Puffing Billy

As far as family activities go in Melbourne, Puffing Billy would have to be a firm favourite. Even in the middle of winter, this train brings a smile to the face as it rounds the corner over Monbulk Creek in a cloud of steam and waving passengers.

Steam trains have a strange allure for most people, young and old, but Puffing Billy is particularly exciting given its location in the Dandenong Ranges, its historic significance, and its amazing preservation based on a 900 strong volunteer workforce.

Previously on this blog I have reviewed Day Out with Thomas and, whilst this is a great event with under-fives, the regular excursion ride provides an even better unplanned opportunity for stress-free family fun.

The cost can be offputting with The Billy, but you need to remember that this attraction relies heavily on a membership and volunteer base for its survival. Without it, Puffing Billy will simply discontinue and this would be a sad loss for Victorian heritage and tourism.

Having said that, there are many ways for this attraction to work for you. As a single adult travelling with kids under five, the return journey is $41 (Belgrave to Emerald or Lakeside - thats less than $14 each if you have 2 kids). Alternatively, many parents opt to go one way with one parent ($24), meeting another adult with car at a designated destination station. I personally think this takes a lot of the fun out of the journey. The kids will want to hang their legs out the windows and this requires some holding on, plus adults enjoy this trip just as much as the kids - I wouldn't want to be the one hanging out in the car at the other end.

Whilst children under 4 are free on Puffing Billy, the adult return fare makes the family pass at $83 the best option for two parents travelling with 1 to 4 kids from Belgrave to Emerald or Lakeside return. Any longer would probably be excessive for children of this age group, and these destinations are very accessible with younger children.

Based on our experience travelling on a weekend with two adults and four kids under 6, my suggestion to parents of under-fives would be as follows;

- Park at Belgrave Train Station carpark and follow the well signed path to Puffing Billy.

- On the weekend, take the 11.10am or 12.30pm train from Belgrave. You need to be there at least 30-45 minutes beforehand to buy tickets, get snacks, take photos and find the carriage you want to be in. Try to sit on the right hand side of the train (facing forward) for the best views.

- Depart Belgrave and enjoy the 50 minute journey to Emerald (60 minutes to Lakeside). There is a 10-12 minute stop at Menzies Creek for toilet and refreshments.

- During Summer I would highly reccomend going to Lakeside and taking a picnic lunch. Return train leaves at 2.20pm or 3.40pm from Lakeside, giving you plenty of time to explore the lake, have a bbq lunch and visit the playground.

- In Winter, I reccommend visiting Emerald. If it's not wet, then the playground is fun, otherwise the Emerald Bakery in the main street have fantastic food, coffee, hot chocolates and booth seats out the back. Also, the fruit shop across the road is great. Trains go back to Belgrave at 2.40pm or 3.55pm. There are toilets at the station.

- Once you are back in Belgrave, walk up to the main street and visit Sushi Express. There is a toy box for the kids and a train delivering their food. If you are more in the mood for sweet, Chocolate Sensation has amazing cakes and be sure to pick yourself up some chia or olive bread. If food is not on your radar, pick up the car and drive to Belgrave Park Lake for a runaround and explore.

For those of you keen to keep Puffing Billy on track, membership is a good, affordable way of helping out. This is a particularly viable option for people with big, extended families as you will recieve a 15% discount on all bookings made by that member.

For more information, visit the Puffing Billy website. Please double check timetable and fare information before planning your trip.

The Otways with Kids

This fantastic post on The Otways is courtesy of Romy Mangan, mother to three children aged 6, 5 and 3. The Otways are located on the Great Ocean Road, about three hours drive from Melbourne.



During the recent July school holidays my family and I decided it was time to get away and occupy the kids with more than the usual round of museums and parks. So I booked us a short get away to the Otways , one of my favourite locations in Victoria. I hadn’t been back since I was pregnant with my 6 year old and have since added a 5 and a 3 year old to the mix so I was looking forward to visiting with them.

Booking couldn’t have been easier, there are many websites to choose from but I selected www.stayz.com for last minute deals. I was delighted to find a two bedroom cottage that was self catering and would be perfect for our needs. So we packed our bags with plenty of warm clothes and gumboots and off we went to our cottage, Nellie Nook which is located in Lavers Hill on the Great Ocean Road.

