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.

Parklife is the first festival held each year in Melbourne, always in September its often that…read moreparty goers get rained out, caught in a thunderstorm or even frozen to death at this event! Weather issues aside, Parklife is a little different to some of the later summer festivals held each year, being sponsored by Triple J (one of Australia's youth's top radio stations) the event is very much about supporting local new talent, as well as pulling some big international guests just to keep things interesting. This year we saw the likes of Santigold, Gossip, Diplo, Digitalism, and then some fresh upcoming beats from Melbourne's own 8 Bit Love. Parklife is always a good day out and the easy going, indie atmosphere is always present. Beginning at Birung Mar for its first two years running, Parklife has now moved over to the Sydney Myer Music Bowl a mud welcomed venue change, less mud, more room and bigger sound!

ParkLife was my first Australian Festival and by far my favorite one day festival overall. Last…read moreyear the weather held out and provided a beautiful day surrounded by truly beautiful people and music. After walking through the Melbourne Botanical Gardens to get to Sydney Myer Music Bowl, I looked around and saw a huge crowd. I swear, I felt so much love in the air amongst the thousands of free spirits. I loved the layout of the event and it was so easy to get from one stage to the next. The variety in the lineup for Parklife 2011 provided a day full of music from artists like The Crystal Fighters to Lykki Li, MSTRKRFT, Santigold, Katy B and my favorite Diplo. All in all, rain or shine PARKLIFE will always be more than fine. You can't go wrong surrounding yourself in an environment of stylish birds and hipster men, in my opinion at least ;)

Went here with a group of friends and our kids and had such a great time. The prices were very…read morereasonable and they also had some great package deals which saved us some money. We went on the Super Karts (the faster go karts) they were so much fun and at the end we got a print out of our race times! Then we went on the Drift Karts. The staff wet the drift track down and we got sideways around the whole track!! We played some Laser tag and went on their new ride the Gyroscope...was so dizzy when I got off!!! Then we raced the Slot Cars and rode the Bucking Bull. The kids played in the playground and jumped on the jumping castle, and also played Laser Tag and drove the slot cars with us. There was so much more to do there like Dodgem Cars, Mini Golf, Bowling, Sumo Wrestling and heaps more but we just ran out of time. We will definitely be going back again but will allow more time to do a bit of everything. You need at least 2 and a half hours to 3 hours if you want to try everything!! This place was fun for adults and the kids. I recommend this for anyone who is looking for a way to entertain the kids or have some fun with friends.

From the owner: We have the fastest 440 metre Indoor Go Kart Track and another separate Go Kart drift track. 234…read moreFun Galore also sports massive, two story Laserforce laser tag maze, and other amusements. We were formerly caqlled "Fun City Go Karts" and the "Fun City Entertainment Centre".

Had my 10 year old daughters party here and couldn't have asked for a better experience…read more They have all new inflatables and finally put in cooling

A great rainy day activity for small and big kids alike. Flipout is within a big sports centre in…read moreAltona and costs $10 for access to all trampolines. There's a dedicated area for under fives with a foam pit and smaller trampolines. There's also an adult/big kids area, runway trampolines with a foam pit, slam dunk area and dedicated flip area. We went on a Friday, and it was reasonably busy but not crowded staff levels were good and all staff members were friendly

After much consideration, on my part, over the price of the ticket to this festival, I finally…read moredecided it was worth the money. After all, shows in this city are easily $40+, so I figured if I saw three or more of my top bands, the price really wasn't so bad. I must say, I am happy I trusted my love of good music over my bank account balance. Laneway Festival certainly delivered, and I left after a 10 hour day of fun in the sun - surrounded by good music, good friends, a shit load of hipsters, and plenty of babes - happy...and very tired. A few of the stages weren't my thing as they were surrounded by concrete with no where to stand...especially if the act was big time. My favorite stage was the one where you got to hang out on the grassy hill and observe the happenings below and around you. There's really nothing better than hanging outside on a beautiful day at a music festival. The energy really seeps into your soul. It's a blissful feeling. Some things I didn't like about St. Jerome's - too many people...they really over sold this one. By the evening you could barely move for the crowds. This scary amount of people resulted in scary amounts of trash...everywhere. Gross. Some things I loved about St. Jerome's - the music (what a sweet line up this year - Alt-J, Flume, Bat for Lashes, Polica, Nicolas Jaar, etc.), the fact that waiting in line for a beer was an absolute breeze, the food on offer was plentiful and delicious, and the layout of the venue was pretty great. Excellent sound too top it all off! Will I go next year? Absolutely. But, first I'll go through the inner turmoil of 'to spend or not to spend'...is that even a question when it comes to music? Nah.

If you've mean in Melbourne for a decent length of time, you'll know that festival season truly is…read morea special time of year. And Laneway Festival is one of the best (if not the best) day festivals around. Having started in the narrow laneways of the city at St Jerome's, it has grown into a significant event both in Melbourne and across Australia and worldwide with festivals in Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland, Perth, Adelaide and even Singapore! Despite the original Laneway Festival moving to the streets surrounding the Footscray Community and Arts Centre, it has not lost any of its charm. In 2010, the way the event was run, the atmosphere of all the revelers and the impressive lineup, made it an event to remember. I can't recommend it enough. Get your tickets before it is too late for 2012. The date is Saturday 4th Feb. The line up has been announced. Feist and Neil Finn are playing amongst a sea of others. Visit their website to see the full cast.

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.

This pub isn't particularly fancy, but it is still a pretty awesome pub. In fact it is located in…read moreone of the old warehouses in the former docks area in Williamstown. It isn't always open, and is basically run by one of the organisations, but it is still pretty cool. Like, the service was amazing, but not only that, they have some great beers available on tap as well. In fact, it is one of those places that could easily be missed. Oh, and they have live music, and a band room as well. Yeah, it's a pretty awesome pub.

Love this place. It's definitely a no-frills little bar for salty sailor types, which is why it's…read moreso charming. Officially, this place is the clubroom for the Williamstown Maritime Assosciation. But it's completely open to the public, and it's a warm and welcoming place. The tavern is located within the Seaworks precinct, where the Sea Sepherd ships are docked, and it can be a little daunting to find your way the first time. Basically, you take a left on Ann St from Nelson Pl and head toward the water. There's some parking along Ann St. Check out the creepy historic bluestone morgue and head through the adjacent gates into the industrial-looking port area. Follow the sign to the Pirates Tavern, take a left, and you'll see it. Inside, it's warm and cozy in a rough-and-tumble kind of way. The bar's to your left and the stage is straight ahead. They have live music on Friday and Saturday nights, and once a month on Sundays too. Usually music that appeals to an older crowd. The crowd here mostly IS on the older side, but children and families are welcome too. Zero dress code here -- if you're dressed elegantly, this is the wrong place for you. Drinks are reasonably priced and they have a wide range on offer. Service is genuinely friendly. Note that Pirates Tavern is only open on the weekends -- Friday night through Sunday night. If you come on a Sunday afternoon, you can also tour the Sea Shepherd ship docked outside for free. Win!

Hopeless. Probably the worst place I have ever been for a function. Went there for Father's Day and…read moreeven Bain Marie was empty empty 1 minute after if was filled. Staff couldn't keep up and probably poor cooks and budget restrictions made the food below average and very scarce. Only watery roasts and stir fry available. Even easy fried food was scarce. Bad entertainment even by cheap cruise liner standards. Real Italians would be rolling their grave because their dead around here. Mi fa cagare!