8 IDEAS TO GET THE KIDS ENGAGED AND ACTIVE THESE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
SCHOOL HOLIDAY
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It’s hard to believe we’re already at the pointy end of the year. After three terms of hard work, the kids deserve some time off and fortunately, we’re in for some beautiful weather, so make sure they get plenty of fun in the great outdoors. My Weekly Preview has compiled lots of fun stuff to help keep the whole family entertained these school holidays. From the sedate to the great, from the fun to the frivolous, get out and about this spring with your offspring.
1. CHECK OUT THE WHALES, NO MATTER WHICH SPEED YOU PREFER There’s no better way to leap into the school holidays than jumping on board Whale One. The 120-passenger double-storey, twin-hull catamaran ventures out in search of the humpback whales migrating along our beautiful coastline. Or for some adrenaline-filled fun consider the 48-passenger speed boat Wild One. This experience won’t disappoint, as you travel on a low-profile boat that is safe and very comfortable and gets you out to the whales quicker. After they leave the icy waters of Antarctica, the humpbacks migrate around 5000 kilometres on average, one of longest migratory journeys of any mammal on the planet.
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There are no words to explain that first breathtaking moment you see a 30-tonne whale leap out of the ocean and splash back down. The humpback whale is well known for its acrobatic abilities and playful nature, which captivates all who witness them. These curious creatures are often found in small groups called pods that journey north to warmer waters to mate and birth their young. Spectators aboard the Whale One have been incredibly lucky so far this season, seeing several newborn calves – many only days old. Many mothers and newborn calves are seen on their southern migration, so being able to see them this early in the season has been spectacular.
Having these gentle giants swim inquisitively close to the boat, rolling over and showing their bright white undersides is an encounter worth experiencing. Join the Whale One or Wild One crew for a memorable experience – seeing nature at its best. Don’t miss the magic of the migration this season. Visit whaleone.com.au.
DID YOU KNOW? Newborn humpback calves are about the length of their mother’s head. At birth, calves are about six metres long and weigh two tonnes (most cars weigh about half a tonne).
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SCHOOL HOLIDAY FUN GUIDE
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2. HAVE AN OCTONAUT’S ADVENTURE AT SEA LIFE IN MOOLOOLABA Get ready for an adventure as the Octonauts take over SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast with the brand new Octonauts Octo-Glow Explorers Interactive Trail and Octonauts themed space, back by popular demand. In an Australian first, guests to the aquarium will embark on an underwater adventure to complete fun experiments and become a member of the Octonauts’ Crew. Collect the exclusive Octo-Glow Explorers hat at the start of your journey and set off to work with all your Octonauts favourites, including Professor Inkling, Shellington, Tweak, Peso, Dashi and Kwazii, to learn about the wonders of bioluminescence, camouflage, and colour in our oceans. The interactive Octonauts Zone has also returned, and has seen the Billabong area of SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast transformed into GUP mission vehicles, featuring dynamic displays of beautiful aquatic animals, complete with 3D talking
Octonauts crew members. You can also join the ocean’s heroes as they dive into action for the ultimate Octonauts mission and ride in the Gup-E with the Octonauts crew. Visitors will dive into action and talk to Captain Barnacles, help with Kwazii’s search for hidden treasure, and watch Peso’s mission to clean the ocean. The new display includes sea stars, hermit crabs and axolotls – who, along with thousands of marine and freshwater animals including sharks, seals, turtles, stingrays, tropical fish and more – call SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast home. The Octonauts display is back at SEA LIFE from September 16. Book online and save. Walk-up prices are $39 for adults and $27 for children from three to 14 years old. Parkyn Parade, Mooloolaba. Visit sealifesunshinecoast.com.au.
School Holiday Special LUXURY WHALE WATCHING
2 ½ HOUR CRUISE ON WHALE ONE
$
49
ADULTS
$
29
KIDS (4-14) KIDS UNDER 4 FREE
Daily Bus Transfers Available | Season runs June to October
$
49 ADULTS
**Not recommended for kids under 4.
Everything Awesome this School Holidays!
