Christine Knight, Author at Adventure, baby!

Christine Knight

Christine is the editor of Adventure, Baby!

Sheraton on the Park High Tea Buffet: Sydney’s Best High Teas

February 7, 2016 / CBD, Sydney, Sydney Food / 6 Comments

I’m a regular at the Sheraton for their amazing high tea offerings, but this was the first time that I’ve tried their High Tea Buffet. For the same price as the beautiful tiers that come around, on weekends you can choose the buffet if you so desire.

I’ve been curious about the buffet, but what encouraged me to book it for my dad’s birthday this week was how easy it made dining with people who have various food requirements. My dad can’t eat a variety of ingredients, which can make regular high teas hard. The buffet, however, meant he could pick and choose from a huge variety of food and find plenty of things to eat, with zero hassle.

The buffet had an absolutely mind blowing amount of choice. I was determined to try one of everything (ha!) and failed miserably, which has only increased my desire to return so I can sample more of the dishes I missed out on.

The foyer of the dining area was set up into stations – sandwiches, sweets, quiche and macarons (an interesting pairing!), scones, hot cross buns and crepes, DIY ice cream and cheese, nuts, crackers and creme brulee.

The creme brulee was so fresh that we watched the chef make it at the station and then place it onto the serving platters.

Sandwiches: As a vegetarian, I was only able to eat two of the sandwiches, which was a slight let down for me over the high tea stand, where I would usually get a vegetarian quiche plus three other vegetarian savory options.

I did enjoy the sandwiches though – an egg and cream cheese on fluffy white bread and a wrap with pumpkin and blue cheese.

Quiche: The only quiche available was salmon sadly, so I didn’t try it. I hope next time I go there is a vegetarian quiche on offer.

Sweets: It was impossible to know where to begin. There were so many sweets it hurt to look at them. I really loved the variety offered – everything from chocolate cake pops covered in pistachios to mango and raspberry pudding with white chocolate bubbles, tiny strawberry cheesecakes and deconstructed pavlova. I tried about 9 I think (yikes!), and went home thinking about all the others I didn’t get to. Next time!

Scones: These were fantastic – super fresh and warm, with giant bowls of jam and cream. I had a blueberry scone and found it fluffy and light. Perfect cream, thick fruity jam. So good.

Ice cream: This was cheese’s favourite. Choose from chocolate or vanilla, then add a selection of toppings like chocolate curls, nuts, shortbread pastry crust and chocolate balls.

Tea selection: As part of the basic buffet you are offered a choice of tea or coffee. I chose English Breakfast, which came in a pot that gave me about three full cups of tea. The lovely hostess came around later to offer is a hot water refill, which I appreciated.

I don’t usually order Cheese her own dishes when we have high tea as she just doesn’t eat them, and I was concerned with this being a buffet that it would be an awkward situation. I had nothing to worry about however, as no one minded that she pecked at a few things here and there.

The service at the Sheraton on the Park is fantastic. As soon as we finished with a plate it was whisked away, often without me even noticing, by friendly, smiling staff.

I can’t recommend the Sheraton on the Park High Tea Buffet enough for your next high tea. You’ll probably be like me and want to go back to try everything you missed the first time!

The Buffet High Tea is $49pp and includes one coffee or tea per person. Additional cost for sparkling wine. Bookings recommended.

Sheraton On The Park High Tea Buffet
161 Elizabeth Street,
Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: (02) 9286 6000
Prices: $$$

Entering the Forbidden City, Beijing

February 5, 2016 / Asia, China, Travel / 7 Comments

During my 2007 trip to Beijing, we were taken to see the Forbidden City – one of China’s biggest tourist attractions, with around 7 million visitors a year (up to 80,000 a day!).

This spectacular palace was home to 24 imperial Chinese emperors from the Ming dynasty in 1420 to the end of the Qing dynasty in 1912. The Forbidden City is located right in the center of Beijing (near Tiananmen Square) and is now home to the Palace Museum.

For 500 years the palace was off limits to the public, hence the name “Forbidden City”. Nowadays you can enter what is the largest palace complex in the world for around $10AUD. The palace is also China’s best-preserved and largest group of ancient buildings, making it an amazing trip back in time when you visit.

