Travelling with Kids – Adventure isn't just about the plane trips!
When the week rolls over and the weekend arrives there can be a certain satisfaction discovering your calendar is empty. Perhaps you take the opportunity to relax in your garden, read a new book or catch up on housework. Faced with a weekend without plans, my kids spent Saturday playing in the backyard with the neighbours. …
When I first arrived in Sydney I went straight to Bondi Beach. I think most tourists do. I wanted to see the great Aussie wonder for myself and feel the sand between my toes. It was truly delightful. Fast forward a decade and a half, and I’m raising my kids in this very city, providing the …
Australia has a past that many of us try to sweep under the carpet. While the media is quick to paint modern Australia as a racist nation (and I’m not here to debate whether we are or not), historically we were much, much worse. There was a time when our aboriginal people, possibly the oldest …
Childhood in Australia is likely to be spent outdoors in the sun, in a pool or the ocean (or a dam, if you grow up in the country), or when it’s raining, playing the Xbox or iPad inside. My kids learned to ride a bike after countless opportunities to practise in our nearby park. They …
“We’re all going to the zoo tomorrow, Zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow. We’re all going to the zoo tomorrow. We can stay all day” Over the weekend I was invited to Taronga Zoo for the 2016 Education launch along with a number of other Principals and Executives from NSW Government schools. It was an opportunity to hear about the …
Some think us Aussies are born with fins and spend all our spare time at the beach. It’s a common misconception which we haven’t really tried to correct. We like you thinking we spend the year with sand between our toes. Truth be told, my kids don’t spend all year at the beach and when …
The Sydney Opera House has resident sirens that are occasionally glimpsed at the far side of the building. They beckon to me throughout the school term until I can endure their call no more and head to a show or two with the kids, quickly checking if they’re visible for our visit.* As the count down for the …
We discovered the Smooth Festival of Chocolate last year and decided to visit again this year. It was bigger. It was much more crowded. But it was full of delights. Like last year, the weekend proved to be one of the warmest this season so required sunscreen and hats. We arrived as the festival opened and headed …
What does one do when their partner is called away to help renovate his house? Certainly not spend it at home! When this happened to us last weekend the kids called up one of their cousins and we headed to Homebush to explore the Brickpit Ring Walk an area which has been on my bucket list …
Spring time in Sydney can be a glorious thing and so far it is just that. The season has produced a gorgeous blue sky almost every day. Oh the joy! With a spare Saturday afternoon up our sleeve we thought we would find the kids a new experience. We racked our brains and came up with …
The last year has seen a surge of food blogs and instagram posts filling my social media stream. Food is fashionable and the more unique and artistic its presentation, the more likely it is to be shared and become viral. I must admit to adding a visit to a cafe or restaurant on spotting a single image …
Have you ever had one of those days where every minute is tied up in scheduled appointments? You know, those days where you are busy pulling the kids from one meeting to another as your stress level increases. I had one of those days recently. The kids energy was bottled up as they tried to …
Parramatta is the oldest inland European settlement in Australia and was settled by by the British in 1788, the same year as Sydney. It has a very rich history starting with the Darug people who lived here long before the British arrived. Having taught in the Parramatta area for more than a decade, I was aware of many …