Melbourne Zoo – We’re going to the zoo, zoo, zoo. How about you, you, you?”

Come on, who doesn’t love the zoo!

It’s fantastic for kids of all ages.

 

Even as an adult, I LOVE visiting the Melbourne Zoo there’s a great diversity of animals on display and plenty of interesting things to see and do.

Even though we don’t live in Melbourne, we have been quite often, and try to fit in a trip when we visit a couple of times a year, as it never gets boring!

At the zoo you can move around and tire out the little ones, there is a playground and lots of spaces to sit and rest, food, coffee and lots of different animals to see.

We usually spend about 4 -5 hours there, its not a place you want to rush, we take our time and have a picnic lunch under a big shady tree around midday. A packed picnic lunch and snacks really helps minimises the cost of the day, food is expensive and isn’t of the best tasting I’ve tired in places like this, so I highly recommend bringing your own.

We find the location easy to get to, we normally drive to the zoo and parking has never been an issue but I’m told that it can be a nightmare if going on the weekend. We have caught the train also a few times which drops you right out the front of the entrance and makes for a fun and easy travel solution with kids.

Make sure you find out the show times upon entry so you can catch the shows on throughout the day, they teach you more about the particular animals, the ‘Meet The Keeper’ has a lot of information and may even allow you to pat an animal they have been talking about.

The thing I like most, beside the animals of course is that most of the zoo is shaded by trees, so even on a hot day you can enjoy the visit you don’t feel like you are in a concrete jungle.

It does get busy and can be very tiring for little ones so if they are walking its a good idea to pack the pram and lots of water, each time we have gone it has taken us around 4 plus hours just to walk around the zoo, that’s a lot of steps for little legs.

Price as of October 2017

Children 3 years and under receive FREE entry every day

Children 4 – 15 years FREE weekends and Victoria school holidays but Mon – Fri (outside holidays)  $18.00

Concession $27 and Seniors $32.50

Yearly Zoo Membership is available for Melbourne zoo, Werribee zoo and Healsville and locals tell me it’s definitely worth the money for an adult pass as children are free with that ticket and it gives you unlimited entry to 3 zoos, kids register for FREE and access to VIP members only events.

I love the zoo and will be going back again on our next visit as its always a highlight of our Melbourne trip.

For more information visit the official zoo website Click Here



Visiting Melbourne with the kids? Be sure to visit Sealife Melbourne

If the kids love the ocean and sea animals then a visit to Sea Life Melbourne is just what you need.  Sea Life allows the whole family to get up close and personal with the animals in a way that would not be possible, unless you were actually scuba diving in the ocean!

SEA LIFE Aquarium offers an interactive, hands-on experiences, displays and shows for all ages.

A day out at SEA LIFE will leave you with fantastic memories and feeling empowered to make a difference to the underwater world.

Our favourite was the ocean tunnel with massive stingrays, sharks and tropical fish, the whole family can wander through the tunnel and marvel at the different species of sharks, fish and turtles as they swim over head.

Another huge highlight for us was the tidal touch pool where we got up close with starfish, sea urchins and sea cucumbers, the kids just loved putting there hands in the water and getting to touch and feel what was below. They were totally fascinated by the sharks eggs and had heaps of questions which were answered by the Sealife staff who manned the touch pool, all of the staff we meet during our visit were well informed, very interesting and friendly and we learnt a lot and found heaps to keep us entertained for hours.

Penguin Playground completes the unforgettable experience where visitors can marvel as the majestic King and cheeky Gentoo Penguins slip and slide across the snow-covered ice. Piper found the penguins are very entertaining and she didn’t want to leave, she was just having too much fun watching them as they slipped and waddled around the ice.

Moving through the exhibits there are lots of interactive experiences to keep little to big kids informed and entertained.

If you find yourself in Melbourne I highly recommend you take a few hours and check it out for yourself.

Click Here for some Great savings on Tickets and Experiences

If you have any questions just let us know we love a chat,

Love Kerry and Miss Piper xoxo

 



We Road Test Holiday Inn Melbourne – Kids Glamp-In Package

Our favourite Melbourne hotel just keeps getting better and better!

Last week the kids slept rough or as rough as it gets for my jetsetters, road testing the Kids Glamp-In Package at Holiday Inn Melbourne and let’s just say it was a HUGE hit!

What you get:

Kids Glamp-In Package

  • A stay in one of the beautifuly newly refurbished rooms.
  • Accommodation in a room with 2 double size beds which can accommodate 2 adults and 2 children comfortably, with cots ‘free’ upon request.
  • Your very own glamp-in setup. Complete with a tee-pee, games for the whole family, pillows and blankets to make sure everyone is comfortable.
  • Buffet breakfast for 2 adults plus don’t forget that it’s the Holiday Inn brand promise that kids under 12 stay and eat free!
For more information see Holiday Inn Glam In
If you need more reasons to visit check out the new deal just released below.

 

Getaway and enjoy Melbourne

Book direct and save a guaranteed 25% for stays until 31st March 2018.

  • Save 15% or more on accommodation at Holiday Inn Melbourne on Flinders
  • IHG Rewards Club members save an EXTRA 10% with YOUR RATE. Not a member? Join now
  • Complimentary WiFi Internet for IHG Rewards Club Members. Free to Join!
  • Best Price Guarantee when you book direct. No booking fee, ever.
  • At Holiday Inn Kids under 12 Stay & Eat Free!
  • Sale ends 14 August 2017. Valid for stays from 1 August 2017 to 31 March 2018

For more information just click Here

Again we can never recommend Holiday Inn Melbourne highly enough, if you have any questions please feel free to ask away.

