Melbourne: In time step back

Our tour guides the gorgeous Miss Betty and Miss Shirley. Photo / Supplied

When it comes to shopping, Melbourne is definitely at the top of the list. There's temptation at every turn - from the galleries and designer boutiques on Flinders Lane to the sprawling Myers and David Jones departments stores; from the friendly outdoor markets to the designer showrooms on Chapel St or alternative fashions and homewares found in St Kilda.

Most savvy travellers today, however, like to get off the beaten track and discover those untouched pockets and places that aren't yet tarnished by the globalisation of tourism. When I arrive in a new city, I'm always overcome with a desire to go where the locals go, not where the tourist brochures say.

So it was with a little trepidation that I found myself on a Hidden Secrets Vintage Tour. But as I was soon to discover, this was about as far removed from an "Americans-in-plaid bus-tour-venture" as you can imagine.

We were met at our hotel by Miss Betty and Miss Shirley. Two gorgeous creatures dressed head-to-toe in 50s glamour dresses and sexy up-do's. In real life they're Lyn Gardener and Danielle Pumo who are dedicated and passionate fans of all things retro. The two live and breathe it, always dressing in vintage clothes and confessing that their homes are shrines to the past.

Outside we are ushered into two super-stylish cars - an old Mercedes and a Fiat 1500 - and we are off cruising out into unexplored territory, beyond the city centre. First stop is Gigi a la maison (307 Coventry St, South Melbourne. Ph: 9699 9630). This is a gentrified part of town, where locals sit outside cafes on a sunny morning reading the papers and digging into hearty breakfasts and plenty of strong coffee - a Melbourne institution. We meet Gigi's brocanteuse, Lee Bower, who delights us with her enthusiasm for all things French.

The store is cram-packed with everything from beautiful china and elegant glassware to lamps, market bags - even Gauloise matchboxes. Bower specialises in French enamelware and her sister-in-law who lives in Carcassonne in the south of France ensures there's a constant supply of new product.

Before we blow out the budget on the first stop, we're back in the cars and on to Gardener's own store Empire Vintage (63 Caragan Pl, Albert Park. Ph: 9682 667) and a treasure trove of fabulous finds. Lyn has had the store for 15 years and is it is a favourite with magazines such as Vogue Living and Elle Decoration which often source products for photo shoots from here. You can find everything from vintage lingerie and floral fabrics to custom-made jewellery and furniture. I can't resist a feather and bead brooch which will be perfect as a headpiece at a burlesque wedding I'm going to soon, while my friend gets lost in the room upstairs among the old fur stoles and frilly dresses before settling on an art deco-style necklace.

At the start of the tour Miss Betty and Miss Shirley had presented us all with a beautiful handmade shopping bag, and these are starting to bulge with our various finds. Before we leave the area, we have time to get a quick fix of the modern when we nip into the fashion boutiques Paper Doll and Maggie Potter, situated on either side of Empire Vintage.

There's still a lot of ground to be covered in our journey into the past, and we are soon whisked off to Izzi & Popo (258 Ferrars St, South Melbourne. Ph: 9696 1771). On the drive to this antique shop which specialises in European furniture, especially from Belgium, Lyn chats away, telling us about her favourite cafes and bars. It's like hanging out with a good friend. At Izzi & Popo, owners Bernadette and Harry tempt us with a selection of beautiful polished antique sidetables, ornate wall lamps and one-off pieces - including a zinc bathtub - that don't come cheap. Downstairs in the basement there's a shipment of ceramics, cafe chairs and a gorgeous chaise longue that would look perfect in my living room. I settle instead for some old-fashioned printer's blocks - they'll fit in my suitcase more easily.

"Nostalgia ain't what it used to be" is the catch-cry at the quirky Arthur's Circus (631 Queensberry St, North Melbourne. Ph: 0412 713 202). Named after the owners' young son, this store specialises in vintage toys, collectables, lighting and photography. I'm tempted to buy an original Planet of the Apes colouring book, a set of cowboy and indian figurines, and a funky equipoise lamp, but it's a tea-towel printed with an original World War II slogan "Keep Calm and Carry On" that ends up in my shopping bag.

From here we head to the Thread Den Sewing Lounge (Level 1, 16-18 Errol St, North Melbourne. Ph: 9329 5305). Now here's a cool idea. In an age where the art of sewing on your own buttons is a dying skill, the Thread Den is giving people the chance to learn how to design and make their own clothes. It's kind of like an internet cafe but instead of computers there are sewing machines you can hire by the hour. It's a social place and there are experts on hand to help out. Plus there's a shop which sells some of the newly-created designs alongside some great vintage clothes. My shopping buddy picks up a great dress for $4 but decides against an old-fashioned ruched floral swimsuit.

Max Watts Industria (202 Gertrude St, Fitzroy. Ph: 9417 1117) is next on the tour. As its moniker indicates, this store is full of furniture fittings, lighting and objects made from industrial and commercial pieces. Many were sourced from the old Melbourne hospital and have been turned by the owners into works of art and a range of furniture called IndustriaX. Metal tables on wheels, steel medical cabinets, ancient surgical equipment, road signs, old wall maps: it's all here.

When it comes to vintage clothing, the last store on our tour has the creme de la creme. Circa Vintage Clothing (102 Gertrude St, Fitzroy. Ph: 9419 8899) is owned by Nicole Jenkins and specialises in pre-1965 clothes. The year, she explains, that youth culture hit the headlines, women started giving up their hats and gloves and clothing manufacturing started being offshore in Asia.

There is a small quantity of Victorian and Edwardian garments, a few 1920s, but the majority is from the Golden Era of the 1940s and 50s. Some of the best garments in Circa have come from an antique dealer whose mother and grandmother had great taste in the best French couture, says Nicole.

"I've been able to offer my customers unique items like a 1920s hand-painted coat by Poiret, a post-WW2 sequinned jacket by Lanvin and an early opera cape by Callots Soeurs. Restoration projects still in the pipeline include a beaded 1920s gown by Chanel, a crepe 1930s Schiaparelli and a boudoir gown by Vionnet. These garments are rarely seen outside a museum: I love being able to offer people a chance to see one in the flesh."

To round off our shopping tour, Miss Betty and Miss Shirley take us to a picnic lunch on the fake-grass covered balcony of the super-kitsch Madame Brussels - a cafe/bar named after a Melbourne brothel-keeper from the late 1800s. We sit and drink Pimms in the sunshine and admire our purchases as waiters in tennis whites serve customers cucumber sandwiches, cupcakes and sausage rolls.

The manager, Miss Pearl, regales us with stories about the bar and its namesake and tells us we must all come back next year for the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, when she'll be putting on a show with three sommeliers called How Not to Drink Wine Like A Wanker.

In a world of globalisation and mass-consumerism, you learn to treasure the unique and the original. And Miss Pearl is most definitely an original - just like this tour, the people we've met along the way and our fantastic finds.

CHECKLIST

Details: A Vintage Tour is one of many organised by Hidden Secret Tours - a company that specialises in tailored tours for small groups in Melbourne.

Getting there: Air New Zealand flies to Melbourne up to three times daily. To book, phone 0800 737 000 or visit an Air New Zealand Holidays Store.