City Hub 24 august by Alt Media

ANNIVERSARY EDITION

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PaddysMarketsFlemington COURSE - WEEK 1

DAY

DATE

TIME

Paper Flower Bouquet

Friday

1st September

11:00am - 12:00pm

Watercolour Floral Pattern

Friday

1st September

12:15pm - 1:15pm

Paper Flower Bouquet

Friday

1st September

1:30pm - 2:30pm

Vintage Inspired Botanical Illustration (B/W pencil drawing)

Sunday

3rd September

11:00am - 12:00pm

Watercolour Floral Pattern

Sunday

3rd September

12:15pm - 1:15pm

Small Posy

Sunday

3rd September

1:30pm - 2:30pm

Half Flower Crown (with fresh flowers)

Sunday

3rd September

2:45pm - 3:45pm

DAY

DATE

TIME

Half Flower Crown (with fresh flowers)

Friday

8th September

11:00am - 12:00pm

Watercolour Floral Pattern

Friday

8th September

12:15pm - 1:15pm

Wrist Corsage and Buttonhole

Friday

8th September

1:30pm - 2:30pm

Paper Flower Fascinator

Sunday

10th September

11:00am - 12:00pm

Small Posy

Sunday

10th September

12:15pm - 1:15pm

Giant Paper Flower

Sunday

10th September

1:30pm - 2:30pm

Wrist Corsage and Buttonhole

Sunday

10th September

2:45pm - 3:45pm

COURSE - WEEK 2

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city hub 24 AUGUST 2017

Got to make the best of a bad situation BY LAWRENCE GIBBONS Once again Melbourne has been named the World’s Most Liveable City by the Economist. Three of the top 10 rated cities are in Australia: Adelaide came in fifth and Perth is seventh. Neighbouring Auckland in New Zealand has been ranked eighth. For the second year in a row Sydney has not been included on the top ten list. Three Canadian cities (3 Vancouver; 4 Toronto and 5 Calgary) are in the top ten as are three European cities (2 Vienna, 6 Helsinki and 10 Hamburg). None of the world’s most liveable cities are in Asia. Sydney has been shanghaied by property developers and government agencies who believe the only way is up. For decades Australia’s economic growth has been fuelled by a property boom to accommodate an ever increasing flow of migrants onto our island continent. Each year hundreds of thousands of people move to Australia requiring the construction of ever more high rises to keep up with the ever-increasing demand. Writing in the Conversation last month, three academics argued that the economic growth delivered by this relentless building boom benefits large corporate interests, developers and the real estate market. For the average Sydneysider increased population densities and the impact of more and more people on our fragile ecosystem mean that our overall quality of life has deteriorated over the last 40 years. Rather than pursue a medium density plan to accommodate more people into the future (think Paris with 7 million people or the San Francisco Bay Area with 7 million people) Sydneysiders have been convinced that Sydney’s future lies in high rise developments such as you would find in Shanghai, Singapore or Hong Kong. From the Bays Precinct to Barangaroo, you would be hard pressed to find many opinion

makers who do not believe that Sydney should and will accommodate many more high-rise buildings. Last weekend Urban Taskforce, the property developers’ peak industry group, hosted a High-Rise Summit here in Sydney, promising to showcase a range of erected protrusions. Even the populist Lord Mayor Clover Moore has gotten on the bandwagon, promising to roll out a new policy that will change height limits in the CB D: soon Sydney’s Centre Point Tower will no longer tower over the city skyline. Welcome to Sydney where new concrete corridors funded by Chinese money will either house multinational corporations or provide shelter for foreign workers.

Most Australians who are lucky enough to afford Sydney rents will be consigned to live in one of the poorly constructed, appallingly designed eyesores that one of Australia’s most wealthy men, Harry Triguboff has bestowed on our once fair city. From Harold Park to Waterloo and Green Square Sydney is awash in monotonous rows of drab concrete blocks such as you would find in public housing projects in the Bronx or East Berlin save the earth tone veneers and pastel interiors. Twenty-two years ago, I moved here from Sydney’s sister city of San Francisco. In Sydney, I saw another water front city that respected its nineteenth century heritage and protected its vistas and views. Glimmers of that city still abound. Cherish it before it is ripped down or overshadowed. This week marks the City Hub’s 22nd anniversary. Once again, we mark the occasion by producing our annual guide to the BEST OF SYDNEY. For two decades and two years we have made it our mission “to print the news and raise hell… to fight for progressive social change….to champion Australian arts and culture.” Over the last few years, in the face of dwindling local news coverage, moribund main streets and comatose night life, we have continued to scour our fair city for signs of alternative life, dissenting voices and underreported views. Earlier this month at the launch of the Sydney Fringe Festival, Festival Director Kerri Glasscock proclaimed: “Sydney isn’t dead, it’s just been in an enforced hibernation.” In the face of local lock out laws and an over-zealous nanny state, Sydney may have a hard time claiming to be the world’s best city. But there are still causes for celebration and counter cultural heroes like Kerri who have made the best of Sydney’s currently dire circumstances. While Sydney sleeps, we might as well dream of better days to come.

Why We Are Publishing the City Hub 1) To print the news and raise hell. To offer an independent alternative to Australia’s media conglomerates. To be unique, vital and indispensable. 2) To fight for progressive social change. To see that everyone gets a fair go. To look out for the underdog (who better than an alternative title to fight the good fight?). 3) To champion local Australian arts and culture. To counter the cultural cringe. To define what is next. To seek what is new. 4) To provide creative individuals with a forum for intelligent discourse. To develop fresh talent. To encourage well-written, accurate and insightful prose. 5) To give every employee the opportunity to grow and advance. To respect our staff. To have fun. 6) To empower our managers to run each department entrepreneurially and responsibly. To encourage new ideas. To develop a collaborative team effort. 7) To serve the interests of young urban readers. To always put our readers’ interests first. To ensure that every publishing decision expands our readership (by so doing our advertisers’ interests will be served). 8) To offer advertisers an effective, targeted advertising alternative. To provide small, locally-owned businesses with an affordable advertising option. To help our clients grow. 9) To operate profitably and with fiscal responsibility. Revenues are the means by which our message is delivered. Profits ensure that our business is secure. To seek expansion opportunities within 10) our defined market niche. To grow and grow again. To guarantee that our community hears an opinionated, independent voice.

Best Festival: The Sydney Fringe Published weekly and freely available Sydney-wide. Copies are also distributed to serviced apartments, hotels, convenience stores and newsagents throughout the city.

Distribution enquiries call 9212 5677. Published by Altmedia Pty Ltd. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy of content, takes no responsibility for inadvertent errors or omissions.

ABN 52 600 903 348 Group Publisher: Lawrence Gibbons Group Editor: Alex Eugene City News Editor: Alec Smart Inner West Independent Editor: Georgia Clark Sub-Editors: Dylan Crismale, Tommy Boutros Contributors: Wendy Bacon, Lawrence Gibbons, Kerri Glassock, Alex Eugene, Ben Raue, Anita Senaratna, Alec Smart, Tommy Boutros Arts Editor: Jamie Apps Advertising Managers: Robert Tuitama, Karl Krticka, Cover Photo: Ann Ding Designer: Nadia Kalinitcheva Advertising: sales@altmedia.net.au Mail: PO Box 843 Broadway 2007 Email: news@altmedia.net.au, arts@altmedia.net.au Ph: 9212 5677, Fax: 9212 5633 Website: altmedia.net.au If you have a story, or any comments you’d like to share with us: news@altmedia.net.au altmediagroup

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By Kerri Glasscock Sydney Fringe has always shined a spotlight on what Sydney represents, what our artists are saying and what our city is feeling. This year, our 8th, Sydney Fringe does all that, but we are also boldly projecting what we believe Sydney could be. Each year we ask our festival Ambassadors “Why is Fringe and an independent voice is important?” I’d like to share Tim Freedman’s response. “The next time someone drags me into a conversation about what Netflix series they are addicted to I am going to scream. Sometimes I drive through the sleepy midweek streets of Sydney at night and I can feel the thick torpor of the Golden Age of Television wafting down from the balconies and leaking through the curtained windows, making me slightly nauseous.” Welcome to the Sydney Fringe, where the artists answer only to themselves and where eccentricity is not hammered down by the sheer heft of the mass media. Where we can forget for a while that over the last decade the edges of the inner city have been scraped smooth, and where for a few

Kerri Glasscock, Director of the Sydney Fringe: Supplied

weeks we can celebrate that the ecology of our culture is healthier because again the exotic creatures at the bottom of the forest can breathe and fuss around and have a little fun. After this year’s Fringe I hope I won’t have to hear anymore “why can’t Sydney Fringe be like Adelaide Fringe” and hopefully I won’t have to read next year another article about why Sydney can’t have a festival like Dark Mofo, and I sincerely

hope that after September I won’t have to defend against the much-touted claim that Sydney is dead. Sydney is emphatically not dead and we intend to show you why. Our program is full of the most brave, vibrant, inclusive, experimental, wonderful creatives that this city has. Sydney isn’t dead, it’s just been in an enforced hibernation. Sydney’s creatives are still here, we just need a little space, a

small amount of support and a whole lot of freedom. This here is an example of everything that is right about Sydney. The coming together of business and creative to forge a new world and activate a city in the best possible way, a generosity that enables a wealth of opportunity and experiences. This year we are finally able to demonstrate to the powers that be the type of city we want. A vibrant creative urban landscape, where warehouse parties are legal, alternative, secret spaces sanctioned and creative freedoms taken, were audiences can truly escape the daily grind, can experience new worlds and celebrate a true connection with their fellow Sydney-siders. This is what the gift of space in our city does. It provides opportunity beyond your wildest dreams, encourages creatives to think beyond their wildest dreams and lays out a platform for all of us to have a fantastic time. That’s the city I want to live in, and that’s the city we will be giving you this September. Sydney Fringe Festival runs throughout the month of September. Details are available at sydneyfringe.com city hub 24 AUGUST 2017

The road that keeps on tolling

Anti-WCX protest, White Bay footbridge, Rozelle, 18 February 2017 Credit: Denise Corrigan

BY WENDY BACON It is often said by critics of tollways that the purpose of building a tollway is to build a case for building another tollway. When the first tollway fails to reduce traffic congestion, your next project comes into play. In other words, tollways are the gift to the road lobby that just keeps giving. The EIS for the Stage 3 M4/M5 tunnels and massive interchanges in St Peters and Haberfield and Rozelle presents an excellent example of this argument. NSW Planning released Sydney Motorway Corporation’s EIS for the WestConnex M4/M5 in the same week that the Berejiklian government announced it would sell 51% of the SMC, which is tasked with financing, building and imposing tolls on WestConnex. The buyer is likely to be a consortium including Transurban, which controls nearly all private tollways in Sydney and Brisbane and promotes to its investors a much larger network (including WestConnex) as its future goal. It was also the same week that a reimposed toll on the widened M4 from Parramatta to Homebush began. So far this has led to 25% of anticipated M4 traffic shifting to Parramatta Road or other routes. This was always predicted to happen as a response to the reimposition. On a trip to Taiwan to attract international private sector interest for NSW’s transport projects, Premier Gladys Berejiklian reassured Sydney residents that she understood the cost of living pressures. However, she explained that tolls were all for the good cause of paying for more Sydney tollways. The idea is to toll M4 drivers for more than 40 years to pay for the rest of WestConnex and the Western Harbour Tunnel to the 4

city hub 24 AUGUST 2017

North Shore. Needless to say, users of the M4 don’t think this is fair. In this political context, the NSW government is in a desperate rush to get planning approval for the M4/M5, which is the most expensive and complicated stage of WestConnex. It involves building three layers of underground tunnels under parts of Rozelle. As yet there is no engineering plan for this. Approval depends on senior staff in NSW Planning compliantly agreeing to tick off on the EIS, as was done with the New M5 and the M4. The latest EIS was released just ten business days after feedback period ended for the Concept Design for the M4/ M5 and before preliminary drilling to establish a route through the Inner West is completed. This EIS is little more than a concept design and is far less developed than earlier ones. It ignores more than 1500 submissions, including one of 142 pages from the Inner West Council. The EIS for the M4 East and the New M5 argued the case that serious congestion created near interchanges would be solved once the M4/M5 was built. But the EIS for the M4/M5 casts doubts on that proposition. Now the real benefits depend on the Western Harbour Tunnel, the Airport Link and a tollway heading South. None of these projects have been planned, let alone approved. Even if and when projects were completed, there would still be serious congestion in St Peters, Rozelle and Haberfield. Deep in the EIS, you learn that RMS is already hard at work considering how to solve these problems. While lip service is paid to public transport, there is no consideration of alternative ways to spend billions of dollars. The alternative plan put forward by the City of Sydney is ignored.

Greens Newtown MP Jenny Leong MP condemned the release of the EIS as an attempt to “bulldoze planning approvals through” to clear the way for the 51% sale. “We know that the planning and governance of this project have been a farce and releasing the EIS before any response to the extensive community feedback on the M4-M5 Link concept design, shows more of the same contempt from this government. The Greens and the community know that WestConnex isn’t the answer and we will be doing everything we can to disrupt their plans over the coming months,” she said. The EIS was prepared by global engineering firm AECOM, which also prepared the EIS for Stages 1 and 2. When he approved these earlier stages, the then Minister for Planning Rob Stokes pointed to conditions of approval that would minimise impacts on communities. But the impacts have turned out to worse than expected. For example, the AECOM EIS for the New M5 failed to deal with how the massively contaminated land fill at Alexandria would be managed during construction. After months of sickening odours, the NSW EPA admits that despite fining SMC and requiring contractors to take measures to control odours, they have not stopped. It acknowledges that it does not have the power to stop work until WestConnex contractors comply with environmental regulations. In the case of Haberfield and St Peters, approval of this EIS will mean that construction impacts of M4 and New M5 will extend for a further five years with both construction and 24/7 tunnelling sites. The EIS uses the term “construction

fatigue’ to refer to the continuing impacts of construction. There is almost no explanation of what this means. Haberfield resident Sharon Laura has been campaigning against WestConnex for more than three years, and now spends a lot of her time dealing with problems caused by the construction in Haberfield. Ms Laura said it is “offensive and inhumane” to describe the impact as ‘construction fatigue.’ “Right now in Haberfield there are people who are suicidal, who’ve been hospitalised, who are taking sleeping pills to deal with noise, health problems are being exacerbated, relationships are being destroyed,” she said. Despite a strong local campaign, the community living around Darley Road, Leichhardt is reeling from the implications of SMC’s announcement that it intends to occupy a site where a Dan Murphy liquor store opened on land owned by Rail Corp earlier this year. A Sydney Morning Herald investigation raised questions about why initial advice recommending that the lease not be extended on the site was changed in 2012 after lobbyist and former Liberal leader Kerry Chikarovski got the owner “in front of the person” who could resolve the issue. After fresh probity advice, the lease was extended until 2018. This controversial decision means that the NSW government will have to pay the leaseholder and Dan Murphy’s up to $50 million compensation, adding to cost of WestConnex. Question marks hanging over the site reinforce the impression that private hidden deals were done while communities were kept in the dark about the likely location of construction sites. Serious safety concerns about the choice of the Darley Rd site have been raised by the Inner West Council and an independent engineer’s report.

Leichhardt Against WestConnex (LAW) spokesperson Christina Valentine told City Hub: “LAW is extremely disappointed that despite countless meetings with SMC and RMS over 12 months, none of these legitimate concerns have been addressed. This is a massive breach of community trust.” RMS previously identified the Darley Rd site as the third most dangerous traffic hazard in the Inner West. Previously the NSW Land and Environment Court found that the location of the site couldn’t safely deal with 60 bottle truck movements a week, but the M4/M5 EIS shows that more than 800 vehicles including hundreds of heavy ones will use the site each day. Residents in 371 homes in the Darley Road area would have potential sleep disturbance from night works, with 36 homes ‘highly affected’. Some homes will have a truck on average every 4 minutes just metres from their bedrooms. If experience in Haberfield, Kingsgrove, St Peters and Alexandria is anything to go by, residents can again expect the actual experience to be worse than predicted by the EIS. The EIS identifies hundreds of risks. It either recommends proceeding despite the risks or seeking a way to mitigate risks during the “detailed design” phase. That phase excludes the public altogether. NSW Planning is currently reviewing its major projects approval process. A good start would be to halt this profoundly inadequate form of planning and have an open, transparent and independent review of WestConnex. Other cities have managed to reduce traffic congestion why not Sydney?

