While an indulgent night of pasta and wine can be an absolute treat, who doesn't love a quick, affordable bite to eat? After nailing the former for the past decade with his restaurant group Totti's and the beloved Pinbone before that, chef Mike Eggert has turned his attention to the latter with his new CBD restaurant Oti'. Open in the former Lorraine's Patisserie shop just off George Street, Oti' specialises in two beloved staples of the quick, no-fuss culinary experience — pizza by the slice and sandwiches. Sambos start from $15, while pizza are available from $12 a slice. A welcome addition to the CBD's late-night feed options, Oti' is keeping the kitchen firing until midnight Thursday–Saturday each week (if stocks last until then). The menu is ever-changing, but you can expect plenty of classic Italian ingredients loaded between slices of schiacciata or piled on top of the thick, fluffy Roman-style pizza basses. Prosciutto, salami, mortadella, olives, capers and plenty of vegetarian-friendly fillings will be making appearances — as well as a range of eight different kinds of cheese, including Totti's signature burrata. If you want to browse the day's menu before heading in, head to the Oti' Instagram page for its daily offerings.
If you're in need of a few chuckles in the face of the state of the world, then Sydney has you covered across April and May. The Sydney Comedy Festival has a bumper edition on offer in 2023, delivering non-stop laughs from an impressive lineup of local and international comedic talent. From Monday, April 24–Sunday, May 21, venues across the city will play host to a program of sidesplitting stand-up, improv, theatre, magic and more. Returning favourites include the always huge Sydney Comedy Festival Gala, which hits the Sydney Opera House, Pac Pavilion Sutherland, Riverside Theatre, the Enmore Theatre and The Concourse to kick things off from Monday, April 24–Wednesday, April 26. Whichever date and venue you choose, expect an outrageous night of onstage antics from a star-studded cast of festival greats and emerging stars. Across the month-long fest, you'll also be able to catch solo shows from the likes of Dylan Moran, Ed Gamble, Bert Krescher, Mark Watson, Jordan Raskopoulos, Josie Long, Arj Barker, Gabbi Bolt, Sam Campbell, Ray O'Leary, Thalia Joan and stacks more. Elsewhere, Lucinda Price — commonly known as Froomes — is bringing her Besties slumber party to the Factory Theatre with Louis Hanson, the internet's patron jar-sauce hater Nat's What I Reckon will be bringing his show Yeah Righto to the festival and the UK''s Sh!itfaced Shakespeare will be performing Romeo and Juliet at the Manning Bar and The Concourse. You can catch Osher Günsberg's satirical news show NTNNNNN (read our chat with Günsberg about the show) and Richard Glover will be popping up with a special live broadcast of Thank God It's Friday! featuring live music from The Soul Movers. Images: Ben Sanford.
Sydney's Taronga Zoo hasn't been humming with crowds over the past three months, given that it's been closed during the city's ongoing lockdown. It'll be roaring a little louder in its lion enclosure from now on, though. Back on Thursday, August 12, the zoo welcomed five African lion cubs — three females and two males — and this quintet of cuteness actually marks the first lion cubs to be born at the venue in more than 18 years. These little balls of fluff were born to experienced mum Maya and first-time dad Ato, and they've grown from weighing around 1.5 kilograms at birth to hitting the scales at between five and six kilograms now. As they've been growing, Taronga's staff have been keeping an eye on them via the zoo's CCTV cameras. And, if that sounds like a great way to spend your own day, you can now join them via a new 24/7 live-stream. Taronga already lets you fill your time staring at capybaras, seals, meerkats, otters, sumatran tigers, lions and elephants, all without leaving your home, thanks to its online TV channel. All those animals are all well and good. They're great, and they're very easy to spend too much time staring at, actually. But, because we all grew up watching The Lion King, we all have an extra fondness for lion cubs. The zoo's cub cam is doing things a little differently, however. This time, you'll need to make a tax-deductible donation of $7 to access the all-day camera footage. Your cash will then help support Taronga, its ongoing research and conservation programs, and its work to save African lions — and if you're able to, you can donate more if you like. There's your background viewing sorted. Popping the stream on in the background while you work from home suits these kinds of feeds, in fact, because sometimes the critters in the spotlight aren't in view. Or, in this case, those cubs like to sleep between 12–20 hours per day. Taronga Zoo Sydney and Taronga Western Plains Zoo Dubbo started their online streams in 2020, and they're back now for obvious reasons. Taronga is also releasing regular videos across its Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channels, and making keeper talks and other clips available online as well. To subscribe to Taronga Zoo's cub cam, head to the zoo's website. To check out Taronga TV, head to the channel's website — or keep an eye on its videos on its Facebook, Instagram and YouTube pages.
If you're unfamiliar with the little inner-city suburb sandwiched between Victoria and Prince Alfred Parks known as Chippendale, it will do you good to pay its streets, home to the once renowned Carlton & United Brewery, a visit. In particular you should find your way to the corner of Shepherd and Knox Streets and through the dangling PVC noise-cancelling sheets of the newly opened Knox Street Bar. An unassuming and fabulously dingy garage-type hang-out tucked down and behind speciality coffee cafe The House, Knox Street Bar began its journey over 18 months ago, built piece by piece from a fairly unforgiving space. According to owner and occasional chef Bjorn Godwin, however, this was a blessing in disguise, allowing the venue to evolve, influenced by the hard work and creativity of his individual team members. Youthful ingenuity helped develop this place into what it is today. It's there in the rainbow cocktail-deciding spinning wheel, in the bar-top balance scale allowing punters to contemplate the tough questions in life by leaving tips in one of two glasses (on our visit: Kanye West or herpes, what's better?), in the snare drum lights illuminating the separate function area and in the Chesty Bond-inspired fountain (sculpted by Godwin himself) that introduces a little connection between the two rooms. FYI, if you were wondering, herpes won. The talent behind the bar, however, is certainly mature. Our negroni (all classic cocktails $17) came swiftly delivered with its appropriately large hunk of ice, and when we decided to give into fate via a whirl of the wheel ($13 for whatever you land on), we were more than pleasantly surprised with the violet-infused Ginuwine Pony ($16) that takes a Hendricks gin martini to subtly sweeter heights. Another highlight drinks-wise is the on-tap ales ($8) and two ciders ($7) from Ironbridge Brewery, a Petersham venture choosing Knox Street as their first distributer. A cider-lover through and through, personally I couldn't get over the crisp flavour of both offerings, without all the unnecessary sweetness that seems to have become synonymous with this ye olde English apple thirst-quencher. As food goes, these guys are keeping it simple. We popped in on a Sunday after the first 'garage party' that offered pork sausage garage dogs or crinkle cut hot chips. Sadly by the time we arrived, we missed our chance to hop the dog — not entirely unsurprising when 100 hungry mouths were making noise earlier in the day — but the chips were good and came with some cracking aioli. In the future the plan is to collaborate with local food trucks and create an ever-changing menu of pop-up offerings. They're starting this week with the Veggie Patch van, who'll be doing a six-eight week residency every night except Sunday. And it's this collaboration and community spirit that really makes Knox Street Bar one to watch out for. According to Godwin, neighbours have already been invited in to ensure they feel at home with a bar next door. Let's just say, for a place that's been open only a couple of weeks, bustling away above an underground stream that once fed the aforementioned Chippendale-iconic booze factory, Knox Street Bar is already on its way to becoming a local institution.
Love the fireworks display that lights up Sydney Harbour on New Year's Eve? This year, the celebrations will continue into the new year and the Sydney skyline will be illuminated for even longer thanks to the Elevate Sydney Sky Show. In an Australian first, the Elevate Sydney Sky Show will take place above Circular Quay from Saturday, January 1 till Wednesday, January 5 as part of the brand-new Elevate Sydney festival. Catch 500 choreographed drones weaving across the sky in this multi-sensory spectacle set to an original soundscape. Sounds pretty incredible, right? The sky show will kick off from 10pm each night, right after the headline performances at the stages perched atop The Cahill Expressway. If you missed out on tickets to one of the Elevate Sydney shows, make a date with the night sky and let the colour and light of the sky show mesmerise you instead. Elevate Sydney Sky Show is taking place from Saturday, January 1 till Wednesday, January 5. For more information, visit the website.
After almost a decade in the former Summer Hill Post Office building, One Penny Red is closing its doors before the building is put on the market in early 2024. Since opening in 2014, the hatted restaurant has been a pioneer in the Sydney dining scene, serving modern Australian classics helmed by head chef RJ Lines and a bold wine list curated by David Murphy. "We are excited to go out at the top of our game with an amazing team," says co-founder Nina Alidenes. "The past ten years have been an incredible ride and we have achieved more than we could have imagined. Thank you for supporting us, celebrating your special occasions with us, and allowing us to be part of your memories." The restaurant and upstairs Vernon's Bar will close on Sunday, December 31. Until then, there won't be any changes to bookings and dining vouchers can still be redeemed. Book in before it closes for good at the One Penny Red website.
If Hoyts Entertainment Quarter is your local picture palace, then your next trip to the movies just got a whole lot swankier. Because everyone likes going to the cinema in style, the Moore Park site has just unveiled the first stage of its new upgrade — including bigger seats, better screens and sound, and an upscale menu that spans far beyond just popcorn and choc tops. In HEQ's 12-screen main complex, movie buffs can now sit in wide recliners with extra leg room, all for the standard ticket price. And if you really want your chair to move in sync with the film for some reason, one cinema also features "motion recliners" that'll shake, jolt and otherwise shift about as the flick plays. Yes, it's a pure gimmick — no one really needs to feel like they're on a rollercoaster while they're watching the latest action blockbuster or superhero movie — but it's the industry's latest attempt to tempt you off your couch and into the kind of experience you can only have in a cinema. Hoyts has also turned three of its screens into Xtremescreen cinemas — they feature extra large screens, plus Dolby Atmos 7.1 audio — and added Sydney's first Samsung Onyx LED cinema screen. The latter spans 14 metres, displays images at 4K resolution and with high dynamic range picture quality, and can reach ten times the brightness of a standard projector. For those less concerned about technical specs and more interested in snacks, Hoyts has unveiled a new menu for its Lux cinemas, too — aka its version of gold class. On the lineup: jamon croquettes, mac 'n' cheese balls, three kinds of bao, a range of sliders and Malteaser-topped sundaes, with Manu Feildel designing the selection. A sizeable list of wine, beer, spirits and cocktails is also on offer, so you can pair your next movie with an espresso martini or a spiked milkshake. The candy bar area has had a revamp as well, and is now home to Artie's Bar and Cafe — where you can nab a pizza to take into the movie with you — plus the Baskin-Robbins ice cream-slinging Treat City. Hoyts will also be levelling up its second, smaller four-screen site at Entertainment Quarter, although that won't happen until later this year. Find Hoyts Entertainment Quarter at Bent Street, Moore Park — with Hoyts' new cinemas now open in its main 12-screen complex, and its smaller four-screen site set to be upgraded later this year.
If you're a Sydney-based cinephile, the end of daylight savings and the beginning of cooler weather means one thing: the Sydney Film Festival. Yes, the city's annual celebration of movies, movies and even more movies runs from June 7 to 18. Venues include: The Randwick Ritz, Dendy Opera Quays and the Art Gallery of New South Wales, but our favourite option is definitely the State Theatre. Head inside the stunning building on Friday night and settle down for a Sydney Film Festival flick. In a few months you'll be saying to your friends, "I've already seen that". Image: Lottie P via Flickr.
