, breathed the same air. And now we were living in a second house together. We had a cat. And I was like 'there is no part of my life that's separate from this person'. And likewise. And I started to, I think, confront something that a lot of people go through, of realising 'oh, do I still have independence while I'm committing to this forever-monogamous relationship' — and 'our lives are so intertwined, do I really know where I end and she begins?'. The Radiohead song 'Where I End and You Begin' probably helped dislodge that idea as well. And that was where this jumping off point was — where you already are committing to sharing a life with somebody in such totality, what if you took that even further into a physical, flesh-bound sharing, to take a real relationship and intertwine it in a physical way. That just felt like such an over the top and interesting, operatic exploration of those themes, that also would satisfy the kind of genre-filmmaker obsessive that I am." On Making a Horror Film About Love Instead of Genre Staples Like Grief, Loss and Death "It just felt really natural to me. I mean, the jumping off point to me was honestly just the idea of 'oh, what if people sharing a life started to get so close that they started to share flesh?'. That was sort of that simple. And then it was when I started to fill in the details of that story, and realising that I was putting so many specifics from my own life and the observations I've made of the couples around me in my friendship circles, that I realised that 'oh, this really is a love story' — and a dark, twisted love story. When the actors, Dave and Alison, came onboard, they paid me a great compliment — which was that they said 'reading the script, if you would pull out all the horror, it would still work as a relationship drama'. Which I was really pleased to hear that, despite all the crazy scenes of nastiness and body horror and stickiness and puppets and practical effects and insanity, it's all bound to a character journey and these two people that start in these very different emotional places. And where, like in most romantic movies, rom-coms or rom-dramas, we're basically there to see 'can they can they put this aside and realise that they love each other?'. Or, 'do they realise that they don't love each other and they need to extricate themselves from what has become perhaps a toxic relationship?'." On Casting Real-Life Partners — But Not Actually Penning the Film with That in Mind "No, I kind of wrote it just generically, just set in Australia, because why not? I think it was originally sent Trentham, because I have a friend who makes wine out there — and I was like 'aah, that's my kind of rural in Victoria'. But then I had a chance meeting with Dave, because I had another script of mine that was being passed around Hollywood people in LA. And off the basis of that, I got a meeting with Dave, and we just connected. So I already had the script, and I was like 'hey, maybe have a look at this — maybe you'll like it'. And he read it and loved it and gave it to Alison. And then within a couple of days, we were on a Zoom, the three of us, and kind of figured it out. So that was amazing. Them separately, just as actors and performers, were a dream cast. But them together as an actual married couple, it adds so much to the performances, to the metatextual elements of the film, as well as just an ease of working with them. We needed them to be so physically and emotionally intimate across this film, and the fact that they have such comfort being vulnerable with each other, it created an ease of work as well as an emotional truth that I don't think we could have done with any other actors." On How Pivotal Casting an IRL Couple Proved to Be to the Film "It would have been, especially if they didn't get on, it would have been a nightmare. There was a day on set where they basically had to be fully nude the whole day in front of each other. It's like 'okay, well that's easier to do when they're a husband and wife'. There were days on set where they had to be physically joined via a prosthetic appendage that we didn't have the budget to make a second of — so we couldn't remove it. So if they needed to go to the bathroom, they weren't allowed to separate. We needed them to go to the bathroom together. And of course, you could never impose that on actors, but because they were producers on the film and they're married, they would just be like 'oh, yeah, no worries. Definitely, definitely. We'll just do that'. It was so great. Dave said something in some interviews that I think is really sweet — is that he also said that working with Alison, he feels like it makes him give the best performance, because she knows him so well that he can't be fake in front of her. So he really has to go for it or she'll call him out. Which is — not that I witnessed any calling out, but they worked so well together and it was a huge honour to work with them." On What Brie and Franco Brought to Their Performances — and Shanks Being Able to Benefit From Not Just Their Relationship But Also Their Experience "Thankfully, because they were onboard as producers, I had a lot of time with them even before they arrived in Australia to do the shoot. We had lots of sessions over Zoom, really going through, going over the script and going over the character journeys, and tweaking little things here and there — even intellectually rather than performing it, just kind of speaking it out. And then in pre-production, we had a few days of rehearsal, which were just more read-throughs. And when you're on set, time is money like crazy, particularly for an independent, low-budget film like this. So thankfully when we were on set, it's kind of like — our cinematographer, Germain McMicking [Ellis Park], was amazing, and you tell him what you want and he'll do it. And then he doesn't require much direction because he's a pro. He's so good at it. And same with Dave and Alison, as they're just such pros and they understood the material so well that my job as a director, in terms of their performances, was just ever-so-slightly giving them notes just to tweak. They were always, always in the right area because of the amount of prep that we'd done and the professionalism. And that was great to lean on as well, because I've been working in this industry since I was 17, but this is by far the biggest, longest and most-dramatic thing that I've ever worked on. So having these people that have been doing it for just as long on a much grander scale really, really helped." On Always Anchoring the Film's Body-Horror Setpieces in the Story "I think it was that I just know from being a genre filmmaker. I was really confident in all the horror and all the setpieces. That's what I'm most practised as. And so when I was breaking out the script, I was breaking it out not in terms of the horror, but just in terms of an emotional journey. And just dotting out in character arcs and knowing, because of the nature of the story, that it would be so easy for me to have this journey be interrupted by or enhanced by the horror setpieces. And also, I think something that some people are being surprised by when they walk out of the movie is how much fun it is and that it's quite funny — because again, when I sat down to write it, I was thinking I was writing romantic drama/horror. Scary, you know, serious. I've got this comedy background, but as the situation gets more and more out of hand, it was just impossible to resist — 'well, this is what would actually happen in that scenario' — and lean into something that's fun. So hopefully you'll laugh, you'll cry, it will change your life." On Crafting Horror Imagery That Leaves an Imprint "Well, I get frustrated sometimes with horror films — or with any films in general — when there's not unique images that come out of it, when there's no setpieces that stick with you, when things are just a bit generic. And I also thought the specificity of this concept meant you can only do this once. And I don't know if as a filmmaker, if I'll ever make a horror film again — if I'll ever make body-horror film again. I'd like to. But I certainly could never make this premise again. So if this is the premise, I really was thinking to myself 'you've got to squeeze as much juice out of this as possible'. And so, 'if this is the premise, great, what are ten setpieces that you can only do with this premise' — and just making sure that that's the case. And just really wanting to — really wanting to — leave the audience with something memorable. I hope people, when they leave the cinema, will say that they had a good time and that they've never seen a film quite like this." Together opened in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, July 31, 2025. Images: Germain McMicking / Ben King.
Peering at ancient pyramids isn't normally an Australian pastime, but it will be come spring without needing to leave the country. In 2024, the nation's fascination with Egypt thousands of years ago has already been fuelled by Sydney exhibition Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs, which wrapped up in May — and also by Pharaoh in Melbourne, which is on display until October. Next up is Horizon of Khufu, a virtual-reality experience rather than a showcase of treasures and trinkets. You won't get up close to historical items here, but you will become immersed in the past like it's all around you. Patrons will see the Great Pyramids of Giza, including flying over the Giza Necropolis. You'll climb to the top of the Pyramid of Khufu, in fact, and gaze out over Egypt with a 360-degree view. Getting a glimpse of burial chambers and embalming ceremonies, finding the queen's chamber, sailing down the Nile, attending Khufu's funeral: that's all also on the agenda, as is checking out the Great Sphinx of Giza and witnessing these ancient wonders by night. That's where your eyes will be heading, at least, via a VR headset that'll take you into a shared play space. Your peepers will also be checking out recreations of sights dating back 4500 years, to the time of Khufu, the second pharaoh of Egypt's fourth dynasty. He's the figure that's believed to have commissioned the largest of the pyramids, which was also his tomb. Your body will need to be in Sydney at the Harbour City's Fever Pavilion, where Horizon of Khufu is making its Australian debut from Thursday, September 5, 2024. There's no word yet whether the experience will then head to other Aussie cities, as some past events from entertainment platform Fever have, including its Banksy and NBA exhibitions recently. Once they've popped on their headsets, attendees will be led through Horizon of Khufu by a virtual guide, all while benefiting from design by Egyptologist and Harvard University professor Peter Der Manuelian. If you're with your date or mates, or family, the 45-minute experience also lets you visuals others in the VR space, so you won't all just be off on your own wander through bygone years. Australia joins France — where Horizon of Khufu debuted in 2022 — as well as the US, Canada and the UK in being able to enjoy this blast from the past. Unsurprisingly, it has proven popular around the globe, notching up more than one million visitors so far. If you've seen plenty of other Egypt obsessives at Ramses & the Gold of the Pharaohs and Pharaoh, you'll know that Aussies will help boost those numbers. Horizon of Khufu will open at Fever Pavilion, Olympic Boulevard, Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney from Thursday, September 5, 2024 — with the waitlist open now and tickets on sale from Tuesday, July 23, 2024. Head to the exhibition website for more details.
