Weekend adventure ideas that will help you recharge
The French word for weekend is “le weekend”; clearly, the idea of a break after five days of labour is an ancient tradition that started before both languages split from their Romantic origins. As such, it’s absolutely permissible for you to want to enjoy these two days before the drummed up boredom of your life starts all over again. Weekenders are a perfect way to unwind, declutter, refresh, disentangle, and even upskill, so it’s good to have a few ideas on the go for those weekends between assignments or for when you have lost the will to live.
Camping
If waking up at sparrow’s fart with cold feet and a wombat licking your face after a night tossing and turning between broken twigs on the ground gets you going, camping is your number one weekender option.
In all seriousness, there is much joy to be had in camping the ground outdoors and leaving civilisation for dead. Campfires, dehydrated snacks, beanies, sleeping bags; its all there for the taking, if you can handle the elements and the radio silence from the real world. Take a bunch of friends up to your local campsite, pack a deck of cards or a boardgame, and let rip the good times.
Antiquing
If your weeks are that bad that you need to really glam up for a weekender, antiquing is probably your best bet. Situated somewhere in the realm of 19th Century England, with posh accents and toffs to boot, antiquing will take you to your friendly countryside for a weekend of pretending to notice the different varieties in wine and spending too much for a penne pasta dish you could have made at home.
Jokes aside, a country weekend usually brings out the best in people, and is similar to the camping option but with workable showers. Pick a town a few hours from your home and head there; and with a burgeoning crop of rural communities, there is certainly a lot to keep you entertained.
Road tripping
The humdrum of metropolitan existence calls for an expansive and isolating adventure, and nothing fits this bill more than literally driving the opposite direction to where you live for five to six hours and staying put. Road trips (with the right sort of friends) are a godsend for the intrepid because they combine unique landscapes with a Spotify playlist to suit every occasion.
Given that 85% of the Australian population lives within 100km of the coast, a roadtrip to a coastal town is definitely on the cards, and the Aussie coastline has plenty to offer. Tee up a hostel or AirBnB for two nights and see what happens. If that’s not what you’re into, go bushwalking through national parks or explore country town hidden gems. Just remember that a roadtrip is only as good as the backseat DJ.
Touristing (in your own city)
It wouldn’t be the craziest of ideas to book a hotel room in your own city for the weekend and put on your tourist cap. Having a staycation where you do all the things a tourist would do is a fun and unique way to see your city in a different light. It also cuts out the issue of travel, which eats into the precious 48 hours of time you have to enjoy yourself on a weekend.
Rory Marples
Rory is studying a Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery at the University of Notre Dame.