When Indigenous Australian artist Archie Moore made history at the 2024 La Biennale de Venezia, aka the Venice Biennale, in April 2024 by winning the event's coveted Golden Lion for Best National Participation, he also did Brisbane's major art galleries proud. When the First Nations talent earned Australia the top gong at the Olympics of the art world for the first time ever, he did so with an exhibition curated by Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art's Ellie Buttrose, and with a date with Brisbane GOMA on its 2025–26 program. kith and kin is displaying in South Brisbane between Saturday, September 27, 2025–Sunday, October 18, 2026 — and it has also been gifted to QAGOMA permanently. The piece didn't just make history with its Venice Biennale accolade. A hand-drawn genealogical chart that spans back 65,000 years, this creation also chronicles it. Both a personal and a political work, kith and kin steps through Moore's Kamilaroi, Bigambul, British and Scottish heritage across the installation's five-metre-high, 60-metre-long black walls. More than 2400 generations are covered. The exhibition uses chalk on blackboard, with a reflective pool sitting in the middle of the room and 500-plus document stacks suspended above it. Every aspect of kith and kin makes a statement. With its size and scale, it speaks to Australia's Indigenous peoples being among the world's longest-continuous living cultures. The use of black is also designed to look like a celestial map, and therefore nod to the resting place of First Nations ancestors. Highlighting the decrease in Indigenous Australian languages and dialects since colonisation, the fragility that stems from not being able to pass down knowledge and injustices such as deaths in custody are all also part of the work — with the aforementioned piles of paper primarily from coronial inquests. Images: Archie Moore / kith and kin 2024 / Australia Pavilion at Venice Biennale 2024 / Photographer Andrea Rossetti / © the artist / Images courtesy of the artist and The Commercial.
Hungry locals are spoiled for choice along Fountain Street, Alexandria, and Nguyen Brothers definitely has the hearty Vietnamese offering down pat. The team behind former Marrickville eatery Yen for Viet are responsible for this eatery. Nguyen Brothers is a fresh take on this much-loved southeast Asian fare. The menu has all the usual suspects and is sure to satisfy no matter the weather. Balmy summer nights can be spent enjoying a vermicelli bowl with sugar cane prawn or grilled chicken salad. In winter, a belly-warming cooked brisket pho is the way to go. The modern approach carries through to the fit-out: unlike the dimly lit and slightly cramped qualities that normally distinguish a Vietnamese eatery, the space is bright, spacious and airy. Wood heavily features in the design (chairs, tables, the ceiling and wall panelling) and is contrasted by flourishes of copper and the colourful rooster paintings that line the walls. Other menu highlights include Vietnamese crispy pancakes and grilled pork belly for an entree, while the salt and pepper squid is especially flavoursome. For mains, try the wok-fried wagyu beef cubes with snow peas and onions or the deep fried whole barramundi (sometimes snapper) served piping hot with a side of tamarind fish sauce. Drop by during lunch for a banh mi with grilled meats and pickles or try one of its zesty salads. It's the perfect place to swing by for a casual lunch or an easy dinner with a new or old friend. Images: Kitti Gould.
South Western Sydney has long been home to some of the city's most exciting and diverse eats — from longstanding Vietnamese institutions to generational Lebanese bakeries and thriving suburban restaurants, the region's culinary landscape has been defined by everyday generosity. But big-ticket fine-dining builds have traditionally sat closer to the CBD. MAGMA by Dany Karam — now open inside the all-new Cabravale Club Resort — aims to shift that balance, bringing a polished and theatrical dining experience to the south west. For Karam, a proud Western Sydney local, MAGMA is both the first chapter in a three-part, long-awaited follow-up to his acclaimed stint at The Star (though he's hardly been on holiday since stepping down as Executive Chef in 2022) and a deeply personal project. Four years in the making, the restaurant is inspired by the charcoal-fired Sunday family lunches of Karam's childhood, layered with flavours influenced by his travels through Turkey, Lebanon, Japan and Vietnam. Fire is very much the star here. An open charcoal grill is at the heart of the open kitchen, flanked by a glass-fronted dry-age room — dubbed 'Dany's Butchery' — where premium meats and seafood hang to peak flavour before hitting the pass, with availability changing daily. Karam has worked with longtime collaborators Ben and David Blackmore to secure whole-carcass deliveries of their sought-after Rhone wagyu, forming the backbone of a heavyweight steak program that also includes cuts from Hereford and Speckle Park. There's even a 600-gram Wagyu Trio designed for comparing different feeding styles side by side. Beyond the woodfired grill, the menu puts thoughtful twists on steakhouse classics. Highlights of the ingredient-driven one-page selection include Queensland spanner crab tossed with olive oil, dashi cream, coriander and finger lime with fluffy brioche; charcoal-kissed Condabilla murray cod with broccolini and a smoky mussel and ginger beurre blanc; and pillowy semolina gnocchi with exotic mushrooms, brown butter and crisp sage leaves. Drinks are similarly considered. The cocktail program by Charlotte Belvisotti (Mimi's, King Clarence, Amorica, Palmer & Co) moves from playful signatures like the açai sour — hibiscus vodka, sudachi and marshmallow foam — to the silky, umami-forward Magma Martini with vodka, olive oil, seaweed, sake and house pickles. Meanwhile, a 500-bottle, floor-to-ceiling wine cabinet is designed to encourage discovery across global varietals. The dining room makes a statement of its own: a dramatic six-metre-high space clad in black marble, dark copper and faux-fur panel accents that feel both luxurious and intimate. A striking produce display and sleek marble bar at the entrance give way to a 140-seat dining area, complete with a 16-person private room. Set within the new Cabravale Club Resort precinct — also home to a Novotel, event centre and sun-washed pool lounge — MAGMA is a defining new arrival for Sydney's south west. And, for Karam, it's not a moment too soon for this kind of destination dining. "What used to be a CBD-only experience is now here for our community," he says. "Western Sydney deserves a restaurant that's both elevated and welcoming. That's Magma."
Circular Quay has a new spot for golden-hour escapism, with Acapulco El Vista bringing a dose of 1960s Latin glamour to the harbourfront. And much like the golden age the venue channels, there's some serious star power on display here: El Vista marks the second collaboration between The Maybe Group (Maybe Sammy) and Accor's new in-house hospitality arm Table For — landing hot on the heels of their all-day Bond Street spot Bar Allora — and also Table For's second project with chef Giovanni Pilu (Pilu at Freshwater), who has just opened Flaminia in the same hotel. Together, they've created a relaxed yet polished harbourside hangout that leans into bright coastal flavours and sunset sessions. Set on level three of the Pullman Quay Grand, El Vista is pitched as a lounge-bar made for lingering, thanks to Pilu's share-style menu and a soundtrack that moves from Latin jazz to global grooves as the night unfolds. Interiors nod to the resorts of Acapulco's golden age — when the Mexican Riviera drew Hollywood starlets and international glitterati — while keeping the focus firmly on those sweeping harbour views. The cocktail program commits to the bit, led by margaritas, daiquiris and reimagined classics — including a mango paloma and a peach-and-coconut mojito — plus a dedicated colada section. Inventive signatures add even more personality, from a dulce de leche espresso martini to a chilled, milky rum sour. Pilu's menu keeps things lively and shareable. Expect seafood-forward plates like a yellowtail kingfish aguachile, crispy yellowfin tuna tacos and a spanner crab and corn tortita, alongside crowd-pleasing bites like cheese empanadas and a pineapple- and pickled onion-topped choripán. Settle in during the day for a breezy lounge vibe backed by Latin jazz, or drop by later as DJ sets take over from Thursday through Saturday. Sundays start with acoustic brunches before sliding into sultry Latin evenings — a weekly rhythm that mirrors the venue's coastal nightlife feel.
If the idea of breathtaking coastal views, unique wildlife and farm-to-table food experiences sounds like the ultimate road trip for you, it might be time to add Phillip Island to the top of your list. This underrated holiday spot, just a short drive from Melbourne's CBD, is abundant in things to see, do and, most importantly, eat. From artisan cheese shops and indigenous food trails to waterside dining and more, Phillip Island is the ideal place for a nature-filled holiday that combines idyllic landscapes with culinary excellence. To take the guesswork out of planning, we've compiled a list of our favourite dining destinations on the island. Proceed with an empty stomach. ENJOY BREATHTAKING VIEWS AND LOCAL PRODUCE AT A LOCAL WINERY Best known as a wedding destination and for its stunning views, Phillip Island Winery is a haven for anyone looking to experience the area via eating and drinking. Sprawled across 14 acres of vineyards, the winery boasts rolling rural views and glimpses of the Bass Strait — the perfect backdrop for wine sampling at the boutique cellar door. If you're peckish, try a grazing board or lunch special from the kitchen, or stick around for a top-tier dinner experience. The seasonally changing menu here champions local produce, so expect things like locally foraged mushrooms, native greens or a local catch of the day to be on offer. Plus, the winery is only a few moments from the Phillip Island Penguin Parade — a must-see experience when visiting the region. NAB LOCAL BREWS AND BITES AT THIS TAPHOUSE As the name suggests, Ocean Reach Taphouse is located just a stone's throw from the big blue. The independent brewery is located in the charming beachside village of Cowes, the main town on Phillip Island. With all of its beer proudly brewed and poured on site, you can choose from an IPA, pale ale, lager or porter to sample. Feeling adventurous? Try one of the taphouse's experimental seasonal flavours like its chocolate fudge stout. While you're there, you can also fill up on a bite from the resident food van which slings wings, burgers and other tasty snacks to satisfy all appetites. Make a beeline to this spot if you love brews, burgers and the beach. CHECK OUT A BEACH SHACK WITH CHARMING FARE Serving up everything from breakfast bagels to birria queso tacos, Kelp is the perfect pit stop for your travels through Phillip Island. Located right by the bridge connecting Newhaven and San Remo, the charming venue features an interior inspired by the surrounding seaside with a rustic fit out. Stop by to try out one of the venue's beloved margaritas and mingle with locals as the sun sets over San Remo. Or, pop in for a coffee fix to fuel an action-packed day of adventuring around the island. SAMPLE A SELECTION OF FRESHLY CAUGHT SEAFOOD Being situated on the coast has its advantages. Perhaps the best of them all? Fresh seafood at your front door. Bass Strait Direct offers a huge selection of fresh, locally sourced seafood that is transported straight from boat to the shop. Flathead, gummy flake, scallops and squid are just some of the regular offerings you'll find here, with friendly staff to help you with choosing the best catch of the day. Bring home a taste of the region at the end of your trip, or set yourself up for a hearty seaside barbecue in a nearby group-friendly park or reserve. DINE ON A JETTY WITH PICTURESQUE VIEWS Situated right on the shoreline, Saltwater is a light-filled restaurant and bar that boasts impressive 270-degree views of the Phillip Island Bridge and Western Port Bay. Its sleek interior is framed by the surrounding jetties, offering a relaxed yet elevated dining experience for visitors and locals alike. Watch the boats sail by while you fill up on a woodfired pizza or take your pick from some of the fresh seafood on offer. The ceiling-to-floor windows allow you to marvel at the views of the water well into the night, making it a picturesque place to spend the evening and enjoy a cocktail or two, too. A DAY-TO-NIGHT PUB WITH TOP-NOTCH FOOD AND LIVE MUSIC Located along the central Esplanade in Cowes is Hotel Phillip Island, famed for its food scene by day and party scene by night. Overlooking the island's historic jetty, the hotel allows you to soak up views of Western Port, French Island and the Mornington Peninsula while enjoying classic pub fare. Snacks like spicy Korean chicken and handmade spring rolls are also up for grabs and are best paired with one of the pub's experimental signature cocktails — Gingerbread Martini or Wizz Fizz Sour, anyone? SAMPLE NATIVE FLAVOURS ON AN INCREDIBLE FOOD TRAIL Wild Food Farm is a farm, homestead, cafe and retail boutique showcasing some of Australia's incredible variety of native herbs, spices, fruits and berries. Join a tour or explore the property — sprawled over acres of parkland, ponds and plantations all connected by a native food trail — at your own pace. While you're there, be sure to pick up some treats from the shop to take home — there's everything from tea, muesli, curries, bush rubs, special jams, relishes and sauces, all made on site. Locals and tourists are encouraged to meet here to learn more about the Indigenous ingredients on offer and to sample the delicious food from the on-site cafe. Our picks from the menu are the wattle-seed scones and pepper-berry beef pies. AN AWARD-WINNING CHEESE SHOP BELOVED BY CURD NERDS Indulge in a stop at Bassine Cheese, an award-winning artisan cheese shop and cafe selling gourmet toasties, milkshakes and other dairy delights. This boutique is situated on a family-run farm that lovingly produces cheese three days a week in small batches from cows living on the property. And, you can sample the goods via free tastings at the shop. There's a wide range of cheeses to choose from including brie, camembert, haloumi, ricotta or parmesan to name a few. The Bassine feta, marinated in various oils and spices including lemon myrtle, peppercorn, tuscan herbs and chilli, is a crowd favourite. Got a sweet tooth? Order one of the cafe's freshly baked scones with cream and local jam, best paired with a coffee or tea finished with the farm's own milk. TAKE YOURSELF ON A CHOOSE-YOUR-OWN-ADVENTURE TASTING TRAIL Phillip Island's cooler climate offers favourable conditions for produce, resulting in an abundance of incredible ingredients grown on the island. Discover it with the The Phillip Island and Bass Coast Tasting Trail, a downloadable map developed to help you choose your own adventure across the island. Explore gin distilleries, spice farms, fresh food markets, decadent chocolate factories, brasseries and bars while traipsing across the island. The map not only celebrates and showcases local producers and businesses, but it also helps you find just about anything you could have a craving for on your travels. Keen to see (and taste) Phillip Island for yourself? For more information and to start planning your trip, visit the website.
Popular with students, artists and the battered men who've been frequenting it for the past forty years, The Courthouse Hotel — better known as The Courty — is a beloved staple of Newtown's drinking spots. It is grungy, relaxed and unpretentious with one of Sydney's finest beer gardens. Inside The Courthouse Hotel, you'll find pool tables, a collection of pinball machines and a couple of vinyl couches with the stuffing falling out of them. The interior of the pub is exactly what you'd expect: dark wood on scruffy walls, well-trodden carpet and a gallery of old Sydney Swans posters. A pair of arty student types with silly beards sit at the bar alongside a bloke in a Bonds singlet, nursing a schooner, sporting an entirely un-silly beard. During AFL season expect not to be able to hold a conversation anywhere near the football-scarfed fans surrounding the televisions. The bistro menu is exactly what you would expect: carb-heavy favourites like schnitties, wedges and nachos to soak up the beer. But the real drawcard at The Courthouse is the beer garden. From the wooden veranda, you gaze down onto a maze of long wooden benches surrounded by frangipani trees and tropical plants which, bafflingly, still manage to grow amongst the spilled beer and cigarette butts. The courtyard is what really makes The Courthouse, packed wall to wall even in the middle of winter. Appears in: The Best Pubs in Sydney
Recycling is tricky business. Distinguishing what can and can't be recycled can feel like deciphering the Da Vinci code and, even when you do figure it out, a lot of recyclable material can't actually go in the yellow bin. According to a report by the Australian Government, only 9.4 percent of of the 3.4 million tonnes of plastic consumed in Australia from 2017–18 was recycled. But there's some good news: a new Sydney startup is here to help solve some of our recycling woes. Recycle Smart is looking to make recycling efficient and easy through its new app. The idea is simple: app users can leave their tricky recyclables outside and request a pickup from one of the drivers, who will then ensure all items are recycled properly. And it's free to sign up. Each bag of waste you have collected costs just $2, plus for each bag collected Recycle Smart will plant a tree, which means you're helping the planet in more ways than one. The list of items Recycle Smart pics up is extensive, but it's broken down into four simple categories: soft plastics, e-waste, clothes and problem waste. Light bulbs, cling wrap, charger cords, phones, toasters, CDs, shoes and books are all items you leave to RecycleSmart to ensure they're disposed of in a sustainable way. The service is currently available to over 700,000 Sydneysiders, including those in the Randwick, Mosman, Waverley and Sutherland Shire councils, the City of Sydney and the City of Canada Bay. When you sign up, you'll get a free Recycling Starter Kit, too. Head to the Recycle Smart website to find out more information and sign up to see if the service is available in your area. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
Whenever a public holiday with a religious history rolls around, it means different things to different people. Easter is one of them — a four-day period filled with bunnies for some, oh-so-many chocolate eggs for most, and a relaxing break from work for many. That makes finding the perfect Easter viewing a bit trickier than most occasions. Unlike Christmas movies, paschal flicks haven't become their own category. Unlike Halloween and horror films, there's not an existing genre to tap into, either. And, when a movie has clearly been made with Easter in mind, it tends to fall into one of two camps: religious-themed epics and rabbit-filled, kid-focused family fare. If you're keen to mark the occasion through cinema — and eager to find something to watch while you're binge-eating all of those hot cross buns — don't worry. No, you don't have to settle for the obvious. Instead, fill your long weekend with everything from Timothée Chalamet as a young Willy Wonka and Keanu Reeves as humanity's saviour to Jordan Peele's take on bunnies, all thanks to our 16 classic and eclectic Easter streaming options. Donnie Darko The creepiest rabbit in cinema belongs to one movie: Richard Kelly's (The Box) 2001 sci-fi thriller Donnie Darko. Once you've met Frank, as the eponymous teenager (Jake Gyllenhaal, Road House) does while he's sleepwalking one night, then you can be forgiven for feeling more than a little unnerved. Making quite the bold, striking and memorable filmmaking debut, Kelly's film saddles Donnie with plenty of other worries, too. Doomsday visions, wormholes and time loops; hosting a Halloween party; general adolescent angst — they're all included. So is Patrick Swayze (whose footsteps Gyllenhaal follows in in the Road House remake) as an unsettling motivational speaker, Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Deuce) playing her real-life brother's on-screen sister, and a mind-bending movie that proves both ominous and dreamy all at once (and boasts a great 80s-themed soundtrack). Donnie Darko streams via Stan, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Wonka In 2023, the world was gifted a new sweet treat. Casting Bones and All, Call Me By Your Name, Dune and A Complete Unknown favourite Timothée Chalamet as a young Willy Wonka in a film directed by Paddington and Paddington 2's Paul King was always going to get the film-loving world's attention. Wonka thankfully proved a delight, too. Your best Easter viewing, then? Pairing it with the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, which is also still a gem. It's a magical ticket of a book-to-screen adaptation, thanks in no small part to the inimitable Gene Wilder. We all know the tale by now, which follows a poverty-stricken child who wins a chocolate contest and gets a super-exclusive tour of the eponymous figure's sweets-making outfit, and it keeps standing the test of time for great reason. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory streams via Binge, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Wonka streams via Netflix, Binge, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Who Framed Roger Rabbit It's the part live-action, part animated film that's really not for kids, and it's still a delight more than three decades later. Who Framed Roger Rabbit steps back to 1947, plays with both neo-noir and comedy, and creates a world where humans and cartoons — or Toons as they're called — co-exist. A who's who of Hollywood's late-80s best and brightest were all considered for the part of private detective Eddie Valiant (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny's Harrison Ford, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire's Bill Murray and Candy Cane Lane's Eddie Murphy among them), but Bob Hoskins is pitch-perfect in the role. Also working a charm is the film's dark but funny tone, its exceptional special effects, and the reteaming of Robert Zemeckis (Pinocchio) and Christopher Lloyd (The Mandalorian) after Back to the Future. Oh, and the fact that this always-entertaining PI tale is basically an oddball take on all-time classic Chinatown. Who Framed Roger Rabbit streams via Disney+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions and The Matrix Resurrections In one of the biggest sci-fi franchises of the past two decades, one man is chosen to save humanity, with the anointed hero navigating difficult trials and tribulations in the process. While the original trilogy of The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions are all jam-packed with futuristic imagery and dystopian drama, writer/director siblings Lana and Lilly Wachowski (Sense8) spin a story that's also laden with spiritual symbolism — so much so that a religion called Matrixism even popped up. Obviously, who wouldn't want to worship Keanu Reeves (John Wick: Chapter 4) as Neo? These movies did the first time around, and repeated the feat with Lana Wachowski's solo effort The Matrix Resurrections as well. The middle two flicks are nowhere near as impressive and entertaining as the first or latest, but The Matrix franchise always makes for thrilling piece of science fiction. The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions stream via Stan, Prime Video, YouTube Movies and iTunes. The Matrix Resurrections streams via Stan, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Us As a director using genre to lay bare society's oppressive ills — and to entertain audiences with audacious and ambitious horror stories in the process — Jordan Peele is three for three on the big screen. Nope was a 2022 standout. Before that, back in 2017, Get Out felt like a breath of fresh air with its smart and savage tale of racial alienation. And, that feeling coursed through 2019's Us, too, a film that simultaneously splashes in the same thematic pool and rides its own narrative wave. Focusing on a family of four, a summer vacation to Santa Cruz and sinister lookalikes who start stalking their every move, Peele finds a new way to ponder America's divisive reality both historically and at present, all while making an immensely unnerving addition to an already unsettling genre: the doppelgänger movie. Playing dual roles, Lupita Nyong'o (A Quiet Place: Day One) puts in a phenomenal performance as the matriarch doing whatever it takes to fight for both her family and her freedom, while many of the film's meticulously crafted visuals — and plethora of rabbits — are pure nightmare fodder. Us streams via Netflix, Binge, Paramount+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Cool Hand Luke "Nobody can eat 50 eggs", Lucas Jackson (the late, great Paul Newman) is told in 1967 prison drama Cool Hand Luke. If that sounds like a challenge you're willing to take up, you're in good company. Naturally, you're currently thinking about chocolate eggs; however, Newman's famous character endeavours to eat 50 of the real deal. Even locked up in a Florida chain gang for vandalising parking metres, that's the kind of rule-breaking, authority-defying guy he is. Nominated for four Oscars and winning one (for Best Supporting Actor for George Kennedy), this is one of cinema's anti-establishment standouts, tracking the penal system's repeated attempts to put Luke in his place, and his continued determination to flout every restriction that's thrown at him. Cool Hand Luke is also layered with religious symbolism in its narrative and in its imagery — as you'd expect in a tale of a man repeatedly persecuted for remaining faithful to his true nature. Cool Hand Luke streams via SBS On Demand, Max, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Con Air Whatever occasion happens to be upon us, there's a Nicolas Cage movie for it. The Family Man and Trapped in Paradise are set around Christmas, for example; Moonstruck and Wild at Heart are pitch-perfect Valentine's Day viewing; and you can choose from the likes of Mandy, Vampire's Kiss and Color Out of Space at Halloween. For Easter, Con Air fits the bill. It is the movie that has Cage exclaim "put the bunny back in the box," after all. Here, he plays a former army ranger-turned-paroled convict who's trying to head home when his prison flight is hijacked by fellow criminals. And it's particularly apt viewing after Cage played Cage in meta comedy The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent recently, and Con Air played a pivotal part in it. Con Air streams via Disney+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Easter Parade Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Easter, and a dazzling array of singing and dancing? Blend them all together, and that's Easter Parade. A huge box-office hit upon its initial 1948 release, this lively musical understandably makes the most of its stars — who act, croon and show off their fancy footwork opposite each other in their only cinematic collaboration. Astaire plays Broadway hotshot Don Hewes, who's far from happy when his dance partner breaks off their pairing. Emotionally wounded, he vows he'll catapult the next dancer he meets to fame. That'd be Garland's Hannah Brown, although the path to success (and to romance) is hardly straightforward. As Easter Parade charts the ups and downs of Don and Hannah's new arrangement, though, it's obviously absolutely overflowing with show-stopping song-and-dance numbers. Easter Parade streams via Max, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit Aardman has enjoyed an enviable track record over the stop-motion animation studio's 50-year career, as well as its two-plus decades making movies. But while the OG Chicken Run is great and the delightful Shaun the Sheep flicks aren't just for kids, Wallace and Gromit hold a soft spot in everyone's hearts. That makes their first full-length movie outing Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit extra special. Parodying monster movies, including old-school Hammer horror films, it tasks a certain cheese fiend and his canine sidekick with trying to rid a village suddenly plagued by bunnies. An Oscar-winner for Best Animated Feature, the result is an amusing, offbeat and energetic adventure with clever sight gags, an eccentric vibe, an array of intelligently used pop culture references, and guest voice work from Helena Bonham Carter (One Life) and Ralph Fiennes (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar). Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit streams via Binge, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Celia Australian cinema is filled with stellar classic titles — films that engage, enthral, say something about our country and showcase the depth of our filmmaking talent. Sadly, the almost-forgotten Celia isn't cited among such company enough, although it deserves to be celebrated as one of the best features that we've ever had to offer. Set in 1957, its tale is dark, ominous and oh-so-telling as it blends small-town prejudices with fearful childhood imaginings. Written and directed by Ann Turner, the film focuses on an unhappy, grieving nine-year-old school girl (Rebecca Smart, Skin Deep) surrounded by a community that's paranoid about communists and unwelcoming to pet rabbits. Yes, there's that Easter-appropriate link — and this is kind of coming-of-age horror effort Australia rarely makes. Celia streams via Brollie, YouTube Movies and iTunes. The Last Temptation of Christ If you're going to watch one serious film about the obvious religious figure this Easter, make it Martin Scorsese's (Killers of the Flower Moon) The Last Temptation of Christ. Faith is one of the great veteran filmmaker's favourite themes and, here, he tackles it with his trademark smarts and depth, all while presenting Jesus not as a revered icon but as a person. Willem Dafoe (Nosferatu) plays the Judean carpenter in the spotlight, turning in one of his reliably fantastic performances. Also popping up among the cast: Harvey Keitel (Paradox Effect), Barbara Hershey (Beacon 23), and Twin Peaks alumni Harry Dean Stanton and David Bowie. Like many a movie that's dared to take a provocative approach to this tale, the 1988 film earned protests, censorship and bans when it originally hit cinemas — and nabbed Scorsese an Academy Award nomination for Best Director as well. The Last Temptation of Christ streams via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Monty Python's Life of Brian When famed comedy troupe Monty Python turned their attention to religion, they didn't take the obvious route. Instead, their satirical comedy follows Brian Cohen (Graham Chapman), a Jewish man who happens to be born on Christmas right next door to Jesus, and gets mistaken for his neighbour as a result. As one well-known line of dialogue has told us all for decades, "he's not the Messiah — he's a very naughty boy". Eventually, he'll be trying to look on the bright side of life as well. Written by the whole group, and starring them as well, Monty Python's Life of Brian is the silliest, most irreverent biblical-related flick you're ever likely to see. Unsurprisingly, when it was released back in 1979, it was accused of blasphemy. Monty Python's Life of Brian streams via SBS On Demand, YouTube Movies and Prime Video.
