Out & About with Kids - Issue 44 Autumn 2015

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FA M I LY | T R AV E L | H O L I D AY | L E I S U R E | E N T E R TA I N M E N T

38-PAGE SPECIAL

Discover America

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a family holiday!

Norfolk Island, NSW Legendary Pacific Coast, Canada’s family ski resorts, Vanuatu, Singapore, New Zealand

Off-peak holidays for families It’s snowtime!

Ski season preview: kids’ ski schools

Yumi Stynes Top Asian theme parks

SwAp the local pool for the open ocean Families love cruising with Carnival Carnival Cruise Lines carries more families every year than any other cruise line in the world, so both kids and parents alike are guaranteed to have a fabulous holiday at sea.

Slip down the jaw-dropping Green Thunder waterslide, take part in the Seuss at Sea program and put the kids in the action-packed youth programs, for ages two years and up. From the glamorous stage productions to the relaxing pools on deck, there’s something for every member of the family.

With two fun-filled ships based out of Australia, a cruise is the perfect backdrop for happy holidays and family memories that’ll be cherished forever.

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Exclusive family product 24/7 customer assist

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We won’t be beaten on price Interest-free holiday finance

Valid on holidays over $999*. Apply online or in-store now! *Terms and conditions apply. 6 Months Interest Free: Valid on holidays over $999. Six months interest free provided by applying for the Lombard 55 Visa Card and is only available to approved applicants. Subject to further terms and conditions contained in Lombard Visa Card Account Conditions of Use and Lombard Visa Card Product Schedule. An application fee of $60, monthly account fees of $2.90 and other fees and charges are payable. Minimum monthly repayments of 3% or

Over 160 stores | escapetravel.com.au |

131 927

6 months intere st free ^

$30 are required monthly, paying only the minimum repayment will not finalise your loan within the interest free period. Interest is payable on expiry of the interest free period. The Lombard Visa Card is a credit facility provided by Lombard Finance Pty Limited (ABN 31 099 651 877) (Australian Credit License Number 247 415). Flight Centre Travel Group Limited (ABN 25 003 377 188) trading as Escape Travel. ATAS Accreditation No. A10412.

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Out & About with Kids Print & Digital outandaboutwithkids.com.au Publisher Elisa Elwin elisa@oawk.com.au 0413 770 550 Editor Christine Kane christine@oawk.com.au Assistant Editor Lisa Monk lisamonk@oawk.com.au Associate Publisher Richard Bunting rbunting@oawk.com.au 0424 138 806

© iStockPhoto/Andrew Rich

Contributors Richard Bunting Liz Ginis Samantha Herbert Michelle Pettigrove Yumi Stynes Lisa Willows

erica with us Come and Discover Am Out & About with Kids is proud to announce an exciting new partnership with Discover America – and we’re the first Australian travel magazine to be accorded with this honour!

Australian families LOVE America and our holidays in the USA are increasingly spreading far and wide across the country. Our two nations share a pioneering history and a backstory rich in great migration journeys and early settlement. And we share respect for our indigenous cultures that span millennia, and whose traditions have contributed greatly to the ethos of both of our countries, and their people.

America is a super-friendly country whose citizens are as diverse and interesting as the American landscapes. In this SPECIAL FIRST FEATURE IN OUR TWO-PART SERIES “DISCOVER AMERICA”, our family-friendly contributors take you on multiple journeys to discover amazing, interesting, exciting and inspiring cities and towns, people and places, food, festivals and FUN, across red desert landscapes and coastal beaches, and from midwest metropolises to iconic State Fairs.

So …come and Discover America with us!

The Out & About with Kids team

Contributors Shane Boocock Georgia Downey Rob McFarland Kathy Gibson Charli Kane Deborah McMurtrie Lisa Sharpe Mark William Sheehan Pip Strickland Special Projects Mark William Sheehan Print Design Magnesium Media Print Art Director Louise Summerton Published by Elwin Media Pty Ltd ABN: 22 159 093 606

PO Box 4148, Balgowlah Heights NSW 2093 0413 770 550 Cover images from top left: Kids ski school Mt Buller, VIC © Mt Buller.

Port Stephens 4WD Tours at Stockton Beach, NSW © Ray Alley. Fort Worth Stockyards, Texas USA ©Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the editorials are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Publisher and Out & About with Kids. Information provided was believed to be correct at the time of publication.

Copyright © Out & About with Kids 2015 Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. All reasonable efforts have been made to contact copyright holders. Out & About with Kids cannot accept unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. If such items are to be sent to the magazine they will be returned.

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SCHOOL HOLIDAY FUN AT THE MARITIME MUSEUM

FAMILY THEATRE – CAPTAIN NEMO’S NAUTILUS

KIDS EXHIBITION – VOYAGE TO THE DEEP

Hilarious tale of underwater adventures performed by Monkey Baa Theatre Company.

11.30am and 2pm daily 6-19 April 2015 (excluding Sunday 12 to Tuesday 14 April)

Dive into an underwater themed adventure aboard the fantastical submarine the Nautilus. Kids can take up the controls, peer through periscopes and play tunes on a bubbly pipe organ.

Kids Exhibition | Family Theatre | Film Screenings | Dress Ups | Kids Craft DARLING HARBOUR SYDNEY • anmm.gov.au/voyage • #anmm EXHIBITION PRODUCER

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MEDIA PARTNERS

MUSEUM PARTNERS

© iStockPhoto/Imgorthand

Let’s get social What are the most important elements for you when planning a family holiday?

“

Fun things for the kids – pool, playground, kids club. Affordable places to dine. Safe destination.

” Eleanor Harrison

“

Destination must have interesting stuff to do and see. Accommodation must allow for relaxation as well as accessibility for sightseeing. Family-friendly.

”

Anita Cordon

“

Getting around easily, such as tours, public transport. Like to be close to supermarkets for food supplies, dining options, shopping, we like accommodation with fridge/ microwave, kids’ own room.

Top of my list: Things to do for EVERYONE in the family. We choose destinations that will tick boxes for all of us individually.

Brenda Murphy

Leah Smileski

”

“

”

> Newsagents nationally

> Selected Accor Hotels

> Airport Newslink Newsagents nationally

> Hotels including Fairmont Resort, Blue Mountains NSW and Rendezvous Reef Resort, Port Douglas QLD

> Escape Travel retail stores nationally > NSW & VIC Baby & Toddler Show > Trop Jr. as part of Tropfest > In-room at Sea World Gold Coast > In-room at Zagame’s Paradise Resort Gold Coast > Selected BIG4 Holiday Parks

www.facebook.com/ OAWkids www.instagram.com/ outandaboutwithkids www.twitter.com/ OAWK2

Where can you find us?

> QANTAS Lounges nationally

Follow us on

> Attractions including Questacon, Sydney SEA LIFE Aquarium and Sea World Gold Coast > Air New Zealand Kora Lounge Sydney > Waiting rooms, medical centres, doctors’ surgeries and hair salons nationally > Newsagents and bookstores in Singapore

Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletters for all the latest family holiday, leisure and entertainment news delivered to your inbox - and for the chance to win fantastic family prize!

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Treble Cone Wanaka NZ © Treble Cone / Thierry Huet

contents No business like snowbusiness …

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“So here’s my question… If you go somewhere amazing on holidays, but don’t get a decent photo of it, is it like you were never there? “

News, fun facts and animals!

PLUS peek inside some of our most frequented Aussie airports.

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LOVELY LISMORE

YUMI STYNES

Fiji

WIN!

It’s that time of year again when we invite you to tell us your ‘BEST of family travel’ in our READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS – and enter our SANDCASTLES competition!

You could WIN a fantastic family holiday thanks to ESCAPE TRAVEL and DAYDREAM ISLAND RESORT & SPA – valued at over $6,000!

SUNSHINE COAST

HURRY COMPETITION CLOSES 15 MAY 2015!

WITH

KIDS

2015 BEST OF

FAMILY TRAVEL AWARDS

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Need to unwind and reconnect? This northern NSW region is just the place for a relaxing, fun family holiday.

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DID YOU KNOW …?

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Holidays and hometown memories on Queensland’s ‘Sunny Coast’

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Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort makes it possible for parents to have a rejuvenating holiday – and fun with the kids!

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NO BUSINESS LIKE SNOWBUSINESS …

Fearless and freakishly accomplished – kids + skis + snowboards = awesome at ski resorts across Australia and New Zealand!

End oif Route 66 at Santa Monica California © Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board

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TOP ASIAN THEME PARKS Check out these action-packed attractions

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UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™, Sesame Street, Hello Kitty and so much more, right on our doorstep!

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HOLIDAYS IN THE OFF-PEAK SEASON Travelling outside of peak family holiday times can mean huge savings, great package deals and bonus inclusions and activities - putting that dream family holiday within reach, without blowing the budget!

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SPECIAL FEATURE: DISCOVER AMERICA Step inside the wonderful world that is the United States of America in this first of a special twopart feature - and discover amazing, interesting, exciting and inspiring cities and towns, people and places, food, festivals and FUN, across red desert landscapes and coastal beaches, and from midwest metropolises to iconic State Fairs. Journey from Portland Oregon to Chicago Illinois, south to Texas and Tennessee and over to NY, Rhode Island and New Jersey; travel Highway 1 from San Francisco, explore the highlights of the famed Route 66, take a road trip through Nevada, Utah and Arizona and visit San Diego, Tombstone, Santa Monica and Las Vegas; ski the US slopes; savour the tastes of America as you eat your way across the country, and drop in on one of many fabulous familyfriendly festivals and fairs on the East Coast.

123 Join our intrepid family travellers on their holiday adventures exploring destinations near and far - from The Legendary Pacific Coast - one of Australia’s most popular east coast holiday regions – to beautiful Norfolk Island and across the ditch to Rotorua in New Zealand; in the pacific paradise of Vanuatu and indulging in the heady delights of Singapore, and over the oceans to family-friendly Canadian ski resorts.

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YUMI STYNES So here’s my question: If you go somewhere amazing on holidays, but don’t get a decent photo of it, is it like you were never there?

And do photos help us remember or do they become the actual memory?

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here’s an awful lot of criticism surrounding this modern habit we all have of photographing everything on our phones – but can’t join in! I love it. My phone comes out at least twenty times a day - and with the arrival of my newest daughter nine months ago, it ‘s become RIDICULOUS. Palaces could be wallpapered with the all photos taken of that fat little baby!

The funny thing is … my habit of photographing everything started long before mobile phones even had cameras. I like to think of it as the influence of my Japanese mother.

You know the stereotype of the Japanese tourist taking photos of everything. That’s my mum, Yoshiko. She is never without a snappy little Canon or Sony, something light that fits inside her handbag, and every moment is photographed - quite poorly! (For someone constantly taking photos, she never developed a sense of composition or framing.)

During the two years that I was a single mum, Yoshiko, her friend and I all took the kids on a budget holiday to Central Australia. They were little then and full of wonder. Simple things like a grasshopper, or a native bush with edible flowers could genuinely enthrall them. They would leap into freezing motel pools with utter disregard for the temperature.

In spite of the presence of my Japanese mother, only two photos of me exist from this holiday in the Northern Territory.

Mums miss out on being in holiday photos. This is because we take the photos. When our children grow up will they ask us, “Where were you?!”

One of these two photos is of me looking greasy and exhausted on a bus (which I won’t show you), and the other is a picture in a gorge that a very lovely guide took for me. I’m the one in the red hat.

Finally we arrived at Uluru along with busloads of tourists, drivers and translators and travel experts, all setting up and waiting for a spectacular sight. At the right moment, the sun hits ‘The Rock’ and there’s an amazing glowing

© Voyages

Mums miss out on being in holiday photos. This is because we take the photos. When our children grow up will they ask us, “Where were you?!” light all around - and barely a birdcall or bus engine can be heard over the cacophony of camera shutters clicking and “cheeses” being cheesed. Surrounded by the vastness of Central Australia, 400 strangers muscle in for a photo opportunity for photograph one must - that is what we are there to do.

Except, of course, WE don’t … because it is at this moment that my daughters, who have been endlessly patient up until now, have decided not to cooperate!

They wriggle and fight and duck out of shot and treat the whole thing like one big joke. I am determined that my mother will return from Uluru with a photograph of her standing before this amazing wonder flanked by two of her grandchildren because this is a woman who was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. The fact that she is even here, standing on this amazing sacred soil with two Australian granddaughters speaking English is kind of proof that destiny and fate are big and glorious! Like the rock behind her!

Anyway, these are the photos we got. I was there too. But you’d never know it.

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DaydreamSIsland U M MResort E R &2Spa 015 outandaboutwithkids.com.au

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WIN

a family holiday including airfares

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t’s that time of year again – our READERS CHOICE AWARDS nominations are open and we’d like you to have your say on the BEST family travel experiences for the chance to WIN A DREAM FAMILY HOLIDAY for two adults and two children, including airfares, to sensational DAYDREAM ISLAND RESORT & SPA in Queensland’s glorious Whitsundays Islands group!

TO ENTER, we’re inviting you to upload your kids’ SANDCASTLE photos, nominate your BEST family travel experiences and tell us in 25 words or less why your family would love to win this dream family holiday valued at over $6,000! It’s that simple!

Visit outandaboutwithkids.com.au and facebook.com/OAWkids for details!

Thanks to ESCAPE TRAVEL & DAYDREAM ISLAND RESORT & SPA, this fantastic prize includes: • 5 nights Accommodation at Daydream Island Resort in an Ocean Balcony Room • Scrumptious full buffet breakfast daily • FREE shell necklace and mocktail on arrival • FREE Wi-Fi in the Atrium 24 hours a day • FREE holiday portrait during your stay • Over 20 FREE activities including kayaks, catamarans, stand-up paddle boards, stingray & shark feeding show, open-air cinema and more!

plus

• Return Transfers from Hamilton Island • Full Day Great Barrier Reef Adventure • 1/2 Day Whitehaven Cruise all courtesy of Cruise Whitsundays

WITH

OUT&ABOUT

KIDS

2015 BEST OF

FAMILY TRAVEL AWARDS

15 0 2 ay M 5 y1 a rid F se o l c

R E T EN

s e i tr n E

!

W NO

*Please note TERMS & CONDITONS apply

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THE PERFECT BEACH HOLIDAY DESTINATION! Our family friendly park has an array of accommodation to suit everyone’s needs from waterfront Beach Retreats and Villas to our Ensuite and Powered Sites. Relax and enjoy a swim or a game of beach cricket on our beautiful Easts Beach. Have a hit of tennis or catch a fish or two. The kids will love our 25m resort pool,

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toddlers wading pool and children’s playgrounds. Kids activities and movies in our holiday periods will keep the kids busy. Our holiday park is the ideal location from which to explore the south coast, with popular tourist attractions such as Jamberoo Action Park and the Minnamurra Rainforest just minutes away.

For further information please contact: BIG4 Easts Beach Holiday Park Ocean Street (PO Box 10) Kiama NSW 2533 Freecall: 1800 674 444 P: 02 4232 2124 F: 02 4233 1009 E: holiday@eastsbeach.com.au www.eastsbeach.com.au

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Cruise Whitsundays has a brand new home

Tour dates

Queensland’s popular Cruise Whitsundays, operators of fabulous day cruises and island resort connections, has moved from Abel Point Marina to a brand-new, purpose-built Maritime Terminal at Port of Airlie. Holidaying families will now be treated to a convenient and smooth airport-style checkin, and there’s also a large indoor/outdoor café, gift shops and comfortable seated waiting areas.

The state-of-the-art facility is located at 24 The Cove Road, an easy walk from most Airlie Beach hotels and accommodation, at the same end of town as Airlie Beach itself!

You can check out the new timetable at > cruisewhitsundays.com

Kids can “Explore, Rescue, Protect” in the fantastic new Octonauts zone at Sydney SeaLife Aquarium, opening April 2015. Completely new aquatic animals in dynamic displays plus 3D talking Octonauts crew members, are just part of the amazing world waiting to be discovered! Help the crew on brand-new underwater missions and join Captain Barnacles, Kwazii and Peso in exciting interactive missions and games that include searching a shipwreck for treasure, cleaning up the coral reef and rescuing creatures. >sydneyaquarium.com.au

©Disney. All rights reserved

All-new Octonauts adventure opens April 2015

Disney On Ice Australian tour 2015

Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream begins its Australian Tour on 5 June 2015. Bringing two of Disney’s favourite modern-day princess stories, Tangled and The Princess and the Frog, and two classic fairytales, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Cinderella, to life in a skating spectacle.

Kids will love this classic-meets-contemporary celebration on ice, of 75 years of Disney Princesses!

Perth – Perth Arena – 5-7 June Adelaide – Adelaide Entertainment Centre – 12-14 June Newcastle – Newcastle Entertainment Centre – 19-21 June Brisbane – Brisbane Entertainment Centre – 27-29 June Melbourne – Hisense Arena - 2-6 July Sydney – Allphones Arena – 8-12 July Tickets on sale now through > ticketek.com.au/disneyonice

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Wild Oceans EcoBoat Tour

CAPE

thenobbies phillip island

penguinparade phillip island

TRIBULATION

All weather, All ages from 3-103!

• Guided tour through six tree platforms & seven ziplines, plus the Human Hamster Wheel!

• Over one hour in the rainforest canopy • Eco-talk on each platform • No experience necessary • Eight tours daily from Cape Tribulation

BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL! junglesurfing.com.au

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koala

conservation centre

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It’s snowtime…

© Perisher.com.au

The Australian ski season officially opens in June and families are already starting to plan their winter holidays in our fantastic Aussie snowfields. Before you pack the kids, grab the snowboards and skis and head out the door, do your homework to snag a quality ski package at the right price. Every year, Skimax helps families make the most of the ‘white season’ - in Australia, NZ, Japan, Canada, USA, Europe, South Korea and South America - and with that impressive range of destinations, and great Skimax 2015 brochures out now, you can take your pick!

Check out what’s new for the coming season at our top family resorts across Perisher and Thredbo in NSW; and Mt Buller, Hotham and Falls Creek in Victoria, by visiting the skimax website. > skimax.com.au

Download the Family Hawai‘i Guide

©iStock Photo

Exploring all of the wonderful experiences a family-friendly Hawai‘i holiday offers is now even easier with a new Family Hawai‘i Guide, produced by the folks who know Hawai‘i better than anyone! Go Hawai‘i is the tourism body for ‘The Aloha State’ and, because families flock to their piece of paradise for holidays, family reunions and milestone occasions, they’ve created a guide to absolutely everything – that’s just for families.

Providing a comprehensive overview of the most popular Hawaiian Islands of O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, Maui and Hawai‘i Island (Big Island), with suggestions for free and inexpensive family activities along with the best family accommodation options and top tips for family dining, the Guide also includes maps and important need-to-know information on getting there, getting around the islands, weather and more.

The Family Guide also covers a whole range of experiences that build memories by appealing to both children and adults, as well as once-in-a-lifetime Hawaiian adventures like swimming with green sea turtles, snorkelling with manta rays, exploring an active volcano and hiking through lush rainforest!

Download your copy of the Family Hawai‘i Guide: > gohawaii.com/au/statewide/family-guide

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…our great Australian airports long-term parking (one day or longer), with shuttle buses running to and from T2 & T3 every 15 minutes. International travellers can smoothly collect and drop off loved ones, with plenty of spaces in the multistorey P7 and open-air P9 carparks, as well as an Express Pick Up area.

Parking can also be pre-booked online, at a discounted rate!

Melbourne Airport

© iStock Photo/Kokkai Ng

> melbourneairportcom.au

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or a country with a relatively small population we do our fair share of air travel.

Every day our airports are kept busy welcoming visitors from other Australian states, and other countries, and bidding a temporary farewell, or hearty g’day, to departing and returning residents.

Sydney Airport is the country’s busiest, both domestically and internationally, and Melbourne and Brisbane Airports are not far behind. Queensland’s Gold Coast Airport and Cairns Airport, despite being much smaller in scale than their capital city counterparts, are both gateways to fabulous Queensland family holiday destinations, so it’s no surprise that arrivals and departures at both are constant!

And for a small domestic airport (still affectionately referred to as Maroochydore Airport) Sunshine Coast Airport is in the process of green lighting a necessary expansion project that includes the addition of another runway.

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Getting there SkyBus runs shuttles to and from the airport to the city centre, every 10 minutes, 24/7, including public holidays. > skybus.com.au Clearly the backbone of any airport is the planes and runways and air traffic control tower, and the people engaged in the business of airports, because without any of these essential ingredients, the chance of us flying anywhere is zilch! But our airports are also modern marvels with traveller comfort and convenience a high priority.

Quite aside from the considerable considerations laid on for passengers in individual airline lounges, the communal passenger spaces, at both domestic and international terminals, have been designed to offer a contemporary, relaxing and comfortable pre-flight experience, within a shopping and dining hub that caters for every age, taste and budget!

Want coffee, juices, smoothies, yoghurt, pizza, salads, gourmet sandwiches, noodles, bakery treats, sushi, fries, snacks and Krispy Kreme Donuts (yes!) – tick!

Want to browse and buy books and magazines, tech gadgets, gifts, clothing? – tick! Need free

wi-fi, disabled amenities, parents’ rooms and distractions for the children? – tick! And then there’s the mind-boggling range of Duty Free shopping on offer, for all international travellers, on the other side of customs!

As for the basic, if mundane, necessities of airline travel – luggage, transport to and from airports, parking, departure and arrival drop-offs and pick-ups…. well, as you’d expect, our airports make sure all of those boxes are ticked too!

Sydney Airport

> sydneyairport.com.au Getting there Sydney’s Domestic (T2 & T3) and International (T1) terminals are serviced by the Airport Link train network, with stations at both terminals and the journey only 13 minutes from the city centre. > airportlink.com.au Parking Domestic travellers can take advantage of Blu Emu’s budget

Parking Long-term outdoor parking is available with free courtesy bus shuttles to the terminal.

The Wait Zone for arrival pick-ups is FREE for the first 20 minutes.

Brisbane Airport > bne.com.au

Getting there Airtrain operates a quick rail service from the city and suburbs to the Domestic terminal. > airtrain.com.au The Orange TBus operates inter-terminal shuttle transfers (between Domestic and International) for $5 per person one way with kids under 4 travelling for FREE. Parking Long-term and short-term car parking is available and plentiful at both the Domestic and International terminals.

Redevelopment of the International terminal, which commenced in February 2014, is due for completion mid 2015.

D I D Y O U K NO W ...?

Gold Coast Airport > goldcoastairport.com

Getting there The Gold Coast Tourist Shuttle offers a door-to-door service between your accommodation and the airport and covers the area from Tweed Heads to Runaway Bay. The all-in-one ticket also includes Gold Coast Theme Park transfers! > gcshuttle.com.au Parking Gold Coast Airport has three carparks where parking starts at just $16 per day and four

different long-term parking options including a Premium package.

Cairns Airport Getting there Sun Palm Transport Group runs a shuttle service to and from the airport, hotels, the city centre and the northern beaches, including Palm Cove, Port Douglas, Cape Tribulation and Mission Beach.

No pre-booking is required: pick-ups are near the Arrivals area and both terminals have information desks inside. > sunpalmtransport.com.au

Parking The airport’s new easy carpark layout offers plenty of short and longterm parking with the T2 Carpark designated for Domestic and T1 Budget for International.

Sunshine Coast Airport

> sunshinecoastairport. com.au Getting there Henry’s door-to-door airport shuttles service Noosa and the Northern Sunshine Coast. > henrys.com.au

Did you know …?

Next time you and your family are at one of our great Aussie airports look out for the latest issue of Out & About with Kids – we’re in Airport Newslink newsagents and Qantas Lounge Family Zones, nationally!

Sun Air shuttle bus service covers the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane regions. > sunair.com.au Parking Sunshine Coast Airport provides both short and long stay carparking facilities, all conveniently located adjacent to the airport terminal building.

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Take it from us – Manhattan really is a special place for a family holiday!

Thanks to movies and TV shows, New York City is one destination that feels instantly familiar to Aussie families. We all know Manhattan’s streetscapes and iconic buildings, yellow taxi cabs, the Hudson River, the fabulous shopping, Central Park and the city’s museums so well – even if we’ve never visited!

So familiar is this city that it feels like home – and if you really want to experience the ‘home’ vibe, let the family spread out, sprawl and settle in at the Beacon Hotel in a guestroom or suite complete with plenty of space – and a fully-equipped kitchenette!

Located on the family-friendly and popular Upper West Side, the Beacon Hotel sits on Broadway at 75th Street, in a neighbourhood of tree-lined streets, the Broadway theatre

district and iconic Central Park, and is a great location from which to easily explore the Big Apple with kids. Being able to prepare your own family meals, and keep snacks on hand, is a big plus, and just one block away at the fabulous Fairway Market a shopping trip takes on a whole new meaning with a bakery, butcher, seafood, deli and pantry items making it much more than a supermarket. On Broadway at 80th Street you’ll also find Zabar’s, catering for gourmet palates, with an extensive range that includes quintessential NYC kosher items!

Beacon Hotel is adjacent to Broadway’s famous Beacon Theatre and just a hop, step and jump (or subway ride!) to Midtown Manhattan, The Village and all of the family-friendly landmark museums and attractions in this amazing city! >beaconhotel.com

Play on Phillip Island

Up-close animal encounters and loads of family fun are what you’ll find at Phillip Island, a natural holiday playground located an easy, 90-minute drive from Melbourne. Feed the pelicans in San Remo, drool over chocolate being poured at the Chocolate factory, fly high above the island in a helicopter, tackle the new high ropes course, pet the friendly farm animals at Churchill Island Heritage Farm, spy star fish and crabs in the rock pools by the beach. And of course, watch in wonder as the Little Penguins waddle out of the water at sunset at the Phillip Island Penguin Parade. There are some great deals and special offers across accommodation, dining and family fun activities available now until 30 June 2015. Download the exclusive offers and start planning your trip! > visitphillipisland.com

© Phillip Island Tourism

Make yourself at home in Manhattan!

Preview: The newest, largest ship in the world

© Beacon Hotel

© Royal Caribbean

Cruise line, Royal Caribbean International, is adding a new star liner to its fleet with the launch of the 16deck Harmony of the Seas in April 2016. One of the RCI’s state-of-the-art ‘Oasis-class’ ships – the largest cruise ships in the world - Harmony passengers can look forward to thrills and spills galore with not one, not two, but THREE multi-storey waterslides, towering 10 decks high above ‘Central Park’!

With seven distinct ‘neighbourhoods’ and a whole bunch of fun amenities onboard, kids will love taking a spin on the handcrafted carousel, enjoying the classic games arcade and meeting new friends in the climbing play area on the ship’s Boardwalk. > royalcaribbean.com.au

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Longtime family favourite destination, Plantation Island Resort, in the stunning Mamanuca Island Group, has just scored a first for Fiji in the family weddings department, with the announcement that Apisai Vasu (Api) and Miriama Soqosoqo (Miri) from the resort have attained the honour of becoming official Civil Marriage Celebrants within Fiji.

Having Civil Marriage Celebrants based at Plantation Island Resort means there is no need for couples to go to the Registry Office on the mainland for their wedding documentation, it speeds up the entire process and is much more convenient for the bride and groom. Plantation Island Resort can also now offer weddings at all times of the day and night including

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Š Plantation Island Resort Fiji / McLennan

First Fijian resort with official Marriage Celebrants!

