The Australian War Memorial is undergoing major renovations

Canberra is home to several free-admission National Museums and Galleries, and one of the biggest attractions is undoubtedly the Australian War Memorial (AWM).

The AWM is now undergoing major renovation work which directly affects the visitor experience – and this is expected to continue as a rolling renovation project stretching over several years to 2026.

War Memorial entry is still free – but tickets must now be booked

You’ll need a session ticket to access the Australian War Memorial, however this is an easy and quick online procedure you can do with a smart phone.

You can even book tickets when you arrive by scanning the QR code on the wall of the War Memorial car park, and then fill in the form on the two minute walk from the car park to the Museum entrance.

War Memorial visitor tickets cover blocks of two hour sessions, however if you would like to stay longer, you can simply apply for more tickets by returning to the entrance ticket booths.

You’ll also need extra tickets to attend the Last Post Ceremony which takes place each evening at around 4:40pm in the centre courtyard.

What’s changed in the Canberra War Memorial in 2022?

The most noticeable change to the Australian War Memorial is that the front of the building where the main entrance & staircase is normally located is fenced off to the public.

Where do I enter the War Memorial?

This means the iconic Canberra Anzac Parade view (and photo often taken at the front doors of the War Memorial), looking down Anzac Parade and stretching all the way down across Lake Burley Griffin to Old Parliament House/Museum of Democracy and Parliament House up on its hill isn’t currently possible to see other than an obstructed foreground view from the upper level of the outdoor courtyard.

However the War Memorial’s building now has a new, temporary, entrance located to the Eastern side of the building, allowing access to this popular Canberra tourist attraction.

What galleries are still open?

Inside, galleries such as the World War 1 and World War 2 galleries are open as relatively normal.

Watch our video of the WW2 walk-in flight simulator

Watch this video to see the interactive walk-in flight simulator of an air battle Lancaster bomber located inside the World War 2 gallery in the Australian War Memorial in Canberra

There are some pandemic adjustments such as previously hands-on installations now being removed or becoming non-contact.

The large aviation hall is now where visitors access the building, and has markedly reduced in size. There is no public access to the upper viewing level, and there are fewer aircraft available for viewing.

The gift shop has also been relocated to the aviation hall.

The internal cafe above the aviation hall is now closed and removed, however the stand-alone Poppy’s cafe located outside of the temporary Museum’s side entrance is open for business as usual and offers hot meals, snacks, cakes and drinks.

Can you still access the inner courtyard, Roll Of Honour & Tomb?

Yes. The grand inner courtyard with its Roll of Honour and Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier are all still open and accessible to the public.

The Roll Of Honour lines the sides of the central courtyard. This is the inscribed names of hundreds of thousands of soldiers’who didn’t return from the wars.

You’ll find each war’s name inscribed along the sides of the courtyard too, above the central pool with the never-ending flame set within it.

At the Mount Ainslie end of the courtyard, a staircase leads up, into the stunning Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier.

The central courtyard is accessible as normal throughout the day, closing with the galleries at around 4:10 in preparation for the Last Post Ceremony.

Can I still watch The Last Post Ceremony?

Yes, but now you’ll need an additional (free) ticket.

The Last Post Ceremony runs for around twenty minutes, and include’s one lost soldier’s story reading, wreath laying, a bagpipe musical piece and the iconic Last Post salute played by a sole military Bugler.

My girls were approached by museum staff to lay a wreath and were honoured to take part.

You can view each night’s Last Post Ceremony on the Australian War Memorial’s YouTube channel.

Watch our video of the Last Post Ceremony

Watch this video to see what the daily Last Post Ceremony at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra is like.

Where can I park at the Australian War Memorial?

The War Memorial currently offers free parking in the AWB’s own underground car park beneath Poppy’s Cafe on the Eastern side of the main building.

Should I wait until after the renovations to visit?

No! These renovations will stretch over years – that’s a long time to wait to see such an iconic Canberra attraction.

Whilst the Australian War Memorial’s renovations are a major project and do have significant impact upon visiting tourists’ experience of the attraction, this is still a wonderfully meaningful and unique attraction, and a Canberra must-see.

