Life in Australia

  With the easing of covid19 restrictions, picking your own fruit has become even more popular. It’s best to check the farms Facebook page before heading out to visit just to make sure they still have fruit to pick and to check if the way they are operating has changed. 1 February Central Coast Sunflower Harvest Apples :   Shields Orchard Bilpin  (weekends 10am to 3pm, bookings required, no entry fee);  Pine Crest Orchard  (weekends 10am to 3pm, drop-in, no entry fee);  Bilpin Fruit Bowl  (weekends 10am to 4pm, drop-in, entry fee);   TNT Produce  (weekends 10am to 4pm, drop-in, entry fee);  Bilpin Spring Orchards  (weekends 7am to 1pm, drop-in, minimum spend of $5 per adult) Glenbernie Orchard  (set times, bookings required, entry fee) Blueberries:   Canoelands Orchard  (set times – 6th Feb, bookings required, entry fee) Pears :   Pine Crest Orchard  (weekends, drop-in, no entry fee) Plums :   Pine Crest Orchard  (weekends, drop-in, no entry fee);  Canoelands Orchard  (set times – 6th

Strawberry fields forever....or in this case, a delicious ceiling of ruby lookalikes. Berrylicious Strawberries is the only dedicated strawberry farm near Sydney where you pick your own. And we're super excited that their spring strawberry picking season has started. BOOKINGS are ESSENTIAL. Well this is such a special experience! Aside from learning about where our food comes from and all you can eat strawberries, the hanging strawberry plants are a gorgeous (and delicious) sight! Definitely not what I was expecting when we first headed off to pick our own strawberries at Berrylicious Strawberries back in January 2018. Berrylicious Strawberries is the only dedicated strawberry picking farm near Sydney. Summer is peak strawberry picking season, but they also have some picking sessions in spring and autumn. BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL. The Berrylicious Strawberries farm is in Thirlmere, near Picton. It takes us about an hour to get there from Rydalmere. We love making a day of our visit,

  Playgroup NSW Play Van | City Of Parramatta DREAMS do come true!!! City of Parramatta now has it’s very own mobile playgroup van thanks to Playgroup NSW and a Stronger Communities Grant. The Play Van visits (the same) 5 parks each week during school term from 10am to 12pm (in the cooler months). What a fantastic way to enjoy some sunshine, fresh air and fun activities with your little ones, while meeting other local families! Make sure to bring a drink, hat and fruit for your child. In case of wet weather, staff will attend to provide take home packs. The play van will visit the following parks in term 3, 2020. Due to covid19, there are restrictions on how many families can attend. All adults and children require a ticket each, which you can get by emailing  ps.parramatta@playgroupnsw.org.au . Click the park name for more information. MONDAY –  Sturt Park , Telopea TUESDAY –  Sherwin Park , North Parramatta WEDNESDAY –  Rosella Park , Harris Park THURSDAY –  McCoy Park , Toongabbie F

We are so lucky to be blessed with so much warm weather, and so many fun ways to cool off! Apart from our  beautiful beaches , there are fantastic local playgrounds with water features dotted around Sydney for more  FREE  fun in the sun. Here are our top picks of fountains, splash pools and fun sprinklers your kids will love: 1. The Playground, Darling Quarter The innovative waterplay area at Darling Quarter is a treasure trove of fountains, streams and pumps. For adventure in and out of the water, the huge children's play area at  Darling Quarter Playground  is an absolute must! Surrounded by the hustle and bustle of Darling Harbour, this impressive play space is a kids oasis, right in the city. The vibrant playground is a wonderland of balance ropes, giant swings, a jumbo ring, a big slide and slide hill, a flying fox, an octonet and sand pits with diggers. After tackling that terrain the kids will need to cool down, and the fabulous ‘Water Works’ aquatic play area is the place t