Sea World, Gold Coast, Qld

Sea World was at the top of our list when we chose to go to the Gold Coast, mainly it was to keep our 6 year old daughter happy as she was a bit sad at finishing up at her school in Darwin.  It appeared a bit older looking than Movie World but very tidy and well maintained.  We didn't get to the Dolphin Show but we did see the Sea Lion show which was so entertaining for both young and old.  Make sure you get a program before you go so that you can plan your day better than we did.  You would probably be best suited to do it over two days if you have little ones.  The girls loved the Dora Show and the kiddie rides.  When we first arrived we didn't know where to start so we took the sky rail to get a birds eye view of where everything is.  Word of warning, bring your own food!  Unlike Movie World the food here is pizza, burgers and hot chips and it isn't all that flash either and you pay a premium!  I chose a wrap and that wasn't too bad but if you are even slightly health conscious I'd bring your own.  The Sponge Bob show was good what we could see of it, we were one minute past starting time and they block off the road so you can't get to the stand which was frustrating but they have to so that the floats have somewhere to turn around.  I know people go on about how sad it is for the animals but the trainers here show a real love and passion for the animals and for what I could see the animals looked happy.  You can pay for a glass boat viewing of the aquarium but I wouldn't as you get a better view from walking around and going downstairs to view it from the glass windows.  A good day, but movie world was my favourite.

Movie World, Gold Coast Qld

We ended up buying a VIP pass while we were staying at Gold Coast Holiday Park as it gave us the best value as it included 1 year entry to Movie World, Sea World and Wet n Wild.  We didn't end up visiting Wet n Wild as we have two little ones and most of the slides etc. are for bigger kids.  I had always thought Sea World was the pinnacle but I was wrong, my whole family loved Movie World!  What an atmosphere.  The music, the characters and breakout shows are fantastic.  The stunt show was fantastic!  I have 4 and 6 year old girls and they loved the rides and having their photos taken with bugs bunny, Sylvester the cat and tweety just to name a few.  Batman was the best character!  We only had time for one ride on the way out for the big kids in the family and I chose the Green Lantern, which was loads of fun.  The food here was really well done.  We ordered food from the bakery and sat on the turf to eat it, was really yummy, healthy and good prices.

Gold Coast Holiday Park, Helensvale Qld

We stayed at Gold Coast Holiday Park for two weeks.  The park is very tidy, staff are friendly at reception, the pool is gorgeous, especially at night, it changes colour, is heated, there is a water slide, it's very clean and has fire torches automatically lit at night, they have spent a lot of money on this pool area and it shows.  The café staff are top notch super friendly, make great cocktails, coffees and the food is reasonably priced, ample serves and spot on.  It is pet friendly, you can even take your pooch to the café!  The bathrooms are to die for!  The entrance area has an amazing fish tank, my girls used to ask to go see them, getting them to shower was not a problem.  There is also a family room with a bath tub, which is great to be able to sit the kids in the bath.  There is also a jumping pillow and petting zoo.  If you have older kids they would love the bmx tracks!  You can hire go carts and as it's the closest holiday park to the theme parks you can get your tickets from reception so you don't have the hassle of sorting it out at the gate.  The managers are the best I have seen yet in a holiday park, they are always visible, checking that everything is in order, making pancakes on the weekend (free), cooking sausages for the sausage sizzle which is also free!  Definitely one of the better parks we have stayed at, you can see why they have won so many awards.  The cabins look to die for!

Dalby Tourist Park, Dalby Qld

Dalby really impressed me.  We only stayed overnight but the town was really inviting and if you have the time I highly recommend spending the day having a walk around as it was quite big compared to what I was expecting.  We stayed at Dalby Tourist Park which was a relatively small park on the river.  It was clean, they have a free sausage sizzle on a Thursday night and we were treated to a live performance around the campfire.  You can't ask for much more than that.

