PSA: If you've been procrastinating about posting a parcel back home for Christmas, you have just two days left to get yourself organised. The Australia Post Europe Christmas cut-off falls on Friday, so wrap up those Tim Tams and koala socks to send to your family and get down to the post office before Friday. Here is the latest from Melbourne for your Wednesday.

The Headlines

• Whether you're a tennis lover itching for the Open to start or just enjoy some midweek live sport—a charity warm-up has been announced for the week before the slam, and it's looking spicy. From the 7th-10th Jan, some of the big names—we're talking Alcaraz, Djokovic, and Sinner—will take over Melbourne Park to compete in a range of fun events. Tickets start at $15, and you can expect fast-paced tie-break tens, live DJs, and public practice sessions. A gorgeous way to spend an Aperol-fuelled summer evening.

• As much as we all love Melbourne, everyone needs a little country escape once in a while. Booking.com has released its list of top trending destinations in Aus for next year, and King Valley in regional Victoria has taken the top spot. Located just a three-hour drive north of Melbourne, King Valley is often dubbed a slice of Italy, and we must admit it's about as close to Tuscany as you can get in the Southern Hemisphere.

• If you've seen this video doing the rounds about CommBank charging $3 for cash withdrawals, we're here to save you the panic. After looking past TikTok as a news source and doing some digging, it seems the charge will only apply to assisted transactions—aka if a member of staff in a branch, post office, or on the phone helps you take some money out. Continue withdrawing cash for those silly FB Marketplace purchases in peace.

Where to Eat and Drink

Located in St Kilda, Babu Ji serves up Indian cuisine that's both traditional and playful, with chefs who clearly know their way around a spice rack. They offer both street food and classic dishes, all sourced from local ingredients and designed to be shared with friends over a cold beer from their neighbours, Freddie's. The butter chicken is reason enough to visit, but stay for the good vibes and the rest of the tasty menu. P.S. it’s on EatClub.

Where to Live

Two rooms are up for grabs in another St Kilda flat if you're looking to spend the summer down by the beach. The lease is up in Jan, but there's an option to extend if the friendship makes it that long. So much room for activities in the kitchen and lounge—a great party house for all the new friends you’ll make in The Espy loos the weekend you both move in.

Core selling point: Tom Ford coffee table book for a slice of luxury.

Where to Work

Calling all plant lovers—Melbourne Indoor Plants are hiring for casuals. There are actually tonnes of physical and mental health benefits to being absolutely surrounded by plants all day, so this job will literally have you bouncing off the walls. They have four locations around the city with opportunities at them all, so if you know your succulents from your monsteras, send in your CV. Surely they throw in some free or discounted plants for your own collection as a perk too.

Where to Go

Jamie xx is taking over PICA this evening, and there are still a handful of tickets left if you fancy being spontaneous. It's his first Aussie tour since 2015, but he's played many a London show since then, and if you've ever found yourself stage-hopping at a UK festival, you've probably seen him before without realising. Thursday's event has already sold out, so if you're looking for a midweek boogie, now's your chance.

Enjoying the Melbourne 417? Share this link with a friend.