Top 5 destinations for cruising with your kids

Voyager of the Seas

Cruises aren’t just for honeymooners and retirees anymore. More cruise lines are creating very family friendly amenities to their ships, such as family suites and child-oriented activities. You can find last minute cruises here, but which destinations work best for families? Below are five of the top destinations for cruising with your kids.

1. Alaska

The wild state of Alaska still has that frontier feel that will expose your children to animals, nature, and the outdoors in the most exciting way possible. The ships will typically have nature experts on board who can provide fun and educational experiences for your children as they learn about the true wilderness. On shore activities will generally include hiking on glaciers, kayaking, and other ways to explore Alaska’s treasures up close.

2. Hawaii

If you prefer warmer climes, then Hawaii might be the natural choice for you family. The breadth and beauty of the nature you’ll all see while cruising around the Hawaiian islands is another terrific experience. Here, the type of flora and fauna will be completely different from the Alaskan cold, but not less impressive. The massive waterfalls and beaches provide a variety of physical outings, like surfing, swimming, and hiking, that kids will love.

3. United States

Most Cruise Ships have great Kids Activities

There are loads of cruising options around the United States. Whether you find a new way to see New England, follow in the footsteps of Mark Twain down the Mississippi, or soak up the sun in the Gulf Coast. You can keep an international flavor as well by finding a cruise deals that will also take the family along the coasts of Canada or Mexico, depending on where your U.S. starting point is.

4. Australia

Cruising around Australia is a great option and can provide both an outdoors and city experience. Having this range of variety of places to see and activities can be particularly helpful if your children (and perhaps your spouse) have varying interests. This way, everyone has something to get excited about. Visiting Australia by cruise ship will also give you a fascinating way to see the Great Barrier Reef, along with on-board experts.

5. Galapagos Islands

For the family that does want a deep wildlife experience and wants to visit foreign, exotic lands, then the Galapagos Islands may be the perfect fit. The cruise ships visiting this area tend to be smaller, which creates a more personal experience. The animals on the islands (with some of its creatures existing no where else in the world) have no fear of humans, which allows children a truly personal interaction with them. The ships will have naturist experts leading the educational activities. There is also generally a good range of leisure activities, such as snorkeling, diving, and glass bottom boating.

For more information visit – http://www.cruiseabout.com.au/

School holidays are fast approaching

Kids Welcome home page

At this time of year, parents all over Australia start to panic. In a few short weeks, their precious children will be in their full time care and the pressure of keeping them happy for up to two months can be daunting.

It’s not just about keeping them busy: Choosing holiday experiences that won’t break the bank can be a real challenge. Luckily, the Kids Welcome web directory has been launched just in time to come to the rescue.

This free resource includes over 2000 reviews of family-friendly activities, attractions, tours, places to eat, places to stay, events, beaches and even playgrounds. The reviews are written by parents, for parents and each is rated as suitable for three different age-groups: preschool, primary and teen.

Web directory creator Sarah Pye says this invaluable resource will take the hard work out of entertaining the kids.

“If you are planning to explore new parts of Australia together it helps you pick appropriate places to go, many of which are free and you wouldn’t find them in tourism brochures,” she says.

“Even if you don’t leave home,  the Kids Welcome directory is just as useful for banishing ‘I’m bored’ because there are guaranteed to be ideas for your local area too.

“Grandparents, aunts and uncles need not fear if the kids are coming to visit over Christmas!”

What makes this online resource different from Kids Welcome printed guidebooks is the ability for users to engage directly. By joining the site, which is free, they can make comments on the reviews and even upload images of their own family enjoying the activities.

Not only is it fun to see yourself on the website,” Sarah says.

“It’s also good to know your comments will help other families create memorable holidays!”

The Kids Welcome web directory was launched on November 11 at UnderWater World on the Sunshine Coast.  It was critically acclaimed by

Kids Welcome launch

Sunshine Coast Destination Limited and currently covers Queensland, NSW and the ACT.  Sarah and her chief expert, Amber (11) intend to hitch their camper trailer and explore Victoria over the summer to add even more content.

To celebrate the launch, you could win a week in your very own camper trailer from Camp Ezy on the Gold Coast. Simply go to competitions on www.kidswelcome.com.au.

