Revving up for a string of final tour shows, for the 14th time in fact, Cell Block 69 are putting on a Christmas bash that's worth cancelling your weekend plans for. A revival '80s rock band like no other, this eight-piece act will be delivering their power ballads, synth pop classics and 'Totally Awesome Rock Hits' at their annual festivities once again. 'The many faces of Corey Tour 2014' sees the band's members (all sporting the first name 'Corey') hit the Oxford Art Factory in spectacular style. Renowned for their psychedelic strobe-lit performances, Cell Block 69's shows call back to the sell out stadium gigs of their iconic predecessors. Well, in their minds at least. Part parody, part homage rock group; these guys are a whole lot of hilarious. Spending your Saturday night rocking out to a smoke-filled spectacle of unparalleled excess, get ready for a night of headbanging beats and cringeworthy dance moves.
Every neighbourhood needs a reliable Thai restaurant. For Potts Point, it's Llankelly Thai. The laneway restaurant is perfect for when you and your mates desperately need a catch-up but you're all on a budget. It likes to pride itself on simplicity, offering up food that always tastes great. The service is friendly and relaxed and they're open every day for lunch and dinner. The lunch special runs from 11:30 in the morning until 4:40 in the afternoon and it is a great place to swing by with a group of mates or colleagues. The laksa chicken is prepared in a homemade laksa based soup, paired with your choice of vegetables including carrot, broccoli and beansprouts before being topped with dried red onion. Alternatively the wanton soup with chicken wontons, vegetables and egg noodles is especially delicious. Vegetarians might enjoy pumpkin and tofu stir fry served with rice. The dinner menu is more eclectic but still has a traditional approach. Start with a roasted duck salad tossed in lychee with tomato, cucumber, shallots and chilli jam dressing and the tom yum noodle soup with Thai herbs and bok choy. For a main, the brave can try the spicy panang curry with bamboo, chilli and basil leaves, while a gentler option is the massaman with slow cooked beef, coconut milk and roasted peanuts. As you'd hope, the chef recommendations are spot on. Our favourite being the 'Holy Duck' — a stir fried roasted duck with chilli, mixed vegetables, pumpkin and basil. Llankelly Thai is the kind of Sydney restaurant you head to for classic and tasty Thai eats in a laidback setting. It's not trying to invent the wheel. That ain't necessary when the food tastes this good.
If you're fascinated by anatomy and don't get too creeped out by cadavers, then we might've found your ultimate exhibition. Having scored rave reviews on its international tour, the world-renowned Real Bodies exhibition has finally made its Sydney debut at the Entertainment Quarter's Byron Kennedy Hall. This one digs pretty deep and is a little different to your standard cultural experience in that it features a collection of 20 real, perfectly preserved human bodies, alongside over 200 anatomical specimens. Exploring birth, life and death, through a compelling mix of art, science and emotion, Real Bodies aims to give visitors a whole new perspective on the weird and wonderful complexities of the human body. The exhibition's divided between ten different galleries, each focused on various physiological functions. Dive into the intricacies of the respiratory system in the 'Breathe' gallery, or discover the science behind physical attraction as you explore the one titled 'Love'. Just remember, it's probably not one you want to schedule in for straight after lunch.
The cold weather won't stop many from scoring a scoop of ice cream, but sometimes, a warmer bite just feels right. With this in mind, it's a good thing Gelato Messina is back with a new edition of its cult-favourite cookie pie. Made in collaboration with Tony's Chocolonely, this is the ideal chance to discover the brand's mission to end exploitation in the cocoa industry. Designed to be baked fresh at home, this feel-good cookie pie offers the ultimate treat for when you're rugged up on the couch. Plus, this inventive dessert hits all the marks of a winter treat: golden on the outside, gooey on the inside, and loaded with Tony's beloved milk and dark chocolate pieces. Crafted in-house by Messina's pastry team, expect each pie to resonate with the same thought and care as the brand's top-notch gelato. Speaking of, this molten delight is best served with a scoop of your go-to Messina flavour on top, helping to create your dream combination. Available from all Messina stores and for delivery from Monday, July 7, these limited-edition treats are served first-come, first-served. Just don't expect them to last long. Priced at $25 each, you're welcome to bundle with 500ml, 1L or 1.5L tubs of Messina gelato, so you can scoop at home until your heart and tastebuds are content. If you're keen to brave the cold weather, single-serve cookie pies will be served in all Messina stores (except Circular Quay and The Star) from Monday, July 14. Available from 5pm every Monday–Thursday throughout winter, these smaller portions are priced at $12, with your choice of gelato scoop making your after-dark adventure more than worth it. Plus, the team is getting in the mood by launching Brownie Points, a limited-edition flavour created to pair with your pie. Think salted milk chocolate gelato, lashings of caramel and Tony's double-choc brownie rolled into a toothsome scoop. It's available from all Messina stores from Saturday, July 12–Saturday, July 19, or until sold out. Tony's Chocolonely and Gelato Messina's cookie pie is available from all locations and for online delivery from Monday, July 7. Head to the website for more information.
Stealing from the rich and giving to the poor isn't just the domain of Robin Hood. In SBS's new six-part series, it's how a 13-year-old Northern Territory kid not only tries to get by, but endeavours to help his friends, family and others in his struggling community. The cheeky, big-hearted, hoodie-wearing teen's name: Robbie Hood. Giving a classic concept a uniquely Indigenous Australian spin, the idea behind Robbie Hood is both simple and ingenious, like many of the best are. Rather than following an adult outlaw attempting to correct the disparity between the wealthy and the less fortunate, the bite-sized show steps into the life of its eponymous hero (Pedrea Jackson) across its ten-minute-long episodes. In an area blighted by poverty, racism and systemic inequities at every turn — sky-high grocery prices that make meat unaffordable, and a foster-care system that does the bare minimum for kids in need, for example — when Robbie flouts the law, it's for a good reason. His light-fingered ways aren't a weapon in a folkloric class war, but a social-realist reflection of suboptimal conditions in Australia's Red Centre Forget Sherwood Forest, the Sheriff of Nottingham, Little John, Will Scarlett and Maid Marion, then. Instead, in Alice Springs' dusty surrounds, Robbie butts heads with kindly Shane the Copper (Dan Falzon), pals around with the always-hungry Little Johnny (Levi Thomas) and ever-sarcastic Georgia Blue (Jordan Johnson), and has a crush on checkout chick Mim (Tiara Doolan). He's always trying to make life easier for his Nana Mary (Audrey Martin), and, while he calls his boozing, guitar-playing dad (Andy Golledge) a dickhead, his love never falters. Robbie takes the same approach to his hometown — sure, he dubs it a shithole mere moments into the series' first episode, but it's still his home. Set in the lead up to Christmas, the show charts sweltering days, attempts to sneak into the local pool, quests to get enough pre-paid power cards to keep the electricity running and trips to the speedway, with writer/director Dylan River finding humour and heart in every scenario. Indeed, the show's ability to pair an upbeat spirit with an unflinching look at reality is one of its unwavering strengths. Robbie Hood's characters, including its irrepressible, irreverent protagonist, are well aware of their situation, and yet they're never defeated or defined by it. Perfecting that balance and happily dismantling stereotypes in the process, River is helped by his fantastic cast, especially the spirited Jackson — a first-time actor who oozes charisma as the titular thief. The series' expressive cinematography also assists, capturing the everyday minutiae of Alice Springs without a hint of sugarcoating, while also surveying its striking, sprawling desert landscape. River, however, is his own MVP. The young Aussie filmmaker crafts an entertaining and insightful exploration of life in the Red Centre, as partially inspired by his own life as well as the experiences of his friends and family. And, in making perhaps the best twist on Robin Hood yet, he also adds a stellar credit to his growing resume. The son of Samson and Delilah director Warwick Thornton, and grandson of pioneering Indigenous Australian figure Alfreda Glynn, River already has documentaries Buckskin and Finke: There and Back to his name, as well as cinematography credits on his father's Sweet Country and upcoming Adam Goodes doco The Australian Dream. All six episodes of Robbie Hood are available to stream now on SBS On Demand.
Treat yourself — or a friend — to a luxury gift box of artisanal chocolates from family-run chocolatier Just William. Owner Suzanne Francis makes the bite-sized chocolates by hand in new and surprising flavour combinations, from the popular ganache cream centre 'bombs' filled with fruit, booze or caramel, to the animal-shaped treats like mango penguins, strawberry echidnas and orange koalas. The store always has gift boxes dedicated to special occasions such as Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and Easter — so even if you forgot to save the date, Francis has your back for a premium gift set of handmade truffles on any day of the year.
Keen to explore the seas on your next trip to Jervis Bay? If you want to go beyond the usual splash in the shallows or baking on the beach, then take a half-day or full-day tour with Sea Kayak Jervis Bay. You'll learn paddling techniques, trivia-comp-winning facts about the bay and, between paddling sessions, you'll stop for coffee, cake, fruit and a dip at a stunning beach. If you're feeling intrepid, venture away from the shoreline to Bowen Island. It's illegal to disembark, but there's stacks to see from your boat, including fairy penguins — approximately 5000 breeding pairs live there. If you're a seasoned paddler, you can also hire kayaks for the day without the tour, which will set you back $60 for a full day if you're solo or $85 for a double kayak.
Along with offering excellent food and drink at its cafe, Cornersmith is also an advocate for and teacher of a more sustainable, more delicious way of living. From teaching the fundamentals of preserves, to explaining the basics of pickling, Cornersmith is dedicated to sharing ways of making your food last longer, taste better and do more for you nutritionally. Some of their recent additions include cheese making, bread baking, pastry rolling and fermenting. Fermented food has become massive in Sydney over the last few years — think kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut, pickles (and the list goes on) — so why not try your hand at it? Classes change week to week, so check their website to see what's on.
The crew behind beloved pizza shop My Mother's Cousin is carving out a claim to be the go-to hospitality group for anything dough-related in Sydney's south. Not content with running one of the area's best pizzerias, the team has delivered another standout venue in the form of Self Raised Bread Shoppe. Decked out in retro signage and awnings accompanied by a chequered lino floor and wood panelling, the cafe and bakery is serving carb-laden goodness on Jubilee Avenue in the Sydney suburb of Carlton, just down from Jubilee Stadium. On the counter you'll find a glass cabinet with the day's baked wares for sale. Expect kouign-amanns, croissants, filled doughnuts, tarts and cinnamon buns all ready to satisfy your sweet cravings. Or, if you'd prefer the savoury route, opt for focaccia topped with tomato and ricotta, sausage rolls or a selection from the made-to-order sandwich menu. If you're heading in before 10.30am and on the hunt for something hot and hearty you have two choices. The first is the egg, cheese and potato hash on a milk bun with your choice of peppered ketchup or the specialty house sauce plus the optional addition of sausage — a perfect combo for a Sunday morning after a big night. The other option is your classic sourdough grilled cheese with mushroom as an optional added extra. From 10.30am until close, the sandwich selection expands to include mortadella, turkey, ham, and salami hoagies; tuna sandwiches loaded with dill, onion, cheese and pickles; a vegetarian delight that loads up ciabatta with artichoke, onion, rocket, parmesan and mayo; or a classic panko-crumbed schnitzel sambo on white bread. Self Raised Bread Shoppe does have more than your bread needs covered. There's also shelves of providore faves like hot sauces, cold meats, sardines, olives, burrata, coffee beans and cans of iced tea.
The Hunter Valley's music and wine festival Grapevine Gathering is gearing up to return to the vineyards of Pokolbin's Roche Estate in 2021 after taking 2020 off for obvious reasons. The festival pairs the very best drops with a vibrant music lineup full of local talent. Canberra party-starters Peking Duk and Brisbane indie-rock group The Jungle Giants are two of the bigger acts heading up the lineup. They'll be joined on the winery stage by Vera Blue, The Veronicas, San Cisco, CC:Disco!, King Stingray and Rest for the Wicked. It's going to be a big day of tunes, folks. Aussie sketch comedians and Instagram celebrities The Inspired Unemployed are taking on hosting tunes to keep you entertained between acts. In addition to the tunes, punters will have access to an array of first-rate food options and a heap of wines, of course. To help make commuting to-and-from Pokolbin a little easier, the festival has organised return buses from Sydney, Newcastle, Gosford, Maitland and Cessnock. You'll just need to add a (slightly pricey) bus pass to your ticket. Pre-sale tickets drop at 6pm on Wednesday, February 24 (you can sign-up for those here) with general tickets going on sale at midday on Thursday, February 25.
