In 2005, my sister and I travelled to Rome and Vatican City and I remember us talking about how many nuns we were seeing. It should hardly be surprising that there were nuns about, but the sheer number of nuns definitely got our attention! Since our return, I don’t think I have seen many, or in fact, any nuns! Although, it has been 10 years, so I am sure I have seen one or two… but I digress.
Last Saturday, at Hamer Hall in Melbourne, they came in droves. Hundreds of nuns, and whilst they many not have been as authentic as those in Italy and Vatican City, they were still eye catching! Theatre attendees of all ages were dressed in costumes ranging from a Bishop to Baronesses, Nuns to lonely goatherds, Von Trapp children to brown paper packages tied up with string and anyone else you would expect as everyone excitedly entered Hamer Hall to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of The Sound of Music with A-Sing-A-Long-A.
Chelsea Plumley was a witty host whose humour and impressive vocal range set the tone for the show. For all those that had dressed up, this was their moment to shine as one by one everyone made their way on stage. After having a chat to Chelsea, they were judged by the “clap-o-meter” and the lucky ones won some prizes.
Chelsea encouraged us to follow the words and sing along and taught us how to use our goody bag prop packs that were filled with items to hold up or things to do during particular parts of the movie. She even taught us some dance moves for songs such as Do Re Mi.
In our bags we had cards for “How do you solve a problem like Maria?”, edelweiss for “Edelweiss”, a piece of curtain for “My favourite things”, invitations to wave at the ball and a party popper to let off at exactly the moment the Captain and Maria’s lips met.
Fortunately for Alegría, her Grannyma gave her her popper so she would have two to pop. Unfortuately for Alegría, she gave the second popper to me to hold. She had a little trouble popping hers, so as Grannyma was helping her, I got carried away in the moment and popped both mine and Alegría’s second one. Sorry baby girl!
There is no escaping the fact that the Sound of Music is a long film. 174 minutes. Just shy of 3 hours. Coupled with the hour of entertainment at the beginning of the show, it makes for a 4 hour experience. Alegría (who’s 5) made it, just. She loved the beginning, but got restless in the last hour (when they are trying to escape the Nazi’s – cue lots of questions!). Thank goodness we left Isaac at home, he would have been a nightmare!
I really enjoyed it. I could sing loud and proud and there is no denying that this type of event is right up my alley! More than just a film screening – I laughed, I discovered new things about the film (even though I have seen it countless times) and enjoyed the experience with my fellow Austrians, I mean, Australians!
Now, if you’ll excuse me… I have to go make play clothes out of the curtains for the children.
If you liked this post, you may like these as well:
Le Noir – The Dark Side of CirqueThe Wiggles and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Review
Please note all details quoted are correct at the time of publishing. All details are subject to change without notice and Kidding Around Australia takes no responsibility for information contained in this post. Please check the appropriate website to ensure that information is still correct and current.
ALL PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES ON THE KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA WEBSITE ARE THE EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF THE KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA AUTHORS. ALL IMAGES ARE SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT AND CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA.
Pack your winter woolies, it’s time for Wild Nights at Werribee Open Range Zoo and we have a family pass to give away to one of our lucky readers!
Throughout the school holidays from 27 June to 11 July Werribee Open Range Zoo will come to life after dark, with fire shows, marshmallow toasting, glow in the dark hula-hooping and a mysterious Secret Garden to explore.
TO ENTER FILL OUT YOUR DETAILS BELOW!
THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR ENTRIES.
GOOD LUCK!
Open to Victorian residents only. Entries close July 3, 2015 at 4.30pm AEST. Winners will be announced on this website shortly thereafter.
MORE INFORMATION
Rug up and tour the Zoo by torchlight, as you spot Hippos grazing on the beach and Wild Dogs, Cheetah and Lions on the prowl. You can also get close to some very special nocturnal natives including Squirrel Gliders, Fat-tailed Dunnarts and Eastern Barred Bandicoots.
Fire spinning performers will delight visitors of all ages with nightly fire shows and the kids will love the interactive Glow Zone which includes hula hooping and other glow in the dark circus fun.
Follow the tiki torches to discover the light-dappled Secret Garden or settle in at the campfire and enjoy a hot chocolate and free marshmallow toasting under the stars.
