Category: MELBOURNE

Test driving Toyota Fortuner GXL: Going bush the right way

James Banham playing with a dog next to the Toyota Fortuner

Sometimes you just need some ‘you’ time. And what’s the best way to get it? Getting the hell outta Dodge and heading for the sticks, of course. Sure, throw a bath in there, some bottles of red and cheese and you’ve got a top-notch weekend away to soak up that R&R, but it’s how you get there that really sets the pace for the final destination. Enter the Toyota Fortuner GXL. It’s an SUV with enough go under the hood to make the journey pretty effortless – and fuel efficient – enough comfort and suspension to give you the allusion of cloud-like driving and enough space for you to basically live in, if you forgot to finalise your payment for that AirBnB in the mountains you loved. MORE: What the Toyota Koba mini SUV is like to drive We’re going to take a look at how the Fortuner tops off a trip up to terrain that your little city buzzbox might have a meltdown over. The look At first glance, the Toyota Fortuner is big. Very big. But, with size comes safety and with safety comes a stress-free drive, which is what you want when tackling anything from winding mountain roads, to tight inner-city corners. It’s a complete 7-seater with two retractable rear seats to stick any additional kids you might wind-up with, friends on a night out, bags or pets. They even fold up conveniently for the times you don’t want to feel quite like you’re at the head of a people mover while… Read More

Let yourself Bloom at Melbourne’s newest spiritual-fest

Bloom Festival

If your idea of a good weekend involves sipping kombucha and doing breathwork while nibbling on a vegan curry and shopping for new essential oils, Super Bloom is the festival for you. Held at Melbourne’s iconic Abbotsford Convent over a weekend in April, Super Bloom brought together everything to do with the mind, body, and spirit. More than one hundred sessions covered everything from meditative breathing techniques to vulva painting, and classes covered tantric practises, raw vegan desserts, and even some pop-up lessons from the School of Life. Over fifty speakers also took the stage, sharing how-to wisdom on healthy relationships, waste-free cooking, and ‘extreme wellness’. If you’re a bit of a cynic, this might all sound like a lot to take in: after all, some of us would rather spend the weekend eating meat and staying up late instead of indulging in vegan cooking and practising yoga. But the festival’s program was pretty free and easy, much like the topics it celebrates. Guests could drift in and out of classes and workshops as they pleased, and take some time out on the sunny lawn of the Abbotsford Convent while they rested and relaxed between speakers. To keep things light, roaming performance artists circulated throughout the grounds, allowing guests to partipate in silent discos and even, if they were lucky, take a quick nap while being guarded by The Sleep Keepers. Sound mysterious enough yet? Keep an eye on superbloomfestival.com for your next chance to unleash your inner yogi, and free your mind.

MELBOURNE: Winter got sweeter with the igloo garden at Auburn Hotel, Hawthorn

Auburn Hotel igloo

Date night, work dinner, need a drink, or just ‘cos, the Winter Igloo Garden at the Auburn Hotel in Hawthorn is there for it – and doing it well. Caged, steel igloos fill the back courtyard of the colonial days hotel along Auburn Road, adding a haunting, but super cute arrangement to the otherwise incredibly ornate 100+ year-old hotel. It’s a trendy take on traditional outdoor dining, giving guests shelter from the cold of winter, while keeping warm by sucking back Wild Turkey‘s American Honey bourbon. A sweet treat as well as an alcoholic smack in the gob you know you want, the American Honey bottle isn’t often seen, but ticks all the boxes of what you’re after from a drink in the middle of winter. It’s warming (‘cos bourbon), but sweetened in a dangerously morish way, thanks to the honey. The Wild Turkey folks and the Auburn Hotel have even partnered with the good, bee-loving people at Melbourne City Rooftop Honey to pair with their American Honey hot toddy, espresso martini, honey julep, old fashioned – the list goes on. Igloo packages cater to those looking for something cosy and intimate in a communal dining space, with larger group sizes of up to 28 people able to enjoy private seating and cocktail events in the mega igloo. The menu, inspired by the smooth, sweet flavour of American Honey, includes a selection of cured meats and cheeses drizzled in honey, followed with dessert, a chocolate honeycomb fondue. All designed to be paired with American Honey… Read More

What to see at the NGV: Summer exhibitions of Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat

From 1 December, the National Gallery of Victoria will have two of the most influential artists of the 20th century on show. Until 13 April 2020 and exclusive to Melbourne, the NGV will present more than 300 works in an exhibition that will offer new insights into Haring and Basquiat’s unique visual languages and the many intersections between their lives, practices and ideas.         This of course off the back of the NGV’s winter Friday Night Series, which in 2019 stars a tonne of leading and emerging singers and performers, really rounding out what the Gallery has to offer. Oh, and plenty of dumplings, courtesy of Hutong Dumpling Bar. “We felt there’s been enough time to pause and reflect on just how powerful their (Haring and Basquiat’s) aesthetic has become worldwide, particularly in Melbourne, which is famed for its street art scene,” said Tony Elwood, director of the NGV. The Gallery is known for their leading and renowned exhibits, which this year and to round-out summer, will highlight the artists’ idiosyncratic imagery, radical ideas and complex socio-political commentary that changed the art world of the 1980s.      See more about the exhibitions on now and in summer at the NGV at the Gallery’s website.