It is a 3 hour trip from the Eastern Suburbs so I knew we would need to stop for a break and something to eat. We chose the Winchelsea Shire Hall Tea Rooms. It was pleasant and very affordable and provided good food and plenty of space for the kids to run off some steam before we headed back on our journey. On the way we played counting coloured cars, I spy, I went on a picnic and took a….., which always ends in something silly and usually with my kids something involving a bodily function. But it kept them occupied until we got there.

Neal (the owner of Nellie Nook) was there to greet us and had lit the wood heater for us. He was a great host and took us off on a walk around his property which has some woods and a small waterfall. There is also a damn with frogs in it. When we got back he presented us with homemade bread which we scoffed in about 2 minutes.
We then took off for an exploration of Lavers Hill, which to be fair is set in beautiful surrounds but doesn’t offer the kids much so we headed for Hopetoun Falls. There are many waterfalls in the area abut we chose this as we knew our kids would make the walk there and back.

The falls were great and the kids were amazed at sound of the crashing water. A huge tree had fallen into the falls and the kids loved this as it showed the scale and power of the waterfall. They made the walk there and back up the many steps without a moan. Great!

We stopped in Lavers Hill at the motel for dinner. Unfortunately the menu selection wasn’t great and the food though ample in size was just OK, however if the kids were asked the same they would say thumbs up to the chips and sausage rolls for dinner. Our next adventure was to see the Glow Worms which were only a 3 minute drive away in Melba Gully Visit Victoria Glow Worms.

By 6 o’clock it was pitch black so we needed our torches to walk the 10 minutes to where the glow worms are. Neal had given us directions so we knew where we were going; otherwise I think we might have wandered off. The lights of the worms were just lovely and looked like twinkling fairy lights in the trees. After this it was back for a movie and cosy up on the sofa.

Next day we were up and about exploring Nellie Nook again and then we bundled everyone in to the car and set off to Otway Fly Tree Top Walk. This place is great. The Kookaburras were calling on arrival and helped to build the kids expectations from minute one. We booked the Tree Top walk which cost around $50. There is a zip fly wire tour but our kids were too young and also due to the cost, we thought we would wait until they were older and would appreciate it more. The walk through the forest is beautiful with huge gums towering above and the freshest air I’ve ever breathed. We then came to the dinosaur trail. It is a walk that the kids and we loved. There are replica models of various favourite dinosaurs, including Stegosaurus, Triceratops and T Rex. Along this part of the walk there were plenty of really good photo opportunities, we had great fun posing with the dinosaurs. After this walk it was on to the tree tops. If you are afraid of heights this may not be for you but it is perfectly safe and gets you up really high. The kids went charging on and climbed the tower pretending it was a spaceship. My youngest struggled a bit so she needed a shoulder ride from time to time but was able to cope very well.

We had a snack in the cafe which was well priced and went on to Apollo Bay. On our way there we saw a pod of migrating whales. This was the highlight of the trip for me. The kids loved it too but then got fed up with that and played on the beach in the winter sunshine. We had lunch in Apollo Bay and went for stroll. It was busy but it’s a lovely seaside town with plenty of shops to browse through if you don’t have impatient little ones in tow.

From here we headed to the 12 Apostles. We went to the visitor centre but our kids weren’t interested in the geology of the area and got bored on the walk. I tried to liven it up by telling stories of shipwrecks and also about the penguins but they were over it so we headed back to our cottage. Maybe when they get older we will take them back. We saw heaps of Kangaroos on the drive back but sadly no wombats.

The next day we went to Johanna beach (Map for Johanna Beach) and went to the second car park which is closer to the river and if you fancy it can be an option for going for more explorations along its banks. We didn’t do it this time as the kids wanted to play on the beach. My two older boys got drenched playing in the rock pools and chasing waves. Great fun but I was glad they had a change of clothing. We also found huge cuttle fish bones washed up, the kids took home and have now been painted in technicolour glory!