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While Sydney drowns, country bakes By Alec Smart A newly released study by the University of NSW has confirmed that urban centres will experience intensified flooding as global temperatures rise and storms become more severe. However, although flooding in urban environments is, unless properly managed, expected to harshly impact upon city living, by contrast, the countryside is drying up. Despite heightened rainfall expected with global warming, flooding in rural areas is likely to decrease. This is because, thanks to hotter summers, increased evaporation from soils in rural areas is causing them to become drier, which means they soak up intense rainfalls when they arrive, rather than channel them to streams and river systems. The study, conducted by Professor Ashish Sharma, professor of hydrology at UNSW’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Doctor Conrad Wasko, postdoctoral fellow at UNSW’s Water Research Centre, examined data collected from more than 43,000 rainfall stations and 5,300 river monitoring sites across 160 countries. In Sydney, where a massive construction boom building high-rise apartments is bringing thousands more people to settle around waterways through historic flood zones, including the Alexandra Canal and Johnston’s Creek, current storm waters regularly back up and submerge surrounding streets. When coupled with king tides, areas such as Mill Stream and Wolli Creek around Tempe and Mascot, where rainwater feeds into the tidal Cooks River, neighbourhoods already experience localized flooding when runoff is unable to flow out into the sea. If this is not dealt with soon as more intense storms arrive it will develop into potentially catastrophic deluges, washing away cars and infrastructure and weakening building foundations.

city hub 24 AUGUST 2017

Rising sea levels and more severe storms might see the Sydney Opera House partially submerged under a king tide. Credit: Alec Smart

“We need to adapt to this emerging reality,” said Professor Sharma. “We may need to do what was done to make previously uninhabitable places liveable; engineer catchments to ensure stable and controlled access to water. Places such as California, or much of the Netherlands, thrive due to extensive civil engineering. “Perhaps a similar effort is needed to deal with the consequences of a changing climate as we enter an era where water availability is not as reliable as before.” Australia is the lowest continent in the world with an average elevation of only 330 metres. With around 85% of Australia’s population living in coastal zones, storm surges and rising seas will significantly impact upon our lifestyles and infrastructure.

Parts of Sydney, including areas of Manly north of the entrance to Sydney Harbour, are little more than a metre above sea level. Sydney’s coast receives an average of 1,100 mm of rain annually, but it is expected to increase significantly, and sea levels will rise almost 1 metre by the end of the century, according to predictions by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in their 2007 Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability report. At risk of tidal inundation are Sydney’s harbour foreshores, including the CBD, and eastern beachfront suburbs, where sandy coastlines that act as buffer zones will easily wash away in powerful storms, exposing communities to the ravages of pounding waves.

There are more than 70 bay and ocean beaches in Sydney metropolitan area and around its four main harbours – Port Hacking, Botany Bay, Port Jackson and Pittwater. As recently as June 2016 we witnessed nature’s destructive potential when an east coast low, bringing giant waves and king tides, eroded 50 metres of Collaroy and Narrabeen beaches, leaving a number of badly damaged waterfront properties at risk of collapsing into the sea. Back in December 2010, Ozcoasts, representing a collaborative effort of more than 100 scientists and managed by the Seabed Mapping and Coastal Information section at Geoscience Australia, released detailed data and maps forecasting suburbs at risk from climate change-driven sealevel rises. Sydney seaside suburbs facing significant danger of inundation include Manly Vale, Kurnell, Caringbah and Cromer. Properties along the Cooks and Parramatta Rivers, in Arncliffe, Marrickville, Homebush Bay, Newington and Silverwater, are also at risk during high tides from rivers breaching their banks and storm waters backing up into residential neighbourhoods. Management of this might eventually involve the construction of a Thames Barrier-type flood defence across the mouth of Sydney Harbour that allows ships to pass but can be raised and lowered depending on tidal surges. “Climate change keeps delivering us unpleasant surprises,” said Mark Hoffman, UNSW’s Dean of Engineering. “Nevertheless, as engineers, our role is to identify the problem and develop solutions. Knowing the problem is often half the battle, and this study has definitely identified a major one.” For more detailed information and maps showing areas in Sydney prone to flooding, visit http://www.ozcoasts.org.au/climate/sd_visual.jsp

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city hub 24 AUGUST 2017

Question over amalgamation impact By Ben Raue The forthcoming Local Council Elections on September 9 appear likely to produce some unexpected results amidst a backdrop of unfamiliar candidates and uneasy alliances. The forced amalgamations of electorates, that began after the NSW Government announced 19 new Sydney councils in May 2016, has created a significant stirring of resentment against the ruling NSW Liberal Party, which might manifest itself at the ballot box. The Inner West Council, formed by the merger of the former Leichhardt, Ashfield and Marrickville Councils, also expects to redraw political boundaries as a mixture of familiar and unknown candidates contest newly created constituencies. The Leichhardt ward runs across the middle of the new Inner West council’s territory. The ward covers the parts of Ashfield that are north of the T2 Inner West and South railway line, all of Haberfield, most of Leichhardt, and the southern half of Annandale. While the eastern half of the new precinct was previously part of Leichhardt council, the western half was inherited from Ashfield council. In effect, the revamped Leichhardt ward takes in the ‘leftovers’ of the new electorates after the other wards are redrawn – absorbing areas such as northern Ashfield and southern Annandale, which, arguably, don’t have a great deal in common in terms of historical and economic ties. In 2012, Labor polled only 26.6%

Ben Raue, an election analyst from the Tally Room. Credit: Supplied

in this district, worse than their results in any other ward. However, it was successful for the Liberal Party, which topped the poll with 29.5%, the Greens coming a close second with 28.3%. Most booths in this district were aboveaverage for the Liberal Party, which generally fared better in Leichhardt and Balmain compared to the southern suburbs, Labor’s traditional stronghold, where they polled over 30% in nearly every booth on the south side of Parramatta Road. The Greens did much better in the eastern half of Leichardt, polling well over 30% in every booth in Leichhardt and Annandale. In contrast, the Greens did not poll over 20% in any booth in north Ashfield or Haberfield.

Caption

Results in the 2016 federal election in the Leichardt area were very different to the local council results, with voters preferring Labor over the Greens. Labor polled 44.6% in 2016, with the Liberal Party on 28.6% and the Greens on 18.6%. The new Inner West council has five wards, with each ward electing three candidates. Labor and the Greens are in prime position to win a seat in each of the five wards, with the last seat from each ward in play. Liberal and independent candidates will be hoping to win the last seat, but in some places will also be competing with second Labor and Greens candidates. The three main parties, Labor,

Liberal and the Greens, are all running a team for this ward. Former Ashfield mayor Lucille McKenna is leading the Labor team, former Ashfield mayor Vittoria Raciti is leading the Liberal team, and Marghanita da Cruz is leading the Greens team. John Lozano is leading an independent team, and Blaid Vidakovich is running as a Socialist Alliance candidate, but without a full team of candidates. The 2012 election wasn’t a great one for Labor or the Greens in this ward, but their vote should hold up enough to each win a seat. It is impossible to predict how independent John Lozano will perform, but he will have a tough time overcoming the Liberal Party for the final seat.

The Liberal Party’s political fortunes have declined since the last 2012 council election, when they won many seats in places where they hadn’t traditionally elected councillors. This was not long after the party’s landslide victory in the 2011 state election, and in the lead-up to the Liberal Party’s successful 2013 federal election campaign. There are reasons to suspect their vote will drop, but as the ward with the highest Liberal vote they will still have a strong chance of winning a councillor here. If there are no major surprises, we’ll see Labor, Liberal and Greens each elect a single councillor in Leichhardt, putting at least one Liberal in the balance of power on the council.

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city hub 24 AUGUST 2017

Pokies take their toll BY ALEX EUGENE An eastern suburbs man has been arrested and charged for cheating three elderly people out of more than half a million dollars, which he allegedly used for gambling. The man, who pretended to be a financial adviser in order to nab the victims’ life savings, is said to have stolen a total of approximately$750,000. Gamblers in NSW have handed over $19.5 billion to poker machines so far in 2017, according to the latest figures from the Liquor and Gaming Authority NSW. There are 92,775 pokies in clubs and hotels across NSW. Profits in the last financial year for the industry have also been reported this week as over $117million. It was revealed this week that the top ranked hotel in NSW for poker machine profits was the El Cortez Hotel, Fairfield, which raked in $13.9million in profit last financial year. Fairfield is also ranked as Sydney’s most disadvantaged area. NSW Greens MLC Justin Field said poker machines caused “immeasurable harm to people, families and communities.” The state regulator has admitted that gambling is a severe problem in low socio-economic areas, and even has a scheme for classifying them into risk groups. But there are no plans to try and reduce the number of pokies in the affected areas. Rather, the regulator claims to screen applications for extra machines.

city hub 24 AUGUST 2017

Pokies have raked in billions from vulnerable Aussies this year. Credit: Sirmai arts marketing

“To approve extra gaming machines in areas with higher risks of problem gambling, the ILGA Board must be satisfied that concerns arising from consultation have been appropriately considered and that any increase will positively impact the local community,” said Independent Liquor & Gaming NSW Deputy Secretary Paul Newson. NSW Greens MP Justin Field is calling for the government to cap the number of pokies in vulnerable communities. “Poker machines are designed for addiction and to strip money from the community to make profits for shareholders. It’s the responsibility of [Minister for Racing] Paul Toole to protect people and communities,” he said.

But Mr Toole said in a recent statement, “The Greens are opposed to all forms of gambling for ideological reasons, and they should just come clean and admit that.” Mr Field criticised NSW Liquor and Gaming for charging a fee to access gambling data, saying other states made it available at no cost. The latest figures were obtained and paid for by the NW Greens. Tom S* is a recovering gambler who says his habit started out as a ten dollar bet here and there, but quickly turned into an addiction nightmare. “I won two major jackpots within a fortnight, and something in my brain just went ‘oh so gambling is basically me getting lots of money’. And that started a cycle of trying to chase the

good feeling…there wasn’t a lot of other good feelings happening in my life at that time,” he remembers. He described the winning feeling as total euphoria. Over the next year Tom lost almost $10,000. Eventually, he would be spending all of his fortnightly pay within 3-4 hours. Dr Betty Weule, said: “It is impossible to say why people get into gambling. For some, it is a response to help them forget problems in their lives. For others, it is to fill in time, loneliness, or peer pressure. It can be genetic or a chemical imbalance.” But Dr Weule said the most crucial point was for the gambler to want to kick their own addiction. “It is important that family and friends do not try to bail the gambler out. This only deepens the problem. If gambling remains the most important thing in the gambler’s life, no treatment will help,” she said. Lisa B* says her mother, who is also a recovering gambler, has been attending Gamblers Anonymous meetings for 72 weeks. “She started gambling for a few years, stopped for a few years and then started again. Attending the meetings has made her feel blessed to be able to communicate with other problem gamblers and to communicate better with her family,” she said. Lisa said her mother’s problem caused sadness and anxiety in the family, but through the help she is receiving, she and her siblings have come to understand that gambling

is “a debilitating problem and an illness.” Karen D* says a gambling addiction took a toll on the relationship between herself and her late grandfather. “It got so bad that we couldn’t even go to a club for lunch or dinner without him playing the poker machines for hours,” she said. “I hated when he wouldn’t win anything because he would retreat to his bedroom with depression, and often sleep all day leaving me feeling alone. It would cause arguments between us,” remembers Karen. But Professor Brijesh Verma from CQUniversity says the most lethal form of gambling today is online. “Rates of harmful gambling are much higher amongst online gamblers than those using other platforms,” he said. Greens MP Justin Field said: “The NSW Government must now play its part and give pokies-impacted communities support for a freeze and then reduction in machine numbers.” Tom says he will be pulling himself out of the “financial hole” gambling caused him for the next few years. “That’s money I could have put into anything else, but now I’m just paying a bank off,” he said. “I don’t want to tell people what they can and can’t do for entertainment, but all of these exemptions to the Sydney lockout laws that enable gaming rooms to stay open but not have live music—it’s not acceptable,” he added. *Names have been changed to protect privacy.

BEST

BEST OF SYDNEY 24 AUGUST 2017

Index

EAT

DRINK

CHINESE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DUMPLINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JAPANESE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FAMILY RUN PIZZA JOINT . . . . . . . . . PASTA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHEAP EAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ACAI BOWL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VEGAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA . . . . . . . . . DATE NIGHT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NOSH WITH A VIEW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HONG KONG STYLE DINER . . . . . . . . ARGENTINEAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GELATO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HIGH TEA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOZLEME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BANH MI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PUB FOOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EGYPTIAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AMERICAN-STYLE BURGERS . . . . . . RAMEN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AFTERNOON TREAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . GOURMET PIZZA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ICONIC COFFEE HANGOUT . . . . . . . . . BIG BREAKFAST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHEESECAKE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

ART & ALCOHOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 LOCAL PUB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 COCKTAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 COFFEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 BAR WITH A THEME . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 BEER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 MILK TEA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 WINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 KARAOKE BAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 DIVE BAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 TEA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 ROOFTOP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 HOT CHOCOLATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 GREEN BOOST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

PLACE TO FLOAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DAY TRIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . INDIGENOUS ART GALLERY . . . . . . . . ICE RINK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AFTERNOON NAP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RAINY DAY ROMP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . INDEPENDENT THEATRE . . . . . . . . . . FAMILY DAY OUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TRIVIA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THEATRE COMPANY . . . . . . . . . . . . . CINEMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WALK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BOULDERING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . GALLERY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BANGERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 13 13 13 13 13 13

STANDUP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 PICNIC SPOT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 FUNKY NIGHT OUT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

FASHION THRIFTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . CAKES & CUPCAKES . . . . . . . . . . . . FURNITURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHOCOLATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CHEESE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . KNITTING SUPPLIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . VEGETARIAN BUTCHER . . . . . . . . . . . FLORIST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ANTIQUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ART SUPPLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TREASURE TROVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14

A note from the Editor

e’re never tourists in our own cities, but perhaps we ought to be. Often there are things that stop us in our tracks – a snazzy bit of street art down a hidden lane; a perfect bowl of noodles with just the right amount of bite; the sky looking a certain way at a certain time of the day as the sun sets over the harbour; a dirty ibis crouched on top of a bin, pecking at the remnants

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SERVICES SHOP

PLAY

BUTTONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BOOKSTORE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ETHICAL SHOPPING . . . . . . . . . . . . . EUROPEAN-STYLE MARKET . . . . . . . FARMERS MARKETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . WINE RETAILER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BEST MARKETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . STATIONERY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HATS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CREATIVE HUB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

of lunch. Best of Sydney is a celebration of the things we love and the things we are yet to stumble across. In saying that, this issue is really just a gentle nudge down one of the many paths you could use to navigate our city. There are galleries to visit, shows to watch, coffee to consume and stories to be told beyond what can be contained in these pages.

Entering our 22nd year here at City Hub, it’s a real pleasure to be able to take a moment to appreciate what our city has got to give. So get out there and do something new. Take a nap in a park, sit on a bench and eat somewhere different. There is creativity, there are ideas, there is art being made and there are people incredibly passionate about what they do – you’ve just got to look!

BARBER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BOOK BINDERY & REPAIRS . . . . . . . . TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES . . . INDEPENDENT SCHOOL . . . . . . . . . . BOUTIQUE ACCOMMODATION . . . . . . CAT SANCTUARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HAIR DO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . COMMUNITY COLLEGE . . . . . . . . . . . TATTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FINANCIAL SERVICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . POLE DANCING & AERIALS . . . . . . . . BLACKSMITH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . POOL & FITNESS CENTRE . . . . . . . . DANCE CLASS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Editor: Shon Ho Contributors: Alison McCann, Millie Roberts, Chantelle Yeung, Alison Xiao, Vamshika Bakshi, Konrad Ryzak, Aparna Balakumar, Lachlan McKirdy, Georgia Clark, Lydia Bilton, Ellouise Bailey, Alex Eugene. Artwork: Ann Ding

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BEST OF SYDNEY 24 AUGUST 2017

BEST OF SYDNEY 2017 BEST DATE NIGHT

BEST FAMILY-RUN PIZZA JOINT

EAT BEST CHINESE Golden Century

and deep fried, the tenderness of the pork fillet perfectly offsets the shards of panko crumbs that generously coat its exterior. Kudos also to the restaurant’s healthy philosophy: you can expect free range meat and organic vegetables, as well as a rotation of mouthwatering seasonal kobachi (side dishes) with your meal. Keep an eye out for the daily lunch and dinner bento specials, as they only make 15 a day. Shop 20,World Square, Sydney. 9283 9686. masuyainternational.com.au/en/miso

BEST PASTA

Open until 4am, 7 days a week, Golden Century is a late night hang out for night owls, shift workers and those looking for a feed among the neon lights of Sussex street. Golden Century showcases classic Cantonese fare with XO pipies, mud crab with ginger and shallot, braised e-fu noodles and sweet and sour pork. It’s the perfect place for Siu Yeh (a late night meal after dinner) and serves yum cha from midday. Chopsticks are clacking and hot tea is poured into white cups from noon to the early hours of the morning at this seafood institution. 393-399 Sussex St, Sydney. 9212 3901. goldencentury.com.au

BEST DUMPLINGS Chinese Noodle Restaurant Everyone loves a crispy bottom. Chewy pot stickers packed plump with filling are aplenty at Chinese Noodle Restaurant. Dumplings are steamed, boiled or pan fried in groups of 12 or 16 for a really decent price. Complimentary tea is plonked in front of you when you arrive and condiments of soy sauce, vinegar and chilli are ready at hand for turbo flavouring needs. Pork and chives are a classic combo and the braised eggplant dumpling is sticky and moreish. Be sure to grab a plate of hand pulled noodles as well. The chef is often seen pulling and slapping noodles through the window into the kitchen. 160 Thomas St, Haymarket. 9281 9051

BEST JAPANESE Miso Situated in an unassuming alley of World Square, at first glance, Miso is a no-nonsense Japanese restaurant that specialises in teishoku (set meal) dining. But when their tonkatsu hits the table, one understands why there is always a small crowd milling around outside – breaded, crumbed 4

BEST OF SYDNEY 24 AUGUST 2017

Jazushi Sushi and jazz may be a match made in heaven – a sophisticated and elegant combo. Enjoy the salmon sashimi and wagyu beef while smooth musicians fulfil your La La Land fantasies with delightful live jazz music at Jazushi. It’s a unique dining experience. The beautiful interior decor, the mood lighting and scrumptious food, makes for the perfect date, whether it’s your first or fiftieth. Try the Green Tea Noodle Salad, Agedashi Tofu and Tasmanian InsideOut Roll. If you want to treat yourself and your date, go for the set menu at $60 per person (or $50 if vegetarian) – there will be no regrets. 145 Devonshire St Surry Hills. 9699 8977. jazushi.squarespace.com

Alberto’s Pizza Generous portions and an extensive menu makes this family-run pizzeria a favourite for Newtown locals. Alberto, the man himself is still stretching dough at 81 after 37 years when the shop first opened. The bright green, red and white front shouts a warm Italian welcome and there is of course an Italia soccer banner hanging inside on the wall (Alberto is a passionate soccer fan and world history buff). A classic margarita is just $9 and with a selection of pastas, mains and desserts, there is something here for everyone. 589 King Street, Newtown. 9519 4262. albertospizza.com.au.

