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24 Hours Kid-Free In Canberra

May 27, 2015 / ACT, Australia, NSW, Travel / 5 Comments

Canberra is often overlooked as a quick weekend away from Sydney and surrounds. Once known as the place you visit on school excursions, Canberra has come along way and is now alive with innovative art exhibitions, hip restaurants and spectacular scenery.

I usually make trips like this as a family, but on this occasion I was desperate to see an exhibit that I knew my preschooler wouldn’t be keen on, so my parents kindly watched her for a night so the husband and I could skip on down to Canberra and check out the James Turrell exhibit at the National Gallery of Australia. We only had 24 hours to spend in the city, we had a tight itinerary that allowed us good food, nature and culture.

Lunch: Silo Bakery
This little bakery is so popular that bookings for lunch are advised, and if you’re dropping by for one of their famous pastries, get there early or you’ll go home empty handed. The bakery is on the pricey side (our meal of two dishes, two tarts, two coffees and a tea came to $66), but the food is absolutely delicious – making it worth the money especially if you’re not in Canberra very often.

We ordered: Jamon, squid ink salami & tomato bread ($24), Tarte Flamiche ($20 Flemish-style leek & cheese pastry on an endive salad), Rhubarb pastry, Banana Carmel Tart.
Silo Bakery: 36 Giles St Kingston ACT 2604. Hours: 7am to 4pm Tuesday to Saturday

Afternoon stroll: Walk around Lake Burley Griffin
We stayed in a central hotel, just a short walk from Lake Burley Griffin. Our hotel also had free bikes for customers to use during their stay, which would have been perfect to ride around the lake. We walked instead, and enjoyed the late autumn colours, the swans and generally peaceful stroll around the lake as we walked towards the National Art Gallery.

Cultural visit: National Gallery of Australia
I love art, so it never seems like an odd thing to do to drive down to Canberra just to see an exhibition. The National Gallery of Australia gets a lot of spectacular exhibitions that don’t come up to Sydney, such as the current one, James Turrell. The National Gallery also has a great permanent collection worth seeing, with an impressive Sidney Nolan collection, as well as modern art works by masters like Degas, Monet and Dali. The permanent collection is free to see, as is the sculpture garden outside. The Turrell exhibition we saw, his retrospective, was nothing short of spectacular.
National Gallery of Australia: Parkes Pl, Canberra ACT 2600

Dinner: eightysix
This little restaurant is so hot right now that by 6:30pm it was jam packed (highly suggest you make a reservation). The food is upscale modern Australia, with innovative dishes like the Daffinois & Dukkah Wafer, $6, Steak Tartare with Wasabi, $24, Duck Bun (with hoisin & hot sauce $8), Pumpkin Tortellini with Rocket, $30. Delicious food, excellent service. Not cheap, but high quality and worth the splurge. The cocktails were magnificent – my $30 Honey Blossom i had was so potent I had a slight buzz the following morning. We stayed for dessert and had the Margarita, $14, (which was a sour sorbet and meringue piles on top), and the Banoffie Pie, $17, which was the perfect mix of sweet pie crust, caramel and whipped cream, interestingly topped with pretzels.
eightysix: 11 Elouera St, Braddon ACT 2612. Hours: Mon 6pm-10pm, Tue-Sat 12pm-2:30pm, 6pm-11pm, Sun 9am-3pm, 6pm-11pm

Accommodation: East Hotel
We stayed at the East Hotel in Kingston. It was very well located, modern and clean. The hotel had fun touches like complimentary bikes, refreshing lemon water and jelly snakes in the lobby, and a variety of family-friendly amenities like Xboxes and boardgames – it was unfortunate we were travelling minus the child and didn’t need to use them. Each room at a small but functional kitchen area, so you could stay here longer and buy groceries to cut down the cost of eating out.
East Hotel: 69 Canberra Avenue, Kingston ACT Australia 2604

Breakfast: East hotel
We were going to head to a different cafe for breakfast, but were short on time so had breakfast at hour hotel. It turned out to be a good deal. As guests of the hotel it cost us $15pp to have a hot breakfast including made-to-order eggs, baked beans, hash browns, bacon, sourdough, coffee, tea, pancakes. The food was fresh and delicious, and it was so easy that we were happy with our decision.