Wheelhaus, on Enmore Road, specialised in bicycles from select manufacturers, including Focus, Cervélo and Stoemper, as well as clothing and saddle bags by Attaquer. Road, gravel and cyclocross (CS) bikes are this store's, er, wheelhouse. It reserves bikes, like Cervélo's Aspero 2021, ahead of time, and makes for a pretty punk place to pick up new wheels. [caption id="attachment_777023" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] As well as ordering in small batches of the latest cycles, the shop is well-stocked with accessories like tie-dye jerseys made by owner Greg Hamer's line of cycling clothing, which is designed in Sydney, made in Italy. It's also a nice shop to pop into on your way to Enmore Park, which is close enough by when you want to take your new bike for a test ride. Image: Cassandra Hannagan
Keen for an escape? The Kittawa Lodge strikes the ideal combination of rugged, remote bliss and immense luxury. Set on 96 pristine acres amid King Island – perched in the choppy waters between Tasmania and the Victorian mainland – this dramatic retreat offers a premium stay amongst the windswept dunes, perfect for when you need to add some more tranquility to your life. This lavish off-grid accommodation is stepping things up throughout winter with the return of its acclaimed Guest Chef Series. Making the trip to King Island are renowned culinary talents, Rosheen Kaul (Etta) and Stephen Nairn (Omnia, Yugen Dining, Yugen Tea Bar). Expect a three-night foodie retreat, as these experiences blend luxury, adventure and world-class dining in the heart of Tasmania's wild beauty. With a maximum of eight guests taking part at a time, this is your chance to indulge in ultra-exclusive dining in absolute peace. Featuring a menu designed by Kaul and Nairn, breakfasts, gourmet picnics and intimate dinners will spotlight local produce alongside Tasmanian wine pairings, signature snacks and curated cocktails. As the former Head Chef of Etta, not to mention an award-winning writer and food personality, Kaul has long been an influential name on the Australian culinary scene. Celebrating her Asian heritage through Australia's seasonal produce, her first cookbook, Chinese-ish, took home a prestigious James Beard Media Award. Meanwhile, Scottish-born Nairn is the current CEO and Culinary Director of LK Hospitality, where he plies his experience gathered in respected European kitchens and New York City's three Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park. The return of the Guest Chef Series arrives on the back of a new launch – the Kittawa Retreat – representing a significant expansion to the Lodge's accommodation offering. Designed for shared trips without compromising privacy, this new two-bedroom stay is ideal for families, friend groups or even couples that want a little more space to spread out. Luxe inside and out, amenities include an open-air hot tub with panoramic ocean views and a private cellar stocked with top-quality tipples. Guests can also book bespoke experiences, from guided yoga to private four-course dinners. "Our vision for Kittawa Retreat was to create an experience that feels both deeply personal and uniquely Tasmanian. Every detail, from the curated artwork to the plush, layered interiors, has been designed to immerse guests in comfort, beauty, and the raw natural splendour of King Island," says Kittawa Lodge owners Aaron Suine and Nick Stead. If you decide to make the trip to King Island, there's no shortage of optional extras, like 60-minute in-lodge treatments and guided meditation sessions. If it's more adventure you seek, you can book in for a guided expedition to the south of the island or even rent an AWD vehicle to curate your own remote escape. The Kittawa Lodge Guest Chef Series runs across various dates from Wednesday, May 28–Tuesday, August 5. Head to the website for more information. Images: Oscar Sloane / Gareth Sobey.
When John Carpenter gave the world the exceptional slasher flick that is Halloween, the iconic filmmaker also gave us all something to watch each and every October 31. No one wants to limit themselves to just one scary movie on the spookiest day of the year, though. And while the Halloween franchise has plenty of entries (some excellent, some terrible, some average), it's not the only thing worthy of your eyeballs while you're carving pumpkins, eating candy and dressing up in the most frightening costume you can conjure up. While 2020 has been unsettling all round for everyone, it has also served up a heap of unnerving flicks — especially (and fittingly) via streaming platforms. So if your idea of a perfect Halloween this year involves getting reacquainted with that groove on your sofa and binging your way through the latest and greatest horror movies that are currently offer, we've rounded up a ten-movie viewing list that'll do the trick. You'll need to supply the treats, obviously. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZHg9xcK83s THE MORTUARY COLLECTION When The Mortuary Collection begins with a kid on a bicycle making his way towards a creepy multi-level mansion in a remote part of a small town — a mortuary, as the title makes plain — you can be forgiven for thinking that it's about to step into Goosebumps or Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark-style territory. That firmly isn't the case, even though this horror flick serves up an anthology of unnerving tales all framed by an overarching narrative. In the bigger picture, as set in the 80s, Raven's End mortician Montgomery Dark (Clancy Brown, Billions) finds a young woman called Sam (Caitlin Custer, Teen Wolf) hovering around the house. She says she's enquiring about the 'help wanted' sign outside and, as they chat, he starts talking her through the histories of folks who've died in the town. Cue four separate segments that feature everything from tentacled monsters and sleazy frat boys to creepy corpses and escaped asylum patients. Each story within the bigger story tells a tale about bad choices leading to bad outcomes, and they're so richly staged that even the briefest still keeps viewers interested. Writer/director Ryan Spindell might be making his feature debut, but from his handling of the movie's equally ominous and entertaining mood to its well-executed lashings of gore, he has crafted himself quite the calling card. The Mortuary Collection is available to stream via Shudder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Atqf47wM5Gg RELIC It's a recognisable setup: a remote house, a family haunted by decades-old troubles, a murky history that's still leaving an imprint and tension levels rising when, naturally, strange things start to happen. But Australian horror movie Relic has more than a few surprises up its sleeves as it follows three generations of women in a Victorian-based family. In fact, while the slow-burning affair is set in a nerve-shatteringly creepy house that's up there with many a horror great, and it serves up well-executed jumps, bumps and unnerving sensations, this smart, thoughtful and constantly disquieting film also uses its concept and plot to ponder the physical and emotional impact of ageing, including dementia. It all starts with the disappearances of the widowed and elderly Edna (Top of the Lake's Robyn Nevin). Her daughter Kay (Mary Poppins Returns' Emily Mortimer) arrives from Melbourne to join the search, with her own offspring Sam (Bloom's Bella Heathcote) in tow, but then Edna reappears suddenly without any explanation for her absence. In the assured feature directorial debut of Japanese Australian filmmaker Natalie Erika James, Kay and Sam still need to try to ascertain just what happened, though, and work out why Edna's house — and, increasingly, Edna too — seems so sinister. Relic is available to stream via Stan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNZQ2GG833o SHE DIES TOMORROW When She Dies Tomorrow splashes Kate Lyn Sheil's face across the screen, then bathes it in neon flashes of pink, blue, red and purple, it isn't easily forgotten. It's a vivid, visceral, even psychedelic sight, which filmmaker Amy Seimetz lingers on, forcing her audience to do the same as well. Viewers aren't just soaking in trippy lights and colours, though. They're staring at the expression beneath the multi-hued glow, which seethes with harrowing levels of shock, fright, distress and anxiety. That's understandable; this is the look of someone who has just had the most unnerving realisation there is: that she is going to die tomorrow. Yes, that's the film's premise, with Sheil's Amy believing that her life will end the next day. But it's how the on-screen Amy copes with the apocalyptic news, and how it also spreads virally from person to person, that fuels this gloriously smart and unsettling thriller. Toying with surreal Lynchian moments yet always feeling disarmingly astute, She Dies Tomorrow follows the spread of that potentially paranoid, persecution-driven delusion like a contagion, with the haunting feature's cast also including Katie Aselton (Bombshell), Chris Messina (Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)), Josh Lucas (Ford vs Ferrari), Tunde Adebimpe (Marriage Story) and Jennifer Kim (Mozart in the Jungle). She Dies Tomorrow is available to stream via VOD on Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ8CCg1tOqc #ALIVE Train to Busan and Peninsula aren't the only recent films to wonder how South Korea might cope with a sudden zombie outbreak. The unrelated #Alive also explores the concept, focusing on a video game streamer as an unexplained disease turns most of Seoul's residents into members of the guts-munching undead. Holed up in the seeming safety of his family's apartment, Oh Jun-u (Burning's Yoo Ah-in) doesn't initially take the situation well. As shuffling hordes lurk outside, his dismal food supply rapidly declines, and he worries about the safety of his parents and sister, he attempts to survive — and to fight off the gnawing feeling that perhaps his struggle is futile. A box office hit when it released in South Korean cinemas this year, #Alive never feels as formulaic as its premise might suggest. In fact, this horror-thriller proves constantly tense, and not just because pandemic films have that effect at the moment. Making his first feature, writer/director Il Cho handles the zombie scenes with urgency and makes ample room for quiet moments; however, his best decision is casting the ever-watchable Yoo. #Alive is available to stream via Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlfooqeZcdY THE PLATFORM Set in a series of confined spaces, stressing the immense disparities between the haves and the have nots, and watching as people fight over everyday items — food, in this case — The Platform couldn't be more relevant to 2020. That's a coincidence, of course, with this twisty Spanish thriller first screening at film festivals in 2019 before hitting Netflix this year. It all starts when Goreng (Iván Massagué) wakes up in a prison cell. He's on level 48 and, as his cellmate Trimagasi (Zorion Eguileor) explains, there are 47 storeys above and who knows how many below. He can see this for himself, however, because the concrete room has a hole in the centre of both the ceiling and floor. Through this opening, their daily meal descends on a platform, before moving to the lower levels. For the folks at the top, that means that a huge feast awaits. Alas, as the platform makes its way down level by level, each cell is faced with leftovers, scraps, bones and eventually nothing. Funny, furious, grim and violent all at once, The Platform is also impeccably staged and shot, stressing the claustrophobia of its setting as well as the dog-eat-dog mindset that quickly develops among its characters. The Platform is available to stream on Netflix. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNlKbqHqGcY HOST Not to be confused with Bong Joon-ho's creature feature The Host, nor with the terrible sci-fi romance of the same name based on a novel by Twilight author Stephenie Meyer, Shudder's engaging horror flick Host is relevant to the absolute minute. Indeed, it could've only been made this year. The setup: bored in COVID-19 lockdown, a group of British friends (Haley Bishop, Jemma Moore, Emma Louise Webb, Radina Drandova, Caroline Ward and Edward Linard) decide to spice up their weekly Zoom catchup by enlisting a medium to conduct an online seance. Obviously, anyone who has ever seen a scary movie before knows that this is a bad plan, and that things won't end well. It's not so much what happens here that serves up the film's thrills, however, but how director Rob Savage (Strings) unfurls this creepy, timely premise. Frightening and tense features solely set on computer and mobile phone screens are by no means new — see Unfriended, Searching and Profile, just to name a few recent examples — but this is a savvy, cleverly managed and suitably spooky addition to the genre. It'll also turn you off trying to summon the dead next time you jump on Zoom yourself. Host is available to stream via Shudder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auVZKcxV7XQ SWALLOW Some films boast a stellar lead performance, so much so that you couldn't imagine the movie without it. Some find their strength in a clever, astute and engaging premise. Swallow ticks both boxes — and combines them with a mood and look that instantly make an imprint. In the feature debut of writer/director Carlo Mirabella-Davis, young housewife Hunter Conrad (Haley Bennett, The Devil All the Time) seems to have it all. She has married into a wealthy family, her husband (Austin Stowell, Fantasy Island) has a high-flying job, they've been gifted a lavish house surrounded by countryside and she's now expecting. But, when she isn't being left home alone day in, day out, she's expected to be dutiful and doting by her controlling new family. So, to regain a sliver of power over her life, Hunter starts swallowing strange objects. Bennett is phenomenal as a woman slowly awakening to her restricted reality, fighting to break free and coming to terms with her past, putting in a quiet, nuanced yet potent performance. And the film itself walks confidently in the footsteps of masterpieces such as Safe and Rosemary's Baby, while always following its own path. Swallow is available to stream on Stan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeYWT7CnFK0 SCARE ME Written and directed by Josh Ruben, and starring him also, Scare Me doesn't just like scary movies — it flat-out loves scary stories. Indeed, this pared-back horror film understands that sometimes all that's needed to keep an audience on the edge of their seats is a great tale told well. Its characters, both writers, are all about unfurling creepy narratives. Fred (Ruben) falls into the aspiring category, while Fanny (You're the Worst and The Boys' Aya Cash) has an acclaimed best-seller to her name. With each taking time out in the mountains to get some work done, these two strangers end up in Fred's cabin telling each other disturbing stories when the power goes out (and trying to one-up each other, naturally). For its first two-thirds, Scare Me makes the most of that basic concept. Fred and Fanny perform their tales, sound effects and ominous lighting kicks in — it's a stormy night, of course — and the mood is suitably perturbing. The film also demonstrates its self-awareness, namedropping other genre titles with frequency and sending in a pizza from the Overlook. When this Sundance-premiering feature decides to ponder real-life horrors as part of its layered stories, however, it proves especially potent. Scare Me is available to stream now via Shudder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJvKDp54YjM SPIRAL It shares its name with the next movie in the Saw franchise, which'll hit cinemas next year. But this Spiral gives a familiar premise a smart, topical and resonant twist. In the mid-90s, Malik (Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, UnREAL) and Aaron (Ari Cohen, IT: Chapter Two) move to a small town with the latter's teenage daughter Kayla (Jennifer Laporte, iZombie), seeking a quieter, happier life away from the city. They're initially greeted warmly by neighbours Marshall (Lochlyn Munro, Riverdale) and Tiffany (Chandra West); however, in general territory traversed by many a horror film before this, things aren't quite what they seem. Indeed, when Malik comes home one day to find a homophobic slur graffitied on their living room wall, he starts to get suspicious about the cliquey community they're now calling home — fears that Aaron doesn't share. There is clearly much about Spiral that fits a template, but director Kurtis David Harder and writers Colin Minihan and John Poliquin do an shrewd job of moulding this unsettling movie into a timely statement. The result: a feature that's as much about spooky terrors as societal ones, and that possesses a considerable bite. Spiral is available to stream via Shudder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj6JIzrIzxk BLACK BOX Blumhouse, the filmmaking company started and run by producer Jason Blum, has quite a number of horror flicks to its name. It's responsible for Get Out, Happy Death Day, the latest Halloween and this year's version of The Invisible Man, with that list only continuing — and in 2020 it has launched a movie anthology series on Amazon Prime Video as well. Black Box is one of the flicks in the Welcome to the Blumhouse franchise, and it's the best of the four released so far. Written and directed by feature first-timer Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour Jr, the Black Mirror-esque sci-fi/horror hybrid focuses on photographer Nolan Wright (Mamoudou Athie, The Front Runner), who is struggling to regain his memory after a traumatic car accident. Then he's given the opportunity to try an experimental new treatment by brain specialist Dr Lilian Brooks (Phylicia Rashad), and this film starts toying with identity, loyalty and ethics. There aren't all that many surprises, narrative-wise, but Athie is excellent, Osei-Kuffour Jr maintains a sense of intrigue and, more often than not, the movie hits an emotional note, too. Black Box is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video.
Dig out the Thai fisherman pants from the back of your closet, Woodford Folk Festival is back for another year. If you've never been, Woodford is the perfect place to disconnect from the daily grind, become one with nature (read: mud) and check out some of Australians best musicians with a chilled and festive vibe. This year's offering is no exception; the recently released lineup has 'best summer ever' written all over it. Festival mainstays like The Cat Empire and Lior will be back once again. They will also be joined by an A-list crowd of Australian ladies like Kate Miller-Heidke, Bertie Blackman, and Mia Dyson. But the real crowdpleaser will come from The Violent Femmes. Who wouldn't want to listen to 'Blister in the Sun' while dancing in the wilderness in the height of summer? Bliss. Though The Violent Femmes may be a little past their prime, there will also be a bunch of up and coming musicians on stage. Husky and Hiatus Kaiyote will be representing Melbourne talent and The Cairos will be playing to what's basically a home crowd. With over 400 acts jammed into the full program, Woodford is all about discovering new sounds. As well as music, the festival covers visual arts, circus, comedy, vaudeville and dance. Set up camp, let your hair get knotty, and roam the makeshift tarpaulin towns of this super chilled festival. It's time to channel your inner hippy. Woodford Folk Festival is on from December 27 - January 1. Tickets are on sale now. Lineup highlights Archie Roach Bertie Blackman The Cairos The Cat Empire Christine Anu Darren Middleton (ex-Powderfinger) Del Barber The East Pointers Hiatus Kiayote Husky Jeff Lang Jenn Grant John Smith Kate Miller-Heidke Lau Led Kaapana Lior Matt Anderson Mia Dyson Nahko and Medicine for the People Shooglenifty Sticky Fingers Tiny Ruins The Topp Twins Violent Femmes We Two Thieves Via Music Feeds.
It isn't called the big screen for nothing — and, when you head to the pictures, that's typically what you spend a couple of hours peering at. But you won't just be staring at a giant rectangle at Wonderdome, Australia's new pop-up cinema experience. In a blend of film, music and art that takes its cues from planetariums, you'll be sat in a dome watching movies that've been specifically designed to take up the whole 360-degree space that's towering above you. Melbourne Planetarium's regular fulldome sessions, the Melbourne International Film Festival's own fulldome programming and the Brisbane International Film Festival's foray into the same space a decade back have all served up this same kind of immersive view, if the overall concept sounds familiar. But when Wonderdome hits Sydney's Entertainment Quarter between Saturday, December 4–Sunday, January 30, it'll also be following in the footsteps of Coachella and Burning Man by creating a dedicated fulldome space that's all about this type of cinema-going. It'll also offer Australia's largest-ever 360-degree projection cinema. The structure itself is a geodesic steel dome that spans 21 metres in diameter, and is filled with multiple projectors, as well as a 7.2 surround sound system. To watch, you'll recline on throne-style beanbags and stare up at the movie. Given that the projection sprawls all around you, it's been likened to virtual reality — but without the goggles. During Wonderdome's debut run in Sydney, it'll screen a lineup of 22 films — including the dazzling Coral Rekindling Venus, about fluorescent coral reefs, bioluminescent sea creatures and rare marine life, from Emmy Award-wining Australian filmmaker Lynette Wallworth. Other highlights include National Geographic's Flying Monsters, about flying dinosaurs, which is narrated by the one and only David Attenborough; the climate-focused Dynamic Earth, which benefits from Liam Neeson's vocal work; and Carriberrie, which focuses on Indigenous Australian dance and song. Fulldome cinema is also known for its psychedelic and eye-popping visual displays, which is where Samskara, from artist Android Jones, comes in — plus Labyrinth, which is filled with squares, streets, passages, corridors and rooms; and Luminokaya, which lets you explore Cambodian temple complex Angkor Wat. The rest of the program also features the architecture-focused Urban Levitation; Distant Life: Alien Worlds, about whether humanity is alone in the universe; Flight of Fancy, which recreates a space jump at 120,000 feet; and other space-centric titles such as From Earth to the Universe and Journey to the Centre of the Milky Way. There's a lineup of fulldome movies for kids, too, because this is an all-ages space. Snacks-wise, you'll be able to grab something to eat and drink either before or after each Wonderdome session, with the menu including jaffles, chips, slushies, chocolates and ice creams. Plus, there'll be a gin bar, as well as a lineup of craft beers. Wonderdome's Entertainment Quarter season will also accept New South Wales' Dine & Discover vouchers, if you have some left — or you're eager to get your hands on more when two extra vouchers become available for NSW residents over the age of 18 sometime this summer. And if you won't be in Sydney this summer, cross your fingers that Wonderdome will plan stops in other cities. The fact that it's is pop-up dome obviously makes that easier. Wonderdome will pop-up at Sydney's Entertainment Quarter from Saturday, December 4 –Sunday, January 30. For more information, or for tickets from 11am AEST on Wednesday, November 17, head to the Wonderdome website.
