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thread: Kid Free Weekend, Hit Me With Ideas

  1. #1

    Jul 2009
    Out North, Vic
    8,538

    Kid Free Weekend, Hit Me With Ideas

    I've been very lucky for MD this year as DP has organised with SIL to have the girls over a weekend (at some stage dependant on DP's & her work) so that DP and i can go and have a weekend away to ourselves.... anywhere i want to go
    It's going to be a joint MD & FD present for the both of us but DP has said i can pick the destination!

    So hit me with some wonderful ideas, idealy i'd like somewhere we can enjoy some nice food, great scenery, some touristy things if we decide or maybe some fishing.
    We will probably be flying & hiring a car as we will leave our car with SIL (or taking hers if we stay in vic)

    I've never been to Sydney and would love to do the bridge climb (best i work on my fitness) but if it's windy etc DP can't actually do it due to ear issues.

    I thought nice warm QLD, stay in a nice resort somewhere ??

    I really have no idea so please convince me of somewhere beautiful and romantic for us too go.... not TOO expensive but i have no idea of budget yet

  2. #2
    Registered User

    Oct 2008
    Newport, VIC
    1,885

    Beach and hot are always my two criteria for weekends away. Bit hard at this time of year but is far north Qld out of the question? Even Byron?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Nov 2008
    on the verge of greatness!
    1,301

    there are very cheap flight to bali and manila atm out of darwin $130 with jetstar!
    have fun and enjoy havinga huge sleep in!!!

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Aug 2010
    Sydney Aus
    1,164

    Port Douglas - romantic, relaxing, warm, can go fishing, do some touristy things, and it can be as cheap or as expensive as you want it!

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Mar 2006
    7,046

    There are some great deals to Fiji at the moment too...

    For the record, I am so very jealous!

  6. #6

    May 2008
    Melbourne, Vic
    8,631

    Oh my goodness, I am so very jealous as well hun! You lucky thing!!

    Give us some more criteria. Would you and DP like wineries for example? Yarra Valley is lovely and can be very romantic but if you don't like wine (from memory I don't think you're a huge fan?) it might not be a good use of your time.

    What do you like to do? Would you be happy lazing by a beach/pool with ****tails? Or do you want to get out and do stuff?

    How long do you actually have? FNQ is one of my fave desitnations but you need more like 3-5days minimum, flying out Friday and back Sunday might not be enough time to enjoy it.

    Noosa is gorgeous and closer than FNQ. Bit easier to get to. DH whisked me away to Noosa for a surprise weekend just after we started going out, sweet thing that he is.

    Perth is lovely - lots to see and do.

    Sydney is awesome if it has been a while since you last went? Stay in the city, visit the nice restaurants around the Rocks/Darling Harbour, do some touristy things.

    Otherwise down the coast in Vic if you want to stay in Vic? Mallacoota? Sapphire Coast of NSW?

  7. #7
    Registered User

    Dec 2007
    Victoria
    7,260

    Seriously, don't come to Perth lol...craptastic.

    Oh if I had a weekend kid free, only one place I would be...Sanctuary Cove. Gorgeous, fabulous food, fabulous wine, fabulous spa treatments, 24 hour room service and the comfiest king size beds in the world

  8. #8
    Registered User

    Oct 2009
    VIC
    881

    Oh im green with envy!!

    Um fave places of mine, Merimbula, Warrnambool, Portland, Mackay & Airlie Beach

    I would stay in the Motel down the road if it meant a weekend without kids haha! Its never happened in the 9 years I have been a mum!!

  9. #9

    Jul 2009
    Out North, Vic
    8,538

    What do you like to do? we both love fishing but would also walk along a beach, snuggle in front of a fire, go out and eat, touristy things, relax & drink ****tails.. i'm not at all fussy

    How long do you actually have? Will basically be a w/end thing, leave Friday & home sunday so pretty much a 2 night stay somewhere.. if we were flying we would prob leave early friday and then fly home sunday arvo.

    I love wineries but DP not so much, will probably have to have a look around on some travel websites or something.
    Anything out of Oz is pretty much a no as neither of us have passports and i think 2 nights might be a bit short for that kind of trip

  10. #10
    Registered User

    Mar 2006
    7,046

    What about some of our magnificent lakes that have just filled up again? Bonnie Doon etc. Lake Eyre is nice.

    Mansfield is lovely and you could do a day trip to the snow...

    What about Tassie?

    Daylesford is always nice for a romantic weekend and heaps to do in the region.

    Mildura has a nice resort where you can do as much or as little as you like and there is (apparently) some great fishing in the area (I haven't fished since I was about 10)

    Byron Bay?

    Still Jealous. I really shouldn't be talking to you *pouts*

  11. #11

    Jul 2009
    Out North, Vic
    8,538

    MG - i will be coming to you for medical (wrist) & weight loss advice, DP and i are getitng back into it and am hoping i can loose a bit of weight before we head of somewhere as well.. so you can kick my butt for me.. make you feel any better?

