Where is it: Heaps of different zoos What’s it all about: A fundraising fun run to raise money and awareness for wildlife conservation projects. How can I join in: Have a look out for the next Zoo Run at your closest zoo! Tell me more: The Zoo Run is a really fun fundraising event. You can register for a 5 or 2 km fun run and all of the registration fee goes to the wildlife conservation. We went along to the run at Sea World at the Gold Coast, and it was heaps of fun! The run takes you through the whole park well before opening time, and for the cost of registration you get full access to the park, including 1 hour exclusive for the Zoo runners! The run itself was really nice - running through the park past all the attractions, so it was really good for us first-timers to Sea World as it gave us a good understanding of the park! We got to run past the Creatures from the Deep exhibit - some giant animatronic sea monsters - some real and some not so real, but the kids were not too sure about them and didn't want to get too close! The track also took us past the ray tank, the sharks, dolphins and seals! We got a pretty good look at all of Sea World before we had even started - it was almost disappointing when we made it to the finish line, it certainly was a fun run! There were heaps of great costumes too - our little Crabby Fish team even managed to pick up a prize (thanks Zoo Run and Ginger Sports!)! We eventually recovered from our 2 km run (our team did more walking than running) and then we had a full day of fun at Sea World - this was a really great event and for a great cause as well, we will certainly be back again for more Zoo Runs in the future! Contact: www.zoorun.com.au Our day at Sea World after the Zoo Run:
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The Gold Coast is one of Australia's most loved tourism spots. It has fantastic beaches, great theme-parks and attractions and an awesome atmosphere to boot, so there is shortage of visitors to this great area. As Brisbanites, we think that we are really lucky to have the Gold Coast on our doorstep! But we are all about exploring. We like to seek out and experience the things that are not always so obvious from the well-advertised attractions. That's not to say that Hinze Dam is not well known around the area, it's just that it's probably not the first place that comes to mind when you think of the Gold Coast. About an hour’s drive south of Brisbane will get you to the Gold Coast suburb of Advancetown, where Advancetown Lake and Hinze Dam (the dam is the wall that holds the water back, creating the lake) is situated. From the Gold Coast it's perhaps a half hour drive to the west. It's the main water supply for the Gold Coast and as the Gold Coast has grown, so has Hinze Dam. It recently went through a major upgrade which was completed in 2010, so the facilities are nice and modern. The drive down from Brisbane is generally quite easy, however as many commuters know, pick the wrong time - perhaps on a Saturday morning through summer, or through the week in the afternoon heading south - and you could be in for a long journey. Once you arrive at Hinze Dam, you will find 3 main stopping points - up on top of the dam wall, a carpark with viewing area of the spillway, and further down there is a park, playground and barbeques. We started on top of the dam wall. Up there, there is an information centre and a little cafe which has some beautiful views out across the lake. It's open over the typical hours but best to check out their website prior to heading there if your main intent is to sit down at the cafe. I imagine that it might be reasonably popular through the warmer months too, and even more so if the water is spilling! The information centre is a great spot which provides some good information on being water-wise, as well as the history and engineering behind the dam. Up on top of the wall you can walk out across the spillway which I would think most provide some amazing views when the water is spilling! The engineering behind the dam is pretty amazing to consider when you walk out there! There is also a nice park land up on top as well. While there's no playground, the kids had a great time just running around on the grass. There are concrete paths running through the area as well, so pram access would not be a problem. After a bit of a run around (we must have easily spent an hour up there!), we headed on down to see the spillway. There is a carpark and viewing platform and from here you can get a real sense of the scale of the dam - it really is impressive! There was no spill or flow when we were there but it must be quite impressive when it is flowing! Still, it's worthy of a quick stop off to check it out. The carpark is really close to the viewing platform as well. Our final stop on our little sightseeing tour of Hinze Dam took us right down the bottom of the dam wall where we found a nice shaded playground, barbeque area, amenities and tables and chairs. The playground was a welcome sight for our boys who at 5 and 3 can only take so much sightseeing in one day. We relaxed in some pleasant surroundings, cooked up a few snags and enjoyed the tranquil setting while the boys played. The whole area is in a semi-rural setting so even though we were only minutes away from the