It can seem like an impossible task to come up with kids activities for school holidays during winter, but what better time to get out and enjoy nature as family by getting involved with NSW National Parks for an adventure like no other.
NSW National Parks offer much more than just pretty views and a great place for picnics, they offer a wonderland of school holiday adventure for kids of all ages, both young and old.
There are hundreds of National Parks in NSW, that encompass a huge range of diversity, from rugged outback, to succulent rainforests, to amazing ocean views watching whales play in the ocean. So here’s our guide to planning family activities for the school holidays.
School Holiday Programs in NSW National Parks.
What to do in National Parks over the School Holidays?
Camping
Bike Riding
Culture talks
Culture workshops
Ocean discovery workshops
Junior Ranger days
Guided Tours
Fishing
Whale Watching
Bird watching
Wilderquest tours and workshops
lots, lots more.
No matter where you are in Australia, it’s more than likely you’ll have a national park close by that has a range of activities on offer over the school holidays. For NSW residents, you’re now spoilt with the convenience of National Parks and Wildlife developing an amazing new website called Wild Wild World, which allows you to search for great activities available within NSW National Parks.
Activities that are listed on the Wild Wild World website are able to be sorted by region, specific parks, activity level, interests, and specific dates. Perfect if you’re wanting to plan a school holiday activity for the kids and want to make the most of any available activities that may be on offer over their time off school.
How to Plan School Holiday Activities in a NSW National Park?
2. Search for National Parks that are available in the region you’ll be travelling.
3. Narrow down by suitable activities for your family interests, ages and activity levels.
4. Be prepared for your travels – be sure to research any national parks passes you may require, as well as weather forecasts, availability of facilites and any other information you may need. If you’re going to be camping take a look at our guide to camping with kids
5. Remember not to bring pets to National Parks and leave the park the same way (or better) than it was when you arrived. This means taking any rubbish with you, not feeding native wildlife, and helping by picking up anything left behind by others.
6. Have a great time, enjoy the great outdoors and the wonderful country that we have.
Do you have a favourite NSW National Park? Or a favourite activity in National Parks? Let us know in the comments below.
Wondering what to do in Sydney with Kids this Easter? It’s a great time of year where there’s still some great weather left for the family to enjoy together and there’s stacks of activities including many free Sydney Activities for kids of all ages.
We’ve got a round up of just a few great things you can do with your kids these Easter school holidays, but they are some of our favourites. For further info on each, just click on the red title.
This event is always at the top of the Easter holidays wish list for kids. The Sydney Royal Easter Show has been a long standing tradition for generations and is guaranteed to be a busy day out for the entire family. Where: Sydney Showground, Sydney Olypmic Park. When: The 2012 show is on from April 5th to April 18th and gates open daily at 9:30am.
Pricing: Save up to 15% on Early Bird tickets on sale online now until 20th March 2012. –
– Adult Early Bird ShowLink ticket $33.40
– Child Early Bird ShowLink ticket $21.80
– Concession Early Bird ShowLink ticket $25.50
– Family Early Bird ShowLink ticket $101.00
To be honest, we hadn’t heard of this before but it sounds like a great day out for the family and is absolutel BUDGET FRIENDLY Sydney Kids Entertainment!! There are animals, rides, shows, stalls and more and it’s totally affordable!! Where: Moore Park, Sydney. When: April 5th to April 22nd with gates open 10am – 6pm Sun-Thur & 10am – 8pm Fri/Sat and Public Holidays. FREE ENTRY! Unlimited ride passes available from $30-$40
Roll up, Roll up!! For a wonderful long weekend of circus, side show and street theatre fun at Darling Harbour’s Hoopla Festival! With everything from acrobatics to fire breathing and lots of different shows and activities for all ages, it’s sure to be a great day out. The best part is that there’s lots of free entertainment to see, and plenty of low cost options for families on a budget. Where: Darling Harbour When: April 6th to 9th there’s a fireworks display at 8:30 Saturday April 7th Pricing: From Free events to paid events there’s a price range for all.
For a range of everything from bird watching to swimming lessons to BMX Racing Sydney Olympic Park provides a kids range of entertainment like nowhere else in Sydney during the School Holidays. With many free programs available, and a range of day events or even 3-4 day workshops there’s something here that will entertain even the most discerning child. Where: Sydney Olypmic Park, Homebush. When: April 6th to 23rd Pricing: Many free activities or things to do under $20 pricing is varied.
Sydney is a bustling city that is a great base for families who are wanting to get out and explore, with a great range of family day trips within easy reach. Finding your kids, things to do in Sydney is an easy task, with a range of activities both centred close to the city, and within nearby regions. Whether you live in Sydney or are just visiting, chances are that there’s an outing someone close to Sydney that will suit your tastes and budget. No matter what your family’s interests we’ll show you some great memory building moments that are unforgettable.