Mitchell Hot Springs, Qld

Small little town which we stayed overnight at Major Mitchell Caravan Park which was very friendly, tidy and they have a open pit which they light the most fantastic bonfire which brings everyone together, it was so freezing but sitting around this was great, took the cold away.  It is worthwhile going to Mitchell just for the hot springs alone.  Just a short walk over the bridge (from the Major Mitchell Caravan Park) back into town will see you at the hot springs.  Apparently the town was struggling until they built these hot springs which pumps water in from the Great Artesian Basin.  One pool is cooler than the other but we chose to stay in the warm one.  Makes your skin feel really good.  You can get a day pass and come and go as you please.  Highly recommend.

Fire Pit at Major Mitchell Caravan Park.  Made the cold more bearable.

Tambo, Qld

Stayed two nights in Tambo at The Mill motel & van park which was nice with big spacious sites. A friendly town although a very small place. We used it to rest after all the driving. So glad we stopped in to Tambo Teddies as the kids had a ball helping the ladies and we even let them have a teddy each, they weren't cheap but so well made they will have them forever.

Arno's wall, Winton

Very cool wall that has everything from the kitchen sink to a motorcycle cemented into it. This photo is the gate.

Matilda Country Tourist park, Winton

Matilda Country Tourist park was a very enjoyable experience for our kids as it had the animal enclosure there. They had a llama (called Banjo), chickens (of varied breeds), a lamb and baby goats which my daughter's were thrilled to give a bottle of milk to each night. There was a giant dinosaur onsite which provides the photo opportunity for the town famous for its dinosaur history.  The thing that was disappointing was that the meal & shows had ceased and the camp fire that I had been looking forward to was no longer due to insurance premiums.  The park was a little let go and needed a bit of love but it was still the best one for having young kids, they loved it.

Winton Qld

We loved the town of Winton. First evening we played the Musical fence just on the outskirts of the town which is made up of old drums, engines and pieces of metal for the kitchen kids to make noise in, it's quite cool.  Although a couple of young locals advised us not to we ventured into the very cool looking North Gregory Hotel,  so glad we used our own gut feeling as hubby had a great beef burger for $12, it was a massive patty with swiss cheese, garlic aioli, salad on sourdough, so cheap for what it was. The kids played for ages on the climbing frame out the back of pub. You can even park your caravan out the back for $10 a night which has an open pit fire. Legend has it that Banjo Patterson first performed Waltzing Matilda at this pub. It is decorated beautifully.  We chose to avoid the dinosaur museum instead to soak up the town. There is some great photo opportunities with the giant dinosaur feet around, Arno's Wall,  Banjo Patterson memorial,  pelican lake in the main street plus the museum on the main street was pretty cool.

Mt Isa

We only stayed one night here. We stayed at the Discovery on Little West street which was a small park but nice enough. We had an en suite site for $39 plus its an extra $10 for the kids. The Discovery Aguthella just out of town was more expensive unless you are a Big4 member then its the same price after the 10% off. The latter may of had miners staying there by the look of things, I could be wrong. Mt Isa is an interesting little town with all the trappings of the city with the varied shops etc however it has the mine overshadowing the town.

Barkly homestead

We stayed one night here after being warned not to stay here. I would of rather given my money to Three Ways Roadhouse.  Don't get me wrong Barkly homestead is meticulously maintained especially for the middle of nowhere but if you need to ask them anything then you get attitude.  Only interested in your open wallet. Such a shame as it has everything else going for it.

Daly Waters Pub

How could I resist visiting the Historic Daly Waters pub. What character this place has, originally a spot for drovers to stop it went on to become Australia's first international airport where they fuelled up planes flying to London in World War II. Today tourists from all over the world stop in for a Barra burger (the most awesome burger ever) and a beer. You will see remnants of previous visitors from drivers licenses, thongs to bras & undies.  You can also stay on site in the camp grounds but we chose just to have lunch this time. Would of loved to of seen it at night when they have nightly entertainment. 

Renner Springs Desert inn

Word of warning on this place, the goose honks all night and according to the manager it doesn't like kids or women, telling you to stand your ground or else you will get a bite on the butt. This aside it is such a cute little camp ground for caravans & a few tents, cabins also. Has a spring with birdlife, peacocks roaming free. There is a swimming pool but it is icy cold so not for us. You can have a feed or beer at the pub here which has some outback character or you can purchase some fresh home made bread baked daily which I highly recommend. We even had a patch of grass, yay no red dirt in the van.  