Kindred The pasta at Kindred is delicious. Start with the carrot triangoli in burnt butter, order the bucatini with guanciale, tomato and chilli; and finish with the refreshing sheep’s yoghurt panna cotta. The menu is focused, uncluttered and boasts delightful flavours. Kindred makes as much as they can in house including the pasta, bread, butter, sausages and pickles - so you know that you’re getting quality and care in your meal. Beyond the excellent food, the brick interior and wooden staircase exudes a warmth that matches the cooking. Rustic and cosy, this 45 seater restaurant is the perfect setting for a relaxed dinner with friends, a special occasion or something a bit more intimate. 137 Cleveland St, Darlington. 8937 0530. kindredrestaurant.com.au

BEST PIE The Pie Tin The Pie Tin knows flakey pastry and fresh fillings like no-one else. There is plenty here to satisfy both vegetarians and meat-lovers alike from the Mac ’n’ Cheese, to more classic options like a Shepherd’s Pie. All pies are handmade on premise each day, including a range of sides like baked beans, potato mash and salads. Failsafe crowd pleasers include the Oreo Cookies and Cream pie and a home-style American sweet pumpkin pie.You can even get them blended into a milkshake if you prefer your pies in liquid form. Whether you are catching up with friends or dropping by for a quick dinner (they do discounted pies at the end of the day), you can’t go wrong with The Pie Tin. Just don’t assume you can grab a slice to eat on the road though. With these generous portions, you’ve got to sit down and relish each bite. 1a Brown St, Newtown. 9519 7880. thepietin.com.au

BEST CHEAP EAT Oiden BOWL BAR

If you find yourself with an appetite and only five dollars in your pocket, head over to Menya Oiden for a Japanese rice bowl. Filling and cheap with a plethora of toppings to choose from, Oiden offers quite the spread for your rice cravings starting from just $3.90. From Japanese curry with cheese; flaked salmon and a soft boiled egg sprinkled with seaweed; or a small mountain of sweet and savoury beef, a rice bowl at Oiden is a perfect meal when you’re strapped for

BEST NOSH WITH A VIEW cash or time. For an extra dollar or two, you can treat yourself to an assortment of kushiage – deep fried tofu, karaage chicken and takoyaki are a must. 12/537-551 George St, Sydney. 9267 1368. oiden.com.au

BEST ACAI BOWL Fruitologist For the uninitiated, acai bowls are thick smoothies of acai berry topped with fruits and clusters of granola. It might be the hot trend for the beach hopping hipster, but don’t knock it till you try it! Nestled on a street corner in Bondi, the part juice bar, part fruit and vegetable grocer, Fruitologist, serves a killer bowl for only $10. Add peanut butter for an extra $1 if you’re feeling indulgent. This acai bowl is also a perfect post-hike reward if you’ve just finished the iconic Coogee to Bondi coastal walk. While Fruitologist is not a sit-in cafe, you can take your acai to the nearby shore of Australia’s most famous beach, or picnic on the crates set up near by. There is also a second location in Rozelle that does a dine in option. 151 Bondi Rd, Bondi. 9387 2575. fruitologist.com.au

BEST VEGAN Golden Lotus A neon ‘Veganism is Magic’ sign literally lights up this place in zany pink. For those looking for good value, this little place on Kings Street is always packed and has lines out the doors most nights of the week. Golden Lotus does amazing Vietnamese food that is completely and 100% vegan. The eatery takes classic dishes featuring meat and uses meat substitutes to deliver meals that are texturally delicious and full of flavour – try the pho and roast vegan duck. These dishes made with fresh and vibrant ingredients, are sure to leave you feeling nourished and totally satisfied. Opened in July 2015, Golden Lotus takes diners on a journey with tasty traditional food that is made with compassion. 341/343 King St, Newtown. 8937 2838. goldenlotus-vegan.com

Cafe Del Mar When you’re surrounded by the scenic waterside views of Darling Harbour and tucking into Mediterranean style food with a cool drink in your hand, life is good. Cafe Del Mar celebrates mediterranean cuisine; drawing on Spanish influences with a modern Australian twist. Get fancy with oysters on ice and champagne or indulge in a share plate of crispy cased Berkshire pork jowls and truffle mash with good company.You can head up onto the Terrace, the roof top at Del Mar for a cool breeze, a selection of drinks and the best seat in the house to watch the sunset over the harbour. The restaurant emanates chilled out vibes with a classy colour scheme of blue, gold and white. Drenched in light with a laid back beach theme, Cafe Del Mar transports you to the glamour of a European city right in the heart of Sydney. Rooftop Terrace, Cockle Bay Wharf, 35 Wheat Rd, Sydney. 9267 6700. cafedelmar.com.au

BEST NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA NEW YORK SLICE New York style pizza is all about great big generous triangles that you would probably have to fold in half to eat. New York Slice is a homage to the pizza of the States; satisfyingly greasy, all molten cheese and fresh out of the oven.You can grab a single slice for $4 or a “Massive” sized pizza for twenty bucks. Classics such as Margarita, Hawaiian and Pepperoni are on the menu, or you could go for one of their signatures like the American Hot or a BBQ Chicken. If you’re feeling particularly inventive, you can make your own pie and customise your trademark flavour with your choice of sauce, cheese and up to four toppings. Shop 2/154-162 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach. 9130 4000. newyorkslice.com.au

BEST OF SYDNEY 24 AUGUST 2017

BEST OF SYDNEY 2017 BEST HONG KONG STYLE DINER Kafe X Hong Kong Kitchen One of the best things about living in Sydney is the overflowing supply of good, cheap Chinese eats. Kafe X Hong Kong Kitchen, a cha chang teng (a Hong Kong Style diner), is serving up delicious dishes in the heart of King’s Cross, right opposite the station. With items such as Beef Brisket Nissin Noodle Soup, Mapo Tofu, baked Hong Kong style rice and a selection of dim sum on the menu, the friendly staff at Kafe X Hong Kong Kitchen will serve up cheerful eats at very affordable prices. Perfect for small groups and couples, Kafe X Hong Kong Kitchen will make you feel at home with its eclectic menu and classic Hong Kong cafe fare. The establishment does takeaway dishes and offers delivery services, so you can enjoy comforting Chinese cooking without stepping out the door. 44-44B Darlinghurst Rd, Potts Point. 0422 141 777

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BEST ICONIC COFFEE HANG OUT

BEST ARGENTINEAN

BEST GOZLEME

Porteño Seven years after opening its doors, this rockabilly Argentinean grill continues to captivate Sydneysiders and reel in a full house almost every night of the week.This vibrant tapas diner is home to the most genuinely stylish retro digs in town and an assortment of redefined Latin American dishes paired with the perfect wine to wash it all down.The dry-aged ribeye served with oozing Jerusalem artichokes and the cured tuna with tahini and crostoli will send your tastebuds into overdrive. But vegetarians despair not, a huge array of dishes are meat-free, varying from a sizzling cow’s milk provoleta cheese served with olive tapenade to a housemade ravioli bursting with a caramelised pumpkin. Make sure you don’t leave this retro flashback without indulging in one of the caramelised milk flans with dulce de leche or the postre balcarce, a pecan, dulce de leche and creamladen sponge cake straight out of the 50’s. It’s the unique charm, hospitable staff, incredible food and retro feel of Porteño’s that make this restaurant a field day for the food-lover. 50 Holt St, Surry Hills. 8399 1440. porteno.com.au

Gozleme Turkish House You know gozleme is going to be great when the dough is rolled out in front of you, immediately placed on a grill, filled generously and flipped over with a large paddle. The pastry is crispy and held together by oozing goats cheese and spinach. It is no wonder that there is always a queue outside this store at lunch time. This gozleme is best enjoyed with a squeeze of lemon, a slice of baklava on the side and the view of the water at Birkenhead Point. Birkenhead Point Outlet Centre, 19 Roseby St, Drummoyne. 0424 530 118

BEST GELATO Ciccone & Sons Started by the award-winning gelato-chef Mark Megahey who used to work at Bar Italia – these guys at Ciccone & Sons are serious about their craft. We are spoiled for choice when it comes to gelato in Sydney. While you have the over-the-top, zaniness of Messina or the refined and studied execution of traditional flavours at Rivareno or Gelato Franco – Ciccone & Sons offer a nononsense, uncompromising attitude to gelato. The gelato is made using Jersey milk which gives it an extra creamy texture. Get a generous scoop of the mascarpone and berries, matcha or grab gelato on a stick (dipped in chocolate). Ciccone & Sons also make a mean affogato. There’s a respect for tradition but customers will also be delighted with unexpected flavours. The level of care at this Gelateria makes Ciccone & Sons a flagship for gelato in Sydney. 195 Regent St, Redfern. cicconeandsons.com.au

BEST HIGH TEA Burnt Orange High tea at Burnt Orange on a wrap around verandah overlooking the sea is equal parts charming and delightful. Life goes slower when you’ve got a cuppa in your hands and your finest china out on display. Burnt Orange exudes an Australiana feel with its white door frames and wooden floor boards. Enjoy the relaxing views of Mosman Bay and a three tiered afternoon of sandwiches, tarts, cakes and of course scones with unlimited tea – picture perfect, detailed and constructed with care and thought. 1109 Middle Head Rd, Mosman. 9969 1020. burntorange.com.au 6

BEST OF SYDNEY 24 AUGUST 2017

BEST AMERICAN-STYLE BURGERS

armchairs and collections of silver spoons hanging off brick walls.The Devonshire tea is where it’s really at – enjoy two wholesome scones with thick cream and your choice of jam, matched with a pot of tea sporting a colourful knitted sweater.Take a stroll under the Harbour Bridge, browse the Rocks Markets if you’re there on the weekend and enjoy the views of Sydney after eating your fill. 33 George St,The Rocks. 9247 4955. theteacosy.com.au

BEST BáNH MI Simply Sandwiches If the name doesn’t give it away, this shop is simply about sandwiches. Here the bánh mì is bang for your buck. The fresh fillings, pickles and a layer of mayo and pate on a crunchy baguette will keep you kicking past lunch time. We would recommend the roast pork roll. Succulent roast pork is topped with shards of crispy crackling to deliver a delicious textural bite. Simply Sandwiches often attracts a queue out the door at lunchtime but bánh mì is worth the wait when it’s this good. 1/65 Willoughby Rd, Crows Nest. 9439 2640

BEST PUB FOOD The Palace Hotel The Palace Hotel on George Street was first established in 1877, so these guys know a thing or two about tasty food. It’s no surprise to find then, that their menu is top-notch. Pub food is often hearty, but it’s not always first-class degustation. The Palace Hotel has gone that extra mile, though. With an extensive menu that caters to all tastes – and that includes vegetarians – not always the case in pubs – their offerings will have you going in circles trying to decide what to match with the equally impressive list of wines and craft beers. Choose from speciality dishes like stir fried sweet potato noodles, potato and egg croquette sandwich, and slow-cooked crispy skin pork belly; or tuck into old staple favourites like a steak sandwich, chicken parmigiana or beer battered fish and chips. For the elegant foodies, there’s also a selection of deluxe nibbles including locally sourced marinated olives, prawn linguini, or lamb ragu with penne pasta. 730-742 George Street Haymarket. 9212 2111. palacehotelsydney.com.au

BEST EGYPTIAN Cairo Takeaway Cairo Takeaway, at first glance, is a pretty nondescript and minimalist place, but don’t be fooled – the food is fresh, flavoursome, vibrant and punchy. Located on Enmore Road, Cairo Takeaway pays homage to Egyptian food. So that means plenty of felafel and ful medames. Casual eatery and cafe during the day, the place serves beer and

Newly opened Betty’s Burgers brings American-style burgers to the recently revamped Darling Harbour business district. Made with fresh milk buns and filled with the likes of grass-fed Riverina beef, Southern fried crispy chicken and slow-cooked pork belly, Betty’s six offerings are sure to please the most discerning of Sydney’s burger fanatics. Vegetarians will also be covered with Betty’s Shroom Burger, packed with fried mushrooms and melted Gouda and Gruyère cheese. Make sure you don’t miss Betty’s “concretes” – a rich, frozen custard that comes with toppings like peanut butter brittle, fudge doughnut and lemon raspberry cheesecake (or go crazy and design your own), we’re talking next-level dessert indulgence. Shop E-04, International Convention Centre, 14 Darling Drive. 9212 7773. bettysburgers.com.au other drinks at night. Along with a plethora of grilled meats, there’s plenty of hearty options for vegetarians. 81 Enmore Rd, Newtown. 9517 2060

BEST RAMEN Gumshara The loyalty that this humble Chinatown food court stall inspires is fierce and borderline frightening, but it won’t take much to be inducted into the cult. Chef Mori Higashida who cut his teeth at Japan’s infamous ‘mud ramen’ chain Muteppou, opened Gumshara in 2009.The thickness of the tonkotsu broth is unrivalled in Sydney. Made with pork bones, water and little else, it’s rich with collagen and an excellent companion to ramen noodles slurped with gusto. Go for either the spicy or black garlic ramen and you’ll see the bottom of the bowl in no time – perfectly gooey soft-boiled eggs are also not optional. Shop 211, Eating World Harbour Plaza, 25-29 Dixon Street, Haymarket. 0410 253 180

BEST AFTERNOON TREAT THE Tea Cosy The smell of buttery scones at The Tea Cosy will make you feel immediately at home or in the bosom of your grandmother. Situated in a charming terrace house in the Rocks, the Tea Cosy is a nook where you can literally do some knitting.There are cabinets of knick knacks in the main rooms, inviting overstuffed

PICCOLO CAFE When the Piccolo Bar Cafe – the oldest coffee bar in Kings Cross – closed its doors after 65 years, it was mourned deeply by the community. The iconic coffee bar saw legends such as Geoffrey Rush, Judy Davis, Jeff Buckley, Dorothy Hewitt and Peter Allen walk through its doors and sit in its booths. Siblings Shamus and Eulalie Moore, who had been long time frequenters of the boho joint, have given Piccolo a new lease on life - aiming to preserve its 65 year history and legacy. Reopened a week after legendary owner Vittorio Bianchi hung up his boots, Piccolo Cafe has continued to house the stories of those who visit it. A new era is being ushered in with an updated menu and revitalised look, but the famous portrait wall remains; remembering the compelling characters who had once passed through. 6 Roslyn St, Potts Point. 9368 1356. piccolobar.com.au

BEST BIG BREAKFAST Big Brekky Big Brekky, located on the busy streets of Petersham is a hidden gem that is frequented by locals for a delicious brew, fresh juices and hearty food. There’s one thing you can be certain about at Big Brekky and that’s a big breakfast! With smashed avo prices on the rise, it can be difficult to find somewhere that will give you good value for money. This place sure lives up to its name and serves huge plates of deliciously homemade food all day long. Some menu favourites include the Big Brekky of course, pancakes with ricotta and berries and French toast. The takeaway menu is the tradies’ favourite with a classic bacon and egg roll and coffee for ten bucks. It isn’t showy, nor pretentious but it’s cozy and plays an array of retro hits whilst serving its coffee with a smile. 316 Stanmore Rd Petersham. 9569 8588

BEST CHEESECAKE Pasticceria Papa The cheesecake at Pasticceria Papa is everything you dream a cheesecake to be. The ricotta filling is light, creamy but not too sweet, so you’ll definitely be helping yourself to more than just one slice. The crust on this thing is sensational – we would describe it as a soft buttery biscuit with a cakey texture. Dusted with a bit of cinnamon and icing sugar, this cheesecake will slide effortless down your gob. Pasticceria Papa is an emporium of cannoli, pistachio biscuits and pastries nestled in the heart of Sydney’s Little Italy – Haberfield. 145 Ramsay St, Haberfield. 9799 9531. ppapa.com.au

