Claire Finneran

Head into the heart of Victoria and you'll find an abundance of unique experiences and sights. Bendigo has a storied history and is most known as the epicentre of the gold rush in the 19th century. Take a trip to the region today and you'll find epic eateries alongside the heritage architecture, cutting-edge galleries and museums, bushland peppered with gold nuggets (if you're lucky) and a vanilla slice to write home about. Think you know everything there is to see and do in the Bendigo region? We've teamed up with Visit Victoria for their 'Stay close, go further' campaign to bring you a fresh take on what makes this region so special. Here are the experiences that drive visitors to return year after year, and have cemented central Victoria as a must-visit destination.

Think you've got the Sydney Opera House pegged? We're here to show you how to rediscover our city's incredible cultural landmark and its underappreciated grit. We want to surprise you with some of the quirkier, edgier and astonishingly delicious offerings the Opera House has to offer. It's time to be delighted and impressed by our harbourside haunt once again. To kick-off your Sydney Opera House discovery here are five cool things you might not have realised you could do in our city's most iconic building. For something a bit more epic and flash have a look at our big night out guide and if you're keen to bring the kiddos along, check out our family-friendly Opera House round-up. 

For many of us it's been a long, long time since we've gone all out and had a night on the town. Sydney Opera House is just the place for your next epic evening worth the baby-sitter. Rediscover the splendour of our city's harbour after dark and treat yourself to jaw-dropping dishes, music, movement and magic. No matter what you're into, you'll find a big night ahead. Here's a little guide we whipped up to help you curate your next outing. For your next visit to the Opera House with the whole fam check out our kid-friendly guide and if you're after a trip to the iconic venue with a bit of an edge get into our guide to its cool side.

Thinking of starting or adding to your collection of house plants? These plant shops, nurseries and foliage delivery services have everything you need from on-trend indoor foliage and low-maintenance greenery to nourishing soil and pots that double as decoration. If you've got a case of the black thumb, the knowledgeable staff at these nurseries are your best resource for plant care know-how.  If you want to skip the gardening altogether and decorate with blooms from the best flower delivery services in Sydney. If this has got you in the mood for some plants 'in the wild' why not check out the best public gardens you can visit in and around Sydney. Recommended: Seven low-maintenance indoor plants that you probably won't kill.

Representation matters. In more recent times, we've witnessed an explosion of queer representation on our screens. There’s the ever-churning engine of RuPaul's Drag Race turning out new seasons and spin-offs at a dizzying rate, incredible series like Pose bringing authentic trans POC stories to the screen, and It's a Sin finding the joy and heartbreak in queer '80s London. Then there’s children’s show Steven Universe, a delightful animated adventure featuring a race of lesbian space rock aliens. We’re also seeing more diversity in LGBTQIA+ characters, including those involved in mainstream shows. Though the fanfare around absurd adult cartoon BoJack Horseman's asexual character Todd Chavez is a testament to the fact that we still have a way to go to make sure all letter of the alphabet receive the recognition they deserve.  While bingeing away on TV shows can be a source of entertainment and escapism, when they reflect back our own identities, or the identities of people we love, or even those we have never heard of – it can be an incredibly enlightening experience. But in a time not so long ago, before streaming and the saturation of social media, queer show recommendations were passed down in tattered DVD (or even VHS) box sets, dodgy hard drives, and knowing advice. We've rounded up some of the best classic queer television shows of the past to put on your watch list. Go on children, do your homework!  Recommended: The best new TV shows and movies to stream this month.

Have you already scrolled all the way to the bottom of the page on both Netflix and Stan? It’s not your fault – we've had a lot of free time on our hands over the last few years. Binge is another Australia’s streaming service that comes from the same hands as Foxtel and Foxtel Go. Binge has the added benefit of hosting a huge selection of HBO television shows, which makes it ideal for those keen to catch up on “prestige” television shows like The Wire, The Sopranos and Six Feet Under. But what else has Binge got to offer? Here are some of our favourite TV shows currently streaming on Binge. Don't have Binge? Here are the best escapist flicks on Netflix and the best TV shows now on Stan. 