The racing event of the year is nearly here. To celebrate, Jack Daniel's is bringing the hype (and noise) off-track with a bunch of live music and racing experiences across the city. Here's where to join the party. Jack's Street Party at Middle Park Hotel Middle Park Hotel is the destination for catching all of the race week action, no track pass required. From Thursday, March 5, through to Sunday, March 8, Jack Daniel's is bringing four days of racing, food, drinks, and entertainment to Middle Park Hotel. Located just minutes from the track, you and your friends can soak up the atmosphere (and engine sounds). Watch the races on mega screens and TVs, enjoy the pop-up bar and delicious food menu, and dance to live music and DJs every day. As a tribute to the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team, Jack Daniel's, one of McLaren's official partners, is taking over the entire venue, with replica uniforms and helmets on display throughout the hotel, along with games, competitions, and prizes. From 5–6pm each day, Jack's Hour will take place, complete with drink specials and exclusive merch giveaways. Jack Daniel's has also collaborated with artist Glen Downey to produce a bespoke McLaren-Jack Daniel's-Melbourne-inspired piece of artwork. One lucky punter will win a driver-signed copy of the artwork by entering the competition during Jack's Hour each day. The weekend is free to attend and unticketed. Simply show up (first-come, first-served) and enjoy the atmosphere of race week at Middle Park Hotel. Jack's Bus Jack's Bus (yes, a literal bus) will be parked at Middle Park Hotel during the day. From 12–3pm each day, attendees will receive a bespoke cocktail on arrival, an expert insight into the history of Jack Daniel's and the McLaren racing team, as well as a tasting of a limited edition Jack Daniel's beverage and exclusive merchandise giveaways. Once the racing action is over, the bus will shuttle punters between Middle Park Hotel and The Espy to keep the party going. Jack's Karaoke at The Espy The Espy's Engine Room is set to transform into a high-energy karaoke arena for the long weekend. Step up, grab the mic, and you may end up the lead singer of Jack Daniel's House Band. Practice sessions are taking place on Thursday, March 5 and Friday, March 6. Saturday, March 7, is the qualifying heat to narrow the singers down to the final four. On Sunday, March 8, the finalists will take to the stage for the Loudest Lap, the ultimate karaoke showdown. The top prize (aside from your 15 minutes of fame) is $5K in cash, with all participants receiving a Jack Daniel's prize pack. Get ready for a weekend of belters and fun at The Espy's Engine Room. Jack's Garage at The Espy Ready to party the night away? Jack's Garage in The Espy's Gershwin Room is taking over with an electrifying lineup of Australian artists across four nights. On Thursday, March 5, electronic duo The Presets will set the tone for the exciting weekend. Friday, March 6 sees Slowly Slowly take to the stage with their local indie rock, while Saturday, March 7 brings DJ Anna Lunoe and her infectious house and electronic beats to The Espy. Finally, on Sunday, March 8, Keli Holiday wraps up Melbourne's race week with a high-energy gig that's sure to get you dancing. All performances are live and free, so RSVP here and arrive early to avoid capacity limits in the Gershwin Room. Even if you miss out on tickets, all gigs will be live-streamed on screens across the venue. This means you can still enjoy the tunes and have a dance at The Espy to some legendary acts. Jack's Pit Stop at Crown Casino Throughout race weekend, Crown Melbourne will become Jack's Pit Stop. By heading to The Pub, Sports Bar and Jackpot, you could win a free trip to Las Vegas with the purchase of any Jack Daniel's product, as well as a Jack Daniel's Pit Crew customisable t-shirt. Make it one of your pit stops across the racing-obsessed week. McLaren will bring speed to the Albert Park racing track, but Jack Daniel's is making sure Melbourne feels the energy. Between parties and fan hubs, live music and karaoke, there's no better way to enjoy the March weekend. Image Credit: Supplied
Buying a couch shouldn't feel like waiting for a house to be built, or cost as much as a holiday — that's the premise behind Grumpi, a new Melbourne startup turning the furniture industry on its head with compressed, vacuum-sealed sofas, armchairs and ottomans that arrive at your door in a box (and expand in hours). The brains behind the boxes? Cory and Dion Verstandig, Melbourne-born brothers who observed a gap in the market for their age demographic, and seized it. "It just felt crazy that in 2025 you can get almost anything delivered fast — except furniture," says Cory, of the initial spark for Grumpi. "That frustration stuck with us and became the starting point for the brand." The brothers had already dabbled in furniture, launching a small ottoman business and later testing a full-sized swivel chair that sold $75,000 in units in its first year. The catch? Oversized delivery fees swallowed the profits. "That experience completely reshaped our thinking," Dion explains. "It made us obsessed with one question: how do you make great furniture without delivery becoming the downfall?" That question led them to compression. Inspired by the success of bed-in-a-box disruptors like Koala, the brothers began prototyping vacuum-sealed furniture that could fit in the back of a hatchback, expand to full size within 24–48 hours, and still feel premium. Fifteen months and seven rounds of sampling later, Grumpi was born. Furniture That Fits Real Life Grumpi's pieces are designed for how young Australians actually live — in smaller spaces, on tighter budgets and with minimal patience for assembly manuals. Each piece ships free, arrives within ten days (or you get $100 back), and needs little to no setup. "It's for people like us," says Dion. "Eighteen to 35-year-olds, renters, first-home buyers, young families. People who actually live in their spaces." From the soft, sculptural Loungi modular sofa to the plush Peachi armchair and beanless Plumpi, each item is designed for movement, comfort and flexibility. You can add sections over time, rearrange layouts for parties or simply flop down after a long day — no preciousness required. "Our customers want their homes to look good, but they don't want to wait 12 weeks or spend thousands on delivery," Cory says. "Grumpi is about taking that stress out — stylish furniture that's easy to buy, easy to move and easy to love." Comfort Without Compromise Underneath the playful branding, Grumpi is serious about quality. The brand's manufacturing partner is BSCI-certified to ensure fair pay and ethical working conditions, and every product undergoes Australian-standard testing for durability, flammability, and safety — including a 20,000-sit stress test. Each product is also made with around 80 percent recycled packaging, and the compact format significantly reduces transport emissions. "We didn't just want to make furniture cheaper — we wanted to make it smarter," says Dion. "Compression reduces waste, emissions and storage. It's a win for the planet and your living room." Designing for a Different Kind of Homebody Beyond the innovation, Grumpi's tone feels refreshingly unpolished — intentionally so. The name captures the idea that if furniture had feelings, it'd be a little grumpy from being sat on, spilled on and squished — but still lovable. It's a fitting metaphor for the kind of homes the brand is designed for: ones that are lived in, not styled to perfection. "Buying a couch should feel as easy as buying shoes," Dion adds. "We want to make furniture that fits into life, not the other way around." Looking ahead, Grumpi plans to expand into outdoor furniture, retail partnerships and commercial fit-outs by late 2026. But the mission stays the same: do for furniture what brands like Koala did for mattresses — make comfort fast, functional and fun. You can shop the full range at via Grumpi. Images: Supplied
For the second year in a row, heading to the movies wasn't a simple activity in 2021. Sometimes, it wasn't even possible at all. But when picture palaces were open, their projectors whirring and the scent of popcorn floating through the foyers, Australians went to see big-budget blockbusters such as Godzilla vs Kong, Fast and Furious 9, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, Black Widow and No Time to Die en masse. We also threw plenty of love — and cash — at Aussie page-to-screen adaptation The Dry as well. They're some of 2021's cinema success stories in dollars, but money never tells the whole movie-going story in any year. Plenty of other films reached the silver screen Down Under over the past 12 months, didn't set the box office alight, but absolutely rank among the year's best. They're the must-sees that, based on their cinema takings, you likely didn't actually see — and you really should've. Whether you missed them because of lockdowns, restrictions, a lack of time, they weren't showing near you or just due to life in general (sorry, Jurassic Park, but sometimes life doesn't find a way), here are 12 top-notch flicks that hit Aussie cinemas in 2021 that you need to add to your catch-up list right now. EMA A new project by Chilean director Pablo Larraín is always cause for excitement, and Ema, his drama about a reggaeton dancer's crumbling marriage, personal and professional curiosities, and determined quest to be a mother, rewards that enthusiasm spectacularly. It's a stunning piece of cinema, and one that stands out even among his already-impressive resume. He's the filmmaker behind stirring political drama No, exacting religious interrogation The Club, poetic biopic Neruda and the astonishing, Natalie Portman-starring Jackie, so that's no minor feat. For the first time in his career, Larraín peers at life in his homeland today, rather than in the past. And, with his now six-time cinematographer Sergio Armstrong (Tony Manero, Post Mortem), he gazes intently. Faces and bodies fill Ema's frames, a comment that's true of most movies; however, in both the probing patience it directs its protagonist's way and the fluidity of its dance sequences, this feature equally stares and surveys. Here, Larraín hones in on the dancer (Mariana Di Girólamo, Much Ado About Nothing) who gives the feature its name. After adopting a child with her choreographer partner Gastón (Gael García Bernal, Mozart in the Jungle), something other than domestic bliss has followed. Following a traumatic incident, and the just as stressful decision to relinquish their boy back to the state's custody, Ema is not only trying but struggling to cope in the aftermath. This isn't a situation she's simply willing to accept, though. Ema, the movie, is many things — and, most potently, it's a portrait of a woman who is willing to make whatever move she needs to, both on the dance floor and in life, to rally against an unforgiving world, grasp her idea of freedom and seize exactly what she wants. Di Girólamo is magnetic, whether she's dancing against a vivid backdrop, staring pensively at the camera or being soaked in neon light, while Larraín's skill as both a visual- and emotion-driven filmmaker is never in doubt. Read our full review. PIG Nicolas Cage plays a truffle hunter. That's it, that's the pitch. When securing funding, those six words should've been enough to ensure that Pig made it to cinemas. Or, maybe debut feature writer/director Michael Sarnoski went with these seven words: Nicolas Cage tracks down his stolen pet. Here's a final possibility that could've done the trick, too: Nicolas Cage does a moodier John Wick with a pig. Whichever hit the spot, or even if none did, Pig isn't merely the movie these descriptions intimate. It's better. It's weightier. It's exceptional. It always snuffles out its own trail, it takes joy in subverting almost every expectation and savouring the moment, and it constantly unearths surprises. When Cage is at his absolute best, he plays characters whose biggest demons are internal. Here, he broods and soul-searches as a man willing to do whatever it takes to find his beloved porcine pal, punish everyone involved in her kidnapping and come to terms with his longstanding, spirit-crushing woes. And, it's a measured gem of a portrayal, and a versatile, touching, deeply empathetic and haunting one that's up there with his finest ever. Sarnoski keeps things sparse when Pig begins; for the poetically shot film and its determined protagonist, less is always more. Rob Feld (Cage) lives a stripped-back existence in a cabin in the woods, with just his cherished truffle pig for company — plus occasional visits from Amir (Alex Wolff, Hereditary), the restaurant supplier who buys the highly sought-after wares Rob and his swine forage for on their walks through the trees. He's taken this life by choice, after the kind of heartbreak that stops him from listening to tapes of the woman he loved. But then Rob's pig is abducted in the dark of the night, turning him into a man on a mission. As the swine's distressed squeals echo in his head, Rob stalks towards Portland to get her back. He has an idea of where to look, but he needs Amir to chauffeur him around the city — and Pig is at its finest when its two main characters are together, unpacking what it means to navigate tragedy, fear, loss, regret, uncertainty, an uncaring world and a complicated industry. Read our full review. LITTLE JOE Pipes blow gently. The camera swirls. Rows of plants fill the screen. Some are leafy as they reach for the sky; others are mere stems topped with closed buds. Both types of vegetation are lined up in boxes in an austere-looking laboratory greenhouse — and soon another shoot of green appears among them. Plant breeder Alice (Cruella's Emily Beecham, who won the Cannes Film Festival's Best Actress award for her work here) is cloaked in a lab coat far paler than any plant, but the symbolism is immediately evident. Audiences don't know it yet, but her shock of cropped red hair resembles the crimson flowers that'll blossom in her genetically engineered new type of flora, too. "The aim has been to create a plant with a scent that makes its owner happy," she tells a small audience, hailing the virtues of a species that's been designed to make its owners love it like it was their own child. So starts Little Joe, which shares its name with the vegetation in question — a "mood-lifting, anti-depressant, happy plant," Alice's boss (David Wilmot, Calm with Horses) boasts. She's borrowed her own teenage son's (Kit Connor, Rocketman) moniker for her new baby, although she gives it more attention than her flesh-and-blood offspring, especially with the push to get it to market speeding up. The clinical gaze favoured by Austrian filmmaker Jessica Hausner (Amour fou) is telling, though. The eerie tone to the feature's Japanese-style, flute- and percussion-heavy score sets an uneasy mood as well. Making her first English-language feature, Hausner helms a disquieting and anxious sci-fi/horror masterwork. Like many movies in the genre, this is a film about possibilities and consequences, creation and its costs, and happiness and its sacrifices — and about both daring to challenge and dutifully abiding by conformity — and yet it's always its own beast. Read our full review. RIDERS OF JUSTICE Few things will ever be better than seeing Mads Mikkelsen get day drunk and dance around while swigging champagne in an Oscar-winning movie, which is one fantastic film experience that 2021 has delivered. But the always-watchable actor is equally magnetic and exceptional in Riders of Justice, a revenge-driven Danish comedy that's all about tackling your problems in a different and far less boozy fashion. In both features, he plays the type of man unlikely to express his feelings. Here, he's a dedicated solider who's more often away than home. Beneath his close-cropped hair and steely, bristly beard, he's stern, sullen and stoic, not to mention hot-tempered when he does betray what's bubbling inside, and he outwardly expects the same of everyone around him — including when a a train explosion taints his character, Markus, with tragedy, leaving him the sole parent to traumatised teenager Mathilde (Andrea Heick Gadeberg, Pagten). With a name that sounds like one of the many by-the-numbers action flicks Liam Neeson has starred in since Taken, Riders of Justice initially appears as if it'll take its no-nonsense central figure to an obvious place, and yet this ambitious, astute and entertaining movie both does and doesn't. When Markus returns home from Afghanistan, Riders of Justice's writer/director Anders Thomas Jensen (Men & Chicken) and screenwriter Nikolaj Arcel (A Royal Affair) send statistician Otto (Nikolaj Lie Kaas, The Keeper of Lost Causes), his colleague Lennart (Lars Brygmann, The Professor and the Madman) and the computer-savvy Emmenthaler (Nicolas Bro, The Kingdom) knocking at the grieving family's door — a trio of stereotypically studious outsiders to his stony-faced military man who come uttering a theory he seizes upon. Narratives about seeking justice often ride the expected rails on autopilot, getting from start to finish on the standard vengeance template's inherent momentum; however, this layered gem questions and subverts every usual cliche, convention and motif along the way, including by putting its characters first. Read our full review. LAMB Staring into the soul of a woman not just yearning for her own modest slice of happiness, but willing to do whatever it takes to get it — and starring Noomi Rapace (The Secrets We Keep) in what might be her best role yet, and best performance — Lamb is all animal at first. In this Icelandic blend of folk-horror thrills, relationship dramas and even deadpan comedy, something rumbles in the movie's misty, mountainside farm setting, spooking the horses. In the sheep barn, where cinematographer Eli Arenson (Hospitality) swaps arresting landscape for a ewe's-eye view, the mood is tense and restless as well. Making his feature debut, filmmaker Valdimar Jóhannsson doesn't overplay his hand early. As entrancing as the movie's visuals prove in all their disquieting stillness, he keeps the film cautious about what's scaring the livestock. But Lamb's expert sound design offers a masterclass in evoking unease from its very first noise, and makes it plain that all that eeriness, anxiety and dripping distress has an unnerving — and tangible — source. This enticing, surreal and starkly unsettling is as human as it is ovine, though, as it unleashes an intense and absurdist pastoral symphony of dread and hope, bleakness and sweetness, and terror and love. The farm belongs to Rapace's Maria and her partner Ingvar (Hilmir Snær Guðnason, A White, White Day), who've thrown themselves into its routines after losing a child. They're a couple that let their taciturn faces do the talking, including with each other, but neither hides their delight when one ewe gives birth to a hybrid they name Ada. Doting and beaming, they take the sheep-child into their home as their own. Its woolly mother stands staring and baa-ing outside their kitchen window, but they're both content in of their newfound domestic happiness. When Ingvar's ex-pop star brother Pétur (Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga) arrives unexpectedly, they don't even dream of hiding their new family idyll — even as he's initially shocked and hardly approving. Read our full review. SAINT MAUD If humanity ever managed to cure or circumvent death — or even just stop despairing about our own mortality — the horror genre would feel the difference. Lives are frequently in peril in films that are meant to spook and frighten. Fears of dying underscore everything from serial killer thrillers and body horror flicks to stories of zombies, ghosts and vampires, too. Indeed, if a scary movie isn't pondering the fact that our days are finite, it's often contemplating our easily damaged and destroyed anatomy. Or, it's recognising that our darkest urges can bring about brutal repercussions, or noting that the desperation to avoid our expiration dates can even spark our demise. Accordingly, Saint Maud's obsession with death isn't a rarity in an ever-growing genre that routinely serves it up, muses on it and makes audiences do the same whether they always realise it or not. In an immensely crowded realm, this striking, instantly unsettling feature debut by British writer/director Rose Glass definitely stands out, though. Bumps, jumps, shocks and scares come in all manner of shapes and sizes, as do worries and anxieties about the end that awaits us all. In Saint Maud, they're a matter of faith. The eponymous in-home nurse (Dracula and His Dark Materials' Morfydd Clark) has it. She has enough to share, actually, which she's keen to do daily. Maud is devoted to three things: Christianity, helping those in her care physically and saving them spiritually. Alas, her latest cancer-stricken patient doesn't hold the same convictions, or appreciate them. Amanda (Jennifer Ehle, Vox Lux) isn't fond of Maud's fixation on her salvation or her strict judgements about her lifestyle. She knows her time is waning, her body is failing and that she needs Maud's help, but the celebrated ex-dancer and choreographer does not want to go gently or faithfully in that good night. Instead, she'd much prefer the solace that sex and alcohol brings over her palliative care nurse's intensely devout zeal. Read our full review. THE KILLING OF TWO LOVERS In a sparse small town — with the film shot in Kanosh, Utah — the separated-and-unhappy-about-it David (Clayne Crawford, Rectify) attempts to adjust to living with his ailing widower father (Bruce Graham, Forty Years From Yesterday). His wife Niki (Sepideh Moafi, The L Word: Generation Q) remains in their home with their four children, as they've agreed while they take a break to work through their problems. David isn't coping, though, a fact that's apparent long before his teenage daughter Jess (Avery Pizzuto, We Fall Down) gets angry because she thinks he isn't fighting hard enough to save their family. He's trying, but as Crawford conveys in a brooding but nervy performance — and as writer/director/editor Robert Machoian (When She Runs) and cinematographer Oscar Ignacio Jiménez (Immanence) can't stop looking at in lengthy and patient takes — he can't quite adapt to the idea of losing everything he knows. There's an element of Scenes From a Marriage at play here, although The Killing of Two Lovers pre-dates this year's remake — and so much of the feeling in this gorgeously shot movie comes from its imagery. When it's hard to look away from such rich and enticing visuals, it's impossible not to spot and soak in everything they depict. Each frame is postcard-perfect, not that those pieces of cardboard ever capture such everyday sights, but wide vistas and the snowy mountains hovering in the background are just the beginning. With its long takes, The Killing of Two Lovers forces its audience to glean the naturalistic lighting that never casts David and Niki's hometown in either a warm glow or grim glower. Repeated images of David alone, especially in his car, also leave a firm impression of a man moving and solo. Read our full review. HERSELF Survivalist films typically pit humans against the elements, nature or space, testing a character's endurance when they're cast adrift in the ocean (as in Kon-Tiki and All Is Lost), enduring unwelcoming expanses (Into the Wild, Arctic), faced with animal predators (The Grey, Crawl) or navigating the heavens (Gravity, The Martian). Herself doesn't tick any of those boxes, but it still fits the genre — because what else is a movie about a woman trying to escape an abusive marriage, care for her two young daughters alone and build a safe future if not a story of survival? In Dublin, Sandra (Spider-Man: Far From Home's Claire Dunne, who also co-wrote the feature's screenplay) is unhappily married to Gary (Ian Lloyd Anderson, Vikings), and has the bruises to prove it. When he finds money hidden in her car, a badly fractured hand becomes the latest marker of their domestic horror. Sandra leaves, children Molly (Molly McCann, Vivarium) and Emma (debutant Ruby Rose O'Hara) in tow, but forging a path forward proves complicated at every turn. As a writer (with What Richard Did's Malcolm Campbell), Dunne doesn't make easy choices. Her narrative doesn't follow a straightforward path, either. Herself's script highlights the devastating complexities that surround Sandra, but avoids plotting the obvious course — because more hopeful and more grim moments are always in everyone's futures, even when it seems that worse surely can't come. Stress, resilience, tender gestures and uncaring powers-that-be are all a part of this story. So is interrogating a system that's quick to push back at victims in the name of family, and the impact upon children who grow up in a household blighted by domestic violence. Herself fleshes out this reality, but always hurtles forward, because that's all that Sandra can do. Worlds away from the two other features on her resume — Mamma Mia! and The Iron Lady — director Phyllida Lloyd helms an intense, compassionate but still clear-eyed drama without any cloying sentiment, but still rich in hope and tenacity. Read our full review. THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS Northern Italy's woods are abundant with truffles, especially the tuber magnatum — otherwise known as the white variety. But before these highly sought-after morsels can make their way into kitchens, onto plates, and into many a willing and eager mouth, someone has to spend their time and expend their energy finding the edible fungus. Accordingly, The Truffle Hunters introduces viewers to multiple elderly men and their adorable dogs who all do just that, with their lives revolving around roving the forest and searching out the prized food. It might sound like a relaxed pursuit — as walking through trees with your pet pooch to fill your pockets with a delicacy is bound to — but it's a highly competitive endeavour, and one that the documentary's central figures are intensely passionate about. Charting four men's stories — tales that involve canine partners, cantankerous veterans and sneaking out at night to search with a torch in hand, lest one truffle hunter be caught by his wife — directors Michael Dweck (The Last Race) and Gregory Kershaw (cinematographer on The Last Race, and also on this) survey a wealth of details. The titular subjects try care for their dogs, argue with others encroaching on their turf, type missives about how the world has changed and, in one case, keep absconding by moonlight. Dweck and Kershaw aren't above using puppy cam as well, and it's both a joy and a thrill, as well as emblematic of the film's fondness for flavour and character above