I know there was a posting about things to do around Adelaide not so long ago but this time I wondered about things for the family day outs.

I have a 3 and 5 year old darlings!!!! :lol: who love, no sorry, who need to get out and about and kept very very very busy. :bouncing smiles:

Over here we have huge play centres and I wondered if they have anything like that out there (the sort which are huge soft play things that have loads of tunnels and slides to clamber all over)

Sasha :thumbs up:

There is a couple about the place, but they're not as well developed as in the uk. I seem to remember most of the ones there were attached to pubs and restaurants, whereas here they are basically "stand alone", although there is usually a cafe type thing to get coffee etc.
There are quite a few adventure playgrounds which are quite good.....Noarlunga and St Kilda spring immediately to mind, however, they are not particularly soft and spongy.
One thing you will notice here is that kids are generally treated.....erm how do I put this.....with less "cotton wool" than in the UK.....let me explain what I mean.....................
When my daughter started kindy in the uk, she would play with plastic tool sets, banging little toy hammers etc. Here, when she began kindy, she was using real hammers, banging real nails into big pieces of wood. Kids seem to be exposed to more "risky" activities (not meaning that in a negative way)

Anyone else found this?

Andy

Yes I have Andy
Was really surprised when Jack started kindy that there he was making lovely creations from real nail and real wood. Was a bit startled but then when I saw how much Jack loved it and it has taught him to be careful as well.
Rach :D

So when Zak was four this is where he got the idea of building a brick wall!!. Now i know. They start them young in Adelaide!!

The beach has plenty of room and its soft.
If the kids are being an absolute pain try the Heysen Tunnels!!
Hundreds of parks with the slides, tunnels and BBQ's
The Zoo
Cleland Wildlife park
Victor Harbour
Adelaide aquatic centre
The list goes on and on :medium smiley:

LOL I can just imagine my 2, hitting lumps out of each other! :o

It is a good idea as kids do love to copy you. If I'm cooking they love to help, if hubbie is weeding the garden they have to help (if you can call it that, usually the weeds are left in and the flowers are pulled out - much to the annoyance of my hubbie!)

What attractions are really suitable for kids around Adelaide? I've seen there is a zoo (which now has a baby gibbon aawww) and a science place, has anyone been to these and how did they find it?

Sasha :)

Must admit dont know how my older children will cope without Thorpe park and Chessington I think Melbourne has theme parks so it would be nice to have weekends away is it far by train?

Apparently it's 703 km....approx driving time between 8 and 11 hours.

By rail it looks as if it takes about 10 hours - and train goes there 4 times a week.
I will post a useful site in 'links' so that you can have a look. You will need to click on 'The Overland' for Adelaide to Melbourne.

Anne XX :thumbs up:

Thanks Annie

Looks like we ll need longer than a weekend then I thought it was about five hours away, still , it will be another adventure getting there. Did I read somewhere that there is a skating rink in Adelaide city centre that would be cool for the older kids must admit we have been taking the kids out to places in London just to cram it all in before we go when you live here you dont go out and do the touristy bits their auntie took them on the London eye last week and just walked around sightseeing the highlight of the day was the burberry shop typical teens.

Thanks again Annie will check out the link.

I've just done a search and found the Snowdome in Adelaide.....and that looks great fun. I will put the link on ......I actually think there may be others.

Anne XX :cool shake:

i would fly to Melbourne if I were you......fairly cheap, and takes about an hour

Andy

Does anybody know if there are any fun pools. The kind with water slides, big rubber ring thingys, waves (Ok, i know you can get waves at the beach!! :D ).

Sally

My daughter went on a school trip to Greenhills, near Victor Harbour which is about an hour and a half drive south of Adelaide. There were water slides and rides and she had a great time there.

http://www.greenhills.com.au/MainFrameSet.htm

Elaine

Hi, I am still in England, so I am only going by what I read in the adelaide secrets brochure from the tourist centre.
But .... there is a adelaide aquatic centre which says that have toys and slides, water features and fountains in their pool etc. It says it is only minutes from the heart of the city, but doesn't give an actual address, but website is:

www.adelaideaquaticcentre.com.au


Hope this is of some help. Can't wait to come and try it out! :dance:

Natasha x

I have the same brochure, it is full of loads of various information and has brilliant list of website addresses, I have found it very useful. :thumbs up:

I was just a bit worried as I've seen my town on the web and they make it look wonderful (whereas it is just a huge housing estate and a lot of pubs and clubs) so I wondered what the places were like in reality. If you know what I mean? :loopy:

I have often found that where the tourists go and where the locals go are completely two different things. The tourist would cram on a beach whereas the locals would go to a smaller much prettier cove which was very hard to find. Is there any little places that you have come across like that from recommendations rather than in brochures? :ph43r:

Sasha :)

