Category: FEATURES

National Gallery London’s Summer on the Square

The National Gallery London from the front with umbrellas and tables spread out in Trafalgar Square

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Updated: 23/07/2022

This summer from 11 29 August in the heart of London, the National Gallery will host a free festival of immersive art, creativity and community. Summer on the Square (Trafalgar, that is), is a festival that’s a re-working of the Gallery’s art collection – creating an entirely new participatory set of experiences and activities that play with scale, spectacle and sound. Come along to immerse yourself in a purpose-built arts studio; participate in practical and walk-in art and sound installations; as well as sketching, making, moving, and exploring The National Gallery’s collection.  The sessions will be free, drop-in and open to all ages and abilities. During an unprecedented cost of living crisis, the National Gallery hopes the festival will be an opportunity for local and London-wide communities to enjoy art and celebrate their own creativity with friends and family – creating a space for wellbeing and joy in tough times. For the full program and timings, head to the Summer on the Square website

Category: ART, ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, FEATURES, LIFESTYLE, LONDON

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5 reasons to visit Mykonos Greece this summer

Mykonos ocean cliff view

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Updated: 11/07/2022

It’s summer in Europe! And that means, well, so many things, but primarily: travel to and around the mainland. Europe’s a big place and Greece is one of the many destinations that sits atop its crown of must-visit destinations; and Mykonos even more so, if that’s your vibe. Think Jackie O’s on the beach, water views at every stop and all the table service anyone could ever need. Oh and these 5 other winning reasons. Read on and get planning! 1. Resident DJ and weekly music events Popular for its glamorous nightlife, superstar DJs and beautiful crowds, Mykonos is a true holiday destination. The fun starts at Kensh? Ornos, with a calendar of regular events sure to keep guests entertained. Throughout the season, different musicians and performances will be taking place at Kensh? Ornos, ranging from singers to DJ’s, dancers and more. Recent events include our resident DJ, DJ Angelosi playing Ethnic Electronic and Afro House music and Mediterranean ethnic music performances by Ghenwa Nemnom. 2. The star-lit swimming pool One of the best places to take a dip in Mykonos, the Kensh? Ornos pool was designed to complement the hotel’s surrounding Ornos Bay. With majestic views of the Aegean Sea, lounging by the pool has never been more relaxing. The pool is the perfect Instagram spot, guaranteed to give everyone at home FOMO. At night, the turquoise swimming pool is illuminated with ‘starlights’ that light up the turquoise water for inviting evening swims. Guests can enjoy fresh towels, delicious cocktails and snackable lite bites whilst… Read More

Category: EUROPE, FEATURES, LIFESTYLE, TRAVEL

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Homegrown talent to see at Sydney Opera House this spring in La Traviata by Opera Australia

Stacey Alleaume opera singer

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Posted: 24/06/2022

If there’s one soprano you need to see in your life, either while living in or visiting Sydney, it’s Melbourne’s own Stacey Alleaume. She’s a rocket of a singer that is more often than not, found up front-and-centre in many of Opera Australia’s annual productions. And it’s easy to see why… Stacey was proclaimed a star when she sang Violetta in the 2021 Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour production of La Traviata and last month received more glowing reviews for her main-stage debut as Violetta at Arts Centre Melbourne. Along with Stacey, soprano Irina Lungu will open the second stage of the Sydney season on 22 October, singing her signature role of Violetta in Australia for the first time, having sung the role across Europe, the UK and Tokyo, including receiving rave reviews in 2019 at the Vienna State Opera. Along with a range of other singers, the spread of what’s on from Opera Australia is – as per usual – internationally acclaimed, and will shine the light on the best of Australia’s arts and music scene from the lens of Opera Australia. Here’s a full run-down of the Opera Australia winter season for 2022. For more and to book tickets to La Traviata, head to the Opera Australia website. What is La Traviata about? Opera Australia explains it as a tragic love story that inspired pop culture classics Moulin Rouge and Pretty Woman, Verdi’s famous score includes the show-stopping aria ‘Sempre libera’ and the instantly recognisable drinking song, ‘Brindisi’. Combined with lavish sets and costumes,… Read More

Category: ARTS & CULTURE, FEATURES, LIFESTYLE, OPERA

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National Gallery London begins countdown to 200th birthday with Bicentenary celebration

