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Is there anything better than heading to your local pool on a hot day? No â unless there's also an epic waterslide waiting for you to slip down. From spiralling towers to rides that will make you weightless, there's no shortage of extreme waterslides in and around Melbourne. Here's our list of the best â now all we have to do is wait for Melbourne's unpredictable weather to serve us up a sunny day...
Keen to make a splash? These are the best outdoor pools in Melbourne.Â
Since its inception in 1852 the Supreme Court of Victoria has been the state's highest authority of common law and equality.
Throughout its more than 175 year history the court has seen a range of criminals take the stand, everyone from common thieves to bushrangers. Some of the more high profile cases that have been heard within the court include the leaders of the Eureka Stockade rebellion as well as Australiaâs most famous outlaw, Ned Kelly.
The court was also the where the sentencing for Ronald Ryan and Jean Lee took place, the last man and woman, respectively, to be hanged in Victoria.
The court has been housed in its current Williams St location since the late 1800s, after construction started on the building in 1873 and lasted for nearly a decade.
Wander into the centre of the Docklands precinct and suddenly the apartment buildings will fall away to reveal the Docklands Park, a serene escape from the high rise hustle and bustle around it. The park sits right on the waterfront and is built around a natural wetland area, meaning the space features an abundance of native trees and other plants. A number of large scale public artworks are also dotted around the area.
Docklands Park is the best place to have a quiet stroll after an exciting match at Etihad Stadium or to wind down before you catch your train at Southern Cross.
Across the park youâll find a number of barbeques and areas perfectly suited for picnics. The park is easily accessible by tram or via one of the bike and walking paths that pass through it. Â
Docklands Park is also kid friendly with large playgrounds providing hours of fun and entertainment. The sand covered play areas feature climbable obstacles, slides and a circular swing set, meaning youâll never have to wait long for a turn. Thereâs also plenty of shade cover across the playgrounds for those long summer afternoons spent running through the park.
The Docklands Marina is just next door and is the perfect place to grab a coffee before a walk around the park, or a gourmet dinner after a day lazing in the sun.
Located in the northern suburb of Greensborough, the Kalparrin Gardens are a favourite with locals, as well as local ducks.
Within the gardens youâll find barbecue facilities and picnic areas as well as tennis courts, BMX jumps, a skatepark and a bike trail.
The centerpiece of the gardens is Kalparrin Lake, with its picturesque footbridge. The water in the lake comes from storm water drains and is stored to be used on the surrounding grassland of the gardens and sporting facilities. While the water sits in the lake it is cleaned in part by the natural wetlands around it, harvesting close to 17 Olympics sized swimming pools of water a year. This process means that the irrigation and water supply of the gardens and nearby areas is fully sustainable.
The playground in the gardens is situated right on the lake with a fence separating the two, meaning children can jump, climb and explore the slides and swings safely.
If youâre ever on the St. Kilda foreshore and suddenly have a craving for some quality Japanese food then Ichi Ni is the place for you. Set up in a Izakaya (a casual Japanese pub) style of dining, the dishes at Ichi Ni are as impressive to look at as they are to eat.
The menu caters for all tastes with gyoza, Japanese tapas, yakitori (a Japanese style skewer of meat) and robatayaki (a face paced method of cooking food over coals) dishes on offer.
Just as impressive is the drinks list. No matter what youâre thirsty for Ichi Ni have got your covered with a selection of sake, cocktails, Japanese whiskey and shochu, known as the âfiery spiritâ for its strong alcohol content. The wine list is just has comprehensive with everything from pinot noir and riesling to chardonnay and a range of dessert wines.
With gorgeous views of Port Phillip Bay Inchi Ni is also a perfect place to hold your next function. Food and beverage packages can be tailored to the needs of your event and can be enjoyed on the mezzanine where youâll feel comfortable no matter how big the party is.
This independently operated Lifeline centre has be a central figure in the Gordon community since its creation over 50 years ago. Since then they have provided continuous support and counselling to the community in one form or another, with their 24-hour telephone counselling service coming into effect in the 1980s.
While it is operated by only a small number of full-time staff, Lifeline Harbour to Hawkesbury manages over 500 volunteers, each well trained to provide outreach work within the community and just to be that person that listens when you need someone to talk to.
