What’s hip this May

Where to visit

TWO huge days of shopping and tail-wagging fun are set to be unleashed at Australia’s biggest celebration of our four-legged friends. The Dog Lovers Festival will be held at the Brisbane Showgrounds on May 16 and 17 with an expanded format and new outdoor zones. This year’s festival will feature more brands and services, including the VitaPet Arena, Dog Expo, Marketplace, Breed Showcase, Adoption Zone and Pat-A-Pooch experience. A new highlight is the Outback Arena, celebrating the skill, instinct and intelligence of working dogs. Also making its Australian debut is Scurry Dog: a fast-paced and interactive dog sport that puts training into action with retrieving, searching and trailing challenges. Fetch tickets at dogloversfestival.com.au/Brisbane

What to book

From May 11, travellers to the area and locals wanting a ‘holiday at home getaway’ can stay in the lap of luxury at the Sunshine Coast’s first international hotel to open in four decades. Queensland-owned and operated KPAT Hotels has delivered the landmark Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel. The 12-storey, 180-room property’s dining venues, including rooftop restaurant Sully’s, led by executive chef Mark Godbeer (formerly of The Calile Hotel, Brisbane) who will prioritise locally sourced seafood and seasonal produce, supporting local agriculture, food and beverage industries. Bookings for Avani Mooloolaba Beach Hotel are now open. Visit avanihotels.com/en and go to ‘Sunshine Coast’.

Where to sip and dine

THE Silva Spoon has long been a favourite of those who love a nicely brewed cup of tea, after welcoming locals for more than 16 years. But now the Cotton Tree institution is set to welcome teetotallers and high tea aficionados from further afield after being named Best Tea House in Queensland at the prestigious Golden Leaf Awards. It also took out four additional awards for its original tea blends: Gold – Love Tea (flavoured black tea); Gold – Berry Cheesecake (also known as Berry Bliss – freshly made iced tea); Silver – Divine (herbal tea) ; and Bronze – Baked Apple Rooibos (non-traditional chai). Guests can explore more than 70 teas, alongside specialty coffee and a curated range of teaware and gifts. Its signature high tea experiences celebrate tea not only in the cup but also throughout the menu. Visit thesilvaspoon.com.au

What to experience

ONE of the world’s leading multi-artform festivals, Vivid Sydney transforms the NSW capital into a vibrant hub of creativity, innovation and community connection. This year’s festival will bring the city to life, night and day, from May 22 to June 13, through its pillars of ‘Light, Music, Minds and Food’. Under the Food offerings, the Long Table Dinner signature event, hosted by Pendolino/Nino Zoccali, will be held on May 30, on the ground floor of the Heritage-Listed Strand Arcade. In the arcade’s 134-year history, this is the first time a ticketed long table dinner will welcome 200 diners in a three-course showcase of food and wine producers from regional NSW. Tickets start from $332.94 each. Visit vividsydney.com/event/food/long-table-dinner-at-the-strand-arcade-nsw-icons-of-land-sea

Back in the day …

GOOGLE ‘Australian bands and musicians of the 1970s’ and you may find one group that seems out of place. Ol’ 55 tapped into a resurgence in 1950s music and culture for those who had never experienced it first-hand. In 1976, a younger generation born in the 1960s were loving the vibe, fashions and comedy they were seeing in the TV show Happy Days. Take It Greasy, Ol’ 55’s debut studio album, was released in May 1976, peaked at No.3 on the Australian Kent Music Report and went 3× platinum. Tracks This Little Girl, On The Prowl, Looking For An Echo, Goodnight Sweetheart and School Days were a tribute to the Fifties music genres – from doo-wop to soulful ballads and fast-paced pop.