To the casual observer, the rise in plant-based eating has seemingly come about overnight. Brands like Beyond Meat, Impossible Foods and V2Food have signalled a major shift in the way we think about meat, while thought-provoking documentaries like Food, Inc., The Game Changers and Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret have sparked conversations around our relationship with food and behaviours of consumption. Elsewhere, online resources like Vegkit — a new initiative by Animals Australia — offer a world of resources that have made it more accessible than ever before to embrace the many ways to eat plant-based. From a culinary choice you used to associate with your kooky aunt to now seeing legitimate alternatives lining supermarket shelves — could it be that plant-based eating has suddenly become cool? It's more than just marketing spin. Factors such as increased awareness of the environmental impact of agriculture, rising meat prices and the health benefits linked to a reduced meat intake have seen Australia's meat consumption hit a 25-year low, according to research released earlier this year. While plant-based diets and meat-centric ones might have once been seen as a one-or-the-other thing, the increased visibility of meat-free options is helping many shift to full- and part-time veganism. Sure, the merits of lab-made meat alternatives are certainly open for debate. But that's kind of missing the point: these products have become a successful gateway to reducing meat intake for the otherwise disinclined. PLANT-BASED EQUALS CREATIVITY Many venues around Australia are embracing the creativity offered by cooking without meat. Karl Cooney of Sydney restaurant Yulli's and brewery Yulli's Brews has been vegetarian for nearly 25 years and vegan for the past seven. He considered his decision to switch to plant-based cooking as both a blessing and a curse. "Being from a very food-oriented background, I wanted to eat good shit, so it forced me to learn ways of seeking out and creating well-rounded dishes that didn't seem lacking for not having meat," Cooney tells us. Co-owner of plant-based Brisbane diner Fitz + Potts, Cassie Potts (pictured above), had a similar experience: "When a meal doesn't revolve around one central, dominating ingredient, [which] is often the case when you cook with meat, you can explore how a range of ingredients and flavours can work in balance and harmony." For celebrated American chef Matthew Kenney (pictured above), plant-based eating and cooking represents a new frontier. "This is the most exciting food sector and the future of how we cook, eat and live," says Kenney, who recently opened Alibi, an entirely plant-based restaurant and bar inside Ovolo Woolloomooloo and his first Australian venue. "Cooking and eating plant-based connects us with seasonality and local ingredients," he continues. "It is also incredibly motivating to work with a cuisine that is not fully developed, allowing us an opportunity to craft a path toward the future." Potts agrees that when it comes to exploring food options that go beyond animal ingredients, we're only just getting started: "I feel like a bit of an alchemist in the kitchen, because plant-based cooking is still such a new concept. When I first became a vegan, there weren't all the [current] meat- and dairy-alternative options, so I learnt to cook creatively," she says. "Coming up with new versions of meat-based recipes or experimenting with fresh new combinations of vegetables, grains and plant-based proteins is hugely exciting stuff for me." This creativity benefits diners, too — walk into any of these chefs' restaurants and you'll be treated to a cracker of a meal. [caption id="attachment_798372" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yulli's Surry Hills (supplied)[/caption] PEOPLE THRIVE ON A PLANT-BASED DIET The idea of plant-based cooking being 'new' might seem a little strange — after all, humans have been cooking plants for more than 10,000 years. What has changed, though, are perceptions around a plant-based meal as 'missing' something. "Ironically most people probably think a vegan lifestyle is all about denying yourself of things, but I've always been obsessed with food, and enjoy it in excess," says Potts. Cooney has also found himself responding to many doubters over his years of plant-based eating and cooking. "The biggest misconception [around cooking plant-based] is that you can't create flavour," says Cooney. "The obvious response is well, you're doing it wrong." "[Another] misconception is that you get tired on a vegan diet," Cooney adds. "I don't think I've ever eaten meat in the couple of decades I've worked [in] hospitality — and we all know what a brutal industry it is — and the one thing I never lack is energy. Sometimes I lack patience but that's another story." Kenny adds to this: "The reality is that we always had to overcome perceptions of plant-based not being fulfilling or not having enough protein. However, with elite athletes, many of the world's highest-performing CEOs and the general public thriving on plant-based diets, those misconceptions are thankfully put to rest." [caption id="attachment_663302" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alibi (supplied)[/caption] Perhaps, though, it's a cultural thing? "Many cultures don't think anything of eating a purely plant-based meal," says Potts. "I think it would benefit people's health, the planet and of course animals, if western society didn't think it was so unusual to appreciate a tasty meal without getting hung up on the fact there isn't a lump of flesh central on the plate. Plant-based eating is honestly no different to eating any other meal. Good food is good food." Looking for more plant-based meal inspo? Check out Vegkit — it's loaded with hundreds of plant-based meals you can enjoy any time of day.
SHADES is the new neighbourhood bar and multi-faceted cultural space coming to Central Station next month from the team behind Golden Age Cinema & Bar. This new venue will open inside a pop-up cultural precinct taking over the Eddy Avenue side of the station titled EDDY. SHADES is set to open in mid-December, sharing the space with a range of cultural organisations. There will be 13 tenants at EDDY, with Nonna's Grocer, Nomad Radio, Condimental, Shoebox, Dust Flowers and City Oltra, and a new pizza joint that's set to open from pizza party pop-up regular Oltra Disc, all among the tenants. The name for this new venue mirrors that of a bar in Jim Jarmusch's 1989 film Mystery Train. As with Golden Age, food, wine, cocktails, music and film will all collide at SHADES. "It's rare and exciting to be opening this kind of experimental venue in a location like Central," says co-founder of Golden Age Cinema & Bar Chris Barton. "Cities are unique because of their different layers and this is a great opportunity to provide something that we feel is missing in this part of town. We want to create a space in the heart of the city where people feel free to be themselves, have fun and take that positive energy back out into the world." [caption id="attachment_779832" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Golden Age, Cinema & Bar, Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] On entry, you'll find an intimate 50-person wine bar serving a curated list of east coast drops alongside disco-inspired cocktails and craft beers. The accompanying food is inspired by the Rail Refreshment Rooms of the past, with SHADES offering a range of mid-sized snacks like artisan pies and sausage rolls from local bakeries and pizza dropped off from City Oltra. In the front bat, a vinyl soundtrack will be filling the space thanks to a Pitt & Giblin speaker system. Head to the backroom and you'll discover a 100-capacity warehouse-style space playing home to resident DJs, experimental film screenings and a range of other artistic and cultural pop-ups. While the name harkens back to a 1980s art film, the venue also exists in conversation with the history of Sydney's nightlife. The design has been in the hands of local legend Michael Delaney who has worked on venues like Cafe Fredas, Club 77, Piccolo Bar and The Norfolk Hotel. And the backroom's speakers are a restored set of Klipschs salvaged from the iconic former Pitt Street nightclub Sublime. If you want to find out more about EDDY, the precinct is opening with a celebratory party this Thursday, November 24. The opening day will feature giveaways, discounts, demonstrations, music, food and drinks throughout the day. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Right Angle (@rightanglestudio) SHADES will open at Central Station in December 2022. It will be open 4pm–midnight Tuesday–Sunday. Top image: Right Angle
Already in 2023, Cate Blanchett has scored her seventh Oscar nomination. Thanks to her phenomenal performance in conductor drama Tár, she's likely to win her third Academy Award, in fact. However her luck pans out on Hollywood's night of nights in March, she'll be towering over Melbourne in June regardless — in a historic space built in 1867, across a film installation spanning an array of huge screens, and in one mighty impressive 360-degree display. The first event announced for this year's RISING, Melbourne's major annual arts festival, will feature Blanchett in her latest starring role for artist and filmmaker Julian Rosefeldt. The duo reteams for Euphoria after working on 2015's stunning installation Manifesto together. Set to take over Melbourne Town Hall from Friday, June 2–Sunday, June 18, their new multichannel work doesn't just focus on the acclaimed Australian actor playing multiple parts, however, instead honing in on the weighty topic that is capitalism. The Berlin-based Rosefeldt tackles his current topic — aka two thousand years of greed and the effect that unlimited economic growth has — via a spiral of screens that'll sit throughout the venue. On the ground floor, 24 screens will showcase a life-sized choir of Brooklyn Youth Chorus singers, while five jazz drummers will duel on the screens above them. And, there'll also be five theatrical vignettes looping above, too, which is where Blanchett playing an anthropomorphic tiger stalking supermarket aisles comes in. Those drummers? They include Grammy Award-winning drummer and composer Antonio Sánchez, who also composed the score for 2014 film Birdman. And those vignettes? They'll also feature Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul favourite — and recent Kaleidoscope star — Giancarlo Esposito among a cast that'll speaking thoughts penned by economists, writers and thinkers like Warren Buffett, Ayn Rand, Angela Davis and Snoop Dogg. As well as Blanchett as a jungle cat, RISING's first major international commission — which hits this year's fest as an Australian exclusive, and enjoyed its world premiere at the Park Armory in New York back in November 2022 — features homeless men chatting about economics, executives getting acrobatic in a bank lobby, and an all-round unpacking of capitalism via its own excess. Paired with it, Euphoria's original score by Canadian composer Samy Moussa and British saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi goes big on jazz, the tunes sung by the children's choir and those uttered ideas. Befitting the theme, the installation will run with a pay-as-you-can pricing model, and welcome in visitors for free on Fridays during its season. 2023 is turning out to be a stellar year for spectacular takeovers of town halls by citywide arts fests, after Sydney Festival turned Sydney Town Hall into an indoor beach — temporarily, of course — for an opera performance back in January. Check out the trailer for Euphoria below: RISING 2023 will take place across Melbourne from Wednesday, June 7–Sunday, June 18, with Euphoria displaying at the Melbourne Town Hall on from Friday, June 2–Sunday, June 18. Tickets for Euphoria go on sale to RISING subscribers from 12pm on Tuesday, February 14, with general sales from Friday, February 17. First top image: Katja Illner.
