Going to watch the British & Irish Lions in action? Read this first
This is experience-of-a-lifetime stuff. If you're one of the lucky ones travelling to Australia for the British and Irish Lions tour this summer, you'll need a plan to make the most of this truly exceptional sporting holiday. Whether you are all in for every match or happy to make the most of time between key fixtures, there's a wealth of diversions to discover in and around the Test cities of Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, and ample time during the 'down week' between the final two Test matches to go inland to the heart of Australia.
Here's a primer on what to see where — and why — as the spectacle takes shape.
Weekend in the cityBrisbane can be overlooked on east coast itineraries but Queensland's capital has it all: fantastic city beaches, glittering skyscrapers and great nightlife. It's also a perfect jumping-off point for trips to Fraser Island, a sand island where you can spot wild dingoes. But you don't need to venture far from this vibrant city for a taste of the good life.
This is a great time to visit Australia's largest contemporary art collection, housed at Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art, or Goma. Running on the expansive ground-floor galleries until October, the Wonderstruck exhibition (free entry) features artists' responses to the idea of 'awe' and includes a delightfully bonkers assortment of work from names including Nick Cave. For guaranteed fun, meanwhile, it would be mad to miss out on Fortitude Valley, the city's entertainment precinct. This is the right kind of adult entertainment, with interesting boutiques, top-notch coffee shops, Brisbane's best restaurants and the renowned Fortitude Music Hall, where the first Darts Down Under event will take place on July 20, to coincide with the Lions series, featuring rugby legends in a showdown against darts greats. Because, well, why not? Tickets at thefortitude.com.au.
Allow plenty of time to amble through Brisbane Botanic Gardens, with its impressive tropical display dome and the bamboo grove. Free guided tours are worth booking to see the best bits of the 56 hectares. If you have kids with you, the Planetarium has lots of engaging events and displays. Another gorgeous place for a stroll is Roma Street Parkland. Keep your eye out on warm days and you might spot an eastern water dragon, Australia's largest dragon lizard, by the water — they can change colour according to their mood, temperature or sunlight. You can order a picnic hamper from the garden café, or make like a local and fire up one of the free barbecues. If you're feeling more adventurous, take on the Kangaroo Point Cliffs. Rock climb or abseil the 20m cliffs for the best views of the city and river. Or play it safe and get a CityCat, a catamaran ferry, and see Brisbane from the water, then stroll up to Kangaroo Point Park. Bring a picnic and, if you're lucky, Brisbane Jazz Club might be playing. If you've more energy to burn, you can climb the Story bridge or kayak down the river.
Midweek exploration Located a 45-minute drive from Brisbane's centre, meanwhile, Flinders Peak Winery merits the trip. Book ahead for a A$20 tour of the winery and distillery, where the shiraz and the gin are equally lip-smacking. Back in Brisbane, you could do considerably worse than spend a day at Felons Barrel Hall, where all six Lions matches will be shown on the big screens, and the on-site brewery completes the scene; felonsbrewingco.com.au. Elaine Prendeville
Weekend in the city On first impressions, Melbourne is a mixture of daring architecture and funky skyscrapers sitting beside grungy Victorian neighbourhoods. It is a place of street art and graffiti but also a place where jaywalking is frowned upon. The Yarra River runs through the centre of the city. There are plenty of boat tours, and renting floating water bikes is a novel way to see the city. The older part of Melbourne is to the north of the river, while the southern bank is now a major urban redevelopment complete with a river walkway, restaurants, bars, shops and entertainers. It's public space done well. Off the main streets are Melbourne's famous lanes, which have decent pubs such as the Mitre or else try the buzzy alfresco restaurants on Hardware Lane.
Melbourne's Central Business District (CBD) is compact. All the trams are free in the centre and the 45 takes an orbital route. It's an old-fashioned tram and a fun ride. There are Lime electric bikes and a couple of other bike apps. It takes maybe ten minutes to get from one side to the other, although it's a bit hilly.
