School Holiday Activities In Sydney Your Kids Will Love

11/04/2016 By All Mum Said 5 Comments

School Holiday Activities Sydney Your Kids Will Love

School holidays have come around again, I swear the last ones just ended! Like many parents, I am often left scratching my head not knowing how to keep the kids entertained while they are on their break.

School holiday activities

Here are some of the ideas we like to do when visiting Sydney and more that we want to try. I hope they help you and burn some of the kid’s energy before they send you bat shit crazy!

Centennial Park – Whether you want to just take a casual stroll, kick the ball around or throw the Frisbee, this is the perfect place to do it. With such a beautiful surrounding of maintained gardens and greenery you will not be disappointed. For the parents there is also a great little café/restaurant that does an amazing coffee!

Time Zone – Every child goes through the stage where games are the greatest thing since sliced bread but giving them a taste of the games we experienced as kids is exciting. For them and us! Time Zone has expanded their range over the years and it now includes new experiences such as ten pin bowling, skirmish, bumper cars and much more.

Tooronga Zoo – Enjoy animal encounters with some of the 4000+ animals, shows and demonstrations, wild rope challenges and other great zoo attractions.

Olympic Park – There is so much to do and see in this area of Sydney. Whether you enjoy going on adventure walks, bird watching or jumping on the Heritage Railway, Olympic Park has something to make everyone happy. As it isn’t as busy as the rest of Sydney, there are plenty of bicycle tracks that allow you to embrace the relaxed atmosphere, the aquatic centre and also a Kids in the Park initiative. See what is on these school holidays.

Sky Zone – Bounce to your hearts content! Let the kids jump off their excessive energy; rain, hail or shine. Sky Zone is indoors so it is a great option for any day!

Museums – It’s nice to just have an easy day and embrace some knowledge. The Australian Museum is the perfect place to expand your child’s mind and appreciation for the finer things.

There are so many options available in Sydney for families to enjoy these school holidays. Regardless if you are an educational family, foodies or adventure seekers; Sydney will not disappoint you!

For some more great school holiday activities in Sydney check out this guide! You will be glad you did.

How do you keep school holidays interesting?

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Hunter Valley Gardens Mega Creatures 2016 Giveaway

16/01/2016 By All Mum Said 6 Comments

Hunter Valley Gardens Mega Creatures 2016

As you have come to expect from the Hunter Valley Gardens, they get bigger and better every year. This year is no exception. The Christmas Lights Spectacular and Mega Creatures 2016 edition are an event not to be missed!!

Like I have mentioned previously on the blog, we attend the Christmas Lights Spectacular every year. It has become a family tradition and the kids love it. If your kids are anything like mine; they will absolutely love the Mega Creatures as well. You can take a journey through the gardens and see some amazing works of art (botanical art obviously), different themes/gardens and the Story Book area. This is one of my kids favourite parts of the whole Hunter Valley Gardens.

The Mega Creatures 2016 include all of the incredible giant bugs from last year. These include beetles, tarantula, bee, snail and so many more – see here for last years Mega Bugs review.

Much to the excitement of my kids; this year the Hunter Valley Gardens have added Dinosaurs to their Mega Creatures display. See favourites including: T-Rex, Triceratops, Stegosaurus and many more! The giant animatronic creatures will have you and your children in awe and provide hours of discussions.

It was great watching the dinosaurs move and make noises. It really gave the kids a sense of what they were like before they became extinct. Each one had a different call and it was amazing seeing the kids get excited over learning. This experience is not only heaps of fun, it is also educational.

You can find out more here or enter below to win yourself 1 of 2 family passes!

2x WINNERS!!

Each prize includes: 1x Hunter Valley Gardens Mega Creatures family pass. RRP $134.00. Total prize pool: $268.00.

**As the winners are chosen based on skill and not chance; you will be sharing for 0 extra entries however I’d love you to share the giveaway with friends and family. Sharing is caring and karma loves kind people. **

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Terms & Conditions:
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4. This is a game of skill. Chance plays no part!
Therefore no extra points are given for sharing however it is good karma!!
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If you want to enter more giveaways click over here.

Disclosure: I received a family pass to review this experience. All opinions are my own.

Hunter Valley Gardens Christmas Lights Spectacular 2015

23/12/2015 By All Mum Said 4 Comments

To keep with tradition, we attended the Hunter Valley Gardens Christmas Lights Spectacular 2015 again this year. For the past three years the rain has also joined us!

Christmas Lights Spectacular 2015

Regardless of what is happening in our life or how busy we are, we never miss a year. Each year the lights spectacular gets bigger and better. The kids absolutely love seeing the different displays, including the story book garden, Cinderella, 12 days of Christmas, waterfall and so many other great themes.

Unfortunately the Ferris wheel didn’t return this year which was very disappointing to both me and my children. There was a games zone that offered jumping castles and arcade games.

This year saw the addition of the fairy garden, the music room and the new and improved candy land. As we walked through the entry gates we were greeted by a gorgeous Christmas caroller in a ‘princess dress’, well according my Miss 2 it ‘was’ a princess with a big beautiful dress. Her voice was magical and made the perfect start to the evening.