In its opening moments, Bupkis unloads — twice, in completely different ways, while ensuring there's zero doubt that this is a series about Pete Davidson starring Pete Davidson as Pete Davidson. First, the former Saturday Night Live comedian gets Googling while alone in the basement of the Staten Island home he shares with his mother Amy (Edie Falco, Avatar: The Way of Water). The results about Ariana Grande, Kate Beckinsale and Kim Kardashian's ex aren't positive; one headline simply exclaims 'Yuck!'. So, to shake off the unpleasantness of reading '12 Things Horribly Wrong with Pete Davidson', which is one of the nicer statements, he switches from "scumbro" with "butthole eyes" comments to porn. He's wearing a VR headset, and he's soon deep in self-love. Then his mum walks in. Streaming from Thursday, May 4 on Binge in Australia and TVNZ+ in New Zealand, Bupkis clearly isn't wary about getting crude. It isn't concerned about satirising its central figure, either. Instead, this semi-autobiographical dramedy relishes the parody. At the age of 29, Davidson has reached the "you may as well laugh" point in his career, which is hardly surprising given he's spent the past decade swinging his big chaotic energy around. Or, more accurately, how pop culture has hung on every twist in his love life and off-screen mess far more than his eight SNL seasons and big-screen roles in Big Time Adolescence, The Suicide Squad, Bodies Bodies Bodies and more. Missed those flicks? Bupkis riffs on them, too, while also following in The King of Staten Island's footsteps. Partway through the eight-episode series, while keen to claim some perks for being Davidson's mother — other than doting on her son, that is — Amy shouts at wait staff that "Marisa Tomei played me!". Add that to Bupkis' gleeful, playful nods to reality. An opening statement before each instalment stresses the difference between fact and fiction, and why the show has the name it has, but art keeps imitating life everywhere. There's no switching names, however. Davidson is indeed Davidson, his IRL mum is called Amy and his sister is Casey (Oona Roche, The Morning Show). As in The King of Staten Island, they've been a trio since 9/11, and dealing with losing his New York City firefighter dad still isn't easy. Off-screen, Davidson must be a fan of My Cousin Vinny, plus the gangster genre. Hailing from the former as Tomei does, and famed for his performances in the latter like The Sopranos star Falco, Goodfellas, Casino and The Irishman alum Joe Pesci is a pivotal part of Bupkis as Davidson's grandfather Joe — a hilarious and delightful part, unsurprisingly. When Joe drops grim health news, the series gets one of its through lines, with Davidson determined to spend as much time with his grandpa as possible. He's clueless about what to do, though, whether he's hiring him a sex worker or seeking advice about why no one ever takes him seriously. Joe is blunt: "they see you as a joke because you are a joke — and you act like a fucking joke." There's roguish self-awareness to the way Bupkis leans into Joe's assessment — with Davidson lampooning himself, could there be anything else? — alongside an earnest-but-comic effort to unpack why that's such a widely held view. Joe also advises that he needs to stop trying to make himself happy and focus on other people for a change, another thread tying the show's episodic antics together. Sometimes, Davidson endeavours to prove he can look after a kid (there's that Big Time Adolescence nudge). Elsewhere, he attempts to push his career into blockbusters (which is where The Suicide Squad comes to mind, but here he's making a war epic with Brad Pitt). Often, he's unable to work out how to have a normal relationship with his girlfriend Nikki (Bodies Bodies Bodies' Chase Sui Wonders, who played his character's girlfriend in that savvy slasher and is reportedly Davidson's real-life paramour at the time of writing). Creating Bupkis with The King of Staten Island co-writer Dave Sirus and Crashing's Judah Miller (so, a veteran of another comedy where a comedian plays himself), Davidson also battles a troll who keeps posting a photo of him that he hates, looks back on the aftermath of his father's death with 'Cotton Eye Joe' as a soundtrack, and goes to rehab with Machine Gun Kelly and Black Bird's Paul Walter Hauser. He has Everybody Loves Raymond's Brad Garrett and Nine Perfect Strangers' Bobby Cannavale as surrogate father figures, and Ray Romano as a nemesis. Everyone from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Charlie Day and Miracle Workers' Steve Buscemi to SNL's Kenan Thompson and John Mulaney pop up, plus Jon Stewart, Al Gore and Method Man. He hangs out with an entourage — Evan (Philip Ettinger, Angelyne), Derek (Derek Gaines, The Last OG), Crillz (first-timer James A DeSimone), Dave (Sirus) and Gilly (Shane Gillis, Gilly and Keeves) — like the show is a Staten Island-set version of Entourage, and enlists Red Rocket's Simon Rex for a killer Florida-set Fast and Furious spoof. What is it like to be Pete Davidson? Returning to that key question again and again on-screen, the honest answer in Bupkis is anarchic and absurd, usually of his own making. If the series wasn't as sincere as it is, it could be accused of throwing anything and everything it can at the sitcom's walls and letting it all stick — but there's always insight shining behind even its silliest and most surreal stretches. When he's ruining funerals, missing his sister's graduation, proving the truth behind 'Is Pete Davidson on Drugs?' articles, not taking big gigs seriously and opting for mystery substances over a quiet night alone abroad over the holidays, Bupkis doesn't avoid the glaringly obvious, either: it's the sitcom's version of Davidson who is making his own choices. The King of Staten Island was also candid, raw and lived-in, as well as thoughtful and laugh-out-loud funny. Davidson delivered a compelling wayward-yet-vulnerable performance, too, while surrounded by excellent supporting players. No wild escapade is ever exactly the same twice, of course, as Davidson's on-screen characters keep experiencing — and repeating himself turns out entertainingly and astutely when he's this intent to keep interrogating his own existence. Pesci and Falco couldn't be more perfectly cast, both seeing through the tabloid facade (one with no-nonsense gruffness, the other with an abundance of warmth), but Davidson knows how to leave an imprint as himself. Here, he's again unloading his real struggles, and he's also unwilling to bask in sitcom happiness. The details might be embellished and fictionalised Curb Your Enthusiasm and Ramy-style, but that definitely isn't bupkis. Check out the trailer for Bupkis below: Bupkis streams via Binge in Australia and TVNZ+ in New Zealand from Thursday, May 4. Images: Heidi Gutman / Peacock.
Religious imagery, especially of the Catholic variety, is often bloody and bleak, twisting a broken body around rigid lines of wood and stone. But not so in Justin O'Brien's paintings. His works, predominantly famous for their interpretation of religious motifs, shimmer with a lush palette that you'd expect from an eccentric South American artist — not one from Hurstville. Born in 1917, O'Brien experienced the chaos of WWII while serving in Palestine and Greece as part of the Australian Army Medical Corps, a tour which climaxed with his incarceration in a Polish prisoner-of-war camp. This time left a lasting impression on O'Brien, leading him to create works that capture the mysterious energies of an old world through rich colours and subtle symbolism. Though a lapsed Catholic, O'Brien won the inaugural Blake Prize for Religious Art in 1951 and had his work, The Raising of Lazarus, purchased by the Vatican. Now, for the first time since 1987, a collection of over 90 of O'Brien's works are being exhibited by the Art Gallery of NSW, giving a rare glimpse into this artist's soft-rendered world of spiritual awe. Image: The Harlequin Boy, by Justin O'Brien
Maybe you love nothing more than telling simulated people what to do. Perhaps a fantasy universe is your favourite place to escape to when you're mashing buttons. More than a quarter-century back, virtual critters might've been your go-to pastime. The Sims, World of Warcraft and Neopets have all made an impact on the gaming world, and on audiences. All three are also scoring plenty of love at Game Worlds at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image in Melbourne. For five months between Thursday, September 18, 2025–Sunday, February 8, 2026, this video-game exhibition is shining a spotlight on 30 iconic titles — and making attendees feel like they're stepping inside some of them, too. Expect everything from original concept art and never-before-seen designs to rare objects at the Federation Square site's Gallery 4. Expect to get playing, rather than just peering, as well. [caption id="attachment_997872" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Electronic Arts[/caption] Although the full lineup of games featured hasn't been revealed as yet, they'll span from the 70s until now, and 20 of them will be playable. Demos, games from years gone by, trying to break speed records: they're all part of the setup, which will include international hits, new Australian releases and everything in-between. ACMI has staged major video-game showcases before. This is its third, in fact, following 2008's Game On and 2012's Game Masters. Since the latter, the venue has also hosted smaller gaming exhibitions, such as 2017's Code Breakers — where women in the industry were the focus — and 2024's Honk! Untitled Goose Exhibition. Earlier in 2025, it celebrated 25 years of The Sims across one nostalgic weekend. As it regularly does with its showcases, the gallery will pair Game Worlds with talks, film screenings and other events, family-friendly activities among them. [caption id="attachment_997868" align="alignnone" width="1920"] World of Neopia[/caption] Top images: Blizzard Entertainment.
Back in 2021, McDonald's marked a massive milestone: 50 years since the fast food chain first started serving burgs in Australia. To celebrate, it splashed its golden arches all around the place, including on Macca's PJs. And, while that sleepwear was a limited-edition range, McDonald's has teamed up with Peter Alexander on a new line for 2023. Obviously, you'll be lovin' them. Once again, this collection features burgers, fries, golden arches, the chain's red and yellow colour scheme, and its famous figures such as Ronald, Grimace, Birdie and the Hamburglar. Do people wearing burger-covered pyjamas dream of Big Macs? That's the question you can now put to the test — again. You can clearly expect a big dose of nostalgia as well and, thanks to Ronald and company's presence, to have a fierce hankering for happy meals. Given that McDonald's opened here in the 70s, there's a huge retro feel to the entire range. If, while wearing them, you wake up and start watching cartoons, that's understandable. Thirty-seven different items arrive on Wednesday, June 14 at Peter Alexander stores and via the sleepwear brand's website until stocks last — including PJ pants and sweaters for men and women, various matching sets, and even Macca's sleepwear for dogs. That range includes a Big Mac tee, a smiling Grimace jumper and slippers embedded with the golden arches, as well as patchwork-style sets and a Macca's doggy jumper. The new McDonald's x Peter Alexander sleepwear collection goes on sale from Wednesday, June 14 via Peter Alexander stores and the sleepwear brand's website.
The world has gone green. With carbon trading, hybrid cars and alternative fuels dominating elections and dining table chit-chat across the globe, the choice to be green is not simply an environmental consideration but a way of life for many people. Some environmentally-minded folks, however, have brought new meaning to the phrase "one man's trash is another man's treasure", transforming scrap metal and old beer cans into functional and often stunning houses. Here are ten bizarre and beautiful houses made entirely of recycled materials. Junk Castle Where: Washington State It took one high school teacher, one artist, $500 and a pile of discarded filth to make the Junk Castle, with everything from car doors to rusting kitchen appliances replacing the usual bricks and mortar. Le Casa de Botellas Where: Puerto Iguazu, Argentina The 'House of Bottles' is made from thousands of disposable plastic bottles for the purpose of "promoting ecological and social responsibility", and includes a matching bottle playhouse. Earthship Where: Haiti After the devastating 2010 Haiti Earthquake destroyed thousands of families' homes, eco-architect Michael Reynolds constructed this 120-square-foot house from discarded car tires. Not only did it cost next to nothing to build, but it is also resistant to earthquakes and hurricanes and harvests solar and wind energy. Jardin du Coquillage Where: Northern France 'The Garden of Shells' was a labour of love for French war veteran Bodan Litnianski, who upon returning from WWII began decorating the exterior of his house with shells. Upon finishing the walls, Litnianski then roamed the streets in search of abandoned toys, puppets and anything else that caught his fancy, transforming his tiny cottage into a veritable maze of colourful and exotic junk. House Built from Glass Bottles Where: Prince Edward Island, Canada 25,000 bottles were used by Édouard T. Arsenault to build this eco-friendly home. One wasn't enough though, with Arsenault making three similarly cost-effective houses across the island. Costa Verde Resort Where: Costa Rica This multi-million dollar extravaganza is one of the more innovative hotel designs you are likely to see, constructed from a decommissioned Boeing 727 previously used by South Africa Air. The striking exterior is more than adequately matched by its ritzy interior, in which the inside of the plane has been refashioned into wood panelled hotel rooms that fetch up to $500 a night. The Phoenix Commotion Where: Huntsville, Texas Architect, environmentalist and innovator Dan Phillips (above) is the brains behind eco-friendly construction company, The Phoenix Commotion. Having constructed 14 houses from materials salvaged from junkyards, flea markets and street corners across Texas, Phillips believes the possibilities for The Phoenix Commotion are just about endless. "You can't defy the laws of physics or building codes," Phillips told the New York Times, “but beyond that, the possibilities are endless.” The Beer Can House Where: Houston, Texas That's right, a house made entirely from flattened beer cans, beer bottles and other beer paraphernalia. Houston resident John Milkovisch became a local icon when in 1968 he began converting his family home into a shrine to the amber nectar. His only explanation for the hordes of perplexed neighbours was "I got sick of mowing the lawn". While it is now a favoured tourist attraction, it is only worth a visit if you are particularly strong of stomach, as 50 years of fermenting beer has apparently given the house a rather rancid stench. Houses Made From Shipping Pallets Where: Chile and Austria Designers in Chile and Austria have used discarded shipping pallets to create houses that are both functional and beautiful. The strong hardwood material and large holes in the pallets lend themselves perfectly for house exteriors providing homes with natural lighting, cooling and ventilation. Grain Silo House Where: Woodland, Utah Penny-saving, environmentally-conscious architects have been known to convert just about anything into houses, from churches to shipping containers to bomb shelters. One such trend that has developed in the US is repurposing grain silos into some surprisingly stylish homes. While this double-silo mansion took several years of redesigning and recreating, silos can be renovated into houses for as little as $7,000.
