The best destinations for a Mother’s Day getaway

By Bec Milligan.

Image Credit: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Mother’s Day falls on the second Sunday of May each year in Australia. If you’re looking for a way to make it genuinely memorable, a weekend away with your mum is hard to beat. 

Whether she’s the type who wants to soak in a hot spring, sip wine on a vineyard terrace, or wake up to the sound of the ocean, there’s a destination perfectly suited to her.

Not sure where to start though? Don’t worry, we’ve done the hard work for you and listed the best Mother’s Day getaway spots below, complete with where to stay, where to eat and what to do. 

Where should I go on a trip with my mum?

1 Hunter Valley, NSW

The Hunter Valley is one of the most popular Mother’s Day getaway options for anyone based on the eastern seaboard, and it’s easy to see why. It’s just two hours from Sydney and an hour from Newcastle, which makes it genuinely easy to get to without burning a day in the car. 

The landscape is rolling, the air smells like eucalyptus and crushed grapes, and the pace of life slows the moment you turn off the highway.

  

Image Credit: Chateau Elan

Stay: Spicers Vineyards Estate in Pokolbin is a boutique lodge set on its own private vineyard, with spacious rooms, a fireplace, and a spa bath in each suite. It’s one of the most celebrated properties in the region. If you’re after a larger property with more amenities, Chateau Elan at The Vintage is a luxurious five-star resort featuring a Greg Norman-designed golf course, a soothing spa, and a well-regarded clubhouse restaurant.  

Do: The Hunter is best known for its cellar doors, and no trip is complete without an afternoon tasting Semillon and Shiraz at a few of them. Pepper Tree Wines, Tyrrell’s, and Brokenwood are all worth stopping at. Beyond wine, you can take a hot air balloon ride over the vineyards at dawn, explore Hunter Valley Gardens, or book a cooking class for a hands-on afternoon together.

Eat: Circa 1876 is considered by many to be the best restaurant in the Hunter Valley, set among the vines and offering a refined dining experience. For something more casual, Harrigan’s Pub in Pokolbin is a Hunter Valley institution with a solid bistro menu, cold beers, and a beer garden overlooking the vineyards. Restaurant Botanica at Spicers is also well regarded, using produce grown on the estate.

  

Image Credit: Circa 1876

2 Blue Mountains, NSW

The Blue Mountains National Park sits about 90 minutes west of Sydney and it never disappoints. The eucalyptus forests, dramatic sandstone cliffs, and cool mountain air make for a backdrop that feels genuinely restorative. 

Mother’s Day falls in mid-autumn, which is arguably the best time to visit the mountains: the summer crowds have thinned, the temperatures are comfortable for walking, and the deciduous trees lining the streets of Leura and Blackheath are turning gold.

  

Image Credit: The Fairmont Resort

Stay: Echoes Boutique Hotel in Katoomba is an adults-only property perched right on the cliff edge above the Jamison Valley, with panoramic mountain views from every room, a day spa, and a well-regarded restaurant and rooftop bar. The Fairmont Resort in Leura (which offers a popular Mother’s Day brunch each year) has 224 rooms and suites, with the upper-floor rooms and suites offering sweeping Jamison Valley views, private balconies, and spa baths. There’s also the Ubika Day Spa on site, plus multiple restaurants and bars to keep you well fed across the weekend. 

Do: The Three Sisters at Echo Point is the obvious drawcard, but the region rewards those who explore a little further. The Giant Stairway walk from Echo Point takes you down into the valley for a proper sense of scale. Leura’s main street is lovely for a slow morning of gallery browsing and antique shopping. For something more active, the Wentworth Falls circuit is one of the best day walks in NSW.

Eat: Frankie and Mo’s in Blackheath is a family-run wine bar with a seasonal menu that changes regularly but is always delicious; it’s perfect for a relaxed dinner after a big walk. And The Wintergarden at the Hydro Majestic is the place to go for high tea. Available from 11am to 3pm, 7 days a week, the high tea is served in an art deco dining room perched above the Megalong Valley with views that are hard to beat.