In Stay of the Week, we explore some of the world's best and most unique accommodations, giving you inspiration for your next trip. In this instalment, we take you to sunny Queensland for a special stay at Mirage Whitsundays, Airlie Beach. We love this place so much that we teamed up with the resort to offer an exclusive four-night travel deal — including a sunset sailing cruise and one-hour scenic flight with spectacular views of the outer Great Barrier Reef below. WHAT'S SO SPECIAL? Queensland: Beautiful one day. Perfect the next. Which all means that while summer is an obvious time to head to the Sunshine State, we reckon a winter escape is just as good. The temps are still warm-ish, the crowds are less-ish and the general consensus is that it's a great time to visit. (Full stop. No ish). So, if you're on the hunt for a mid-year exodus, but your budget and annual leave allowance limit it to the non-European-variety, our recommendation is to book a stay at the Mirage Whitsundays. Nestled in Airlie Beach, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, the Mirage is the place to base yourself if you're all about spectacular sunrises, salty sea breezes and super easy access to the 74 tropical islands that make up Australia's most famous archipelago. THE ROOMS If you're not a fan of starting your day with breathtaking, turquoise-tinted, island-dotted views, then the Mirage Whitsundays may not be the best choice for you, and we suggest you search for an alternative. However, travellers who don't mind a hotel with a little water frontage will be pleased to hear that every single room at the Mirage promises exactly that. Whether you choose a self-contained apartment, villa or penthouse, opt for an elevated panorama or a ground-level vista, your European-style kitchen, spacious terrace and modern bathroom will always come with a side of sea breeze. We hope you can find a way to make it work. FOOD AND DRINK G&T lovers rejoice. Airlie's only gin bar, Whisper Restaurant And Gin Bar, is located smack bang in the middle of the Mirage. If you're after an excellent range of gins (more than 90) or creative cocktails that heavily feature them, or you prefer a fine wine or cold beer, then you've come to the right place. Not a drinker? Fret not. The restaurant is also home to daily breakfasts (the chia puddings come highly recommended), an Indonesian buffet feast on Friday nights, and bottomless brunches every Saturday and Sunday from 11am-1pm. There's even a free courtesy bus to get you there and back, so you don't waste precious feasting time. THE LOCAL AREA Not to point out the obvious, but if you've booked a stay at the Mirage, easy access to the beaches of the Whitsundays and maybe a day or two to check out the Great Barrier Reef probably had something to do with it. If you only had time to do one thing, we recommend you visit Whitehaven Beach, which was named the Best Beach in the World a couple of years ago. Assuming you do the smart thing though, and book our four-night travel deal, you'll have a little more time to explore more. Just for starters: take a stroll through the Whitsunday Great Walk (Conway Circuit); drive to nearby Hideaway and Horseshoe bays; visit the beautiful Cedar Creek Falls; island-hop by cruise, sail or jet ski; or snorkel among the largest coral reef system on Earth. For those who really just can't get their head around rocking a bikini or boardies between June and August, please read on for a way around this dilemma. THE EXTRAS Those who can't be convinced to embrace their inner Ariel and go 'Under the Sea' can still experience all that the reef has to offer through an above-the-ocean sunset cruise or an above-the-clouds scenic flight. Or both. Included in day four of this package, the former gives you the chance to settle in for a two-hour boat ride with complimentary welcome drink and yummy snacks, just in time to watch the sun dip below the horizon. Meanwhile the latter is an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enjoy a private flight over amazing blue waters, white sand beaches and even a naturally heart-shaped reef. Feeling inspired to book a truly unique getaway? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of holidays curated by our editorial team. We've teamed up with all the best providers of flights, stays and experiences to bring you a series of unforgettable trips in destinations all over the world.
In the midst of the bustling business epicentre that is Macquarie Park, you'll find a secluded rooftop bar offering sanctuary from the streets. Ess, short for The Governess, is the sky-high counterpart to The Governor — an expansive multifaceted venue which sits below — and comes equipped with panoramic views of the suburb, al fresco dining options, comfortable banquette seating and foliage aplenty. From the same group behind renowned establishments like the Bella Vista Hotel and Hillside Hotel — that's the Momento Group helmed by the Colosimo family — The Governor and Ess offer a little something for every occasion. Given the venue's locale and design, the greenhouse-inspired aesthetic, with bucket loads of natural light and verdant plant life, will make you forget all about your 9-to-5 woes. Menu wise, Head Chef Luke Lashford has put together a broad food offering — Ess boasts a rooftop bar and kitchen of its own. Tuck into Asian-inspired fare centred around a Japanese charcoal grill, with dishes such as wagyu beef skewers, pork ribs with wasabi chimichurri and portobello mushroom katsu baos. The drinks list covers all the classics but, since you're chilling in her hood, why not try namesake cocktail The Governess, with gin, lemon, raspberry, marshmallow milk and ginger float. Images: Kai Leishman
If you're a devourer of books and words, you can look forward to feasting on a hefty lineup of talks, workshops, panels and more, when the Emerging Writers' Festival returns for 2022. After all-digital instalments in 2020 and last year, the fest will be back to hosting a jam-packed program of IRL events, though handily, a stack of them will also be accessible online. Running from Wednesday, June 15–Saturday, June 25, this year's edition has events for all varieties of lit-lover and writing enthusiast, featuring over 150 artists. EWF favourite Amazing Babes will see a cast of familiar faces sharing stories about the women, real and imagined, who've helped shape their lives; while the return of the National Writers' Conference will deliver a day of panels, workshops and pitching sessions headlined by the likes of Yassmin Abdel-Magied, and award-winning author and editor Jennifer Down (Bodies of Light). On Friday, June 17 and 24, you can head to State Library Victoria to be serenaded by stunning soundscapes and spoken word for Bodies of Sound, while on June 23, the Scienceworks Planetarium hosts a special full-dome screening of Starlight followed by the sharing of responsive works by two emerging writers. You can also up your own writing skills with an array of masterclasses and workshops covering everything from zines to narrative audio, catch inspiring exhibitions and readings, and celebrate all things mateship at performance-meets-speed-friending event Best Bookish Friends.
You don't need binoculars or a deerstalker cap to be a sleuth. If you're keen to investigate new cases at the press of a few buttons, all you really need is a stacked streaming queue. TV mysteries and dramas are full of whodunnits, after all. And, while they're filled with on-screen folks trying to get to the bottom of many a thorny predicament, they're also all perfect for letting viewers play armchair detective at home. Perhaps you're excellent at spotting tiny foreshadowing details? Maybe you have a great feel for television's twists and turns? Or, you could just love escaping into a series, lapping up all the minutiae and seeing if you can pick what's going to happen next? Whichever category fits, we've paired up with streaming platform Binge to take care of your next five viewing picks. They'll have you puzzling along as you're watching — including via a 14-day free trial for new customers.
With stunning views out to Finger Wharf at Woolloomooloo, dining at China Doll is always special, no matter the occasion. Taking inspiration from a number of cuisines across Asia, the a la carte offerings include a range of dim sum options alongside mouth-watering mains such as wagyu beef shin Penang curry and Cone Bay barramundi with shiitake mushroom dashi. There are also several banquet choices, depending on whether you're dining as a couple or a larger group. The luxury option consists of 11 separate dishes, from king salmon sashimi with blackened chilli dressing and pork belly with chilli caramel to Alaskan king crab alongside black pepper, sesame and lime. Image: Destination DNSW
Coogee Pavilion, Merivale's revamp of the old Beach Palace Hotel, is set to open its first phase on July 24. If you've had mixed feelings about the mega group's growing expansion into Sydney's suburbs, they're determined to charm you: the plans for the ground floor of Coogee Pavilion sound less public house, more funhouse. Overlooking Coogee Beach, the Pavilion will of course focus on seafood dining, with fresh catches, a raw bar and an oyster counter. But then there's Vinnie's Pizzeria (serving up woodfired creations from Merivale's pizza maestro Vincenzo Biondini), a fresh flower stall, Will & Co coffee cart, a cocktail bar, a juice bar and a gift shop. The games area is perhaps the most surprising element of the venue. It's in big part for kids, but the promise of "beautifully refurbished" 1950s ping pong tables, petanque, a giant hand-painted Scrabble board and old-school arcade games suggests they've fun-seekers of more refined tastes in mind too. The area will even include a movie theatrette and barber. The 1887 building encloses 4500 square metres of space, which explains how they're able to promise all these fabulous things. The upper two floors will continue to be developed over the coming months. The ambitious plans for the venue have been developed by a design team including Kelvin Ho of Akin Creative, Amanda Talbot plus Justin and Bettina Hemmes. Coogee Pavilion ground floor will be open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and more from Thursday, July 24. Its opening hours are 11am - 11pm, Monday – Thursday; 11am – 3am, Friday; 7am – 3am, Saturday; and 7am - midnight, Sunday. Update July 22: The revised opening date for the Coogee 'Pav', as we may as well start calling it already, is July 24. Image: Santa Cruz beach promenade, many moons ago.