A whole month of gastronomic delights awaits Sydneysiders this October with the return of the Crave Sydney International Food Festival. The jam-packed festival programme will be showcasing the best of local and international cuisine, with a dizzying array of culinary events and experiences. With a South American theme this year, some of the continent’s most renowned chef’s will be visiting the city to share their food knowledge and skills with us. You can see them at work at the World Chef Showcases October 1st and 2nd, at the Hilton Sydney, where renowned international chefs will be pairing with some of Sydney’s finest to swap ideas and knowledge. Not only will see these masters working first hand, you'll get to learn and sample the dishes. There’s something for everyone, from showcases, discussions and masterclasses with some of the world’s best chefs, to food tours, markets, kids events, and community festivals. For the braver amongst you, dine alongside the lions at Taronga Zoo! And of course the much-loved Night Noodle Markets will be returning to Hyde Park, with traditional Asian hawker style fare. There’s a green edge this year too, with the inaugural 100 mile challenge where five regional teams will be competing to win, with food and wine sourced from within 100 miles of Sydney, which will culminate in banquet lunch for 500 at Eveleigh markets.
Nestled up a set of stairs overlooking Surry Hills' Bourke Street, you'll now find the light-filled hair studio that's home to Marc & Maxwell. It's the work of internationally trained duo Sabrina Maxwell and Marc Armstrong, who together boast over three decades of senior salon experience as colourists and stylists. The boutique salon offers the full spectrum of cutting, blow-drying, colouring and treatment services, with cuts for women starting from $120 and for men from $95 — each including a full personalised consultation. Touches of polished concrete and exposed brick lend an urban chic feel, and soaring French windows offer the sort of natural light and leafy outlook you might expect if you were sitting in a treehouse. Here, you're invited to reconnect with your best self (and your best-ever hair), in a setting that's stylish, yet relaxed and unfussy. [caption id="attachment_816058" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Owners Sabrina Maxwell and Marc Armstrong.[/caption]
It is instinctive for human beings to question what the future could hold and and will look like. But just like most aspects of our lives, buildings of the future are incredibly difficult to predict. Here are some of the most mind-boggling futuristic building designs which are in the planning stage or already under construction. New Orleans Arcology Habitat In an attempt to revamp both the aesthetics and economy of New Orleans in the face of the terrible destruction of 2005's Hurricane Katrina, an incredibly modernistic Arcology Habitat has been proposed. The design includes hotels, condos, commercial property and casinos all floating on the surface of a water basin between the Mississippi River and the CBD. Spaceport America Spaceport America is now in its initial stages of development in New Mexico and has already seen a series of flights launched from its lunar pads last year. This sleek construction is set to be the first commercial spaceport the world has ever seen and would unlock the potential to allow anyone to enjoy the wonders of space. Shimizu Mega-City Pyramid This enormous construction proposed for Tokyo would be 14 times higher than the ancient Great Pyramid of Giza, and would house an incredible 750,000 people. Designed as a solution to the over-population issue in Japan, this design is on hold until super-strong lightweight materials appear in the future. Kingdom Tower This enormous skyscraper has been approved for construction in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah at the preliminary cost of $4.6 billion as part of the proposed Kingdom City to be located along the Red Sea. If completed according to plan, the tower will not only become the tallest building in the world, but also the only on the planet to exceed a height of 1 kilometre. Kuwait Airport A new terminal is undergoing construction at Kuwait International Airport this year, set to be completed by 2016. The reconstruction, designed as a three point star, should increase the passenger handling capacity from 7 million to 13 million in the first phase. Trio Vertical Garden French designer and botanist, Patrick Blanc, is starting a revolution with his amazing designs of vertical gardens. His projects started in Sydney in 2009 by embedding 4,500 seedlings into a recycled felt surface, creating a contemporary artwork that is both environmentally friendly and aesthetically pleasing. Taiwan Tower Sou Fujimoto was the winner of the Taiwan Tower International Competition with his interpretation of 'Primitive Future'. The 300 metre tower is inspired by the Taiwanese banyan tree and is designed to be a model of green architecture for future generations. Keret House Instead of just discounting the space of an 133 centimetre alleyway between two houses in Warsaw, architect Jakub Szczesny saw the possibility for an ingenious house. Designed as a creative workspace for Israeli writer, Etgar Keret, the hermitage would range from 72-122cm in width with remote control stairs and boat-inspired water and sewage systems. Project Utopia Floating Island After numerous references to floating civilisations in literature comes finally an inventive floating island design more like an oil rig than a yacht. The volume of the Project Utopia would be equivalent to a present-day cruise liner, measuring more than 100 metres across and including more than 11 decks.
Go big for your next date night at Willo Restaurant & Bar: a hatted restaurant plating up striking dishes with Mediterranean and Australian influences. The glamorous space in central Parramatta boasts a grand indoor dining room and bar that spills onto the foyer outdoors. The Tiny Bird's Nest is a must — a delicate brioche filled with chorizo cream and topped with Italian meringue. Follow it up with Hokkaido scallops with artichoke and chilli oil, or crispy pork ribs with pesto. Bigger mains include a Venetian duck ragu pasta, girasoli stuffed with blue swimmer crab and prawns, and slow-roasted lamb with harissa and pomegranate. Top Images: Nikki To
After two successful runs of shows, Zetland's newest outdoor music nights are returning as we head into summer. Throughout November and the beginning of December, the folks at 107 Projects and the Sydney Improvised Music Association (SIMA) are filling the stage at the gorgeous Joynton Avenue Creative Centre with talented local musicians. Running from Friday, November 11, the Friday-night program will feature performances from jazz trio The Pocket Trio, jazz-reggae fusion act The Sonic Drops and a SIMA Christmas celebration featuring instrumental group Garfish. Apart from the tunes, a full bar will serve drinks and nibbles. For the full program and to book, head to the SIMA website. All tickets cost just $25, or $20 for SIMA members and concession card holders. Images: Ruby Summer Social by Arthur Washington / Joynton Avenue Creative Centre by Rhiannon Hopley Photography
Back in 2021, Four Pillars and QT Hotels and Resorts joined forces to celebrate one of life's small joys. Whether you're spending a night far from home or you're staycationing in your own neck of the woods, enjoying a drink at the hotel bar is always a highlight after check-in. There's just something about being able to duck downstairs for a cocktail — or dropping in on your way back up to your room, too — that screams vacation, so the gin distillers and the hotel chain created the perfect tipple for the occasion. For folks looking for a new reason to ditch your own bed for an evening — or simply fond of sipping drinks in hotel bars and pretending you're on holidays — Ordered Chaos Gin was that beverage. It featured coconut milk, raw almonds and bamboo leaves as part of its flavour profile, and it was only available at QT Hotels' bars, plus to order by the bottle for your own gin shrine. And, at the time, it was a once-off — until now. Meet Gilded Chaos Gin, sibling to 2021's drop, and the newest limited-edition tipple trying to tempt you out of the house. Once more, Four Pillars and QT have collaborated on a new gin with an inventive array of flavours. This time, expect to taste wild fennel, sage and vetiver. Clearly, this isn't the type of tipple even the most dedicated gin fans are used to knocking back. The sage will hit your nose, while you'll also taste macadamia and cardamom — and get a burst of citrus thanks to lemon leaves. "A couple of trials and taste tests with sage, vetiver and wild fennel led us to our new Gilded Chaos Gin, a fantastic blend that hits all the right notes," explains Four Pillars co-founder Cameron Mackenzie. Again, you'll only find Gilded Chaos Gin being poured at QT Hotels' bars, where it'll be served in two kinds of cocktails: the Gilded Chaos Luxe Martini, which also features lemon peel, extra-virgin olive oil and anise-flavoured spirit pastis; and the Gilded Gibson, which uses Cocchi Vermouth di Torino Dry, plus kaffir lime leaf that's been nitro-flashed with cocktail onion brine. The places to hit up: QT Sydney, QT Melbourne, QT Canberra, QT Newcastle, QT Gold Coast, QT Perth, QT Auckland, QT Wellington and QT Queenstown. And if your gin collection needs a new addition, Gilded Chaos Gin will set you back $110 a bottle, but only while stocks last. Four Pillars x QT Hotels Gilded Chaos Gin is available at the hotel chain's bars, and to buy by the bottle via the brand's website.
Scribbling on the walls used to be a top ten reason for grounding. Now NGV wants you to scribble all over their White Cube. Design duo Matheny Studio have created a brand new kids space at the National Gallery of Victoria called Pastello Draw Act — without a fun-quashing parent voice (or airport official) in sight. Kids can gear up in futuristic crayon-studded helmets and crayon-soled shoes and let the rainbow destruction run rife; allowed to colour, scribble, sketch, draw and obliterate every surface in the space with whatever hue's on the menu. Tables aren't safe. Walls can't run. Footstools quiver in fear. It's not every day kids are allowed to make as much mess as they want. "Pastello Draw Act is a new immersive kids space focused on transforming perception surrounding the simple act of drawing," say Matheny Studio on Vimeo. The studio designed the space and crayon accessories specifically for NGV, seeing an opportunity for unbridled artistry by our most abstract expressionist of citizens: children. Via Gizmodo and KNSTRCT. Pastello Draw Act will be open at the NGV until August 31.
Last week, Concrete Playground reported on a mini-heatwave bringing unusually toasty temps to the Harbour City this week. However, what first appeared to be a temporary reprieve from the winter status quo now looks set to become one of the hottest starts to spring on record, as temperature records for late August have been smashed across the country. Parts of Sydney hit highs of 27 Celsius on Tuesday, August 27 — eight degrees above the predicted average for this time of year. And yet, this unseasonal warmth paled in comparison to the temperature recorded in Yampi Sound in Western Australia on Monday, August 26, where the mercury peaked at a sizzling 41.6 Celsius — the highest winter temperature ever recorded in Australia, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. The previous record was a temperature of 41.2 Celsius, reached at West Roebuck on 23 August, 2020. Elsewhere in the country, local records were also bulldozed on August 26. The outback town of Oodnadatta in South Australia reached a high of 39.4 Celsius, Yulara in the Northern Territory recorded 36 Celsius, and Birdsville in Queensland peaked at 38.4 Celsius — all records for August. Far from being a passing phenomenon, heat in the mid-to-high twenties is predicted to stick around in Sydney well into next week and beyond. Early forecasts predict a high of 28 Celsius on Friday, August 30 and 29 Celsius on Thursday, September 5. The usual average temperature for early spring is 18 Celsius. While the official beginning of spring is September 1, the influence of climate change is shortening the colder seasons. Last September, much of Australia endured a similar heatwave, although the onset began during the middle of the month. On September 19, 2023, the mercury climbed to 35.9 Celsius at Sydney Airport, setting a new record for the highest temperature ever recorded in the city during September.
Each year sees William Street close to cars, with the usual traffic replaced with fun and frivolity spilling out onto the road for the annual William Street Festival. This Saturday, October 20 will be the community festival's tenth year — and it will be celebrating with a full day of laneway festivities. What happens? Well, all of the boutiques along this well-known shopping strip swap their usual trading for parties, with drinks, food and deals galore to lure you away from the Westfields of the world and back to the simple joy of wandering around the poky streets of Paddo. As well as live music, street art and swing dancing, you'll be lining your stomach with some of the best food and wine the area has to offer. Duck in and out of 10 William Street, the Paddo Inn, Cipri and The London.