Oh, modern life. For all its joys and conveniences, it also brings with it a particular set of stresses. From fast-paced, expensive city living to pressure from friends, family, and social media to be and look a certain way, it's no surprise we go through our days feeling a bit overwhelmed. Yet, compared to the effort we put into our physical wellbeing — clocking hours at the gym or religiously adhering to one diet or another — we tend to pay much less attention to our mental health. The result: an uptick in depression, anxiety, and general unhappiness. Luckily for us Sydneysiders, Mary Hoang and her innovative new psychology and mindfulness venture The Indigo Project are here to help. Noting the lack of businesses dedicated to mental wellbeing in Sydney, Hoang set out to build a sanctuary where city dwellers could go to de-stress and cultivate inner peace. Based in Surry Hills, the newly opened space uses mindfulness and modern psychology to, in Hoang's words, "help people get their shit together". Refreshingly unpretentious, The Indigo Project offers innovative workshops, one-on-one therapy, meditation, yoga and lunchtime nap classes (yes, nap classes), as well as local and international retreats. Hoang's path to founding The Indigo Project was winding. Originally from Perth, she moved to Sydney to pursue a degree in psychology and, after graduation, worked with the city's street kids through The Salvation Army's Oasis Youth Support Network. "I found the best way to connect with the kids was through mediums like hip hop dance and graffiti," she says. "And I became passionate about this creative, down-to-earth approach to psychology." But going on to work in various private practices, Hoang found that her youthful, creative approach was not readily embraced by employers. "I had all these ideas like taking meditation into the corporate world and creating mindfulness workshops that incorporated music, but my bosses preferred to stick to their old-school ways," she says, in her characteristically enthusiastic tone. So, in 2012, Hoang decided to take the leap and branch out on her own. Naming her venture after the concept of indigo children (that is, a generation of individuals thought to have supernatural intuition, intelligence, and creativity), she set out to build a business that would cater to young, creative individuals by teaching mindfulness in an approachable way. While the journey hasn't been easy — "you certainly don't learn how to run a small business in your psychology classes" — it's also been incredibly fulfilling. After three years of working out of her apartment and renting rooms for workshops and classes, Hoang finally opened the permanent location last month, in October 2016. "It took me years to find this place because I wanted somewhere people would want to linger, to talk, to collaborate — not just drop in for a class and then rush back out," she explains. This goal has been achieved with the serene Surry Hills space — it features beautiful Scandinavian-style furniture, abundant potted plants, and an AstroTurfed rooftop. Today, The Indigo Project's jam-packed program offers something for everyone. The only "requirement", Hoang says, is a curious mind. "If you're asking questions about how you can be more present and reduce your stress, we have something for you." For an introduction to mindfulness, try one of the daily meditation or yoga classes. Once you're ready to delve deeper, sign up for The indigo project's signature Get Your Shit Together course. An eight-week mindfulness meditation program, the course gives participants the tools to understand their minds better and learn to live in the present. You could also give the genius Nap Time a try. Perfect for those moments in the work week when you're practically nodding off at your desk, the class provides a guided relaxation meditation and the opportunity for a little pick-me-up snooze in the middle of the day. It's designed so you head back to work energised and ready to tackle the afternoon's challenges. If you don't have a nap desk, this is the next best thing. Even if you're sceptical, give it a go — your mind will thank you. The Indigo Project is located at 33 Foster Street, Surry Hills. For more information and a class timetable, visit theindigoproject.com.au. Keen to check it out? The Indigo Project team are offering one free yoga, meditation or naptime class to the first 50 Concrete Playground readers who book online using the code CPGROUND50. Book via www.theindigoproject.com.au. Images: Kimberley Low.
Fossix Coffee has been serving up artisanal eats and specialty coffee on Pitt Street since its opening in 2016. Run by owner Jeremy Glass and chef Sean Kiely, the cafe boasts house-made pastries, cakes and other sweet treats that are a far cry from your run-of-mill CBD cafeteria eats. Open from 7.30am every weekday, the foyer cafe is serving up espressos and iced coffees made on a rotating selection of coffee, including single-origin blends by Sample Coffee. Hungry visitors can check out the takeaway brekkie and lunch menu — think smoked salmon bagels, croissants and barbecue pulled pork wraps — or choose from a selection of vego and gluten-free options. Those with a sweet-tooth can tuck into the changing menu of cakes, with local favourites including the Golden Gaytime cheesecake, 'Mum's carrot cake' and a decadent red velvet cake. And if you head down on a Friday afternoon you can grab any remaining slices for just $5 a pop. With a cool, greenery-filled interior hidden from street view, Fossix offers an escape from the hubbub of the CBD. Plus, you can consider your next office soirée sorted with the extensive catering menu, offering everything from mini-bagels and canapés to a three-litre urn of batch brew filter.
Parlour X is housed in an old sandstone building on Oxford Street — known as 'The Church' — and is difficult to miss. It was founded in 2001 by owner Eva Galambos, after a career spanning 12 years as a commercial fashion agent for Giorgio Armani and Nicole Farhi in London and Sydney. With this in mind, it's little surprise that Parlour X has carved out a name for itself as the leading one-stop shop for luxury designer wear and accessories. Inside the grandiose building, you'll find premiere collections from high-end international and Australian labels including Fendi, Paco Rabanne, Comme Des Garçons and Christopher Esber. Galambos also uses her exposure to Europe's high-end fashion world to promote and showcase emerging Australian designers.
Stay tuned. More info coming soon.
Sunset Cinema is no stranger to St Ives Showground. In fact, it screened flicks there late in 2021. But for its new season from Wednesday, January 19–Saturday, March 12, the openair cinema has given things a revamp. The setup now takes a few cues from its other locations — including in North Sydney — and has ditched the drive-in component, but the main attraction is still the same: watching movies under the stars. Whether you're planning a cosy date night or an easy group hang outdoors, there'll be something on the bill for you — kicking off with that now-openair cinema must-have The Greatest Showman, and spanning plenty of new and recent titles as well. If you haven't yet given Spider-Man: No Way Home a spin, or taken The Matrix Resurrection's pill, or been shaken not stirred by No Time to Die, they're all on the lineup. Other highlights include Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch, the Lady Gaga-starring House of Gucci, Will Smith's applauded performance in King Richard and Kristen Stewart getting regal in Spencer. And, in the retro camp, sessions of Grease and Dirty Dancing are basically obligatory. BYO picnics are encouraged here, but the event is fully licensed, so alcohol can only be purchased onsite. Didn't pack enough snacks? There'll be hot food options, plus plenty of the requisite movie treats like chips, chocolates, lollies and popcorn.
Beloved camping music festival Beyond the Valley returns to its regular programming this year, set to ring in the new year at Barunah Plains, west of Melbourne, from December 28, 2022–January 1, 2023. And it's got a stacked lineup to celebrate, too, headlined by none other than the legendary Nelly Furtado — the Canadian singer behind 'I'm Like a Bird', 'Turn Off the Light', here for a one-off Aussie-exclusive performance. Joining her on the eclectic bill: Denzel Curry, Dom Dolla, Kaytranada, BENEE, Yeat, Flight Facilities, Honey Dijon, Lime Cordiale, Patrick Topping, Charlotte De Witte, Diplo and more. That includes Bicep, which'll come as no surprise if you saw the video earlier in the year announcing the fest's return, which was set to the sounds of 'Glue'. The fest's sprawling new Barunah Plains home comes complete with a 100,000-square metre-natural amphitheatre, playing host to its three usual stages (main stage, dance tent and multi-level dance spot Dr Dan's), as well as a new podcast stage featuring live and interactive recordings. The 2022 instalment will also include a beach club for swims; a small space that's only accessible via secret entrance called Schmall Klüb; and the Poof Doof 'pride patrol'; plus speed-dating, yoga, pilates, meditation, open mic sessions and a fortune teller. Beyond the Valley has released a range of ticketing options, including single-day passes and multi-day entry — though you'll want to be quick as they're all expected to sell out. [caption id="attachment_866660" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mackenzie Sweetnam[/caption]
In the middle of Pyrmont, beyond The Star and behind Blackwattle Bay, you'll find family-run Pioik Bakery. Inside? Breads, cakes, meringues, pastries, tarts and any other baked good you can think of. The Harris Street bakehouse and cafe is a local favourite, with the large shopfront window brightening up the exposed brick interior. Sit at the wooden communal table for a coffee and you'll feel like you're in someone's home in an instant. But, you're coming here for the food, so we'll skip right ahead. Pioik started off with the mission to create simple, great food. There are flatbreads topped with veggies and egg sandwiches alongside sweet treats like flaky croissants, cinnamon scrolls and orange cake. The bread alone is worth the visit. First up, there's Epooro (The King) which is two kilograms of organic whole wheat dough. The Aftonf is a classic sourdough, Kemo is a dark rye style, there's a fruit loaf dubbed Owtah and The Etyoo has five grains: organic sprouted rye grain, fermented whole oats, whole spelt, freekeh and pearl barley. Plus, there are baguettes, focaccia and gluten free loaves. Appears in: The Best Bakeries in Sydney for 2023
Eastern Sydneysiders won’t have to drive across the city for a little western magic. Brand new cafe The Trail, which opened last Thursday on New South Head Road in Vaucluse, offers a unique blend of Little Marionette coffee and a creative brunch-happy menu, straight out of Marrickville or Redfern. “I live on Addison Road in Marrickville and I love the cafe culture that's around there. We’re spoiled for choice,” says owner Nick Stubbs, who earned his barista stripes from years at Pyrmont's Cafe Morso. “But I’ve also been coming to Parsley Bay for a while. It’s a really nice area, but there aren’t a lot of cafes. From talking to locals, I found out that there’s actually a bit of demand around here for quality and for something different.” Drawing on advice from previous bosses, including Morso’s Andy Webb, Stubbs decided to open his own cafe in The Trail; keeping things simple and as effective as possible. "The layout is minimal and sleek. I wanted people to feel welcome, so I didn’t want clutter. I worked with a great carpenter who loves blackbutt, so we found some pieces with a natural finish — and it’s come up really, really beautifully." The same minimalist principle is applied to the Trail menu, except that it's jazzed up with some fine dining finesse, thanks to head chef Lenny Walker. There are just ten dishes on offer — five breakfasts and five lunches — which are all available all day. We're talking buckwheat porridge with brandied rhubarb, poached quinoa, pecan and honeycomb ($14); roasted pepper and Manchego omelette with jalapeno salsa rocket and pinenut salad ($16); and hot smoked trout with roast cauliflower, picked grapes, almonds, quinoa and kale salad, and celery and verjuice dressing ($16/20). For classic brunchers, there's also braised brisket on a brioche bun served with rosemary roast potatoes ($18), or the more breakfasty option of The Trail’s jamon and egg roll with house pickles and chipotle aioli ($10). The Trail, located at 34 New South Head Road, Vaucluse, is open Monday to Friday, 7am to 4pm, with the kitchen closing at 3pm; and Saturday and Sunday, 8am to 3pm, with the kitchen closing at 2pm. Images: Andy Fraser.
Part of the historical Worimi Conservation Lands, the Stockton Sand Dunes are considered the largest coastal moving sand mass in the Southern Hemisphere. And the best way to explore the 32 kilometres of sand is on four wheels with Sand Dune Adventures. The company, which is owned and operated by the Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council, offers a special experience that combines insights into the rich cultural heritage of the area with adrenaline-pumping quad biking action. On the 1.5-hour Aboriginal Culture Quad Bike Tour, you'll ride from the bush to the beach as your Aboriginal guide explains the traditional uses and care of the land you're on, including pointing out some freshwater lagoons and burial sites. You'll also get information on traditional Aboriginal food, culture and history. The tour is suitable for all experience levels, and the bikes have automatic thumb throttle so, after a quick safety tutorial on riding techniques, you should get the hang of things quickly. Images: Destination NSW
Lili J has given the once-abandoned building it calls home, which was once upon a time a florist shop, a new lease on life. The cafe mixes mismatched furniture, plants and huge bay windows to welcoming effect. Coffee is serious business here, with the beans from Sydney roaster Reuben Hills and the occasional appearance by other top-notch roasters. The all-day breakfast menu blends cafe classics like bacon and egg rolls and granola with the likes of chilli scrambled eggs and warming cinnamon porridge. There's also a scrumptious range of baked goods on offer, which rotate daily. Best of all, such are the prices, you won't have to put off buying a home to fund your breakfast. Images: Jasmine Low
Creativity never dies. In its tenth year, HIDDEN will showcase over forty sculptures installed all over the historic Rookwood Cemetery. The exhibition features artists from all over the country and overseas. Tasked with celebrating history, culture, remembrance, and love, each artist has contributed to this outdoor sculpture walk that hides creativity amongst gardens and graves. The exhibition is free to explore and runs for the entirety of September, kicking off with a launch party at 3pm on Saturday, September 1. Highlights of the unique (and slightly spooky) exhibition include a short film competition — with 10 different flicks — a floating "stairway to heaven" and a performative piece, which takes place every Saturday and Sunday from 12pm. For those wanting to know some of the stories behind the art pieces, there'll be free tours running throughout the exhibition led by HIDDEN curator Cassandra Lawrie. You can check out the full list of times and book your space here.