Rocks Riverside Park, Seventeen Mile Rocks – review

Great for water play

We recently had a day at Rocks Riverside Park at Seventeen Mile Rocks, and it was one if the best parks we have been to in Brisbane. The kids had an absolute blast!

The park is a spread over an expansive area, the highlight for us was all of the shallow water areas for fun water play – most of the pools are very shallow, with fountains too and plenty of shade.

The park also has loads of bike tracks,  there are large grass areas to kick the footy, lots of BBQs,  sheltered areas and trees creating shade. For older kids the flying fox and climbing web are fantastic. 

Climbing Web

The facilities were good too including lots of drinking fountains and bins, 8 gas BBQ’s, sheltered picnic tables and 2 x toilet blocks (not the cleanest I’ve seen), take the travel potty for little kids.

Rocks Riverside Park is located at Counihan Rd, Seventeen Mile Rocks.

Rocks Riverside Park

Lego Workshops and Lego Birthday Partys for kids

Lego Education Centre

Last school holidays my eldest son did a Lego Workshop at the Lego Education Centre in South Brisbane (they are also in VIC) and it was great. He got to build huge lego masterpieces and challenge his lego building abilities!

I have just discovered that the Lego Education Centre does not only run school holiday programs but also has great things happening all year around.

Sunday Funday – Each Sunday the Centre runs a Sunday Funday where they encourage a child to bring a buddy, dad, or nanna/grandad for some serious building fun. Each Sunday they have a different theme, for example lego community, mad machines, space odyssey, fantasy fun.

Each session is 45 minutes long, they run at 11am, 12 noon and 1pm and are $5.00 per person. Suitable for kids 4+. Note at least 1 adult must be present per 3 children for these workshops.

Lego Birthday Party – The Centre also has a Lego Birthday Party Program where your child and their friends spend 1 hour creating lego masterpieces around a theme. Birthday Party themes include Wacky Wheels, Medieval Madness, Lego Grand Prix, Mad Raging Robots, and many more and parties can be catered for age groups – age 4-6, 7-9 and 10+.

The Birthday child also receives a free gift and all party guests receive a lego brick name badge to keep. The Centre creates a great party atmosphere with birthday candles on a lego brick! A minimum of 10 children is required at $12 per child.

Note the Lego Education Centres are not like the Legolands around the world that have more of a theme park feel. They are an educational centre that give children the opportunity to build some fantastic lego structures in a guided environment.

Currently there are two Lego Educations Centres, one on Merivale Street, South Brisbane, QLD and one on Hall Street, Moonee Ponds, VIC, visit the Lego Education Website for further information and bookings.

The Cottages Mount Tamborine – Review

Rosella Cottage at The Cottages

We recently spent a weekend ’kid free’ at Mount Tamborine, the term “it was just what we needed” doesn’t do the place justice. We had a fantastic and relaxing weekend there.

We have spent quite a few weekends exploring Mount Tamborine, what we love about it is, it is so close to Brisbane or the Gold Coast but you feel like you are miles away as it is so relaxing. It has a great community feel to it and the people really take the time to talk to you and make you feel welcome.

 

Where we stayed

We stayed for the first time at The Cottages which was fantastic. On their website The Cottages sells themselves by saying ’Escape to your own piece of paradise high above the Gold Coast on picturesque Tamborine Mountain. Leave the outside world at the entrance to our secluded cottages which are nestled in 10 acres of lush gardens, fruit orchards and rainforest.’

Kookaburra Cottage

This statement is spot on, it was so peaceful, there were acres of gardens to explore, we picked avocados from the trees, had breakfast on the balcony, had a log fire burning at night while we sipped a glass of local red wine and ate some of the amazing local brie, it was superb. 3 of the 4 cabins are perfect for couples and one cabin also has an extra bedroom so would be great to take the kids too.

We will be going back with the kids as they would love the amazing trees and rainforest to explore.