Got a hankering for a late night snack? Wandering around the Inner West and looking for a casual eatery for you and your mates? Wok On has set up shop in the Wests Ashfield Leagues club and is ready to ply you with pan-Asian flavours until 2am, seven days a week. You'll find a full delicious menu packed with dumplings, noodles, soups and more until 10pm and a truncated supper menu that packs a punch until the wee hours. Wok On's offerings skip around the Asian continent with Cantonese classics like juicy and plump prawn har gow, crispy spring rolls and long soup dotted with vibrant slices of char siu sitting alongside steaming plates of Japanese gyoza and Thailand's crown jewel, pad thai. For an insider's dive into the menu, ask for the Ebony Black Angus beef with stir fried noodles, the speciality dish is a house favourite. And for dessert you can satiusfy your sweet tooth with fried larva sesame balls with salted egg yolk and fried or steamed mantou with condensed milk. Wok On's menu is designed to share so get the whole gang or fam together for a feast. There's also a lunch time dim sum menu if you're group are early birds. And for the night owls you'll find the supper menu (available 10pm to 2am) has zippy plates that will the spot like salt and pepper squid with spicy salt, century egg and pork congee and more.  Wok On is open from 11.30am until 2am seven days a week at Wests Ashfield Leagues, 115 Liverpool Rd, Ashfield.

It's no secret we're huge fans of the smash-hit musical Hamilton here are Time Out. We gave it a five-star review, we've fawned over the supremely talented cast and we've shown you how to make a day of it with pre and post-show eats that live up to the theatrical magic. Find out what all the well-deserved fuss is about and make sure you catch the show (or see it again) before it leaves Sydney this summer.  The Sydney Lyric Theatre is the place to be this December through to February. We're told there are top notch seats available for Hamilton performances all through the summer break. And extra show dates have been added for the summer holiday period. Chuck a couple of tix under the Christmas tree or plan a surprise romantic new year's date, you're bound to impress your nearest and dearest with this culturally-savvy gift. Better yet, treat yourself to a live and loud Hamilton night on the town – after this year, you've more than earned a spot of nourishing theatre. Tickets are selling fast, because our city is scrambling to see this world-famous show before it leaves on February 27. Don't throw away your shot to be in the crowd and nab a ticket (from $70 +BF) before it's too late.

Summer's here and the time is right for enjoying an icy G&T in the sun. With one minor exception. We're swapping out the "G" in the famous mixer for an equally flavoursome Gordon's Alcohol Free & Tonic. Whether you're curious or wanting to cut back on drinking this summer this fresh premix with a hint of lime will give you all the taste you enjoy without the booze.  Packing a four-pack of Gordon's Alcohol Free & Tonic on your next summer adventure also means you'll get to enjoy more of the sunny activities, nature walks and beach swims without the hassle. You've got access to the best of the season in our stunning states with more opportunities to catch-up with loved ones and frolic in the wild than ever. To start you off, here's five unexpected places you can enjoy one of these fab "G&Ts" in the sunshine.

Summer's here and the time is right for enjoying an icy G&T in the sun. With one minor exception. We're swapping out the "G" in the famous mixer for an equally flavoursome Gordon's Alcohol Free & Tonic. Whether you're curious or wanting to cut back on drinking this summer this fresh premix with a hint of lime will give you all the taste you enjoy without the booze.  Packing a four-pack of Gordon's Alcohol Free & Tonic on your next summer adventure also means you'll get to enjoy more of the sunny activities, nature walks and beach swims without the hassle. You've got access to the best of the season in our stunning states with more opportunities to catch-up with loved ones and frolic in the wild than ever. To start you off, here's five unexpected places you can enjoy one of these fab "G&Ts" in the sunshine.

Our state is busting at the seams with unforgettable road trips. Whatever direction you head and however you want to design your ideal itinerary you'll find something in NSW to scratch your itch. We've teamed up with Sixt Car Rental – Australia's newest car hire service – to serve you up some road trip ideas for vehicles of all sizes and for all budgets. Hit the road with your squeeze, take in some art galleries or squeeze your snowboard into one of Sixt's many versatile vehicles for a driving getaway to remember.   Sponsored by

