The kids making friends at Tuggaronong Beach ...
So, here we are, back from a week in sunny, but cold, Canberra.
I think I’ve mentioned before that my husband’s work often takes him away from home.
Well, as it happens, a lot of the time, he’s in our nation’s capital, Canberra
Because single parenting in a married household is not always conducive to a happy family home, this week, the kids and I packed up and spent a week with Kyle while he was working away from home.
To be honest, I wasn’t too fussed on the idea. At first.
Holidays for us tend to involve beaches. Sun. Surf. Sand. And the availability of both of us, to share the parenting.
Instead, we had Canberra. It’s cold. It’s full of politicians. And public servants. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that…) But how much fun would it be for a family? And with Kyle working, how easy would it be for a lone parent, to entertain the kids?
It started with a two-day drive (and that’s a whole other story!) followed by a week of me playing tourist with Chase and Harmonie. Finally, we had to fly home again (thank goodness – I don’t know if I’d have managed another long-distance Road Trip) for a busy week at school.
But you know what? It was CAPITAL! (Sorry – I can’t help but make a poor pun).
Apart from the looooonnnnggg drive, which started with “Are We There Yet” (From Harmonie, less than 10 minutes after we’d set off), and more cries of “I need to go to the toilet” and “I’m hungry” than I can count, we made it.
While Kyle went diligently off to work each day, the kids and I did the sights.
Partly in the name of research – I’m writing a series of travel stories on family-friendly destinations – but partly in the name of educating the kids about their history and having fun too.
And there was much more to do in Canberra for families than I ever dreamed of.
Here are a few highlights:
- A tour of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). Initially, the kids weren’t interested in seeing where our elite athletes are trained. “Boring” said Chase, as I tried to find my way there in time for the tour. But after the tour – and an up-close encounter with members of the Australian gymnastics, water polo and volleyball teams – the kids gave their verdict: “Awesome!”
- The National Zoo and Aquarium. With an emphasis on animal rescue and conservation, our kids came face-to-face with King Cheetahs, Tigons, Lions, Giraffes, and gorgeous Capuchin monkeys. Also a sun bear, rescued from animal traffickers in Asia.
- Parliament House. The kids loved seeing where Daddy spends many working hours, and where important decisions are made.
- Questicon. The science and technology centre, which is hands-on for kids and turns learning into fun.
- The Canberra Deep Space Communications Centre. Where we were given details on current space explorations, and got to listen to sounds from space.
Getting around was easy too. The roads are mostly well-signposted, and not as busy as I'm used to in Brisbane. I did have to watch out for speed demons and mean drivers though ... Canberra drivers certainly didn't seem to be as courteous as those in Brisbane.
Restaurant staff seemed relaxed at having the kids there. (Unlike Brisbane, where turning up with kids can be like turning up with the devil’s spawn. Or maybe that’s just our kids!)
Just one we encountered didn’t cater to kids, but the chef happily offered to produce two of the normal meals in a half-size (and half-price) for the ankle-biters. And they lapped it up. As for me, I’d rather pay for quality, real food than mass-produced junk food, any day.
In the name of finances, we stayed at ‘Tuggers’, a nick-name which caused no end of mirth. It's actually the local name for Tuggaronong, about 20 minutes from the city centre, where we got a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment for the price of a room in the CBD.
Across the road, was a fabulous park – complete with a lakeside ‘beach’ – and a huge shopping centre, which included a cinema.
On the way home, the Qantas staff were surprisingly nice to our kids, even producing an extra kiddie-kit when one did not have all the inclusions of the other. (In the past, my family-flying experiences with Qantas have been less than stellar).
So we made it home in one piece. - glad to get home to our very-happy-to-see-us dogs and cats, and the warmer weather. But surprisingly sorry that our Canberra holiday was over.
I think I’ve mentioned before that my husband’s work often takes him away from home.
Well, as it happens, a lot of the time, he’s in our nation’s capital, Canberra
Because single parenting in a married household is not always conducive to a happy family home, this week, the kids and I packed up and spent a week with Kyle while he was working away from home.
To be honest, I wasn’t too fussed on the idea. At first.
Holidays for us tend to involve beaches. Sun. Surf. Sand. And the availability of both of us, to share the parenting.
Instead, we had Canberra. It’s cold. It’s full of politicians. And public servants. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that…) But how much fun would it be for a family? And with Kyle working, how easy would it be for a lone parent, to entertain the kids?
It started with a two-day drive (and that’s a whole other story!) followed by a week of me playing tourist with Chase and Harmonie. Finally, we had to fly home again (thank goodness – I don’t know if I’d have managed another long-distance Road Trip) for a busy week at school.
But you know what? It was CAPITAL! (Sorry – I can’t help but make a poor pun).
Apart from the looooonnnnggg drive, which started with “Are We There Yet” (From Harmonie, less than 10 minutes after we’d set off), and more cries of “I need to go to the toilet” and “I’m hungry” than I can count, we made it.
While Kyle went diligently off to work each day, the kids and I did the sights.
Partly in the name of research – I’m writing a series of travel stories on family-friendly destinations – but partly in the name of educating the kids about their history and having fun too.
And there was much more to do in Canberra for families than I ever dreamed of.
Here are a few highlights:
- A tour of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). Initially, the kids weren’t interested in seeing where our elite athletes are trained. “Boring” said Chase, as I tried to find my way there in time for the tour. But after the tour – and an up-close encounter with members of the Australian gymnastics, water polo and volleyball teams – the kids gave their verdict: “Awesome!”
- The National Zoo and Aquarium. With an emphasis on animal rescue and conservation, our kids came face-to-face with King Cheetahs, Tigons, Lions, Giraffes, and gorgeous Capuchin monkeys. Also a sun bear, rescued from animal traffickers in Asia.
- Parliament House. The kids loved seeing where Daddy spends many working hours, and where important decisions are made.
- Questicon. The science and technology centre, which is hands-on for kids and turns learning into fun.
- The Canberra Deep Space Communications Centre. Where we were given details on current space explorations, and got to listen to sounds from space.
Getting around was easy too. The roads are mostly well-signposted, and not as busy as I'm used to in Brisbane. I did have to watch out for speed demons and mean drivers though ... Canberra drivers certainly didn't seem to be as courteous as those in Brisbane.
Restaurant staff seemed relaxed at having the kids there. (Unlike Brisbane, where turning up with kids can be like turning up with the devil’s spawn. Or maybe that’s just our kids!)
Just one we encountered didn’t cater to kids, but the chef happily offered to produce two of the normal meals in a half-size (and half-price) for the ankle-biters. And they lapped it up. As for me, I’d rather pay for quality, real food than mass-produced junk food, any day.
In the name of finances, we stayed at ‘Tuggers’, a nick-name which caused no end of mirth. It's actually the local name for Tuggaronong, about 20 minutes from the city centre, where we got a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment for the price of a room in the CBD.
Across the road, was a fabulous park – complete with a lakeside ‘beach’ – and a huge shopping centre, which included a cinema.
On the way home, the Qantas staff were surprisingly nice to our kids, even producing an extra kiddie-kit when one did not have all the inclusions of the other. (In the past, my family-flying experiences with Qantas have been less than stellar).
So we made it home in one piece. - glad to get home to our very-happy-to-see-us dogs and cats, and the warmer weather. But surprisingly sorry that our Canberra holiday was over.
And for me, that's always the mark of a good holiday.
No comments:
Post a Comment