Eclectic, funky, stylish, unique — these are just a few complementary ways to describe Jackie, the owner of The Very Bazaar. The inclusive clothing store is bursting with fabulous preloved threads and accessories that are as much fun as its owner. Jackie has already put the hard work in, hand picking new stock every fortnight — so, you are guaranteed to come across a great find including vintage dresses with sunny prints, denim overalls with hand detailed embroidery and the coolest retro kicks since 1994.
A quiet corner of Darlington is now home to its very own roastery, courtesy of coffee enthusiast and former Australian Barista Championship judge Cedric Kim. The 32-seat cafe offers quality eats, backyard seating and, most importantly, bottomless coffee for all. Customers can choose from all-you-can-drink batch or cold brew for just $7 — a nearly unheard of perk on Sydney shores. To keep his offering constantly evolving, Kim sources fresh beans from Alexandria's Collective Roasting Solutions every week. At the moment, the milk blend coffees use beans from Colombia, Brazil, Ethiopia and Guatemala. The single-origin offer changes every week, too — right now those beans are from Burundi, Africa. "I want my customers to really get a sense of different characteristics of beans from all around the world," says Kim. Filtered, iced and pour over (using the high tech GINA) also make the menu. If you're not feeling like a coffee, there's also a house-blend brown sugar chai — steeped for 12 hours and brewed with almond milk — smoothies, gelato milkshakes and fresh juices on offer. [caption id="attachment_729547" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tanya Saint James[/caption] In the kitchen, Head Chef Muhammad (Obi) Owais takes the freshness of his food very seriously — the cafe receives a daily delivery from a local supplier and uses only those ingredients on the day. You'll find the Ivy Bruschetta (sourdough toast rubbed with garlic and topped with multi-coloured cherry tomatoes, boconccini and basil) and the Roaster's Eggs (free-range poached eggs and chorizo in a house-made tomato sauce with sourdough), along with a smoked pulled pork burger, which has already become a neighbourhood favourite, according to Kim. "People lick the plate all the time," he says. For vegetarians, the polenta sounds especially tasty, served with a mix of wild mushrooms and a poached egg and drizzled with truffle oil. Set in the residential side of Darlington, Kim wasn't looking to draw a big crowd with this venture. "I didn't want a main road shop because I want people coming in bit-by-bit and seeing that we do things differently," says Kim. "I want to really focus on making the best possible coffee, and if we are crazy busy it just won't work." Terra Cotta Roasters is now open at 1/74–80 Ivy Lane, Darlington. Opening hours are 7am–3pm daily. Images: Tanya Saint James
As the name suggests, if you're looking for a scarf, go to Skarfe. This isn't the place for just any scarves, though. Skarfe specialises in neckwear from around the world, crafted from materials such as silk, cashmere and, in some cases, leather. The small boutique also collaborates with local artists, meaning that there are plenty of diverse, unique patterns to turn heads. And if you still can't find something you like, Skarfe offers a custom digital printing service, so you can bring any design to life with the material and finish of your choice — the only limit is your own imagination.
For over four decades, local institution Macleay St Bistro has been dishing out French cuisine. Now, after a great run in its original home, the team has moved into a bigger and better space — and the new location is only a few strides away from its OG spot. Following its 44th anniversary back in February, the beloved locale announced its plans to relocate to a brand-new site, taking over the previous spot of Monopole and Enoteca Ponti. Now residing at 71A Macleay Street, the new Potts Point digs are double the size of Macleay St Bistro's prior location, with the 123-square-metre space taking cues from European wine bars in the 50s. "This new space is lighter, brighter and more welcoming," said owner Phillip Fikkers. "We have the experience to deliver impeccable service, a decadent menu and an evening to remember." Construction professionals Ar Huis handled the fitout of Macleay Street Bistro's new venue. Opt to dine in and you'll be met with memorable red leather seating and copper trims, as paired with pale green walls adorned with moody art and lavish arched mirrors. Remnants from the old bistro complement the new additions, creating a revitalised casual diner that remains chic and aims to appeal to all crowds. As for the menu, it's consistent with the restaurant's offerings prior to relocating. Chef Callum Brewin is at the helm, leading his team to curate the authentic French cuisine that Macleay St Bistro is known for. Accordingly, you'll find that all of the crowd favourites have returned, from the classic steak tartare and twice-baked French onion cheese souffle to the steak frites accompanied by a pear salad and the silky crème brulee. There are also some newcomers, including the chateaubriand — a hearty weekend roast available from Saturday–Sunday — and top-of-the-range caviar, which can be added as a side or consumed as a bump. "They're dishes people know and love," says Fikkar. "Our customers come here for comforting French classic dishes. Diners know what they are going to get, and we find many of them book the restaurant because they want a certain dish." For sips, a seasonal cellar collection is also among the new additions, offering up premium wines including a 2017 Château D'Issan and bubbles like the 2015 Pierre Gimonnet Cramant Grand Cru. You can also enjoy in-house cocktails starring Chambord and crème de cassis, plus a French martini. To top things off, the bistro does still accept BYO wine with a $14 corkage fee every day except Sunday, when there's no charge. You'll now find Macleay St Bistro at 71A Macleay Street, Potts Point — open from 12.30pm Thursday–Tuesday for lunch and from 5.30–10.30pm daily for dinner.
Despite also serving up everything from all-day vegan breakfast to ice cream sandwiches, we still think that fries are the best thing about Lord of the Fries. It's right there in the name, after all. The chain's chips are particularly tasty — as made with Australian potatoes and cooked in a cottonseed sunflower oil blend. There is one thing better than Lord of the Fries' titular dish, however. That'd be free shoestring fries from the chip-loving establishment. And on Wednesday, July 13, the vegan fast food joint is giving away just that. Free. Fries. Yes, really. To snag free fries on Wednesday, you'll need to head to your chosen store in between 4–5pm and you'll be gifted a serving of shoestring deliciousness. You don't even have to purchase any vego nuggets to redeem them. There is a limit of one freebie per person, though, so take that into consideration if you're feeling particularly peckish. You'll get your choice of classic sauces, too. This is clearly great news for anyone who like fries, aka everyone. Folks in Sydney can head to Newtown, Melburnians can choose between ten different stores, and Brisbanites can flock to Fortitude Valley (or Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast). Also, people in Adelaide can hit up Hindley Street and Glenelg, with Perth residents can visit Northbridge. And if you're wondering why, that's because it's National Fry Day. Of course it is. There are a few caveats, as is always the case with this kind of giveaway. So, the freebies span one Lord of the Fries stickered cup of shoestring fries and one classic sauce, with the latter popped directly on top of the former. Again, you can only get one per person, and only in-store. And, it's only for shoestring fries — not the classic, chunky or sweet potato versions. Lord of the Fries is giving away free fries from 4–5pm on Wednesday, July 13 at all of its Australian locations. To find your closest store, head to the chain's website.
You don't have to travel far from Sydney to enjoy the waves with your pup, either. Go for a frolic at Rowland Reserve, which is 45 minutes north of the CBD, in between Newport and Mona Vale. The park is open 24 hours, it has drinking water available and occasionally dog washing facilities on the weekend. Plus, pooches can swim to their heart's content. There's a big sandy spit, and the water's pretty shallow, so your pooch won't find itself (literally) in the deep end. Once your pup is done frollicking, you can also head over to The Newport, which also welcomes four-legged friends.
If someone was to ask you to imagine a dinosaur, and to picture one type only, it's likely that the Tyrannosaurus rex would come to mind. The towering ancient creature is just that fascinating to kids and adults alike, and not solely because it's rarely far from screens. Head to any museum with a T. rex fossil on display and you'll be surrounded by crowds, whether or not they've seen King Kong, a Jurassic Park movie or Night at the Museum. Head to Melbourne Museum from Friday, June 28–Sunday, October 20, 2024 in particular and expect to have plenty of company, then. Thanks to the Victoria the T. rex exhibition, that's when the fossil of Tyrannosaurus rex Victoria will make its Australian debut in the state with the absolute best name for the occasion. The specimen dates back 66 million years, and is one of the world's largest and most complete T. rex skeletons. Showing exclusively at Melbourne Museum, it's also marks the first time that a real T. rex has ever been on display in Victoria. How big is big? Found in South Dakota in 2013, Victoria is comprised of 199 bones, including a skull that weighs 139 kilograms. The fossil reaches 12 metres in length and 3.6 metres in height. And, because the skull is so heavy, it has to be displayed separately as it can't be mounted upon Victoria's body. Victoria the T. rex will also feature interactive elements, such as multi-sensory installations that'll let you experience how the Tyrannosaurus rex saw and smelled, plus dioramas and a section where you can make your own customised 3D T. rex. Welcome to... the cretaceous period, then. The informative side of the showcase will step through recent palaeontological findings, so that you'll get an idea of what Victoria's life was like all that time ago — and also find out what brought about her end. If that's not enough dino action to make you feel like David Attenborough — or his brother Richard in Jurassic Park and The Lost World — Victoria the T. rex will display alongside Triceratops: Fate of the Dinosaurs, which has been open at Melbourne Museum since 2022. The latter permanently features Horridus, the world's most complete Triceratops fossil, and entry to both exhibitions is included in one ticket. At IMAX Melbourne, 45-minute documentary T.REX 3D will also be showing — complete with footage of Horridus — from Friday, June 21. Images: Neon Global.
Your local council nursery is always a good place to visit when purchasing indoor (and outdoor) plants for your home. The Randwick Community outpost is interested in filling your garden with plants that are endemic to the local area — so it's a great place to pick up natives, exotic species and cheap saplings. This also means the plants you'll get here will usually grow well in your yard soil, because they're suited to the conditions of the area. Some local plants available at the moment include Sydney golden wattles, lilly pilly, banksia and fringe myrtle. It's been open to the public for over 50 years, too, so you know you're getting some expert advice along the way.
