Review

Brickman Experience – An Interactive Spectacular in LEGO® Bricks – A Review

| Kidding Around Australia

Exciting news, we have a new guest reporter for you all to meet! Griffin is 13 years old and has such a way with words that we just had to send him on assignment to the Brickman Experience at the Gold Coast Convention and Entertainment Centre. Griffin is a massive LEGO® fan so we knew he would have an amazing time!

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BRICKMAN EXPERIENCE – AN INTERACTIVE SPECTACULAR IN LEGO® BRICKS 

Written By Griffin

What a day I had! It was easy to find the secure parking, and at $10 for the entire day, that seemed like a bargain. When I first entered the Gold Coast Convention and Entertainment Centre, I could faintly hear “Everything Is Awesome”, from The LEGO® Movie in the distance.

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The Gold Coast Convention and Entertainment Centre is a huge place, but it’s well signed, with lifts and stairs to cater for everyone. I was exited to meet our guide for the day, Ryan McNaught, who is one of only 14 LEGO® Certified Professional’s in the world (and the only one in the Southern Hemisphere). Ryan created all the models featured in the exhibition using more than 5 million LEGO® bricks.

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As soon as I walked in, I saw a very large colourful mosaic of the Sydney Opera House (created by 1×1 pieces on a MASSIVE board), to the left of me was enormous brightly coloured model of a flower, a replica of the Roman Colosseum, a Ferrari, many portraits of the Bond film actors done in a mosaic style (look for the imposter), and the Sydney Opera House. There are oversize replicas of Emmet and Wyldstyle from the LEGO® Movie, where you can sit and have your photo taken with them, and so much more!

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In the next room, a large model of the fire and rescue helicopter called, ‘Elvis’. Ryan explained that the first time ‘Elvis’ was being shown to the public, several children broke into the closed shopping centre at night, and pushed the model off the table on which it sat! SO MUCH DESTRUCTION! But thankfully it has been fully rebuilt and is currently on display at the Brickman Experience.

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There were also models of a Space Shuttle, and an X-Wing fighter from Star Wars, as well as quite a few other models in this room. I won’t tell you all of them, you must go see it for yourself.

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There was also the opportunity to build in the Mosaic Masterpiece Zone, and there is a Master Builders Training area for those who get inspired by what they see around them.

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Ryan was a very nice guy. I asked him a few questions, and this is what he had to say:

How’d you get the job? Sheer Luck. LEGO® knew I had worked on the programming for the LEGO® Mindstorms robots for a while, and then they gave me the opportunity to build these awesome creations.

What inspires you to make the models? Everything, really! I can’t afford a Ferrari, so I built a model of one. I went to the Coliseum in Rome, so I was inspired to build one, and I really love Pirate Films like Pirates of the Caribbean, so that’s what inspired me to build the Pirate Ship.

What could others do to become a LEGO® sculpture maker? Make sure you are good at Maths. It’s all about Trigonometry, Algebra and Symmetry. There is LOTS of Maths involved in the designs!

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GRIFFIN’S TOP TIP

Be on the look-out for all of the hidden Minifigs in Green Spacesuits (Bennies), once you have counted them all and tell them what your favourite model was why, you will be in with a chance to win a Space Lego prize pack. Go to www.bit.ly/greenspacemen to enter!

There is also a popup shop that sells LEGO® kits, LEGO® Mindstorms robot kits, and Brickman Experience merchandise (t-shirts, hats, stickers etc). I give my t-shirt two thumbs up!

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When you get hungry or thirsty there is a Combi Café for you to get refreshments and a light meal (you can get a stamp to return to the Brickman Experience if you wish).

All in all, the Brickman Experience was excellent fun! It is a must do for all LEGO® fans these school holidays!

MORE INFORMATION

BRICKMAN EXPERIENCE – AN INTERACTIVE SPECTACULAR IN LEGO® BRICKS
Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre
24 June – 9 July 2017
Open daily. Booking is advisable.
Tickets on sale now from Ticketek bit.ly/BrickmanExp
#BrickmanExperience

NERF NITRO FLASHFURY CHAOS Review

| Kidding Around Australia

Ready, Aim, Fire!

It was excitement stations at our house when NERF, by Hasbro, sent Alegría and Isaac a NERF NITRO FLASHFURY CHAOS to put through its paces.

NERF NITRO is a combination of traditional NERF fun and squishy foam cars, allowing big and little kids to create awesome action stunts!
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The NERF NITRO series consists of: Flashfury Chaos, Longshot Smash, Throttleshot Blitz, Motofury Rapid Rally and a very handy 3 Pack Foam Car Refill.

Alegría and Isaac loved the unique multi-fire action of the NERF NITRO FLASHFURY CHAOS which launches three NERF NITRO cars in a flash! The load and trigger pull was easy to use and the accessories had them using their brains to think up clever stunts!

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The NERF NITRO FLASHFURY CHAOS comes with one blaster, one long-jump ramp, two pop-up targets, three NERF NITRO foam cars and six obstacles, is recommended for kids aged 5 years & up and retails for $49.99.

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MORE INFORMATION

The NERF NITRO range is available at Big W, Kmart, Toys R Us, Myer, Toy World & MR Toys Toy World and prices start at $9.99

Learn more at www.hasbro.com or NERF NITRO

Phillip Island – 3 Day Itinerary for Travelling Families

| Kidding Around Australia

We recently spent an amazing 3 days and 2 nights exploring Phillip Island (which is about 90 minutes from Melbourne and lies just off Australia’s southern coast), and it’s not hard to know why it’s such a popular holiday destination for nature loving families!

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To take the guess work out of your next holiday, here is our fun-filled 3 Day Phillip Island itinerary for travelling families.