The sheer volume of historic items on displays can easily fill hours of fascinating, sometimes sobering viewing.

With the renovations being long-term, don’t delay a visit as it’s always valuable and worthwhile.

When the renovations are complete, it will be of great benefit to the War Memorial and future visitors.

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Jindera NSW is a small, historic country town ten minutes drive off of the Hume Highway in New South Wales, shortly before you reach Albury and the NSW/Victoria border crossing.

We visited in mid 2020 and found that this little town makes a great overnight stopover or tourist camping base for the Albury Greater Hume region, as you can stay for free in a quiet country environment.

Free camping 10 minutes off the Hume Highway

Free camping is available at the Greater Hume Council run Jindera Showground and Recreation Grounds (also known as the Jindera Primitive Camping Ground), which is a level, weatherproof site just five minutes walk from the town centre.

The Showground has a semi circular blacktop road passing through it with both entries off Dight Street, Jindera. There is lots of room for big rigs, caravans, motorhomes, camping trailers, tents and all kinds of camping at the Showground campground area.

Camping at the Jindera Showground

Visitors are allowed to camp at the showgrounds for up to three nights. Pets are allowed at the showground and camping area.

Upon arrival or prior to arrival, visitors should first register their stay with the Jindera Showground manager Mrs Jenny O’Neill on phone 0438 263 417.

Jindera Showground facilities

The Jindera Showground has basic camping facilities. A toilet block is located at the far entrance. There is a separate modern toilet located closer to campers. Vast, level grassy lawns which border the Showground oval in the centre are available to campers. There is no powered sites available, and although there is water taps on site it is best to ask permission before helping yourself. There is no dump point on site.

There is a small concrete skate park, a playground and several sports courts – all free to use. A local public swimming pool is also located onsite.

Watch our Jindera free camping and tourist sites visit on YouTube

Watch this video to take a look at the Jindera Showground and some of the tourist attractions in the town such as the local Fox and Brew Cafe, and the Jindera Pioneer Museum.

Don’t miss another of our Australian family YouTube videos! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel here 

You can find out more about the Jindera free camping showground at the council official website here.

Places to visit in Jindera & the Albury Wodonga region

The town of Jindera is full of heritage buildings to see, including an old Blacksmith’s barn, church and the local heritage museum.

Jindera Pioneer Museum

Jindera has deep historical ties to a foundation population of German heritage. Located on Urana Street and next door to the Showground you’ll find the Jindera Pioneer Museum. It showcases historic antiquities of Jindera’s Germanic past. It also operates as the Visitor Information Centre for the area.

For an entrance fee of $10 adults and $5 kids, visitors can explore this interesting museum with it’s old store, houses and out buildings. You can even bring your pet with you, as dogs are allowed inside (on a leash).

At the entrance you’ll find a fascinating olde world shop, Wagner’s Store. First opened in 1874, the store is beautifully kept, lined with hand-painted labeled wooden shelves and drawers. Explore through the buildings upstairs and down to see antique furniture, knick knacks, dolls, farming equipment and much more.

You can find out more about the Jindera Museum at their official website here.

The Fox and Brew Cafe

Located on the main street of Urana Street, the Fox and Brew Café is a charming little café offering a range of snacks, drinks, and local crafts and preserves. With dining both indoors and outside, it’s open everyday from mid morning to early afternoon.

Watch our Ettamogah Pub visit and caravan campsite video on YouTube

Another nearby place to visit and camp just two minutes off the Hume Highway near Albury is the Ettamogah Pub at Tabletop which also offers overnight camping in their gravel carpark (no power or water but there are toilets) for a minimum $10 pub spend.

Don’t miss another of our Australian family YouTube videos! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel here 

Watch our Albury Murray Art Museum visit video on YouTube

Another tourist attraction in the local area is the Albury Murray Art Museum, located in the nearby city of Albury NSW. Take a tour of the Albury Art Gallery in this video!

