Melbourne

If you think you'll regret something in the morning.. sleep late.

When I hit Melbourne I didn't really know what to expect. I had been told that you either loved Sydney or Melbourne - and I had loved Sydney so was curious as to whether Melbourne would be my cup of tea. I headed straight to St Kilda to stay with a friend when I arrived. St Kilda is well known for being the homing ground for backpackers. I somehow ended up lingering around Melbourne for about six weeks. No job, a heap of hostel hopping and many a drunken night. 

My favourite hostel was the Barkly Backpackers. It had just opened and was finding its feet when I first started staying there. The two owners were extremely helpful and welcoming. Weekly rates were cheap compared to the other hostels in Melbourne. It is close to the shops, cafes and tram lines - as are most of the hostels to be fair. If staying in St Kilda, here is where I recommend - although it may be tricky to book in as most backpackers are long term. 
http://goo.gl/v8IQHd

Habitat HQ was a really nice hostel but a tad pricey. The only annoying thing was that every time I booked into an eight bed, I got given a four bed dorm. Although this may sound like a luxury, when you want to meet people it is not really ideal. 
http://www.habitathq.com.au/

I didn't enjoy my stay at Hotel Barkly as the dorms were like prison cells. Even though I didn't rate it for accommodation purposes, it was a very good place to socialise. The Hotel has a pub bar and restaurant on the bottom floor of the hotel and a small back room where they put on entertainment of an evening. The hotel also has a bar on the top floor - Backpacker night is on a Friday and although one of the slightly classier backpacker bars it still gets very messy. 
http://www.hotelbarkly.com/

Then there was the Coffee Palace. A dirty, dingy, last resort kind of hostel. One of the cheapest hostels in St Kilda and I could see why. The pictures on the site are all lies! Lies lies lies! The only good thing about the place was that I was able to meet a lot of people here through the evening entertainment which was always a  laugh and FREE pancakes every morning!  
http://www.coffeepalacebackpackers.com.au/

My nights out in St Kilda were spent mainly at 29th Apartment, Base, Secret Garden, Revolver and down Kings Street. 

Notes about St Kilda: 
1. Get the free drinks cards from the promo guys that come round the hostels about 4 - 6 o'clock each day - they will fuel your night! 

2. Opposite the Barkly Backpackers Hostel is a travel agents called Cheap AZ Travel. If you need help planning an east coast trip, job advice, the internet or just a friendly chat - this is the place to go! 

http://www.cheapaztravel.com/

3. The beach in St Kilda is very average but is fine for a good sunbathe and dip in the sea. I was in Melbourne for Australia day and spent it on the beach with lots of cider, whiskey and goon! 

4. Acland Street - near the beach has some amazing bakeries and coffee shops! Personally my favourite place to eat was Schnitz - it made the best chips and the most amazing wraps! 

Things to do in the city centre: 
The night market that is held every Wednesday is well worth going to! There is a great atmosphere with loads of delicious food stations, music and various other stalls. 
http://www.qvm.com.au/night-market/

Degraves street is a cool spot in Melbourne to grab a bite to eat and view the wicked graffiti that lines its walls. 

One event which I highly recommend is the Moonlight Cinema on the Central Lawn at the Royal Botanic Gardens. It is an outdoor cinema, showing advance screenings, new releases and cult movies. I watched The Notebook, chilling on the bean bags and eating heaps of popcorn. 
http://www.moonlight.com.au/melbourne/