The Big Blue Backyard - a super romantic getaway near Melbourne
Kate Springer stays in a bed and breakfast that feels like it's on the edge of the world
About an hour's drive south of Melbourne, the Big Blue Backyard sprawls across a private plot of lush land near the Mornington Peninsula's St Andrews back beach. Surrounded by woods, blossoming bushes and the vast ocean, the bed and breakfast feels like it's on the edge of the world.
It's the "perfect accommodation for romancing", claims the website, and the three Bs is certainly unforgettable - thanks in large part to the welcoming husband-and-wife duo who own the place: Lisa and Paul Dempsey.
One of the more mesmerising aspects of the three Bs has to be the stretch of forested land it calls its own. The check-in and dining area are located in the Dempseys' solar-panelled home (top), which is entered through a matrix of arched tea-tree branches that guests pass under, having correctly chosen one of a number of fantastical windy trails - another of which leads to cliffs and the windswept dunes that overlook the ocean.
The three small cottages, dubbed "hideaways", were designed and decorated by the Dempseys. "Beach" (above) is decked out in fresh shades and handmade driftwood furniture; "African" (below) features brightly coloured cushions, hand-stained wood floors and crafts and curios collected on the Dempseys' many trips to the continent; and "Bush" comes complete with urban-chic details such as car tyres repurposed into a nightstand and paint-splattered floors à la Jackson Pollock. The cottages do have a few things in common, however: plush king beds, home-made cookies and a mini bar packed with local treats.