The famous suit of armour worn by the Irish-Australian gangster Ned Kelly is in the State Library in the centre of town. It's smart to hop on one of the free tours to put Kelly in context. He's either a police-shooting gangster or an early social revolutionary.
Chinatown is wonderful for authentic nosh. The QVM or Queen Victoria Market is a food market by day but, on Wednesday nights, it becomes an entertainment venue with food trucks, bars, music, DJs and hipster shopping. The Philippine pork skewers are off the charts, although sugar-cane juice is something to be tried just once. Melbourne's other food markets are definite destinations. There is terrific fresh fish in the South Melbourne market, which is a couple of tram stops out. Half a crayfish and some cooked scallops and oysters will cost about A$45 (€25).
• 35 of the best things to do in Australia
You have to drink the local poison, which is either Victoria Bitter or Carlton. Each region of Australia has its own local beer and it's rather competitive. Melbourne has a couple of floating bars, which are slick places for a schooner or two. Afloat and Yarra Botanica are the best. The Yarra Valley produces some excellent vino too. The Quincy or Q rooftop bar is a good spot for a night-time cocktail. There's a beautiful view of the city and if you are lucky you might spot the Southern Cross or Alpha Centauri — stars that are visible mainly in the Southern Hemisphere.
Midweek explorationPhillip Island is about two hours' drive from Melbourne. It's home to the largest little penguin colony in the world. Book your ticket to the Penguin Parade online, and do so early as it sells out fast. There is an interpretive centre with a restaurant at the end of the island. A beautiful cliff walk takes you close to penguin nesting burrows. A sign notes that tourists should leave the brown snakes alone, as there's no anti-venom available. Tickets are A$33 (€19) for an adult. At dusk the first penguin appears in the surf and sticks its head up. Then another. And another. They gingerly group together in bands of maybe ten and slowly shuffle up the beach. You might see 100, or it could be 2,000, depending on the night. It's quite magical, positively uplifting and a remarkable scene of nature. Bring a coat — you'll feel the chill.
The Great Ocean Road, as the name suggests, winds along the coastline, with great views on the drive. Small towns like Lorne or Torquay are good spots to stop for ice cream or lunch. Sulphur-crested cockatoos, white ibis or some other wild bird will swamp your picnic table. We stopped at the Sheoak waterfall, which is a walk of about an hour through a tropical forest — imagine the set of I'm a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! and you'll get the picture. The sounds of the birds, especially the kookaburra, are genuinely memorable. Nick Webb
Weekend in the citySydney, as you might have heard, is the business. It's one of the most magnetic, dynamic and refreshing cities in the world, set across probably the most stunning locale of any metropolis.
The Lions play twice in Sydney, almost a month apart. The first fixture is July 5 against the New South Wales Waratahs; the second is the third Test against the Wallabies on August 2.
Yes, it will be winter, but this is Sydney: the daytime average temperature will be roughly 17C, with a night-time average of 8C, and typically six to seven hours of sunshine each day. Get your bearings on day one by taking the most stunning short city walk in the world, from the Opera House to the headland of Mrs Macquarie's Chair, stopping off at the harbourside Botanic Gardens (free entry).
Snuggled between the Opera House and the southern abutment of the Harbour Bridge is Circular Quay and, to its immediate western flank, the Rocks. This is party central each evening when the Lions are in town. You'll have classic old-school boozers (that is, former 19th-century 'hotels' that have since dropped all rooms) such as the Lord Nelson and the Orient, but then there are more contemporary outfits like the Australian (try the pizza) and the Glenmore or Bar Lulu (both with enviable, elevated views of the harbour). If you're a whisky lover, the Doss House is for you.
You also have the Aster (on the 32nd storey at the InterContinental) or Jimmy's Rooftop, about 500m further south in the CBD. Most of these bars have strong menus too, although your best bet for food at the Rocks is the Collective.
