DV Bucks the Trend in Bachelor Party Entertainment

Happy New Year thrillseekers! Apologies for my slackness, readers, but it’s been a busy last few months and my head hasn’t been in the blog space for some time. The start to 2013 has been chock-full of external distractions which have kept me away from my usual pop-culture related ruminations. I blame the warm weather and increased exercise.

My first post for the year is inspired by a recent email exchange with young Red K (who has relocated to the US since I last wrote) where he mentioned being invited to a new acquaintance’s bachelor party. I wasn’t surprised to discover the usual list of activities: golf, grog, guns and girlies au naturale. But I suppose the groom and his friends can be forgiven their predictable choices given their age range – 25-30.

But still, it got me thinking of all the cool things guys could do as part of the pre-wedding male-bonding ritual. Mind you, I’m thinking of my own (older) cohort of male friends, colleagues and acquaintances which is mostly aged 35-45 and comprises some single men, some separated men, some never married men, and I suspect some men who are a tad worldlier (and wealthier) than the average 20-something.

So I’ve come up with the following bucks’ night/weekend/week ideas for discerning (older) males. Try one, try two, try all of them. Apologies to non-Victorians/Australians for the parochialism of some of the suggestions.

1. Whisky Night - Dress up (minimum - wool suit, cotton shirt with French cuffs, perfectly knotted silk tie, clean and shiny shoes and a decent leather belt) and try an evening of whisk(e)y tasting, maybe with a spot of food matching. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society of Australia hosts events all over the country and lists them on its website. The Malt Whisky Society of Australia hosts blind tastings, including a whisky and chocolate matching night. If you think this is too rigid, or hyper-nerdy, and you don’t want to join any clubs, then the best man and the groom’s mates can organise one themselves and host it privately.
2. Manly Movie Night - Hire out a small cinema / theatrette to watch a 20th century classic on the big screen – something big and god-damn manly e.g 'Scarface', 'Point Blank', 'Apocalypse Now', 'Pulp Fiction' or 'The Godfather'. Chuck in some beer and fancy burgers.  
3. Game Sport Fishing: Marlin fishing in far north Queensland was one of the favourite pastimes of actor Lee Marvin, the goddamn manliest man in Hollywood’s history. Marlin Charter Fishing options are listed here. Ambition Gamefishing Charters organises all kinds of fishing trips out of Sydney harbour and Port Phillip Bay.
4. Archery lessons – If it was good enough for a fatty like Henry VIII and his buddies, anyone can do it. There’s fancy equipment, competition, a test of chest, shoulder and arm strength and a slight whiff of danger. Archery Australia can get you started.
5. Scuba dive – get qualified and do a wreck scuba dive at Queenscliff (discover HMAS Canberra) or extreme shark dive at the Melbourne Aquarium. Not for nervous nellies.
6. Deer Hunting – feeling a Christopher Walken or Robert De Niro moment coming on? Need to exorcise your Bambi demons? Dingley Dell Safaris in Cloverlea, Victoria offers guided deer hunting (two kinds of hunts) and ranch-style accommodation.  The Raptor Ridge Ranch in New South Wales is another option for would-be hunters.

Don’t rule out things that haven’t been done before or that may require a leap of imagination and some good organisational skills.

Book out the Old Melbourne Gaol for a night-vision-goggles-aided paintball skirmish or organise a giant human foosball match followed by a spit-roast barbecue and beer - the options are endless.