While you're probably champing at the bit to head overseas, the past two years have definitely sparked a resurgence in regional travel — and there is a vast array of incredible country escapes right on our metaphorical doorstep. Enter Talbingo. Sure, you might not have ever heard of it, but there's a whole host of reasons for you to go check it out for your next vacay. This little town in NSW's Snowy Mountains region is full of great outdoor adventures and activities from fly fishing to rewarding hikes. We've teamed up with Wild Turkey to put together a list of our favourite ways to enjoy the great outdoors in Talbingo. [caption id="attachment_841377" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lumi1023 (Flickr)[/caption] GO FISHING AT TALBINGO DAM Talbingo Dam is one of the largest bodies of water that make up the Snowy Mountains Scheme, and one of the enduring drawcards of this part of the world is its popularity as a recreational fishing destination. The deep waters of the dam are home to a variety of species including rainbow trout, golden perch, redfin and more. It's also one of the few places that allows catch-and-release sportfishing for the elusive trout cod. If you're planning on dropping a line here, a small recreational fishing fee must be paid. It goes towards the ample restocking of the dams with sustainable species as well as helping to fund research and maintenance about sustainable recreational fishing. [caption id="attachment_841378" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brendan J Murphy (Flickr)[/caption] OR, HEAD TO THE DAM FOR WATER SKIING, CANOEING OR SWIMMING The sheer size of Talbingo Dam means that there's plenty of space for aquatic activities in the pristine water. There's a cordoned-off area for swimming and plenty of signage so you can't miss it. Or, if you're more of a thrillseeker, there are long stretches of deep flat water perfect for jet skiing — and the calm nature of the water makes this spot a great place to learn. If jet skis aren't your jam, then perhaps hire a canoe and set your own pace to blissfully take in the breathtaking mountain scenery that surrounds the dam. Whichever you choose, there are plenty of ways to experience this impressive body of water. [caption id="attachment_843933" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Elliot Kramer[/caption] TAKE IN THE VIEWS FROM THE OLD MOUNTAIN ROAD WALK This four-kilometre walking track follows Talbingo's first mountain road — a remnant of the Kiandra Gold Rush of the 1860s — and takes you up a short but reasonably challenging track, so be prepared to get the heart pumping. At the top, you'll find yourself at one heck of a lookout offering stunning views of the surrounding areas such as Bogong Peaks, Jounama Pondage and Blowering Reservoir (pictured above). Along the way, keep your eyes peeled for mountain wildflowers, grey kangaroos and all manner of native birdlife. [caption id="attachment_841376" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Mitterfellner (Flickr)[/caption] JUMP IN THE 4WD AND MAKE YOUR WAY TO A LOOKOUT POINT While there's plenty to explore on foot, avid gearheads will be pleased to know that Talbingo forms an excellent base from which to set out on road adventures. You could hit up the nearby Black Perry lookout or traverse slightly more perilous terrain to Landers Falls (pictured above), both of which offer extraordinary views of the surrounding bushland. If you're keen to make more of a day of it, set off early and drive to the northern end of the Kosciuszko National Park to check out the region's impressively diverse landscape. [caption id="attachment_624129" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Murray Vanderveer[/caption] EXPLORE THE DRAMATIC YARRANGOBILLY CAVES AND TAKE A DIP IN A THERMAL POOL Live your Morlock dreams or pretend you're Gandalf leading the fellowship through the mines of Moria whilst you explore the hauntingly beautiful Yarrangobilly Caves. Of the 60 or so underground caves that were formed from a massive limestone belt around 440 million years ago, six are currently open to the public for guided and self-guided tours. Check out the massive stalactites and stalagmites, rare black flowstones and spacious, majestic caves, before heading back above ground to take a dip in the thermal pool which is fed by a natural spring and stays at a perfect 27 degrees all year round. [caption id="attachment_843931" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Elliot Kramer[/caption] PITCH A TENT AT BUDDONG FALLS CAMPGROUND If you're looking for some peace and tranquility among the mountains then head straight for the idyllic Buddong Falls campground. This remote patch of land is a great base to explore the surrounding national parks and maybe catch a glimpse of some of the local wildlife that make their homes within the surrounding ribbon gums and along the nearby creek and waterfall. If you're not the most seasoned camper then fear not — picnic tables, barbecues and public toilets are all readily available to make things a little more comfortable. Find out more about Wild Turkey's Discovery Series at the website. Top image: Elliot Kramer
Sydney Harbour's Pullman Quay Grand has opened a new bar — and it looks tremendously luxe. Located within the Circular Quay hotel, Hacienda is a brand new 'vista bar', taking inspiration from Cuba's grandiose, plantation-style architecture and the vintage hotels of 1950's Miami. Applejack Hospitality — whose venues include Bondi Hardware, The Butler and Della Hyde — have teamed up with AccorHotels to pull off this stylish throw-back "botanical oasis" of a space. And it's stunning. The harbourside space is filled with luxurious, pastel lounge furniture, brass details and lush roof greenery, all surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows which showcase panoramic views of the city, the bridge and Sydney Harbour. Plus, they can all open to create a terrace-like feel. The drink menus mimics the venue design by using Cuban flavours, slinging cocktails which include classic ingredients like banana, guava and custard apple. The Tropical Sour – banana-infused Encanto pisco, Tío Pepe sherry, lime and honey — sounds especially tasty, as is the Old Smoked Presidente: a concoction of aged rum, orange curacao, dry vermouth, house-spiced raspberry syrup and Angostura bitters. The bar also has an impressive stock of rum and American whiskey for those looking for something neat. The food offering, curated by Executive Chef Stefan Brademann, will complement the drinks and have a Cuban-American flare. Fusion dishes like the yuka fries, buttermilk fried chicken and a pork neck mojo will sit on the menu alongside a Cubano-Reuben hybrid and burgers galore. The menu will be balanced between bar snacks and more substantial dishes to accommodate for anything from nibbling patrons to hangry ones. This little slice of Cuban culture may play to cliches but we're not fussed — especially considering the iconic views that come with it.
Back in 2011, Ben Quilty won the Archibald Prize for one of his most striking pieces — a portrait of fellow Australian artist Margaret Olley. Befitting his usual style, it fashions her likeness out of heavy yet purposeful brushstrokes and visible, tangible smudges of paint, bringing not just colour to the painting, but discernible texture, movement and vibrancy as well. When the octogenarian Olley sat for Quilty, it wasn't the first time that the pair had crossed paths. She presented him with the Brett Whiteley Travelling Scholarship in 2002, and a friendship blossomed. While Olley passed away in the same year that Quilty's portrait nabbed Australia's top art prize, the two titans of the local art scene once again sit side by side at the Gallery of Modern Art's latest dual exhibitions — with Margaret Olley: A Generous Life focusing on her prosperous career and Quilty highlighting two decades of his work. On display until Sunday, October 13, the two free showcases are filled with standout pieces, spanning delicate sketches of Brisbane from times gone by, striking still lifes, mesmerising Rorschach-style landscapes, contemplative portraits and creative sculpture, among other works. With more than 170 items decking the walls across both exhibitions, each one is worth your time; however it you're wondering which paintings to look out for, here are our six tips. MARGARET OLLEY: A GENEROUS LIFE [caption id="attachment_730009" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Victoria Bridge (1966), Margaret Olley. From the Moreton Bay Regional Council (Caboolture Art Gallery) Collection.[/caption] VICTORIA BRIDGE Living in the city on and off for much of her life, Margaret Olley turned many of Brisbane's streets and sights into art. Several pieces comprise an entire section of A Generous Life, not only offering a snapshot of the artist's work, but a time capsule of the city from five decades ago. Perhaps because it's such a crucial part of the CBD, or perhaps because it has changed significantly since Olley's 1966 work, her rendering of Victoria Bridge makes a splash. Linking the north and south sides of the river in the CBD, the overwater roadway is a functional crossing rather than anything spectacular to look at; however, in a simple inner-city landscape that combines pen and watercolour, this vivid piece will make you think otherwise. It actually depicts the previous version of the bridge, which was replaced by the current structure in 1969. [caption id="attachment_730007" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] The banana cutters (1963), Margaret Olley. Purchased 2014 with funds from Drs Philip and Lenna Smith through the Queensland Art Gallery and GOMA. [/caption] THE BANANA CUTTERS At GOMA's exhibition, separate areas are devoted to Olley's still-life paintings and her Indigenous portraits. Many straddle the divide — although, amidst bright pieces with eye-catching flowers and colourful fruit, The Banana Cutters stands out. Like her paintings of Brisbane as well, the piece captures Queensland history, showing a trio of the state's Indigenous workers plying their trade in the early 1960s. From a technical standpoint, it also achieves a significant feat as a detailed figure painting. There's much to marvel at in the intricate vision of three men making a living, as well as the window into the past that they represent. [caption id="attachment_730006" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Portrait in the mirror (1948), Margaret Olley. Gift of the artist 2001, © Estate of Margaret Olley. Photo: Diana Panuccio, AGNSW.[/caption] PORTRAIT IN THE MIRROR Olley, like many artists, wasn't afraid of using her own reflection as inspiration, as A Generous Life makes plain. Several of her self-portraits grace GOMA's walls, offering an evolution of her style in a microcosm — an overview within an exhibition already designed to provide an overview, all by focusing on Olley's own form. And just as her eyes were drawn to her own guise over and over again, attendees will be drawn to 1943's Portrait in the Mirror, which features the artist surrounded by chosen belongings. Many will be instantly recognisable to those who've wandered through the preceding pieces, given that fruit and flowers feature prominently. QUILTY [caption id="attachment_730010" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Margaret Olley (2011), Ben Quilty. Image courtesy of the Queensland Art Gallery and GOMA. Photograph: Natasha Harth, QAGOMA.[/caption] MARGARET OLLEY While it sits on the A Generous Life side of GOMA's ground floor, rather than across the wide hallway in his own section, Ben Quilty's portrait of Margaret Olley is the centrepiece of both exhibitions — a fitting status for a work that won the 2011 Archibald Prize. When he emerged victorious, it was a case of seventh time lucky for the artist. When you take in his painting, it's easy to understand why. Here, the piece gets its own wall, as well as its own space to shine. Making the most of its placement, spending time with it and truly peering at every inch is recommended. You'll not only stare into the eyes of a woman rightfully celebrated as a great of Australian art, but, through his thick, almost sculptural globs of paint, you'll see her through Quilty's affectionate but unsentimental gaze. [caption id="attachment_730005" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Fairy Bower Rorschach (2012), Ben Quilty. Purchased with funds provided by the Patrick White Bequest Fund, 2012, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Courtesy the artist.[/caption] FAIRY BOWER RORSCHACH Comprised of eight panels and taking over an entire wall, this Rorschach-style piece recreates a scenic landscape. Instead of an ink blot, Quilty uses heavy paint, a mirrored composition, and soothing hues of green and blue to depict a picnic spot in Victoria. But the place and the image both hide a darker secret, with the spot reputedly the sight of a massacre in 1834, with Aboriginal Australian women and children killed. That's why Fairy Bower Rorschach doesn't just seem peaceful, but foreboding — and why its central waterfall can't wash away that feeling. A word of warning: it's one of several paintings in the exhibition to use the visual technique, and it's easy to lose track of time while you're standing before them. [caption id="attachment_730004" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Ben Quilty. Top row: Reza (2016), Gift of Paul Walker and Patricia Mason in memory of Reza; Omid Masoumali (2016), Gift of Paul Walker and Patricia Mason in memory of Omid Masoumali; Omid Ali Avaz (2016), Gift of Paul Walker and Patricia Mason in memory of Omid Ali Avaz. Second row: Ali Jaffari (2017), Gift of Paul Walker and Patricia Mason in memory of Ali Jaffari; Mohammad Nazari (2017), Gift of Paul Walker and Patricia Mason in memory of Mohammad Nazari; Khodayar Amini (2017), Gift of Paul Walker and Patricia Mason in memory of Khodayar Amini.[/caption] LIFE VESTS Sometimes, the simplest things make the biggest statement. For a person searching for refuge in Australia, making the perilous journey across the globe by boat and putting their very existence at risk, a life jacket isn't a simple item; however, to the rest of the world, its symbolism is now well-understood. Known as an Australian leader in activist art, Quilty's series of 12 life vests draws attention to the country's asylum seeker policy. More than that, it dedicates each image to the memory of someone who didn't survive the process, all after making it to the border and enduring what came next. Placed next to each other, this dramatic dozen is disarming by design and demands attention. It shouldn't escape notice that, while they're all grouped together, each vest sits alone in a separate piece, which is how the people who inspired them must've felt at the end of their lives. Margaret Olley: A Generous Life and Quilty are both free and on show at the Gallery of Modern Art, Stanley Place, South Brisbane until October 13. Top images: Margaret Olley: A Generous Life exhibition views at the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), Brisbane. Images courtesy the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA). Photographs: Natasha Harth / Chloe Callistemon, QAGOMA.
The charmingly titled Juniper Hall, also known as Ormond House, dates back to 1894. That's when its construction began under gin distiller Robert Cooper, who clearly inspired its more recent moniker. Unique in its design given its Old Colonial Georgian style, it features an upper balcony which looks directly onto the heart of Oxford Street. Located a stone's throw from the idyllic Paddington Reservoir, the majestic mansion was restored to its original state in 1988, when the modern shops and houses in front of it were also removed. A sight to behold alone, the Paddington site currently plays host to the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize exhibition of photographs and portraits. Here, you can take a step back in time — and out of the hustle and bustle of city life — while losing yourself in an afternoon of art, stories and imagination, and soaking in a slice of Australian history as well. Images: Kitti Smallbone
Parisian-style cafe Jardin St James received points for originality when it opened in St. James' Crypt back in 2015. It's the CBD's dreamiest place for a coffee and a pain au chocolat — a seat in the old sandstone church with views of Hyde Park, St Mary's Cathedral and the law courts is about as European as you can get in Sydney. And it's now the place to go for an aperitif on a Thursday or Friday after work too. JSJ has announced a new evening menu with drinks and nibbles to help wind down at the tail-end of the work week. Tapping into into that truly French tradition of eating and drinking well, the aperitif menu includes tempura olives with beetroot dip, fromage croquettes with chipotle, a charcuterie board (complete with prosciutto, salami, chicken liver paté, chargrilled vegetables and baguette) and a cheese board (which includes a selection of local and imported cheeses with side condiments). Don't forget to order a carafe of wine from a strictly French wine list. There's also a small selection of beers, too, including Frenchies' deep red bière de garde Astrolabe. As usual, Jardin St James is open for breakfast and lunch, Monday to Friday. Jardin St James is now open on Thursdays and Fridays until 8pm at St James Church, 173 King Street, Sydney. For more info, visit jardinstjames.com.