In 1996, Independence Day topped the worldwide box office. In music, Los del Rio's 'Macarena' did the same on America's Billboard chart. And, on television, 3rd Rock From the Sun and Sabrina the Teenage Witch made their debuts. Get nostalgic for that year, no matter whether you lived through it or not, and you'll likely think about all or some of the above — plus everything from fellow movie hits Twister and Scream through to tunes such as 'Ironic' and '1979'. Well, unless you're the women of returning 2021–2022 standout Yellowjackets, that is. For Shauna (Melanie Lynskey, The Last of Us), Natalie (Juliette Lewis, Welcome to Chippendales), Taissa (Tawny Cypress, Billions), Misty (Christina Ricci, Wednesday), Lottie (Simone Kessell, Muru) and Van (Lauren Ambrose, Servant), 1996 will always be the year that their plane plunged into the Canadian wilderness, stranding them for 19 tough months. As teenagers (as played by The Kid Detective's Sophie Nélisse, The Book of Boba Fett's Sophie Thatcher, Scream VI's Jasmin Savoy, Shameless' Samantha Hanratty, Mad Max: Fury Road's Courtney Eaton and Santa Clarita Diet's Liv Hewson), they were members of the show's titular high-school soccer squad, travelling from their New Jersey home town to Seattle for a national tournament, when the worst eventuated. Films, songs and shows couldn't be more trivial when an incident like that sears itself in your history. [caption id="attachment_894477" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Colin Bentley/Showtime.[/caption] Afterwards, life would never be the same — not during the time they spent fending for themselves in the forest, and not a quarter-century later as well. In both its instantly addictive Emmy-nominated debut season and just-arrived second go-around, which streams weekly via Australia's Paramount+ and Aotearoa's Neon from Friday, March 24, Yellowjackets flits between these two time frames. Hailing from creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson (Dispatches From Elsewhere), it openly courts nostalgia itself in the process. References abound to pop-culture touchstones of the era, the soundtrack is a dark and grungy 90s dream, and the show's theme tune 'No Return' echoes with killer throwback vibes (even if Shrill's Craig Wedren and Anna Waronker, the program's resident composers, created it anew for the series). All that looking back cuts deep, though, with Yellowjackets pondering what happens when someone's yearning for days long passed is forever tainted by trauma. There's far more than wistfulness lost, robbed and infected at the heart of this survivalist thriller, of course; when it premiered, it was understandably pegged as Lost-meets-Lord of the Flies with an Alive twist, a neat but accurate-enough basic summary. All isn't always what it seems as Shauna and company endeavour to endure in the elements. Also, tearing into each other occurs more than just metaphorically. Plus, literally sinking one's teeth in has been teased and flirted with since episode one, too. But Yellowjackets will always be about what it means to face something so difficult that it forever colours and changes who you are — and constantly leaves a reminder of who you might've been. That's where the series' jumping back and forth remains so crucial, exploring shattering turns of events and the choices they spark, then watching their ripples keep biting hard decades later. When Yellowjackets ended its first season, it was with as many questions as answers. Naturally, it starts season two in the same way. In the present, mere days have elapsed — and Shauna and her husband Jeff (Warren Kole, Shades of Blue), who was also her best friend Jackie's (Ella Purnell, Sweetbitter) boyfriend before the crash, are trying to avoid drawing any attention over the disappearance of Shauna's artist lover Adam (Peter Gadiot, Queen of the South). Tai has been elected as a state senator, but her nocturnal activities have seen her wife Simone (Rukiya Bernard, Van Helsing) move out with their son Sammy (Aiden Stoxx, Supergirl). Thanks to purple-wearing kidnappers, Nat has been spirited off, leaving Misty desperate to find her — even enlisting fellow citizen detective Walter (Elijah Wood, Come to Daddy) to help. These narrative threads each connect backwards, where two months have gone by since season one wrapped up. There, as winter makes searching for food and staying warm an immense feat, Shauna is heavily pregnant and also severely grief-stricken. Van thinks that she has a solution for Tai's nighttime departures, but they're stubborn. Nat spends her days scouring the woods with Travis (Kevin Alves, Locke & Key), one of their coach's sons, for his missing brother Javi (Luciano Leroux, A Million Little Things) — and her nights attempting to counter Lottie's "witch-doctor messiah" turn. And Misty has a new pal there, too, courtesy of theatre devotee (and fellow survivor and soccer-team member) Crystal (Nuha Jes Izman, FBI). [caption id="attachment_894479" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kailey Schwerman/Showtime.[/caption] Prepare to get meaty: where the rightly buzzed-about initial season was happy mostly hinting at its wilderness secrets, season two ramps up the eeriness, chills and gore. Seeing still isn't always believing in Yellowjackets, but the pivotal crash keeps unleashing vicious consequences — and savagery not only festers but grows the longer that the 90s team is on its own in the cold, lacking a secure source of sustenance, and fraying mentally and as a group. Their predicament never stops being visceral; however, Yellowjackets has always known that the troubles firing up in everyone's hearts and heads are just ferocious. Indeed, cue a bigger dose of fantasy sequences, hallucinations and the supernatural, as the series retains its commitment to examining how the bleakest and most brutal twists of fate, and the options they inspire, turn coping into a lifelong struggle. In Yellowjackets' two timelines, it couldn't have assembled a better cast to slice into trauma, coping, yearning and ripping apart nostalgia — and anchor a series that's a psychological horror show, black comedy and teen drama as well. While its mysteries and cliffhangers made the first season make-a-date weekly viewing, Yellowjackets doesn't merely survive but thoroughly thrives because it feels so acutely human. Its women, then and now, navigate messy situations that no one should face in their worst nightmares. And yet, how these ladies process that fact, and persist — even how they fracture and fight, escape into whatever assists, latch onto the tiniest slivers of hope, and make devastating decisions, right and wrong alike — remains intensely relatable thanks to both complex writing and stunning performances. Lynskey, Lewis and Ricci on the same bill is another of the show's 90s dreams, and that trio is well-paired with Cypress, Ambrose and Kessell, not to mention well-matched by their younger counterparts. This ravenous TV feast will continue, too, with Yellowjackets unsurprisingly renewed for season three in advance of season two. Check out the full trailer for Yellowjackets season two below: Season two of Yellowjackets streams weekly from Friday, March 24 via Paramount+ in Australia and Neon in New Zealand. Read our review of season one. Top image: Kailey Schwerman/Showtime.
Owning your first pair of R.M. Williams is like an Australian coming-of-age moment. The brand, first established in 1932 by Reginald Murray Williams, is a classic through and through. From a modest start in the Adelaide outback learning leatherworking from local bushmen, Williams built a following among the stockmen and women of the heartland, and eventually — over a highly prolific eight decades — gained global notoriety. 85 years later, fans are still wearing R.M.s — from farmers in the outback, to corporate businessmen, to the style set at fashion week. How has the iconic brand managed to stay relevant, and stand the test of time over eight decades? In partnership with R.M. Williams and in celebration of their 85th anniversary, we sat down with head designer Jeremy Hershan to discuss respecting your roots, honouring the craft and innovating from there. Oh, and never, ever forgoing quality. TIMELESS DESIGN NEVER GOES OUT OF STYLE Jeremy Hershan earned his stripes in the fashion industry designing for high-end, heritage brands — he's worked with Kris Van Assche of Dior Homme, and set up on London's Savile Row at Gieves & Hawkes. Last year, the Melbourne-born designer landed the lead design role at R.M. Williams, bringing with him a respect for tradition, an appreciation for quality shoes and most importantly, contemporary insight — a necessity for keeping things fresh and captivating at a history-rich design house like R.M. Williams. A treasure trove of beautifully-crafted pieces, the R.M. Williams archive provides a huge source of inspiration. Reworking archival pieces to suit contemporary trends, Hershan explained how he looked to the archives to find relevant styles to reinterpret for the brand's future. Take the R.M. Williams signature Craftsman boot, for example. First created for the working men and women out in the Australian bush, the boots' design has barely changed during the brand's 85 years. Rather than reinvent the boots every season, modern touches and the use of alternative materials and treatments keep the iconic style fresh and contemporary. For the latest collection, R.M. Williams' master craftspeople worked and reworked the leather of the boots over several days, hand-staining with different creams to create a rich, burnished patina. This sort of attention to detail, and the quality of each and every pair has been key to the brand's 85-year survival. Every shoe is made with one single piece of leather and one integral seam, personally created by craftspeople at the brand's Adelaide workshop. KEEPING THINGS FRESH THROUGH INNOVATION Over the years, the Craftsman boot has evolved to incorporate new materials, cuts and fabrications. There are now Classic, Comfort, Signature and Natural styles — each with a different finish, sole style and fit. Originally available only in classic dark brown, the boots are now available in a range of colours including dark tan, chestnut and black, as well as leathers, like French veal calf, crocodile and even kangaroo (if you're feeling patriotic) among many other options. If you are more partial to lighter styles, there's also the women's Adelaide — a slimmer shoe to the Craftsman — and the pointed-toe Millicent, which gained popularity with the fashion crowd after Australian designer Dion Lee collaborated with the brand and dressed his models in custom boots for his runway at fashion week in New York and Sydney in 2014. By responding to trends through colour and material, the brand has managed to evolve, stay relevant and keep their boots fashionable. Small tweaks have made huge differences, and collaborations with high-end designers have opened the brand up to new customers, all while allowing them to keep their loyal customer base. They've even gone as far as expanding their reach into your home. You can now customise your very own bespoke pair of boots — literally creating those perfect, slightly out-of-reach shoes you've been searching for your whole life. THE ANTIDOTE TO DISPOSABLE FASHION With shops overrun by fast, disposable fashion, it's all too easy to buy designer imitations that only last a few months. Hershan urges the need to return to quality and reevaluate our view of fashion. Not mentioning the numerous social and environmental benefits that come from quitting fast fashion, if you invest in a quality pair of boots, they'll last you forever and only get better with time — you know when your boots start to scruff in exactly the right places, that's when they've truly become your boots. Follow Hershan's advice and spend your hard-earned money on a long-term investment, like the Craftsman, that remains stylish and cuts through the noise of ever-changing fast fashion. "It's about buying less, but buying better. A pair of boots is an investment that will last you a lifetime if you take care of them in the right way." Judging by the success of R.M. Williams over the past 85 years, they won't go out of fashion either. R.M. Williams Craftsman, Adelaide and Millicent boots are available online — head to the website to shop the latest collection or create your own bespoke pair. By Quinn Connors and Kelly Pigram.
The highly-anticipated line-up for the colossal Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has just emerged, and this year the Californian festival will feature one identical line-up playing twice on consecutive weekends in mid-April. On Friday April 13 & 20, indie rock duo The Black Keys will headline the shows after successfully selling out Madison Square Garden in a matter of minutes. Also performing will be staple house favourites Afrojack and Swedish House Mafia, while rap fans will be treated to a set from Kendrick Lamar, the West Coast's most prized up-and-comer. Concrete Playground was able to chat recently with Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys, who will also take the stage on the first day. On Saturday April 14 & 21, rock giants Radiohead grab the coveted headline spot, while hipster favourites Bon Iver and Feist tail closely behind. Electronic fans will be pleased with the addition of production wizards Flying Lotus and SBTRKT, two acts who are pushing the boundaries of electronic dance music with great creativity. The older demographic of festivalheads can dust off their studded leather jackets for a set from seventies punk legends the Buzzcocks. The final dates on Sunday April 15 & 22 will be headlined by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, and who better to close off this Californian festival than the duo who placed the state on the hip-hop map throughout the nineties and beyond. However, the real music shockwave this week was the reformation of At The Drive-In, who's relentless post-hardcore sound still goes unmatched. Instrumental hip-hop heads will also want to see the legendary DJ Shadow and lightning hands of AraabMUZIK, the self-proclaimed "MVP of the MPC." Gotye will fly the Australian flag as the only artist making the trip from Down Under for the 2012 instalment. You can check out the complete line-up here, but you might want to read it over at least four times, because there's an avalanche of artists to get through. This is a dream festival for most music fans, and a credit to organisers for gathering such a ecclectic range of sounds. If you have some spare coin and free time on your hands, there won't be many other options better than this. Head over to California for a weekend that will go down as one of the all-time greats.
We've all got that one friend whose media diet exists solely of documentaries. They're usually, to be honest, the most interesting of us all wielding their accumulated eccentric knowledge. However, documentaries and doco-style films have long become mainstream and the capitalist marketplace has heard our hungry cries for more. Introducing DocPlay, the new Netflix for docos. It's an Australian and New Zealand-based service that lets you stream documentaries directly. Their libraries are stuffed full of all the big names — Blackfish, Exit Through the Gift Shop, Advanced Style — complemented by some niche Aussie and international titles with a big emphasis on music. A premium member fee of $6.95 a month (or $69.95 a year) will grant you access to their ever-growing library. And if sign up to a free account, you'll get access to their rotating selection of docos. This week features Annie Leibovitz: Life Through A Lens, Academy Award winner The Cove, Ai Wewei: Never Sorry, and A Complete History Of My Sexual Failures amongst others. Not bad, not bad at all. If you don't want to cough up though, you can expect ads aplenty. It's still a pretty fresh service and can only get better with time. But anything that enables us to while away a Sunday watching back-to-back docos can only be good thing.
