Love Melbourne Mama’s big day out

When was the last time you got away for the night. For two even? Is a a hot weekend away with your hubby and time off from the kids well overdue? 2020 certainly put a dampener on travel, and having a good time, so I decided it was time to do what every good Australian should be doing right now by having a ‘holiday at home’.

Exploring the beautiful cities of Australia is something we can often forget about. When we think of a weekend away it’s more often than not a country retreat, heading up the coast, booking an Air BNB somewhere. But how well do you know your own capital city, let alone another state’s? This Mama recently spent a weekend in the heart of Melbourne with her besties and discovered so much fun right under my feet!

Citadines on Bourke

Citadines on Bourke are running a ‘Love Melbourne, Love Citadines’ package at the moment and what could be more appropriate for our night in Melbourne? To make the most out of our city adventure we checked into Citadines around noon (after parking in the complimentary car park) and much to our delight all three rooms were ready (there were 6 of us!). Their studio apartments come with everything you need including a fully equipped kitchenette with cooktop, should you fancy whipping up your own bacon and eggs in the morning! The rooms boast floor to ceiling windows overlooking Melbourne’s stunning skyline and the location of the hotel is central to theatres, amazing restaurants, shopping and everything in between. They are even dog friendly with a dedicated level for people staying with their furry friends which features a rooftop courtyard for when pooch needs to go! Unfortunately we were here to paint the town red so there was no time to work up a sweat in the fitness centre or squeeze in a couple of laps in the indoor pool, but they all looked amazing. Included in our Love Melbourne package was our first stop, Nick and Nora’s, for cocktails and canapes, so who were we to argue. Let’s go!

Nick and Nora’s is a fantastic new cocktail and champagne bar in Melbourne by the Speakeasy Group. They’ve got one in Parramatta as well and you may know them for Mjølner Sydney too. This almost secret little bar was an absolute delight and literally meters from Citadines. The warm, dark interior brings to life the golden era of post prohibition times and the champagne and cocktail list is beyond impressive. We crowed the winning cocktail The Jiminy Cricket, a play on the old Grasshopper with chocolate, pandan and celery bitters.

Go Boat

For a different view of Melbourne, captaining your own boat on the Yarra River is perfect. Leaving from bustling Southbank, you can drive your electric engine powered boat down towards Docklands or head up the leafier side of the Yarra past the rowing sheds. Take a picnic with you and a couple of drinks, there is a table right in the middle for all your goodies!

Melbourne street art

It’s not a trip to Melbourne if you don’t take in some of the world’s largest collection of street art. Opposite Fed Square Hosier Lane is a standout, with the crowds to prove it. AC/DC Lane is great as well and the Melbourne mural in Duckboard Place is the perfect Instagram spot.

State of Grace

All this outdoor fun works up an appetite. Dinner was planned at the incredible State of Grace. I’d been hearing about this place for ages and it didn’t disappoint. Our private dining table overlooking the stunning chandeliers, and our mate the giraffe, was topped off with great European flavours, more fantastic cocktails and our divine French waiter who was brilliant. Make sure you check out the secret underground bar down the stairs hidden behind a bookshelf full of vintage books! So awesome!

Holey Moley

For the first part of after-dinner fun we were ready to putt-loose! Holey Moley is a multi-sensory labyrinth of fun where mini golf meets bar. We decked ourselves out in golf-visors, because a girl has got to look the part, and laughed our way through 9 holes at their Crown location. Each hole has a different theme like ET, Jaws, even a life size version of the oldschool game of Mouse Trap. Eight hours into our day of fun we still found room for a couple of their Red Bull Summer cocktails to ensure we had the energy needed for our next destination, karaoke next door!

Jukes Karaoke Bar

We love to sing so finishing up the night in a private karaoke room was a no-brainer for us. Our host Lachie showed us how to line up our songs then busted out a quick Lady Gaga duet with Anita (they were both brilliant). We were thrilled to discover our 1 hour 10.30pm booking was the last of the night so they let us we sing our hearts out till the 1am close before we retired back to Citadines. Talk about mums gone wild! We even snuck in a nightcap back at the hotel before retiring into our uber-comfy beds. Honestly, mama hasn’t had this much fun in years.

Got a bit of FOMO? Make sure you enter our Love Melbourne giveaway on the website to win a 2-night stay for two with all this fun in Melbourne included!