Gold Coast suburbs, it felt like we were a world away. Nice and quiet - no traffic noise and a bit of wildlife (birds and lizards) made us feel like we were out in the bush somewhere! All in all, we had a really enjoyable half - day out at Hinze Dam. The facilities are well considered and modern due to the recent upgrade. There are limited options for food, however the café is really nice for those not wanting to pack a picnic or barbeque. The only thing that may be a bit of a deterrent for visitors is that swimming is not permitted in Advancetown Lake. It might be a little difficult on a hot summer's day to explain to you little ones that they can't go in the water when there is so much around! But for us, the impressive views of the water, parks and structures, along with the barbeque area and playground provided us with enough enjoyment to ensure that we will be back for another visit sometime - maybe next time the spillway is flowing! Amenities: Toilets and (lots of) drinking water available! 👍👍👍 Cost: Completely free unless you visit the nice little café! 👍👍👍👍 Parking: Lots of parking - it may get busy when the spillway is flowing! 👍👍👍 Access: Most areas are pram friendly! Due to the scale of the dam you will need a car to get there and get around! 👍👍👍 Entertainment: The information centre is worth a visit! Some impressive views and a great little playground! 👍👍 Best for: Maybe the adults will get more out of this one! 👍👍 Wildlife: Some birds and lizards around the picnic area - maybe some kangaroos around sunrise / sunset? 👍👍👍 Summary: If you are looking for something a little bit different to do at the Gold Coast we can really recommend a visit to Hinze Dam. It's maybe a bit better suited for the adults but our little ones didn't seem to mind and were suitably impressed with some of the structure! The little playground should tip this one in the favourable balance! 👍👍👍 Hints: Expect it to be reasonably busy when the spillway is flowing! Do an internet search for 'Cedar Creek Brisbane' and you will find two different Cedar Creeks - one in the Samford Valley area north west of Brisbane, and the other to the south of Beenleigh, near Mt Tamborine (there may even be other Cedar Creeks out there that we haven't found yet!). From the search, both would seem equally inviting and interesting to explore and so it was essentially a coin-toss moment for us to decide which one we went to. For this expedition we decided to visit the southern Cedar Creek. We knew from the fact that this creek is at Tamborine - which we know is a beautiful spot - that we would be in for a treat! About an hour's drive south of Brisbane and up some really nice, winding roads - just through the village of Tamborine - you will find Cedar Creek Falls, part of the Tamborine National Park. Along Tamborine Mountain Road you will need to turn off into Cedar Creek Falls Road to get to the falls area. There is a fully sealed access road and car park right next to the picnic area. We arrived reasonably early, around 8:30am and had no troubles finding a park, however the parking spaces are limited and it did fill up quite quickly. The parking area is close to residential properties so there are signs to advise to keep noise to a minimum. There is also a gate which restricts access after dark. There are toilets at the car park area and as I am sure all parents understand, it is best to make use of these before heading off as there are no other toilets along the way. The car park leads directly into the picnic area which has lots of open grassed area, tables and chairs and barbeques. A path runs through the picnic area through to the track to the falls. Along the track to the falls there is a lookout with some impressive views and is a great vantage point for photos. You can get to the lookout with a pram without any trouble. The falls themselves are at the end of a moderate walk further along the path and down some stairs (I think around 35 stairs in total?). The total walk time from the picnic area is about 15 minutes. The path is in good condition, however you should note that the stairs to get down to the falls pretty much rules prams out past the first lookout. We did see one family carry there pram down, but seriously, I really doubt that it is worth the trouble. As with any little trek away from your car with kids, you will need to be a little prepared. In this case, it is simply not convenient to race back to the car or the toilet. We packed as light as we could, which meant towels, water, sunscreen, nappy change, hats and some snacks. We also like to take insect repellent wherever we go just to be safe, although we didn't have any real trouble with insects on this visit. Once you get down to the falls and waterholes, you will need to leave the path if you want to get your feet wet. The access is rocky and reasonably steep and definitely not for everyone - you really do need to take a bit of care in getting down, especially with kids. Once you are down at the water there is a good mix of shallow areas, deep waterholes and cascading water - you will need to keep a close eye on the little kids but there are some definite areas where they can get in the water and explore! Be aware that there can be restrictions on access to the water - check with National Parks prior to setting