Honestly? I've never considered a cruise holiday before. So when an opportunity came up to see New Zealand by boat I jumped at the opportunity, but given that my only reference for travelling on water was a round trip on a Sydney ferry, I truly didn't know what to expect. In the end, it turned out to be the voyage of a lifetime — being greeted by bottlenose dolphins as we coasted by Milford Sound's soaring cliffs at sunrise, sipping Aperol Spritz while gazing at ocean sunsets from the ocean, and eating our weight's worth of meals on the ship's many restaurants. Here's an account of how the trip went down here. FIRST IMPRESSIONS When me and my partner boarded the ship, we made a beeline straight to our new home-away-from-home: a surprisingly spacious room with a luxurious king size bed, cosy living space, fully stocked mini bar and private verandah which served as home base for many room service breakfasts and sunset drinks. After settling in, we were ready to explore the labyrinth of amenities. If you're anything like me (a complete cruise novice), you probably hazard a guess that a cruise ship is akin to a large resort with a pool, some snazzy restaurants and a few shops. What you might not realise — and what I quickly discovered on board the Celebrity Eclipse (the vessel I traveled on, one of many from the Celebrity Cruises fleet) — is that the inside of a cruise ship is more comparable to a mini floating city. It had everything from a giant broadway theatre, spacious grass lawn, basketball court, and more pools, spas, restaurants, bars and shops than you could count on your fingers and toes. CRUISE CUISINE When it came to its dining options, the Eclipse really blew my expectations out of the water (pardon the pun). From immersive 3D concept dining at the Le Petit Chef, to ocean-fresh sashimi and caramelised gingerbread with wasabi gelato at Sushi on 5, to the fully stacked and ever-changing buffet that you'd anticipate on a cruise. The Le Petit Chef 3D projection dining experience was a strange highlight — watching a tiny 3D-animated chef prepare tomato tartine in front of you while you are 100km away from land was a surreal experience to say the least. Another culinary highlight was Murano, a restaurant where chefs masterfully prepared traditional recipes like lobster bisque in front of your very eyes. This is clearly a difficult thing to express in words and kind of just needs to be experienced. The all-inclusive dining options were also well worth writing home about. Between the crowd-pleasing menu at the chic Moonlight Sonata with well-executed retro classics like prawn cocktail, creme brulee and New York cheesecake, to the clean eating options at Blu, which boasted biodynamic wines and dishes like Beyond burgers, black truffle gnocchi and tuna tataki with spicy mango scallions. [caption id="attachment_900893" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Room service breakfast on the balcony of a Celebrity Cruise cabin[/caption] And when it came to drinks, you couldn't find a more picturesque place to sink back a beverage. From the breezy Sunset Bar with sweeping ocean views, to the cosmopolitan Martini Bar with top-notch bartenders, or the premium concoctions at Blu with names like Nightfall Elixir and Garden Breeze and tasting notes of fresh crushed strawberry, maple and Veuve Clicquot. (We had the classic drinks package which entitled us to unlimited drinks in the 'classic' category, which included everything from beers to bubblies). ENTERTAINMENT AT SEA (AND LAND) If you've ever wondered what one does on a 12 day cruise besides eating and drinking, I was surprised to discover it's a whole lot more than you might expect. Cruise guests are encouraged to download an app that surfaces a menu of entertainment and experiences for each day of the journey. The seemingly endless list of activities included everything from Broadway shows with acrobatics to rival Cirque Du Soleil, to an endless supply of luxury treatments and massages at the spa and salon. If you want to get your daily steps in, the Eclipse features a substantial running track, a premium gym and fitness centre and plenty of workout options from barre to boxing. Which brings me to my next point, which everything that happens onboard it's surprisingly easy to forget that you actually get to visit the incredible travel destination that is New Zealand. We had a whole host of New Zealand cities on our cruising agenda - from the staggeringly beautiful Milford Sound, to the cultural hub of Wellington - and each city we saw came with a curated list of Celebrity's shore excursions. Our most memorable excursion saw us hopping on board a WWI-era train through New Zealand's wine country, beginning in Picton and travelling through Marlborough's lush hills and valleys where 85% of New Zealand's wines are made. We enjoyed complimentary wine tasting, lunch and views that could only be described as cinematic. This was definitely one for the proverbial picture books, or Instagram Story highlights. [caption id="attachment_900843" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The view from on board the train during the shore excursion in Picton[/caption] WOULD I CONSIDER FUTURE CRUISES? Overall, going on a cruise was one of the most unique and memorable holidays I can recall. While being away from land was something I'd never experienced, the whole encounter made being away from home feel very homely indeed from the ultra lush rooms to the endless entertainment, and some of the kindest hospitality and staff I've encountered on any type of holiday. If you want to be the main character on your next trip, satisfy your wanderlust without having to pack and unpack your bags, and eat and drink to your heart's content a cruise holiday is an option I would definitely consider again. If you're curious about doing some cruise-based exploring of the Southern Hemisphere yourself, Celebrity Cruises has announced the arrival of one of its most luxurious ships yet: the Celebrity Edge which will debut Down Under in late 2023 or early 2024, allowing you to traverse the coastlines of Australia, New Zealand and the tropical South Pacific including Bali. Set to rival the world's most luxurious land-based resorts, the 2023/24 intake promises to reimagine cruise travel with some of the world's most indulgent on board amenities. Concrete Playground travelled as a guest of Celebrity Cruises. Main image: The view from Celebrity Eclipse near Dunedin on the South Island of New Zealand
Sure they can't compete with the '60s, '70s or '80s in terms of powerful speeches, Sean Connery or gravity-defying perms, but the '90s don't have nothing to offer — and we're not talking in double negatives. This was the decade of music that was all about having fun and going to (drug-free) parties, and now that today's musical landscape is drenched in weightier lyrics it seems there's a yearning to grab this carefree innocence by the high waist of its mom jeans. In the last few months S Club, Aqua, The Vengaboys, the Backstreet Boys and, most recently, East 17 and Shai, have all staged moderately successful comebacks on our shores. C&C Music Factory and Hanson are scheduled to follow suit. Matching outfits and half-shaven eyebrows or not, here are ten more pop groups of the '90s that could, in theory, if you just wish hard enough, have an Australian tour on the horizon. https://youtube.com/watch?v=4NO-h9PFum4 1. STEPS Before synth-pop, there was techno line dance. Steps were manufactured in the late '90s in order to release '5, 6, 7 8' as a one-hit wonder, but the band stayed together for five years before splitting up in 2001. A decade later they eschewed reality television to reform for a four-part documentary series titled Steps: The Reunion, which apparently some people actually watched — Series 2 (Steps: On The Road Again) aired on Sky Living in April this year, following the band as they embarked on their sellout 22-date UK tour. https://youtube.com/watch?v=qZUn-KtTNmA 2. FIVE Formed by the guys behind the Spice Girls and signed by Simon Cowell, Scott, Ritchie, J, Abs and Sean were just made to take out Best Pop Act, Best British Band, Best Single, Best Album and Best Haircut (go Scott!). Apparently J's locks weren't quite so popular, because after an extended hiatus the group announced this year that they would reunite without him ("Four will make you get down now…") https://youtube.com/watch?v=UvjLgjtJKsc 3. B*WITCHED Were B*Witched the ultimate '90s role models? Not only did they reject mini dresses in favour of cultivating a tomboy image, but they taught millions of kids to speak French. Sure the girls were dropped by their record company only four years after the release of 'C'est La Vie', but in an interview in December 2008 Sinead said a reunion was not out of the question. And now that double denim is totez fashun, 2012 could just be the year. https://youtube.com/watch?v=4gAsPT-vgeM 4. 98 DEGREES Aren't these dudes just so real? 98 Degrees formed independently and were later picked up by a record label rather than being manufactured, and refined their harmonies while working as a landscaper, a bouncer, a take-out delivery boy and a stripper. Rumours of a reunion show for the second half of 2012 were denied by Nick Lachey, but Lachey also said he would stay married to Jessica Simpson forever and ever — so there's always hope. https://youtube.com/watch?v=Eo-KmOd3i7s 5. N*SYNC In 2002 N*SYNC went on a "temporary hiatus" while High Tenor Justin Timberlake went about getting crazy famous, and though Lance Bass said in 2007 that the group had definitely broken up, their website continues to keep fans updated on the various members' projects. Could their next one be a reunion? https://youtube.com/watch?v=zDKO6XYXioc 6. BOYZ II MEN What the boyz lack in matching parachute pants and neon accents they make up for in commercial success, selling more than 60 million albums worldwide and smashing the record held by Elvis Presley by staying at Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 13 weeks. Bass singer Michael McCary left the group in 2003 due to health issues but the remaining members continue to dispense emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies as a trio, releasing their most recent studio album Twenty last year. https://youtube.com/watch?v=7eul_Vt6SZY 7. BOYZONE Original member Stephen Gately tragically died of natural causes while on holiday in Majorca in 2009, two years after the band made a miraculous comeback, but the remaining members continue to keep the deliciously cheesy magic alive. Their 2010 track 'Gave It All Away', written by Mika, actually charted on our shores, and 2013 will see them tour a new album to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the band forming. https://youtube.com/watch?v=64xah1qYBYI 8. A1 Just shimmying under the metaphorical limbo stick are British-Norwegian pop group A1, who's first single 'Be the First to Believe' reached #6 in the UK singles charts right as the decade came to a close. The boys split in 2001 when Paul Marazzi decided to take his frosted tips and penchant for road worker orange elsewhere, before staging a December 2009 comeback that led to a string of new singles. 'Just Three Words' was released only last month, featuring Pakistani pop singer Annie Khalid. https://youtube.com/watch?v=k6BU6Nb_vDM 9. THE CORRS Talk about making your parents proud. While most young adults have trouble hanging around their siblings long enough to finish a meal, The Corrs have released five studio albums, including the multi-platinum Talk on Corners. They are also all actively involved in philanthropic activities, and only took a hiatus because two of them are raising families. Considering the recent surge in popularity of folk music — The Corrs' brand is a mix of pop and traditional Celtic folk — perhaps it's a good time for that hiatus to end? https://youtube.com/watch?v=qgi3PkouMxs 10. SIXPENCE NONE THE RICHER The Dawson's Creek soundtrack wouldn't have been the same without them, and neither would the '90s. After reuniting in 2007 and playing a headline slot at something called Greenbelt Festival in the UK, loyal fans including Perez Hilton are still waiting for the album that was originally scheduled to drop in 2010. But with a new release date of August 7, a tour might not be far behind.
New show, same squabbles: that's it, that's upcoming Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon. A month out from starting to hit screens, the eagerly anticipated jump back into Westeros' past has just dropped its full trailer. Yes, it's as obsessed with fighting over the Iron Throne as its predecessor. Of course, that was always going to prove the case with HBO's push to keep all things Game of Thrones alive and flickering across our televisions and streaming queues. House of the Dragon's ten-episode first season is set 200 years before the events of GoT, and focuses on House Targaryen — and if it wasn't already evident that history always repeats itself in Westeros, it looks like that point will be hammered home in the new series. This time around, Paddy Considine (The Third Day) plays King Viserys — and it's exactly who should be his heir that sparks all the Succession-style fuss. He has a daughter, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D'Arcy, Misbehaviour), who is also his first-born child. But because putting a woman on the throne isn't the done thing, the King's younger brother Prince Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith, Morbius) considers that spiky iron chair his birthright. Battling it out over who'll take the seat will fuel House of the Dragon's storyline, with Rhys Ifans (The King's Man) playing Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King; Olivia Cooke (Slow Horses) popping up as Alicent Hightower, Otto's daughter; and Steve Toussaint (It's a Sin) playing Lord Corlys Velaryon, aka 'The Sea Snake', a nautical adventurer from a Valyrian bloodline as old as House Targaryen. The cast also includes Eve Best (Nurse Jackie) as Princess Rhaenys Velaryon, plus Sonoya Mizuno (Devs) as Mysaria, Prince Daemon's paramour. To answer the other obvious question — other than "will everyone still be fighting over the Iron Throne just like in Game of Thrones?" — yes, dragons do pop up. Flame-breathing scaly creatures and Targaryens go hand in hand, after all. To answer another question, as the trailer's very first words advise, yes "war is afoot" as well. This dance with dragons will arrive on Monday, August 22 Down Under (releasing in winter Down Under, when else?), if you don't already have it in your calendar. Foxtel and Binge in Australia and SoHo, Sky Go and Neon in New Zealand will be doing the honours, if you're wondering where to direct your eyeballs. When it starts airing, following Game of Thrones' eighth-season run, it'll be the culmination of years of planning to extend the GoT franchise by HBO. Firstly, the American cable network announced that it was considering five different prequel ideas. It then green-lit one to pilot stage, scrapped it and later picked a contender to run with: the upcoming House of the Dragon. It has also opted to give novella series Tales of Dunk and Egg the TV treatment, too, and to work on an animated GoT show. And, it's been reported that another three prequels are also under consideration — plus a Jon Snow-focused sequel series. Throughout all of this, GoT fans have been told one thing over and over, even without it being explicitly said. Our days of watching fiery fights between famous Westerosi names — and games over who gets to sit on the Iron Throne — are far from over, clearly, and won't be for quite some time. And, now that House of the Dragon is getting nearer, including dropping several teasers and now this full trailer, that's glaringly apparent. Based on a George RR Martin book, Fire & Blood, this tale harks back to Aegon I Targaryen's conquest of the Seven Kingdoms — which is what started the hefty 738-page first volume in Fire & Blood's planned two-book series — and then works through the family's backstory from there. Aegon I created the Iron Throne, hence the returning favourite's prominence. Also, you don't have to be the Three-Eyed Raven to know that fighting, battles for supremacy and bloodshed are always a part of every GoT narrative. Behind the scenes, Miguel Sapochnik and Ryan Condal are acting as the series' showrunners. Sapochnik has a hefty GoT history, winning an Emmy and a Directors Guild Award for directing 'Battle of The Bastards', helming season eight's 'The Long Night', and doing the same on four other episodes. As for Condal, he co-created and oversaw recent sci-fi series Colony, and co-wrote the screenplay for the 2018 film Rampage. Check out the full House of the Dragon trailer below: House of the Dragon will start airing on Monday, August 22 Down Under via Foxtel and Binge in Australia and SoHo, Sky Go and Neon in New Zealand. Images: Ollie Upton/HBO.