BEST GOURMET PIZZA Crust Gourmet Pyrmont If you’re looking for pizza with toppings that push the envelope or flavours that might just slap you in the face, Crust is the place to go. While you can still find traditional favourites, there are some more ostentatious pizzas which pack a punch. Flavours such as Peking Duck, Lemon Gremolata Chicken, Truffle Beef Rossini, Peri Peri Chicken and Szechuan Chilli Prawn are loud and bold, drawing on different cuisines for some fusion experimentation. If you’re looking for a feed that will satisfy more than a couple of mouths, get a 1M pizza that you can build out of three flavours or get creative by customising your own toppings. 208 Harris St, Pyrmont. 9566 1933. crust.com.au/stores/nsw/pyrmont

ery special moments starts with simple pleasures. Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a talk over tea, a catch-up with a side of coffee, or an encounter with a cupcake or two. W e â&#x20AC;&#x2122; l l a d d j u s t t h e r i g h t f l a v ou r to your day because we know that a community can be built over a cup of tea and that great ideas happen over a cupcake affair. VANOIR Cupcakes are hand-crafted from the finest ingredients, including pure French vanilla, Venezuelan cocoa chocolate, free range eggs, fresh wild berries and natural citrus zest. So savour that beautiful sweet moment, soak up the atmosphere and stay a while.

vanoir.com.au

Savour sweet moments of joy

full page newspaper advert.indd 1

BEST OF SYDNEY 24 AUGUST 2017

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BEST OF SYDNEY 2017 Their menu captions the bar as ‘a sensual social experience.’ It’s a true, inner-west masterpiece. 183 Regent St, Redfern. 8283 4082. thebeardedtit.com/art

BEST COCKTAILS Moya’s Juniper Lounge This cocktail bar has an effortless, old world elegance but when the hospitality is so good it’s easy to forget you’re sitting in a bar – you could be in the living room of a country manor. As the name suggests, Moya’s specialises in gin and gin-based cocktails. The very friendly and knowledgeable bartenders are always on hand to offer some advice and recommendations if you find yourself overwhelmed by the choices. Enjoy weekly live jazz on Sundays. 101 Regent St, Redfern. moyasgin.com

DRINK BEST ART & ALCOHOL The Bearded Tit The Bearded Tit can only be described as a hot mess. The bar equally resembles a theatre storage room, school disco, barbershop, thrift store and your Great Aunt’s apartment all in one. Kitschy decor is scattered throughout: to your left might be a lei-wearing hog bust with a trumpet in its mouth. To your right, fake fruit propped next to misplaced undies. After passing through the entryway (featuring a sublime mural of the sky), the bar is surrounded by framed paintings of the ocean, stacked and angled like a Tetris game. All the while, 80s prom ballads play on loop. Head out the back to explore an open caravan, but not before exploring the hearty drink menu and food selections from neighbouring kitchens. The Bearded Tit is a safe space with gender neutral bathrooms and marriage equality promotions.

BEST COFFEE Gumption by Coffee Alchemy There’s a lot of debate and rightly so, among coffee aficionados about the best coffee in Sydney – often it’s a matter of personal preference. However, from this informal and anecdotal research, there seems to be consensus that Gumption is pretty damn excellent. It’s a tiny, busy coffee shop with barely spaces to sit – and often you’ll be waiting in line at most times of the day. However, it’s definitely worth the wait. The coffee is consistently delicious and it’s probably an ethos that it has inherited from its big sister Coffee Alchemy – one of the most wellregarded and awarded roasters in Sydney. 11/412-414 George St, Sydney. 9516 1997. gumptioncoffee.com

BEST BAR WITH A THEME Shady Pines Saloon It’s easy to miss Shady Pines. Its bashful white door is tucked away on a secluded side street under a bikram yoga site. Once inside, prepare to be transported to the Old West. Rustic

BEST LOCAL PUB the LORD ROBERTS HOTEL The Lord Roberts Hotel is an allrounder.You will find your classic schnitties, parmas, fish & chips and burgers alongside cheese platters and delicious chef specials. With the grill flared up, snacks to nibble on and a pint in hand, this Darlinghurst hangout is excellent if you’re looking for a laid back night. Weekly Trivia Tuesday and Thursday night jazz keep things fun and interesting. It’s easy to get comfortable with plenty of seating (including an outdoor balcony), cocktails at the Green Room and a decent selection of wine, cider, spirits and beer. Get in and grab some mulled wine. The Lord Roberts has also recently introduced three litre tubes of beer! 64 Stanley St, Darlinghurst. 9360 9555, lordrobertshotel.com.au

colour palettes accompany the wooden decor and banjo tracks bleat in the background – the bar is dim, dotted with amber fairy lights and mason jar candles. A glass of apple juice and vodka is a perfect accompaniment to the iconic bowl of shelled peanuts offered at the bar – best enjoyed with the live entertainment offered each Sunday from 4pm onwards. The focal point of the room is a large, taxidermic moose head watching each guest drink. Ask the bar staff about its name for a fun surprise. 4/256 Crown St, Darlinghurst. 0405 624 944. shadypinessaloon.com

BEST BEER The Noble Hops Their motto is ‘bringing you epic craft beer on tap’ and The Noble Hops certainly stays true to their word – with delicious and pretty hard to find brews that change regularly enough to keep local beer fans happy. If you feel like drinking something from a bottle, they serve over 40 beers so you’re pretty spoiled for choice. Free popcorn and a vast collection of whiskeys and bourbons and ryes means you’ll be knocking down boilermakers in this neighbourhood gem with gusto.The vibe is simple, laid-back, and a little rough around the edges – which is the perfect environment to savour a delicious beer. 125 Redfern St, Redfern. thenoblehops.com

BEST MILK TEA Griddle King Sick of Easyway and Chatime? Sick of too many topping, sugar, tea and flavour options that might just plunge you into a nihilistic void of questioning? Griddle King in Central’s Henry Deane Plaza goes back to its Taiwanese roots with a simple milk tea. You are only given a choice between hot or cold. Pick up the hot tea – sweet and creamy for only $3.50 with a stunning Asian-style crepe. It’s time to unfreeze

your nose and warm your soul with a delicious brew for the brisk winter. 20 City Rd, Chippendale. 0416 751 769. griddleking.com.au

BEST WINE The Wine Library The wine catalogue at the Wine Library is impressive – 15 pages with over 500 wines to choose from. With wines hailing internationally from Italy and France or sourced domestic from our very own Australian wineries, it’s difficult to know where to start but the knowledgeable staff will be able to guide you through the night. Savour those civil notes and the laid back ambiance. Glasses will be clinking for sure. 18 Oxford St,Woollahra. 9360 5686. wine-library.com.au

BEST KARAOKE BAR Goros Goros is an indulgent homage to Tokyo street culture. Neon signs and paper lanterns hang from the ceiling and expose the mismatched paraphernalia lying around, including a giant Garfield plush relaxing in a corner. Manga strips line the walls of the bathroom and balance out the colourful graffiti everywhere else. Seating is not an issue: choose from bamboo booths, lounge areas or a private den for intimate moments. Get some crispy gyoza and a rotating sushi dish of the day – the perfect accompaniment to the small, yet well curated selection of draught and bottle beers. Stay for the arcade games, collab nights or karaoke – the latter is free (yes, free) but best to book way in advance to avoid disappointment. 84-86 Mary St, Surry Hills. 9212 0214. goros.com.au

BEST DIVE BAR Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern Ramblin’ Rascal is structurally no different from your average tavern: all exposed brick and padded booths.Yet the bar has gothic undertones, with wax-dripped booze and Ginger Taylor’s chalkboard illustrations lining the walls. Cocktails are their signature drinks – try the Devil Makes 3, a twisted take on a dark ’n’ stormy. Ramblin’ Rascal is a bogan ode, riddled with dried wattle, $6 ‘shit tinnies’ and the mugs of test cricketers that hang proudly on the walls. The most patriotic gesture is perhaps the bare bottomed boot flag, featured in The Simpsons episode ‘Bart vs. Australia’. Pop in before 10pm to order Mary’s burgers upstairs. A large bell is rung to alert hungry patrons of their delivered food order. Plastered on the exit is an intricately painted reminder ‘don’t be a dick’. The mantra summarises Rascal’s lax, yet frank atmosphere. 199 Elizabeth St, Sydney. ramblinrascaltavern.com

BEST TEA The Rabbit Hole Organic Tea Bar With porcelain basins spilling with Darjeeling, Assam and Rooibos, a feathered ceiling sculpture, and a cafe drawn out in neat clean lines, you’ll be plunged into the prime environment to enjoy a relaxing brew at The Rabbit Hole. A single herbal pot laid out for free samples will avert fears of T2’s kitschy nightmare and the perplexed concoction that eventuates out of the usual scramble to taste everything. Friendly staff will guide you through the elegant selections and your tea will arrive complete with a mini timer for those who are serious about diffusion. The Rabbit Hole gives you the sumptuousness and the ceremony of a traditional tearoom without the stuffy dress code – wear overalls without feeling like a gardener in the presence of the Queen. Here you’ll find an ancient cuddle in a modern cup. 146 Abercrombie St, Redfern. 9310 2207. therabbithole.com.au 8

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BEST OF SYDNEY 2017 BEST ROOFTOP BAR Henry Deane, Hotel Palisade Henry Deane at Hotel Palisade, located in Millers Point, is the perfect venue for Friday night drinks, birthdays with a view or simply a cocktail at sunset.The cocktail lounge of the venue takes up levels four and five – experience crisp views stretching from Darling Harbour to Circular Quay. On a perfect summer’s day you won’t see the Sydney Harbour Bridge look any better. The drinks menu matches the luxury of the venue, with the bartenders given creative license to create a special every week which rarely puts a foot out of line. If in doubt, the ‘Incantatious’ cocktail with the Peruvian Pisco is always a winner. Henry Deane isn’t cheap, but what is in Sydney anymore? So you may as well do it in style, and with a view to boot. 35 Bettington St, Millers Point. 9018 0123. hotelpalisade.com.au/henrydeane

BEST HOT CHOCOLATE Koko Black Koko Black presents itself as a chocolate shop, but a sneak down a tiny staircase and you’re in an underground cafe, lined with secretive booths to accommodate any open weeping that may occur in response to some delicious hot chocolates. Enjoy generous mugs of luxurious creations with flavours that are exotic but familiar at the same time. Order the cinnamon hot chocolate for a lovingly spicy kick or the dreamy Belgium if you’re a purist. Pair your drink with a carefully chosen chocolate or five and delight in a stylish interior cleverly crosshatched to hide your embarrassing chocolate appreciating face. Koko Black boasts a clean and professional ambience that manages to be intimate and private. The intensely talented staff will magic your orders into existence with the flick of their wrists. Get ready for tearful appreciation and copious ‘mmmm’ sounds over a warm and satisfying drink. Strand Arcade, 412-414 George St. 9231 0336. kokoblack.com/category/salon/sydney

BEST GREEN BOOST Bondi Wheatgrass Juice Company The grass is greener at the Bondi Wheatgrass Juice Company. The first to introduce wheatgrass to Australia 18 years ago, Bondi Wheatgrass grows their product in the sun by the sea in Sydney’s Malabar. Wheatgrass boosts the immune system and is a carrier of natural anti-oxidants, if you’ve ever had wheatgrass in your juice, it’s likely that the bursting green shot was locally sourced from the Malabar farm. Bondi Wheatgrass supplies their product to juice bars and grocers around the city with clients including Boost, Top Juice and Harris Farm. 1 Ireton St, Malabar. 9311 4740. bondiwheatgrass.com.au

GOLDEN CENTURY SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

THE CENTURY

393-399 Sussex Street, Haymarket NSW 2000 T (02) 9212 3901 F (02) 9211 6292 E info@goldencentury.com.au www.goldencentury.com.au Open Daily: 12noon – 4am

The Star, Pirrama Road, Pyrmont NSW 2009 T (02) 9566 2328 F (02) 9552 3773 E thecentury@goldencentury.com.au www.thecentury.com.au Lunch: 11:30am – 3pm (Daily) Dinner: 5:30pm – 11pm (Sun-Thu),12am (Fri-Sat) BEST OF SYDNEY 24 AUGUST 2017

winner

2016

OPEN 7 DAYS

The Ord Family have been welcoming local and overseas guests for 21 years at their 47 Room Vulcan Boutique Hotel

500 Wattle Street ULTIMO NSW 2007 Ph: 9211 32 83 www.vulcanhotel.com.au 10

BEST OF SYDNEY 24 AUGUST 2017

Winner of “Best Boutique Hotel”

BEST OF SYDNEY 2017 BEST FUNKY NIGHT OUT Freda’s Freda’s is full of awkward cool intercity types; braless and knitted jumpers, wearing velvet and round glasses – the kind loved equally by Gandhi and Trotsky. There are eclectic beats, funky jams and an indulgent menu with items like a cheese platter for people who can stomach eating in a pulsing venue where everyone’s squashed in elevator tight. If you’re keen for a boogie but not quite mentally prepared for the usual slicing techno and dark dubstep, it’s time to get dizzy with this vinyl spinning, feel good, pinky-red, disco ball, Chippendale mini warehouse. Prepare to get wobbly. 107-109 Regent St, Chippendale. 8971 7336. fredas.com.au

PLAY BEST STANDUP Cafe Lounge Monday sees one of the best stand up rooms in Sydney pack itself out for a night of non stop laughs. Tucked away at the intersection of Sydney’s frenetic Crown and Oxford streets, Cafe Lounge is a bohemian jewel with $10 entry and $12 pizzas with names like Nut King Cole and Mozzarella Fitzgerald. Order a cocktail and you’ll spot a lone stegosaurus lurking behind the Sailor Jerry. With a wild mix of comedians big and small, local and imported, prepare to stretch those cheek muscles and feel deeply uncomfortable in the best sort of way. 277 Goulburn St, Surry Hills. 9016 3951. cafelounge.com.au

BEST PICNIC SPOT Barangaroo Reserve Unveiled to much fanfare in 2015, Barangaroo Reserve nails practicality and scenery – there’s parking, disabled access, toilets and flat ground for that picnic blanket. Choose from uninterrupted views of Sydney Harbour or the Harbour Bridge, or make a quick indoor detour to check out the latest exhibition at The Cutaway. If you weren’t organised enough to BYO provisions, there are options for bread, meats, cheese and sweets at the nearby Barangaroo dining precinct. Lay out your spread on the rocks by the shore or on Stargazer Lawn, listen to the waves and watch the sun set over the water with family or friends. Hickson Road, Barangaroo NSW 2000

Best PLACE TO FLOAT Forever Floating Health Spa Lay back and let your worries float away at Forever Floating Health Spa. Located centrally on Oxford Street, this hydrotherapy session is a must for anyone looking for an escape from the humdrum of city life. Bodily suspension in salt water has been clinically proven to reduce muscle pain and relax the mind. At Forever Floating Health Spa, $49 will buy you a 75 minute ‘float’ in a private salt bath. Shaped like a tanning bed, the tanks at Forever Floating are heated to an acquiescent 34.5 degrees and are designed to silence outside noise, allowing for some tranquil time out. While being suspended for over an hour in a kind of intergalactic space bath may not sound like everyone’s cup of tea, the staff at Forever Floating are friendly, reassuring and equipped to address any concern you made have. Go on, give it a try. It might just float your boat. 50 Oxford St, Paddington. 7901 1210. foreverfloating.com

BEST DAY TRIP Cockatoo Island Only a short ferry ride from Circular Quay, the UNESCO heritage-listed Cockatoo Island manages to make you feel like you’re worlds away. Explore the remains of the former penal settlement with a self-guided audio tour, take snaps of the wellpreserved architecture or sit on the hillside and watch boats sail past on the harbour. There are two cafes that serve tasty breakfast and lunch options, or BYO provisions and make the most of the BBQ areas.You can also extend your day trip by booking a tent at the Island’s camping site for a night under the stars and maybe tell a ghost story or two. cockatooisland.gov.au

BEST INDIGENOUS ART GALLERY Tali Gallery Located in Rozelle, Tali Gallery displays a fine selection of Aboriginal art, prints, paintings, crafts and artefacts ethically sourced from independent regional and urban artists, and over 25 Aboriginal owned community art centres all across Australia. With an aim to preserve cultural integrity, the art gallery is also involved in philanthropic projects promoting indigenous health, literacy and education. The knowledgeable staff are dedicated to creating customised services for buyers and will share a love of art, storytelling and culture with all who walk through. 134 Victoria Rd, Rozelle. 9555 6555. taligallery.com.au

BEST ICE RINK CANTERBURY OLYMPIC PARK ICE RINK Canterbury Olympic Park houses a rink of olympic proportions. Whether you’ll be clutch shuffling along the side boards or gliding around like a pro, Canterbury Ice Rink will offer you skates with a smile. Realise your Winter Olympic dreams with figure skating lessons, ice hockey sessions or speed skating. Take a break from the cold and refuel with something warm from the canteen.You can also get funky at the weekly Friday and Saturday night discos, cause why just bust out moves when you can bust them out on ice? 17A Phillips Ave, Canterbury. 9789 4244. canterburyolympicicerink.org.au

