Winter in Melbourne's not all that bad. We might not get any powder in the city, but the Southbank and South Wharf riverside precincts is embracing the cold by turning into a winter wonderland.
The Common Man restaurant and bar on Dukes Walks will be bringing back their riverside ice rink and toboggan slide from June 1 to August 31 this year. Dubbed Skate, Slide and Chill, the winter park by the river is on every day of the week all winter. Just some of the weekly highlights include discount tickets on Mondays, Date Night Thursdays where you can make the most of the drink-and-skate package, and RnB Friday.
If you need a break after all that skating, head to the Chill Out Zone to refuel with some winter warmers including hot pies, hot dogs, doughnuts, and South Melbourne Market dim sims. Lavazza will be dishing out coffees and hot chocolate while Absolut Vodka will be pouring cocktails if you need a different kind of winter warmer. Hungry? The Common Man will be offering dinner deals with your skate session tickets.
Eureka Skydeck is also getting in on the winter fun with a 40-metre ice slide in the heart of Southbank. Basically, you need to rug up and then enjoy a ride on a giant inflatable tube down the ice flow. Plus, if you're feeling particularly confident, your can race your mates – there are twin sliding lanes just for that purpose.