Unfortunately, winter not only brings with it an arctic chill but a penchant for rainfall, and nagging rainfall at that.
Preparing yourself for the icy trek to the train station, you decide against the umbrella, but then it begins to trickle… damnit! Well that’s Melbourne for you.
Many of us may be tempted to cancel plans and stay home with a good book – it’s called a “rain check” for a reason – but there’s still plenty to do if you’ve brave (and protected by an Arc’teryx). As the long three months of gloom arrive, get around these rainy activities and you’ll be elated, umbrella or not.
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Catch a flick at a winter film festival
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There’s nothing like a matinee to get you out of the drizzle – for an hour and a half, at least. Luckily, winter brings countless film festivals covering almost any criteria you can imaging. Like outsider cinema and indie films? The Brunswick Underground Film Festival is your jam.
There are festivals for Spanish and Latin American films, Nordic films, children’s film, German films, French films and more, if you can imagine. The St Kilda Film Festival and the Melbourne International Film Festival are the biggest an most diverse, so look there first.
Play board games in a bar
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Board games are the ultimate activities to pass the winter by. Backgammon, Scrabble, Jenga, Cluedo… take your pick, it’s time to battle, even if the pieces are a little sticky. Why not take your housemate dispute down to the local and iron out who trumps once and for all?
Melbourne’s best bars and cafés with board games include the Rooks Return, Boardies and the Marche Board Game Cafe. For something more digital but still involving human interaction, there’s always Fortress.
Liberate your imagination at a gallery
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Rain, hall or shine, Melbourne’s galleries do not disappoint. The National Gallery of Victoria is always a home of frivolity. If it’s grandiose stature is not enough to enchant you, step inside and meander the maze of unrestrained ingenuity.
For more quirky offerings, the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art is easily digestible but always packs a punch, and Science Gallery Melbourne is full of weird and educational curiosities.
Fall over and get up again at the ice rink
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Instead of dreading its miserly vice, how about embracing the winter months at the O’Brien Icehouse? Release your inner Blades of Glory and strap yourself in, Melbourne’s premier ice skating facility provides opportunities for free skating and even skate lessons, if that’s your thing. Just don’t listen to Chumbawamba’s Tubthumping before you go. If you’re more of a sidelines kind of guy, you can also check out an ice hockey game
And who knows? Maybe in a few years, you’ll be able to check out the snow tunnel…
Shop Melbourne’s iconic arcades
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The Melbourne CBD is a maze of hidden treasures if you’re not afraid to peek around an unknown corner. On rainy days, the Royal Arcade and the Block Arcade still deliver plenty of natural light thanks to their large skylight ceilings. There’s, you’ll find boutiques selling fragrance, gourmet spices, jewellery and apparel.
Otherwise, check out the basement of the CBD to snap a pic in a photo booth or pick up a cool accessory, grab a bite in the Mid City Centre or venture forth into the liminal space that is The Paramount…
Do an activity while you drink
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The drinking’s a given. But there are only so many time you can pull up a chair at the local put before you run out of things to talk about. Why not add a little zest with an activity?
Chuck on Happy Gilmore on a Saturday arvo, then head down to Holey Moley to bust out your best Adam Sandler impressions. Mini golf or not, this is the perfect spot to escape the rain – there’s a bar, karaoke and 27 holes of endless entertainment awaiting you. If you’re not a golf guy, you can always play a round of buck hunter at Archie Brothers, shoot some pool at Bills Billiards Club, or throw some darts (or beer pong balls) at i Darts Hive.
Wine and dine
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Winter foods must be three things: warm, hearty and delicious. Everyone has their own favourites. Whether you prefer spicy sundubu jigae, a tender pub roast, tongue-tingling hot pot or smokey American barbecue, our city is filled with places to eat your heart out before going home to hibernate.
Plus, many venues have winter specials on to try and lure people down during the quiet season. For bargain cocktails this winter, head to Stokehouse – they are matching drink prices to the temperature, so the colder it is, the less you’ll spend.
Read or don’t read at the State Library
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The State Library of Victoria is within itself a normal library, yet it can be so much more. Peruse the endless shelves, or scale the stairs and see what the higher reaches have to offer. There are also regular free exhibitions and activities with landmark display, transforming the quiet halls into a vibrant place of exploring.
You also can’t beat picking up a new book at the Readings attached and reading it in a cozy nook with a hot choco \ in your hand.
For more on what’s happening in Melbourne, head here.
