Top minimoon destinations and couples' retreats near Melbourne in Victoria

What is a minimoon? ABIA explains this popular wedding trend, details the reasons why couples take these romantic mini-breaks and shares some of the best mini-honeymoon destinations, and couple’s retreats, near Melbourne — including the Mornington Peninsula, the Great Ocean Road, the Bellarine Peninsula, Daylesford and King Valley in Victoria.

Lancemore Milawa | King Valley, VIC | Image Rhiannon Taylor

One look at a wedding planning checklist, filled with bookings and arrangements for florists, photographers, celebrants, entertainers, cakes, catering and wedding dresses, and it’s easy to understand why some couples are choosing to take a break before the big day, or to relax and take it all in immediately following their wedding celebration. ABIA’s wedding expert and travel writer Tanya Bywater takes a closer look at the increasing popularity of minimoons and micro-honeymoons and lists some of the best minimoon destinations for a couple’s retreat in Melbourne and around Victoria.

RACV Torquay Resort | Great Ocean Road, VIC

So, what is a minimoon?

Also known as a mini-honeymoon or micro-honeymoon, a minimoon is a short break intended as a romantic couples’ getaway, that give nearlyweds or newlyweds a chance to reconnect and reflect, either during the hectic process of wedding planning or immediately after they’ve tied the knot.

Most minimoons last about two to five days, take place somewhere relatively close to the couple’s home or wedding destination — for short travel times and easy planning — and are high-end experiences that take place in luxury accommodation or unique locations that befit the significance of the occasion and allow for absolute romance and relaxation.

Clifftop at Hepburn | Hepburn Springs, VIC | Image Karen Brothers

Honeymoon or minimoon? What’s the difference?

Given minimoons are a relatively new trend, there remains some confusion about what a minimoon is, and how it differs from a honeymoon. Basically, minimoons are mini-honeymoons, so timing is the main variance.

These short romantic breaks prioritise downtime and connection too, so usually involve less travel time and lots of rest, to allow couples a chance to reconnect during the often-hectic wedding planning period, or after the intensity and emotion of the actual wedding day.

Lots of couples take a minimoon before their honeymoon too, so it’s not unusual to do both.

Lon Retreat | Bellarine Peninsula, VIC

Reasons couples take a minimoon

Even during the magical process of wedding planning, it’s practically impossible to avoid the reality of busy lifestyles and budgets constraints, and many couples are finding that minimoons offer the perfect solution.

Here are some of the many practical reasons why a minimoon might make sense for you.

• If you’ve taken a little too much time off work during the course of wedding planning, a long honeymoon might be out of the question — temporarily at least — so a minimoon can be a great way to ease into married life, or take a tiny break, without maxing out your leave entitlements.
• Both honeymoons and weddings can be costly, so if you need time to save for the honeymoon of your dreams, a minimoon might be the ideal ‘in between’.   
• Timing and seasons can be a factor if you’re planning an exotic beach honeymoon or romantic snow honeymoon, so a micro-honeymoon might make a great getaway while you’re waiting.
• Is there such a thing as too much excitement? We’re not sure, but we get that some couples like to delay their honeymoon until well after the big day so that they’ve got even more to look forward to. If that’s you, a quick minimoon can make a lovely way to celebrate the transition to married life.

RACV Torquay Resort | Great Ocean Road, VIC

Our pick of the best minimoon destinations around Melbourne

Lon Retreat

Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria

Image courtesy Lon Retreat

If an adults-only space where cloud-watching, stargazing and picnicking feature on the activity list, sounds like post-wedding bliss, meander less than two hours by car or ferry from Melbourne to the Bellarine Peninsula where Lon Retreat awaits atop a hill in Point Lonsdale.

The rural coastal escape, set on 250 acres of private farmland at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay, comprises seven luxury suites — with names like Cumulus, Stratus and Alto — each individually decorated with a unique fusion of sandstone, timber and natural textiles.