all else. The Truffle Hunters is a leisurely movie that's content to chronicle its subjects' easy-going lives, lean into their eccentricities and survey their lush surroundings — and, even clocking in at just 84 minutes, it's an unhurried gem of a film — however, it's also carefully compiled. Read our full review. MY ZOE Rare is the film that nods overtly to more than a few of its influences, yet still manages to inhabit its own niche and no one else's. My Zoe is one of those movies. Its first half bears much in common with 2017's exceptional French drama Custody, while its second half takes its cues from the greatest horror novel ever written, aka Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. That combination works astonishing (and almost disarmingly) well, and nothing here every feels like a mere clone of better material. Indeed, writer/director/star Julie Delpy (Looking for Jimmy, 2 Days in Paris, The Countess, Skylab, 2 Days in New York and Lolo) blends relationship dramas, a tragedy and a science fiction-tinged exploration of loss into a gripping and empathetic film that ponders how grief leads to drastic reactions, how science can let humans play god in increasingly bold and consequential manners, and how we're hardwired to use the latter to work through the former, as well as our fears of mortality. In the movie's opening section, Berlin-based geneticist Isabelle (Delpy, Wiener-Dog) juggles the struggles of co-parenting with her ex James (Richard Armitage, The Lodge). They both dote on seven-year-old Zoe (Sophia Ally, The Current War), but they also argue incessantly — largely due to James' dour behaviour, cruel demeanour and ludicrous demands. By the time that Isabelle calls him "just an awful human being" in one of their arguments, the audience is already on her side. They settle their custody dispute, but the bickering doesn't subside when Zoe is found unconscious and requires hospitalisation. Eventually, though, Isabelle has another dilemma to navigate, involving a desperate ploy to get back what she's lost, a risk-taking doctor (Daniel Brühl, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) in Moscow and an option his own wife (Gemma Arteton, Summerland) warns against. Read our full review. FANNY LYE DELIVER'D Even on a sunny day, a storm can darken a dazzling blue sky, cracking through that gorgeous facade with the weather's version of stress and woe. That's the sensation that emanates from Fanny Lye Deliver'd's early shots, which show a picturesque Shropshire farm shrouded in mist so scenic that the entire image looks like it could've been rendered in watercolours — back in 1657, too, when the movie is set. But little is perfect behind this bucolic beauty, and that's true even before two strangers unsettle the household. As they prepare to attend church on an otherwise ordinary Sunday, Fanny Lye (Maxine Peake, Peterloo) is used to being treated with disdain by her Puritan husband John Lye (Charles Dance, Game of Thrones), including in front of their son Arthur (Zak Adams, Alice Through the Looking Glass). But then young lovers Thomas Ashbury (Freddie Fox, The Pursuit of Love) and Rebecca Henshaw (Tanya Reynolds, Emma) sneak their way into the Lye home, and nothing is the same again. Fanny Lye Deliver'd isn't writer/director Thomas Clay's first feature or even his second, but it's made with a distinctive vision. Every visible detail, meticulous performance, probing line and weighty rumination upon the subjugation of women and the ills enforced in faith's name — here, during Oliver Cromwell's reign over Britain following the English Civil War — is that fastidious and intoxicating, even when depicting brutality. Clay's picture could easily sit in the mud, folklore and farmland anxiety with The Witch, a film that similarly steps into a god-fearing community where the hatred of women ascending beyond the meagre station allotted them has infected every thought and action. It plays like a cousin to that similarly entrancing and potent movie, however, rather than a sibling. Fanny Lye Deliver'd also benefits from Peake's ferocious and arresting work in the eponymous role, in what proves a stunning survivalist film about women attempting to persist amidst violence and persecution. Read our full review. FIRST LOVE When boxer Leo (Masataka Kubota, Diner) receives news that no one wants to hear — he has a brain tumour, it's inoperable and he doesn't have much time left — he takes it as gloomily as anyone would. But when he subsequently crosses paths with sex worker Monica (Sakurako Konishi, Colorless), his evening takes another unexpected turn. She's fleeing the yakuza gangsters who forced her into prostitution, including one particularly scheming underling (Sometani, Detective Chinatown 3) who plans to use her in a ploy with a crooked cop (Seiyô Uchino, 13 Assassins) to eradicate a Chinese triad gang. They start off as strangers, but Leo swiftly becomes Monica's only friend amidst the bloody mayhem. Iconic Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike has more than 100 movies to his name, shows zero signs of stopping and is clearly doing something he knows he adores (and that he's proven he's great at) with First Love. That doesn't make the prolific Audition, Ichi the Killer and Yakuza Apocalypse director's latest any less inventive, dynamic, enjoyable or brilliant, though. Here, pulp violence, a twisty crime tale and the Japanese auteur's gonzo energy all combine in a Tokyo-set noir-thriller, which ripples with Miike's distinctive brand of magic again and again — including in the movie's blending of gleefully cartoonish mania with a poignant outsiders-against-the-world narrative, and in everything from its jazz-rock score to its immaculately executed hardware store showdown as well. The inimitable talent can never be accused of painting by numbers, with everything here fitting and working as it should. Yes, he's both found and embraced his wavelength. Read our full review.
Anyone in the arts knows that getting projects off the ground is a notoriously difficult task. From finding the time to create outside of paid work to simply keeping a roof over your head, following your dreams isn't always easy. Melbourne-based director, animator, and stop-motion specialist Sammy Lewis knows this reality all too well. "I'd been struggling to find work for most of last year and was on the verge of a career shift or at least finding a day job outside of animation," they told Concrete Playground. Over three and a half months in their studio, Sammy created Garbologist, a stop motion short film inspired by Specsavers' iconic "Should've Gone to Specsavers" ad format. Garbologist was submitted as part of Specsavers' annual competition in partnership with the leading short film festival, Flickerfest. A judging panel selected five finalists before the public voted on their favourite. The creativity and dedication of Garbologist stood out and Sammy was crowned the winner, scoring a $70K cash prize as well as a screening of their film at Flickerfest. "The prize has changed everything, and now I'll be able to focus on my own ideas full-time and hopefully develop a short film or series concept," they said of the career-changing prize money. We spoke with Sammy from the UK, where they're working at famed animation studio Aardman (the team behind Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep), to learn more about their prize-winning animated short film and what's next for the artist. Concrete Playground: Your winning entry reimagines the Specsavers ad through stop motion animation. What was the original creative spark behind Garbologist? Sammy Lewis: The idea for Garbologist came from a mix of things and is actually quite nostalgic for me. I was a truck-obsessed kid who would wait on the footpath to watch the bins get collected. My life peaked at three years old when I got to sit in the driver's seat and operate the claw. The first bin that gets collected in Garbologist is 22, which is the number of my childhood home. I also grew up with classic stop motion shows like Fireman Sam and Postman Pat and wanted to pay homage to their influence on my animation career. How did you get started in your career? A childhood obsession with plasticine turned into studying a Bachelor of Animation at The Queensland College of Art. That then led to moving from Meanjin/Brisbane to Naarm/Melbourne to find anyone else who was doing stop motion. That seems to have worked out, and I've animated on music videos, commercials, short films, kids' television and two feature films. How did you approach balancing brand storytelling and constraints with your creative voice? My whole aim for this ad was to tell a good joke, and I kept refining ideas until I thought I'd landed on a solid visual gag. Time was my biggest constraint, as stop motion is a notoriously slow process. I tried to keep things as simple as possible at every stage, but unfortunately, this meant cutting out a bin chicken character from my original draft. Tell us about the production process for this film. How long did it take, and what were the challenges? From initial idea to final export, the whole process took about three and a half months. My studio at the time was very small, and I had to fit everything on a set that was only 1.2 metres wide, and the scale of the puppets had to be about half the size of what I usually work [with]. I didn't have much of a budget and tried to recycle and reclaim as many materials as I could. 90% of Garbologist is cardboard and acrylic paint. The puppets have oven-bake clay heads with plasticine hands, the grass is made from two painted bath towels, and the garbage truck is a toy I bought second-hand and added the claw. Building all the puppets and sets took two months. Animation was two weeks and I outsourced music and sound design at the last minute so I could focus on editing and compositing. Everything is real, handmade and full of hot glue. What do you love about working with stop motion and animation? I love how stop motion and animation in general force you to collaborate or otherwise be lonely and sad and take four times longer to complete anything. I had a wonderful little crew of creatives in Lucy (Art Department), Mack (Art Department / Crochet Artist), Goldy (Colour Grade), Ryan (Sound Design/Music) and Seamus Spilsbury (Development). Check out their work. Flickerfest has long been a launching pad for emerging filmmakers. How important is this platform to you? I've been incredibly lucky to have worked on some amazing productions in my career, but it feels like I'm still searching for my own voice as a filmmaker. Flickerfest is such an important festival in providing a platform to do this, as well as opportunities like the Specsavers competition. I really hope to come back in the next few years with a film in competition. Often, creators don't want to touch commercial work for fear it's not "real" art. What do you say to these people, and what are the pros of commercial filmmaking? I understand why some people would feel that way about commercial gigs, and it can be stifling to work for brands when they give you minimal creative freedom. As a freelancer, I've never really had the luxury of picking and choosing what I work on and just try to catch the next thing that falls out of the sky. I've certainly learnt a lot from working on commercial jobs, and it's improved my communication, problem-solving and decision-making skills. What's your advice for filmmakers wanting to break into the industry? I'm not really one to give career advice, as everyone's path will be different. For me, it was finding my people, persistence and quite a bit of luck. What's next for you? What are you working on at the moment? I'm currently in the UK at Aardman, working on the new Shaun the Sheep movie, The Beast of Mossy Bottom, which is a dream come true, and after that, I'll be back to my default of making it up as I go. Image Credit: Supplied
If your New Year's resolution for 2026 is to travel more, your ideal excuse to stop wishing, dreaming and romanticising and to start planning, booking and doing is right here. If you're hankering for an adventure in Asia or an oceanic paradise, or even a luxe staycation here in Australia, IHG Hotels is offering the discount you need to turn inspiration into action. The 'Your Year of Travel' sale, which is on now until Wednesday, February 4, is offering a 20% discount on bookings made directly on IHG channels (and 25% for IHG One Members) for stays at more than 270 participating hotels until Monday, August 31. Said participating hotels include Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental, Vignette, Kimpton, Hotel Indigo, voco hotels, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Garner hotels across Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Micronesia, Southeast Asia, South Korea, and the Pacific Islands. So, by the time autumn rolls around and brings its typical cold and wetter weather to Australia, you could be jetting off to chase the warmth by the sea in Fiji, Koh Samui or The Maldives, getting a cultural fix in Osaka or Japan's tropical Okinawa Islands, travelling with your tastebuds in Kuala Lumpur or Singapore — or just enjoying a luxurious stay in your home city if you can't quite afford the flights just yet. If you're not already an IHG One Member, this might be the ideal time to sign up. New members receive 500 points on registration, add that to the 25% discount on bookings during the sale period, and the math checks out for maximising the value on a maximum-relaxation holiday. IHG Hotels 'Your Year of Travel' sale runs from now until Wednesday, February 4, on bookings for select hotels and stays up until Monday, August 31. T&Cs apply, visit the website for more information. Images courtesy of IHG Hotels.
Stunning art always endures, as A Streetcar Named Desire has for nearing eight decades now. Tennessee Williams' tale of Southern belle Blanche DuBois, her sister Stella and the latter's husband Stanley Kowalski first premiered via a Broadway production starring Jessica Tandy, Kim Hunter and Marlon Brando, and has repeatedly returned to stages since. Indeed, this southern-gothic heartbreaker has trodden the boards worldwide with everyone from Glenn Close (Black in Action), Cate Blanchett (Black Bag) and Frances McDormand (Women Talking) to John C Reilly (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty), Joel Edgerton (Dark Matter) and Paul Mescal (Paul Mescal) in its cast. Four Oscars also came the way of Elia Kazan's 1951 film, where he adapted the play that he'd directed in theatres into a screen classic with much of its originating stage cast. Spectacular theatre can make that leap to screens — but the stage productions themselves have historically only lived on via memory and reputation. No matter how immersive and exceptional, and how urgent and unforgettable as well, theatre performances are live and therefore fleeting. They're tied to a specific place and usually solely experienced in the moment. NT Live did its part to help change that over 15 years ago, when it began filming National Theatre productions in the United Kingdom — expanding to other companies, too — then beaming everything from new Shakespearean stagings and Danny Boyle's (28 Years Later) take on Frankenstein to Fleabag and The Importance of Being Earnest into cinemas globally. In 2014 when he unleashed his Gillian Anderson (The Salt Path)-, Ben Foster (Long Day's Journey Into Night)- and Vanessa Kirby (Napoleon)-starring version of A Streetcar Named Desire at The Young Vic in London, Australian playwright, stage and opera director, and filmmaker Benedict Andrews was well-aware that he was taking on a classic, a masterpiece, and a play that ranks among the 20th century's best and has burned itself into memories. He'd done so before at the Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz in Berlin. He didn't initially know, though, that he'd be joining the NT Live ranks, that audiences worldwide would be able to catch it on the big screen, and that they'd still be watching 11 years later. In Australia, Andrews' Streetcar returned to cinemas from Thursday, June 19, 2025. "The play is very dear to my heart, but the nature of theatre is usually that it's ephemeral," he tells Concrete Playground. "Theatre's usually ephemeral and that is its beauty — that it usually just exists in this brief compact with the audience and the viewer when the play comes to life nightly. So it's weird that it's released in cinemas again. It's great though — because I found during COVID, they re-released it for free online at some point, and it found a whole new generation of viewers," the Australian continues. "Not just people who didn't live in London or New York, so couldn't see it there, but I'm having conversations with people in in really far-flung and diverse places, and maybe of a different generation who are seeing it, and discovering the play for the first time through that production." "I've had people tell me that — like a young actress tell me that seeing this production when she was in high school made her want to become an actress. So it's great it's out in the world again, and on cinema screens." [caption id="attachment_1010339" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images for BFI.[/caption] Complicated relationships, desire, raw emotions that can't be contained: these themes have recurred in Andrews' work. They all scorch and sear as Blanche's once well-to-do life keeps shattering, leading her to take the titular transport to Stella and Stanley's two-room New Orleans apartment, and to the toxicity — verbally, emotionally, psychologically and physically — of being in her brother-in-law's orbit. If you'd like to think of the trio's altercations, and those involving Stanley's friend and Blanche's hoped-for beau Mitch (Corey Johnson, September 5), as a traumatic merry-go-round, Andrews has taken that idea literally in this staging. Tying into Blanche's alcoholism and downward spiral, this aesthetically striking production is both in the round and revolves, the skeleton of the Kowalskis' powderkeg of a flat exposed to theatregoers as the show constantly rotates. Sculptural sets, spaces that actors are required to interact with rather than just stand upon, are equally a regular element in Andrews' stage creations. See also: his Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 2017, another dance with a Williams great for The Young Vic that was also immortalised by NT Live. Streetcar's iteration is arresting, but that label perhaps best applies to Anderson as its Blanche — a part that she'd been wanting to step into since she was 16. While she'll always be The X-Files' Agent Dana Scully, The Fall's DSU Stella Gibson and Sex Education's Jean Milburn, among the immense range of roles before and after always relying on the kindness of strangers, Anderson's portrayal here is one that you'll always remember her for as much as the above once you've seen it. 2026 will be three decades since Andrews kicked off his career as a theatre director with Wounds to the Face and Storm From Paradise in Adelaide. From the South Australian capital, he went to Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir and Malthouse Theatre — and to London's stages, New York's as well with both A Streetcar Named Desire and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and also Munich, Berlin, Reykjavik, Copenhagen, Buenos Aires, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and more. Opera beckoned. On the big screen, he was behind 2016's stage-to-screen adaptation of Blackbird as the Rooney Mara (La Cocina)- and Ben Mendelsohn (Andor)-starring Una, then 2018's Kristen Stewart (Love Lies Bleeding)-led Seberg. Alongside digging into his Streetcar journey, including whether thinking about the cinema experience is part of directing a stage production that will be filmed and then show in cinemas, Anderson's stellar work, and ensuring that the play's themes and emotions are always bubbling, we also explored his path to here with Andrews in our in-depth discussion. On Whether the Possibility of a Stage Production Being Filmed for the Big Screen Changes Anything About Andrews' Approach "No, no, no, never. In the case of Streetcar, I didn't know. I guess NT Live branching out of the National Theatre stuff, because this was a Young Vic production, was fairly uncommon at the time. I've had two productions filmed, I think, only — which have both been Tennessee Williams. They also filmed the Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. And no, I don't and probably I wouldn't at all. Well, I've had a bunch of operas films since as well — and I never think about it. When I've worked with the team on it, I talked to them about it like they're filming a boxing match or a football game. So we discussed what their setup would be, and with them having watched the production. Obviously Streetcar is very special because of the revolving stage, and what that means to try to shoot that or capture that, but I discuss it with them more like they're going in to shoot that, to capture the live experience of it. Rather than, because I'm also a filmmaker, rather than thinking about this filmmaking, I see it as much more of almost a functional recording that they happen to do very well — like if you watch boxing at the Olympics or you watch a well-filmed AFL game, you want it to capture the highlights and the moments, and give you the enhanced sense of being there. I think I'm trying to do that. So then, when I'm in the rehearsal room, no, I'm not thinking about that at all. I often, when I'm in a rehearsal room, I give myself and the actors very fundamental challenges to work with and overcome. And those challenges, I think, are about — they're like a kind of drill to drill very deeply into the core of the play. Rather than just assuming we can access that play by selling this kind of difficulty, I think then it allows you to access the raw matter of the play in a new and immediate way. So the revolve in the Streetcar production was exactly that. I felt it was the perfect metaphor for the play. It begins when she takes this schluck of alcohol. It reflects her addiction and the sense of what it means to be in her downward spiral with her. But it also is very visceral. Every single audience member gets a different perspective on what's happening in that room, as it constantly — the in-the-theatre experience of it — moves in and out of long shot and closeup, and literally every seat is seeing a different way into this cage where this encounter is going on between Blanche and Stanley. And we had that on throughout rehearsals. It's not some big decorative thing that's put on at the end. If it's going to be this drill, we have to learn to work with it. And the effect of it was so disorientating that the actors would go home and the room would be spinning. And I remember my apartment in London spinning when I went back after being it on all day. I think they would to take motion-sickness tablets, and so on. Beyond that, it's just also: how do you use it? What does it mean to be on and off it? And all that. So when you're so busy with the play and busy with helping the actors unlock it and find its raw heart, which all of them do, but particularly the four, the quartet, of Blanche and Stella and Stanley and Mitch, there's so much to be busy with in that that I'm not thinking about that. But in a similar way, I'm not really thinking about the audience, even the theatre audience, when I'm making something — until I'm in previews. I'm sort of the first audience, and the other people in the room are the tuning rod through which the players get to charge through. And then you hope you get that to such a point of intensity and feeling that then it's ready to share with a larger body of people." On How Staging a Play on a Revolving Set Gives Every Audience Member a Different Immersive Experience "I'm constantly thinking about that. And part of this is the acceptance that you cannot control that it will not be the same for everybody. To take the football analogy again, if you're sitting behind the white sticks at one end, you're seeing a different game from somebody sitting in the centre line, except then that it's moving, so you're rotating that perspective. But you have to accept that no audience member will literally ever get the same view of the show, so that even if audience member X bought exactly the same seat two nights in a row, just because of the slight variation in the motion of that thing, they're going to — maybe on a certain line, Blanche is going to be on the side angle one night, and on the next, she's going to be momentarily obscured by the shower curtain coming past. But that was part of it — that enhanced voyeurism of that, but it's like an active voyeurism, like you're aware that you're watching this fight in this cage, but also this very, very painful to watch, at-times unraveling and madness, this coming apart, of this woman and this family, and the sexual violence when that begins. But I think it meant that the audience had to really lean in and be complicit with it. So to answer your question, I'm thinking about the overall implications of that. Like if I was making a static picture from the front, that works — actually, that changes, the static picture changes from the position, the ideal centre-perspective position where the king used to sit, it actually changes as you move further away and the perspective disintegrates. So there's sort of something radical and democratic in how people watch it. That cinematic effect of the wipes, and that you would each see different perspectives — but in the end, everybody united in the same moment. That's what I think is also really interesting. I think about it in the moment, when the Cat Power song plays at the end, when she walks out — one of the most-extraordinary moments in 20th-century theatre, this speech when she talks about, she's so broken after the rape and after knowing she's being evicted and her psyche can't cope with it anymore, but to cope with that she invents this beautiful fantasy of this man feeding her a grape on a on a boat. And she, her genius is that she invents this, and Tennessee Williams' genius at this most-broken moment, she invents and becomes the perfect actor, playing this dignified role of this woman going to meet her gentleman caller. When we know, and probably she does, that it's the doctor and nurse coming to take her to the mental asylum, which is just going to be fucking hell. A woman like that does not belong in a place like that. It's completely heartbreaking. But the apotheosis when she invents this character, and walks out with such grace and dignity — and then in our production, where Gillian does that circle, that last circle to the Cat Power song, I think for the audience, having watched just