After a year of being cooped inside the whole family must be busting to get outside for some good old fashioned thrills. Sydney's famous harbourside wonderland Luna Park is ready and waiting to welcome visitors young and old, small or tall to experience a summer full of fun.  Luna Park has added nine whole new rides to its line-up, ensuring visitors of all ages will scream and giggle their way through the warmer months. The hype is strong for the soon-to-be-unveiled Big Dipper, the new ride that is set to be Australia’s tallest and fastest multi-launch rollercoaster. With 360-degree spins and top speeds of 72km per hour, the Big Dipper is a highly-anticipated thrill and joins three other rollercoasters at Luna Park that range from mild to wild. We covered the park's other exciting new rides in the winter school holidays and can't wait to experience them in the warmer months. You can also knock out a portion of your gift-giving this year with Luna Park's Santa photos. Between December 4 and 24 you can get a snap with the bloke in the red suit himself and get a printed, framed or digital copy. Start planning your New Year's Eve trip to Luna Park too. The jewel in summer's crown: the Harbour fireworks, can be experienced in an incomparably perfect way from the park. Keep your eyes peeled for NYE event details as it nears on the Luna Park website. There are a variety of affordable pricing options at Luna Park this summer. An Unlimited Rides Day Pass starts at $34 for kids aged 1

Paddington's cosiest nook Five Ways has a surprising amount of top notch eateries, retailers and creatives for its size. For Sydney Solstice the vibrant area will be celebrating its colourful community with the Five Ways Festival. Expect treats and beats galore from Five Ways businesses as the streets come alive for a day and night of revelrie. Street food and cocktails that lean in to global flavours will be pumped out of Tequila Mockingbird, Eat Thai, Vino e Cucina, Mr T's, Omeio and more. Renowned chef Phil Wood, who recently announced the opening of his first Sydney restaurant in a Paddington corner terrace, will be joining the festival with a market stall, the Paddo Bake Sale. You'll also get your fill of the local fashion and art scene with shops hosting special activations throughout the fest. Live music and DJs will provide the day-to-night soundtrack and cute as a button paper store Journals will present its inaugural Card Makers’ Market in store. The festival-within-a-festival takes over on Saturday June 19 from 11am to 8pm. Find out more here. Want more? Here's your essential guide to Sydney Solstice on Oxford Street and the surrounds.

Once is a wildly popular musical film that won an Academy Award for Best Original Song and had a soundtrack that was nominated for a Grammy. The stage musical, based on the film and sharing its soundtrack, went on to pick up more awards: the Olivier Award, Drama Desk awards and Tony Awards. Once, it seems, is almost closer to being an EGOT than Elton John or Bette Midler. Now, you can soak up that award-winning, stellar songwriting with Darlinghurst Theatre Company's new iteration, coming to Melbourne's Comedy Theatre from September 17 to October 3. Once The Musical is based on the film written by John Carney with book by Enda Walsh. Music and lyrics are by the film's famously non-actor protagonists Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. This production harnesses the film's solid baseline with additional magic added by director Richard Carroll and with musical direction from Victoria Falconer. Once The Musical is also peppered with dance sequences from the local staging of Hamilton's director Amy Campbell. If you're unfamiliar, Once follows the journey of a struggling busker who encounters a gifted Czech pianist and they embark on a will-they, won't-they songwriting adventure. The two literally make beautiful music together while surfing a strong romantic undertow as they go. The roles of 'Guy' and 'Girl', originated by Hansard and Irglová are played on stage by Aussie musical theatre legends Toby Francis and Stefanie Caccamo. Prepare to fall in love with the songs all over again

There’s a reason why you’ll find a modest queue spilling out of this tiny shop front, Al Fayhaa Bakery is Lakemba’s pop-in stop for fresh manoush and zesty Lebanese pizzas. Get in early for $2 oregano flatbreads or gussy it up for the most divine of breakfasts with a rolled up package of warm halloumi and feta, juicy capsicum and tomato, just enough olives, and slaps of fresh mint.   

Chewy, fresh-out-of-the-oven bread can’t be beaten. In fact, at Afghan Sufra it is the shooting star, flying in and out of a giant mosaic oven at cosmic speeds. There’s also meat, of course, and the hunks of marinated lamb and chicken are freshly charred on charcoal to order and put to bed on the soft hot doonas of fresh Arabic bread.

Biryani House is an essential Lakemba stop. Cooked in the style of Hyderabadi Muslims, this joint is your go-to for the popular meat and rice dish biryani. Tuck in to a mini mountain of mutton biryani and be rewarded with intoxicating clove and cardamom aromas twirling around tender lamb chunks and sticky saffron hued rice.

Take home some hard-to-find snacks at Five Star Coffee and Nut Roaster. This grocer stocks their aisles with local and Middle Eastern imported products so you’re bound to nab a treat with a help-yourself olive bar, selections of fresh and packaged dates, bottles of rosewater and gigantic jars of pickles. They also have an in-house roaster so look out for big tubs of freshly crisped almonds and pistachios and try a locally blended bag of fresh coffee.

