Category: CITIES

MONA museum in Hobart: Why you need to go right fucking now

MONA Hobart

When it comes to MONA – the Museum of Old and New Art – in Hobart, there’s one thing it has plenty of: stories. Sure, there are the tales of the debaucherous parties that went on in the gallery’s earlier hey-days. The fact it’s privately owned and how and why that came to be. The stories of its political disdain; the owner’s penchant for personal gratification through a gallery hacked into the side of a mountain; it goes on. One thing is for certain, though; there’s only one story that matters, and that’s that it’s a damn good time. There’s nothing but one hell of a cultural awakening that is a far cry from what you’d expect to come out of Hobart, but 8 years prior. MONA is the art gallery that put Hobart on the map, turned up the city’s tourism quota and sits at the pinnacle of wholesome Australian experiences that can only really be found in our southernmost city. The city itself is known – if anything, for its work over the past few years alone – for quality. Quality food, wine, art, experiences, hotels, road trips, scenery, oxygen. Much like the rumours of the existence of MONA, what you can take away from a trip to Tasmania is as wide and varied, but one thing is constant: quality, stories and the whole array of it all. The gallery almost sits atop it all. Though it’s about a 20 minute trip from the centre of town – a journey easily embarked on… Read More

Sydney Philharmonia Choir presents An Intimate Evening with Brahms

Brahms conductor

The latest season of Sydney Philharmonia Choirs is on this February with An Intimate Evening with Brahms, a concert that has been stripped back to voice and piano that pays tribute to Brahms’ legacy. Opening with a short program of solo songs and duets, ahead of a full choral performance of Brahms’ acclaimed and deeply personal Ein deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem). It’ll be a classic music lovers’ dream. Recognised as one of the world’s most beautiful choral works and the composition that brought Brahms to the world’s attention, A German Requiem was ensured widespread appreciation when Brahms’ publisher insisted that he make an arrangement for piano duet, bringing all the vocal and orchestral parts together in a version that four hands could play at home, on one instrument. So now that it’s in Sydney, it’s one of the city’s must-see events – and just after the famed Sydney Festival wound-up recently, too. Complete with special vocal treats for the die-hards; soloists Emma Pearson and Sam Roberts-Smith will be in the mix, too, pitching in to a highly anticipated and incredibly moving chamber music presentation. The concert is a one-off, so get your tickets now for $39. It’s on 7pm Friday February 8, City Recital Hall, Sydney with the Sydney Philharmonia.

Saturday Night Fever is coming to Sydney with sparkling new cast

Saturday Night Fever

The lol-times movie from the 70s that glued John Travolta in our minds with those killer dance moves is making it stage debut in Sydney this year with a brand new line-up. Australian theatre producer John Frost recently announced the leading performers and the rest of the cast of the iconic hit musicalSaturday Night Fever, which will premiere in Sydney at the Sydney Lyric Theatre from 27 March 2019. The production’s lead role of Tony Manero has gone to rising star Euan Doidge, Helpmann Award nominated for his role in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, after performing in Les Miserables, A Chorus Line and the Gordon Frost Organisation’s Grease and Legally Blonde. Needless to say, he’s up to the part. As Stephanie Mangano, the best dancer at the nightclub, will be Melanie Hawkins. Melanie has previously appeared in Singin’ In The Rain, Strictly Ballroom the Musical, King Kong Live on Stage and Rock of Ages. Paying homage to the classic movie, Saturday Night Fever will be packed with disco classics, including the Bee Gees’ greatest hits Stayin’ Alive, How Deep Is Your Love, Night Fever, Tragedy and More Than A Woman. Saturday Night Fever tells the story of 19-year-old Tony Manero, a Brooklyn youth whose weekend is spent at the local discotheque, where life lights up on the disco floor. There, Tony luxuriates in the admiration of the crowd and a growing relationship with Stephanie Mangano, and where he can temporarily forget the realities of his life, including a dead-end job in a paint store and his gang of deadbeat friends. See more at the production’s website.

