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TRY: Riding gnarly waves at Australia’s first ever surf park.

Are you someone who’s always wanted to take up surfing but is deterred by the idea of marine life, rips and wipeouts? Or are you a seasoned surfer who’s getting just that bit sick and tired of inconsistent waves/driving hours at 5am just for decent surf? If so, the answer to all your prayers is coming soon to Tullamarine – probably the last place on earth you’d associate with surfing. Set to open its doors to the public this summer, Urbnsurf is Australia’s first ever ‘surf park’, a 2-hectare space with a giant wave pool split into three sections for beginners, intermediate and experienced surfers. Essentially, it’s waves on tap with limited crowds, less wind and absolutely no sharks. We like the sound of that. 

The park was founded by Andrew Ross, and is still being crash-tested to ensure optimum safety and radness. The waves are powered by a Wavegarden-created design that can generate as many as 1000 waves an hour reaching up to 2.1 metres high – pretty gnarly stuff. The wave pool has been coined the ‘lagoon’, and is split down the middle by a pier that uses pistons to shoot water out to both sides. No more than 18 surfers are allowed on either side, ensuring you’ll never have to deal with annoying ‘drop ins’. There will also be surf lessons for beginners in ‘The Bays’ section of the pool

In addition to the Lagoon, Ross has developed Urbnsurf with the intention of it being a cool place to hang – much like the beach. There will be an onsite restaurant by the team at Three Blue Ducks  plus spots to sit back and enjoy a beer. 

Check out the website here, or follow them on Instagram for updates on the big launch. 

REMEMBER: 10 cheesy ‘90s dance tracks that you’ve probably forgotten (but will be glad to remember).

Although we consider ourselves to be pretty “with it” when it comes to the world of music (our studio playlist is solid) we’re as guilty as anyone of throwing it back to a good old ‘90s banger every now and then. Nothing compares to the sweet, sweet nostalgia that washes over you when you hear a song you haven’t heard for eons. The guilty pleasure of enjoying the hell out of a song you know is universally considered to be ‘cringe’. In honour of the festive season, we’ve collated a selection of ‘so bad they’re good’ dance floor anthems from a truly iconic albeit daggy decade. We give you permission to indulge in a shame-free boogie.

Rhythm of the Night – Corona
This Italian Eurodance group knew how to churn out a good track, and ‘Rhythm of the Night’ was no exception. With uplifting, empowering vocals and a memorable techno hook, the song has aged reasonably well compared to others of its era and genre. Watch the ‘Rhythm of the Night’ video here. 

What is love – Haddaway
When it was realised in 1992, ‘What is Love’ went to number one in 13 different countries and has since become something of a dance music legend. Truly melodramatic lyrics paired with an epic dance break. What’s not to love? Watch the ‘What is Love’ video here.

Sandstorm – Darude
This year, we celebrated 20 years of Sandstorm: the aggressive, adrenaline-inducing trance instrumental by Finnish DJ Darude. While successful upon release, it reached legend status years later, embraced by younger generations on the internet and even covered by a guy on a recorder in this YouTube video. Watch the ‘Sandstorm’ video here.

Blue – Eiffel 65
The highest charting Italian song in the US to date, this novelty track about a little guy who lives in a blue world is the stuff of a tacky ’90s fever dream. You just know you’re in for a wild ride when you hear that opening line ‘Yo listen up here’s the story…’. Watch the ‘Blue’ video here.

The Sign – Ace of Base
From Swedish pop group Ace of Base, ‘The Sign’ is the epitome of cheese with its reggae guitar riff, painfully catchy chorus and that unforgettable key change at the 2.25 minute mark. And yet, it went nine times platinum when it was released in 1994, sitting at #1 on Billboard magazine’s year-end chart. Watch ‘The Sign’ video here.

Scatman – Scatman John
Scatman by Scatman John is probably going to elicit the most groans on this list. A man in a fedora wildly scatting over a Eurodance track. Need we say more? Hilarious in small doses and great if you want to turn a party on its head. Watch the ‘Scatman’ video here.

Groove is in the Heart – Deee-Lite
Another one that still holds up in 2019, Groove is in the Heart is a funky, playful and quintessentially ’90s track brimming with trumpets, wacky sounds effects, Tamborine and delicious base lines. It’s impossible not to be in a good mood when it plays. Watch the ‘Groove is in the Heart’ video here.

Finally – CeCe Peniston 
This multiplatinum single is another feel good classic that makes us want to throw our arms back and run through a field of daisies. The song perfect straddles the line between dance and RnB, plus CeCe’s belting voice is epic. Watch the ‘Finally’ video here.

APPRECIATE: Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines

From December to April, the NGV is hosting an unprecedented, world-premier exhibition showcasing the intersections between the work of two of America’s most influential artists – Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Friends and occasional collaborators, both men had short yet prolific careers, defining the groundbreaking art scene of 1980’s New York. Although starkly different at a glance – Basquiat’s work is classified as Neo-expressionism and Haring’s pop and graffiti art – their work shows commonality in socio-political commentary, use of idiosyncratic imagery and recurring motifs (Haring; the radiant baby, Basquiat; the crown). Curated by Austrian art historians and critics Dieter Buchhart and Anna Karina Hofbauer, the exhibition will feature more than 300 works – from paintings and sculptures and to photos, videos and never before released journal entries. It’s an exhibition that is sure to stay with you for many years.

Both men began their careers as graffiti artists, although Haring was formally trained while Basquiat was completely self taught. Discovered on the streets of New York, Basquiat was soon embraced by a crowd of A-list artists and celebrities, including the likes of Yoko Uno, Andy Warhol, Madonna and Grace Jones. Later, Warhol would go on to become a close friend and mentor to both men. With a shared passion for political activism – Haring for gay rights and Basquiat for black rights – they used their work and influence to tackle some of the most prevailing issues of the ‘80s. Devastatingly, both men died young, and within 2 months of one another, making the exhibition all the more important. This year, Basquiat’s untitled painting of a grinning skull was sold to Yusaka Maezawa for $110.5m, becoming the world’s most expensive American artwork. You can see that on exhibition too.

Book your tickets here.

EDUCATE: Yourself on Elon Musk’s bizarre looking pick up truck.

Revolutionary? Yes. Ugly? Also yes. Last month, Tesla released unveiled its new ‘Cybertruck’, an electric pick up truck that a looks a bit like a cuboid space ship/lego block. It’s the first stainless steel vehicle since Delorian’s Time Machine and has “smash proof windows”. We use inverted commas because they did in fact smash when a metal ball was hurled at them during a demonstration. The Cybertruck’s tagline is ‘utility of a truck, performance or a sports car’ and can allegedly go from 0 to 97km in 4.5 seconds despite its heavy weight and roomy, comfortable interior. Despite its polarising appearance and somewhat disastrous grand opening event, Cybertruck received 250,000 preorders in the first week. 

Read more about the radical new vehicle here.