We had a tour guide for our group, who was full of interesting info that wasn’t on the audio tour – such as during our visit renovations were obviously in progress on the roofs. Our guide noted that the palace was so large that by the time they had finished re-painting all the roofs they would need to start re-painting the first ones they began with all over again.

It was at the Forbidden City that I had my first introduction to a dirty “hole-in-the-ground” Chinese toilet. Unless things have improved since our visit, I highly suggest you hold it rather than also experience this traditional gem.

Set aside most of a day to really explore the entire palace. Comfortable shoes are advisable.

The Forbidden City
Opening hours:
April-Oct 8:30-17:00 (60CNY)
November-March 8:30-16:30 (40CNY)

Climbing the Great Wall of China

February 3, 2016 / Asia, China, Travel / 2 Comments

I had a mild panic attack recently when I realised that I’ve travelled far and wide but very few of my journeys have actually been blogged. What kind of travel blogger am I?! Since I don’t get to travel as much these days with my preschooler in tow, I decided to go back through my travels and add them in so all of my adventures are chronicled in the one place. Starting with the Great Wall of China.

I visited Beijing in 2007 on a work trip and was so excited when I found out that one of our organised activities was the climb the Great Wall of China.

The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications built along an east-west line across the northern borders of China from the 3rd century BC to the 17th century AD. The wall was built to protect the Chinese empires against invaders, with a total length of more than 20,000 km. While some sections of the wall have crumbled away, some still exist to an extent that they can be climbed, as the wall has been rebuilt, maintained and renovated constantly.

We climbed the Badaling section of the wall. It’s the most famous section, the most complete, convenient and accessible, and is also the closest to Beijing (70 km). As a result, however, this section of the wall is always teaming with tourists (like us!). I didn’t find it overwhelmingly busy when we visited, however, so I wouldn’t be put off by this. The Badaling section has had the most renovation and is well maintained, making it the safest section to walk of the wall, too.

Most parts of the Badaling Great Wall were built during the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644 AD) to defend Beijing against raids from northern Mongolians.

The Badaling section of the wall is 12 kilometers with 43 watchtowers, but only 3.74 km and 19 watchtowers have been restored and are opened to visitors. While that sounds like a short stroll, it’s an exhausting walk up hill, and your calves will remind you of it for days to come. Take plenty of water and wear very comfy shoes.

Heading to China? Get ideas on a two-week itinerary here.

Climbing the great wall isn’t enough? What about CAMPING on the Great Wall of China?

Looking for more things to do in China? Head to Guangzhou with your kids.

Keep your information safe when travelling by using a VPN.

Tintos: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Balmain, Sydney

January 30, 2016 / Balmain, Inner West, Sydney, Sydney Food / 5 Comments

I do love trying new cafes. This week I stumbled upon Tintos in Balmain – a tiny little hole in the wall that opens up into a reasonably-sized cafe, right off Darling Street. I admit I was seduced by the cronuts in the window …

Lucky I was, as this little cafe is an absolute gem. As we sat down at cable reel that was doubling as a table, I noticed a few big baskets of toys and colouring in supplies. What an amazing find! Cheese was entertained for our entire stay and we had to pry her away from the toys when it was time to leave.

We ordered a light meal – two Avocado Toasts ($11), mine with Haloumi ($5) and Alec’s with a Poached Egg ($3) and Bacon ($4). They were just perfect.

Soy and lindseed bread with smashed avocado in olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon. Just devine.

Cheese devoured a giant Mixed Berry Smoothie ($7.5).

My English Breakfast tea ($4) was by Tea Craft and served in a pot so big I got several cups out of it. Tintos prides itself on having excellent coffee, and it’s always good to be able to try and agree that they deliver what they promise on.

Our table was right next to a giant map that covered most of one wall. On the map were blu-tacked coins placed there, I assumed, by visitors from all over the world. I really enjoyed seeing where people had come from to get to this little cafe in Balmain.