DAY 1.

PANNY’S PHILLIP ISLAND CHOCOLATE FACTORY

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Once you have gone over the bridge from San Remo onto Phillip Island it won’t be long until you come across Panny’s Amazing World of Chocolate. It is a celebration of all things chocolate, with information about the chocolate making process, interactive machines to play with (and opportunities to win chocolates!), and the ability to make (and taste) your own chocolate creation.

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Once you’ve done all there is to do in this unique chocolate wonderland, you can explore Panny’s Chocolate Shop or head into Panny’s Chocolate Café for a chocolate inspired treat.

Alegría and Isaac are still talking about Panny’s and are dreaming of returning soon, and they are not the only ones! Panny’s chocolate is delicious!

MORE INFORMATION

Entry to Panny’s Cafe and Retail store is free of charge, however the Chocolate factory requires paid admission.

TICKET PRICES:

  • Adults $17.00
  • Children 4 -14 years $11.00
  • Children under 4 – Free
  • Family $50.00 (Family pricing is for 2 adults and 2 children)

Website: www.phillipislandchocolatefactory.com.au/

CHURCHILL ISLAND HERITAGE FARM

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After spending an hour or so at the Phillip Island Chocolate Factory, you should head to lunch at Churchill Island Heritage Farm. The food is varied and delicious – seriously good tasting food! Trust us! We really enjoyed sitting at the outside picnic table, watching the kids playing on the lawn and looking out over Western Port.

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The Churchill Island Heritage Farm allows you to become immersed in some of Victoria’s heritage, where you can enjoy a walking around the restored farmhouse and cottages, beautiful gardens, farm sheds and lawns.

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Each afternoon from 2 pm (and 1pm on weekends, school and public holidays – weather permitting) the Churchill Island Heritage Farm staff offer a variety of interactive farm activities for everyone to participate in. We had a ride behind the tractor, fed the cows, saw a sheep shearing demonstration, milked a cow, cracked a whip and watched a sheep dog work the herd. There is no need to worry about missing out on an activity – you just move from one to the other. We had such a fantastic time and cannot recommend this as a fun family activity highly enough.

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Before you leave, take a short coastline walk to the lookouts over Phillip Island and Western Port or alternatively, you could do this before you have your lunch and enter the farm.

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MORE INFORMATION

Entry onto Churchill Island is free of charge, however the Heritage Farm requires paid admission (and it’s cheap and really worth it!).

Daily farming activities:

1.00-1.45pm         wagon rides (weekends, school and public holidays only – weather permitting)
2.10pm                 cow milking
2.30pm                 sheep shearing
2.45pm                 whip cracking
3.05pm                 working dogs
3.20pm                 sheep shearing

TICKET PRICES

  • Adult (16 years+) – $12.80
  • Child (4-15 years) – $6.40
  • Family (2 adults and 2 children) – $32.00
  • Australian Pensioner (ID required) – $8.95

BUNDLE & SAVE – Check out the bundled ticket options to see some of Phillip Island Nature Parks other attractions, with guaranteed savings.

4 PARKS PASS – Churchill Island Heritage Farm, Antarctic Journey, Penguin Parade General Viewing, Koala Conservation Centre – prices start at just $58.00 per adult.

Website: www.penguins.org.au/attractions/churchill-island/

It’s now time to check into your accommodation before having some dinner! We stayed at the Phillip Island Apartments which we can highly recommend for your holiday. It is walking distance (a block) to the main street, supermarkets, delicious eateries and the Cowes foreshore. We will discuss your accommodation options at the end of this post!

DAY 2.

Koala Conservation Centre

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The Koala Conservation Centre opens at 10 am and is set on six hectares of Australian bush. To view the koalas, you can walk along two easily accessible tree top boardwalks to get up close and personal with the koalas. On the day we were there, there were 5 koalas close to the boardwalk so don’t go expecting heaps of koalas to be right there waiting for you! They are wild and free to move around as they wish!  

The Tree Top Koala Boardwalk is an easy 800m loop which takes about 20 minutes (you could walk through it in 5 minutes but you really want to stop and smell the eucalyptus!) and the Tree Top Woodland Boardwalk is an easy 600m loop that won’t take you longer than 20 minutes.

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Whilst your kids will love spotting the koalas and being on the lookout for wallabies, echidnas and native birds, ours really loved learning about the lives of koalas and other native animals through the interactive displays in the visitor centre.

MORE INFORMATION

TICKET PRICES:

  • Adult (16 years+) – $12.80
  • Child (4-15 years) – $6.40
  • Family (2 adults and 2 children) – $32.00
  • Australian Pensioner (ID required) – $8.95

BUNDLE & SAVE – Check out the bundled ticket options to see some of Phillip Island Nature Parks other attractions, with guaranteed savings.

4 PARKS PASS – Churchill Island Heritage Farm, Antarctic Journey, Penguin Parade General Viewing, Koala Conservation Centre – prices start at just $58.00 per adult. (Save $11.30)

Website: www.penguins.org.au/attractions/koala-conservation-centre/

THE ECOBOAT ADVENTURE TOUR

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The EcoBoat Adventure Tour operates all year round, with up to three departures per day over summer, in addition to other seasonal tours and MUST be booked in advance.

We went on a day where the conditions, they say, couldn’t really get any worse. The swell was higher than the boat and we even received a text message prior to departure to remind us to bring motion sickness medication or to call to re-book. We were on a tight time schedule, so we joined the tour as planned. As it turned out, the following day the conditions were ideal – you win some, you lose some!

