Overview
It's hard to come by actual hidden gems in your city these days. Chances are you've heard about the latest hidden/vegan/swimming/cannoli hotspot via social media — and so have the masses, and they've beaten you there. Most, save the truly intrepid city wanderers among us, often miss the boat on undiscovered goldmines. But hey, it's more than okay to jump on a bandwagon if something is truly good (we'll admit it; we've lined up at Lune Croissanterie with the best of 'em).
But how about those little nuggets of gold in your city you've forgotten, or never got around to visiting in the first place? This summer just might be the perfect time to back-up a little bit, consult the notes app in your iPhone and see what you had scribbled down as a to-do. Not sure where to start? We've partnered with Henkell, purveyors of quality Blanc de Blancs bubbles, to pull together a hit list of some (kinda) hidden gems to dig up around Melbourne on your summer break. They'll all bring a little sparkle to your day and remind you that Melbourne is pretty darn great.
CATCH A BLOCKBUSTER AT AN OUTDOOR CINEMA
Running until March 2019 in the Botanic Gardens, Moonlight Cinema is one of the few openair cinemas that welcomes you to BYO picnics and alcohol. An outdoor cinema may not be so hidden or forgotten during the summer, but this tidbit of information certainly makes this one a diamond in the rough. Make it a grand affair — bring some Henkell sparkling and catch some of this year's favourite flicks, a smattering of all-time faves and a few sneak peeks at new movies coming out soon. Tried-and-tested highlights include A Star Is Born, A Simple Favour and Crazy Rich Asians, plus Halloween, Bad Times at the El Royale and Venom if you're after something darker. The first part of the program has been released, with the second half arriving in mid-January.
Lean Timms.
LAZE AWAY THE DAY ON THE RIVER
Pick one of those perfect summer days to get out onto the water. Just 30 minutes on public transport from the CBD will put you at the leisurely Fairfield Boathouse, where you can rent a rowboat and float the day away on the water. To top things off, you can even bring a picnic (and a bottle of Henkell Trocken) to enjoy as you lounge the day away on the water. And if you're looking for something for you and the crew, come January, you'll be able to rent one of the new GoBoats headed for Docklands in early 2019. These eco-friendly picnic boats are slow-moving, a breeze to operate, don't require a boating licence and they feature a central picnic table with room for eight people and some BYO food and drinks. And despite what you might be thinking, they're even affordable enough to fit your post-holiday budget — simply find enough eager sailors to jump aboard and a GoBoat session will cost you less than $15 per person, per hour. That's $109 hourly in total.
WANDER THE RJ HAMER ARBORETUM
Sure, your local park might be pleasant enough and conveniently located — but does it have 120 hectares worth of 150 different varieties of trees? Unlikely, if you live cityside. So, follow the Eastern Freeway a decent ways away to wind up in Olinda, home of the RJ Hamer Arboretum. It's always a few degrees cooler in the hills than the mainland — if you can't stand the heat anymore, this is a top-notch escape from the hot city. Starting with views from the entrance hill — of the Yarra Valley and Silvan Dam framed above the conifer trees — you'll wander down, discovering an immense encyclopedia of trees, plants and probably wildlife too (watch out for lyrebirds). The beauty lies in the fact that there's something new to see every season of the year, so you've got a hidden gem four times over. Bring walking shoes (it's hilly) and a picnic.
REDISCOVER THE YARRA WITH A DIP AND A PICNIC
The Yarra River isn't all brown city stretches full of rowers and tourist cruises. Sure, that bit around Flinders Street is — and you wouldn't be jumping in there even if you dropped your phone — but don't forget the whole thing stretches some 242 kilometres across the city and well beyond. Make for the gleam of clearer waters outside of the CBD by heading northeast to Warrandyte. Pound Bend Reserve is worth the commute, offering you a beaut stretch of the Yarra for a refreshing summer dip (head through the rock tunnel if you're brave enough), bushwalk in the surrounding area (about four kilometres round trip) and picnic facilities here and there to settle in at once you've swum. No dogs allowed, but BYO footy — there's heaps of grass.
GET A CULTURE DOSE AT NEWPORT'S SUBSTATION
Newport is a mere 10 minutes from Melbourne's CBD. It's part of the bayside suburbs that make up a lot of Melbourne's west and have more going on than you might think — plus a bayside breeze you'll love on a hot summer's night. The Substation is an arts and culture venue that ticks quite a number of boxes. A live music go-to, gallery and dance studio are just a couple of them. Coming up soon are an experimental sound performance (William Basinksi and Caterina Barbieri), a multimedia cinema and contemporary dance installation (Cinematic Experiments) and a video installation about the power of rumour (by Melanie Jame Wolf). The inner west has just as much art scene clout as the inner north, it seems.
Summer is here and it's time to pop the bubbly. Pick up a bottle of Henkell Blanc de Blancs or Henkell Trocken for your next sparkling occasion.