The centre also offer Mental Health in the Workplace training sessions, providing a key source of education on the need for regular and informed conversations on mental health within the workplace and our day to day lives.
As Lifeline Harbour to Hawkesbury is independent they rely on their own fundraising efforts to remain in operation. While grants and donations also help, itâs the efforts of everyday people that help them keep fighting the good fight. Head to their website if youâd like to donate a few dollars or if youâre interested in becoming a volunteer and working with these true community legends.
Located a stoneâs throw from Manlyâs picturesque beaches is Studio 8 Hair, a salon popular on the Northern Beaches for its quality service and friendly staff, who have worked at some of the highest profile salons all around the world.
The sleek interior is stylish and welcoming. The hairdressing chairs look like they come from an art deco hotel and the large communal table is the perfect place to relax while you wait for your appointment, or during those longer procedures. The large floor to ceiling window allows for gorgeous views of the beach, so close you can almost feel the sand between your toes.
For those who have wedding bells ringing in the not to distant future, Studio 8 offer packages to help you find the right hairstyle for your special day. Come in, sit back and enjoy a glass of Champagne while you chat to the bridal staff as they work with you to tailor your very own look for both you and your bridesmaids. The consultation is free while the bride and bridesmaids trials are $100 and $80, respectively. Â
Weâve all been there. Itâs late at night and youâre crawling through your neighbourâs garden, trying to snag a piece of that one glorious succulent thatâs about as big as your ever-present uni debt. Youâll inevitably return with one sad little leaf that you will probably kill because the laws of horticulture are a cruel and unusual mistress. Thankfully some super-cool people with some super-green thumbs are here to help.
Little Succers is a succulent delivery service for those of us who need some nature in our lives but are too incompetent to look after anything more than a plant designed to survive in the desert.
Bored in iso? Little Succers has plenty of plant-based projects, from pots you can colour in to build-your-own terrarium kits. Delivery is free Australia-wide. The terrarium kits come with the container itself, soil, sand, charcoal, coloured sand and pebbles, decorations and miniatures (like an adorable tiny toy flamingo), mini gardening equipment, instructions and of course, succulents.
Your delivery comes potted in a special, succulent-loving soil, meaning youâd have to really go out of your way to kill them. We recommend hitting up their website for tips to care for your new green friend as you begin to move on from your dark, checkered past of plant ownership.
You can order succulents for yourself, and they also make great gifts. The plants come with cute, raunchy gift cards, like "Happy succing birthday" and "Life would succ without you".Â
Want more green? Here
Fun fact: kittens are usually born from September through to April, which means weâre currently smack bang in the middle of kitten season. Cats can give birth to up to 18 kittens at this time, meaning that there are currently a lot of lonely little felines out there. The Cat Protection Society of Victoria is hoping to change that.
These cat loving heroes have been fighting the good fight for over 70 years, taking in cats and kittens alike and helping them find that special someone to love them. Each year they aim to get 90 percent of all cats in their care adopted, that means a goal of about 900 four-pawed pals finding new homes. This is where you come in.Â
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SO FESTIVE AND CUTE!
Photograph: Supplied
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You can help give these poor cuddly souls a new home. Kittens are $170 to adopt and the price drops the older the cat is, with cats older than seven being the cheapest at only $60. The cost of each adoption also covers desexing, microchipping, vaccinations, parasite treatments, a thorough vet check and two weeks of health cover to ensure that your new feline friend settles into their new home purr-fectly.
If you want to support the Cat Protection Society directly, tax deductible donations are also a great idea. For only $5, you can help keep a cat fed for a week which would make all the difference to the lives of these cats.Â
So come and visit their centre in Greensborough, find a new furry friend and support an organisation that wonât rest until every cat has someone to cud
There are few things better in life than finishing a plate of ribs and licking sweet, sticky sauce off your fingers. Chicago favourite Lillie's Q knows this better than most. They're legends in the American barbecue game and they make the good stuff. We're talking the kind of good youâd sell an organ for so you could head back stateside for another hit.
