Christine Knight, Author at Adventure, baby!

Christine Knight

Christine is the editor of Adventure, Baby!

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.

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.

Sydney’s Best Shows For Kids: The 52-Storey Treehouse

January 13, 2016 / Sydney, Sydney Life, Theatre / 0 comment

We are newcomers to the Treehouse stories, having not read the books yet. Cheese is too young, and they came out after I was a tween, so they’ve been hovering on the edge of my awareness for the past year, but I didn’t know much about the books – or the show. I actually really love not knowing what to expect when I go to see a show – it makes the whole experience free of expectations, and I can appreciate the show as a stand alone text.

From what I’ve heard from other people who have seen the show and read the books, The 52-Storey Treehouse live manages the almost impossible – to entertain newcomers to the series, as well as giving faithful readers of the books a new take on a familiar subject. That alone is incredibly hard to achieve, so kudos to writer Richard Tulloch and director Liesel Badorrek for the fabulous job they’ve done with Andy Griffiths’ and Terry Denton’s book, The 52-Storey Treehouse.

This is the show’s second run at the Sydney Opera House, returning once again following a sell-out season last year.

In this intensely entertaining, clever and smart show, Andy and Terry take the audience on a rollicking adventure through a fantastical story where ninja snails and enchanted carrots are the norm.

The cleverly created 52-storey treehouse is a very smart theatrical device that evolves throughout the show to represent the treehouse, a mountain, a castle, and a dungeon. With props such as the Disguise-O-Matic 5000 and The Flying Frying Egg Car, you just know that watching this show (or reading the book!) is going to set a child’s imagination on fire.

I appreciated the show just as much as Cheese thanks to some themes that were designed to resonate with adults, as well as enjoying the very talented performers – Drew Livingston and James Elliot are wonderful as Terry and Andy, with Jonny Nasser and Sophie Kesteven tackling several supporting roles in quick succession.

The 52-Storey Treehouse is a witty, fun show that adults and kids will equally enjoy. Go see it, then, if you’re like us, buy the book and start the story from the very beginning.

The 52-Storey Treehouse
Suitable for children 6+
Tickets: $39 – $55
Dates: 3 January 2016 – 25 January 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.

Four Resources Every Freelancer Needs

January 12, 2016 / Writing / 10 Comments

Being a freelancer is tough, I won’t sugar coat it. With no boss to keep you on track and focussed, I find it hard to be organised and stay motivated. There are a lot of highs and lows that come with being a freelancer – the big wins that feel better than any win at your old job, but then there the lows, that can destroy your self confidence and plant seeds of self doubt.

I find these four resources have really helped me to keep my confidence high, present myself and find work, and manage the limited time that I have more efficiently.

Podcast: Being Boss
Being Boss is a podcast for creative entrepreneurs by Emily Thompson and Kathleen Shannon. These ladies know their stuff. Thanks to their podcast I’m feeling more confident that I can “make bank” (as they call making money) with a small business. Emily and Katherine have also started a Being Boss Facebook group that is great for inspiration and advice. When do I have time to listen to podcasts? When I’m driving to and from school drop off/pick up, grocery shopping or taking a quick walk by myself.

Freelance website: Contently
I’ve found Contently useful for getting well-paid work with big brand clients, as well as invaluable info on working as a freelancer with their blog. Their article on payment rates was particularly helpful. Their site can be use purely as an easy place display your portfolio in an attractive way, or you can join their freelancer network and get paid jobs.

Career and Business Coach: Lisa Kate
Lisa Kate is a successful entrepreneur, digital strategist and a career coach, who has been giving me invaluable guidance for almost two years. I find it extremely helpful to have an outside person help cut to the quick of what I really want and how to achieve it. If being coached isn’t really your thing, you can still benefit from Lisa’s helpful blog content, such as her free ebook “The Golden Triangle – The 3 key steps to creating a successful online business”.

Organisation: Passion Planner
There are so many amazing planners out there, but I love my Passion Planner. It’s an all-in-one weekly appointment calendar, journal, goal setting guide, and to-do list log all bound together in a pretty cover. I use it to block out time each day and keep myself on track.

What do you find invaluable to your freelance business’s success?

Pirate Fun at the Australian National Maritime Museum

January 12, 2016 / Indoor Play, Museums, Sydney, Sydney Life / 2 Comments

Swashbuckling fun for the whole family awaits at the Australian National Maritime Museum. Confession: I’ve never been to this museum before. I thought Cheese was way too young for it and as she’d showed zero interest in boats, didn’t think we’d be visiting till she was much older.

I’m so glad we dropped by during the school holidays however, as their various pirate exhibition and themed activities were an incredible hit with my four-year-old.

Kids on Deck: Patch-eyed Pirates
The entrance to this activity space is outside the main museum so we almost missed it completely. I’m so glad we didn’t, as it’s a fantastic area for kids aged 4-12. Kids can get busy crafting pirate ships, dressing up, building with Lego, reading pirate-themed books, playing games and making temporary tattoos.

