Daycation anyone?

I live in Melbourne and – I don’t know about you – but this year winter and early spring have been cruel. So very cold and so very long. So very Melbourne – but more so, right?

My morning swims have taken on a fight or flight element that I have not really experienced before – much more fight than normal, requiring every ounce of willpower I possess to endure full-body submersion in freezing water and even colder wind temperatures. As I defrost in the shower after each swim, watching my extremities turn from a bone white to a mottled purple, to a deep red, to a rosy pink, I have been yearning for some sun or a day without wind or maybe just a break from being cold all of the bloody time. 

Last week my best friend and I were bemoaning the fact that, with unrelenting work and life commitments, a winter escape has been out of the question this year (last year I spent seven weeks in Bali …). So, too, our annual September multi-day hike to somewhere warm has fallen by the wayside. This year seems to have got away from us, and coordinating our diaries has been problematic.

No winter break

In the meantime, my sisters, dad and nephews are currently on a boat sailing around Fiji. I receive daily photos of them jumping into clear turquoise waters, lying on the deck playing UNO and reading books, and of them wearing nothing more than bathers and hats as they stroll along deserted white sandy beaches. It is enough to make a girl sick. For me – no winter break. No early spring hike. No wonder I’m blue. 

But as we talked, an idea crystallised – we realised that there was absolutely nothing stopping us from chasing a little warmth and relaxation for a lot less time than a full-blown vacation. Enter my new favourite thing ever – the ‘daycation’. 

According to the Collins Dictionary, a ‘daycation’ is essentially a one-day vacation – often involving a trip to a resort or hotel – that does not involve staying overnight. It offers 12 or so hours of full respite from everyday life, allowing you to disconnect from work, emails, meetings, kids and other commitments. 

I have happily spent plenty of time on ‘vacations’ over the years and we are all well aware of the concept of a ‘staycation’, but the whole self-indulgent idea of a weekday ‘daycation’ was a novelty. My friend was keen, we agreed on the day, and my oh my was it time well spent.

First stop

I love a road trip. Give me a car, a good soundtrack and a long and winding road and I’m a happy girl. I hit the road early and enjoyed the 90-minute drive down the Mornington Peninsula. My first stop was Rye where my friend and I met for breakfast – she had a sensational smashed avocado and I had a grilled vegie panini. We talked our chins off. 

Tick.

Second stop

After breakfast we drove further down the peninsula to experience the Alba Hot Springs in Fingal. Walking into the stunning reception space I immediately relaxed – maybe it was the smell of the essential oils; maybe it was the calm voice of the team member who signed us in and gave us a tour of the establishment; maybe it was the signage in the change room encouraging bathers to leave their mobile phones in their locker to enjoy maximum mobile detox; maybe it was the plush white dressing gowns; or maybe it was simply the promise that I was about to submerge myself in water that did not turn me blue with cold.

We spent a glorious few hours wallowing in water naturally heated to between 37 and 43 degrees. The air was cold and crisp, it drizzled a little, the clouds were heavy, but the water was blissful.

The facilities at Alba were excellent. From Dyson hairdryers in the change rooms along with a mini spin dryer to squeeze the water from your bathers, to the steam room, sauna and a dozen or so hot and cold pools – everything is immaculate. While the grounds are a little stark and there was a distant throb of a bulldozer clearing the land for more pools (and one 20-something year old who loudly proclaimed in the sauna that she was not impressed by the lack of wombats – go figure?), overall the experience was well worth the weekday rate of $90pp. 

Tick.

Third stop 

Feeling warm, relaxed and superbly detoxed, we headed to the Cape Schanck National Park for the 9km walk to Gunnamatta Surf Beach and back. Walking along the coastal Moonah woodland track interspersed by a number of lookouts with incredible views along the coastline was very good for my soul. There was not a person in sight, the weather held, and the hike was decent. We got a little lost, but surely that’s half the fun? 

The smells, the sounds, the tranquillity, getting a few solid kilometres in, the lack of people and the lack of mobile phone coverage. 

Tick.

Final stop

Tired, warm, detoxed, exercised, soaked full of mineral goodness – we stopped to share a pizza in Mornington, still talking, before parting for our respective drives home. 

My daycation was wonderful, cup filling. I arrived home feeling like I had spent way longer than a day of rest. Oh, and I was finally warm, so very warm.

Sign me up – where to next?

Have you tried a daycation? Why not share your experience in the comments section below?

Also read: Why midlife travel is the best of my life