Also at the Rocks are 90-minute leisurely guided walkabouts that discuss Sydney's natural landscape and seasons, and the ancient, indigenous culture, including the Dreamtime. There are daily tours at 10.30am and 1.30pm, starting from A$99 (€56) per tour (dreamtimesouthernx.com.au).
Over the weekend of the Waratahs match (July 5 and 6), go along to this fair celebrating contemporary indigenous Australian art, design, food and culture at the Rocks. It's billed as 'an ethical marketplace' that allows you to buy artworks directly from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists based in remote, community-owned art centres from all corners of this mesmerising, massive nation, with postage home (of any bought works) also available (niaf.com.au A$3/€1.70 entry). Also nearby is the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, which is always a good bet, regardless of the year or season (mca.com.au A$20/€11), while from early June to late October, there will be a standout light and sound exhibition by Cerith Wyn Evans (A$35/€20).
• 14 exciting ways to see Australia (and its unexpected highlights)
Roughly 1.5km southwest of Circular Quay is Darling Harbour, which has a terrific selection of restaurants and pubs, as the waterfront promenade angles north to Barangaroo. At the far south of Darling Harbour is Tumbalong Park, a pedestrian zone typically hosting mini fan zones for big sporting events.
The city experiences not to miss? With at least four types of climbs you can book, and different times of day/night you can experience them, there's no excuse not to take on Sydney Harbour Bridge. They tend to be a three-hour experience in full, with two of those being on the bridge, with prices starting from about A$270/€150 (bridgeclimb.com).
Midweek explorationSpoiler alert but the Blue Mountains aren't blue any more than Greenland is green. But the mountains do have some magical energy or magnetism to them that I don't think I've ever experienced anywhere else on the planet.
So get yourself out there on a guided (minibus) day trip from Sydney. There's a range of providers offering comparable packages, with pick-ups/drop-offs from your hotel and lunch/snacks/coffees through the ten-hour day, with prices starting from A$120/€68 (see viator.com). If you're keen to explore the valley, stay overnight at the utterly charming Lilianfels Resort and Spa. It's close enough that you can rise early to beat the crowds, and is a lush place to put your feet up after conquering the Giant Stairway's 998 steps. Jamie Ball
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
When did ‘feminist critique' of celebrities become nothing more than a snide telling-off?
Sabrina Carpenter was accused of dragging women back into an unenlightened past last week, as the controversial cover for her new album was met with (apparently) feminist furore. It's ironic, then, that the past is precisely where Carpenter's most outspoken critics could do with looking. It's clear that the general consensus is lurching grimly to the right when it comes to gender, and a new generation of young, female critics should be wary of falling into step. The debate about how we look at women, and what they want, risks limply missing the point. In the past few weeks, Sydney Sweeney has been chastised for selling sexy soap, and Addison Rae scolded for dancing in her underwear on stage. It's odd that the backlash has been so immense, given the celebration of Halina Reijn's Babygirl film just a few months ago. The SheEO Nicole Kidman slurping milk out of a saucer? Hot. Sweeney's dirty bathwater? Degrading and vapid. Seemingly, Kidman's age made the former radically feminist, and by extension, permissible in the eyes of the kink police. It is relevant that these debates now take place on online platforms. At their best, these spaces could provide a rare forum for popular culture to be taken seriously. From uses of the 'sexy virgin' trope to golden-age glam fantasies of whiteness, to the transformative influence of a queer audience, there are so many interesting things to say about women such as Carpenter, Sweeney and Rae, and how we are encouraged to read them. Instead, the conversation is dictated by sexist algorithms, financially rewarding those with the most extreme views. Liberation no longer brings clicks, and so to open TikTok is to fall headfirst into a sea of diatribes so puritanical they'd bring a tear to Oliver Cromwell's eye. None of this is to say that to criticise the pop girlies is blasphemy, but vitriolic chastisement is no substitute for meaningful