Whether you’ve lived here all your life or have spent just the one chilly lockdown in Melbourne you will know one thing - winter is frightful. Yes, it seems our southern city seems to comprehend the global notion that Australia is a country of endless sun, surf and sand, with freezing and consistently grey days making the city ideal for spending this time enjoying (mostly) indoors activities.

Thankfully, Melbourne has plenty of them, and many that can be experienced when caring for a disabled person.

So, whether you work at the best disability centre Melbourne has to offer, or at another one of the city’s high quality centres, here are some of the amazing winter activities you can enjoy with someone in your care:

1. Going to the footy

Melbourne is home to Australia’s favourite sport, Aussie rules football, and there is no better way to get amongst the city’s winter action than to grab yourself a couple of tickets and head on down to the MCG or Marvel Stadium to watch your favourite team.

Many of Melbourne’s disabled people are huge footy fans, and revel in the opportunity to go and see their favourite team battle it out on the biggest stage. So, one of the best and most exciting ways to enliven what could otherwise be a pretty gloomy Melbourne weekend is to get down to the footy!

2. NGV Winter Masterpieces

Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) is one of the Southern Hemisphere’s most impressive art galleries, with a continuous collection of stunning masterpieces from local and international artists.

But that’s not the only thing the NGV is known for, as it also houses the annual “Winter Masterpieces” collection, with each instalment hosting one of history’s most famous artists in its hallowed walls.

This year it happens to be the unmistakable Pablo Picasso gracing the legendary gallery, with over 70 works from the famed creator of cubism as well as important works from some of his contemporaries.

This is sure to be an unforgettable experience at a truly remarkable gallery, and what better way to spend a chilly Melbourne day than to enjoy some pieces from one of history’s most revered artists?

3. Enjoy Open House Melbourne

Melbourne is home to some of the world’s most luxuriously ornate buildings. After all, Melbourne was the world’s richest city in the late 1800s, meaning it was an easy place to build the likes of the town hall, parliament house and other stunningly luxurious structures.

Thankfully for Melbournians, we can have the opportunity to tour some of these grand old buildings as well as some more recent ones with the Open House Melbourne festival, scheduled annually in July.

For anyone who has ever been curious about the unique and hugely impressive buildings that line our city streets this is the perfect opportunity to do so, and perhaps a great way to get off the cold streets in order to see something spectacular.

4. Head to a cosy cafe

Because Melbourne winters can be just so cold, why would you not want to explore your local cafes and try some of the hearty winter offerings they put on their menu?

Melbourne is a cafe-loving city, and many offer extremely cosy places to sit back, enjoy a coffee and a meal amongst some truly enriching surroundings.

5. Go to the movies

Melbourne is a city that thankfully never turned its back on cinemas and so there is still pretty a much a cinema within a short distance from most centres, and it’s a pretty awesome way to spend a winter’s day, no?