Canberra – Day 2

January 25, 2009 / ACT, Sydney Food, Travel / 0 comment

It’s off to the National Art Gallery to see the Degas exhibition. It was definitely worth the long drive down! We joined a tour group and learned a great many things about my favourite artist.

Following the art gallery we took a walk around the Old Parliament House Gardens and had a look at the hundreds of roses that are planted there.

A visit to our nation’s capital isn’t complete without a trip to Parliament House. We had a quick look around, walked over the top, and stopped for lunch. We hadn’t intended to stop there at all, but I’m glad we did as I found it really interesting.

Last stop in the Berra before our journey home was at Koko Black, a chocolate cafe recommended to me by a work friend. It’s a Melbourne company and has yet to open in Sydney. I was a bit of a glutton and ordered way too much, but I wanted to try a few things.

I wasn’t disappointed that’s for sure! The ice chocolate I had was amazing and filled with two different types of ice-cream. Alec’s ice coffee was also great, and the ice-cream martini we shared was absolutely fantastic.

Piggy!

I can’t remember the full name of this, but it was a delicious caramel ice-cream made on the premises with coconut and chocolate and possibly something else.

Gone in 60 seconds!

Lots more chocolate!

After Koko Black we slowly drove back to Sydney … after an immensely enjoyable Canberra mini-break.

Canberra – Day 1

January 24, 2009 / ACT, Travel / 0 comment

Alec and I drove down to Canberra to check out the Degas exhibition for the Australia Day long weekend.

It’s a loooong drive from Chatswood, so we drove to Warwick Farm Friday after work, and then set out this morning so we didn’t have to rush.

We arrived in the Berra around lunch time and went straight to the Australian War Memorial.

I found the war memorial very interesting – there was so much to see however, we ran out of time. A highlight was watching the lone Scot piper playing a lament at the tomb of the unknown soldier – very moving.

After a solemn afternoon we had dinner and raced to Telstra tower to catch the sunset. We were a little late and only caught the last light of the day, but it was still a great view.

Harry Potter Store Quizzic Alley in Drummoyne Sydney

February 4, 2021 / Indoor Play, Sydney, Sydney Life / 0 comment

Harry Potter Store Quizzic Alley in Drummoyne Sydney

Find the finest selection of officially licensed Harry Potter merchandise in Sydney at Quizzic Alley, Drummoyne.

Quizzic Alley first opened in Canberra in 2018. A second store opened in the Sydney suburb of Drummoyne in late 2020. The store is owned and operated by Michael Milton, who decided to open the store after seeing a high demand from Sydney locals visiting his Fyshwick outpost.

Read more about the original Quizzic Alley store in Canberra.

The new Quizzic Alley store has taken over the original Bank of NSW building in Drummoyne, built in 1928. While there is no Ford Anglia in this store, it’s still filled with plenty of Harry Potter magic.

A trip to Quizzic Alley is not your regular retail experience. While the store stocks an astonishing variety of Harry Potter merchendise, what makes it really special is the staff, who love to talk all things Hogwarts, and meeting fellow Potter-heads.

Quizzic Alley is the place to find basically anything Harry Potter you can imagine. From wands to Gryffindor robes, Hogwarts Express slippers, backpacks, pens, puzzles, books, collectables and dress-ups, not to mention chocolate frogs and even a cup of Butterbear, Quizzic Alley will have whatever it is your Harry Potter-loving heart might desire.

Parking in the area can be a bit tricky. There is on-street parking on Victoria Rd 10am-3pm weekdays and a free council car park in Formosa St.

To get there by public transport, catch a ferry to Drummoyne Wharf (950m) away or a bus from Town Hall (20 minutes).

Quizzic Alley
191 Victoria Rd
Drummoyne NSW 2047
Hours: Wed-Fri, closed Mon & Tue.
Phone: 02 97199286
quizzicalley.com

More things to do in Sydney

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Australian National Botanic Gardens

October 15, 2020 / ACT, Australia, Travel / 0 comment

Australian National Botanic Gardens

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.

Get more ideas of things to do in Canberra with kids.

Australian National Botanic Gardens
Clunies Ross St, Acton ACT
Hours: Daily, 9am-5pm
https://www.anbg.gov.au/gardens/

Corin Forest Mountain Resort: The Perfect First Snow Experience

September 3, 2020 / ACT, Australia, Travel / 0 comment

Corin Forest Mountain Resort: The Perfect First Snow Experience

Give kids their first snow experience at Corin Forest Mountain Resort in the ACT. Corin Forest is the closest snow experience to Sydney.

