Growing up with two uncles as National Park rangers, no family holiday was complete unless we had trampled through the bush in some capacity. Whether we were camping in remote National Parks like Humpy Island off the coast of North Queensland, hiking to the top of mountains such as the Bread Knife in the Warrumbungles or exploring the bush and waterways of the Top End, Mum and Dad always chose holidays that helped my brothers and sister and I to appreciate nature and the simplicity of camping instead of booking into a resort for a week (not that they could have afforded it back then with four kids in tow!). It certainly has rubbed off and we want our kids to value time spent in our beautiful National Parks also, and with the silhouette of The Glasshouse Mountains clearly visible even from the coastline at Caloundra, we couldn't help but pack the backpack and suncream and head off to tackle one of these ancient volcanic mounds ourself.With five kiddies under six between my brother's crew and ours, we chose one of the easiest of the mountains to climb, Mount Ngungun. We were told it is a great beginners walk amongst the fourteen mountains within The Glasshouse Mountain area, which was perfect for little legs! Despite it being a hot day, our gang powered up to the top and the view out over Mount Beerwah and the beautiful farming land beneath was definitely worth the extra cargo when the kids wanted to be carried on top of shoulders and backs.
Besides the beautiful National Park, there are so many beautiful little villages nestled in the hills of the Sunshine Coast that really do deserve a visit. Quaint and full of gorgeous cafes, art galleries and gift shops, the kids were kept busy in the pretty town of Maleny with the lovely park right next to a trickling stream which runs through the heart of the town centre, and an ice block helped buy me some time in the amazing book shop too!
But I would leave the kids behind and sneak off to really get the most out of Montville. My beautiful cousin recently spent a few days post-wedding here and it's not hard to see why this pretty little town nestled high up in the hills is a favourite for couples. With chocolate shops, a cheese factory, cute little shops like The Clock Shop and a The Candle Shop, plus tons of great coffee spots and restaurants to choose from, you could easily laze the day away up here!
And whether you have little ones or you're just a mad crocodile fan, you can't really head up this way without visiting the now world-famous Australia Zoo. Brought into the spotlight by the late Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, we by-passed this park the last time we were holidaying near-by - it is quite pricey and how many crocs can you see in one day, right? But I must say, after visiting on this trip, we were so impressed by the Zoo - it is set on over 70 acres of bushland and is HUGE, but even more impressive than the sheer size of the place, is the high quality of exhibits, facilities, the staff members and the amazing gardens - we found everything to be of such a high standard that I almost felt a bit sad seeing all the images and footage of Steve everywhere, knowing that he didn't get to see his Zoo in all of its glory today.
Arley, Sage and Bassie loved the animals, the Safari train ride, the random play equipment and jumping castles scattered all over the park and the big show at the Crocoseum and the only advice I can offer is to pack your own food - $3.50 for a small juice popper was the starting point with things getting more and more expensive from there up make for a very expensive day if you buy lunch out as well! And if you have babies or toddlers, take a stroller because there is plenty of walking to be done!
No comments:
Post a Comment