Luckily Lillie's Q chef Charlie McKenna is in Australia so we can get our fix with all our organs intact. McKenna has set up his grill at Fancy Hank's from March 13 to 15 for three days of char gillinâ, meat cookinâ, lip smackinâ goodness. And since heâs a two-time Pork Shoulder World Champion you know itâs going to be worth the queues that will inevitably form. You get a second bite at the pulled pork plate when he makes an appearance at carnivorous carnival Meatstock from March 17-18.
At the pop-up you can also purchase a range of Lillie's Q signature sauces and rubs. They're the flavours of America built on three generations of experience and barbecue know-how and their products are 100 per cent natural and gluten-free, meaning you can chuck them on just about anything.
Book a table via Fancy Hankâs website, with food available from 5-11pm across the three days.
Not enough pork on your fork? Melbourne has a range of American style barbecue joints.
Fancy putting on the chef's hat yourself? Melbourne's best public barbecue spots are the perfect place for you this summer.
London-based artist Pamm Hong is trying to change the way people talk about data. Actually, sheâs just trying to get people to talk about data at all. The designer and artist is coming to town for the Sydney Design Festival. Her work, the âWatermelon Sugar Wellness Labâ is featured as part of the Common Good group exhibition, sheâll also present a talk explaining the concept and themes of her work. Time Out chatted with the artist to get her insights on connectivity, privacy and the importance of remembering the internet is a millennial.
âWe forget that the internet is 27 now, the smartphone is even younger, and social networks even more. Itâs so much a part of our lives I just think that we forget how we got here in the first place⊠Weâre connected even if we donât think we are and essentially I just wanted to shine a light on how data visualisation can help us understand ourselvesâ.
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Pamm Hong, 'Watermelon Sugar'
Photograph: Supplied
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The âWellness Labâ, a simplified version of the original âWatermelon Sugarâ concept, allows people to see their data actualised in the form of an avatar. The goal isnât to judge people on their online habits, itâs to spark a conversation about a technology and the reality weâve fooled ourselves into thinking we control. âI think awareness is a big part, but also itâs just peaking curiosity, and inspiring different ways to look at something that is very seriousâ.
The name of the artwork comes from Richard Brautiganâs book In Watermelon Sug
Mobile phones: That thing your grandmother has but doesnât fully understand how to use. It seems that thereâs a new must-have phone hitting the shelves every few days. We camp out in line to get our hands on one, casually tossing aside the older, seemingly out-of-date models. This can add up to a lot of waste and it's estimated that there are close to 5 million unused phones in Sydney alone.
Hereâs the deal: Recycling phones is way better than throwing them out. About 99 per cent of the bits and pieces in mobile phones can be reused, but 40 million tonnes of electric still end up in landfill, which equates to a loss of about $68 billion in resources, which is no bueno. This is where you come in. Â
This summer not-for-profit legends MobileMuster and OzHarvest have teamed up to try and combat both of the problem of mobile phone waste and the 3.6 million people who experience food insecurity every year though their campaign called Mobile for a Meal.
Instead of just ditching your old Nokia brick or Motorola flip phone (remember those?), look up where the nearest recycling location is on the website (there are 3,500 sites nationwide), then drop off your old phone along with its charger and accessories. Itâs that easy. You can even send it through the post if you canât make it in person. For every phone that MobileMuster receives OzHarvest will provide a meal to someone going hungry or struggling to put food on the table.
Their goal is to recycle 70,000 phones, meaning 70,000 meal
If you look up into the sky tonight you might notice something a little different. The Super Blood Blue Moon will be traversing the stars in a rare combination of three different lunar events. Â
But what is it exactly? A sign of the forthcoming apocalypse? We hope not. Weâve put together helpful little breakdown of the different elements of tonight's lunar spectacular:
Supermoon: Whatâs that in the sky? Itâs a bird? A plane? No, itâs Supermoon! This comes about when the moon is full and also in its closest orbit to Earth, known as being at perigee, which is a fancy science word we didnât know before today.
Blue Moon: This is what happens when thereâs two full moons in one calendar month. Technically Sydney wonât see a blue moon this time around since the moon wonât be full until after midnight, meaning that it will be February, and for those playing along at home thatâs a different month to January (but donât worry, thereâll be one in March for NSW folks to enjoy).