Lakemba is home to Australia’s largest mosque, and the site on which it stands has housed places of worship since the 1960s. Officially known as Imam Ali bin Abi Taleb Mosque, the intricate brickwork and towering palms envelope a stunning deep purple and gold carpeted interior. The Lebanese Muslim Association hosts regular tours for groups of ten or more and you need to book at least a week in advance, gathering nine friends is easy if you show them photos of the jaw-dropping azure lightwell.

The Other Art Fair returns to Sydney for another year over the weekend of December 2-5. Kicking off on the Thursday night, it's a fair designed to demystify the art-collecting process and to help blossoming art-buyers to acquire their first pieces, the event offers an entertaining day (or night) out for first-timers, experienced collectors and anyone in between.  The Cutaway at Barangaroo will be taken over by a showcase of more than 110 independent artists who have been selected by an expert panel as promising upcoming artists to have on your radar. The artists will be selling their pieces directly to the public without the gallery price tag, with many starting at just $100. The Other Art Fair also involves a program of inspiring experiences. Check out a program of performative art and dance, or get inked live at the Fair with an intricate stick-and-poke design by Inksphinx or Nah Mate.  Taking pride of place in the middle of the Fair, immerse yourself in these oversized, transparent structures that make up Evanescent, an ethereal art installation from Atelier Sisu. Evanescent appeals to our universal playfulness and childlike wonder, leaving us to ponder impermanence and the ever-changing human experience. Meanwhile in Neon nudes, visitors are invited to step into a darkened room where the model is lit only by UV light and to paint their own life drawing using UV paints. There will also be a full bar at the venue and snacks galore from stalls around the event. For those int

Until March 2021, all your favourite Sydney arts and culture institutions are keeping their doors open for extended hours at least one night each week. Sydney Living Museums is joining the after work fun with three museums keeping their doors open late on Thursdays and offering free entry. Head to the Museum of Sydney, Hyde Park Barracks and the Justice & Police Museum for exciting temporary exhibitions and permanent faves until late. Museum of Sydney will be extending their opening hours on Thursday nights from 5-8pm until the end of March. This gives you a chance to catch the exhibition honouring the work and vision of architect Marion Mahony Griffin, Paradise on Earth and an opportunity to experience the newly-installed Narcissus Garden by Pop Art legend Yayoi Kusama. There will also be craft activities and film screenings over the Culture Up Late period to look out for. Apart from the fantastic After Dark events on February 25 and March 11, Hyde Park Barracks will offer free entry on Thursday nights from 5-9pm. Step back in time with a self-guided immersive tour that includes a family-friendly activity book and audio guide. Culture Up Late provides a rare opportunity to experience this UNESCO World Heritage-listed site after hours. As for the Justice & Police Museum, you'll get to explore Sydney's criminal past from 5-8pm every Thursday evening with free entry also. Head to the museum after work for an adults-only 'Murder in the Museum' talk, a fascinating film program, a

Yayoi Kusama is known for her immersive installations that carry the viewer into a sense of the infinite. Her work's appearance at galleries all over the globe attract swarms of viewers looking to snap up a covetable Instagram pic or to simply lean in to the void and feel swallowed up by the eternal. Narcissus Garden, one of Kusama's many famous works, has had many incarnations over the years and is now floating in to Sydney on a mini tour of our city's historical buildings and museums. The installation siphons Kusama's obsession with infinity (and, well, dots) into a series of high-shine orbs that reflect the surrounding visible world and each other in a never-ending loop. True to the Greek myth that the installation takes it's title from you can see your own reflection in the many balls of Narcissus Garden and contemplate your existence – just make sure you don't fall in! Adding to the reflective concept of Narcissus Garden is the colonial contexts in which it is being shown. Sydney Living Museums (SLM) is bringing the work to Museum of Sydney until April and then on to the heritage haunts of Vaucluse House and Elizabeth Bay House (for SLM members only). The intention is for the viewers' reflections to extend beyond themselves and the room they're in to what it means for these mirror orbs to also capture the historical tastes and loaded architecture of the colonial spaces they're installed in. Catch this remarkable work from one of the world's greatest living artists at Mus