$
29
HIGH-SPEED WHALE WATCHING
2 HOUR CRUISE ON WILD ONE
KIDS (0-14)
SUNSET CRUISE EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT STARTING 9 SEPTEMBER Adults $25 - Children 4-14 years $15 QUOTE PROMO CODE: MWPSS
BOOK NOW! whaleone.com.au
The Ultimate Workshop for LEGO
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MAROOCHYDORE AND CALOUNDRA
1300 WHALE 1 1300 942 531
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SCHOOL HOLIDAY FUN GUIDE
The newest Sunjet Simulations flight experience is over Queenstown in New Zealand
3. TAKE CONTROL OF A 737 Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to fly a jet under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, or to fly around the tip of Mount Everest? At SunJet Simulations, located in the heart of Mooloolaba, you can take the controls of a full-size 737 simulator and feel for yourself what it is like to fly a modern jet airliner. Experience what it’s like to fly into the famous Kai Tak airport in Hong Kong, fly around the beautiful Greek Islands or simply do some take-off and landings. As captain, you will be guided through your flight, so no experience is needed and with two additional seats in the flight deck, friends and family can encourage and cheer
you on. Using state-ofthe-art HD graphics and computers, SunJet Simulations will make you feel like you are experiencing the real thing. The perfect way to entertain the kids during the school holidays, a session at SunJet Simulations will give your children something to talk about when they head back to school. Sessions are open to everyone aged from six to 106, so challenge yourself to a session and enjoy the thrills. Gift vouchers are available. 127 Brisbane Road, Mooloolaba. Visit sunjetsim.com.
FLIGHTS
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SCENIC HELICOPTER FLIGHTS Mention this ad when booking. Offer valid until 10th October 2017.
Treasure Hunt Spot the Pirate Talk Like a Pirate Day (Tues 19 Sept) Colouring-in Competit ion An initiative of Caloundra Business Alliance Proudly supported by Sunshine Coast Council and Downtown Caloundra downtowncaloundra.com.au
Artwork by Caloundra Community Artist, Grace McClymont
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*Price is per person. Minimum 2 full paying passengers, maximum 3 adults. Two children can share a seat only if combined weight is no more than 77kgs. Weight and age limits apply. Flight times and tours may vary due to operational reasons. Full terms and conditions available at www.aussieair.com
www.aussieair.com 07 5491 8588 info@aussieair.com
TAKE COMMAND OF A BOEING 737-800 AND EXPERIENCE THE THRILL OF FLYING
SCHOOL HOLIDAY
SPECIALS 30 Minutes
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60 minutes
90 Minutes
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127 Brisbane Road, Mooloolaba | 5477-7728 | www.sunjetsim.com myweeklypreview.com.au
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SCHOOL HOLIDAY FUN GUIDE
4. FIND YOUR INNER NINJA The Sunshine Coast’s first high-octane Adventurism business is 100 per cent open for business over the school holidays. Whether it’s a full day of supervised interactive, outdoor, fun on one of the School Holiday Programs run by a team of highly skilled, experienced, qualified, and fully insured instructors, or a bouldering and rock climbing adventure in the state-of-the-art indoor centre, Adventure Empire has plenty of options to keep your budding ninjas entertained. There are lots of engaging activities each day in the School Holiday Programs, with everything from mountain biking adventures, circus skills, mini Olympics, and fishing along the pristine Pumicestone Passage, to team building fun in the purpose-built Bunker where Nerf wars, safe archery, Zorb Ball, soccer and ball games take place. This is truly an energising alternative to traditional vacation care programs and spaces are limited, so be quick.
5. TRY NEW RIDES AT AUSSIE WORLD
Adventure Empire’s new Bouldering and Rock Climbing Centre is open every day, from 10am, during the school holidays. The centre is located Caloundra and features a challenging, but safe, physical, indoor experience. 2/2 Park Place, Caloundra. Visit adventureempire.com.au.