Blood Moon: Not as macabre as it sounds. This occurs when the Earth moves between the sun and the moon, called a full lunar eclipse. The moon is then illuminated by scattered light from the Earthâs atmosphere, giving our closest cosmic neighbour that distinctive red shade.
These events arenât all that rare on their own, with each happening every few years or so. But together, these astronomical wonders falling on the same night is something special indeed and the best part is it's completely safe to look at.Â
But w
Doff your hats, sound the trumpets and practice your curtsey because something royal is coming to Pyrmont this weekend.Â
In the lead up to the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games the baton (the Gamesâ version of the Olympic torch) will arrive this Saturday February 3. Everyone is encouraged to come out and line the streets to see the baton continue its journey that has taken it through more than 70 Commonwealth nations.
The baton has been on the road for nearly 388 days since the relay was started by the Queen herself in March 2017. It is made with wood from native macadamia trees with macadamia nuts being planted along the batonâs long journey. The front edge of the baton is made from reclaimed plastic collected from waterways around the Gold Coast.
The last piece of the body is made up of a stainless steel stringer which separates the wood and plastic. The steel is engraved with three letter alpha codes for each of the Commonwealth countries and will reflect each distinct landscape its carried through.
The baton also carries a message from the Queen, printed on paper made from local spinifex and contains an interior that changes colour to reflect the vibrant beachside home of this yearâs Games. Sadly, she's not delivering it herself.Â
Keep calm and carry (the baton) on.
Ring in the Year of the Dog with these Chinese New Year celebrations across Sydney.
Melburnians love a good picnic, almost as much as they love dressing for both summer sun and winter blizzards within a 24-hour span. But more often than not by the time you get to your favourite picnic spot the beer is warm, the foodâs cold and you realise you forgot the rug.
Now the good folks at The Recreation have taken the picnic game to a whole new level. They've put together a couple of tasty, take-away hampers perfect for your next outing down the park. Best of all? The Recreation is only a stoneâs throw from Edinburgh Gardens, meaning you donât have to go far to find the perfect spot to relax and enjoy your lunch.
Each of the hampers feature tasty summer meals with one catering to vegetarian picnickers. You can either collect one of the pre-made hampers, or sit down with a couple of aperitifs while you wait for them to whip one up for you. Head into the bottle shop on the weekends to make your order and pick up a few bottles of the good stuff for picnic promenade through the park. Each hamper is $65 and will soon be available through Uber Eats.
This is the perfect idea if you like to enjoy your fine dining under a shady tree, or on the beach. Now all you have to remember to pack is the picnic rug. Â
The two hampers on offer are:Â
First optionÂ
Bread and butterPork and pistachio terrine, chicken liver parfait, piccalilli, cornichonsBarbecue free-range Milawa chicken Potato saladMixed leaf saladTomme d'abondance and croutonsSticky date pudding, chantilly
Second OptionÂ
Fair employment crusaders Scarf are bringing back their campaign Do More Than Drink for a third year.
Scarf help people who have faced hardships in their past, including individuals from refugee and migrant backgrounds, get started on new career pathways with training to help them enter the hospitality industry. People are referred from such organisations as the Brotherhood of Saint Laurence, the Red Cross and the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre.
Ambassadors include food critic and cravat-connoisseur Matt Preston and mentors are sourced from the best bars and eateries in the city, including Cumulus Inc and Garden State Hotel. So far theyâve offered training to 174 individuals, with 70 per cent of all their graduates finding employment within the industry.
Through their Do More Than Drink campaign, youâll be able to donate at your favourite Melbourne watering hole.
From December 3 to 10, there'll be donation jars set up in 46 participating bars including Geraldâs Bar, Los Hermanos, and our 2017 Pub of the Year, the Lincoln. On the last weekend of the campaign, one dollar from every drink sold will be automatically donated, with the 46 bars splitting duties from December 8 to 10. See the list below to find out who's donating when.Â
Sunday December 3:The B.East
Friday December 8: New Gold MountainDouble HappinessLucky CoqCarwyn CellarsThe Rum Diary BarThe Rooks ReturnBellevilleStomping Ground Brewing CoGerald's BarNeighbourhood WineJoe TaylorBack Alley Sally'sThe Local Taphouse