Go on tell us the secrets - we won't tell and I'm sure no-one else will find out! :D :ph43r:

well, actually, there is a great cove just a few miles above Adelaide heading north west where a local hot spring empties into the Ocean, making the sands there pure white.
The temps of the water are a constant 81 degrees in the old scale . . . about like a warm bath . . .summer and winter, and there is a micro-eco system that is nowhere else in the world.
The multi coloured fish varying in size, and particularly used to people nowadays, since it was made illegal to eat them in 1972, actually come and eat bread out of your hand if you offer any.
The hot springs over the millenia have added a salt crystal formation to the underwater sand dunes in the Ocean a couple of hundred yards out and the swimmers reckon that it's hard to distinguish this from the Coral Reef off the Queensland coast . . . all pinks and oranges and mauves . . . except that there are no jellyfish here to sting anyone.
Further up the coast a few hundred yards is the regular Ocean without anything particular of imporance to note.

Hi Snappy,
I have been to two indoor play areas so far,neither as big or impressive as those I'd visited in the U.K.
-Hocus Pocus- Elaine told me about this one,it's hidden away upstairs in the Marion shopping centre. Quite small and dirty/worn out by Aussie standards, but gave me a welcome breather from my little darlings! Food good. Cheap entry. No time limit
-Wiggly Worms- Walking distance from Glenelg.Newer and more impressive with huge slides and a bouncy castle,but not taking up much floor space(layout similar to the one in Essex off A127) than HP, but expensive. Food quality poor. Dont think there's a time limit.

-Fun and Play- Again in Glenelg. Will report back after I visit next week!!

Jan :bouncing smiles:

Hi
Really good to meet you the other week at Glenelg - just wondering where is this place you are describing as it sounds amazing...
Hope to see you at a future 'beer meeting'
Rod

hi, laura here!!!
thought you may like to know we had a lovely day out yesterday at port adelaide, fishermans quay, if you go on a sunday or public holiday there is an indoor market/second hand/gifty sort of place, it was huge and had cheap stuff for sale, we then went on a 1 and half hour dolphin sightseeing cruise for $2.50 each, and guess what we saw dolphins! it was lovely seeing them, and what a bargain, you can get food on the boat and it was licensed, got a bit burnt though, those sea breezes are decieving!!
also lots of places to eat!
if i find any other places i'll let you know!

laura :bouncing smiles:

QUOTE! [great cove just a few miles above Adelaide heading north west where a local hot spring empties into the Ocean, making the sands there pure white]

SOUNDS GORGE!!!!! any more info on the whereabouts this certainly goes high on the 'things to do when we finally get there' list! :yeehah:

we went to visit gorge wildlife park in cudlee creek on christmas eve, there are lots of animals to see like crocodiles and there is a walk in enclosure where you can stroke a llama a baby and mother dear and there is walk through wallaby and kangaroo enclosure. But the best bit... you can hold a koala! i don't know about you but i thought that was amazing! the koala holding times are 11:30 am 1:30 pm and 3:30 pm i put this on a different post aswell by accident but it's a great place to go! my brothers are 5, 7, and 8 and they all loved it aswell as me my mum and dad!!

[QUOTE][great cove just a few miles above Adelaide heading north west where a local hot spring empties into the Ocean, making the sands there pure white]

Did we ever find out where this is? My parents are coming over for a visit and this sounds a lovely place to take them!

Diane

No I dont think so. :(

How strange read through this wondering if we had been infiltrated again, as Sasha sounded so different - very old thread there Delboy.

Family things hmmm .. must admit to not having done anything yet these school hols (in Adelaide) - since we got back from our holiday have been so shattered and broke we have stayed close to the pool!

As Jan has said there is Wiggly Worms and Hocus Pocus for soft play.

Swimming - we find Marion swim centre great and really good value, there are a few others Burnside, one near Tea Tree Plaza (can't remember exactly where)and I am sure others - but Marion has a water slide. Just a personal thing but I am not too keen on the aquatic centre. The new beach house at Glenelg looks very impressive - I am sure my two would love it - but way out of my pockets reach!

Glenelg is a good place to spend the day, livelier beach, loads of eateries - the new jet fountains will keep kids entertained for ages whilst you get to eat in peace, buskers to watch and the bay discovery centre is very well done.

We like the gorge wildlife park as it is more friendly than some of the others.

Take a picnic and got to any of the local beaches, they are great and free, we are really lucky compared to some of the other cities! Lots of parks near the beaches with free bbqs - take an esky ... Silver sands at Aldinga is really nice.

Haven't been to Greenhills, some seem to love it but have heard mixed reports, ditto Puzzle Park at Murray Bridge.

The Brickworks (I think on Port Road - but could be top of South Road either!) have go-karts and pony rides etc as well as a big market on Sundays (I think), bit tatty but cheap and the kids don't care.

The dolphin cruises are good up at Port Adelaide.