On September 25, 1981, Sydneysiders got their first look at the revolving restaurants inside Sydney Tower. Exactly 39 years later, the restaurants have reopened after a $12-million renovation, with new looks, A-plus cocktails and a star cast of Sydney hospitality elite. The tower's dining precinct is split into three levels: 70s-inspired Bar 83, opulent fine-diner Infinity and casual buffet restaurant Sky Feast. Each space has a unique design by Loopcreative, pulling inspiration from the likes of space odysseys, Aussie backyard pools and bygone Kings Cross bars. Sky Feast, according to the team, caters to a broader tourism market. Its design is a throwback to suburban Aussie backyards of the 70s and 80s with pebblecrete, breeze blocks, terracotta tiles and plenty of blonde furniture by Melbourne's Ross Didier. Food here is served buffet-style, but at the moment, because of COVID-19, it's a buffet that the staff bring to you for $80 a head (or $60 for lunch). There are more than 30 dishes on the menu, which we won't run through here, but expect plenty of seafood (oysters, mussels, baked barramundi), curries, noodles and six different desserts. If you've got a hunger that a regular dinner just won't fix, a big feed here might be just what you need. Images: Robert Walsh
Sydney recently lost one of its favourite spots for decadent pastries and loaded sandwiches. After satisfying cravings on Enmore Road for six years, Saga Enmore had its final service in late June. However, when one door closes, another opens, and the beloved duo behind Saga is already back with a new venture: Salma's Canteen. Saga's Andy Bowdy and Maddison Howes have linked up with another popular Sydney duo, Michael Rantissi and Kristy Frawley of Kepos Street Kitchen, to launch this new Rosebery lunch spot which combines the best that each pair has to offer. Now open on Botany Road, Salma's Canteen offers a mix of hearty mains and salads from Rantissi, deli delights and sandwiches, and Bowdy's signature sweet treats — all in the one spot. The regularly changing menu leans heavily on fresh produce from Carriageworks' weekly market, which means the salads are big and heavy on greens, and the sambos will have you satisfied until dinner. Selma's is now also the one-stop shop for Andy Bowdy cakes. You can also expect some beloved favourites from the Saga menu to make their way over, including yuzu cheesecake, salted honey tart, and passionfruit and fennel seed palmiers. "I started out my career 18 years ago at Pink Salt, working under Michael, so to open a place together is pretty awesome," says Bowdy. "Michael and I have very similar philosophies in terms of food — we both love fresh, vibrant food and celebrating ingredients that are in season." "Everyone who loves food has a Salma in their life — a feeder and nourisher who brings people together to eat and talk, sending them home piled with leftovers," says Rantissi. "Salma's Canteen is the new Salma in your life — a one-stop shop that's part kitchen, part takeaway, part diner and part shop." Takeaway is the main mode of operation at the Rosebery shop, but there are a few spots both indoors and outside where you can sit for lunch or a post-work snack. The doors also stay open until 7pm Tuesday–Saturday, so you can swing past and pick up your dinner after work, a flaky pastry for dessert, or even stock up your pantry and take your home cooking to the next level. The cafe stocks the likes of Bowdy's shortcrust pastry and fruit curd, as well as Rantissi's meatballs, salmon pastrami and seasoned potatoes in takeaway containers, ready for you to use in your next home creation. Salma's Canteen is now open at Shop 2, 797 Botany Road, Rosebery — operating from 11am–7pm Tuesday–Saturday and 10am–4pm Sunday. Images: Mel Koutchavlis.
A major architectural installation landed on Sydney's streets last month when local artist and architect Chris Fox unveiled Interchange Pavilion in South Eveleigh's Village Square. The striking 350-square-metre sculptural landmark acts as a focal point and public pavilion for the new dining precinct. In coming months, it'll also function as an amphitheatre for events. An award-winning artist, Fox is most recently known for his 2017 installation Interloop, which transformed the historic 1930s wooden escalators at Wynyard Station into a 50-metre artwork suspended above the York Street escalators. More generally, he's known for creating large-scale public installations that closely intertwine art and architecture. For Interchange Pavilion, Fox was inspired by the precinct's rail history, and the structure's shape mimics the geometry of a railroad switch. As such, the pavilion is meant to embody a meeting place where paths converge. It boasts built-in seating, a wide pathway and a glowing golden hue by night. The complex archway was building using 250 metres of stainless steel ground rails, 15 tonnes of robotically moulded glass, 1400 pieces of hardwood and over 1650 pieces of digitally fabricated aluminium. Yep, it's an impressive piece of work. The installation fits into a much larger public art program that's been curated by Carriageworks and commissioned by Mirvac for its huge new South Eveleigh project. Expect more sculptural and botanical installations to appear, too, with public works already installed by artist Jonathan Jones (in the Axle Building) and visual artist Nell (as part of Yerrabingin House). Also announced as part the new dining precinct is a mega-venue by The Grounds group and a Cantonese restaurant by Kylie Kwong — both slated for sometime in 2020. [caption id="attachment_782685" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Josh Raymond[/caption] Images: Josh Raymond
Deep-fried ice cream is the kind of confection that delivers the best of two worlds: cold and creamy, warm and crunchy. This singular treat takes the starring role in a new flagship Strathfield store from longtime Sydney food truck Duo Duo. Sporting a slick modern fit-out, the store could be dismissed as one of the big gelato chains — but step up to the stylish marble countertop and you'll be greeted by a far more inventive addition to Sydney's dessert scene. Of course, the deep-fried ice cream is a major drawcard. The pandan coconut is the original speciality with sweetened coconut sauce and roasted coconut flakes making it a must-try for coconut lovers. The vanilla bean serve comes topped with house-made salted caramel and butterscotch popcorn, while the cookies and cream flavour is paired with Nutella ganache and cookie crumble. There's plenty more to love here if you're on the hunt for a sweet treat that's a little less hedonistic. There's a classic gelato bar out front scooping classics like vanilla bean and pistachio, alongside more inventive flavours like durian, macha, taro, Vietnamese iced coffee and Thai milk tea. Plus, there's doughnuts. The team recommend tucking into a crème brûlée or strawberry, cream and berry jam-filled options, while crowd-pleasers like Biscoff cheesecake or classic original glazed are also up for grabs. If you're feeling parched after you've devoured your dessert, Duo Duo is ready with a selection of in-house sodas and teas as well. Order a green grape, yuzu or lychee soft drink, or opt for tea available in strawberry hojicha, apple black or grape sencha.
Beau was afraid. In Ari Aster's third feature — another excellent and unforgettable film after Hereditary and Midsommar — Beau was anxious and unsettled and agitated and knocked off-kilter, too. Sheriff Joe Cross is all of these things also, with Joaquin Phoenix (Joker: Folie à Deux) again taking on a key role for a writer/director responsible for some of the best movies, and viewing experiences, of the 21st century. Along with the filmmaker's initial two pictures, Beau Is Afraid earns that description, as does Eddington, Aster and Phoenix's mid-2020-set, COVID-era-probing, brilliant and chilling and equally very amusing latest collaboration. Its focus: a small New Mexico spot struggling when normality as everyone knew it just months prior has vanished and seems as if it might never return. The Sevilla County official at Eddington's centre is as much a man interrupted, as his community is — but the Cross way of coping is to flout and defy anything that doesn't match his preferred status quo. His dislike of incumbent Mayor Ted Garcia's (Pedro Pascal, The Fantastic Four: First Steps) way of handling the pandemic, aka respecting social-distancing restrictions and mask mandates, inspires the Sheriff to take action, entering the race to lead the town (population: 2345) himself. Eddington is a western, as well as being an unnerving thriller and a hilarious dark comedy; Aster has Cross and Garcia headed for showdowns and standoffs more than once. With a Best Actor Oscar for Joker to prove it, Phoenix has been enjoying a recent stint of playing characters who are fixated, obsessed, unyieldingly determined and driven to act of late — since before the outstanding You Were Never Really Here, but that's firmly a recent example prior to his time as Arthur Fleck and now Joe Cross. He hasn't necessarily noticed that trend, he tells Concrete Playground, or recognised that anything particularly draws him in that direction. "I've never thought of it that way, but you say that and I go 'I don't even know what the last two movies I made are'," Phoenix advises. "But maybe you're right. I don't know why. I think I'm always just — it is an instinct. I either react to something that I'm reading it or I don't. And I don't really analyse why." Eddington is easy to spot trends and parallels in and around. Given that it peers into very recent history, to a period forever seared and scarred into memories — and has the era's paranoia and polarisation in its sights, spotting how neither have subsided since — that's by design. Another piece of mirroring comes via Aster's filmography. Chatting with Concrete Playground in 2018 when Hereditary released, he described his debut as "a family tragedy that curdles into a nightmare". Grief over a mother and grandmother begets worse in the feature that won Toni Collette (Mickey 17) a deserved Best Actress Gotham Award — in a movie, too, that cemented itself as an instant horror great. That "curdling into a nightmare" idea resides in each of his features, Eddington included. "I think that could be one way of describing this film," Aster tells us. "I would say that this is a film about a bunch of people who are all very paranoid, and who have very clear but kind of oppositional ideas of what is happening. And everybody's picture of the world is pretty sinister. Then, by the end of the film, the film itself becomes gripped by this paranoia — and so the movie too becomes paranoid." He continues: "and in that way, the film goes off the rails in a way that I like. It's got a long, sustained climax, which I like, especially in a genre film. It's easy to make this film, in an interview like this, sound like eating your vegetables — but it's supposed to be fun, even though what it's talking about is no laughing matter. But the film is about the circus of America, and the tilt-a-whirl goes faster and faster until the teacups start flying off." Cross' blatant and inescapable acrimony for Garcia, Joe's depressed wife Louise (Emma Stone, Kinds of Kindness) embracing online conspiracy theorists and becoming particularly enthralled by the charismatic Vernon Jefferson Peak (Austin Butler, The Bikeriders), local teens staging Black Lives Matter rallies to share their anger over the death of George Floyd, tech company SolidGoldMagikarp's plans to build a data centre on Eddington's outskirts, doomscrolling feeding the pervasive sense of distance between townsfolk: these all help that rotating ride spin. As the whirring of conflicting attitudes and opinions that's unbalancing its setting gains speed, Aster's film digs into America's contradictions, patently, as well as conservative-versus-liberal clashes. Internet hokum's easy spread, our immensely tech-reliant lives and AI earn attention; giving up power to the powerful without realising it, too. Anti-fascist activism, performative bandwagon-jumping, ignoring health-protection rules when folks are dying, not knowing how to cope with this chaos: they're also among the swirl. Aster doesn't see it as a horror movie; however, Eddington is as perceptive a portrait of 2020 and the times since as had reached screens so far, and as disquieting yet clear-eyed. The path to the feature started with an old idea predating the pandemic, which also came up while talking to the director, as did piecing the narrative together, living in a world where no one agrees on what's true anymore, reteaming with Phoenix and more — alongside chatting with Phoenix about that repeat collaboration and reuniting with filmmakers of late, interrogating fear and anxiety with Aster, what he recognised in the script, and bringing humanity and humour to Cross. On How Aster Following His Instincts in the Early Days of the Pandemic, and Picking Up an Old New Mexico-Set Idea, Lead to Eddington Ari: "Well, I feel like we're living in a very, very weird time. And the human capacity for adaptation is amazing, and everything becomes normal very quickly, and things that might be obvious become less so once they become ambient. And I just found that I wanted to pull back as far as I could, and try to describe this new reality that we're living in as well as I could — which is that everybody is living in a different version of reality, and we totally distrust anybody and anything that falls outside of our little bubble of certainty. And we've become unreachable to each other. So I wanted to make a film about that. And I'm from New Mexico — and that's really what the project was that had already been there waiting for me, which is that I have just been wanting to make my New Mexico movie. And I wanted to make a western. And it felt like the right framework for this." On Whether Returning Collaborations with Directors, Such as Ari Aster Here, Todd Phillips on Joker: Folie à