Warm winter fare will also be available in the cosy, Meerkat Bistro and indoor play space. Ranger Kids will provide another comfy spot for families to relax as the kids transform themselves into vets and rangers, caring for plush animals in the medic tent and testing out the wooden helicopter.
Rug up, pop on your gumboots and bring your torch for this very special adventure in the dark as you discover what goes bump, hoot and ROAR in the night!
For the ultimate Wild Nights experience, book in for a special Dusk Safari Bus Tour of the African savannah, spotting Rhinos, Zebra and antelope out on the grassy plains. An overnight stay at the Slumber Safari Camp (complete with luxury tents and electric blankets!) can also be booked in advance.
WHEN IS WILD NIGHTS?
Dates: Each night, 27 June – 11 July
Times: 5.30pm – 8.30pm (Entry closes 7pm)
Cost: Adults $35, Concession $28, Children 4 – 15 $7, Children under 4 FREE
We LOVE Hi-5 in the Kidding Around Australia house. As an infant (don’t judge, she RARELY slept) Alegría would watch the Hi-5 gang and I would get some peace! We watched them on TV, we bought the DVD’s and clothes, we went to the concerts … even Alegría’s second birthday was a Hi-5 themed party!
We are eagerly awaiting the Hi-5 presents House of Dreams Australian Tour this June and July school holidays from June 28 to July 15 when they visit Melbourne (and Sydney, Brisbane and Perth).
So, imagine the delight when Hi-5 sent Alegría and Isaac a merchandise pack! The pack included a bag, DVD (thank you for some peace Hi-5!), sticker, bath tablets, poster, hand shaped clapper (the children thank you Hi-5, the Mumma? Not so much!) and photo card.
Alegría and Isaac loved the pack so much that we asked our friends at Hi-5 if we could give three (3) away to our readers and they said yes!
To enter, simply fill in the form!
*If you can’t see the form, go to our website. Some email and mobile devices don’t support our software.
Open to Australian residents only. Entries close July 1, 2015 at 6pm. Winners will be announced on this website shortly thereafter.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE TOUR
The Hi-5 House of Dreams tour gives audiences an invitation to the most exciting “slumber party” ever! There’s not much sleeping but lots of singing and dancing and adventure when our favourite puppet Chats takes control of the Hi-5’s dreams and makes their dreams come true!
Using Chats’ Magic Dream Catcher audiences will travel through jungles, fairy grottos, underwater coral gardens, the Wild West, and even outer space!! This interactive and energetic show will have audiences totally immersed in the world of dreams.
Hi-5 House of Dreams is a whimsical trip into a fantasy adventure where you can catch your favourite Hi-5 songs – Underwater Discovery, Move your Body, It’s a Party and Living in a Rainbow and plenty of new songs with the Hi-5 gang – Stevie, Mary, Tanika, Ainsley and Dayen.
Source: Supplied
2015 National Tour Dates
Sydney – Big Top, Luna Park 28 June (Sunday)
Brisbane – Royal International Convention Centre 1 July (Wednesday)
Melbourne – Palais Theatre 4 July (Saturday)
Sydney – Concourse Theatre, Chatswood 7-8 July (Tues-Wed)
We were so excited to give away tickets to Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dreamand judging by the amount of entries we received, you were all as equally excited to win!
Three very lucky winners have been chosen to win four tickets (valued at $178) to Disney On Ice presents Dare To Dream in the July school holidays with one lucky winner also receiving a money can’t buy meet and greet experience and a merchandise pack!
We won’t make you wait any longer … drum roll please …
Congratulations Milla, Garry and Shannon! Could you please email Georgina at info@kiddingaroundaustralia.com to organise delivery of your tickets!
We hope you have a magical time and can’t wait to hear all about it!
For those of you who didn’t win (we’re sorry!) tickets are available from Ticketek: 132 849 or www.ticketek.com.au/disneyonice. Tickets start from just $29.50. Additional discounts apply on select performances. Credit card and transaction fees may also apply.
We loved your response to our Random Acts of Kid-ness in May when Joan and her family went to Silvers Circus! We are so glad that they had such a great time!