Corin Forest is located in the Tidbinbilla Mountain Ranges, 45 minutes from Canberra. During the warmer months, Corin Forest is a place to picnic, ride the 1.2km Alpine Slide and visit neighbouring Square Rock, Gibraltar Falls and Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.

You can read more about visiting nearby Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve here.

In the winter months (often extending into spring), Corin Forest is the place to take kids to enjoy an affordable and fun first snow experience.

The Corin Forest Mountain Resort is a rustic lodge set among tall trees, in a beautiful secluded valley.

During the winter season, the lodge is a place to sit back and enjoy a wood fire pizza or hot chocolate after an exhilarating snow session. (In 2020, the lodge is open for takeaway only).

Beyond the lodge are an array of picnic tables around a picturesque lake, and the snowfields.

Corin Forrest offers very popular snow play sessions, beginner skiing or snowboarding.

Snowplay

We drove down to Corin Forest to experience the snow with their two-hour snowplay experience. The sessions for the school holidays and weekends book out a long way in advance, as they’re a bit of a bargain and the easiest way for most families to experience the snow.

During the snowplay sessions, families can ride a toboggan, build a snowman and generally just play in the snow. We had a lot of fun throwing snowballs at each other.

There are two snowplay areas that run next to each other, with staggered start times.

The capacity is limited, particularly in 2020, with 100 people per sessions permitted. Snow play is open until October 11th in 2020.

Entry to the snowplay area is a bargain $20 per person. You can hire a toboggan for an extra $5 and snow boots for $15. Jacket and pants rental as been suspended for 2020.

We visited in the middle of July and found it not overly cold temperature wise, but still were glad that we had rugged up. I would suggest wearing warm clothes with waterproof pants and jacket, gloves, water resistant boots, sunglasses and a beanie. Bring sunscreen as the glare can burn, and a change of dry clothes for the trip home.

Make sure to book your session as soon as possible so you don’t miss out.

Snowsports School

Corin Forest is also a great spot for beginners to learn to ski and snowboard. The ski slope features a “magic carpet” ski lift and is a nice, gentle slope to make learning to ski or board as easy as possible.

In 2020 ski and snowboarding lessons are operating with private lessons for groups of up to four people including an instructor. Lessons are available for adults and children over the age of 8.

Lessons include the use of ski/snowboard and helmets.

Lessons will be operating until September 7th 2020.

Ski + Ride

Experienced skiers or snowboarders can also enjoy the snow during the designated Ski + Ride sessions.

The Ski Hill will be operating until September 7th 2020.

Alpine Slide

The Alpine Slide descends 1.2km through the Mountain Ash forest. An hour session costs $25 per person.

In 2020 all sessions have a maximum capacity of 25 people so tickets will need to be booked in advance online.

General Info about visiting Corin Forest

For the majority of the winter season, Corin Forest is accessible to all cars. 4WD or snow chains are only needed a few days a season.

The snow at Corin Forest is mostly man-made. Natural snow falls around 6 days each winter.

Parking is unlimited and free.

There is no entry cost to Corin Forest.

You are welcome t bring your own food and enjoy it in the picnic area. Food is available for purchase in the cafe that serves hot and cold drinks, snacks and meals, and features a wood fired pizza oven. In 2020 the cafe is doing takeaway only.

I would suggest booking the first session of the day as that’s when the snow is freshest.

Every person entering the snowfield needs a ticket, even it it’s just to watch.

If you forget to bring gloves, you can buy a pair at the retail shop.

Clothing rental is usually available from the age of 4 to adult 5XL – however rentals are suspended in 2020.

I strongly suggest booking ahead as Corin Forest is extremely popular.

Find more things to do in Canberra with kids here.

Corin Forest Mountain Resort
1268 Corin Dam Rd, Paddys River ACT
https://www.corin.com.au

Where to Find Beautiful Waterfalls in Sydney

July 23, 2020 / Australia, NSW, Travel / 0 comment

Where to find Beautiful Waterfalls in Sydney

Ready to chase waterfalls in Sydney this weekend? You don’t have to look far to fund spectacular plunge waterfalls to satisfy your wanderlust.