The crew really know how to show their guests a good time – 1 hand in the air for a question, 2 hands means we are having fun! We loved the high speed boat ride along Phillip Island’s spectacular coastline, seeing the Nobbies sea-cave (which is visible only from the water), learning about the Cat Bay National Surfing Reserve and how it got it’s name, seeing the aerial acrobatics of the short-tailed shearwater birds before they take-off for a 16,000 kilometre migration journey to islands off the coast of Alaska and being bounced around as our captain Michael put the EcoBoat through its paces over the waves and took us through the aptly named “washing machine” before stopping at “Seal Rocks” one of Australia’s largest fur seal colonies.

This is where things started to unravel for the Mumma, who has decided that Tim and the kids will enjoy these activities without her from now on! The kids loved seeing the seals ducking in and out of the water and coming up close to the boat. It was really interesting to learn about Phillip Island Nature Parks environmental work in the area and how they bought back the land, removed the houses and have reinstated the area as a nature reserve.

The 90 minute tour (ours departed at 3 pm) finished with plenty of time for us to head to the Penguin Parade for dinner and to find our spot for the sunset penguin viewing.

MORE INFORMATION AND THINGS TO NOTE

  • Free WiFi on board
  • All participants must be at least 4 years of age.
  • All participants must be at least 100cm tall.
  • Passengers with back, neck, shoulder or heart conditions, those who are pregnant or who have injuries/conditions that may cause a risk to their health are advised to not do these tours, or do so at their own risk
  • Open waters and unpredictable sea conditions could cause physical injury, psychological stress or motion sickness.
  • Eligibility of passengers to participate in the tour is at the discretion of the Captain who has the right to refuse passage

TICKET PRICES:

  • Adult (16 years+) – $85.00
  • Child (4-15 years) – $65.00
  • Family (2 adults and 2 children) – $235.00
  • Australian Pensioner (ID required) – $85.00

To book, visit the Buy Tickets page or phone +61 3 5951 2800.

Website: www.penguins.org.au/attractions/ecoboat-tours

PENGUIN PARADE

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You can’t visit Phillip Island and not go and see the penguins! Tim and I both have vivid memories of visiting the area as kids and seeing the little penguins return to their burrows after a day out fishing!

At the Penguin Parade, there are interactive displays, documentaries being shown, an onsite cafe (where we had dinner) and a souvenir shop.

The penguins arrive at sunset and their approximate arrival time can be found on the www.penguins.org.au website or on the arrival calendar. They suggest that if you have general viewing, you should take your seat 1 hour prior to penguin arrival time and if you have underground viewing then you should find your spot 30 minutes prior to their arrival. This can be a long wait in the cold for kids so perhaps take it in turns to sit with the bags whilst taking the kids along the boardwalks as you will probably spot penguins just walking along!

We had underground viewing tickets, so we were sheltered from the weather and the number of people is restricted. If you are sitting in the grandstands on the beach MAKE SURE you pack warm, weatherproof jackets, gloves, beanies and take a blanket. It can be freezing. The souvenir shop sells them if you find yourself being cold!

In the underground viewing area, there was an interactive box that had all sorts of shells, bones, shark eggs, coral, seaweed etc that had descriptions and information on it. Alegría spent the time waiting for the penguins soaking in all the information and sharing it with other kids. The head ranger told me that every night there is always a child like Alegría that fully embraces the hands-on activity.

Before long, the penguins arrived and waddled their way up the beach and into the sand dunes. They are surprising fast considering they have such little legs and we loved seeing them! As we walked back up the boardwalk to go home, we passed many of them but you CANNOT take photos. Which, as hard as it was, we respected as it is a rule to protect the little penguins – you can download photos for your album HERE.

MORE INFORMATION: 

There are many ticket options – for more information please click HERE

General viewing prices:

  • Adult (16 years+) – $25.70
  • Child (4-15 years) – $12.80
  • Family (2 adults and 2 children) – $64.20
  • Australian Pensioner (ID required) – $17.95

BUNDLE & SAVE – Check out the bundled ticket options to see some of Phillip Island Nature Parks other attractions, with guaranteed savings.

4 PARKS PASS – Churchill Island Heritage Farm, Antarctic Journey, Penguin Parade General Viewing, Koala Conservation Centre – prices start at just $58.00 per adult. (Save $11.30)

Website: www.penguins.org.au/attractions/penguin-parade/

DAY 3.

ANTARCTIC JOURNEY

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The new ‘Antarctic Journey’ attraction at the Nobbies Centre is a fun, virtual journey to Antarctica – somewhere that has long been on our list of places to visit.

The kids loved the hands-on and interactive experiences – we got to feel the cold in the Antarctic Chill Zone and then compared a penguin’s thermal image to ours to see where we lose the most body heat. As we visited in the school holidays there were extra science activities to keep the kids entertained, learning and having fun!

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We all enjoyed walking through the exhibition, filled with floor to ceiling screens showcasing the stunning Antarctic landscape and wildlife. We then played with the state of the art augmented reality experience which allows you to “stand” on an iceberg and touch the penguins, seals and whales.

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MORE INFORMATION

TICKET PRICES:

  • Adult (16 years+) – $18.00
  • Child (4-15 years) – $9.00
  • Family (2 adults and 2 children) – $45.00
  • Australian Pensioner (ID required) – $12.60

Website: www.penguins.org.au/attractions/recreational-areas/the-nobbies

THE NOBBIES CENTRE

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Overlooking Bass Strait, the Nobbies Centre is home to Antarctic Journey as well as amazing clifftop boardwalks and views of the Nobbies and Seal Rocks. Apart from the Antarctic Journey, everything else at the Nobbies Centre is free to experience so you must definitely come and spend some time here!

We had lunch at the onsite cafe which was really delicious! Don’t worry about hungry tummies when you visit – you will find plenty to keep everyone happy and there is a gift shop and interpretive display on penguin conservation on Phillip Island there to pass the time whilst your meal is cooked.

