Apart from opting for a self-imposed house arrest in your air-conditioned room or dipping in the bath tub , are there any options for Melbournians when mercury crosses forty degrees? Blame it on global warming, in recent years, summer arrived   with rude surprises.  Taming sun’s rays may not be an easy task, but  heading for the beach is.

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More than a decade back, when I arrived in Australia as a young man, summer was all about walking along the st.kilda beach and snuggling with the waves. Since then St. Kilda beach changed a lot in appearance. Today St. Kilda beach is the last place that comes to my mind when I want to head for the beach. The water is always murky with stormwater drain outflows along the beach and the sand full of cigarette butts, it is not a pleasant place to spend your summer anymore. The consolation is the cheap parking that comes at $10.5 for the whole day, provided you are lucky enough to get one. But the street vendors, nice restaurants and the happy crowd around will make you forget the shortcoming s of the beach. But Melbourne is not short of good beaches with plenty along the coastline. If you ask me which is  my favourite beach in Melbourne , I don’t have to think twice to reply. It is and was always the Edithvale beach. Other easy reach beaches for Melbournians are the Elwood, Brighton, Hampton, Sandringham, Black Rock, and further down south like Aspendale,  Chelsea and Bonbeach, all face Port Phillip Bay and are an equal hit among locals and tourists alike.

If you are done with the beaches and would like to try something different head for the ice skating.

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If you are not an expert skater, expect to fall in every way possible. For the uninitiated, the ritual could get nasty as falling on ice could send shockwaves through your body, if you have already crossed the Middle Age. For the rest it is good fun. It is going to be pleasantly chilly, and will give you an impression that you have met the little brother of Antarctica.

Olympic Ice Skating Centre, 1080 Centre Rd, Oakleigh South, Phone (03) 9579-3755

Ice House,  105 Pearl River Road, Docklands, 3008, Phone: 1300 756 699, icehouse.com.au.

If you are not the athletic sort of guy or gal, the best place for a cool breeze is the shopping centres.

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Melbourne’s Chadstone shopping Centre is the biggest shopping centre in the Southern Hemisphere, a befitting title for a nation of shopping addicts.  Let us discount the ‘Southern hemisphere’ thing, as apart from Australia and the good for nothing New Zealand, our other rivals are the Penguins of Antarctica and the tribals of Amazon, for the coveted title. If the size don’t attract you, Melbourne is not short of shopping Centres of Varying sizes and shapes. A few others are Northland , Epping Plaza, Doncaster Westfield , Eastland , Fountain Gate, Greensborough, Southland , Highpoint , Malvern Central and Boxhill .

Shopping Centre Precautions – If you are visiting the shopping centre with your whole family it is a good idea to forget your wallet at home.

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There is a chill on ice Lounge in Melbourne. I have never visited this place but happened to find this with a google search. If any of our readers visited this place, please share your experiences. The web address is chillon.com.au . I really don’t have any idea on how big a hole this place can make on your wallet.

Enjoy a drink surrounded by more than 50 tonnes of carved ice. Everything within the Ice Lounge is made of ice – from the bar to lean against, the couch to lounge on, even the glass you drink from! State-of-the-art lighting sets the tone, a fan-forced blizzard quickly gets you in the mood, and exquisitely carved ice sculptures provide the cool decor. All the while, you are wrapped snug as a bug in a rug; in ski jackets, gloves and woollen boots we provide. The Ice Lounge is a stunning experience that truly turns a function from memorable into unforgettable. Guests are provided with ski jackets, gloves and woollen boots so they are kept warm and comfortable within Melbourne’s coolest space. Stunning Arctic-themed cocktails and fruity drinks are served in glasses made entirely from ice, while you enjoy cool music and warm service in an environment that is truly unique. Unique arctic entertainment chilled to -10°C in the very heart of Southbank. The visit to chill on ice usually lasts only 30minutes as the low temperature can make you uncomfortable. Soon you will head for the sky lounge where you can have some warm food near the open fires.

The address is Southgate Complex/Building Mid-Level MR6, 3 Southgate Ave Southbank 3006

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Local aquatic centres give an opportunity to take a dip with your family or friends, but  Melton wave centre offer a slightly different experience.

Melton waves have all sorts of swimming pools that will satisfy the needs of any age group and you can have good fun at the wave pool. For details visit http://www.meltonwaves.com.au

A new entry in this category is WaterMarc Aquatic & Leisure Centre, Greensborough. Apart from the ususal stuff like Gym, physical activity centres etc., this one has  a Fun Toddler Pool ,Leisure Pool , Hydrotherapy pool, spa, sauna ,Aquatic adrenaline rides , interactive water play and The Tantrum Alley waterslide – the only one in the whole of Australia. The address is 1 Flintoff St(Greensborough Walk),Greensborough, 3088

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In fact this is exactly what I don’t want to suggest, you to do on a summer day. Australian cinema-goers pay more for their silver screen experience than anyone else in the Western world. After nearly stripping around $70 for your family of four, they will tempt you with popcorn, choc-top ice-cream and post-mix soft drink. If the movie turned out to be  a nasty surprise, after two hours, you will be out in the sun like a complete idiot.

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This should be a once or twice in a year entertainment. There are two good water parks, one is funfield ,Whittlesea and the other Geelong adventure park at Geelong . More information can be found at http://www.adventurepark.com.au/ and http://www.funfields.com.au/ . Both are outdoor facilities.