I love the museums and could spend a day on North Terrace - in the holidays and on Sundays there are extra kids events put on, treasure hunts etc. Although now we hae been here a while they are getting repetative - obviously some lack of imagination going on at some places! The bug man is really good in the SA museum but only does certain days - I think it might be weekends.

St Kilda has a great playground for kids - especially bigger kids and there is a really good mangrove walk too - the tram museum is a really good one too if you are into trams (I was dragged along), a place you can easily spend a day - take a picnic though food is ahem limited!

Victor Harbor is still nice even if you have been a few times, the sausage man near the whale fountain is always a hit with my two - nice bloke ex pom. Like the walk around granite island, quite a nice play area there too - with a real train.

No sciencey place that I know of - we have visiting exhibitions on and off though.

Bike ride along the Torrens from Henley Beach way - loads of play stops, bbqs and water fountains. Similar along the old railway line from Reynella and flat too.

Haven't been up to the snow dome and not sure I know anyone that has - is it still open?

Family day outs are very different here to what you wuld do in the UK - they usual involve an esky and outdoors, there is far less provided entertainment - theme parks etc. Lots to do though if you look for it.

That cove sounds good though - will have to do some investigating!

Nikki
xx

Yeah sorry about that Nikki :D
Was just looking for something to do with the kids tomorrow.
Thanks for the write up on things to do.
May well give Gorge wildlife a go or Dundee's or might even try puzzle park.
But I think you're right I can remember a bad write up on Puzzle park aaages ago.
It may have changed,, any one been there lately ??

Thought I would do an update as we actually went this week. This is just my personal opinion.

We went because my daughter was invited to a birthday party there - they got a special deal $25 of credits for $20.

Basically what you see from the outside is what there is - there are 3 water slides but no pool (which I had thought there was) - they just flow into trough like things - they are $2 a go. There are dodgem cars $5 a go. A water boat dodgems type thing that shoot water $5 a go - a very basic mini golf $8 a go. A carousel - didn't see the price for that. A soft play area that I was told was $8. A very small train on a track - $4. and then it is full of the kind of arcade machines and games that I have spent years telling the kids are a rip off! Food was priced ok - hot dogs and chips and some nice rolls. The place was packed with kids running everywhere, the lady who gave the party said she wouldn't do it again - as she couldn't watch the kids and there was no where that they could base themselves together, she had trouble rounding enough up to do the cake!

Definitely not our type of thing - even after repeatedly warning my daughter about the games and to go on the slides first, she still used up all her credits and was upset she only got one slide. Son was more sensible and went on the rides but even he said there wasn't much to do. Could have been done much better in my opinion.

As I said, only my opinion!! There is no charge to go in and walk around, so feel free to check it out yourselves.

Vince -- Did you go to puzzle park - what did you think?

Nikki
xx

Thanks for that write up Nikki.
Inclined to agree pretty over priced.

No didn't go into Puzzle park I'm sure I can remember a thread on here a couple of years ago saying it was a bit run down.(maybe its changed now)
you can see part of it through the fence and TBH it didn't look that great.

Still think we will try it though when we have a bit of time and cash on the hip.
;)

The ice rink at the snow dome is definitely open - been there a few times and great for hot days.

Also, we spent yesterday in that lovely rain walking up to see the waterfalls at Morialta - love that place and a good time to go at the moment with a bit more water than is normal for this time of year. Path up to third falls a bit dodgy in places though since last years floods!

D

[QUOTE=sunny_samantha,Sep 30 2004, 10:48 PM][QUOTE=bob and ginnie,Sep 9 2004, 06:58 PM] well, actually, there is a great cove just a few miles above Adelaide heading north west where a local hot spring empties into the Ocean, making the sands there pure white.
The temps of the water are a constant 81 degrees in the old scale . . . about like a warm bath . . .summer and winter, and there is a micro-eco system that is nowhere else in the world.
The multi coloured fish varying in size, and particularly used to people nowadays, since it was made illegal to eat them in 1972, actually come and eat bread out of your hand if you offer any.
The hot springs over the millenia have added a salt crystal formation to the underwater sand dunes in the Ocean a couple of hundred yards out and the swimmers reckon that it's hard to distinguish this from the Coral Reef off the Queensland coast . . . all pinks and oranges and mauves . . . except that there are no jellyfish here to sting anyone.
Further up the coast a few hundred yards is the regular Ocean without anything particular of imporance to note. [/QUOTE]
Hi
Really good to meet you the other week at Glenelg - just wondering where is this place you are describing as it sounds amazing...
Hope to see you at a future 'beer meeting'
Rod[/QUOTE]
hi new to site and to Adelaide but have heard of a fairy tale land with childerns fairy tales built to kids size ie:hansel and gretals fairytale house has anyone else heard of this and would anyone no where this is[QUOTE][/QUOTE][/QUOTE]