this truly extraordinary thing that she goes through, the gift and self-sacrifice, nightly self-sacrifice of Gillian's performance, at that moment, the entire audience is just completely gathered and at one. So I think there's something about having fractured that perspective, then feeling them come together at that moment of apotheosis. I think you're always thinking about that, how to activate that, whatever then the device you're using is. It's a bit of a similar thing in The Cherry Orchard that I just recently staged, where there's also an audience all the way around. But the actors don't have fixed positions. They change what they're doing nightly. So again, the show is constantly evolving and changing and organic, but at the same time, directorially it's still very tightly held. Even if I'm fracturing that viewpoint in Streetcar between all these different viewpoints, I want, ideally, every viewpoint to be perfect — the perfect frame at every moment." On Casting Gillian Anderson in a Role That She'd Wanted to Play Since She Was a Teenager — and Giving Her Another Iconic Part That She'll Always Be Remembered For "This was my second time staging it. I staged it at the Schaubühne in Berlin a couple of years before, in German, and I always wanted to have another crack at it. And weirdly enough, that production of Streetcar was seen by David Lan, the then-Artistic Director of The Young Vic, where we staged Streetcar. And from that, he invited me to come and work in London — and I did first an opera for him, and then a production of Chekhov's Three Sisters, which also had Vanessa Kirby in it as Masha. And Gillian saw that, and said to David 'I want him to direct me in Streetcar'. So when we met to talk about that, she told me how she'd always been thinking about Blanche and always knew she wanted to play Blanche, and I could sense that profound hunger in her to do that. And I already had the plan in my skin. They're wildly different productions. We had a revolve in that, actually, but they're wildly different productions. But it was interesting to have that as a framework — so the first one was like sort of a rough sketch, and then the second one was much more elaborate. So it was just a beautiful kind of confluence of me feeling very close to the play — really, really hungry to do it in English — and then finding, for me, the perfect actress for it at exactly the right time in her life to want to do it. And it was a process and then a production just full of enormous trust and risk. I think from our very first meeting, we felt that we had found each other. I knew she trusted me to take her somewhere. And I knew she wanted to be taken somewhere. I think she and we are very, very, very, very faithful to the play, but even in the UK at that period, at that time, even doing a non-period production of a classic that didn't look like all the other previous productions and all that — she also clearly had an appetite to be in a contemporary production. I guess one thing I try, if I'm approaching a classical play, is to treat it as if it might be a contemporary play. And if I'm approaching a contemporary play, I treat it as if it should be a classical play and will be a classical play. And she clearly believed that there was no attempt to turn, to drag, the play or the production a safe place. She had, as I said, an enormous appetite for risk. And you can see in the performance. So I think why it's memorable, as you say, is she puts herself on the line in every single performance. She's talked about that a lot, I gather, since — what that meant. And I think particularly when we were in New York, what that was like to get under Blanche's skin every night. She's also talked about it, so I won't. But also, she's talked about a kind of confronting or accessing her own history of addiction in the role. And to really do Blanche, I think that is important, because it is the story of someone who is addicted to alcohol and addicted to sex, and trying to deal with the legacy and the brokenness of her own family and her own history through that." On Ensuring That A Streetcar Named Desire's Senses of Guilt and Sadness Is Always Bubbling, and Its Volatility as Well, Alongside Its Exploration of Compulsiveness and Addiction "I think ultimately that's about trusting the players. As such a loaded masterpiece, it is — every single moment of the play, he found such an extraordinary collision of these, of Blanche and Stanley. And I think two sides of himself, Tennessee Williams, but also two sides of his own desire, two sides of his own profound sexual hunger. And it means that everything under the play is just so volatile. And I think often, too, these great plays — whether it's from ancient Athens or Elizabethan London or this — these great plays come at moments of huge historical change, often after major wars. And this play is a of flowering of that new America. It's the same time where the great Arthur Miller plays come as well. And in post-war America is a changing society that's becoming the kind of muscular empire we now see disintegrating. And I think that everything in the play is really loaded. So it's about trusting that, encouraging the actors to access it. In this production, I guess there are a few structural things done, in that Blanche usually leaves the stage — and she does not leave the stage. She's briefly absent in the first minute, I think, before Stella runs out and then she arrives with the suitcase. And then she's very briefly gone the at the end. But even when she and Mitch go to the fairground or whatever, they're still onstage in this production. So that was, I guess, part of also the compact with Gillian, was: what is it like to expose, to put every single moment of this woman's crisis under the microscope and not give her anywhere to hide? So, even during the scene changes, the costume changes between scenes, she's exposed and literally exposing herself while doing them, and she has to stay in that. So I think it's also structurally thinking of the play as this last downward spiral of this, that's been going on for some time — maybe even generations within her family, and the legacy of slavery and corruption in her family. And then she's the last one left. She's the last queen of this ruined nation who comes into exile, into the camp of her enemy, Stanley. And I think it's also been just about what that process in the rehearsal room is, and making sure that it's understood that every night they're going out there to chase it down. And when the play is big enough, then that process never finishes. They're going out to meet each other and the play and the audience afresh every night, and to play the game to the hilt." On the Challenges of Live Theatre, and the Extended Run of Interrogating a Story and Its Emotions Night After Night That It Affords — and Andrews Once Saying That It and Film Are the Same Thing "I'm not sure in the end they are the same thing, either. I think probably what I meant when I was saying that once is that they tap into the same place. And that that someone like [Ingmar] Bergman, who spent his artistic life moving between the theatre and the cinema and not making a binary between the two of them, but that they could be a conversation in which he's exploring ongoing questions — I think that is really, really an ideal for me. But one thing that, of course, is entirely different is that cinema is made by a frame and a camera recording the world. And the shot of the poppy shaking in the garden, cut to the hand of the trembling actor, cut to something they say on their face: that creates the meaning, that creates the story, that creates your feeling. And you collect it during the shoot, but it is then cut up and reconfigured in the edit room, and that is the art and the architecture of cinematic storytelling. So the swaying poppy is just as important as their closeup on the actor's eyes. In the theatre, whatever images there might be onstage or whatever — even if there's an emptiness onstage, even if the actor is absent, it's about the absence of that actor. The actor is everything in the theatre. And it's where I come from first. It is my home and it is my emotional gymnasium. And it's this very beautiful, privileged space, like a little island where we go to reflect on the world and reflect on being human and reflect on being alive, to deal with emergencies and crisis — both political, personal, whatever — but within the permission of this safe room. So you can go into the places emotionally that would send you to the madhouse, like they do Blanche, or put you in prison like if you were to follow through with what happens in that room. But it's a room where we then have permission to think through, play through, work through, together as a collective, without the big, beautiful apparatus — that was a Trumpian sentence — without the extraordinary apparatus that cinema has. You need, even if you're reduced, stripping it right down, it needs this village of people and technical equipment to make it. The theatre needs nothing in the end. Just a circle of viewers and the players. And I guess as I then started to make — I made my first film just after Streetcar, I made Una in the months after Streetcar the first time — and as I've started to move more between the two mediums, I think it's become even more precious, this sense of the fragile, the gift of being in a room with people and exploring these things, but also the idea of this fragility and the idea that if I'm going to do theatre, I don't want to hide behind anything. So my theatre was already pretty raw, but I think since then it's become even more about — in every show I've done since COVID and since my last movie, the audience has been lit. They are to a degree in Streetcar, but in recent plays like The Cherry Orchard, they're lit by this same forensic white light. You're very aware of them sitting there. The actors sit amongst the audience and step up and play from that. So this essential liveness and this essential experiment of theatre, that it's a nightly process, an experiment, I think has become even more important to me — or, if you like, it's always there, it's always there in theatre, but it hides behind a lot of bullshit often." On Whether Taking Either A Streetcar Named Desire or Cat on a Hot Tin Roof to the Big Screen as Films Appeals, as Andrews Did with Una "Probably not with either of those. The Streetcar, the Kazan one, I'd rather film the play like this. I think it's different if it's a new play. I think things have to undergo a transposition, right, and Una undergoes a significant transposition. It's not filmed theatre. You could even say some things that are closer to filmed theatre, like the Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? or something, still that makes a transmutation of form. And so I think more, sometimes I think about two things. To take a story — and this is something I've talked to with some actors about; I've talked about it with Cate Blanchett, who's somebody I've worked with a few times, and also with Nina Hoss [Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World] separately, who, both of those who are great theatre actresses and great film actresses — this idea that if you've played a role in theatre, you've lived it so completely and you've explored it in so many different ways compared to [film]. This isn't comparative. I think they're both significant. But compared to filming for and performing for the camera, which is like you're doing these short little sprints — you're doing these little bits that are then cut up — but when you've lived it in the theatre, I think they recognise, the wealth of having done that, what it might mean to do that in another, to take all that, take the character, rewrite it for another form. Weirdly, it happened when Cate had done Streetcar herself, right, for Liv Ullmann, and then did the Woody Allen film [Blue Jasmine]. She's sort of playing Blanche in that. And that's really interesting. To rather than say you're just copying the same thing, to say you grow a new creature from it, but using the same logic and ideas. And then the other one that I'm starting to think about for a future project — and maybe this is because of the NT Lives. Like I said, they film them themselves and that's great, and they're really excellent things to have out there, and they reflect the moment of the theatremaking. But there's one where then I as a filmmaker and a theatremaker might take the production, and not make it as a film, like the Kazan version of Streetcar, but do my own cinema version of filming the production. So like the Paul Schrader Mishima or something, right, which has that artificiality in it — but do bring the camera into the theatre space that's constructed, and make this boutique object from that. So I'm very curious about that. And I think NT Live proves that there's an audience for that as well." [caption id="attachment_1010340" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David M. Benett/Getty Images.[/caption] On Andrews' Dream When He Was Starting Out as a Director Three Decades Back — and How Even Imagining NT Live Wasn't Possible "No, I didn't. I mean partly, some of those things were impossible to even conceive of then. The world has changed so much. Also, I think my ambition has always been of a different kind. I never began thinking 'oh, I would like to work in these places. I would do this'. I was always just obsessed with making work. So those first works in the Red Shed in Adelaide, they were all-consuming. At the same time then, on the nascent internet or however, I was sort of Googling different — well, it was probably pre-Google — looking for radical theatremakers in the world. And in 1999, getting to travel and go and meet them and see their work. So for me, it's always been a hunger for the work and about the work. And all of the opportunities that have come — right from, I guess, first going and working, being invited from Adelaide to become a resident at Sydney Theatre Company, then being invited to come and work at the Schaubühne in Berlin, and then going to London and so on — they have always come from the work, from somebody seeing the work, recognising the work and inviting me to build on that. I've never looked and said 'I want to be working on these stages' or be there — other people work like that, but for me, it really comes from the work. I think back then, I loved cinema very much and was very influenced by cinema, and thought that I would like to make a movie one day but was busy with theatre for a lot longer than I thought — and absolutely consumed with theatremaking, but I guess I always hoped that I would do that. And to move between those two worlds — we mentioned Bergman — that still remains a goal. And to make a movie that can have the effect on people that Streetcar has, I don't think I've quite done that yet. That can be very, very true to itself — very true to itself — and also have audiences lined around the block to see it when we did it in London, and people still wanting to see it in the cinema. I'd love to find that sweet spot in a movie, and I feel there's still a lot of work to do there — and that theatre is a place I can keep returning to for now. That's a really beautiful, safe home to explore in. So it's always about the work for me." NT Live's A Streetcar Named Desire returned to Australian cinemas from Thursday, June 19, 2025. A Streetcar Named Desire images: Johan Persson.
Blackwattle Bay might not be anywhere near the Aegean Sea, but Hamsi Taverna brings the spirit of a Turkish seaside tavern to the new Sydney Fish Market. One of the flagship dining venues of the $836-million development, the (naturally) seafood-forward restaurant comes from chef Somer Sivrioğlu — Anason, Maydanoz and a co-host of MasterChef Türkiye — and channels the rhythm of relaxed coastal dining, from lingering lunches to breezy evenings by the water. Named after the Black Sea anchovy, Hamsi centres its menu on market-fresh seafood cooked over flame. Expect a lineup of generous, share-friendly plates, from a procession of crudo and mezze — think: oysters with sumac mignonette, poached prawns with taramasalata and pistachio, and house pide topped with pickled anchovies and cherry tomatoes — to larger signatures like baked vodka-sauce conchiglie with spanner crab, charred lobster with sujuk butter and swordfish steak finished with veal demi-glaze. Elsewhere, a handful of familiar dishes from Sivrioğlu's other venues appear in reworked form, including kadayif prawns with muhammara, imam bayildi and chargrilled whole fish with lemon butter. To drink, an extensive wine list balances Australian producers and Old World European bottles, while an impressive by-the-glass selection encourages exploration. The airy dining room, designed by Alkot Studio, leans into its waterfront setting with marine-toned interiors and an open kitchen that keeps things humming. By day, the venue works as a pitstop for shoppers and market visitors — come evening, when the lights lower and the mood shifts, it's primed for golden-hour cocktails and breezy dinners as DJs spin coastal beats.
Have you ever needed to convey an important message to someone in a big way, but sweated to find the perfect gift to do so? Maybe you needed to say 'sorry for being a jerk', 'thanks for being a great mate', or simply 'I love you'. Well, perhaps not surprisingly, there's a store to fix that problem. Initially launching as a website in 2013, the retailer branched out into a bricks-and-mortar in Martin Place's GPO building — then moved to Westfield Sydney in 2020. The store is built around the concept of 'give different'. That means sourcing items that are unique and thoughtfully designed, so you're in very little danger of doubling up on gifts. Products include knives carved from deer antler, hand-woven scarves and handmade resin jewellery from Dinosaur Designs. Gourmet goodies include wheels of Bruny Island cheese and premium single malt whisky distilled in highland Tasmania, which you can taste test in the store. You'll also find colourful wares from the iconic Finnish design brand Marimekko. Images: Joey Clark.
As announced in 2017, officially given a green light in 2018 and then launching a couple of years back, the Art Gallery of New South Wales has been a two-building art museum since late 2022. The first space, the 153-year-old AGNSW's OG structure, boasts a sandstone facade dating back to the 19th century. The second came about as part of the $344-million Sydney Modern Project. But even when the venue's extension opened its doors to the public, it didn't have a name. Meet Naala Badu, then. AGNSW has finally announced a moniker for the space that's been known as Sydney Modern to art-loving visitors for more than a year. The term is the Aboriginal word for "waters" in the Sydney language, and has been paired with Naala Nura, which means "seeing Country", as the new name for the gallery's first building. [caption id="attachment_880685" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Iwan Baan[/caption] Overall, the institution itself is still called the Art Gallery of New South Wales. That hasn't changed. But each part of it now has a distinct title, each reflecting its location and architecture. Naala Badu earned its moniker thanks to its proximity to Sydney Harbour, plus the waters that've long been pivotal to NSW's communities. Naala Nura's counterpart nods to the building's sandstone, as well as Indigenous Country in general. Now displaying on both buildings, the names were chosen after AGNSW consulted with the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council among other key Aboriginal stakeholders and communities, with the gallery's board of trustees, Indigenous Advisory Group and Indigenous staff in support. "Aboriginal language has a deep and spiritual connection to Country. We hope this can be felt by everyone when the building names Naala Badu and Naala Nura are used by the community and visitors to the Art Gallery of New South Wales," said Indigenous Advisory Group chair Rachel Piercy. [caption id="attachment_749853" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jenni Carter[/caption] "We are greatly honoured that the Art Gallery's two buildings on this significant site in Sydney will bear the Aboriginal names Naala Badu and Naala Nura. They evoke a powerful sense of place — this place of extraordinary physical beauty with its complex, contested histories. We intend to carry these names with the deepest respect," added AGNSW director Michael Brand. Located on the hill beside Naala Nura, which gives it a view of Woolloomooloo's Finger Wharf, the four-level Naala Badu sprawls across 7830 square metres and is designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architects SANAA (with Australia's Architectus as the executive architect). One of its highlights is the Yiribana Gallery, which moved over from Naala Nura to showcase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander work. "As an Indigenous Australian for whom English is my second language, having not had the opportunity to learn my first language, I applaud the gift of living, breathing language for the Art Gallery's two buildings. With the spotlight on the Art Gallery's new initiatives for Aboriginal art and culture, we've created a globally renowned art destination where visitors can experience the best art and culture Australia has to offer," noted Tony Albert, an Art Gallery trustee and also the inaugural chair of AGNSW's Indigenous Advisory Group. [caption id="attachment_880684" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Iwan Baan[/caption] [caption id="attachment_909005" align="alignnone" width="1920"] AGNSW[/caption] [caption id="attachment_880682" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Iwan Baan[/caption] Find Naala Badu and Naala Nura at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery Road, The Domain, Sydney. For more information, head to the AGNSW website. Top image: © Iwan Baan.
Lunar New Year is famously a food-focused holiday. With celebrations traditionally stretching over about a two-week period, Lunar New Year dinner is one of the holiday's highlights. The dinner, which typically happens on the eve of Lunar New Year, is more accurately described as a feast — one where families gather, and the table teems with mouth-watering, home-cooked dishes. [caption id="attachment_987282" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] We love a celebration at home centred around good food, so, in partnership with Oriental Merchant, we sought out expert advice from chef Jason Chan on what essentials to stock our pantries with for Lunar New Year and beyond. Not only is Chan the owner of Rice Kid, a newly opened pan-Asian restaurant inspired by the flavours of Southeast Asian cuisine, but he's also clocked up well over a decade as a chef in leading Chinese restaurants in Sydney. He snuck us into his pantry to show us exactly what he'll be cooking with come this Lunar New Year. Our best discovery? His go-to essentials aren't reserved exclusively for Lunar New Year — they're versatile ingredients that are just as invaluable for special celebrations as they are for midweek meals. [caption id="attachment_987274" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] Surprisingly, Chan reveals that despite going all out on premium ingredients for Lunar New Year, he'll season them during the cooking process with everyday pantry staples. "Lunar New Year is more about the family gathering. You'll splurge and have things you don't normally have everyday, I think that's what makes it special. For our Lunar New Year feast, we usually have e-fu noodles, mudcrab, pipis — we go all out." On Capturing the Essence of Asian Cuisine The flavours of Asian cuisine though, are achieved with familiar products like "soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing [wine]." "Asian — Chinese — flavours [are] bold. I wouldn't use the word heavy, but it's flavoursome. It's every bite that you take. There's sweet, sour, bitter, salty, umami, you get the taste of all that." "I think that's what Asian cooking is all about, especially Chinese cooking, where there are so many different ingredients and so much variety [to choose between]. It's just packed with flavour." "In my pantry at the moment, I've got the Lee Kum Kee Panda Brand Oyster Sauce, the Lee Kum Kee Dark Soy Sauce, the Lee Kum Kee Premium Soy Sauce." [caption id="attachment_987275" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] He also showed us his stash of Hakubaku noodles and Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chilli Oil. "It's about what you can do with the ingredients out of the pantry to create something amazing," explains Chan. Some staples are genuine must-haves for Chan. "You can't cook without soy sauce, that's what I say. I think every household should have [it]." Meanwhile, others he believes are slept on. "I think oyster sauce is amazing ... it gives more body and more depth [to dishes]." [caption id="attachment_987280" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] Ultimately though, it's not about a single ingredient. "It's more about how you incorporate everything together. I think every dish has a different element to it and every ingredient in our pantry, I think, works with a certain dish to enhance its flavour." On Making the Most of Pantry Essentials Chan says the special dishes of Lunar New Year can easily be translated into everyday dishes too." Let's say we did a lobster, for example, for Lunar New Year. How do you tone it down and still use all the pantry ingredients that you have? You choose a different protein. You might use fish, you might use prawns." The same applies to the e-fu Lunar New Year noodles he calls out. [caption id="attachment_987276" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mullins[/caption] "[You could substitute] egg noodles — thin egg noodles, thick egg noodles. If you're [feeling] brave, you can use ramen noodles, soba noodles, udon noodles. It's how far you want to explore, but they're all good." Experience the flavours of Lunar New Year everyday with Oriental Merchant authentic Asian ingredients.
Start your week right with a morning yoga session in the Royal Botanic Garden. Housed in the Calyx, the attention-grabbing, UFO-shaped public space that landed in the gardens last year. The classes run between 7.30 and 8.30am and cost $20. Offering a sweet escape from the bustle of the city, these Hatha yoga sessions are the perfect way to inject some calm into your Monday morning. Plus, you'll still have enough time to grab a post-session shower and coffee before landing at your office desk all zen-ed out, and ready to tackle the week. If you're one of those yoga buffs who just can't make it out of bed that early, swing by for the lunchtime session (12–12.50pm) instead.
