Rain in Perth might seem like a rarity, but in truth we have an average of 108 days of rain—so you do need to be a bit prepared as to what to do when the sky falls. Most of us can tell when it’s about to get wet—that wind picks up, the temp drops a few degrees, and the ants start running for their hills. But we don’t always deal well with what to do next, do we?
So instead of bunkering down or taking the car out for a treacherous 20km cruise down the freeway next time it rains, make like normal people do and just find a rain-friendly activity. From finding hidey-holes serving coffee or mulled wine, to perusing shops you always forget to visit, to stuffing yourself full of rainy day food and everything in between, here are a few of the best things to do in Perth when it rains.
Challenge Your Mates To A Bit Of Fun
What better way to keep busy on a rainy day than by losing yourself in a friendly game or two with your mates? For a spot of retro games with a side of boss-level booze and giant NYC pizzas, hideout at Perth’s fave retro arcade bar, Palace Arcade. They’ve got spots in Northbridge and Victoria Park but we’re heading straight to the new Fremantle joint to cosy up by the fireplace. If you feel like some nostalgic bowling vibes, head to Perth’s oldest Tenpin Bowl, Rosemount Bowl, or go a bit further afield to Melville’s Super Bowl or Zone Bowling in Morley. And then there's mini golf. Holey Moley has graced Perth with two fabulous mini golf haunts—one in Northbridge and one in Carousel so get swinging.
Get Cultured, Undercover
We all talk about how we should really go to the Cultural Centre more often—but when the days are sunny and warm, who wants to spend them inside? Rainy days are the perfect opportunity to get cultured. Visit the Art Gallery of WA, wander through Perth Institute of Contemporary Art (complete with a glass of wine and an epic grazing board at Picabar) or catch some drama at Blue Room Theatre. You could also make the hop, skip and jump over to the other side and hang out at the beautifully renovated WA Museum Boola Bardip or zip into the City of Perth Library and get some reading done.
Visit A Brewery
There’s something about wet weather that makes spending the whole day at a brewery feel justified. Lucky for you, Perth has wholeheartedly got the memo that urban breweries are a thing, so you don’t even have to travel far to drown your rainy-day sorrows. Head straight to Nowhereman Brewing, Little Creatures, Northbridge Brewing Co., Blasta Brewing or Feral Brewing Co. in the Swan Valley. Still not enough? Check out all of Perth’s best breweries.
Go For A Long Lunch
We’ve certainly no shortage of lunch options here in Perth, but rainy days call for a particular type of lingering long lunch—you know the kind. Try Hampton & Maley, Bread in Common or Il Lido. Or, we know they’re more summer venues, but why not head to a beachside restaurant and soak up those winter ocean vibes? The Shorehouse, Odyssea and Bathers Beach House are all stellar options.
Go Record Shopping
Look, it doesn’t need to be raining for this always-fun activity, but record shopping on a rainy day does feel rather romantic—it’s like you’re John Cusack in High Fidelity. If you’re sticking around the Northbridge/Perth City area, head to Safari's Record Shack, Noise Pollution, and Dada Records. Or, head out to the ‘burbs to grab some vinyl at Diabolik in Mt Hawthorn, Rhubarb Records in Victoria Park and Leederville, or Urban Records in Leederville. You could also pull into the new Local & Aesthetic cafe in Mount Lawley for a coffee and bite before you flick through the vinyl on offer in store from Rhubarb Records. There's also an art gallery so it's the perfect spot for a rainy day wander.
Go Book Shopping
Finding the right book takes time; and when it’s raining, you’ve got plenty of that. Favourites include Crow Books in Vic Park, the iconic Planet Books on Beaufort and Northside Books in Northbridge, but there are so many more amazing bookstores in Perth to spend a rainy day perusing.
Hide Away In A Bar
Probably most peoples’ go-to rainy day activity, finding a nice little hidey-hole to while away the rain sure does make for a delightful day. Head to one of these hidden bars and spend the day warming up with a few tipples.
