April 2016 - Page 2 of 2 - Adventure, baby!

Month: April 2016

Melbourne: The Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden

April 10, 2016 / Melbourne, Travel, Victoria / 8 Comments

A tip off from a friend led us to seek out the Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden, in the heart of Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens.

The Royal Botanic Gardens are a gorgeous place to visit in their own right – set over 38 hectares, the gardens are an oasis of peace in the busy centre of Melbourne.

The Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden was opened in 2004, designed to encourage children to get their hands dirty and express themselves through play. The gardens are carefully planned to allow children to run free and wild within a contained environment. The gardens are gated so kids can’t escape, which also means you can really let them explore without worrying that they will do a runner when you lose sight of them for a moment!

Children enter the garden and embark on a journey through a jungle, a bamboo forest, a kitchen garden and creek bed. There are mazes, rocks to climb, characters to meet and an ancient Grandmother tree to explore. A wide variety of plants are set around the garden to give kids the opportunity to discover the delights of nature in their play, and to spark curiosity in the world around them.

The gardens have a clean bathroom right outside the gate, and a cafe a few metres away.

The Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden
Royal Botanic Gardens,
Birdwood Ave, Melbourne
Hours: 10am-sunset Wed-Sun (closed during term time on Mon & Tue). 10am-sunset 7 days a week during Victorian State School holidays and all public holidays.
http://www.rbg.vic.gov.au
Get directions

Looking for more things to din in Melbourne with kids? This list of free things to do will help you holiday without breaking the budget.

Dream Lover – The Bobby Darin Musical {Giveaway!}

April 6, 2016 / Sydney, Sydney Life, Theatre / 2 Comments

Brought to you by Nuffnang and Dream Lover.

I had the privilege this week of attending the media launch of the brand new show, Dream Lover – The Bobby Darin Musical.

Sydney will be home to the world premiere of this entertaining show in September this year, for a limited three month engagement.

“Who is Bobby Darin?” I hear some of you ask. Well, let me tell you exactly who he is. Bobby Darin is a legendary American singer, songwriter and Academy Award-nominated actor whose songs are synonymous with the 1960s. You probably know the majority of his songs even if you didn’t know his name. Think Mack the Knife, Splish Splash, Beyond the Sea and of course, Dream Lover … ahhhh yes, that’s him! I have loved these songs all my life and knew nothing about the life of the man who sang them.

Bobby Darin led quite the extraordinary life, which became the basis for the new musical. As well as his musical and acting prowess (he played 9 instruments!), Bobby was married to the film star Sandra Dee (YES… LIKE IN GREASE!!), and, like many of our stars today, died before his time at age 37.

It seems Bobby had a feeling he wasn’t going to life as long as most people so was determined to cram an entire lifetime into the years he had. Bobby’s motto was to make every moment of every day count – something which I’m sure we can all relate to, even if we’re not destined for superstardom.

Dream Lover – The Bobby Darin Musical will tell the extraordinary tale of this musician and feature his famous works, sung by the dreamy (and let’s not forget, extremely accomplished) David Campbell, with the lovely Hannah Fredericksen playing his wife, Sandra Dee. There will be 40 performers on stage, including a live 18-piece big band.

As the show is only going to be staged in Sydney, I highly recommend you get your tickets to see the musical when it premieres.

GIVEAWAY

To celebrate the launch of this new musical, I’ve teamed up with Dream Lover to offer Adventure, Baby! readers a chance to win a double pass to see a preview showing of Dream Lover when it opens in September. All you need to do to be in the running to win is enter the question in the form below in 25 words or less, “What is your favourite song from the 1960s and why?”.

The giveaway is open to Australian residents only, from 6pm April 6 to 9pm 27th April, 2017. The winner must arrange their own transport to and from the Lyric Theatre to see the show. See full terms and conditions here.

Loading…

Dream Lover – The Bobby Darin Musical will be staged at the Sydney Lyric Theatre for an exclusive limited season, with tickets from 30 September on sale from 7 April.

Sydney Lyric Theatre, The Star
Season From 30 September 2016
Performance Times Wed & Thurs 7.30pm, Fri & Sat 8pm, Matinees Tues & Wed 1pm, Sat 2pm, Sun 3pm
PRICES: From $69.90*
BOOKINGS: ticketmaster.com.au or 1300 795 267

8 Things To Do In Neisko, Japan, With Kids

April 3, 2016 / Asia, Japan, Travel / 4 Comments

Japan is one of my absolute favourite countries to visit. The culture is exquisite, the people welcoming and the cities and scenery spectacular. Like I said, already a huge, raving fan. I last visited Japan when I was footloose and fancy free, way before little Cheese came along. I can’t wait to take her back to experience this beautiful country, particularly a city called Niseko, in the Hokkaido precinct.