One of the world's most visited multi-sensory experiences will come alive across Australia this year. After successful runs in Sydney and Auckland, Van Gogh Alive is setting off on a national Aussie tour, hitting Adelaide from Wednesday, June 23 before moving on to Brisbane, Canberra, Perth and Newcastle. The project is the brainchild of Melbourne-based Grande Exhibitions, which, for the past 15 years, has hosted immersive exhibitions and gallery experiences in over 150 cities across the world. The company also owns and operates Rome's Museo Leonardo da Vinci. A family-friendly experience, Van Gogh Alive creates the sensation of walking right into the Dutch artist's paintings. Attendees experience his world-famous work in fine detail thanks to Grande Exhibitions' state-of-the-art technology, which uses 40 high-definition projectors. A classical musical score accompanies the vibrant colours, too, as presented in cinema-quality surround sound. And, two of Van Gogh's most popular works have been transformed into new guises — with the Sunflower infinity room and the an immersive Starry Night walkthrough area also part of the experience. The Adelaide edition of Van Gogh Alive is popping up as part of the city's new winter arts festival, Illuminate Adelaide, and will take place in a purpose-built 25,000-square-foot gallery in North Adelaide. The gallery, which has been named The Grand Pavilion, will feature an exact recreation of Van Gogh's painting Cafe Terrace at Night in the foyer. Tickets are now available via Ticketek and start at $35 for an adult or $95 for a family. Details on the dates and venues for the rest of the national tour are still to come — so if you're in Brisbane, Canberra, Perth and Newcastle, watch this space. You can stay up to date with everything Van Gogh Alive by keeping an eye on the exhibition's website. Van Gogh Alive will run from Wednesday, June 23 in Adelaide's new The Grand Pavilion before moving on to Brisbane, Canberra, Perth and Newcastle. Dates beyond Adelaide are yet to be revealed — we'll update you when more details come to hand. Top image: Rebecca McMillan Photography
When it comes to a romantic weekend for two, a solo trip or a break with the besties, you can't beat the cosy feels of a tiny house. Perfect for escaping the daily grind, a mini abode makes up for the space it lacks with plenty of good times and fresh air. With so many tiny houses in NSW, it's easier than ever to find the right one for you. Whatever your vibe, whether it's a quaint rural stay complete with rolling green hills or a luxe cabin by the water, NSW has a pint-sized holiday home to suit. We've done the hard work for you and rounded up some of the best small-but-mighty tiny houses you can book in NSW. Pick a favourite, pack a bag and get set for a taste of that minimalist life. Recommended reads: The Best Places to Go Glamping in NSW The Best Places to Stay in the Blue Mountains The Best Hotels in Sydney The Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Australia [caption id="attachment_1009756" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Robert Walsh.[/caption] Billy's Hideaway by Huch, Wollombi Surrounded by bushland and overlooking a Billabong, this architecturally designed cabin is completely off-grid, offering a luxurious yet sensitive addition to the landscape. Enjoy panoramic views from the open-plan living, or settle in the hot tub with a glass of wine. From $448 a night, sleeps 2 adults, 2 children. Kumbogie Cabin, Daruka A cosy off-grid cabin for two, set among rolling green hills and bushland. Unwind on the porch overlooking the trees, or settle in by the outdoor fire. From $170 a night, sleeps two. The Bower at Nanny Goat Hill, Kangaroo Valley This charming tiny house in NSW is a farm retreat that makes for the ultimate small group getaway, boasting all the creature comforts, and a tranquil setting complete with resident goats and chooks. From $230 a night, sleeps four. Vineyard Cabin by Outpost, Exeter Nestled amongst the vines of Exeter Vineyard & Cellar Door in the Southern Highlands, this cabin combines rustic country charm with understated luxury. Cosy and authentic, unwind and immerse in the simple beauty of the Australian countryside. From $290 a night, sleeps two. Byron Hinterland Tiny House, Possum Creek A chic escape for two in a peaceful pocket of the Byron hinterland. This off-grid stay is effortlessly stylish, complete with sunny deck, hammock and reading nook. From $230 a night, sleeps two 6Sixteen The Banks, Agnes Banks With its idyllic rural setting and Blue Mountains outlook, this tiny home is one dreamy getaway. Enjoy the fire pit, sun-drenched deck and comfy loft bedroom. From $229 a night, sleeps three. Ligo, Wolgan Valley An architecturally designed tiny home surrounded by the picturesque cliffs of the Newnes Plateau within the Gardens of Stone National Park, escape the daily grind and immerse in the ruggedness of the Australian bush, with a side of luxury. From $449 a night, sleeps two. Horseshoe Hideaway, Mullion If you fancy stargazing from a hot-tub off the beaten track and waking up to sweeping mountain views, make this tiny house in NSW your next getaway. There's a fire pit and a floor-to-ceiling window in the shower, so you'll never miss the view. From $350 a night, sleeps two. Tiny Escape Tiny House, Wollombi A pint-sized paradise for two sitting among rugged bushland that promises a rejuvenating time away. There are luxury linens, a fire pit and acres of nature waiting to be explored. From $200 a night, sleeps two. The Hill Station, Mount Tomah Nestled in the heart of the Blue Mountains, this renovated cabin is the ideal couples retreat. Conveniently close to the Mt. Tomah Botanical Gardens, enjoy plenty of tranquil garden walks followed by afternoons curled up by the fireplace. Fron $380 a night, sleeps two. Boatshed Bliss, Dangar Island Soak up the sun on the shores of the Hawkesbury River in this pet-friendly retreat. You will have to get a boat to this secluded tiny home. With a private beach at your doorstep, you'll enjoy plenty of time by the water, whether you're taking a dip or watching the sun set over the lapping waves. From $275 a night, sleeps three. The Salty Dog, Newport One of the best tiny houses in NSW that's close to Sydney, this tiny boathouse takes 'on the water' property to the next level. The floating home for two comes complete with a cosy loft, downstairs dining space and kitchen and yes, a boat to get back to shore. From $655 a night. Sleeps two. [caption id="attachment_786394" align="alignnone" width="1920"] By Wilken Photography[/caption] Arabella, Beaumont An award-winning designer stay, complete with fairytale-like forest setting. While the tiny home itself is impressive, but it's the incredible one-way glass bathroom hidden among nearby trees that steals the show. From $290 a night, sleeps three. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy. Top image: Arabella by Love Space Photography. All other images supplied.
You go to the Blue Mountains to see the stunning sights (hi, Three Sisters). You go to the Blue Mountains to hike past waterfalls and through ancient forests. You go to the Blue Mountains to bathe in natural hot springs. You might even go to the Blue Mountains to visit outdoor exhibitions and catch a ride on the world's steepest passenger railway at Scenic World. But did you know you could go the Blue Mountains to drink some standout brews — single origin, cold drip and Aeropress — and eat impressive brunch (all day)? From an eatery in a renovated mechanic's workshop to a cafe with stunning views across treetops, we've rounded up our favourite places to eat and drink during the day in this picturesque NSW region. These are the best cafes in the Blue Mountains.
Sex: we all know what it is. If you don't, stop right here because this isn't the article for you. Sex on-screen has become commonplace. TV and films frequently include spicy scenes for many different reasons, but as perceptions about sexuality rapidly evolve off-screen, the on-screen representations have to keep up. In 2023, the wide and wonderful world of romance and sex is bigger and more inclusive than ever. A TV series that has embraced that fact is Erotic Stories, a brand-new drama anthology from SBS On Demand, it's the latest addition to a fantastic range of drama programs available on the platform, all of which are completely free. Across eight episodes, Erotic Stories tells stories of love and intimacy in modern Australia with on-screen protagonists that aren't always written as sexual leads. We've watched it, and we're here to rank all eight episodes from least to most spicy. First, a quick disclaimer: this article contains mild spoilers, but it isn't a review of Erotic Stories. This is a ranking of how 'spicy' we believe the episodes to be. Spiciness and sexuality are subjective to every individual, so we strongly encourage watching the series and deciding for yourself. VANILLA: EPISODE 6 — 'IMPERFECT PAW PAW' What happens? 'Imperfect Paw Paw' star Zahra Newman (Thirteen Lives) as Leila, a woman from Sydney who works in marketing for a vitamins company; she's overworked and dealing with significant stress in her personal life. When she heads to the Gold Coast on a work trip, she has a chance encounter with a group of locals, including an attractive surfer who encourages her to abandon her commitments to join them on a free-spirited night out. Watch this episode if you like: stories about seizing the moment and embracing spontaneity. Why the rating? Spice in this episode is minimal. The majority of spice is built up through sexual tension over the course of the night out. When the spice kicks in, it's short but hot. SEASONED: EPISODE 1 — 'PHILIA' What happens? 'Philia' stars Catherine McClements (The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart) as Sam, a single mother of a teenage girl who works in digital publishing. With her job on the line against a fellow writer, she is assigned an advertorial story — a review of a new smart sex toy for couples. With no partner to help her review the male side of the remotely operated machines, she turns to George, a longtime family friend, for help. One problem: he's a married father of two. Watch this episode if you like: a side of comedy with your spice. Why the rating? Spice is definitely present in 'Philia', offering an insight into modern sex tech, but it isn't overtly explicit and isn't the key focus of the episode. BIT OF A KICK: EPISODE 5 — 'WALKING GAMBIT' What happens? 'Walking Gambit' stars Yuchen Wang (Safe Home) as Patrick, a man out for an after-dark walk with his beloved staffy Gambit. He arrives at a secluded bushland park where men gather at night, in secret, to hook up. After enjoying the company of another attendee of the park, Patrick returns to Gambit to find him missing without a trace. With the help of his new companion, Patrick searches for his dog while dealing with a previously hidden grief. Watch this episode if you like: stories about the complexities of grief and the unconditional love of dogs. Why the rating? 'Walking Gambit' gets spicy early on and, while short, it's more explicit than our previously ranked episodes. The rest of the episode is spice-free. SPICY: EPISODE 4 — 'POWERFUL OWL' What happens? 'Powerful Owl' stars Rarriwuy Hick (Wentworth Prison) as Kiarra and Googoorewon Knox (Black Snow) as Drew, a First Nations couple living in Sydney. Kiarra has a challenging but successful legal career, while George travels around Australia on contract work. After remarking their connection to the lifetime bond of the native Aussie powerful owl, Kiarra and George find their relationship on the rocks when faced with the complications and temptations of long-distance intimacy. Watch this episode if you like: stories about true love. Why the rating? 'Powerful Owl' keeps the spiciness consistent throughout the episode, but at different levels of explicitness over the course of the story. SMOKING: EPISODE 2 — 'THE DELUGE' What happens? 'The Deluge' stars Kate Box (Rake) as Cara, who shares most of her life with her best friend Ginger (Danielle Cormack, Wentworth Prison). Together, they practice shibari, a Japanese style of bondage, for Ginger's photography career, while Ginger encourages Cara to break her sexual drought. Once Cara turns to dating apps to find a new partner, she has a passionate encounter with a younger woman, but that passion quickly leads to unexpected ramifications for everyone involved. Watch this episode if you like: stories about meaningful connections. Why the rating? 'The Deluge' is spicy throughout, with some very intimate and descriptive scenes spread throughout the episode. Ultimately, though, that's not the main focus of the episode. RED HOT: EPISODE 8 — 'MASC UP' What happens? 'Masc Up' stars Bernie Van Tiel (Jade of Death) as non-binary lesbian Cal and their new partner Mish as the two join Cal's friends on an annual New Year's holiday to a luxurious homestay. All the members of the group are extremely close, challenging Mish to find her place among them. Cal faces a challenge of their own when the talent they pride themselves on, making partners climax, is much harder than usual with Mish — testing their relationship and forcing Cal to face long-buried insecurities. Watch this episode if you like: stories about overcoming self doubt. Why the rating? With 'Masc Up', Erotic Stories enters its top three spiciest episodes. This episode is very spicy, thanks to explicit scenes and dialogue throughout. BURNING: EPISODE 3 — 'BOUND' What happens? 'Bound' stars Joel Lago as CJ, a gay man living with disability that impedes his mobility and who has a preference for less-than-ergonomic positions during sex. While travelling from a doctor's appointment, CJ is sexually propositioned by an older man, who invites him to an exclusive and spicy nightclub. What happens that night challenges CJ to confront the intersections of disability, sex and self-respect. Watch this episode if you like: stories about knowing your own worth. Why the rating? The spicy elements of 'Bound' revolve around sexual kinks, consent and objectification, and feature lots of bondage. DEADLY: EPISODE 7 — 'COME AS YOU ARE' What happens? 'Come As You Are' stars Frances Ann O'Conner (The End) as Annabel, a woman who holds a senior role in a corporate office. She lives a life of routine and deals with trauma from a past relationship, but all that changes after a chance encounter with an intern named Florian. His confidence and free-spirited nature opens up a new world of sexuality for Annabel, but forces her to decide where she draws the line and how she can maintain control of her own desires. Watch this episode if you like: stories about sexual exploration and self-confidence. Why the rating? 'Come As You Are' is the spiciest episode of Erotic Stories since the spiciness involves both sexual tension and outright steamy scenes throughout the episode. All eight episodes of 'Erotic Stories' are streaming now for free alongside other great drama series on SBS On Demand. Images: SBS On Demand.
Say 'wanna play a board game?' in Australia and most people usually mind-glance over their childhood bookshelf stack of Monopoly, Risk and Pictionary. Maybe there are a few awkward memories or some vague association with being a terrible strategist. Those feelings can be discarded because we're adults now, we can play whatever board games we want, wherever we want and we can drink while we do it. There are few things more enjoyable during an Antarctic vortex than huddling over a crisp pale ale and board game in a warm pub. THE LORD DUDLEY HOTEL This thirty-five-year-old family-run pub looks like it's been transported from an English country street corner. Inside it's similarly unpretentious; there's an old timber bar circled with puffy green stools, a fireplace and a herd of pillowy couches that look like they've been aged to perfectly match the human posterior. Look around the lounge for sets of Scrabble and Connect Four and behind the counter for a Young Henrys natural ale and a wagyu beef pie. 236 Jersey Road, Woollahra, 9327 5399, www.lorddudley.com.au THE LITTLE GUY It's almost as small as the name makes out. Get there early and secure one of the back rooms before it's completely inundated with Glebians. Once your couch and tabletop have been conquered, delve into the bar's extensive and well-researched craft beer list. If you want to go for something local, try Port Mac's Wicked Elf. If you haven't brought your own fancy games, grab Balderdash from the house stack, it's rather silly. 87 Glebe Point Road, Glebe, 8084 0758, www.thelittleguy.com.au BITTER PHEW If your favourite board game is Risk or Monopoly, then Bitter Phew is the pub for you. Not because it stocks Monopoly or Risk, but because every Monday the bar brings an incredible range of amazing board games that people who enjoy Monopoly or Risk have never played. Let's just say if Top Gun was the only movie you'd ever seen, it would be your favourite movie. Along with having an enviable cast of craft beers, you can also supplement your board game enlightenment with Griffin Jerky or a portly masterpiece delivered from Mr Crackles. 1/137 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, www.bitterphew.com AUSTRALIAN YOUTH HOTEL Upstairs is what they call the Nude Room, a historical tip of the hat to the brothel that once operated there. It's a whole lounge of velvet seats all enveloped by a wall-spanning collection of vintage nude art. It's like being in a sexy aquarium; you can enjoy all the captured sexiness without ever having to dive in. Where else would you rather play board games? We recommend bringing two things to the fireside tables: a beer, preferably a White Rabbit dark ale, and some board games — the house lot are missing some vitals. 63 Bay St, Glebe, 9692 0414, www.australianyouthhotel.com.au THE HENSON Marrickville's shrine to gentrification isn't harbouring a good selection of board games; in fact it's hardly harbouring any at all. What it does have is ample space, great pub food and an atmosphere that would welcome both a quiet game of cards and riotous friendship breaking campaign of Cattan. Also, depending how liberally you classify the board half of board games, you can take part in the pub's Tuesday dart competitions. 91 Illawarra Road, Marrickville, 9569 5858, www.thehenson.com.au VENUE 505 Every Monday at 505 has two things: impromptu jazz jams and board games (a combination we'd like to see much more of). The artist-run venue unsurprisingly does both elements well. The jam sessions often include hugely talented interstate and international musicians and the in-house board game selection is large and good quality. If the small venue's range of craft beers hasn't distracted you from crafting a perfect solo strategy, get a boozy affogato to steer it home. 280 Cleveland Street, Surry Hills, www.venue505.com DUCK INN PUB AND KITCHEN The Duck Inn is one of the most un-pub feeling pubs we've ever seen. It's somewhere between a well-financed club house and an artful home. That's what makes it such a nice place to balance a Jenga stack (they once ran a month-long Jenga tower comp) or to rearrange a jumble of letters on a Scrabble stand. 74 Rose Street, Chippendale, 9319 4415, www.theduckinnpubandkitchen.com SPAWN POINT SMALL BAR Spawn Point Bar doesn't have many board games (just Cards Against Humanity and Adventure Time-themed Monopoly) but we felt like it needed to be included in this list for the simple reason of its magnificent nerdiness. We mean that in the most sincere and flattering way. We love that you have almost all of the Nintendo gaming systems, we love that you stock Sonic 1 and 2 and we love that we can drink Peronis, James Squires and themed cocktails while we play. Basement, 199 Clarence Street, Sydney, www.spawnpoint.com.au Top image: thebarrowboy - Flickr CC.
Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham are very busy men, having launched four wildly successful venues in Sydney since 2013, including Mary's in Newtown (the original), Castle Hill, Circular Quay and the city's Entertainment Quarter. Now firmly referred to as "the Mary's guys", their wildly popular, rock 'n' roll burger joint — that started it all — hasn't lost one bit of its appeal. Tucked-away down Newtown's Mary Street, the team's first burger bar is undoubtedly cool, with light fixtures made from Jack Daniel bottles to the big, chunky, wooden table in the far-right corner. It's clear a great deal of time and effort has gone into gutting what once was and tailoring it to suit Newtown's aesthetic. Judging from the diversity of the crowd, and much like the suburb itself, everyone and anyone is welcome. [caption id="attachment_745926" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] But Mary's is known more for its Maccas style burgers than anything else — you can thank ex-Tetsuya's chef Luke Powell for these. Although, he's since left the bar to open his own spot, LP's Quality Meats. You'll hear a lot of people rave about them and we must admit they go down nicely. There are loads of burgers to choose from and they all come served with chips. For meat eaters, the Mary's is it — think cheeseburger with salad and Mary's special sauce. Otherwise, the veg burger offers up a mushroom alternative with the same toppings. The fried chicken is a must if you're a fried chicken fan (aka a human), especially if you top it all off with the ice cream sanga. There's a spicy version too for the brave among us. Pair it with some fried chook and mash n' gravy. For booze at Mary's Newtown, you've got a wine list compiled by a genuine love of the drop, good local beers on tap and an ever-growing cocktail list to boot. A local favourite through-and-through, we can't imagine Mary's popularity waning anytime soon. [caption id="attachment_747998" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kitti Gould[/caption] You'll find Mary's in our list of the best fried chicken in Sydney. Check out the full list here. Appears in: Where to Find the Best Burgers in Sydney for 2023 The Best Fried Chicken in Sydney for 2023
If you had to pack up and run for your life, what would you grab? Clothes? Food? Phone charger? Australians and New Zealanders are in one heck of a lucky situation, we haven't had to throw essentials in a bag and flee because of war, genocide or unbridled violence. But nearly 100,000 people from the Middle East, South Asia and North Africa have had to do just that — this year alone. Refugees don't have the luxury of packing ten Louis Vuitton suitcases of unnecessary crap for their travels. They travel light, for the road is incredibly dangerous. It's only necessities that refugees throw into their bags before getting the hell out of their home country: medication, little food, phones, maybe a toothbrush. To get an insight into exactly what refugees are travelling with, the International Rescue Committee and photographer Tyler Jump asked an artist, a mother, a family, a child, a teenager and a pharmacist, who are all refugees from war-torn areas like Syria and Afghanistan, to show us what they'd managed to bring with them on their journey — what they'll need on the road to a (hopefully) more peaceful future. All images and quotes were originally published by Medium. A FAMILY OF 31 From Aleppo, Syria “I hope we die. This life is not worth to live anymore. Everyone closed the door in our face, there is no future.” 1 shirt 1 pair of jeans 1 pair of shoes Toiletries 1 diaper, 2 small cartons of milk and some biscuits Personal documents and money Sanitary pads A comb A TEENAGER Iqbal, 17, from Kunduz, Afghanistan “I want my skin to be white and hair to be spiked — I don’t want them to know I’m a refugee. I think that someone will spot me and call the police because I’m illegal.” 1 pair of pants, 1 shirt, 1 pair of shoes and 1 pair of socks Shampoo and hair gel, toothbrush and toothpaste, face whitening cream Comb, nail clipper Bandages 100 U.S. dollars 130 Turkish liras Smartphone and back-up cell phone SIM cards for Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey AN ARTIST Nour, 20, from Syria “I left Syria with two bags, but the smugglers told me I could only take one. The other bag had all of my clothes. This is all I have left.” Small bag of personal documents A rosary (gift from his friend; Nour doesn’t let it touch the floor) A watch (from his girlfriend; it broke during the journey) Syrian flag, Palestinian charm, silver and wooden bracelets (gifts from friends) Guitar picks (one also a gift from a friend) Cell phone and Syrian SIM card Photo ID 1 shirt A MOTHER Aboessa, 20, from Damascus, Syria “Everything is for my daughter to protect her against sickness. When we arrived in Greece, a kind man gave me two jars of food. Another man gave us biscuits and water when he saw my baby.” Hat for the baby An assortment of medication, a bottle of sterile water, and a jar of baby food A small supply of napkins for diaper changes A hat and a pair of socks for the baby Assortment of pain relievers, sunscreen and sunburn ointment, toothpaste Personal documents (including the baby’s vaccination history) Wallet (with photo ID and money) Cell phone charger Yellow headband A BOY Omran, 6, from Damascus, Syria 1 pair of pants, 1 shirt A syringe for emergencies Marshmallows and sweet cream (Omran’s favorite snacks) Soap, toothbrush and toothpaste Bandages A PHARMACIST Anonymous, 34, from Syria “I had to leave behind my parents and sister in Turkey. I thought, if I die on this boat, at least I will die with the photos of my family near me.” Money (wrapped to protect it from water) Old phone (wet and unusable) and new smart phone Phone chargers and headphones (plus extra battery charger) 16GB flash drive (containing family photos) Via Medium. Images: Tyler Jump/International Rescue Committee.
Odd Culture has set up shop in the space formerly occupied by King Street dumpling institution Happy Chef, left vacant since a devastating fire in 2018. Now, a French-leaning slick diner and wine bar combo has risen, phoenix-like, out of the literal and proverbial ashes — with approval from the Happy Chef crew — to bring an exciting new venue to Newtown's busiest strip. Odd Culture is a venture by the team behind The Old Fitz and The Duke of Enmore, so the mood is decidedly relaxed. The fit out — all exposed brick, high ceilings and airy street-facing windows — has all the stamps of a good, friendly neighbourhood pub. They've even painted a vintage Reschs advertisement replica on the wall to really hammer it home. But behind the bar and in the kitchen, they're cooking up something a little more special than your average drop-in drinks joint. Executive Chef James MacDonald (formerly of Hubert) and Head Chef Jesse Warkentin, bring to the menu a collision of traditional French influence and exciting Japanese flavours, delivered with great seasonal ingredients and gorgeous plating flair. Case in point: the chicken liver pate with fish sauce caramel served with potato chips is simultaneously sweet, salty and piquant — a terrific umami hit. The menu is arranged by portion size: snacks, small and large. Smalls might include a lively beef tartare, or pickled mussels with celery and smoked cream. The large plates range from blood pancake with pork jowl and fried egg to a no-messing-around koji roasted chicken with togarashi and chicken fat congee, and definitely favours carnivorous patrons with big appetites. The wine list, steered by Odd Culture Group beverage manager Jordan Blackman, is generous and varied with a focus on natural wines, and there's a dozen beers on tap with a hefty selection of international craft beers in the fridge. Come hungry and thirsty with a date or a group of pals. Appears in: The Best Bars in Sydney
The inner west suburb of Dulwich Hill is home to an exciting tamaleria and Mexican deli — the first permanent eatery from Rosa Cienfuegos. You may recognise the name from her twice monthly — and super popular — La Casa Latina pop-up at the Marrickville Market and her regular pop-ups at Young Henrys and The Grifter Brewing Co. The popularity of her food soared so far that she even opened up Itacate & Mexican Deli in Redfern a few years later. Opening along Marrickville Road in late 2018, the original tamaleria offers a range of signature Mexico City and Oaxaca-style hot tamales — think chicken with mole sauce, pineapple pork in green sauce and the vegetarian rajas con queso (poblano chillies with cheese). Cienfuegos hails from Mexico City, so you can trust her when it comes to authenticity. "Tamales are a pre-Hispanic dish that is well preserved in Mexico and is one of the most common breakfast items, served on many street corners in Mexico," says Cienfuegos. "Every state has its own style and can go from being wrapped in a corn husk or in a banana leaf, from huge to small and from spicy to sweet." Street-style tacos are also offer at the deli counter — ranging from slow-cooked brisket and lamb barbacoa to marinated pulled pork and a vegan soy fish. Plus, rotating specials like chiles rellenos, empanadas, tuna croquettes and vegan ceviche will make the way onto the menu, along with sides like refried beans and verdolagas (Mexican greens). Besides the prepared food options, Cienfuegos also sells branded small goods, including her homemade salsas, sauces, specialty Mexican ingredients and DIY kits for at-home cooking. "There aren't many authentic Mexican options in Sydney, and even though you can buy the ingredients from different suppliers and shops, people are not sure how to use them or what they are for," says Cienfuegos. "I'll be at the shop to help and share recipes with the correct ingredients." The fit-out aims to fit in with the surrounding Dulwich Hill vibe. The simple interior focuses on wooden decor, with some Mexican flare coming from the hanging sarapes (brightly coloured rugs). Images: Trent van der Jagt.
