We took a road trip and headed to Ballarat. It was exactly what we needed. Eighteen months ago we realised that travelling on an airplane with an energetic, bouncy, non-compliant toddler is just simply not fun. So the whole traveling on an airplane holiday ceased immediately after that. But a break away from normality & day-to-day life is also something we have discovered is a necessity for our family.
So weekend driving road trips have become a little bit of a regular. Some place away from the city, but not too far in the car.
Last year we went to Echuca. It was fabulous. Although just a little too far in the car, absolute remoteness and disconnection from WiFi, phones and all things ‘electrical’ made the weekend just perfect. Perfect! This past weekend we went to Ballarat. Two words – just right!
We stayed at one of the Big 4 camping grounds, something we have been wanting to try for awhile now. It was simply perfect for the kids! From the ‘iconic’ jumping pillow, go-karts, tennis court, roads to bike ride or go scooting on, swimming pool… The kids could be out playing & us parents could sit on the balcony with a wine in hand… Literally.
Let’s just say, we have read up on all the Big 4’s around Australia & will definitely plan our trips accordingly!
The kids loved the Wildlife Park, where kangaroos came up close to be fed & patted. Alligators, crocodiles, & koalas were all the perfect attractions for my little ones. Be sure to see the wildlife shows as well. They were truly fabulous & quite educational. We actually went to the park in the morning, went home for a sleep at lunchtime & then returned in the afternoon for the shows. The perfect day for everyone really.
Don’t let the photos below deceive you… Soverign Hill in all honesty was a little disappointing for us, only probably because our kids were just a little young. The gold panning could have been quite enjoyable if the young man would have not constantly tried to death dive into the water. A quick second attempt at helping him find gold was then quickly aborted! Although the horse coach ride was the absolute favourite for the day, paying an extra fee on top of the already hefty priced entry fee kind of rubbed me up the wrong way. But they enjoyed it… the two-second journey! This one is much more suited for children at least five years & above. Lesson learnt.
In terms of meals, we cooked indoors each night. Having everything on hand with the jumping pillow just outside the front door, supervising while cooking, and just a simple call when dinner was ready, kind of made the whole eating out not appealing. On one occasion, we had a glimpsing thought that maybe we may go out, but it was aborted not long after we actually thought about it. The kids were just so happy. I mean, what four-year-old & two-year-old would want that when there are other kids to play cricket with, they can yell & scream, jump, scoot, ride, go on the monkey bars… This place just had everything!
It was three nights of magic, relaxation, culture & precious family time. It was three night away from day-to-day life & routine.
It was exactly what this little family needed!