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The area is a photographers paradise, with many vantage points from the boardwalks and lookout points. We enjoyed the views along Phillip Island’s south coast and seeing the blowhole, Nobbies and Seal Rocks but the highlight was seeing the Little Penguins (who are often seen here) resting near the boardwalk!

MORE INFORMATION

The Nobbies Centre closes approximately one hour before sunset each day to protect the native wildlife.

Summer: 10am – approx. 8pm (Opening at 2.00pm Christmas Day)
Autumn: 10am – approx. 5pm
Winter: 10am – approx. 4pm
Spring: 10am – approx. 6pm

* The Antarctic Journey attraction closes approximately 1 hour before the Nobbies Centre closing times and the Nobbies Cafe closes approximately 30 minutes before the above closing times, while the Gift Shop will remain open until the centre closes.

Website: www.visitphillipisland.com/listing/the-nobbies

CAPE WOOLAMAI

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Before we began our journey home, we stopped by Cape Woolamai for a play in the sand! This golden beach is a popular Phillip Island surfing spot, which is patrolled by Surf Life Savers during the summer. If you are feeling more adventurous, there are a variety of walking tracks across Cape Woolamai where you can experience the coastal scenery from Phillip Island’s highest point. For us, we had a great time playing in the shallows and building sandcastles. Just a word from the wise, they only have cold outdoor showers so getting sand off little bodies was hard and not overly successful.

Website: www.penguins.org.au/attractions/recreational-areas/cape-woolamai

OTHER ATTRACTIONS WORTH CONSIDERING

PHILLIP ISLAND GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT

Fancy a hot lap, driving the go karts, behind-the-scenes tour or checking out the history of motorsport? The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit has many options for you – age and height restrictions apply.

Website: http://www.phillipislandcircuit.com.au

A MAZE’N THINGS

A Maze’N Things is a whole world of optical illusions, mazes, thrilling rides, mini golf and puzzles that will entertain, intrigue and amuse adults and children for hours.

They also have a large and colourful café, specialty retail shop and outdoor facilities such as playgrounds, BBQ’s and picnic areas.

Website: www.amazenthings.com.au

WHERE TO STAY?

There are heaps of options … but this might help you out!

PHILLIP ISLAND APARTMENTS

Phillip Island Apartments

Our home away from home for two nights was the 4 star, self-rated Phillip Island Apartments which is located in the vibrant seaside town of Cowes. As I mentioned, it is just a short stroll from local shops, restaurants, beautiful beaches and within easy travelling distance of Phillip Island’s many attractions.

We stayed in a two bedroom apartment that included a full kitchen and laundry facilities, large living and dining area with a balcony overlooking the pool and BBQ area. The spa is heated (even during the colder months) and is big enough that it was a mini-pool for the kids to play in. They LOVED this and Isaac still asks to go back!

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The staff were friendly (a special shout out to Marguerite) and offered great advice on where to go and what to see.  I had a sneak peak in the 3 bedroom apartment and can say that it was equally as clean, spacious and well appointed.

Phillip Island Apartments feature:

Complimentary Wi-Fi
Complimentary Foxtel in all apartments
A complimentary off-street car park per apartment
Complimentary BBQ facility on site

Website: www.phillipislandapartments.net.au

Alternatively, you could check out:

BIG4 Phillip Island Caravan Park

Website: www.big4.com.au/caravan-parks/vic/phillip-island/philip-island-caravan-park

Ramada Resort Phillip Island

Website: www.wyndhamap.com/wps/wcm/connect/Wyndham/home/Resorts/Australia/VIC/phillipisland/Accommodation

Cowes Caravan Park – Family Parks

Website: www.familyparks.com.au/travel/cowes-caravan-park

Silverwater Resort, San Remo

Website: www.silverwaterresort.com.au

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would like to thank Phillip Island Nature Parks and Nicoleta for making it possible for us to have such an amazing experience. We cannot wait to come back again!

For more information or to book your amazing family holiday visit: www.penguins.org.au

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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.

Dreamworld – Top Tips for Under Six!

| Kidding Around Australia

KIDDING AROUND … DREAMWORLD

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If you are heading to the Gold Coast with your family, then visiting one of the theme parks will definitely be on your list of things to do! On our recent trip to Queensland, we had one free day so we had to choose wisely! We decided that Dreamworld was the best fit for a family with kids aged 6 and under but in all honesty, two days at Dreamworld would have been so much better! We just didn’t get to do everything and we really wanted to spend some time at WhiteWater World (which is now part of Dreamworld and included in the entry price)!

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Dreamworld is Australia’s largest theme park with over 40 rides and attractions that are categorised into different themed lands – each land has unique rides, food outlets, merchandise shops and some even have animal exhibits as part of the Dreamworld Wildlife Foundation (DWF).

6 TOP ATTRACTIONS FOR KIDS AGED 6 AND UNDER

MAIN STREET AND THE LEGO® STORE AT DREAMWORLDdreamworld main street.jpg

The Main Street is home to the imposing Dreamworld globe (complete with massive Dreamworld logo, countries and mountain ranges) which is perfect for your latest holiday momento! Staff are on hand to take a professional photo, but are more than happy to take one on your camera as well! The Main Street also features the Dreamworld Ice Cream Palour, Dreamworld Cinema, a central station for the Dreamworld Express (train) as well as food, beverage and retail outlets.