Looping around the dandelion fountain in Fitzroy Gardens the Kings Cross markets are a community shopping fave. Though smaller than most Sydney markets, the curated Sunday offerings are diverse enough to ensure you have a gloriously full basket and belly. They also pack up at a hangover friendly 2pm, meaning you can scarf a crackling spiked pork pancake and impulse buy a house plant without having to get up at sparrow’s fart.Kings Cross markets recently updated their stalls to better reflect the changing Potts Point community. Posh puppies get a look-in with sachets of dried roo ribs and doggy craft beers (yes, really) from McPets. You can also pick up jars of Zeus’s ambrosial vice from Wanderer Honey, with selections in unusual yellow and amber gradients. Or, spice-up your antipasto plates with almond stuffed olives from the Stubborn Olive – a stall that also gives you $2 off purchases if you reuse your jars. You can also crunch on a four cheese blend toastie on Pioik sourdough from Great Wheels of Cheese.The markets are great for flowers and plants, with several stalls devoted to leafy finds. Massive bunches of blooms in buckets go for pretty cheap and apartment-savvy succulents and hanging plants are de rigueur. The Green Fingers stall has been going for over ten years and is a fab stop for scoring a healthy indoor plant to take home.

Using the expanses of Orange Grove primary school, these markets fill the playground with covetable goods on a weekly basis. Farm fresh fruit and veg is everywhere here and you’re spoilt for choice for truss tomatoes, plump berries, technicolour capsicums and leafy greens. There’s also a glut of small producers for all your smallgood and fancy condiment needs; grab a fragrant saucisson (an air-dried pork sausage); or rummage through bright yellow, ice-filled eskies for some juicy free-range steaks and nab a carton of free-range eggs.The popularity of the bacon and egg rolls from Bowen’s has reached celebrity status, with queues long enough to make you think Bieber is signing autographs at the end of the line. They’re undeniably delicious. But our breakfast of choice is a steaming carton of Eat Fuh pho, purveyors of one of the most fragrant broths in Sydney. Try their vegan option, too; the broth has a rich mushroom aroma that almost overshadows the meat version. And, if the crisp crunch of an organically grown carrot isn’t your thing on a Saturday morning, the market also has tables laden with top notch baked goods. Grab a slab of Flour and Stone’s popular lemon cake or a goat cheese and zucchini savoury tart from Croquembouche patisserie, or collect flavoured seed varieties at Brooklyn Boy Bagels.Food isn’t the only thing on the menu – there’s also a range of handmade and environmentally conscious clothing, second-hand records and jewellery. Find the best markets in Sydney.

Few smug Instagram posts are greater than pics of a whole thing you have made yourself. I'm not talking about shots of your dinner (what is this? Lockdown one?). I'm talking more in the "here's an elegantly-whittled wooden children's toy I have done in the wee hours with a rustic blade" league. I'm talking specifically about this whole sartorially-relevant-ass jumper I just finished knitting from Cardigang.  Cardigang is the brainchild of two Melburnian women, Cat and Morgan, who were on the hunt for something to occupy them during the dark winter of Melbourne's first lockdown. They turned their beginner knitting skills into winner skills with the help of YouTube and sought to demystify complicated patterns to a new generation. And demystify they did. Cardigang sends out everything you need to make a range of ultra-colourful, ridiculously fun-looking jumpers with easy-to-understand instructions.  Photograph: Supplied/Cardigang If, like me, you learned the absolute bare minimum of knitting from your granny, you'll be delighted by these Knit Kits. The Cardigang instruction booklet is made of hardy cardboard and has very accessibly-phrased instructions for every step of the way. They've thrown out the Wingdings-like symbols of your classic knitting book and have a series of simple bubbles for you to track your progress. And, if you're starting to feel overwhelmed at any point, there's a QR code on your booklet that takes you to some very calm and informative how-to videos the Ca