Seasonal, locally-sourced in-suite dining offerings, open fireplaces, luxe linens, heated flooring and lighthouse views coalesce here, and a mineral spring running beneath the property feeds the deep soaking tubs that feature in each ensuite. They’re a prelude to the property’s onsite wellness offerings that also include a mineral pool, steam rooms and an extensive spa treatment menu.

Images @nikoleramsay

Drift House

Port Fairy, Victoria

At one end of the iconic Great Ocean Road, couples seeking a sophisticated, post-wedding stop with a difference, may discover it at Drift House in the seaside enclave of Port Fairy.

In this highly-acclaimed, boutique-style small hotel, historic Victorian and Edwardian charm merges with modern architecture and each one of the six suites are entirely unique, combining innovative design, bold colour and extraordinary applications of material and texture.

The memorable minimoon hideaway is an ideal base from which to explore the picturesque southern Victorian coastline, and the property’s onsite dining room draws couples here too. Breakfasts of carefully-sourced artisan and organic produce are included with each stay, and evening soirées begin with pre-dinner cocktails and apertifs, followed by à la carte menu offerings that take a contemporary twist on traditional Spanish dishes.

All images Martina Gemmola

Clifftop at Hepburn

Hepburn Springs, Victoria

Image Martina Gemmola

The names of the clifftop villas — Serenity, Tranquility and Evoke — allude to the agenda set by couples who minimoon within them, and the property’s separate sister locations dotted around the Hepburn Springs and Daylesford region.

At Clifftop at Hepburn's standalone clifftop villas in particular though, quiet contemplation and relaxation are inspired by carefully-positioned indoor and outdoor daybeds, which overlook the raw beauty of ravine views, and by the forest surroundings reflected in the organic surfaces and furnishings that embellish each individually-decorated interior.

Talented artisans and designers have left their mark here, their work evident in the full kitchen, bedroom and bathroom spaces — which include either spa or stone bathtubs. Warming fireplaces in winter make the villas ideal for hibernation, and the region’s renowned mineral springs offer further indulgence for couples keen to venture.

Image Martina Gemmola

Image Sophie Loft

Image Karen Brothers

Crown Melbourne

Melbourne, Victoria

Minimooning couples enticed by the assorted amusements of metropolitan Melbourne’s Southbank area can choose their own accommodation adventure from the choice of three standout hotels — Crown Towers, Crown Metropol and Crown Promenade — on offer at Crown Melbourne.

Those with a yearning for five-star service and views of the Yarra River though need look no further than Crown Towers, where the selection of rooms, suites and villas merge their sophisticated neutral colour palettes with city skyline vistas, the latest in-room technology, walk-in-robes and sparkling marble bathrooms, complete with television screens, deep bubble-worthy bathtubs and generous double vanities.

Onsite, one of Australia’s largest indoor swimming pools tempts with refreshments served at private cabanas and daybeds, a state-of-the-art fitness centre caters to active types and Crown Spa serves up the ultimate in indulgence and wellness, while steps away restaurants like Rockpool Bar & Grill, Bistro Guillaume, Nobu, Silks, Spice Temple and the buzz of Southbank’s waterfront precinct beckon.

Images courtesy Crown Melbourne

Lancemore Milawa 

King Valley, Victoria

The inviting abundance of oversized beanbags and casually-slung hammocks dotted around the Mediterranean-esque grounds of Lancemore Milawa hint at the agenda for couples who choose this laid-back location for their minimoon. Leisurely garden strolls through ornamental blossoms and rambling rose bushes, quiet contemplation by the pool and afternoon naps are all but mandated, and a recent refurbishment further enhances the ‘sigh-inducing’ ambience.

Intended as a pared-back, modern country residence the boutique hotel offers 40 generously-proportioned rooms and suites, replete with polished concrete floors, commissioned artworks, custom joinery and textural bouclé or linen-covered sofas and daybeds.