UPDATE, Monday, April 15, 2024: The Pandemonium Rocks lineup has changed with Placebo, Deep Purple, Dead Kennedys, Gang of Four, Gyroscope and Fetch no longer on the bill. The details below have been updated to reflect that change. Some music festivals introduce you to your future favourites and today's biggest names. Others are all about enjoying yesterday's greats. Australia has no shortage of both kinds of events, but it's adding one more nostalgic-driven fest: the brand-new Pandemonium Rocks, which will debut on the country's east coast in April. Blondie and Alice Cooper lead the lineup, meaning that 70s hits 'Heart of Glass' and 'School's Out' will echo through the fest. The familiar tunes won't stop there, either, with Wheatus sure to bust out 'Teenage Dirtbag', and Wolfmother certain to give 'Woman' and 'Joker and the Thief' a whirl. [caption id="attachment_938063" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raph_PH via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Psychedelic Furs and Cosmic Psychos round out the bill, as headed to Cathy Freeman Park in Sydney on Thursday, April 25. A point of difference with Pandemonium Rocks: the fact that you can bring low-rise beach-style chairs that are smaller than 70 centimetres tall to the outdoor gigs. Top image: Biha via Wikimedia Commons.
Cinco de Mayo is nearly upon us — and Coogee Bay Hotel is celebrating in a big way. Mexican Madness will take over the venue's seaside garden across Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5. Expect Mexican-inspired everything — from the vibe and entertainment to the food and drinks. The space will transport punters from the Coogee coastline to the beaches of Mexico with a fully immersive fit-out, a three-piece mariachi band and a full menu of Mexican eats and drinks from the kitchen — think tacos and nachos paired with Lexington Hill margaritas, ice-cold Coronas and other themed cocktails. A full lineup of live entertainment will be on throughout the weekend, too. But it's not always enough just to feel like you've been to Mexico for the day. That's why the hotel is also running a competition for an all-inclusive, seven day trip to Mexico for two. Simply purchase one bucket of Corona or two Lexington Hill margaritas at Coogee Bay Hotel to be in the running. The deal will also be running at the adjoining Liquor Barn until May 31. You'll score one entry if you purchase two Lexington Hill cocktails or a Corona six-pack to take away — or three entries with a case. Mexican Madness will take place across May 4–5, from noon until sundown each day. For more information, head to the website. Images: Kai Leishman and Karina Lee.
Sydney's newest public park is open on the CBD's north-western foreshore, and it's launching with a huge Welcome Celebration — with a giant picnic, fireworks, a free foreshore party, the works. Barangaroo Reserve consists of six hectares of waterfront parkland with views of the western harbour. With a design by American landscape architect Peter Walker (who previously designed the 9/11 memorial in Manhattan) and an outspoken ambassador in former Prime Minister Paul Keating, the park project took two-and-a-half years to complete at a cost of around $250 million. The opening of the park marks the first time in more than a century that this section of the harbour has been accessible to the public. It's also step one in the ambitious $6 billion Barangaroo project, which has the been the subject of controversy for some time now, mostly surrounding James Packer's plans for a $2 billion hotel, casino and apartment complex. Beyond that, the precinct is expected to welcome 80 retailers, including 50 bars and restaurants. In the meantime, the Barangaroo Delivery Authority will celebrate the opening of the park with a 12-week program of free live entertainment, beginning with a giant picnic and welcome party on Sunday September 6 that will shine a light on the Indigenous history of the area and its traditional custodians the Gadigal people. Depending on what time you’re likely to be up and at ‘em on a Sunday, there’s the Welcome Walk first up. Assemble at 10am in Hickson Road Reserve for a free, history-laden tour of the area. There'll be a ceremonial cauldron lighting at 11.15am in Nawi Cove, a tribute to the importance of fire (or guwiiyang) to the Gadigal people of the area, then a Welcome to Country ceremony near Marrinawi Cove at 12.30pm with traditional song and dance. If you're wanting to take full advantage of the waterfront site as it will inevitably be used from now on, bring your blankets and tubs of hummus for the Giant Picnic (yes, it’s a proper noun) where there'll be nosh from Aria Catering and Bourke Street Bakery, pop-up bars by Young Henrys, Lowe Wines and Batlow Cider, hip hop workshops, weaving classes, onstage talks and more. There'll a dusk ceremony in tribute to the women of the Sydney basin lands, including Barangaroo, of course. Then there’ll be a flurry of fireworks off the foreshore from 6pm, directed by Fortunato Foti (the brains behind Sydney's NYE fireworks since 1997). But after so many millions spent, Barangaroo needs a solid party to truly launch the space. The Welcome Party is an all-ages, free shindig happening in the Cutaway — Barangaroo's new cultural/exhibition space— from 6.30-8.30pm, with Thelma Plum, DJ Richard Weiss, NAISDA Dance Group and Oka. It’s a free event, but you have to pre-register here. While you're there, check out contemporary artist Brook Andrew's large-scale sculptural installation Stone – The Weight of History, The Mark of Time. Images: Hamilton Lund & Kata Bayer By Tom Clift and Shannon Connellan.
Kaldor Public Art Projects is back with their 27th show in 44 years. And they are obviously a superstitious bunch: hosting 13 international artists in 13 purpose-built rooms in the millennium's 13th year and calling the show 13 Rooms. Hmmm... It adds up to 11 days of artistic awakening down at Walsh Bay. And for the more adventurous, there is an after-dark option on Fridays. An onslaught of reactions to and interactions with the exhibition, Parlour Nights encompasses thinkers, artists, musicians and people who just like talking. With a little help from UTS and curated by SuperKaleidoscope, Parlour Nights will be set to the familiar beats of FBi DJs and lubricated by Grasshopper, one of our CBD's first small bars, now on pop-up duties. The drinks will be good, and even the coolest amongst you will be toe-tapping and shoulder-shrugging. So prepare yourself with a solid argument like 'Damien Hirst: art or commodity/art as commodity' and brush up on the mother of performance and video art, Joan Jonas. Oh, and if you love watching politely confused old people, hang out in the Xu Zhen room (or just click here). Parlour is free, but it's booking out. Reserve your place via Eventbrite.
Sydneysiders, your love of day parties is about to get massively rewarded. Eamon Harkin and Justin Carter, the DJ duo behind New York's Mister Saturday Night parties and record label, is bringing its famed daytime dance party to our city. Mister Sunday is all about good vibes, cool people and, most importantly, solid tunes. It will all go down starting at 1pm on Sunday, February 25, when they'll set up a four-point sound system at a secret outdoor location in the inner city. This is only the second time the party has left New York City in ten years — with the last time being London back in 2015 — so we can count ourselves very, very lucky. They'll be rocking the day just like they do back in Brooklyn, with a little help from local partners Astral People and beloved winemakers Cake Wines, along with eats by Eat Art Truck — so you can expect the bar to be well stocked and the food to be top-notch. Apart from the dance floor, where Eamon and Justin will run the DJ booth, there will be plenty of space to relax with drink in hand. Tickets are on sale now and go for $45 a pop. Before you rock up, make sure you go through the 12 house rules — which include no cameras, phones or smoking on the dance floor and no song requests/distracting the DJs at work. Basically, they're in place to make sure everyone has a good time, respects one another and is really there to dance, not just to Instagram other people dancing.
Green living and financial prosperity are often pitted against each other, but a little village in Bavaria, Germany has shown that the two can actually get along quite nicely. Wildpoldsried, a village with a population of just 2,600, has put itself on the map via its concerted efforts to become energy efficient. It currently has four biogas digesters, seven windmills, three small hydro plants, seven public builidngs and 190 private houses fitted with solar panels. Indeed, the village is now so energy efficient that it produces 321% more energy than it requires, which has enabled the village to sell energy back to the national grid thus providing the village with US$5.7 million dollars in annual revenue. As a result, the village has become a bastion for green businesses and green initiatives. It has also become a model for other councils, both nationally and internationally, who are looking to ensure a greener, yet financially viable future. Not content with their current success, the people and council of Wildpoldsried have bigger and greener plans for the future, including another biogas digester, two more windmills, installing LED street lights and to initiate Project Irene (Integration of Renewable Enery and Electric Vehicles). There is also plan to add a hotel to the cafe and community centre to house the politicians and eco-energy tourists that have flocked to the area. Sounds like a good place for our politicians to visit on the next jaunt around Bavaria.
Fair-weather cyclists, rejoice! It’s time to bring out that rusting bike from its hiding place (your stairwell/balcony/side-alley) and take it to one of Sydney’s most scenic cycle paths. From easy to not-that-tough cycle routes, we’ve got five choice routes to take your bike, or if you’re without your own set of wheels, places to pick up a hire bike for an afternoon. Triathletes and regular bike-commuters, you’d better look away, this post is for the leisurely cyclist - the ones who like to stop part way for a coffee and a chat. If you’re more hardcore, check out the cycle routes offered by City of Sydney. The Sightseer When you’re sick of showing out-of-town guest the obligatory route around Circular Quay and The Rocks, make it a bike tour and add a bit of speed to the sightseeing. Bonza Bike Tours has cycles available to hire for $15 per hour, or $30 for half a day, per adult. Try cycling past Walsh Bay to Barangaroo (or Hickson Road, depending on construction works), then on to Darling Harbour, Pyrmont Bridge, and around the wharves to Pirrama Park. The route takes in views of Sydney’s Harbour and ANZAC bridges, with plenty of places to stop for food and drink along the way. Distance: approx 8km Level: Easy Website: www.bonzabiketours.com The Family-Friendly The Bay Run in Drummoyne is a favourite with runners, joggers, dog-walkers, cyclists and everyone else in-between. The kid- and pet-friendly cycle loop is 7km of split and combined cycle and walking paths that hug the bay. There are parks and cafes along the route so it’s easy to make a day of it, stopping for brunch or a play break along the way. Distance: 7km Level: Easy Website: www.canadabay.nsw.gov.au The Picnic Date Centennial Parklands is one of the most cycle-friendly public spaces in Sydney; it has shared cycle ways, a 3.8 km dedicated cycle lane on the Grand Drive, a kid’s learners’ path and cycle hire that operates every day of the week. Make the most of the 189 hectares of inner city parklands and pack a picnic for a romantic date or lazy day in the sun. Distance: Whatever you fancy Level: Easy to tough-as-you-like Website: www.centennialparklands.com.au The Big Day Out With over 35 km of cycleways in 430 hectares of parklands, Sydney Olympic Park has bike safari circuits for all levels, bike hire facilities, racing lanes, BMX and Mountain X Monster tracks - so something for everyone. Take a trip down sporting memory lane with the Olympic Circuit suggestion and ride past Sydney Olympic venues including the ANZ stadium and the Olympic Cauldron. Distance: 7.6km Level: Easy to intermediate Website: www.sydneyolympicpark.com.au The Mini Adventure If ‘off the beaten track’ is a little too scary, but cycling around a park isn’t adventurous enough, try taking a self-guided tour in Manly. If you need to hire a bike, Manly Bike Tours offers bike hire from $15 per hour for beach cruisers to mountain, road, tandem and full guided tours of Manly Beach and Harbour National Park. For the best value, and to avoid the increasing crowds at the beach, opt for a hybrid and go the Dobroyd Head and Spit Bridge route. Distance: 13km Level: Intermediate Website: www.manlybiketours.com.au Main image via Poppiin
When the beginning of 2023 rolls around, Australian and New Zealand fans of a certain former boy band star-turned-Coachella headliner will be heading in one direction: to your nearest stadium to see Harry Styles finally bring his latest tour Down Under. Just days after he wowed crowds in California and online with his first Coachella set — sequinned jumpsuit, Shania Twain duets and all — the ex-One Direction member turned solo music superstar has locked in February and March 2023 dates in Perth, Melbourne, the Gold Coast, Sydney and Auckland. Venue-wise, the Grammy Award-winning, Dunkirk and Eternals co-starring talent is going big — so you'll be singing along to 'Watermelon Sugar', 'As It Was', 'Adore You' and 'Sign of the Times' at arenas. And, attendees will also be listening to UK duo Wet Leg, who've scored the supporting slot. Styles was originally headed our way in November 2020; however, we all know how that panned out and why those shows didn't eventuate. That delay will mean that he won't just have two albums to play, but three, with Styles' third solo studio Harry's House set to release in May 2022. If you're keen for tickets, they'll go on sale via Ticketmaster on Wednesday, April 27, with times varying per city. Or, if you had tickets last time, there's a past purchaser window from Thursday, April 21–Sunday, April 24, plus My Ticketmaster and Live Nation pre-sales from Tuesday, April 26. HARRY STYLES LOVE ON TOUR 2023 AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND TOUR DATES: Monday, February 20 – HBF Park, Perth Friday, February 24 – Marvel Stadium, Melbourne Tuesday, February 28 – Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast Friday, March 3 – Accor Stadium, Sydney Tuesday, March 7 – Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland Harry Styles will tour Australia and New Zealand in February and March 2022. For further information or to buy tickets, head to the Live Nation website. Top image: Erin McCormack via Flickr.