On our way back to Melbourne we decided to stop off at Werribee Zoo. We have been here lots of times as we are Friends of the Zoo but thought as it was on our way it was a great choice for a break and dinner. The Zoo didn’t disappoint with the two highlights being the gorillas that were very active and in full view and the lions were right up next to the glass too. On the safari bus the rhinos were really close and in fact the bus had to move along to keep out of their way.

We got home tired and thinking that we must get down to the Otways again very soon.

Anakie Fairy Park

2388 Balllan Road, Anakie

A day at Anakie Fairy Park and lunch at Denny’s was my perfect day as a child. Where else could you see funny little characters chugging mugs of beer and eating bowls of porridge in a dated but familiar setting. Yes that may well have been Dennys, but the Fairy Park was a most wondrous place as well and I always recall our family outings there with a smile.

Located in Anakie, one hour west of Melbourne and half an hour from Geelong, this theme park is bound to delight your little ones the same way it did my childhood self, although perhaps now they may see it a little differently. We didn’t have Toy Story back then remember, and dioramas were still considered pretty cool, not to mention the whole’ look don’t touch’ theory when it came to museum exhibits and family friendly entertainment. The world has changed, our kids now expect fully tactile, surround sound, 3D experiences even when it comes to the imaginary world of fairy tales, and as such this place may not live up to their expectations. However, you will be surprised, in spite of all this, how they engage with the age old love of button pushing and the joy of seeing their favourite fairy tale characters come to life, in a setting a that is entirely devoted to the imagination and not to some modern perspective of how we see the world.

As such, my first piece of advice for parents with under-fives is to come prepared. Whilst the Fairy Park is pram-friendly, it is not necessarily toddler friendly unless you have another adult in tow. Being a steep site, there are plenty of places a newly-footed toddler can tumble. The Camelot Playground is a signature of our childhood, not theirs, so best not to go sipping lattes whilst the kids are at play because, if your kids are anything like mine, they will be end up in strife. I know that this sounds like a lot of work, but I assure you the Fairy Park is well worth a visit with under-fives as long as you are up to the challenge.

Let me take you through the journey because getting to the Fairy Park is part of the fun. After driving along long country roads that seem to go on forever, you finally see the words FAIRY PARK up on the hill and an entrance flanked by a giant Gulliver. At the ticket booth, the owner of the park pokes a Daffy Duck on a stick out the window with a map in its beak. If you hand him a $50 note, Daffy passes you your change in a pre-prepared snap lock bag. Up the hill you will find ample parking and a bunch of picnic spots, both indoors and outdoors. They provide a good waking up spot after a long drive and I’d suggest you bring your own food as options on-site are dismal for the under-fives. From here you follow the yellow brick road up into Fairy Tale Land where you will discover funny little houses tucked into the hill. Here live all your favourite fairy tale characters such as Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and The Three Little Pigs. Push the button beside the window and the fairy tale scenes come to life in true 70’s fashion. As an adult, be ready to laugh at the ‘promotional’ bears picnic and the Goldilocks audio in which she offers her pocket money in payment for her misdemeanours, but be wary of the big bad wolf, he’s a little bit scary perhaps for our precious, Disney-diet offsprings.

The view from Elephant Rock is impressive, and if you visit in August or September the fields below will be covered in a big yellow blanket of canola. Best of all, the Camelot Playground is lots of fun with a seriously scary giant slide, spinning pod, and old-school play equipment. Just keep an eye on dad, he might enjoy it more than the kids!

Before your visit I recommend visiting the Fairy Park website as they have a pdf of the most direct route. I went on directions from whereis which took us through Little River and this was quite a roundabout route but scenic if you want the kids to have a sleep on the way.

If the kids aren't too tired after your visit, I'd reccomend driving into Geelong and having fish n'chips on the foreshore and a play in Rippleside Park.

Camping with Under-Fives

This post is courtesy of my friend Fiona Irvine who recently took her 4 yr old and 10 month old camping.




My 4 yr kept saying he wanted to go camping and as I am not much of a camper I tried to put it off. After many weeks of persisting I finally gave in and did some internet searching. I wanted a camp site not too far from Melbourne so if it all went horribly wrong then home wasn't too far away. I also wanted it to be family friendly with plenty of activities for my very active son. I settled on Badger Creek Big 4 caravan park in Healesville. Just over 1 hour from Melbourne.

