‘Our small family ritual’: The Victorians choosing hot springs bliss over Christmas chaos

3 hours ago 2

As people across Australia rush around to put a family feast together, Katie and Steve Jaz lounge in white bathrobes on a wooden jetty by a lake. Their children play around in their bathers, eating chips straight out of the bag. A cooler with snacks and drinks sits nearby. Life is pretty blissful.

It’s 12.30pm on Christmas Day and the Point Cook couple has come down to the Peninsula Hot Springs, in Fingal on the Mornington Peninsula, to honour a biennial family tradition – spending the day soaking in the hot pools.

Katie Jaz with her children Adeline, Sebastian and Oliver.

“This is our small Jaz family ritual that we do here,” Katie says. “Next year we’ll go to my side of the family.”

Katie’s family celebrates Christmas on December 25. Steve’s family is Orthodox and celebrates Christmas in January instead.

The Jaz family attends the Christmas celebrations hosted by Katie’s family every second December 25 and heads to the hot springs in the off years.

“I also have brothers and sisters, Steve has brothers, so we have to make it balanced,” Katie says. “We can’t all get together on the same day.”

The Jaz family spends December 25 at the hot springs every second year.

The hot springs idea was born about five years ago as a way of surprising their children with an activity rather than just gifts on Christmas morning.

“The kids can be preoccupied by themselves while husband and wife have a chat and catch up,” Steve says. “It kind of ticks a lot of those logistical boxes you’re trying to capture when having a relaxing getaway as a family.” Being able to bring snacks from home is also a plus.

The Jaz family is far from alone.

Peninsula Hot Springs spokesperson Jacqui Diamond said more than 1000 people were expected to spend the day at the facility.

“Many people are coming here as an alternative to the chaos but also as an opportunity to connect with each other or with friends and family and celebrate immersing in nature,” Diamond says.

A line of about two dozen people snaked out of the front door when The Age arrived about 11am.

Swimmers were not deterred by the cooler temperatures or sudden bursts of wind and rain on Thursday. Some read books by a pool, while others took cold plunges or sat in 30-degree water.

Among those relaxing at the pools were Dijana and Oliver Stankovic.

The couple from Caroline Springs are no stranger to the hot springs. They do the nearly four-hour return journey about once a month to relax with friends.

Dijana and Oliver Stankovic are regulars at the hot springs.

Like the Jaz family, the Stankovics celebrate Orthodox Christmas in January, so they have turned heading to the hot springs on December 25 into an annual tradition for the past seven years.

“December is a very stressful month for all of us,” Dijana said. “We have a daughter, we both work full time, we have nephews as well that we look after on the weekend.”

It’s one final day of rest before the celebrations with family begin.

“We’ll stay here pretty much until 6pm and then go home and sleep like babies,” Dijana said.

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