Don’t miss another of our Australian family YouTube videos! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel here 

Jindera is a quiet little town with a big historical past, and the opportunity of free camping at a well-maintained showground within cooee of the Hume Highway is also a big attraction. It’s definitely worth a look on your next Melbourne to Sydney Hume Highway road trip!

Have you ever visited Jindera, or do you plan to go? Tell me, or ask your questions in the comments below…

All pricing information is correct as at May 2022 – please check the official websites of the locations listed (some linked above) for relevant, up to date information and prices.

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Hold onto your hats dinosaur-lovers – there’s a new BIG kid in town! Triceratops Horridus is Melbourne Museum’s brand new – yet prehistoric – exhibition, and he’s unlike anything your or your kids have ever seen before!

A REAL dinosaur skeleton in Australia

Did you know there’s a real dinosaur skeleton in Australia? This month we were really excited to be invited to attend the official opening of the Triceratops Dawn of the Dinosaurs at Melbourne Museum

Watch our video tour of the opening event & new dinosaur exhibition

No time to read? Watch our video tour of the Triceratops: Fate of the Dinosaurs launch VIP Melbourne event and Triceratops exhibition.

Don’t miss another of our Australian family YouTube videos! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel here 

The Melbourne VIP celebrity event of the year!

You could cut the excitement with a flint at the VIP opening event of Triceratops at the Melbourne Museum.

Held after-hours in an empty Melbourne Museum prior to the Members preview event, Melbourne’s VIPs, celebrities and influencers – many with excited children in-hand – arrived to find an official grand opening event full of dino fun!

Dinosaur themed launch party fun

Upon arrival to the Museum, guests were directed to the event room fitted-out to Jurassic Park proportions.

Dinosaur themed treats

Dinosaur fans young and old were served with dino-themed drinks, appetisers and snacks. Dinosaur treats such as dinosaur gingerbread cookies and even gold-covered chocolate dinosaur droppings made a really fun novelty, and set the dinosaur theme perfectly.

Dinosaur themed crafts

There were lots of dinosaur themed crafts for the kids at the event too, including a Triceratops hat and mask-building station, and a special photo wall provided the perfect place for some unique dinosaur event Instagram photos.

An expert-manned ancient fossil table

A table crowded with a huge dinosaur skull and dinosaur bone casts offered genuine fossil examples for guests to take part in some hands-on learning thanks to the help of a friendly and highly knowledgeable paleontologist.

A circulating baby Triceratops puppet man kept everyone completely enchanted, particularly the toddlers and babies who were completely convinced they were patting a baby Triceratops!

Official Melbourne Museum exhibition opening

Official ceremonies included speeches and further historic, statistical fun facts and background on just how amazing the new Museum acquisition is. Then it was time for the main event – actually visiting the much-anticipated Triceratops Horridus exhibition – Triceratops: The Fate Of The Dinosaurs.

Triceratops: The Fate Of The Dinosaurs

Located in the dinosaur section of the Melbourne Museum where there is already a large collection of impressive dinosaur skeleton cast models, the new exhibition provided a wonderfully interactive experience.

The opening night Melbourne Museum after-hours tour

Opening night visitors found themselves transported to a lost world – immersed into an audio-visual prehistoric jungle and river dating back 67 million years ago.

Dinosaurs roamed and thumped along the exhibition walls thanks to the clever soundtrack and projections that covered not only the walls, but also the carpet below museum visitors very feet.

Whilst it would be easy to spend a lot of time just enjoying the introductory walk-through experience, with the promise of a genuine dinosaur up ahead, people were spurred onward to emerge into the large space that hosted what has to be one of the most spectacular Australian Museum coups of all time – the world’s most complete Triceratops skeleton – Horridus!

Triceratops Horridus display area

Fully re-assembled and atmospherically and dramatically lit with an eerie jungle background audio, this real dinosaur skeleton stands a terrifying 2 metres high, this is the world’s most complete Triceratops Horridus skeleton. It’s mesmerisingly glittering – a product of the type of rock that fossilised the bones.

