The Amazement Farm and Fun Park in Wyong has plenty for the whole family to enjoy, from mazes to friendly farm animals, train rides and giant board games.
A family-friendly attraction on the Central Coast, the Amazement Farm and Fun Park is a great outing with plenty to explore.
The Amazement Farm and Fun Park offers several attractions that can be enjoyed all day as well as timed activities, making it a perfect road trip stopover or a way to spend the entire day.
Kids will enjoy running through the three hedge mazes, swinging through the playground and playing giant board games, as well as feeding the farm animals.
If you want to do all of the activities on offer, arrive by 10am and follow the presentation schedule. When we visited it was as follows:
10am – 11am – Farmyard Animal Petting
11.30am – Reptile Presentation
1.00pm – Donkey Walk and Pat
1.30pm Baby Animal Bottle Feeding
1.45pm – Baby Emu / Black Swan Presentation
2.00pm – 3.00pm – Farmyard Animal Petting
3.30pm – Baby Donkey “Cadbury” Meet and Greet
There are also pony rides on offer between 11.30am – 12.30pm and ferris wheel rides between 10am-2pm – both for an additional cost.
To see all of the animals at Amazement Farm and Fun Park you’ll need to take a train ride, which lasts 15 minutes and runs at 11.00am, 1.00pm and 3pm (additional cost). Camel feeding can be done only when taking the train.
There are also optional animal encounters for an additional cost: reptile holds, emu chick encounters and possum encounters.
There is a cafe onsite or bbq facilities and picnic tables to BYO food.
Amazement Farm and Fun Park Wyong 170 Yarramalong Rd, Wyong Creek NSW Hours: Wed-Sun 9:30am-4pm (Last Entry: 3pm)
Open every day in the school holidays Open all public holidays except Christmas Day https://sydneykoala.com.au/
Wyong Milk Factory, The Perfect Central Coast Outing
The Wyong Milk Factory has something for everyone: great food, a playground and locally-made treats.
The Wyong Milk Factory was originally built as a Butter Factory in 1907 by a cop-op of 56 local farmers to take advantage of the newly completed Sydney to Newcastle railway. The Butter Factory burned to the ground in a fire in 1921, and was rebuilt as the current Milk Factory by the 200+ dairy farmers who had by this time become shareholders in the Co-op.
Today, the Wyong Milk Factory is more than just a pitstop on a road trip, it’s a destination worth visiting on its own. The Factory is home to two eateries, the Milk Factory Café and Wyong Milk Factory Tavern, plus a variety of local businesses, a playground and leisure activities.
The Wyong Milk Factory Café is a kid-friendly spot open open seven days a week, offering light and hearty breakfast and lunch dishes with plenty of options for kids and dietary requirements. You really need to have a milkshake if you visit!
The cafe has both indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating is closest to the outdoor playground. You do however need to cross the road area where cars might drive through when parking, so please walk kids there and back yourself.
While we had a delicious breakfast at the Wyong Milk Factory Café, they’re also well known for their wood fire pizzas.
The Wyong Milk Factory Tavern is the other dining option, offering a mix of hearty pub food, burgers and pizzas, along with a Thai menu. There’s also daily specials made with local produce, local and craft beers and a fine wine menu. The Tavern is open Wednesdays through to Sundays and is a family friendly venue, with a special Kids Zone indoor play area to keep little ones occupied while waiting for food to arrive.
The outdoor playground was a hit for us. Fully fenced, it features a pirate ship, swings, cubby houses and picnic benches. It’s fully-fenced as well.
Make a day out of your visit to the Wyong Milk Factory with a kayak, stand up paddle board or row boat on the river. These can all be hired from All Sorts by calling 4352 3811.
Before you hop in your car and head back home, stop by the little local stores who are set up inside the Wyong Milk Factory.
When we visited, we highly enjoyed watching chocolate being made (and then sampling some!) from Luka Chocolates, as well as watching donuts being glazed at Daily Dough Co. Next time we will try some cheese from Little Creek Cheese.
Visit Red Hands Cave in the Blue Mountains National Park
Red Hands Cave in Blue Mountains National Park is one of the best examples of Aboriginal rock art in this part of Sydney.