What we did

We always head over to Gallery Walk on a visit to Mount Tamborine, as I love exploring all of the great little shops, art galleries and more, especially without kids in tow! This visit we noticed there were a lot more new shops at Gallery Walk, lots of great new cafes and more of a modern feel creeping into Mount Tamborine, which is great. Some of our favourite places we visited:

Tamborine Mountain Distillery – this is the first time we have visited the Distillery and we loved it! The Distillery at Mount Tamborine is Australia’s most Internationally Awarded Distillery and Liquor brand with 127 awards and we could see why! We sampled quite a few of the schnapps and liqueurs and they were all divine. (thankfully we didn’t drive there!) My favourite was the wattle toffee!

At Gallery Walk one of our favourite new shops was the Honey Bee Pampered Skincare Shop. Their range of skin care all made from home grown bush honey and beeswax was amazing and all made locally at Mount Tamborine. I came away with Bees Nees pack which had a cleanser, toner and day cream and love using it. Best of all it is all natural and contains no harmful chemicals and fillers.

Witches Chase Cheese Company

We again visited the Witches Chase Cheese Company for a drink at the beer garden, dinner at Liquid Amber and of course a taste of their amazing cheeses.

Another place we visited for the first time was Clancys Irish Bar & Restaurant on Main Street. This place was great, it had such a cosy atmosphere and the food and service were fantastic!

Overall we would highly recommend a weekend away at Mount Tamborine, we enjoyed it so much we didn’t want to leave!

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Gold Coast theme parks with a toddler – Review

Sealion show at Seaworld

I usually jump at the chance of going away for the weekend and while my impending weekend to the Gold Coast was no exception, it did require a little bit more organisation than normal. That’s because I agreed to go away with a close friend of mine and her two and a half year old daughter, Phoebe.

My first ever weekend away with a tiny tot. Six week before our departure, my girlfriend and I were searching for ‘suitable’ accommodation. We scrolled through a number of websites advertising high rise apartment buildings with ocean views. After a short deliberation, we agreed on a holiday park, mainly for the safety factor (no dangerous balconies here) and family atmosphere.

Closer to our departure, we made further checks. Our accommodation didn’t take note of our request for a portable cot but a child’s car seat was definitely included with our rental car. We also pre paid for our theme park tickets, hoping to avoid long queues once we got there.

D day finally arrived. Everything was going smoothly until the dreaded announcement over the loud speaker confirmed our fears. Our plane was delayed. Oh no! How do you occupy a restless toddler? We played with the entire contents of Phoebe’s Dora the Explorer backpack. We read books. Phoebe even got new colouring books from nearby newsagency. We finally got the call to board and everything was ok again.

Dorothy the Dinosaur at Dreamworld

First stop Dreamworld! Phoebe was in great spirits and fearlessly went on all the rides suitable for her age. Wiggles World was a particular favourite. The Sumatra tigers were fascinating but not for long. And while Dorothy the Dinosaur is much-loved, the life size version was just too much to take in as Phoebe’s eyes filled with tears.

The tears didn’t last long though. We then spent a lazy Sunday checking our holiday park’s many facilities: there was a dip in the pool, a bounce on the giant pillow and lunch in the bistro. We also had time to visit a local beach, made some sand castles and watched local pooches splash about in the ocean.

Sesame Street show Seaworld

Our last day on the Gold Coast was spent visiting Sea World. We followed herds of parents and their prams from show to show: we saw seal detectives, Sesame Street characters dancing on a tropical island and leaping dolphins. Phoebe loved the colourful and dynamic Sesame Street show but kept losing interest in the others, no matter how much we liked them. She was grumpy and tired. It was an action packed weekend for a toddler.

Penguin Point Sea World

We arrived home tired but exhilarated. It was definitely a different weekend away to what I’m used to. Would I do it again? We’re already talking about the next one!

The above post is courtesy of Magda Biniaszewski, a freelance writer based in Sydney. She enjoys weekends away, with or without toddlers in tow.

Please visit the Haggus and Stookles E-store. We sell a terrific Travel Wallet and  some other high quality products for traveling with your children.

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Hamilton Island with Kids-Review

Hamilton Island with kids – Review

View from Balcony

We have just spent 5 nights at Hamilton Island in the Whitsunday Islands in the June/July holidays. It was an easy 2 hour direct flight from Brisbane

Overview

We went with our two kids, Oliver, 6 and Harry,4. It was a perfect and easy spot with little ones and for us. Even though it was winter, it was still warm enough to swim and play on the beach. There is a kids club, relaxation centre (massages etc), off island adventures etc – something for everyone. The kids ate free which was a bonus as well.

