Oz Comic-Con

If you would like to do something today which will keep the kids busy and is guaranteed to provide you with lots of fun and people watching opportunities then the annual Oz Comic-Con convention at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre is just the thing!comic con5

Be warned though, there are so many people!! It’s a sensory explosion with colour, noise and crowds, so if that will be challenging for your child then perhaps give this one a miss!

Georgina Says … Get there early – the line to get your wristband is LOOOOONG!

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We dressed up as a family of Star Wars characters to join the spectacular Cosplayers and their amazing costumes.oz comicPayno dressed as Chewbacca was most definitely a hit and stole our thunder a little bit! It took him over an hour to walk from the front door to the back wall due to being stopped for hundreds (if not thousands) of photos. We were stopped as well, but not nearly as much! payno

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papThe effort put into costumes is impressive – our favourites were Mr. Fredricksen, Russell and Kevin from the Pixar movie “Up”, as well as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the “Robot”. comic con6oz comic con 1

For us, the peacefulness of the Family Activity Room was a welcome change. We left Payno to his fans and whilst I sat on a really comfy bean bag, the kids explored the play zone. There is an oversized chess game, connect four, colouring in and puzzles to keep the little ones entertained. comic con4

comic con 7.jpgFor those of you who like shopping, there are plenty of retail options. There are celebrity guests (which you could pay to get an autograph), workshops and Q&A panels. You can chill out and play a board or card game, play video games, laser tag and anime playing non-stop.oz comic concomic con3

Make sure that you have lots of change, as the lines for food are long and the food itself is very expensive. The vending machine seemed like a good choice but wouldn’t take notes so that left us with some hungry tummies. In hindsight, some sandwiches in the bag would have been a good idea!

Our first Oz Comic-Con experience was busy, and I would like to go out-of-costume so that we could explore completely. I am sure there is so much we missed!

I’ll finish this post, by saying we were on the Channel 9 news and also on the Daily Mail international website! A very exciting end of our day which I am sure we will be talking about it for years to come!3525A99300000578-0-image-a-7_1465639794466

MORE INFORMATION

www.ozcomiccon.com

Spotlight Cosplay Costumes for Oz Comic-Con

This post is sponsored by Spotlight Stores

If you follow us on Facebook or Instagram you will have seen that I am busy making my Rey costume for Oz Comic-Con.OCC2015-Logo (1) (1)

Oz Comic-Con celebrates all that is cool, awesome and nerdy where attendees can unleash their inner geek! There are celebrity guests, all of the latest merchandise, games in the gaming zone, cosplay costumes and heaps of fun for the kids!

As Cosplay newcomers, we decided to go with a Star Wars theme for our family and we were so happy that Payno was able to join us. Payno has the most amazing Chewbacca costume that he wore last Halloween (that’s Tim as the Shark!) and we wanted to match him for Oz Comic-Con!wookie halloween.jpg

Spotlight Stores were kind enough to support us in this endeavor and we have chosen three costume options that you could also try at home.Z01200_rounded

Firstly, for the children we purchased ready-made costumes. Alegría has chosen to go as Princess Leia and Isaac chose Kylo Ren. This option is by far the easiest, however, I did have to take Alegría’s dress up because it was too long.yaya and isaac comic con.jpg

For Tim’s costume, we modified existing clothing to make his Han Solo costume. I made some small changes to a top that I found at the op-shop and Tim will be wearing some awesome boots I found at the back of my dad’s wardrobe! I don’t think Tim was too thrilled about me adding “blood stripes” to the sides of his pants! Payno has made a utility belt and pistol that he is kindly lending to Tim and I got him a wig from Spotlight’s Sparty section! tim

My Rey costume was by far the most time consuming to make but it was also the most rewarding. Spotlight have a range of patterns, however, I made my own using newspaper. In hindsight, it would have been easier to buy the pattern! I am proud to say that I made the entire costume (except for my non-regulation Doc Martins … I know the die-hard Cosplayers won’t forgive me, but I wasn’t buying new boots for the day!).mumma.jpg

Spotlight will also be on hand at Oz Comic-Con in Melbourne to sell Cosplay fabrics and DIY costume supplies as well as offering tips, tricks and advice for getting your next costume started. They will also provide fans with a fix-it station to mend broken costumes and will be giving out store vouchers – hopefully I don’t have any wardrobe malfunctions!

I am putting together a DIY tutorial so you can make your own Rey costume soon – watch out for that next week!