off on your adventure! We visited on a warm day and this area’s popularity showed - the number of people coming down for a swim really picked up as the temperature increased, and who could blame them! The water is nice and cool and its a great spot to visit! On the downside, this really is a beautiful and scenic area, so it was a little disappointing that when we visited there was a bit of rubbish around the swimming holes - I really don't know why can't people take their rubbish away with them? The little kids didn't seem to notice, and it wasn't to the point that it felt unhygienic or unsafe (we didn't see any broken glass), but it was noticeable compared to other parks we have visited. Some Specifics: Amenities: Toilets and picnic area with tables at the car park area, nothing down at the falls 👍👍👍 Cost: No entrance fee so only transport costs and your picnic! 👍👍👍👍 Parking: As it is a very popular spot, parking could be challenging on a nice summer's day - you will need to get in early! 👍👍 Access: The access is good, the track well sealed and handrails along the way. You can take a pram to the lookout, but not down to the falls due to the stairs. 👍👍👍 Entertainment: The falls are really nice to look at, great waterholes and a nice grassy picnic area as well! 👍👍👍👍 Best for: A bit much for toddlers 👍👍, but for bigger kids 👍👍👍👍 Wildlife: Nothing much to report here, some kookaburras around the picnic area and some lizards on the track, but then again we weren’t looking too hard! 👍👍 Summary: This is a really picturesque area, however might be a bit of a challenge for some if your aim is to get into the water. Definitely worth a visit and certainly more attractive for older kids! With our little kids we give it 3 thumbs up 👍👍👍 Hints: Make the most of your visit by checking out some of Tamborine's other attractions! Where is it: Various locations What's it all about: It's an Obstacle Course Race (OCR - like a cross country with some army-style obstacles thrown in!) that’s primary purpose is to drive you to the satisfaction of completing a gruelling race. It's also heaps of fun and rewarding too! How can I join in: There are a few races on throughout the year, of varying lengths / difficulties and various locations. Check out Spartan Race's website for the next one in your area! Tell me more: Spartan Races are designed to be a little bit intimidating. Not to try to scare you off, but so that the satisfaction of completing the race is more rewarding! They have a few different races ranging from about 6kms through to 42km (not much chance of us getting through that one!). They also have a Spartan Kids race which is more our pace - it's about 1.5 - 2km and kids as young as 3 can join in! We tried to keep up with our boys as they tackled this one! The kid's race attracts the same attention as the senior races which really gets the kids into the zone - they start off with the Spartan war-cry and head off in waves (oldest kids starting first) so that they can spread out a bit! There are plenty of obstacles spread out along the course - climbing over walls and through tunnels, carrying sand bags and medicine balls, under nets and through water traps - so much fun for the little kids (and the parents running with them!)! There's even a giant slip and slide which is great fun even in the cooler weather! Heaps of the senior race finishers are spread out along the course to help out and encourage the little ones to keep pushing - the kids love it! Upon reaching the finish line, all the races receive their finishing medal and become part of the Spartan family! We’ve been along to both bush and stadium Spartan races, and they are both really fun! The stadium race was held at Lang Park (Suncorp Stadium) and although the layout and structure of the race was quite different, it was really challenging, rewarding and fun (although it was a bit hot)! The kids really enjoyed this race and while the obstacle were similar, and running on flat ground made a difference! But probably the most exciting thing was to be able to run out onto Lang Park! A fun race and really handy being so close to home. Peak Crossing is a really nice bush setting for the bush race. It's very popular, but there's heaps of room for parking and at the venue to settle down after the race and have a little picnic and watch the other racers - they have waves running all day so there are runners in various stages of their Spartan experience. It's a really fun and friendly atmosphere with music and activities wherever you go. There are small shops for merchandise, coffee or food, change rooms and lockers and all the facilities that you might need for the day. You can even camp there if you don't want an early drive - great for those first waves! They even have a giant inflatable Spartan course for the kids (just like a big jumping castle!) – our little guys loved this, but we couldn't understand where our boys were getting their energy from after finishing their race - we couldn't get them off this one! Overall, a really great event and day out. The atmosphere is very friendly and there are heaps of Spartan families! Aroo! Contact: spartanrace.com.au Suncorp StadiumPeak CrossingSuncorp Stadium |
AuthorBrisbane Family Explorers Archives
October 2023
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