Niseko is renowned among ski and snowboarders for having the best ski terrain in Japan. Set amongst snow-capped mountains, and close to hot spring resorts (AKA onsen), this is a town that is majestic to visit any time of year.

While Niseko is known for its snow, it’s actually an ideal holiday location for all seasons – particularly for active families like mine. If you’re thinking of visiting Japan this year with your kids, consider adding Niseko to your itinerary, and enjoy some of these eight family-friendly activities. If you want even more ideas on planning your trip, you can check out Vacation Niseko.

Snow sports
Winter is peak season in Niseko for a very good reason. If you’re a snow bunny, this is the time for your family to visit and enjoy sports such as snow tubing and sledding. Families with kids aged three and over can enjoy these exhilarating winter sports at Hanazono Adventure Park, located at Hanazono 308, accessed from Hirafu village via frequent, free Hanazono shuttle buses.

Local cuisine
You can’t visit Japan without enjoying their regional dishes. Take kids to visit Hokkaido’s famous dairy, Milk Kobo, serving locally made ice cream, yogurt and milk, plus vegetarian dishes. They have cute souvenir shops, too. Milk Kobo can be accessed via the Niseko United Shuttle bus and is open year-round except Dec. 31st and Jan. 1st.

Summer water sports
Niseko sits on the twisting and turning Shiribetsu river, which means summer is filled with exhilarating water sports. Get on the river in a 2-person inflatable kayak for a Ducky Tour, or enjoy a relaxing rafting tour. Older kids can try SUP – stand up paddleboarding. It’s very easy to learn and a fun way to explore the river.

PURE Nature Activity Centre
When you’re staying in the mountains, there’s going to be a lot of nature to be had. If you want to really get out and enjoy the scenery, visit the PURE centre at Niseko Village for a wide range of family-friendly activities, including mountain biking, ziplining, horseback riding and hot-air ballooning. Tree Trekking particular looks amazing – kids can walk among the trees on a network of ziplines, nets and ropeways.

Indoor Rock-climbing
When you want a break from the great outdoors, indoor rock climbing will keep the kids busy for hours. A great activity that the whole family can enjoy, or you can sit back and enjoy a coffee from JoJo’s Cafe while the kids scrabble up the rock faces on their own at the Niseko Adventure Centre.

Zipline
The whole family can clip on a harness and fly on a 200 metre zipline, 10 metres above the mountain. The zipline runs year-round at Hanazono Adventure Park, located at Hanazono 308. It is accessed from Hirafu village via frequent, free Hanazono shuttle buses. Participants must be over 100 cm and below 100 kg. The zipline experience lasts roughly 30 minutes.

Ski school
The perfect opportunity for your kids to learn how to ski from expert instructors. Vacation Niseko will arrange it all for you, and ensure your child is booked into the correct class at NISS, their premier ski school. Kids aged 3-6 yrs can join the Tic-Tac Kids Club for a full-day program in Hanazono, a large area with three magic carpets and minimal hill traffic, making it a safe place for little ones to learn the basics. Classes are limited to 6 kids. Older kids can join the Yuki full-day program (7-14 yrs), where they will explore the slopes around Hanazono and Niseko with their instructor. Yuki groups are separated into skiers and boarders, and are limited to 8 participants.

Doumu Glass Gallery
A cultural experience I would love to explore is glassblowing, which the Shiribeshi region is renowned for. Glassblowing artist Kazuo Ikeda is known for his elegant and simple glass work, with his shop located near Hirafu in Higashiyama. At the Doumo Glass Gallery you can attend a sandblasting workshop and create your own Japanese-style glass or beer mug.The Doumo Glass Gallery is close to Milk Kobo, making them a great pair of activities to do together. Both are easily accessed via the Niseko United Shuttle bus.

Where to stay:
Choose from a range of accommodation from apartments to townhouses, depending on your budget. The most expensive time to visit is winter. In the off season, accommodation is a fraction of the cost, making it a fantastic option for a summer, autumn or spring holiday. Check out your options at Vacation Niseko.

Getting there:
Niseko is a two-to-three hour drive from New Chitose Airport, just outside of Sapporo. While it is an international airport, most international visitors will need to fly into Tokyo or Narita and catch a flight from there.

This post was produced in conjunction with Vacation Niseko.