Deux and Ridley Scott on Napoleon, Help Phoenix Challenge and Extend Himself as an Actor Joaquin: "I think that's what you would hope for, right, because it's almost like a long relationship, just the value of growing with somebody and changing — and somebody that learns to read you better after time. We all put our best foot forward when we first meet people and are working with them, and I think after some time we start really showing ourselves and there's real value in mining that. With Ari, it's weird, because I had one of those experiences where when I first met him, when I first just talked to him on the phone, I instantly knew that he was — I don't know, a friend just doesn't even sound like it's enough. I just knew that we were going to be working together closely, and I knew that he was somebody that I loved the way that he talked. And I understood him, like I felt like I really understood. And I think he understood me. And so there's real value in that — and I hope, I think, that he did and does challenge me in ways that are really beneficial to me and helpful." On When Aster Realised That He Wanted to Reteam with Phoenix on Eddington Ari: "After working with Joaquin on Beau Is Afraid, I really wanted to work with him again. Before Beau, he was one of my favourite actors and somebody that I very seriously wanted to work with. But when I was writing Eddington, at least the first pass of it, I hadn't worked with Joaquin yet, didn't know him yet, and so I didn't really have anybody in mind. But after we shot Beau, then I rewrote Eddington and spent a lot of time in New Mexico, travelling around, going to different small towns and meeting different people, public officials, Sheriffs of different counties, police chiefs, Mayors — went to different pueblos — and tried to get as broad a picture of the political climate of New Mexico as possible. And then once I had incorporated all of that and I had a script, it was clear to me that I wanted to at least try Joaquin again and see if he was interested. And happily he was, and I really think he does something really special with this character, Joe Cross, the sheriff of Eddington — or the sheriff of Sevilla County. Eddington is a town in Sevilla County. These are made-up places. But I think what he does here is really wonderful. He brings so much humour and humanity to this character. And I think part of the trick of the film — or I don't know if it's a trick, or if it's just something that is important to the film working — is that you have to kind of like this guy, whether you have his politics or not. There's something winning about him. And then, of course, as the film goes on that should get more complicated — our relationship to him should change." On Whether There's Something Unique to Digging Into Fear and Anxiety with Aster Joaquin: "I don't think he's exploring these traits because they're good for a character, for a movie, but it feels like it's a genuine curiosity for him. And maybe it's part of his experience, or maybe it's the experience of people that he knows. I don't know why he has that curiosity — or I don't know if it's an obsession — but definitely it's a curiosity to explore those feelings, and I don't know where it comes from. I've never asked him 'is that your personal experience, or ... ?'. I think oftentimes writers obviously observe things in others and become fascinated by it. So there's definitely a real drive and curiosity. And so I think when you're — there's not a standard way of playing that for Ari, right? It always has to be something very detailed and specific. And I'm struggling with trying to come up with an example, probably because there's so many and they're all running together. But I wish we could come up with an example of a scene. Like even in the scene where I'm — it's such a brief moment, you may not even remember — but I go back to the police station and somebody that was in the police station that was locked up is no longer there. It was really this very quick scene that's in the midst of the most-manic moment. And it was a long process for us that went throughout the day, as we discussed all the possibilities of what would be going through the character's mind and then how that is translated to somebody else as he speaks or whatever actions he takes. And so I think with Ari, it always feels that we are trying to find something that feels very specific and unique to that character in that moment — versus a blanket approach to anxiety or fear." On the Crucial Elements to Create a Film About Living in a World Where No One Can Agree on What's Real Anymore Ari: "For me, the most-important thing was to pull back as far as I could, because what I wanted to talk about was the environment, right — and I feel like we've become so atomised, and things have become so complicated and so intensely partisan, that it felt very important to move back and just try to get a picture of the landscape. And to see just how many of those particles were floating around not actually meeting each other. And then it's a genre film, and so it's built on conflict. And so the question then became 'well, what happens when these atoms start bumping up against each other? What comes out of that?'. And the answer is almost always violence, because there's nothing in the ether to hold anybody together anymore. And so that was, I guess, the challenge, but also the thing that felt necessary." On Phoenix Seeing Himself and Reality in Eddington When Aster First Sent the Script His Way Joaquin: "My first reaction was 'I recognise so much of myself and my family and my friends and my neighbours in all of these characters, and that makes me uncomfortable at times. But I'm laughing and I can't stop laughing'. That was my first reaction. And then I think I was like 'oh yeah, it's us'. And as ridiculous as we were, we were scared. Like, everyone was scared. Whether they should have been scared or whether we overreacted, it doesn't really matter. In that moment, it was kind of like waking up from a nightmare and they're like 'yeah, in the moment, it really felt like that monster was going to get me and I was scared. And all the things I did in that that moment, it was just how I reacted. I couldn't help it.' And I think in some ways, it made me just have a lot of forgiveness and understanding for how we behaved." On Putting the Pieces of Eddington Together — Including the Societal Landscape, America and Western Society's Pervasive Polarisation, and COVID-19 — in a Western-Meets-Thriller That's Also Darkly Humorous Ari: "First of all, the film is set in 2020. It's a period piece, set in June 2020, and so it helps to have something as specific as that, right, because then you're asking 'okay, what is happening right now? Who are the players here?'. And of course, I would have liked to have included far more characters, but I jammed as many people as I could into the film without sacrificing coherence or narrative clarity. But it all felt pretty intuitive that we begin with the arguments of the day, the most popular ones, which had a lot to do with masking and personal freedom versus public safety and health. And from there, things start unraveling and spinning out. And then you have these more fringe figures coming in. And I think what's interesting about this moment, even right now in 2025, is that this counterculture had been building up in America for a long time that the prevailing culture at the moment wasn't aware of. And that counterculture meanwhile was being fed and agitated, and was growing. And now that counterculture has kind of taken over. And it's all become very, very distorted and strange. It's so interesting that the right kind of adopted the language of 1960s–70s radicalism. Everything has become — I want to use the word farcical, but none of this is any laughing matter. It's feels pretty catastrophic, what's happening. And it's also why the western felt right, because it is about the building of America and forging new societies. And it feels like right now we're living through the collapse of something — we're on the cusp of something, something new. And I think everybody's feeling it and there's a lot of anxiety and a lot of fear. And for some people, a lot of excitement. I wrote this film in a state of anxiety and fear." On Whether Trying to Convey the Humanity of Joe and Also Bringing Humour to the Part Helped in Stepping Into His Shoes Joaquin: "Nothing ever feels easy. You just feel that — yeah, it doesn't feel easy, but it seemed like very much from the beginning, I could not create any separation between me and Joe. Like, that if I at any point stood above him in judgment, I would lose it, I would lose him. And so it just felt important to humanise him as much as possible. I wanted to surprise anybody that might have a preconceived idea of what conservative Sheriff in a small town might be like, and so that definitely felt like my directive. But what helped me, probably most of all, was meeting with real Sheriffs. Ari and I went on a trip together in New Mexico and spent some time, and there were a few people that I met that I really connected with that seemed like great examples of who Joe could be. So it felt to me that as much as there's something very humorous and absurd about so much of this film, I wanted to make sure that Joe was really grounded and that he was recognisable to people that actually know a Sheriff like Joe." On Whether Aster Considers Eddington to Be a Horror Film — and What's at the Heart of the Film That Scares Him, Be It Humanity's Embrace of Existential Risks, Including Not Just Health But Also AI, or Stopping Questioning the Powerful Ari: "No, I don't consider it a horror film. No. But, I do think it's talking about something that scares me. There's a lot that scares me. I'm scared that the people who are leading us don't seem to believe in the future. You mentioned AI, and I would say if you asked me to say in one sentence what this film was about, I might tell you it's about a data centre being built. And that's happening on the periphery of the film, but it's really pretty central. And all these stories are really just data for this giant wooden wheel — to churn into what? What is coming? The film is about people navigating a crisis, but all the while, there's this other crisis that's incubating in a lab over here. And who knows, the utopian dream of what this thing could bring might be true. It might come to pass. But we really don't know what's coming. And yeah, I think that what's happening all over the world — and it's happening in the United States, but it's happening everywhere — it's something that's already happened to us, which is that we've been fortressed off. And I think that's very scary that we're completely unable to reach each other, and we're living out an experiment that has already failed badly. And it doesn't seem like anybody at the levers has any interest in slowing this thing down. It feels like, on the contrary, it's only accelerating." Eddington released in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, August 21, 2025.
Call it wild, weird and wonderful. Call it surreal and sublime, too. Whichever terms you want to sling Dark Mofo's way, there's no other event quite like it on Tasmania's cultural calendar — or Australia's. 2024 felt the winter arts festival's absence, after it sat out the year to regroup for the future ahead. Get excited about 2025, however, because Dark Mofo has confirmed that it'll be returning in June. "Dark Mofo is back. For our 11th chapter, once more we'll bathe the city in red and deliver two weeks of inspiring art, music and ritual," said Dark Mofo Artistic Director Chris Twite, announcing the event's 2025 dates, and advising that limited pre-release tickets for Night Mass, which fills downtown Hobart with art and music, will be on offer from 10am on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. "Night Mass is a beast, and this year it will evolve once more — worming its way through the city with new spaces, performances and experiences to dance, explore or crawl your way through," Twite continued. Not only Night Mass is returning, but so is the full Dark Mofo setup, largely taking place across Thursday, June 5–Sunday, June 15, 2025. The one exception: the Nude Solstice Swim, one of the festival events that still went ahead in 2024. Next year, it'll get everyone taking a dip on Saturday, June 21. Winter Feast, which also took place in 2024, will be back in 2025 as well — as will the Ogoh-Ogoh, plus a yet-to-be-announced (but sure to be jam-packed) art and music program that'll be revealed next year. If you spent a few days in 2023 attending a Twin Peaks-inspired ball and seeing a giant teddy bear with laser eyes — watching a stunning new take on Dante's classic examination of hell, purgatory and paradise, too — then you went to Dark Mofo's most-recent full run. Organised by Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art, the winter arts festival fills Hobart with all manner of surprises every year, other than its gap year in 2024. When the break was announced, it was done to ensure that event could "move forward in a viable manner", said Twite at the time. "The fallow year will enable us to secure the future of Dark Mofo and its return at full force in 2025" was the promise, and it's being lived up to. The year off came after a hit 2023 run that saw Dark Mofo smash it with attendances and at the box office — notching up record figures, in fact. Despite the event's success, the crew behind it have been working towards "a more sustainable model for a full return in 2025, and set the foundation for the next ten years", taking rising costs and other changing elements into consideration. Dark Mofo returns from Thursday, June 5–Sunday, June 15, 2025 and for the Nude Solstice Swim on Saturday, June 21. Head to the festival's website for further details. Winter feast images: Jesse Hunniford, 2023, courtesy of Dark Mofo 2023. Nude Solstice Swim images: Rémi Chauvin, 2023, courtesy of Dark Mofo 2023.
