What do you do if you have hundreds of old fashioned, non politically correct taxonomic specimens? The Melbourne Museum has displayed them in room with white, clean, modern lines and is promoting an environmental message via computers that teach visitors about endangered species. The specimens are just part of their permanent exhibit “Wild. Amazing…
Confession time. I am not a crafty mum. The problem is craft is pretty much my four year old’s favorite activity. I have just stumbled on a product that will help me to engage my son’s creativity and curiosity through craft. It is also a product that is great for travel. When we travel we…
In 2009 my husband, seven month old son and I moved to Cairns in far north Queensland. Our arrival corresponded with the largest outbreak of dengue fever (a potentially fatal mosquito spread infection) the far north had ever seen. Dengue is not always present in Cairns and the authorities instituted emergency procedures in response to…
My beautiful baby brother Ben was married a week ago to his long-term sweetheart Natalie and his wedding drew our family back to my hometown of Melbourne. I spent two weeks ensconced in the familiarity of my parent’s home in the eastern suburbs however we stayed downtown the weekend of the wedding. This provided the…
When I am at home in Cairns I rely on a couple of parenting directories that keep me informed about what is on locally for families with children. I am a fan of social media so receiving their updates in my Facebook news feed is part of this. I have recently started referring to regional…
I don’t know about you but toy catalogues are receiving plenty of attention in our house at the moment. The object of Christmas desire for my four year old son is some sort of trash can plaything, a toy that has no discernible educational or material merit. Santa will most likely capitulate and grant this…
I am sure I am not the only parent that has been faced with this situation. Bub 2 recently turned two years old and now has his own seat – and seat belt on the plane. The problem is that seat belt latch is just too fascinating for a two year old. He refused to…
Yesterday I flew as a lone adult from Cairns to Sydney with my two sons, aged 2 and 4. I am not a single parent but I frequently fly alone with my boys. Flying as a lone parent with children requires organisation, and a major component of this organisation is making sure you have no…
Planning a trip to Sydney? Darling Harbour, in the Sydney CBD is bursting with activities for families to enjoy. We recently spent a week in Darling Harbour. Here is my own pick for the top ten things to do there with children (in no particular order). (1) The Australian National Maritime Museum This unique museum…
It is no surprise that the botanic gardens located in Cairns, a tropical city on the doorstep of the Wet Tropics Heritage site are particularly lovely. Comprising four distinct areas, the Cairns Botanic Gardens Precinct introduced our children to rare and lovely plants and a vast array of wildlife, particularly birdlife in the Centenary Lakes…