  

Image Credit: Echoes Boutique Hotel

3 Noosa, QLD

Noosa is one of the most popular holiday towns on the east coast but it has definitely earnt its reputation. The main beach is calm and beautiful, the national park is a short walk from Hastings Street (the main strip in Noosa), and the dining scene punches well above the weight of a town this size. 

And luckily, May is a good time to visit; the summer humidity has passed, the weather is warm and pleasant, and the holiday crowds have thinned.

  

Image Credit: Tingirana Noosa

Stay: Tingirana Noosa sits right on Hastings Street and has a pool that practically sits on the beach; a great choice if location is your priority. For something more secluded, try renting a holiday house in Sunshine Beach, which has a quieter village feel and is beloved by locals. 

Do: Walk through the Noosa National Park headland trail early in the morning when it’s cool. The coastal views are spectacular and you’ll often see dolphins. For something more adventurous, a kayak tour through the Everglades north of Noosa makes for an unforgettable few hours on the water.

Eat: Noosa Boathouse – known to locals as ‘The Boaty’ – sits right on the Noosa River and offers everything from casual fish and chips at the front kiosk to a hearty three-course meal in the chic dining room. Light Years in Noosa Junction is a lively spot serving bold, modern Asian share plates in a lush, tropical-themed dining room. But book ahead, it fills up fast. 

  

Image Credit: Noosa Boathouse

4 Mornington Peninsula, VIC

Victorians love the Mornington Peninsula for a weekend escape, and it really does have everything you’d want for a few days away with your mum. Fringed with beaches and filled with hot springs, luxurious hotels, and world-class wineries, it’s incredibly easy to build a trip that mixes activity with genuine relaxation.  

  

Image Credit: InterContinental Sorrento

Stay: Jackalope is one of the most luxurious destination hotels in Victoria, attracting visitors from across Australia and around the world. It sits in the middle of a vineyard in Merricks North and has a striking architectural design, a celebrated fine-dining restaurant, and a world-class cellar. For something equally impressive, the InterContinental Sorrento offers gorgeous rooms, a popular spa and bathhouse, and a well-regarded dining precinct. 

Do: Alba Thermal Hot Springs and Spa is a highlight of the peninsula, and a soak in the warm mineral pools is a perfect way to spend a Mother’s Day morning. As for the afternoon, Mornington Peninsula has over 50 wineries, and a long lunch at one of the cellar-door restaurants on the Red Hill plateau is one of the best experiences Victoria has to offer. 

Eat: Tedesca Osteria, one of the best regional restaurants in the entire state, is a rustic, intimate 30-seater by acclaimed chef Brigitte Hafner that feels less like a restaurant and more like a friend’s house with access to farm-fresh produce and a cellar of excellent wines. For something more relaxed, Rare Hare is Jackalope’s casual restaurant; produce-driven dishes, relaxed seating and a warm atmosphere that makes it easy to linger over lunch.

  

Image Credit: Alba Thermal Hot Springs and Spa

5 Daylesford, VIC

If your mum’s idea of a perfect weekend is a long soak, beautiful food, and a good book by the fire, Daylesford is the destination. 

Founded as a gold mining centre in 1852, this tranquil community later transformed itself into a charming spa town, making the most of the surrounding mineral hot springs. It’s just 90 minutes from Melbourne, but it feels like a completely different world.  

  

Image Credit: Lake House

Stay: Lake House overlooks the still waters of Lake Daylesford and is one of the most iconic properties in Victoria. The resort blends elegant accommodation with natural surroundings, featuring stylish studios, suites, and villas with custom furnishings crafted by local artisans. It also has a celebrated restaurant on site and its own cooking school. For an architecturally striking alternative, Clifftop at Hepburn offers villas perched on a cliffside with panoramic views of the mountains and bushland, each with a spa bath, gas fireplace, and private balcony overlooking Hepburn Gorge. 

Do: The Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa is the centrepiece of the region’s wellness offering and a must-visit. The pools use the mineral-rich natural spring water for which the area is famous. The Convent Gallery is a converted nunnery that now houses “the most beautiful art gallery in Australia” and delightful cafe. 

Eat: Lake House’s two-hatted restaurant has long been considered one of the best regional dining experiences in Victoria. Under culinary director Alla Wolf-Tasker, the kitchen serves beautiful, modern seasonal food – much of which is grown at the property’s own regenerative farm nearby. For a more casual bite, Hotel Frangos in the centre of town has a great café and bar with a lively atmosphere.