"A pink, glittery, existential dance party in their heart." That's what Greta Gerwig hopes that audiences will find when her third film as a solo director splashes its rosy — and rose-hued — frames across the silver screen. The movie in question is Barbie, marking Mattel's six-decade-old doll's live-action debut. And, no matter how you feel about the toy itself, the feature boasts no shortage of reasons to get excited: the Lady Bird and Little Women filmmaker guiding the show; the fact that Gerwig co-wrote the film with her Frances Ha, Mistress America and White Noise helmer Noah Baumbach; Margot Robbie not only starring but producing and originating the project; a killer cast, including Ryan Gosling as Ken; and the self-aware sense of humour that's bounced through not one, not two, but three trailers before the picture hits cinemas Down Under on July 20. Gerwig and Robbie know that Barbie is a product with history. First reaching stores in 1959, as one of the first-ever dolls that weren't of babies, the plaything has sparked more reactions than the toy itself sports outfits — and this figurine in all of its many guises has never been short on wardrobe options. As a flick, Barbie aims to unpack those swirling responses and, yes, play with them. The feature's marketing tagline might be adamant that "if you love Barbie, this movie is for you" and also "if you hate Barbie, this movie is for you", but Robbie adds to it. "It's also a film for people who feel indifferent about Barbie. But when I pitched that to marketing, it didn't really roll off the tongue in the same way." The Australian Babylon, Amsterdam and The Suicide Squad actor shared her thoughts in Sydney, as did her Maggie's Plan, Jackie and 20th Century Women star-turned-filmmaker helmer Gerwig. In the leadup to the picture's release, Barbie is going global, with a trip Down Under one stop on the feature's promotional tour. Also visiting: Issa Rae and America Ferrera, with the Insecure and Superstore talents popping up on-screen alongside Robbie. Rae plays President Barbie, while Ferrera is Gloria, one of the film's few non-doll characters. Weeks out from Barbie hitting cinemas, the Gerwig-directed, Robbie-led, Rae- and Ferrera-costarring movie has already achieved a feat that would likely seem unthinkable if any other talents were involved: this is one of 2023's most-anticipated cinema releases. Actually, Barbie scored that status months out — years even, after the Gerwig-and-Robbie pairing was locked in back in 2021. Audiences are eager, but the folks that've been given the chance to bring this Barbie flick to them couldn't be more thrilled, too. Talking about the film at a beachside Bondi event at Icebergs, where the venue's famous pool even scored a temporary Barbie-themed makeover, the team's enthusiasm is palpable. "It's a movie that I think can really cut across generations and gender," notes Gerwig, who advises that the feature has been made for everyone aged eight to 108. Also covered at Gerwig, Robbie, Rae and Ferrera's Australian press conference: making a "wild, bananas Barbie movie", the huge opportunity to play with something so globally recognised, expanding the character, challenging stereotypes, following Wonder Woman's lead and breaking all of the Barbie rules. ON HOW IT FEELS NOW THAT BARBIE WILL SOON BE IN CINEMAS Greta: "At this very moment, just being in this setting and being with all of you — and the beach, and we're in Australia, and all these talented people — I really am feeling like what a spectacular life this is. It's overwhelming and amazing, and I just feel very grateful that Margot came to me almost four years ago and said 'do you want to you write a Barbie thing?'. And I'm grateful that in my postpartum haze four years ago, I said yes. It's just been such an extraordinary confluence of so many people coming together who are just outrageous and smart and talented — and that we got to make this wild, bananas Barbie movie is just an extraordinary blessing." ON WANTING TO MAKE A BARBIE MOVIE IN THE FIRST PLACE Margot: "I was aware that the Barbie IP was floating around, had gone up and running, and hadn't come to full fruition. So we've been keeping tabs on the property, and when there seemed like there was an opening, we jumped at the opportunity. We sat down with the Mattel CEO, Ynon [Kreiz], and that was five years ago, and pitched what we as our production company would want to do with a Barbie movie. And I knew even at that time that I would want to do it with someone like Greta Gerwig. She was the dream writer/director for it. I didn't know if she was going to say yes to it, but there are very few people in my mind that I want to make a Barbie movie with, Greta being the top of the list — and thank goodness she said yes. But the reason we went after the property is because it seemed like a very big and exciting and scary opportunity. It's globally recognised — the word itself is globally recognised. And not only that, people have very strong feelings about Barbie in a lot of cases. So it felt like a really exciting place to start a film, and start with the audience, where they already feel a certain way — perhaps that, at the very least, they have associated childhood memories with it. And it seemed like we could do something special with it." ON BEING A PART OF BARBIE'S ON-SCREEN WORLD Issa: "It was spectacular. Greta approached me and, just in our interview-slash-meeting, told me that she envisioned a world, a Barbie world, where I was President. I was super flattered by that, and also questioned her taste in political leaders. But it's a world that is perfect and beautiful — and seeing her brilliant writing, and the cast attached, it was a no brainer for me. So I was just honoured to to play in the world." America: "It was Margot and Greta's involvement that made me interested in what the script was. It was irresistible to be invited to — to take a peek into the world that these two incredibly talented and intelligent, respected women in our fields were going to do with Barbie. I never imagined myself in a Barbie movie, and I just opened the script and I was laughing on page one and then I was crying — and then I was laughing and crying. I had so many feelings and, truly, my first thought was 'are they even going to let Greta make this?'. I did not go into it feeling invested in Barbie — I didn't grow up playing with Barbies, I didn't feel represented in the world of Barbie — but Greta and Noah's brilliance created a world that made it relevant to me. And it is really exciting to get to be a part of a moment that is expanding such a dominant, influential female iconic character in our global culture, to include more of us. And also to include people with perspectives that aren't necessarily positive and kind toward the very long legacy and history that Barbie has." ON TACKLING A CHARACTER WITH SUCH HISTORY — AND BREAKING ALL THE BARBIE RULES Greta: "I grew up with a mum who didn't love Barbie, which only made me more interested in Barbie. So I had a lot of hand-me-down Barbies — a lot of Barbies who were Kate McKinnon's version, like their clothes were all on backward. That Barbie is very close to my heart. When we signed on to write it and I went to the Mattel headquarters, they opened up all the archives and took me through everything from 1959 till now, and the designers and the people who work there were just really fun to talk to and really interesting. But I would say that actually what we we did is, if there were rules, I think we broke all of them. That was part of it, in a way: 'tell me what your sacred cows are and I will do something naughty with it'. Margot, as a producer, was so instrumental in the whole process of just saying 'I want to make this. I want to make her version of this movie, her vision and and really protect it'. But yeah, if anything, it was an introduction to all the rules so they could be broken." America: "I remember when Greta and I first started speaking, she gave me a list of movies to watch to get in the vibe and the feel and the tone, and actually one of the movies I watched was a documentary called Tiny Shoulders about the expansion of the brand. I learned so much watching that. I did know a little, but through the making of this movie and the little bits of research that are either in the movie or that you caught researching it, it's really phenomenal to get a sense of how long the Barbie legacy has been — and how there have been times in the legacy where she was a revolution, and other times where she was behind her times and she needed to catch up. Just the mere fact that she was the first doll a girl could play with that wasn't a baby doll is something that I didn't really ever know. So there was there was an appreciation right from the start of how long her legacy is and how varied her place in our culture has been." ON CHALLENGING THE BARBIE STEREOTYPE Margot: "I definitely didn't want to portray Barbie as being vapid in any way. The thing about our how our story is constructed is that Barbie can be anything — Barbie can be president, Barbie can be a Nobel Prize-winner, you see all this stuff at the beginning of the movie that sets up how incredibly intelligent Barbie is. But at the same time, she hasn't been exposed to so many of the concepts that she's going to be exposed to in the real world. So it was a fine line between playing naivety without it coming across as unintelligent, because I didn't want it to seem ditsy— and that's just not interesting to play. It's not interesting to watch, either. There are times in the movie where we lean into stereotypes — we literally call my Barbie 'stereotypical Barbie' — so we're very much leaning into some stereotypes so that we can, in a way of being self-aware, play up the comedy, and also have a deeper conversation about some sort of issue. But then there are other times where you're like 'okay, if we play up that particular stereotype, it's going to be boring for people for the hour and 40 minutes that they're watching this movie'. It was an interesting challenge to find 'okay, what how do we portray the fact that she hasn't been exposed to certain things that she's going to learn along the way, but it doesn't mean that she's not intelligent?'." ON GETTING HELP FROM WONDER WOMAN — AND PASSING THAT HELP ON Margot: "Obviously I want the movie to do well because we all worked so hard and we love it so much. But I think it is important when a movie like this does do well — like, if Wonder Woman hadn't done what Wonder Woman had done, I don't know if people would have given us the budget we got to. And if this does well, then the next person who wants to make [something female-led]. It's so important." Greta: "We were just saying this the other day. I think all the time, I was like 'I'm so grateful that Patty Jenkins made Wonder Woman'. And yeah, whoever comes next, it will be..." Margot: "I remember when they were trying to come up with comps [comparable films] for this movie, and there's not that many. And it's important to have them. It makes a difference on the business side of things to have those comps, and have the proof in the pudding that they've made money and done well. Hopefully we can be an extra stepping stone for the next thing." Check out the trailer for Barbie below: Barbie releases in cinemas Down Under on July 20. Images: Barbie press tour photography by Caroline McCredie for Warner Bros/NBC Universal. Barbie film stills via Warner Bros.
2026's Down Under live music calendar already boasts David Byrne, Lorde and G Flip, to name just a few big-name acts hitting the stage. Now, in another of the year's must-see tours, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds have announced a slate of shows in Australia and New Zealand in January and February. The group's Wild God tour is finally making its way to this part of the globe, after dates across UK, Europe and North America in 2024 and 2025. Fans can get excited about a two-and-a-half-hour show focused on the band's 2024 record Wild God, but also spanning their four-decade career. 'Red Right Hand' and 'Into My Arms' have indeed been on the set list so far. Fremantle Park in Perth will host the first Aussie gig on Saturday, January 17, with Cave, Warren Ellis and company then heading to Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Tuesday, January 20. Two shows will take over The Domain Sydney on Friday, January 23–Saturday, January 24, before a single-night stop at Victoria Park in Brisbane on Tuesday, January 27, then three concerts on Friday, January 30–Sunday, February 1 at Alexandra Gardens in Melbourne. In New Zealand, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds are headed to TSB Arena in Wellington over Thursday, February 5–Friday, February 6, in their only NZ gigs — which are taking place in association with the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts. "I can't wait to get to Australia and New Zealand with The Bad Seeds and to bring you our epic Wild God show. It's been a long time coming, and I've missed both Australia and New Zealand very much. It will be a wild and mighty joy," said Cave, announcing the Aussie and NZ leg of the tour. Cave and Ellis last hit the stage Down Under sans the rest of The Bad Seeds on the Aussie run of their Carnage tour in 2022, supporting the 2021 album that shared the tour's name — which actually marked Cave and Ellis' first studio album as a duo. Bandmates across several projects since the 90s — including Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, and Grinderman — Cave and Ellis are Aussie icons, with careers spanning back decades. Together, they also boast more than a few phenomenal film scores to their names as well, including for The Proposition, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, The Road, West of Memphis, Far From Men, Hell or High Water and Wind River. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds Wild God Australia and New Zealand Tour 2026 Saturday, January 17 — Fremantle Park, Perth Tuesday, January 20 — Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide Friday, January 23–Saturday, January 24 — The Domain, Sydney Tuesday, January 27 — Victoria Park, Brisbane Friday, January 30–Sunday, February 1 — Alexandra Gardens, Melbourne Thursday, February 5–Friday, February 6 — TSB Arena, Wellington Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds' Wild God tour hits Australia and New Zealand in January and February 2026. Tickets go on sale at 10am local time in each city on Friday, August 29, 2025 — for more information, head to Nick Cave's website. Images: Megan Cullen.
Achieve a social good and feast on one slice after the next, as Divide 8 St Leonards hosts a charity drive on Saturday, June 14, from 12–3pm. With all donations going towards Canteen Australia — a charity that's supported young people impacted by cancer for nearly 40 years — a contribution of your choice will earn you a free pizza. Divide 8 is something of a charitable bunch, having put their pizza-making prowess to good use in previous years. For example, they've helped raise over $5000 for charities like MS Australia and Angel Flight, ensuring their slice does a little more for society. Excited to get involved? Just sign up for Divide 8's newsletter, make a donation to Canteen Australia and follow Divide 8 on Instagram to claim your pizza. There's a delicious trio to choose from, but note there's a one-pizza limit per couple or two per group. Score yourself a Pepperoni², stacked with double pepperoni, roasted capsicum and mushrooms, or indulge in the Miss Marg, featuring fresh tomato, buffalo mozzarella and 16-month-aged Grana Padano. Lastly, the Gr8 Deb8 offers layers of Lucas Meats leg ham, maple bacon, fresh-cut pineapple and 16-month-aged Grana Padano.
Sydneysiders don't let a little cold or rain stop them from heading to the pub to catch up with mates. If you ask us, the biggest factor that'll make or break a drinking sesh is the food — whether it's a pre-game feast or some cheeky snacks to keep the good vibes going. From locally sourced produce to Mediterranean-inspired bites and juicy burgers, the menus at these beloved pubs cater to all palates. With the help of Solotel, we've rounded up five Inner West mainstays that offer impressive dishes to pair with your drinks, so your next get-together can continue well into the night.
We love our friends. Really, we do. But sometimes we just need a little me time. And when the urge for a few solitary hours strikes, one of our favourite things to do is take ourselves out on a little solo lunch or dinner date. But, with many restaurants and bars set up for dates or groups, finding a place to go solito can often be a bit of a challenge, tempting you to get that alone time by skipping lunch with the colleagues to eat a wilted salad at your desk or holing up at home with takeout and a series. To make sure that doesn't happen, American Express has helped us find nine spots, all Amex-accepting, where eating by yourself is both totally acceptable and incredibly fun. Equipped with single tables or bar seating, and with food so good you wouldn't want to share it anyways, these places make solo dining perfectly, deliciously comfortable. Whether you want a quiet break from the office during a particularly hectic day or are on the hunt for a bar you can go to when you don't feel like being with the mates, we've found the perfect place. Bring a book and you'll be well-prepared to linger over dessert and a few glasses of vino. Got yourself in another dining situation and need some guidance? Whatever it is, we know a place. Visit The Shortlist and we'll sort you out.
For over a century now, HOYTS has been connecting Aussie audiences with all the big screen hits they've ever needed, and for the cinema chain's 116th birthday, it's giving a little something back to weekend moviegoers. In every HOYTS cinema around Australia this weekend, all day and night, tickets will be going for just $8, or $25 for HOYTS LUX tickets — now's the time to try watching a movie in recliner seating with cocktails, wine and gourmet food delivered straight to your seat. With 49 cinemas across the country, this is a treat we can all make the most of. HOYTS General Manager of Customer Engagement Brad Eaton said "We're extremely proud of our long legacy in cinema and this weekend is all about celebrating with our loyal guests. Whether you're after a new blockbuster or a fun experience with the family, there's something for everyone so all can take advantage of this exceptional offer." [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkgMaS5gbaA[/embed] So what's worth watching? New releases include Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman at their dysfunctional best in The Roses, Austin Butler getting caught in a crime caper in Caught Stealing and Liam Neeson saving the world (absurdly) in The Naked Gun. Not one but two small-screen series are getting big-screen finales at the moment, with Downton Abbey: The Final Chapter and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba- Infinity Castle both screening this weekend. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAtUHeMQ1F8[/embed] Prefer something to get your pulse pounding? Settle in for The Conjuring: Last Rites, The Long Walk or Weapons. If you've got kiddos in tow, they might be keen for Sketch or The Bad Guys 2. And if you missed any of this year's winter blockbusters — Superman, F1 The Movie, The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Jurassic World: Rebirth are all still wrapping up their theatrical runs. Find your nearest HOYTS cinema and get tickets to a screening of your choice here.