As much as we pride ourselves on knowing every single bar, coffee shop, and swimming spot in town, there are still some things about Sydney that baffle us to this day. Here are some things we’ve all Googled at least once... 1. “why no train to bondi” Great question, if in fact this was meant as a question. You can get to Bondi Junction, but otherwise the city's East is quite sparsely connected by train lines. Pray for the tourist who hops off at Bondi Junction in swimmers. 2. "buy new opal card where" According to the Transport NSW site, Opal card sellers are rampant in this city (did this map lick the face of a kid with chicken pox on the playground to get out of school? Because same), but they're seemingly never around when you need one. A follow up question is: Why don’t they just sell them in vending machines at the bloody train stations? On the plus side, you can just use your credit or debit card to tap on and off Sydney trains instead. 3. "buy alcohol after 10pm where" Don’t cave to Melbourne’s propaganda campaign against us, you can still buy booze Monday to Saturday in NSW until 11pm. Sure, you might want a gallon of savvy b to cry into on your lounge at exactly 11.15pm, but you can still go to a bar. Contrary to popular belief, a lot of venues trade until 5am. If all else fails, cry onto the craps table at the Star for eternity. 4. "eat fish sydney harbour safe????" Many people wet a line along the fringes of the harbour, there’s quite the line-up of potential catch

Summer festival season is all about enjoying yourself outdoors and letting loose with your mates. Here’s how to do it without being a knob. 1. Be a person of substance Drugs and alcohol are the sustenance of choice at music festivals, let’s be honest. But, use your noggin when attempting to guzzle either in a public forum. Research your legal rights up the wazoo before you enter festival season, police and sniffer dogs are always present and never not-watching, and there are a lot of ways you can avoid being harangued without breaking the law. And, of course, drug-related deaths at festivals are real and you should exercise utmost care for yourself and those around you. Don’t be afraid to go to a medical tent if you have to and be honest, they’re there to help you – not to dob on you. Being responsible is easy if you binge on Brown Cardigan videos before you get festival festy: the cautionary AV library of our time is perfect for demonstrating what you actually look like when, say, you’re vertically flapping around in the mud or drunkenly mashing an ice cream into your face. Remember, everyone’s phone has a camera on it.   "Yeeeeah we're da mud boiz, mud boys 5evaaa"   2. Stress about your dress   For many, music festivals are the perfect opportunity to wear something wacky and ostentatious. Fine. What isn’t fine, in this year of our lord 2018, is wearing traditional costuming from a culture that isn’t yours. First Nations people have been politely pleading with you to no

If you asked musical duo Megan Mullally and Stephanie Hunt to lock their band Nancy and Beth’s theatrical style into a genre they’d have as hard a time as any. “It’s like Pilates class gone wild,” Mullally offers about their tight and surprisingly acrobatic choreography on stage. And it is. Experiencing a Nancy and Beth show is as much about admiring physical feats as it is appreciating the music. The pair will flip over chairs while singing one minute and shimmy into a coordinated cane number the next. “I’ve learned from the best,” Hunt says of their choreographic process. “Megan has some of the best body control in the world in my opinion.” Fans who know Mullally from her role as Karen in Will and Grace might be a touch surprised to learn that she does all the choreography for Nancy and Beth herself, but her background includes years in a ballet company and many roles in Broadway musicals. “My favourite compliment that we got recently,” Mullally says, “is from when a big Broadway guy came to see us play and he said I have the best core in the business. I was so excited about that.” Admirable cores aside, the pair are musically in sync, both on stage and off. Meeting on the set of indie flick Somebody Up There Likes Me in 2012, Hunt and Mullally would sing together for fun with Hunt’s ukulele between takes. “We instantly realised that there was something to the ease of our voices together and that that was something to be continued,” Hunt recalls. Growing up in a huge musica

If you asked musical duo Megan Mullally and Stephanie Hunt to lock their band Nancy and Beth’s theatrical style into a genre they’d have as hard a time as any. “It’s like Pilates class gone wild,” Mullally offers about their tight and surprisingly acrobatic choreography on stage. And it is. Experiencing a Nancy and Beth show is as much about admiring physical feats as it is appreciating the music. The pair will flip over chairs while singing one minute and shimmy into a coordinated cane number the next. “I’ve learned from the best,” Hunt says of their choreographic process. “Megan has some of the best body control in the world in my opinion.” Fans who know Mullally from her role as Karen in Will and Grace might be a touch surprised to learn that she does all the choreography for Nancy and Beth herself, but her background includes years in a ballet company and many roles in Broadway musicals. “My favourite compliment that we got recently,” Mullally says, “is from when a big Broadway guy came to see us play and he said I have the best core in the business. I was so excited about that.” Admirable cores aside, the pair are musically in sync, both on stage and off. Meeting on the set of indie flick Somebody Up There Likes Me in 2012, Hunt and Mullally would sing together for fun with Hunt’s ukulele between takes. “We instantly realised that there was something to the ease of our voices together and that that was something to be continued,” Hunt recalls. Growing up in a huge musi

