I have been meaning to do this post since AUGUST last year and with some time in early January I wanted to finally get the time to share one of the best weekends I have ever had…our first annual friend’s tip that we did in August 2022. The weekend was a celebration for Lucy’s 40th and James’ 50th but it was mostly a chance for us to go away as couples as we always do a girls/gays trip and the boys do a camping trip. When we went around the table at our Christmas gathering a few weeks ago, this weekend was a highlight for so many of us. 3 nights away, 6 couples, a great location, amazing food and wine and lots of fun games. Truly one of the best weekends I can ever remember having, and something that we will have to try and make an annual trip every year going forward.
So let’s get the details out straight away.
We stayed at The Quarters in Jugiong (about 2.5 hours from us in the Highlands). I somehow stumbled across this place being done up on Insta and knew it would be perfect for a trip away with friends. It’s the most fabulous place – 4 king rooms inside (shared bathrooms) and two seperate cottages (with ensuites) – when you hire a big house there is always a dud room with bunk beds but this place just doesn’t have it. It was PERFECT. We stayed for 3 nights.
I have some great Instagram highlights if you want to see:
Highlights #1
Highlights #2
Reel
We were very organised with the planning of the trip. You can get some further details on that in my reels but we had a run sheet that I sent out to all guests. We had a planning meeting beforehand too to work out the food and who was going to prepare what. Everyone bought the meals they were planning (others that didn’t have a main meal were on snacks and platter situations) and of course everyone brought with them their own booze.
I also planned a Hard Quiz game for us to play. Everyone had to come up with their niche topic for a quiz and then someone was allocated another person to do 10 questions for them. It required research and skill from the person writing the questions and we had some brilliant effort put in with power point presentations, sounds and visual aids to the questions. It was a true highlight for the weekend…I have never laughed so much.
Except for maybe when we played Sardines after dinner in the dark. That was the actual best fun I have had in years.
Ok now onto the weekend. Lucy, Brooke and I left first thing Friday morning with a car packed to the brim and had lunch when we arrived at the Sir George in Jugiong, an amazing gastric pub with fabulous gardens. It’s a must stop…along with Long Track Pantry next door.
We then checked into the house and had a wonderful afternoon excitedly waiting for our guests to arrive one by one as they could get away from work.
We managed a delightful sunset sipper under the trees as horses and lambs rambled around the paddock. Gosh it was so beautiful.
Friday night Brooke was on dinner and made a delicious curry, Dahl and rice for us – delicious as we all caught up and enjoyed that first night fever that most definitely hits every time.
Saturday saw hangovers and a walk to clear our heads before settling into a lazy Saturday afternoon by the fire as rain rolled in and out. Some of the crew went into the pub, some of us sat and read the papers as we dug deep and back into it with bloody Mary’s. When all returned we started the first round of the quiz as well.
A highlight was heading out in a bitingly cold afternoon for a sunset sipper up on the hill we had been on the evening before. We piled up the ute with a portable G&T and negroni bar and toasted to good health, and friendships and being together…how lucky can you get?!
We then headed back inside to rock up and enjoy a delicious 3 course dinner…lots of amazing paired wines and food that we split between entree & main and dessert. Along with more games and laughter. I will never forget the joy of playing sardines…all of leaving the darkness of the laundry to run around the house and find each other and have 10 adults wedged under the kitchen island bench. I have never laughed so much. It was brilliant.
Sunday was an another amazing day – we had to say farewell to a few friends that had to be back at work Monday but for the rest of us it was pure heaven…a chance to eat (more) drink (more) and enjoy a beautiful sunny winters day by the fire listening to music and playing games on the lawn. Doesn’t get much better!!
A late afternoon walk, bath, sitting by the fire inside and out and then earlier to bed hearts and tummies full.
We packed up Monday morning early and were off back home and into the office before we knew it. Honestly one of the best weekends I have ever had…a chance for mates to feel like themselves, couples to relax and enjoy eachother’s company without kids getting in the way, everyone was relaxed, open, funny, playful…it was the best!
Can’t wait to plan another one this year…will be hard to top this one but I am willing to give it a try! If you have a chance to do this with a group of friends I can’t recommend it highly enough. And if you do this, do you have any suggestions of good places to go to? Share in away in a comment I’d love to know!
And to all my friends who we went with…how lucky are we?
I can’t wait to do it all again.
Truly you are all so blessed to have great friendships to treasure these memories. Not many people do have friends that can gather together in good harmony. It’s wonderful to see Brooke so beautiful and happy. She is a very beautiful woman.
We really are, and she really is!