The Top Alternative Adventures in Melbourne

Clip ’N Climb Melbourne is to rock climbing what Elvis was to music in the ’50s, and changed the game for the better. Unlike traditional rock climbing, Clip ’N Climb does away with the human spotter at the bottom of the wall and opts for a mechanical pulley system that you clip onto and climb up at your own pace. When it’s time to go back down, you simply hold onto the rope and push off. The pulley system slowly extends with your body weight until you’ve reached the bottom. In addition to the myriad unique walls to climb on, they have two special activities: the giant drop slide and the leap of faith to complete a great day not for the faint hearted.

Trampolines are always fun, so a big warehouse where the floors are bouncy and pits of foam await your fall is one of the best places to spend an afternoon. The Bounce Inc. trampoline park is just that: with free jumping areas, trampoline slam-dunk areas, wall trampoline areas and dodge ball pits to choose from, whether you are just jumping up and down, or are doing flips and spins, Bounce Inc. will make you feel like a child all over again.

Work out your brain and not your body in the original Escape Room in Melbourne. You and a small group are put into a room with a sequence of puzzles to solve in order to ‘escape’. There is a time limit before the doors open and there is always somebody nearby to give a helping hand. The genre of interactive puzzles has exploded in popularity in recent times but the original is always the best. Escape Room Melbourne has six different locations across the city, each with its individual theme and unique puzzles. Whether you venture out to the Hospital Room in Oakleigh or the Magic Emporium in South Melbourne, you and your friends are guaranteed a good time.

One of the biggest and most popular sports in the world, the ‘other’ type of football played in Melbourne has just gotten a thousand times cooler. Players strap into a big, clear, bouncy hamster ball and try to score a goal. It sounds simple but it’s much harder in practice, with every player bouncing off each other. Whether you play the game, interfere with others or even bounce off the walls on your own, Bubble Soccer is a fun spin on a classic that will keep you wishing you had the giant hamster ball in everyday life.

If it’s over 40 degrees in the city and you’re looking to cool down then you can’t go wrong with pre-ice. Formerly known as the Medibank Icehouse, the O’Brien Icehouse is home to the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia. The arena has two world-class skating rinks for hours of ice skating fun. Skate hire is available as well as lessons and skating aids. If you’ve fallen in love with the ice, the arena also hosts sports including ice hockey, figure and speed skating and the ever-entertaining curling.