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The LEGO® Store at Dreamworld is located near the top of Main Street and open daily from 9am – 6pm (you can also access it without paying Dreamworld entrance fees from outside the park) and employs 20 ‘Brick Specialists’, has 10 life-size LEGO®models including Stormtroopers, a seven-foot-tall Incredible Hulk and several ‘Dreamworld-inspired’ models including a tiger, koala and didgeridoo. It features everything you have come to expect from a LEGO® Store such as the World-famous LEGO® ‘Pick a Brick’ wall, 2×3 metre LEGO® mosaic, LEGO® brick engraving and Make-Your-Own MinifigureTM stations.

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Corroboree is a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage, culture, wildlife and stories. We caught the Dreamworld Express and the kids absolutely loved visiting some of the 800 native and barnyard animals that are located in Corroboree (and also within the Dreamworld grounds). A top tip is to go here last as the kids just didn’t want to leave! The area is also home to a set of Ford Model T vintage cars which can be driven around a small circuit.

WIGGLES WORLDwiggles world dreamworld.jpg

Wiggles World is home to the Wiggle House and other Wiggles inspired rides. It is aimed at toddlers and young children and features gentle rides and attractions such as the Big Red Car Ride, Dorothy’s Rosy Tea Cup Ride and the Big Red Boat Ride. If you have a Wiggles Fan then go to the Big Red Car Ride first thing in the morning – the line can be excruciating and whilst there is Wiggles videos and songs playing on a loop and little games to distract the kids anything with wait times over an hour tends to test everyone’s patience.

ABC KIDS WORLDABC dreamworld.jpg

ABC Kids World is a children’s area that features children’s Australian TV series’ such as Giggle and Hoot, Play School, and Bananas in Pyjamas. The kids loved the Hop and Hoot ride where they went cloud bouncing up in the sky, giving the Banana’s a high 5 and getting lost in the Fun Maze. There is also a special soft play area for little, little kids where they can get out of the pram and crawl around for a while.

TIGER ISLANDTiger Island.jpg

Tiger Island opened in 1995 as one of only two interactive tiger exhibits in the world. As part of Dreamworld’s conservation work with DWF, their tigers are ambassadors for their cousins in the wild and we loved seeing them up close and learning all about Dreamworld’s work towards protecting the species!

DREAMWORKS EXPERIENCEDreamworks at Dreamworld.jpg

DreamWorks Experience is a section of the park designed specifically for primary-aged children and tweens. The area is split up into three areas (Madagascar Madness, Shrek’s Faire Faire Away and Kung Fu Panda: Land Of Awesomeness) and includes the Escape from Madagascar suspended family roller coaster (Isaac was too short at 4 years old – many of the rides in this section require kids to be 110cm tall) and Mad Jungle Jam where there are hundreds of squidgy balls, air cannons, foam fountains, rope bridges and lookout towers to play on. The kids loved this area!

HONOURARY MENTION – WHITEWATER WORLDWhitewater world

I can’t talk about Dreamworld without mentioning WhiteWater World which is now part of Dreamworld and included in your entry (so make sure you pack a towel and some bathers). WhiteWater World offers something fun for every age group and the kids could easily spend all day in the Cave of Waves, slipping and sliding at Wiggle Bay or running amok at the Pipeline Plunge. If you can sneak away, adults can chill out in one of the luxury private cabanas, available to rent by booking online. With an iPod dock, fridge, deck chairs and couches, it’s heaven for anyone wanting to sit back and relax with all their creature comforts.

So that’s our 6 TOP ATTRACTIONS FOR KIDS AGED 6 AND UNDER at Dreamworld!

Of course, if you have older children there are the Dreamworld Big 9 Thrill Rides on offer – Tim enjoyed the the Mick Doohan Motocoaster which is the only motocoaster in the world!

We had so much fun at Dreamworld and will definitely return when we are next in Queensland. The kids still talk about all of their adventures and have asked to go to WhiteWater World for the day – so I guess that means we have to start planning!

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We would like to thank Dreamworld for hosting our visit and making it possible for us to have such an amazing day.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about Dreamworld or to book your tickets, please visit: www.dreamworld.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.

PAW Patrol Live! Race to the Rescue Review

| Kidding Around Australia

No job’s too big, No pup’s too small!
PAW Patrol, we’re on a roll!

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We were excited to be invited to PAW Patrol Live! Race to the Rescue last Friday at Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne!

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PAW Patrol Live! Race to the Rescue brings Ryder and everybody’s favorite pups Marshall, Rubble, Chase, Rocky, Zuma, Skye and the newest pup Everest to the stage in an action-packed, high-energy musical adventure.

Without giving too much away, it’s the day of the Great Race between Adventure Bay’s Mayor Goodway and Foggy Bottom’s Mayor Humdinger. When Mayor Goodway is nowhere to be found, the pups come to the rescue (with the help of little audience helpers) to save the day!

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Alegría and Isaac loved participating in this interactive adventure as part of the PAW Patrol Cheer Team, joining the pups as they travelled to Adventure Bay, The Lookout, Seal Island, Farmer Yumi’s Farm and Jake’s Mountain.

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Georgina Says

The show goes for 75 minutes with a 15 minute intermission – plenty of time to grab something to eat or to go to the bathroom.

If you have a PAW Patrol fan in your house, then they are going to love this performance as both Alegría and Isaac really enjoyed it!

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The live theatre production of PAW Patrol Live! Race to the Rescue is touring Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Perth from 7 April, 2017 before heading to New Zealand.

