If you’re an Australian, chances are snow is something of a novelty. You’ve probably made more than your fair share of paper snowflakes over the years but when it comes to the real thing, you’re a certified novice. You probably also don’t have a huge amount of experience in ice-skating, sitting in front of an open fireplace, snowball fights or sledding, which is totally understandable given our subtropical climate. While tepid winters are often a good thing, we know there are days where you crave all the glory of a white winter wonderland. With this in mind, allow us to present our foolproof guide for making our warmish winters as magical as possible.

Step 1: Embrace faux snow, wherever it falls Not as good as the real stuff, but a whole lot better than a bunch of bean bag beans thrown in front of your fan, faux snow will be popping up at winter events all season long. There’s The Winter Festival, which is making its way around the country again this year, glorious Powder Pit in tow; the Winter Rooftop Party at Sydney’s famous Glenmore Hotel, complete with snow machine and igloo cocktails; and Melbourne’s Rooftop Snow Party where revellers can dance until the wee hours in a sea of the cold stuff.

Step 2: Frequent ice related venues Like Melbourne’s Ice Bar, where you can enjoy a frosty cocktail as you sit snugly in your warmest winter getup and admire impressive ice sculptures. For something more active, you can try your hand at ice skating. Most venues also offer ice hockey, figure skating and ice discos, where you can bet your bottom dollar Ice Ice Baby will be on high rotation.

Step 3: Indulge in the odd snow cone Just because your house isn’t surrounded by ice cold snow, it doesn’t mean your tongue can’t be. These delicious treats are a sure-fire way to cool your insides, come with a high likelihood of brain freeze and provide an excellent counter-argument to the unfavourable qualities of yellow snow. You can find them at the beach-side stand at Brisbane’s South Bank, by following the Bar Coco van around Sydney, or in cocktail form at Loop Roof Bar in Melbourne.

Step 4: Create your very own Frosty the Sandman Frosty the snowman’s enigmatic younger brother has been appearing on Australian beaches for years now. Unlike his winter counterpart, he’s not prone to melting, is happy with fewer accessories and won’t numb your hands. Scarborough Beach in Perth and Manly Beach in Sydney have patches of sand perfect for your next creation. Step 5: Transform your room with a few thoughtful touches Create the perfect winter ambience by cranking the air-con, thoughtfully arranging your snow globe collection and turning your TV or laptop into a crackling fireplace, thanks to the genius behind Virtual Fireplace. Pour yourself a glass of red or a nice hot choccy and nestle in under a blanket. Yep: Australian winter just got charming.