Triceratops Horridus dinosaurs lived during the Late Cretaceous period, and went extinct half a million years before a mass extinction-level asteroid hit earth. An impressive asteroid representation is installed on one wall of the large display space surrounding the dinosaur skeleton.

Neither a girl or a boy due to the eons of time erasing such details, this Triceratops dinosaur is regarded as a “they”- and what an jaw-dropping sight they are!

Multi-level dinosaur viewing platforms

Multi-level platforms offer different perspectives of the huge dinosaur skeleton. A mid-way viewing platform offers a close-up overhead view, whilst the second floor gives plenty of room to spread out and appreciate this most impressive of dinosaur relics.

Also to be found on the second floor are further fascinating insights into dinosaurs thanks to a detailed bird feature display to accompany the various prehistoric displays spread over the two main floors of the exhibition.

A Melbourne April school holidays must-see

You can visit Triceratops Horridus now at the Melbourne Museum.

With its imposing stature and trademark horns, Horribillis is a spectacular world-class permanent addition to the Melbourne Museum, and truly needs to be experienced in person to be appreciated.

Melbournians and all dinosaur enthusiasts big and small – don’t miss this incredible new exhibit!

Essential info

How much does the Melbourne Museum cost?

Melbourne Museum ticket prices: $15 per person – pensioners and concessions (including single parent concession) and children are free.

Admission to Triceratops: The Fate Of The Dinosaurs is included in general admission – BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL

Where is the Melbourne Museum located?

Melbourne Museum address: 11 Nicholson Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053

How to get to the Melbourne Museum

Public transport: Trams, trains and buses all service the Melbourne Museum.

Parking: There is a Melbourne Museum carpark located underneath the Museum.

What dates is Triceratops: Fate of the Dinosaurs on?

Exhibition dates: Triceratops: Fate Of The Dinosaurs with the world’s biggest Triceratops dinosaur skeleton is a permanent exhibit at the Melbourne Museum from March 2022

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Sydney mums, dads and LEGO enthusiasts big and small – did you know that Jurassic Park has arrived in Sydney?

Jurassic World by Brickman has moved from Melbourne, and is now installed and open at the Australian Museum! It’s the new Sydney exhibition for all ages.

The exciting new Sydney family LEGO exhibition

We were very excited to be invited to the VIP Preview and Opening Night of the brand new Sydney attraction. Located inside the Australian Museum, this LEGO display is the biggest of it’s kind in Australia!

Watch our video of the LEGO Jurassic World by Brickman opening night

No time to read? Watch our video tour of the Brickman Jurassic World LEGO Sydney event & tour

Don’t miss another of our Australian family YouTube videos! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel here 

Ryan “The Brickman” McNaught was there!

Ryan ‘The Brickman” McNaught is Australia’s official LEGO certified master builder, and everyone was so excited to see that he was attending the opening night in person! As friendly as ever, Ryan chatted to the guests and even conducted a personal tour of the exhibition for the VIP Preview guests! Afterwards at the official event opening, Ryan conducted a question and answer session with the Australian Museum’s hosts. The LEGO fans (including us of course!) just couldn’t get enough of him!

A new LEGO Jurassic dinosaur!

A new LEGO dinosaur has joined the 50 dinosaur exhibition features too! The life-size Baryonyx dinosaur meets guests in the main entrance hall of the Australian Museum. Weighing in at 400kg, this new dinosaur was created using 102,317 LEGO® bricks, is 4.8 metres long, and is 2.5 metres high!

Wheelchair Access is available

In this new Sydney layout, the Jurassic World exhibit is spread over two floors, interconnected with escalators. But don’t worry – wheelchair and disabled access is available via the Australian Museum’s lifts.

A Sydney family exhibition must-see

This exciting LEGO show transforms Jurassic World — the blockbuster franchise from Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment — into an immersive adventure that is the largest LEGO® brick experience in Australian history!

Entering through the huge and iconic Jurassic World LEGO brick gates is impressive enough, but inside you’ll find numerous themed dinosaur displays, DUPLO and LEGO brick building opportunities and challenges and 50 huge LEGO dinosaur installations made of over 6 million LEGO bricks!