Diehard gin lovers had best gather round because the Sydney Gin Festival is back again. From Friday, October 28–Sunday, October 30, 62 of Australia's biggest names in the craft gin distillery world are transforming the WINX Stand at Royal Randwick into a gin-sipping fiesta. Each will be serving up their own suite of signature tipples, so expect plenty of local creations infused with native botanicals, and locally-sourced fruits and berries. Purists can also get their hands on classic dry gins, but hey, you've come to the festival to discover something new — why not challenge your juniper-loving pallet a little? Don't miss the likes of newcomers Hickson House in the Rocks, Prohibition Liquor Co, Kangaroo Island distillery, Cape Byron and Barossa Distilling, as well as much-loved award-winners including Archie Rose, Turner Stillhouse and Never Never Distilling. Of course, you won't have to drink all this gin straight. All G&Ts sampled at the event can be paired with tonic mixers or soda from Long Rays. Guests will also score a tote bag and their own tasting glass included in the ticket price. The Sydney Gin Festival runs October 28 (5.30–8.30pm), October 29 (5.30–8.30pm) and October 30 (12–3pm). Tickets are $70 a session with special four-ticket bundles available for $120.
One of the easiest ways to really treat yourself is to buy an extra special sweet treat at one of Sydney's best patisseries, bakeries or cake shops. Devouring an avant-garde slice of cake, croissant or brownie can be a beautiful way to boost your mood (beyond the momentary sugar rush). We're big believers that a really good dessert can help you forget the world's problems — especially if you're a true blue foodie. So, if you've already licked the tub of ice cream in the freezer completely clean or sniffed out your housemate's secret stash of choccies and now have no goodies left, we're not here to judge. Instead, we're going to point you in the direction of some of Sydney's best desserts that you can pick up or get dropped to your doorstep the next time those sugar cravings hit.
The State Theatre has an illustrious history. Originally opening in the 1930s as a magnificent setting for live shows and the best movies in town, it went on to become the home to the epic Sydney Film Festival in the 1970s. Then, in the 90s, live performances started to take centre stage once again. Today? The State Theatre is a grand, art deco space that hosts a varied program of live music and theatre performances under its glittering chandeliers, from enchanting ballets to musicals and even the exhilarating tunes of the best tribute artists around. Oh, and it still plays host to some Sydney Film Festival screenings, too. Basically, expect this grandeur theatre to level up any event that takes within its walls. Image: Flickr
Thanks to the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, everyone in Australia will forever remember where they were at two specific moments: when the Matildas beat France in a stunning penalty shootout, and when Sam Kerr kicked the goal of a lifetime in the semi-final loss to England. The Sunshine State doesn't just want the team's feats at football's ultimate competition to live on in our hearts and minds, however, or via footage of the games. Rather, Brisbane will commemorate the Australian national women's soccer team's achievements physically, with the Queensland Government announcing that it will build a Matildas statue. That epic match against France was played at the River City's Suncorp Stadium, as was the Matildas' 3–2 loss to Nigeria in the group stage and 2–0 third-place playoff defeat by Sweden. Accordingly, that'll be the site of the new monument to Sam Kerr, Ellie Carpenter, Mackenzie Arnold, Hayley Raso, Steph Catley, Katrina Gorry, Mary Fowler, Caitlin Foord and their teammates, as a permanent reminder of their history-making World Cup campaign. No Australian soccer team has made it as far into the coveted contest as the Matildas did in 2023 — not the Matildas themselves in the past, and not the Socceroos, either. Indeed, it's no wonder that their games kept smashing ratings records, with the England match now the country's most-watched TV program since 2001, and also likely ever. Exactly what the statue will look like will be left to Football Australia to decide, with the Queensland Government advising that it'll work with the sporting body "on the design and recognition of the team to ensure the statue depicts the success of the Matildas now and into the future". And as for when it'll be unveiled, that hasn't been revealed. But when it does grace the Milton stadium, it'll add both female and football representation to a site that currently features statues of rugby league stars Wally Lewis, Arthur Beetson, Darren Lockyer, Mal Meninga and Allan Langer, plus rugby union's John Eales. View this post on Instagram A post shared by CommBank Matildas (@matildas) "The Matildas have created history. Not only has their performance set new benchmarks for sport, they have captured our hearts and inspired a nation," said Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, announcing the statue. "As a FIFA Legacy Ambassador I am so proud of our Matildas. They are role models who will inspire thousands of girls to pick up a football and play the game. It's only fitting that we recognise all they have achieved with a permanent tribute." Until the statue becomes a reality, you can spend more time celebrating the Matildas via documentary Matildas: The World at Our Feet. Brisbane's new statue at Suncorp Stadium celebrating the Matildas' 2023 Women's World Cup efforts doesn't yet have an installation and unveiling date — we'll update you when further details are announced. Top image: LittleBlinky via Wikimedia Commons.
With a veritable bible of Spanish wines and sherries, Tapavino has spruced up the CBD's traditional tapas offerings. And like the heritage warehouse that now calls owner Frank Dilernia's recent venture home, it's not going anywhere. We began with a glass of the delicious Beronia Tempranillo ($14), a rich, well balanced and big Spanish rioja, as we surveyed the place, nibbling on warm, Spanish olives with padrom pepper ($6). The powerful wooden beams holding up the first floor were impressive, echoing Sydney's industrial past and adding a powerful divide between the horizontal lines of the wine bottle back bar and chequered, chopping board table tops. Our kind waitress assisted us with the menu. She insisted we try the Pata Negra jamon from the jamon bar to our right ($24). The King of Pigs, before its timely execution, was everything a royal bite should be. Swiftly followed by the sweet special lamb ribs, braised in cider ($11) and the mashed broad bean, pea, mint and goat's curd tostado ($12). Wine time again, we opted for the Broquel, a deep Argentian Malbec ($8), and waited for round two. Hungry for more jamon, the house-cut with cauliflower and manchego cheese puffs ($14) took care of any lingering pork cravings before the steak, mushroom, sherry and grape hot pot ($15) sizzled its way to our table complete with nice, flaky pastry. The sea perch, piqullio peppers, egg, potato and sherry mayo, wrapped in paper and sporting a 20 minute wait, was also well worth it ($20). For dessert, a tasty glass of Nectar Pedro Ximenez sherry ($10) could have done the job, but with Sydney's current preoccupation with savoury sweets, we simply couldn't overlook the chocolate terrine, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt ($12). Without a doubt, Tapavino represents everything tapas stands for: eating fine food and drinking even finer wine. So whether you're in the market for one or both, you won't have to look much further.
The working day is done, and you're ready to relax with a cold one. On Thursday, September 26 and Friday, September 27, if you head to Chippendale's Central Park, you can also sip a couple of brews for free. From 4–8pm each day, the inner-city spot will play host to a beer keg-filled kombi, which'll be pouring free samples — and each person can grab two freebies. The giveaway is part of an Australian road trip by hotel chain Four Points by Sheraton, with the kombi hitting the road, travelling around the nation and sharing the brews. You'll also be able to meet local brewers, enter a competition to win a trip to New Zealand, and score a special beer and wings deal at Four Points by Sheraton Sydney if you're still feeling thirsty — or hungry — afterwards.
Turning Valentine's Day into a month-long celebration of love, Loftus Lane Cafe is hosting a whimsical Heart High Tea. Featuring swoon-worthy sweet and savoury delights across daily afternoon feasts, these get-togethers are themed around ferris wheels and carousels, making it a vibrant way to spoil your partner or your besties. Running until February 28, each feast offers a warm-hearted assortment of mini sandwiches, scones with cream, macarons, berry tartlets, sliders and more. Plus, this bright and bubbly cafe and bar is adorned with many thoughtful touches, from fresh flowers and custom Valentine decor to elegant French tableware. Starting from $69 per person (minimum two people required), the Loftus Lane High Tea runs for 90 minutes and includes a non-alcoholic beverage package. However, you're invited to step up to the Signature Cocktail High Tea ($85pp), which adds a refreshing drink, or the Boozy High Tea ($129pp), where unlimited house wine, spirits, tap beer and non-alc beverages pour free.
Whether you've been directly affected or have watched from afar, this summer's catastrophic bushfires have taken a physical and mental toll on many of us. With fires burning record amounts of land, and flooding making things worse in some spots, you might be looking for a way to help out as areas begin to recover. While there are plenty of charities and organisations to donate money to, you can also donate your time as a volunteer to help those in need. From caring for injured wildlife to answering the phones at evacuation centres, here are seven ways that you can use your time (and your skills) to lend a hand. GET OUT IN NATURE WITH YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE With more than ten percent of forest destroyed by bushfires in NSW's national parks alone this season, our national park services are going to need plenty of volunteers around the country to help with wildlife recovery. From caring for and spotting animals to conserving the bush and educating visitors, there's something for everyone. In NSW, you can register your interest with the National Parks and Wildlife Service here. Once you've done that, sit tight as NPWS will be contacting potential volunteers once bushfire recovery activities have been planned. Or, you can have a look through its current job opportunities and find something that tickles your fancy. In Melbourne, you can register to volunteer for Parks Victoria here and Brisbanites can check out Queensland National Parks. LEND A HAND TO BUSHFIRE-AFFECTED FAMILIES IN THE REBUILD If you're keen to get your hands dirty, volunteering with BlazeAid might be your cup of tea. As a BlazeAid volunteer, you'll head out to a basecamp in a bushfire-affected area and spend the day helping property owners rebuild damaged fences and other structures. You don't need any experience and all your meals and protective gear will be provided — all you need is some camping gear. Plus, you can volunteer for as little or long as you like. Sounds right up your alley? There are open BlazeAid basecamps in NSW, Victoria and South Australia, so find one near you here, and contact them a few days before you arrive. CARE FOR INJURED KOALAS, BIRDS AND CRITTERS One of the biggest impacts of the bushfires has been on our native animal populations — there are millions of creatures of all sizes in need of medical care, habitat relocation and food supplies. If you're passionate about helping animals, there are organisations all around the country where you can donate your time and skills to. Sydneysiders should check out WIRES. To get started, you'll need to become a licensed carer by completing a training course run by WIRES. At $125 per person, you'll learn how to handle, examine and immediately care for animals — you can find available training sessions here. There's also the Wildlife Volunteers Association on the Sunshine Coast and southeast Queensland's Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. Wildlife Victoria isn't currently accepting new volunteers (there have been so many people offering to help that the organisation doesn't have time to train everyone), but you can follow its Facebook to keep up to date on new opportunities as they pop up. You can also register with Conservation Volunteers Australia here to get more info, or get in touch with your state's RSPCA. [caption id="attachment_761222" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Organic Regenerative Investment Co-operative[/caption] HELP ORGANIC FARMERS GET BACK ON THEIR FEET With bushfires putting even more pressure on already drought-affected farmers across the country, the Organic and Regenerative Investment Co-Operative (ORICoop) is looking for volunteers to help them get back on their feet. The company is aiding organic and biodynamic farmers across NSW, Victoria and SA with bushfire-recovery efforts and helping them maintain their organic status. ORICoop is looking for assistance of all kinds from volunteers with different skills. You can offer on-the-ground support or help out with logistics — think everything from tree planting to marketing and coordinating volunteers. There is plenty to do. If you want to find out more or sign up to volunteer in your state, head here. GET CRAFTY FOR A GOOD CAUSE For the crafty volunteer, you can use your skills to help rescued animals, too, even if you aren't located near a bushfire zone. Whether you sew, knit, crochet or quilt (or you've always wanted to learn), there's something you can do. If you're into knitting and sewing, why not make some pouches for joeys and other young animals rescued by WIRES, Wildlife Victoria or the Wildlife Volunteers Association? Before you do, though, check what each charity is looking for. You can also join the Animal Rescue Collective Craft Guild, which shares patterns and guides for all sorts of items like knitted jumpers and crocheted bird nests. Interested in joining? Sign up with their Facebook group and start with this post. [caption id="attachment_761225" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NSW State Emergency Service[/caption] DON THE BRIGHT ORANGE GET UP OF THE SES While responding to emergencies might seem daunting, there are a bunch of ways you can help your state's emergency services by becoming a volunteer. You can assist the SES by clearing debris, helping residents prepare for severe weather, answering phones and supporting teams in the field in a logistics role. Plus, NSW SES lets you sign up as a spontaneous volunteer, so can get involved without committing long term or having previous experience. To find out more about volunteering and to apply, head to the NSW, Victorian and Queensland SES websites. LEARN FIRST AID OR ANSWER PHONES WITH ST JOHN You might have seen St John volunteers at concerts, sporting events or local festivals, but they have also been supporting our firefighters and the police during the bushfires, too. And there are plenty of ways you can get involved. As well as providing first aid (which you'll need a first aid certificate for), St John volunteers can assist in communications and logistics roles. Currently, you can help at evacuation centres or answer phones at police-run emergency call centres. Along the way, you'll pick up even more skills, including how to use different medications and what to do during to life-threatening emergencies. To become a volunteer with your local division, fill in an application here.
