60 year road trip

Today Mum, Mummy, Mumsy turns 60. Our baby boomer has finally hit the big 60. She has now been around as long as the Holden car so yep 1948 was a loooong time ago. Feel good now Mum?

So in fine Gibson girls style we decided to take her to Cradle Mountain on Saturday. It was a big surprise, well we don't think Mum cottoned on but we think she suspected something. We told Collette to sneak Mum's bathers into a bag so she wouldn't guess but then Collette considerately thought Mum might want an opportunity to shave her legs because wouldn't that be EMBARRASSING having a full body massage with your winter woollies on. Yikes!

So at 8.30 Sat morn, Mum and her posterity headed off in Collette's Jazz for our day of luxury and relaxation. Was this a present for Mum or for all of us?? Mum I think was feeling pretty chuffed with herself that she had guessed where we were going until we missed the turn-off to Cradle Mountain and took the long way around of getting there. No matter we got there at 10.45 and made our entrance to the Waldheim Sanctuary Retreat.

There was heaps of snow and it was raining, perfect weather for a spa day. Once we got inside, we were told to get changed into robes and slippers and then ushered into the spa area. Now this wasn't just any spa but a hot tub that was outside and up high and jutted out of the side of the building so you could look down into the cold and snow outside. As we sat in the spa big chunks of ice would fall into the tub. It was weird because at the same time we were so warm with the 40 degree water. There was also a plunge pool, sauna and steam room and day beds were you could lounge and look out the floor to ceiling windows into the snow and wilderness below.



We had booked Mum into have a Huon Hot Stone massage and at the same time I had a foot massage. It was pure bliss. After our stay at the spa we took Mum to the Cradle Mountain Chateau for lunch. It was so nice without any kids and we sat there for ages talking away and relaxing.


On the way home, we drove through where Mum grew up in Staverton and Railton and she showed us the house she first lived in and how low the snow would settle every year. Now it does not even snow at all. That sparked a discussion on climate change. Riveting aren't we? She showed us the first house in the area to get television and how everyone congregated there to watch it. And all that came on was a snowy fuzzy picture. It was a wonderful day to spend just with Mum and have no other distractions and celebrate in 60 wonderful years.

Mum lived here for the first 5 yrs of her life before moving to the farm at Staverton