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.

The Berry Patch ~ Chambers Flat

It's berry season! You gotta love a good strawberry, especially one picked straight from the patch. Tart, but sweet, juicy, large and utterly delicious!

We went Strawberry picking this past week with a few of our homeschool buddies.

We did well in our day of choice, a beautiful blue sky, perfect for some time down at the patch.

The Berry Patch is in easy reach, situated at Chambers Flat, so quite close to Logan central and those in the far north Gold Coast district.

Whilst the patch that the public has access to isn't overly massive there were more than enough berries for those of us that were there.

In fact the kids had filled their punnets within minutes.

They were eager to head off to the small store and cafe to grab a strawberry ice cream!

They certainly pack in a variety of lovely looking, relatively local gourmet food products.  We grabbed a bottle of honey to take home and try.

But we could've chosen anything from jams, to macaroons, juice or even soaps. And I'm sure there were several other little items that we didn't notice on the shelves too.

On the other side of the store a chilled cabinet holds a small range of dairy items, sandwiches and cold drinks. Coffee and hot drinks are also available for purchase.

All of our mouths were ajar after spotting the choc dipped strawberries. Seriously they must scour the patch for the biggest juiciest berries. These were absolutely ginormous.

But of course it was the strawberry ice cream that we had entered the store for. Ice cream is what is it all about. They use frozen strawberries mixed in with a vanilla ice cream, to produce these babies. They were a pretty decent size but at $5 a pop I would hope there were going to be large.

The kids loved them, for me I felt they didn't contain enough actual strawberries, so they didn't pack that real strawberry flavoured punch that I was hoping for. Maybe a couple of fresh strawberries on top or in the bottom of the cup would've been a nice added surprise!

Whilst you don't need a great deal of time here, there's nothing quite like eating fruit that you have picked yourself and I must say that they certainly were some of the tastiest strawberries we've had this season.

Check out The Berry Patch on facebook.

Toowoomba ~ Banskia Cottage

We recently took an extended weekend trip to Toowoomba, a lovely little but big Queensland country town just an hour and a half west of Brisbane.

Being winter I knew I wanted the whole winter experience, quaint little historical cottage, open fire and a gorgeous surrounding for us to spend a few days.

I have fond childhood memories from Toowoomba and really wanted my kids to love it too!

I totally hit the jackpot when I found Banskia Cottage on Stayz. This 1800's workers cottage has been beautifully restored and is obviously very much loved by it's owners.

Yes it is only small, but was more than adequate for our family of five to spend a few nights in.

They've even included a few board games and books to read at your leisure.

What I love most about properties where the owners let them and manage themselves is the abundance of added extras!

The kitchen had everything, absolutely everything we needed and more. Even down to supplies of cling wrap, the full gamut of kitchen utensils and pots and pans; with more than enough tea and coffee for everyone.

Those little extra touches really make a stay much more enjoyable.

The views of the garden from the kitchen window were just as lovely. Whilst this is only a small yard it is completely fenced, making it perfect for anyone with young children.

Banksia Cottage is also pet friendly and I really do mean pet friendly. They have pet bowls, walking leads all available for use.

Whilst there is no bath tub as such the bathroom space is generous and immaculately clean and tidy. The water was delightfully hot, just what you need after running around outside in the cold, although given the age of the plumbing the water pressure is a little light on.

A fully equipped laundry, with enough washing powder for a few loads supplied, sits adjacent to the family bathroom.

The cottage is only two bedrooms, but the owners were more than happy to supply a made up trundle for our youngest.

All of the beds were made with electric heaters. My worst nightmare are these things and whilst they all appeared to be brand new I do have to admit I didn't sleep well given the thought of one of them catching alight.

However, they were a welcome addition, without them we would've been rather chilly so I can certainly see why they have a place.

The only downside to this particular space was that of storage. Whilst there are several cupboards in the cottage and two in this room they were both locked. With three kids that made it very difficult to unpack and have their room stay in any sorted of organised fashion. At least a few shelves in here would really come in handy.

The main bedroom is situated at the front of the house, a small but lovely space to curl up under the covers. Yes there is a telly on the wall too!

I have to say I did fall in love with this delightful wardrobe. In fact I loved everything about this cottage. It's such a romantic, quaint little home. I could imagine myself living there sans kids of course ;-)

The kids were extremely intrigued by the, "what's this wooden box on the table?"

"Why it is a record player"

"Umm what's a record player?"

ROFL!! Let's just say that the night was spent giving the kids an education in all things music. We thumbed through the large basket of records, finding many we loved and playing some that we felt were simply awful just for the fun of it.

We sang, danced up a storm and just had some good old fashioned fun by the fire in front the record player.

Of course we spent most of our time out and about exploring Toowoomba and the surrounding areas but it was so lovely to come home to our little cottage at the end of each day.

You can see all the details for Banksia Cottage at their website.

The Paddock Bakery ~ Burleigh

So the hubs and I had a few hours sans kids this weekend.

What does one do when you are without kids and its lunch time?