Located in the Glenbrook area of the Blue Mountains National Park, Red Hands Cave can be reached via the 8km Red Hands Cave loop walking track which starts at the causeway near the park entrance.
The cave can also be accessed by driving around 13km past the park entrance (it takes around 30-40 minutes), along the unsealed Oaks trail and Red Hands trail, to Red Hands Cave carpark, for a 1km return walk.
Red Hands Cave features thousands of layered hand prints and stencils, thought to have been painted between 500 and 1600 years ago. The vibrant colours of red, yellow and white are still highly visible, creating a stunning collage inside the cave.
Indigenous artists would have created these stencils though several techniques including chewing a mixture of ochre and water, and then blowing it over a hand resting on the wall, forming a stencil.
Aboriginal axe grinding grooves can also be spotted in the rocks beside Camp Fire Creek, in the walk to the cave.
Red Hands Cave has a protective grate in front of it, however the art is still easily visible through the holes. Photos are allowed, however please don’t use a flash as that can damage the art work.
The walk to the cave is an easy 500m walk. Oh a hot day, however, you will need a hat, sunscreen and water.
There are basic restroom facilities available at the car park.
Enjoy a refreshing dip in the Jellybean Pool, a short stroll down the Jellybean Track in Glenbrook, at the base of the Blue Mountains. The pool makes for a perfect Blue Mountains day trip with kids, who will love swimming in the calm waters.
Located inside the Blue Mountains National Park, the Jellybean Pool is a relaxing spot to swim, watch birds or picnic on the shore. There is a large parking lot which fills quickly on hot days, and an overflow car park which has a steep walk down to the start of the trail.
From the parking lot the Jellybean Track is a 500m walk downhill to the Jellybean Pool. The walk is graded a 3 as it is steep and slippery in places with sand.
An $8 park entry fees applies – you will be charged as you drive into the Blue Mountains National Park. You can also leave your car at the Glenbrook Information Centre at the Starting at the Glenbrook entrance to Blue Mountains National Park and walk from there for a more challenging walk.
The Blue Mountains National Park is open from the first Sunday in October to first Sunday in April 8.30am to 7pm, and the rest of the year 8.30am to 6pm.
When visiting the Jellybean Pool pack sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, towels and any food and water you might need. Floatation devices are fun as the water is so flat. You will see boogie boards, pool floats and even paddle boards down there. Remember it’s a walk through the bush to get to the pool and pack appropriate footwear.
The Jellybean Track winds through the Glenbrook Gorge, past pretty mountain spotted gums, down to the river. There is a lot of birdlife in the area so keep eyes peeled for kestrels and other birds of prey, rainbow lorikeets and even blue kingfishers.
The water is shallow and perfect for littlies to paddle in safely. Up river the water gets deeper.
There are no bathrooms at the Jellybean Pool, or rubbish bins, so prepare accordingly and take your rubbish with you.
The pool gets extremely popular in summer so go early. We arrived at around 10am and it was a little busy but still plenty of parking available.
Keep a close eye on small children. Remember there are no life guards present and keep a close eye on kids in the water.
After a swim, we highly recommend the 30min drive to Red Hands Cave to see amazing Aboriginal hand prints and stencils.
17 things to do in Wollongong Australia (with or without kids)
Wollongong, located an hour south of Sydney, is a coastal city with 17 stunning beaches, rock pools, gardens, cafes and many attractions for a great day trip. There are so many things to do in Wollongong that it’s hard to fit it all in.
Grand Pacific Drive and Sea Cliff Bridge
The 140-kilometre coastal route from Sydney to Shoalhaven winds its way through the Royal National Park and past spectacular sheer cliff drops. Our favourite section is the Sea Cliff Bridge, which was built in 2004. The bridge is 1/2 a kilometre in length and clings to the cliff-face. Park at either end of the bridge and stroll the bridge in both directions.
Wollongong Botanic Garden
The Wollongong Botanic Garden is a 30-hectare garden in the suburb of Keiraville featuring a large collection of native and exotic plants from around the world. The garden features a Japanese drum bridge, cactus collection, large playground and picnic facilities. Visiting the Wollongong Botanic Garden is one of our fave things to do in Wollongong – make a day of it with a picnic lunch.
