I’ve lived in Brisbane all my life. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel overseas but it’s true, there’s no place like home.
Kidspot http://www.kidspot.com.au/ are inviting bloggers (that would be someone like me) to share our thoughts and experiences on the best (top 3) family friendly things to do in our corner of the world. Finding three wasn’t hard at all, I had to cull actually. I guess this means we truly are the lucky country.
Charlie is a month shy from turning two so it is a safe bet that I’ve spent lots of time venturing to the family friendly. That means lots of park action. I haven’t met a toddler who doesn’t have some kind of affinity with a park and Charlie is no exception. Together we’ve become park connoisseurs so it made perfect sense that my first attraction is a park.
#1 Hidden World
This park really should be named hidden gem because that’s what it is. Tucked away on the Northside of Brisbane it is the King of the Parks. I’m talking 5 stars and if parks got “hats” (like the restaurant kind) then Hidden World would be of the three hat variety.
Hidden gem and Hidden World
Firstly, loads of parking makes it easily accessible and though it isn’t a fenced park, it’s not close to the street. It’s a great park for a picnic or just a place to let the kidlets run wild and boy do they! There are forts, bridges, poles, hiding spots, slides, climbing walls – so much scrambling to be done. Surrounded by sand so the safety element is sorted. The trick with parks is getting the toddler and older child play equipment ratio balanced and Hidden World does just that. Judging by the number of times I have been to Hidden World and the fact that it doesn’t matter what time of the day it is, it’s always packed so it’s clearly a favourite for Brisbane families. Packed doesn’t mean crowded though – it’s a big park surrounded by lots of space so a winner for all.
# 2 – Southbank
My connection to Southbank goes back to the late 80’s (1988 to be precise) when Expo came to town. After Expo, came Southbank and what a great place it is for families. Southbank is in the heart of Brisbane and ticks all of the boxes. Restaurants, cafes, bars and most importantly lots of family friendly eating spots – tick. Markets that cater to everyone (husband included) – tick. Pool and water play area – tick tick tick. Nature – walks, open green spaces – tick again and stunning views of both river and city – tick. Just across the road there is the busy Southbank Cinemas. There’s always some kind of calendar of events and right now there is a Snow4Kids Park smack bang in the middle. This place is family friendly at its best and I think highlights the best of what Brisbane has to offer.
Family day out at Southbank
# 3 – Australia Zoo
I’m almost ashamed to admit that I hadn’t ventured to Australia Zoo prior to becoming a mum and that my friends has been my loss because this place rocks. Australia Zoo puts the FAM in family. It caters for everyone and what I love most was just how interactive it was. Not to mention the seriously cool names they have for the crocodiles. Special shout out to Cookie, Goldie and Lucy!
An annual family pass is by far the best way to go. This is the kind of place that you can easily go back to again and again and the annual pass is so economical. I recommend doing a bit of research the day before you go so you can plan your day a bit better. The website http://www.australiazoo.com.au/ has loads of information about the shows and entertainment and if there are any special events that you won’t want to miss. We had an awesome day and in particular the highlight for Charlie was getting the chance to hand feed Rosie the Giraffe. Cuteness personified. This place is HUGE and as a first time visitor I could not help by being impressed by the beauty of the parklands and where the animals live. There is roving wildlife, animal feeding and of course plenty of shows to see. Africa was our highlight but we struggled to get Charlie away from the Kangaroos. (Tip – spend a few dollars and buy some Kangaroo food so you can hand feed them.) The Feeding Frenzy Food Court has loads of options and how refreshing to know that it’s not all just chicken nuggets and chips. I loved our day out and would never of thought that a day at the Zoo could make me feel so content and at peace.
Charlie and friend
So there is my top three family things to do next time you venture to Brisbane. #shareAustralia #voicesof2015 #Brisbane #familyfriendly #luckycountry
Tracey M
Feature Image courtesy of ChameleonsEye / Shutterstock.com
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