    DP and i haven't been on a proper w/end away together since our first anniversary - it's always been a quick trip for a wedding or something similar so it will be ncie to finally have some US time without the girls.

    Although i wouldn't mind trying to plan a trip to Eden with the girls next year to go see my nan.

  12. #12

    May 2008
    Melbourne, Vic
    8,631

    I vote for Noosa. It's close enough for a quick weekend away. I love getting away somewhere a little warmer during winter, makes the cold months seem less long and awful!

    Something for everyone there - nice food, things to do, bit of shopping, beach action (or inaction if that's your thing), nice drives into the hinterland, accommodation as cheap or expensive as you want it.

    I was going to suggest Fraser Island but I think that'd be a bit much for a short weekend trip.

    I think you need to make it somewhere really special, if you can afford it. You did Mildura with the kids, you're thinking about Eden with the kids - do something really different, that they just aren't old enough to appreciate yet.

    Just my thoughts!

    (Lime - thanks for the heads up on Perth )

  13. #13
    Registered User

    Mar 2009
    1,400

    For some more local spots - I have always wanted to have dinner and stay at The Lake House in Daylesford and The Royal Mail in Dunkeld. Maybe even a fancy weekend in the city? Catch a show, shop and sightsee?
    There are great deals about atm in QLD too - for all budgets, so perhaps have a look see and go from there? Sounds fun!!!

  14. #14

    Jul 2009
    Out North, Vic
    8,538

    Noosa looks nice i'm sure there are so many amazing places we could go...
    I was thinking of maybe somewhere local and just take SIL's car or something, i really have NO IDEA... really need to think this one through i guess.
    Don't think we would do the city, it sounds nice but i'd hate to pay for a hotel etc and then go and see things we could see any other old time IYKWIM.

    I might have to ask DP what he would like to do aswell and what kind of budget and go from there

    Keep the ideas coming PLEASE.

  15. #15
    2014 BellyBelly RAK Recipient.

    Mar 2008
    Vic
    4,806

    Noosa has the added advantage that they have a food service where you can order dinner from pretty much any restaurant and they will deliver to you. We had a seafood platter delivered, it was wonderful.

    For local....I guess I can share where my ultimate romantic getaway would be lol. I shared with MG a while ago. Will PM you.

  16. #16
    Registered User

    May 2011
    Adelaide
    747

    No suggestions for staying in VIC, but I do have suggestions for other states.

    Tassie is GORGEOUS! DF and I stayed in Hobart for his birthday a couple of years ago and it was fantastic. If you like seafood, there is so much fresh stuff at all the restaurants along the harbour front. We did as much touristy stuff as we could fit in our 4 day weekend, which was actually quite a bit. For a lot of it we just went to the tourist info centre and got some suggestions from them. We did the cascade brewery tour which was fun, and Port Arthur was gorgeous. Got a bit freaked out doing the ghost tour but really wish we'd had more time to visit the memorial gardians and see the gaol during the day.

    In Sydney the Bridge Climb is a lot of fun (and not too hardgoing fitness wise). You stop every 5-10 min and the guide tells you all about the bridge so as long as you can walk a single flight of stairs you should be fine. The Blue Mountains are gorgeous and there's a lot of really nice secluded B&B's.

    Adelaide is really pretty and if you like wine, I can definitely recommend either the Barossa or McLaren Vale. Kangaroo Island is also meant to be really nice, though I'm yet to make it there myself.


    A good idea could be to work out roughly where you want to go, then look on trip advisor for somewhere in that area to stay.

  17. #17
    Registered User

    Dec 2007
    Victoria
    7,260

    There are some beautiful B&Bs in the Yarra Valley... you can drive there, do some wineries, eat some lovely local food and generally enjoy a relaxing weekend without too much fuss or travel time.
    Cold grey days, warm open fires and a good bottle or few of local wine and you wouldn't need to worry about the fishing ;p

  18. #18

    Jul 2009
    Out North, Vic
    8,538

    Ok so we've narrowed down the w/end we are going (start of August) and i'm thinking to save us some travel time i might aswell keep it localish (IYKWIM) and was thinking possible lorne, apollo bay or somewhere in the otways... somewhere nice and relaxing, possibility of fishing (rivers or beach) and then being able to hide away.
    So does anyone have some tried & true destinations?
    We stayed in Apollo Bay for one of our anniversaries in a goreous hotel but i'm thinking maybe something a little more private and romantic IYKWIM.

    The other thing i might do though is look at some places in the yarra valley, surely there are some ok fishing spots or something around there too but we could go have lunch at a nice winery and then move on to relaxing and some fishing?
    So would love some tried & true places there too, same kind of thing though, relaxing & romantic but with options of things to do IYKWIM.

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