Perth is home to some incredible bars and restaurants that shake up delicious cocktails, curate the best wine lists and stock amazing beers on tap, but sometimes a night off the sauce is just what the doctor ordered.
Luckily, Perth is also home to some excellent escapades that don’t require a blood alcohol volume of over zero.
Don’t wait for Dry July and Sober October to give booze the flick for a day or two, here are 10 things to do in Perth that aren’t drinking.
Pamper Yourself
If there’s one thing in this world we’d swap day drinking for, it’s a day spa. Or rather, SurFACEskin Clinic in Subiaco. These guys set the standard when it comes to dermal therapy and helping their clients reach their true skin potential — so if you’re looking for a revitalising alternative to drinking, we think this is a pretty good trade-off. Their extensive range of services has your health and wellbeing covered from inside out, with treatments like their Full Body Vaculase Massage & LED Light Therapy, Lymphatic Enzyme Therapy and they even stocking BEAR Ltd Essential Daily Superpowders & Vitamins for internal wellbeing. The best part? If you book and purchase either of these in-clinic treatments from now until end February you’ll receive a complimentary Custom SurFACEskin Home Facial Kit. Staying sober never looked so good.
Swing A Hole In One
It’s official, Perth’s mini golf scene is lit. From Holey Moley’s pop culture themed holes to glow in the dark mini golf at Glowing Rooms, you’ll be too busy holding your club with both hands to notice you’re not drinking. And unlike pool and darts, your mini golf game actually benefits from sobriety. Here are our favourite spots to take a swing.
Unleash Your Inner Viking
Perth’s first axe-throwing arenas launched onto the scene last year, and while Vikings probably wouldn’t steer away from the booze, it’s definitely not recommended to swing sharp blades around with a beer in hand. Whether you hit Maniax or Lumber Punks you’re guaranteed a good time.
Bust Your Way Out Of An Escape Room
While we can’t guarantee your friendship will get out unscathed, escape rooms are another great activity to do dry. You’ll need to keep your wits about you to decode messages and bust your way out again. Perth is serving up plenty of options in the escape room realm, from the super scary serial killer hunts to the more friendly Sherlock-style sleuth missions.
Chase Some Gains
We get subbing cocktails for exercise isn’t quite what you imagined when signing up for a dranks-free day, but trust us when we say bouldering is actually exercise in one of its most fun forms. That doesn’t mean it’s not hard though, so prepare accordingly. Here are our favourite spots to go bouldering and rock climbing in Perth. You can thank us for the abs later.
Get Drunk On LOLs
Laughter gives you the glow of a few red wines, just without the hangover. Get down to Perth’s Comedy Lounge where they’re dishing out the laughs almost every day of the week or make a beeline for Lazy Susan’s Comedy Den at The Brisbane to catch the magic of improv comedy with The Big Hoo Haa.
Road Trip Responsibly
Unless you’re stopping over for the night, alcohol has no place on a road trip, but that definitely does not mean you won’t have fun. Load up your favourite Spotify playlist and get ready to explore a different side to Perth and its lovely surrounds. Whether you want to go north, south, east or west, we’ve got you covered with a road trip here. And if you did want to stay overnight, we recommend this one.
Discover A Secret Swimming Spot
There’s no denying it, Cottesloe, Scarborough and Trigg all have beautiful beaches, but when you’re not in the mood for fighting for a parking spot, Perth has some secret swimming spots perfect for taking a dip in. Pack your book, a few snacks, water and suncream into your beach bag and discover something on your doorstep that you never knew existed.
Binge At A Buffet
When we suggested taking a day off the grog we didn’t say you couldn’t eat to excess. Eat your stomach into oblivion at one of Perth’s best buffets featuring everything from chocolate fountains and massive displays of cheese. There’s even a vegan buffet to smack your lips around.
Take A Ship To Shore
It’s time to prove to our favourite little island off the coast of Perth that we’re respectful human beings. Rottnest has seen a lot of binge drinking at Pinky’s in her time (thanks Leavers), but she’s good for a whole lot more than that if you put down the prosecco. Whether it’s glamping, perfecting the art of the quokka selfie, cycling around the island, lapping up a luxe spa treatment or gorging on tasty baked goods, we’ve got your ultimate Rotto itinerary right here.
Want more? Here are the best things to do in Perth, drinking or not.
Image credit: Louise Coghill