A 6 hour drive to have a 'bath!'

One thing we all really miss at our current home is a bath. We have a lovely big shower, but there is nothing better than being able to immerse naked yourself in water in the privacy of your own home and read a book, contemplate the worries of the world or just simply indulge in some candlelight, bath oils and the sultry tones of Sade.

So today, even though we couldn't get the 'privacy' factor down, we did indulge some warm wet time at the Hepburn Springs Bathhouse and Spa. Hepburn Springs is just outside of Daylesford in the heart of Australia's 'spa country', about a 2 hour drive west of Melbourne, and the bathhouse is considered a piece of Victoria's gold-rush history (however, it didn't look decidedly contemporary to be a piece of history!)

Luckily for us, it was quiet. There were three couples, two old ladies, an elderly man and two small families, and then there was 'us!' As the water came from the nearby springs, the water was very effervescent, beautifully warm and very relaxing. The view from the side of the 'bath' was magical with all the autumn colours in the trees and the tranquility of nature. The boys were on their best behaviour, as I told them that they couldn't splash - it wasn't a pool, but an oversized bath, so we had to respect the other people who had spent $39 (yes, $39!) for a peaceful dip in the communal bath.

After about an hour and a half of getting pruny fingers and my youngest telling me his tummy was rumbling, we decided to get out, enjoy the shower with all it's yummy locally made shampoos and body washes, and feast on a devonshire tea at the Pavillon Cafe (built in 1908 in typical Edwardian character with a tessellated tiled dance floor, leadlight windows, wood stove and hexagonal floorplan.

We then enjoyed the beautiful autumn sun and walked around the grounds. It was very English with it's bluestone bridge, gaslights and period charm. The boys found a playground, and I found a dirt track that was asking me to walk up it and see what was over the hill... it looked so peaceful, yet so final, so I didn't, in case it was :)

The soft northerly-wind created an autumn shower of yellow leaves falling in the park, which was so pretty, but so hard to take a photo of. :( It was so peaceful, so calming and is definitely invigorating my soul, giving me some new ideas for my next expensive adventure!

As it was the official last day of the school holidays, it was a nice little morning getaway to spend with the boys.