The Otways ~ The Otway Treetop Walk

The Great Otway National Park has got to be one of the most stunning natural places to visit in Australia. We only had but a day to see as much of this spectacular area as we could. Let's just say that we will most definitely head back to that region of our world. It is purely magical.

Heading to Ballarat was a last minute decision. My husband had to head down for work for a few days and he suggested we all tag along. Normally I would say no, but this time I ignored all reason and said yes!

We did have a fabulous few days exploring Ballarat and in another spur of the moment decision, we decided that we could absolutely tackle The Otways and The Great Ocean Road in a little over a day. Some may call us mad and it certainly was a whirlwind visit but I am so very glad we made the decision we did.

We headed straight for the Otway Fly Treetop Adventures, this was kind of out of the way considering our very limited time frame but we made the mad dash anyway.

Unfortunately we just didn't have the time to undertake the fly. I'd have to say though that zip lining through this magnificent place would be awesome so if you are in the area be sure to allow plenty of time to fit that in.

We did however, have just enough time to fit in a wander through the Treetop Walk. They suggest this takes approximately 1 hour. You could most definitely do it in less time but it would be a rush and the pure tranquility of this place simply begs you to spend more time there.

After a brief dirt road stroll through the rainforest you arrive at the first section of the mighty steel structure. This thing is huge. In fact it is the longest and tallest of its kind in the world.

With a massive cantilever section that juts straight out into the forest canopy and a 45 metre spiral tower that truly takes your breath away; because by the time you are at the top you are so damn dizzy you can barely breath from walking around in circles! Hehehe, ok so it isn't really that bad but it is some set of stairs I will say that much.

The vegetation is simply stunning. I adore the way in which both the ground level and higher walkways have all been designed to allow you to be completely immersed in the vegetation without actually harming any of it.

Be sure to look up as you walk, there are some pretty spectacular views of the Treetop Walk structure.

Of course there is always one crazy in every family selfie. Isn't there?!

This gives you a good overview of the area, the walkways and the Treetop Walk itself. I know I've already said it but this is most definitely worth a visit.

Ballarat ~ Kryal Castle - Buildings & Grounds

On talking to others about Kryal Castle I have received many mixed reviews. We loved it! It is the first 'theme park' of this kind that we have visited.

Driving the Cobblestone Road into the castle.

This is the first time we have done anything as exciting as knights, castles & all things medieval, so for us this was one very cool place to visit.

Of course you simply cannot visit a castle without taking some snaps out front.

This was a Sunday, just after Christmas, the grounds cover quite  a large area so everyone can spread out but still, there was hardly anyone there and given the time of the year I expected it to be quite busy.

Every true castle needs a moat.

It seems that everyone visits Sovereign Hill and then not much else when in Ballarat. Truly there is so much to do in this little city.

The entrance way.

It is little wonder that treasures like Kryal Castle end up closing down all over the place because no one visits them.

Here you meander through the dragon's garden, reading stories, before entering the main area.

There is so much to see here. Every where you turn there is something new to look at, to touch.

The graveyard.

The one let down I must admit is the poor excuse of a cafe. This is very simple food, regular, unhealthy food and it is the only place to eat here. But you know what I forgave them for that because I understand the numbers coming through the gates probably don't warrant any other food outlets.

Shopping and Theatre

This is the quintessential medieval shopping strip and I can only see one person and he is a member of staff.

The herb garden runs along the back of the chapel.

The herb garden is delightful and buzzing with bees.

Playground with child eating dragons.

They have included a small modern playground which is a great stopping off point for anyone with younger children.

I really enjoyed the wandering the streets with all the quirky little buildings and structures.

Photo opportunities abound. I think I could've filled my camera simply with cool architecture snaps.

This is the main arena, before any of the shows have begun. The seating area is covered by shade cloth but it does get a little hot sitting out there.

Looking across to to the other side of the main arena.

Look at their grins, they are about to enter the Lolly Shop.

Yes it is wall to wall of lollies, but to be honest, nothing overly special or different in here, but of course a must do when you have kids in tow.

Inside the chapel. My guess is this is a popular spot for weddings and it would be delightful to be married inside this gorgeous little building.

I have taken far too many photo's to share in just one post so I am going to break Kryal Castle up into a few different posts, so stay tuned for part two.

Ballarat ~ Steak House

The Ballarat Steakhouse is definitely a gem of a find and a must visit for lovers of a superbly cooked steak.

On this particular day we had spent a large portion of it wondering the streets of nearby Sovereign Hill and so the kids and adults alike were all a little weary and shaggy looking. I had seen the steakhouse mentioned a few times in my travels so thought we should try and check it out.

Being a steakhouse as the name suggests we figured it would be pretty casual, so we chose not to book and simply rocked up straight from a day out. We were a little surprised to say the least, whilst the building itself is quite small and unobtrusive from the outside. Inside it is masquerading as a slightly upper end dining experience, no beer garden here that's for sure!

After a brief glance at each other hubby and I decided to go for it anyway, ignoring how shabbily presented we all were. Apart from the waitress that seated us and took our meal orders being sightly curt, we enjoyed our quick dining experience here.

Hands down I had the BEST steak I have ever had, it was sumptuous, melt in your mouth and cooked to perfection. I chose a prawn skewer and baked potato for sides. I must say a small salad would've been nice and had I known that I wouldn't receive any greens with my meal I probably would've ordered one.

There is a great deal more to their menu than steak, the kids all enjoyed a yummy, large Caesar salad and we all left with very full tummy's and satisfied taste buds. Thanks Ballarat Steak House!

In simple pleasures you will find life's treasures,
Kylie xx

Ballarat ~ Avenure of Honour

During my time spent researching Ballarat I was surprised to realise that they have quite a large memorial piece dedicated to honouring those that served in World War One.