Sydney LEGO fans of all sizes – don’t miss this special LEGO display at the Australian Museum – it’s must-see event, and only on for a limited time.

Sydney Jurassic World by Brickman dates

Jurassic World LEGO Sydney is running from the 5th of March until the 29th of May 2022

Located at the Australian Museum, William Street, Sydney CBD

The exhibition will be moving on to Brisbane, Australia following Sydney

How to book tickets to Jurassic World LEGO

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Fighter World Aviation Heritage Centre is an aviation museum with its own viewing area overlooking the RAAF Williamtown fighter jet Base at Newcastle Airport.

Whilst we aren’t normally huge plane spotters or jet enthusiasts, we really enjoyed our visit.

Fighter-town is mainly run by a staff of volunteers, and features a huge collection of military aircraft. It’s fascinating to view these massive planes close-up and learn more about them.

The museum is made up of two large hangars filled with real aircraft, including jet fighters like a Mirage and F111. You can also see airplane replicas like a Spitfire, engines and other aeroplane displays.

There are mini theatres, and you can even climb into some real cockpits to play with the controls!

After we had wandered around the planes we climbed upstairs to the viewing deck where we were absolutely thrilled to watch the RAAF jets manoeuvring above our heads! Access to the viewing platform is exclusive to Fighterworld. (Or Fightertown USA from Top Gun, as I like to think of it!)

The fact that the RAAF are celebrating their 100th Anniversary this year just made our visit that much more special.

Fighterworld also have what has to be one of the best airoplane gift shops around, with lots of model planes, toys and souvenirs.

On site you’ll also find the unique Fighter Beans cafe, with meals and snacks of all description. And of course you can sit outside and take in those all-powerful booming jets!

Important Tip! The RAAF Williamstown jets only fly on weekdays, so plan your trip on a weekday if you want to see them fly!

Watch our complete Fighterworld video

Watch our slow walk through of the complete Fighter World Aviation Museum complex on our YouTube video here to get an idea of what Fighterworld is like to visit.

Plan your Fighterworld visit

Fighterworld address

Fighterworld is located at 49 Medowie Road, Williamtown NSW – about a twenty minutes drive from Newcastle, NSW.

Fighterworld opening hours

Fighterworld is open every day from 10am-4pm (excepting Christmas Day) – we recommend visiting on a weekday so that you have a good chance of seeing the RAAF jets from the Fighterworld observation deck.

How much are tickets to Fighterworld?

*
Adults $18
Child (5-17) $10
Under 5 free
Family (2 Adults & all kids under age 18) $40
Senior/Pensioner $14
Serving Members and APS Employees 50% Discount
Disabled persons requiring carers free

*Prices are correct as of 1 July 2021

Caravan, camping and cabin accommodation near Fighterworld

Whilst visiting Fighterworld we stayed at NRMA Stockton Beach Holiday Park in our caravan, but they also have cabins and other accommodation options available. This is a lovely family beach holiday location, and Fighterworld is only 15 minutes drive away.

You can read all about our stay at NRMA Stockton Beach Holiday Park review here

Find out more about Fighterworld at the Fighterworld official website here.

All information is correct as at July 2021 – please check the above website link for relevant, up to date information and current Fighter World entrance ticket prices.

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Right on the New South Wales/Victoria border of the Hume Highway you’ll find the twin cities of Albury-Woodonga.

On the NSW side, the bustling, historic city of Albury makes a great stop-over on a Sydney-Melbourne road trip, because there are lots of hotels, restaurants and things for families to do.

The gorgeous Murray River which divides the states hosts an elegant cafe and parklands upon it’s banks at Noreuil Park. There are also several good shopping districts in the Albury-Woodonga CBDs and surrounding suburbs, a Botanic Gardens and nearby Lake Hume, just to name a few. However there’s another major Albury tourist attraction which you perhaps may not have heard about – The Murray Art Museum Albury.