We headed off Saturday morning and arrived in Healesville just in time to get lunch from the bakehouse and sit outside and people watch, which included seeing two ferrets being walked on leads down the main street. We then headed to the caravan park to check in and set up our tent. Being new to camping I borrowed all of the equipment from my sister so there was no big expense and the site cost us $41 per night.

The caravan park is situated beside Badger Creek which is a lovely picturesque flowing creek only ankle deep in most parts so the kids can have fun throwing in rocks or dipping in their toes. There is also a swimming pool, playground and jumping pillow for both children and adults to enjoy. My son took his scooter and had a ball scooting around the park with other children either scooting or riding bikes. For tennis players there are 2 tennis courts. For rainy days the park has a games room with pool table, football table and air hockey as well as a TV room.

I knew the park included a camp kitchen which turned out to be better than i thought. It included microwave, toaster, kettle, oven, stove and fridge as well as chairs and tables to dine at. If you prefer BBQs there are those as well.
The toilet/shower block was excellent and clean but if you don't like to share you can get a site that has its own ensuite!!!

We ended the weekend with a trip to Healesville Sanctuary which is always a fun day.

For those of you looking for a great weekend trip to try out camping, or for those who are more experienced, I thoroughly recommend Badger Creek caravan site.

Peninsula Hot Springs

Springs Lane, Rye (melways ref 169 A11)

My son has never looked so clean. Indeed, after two hours of soaking in warm thermal pools at Peninsula Hot Springs in Rye, our whole family look shiny and new – quite a different picture to two hours earlier when we arrived fresh from Kmart in our bargain basement bathers – yes mummy forgot to pack the swimwear and yes it didn’t go down well with anyone!

Despite looking like we just stepped off a P&O cruise (especially mummy in her brighter than bright, tighter than tight, teenage bathers), we all had a great time at the Springs and its’ certainly a place I would recommend for the under-fives as long as you’re aware of its limitations and come prepared.

Firstly, It is an expensive place to visit as a family. For our family of five, it cost $90 - $30 for each adult, $15 for kids over 4, and $10 for under 4’s (including infants). For this reason, I would classify Peninsula Springs as a special treat activity. They also discourage prams, despite the lift and sufficient space to park them. One must remember that this is somewhere that most people come to relax, so you need to be conscious of your conduct as a young family and try to avoid the kind of behaviour that belongs at your local pool. This is not to say that you can’t have fun. The infant bathing area has a large shallow pool, surrounded by half wine barrel baths and large shells with taps. Our kids played happily in this area, drowning little iggle piggle and throwing a ball, without appearing to bother other patrons. Even in the other pools, with their abundance of women and eastern European men, the kids were happily received. It helps that most under fours wouldn’t reach the bottom in the adult pools so they are in your arms and more easily subdued. The reflexology walk (a shallow riverbank with different stones underfoot) and the cave pool were a favourite with our family, but on a cold day, the 38 degree pool may seem a little warm for infants.

Ideally this is the place you would visit as a couple with one child under-five for, in this scenario, you would both get the opportunity to explore the not so child-friendly options such as the Turkish steam bath, and avoid the need for a pram.

Peninsula Hot Springs is open every day from 7.30am to 10pm. Bookings are not required for the public bathing area. For further information, visit the Peninsula Hot Springs website or contact them on 5950 8777.

Mary Poppins Festival

I have warned my husband, we are so going to this next year. Held in the first week of July in Maryborough Queensland, this is a whole festival devoted to our favourite flying nanny. With madcap nanny races, street theatre, penny farthings and traditional games and rides, it sounds like fun for the whole family. Where else but Queensland?

Situated on the Fraser Coast about 3 hours from Brisbane, Maryborough is the birthplace of Pamela Travers, author of Mary Poppins. The festival was founded by a local group called the Proud Marys, an association formed for women all over the world whose name contains the name Mary or any derivative of Mary. Group founder Anne Miller (not a Mary?) says the aim of the Proud Marys is to collect, document and display notable Marys from throughout history and the present day, with a special focus on Mary Poppins.

So get your umbrellas ready and visit the Mary Poppins Festival website for further information.

