It’s hard to pick out the happiest of happy things but this is my list of 2024 highlights (excluding books and holidays).

Best Films

01. All of Us Strangers
02. Kneecap
03. Perfect Days
04. Daughters
05. Führer and Seducer
06. A Real Pain

Best Things I Watched on TV

01. One Day (Netflix version)
02. Fleishman is in Trouble (Disney)
03. Orange is the New Black (Netflix, and yeah, I was a decade late to the party)
04. Drops of God (Apple TV)
05. Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
06. Say Nothing (Disney)
07. Rivals (Disney)
08. WHAM! Last Christmas Unwrapped (SBS)

Best Things I Listened To

01. The Buoys and their new album, Lustre.

02. Betty Taylor
03. Chappel Roan and her brilliant 80s vibe
04. Lucy Dacus

Best Things I Ate and Drank

01. Lune’s four-cheese toursade.
02. Spinach and feta tarts at Millers Bread Kitchen (in Dromana).
03. Jolly Good‘s club sandwich.
04. Potato cakes with whipped cod roe at Saint George.

05. Bresaola pizza with stracciatella, crushed pistachio, lemon zest and basil at Swings & Roundabouts (Margaret River, WA).
06.Simon Ball-Smith’s Frosty Fruit gelato at Piccolina.

07. Beara Ocean gin.
08. Halloumi-crumbed chicken with spicy tomato mayo on focaccia from Amatrice.

Best Things I Cooked

01. It’s the gherkin juice that makes potato salad amazing.
02. This recipe for zombies (any opportunity for a maraschino cherry).

03. These brownies. Yes, they’re a bit fiddly but the results are well worth it.
04. Negroni cake (long cooking time but easy and very delicious).
05. This avocado chicken salad (as a sandwich filling). Obsessed.

Best of Live Performance

01. Taylor Swift. So amazing to be part of a 96,000-person-choir for over three hours.

02. Katy Perry’s private gig in my hood. We stood on the street and listened. Crazy! Fun!
03. Australian Chamber Orchestra’s River (the documentary was shown with live accompaniment by the Orchestra).
05. Melbourne Theatre Company had an amazing season. Three plays that stood out –

• 37 – big themes (racism; sense of community; loyalty) and incredible choregraphy, that drew on a game of footy and Indigenous dance.
• Julia – There’s a reason why Justine Clarke has had standing ovations after every performance. Of course, the high point is the reenactment of Gillard’s misogyny speech.
• My Brilliant Career (The Musical). Yes, My Brilliant Career of Miles Franklin fame. Every single thing about it was sensational – the music, the sets, the masterful decision to lean into the ‘modern’ without compromising the original text.

06. Finally got to see Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers live. Lived up to expectations.

07. Victorian Opera’s performance of Eucalyptus (based on the glorious book by Murray Bail).
08. Gosh I love angry-girl music. Olivia Rodrigo’s concert was brilliant.

Best of All the Other Stuff

01. The Aurora Australis – incredibly I saw it twice this year. Over two nights in Margaret River (WA) in May and one night at Flinders (Vic) in October.

02. The NGV Triennial exhibition. My favourite pieces were the resin casts of private swimming pools by Nazgol Ansarinia.
03. A Pool Pass.

04. Uni (Bach. Planning & Design) reunion at the ‘planners pub‘. Never underestimate the joy and restorative power of reminiscing.
05. Morning bathing at Aurora, then fish and chips for lunch by the beach.
06. Ellen van Neerven’s poetry on the big screen at Fed Square during the Rising festival.

07. Sound bathing.
08. Pesto and his big waddle energy.
09. Discussing the All Fours ‘Parker or Driver’ question with everyone.
10. Sailing on Brindabella.