People gathered around front door of National Gallery Trafalgar Square

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Updated: 22/06/2022

2022 it seems, is the year of milestones and celebrations. If Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee wasn’t reason enough to celebrate all that’s wholesome and likeable about the UK, then perhaps the news that the Nation’s favourite Western-style gallery, the National Gallery of Trafalgar Square is turning 200 years old. And they’ve got a lot planned to celebrate it. The countdown’s on to 10 May 2024 when the institution hits the milestone. What will it do with this time? Celebrate its past and look forward to the future with a year-long festival of art, creativity and imagination which sets the tone for its third century, of course! And the best bit is everyone’s invited. The celebrations will extend from in-to-outside the Gallery, encouraging visitors to London and locals to participate, view, engage and learn. “We will make it easier than ever for everyone to share a space with some of the greatest paintings in the world. From seeing a real work in the context of your local museum or gallery to enjoying a dive into the virtual history of the nation’s collection, everyone can find new ways to connect with art,” says the Gallery. Here’s a run-down of what’s on to look forward to. Dates and more info to come from the National Gallery website MORE: See the Raphael exhibition at the National Gallery until 31 July The Gallery across the nation   The National Gallery is going national, taking key elements of its 2000+ strong collection to areas all over the UK.  NG200: National Treasures  12… Read More

Category: ART, ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, FEATURES, LIFESTYLE, LONDON

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Your interstate best friend: The Toyota Landcruiser 300 7-seat monster

Toyota outback Landcruiser

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Updated: 29/05/2022

Cars are all about context, right? You don’t get a convertible Volkswagen Eos to hit the outback. Much less do you get a Ford Wildtrak for simple trips to the shop. But on the odd occasion you find a car that’s equal parts massive and practical that makes you think, ‘oh yeah, that works’. Say hi to the Toyota Landcruiser 300. Quite literally the biggest car you’ve ever driven, with more power than the simple streets of Sydney knew how to handle and enough suspension to make you have moments of existential quandry where you think, ‘am I actually driving, or just rolling under my own momentum?’ MORE: Here’s what we thought of the Toyota CHR Koba SUV View this post on Instagram A post shared by T H E F (@the_f_online) More an icon and master of the outback, you’d be considered nuts if you didn’t put this car through its paces on all kinds of terrain from the city to the country. So, we spoke with travel expert Quentin Long about the best ways to explore Australia’s landscape and those unseen destinations. The Landcruiser 300 makes all kinds of trips for all durations and demands a breeze. With perks and features that include some of these bits, you’re in good hands: a brand new 3.3L twin-turbo V6 diesel engine delivering 227kW and 700Nm 10-speed automatic transmission designed to enhance driving performance, fuel efficiency, and quietness – which genuinely works – you hear nothing and let’s not forget, the Multi Terrain Select with a… Read More

Category: AUSTRALIA, CARS, FEATURES, LIFESTYLE, TRAVEL

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Join 45% of Australians this year – plan a road trip with a new Mitsubishi Outlander

Mitsubishi Outlander car red

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Updated: 13/05/2024

You know how sometimes you get into a car (say, an Uber or a friend’s car), the seats are like wood, the posture’s off and the roof’s so low you get a pinched nerve in your neck and you’re left thinking how can anyone sit in this all day long? Well, the new Mitsubishi Outlander is so, absolutely the polar opposite of every average car experience you’ve ever had it’s going to be hard to find the words. But let’s try. Basically, if you’re in need of a new car, either for a good time or a long time, the Mitsubishi Outlander is it. And even though it’s not summer anymore and the season for roadtrips is tapering off – after 3-in-4 of us took to the road in 2021/2022, you’re still in safe hands with the new ride. View this post on Instagram A post shared by T H E F (@the_f_online) Sitting up higher than your average and with enough torque and suspension to truly convince you you’re driving a cloud, it’s a genuinely stylish ride – that kind of looks like a Transformer, but nicer – that will inspire you this winter to take a road trip to literally anywhere. We partnered with Mitsubishi earlier in 2022 to get their take on an ideal road trip itinerary when you know your trip’s sorted with a quality car, 20-inch alloys a full size sun roof. Beat the rush and make an early start to avoid the highway traffic jam. Mitsubishi’s research says that with… Read More

Category: LIFESTYLE, CARS, FEATURES

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Planning a staycation in Melbourne? Your choice of hotel matters: Avani Melbourne Central Residences

Avani Melbourne Hotel view

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Posted: 29/05/2022

Melbourne is Australia’s city of culture. So when you plan a visit, you need to be sure of three things: you’ve planned a visit to a gallery, you know which restaurant you’re visiting and you’ve made sure you’re staying at a hotel that’s got your best interests at heart. This is why you need to Google the Avani Melbourne Central Residences. Set high amongst the cityscape with panoramic views to complete it all, the Avani is a stunning hotel tower of 55 storeys with a striking weave-like pattern and tinted exterior, beautifully crafted with a sense of style, offering a selection of one and two bedroom contemporary, fully furnished suites.   If the location’s not reason enough to make these suites number one on your list, then maybe the 24-hour reception, games room, gymnasium, pool and spa and streamroom and sauna might be selling points enough. And on top of that, Bourke Street, Melbourne Central, the Yarra River and Southbank are literally a walk – or tram – away, making your getting around that much easier. See more and make a booking at the Avani Melbourne Central website Here’s a list of some Melbourne restaurant favourites worth visiting while you’re in town: Formaggio at Baby Pizza Back by popular demand, Baby Pizza’s much-adored Formaggio menu is making a cheesy return! For the entire month of May, Baby favourites are made even better, oozing with cheesy goodness. Available until 31 May, the special menu is filled with every type of cheese you can imagine! To start, dig… Read More