Alternatively, maybe take your little one to see the Mary Poppins musical at Her Majesty's Theatre. Opening in July, there will be matinees on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays with tickets starting at $99 each. Check the Mary Poppins - The Musical website for details.

Weekend in Sydney

I have a major soft spot for our rival city. Not only is it spectacularly beautiful, it has a show pony personality that makes it exciting to visit. However, having only ever visited Sydney for work or boozy weekenders before we had kids, I was unsure on what to expect with two kids under 3 and one on the way. There was certainly a moment when, having been up since 5am to catch cheap flights, we were sitting at Darling Harbour in the midst of a family meltdown and I thought perhaps I had made a bad decision - my husband certainly agreed. But once we discovered what Sydney had to offer the under fives we found that it is definitely worth the effort. These are our picks.

Powerhouse Museum



If I lived in Sydney I would come here all the time. As a science and design museum, it holds a lot of interest for adults and they offer a great range of exhibitions. For the kids, it has something for every age group. However, unlike most museums, the kids sections are incorporated into the overall design so that you get to see what you want to see but the kids remain entertained. There are four areas that are of particular interest to the under-five age group.

Zoe’s House is an interactive playspace designed specifically for 3 to 6 year olds. It encourages collaborative and creative play by allowing children to work together in completing an unfinished house. Donning their bright yellow safety vests, the kids choose from a range of tools including a crane, conveyer belt, rubble chute, rail network, wheelbarrows and lifts to transport the foam bricks to and from the work-site and build the house. Our daughter took great pride in her role as boom gate operator, collecting the imaginary tokens from the builders and raising the gate to let them through. If only play centres had this kind of set-up.

The Magic Garden is an interactive playspace for 2 to 8 year olds that is designed to help kids learn about healthy eating and activity. Using some impressive new technology, kids can chase fish in the digital pond, play among pumpkins and mushrooms and move items around the virtual picnic table.

There are three Kids Interactive Discovery Spaces (KIDS) in the museum - KIDS music, KIDS at home and KIDS on screen. Each of these are related to themes in the Museum’s exhibitions and are designed to involve under 8’s in the museum experience by giving them hands-on activities that appeal to their interests and needs. The music one is particularly fun with an oversized floor piano and activity stations that play different games and songs.

Cogs Playground is located in the courtyard of the museum next to the café and, whilst designed for children aged 5 to 12, it can accommodate toddlers under close supervision. We didn’t eat at the café but it looked very appealing with pre-packaged sandwiches, wrap and salads as well as a range of wholefood snacks. You can also bring your own food from home and eat it at the tables provided. For those with older kids in need of less supervision, the free wi-fi internet would make this a great spot to get some work done or surf the net whilst your children play.

The Powerhouse Museum is located next to Darling Harbour and near Paddy’s Markets and Chinatown. There is a ramp leading to the museum from Paddy’s Market Monorail Station. General Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children 4 years and older (under 4’s are free). The museum is open every day from 10am to 5pm.

Taronga Zoo



Taronga Zoo is surely one of the world's most impressive zoos. With spectacular views of Sydney Harbour, it is beautifully sited and only a short ferry ride from Circular Quay. In the old tradition of zoo entertainment, Taronga has birds of flight displays, seal acrobat shows and elephants doing tricks – all of which the kids will love. It is also home to the adorable baby elephant Mr Shuffles. Taronga is a steep zoo with lots of animals to see, so prepare yourself for a pretty exhausting day. Admission is rather expensive at $43 per adult and $21 for children (under 4’s free), however you get free entry if you have a Melbourne Zoo membership so join up before you go.

The best day to visit the zoo is Sunday as for $2.50 per adult and kids over 4 (under 4’s free) you can get a Family Fun Day pass that gives you unlimited travel on Sydney’s trains, buses and ferries. This usually costs $20 per adult and $10 per child over 4 so it’s a great saving.