For those following a vegan diet, plenty of obvious items are off the menu: meat, dairy products and eggs in particular. So is anything made with gelatine, given that the substance is derived from collagen from animal body parts — which rules out many a sweet treat, too. Gummy and jelly lollies are definitely usually made with gelatine; however, with its newest release, The Natural Confectionery Co is giving vegans an animal product-free alternative. Already known for completely avoiding artificial colours, flavours and sweeteners, plus high-fructose corn syrup as well, the company is now launching a gelatine-free, vegan-, vegetarian- and flexitarian-friendly version of its fruity jelly lollies. If that's your next snack taken care of, you'll find packs of Vegan Fruity Flavoured Jellies in supermarkets from mid-August — starting with Coles and independent stores, then hitting Woolworths from mid-September. They'll cost you $4 for a 200-gram packet, which boasts five varieties of lollies inside: apple, blackcurrant, peach, pineapple and raspberry. The new addition to The Natural Confectionery Co's range comes in response to demand. "We couldn't ignore the requests from Aussies asking for a vegan-friendly option," explains Lauren Fildes, the Cadbury-owned company's Marketing Director for Candy, Biscuits and Meals. If you're a fan of the brand's other types of lollies — its snakes, fruity chews and sour worms, for example — you'll have to cross your fingers that they eventually get a vegan version as well. [caption id="attachment_779206" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Peter O'Connor via Flickr[/caption] Find The Natural Confectionery Co's Vegan Fruity Flavoured Jellies in Coles and independent supermarkets from mid-August, and in Woolworths from mid-September — costing $4 for a 200-gram pack.
It's official: Pad Thai has replaced pizza as Sydneysiders go-to dish of choice. As our culinary tastes reorient to the East, Concrete Playground explores some of Sydney's best Thai eateries, from the stalwarts to the style-setters and everything in between. 1. Senyai Regent Place has just given birth to its very own lan-caar bo-rancor (old Thai shop), Senyai. A laneway eatery resembling what one might expect to find in Bangkok's steamy back streets. Inside, the walls are scattered with colourful decorative plates, framed Thai pop stars and royal family, and cabinets full of vintage Thai paraphernalia. In the faux outside area you'll find a metal fence strewn with graffiti and posters. Yep, it feels just like the real deal. Start with a serve of miang kham ($6) — betel leaves topped with diced lime, red chilli, dehydrated prawns, nuts, red onion, and coconut sauce. Next try the po pia jaan ($12) — crispy prawn pancakes covered in layers of super-fine deep-fried rice paper, with an almost spongy inner texture. Let your Thai eating journey begin ... 486 Kent St, Regent Place; 02 9283 8686; www.senyai.com.au 2. Chat Thai Chat Thai is the worst kept secret amongst us Thai people living in Sydney. With a focus on Thai street food and dishes that are meant to be for Thai palates only, Chat Thai was meant to be a Thai person's Thai restaurant. But when you do the mainstay favorites pretty well, and at very, very reasonable prices, it's inevitable that the cat will get out of the bag. Located across from the Capitol Theatre, the open desert kitchen welcomes you in, with the bare brick walls covered with crayon artwork by a famous Thai comedian. If you’ve arrived during the dinner rush hour expect to be waiting at least 45 minutes or longer for a table; try and get in early and they might be able to offer you dishes still made from the lunch menu as well. 20 Campbell St, Haymarket; 02 9211 1808; www.chatthai.com.au 3. Spice I Am Spice I Am? It almost sounds like a challenge, or at least a state of mind. If there's anything to assist you reaching that state, it's red-hot Thai food. Where are you going to find it? At Spice I Am in Darlinghurst. And it's not just the food that's hot. This place is all style: exposed brick walls, another wall of expertly arranged clay pots, and a black and gold leaf bar. Drawing from north-eastern Thai cuisine, head chef Sujet Saenkham has concocted dishes away from the stir-fry stereotype. 296-300 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst; 02 9332 2445; www.spiceiam.com 4. Thai Pothong A Newtown institution since the '90s, Thai Pothong has gone from a cosy diner to a cavernous 350-seater restaurant with a quirky gift shop attached (anyone fancy a miniature model of the Predator?). Now offering dedicated gluten free and vegan menus, this inner-west stalwart only goes from strength to strength and continues to impress with its speedy service, group dining and authentic Thai cuisine. 294 King Street, Newtown; 02 9550 6277; www.thaipothong.com.au 5. Tapioca It's a far cry from the sandstone walls of Sailors Thai Canteen in the Rocks and the inner-city buzz of Sailors Thai Potts Point, but chefs Pacharin Jantrakool and Krongthong Akkachitto are still weaving their magic. Only this time they're doing it north of the bridge in Cremorne. On any given night Tapioca's smart, airy diner is filled with families, couples and canoodlers all clamouring for northern Thai favourites like the miang kum (betel leaves with smoked trout and roasted coconut). 318A Military Rd, Cremorne; 02 9908 1588; www.tapioca.net.au 6. Sailors Thai The doyenne of the Thai dining scene, Sailors Thai ushered in a wave of stylish Thai diners the likes of which Sydney hadn't seen prior and spawned a generation of talented chefs. Go back to where Sydney's love affair with classy Thai dining started at this heritage listed building in The Rocks where Thai favourites like Gang ped yang (red duck curry) continue to delight the palate. Want something casual? You'll find Sailors Canteen downstairs, renowned amongst other things for making communal dining de rigueur. 106 George Street, The Rocks; 02 9251 2466; www.sailorsthai.com.au 7. @Bangkok Stumble into @Bangkok late on a Friday or Saturday night and you might mistake it for a karaoke bar. You wouldn't be entirely wrong either. Late in the week this Capitol Square restaurant, launched six years ago to cater for the city's growing Thai community, doubles as a karaoke bar and pays homage to Thailand's favourite pastime. Sweet, sour, salty and spicy, you'll find your favourite Thai dishes alongside some lesser known but equally delectable offerings. Shop G 11, Capitol Square, 730-742 George Street, Sydney; 02 9211 5232; www.atbangkok.com.au 8. Longrain If Sailors Thai brought style to Thai dining, Longrain made it achingly hip. Set in a 100 year old converted warehouse with a sleek basement bar, the vibe is contemporary and upmarket. Head chef Martin Boetz has created a modern menu which reflects Longrain's inner city locale to a tee. Cocktails are sharp and zesty, like the lemongrass martini, whilst dishes like the crisp caramelised pork hock with chilli vinegar once sampled, are rarely forgotten. 85 Commonwealth St, Surry Hills; 02 9280 2888; www.longrain.com.au 9. Alphabet Street The folks who brought Thai fusion diner Rambutan to the Oxford Street strip — Oriana De Luca and Joe Natale — have headed south to work their charms on The Shire. Just like Rambutan, at Alphabet Street offer gorgeous cocktails like the spicy, kaffir lime-flavoured Thai Bloody Mary and a menu that straddles the staples and fusion dishes with ease. All set in a white-washed, industrial-chic venue with Cronulla Beach crowing distance away. 5/8 Kingsway, Cronulla; 02 9544 0756; www.alphabetst.net Photo credit: he needs food. 10. House You can't go past a north-eastern Thai diner that promises a dessert called Better than Sex, can you? A slice of a fried bread covered in sugar and caramel and covered with coconut ice cream, we're not sure how Better than Sex fits into House's Isaan-style cuisine but it definitely offsets the spicy heat of the menu. With the culinary backing of Spice I Am's head chef and co-owner, Sujet Saenkhan, this is one Thai experience not to be missed. 202 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills; 02 9280 0364; www.spiceiam.com/house-surry-hills
Taylor Swift has already played Australia in 2024, as the entire country knows. Billie Eilish will hit the country's stages in 2025. Arriving in-between: Olivia Rodrigo, with the former Disney talent — see: Bizaardvark and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series — bringing her huge GUTS world tour Down Under in October 2024. When we say huge, we mean it. With the addition of four Aussie dates alongside new gigs in Bangkok, Thailand, Seoul, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore, the tour now spans 82 concerts around the globe. In Australia, Rodrigo has a two-night date with Melbourne and then another two with Sydney. Fans elsewhere, you'll be needing to travel. Touring in support of her second studio album that's also called GUTS, three-time Grammy-winner Rodrigo is hitting Rod Laver Arena Wednesday, October 9–Thursday, October 10 to start her Aussie visit. The next week, from Thursday, October 17–Friday, October 18, she'll play Qudos Bank Arena. In both Sydney and Melbourne, New Zealand singer-songwriter Benee will also take to the stage in support This is 'Drivers License', 'Good 4 U' and 'Vampire' singer Rodrigo's first arena tour, as well as her first tour Down Under — and she'll have her debut album SOUR to work through as well. The GUTS tour started in Palm Springs in February, saw Rodrigo do four shows at Madison Square Garden in April, and is currently making its way around the UK before heading to Europe, back to the US, then to Asia and Australia. Olivia Rodrigo GUTS World Tour 2024 Australian Dates: Wednesday, October 9–Thursday, October 10 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Thursday, October 17–Friday, October 18 – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney Olivia Rodrigo is touring Australia in October 2024. Ticket presales start at 1pm on Wednesday, May 15, and general sales at 1pm on Thursday, May 16 — head to the tour website for further details. Images: Chris Polk, Polk Imaging.
Australia's hot springs fiends and bathing connoisseurs have a lot to be excited about — if a trip to Victoria is in your future, or will be now. First, we learned the much-loved Peninsula Hot Springs crew was planning a new wellness and bathing precinct for East Gippsland, the Metung Hot Springs. Then, a proposal for a 900-kilometre trail linking the state's hot springs and other bathing spots was unveiled. And now, it's time to actually start planning those Gippsland-based bathing adventures, because the Metung Hot Springs has announced an initial launch date, with bookings to open in a matter of days. The first phase of the $100-million precinct's long-awaited grand opening is slated for Saturday, October 29 — and you can jump online to book a visit from Monday, September 19. Much like its Mornington Peninsula sibling, the Gippsland site is set to be one giant haven of wellness and indulgence, nestled on 25 acres surrounded by coastal bushland and located within strolling distance of the quaint lakeside village of Metung. Guests will be able to soak in cliff-top barrels overlooking Lake King, let off steam in various architecturally designed saunas (including a floating one), pamper themselves at the day spa and rejuvenate while bathing in pools filled with geothermal water. There'll be bush walks to wander, plunge pools to get your blood pumping, and all-day dining options to refuel in between dips, too. Located four hours out of Melbourne, Metung Hot Springs will also feature onsite accommodation, including safari-style glamping tents each decked out with its own private balcony and geothermal bathing barrel. As announced earlier, the bathing precinct is also joining forces with — and renovating — the nearby former Kings Cove Golf Course, soon to relaunch as the Metung Country Club. It'll have its own resort-style accommodation and facilities, and a revamped clubhouse and restaurant, with 'stay, bathe and golf' packages on offer across the two sites. [caption id="attachment_869322" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Metung Hot Springs glamping[/caption] Meanwhile, those looking to indulge in some 'me' time can immerse themselves in the offerings of the onsite day spa, centred on authentic Larn'wa Aboriginal Lore wellness rituals incorporating native botanical spa products. The hot springs project is being brought to life with the help of $1.5 million in funding courtesy of the Victorian Government's Gippsland Tourism Recovery Package, as well as an additional $1.5 million from the federal and state governments' Local Economic Recovery Program In other related news, Victoria's proposed bathing and hot springs trail is set to start taking shape over the coming summer months, with the latest map and venue updates available to scope out online. Keen on multiple trips south to hit the hot springs? Back on the Mornington Peninsula, Alba Thermal Springs and Spa is on track to open its own doors in a matter of weeks, now taking spa and bathing bookings from September 26 onwards. Metung Hot Springs will open to customers from Saturday, October 29 at 73 Storth Ryes Avenue, Metung, Victoria. Online bookings are open from Thursday, September 19.
