Much is written about boy weekends – fishing and camping trips to the middle of nowhere, drinking competitions and strippers, not changing underwear for three days and the golden rule of what happens on the man trip, stays on the man trip – but it is a  rare occurrence to hear about a girl’s weekend. Us ladies are usually far too busy being wives and mothers (although not me, not sure what my excuse is) to be able to take a few days out of the schedule and get away from it all.

Usually reserved for a hen’s celebration, the girl’s weekend is growing in popularity. Why should the boys have all the fun? I have had the pleasure of being invited the last two years on an annual girl trip, where the laughs never end and you come home feeling brighter and better educated than when you left.

Our destination is Daylesford, spa capital of Victoria. Our group ranges in age from 18 to 80 (okay, 70, but 80 reads better!). Our mission is a weekend of relaxation, shopping and generally a good excuse to get away from work, significant others and the hustle and bustle of the city.

The girls on this trip have been getting together for a number of years. What started out as a mother daughter getaway now consists of girlfriends, aunts and colleagues sharing one big house for 3 days, and learning life lessons in the process.  That’s the beauty of having such a wide range of ages and experiences – what the eldest attendee can teach the youngest about love is a complete contrast to what the youngest can impart about technology.

We stay at a homestead just outside of Daylesford, ‘The Gums’, which sleeps 16 (http://www.escapesdaylesford.com.au/PropDetail.asp?ID=Gums) and includes 2 living areas, a spa and miles of open space. You won’t find another residence within seeing distance and mobile phone reception is scarce. Friday sees us filter in over the course of the afternoon after a lunch stop in Woodend, and dinner brings us all together at the local hotel in Daylesford Township.

Plenty of wine, a good meal and a years worth of catching up later, we are back at The Gums for the first DVD of the weekend, and a dip for those willing to brave the 10 metres of cold pathway to the spa house.

Saturday morning is bright and sunny, and we head back into Daylesford for a 2 hour massage and foot treatment at Eagle Therapies (www.eagletherapies.com). Some shopping along the strip follows, and lunch at the Food Gallery, before our group breaks up and I head to The Mill Markets, a giant treasure trove of second hand goods and antiques.

As dusk hits, we all make our way back to the house where more DVDs are viewed, while champagne corks are popped and vodka is bought into the mix. A big dinner is prepared with everyone helping – roast lamb and vegies, greek salad and sticky date pudding followed by more DVDs and plenty of laughs.

The noise of 16 women talking is phenomenal, but for someone who only sees these girls once a year, we have so much to talk about and a lot of ground to cover. There have been weddings, divorces and babies, new boyfriends, ex boyfriends, job changes and house moves. It is just before midnight when the younger contingent returns to the spa for an alcohol inspired trip, and long after when we all fall into bed.

Sunday proved to be lacklustre weatherwise, so a sleep in and cooked breakfast kept us warm and toasty while we pack up the evidence of a wonderful weekend. Our final stop is Rubens at Hepburn Springs for a long lunch before the drive home. The restaurant is heated by an open fire and has an authentic, rustic feel to it – quite nice when outside looks miserable and grey.

As we say our goodbyes for another year, we make tentative plans to catch up for coffee in November, but we all know we will get too busy and it will be 12 months before we meet again in Daylesford. We are wives and mothers after all (well, some of us are, some of us are just plain busy) and the Daylesford weekend is our getaway.

So ladies, grab a group of your nearest and dearest – get them to bring their mum or a favourite aunt or close friend, and find a destination that you can get away to for a few days. The experience is lots of fun
and when you get home and your other half says, ‘so, how was it?’, you will just have to tell him – ‘what happens on a girl’s weekend…’