Love Kerry and Miss Piper xoxo



Melbourne’s LEGOLAND Discovery Centre

We recently had the opportunity to attend the Legoland Discovery Centre Melbourne we are BIG Lego fans having just been to Legoland in Malaysia so we were keen to test it out.

The Legoland Discovery Centre is the ultimate indoor Lego playground located in Chadstone Shopping centre which was a huge plus for me as I figured if I tired out the kids with lego, mumma would have a couple of hours to get her shop on in peace.

 

Plus our hot tip! 

If you’re planning a trip to the Legoland Discovery Centre or even the shop, you will notice that a lot of the workers there have nametags with minifigures attached to them. Just like Legoland Theme Parks, you’re allowed to initiate a minifigure trade with them! If you see a minifigure that you’d like, all you have to do is ask them to trade it with your own minifigure! This is a great fun activity that kids can do, especially if you have a lot of surplus or loose minifigures lying about at home, so be sure to bring a small bag of minifigures with you when you visit!

  

 

The opening hours are the same as the shopping centre, and you’ll need a ticket or an annual pass to enter the Discovery Centre.

Single tickets are $37.50 for adults and kids, although there are Concession Tickets priced at $27.50.

If you live in Melbourne and plan on visiting the Discovery Centre regularly, it might be more economical to buy an annual pass ($81 for individuals & $77 each for families which have a maximum cap of 2 adults) which grants you unlimited access to the centre all-year round.

Legoland Discovery Centre features two Lego rides, five themed Lego build and play zones, build classes from the Centre’s Master Model Builder, a 4D cinema, special party rooms for birthdays and other celebrations, Melbourne’s top landmarks recreated in LEGO® bricks in MINILAND, plus more.

It’s ideal for families with children aged 3-10 and took us about 3 hours to really see everything, this is the perfect place for the kids to let there imaginations run wild in a world of colour and creativity!

The centre is first discovery centre in southern hemisphere for Lego, joining a global network of Lego Discovery Centres, including nine in North America, four in Europe and two in Japan.

Not to be confused with traditional Legoland Theme Parks, Leogland Discovery Centres are essentially mini versions of LEGOLAND, usually containing a mix of indoor, outdoor and interactive attractions.

The multi-million dollar attraction is filled with more than 2 million Lego bricks and 13 family friendly attractions, making it the ultimate indoor LEGO playground.

 

 

Adults MUST be accompanied by a child (up to 17 years old) to visit the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre.

● Trading hours vary from 9.30am – 7pm

1341 Dandenong Road, Chadstone Shopping Centre  Chadstone Victoria Australia | View Map Link opens new page

*This post was written in collaboration with above mentioned attractions but, as always, opinions are honest and my own.



Melbourne: Crowne Plaza – Easy, Family Friendly Accommodation

 We recently spent a very enjoyable 3 days during our recent trip to Melbourne at the lovely Crowne Plaza. We were lucky enough to experience the Family Getaway package which included breakfast and tickets to the Melbourne SeaLife Aquarium.

IMG_6181IMG_6179

 

Crowne Plaza is great value in terms of quality of the room and location, it offers 4-star accommodation that is close to everything including the CBD, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, dining options and shops.

It’s such a convenient location for families with children as everything we wanted to see was just a quick trip by tram or foot, such a close walk to the CBD and located in the perfect part of the city to spend time discovering Melbourne’s Southbank. The free city circle trams made it so easy to get around and conveniently stopped opposite the Crown Plaza Melbourne.

crowne 4

We received a very warm greeting and all staff were very kind and attentive, the hotel rooms were well designed and comfortable they had nice décor and were functional with all the basic requirements well catered for.  The room was clean and spacious, plus the service both professional and friendly. The beds were very comfortable and we had a great view of the city.

crowne 1

We started our day with a sumptuous full buffet breakfast which was include in the family getaway package in the Clarendon Street Grill that over looks the iconic Yarra River. The kids loved the selection of hot dishes, pastries and even eggs made to order by the dedicated egg chef. We were very full and impressed with the high standard of food and service.

IMG_6171IMG_6166IMG_6168crowne 2

Then we were off to the Sealife Melbourne Aquarium. Situated right in the middle of the city, it is the perfect way to spend a pleasant few hours and we enjoyed the huge tank with massive stingrays, sharks and colourful tropical fish. The penguins are very entertaining and we enjoyed watching them as they were slipping, sliding and waddling. All of the staff we came across were well informed, very interesting and friendly and we learnt a lot during our visit and found heaps to keep us entertained for hours.

crowne 3  IMG_6100 (1)

Overall, the Crowne Plaza gave us  great service and accommodation that is worth passing on to fellow travellers.  The friendly staff make sure you have a truly memorable stay, so if you are heading to Melbourne for business, shopping trip, or a family getaway I highly recommend staying at the Crown Plaza, which is family friendly and relaxing. This hotel has everything you need when visiting a new city with a family.

If you have any questions on the hotel or traveling please feel free to drop us a line as we would love to chat.

 

Love Kerry and Miss Piper xoxo