I took my family axe-throwing at WAX Activity Bar, Newquay

On holiday in Newquay earlier this year, the weather was beautiful all week, save for our very last day with rain forecast most of the day. It may have scuppered our plans for the beach, but determined to make the most of our final 24 hours, I set about searching for the ultimate rainy day activity.

Before long, I discovered WAX Activity Bar – a recently opened venture on the site of a former bank-turned-nightclub. The venue had closed in 2020 when the pandemic hit, but finally reopened in July 2022 following an extensive refit, bringing axe-throwing, interactive darts and escape rooms to the tourist hotspot as Newquay’s first ever activity bar.

Axe throwing is £15 per person for a 60 minute session, so I took my family along for a spot of the rage-reducing and exhilarating activity. Wax says it’s ‘57 per cent more effective than therapy’ – cheaper, too.

So, there was me, Jake, both my parents, my brother and his fiance, Mel, and our friend John, but you can have up to eight people per lane. Seeing as though we were the only booking for that particular hour, we were allowed to spread across the four lanes, meaning we got a lot more individual axe-throwing action.

While my brother and John had some axe-throwing experience already – and were quick to show that off – you don’t need any prior axe-handling to give this activity a go. You get a safety talk at the beginning of the session and are shown how to safely throw the axes, and then are left to give it a go yourself.

Having signed a disclaimer form, you can throw the axe however you like (within reason) – so long as you’re not putting anyone, yourself included, in danger. Let’s just say there were some rather creative throws going on from some of the men in the group, once they’d gotten confident with their axes.

Our instructor asked if there was any particular music we’d like on, so we opted for a rock playlist. Red Hot Chili Peppers is the perfect soundtrack to launching battle axes at timber targets, it seems.

There’s a real knack to throwing axes and getting them to stick into the target. It took me a while to get the hang of it, because it’s all in the flick of the wrist. I managed after a few attempts though, and I can’t tell you how cathartic it is. It’s the ultimate stress reliever.

Our tutor also brought out some other axes of different weights and sizes to have a go of, too – giving you multiple wood shredding options to launch across the room.

An hour is plenty of time to get all that pent-up anger out, but I do recommend wearing a loose top or something sporty because you do work up a bit of a sweat. After the 60 minutes was up I was ready for a drink in the bar and something a little less energy exerting.

Downstairs in the cocktail bar I ordered a margarita and one of the snack trays, which has some fantastic picky bar snacks including things like biltong, pretzels, popcorn and crisps to share between the group.

In the bar, there are some interactive dart boards which cost £6 per person. The board is connected up to a screen where you can play different games like Killer, Halve It, Showtime or classic darts. The board automatically calculates the scores, or in games like Killer, eliminates the players who are out-thrown in the game. It appears I’m a better axe-thrower than a darts player, but it was still fun to have a go at all of the different parts of WAX Activity Bar under one roof.

Towards the end of 2022, the bar is also hoping to launch their escape rooms, which we’ll absolutely be booking next year. WAX has really brought something fresh to Newquay town centre which appeals to residents and tourists alike. It’s definitely more effective and cheaper than therapy, and makes for a fantastic family bonding activity, or a day out with your mates.

Find our more about WAX Activity Bar by following them on Facebook, or if you want to book in for a session, check out their website here.

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