  

Image Credit: The Convent Gallery

6 Port Douglas, QLD

For a Mother’s Day trip that feels like a proper holiday rather than a quick getaway, Port Douglas is worth the flight north. With palm-fringed beaches, stylish boutiques, and award-winning restaurants, this tropical paradise sits between the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest, giving you access to two UNESCO World Heritage-listed sites from the same base. 

  

Image Credit: The Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort and Spa

Stay: The Pullman Port Douglas Sea Temple Resort and Spa has a lagoon pool you can plunge straight into from the patio of your room. Beyond the pool, there’s a five-star day spa, an on-site restaurant and bar, and easy access to Four Mile Beach. Silky Oaks Lodge offers a treehouse experience hidden in the canopy of the Daintree Rainforest, with rain showers, private balconies, and an open-sided restaurant perched above the Mossman River. 

Do: A Great Barrier Reef snorkel or dive trip should be top of the list; tour operators depart daily from the Port Douglas marina. Mossman Gorge, just 20 minutes north, offers a beautiful walk through ancient rainforest alongside a clear, cold river. For something more relaxed, the Sunday markets on Anzac Park are a gentle way to spend a morning.

Eat: Salsa Bar and Grill is loved by locals and serves vibrant food combining international flavours with local produce. Seabean is a lively Spanish tapas bar with a menu of classic Spanish share plates alongside fresh local seafood.

  

Image Credit: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

7 Bangalow, Mullumbimby, and Coorabell (Byron Bay hinterland), NSW

Byron Bay itself can be busy at the best of times, but the nearby towns of Bangalow, Mullumbimby, and Coorabell offer a gentler experience. Rolling green hills, farm-to-table food, craft distilleries, and some of the most beautiful boutique accommodation in the country – it’s a different side of the Byron region that doesn’t often get enough credit.

  

Image Credit: Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat

Stay: Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat near Tallebudgera (just over the Queensland border and about an hour or so north of Byron) is a world-class wellness resort that any mum would love to stay at. Halcyon House in Cabarita Beach is a strikingly designed boutique property and home to Paper Daisy, one of the best restaurants in the region.  

Do: The road between Bangalow and Mullumbimby is lined with farm gates, distilleries, and small producers worth stopping at. The Crystal Castle near Mullumbimby has the largest geodes in the world, beautiful gardens and a seriously tranquil atmosphere. 

Eat: Frida’s Field is a hatted, regenerative farm in the hinterland serving a paddock-to-plate long lunch on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; it certainly makes for a memorable dining experience. For something more casual, the Bangalow Hotel has a great bistro menu and a lovely beer garden. 

  

Image Credit: The Crystal Castle

What are good ideas for Mother’s Day?

If a full trip away isn’t possible, there are still plenty of ways to make your mum feel properly celebrated. Sometimes the simplest gestures land the best; what matters most is that you’ve taken the time to do something thoughtful.

Here are a few ideas to consider:

   

Image Credit: Hydro Majestic Blue Mountains

1. Book a high tea. Most major hotels and restaurants around the country offer a special Mother’s Day high tea. It’s a lovely way to spend a few hours together without the logistics of a full trip.
2. Organise a long lunch. Pick a restaurant she’s been wanting to try and make a proper afternoon of it. But book ahead – Mother’s Day is one of the busiest dining days of the year.
3. Arrange a spa day. A massage and facial at a day spa is a genuinely restorative gift and one that many mums wouldn’t book for themselves.
4. Put together a gift hamper. Fill it with things she loves: good wine, local cheese, nice tea, a book, a candle. Personal and considered always beats generic.
5. Cook for her. If she’s spent decades cooking for everyone else, sitting down to a meal she didn’t have to prepare is a real treat.
6. Buy her an experience she wouldn’t buy herself. A cooking class, a painting workshop, a garden tour at a botanical garden; something she’d enjoy but wouldn’t get around to organising alone.
7. ​​​​​​Write her a letter. In an age of texts and quick phone calls, a handwritten letter that tells her what she means to you is one of the most meaningful things you can give.

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