Travelling with Kids – Adventure isn't just about the plane trips!
“Oh mama, I think this is the real one from the movie” my daughter whispers, staring at suspended rose as we check in to the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth hotel for a Disney Family Fun Package experience. We are both a little giddy with excitement. Yes, I have regressed to 8 year old me, almost too overwhelmed to …
Travelling always provides an opportunity to seek out a little history. It is through the history of a place that we learn about the present. When we visited the Hunter Valley I did my research and discovered that Maitland Gaol was the the longest continually run gaol in Australia when it closed back in 1998. I …
Did you have any idea that there was an amazing resort perfect for families only a couple of hours north from Sydney? We didn’t. Completely oblivious. And then we were invited to experience the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley and it was like an enlightening. We drove to the Hunter Valley straight after work on a Friday …
“Oh Leah!!! How the heck do you afford all of this! Do tell! I’m willing to do anything!” was a comment left on our Facebook page recently which made me think, you really do want to know how do we afford to travel. I hope this helps. Priorities The two biggest expenses most households have is there …
Exploring the Dairy and Rangers Cottages Tour In January, we made a little family pact to visit the 11 sites that form the Australian Convict Sites listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Sydney has a quite a few on the list including Parramatta Park’s Old Government House and Domain. We were quick to jump on the opportunity to …
Our top tip for Amazement Farm and Fun Park in Wyong ; “Keep your left hand on the wall as you enter and don’t take it off. It will get you through the maze” When searching for mazes in NSW we came across the website for Amazement Farm and Fun Park in Wyong and suddenly we were on …
Who said kids can’t enjoy a brewery tour. We check out the James Boag’s Brewery Tour in Launceston. Beer. Some would say it’s an Australian institution. I do know that when you track back in time to when the first colony was established, beer followed. Being dedicated history buffs, the James Boag’s Brewery Tour was …
The Cascades Female Factory focuses on the experience of convict women – the only site dedicated to this in Australia. To open my first history lesson for the year, I asked my students to write down as many figures from Australian history as they could in 5 minutes. They jumped straight on task, some listing …
Throughout the year we seek out opportunities to escape to the beach. Lucky for us we are Sydneysiders so we are never really that far from the ocean. This has given us ample time to work out the best family beaches in Sydney and those from the bunch that are kid-friendly beaches much of the …
Children dreaming of becoming a zoo keeper can see their dreams come to life when they head to the Taronga Zoo Keeper For A Day program. Running on Saturdays and a number of days each school holiday break, the program is available for children aged 8 and up where they have the opportunity to learn about …
Port Arthur with Kids There is a site in Tasmania whose mere name when mentioned draws goosebumps on the arms of most Australians. It has an abhorrent past spanning right back to when it was a penal settlement, with its modern history possibly even scarier. It’s a place of contradictions, both beautiful yet ugly; light filled yet …
If you grew up in the 80s and 90s there’s no doubt that you watched a movie, or two, about American summer camps. The Parent Trap was my absolute favourite and I watched it over and over, delighting in all the activities the kids on camp experienced. Summer Camps are a phenomenon that most of …
Memories are quite an interesting phenomenon. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between true memories from your childhood and those that have formed after the many recounts from family. Before our trip to Tasmania, I was unsure about my childhood time at Launceston’s Cataract Gorge and wondered if the fleeting images, all rather whimsical, were real or …