In December and January, there's nowhere like Australia.

If you live there, you’ll know.

If you’re visiting from the UK, you’ll never forget the first time you leave dark-by-4pm days behind and only (!) 24 hours later, step off the plane to the warm, fuzzy glow of an Aussie summer, with its giant blue skies and long summer evenings.

We count ourselves so lucky to have incredible family and friends on both sides of the world. For us, this is a once-in-a-lifetime moment to bring together in one place the people we love most. And we couldn’t be more excited to share the wonders of Down Under with you all.

We’re getting married an hour outside Melbourne. The service is at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Queenscliff and the reception is at Basil’s Farm about 10 minutes away. Queenscliff is a beach town on the Bellarine Peninsula where we’ll be based for the wedding. We'd love to welcome you at the Brewhouse on the evening of Friday 3rd and for a post-wedding recovery at Jen and Pete's place on Sunday 5th. So for the full experience, we recommend staying in Queenscliff from Thursday 2nd to Monday 6th. If you’re struggling to find accommodation, neighbouring Point Lonsdale is your next best bet.

There are a number of ways to get to Queenscliff. If you’re flying domestically straight to the wedding, we recommend flying to smaller Avalon airport which is only 40 minutes away.

Melbourne airport is 1.5 hours from Queenscliff and if you are coming from Melbourne, you can get a ferry to Portarlington, then it’s a 20 minute car lift or taxi. Alternatively, you could get a train from Melbourne to Geelong and then a bus or taxi from there. Or if you’re coming from the Mornington Peninsula you can get a short ferry from Sorrento to Queenscliff.

For those of you making a trip of it, the delights of Australia need little introduction.

A country wider than the moon, there's so much to do, see, feel, smell, eat and drink - the only real question is how to squeeze so much in!

Magnificent Melbourne: from world-class cuisine and coffee to a treasure trove of sporting delights. The Boxing Day Test vs India at the MCG and the Australian Open tennis at Melbourne Park in early January both whet the sporting appetite.

Beyond Melbourne, the state of Victoria, where Sam’s family live, offers so much, from the famous vineyards of the Yarra Valley to the breathtaking Great Ocean Road, where you might spot dolphins, seals, whales. If you'd rather see penguins, head to Phillip Island but booking early is essential. Sam’s family farm is near Minyip in the Wimmera Plains, not far from the Grampian mountains.

Then of course there’s sensational Sydney: the Opera House to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Bondi to Manly - and the New Year’s firework display in the harbour is world-famous. A few Brits making the journey will be pitching up in Sydney over New Year.

Further up the East Coast and into Queensland it's hot and sticky. The Great Barrier Reef, the Daintree Rainforest (crocs!), the squeaky-sand Whitsunday Islands, laid-back Noosa, hipster Byron Bay – take your pick!

And if you want to ramp up the adventure to the next level, the only limit is your imagination! There’s Darwin and the Northern Territories, Uluru, scenic trains snaking through the middle of the country, pristine Western Australia, scenic Tasmania and wine-soaked Adelaide.

However you want to play it, we’d love to help you plan your trip, find accommodation (particularly during the wedding) and make plans to hang out.

We can't guarantee everything, but we can guarantee cold beers, hot barbies and some pretty special memories together.

All our love

Sam & Ed

xxx

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Vue Grand

Circa 1902 GUEST HOUSE

Athelstane House