The Emerald Room is teaming up with Hendrick's Gin to host the best kind of high tea: a boozy one with live entertainment. At this unconventional event, you'll be pairing high tea classics with the cabaret venue's signature entertainment and bottomless tea and coffee — or picking between cocktails and free-flowing champagne — with prices starting from $85 per person. Every Saturday and Sunday from midday, you can pair lemon myrtle scones, cucumber and wild boar toast finger sandwiches, orange sponge cake and prawn toast with a selection of teas supplied by T2 or your choice of coffee — and you'll receive a complimentary side of thrilling entertainment. If you're opting to replace your hot cuppa with a fruity gin cocktail, you can add on the curated Hendrick's Gin flight for an extra $40. This'll include three bespoke cocktails spanning a citrus-forward Hendrick's Lunar, a refreshing Hendrick's Classic accompanied by a slice of cucumber and the floral Hendrick's Flora Adora with raspberry tonic. For champagne lovers, you can go with 90 minutes of free-flowing Moet & Chandon instead.
Josh Niland has opened Saint Peter in Paddington with an entirely fish menu. The 34 seater restaurant — which Niland has opened with his wife Julie — has been a long time coming for the 27-year-old Sydney chef, formerly of Fish Face and est. — both of which use the protein with reverence and originality. It's a brave slant for a new restaurant, but a timely one with sustainability, farming and locality becoming hot topics in the fish food world. Niland has this front and centre of his menu serving only Australian and responsibly-sourced swimmers. "The one thing I've tried to do is buy all Australian fish, because it's really underutilised," says Niland. The other focus is on lesser-known species like herring and small toothed flounder. Needless to say, you won't find any Atlantic salmon here, folks. And with fish at the centre of the menu, he's not being too fussy with their garnishes. Niland is cooking vegetables whole with unique cooking methods — one of which is wrapping a whole cabbage in paperbark and roasting it for four hours in the oven. Diners can watch the cabbage cooking as they walk in, and then eat it served with a piece of wild mulloway. He's also serving up nine-day aged wild kingfish with celeriac and a 1.2-kilogram Cleveland Bay halibut studded with 40 cloves of garlic. Cleveland Bay Halibut for 2, Forty Cloves of Garlic & Native Thyme @saintpeterpaddo A photo posted by josh niland (@mrniland) on Sep 4, 2016 at 7:28am PDT He's already becoming known for his dry-ageing techniques and his and fish offal, which is part of a fish equivalent of 'nose to tail' eating. Niland might just be the new Henderson in this market — making people less squeamish about anything other than the fillet can only be a good thing with this valuable natural product. "If you get a mulloway that's 13 kilos in there's a few kilos of great product that usually gets the thrown in the bin, like the liver, scales and head," says Niland. "I'm really making the most out of these parts." Whatever the fish part, he hopes punters will have enough trust in him to know he'll cook it well — and perhaps even "change their minds about a few species". Saint Peter is doing a fishy brunch menu too with the sea urchin crumpet looking like a front runner for signature dish, also crab omelettes and sardines from Yamba on toast, with batch brew filter coffee from Artificer and teas from The Berry Tea Shop. Strong ethos and simple approach appears to be the key theme here, which is echoed by the interiors (clean and bright,) the wine list (short, all Aussie, mostly white) and the desserts (only tarts, like lemon or chocolate and artichoke). And we like it. Saint Peter is now open at 362 Oxford Street, Paddington. For more info, visit saintpeter.com.au. Image: Josh Niland via Instagram.
Warwick Thornton, Cate Blanchett, Deborah Mailman, Nick Cave and Warren Ellis: name a better Australian quintet. The director of Samson & Delilah and Sweet Country, the two-time Oscar-winner and recent Tár tour de force, the local screen mainstay, and the Bad Seeds bandmates and seasoned film composers all combine not for the ultimate Aussie dinner party, but for The New Boy. None are debuting in their jobs. All are exceptional. They're each made better, however, by the luminous and entrancing Aswan Reid. As well as playing the titular part, the 11-year-old first-time actor lives it among such a wealth of acclaimed and experienced talent — and he's such a find in such excellent company, while saying little in words but everything in every other way, that Thornton's third fictional feature owes him as much of a debt as its applauded and awarded household names. There's a spark to Reid from the moment that he's first spied grappling with outback law enforcement under blazing rays as Cave and Ellis' (This Much I Know to Be True) latest rousing score plays. His sun-bleached hair couldn't be more fitting, or symbolic, but it's the confident way in which he holds himself as New Boy, plus the determined look on his face, that sears. Wily and wiry, the feature's eponymous figure is toppled by a boomerang, then bagged up and transported to the remote Catholic orphanage doted on by Sister Eileen (Blanchett, Nightmare Alley) in the 1940s. The cop doing the escorting notes that the kid is a bolter, but the nun is just as fast in her kindness. She sees what Thornton wants his audience to see: a boy that beams with his presence and through his sense of self, even though he's been snatched up, taken from his Country and forced into a Christian institution against his will. Sister Eileen is as drawn to him as the movie, but — and not just due to the red wine she likes sipping and the subterfuge she's keeping up about the resident father's absence — she isn't as certain about what to do. The path that any new arrival at the monastery is supposed to follow is preordained: uniforms, a dorm bed, porridge, helping in the fields, obedience and church. New Boy barely subscribes, donning only shorts, sleeping on the floor and cutting in front in the food line, which Sister Eileen permits. The abbey's two other adults, the nurturing Sister Mum (Mailman, Total Control) and farmhand George (Wayne Blair, Seriously Red), are welcoming yet know the reality that's facing all of the boys in their care, particularly the First Nations kids. In the priest's name, Sister Eileen might write letters to the government urging them not to send her charges away when they're considered old enough to work — the endgame to the state, especially with the Second World War impacting labour — but Sister Mum and George are lived proof that acquiescing and assimilating is the only outcome that will be accepted. There's a spark to the new boy, too, and literally. He's meant to pray away his Indigenous spirituality in the name of dutiful conformity, and in favour of Christianity, but the faith and culture that's as old as Australia's Traditional Owners glows. He's curious, though, including about the ornate, life-sized wooden cross that's sent from France for safekeeping during the war. He wants to undo its nails, free Jesus from crucifixion and give it the property's snakes as gifts. As Thornton peppers in religious imagery, New Boy displays more in common with its carved figurine than Sister Eileen knows how to handle. This is a tale of survival and, while always its namesake's story first and foremost, it also sees two sides to it: the First Nations lad ripped away from all he knows, as well as the nun that's gone renegade within a system that sees her as lesser because she's a woman. Writing and directing — as he did with Samson & Delilah, but not Sweet Country — Kaytetye man Thornton takes inspiration from his own experience as a child sent to a missionary boarding school ran by Spanish monks. In the process, he makes a moving and needfully blunt statement about the clash that's too often been enforced upon the country's First Peoples since colonisation. Indeed, simmering with anger but also hope, The New Boy is a clear, unshakeable rebuttal of the perennially ridiculous idea that only one faith, culture or way of life can exist. And, crucially, it feels as personal as Thornton's work gets; he isn't in front of the lens as he was with the also-remarkable The Beach, where he charted his own escape away from the incessant hustle and bustle of modern life, but the sensation that emanates from the screen is overwhelmingly the same. Thornton works as his own cinematographer on The New Boy, another trademark touch — see also: anthology film The Darkside, documentary We Don't Need a Map, plus the episodic Mystery Road and Firebite — which allows him to load every inch of every immaculate frame with deep and blistering emotion. There's no such thing as a passive image anywhere in any film by any director, but Thornton's beautifully shot movies ensure that his viewers can't evade the landscape that's been forever changed by white settlement. Here, he roves over the plains outside of South Australia's Burra, where every structure for the feature was erected from scratch, and where shimmering yellow fields of wheat grow atop the ochre earth that's been inhabited by Indigenous Australians for thousands of years. He sees how the terrain has been reshaped, but never forgets who was there first. With his oh-so-perceptive eye, Thornton's visuals stunningly do what New Boy does: expresses everything with little speaking necessary. In her first on-screen role in a solely Australian film since 2013's The Turning, Blanchett talks, of course. Where much of the picture around her bubbles with loaded patience, and Reid's innate naturalism, The New Boy's biggest star is the storm amid the deceiving calm. Consumed by her struggles with her own faith while tasked with instilling it into her charges, and also now challenged by the new boy that defies her sense of logic, Sister Eileen rarely stops moving, fretting, surveying, asserting, preaching and confessing — and Blanchett is magnetic to behold. That said, it's a performance with a needed counterbalance. Without Reid's serenity, Blanchett might've come on too strong. Without Reid, too, the fact that the eponymous character's quest to endure is tinged with hard-won optimism amid its palpable fury mightn't have shone through. No matter what happens, or how rarely he's accepted for who he is, New Boy always persists.
