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Exciting Easter holiday ideas

Victoria Brown

Mon Apr 02 2012

auscarts

TIRED from tests and exams? Make the most of your Easter holidays and recharge with activities that will get your heart racing and adrenaline pumping. Meld reporter Victoria Brown shows you how.

Can you believe we’re already halfway through the semester? If you’re feeling a little tired after ploughing through all those readings, assignments and tests, the Easter holiday is a good chance to take some time out to unwind and recharge.

Indoor racing

The Australian F1 may have come and gone, but speed junkies can still get their fix at Auscart indoor racing.

Racing in a 6.5 horsepower professional kart which can reach up to 50km an hour is a thrill. You will also be challenging your friends and racing against the clock to achieve the best speed when you cross that chequered flag.

Prices start at $45, and there are racing packages available for large groups which provide a full racing experience (including a podium presentation for the top three drivers). If you have a small group or if you want to kart individually, you could go for the Arrive and Drive.

Photo: James H-K

Paintball

Unleash your stress and fury with a good game of paintball. Channel your inner Rambo and attack your enemy using different approaches and tactics. A paintball game can have different scenarios and a variety of sites, so you won’t get bored with the same-old game. But be warned that this adrenaline pumping game is not for the faint-hearted and getting shot by a paintball can leave one nasty bruise.

There are different packages available that start at around $45, inclusive of equipment hire and paintball ammunition. A couple of  places worth checking out include Melbourne Indoor Paintball, Ministry of Paintball, and further World Series Paintball.

Lasertag

Experience the sport that Barney Stinston loves most – Lasertag. Challenge your friends, family or workmates in an adrenalin pumping battle with the latest laser weapons. Without the pain of paintball, you will be armed with advanced laser weapons and combat vests. The mission is to manoeuvre around the indoor battleground to score as many points against the enemy team and stay alive. Play at Laser Skirmish ( Crown, Clayton, Maribyrnong) or Laserquest (Knox).

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9rXUWujgrY[/youtube]

Sky diving

If you want to try something wild and crazy like jumping off a completely functional plane, then sign up at the Melbourne Sky Dive Centre. Experience the Great Ocean Road and Yarra Valley views from a birds-eye view while free falling at speeds of 220km per hour with the sound of the loud rushing of air, followed by a smooth parachute landing of course.

If you’re struggling with conquering your nerves, then you’d be pleased to know that you won’t be doing it on your own. Participants are strapped onto a Tandem Skydive instructor who will take care of pulling open the parachute and landing. You will also be briefed and go through preparations and practices.

With prices starting at $299, skydiving is probably not the cheapest activity – but it’d definitely be an experience to remember for a lifetime.

Sports Tours

If you haven’t figured by now, Australians are mad about sports. Melbourne Sports Tours offers an immersion into Melbourne’s sporting culture through personal guided tours of the city that hosts some of the world’s best sporting events.

You can sign up for half or full day tours, led by experienced and knowledgeable hosts who will take you behind the scenes of sporting venues such as MCG, Rod Laver Arena, Flemington Racecourse and the Etihad Stadium.

Tours will cost you in excess of $100, but by the end of the tour, Melbourne’s sporting obsession may have just rubbed off on you, as you understand how, in this city, sports is a way of life.


Carlton Brewhouse

In addition to sports, Aussies also love their beer, and you won’t need any convincing after a brewery tour at the Carlton Brewhouse.

It’s home to some of Australia’s favourite beers (Carlton Draught, VB, Pure Blonde, Foster’s), and more than 2 million litres of beer is brewed a day and more than 1000 stubbies bottled every minute. Crazy huh?

Gain insight into the history and tradition of beer brewing in Australia, and of course, a brewery tour wouldn’t be complete without some complimentary tastings of fresh, cold beer afterwards. You may even want to dress up as an original Carlton Draught Sky Trooper, or try your luck at beer trivia or beer celebrity heads.

Tours are normally $25 for adults and $20 for concession and groups of 10 or more; and you can take advantage of the summer/autumn special and receive an additional tour for free if you book two or more tours.

Melbourne International Comedy festival

Laughter is, as they say, the best medicine. Catch a show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival if you feel a dose of hilarity is in order to take your mind off the stress of school – if only momentarily.

There’s another upside to it too. Tickets average $22, so it definitely won’t break your budget.

And if you’re spoilt for choice wondering which of the more than 400 shows to watch, here are some of our recommendations.

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