Inverloch

My parents have a have a holiday house in Inverloch, about 2 hours drive from Melbourne. They bought it as an old ‘beach shack’ and have slowly renovated and added to it over time. It is really wonderful to have something like a holiday house to visit wth the kids because toys can be left there and we really can just throw some clothes and bathers in a bag and get away for a last minute holiday. I had planned on going later in the school holidays but the 28 day rain forecast was all doom and gloom so I joined my Mum and Dad for a mid-week trip away.

On Wednesday we had the most glorious weather. It was not only sunny but the wind was also warm (which was not the case for the remaining days). It is amazing how much entertainment the kids find just by being on the beach.

They dug in the sand.

 

They looked for creatures and shells in the rockpools.

 

We did a bit of science. What made these footprints?

 

 

They drew pictures in the sand.

We also went on the Screw Creek Nature walk and found the most awesome climbing tree.

And on the way home, we visited Coal Creek Historical Village. It is similar to Sovereign Hill but run by volunteers and entry is free. I recommend paying the $6 for the train ride and buying a couple of 50c bags of feed for the ducks. The food at the cafe is simple but delicious and well priced.

The Melbourne Aquarium

I am on school holidays at the moment. Because I teach at an independent school, I get three glorious weeks instead of the government two. Initially I’d wanted to use the first week off, when public school children are still locked away in classrooms, to visit those popular Melbourne attractions which become bedlam once the school holidays proper begin. Unfortunately I also wanted to get away to our family holiday house at Inverloch and the long range forecast indicated that it was now or never if I wanted the sunshine. So I booked in for an end of week trip to the holiday house and joined my brother and nephew at the Melbourne aquarium.

It is a great place to take the children, but it is an expensive day out for a family. If you live near enough that multiple visits in a year are a possibility, I’d recommend the annual pass as a more cost effective option. The kids did love it though. The first exciting prospect was the tram ride to the city, with the aquarium appearing in the distance after an exciting bridge crossing (my kids love bridges).

 

The aquarium website announced that they had ‘double the penguins’ for the school holidays which I found highly amusing as an advertising concept.

 

   

I love this next photo. The kids have motion blur because of the low light (and my failure to change the ISO) but I really feel like it captures their sense of wonder.