Sundays and Public Holidays without worrying about logistics and offers fantastic packages and a variety of accommodation types and activities for friends and family on all budgets.

And as a bonus – you also get an absolutely stunning, sunkissed, location for your wedding and family holiday combo! >plantationisland.com

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Kids’ own Passport to Paradise!

Imagine this for a moment …. A tropical family holiday, staying on absolute beachfront, with the warm and friendly locals charming the pants off guests of all ages, culture permeating every corner and a free Kids Program that also welcomes mums and dads, aunts and uncles and grandparents to join in the fun …. and imagine that place is the award-winning Ka’anapali Beach Hotel on the Hawaiian island of Maui, right there on famed Ka’anapali Beach! KBH is recognised as the “Most Hawaiian Hotel” by the Waiaha Foundation, based on over 100 criteria, and was accorded the “He Kuleana Ke Aloha” award by The Hawaii Tourism Authority for demonstrating an ongoing responsibility, commitment and dedication to honoring and perpetuating the Hawaiian culture for generations to come.

And that commitment to cultural excellence and authenticity extends to the participation of every guest – especially the kids! On arrival, sign up for the ‘Aloha Passport for Kids’ and unlock fabulous activities and ‘destinations’ that everyone can enjoy - because this is a family program rather than a kids drop-off centre, and each Aloha Passport (with your name in Hawaiian!) offers a range of activities (including flower lei making, hula and ukulele lessons) based around a series of ‘destinations’. On presentation of their passport at the hotel’s shops and restaurants, kids will also receive a special stamp of a Hawaiian word and a bonus fun gift as a souvenir of their KBH holiday!

Even babies under 2 years receive their very own ‘Aloha’ passports that come with a beach bucket filled with toys for a ton of fun during their magical Maui holiday! >kbhmaui.com

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….Monopoly celebrates 80 years of family fun!

Can you believe the perennial favourite board game has been entertaining families for eight decades? Join in the celebrations and reminisce, with the special Monopoly 80th Anniversary edition with a vintage inspired game board, cards and money, wooden houses and hotels, along with classic tokens from across the decades including the lantern and moneybag. This retro-style Monopoly is definitely worth adding to your collection and is available now, but get in quick while stocks last!

Mix

1 Fiji gets a new resort

Mix: Water + Milton tablet or Solution in tub or sink

Soak

2

15 min

Soak: Add items to be sterilised and soak for 15mins

or al f Ide lling ve Tra

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Pullman Nadi Bay Resort & Spa is scheduled to be ready to open its doors to guests in 2016, and will be the fifth Accor hotel in Fiji, joining the Mercure Nadi, Novotel Nadi, Novotel Suva Lami Bay, and the Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa on Denarau Island.

Located beachfront on Nadi Bay, the resort will offer guests a premier location just two kilometres drive from the Nadi International Airport. The finished resort is expected to open with 234 rooms and suites, and offer guests an extensive range of facilities including six restaurants and bars, two swimming pools and a day spa and will employ 300 staff!

2015 is Accor’s 12th year of operation in the Fiji Islands and giving back to the local community is an important part of the hotel group’s ethos. Since hosting its first bi-annual Race to Survive to Cure Kids event in 2006, staff and supporters have raised more than FJ$1.5 million for the Cure Kids Fiji charity and local beneficiaries.

D I D Y O U K NO W ...?

New service flies NewcastleCanberra route

ExperienceAIS The Australian Institute of Sport. The AIS. Australia’s premier elite sporting precinct. A place that cannot be found anywhere else in Australia.

Throughout the year, the AIS also open its doors to over 200,000 visitors from around Australia and overseas.

Great news for families who want to travel between Newcastle and Canberra, with the announcement that Sydney-based Pelican Airlines has added a 19-seat BAE Jetstream ‘Fly Pelican’ morning service from Newcastle to Canberra and a late afternoon return flight. In addition, a Sunday afternoon service has begun as well as a short service between Newcastle and Sydney Airport.

Serving nearby Newcastle, Port Stephens and the Hunter Valley, Newcastle Airport is the second busiest airport in NSW and the 12th busiest in Australia, with 170 domestic flights a week and 1.2 million passengers a year. Currently Virgin Australia, Jetstar, QantasLink and Regional Express offer direct flights between Newcastle and Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Ballina and Taree.

The announcement coincides with the completion of stage one of a $14.5 million expansion of Newcastle Airport which will see a 50 per cent bigger terminal increase capacity!

More flights for Queenstown NZ ski season

Skiing families will benefit from Qantas adding an additional weekly service from Sydney to Queenstown, New Zealand until 11 October, 2015, with daily flights supporting the Queenstown ski season from July through to the end of August.

A twice-weekly service will also operate between Brisbane and Queenstown on Wednesday and Saturday from 8 June to 26 September, 2015.

Adding more than 1,000 seats each week during the ski season, the additional services will be operated by Qantas’ fleet of Boeing 737-800 aircraft and offer inflight entertainment, food and wine and checked luggage.

Only minutes from Canberra’s CBD and set amongst 65 hectares of campus-like grounds with plenty of free parking.

AIS Visitor Centre & Tours Everyone’s welcome at the AIS Visitor Centre, purchase exclusive merchandise at the AIS Shop and enjoy great coffee & café-style food at GG espresso.

Go behind the scenes on an award-winning AIS Tour. Challenge yourself in Sportex, offering various fun and interactive sporting exhibits, set amongst a unique collection of Australian sporting memorabilia.

AIS Aquatic & Fitness Centre Get t like a true champion at the AIS. Dive into our world-class swimming pool, try out our fully equipped gym or get real results with one of our experienced personal trainers. All visitors are welcome.

AIS, Leverrier Street, Canberra, ACT (02) 6214 1010 ausport.gov.au/visit facebook.com/ExperienceAIS @ExperienceAIS

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e e r f r o f

ers & meals * sf n a tr y, la p y, a st apply.

Includes: d block out dates *Conditions an

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LUS stay 7 nights an d only pay for 5! plus re ceive a FJ$200 fo od & beverage credit per room Hur ry book now, Sale s end 30 June 201 5. *Conditions and bloc k out dates apply.

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D I D Y O U K NO W...?

© istock.com/NickBiemans

Zoo debut

Baby boom

© istock.com/NickBiemans

© istock.com/NickBiemans

Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, a leader in animal conservation and care, welcomed a healthy western lowland gorilla on February 24, 2015. An endangered species, the new addition, to mum Bahati and dad Kwan helps boost their numbers in captivity.

Keepers are maintaining a close watch to ensure the newborn continues to thrive as the first weeks are critical to the baby’s survival.> lpzoo.org

Sydney’s Taronga Zoo announced the safe arrival of an Eastern Bongo Calf on February 8, 2015. One of the rarest antelope species in the world, the new baby was warmly welcomed by keepers - to mum Djembe and dad Ekundu. There are fewer than 100 Eastern Bongos left in the world, following the destruction of their African habitat through disease and poaching. The new calf is an important addition to the Australian breeding program, which helps to save these endangered animals from extinction. In fact, Taronga also supports the protection initiative, Bongo Surveillance Project in the highlands of Central Kenya. > taronga.org.au

A female Hamadryas baboon was a delightful early Christmas present for Adelaide Zoo when she was born to parents Chappi and Horus on December 18, 2014. These baboons are one of five species found in harsh, dry environments in Africa and they live in multilevel societies in the wild, with as many as 800 baboons in one area. > adelaidezoo.com.au

A debut of a different kind in Victoria lets adventurers onboard the Phillip Island Nature Parks EcoBoat get up-close-and-personal with thousands of playful seal pups! From November to February each year approximately 6-8,000 seal pups are born and spend their days suckling, playing, sleeping, splashing about in rockpools, learning to swim and forming larges groups when their mums are out foraging! Between April and July you can see them coming and going as they grow stronger and more adventurous in preparation for learning to fish for themselves around August! > penguins.org.au

Did you know …. when Little Penguins lay their eggs each weighs around 55g (the size of chicken eggs) and that both parents take it in turn to incubate the eggs – roughly 35 days.

© istock.com/NickBiemans

© istock.com/nelsonarts

In the past few months many of the world’s zoos have been welcoming new babies – some of whom are rare and endangered species. Other babies have been making their public debut, as their proud parents show off their little ones for the first time.

© istock.com/NickBiemans

Did you know …?

Baby Dilly made her debut at the Fort Worth Zoo in Texas just in time for Valentine’s Day on February 14, 2015. The zoo’s youngest giraffe was born on January 11, 2015 to mum Corrie and is the 15th giraffe born at the zoo since 1991. Fort Worth Zoo’s Facebook presented Dilly to the public in true Valentine’s Day fashion! > fortworthzoo.org AUTUMN 2015 outandaboutwithkids.com.au

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Nature and nurture in

Lovely Lismore If your family is feeling swamped by the hustle and bustle of daily life, unwinding and reconnecting in and around Lismore, might just be the ideal remedy!

L

ismore is located in the NE corner of NSW, on the picturesque Wilson’s River, in a region that is also home to the Aboriginal people of the Bundjalung nation, and replete with World Heritage-listed national parks of ancient rainforests and cascading waterfalls. The local community is lauded for being actively ecologically-aware, and for its creative and artistic ethos – not to mention the abundant homegrown gourmet delicacies they produce!

In and around Lismore weekly farmers markets add a vibrant energy with producers, artists and designers from across the Northern Rivers showcasing their wares

to a backdrop of live music, face painting and buskers for the kids and locally-sourced gourmet food, beer and wine for the adults!

The ‘Experience Walk’, along the river’s banks, is a great place to start your Lismore visit and provides an informative and entertaining insight into the historical, cultural and artistic life here, with art installations, interpretive sites and beautiful natural landscaping.

Call into the Visitor Information Centre for a complete overview of exciting things to see and do and cosy places to stay. With abundant local knowledge and their fingers on the pulse of family-friendly Lismore, the Centre’s staff

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Previous page: Lismore Lantern Parade Above and right: Viking kids at play at the family-friendly Winter Solstice Below right: Lismore Regional Gallery welcomes children to the Peggy Popart Tour

Lismore

Stay

Melville House melvillehouse.com.au The Lismore Gateway Motel lismoregatewaymotel.com.au

Eat

Palate at the Gallery palateatthegallery.com The Bank Café thebankcafe.com.au

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will point you in the right direction and help you create a personalised holiday calendar that won’t miss a thing!

They can suggest highlights en route to nearby towns and national parks so that you get the most from a full or half-day scenic drive. Discover lush macadamia and coffee fields, unspoiled beaches, curio store-filled villages and breathtaking views.

The Centre also houses a great range of local arts, crafts, souvenirs and delicious produce and kids can run wild at the adjacent Heritage Park with cleverly-designed play equipment, a skate park and miniature railway! > visitlismore.com.au Visit World Heritage-listed Nightcap National Park just west of Lismore - a lush, ancient rainforest traversed by burbling waterways and home to some of the region’s most spectacular vistas, as well as a number of endangered species. There are easy walks to waterfalls, plenty of picnic areas to relax at, and a nearby campground in Whian Whian State Conservation Area.

To the north of Lismore, the easy climb of the Palm Forest walking track, in Border Ranges National Park, will lead you to Brushbox Falls Lookout where tall brushbox, Christmas orchids and strangler figs create an otherworldly environment. > nationalparks.nsw.gov.au Lismore has long been home to creative types - painters, sculptors and craftspeople – whose works are inspired by the stunning natural surrounds, and the inherent lifestyle of the region. The Lismore Regional Gallery is well worth a visit and there are also a number of private galleries and studios throughout town. Keep an eye out for kid-friendly exhibitions including the talented and engaging Lollipop Ladies from Roundabout Theatre and their Peggy Popart Tour for kids ! > lismoregallery.org Volunteers nurture and rehabilitate koalas from all across the Northern Rivers region at Lismore’s Friends of the Koala Care, Education and Research Centre. Kids have the opportunity to see sick and injured koalas first-hand, and to learn more about their habitat loss, how they are being cared for and nurtured back to health here, and how we can help reduce the human impact on our koala population. > friendsofthekoala.org A great time to visit Lismore is during the Winter Solstice, when the community pays homage to art and nature in a lively, family-friendly celebration that brings together theatre, live music, regional cuisine, markets and workshops – there’s even a Viking village that realistically evokes the sights, sounds and smells of Norse seafaring life, recreated by the enthusiastic participants of the Dark Age Medieval Society. And the Lantern Parade is simply spectacular! Kids will be mesmerised by the multitude of illuminated parade lanterns of all shapes and styles that light up the streets.

Fabulous fiery fireworks make a grand finale for a wonderful day. > lanternparade.com

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SU N SHINE C OA ST

Holidays and hometown memories

© Nah Turnbull

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AUTUMN 2015 outandaboutwithkids.com.au

main beach with the help of my old boogie board. Dug out from dad’s shed, and still bearing the teeth marks of my childhood dog, it served its purpose well, guiding them safely to the sandy beach each time.

On our last day, we set out early into the Noosa National Park, evoking memories for me of sitting atop my uncle’s shoulders - an “indestructible adventurer” - as we tramped the spectacular coastline. The kids relished the challenge of the trail, encouraged by the reward of a swim or two at the many beaches that dot the path. We explored nearby rock pools, catching scuttling crabs and chasing fish, as hours seemed to pass in mere moments. Chicken and salad rolls, complete with a sprinkling of sand, rounded out my taste of the ‘good old days’, and with my own children on this adventure, my love of the outdoors was renewed. It seems that in the hustle of parenting I had forgotten what holidaying was all about.

Whether the journey we make with our family is close or far from home, our connection with the natural environment, and our family and friends, are the things that make holiday experiences truly special and build lasting memories. I urge anyone looking for holiday inspiration to think back to when and where you last felt, loved, connected and completely carefree. And when you find that place, like I did, don’t just take your kids there … take yourself too!

© Nah Turnbull

O

ur decision to travel to the coast at Christmas was not unlike any other year. A visit to family is always a joy, but our choice to stay and play like I did as a child was a conscious one. It was in the tenth hour of our journey south that my husband and I discussed what it was that we most loved about our childhoods. I quickly realised how fortunate I was to live not only in a naturally beautiful place, but to have an amazing family who made the most of it.

We jumped into our holiday at the Noosa River where, under the ever-caring and patient eye of grandma, we spent hours in the sunny splendour. I quickly felt relaxed in the familiar surrounds - the sights, smells and tastes all bringing back magical childhood memories.

At the upper stretches we recalled tales of infamous bull sharks, whilst jumping carefree into the brackish cool waters of the everglades. Our lunch table was shared with very friendly goannas, before they left us to find that perfect tree to climb.

Along the shore of the Noosaville waterfront the children played at the same playgrounds where I celebrated many a birthday when I was growing up here. New equipment, extended bikeways and even a splash park next to the Noosa Marina made for fantastic fun.

We introduced the kids to the gentle waves of Noosa’s

© Nah Turnbull

Revisiting her childhood hometown of Tewantin on a family holiday on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast with husband Brett and children Hayden (4) and Catherine (2), NAH TURNBULL found a renewed energy and enthusiasm for this ‘special place’.

A rejuvenating holiday with kids?

It’s all possible at Fiji’s Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort!

© TJean-Michel Cousteau Resort/McLennan

Imagine a tropical island family holiday where you can indulge in romantic dinners for two, escape for a massage or snorkelling adventure on a whim, and sleep in as late as you desire, knowing that your children are in safe and secure hands…

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swimming, volleyball, and a legendary water slide, will fill the bill! Plus the resort also invites its guests to sample Fijian village life outside its doors and is actively involved with the local communities, employing and training many residents within the resort, providing health care and transport services, and assisting in local building projects, such as a kindergarten currently being built across the bay.

The weekly village tour to Nukubalavu is a fun-filled insight into Fiji’s traditional side, accompanied by plenty of song and Meke dance, and provides a chance for the kids to make new friends and play with some of their local counterparts!

Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort originally opened its doors as a dive resort, with one of the world’s top ten reefs lying just offshore in a protected marine reserve.

While some locals were initially averse to the idea of a fishing ban, the benefits that eco-tourism has brought to the region have far outweighed the losses, and today you won’t find any reef fish or lobster on Jean-Michel’s menus. Don’t miss the opportunity to explore this underwater wonderland, either on a dive or snorkel trip, and introduce older kids to the abundant marine life in the surrounding waters. The resort has highly experienced dive instructors whose understanding of the reef is second to none. Alternatively, take an easy, guided waterfall walk with an eco-expert, in the stunning tropical rainforest surrounding the resort.

And if relaxing in paradise all gets too much, then why not just relax some more! The resort spa offers a range of Fiji-inspired massages and treatments to indulge in and there are also complimentary daily group yoga sessions (you can even arrange a private session.)

Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort is about unplugging and reconnecting to nature, culture, community and self. It is a place where families can unwind and relax, whilst embracing the Fijian culture and hospitality. Rates include 2 adults and 2 children under 12 years of age, (with a small supplement for children over 12).

Read a first-hand account of a fabulous – and, yes, rejuvenating! - Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort holiday with a young family at outandaboutwithkids.com.au/ feels-likefamily-at-jean-michel-cousteau-fiji/

© TJean-Michel Cousteau Resort/McLennan

© TJean-Michel Cousteau Resort/McLennan

© TJean-Michel Cousteau Resort/McLennan

F

iji’s Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort is an allinclusive luxury resort which, in addition to offering all the activities and pampering you would expect, includes a private nanny for all children under five years, and a designated ‘buddy group’ for kids up to the age of 12. What this means is an action-filled holiday for kids, with the ‘Bula’ Kids Club offering an endless array of activities, and time to unwind and rejuvenate for mum and dad - the perfect balance for a relaxing family holiday!

Island Hoppers will get you safely and comfortably to Savusavu with direct daily flights from Nadi, and resort staff will whisk you from the airport to the paradise that is Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort. Your nannies await, ready to welcome the kids as family into their home, making the transition simple and trauma-free!

The resort is built on ecological principles, in tune with its stunning natural surrounds, and luxury accommodation is within traditional, and beautifullyappointed, bures, set across the landscaped tropical gardens. This commitment to the environment even extends to the kitchen, where the freshest local produce is served up ‘garden (and ocean) to plate’. The internationally-trained local chef has created a delicious menu of Fijian, South Pacific and Asian-inspired dishes, as well as catering to the less experimental tastes of the little ones - although their made-to-order baby purees are rather exclusive!

A fabulous traditional Lovo feast is a family-friendly weekly event, filled with Fijian music and dance, but if you fancy a private beachside dinner with your loved one, then Jean-Michel Cousteau with the resort will tailor the perfect meal for you and arrange the babysitting!

Kids will love heading off after a delicious buffet breakfast to join in the wonderful, supervised activities at the resort’s ‘Bula’ Kids Club. Open from 8am to 9pm every day and separated into two programs - one for the kids under 6 years and another for those up to 12 years – the ‘Bula’ philosophy is centred around developing an appreciation and understanding of the natural world and learning to conserve and protect it within a fun and safe environment. Healthy meals are served throughout the day and parents are encouraged to participate as much (or as little) as they like.

If your family wants to get active together -

More Information Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort Fiji fijiresort.com

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OZ &NZ S K I

…no business like SNOWBUSINESS … kids and snow!

© Perisher.com.au

T

here’s an old show business adage, attributed to a quote from early Hollywood icon (and reputed curmudgeon) W.C. Fields, who said “Never work with children or animals”. He didn’t make that observation because he wasn’t fond of either, but rather because, he went on to elaborate and lament, both children and animals ‘steal all the scenes’ and create an environment, on celluloid at least, where an adult just can’t compete.

And if you’ve ever seen kids on skis, tackling slopes and ‘shredding’ on snowboards you’ll know how easily that showbiz adage could apply as a ‘snowbiz’ adage, because kids PLUS snow EQUALS awesome … every time!

Like ducks to water, these younger

snow geese are to powder, and can be seen – fearless and formidable – at any kids ski school and on any slope, from beginner to extreme, throughout winter and across the globe.

Beyond hail, sleet and flurries, the sight of mega snow in a ski resort, a village blanketed and mountains capped with white – these are the iconic and unique properties of a real holiday in ‘the snow’, and everyone deserves to experience that quintessential wintry wonderland at least once in their lives. It’s a dream destination for kids, so if you’ve never considered a family ski holiday before now, why not start planning for winter 2015? Just remember what old W.C. Fields said, and expect that your children will, almost certainly, ‘steal all the scenes’!

Kids whose parents are seasoned skiers usually venture to the snowfields early in life, but never fear if you and your better half are not seasoned snow bunnies, because your children will almost certainly thrive and excel from the get-go, and under expert tutelage, at these brilliant Kids Ski Schools!

AUSTRALIA Australia is blessed with two fantastic, family-friendly snow destinations across two states – NSW and VICTORIA – offering a choice of resorts and snowfields.

Proximity to Sydney and Melbourne, respectively, with Canberra in the middle, makes a winter snow holiday an easy-toreach escape, even over a weekend, for families in those states.

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Lake Mountain (and around 2.5 hours to Mount Baw Baw in the Gippsland region!) with 4.5 hours’ drive delivering you to Mt Hotham and Falls Creek. Or take a direct QantasLink flight from Sydney to Hotham Airport, just 20 kms from the resort.

© Perisher.com.au

NSW

Mid-jump at Perisher If you have to fly in from another Australian state, NSW resorts are easily accessed from Canberra in approximately 2 hours’ drive, and as most of Victoria’s alpine resorts lie to the north-east of Melbourne, a 2 hour drive will get you to

PERISHER perisher.com.au The largest alpine resort in the southern hemisphere, Perisher boasts four ski resorts – Blue Cow, Smiggin Holes, Perisher and Guthega. Family fun abounds here – head to Tube Town for some toboggan fun on the largest toboggan area in Australia.

No skill required - and you’ll even be towed back up the hill!

Kids Ski School Kids and Teens ski and snowboard programs target a small group size, which means more individual attention and a better learning experience for all. The Snowsports

School offers ski lessons for children from three years old, and group snowboarding lessons for kids seven years and older. And seven terrain parks of varying degrees of difficulty, designed for progression, mean there is no time to get bored!

THREDBO thredbo.com.au The picturesque alpine village of Thredbo is a popular family resort, with full village amenities and the convenience of staying on-snow.

Kids Ski School Kids between three and six years will get their ‘ski legs’ at Thredboland and Freeriders snowboarding and skiing school caters for seven to 14-year-olds SELWYN SNOWFIELDS selwynsnow.com.au Family owned and operated, over the past 40 years Selwyn Snowfields has grown from a one-lift operation to a sophisticated Snowy Mountains resort.

BIG MOUNTAIN

big DAYS AND THE KIDS SKI4FREE

36

Only one hour from Christchurch International Airport is where kids 10 years and under stay, eat and ski for free*.

EARLY LEARNING CENTRES 3 months – 5 years.

3 DAY SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAMMES 5 – 15 years.

*kids 10 yrs & under also get free airport transfers & daily mountain transfers.

Go to www.kids4free.co.nz for all the info and participating businesses.

Find out about the big mountain at www.mthutt.co.nz

AUTUMN 2015 outandaboutwithkids.com.au

Full and half day options available.

All smiles @ Mt Buller Kids Ski School Selwyn Snow World takes kids from 18 months and separates them into three age-appropriate groups - Mini, Mighty and Mega Mites – to combine fun and educational activities, including skiing in the kids’ private and dedicated children’s learning area serviced by Gentle Annie – the moving carpet lift!

CHARLOTTE PASS charlottepasscom.au Charlotte Pass Village is the highest resort in the country with a kids’ Play Park full of fun challenges for all ages and levels including mini jumps, woop-de-doos and snake trails.

Kids Ski School The all-day kids ski program – Kosi Kids Club - is for children 3-9 years and has been designed to improve skills, from beginners to intermediates, in a fun environment.

VICTORIA LAKE MOUNTAIN lakemountainresort.com.au The closest of Victoria’s snowfields to Melbourne, and at just two hours’ drive out of town, is perfect for a day trip as well as longer stays at nearby Marysville.

Kids Ski School Learn to ski packages for all ages are available and along with Ski School provide a confidence-boosting, basic introduction to skiing, especially for children.

MT. BULLER mtbuller.com.au Mt Buller is super family-friendly and includes a licensed Childcare Facility, the Buller Kids Centre, which is incorporated into the Ski & Snowboard Schools (SSS) operations.

Kids Ski School Children from three to six years of age can join the Bunyip program, while kids between the ages of seven and 14 become part of the Buller Kids program. Specialist kids’ instructors run lessons for a minimum 2.5 hours, providing children with the opportunity to learn at their own pace. Lunches, drinks and games are provided for morning and all day sessions.

MT HOTHAM hotham.com.au In the Victorian Plains, ‘Hotham’ is home to the renowned ‘Dinner Plain’ and offers ski in, ski out accommodation.

Kids Ski School Kids from three years to 14 can take part in age-appropriate programs at The Snowzone ski school, and group snowboarding lessons are available for children aged seven years and older.

FALLS CREEK skifalls.com.au Falls Creek is lauded for its reliable snow, user-friendly slopes and

© Mt Buller

O Z &NZ S K I

beautiful ski-in, ski-out, familyfriendly village - and kids learn to ski fast at Falls Creek. Before you know it, your kids will have conquered Wombats Ramble, at 2.5 km the longest green (beginner) run in Australia.

Kids Ski School The Falls Creek Snowsports School provides the perfect learning environment for kids, with Snow Club for the littlies (3-5 years), Junior Workshop programs for the in-betweens (6-13 years) and a Teen Academy for kids aged 13-16, who are just too cool for school!

MT BAW BAW mountbawbaw.com.au Easily accessible for many Victorian families - a mere 2.5 hour drive from Melbourne, 1 hour from the heart of Gippsland and 3 hours from the Mornington Peninsula – Mt Baw Baw is a family-friendly, all-season alpine resort, open year round for both winter and summer adventures.

Kids Ski School Mt Baw Baw’s Snowsports team offer fun and rewarding group lessons for kids. Based on the beginner slopes, children can enjoy three or six hours of ski or snowboard tuition, interspersed with plenty of games and snow play, Kids Club activities and surprise visits from Frosti the Frog!

Previous page: NSW Perisher kids skiing downhill © Perisher.com.au

Above: First-timers ride the magic carpet at Falls Creek © Falls Creek

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NEW INTERMEDIATE TRAILS + on-mountain café NEW alfresco café

New Zealand's

at the top of the Home Basin

New Best Zealand's Ski Resort Best Ski Resort

New Zealand's

New Best Zealand's Ski Resort Best Ski Resort

Discover what’s NEW in 2015 treblecone.com/WhatsNew

CARDRONA. FUN GUARANTEED. Adventure, learning, snow skills & FUN Four dedicated KIDS’ CENTRES (tiny to teens)* EASY drive or bus ride from Queenstown or Wanaka *including fully licensed Under 5’s centre for children 3mths+

Cnr Shotover/ Rees Sts, Queenstown / 18 Dunmore St, Wanaka p: 0800 440 800 e: info@cardrona.com AUS Freephone: 1800 754 386 (SKI FUN) WWW.CARDRONA.COM

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O Z &NZ S K I

NEW ZEALAND Just a short flight from most of Australia’s capital cities, New Zealand’s ski season, like Australia’s, runs from the beginning of June to the end of August.