Head out to eat of course!

We decided to take a drive down the coast to Burleigh and have a bite or two at The Paddock Bakery.

Situated just a street back from the Gold Coast Highway in a little old weatherboard home, amongst a myriad of various factories is the very popular Paddock Bakery.

So the line to order was literally out the door and all the glorious looking pastries and cakes were simply staring back at us, willing us to eat them.

Service was swift though and we had ordered in no time at all.

I figured since I knew I would definitely be having one of the tasty looking treats that I had better pay homage to my body and ordered this delish Detox Salad, as they called it.

A delightful, yet simple salad, filled with broccoli, cauliflower, parsley, carrots, seeds and cranberries, with slight drizzle in lemon juice and olive oil. I have to say that I can see this one being whipped up here in my thermy at home during the coming summer months.

I must say that the green cold pressed juice which they prepare on site was divine. So often cold pressed juices are full of bits blergh! But this was smooth, light and delectable.

Hubby chose a bacon and egg roll but before I thought to snap a shot he had almost devoured it, stating that it was pretty good!

Of course there is no visit to the Paddock without some bakery goodness. Hubby decided on a flat white and a piece of baked cheesecake.

The consistency of this was really lovely but overall the taste was somewhat bland. We both agreed that it needed way more in the way of the caramel sauce.

The bee sting was the first pastry to grab my eye as we entered and I watched them being sold one by one as we stood waiting in the line. Finally at our turn all that was left was this little baby.

It held so much promise, looked so delightfully good, but alas it did not deliver on that promise. I felt so let down I do have to say. The toasted almond top was scrummy but the cake was far too hard for me. Are they meant to be that way? Maybe! It felt like it was stale though and I simply didn't enjoy it.

Would I return to The Paddock?

Most definitely yes. The atmosphere was funky and casual and there are so many other things on the menu I would like to try.

Have you visited? I'd love to hear from you if you have.

Erth's Dinosaur Zoo

Just this past week I took the kids to see the pupperty of Erth's Dinosaur Zoo, here at our local Entertainment Centre.

I was well aware that it seemed to be aimed at the younger crowd but figured at $10 a ticket (we got a group rate as we went with friends) we would take our chances.

The entire show is only about one hour in length and included roughly five different types of dinosaurs. Being here in Australia we got the authentically Australian version with all dinosaurs being from our continent.

The puppetry is simply amazing and my iphone photo's don't these creations justice at all. Yes the average age of the audience was about five, but you know what this show is most definitely suitable for older kids, especially if they like dinosaurs.

The information shared is not dumbed down, but it is presented in a fun and light mannered way so the children don't even realise they are getting a lesson on Australian Dinosaurs.

The only comment our group of adults did make was that we'd love to see a slightly longer version, with more puppets, covering more Dinosaurs in greater detail but aimed at the older crowd.

I've just been browsing the Erth website, they have some very cool creations going on over there!

Solstice Viking Festival

Recently we took a leisurely couple of hours drive south to partake in an annual Viking Solstice Festival.

We watched them plan, prepare and practice for battle.



It's quite amazing to witness how serious they appear to take all of their re enacting. They were certainly very convincing.

A complete viking village was erected, where they all spent their weekend.

A simple $2 per person was requested on entry, considering the effort that was put in for this wonderful display it was such a meagre request.

Every single person, right down to the babies were dressed in authentic, well as close to authentic as they can get, attire.

Sleeping quarters are pretty comfy, although I wouldn't want to be spending a Nordic winter in there, that's for sure.

Everyone contributes to the running of the village and small tasks were completed throughout the day. Here young girls are grinding flour ready to be make into bread.

This is the main kitchen area, where the feast for the evening of the solstice was busily being prepared. Just out the front a large pig was cooking over the fire.

Here a resident Viking prepares the Yule Log. Each year on the eve of the solstice they carve a new yule log, that is filled with their hopes and dreams for the coming year. During the evening celebrations last year's Yule Log is burned, along with the thoughts of the past. No dwelling, always moving forward, looking ahead to a brighter future.

Everyone was extremely friendly, chatty and very knowledgeable. They were so encouraging of the kids, always handing them swords and a allowing them try on various bits and bobs.

The kids were very surprised to find out just how heavy the head wear is.



There was no way on earth he was leaving this village without his own piece of the viking world.

Ready for battle, friends in real life but in the Viking world, who knows!

The finale of the day was the grand battle. A well planned, much thought out and prepared battle ensued. With the very vocal crowd looking on.

Again I was extremely surprised to see how they all really 'get into' this, often taking a blow or two from their battle rounds. I bet they've all had their fair share of injuries.

This wasn't a huge event, we had seen everything in a couple of hours, but it was nice to just hang around in the village and watch everyone go about their business of being vikings.

Given that we studied vikings last year this was a nice recap and a great visual for many of the things we only saw in books. It is definitely worth a trip if you or your kids are into vikings in any way at all!

You can keep up with the Viking Village Festival and be notified of future events via their facebook page. Great work to all involved!