BEST AFTERNOON NAP

BEST FAMILY DAY OUT

The Royal Botanic Garden Come lunch hour and you will see many business attire-clad office workers sprawled on the lush green lawns of the Royal Botanic Garden – and you’ll want to follow suit! Spread over 30 hectares, there is an afternoon nap spot for every slumping head, whether that be by the lake, overlooking the harbour or on the manicured grass of the rose garden. Grab a quick coffee at the kiosk to perk up before returning to your desk after your snooze in the sun. Enjoy a leisurely stroll and savour some peace and quiet right in the heart of the bustling Sydney CBD. Just watch out for over-friendly ibises, families of ducks and errant schoolchildren on excursions. Mrs Macquaries Rd, Sydney NSW 2000. 9231 8111. rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au

Taronga Zoo Sydney Taronga Zoo is one of the most popular destinations in Sydney for good reason. A quick ferry ride from Circular Quay makes the site easily accessible via public transport, and with a large variety of animals, keeper talks and shows as well as animal encounters for the kids, it makes a great day out for the whole family. Be sure to get in early if you want to see everything, and definitely take the Sky Safari for stunning harbour views on your way up to the main entrance (only available with prepaid tickets). With family tickets (2 adults and 2 children) starting at $115, this may not be able to be a regular experience, but makes a great holiday treat. Bradleys Head Rd, Mosman. 9969 2777. taronga.org.au

BEST RAINY DAY ROMP Skyzone Master your backflip and bounce off the walls at Skyzone, a trampoline haven where the sky really is the limit. Made up of more than 100 interconnected trampolines, Skyzone will give you that extra nudge into the stratosphere. More than just a trampoline playground, Skyzone offers other action packed things to do: dive into a giant pit of foam, pelt your mates with dodgeballs and unleash your competitive demons in a game of laser tag.You can test your stealth at the Enduro Ninja Course and overcome 12 obstacles on the way. If you’ve ever put down flying as your super power of choice in an obscure personality test – it might just be time to realise that dream. Enjoy $10 jumping all day on Mega Mondays. 75 O’Riordan St, Alexandria NSW. 13 75 99. skyzone.com.au

BEST TRIVIA TURBO TRIVIA Found in good old Bowlos and RSLs across Sydney, Turbo Trivia combines unbridled laughter, baffling questions and incredible performances by eclectic drag hostesses into an unforgettable night out. Revitalising the tired format with characters from the iconic Sydney drag scene, Turbo Trivia has lead the resurgence of Sydney trivia, with a loyal following constantly returning to soak in the fabulous atmosphere. Brushing up on the American states would do you well, as questions pose significant challenge for those looking to win big bucks, but talented Hostesses like Portia Turbo, or Lady KinMee ‘The Yodelling Drag Queen’ will keep you entertained – even if your scores don’t. Catch Turbo Trivia at the Stonewall Hotel on Mondays or the Carrington Hotel in Surry Hills on Tuesday. Various locations. turbotrivia.com.au

BEST INDEPENDENT THEATRE Old 505 The Old 505 champions indie theatre in an intimate space. For over a decade, it has been a hub for creatives developing new work and a fierce supporter of new voices in Sydney. The theatre which was relocated to Newtown in 2015 now resides in a converted art-deco ballroom. As an entirely artist run space, the Old 505 offers residencies, runs a bunch of masterclasses and workshops featuring industry professionals in addition to putting on some exciting shows. 5 Eliza St, Newtown. 0422 583 190. old505theatre.com

BEST OF SYDNEY 24 AUGUST 2017

GLOBAL SOUNDS + WORLD-CLASS JAZZ IN TIME OUT SYDNEY’S ‘LEGENDS AWARD’ WINNING BAR

LIVE MUSIC, FOOD & WHISKY BAR

280 CLEVELAND ST SURRY HILLS

6 NIGHTS A WEEK

VENUE505.COM

Fancy free WIN theatre all year? Free theatre

For your chance to win one of 3 double passes to Old 505 Theatre’s 2018 Season, simply buy a ticket to any of Old 505 Theatre’s Sydney Fringe shows this September and let us know why independent theatre is so important in Sydney.

tickets

Buy tickets now at sydneyfringe.com Then enter the competition at old505theatre.com

Full details at old505theatre.com. Entries close 9 October 2017. Terms & Conditions apply. Winners will be announced at the launch of our Season 2018 program in October 12

BEST OF SYDNEY 24 AUGUST 2017

BEST OF SYDNEY 2017 BEST THEATRE COMPANY Sport for Jove If you’re after a refreshing way to enjoy Shakespeare – why not watch Shakespeare in a park? Renowned for putting on the open air Leura Shakespeare Festival and the annual Shakespeare in the Park Festival at Bella Vista Farm, Sport for Jove celebrates the classics but also departs from the Bard’s work, bringing seasons dedicated to nurturing Australian voices and talent in theatre. As a resident theatre company at the Seymour Centre, Sport for Jove also runs educational programs consisting of workshops, school visits and symposiums. Offering dynamic takes on old favourites with a focus on reviving the lost tradition of ‘playing in the rep,’ you’ll be able to catch a bunch of compelling indoor and outdoor performances throughout the year. Sport for Jove picked up 7 accolades at the Sydney Theatre Awards this year for its production of Antigone. 8 Marlborough St, Surry Hills. 8970 1921. sportforjove.com.au

BEST CINEMA Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace In a world of Netflix and online streaming, there is still unbeatable romance in watching a film at the cinema. When Events or Hoyts get a bit repetitive, we might try and venture out to a drive-in or open-air. But without doubt, the most remarkable cinema in Sydney is Cremorne’s old-timey art deco picture palace, with a piano bar, live Wurlitzer organ concerts and themed movie nights. There are six theatres

each with its own colour scheme and decor, but the most impressive is the 744-seat Orpheum. While you can expect to see all the newest box-office releases, the Orpheum also run flashbacks to classics, cult favourites and retro flicks. A few other things that set the Orpheum apart: $6 after 6pm Student Mondays and monthly screenings of ‘The Citizen Kane of bad movies’ – The Room. You will be given plastic spoons to throw at the screen in protest. 380 Military Rd, Cremorne. 9908 4344. orpheum.com.au

BEST WALK

BEST GALLERY

Hermitage Foreshore TRACK The Hermitage Foreshore track is located in the Sydney Harbour National Park, an easy one hour walk with stunning coastal views of Sydney’s harbour and islands. Start either at Bayview Hill Road or Nielsen Park in Vaucluse, and be sure to take your time and stop at the lookouts and photo spots along the way. If you begin at Nielsen Park, you can enjoy Shark Bay beach which also boasts a cafe. Milk Beach is located in the middle of the walk, and is a secluded sandy beach only 50m long.You’ll also pass the beautiful Strickland house and tiny Hermit Bay beach.The last place to get your feet wet is Queens Beach with great views across the harbour and Sydney’s city skyline. With some of the best views of the Harbour Bridge as well as of Shark Island, it’s a relaxing and photogenic walk, perfect for a weekend off. Bayview Hill Rd, Vaucluse.

Brett Whiteley Studio Hidden in the maze of Surry Hills streets, studio and home – turned museum and art gallery of celebrated artist Brett Whiteley is something every Sydneysider should at least pretend know about. It’s a serene space of art, meaning, representation and feeling. A special privilege granted to those who wander through its doors, the gallery presents a compelling portrait of the mind of a genius. Look out for the two matchsticks, one burnt, one fresh – a snapshot into a man whose life and work reminds you that every match burns brightly until it’s extinguished. An ethereal drop suspended amongst endless streets, shops and balconies. 2 Raper St, Surry Hills. 9225 1881. artgallery.nsw.gov.au/brett-whiteley-studio

BEST BOULDERING

BEST BANGERS

9 Degrees Bouldering is a form of indoor climbing that does not require ropes – so it’s a freer and more sociable experience. Unleash your inner Spider-man at 9 Degrees, a climbing space that is open and airy, and inviting. Unlike other gyms in Sydney which often focus on power and strength, the movement problems at 9 Degrees Alexandria are quite balanced, dynamic and fun – so regardless of fitness level or climbing experience, you’ll find something suitable to conquer.The climbing community at 9 Degrees is warm and friendly, so it’s a great place to hang out and maybe make some new friends.You don’t need any equipment to start (although climbing shoes are highly recommended) and you might even want to have a go at the zen-like sport that some call ‘yoga on a wall.’ 3, Sydney Corporate Park, 85 O’Riordan St, Sydney. 8970 8567. 9degrees.com.au

Oxford Art Factory Oh the OAF! An Oxford Street staple as iconic as the Tool Shed, the T2 Building and the Burdekin Hotel. It’s a room of unimaginable energy that plays host to the known, the up and coming and the frankly bizarre. The OAF is a deliciously sweaty fusion of a festival mosh pit and an intimate small bar. Get close enough to the stage to caress your favourite rapper’s shoes or you can coolly sip a tinny from the balcony, all without the sardine tin feel of a big arena. It’s one of the last remaining places in Sydney that encourages a feel-good time, tolerates no self consciousness and after the show, elbows you over onto the road for a 4am gozleme. 38-46 Oxford St, Darlinghurst. 9332 3711. oxfordartfactory.com

Canterbury Olympic ice Rink

Figure skating Ice hockey Speed skating Public Skating

Let your kids learn something new!

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Luxury Experience In The Heart Of Annandale

Master Colourist  Cut & Style  Curl Specialist  Hair Extension  Organic Colours and Products  Keratin Treatment  Balayage

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BEST OF SYDNEY 2017 BEST FURNITURE

SHOP

Annandale Interiors Annandale Interiors keep it classy and elegant with an impressive collection of unique furniture pieces. A family-run business with over 30 years experience under its belt, Annandale Interiors believe in matching individual tastes with individual pieces. If the handsome collection of furniture does not quite match what you’re after, Annandale Interiors do custom-design and custom-made furniture. The team also offer office and home visits and free quotes so they can scope out your surroundings to provide the best options to suit your space. 38-42 Parramatta Road, Stanmore. 9565 1275. annandaleinteriors.com.au

BEST FASHION THRIFTING

BEST CHOCOLATE

BEST VEGETARIAN BUTCHER

BEST ART SUPPLY

Glebe Markets At Glebe Markets hawkers are fashionistas and a guy with a lush man bun grates fresh ginger into your cane juice. Navigate the community of white tents and through the hats, the cameras, the undercuts, the grandma sweaters, the skinny pants and the pointy brows, towards the vintage dresses, vintage cheeses and vintage records.This is not just a place for the youth as you’ll see the elderly holding hands and giggling families sink into the grass to absorb a folk quartet in the Sydney sunshine. Grab a fat chipotle burger after trying to slink into that Billie Holiday bejewelled gown (watch out for the missing diamantes) and instagram winsome violet cupcakes. Glebe Markets is a great opportunity to walk into the wardrobe of Australian designers and build up your collection of recycled collectable clutches made out of cork. A trip to the Glebe Markets will be a perfect day out for anyone who enjoys the lazy glamour Sydney has to offer. Glebe Public School, Glebe Point Rd. 0419 291 449. glebemarkets.com.au

KAKAWA Kakawa is a chocolate shop that sells a no frills approach to indulgence. With nowhere to sit in front of the display of luxury chocolates, it is a shop for those cynical of places trying to recreate the Willy Wonka experience (we’re looking at you, large mixing chocolate vats at Max Brenner). What is distinctly Wonka-ish though, is the reliability of the flavours. The earl grey mousse and the matcha ganache will sing those distinctly tea flavours and the kalamata olive will surprisingly taste like a jar of kalamata olives. The store is a half open kitchen, half display cabinet; embodying the precision of a Japanese stationery store and the finesse of a French patisserie. The hot chocolates are for a sophisticated palate – the dark hot chocolate trembles on the bitter and options like Brandy hold quite a kick. Unlike the blocks of Cadbury you scoff down unthinkingly, at Kakawa you’ll buy a memory sealed in a crisp, shiny shell. 147 William St, Darlinghurst. 9331 8818. kakawachocolates.com.au

Suzy Spoon’s Vegetarian Butcher The best and arguably only shop in its class, Suzy Spoon’s Vegetarian Butcher has been delivering handmade vegan meat-replacement products for four years.Their selection of sausages, patties, Bolognese and bacon are enough to satisfy any meat cravings, without the processed taste often found in other brands.They also offer festive roasts for Christmas and Easter. Suzy Spoon’s products can be purchased at their factory outlet in St Peters, online and in health food stores. 49-51 Hutchinson Street, St Peters. 9557 9762. ssvb.com.au

Parkers Sydney Fine Arts Supplies Parkers has been stocking art supplies in Sydney for almost a century. This family-run business, established in 1918, is the oldest fine arts supply store in our city.Overlooking a quaint cobbled alleyway in the Rocks, Parkers’ wooden green doors open to shelves stacked with tubes of paint, acrylics, canvases, crayons and brushes.You’ll walk into kaleidoscopic corners of colour and walk out inspired. Beyond its century old history as a badge of expertise, nearly all the staff who work there are practicing artists – expect friendly service and copious amounts of knowledge to be received. 3 Cambridge St,The Rocks. 9247 9979. parkersartsupplies.com

BEST CHEESE BEST CAKES & CUPCAKES Vanoir Bakery Almost too pretty too eat, the cakes and cupcakes at Vanoir Bakery are baked goods that you will devour with your eyes and mouth. From

a spectacular unicorn cake topped with a golden horn to adorable bear and panda macarons, the products at Vanoir sing luxury and clean sophistication. Fluffy cupcakes are frosted with smooth buttercream and white cakes peacock splatters of colour in artistic strokes. Satisfy your sweet tooth cravings with a salted caramel marshmallow or try a signature Vacaron (think macaron the size of a cake).The decorating game at Vanoir is next level so it’s a done deal that these baked goods will look pretty fly on your Instagram. 219 Glenmore Road, Paddington 2021. vanoir.com.au 14

BEST OF SYDNEY 24 AUGUST 2017

THE Stinking Bishops Fromage fanatics look no further than The Stinking Bishops! This self-confessed cheese haven is nothing short of a heavenly experience. Home to one of Sydney’s finest international cheese selections and an eclectic array of bio-dynamic wines, you’re guaranteed a stinking good cheese sampling experience. Once you lay eyes on the exquisite array of soft and hard cheeses alike, locally-sourced organic produce and home-made pickles and cured meats, your palate will be worshipping these culinary masterminds.The Bishops created a cult following here in Sydney, after owners Kieran Day and Jamie Nimmo mourned the absence of a fine local and international cheese selection.The Bishops have since trailblazed a new category of once exclusively European fromagerie here in Sydney.With a generous offering of over 40 cheeses, all of which customers can buy, it’s no surprise that these Cheese Gods have a devoted following of worshipers. 5/63-71 Enmore Rd, Newtown. 9007 7754. thestinkingbishops.com

BEST FLORIST Belle & Gracie Combining the freshest of market flowers and untamed native blooms, Belle & Gracie delivers bold and beautiful posies around inner Sydney from $29 Monday to Friday.The creative vision of florist Rosi Tuck, a Belle & Gracie bouquet makes the perfect gift for a loved one, or even just yourself.You can also order edible bouquets made from fresh herbs and produce for the gourmets in your life, or pick up a cute succulent and other knick-knacks from the studio.Although Belle & Gracie offers same-day delivery, you’ll often find they’re sold out early, so do get in quick! 265 Cleveland Street, Redfern. 0427 523 834. belleandgracie.com.au

BEST TREASURE TROVE Reverse Garbage When you step into Reverse Garbage, you never know what you might find. From hundreds of notepads, to entire spools of strapping, to a 10m tall advertisement for the Sydney Festival, this ever changing testament to reduce, reuse, recycle should be your first stop shop to find that craft item or other strange requirement at bargain prices. It also doesn’t hurt that you know that your dollars are going towards an environmental co-operative, instead of a big business. Reverse Garbage’s Marrickville site is open 7 days. 8/142 Addison Rd, Marrickville. 9569 3132. reversegarbage.org.au

BEST ANTIQUES

BEST KNITTING SUPPLIES Morris and Sons Nestled on busy York Street, walking into Morris and Sons makes you almost feel as if you’ve been transported into a living room, or a craft shop in a small country town. The downstairs knitting area is particularly cosy, equipped with chairs, books, accessories, luxurious store exclusive brands of yarn, and expert staff. Morris and Sons also runs classes that cater to every interest and skill level, from the basics to advanced workshops for tea cosy making. It really is a one stop shop. 50 York Street, Sydney. 9299 8588. morrisandsons.com.au

Rozelle Markets A flea market of bric-a-brac, antiques and pre-loved goods, Rozelle Markets may be where you find your next special something.The eclectic unpredictability of second hand shopping is always a thrill when you stumble across something quietly calling out your name – there is no doubt that there will be many of these moments at Rozelle. Rummage through stalls for vinyls, vintage clothes, crockery, books and other bits and bobs.This open air market set in Rozelle Public School, reminds us why there are so many better options to commercial shopping. 663 Darling St, Sydney. 9315 7011. rozellecollectorsmarket.com.au