Family Activities in Sydney Region:
There’s a whole range of Sydney family activities available right on the doorstep of the City. Both free and paid activities ensure there’s a range for all age groups and budgets.
Luna Park: A true icon that provides hours of fun for the entire family
Powerhouse Museum: Hands on fun like no other venue. Science, education & learning combined into hours of fun for all ages.
Taronga Zoo: THe entire family can get up close to native and exotic animals and learn about them while being entertained by animal antics.
Sydney Aquarium: Over 650 species of marine life that is housed in around 1.5 million litres of water, this is an unforgettable day out.
Other great things to do include, visiting the Opera House, walking the Harbour Bridge, spending time at the Botanical Gardens, take in a flick at the Imax Theatre in Darling Harbour and just enjoy the surrounds.
Family Day Trips North of Sydney:
Sun, Surf & Sand on the Central Coast:
Chasing the sunshine is always a popular thing to do, and if exploring coastal areas, watching the kids play with the waves and become sand sculpting experts, then the Central Coast is just what you’re looking for. While Bondi Beach is still one of Australia’s most loved beaches, heading just up the coast will open an entirely new opportunity for sand and surf.
Where: The Central Coast – Avoca, Terrigal @ Forrester just to name a few.
How to Get There – Simply follow the F3/Pacific Highway North up the NSW Coast for approximately an hour and you’ll be set, ready to discover some new ocean wonders.
The Central Coast also offers great attractions such as the Australian Reptile Park, Australian Rainforest Sanctuary and Australian Walkabout Wildlife Park just to name a few.
Fun for all ages in the Hunter Region:
Just another half hour or heading North along the Pacific Highway is the stunning city of Newcastle. Offering a slower pace than Sydney with a range of activities from beaches to bushwalks, it’s easy to spend a day or a week in the region.
Where: Newcastle & The Hunter Region
How to Get There – Follow the F3/Pacific Highway North from Sydney to Newcastle for approximately an hour and a half.
Things to do: Beach Walks, safe swimming for kids in the Canoe Pool or Ocean Baths, Ride a Segway through the Hunter Wetlands Area, take a winery tour to teach the kids about wine production (mum and dad may enjoy the tasting experience too) and so much more!
So no matter the age of your children, your family interests or your budget, if you’re wanting to explore and discover great things to do with kids around the Sydney Region then you simply can’t go wrong by staying in the city or venturing to nearby regions.
It had been a while since we’d been to a Rodeo, when Matt was actually riding bulls we’d go all the time. This is Kendall Rodeo in NSW, it was a nice day out, and included all the favourites, barrel racing, novice bullride (the kids version of this is so cute.. look at the little guy in the last photo! As well as Bareback Bronc and Saddle Bronc, not to mention the Open Bull Riding! It was a sweltering hot day, but being behind the camera helped take my mind off it, hope you enjoy the photos…..
This post is part of Aussie Wordless Wednesday over at My Little Drummer Boys be sure to head over there to discover some more great blogs and photographs.
There are many words that can be used to describe Australia, and personally I think one of the most important words is “fun”! So it’s no surpise that tucked away in a small regional town in NSW is a fun day that has traditions reaching back over 2 decades – The Beechwood Billycart Classic.
Beechwood is a small town located about a half an hour drive from the bustling tourist destination of Port Macquarie in NSW. Surrounded by farmland rich in history and amazing mountain ranges with pockets of gorgeous rainforests, Beechwood has a country charm and peaceful feel that allows you to breathe deep and take in the surrounding beauty. Boasting a country pub (that is popular for meals on a Friday night), post office and cute general store that’s been around since 1888 you get a feeling that life is good in these parts and escaping the fast pace of life in larger towns and cities is something that locals love. That, and as with most country towns, they know how to have fun.
What is the Beechwood Billycart Classic?
Dating back to the first Billycart Classic in 1980, this yearly event is a 5km billycart race in which the fastest carts reach up to 100km an hour. The track, which is a local country road which is closed off for the duration of the race, leads racers down Mount Pappinbarra, and encompasses twists and turns that are sure to get the heart pumping. The event takes place in October or November each year (website details can be found below)
This event is unique, because due to the nature of the course, not only does it contain fast, windy road, but it also contains dips and flats which means that each billycart must be occupied by not only a driver, but also a “pusher” to assist the cart along to have any chance at completing the course of obtaining the fastest times to win.
For even more fun, there is a kids course which sees teams of children with their own special child length course down the main street of Beechwood. Much shorter, but still as much fun, there is much enthusiasm from both driver and pusher as they cross the line. (One team didn’t have any brakes this year and the poor kids were a bit shocked as they took off past the barrier, but all ended well with them zooming past parked cars and around the corner, stopping safely).
The course finishes in the centre of Beechwood amongst a street lined with onlookers, right out the front of the local pub where you’ll be entertained by live music in the beer garden and cold refreshments on what is generally a hot day historically.