Dumplings and art: Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria joins with Hutong Dumpling Bar for winter Friday Nights series

NGAIIRE Photo by Emele Ugavule

The NGV’s Friday Night Series is back again and this time; they’re doing dumplings. Appropriate for a city like Melbourne to shine a light on its awesome cuisine and art, coming together in one culmination of sensational experience for locals and visitors alike. And only ’til 12 October. As part of the new collaboration, Melbourne’s Hutong Dumpling Bar takes over NGV’s Gallery Kitchen for the 2019 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces NGV Friday Nights series, transforming it into a Shanghai-inspired dumpling bar. It’ll all involve a Friday night feature headline act, showcasing the best of Australia’s vibrant and diverse musical talent.  This season’s headliners include performers such as self-made Melbourne performer Maribelle, soulful Sydney vocalist Thandi Phoenix, Brisbane’s Young Franco, Sydney’s NGAIIRE and songwriter and producer GRAACE. Here’s what’s on… NGV Friday Nights full line-up: Friday 31 May – Husky Friday 7 June – Amaya Laucirica Friday 14 June – NGAIIRE Friday 21 June – Approachable Members Of Your Local Community Friday 28 June – Sloan Peterson Friday 5 July – I Know Leopard Friday 12 July – Sui Zhen Friday 19 July – Adrian Eagle Friday 26 July – Rainbow Chan Friday 2 August – Kira Puru Friday 9 August – Hobsons Bay Coast Guard Friday 16 August – CLYPSO Friday 30 August – Slum Sociable Friday 6 September – The Audreys Friday 13 September – Maribelle Friday 20 September – LÂLKA Friday 27 September – GRAACE Friday 4 October – Thandi Phoenix Friday 11 October – Yumi Zouma Saturday 12 October – Young Franco Head to the NGV on any Friday of choice… Read More

5 major things to see and eat this Melbourne Good Food Month

Marco Pierre White - AGE - Epicure

Melbourne Good Food Month is back again from 1-30 June and if previous years have been anything to go by, it’s gonna be a big one. There’s a tonne of stuff on for it, as per usual, this year with some big names like Marco Pierre White, Matt Stone, and Andrew McConnell throwing their tea towels behind it all. Here’s what to see this year. An Evening with Marco Pierre White Wednesday, 5 June 6.30pm Time with MPW will start with a dinner featuring Phil Wood (Pt Leo Estate and Laura, Mornington Peninsula) who will take on Marco’s classics and create them as his own. Tickets include four courses with matching wines and beer supplied by James Squire. Osteria Marco Thursday, 6 June 6.30pm A conversation with Marco Pierre White while sharing pasta dishes by Andreas Papadakis (Tipo 00, Melbourne) and Joel Valvasori-Pereza (Lulu La Delizia, Perth). The New Vanguard Friday, 7 June 6.30pm Chefs Matt Stone (Oakridge, Yarra Valley) and Paul Iskov (Fervor, Perth) are part of the new chef vanguard putting hyper-local, sustainably sourced produce on the menu. Young Chefs Lunch with Marco Pierre White presented by Citi Saturday, 8 June I 1.30pm Mentored by the master himself Marco Pierre White, Melbourne’s next generation of culinary superstars present an extraordinary lunch. The Young Chefs Lunch showcases the impressive skills of the young guns of the country’s top kitchens, with a three-course lunch with matched wines in the chic surrounds of Good Food Month’s Restaurant at Canvas House.  Sunday Best with Marco Pierre White and Andrew McConnell Sunday, 9 June 1.30pm Marco Pierre White and Andrew McConnell will… Read More