In the North Island, Mt Ruapehu is accessed via a direct flight to Rotorua and a two-hour drive to the ski fields. This active volcano has two incredible ski areas – Whakapapa and Turoa.

The South Island is famous for its ski resorts – Treble Cone, The Remarkables, Coronet Peak, Mt Hutt, Cardrona and Ohau – and family-friendly atmosphere.

Fly to Queenstown for closest access to Treble Cone, Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Cardrona, and into Christchurch for Mt Hutt and Ohau.

THE REMARKABLES nzski.com/remarkables Highly-trained, qualified and fun instructors will guide the kids in ski and snowboarding lessons for 5-15-year olds who can also take part in three and five-day school holiday programs. The Remarkables has a large learner’s area and enough beginner-toadvanced freestyle terrain parks to challenge everyone!

CORONET PEAK nzski.com/coronetpeak Offering the same great learn-to-ski and snowboard instruction as The Remarkables, Coronet Peak also has a dedicated kids’ beginner terrain, including a ‘Fun Zone’ that aims to make learning these new skills a heap of … fun! Coronet Peak ski schools are targeted to open for the 2015 season on 13 June.

MT HUTT nzski.com/mthutt Qualified, fun instructors take kids through their paces and the indoor carpet travellator, with delayed cameras, offers an exciting and instructional opportunity to watch yourself learn to ski or snowboard while

travelling up the carpet! Mt Hutt’s ski schools are targeted to open for the 2015 season on 12 June.

TREBLE CONE treblecone.com/families Treble Cone kids snow sports programs are named for Treble Cone’s mascot - TC Cat - and the TC Cat Club operates half or full day sessions (which include a mix of time on and off snow) to ensure kids are warm and happy whilst developing their skiing and snowboarding.

On the Jazz Kids Fun Trail, tiny jumps and rails for children to slide over, trace gates and cones for turning, help to further develop skills in a fun environment.

Treble Cone’s special children’s trail map lets even the smallest guests highlight their environment easily, with colouring-in activities, stickers and fun games and incentives to augment the snow holiday experience!

CARDRONA cardrona.com Cardrona runs four separate kids centres across different age groups, starting with Ski Kindy for three to four-year olds.

Snowboarding lessons for five to 14-year olds include the option of full or half-day programs.

OHAU ohau.co.nz Mountain Goats Ski School is for kids and beginners, and offers once or twice-daily lessons over a two-day period to build confidence and skills through regular, fun lessons.

MT RUAPEHU mtruapehu.com Just a two-hour drive from Rotorua, both Whakapapa and Turoa offer Kids Ski School programs. Children will love hanging out with other snowloving kids, learning heaps from their specialist instructor and having lots of fun at these mountain academies.

Above: Kea Kids Club Lesson at Coronet Peak

Ice Bar at The Remarkables

© NZ Ski/Camilla Rutherford

© NZ Ski/Camilla Rutherford

Skiwiland Mt Hutt

Treble Cone Wanaka NZ

©NZ Ski/Patrick Fallon

©Treble Cone

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Check these out…!

Oh boy – there’s a whole lotta joy and then some to be had at each of these fantastic theme parks … if you’re holidaying in Asia make sure you add at least one excellent ‘attraction’ adventure to your itinerary!

Sunway Lagoon - Malaysia

Vinpearl Land, Vietnam

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Covering over 35 ha, Sunway Lagoon is Malaysia’s #1 theme park, with more than 80 attractions across five incredible parks. There’s a Water Park, an Amusement Park, an Extreme Park, an Interactive Wildlife Park and the Lynton V Harris Scream Park – plus Vuvuzela, the world’s largest waterslide and Waterplexx 5D, the first 5D waterplexx in the world!

Top all of that off with the exciting news that Asia’s first Nickelodeon-themed attraction, Nickelodeon Lost Lagoon, is due to open at Sunway Lagoon mid2015. Nickelodeon Lost Lagoon will be set amidst 4 ha of lush tropical rainforest, evoking a hidden world within a ‘lost’

jungle with attractions including a Rain Fortress, a Water Spray Area, Giant Aqua Tube Rides and a daily ‘Nickelodeon’ slime deluge!

And where do you find all this fun?

Sunway Lagoon is located just 25 minutes from Kuala Lumpur city centre and is open daily from 10am-6pm. > sunwaylagoon.com

Vinpearl Land - Vietnam

Stay at Vinpearl’s Nha Trang Resort or Phu Quoc Island Resort in Vietnam and you’ll receive complimentary access to the resorts’ phenomenal Vinpearl Land amusement parks!

At the five-star international Vinpearl

A S I A N T H EME P A R K S

Bali Marine & Safari Park

Resort Nha Trang, a seaside town on Vietnam’s south central coast, you’ll discover approximately 20 ha of entertainment including Vinpearl Water Park, Vinpearl Underwater World (housing nearly 300 species of rare marine life), an ice rink and a Guinness Record-holding 3,320m long sea-crossing cable car system.

On the beautiful island of Phu Quoc, a 45-minute direct flight from Ho Chi Minh City, Vinpearl Amusement Park boasts indoor and outdoor games and attractions, including carousels and dodgems, Underwater World and giant waterslides. > vinpearlland.com/en/

Bali Marine & Safari Park No family holiday to Bali is complete without a visit to the exciting Bali Safari & Marine Park. With hundreds of amazing animals, representing over 60 different species, including rare and endangered animals like the Komodo Dragon, Orangutan and the Bali Mynah, this is one great day out!

Go on ‘safari’ through the park (you can even opt for an Elephant Back Safari!) and enjoy the experience of up-close encounters with a whole host of exotic creatures. And for the wildest dining experience ever, stop for lunch at Tsavo Lion, surrounded by lions, meerkats and porcupines!

Don’t miss the spectacular ‘Bali Agung’ show at the Bali Theater and cool off (after all that excitement!) in the Water Park and Fun Zone. > balisafarimarinepark.com

Waterbom Bali Still on the beautiful Indonesian island of Bali, Kuta’s famed Waterbom Park is a must-visit. A 3.8 ha oasis of lush tropical gardens and rides and attractions in the middle of the famous Kuta stretch, set aside a whole day to experience the thrills of a range of mind-

Waterbom Bali boggling waterslides and tubes with names like ‘Python’, ‘Green Vipers’ and ‘Constrictor’, tackle the mega Superbowl or chillax as you drift along Lazy River in a tube raft on languid ripples, through cascading waterfalls! > waterbom-bali.com

Legoland – Malaysia LEGOLAND® Malaysia Resort is the first and only Asian Legoland which opened in Nusajaya, Johor, Malaysia in 2012, bringing together a LEGOLAND Park, Water Park and Hotel in one location, with more than 70 hands-on rides, slides, shows and attractions. The centrepiece is MINILAND, where Asian landmarks have been recreated using more than 30 million LEGO bricks. It’s an interactive world on a scale of 1:20, where people, trains and airplanes come to life at the touch of a button.

Find out more about LEGOLAND® Malaysia Resort, plus transport options, including the Singapore Flyer, to take you directly to Legoland! > legoland.com.my/Plan/Bus-Services/

Legoland, Malaysia

Disneyland – Tokyo and Hong Kong

When you mention the golden word – Disneyland – very little introduction is necessary, because kids the world over know pretty much all that there is to know about this magical place!

Tokyo Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland Resort bring the wonderful world of Disney to life in true Disney style – attractions, your favourite Disney characters, entertainment, shows, events and so much more. Unmissable! > hongkongdisneyland.com > tokyodisneyresort.jp/en/ AUTUMN 2015 outandaboutwithkids.com.au

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INTRODUCING SEMINYAK’S NEW INTERNATIONAL PLAYGROUND Located in the heart of lively Seminyak, the new Courtyard by Marriott Bali Seminyak offers breezy balconies in all rooms, refreshing lagoon pools with swim-up Pool Bar, the coolest all-day breakfast experience at Seminyak Kitchen, and a Kids Club packed with fun activities. Of course we can go on and on about our location nearby Seminyak’s famous dining scenes, coolest beaches, and endless entertainment, but then again we prefer you to have fun your way.

For more information or to make reservations, ring us at +62361 8499 600 or visit courtyardseminyak.com

Courtyard by Marriott® Bali Seminyak Jalan Camplung Tanduk No. 103 SP, Dhyana Pura T 0361.8499.600 F 0361.8499.200 courtyardseminyak.com

© Universal Studios Japan

Universal Studios Japan In the weeks before Christmas 2014, SAMANTHA HERBERT arrived in the city of Osaka, just in time to experience the incredible Universal Wonder Christmas at Universal Studios Japan! Aside from this seasonal sensation, Sam also stepped into the heady whirl of Hogwarts Castle and Hogsmeade Village, brought to brilliant life in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™.

Universal Wonder Christmas I was part of the crowd who poured into the main courtyard of Universal Studios Japan to position themselves for the spectacular that is the Park’s signature Christmas event. Everyone stared in awe at ‘The World’s Most Illuminated Tree’, recognised by ‘The Guinness World Records’, for three years running, for its unbelievable number of lights.

The Christmas Tree Illumination Show transformed everything into a vivid display, before the main evening event - “The Gift of Angels II ~The Song of an Angel” - revealed colours, like a painting, and weaved a beautiful love story with images of bells and mistletoe, that accompanied a stirring solo performance by ‘the Angel’ For the finale - astonishing fireworks lit up the night sky and elicited ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ from children and adults alike. The mesmerising display was given (and deserved!)

a rousing round of applause by spectators, who clearly unanimously agreed that the Universal Wonder Christmas lived up to its name. Simply heart-warming!

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter I couldn’t believe that the magical world of Harry Potter has been transformed from fantasy into such an incredible reality!

Have your kids grown up with Harry Potter? Or have you lived through the journey and want to reveal the magic to them? Universal Studios Japan has created an enchanted world, jam-packed with rides and attractions that will enthrall Harry Potter fans. A small clearing opens up to reveal an enchanted forest and your arrival in Harry’s world is accompanied by the films’ familiar theme music. Children dressed in black robes and Hogwarts scarves rush past me, practicing their spells and giggling with excitement.

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© Universal Studios Japan © Universal Studios Japan

I was greeted by the Marshall of Platform 9 and 3/4 as I entered Diagon Alley which was packed with devoted fans, all extremely elated as they immersed themselves in the hustle and bustle of this fantasy, come to life!

Younger children will love exploring Hagrid’s Hut and riding on the Flight of the Hippogriff!

We hadn’t completed our experience until we had accompanied Harry on the Forbidden Journey ride, which we were told has been rated the #1 ride in the world for three years in a row. Now I understand why!

Through the various chambers of Hogwarts Castle we ventured, on a simulated journey to help Harry save the world - and we succeeded before recharging over a hearty lunch lunch at the aptly named Three Broomsticks cafe.

New in 2015 44

Following a large-scale renovation, Universal Studios Japan unveiled the all-new Universal Wonderland in March 2015. Over 30 different types of entertainment across 30,000sq metres have transformed this popular family area into a sensational attraction in itself! Here, a town full of world-famous character favourites - from Sesame Street, Hello Kitty and Snoopy - comes to life! From Snoopy Studios™ to Sesame Street™ Fun World and Hello Kitty™ Fashion Avenue, kids’ imaginations soar! Try Elmo’s Go Go Skateboard or join Cookie Monster for Cookie Monster’s Cooking for Big appetites programs.

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Getting there Universal Studios Japan is located in the middle of the Osaka Bay coastline, approximately 11 minutes from Osaka Station by train. Take the JR Yumesaki Line and alight at Universal City Station.

Top Tip Beat the queues on five popular attractions with the Yoyakunori attraction reservation system that lets you pre-book your turn so you don’t have to wait in line – and have more time to explore this amazing Park!

Universal Studios Japan usj.co.jp/e/

Reconnect with your family on the Sunshine Coast

OAKS OASIS Caloundra

NOVOTEL TWIN WATERS RESORT Twin Waters

Fun for the whole family, enjoy unlimited access to the Oasis Waterpark, relax by the pool or take a stroll to the beach.

Indulge in some well earned rest while the kids are being looked after in our Kids Club. Then have some fun together with the many free family activities available on both land and water.

FROM $129* PER ROOM, PER NIGHT

1300 031 963 | www.oakshotelsresorts.com.au

FROM $239*/NT INCL BREAKFAST AND 2 X KIDS CLUB SESSIONS

1800 072 277 | www.novoteltwinwatersresort.com.au

*Terms and conditions apply. Booking code: OASISOAWK.

*Valid until 31 March 2016. Subject to availability. Blackout dates 24 Dec 2015-2 Jan 2016. Other blackout periods may apply.

AUSSIE WORLD Palmview

IVORY PALMS RESORT Noosaville

With so many thrilling rides and attractions on offer, Aussie World is the ultimate fun day out for the entire family!

Book directly with us and save 15% off our best last minute price.

RIDES UNLIMITED! 07 5494 5444 | www.aussieworld.com.au

15% DISCOUNT*

07 5473 1700 | www.ivorypalmsresort.com.au *Cannot be used with any other offer.

AUSTRALIA ZOO Beerwah

CULGOA POINT BEACH RESORT Noosa

Explore our latest addition, Bindi’s Island, including an incredible treehouse, lemurs and macaws!

Stay 3 nights and only pay $50* on the last night!

YOUR ULTIMATE WILDLIFE ADVENTURE

STARTING FROM $123* PER NIGHT

07 5449 6400 | www.culgoapoint.com.au

07 5436 2000 | www.australiazoo.com.au

*Valid: 28/04/15 - 27/06/15, 04/11/15 - 21/12/15. New bookings only, above rate is based on a one bedroom marina.

NEWPORT MOOLOOLABA Mooloolaba

EURONG BEACH RESORT Fraser Island

Free breakfast for two upon booking.

Includes 2 nights resort hotel accommodation and return vehicle transfer.

FREE BREAKFAST*

FROM $155* PER PERSON

07 5444 4833 | www.newportmooloolaba.com.au

1800 111 808 | www.eurong.com.au

*Conditions apply. Subject to availability.

*Conditions apply. Subject to availability, minimum two night stay. Valid for travel until 31 July 2015.

SEA LIFE MOOLOOLABA Mooloolaba

KINGFISHER BAY RESORT Fraser Island

Present this voucher as SEA LIFE Mooloolaba to get one free admission when one full paying adult ticket is purchased.

Includes breakfast and ferry and BONUS $50 room credit per night.

2-4-1 ADMISSION AT SEA LIFE MOOLOOLABA*

07 5458 6226 | www.underwaterworld.com.au *Not to be used with any other offer or online booking.

REF: OAWK15 Expires 24 Dec 2015.

For all there is to see & do on the Sunshine Coast visitsunshinecoast.com.au

FROM $123* PP PER NIGHT

1800 072 555 | www.kingfisherbay.com

*Conditions apply. Subject to availability, minimum two night stay. Valid for travel until 31 July 2015.

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Family holiday savings in the off-peak season ➼

M

ums and dads with school-aged kids, the world over, spend the better part of 13 years manouevring and managing the family, work, life and even pets around multiple end of school term breaks – known collectively as ‘the school holidays.’

Many kids will tell you that ‘the holidays’ are the best part of their school year, but their parents may just (quietly!) rue the prospect of trying to plan a family getaway at the same time as every other family! While it’s true that designated school holidays do afford families the welcome opportunity to enjoy a getaway together, and to take advantage of a break from routine, high demand in this peak holiday period also means getting in early to secure flights, transport and accommodation preferences, all at, hopefully, affordable rates.

Parents of babies and pre-schoolers, on the other hand, have the relative luxury of being able to plan a family holiday around commitments that don’t need to factor in important school terms and, as such, are free to venture off on a lovely escape together at any time of the year!

And there’s the rub for families! Of course, we don’t advocate taking your kids out of school and away from important schoolwork to venture off on vacation, but if you have the option, and the opportunity, to holiday outside of designated school holiday periods, there are fantastic benefits, bonuses and savings up for grabs in Australia, and overseas.

Flights Flying anywhere outside of peak school holidays periods gives families a greater choice of flights – days,

times, airlines – and, generally, a choice of competitive, lower fares.

The same principles apply to international flights to destinations popular with Australian families – including Fiji, Vanuatu, Bali, Thailand, New Zealand.

For destinations in the northern hemisphere, including the US, UK and Europe, high season is during their spring and summer so look for deals to these destinations during the months March-May and September-November.

Accommodation When a resort, hotel or holiday park is no longer bursting at the seams with guests, and the metaphorical ‘full house’ signs are taken down, accommodation options grow, and room rates and all-inclusive family package prices appear ever more affordable.

It’s the simple economic rule of supply and demand but it works in favour of both families and hosts, who are not in the business of merely operating a high season establishment! Properties want you to come and stay – year round – so it stands to reason that the usual ‘welcome’ and all the trimmings laid on for families during the school holidays, are yours for the enjoying, at any time of the year.

Fewer guests may mean that occasionally some accommodation providers have to tweak particular activities and amenities in the off-peak season, so it’s prudent to check, at the time of booking, that all of the inclusions and services your family wants, will be valid and operating when you arrive.

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All-inclusive family package deals Outside peak school holidays you’ll also find plenty of all-inclusive packages on offer, either directly from resorts and hotels or via travel agents, that include airfares, accommodation, transfers and bonus activities and excursions – with kids stay and/or eat free deals thrown in for good measure! Keep your eyes peeled for outstanding savings packages for everything from luxury to budget holidays, for travel outside the designated Aussie school holidays.

Expect to meet other holidaying families!

Just because you’re holidaying when many other families are not, doesn’t mean for a moment that you’ll be the fish out of water family! In fact, wherever you travel over the off-peak season you can be sure you’ll encounter other families doing exactly the same thing.

Despite the recent campaign in Australia (and we’re not the only country!) to encourage parents to refrain from taking children out of the classroom during school term, the plain fact is that many parents, particularly those with primary school children, are electing to view travel and holidays with young children as an essential element of their ongoing education, and choosing to holiday during school term.

Not only are such decisions based on the ‘travel equals education’ premise, but also on other factors including affordability of family holidays and, for working parents,

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the facility to take leave from their businesses at a time of the year when every other parent isn’t also requesting time off!

If you have school-aged children then decisions like these come down to personal views, and, of course any laws governing seeking permission to remove children from the classroom during school term, for the purpose of a family holiday.

But… if your kids haven’t yet started school – lucky you - you’re in Pole Position in the family holiday stakes!

Take advantage of this time to make the most of travelling and holidaying as a family when destinations, accommodation options, attractions, activities, entertainment, adventure, relaxation and fun are all there, on a plate, and wonderfully affordable.

AUSTRALIA

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Australia Self-contained apartments offer a home-away-fromhome alternative and give families a base in which to sprawl out, cook and explore when on holidays.

Wyndham’s apartments are all strategically located in prime family holiday locations that each offer awesome local attractions – Victoria’s Torquay, Phillip Island and Ballarat; Surfers Paradise and Port Douglas in Queensland and Port Stephens in NSW, to name just a few. Regular online specials and packages throughout the year. > wyndhamap.com

Novotel Canberra Novotel, in the heart of Canberra, places you and your family right in the middle of the attraction action that includes Questacon, the National Museum of Australia, Australian Institute of Sport, the Royal Mint, The National Gallery, Australian War Memorial and Parliament House.

Check out the Family 3INFUN Package that includes accommodation and attraction passes and for other great deals see the Specials page of the website.

Find out more: > novotelcanberra.com.au/specials.html Eurobodalla Shire, NSW South Coast It’s one of the state’s most popular family holiday regions, encompassing towns including Batemans Bay, Moruya and Narooma, and within only a few hours’ drive from Sydney or Canberra you could be kicking back on a weekend or midweek getaway at any one of Eurobodalla’s fabulous coastal destinations, at your choice of accommodation. You’ll find both independent and big name holiday parks here, motels, hotels and cottages and with many dog-friendly beaches (and holiday accommodation) you can even bring your favourite four-legged friends! Check out the website’s Hot Deals!

Find out more: > eurobodalla.com.au/hot-deals BIG 4 Easts Beach Holiday Park, NSW Located on the NSW South Coast, Easts Beach has a whole range of fully self-contained cabin accommodation, just steps from the beach, and with the popular town of Kiama right on its doorstep. Regular Hot Deals and Specials make this an affordable and super-fun family holiday pick in the off-peak season.

Find out more: > eastsbeach.com.au NRMA Holiday Parks – NSW & Gold Coast, QLD Check into a 5-star family cabin and enjoy a low season holiday in popular family destinations on the NSW North Coast, Central Coast and South Coast and 15-minutes away from all of the magical theme parks on the Gold Coast! NRMA Members receive discounts

Central Coast Holiday P arks at any time of the year, and with super family packages for midweek stays in the off-peak season, you can enjoy all of the benefits of these awardwinning holiday parks at great savings. Visit the website and head to Hot Deals.

Central Coast Holiday Parks, NSW Central Coast Holiday Parks’ four fantastic locations are within easy reach of both Sydney and Newcastle, and in under 2 hours’ drive from home you can be unwinding and relaxing in Wyong Shire, on the beautiful Central Coast of NSW. Choose from Budgewoi, Canton Beach, Norah Head and Toowoon Bay and settle in for some fishing, exploring, pelican-feeding, fish’n’chips on the beach … everything you’d expect from a coastal getaway. Central Coast Holiday Parks also offers accessible cabins and pet-friendly sites.

You’ll find regular Specials on the website.

Find out more: > cchp.com.au Macleay Valley Coast, NSW Mid-North Coast They are some of the state’s biggest drawcard summer destinations – Crescent Head, Grassy Head, South West Rocks and Stuarts Point – but these quintessential Australian seaside holiday towns on the NSW Mid North Coast are also buzzing with fun and adventure in Autumn, Winter and Spring! Part of the huge coastal Kempsey Shire region, that spans from the Great Lakes in the south to Coffs Harbour in the north, taking in the towns of Forster, Taree, Port Macquarie, Macksville, Nambucca Heads, Urunga and Bellingen, Macleay Valley Holiday Parks have the region covered for fantastic family holidays in a range of different locations - always a winner for family holidays.

Find out more: > macleayvalleycoast.com.au > mvcholidayparks.com.au Zagames Paradise Resort Gold Coast, QLD Wow! That’s the reaction of families when they arrive at the colourful and exciting Zagame’s Paradise Resort on the

Above: Easts Beach Holiday Park

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Naturally relaxing Stay right on the beach or river frontage at all of the Sunshine Coast Holiday Parks at any of the 6 great locations: Dicky Beach Family Holiday Park

BOOK ONLINE Mooloolaba Beach Holiday Park

+617 5491 3342

Mudjimba Beach Holiday Park +617 5448 7157

+617 5444 1201

Cotton Tree Holiday Park

+617 5459 9070

Coolum Beach Holiday Park

+617 5446 1474

Maroochydore Beach Holiday Park +617 5443 1167

BOOK ONLINE

Naturally relaxing

BOOK ONLINE

sunshinecoastholidayparks.com.au

An Enriching Experience For All Ages At the award winning inclusive five star Jean-Michel Cousteau Resort – Fiji you will rekindle romance, savour creative gourmet cuisine, relax, rejuvenate with a massage and enjoy snorkelling and fishing while your treasures are nurtured by fantastic Fijian nannies. The only resort in Fiji to employ a marine biologist, it has created a wonderful program for children (Bula Club 9am-9pm) which focuses on fun, culture and the environment. It creates time for families to bond and allows parents some wonderful “couples time out”. Two children under 13 are free with 2 adults.

For enquiries on family packages inclusive of 2 free nights + bonuses

call: 1300 306 171 email: sales@fijiresort.com www.fijiresort.com or see your local Travel Agent

Free nanny for each child under 6 years 9am-9pm

www.fijiresort.com

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ld Coast

Zagame’s Paradise Resort Go

Gold Coast. ‘Heaven for kids…’, Zagame’s has earned its reputation for combining a ‘… Paradise for Parents’ with more kid fun than you could imagine! Australia’s only resort with its own ice rink and waterpark, there’s also Zone4Kids and a relaxing poolside café and bar for parental chillouts, and all this within coo-ee of the Gold Coast’s sensational theme parks. Regular specials, packages, bonuses and discounts are a feature of the website.

Find out more: > paradiseresort.com.au Q1 Resort & Spa, Surfers Paradise, QLD Stay high above Surfers Paradise in the fabulous, skyscraping Q1 Resort & Spa. With a choice of 40 one, two or three-bedroom apartments and sub penthouses, spread over the building’s 80 floors, accommodation is both luxurious, and affordable in the off-peak season.

Visit the website for more information and download the Q1 app to stay up-to-date with Hot Deals.

Find out more: > q1resort.com.au Noosa, Sunshine Coast, QLD Keep your eyes peeled for discounted airfares during the off-peak season and make the most of a winter escape to the sunny Sunshine Coast. The temperature in this neck of the wood is generally several degrees higher than anywhere south of Maroochydore, which is why families still flock to Noosa from Sydney, Melbourne (and even Brisbane) outside of the peak summer months, every year! Choose the accommodation that suits your family’s needs and budget and look for special offers and discount packages.

Find out more: > visitnoosa.com.au Sunshine Coast Holiday Parks, QLD Choose from Dicky Beach Holiday Park near Caloundra, Mooloolaba Beach, Maroochydore Beach and Cotton Tree Holiday Parks just south of Maroochydore; Mudjimba Beach and Coolum Beach Holiday Parks further north for a Sunshine Coast getaway fishing, bushwalking, visiting local attractions and soaking up the sun. End of Summer

Specials plus regular deals and offers can all be found on the website.

Find out more: > sunshinecoastholidayparks.com.au

INTERNATIONAL

Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand Thailand’s off-peak season runs from April 15 until the end of October and at this time, all Thailand Centara resorts offer a fantastic ‘pay for 4 nights and get another 4 for free’ deal. Plus there’s ‘baht bonanza’, a free spending money program through which you can choose a certain amount when arriving at the hotel, and receive a further amount to spend for free! Samui is different as July and Aug are not low season but Krabi, Phuket, Hua Hin, Pattaya, Khao Lak and Chiang Mai are all off peak then for Centara.

Find out more: > centarahotelsresorts.com/bahtbonanza/ Courtyard by Marriott, Bali Bali’s unofficial low seasons cover the months from February to June and from September to December and that’s when you’ll find top-notch accommodation at a range of great beach locations at affordable rates.

Courtyard by Marriott’s 5-star Bali properties – Nusa Dua and the new Seminyak hotel – both offer Last Minute Weekend Deals and Air, Car & Vacation packages as well as family offers.

Find out more: > marriott.com.au/Bali AYANA Resort & Spa, Bali and RIMBA Jimbaran Bali by AYANA Just 10kms from Bali airport, the luxurious AYANA Resort & Spa occupies 90ha of spectacular cliff-top, ocean front land and integrates one-year-old, awardwinning RIMBA Jimbaran to create an incredible family getaway experience. Guests of each resort receive complimentary access (via resort shuttle bus) to facilities at the other resort – so tell the kids that means a choice of 11 swimming pools! With Kids Club, onsite babysitting and interconnecting rooms for larger

Above: Treasure Island Holiday Park QLD © NRMA Holiday Parks

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Sheraton Fiji Resort (D

enarau)

Above: Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket

families, look for AYANA Resort’s regularly updated Special Offers and promotions on the website.

