Besides being covered in the street art that is synonymous with Melbourne, the laneways also lead to some of the city’s best cafes, shops and restaurants, and are always worth taking time to explore.

Mr Kitly is a shop and gallery specialising in ceramics, books, plants and textiles. Much of the stock is from Japan, and everything makes you want to weep because it's so charming and pretty. The hanging plants are amazingly affordable too.

A secluded coastal town only a short road trip out of Melbourne. Nice place to wander around and go for walks up into the hills.

Live music in Australia can be pretty expensive as bands have to travel a long way to get here. NSC has a lot of great up coming bands and they are more affordable then most other venues.

Believe it or not, if you drive far enough from the city, the Yarra River is a beautiful place to spend a Summer's day swimming. Warrandyte is a haven of shady gumtrees, flowing rapids, and rocks to perch yourself on while the water rushes past. Bring beers, but esky optional - the water is cool enough to keep them chilled all day.