critique. One TikTok user, priding herself on inspiring tellings of 'Herstory', asserts: 'Sabrina knows nothing … [she is] a disgrace to every woman that has ever lived.' Oddly, accounts like this have a fetishistic preference for girlbosses centuries dead, happy to build a brand around celebrating 'first' women (authors, chemists, queens, you name it), while throwing abuse at those making headlines today. If only, the inference usually seems to be, young women such as Carpenter could be as good at feminism as Jane Austen or Anne Boleyn. In fact, the real lessons are to be learned from histories a little more recent. These critiques seem largely ignorant of the 'sex wars' of the 1970s, which saw militant feminists such as Andrea Dworkin argue that whatever the context, pornographic imagery was hateful, exploitative and male. Against her were sex-positive feminists such as Angela Carter, attempting to think generously and with complexity about desire and domination in women's lives. If anyone could be bothered to dig it out, Carter's 1978 book The Sadeian Woman might turn the argument about Carpenter on its head. There, she historicises the 'good bad girl', 'blonde, buxom' with a 'childlike charm', suggesting the impossibility of writing about power and sex without writing about capitalism too. For Carter, pornographic imagery, playing on domination and subordination, wasn't to be straightforwardly judged or disregarded, but might instead be seen as 'a critique of current relations'. For all that the sex wars were aggressively fought, they were also full of rich argument, breadth and a long-lost awareness of economic forces. One thing Dworkin did get right was pornography's grim realities when constrained to a ruthless commercial sphere. When it comes to the multibillion-pound porn industry and the world of pop, those with the real power, much like the anonymous, suited man on the cover of Carpenter's album, rarely appear in frame. It's ironic, then, that in January, no less than the record producer Pete Waterman singled out Carpenter as a small blond symbol of sexism. She was, he claimed, setting women's rights back years, adding: 'If you're asking to be respected, don't come on in a G-string.' I'm not sure Carpenter needs to beg for respect from those cooped up in the retirement home for pop producers presumably still profiting from Kylie's hotpants, but those comments serve to remind us that little has changed when it comes to raking in the cash. That latter-day Pete Watermans are still those benefiting, in this case from charged debates about violence against women, is what socialist-feminists would have been pointing out decades ago, and precisely what we should be talking about today. If images of sexual subordination make some feminists uncomfortable, we should talk about that too. Instead, we're reverting to ironically paternalistic tellings off. Of course, it should come as little surprise to find the parameters of feminine sexuality being policed under the patronising pretence of concern for women's safety. It's precisely this logic that has been weaponised against transgender women for years. The result? A feminism that packs women into smaller and smaller boxes with every convenient transgression that comes along. We might ask questions about the unhappy marriage of capitalism and kink, but suggesting that women who want to experiment consensually with images of domination should in some way take the blame for male violence is dangerous, distracting and ignorant of history. Decades of work (against, for instance, the so-called 'rough sex defence') have been spent protecting women's right to express themselves sexually without fear of harm – it isn't 'choice feminism' to try to hold that ground. 'I can't escape your history,' sings Carpenter on a 2022 track. If only those attacking her felt the same way about the feminism they invoke, they might see what's really going on here. It's not so much a return to sexy pop that is restricting women as the censorious criticisms that pop's profit-driven branding seems perfectly calculated to provoke. Jennifer Jasmine White is a writer and academic
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Billionaire Melbourne heiress Bella Geminder marries husband Jose Falk for the second time in a stunning Italian ceremony for Australian society elite
