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 and as the long three months of gloom arrive, get around these rainy activities and you’ll be elated, umbrella or not.
Catch a flick at Thornbury Picture House
As summer said hello to autumn, Thornbury welcomed a new creative stablemate. The Thornbury Picture House is a hub for independent films that might not get a wide release and has recently shown everything from revered 1987 cult classic Withnail and I to Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs to Gurrumul, a documentary on the celebrated late Indigenous musician. Transformed from an old 1919 motor garage, the vintage charm is not lost on Thornbury Picture House.
802 High St, Thornbury
Play board games in a bar
Board games are the ultimate activities to pass the winter by. Backgammon, Scrabble, Cluedo, take your pick, it’s time to battle. Why not take your housemate dispute down to the local and iron out who trumps once and for all? Collingwood’s The Fox will have you, so will 29th Apartment in St Kilda. Let the games begin.
Liberate your imagination at NGV International
Rain, hall or shine, 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. As the rainy days arrive, NGV International will become the butler of New York’s seminal MoMa gallery. Coinciding with MoMa, kids will be let free amongst the skyscrapers of NYC in a large-scale participatory installation of the American colossus.
180 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne
Fall over and get up again at the ice rink
Instead of dreading its miserly vice, how about embracing the winter months at the 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.
105 Pearl River Rd, Docklands
Refurbish your wardrobe at Vintage Garage
Two locations of wall-to-wall vintage clothing, furniture and other paraphernalia, Vintage Garage is the perfect place to trawl as the raindrops pitter patter above your head. They’ve got two sheds now, one on Smith St and another in Preston, so it’s never been more convenient to revamp your home or wardrobe. Many of the garage’s items are collected exclusively from America, meaning they’re the rarest of the rare.
318 Smith St, Melbourne and 1 Newman Street, Preston
Drink and play mini golf
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. You might need more than Chubbs’ wooden arm to win this battle.
590 Little Bourke St, Melbourne
Wine and dine on the Tramcar Restaurant
Yes, that’s right — Melbourne’s home to a tram and restaurant at the same time. An activity which is sometimes overlooked within the city’s matchless food battery, invites you for a four-course luncheon, a three-course early dinner or five-course late dinner. As you tuck into the very best Australian cuisine the Tramcar has to offer, cast your moving gaze as the silhouette of Luna Park is masked by mother nature’s droplets.
Tram Stop 125, Normanby Road, South Melbourne
Read or don’t read at the State Library
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 regular exhibitions and activities with landmark display, The Changing face of Victoria, the Library’s current drawcard — exceptional photographs tell the story of the state’s evolution.
328 Swanston St, Melbourne
