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If you’re planning a weekend away with the kids and you aren’t fortunate to have a holiday home of your own to fall back on, the chances are that you’ve investigated the holiday rentals market.

Renting a place for a few days is in many ways the ideal short break option. Firstly, you have the freedom to go wherever you like and are not tied to one destination, as you are with a holiday house. So if you feel like a beach holiday to a favourite haunt, all you have to do is book your accommodation and you’re away. Similarly, if you’ve promised your children a taste of country life, book a farm stay or a cottage on a rural property and you’re away.

Holiday rentals are also a comparatively hassle free way of travelling – something which can be a real bonus if you have little ones in toe. Your choose a location, book your beach house or country cabin and rock up. If you’ve selected well, you’ll find everything you need for a perfect weekend getaway and all without the inconvenience of having to take it yourself. In fact, many holiday rentals even include ‘welcome hampers’ and breakfast baskets to get your visit underway, along with linen and towels, so all you need to pack is the essentials.

However, the huge advantage that renting a beach house or holiday apartment over other forms on accommodation is the freedom that it allows you. You can come and go exactly as you wish without disturbing anyone else. You have a kitchen at your disposal and so self-catering (or ordering from the local take away) is an option, which can be a huge relief when children are involved. Choose your holiday accommodation wisely and you may get a place that opens your family to a new game or sport. We stayed in a place one year with a set of quoits in the garage and had endless hours of fun.

Stay at a few different places and you’ll find that your children will probably love the idea of being somewhere familiar – a house or unit – but new – not theirs.

And if your family includes a dog, these days there are plenty of properties that are pet friendly and will accept your hound along with your offspring, This make for a far better getaway all round as your beloved pouch can be with you and you don’t have the added bother if leaving it with someone else of house it at a kennel – or the expense!

If you are thinking about trying a holiday rental for your next family holiday, we recommend that you book your accommodation through one of the big sites, like Stayz. But whoever you go through, make sure you do your research first and have a good read of the testimonials attached to the property you’re interested in. Another good idea is to rely on word of mouth and take the advice of friends and family who have visited places in the same area before. Perhaps they can suggest the perfect beach house for your family weekend getaway.

With 14th February fast approaching, it’s time to start planning those romantic getaways and seductive candlelit dinners before it’s too late. For many of us Valentine’s Day is a chance to spend some genuine quality time with the special someone in our lives. If you’re near the start of a relationship, it’s a good opportunity to impress your beloved with a few days away somewhere memorable, whilst those that have been together for a while may feel it is the ideal excuse to getaway from the kids and reconnect on a short break. Valentine’s Day means different things to different people, but surely few would complain about being whisked off to one of this countries many luxury resorts or romantic hotels for a mini holiday!

Unfortunately, this year 14th February falls during the week on a Tuesday, but if you’re a true romantic that could well provide a good enough reason to book an extra day or 2 off work and make a proper break of it. An alternative is to move your romantic escape either forward or back a few days and enjoy a weekend away, with an overnight stay somewhere indulgent.

How you choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day is a matter of taste, so we’ve put together a few suggestions that might inspire you to take off and treat your loved one to a magical short stay somewhere.

There can be few things more romantic than a weekend of pampering and relaxation so it is no surprise that spa retreats are an increasingly popular choice for Valentine’s getaways. Reserve a suite at a spa hotel or health retreat and enjoy the bliss of spa treatments and divine food along with plenty of ‘you’ time – remember many of spa resorts offer couples treatments, where you and your partner can be pampered together. Another idea is to stay at a luxury hotel that has a day spa and ask about their spa packages – some hotels offer package deals which include accommodation and spa treatments.

Romantic getaways are also the perfect time to go somewhere totally new, like a city that you’ve never visited before. Why not use the 14th February to fly off to a different state or territory and see what its capital has to offer? Interstate city breaks are perfect for couples, allowing you to explore somewhere unknown and making for a memorable break from your usual routine. We think a dinner at a swish, but intimate, restaurant followed by a stroll back to a deluxe hotel room with a big, comfy bed is a great way to mark this special date. Check out some of the travel deals online for flight and accommodation packages. If you’re lucky you find a bargain on one of the many last minute deals websites that are currently vying for business.

Another suggestion is to pack a hamper of your favourite food and drink and head off to a cottage or cabin away from it all. If you don’t fancy cooking that romantic dinner yourself, maybe a stay at a cozy B&B within staggering distance of a decent restaurant might appeal more. If this sounds more to your liking, investigate the settlements dotted around our famous wine producing areas for suitable places to stay and remember that many wineries also offer boutique accommodation amongst the vines.

Of all the Public Holidays in the Australian calendar, Australia Day is one where many people take the opportunity to book extra time off work and turn the single day off into a long weekend – whether it is an ‘official’ long weekend or not! Perfectly positioned on 26th January, when the extended vacations of the Christmas and summer period are generally over and just before the kids return to school, Australia Day is a great excuse to squeeze the last bit of sun out of the summer and enjoy a weekend away before the work year truly gets going.

Since the weather is usually still good in many parts of the county at the end of January, getaways to the beach are always popular. Indeed, this is a boom time for short breaks to tourist hotspots such as Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, the NSW Central Coast and the numerous holiday rentals along the fabulous WA ocean beaches. Beach houses, resorts and campsites fill with a lively mix of families and groups of mates and the beaches and parks are littered with boggie boards, barbecues and sun worshippers.

Australia Day is also an ideal time for romantic getaways, whether it is at the ocean or somewhere inland like the mountains or one of our many wonderful wineries. Luxury resorts, boutique hotels, chic beach shacks and cozy cottages make memorable settings for candlelit dinners and intimate conversations.

An alternative to the beach holiday or couples break is to make the most of the one of the various Australia Day celebrations happening across the country. The long weekend provides a superb chance to sample one of the many interstate city breaks that are on offer and see how they mark this important date in other places. Some of the events that might encourage you to look at weekend getaways elsewhere include Sydney’s famous Ferrython, where Sydney Harbour ferries race one another, the Great Australia Day Swim from Middle Brighton Pier or annual Australia Day March through the city in Melbourne, being part of the Great Australia Day Breakfast in Canberra, or enjoying the Australia Day Festival in Brisbane. And wherever you decide to travel, from Perth to Adelaide and on to Brisbane, you’ll find spectacular Australia Day fireworks displays as the sun goes down in the evening – just check the local papers or information sites for details.

If you think that spending the 26th January at the beach or investigating a new town on a city holiday sounds good, it’s best to plan well in advance as it’s a popular period for weekends away. Check out budget travel and hotel deals websites for an idea of what’s available and remember to compare across a few sites before you commit to anything. In contrast, if you’re not particularly organized, or suddenly decide that you want to take off on the spur of the moment, hop online and see what’s on offer on one of the last minute deals sites. You might be pleasantly surprised by what’s still around.

However you spend Australia Day, make the most of it and we hope you have a fun and safe day!