Get Your Wintery Slurp On
As soon as the rain hits, so does the craving for pho, ramen or laksa. Don’t worry—we’ve got you covered on all fronts. Pho lovers, go straight to Viet Hoa or try one of these other un-pho-gettable places in Perth. Take it up a notch with a hearty ramen at one of the best ramen joints in town—IPPUDO or Ramen Keisuke Tonkotsu King—or really any one of these amazing ramen joints. If you wanna get really spicy, hit Red Chair for lunchtime laksa and Long Chim for dinner, or just any of these other places serving up Perth’s best laksa.
Get Jazzy With It
For a rainy night that you don’t just want to spend in: do not pass go, do not collect $200, just go straight to the Jazz Cellar. Park up with a pizza, BYO vino and then dance your absolute heart out to the most intimate, lively jazz you’ll experience in Perth. Or, why not stop by the Ellington Jazz Club or Pooles Temple for something a little more sultry? They're both open 'til the early morning, so you could hit them all in one night. And if you're down Freo way, hit up the Duke of George.
Eat Everything At The Fremantle Markets
This one’s a bit of a no brainer. Where better to be on a rainy day than a place where people are packed in like sardines for warmth, and plenty of food abounds? It’ll probably take you the whole day to get through this list of all of our favourite spots at these iconic markets. Swallow your guilt and indulge, it's raining after all.
Go Trampolining
Naysayers, leave. Going trampolining is fun, and anyone who says otherwise needs to go find their inner child. Perfect when it’s raining and cold (for some reason you get hotter quicker trampolining as an adult—wonder why that is?), there are plenty of places to get your bounce on in Perth. Head to Wanneroo’s Just Jump or BOUNCE Inc. in Cannington. You’ll be bouncing the real kids out of the way in no time (but actually don’t do that).
Become An Artist
In case you haven’t heard, the combination of painting while drinking wine has been made officially ‘a thing’ by a few Perth legends. Rainy weather calls for an evening with The Pickled Paintbrush or Cabernet & Canvas. Let the vino flow as the rain does, and your creative juices will follow suit.
Go To The Movies
Sounds simple, and it is. Rain is practically the cinema’s best friend. There’s nothing like getting comfy in a giant bean bag with a big ol’ thing of popcorn and catching a flick while the rain pours outside. Of course, we’re talking about heading to Girls School Cinema—Rooftop Movies wintery cousin, complete with outside fire pits for pre and post-movie hand warming. Luna Cinemas is also one of our faves year round.
Have A Staycation
If you want to escape the rain, staying in makes sense. But it doesn’t have to be in your own abode. Go for a park-side staycation at Tribe, a gorgeous little boutique hotel with simple but stunning rooms that may convince your Instagram followers you’ve jetted across to NYC. Or, try Alex Hotel in Northbridge where you can fill up on culture, food and cocktails while you stay dry. Of course, for something seriously upscale there’s always Crown Perth (that day spa though…) or COMO The Treasury. Otherwise, head to Freo and stay at Tradewinds, where you can swap wet shoes for river views and a standalone bathtub—their bar carts will help you ignore the rain. There’s also The Hougoumont—you can do rain-friendly things like breakfast at The Attic, peruse New Edition book store all morning, analyse some art at PS Art Space and hideaway at Ronnie Nights for the evening—or South Freo’s The Local Hotel.
Stream And Binge
We all knew it was coming eventually. There’s nothing quite like a lazy afternoon TV binge at home while the rain pours down outside (maybe finished off with some UberEATS). Pray your friend’s login is still saved to your keychain and set up for a Netflix marathon—find some Inspo on what to watch here.
Get Pampered
All hail rain, not for the farmers, but for its justification of our relentless need for massage. Hide away in one of Perth’s top massage spots and let magic hands wash away your troubles the way the rain outside washes away the ants.
Need more? Check out more awesome things to do in Perth.
Image credit: Palace Arcade