No time to read, or want a closer look? Watch our YouTube video here

Located in the Albury City Centre, the Murray Art Museum Albury (or MAMA, as it is more commonly known) holds a treasure-trove of international, national and local art.

Housed within an elegant and modernised heritage building, there’s so much for families to see and do in this wonderful contemporary art museum.

This Albury Art Museum is specially designed to be accessible to all, including people with a disability, wheel chairs, the elderly and parents with prams thanks to the wide, well lit airy spaces and modern design.

Tours are available to small to large groups, and the Museum also offers school holiday workshops. Other facilities include an on-site cafe and large giftshop.

The new exhibition – 20:20

Opened in October 2020 and running until 31st January 2021, the 20:20 Exhibition is a fascinating collection of work by twenty Australian contemporary artists.

All the family will enjoy the sometimes confronting, but always fascinating artistic-take commentary on modern society and the memorable issues that have impacted us all in the year of 2020. It’s a great exhibit, and well-worth a look.

With many galleries to wander through and a new exhibitions to explore, be sure to put aside a morning or afternoon to do this elegant museum justice.

Planning information

What: The Albury Murray Art Museum (MAMA)

Where: 546 Dean St, Albury, NSW 2640 – open the google maps location here

Admission: Free

Opening hours:

(check first, especially during COVID-19 which may affect opening times)

Monday – Friday    10.00am – 5.00pm
Saturday, Sunday  10.00am – 4.00pm
Public Holidays     10.00am – 4.00pm

Website:

Murray Art Museum Albury (mamalbury.com.au)

Contact:

Albury Murray Art Museum phone number: 02 6043 5800
Albury Murray Art Museum email: mama@alburycity.nsw.gov.au

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Any Disneyland Resort holiday requires several days to experience the full Disneyland magic, so Anaheim is the perfect place to stay during your time visiting Disneyland once it reopens. However there’s a lot more to see in Anaheim in addition to the Disneyland theme parks! We spent some time exploring the downtown city centre, and found there’s a lot to see and do in Anaheim!

Downtown Anaheim

Anaheim’s historical city centre offers the Anaheim Packing District with its bustling markets and exciting eateries, plus fascinating museums, avenues of  and its famous, graceful architecture.

It’s here you’ll find the Muzeo Museum and Cultural Centre, plus numerous other historic galleries, restaurants and cafes. Adorned with elegant architecture and rows of statuesque palm trees, Downtown Anaheim is a beautiful area to visit and explore.

Anaheim Farmers markets

The weekly Farmers markets are a great place to spend some time. Both locals and tourists alike enjoy these colourful, family friendly street markets. Live entertainment gives the markets a relaxed, bohemian atmosphere. There’s plenty of fresh produce and food stalls to sample, and of course lots of fun fashion bargains to be found. This is the perfect place to nab that unique California souvenir!

Okayama Kobo Bakery and Café

A little piece of Japan right in the middle of Downtown Anaheim, we loved visiting the Okayama Kobo Bakery and Café. This unique bakery specialises in authentic Japanese-style pastry treats – even the wheat flour is shipped from Japan!

We had lots of fun taking part in an Okayama Kobo Bakery and Café’s Emoji workshop, where we decorated our own pastries – then ate them, of course! This beautiful bakery is the perfect place to stop for a delicious lunch in the café, or grab a convenient takeaway.

Anaheim has a lot to offer visitors

This is just a taste of all the fun and interesting things to see and do in Anaheim. There’s so much more – Knotts Berry Farm, the Oak Canyon Nature Centre, Angel Stadium…be sure not to miss out. Venture beyond Disneyland during your stay – I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Where to stay in Anaheim

Whilst in Anaheim we stayed in the Anaheim Marriot Suites, in Garden Grove. Located only minutes from the Disneyland Resort attractions, this elegant full-service hotel is the perfect base for your Disneyland and Anaheim family holiday needs. Find out more about this convenient and elegant Anaheim hotel here.

Find out more about Anaheim

To find out more about the exciting city of Anaheim, go to the Visit Anaheim official website here.

Find out more about booking your Australian family holiday to Anaheim, California at Visit California

Read all about the three exciting California destinations we visited in 2020 here!