Tintos is a fantastic little cafe that we will be going back to soon, to try more dishes off the menu.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Very little.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Tintos
306 Darling St,
Balmain NSW 2041
Phone: (02) 9810 2962
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Sat 6am-5pm, Sun 7:30-5pm
Get Directions

The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar, Australian Premiere

January 30, 2016 / Sydney, Sydney Life, Theatre / 6 Comments

My childhood was spent falling in love with Disney movies. I was absolutely obsessed with all of them – starting with The Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, through to the modern ones that came out as I was growing up such as Aladdin and The Lion King. I was 15 when I saw the original Lion King movie, and was obsessed with the music for months (ahem, might have been more like years). When The Lion King stage show came out in my 20s, I saw one of the very first shows in Sydney and cried all over again at the beauty of the music and heartbreaking storyline.

Now I have my own Disney-obsessed kid, who is still too young to watch the original Lion King movie. She is, however the perfect age for the new Disney Junior series that is a spin off from the much loved movie – The Lion Guard.

We were lucky enough to attend the Australian premiere of The Lion Guard, where we watched the first extended episode, called Return Of The Roar. At 45 minutes, the first episode is longer than the following ones will be to introduce the new cast, re-introduce beloved old characters, and set the scene for the next generation of troublesome cubs to take on their own adventures. Simba and Nala have grown up and have cubs of their own, including Kion, who is the star of this new series. Cameos from Pumbaa and Timon also link the old with the new, and bring in a motley crew of brand new animal characters: Bunga, Ono, Fuli and Beshte.

The reason I haven’t shown my four-year-old The Lion King movie yet is I think it’s still too scary for her, but I was confident that a Disney Junior spin off would be age appropriate – and it was. There were moments in the show when I wasn’t sure what direction it would go (the suspense!) and I was relieved that each moment of confrontation was diffused without violence. My very sensitive child agreed at the end that The Lion Guard was great and that she enjoyed it immensely.

While my daughter is not yet able to articulate why she enjoyed it so much beyond she loved the songs and the honey badger, Bunga, I really enjoyed the skillful animation, beautiful music and the themes that emerged: friendship, loyalty, perseverance, bravery and love. Perfect for my little girl to be watching and learning from.

I can’t wait to watch the rest of The Lion Guard when it premieres on the Disney Junior Channel on February 6.

Thanks so much to Disney Australia for inviting us to join The Lion Guard.

DirtGirl’s Get Grubby Musical: Sydney’s Best Shows for Kids

January 24, 2016 / Sydney, Sydney Life, Theatre / 0 comment

With a daughter who loves every kind of Disney princess out there and doesn’t like to do anything “yucky”, her latest love of dirtgirl has been a refreshing change for our family. We watch dirtgirlworld on ABC Kids, and I really enjoy the environmental messages in the show, as well as how it encourages kids to “get grubby” outside.

When I found out the dirtgirl’s Get Grubby Musical was coming to the Sydney Opera House, I was keen to take Cheese to see it. The show is recommended for kids aged 3 and up, and I found my four-and-a-half year old to be the perfect age for it.

Dirtgirl, scrapboy and Costa the garden gnome appear live on stage in a show filled with upbeat music, slapstick jokes and, underneath it all, a serious environmental issue that effects our planet – the loss of our bees. It’s an issue my husband and I have discussed ourselves before with concern, so it was great to see it being played out before us in a way that kids could understand and get involved with, too.

Fans of the TV show will enjoy seeing their colourful favourite charaters come to life before them, against a beautiful backdrop representing the most fantastical garden you’ll ever see. When presented by these hip eco-warriors, making compost out of chook poo and saving water have never been funkier. Catchy, interactive songs engaged the young audience, with the figure-of-eight bee “bum” dance being repeated frequently on our way home.

After the show, the cast came around to the foyer to meet their young fans. They were very friendly and encouraging with their tiny grubby friends, and the kids were so excited to take pictures with them and get their autographs.

We walked away from the show thoroughly entertained, and with a desire for gardening in my daughter’s head. Time to get grubby!

dirtgirl’s Get Grubby Musical
Sydney Opera House
January 22-24, 2016

Thank you to the Sydney Opera House for hosting us. All opinions are my own.

