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.

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 great bar venue for guaranteed good vibes & good music.

Free lectures held in a cosy bars around Melbourne's inner north. This wonderful organisation runs weekly courses on a range of topics, purely for the pursuit of knowledge. The perfect antidote for a post-grad like myself who often misses lectures and class discussions. Uni with a glass of red wine - yes please.

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.