Listen up chicken lovers: Chargrill Charlie’s is moving to Melbourne

Chargrill Charlies

Sydney’s chicken people, Chargrill Charlie’s – popular with Justin Bieber and any other international guest that comes to Oz to visit – is opening in Melbourne. Set to open on 6 April in the centre of the city’s inner-east in Camberwell, Chargrill Charlie’s first Victorian store is ready to recreate the friendly atmosphere that has seen the 11 New South Wales venues become a staple of Sydneysider life – just see what they have on offer. The founder of the slow-cooked rotisserie chook in Australia, Chargrill Charlie’s menu goes beyond the tender take-out mainstay. The extensive dine-in and take-away list will tempt you with an abundance of fresh creations, be they healthy or not so much. They’ll also have the usuals like salads, dinner plates, chicken schnitzels, homestyle vegetables, crunchy hot chips, wedges, rolls and burgers as well as the infamous apple pie dessert. Here’s what in store on opening day: From 12pm – 1pm Chargrill Charlie’s will be serving a FREE quarter sized BBQ Chicken + Chips combo. Then, between 5pm – 6pm there will be a FREE half BBQ Chicken + small Salad dinner deal. See more at the Chargrill Charlie’s website.

No1 Airport Lounges open The House in Melbourne and Sydney International Airports

No1 Melbourne Bar

No longer do you need to be basic find yourself sitting outside of the luxury of the the flight lounges at Melbourne and Sydney airports like the proverbial naughty puppy dog left out in the rain. No1 Lounges have opened in Sydney and Melbourne International Airports, giving all manner of travellers access to something to look forward to – other than duty-free shopping – before you board your long haul flight out of Oz. They’ve kicked off their terminal take over with their flagship brand, The House, opening its doors – provided you’ve got the dollars – to all travellers, regardless of the airline brand name on their ticket. From just $80 per person, you can relax in first-class comfort for up to three hours prior to departure, with the option to buy additional hours online in advance, or on arrival at the lounge. It’s $90 at the door per person, if you’re feeling a bit more lush and don’t have the foresight to plan ahead. No1 Lounges at Sydney and Melbourne International Airports offer a choice of seating areas, unrivalled airport views, showers, and unlimited Wi-Fi, as well as television, newspapers, glossy magazines and charging points as standard. If you’re feeling yourself a bit more, you can upgrade your experience and enjoy white-linen a la carte dining, a fully tended bar that offers premium wines, beers and spirits, champagne and classic cocktails and barista coffees. Where’s The House in Sydney? Inside Terminal 1 (Qantas), this 8000 square foot lounge has 120 seats, with immediate views… Read More

A land of sweeping plains: Larrikin Gin’s new batch, Sunburnt Country

Larriking gin Sunburnt

It was Dorothea Mackellar who penned the poem, My Country in 1987, with the famed stanza, “I love a sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains, of ragged mountain ranges, of droughts and flooding rains,” but it was Larrikin Gin in 2019, who put a flavour to the sentiment. The new Aussie gin includes ten native Australian botanicals, giving this smooth and strong gin a complex and totally unique Australian flavour you can only find here. They really threw the net far and wide when creating the palette of the new Sunburnt Country gin. On a journey of discovery from the Kakadu Plum of the Northern Territories to Strawberry Gum from the Northern Tablelands of NSW, Larrikin gin really shines a light on Australia as one of not only the oldest original lands on our planet, but one with the most home-grown diversity and an undeniably Aussie spirit. The gin is strong at 50.7%, but keeps a nice smooth finish that can be enjoyed straight with some ice on a hot Australian day, or is refreshingly perfect with tonic water. Other botanicals they’ve used that need to be tried to be believed are the likes of Roast Wattleseed, Lemon Myrtle, Lemon Aspen, Kakadu Plum, Native Blood Lime, Desert Lime, Bush Tomato, Strawberry Gum, Davidson’s Plum and Finger Lime. But, there’s only really one way to find out yourself if it’s for you: Sunburnt Country will be available from March online or at selected on premise outlets for $100.

Ferrari f1 red: Ferrari does Formula 1, Ferrari Red Lounge

Screenshot 20190316 2330182

Ferrari Australasia are proud to announce the launch of ‘The Ferrari Red Lounge’, a venue just for the Grand Prix in Melbourne like they’ve never done before. Just metres from the F1 track, the Ferrari space will be celebrated with a special unveiling of the limited series Icona car, the Monza SP1. It’s a space of 240 square meters, immersing anyone lucky enough to head in, into the world of Ferrari over the four-day schedule, that’ll continually evolve into the night, hosting VIP guests and private entertainment, to showcase two of the brand’s most iconic models, the Ferrari Portofino and Monza SP1. The car they’re unveiling, the Ferrari Monza SP1, is inspired by barchettas of the 1950’s aesthetic, which is futuristic, but at the same time an homage to the past. The Monza SP1 is equipped with the most powerful naturally-aspirated V12 ever produced by Ferrari. The power of the 812 Superfast’s 6.5 litre engine has been increased by 10 cv to 810 cv at 8500 rpm with a slight increase in torque to 719 Nm at 7000 rpm. See more at Ferrari.