More things to do in Sydney

Find a list of the best things to do in Sydney with kids here.

Find things to do in Sydney for free here.

Get a list of the best kid-friendly beaches in Sydney.

Find the best animal experiences in Sydney here.

Visit the best kid-friendly restaurants in Sydney here.

Find the best high teas in Sydney here.

Head to one of the best museums in Sydney here.

Check out things to do in Sydney on a rainy day here.

Enjoy one of the best ocean pools in Sydney here.

First time visiting Sydney? Get tips for first time visitors to Sydney here.

Disney Summer Frozen Garden Party

January 21, 2016 / Cheese, Disney Travel, Outdoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life / 2 Comments

A few months ago, I entered a competition to win tickets to a Disney Summer Frozen Garden Party in Sydney. I didn’t think much of it again, until, amazingly, I received an email letting me know that I’d won two tickets to the party. What good luck!

Cheese chose her Anna Frozen Fever outfit after I persuaded her that it was too hot for anything else and promised I’d even do her hair like Anna’s. One YouTube tutorial later and a hairdo that kind-of passed for Anna’s we were walking into Kurzon Hall with the blaring Frozen soundtrack welcoming us.

Kurzon Hall in Sydney, where the party was held, kind of resembles a castle, making it the perfect choice for a royal garden party. While summer in Sydney can be anywhere from around 20 degree days to 40, the party day was a particularly scorchingly one, with temps of almost 40dC. It was one of the hottest summer days we’d had – quite ironic to be going a Frozen party in such mad heat!

Thankfully the Disney team were well prepared for the heat, with parasols at the entrance, umbrellas covering most of the seating, paper fans dispersed to guests, and free gelato.

As we chose a table for our special afternoon tea, a hostess greeted us and brought us a giant picnic basket full of delicious goodies. The generous serving could have fed another two of us! We received a vegetarian basket, with quiches, a wrap, a vege roll, brownies, fairy bread, a Frozen cupcake, blue lollies, juices, apples and bananas.

The party had a tight schedule of events that kids could choose to participate in: face painting, horse and carriage ride and meeting Anna, Elsa and Kristoff. In between these events the kids were free to play a variety of old fashioned games like giant naughts and crosses, Jenga and Connect Four. I have to say here, a huge props to the very professional Frozen crew who were decked out in winter costumes and barely looked like they were sweating.

I had thought the highlight event would be meeting the Frozen crew, who looked almost identical to the cast from the movie but then I looked down at the schedule of events and saw that the gorgeous Aussie singer, Ricki-Lee was scheduled to sing a selection of Disney songs. WHAAAAAAAT?!

Sure enough, Ricki-Lee turned up and, in sweltering conditions, put on an amazing show. She really has such a gorgeous voice, but, even more than that, she looked like she truly loved the songs, and engaging with the kids. The kids – oh my, they were in heaven. It was like a real life princess from a Disney movie was singing to them. They just couldn’t believe their eyes.

Ricki-Lee sang a few Frozen faves (Do You Want To Build A Snowman? and Let It Go) as well as other well-loved Disney songs, such as Beauty And The Beast, Part Of Your World and A Whole New World. Without a doubt, she made Cheese’s day by putting the microphone in front of her during one song so they could sing the song together. For a kid whose dream right now is to be a performer like Katy Perry, it was the most amazing gift to be given.

At the end of the party, we were sent home with a gorgeous present – a Disney snowflake necklace – as if all the amazing entertainment wasn’t enough of a gift! A huge thank you to Disney for putting on the Frozen Summer Garden Party. We really had the best afternoon – one that I don’t think my daughter and I are likely to ever forget.

I highly suggest keeping your eye out for future competitions like this, as, you never know, you might win tickets to the next one!

Barangaroo: The Best of Sydney For Families

January 17, 2016 / Outdoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life / 2 Comments

Barangaroo Reserve is Sydney’s newest park, located on the north-western tip of Sydney’s Central Business District. What was once a flat strip of concrete that was used as a container wharf has been transformed into a six-hectare waterfront parkland on Sydney Harbour, with 6,500 sandstone blocks placed along the foreshore and 75,000 100% native trees, shrubs and plants.

