School holidays just started this week for all the NSW peeps, so what does everybody have lined up? Shoot me ideas because I need this keep my tribe sane these next two weeks!
I think I got a bit too excited and used my trump card too early since I've already taken the kids to the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium on the very first day of the holidays haha. If you are looking for something to do in our CBD (or your kids are Angry Birds fans) then I highly recommend checking out the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium and the 'BIRD ISLAND ACADEMY' they've got on for the school holidays!
At the Sea Life Sydney Aquarium there's plenty of seating areas and a great cafe for you to have a pit stop at! Oh did I mention that as a Merlin Annual Pass Holder, you also get 20% off food and beverages. Hello coffee! Yes, I'm officially a coffee drinker now haha.
If you're anything like me and the thought of taking 4 kids on public transport feels like something straight out of a horror movie; then rest assured that there are a few parking lots located nearby that are eligible for discounted parking rates:
100 Murray Street (Harbourside) Car Park
Citipark Car Park
Darling Park Car Park
Darling Quarter Car Park
383 Kent Street Car Park
321 Kent Street Car Park
Darling Square Car Park
Just make sure you get your parking ticket validated when you go through the gift store, I parked at Harbour Side Car Park and I think my parking was $17 all day!
The girls as usual, had an amazing time at Sea Life. We've obviously been a few times already but they seem to get more interested each time, always learning something new and fun. They were a bit scared of the shark area at first too, but singing Baby Shark a few times has helped made the experience a bit more fun ;)
So this time around we actually planned for TWO different venues; we were hoping to go to Madame Tussauds Sydney as well and we actually made it this time! It was our first time visiting the Sydney one and when I think about the time Andy and I went to the one in LA; this one gave off such a similar vibe. To be honest, I was a little bummed out that Andy couldn't experience it with the kids, but I', sure there's always a next time.
The girls had an absolute cracker of a time, they really enjoyed taking photos and pretending to interact with all the people, characters & props! I'm pretty sure their highlight was the superhero themed area where they had free glow in the dark face painting and cape making activities - perfect for kids AND parents!
So you are wondering "How the hell did this woman travel to the city and take out all 4 kids" yet? Well I ain't gonna sugar coat it: it was a MISSION. But... it honestly wasn't too bad. I had help from my mother (obviously) but of course it was still tiring none the less - especially that drive hoooooomeeeeeee.
My tips for a visit during the school holidays are:
Try to go as early as possible to avoid as much of the rush as you can
Pack lots of snacks & water for the kids
If you're planning to go to a few attractions consider bringing a light weight stroller(s) to help carry the kids, bags, food etc.
With the Merlin group constantly making cool events like this happen during the school holidays, you should definitely consider checking out the Merlin Annual Pass. We've been using this non-stop throughout the year and it has saved us so much money! You get unlimited entry passes for 365 days at 10 TOP attractions such as:
SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium
WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo
Madame Tussauds Sydney
Sydney Tower Eye
Illawarra Fly Treetop Adventures
SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium
LEGOLAND Discovery Centre
Otway Fly Treetop Adventures
SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast
Kelly Tarlton's SEA LIFE Aquarium)
... all for just $99 per person (for families) or $129 for individuals. It's such good value if you have a family? Having the pass also means you don't need to line up to get tickets and can go straight through the queue when entering! Click here for more info: https://www.merlinannualpass.com.au/compare-passes/new-passes