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BEST OF SYDNEY 2017 BEST BUTTONS

BEST MARKETS

All Buttons Great & Small

Paddy’s Market

This specialty store pushes all the right buttons. Since 1989, All Buttons has been supplying buttons for every sort of need.You’ll find buttons made out of glass, bamboo, coconut, bone and metal among the collection of over 13,000 buttons in all different shapes and sizes.These guys have had some serious celebrity clients including the Bananas in Pyjamas.With a button stock sourced from every continent (bar Antarctica), this really is the haven for button enthusiasts.All Buttons also offer an in house button covering service – you can bring in fabric and they’ll cover your buttons for a unique result. 419A King St, Newtown. 9550 1782. allbuttons.com.au

Paddy’s Markets have been around for over 150 years.This iconic Sydney market is a bazaar of all sorts– get everything from fresh fruit to gadgets, vegetables, affordable clothes, crafts, jewellery and gifts. Situated right in the heart of Haymarket below Market City with a sister market in Flemmington, browse over 1,000 stores across both locations if you’re in the mood for some mindless shopping that won’t make too much of a dent in your pocket. Bartering is just part of the fun. Market City, Hay St & Thomas Street, Sydney. 1300 361 589. paddysmarket.com.au

BEST BOOKSTORE

BEST FARMERS MARKETS

Ariel Booksellers A creative hub since 1983, this bookstore is a literary institution, consistently ranked among Sydney’s top ten bookstores. The well-manicured shelves house books of eclectic and quirky brilliance, so pop in to find an unexpected gem or a unique coffee-table book. Along with an appreciation of art, design, architecture, and interiors, there’s also a wealth of fiction, non-fiction, film, theatre, poetry and children’s books. There’s a special and refined charm about Ariel, check it out for yourself to see what all the fuss is about. 98 Oxford St, Darlinghurst. 9332 4581. arielbooks.com.au

Marrickville Organic Food Markets Championing the paddock to plate mantra, the weekly farmers market at Marrickville have been operating for more than 15 years. Spend a lazy morning in the sun and graze on food, pastries and fresh fruit. There is really nothing better than fresh produce locally sourced and bursting with colour. If you’re feeling fancy, you might even be able to pick up some truffles beside your blood red beets and purple cauliflower. This open air market is not a bad way to do your groceries and get something delicious to chew on along the way. 142 Addison Rd, Marrickville. 9999 2226. organicfoodmarkets.com.au

BEST ETHICAL SHOPPING The Cruelty Free Shop The Cruelty Free Shop is your friendly neighbourhood vegan supermarket. Stop by for a much needed snack after reading up on Peter Singer’s ‘Animal Liberation.’ You can stock up on milk free chocolate that tastes exactly like Nutella; gelatine free pillowy marshmallows; or vegetarian sausages courtesy of Suzy Spoon’s. Whether it be for those lactose intolerant, kosher and halal requirements, the ethically conscious, or just people who appreciate quality products made with care and love, there’s something for everyone. Other than groceries, the store sells books, clothes and cosmetics, often locally sourced without all the added nasties.You can sleep safe with the knowledge that the only thing you’re harming is your bank account. 83 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe. 9660 9426. crueltyfreeshop.com.au

BEST OF SYDNEY 24 AUGUST 2017

Dymocks Stationery George Street The sheer quantity and variety of the stationery items offered by Dymocks Stationery George Street is what sets it apart from the competition. There’s just about every stationery item you could ever think you’d need, from luxury items to the everyday – all with a friendly staff and in a great location. They also have a huge selection of cards for birthdays, holidays and every occasion in between. With a great selection of books of every genre and a café also in store, it really has everything you could be after. 424 - 430 George Street, Sydney. 9235 0155. dymocks.com.au

BEST HATS The Strand Hatters What ever happened to the courtesy of wearing a good hat? The Strand Hatters keep heads warm and stylish with hats for all occasions. The interior of the shop is fitted out with handsome wood and stacked to the brim with tasteful caps. Housing Panamas, Akubras, fedoras, fezes and hat recreations from the 1800s, this bespoke shop in the Strand Arcade makes you wonder why we don’t whip out our Sunday best more often. If sartorial elegance and nostalgia is your jam, a hat from these guys will be just the thing to go with that three piece suit and those nice shoes. Shop 8/ Strand Arcade, 412 George St, Sydney. 9231 6884. strandhatters.com.au

BEST WINE RETAILER THE WINE SQUARE The Wine Square is the largest independent wine retailer and event centre in Sydney. Only 10 minutes from the CBD, the showroom and outlet in Camperdown houses a vast collection of domestic and international wines; from Germany, to Spain to Argentina.Taking up an entire block – thus the name The Wine Square – this versatile space runs masterclasses as well as tastings and educational sessions. Whether it be a bottle of Tawny Port, Semillon, Pomerol or something vintage, it’s likely that you’ll find what you’re after here. Get in, raise a glass, have a taste, order a crate or two (they do free delivery within the Sydney metro area) and let the experts guide you through your selection. 63-65 Pyrmont Bridge Rd, Camperdown. 9098 8600. winesquare.com.au

BEST EUROPEAN-STYLE FOOD MARKET Danks Street Produce Merchants A sprawling 1200 square metres of undercover space solely dedicated to fresh produce, Danks Street Produce Merchants is a haven for foodies and discerning shoppers. Brought to you by the Quattroville family behind Fourth Village Providore, Danks Street Produce Merchants is passionate about giving Sydney a market the way markets used to be. Browse the huge range of cheese, homemade smallgoods and charcuterie available at the delicatessen and request your favourite cuts at the butcher.You might then like to pick up bread, pastries, flowers and the freshest selection of fruit and vegetables. If your purchases are weighing you down, enjoy a coffee and the seasonal menu at the Mezzanino Ristorante, and imagine yourself in the balmy, Italian summer. 3 Danks Street,Waterloo. 8123 1122. producemerchants.com.au

BEST STATIONERY STORE

BEST CREATIVE HUB Hypmotive If you’re after unique artisan items, look no further than Hypmotive. Located in vibrant Marrickville, Hypmotive brings the best of the local design scene to you with its curation of home design, fashion, jewellery and lifestyle items. The brainchild of Jake and Renee Russo, Hypmotive also serves as a creative hub open to all members of the community – the space plays host to art exhibitions, talks and activities, making it the perfect place to simply hang out and meet new people. So come pick up your own one of a kind piece, support upand-coming brands and immerse yourself in all that the Sydney creative scene has to offer. 155 Marrickville Road, Marrickville. 0422 765 650. hypmotive.com

BEST OF SYDNEY 2017 BEST INDEPENDENT SCHOOL International Grammar School

SERVICE BEST BARBER The Happy Sailors Barbershop The Happy Sailors Barbershop brings whimsy and style to a clean cut. Old timey songs and traditional barber poles signal a time gone by rooted fiercely in chic modern design – the interior is a mix of knick knacks and smooth framed prints. The Happy Sailors offers two cuts: a haircut or a buzzcut. Decked out with those iconic vinyl barber chairs, getting your hair cut here is an experience. A gnome smoking a pipe guards the bright teal door and a red bench sits in front of the window. 748 Bourke St, Redfern. 9690 1452. thehappysailorsbarbershop.com.au

BOOK REPAIRS Andersen’s Bindery Books tell stories and some tell stories about their owners. At Andersen’s Bindery, books are celebrated, restored and shown a whole lot of love and respect. When you walk into Cali Andersen’s studio you will be reminded about the romance of nice paper and the beauty in the physicality of a book. Wooden work benches, a handsome arm chair and vintage prints transport you to a world of artisan craftsmanship. A steampunk-esque heavy duty guillotine in the corner chomps through phonebook thicknesses and a Victorian board cutter is used on the daily to impressive results. Get the books you love restored, customised or bound – perhaps you could ask for something a bit more special to keep and pass down. 02/59 Great Buckingham St, Redfern. 0413 019 544. bookbindingaustralia.com.au

This co-ed, independent and secular school caters for learning from formative preschool years all the way up to Year 12. Located centrally in Ultimo, IGS offers bilingual immersion language programs during primary school and a selection of languages in their high school courses, including Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish. Championing the motto ‘Unity through Diversity’ IGS believes in the strength of co-operation and the celebration of diversity in creating a sustainable future and empowering students. 4-8 Kelly St, Ultimo. 9219 6700. igssyd.nsw.edu.au

BEST BOUTIQUE ACCOMMODATION VULCAN HOTEL The Vulcan Hotel is the epitome of modern elegance meets heritage architecture.This family-run boutique accommodation owned by Harvey and Carole Ord sheds the pretence and impersonality of big chains with a place that is comfortable, clean and classy. Just a 10 minute walk from Central station in Ultimo, the Vulcan, a building constructed in 1894, is well situated in the heart of the city with loads of transport options right out the door.Wake up to a hearty breakfast at the cafe or enjoy some downtime in the Vulcan courtyard with a book or something to drink. Free wifi is available in all rooms. 500 Wattle St, Ultimo. 9211 3283. vulcanhotel.com.au

BEST CAT SANCTUARY

BEST TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES

TELSTRA BUSINESS CENTRE INNER WEST SYDNEY Telstra Business Centre Inner West located in Drummoyne on Victoria Road specialises in assisting small to large businesses with all their telecommunication needs. They offer help with fixed services including landlines, phone systems and simple and complex data solutions. On the mobile front, they have mobile data plans to suit all business sizes as well as mobile applications to increase efficiency and Return On Investment. As a family-owned and run business since 1989, you can expect personable face to face service if you come in for a chat or the Business Development Managers can come to you for a consultation. M1/135 Victoria Rd, Drummoyne. 9245 7777

The Cat Protection Society of NSW Adopt a feline friend from the Cat Protection Society. These guys have been finding homes for cats since 1958. With a vision of providing secure and loving environments for every cat passing through their doors, these cat protecting warriors fight the good fight by ensuring the welfare of these animals. All cats and kittens up for adoption are already microchipped, vaccinated, desexed, house trained, flea and worm treated and health checked by a vet. The cats that are taken in, stay with the Cat Protection Society until they are re-homed. 103 Enmore Rd, Newtown. 9519 7201, catprotection.org.au BEST OF SYDNEY 24 AUGUST 2017

BEST OF SYDNEY 2017 BEST HAIR DO Taïs Hair Studio

Located in a 1890s terrace on leafy Johnson Street in Annandale, Taïs Hair Studio offers luxe hair treatment for your styling needs. The wooden floor boards, chandeliers and massive golden framed mirrors give this chic studio a sumptuous air. Thais Pantigas, the creative director and owner of the studio, started cutting hair at 14, so you know you’ll be in good hands. The staff at Taïs are professional and hospitable; dedicated to helping you find your perfect style. Taïs Hair Studio will be sure to pamper you during your visit – personal touches like having your name written in the mirror and your nails done, makes the experience extra special. Head on down to Taïs, kick back and enjoy a full colour and cut treatment. 101A Johnston St, Annandale NSW. 9660 1373. taishairstudio.com.au

BEST COMMUNITY COLLEGE CITY EAST COMMUNITY COLLEGE If you’ve ever wanted to brush up on your business skills and learn the ukulele, you would be able to do both at City East Community College. City East Community College is a non-profit local Community College that offers a diverse selection of courses for practically every niche interest you could imagine. From short courses in Mastering the Art of Small Talk, Trapeze Skills, Knife Making, Dragon Boating and Improvisation, you will be able learn a new skill or do something that you’ve always wanted to dip your toes into. With a goal of fostering lifelong learning for adults at all stages of their lives, City East Community College has got you covered whether your endeavours be creative, communications or business focused. 98 Bondi Rd, Bondi Junction. 9387 7400. cityeastcc.com.au

BEST TATTS Lighthouse Tattoo Tucked away in a hideaway warehouse location in Botany lies Sydney’s hidden gem tattoo studio. You mightn’t be able to tell from the modest exterior of Lighthouse Tattoo, but this is one of Sydney’s funkiest tattoo studios. This talented team specialise in Japanese tattoos, but they rock any custom design they draw up. All of the artists here

have years of experience and are highly sought-after both locally and around the globe. These guys also do life changing coverups of old tattoos and scars. With specialists across all tattoo styles, including neo traditional, black and grey, dotwork, geometric work, realism and western traditional, this is the go-to studio if you want to live with an artwork you know you’ll love. 1 Pemberton St, Botany. 9316 4565. lighthousetattoo.com.au

Enrol Now Choose from hundreds of great courses. For complete details and to enrol go to:

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9387 7400

FREE Computer & Work Skills Course.*

Focused on building skills for employment. Call 9387 7400 or email jana@cityeastcc.com.au

Spring Special Save $20* on any course. Enrol for $20 less than the advertised fee. You must book on-line and use Discount Code: SPR17CH Valid to 10 December 2017.

*CONDITIONS APPLY

ARTS · BUSINESS · COMPUTING + GRAPHIC DESIGN ENGLISH · HEALTH + FITNESS · LANGUAGES + COMMUNICATION · LIFESTYLE · SUSTAINABILITY a not-for-profit community organisation 18

BEST OF SYDNEY 24 AUGUST 2017

BEST OF SYDNEY 2017 BEST BLACKSMITH

BEST FINANCIAL SERVICE TaxAssist Accountants Ultimo TaxAssist Accountants Ultimo is very well located in Sydney’s The Accounting and Tax Service for Small Business CBD. It is close to public transport and has loads of surrounding parking, so it’s easy to swing by to arrange a free initial consultation. As a service that offers flexible and no fuss all year round tax and accounting packages for small businesses, TaxAssist Accountants strive to give advice customised to fit your specific needs; whether that be bookkeeping, completing end of year accounts, annual tax returns, payroll or GST. At TaxAssist, Colin Lua and his team will be happy to guide you through your questions – they also offer other extra services including independent financial advice, debt recovery and HR services. 469 Harris Street, Ultimo. 8318 1524. taxassistau.com.au/ultimo

BEST POLE DANCING & AERIALS Sydney Pole With one of the best selections of pole, fitness and aerial classes in Sydney, efficient management and award-winning teachers, it’s no surprise that Sydney Pole becomes a second home to anyone who steps foot inside it. This multifunctional studio encourages creativity in its students while offering a safe non-judgmental space to express your inner sexy. New classes are offered each term and class arrangements are flexible and affordable. Lyra, burlesque,

Bondi’s

aerial silks, lap dance and barre classes are just some of the classes on offer, taught by the industry’s best practitioners. So whether you’re a virgin pole dancer or well-acquainted with the art, this studio is Sydney’s premier go-to pole studio. The staff will take you under their wing and you might just end up showing off your newly-acquired pole skills at the end-ofterm showcase. So when you can build body confidence, get fit, and make friends all in one place, what’s not to love? 176 Parramatta Rd, Camperdown. 0448 083 283. sydneypole.com

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Eveleigh Works Stepping into Eveleigh Works is like stepping back in time. Raging furnaces and clanging hammers on anvils may be the sounds of yore but are very much alive at the heritage listed locomotive workshops of the 1880s, now Carriageworks and the Australian Technology Park. If you’ve ever dreamt of playing with fire and steel, you can take short courses in hammer forging, knife making or an introduction to black smithery. Dabble in the craft of metal work, make something with your hands and feel the heat surrounded by old tools, machines and a respect for craftsmanship. 1/2 Locomotive St, Eveleigh. 0408 028 339. eveleigh.works

BEST DANCE CLASS Groove therapy Dance like it ain’t anyone’s business with classes by Groove Therapy. As the name suggests this is boogying for the soul. If you’ve ever been hesitant about taking a dance class but have wanted to learn how to tear up a dance floor in a non judgmental space, these are the classes for you. Sans mirrors and the intimidation of a studio, Groove Therapy runs hip hop classes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 107 Projects in Redfern and at other locations. Dance like no one’s watching and feel good doing it – you’ll look pretty damn cool too! Various locations. 0421 832 081. groovetherapy101.com

BEST POOL & FITNESS CENTRE Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre Named after the torpedo himself, the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre houses heated indoor pools and is topped with a distinctive roof shaped like waves. The ITAC has a gym with cardio and weights and offers an array of programs for all fitness levels. Marinate in the spa and sauna after a few laps and grab something to snack on at the cafe. Whether you’re a water dweller or land walking fitness fiend, it’s easy to want to stay fit when the facilities are this slick. 458 Harris St, Sydney. 9518 7220. itac.org.au

INTERNATIONAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Views of the world, beyond the classroom During the recent school holiday break, 40 senior International Grammar School (IGS) students embarked upon a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) expedition to the US to experience NASA first-hand. There, the students had many high impact learning experiences through programs at the HASSE Junior Space School and United States Space and Rocket Centre (USSRC). IGS provides an array of opportunities for students from senior Primary School through to Year 12 to take part in intercultural exchange programs, designed to equip our students to be world ready. We are proud to have forged close exchange and intercultural travel partnerships with several overseas schools in Europe, Asia and the Pacific. 4-8 Kelly Street Ultimo NSW 2007 t: 02 9219 6700 e: admissions@igssyd.nsw.edu.au IGS is a secular, co-educational school catering for students from Preschool to Year 12

BEST OF SYDNEY 24 AUGUST 2017

SYDNEY’S FOOD DESTINATION 3 Danks St Waterloo

Artisan Italian food. Freshly sourced fresh produce directly from local and international suppliers. Founded from the bones of the original old Fratelli Fresh site in Waterloo we have established this large undercover artisan food market with Sydney’s only market restaurant serving breakfast and lunch daily.