After saying 'I do' in a glittering Melbourne ceremony in January, billionaire Aussie heiress Bella Geminder has tied the knot with Jose Falk a second time. The granddaughter of the late Visy chairman Richard Pratt and the daughter of billionaire packaging magnates Raphael and Fiona Geminder, walked down the aisle with Jose again in a stunning Italian ceremony. The couple were joined by Melbourne society elite at the Villa Cimbrone, an historic five-star hotel on the Amalfi Coast. Bella looked absolutely radiant in a gorgeous ivory gown with a plunging neckline, and an intricate lace bodice. She wore a long, flowing veil that cascaded down her back and finished in a princess-like train at her feet. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Bella wore her hair down for the occasion, with her brunette locks falling freely over her exposed shoulders. Jose, meanwhile, looked every inch the dapper groom in a smart navy blue suit. He added a pop of colour to his outfit with a purple waistcoat and a gold patterned tie, bringing the ensemble together with a light coloured shirt and a pair of black leather shoes. The couple looked over the moon as they walked down that aisle that was flanked with their well-heeled family and friends. In the wake of the romantic occasion, social media was awash with memories of the nuptials, with many of the couple's high profile loved ones taking to Instagram to share images of the day. Sarah Lucas and her restaurateur husband Chris were in attendance, and the Melbourne socialite cut a very glamorous figure for the occasion. She wore a stunning chocolate-coloured halter neck sleeveless gown that showed off her trim and taut arms. She also wore a long, flowing veil that cascaded down her back, finishing in a train at her feet She accessorised with a long black leather clutch, some silver bling on her wrist and a pair of eye-catching large silver earrings. Foodie husband Chris, meanwhile looked cut a dapper figure in a white sports coat that he wore over a navy blue shirt that was unbuttoned to the chest. Sarah shared one image that showed her 'arriving in style' with fellow Melbourne socialite Holly Lucas. Holly put on quite the leggy display in a lacy black gown that featured a thigh-high split. The eye-catching garment also flaunted a hint of Holly's décolletage, as she augmented the look with a black lace choker. She also wore a pair of strappy burgundy block heels and accessorised with some subtle gold bling on her wrists. Stylist Nadia Phillips also put on quite the ostentatious display in a revealing Dalmation print chiffon dress from Leam Almes. The dress, which featured a revealing side split, also showed off Nadia's cleavage, thanks to a very plunging neckline and no bra. Stylist Chris Kontos turned out for the romantic occasion in a classic black dinner jacket, matching pants, and a crisp white collared shirt. Model Izi Mundic also looked stunning at the pre-wedding soiree in a sleeveless, lilac maxi dress with a low, ruffled neckline. It looked to be quite the luxe affair, with photos showing the guests celebrating the nuptials at long, intricately decorated tables on the venue's well manicured lawn. The couple's second wedding is a three-day celebration, with festivities kicking off on Thursday with a 'La Dolce vita'-themed welcome dinner held at a surprise location. The couple's second wedding is a three-day celebration, with festivities kicking off on Thursday with a 'La Dolce Vita'-themed welcome dinner held at a surprise location. Following their Friday nuptials, the couple are also hosting a casual poolside 'recovery party' at the stunning Villa Cimbrone. It comes after Bella and Jose tied the knot in front of 500 guests at her family's estate in the upmarket suburb of Kew in January. In footage shared to social media, the couple beamed as they enjoyed their first kiss as husband and wife, moments after tying the knot (the first time). Some of the A-List guests to attend include Bella's aunt Heloise Pratt and her Aussie rock legend partner Jon Stevens, as well as close friends and family. In October 2022, her older sister Georgia, 31, and investment director Matthew Danos also married in an opulent society wedding. The event took place in the ritzy suburb of Kew, and was a traditional Jewish ceremony followed by a black tie reception inside a marquee at Raheen, the Pratt family mansion. Bella's mother Fiona owns cardboard giant Visy and is worth a reported $3.4billion, while her father Raphael - who is also on Forbes Rich List - has a 40 percent share in plastics manufacturer, Pact. Her grandfather Richard Pratt, an immigrant born in Poland whose family fled to Australia months before the German invasion. He was a leading figure in Melbourne society until his death on April 29, 2009.
