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We have been keeping very busy and have been out most days exploring. Below is a list of the places we have visited and you can learn what we did there and see some of the photos from our visits.
Ballarat Wildlife Park
We all had a great time at the Wildlife park. Kangaroos, emus and the like are free to roam. They seemed quite tame but I did remind the kids that they still have big claws and are still wild animals.
The kangaroos let the kids pat them, feed them and be very close. They seemed very used to human contact and were very good around children.
Show times below are for weekdays and if you wish to find out weekend show times, just click here
1:30pm Reptile round.
2:00pm Koala round.
2:30pm Wombat round.
3:00pm Crocodile OR Alligator round.
3:30pm Tasmanian Devil and Quoll round.
4:00pm Eagle Show
As you can see shows are every half hour. So this will keep you busy and make sure that you are not waiting around for hours to see one show.
Sovereign Hill
There is plenty to do at Sovereign Hill and you will not be bored. If anything your feet and legs will be very tired from walking around all day.
You can try your hand at decorating candles, watch gold being poured, see lollies being made, try your hand at gold panning in the creek and have a ride on the stage coach.
Just one thing to remember: If you purchase a family pass make sure to get it validated. If you do this you can come back for a second day. We did this and it helped as our first day we arrived at about 1pm so that we had plenty of time to see the sights and then stay for the lights that evening. We promised the kids a coach ride with the horses but missed out the first day. We managed to do the promised horse coach ride on day 2 and all was happy then.
I also did not know that with the price of the family ticket to Sovereign Hill we also got an automatic ticket to the Gold Museum for everyone.
Holiday Program open till 12th of July 2015 so you have a few days to get there if you can.
One of the girls is chasing the lollies that are falling down the building
A view of main street with the snow and the lights.
Ballarat Gold Museum
After our first day at Sovereign Hill we went to the Gold Museum. The museum is in the same complex as Sovereign Hill so if you are there for one you may as well see both.
The museum is open from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm every day except Christmas Day. Last entry is 5.20 pm.
One exhibition that I was amazed by was the photographs of the whole of Ballarat. I have forgotten the photographer but he climbed up to the top of the town hall and took a 360 degree view of Ballarat at the time. The images were amazing and so sharp so that you can see every detail.
Image from the Gold Museum website.
Daylesford Markets and The Amazing Mill Markets
On Sunday we went off to the Daylesford Markets. It was a lovely sunny day and a welcome relief from the overcast days we have had. The drive was not too long from our hotel and was a pleasant drive through lovely countryside.
Once we arrived to the markets we walked around and looked at all the stalls. It was your typical markets, trinkets, clothes, and the like.
The kids got their faces painted while at the markets and then we went off to lunch at a local pub.
After lunch we visited The Amazing Mill Markets. These markets is a huge warehouse complex that houses many stalls of antiques and collectibles.
The kids new clothes
If I had heaps of money and did not have to post all my purchases back I could have gone crazy. I did purchase a jumper and a scarf for one kid and the other got a coat and a scarf also. I must say that the kids look rather stylish in their new clothes.
The Melbourne Museum
We wanted to come into Melbourne to see the Museum and catching up with friends that have decided to move to Melbourne was a great excuse to spend the day there and to see some great exhibits.
Dinosaur Bones at The Melbourne Muesum
It was a HUGE day as we had a bit of a drive from Ballarat to Carlton and also to back to the hotel.
So what did we see there?
Well we learnt about the human body, saw the real Phar Lap, dinosaur bones, and of course a giant squid. There was so much more. The museum was enormous and it was so well done and we were super impressed.
Phar Lap at The Melbourne Museum. I did not realize that he was so tall!
The building was just amazing and the facilities were impressive compared to what we are used to. Some of the museum’s in Sydney are in older buildings and are limited for space. The museum in Melbourne seemed purpose built and has the space they need for all exhibits.
If you book online for tickets you get a great deal. You don’t pay for kids that are under 12.
Also for parking if you book online you pay $20 for a full day of parking. What great value is that.
I hope this gives you some ideas on where to take the kids on the holidays and the weekends.
We are flying home tomorrow and the kids cannot wait to see their teddies again. We have all had a fabulous time and wish our holiday could last forever but we have to go home to our life and jobs.
What have you done these school holidays? Have you had a great experience somewhere that you would love to share? Let us know.
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