Travelling with Kids – Adventure isn't just about the plane trips!
Australia has a sordid and tumultuous history that is often glossed over or ignored on many travellers’ itineraries. Yet some of the most meaningful learning opportunities for kids come from places that don’t shy away from the harder truths. We’ve always believed that our children benefit from a rounded view of history, one that is …
To truly understand a city, it’s essential to explore its historical foundations and learn about its evolution over time. During our recent trip to Melbourne Victoria, we made sure to reserve a few hours in our busy schedule to visit the Old Melbourne Gaol. Our family adores history and always sniffs out an old gaol …
Hidden within the suburb of Darlinghurst, behind a thick sandstone wall, is the Old Darlinghurst Gaol which in recent times has been transformed into the National Art School. Reputed to be haunted by the ghosts of the 76 people executed at the gallows which were staged at the gaol’s massive entrance, a tour helps visitors …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Prison breakouts are something that the media loves to cover and authors love to weave into their books of fiction. Alcatraz is famous for its breakout, the infamous Klong Prem otherwise known as Bangkok Hilton, is well known for the escape of David McMillan and then we have the Great Escape movie which brings to life the …
Standing prominently upon a hill overlooking the country town of Castlemaine stands an old sandstone gaol that is regarded as one of the most haunted buildings in all of Victoria. Within its walls ten prisoners were hanged for their crimes. Each were buried somewhere on the grounds – standing up so their souls would never be …
As a huge Clint Eastwood fan, Alcatraz has been on T’s top 10 Bucket List destinations for a very long time. There was no doubt that when planning our family adventure to California that it would be on our itinerary. By the time we arrived in San Francisco tickets to Alcatraz were only available for dates …
Cockatoo Island is one of 11 UNESCO sites listed for their convict history in Australia. Read about our first visit to the site. Cockatoo Island is a place that many Sydneysiders pass by every day but never visit unaware of the treasure that is under their nose. Accessible only by ferry or private boat, the island …
Old Dubbo Gaol has a history dating back to 1847 when it was built as a courthouse lockup. By 1859 it has become an official gaol operating right through to 1966 when operations ceased. For the last 40 years, it has been a popular tourist attraction with a large display of restored cells and regular …