Hello Reader, Most weeks I'm in your inbox sharing a great café, a day trip idea, or something fun happening around Melbourne. This week, I wanted to share something a little different. One thing I know about this community is that you're brilliant at spreading the word. So I've introduced something new — a quarterly Community Giveback — using what we're already good at to support the people doing great work in Melbourne. Each quarter, we'll choose one local Melbourne charity and share their...
9 days ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader, It's Kaye here. Picture an Australian weatherboard house, frozen in time, sitting inside Chadstone's polished retail space — that's Rone's HOME installation. The Melbourne-based street artist, known for his immersive works in abandoned spaces, has created a nostalgic walk through a home and backyard the occupants seemingly left decades ago and never returned to. Every room is layered with faded furnishings, forgotten household items and dusty surfaces — quiet traces of a life...
16 days ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader, It’s Angie here, With all the recent changes to public transport fares, I thought I’d share a simple reminder that’s easy to overlook — free weekend travel for Seniors Myki holders is still available anywhere in Victoria. I decided to give it a proper test. Instead of driving, I hopped on a spotless McHarry’s bus into Geelong, caught the train into Melbourne, and made a day of it. First stop was the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, where I spent a happy hour wandering through...
23 days ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader, I recently asked some of our Seniors in Melbourne contributors to tell us about their Melbourne "happy place" — somewhere they return to for a sense of calm, connection, nostalgia, or simply because it makes them smile. The responses were wonderful. Some chose well-known landmarks, others picked quiet corners of the city. What I love is that the article isn't really about the places themselves. It's about the memories, routines and moments that have made those places special...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader, Nadine here this week. I'll be honest with you — I had my doubts. When I set off to reach Lake Tyrrell, a remote pink mirror lake in the Wimmera, entirely by public transport, I half-expected something to go wrong. A missed connection. A full coach. A timetable that simply didn't add up. What I didn't expect was Steve. Steve is a V/Line coach driver on the Sea Lake to Bendigo run. By the time I boarded at 5.40 in the morning, he had already completed his walk, cleaned the...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader, You've probably heard that public transport fares have been reduced by 50% for all passengers until 1 January 2027. That means both full fare and concession travellers are benefiting from lower prices across trains, trams and buses throughout Victoria. For Seniors Myki holders, this brings the midweek daily cap down to $2.85 (normally $5.70) — and of course, weekends remain free for Seniors Myki card holders. It’s making it noticeably more affordable to get out and about,...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Hi Reader, If travel has been sitting on your mind lately, you’re not alone. Over the past year, I’ve heard from so many readers planning that “big trip” they’ve always talked about — whether it’s seeing Japan’s cherry blossoms, cruising through Vietnam, or finally standing on the Great Wall of China. One tour company that keeps coming up in conversations with our readers is Wendy Wu Tours. We’ve featured them before and received plenty of positive feedback from travellers who loved the...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hello Reader, It’s Kaye here (yes, another Kaye in the community!), We know how easy it is to navigate the streets of Melbourne CBD, but have you ever thought about how this plan all began? I recently visited the Hoddle Grid – The Great Land Grab exhibition at the Royal Historical Society of Victoria and found it fascinating. The exhibition explores Melbourne’s very first land sale in 1837, but what I particularly enjoyed was learning about the colourful mix of people who bought the land —...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader, I came across something interesting recently that felt worth sharing. Governments around Australia are encouraging people to check whether they have any unclaimed money sitting in state revenue offices — and apparently there are millions of dollars waiting to be claimed. In Victoria, this can include things like forgotten bank accounts, unclaimed refunds, old rent or bond money, dividends, sale proceeds, and even uncashed cheques. It only takes a few minutes to search the...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read