This month we have a double pass to Sing-A-Long-A Sound of Music on Saturday June 27 at Hamer Hall to give to one very lucky lady who just happens to love music, dancing and movies!
Ruth was nominated by her friend Sonya for our June Random Acts of Kid-ness!
Sonya says “Ruth has the most open heart of anyone I have met. She has supported me through some very hard times and made it possible for me to sell my house and start afresh. She is a true friend, someone who is there whether I want to laugh or cry, loves my children and helped me to find myself again.”
We can’t wait to hear all about Sing-A-Long-A Sound of Music and hope you both enjoy the show!
MORE INFORMATION
Sing-A-Long-A Sound of Music – A fun event that is a worldwide phenomenon!
2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the most successful movie musical of all time, The Sound of Music and we plan to celebrate with Frauleins and Friedrichs, Louisas and Liesels, Baronesses and Brigittas. it’s that time of year again, the time when Hamer Hall comes alive with everyone’s favourite sing-a-long, The Sound of Music… with the songs we have heard for fifty years!
See the classic movie on the big screen, re-mastered to its original cinematic glory. Admit it, you know the words – and if you don’t there are song-sub-titles so EVERYONE can sing a-long! Sing-A-Long –A Sound of Music is an audience participation event where host Chelsea Plumley leads a vocal warm-up, gives a guide to the use of the interactive fun pack and accompanying actions and (with a little help from the audience) judges the Costume Parade – a highlight of the night that separates the die-hards from the dabblers!
Thank you to everyone who entered our Sing-A-Long-A Sound of Music competition!
As you know, 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the most successful movie musical of all time, The Sound of Music, and they plan to celebrate at Hamer Hall with Frauleins and Friedrichs, Louisas and Liesels, Baronesses and Brigittas!
So, who is going to be singing songs we have heard for fifty years?
Congratulations! Please contact us, Ellie, to arrange delivery of your tickets. We hope you have a fantastic time!
If you would love to go, tickets are still available (although, there’s not many!):
If you were hoping that this post would be a “we saw The Wiggles with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and they were fantastic” sort of post then you are going to be sadly mistaken! Venturing out with a 2 year is not for the faint hearted and if you have ever regretted your decision to leave the house then this post is for you!
The day we went to The Wiggles concert my 2 year old took at least 2 years off my life!
It’s no secret that I get motion sickness, any type of movement sets me off. So, deciding to take the train into Melbourne may not have been the best option but it was certainly the easiest with the concert being at the Melbourne Town Hall. So, I piled the pram up and hopped on board. All the seats would have me facing backwards (not ideal) and after 30 seconds, I decided to find another carriage and sat down next to another Mum and her delightful 8 month old baby boy. Oliver kept my kids occupied (especially baby loving Alegría) and we settled in. Isaac lost interest quickly and wanted to explore. I was not feeling great. Not totally sick, but a bit off. It was on this journey that I was thankful I wasn’t travelling very far or that I wasn’t stuck on a plane. Alone. With my kids. Isaac wouldn’t sit still but we made it and I was only a little bit stressed! We walked up to the Town Hall from Southern Cross Station and joined the line – around the block – of people with prams. So. many. prams. So many people. I was stopped by a lady asking what was going on! Oh, you know, a Wiggles concert!
We dropped our pram off, went to the loo and then went in to find our seats.
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra with Wiggly Conductor
Cue MAJOR DRAMA #1.
I turned my back on the kids for the time it took to put my bag under my seat and Isaac disappeared. Gone. In a sea of kids his age. Hundreds of little kids and I couldn’t see mine. I grabbed Alegría and started looking. It was overwhelming and I had a moment standing there in front of the stage, looking out at all these people and kids, and thinking “I’m never going to see him again. I can’t find him”. Unfortunately for my kids, it seems that I am quick to give up! Luckily, I snapped out of it and sprung into action. I found a staff member but only got out “he is 2, has blonde curly hair and a … ” and I lost it. I couldn’t get the words ‘stripey top’ out because the lump in my throat was strangling me. Any parent who has ever lost their child knows how it feels.