This scenic spot overlooks the beach where Australian aviation pioneer Lawrence Hargrave made a successful flight on 12 November 1894. Today, its a well-known lookout over the Sea Cliff Bridge and popular hanggliding point.
Symbio Wildlife Park
Nestled in the quiet suburb of Helensburg lies Symbio Wildlife Park, a tiny zoo that makes for a great afternoon of wildlife encounters — particularly for little kids. Symbio boasts “we’ll get you closer”, and there are indeed opportunities to get up close to lots of animals. The grounds are spacious and well-kept, and the animals all healthy and happy looking. No sad depressed animals in tiny enclosures here.
The heritage-listed Wollongong Harbour was created to ship coal from mines in the area in the 1840s. It is now a departure point for fishing boats and home to the Wollongong Breakwater Lighthouse, which was built in 1872.
Nan Tien Temple
In the southern Wollongong suburb of Berkeley you’ll find Nan Tien Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in the southern hemisphere. Built in the early 1990s, the temple has peaceful Japanese-style gardens, two large prayer halls featuring Tibetan-style architecture, accommodation and a restaurant serving vegetarian dishes.
Kids will love Jamberoo Action Park, famous for its water slides and attractions. There are water-based activities for adults and kids of all ages at Jamberoo. Billabong Beach is a popular spot for littlies to play, as is the Mushroom Pool, a bright and colourful pool with a mini water slide and squirting frogs.
Wander the elevated walkways through remnants of an ancient rainforest that once covered the Illawarra region. The 1.6km walking loop takes visitors across suspension bridges and raised boardwalks into the heart of the forest. Keep our eyes peeled for the local wildlife – lyrebirds, eastern water dragons and swamp wallabies live here.
Fly through the tree tops at Illawarra Fly, the highest zipline tour in Australia. Illawarra Fly is located 2 hours south of Sydney, and also includes a 1.5km Treetop walk.
The perfect day trip for a special occasion, Illawarra Fly offers Australia’s highest zipline tour for adventure junkees, and a stunning accessible walk with views of the Southern Highlands and Pacific Ocean from an elevated treetop walk.
Local families love Austinmer Beach, particularly the fenced in playground (sadly no shade cloth) that has plenty of activities for kids of a variety of ages. The rock pools are a major draw for this beach, too.
Located at the south end of the beach, they attract children and adults alike with their amazing ocean life. We spotted fish, a crab, sea snails, an anemone, and some freaky looking creatures that none of us could identify. We have been back to Austimer Beach so many times over the years – it’s one of our fave things to do in Wollongong with kids.
Visit the second-largest motor museum in Australia and check out the rare, vintage collection that includes cars as well as motorbikes, telephones, lawnmowers, radios, typewriters and more. Several of the vintage appliances were loaned to Baz Luhrmann for filming of the Great Gatsby in 2013.
Take train-obsessed kids to the Illawarra Light Railway Museum! They will adore riding the miniature railway, while adults will get a kick out of seeing the collection of excellently preserved steam and diesel locomotives.
Wollongong Art Gallery is a leading regional art gallery with an excellent collection of Contemporary, Aboriginal, Asian and Colonial artworks. The gallery itself is housed inside a local landmark: a unique building, designed and built in the 1950s.
Australia’s only dedicated children’s museum is located on the campus of the University of Wollongong in Sydney’s south. The Early Start Discovery Space is designed for kids aged 12 and under and features 14 interactive spaces designed to spark the imagination as they build, create and explore through play. A particular hit is the Tummy Tour, where kids can imagine themselves as a piece of food and crawl through an inflatable digestive system. The Early Start Discovery Space is one of our fave kids activities in Wollongong.
Science Space in Wollongong has over 100 interactive science-based exhibits, a planetarium, live shows, plus a gift shop and cafe.
The major hands-on science venue of southern New South Wales, Science Space is suitable for all ages, with two floors of interactive exhibits, plus live shows in the science theatre and Australia’s most digitally advanced Planetarium. Science Space is the major hands-on science venue of southern New South Wales.