Located in the striking, if controversial, Crown Casino building at Barangaroo, a'Mare is an elegant Italian restaurant which offers up exceptional Aussie produce paired with classic Italian ingredients in a menu that whisks one off to the sunny shores of Italy. It's been awarded a Chef's Hat through Good Food Guide, thanks to acclaimed chef Alessandro Pavoni who calls on his memories of his native Italy to conjure up dishes which inspire and delight. The interior at a'Mare is elegant and sophisticated, with floor to ceiling windows allowing natural light to spill through the otherwise dimly lit venue during the day. In the afternoon, as the sun sets over Sydney Harbour the room lights up up with hues of yellow, pink and orange which easily transport one to Sicily, especially if enjoying a glass of chianti. In the evening its cool and smart and the service is professional and friendly. The menu here is as long as the Italian coastline, and we opted to start from the antipasti de mare menu. Enjoy wild caught red snapper crudo with citrus dressing chilli dil and finger lime or the 'Selezione a Mare' with snapper crudo, calamari and caviar, scampi and scallop gratin. For something more filling at a'Mare opt for ravioli of rock lobster and burrata or the deliciously succulent roasted rack of lamb served with salsa verde, horseradish and lamb jus. The pesto pasta is also a must-try, for both the taste and experience. For this dish, the waiter makes the pesto at your table (in a huge mortar and pestle) before sending it off to the kitchen to be added to the homemade pasta. It's doesn't get much fresher than this. There is also a vegan and vegetarian menu at a'Mare as well as desserts which includes the mouth-watering Italian classic tiramisu. Pair it with a cocktail of coconut rum, yoghurt liqueur and mango foam and you are well on your way to an Italian summer. Appears in: The Best Italian Restaurants in Sydney for 2023
So you're keen to sink your teeth into Sydney's best openair adventures? We're with you on that. We've been bangin' on about pristine waterfalls right outside the city, we've preached from the mountains about mountains you can climb, and we've sent you exploring (and camping in) Sydney's gloriously mysterious caves. Hopefully, you made it out, unlike those crazy cats in The Descent. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Haven't done it all? Haven't ridden a horse along a NSW beach Daryl Braithwaite-style? Haven't elegantly dog paddled in one of Sydney's offensively pretty ocean pools? Fill up your canteen with water (wink), pack a little lunchbox and get going this weekend. Here's a little guide to help you.
Summer is upon us, which means beautifully balmy days that are perfect for a stroll by the sea are right around the corner. But with so much shoreline right on Sydney's doorstep, which coastal walk should you choose? To help you solve this eternal conundrum, we've picked out our favourite trails that are just a stone's throw from the city. These 11 stunning walks have it all: sparkling harbourside views, wild bushland with native flora and fauna, hidden pathways, and heaps of historic sites. And they range from easy one-hour treks to epic multi-day adventures. Grab your sneakers, your mates and your sunnies, and get walking. Recommended reads: The Best Beaches in Sydney The Best Ocean Pools in Sydney The Best Walks in and Around Sydney The Best Bike Rides in Sydney BEST HARBOUR VIEWS: BRADLEY'S HEAD TO CHOWDER BAY You'll find some of the best Sydney Harbour vantage points tucked away on this lower-North Shore coastal walking track. This leisurely four-kilometre beachside walk in Sydney begins at Taronga Zoo Wharf and extends to Mosman's charming Chowder Bay. The trail hugs the coast tightly, and its proximity to the harbour allows for unobstructed views of the Harbour Bridge, Opera House and city skyline. The trek also boasts military relics and an amphitheatre at Bradley's Head. it is easily one of the best coastal walks in Sydney. Once you work up an appetite, have a well-deserved lunch at one of the Bay's many cafes and seafood restaurants — Ripples being a local favourite. [caption id="attachment_754226" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] BEST MULTI-DAY ADVENTURE: BONDI TO MANLY Launched in late 2019, the 80-kilometre Bondi-to-Manly walk stretches along the east coast and harbour shore, between the two eponymous beaches. The multi-day coastal walk in Sydney meanders past all of the expected highlights — think secluded coves, spectacular views, bushland, clifftops, and landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge — as well as significant Indigenous sites such as Aboriginal engravings at Grotto Point, and the ancestral reburial site and rock art at Reef Beach. Plus, while you're moseying, you can follow your journey on the walk's app which is available to help you plan and track your walk. As the name makes plain, it starts and ends at Bondi and Manly beaches, but there's plenty to see in between. And if you're wondering how long it takes, suggested itineraries split the walk into two, three, four, five and seven-day routes, although you can obviously make the journey along one of the very best coastal walks in Sydney however you see fit. [caption id="attachment_838835" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andrew Gregory, Destination NSW[/caption] THE HIDDEN GEM: WYARGINE RESERVE TRACK Only accessible during low tide, this hidden track runs from Chinamans Beach to Balmoral Beach, and is an unexpected adventure. Start out at the historic Parriwi Lighthouse, then follow the trail along steep steps to sudden views of Middle Harbour. After arriving at Chinamans' tiny and peaceful shore, the (approximately) one-kilometre trek to Balmoral is quick but difficult, as it weaves directly along the rockshelf. Along the Sydney coastal walk, you'll spot gorgeous beachfront properties and impressive yachts aplenty. If you take the walk in the opposite direction, it'll eventually link up with Spit Bridge to the north. [caption id="attachment_838836" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] MOST CHALLENGING TREK: ROYAL NATIONAL PARK COAST TRACK If you're looking for more than a day trip, this 26-kilometre track around the Royal National Park boasts a combination of rugged bushwalks, sandy beaches and sandstone headlands with views across the Tasman Sea. This two-day coastal hike starts at Bundeena and concludes at Otford, with an overnight stay at North Era campground — be sure not to miss sunrise that morning. The campground and some areas of the hike are unfortunately closed at this time, so it's best to check the NSW National Parks website before heading out and just tackling a section of the hike if the whole thing isn't possible. Other highlights include the stunning Wattamolla Beach, the views at Eagle Rock lookout and the crystal-clear waters at Curracurrang Cove. Time your trip right (between May and October) and you might even spot a migrating humpback whale at some point across the 48 hours. [caption id="attachment_653090" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] BEST COASTAL BUSHWALK: NORTH HEAD While this historic Sydney coastal walk does contain a driving path, the true beauty of this trail is seen through the dirt road bushwalk. Begin your trek at North Head Sanctuary, three kilometres south of Manly Beach. Walk through the former North Head Army Barracks before heading out to the bush, where echidnas and bandicoots lurk in the burnt orange and yellow brush. Then, the wild path opens suddenly to a mix of coastal views, with the best located at the Third Quarantine Cemetery — which looks across to Middle Head and Manly — and the Fairfax Walk, which looks far out over the Tasman Sea. From here, it is easy to end your afternoon at Manly Beach, stopping at the petite Collins and Little Manly Beaches along the way. Some areas of the North Head coast walk are currently closed for upgrades. Check the National Parks website for up-to-date details. [caption id="attachment_781774" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] NOT JUST FOR TOURISTS: MANLY TO SPIT BRIDGE This ten-kilometre coastal walk in Sydney is often recommended to tourists for good reason. Begin at Mosman's Spit Bridge, where you'll follow the Middle and North Harbour shoreline paths along Fisher Bay to Clontarf Beach. From here, you'll enter the Sydney Harbour National Park at Castle Rock, and later hit Grotto Point, where you can view Indigenous rock engravings. Gorgeous views at Arabanoo Lookout and plenty of Sydney beachside walks are also on the docket. Finish off with a dip at Manly Beach before taking that picturesque ferry ride back to Circular Quay. If ten kilometres isn't enough for you, the track continues down to Chowder Bay and can be linked up with the Bradley's Head track too. [caption id="attachment_754225" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] BEST PANORAMIC VIEWS: MIDDLE HEAD While the multiple World War II batteries located at Middle Head certainly set this walk apart, it's the expansive views of the eastern suburbs, Middle Harbour and Manly that really make this trek worthwhile. The two-kilometre coastal walking circuit is bordered by North and South Heads and set along sheer cliffs. Climbing through underground tunnels and gun pits on the edge of the coast is a big part of the thrill here. You'll find these ruins throughout the Middle Head Fortification, and the surrounding cliffs give the remnants an eerie and significant impact. After you your walk, you can head to nearby Cobblers Beach to unwind. The track is also being extended to connect with the Sydney Harbour Scenic Walk, so keep a look out for a more expansive version of this coastal trail by the end of the year. [caption id="attachment_781771" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ethan Rohloff via Destination NSW[/caption] BEST HISTORIC SIGHTS: COCKATOO ISLAND A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Cockatoo Island has an illustrious history — including housing a prison, a ship-building facility, a reform school and a wartime boat repair port. Haunted history tours are on regularly, as are other events, talks and art exhibitions related to the island's environmental and historical past. It's also been earmarked for a vast transformation that'll see it become a sprawling arts and culture district. Set off the shores of Balmain and Birchgrove, the island boasts 360-degree views of the Parramatta River and is perfect for picnics. We suggest making a weekend of your Cockatoo getaway, with a waterfront campground and heritage holiday houses available for hire. [caption id="attachment_781761" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andrew Gregory via Destination NSW[/caption] BEST FOR PICNICS WITH A VIEW: BALLS HEAD RESERVE Set on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, Balls Head Reserve affords exceptional views of the Harbour Bridge from the north, along with unbeatable picnic views overlooking the CBD. The reserve offers several coastal bushwalking tracks (including one with wheelchair access), and highlights include an Indigenous waterhole and foreshore caves cut by squatters in the 1930s. Once you're done exploring, head to the secluded park where public barbecues are at the ready. When you've finished grilling up your snags, head back over to the rocky area and enjoy your picnic while watching the harbour boats mosey by. End it all by strolling along the beachside walk, digesting all that great barbecue grub. [caption id="attachment_781768" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hamilton Lund via Destination NSW[/caption] SYDNEY'S MOST ICONIC TRAIL: BONDI TO COOGEE The Bondi to Coogee walk is easily the most iconic coastal walking trail in Sydney. This six-kilometre trek gives tourists and locals alike a true sense of Sydney's coastal beauty. The hike's steep gradients are well spaced and hit each of the city's most loved beaches along the way — making this trip part-workout, part-beach bum afternoon. Apart from the namesake beaches, the trail also hits Tamarama, Bronte and Clovelly. While the walk could be completed in as little as two hours, it is best enjoyed with long breaks by the ocean. Keep an eye out for the announcement of the next instalment of the trail's popular Sculpture by the Sea which finally returned in 2022 after a few years off. THE NEWEST ADDITION: BARANGAROO FORESHORE WALK The final section of the Barangaroo foreshore walk opened in April 2021 completing the 11-kilometre stroll along the harbour. You can now meander from Woolloomooloo to the Anzac Bridge through sections of the foreshore that were previously inaccessible to pedestrians. Along the Sydney coastal walk, you'll be treated to views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney Opera House and all the new delights that Barangaroo is offering up. Included in the path is the Wulugul Walk which takes you around Barangaroo Reserve and The Streets of Barangaroo's range of bars and eateries. The Waterman's Cove part of Barangaroo foreshore is also set to welcome a pavilion made from recycled Sydney oyster shells, which is sure to make quite an eye-catching addition to your future strolls, jogs and bike rides. Top image: Destination NSW, James Horran
The team behind Love, Tilly Devine have been bringing life into Lankelly Place in Potts Point with their warmly-lit wine bar Dear Sainte Éloise. It's a well-oiled machine aglow with patrons and staff bustling around precisely. The sophisticated venue is still inviting and peeks out onto the charming laneway, perfect for an afternoon of snacks, wine and people-watching. The long, copper bar is the main feature, adorned with racks upon racks upon racks of wine that showcase the bar's huge selection — all up, there's over 350 plus bottles, which have been plucked from all over the world, from Austria to Portugal, South Africa and Georgia, as well as the requisite Australian and New Zealand bottles. The team somehow manages them all with ease and, unless you're an expert, you'll need him to help navigate their extensive wine bible. While this is a wine bar above all else, the succinct selection of dishes serve well as wine nibbles or a full meal. If you're in for the whole hog, Dear Sainte Éloise's main dining room has sit-down tables — but for us, the front-of-house stools are where it's at. Sit at the bar to watch the restaurant in action or grab a seat at the window for street views. The menu is printed daily and features wine bar staples like fresh oysters and burrata. But it's so much more than that. Think swordfish with caviar beurre blanc or their fan-favourite an anchovy brioche with whipped ricotta and red pepper. For something other than wine, their six-drink cocktail list includes a premium Negroni and a deliciously refreshing Yuzushu Lemon Spritz. The menu changes regularly but expect the classics with a creative twist, and all things supremely well-balanced – much like Dear Sainte Éloise itself. Simply put, this Potts Point wine bar is knowledgeable without being wanky, sleek without being overdone. Plus, we're all for any place where you can dine at the bar. Images: Nikki To.
Naming the ten best of anything can be a daunting task — especially when it comes to ranking something which we all, as Sydneysiders, take rather seriously: our beaches. Whether it's the season of carousing on the sand or just unseasonably warm, you can always justify a trip to one of the best beaches in Sydney. And because Sydney is the city with — let's not be coy — some of the best city beaches in the world, we've put together a list of our ultimate beachside playgrounds within the city limits. From napping under palms on the northern beaches to snorkelling in the turquoise waters of a protected marine reserve, these are the ten best beaches in Sydney. Recommended reads: The Best Ocean Pools in Sydney The Best Coastal Walks in Sydney The Best Beach Campsites Near Sydney The Best Beachside Bars and Restaurants in Sydney Tamarama Beach, Eastern Suburbs This narrow, 80-metre strip of sand between the headlands at Tamarama has an air of luxurious seclusion, rare for a city Sydney beach and especially surprising given its proximity to the busiest beach in the country. The glamorous gather here to sunbathe, and the left-hand reef break will have you contending with some of the city's best surfers and bodyboarders if you want to catch a wave. Be sure to take a break from the sun at the beachside cafe, where you can casually kick back with a fresh juice as you watch the Bondi-to-Bronte runners coast by. Or bring along those gourmet snags and take advantage of the nearby barbecue area by Tamarama Beach, one of the very best beaches in Sydney. [caption id="attachment_893470" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] Bigola Beach, Northern Beaches Named after the Indigenous word that means "swirling waters", Bilgola is hidden away at the bottom of a hill, behind a jungle of palm trees and lantana — if you're not paying attention, you'll miss this fabulous Sydney beach. For this reason, Bilgola is perhaps the most beautiful of the northern beaches in Sydney, and, incidentally, is a bastard to get to on public transport. But, the trek to this 500-metre-long strip of sand is worth it. Enjoy views of Newport Head while lounging on the shore, or go for a swim in the eight-lane ocean pool. You can also try your luck at fishing, with a designated area on offer. Freshwater Beach, Northern Beaches The first beach north of Manly, Freshwater is the official birthplace of surfing in Australia; the sport was first popularised here in 1915 by Duke Kahanamoku, a Hawaiian traveller who famously carved a surfboard from local timber and hypnotised crowds at the beach. A life-size statue of Kahanamoku still stands on the northern headland. Apart from the surf history, Freshwater is just a gorgeous Sydney beach to laze the day away on. It also boasts a 50-metre saltwater rockpool for lap swimming and is an easy coastal walk to Curl Curl. For lunch, we suggest splurging on a meal at the lauded Pilu restaurant — you won't regret dropping that extra cash. Or, for a more casual affair, head to Harbord Hotel. Bondi Beach, Eastern Suburbs When you're pulling together a list of the best beaches in Sydney, it's hard to go past the classics. While Bondi may be Australia's best known (and therefore most over-populated) beach, it still holds a place for locals and shouldn't be left entirely to the mercy of tourists. If you go mid-week, you can really appreciate Bondi for all it's worth. Either way, head to North Bondi for the best swimming spots — and to avoid the crowds of novice surfers further down the beach. If you're looking for a spot to dine, drink or get caffeinated before or after you swim, explore our list of the best restaurants, bars and cafes in Bondi. Some of our favourites include Sean's Panorama, Lola's Level 1 and the new Curly Lewis Brewing Co. Manly Beach, Northern Beaches Another stunning stretch of Sydney sand, Manly Beach is hard to beat in charm — from the ferry ride over from the city to the busy promenade, the tree-lined Sydney beach and the clear blue waves. While it may not be as convenient as, say, Bondi for south-of-the-bridge dwellers, it is certainly still one of Sydney's best beaches. Plus a trip to Manly on the ferry is a rite of passage for anyone born and bred in Sydney. If you want to snag a fresh pastry and cuppa on the way to the beach, stop off at Rollers Bakehouse. Later in the day, grab a bottle of natural wine at Winona Wine. Once you're done with the sun for the day, finish off with a drink at Manly's speakeasy-style bar The Cumberland (one of Sydney's 20 best bars) or some top-notch Mexican at Chica Bonita. Bronte Beach, Eastern Suburbs Hugged by the headlands and surrounded by a perfect picnicking park, Bronte is one of the loveliest and most accessible city beaches in Sydney. Set at the end of the famed, one-kilometre coastal walk, the quiet and unpretentious beach is the perfect place to dive into the water post-walk from Bondi. If it's too hot, you can always nap under the rock ledge too. Those rocks also create a sheltered natural pool for leisurely swimming with minimal waves, or enjoy some laps in the saltwater pool. At the same time, the southern headland is a favourite among advanced surfers. For lunch, head to the park behind the beach and enjoy fish and chips from one of the local takeaway joints or a freshly grilled barbecue on one of the picnic tables. Avalon Beach, Northern Beaches Located near the tip of the northern beaches in Sydney, Avalon is a destination for wave chasers, with a large surf community based in the area. Even if you don't surf, it's a great place to watch the pros in action. Baywatch even wanted to relocate its filming to Avalon during the 90s. Other highlights include the 25-metre ocean pool, located at North Avalon near a triangle-shaped sandbank. Meanwhile, along the south cliff (known as Little Avalon), surfers can enjoy fast-barrelling tube rides, thanks to a shallow rock shelf. Behind the beach is a shaded park with barbecue facilities, picnic areas and a skate park — helping it get on this list of the best beaches in Sydney. Shelly Beach, Northern Beaches Shelly Beach is pristine for a reason — it's part of a protected marine reserve called Cabbage Tree Bay, and so boasts especially clean, turquoise waters filled with exotic fish. For this reason, the beloved Sydney beach is specifically popular among scuba divers and snorkelers. If you're looking for surf, head to the Fairy Bower side, which offers one of Sydney's best breaks. The beach also forms part of the annual Cole Classic, Australia's longest ocean swim. And bushwalkers will enjoy the headland track with views over North Head and across the northern beaches. This secluded cove is also convenient to get to by ferry and is just a short walk south along Manly's main street. Palm Beach, Northern Beaches It's no surprise Palm Beach stars in a television show — this Home & Away beach is one of the most beautiful places Sydney has to offer. It's privileged to be surrounded by water on three sides: east is the Pacific Ocean, west is Pittwater and north is Broken Bay (which the Hawkesbury River flows into). Get there early to enjoy it without the crowds, and visiting on a weekday is an even better idea. If a staycation is in the cards, you can book out a summer house and feel like one of the millionaire locals for a few nights. While you're at one of the best beaches in Sydney, grab breakfast or lunch at the The Boathouse. Clovelly Beach, Eastern Suburbs Sometimes you just want to pack the esky, haul your umbrella to the beach and set up camp for a whole day by the waves. Other days, you just want a quick dip without getting sand in your togs. Clovelly is a local favourite because you have the luxury of doing both. The cove has a small, peaceful beach for tranquil wading, along with a 25-metre saltwater pool down the southern side. But it's also flanked by two concrete platforms, which are used for both sunbathing and cannonballing. Clovelly is popular among snorkelers as well, with the diverse marine life including an extra-large blue groper named Bluey. The grouper even features on the bright new mural that now adorns the surf club at this brilliant Sydney beach. Has this round-up of the best beaches in Sydney left you craving a sandy, sun-soaked holiday? Head to Concrete Playground Trips to explore a range of adventures 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 to destinations all over the world. Top image: Shelly Beach by Fabio Santo (Unsplash).
Since it opened in late 2021, Odd Culture's ferment-forward wine bar and diner on King Street has been a cornerstone of Newtown's hospitality scene. Then came Spon, in mid-2023 — a hybrid bar and bottle shop specialising in craft brews, boutique drops and pours by the glass. In February this year, the Odd Culture team — who also operate beloved Sydney pubs The Old Fitz and The Duke of Enmore — added kooky late-night cocktail den Pleasure Club to their Newtown empire. Now, a fourth venture has been added, transforming the mezzanine of the King Street flagship into an elevated bistro — and it's not just another cookie-cutter steak frites joint. Bistro Grenier is a refined spot for an intimate soirée, where diners can experience classic French fare at its best. To realise this new venue, Odd Culture has tapped the skills of Executive Chef James MacDonald — formerly of Sydney's Restaurant Hubert and London's pioneering nose-to-tail eatery St John. MacDonald has developed a menu that celebrates traditional recipes while adding modern flourishes, leaning on heartier, rustic dishes showcasing low-waste butchering. For example, the côtelette de porc features a juicy Berkshire pork chop served alongside braised boneless trotters, dressed with prunes and served with a side of sugar loaf cabbage, while the house-made boudin noir uses yet more of the beast, pairing smoked pork jowl and pigs blood with caramelised apples and a lightly whipped pomme puree. Other dishes offer more playful riffs on tricolore favourites, like the pudding chômeur — a self-saucing maple syrup dessert finished with buttermilk ice cream inspired by Head Chef Jesse Warkentin's Canadian heritage. Vino-philes have plenty to get excited about. A list of French drops including vintage gems and rare allocation bottles from Odd Culture's extensive cellar are available exclusively in the bistro. There's also be a range of Gallic digestives and apéritifs behind the bar, including ricard pastis, picon bière aperitif, vin jaune and chartreuse. The fitout of what was formerly an underutilised loft storage space channels a luxurious yet bohemian vibe, with deep burgundy peaked ceilings and walls, dark timber panelling, and a moody lighting design summons the sultry spirit of Parisian salon. Meanwhile, fans of the King Street OG have nothing to fear. The existing downstairs wine bar remains the pillar of Newtown's drinking scene Sydneysiders know and love. Images: Philip Huyhn
Sophomore albums can be notoriously tricky. They often arrive with built-in expectations: was the original a one-off, or has the talent evolved? Can the follow-up still command attention when the landscape has — inevitably — shifted, and new stars are vying for the spotlight? These questions loom even larger when the sequel lands more than two decades after a debut that's still considered a classic. Flaminia, the new harbourside restaurant from Giovanni Pilu and Marilyn Annecchini, answers these questions with quiet confidence. Perched above Circular Quay in the Pullman Quay Grand, it feels less like an attempt to outdo the pair's much-loved Pilu at Freshwater and more like a considered companion piece — a continuation of the same story rather than reinvention for its own sake. It also completes a trio of new venues from Accor's new in-house hospitality arm, Table For, following the launch of Bar Allora with The Maybe Group on Bond Street and, just upstairs from Flaminia, Acapulco El Vista, where The Maybe Group handles the drinks and Pilu oversees the food. [caption id="attachment_1051732" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] With a name taken from the ship that brought the Pilu family from Italy to Sydney in 1959, Flaminia is anchored in personal history and a sense of passage between shores. That idea carries through to the menu, which charts its way across Italy's great port cities as it presents start-to-finish culinary journeys through Caligari, Naples, Venice, Genoa and Palermo. It's a playful — and refreshingly transparent — structure that also puts local produce front and centre: the crudo selection, for example, features Spencer Gulf kingfish and Bermagui yellowfin, while mains include a Venitian-style murray cod, gently cooked with spinach, lemon and white wine, and an order-ahead maialetto arrosto— a slow-roasted Western Plains half suckling pig served with roast potatoes for groups of up to five. Drinks follow the same shoreline sensibility, tracing Italy's coast from Liguria down to Sicily with a focus on Sardinian varieties and the occasional antipodean label in the mix. Cocktails — like a lavender and Cynar spritz, a pesto-spiked bloody mary and a Mirto Rosso sour — are built for long lunches and sun-soaked aperitivo sessions. [caption id="attachment_1051756" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] It all takes place in a cleverly designed dining room by Studio Gram, where soft timber, textured stone and sculptural curves subtly reference a ship's interior without ever lapsing into theme, and creating an atmosphere that feels relaxed but polished. There's an ease to it all — the kind that comes from a team no longer trying to prove anything. If Pilu at Freshwater was the breakout debut, Flaminia feels like the confident follow-up. [caption id="attachment_1051728" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] Images: Nikki To.