2011 was the 32nd Beechwood Billycart Classic.
Is it Good For Families?
We all know that kids (well, most kids) love billycarts and they truly do get a thrill out of seeing a range of cart styles from the most basic ones, sporting bicycle wheels, to elaborately engineered pro carts that look somewhat space age. There is horse riding, market stalls, a billy boiling competition, jumping castle and live music in the pub beer garden. This year there was even mower racing which was a fun event in it’s own right! Our kids especially enjoyed watching the kids race.
What is it Like Racing 5km’s Down a Country Mountain?
Why I’m so glad you asked. Country roads are notorious for being bumpy, plagued with potholes and an absolutely different experience to driving in cities or on highways, and this course is no different. Filled with character, this course tests the fitness of each “pusher” and the driving skill of each driver to see who can come up fastest when they roll across the finish line.
To check out photos of the event you can see my photo blog here: Billycart Racing Photos or there is a gallery at the end of this post.
You can find the details for each year’s race on the Beechwood Billycart Classic website you can also view the action as it happens from a camera mounted to one of the carts in 2010 in the video I’m posting below. Enjoy!
Beechwood Billycart Classic Photo Gallery
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The 2011 race results were as follows:
Pro Class – 1 What Tha Luke Cantrell and Paul Kucer; 2 Lowrider Mark Ennor and Phil Baker; 3 Dark Horse Robert Johnson and Stephen Johnson.
Open Class – 1 BDM Heavy Vehicles Ben Moylan and Shane Gresham; 2 The Love Cart Tom Sherd and Ashleigh Bird; 3 On Fire Barrie Phillpott and Matthew Phillpott.
4 Wheeler – 1 Pom To The Max Ian Wright and David Miante; 2 M’Bah Express Colin Louwen and Craig Louwen.
Ladies crew – Wii Not Fit Rhianon Rogers and Rachael Clarke.
Veteran crew – Dark Horse Robert Johnson and Stephen Johnson.
Youngest crew – The Love Cart Tom Sherd and Ashleigh Bird.
Most Novel Cart – The Carroll Brothers in This Space For Rent.
Best presented cart – Sandi Phillpott and Anne-Marie Campbell in The Breast Express.
Hard Luck Award – Lexus with Shaen Swaysland and Dan Cross at the controls.
Summary:
What: Beechwood Billycart Classic – Billycart racing adults & kids
Where: Beechwood NSW (Mid North Coast – Near Wauchope) – See Map Below
Cost: Free to attend, paid activities include horseriding, kids entertainment and market stalls. A food stall is available as well as the pub for food and drinks
Family Friendly?: Yes, a great day out for a different kind of fun.
If you’re looking for unique Australian experiences, then our Sunday will surely match that description… This past weekend we experienced something truly unique – The Beechwood Billycart Classic (click on that link to read the full story after you’ve looked through the photos)! I’ve got all the details up my sleeve to fill you in on the details and action, but for now, I’m joining in with the My Little Drummer Boys Aussie Wordless Wednesday to share some photos….. (and yes I know I included words!) 🙂
Can you spot the water pistol! 😉
Kids Billycart Racing - Beechwood Billycart Classic
This event is always at the top of the Easter holidays wish list for kids. The Sydney Royal Easter Show has been a long standing tradition for generations and is guaranteed to be a busy day out for the entire family. Where: Sydney Showground, Sydney Olypmic Park. When: The 2012 show is on from April 5th to April 18th and gates open daily at 9:30am.
To be honest, we hadn’t heard of this before but it sounds like a great day out for the family and is absolutel BUDGET FRIENDLY Sydney Kids Entertainment!! There are animals, rides, shows, stalls and more and it’s totally affordable!! Where: Moore Park, Sydney. When: April 5th to April 22nd with gates open 10am – 6pm Sun-Thur & 10am – 8pm Fri/Sat and Public Holidays. FREE ENTRY! Unlimited ride passes available from $30-$40
Roll up, Roll up!! For a wonderful long weekend of circus, side show and street theatre fun at Darling Harbour’s Hoopla Festival! With everything from acrobatics to fire breathing and lots of different shows and activities for all ages, it’s sure to be a great day out. The best part is that there’s lots of free entertainment to see, and plenty of low cost options for families on a budget. Where: Darling Harbour When: April 6th to 9th there’s a fireworks display at 8:30 Saturday April 7th Pricing: From Free events to paid events there’s a price range for all.
For a range of everything from bird watching to swimming lessons to BMX Racing Sydney Olympic Park provides a kids range of entertainment like nowhere else in Sydney during the School Holidays. With many free programs available, and a range of day events or even 3-4 day workshops there’s something here that will entertain even the most discerning child. Where: Sydney Olypmic Park, Homebush. When: April 6th to 23rd Pricing: Many free activities or things to do under $20 pricing is varied.