Find out more: > ayanaresort.com > rimbajimbaran.com Marina Bay Sands, Singapore ‘The most spectacular hotel in Singapore’ is an all-in-one hotel, entertainment, dining and shopping hub boasting the famous rooftop Skypark with its Observation Deck and stunning Infinity Pool showcasing phenomenal views of Singapore. Marina Bay Sands Hotel offers a ‘Lowest Price Guarantee’ on all bookings made online via their website and if you find a better online price elsewhere within 24 hours of your booking, the hotel will honour that lower rate and upgrade your accommodation level free of charge! Keep your eyes peeled for great deals and peruse all of the amazing features and facilities of Marina Bay Sands.

Find out more: > marinabaysands.com Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort The popular 5-star Sigatoka resort offers Seasonal Specials on its website that range from Kids Eat Free deals to Best Room & Bure rates, meal plan deals and more. The resort is famous for its hilltop Bebe Spa, fabulous Meimei nannies, and great programs for kids and teens.

Find out more: > outrigger.com/hotels-resorts/fiji/viti-levu/ outrigger-on-the-lagoon-fiji/overview Sheraton Fiji Resort (Denarau) Located just 15 minutes from Nadi Airport, Fiji’s only 5-star integrated resort complex allows guests to enjoy access to the facilities of Sheraton Denarau Villas, The Westin Denarau Resort & Spa and Denarau Golf & Racquet Club. Learn more about Sheraton’s super family-friendly ‘Kids Stay, Play and Dine Program’ on the Featured Offers pages of the website and check out the special accommodation/family golf package that includes

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‘serious’ golf and mini golf! Find out more: > sheratonfiji.com Plantation Island Resort, Fiji With an absolute beachfront location on the beautiful island of Malolo LaiLai, Plantation Island Resort is a firm family holiday favourite, offering a range of accommodation types to suit all family sizes and budgets, fabulous Kids Club activities, multiple dining options and even a supermarket with mainland prices!

Plantation Island Resort has been at the forefront of Fiji family holidays for decades and is continuously adding and augmenting facilities and activities to provide the absolute best family holiday experience possible – for everyone! Check out the resort’s regularly updated Specials page on their website for terrific deals and bonuses. Find out more: > plantationisland.com/home/specials/ Malolo Island Resort, Fiji With plenty of family accommodation options and the fabulous Yanu Yanu kids club program, a holiday in this lush location, on this ‘big’ Fijian island ticks all the boxes. The resort puts together regular online packages that vary seasonally, so locking-in family specials and deals, when they are first announced, is just a matter of checking the website!

Find out more: > maloloisland.com/packages.cfm Castaway Island Resort, Fiji Castaway is a private island resort set on a stunning 30 ha atoll in Fiji’s Mamanuca Islands group. Families love holidaying here for many good reasons including Castaway’s friendly ‘family’ of staff, delicious dining and broad range of island activities for all ages.

Regular packages include meal-only deals, meal and accommodation deals and ‘Best Rate’ offers and family holiday packages – see the website for details and updated specials.

Find out more: > castawayfiji.com

escape the ordinary Treat your family to a break from the ordinary with special getaway rates at Sheraton Resort & Spa Tokoriki island !

Valid for stays on selected dates until 31st March 2016.

For booking and more information log onto www.sheraton.com/tokorikioffers or www.sheraton.com/torokiki Email: sheraton.tokoriki@sheraton.com

From only

375

FJd

+taxes

per night (room only)

(approx aUd$184 plus taxes)

Š *$184 rate is AUD as at 25/02/16, subject to change due to currency fluctuations at time of booking. Offer is subject to availability at the time of reservation. Rate is room only and does not include 20% government tax. A 3% fee applied to all transactions settled via credit card. Limited number of rooms may be available at these rates. Blackout dates and other restrictions do apply, valid for stays from now 31st March 2016. Offer not applicable to groups. Not to be combined with other offers or promotions and subject to change. Not responsible for omissions or typographical errors. Void where prohibited by law. Starwood reserves the right to discontinue this offer at any time.

Be free at Malolo!

Malolo Island Resort is about a bure near the beach, surrounded by the world’s friendliest people with a living and authentic culture. Perfect for families and couples alike, you can fill your day with a myriad of activities or simply unwind and do nothing at all.

Year round choose from F$200 resort credits, Kids Eat FREE with 5 night stays, or between November and March, stay 5 nights and get an extra night FREE! Malolo. This is the way the world should be.

AHU577/M-OAWK

T +679 672 0978 | enquiries@ahuraresorts.com www.maloloisland.com

AUD$ from

260* per person

For reservations and information visit www.maloloisland.com *Conditions apply. Approx rates only – check daily FOREX rates.

Bring the whole family

Book a family getaway today

Freecall 1800 802 528 www.eurobodalla.com.au

eurobodalla unspoilt south coast nsw

batemans bay | moruya | narooma | surrounding districts

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Courtyard by Marriott Bali

Above: Outrigger Fiji Beach Resort Meimei nannies with kids

Hawaii

Low season in Hawaii is between mid-January and March, which is followed by Shoulder Season through to May and again between September and November.

March to May, September to November.

Sheraton Resort & Spa Tokoriki Island, Fiji The newest Sheraton in Fiji, this family-friendly resort has only been open for business since June 2014 and is already proving popular, not least because of its stunning location on Tokoriki Island, the northernmost island in Fiji’s Mamanuca group. Family Suites for families of four also interconnect withOcean View rooms, accommodating up to 6 people. Check out the Special Offers page on the website to grab a great family deal.

Find out more: > sheratontokorikiisland.com

Aston Hotels & Resorts have a range of accommodation types including hotels, condominiums, villas and cottages, across Oahu, Maui, Kauai and The Big Island, and offer regular specials, packages and Hot Deals. > astonhotels.com

Paradise Taveuni, Fiji A short ‘Pacific Sun’ domestic flight from Nadi Airport, or ferry from Suva, will deliver you to the aptly-named Paradise Taveuni, and with current special Low Season Rates valid for stays between 1 October- 30 November, 2015 and 2 January -31 March, 2016 offering a range of different packages including Family Deals, now’s the time to snap up a dream holiday in a Fijian paradise!

Visit the website and click Rates & Specials.

Find out more: > paradiseinfiji.com

Embassy Suites Waikiki Beach Walk offers spacious, all-suite accommodation just steps from the beach right on Waikiki Beach Walk, a lively family-friendly hub of shops, entertainment and dining. The suites at Embassy give the family room to move with separate living rooms, microwaves and fridges and dining table so you can do your own thing, together, over meals or just relaxing after an exciting Honolulu day! Deals and Specials are regularly updated on the website. > embassysuiteswaikiki.com

MORE:

Sheraton Princess Kaiulani Hotel, Waikiki is located in the heart of Waikiki Beach, you’ll find yearround specials and packages on the website including dedicated Family Offers, Featured Offers and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) loyalty program bonuses and discounts. > princess-kaiulani.com

Vanuatu Warwick Le Lagon Resort & Spa > warwickhotels.com/le-lagon-resort/offers Samoa Saletoga Sands Resort & Spa > saletogasands.ws Cook Islands The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa (Kids stay and play free) > therarotongan.com

Outrigger Resorts also offers accommodation options on Oahu, Maui, Kauai and The Big Island with Specials and Vacation Offers available through Outrigger’s website. > outrigger.com

Ka’anapali Beach Resort is ‘Hawaii’s most Hawaiian Hotel’, with several cultural awards attesting to that claim, and boasting a premium location on the beautiful white sands of Ka’anapali Beach, on the island of Maui. > kaanapaliresort.com

Latest Deals Visit outandaboutwithkids. com.au for all the latest family holiday deals in Australia and internationally, and sign-up to receive our regular newsletter and our special DEALS newsletters so you don’t miss out on great holiday savings!

Escape Travel specialises in guiding families to find the best deals and packages for tailormade family holidays, including airfares and accommodation, whatever the destination. Call 1300 556 855 or visit > escapetravel.com.au.

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TRAVELTEX .COM > THINGS TO DO > NATURE

TA KE A H I KE

BIGGER T H E O N LY T H I N G S

THAN THE PANORAMIC VISTAS ARE THE MONUMENTAL

HELLO! HELLO! HELLO! HELLO! HELLO!

CAMP SITES

BRAGGING

Rights

THE TEXAS GREAT OUTDOORS

EXPLORE IT AND OTHER WONDERS AT

M O U N TA I N B I KI N G

CLIMB TEXAS

FA B U LO U S F LO RA

G R A B A PA D D L E

FA M I LY F U N

B I R D S P OT T I N G

C AV E R N S & C A N YO N S

M O N U M E N TA L PA RK S

REEL IN A BIG ONE

© 2015 Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism.

TRAVELTEX.COM/NATURE

Š Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board

Venice Beach Boardwalk LA

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Create lifelong family memories in the beautiful Hawaiian Islands

Kaua‘i

Moloka‘i

O‘ahu

@alohadownunder gohawaii.com/au 58

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Maui

Lana‘i Hawai‘i Island

Join us for this FIRST of a special TWO-PART feature as we DISCOVER AMERICA for families…

Our fantastic contributors have all dug deep - sharing their best-kept secrets, top attractions for kids and tips for families - to deliver a tantalising taste of the fabulous variety of holiday experiences the USA promises every family!

In this issue: Chicago

Uncovering the best kids attractions in America’s third largest city Why families ♥ Portland Oregon This Pacific Northwest city is as family-friendly as they get!

Touring Tennessee

From Nashville to Elvis and Dollywood – down here it’s hospitality all the way

More than Manhattan

Explore the boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island -with a peek into Rhode Island and New Jersey

Larger than life in The Lone Star State

The big Texan wonders of the big cities of Dallas/ Fort Worth and Austin

Highway 1

San Francisco to Los Angeles, via Monterey and Santa Barbara, on California’s scenic coast

Route 66

Crossing the country from Chicago to LA – you’ll be astounded at the number of curious and natural attractions along the country’s most iconic highway

Red Rock Country

An RV road trip through Nevada, Utah and Arizona – with close (alien!) encounters on the famous Extraterrestrial Highway!

San Diego to Tombstone

Take a trip from contemporary Legoland, back in time to the OK Corral on a journey from the Mexican Border to the Wild West.

The United States of YUM!

Food, food and more food – America’s mouthwatering, state-by-state specialty and novelty eats to tempt every tastebud.

© iStockPhoto/Andrew Rich

America’s ski resorts are calling!

Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, California/ Nevada, Vermont and Connecticut – take your pick of great family ski resorts

East Coast Festival Fun

Family, community and national celebrations – Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July, Halloween, State Fairs – and local and seasonal events fill the annual East Coast calendar.

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GIVE YOUR FAMILY SOMETHING TO REMEMBER

Our Family Experiences guided holidays are carefully designed and hassle-free so all the family can travel together and have the time of their lives. Whether you're hanging out in a ranch in Montana or listening to tales of Sierra Nevada's Gold Rush, everyone will take home unforgettable memories.

CALIFO R NIA D R EA M I N '

P I O N E E R A DVE N TURE S O F T H E O L D W E ST

T RA I LS OF LI B E RT Y

W I LD W E S T COWBOYS & B UFFA LOS

8 days from: $2,585* per adult quad share $2,285* per child quad share

8 days from: $2,070* per adult quad share $1,825* per child quad share

8 days from: $2,150* per adult quad share $1,897* per child quad share

9 days from: $2,440* per adult quad share $2,150* per child quad share

Enjoy a behind the scenes tour of Monterey Bay Aquarium before it even opens. Learn from a nature historian at Yosemite National Park and gain an insight into the black bear.

Trace the steps of real life cowboys and imagine the life of Sinagua Indians. Listen to tall tales of the Wild West as you enjoy a historic rail journey to the Grand Canyon.

Uncover exciting moments in U.S history from the Declaration of Independence to the Battle of Gettysburg.

Plus, create your own candy bar at Hershey's Chocolate World.

Get ready to hit the trail as you pass through the authentic American Old West.

Learn about life on a ranch and be shown how to saddle a horse.

To find out about our trips across Europe, the Americas & Asia or to book: Call 1300 663 043 | Visit www.trafalgar.com | See your local travel agent *Conditions apply see individual brochure page for full conditions. Prices are per person, subject to availability and seasonal surcharge. Child must be aged between 5–17 years and be travelling with an accompanying adult. Solo travel is not accepted on guided Family Experiences holidays unless travelling as part of a family group. Advertised adult price is inclusive of Quad Room Discount. Advertised child price inclusive of Quad room Discount and Young Traveller Discount. The young traveller must be under the age of 18 on the holiday departure date and must be accompanied by an adult to qualify for the Young Traveller Discount. Twin room rates are available, contact Trafalgar for details. Prices valid for travel: California Dreamin’ 19 June, 17 July – 2 October 2015; Pioneer Adventures of the Old U T– U N and 2 0071June 5 – 27 September 2015; Wild West, Cowboys & Buffalos 23 May – 20 June, 11 July – 10 October 2015; Trails of Liberty 06 June – 22 August and 19 September 2015. Ask West 10AMay 24M May your travel consultant for confirmation of discount available. Black-out dates apply. Prices are correct as at 9 March 2015 & are subject to change without notice. For full terms and conditions contact your outandaboutwithkids.com.au local Travel Agent or visit www.trafalgar.com. Trafalgar is a participant of the AFTA Travel Accreditation Scheme 2014. ATAS number: A10534 TT4020

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Chicago Chicago has a staggering range of family-friendly attractions - from nerve-testing observation decks to one-of-a-kind animal encounters.

Your only challenge will be fitting it all in, says ROB McFARLAND.

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D

espite being the USA’s third largest city, Chicago doesn’t have the profile of its larger, louder siblings New York and LA. Which is great for visitors because it means you get to enjoy the city’s architectural splendour, world-class museums and picturesque lakeside setting without all those pesky tourists.

Indoor fun

Previous page: Chicago cubs fan at Wrigley Field

© City of Chicago © Choose Chicago

Above from left: Aerial Chicago skyline and Millennium Park

© City of Chicago © Choose Chicago

On the Skydeck at Willis Tower © Adam Alexander Photography © Choose Chicago

Lincoln Park Zoo Statue

© Adam Alexander Photography © Choose Chicago

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With more than 40 museums, Chicago has plenty to keep little ones amused on a rainy day. Top of the must-see list is Shedd Aquarium with 32,000 animals and an 11million litre saltwater Oceanarium. What really sets it apart is its incredible range of interactive encounters. Who wouldn’t want to pat a penguin, feed a shark or make friends with a beluga whale? > sheddaquarium.org The Museum of Science and Industry is the largest science museum in the western hemisphere with more than 35,000 exhibits all designed to spark scientific inquiry and creativity. Highlights include an interactive exhibit that reveals the science behind lightning and tornados, a 400 metre model train set and a fully restored German U-boat submarine. > msichicago.org While the Field Museum is best known for “Sue”, the world’s largest, most complete and best preserved

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Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton ever found, it has many other compelling exhibits. Check out the Crown Family PlayLab, where kids can dress up and star in a play, or watch a movie in the museum’s impressive 3D theatre. > fieldmuseum.org You’ll find more educational fun at the Adler Planetarium, where budding astronomers can learn about the origins of the universe and take a trip around the solar system in one of the world’s most advanced digital theatres. > adlerplanetarium.org If you’re looking for a one-stop family destination, Navy Pier is hard to beat. Offering sweeping views across Lake Michigan, it’s home to an IMAX theatre, a 45 metre ferris wheel, a children’s museum and a 1920s-style carousel. If your brood includes wannabe thespians, check out one of the family-friendly abridged Shakespeare productions at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater. > navypier.com > chicagochildrensmuseum.org > chicagoshakes.com

Outdoor pursuits Visit during summer and you’ll find Chicagoans out and about exploring the city’s 41 kilometres of shoreline and 33 sandy beaches. To join in the fun,

hire a bike from Bobby’s Bike Hire and pedal the city’s 29 km-long bike path that runs beside Lake Michigan. Alternatively, sign up for Bobby’s Tike Hike, a guided bike tour with commentary specifically aimed at the under 10s. > bobbysbikehike.com Millennium Park is home to the city’s bestknown public artwork - “The Bean” - whose curved reflective stainless steel surface provides endless selfie opportunities! In winter you can skate under the twinkling lights of the city at the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink; in summer the kids can cool off with a splash around in Crown Fountain. Nearby is Maggie Daley Park, which already boasts an impressive iceskating ribbon, state-of-the-art play areas and a 12 metre tall rock climbing wall. New additions this year include an Enchanted Forest with a mirrored maze, several play areas for toddlers and a Slide Crater with a spiral slide. > chicagoparkdistrict.com Located just north of downtown Chicago, Lincoln Park Zoo provides immersive animal encounters in an unusually urban setting. Recent additions include Pahstrel, a female Amur tiger and Taza, an adorable one-year-old snow leopard. Admission is free (yes, free!) and it’s open every day of the year. > lpzoo.org

Classic Chicago eats

The Jellies Exhibit at Shedd Aquarium and Oceanarium

You can’t visit Chicago and not try its most famous speciality the deep dish pizza. Whose is the best? Who knows? But the ones at Giordano’s and Lou Malnati’s are mighty fine. Another great family dining destination is Portillo’s, a diner offering classic American burgers, shakes and hot dogs. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, check out Garrett’s classic popcorn mix. Blending caramel and cheese-flavoured popcorn may sound like a hideous mistake, but it’s a match made in heaven. giordanos.com loumalnatis.com portillos.com garrettpopcorn.com

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About Chicago When to go: Chicago winters are brutal five-month affairs so visit between November and March at your peril.

Weather-wise, early autumn (September and October) is ideal but summer is when all the action is. The city hosts more than 200 festivals and events between March and September.

Visit choosechicago.com; DiscoverAmerica.com Getting there: Qantas flies to Chicago via Los Angeles and Dallas/Fort Worth.

Visit qantas.com

Views with attitude The world’s first steel-framed high rise was built in Chicago in 1885, making this city the birthplace of the modern skyscraper. Dozens followed in a frenzied building boom that has left Chicago with a soaring skyline and an abundance of observation decks.

For a mesmerising 360-degree panorama that includes four US states, check out the observation deck on the 94th floor of 360 CHICAGO (formerly known as the John Hancock Observatory). For something more adventurous, sign up for TILT, a new attraction that tips forward, suspending you and your dinner 300 metres above the ground. > 360chicago.com Want to really test your nerve? Take a deep breath and step out into The Ledge, a suspended glass box that juts out from the 103rd floor of Willis Tower, the second tallest building in the western hemisphere. > theskydeck.com

Entertainment central

Above: DIinosaur Expedition at the Chicago Children’s Museum © Choose Chicago

Ice skating at Millennium Park © Choose Chicago

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Chicago is justifiably famous for its improv comedy scene with iconic venue The Second City producing comedy greats such as Steve Carell, Tina Fey and Mike Myers. For a family-friendly dose of laughs, check out Comedy Sportz’s hilarious 90-minute show where two teams create comedy scenes, songs and games from audience suggestions. > secondcity.com > comedysportzchicago.com

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Navy Pier ferris wheel

Ever heard of Whirly Ball? Me neither. But don’t let that put you off – this cross between lacrosse, hockey and basketball with bumper cars is action-packed and addictive. If you’re looking for more traditional fun, the same complex also has bowling and laser tag. > whirlyball.com Chicago is home to seven professional sports teams so there’s no shortage of live sporting action on offer.

Watching the Cubs baseball team lose at 100-year-old Wrigley Field is a Chicago rite of passage (they almost always lose). Alternatively, snap up tickets to a game of basketball, NFL, hockey or soccer.

Why families LOVE Portland, Oregon What’s not to love about a city that tore up carparks to plant trees and lay down parks and walking, bike and skateboard paths? In Portland, styrofoam cups are illegal and plastic bags are outlawed. Could a city, and its people, be more family-friendly? MARK WILLIAM SHEEHAN tells us why “Ya gotta love this city!”

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T

he northwest city of Portland, Oregon, is the urban jewel in the magical State of Oregon’s crown. If we were to list all the reasons your offspring will relish this Oregon oasis, we’d be writing volumes. So we’ve cut to the chase and highlighted only a few of the many reasons we relish this ‘town’.

Hey kids … did you know …?

Previous page: City skyline with Mt Hood © travelportland.com

Above from left: Turbine Hall @ Oregon Museum of Science & Industry © travelportland.com/Gia Goodrich

“Animals in Pools” sculptures near MAX Light Rail train © travelportland.com/Torsten Kjellstrand

Portland Children’s Museum © travelportland.com/Torsten Kjellstrand

Portland streetcars © travelportland.com/Jamie Francis

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…Oregon has more ghost towns than any other state? … “Milk” is the recognised state drink? … the “Square Dance’ is the official State dance? … the flag of Oregon boasts a Beaver, and has two different images on each side –very rare for flags. … Portland’s nickname is ‘The City of Roses’? … The world’s largest new and used bookstore, Powell’s City of Books, lives in Portland and boasts over a million books that fill an eight-storey building across a whole city block? You’ll want to linger here and browse and read – then enjoy a milkshake on site, while mum and dad sip on a double latte with mini marshmallows on top!

Walk, Ride and Glide!

The urban planners of modern day Portland were proud parents. They created a city with incredible reasons to

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enjoy the outdoors, supported a public transit system which makes way for skateboards and bikes, and seduces riders with free city passage.

Hanging out with the locals The people of Portland are very pleasant and super friendly. Our children love meeting the locals, so we gravitate to places like bowling alleys (Portland boasts five within the city limits!) where the cost of rental shoes, and 12 ‘frames’ is less than a ¼ of what we pay back home. Climb aboard the abundant Portland Streetcars, the MAX light rail or a Portland Pedicab to get around.

Low-Cost, No Cost Portland for kids!

With a wonderful planetarium, a gargantuan-screen theatre, a real navy submarine, travelling exhibits of all kinds, and heaps of hands-on fun head to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

See a world full of wildlife in a single afternoon at the Oregon Zoo, the oldest zoo west of the Mississippi River. It’s only minutes from downtown Portland in visitor-friendly Washington Park and houses over 2,200 animals from more than 250 species — which means you can get up close to everything from an African pygmy hedgehog to a Visayan warty pig!. (Don’t ask!)

More Information travelportland.com travelportland.com/collection/ portland-with-kids/

Powell’s Book Store

© travelportland.com/Torsten Kjellstrand

The zoo covers a whopping 26 ha, so be prepared to spend a whole day here, wear comfy walking shoes and hire a stroller for toting the tots.

Oaks Amusement Park is only a few kilometres south of the city centre and is America’s oldest continuously operating amusement park. Most suited to younger children it’s very easy to spend an entire afternoon keeping the kids pleasantly pleased and with one-price-fits-all ride bracelets, a day’s entertainment at Oaks Park is very affordable for families.

Putt-putt if it’s pouring! The kids will love the blacklit, pirate-themed, mini-golf course at Glowing Greens. It’s located smack dab in the heart of downtown and makes for fun, out of the ordinary, family escape.

Portland Children’s Museum is a must-visit for all ages and its newest attraction is actually outdoors!

A ‘get dirty- and- learn’ space, ‘Outdoor Adventure’ occupies a ½ ha site, designed to encourage children to explore – rain or shine. Don’t take the kids in their ‘Sunday Best’ outfits. They WILL get wet, and muddied, eat a bit of Oregon dirt and enjoy every minute of it!

And to rinse the kids off afterwards, Portland’s many public fountains (the city is peppered with public parks!) are refreshing places for kids of all ages to cool off.

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Hire Wheels!

Hiring a car big enough for the troops is never a problem in Portland, and since Portland is surrounded by some incredible gifts from Mother Nature, you’ll want to sample a few of its just-out-of-town wonders.

Mount Hood offers scenic recreation ranging from camping, hiking and fishing to nearly year-round skiing and snowboarding. Even in summer, families can drink 1,000 year old ice melt on a real glacier, host snow-ball fights and built a snowman or two. Mount Hood is only a 90-minute drive from downtown Portland and sits, scenically, right ‘in the city’s backyard’.

For skiing and snowboarding, Mt Hood Meadows, Mt Hood Skibowl and Timberline can’t be beaten.

Meadows, with 11 lifts, 85 runs and a 4.8 km stretch of uninterrupted downhill, has a trail for every level of skier. Downhill daredevils may prefer to sled or tube and all areas offer fast-paced thrills. For a total cosmic tubing experience, head to Skibowl’s Snow Tube & Adventure Park!

Above from left: Mount Hood

Outside Portland

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© travelportland.com

Portland Saturday Markets © travelportland.com

Tubing at Skibowl, Mt

Hood

© MtHoodTerritory.com

A scenic 100-km drive from Portland, the entire family will be blown away with the wonders of Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Over 80 waterfalls, fed by glaciers and swollen by snowmelt and Oregon’s winter rains, plunge from sheer cliffs, hidden slot canyons and rock grottos rimmed by massive trees and moss, in a thousand shades of emerald and jade.

Visitors to many of these misty gems have access yearround, either by short hikes or from roadside pullouts along the Historic Columbia River Highway.

The Oregon Coast is a wonderful scenic drive with long stretches of rugged Pacific Ocean shorelines dotted with beach towns, lighthouses, hiking trails and tidal pools. Along the way stop off to whale watch, because the Oregon Coast welcomes over 18,000 migrating whales each year!

Send us a postcard when you and your family visit Portland; we’d love to hear from you!

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Touring Tennessee When the school holidays roll around, it’s not just kids who dream of a break from schoolwork! For teachers DEBORAH McMURTRIE, LISA SHARPE and KATHY GIBSON, a girls’ own adventure in Tennessee, meeting up with friend and fellow teacher, Crystal Dunn, who is living and working in Nashville, was the perfect end-of-term reward – a li’l bit of History, Geography and Civics and Citizenship to bring back to their students, and a big ol’ dose of southern hospitality and fun to boot!

T

estament to the incredible friendliness of the people of Tennessee, our first encounter took place before we’d even touched US soil. Fellow-passengers and helpful Nashvillians, on our flight from Sydney to Nashville via LA, provided us with a custom-designed ‘must-see’ list for our holiday.

Memphis

© tnvacation.com

This heartland city was brimming with things to do, but with only a few short days on our itinerary we had to make the most of every moment. Our first attraction was free-of-charge, and completely unexpected, when we checked into the Peabody Hotel. Twice daily, and to the amusement of locals and tourists alike, cute resident ducks take the elevator from the top floor (where they live) to their daily post at the fountain in the hotel lobby. Children and adults excitedly waited, and delighted, as the ducks walked the ‘quack walk’ red carpet.

Still chuckling about our web-footed friends’ unique and entertaining performance, we headed out to wander through Memphis’ famed Beale Street, revered for its Blues roots. Music flowed out of every doorway on this iconic thoroughfare, as we passed the world’s first bronze Elvis statue, the National Civil Rights Museum and the iconic Sun Studios, known as ‘The Birthplace of rock’n’roll’ and where The King made his first ever recordings aged just 18 years!

The great blues and country greats – from Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins to B.B. King – have all left their imprint on Beale Street.