What to do

1. The island is very easy to get around to the main facilities – you can walk but there are also free shuttle buses that go around the island all day long. If you rent a house or other type of accommodation, it usually includes a buggy. We hired one for the day which was a hoot, the kids loved it. Hire charge is expensive for an hour (around $45) but for the 8 hours it’s $70.

2. There are 3 pools to choose from and one pool is heated which was warm enough for us to swim. The other pools were a little chilly for us but fine for the kids. There is a playground and free non motorized sports to choose from.

3. There are other things to do which involve a charge – mini golf, go-karts, massage/facial treatments, golf (on Dent Island) and numerous snorkelling, diving, Whitehaven Beach and glass bottom boat trips you can do from the Marina.

4. There is also a great kids club called Clownfish Club (charges apply), which caters for children 6 weeks-14 years. There is a three hour session in the morning and afternoon and a two hour session over lunch. The kids can go all day if you have booked a day trip off the island. There are various rooms for different age groups. Even though our kids were in different age groups, they let the older one go down in the younger room, which was great. This was possible due to them not being at full capacity. They were very accommodating and the kids loved it. Brad and l loved it too. We got to spend some quality time together by ourselves which was lovely.

5. We went had a massage at the Relaxation Centre which was relaxing. We also treated ourselves to a massage and facial at the exclusive Spa Qualia at Qualia Resort. This was a real first class experience. You will get looked after as soon as you make an appointment with them. The spa has opened it’s doors to outside guests so if you are not staying there, you can make an appointment and they pick you up in a buggy and drop you back. A full menu is available at http://www.qualia.com.au/luxury-spa-treaments.aspx. The resort itself is very exclusive, it has it’s own private beach, each villa is luxuriously appointed and all have a Wow factor. Cost per night is approx. $1500 to $3600 a night depending on the villa you choose. No children allowed so treat yourself for an anniversary or other special occasion.

Back to reality… Accommodation and Restaurants

View from Balcony

We stayed at the Whitsunday Holiday Apartments which is a 3.5 star one bedroom self contained apartment resort. We stayed here a few years ago and they have updated all the rooms since then and are well equipped. The one bedroom is huge and has a king size bed, a single devan bed and room enough for another mattress or travel cot. In the living room there are two divan beds. As mentioned, we brought one mattress from the living room into the bedroom and this worked well to have us all sleeping in one room, so Brad and I could enjoy tv and relax at night in the living room.

There are various restaurants on the island and most cater well for kids. If you feel like eating at home, there is a grocery shop, bakery and some takeaway places. Depending on the accommodation you book, kids eat free at participating restaurants on Hamilton Island. The kids choose from a hot box choice menu. This sometimes works well depending on your kids appetite.

Overall

We loved our holiday and would definitely go back.

What would we do differently next time… We would probably rent a house next time with a buggy.

Please visit Haggus and Stookles E-store. We sell Kids Bag and other high quality products for your kids there. Visit now,  you can find variety of products to choose from!

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Kids Welcome to Queensland – Family Travel Guide

Kids Welcome - Family Travel Guide

Travelling with kids can be a challenge at the best of times and, up until now, finding age appropriate activities, restaurants with healthy kid’s menus, and family-friendly accommodation in Australia has been a case of trial and error.

Kids Welcome to Queensland is a family travel guide that enables parents to choose appropriate experiences for their family without wasting valuable time.

The first in a state-by-state series, Queensland is broken into seven geographic areas. In each region, activities, attractions, tours, eating establishments, places to stay and events are identified that suit people travelling with children.

A unique ‘traffic light’ rating system indicates suitability in three different age groups – preschool, primary and teen.

There is no other guide focused on family travel and this book is destined to be a stable on the shelf of families. The A5 format fits in the glove box on a family road trip, or slides in a handbag. In a no-nonsense, conversational style, Kids Welcome to Queensland takes the guess work out of a family holiday.