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Aussie World is offering even more fun these school holidays with yet another awesome ride being launched. The brand-new Speed Stars is an exciting new kids race car experience, with children of all ages able to test their skills around this winding race track. This fun new experience is just one of five new rides and attractions that have opened at Aussie World in the past year alone, including the latest thrill ride – The Wasp. Now the weather is warming up, the popular Leak ‘n Logs water play area will get kids of all ages laughing as they’re drenched beneath random water buckets and irregular dancing water jets. The popular Ride the Night event series is on again these holidays, taking shape as the inaugural Sea FM Covered Festival after dark on September 23. The festival features eight artists
playing across two stages throughout the night, including an impressive range of rides and attractions, roving entertainers and street food stalls. Discounted tickets are available now online. Downunder Drive, Bruce Highway, Palmview. Visit aussieworld.com.au
OCTO-GLOW EXPLORERS
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SCHOOL HOLIDAY FUN GUIDE
6. GET UP TO MISCHIEF WITH PIRATES IN DOWNTOWN CALOUNDRA International Talk Like a Pirate Day on September 19 is a holiday created in 1995 by John ‘Ol’ Chumbucket’ Bauer and Mark ‘Cap’n Slappy’ Summers, of Albany in the US. The pair proclaimed this to be the day when everyone in the world should talk like a pirate. Instead of greeting a friend with the simple “hello,” on September 19, you will swap it out for “ahoy, matey”. To celebrate this auspicious day, Downtown Caloundra and the Caloundra Business Alliance is set to host its inaugural Pirate Fest 2017, which will include various activities for school children and young adults in high school to venture into Caloundra and have a bit of fun during the first week of the holidays. The Caloundra Business Alliance is all about connecting business with the community and is the driver behind the inaugural Pirate Fest. Activities run from September 15 to 22 and include a Treasure Map Hunt, a
colouring-in completion, and Find the Pirate on September 19. This is where a real live pirate will be out and about in town between 11am and 2pm and if you follow the clues on Snapchat (d_caloundra) and Instagram (@downtowncaloundra) you will be in the running for some amazing prizes. So, batten down the hatches and head into Caloundra during Pirate Fest to plunder for prizes aplenty. Treasure maps and colouring in sheets can be collected from Escape Room Oz, 51 to 55 Bulcock Street in the ANZ Arcade from September 15.
8. GET A BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF THE COAST
7. GET CREATIVE WITH LEGO Take up the Ninja challenge or try out some coding with the ultimate workshops with Lego these school holidays. Celebrating the launch of the Lego Ninjago Movie and in response to the coding revolution, Bricks 4 Kidz has developed all new building experiences that enable children to build their favourite characters, create the most awesome moving machines and develop skills for the modern world. In the Extreme Ninja Creator/Technic workshop students use their imagination, Lego building skills and immerse themselves in exciting Lego-based activities.
More than 400 The Bricks 4 Kidz Junior billion Lego bricks Robotics and Advanced have been produced Robotics workshops offer all since 1958 and there are the fun of building with Lego Bricks 4 Kidz is the world’s bricks, with the added leading provider of about 62 Lego bricks challenge of coding their educational play programs and per person in creation, with a range of themes create unique, fun, and social the world. and age appropriate activities. experiences for kids in a safe and Bricks 4 Kidz workshops are nurturing environment. designed for boys and girls aged five and up Workshops run from 9am to 4pm. All and are run in Caloundra and Maroochydore. they need to bring is a nut-free lunch, water Other workshops include Minion bottle, and a hat for active break times. Madness, Mining and Crafting and Remote Bookings can be made at bricks4kidz. Control Mania. com.au/qld-sunshine-coast.
Looking for a fun School Holiday Program?
Experience the beauty of the Sunshine Coast from the air these school holidays with a scenic helicopter flight. Aussie Air has offered aerial scenic tours and charters from Caloundra Airport for 30 years. Seeing stunning beaches, forests and mountains from the air will take your breath away. Within minutes of taking off, you and the kids will be soaring above Bribie Island and the Pumicestone Passage, with the iconic Glasshouse Mountains on the horizon. You can choose to fly north to Mount Coolum, further south, or west over the Blackall Range. Aussie Air is offering a third passenger to fly for free when you book for two these school holidays, so if you’ve never seen the Sunshine Coast from up high, now’s your chance. Pathfinder Drive, Caloundra. Visit aussieair.com.
LIMITED SPACES SO BE QUICK
BOOK ONLINE PHONE
07 5391 1722 From Nerf Wars, Safe Archery and Zorb Soccer to Circus Skills and Mini Olympics! The truly interactive way to keep your budding ninjas entertained these holidays! 46 My Weekly Preview | September 15, 2017
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ADDRESS
2/2 Park Place Caloundra
www.adventureempire.com.au myweeklypreview.com.au
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