New restaurant in Darling Harbour: Flying Fish swims over to The Star

Flying Fish Star Moet

Since Flying Fish first splashed onto the dining scene back in 2004, it has become well regarded by Sydneysiders as one of the best waterside restaurants in the city, specialising in (yep, you guessed it) seasonal and delicious seafood. Now it’s taken up residence at The Star, with floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the beautiful Pyrmont Bay. The new digs have been modernised, with a fresher vibe than the former Jones Bay Wharf location. Walking into the restaurant, you’ll cross lush bespoke carpets, with subtle splashes of colour that pop against the dark and sophisticated furnishings, and crystal ball lights twinkling overhead. Executive chef Peter Robertson joins the Flying Fish team in its new location, which opened just last week. On offer were a veritable buffet of seafood delights. It’s impossible to have a “bad” dish at Flying Fish, but some our favourites were the Harvey Bay Scallop and the Black Pepper Style Butterflied Prawn. Our pick for dessert was (hands down) the melt-in-your-mouth Valrhona chocolate sundae, miso caramel and malt cream. When it came to the drinks, we sampled the “grammable” and vibrant Bondi House Fizz; lemon myrtle vodka with butterfly flower tea and agave, as well as the Flying Fish version of the Aperol Spritz, the East Bound and Down; apricot and quince spritz with Aperol and crisp cider. For wine drinkers, there’s a deliciously well-considered wine list with delectable drops from both local and international regions. See more of what’s on offer at the new digs at the Flying Fish website.

Melburnian opera singers dominate the annual Mazda in the Domain, Sydney

Opera Domain 1

Their voices soar so high, you can hear them from Circular Quay. And that’s the way we like it. Sydney’s annual Opera in the Domain has been going strong for 19 years now and doesn’t show any signs of stopping. They say 30k people come to hear some of the world’s most impressive voices belt out tunes up-to 300 years old. It’s quite the spectacle. Overtaking Sydney’s famed Domain public grounds, right next to the Sydney Harbour, singers primarily from Melbourne as well as around the world like mezzo soprano Sian Pendry (Melbourne), soprano Stacey Alleaume (Melbourne), soprano Anna-Louise Cole (Melbourne), tenor Shanul Sharma (Melbourne), tenor Diego Torre (Mexico) and baritone Jose Carbo (Argentina-Australia) performed beautifully, pieces by Puccini, Bizet and Rossini and many more. It even made the first large-scale public presentation of vocal clarity for two young up-and-comers, Anna-Louise Cole and Shanul Sharma, both of whom made their big-stage debut at the Sydney event. Mazda Australia is in its 16th year of sponsoring the Opera in the Domain as their way of enriching Australia’s cultural scene. By giving back to a community that has continued to support them and their business, Mazda is happy to support something quite unique for opera and quite unique to the rest of the world, right here in Australia. “An appreciation for art in its many forms is deeply embedded in Mazda’s DNA. From world class musical spectacles to groundbreaking gallery exhibits, we pledge support to a vast range of art initiatives, to help make these culturally enriching… Read More

Best burgers in Sydney: 4 Pines Brewery on Crown Street, Surry Hills

4 Pines Surry Hills bar

When it comes to burgers, Sydney has drunk the koolade and joined the march toward the best of them – quite possibly in all of Oz. However, sitting atop that little pick of bread-sandwiched deliciousness is 4 Pines Brewery on Crown Street, Surry Hills. They’re new; rustic; open-aired and open-armed, welcoming-in locals and passers-by from all over the joint into their open-plan burger and beer bar for good times and general shenanigans. It’s a relaxed vibe – beers on tap, relaxed destressed wood tables, milk crate- type seats near the open bay window and a first floor bar for a more intimate thing, it’s nice. They sell their own beers, which come in a range of about 7+ from lighter, to heavier and hoppier. Regardless of your taste, they’re all nice. For those who’re not well-versed in beer, think lighter for day time, darker for night time. And what goes better with beer? Nothing but burgers. They’ve got a modest range, but hot damn, what they do, they do well. Pork burgers, chicken burgers, beef burgers; the works. There’s something about the brioche they use with the crispy factor they’ve managed to achieve on all their burgers and bits. And the best/most impressive thing? They’re all pumped out of a kitchen that’s half the size of your bedroom. Applause. They’ve even got a blokey coffee imbued beer – like the dude’s espresso martini – which has the flavour without the wiringly-good buzz of a decent smack of caffeine. Great for those who dig the flavour,… Read More

Angelo’s Cabarita debuts a brand-new look for the new year

Angelos revised interior photo

Angelo’s Cabarita first came in to being as a function centre. While it was the first stop for weddings and christenings for anyone seeking a bayside view of Cabarita, it may not have been number one on your list if you were looking for an afternoon glass of bubbles or an evening meal with the family – until now.             Everything has had a re-vamp, from the interior to the menu to the wine list. While the venue has always been spacious, it’s now chic, warm, and welcoming, with bucketloads of natural light and a private dining space for those super-special occasions. A classically Australian menu takes nods of inspiration from Italy, with fresh seafood and pasture-fed cuts of meat taking prime position alongside creamy gnocchi, zucchini flowers, and the famous beetroot risotto (you really have to try it).             The bar is fully-stocked with everything you need to sip and swill your way through a long, Italian-inspired lunch: kick things off with an Aperol spritz (or a negroni if you’re in the mood) and share a bottle or two of Prosecco, before finishing off with an Espresso Martini that will give you all the energy you need to make it back to the dock to catch the last ferry home.             While Cabarita is admittedly more than a quick stroll away from the city, the journey is well worth it, especially if you’re travelling by water. Nobody in Sydney needs any excuse for a day out, especially when the weather is this good: but… Read More

