Melbourne, I love you

Melbourne has become a home away from home for me. An exodus from Perth has occurred among my bored twentysomething peers. For me this mean free accommodation in Melby and having a little difficulty returning home.

1. Penguins at St Kilda

Melbourne's best kept secret is that penguins live amongst the rocks in the groyne - past the jetty. We spotted a wet penguin who stepped out of its abode but quickly got a bit shy and hid again when he noticed how much commotion he was causing. A little boy then spotted a penguin right near the path, "Is it real?" he asked his parents. Yes indeed.

2. St Kilda Festival

St Kilda is a little boho and a little rough around the edges. It has a Fremantle vibe to it but its not as clean nor as picturesque. It does attract a mixed crowd and last Saturday evening the St Kilda hosted the Yalukit Wilam Ngargee - People Place Gathering Main Festival Concert next to Luna Park. It was a balmy evening and hippies and non-hippies alike took off their shoes and danced in the sand to acts like Lee Morgan.

Also had a spot of coffee and dips at The Fringe Cafe. This bustling corner cafe has a nice ambience with cozy couches inside and sidewalk dining outside. The homemade dips were very yummy.

3. Shopping on Chapel Street

I prefer shopping on Chapel St than in the CBD, perhaps I find it easier to hunt down those bargains or I'm less likely to get lost. Either way Chapel Street is a well known favourite for fashionistas with boutiques and chain stores dotted along the strip. Even if you're on a tight budget it is possible to find a few low-priced goodies. At a little stall called 2% in the Chapel Street laneway I bought a dress reduced to $25! I later found a belt at Dangerfield (on Brunswick St) that cost $38 (more than the dress!) but completed the look. Why are nice belts so hard to find at a good price?

4. Cookie

At Cookie my vodka and cranberry was served from an individually chilled cranberry juice in a test tube like bottle. Interesting touch. I like the different levels at Cookie giving you the option of bar hopping within the same location. On the third level a DJ spun mainly old school beats whilst late-twentysomethings got their groove on the dance floor. There was some rather interesting dance moves and two enthusiastic guys jumped onstage to give an impromptu camp performance - complete with a ladder as a prop. Nice improv.

5. Lygon Street, Carlton

This street reminds me of Fremantle's cappuccino strip except its about 20 times the size with plenty of restaurants and bustling with cafe patrons dining al fresco. We ate at this fantastic no-fuss Italian place called Cafe Correto which was heavily decorated with Grand Prix paraphernalia on the walls. I had penne pasta with mixed vegetables - mushroom, semi-dried tomato, capsicum - and bacon. The penne was al dente perfection! It was a huge plate and only $16.50. Great value for money. An "astonishing" fact - we ate dinner at 11pm. I don't think any Italian restaurant in Perth has a kitchen open that late.

For dessert we trekked into a packed Gelato place and tried the top three flavours - we deduced they were rum raisin, choc mint and ferrero. Sharing a small cup was a smart idea as the serving was huge.

There was one major downside to my Melbourne trip though - being stuck on the M1 for an hour and 15 minutes before my flight home. No apparent reason for the traffic jam surfaced, except for impatient motorists who don't know how to merge. Luckily though I ran into the bag drop, to security check, got my baggage frisked for illegal substances, ran to the lavatory and ran to the gate. No time to pick up some Krispy Kremes, although I did spy someone carrying 3 boxes of KK donuts home.