December is a chaotic month. There is simply no way around it. We can’t side-step the onslaught of children and grandchildren home from school for six weeks. Nor, can we ignore the ever-growing shopping list of presents, food, beverages and decorations. And we’d be mad if we stuck our heads in the sand over the dozen or more guests scheduled to stop by for Christmas lunch. It may be crazy, but we love it, and simply would not enjoy the festive season any other way.
But what do we do with ourselves once the last of the tinsel is pack away and the leftover leg ham has been gobbled up in front of the cricket? How do we reward ourselves for a job well done and actually begin to rest and recuperate on our long-awaited annual leave holidays?
Some prefer to bunker down at home and drink in the serenity of routine. Others pack up the car and join the rest of the state on the freeway to battle for parking spots at coastal towns.
But the smart ones? They know better.
The seasoned post-Christmas revelers treat themselves to a long weekend getaway in opulent style, but they choose their location wisely. They last thing anyone wants when they are trying to recover from the stress and chaos of over-working and over-stimulation, is to be surrounded by more people who also want the quiet table booking in the corner, the pool cabana or the last chilled bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.
No. The smart December holidayers avoid the crowds. They know better than that.
Smart long-weekenders drive one hour from Sydney, because being stuck in the car any longer than is absolutely necessary only triggers flashbacks to the monumental Christmas-day travel-athon to the folks, the in-laws and Aunty Mary for three Christmas trifles. Smart travelers reject the ‘packed-to-the-brim’ state of camping and pack light, knowing that everything they’ll need will be waiting for them as soon as they open the front door (and not their zippered tent). Smart, exhausted, in-need-of-rejuvenation holiday makers go where the workload is removed, not added to.
They go where all the boxes are checked, all the necessities are thought of and provided, and the sheets are fluffy and inviting, gently coaxing them in for luxurious sleep-ins and slow starts to the morning.
So, where do they go to forego their festive hangover?
They come to the Blue Mountains of course – where the air is pine fresh and the landscape more breathtaking than any other in our glorious country. Where the extravagant restaurants are hatted and the winery sommeliers stop for leisurely small talk. Where the delightful café owner remembers how you take your coffee after just one visit, and the bakery sells apple turnovers good enough to make you forget that it’s bikini season somewhere else in the country.
Visit the Blue Mountains and reset your alarm button.
Find the comfort and pace that’ll actually leave you feeling refreshed, not like you need a holiday to recover from your holiday. Make the most of the little time you have off of work to focus on your own well-being, finally finishing that book in an armchair or snoozing on your own private balcony. Meet the locals, or avoid people altogether – at Mountain Whispers, the choice really is yours.
BOOK Chatelaine for your Christmas getaway and we’ll have some bubbly on ice ready and waiting your arrival.