Left: Guitar outside Sun Studios Following page from left: Graceland and The Smoky Mountains

Elvis & Graceland No visit to Memphis is complete without a pilgrimage to Graceland, Elvis Presley’s long-time home and now a must-visit attraction for both devoted fans and curious tourists.

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Discover this land, like never before.

Redefine extraordinary in Antelope Canyon, Arizona.

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© tnvacation.com

Tennessee Tourism tnvacation.com Nashville Tourism visitmusiccity.com/visitors Memphis Tourism memphistravel.com Graceland graceland.com Peabody Hotel peabodymemphis.com Gatlinburg Tourism gatlinburg.com Westgate Resort Smoky Mountains wetsgatedestinations.com/ tennessee/ Dollywood dollywood.com Pigeon Forge mypigeonforge.com Citypass Nashville city-discovery.com/nashville

Accompanied by the dulcet tones of Elvis’s classic hit, ‘Love Me Tender’ we walked the driveway to Graceland, a path perpetually flanked by reverent fans of The King, day and night. Known to locals as ‘The King’s Castle’, Graceland was purpose-built by Elvis as a home for he and his wife Priscilla, daughter LisaMarie, and an extensive retinue for many years, and it was here that Elvis passed away on 16 August, 1977.

The 2 ha property was declared a National Historic Landmark in 2006 and houses an amazing array of memorabilia both within the mansion and throughout the grounds. We marvelled at Elvis’s vast collection of Rhinestone- covered stage costumes and his collection of private planes and cars from the 50s and 60s.

Plenty of interesting retro personal artefacts are on display, and while the Graceland Trust invites visitors to celebrate the life of this extraordinary music legend, it’s an emotional experience to walk through the gardens where the graves of Elvis, his parents and his grandparents lie. Insightful and memorable, a visit to Graceland is a fantastic excursion for all ages and fans.

Smoky Mountains

Driving through the Great National Smoky Mountains - ‘The Smokies’- it was hard to resist multiple pit stops for personal photo ops with the majestic mountains as backdrop. The National Park that houses the range reveals an astonishing variety of animals and plants, including black bears, coyotes and foxes. In this natural wilderness we were surprised to arrive in a town – Gatlingburg – that nestles amid the serenity and beauty of this mountain setting.

Exciting and vibrant, the town was abuzz with holidaymakers and we checked into the Westgate Resort Smoky Mountains for a few nights’ authentic mountains stay.

One of the most famous natives of these parts is Dolly Parton, who once famously pledged:

Peabody Duck s

© tnvacation.com

© tnvacation.com

More Information

“I always thought that if I made it big or got successful at what I had started out to do, that I wanted to come back to my part of the country and do something great, something that would bring a lot of jobs into this area.”

And in 1986 she put her words where her mouth was, and gave her name and her commitment to an amusement park in Pigeon Forte, Tennessee, slap bang within the Smoky Mountains - “Dollywood”.

Just like her namesake, Dollywood, as theme parks go, marches to a different drummer! There’s an abundance of rides and thrills for all ages, sideshows, authentic eateries and entertainment, as you’d expect, but Dollywood also has an array of craft experiences for you to take in and enjoy as a family - from discovering how local leather smiths craft a belt, to watching a blacksmith hand-forge steel into Smokies-style gifts. To our great delight, we also AUTUMN 2015 outandaboutwithkids.com.au

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Above left: Grand Ole Opry stage

found that Dollywood has one of the best rides ever - the Firechaser Express! All this and Dollywood’s ‘Splash Country Water Adventure Park’ too, gave us two days of unmitigated joy in the Smoky Mountains!

© tnvacation.com

Right: The writers on holiday, pictured outside Graceland

Nashville’s foundations are built on a common thread of music – connecting the life and soul of the city and its people. More particularly, Nashville is the home of Country Music, a genre that has spawned the musical careers of everyone from Patsy Cline and Willie Nelson to Keith Urban and Taylor Swift, and for whose proponents the ‘dream’ is the opportunity to grace the stage of Nashville’s legendary Grand Ole Opry, which celebrates 90 years in 2015!

Eager to explore the city, we had been advised that the best and most cost-effective way to get around was to purchase a Citypass which gave us access to over 60 attractions including The Country Music Hall of Fame, The Johnny Cash Museum, the General Jackson Showboat, The Grand Ole Opry and the famous RCA ‘Studio B’ that helped to create the original ‘Nashville Sound’ in the 1960s.

We also ventured into Opry Mills, Tennessee’s largest shopping centre outlet, with over 200 shops, including top-end brands and department stores like Saks Fifth Ave. Bargains were everywhere, so needless to say we spent our time, if not our money (!), wisely.

After our retail therapy we wanted to find out more about this eclectic city. A few different restaurants had been recommended and we were aware of Nashville’s growing reputation for delicious cuisine, so we spread ourselves wide and sampled a whole host of Nashville specialties that included BBQ ribs, southern fried chicken, corn bread and the amazing selection at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams.

On our final day in Tennessee we took one last tour of Nashville, engaging with the friendly locals who loved bantering around our distinctive Aussie and Kiwi accents!

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Firechaser Ride at Dol

lywood

© tnvacation.com

‘Music City’ - Nashville

And, so, another fantastic US destination is ticked off our collective bucket list – and what a destination!

Tennessee was warm and illuminating, friendly and fun, educational and … excellent! It’s absolutely true what they say about ‘southern hospitality’, so we’ll leave it to Nashvillian and Country Music Hall of Famer, Lester Flatts, and partner Earl Scruggs, (whose rendition of the theme song to the tv series ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’ reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Country chart) to sum up our Tennessee experience: Well now it’s time to say goodbye to Jed and all his kin, And they would like to thank you folks for kindly droppin’ in.

You’re all invited back again to this locality To have a heapin’ helpin’ of their hospitality…

Y’all come back now, y’hear?

© Paul Henning

let it snow Experience a magical winter wonderland on your next family holiday.

Whether you spend your days conquering the ski runs or curling up by the roaring fire, a winter holiday ticks all the boxes. Envisage your clan scampering through the snow, tackling the art of skiing or snowboarding or simply creating snow angels in the fresh powder.

Many ski resorts carefully cater to families with special kids’ snow schools to help little ones learn the art of skiing in no time.

It won’t be long before they will whizz past you, with a smile from ear to ear as their confidence begins to grow.

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NYCGO.COM/FAMILY Discover things to see, hear, taste and do in NYC. Explore

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A U T U M N 2CG: 0 1®5& © 2015 Universal Studios and/or HMH. All Rights Reserved. The PBS KIDS logo is a registered mark of PBS and is used with permission. outandaboutwithkids.com.au

More than

Manhattan For many visitors New York is Manhattan. But what about the city’s other fantastic family-friendly boroughs...? ROB McFARLAND shows us around.

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e all love Manhattan and that’s understandable. Manhattan is the borough with the best restaurants, the best shopping and the most famous sights. The downside, of course, is that it’s expensive, particularly when you’re travelling as a family.

Increasingly, savvy visitors are choosing to base themselves in one of NYC’s other boroughs – Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx or Staten Island.

Not only is accommodation more affordable, but each borough has its own unique range of family attractions.

And the best bit? Manhattan is still just a train, bus or boat ride away.

Brooklyn

Previous page: Brooklyn Bridge Park with carousel © NYC & Company/ Julienne Schaer

Above from left: Coney Island

© NYC & Company/Julienne Schaer

Prospect Park, Brooklyn

© NYC & CompanyWill Steacy

Gantry Plaza, Queens

© NYC & Company/Will Steacy

New York Hall of Science, Queens © NYC & Company/Julienne

Schaer

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Despite evolving over the last few years into a super-cool hipster hangout, Brooklyn still boasts an impressive range of family attractions. Kick off with Brooklyn Children’s Museum, the world’s first museum specifically designed for little ones, which has a collection of almost 30,000 objects ranging from musical instruments to dolls to fossils. Throw in interactive exhibits such as a splash park, an art studio and a musical play area with instruments made from household items and you can wave goodbye to a day. > brooklynkids.org Fancy a day on the beach? Coney Island offers the full seaside experience with a wide stretch of sand, a traditional wooden boardwalk and Luna Park - an amusement park packed with rides from the tame to the terrifying. > lunaparknyc.com For more outdoor fun, head to one of Brooklyn’s many parks. Prospect Park isn’t just a great spot for a picnic, it’s also home to a delightful 100-year-old

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wooden carousel, a storytelling-themed playground and a zoo with more than 125 different species. The recently opened Lakeside complex overhauled ten hectares of the park’s southeast corner and now offers year-round fun with ice-skating in the winter and roller-skating and a water play area in the summer. > prospectpark.org Equally compelling is Brooklyn Bridge Park, which stretches for two kilometres along the East River and is packed with landscaped play areas and sports facilities. The kids will love getting wet and wild at the Water Lab playground and playing in New York’s largest sand pit. Try Fornino’s wood-fired pizzas and enjoy the glorious views of downtown Manhattan. > brooklynbridgeparknyc.org

Queens Queens offers similarly beguiling views of Manhattan as it skirts the East River north of Brooklyn. It’s NYC’s largest borough and most ethnically diverse, with hundreds of different nationalities, languages and cuisines.

Its best-known family attraction is the New York Hall of Science, a sprawling complex which started as an offshoot of the 1964 World’s Fair. It’s home to more than 450 exhibits including a 3D movie theatre, a 5,500 square-metre Science Playground and an innovative hands-on space called Design Lab that helps youngsters understand the design and engineering process. > nysci.org Older kids will appreciate the Museum of the Moving Image, which offers an insight into the world of cinema through costumes and set models from Hollywood blockbusters. There are also interactive

Rhode Island

of willow trees, while the latter has been designed to allow children with disabilities to join in the fun, via a network of wheelchair accessible installations. > nysparks.com > nycgovparks.org

The Bronx

Prospect Park, Brooklyn displays and regular screenings of animated classics such as “Shrek” and “Madagascar”. > movingimage.us For a more active excursion, check out Indoor Extreme Sports, a paintball and laser tag arena where kids can act out their video game fantasies by fending off zombies, parents and siblings! > indoorextremesports.com Queens is home to dozens of playgrounds but two notable ones are Gantry Plaza State Park and Playground for All Children. The former features state-of-the-art play equipment and a delightful grove

Of all NYC’s boroughs, The Bronx is the most maligned. Just saying the name conjures up a mental image of shady characters and dodgy deals. Surely no place for families?

On the contrary. The South Bronx is starting to experience the gentrification that has revitalised Harlem over the last decade and the borough has plenty to keep families entertained.

For a start, there’s Bronx Zoo, which is the largest in North America with more than 5,000 animals.

You’ll find all the usual suspects such as elephants, tigers and monkeys but be sure to check out the Madagascar exhibit for more exotic critters such as the adorable Coquerel’s Sifaka (a kind of lemur) and the fossa, a fearsome ferret-like creature with reversible ankles. > bronxzoo.com If your kids are older and into sports, they’ll love the exuberant atmosphere of a baseball game at Yankee Stadium. Games are family-friendly affairs with lots of entertainment and the new stadium features a belt-loosening array of food options. > newyork.yankees.mlb.com Looking for New York’s best pizza? Head straight to Arthur Avenue in Little Italy where you’ll find dozens of eateries serving authentic Italian pizzas, pastas and gelato. > arthuravenuebronx.com

If you need a break from the relentless excitement of New York, Rhode Island makes a great weekend respite. Many of America’s richest men certainly thought so because during the late 1800s they built dozens of extravagant “summer cottages” in Newport. Many have since been restored, offering an eye-opening insight into the outrageous opulence of America’s Gilded Age. With coastlines to the west, south and east, the sea is an ever-present feature in Newport.

A delightful way to explore the bay is on a sunset cruise on the Madeleine, an elegant 22-metre wooden schooner that leaves from Bannister’s Wharf. cruisenewport.com While Newport is Rhode Island’s most compelling attraction, there are many reasons to explore the rest of the state.

Despite its confusing name (it’s not actually an island; it’s attached to the mainland and borders Massachusetts and Connecticut), it boasts 100 beaches along more than 640 kilometres of coastline. It also has a burgeoning wine industry, a comprehensive network of bike trails and a vibrant dining scene specialising in seafood.

All in all, not a bad effort for the US’s smallest state. discovernewport.org visitrhodeisland.com

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More Information Qantas flies to New York via Los Angeles and Dallas/Fort Worth. qantas.com.au nycgo.com visitnj.org

Staten Island For many visitors Staten Island is simply the midway point for a return cruise on the Staten Island Ferry, a free service which departs from Battery Park and offers stunning views of the Statue of Liberty and Lower Manhattan. Those who do linger discover the island is home to the charming Staten Island Children’s Museum, which features giant board games, a DIY-themed house exhibit and a theatre with costumes for budding thespians. > sichildrensmuseum.org Another drawcard is the Staten Island Zoo, which while tiny by Bronx Zoo standards, still houses more than 800 species and is famous for its collection of rattlesnakes. > statenislandzoo.org While we’re talking islands, it would be remiss not to mention Governors Island, a car-free paradise that’s open every weekend from May to September.

Accessible via a free ferry from Battery Park, it has forts to explore, vast expanses of lawn to dash about on and even a manmade beach with a volleyball court. > govisland.com

New Jersey

From left: Bronx Zoo

© NYC & CompanyMarley White

Arthur Avenue, Bronx

© NYC & Company/Joe Buglewicz

Staten Island Children’s Museum

© NYC & Company/Joe Cingrana

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While not an official New York borough (it’s actually a separate state), New Jersey certainly feels like one given it’s just across the Hudson River.

One of the best ways to explore is on two wheels.

Hire a bike from Bike and Roll in Liberty State Park and cycle north along the Hudson River foreshore for stunning views of Manhattan. > bikenewyorkcity.com New Jersey’s most famous asset is the 200-kilometre stretch of coastline from Sandy Hook

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Staten Island C

hildren’s Mus

eum

in the north to Cape May in the south. Known as the “Jersey Shore”, it’s peppered with more than 60 beaches and a string of lively seaside towns such as Seaside Heights, which has a boardwalk, two piers and a range of arcades.

You’ll find more foreshore fun at Keansburg Amusement Park but if your kids want something more extreme, check out the breakfast-challenging array of high-speed rides at Six Flags Great Adventure.

If you’re there in summer, brace yourself for more thrills next door at Hurricane Harbor Water Park. > keansburgamusementpark.com > sixflags.com

A whole new world of

“This is the Hawai‘i we all dreamed of.”

From the moment you walk into Aulani, you’ll agree this beachfront paradise, set on the shores of Ko Olina, is a whole new world of family

fun.

So much is included with your stay, from a massive, interactive kids club and world-class entertainment to our unforgettable pools, lazy river, waterslides, special splash zones for the little ones and more.

To learn more, visit DisneyAulani.com or call your Travel Agent.

WELCOME TO ©Disney AUL-14-37315

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Larger than life in

The Lone Star State Texas is big - big in size, big in population and big in personality, and if you want to give your young ones an introduction to the gregarious US of A, then Texas is a great place to start, says PIP STRICKLAND.

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ot only are there plenty of world-class museums, wildlife interactions, and unique Texan activities to keep you entertained, but the locals are famously friendly and will welcome you with open arms. Qantas flying direct to Dallas Fort Worth makes access from Australia a streamlined affair. While Texas itself spans over a whopping 696,241 square kms, the twin city of Dallas-Forth Worth, and the state capital, Austin, are both vibrant family-friendly urban hubs, from which to base yourself and explore The Lone Star State.

With kids in mind, here are TEN top attractions in these cities: Dallas-Fort Worth

1. Stockyards National Historic District Texas is the iconic state of the Old Wild West and Stockyards is where it is all brought back to life.

The kids will love watching genuine Texan cowboys drive longhorn cattle on the twice-daily cattle drive, or the antics of the Stockyard’s rodeo every Friday and Saturday night at the world’s first indoor rodeo, Cowtown Coliseum, built in 1908. Western saloons, Texan-themed restaurants and the world’s largest honky-tonk (that’s Texan for country music bar) will take you back to a time when guns and outlaws ruled this land. Check out the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame honouring world-champion bull riders and barrel racers, and the Livestock Exchange Building, once the ‘Wall Street of the West’. Try and visit on a Saturday when Pawnee Bill’s Wild West Show ignites the Stockyard’s District in a blaze of tricks and Texan shenanigans. > fortworthstockyards.org

2. Grapevine Vintage Railroad From Stockyards, bundle the family onboard the Grapevine Vintage Railroad that travels the historic

Left: Dallas Skyline

© visitdallas.com/Matt Pasant

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Do the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave -the Over Easy way!

A trip to the USA presents a dizzying smorgasbord of attractions, events, accents and landscapes, and America Over Easy is about tasting the best of what’s on off er. As the KNOWBEFORE-YOU-GO guide to making the most of an American vacation, it highlights essential sights around the country, from national parks to camping spots, free attractions to shopping malls, and museums to road trips, to help you get the best out of your visit.

Coming soon: California Over Easy and New York Over Easy

www.newhollandpublishers.com

GREAT CITIES

THE BEST ATTRACTIONS

SAVE MONEY. SAVE TIME. Atlanta Boston Chicago Houston New York City Philadelphia San Francisco Seattle Southern California Tampa Bay Toronto

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Learn more or buy at citypass.com

Cotton Belt Route. Two vintage locomotives ‘Puffy’, an 1896 steam locomotive considered the oldest continuously operating steam engine in the South, and a 1953 GP-7 diesel locomotive - bump along the 1.5 hour route. The journey offers a glimpse of what is was like to ride the rails in the boom years of Texan expansion within authentic 1920s and 1930s Victorian-style coaches. > grapevinetexasusa.com

3. Fort Worth Zoo The Fort Worth Zoo is the oldest zoo in Texas and home to more than 7,000 animal species. The Zoo is particularly noted for its world-famous reptile collection and emphasis on wildlife research, children’s education and conservation initiatives. In fact, the Zoo assists conservation projects in more than 30 countries, so a day interacting with the weird and wonderful creatures of Fort Worth Zoo is helping support a worthy cause (or two). > fortworthzoo.org

4. Dallas World Aquarium Located in the West End historic district of Dallas, the World Aquarium houses a range of threatened or endangered species and plays an important part in worldwide cooperative breeding programs that aid conservation efforts. It’s a great place to educate the little ones about animals surviving on the brink (both

aquatic and land-based species) with educational talks, exhibits on Borneo, South Africa and South America, and a 75-litre walk-through tank featuring hundreds of mesmerising tropical fish. > dwazoo.com

5. Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden Allow the kids to get lost in the 3.5 ha adventure garden, situated within the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. The 17 indoor and outdoor galleries are packed full of interactive activities and exhibits related to the environment, earth and the life forms it supports, such as energy cycling, photosynthesis, the solar system and pollination.

What better place to educate your children on the great outdoors than in the place where it all happens? > dallasarboretum.org

6. AT&T Stadium Texas does things on a big scale and the AT&T Stadium, home to the Dallas Cowboys football team, is no exception. The world’s largest domed stadium is now open to the public for behind-the-scenes tours (that include the players’ locker rooms!) and photo opportunities for visitors and fans with star players for the legendary Dallas Cowboys! The stadium also hosts larger-than-life concerts when big name artists come to town, so check the website to see who’s playing when. > attstadium.com

Above: Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden© Fort Worth

Convention & Visitors Bureau

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7. Dinosaur Valley Imagine walking along a riverbed where colossal dinosaurs, extinct millions of years ago, once roamed.

Then imagine walking in their actual footsteps, left 200 million years ago. Well you can do just that in Dinosaur Valley State Park, only an hour outside of Fort Worth. There are plenty of short hikes within the park, an arboretum and opportunities for the kids to spot wildlife, fish or take a swim in the Paluxy River. The interpretive centre is a recommended first port-of-call where the area’s dinosaur history is explained. Then it’s just a matter of getting out there and discovering the Jurassic legacy! > dinosaurstatepark.org

Austin

8. The Thinkery With a focus on science, engineering, maths, art and technology, the Thinkery will keep the kids captivated for hours. This interactive museum has been designed to enhance and enrich children’s understanding of all things mind-related in an engaging and exciting environment. The Thinkery is located in Austin’s newly-designed Mueller community, on the site of the city’s old Robert Mueller Airport, where old meets new in an impressive development initiative. > thinkeryaustin.org Above from left: Cow Camp

9. Zilker Park and the Austin Nature and Science Center

Fort Worth Zoo

You could easily spend a whole day at Zilker Park – 146 hectares of open spaces, picnic grounds and playgrounds for the kids to explore, as well as the

© Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau © Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau

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AT&T Stadium Zilker Zephyr train. Don’t miss a visit to the Austin Nature and Science Center, located within the park, where the little ones can interact with wildlife or dig for fossils at the Dino Pit, and big kids can rock climb and take part in caving programs. After a long day of action, plunge into the spring-fed waters of Barton Springs Pool, an urban oasis located nearby. > zilkerpark.org

10. Bullock Texas State History Museum Get lost in the history of the Lone Star State at Austin’s Bullock Museum where the people, places and events that have made Texas what it is are on vivid display. In addition to revolving exhibitions, the museum also has a cinema, the ‘Spirit Theater’, that tells the story of Texas in 3D, and an IMAX theatre that showcases films on a huge Texas-sized screen. > thestoryoftexas.com

Highway 1 and Route 66 ROB McFARLAND takes us on two US road trips that have particular appeal for families, with plenty to entertain both the adults in the front and the little ones in the back.

Highway 1

C

alifornians are spoilt. Not only do they have two of the world’s great metropolises in their backyard (Los Angeles and San Francisco), but the road that links them – Highway 1 – is arguably the most scenic drive in the US. You could spend anywhere from two days to two weeks driving the 700km coastal route, but in three days you can cover off the highlights, leaving plenty of time to explore the cities at each end.

Day 1 San Francisco to Monterey – 190km Take Highway 1 southbound out of San Francisco and you’ll soon hit the coast as the road squirms its way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Santa Cruz Mountains. This stretch of coastline is famous for elephant seals and a good place to see them is at Ano Nuevo State Park. > parks.ca.gov Continue south through Santa Cruz, a cute seaside town with a boardwalk amusement park featuring old-fashioned carousels and a nerve-testing wooden roller coaster. > beachboardwalk.com

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Your destination for the night is Monterey, a lively city with a wide range of family-friendly activities.

The highlight is Monterey Bay Aquarium, which is home to thousands of marine animals including sea otters, sharks and penguins. > montereybayaquarium.org Monterey is also a great place to get active – hire a bike and pedal along the foreshore or take a guided kayak tour around the bay. > adventuresbythesea.com

Day 2 Monterey to Santa Barbara – 370km Start the day with an insight into how the other half live. Seventeen-mile-drive is a private toll road that meanders around the Monterey Peninsula to Carmel. En route you’ll see some incredible homes and pass the exclusive Pebble Beach Golf Course.

You could easily spend a day on Carmel’s delightful pine-fringed beach but don’t miss the town’s whimsical collection of Hansel and Gretel-style cottages.

Leaving Carmel, you’ll enter the most dramatic portion of the drive - a sparsely populated, frontierlike region known as Big Sur. The road here clings

precariously to steep-sided cliffs, leaps plunging ravines and offers a succession of ever more spectacular lookouts.

Highlights along the way include Bixby Bridge, a 200m single-span concrete arch and Nepenthe restaurant, a family-owned restaurant with mesmerising views. > nepenthebigsur.com If there’s one do-not-miss attraction along Highway 1 it’s Hearst Castle, a sprawling 56-bedroom mansion built by publishing tycoon W R Hearst.

Don’t be alarmed if you see zebras grazing near the highway – they’re remnants of the property’s zoo. > hearstcastle.org

Day 3 Santa Barbara to Los Angeles – 150km

Spend the morning relaxing on Santa Barbara’s beach and picturesque pier before the final push to LA. If you’re heading downtown, take Highway 101 over the Hollywood Hills, but if you want to continue the coastal vibe, stay on Highway 1.

It’ll deliver you to Santa Monica, a laid-back beachfront community with a historic pier, wonderful restaurants and fantastic shopping. > santamonica.com

Left to right: The coastal route - Highway 1 © visitcalifornia.com

San Francisco Cable Car © visitcalifornia.com/Tai Power Seeff

Bixby Bridge © visitcalifornia.com/Alex Farnum

Downtown Santa Barbara © Visit Santa Barbara/Jay Sinclair

Santa Monica Ferris Wheel © Santa Monica Convention and Visitors Bureau/Joakim Lloyd Raboff/ Discover America

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Where can you go to find the very best that Southern California has to offer? Follow your dreams to a city unlike any other. Where the legendary Sunset Strip meets the stylish West Hollywood Design District. Where eclectic dining meets electric nightlife.

Leave everything that’s

conventional, expected and mundane at home, and go big, go bold, go WeHo. visitwesthollywood.com

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© Discover America

Wigwam Motel, Holbrook © Arizona Office of Tourism

Route 66

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espite being decommissioned 30 years ago, Route 66 remains the most famous road in the world. You won’t find the original 3490km route from Chicago to Los Angeles on a modern-day map – it’s long been superseded by highways – but that doesn’t stop thousands of nostalgic travellers from recreating the pilgrimage each year.

Today, you can drive around 85 per cent of the original route and experience a time-capsule of 1950s America in the many neon-lit diners, motels and

attractions along the way.

If you want to do the whole thing, you’ll need a couple of weeks. Alternatively pick a section and plan your travels around that.

Route 66 is all about the journey.

Attractions While there are plenty of traditional attractions along the way, such as the Stafford Air and Space Museum in Oklahoma (staffordmuseum.com) and the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City (nationalcowboymuseum.org), Route 66 is all about the quirky and the kitsch. Look out for AUTUMN 2015 outandaboutwithkids.com.au

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Discover this land, like never before.

Embrace nature in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, California.

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the Gemini Giant, a huge fibreglass astronaut in Wilmington, Illinois and his “brother”, the hotdogcradling Bunyon Giant down the road in Atlanta.

A must-see in Texas is Cadillac Ranch, where ten Cadillacs have been buried vertically into the ground and visitors are encouraged to add their own decoration. Similarly bizarre is the forest of “bottle trees” (bottles welded to iron branches) created by Elmer Long in Helendale, California.

There are natural attractions too, such as a 1200m-wide meteor crater in Arizona (meteorcrater.com) and a 7.4km system of caverns in Stanton, Missouri (americascave.com).

Be sure to check out Calico, a former silver mining town in the Mojave Desert, which offers mine tours and gold panning for the kids (calicoattractions.com).

Above: Cadillac Ranch, an exhibit of public art of half buried Cadillacs in Amarillo © iStock Photo

Las Vegas

Route 66

Accommodation There are plenty of anonymous chain hotels along Route 66 but why not embrace the experience and stay somewhere different? How about a replica of an American Indian wigwam at the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Arizona? Or at El Rancho, ‘Home of the movie stars’ in Gallup, New Mexico, which once hosted Hollywood legends John Wayne and Humphrey Bogart? route66hotels.org With its Route 66-themed rooms, The Munger Moss Motel in Lebanon, Missouri, is a perennial favourite (mungermoss.com). And even if you don’t stay at the Wild West-inspired Big Texan Steak

© visitcalifornia.com

© Discover America

Ranch in Amarillo, it’s worth dropping in to see someone tackle one of its monstrous 72oz steaks. If they finish it in an hour, it’s free. (bigtexan.com)

Side-trips Given you’ll be passing many of America’s bestknown attractions, why not make a detour and check out the Grand Canyon in Arizona or Hoover Dam, on the border of Arizona and Nevada? Or take a break from the driving for a few days in Las Vegas or in Spanish influenced Santa Fe, New Mexico.