Last year saw a slew of announcements around new streaming platforms, including two dedicated to horror and another to the world of Disney. Now, Australia's ever-growing streaming landscape is being joined by a service spotlighting great storytelling. Landing at the beginning of March, the documentary-focused iWonder launched with more than 500 hours of on-demand content, and hopes to host over 1000 blockbuster and under-the-radar titles by the end of the month. Documentaries already available on the platform cover a huge range of topics, from fast food social experiment Super Size Me, to fly-on-the-wall spectacle Jesus Camp which follows an Evangelist summer camp, and Morgan Neville's Oscar-winning music doco 20 Feet from Stardom. Music doco series Rolling Stones: Stories From the Edge, which covers the last 50 years of music in the US, and timely political flick Alt-Right: Age of Rage are also available on the service. iWonder co-founder James Bridges says a key feature of the service is the curation of the home page, which will reflect current events through articles and relevant documentary recommendations. Subscriptions have been set at $6.99 per month or $69.90 for an annual subscription. New Aussie users will receive the first month free — you can sign up here. The service is available on iOS and Android and can be cast to the small screen via Apple TV and Chromecast. The platform previously launched with 15 million users via the iflix platform in Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East. iWonder debuted in Singapore and New Zealand at the same time as Australia. You can sign up for iWonder via the website. Top image: Alt-Right: Age of Rage.
A magical-realist coming-of-age tale, a clear-eyed family drama, a twisty crime and detective thriller, a time capsule of Brisbane in the 80s: since first hitting the page in 2018, Trent Dalton's Boy Swallows Universe has worn its happy flitting between different genres and tones, and constant seesawing from hope to heartbreak and back again, as confidently as readers have long envisaged Eli Bell's wide grin. That hopping and jumping, that refusal to be just one type of story and stick to a single mood, has always made sense on the page — and in the excellent seven-part Netflix adaptation that now brings Australia's fastest-selling debut novel ever to the screen from Thursday, January 11, it also couldn't feel more perfect. As played by the charmingly talented Felix Cameron (Penguin Bloom), Eli's smile is indeed big. As scripted by screenwriter John Collee (Hotel Mumbai), directed by Bharat Nalluri (The Man Who Invented Christmas) with Jocelyn Moorhouse (The Dressmaker) and Kim Mordaunt (The Rocket), and with Dalton and Joel Edgerton (The Stranger) among the executive producers, the miniseries version of Boy Swallows Universe embraces its multitudes wholeheartedly. Like style, like substance: a semi-autobiographical novel penned by a writer and journalist who lived variations of plenty that he depicts, learned and accepted early that everyone has flaws, and patently has the imagination of someone who coped with life's hardships as a child by escaping into dreams of an existence more fanciful, Dalton's tome and every iteration that it inspires has to be many things in one bustling package. Its characters are, after all. Seeing people in general, parts of a city usually overlooked, and folks with complicated histories or who've made questionable choices — those forced in particular directions out of financial necessity, too — in more than just one fashion flutters at the centre of Boy Swallows Universe. In the Australian Book Industry Awards' 2019 Book of the Year, Literary Book of the Year and Audio Book of the Year, and now on streaming, Eli's nearest and dearest demand it. So does the enterprising Darra-dwelling 12-year-old boy who knows how to spy the best in those he loves, but remains well-aware of their struggles. His older brother Gus (Lee Tiger Halley, The Heights) hasn't spoken since they were younger, instead drawing messages in the sky with his finger, but is as fiercely protective as elder siblings get. Doting and dedicated mum Frankie (Phoebe Tonkin, Babylon) is a recovering heroin addict with a drug dealer for a partner. And Lyle Orlik (Travis Fimmel, Black Snow), that mullet-wearing stepfather, cares deeply about Eli and Gus — including when Eli convinces him to let him join his deliveries. Slim Halliday (Bryan Brown, Anyone But You), the boys' sometimes babysitter and frequent source of wisdom, endured a lengthy stretch in the infamous Boggo Road Gaol for a murder that he's adamant he didn't commit. He's at peace with doing that time, but he also broke out (and he's based on an IRL person, name and all). Eli and Gus' biological father Robert (Simon Baker, Limbo) is an alcoholic and agoraphobic bookworm more comfortable with novels than people, initially estranged from his sons when Boy Swallows Universe begins, yet devoted to them in his affections. And Eli himself is all precocious charisma and keen curiosity mixed with unflinching nerve, whether being picked on at school, standing up to criminal thugs, breaking into a prison or talking his way into a job. Unsurprisingly, that's a combination that lands him in as many jams as it gets him out of. In all takes so far (the stage in 2021 among them), Boy Swallows Universe follows Eli as Lyle's illicit profession has consequences, Frankie is incarcerated and Robert re-enters his sons' lives. There's a bouncy air to the TV series as it works through its plot, with Eli doing everything that he can to make sure his mum is okay and get to the bottom of a disappearance, as continues when the show jumps forward to find him as a 17-year-old (then played by Totally Completely Fine's Zac Burgess). Again, the approach and atmosphere apes Boy Swallows Universe's protagonist, who can rarely be anywhere fast enough. This is a tale of darkness and violence — of addiction, murder, bullies, trauma, drugs, lopped-off limbs, loss, domestic assault, gang wars, jail, PTSD and fiendish plans — while also a story about working towards the best even in what seems to be the most dire of circumstances. Of course Eli keeps leaping towards brighter possibilities, then being pulled back into the shit (sometimes literally). A simple journey towards better days, this isn't, however. As its irrepressible central figure kicks around his neighbourhood, tags along with Lyle, writes letters to his prison penpal (Briggs, Get Krack!n), goes to school with a wannabe drug lord (Zachary Wan, Never Too Late) and endeavours to befriend The Courier-Mail's young star crime reporter (Sophie Wilde, Talk to Me), there's no shying away from the harsh realities surrounding Eli and almost everyone that he knows. Boy Swallows Universe doesn't revel in despair, though, but commits to seeing things as they are with no judgement — and zero traces of fatalistic certainty that nothing more will ever spring. That type of candour is as rare as spotting the areas of Brisbane that the narrative is set in on-screen. For locals, there's no mistaking that this is the River City, especially when there's no trace of Boggo Road, the Story Bridge or Brisbane City Hall in sight. Even as flying cars, red phones with mysterious voices on the line, eerie predictions and secret lairs factor into the plot, every second looks and feels lived in, turning an ace Brisbane book into an ace Brisbane-shot series. Tenderness and diligence linger in Collee's handling of Dalton's tale, and in Nalluri, Moorhouse and Mordaunt's attentiveness as directors. That said, if their efforts weren't matched by stellar casting, Boy Swallows Universe could've started to unravel the moment that it kicks off with Lyle being dragged away by nefarious heavies. The main adult cast members are superb, specifically in delivering unvarnished explorations of complex characters with a plethora of clashing — and realistic, and relatable — traits. Fimmel conveys Lyle's relentless attempts to take care of his family with both love and wildness in his every move. Tonkin is as resolute as she is adoring, while never sanding away the knocks she keeps taking. Baker turns in his second exceptional performance in the space of the year, and Brown perfects the role of a no-nonsense yet supportive mentor that it instantly seems he was born to play. Boy Swallows Universe's younger stars are equally as impressive. Expressive in their own ways — one in energy and movement, the other via quiet glances — Cameron and Halley know that they're the heart and soul of the show, and more than live up to the task. The former is missed when Eli ages up, but Burgess brings a deep-seated yearning to the part as someone who has spent his years approaching adulthood striving for so much that's constantly out of his grasp, despite still appreciating what he has. As with almost every detail seen and heard, that sense of absence when Eli gets older couldn't be more apt. This account of coping with day-to-day life at its most brutal and most fantastical doesn't only refuse to be just one thing, or stay with just one version of Eli, but wouldn't contemplate giving its audience anything other than the full emotional universe. Check out the full trailer for Boy Swallows Universe below: Boy Swallows Universe streams via Netflix from Thursday, January 11, 2024. Images: courtesy of Netflix © 2023.
Tucked away just over the Anzac Bridge, you'll find one of the inner west's most tranquil spots: Balmain. The peninsula suburb is a leafy oasis with historic shopfronts, old trees and lots of couples with kids and pups. But, this area is anything but sleepy suburbia. Inside Balmain Village's renovated Victorian terraces you'll find a thriving community of local businesses who've won the hearts of residents and visitors alike. These are the kind of spots where you'll be greeted with a smile and chat, places to linger and browse at leisure without any frantic crowds. So whether you're looking for that very specific book or the perfect gift for a mate, Balmain is where you should make a beeline for. To help make your shopping adventure successful, we've teamed up with American Express to put together this list of local Balmain favourites. All of them are delightful in their own way — and you can shop small with on Darling Street with your Amex Card.
Just when we thought we'd done all the swimming there is to do in Sydney, we make new discoveries. After paddling under waterfalls, throwing ourselves into extraordinary swimming holes and plunging into ocean pools by the moonlight, we're now exploring rivers. It turns out that some of the best national parks near Sydney are also home to many of New South Wales' top-notch swimming spots. Think turquoise swimming holes, cascading waterfalls, calm creeks and rapid rivers — with plenty of hidden gems thrown in there. With summertime just around the corner, make like Huckleberry Finn and get yourself to one of these meandering beauties. Recommended reads: The Best Ocean Pools in Sydney The Best Beaches in Sydney The Best Natural Hot Springs in NSW BEROWRA CREEK, HAWKESBURY Berowra Creek starts around Pennant Hills and flows northwards, until it joins forces with the Hawkesbury. It's not actually a creek in the strict sense of the word, but a drowned river valley estuary. So, at many points, it runs through steep, majestic gorges. For a dip, make your way to Crosslands Reserve. If you want to stay the night, take a tent and pre-book a camping spot there. The grounds also offer free barbecue facilities, bookable picnic shelters and is an access point to the The Great North Walk via the Benowie Walking Track. [caption id="attachment_702931" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Aidan Casey via Flickr[/caption] KANGAROO CREEK, ROYAL NATIONAL PARK Just south of the Audley Boatshed in the Royal National Park (a brilliant spot for kayaking, by the way), a tributary runs into the Hacking River. Known as Kangaroo Creek, it begins in the park. To reach the best swimming spots, take the Karloo Walking Track, a five-kilometre walk which starts at Heathcote Station. Karloo Pool is the most popular — the round swimming hole offers pristine, turquoise waters fed by the cascading waterfall above. If it's busy, make tracks downstream, where you'll find more pools to explore. You can enjoy a picnic here, or mosey onward to Uloola Falls. If you have the time, continue on through the Uloola Walking Track, which finishes at Waterfall Station. MCCARRS CREEK, KU-RING-GAI CHASE NATIONAL PARK Stretching from Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park's southeastern corner and flowing into Pittwater near Church Point, McCarrs Creek has quite a few enviable spots to go for a swim. A road follows it much of the way, making it easily accessible by car. But for safe, shallow waters, head to McCarrs Creek Reserve, where a series of fun swimming options await you at The Duck Holes. Surrounded by bush, this secluded destination is located just off of West Head Road along the trail to the lookout. If you're keen to splash about under a waterfall while you're in the area, don't miss the nearby Upper Gledhill Falls. [caption id="attachment_702939" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] NEPEAN RIVER, BLUE MOUNTAINS This is not just a river — it's a river with rapids. To get in on the action, start off along the Nepean River Walking Track. The 1.8-kilometre loop begins in Glenbrook and takes you through rainforest, narrow canyons and steep descents before arriving down at Fairlight Gorge. After your swim, relax over a picnic, soaking in the views of the spectacular escarpment. But be sure to bring along a hearty lunch before the steep climb back out. Afterwards, continue on to the Bennets Ridge walking track or camp overnight at the Euroka campground. We like this gorge so much, we included it on our list of Sydney's ten most unusual swimming holes. [caption id="attachment_702930" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nina Matthews via Flickr[/caption] GLENBROOK CREEK, BLUE MOUNTAINS Glenbrook Creek's 17 kilometres begin in the Blue Mountains National Park — five-kilometres southwest of Linden — and end where the creek runs into the Nepean River. Head to the lower reaches to find Glenbrook Gorge, where there are two cracking swimming holes: Blue Pool and Jellybean Pool. To reach these, you can choose your own adventure (and difficulty level). The vigorous, rock-hopping gorge track spans three kilometres and is the most difficult among the three. Then there's the challenging-yet-quick Blue Pool track (only half a kilometre) or the cruisy Jellybean track, which is an easy one-kilometre return. [caption id="attachment_702963" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Robyn Jay via Flickr[/caption] KOWMUNG RIVER, BLUE MOUNTAINS The epic 74-kilometre Kowmung River runs through both the Blue Mountains and Kanangra-Boyd National Parks, passing some of the most rugged scenery in New South Wales. It's one of only six waterways in the state to be officially known as a 'wild river', which means that it's still in near-perfect condition. It also means that you'll need to make your way to it on foot (the lack of cars has played a major role in keeping the Kowmung clean). The good news is you can expect to meet brush-tailed rock wallabies, stuttering frogs and south-eastern petal tails along the way. And of course, finish up with one of the most pristine swims our state has to offer. [caption id="attachment_702988" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sardaka via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] WORONORA RIVER, SUTHERLAND SHIRE For a river that runs through residential areas, the Woronora is surprisingly clean. It's ideal not just for swimming but also for boating, canoeing, fishing and heaps of other water sports. To explore thoroughly, hire a kayak from the Woronora Boatshed. Otherwise, you can walk or drive in at various points, including Prince Edward Park, which is about 30 minutes on foot from Sutherland Station. Another great spot is The Needles, a freshwater swimming hole above the Woronora. To get there, drive to the northern end of Woronora Road, where a gate down to the water is waiting. [caption id="attachment_702978" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trewkat via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] HACKING RIVER, ROYAL NATIONAL PARK Set at the start of the Royal National Park, the mighty Hacking River runs between Sydney's southernmost suburbs and Bundeena. One of the loveliest places to swim along it is off Swallow Rock Reserve, at the end of Swallow Rock Drive in Grays Point. Don't forget to pack some eats to chuck on the free barbies for a post-dip feast. East of Grays Point, the river officially turns into Port Hacking, where heaps more swimming is on the docket — including netted pools at Gymea Bay Baths Reserve and Lilli Pilli Baths, as well as four beaches at Bundeena. NAYOOK CREEK, BLUE MOUNTAINS Nayook Creek's most famous — and most swimmable — stretch is Deep Pass Canyon. Found at Newnes Plateau, right on the brink of the Wollemi National Park, it's home to several deep pools which are dotted with fairy-like ferns and cascades — they look like scenes straight out of the Lord of Rings. They're also right near some of New South Wales' most beautiful campsites. The hike in and out is around a two-kilometre circuit and the water is on the cool side, so prepare for a refreshing plunge.
We're definitely biased, but Sydney's one of the most beautiful places to see and stay. There's always something to do, some place to drink, somewhere to swim (winter doesn't stop those Sydneysiders from achieving their morning dip). And if you're touring in style, you might as well get the full experience with a luxury stay. Whether you're visiting from interstate or a few suburbs over, Sydney is packed with five-star hotels offering plush sheets (there's no better feeling), silver-platter room service, pamper packages, and infinity pools overlooking heart-stopping views. Capella Sydney, Loftus Street Ever wondered what it's like to stay in one of the world's best hotels? Look no further than Circular Quay — with Capella Sydney crowned the 12th best hotel on The World's 50 Best Hotels list. A feast for the architectural eyes, the meticulously restored former Department of Education building invites discerning guests to another kind of art deco wonderland. Hiding behind a historic facade lies a "meadow garden" — a kinetic lighting installation, featuring wildflower-like lanterns that bloom and fold; a Baroque-style indoor pool and wellness sanctuary, including the serene Aruiga Spa, as well as some of the best dining experiences in the city. Find timeless, moody glamour at the Victorian-style drinking den, McCrae, and award-winning and seasonal brasserie classics at Brasserie 1930. The rooms also fuse heritage motifs with contemporary furnishings and appliances — think Dyson hairdryers, intuitive tablets, and oversized bathtubs. Because what's a staycation without an indulgently long morning soak? 24 Loftus St, Sydney [caption id="attachment_1069490" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Justin Nicholas[/caption] 25 Hours The Olympia, Paddington Ever return from a holiday or staycation wishing you had more time? Well, at 25 Hours Hotel Olympia, you've got an "extra hour" to play around with or lazily sink into — with an unhurried, halcyon-like atmosphere designed for comfort and presence. The global hotel chain, known for its soul-driven, chicly themed outposts, recently opened its first Australian branch at the original West Olympia Theatre in Paddington. Featuring 109 rooms for both the "dreamers" and "renegades" (the hotel's divided into two bold archetypes), wanderlust cinephiles are taken on a cinematic journey. There's "25 hours" service, retro furnishings, and a swathe of onsite destinations to check out — from the Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, The Palomar, on the ground floor (helmed by Luke Davenport, ex-The Palomar, London), to a buzzy Los Angeles-like rooftop, Monica. Guests can even pick up their morning brew and pastry at Jacob the Angel, the UK's specialist coffee house. With an international feel in one of Sydney's most fashionable enclaves, you'll totally absorb main character holiday energy. 1 Oxford St, Paddington InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach Bondi may be Sydney's most famous beach, but Coogee's now home to the area's most luxurious hotel. Opened in December, the old Crown Plaza has transformed into a sparkling Grecian escape thanks to a not-so-little makeover by The InterContinental. The five-star utopia features 198 light-filled rooms and 22 sea-facing suites (some with lavish outdoor baths), all inspired by the undulating rhythm and colours of the shoreline. Because it's the eastern suburbs, obviously, there's a clear focus on wellness and rejuvenation: you'll find sunrise yoga sessions on the sand, pickleball courts for sprightly travellers, and lavish spa treatments for the digital detoxer. The spa will open in March, as will the palm-fringed infinity pool, bar, and leisure deck. In the meantime, guests and visitors can check out Shutters Restaurant & Bar, a fitting Australian-Mediterranean fusion, as well as the hotly anticipated Rick Stein at Coogee Beach. The influential British chef's second Aussie outpost (he's got Bannisters by the Sea in Port Stephens) heroes Stein's "fresh seafood, simply prepared" ethos for a glitzy Sydney audience. You can order everything from Singapore chilli crab to hot shellfish platters, and even classic fish and chips. 242 Arden St, Coogee View this post on Instagram A post shared by The EVE Hotel (@theevehotel) The EVE, Redfern With Palm Springs sensibilities and a seriously cool, biophilic design, The EVE is a hidden oasis in Sydney's inner city. The five-star hotel by the TFE Hotels (the hotel management team behind Brisbane's southern-Cali-inspired hotel, The Calile) sits on the chic new Wunderlich Lane in Redfern, where some of the best new Sydney restaurants, bars and boutiques are situated, such as lifestyle brand Saardé (which partners with the hotel for luxury bathroom essentials). You'll find a mixed bag of clientele here, from tastemakers and It-girls in new-season St. Agni to corporate somebodies and aspirational digital nomads — languidly soaking up the lobby's mid-century modern interiors, as well as the piece de résistance: the rooftop pool. Featuring rust coloured sunloungers, cabanas, and bar service amongst the palms, this 102-room and suite space feels more like an exclusive members club than a standard hotel. 8 Baptist St, Redfern [caption id="attachment_986313" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Christopher Pearce[/caption] The Grand National Hotel, Paddington The Grand National Hotel isn't your average foodie hotel. Founded by renowned restaurateurs Josh and Julie Niland, the restored neighbourhood pub punches above its weight in both flavour and flair. Tucked away from Oxford Street, the Paddington venue expands on Niland's three-hatted seafood-first restaurant, Saint Peter — while offering those in a food coma a place to nod off. Seamlessly blending the building's heritage charm with their ethos of sustainability and modern innovation, the 14-room boutique hotel heroes natural materials and local artisans. Eucalyptus and earthy brown tones encourage the outside world in, meanwhile custom-rendered walls and ribbed tiling mimic the ocean's ripples and fish scales. There's even fish-fat candles, ceramics made from fish bones, and custom plates and cups using discarded fish bones, in each distinctive room. As for the menu? Saint Peter 2.0 invites visitors to lap up their yellowfin tuna cheeseburger at the bar, and guests to embrace their three-course breakfast of champions. The marron scrambled eggs is a must-order. 161 Underwood St, Paddington [caption id="attachment_797071" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] George Apostolidis[/caption] Crown Sydney, Barangaroo The shining, sculpturally designed beacon of Barangaroo is the city's first six-star hotel — with everything at its doorstep. From the moment you walk in the lobby, Crown Sydney exudes Hollywood glamour. You'll be greeted by distinguished uniformed doormen before being dazzled by a gigantic six-storey crystal chandelier and monolithic white marble columns sourced from Europe. Sydney's tallest hotel offers 327 guest rooms, including premium villas and two super-prime villas, featuring deep-soaking baths and floor-to-ceiling windows, showcasing sweeping sea vistas. Postcard views aside, guests can relish in a true staycation experience here — with an incredible infinity pool that seems to flow into the harbour, as well as an open-air tennis court, a luxurious day spa optimising La Prairie products, and 14 restaurants and eateries to taste test at. Have a cucumber-infused tequila cocktail on the rooftop at CIRQ, followed by Nobu's signature black cod miso for dinner. Dessert on white chocolate mousse at Teahouse… then rinse, rotate, and repeat the next day. 1 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo W Sydney, Darling Harbour Darling Harbour is so back. The '80s and '90s weekend hotspot for food, entertainment and immaculate views underwent a major a revitalisation in the early 2020s — and W Sydney is part of the glow-up. The largest of the global W Hotel group stands tall like a wave (it's shaped as such), luring tourists and locals seeking some "big smoke" energy. There's 588 maximalist rooms and suites to soak in harbour views, with pulsating beats reverberating through the high-shine hallways. A two-storey rooftop bar and infinity pool encourages the party at night with bold flavours and innovative cocktails; whereas the on-site restaurant BTWN (because it sits directly "between" two motorways on each side of the hotel), honours locally-sourced, seasonal produce from morning to night. If you're a sweet treat before bed kinda person there's also 2am: Dessertbar by Janice Wong inside. Indulge in one of the world's best sticky date puddings and Basque cheesecakes (Wong won Asia's Best Pastry Chef) while watching the world go by. 31 Wheat Rd, Sydney [caption id="attachment_854324" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Ace Hotel[/caption] Ace Hotel Sydney, Surry Hills One of the world's most stylish hotel chains finally opened its doors Down Under in 2022. Ace Hotel has built itself up a cult following since opening in 1999, with the boutique chain going for a luxe-vintage vibe — and now, it boasts a sleek 18-storey outpost in Surry Hills. Apart from the 264 rooms (some that are pet-friendly), there are heaps of spaces to hang out in. Once you make your way past reception, you'll stumble upon the fun, laidback lobby cocktail bar that's regularly offering up DJ sets, artistic residencies and absolutely killer negronis. There are also two restaurants — the ground-floor neighbourhood diner Loam and Kiln, a rooftop restaurant and bar by Mitch Orr. They're joined by the final piece of the Ace Hotel's culinary puzzle, laneway cafe and bar Good Chemistry. Either spend the night at one of Sydney's best hotels or just drop by for drinks and dinner. 