Underneath the reserve is a giant new cultural space called the Cutaway, two levels of car park and two of Australia’s biggest water tanks (so Barangaroo Reserve can be a self-watering park).

The new reserve is named after an important Aboriginal women at the time of early colonial settlement, Barangaroo. One of her husbands was Bennelong, after whom Bennelong Point (where the Sydney Opera House sits) was named. The Barangaroo precinct was use for fishing and hunting by the Gadigal people, the Traditional Owners of the Sydney city region.

While the park is not yet complete, visitors can enjoy the first two sections of the Wulugul Walk that are open to the public. Wulugal is the local indigenous word for kingfish, a fish with a golden band on its green-blue skin – similar to the appearance of the new foreshore at Barangaroo.

When the Barangaroo precinct is completed in 2022, the Wulugul Walk will run for the entire 2kms of foreshore from Walsh bay to Darling Harbour. At the moment, the walk has two sections open to the public – Barangaroo Reserve at the north of the precinct and a second section in Barangaroo South linking up to King Street Wharf.

With the opening of the reserve, this particular part of Sydney’s waterfront district is open to the public for the first time in over 100 years.

The entire of Barangaroo is very accessible to wheelchairs and strollers. It really is the perfect stress-free outing for families with elevators, gently sloping paths from top to bottom, plus clean bathrooms that have baby changing facilities.

A visit to Barangaroo to take a walk or picnic is already a great day out, but if you visit over the next week you’ll have a chance to experience the Sydney Festival’s Ephemeral City in the Cutaway. French artist Olivier Grossetête is overseeing the construction of a city of boxes, built by volunteers of all ages, using a whopping 9,000 boxes – or more than 10 tonnes of cardboard. The buildings will be demolished on Australia Day, January 26, so get in and stick together a box or two before they go.

We had a fantastic time at the BOXWARS section of the city, where kids can build their own tiny city out of cardboard.

You can see our little homes above!

Older kids and adults will also enjoy the free Flying Fox at ‘The Ephemeral City’. Zip-line over the box city and, upon landing, grab a roll of sticky tape and get building.

Open: 8–24 January, 2pm–8pm (closed Mondays), at The Cutaway. Price: Free.
Minimum weight requirement for the Flying Fox is 30kg.

Barangaroo
Getting there: Walk The most enjoyable way of arriving on foot is from Circular Quay. The direct route is to walk through the Argyle Cut and along Argyle Street to the reserve entrance at Munn Street Reserve (1.2km).

Wilson Parking operates a public car park at Barangaroo Reserve between 6am – midnight, 7 days per week.

Creperie Suzette: Kid-Friendly Cafes, The Rocks, Sydney

January 16, 2016 / CBD, Sydney, Sydney Food, The Rocks / 0 comment

This little creperie is a tiny piece of France tucked away in the historic Rocks area of Sydney. In an area chock full of tourist traps, Creperie Suzette brings a welcome touch of French soul food to the area – a welcome respite for visitors to the area who want top notch food without paying exorbitant prices.

We very much enjoyed our crepes from Creperie Suzette. During a trip to France many years back we loved the traditional French style savoury crepes, so it was wonderful to dine on flavoursome crepes that brought back memories of such a wonderful trip to the little town of Giverny, which is where we sampled French crepes for the first time.

We enjoyed: La Biquette (Goats Cheese, Fresh Pesto, Vine Ripened Tomatoes and Rocket
$12), La Tasmanienne (Smocked Tasmanian Salmon, Capers, Cream Fraiche and Fresh Dill $13) and La Fraise (Fresh Strawberries, Dark Chocolate Sauce, Double Cream and Walnuts $12).

Since our strawberry crepe was for Cheese, we requested it minus the chocolaye and walnuts, and they very kindly reduced the price for us to $10, as well as custom making it very happily.

When you’re dining with small kids, it’s really appreciated when cafes are happy to make small changes to menu items to accommodate little fussy diners. It’s tiny details like making families feel like helping them is no problem that guarantees repeat customers and word of mouth recommendations.

