Whiteman Park with the Niupalau's

School holidays are not complete until we've had our date with the Niupalaus. This time round was a trip to Whiteman Park for a ride on the Bennett Brook Railway.

It really is a fun time, a nice long ride through the bush of Whiteman Park in big open carriages.

You can easily move around and enjoy yourself.

The best bit is, once you have paid for your ticket, you can ride as many times as you like during the day!

This guy loved it!

When we were done, we went over to Pia's place on the other side of Whiteman Park, which is the most amazing playground! Gated around all sides, it's safe, but still huge. I am obsessed with the lighthouse in the middle. I love that playgrounds have gone back to nature and have so much wood and natural play areas now. It's the best! If the kids can't play in the bush like we did... we bring the bush to them. I'm so grateful for these wonderful playgrounds near us. 

 

bennett brook railway

can you believe that i have lived ten minutes away from whiteman park for 4 years and had absolutely no idea that they had a miniature railway in there?! it's been a long few weeks for the kids even before their grandfather passed away last week  (between going to and from the hospital, even over christmas and new year and now organising a funeral) and my lovely mother wanted to take them somewhere for a bit of time. after a bit of googling we found the railway line and the hours it operates which were perfect for us... so off we went.

we had the best time! i had to keep alex in his carrier so he wouldn't try to run around in the open edged carriage, or dive off the edge. i don't think the chains they use to close them off would have kept him in - eep, but it was still good.

you pay a one off entry fee for the train and receive a ticket, then you can ride its loop as many times as you like. the train runs through some of the parks bushland in the park over a six kilometre track. we did two and it was just right.

it was such a good time to relax and just enjoy the bushland around us. anyone who thinks that the australian bushland isn't beautiful is delusional.

so grateful to have mum around to cheer us up!

these kids loved every minute of it, pointing out the little signs everywhere along the track - the artwork at the stations... the little scarecrows... there are heaps of things placed around about for the kids to look at!

i just love where we live!

and sharing times like these with these cute kids ❤

this kid wiggled and giggled the whole time, but i know he loved it too.

relax day - complete

if you want some time out, i highly recommend it. fun for the kids and adults too - as well as super relaxing.

done for another day - and back to real life.

❤

caversham wildlife park

after an easy morning, to try and ease the jetlag a bit... after we picked up the kidlets up from school today, we took sam out to caversham wildlife park. i've never been before (even though it's just down the road and madeline has been twice! once with school and once with bryan and niques when they were here, and joseph has been once) and now i am wondering why, because it was amaaaaazing!

joseph loved meeting a crocodile, even though he didn't seem keen on turning his back on it to turn and smile at me for a photo...

we missed the farm show, which maddie assured us didn't matter because she had already seen it (sorry bout it sam! lol) but went straight into the "meet the wombats" area, where the kids hung out with snakes, 

kookaburras which i loooove, (if you're not australian and don't know anything about kookaburras, go and listen to this youtube clip... they are the best!) andddd then found an old friend of mine luke, who was working with the wombats. too funny. 

these clowns wanted to take a picture everywhere we went... but i was cool with it. if nothing else, having a third baby is going to teach me patience.

sam got up close and personal with a koala... and looked pretty excited about it. it's so funny, i love that people get excited about australian animals, cause to be honest i do too. i don't really want to hold monkeys or squirrels (okay i probably do) but koalas and kangaroos excite me way more. look at her! she's so cute. day made!

another photo op. insert eye roll here... but they are so happy that i still don't mind...

sam also got her kicks from the kangaroos. i was a bit meh, kangaroos, mum has kangaroos everywhere at her house about them, but they were the best! they hop right on up to you, let you pat them, eat food out of your hands... and are so damn cute! this all just reminds me yet again, how lucky i am to live where i do.

seriously. this was the best thing ever. hand feeding kangaroos. ♥

what an awesome afternoon. i'll definitely be coming back to caversham in the future. i highly recommend it, for aussies and visitors both!