Features:

  • Easy to read reviews of activities, attractions, tours and restaurants
  • Contact numbers and websites accompany each review
  • Full colour images
  • Traffic light rating system indicates suitability for preschool, primary and teen
  • HEMA maps
  • Checklist of family friendly accommodation and campsites
  • Playgrounds, beaches and events you won’t find easily online
  • Seven geographic sections from Brisbane to Cape York covering all of Queensland
  • Travel games, advice for travel

Available from Haggus and Stookles

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Culgoa Point Beach Resort Noosa – Review

Great waterfront resort

The Culgoa Point Beach Resort, located on Noosa Sound, is like going to an Island Resort, only 2 hours drive from Brisbane. Located right on the water of the Noosa River, this resort is made up of fantastic family apartments set on 3 1/2 acres of gardens, with its own marina and sandy beach.

There is loads to do here, so you can either just sit back and relax or get the kids moving! (or a combination of the 2!)

  • This resort is great for children of all ages – infants through to teenagers
  • All apartments overlook either the beach or the marina
  • The apartments are fitted out really well and are fully self contained with kitchen, lounge/living room, laundry and come with books, magazines and games.
  • There are bikes, fishing rods, canoes and kayaks to use at the resort
  • You can hire a boat from the Noosa River and berth it right near your unit
  • It has a large heated pool, heated children’s pool, tennis court, sauna and spa
  • It is in a great location, close to fantastic restaurants such as Ricky’s, near parks with childrens play areas, great shopping and a 10 minute walk or short ferry ride to the famous Hasting St
  • You can fish from your own private beach
  • There are lots of BBQ’s around the resort so as you can cook (the fish you caught!) while children are swimming, fishing etc
  • It is very reasonably priced with regular deals

Have a look at their website – http://www.culgoapoint.com.au/

All apartments are waterfront

Please visit the Haggus and Stookles E-Sore. We sell an adorable Kid’s Suitcase and some other high quality products for travelling with your kid’s.

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Mary Poppins Festival – for great family fun!

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Mary Poppins Festival – for great family fun!

Mary Poppins statue MaryboroughWe have just discovered this fantastic festival, the Mary Poppins Festival taking place from the 28th June – 4th July in Maryborough, Queensland. For all those parents out there who grew up with and loved Mary Poppins, here is your chance to share in the excitement and fun of her with your children. As Mary Poppins would say ‘Supercalifragilistic Family Fun!’

The author of Mary Poppins, Pamela Travers, was born in the Queensland city of Maryborough and each year they celebrate her by holding the world’s only Mary Poppins festival – a week long explosion of colour, art, culture and fun for everyone.

From what we hear it is loads of fun for all ages, with a lot of visitors getting dressed up to really get into the spirit of the event!

During the week activities on offer include:

  • An art festival and workshops
  • Library fun including a Mary Poppins tea party, umbrella decorating, cap decorating and a creative session on making ‘altered books’,
  • Mary Poppins market day on Thursday 1st July includes Mary Poppins characters, street theatre, children’s shows, music and giveaways. Market stalls include farm fresh produce, art, craft, fashion and gift stalls.
  • On this market day you can also discover Maryborough’s fascinating history on a free guided walking tour, ride the Mary Anne – a working replica of Queensland’s first steam engine and watch the firing of the historic time cannon at 1pm.

The highlight of the week however is the Mary Poppins Festival in the Park on  Sunday 4 July. This day is sure to offer a magical day of entertainment including the essential nanny races and chimney sweep challenge!

Things to do on festival day include:

  • Meet the Mary Poppins characters
  • Street theatre, brass bands, magicians and puppets
  • Pavement art and workshops
  • Nanny Races and and Chimney Sweep Challenge
  • Steam trains, penny farthings, vintage cars and bikes

And the most amazing part of this festival is it is all free!

Information:

  • Date – 28th June – 4th July (main festival day is Sunday 4th July)
  • Location – Maryborough, Queensland (3 hours drive from Brisbane)
  • Cost – this is a free event
  • Suitable for – all ages
  • More information – visit www.marypoppinsfestival.com.au

Please visit the Haggus and Stookles E-Store. We sell lovely Luggage Tags and some other high quality products for your kid’s luggages.

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For a great family getaway head to Main Beach, Gold Coast