Daily Detours for the Week of November 13

Featuring a brunch of fried chicken, waffles and dips you paint on.
Libby Curran
November 13, 2017

Daily Detours for the Week of November 13

in partnership with

Featuring a brunch of fried chicken, waffles and dips you paint on.

When your nine-to-five plays out like a well-oiled machine, it can sometimes feel like each week is a little same-same. But Melbourne is brimming with a fine bounty of things to experience and explore each and every day. So aside from casual laziness and a little lack of inspiration, there's really nothing stopping you from squeezing some adventure and spontaneity into your schedule.

We've teamed up with Mazda3 to help you celebrate the little things that bring a sense of adventure to life. Shake things up, as we give you seven different detours to take each week in Melbourne. From Monday to Sunday, enrich your everyday with one completely achievable activity that inspires you to take the scenic route as you go about your daily routine.

This week, test your bouldering skills, enjoy a four-course meal at IDES for $70 and bike to Abbotsford for a day at the Convent. Plus, we've got your future detours sorted for the new few weeks here.

All require no more effort than a tiny break from the norm — what's your excuse for not trying them all?

  • 7

    Mondays can be rough. We know it. You know it. And the folks behind Northcote Social Club know it better than anyone, which is why they’ve devised a plan to make the start of your week that little bit easier to swallow. Introducing Wind It Up, a free weekly Monday night live music session to help you cruise through the start of that week like a total boss. Just as you’d expect from one of northside’s favourite live music haunts, there’ll be tunes — and lots of ’em, with a trio of homegrown heroes taking the stage from 8.30pm each week. And in case you burnt through a little too much coin over the weekend, entry is totally free. Plus, there are also a few cheeky specials to get into, including $15 parmas of both the eggplant and the chicken variety.

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  • 6
    Bouldering at Hardrock Nunawading

    If you’ve ever seen the Hardrock climbing centre on Swanston Street and thought Holy hell, looks fun but I wish that was more horizontal than vertical’, bouldering might be your new thing. Bouldering, if you haven’t heard, is the safer and more strategic cousin of rock climbing. Instead of going up, and panicking at the top, during bouldering you pick a route along a series of graded hand and footholds — and if you mess up, the worst that can happen is that you jump off onto the mats. The bouldering centre at Hardrock Nunawading is a bit of a trek but the $12 entry fee covers you for an entire day of monkeying about. But be warned, if you’re new to this your arms will certainly ache the next day.

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  • 5

    Now, a weekday trip to IDES might sound like pure madness to anyone who wants to pay their rent this month. You usually wouldn’t get out the door without a hefty bill (fair payment for a very satisfied stomach), unless you’re brave. The IDES sample tables are offered on Tuesday and Wednesday, and you’ll get a four-course meal for only $70 a head. But there’s a catch — the dishes on your menu aren’t on the menu. It’s a chef’s selection of new dishes, so you’ll effectively be the guinea pig for a very experimental (and ex-Attica) chef Peter Gunn and, frankly, we can’t think of a more exciting way to spend a mid-week evening. 

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  • 4

    Every summer evening at 8.30pm, 9pm, 9.30pm and 10pm something magical happens at the MPavilion. Settle in after work to enjoy a specially recorded composition of Philip Brophy’s Stadium: A Neo-Tokyo Terrasound Cosmophony, as part of this year’s Twilight Ritual. What do all those words mean? Well, it’s a reimagined score based on themes from the classic 1998 anime Akira. To film buffs, it’ll be familiar and new at the same time, and for everyone else, it’ll just be damn cool. The score is accompanied by a light show, created by designers bluebottle and is completely free. We recommend watching Akira beforehand to get the most out of it, and also because, honestly, you can never watch that film too many times.

    Image: Toho/Akira.

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  • 3

    The Night Noodle Markets are back, and this year they have 30 different stalls that have descended on Birrarung Marr for over a whopping 18 nights. Among the spoils, there are all manners of noodles, dumplings and other delights from Hochi Mama, Mr Miyagi, Hoy Pinoy and Wonderbao. For dessert, Gelato Messina made its return with a menu of pure wonder, including a deep-fried gelato katsu sandwich and a green tea and pistachio gelato version of the popular Japenese snack, onigiri. Grab some mates or your SO, and head to the markets of culinary delights this Friday.

    Image: Kimberley Moore.

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  • 2
    Bike Riding in Abbotsford and Dinner at Kappaya

    With a season of warm, sunny days stretching out before us, there are ample opportunities for mid-morning bike rides. And if you want a bike ride with a dreamy destination at the end, head to Abbotsford Saturday morning. The grounds come alive, with floral fragrances warming the air and groups of friends lounging on the grass, it can look just like a Renoir painting. And when the hunger kicks in, head over to Kappaya. Packed into a tiny space in the Convent Annexe, the menu of Japanese soul food, organic coffee and homemade sweets is the perfect way to spend a Convent day. We recommend the tempura chicken for an indulgent treat.  

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  • 1
    Belleville's Southern Fried Sundays

    Described as a maple-drenched brunch/lunch of epic proportions, Belleville‘s Southern Fried Sundays feast has answered all of your deep-fried desires. There’ll be baskets of buttermilk-brined fried chicken that you can ‘paint’ sauce onto, plus waffles of both the jalapeño cornbread and bacon and cheddar varieties, smothered in maple syrup. If you’re really hankering for a feed, the Southern Style Spread will be right up your alley. Comprised of chicken skin butter garlic bread, leek and ham hock greens, roast potatoes, two types of waffles and southern fried chicken with maple, buffalo and ranch dips, this whopping meal will leave you fully satisfied (and then some).

     

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