What’s hip this December

Where to visit

BRISBANE’S annual outdoor interactive lightshow spectacle, The Enchanted Garden festive experience, has returned to delight all ages. The Enchanted Garden has reimagined the Roma Street Parkland as a fairytale in bloom and full of seasonal joy until December 20. Park-goers will be captivated by tens-of-thousands of twinkling LED lights, glittering visuals and shimmering projections cast across more than 22,000sqm of lush, inner-city parklands. This year, a playful, new immersive tale beams visitors into a magical wonderland constructed by the mischievous guardians of the garden, Willow and Marigold, for An Enchanted Eve. It’s the ideal low-cost outing to light up the night for families, friends and couples with a 30-night season, including up-late sessions. With glowing fairylights, bobbing orbs and spellbinding lightscapes, the one-kilometre self-guided and wheelchair-accessible trail takes about 45 minutes to complete. Visit enchantedgarden.com.au

What to experience

HERE’S the chance to immerse yourself in a unique travel experience combining rich historical exploration with incredible Greek hospitality and cuisine, hosted by one of Australia’s most-respected culinary figures. Join Lyndey Milan, the former long-time food director of The Australian Women’s Weekly and co-host of Fresh with the Australian Women’s Weekly on Channel 9 on an unforgettable 13-day gastronomic and cultural journey through Greece’s Peloponnese with Insight Vacations. A Greek Food Odyssey is a curated, specialised itinerary inspired by the 2011 TV series Lyndey and Blair’s Taste of Greece and the subsequent Greece With My Son. Fourteen years on, Lyndey honours her late son’s memory by revisiting this cherished region and sharing her deep love and insider’s knowledge of Greek food, culture and characters with fellow travellers in a joyous journey. Visit insightvacations.com/en-au/tours/lyndey-milan-a-greek-odyssey?optionId=1707&tab=itinerary
or view other tours on offer at lyndeymilan.com/culinary-tours-with-lyndey/#upcoming-tours

What to watch

HE MET his demise in Game of Thrones all too soon, so here’s hoping Sean Bean keeps his head a little longer in the reimagining of Robin Hood on Stan. Bean, a BAFTA award-winning star, plays the Sheriff of Nottingham in the latest-release period drama based on the folkloric hero. Connie Nielsen, as Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Lauren McQueen, who plays Marian, help to bring the star power alongside Aussie actor and NIDA graduate Jack Patten. Patten has already captured the attention of sceptical critics for his winning portrayal of Rob of Loxley and performing his own stunts. This new drama series begins just before Rob becomes the infamous Robin Hood, offering an insight into his backstory, love and heartache.

Back in the day…

THE recent screening on Seven and 7Plus of AC/DC: The World’s Greatest Rock Band may have conjured up two Aussie names synonymous with songwriting and record producing: Vanda and Young. In 1964, Harry Vanda and George Young became founding members of Australia’s most successful 1960s rock export The Easybeats. By the mid-1960s, the Vanda & Young writing powerhouse had begun, with hits She’s So Fine and Friday On My Mind. Vanda & Young-penned songs have since been recorded by  a who’s who of national and international stars. As Flash & the Pan, the pair found their own success with Hey St Peter and Down Among the Dead Men. But Young was the older brother of Malcolm and Angus Young and this dynamic duo’s legacy of producing also included early AC/DC albums.

What to book

MICHAEL Jackson’s unique and unparalleled artistry made him one of the world’s greatest entertainers. Now his story is
set to thrill audiences in Brisbane in the multiple Tony Award-winning MJ the Musical. Centred around the making of his 1992 Dangerous World Tour, MJ the Musical goes beyond the singular moves and signature sound, offering a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Jackson into pop icon status. Created by Tony Award-winning director/choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, the show arrives at QPAC on March 27 at the Lyric Theatre. Visit qpac.com.au