Highchairs: Yes.
Stroller storage: Minimal. Bring an umbrella stroller if possible.
Easy access: Yes.
Change tables: No.
Kids’ menu: No.

Creperie Suzette
34 Harrington St,
The Rocks, Sydney
Phone: (02) 8220 9999
Prices: $
Hours: Sunday to Monday 7.30am-3.30pm
Get Directions

The Best of Sydney for Kids: The Sydney Opera House Day Pack

January 14, 2016 / Sydney, Sydney Life, Theatre / 12 Comments

Since we moved back to Sydney, I’ve taken enormous pleasure in rediscovering my hometown with a child. I grew up in Sydney’s south-west, where most of my childhood was spent riding my pony, or biking around the streets with my brother. A far cry from the way we spend time with Cheese as an inner city kid!

We’ve been to the Sydney Opera House to see shows on many occasions. They are always of a high quality, and are a highlight of our year. We even attended the Sydney Opera House open day a few months back, where the House was open to the public. While it was interesting seeing the House behind the scenes, it was very crowded, and we left pretty quickly as Cheese wasn’t enjoying it.

So I was thrilled to discovered that the House has this amazing offering called their Day Pack at the moment, which offers families a Junior Lunch at Opera Kitchen, a special behind the scenes tour of the House on the Junior Adventure, finishing up with a show.

Each Day Pack has a different itinerary, depending which one you choose. They all meet in the same spot, at the Welcome Centre at the Sydney Opera House. You can find this by taking the escalators down from the boardwalk, then walking past the Opera House Bar and Kitchen until you get to the souvenir shop. Look for a sign here, where your guide for the day will be waiting for you.

Our amazing guide was a vibrant, energetic woman named Suanne. She was made to work with children, without a doubt. My daughter loved Suanne. I loved Suanne! Cheese was the youngest on the tour (the average age was about 8), but Suanne managed to keep the interest of all the kids, from little Cheese to the oldest, who were tweenagers, and even earned herself a hug or two along the way.

Our first stop on our big adventure was lunch at Opera Kitchen. We had a fantastic seat overlooking the Sydney harbour, with the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the background. I mean, seriously?! I can’t even describe the beauty of our city on days like this, it’s just too much.

We chose the Quinoa, Beetroot, Feta & Macadamia Salad (served with your choice of house beer, wine or soft drink) for me, and the Junior Fish & Chips (served with a small soft drink or juice and ice cream) for Cheese. I appreciated that the food was served quickly for a busy day.

Cheese loved her fish – it was lightly crumbed, nice and hot, and not oily at all. She had two dipping sauces and a lemon wedge to dress her meal with, much to her delight. My salad was enormous, but since it had a lot of lettuce in it, it ended up being the perfect sized portion for lunch, and not too heavy for someone who was about to to a lot of walking afterwards.

After lunch we grouped together, ready for what I was most excited for – the tour. Suanne made it very clear that the tour was for the kids, not the adults, and had the kids all put their hands in and give our a big cheer “Kids!!”. As their voices vibrated around the concourse, the air filled with excited giggles as the kids loosened up, and thus, the tone was set for our tour. Lots of fun, plenty of laughs, and an extremely energetic look at one of the world’s most iconic buildings.

Our leader Suanne led the kids up the stairs, with us adults struggling to keep up in the rear. Up on the boardwalk, we learned the first of many amazing facts that we would absorb that day – all of which were embarrassingly new to this Sydney native. The Sydney Opera House was designed by Jørn Utzon, a Danish architect, after winning a contest in 1957. I only remember the name thanks to Suanne’s entertaining pronunciation for the kids: “Yaaaaw Boots on”. Very effective.

While the Sydney Opera House is only 58 years old, the land it is built on, Bennalong Point, has previously been a meeting point for the Gadigal tribe. After paying tribute to the indigenous people whose land we were walking on, we took our first steps into the House, and, after a little actors warm up to get the kids ready to perform, walked into the Studio (sadly no photos allowed today!).