MORE INFORMATION

Website: http://www.nickjr.com.au/pawpatrollive/

Touring Details:

Melbourne Margaret Court Arena,
Melbourne & Olympic Parks
7 – 9 April 2017

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
13 – 15 April 2017

Sydney Darling Theatre,
International Convention Centre,
Darling Harbour
20 – 23 April 2017

Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre

28 – 29 April 2017

Click here to FIND TICKETS

The Play That Goes Wrong Review

| Kidding Around Australia

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The Play That Goes Wrong has opened in Melbourne and audiences are absolutely loving this comedic masterpiece – we laughed until our cheeks hurt! If you like absurd comedy where everything that can go wrong does then you will LOVE this show!

thumbnail_George Kemp Darcy Browne Nick Simpson-Deeks Luke Joslin Adam Dunn - Front James Marlowe Brooke Satchwell Tammy Weller

The play introduces ‘The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society’ who are attempting to put on a 1920s murder mystery, but as the title suggests, everything that can go wrong…does, as the accident-prone thespians battle on against all the odds to get to their final curtain call.

Take our advice. Book a baby sitter and see The Play That Goes Wrong before it heads to Adelaide on 28 March, Sydney from 5 April, Canberra from 26 April, Brisbane from 6 May, and in Perth from 31 May 2017. You won’t be disappointed!

MORE INFORMATION

For tickets to the Melbourne Season, click www.ticketmaster.com.au

For all other shows, head to the website for more information: www.theplaythatgoeswrong.com.au

Carnival Spirit – Cruising Tips for Fun Loving Families

| Kidding Around Australia

We recently spent an amazing 9 days aboard the Carnival Spirit, and it’s not hard to know why cruising with your kids is such a popular holiday option for fun loving families!

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The Carnival Spirit is larger than the Titanic was and measures a massive 294m (963 ft) long (that’s over 3 football fields), is 12 decks high, has a maximum capacity of 2124 guests and 961 crew and is 88,500 tonnes of fun!

“You can’t spell FUNNEL without FUN!”

– Jennifer Vandekreeke, Vice President and General Manager, Australia at Carnival Cruise Lines

From the moment you board the Carnival Spirit, the fun begins! There is more to do than can ever be done. Seriously. Try as we did, we still didn’t get to experience all that was on offer (so I guess that means we need to go again!).

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Each day, a copy of the FUN TIMES (Carnival Cruises’ daily newspaper) is delivered to your stateroom with information about the 45+ daily options available to you (these include: venue opening hours, restaurants, spa services and specials, lectures, activities and games, show times and contact information) as well as shore excursion details (such as port arrival and departure times and other important information). Finally, on the last day of your Carnival Cruise, the FUN TIMES will feature information regarding the process of getting off the ship, and, settling your shipboard account. Everything is covered which means all you have to do is have fun!

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Take a highlighter so that you can highlight specific activities that you want to do in your FUN TIMES each night so that you don’t forget!

10 WAYS TO GO KIDDING AROUND WITH CARNIVAL CRUISES

1. DAILY ACTIVITIES

Each Carnival Cruise has a dedicated (and super friendly) Cruise Director (in our case, it was Eli) who is the face and voice of the ship. Eli ran many activities during the day, hosted shows in the main theatre and generally made sure we all had a great time!

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Throughout your holiday, you can participate in as much or as little as you would like. We loved Creative Cove and making beach tote bags, crew-led fun such as the Wiggle for Westmead and the behind the scenes tour (where we met Captain Adriano Binacchi and toured the bridge, checked out the costumes backstage at Pharaoh’s Palace and visited the talented chef’s in the ships galley).

Some activities do require additional payment and places are limited. Make sure you book early with Guest Services on Level 2.

2. WATER SLIDES, POOLS, SPAS and SPLASH PARKS

Towards the back of the ship is a fantastic splash park and water slides. The yellow Twister is fun for anyone over 105cm and the free-falling, 65km per hour Green Thunder is for those over 120cm. This is such a fun place to hang out and if your kids still have energy to burn after returning from a shore excursion then you will have the place almost to yourself!

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Carnival Spirit has three swimming pools – each with a spa and towels are provided. The two main pools welcome kids, however, one pool is located in the Serenity adults only retreat for when you need a little time to yourself.

In times of high winds or inclement weather the water slides and splash park will close and not be operational. Make sure you visit at the beginning of the cruise so that if the weather turns bad you don’t miss out!

3. FUN AND GAMES

At the front of the ship you will find a running track, mini golf, netted sports court for basketball and football, as well as a table tennis table. That’s a whole lot of fun and games!

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But, it’s not all that’s on offer! There is a video arcade on Deck 4, Foosball and shuffle board tables in the RedFrog Rum Bar, Build-A-Bear Workshop in Camp Ocean, Trivia and Bingo.

Pack more sunscreen than you think you will need as it’s very expensive on board and often they sell out. Fun Fact: They sell 120+ sunscreen in New Caledonia as the sun has such a kick to it.

4. CAMP OCEAN (KIDS CLUB)

Designed for children aged 2-11, Camp Ocean features three age-related areas including a Penguin colony for two to five-year-olds and a Sting Ray camp for six to eight-year-olds, while nine to 11-year-olds can sink their teeth into their Shark enclosure (and for even older kids there is a dedicated area on the ship that includes a nightclub).

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Alegría and Isaac LOVED kids club! They asked to go every day and so we found it was easy to drop them off at 5:15pm and the Camp Ocean educators would feed them dinner in a special area on Lido (Deck 9) and then take them back to Camp Ocean for fun evening activities. We then went out for a relaxed dinner – heaven!

Isaac won a trophy for being the “Best Boy Dancer” and they both came home with a special backpack, t-shirt and slapbands after the farewell party on the final night.

Register for Camp Ocean as soon as you board the ship. They only have a limited number of places and you don’t want to miss out. The kids will love it!

5. DINING AND CHARACTER EXPERIENCES

Prepare for a whimsical, wonderful cruise,

A character parade to amuse and enthuse,

A storytime featuring books that you know

It’s Seuss-A-Palooza … get ready to go!