Tamarama Rock Surfers' artistic director Leland Kean has done something striking with David Williamson's 1971 play, The Removalists, currently playing at the Bondi Pavilion. He has interpreted it as a psychological drama, emphasising the play’s darkness over its comedy. It’s an interesting take and a solid production, but there are two reasons it doesn't quite work. The first is that without charm, the ocker Aussie male is unfamiliar, and the second is that the comedy of the first act is essential for the second act's violence to be a dramatic shift. Designer Ally Mansell has set the scene beautifully, sourcing bona fide '70s carpet, filing cabinets and glassware to send us back in time. She’s succeeded in turning the large Bondi Pav into a space of stifling domesticity. Impressively, she’s gone down to the detail of creating a believable longneck of Melbourne Bitter from the time. Costume designer Rita Carmody has also triumphed in her fidelity to the era, with the standout costume being Kenny Carter's circulation-limiting footy shorts and mighty Hawks jersey. We're introduced to small-time policeman Sergeant Dan Simmonds (Laurence Coy) explaining the lay of the land to new recruit Constable Neville Ross (Sam O'Sullivan). Simmonds's standard operating procedure is to only take cases if they look interesting. Interest arrives in the form of impeccably dressed upper-class socialite Kate Mason (Caroline Bazier), reporting an incident of domestic violence against her meek younger sister Fiona Carter (Sophie Hensser). The debacle that follows is certainly not dull for Sergeant Simmonds or the audience. Williamson's 1971 play belongs to a group of works that began testing the edges of the Aussie bloke, an uncouth but basically benign figure in Australian culture. Along with Jack Hibberd's play White with Wire Wheels (1967) and Ted Kotcheff’s film Wake in Fright (1971), Williamson's play identifies the cardinal violence underneath the ribald, relentlessly hospitable surface of the 1970s breed of Aussie male. Crucial to each of these works is the initial congeniality of the breed. Just as the protagonist of Wake in Fright encounters oppressive hospitality at every turn, Constable Ross in The Removalists fails to resist an aggressive interest in his personal life from his superior; a power play disguised as affection. Kean's direction of this opening sequence is slow and stern, and the power that Simmonds gains here over Ross is never fully established, preventing the satisfying status flip between the two in the second act. Simmonds presents as an oddball rather than tolerable buffoon, and while the characterisation of abusive husband Kenny Carter (Justin Stewart Cotta) is a powerful depiction of a nasty man, he’s not the dangerously charming husband we can imagine Fiona falling for. Williamson defines the Aussie male as a mix of charisma and violence, but this production doesn’t quite balance the two traits. Comedy is a lure to devastation. And because this device is so key to The Removalists, the omission of the play's humour flattens the dramatic arc. Sam Atwell playing the Removalist hits a peppy note that lifts the production to a more engaging level. Being confronted with violence is more upsetting and informative if carried out by characters we care about.
Monet. Degas. Renoir. If those names sound familiar, it's because they're some of the most renowned and revolutionary artists of the impressionist movement. Now, their masterworks will make a grand entrance in Melbourne, and it'll be sure to draw the crowds. The NGV's Winter Masterpieces® series is known for bringing blockbuster exhibitions to Melbourne, and this year is no exception. The French Impressionism collection opens Friday, June 6, and brings over 100 works from the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston to the National Gallery of Victoria for a rare glimpse into one of art's most influential movements. Expect hazy sunrises, countryside hills, dancers in motion and gardens drenched in light by Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro, Édouard Manet and more. But while the paintings are the headline act, the city more than lives up to the hype. From cosy dinners and cinematic nights out, to garden trails lit up after dark, this is the perfect opportunity to see Melbourne really come alive. Planning a visit to see the NGV's Winter Masterpieces®? Don't stop at the exhibition. Here's how to turn a few hours of Impressionism into a totally unforgettable weekend. [caption id="attachment_1004664" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Michael Pham[/caption] NGV Friday Nights Every Friday during the exhibition, the NGV stays open late for NGV Friday Nights. Your ticket includes after-dark access to French Impressionism between 6pm and 10pm, as well as live music, food and drinks in the Great Hall. Catch performances from artists like Mindy Meng Wang王萌 and Tim Shiel, whose collaborative project blends electronica, pop and classical Chinese traditions into something entirely new. Wander the exhibition with a glass of bubbles in hand, sample a wine flight from Yering Station, or grab some French-inspired dinner. It's everything Melbourne does best: art, music, food and a good excuse to stay up after the sun has gone down. Dame Exploring the gallery during the day? It's worth breaking things up with a long lunch at Dame Melbourne, just a few blocks away from the NGV. Set in what's colloquially known as the 'Paris-end' of Collins Street, this elegant venue features high ceilings, beautiful brunch plates, and the perfect opportunity for people watching as the afternoon drifts by. [caption id="attachment_1003425" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alex Drewniak[/caption] Maison Bâtard Within walking distance from the NGV, Maison Bâtard puts a modern spin on the classic French bistro. From restaurateur Chris Lucas, it's the kind of place that doesn't take itself too seriously but still delivers when it comes to top notch food and wine, with multiple levels of sophisticated dining rooms. On Thursday to Saturday, descend downstairs into 'Le Club', for (very) late-night supper, cocktails and shows. [caption id="attachment_1003195" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Jana Langhorst[/caption] Elio's Place If you're looking for something more low-key, Elio's Place on Flinders Lane is a European-inspired bistro that delivers comforting, crowd-pleasing favourites from 8am until late every day. The menu changes regularly and you'll always get a warm welcome as you walk in. It's the sort of spot where you can show up spontaneously, skip the fuss and focus on good food and good company. Lightscape After dinner, swap the gallery walls for open skies. This year, award-winning immersive light experience Lightscape is once again transforming the Royal Botanic Gardens into a glowing, dreamlike trail of illuminated tunnels, giant floral sculptures and projections. It's immersive, surreal, and very Melbourne. Running from Friday, June 20 to Sunday, August 10, this is a must for anyone who believes art doesn't have to stay inside galleries. Open House Melbourne If you're in Melbourne at the end of July, Open House Melbourne is worth lining up. Across one weekend (Saturday, July 26 - Sunday, July 27), dozens of the city's most fascinating buildings are opening their doors for public tours. From historic theatres and hidden rooftop gardens to incredible private homes, it's a rare chance to step inside some of Melbourne's most interesting spaces and see the city from the inside out. Melbourne International Film Festival Looking ahead, August brings the Melbourne International Film Festival, a citywide celebration of independent cinema from Australia and around the world. If your idea of a perfect winter night is catching a world premiere with a glass of red in hand, MIFF is your festival. It turns the entire CBD into a buzzing hub of late-night screenings, director talks and film club energy. In their day, the French Impressionists changed the way the world saw beauty. In Melbourne this winter, you can follow their lead: wandering through galleries by day, neon gardens by night, and cosy dining rooms in between. Head to visitmelbourne.com.au to discover more of what makes Melbourne every bit different. Images courtesy of Visit Melbourne By Jacque Kennedy
When summer arrives in Australia, everywhere becomes a cinema — or so it can seem. After spending winter watching movies indoors, including when festival season is in full swing, film lovers get their pick of outdoor spots to catch a flick. No one should go throwing stones at random but, if you did, it wouldn't be hard to hit an outside picture palace in Sydney and Melbourne when the weather warms up. One such movie-adoring mainstay is Sunset Cinema, which has locked in its return for the summer of 2024–25 (and for the end of spring and beginning of autumn in some locations). This time around, it'll set up its big screen in six places. Bondi Beach is the first — but seasons in Canberra, North Sydney, Wollongong and Abbotsford in Melbourne will also start before the year is out. Then, come January, it's St Kilda's turn. For Sydneysiders keen to watch a film with a beachy backdrop, you'll be heading to Dolphin Court at Bondi Pavilion again between Thursday, November 14–Saturday, December 21. The six-week season is fittingly opening with The Pool, the new documentary about Bondi Icebergs, before screening a mix of new, recent and classic titles Tuesday–Sunday weekly. On the list: Smile 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Gladiator II, Saturday Night and Wicked among 2024 releases; the retro likes of The Princess Diaries, Lords of Dogtown, the OG Freaky Friday, Finding Nemo, 500 Days of Summer, Dirty Dancing and Shrek; and Christmas viewing via Elf, The Holiday, Love Actually and Home Alone. Canberra's run stretches across Thursday, November 21–Saturday, February 22 at Australian National Botanic Gardens, with The Wild Robot, Memoir of a Snail, Paddington in Peru, Moana 2, Better Man and Kraven the Hunter on its lineup, plus festive fare and plenty of the same flicks as Bondi. There's no lineup out yet for Sunset Cinema's return to North Sydney Oval from Thursday, December 5–Saturday, March 15 — or for its Wollongong Botanic Garden stop across Thursday, December 12–Saturday, March 22. Also, there's no program or set location for Abbotsford's Thursday, December 5–Saturday, January 4 season or St Kilda's Thursday, January 9–Saturday, March 8 counterpart. Accordingly, watch this space. Whatever gets the projectors whirring at each site around the country, BYO picnics are encouraged, but the event is fully licensed, so alcohol can only be purchased onsite. Didn't pack enough snacks? There's hot food options, plus plenty of the requisite movie treats like chips, chocolates, lollies and popcorn. Sunset Cinema 2024–25 Dates Bondi Beach, NSW: Thursday, November 14–Saturday, December 21, 2024 at Dolphin Court Canberra, ACT: Thursday, November 21, 2024–Saturday, February 22, 2025 at Australian National Botanic Gardens North Sydney, NSW: Thursday, December 5, 2024–Saturday, March 15, 2025 at North Sydney Oval Wollongong, NSW: Thursday, December 12, 2024–Saturday, March 22, 2025 at Wollongong Botanic Garden Abbotsford, VIC: Thursday, December 5, 2024–Saturday, January 4, 2025, venue TBC St Kilda, VIC: Thursday, January 9–Saturday, March 8, 2025, venue TBC Sunset Cinema's 2024–25 season runs at various venues in New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory from November–March. Head to the Sunset Cinema website for further details.
The Lady Hampshire is making a huge comeback. After scoring another transformation, this Camperdown staple is now ready to welcome newcomers and regulars alike with back-to-back weekends of partying. To kick off its return, the revamped dedicated live music venue is hosting a month-long celebration of music from Friday, April 14 until Saturday, May 20. The venue's weekly live music takeovers are shining a spotlight on both local and international artists from Wednesday to Sunday night. So grab a beer, take a seat, and dance the night away. The space has been taken over by PUBLIC hospitality group, which aims to prioritise keeping the heritage of the place intact, with a focus on community and experience. Keeping the locals and live music in mind, the venue's massive upcoming weekend gigs are set to be The Lady Hampshire's reintroduction into Sydney's ever-growing scene of live music in pubs. If you head over early, or need a quieter place for a breather, head on up to the 100% recycled urban beer garden. As a bonus, you can sip your way through the night next to Aussie icons like Kath & Kim, Steve Irwin, Cathy Freeman and Adam Goodes with Scott Marsh's gorgeous mural adorning the wall. The likes of Bootleg Rascal, Abby Bella May, Close Encounters, These New South Whales and Radicals are all on the bill, so make plans to hit up the live music venue on Friday and Saturday nights, in particular, to catch these artists on stage. You can stay up to date with the gig guide over at the pub's Instagram page. You'll also be able to get into a heap of these gigs for free — just be sure to RSVP via the event link beforehand.