Born in New York City in the ’60s, ball culture is being lovingly reared in Sydney thanks to the nurturing powers of multi-disciplinary artist and mother of the House of Slé, Bhenji Ra. “I came across voguing very, very innocently, and I say that because I had no idea what voguing was,” says Bhenji, who received a scholarship to study at Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance in New York aged 18. “It wasn’t until I got back to Australia that someone showed me Paris Is Burning that I was like ‘OMG I know these people.’” For many in Australia, the 1990 documentary is their access point to the thriving underground subculture of people of colour (POC) in the queer, LGBTQIA, gender non-conforming and trans communities of New York City that popularised the competitive art of walking, posing, and acrobatic dance. When Bhenji returned, she started to share what she’d learnt. “In New York I felt like I had a really strong community of queer POC. And I had never had that before. Growing up in a lot of different communities – the Filipino community and queer community – they have really nurtured me and molded me into the artist I am now.” Bhenji’s active ballroom competition family – the House of Slé – comprises mostly queer and trans Asia-Pacific young people from the Western Suburbs. “We realised we can perform at community events but we can also perform at galleries. It was really empowering for us to be in these institutions of value but also perform in clubs. “I slowly became

Prepare for your local Priceline to run out of hairspray, classic goth-pop band the Cure are bringing their sensory melodies and voluminous hair to Sydney. The band will be darkening the sails of the Opera House with their presence (not literally... we think) as part of Vivid Live, celebrating the 30th anniversary of their seminal album Disintegration by playing it live in its entirety. Over four nights in May, Robert Smith and the full band will perform both the full suite of Disintegration tracks alongside hits from their extensive back catalogue. Lauded by fans and critics as a melancholic masterpiece, Disintegration, their eighth album, rode the new wave swells of the '80s into the dream-pop shores of the early '90s, with songs 'Pictures of You', 'Lullaby', and 'Lovesong' informing the period's rock sound. The show promises to deliver a night to experience this influential album in the flesh with the added treat of some of the Cure's many hits from their '70s-to-present-spanning career thrown in.  As with Vivid Live's past big-name shows from Solange, Morissey, Kraftwerk, and Anohni, tickets will be released as a ballot. Anticipating high demand, the Sydney Opera House has set up an application process so that everyone has a fair chance at getting tickets. The ballot opens today and closes this weekend with successful applicants notified by Thursday February 28. So, if you ever stoically sucked in your tears to 'Boys Don't Cry' or sang along with your Dad to 'Just Like He

A few weeks ago the NSW government announced it would be opening the disused tunnels under St James Station to development opportunities. Seemingly unhappy with the current lot of buildings on the land, this move is a bold new frontier for our city's visionary overlords. Imagine Sydney, but underground! It's wild. Well before the deadline for expressions of interest closes on November 6, we let ourselves imagine this very far below ground future.  They're asking for ideas that could transform the platform and tunnels into a world-renowned attraction, and, listen, you can all give up now because these are those very ideas. Taking into account the tunnel's proximity to the famed subterranean lake under Hyde Park and our city's insatiable lust for paying for things to do we present you with 23 perfect ideas for our newest destination. 1. A bottomless, bottomless brunch at the bottom. Sydney loves something with the word “bottomless” in it because Sydney loves a gluttonous bargain. Sydney also loves not wearing pants and brunch, and the murky, dimly-lit lawlessness of the underground tunnels would make an ideal venue for shovelling endless food and drink into one’s top-half with an exposed lower-half. Only $970pp. 2. Sculpture by the Swamp. 3. A subterranean-themed escape room but you can’t actually escape, giving it the edge over its competitors. 4. The Everest Race numbers projected on every flat surface imaginable, even when the race isn’t running. Actually, especially when th

