Good Weekend indeed: Six fun things to do

Six of the best diversions, including what to watch, read, eat and buy.

SPOTLIGHT / Play that again

By now, you would have hoped that one of our eccentric billionaires – Musk? Branson? – would’ve figured out the whole time travel thing. Unfortunately, it remains a pipe dream. But for those desperate to recall what life was like in the 1970s – or at least how it sounded – you’re in luck. This month, the legendary Doobie Brothers, as well as homegrown rocker Richard Clapton and American Pie singer-songwriter Don McLean, are embarking on 50th-anniversary tours around the country.

Nostalgia acts have long been popular with tour promoters because they offer an everybody-wins scenario: the beloved artist gets to play their greatest hits in front of an adoring audience. But perhaps the instability of recent years has increased our appetite for music that transports us back to a simpler time, too. Already this year, we’ve seen the likes of Backstreet Boys (they’re back, alright!), Sugababes and Counting Crows reunite for sold-out shows. And with bands such as The Smashing Pumpkins and blink-182 also booked to tour Australia in the next 12 months, it seems everything old really is new again. Thomas Mitchell

TRAVEL / Hot-spring bathing

Nobody does hot-spring bathing quite like the Japanese, but Victoria is making a good fist of it, with new spas popping up across the state designed to cater for the weekends-away market. At Alba Thermal Springs & Spa, which opened late last year on the Mornington Peninsula ($110 entry), guests kitted out in white bathrobes wander down a gentle slope dotted with 31 pools of varying heat, depth and size, stopping to bathe in whichever of them takes their fancy (there are also 22 spa suites for massages and the like inside). It’s all very White Lotus – without the death scene – so it makes sense to finish your visit with a cocktail and snack at the on-site Karen Martini restaurant, Thyme. In your bathrobe, naturally. Kate Simmons

FASHION / Pocket rocket

Pockets don’t need to be loaded with handbag overflow – car keys, lipstick, et al – to signal utilitarian purpose: top-stitching announces a pocket’s form without the need to ruin a streamlined silhouette with bothersome function (if that’s your thing, just wear cargo pants). Still, a high-waisted skirt with pockets (see Anna Quan’s Shana skirt, $420, pictured above), worn with a fitted turtleneck or knitted T, does make hands-free skirmishing a possibility – especially if said pockets can house a pair of tights for when temperatures drop lower than the hemline. Damien Woolnough

READ / Abstract ideas

Ever wondered what abstract artists are thinking of when they paint – what’s it all about, Alfie? In the latest of her accessible, beautifully illustrated art books, Amber Creswell Bell helps unlock those mysteries through interviews with more than 40 artists, from Aida Tomescu, Helen Eager and Lottie Consalvo to Matthew Johnson, Tonee Messiah and Stephen Ormandy. It’s the fifth in a series of Thames & Hudson art books by Creswell Bell, the others tackling clay, landscape painting, still life and Ken Done. Kate Simmons

EAT / Easter baking

Buy a dozen hot cross buns and you’ll eat for a day. Master how to bake your own via an online class from BakeClub founder Anneka Manning ($100) and you’ll probably never bother buying them again. Learn how to mix, knead, prove and shape your hot crossies in a 2.5-hour, step-by-step Zoom session on April 6, ready for baking on Good Friday. “Home-made buns are so much better,” says Manning, “and a live class is fun because you can see what everyone else is doing and ask whatever questions you like.” Jill Dupleix

SHOP / Three cheers

Raise a toast to a better beer experience with this Beer Glass (from Denver and Liely; $70). Crafted with precision, the computer-modelled design is engineered to enhance the beer’s scent profile. The flamboyant lip re-carbonates the liquid as you sip, delivering a silkier, richer experience, while the elegant stem preserves the chill (by ensuring the heat from your hand doesn’t warm the liquid). Each sip really is as satisfying as the first.
Frances Mocnik

To read more from Good Weekend magazine, visit our page at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times.