National Gallery of NSW



Once you work out how to get into the Gallery with a pram (around the back through the handicapped entrance and buzz the intercom for security to let you in), it is actually a lovely place to take the kids for some quiet afternoon time. The gallery has an impressive collection of work from well-known Australian artists as well as some big-note Europeans. It also offers a pleasant café with highchairs and the Domain Gardens opposite are perfect for a pre or post gallery play. The purpose for our visit was to see the Archibald exhibition which was fantastic and definitely worth a look. The winning portrait of Tim Minchin is extraordinary and I also really liked the scratchy portrait of Melbourne’s Lord Mayor Robert Doyle.

The Gallery runs a workshop for 3 to 5 year olds a few times a year, check the website for details.

Balmoral Beach



Balmoral Beach is the perfect spot to spend a play day with a friend. Not only is it beautiful, it is extremely well set-up for kids – as indicated by the hoards of young children in the kiosk, beach and playground. After a play at the playground, I would recommend walking further down the beach towards The Beach Pavilion for a quieter picnic spot either on the grass or beach. Make sure you take a ball and a bucket and spade. Both the main kiosk and the pavilion kiosk have plenty of lunch options and The Beach Pavilion restaurant would be lovely with older children.

Bondi Beach



Fish’n chips on Bondi Beach is a great way to finish off the day. Bondi, however, is not the easiest of places to get to. Whilst the train will take you to Bondi Junction, you still need to take a bus from there to the beach as it’s a long and steep walk otherwise. The best option would be to take a bus straight from the city, just make sure you get one of the wide door ones with the handicapped seating area so that the kids can remain in the pram.

Accommodation

We booked a two bedroom apartment in George Street for the same cost as a hotel room. Whilst it wasn’t as luxurious as a hotel, the apartment offered two separate bedrooms, a living area and a kitchenette so we were able to watch a movie once the kids were in bed and fix them a cheap and easy brekkie in the morning. The location was great as it was an easy walk to Circular Quay, across from Wyndham train station and within walking distance of a Coles supermarket, The Strand and the Queen Victoria Building. For cheap rates, visit the Departure Lounge website and use the code found in the current entertainment book.

Other ideas for things to do in Sydney with under-fives include;

- Concerts for 2 to 5 year olds at Sydney Opera House
- A swim and play at Bronte Park
- Visit Nemo and friends at Sydney Aquarium
- Night time viewing of the Smart Life Sculptures as part of the Vivid Festival
- Dandy Lions Activity Group for under fives in the Royal Botanical Gardens
- Petting Zoo at the Entertainment Quarter every Wednesday and Saturday
- Games, craft and storytime at National Maritime Museum every Tuesday
- Visit the adventure playground at Wentworth Common
- Activities for under fives at the Australian Museum
- Visit Centennial Park
- Paddling in one of Sydney's harbour pools

Sorrento

Sorrento is on the Mornington Peninsula , just over 1 hours drive from Melbourne

We regularly go to Sorrento for weekends and over time we have gradually established what works with the kids and what doesn’t. Unfortunately most of our old favourites such as the Red Hill wineries, the pubs and lazing on the beach with a book don’t work, but we have found some relaxing, enjoyable (and potentially healthier) alternatives.

In the mornings we grab a coffee from Stringers and head to the large community-built playground in Sorrento gardens. Overlooking the pier, these gardens are tucked in behind the Sorrento pub and provide a great view of the boats on the water. The steep grassy hills are fun to roll down and the playground is fantastic with lots of swings, slides and places to explore. Sometimes we end up back here for dinner as well for it is fairly sheltered from the wind and picnics are easier on the grass than on sand.

From the gardens we usually head to the front beach which is fairly unexciting as far as beaches go but good for toddlers who are more interested in building sand castles than swimming. Much nicer though are some of the little pocket beaches along the road between Sorrento and Blairgowrie – park the car and pop your head through the bushes and there is your own private beach. The Sorrento back beach is far more dramatic but not suited to young children, better to grab a milkshake at All Smiles café and enjoy the views.

We have found Smokehouse Pizza to be the best place for dinner with young kids and they do a 6 o’clock sitting but you have to book. (03) 5984 1246

Geppetto’s Workshop on Ocean Beach Road is a great toy shop. Or for the more thrifty addition to the toy box head to the op shop on the corner of Ocean Beach and Melbourne Roads, kids get a free lucky dip whilst you find a bargain.

For further information on Sorrento, visit www.virtualsorrento.com.au