Things to do in Sydney this week

The SciFi Film Festival has been bringing Sydney audiences the very best in speculative cinema since 2016, scouring every corner of the planet (and others) for cutting-edge features, documentaries and shorts. This year, they’re boldly going where they have never gone before, presenting a national online program from October 15-31. Fielding 13 features and 67 shorts from 28 countries including Japan, China, Canada, America, Russia, Sweden, Spain and Brazil, it’s an incredible line-up.

Get your body ready, you’ll need both hands for this one. Since launching last year, the aptly named Thicc Cookies has been busting guts and winning hearts all over Sydney with its soft and hefty New York-style cookies. And now the sweet treat whispers have added a new flavour to their already heaving arsenal of 1kg cookie monsters – Biscoff. 

If you get a kick out of making purchases from local makers and artists, check out the new online directory from the team behind Sydney's biannual Etsy Made Local markets. You’ll discover gifts that practically scream “Yes, I’m the hip family member living in Sydney. Lockdowns aside, this affords me superior culture and taste” – like handcrafted ceramic wares, chunky statement earrings ripped from an art teacher’s wildest dreams, and socks and apparel emblazoned with quirky Australiana-invoking imagery of Chiko rolls and pink gallahs. 

Keepers have just welcomed five purrfect new African lion cubs into the Taronga family. This is the first time Taronga Zoo has had lion cubs in over 18 years. While the babes are still finding their paws, the public will be able to gain live behind-the-scenes access to watch the cubs grow on what the zoo is calling ‘Cub Cam’. With a small tax-deductible donation of just $7, you can access a 24/7 live stream. There is also plenty more free livestreams and keeper talks to watch on Taronga TV.

Rejoice! Sydney-based online-only bakery Black Cream has released its latest product; the mini Basque cheesecake. The relative newcomer has only been on the scene for a year but is making big waves, especially given Sydney's insatiable appetite for delivered desserts since lockdown. 

It's one of life's simple joys, flicking through the pages of a must-read book. But it doesn’t work so well if you’re doing the household chores. That’s when the joy of listening to an audiobook kicks in. There are millions of brilliant audiobooks on the go, and some of them are even free. Plus there’s the added bonus of hanging out aurally with famous Aussies as they read the books of also famous authors – and even sometimes their own.

As far as we’re concerned, there's never a bad time to have a Portuguese tart. Burnished, sweet, wobbling custard resting in a nest of crisp puffed pastry layers, the “pastel de nata” as they are known in its homeland, can be tricky to get right. So, when a good one comes along, it’s cause for celebration – especially if said tart can be delivered to your door.

If there is one thing we've learned in the last year it's that treating yourself is no longer reserved for cheat day. Life's too short for mediocre cookies so we've rounded up the best that Sydney has to offer, which won't even need to leave your house to get.  

You might as well take the opportunity to make your space really yours. To help you figure out your budget, we've categorised the stores on our list by a metric close to the Time Out heart: booze. You've got your 'goon' budget for objects that won't break the bank, your 'beer' budget that factors in posher craft brews as well as unassuming ales, and the 'Champagne' budget for those seeking out those top-of-the-line, showily upper-market finds. 

Do you suffer from the black thumb? Don't despair. Pour one out for those succulents you over-watered, and that supposedly drought-resistant bloomer that crumbled to dust on your watch. Marrickville's own foliage whisperer Felicity Keep, the owner and director of PlantGirl, is here to help. Take these tips and order up some foliage friends from the best plant shops and nurseries that deliver in Sydney to brighten up your space this spring.