I heard someone describe Melbourne as one big old couch. It's true and not because it's past its use by date and smells slightly wrong either.

Melbourne is friendly, easy to relax into, highly liveable and you might just find a little something extra if you look a bit deeper - one big old couch. On the surface it might look like any other city with its distinct main streets of Elizabeth, Bourke and Collins ruling the roost. The usual pedestrian shopping mall area is there with the standard big department stores and signature smaller ones dotted along the strip. But delve underneath into its heart and the city is teeming with culture, life and plenty to do for a backpacker.

Brunswick St

This street in Fitzroy is bursting with small cafes, restaurants, laid back bars and pubs, combined with a decent smattering of alternative shopping. The unique character of each little place you walk into is what creates the general atmosphere of Melbourne. A couple of bars to try are Bimbo's and Bar Open. Bimbo's is easily recognisable by the glowing baby doll adorning the entrance; it has loads of comfy (yes, old) couches, an upstairs open-air courtyard and tasty pizzas. Only $4 for a small pizza during the week! They produce their own vodka range including lychee and peach, which were rightly recommended by the staff. Bar Open is another bar that continues the relaxed and intimate style with couches, bench seating and an upstairs area that local bands often play in. It's definitely an area to take a leisurely stroll through, morning, afternoon or evening. Catch tram 112 from Collins St in the city or the same one from St Kilda.

St Kilda

Home of the big mouth at Luna Park, this part of the city has a different feel to Brunswick St, but the same great, chilled out vibe. Lots of sprawling pubs with outside seating like The Espy, Prince of Wales and The Saint and large alfresco style restaurants but quite a few of the cosy style bars are dotted around the suburb as well. Wealthy locals strut their dogs down the footpath, skaters weave in and out of people mesmerised with their mobile phones, and groups of twenty something boys nurse their pots outside pubs. Quite a few upmarket bars and apartment buildings remind you of the increasing trendiness of the area with image conscious Melbournites. It's still a cool area to check out though. Luna Park also has unlimited rides passes for about $40 or $7 per ride and don't forget St Kilda has a pretty classy beachfront area too.

City Centre

The main streets of Bourke, Collins and Flinders all run parallel to each other, while Swanston and Elizabeth are the main streets that cross them. Melbourne's tallest building is on Collins St – Rialto Tower. Head up to the observation deck for the ultimate snapshot. Little Collins Street is for those with serious cash. Upmarket boutiques, jewellers, cocktail bars and cafés are aplenty here. Flinders Street and its adjacent lane have loads of cool bars and clubs and plenty more randomly themed shops. Platform One is a club at the far end of Flinders Street Station, which is one long tunnel with fairly classy décor and a drum and bass menu. Another bar in this area is E55 on Elizabeth Street between Flinders Lane and Flinders Street. It's downstairs and is again littered with old couches and a relaxed vibe. Degraves Street has lots of great little places to lounge about with an espresso as does Centre Place, a laneway that's on the other side of Flinders Lane from Degraves Street - Very Melbourne, although very European at the same time. Those from the other side of the world will feel very at home here. There are plenty of bars, buildings and the like in this area, you just need to allow yourself to explore!

Arts Venues

This is a city with a heavy cultural heart and plenty of dedicated arts venues to suit. Federation Square is the new space age looking hub. It houses The National Gallery of Victoria and their vast collection of Australian artists. The Australian Centre for the Moving Image is also within the square, as are yet more cafes, restaurants and bars. The Victorian Arts Centre is also a fantastic venue just across the Yarra River. The Melbourne Concert Hall, the Theatres building and contemporary art galleries are all stylishly set up. The Arts Centre is definitely more regal yet also captures the modern essence of Melbourne's arts scene. There is always a dance performance, theatre show or symphony to entertain you. Melbourne has plenty more galleries, museums and venues to catch exhibitions and shows. These include the Melbourne Museum, Ian Potter Museum of Art, The Jewish Museum of Australia and The National Theatre in St Kilda. If you love the arts, Melbourne is the bomb.

Eat it

There couldn't be a guide to Melbourne without pointing you in the right direction food wise. Depending on your mood you can visit any country you like by simply jumping on a tram. Lygon Street is traditionally the Italian quarter, Victoria Street in Richmond will give you your pick of Vietnamese dishes and Swan Street has a couple of good Greek restaurants. Of course there is Chinatown in the city centre too. Brunswick Street in Fitzroy and Acland Street in St Kilda give you lots of choice for every modern food fare there is. Melbourne has some of the best vegetarian cafes and restaurants in the country too so you will be spoilt for choice if you're vego. The Veggie bar on Brunswick Street is particularly great and quite cheap. My budget just didn't allow me to taste test all Melbourne had to offer, but there are plenty of guides out there who did.

Where to shop

For those that can't resist shopping, even when on a backpacking budget, then let me point you in the right direction. I hit Brunswick Street for the more alternative boutiques and Chapel Street in Prahan /South Yarra for the trendier brand names. Greville Street in the same area has some funkier alternatives to Chapel Street. I was lucky enough to be there when some great bargains were on in the more expensive shops, but generally Melbourne is quite pricey for shopping. There are factory outlets in Melbourne on Bridge Street and Swan Street in Richmond with plenty of shops offering discounts but, to be honest, I didn't find anything! It was probably just one of those days though. Sometimes when you're looking too hard you just never find a thing. There are some boutiques in St Kilda too and the city pedestrian mall with all the major department stores runs down Bourke Street.

Footy Obsession

Melbourne has had an ongoing love affair with Aussie Rules Football for at least the last hundred years. There are nine teams in the national competition - that gives you some idea of their love for the game. Matches are played from April through to September at either the MCG or the Telstra Dome. The MCG would be the best place to catch a game, more often than not there at least 50,000 spectators a game! There's a lot of heart and soul from the loyal fans. It's a great way to spend a weekend night or afternoon. It's about $25 for a ticket and it is best to book for the bigger games. Check out www.afl.com.au for a low down on who's the team to catch. There are plenty of other sports you can see here including rugby league - The Melbourne Storm play at the Olympic park. Season time is the same as the footy. Albert Park is host to the Grand Prix in March and the Australian Open Tennis is played at Melbourne Park in January.

Relax

Make sure you take a visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens as well. You might need a break after all this shopping, eating and exploring. It's a beautiful spot right on the Yarra River in the city. It's also the venue for the open air cinema in the summer.

This short guide is just the tip of the iceberg. It will hopefully help those with a short time to navigate Melbourne and begin their exploration into the nooks and crannies of the city. Lift up the cushions and see what's inside.

Don't forget to let us know what you find in the forum