Alegría and Isaac loved the Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast with their Dadda (Mumma was feeling a little green herself at the time), where they ate Dr. Seuss inspired fare alongside some of their favourite characters. The Seuss-A-Palooza Character Parade, where the children were encouraged to follow along after listening to an entertaining story was also a fun activity.

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We also enjoyed a delicious afternoon tea with none other than Alice (from Wonderland) and her friends for the Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea Party. The tables were full of mouth-watering sweet treats, hot chocolate (or tea and coffee, if you preferred) and the most amazing ice sculpture. The Carnival Spirit staff sure know how to put on an event!

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The activities that included food incurred an additional fee. The Seuss-A-Palooza Character Parade and Storytime is free of charge.

6. NIGHT TIME FUN

If you aren’t exhausted by all the fun you have had during the day, then there is plenty to keep you entertained at night. We enjoyed going to Pharaoh’s Palace (a three-level theatre that hosts a variety of shows such as guest comedians at the Punchliner Comedy Club (early sessions are suitable for kids – late sessions are not!), rock tribute shows, Cluedo mysteries, stage shows, playlist productions and Hasbro, The Game Show. Alegría and Tim enjoyed a daddy-daughter date to the magic show and we all cheered on our new friends that found themselves on stage during Hasbro, The Game Show!

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Pharaoh’s Palace is not the only place to have fun! There are “Dive In” movies by the main pool, piano bars, karaoke, live bands and for the kids there is “Night Owls” at Camp Ocean.

Camp Ocean is free of charge until 10pm. There is the option to have the kids cared for until 1am for a small per hour fee.

7. FOOD, GLORIOUS, FOOD!

We were told before we left to “Eat All The Food!” and I think we almost did! There are over 20 places serving food from the casual dining options at the Lido Restaurant to Guy’s Burger Joint (they have vegetarian options, you just need to ask), Fat Jimmy’s C-Side BBQ, Mexican delights at the Blue Iguana Café and 24 hour pizza and ice-cream! YES, 24 hour!

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The Empire Dining Room is the place to dine on theme and formal nights. We had 2 formal, a Mexican, an 80’s and a Caribbean night whilst we were onboard. Get dressed up as fancy as you want to (and stop for a photo opportunity), add a few simple costume pieces or accessories, and you’ll have a great time! We were on a first name basis with our singing and dancing wait staff at the Empire Dining Room and each night, Dessi the maître d’ introduced “show time” and we all smiled until our cheeks hurt. You must try their famous warm chocolate melting cake – it’s delicious!

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There are specialty restaurants that (for a fee) offer you a magnificent dining experience. We HIGHLY suggest you eat at least one meal at the French restaurant Nouveau – it was one of the best meals of my life!

Take a tip from our fit and friendly host Jennifer Vandekreeke – ALWAYS take the stairs and choose the small plate at the all-you-can-eat buffet! 

8. STAFF

Everyone we met are so friendly! Carnival staff really excel at customer service. There are over 900 crew members on the Carnival Spirit and all of them deserve to be congratulated!

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Everyday, our room stewards greeted us by name and made a towel animal for each of the children! Jennifer in guest services made sure that we were in good hands and supported us when this Mumma couldn’t get out of bed due to sea sickness and the onboard Doctor had her feeling better in no time! Andrej, our head waiter at the Empire Dining Room, was so accommodating with our dietary requests and was a friendly face each night. Dessi, the maître d’, was wonderful with the kids, she painted little girl finger nails, drew mustaches on Mexican night and made us all feel very special!

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And then there was Jennifer, Vice President and General Manager, Australia at Carnival Cruise Lines who made our time on the Carnival Spirit so much fun! It was a true family affair and we enjoyed getting to know her children and the other members of our group. How many kids can say they have been stand up paddle boarding with the VP of an international company!

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If you suffer from motion sickness, then go see the onboard Doctor early in your trip. We spent hundreds of dollars on medication (which didn’t work very well) and as soon as Georgina had the injection she felt so much better! 

9. THE STATEROOM

Your stateroom is your sanctuary and every room, whether it be an interior, ocean view, balcony or suite, on the Carnival Spirit comes with these standard features:

  • 24–hour room service
  • 24–hour room steward
  • Personal safe for valuables
  • Nightly turn-down service (and fun towel animal!)
  • Plenty of closet and drawer space (you won’t be tripping over your suitcase!)
  • Private bathroom and shower (with body wash, soap, shampoo and conditioner)
  • Television (which features a kids movie each day!)
  • Individual climate control
  • Telephone

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Making a personalised door sign seems to be the thing to do when going a cruise! We saw family names, birthdays, anniversaries and newly wed signs on our cruise – why not get your kids to make one in the lead up to your cruise?

A signature feature of a Carnival Cruise is a new towel animal each day to delight passengers young and old. The kids loved coming back at the end of each day and finding out what our steward had in store for them! Sometimes our new friends were on the beds, sometimes hanging from the roof! Always different, always fun!

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If you would like to learn how to make the different towel animals the Carnival staff hold a workshop during the cruise so you can learn!

We were lucky enough during our stay to have interconnecting balcony rooms and we loved it! We were slightly concerned with having a balcony and a very adventurous three year old but we were diligent and made the rules clear from the very beginning! Carnival help parents out in this regard as the lock is up high on the door so by the time your child has dragged a chair from the desk over to reach it you should have been alerted to their plan! If in doubt, ask your room steward to remove the chair from your room and there will be no problem!

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We have also stayed in an ocean view room (with queen bed and bunks) which was ample for a family of four. That being said, we have to say that the balcony room is worth the extra money. There is nothing like looking out over the horizon with the wind in your hair breathing deeply the fresh ocean air.