Blue Mountains

Katoomba Cascades

Katoomba Cascades is a small waterfall on the Kedumba River, in the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains, 1.5 hours west of Sydney.

The cascades can be found in a bend on Cliff Drive, near Katoomba Park. There are some picnic benches in the park, making it the perfect place to stop for a break before heading down to the cascades.

It’s a short 300 metre walk down to the falls, which takes about 15 mins. It can get quite muddy, so wear closed in shoes and possibly bring a change of shoes in the car.

Read more about visiting Katoomba Cascades.

Katoomba Falls

The Katoomba Falls is a segmented waterfall that is located close between Echo Point and Scenic World, near Katoomba. The falls flow into the Jamison Valley in the Blue Mountains.

To view the falls, you can take the short, picturesque circuit walk starting at Scenic World. The 1.5km circuit, which takes about 1 hour 45 mins, goes through the rainforest, all the way to the waterfall, with panoramic views of Jamison Valley.

There is an excellent view of the falls from the Scenic World Skyway.

Wentworth Falls

The spectacular Wentworth Falls are a true Blue Mountains gem, with plenty of surrounding bush walks to enjoy the region’s natural beauty. Head to the Wentworth Falls Picnic Area and the nearby Wentworth Falls Track, which leads past the Jamison and Wentworth lookouts and then descends to the spectacular Fletchers lookout.

Read more about visiting Wentworth Falls.

The Minni Ha Ha Falls

The beautiful Minni Ha Ha Falls (also known as Minniehaha Falls and Minnihaha Falls) are the reward hikers receive for taking the 1.3km trail down to the bottom of the valley floor. You can swim in the waterfall (be warned – it’s cold!) or just enjoy the serenity.

Get more info on visiting the Minni Ha Ha Falls here.
NOTE: the falls have been reported closed, so check they are open before going.

Southern Highlands

Carrington Falls

The magnificent Carrington Falls, a 50m waterfall plunging into a natural swimming gully, is located in the Budderoo National Park in the Southern Highlands of NSW.

The Kangaroo River flows over a sandstone escarpment into the gully below. There is a loop walk that takes approximately 25 minutes to complete and takes visitors to three lookouts with stunning views as well past cascades, waterholes and rockpools.

Read more about visiting Carrington Falls here.

Fitzroy Falls

The spectacular Fitzroy Falls is located inside the Morton National Park, in the Southern Highlands of NSW, a two hour drive from Sydney or Canberra and 60mins from Wollongong. The 81-metre waterfall is easy to access and makes for a stunning day trip.

Fitzroy Falls are viewable from several lookout points, the first of which is only a short walk from the Fitzroy Falls Visitor Centre and is full accessible for wheelchairs and strollers.

Read more about visiting Fitzroy Falls here.

Belmore Falls

Belmore Falls is a plunge waterfall with three drops. It’s extremely easy to drive directly up to the lookout point and enjoy these stunning views over the Kangaroo valley. There is a 1.8km return walk that can be taken from the lookout to the top of the waterfalls.

Read more about visiting Belmore Falls here.

Central Coast

Somersby falls

A popular place for family picnics and bushwalking, the Somersby Falls are located on the NSW Central Coast, an hour-and-a-half drive from Sydney.

The Somersby Falls walking track is a 500m return walk that takes in views of the top and bottom waterfalls. Note that the walk is steep and can be slippery in places.

Read more about visiting Somersby Falls.

More things to do in Sydney

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Read more about visiting the Blue Mountains National Park.

Sydney Escapes: Things to do in the Southern Highlands

March 28, 2019 / Australia, NSW, Southern Highlands, Travel / 0 comment

Things to do in the Southern Highlands: Berrima, Bowral & Robertson

The Southern Highlands are a 90 minute drive south west of Sydney or just under 2 hours from Canberra.

Comprised of the towns of Bowral, Mittagong, Moss Vale, Berrima, Bundanoon and many other smaller villages, the Southern Highlands is a great spot for a day trip or weekend break to enjoy the colourful gardens, stunning waterfalls, nature walks, history, heritage and delicious food on offer. There are plenty of things to do in the Southern Highlands!

Berrima

The historic village of Berrima makes for a charming and character-filled day trip. Stroll through the streets with their colonial sandstone buildings, visit the Berrima Courthouse or while the day away at a cafe.

Find things to do in Berrima here.