Category: AUSTRALIA, FEATURES, LIFESTYLE, TRAVEL

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Picasso at the National Gallery London: Face to Face

Picasso Woman with a

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Updated: 12/05/2022

For the first time ever, a painting by Pablo Picasso ‘Woman with a Book’, 1932 from the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, California and the painting by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, ‘Madame Moitessier’, 1856, which famously inspired it, will be shown side by side at the National Gallery, London as part of a special collaboration between the two museums. After debuts of the sensational and influential work by Artemisia Gentileschi, Picasso’s welcome to the halls of the Gallery comes at only too good a time, after the lockdowns of the world have ended and the doors of all public buildings have been thrown open. This exhibition is an opportunity to explore Picasso’s enduring affinity with Ingres, and his ability to reference or ‘steal’ previous artist’s work which he famously acknowledged when he said: ‘Lesser artists borrow; great artists steal.’* It will provide visitors with a unique opportunity to compare the two works and to engage with these masterpieces in a different way. Exhibition organised by the National Gallery, London and the Norton Simon Museum of Art at Pasadena. Following its display in London, the exhibition will be on view at the Norton Simon Museum of Art 21 October 2022– 30 January 2023. For more info and to arrange a visit, go to the National Gallery website

Category: ART, ARTS & CULTURE, CITIES, FEATURES, LIFESTYLE, LONDON

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Vivid light festival returns to the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Vivid Sydney Harbour Bridge

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Posted: 10/05/2022

The annual Vivid light festival is coming back to Sydney 27 May to 18 June and the world renowned Sydney Opera House is getting in on the action. Running from Thursday to Monday throughout the festival period, the first Vivid Climb will go each afternoon and anyone walking will reach the summit of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in time to witness Sydney’s soul come alive with a dazzling display of colour. And this year, in a BridgeClimb first, Vivid Climb groups will also be greeted with light installations throughout their pre-climb journey and will get to top off their night with a complimentary post-climb gin and tonic in the pop-up Hendrick’s Gin Unusual Celebration Bar. If you’re fancying a climb, then you’re looking at two options to see the lights this year… Vivid Photographer Tour + Masterclass: a once-in-a-lifetime experience on the South-East Pylon’s Gundeck (not usually open to the public) with a short masterclass on night time shooting followed by a Vivid photography session with Glenn McKimmin. Pylon & Picasso: an art class, hosted by Pinot & Picasso, atop the beloved Sydney Harbour Bridge’s South-East Pylon, starting with a guided tour of the BridgeClimb Pylon Lookout & Museum before the art class commences from the lookout level. For more and to make a booking, head to the Bridge Climb Sydney website

Category: CITIES, FEATURES, LIFESTYLE, SYDNEY

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Can new lithium extraction technology be a game-changer?

Lithium electric car charger

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Updated: 09/05/2022

The push for electric cars amid environmental concerns has made lithium a hot product. It is one of the base minerals for battery technology. There has been a growing demand for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in portable electronic devices (such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops.), electric cars and electric tools. Currently, the price of lithium is around NZ$15000 per tonne but due to extraordinary demand, its price even reached NZ$50,000 for some time. That lithium’s demand is skyrocketing can also be gauged from an estimate by consulting firm McKinsey. The demand will grow from an estimated 500,000 tonnes in 2021 to as much as 3.8 million tonnes by the end of the decade. Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) According to the McKinsey report, alongside conventional lithium supply, direct lithium extraction is going to be the driving force so that the industry can respond more swiftly to the soaring demand and in a more sustainable way. Most conventional mining projects are not eco-friendly. The traditional way is damaging to the environment. It generates a lot of carbon dioxide. It is believed that for one tonne of lithium extracted, 15 tonnes of carbon dioxide are generated. Even some of the direct extraction methods of using brine leaves behind brine salts. New technology within the DLE method There is a new method for extracting lithium. It extracts fluid from underground, separates minerals from water, and then returns it back to the ground. Through this method, the carbon dioxide emitted is significantly lower. This method has already been tried with… Read More

Category: CARS, FEATURES, LIFESTYLE

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