UPDATE, April 1, 2021: The Little Things is currently screening in Australian cinemas — and it's also available to stream via Google Play, YouTube Movies and Amazon Video. Before you've even seen a single frame of a film, much can sometimes be gleaned by merely knowing who's in it — if they've been cast to type. The Little Things features Denzel Washington, Rami Malek and Jared Leto, which means it can brag that it stars three Oscar winners, as its trailer does. The movie has also happily deployed its trio of main players exactly as you'd expect. So, adding yet another cop to his resume, Washington plays unflinchingly dedicated and determined, as well as a character who's far from perfect. Malek has a much shorter acting history, but once again combines the blend of awkwardness and meticulousness that seeped from his pores over four seasons of Mr Robot. As for Leto, he's asked to mine not just his recent cinematic past, but also his overall status in popular culture. From his overcooked take on the Joker in Suicide Squad to the misplaced swagger that's defined his off-screen persona and his rock stardom with Thirty Seconds to Mars, he's hardly widely beloved. The Little Things wants everyone watching to remember that, and perhaps to even stoke the flames of their existing Leto hatred. Washington's Joe 'Deke' Deacon was once a well-admired Los Angeles detective; however, when The Little Things begins, he's a deputy sheriff in Kern County. His current and former colleagues all see that shift as a step down, but he's just as dogged in his new job — and, when he's reluctantly sent back to LA to collect evidence for an important trial, then gets brought in on a new serial killer case by Malek's hotshot newcomer Jim Baxter while he's hanging about, he's downright unrelenting. A number of women have been found murdered, and in gruesome circumstances. Baxter doesn't realise it, but the details prove familiar to Deke from years earlier. As the pair's new investigation leads them to repair store employee Albert Sparma (Leto), neither Deke nor Baxter is willing to rest until they solve the case. Off-putting and unpleasant from the moment he's first seen, the creepy, possibly psychotic Sparma likes being seen as a suspect, though, and enjoys toying with the men following him. So far in 2021's awards season, Leto has been nominated for a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his greasy-haired turn as Sparma, and it's near-impossible to fathom why. Tasked with an overtly and explicitly unlikeable part, he simply leans in, makes the most obvious of choices he possible can and relishes the dismay he seems to already sense coming his way. He's so over-the-top that he's just operating in the same one-note register that plagued his work in Suicide Squad (and, presumably, is about to be witnessed again in the new four-hour version of Justice League). There are exactly two notable elements to Leto's performance in The Little Things, and neither do him any favours. Firstly, everyone with abhorrence already pumping through their veins whenever he pops up in a film will feel not just comfortable about but justified in having made that choice. Secondly, Leto plays such a caricature with such forceful commitment and utter lack of subtlety that it makes his fellow big-name co-stars look positively rich and nuanced in comparison. Neither Washington and Malek will add another statuette to their mantles for their efforts in The Little Things, but the film is at its best when it lets the pair share a scene (and to do so without Leto). More than just bringing a stock-standard chalk-and-cheese pairing to the screen, they infuse Deke and Baxter's dynamic with texture — demonstrating the similarities between the two men as much as the differences, which gives the characters' working relationship far more liveliness than it might've boasted otherwise. As written and directed by The Blindside's John Lee Hancock, The Little Things doesn't gloss over either cop's flaws, but it mightn't have interrogated them to the same extent if they'd been played by other actors. And, when the storyline takes its two detectives into murky territory — with Deke haunted by past choices from the feature's first moments, and Baxter destined to follow him despite his clear conscientiousness — it might've rung hollow without Washington and Malek to sell the specifically required blend of bleakness, ambiguity and inevitability. If it was easy to predict how Hancock was going to use his three stars before even watching the movie, it's just as easy to see how their on-screen fates encapsulate the film. When The Little Things is great, it does more than just hit its blatant marks. When it's terrible, it's grating to the point of being futile. For most of its running time, it sits in the middle, and in the shadow of far better police procedurals. Zodiac, this isn't, for instance — but there's no doubting that masterpiece's influence here, or the similar imprint made by cop flicks from the 90s, when The Little Things is set. Hancock actually wrote his screenplay three decades ago, so it predates David Fincher's multiple entries into the serial killer genre and many of the other movies it now seems to ape, but the passage of time has proven a double-edged sword. If the film had reached cinemas back then, it might've been able to carve itself a distinctive niche or at least felt like part of a pack. Now, it mainly reminds viewers that better pictures exist, and have for some time. Still, as well as Washington and Malek's memorable-enough performances, this moodily shot affair does tick another welcome box. As seen through the era-appropriate absence of mobile phones, the time spent stepping through traditional detective methods, the weight of investigating tough cases, and the fallout from making both wrong and right decisions, The Little Things revels in the physical and emotional labour of chasing a killer. That's not enough to make up for its generally routine feel, of course, but it makes the audience follow the title's advice and value the smallest of highlights. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HZAnkxdYuA
Chances are, you know and love the Sydney Opera House. You've probably been inside, sat in those red velvet seats, politely clapped, and gone home by 11pm. But once a year, that all goes out the window. When Vivid LIVE rolls in, the much-loved venue transforms. Every room, from the majestic Concert Hall to the underground Studio, becomes a stage for some of the world's most exciting artists. In 2025, the lineup is a two-week invitation to broaden your musical horizons, discover your next obsession, and see the Opera House completely lit up. So, whether you're in it for the big names, the sweaty dance floors, or the rare gems you'll still be talking about next year, here's your guide to the best of Vivid LIVE 2025 – and why you won't want to miss a minute of it. For the Emotionally Epic Starting big and in an Australian exclusive, ANOHNI will deliver her haunting, multi-octave vocals alongside band The Johnsons for two exclusive nights, marking the final Johnsons band concerts in Australia. A few days later, you can settle in for Beth Gibbons (yes, the searing voice behind legendary UK trip-hop band Portishead), performing her debut solo album Lives Outgrown to Australian audiences for the first time. Both performances will be in the Sydney Opera House's Concert Hall, so you know it'll be a goosebumps-on-the-neck kind of night. For the Party Into late-night raving? Head underground. The Sydney Opera House's Studio is the go-to spot for sweaty, dance floor euphoria. Sydney collective House of Mince returns with a very special guest, the legendary Berghain resident Boris to keep the BPM high and the party going all night long. Trackwork will celebrate its fifth birthday with a genre-jumping party featuring Brodinski, Vv Pete and Utility. To top it all off, DUNJ, Barney Kato, Mad Racket and dstreet will deliver psychedelic, percussive and hypnotic underground electronic parties featuring guest appearances from global talent. [caption id="attachment_1002273" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] For Something Intimate In the Utzon Room (the most intimate space in the Opera House) you'll find a lineup of rising and trailblazing local talent that's dialled-in, stripped-back and emotionally charged. ARIA Award-winning First Nations collective 3% bring uncompromising, powerful hip-hop. Then there's SAHXL, a 21-year-old Indo-Fijian Australian singer blurring the lines between trap, hip-hop and R&B. And rounding it out are commanders of Sydney's DIY punk scene G2g, whose loud, infectiously ragged energy will jolt your system. It's a rare chance to see some of Australia's most exciting new voices up close and personal before they blow up. For Something Different Over in the Joan Sutherland Theatre, things are set to get deep, weird and wonderful – just how WavyLand likes it. For its seventh birthday, the cult Aussie tastemakers are curating a lineup that jumps between genres and generations, from transcendent Thai-Swedish rap force Thaiboy Digital to boundary-pushing American hip hop innovator BKTHERULA. There's also Pale Jay, the mysterious LA-based jazz vocalist and pianist, performing a seductive blend of slow disco, lovelorn soul and Afrobeats. Marking only his second-ever live performance, he'll take to the stage with his signature red mask and honey dripped vocals, delivering a soul-stirring set that transcends genre. And on June 1 comes the first performance in 30 years from influential 90s British group The Sabres of Paradise. The Australian exclusive show will channel the energy of their legendary Sabresonic warehouse raves and honour the groundbreaking legacy of co-founder and DJ, the late Andrew Weatherall, all accompanied by a spectacular visual display. [caption id="attachment_1002272" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] For the Vibe Seekers You don't have to know the full lineup to have a great night at Vivid LIVE. This year, the Sydney Opera House transforms its iconic harbour-side setting with the launch of the Forecourt Food Village — a vibrant, open-air dining destination offering Cuban and Korean street food from celebrated chefs Danielle Alvarez and Jimmy Ryu. Plus, the return of Newtown hospitality legends The Midnight Special to the Concert Hall foyer, with an ethereal late-night pop-up bar The Aurora, providing a lively spot for everyone (open to the public) to unwind between shows or after enjoying the light displays, as well as the sensory dining journey from Danielle Alvarez, a unique First Nations dining experience in a hidden Opera House location and special festival offerings across all four Opera House restaurants. And this year's 'Lighting of the Sails' is Kiss of Light, a celebration of visionary Australian artist and activist David McDiarmid, which will see the sails light up with a bold, technicolour tribute to queer identity. Whether you're seeing a show or just passing through, it'll be completely unmissable. As the Sydney Opera House's Head of Contemporary Music, Ben Marshall, said: "There's nothing quite like Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House. As well as gathering many of the world's greatest musical talents here, we're welcoming the vibrant communities that infuse our music scene with the sounds of Sydney itself." "This is what makes Vivid LIVE stand apart – experiencing this great range of incredible international and local artists inside a living work of art." Vivid LIVE at Sydney Opera House runs from May 23 to June 14. For more information or to book your tickets, visit the website. By Jacque Kennedy