This article is meant to inspired travel to California once it is safe to do to. The attractions and experiences featured in this article may be temporarily unavailable due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Please consult official travel resources and individual businesses to confirm future plans.

The Let’s Go Mum family partnered with Visit California and their supporting partners for this trip.  As always, all opinions are our own.

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Tucked away on the New South Wales/Victoria border near Cobram and the stunning Murray River you’ll find one of the sweetest big things around.

The Big Strawberry at Koonoomoo is a three hour drive from Melbourne, or one hour, forty minute drive from the Hume Highway at Albury, NSW.

There isn’t just a big strawberry here – there’s actually a whole strawberry experience!

No time to read, or want a closer look? Watch our YouTube video here

The Big Strawberry rightly takes pride of place out front of a large complex made up of everything that could satisfy your strawberry desires.

A real-life strawberry crop is situated opposite the main building, with row upon row of shaded strawberry plants. For a charge, you can even go strawberry picking.

Whilst posing for the obligatory big-thing family photo out front is hilarious, the real fun here is waiting for you inside – prepare to be confronted with everything strawberry.

Inside strawberry lovers will find a huge combined cafe/restaurant, museum, indoor playground, Man Cave & strawberry-themed shop.

From tea pots to puppets, jam to strawberry wine, this shop is a mecca for all strawberry lovers.

Order from a fun selection of strawberry treats from the cafe such as their famous strawberry pancakes. Don’t forget to wash it all down with a strawberry slider of course!

The Big Strawberry proprietors are very welcoming, and you can even camp here for the night in your caravan or camper. Powered sites are available at the rear of the car park , and if you spend a minimum of $10 in the shop, camping is free!

The Big Strawberry is a rural Victorian tourism treasure to detour towards on your next NSW road trip.

Planning information

Where: The Big Strawberry, Koonoomoo, Victoria – open the google maps location here

Entry: Free (charge for strawberry picking and indoor kids playground)

Opening hours: 8am-5pm – Every day except “some public holidays” (check first, especially during COVID-19 which may affect opening times)

Website:

https://www.thebigstrawberry.com.au/

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Winter is usually the time to batten down the hatches and stay indoors, but the Ballarat Winter Festival is the perfect excuse to take a weekend or winter school holidays trip away, and banish those Melbourne winter blues!

No time to read? Watch our 2019 Ballarat Winter Festival YouTube video

This family-friendly festival offers a whole bunch of wintery fun to enjoy together. Ballarat is an easy two hour’s drive from the Melbourne CBD, so it makes for the perfect winter escape.

There are a range of fun activities and attractions on offer, plus plenty of excellent family accommodation options available. The whole city of Ballarat gets into the spirit of the festival. There are special interactive art murals (viewable with a special app downloaded to your phone) to be found down charming paved laneways. A huge range of fabulous family-friendly restaurants are scattered around the city too, featuring delicious, and sometimes quite unusual, menu options – such as these rainbow pancakes!

The Ballarat Winter Festival certainly has a great line-up of stand-out attractions. Let’s take a closer look at some must-see events and locations to visit during your visit…

The Ballarat Sovereign Hill Winter Wonderlights Festival

No time to read? Watch our Ballarat Sovereign Hill Winter Wonderlights YouTube video

First up of course is the big-guns of the Ballarat Winter Festival – the famous Sovereign Hill Winter Wonderlights. Sovereign Hill is a simply brilliant family attraction at any time of the year, but in Winter it comes alive with a magical paintbox of projected colours and animations.

During the day you can visit this wonderfully recreated historical village as normal. There are period shops and buildings to explore, underground mine train tours, creek gold panning, horse and coach rides and so much more. When evening falls, the entire village is transformed into a magically-lit wonderland. Take a walk through long fairy light tunnels lining the lake. Enjoy free craft activities for the kids, and yummy seasonal fare inside the heated pavilion.