So tell us, are you going to Oz Comic-Con? Are you going in costume? Please come up and say “Hi” if you see us!

More Information

www.spotlightstores.com.au

www.ozcomiccon.com


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.

 

Random Acts of Kid-Ness May 2016

We proudly launched our Random Acts of Kid-ness exactly a year ago with a Silvers Circus giveaway and are happy to announce that Silvers Circus is our May, 2016 anniversary sponsor!

Logo larger style Silvers Circus

Silvers Circus is a household name in Australia and after nearly three decades on the road maintains all the sparkle, glamour and death defying acts expected of Australia’s premier circus.

For all show details visit – www.silverscircus.com.au

Random Acts Of Kid-ness!

KIDDING AROUND AUSTRALIA’S RANDOM ACTS OF KID-NESS

This month, Silvers Circus has generously given us a family pass to their show in Ballarat as we were told about a family that would love to go!

Mathew, Sarah and Molly

In March 2016, Mathew was diagnosed with Stage 4 Glioblastomas – which is an aggressive form of brain cancer. Mathew has undergone 6 weeks of radiation and chemotherapy and is currently undertaking 6 months of chemotherapy.

Mathew, and the beautiful Sarah, are proud parents of a gorgeous little girl, Molly. Mathew is in his early 20’s and according to his uncle Dallas, Mathew is a “wonderful young man and father”.

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On Friday the 20th of May,  the Ballan, Greendale and Blackwood communities held a successful fundraiser for this “man with a heart of gold” at the Greendale Hotel to help pay for Mathew’s treatment and ongoing costs.

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The family have also set up a gofundme page where over $20,000 has been raised and any amount is gratefully received.mat

We wish Mathew and his family all the very best.

NOMINATE FOR OUR NEXT RANDOM ACTS OF KID-NESS NOW

If you would like to nominate yourself, or someone you know, for a Random Acts of Kid-ness please fill out the form located HERE.

We take your privacy seriously and will only disclose information you approve.

 

Celebrating Mother’s Day with Holden Australia

Last Friday, I was invited to a pre-Mother’s Day function at Oakridge Wines in the Yarra Valley with Holden Australia and a select group of Melbourne Bloggers.Oakridge.jpg

We met at Holden HQ in Port Melbourne to pick up our vehicles and learn more about Holden’s important safety features, such as the new Isofix car seat system. The cars available for test-drive were the Cascada, Captiva, Trax, and Insignia and as we are in the market for a 7-seater I chose to take the Captiva for a spin.Holden Captiva at Oakridge Winery.jpg
We were all welcome to bring our children along, but as Alegría was at school, I opted for a peaceful drive and stress free lunch so Isaac stayed with our friend Payno. Thank you, Payno!Oakridge Winery 1

I drove out to the Yarra Valley with Christie from Kids Business (who worked with Holden to organise this fantastic day). The Captiva is equipped with the MyLink entertainment system with Apple CarPlay so Christie plugged in her IPhone (I’m an android user) and after figuring out the handbrake (don’t judge … it’s so easy, I found it tricky! For the record, it is a simple push/pull button!) we were off.

The car itself was easy to drive and has features such as a touch screen, reverse camera, USB connectivity and blind spot alert. My favourite feature was the keyless entry and ignition. You simply leave your keys in your handbag, touch the button on the door handle and turn the knob next to the steering wheel and you’re away. Perfect for when you have your hands full!

The weather was amazing – on a day surrounded by rainy days, we were blessed with sunshine. wine barrels.jpg

Once we arrived, we settled into a barrel room and had a pickling class with celebrity chef Matt Stone. Matt taught us how to make homemade vegan kimchi. Kimchi is a traditional Korean side dish made of fermented vegetables with a variety of seasonings. There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi, however, ours was made with fermented chilli paste, wombok cabbage, carrot, ginger, garlic, spring onion and pink lake salt (which is harvested by Mount Zero Olives and traditional land owners, the Barengi Gadjin Land Council, from a crater-like pink salt lake near the Grampians in Victoria). After getting our hands messy making the kimchi we all filled a jar so we could take home some of this goodness – I can’t wait to try it.Kimchi with Matt Stone

I’m sorry I can’t post the recipe here for you to enjoy, however, Matt has a cookbook coming out later in the year which will feature the recipe. Put it on your Christmas list!

After the masterclass, we went into the main building to a private dining room set up with beautiful flowers, a view of the Holden range and vineyards that went on forever. Those children who did attend were spoilt with a special guest appearance from Cinderella who made balloon animals and flowers, painted faces and played games. I did feel a little guilty for not taking Alegría and Isaac. Just a little.Holden at Oakridge

The food, as you would expect, was yummy. I could eat the entrée antipasto platter everyday and be a happy, happy lady! As we bid everyone goodbye, we were give a beautiful bunch of flowers and gift bag with a bottle of Oakridge chardonnay. What a special day it was.Entree at Oakridge

On the drive back, I joined Olivia from House of White and Tara from Branche and No Cake for Breakfast. They are both such nice people, but I made the error of sitting in the back and got terribly carsick. The lovely Tara swapped with me but the damage was done – it was all I could do to not spew in front of my new friends!!! Thankfully, I held it together but it was a long trip home!! Sorry that I wasn’t my chatty self ladies!

Kidding Around Australia will be working with Holden again in the future – we will be taking one of their vehicles on a road trip and we can’t wait to share that with you!

Thank you Holden for inviting me – I had a fantastic day!

MORE INFORMATION

www.holden.com.au


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.

Bravecto®’s “Aussie Smart Dog Search” Competition – Do you have Australia’s Top Dog?

This post is sponsored by Bravecto

You all know that we love Duke and that he is a much loved member of our family! We also know that you think that your pooch is “paw-fect” as well! So, we have partnered with revolutionary paralysis tick and flea treatment brand, Bravecto®, and Dr Katrina Warren, to search for Australia’s smart dogs and give you a chance to win the perfect prize pack for your dog!

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Bravecto® is the first and only oral chew to deliver extended protection for three months against fleas and four months against paralysis ticks – all in a single chew. For a busy family who has so many things to think about – 4 doses per year versus 12 or more doses per year equals a no-brainer. If you want to read more about Bravecto® or see Duke demonstrating how easy it is to administer, click HERE!

When we heard the competition was for Australia’s smart dogs, we said “We love Duke, but bless his heart, he is not the smartest dog in the pack!” Luckily, this is not what this competition is about! They are not just looking for dogs who can do tricks or that are cute – they are looking for truly special dogs! Dogs that change your world.

Duke KAA5

So, tell us all about your top dog. What does it mean to have them as part of your family? How do they spread joy? Why do you love them?

To enter, put your best paw forward and upload a photo or video on our Facebook post or tag @kiddingaroundaustralia and #kiddingaroundaustralia on Instagram and we will give away a years supply of Bravecto® (four packs valued at $240) to our FIVE favourite doggies!

MORE INFORMATION

www.bravecto.com.au  www.facebook.com/Bravecto-AU  www.instagram.com/bravectoau

Terms & Conditions
1. Entry is open to Australian residents only who are aged 18 years and over and only one entry per household is permitted.
2. Entries open on 5/5/2016 and close at 11:59pm AEST on 15/5/2016.
3. This competition is a game of skill and chance plays no part in determining the winners.
4. To enter the competition, entrants must fill in all fields of the form above.
5. Five winners will be selected and receive a years supply of Bravecto (4 packs) valued at up to $250 (depending on the weight of the dog).
6. The judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
7. The winner will be drawn within 48hrs of the closing date and the winning entry will be announced on this website. The prize will be posted to the address supplied at the time of entry.  The promoter will not be held responsible if the address supplied is incorrect.
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Kidding Around Essentials … Smash “Love Mum” Collection

COSMETIC BAGS

The Smash Cosmetic Bag is an essential for any busy Mum on the go! It is the perfect size to fit into your handbag and has just enough space for the products you require throughout the day (it would be too small to travel with, but perfect for day to day use!) and is easily accessible with a wide opening.

Price $10gym bag

GYM BAG

The Smash ‘Love Mum’ Gym Bag is perfect for active Mums. I love the inspirational gold print on the front! The bag features a zippered side pocket (to keep your keys and phone secure), twin compartments with a water resistant internal divider (helps separate and organise your clean and dirty gear) and a drawstring closure for easy access which can also be used as backpack straps.

Price $15umbrella

SHOPPING BAG AND UMBRELLA GIFT SET

This is in high rotation at our house! The shopping bag is perfect for the environmentally conscious Mum that shops in the rain, hail or shine!

The Gift Set features an Umbrella (which even though it blew inside out on the St Kilda pier still works a treat!) and a reusable shopping bag which folds up into a small pouch, it even has a handy detachable clip so that you can hook it onto your handbag or pram so it is never forgotten.

Price $12lunch baag

LADIES LUNCH BAGS

As I said, we have been using Smash lunch bags for a while – Tim takes his to work every day and now there is a pretty pink one for me! The Smash Love Mum Lunch Bags are available in two shapes, the Wayra and the Nyla, and are light weight but highly durable, easily accessible and boast original Australian created designs.

Best of all both Lunch Bags feature Smash’s new Blue IQ Smart Lining, a new innovation in bag lining it is engineered to the highest International Food Standards, exclusive to Smash, and is perfect to keep food colder and fresher for longer!

Price – $12-$15

Overall, these are great value gifts for the mum in your life!

Smash’s Love Mum Collection is available exclusively at Coles from April 25th, 2016.

For more information please visit:
www.smashenterprises.com.au
www.coles.com.au

Competition Time! Scooby-Doo! Live Level Up

Scooby-Doo-Live-Level-Up

Jeepers! Scooby-Doo is back in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra in a brand NEW live-on-stage adventure, Scooby-Doo Live Level Up, and to celebrate we’re giving away 4 tickets to ONE very lucky family (valued at $200) to see the show in Melbourne on July 9th, 2016!

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In this exciting new production, the Mystery Inc. Gang have taken up summer jobs in Crystal Cove – The Most Hauntedest Place on Earth. An all new technology shop, Killertech, has just opened and the manager is plotting to shut down the iconic and much loved retro games arcade next door.

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But the Gang’s plans for summer fall apart when they get trapped inside a virtual world of creepy gaming ghosts! Will Killertech succeed in their evil plan? Can Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, Velma, and Scooby-Doo unravel this digital mystery in time?

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SCOOBY-DOO LIVE! LEVEL UP is an interactive new live show featuring big musical numbers, stunning multi-media content and kooky characters that pay homage to classic video games. With perplexing puzzles, an abundance of Scooby Snacks, and the iconic Mystery Machine close by, it’s Scooby-Doo and friends at their best, solving mysteries wherever they go.

Want a chance to win those tickets to the MELBOURNE July 9 show I mentioned earlier? All you have to do is …

Make sure you LIKE Kidding Around Australia and Life Like Touring to keep up-to-date with the tour.

To enter:

COMMENT on this post (or on our Facebook page) and tell us “What is your favourite snack food”?

CLICK on this link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ce53a91b4/? and enter your Name, Email Address and Postcode! *T&C’s can be found on the entry page.

Remember to TAG your friends so they can enter as well! Good Luck!

Competition closes at 11.59pm May 1 2016. Competition winner will be announced on May 2.

MORE INFORMATION

Website: http://lifeliketouring.com/scooby-doo-live-level-up/


 

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.

Kidding Around with … ‘Giggle and Hoot & Friends’

GIGGLE AND HOOT & FRIENDS

Live on Stage

APRIL – MAY 2016

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Guess what Owl Pals? Jimmy Giggle, Hoot and Hootabelle are setting off again on another giggle-icious live stage adventure, with their friends the Bananas in Pyjamas and at long last the Giggle-mobile will make its way through regional Victoria and New South Wales for the first time ever!

‘Giggle and Hoot & Friends’ is a 55-minute stage spectacular with everyone’s favourite songs, dancing and of course fun and laughter.

We caught up with Jimmy Giggle last year for his Christmas show and it was SO. MUCH. FUN! Seriously, we all had a great time and would recommend you see him live! If you want to read our interview with him – click here.

So, get your giggle-tastic selves ready because tickets for Giggle and Hoot & Friends are on sale now!

Of course, we have some tickets to give away so if you are in the South Morang, VIC area then keep an eye on our Facebook page! All the details will be there.

For complete tour and ticketing details, visit: www.livenation.com.au/artists/giggle-and-hoot-and-friends

Giggle & Hoot pic on set

Giggle and Hoot and Friends Tour Dates

WHITLAM THEATRE, REVESBY SUNDAY APRIL 17

EVAN THEATRE, PENRITH MONDAY APRIL 18

THE CUBE, WODONGA SATURDAY APRIL 23

RIVERLINKS, SHEPPARTON SUNDAY APRIL 24

WENDOUREE PERFORMING ARTS, BALLARAT TUESDAY APRIL 26

PLENTY RANGES ARTS CENTRE WEDNESDAY APRIL 27

WEST GIPPSLAND ARTS CENTRE, WARRAGUL THURSDAY APRIL 28

ULUMBURRA THEATRE, BENDIGO SATURDAY APRIL 30

CLOCKTOWER, MOONEE PONDS SUNDAY MAY 1

For complete tour and ticket information, visit: www.abc.net.au/abcevents & www.livenation.com.au

Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt and Family Picnic at the Werribee Park Mansion … The perfect place to go Kidding Around on Good Friday!