I went to my first ever AFL game the other day and I have a lot of thoughts about it.  It was the 'Sydney Swans' verses the 'Collingwood [insert animal]s' match. You know the one? No? Me either. It was pretty fun, but obviously so, so confusing to me. In spite of being from a family whose 82-year-old matriarch knows all the words to the Swans club song, I've never really gotten into this particular game. It's always looked a bit too elaborate for my NRL-comprehending brain. Rugby League is an allegory for war, right? A historical cosplay battle between geographical classes. Just me? Anyway, those human nuggets run in a straight line – at least it's easy to get. AFL on the other hand is an older sport, with more time to fancify and fortify rules and here are my observations as a relative 'outsider' who is nonetheless curious to know what all the fuss is about. If you're a massive fan you're probably going to get offended (stop reading, my entire family, please), if you've never seen a game before you're probably going to be more confused than when we started. Apologies to those wanting to be educated, I tried reading the Wikipedia page but my eyes glazed over. Check out the page for Marn Grook though, because that's heaps interesting. Anyway here goes.  1. When you arrive at the AFL the most striking thing is the shape of the bloody field. They call this ‘an oval’ and it is the most bullshit thing I have ever seen. The objective of a football game is to get the ball from one E

The Domain is about to get a workout once the balmy weather hits and we're not referring to the lunch-break soccer set. Announced today, Sydney Summer Series is a new suite of outdoor concerts that will liven up the parkland throughout January. Their first offering is a real doozy, with key players of Motown and disco history coming to play all of their glorious hits back to back on January 12. The first Summer Series line-up reads like the back of a legends of disco compilation record: Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon are coming, performing all the Jacksons hits like ‘Can You Feel It’, ‘Blame It On The Boogie’, and 'Dance Machine', and hopefully delivered in matching sequin-lapel jackets. Gloriously cheesy party-starters Kool and the Gang will also be playing live, alongside the purveyors of irresistible hits 'I'm So Excited', 'Jump (For My Love)', and 'Automatic', the Pointer Sisters. Turning the Domain into an RSL on a Saturday night will be the Village People, YMCA-ing to your heart’s content, and absolute disco royalty Sister Sledge will be convincing everyone that ‘We Are Family’. Opening the whole soul shebang is Sounds of the Supremes, who’ll be celebrating the trio’s greatest tracks from the '60s and '70s. This is only the first of what Time Out has been told is a series of themed outdoor concerts happening throughout January – this iteration has nailed disco and Motown, so watch this space for more genre-based announcements. Tickets go on sale for the first Sydney

.... according to Grey Fisher, Taronga Zoo The birds are on performance enhancing diets"They live in flocks but they each get their own diets, because in any group you always have that one who eats a little more – like me with pizza at parties, I always eat more pizza than my fair share – so I want to make sure that doesn’t happen with these guys. They’re like athletes, if you’re underweight or overweight, you’re not gonna perform at your best."  Carnivorous birds, they’re just like us "Most of them eat mice, which the zoo breeds then culls, and freeze them and put them in bags. It’s kind of like a frozen dinner – all we have to do is thaw them out. And they also get day-old chicks, which are by products of the human food industry. Because they want hens for egg-laying and for meat, so they cull all the rooster chicks at a day old. We get chicks from that to feed to our birds and other animals. And we’ll use some quail as well, which also comes from the human food industry. Other than the mice, everything is human quality. Actually, the mice would be too if we ate mice, but we tend not to."  Be a considerate gardener – give little birds a flying chance "Everything we do has an impact on birds. Bird life in Sydney is changing drastically because of us, because of the things we choose to grow in our backyards. Local honeyeaters are fairly aggressive and so they’ll drive the smaller birds, wrens and finches, out. The best thing we can do is to make sure that when we’re planting

Bluesfest celebrates its 30th year with a roster of classic favourites and crowd-pleasing stars of the funk, blues, roots, country, and loosely-defined coastal chill pop genres. Notably, the three headliners are superstars of the festival, playing a huge part in its growing success over the years and essentially defining the sound Bluesfest would come to be known for. Jack Johnson, the Hawaiian singer-songwriter with an environmental message, is a returning fave of the festival, as are Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, who first charmed the field of punters in 1996. Both Johnson and Harper epitomise the vibe Bluesfest has perpetuated for 30 years, so it is fitting for them to return to the enthusiastic crowds who make a pilgrimage to Byron Bay every Easter. Also making their return is George Clinton and the ever-evolving Parliament Funkadelic. Clinton has announced that he will be retiring in 2019, stopping touring and performing from May next year. So, this is Australia's legitimate last chance to witness the joyful weirdness from seeing a P-funk show live. Taking place over the Easter long weekend in 2019, this year's festival will be settling into the lush grounds of the Tyagarah tea tree farm. With multiple stages, a variety of on-site accommodation options, food and market stalls and a landmark anniversary binding it all together it's bound to be a popular iteration of the festival. The line-up is also packed with other Australian and international gems. Kasey Chamb