6 Of The Best Rainy Day Activities That Aren’t Just Binging Netflix
We Aussies have a lot to brag about, but one thing we do not do well is wet weather. Spoiled with a beautiful climate for 90 percent of the year, we don’t know what to do with ourselves when the skies begin to fall. Here’s how to rectify the rainy day blues.
You don’t need to retreat inside with a diary full of cancelled plans as soon as it starts drizzling – we’ve curated a list of rainy day activities that might be better when it’s grey and wet outside. And no, Netflix binges aren’t on there.
Here are six ways to amp up the cosy factor and safely take advantage of the wet weather.
NB: Due to extreme weather along Australia’s east coast, please do heed warnings for your local areas and stay home if advised.
#1 Time for a city staycation
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This is a wonderful time for a city staycation. Hit up those CBD hotels you always tell yourself you’ll get to one day, the ones you probably worry about booking because you won’t spend enough time inside the beautiful room to justify the expense.
Select a room with a bathtub for maximum vibes and if there’s a view, even better – you can stare out the window through moody rain drops as the main character you truly are. Hotels also usually have gyms, a restaurant and maybe even a rooftop, plus you’ll be close to the city’s slew of fab eateries. Read: you’re all set with every desire at your fingertips.
#2 Savour that self care
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There’s a particular brand of cosy satisfaction that can’t be beat and a great way to experience it is by treating yourself to the ultimate in rainy day activities: self care rituals. These slow you down, helping settle you into the rhythm of the day. As someone who lived in the hills of Bali, this was my norm for a year and I absolutely loved it.
Splurge on a massage or spa treatment (and definitely take a long, hot bath) at your hotel, or if you decide to stay home, book yourself in for some kind of healing or relaxation modality in your local neighbourhood – whether that’s a massage, infrared sauna session, facial, mani pedi, acupuncture, energy work or even a psychic reading. Bonus: the latter two can usually be done via Skype or Zoom if leaving the house is totally off the cards.
#3 Work through your must-eat and drink list
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Don’t write off meals or drinks out just because it’s raining. A simple change in mentality and suddenly you feel like you’re in Europe or New York City, escaping into the vibey, dimly-lit restaurants and drinking dens of the city.
Plus there’s a huge bonus to the rain: if you’re inclined to cancel a dinner reservation to stay home, then imagine how many other people are having that exact thought. Ergo, if there’s an eatery or bar you’ve been dying to get to but it’s always booked out, now is probably a great time to nab a cancellation.
#4 Hit up your local galleries
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Unless it’s your ‘thing’, meandering the galleries and museums of your city is something you probably don’t regularly prioritise, so there’s no time like the present to take in the creations on offer. As far as rainy day activities go, immersing yourself in other worlds and stimulating your mind is up there.
#5 Take in a show or head to the movies
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Sometimes we forget that streaming shows at home isn’t the only form of entertainment available to us. Remember the movie theatre? Remember the theatre theatre? Post-pandemic, it’s still a novelty we can attend screenings and shows and as someone who recently went to my first play in over a year, I can vouch for the fact it was stupidly exciting.
#6 Join in trivia at the pub
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The local pub is a great place to hang regardless of the weather, but add trivia into the mix and you’ve got a rainy day activities no-brainer. While a regular trivia night is always a classic, there are some other pretty solid options about these days, like Sydney’s The Unicorn Hotel running Cards Against Humanity nights or The Imperial Hotel’s “thigh-slapping” trivia night with alternating drag queen hosts as well as Wheel of (mis)Fortune.
(Lead images: Ragazzi Wine + Pasta / Instagram; Paramount House Hotel / Instagram)
