For Mother’s Day this year, there were so many secrets going on around me in our house. It was exciting and fun that our kids are old enough now to be involved in the planning and execution of surprises. Unfortunately, Shane had to be away for work over the weekend, but he more than made up for that by spoiling me with all kinds of treats.

The celebrations started on Thursday night, the night before Shane left for his trip. We went out for dinner at Ole, a Mexican Restaurant in Torquay, where we enjoyed the homemade chips and guacamole as well as the tacos and margaritas.  After we had dinner, Shane and the kids gave me some beautiful cards and tickets to go up the gondola at Arthur’s Seat in the Mornington Peninsula. I was very excited about this and very impressed that Shane remembered that this was something I had wanted to do here. 

On Friday, Alexis had school and both Alexis and Reid has Auskick that night. Auskick is footy practise for young kids, footy is a right of passage for an Aussie kid and footy on a Friday night is not complete without a sausage and bread at the end of practise.

Saturday morning started with a card from Shane and the kids with some money in it. We had decided to go to Arthur’s Seat and use the tickets I received to go on the gondola. The money from the card was meant for us to have some coffee and cake while we were there. We drove to Queenscliff and took the ferry across Port Philip Bay to Sorrento, where we got off and drove to Mt. Martha. 

Along the beaches in Port Philip Bay, the iconic bathing boxes line the beaches, some bold and bright in colour, and I had wanted to see them for ages. Mt. Martha is a small bayside town that boasts of these beautifully bright and colourful bathing boxes. Seated on the edge of the beach, these iconic bathing boxes are the symbol of Aussie summer. No more than a shed, with no water or electricity, these historic boxes have been passed down through generations and remain in high demand. We stopped for a few minutes to see these beautiful bathing boxes as well as collect some gorgeous shells that had washed up on the shore. 

We drove on to Arthur’s Seat to take the gondola up to the highest point in the Mornington Peninsula. The gondola is a newly updated attraction as the former chairlift closed in 2006 due to safety reasons. We thoroughly enjoyed the 15 minute ride up the hill, admiring the breath-taking views from the bay all the way to the city, as well as trying to spot wildlife as we soared above the bushes.

At the top, we took some time to look around and admire the view. We also enjoyed a coffee and some sweet treats in the cafe.

A short walk from the gondola is the Enchanted Adventure Gardens. We walked the 500m and entered the park to find amazing gardens, mazes, brain teasers, obstacle courses and thrilling tube rides.

We had a blast at the Enchanted Adventure Gardens but the time came to return to the gondola and descend back down the hill.

I really enjoyed our day on the Mornington Peninsula and as we drove back home to Torquay, I felt totally spoilt and dearly loved by my wonderful husband and beautiful kids! I think Mother’s Day might just be better than my birthday!