If you, like us, are time poor (we had our wedding, settlement on our first home and me starting a new job all within the same month so had literally 10 days off!), you may want to delay your overseas honeymoon for a few months and set off on a mini-moon.

There are more advantages to this than just the cost. Staying local means we were able to thoroughly enjoy a leisurely brunch at our favourite deli and within two hours of driving we arrived in the gorgeous Spa country to commence our honeymoon. It was great being able to relax almost immediately following the wedding without the stress of rushing to the airport and sitting on a long haul flight.

Just because you stay close to home, doesn’t mean you have to skimp on luxury. We stayed at the gorgeous Kudos Villas and, because each villa has something different to offer we split our time between Kudos Temple (to enjoy watching movies on the projector screen whilst sitting in the sunken spa)……….

Above images courtesy of Kudos Villas

There’s a kangaroo there I promise!

It was very hard to drag ourselves outside…

…..and Kudos Indulge (for the outdoor sauna and bathtub to relish in the true spa country experience).

Above images courtesy of Kudos Villas

We also took advantage of the in room massage which effectively pummeled away all the wedding planning tension and left us blissfully relaxed and ready to explore the culinary delights of the region.

Difficult as it was to tear ourselves away from the warmth of the fireplace and sipping champagne in the spa, we managed to brave the brisk winter air for a few delectable meals.

We had a fabulous lunch on a crisp winter afternoon overlooking Lake Daylesford at The Lake House Restaurant, a beautiful middle eastern inspired meal at The Grande (phone: 03 53488500), a 1920’s hotel overlooking the Wombat State Forest, delicious pizzas at Pizza Verde (we’ve since also had the pleasure of their Sunday Roast which is well worth the drive to Kyneton!) and a very romantic dinner (with impeccable food and service) overlooking the lavender fields at Sault which by the way makes a gorgeous wedding venue! And after an invigorating walk through the forest, we warmed up with a steaming bowl of chowder from Chowder House (phone: 03 53482221) on the Main Road. Be warned though, this chowder is famous so get in early to avoid the queues.

We also made time (I know, it’s a tough life!) to visit the new and spectacularly improved Hepburn Bathhouse for a private mineral bath which was sheer heaven……..

Image courtesy of Hepburn Bathhouse

………..as well as a trip to Castlemaine to pick out some beautiful crockery from Phil Elson and do some retailing at the huge antiques store and the delightful Malmaison.

The best part about our mini-moon? All those places which bring back our special memories are only a quick car trip away and make a great weekend anniversary or birthday getaway. We headed back to the region on our baby – moon where we indulged in more great food (sans the wine!).

Ms Polka Dot says: The lovely Mrs F is back to tell us about her mini-moon! Just a wee bit envious of all the indulgences she describes – but what a wonderful way to unwind after a hectic time leading up to your wedding! It makes a lot of sense to go local and re-visit those memorable places at other special times in your lives – as she suggests!

Nicole says: Melbourne based, married to Mr F and new mum of one particularly gorgeous baby S, I love my boys, all things wedding, travel, food, my cat Chloe and of course all things Polka dot!
Nicole’s favourite cocktail – Peach Bellinis at New York Bar & Grill, Tokyo.