On main street, gasp in wonder as flames erupt from the big chimney stack. Your kids will be enchanted by – and perhaps even dance in – the faux “snow” which drifts down around them. Fun, colourful animations light up the buildings in a fantastical display of wonderous proportions, unique to this popular tourist destination. This is a whole new dimension to Sovereign Hill you’ve never seen before – and it will have your whole family wanting to return to, year after year.

The Ballarat Winter Festival Ice Rink

What is winter without going for an ice skate, and in Ballarat you’ll find a great ice skating installation right in the middle of the city! Rug up in your most stylish winter-woollies and hit the The Ballarat Winter Festival Ice Rink for a fun morning or afternoon skate. There are several skating sessions each day of the festival. In addition to standard ice skate hire there are super-cute sliding penguins for the beginners or little kids. There are special strap-on skates available too for even the tiniest of toddlers and pre-schoolers to make it a great fun experience for everyone.

Ballarat Winter Festival 2019 Winteractive Arcade

One of the really fun and unusual Ballarat attractions during the 2019 Winter Festival would have to be the Winteractive Arcade. This high-tech interactive event was open on two weekends during the Winter Festival, and had us entertained for an entire afternoon. Located in the grand old Mining Exchange building, interactive art animates in fascinating ways thanks to a downloadable free app. There’s also interactive fashion you, virtual reality (VR) stations – it’s all awesome fun!

If you have a gamer in your family then they are going to love taking part in playing in the five-player competitions on the big screen, plus there are smaller gaming stations too. A café onsite takes care of anyone wanting a break, or simply waiting for their kids to become bored (here’s a tip – never happens!). Definitely don’t miss this one!

More things to do in Ballarat with kids!

Ballarat Winter Festival useful info

Ballarat Winter Festival 2019 event dates:
June 29-July 21
.
2019 Winteractive Arcade dates:
29–30 June and 13–14 July 2019.
11am– 5pm
.
2019 Winteractive Arcade Ticket prices:
Adults: $10
6–16 yrs: $5
Under 6: Free

Go to www.visitballarat.com.au website to find out more!

The Let’s Go Mum family were paid guests of Visit Ballarat tourism board. As always, all opinions are strictly our own.

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No time to read? Watch this video we took of our time at the Echuca Olde Penny Arcade…

The Olde Penny Arcade at Sharp’s Magic Movie House is located in Echuca, a busy little town which shares the Victorian/New South Wales border with its twin town on the NSW side, Moama.

Even though it had been many years since I had last visited Echuca, I had always remembered the Penny Arcade as a fascinating and unique attraction. In revisiting, it completely lived up to my expectations – this is such a fun place for the whole family!

At the Penny Arcade you’ll find vintage movies playing in the old-fashioned cinema area, and a huge collection of antique games to play with in the games area. All of the machines are beautifully preserved and in great working order, which is amazing considering their age!

What are the Penny Arcade machines like?

To operate each machine you must first purchase a container of genuine old Australian Pennies. Then off you go – it’s all you’ll need to play.

The Penny Arcade is full of curious oddities! Try your luck on the claw machine, built in the 20’s in Chicago, to see if you can win a bag of popcorn (works every time!). The mystic Fortune telling gypsy dispenses a fortune card. Then there is the strength tester, the electricity machine (I fell for that one!), the firehouse, the learn to be a pilot game, find out what your true personality is, and many more – this is old-time fun of a very special kind.

There’s something really wonderful about watching the kids enjoying playing with the old machines too. Simple ball games, spinning predictor machines, flicking-card stop motion machines – the children were having an absolute ball. No ipads or playstations here, yet they were so engaged with what they were doing.

In all my travels, I can’t remember coming across anything like the Penny Arcade. It really is like stepping back in time. If you are visiting Echuca, don’t miss this special gem of a family attraction!

Let’s go Mum were hosted guests of the Echuca Olde Penny Arcade, however all opinions remain firmly our own

How to get to Echuca / Moama, Victoria

Have you ever been to the Echuca Olde Penny Arcade? What did you think? Tell us in the comments here!

The post Family fun at the Echuca Olde Penny Arcade appeared first on Let's go Mum.