More Information visitcalifornia.com.au discoveramerica.com Highway 1 roadtripusa.com Route 66 drivingroute66.com national66.org historic66.com

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Red Rock Country and San Diego to Tombstone Up to 1.5 million Americans live, at least part of the year, in their RVs (Recreational Vehicles), according to the Vehicle Industry Association of America, so SHANE BOOCOCK and his family decided it was time to find out what all the fuss was about on two distinctly different road trips.

A Red Rock Country road trip through Nevada, Utah and Arizona

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e booked our RV online through El Monte, and planned a three-week family road trip travelling through the American Southwest – known locally as ‘Red Rock Country’ - from Las Vegas, Nevada through Utah and back via Arizona. The family-sized Ford V8 RV was waiting for us, (and fully stocked!) at the El Monte depot, just 15 minutes from the Vegas strip, and with a road map (or pay extra for GPS) we set out on our adventure from Lincoln County in Nevada. > elmonterv.com

The Extraterrestrial Highway Rich with history, this moonscape-like region is littered with old gold and silver mines, Native American rock carvings, ghost towns, and stories of cattle rustlers, thieves and gunfighters. Travelling along Route 375 more familiarly known as the ‘Extraterrestrial Highway’, we made our way towards the small town of Rachel, which sits on the doorstep of Nellis Air Force Range and the curiosity that is the mysterious Area 51. To the boundaries of this restricted area tourists, UFO and alien-hunters visit daily by the busload! It’s hardscrabble territory full of creosote bushes, cactus, mine tailings, trailer homes and assorted outhouses and decaying structures – not the ideal rest stop for an alien landing to be honest!

Outside the alien-themed ‘Little A'Le'Inn’ bar/ restaurant/motel in Rachel a sign reads ‘Earthlings Welcome’, and inside it’s chock-full of aircraft photographs and alien memorabilia.

Campgrounds, clay, cliffs, canyons and creature comforts

Our first night stop was in Cathedral Gorge State Park campground, in an exquisite long valley surrounded by eroded peaks, spires and columns all carved and shaped by the forces of nature in the soft orange hues of bentonite clay. > parks.nv.gov/parks/cathedral-gorge/ For the next two nights we relocated to Watchman Campground alongside the Virgin River on the western edge of Zion National Park – one of 380 parks in the USA’s National Park system- and one of Utah’s ‘Mighty 5®’ national parks: Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands. > nps.gov/zion/ We were up bright and early to explore Zion via one of the most spectacular trails in the park . . . Angels Landing. Older kids, under parental supervision, can manage the steep, narrow and sometimes slippery ridge walk, and the views from the top really are truly spectacular.

From Zion heading east, we passed furnace-red sandstone cliffs of iron and manganese, more

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Clockwise from left: Zion National Park; Alien Bar sign; Nevada All images © Shane Boocock

sandstone monuments, narrow slot canyons and weather-worn bluffs on Route 89 north and then Route 12 west en route to Bryce Canyon National Park.

The hiking trails here were manageable and spectacular, through red-rock formations, collectively called “hoodoos”. > nps.gov/brca/

Wrangling and roping After settling in for two nights of RV heaven at Ruby’s Inn we wandered over to the local Bryce Canyon Country Rodeo, which on any Wednesday through Saturday in summer is touristy and entertaining.

Wranglers compete against the clock and each other in team roping, barrel racing and bull riding events – we declared it the perfect family outing – hotdogs and all!

Exploring the wilderness The RV hit the road, north via Route 12, to Fruita Campground and Capitol Reef National Park, wending through the wilderness of sandstone formations of Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. We saddled-up for a horse-riding trail through a maze of canyons, in the footsteps of pioneers, Indians, herdsmen, outlaws and explorers. > nps.gov/care/ > ridethereef.com From there we motored on to the adventure capital of Utah, Moab, the gateway to Arches National

Park and the elevated campground (our favourite thus far) at Deadhorse Point in Canyonlands National Park. The truly iconic vistas take in a swathe of desolate mesas and the snaking Colorado River – a ‘desertscape’ where ancient civilisations once roamed. > nps.gov/arch/ > nps.gov/cany/ Aside from exploring Moab’s famous mountain bike trails, on our wish list was a half-day river rafting experience on the Colorado River - a pleasant float trip in one of the most scenic stretches of the river in Utah. > canyonvoyages.com/rafting

Monument Valley Next stop Monument Valley - part of the 12,000 ha Navajo Tribal Park that lies in the sprawling 6.5 million ha Navajo Reservation. From our campground at Gouldings Trading Post we toured the backcountry region of Monument Valley and Mystery Valley, known to the Navajos as Si Ya Nie Chi – meaning ‘Red Rock Comes Down’ - replete with ancient rock art, mesas rising over 1,000 metres, wind caves and giant arches. > gouldings.com After two nights staying on the rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona (that’s another story!) our incredible southwest adventure ended in our faithful RV back in the bright lights of Las Vegas!

More Information San Diego Tourism Authority sandiego.org Arizona Office of Tourism arizonaguide.com Tombstone, Cochise County, Arizona explorecochise.com

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WHEELS OF AMERICA

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On the Tombstone Trail – From San Diego to Boothill

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an Diego is a ‘tick-the-list’ destination for families, including ours, with plenty of ‘big name’ attractions and even the promise of a day trip across the US-Mexico Border into Tijuana (don’t forget your passports!). In San Diego Old Town – the birthplace of California - we visited historic sites and explored the many shopping outlets and eateries. > oldtownsandiegoguide.com At Camperland on the Bay – a San Diego urban campground –we discovered loads of family-friendly amenities including a safe swimming beach, skate park, volleyball and, on weekends in summer, live concerts and dancing!

San Diego attractions

SeaWorld was high on our must-see list, along with the world-famous San Diego Zoo where we explored the Safari Park – the closest thing to a real African safari outside of Africa! - and visited Giant Pandas, Polar Bears and even the Australian Outback exhibit, ‘Koalafornia Dreamin’. > seaworldparks.com/en/seaworld-sandiego/ > zoo.sandiegozoo.org > sdzsafaripark.org Of course we couldn’t miss the fabulous Legoland in Carlsbad, just a 35-minute drive from

our campground before heading to the ocean and Mission Beach where the thrill-seekers among us rode the Big Dipper – the second-oldest wooden roller coaster in the USA – built way back in 1925! Mission Beach is also a great place to rent a set of rollerblades and skate up and down the beachfront boardwalk. > california.legoland.com Leaving San Diego we travelled east across the Vallecito Mountains to the luxury of The Springs at Borrego RV Resort in the heart of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The RV resort is great for families, with a nine-hole championship golf course, driving range and chipping greens, tennis courts, a catch-and-release fishing lake, saltwater swimming pool and an Astronomy Park. > springsatborrego.com As we made our way next into Arizona, via the border city of Yuma – home of the Yuma Territorial Prison and the Yuma County Jail –we relished spending an hour or so soaking up our first Wild West experience!

On our state map of Arizona we’d spotted a campsite with limited facilities called Painted Rock Petroglyphs Campground and were surprised when we arrived to find the only neighbours were hundreds of gophers and a few turkey vultures spiralling overhead, accompanied by the occasional howl of a coyote. It was a bonus to find the campground was also home to a huge array of petroglyphs (Native American rock carvings) that archaeologists estimate date back to between 300 BC and AD 1450.

Gateway to San Diego © Shane Boocock

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Clockwise from above: Sonara Desert campsite © Shane Boocock

Tombstone stagecoach © Shane Boocock

Cactus at Gilbert Ray Campground © Shane Boocock

More Information San Diego Tourism Authority sandiego.org Arizona Office of Tourism arizonaguide.com Tombstone, Cochise County, Arizona explorecochise.com

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But our ultimate destination was the Wild West town of Tombstone, immortalised in the annals of western cowboy history not least for the famous ‘Gunfight…’ at the OK Corral and for lawmaker Wyatt Earp, his brothers and Doc Holliday.

It was silver that originally lured keen prospectors and fortune-hunters to this part of Arizona in the mid-19th Century and although life was hard here, Tombstone became a prosperous mining town - the fastest growing city in 1880 between St. Louis and San Francisco!

After settling into the Wells Fargo RV Park we began exploring the dusty streets and creaky boardwalks past the Birdcage Theatre, Boothill Graveyard, the Boothill Silvermine and the Crystal Palace Saloon. Every day there are a series of mock gunfights taking place on stage sets, with cowboys dressed in Wild West outfits. In the 1880s many cowboys tried to make their mark in Tombstone and ended up buried on the legendary Boothill. > wellsfargorv.com A visit to Tombstone is not complete without taking the family on an authentic stagecoach ride through the back streets of town to learn the fascinating history of one of the best-known frontier towns in the USA. We left Tombstone for the Sonora Desert in the west and a few nights under the stars in Saguaro National Park West. In the afternoon at Gilbert Ray

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State Campground, the setting sun gave us enough time to throw some big steaks on the barbeque and then sit back and watch a full moon rise above the giant tree-like saguaro cactus that are pervasive in the Sonoran Desert foothills.

One of the highlights of visiting the Sonora Desert is the chance for the whole family to experience a world-renowned zoo, botanical garden and a natural history museum all rolled into one. The ArizonaSonora Desert Museum is home to more than 300 animal species and 1200 different kinds of plants, in addition to a world-class mineral collection and other amazing wonders of the desert. For the last 60 years this amazing place has educated millions of people with raptor free flights (it means the birds are untethered), live animal presentations, cactus gardens and other plant and animal exhibits. > desertmuseum.org Nearby is Old Tucson, a working film location and western theme park which provides entertainment and historical tours where the spirit of the old west survives, and where many famous western movies were filmed. > oldtucson.com At the end of our adventure, on the drive back to LA, we stopped at the award-winning Pirate Cove Resort just outside the town of Needles and hired a pontoon riverboat. With fishing rods, bait and snacks we enjoyed our last four hours of family fun, under soaring red rock cliffs and between narrow canyons. > piratecoveresort.com

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The United States of Yum! The mention of ‘American food’ often conjures images of hot dogs, deep pan pizza and burger joints - that have subsequently been embraced (and enjoyed!) in takeaway and fast food restaurants right across Australia. But the truth is that, state by state and region by region, America proudly produces a mouth-wateringly diverse wealth of foods, tastes, cuisines and local specialty dishes that go way beyond the limits of fast food, as CHARLI KANE discovered.

East Coast While New York may be synonymous with the iconic hot dog vendor on every street corner (and really, you should at least try one!), don’t pass up the opportunity to explore the city’s incredible multiculturalism, through the local cuisine offerings. The Eastern European Jewish influence in New York has produced the best bagels (with various fillings) and pastrami ‘on rye’ (if you want to eat like a local), as well as the various street foods adopted from the Chinese, Puerto Rican, West Indian and Italian inhabitants.

While Australians may be familiar with many of the foods, the ‘New York-style’ way of doing things makes for some delicious dishes including cheesecake, Eggs Benedict, baked pretzels and pizza.

Philadelphians lay claim to the local delicacy - the Philly Cheesesteak – a long, crusty roll filled with sautéed ribeye and melted cheese (with or without other toppings such as ketchup, fried onions or mushrooms). Generally Cheez Whiz (a processed cheese sauce) is the topping of choice, although this can be substituted with provolone if requested, depending on where you buy your Philly Cheesesteak – which, in Philadelphia, is basically everywhere: steak shops, delis, food trucks, pizzerias and even some high end restaurants!

The New England region (made up of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont) is famous for its amazing seafood, thanks to a fishing industry that has been operating in the region for centuries, with each state boasting its own particular specialty.

Connecticut has the white clam pie (which is really a pizza) topped with olive oil, oregano, cheese, garlic and fresh littleneck clams. Maine’s iconic dish is the lobster roll, which is pretty much what it sounds like: perfectly cooked lobster meat with butter in a hot dog-type roll. Massachusetts is known for its clams, haddock and cranberries – but is also home to the oldest continually operating restaurant in the United States – the Union Oyster House – in Boston. New Hampshire is famous for its seafood, but

What’s that?

Above right: Hershey’s S’Mores © hersheys.com

Opposite: New York Hot Dog Street Vendors © nycgo.com/Julienne Schaer

S’more – Traditionally a campfire treat, a s’more is a sweet dessert-style snack consisting of a roasted marshmallow and a layer of melted chocolate sandwiched between two Graham crackers (plain, sweet biscuits). S’mores are so popular that as well as making them in their original format, you can also buy a variety of s’more-flavoured items at the supermarket: cookies, Pop-Tarts, spreads, ice creams and even s’more-flavoured schnapps for the adults!

Grits – Seen more commonly in the Southern states (although packs can be found in supermarkets if you wish to cook it yourself), grits is mainly a breakfast side dish consisting of ground corn kernels. Cooked by adding boiling water to the kernels to make a thick porridge that’s almost semi-solid, grits are generally seasoned with butter, salt and pepper and occasionally served with grated cheese, sausage or gravy.

Lox – Lox is a fillet of brined salmon, typically served in a bagel with cream cheese. The closest comparison would be to smoked salmon, however, lox is different, and never smoked, only saltcured or brined.

Sloppy joe – Often referenced in movies but seldom explained, a sloppy joe is basically a type of hamburger, but instead of a patty of meat between the buns it’s loose minced beef with onions and tomato, typically flavoured with Worcestershire sauce and/or ketchup.

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also for its fresh local produce, wineries, artisanal cheeses and chocolates. ‘Quahogs’ (hard clams) are Rhode Island’s specialty and appear in the tasty clam chowder that features in the annual Great Chowder Cook Off, held in Newport. Vermont is best known for its maple syrup but few may be aware that it’s also the home of the world-famous Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, with the main factory operating in Waterbury.

West Coast Californian cuisine has recently become synonymous with ‘Fresh-Mex’ or ‘Baja-style’ Mexican food – a hybrid borne of the state’s reputation for fresh local produce, and its proximity to Mexico. While there is certainly no shortage of ‘fast food’ in California, Fresh-Mex places emphasis on quality of ingredients, flavours and healthier options while still providing the cheap and quick service of the traditional ‘pop up’ taco shops and stands.

If taking the family to experience the Las Vegas strip (by way of the Grand Canyon perhaps) keep in mind that not only is Vegas famous for its casinos – but also for its buffets! The majority of buffets are kid-friendly and offer an enormous variety of dishes (at an affordable price) so even the fussiest of family members will find something that tickles their fancy at breakfast, lunch and dinner. All the casinos offer buffets, but not all buffets are created equal - some will charge full adult price for children, and food offerings can vary from high end cuisine to basic family favourites!

Portland, Oregon, the city whose motto is ‘Keep Portland Weird’, sticks to that ethos and promotes its

huge street food culture with more than 600 food carts located in the city. Unlike other cities’ food trucks, Portland’s carts tend to be stationary and are grouped together in pods to make it easy to sample more than one at a time (or appease several hungry tummies).

Mid-West Illinois might end up being a favourite place to dine for kids and parents alike because it boasts pizza, hot dogs and beer! Chicago is renowned for its deep-dish pizzas and Chicago-style hotdog (amongst many other delicacies), but also for producing great local craft beer (for mum and dad) thanks to the city’s long brewing history.

Lovers of spicy dishes will embrace the ‘Chili Capital of America’ – in Cincinnati, Ohio. In fact why limit the accolade to America? Many maintain that Cincinnati is the ‘Chili Capital of the World’ as the city has more chili restaurants per capita than any other city in the US and its own regional style called ‘Cincinnati Chili’.

Down South

Below from left: Chicago’s famous deep dish pizza © choosechicago.com/A. Alexander

The Southern states are known for their Soul Food, which has been heavily influenced by African, French and Native American cuisines. Fried chicken, barbequed ribs, corn bread, sweet pies and mac’n’cheese are all synonymous with the American south, but there are regional signature cuisines and dishes that simply must be experienced!

Creole and Cajun flavours are the tastes of Louisiana, and while Australians are becoming more

Tennessee Bar-B-Q © Desiree Robinson/tnvacation.com

Food carts in Belmont, Portland © travelportland.com Following page: Bagels at Kossars New York © nycgo.com/Malcolm Brown

San Diego waterfront mexican © iStock

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familiar with these cuisines (in large part thanks to various cooking shows and celebrity chefs!), nothing compares to the traditionally cooked variations found in Louisiana. Cajun food is known for being very well seasoned, sometimes spicy, and most dishes start with a base of the ‘holy trinity of Cajun cuisine’: onions, celery and bell pepper. Creole food has a greater emphasis on the use of cream, butter, tomatoes and seafood – and less cayenne pepper. Some must-try dishes include ‘gumbo’ (a flavoursome stew made with various meats and/or seafood, served over rice), ‘jambalaya’ (rice dish with meat and vegetables, similar to a paella) and pecan pie.

Speaking of pies, a visit to Florida wouldn’t be complete without a slice of Key lime pie. Named for the Key limes that are grown in the Florida Keys, Key lime pie consists of (surprisingly) Key lime juice, which is a creamy yellow colour as opposed to green. Topped with a fair amount of meringue, the sweet dessert has been a favourite treat of the South for almost 100 years.

including the delicious Kalua pig, the centerpiece of any ‘luau.’ Kalua means ‘to cook in an underground oven’ and that’s exactly how the Kalua pig is prepared (in an ‘imu’) which gives the meat a beautiful smoky flavour. A more contemporary treat (and, luckily for the kids, is found all over Hawaii) is shave ice. Similar to a snow cone, but using shaved instead of crushed ice, shave ice is a very popular way to cool down on the tropical island. Available in many flavours, the ones flavoured with local ingredients are the best: coconut cream, guava, mango, passionfruit, lychee and – yes – pineapple!

Hawaii A favourite Aussie holiday destination for decades, Hawaii has no shortage of great places to dine.

While we might think that ‘Hawaiian’ food means putting some pineapple on an existing dish (think Hawaiian pizza, Hawaiian burger) – this isn’t the case at all, and thanks to its rich cultural history and immigrant influences, Hawaiian cuisine doesn’t just stop at a ham and pineapple pizza!

Experience the tastes of more traditional cuisine,

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Key Lime pie

What did I order?

Biscuit – If you order this one, don’t expect a Tim Tam or Monte Carlo – in America a biscuit is a small bread roll made with baking soda instead of yeast, similar in consistency to a scone.

They are served as a side dish to a meal, commonly breakfast, with either butter, sweet spreads such as honey, jam or syrup, or savoury with gravy or a sausage patty. If you want a sweet biscuit like a Monte Carlo, you’ll need to ask for a cookie.

Jelly – While we know jelly as the jiggly gelatin-based dessert that comes in a variety of colours and flavours (and goes amazingly with some ice cream), jelly in the US refers to a spread similar to jam, made from sweetened fruit juice.

Commonly spread on toast or bread, the most well-known use of ‘jelly’ is the peanut butter and jelly sandwich (or PB&J) which uses grape jelly. If you want the gelatin-based dessert, you’ll need to ask for Jell-O. Entrée – If you’re dining out and want a smaller sized serving of a meal, or a light starter before your main, you will need to pay close attention to the menu, as in America ‘Entrée’ refers to the Main Course – and you’ll get a hefty meal instead of the bitesized one you were envisaging.

If you want a light starter or a small meal, you’ll need to order an appetizer.

Coffee – In the US, coffee is available at every restaurant and eatery – unfortunately, for coffee aficionados, a lot of the time it is brewed (filter) coffee, not espresso. Asking for a ‘flat white’ or ‘long black’ will more than likely be met with confusion as these terms are mostly used in Australia and New Zealand only. There are great cafes and restaurants across America that serve espresso coffees, although if your regular order is a bit more complex than standard, you may need to help the barista by breaking it down. If you want a flat white, you’ll need to order an espresso shot with steamed milk and no foam. If you want a long black, you’ll need to order an Americano.

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Š Jackson Hole

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America’s ski resorts are calling …!

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k! Let’s Go! We’ve got a mountain (or twenty) of ski slopes to explore across several US states – each one luring significantly more, and more, Aussie families with every new season.

Our simpatico relationship with America and her people, coupled with increased easy, and relatively affordable, flights from Oz to the US, and a white season that coincides with our longest school holiday break, are just three of the reasons why more Australian families are choosing to head to one of the many great US ski resorts for a family vacation.

So, where exactly are America’s most popular, familyfriendly ski resorts?

CALIFORNIA/NEVADA Straddling the border of both states, Lake Tahoe’s ski region offers a resort experience with a real laid-back, California-style vibe across a number of resorts: friendly alpine villages, slopes for all levels of expertise and kids’ activities a-plenty.

Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows Ski and snowboard, or learn to do both/either and then try your hand at snowtubing in the SnoVentures Activity Zone, go ice-skating or jump on a mini snowmobile! The European-style village offers a range of accommodation, including slopeside, shops, restaurants and cafes and a Childrens’ Games Room. > skialpine.com Heavenly Mountain Resort Professionally-trained staff at Heavenly’s Day Care and Nursery will look after little ones as young as six weeks old to give mums and dads time to hit the slopes.

The program also includes the option of one-on-one nannies as well as lessons for 3-5 year olds. Older kids will have a bundle of fun in classes designed for beginners to experts. Impressively, Heavenly also runs a comprehensive adaptive ski and ride program taught by specially-trained instructors. nny > skiheavenly.com Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort Especially for kids, this resort is home to the world’s only Burton Star Wars™ Experience – with Yoda’s Riglet Park where ‘Younglings’ aged 3-6 years can enjoy their first snowboarding adventure and ‘Padawans’ aged 7-12 years can immerse themselves in the intergalactic excitement at Burton Star Wars™ Echo Base. > sierraattahoe.com

Aspen Snowmass UTAH

Deer Valley Kid-friendly skiing and childcare is a big thing at Deer Valley and with several different programs for toddlers to teens the kids are guaranteed to have expert instruction in safe surroundings and engage in creative, age-appropriate activities in a small groups. There’s also a huge range of different accommodation types including lodges, private homes and condominiums. > deervalley.com Park City Mountain Only 35-minutes from Salt Lake City Airport, this resort offers Kids Signature Programs for different age groups and abilities in both skiing and snowboarding.

With small class sizes, kids expand their snow skills rapidly, in a fun and safe learning environment, and make a ton of new friends along the way! > parkcitymountain.com

MONTANA

Big Sky Resort Get to know the mountain with a complimentary guide – The Big Sky Host – before strapping on boots and skis and hitting the slopes. Childcare, Kids Club (with a regular schedule of fun daily activities) private and

Far left: Aspen Snowmass © Aspen Snowmass

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group lessons for all ages and skills, a tube park, zipline, high ropes course, snowshoe tours, climbing wall, bungee trampoline, giant swing, sleigh rides and dog sledding round out the fun on Lone Mountain! > bigskyresort.com

WYOMING

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort A popular resort for families, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort provides a positive and fun learn-to-ski experience for little ones as young as 3 years old. Check the children into Kids Ranch, Rough Riders for Preschool to Grade 1 kids, and Explorers for 2nd-9th Graders – and away they go! Yellowstone National Park is right on your doorstep here and you can stay slopeside in Teton Village or downtown – and enjoy all the activities, entertainment and accommodation that a holiday at Jackson Hole lays on for families! > jacksonhole.com

COLORADO

Above: Apsen Snowmass; Jackson Hole

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© Aspen Snowmass

© Stowe Mountain Resort

Stowe Mountain Resort

Aspen Snowmass One of the best-loved family ski resorts in Colorado, many Australian families are very familiar with Aspen Snowmass, and return year after year. It’s also one of the most accessible Rocky Mountains resorts with connecting flights weekly into Aspen, Eagle and Denver airports. From childcare for infants and toddlers, to first turns on skis, Aspen Snowmass offers several programs for young children, each tailored to suit the unique learning styles of their age group (including teens) and offers ski and snowboard lessons for children 6 years and under.

And between the resort’s four mountains -

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Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk – you’re spoilt for choice. > aspensnowmass.com Vail Mountain Resort Vail is home to world-class athletes during the US Ski Team early-season training sessions and the Burton US Open Snowboarding Championships, but it’s also home to little ski and snowboard champs of the future! Vail’s Kids Adventure Zones include the beginner-friendly Thunder Cat Cave, Coyote’s Escape, Porcupine Alley and Magic Forest – all with banked turns and tunnels designed for different levels of fun, and challenges that build confidence and skill in children. > vail.com Telluride Ski Resort The old mining town of Telluride is today a quaint shopping district with great skiing and family-friendly mountain activities. The Telluride Ski & Snowboard School offers programs for every level and every age, and there are plenty of family-friendly lodging options, restaurant choices and snow fun experiences to be enjoyed. High above the town is another community called Mountain Village - a modern community in the heart of the ski trail network and a popular choice of base for families skiing Telluride, with new hotels, shopping and restaurants. > tellurideskiresort.com Beaver Creek Resort Offering tailor-made family learn-to-ski classes, little ones too young to join in will be happily cared for at Small World Play School, a safe and nurturing

© Mammoth Mountain/Discover America © Jackson Hole

environment for the smallest snow fry! Everyone is catered for at Beaver Creek Resort, and the town even has its very own jolly, alpenhorn-blowing, lederhosenwearing friend, Helmut Fricker, who’s has been entertaining guests in the Village Plaza since the resort opened in 1980. Super family-friendly, Beaver Creek Resort is located in the heart of Colorado’s spectacular central Rocky Mountain Range with fantastic accommodation options in Beaver Creek Village. > beavercreek.com

VERMONT

Stowe Mountain Resort Located in the picturesque New England state of Vermont, Stowe calls itself ‘The Ski Capital of the East’ and is only 40 minutes from Vermont’s largest airport. Stowe’s Children’s Programs, on the gentle slopes of Spruce Peak, build self-esteem and a life-long passion for winter sports in a safe and fun learning environment, and include the Ski & Snowboard School.

Adventure Programs are age-appropriate and include Pathfinders for 3-4 year olds, Trailblazers for 5-6 year olds and Mountaineers for 17-14 year olds. > stowe.com

CONNECTICUT

Mohawk Mountain The state’s oldest and largest ski area, Mohawk is situated at the foot of the Berkshire Mountains in the northwestern town of Cornwall. Snowhawks Childrens’ Programs include Slyders and Mini Slyders (for skiing) and Ryders and Mini Ryders (for snowboarding) as well as Parent and Tot lessons.

Accommodation is off mountain at one of the nearby

inns, hotels and motels in the greater Cornwall Area, many of whom also offer lift pass packages as part of your stay. > mohawkmtn.com Ski Sundown From the Puffin Program for kids 4-6 years to programs for older children and teens, this family-friendly resort is located 40 minutes from Hartford and about two hours from New York City (perfect for a side-trip to the snow if you’re visiting The Big Apple). Parent and Tot private lessons are also available as well as adaptive ski and snowboards lessons for individuals of all ages with physical, cognitive or developmental disabilities. > skisundown.com

Mammoth kids

Wherever you choose for a US family ski holiday, you’ll not only enjoy the snowfalls and excellent skiing and snowboarding conditions, but also all of the charm of well-established resorts and villages, many steeped in history, offering top notch accommodation and facilities and plenty of local hospitality.