Burger wrappers in the NGV: Celebrate life’s banality with artist Darren Sylvester

Darren Sylvester NGV 2

The dude known for his consumption by consumerism who then turned it into art, Darren Sylvester, has an exhibition on at the National Gallery of Victoria from 1 March to 30 June 2019. From a pulsating coloured dance floor based on an Yves Saint Laurent makeup range, to a chaise lounge upholstered in cheeseburger wrapping, more than 70 of Darren Sylvester’s works – known for their pop culture and multinational brand references – will be on display at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV. The exhibition is called Darren Sylvester: Carve A Future, Devour Everything, Become Something and reveals the artist’s ongoing fascination with consumerism, the banality of everyday life, love and mortality, which he presents in a playful way. On show will be 43 of Sylvester’s hyper-colourful photographs, all an homage and commentary on pop culture, music and advertising as a way of exploring the ways in which everyday life is shaped by branding. Also, a gigantic YSL make up compact lit-up dancefloor interpretation will be one o the stars of the show, thanks to its colour scheme that is ‘proven’ by market research to appear flattering. Darren is a Melbourne man now, having made the move from Sydney in ’74. See his exhibition at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square, Melbourne from 1 March 2019 – 30 June 2019. Entry is free at NGV.MELBOURNE.

Brexit be damned, Eurail lets you train it to England for cheaper

Eurail France

Eurail turns 60 in 2019 and to celebrate, they’re changing how you do Europe when you next travel. By sucking up the UK, Macedonia and Lithuania into their connected rails, Eurail has cast its net far and wide for everyone who’s wanting to go from the east to the west of Europe and beyond from now on. Oh, and it’s cheaper now, too. The updates to the Eurail portfolio mean there are now three different passes that include the Greek Islands Pass which lets travellers explore up to 53 different Greek Islands. In a nutshell, the changes mean tickets are significantly reduced for Global Pass fares, new countries are accessible with a Global Pass, and if you’re old, get excited because there are extend discounts to senior travellers. For the last 60 years, EurailPasses have enabled convenient, borderless rail travel across Europe. With over 1.7million Australians travelling to Europe each year, and of those 40,000 experiencing the diversity of Europe via one of the flexible rail passes, Eurail remains as popular today as it was in 1959. Eurail train passes can be bought from eurail.com.

What’s on at Canberra Good Food Month, March 2019

Good Food Month Canberra Adam Liaw

Canberra Good Food Month is back again and in 2019, is serving-up the goods, tastier than ever before. Following in the footsteps of its Melbourne and Sydney brother and sister, as well as its success of 2018, Canberra Good Food Month will hit the Capitol in March 2019. With all the typical Good Food Month events and happenings, this year’s iteration will be about celebrating three fine elements of cooking: cooking with fire, Asian inspiration and the young, emerging talent in Australian food. It’s all about putting Canberra on the ever-growing foodie pedestal. Here are three must-see events at Canberra Good Food Month: Adam Liaw’s Chinese-Australian Food Odyssey | Chairman & Yip | Friday 15 March, 6.30-10.30pm | Tickets $190 Adam Liaw will take food lovers on an edible history through the past, present and future of Chinese food in Australia with Kwok Keung Tung, head chef at Michelin-starred restaurant, Chairman Hong Kong. Ticket price includes a six-course dinner with matched wines. Fire at Dusk with Lennox Hastie & James Viles | Pialligo Estate | Saturday 9 March, 6.30pm-10pm | Tickets $160 Lennox Hastie (Firedoor) and James Viles (Biota Dining) will show off thier wood-fired grilling craft over the asado open fire-pit at the Asador Etxebarri (number six on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants), before opening Australia’s only fully wood fuelled restaurant. Ticket price includes a four-course dinner with matched wines, served with an arrival canape and cocktail. Young Chefs Lunch presented by Citi | Aubergine | Sunday 17 March, 12.30pm-3.00pm | Tickets $150 Three… Read More