What’s not to love about Australia Day?
A long weekend, smack bang in the middle of summer.
Australia Day is all about having fun and remembering how special and lucky we are as a nation. Why not throw a party at your place to mark the occasion?
Here are some ideas and tips to help you plan the ultimate Australia Day party under your patio.
Choose the Right Location For Your Australia Day Party
The ideal Australia Day party takes place in the great outdoors. But in late January, the weather in some parts of Australia can be extremely hot, so you’ll need some shade options. This makes your Perth patio the perfect spot for your party – you and your guests can enjoy being outside without getting sizzled by the blazing sun.
To prepare your patio for your party, give it a good clean. Get rid of all dirt, dust and cobwebs and check that your patio furniture is not splintery or on the verge of collapse. To create space for your guests, move any bulky items – large plants, tables and so on, out of the way for the day. This will allow for more room for eskies (hopefully full of beer) and maybe even a dance floor.
If your patio faces onto your backyard, enhance your space by giving your lawn a mow and a general garden tidy up. This will encourage your guests to get up and move about. Even better, you’ll all be able to indulge in a great Australia Day tradition: backyard cricket.
You should also clear a path to the patio, whether through the house or via a side path. This will make it easier for guests to find the action. Great Aussie Patios are experts at ensuring your patio design is a logical extension of your house and that access is never an issue.
Party Food
Every Australia Day party should feature some low maintenance party food. Don’t spend all day in the kitchen, check out some of our easy to prepare and serve Australia Day Party food suggestions:
Nibbles: chips and dips, party pies and sausage rolls (don’t forget the tomato sauce!), chicken wings, mini spring rolls and mini frankfurts.
Lunch: bread, salads, cold roasted chicken (bought or prepared the day before), ham and other deli meats, steamed Chinese buns, chilled prawns and oysters.
Cheese and fruit: grazing table with crackers and a selection of seasonal fruit.
Dessert: Fairy bread, honey joys, chocolate crackles, lamingtons, adult frog in a pond (infused with alcohol)…add in fresh passion fruit, mango, berries and lashings of cream wherever you can.
BBQ: nothing beats a good BBQ and you can win some hearts with our list of crowd-pleasing BBQ recipes.
Drinks: fill up an esky or two with beer, wine, water, cordial and soft drinks. Be sure to have extra ice on hand to fill the eskies.
Also encourage your guests to bring a dish of their own. Set up a buffet table and let everyone serve themselves – it makes everything so much easier.
Party Supplies
If you haven’t got enough outdoor tables and chairs for your patio party, hire what you need for the day. Get in early though, because party furniture gets snapped up quickly for big occasions like Australia Day.
As for other party supplies, supermarkets and shops have a wide range on offer at this time of year. Stock up on Australia Day tablecloths, serviettes, plates, cups, cutlery, balloons, mini flags, streamers, lanterns and more.
To add some extra lift to your party, why not choose a blow-up Australian animal? Kangaroos, koalas, crocodiles and sharks will put your guests in a party mood. Add in any other fun props too: surfboards, cricket bats, oversized hats – get creative!
Party Music
Spotify have some great Australia Day playlists, or put together your own! Make sure you’ve got both contemporary and classic Australian songs. Some groups and artists to consider include Men at Work, INXS, AC/DC, John Butler Trio, Hilltop Hoods, Angus and Julia Stone, and Tame Impala. There are plenty of others. Don’t forget to include the national anthem on your playlist – Advance Australia Fair. That’s a song everyone can sing along too!
When considering your patio design, plan how you can incorporate power for music and lighting. Great Aussie Patios are designed for entertaining in the digital age, so we can help you plan where cabling will run to hook up a TV, speakers, fans and lighting.
Australia Day Party Costume
Consider an Australia Day party dress up theme. You could make everyone come dressed as their favourite Australian. Think Steve Irwin, Bananas in Pyjamas, AC/DC – your guests can be as creative as they like! Make sure you have prizes for the best costumes – guests who go the extra mile deserve recognition.
If you want to keep things super casual, tell people to come in their very best Australian national uniform of shorts, thongs and a wide-brimmed bunnings hat.
Make Your Party Social Media Friendly
For great memories of your Australia Day patio party, make sure your patio is instagrammable. Set up different zones to get fun photos. Make sure there are pops of colour or themes in the background. Remember to add appropriate hashtags to your posts, such as #australiadayparty #patioparty or #australiadayweekend.
Need a New Patio?
At Great Aussie Patios, we provide an extensive range of custom patio designs. A well-designed, quality patio not only enhances all aspects of life at home but also adds value to your property. If you’d like to have the perfect outdoor space at your house for an Australia Day Party, or any other occasion, contact us today.