No matter where we travel on our journey's I always ensure we at least try to visit places, icons, and structures that show the different aspects of the area we are in. Yes, of course we do the ever popular tourist haunts but I feel, especially for small towns that it is important that visitors recognise and pay homage to those smaller but no less important structures.

On the drive out to the Avenue of Honour and the Victory Arch we discussed why there is even a need for such a thing, how it came about and why it was important for us to visit there.

The Avenue of Honour, which extends for some 22 kilometres along Sturt Street, displays 3912 trees, honouring the lives of the men and women of the area.

The Arch of Victory does not represent any such victories, as the name implies. It is purely a memorial monument. It was certainly impressive and a tribute to the people of Ballarat, being the first avenue of its kind in Australia and the longest in the Southern Hemisphere. Well done Ballarat you should be very proud.

In simple pleasures you will find life's treasures,
Kylie xx

Ballarat Wildlife Park

Ballarat Wildlife Park is a small family run wildlife centre, opened in 1987 by Greg Parker. The park covers 37 acres and has about 400 animals on display, including free roaming kangaroos.

During my time researching Ballarat and all it has to offer I came across the wildlife park. Now, we've been to a few zoos in our time and so in all honesty I was considering simply skipping this one.

However, as I always do of late when researching places to visit and various travel options I jump on Trip Advisor, there I found several comments about the wildlife park, pretty much all of them recommending a visit there, for one reason or another.

So of course a visit to the park was added to our list of plans. In fact it was the first place in Ballarat we called on, after dropping our luggage off at the cabin in which we were staying.

As with everything in Ballarat it was a short, simple drive over to the wildlife park, we visited on a Saturday afternoon just after Christmas, so I'm guessing it would've been one of their busiest times. The park was open enough for the large groups of people to spread out, the only time we were really aware of people were at the animal presentations, where things did become a little crowded.

We love these majestic creatures.

We entered with perfect timing, the Koala presentation was about to begin and who can resist seeing and touching these guys up close.

This Burmese Python was simply stunning. On our second walk through the reptile house we found it with its mouth agape, it was ginormous.

The reptile house sits right alongside the Koala presentation area so we naturally made our way over there. In fact we visited the reptile house more than once. We loved that it housed creatures that none of us have seen up close before.

The exhibits were varied with a large number of reptiles on display many of them we had never seen in such close proximity before

Our 6 year old and this snake spent several minutes poking tongues at each other.

Each of the kids experienced their own personal encounter with at least one of the animals. I'm always in two minds about zoos and wildlife parks but the one positive is the way that animal encounters such as these leave an indelible mark on you.

This guy followed and seemed to play with our 10 year old as she moved her hands across the glass front enclosure.

There were only a handful of people there, yet another great encounter.

I think we had come back around for a third look inside the reptile house when we realised that the keeper had the enclosure open and was feeding these little gators.

It was quite a warm afternoon and we definitely felt the heat.

The park itself meanders down the side of a hill, with well laid paths, signage and fenced areas making it easy to wander around.

Time to introduce you to CRUNCH!

Crunch didn't move once whilst we were visiting. He simply sat and glared at all the passersby.

At 5metres long and 500kg this guy is one huge crocodile. It was difficult to get photo's of him as understandably he was tucked away behind his glass enclosure. Poor old Crunch was a bit of nuisance croc in far north Queensland and after a series of adventures he ended up here in his new home in late 2013.

The enclosure for these guys is huge.

The tank has a large low viewing area which would be an amazing spot to truly take in Crunch's size, here we got a good glimpse of his much smaller female counterpart.

There were several ducks and birds taking shelter under the shady trees.

As you meander down the concrete walkways, heading to the bottom of the hill you are greeted with a large lake area.

This little kookaburra was so used to people the kids could just about touch him.

The kids were quick to spot this guy, quite obviously not a park resident but my guess is he spends most of his time here, he was clearly at home and comfortable in this space and very used to strangers coming up quite close.

We enjoyed a cool ice block in the shade, whilst our Emu friends looked on.

Emus roam freely about the grounds.

Our 13 year old and this parrot were captivated by each other. The parrot flew to him no matter what end of the enclosure he stood at. Our guess is, he loved the red t-shirt.

The large bird enclosure housed a pair of stunning black cockatoo's but it was this little guy that stole our hearts.

A large gully flows straight through the centre of the park, it was quite dry there during our visit.

Our 10 year old could've spent hours here and probably would've liked to take a few of these guys home. She has mentioned a few times about becoming zoo keeper at some point and after leaving she was quite clear that she would like to work with the roo's.

By far the favourite stop was with the free roaming kangaroos. They spent most of their time lazing around in the shade of a tree as it was quite a warm afternoon. That was of course until someone came along with food.

Aww mum, he's so cute when he holds my hand.

It took our 6 year old a little while to warm up and have a go at feeding, he was somewhat concerned about being bitten and scratched. We eventually were able to persuade him that it was a relatively safe activity if he remembered that they were still wild animals and he needed to act appropriately. He instantly fell in love also, when this little guy held his hands each time he took food from him.

The park was well laid out and very easy to get around. There is a small cafe and gift shop at the entrance/exit of the park. We were actually surprised at the large number of international tourists here but later realised when we visited Sovereign Hill as to why. We were able to obtain a family pass to enter the park for $78.50. We had pretty much walked the entire park in just under 3 hours, but you could just as easily spend 4 or 5 hours here if you wanted to take in a number of keeper presentations. Visit the Ballarat Wildlife Park website to plan your trip. We were very glad to have included this in our stay at Ballarat.

In simple pleasures you will find life treasures,
Kylie xx