53 Wentworth Avenue, Sydney Paramount House, Surry Hills When Paramount House Hotel was first announced back in August 2017, it promised it wouldn't be your standard luxury Sydney hotel but rather an experience that would immerse patrons in the inner-city culture of Surry Hills. And when it opened in 2018, it delivered on that guarantee. You'll never have a dull moment at Paramount (unless you actively want one) as the building offers up a rooftop gym, gorgeous independent cinema and one of Sydney's best cafes — plus, depending on when you book your stay, you're likely to find a dance party, art exhibition or a film retrospective awaiting your attendance. There's also a new mini mart, Paramart, in the hotel lobby, which blends the classic Australian milk bar experience with the convenience and style of Tokyo vending machines. Designed by Anna Wu of AWA Studio, the concept heroes local restaurants, bars, cafes, and stores — while injecting a playful edge into your stay. Guests can mess around with vintage Nintendo Game Boys, chess sets, and even tarot cards. Set in an old 40s warehouse, the 29-room hotel features soaring ceilings with exposed brickwork, luxury copper finishes and Jardan sofas that complete the Paramount House identity. 80 Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills The Langham Sydney, Millers Point Just a ten-minute walk from Circular Quay and The Rocks, The Langham is the epitome of indulgence. With 96 rooms on offer, demand for even just one night at this Sydney institution is high all year round. And with facilities like its fitness centre, sauna, day spa and spectacular indoor pool with a star-dappled sky ceiling, you'll find it hard to tear yourself away from the Sydney hotel to explore the amazing surrounding areas. Within the suites, expect plush furniture, high ceilings and large windows overlooking the western side of the harbour. Bed and breakfast specials are also on offer, as is a 'pampered pets program' — making it one of Sydney's few pet-friendly accommodation options at the luxury level. We're also very big fans of The Langham's traditional afternoon tea. Enjoy a bespoke version of this beloved British tradition, elevated with classic Wedgwood teaware and The Langham Sydney's champagne of choice, Laurent-Perrier. 89-113 Kent Street, Millers Point Oxford House, Paddington Find West Hollywood (or year-long summers) in Paddington with one of the city's sunniest hotels. Revitalising a mid-century gem, Oxford House (or OH! for short) comprises 56 rooms and suites of earthy hues, layered textures, and natural light. There's a stylish nod to local and international artisans and designers with curated art and photography by Ksubi co-founder George Gorrow — including work by Lena Gustafson, Adam Turnbull, and Niah McLeod — as well as custom bathrobes by Paddington designer, Double Rainbouu. In-house wine, restaurant and hi-fi bar Busby's promises dimly-lit hedonism, groovy tunes, and steak frites. If you fancy breakfast, you can carb-load with potato rostis and poached eggs. But the main event revolves around the bright and leafy courtyard pool (which many rooms face), which absolutely pops off on weekends. Poolside DJ sets and digital projections lift the mood, meanwhile, the bar keeps you well-fed and "hydrated" with Mandarin Palomas and club sandwiches. 21 Oxford St, Paddington Little National Sydney, Clarence Street A pint-sized national treasure. The Little National Hotel may be just steps away from Barangaroo and the CBD, but inside, there's a sense of zen. The intimate hotel honours Japanese minimalism with 230 petit-chic rooms and bare necessities. Little luxuries include plush king-sized beds, crisp white linen, skin and hair products by Appelles Apothecary and Lab, bathrobes by Brogo, complimentary movie access, intuitive tablets, and a partnership with UberEats. That means you can order from any available CBD-based business — and have food items delivered straight to your door by hotel staff, along with sustainable disposable plates and cutlery. Head up top, and you'll find a rooftop oasis featuring a timber-decked balcony, lush greenery, and communal sofas. Order a spritz at the bar in summer, and sip on a negroni in the indoor velveted lounge areas during winter. For commuters, businesspeople, and digital nomads, there's also "the library" (a quiet workzone) to get in a flow state and print those tickets. If you're after big-city vibes in mindful settings, The Little National is your gateway to productive rest. 26 Clarence St, Sydney [caption id="attachment_975684" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] The Old Clare Hotel[/caption] The Old Clare Hotel, Chippendale Since its highly anticipated re-opening back in 2015, Chippendale's Old Clare Hotel has held a firm place as one of the best hotels in Sydney. Reborn from the (metaphorical) ashes of the historic (and dearly beloved) Clare Hotel, and adjoining Carlton United Brewery Administrative Building, the city stay boasts heritage timber panelling and exposed brick walls, furnished with pendant lighting and vintage furniture. You can also bring your pooch along, thanks to several dog-friendly suites. Other hotel amenities include a rooftop pool, private gym and in-room massage services. Guests can also take advantage of custom-made bicycles to explore the surrounding neighbourhood. At night, simply relax at The Clare Bar or on the city-sweeping rooftop bar. 1 Kensington Street, Chippendale Shangri-La Sydney, The Rocks The views from Shangri-La Sydney look as if they have been plucked right out of a Tourism Australia ad. Look to the left and you'll see the Harbour Bridge up and close. Roll over in bed and look to your right, and you've got the Opera House just sitting there looking right back at you. It's pinch-yourself stunning. And everything you get is centred around those panoramic harbour views. Each of the 565 rooms has a different angle of the harbour. The restaurant and bar, up on level 36, are also made for gawking out at the surrounding Sydney landmarks. As you'd expect from a five-star hotel, the Shangri-La also has its own opulent spa facility. Relax here before heading to the gym, indoor swimming pool, hot whirlpool bath or sundeck. Deep dive into that self-care life. We could think of worse places to rest your head for a few nights. 176 Cumberland Street, The Rocks Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour This 590-room five-star haven was Sydney's very first luxury hotel built in the CBD. And it has never fallen behind the pack, constantly setting the standard for all new hotels in the area. It is a true Sydney institution — for overnight stays, pampering and dining. First off, the Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour rooms are just stupid glamorous. Spread over 35 floors in Darling Harbour's tallest building, guests enjoy all the latest tech and contemporary design with chic French touches. The rooms are classically designed, but they never feel old or outdated — much of this is thanks to the constant updates going on here. If you're not trying out its new luxury spa facilities, be sure to at least take a dip in the infinity pool overlooking the harbour. Food and drink-wise, you'll be sorted too. Visit the French-inspired grill combining French flavours with locally sourced produce at Atelier, order a poolside cocktail at Le Rivage Pool Bar, take in the sunset at the award-winning Champagne Bar or grab a coffee & croissant at the Esprit Noir Lobby Bar on Sundays. It's clear why Sofitel Sydney remains one of the very best hotels in Sydney. 12 Darling Drive, Sydney Crystalbrook Albion, Surry Hills Crystalbrook Albion is a luxurious operation in the heart of Surry Hills. It was launched back in July 2018 by 8Hotels, but has since been acquired by the Crystalbrook Collection hotel group. With 24-hour service and brekkie included, this guest house is pitched as a fusion of hotel and home. Here, at one of the best hotels in Sydney, you'll get to lounge around in designer interiors decked out with a covetable art collection — and in a rooftop garden complete with an outdoor shower and panoramic city views. There's also an honour system bar, where guests can help themselves to high-end nibbles and drinks. When it comes to the food and drinks, both at the breakfast table and in the mini bar, working with local businesses such as Brix Distillery, Infinity Bakery and Poho Flowers is of major importance. 21 Little Albion Street, Surry Hills [caption id="attachment_936166" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Kimpton Margot Sydney[/caption] Kimpton Margot Sydney, Pitt Street Kimpton Margot Sydney may have only opened in 2022, but the Sydney hotel has some real old-world energy about it. Stacks of heritage-listed art deco architectural features have been paired with some contemporary Aussie style. The art deco vibe flows through to each of the 172 spacious rooms and suites, as well as the four restaurants and bars. Out of these drinking and dining spaces, Luke's Kitchen is the centrepiece — helmed by chef Luke Mangan. You can't stay at Kimpton Margot Sydney without taking a dip in the sun-drenched rooftop pool overlooking the city — especially come summer in Sydney. It's a proper concrete oasis, decked out with lounge chairs and couches, surrounded by city towers. All these luxury offerings are also paired with a heap of complementary amenities. Grab a free bike for the day, do some yoga in your room with all the gear and online tutorials provided, and even bring your dog — at no extra charge. 339 Pitt Street, Sydney QT Sydney, Market Street Every one of QT Sydney's guest suites has been carefully crafted to reflect and honour the historic Gowings and State Theatre buildings in which it resides. QT's exterior sports a striking blend of gothic, art deco, and Italianate-influenced architecture — and inside, the luxurious rooms carry through that art deco-meets-gothic aesthetic to quite a striking degree. Plus, thanks to its location right in the centre of the CBD — and alongside one of the city's most famous theatres — the luxury Sydney hotel is a great pick for out-of-towners, while locals can often be found making the best of its various bars, bistros and restaurants. Want to stay a little closer to the beach? Hop over to the QT Bondi for a coastal escape. 49 Market Street, Sydney Travelling with a four-legged friend? Check out our list for the best dog-friendly hotels in Sydney before you go. Images: supplied
Fire is at the heart of the kitchen within Surry Hills restaurant Bessie's. The Albion Street joint arrives from the Bar Copains team, with a myriad of wood-fired standouts and an attached cocktail bar, Alma's. The names — Bessie's and Alma's — are homages to owners Morgan Mcglone and Nathan Sasi's nans, with the chefs promising to celebrate their early memories of food across the two venues. Find your spot in the rustic dining room, containing nods to its former life as a chef's warehouse, with exposed brick and an impressive open kitchen among the tables. Once seated, you'll discover a menu built on dishes, large and small, that have been elevated by flames. Olives, garlic cream mushrooms, paprika prawns and a fennel, spinach, chicory and ricotta pie all emerge from the woodfire oven. There's also fried ocean jacket cheeks, grilled wagyu MG9+ rib cap skewers and a contender for Sydney's best flatbread, served warm and drenched in garlic and herb butter. You can accompany these seared and baked highlights with more delicate snacks and small plates. Think Olasagasti anchovies, Alma's mortadella paired with devilled eggs, and creamy burrata topped with charred zucchini and pine nuts. Or you can turn your attention towards the larger mains, all designed for sharing. There are playful and indulgent takes on your classic share plates here. Standouts include the pork belly and loin chop, partnered with a quince aioli, or the flavour-packed broccoli, hidden under layers of macadamia cream, pesto and chilli. Wine is the star of the drinks menu, with plenty of approachable reds to pair with your wagyu skewers, or funky skin contacts to befriend the prawns. And, if you're after a post-dinner nightcap, wander over to Alma's, where you'll find dirty martinis and bright kir royales. Images by Declan Blackhall
The Cricketers Arms, widely known to its hordes of devotees as the Crix, is the kind of local that will make you want to move into the area. It's a beautiful old pub, boasting wooden floors and wall tiles, a laid back atmosphere, and plenty of character behind the bar. The walls are decorated with random paraphernalia while graffiti runs amok in the toilets. The local theme stems into the drinks too, with a sturdy wine list and an excellent selection of local beers on tap. Be warned, this place is almost always extremely busy — and not only on nights that there's a game up the road. Friday and Saturday nights are particularly insane. We think, however, that the wild, varied crowd is largely responsible for the extremely high fun levels and is a big part of making it one of our favourite Sydney pubs. The music is almost as eclectic as the patrons, with a terrific jazz quartet hitting the floorboards of the main bar on Wednesday nights and regular DJ series SHOOP featuring a playlist dedicated exclusively to "hot R'n'B babe jams". A reliable local, the Crix works both summer and winter well. The outside courtyard, brimming with plants and wooden tables, is good reason to stake out a spot in the warmer months. In winter, a fireplace is always lit, surrounded by lounges and more tables. Upstairs has the excellent casual bistro Chez Crix with a French-inspired menu, fantastic natural wine list and a dog-friendly ethos. If you're yet to be a Cricketers Arms acolyte, you've probably never been. Get there early, bring a good attitude for the always entertaining bar staff, and secure your spot inside or out. Images: Reuben Gibbes Appears in: The Best Pubs in Sydney
Behind the Betta Meats butchery facade, you'll find a secret but beloved cocktail bar: Earl's Juke Joint. It has been around since 2013 and remained a firm Newtown favourite since then. Owner and ex-Shady Pines head honcho Pasan Wijesana has pulled off the seemingly impossible — soul without kitsch — and given King Street a grown-up bar with a New Orleans edge. On the spectrum of masculine broody, the Earl's decor comes in at about the 'thick with bourbon' mark — you could be forgiven for swearing there is a haze of cigarette smoke in the air. They have gone with a basic but effective design brief: dim yellow lighting, dark wood and corrugated iron, topped off by faces like Fats Waller and T-Bone Walker looking down at a comfortably eclectic crowd from the whitewash walls. The feature of the bar, is, well, the bar; a goliath amongst bar tops that coolly dominates the space and invites you to take a seat. If you're not so keen on bartender banter there are a few booths at the back of the room, and plenty of side tables if you're after a touch of privacy. Once you've secured a menu look over the house rules. Rule # 2: 'Don't be creepy' is a built-in conversation starter (or ender) for those on dates. Move on down the menu to the cocktail list, which rotates through eight options every two months and uses native ingredients like saltbush and kaffir lime. If cocktails aren't your port of call, there is plenty else to love about Earl's extensive beer list, which has taken a turn toward mainly Australian and New Zealand craft. Like the cocktail list, it too changes regularly but has an intriguing roster of local legends Wildflower, Yullis, and Philter as well as craft breweries further afield. Wines take a heavy natural and organic lean, with rare 'cult' drops making an appearance every month. The only disappointment here was that we didn't get to see Rule # 5: 'If Triumph by the Wu-Tang Clan plays there will momentarily be no bar service. At least for the first verse anyway.' Updated April 28, 2023.
Theatres are already having a tough go of it in 2026, but this news twists the knife a little bit for Sydney's theatregoing community. Palace Cinemas has announced that after two decades of managing Paddington's historic Chauvel Cinema, the lease has concluded and the cinema will close for long-term renovations on Tuesday, January 27, as many predicted would both be inevitable and necessary. Said renovations, undertaken by the City of Sydney, are for the building as a whole, not just the cinema space, and while Sydney's inner east is losing a gem, the Palace team insists that this is a good thing. "The Chauvel has always been a meeting place for ideas, culture and community," said Palace Cinemas CEO Benjamin Zeccola. "While the lease conclusion and upcoming redevelopment of Paddington Town Hall mean we must say goodbye to this space, we do so with enormous pride in what the Chauvel represented and gratitude to the audiences who gave it life." Chauvel Cinema first opened in 1977, and Palace took over ownership of the space in 2006, one of three cinemas the independent chain owned and operated on Oxford Street. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the cinema was beginning to deteriorate to the point of swaying public opinions, which led to poor box office returns. Pair that with an ever-increasing cost of renovations (renovations that were first proposed back in 2015) and the building's fate was sealed. Palace may have left its Oxford Street territory behind, but Zeccola insists this isn't the end to their commitment to arthouse cinema in Sydney. "This is a farewell to a venue not to an ethos. Over the years, we put forward numerous proposals to address the ageing condition of the Chauvel and Paddington Town Hall and to invest in its future, but the constraints of leasing a public building meant that vision could not obtain council approval." "Nonetheless, the spirit of the Chauvel, its love of international cinema, festivals, and curating places for communities to share incredible experiences will continue at Palace Moore Park, and our other Sydney venues, Palace Central and Palace Norton Street." [caption id="attachment_1063750" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Palace Moore Park[/caption] Since opening in 2024, Palace Cinemas' Moore Park location has become the brand's flagship venue, combining cinema with the packed food and drink offering of the Entertainment Quarter. "Palace Moore Park allows us to honour the Chauvel's legacy while offering audiences a more accessible and comfortable experience," Zeccola said. "With four screens it gives us a place to celebrate cinema and share it with more people, the space to present more festivals, immersive events, and a broader range of films, all while maintaining the careful curation and hospitality our patrons expect." Chauvel Cinema Paddington will close on Tuesday, January 27. For more information on Palace Cinemas and its other locations in Sydney, visit the website. Images courtesy of Palace Cinemas
We could list the awards and accolades, describe the beautiful menu, recite his impressive CV, or show you enticing pictures of gorgeous food (we might still do some of these things) — or we could simply just tell you how much we love Neil Perry's restaurant Margaret in Double Bay. However, to truly appreciate its greatness, we would say: you must try it for yourself. And now, there's about to be even more to try, as the acclaimed restaurant is set to expand with all-day eatery Cafe Margaret, to open this weekend. Cafe Margaret will take the place of Perry's more casual venue, Next Door, which, as expected, is directly adjacent to the main restaurant. The venues are already connected internally, sharing certain back-of-house facilities, and now they will be further connected by their food, their vibe and importantly, their brand. Where Margaret remains the coveted fine-diner it has grown to be, Cafe Margaret, Perry says, "will be a simpler, more easygoing way of easing into the quality ingredients that Margaret uses…we wanted it to be a different price point and a different opportunity for the community to drop in", and whether its for a cake, a sandwich, a brekkie roll or quick dinner, Perry's assurance is that "we will cook it really beautifully for you." While Perry has led a slew of renowned restaurants over his many decades in the industry, it was his Double Bay masterpiece that had the honour of carrying his mother's name. When asked why he chose this venue as one special enough to bear her name, Perry explained that, because Margaret was his first independently owned venue — something truly his — "it felt like the right time to really honour [her]…the right moment to make it very personal." Perry says that while he talks a lot about the influence his dad had on his cooking style, his "mum had this incredible sense of hospitality", which was the kind he hoped to embody when opening Margaret. And now he's doubled down on the name, because this venue is where he intends to stay. "I almost feel like I've kind of retired to Margaret," he says. Margaret has proved worthy of its moniker, winning a string of impressive awards, including being crowned the second-best steak restaurant in the world. That seems like an accomplishment too big to skirt by, particularly when you consider that Margaret is as much of a specialty seafood restaurant as it is a steak house. That Perry does both so impeccably well really dispels that old 'jack of all trades' adage. Perry's new spot will feature traditional breakfast dishes, including seasonal fruit with Meredith yoghurt and hazelnuts, eggs your way, daily in-house-baked cakes, and a four-cheese toastie that Perry often cooks up for himself at home. However, Perry says he hopes it'll be the egg and bacon roll that finds the same popularity as his famous burger. He describes the smoky and tangy roll with the excitable fervour of someone who has eaten a good many of them. With a runny fried egg layered with double smoked bacon, gyuyere, caramelised onions, chipotle mayo, spring onion and rocket, Perry says he knows this one "is a cracker." And for lunch? We, and the rest of the world, all know Perry knows how to flip a burger, considering Next Door's much-loved version — a stacked combination of American cheese, onions, pickle, rose mayo and a brisket and chuck patty on a milk bun — was ranked as the tenth best burger in the world. So it's with great joy that we can confirm, straight from the source, that Perry's famed burger will maintain its central position on both the lunch and dinner menus at Cafe Margaret. And the best bit is, for the first time, you can even get them to go. Perry says he has intentionally increased the venue's capacity for pumping out burgers, noting that "instead of 100 burgers a day, we'd love to sell 200", especially with the park across the road, the perfect place to picnic. Perry has cleverly decided to expand his burger offering with a crispy fish version, amped up with gochugang and kimchi, and a caramelised onion smash burger (which he is still working on) and aims to add to the rotation in the coming weeks. If we had you at smash burger, wait until you hear about Perry's take on a steak sandwich. He says that while dinner will be for the likes of fresh grilled fish, hearty fish stews, and seared minute steaks, at lunch, he'll stuff that steak into a roll with chips and lots of cafe de Paris butter, because they are just "trying to have a lot of fun with it." An essential part of Cafe Margaret's purpose is to offer Perry's beloved customers a place to hang out from the early hours, because even though he has won many impressive awards and accolades, more importantly to him, he has won over his community. Double Bay really is his darling, and he is deeply embedded in the community, spending almost every day from 7am, until 10pm, at his venues. "Sam and I love being part of the community, and opening breakfast was an important part of that, to connect with the community through coffee and a sweet treat". This technically means you could spend an entire day drinking coffee, eating brunch and sipping a bellini, enjoying an early evening drink and snack before settling in for a truly world-class dinner, without having to leave Perry's special, sun-soaked Double Bay corner. We can think of many worse ways to spend a day. Images: Petrina Tinslay.
It's been over five years in the making, but Erskineville's Kurrajong Hotel finally reopened post-renovations in September of 2025. The sprawling corner pub was shuttered for an extensive facelift after coming into new ownership in 2019, only to never reopen and become repossessed in 2024. Now, it's back, and in top form, restored to true heritage glory and now complete with Kurrajong House — a boutique accommodation offering on the top floor. The 1930s pub has always been a "locals pub run by locals". That mission statement remains true for new venue head Johnny Mathias, alongside chef Francesco Catellana, Culinary Advisor George Calombaris and a bar team headed up by Brandon Marignano. Now comes a menu of elevated pub grub, beginning with snacks like cheese and garlic milk buns, lobster nuggets with charred orange and cajun, scallop ceviche with nam jim dressing, salmon roe and finger lime and puffed pork crackling with chipotle rouille and anchovies. Smaller start plates follow, with tuna tartare accompanied by grapefruit, green tomato, and shiso, alongside classics such as salt-and-pepper calamari with Sichuan pepper and lime aioli. Moving to mains, it becomes a focused affair. Steak lovers can tuck into 300g wagyu picanha or Angus striploin with house-made red wine, peppercorn or mushroom sauce. Otherwise, diners can indulge in the likes of house-made vodka rigatoni with anchovy crumb, grilled king prawns with yuzu, tarragon and black garlic labneh or a classic chicken schnitty with cabbage and pea salad (and chips, obviously). Weekly specials take things up a notch from typical pub fare, too. Monday is all about $25 fish and chips, Tuesday offers $35pp Brazilian bbq, Wednesday's are home to monthly rotating French dishes, Thursday is a lasagna day, Friday is curry night, and Saturday calls for all-you-can-eat oysters from 3.30–5pm. Oh, and desserts? Your choice is between basque cheesecake, pistachio rice pudding, or a sweet-and-salty dark chocolate mousse. On the bar side of things, there are five beer taps and house wines from Alpha Box & Dice. Cocktails get a mention too, with a short but sweet list of classics and two house special slushies: Just Peachy and Madame Yuzu. Images: Trent van der Jagt
Sydney band Sherlock's Daughter are launching their new EP at the Hopetoun Hotel and in true-to-form style have grabbed two of Sydney's most exciting emerging acts to perform in support – Megastick Fanfare and Kyu. Freya from the unsigned but hugely promising Kyu has a gorgeous, resonant voice that lingers long after her performances have ended, and while they've been playing loads of shows recently Megastick Fanfare always entertain with their cramped stage full of home-made synths.
