From elegant high tea to a rejuvenating spa day, mark this Mother’s Day with a little touch of luxury.
Who doesn’t love receiving gifts? Tearing open Christmas wrapping paper, biting into an Easter egg or breathing in a fragrant bouquet of Valentine’s flowers is sure to bring joy year-round. But planning the perfect present for our loved ones is its own reward. With Mother’s Day just around the corner once again, what better way to show appreciation to the mother figure in your life than with a thoughtfully curated experience?
Read on for this year’s best Mother’s Day experiences.
When is Mother’s Day 2024?
For Australians, Mother’s Day falls on the second Sunday of May each year. In the lead up to Sunday 12 May 2024, we’re here to get you ready for all the maternal merriment you can manage. Whether you book a Sunday spa treatment or choose a mid-week treat to avoid the crowds, honour the occasion with our top Mother’s Day experiences.
Our Top 10 Mother’s Day gifts
1. Dine in style on Sydney Harbour
Fine dining is a fine way to the hearts of many, but some experiences are a cut above. Setting sail on an exclusive cruise aboard the Sydney 2000, your six-course degustation comes with personalised service and an unforgettable backdrop of Sydney Harbour. Book to cruise during Vivid Sydney – the city’s annual arts and culture festival – for a dazzling display of lights to accompany these carefully crafted dishes, paired with Penfolds wines.
2. Walk through a field of flowers in Canberra
It’s never too early to start planning for spring. This Mother’s Day, forgo the typical bouquet for a whole city of flowers with tickets to Canberra’s Floriade Festival in September. Join a guided tour of some 300,000 blooms across town, culminating in a visit to the mesmerising Tulip Top Gardens. It’s well worth the wait, and your mother will never want for flowers again.
3. Take a spa day on the Mornington Peninsula
When it comes to spa treatments, few people need much convincing. Body scrubs and massages are the perfect way to break free of the quotidian and focus on relaxation and rejuvenation. At Alba Thermal Springs & Spa, you can gift a luxurious bathing experience in geothermal forest pools, complete with a two-course meal of seasonal produce at Thyme, designed by award-winning chef Karen Martini.
4. Toast to high tea on the Gold Coast
Make an impression with a signature high tea at the Imperial Hotel. Served at Le Jardin, this sophisticated dining experience includes a selection of freshly baked scones with double cream and homemade jam, savoury treats and a glass of wine to toast the occasion.
5. Discover the fine wines of the Barossa Valley
We all hope to age like a fine wine, so why not seek inspiration on a full-day wine tour from Adelaide? Book in some quality time together, exploring the best bottles from a host of Barossa Valley vineyards. Pair your wine tasting with lunch at Kies Family Wines, knowing your return trip to the city is already taken care of.
6. Book in for a smashing good time in Melbourne
While some may seek serenity in the spa, others prefer to let it all out with a bit more momentum. Reserving a 40-minute session at The Smash Room – the world’s largest – you can treat Mum to the ultimate catharsis, donning safety gear and grabbing a bat to knock through plates, glasses and TVs aplenty.
7. Explore the NT’s best national parks
Travel calls to us all, and Mother’s Day is a great chance to pack those bags for another shared adventure. Splash out on a full-day expedition from Darwin and let them uncover the lush landscape of Nitmiluk National Park. Cruising through the crystalline waters of Katherine Gorge, releasing the tension with a soak in the thermal springs, and learning about the rich Indigenous history of the region… it doesn’t get much better than that.
8. Capture the moment with a professional photoshoot in Hobart
When you spend so much time taking photos of the family yourself, it can be easy to get a little camera-shy. With an exclusive professional photoshoot at your choice of Hobart location, there’s no need for mum to miss out on beautiful snaps of special moments. Plan out your day ahead of the shoot, then let the experts take care of the details, so they’ve got memories to treasure forever.
9. Master the art of Italian cooking in Perth
Learning a new skill – or honing our existing ones – is uniquely rewarding. At chef-hatted Restaurant Caleb, a two-hour Italian cooking masterclass will leave your mother figure feeling like a pro, mastering three fine-dining courses under the tutelage of Chef Caleb himself. As they say: give a mum a dish, feed them for a day. Teach a mum to dish up, they’ll be eating Italian for a lifetime.
10. Treat them to a Luxury Escapes Gift Card
At the end of the day, there’s really no greater gift than the promise of travel. With a Luxury Escapes Gift Card, you’ll unlock a world of blissful retreats and bucket-list experiences. Show Mum that thoughtful gift-giving doesn’t have to preclude a sense of adventure.
Looking for extra inspiration? Explore more gifting ideas for any occasion.