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- Fresh flowers daily - Artisan locally roasted coffee by Numero Uno - The Pines Milk from NSW bio dynamically farmed cows - Our freshly made pasta - Our Little Organic Store. - Freshly pressed Olive Oil from our Hunter Valley Fourth Village Estate. - Whole Beast Butchery prepares your favourite cut before your eyes - Fourth Village Fruit & Veg from carefully selected from growers

www.producemerchants.com.au We are founded by the 2nd and 3rd generation Quattroville family of Fourth Village Providore. We bring our customers the very best of Australian Growers and selected imported product right here in our undercover market at Danks Street. Our Mezzanino Ristorante and Events present fresh seasonal menus with Italian family professional service for our guests.

Our well stocked Fourth Village rustic Homestyle Italian delicatessen includes a range of meats, olives, including ranges from our own estate, seasonally fresh take home meals. Our Fourth Village preservers made right here are on sale along with freshly made peanut butter, fresh pressed olive oils, to name a few.

3 Danks Street Waterloo 2017 (Plenty of parking opposite at Casba) Mezzanino Restaurant & Event bookings 02 8123 1120 Fourth Village Providore 02 8123 1122 20

BEST OF SYDNEY 24 AUGUST 2017

When you visit Danks Street Produce Merchants you will meet 2nd and 3rd generation food passionate members of the Quattroville family. Peter Quattroville believes that “the only limitation to food is one’s imagination.” We invite you to come and experience our European style food market, the way a market used to be.

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THE APPRENTICE TAPAS DINNER Bar No 5. is hidden away on McCauley Street taking over a what was a former gem polishing facility. The menu focuses on comfort food using fresh and seasonal produce whilst the bar’s emphasis is on being sustainable and using local products such as beer, spirits and foraged ingredients.

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If you’re a fan of lIve musIc It’s free of charge, check out the ‘alive lounge’ every thursday 6pm - 8pm or their ‘sunday session’ every suNday between 3pm -5pm, just cosy up by the fire pit, grab a beer and enjoy! Wednes da to Frid ys Bar No 5, 5 McCauley Street, Alexandria ay

Gather around with friends and family to enjoy a shared experience of Spanish cuisine with a glass of Sangria on arrival.

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Woollahra stands strong BY ANITA SENARATNA The electorate of Woollahra has been safe Liberal party territory for the past two decades, and the local government election on September 9 is unlikely to bring any changes to the status quo. But the Greens and Residents First parties are also campaigning hard in the area. Both parties will be running candidates in all five wards- Bellevue Hill, Cooper, Double Bay, Paddington and Vaucluse. Labor will be running three candidates in the Paddington Ward but do not currently have any councillors elected in Woollahra. The biggest issue of the election campaign to date has been the proposed amalgamation with neighbouring councils Waverley and Randwick, forming one large eastern suburbs council. These plans were abandoned by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian in July. Woollahra Mayor Toni Zeltzer has once again been preselected for the number one spot in Bellevue Hill. She says it’s an “absolute delight” that the merger will no longer be going ahead. “The fight was long and hard and finally we can breathe more easily,” she said. “We’re pleased now that we can get back and focus on the real business of council.” The proposed merger did not go down well with residents, and many made their feelings known to their local members. The predominantly Liberal council had a choice to make- support the Liberal party’s policy at the risk of alienating residents, or support their residents by going against their own party.

The eastern suburbs Liberal stronghold, Woollahra will be contested on September 9. Credit: Supplied

It wasn’t an easy decision, but Mayor Zeltzer said the proposal just “didn’t add up” and she wasn’t convinced it was the right thing for her community. “I am a fighter, I don’t give up if something’s not right,” she said. “There’s no way I could sell a dud to my community, for starters. I was elected by them to serve their best interests and I think under the circumstances, which were very challenging, I did the best I could do.” Mayor Zeltzer and the rest of the council challenged the merger in the Supreme Court, where they initially lost but were granted a High Court appeal in May. Two months later, NSW announced the State Government would no longer be proceeding with the forced amalgamations, much to the relief of Woollahra residents. “Days after it was announced I went into Queen St to get my lunch and I had to leave without it because as I walked

down the street I was greeted and hugged by so many people. I couldn’t do the task I was there to do!” said Ms Zeltzer. It wasn’t just Woollahra residents, either. “Some of those people were Waverley people!” she laughed. Ms Zeltzer and the rest of the Liberal team have all signed a pledge to fight any future attempts at forced mergers, in an attempt to reassure concerned voters. They will be running under the slogan “Successful Leadership Protecting Woollahra”, with a focus on supporting local businesses and protecting Woollahra’s environment and heritage. Cr Anthony Marano is the number one Liberal candidate for the Cooper Ward following a dramatic preselection campaign, in which an unauthorised flyer was sent out to preselectors encouraging them to vote for 15 particular Liberal candidates who were pro-amalgamation. Conspicuously left off the flyer were Cr

Marano, Mayor Zeltzer, and others who had spoken out against the merger. Ironically, almost none of the candidates on the unauthorised brochure were preselected. Cr Marano believes the omission was most likely deliberate. “We’ve worked very hard as committed Liberals and one can only imagine we were left off the brochure because of our resistance to amalgamation,” he said. “It’s wonderful that Woollahra still stands as an independent council and we’ll be fighting to retain that. All the other parties, the Greens and Residents First, we’ve all worked hard together as a council so I think we’re all united on that front.” Cr Marano is confident that he’ll work well with whoever gets elected on September 9. “Unlike some councils we all work well together and while we don’t always agree on everything, I think it’s a very civilised environment,” he said. Greens councillor Matthew Robertson will be running for council again in the Paddington Ward, as the Greens’ number one candidate. He says unlike the Liberal Party who proposed the merger in the first place, the Greens have always been against forced amalgamation, both in Woollahra and in other electorates across NSW. “The Greens have been leading the campaign against forced amalgamations across NSW since its inception,” said Cr Robertson. “There are good Liberals who have led a strong campaign against their own

side. I’m particularly grateful to Toni Zeltzer for the way she’s conducted herself but as for the rest of the Liberals, they can’t be trusted.” “Local government is the layer of government closest to the people, it is the most democratically responsive layer of government,” said Cr Robertson. “The Greens, as a grassroots political party, fundamentally see the value in local government and what it delivers for local communities.” But one councillor who won’t be contesting his seat in the election is veteran Liberal Councillor Andrew Petrie, who has been in local government since 1991. Cr Petrie is confident of the Liberal Party’s chances this election, after residents saw the lengths their councillors went to standing up for them in court. “They’ve got the reassurance now, they’re aware of all those councillors who went out of their way against the party to stand on behalf of the residents against amalgamation,” he said. “I would’ve thought that the Liberals have a very good track record to rely on. They can say ‘look at the last five years, how we’ve acted on behalf of the residents of Woollahra’ and I think they’ll get very good results at the polls on September 9.” When asked if he had any advice for future councillors, he said: “The absolute main thing to do is listen to the residents. Listen to the residents over and above the party at all times.”

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city hub 24 AUGUST 2017

WestConnex pollution on the rise BY TOMMY BOUTROS The Inner West Council has hit out at the NSW Government’s most recently released Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for WestConnex. The WestConnex Stage 3 EIS was released only 10 working days after the period for community consultation closed. The EIS outlines that there will be an increase in pollutant concentrations from automobiles on Victoria Rd, north of the Iron Cove Link and nearby Anzac Bridge as a result of the “general increase in traffic due to population growth and the project at that location”. Richard Pearson, Administrator of Inner West Council said: “This is a slap in the face to anyone who made the more than 1,500 submissions - people who took the time to raise issues and call for changes on the design. Council itself made a comprehensive and very credible 142-page submission on the Concept Design.” “I’m disappointed the Government is not interested in looking at these detailed submissions and that options that could improve the proposal or mitigate the impact of the motorway have not been considered,” Mr. Pearson said. Of most concern to community are five exhaust stacks (approximately 35 metres tall) that will be built around dozens of homes. Four of these five exhaust stacks will only be around a kilometre apart. Pauline Lockie, Independent candidate for Inner West Council said: “I think it’s unconscionable that any government can build toxic stacks, when we know how these pollutants affect us as humans, the environment and the impact they have on climate change.” Jamie Parker, Greens MP for Balmain was also critical of the EIS. “The government has recently released its rushedout plan for the next stage of WestConnex - from

Pollution is set to increase as Westconnex continues. Credit: Miska Mandic (Flickr)

Haberfield to Rozelle and St Peters - just two weeks after public feedback ended. The plan clearly shows that whole suburbs in the Inner West will be immobilized for years by construction and excavation works. There is no way this sham document should be approved,” he said. “The government also confirmed they will build three toxic towers that will belch out unfiltered exhaust fumes from thousands of cars onto the residents of Rozelle and surrounding suburbs - an outrageous attack on the health of our children and everyone else,” added Mr Parker. Council’s detailed submission on the Concept

PROPOSAL TO UPGRADE A MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION AT 58 Carr Street, COOGEE, NSW, 2034 (Windsor Towers) Optus plans to upgrade a telecommunications facility at 58 Carr Street, COOGEE, NSW, 2034 (Windsor Towers) 1. The proposed upgrade at Coogee will involve the following: The installation of three (3) new remote radio units (RRUs) and ancillary works. 2. Optus regards the proposed installation as a Low-impact Facility under the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) Determination 1997 (“The Determination”) based on the description above. 3. Further information can be obtained from Tim Heffernan, Town Planner on behalf of Optus, 0439 165 651, tim.heffernan@servicestream.com.au and at www.rfnsa.com.au/2034007 4. Written submissions should be sent to: Tim Heffernan, Town Planner Level 4, 357 Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000 by 30 August 2017

city hub 24 AUGUST 2017

Design called for fundamental redesigns of WestConnex Stage 3 that would improve the project and mitigate impacts on inner west communities. “Our extensive list of suggestions should have received detailed scrutiny and could have helped improve the project by better managing traffic issues, pollution problems, and even reducing project costs,” Mr Pearson said. The NSW Government has also announced it will sell a majority stake in the Sydney Motorway Corporation to fund the future development of WestConnex. The 51 per cent sale of the corporation, set up to ensure the possible completion of the project,

will help finance the M4-M5 Link, Treasurer, Dominic Perrottet said in a statement on Wednesday. Ms Lockie said: “I think part of the rush to sell (51% of the Sydney Motorway Corporation) is definitely designed so that they can push the project through, because at the moment even though they are fairly unaccountable through the Sydney Motorway Company, it is still a government project.” “Communities are not going to be well served by selling this off so quickly. The reason to sell is obvious in the latest EIS, because the whole thing is based on a concept design, they don’t even have a proper design for this part of the project, the impacts are only indicative,” she said. “The processes are WestConnex have been completely corrupted from the start, but it is getting beyond a joke now. Trying to sell off over half of a share in the Sydney Motorway Corporation, and the current rush to complete aspects of the project, completely neglects the potential for community consultation,” added Ms Lockie. Mr Parker MP said: “The science is very clear – the decision this government has made to build this tollway will induce more cars onto the roads, raising carbon emissions, increasing toxic air pollution and contributing to global warming.” “With this plan, the government will cause serious problems for the people living in our local area - the plan says that WestConnex will actually increase congestion in parts of Mascot, along Frederick Street at Haberfield, Victoria Road north of Iron Cove Bridge, Johnston Street at Annandale and on the Western Distributor,” he said. Mr. Pearson said that the Council is currently conducting a thorough analysis of the EIS in tandem with its team of experts and would be making a comprehensive submission to Government, with the intent to discover and point out necessary adjustments that should be made.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT w

4:48 Psychosis

Lucy Heffernan, Zoe Trilsbach & Ella Prince. Photo: John Marmaras

REVIEW

It’s hard to describe the personal experience of mental illness to someone who hasn’t experienced it but 4:48 Psychosis does a good job.The British playwright, 28-year-old Sara Kane, famously committed suicide shortly after writing the play and it was first performed in Royal Court in 2000 a year and a half later. 4:48 Psychosis even has an indie rock song and metal album named after it and has been adapted as an opera. In foetal position, she slowly emerges and begins twisted yoga shoulder stands, she’s

almost naked, topless with a flesh coloured body stocking on the lower half; it’s a psychiatric hospital rubber room covered entirely with mirrors.T-shaped strip floor lights begin to strobe, the darkness is pierced with spotlights, there’s theatrical haze, and a reoccurring dazzling blinding whiteout “hatch opens, stark light”.This play is about the experience of madness, being on the edge of suicide. The eerie synthesised music is by Benjamin Freeman though Troy Harrison

from Workhorse Theatre Co. would have preferred him to be live on stage rather than recorded but the stage at the Old Fitz is small. While it’s revealing in its insight and an onslaught to the senses, it’s a strange sort of entertainment. Troy Harrison is expecting people to walk out during this confronting, bleak play, the title of which derives from the time, 4:48 a.m., when Kane, in her depressed state, often woke. There are no real characters and no narrative. Zoe Trilsbach, Lucy Heffernan and Ella Prince talk in demented chants, incoherently; it’s disconnected psychobabble with a strange format, and why are there three actors when it could have been just one delivering a monologue? There are commonalities that any psychotic, clinically depressed psychiatric patient will relate to; self-harm, distorted body image, lists of meds and their side effects, and symptoms like can’t eat, can’t sleep, can’t make love, can’t work, no interest in life. (MS) Until Sep 9. Old Fitz Theatre, 129 Dowling St (Cnr Cathedral St), Woolloomooloo. $30-$42.Tickets & Info: www.redlineproductions.com.au If this article raised any issues for you please visit www.beyondblue.org.au or call Ph: 1300 22 4636

Play Taiko It’s an experience unlike any other. An exhilaration of physical, mental and creative energy in a room vibrating with the cumulative thunder of Japanese drums played by first-timers grinning like happy cats.This is a typical taiko workshop run by Taikoz in their Ultimo studio. Celebrating their 20th anniversary this year, Taikoz is a highly respected, worldrenowned exponent of Japanese drumming, providing premium level performances, expert tuition and incredibly fun workshops. “You can totally change someone’s life. Some of the things people say - it’s amazing, it’s profound what it does to them,” says Kerryn Joyce, Classes Coordinator. She joined Taikoz 17 years ago and remains as enthused and awed as she was at the beginning. For Joyce and for many other people, playing taiko can be transformative, spiritual, beneficial beyond mere pleasure: “You have to focus… you’re using your whole body and mind to practice an art form that is so much greater than just hitting [a drum]. To produce a sound using your whole body is so good for you.”