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- The Guardian
Cats review – Andrew Lloyd Webber's tired show has run out of lives
There are musicals, and then there's Cats. Andew Lloyd Webber's show is often the one held up as a bewildering example by non-believers. People dress as cats in leg-warmers and sing children's poems, and it's a hit? The baffling body horror of the 2019 film didn't do much for the show's image, either. It was the 80s, loyalists say, it was a different time! But Cats is back, and theatre producers would prefer we just buy a ticket and live in the past. Cats is perhaps best now as a fond memory, where you can forgive its wilted structure, stop-start pacing and tired stereotyping (don't even try to count how often a female cat is there to sigh and swoon over a male one). There, you can enjoy how the score is drenched in 80s synth and peppered with pastiche, with hints of jazz, music hall, rock and a little opera (one of Lloyd Webber's great loves); it is catchy as all get-out. Memory, the plaintive cri de coeur by fading glamour cat Grizabella, was a genuine chart hit, lingering in jewellery boxes and hold music. And Gillian Lynne's original choreography, oddly sexy and determinedly feline, lives on in plenty of giggly shared stories between friends of sexual awakenings and Rum Tum Tugger. To bring it back, unchanged – as is happening now in Sydney – feels like a return to the worst of the megamusicals craze: cashing in on a known quantity even after its cultural cachet has faded. The production now playing at Sydney's Theatre Royal is a 40th anniversary celebration of the first time the musical made it to Australia (featuring Debra Byrne, Marina Prior, and John Wood) and it's like time has stopped. There are no surprises. It's even back in the same theatre. There are a few joyful moments – the best of them featuring Axel Alvarez, who plays 'the magical' Mr Mistoffelees, the cat with a light-up coat who delivers his magic through ballet, including a dazzling number of fouettés. His astonishing ease and classical technique is the very best of what Cats can be. Mark Vincent is perhaps at his stage best as the beloved Jellicle leader Old Deuteronomy, Tom Davis is a joyful, all-in Skimbleshanks (that's the railway cat), Todd McKenney pleasingly hams it up Gus the Theatre Cat, and Gabriyel Thomas, tears in her eyes as she sang Memory, earned ringing cheers as Grizabella. The cast and creative team are producing beautiful work – those full-ensemble dance formations brought forth applause every time the cast found themselves moving together as one – but what a shame it's all in service to the same old Cats, which can't hide its flaws with novelty any more. Even worse is that you'd never know it in Australia, but internationally, Lloyd Webber – who the Pulitzer-winning critic Andrea Long Chu described as the force that 'set Broadway on its current path of chintzy commercial nihilism' – is facing a generational shift. Cats lasted in the West End for 21 years and Phantom on Broadway for 35 – and the artists who grew up with these silly, thrilling works are mining them for new meaning and contemporary beats, testing how much they can speak to this moment. In the UK, Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express (about trains – it is Cats on roller-skates) has returned in a completely new production – with the train Greaseball now played by a woman with queer undertones. An upcoming production of Phantom of the Opera is running a guerrilla marketing campaign that has theatre influencers breathlessly reporting on every incident. Jamie Lloyd brought a blood-soaked Nicole Scherzinger to a cool Sunset Boulevard, netting three Tonys in the process; he's now reimagining Evita with Rachel Zegler, who sings Don't Cry for Me Argentina on a balcony to crowds outside the theatre. And, heartbreakingly for those of us a world away, Cats has been revolutionised in New York, refashioned in the underground ballroom scene built by queer and trans people, where speaking those secret Jellicle names and claiming identities has a new, deeper resonance. It's hard not to feel left out. In Australia, nostalgia rules, and we've had a parade of paint-by-number Lloyd Webbers keeping our best employed but our creative cups empty. In the past year or two, we've had a faithful but tough-to-watch Sunset Boulevard starring a miscast Sarah Brightman; a straightforward Jesus Christ Superstar, and an outright offensive Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. When it comes to plays, Australia is leagues ahead with new productions that interrogate, elevate, and subvert old works; with musicals, especially on main stages, we tend to defer to the tried-and-true. There are pockets brimming with ideas – the Hayes Theatre in Sydney has been home to some of the best – but we have to let old shows run their course if we want to give space to new artists and new perspectives – and bring in new audiences. Can't we give Cats a new life too? Cats is on at Theatre Royal, Sydney until 6 September; then touring to Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane