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Pack a bag with your bathers, sunscreen, hat, drink bottle, change of clothes and any medication you need to take with you when you board so you can go for a swim or on the water slides as soon as you have had lunch (lunch is provided on the first day)! Your suitcases will be delivered to your room but often not until after dinner on the first night so make sure you take what you need! 

10. SHORE EXCURSIONS

We couldn’t mention all the best things about travelling on the Carnival Spirit without talking about all we experienced in New Caledonia.

Our first visit was to Maré Island (the second-largest of the Loyalty Islands) where we spent the day enjoying the beautiful Yejele Beach.

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Our second shore excursion was from Noumea where we took a trip to the exclusive Amédée Island which was an amazing location and photographers paradise.

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Our third and final day was to the Isle of Pines. A snorkelers playground, pristine beaches and speed boat adventures.

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Book your shore excursions as soon as you board as many sell out quickly. We hired snorkels but didn’t need any reef shoes on our trip. If you take your passport to Amédée Island you can get a stamp in it – which is the only stamp our passports received on our journey. 

More Information

The Carnival Spirit and Carnival Legend depart from Sydney, Singapore, Melbourne and Honolulu with cruise lengths ranging from 2 to 10+ days.

For more information or to book your amazing family holiday visit: www.carnival.com.au 

Acknowledgments

As you know, we participated in the Social Soup Carnival Creaters Halloween Promotion and as we were judged the influencer with the best content we were invited as media guests onboard an 8 night, 9 day Carnival Spirit cruise to New Caledonia.

We would like to thank Social Soup and Carnival Cruise Lines Australia for making it possible for us to have such an amazing experience. Alegría and Isaac said it was the best days of their lives, Tim loved the whole cruise and Georgina has forgotten all about her sea sickness and can’t wait to go on another cruise again!

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.

Holden Captiva Road Trip Review

| Kidding Around Australia

With our impending holiday to the beautiful and unspoilt Shoalhaven on the New South Wales South Coast, we contemplated flying but ultimately decided it was the perfect opportunity to take a road trip in a Holden Captiva. Holden Australia were nice enough to let us take one for an extended test drive and we didn’t waste time putting some k’s on the clock!

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Travelling from Victoria, we travelled into New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory passing through Albury, Gundagai, Goulburn and Sutton Forest on our way to Nowra and Culburra Beach (our home for our holidays) before heading home via Batemans Bay, Canberra, and Albury before arriving back into Victoria.

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HOLDEN CAPTIVA

Designed for maximum versatility, the Captiva has plenty of room for everyone. With up to 7 seats in three rows of adjustable seating, this family-sized SUV is available in two wheel drive and active all wheel drive with petrol and diesel options. Every Captiva comes with the very latest safety technology to look after your precious cargo! Detailed information about the Holden Captiva can be found HERE.

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OUR EXPERIENCE

Positives

  • Comfortable and easy to drive with plenty of space for everyone and everything. Great storage and moveable seating making larger objects easy to transport.
  • MyLink entertainment system with touch screen, voice control, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto makes taking music for your road trip easy!
  • The blind spot alert is a light up warning feature on the side mirrors which was new to us. We loved this feature!
  • Keyless entry and ignition. You simply leave your keys in your handbag or pocket, 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!
  • Rear view camera and rear parking assist allows you to park and reverse with confidence.
  • ISOFIX child seat anchorage technology ensures your precious little ones are kept safe with a rock solid connection between the vehicle and the seat. You’ll need to have a ISOFIX-equipped child seat to use this feature.

Negatives

  • No air vents in the back seat making the car uncomfortable in the heat (which is not good for those of us that suffer motion sickness). To accommodate this, the front passengers get cold trying to make it comfortable in the back.
  • Whilst there was no problem with the power on the open road, there is a distinct lack of power going up hills.
  • No CD Player which made it hard to play the audio books I got from the library!
  • There is Satellite Navigation via phone projection but this means additional data usage.

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We have been looking for a 7 seat family car for a while and the Holden Captiva certainly ticked a lot of our car-selection boxes! At the end of our long drive, we were all happy and comfortable and dreaming of hitting the road again for another family adventure!

MORE INFORMATION

Contact your nearest Holden Dealer for more information or to book a test drive.

Tinkerbell and the Dream Fairies by the Australian Shakespeare Company

| Kidding Around Australia

We were excited to be invited to Fairyland at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne for the production of Tinkerbell and the Dream Fairies by the Australian Shakespeare Company.

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The show has been tweaked since last year and having just finished a sell out season in London’s Kew Gardens it’s fan-fairy-tastic!

Children aged between 3-6 (potentially up to 8) will love to follow Tinkerbell and her friends the Dream Fairies, from a Midsummer Night’s Dream, as she searches for her wings.

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Together with Tinkerbell, the cheeky Mustardseed (who entices the most laughter from the young audience), fluttery Moth, daring Cobweb, sweet Peasblossom and little Dewdrop create a flurry of fun and encourage all of the little fairies and elves to help them as they sing, dance and do some pretty impressive acrobatics before heading off on a special adventure to ‘Bubble Land’.

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Georgina Says

Don’t forget to pack a picnic full of yummy goodies, a rug to sit on, a hat, insect repellent and some sunscreen. You will find the fairies under the trees on Oak Lawn, three skips, a jump and a flutter from the Ian Potter Foundation Children’s Garden – which is the perfect spot to have a play after the performance.

Photography is prohibited during the performance, however if you remember to bring your camera you can get a photo with the cast after the show!

Tickets are on sale now from www.shakespeareaustralia.com.au or call 03 8676 7511.

MORE INFORMATION

Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne
Season: 28 December 2016 – 28 January 2017
Bookings: (03) 8676 7511 or online at: www.shakespeareaustralia.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.