I finally got my description out and continued my search. Some of the staff were helping but it was the “Mum Brigade” that came out in full force and helped me look. One mum took Alegría back to our seats and took care of her. She said “I could tell by your face that something was very wrong”. Others were running around shouting “Isaac”. One came outside with me onto Swanston Street and was searching. Panicked, I went back inside only to find a mum holding onto a little arm. “Is this him?” I look down to find a smiling little face looking up at me. Not scared. Not a bit fazed by his little adventure. Little turd. “YES! That’s him!” And I fell to my knees and hugged his happy self. She said, “This is the second kid I have found with a stripey top – the other one didn’t look like you so I let him go! This one matched the description so I wasn’t letting him go until I found you!” I never got to fully thank any of these wonderful women that stepped up and helped me find Isaac and take care of Alegría. If you are reading this … THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.
Flustered, we sat down and the show began. To rapturous applause The Wiggles came on and sang Rock-A-Bye Your Bear. Alegría and Isaac stood up and did all the actions. After the song finished, Isaac turned to me and said “Mumma, Home”.
YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME! I paid $120 for these tickets and you want to go home?
Isaac then spent the rest of the show running away, heading backstage to hang out with the ballerinas and rolling from one end of the stage to the other side through the all kids whose parents’ money had been much better spent.
The Wiggles and Dancers from the Australian Ballet Company
The stage had a curtain along the front which Isaac found led to a wonderfully dark world where the sound of singing and dancing above your head created an atmosphere of adventure as one was able to walk around all of the cables and scaffolds. Watching him disappear, I was up and out of my seat and crawling under the stage as the show was occurring above me. I met another mum retrieving her son from under there as well. “I’m so embarrassed”, she said. “I want to go home”, I replied. And we shared a knowing smile. It was true, I wanted to go home and I really didn’t care about the $120 anymore!
The Wiggles and their Wiggly Friends!
Alegría, on the other hand, loved the show! So, if you’re a number cruncher – it was really only $80 we wasted as her $40 was well spent! Emma, Lachy, Simon and Anthony were wonderful and the show was everything you would expect from a Wiggles concert. Dorothy, Henry, Wags and Captain Feathersword were all there and the dancers from the Australian Ballet School did a fantastic job! It seemed that everyone was excited about Emma and Lachy’s engagement and they were even given a handmade hobby horse to ride off into the sunset on! The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra were faultless and it was fantastic to introduce the kids Alegría to the joys of live music. The Melbourne Town Hall is truly a magnificent building and is open for tours (I highly recommend going and having a look!).
The Wiggles take their final bow
After The Wiggles had taken their bows, we joined the crowds as they made their way down the stairs to retrieve their prams.
Cue MAJOR DRAMA #2.
The stairs were chaotic and probably not the best place to be standing with hundreds of kids and, dare I say it, a few frazzled parents. We were all trying to wait patiently, and I was holding Isaac’s hand. Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I have no idea what happened. I wasn’t watching him. I can only assume he slipped off the stair. But, I looked down and he was taking that deep breath kids take before they scream the house down. True to form, he let out this scream that could make your ears bleed and I said to him “What’s wrong?” to which he replied “My arm”.
ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME? AND NO, I DIDN’T YANK AT IT!
It looked limp as he held it against his little body and I knew something was not right. The line moved quickly, possibly not quickly enough for the other parents listening to Isaac cry, but we got to the front of the queue and waited for our pram. I was holding Isaac and the bag so of course Alegría wanted me to carry her coat as well. Why do they do that? Anyway, the pram didn’t arrive so I grabbed a staff member, headed out the back and pointed it out. With Isaac strapped in by one arm, we were off.
Clearly not thinking straight, I headed into our private health fund to check if we have ambulance cover. Of course we do. I know that. I rang Tim and told him that something was wrong with Isaac’s arm and to keep his phone on him. Having ascertained that we have ambulance cover, I hopped on a tram to the Royal Children’s Hospital. Yes, you read that right. I hopped on the tram. Of course, it was not a direct tram and we had to change trams! The nice people of this world helped me on and off the tram with the pram. Alegría deserves a medal because she did not once complain of hunger or of anything else. Oh, except for the crying because we weren’t going home on the train. That little episode, however, was fixed quick smart by me threatening to cry in the middle of the tram. I wasn’t even kidding.