The Royal National Park is one of the oldest in the world. Established in 1879 the park spans 160 square kilometres and makes for the perfect family day trip with plenty of spots for picnics, bbqs, bushwalking, swimming, fishing and whale watching. There’s wildlife to discover and Aboriginal heritage to explore. Enter the park by car, ferry from Cronulla to Bundeena or a tram from the Sydney Tramway Museum in Loftus.
A popular spot for families in the Royal National Park, Wattamolla is the name of a cove, lagoon, and beach. It’s an absolutely stunning spot with a flat lagoon for kids to swim in, a waterfall and a beach with rocks to climb on.
Let Curious Minds Play at Science Space Wollongong
Science Space in Wollongong has over 100 interactive science-based exhibits, a planetarium, live shows, plus a gift shop and cafe.
The major hands-on science venue of southern New South Wales, Science Space is suitable for all ages, with two floors of interactive exhibits, plus live shows in the science theatre and Australia’s most digitally advanced Planetarium. Science Space is the major hands-on science venue of southern New South Wales.
Science Space opened in 1989 under the name of Science Centre and Planetarium, just north of the current location. In 1998 Wollongong suffered severe floods, damaging the gallery and exhibits. In 2000 Space Science was rebuilt with support from the University of Wollongong (UOW) and the NSW Government in its current location, on the UOW’s Innovation Campus.
Science Space is the only dedicated immersive science centre in NSW.
The exhibits cover a range of topics from dinosaurs to gravity. Their interactive nature makes science fun and exciting for kids – you could easily spend an entire day here just tinkering with the exhibits.
We watched a live show in the science theatre (check the schedule to see when shows will be running again) which saw a chemical eruption – included in the ticket and well worth watching.
It’s also worth watching a show in the Planetarium, which uses a 4k laser projection system to take visitors on an immersive tour of the Universe, a journey back through time or to the deepest and darkest depths of the ocean. Check the website for the show schedule.
Visitors are welcome to bring their own food and use outdoor picnic areas. There is also a kiosk and café onsite.
Science Space Wollongong 60 Squires Way, North Wollongong Hours: Thur-Tue 10am-4pm (Closed Wednesdays) sciencespace.com.au
Enjoy breathtaking grand valley and waterfall views on the Wentworth Falls walks in the Blue Mountains National Park.
The Wentworth Falls track starts from Wentworth Falls picnic area. There is one main car park plus overflow parking on Falls road. The picnic area has shaded picnic tables and a decent bathroom.
If you’re catching public transport, regular trains run from Sydney Central Station to Wentworth Falls. The picnic area is around 2km walk along Falls Road, or you can catch a bus to the corner of Fletchers Road and Falls Road.
The road into the car park is sealed and easy to access. There is a wide, paved path from the carpark along to Jamison and Wentworth lookouts.
The Wentworth Falls walk is 1.4km return, with an estimated time of 45min – 1hr. There are steep steps involved that are not suitable for strollers or wheelchairs. The trade is a grade 3, and we found it quite do-able with our nine-year-old. There were plenty of younger children also completing the walk.
Follow the path past Jamison and Wentworth lookouts.
There is a steep descent of around 200 steps to the cliff-edge Fletchers lookout. This is a stunning spot to take a look at Wentworth Falls as it plunges 100m into the valley.
Keep following the path down a few more steps to the top of the Falls.
The Jamison Creek cascades into a shallow pool to one side, which makes for a lovely little paddling pool for kids.
The other side opens into the Jamison Valley.
You can continue on a variety of routes from here, including the National Pass, Weeping Rock circuit, Undercliff track or historic Princes Rock lookout track.
We took the this round walk track, which is a short circuit through the bush and comes out at the most incredible view of the other side of Wentworth Falls.
Return to the car park via the same route. Take a towel and change of clothes if you’re planning on paddling in the cascades.
An elegant Blue Mountains high tea is the perfect way to enjoy the fresh mountain air and spectacular scenic views. These four spots guarantee warm scones, fresh ribbon sandwiches and a divine pot of tea.
Lilianfels Resort & Spa, Katoomba
Enjoy the grand tradition of Lilianfels High Tea, served on a three-tier platter, in the elegant Lilianfels Resort & Spa in the NSW Blue Mountains.