Bowral

Bowral is the largest town in the Southern Highlands. It’s a great spot for shopping, dining, bush walking and visiting local attractions including the Bradman Museum and International Cricket Hall of Fame.

Find things to do in Bowral here.

Exeter

Experience our English heritage in this thriving village which is home to a large number of English-style estates, a historic stone church and country railway station.

Cuttaway Hill Wines, Exeter

The family-owned Cuttaway Hill Wines is a great place to stop to try premium quality table wines. I sampled raw Champagne at Cuttaway Hill and enjoyed the experience of seeing how it’s made.

cuttawayhill.com.au

Mittagong

The Big Pie and Visitors Centre, Mittagong

The Southern Highlands is the home of Australia’s newest Big Thing – the Big Pie! Located at the Southern Highlands Welcome Centre in Mittagong, the Big Pie has been erected in recognition of pie month in the Southern ‘Pie-lands’ during June. The Big Pie sits at over 2 metres wide by 1.5 high. Following Pie Time ‘The Big Pie’ will be positioned in the forecourt of the Southern Highlands Welcome Centre to promote the year-round Southern Highlands Pie Trail.

Drop into the Southern Highlands Welcome Centre while you’re there to read up about the history of pies and try their award-winning toilets.

Glass Café, Mittagong

Housed inside a 1890 heritage building, the Glass Café is a fun and quirky café restaurant. The menu includes gluten free and vegetarian options, and the café has a relaxed vibe perfect for families. The backyard is pet friendly and free WiFi is available.

glasscafe.com.au

Cycle Tours NSW

Burn off the pastries on an e-bike with Cycle Tours NSW. Kick off and let the battery kick in, giving you power-assisted peddling. The tours take visitors through the regions breweries, wineries and restaurants and commence at the Mittagong

cycletoursnsw.com

Sutton Forrest

This small village is the place to stop for a true country escape.

Heatherbrae’s Pies, Sutton Forest

The iconic road stop pie shop serves up small batches of handmade pies, baked under the watchful eye of owner and pie man Russell Cox. Each filling is cooked to a specific recipe rather than a generic base being made with flavours added to it. The result is the most delicious pies that keep people coming back time after time. As well as a large range of savoury pies and sausage rolls, Heatherbrae’s has a fantastic range of retro sweet pastries.

While the Jillaroo (beef, bacon, cheese and onion) is a popular savoury pie, I highly enjoyed the vegan Red Lentil Curry pie and will be going back for more. Cox commented that the vegan pie is the fasted growing pie on the menu in terms of popularity.

heatherbraespies.com.au

Southern Highlands Winery, Sutton Forest

Drop by for a delicious meal created by head chef Marco Salvestrin, and stay for the spectacular views from the cellar door restaurant at the Southern Highlands Winery.

There are vegetarian options on the menu (I enjoyed the eggplant parmigiana and spinach) and a kids’ menu featuring chicken schnitzel and chips, fish and chips, gnocchi napoletana, short pasta bolognese, meatballs with crostoni bread.

southernhighlandswinery.com.au/

Robertson

Robertson is known for their fertile land and potato growing, and is also where the 1995 movie Babe was filmed. The area is also home to the Budaroo National Park, stunning waterfalls and the Illawarra Fly ziplining and treetop walk experience.

Find things to do in Robertson here.

Robertson NSW: Sydney Day Trips

March 28, 2019 / Australia, NSW, Southern Highlands, Travel / 0 comment

Things to do in Robertson NSW

Robertson is known for their fertile land and potato growing, and is also where the 1995 movie Babe was filmed. The area is also home to the Budderoo National Park, stunning waterfalls and the Illawarra Fly ziplining and treetop walk experience. Robertson is an appox 90 minutes drive south of Sydney.

The Big Potato

The Big Potato was modelled on the Sebgo potato. At approx 10 metres long and four metres high, it’s a rather large spud that sits in the middle of a park on the side of the Illawarra Highway.

Illawarra Highway, Robertson

Robertson Pie Shop

The popular pie shop is the spot to drop by for a hot savoury or sweet fruit pie. The Robertson pie Shop has been a family-run business for 37 years. It’s a very casual shop, with plenty of seating. Pies are served to go. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are available. We loved the ricotta and spinach rolls and took home a large peach pie.

4400 Illawarra Highway, Robertson
robertsonpieshop.com.au