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.

The Astor always makes going to see a film feel special. The art-deco building itself is beautiful and the program of cults and classics are always well curated. There's no comparison to seeing a film in it's original format - 35mm and the rare 70mm.

My favourite commercial gallery in Melbourne, Utopian Slumps represents a group of early to mid career Australian and New Zealand artists. Exhibitions are always intriguing and the opening nights are great for people watching.

Each evening at dusk, thousands of bats fly from the park to feed on fruit trees all over Melbourne, in what seems like an endless stream. It's an incredible display by nature in a city environment.

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.