Combine a ski holiday with a broader US vacation or FIFO (fly in and fly out) just for the snow! Check international flights, domestic flights in the US and ground transport options with your preferred specialist US ski travel agent.

More information Travelplan Ski travelplan.com.au Call: 1300 754 754 Skimax skimax.com.au Call: 1300 136 997

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East Coast Festival fun America certainly knows how to do events for the whole family ... and while many are state fairs or produce-oriented events (yum – food!!) they all have a long history of being an essential part of the fabric of a given region. Visit the East Coast states and be tempted by fun, delicious, exciting and different fairs, festivals and events that offer something for the whole family.

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MAINE - Great Falls Balloon Festival

NEW HAMPSHIRE - Portsmouth Children’s Day New Hampshire celebrates kids in a big way each May with Portsmouth Children’s Day, a family-friendly event that goes beyond the usual arts, crafts and entertainment. There’s even a special alphabetised treasure hunt for children of all ages to follow around town, collecting clues along the way, before heading to the Block Party. Free admission. > proportsmouth.org/childrensday.cfm

MASSACHUSETTS - The Appleseed Country Fair Fall (or autumn) in America is a delightful display of nature’s beauty and the Appleseed Country Fair in Phillipston in early September makes the most of mother earth’s bounty. The fair celebrates its country roots, showcasing great food, local brewers and entertainment! Kids can take a hayride through the farm or watch the New England Garden Tractor Pull Championship or the Biggest Fiddler competition. Or just wander around and marvel at the fall leaves in all their glory. Free admission. > redapplefarm.com

RHODE ISLAND - Harvest Fair The annual Harvest Fair in early October in Rhode Island has been an institution for more than 40 years.

Cross the monkey bridge, brave the mud pit, ride the Mabel Express Barrel Train, listen to great music and taste local beer. The fair features over 60 artisans and crafters, a Home and Garden competition, children’s crafts and games, hay rides, contests, fabulous food and family entertainment ... it’s a good old-fashioned country fair. Celebrate autumn in Middletown and see why the Harvest Fair has become a family tradition. > normanbirdsanctuary.org/annual-events/harvest-fair

Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade

© NYC & CO/Alex

Lopez

The banks of the great Rocky Falls River in Maine provide a beautiful backdrop to watch dozens of hot-air balloons float across the sky during this weekend festival in August each year. There’s plenty of food, craft and trade booths, live entertainment, carnival rides, kids play area, face painting and jumping castle - it’s easy to see why this festival attracts over 100,000 visitors to Lewiston/Auburn each year. Sunset is a great time to soak up the spectacle - so pack a picnic rug and grab a family meal from the markets and enjoy a picturesque riverside end to a weekend in Maine. Free admission. > greatfallsballoonfestival.org

zone in an authentic teepee village filled with arts, crafts and other fun activities. > ctvisit.com

NEW YORK CITY - Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade You can’t get more American than experiencing the world-famous New York City Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in November each year. This Emmy Awardwinning event is spectacular, with giant character balloons and floats of all sorts being pulled alongside the huge skyscrapers of central Manhattan. Live performances, dance numbers and a vibrant crowd means there’s no better way to celebrate a quintessential American holiday than to experience the parade with the family. What’s not to be thankful for? > social.macys.com/parade

NEW JERSEY - State Fair Meadowlands This two-week event in June is New Jersey’s biggest festival of the year – and it doesn’t shy away from big things ... big rides, big cat shows, big entertainment and more! There’s a spectacular fireworks show to celebrate one of America’s favourite days – The Fourth of July. The State Fair Meadowlands aims to provide “the best value in family entertainment”, so everyone in the family is guaranteed to have a good time! > njfair.com

CONNECTICUT - Native American Festival

DELAWARE - Delaware State Fair

Turn back the clock and discover the rich and interesting stories of America’s history at Connecticut’s Native American Festival, held in Ridgefield each September.

Dive into the past for the day and enjoy traditional dance performances, live music by the Iroquois tribes and all sorts of native foods (including home-cooked corncakes and fry bread). Kids have a special hang out

The Delaware State Fair in July promises great family fun. Ever wanted to learn to skate or play ice hockey?

This fair is famous for catering to anyone who wants to try their luck on ice. If ice isn’t your thing, enjoy the live music, BBQs, craft beer and wine, and cooking demonstrations. > delawarestatefair.com AUTUMN 2015 outandaboutwithkids.com.au

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© insideflorida.com

Florida State Fair

Previous spread main pic: Village Halloween Parade © NYC & CO/Joe Buglewicz

Above: Portsmouth Children’s Festival © Proportsmouth.org/ Suzanne Laurent

The American tradition of State Fairs The first State Fair was held almost two centuries ago in the state of New York and today millions upon millions of visitors uphold the fabulous late summer/early autumn tradition of State Fairs! Think Queensland’s EKKA, The Royal Melbourne Show and The Royal Easter Show in NSW and you get the picture – except in America you’ll find multiple State Fairs, all offering agricultural events, livestock competitions, food stalls, rides and attractions and a whole heap of family fun to boot!

Throughout the USA alphabet of states – from Alabama and Alaska to Wisconsin and Wyoming, there’s a carnival celebration of Americana waiting to welcome you!

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MARYLAND - Maryland State Fair The Maryland State Fair has been held in one form or another since 1878. Originally held as an Agricultural Fair, displaying the healthiest oxen of the surrounding land, as well as sideshows, sack races and wagon rides, this fair has since grown to a massive 11 day festival in August and September, with rides, food stalls and fun for the whole family. Nearly half a million people attend this event, with many returning every year to enjoy the fun. The Maryland State Fair is an amazing experience and one to pop on your US ‘to do’ list. > marylandstatefair.com

SOUTH CAROLINA - Strawberry Festival at Fort Mills Voted South Carolina’s ‘Event of the Year’ for two years running, The Strawberry Festival is paradise for anyone with a sweet tooth ... with great things to eat, see and do – it certainly is ‘strawberry jam-packed’! Enjoy jam contests, live performances, a car show and an all-youcan-eat pancake breakfast. Kids from 6 - 17 can try their luck at the strawberry shortbread or ice-cream eating competitions, and parents can give the hot-wing eating contest a go! > scstrawberryfestival.com

VIRGINIA - Pork Peanut and Pine Festival

GEORGIA - Georgia Peach Festival

As the name suggests, Virginia’s annual Pork, Peanut and Pine Festival is really something to sink the teeth into! Celebrating 40 years in 2015, the two-day event in July is for big appetites, with a large selection of food to sample, including the festival’s ‘world famous’ peanut pie! A petting zoo, rides and parade will ensure that this 40th year celebration will be Virginia’s best yet! Kids under 10 enjoy free admission. > porkpeanutpinefestival.org

It’s said that Georgia’s peaches are the sweetest and tastiest grown anywhere in the world. The Georgia Peach Festival is a perfect chance to taste just the wonderful peaches that have grown in the region for over 300 years! This week-long festival, held each June in Peach County, has firework displays, beauty pageants, food stalls, live entertainment and a daily Kids Zone. There are different events running each night – from jazz and spaghetti nights, to DJs playing at the outside gazebo. Admission is free and this is the perfect event to sample traditional southern hospitality. > gapeachfestival.com

NORTH CAROLINA - BugFest Kids go bug-eyed for the BugFest in Raleigh, North Carolina! The whole family will be busy bees in September at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, with over 100 educational displays and exhibits, live music and street carnival, a bee-keeper workshop, bug stations with ‘stump the experts’ interactive tables, Flea Circus shows, bug-themed craft, and a nocturnal insect tour. If you’re game, try the food at Cafe Insecta – yep, bugs and insects are on the menu!

Just make sure they don’t crawl off your plate! Free admission. > bugfest.org

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FLORIDA - Florida State Fair Florida’s warm climate means its state fair held in Tampa each February is the first of the year - and it has been running in some form or other for more than 100 years. Today, the Florida State Fair attracts up to 500,000 people over twelve days. It features rides and exhibits, food, fireworks, concerts ... and so much more! > f loridastatefair.com

A

mericans LOVE a celebration! And they enjoy them with gusto! Each year these four significant events are guaranteed to bring people out of their homes and into the streets, in towns and cities across the country.

The Fourth of July – Independence Day A joyous occasion for all Americans and an excuse for fireworks, parades, fairs, barbeques and wholesome family fun, the country celebrates gaining independence from the British Empire in 1776, when the tenets of ‘Life, liberty and the pursuit of Happiness’ were enshrined in a declaration of the new nation known as The United States of America.

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November, and begins what Americans refer to as the broader ‘holiday season’ that segues into Christmas and New Year. Its origins as a festival of ‘thanks for blessings’ run deep in history, leaving many outsiders curious about the significance of Thanksgiving’s obsession with turkey! With the first celebration attributed to America’s original colonists - the Pilgrim Fathers –Thanksgiving Day has evolved to become a time for family and friends (and yes a turkey dinner!), parades (including Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City which is so big it’s televised nationally) – and it’s one of the busiest travel periods in the country!

Fourth of July Fireworks

Office of Tourism

Pumpkin Walk Newburypor Massachusetts t

© Massachusetts

4

il Kline © NYC & CO/Ph

The BIG

St. Patrick’s Day – 17 March During the devastating Potato Famine in Ireland that lasted for six years from 1845-1852, nearly one million Irish citizens fled to America for the promise of a new life, with around 650,000 landing in New York.

Today, St.Patrick’s Day celebrations are not solely confined to Ireland, as many Americans pay homage to their Irish roots and the important contribution their forbears made to creating a real Irish-American identity. New York City hosted the first parade in 1762, and since then leprechauns, lyres, four-leaf clovers and plenty of green are proudly on display across the country for ‘St. Paddy’s Day’ in the USA.

Halloween Americans have the Irish to thank for this annual celebration that is positively HUGE in the USA on 31 October each year. With its origins in Celtic lore, Halloween is believed to have originated with the ancient festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. Why the proliferation of pumpkins? Well legend has it that travellers used these ‘jack o’lanterns’ with their flesh scooped out and a candle inside to ‘light the way’ on Halloween.

Dressing up and ‘trick or treating’ door-to-door in your neighbourhood is the American way and this secular, community-based and family-friendly festival is now celebrated in every town in every State of the US!

Compiled by GEORGIA DOWNEY, LISA MONK & CHRISTINE KANE

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Š Discover America

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Sunset cruise in Vanuatu Š Lisa Willows

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Play on Phillip Island Less than two hours drive from the city, Phillip Island helps you re-energise and relax with its native wildlife, diverse beaches, great food and wine, interactive attractions and endless accommodation choices.

See all our offers available now until the 30th of June 2015.

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Liz Ginis and her two young daughters explore all that’s fun and fascinating on the coastal route from Sydney to Brisbane, known as The Legendary Pacific Coast. In this first of a three-part series, discover the NSW Central Coast, Lake Macquarie, the Hunter Valley, Newcastle and Port Stephens.

Those words were Lisa Willows’ first introduction to Vanuatu, written in flowers and adorning her bed! Travelling with fellow mum and close friend, Lyndal Lee, with four young children between them, the consensus was that this peaceful paradise and veritable kids playground was so much more than they had imagined.

Seven days of superlatives …

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Paradise on our doorstep What’s beautiful about Norfolk Island?

Just about everything, says Michelle Pettigrove, who explored our ‘bountiful’ near neighbor on a family holiday with husband Frank Holden and daughter Georgia.

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New Zealand: Wellington to Rotorua On a recent family holiday in New Zealand, Richard Bunting learnt the ‘art of zorbing’, and appreciated the soothing qualities of Rotorua’s famous mud baths and hot springs.

Welkam to Vanuatu

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Making the most of a long weekend in Singapore Samantha Herbert jumped at the chance to immerse herself in the heady delights of Singapore on a weekend escape with mum that was a ‘feast’ of fabulous foods, incredible sights and amazing attractions.

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Canada ticks the boxes for a family ski holiday They can’t keep away … having holidayed in a few Canadian ski resorts, Michelle Pettigrove and her family are fully-paid-up members of the Canadian Ski Resort fan club and can’t wait to return!

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Holiday fun for the whole family!

Scan Here

Seven days of superlatives…

PART 1 of our 3-PART SERIES discovering The Legendary Pacific Coast that stretches all the way from Sydney to Brisbane!

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etween shining Port Stephens (a 3-hour drive north of Sydney) and peaceful Patonga (on the southern slip of the NSW Central Coast), across beach and bay, and waterfall and winery, my daughters Lili (7) and Mia (10) provided a running commentary on our five-day mini break.

“Coolio!” “Amazeballs!!” “Totes ridonculous!!!”

That’s the language of tweens; of wide-eyed exhilaration; of new experiences and lifelong memories, and the vernacular of my kids - totally wowed!

Image: Liz Ginis

Port Stephens Anna Bay is a sweet stretch of turquoise water and crescent sand, a charming seaside village just 15-minute’s drive south of Nelson Bay. This is the gateway to the Stockton dunes, a series of uberimpressive sand walls towering skyward, and the best place on the east coast to sand-board - which is why we were there!

Getting to the base of the dunes was easy; we took a customised 4WD bus across the beach, over a couple of sandy ‘pimples’ (as the driver called them) to arrive at the base of a giant mound of sand. After some quick instruction, we grabbed our boards and headed

heavenward. Up and up and up we went, stopping to drink in the scenery, sandy mountains humping towards the horizon and bowing to meet the sea.

Finally, and only just a little out of breath, we arrived.

Next minute, bums planted firmly on boards and fingers dusting the sand to control our speed, we were whipping down the slope.

“Wooooooooo hooooooooo – it’s amazzzzzzinnnnnnnggggg!” (Superlative #1) Two hours later we were sliding across a different surface -the aquamarine water of Nelson Bay. We were hoping to see some dolphins and with more than 300 calling the waterway home, it was only a matter of time before we did – a pod of eight including a juvenile, half the size of its mother, surfing the bow waves and lolling just off the starboard side when the captain let the boat bob.

The return boat trip provided the perfect opportunity to wash off the remnants from our sand boarding; the boom-net was lowered and we slipped into the water – sand, (and bikini bottoms if we weren’t careful) all washed away! Add a spiral waterslide to the mix and shrieks of laughter were guaranteed.

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Destinati

on Port S

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ves

Destination Port Stephens hens

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tephens

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Newcastle The following day was time for a history lesson.

A 40-minute drive south in the heart of steel city, Newcastle Museum didn’t disappoint. Our guide, the charmingly quirky David, had the girls agog with tales of witches shoes (people used to hide shoes in every corner of their roof cavities to ward off the warty ladies), cavernous coalmines, pit ponies and giant ladles filled with molten steel. We trod the boards of a former Newcastle tram (the girls were particularly taken with the sign: “No spitting inside the carriage. 2-pound fine.”) and checked out the Supernova Hands-on Science Centre, where they lingered creating tornadoes, discovering how ‘repulsive’ magnetic fields are and learning about levers (lifting a Mini Moke while pulling on a rope). It was touch, think and feel-tastic…

From there we drove to nearby Fort Scratchley, which has stood sentinel over the entrance to the Hunter River for 200 years. Two huge guns still guard the entrance to the estuary, but it’s underground that really impresses; tunnels scribble the hillside.

Guided by Rick, a former primary school teacher and now retiree, history came to life underground, and the girls heard about the enemy sub that shelled Newcastle during WWII. Over an hour of fun discoveries later, we emerged into the sunlight. Any worries I’d had about the girls being bored were dismissed with one little word: “Cooooool!” (Superlative #3) A swim at the historic Merewether Baths, recently refurbished and with views across the Pacific, and lunch on Darby Street rounded out our day. I was smitten with its artisan aesthetic –Willows Home Traders (89 Darby Street) for eclectic home wares and Too Cool for School (105 Darby Street) for chic kids’ wear; the unbeatable craft beer at The Hop Factory and the community-owned Darby Lane for the hippest street art in town.

Lake Macquarie Next morning, we were up with the sun to take a spin on Lake Macquarie, 40 minutes south of Newcastle.

We stayed at Cams Wharf, on the southeastern fringe of NSW’s largest lake, and our SUPs (stand-up paddleboards) were laid out on the shore waiting for us.

It was as easy as it looks – the kids were like ducks to water, and I wasn’t far behind! You can jet boat here too, and kayak, sail, fish or explore the spectacular coastline, including Caves Beach (visit at low tide and explore the limestone cavern while the surf kisses the shore).

Half an hour’s drive north around the lake sits Speers Point Park, which has an amazing collection of climbing, swinging, sliding and water-play equipment for kids. “This is super-crazy…” (Superlative #4)

Previous page: Port Stephens 4WD Tours Ray Alley Above from top left: Supernova Newcastle Newcastle Paddle boarding on Lake Macquarie out the front of Raffety’s Resort, Cams Wharf

Images: Liz Ginis

Hunter Valley Superlatives five and six came courtesy of our next few days in the Hunter Valley.

At the Hunter Valley Chocolate Company we sampled hot, cold and fudgy cocoa goodness. The girls

Darby Street Newcastle

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Central Coast From the Hunter, we swept 90 minutes south to Avoca Beach, a sliver of sand and rolling blue, where we met instructors Tilly and Tony for a surf lesson. Wetsuited up and boards under our arms, we headed into the clean little waves that were perfect for beginners.

With a paddle and a push-up, we walked the board (Lili and Mia much earlier and more easily than me) for an hour, before an order of fish and chips and a stretch out out on the sand.

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From left: Dolphin spotting Hunter Valley Gardens

Images: Liz Ginis

grabbed a basket each and loaded up – choc-covered pretzels, honeycomb and strawberry marshmallows, rocky road and giant twirl lollipops. We tried chilichocolate bark, choc rocks and bubble-gum fudge.

And at the Hunter Valley Cheese Company it was brie and cheddar and quince paste and olives that made their bellies sing.

“Delish!” (Superlative #5) A day later, we knocked on the cellar door of the family-friendly boutique winery Moorebank, where the girls met Sheila the merino sheep, taste-tested the vineyard’s Muscat grapes and sampled homemade lemonade. As for me, I was after a drop with a little more bite. Named after Sheila, the vineyard’s 2007 Black Sheep Shiraz was sublime – smooth and full of sophisticated flavour. Needless to say, it wasn’t just the girls who filled a basket in the Hunter!

We worked off our indulgences with a walk around the Hunter Valley Gardens, encountering giant grasshoppers (really, it was 3 m high, if an inch!), sculptured hedge brumbies, and the piece de resistance, The Storybook Garden. The girls met Humpty Dumpty, kissed Georgie Porgie, had a tea party with Alice in Wonderland, and tumbled down the hill with Jack and Jill.

“Brilliant!” (Superlative #6)

Hunter Valley Chocolate Company Nearby, a live band rocked, and the monthly Sunday markets gave us a chance to shop for hair feathers (the girls’ very favourite thing), bespoke local artwork, clothes, cushions and banana-and-coconut icy cups.

“Mmmmm-mmmmm. Perfecto!” (Superlative #7) On our last day, we made a beeline for Patonga, on the southern tip of the Central Coast, where the river meets the sea, national park abuts the ocean and treeclad islands float offshore. As we lay in the sun after a swim, saltwater thick on our skin, and listened to the bellbirds calling, we agreed that this was a great way to end our holiday.

Before too long, the girls tumbled back into the briny, which gave me time to reflect. “Amazing, brilliant, delicious, perfecto…” - fantastic words to describe our trip, but none more so than this… superlative.

– Liz Ginis

More information The Legendary Pacific Coast pacificcoast.com.au Port Stephens portstephens.org.au Newcastle visitnewcastle.com.au Lake Macquarie visitlakemac.com.au Central Coast visitcentralcoast.com.au The Oaks, Nelson Bay oakshotelsresorts.com/oaks-lure/ Rafferty’s Resort, Cams Wharf, Lake Macquarie raffertyresort.com.au Crowne Plaza Newcastle crowneplazanewcastle.com.au Crowne Plaza Terrigal crowneplazaterrigal.com.au

RAFFERTYS RESORT

Raffertys Resort is the perfect family friendly resort right on the water’s edge of Lake Macquarie, with four resort pools, four tennis courts, restaurants and a range of self contained accommodation so you can enjoy the moments that matter.

See www.raffertysresort.com.au for our latest offers or call 02 4972 5555.

JET BUZZ

JetBuzz Watersports is a one stop shop of activities, located in Cams Wharf, Lake Macquarie.

Our services include jet boat rides, whale watching tours, boat hire, kayak & stand up paddle board hire, and paddle boat hire. We cater for families, corporate & team building, wedding/ bucks/hens or birthday parties.

See www.jetbuzz.com.au to find out more or call 02 4972 1777.

LAKE MACQUARIE

Lake Macquarie invites you to explore the largest permanent saltwater lake in Australia, enjoy the pristine beaches and soak up the tranquillity of the forests that make up this unique city.

Free call 1800 802 044 for your free visitor guides or go to www.visitlakemac.com.au to find out more.

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Paradise

on our doorstep MICHELLE PETTIGROVE, husband Frank Holden and their daughter Georgia, share one of their favourite overseas destinations. And it’s closer than you might think!

T

here’s something mystical and dreamlike about a trip to Norfolk Island, almost as though we’re entering a secret portal and traveling to another time or dimension.

Firstly, there’s the thrill of needing our passports, which lends an exotic quality to the short two and a half hour flight. Then there’s the lovely cultural awakening when we overhear Norfolk Islanders speaking their own language. We may be geographically close to Australia but this island definitely has its own distinct identity!

Images: Michelle Pettigrove

Unplug and get out & about Our first impressions of Norfolk Island are of its breathtaking natural beauty, so be prepared to shelve the techno toys for a while. The island is a 5.5 x 8 kilometre volcanic outcrop in the Pacific Ocean, about 1,600 kilometres east of Byron Bay, and sharing a similar subtropical climate.

Somewhere between the baggage carousel and the hire care Georgia and Frank collect a fistful of brochures each, ensuring that, between them, we’ll make the most of this paradise. (I don’t use the term ‘paradise’ loosely, and neither did Captain Cook when he first spotted this place!)

When the sun shines on Norfolk Island, which it does most of the time, there’s no end to the adventures. We start with sea kayaking, snorkelling, and swimming in the secluded waters of Emily Bay. Stunning scenery and where are the crowds?

Ocean-based activities are all reasonably priced and a great way to get a feel of the island. Try a scuba diving tour of the coral lagoon to explore the 30 world-class dive sites, surf lessons, a glass bottom boat cruise, or a range of fishing tours to experience the thrill of hauling in famous local trumpeter, kingfish or tuna.

And for the landlubbers there’s mountain bike riding, horse riding and bush walking through some of the world’s best remaining rainforests, and tours to the neighbouring rugged and uninhabited Philip Island for unequalled ocean views and diverse seabird life. The delightful Botanic Gardens are an easy walk and display some of the plant species only found on the island.

Baunti Kids When Georgia has had enough of our adult company she accepts an invitation from local kids to join the

The giant banyan tree offers hours of fun. island’s kid’s club program. Initially designed to entertain local children during the school holidays ‘Baunti Kids’ has expanded to include young visitors in a totally unique and brilliant way.

Baunti Kids puts some of the more up market resort-style clubs to shame with its list of unplugged, supervised activities. Local and visiting kids mix and learn more about each other while they explore their surroundings in ‘free-range’ mode. Run by a team of trained and dedicated locals who grew up on the island, they sure know how to have fun. Georgia joins her new friends as they surf, grass-slide and swing through the local giant banyan tree! Happy kids mean a happy holiday.

Norfolk people But it’s not just the kids that seem happy. The 2,000-strong population of Norfolk Island is amongst the friendliest and happiest on earth. They arrived on Norfolk in 1856 as descendants of the Bounty mutineers led by Fletcher Christian against Captain Bligh in 1789. Hence, one third of Norfolk Islanders still bear surnames of those remarkable pioneers and their Tahitian wives.

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NORFOLK ISLAND Family Holidays 2015

Aloha Apartments

Family of Four: 2 adults / 2 Kids

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A-Frame Chalets @ Mokutu Family of Four: 2 adults / 2 Kids

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Return airport transfers, 7 nights accommodation at A-frame Chalets at Mokutu in a Two Bedroom A-frame Chalet – Kids stay free! 8 days car hire including comprehensive car insurance, Half Day Tour, Entry to the World of Norfolk Exhibit, Norfolk Island Language Class, Island Fish Fry

360 OF CONNECTION

PHONE: 131 927 or Visit us at escapetravel.com.au 130

Prices are for a family of 2Tadults 2 children AU U M+ N 2 0 under 1 5 12 years of age and are subject to availability at the time of booking. Valid for travel 02 – 26 April 2015 & 27 June – 19 July 2015. Blackout dates & seasonal surcharges apply as availability becomes limited. Also valid for travel: Aloha - 25 September - 04 October 15, Mokutu - 28 September - 04 October 15. Packages are based on the room type as specified. All prices outandaboutwithkids.com.au are subject to change at any time without notice. Conditions, amendments and cancellation fees apply. Free nights & discounts are already included in the costs. Travel insurance is strongly recommended.

Images: Michelle Pettigrove

Ducks and cows have ri way on Norfolk Islandght of

“

Here, instead of high rises, they have the world’s tallest tree ferns, instead of traffic lights and parking meters, the cows have right of way and drivers all wave to each other.

Instead of suburban crawl and unemployment, Norfolk Island has endless stunning views and fresh air.

”

English is the primary language here although ‘Norfuk’ can be heard when locals get together. It’s a pretty mixture of 18th Century English and Tahitian, and is recognised by the UN as an endangered language, and currently taught in local schools.

It soon becomes apparent that Norfolk Island has some amazing stories to tell. The island’s history before the mutineers arrived is dark and harrowing.

It tells of two successive convict settlements, both of which eventually closed, leaving behind some of the most impressive examples of now-restored Georgian buildings; a well-kept cemetery perched serenely on the edge of the island, and the gory evidence of life in a penal colony.

If you’re into history, Norfolk Island Museum has devised some fantastic interactive tours of these world heritage sites, with a perfect balance of absorbing information and grisly legend - as a family we thoroughly recommend these tours.

Another engaging way to get a handle on Norfolk’s unusual history is at Fletcher’s Mutiny Cyclorama where a 360° panoramic painting depicts the trials of the Bounty mutineers and their journey to a peaceful life on Norfolk. The realistic perspective and evocative soundtrack give the cyclorama a 3D feel that truly immerses the viewer.

Abundant island

‘A Walk in the Wild’ is a short stroll through one of the last remaining private rainforests on the island.

Using living sculpture dioramas and touch-tell spoken histories it relays the stories of some of the more colourful characters of Norfolk’s past.

If you haven’t guessed by now, a holiday on Norfolk Island can be as busy or as relaxed as you choose to make it. The broad range of accommodation and dining options mean families can design their own holiday. They may choose to cook for themselves in their own 5-star villa (where a hire car is thrown into the price, and local quality chefs and babysitters are available on request), or stay in one of the very competitively priced hotels or apartments and enjoy the wide range of local restaurants and cafes.