Romantic types tend toward lodgings in the west-facing wing, with its balconies and gardens overlooking the neighbouring Brown Brothers Estate. Just one of several prominent vineyards in this King Valley enclave, it’s a reminder of the gastronomic delights of the region and, while onsite Merlot restaurant offers an admirable showcase, couples who venture will be rewarded by the profusion of local producers and providores — among them wineries, distilleries, apiaries, a cheese factory and artisan bakery — concentrated in and around the quaint Milawa township.  

All images Rhiannon Taylor

RACV Torquay Resort

Torquay, Victoria

At one end of the iconic Great Ocean Road the sweeping arcs of RACV Torquay Resort, and the undulating greens of its adjoining golf course, follow the curve of the coast, presenting an awe-inspiring setting for relaxation and reconnection in the lead-up to, or immediately following, the excitement of the wedding day.

Here salty sea breezes and generously-sized guest rooms ease couples into a quieter pace, where beach walks are encouraged and downtime is dictated.

Energetic pairs can take to the fairways, try out the tennis courts, hit the gym or seek out the hotel’s heated indoor swimming area. Those with more indolent tastes can satiate them within One Spa’s hammam-style haven — which features a floatation pool, steam room and thermal stone room — or languish over carefully-crafted drinks and dishes at onsite Harding’s Lounge, White’s Paddock or Number One restaurant. And, for couples content to stay in, room service can be ordered from king-size beds, from which those in Ocean View Rooms or Ocean Spa Suites can enjoy the blue-green expanse of Bass Straight viewed through floor-to-ceiling windows.

Images courtesy RACV Torquay

Jakalope

Mornington Peninsula, Victoria

Slip just outside Melbourne, to the celebrated Mornington Peninsula, and couples is search of a sleek, sophisticated minimoon hideaway may find it within the jet-black exterior of the Jackalope hotel. ln stark contrast to the private vineyard that surrounds it, art, design and indulgence converge here, providing culture-loving couples with a carefully-curated sensory experience.

At its entrance, a lustrous 7m-high sculpture of the mythical jackalope — part jackrabbit, part-antelope — hints at the art that is infused within this space, as does a 10,000-globe chandelier that sits suspended above onsite Doot Doot Doot restaurant.

Muted grey and white minimalist interiors adorn the hotel’s 45 ‘lairs’, many of which offer romance-seeking duos deep-soak Japanese bathtubs, rain showers and floor-to-ceiling outlooks of the seasonally-changing vineyards.

Couples can select in-room DIY spa treatments from the room service menu, or venture beyond their cosy cocoons to the cocktail bar, either of two hatted-dining options, a black infinity pool overlooking the vines, or further to discover the many charms of the Mornington Peninsula.

Images courtesy Jakalope

For more minimoon ideas around Australia, click to expore ABIA's favourite mini-honeymoon spots in New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

For couples getting married in Melbourne, or around Victoia, ABIA's list of Victorian wedding vendors provides an ideal starting point for wedding planning. Being one of Australia's most-trusted wedding planning platforms, ABIA delivers more than 600,000 reviews and ratings, collected from recently-married couples, to help others planning a wedding anywhere across Australia. The comprehensive ABIA Directory enables couples to research wedding services and wedding vendors around the country, including ceremony and reception venues, celebrants, photographers, caterers, decorators, florists, planners and coordinators, transport providers, hair stylists, make-up artists, videographers, cake designers,  live music and even the likes of dance teachers and photo booth hire. Couples will also find the latest wedding inspiration and ideas inside the ABIA webite, which showcases helpful articles on topics like finding the perfect wedding dress, sustainable wedding suggestions, gift ideas, destination wedding venues and multi-day wedding planning, together with links to the best honeymoon destinations in Australia. There's also an online wedding registry to politely give guests an opportunity to contribute to a holiday or experience in place of a traditional wedding gift.