Lilianfels High tea is a triple-tiered plate that includes fluffy homemade scones served with homemade jam and fresh cream, petit pastries, selection of finger sandwiches and your choice of tea or coffee.
High tea is served in the elegant Wintergarden, with panoramic views overlooking the Megalong Valley.
Choose from the traditional High Tea, Eastern High Tea or Gluten-Free High Tea, each served to the table on a three-tiered silver stand and including a range of tea and coffee.
For a truly unique high tea, journey inside the Bygone Beauties Treasured Teapot Museum & Tearooms, home of world’s largest private collection of teawares. Enjoy High Tea or Devonshire Tea surrounded by stunning teapots from a bygone era, while waitstaff zoom past with high tea on silver trays.
Entry to the teapot museum is right next to the tearoom and well worth a look.
Treat yourself to something special with a selection of sandwiches, traditional homemade scones with fresh cream and conserve, decadent sweet treats, rich loose leaf La Maison Du The. The view over Megalong Valley from the dining area is as much of a star of the show as the food! The Fairmont high tea has excellent scones and sandwiches and top notch service, plus the prettiest plates of any high tea.
Enjoy the grand tradition of Lilianfels High Tea, served on a three-tier platter, in the elegant Lilianfels Resort & Spa in the NSW Blue Mountains.
It’s always time for tea in the Blue Mountains, and one can’t go past the elegant high tea served in The Lounge of Lilianfels Resort & Spa.
The luxurious Lounge makes for an elegant and warm high tea experience. With plush Victoria armchairs and lounges to recline in, and the delightful ambiance of classical piano being played live, it’s high tea to dally over with loved ones.
Lilianfels High tea is a triple-tiered plate that includes fluffy homemade scones served with homemade jam and fresh cream, petit pastries, selection of finger sandwiches and your choice of tea or coffee.
Upgrade your high tea to include a glass of Australian sparkling wine or a glass of Moet Chandon NV French Champagne. When we visited, the tea was priced as follows: High Tea $55 per person (Mon to Thu) and $60 per person (Fri to Sun including public holidays), Deluxe High Tea from $75 per person including a glass of Australian sparkling wine and Luxurious High Tea from $80 per person including a glass of Moet Chandon NV French Champagne.
I couldn’t fault the service or food at Lilianfels. The high tea and staff were both perfection, with attentive service and delicious, fresh food.
I particularly liked the amount of savoury items compared to sweet, as my tastes are changing and I really prefer more savoury than sweet these days.
There is a Children’s High Tea available for $35pp, which is also served on a triple-tiered plate and includes selection of pikelets, fairy bread, sandwiches and treats. Served with tea, juice or hot chocolate.
The Lilianfels High Teas are extremely popular so bookings are essential.
The gardens at Lilianfels are lovely so be sure to go for a stroll in them, including the cute little maze, before you go.
Lilianfels High Tea, 5/19 Lilianfels Ave, Katoomba NSW lilianfels.com.au
The heritage-listed Australian National Botanic Gardens are the perfect escape from the city hustle and bustle.
Established in 1949, the Gardens contains the most diverse collection of Australian native plants in one location anywhere in the world. There are 4,300 species to discover, spread over 35 hectares.
There are a range of walking trails to enjoy, as well as the Pollen Café, a Visitor Centre and Botanical Bookshop, wide open lawns and picnic tables.
Entry to the Gardens is free, but $3.50 per hour or $14.50 per day parking fees apply when using the on-site carpark.
The Main Path Loop is a great way to see everything. It’s 1.4km in length and takes about 40 mins to walk – longer if you stop frequently like we did. The path is both wheelchair and pram accessible.
We enjoyed the Children’s Discovery Trail – Who Did That?, which is an offshoot from the Main Path Loop. The 330m trail takes about 30 minutes to complete and is a great little interactive trail with engaging signage and the Paperbark Treehouse to climb.
The Gardens are broken up into themes of the Australian landscape, such as Red Centre Garden, Sydney Region Garden and Rainforest Gully. The Red Centre was a particular favourite of ours.