Daily, 27 December 2015–25 January 2016
Times: 10am–4pm (hourly sessions)
Ages: 4–12
Cost: Entry with any paid ticket

Family Theatre Show: Calico Jack and the Pirate Cat
We spent a lot of time lining up to get into the theatre, and then waiting for the show to start. Possibly because we were there during school holidays, half the theatre was already filled with kids from daycares when we went in, meaning there weren’t enough seats for everyone. Lesson learned: line up even earlier if we want a seat! The show was a lot of fun, and our two four-year-olds and one 2-year-old were mesmerised the entire time by this lively and interactive theatre show.
Daily except Saturdays, 3–24 January 2016
Times: 11.30am and 2pm
Ages: 4–12 and adults

Horrible Histories: Pirates The Exhibition
The main attraction this school holiday is the extremely well done Horrible Histories: Pirates The Exhibition. The brand-new exhibition is very hands on and interactive, filled with a mix of digital and manual activities for kids, ranging from knot-tying to discovering treasure, firing cannons (the most popular area in the exhibit) and “squishing” projected rats. Cheese could have squished rats all. day. long.

The exhibit is based on the bestselling Horrible Histories series which Cheese is too young for, but that didn’t make any difference to her enjoyment of of the exhibit.

There was just so much for kids to do, all packed into the one room, it was quite impressive. Particularly how the exhibit had been designed to appeal to kids of a wide variety of ages. Since I was with a very active four-year-old we missed all the interesting info about the history of pirates, the ships they sailed and the rules they lived by. Instead we fired canons, stuck giant magnets on walls and took funny pirate pictures of each other.

At the end of the exhibit is the Passenger Theatrette, which shows episodes of Horrible Histories from 2:30pm daily. A perfect way to wind down after the frenetic activity of the Pirate Exhibition.

Daily until 27th April, 2016
Adult $20, kids 4-15 $12, under 4 is free.

We didn’t even get to explore all of the amazing things for kids to do at the museum. Next time we will try the Under 5s Tour, which promises stories, songs and dancing through the galleries, and the Cabinet of Curiosities, where visitors can touch objects like weapons and navigational tools related pirates.

There’s no eating inside the museum, but you only need to pop outside to the adorable Yot’s Cafe for waterfront dining with a pirate theme.

Added bonus – toys for kids to play with an even a little kiddie-sized table and chairs to sit at.

Australian National Maritime Museum
2 Murray St, Sydney NSW
Open daily except Christmas Day
Hours: 9:30am-5pm (6pm in Jan)
Prices: Permanent galleries are free but still require a ticket to view them.
Big Ticket (Access to everything open on the day of visit including the ships), Adult $30, kids 4-15 $18, under 4 is free
Special Exhibitions Ticket (Access to major temporary exhibitions such as Pirates) Adult $20, kids 4-15 $12, under 4 is free.
Get Directions

Sydney’s Best Playgrounds: James Ruse Reserve Playground

January 11, 2016 / Outdoor Play, Playgrounds, Sydney, Sydney Life / 1 Comment

Super hot Sydney days call for playgrounds with water features! The James Ruse Reserve Playground is almost brand-spanking new (it was built in 2014), and has a fantastic water play area, which is under cover. You can’t beat that! Taking into consideration how important shade cloth is in summer, this could be my favourite playground in Sydney right now.

The playground was named after James Ruse (1760-1837) who arrived on the first fleet and was said to be one of the first convicts to be sent to Rosehill (now Parramatta) who had an understanding of agriculture. After his time as a convict was up, he became a self-sufficient farmer. James Ruse Reserve now occupies part of where is property, which he called Experiment Farm, used to be.

James Ruse Reserve Playground
Harris St, Parramatta
Bathrooms: One portable only
Picnic tables: Yes
Shade cover: Yes
Cafe: No
Skatepark: Yes
Off-street parking: Yes
Children’s playground: Yes
Water features: Yes
Water park hours: September – May: 9am-8pm, June – August: CLOSED
Get Directions

Paper Planes Cafe: Kid-Friendly Cafes, Parramatta, Sydney

January 10, 2016 / Parramatta, South West, Sydney, Sydney Food / 0 comment

Paper Plane Cafe is quirky little place in Sydney’s South West serving all-day (well, till closing at 2pm) brekkie and burgers. The cafe is a few streets back from the main drag, giving it a bit more of a peaceful feel than you’d expect for the centre of Parramatta.

On the day we visited (a hot Sunday) the cafe was humming with activity, but not so crowded we couldn’t get a seat.

I ordered The Vegetable Plate (platter of scrambled eggs with truffle oil, portobello mushroom, tomatoes, asparagus & sourdough toast with pesto & feta, $19.50). It was so big it could have fed two of us. I regret that I ordered more food for Cheese as she ate one of my pieces of toast and avocado. I loved this massive dish, but would have preferred the eggs without the truffle oil.

The Tiny Dancer (Platter of poached eggs, smoked salmon, capers, avocado, sauteed spinach, tomatoes, asparagus, bocconcini and sourdough toast with Hollandaise sauce, $20.50) was another massive dish that hubbie Alec managed to completely devour.

Extras: Flat White, $3.50, Babyccino, side of Fries.

We had an excellent experience at Paper Plane Cafe. The staff were extremely friendly and welcoming, and the food was really delicious. Although they didn’t have any “small” dishes on the menu that I could order for Cheese, I appreciated their suggestion that I could order a side of fries, despite this not being on the menu. In big bold letters on the menu states “no substitutions”, which, as any parent knows, is often the death knell of a dining experience with kids if the menu isn’t a large one to begin with. Thankfully Cheese was happy with the fries and picking at my dish too.

We will be back to try some of their other delicious-sounding dishes such as the French toast.

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

Paper Plane Cafe
5/2 Horwood Pl,
Parramatta
Phone: (02) 8677 4372
Prices: $$
Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-2pm, Sat & Sun 9am-2pm
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