Cheese and I had seen many Babies Proms inside the Studio, but on our tour it was set up for the current show, Blanc de Blanc. While the kids took turns presenting the show to their rapt parents, we also learned that the Opera House was built in such a way that scenery has to be lifted up and down, it can’t be moved in from sides. Because of this unusual design, the Studio was built to be a lift for scenery. Nowadays, however, it is a flexible performance space.

Next on our tour, was another of the 800 rooms inside the Opera House – the backstage area where props are stored. We saw parts of the three opera sets that are housed in the room, including the Magic Flute, and the giant hydraulic lift that takes the props up to the stage.

Suanne paid tribute to the many people who work at the House to create the performances we see, including prop builders and the people who handle the intelligent lights that cost 65K each (geez, wouldn’t want to be anywhere near one of those!).

We wound our way into the next room on the tour, the rehearsal room, where the casts and musicians practice. I couldn’t help but place my hand on the barre too, thinking of all of the amazing ballet dancers who had stood in that very spot, warming up with plies and tendus. The kids all had a turn practicing their moves, including Cheese, who was working on her arabesque.

The tour stepped outside next, through a sneaky exit, where we walked up some more steps (note, do not do this tour if you don’t like steps!) to admire the amazing view, as well as see the reflection in the glass of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, if you look up at just the right angle. What an incredible design.

If you’ve ever wondered why the million tiles of the House always look so clean, and yet you never see anyone actually cleaning them, it’s because they are especially made to be self-cleaning with a special glaze on them.

We waved like royalty to passers by, then ducked back inside another sneaky door to a little amphitheatre filled with costumes once worn by performers at the House. The kids had an amazing time trying them on, taking a bow, and learning about props. As the kids answered questions and participated in the activities, they were awarded with a cute star badge, which they all wore with pride.

The last stop on our tour was the spectacular Concert Hall (sadly no pictures allowed since staff were performing sound checks), home of the symphony orchestra. We sat in some of the 2679 seats and watched the kids try their hand at being their own orchestra so we could hear the noise vibrating around the beautiful white birch wood ceiling. I’d never noticed before that the hall was shaped to mimic a guitar, with its high vaulted ceiling and brush box panelling.

If you’re interested in hiring the hall for a private gig, it will set you back a mere $18K.

After the tour ended (it ran for 60 minutes), Suanne took us to the Playhouse, where we were about to see our show: The 52-Story Treehouse. We arrived just in time to look at our souvenir photos (two are included with the package, with extra costs if you’d like to purchase add-ons) and take our seats.

You can read more about how much we enjoyed The 52-Story Treehouse here.

After the show, we had some time to enjoy the Creative Play station in the Playhouse that is open until the end of January. The current installation is “The Un-Broken Line”, which is basically a massive, interactive digital screen where kids can manipulate colour and lines. It’s pretty addictive play, and really hard to tear the kids away from. With Sydney summer giving us both big storms and brutal heat, it’s wonderful to have an indoor space catering to kids for us to enjoy. You can read more about the free Summer entertainment for families at the House here.

I can’t recommend the Sydney Opera House Day Pack enough, both for tourists and Sydney locals. I guarantee that not only will you and the kids have a fantastic time, but you will all learn some amazing facts about one of the most interesting buildings in the world at the same time.

At time of print, the Day Pack includes:
15% discount on an A reserve show ticket to The 52-Storey Treehouse
Explore inside the Sydney Opera House on the Junior Adventure
A souvenir photo from your Junior Adventure
A delicious Junior Lunch and drink at one of our harbourside, family friendly restaurants.

Price: Adult: $108.65 Child: $83.65
Check online to get accurate pricing for the Day Packs. As different shows are included in the pack, pricing may change.

Get more info and book online

Sydney Opera House
Bennelong Point Sydney

You can reach the Opera House by:

Car – park in the onsite Opera House car park. For discounted parking, book online with Wilson car parks and check the Sydney Opera House website for any current promo codes.

Buses, trains and ferries – all service nearby Circular Quay which is an easy 5-10 min walk to the Opera House.

A huge thank you to the Sydney Opera House for hosting us on this fantastic day. All opinions are my own.