I joined some friends on a day tour that went all over Melbourne's surroundings and, while the…read moreDandenong Ranges Botanic Garden wasn't a main attraction, we did take about an hour to stop here. The grounds are expansive and walking through them, there's an experiential arc so much so that I felt I had gained understanding of the flora of Victoria.

Lovely quiet garden, many different routes to travel and it's very green and colourful with all the…read moreflowers and trees. Nice seating around the place and little viewing points. Only problem I had was that there were no rubbish bins? Which can be a bit chaotic because then people litter with all there rubbish. Overall, besides the bins, it was very beautiful

During a recent trip to Australia, we had the pleasure of doing a special tasting with James at…read moreGiant Steps. As a fan of Pinot Noir and liking Chardonnay that is not heavily oaked, I loved all of the wines. We were treated to 3 single-vineyard tastes each of both varietals. We ended up taking back a whole mixed case to California. Thank you, James!

I've been a fan of Giant Steps since they first started making wine over 11 years ago, long before…read morethey created this terrific cellar door experience. These kids are clever. They know how to make delicious wine and have two ranges pitched at slightly different markets - The IB range pitched slightly younger or for what I like to call "Tuesday night drinking" and the Giant Steps which is high end, special drinking and what I like to call "stash it away for later" kind of wine. Each range offers terrific value and you can try both when you visit the cellar door, though the GS tasting will set you back a tasting fee of $10. On top of great wine, these kids know how to cook (pizza, shared-dishes) and know that to keep people happy you should keep them fulfilled with coffee (they roast their own), cheese (the have an amazing selection) and sweet treats (check out their take-home cake and pastry section). It's a massive venue, but don't go assuming you can just rock up unannounced. Giant Steps is hugely popular, particularly on weekends, so do yourself and your hungry family a favour and make a reservation well ahead of arriving.

This was the first Pleasure Garden event. I'd say the first of many. I was attracted by just one of…read morethe bands, Cat Empire. I was not disappointed. But I spent most of the day here and enjoyed all the bands. It ran from 12 till 10.30pm. There were two stages so we had choice and we did wander between them. The space was large enough that we could wander about without feeling crowded. Maybe in future years it will get more popular and start feeling crowded but not this year. There were a number of food vans with enough variety to satisfy most, plus two bars. There was a little market which I didn't really check out but I saw others were. The organisers did a fantastic job. There were cute fun 'lady bugs' on stilts dancing around and a group of wise elder types dressed in white and glowing floating through the audience near the stages and around the venue. There were beach balls bouncing around the audience and at one stage later in the evening a number of lovely people with huge platters of cut fruit floated through the audience. What a great touch! The atmosphere was fun and friendly. Such a great vibe! It was located in a park in central St Kilda. Easy to get to and on closing it was orderly. Actually the whole event was peaceful and cruisy. The only thing that concerned me was the toilets. I admit it, I can be a princess. But these were clean and plentiful. Overall a well organised fun event that I'm hoping to go back to next year.

Don't tell anyone, this is one of Melbourne's best kept art secrets…read more Tucked away in the seedy end of Williamstown. Open only on weekends. With commensurate openings of similarly seedy or weird art, is this gallery that hosts the most avant grade of Melbourne's avant grade art scene. Either that or a bunch of social misanthropes. Busy making art and burning sausages on a BBQ, I can never tell at any of the openings I visit these days. Techno Park is an artist's run initiative and as such shows art by artists for artists. Check it out.... next weekend.

Gorgeous winery with beautiful cellar door and views. We we're lucky to come on a quiet weekday and…read morethe winemaker was peeing samples and chatting with patrons about his winemaking process and the vineyards. A great winery to enjoy while in the area!

We had an incredible time here. The views were phenomenal and the wine was even better. This winery…read moreis on par with some of the Napa Valley wineries that we've visited. This winery is a smaller winery. However, you won't regret the decision to come out here for the day. It's easy to see why they are Australia's top winery

This place a great. The shows are top notch, staff are super friendly and well worth a trip to St…read moreKilda to see an amazing show. Check out the season, you will be surprised how many well know faces are floating about.

They changed the program with no advance notice, and it's a long way out of town on the tram so…read moreit's problematic to find out that the film that was advertised isn't being shown after getting there. To add insult to injury, the guy at the box office said we must have misread the ad. I pulled it up on the Internet, and I had not misread it, but showing the box office staff didn't get any apology for their assumption that the customers don't know what they're doing.

The Palace Westgarth was originally built in the 1920s and following later Art Deco additions and a…read morerecent $4 million overhaul this historically significant cinema now plays host to a decidedly eclectic selection of films catering to everyone from film nuts to novices. Boasting a licensed bar offering coffee, food and some pretty damn good ice cream, The Palace Westgarth is notable for its all inclusive and highly eclectic film programme which runs the gauntlet from Hollywood blockbusters to European film festivals and countless indie flicks in between. This particular outpost of the boutique Palace chain also has special events such as its Friday night 'Cult Vault' screenings showcasing classic and cult cinema. A must visit for its three state of the art screens, diverse film programme and culturally significant location.

Revolt art space is a wonderful, amazing venue located in the suburb of Kensington, which is about…read more10 minutes away from the CBD. When I first came here it was to see one of my favorite bands (Bonjah) play on Australia day 2010. I was blown away. The huge 'factory' is abundant with art. It's visual candy - everywhere. There are separate rooms with couches filled with sculptures and paintings. It has a main stage with with ample room for standing to watch a band or performer. Performers vary from dancers to mimes to comedians to actors. Revolt is open most days - it has a chill atmosphere you can just call in have a coffee and read a book or attend one of the many events which can be found on their website. The staff at Revolt are a family - literally. They took lease of the space in 2009 and have worked hard to make it what it is today. I was lucky enough to volunteer during the 2011 Fringe Festival which was a great experience. I encourage you all to call into Revolt & check it out, if only for the visual experience. You will be amazed at this place & wonder why you have never visited there before. They serve alcohol & have bar food. http://www.revoltproductions.com/home/

Revolt is a secret pirate cave of wonderment. I want to say more, but I don't think I could capture…read morethe excitement of the first time I entered and wandered around the many rooms and spaces that have amassed in this new performing arts centre in Kensington. It's a maze, designed with both performers and audience in mind. The crew make sure you're getting a truly unique experience by either attending or using Revolt to stage your event. What's more (and the bit I think I like the most) is their philosophy of supporting new artists. For someone with a great idea but not a big plan on how to market that idea, this is possibly the place to approach to stage it. It's a bit of a secret, really, tucked down a back street in an unassuming warehouse district, but not one that should stay so.