We arrived at the hospital and as luck would have it are seen almost immediately. I LOVE the Royal Children’s Hospital. It truly is the best. Our nurse examined Isaac, manipulated his arm and he screamed like someone was killing him. It took all my willpower not punch him in the face ask him to stop! Our nurse asked another nurse for a second opinion and she confirmed that his pulled elbow was now back in place. He had a dislocated elbow. Well, isn’t that just fantastic and it’s very common for under 5’s apparently. So now you know!
Tim arrived to take us home and as we all hoped in and he said, “Can you drive? My eyes are stinging. I’ve had a really big day!” I swear one of these days … I’ll give him stinging eyes!
Mine are still twitching.
Have you had a nightmare toddler experience? Share with me to make me feel better in the comments below!
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WaterMarc is a relatively new Multi Activity Regional Centre in Greensborough and is the largest aquatic and leisure facility in the northern region of Victoria. Banyule City Council invested $42 million in the centre and, whilst we haven’t experienced all that it has to offer, we LOVE the Aquatic area.
The Aquatic area included:
50 metre indoor pool which can be converted to 2 x 25m pools
Learn to swim pool
Leisure/toddler pool
Australia FIRST tantrum alley water slide
Huge water play space including a ‘zero depth’ play area
Warm water program pool
Spa, steam and sauna
Alegría was so excited to finally be over 107cm which means she can now go on the “big” water slide! There are two water slides – Tantrum Alley and Pipeline – Alegría now qualifies for the Pipeline! With much anticipation, Tim and Alegría got their wrist bands and headed off up the stairs. We all know by now that both of the children have no fear so she happily jumped on the tandem donut and giggled her way down the water slide. Her water slide appetite was insatiable and we’re sure she’d still be going down if Isaac didn’t need to have a nap!
Isaac loved the adventure playground and toddler pool. The pool is really warm and the perfect place to warm up after some time in the play area. For the two hours we were at WaterMarc, he didn’t stop moving and loved going down the little water slides in the play space. He did not, however, love the bucket pouring water all over his head – thanks Dadda! Alegría, on the other hand, heads straight for it as soon as the warning bell goes off!
Georgina Says
If possible, get there early and take one adult per child – especially with little ones. It’s really hard to keep an eye on two children as they head in different directions and you really need to be within arms reach! There is an onsite café for hungry tummies and a birthday party space which looked like fun.
If you are looking for somewhere to take the kids where they are guaranteed to have a great time and use up some energy then WaterMarc is right on the money!
Tim Says
If you are headed down the Great Ocean Road then stop by Leisurelink Waterpark in Grovedale, just outside of Geelong. Check it out HERE.
MORE INFORMATION
Location: 1 Flintoff St, Greensborough, Victoria, Australia
Phone: 03 9422 6111
Days and Times:
Learn to Swim/Leisure/Toddler Pools
Monday to Friday 8.30am – 9.30pm
Saturday & Sunday 8.30am – 7.30pm
Adventure Playground and Zero Depth
Monday to Friday 9.00am – 8.00pm
Saturday & Sunday 9.00am – 6.00pm
Water Slides
Monday to Friday 4.00pm – 8.00pm (7.00pm from Mon 4 May 2015)
Saturday & Sunday 9.00am – 6.00pm
School Holidays 9.00am – 6.00pm
Cost:
Casual Swim Fees — Standard without Waterslide
Adult* (16 years and over)
$7.00
Concession* (must provide relevant ID)
$5.60
Child* (4 – 15 years old)
$5.40
Child under 4 years
FREE
Family (2 adults, 2 children)
$21.50
Non Swimmer Adult Entry Fee
$3.00
Locker Hire – Photo ID required
$4.00
*Multi visit passes available, valid for 12 months from date of purchase and are non-refundable
Please note all details quoted are correct at the time of publishing. All details are subject to change without notice and Kidding Around Australia takes no responsibility for information contained in this post. Please check the appropriate website to ensure that information is still correct and current.
ALL PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES ON THE KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA WEBSITE ARE THE EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF THE KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA AUTHORS UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED. ALL IMAGES ARE SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT AND CANNOT BE USED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA.
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