Now that the last days of summer have departed, leaving many of us wistfully gazing at photos from our summer shenanigans, we are left wondering … what now?

It’s no secret that winter encourages the “Solo Netflix and Chill” monster lurking within us, therefore it’s now more than ever that we must assert ourselves in the fight for our right (to party).
Rugging up and binge-watching garbage TV is all well and good if you are the most boring piece of shit that ever lived who doesn’t care about their lives passing them by – but you are not this person, and with a bit of forethought, you’ll never have to be.
So how can we get stuck into some good old-fashioned socialising in the colder months? Fear not my friends – there are so many things you can do that will not only keep you in good company, but may be easier on your wallet than the hectic summer party calendar. Here is a short sampling of my favourite winter go-tos!

1. Themed Pot Luck Dinner!
This is simple – pick a house, pick a theme (Mexican works great!) and get everyone to bring a dish. Ensure that you have a good mix of interesting people, great tunes and most importantly, PLENTY of alcohol.

2. BONFIRE!
This is the same as the above but for more disorganised people – no need to cook, just ensure that someone has a decent amount of outdoor furniture, a steel drum and plenty of shit to burn. Gathering around a fire has been a part of the human psyche for thousands of years, and it activates our love of connection with others – there’s simply nothing like a great conversation over a fire with your fellow man. Hit up your local op shop for heaps of those scratchy wool rugs and cut holes in the centres so that they can be worn as ponchos. Plenty of alcohol is key, and if you’re feeling really swirly, whip up a batch of spiced mead on the stove!

3. Cards Against Humanity Evening!
An event that works best with 4-8 people, Cards Against Humanity is probably the most value-laden fiddy bucks you can spend this winter. Not for the painfully “triggered” or superciliously PC, this game will have you laughing so hard that you may not even need that much alcohol – but don’t forget to have plenty of alcohol on hand anyway.

4. Be A Good Guy At Sports Watching!
Let your awesome kiwi mates teach you about rugby and head along to a Western Force game, or pick a pub to watch a Wallabies game at – rugby is such a great sport to watch, as the rules are incredibly easy to pick up quickly. it’s fast-paced enough to be exciting but difficult enough that it’s not boringly high-scoring – making it the happy medium between soccer and AFL, if you will.

5. Host An Outdoor Cinema Experience!
If you’ve got a decent backyard, hire a digital projector and white screen, rig up some atmospheric fairy lights, create some op shop ponchos, lay out the bean bags, get hell drunk and watch a movie with your fine crew. Having actually attended one of these one winter, I can safely say that it was a gorgeous night with me mates and would do it again in a heartbeat (this makes for incredible Instagram/Facebook photos that will make everyone want to be your friend as well).

Love, Akika xoxoxoxoxo

PHOTO CREDIT: SID LEE COLLECTIVE/THE DAILY DOT – DAILYDOT.COM