Babymoon in Country Victoria
At a recent doctors appointment, Richenda confessed she was feeling tired. Fiona, our ob/gyn extraordinaire, was on point with her diagnosis and treatment.
“Tired!? Of course you’re tired honey! You’re growing a person. You need to take some time off for baby growing.”
So in search of relaxation, and warm fireplace, we decided a babymoon escape would be in order.
Three rules:
Must be accessible via public transportation
We (still) don’t have a car, my driver’s licence is expired, and Richenda is (still) a terrible driver. All the things that make her a great person — an excitable multi-tasker who speaks with her hands — don’t bode well for her driving skills. Luckily we live close to the train station...Close enough for a team meeting
The ntegrity team had an all-day offsite strategy meeting scheduled for this week, so we started the trip with a day of strategy work before the long weekend of play.Fireplace.
Obviously.
Our first stop was Kyneton, a small country Victoria town just an hour by train from Melbourne.
Kyneton was originally a major stop for the 19th century gold rush. More recently it’s the destination of a 21st century rush for housing in commuting distance to Melbourne. With empty lots in Fitzroy and Northcote going for nearly 7-figures, Kyneton is looking relatively affordable. It’s just an hour train ride into the city, but the pace of life is distinctly country (slow) in the 6,000 person town.
We booked the Chairmakers House through Flop House —“local luxurious lodgings”— and they absolutely nailed it. The shaker cabin had a fireplace, a big porch for the team meeting, and the fridge was stocked with local bacon and eggs. Genevieve took amazing care of us, and even organised catering for the ntegrity team. Flop House runs four properties in Kyneton, if you’re staying in the area, definitely book with them.
Local Luxurious Lodging by Flop House
Catering from Piper Street Food Company
Wine selected and kindly delivered by Banks Fine Wine Daylesford
After two nights in Kyneton, we headed west to Daylesford, the land of spas and sparkling water. Richenda and I stayed at Wombat Hill Cottage, a cabin with two (!!!) fireplaces, a clawfoot tub, Edison lightbulbs, and 140 years of history.
The cabin is walking distance to the town centre, but we mostly stayed inside, reading books about Australian History (him) and watching bad romantic comedies (her) and childbirth (both).
There’s something surreal about knowing life is going to change dramatically in 20-some days from now. It’s equal parts terrifying and exciting to imagine being a dad, to be responsible to another human. It’s been a long journey, and after months and months of waiting, I’ll finally get to meet my second favourite person in the whole world. I can’t wait.
But this weekend, before baby comes, was perfect to just spend time with favourite.
I love this last photo. It’s the smile I always see looking back at me before we jump into some crazy adventure: moving countries, walking down the aisle, starting a company, starting a family.
In the words of our wedding song…
We’re gonna build a life together
You and I for ever and ever
And we’ll, make babies on the beach
Under the stardust
And I’ll hear your voice come through the door
A thousand times, maybe more
And I’ll smile inside to know you’re mine
The traveling will be on hold for a few weeks to welcome the little one into our world, and then we’ll pack our bags again. The Vermeulen Family Western Hemisphere Tour starts October 2015. Baby flies free.