Elliot

Not very inviting.  We fueled up at the BP and kept driving on to Renner Springs.

Mataranka homestead

If you want pole position for the Mataranka Thermal pool then the Homestead is the place to stay. You literally walk from the caravan to the thermal pool in minutes.  Each night there is entertainment,  whether it is a singer or a whip cracker. The meals looked ample. The kids played pool with the locals. They have a little store in reception which sells souvenirs,  dresses, tank tops, bait & ice cream. Bring your own pool noodle to float around at the thermal pool as the shop sells out of them. There is no grass areas but you are in the out back so for me it's all part of the experience.  Amenities seem clean but run down and uninviting.  There is wallabies (they mated under our van the first night, sounded like fighting), peacocks, rainbow lorikeets & kites. Just don't feed the wallabies bread as they get a painful disease from it, sliced apples is just fine.

Mataranka Thermal pool

What can I say, Mataranka thermal pool is paradise!  If you want pole position stay at Mataranka Homestead where you can walk down to the thermal pool in a few minutes via the foot path. Highly recommend bringing a pool noodle to float around as you can't touch the bottom for the most part.

Litchfield National Park

Litchfield National Park was our first stop out of Darwin. So glad we decided to visit. We stayed two nights at Litchfield Tourist Park which was a quaint spot, the food was simple but made with love. You could see that there was heart in this place. The girls were even able to feed horses from a neighbouring property in the evening. As we were limited with time we only did the Termite Mounds, Florence Falls & Buley Rock Holes. If you do Florence Falls take the Shady walk it is a beautiful walk, the alternative is 135 steps (steep). Florence falls is beautiful, make sure you have reef shoes or grip shoes as there is plenty of slippery rocks to navigate over before you get to swim. For the girls they loved the Buley Rock holes.  The water is crystal clear and there is a series of rock pools.

Goodbye Darwin

The time has come to leave Darwin. I'm excited for our new journey but also sad to be saying goodbye to family & friends we made along the way. Darwin has been good to us, Akira enjoyed her school.  Brenden got a job at the Caravan Park which was also our home. My kids learnt how to swim at the resort pool. We saw jumping crocs, enjoyed every waterpark (there all free!), did the Crocodylus park & Crocosaurus cove. My favourite is Mindil markets where all the different food outlets, buskers, the fire twirlers, funky fashion stalls and the sunset like no other, makes for paradise in one spot. Brens favourite is the jumping crocs. Ahliyah said her favourite is Crocodylus park and Akira said the adventure.

Crocodylus, NT

Very glad we went to Crocodylus park today. I had heard people tell me that if you have already been to the jumping crocs on Adelaide river then don't bother going to Crocodylus.  This is why you don't listen to other people instead make your own mind up. Our girls had a fantastic time. Our guide Portia who is a croc handler was very informative and passionate about crocodiles. My daughter Akira and partner Brenden each got to line feed the crocs. We all got a chance to hold a baby croc as well as handle a 20 year old snake. The girls did an easter hunt and received an Easter bunny for their efforts as well as participate in Easter crafts. There was also a museum,  reptiles,  dingos, kangaroos,  monkeys,  lions,  Bengal Tiger, emus, Ostrich and Ponies. Staff are friendly,  grounds are clean, there can be a slight smell around some enclosures,  what do you expect, it's been raining the night before as its still wet season.  I am glad we went before the busy tourist season starts next month. It is well worth a visit. I enjoyed it more than Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin CBD and more hands on than Jumping crocs of Adelaide river although I am happy to of done all three. If you can only afford one then do jumping crocs, just make sure it is The Adelaide River Queen tour operator and not The Spectacular Jumping crocs as the Adelaide River queen is so much more professional and you see more crocs as I have done both of those tours as well. Im a bit croc obsessed I think.

Bunnings Easter Party

Bunnings Palmerston NT, held a Easter Party for the public. Jody from DIY put on a great party which included a visit from the Easter Bunny himself. Also bouncy castle,  rainbow slushies, popcorn, hot dogs, easter eggs, diy easter craft and the winner for my girls was the amazing face painter.