And on the subject of food, it’s all locally grown, totally organic, sustainable and DELICIOUS! There are no chain restaurants on Norfolk, which explains the healthy glow on the locals’ faces, and there is a real pride in the remarkable quality of produce.

The best way to change your kids’ attitude towards tomatoes and corn is to feed them Norfolk vegies!

This paradise is not just built for kids though, it’s home to some great shopping, day spa retreats, yoga centres, homemade liqueurs, wines and beers, and don’t stress at having left your favourite café behind on the mainland because Norfolk boasts its own locally grown and roasted coffee.

Leave your mobile phones at home and open your mind to a new reality. Reconnect to your family, to yourself and to nature, and try swinging through a giant banyan tree for a change!

Previous page main pic: Norfolk Island’s Botanic Gardens are rich in endemic species and as Georgia and Frank find out - well worth a stroll Above left: Surfing lessons with local kids is the best way to make friends and get to know Norfolk Island

More information Norfolk Island offers an array of fascinating activities and adventures in a beautiful setting.

Visit norfolkisland.com.au Air New Zealand fly direct to Norfolk Island twice a week from both Sydney and Brisbane. For more information or to book visit airnewzealand.com.au

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Photographers: Joann oa e Buck + Paul Osta l www w.TheRaro rotong tongan.c n om

PLAY FREE IN PARADISE!

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Extensive FREE Activities Programme for all the family with snorkelling, kayaking, tennis, beach sports, games room, learn to dance the hula, play the ukulele & log drums, make a lei, husk a coconut + much more. Around Rarotonga enjoy 4WD Safari Tour, Glass-Bottom Boat Lagoon Cruise, rainforest trek to see one of the world’s rarest birds, Saturday Market, cafes & restaurants – all minutes away! The tropical island family holiday of your dreams awaits you at The Rarotongan!

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New Zealand:

Wellington to Rotorua RICHARD BUNTING likes to tell people he’s married to one of New Zealand’s best exports and, in light of that claim, he now travels ‘across the ditch’ several times each year to spend time with family, and to explore new places in the Land of the Long White Cloud. After Christmas in the capital, Wellington, he and his extended family group of 16 adults and kids set out in convoy for a five-day summer holiday in Rotorua.

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Previous page: Hells Gate © Voyages Above from top left: Ben and Charlotte try the luge © Kim Murray Historic Cable Car, Wellington, New Zealand with skyline and Harbor of Wellington in back. © iStock/4FR

Rotorua Skyline © Skyline New Zealand

In the capital

Wellington, on the southwest tip of New Zealand’s North Island, is only a three-hour flight from all Australian eastern seaboard capitals. It sits on the Cook Strait and has a beautiful harbour, and a foreshore brimming with family-friendly restaurants offering tasty local produce that includes delicious fish and chips (in season, make sure you try the White Bait Fritters) and succulent variations of the best lamb you will ever eat. Wellington is also home to the Southern Hemisphere’s most visited museum, Te Papa, catering for all ages and providing an in depth and hands-on insight into the history and culture of New Zealand and her people.

Scenic drive After a few days in Wellington our family group set off on the four-hour drive to Rotorua, taking in beautiful countryside and thankful for the good roads and the varied in-car playlist that kept us humming along. For lunch we stopped at Taihape, whose main street is reminiscent of many Australian country towns. At Laura’s, an old-style café, we savoured scrumptious Cheese Scones (these are not only a favourite of the Kiwis they happen to be in my top 10 favourite foods list). Curiously, Taihape is also known as the ‘Gumboot Capital of the World’ and hosts the annual Gumboot Throwing competition on Gumboot Day! The long shadow of the snow-covered Mt Ruapehu accompanies us as we leave Taihape to meet the vast stretch of State Highway 1, also known as the Desert Road, at Waiouru. Within an hour of joining the Desert Road, Lake Taupo looms in sight. The lake is the country’s largest (based on surface water) and is the

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second largest freshwater lake in the Oceania region.

Famous for its fantastic trout fishing, water sports, geothermal rock pools and, of course, swimming, Lake Taupo is the centrepiece of the town of Taupo. It’s worth spending a night or two in this beautiful town, a popular holiday spot for New Zealanders, especially in summer. Beautiful parks, Huka Falls, prawning and great casual and fine dining options are real drawcards As we drive across town, Mt Ruahepu (an active stratovolcan) eventually fades into the distance, and our final hour’s drive to Rotorua begins.

Aromatic Rotorua Through Bookabach (think Stayz for NZ) we had booked a great house in Rotorua that could accommodate all 16 of us, and although a couple of kids and one of the dads pitched a tent instead, and bunks seemed to invade the living room, the house was perfect – plenty of room to prepare and enjoy meals together, relax and read, watch tv and kick a footy around outside!

Rotorua is famous for its geothermal activity, hot mud pools and geysers. Known as ‘the Sulphur City’, it’s true that the aroma of the underground sulphur deposits do permeate the air in and around the hot springs! But before we ventured to explore this amazing natural attraction, there was a town and different types of fun to discover – and with a population of 63,000, Rotorua is not short on activities and attractions.

For Christmas, my New Zealand family had gifted me the opportunity to experience ‘zorbing’ in Rotorua. Not one to shy away from a new experience, I faced a big plastic ball into which I would be housed, before being jettisoned down the side of a hill! As I

rolled and rolled on a winding descent, seconds seemed like minutes, and I flailed around inside the ball like a rag doll, despite being strapped in! Nevertheless, zorbing is highly addictive, and I bravely fronted for another turn, this time keeping my bearings and holding a straight course. If you like rolling head over heels then it’s the perfect experience for you. If, like me, it isn’t really your cup of tea, then just stand at the bottom and laugh – as my wife and in-laws did!

Next up was Skyline Rotorua and a gondola ride high up on Mt Ngongotaha. Once at the peak, there’s a range of great activities on offer, including ziplines and a sky swing. The luge was great fun and we each had several turns. There’s a choice of three tracks that wind down the mountain and you can set your own pace, depending on your confidence levels, in carts that are easy to manouevre. We refreshed at the café and grabbed some treats at The Jelly Bean store.

Back at home base, we unanimously agreed that an evening swim in one of Rotorua’s many lakes would be an excellent idea. Over the following days we found ourselves visiting several different lakes, and each time the kids just jumped in and splashed about (that includes me!) making a racket and having a ball - the perfect summer outing.

that emanated above ground. Along the way, we dipped tentative toes and fingers in various springs and geysers and then took the plunge with a fabulous mud bath. For 20 minutes you cover yourself in mud, knowing that not only are you having a oneoff experience (and laughing at your mud-covered cohorts) but you’re also doing something that’s said to be very good for your skin - Win-Win! A shower and a dip in the sulphur pool finished off our visit, and ensured we returned home clean, relaxed and refreshed after five days in beautiful Rotorua.

More Information Wellington wellingtonnz.com/australia Te Papa tepapa.govt.nz Taupo greatlaketaupo.com National War Museum armymuseum.co.nz Rotorua rotoruanz.com Hell’s Gate hellsgate.co.nz Skyline skyline.co.nz/rotorua Zorb zorb.com/world/Rotorua Bookabach bookabach.co.nz

Hell’s Gate It’s cliché but no visit to Rotorua should pass without visiting a geothermal attraction. We found ourselves at the award-winning Hell’s Gate, a 20-minute drive from Rotorua city, for a unique experience walking through the vast network of hot mud pools and bubbling geysers. Some of the pools reach 150 degrees, and we were amazed by the degree of heat

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Welkam to Vanuatu Great friends (and great mums,) LISA WILLOWS and Lyndal Lee, with four children between them, venture to Vanuatu. For both women, and Jett (9) and Lola (7) Willows, 12-year-old Liam and sister Lucy (7), it was the happiest of happy holidays and a dream sart to 2015!

O

nce a year our family takes a break for seven days to chill out in an idyllic beach location. With my friend Lyndal and her family accompanying us on this escape, Vanuatu soon loomed on the holiday radar and, after researching hotels that met our families’ respective needs, including wheelchair-friendliness for Liam, we set off for a week - to over 30 ha of tropical paradise at the Warwick Le Lagon Resort & Spa.

Warm Welkam at The Warwick Le Lagon Arriving at night, magnificently lit up gardens guided us to our air-conditioned cottage where fresh flowers spelled out ‘Welkam’ across the bed. This was a great start!

We woke to see rolling verdant countryside, between coconut palms and lush tropical plants,

and perhaps the most beautiful red flowers I’ve ever seen. As we strolled to breakfast on our first day, it occurred to me that we had happened upon something really special here.

From our breakfast nook the brilliant white beaches and water of various shades of green and aqua revealed themselves. Unspoilt lush green foliage and pristine rainforest fringed the scene. So, this is paradise …!

Straight after breakfast we grabbed snorkel gear and plunged into the warm water of the resort beach.

The kids collected coconuts on our walks around the resort and with great joy, learned to crack them on the path before drinking the sweet juice, fresh from the green fruit.

Children eat free at the Warwick Le Lagon and ours certainly looked forward to each and every meal, including the delicious themed buffet dinners

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Previous page: The Warwick Le Lagon Above from top left: Jett, Lola and mum chill on the beach; kids on the jetty; Ni-Vanuatu greeting at Erakor Village; beautiful ‘red’ flower; mums Lyndal and Lisa All images © Lisa Willows

(feasts!). One evening they were more than excited to be invited to take part in the resort’s nightly torchlighting ceremony, and were happily bedecked in traditional garb for their special roles.

Jimmy Noura, the eager-to-please Recreation Manager at the Warwick Le Lagon helped us plan suitable excursions that included a Sunset Island Cruise, a local village tour (with proceeds going to the village) and a snorkelling excursion and scenic cruise. All this on top of the wonderful daily activities at the resort which include fish feeding, kayaking, beach cricket, soccer and volleyball, weaving, native cooking, coconut husking, golf, bingo, petanque, table tennis, and more.

Sunset cruising

At Port Vila, a short taxi ride from the resort, we joined the crew of the “Caraid” for our Adventures in Paradise Sunset Cruise. Before we boarded, we came upon the sweetest little café - “Le Café du Village” - that Lyndal and I agreed we would have to revisit!

The romantic red sails of the 65-foot ketch, built in Hobart Tasmania in 1950, were a-flutter and as we set sail on the gentle waters of Mele Bay the kids headed excitedly to watch the action from the bow, while the grown ups enjoyed canapés and refreshments and marvelled at the tropical sunset hues being cast over the deck.

Vanuatu village life On the resort reef boat, across aqua green waters, we were transported to Erakor Village. Met on arrival by our van and driver, we headed to the village, passing the open air chapel (which we were told was the first church built in the Pacific Islands) and several original buildings of yesteryear, including the old dispensary, missionary houses and the foundations of the original school.

The village arrival ceremony that greeted us was exuberant and loud, Ni-Vanuatu-style, complete with raised spears and much shouting! This fabulous cultural experience definitely felt ‘spiritual’ and we immersed ourselves wholeheartedly in the guided tour. Wandering along sandy tracks, we were told the names of different plants and traditional uses for each. From methods of food preservation and preparation and how to hunt and trap enemies (back when cannibalism was still practised here!) to a Melanesian and Polynesian dance display and an offering of delicious fresh paw paw and coconut, we received a fascinating insight into early village life here.

Vibrant Port Vila The warm and wonderful people and the exotic, exciting marketplace make shopping a real cultural experience in Port Vila. All of the local kids were

“We woke to see rolling verdant countryside, between coconut palms and lush tropical plants, and perhaps the most beautiful red flowers I’ve ever seen. As we strolled to breakfast on our first day, it occurred to me that we had happened upon something really special here. “

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still on school holidays and it was wonderful to see them climbing coconut trees and playfully running along streets and waving to us excitedly as we passed by. We visited a traditional handicraft market and the amazing food markets which are situated in town and feature the most colourful organic fruit in larger-than-regular sizes! We soaked up the atmosphere of the bustling and vibrant community of colourful islanders, all eager and willing to help us.

Lola was particularly captivated by a dazzling array of beautiful flowers, while stepping over lobsters and bunches of bananas that adorned the walkways of the market. We bought pineapples and raspberries to take back to the resort.

Snorkelling safari An afternoon snorkelling safari on the glass bottom marine boat was fantastic. Our hosts, Bernard and Leo, were eager to help and supervised the kids who fed brightly coloured fish and discovered giant clams and starfish and brilliantly coloured coral in the perfectly blue water. The water temperature was ideal, so an hour of being submerged was not enough for the kids, who continued to snorkel under the jetty on arrival back at the resort marina.

Before dinner they dived straight into more action and fun, with crab racing at the kids club, while I relaxed, reading a book on my patio - a real luxury for me! But I could hear the sounds of their excitement and laughter across the gardens and couldn’t resist checking in on them, and joining in the races.

Birthday zorbing!

Jett celebrated his 9th birthday while we were in Vanuatu and had put in a request to go zorbing. The resort organised a chocolate cake for him, served at the buffet breakfast and consumed before we set out to fulfil the birthday boy’s wish. The kids were all so excited but, I have to admit, I was slightly anxious about the prospect of being pushed down a hill in a giant zorb ball.

A half hour bus trip through beautiful countryside, past Hideaway Island and the black volcanic sand beaches of Tanna, delivered us to Wet and Wild to experience one of the longest, wildest and most exciting zorb rides anywhere in the world.

The kids went first and their squeals of excitement were undeniable as they rolled down the picturesque Mele hills inside a 3-metre giant inflatable hydro ball. The friendly staff were cheeky and fun so, naturally, they took great delight teasing me about the ride, as I was doused with water and climbed inside the ball! And then I was off, slipping and sliding my way down the hill inside the best waterslide ever! I screamed the whole way down, of course, but couldn’t wait to get back up to the top for my next ride and, between us, we provided plenty of hilarious video footage to remind us of our Vanuatu zorbing fun.

A week is not enough …

During our last few days, the kids swam nonstop and took advantage of free diving lessons in the pool, and cooking lessons and night time movies at kids club - and we even managed a Mums’ Night Out at Café Du Village, the little café we had discovered earlier in the week. With sensational views of Port Vila spread before us, we dined on lobster and drank French champagne - all for around AUD $40. It was amazing!

As our Vanuatu holiday drew to a close, everyone began to feel heavy-hearted when it came time to say our goodbyes to all the wonderful people that we had met during our week-long stay a magical holiday from start to finish!

More Information Warwick Le Lagon Resort & Spa warwickhotels.com/le-lagonresort Vanuatu Tourism vanuatu.travel

... beautiful

...

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Discover our secrets and share

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THAILAND • BALI • MALDIVES • MAURITIUS • SRI LANKA • VIETNAM

Making the most of a long weekend in

Singapore When the opportunity to explore Singapore on a long weekend getaway with her mum presented itself, SAMANTHA HERBERT had her bags packed pronto - keen to make the most of every minute in this vibrant destination.

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M

y first reaction was ‘How lucky am I?’ - and my second was to plan out, with mum, what and where we wanted to explore, eat, shop and wander around this melting

pot metropolis!

Touching down in Singapore’s fabulous Changi Airport, with the city’s bright lights burning at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, we were instantly abuzz with the hype Singapore emanates.

After settling into our suite at Beach Road, we ventured to the waterfront for a feast of satay-inspired skewers and South East Asian fusion fare within the spectacular horticultural wonderland of Gardens by the Bay. At 7:45pm, every evening, the Garden Rhapsody Light and Sound Show ignites the night sky amidst the 16-storey, solar energy-harvesting ‘Super Trees’ that form part of the city’s progressive approach to renewable energy. Great food, a sublime steamy evening and looking up at the Super Trees doing their musical magical best left us excited for the adventure ahead.

We love to eat, and there is no holding back in Singapore! Sampling Singapore’s world-renowned, and diverse, food offerings was high on our ‘to do’ list and the following morning we sampled a traditional Singaporean breakfast of charcoal-grilled bread, known as ‘Kaya Toast’, at a local institution, Killiney Kopitiam.

The bread, lavishly spread with homemade coconut jam, was a definite hit with me, and the freshly-brewed coffee was not wasted on Mum. Singapore is easy to get around, with taxis everywhere! Most locals do not own a car and use the seamless and extensive taxi and transport system.

After breakfast we headed to one of the city’s most famous attractions, the Singapore Zoo. Set over 26 ha, within the lush Mandai rainforest, and famed for its stunning wildlife habitats, the zoo is home to more than 2,800 animals, including the rare white tiger that had us both entranced and having our photo taken with gorgeous protected orangutans was a highlight.

We then jumped aboard the River Cruise, at the newly developed River Safari wildlife park, home to more than 5,000 animals including the Giant Pandas Jia Jia and Kai Kai, as well as the 2m-long Giant River Otter!

The afternoon was spent browsing Little India, a conglomeration of market stalls, food and subcontinental cacophony in the heart of the city, with bargain-priced trinkets that satisfied our retail therapy needs, and Indian delicacies that upheld Singapore’s reputation as a food mecca, no matter your budget. (hard to keep to a bustling timetable when so many shops and market stalls demand attention!). And yes, a little more food for us - with a stop for local fresh roti and some of the best and cheapest curry we had eaten anywhere (with our fingers, like the locals, and fresh juice as a quencher).

An early start to our next day started with a shot of mega-mall fun at the Suntec City Mall. First

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stop, for a trick-of-the-eye, immersive experience was the latest Singapore sensation - the Alive Museum.

Featuring 30 pieces of 3D art. we swam with “The Little Mermaid, danced with Michael Jackson and survived being eaten by a giant croc! Laughing, and posting way too many crazy photos on Facebook, we followedup with a spot of shopping and a cold bubble tea, to explore a little culture and history.

The mix of ethnic diversities who call Singapore home are at its heart -particularly the Peranakan people, a unique culture mixing Malay and Chinese origins. The Peranakan Museum gives a fascinating insight into Peranakan life - traditional dress, food, and religious beliefs - set over three floors in a stunning heritage listed building. The Peranakan culture is best preserved in the lively Katong district, where shop houses with sculpted facades and ceramic tiles sell batik textiles, porcelain and jewellery.

From the museum, en route to Chinatown, we stopped and enjoyed steamy, sensational laksas in a fabulous hole-in-the wall restaurant.

Delving into the city’s Chinese heritage, at Chinatown Food Street we discovered a bubbling ‘burb of old and new, where traditional medicine stalls bump up against vibrant fabric hawkers and family-run goldsmiths. Failing to reach a consensus on where to have dinner, we sampled a little from each of the street stalls that lined the pedestrian-only thoroughfare, and just soaked up the ambience. Could we eat any more? You bet! There is always room for the colourful conglomerate of ice sweet delights that make up traditional Malay desert!

For our final morning, we decided on a leisurely brunch in Kampong Glam, Singapore’s Arab quarter and former seat of Malay royalty, with an enticing mix of South East Asian fusion cuisine. Exotic architecture meets designer boutiques and trendy cafes in what is fast becoming one of Singapore’s hippest neighbourhoods, all under the historic gaze of the Sultan Mosque, Royal Palace, and Tombs of the

Malayan Princes.

To get a glimpse of what old Singapore looked like, we headed across the water to nearby Pulau Ubin, where the last village kampongs remain. On our hired bicycles we explored the trails that led past former fruit and rubber plantations, old Malay wooden houses, and Chek Jawa, one of Singapore’s richest ecosystems.

Pulau Ubin is a world apart from mainland Singapore with modern skyscrapers towering above traditional shop fronts nestled at their base.

We spent our final evening on a sunset cruise of the Singapore River, followed by aromatic and deliciously messy Singapore Chilli Crab and a ‘Singapore Sling’ for mum.

With waistbands loosened, and our luggage full of goodies we vowed to stop and stay longer next time, absorbing more of heady mix of exotic flavours, sights and smells that make Singapore so charismatic.

Previous page: Gardens by the Bay at dusk © iStockPhoto / joyt

More Information Singapore Tourism yoursingapore.com/au Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Beach Road panpacific.com/ en/serviced-suites/singapore/ beach-road.html Satay by the Bay gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/ dining/satay-by-the-bay.html Gardens by the Bay gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/ Killiney Kopitiam killiney-kopitiam.com Singapore Zoo zoo.com.sg River Safari riversafari.com.sg River Cruise rivercruise.com.sg Peranakan Museum peranakanmuseum.sg Pulau Ubin nparks.gov.sg Alive Museum alivemuseum.sg/

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Canada

ticks the boxes for a family ski holiday Deciding exactly where to spend your hard-earned dollars on an international family ski holiday is a time-consuming challenge, and while FRANKIE J HOLDEN, MICHELLE PETTIGROVE and their daughter GEORGIA don’t claim to be experts, Canada has emerged as one of their favourite ski destinations ‌ for a whole host of great reasons!

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Perfect Timing The Canadian ski season starts mid November and runs till early April making it the ideal time to avoid the Aussie summer crush and maximise school holidays to experience a magical white Christmas. The school season in Canada starts the first week of January, leaving the slopes free for international visitors!

Consistently awesome conditions The average annual snowfall across the huge range of ski resorts in Canada is a mind-blowing eight metres.

This in itself is enough reason to make Canada your first choice – simply for guaranteed quality snow.

Village atmosphere Sometimes families need downtime off the slopes, and a retail or culture break on your doorstep is a huge bonus. Unlike most Aussie ski destinations, Canadian resorts are attached to substantial working towns with their own infrastructure of shops, galleries, restaurants, cinemas and tourism opportunities.

It’s a kid’s world!

Canadian ski resorts have cornered the market on the young. Apart from skiing and snow boarding, if a kid can imagine doing it, Canadian resorts offer it! From tubing and ice-skating to dog-sledding and winter zip lining, there’s no end of fun activities for kids including great kids’ ski schools with some resorts even offering instructors who are well-known former Olympians!

Affordable travel and accommodation packages Qantas, Air Canada, Virgin and Air New Zealand all offer competitive flights to Canada from Australia.

Canadian resorts offer a range of accommodation to suit different budgets including lots of ‘ski-in ski out’. Most provide packages with value-added features to make the most of winter activities. The price of a family trip for four to Canada is comparable to a local ski holiday, including airfares!

The Canadian and Australian dollar are generally on a par, although we’ve found prices for most things in Canada lower than at home - which means the out-ofpocket holiday expenses can easily stay within budget!

Images: Michelle Pettigrove

Easy access Many international flights from Australia arrive into Canadian airports situated close to the best ski fields.

Domestic flights and hire car rates within Canada are also competitively priced.

Our family picks The British Columbia region of Canada is world famous for its divine powder snow and varied terrain. There are 13 major resorts to choose from in BC, spread over 10 magnificent mountain ranges.

Enjoy the loping pace of a horse-drawn sleigh ride through the streets of Sun Peaks.

Whistler Blackcomb Whistler Blackcomb Resort is consistently ranked number one in North America and has long been a favourite for families worldwide. Situated 120k (2.5 hours drive) north of Vancouver Airport, Whistler brags the largest area of skiable terrain and the most lifts of any North American resort.

The vast 3,300 hectares that make up Whistler are home to a mind-blowing array of winter activities for families.

Ski school caters for kids aged 3 to 18 with lots of runs devoted entirely to kids, and, of course, a stateof-the-art terrain park. Young ski school participants can be tracked via GPS allowing parents to check their children’s location, distance and speed throughout the day!

The pedestrianised village of Whistler is picturesque, with a truly cosmopolitan twist and it’s big enough to lose yourself while shopping or in the many restaurants and day spas.. Over two million visitors make their way to Whistler each year and as a result, there is a certain cultivated slickness to this resort town, earned through its international profile and the sheer magnitude of its statistics.

For families looking for a more intimate village atmosphere as well as some of the best ski conditions in the world, there are lots of other options. We have two of our hands-down favourites to share with you.

Sun Peaks and Silver Star Both Sun Peaks and Silver Star resorts are world renowned for their unrivalled conditions and genuinely friendly atmosphere. A short 20-minute flight from Vancouver (average cost of $100) will bring you to Kamloops or Kelowna airports, which service Sun Peaks and Silver Star.

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Airfares are not included. Lic No. 2TA4787. Photo credit: Tony Harrington, Coronet Peak.

AUTUMN 2015 outandaboutwithkids.com.au

> sunpeaksresort.com > skisilverstar.com > whistlerblackcomb.com

…if a kid can imagine doing “ it, Canadian resorts offer it! ”

Images: Michelle Pettigrove

Because of their location in the Okanagan region of BC, which has typically low humidity, the snow here is remarkably dry and icing sugar-like. Many experienced skiers swear this is the best champagne powder on the globe. Another bonus is the temperature. While some Canadian resorts can experience minus twenty degrees for months, here the winter average is a mild minus five and sunny!

Silver Star may be famous for its intimate village ambiance but there’s nothing quaint about its slopes!

With a reputation for having the most varied terrain in the region, Silver Star hosts a huge menu of activities and provides a truly spectacular backdrop while you’re having fun. The extensive skiable terrain of over 1,300 hectares includes 128 runs ranging from easy green to genuine double black diamond.

Because there’s such a massive area to explore, Silver Star doesn’t feel crowded. Enjoy alpine skiing, snowboarding, cross country, snow shoeing, ice skating, and a terrain park complete with a giant airbag designed to give rookie aerialists somewhere soft to land!

Ski school at Silver Star is reputed to be the best in Canada - a big rap, but it seems well-deserved when we see the variety of classes hitting the slopes.

From toddlers perfecting their basics, to extreme All Mountain Camps designed to satisfy the most daring teenager’s ski and snowboard dreams - including race training, avalanche awareness and video editing!

Sun Peaks delivers on every front. The only thing missing is the crowd. Imagine a week of skiing and never queuing for lifts. Restaurants and cafes are blissfully calm, and there’s a long list of activities available including night concerts, sleigh rides, dog sledding, tubing, cross country, snow-shoeing, snow mobile tours and a full complement of 126 alpine ski runs reached by eleven lifts that stretch across the face of three mountains – (second largest ski field in Canada and growing).

A large part of the appeal of any snow holiday lies in the atmosphere of the destination itself. With a yearround population of almost 500 there’s a delightful feeling of small-town familiarity here. The village of Sun Peaks winds romantically around a meandering main street reminiscent of an Italian hamlet, with shopping options ranging from cute novelty stores to pragmatic outlets supplying essentials like groceries, ski clothing and local wines!

Both Silver Star and Sun Peaks offer a phenomenal range of accommodation, dining and activities for surprisingly reasonable prices. Their pace is relaxed and family-friendly and their village life is welcoming. And for the more cosmopolitan holiday, Whistler fits the bill perfectly. But no matter where you choose to spend your ski holiday, Canada has all the right ingredients!

Previous page main pic: Snowshoeing is a great family-friendly way to explore Silver Star Above: Silver Star

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AUTUMN 2015 outandaboutwithkids.com.au

P 07 4044 6700 w www.fitzroyisland.com E stay@fitzroyisland.com

India Tourism Sydney, Level 5 Glass house, 135 King Street, Sydney NSW 2000.

Ph: +61 2 9221 9555 email: info@indiatourism.com.au

“PARK AT SYDNEY AIRPORT FOR $9.90 A DAY FOR A 10 DAY STAY*.

THAT’S BLU EMU VALUE!”

*Online bookings only. Terms and conditions apply.