With big food precincts the norm in Sydney these days (see: Tramsheds and Maker's Dozen), the Porteño crew decided to start its own. Owners and hospo legends Elvis Abrahanowicz, Ben Milgate and Joseph Valore (Bodega X Wyno, Bodega 1904) have opened two neighbouring venues along Holt Street. Bastardo trattoria and Humble Bakery are the newcomers to the 'Porteño precinct'. With five of the team's sister venues now side-by-side, Surry Hills has become a true food-filled haven. At Bastardo, expect a menu of homey dishes that change daily and focus on seasonal produce. For the venue, the team bought an old-school pasta extruder to make as many different shapes and sizes of pasta as possible. The menu is vego-heavy, similar to the way the gents eat at home. Think dishes like the gem lettuce salad with Gorgonzola, pecans, pear and quince dressing, the burrata with broccoli, garlic, chilli, lemon and pangrattato, or the eggplant parmigiana. For pescatarians and carnivores, there's kingfish crudo with mandarin and lemon oil or the casarecce with braised duck and porcini mushrooms. [caption id="attachment_809278" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Caroline McCredie[/caption] "The concept [behind Bastardo] is in the name — it's a bastardisation of Italian food," says Abrahanowicz. "[Ben, Joe and I] are all mongrel Italians in one way or another, and the restaurant will be a reflection of that. It's pretty much how we eat on the weekends. It's not going to be traditional Italian cooking or from a specific region, it'll be our interpretation of Italian food." While the menu is simple comfort food at its best, the fit-out is quite loud. Think a 60s Italian vibe with green terrazzo tables and colourful paintings by artist Mikey Freedom — plus a standing aperitif bar with a foosball table that's been resurrected from the Gardel's Bar days. Images: Caroline McCredie Appears in: The Best Italian Restaurants in Sydney for 2023
What do Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night and Sunflowers, Katsushika Hokusai's The Great Wave off Kanagawa and Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa all have in common? Yes, they're all masterpieces. Yes, they all hail from iconic talents. And yes, they're all works that art lovers need to see in-person with their own eyes. Here's something else that they each share: they've all received the Lego treatment, letting you build them yourself, then hang them on your own wall. Lego has announced that Sunflowers is the latest great work to get turned into plastic bricks — and the latest reason that your own home can hold its own with the world's greatest galleries. The company's art range not only lets you display stunning art in your own house, but gets you recreating these masterpieces, too. To construct van Gogh's rendering of golden flowers, you'll be using 2615 blocks. Releasing on Saturday, March 1, 2025, but available to preorder already (for AU$299.99 and NZ$349.99), the new kit is a collaboration between Lego and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. Together, they've designed a set that reimagines Sunflowers with 3D bricks, using the blocks to help convey brushstrokes, plus light and shade — and they've also fashioned a Lego creation that isn't small. The finished piece measures 54 centimetres in height and 41 centimetres in width, so you really will want to find the right space to display it. As you construct Sunflowers, you'll be putting together the painting's 16 sunflowers, all with adjustable petals, as well as a removable frame. The kit comes with a hanger, too, alongside a tile with the artist's signature. Lego and the Van Gogh Museum are also dropping a podcast via LEGO.com, YouTube and Spotify on Saturday, March 1, which'll chat through both the artwork's history and the Lego set's design — and is recommended listening while you build. "Working on one of the world's most-famous paintings can be quite daunting, but recreating Sunflowers has been a dream come true. We collaborated closely with the Van Gogh Museum and its experts, delving into the details to meticulously craft a 3D version of the original artwork," said LEGO Designer Stijn Oom. " One of the most challenging yet crucial aspects was translating the impasto effect into Lego bricks while preserving the painting's asymmetrical yet balanced composition. We are incredibly proud of the result and hope our fans enjoy building it as much as we enjoyed bringing Van Gogh's masterpiece to life." For more information about Lego's new Sunflowers kit, which goes on sale on Down Under on Saturday, March 1, 2025 — but is available to preorder already — head to the company's website.
The 40th parallel is much more than simply a line of latitude spanning the distance of America from East to West; and Bruce Myren's photographs of it are much more than just photos. The line N 40° 00' 00'' bisects the country from New Jersey's shore crossing through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, over the border between Nebraska and Kansas, following on past Colorado, Utah, Nevada and finally finishing in California. Myren is not only capturing the stunning surroundings of these landscapes, but is trying to understand and portray the "human desire to create systems and then locate ourselves within them". The fortieth parallel north is a tool for measurement, as well as acting as the baseline for creating homesteads and townships, functioning as a useful marker during Western settlement. The project began as a fairly small and basic undertaking, using maps to identify the areas because GPS's were not widely available during that time. However, as geographical technology began to grow and develop, so too did Myren's photo series. Using an 8 x 10 Deardoff camera and colour transparency film, Myren produced panoramas by snapping three shots moving from left to right then adding them together during editing. The photographer is aiming to take a landscape panorama shot at every longitudinal point along the line, adding up to a total of 52 locations and images, spaced roughly 53 miles apart from each other. So far he has captured 28 stunning images of these locations. Here are 10 of the inspired images from his series, aimed to make you "consider the history of landscape photography, American development , but most importantly [your] own relationship to place." N 40° 00' o0'' W 109° 00' 00", Rangely, Colorado, 2000 N 40° 00' 00" W 108° 00' 00", Meeker, Colorado, 2000 N 40° 00' 00" W 101° 00' 00", Ludell, Kansas, 2011 N 40° 00' 00" W 98° 00' 00", Webber, Kansas, 2007 N 40° 00' 00" W 97° 00' 00", Hollenberg, Kansas, 2007 N 40° 00' 00" W 95° 00' 00", Fillmore, Missouri, 2007 N 40° 00' 00" W 93° 00' 00", Winigan, Missouri, 2011 N 40° 00' 00" W 81° 00' 00", Belmont, Ohio, 1999 N 40° 00' 00" W 76° 00' 00", Gap, Pennsylvania, 1999 N 40° 00' 00" W 74° 03' 32", Normandy Beach, New Jersey, 1998
There's plenty to look at in Yves Saint Laurent, a new biopic of the legendary fashion designer. As well as giving the world the iconic Le Smoking women's tuxedo, he is credited with making ready-to-wear reputable in world of haute couture. His fashion journey — and personal one — is brought to life by director Jalil Lespert and gangly actor Pierre Niney in this French-language biopic. This film opens in 1953, as the 18-year-old Laurent wins a major fashion prize, which leads him to take over the Christian Dior legacy. Here he meets Pierre Berge, patron of the arts, future business partner and the love of his life. Three years later, they create the Yves Saint Laurent company and revolutionise the world of fashion. The film was made with the support of the Foundation of Yves Saint Laurent. The upshot of this is that the filmmakers were able to use all the original YSL designs. Get ready to feast your eyes. Read our full review here. Yves Saint Laurent is in cinemas on June 26, and thanks to Entertainment One, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=-ec-DQ_7EUM
Having recently been acquired by Platinum Hospitality Group, The Paper Mill Food has relaunched with all-new concepts for its three distinct restaurants and inviting cocktail bar. With the sprawling venue hosting up to 600 guests, this Liverpool dining landmark continues to honour the building's fascinating industrial heritage. As you might expect, a paper mill once called this spot home, producing 20 tonnes of product per week in the 19th century. So, what do the new concepts entail? Ana's Kitchen is the venue's relaxed dining setting, featuring contemporary Australian cuisine and Italian favourites, like fried calamari, linguine Genovese and coconut panna cotta alongside an inviting burger and pizza menu. No bookings are required, making it perfect for a casual sit-down feast with friends and family. Across the way, The Vault offers a more upscale experience. Here, the menu explores premium cuts of meat and seafood in an atmospheric setting. From the land, dishes like black angus Riverina scotch fillet and slow-cooked lamb shoulder are as hearty as they sound. For something lighter from the sea, perhaps Tasmanian Atlantic glazed salmon and chargrilled king prawns are more your vibe. Then it's over to the renowned Middle Eastern eatery Al Aseel, which has graced The Paper Mill Food with another location. Bringing signature Lebanese flavours and aromas to Liverpool, a jam-packed menu includes smaller staples like baba ghanouj, labneh and hommos Beiruti paired with mains like shish barak, Mansaf chicken and 12-hour slow-cooked lamb shoulder with roasted root vegetables. Leading the culinary concept is executive chef Stefano Brombal, whose impressive career has seen him emerge from kitchens in Venice to work across Europe and Australia. With a passion for classic Italian cuisine, including a special fondness for seafood, Stefano looks to jumpstart guests' senses with an array of carefully considered dishes. "My goal for The Paper Mill Food is to create dishes that not only delight the palate but also tell a story. By blending my Italian roots with the vibrant culinary diversity of Sydney, we've crafted menus that offer something truly special for every guest. Working alongside such a talented team in this beautifully restored venue, I'm excited to set a new standard for dining in Sydney's southwest," says Brombal. Finally, the rejuvenated Carrera Bar is where guests can rest with a creative drink without needing to dine. Complementing a fine selection of beer, wine and spirits, there's also an inventive cocktail list. If you like a little spice with your drink, the Montezuma sees tequila, crème de cacao, Kahlúa and freshly made espresso finished with a chilli kick. Meanwhile, the Italian-inspired Pazzo Italiano blends Aperol, Montenegro and amaretto with lime sugar and almond. "We're thrilled to breathe new life into The Paper Mill Food," says Georges Badr, group general manager of Platinum Hospitality Group. "Our vision was to create a dining destination that offers something for everyone, from casual family meals to sophisticated date nights and special celebrations. We're confident that the changes we've implemented will establish The Paper Mill Food as a gastronomic landmark." The Paper Mill Food is open daily at 20 Shepherd Street, Liverpool. Head to the website for more information. Images: Kera Wong Photography.
The James Street Reserve Community Garden, established in 2010 to make use of a valuable but erstwhile neglected nook of public land, is a beautiful and productive garden tended to by passionate local community members. You can contribute to the health and maintenance of the garden by joining a working bee on the first Saturday of every month, from 9–11am, or by simply paying the lush patch of flora a visit at any time to scope the latest produce. Despite increasingly living in urban environments, our need for nature remains. Even just marvelling at lavender or freshly grown bok choy can be enough to provide that much needed connection with the great outdoors.