But, while they always maintain reverence, the Taikoz instructors know how to make learning to play these incredible drums lots of fun. Effervescent instructor, Ryuji Hamada uses the universal language of enthusiasm to fill the gaps in his broken English. With a simple learning system, a workshop group of around 20 people can be playing out a rhythmic pattern with near expert precision - well, maybe not quite, but it’s so loud no one can hear the mistakes. By the end of a 90 minute workshop, you’ll have played on variously sized drums - including the super-sized odaiko that sits on its side - worked up a sweat from beating skins and moving around from drum to drum at sushi train pace, laughed and made friends and released tension you weren’t aware you were holding. And you’ll probably be hooked! (RB) Play Taiko: Aug 27, 11:30am-1pm; Sep 17 10:30am-2pm; Nov 19, 11:30am-1pm. $44 Family Play Taiko: Sep 24, 10-11am; Dec 3, 11:30am-12:30pm. Adult $30, Child $20. www.taikoz.com

a&e

15 STAGE 16 SCENE 18 Sounds 19 SCREEN

Arts Editor: Jamie Apps For more A&E stories go to www.altmedia.net.au and don’t forget to join the conversation on Twitter at @AltMediaSydney

Bernadette Robinson The Show Goes On

Returning to her original roots as a singer, Bernadette Robinson, in collaboration with producer Harley Medcalf and Duet Productions, are bringing their brand-new show, The Show Goes On to the Sydney Opera House. Tailing the success of her previous shows Songs For Nobodies and Pennsylvania Avenue, Robinson will perform her favourite hits from the greatest singers of the last 75 years, performing their perspective through real-life interviews of stars such as Judie Garland, Edith Piaf and Shirley Bassey. Singer and Actor, Bernadette Robinson said: “My past two shows were mainly text-based and one thing I kept getting feedback on was that audiences wished I had more songs, so this one’s almost like a glorified concert to those great singers I paid homage to in the two plays earlier…” The show follows these women, talking about their careers, their lives, vulnerable moments and highlights. Robinson embodies them all, with each singer having their own moment on stage so she can share their story. “I really want to capture their quality… I want to sound like them, but I also try more to capture an essence or stylistic thing that they might have,” Robinson said. The inspiration behind the name of her show was a song which expresses the power of critics and their ability to undermine the confidence of a performer. “The reason the show is called The Show Goes On is because it’s a song by Bruce Hornsby… it is frightening, you always have to be worried about what the critics will say… so I sing that song almost as the narrator throughout the piece that connects them all up,” Robinson said. Robinson aims to honour these singers and their songs, hoping to bring joy to the audiences. “I want them to be moved and delighted and thrilled… I will rejuvenate their work by interpreting it as best I can… I think people will love it,” Robinson concluded. (JM) Aug 25. Sydney Opera House – Playhouse, Bennelong Point, Sydney. $69-$109+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.sydneyoperahouse.com

Contributors: Alannah Maher, Alicia Sim, Athina Mallis, Barbara Karpinski, Caitlin Burns, Chantal Walsh, Craig Coventry, Daniel Jaramillo, Emily Shen, Georgia Fullerton, Greg Webster, Irina Dunn, Jade Morellini, James Harkness, Joseph Rana, Leann Richards, Lisa Seltzer, Mark Morellini, Mel Somerville, Olga Azar, Peter Urquhart, Rita Bratovich, Rocio Belinda Mendez, Sarah Pritchard, Shon Ho, Zeiya Speede, Jade Morellini,Vanessa Powell, Olivia Lyle, Alex Eugene, Ellouise Bailey, Manuel Gonzalez, Tommy Boutros. city hub 24 AUGUST 2017

life after discovering feminism and gender theory. But alas, despite being young, fresh from a life in the US Army, Greg Stone. Isaac is beholden to the beliefs of Photo: the white patriarchal system. He Brett Boardman can’t get past the fact that his mother doesn’t want to fold the clothes, or cook fried chicken for his father anymore, let alone being able to bond with his now gender-neutral sibling. Greg Stone and Michael Whalley are fine specimens which still manage to induce empathy for their trite father and son characters; Kurt Pimblett is spectacular as the young Max; but Helen Thomson is extraordinary, truly stealing the show as Paige. Change: sometimes it’s the most terrifying She’s the kind of actor that keeps thing that can happen. It scares us, affects the medium of theatre magical. relationships and circumstances irreversibly, And to tie it all together beautifully, and the longer things have been the same, Hir’s feisty story wins hearts by routinely the more it tears everything apart. Such is dropping visceral truth bombs, all the case with a stereotypical American drenched in glitter, comedy and infectious family in Taylor Mac’s Hir. music. (AE) Isaac returns home after four years to find Until Sep 10. Belvoir St Theatre, his father a dribbling stroke victim, his sibling 25 Belvoir St, Surry Hills. $37-$72. transgender, and his mother reinventing her Tickets & Info: www.belvoir.com.au

REVIEW

Hir

Sydney Harbour RHythMboat WITH Bob Downe & Mamamia Spring is here and the Sydney Harbour Rhythmboat is ready to party. Next Friday the Prince of Polyester, Mr Bob Downe will “meet” Mamamia – ABBA tribute for a funtastic night of entertainment. This is will be a four hour comedy and dance cruise that includes a three course dinner, spectacular entertainment all with the scenery changing every five minutes while cruising Sydney Harbour. Bob Downe, is currently appearing on the Rhythmboat as a solo performer on various Wednesdays throughout the year (see website for next available dates in October) to rave reviews.

This first day of spring cruise, will combine Bob’s wonderful talents with the four piece band Mamamia. Mamamia have been performing on the Rhythmboat for seven years and have performed over 80 sell out cruises per year. This is the first time that the Rhythmboat management are presenting this double header show featuring Bob Downe and Mamamia together. The Rhythmboat is the perfect venue for live entertainment, with only 110 lucky guests per cruise. Sep 1, 7.30pm. King Street Wharf 6. $95pp (Group discount for Tables of 6, $85pp.) Tickets & Info: www.rhythmboat.com.au or Ph: 1300 551 804

REVIEW

THE NAKED CITY

SLAVES TO THE BIG PICTURE

With Coffin Ed The US based Urban Dictionary lists “Big-Noter” as an original piece of Australian slang, describing a boastful or big headed person. Perhaps we associate the description more with people who splash their wealth around in gratuitous displays of conspicuous consumption. If Sydney was a person there’s a lot to say that it would be a habitual “big noter”. That’s certainly the philosophy that seems to drive our politicians and civic leaders, always looking to the next big project to cement our position as the country’s number one city and a truly international destination. The latest splash of cash is a projected $200 million upgrade of the ferry wharves at Circular Quay, recently revealed with the usual romanticised architectural impressions. It’s by no means an 16

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imperative when it comes to urban development, but it certainly looks pretty. Meanwhile other parts of the city and the State at large are crying out for a much needed cash injection – like affordable public housing, schools still housed in demountable classrooms and antiquated regional and rural train services. This has been the case in Sydney and the bush for years and whilst millions are continually splurged on the imposing, other basic infrastructure and public amenities remain dilapidated. Whilst the essential and often urgent constantly lags behind, the big money goes on the grandiose – like the massive civic square planned for outside the Town Hall or the giant milk crate still apparently on the cards for Belmore Park. It’s taken decades for the State Government to do anything with the upgrade of the main terminus at Central Railway station which in recent years has become one of the

city’s most infamous danger zones. A makeover has been announced but whether it includes a proper bus terminus for the regional and interstate commuters who now queue on the street remains to be seen. And speaking of transport, what about the thirty five year old trains (yes the mighty XPT), which now service the Trainlink network in NSW. Travellers from Asia and Europe, who enjoy fast modern trains must wonder just what decade of the 1900s they have stepped back into when they board the ageing carriages. Admittedly suburban trains have undergone a major upgrade in recent years, not to mention the scheduled Metro network but country services are a mess. Another casualty of seeing only the big picture are the small businesses, in particular coffee shops and restaurants, whose income has plummeted as a result of light rail construction. After months of protest it looks like they are about to get some compensation – that is the businesses that are still operating. Many went bust in the first year of construction when little consideration was given as to how they would be impacted. And just when you thought the lid had been put on the Lord Mayor Clover Moore’s cash box of largesse we read $600,000 will be splurged on yet another NYE Party, this time at Dawes Point. It’s described as “beachhouse chic mini, a festival within a festival” and once again will attract an invite only, strictly private guest list. Well reserve my deckchair now and please send me my complimentary media tickets!

Diana Crevatin

Dancing In The Rain “Life is not about sheltering from the storm, but about dancing in the rain.” This popular quote inspired the title for Diana Crevatin’s candid and engaging memoir, Dancing In The Rain, in which she describes the relentless progression of debilitation brought on by multiple sclerosis, and how she manages to overcome each set back. She begins the story from her childhood, providing a brief but vivid picture of life in her close-knit migrant family. Her story unfolds idyllically for a while: she excels in her studies, gets a high paying job, meets and marries her perfect partner.They buy a house and bring a child into the world before the first harbinger of bad things to come presents itself - Crevatin experiences problems with her vision.Although her eyesight eventually returns to normal, she is told that this is the first sign of the onset of MS. The news triggers all the stages of

grieving, but she comes full circle to display the incredible fortitude and resilience that help her repeatedly overcome each successive onslaught of the disease. “So even though I had a diagnosis of MS, this wasn’t a catastrophe, I wasn’t given a death sentence and I wasn’t going to let it stop me from living life to the fullest.” Crevatin takes us through to the present day, detailing the emotional impact and practical challenges imposed by the illness, and the imagination and resourcefulness with which she invariably responded. The writing is simple and descriptive - not literarily brilliant but warm and enthralling in its honesty and lack of pretension. Crevatin diarises everyday life, otherwise unremarkable except for particular quirks and dramas caused by the presence of her MS. She has a wry humour, pragmatic attitude and genuinely inspirational spirit. In fact, each chapter is separated by a page of “Points To Ponder” in which she asks the reader to meditate on certain learnings from the experience she has just shared. It’s an easy and enjoyable read and a lesson in personal strength and optimism. (RB) WWW Austin MacAuley Publishers Ltd, May 2017

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Live Music Guide LIVE WIRE Sydney By Jamie Apps

Bearfoot: Bring their unique blend of So-Cal, hip-hop and dub-reggae to Sydney tonight in celebration of their new single, Crazy For You. The new song is a ska driven love song filled with twists and turns so be prepared to get your feet moving, your shoulders shufflin’, and voices warmed up to shout out, “Bearfoot! I’m crazy for you!” Thu, Aug 24, Spring Street Social Ed Kuepper: The ARIA award winning solo artist and founder member of legendary 70s proto-punk outfit The Saints and post-punk originals Laughing Clowns, will be bringing his one man request fest to Coogee tomorrow evening. Fri, Aug 25, Coogee Diggers Apate: One of Brisbane’s most accomplished and under-rated heavy bands, Apate, are coming to Sydney tomorrow. Apate always place an emphasis on their live shows, with their dynamic and energetic stage presence setting them apart from the sea of Australian metal bands. Fri, Aug 25, Chatswood Youth Centre Lolo Lovina: Australian Gypsy band Lolo Lovina celebrate their tenth anniversary this weekend. Fronted by Hungarian RomaniGypsy singer Sarah Bedak, Lolo Lovina is an intoxicating brew of Swing, Heavy Metal and Balkan Gypsy beats. They’ve sold-out houses around Australia, and across Eastern and Western Europe. Sat, Aug 26,The Basement Scotland The Brave: A massive concert spectacular coming to the

Opera House. Featuring “the best of traditional Scottish music, song and dance performed by over 100 singers, dancers and musicians, including pipers, drummers and fiddlers”. Sat, Aug 26, Opera House Guitarra: Some of the great guitar players of the world come together on one stage for a special event that celebrates the great stringed instrument in all its glory. Paco Peña, The Grigoryan Brothers, Jim Pennell and Phil Manning will bring their magic to Sydney this Sunday, showcasing just how versatile this most humble yet ancient of instruments can be. Sun, Aug 27, Enmore Theatre Bernadette Robinson: Celebrates the songs and artistry of the greatest divas of the last 75 years: Garland, Bassey, Streisand and more. In this triumphant new concert, leading Australian diva Bernadette Robinson brings to life the music of these iconic singers. In their own words she celebrates their artistry, their intelligence, their humour, their vulnerability and their power. Mon, Aug 28, Sydney Opera House Renee Geyer: Renée Geyer’s career has spanned four decades & is still going strong. A precocious jazz, blues & soul singer in her late teens; Countdown royalty in her 20s; a string of pop, soul & reggae hits spanning the 70s & 80s; her LA years in the studio with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Sting, Joe Cocker & Chaka Kahn; her 90s renaissance with Paul Kelly. Wed, Aug 30, Camelot Lounge

Little Brother & Trophy Eyes By Jamie Apps For John Floreani balancing two musical project has not been as difficult as you might expect. In fact his writing for solo project Little Brother has actually had a positive impact on his songwriting for his band Trophy Eyes. Obviously the first question we had to ask John was how can splitting his time between two incredibly successful projects be beneficial? “Starting Little Brother was initially simply a way to write something different and keep my mind fresh because writing the same thing over and over and over can become a chore which makes you loose all enchantment with the process.” explained Floreani. To see the response and success of both projects in such a short amount of time has been truely unexpected for Floreani. “It’s all happened over the

space of a couple of years, which in this industry is not very long at all. I remember a couple of years ago I was dying to play this tiny venue called The Loft in Newcastle and that’s really as far as I’d thought. All I wanted to do was get out of our practice space and play a show in front of people, now we’re playing The Metro so it’s kind of hard to believe.” Another question that often arises when a band member has a successful solo project is whether that could potentially create tension or a rift within the band. According to Floreani that is far from the case within Trophy Eyes, “The boys back what I’m doing, a few of them even come to shows with me every now and then.” Beginning tonight Floreani hits the road with both projects and their vastly different live shows.

“Trophy Eyes is a high-energy, intensely emotional, high-production kind of show whereas Little Brother is laid back and chill, kind of like sitting down in your living room with someone playing songs for you.” Little Brother Aug 24, 8pm. Brighton Up Bar, 77 Oxford St, Darlinghurst. $15.Tickets & Info: www.brightonupbar.com.au Trophy Eyes Aug 25, 6:30pm.The Metro Theatre, 624 George St, Sydney. $34.80+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.metrotheatre.com.au Sep 30-Oct 1.Yours & Owls Festival, Stuart Park,Wollongong. $105-$280+b.f. Sep 30.Yours & Owls Under 18’s Festival,Waves, 170 Pioneer Road, Towradgi. $49+b.f.Tickets & Info: www.yoursandowlsfestival.com.au

Bench Press

Citizen Kay - Belly Of The Beast

Melbourne’s post-punks Bench Press debut EP is a stripped back affair, which has sadly been stripped back too far. Throughout the record’s 10 track offering the band have obviously been influenced by classic post-punk and old school rock and roll. Whilst the tracks tell interesting stories the delivery unfortunately pushes you away rather than pulling you in closer. The vocal deliver style is very basic, essentially feeling like someone is simply shouting at you for the duration of the record. (JA) W1/2

Canberran rapper Citizen Kay’s new album Belly Of The Beast is a wonderful offering which blends both the classical R&B influence of 80s hip-hop with the newer insightful, hard hitting style of modern hip-hop. Throughout the record the listener is greeted with 80s inspired synthesised elements and catchy beats. Layered upon this is Citizen Kay’s poignant and insightful lyricism, which at times tackles some very big issues. Highlights from the record include These Kicks and Isn’t Love both of which are wonderful showcases of the interesting way the rapper has blended his vast generational influences. In regards to his lyricism and poignancy, Barred is the track worth checking out as it tackles the disparity within Australian society between our indigenous and anglo-saxon populations. (JA) WWW1/2

All For One This Australian documentary which follows the first five years of the Aussie cycling team GreenEdge as they reach their goal of cycling in the international circuit, is a must-see for all die-hard sport fanatics. Commencing from the team’s inception in 2011, the film details their remarkable journey through to 2016 as they travel to several countries throughout Europe with an entourage of mechanics and 18

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medical professionals. Interviews with cycling commentators, sports journalists and scientists, the cyclists and their spouses convey the hardships and pressures involved and the stamina, determination and resilience required as they ultimately become the first Australian team to compete in the Tour de France – the greatest annual sports event in the world. Iconic professional road bicycle racers Mathew Hayman and Simon

Gerrans have set the cycling culture and feature heavily in this documentary alongside Esteban Chaves, a Colombian rider who joined the Aussie team and contributed vastly to the team’s success. Audiences who believe that cycling is one of the easier sports will be dumbfounded, as the vigorous training schedule and selected races showcase the complexity and dangerous nature of this sport. (MMo) WWW

Maudie

Maudie is a biographical film which surrounds famed Canadian folk artist Maude Lewis and thirteen years in the making, it has definitely been worth the wait. Born in 1903, Maude suffered from rheumatoid arthritis all her life and faced with this debilitating disease and the driving energy to express herself, began her career by selling painted cards. An unlikely relationship flourished with the fishpeddler who employed her as his housekeeper which eventually transitioned into marriage. Lovingly made and receiving rave reviews at The Toronto Film Festival, this cinematic gem is the best film of the

The Dark Tower

year. Profoundly moving, it takes a very special cast to create movie splendour with such powerful characters. Affecting performances by an extraordinary cast led by Sally Hawkins in an Oscar-worthy performance should ensure audiences stand up and cheer. Ethan Hawke is also perfectly cast as Everett Lewis, her cankerous husband who secretly loved Maude dearly until her death in 1970 of emphysema. This inspirational and triumphant story of the resilience of the human spirit also conveys the resounding message that life can be fulfilling with just the bare necessities of life. (MMo) WWWW1/2

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‘Gunslinger’ (Idris Elba) and the cunning ‘Man in Black’ (Matthew McConaughey) save the day with there onscreen rivalry. Idris Elba is a treat to watch, and McConaughey slays it as the devil. It starts off without a whimper, kind of drags on for a bit, but then eventually picks up pace. It’s takes a certain kind of cinematic taste to like this one. But if you feel it, it claws at your senses, begging to like it, almost nudges you to smile as the gunslinger’s gun blazes a glorious round of justice. (JR) WWW1/2

With the clichéd and uninspiring slogan ‘Not for the faint-hearted…. you’ve been warned…’ utilized in this Australian film’s marketing campaign, movie-goers may be excused for dubiously anticipating a cheesy ‘C’ grade thriller. However, this low-budget film which is in the tradition of Wolf Creek, surprisingly delivers much more than it promises. The film surrounds a young couple who go camping out bush and their nightmarish experience when they encounter two murderous villains who are intent on raping and killing holidaymakers in the forest - where nobody can hear their screams. The non-linear story unfolds

slowly, but audiences will be unnerved from the initial scenes of an unattended campsite and a young child who emerges from the bush. The isolation and serenity transform into torturous horror, which will have many viewers turn away in fear. A capable cast headed by Aaron Pederson, whose performance redefines the word evil, further compounded by scenes of unparalleled graphic violence, translate into a motion picture which will leave moviegoers thinking twice about camping in the ‘tranquillity’ of the bush. (MMo) WWW1/2

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