Christmas Lights Display: Open from 7:30pm – 10:00pm. To find out more information or to purchase prepaid tickets, visit the website now.

Prize includes: 1x family pass to Hunter Valley Gardens Christmas Lights Spectacular 2015. Valued at $85!

If you want to enter more giveaways click over here.

Disclosure: I received the above family pass for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own.

Top 5 Family Portrait Hotspots Revealed – Greater Newcastle Area

02/10/2015 By All Mum Said Leave a Comment

Top 5 Family Portrait Hotspots Revealed

Greater Newcastle Area

The Morpeth Common

WHERE: Ray Lawler and Morpeth Common Wildfowl Reserve, Edward Street, Morpeth NSW 2321

Only a short drive north-east of Maitland is the historic and winsome river-side village of Morpeth. The Morpeth Common, a local Wildfowl Reserve, provides a stunning backdrop for family portraits. Old and stately trees give shade during the summer months and surrounding weathered wooden fences assist in creating a rustic feel. We love to work with the environment in a way that enhances the images rather than overpowering them.

Morpeth

WHERE: 37 km North-west of Newcastle and 5 km North-east of Maitland.

Only a matter of minutes from Maitland is the historic and winsome river-side village of Morpeth. There is no end to the possibilities for family portrait photography in this delightful town. Weathered sandstone buildings, old steps and cute doorways all help to make Morpeth well suited to rustic-style photography. The river-bank and the Morpeth Common are also wonderful places to let nature be your backdrop with twisted trees, long grass and secret pathways.

Old East Maitland Train Station

WHERE: Melbourne Street, East Maitland

Once known as Morpeth Junction, the Old East Maitland Train Station is one of our treasured spots to take families for their portraits. Grass covers most of the old platform now and a cute white picket fence lines either side of the little brick waiting room, providing a whimsical and quaint space for photos. Not only is the station itself a beauty, but the nearby park and even the pedestrian tunnel are also great areas for photos. We enjoy using locations in a variety of ways. You can find and create so many different looks simply by walking around and exploring the area fully.

Nobbys Beach

WHERE: Nobbys Beach, Newcastle East

We are very fortunate as photographers to have beaches as stunning as Nobbys so accessible. Perfect for panoramic shots, Nobbys Beach is a beloved location for family portraits. The lighthouse perched atop its hill, grassy dunes, the rolling ocean, big wide sandy shores…need we say more? You can also find some wonderful shots near the breakwall and the surf lifesaving building. Pick a day that isn’t too windy and you can’t go wrong really.

Merewether Ocean Baths

WHERE: Henderson Parade, Merewether NSW 2291

Much to our delight, the iconic Merewether Ocean Baths have been recently revamped and now provide an unconventional but awesome alternative to the classic beach family portrait. In particular, the diving blocks, the walkways and railings along-side the baths and even the nearby surf house are our highlights. If you fancy some more natural or interactive shots, only a short stroll away are some beautiful rockpools and sandy beach areas.

Valentine

WHERE: Green Point Foreshore Reserve, Valentine NSW 2280

Lake Macquarie in general has a number of fabulous areas for family portraits however we love Valentine! The Park at Green Point Foreshore Reserve has such lovely lake views and an incredible fig tree. There are numerous long winding pathways through the trees and bushland. Closer to the water the overturned boats and jetty give great perspective to our shots. Simple, but lovely in the right light.

If you want a fun, natural, creative photographer in the Newcastle, Maitland and Hunter Valley area, give Michelle-Leigh a call today!

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Cold Snap Brings Snow To NSW

16/07/2015 By All Mum Said 6 Comments

The cold snap that hit New South Wales saw the onset of freezing weather, icy roads and snow in areas including Barrington Tops, Bombala, Orange, Tenterfield and Walcha. Having never seen, felt or experienced the beauty of snow before Mr C made sure we were not going to miss out.

Barrington Tops Snow

The alarms went off at an unpleasant 4am and saw everyone rugged up and piled into the car. The journey from our part of the Hunter Valley to the Barrington Tops took approx. two and a half hours. Before we had even hit the mountain, we could see snow covering the grass, trees and rocks.

While I begrudgingly got my arse out of bed at that ridiculous hour of the morning, once we saw the snow it was so worth it! If we had left it much later we would not have been able to enjoy the day as the road conditions deteriorated quickly and the gates get closed.

We made our way up the slippery Barrington Tops nice and early. This is where we were greeted by overly excited and keen campers who had stayed the night in hopes to catch the first glimpse of snow for the season. It was absolutely beautiful!

With frozen noses, toes and fingers, we all embraced the white fluff and took advantage of our surroundings by taking part in many snowball fights. We trekked around the area and took in the amazing scenery. An abundance of photos were taken so we could remember our first family snow adventure for years to come.

With more snow expected later this week, there will be crowds making their way up to see. For safety reasons it should only be accessed by four wheel drive vehicles. If you would like more information on the Barrington Tops, see the Barrington Tops National Park website. If you are interested in camping at the Barrington Tops make sure you print out my essentials camping checklist (<<<< can be found at the link) so you don’t forget anything!

What do you like to do in Winter? Have you been to the snow?

Share your snow and Winter stories in the comments below!