I remember as a child going to my Nanna and Grandpa’s house on Good Friday and watching the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal on TV. I loved it!

Now, I have children of my own (both of whom have had admissions to the Royal Children’s Hospital) the day has even more meaning.unnamed

The Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt and Family Picnic is Australia’s biggest Easter egg hunt and the statistics are pretty impressive! This year, 8000 tickets were sold to the event (it SELLS OUT every year!) and $119,439.40 was raised. That takes the total to well over $1 million in the past 16 years!

We were lucky enough to be invited to the Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt and Family Picnic at Werribee Park Mansion this year – which was perfectly timed for both children to be able to participate in the egg hunts!

Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt 2016 Werribee Park

Children aged between three and 12 are allocated a time to join an Easter egg hunt in their age group. All hunts were timed and colour coded so that everyone knows where they are supposed to be. This year Cadbury gave out over 500,000 Easter eggs, yes, that’s right – half a million eggs!

Isaac was a bit overwhelmed by his hunt (maybe it was the pressure of the Channel 7 live cross which had us ringing the Grandparents to tune in – yes, they saw his little face!) and after collecting about 10 eggs he decided it was time to go home! After a bit of encouragement, he got his bucket about half full (parents are not allowed to help collect the eggs) and this was topped up by the lovely volunteers who want all kids to get similar amounts!

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Despite this being Alegría’s first egg hunt, we must say that she is showing natural talent for the task! Her bucket was full to the brim (and so were her pockets – mental note, next year wear a skirt that can fit more than 3 eggs in each pocket!).
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Alegría’s Egg Hunting Tips

  • Practice at home beforehand, it’s competitive in a fun-everyone-is-nice kind of way! Mum’s and Dad’s cheering on your kids from the sidelines is encouraged.
  • You can collect 100+ eggs if you are quick so look out for areas on the grass that have a high density of eggs – go straight for that area!
  • Use both hands and pick up more than one egg per time before putting them in your bucket.
  • Hold onto your bucket between your knees, you don’t want it to knock over!
  • If its a hot day, bring something to store your eggs in – otherwise they will melt!
  • Arrive at your egg hunt early and have fun!
Free activities included Easter arts and craft as well as good old-fashioned lawn games such as egg and spoon, sack and three-legged races. There are also amusement rides that are $5 per ride or $25 for unlimited rides – make sure you get your arm band/s early as the line was long!
Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt 2Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt 2016 1
The main stage has many shows running throughout the day, however, there is so much to see and do that the kids didn’t stand still to watch for more than a couple of minutes!
Cadbury Easter Egg Hunt 2016 2

Georgina’s Tips

  • If you want to go next year, keep an eye on our website about a month before as tickets SELL OUT!
  • Bring cash with you as the raffle ticket sales, food and entertainment options operate on a cash only basis.
  • Get there early – families take marquees, picnic rugs, chairs, esky’s etc. and make a day of it! They even use little wagons to get all their gear in – so arrive early if you want a view of the stage (however, this is close to the amusement rides so if you want to avoid being pestered all day to go on them, my tip is to head up the back near the lawn games!)
  • Pack hats and sunscreen, there is not a lot of shade.
  • Take your own food and drinks (you can BYO alcohol if you want!).
  • Cadbury have Easter eggs on sale (and they are reasonably priced) but if you want a bargain then wait until about 3pm when they try and get rid of them all!

All proceeds from the day go directly to the Good Friday Appeal which benefits children and families at The Royal Children’s Hospital.

This is such a fun, family day out! Your family (and friends) will love it and you will be planning next year before you know it! Make sure that you ‘give that they may grow’ by making a donation to the Good Friday Appeal on the day as well.

good friday appeal
Image: Good Friday Appeal

 

MORE INFORMATION

When: Good Friday 9.30am – 3.00pm
Where: Werribee Mansion, K Road, Werribee, VIC, 3030

Cost: $15 per ticket. Children 2 and under are FREE. Rides cost $5 per person or unlimited rides for a $25.

Website: www.cadbury.com.au/About-Cadbury/Cadbury-Easter-Egg-Hunt.aspx

For more ways you can get involved with fundraising, please visit the Good Friday Appeal website.


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.