When we arrived at the Kurnell Visitor Centre a couple of weeks back, the ranger asked us if we were heading out to see the whales. “Oh, the whales are migrating now?” was my reply. “Yes, they’ve spotted a heap this morning. The volunteers are out there counting.” For an enviro-chick, I feel a little…
Growing up in the Sutherland Shire, we knew Kurnell proudly as the “Birthplace of modern Australia” – the place of Captain Cook’s landing in 1770, a place to celebrate the beginnings of our nation. Primary school excursions to Botany Bay National Park in Kurnell back in the 80s were always about, “well, this is where…
I was met with much excitement when I suggested that we head into town on the train for a city adventure. It’s the usual reaction from my pair of four-year-old suburbanites, for whom a meander through our fair city’s CBD is always high on the list of cool things to do. I quickly quashed any ideas…
One of the best things about living in the Sutherland Shire is having the bush on our doorstep. I’ve written about the beaches at Cronulla and Bundeena, but the bush is just as much of a drawcard. A few of our favourite spots are in the Royal National Park, particularly where the bush meets the…
Ah, the Sutherland Shire. Who needs Sydney Harbour when you have Port Hacking? Who needs the Manly ferry when you have the Curranulla? OK, so it’s not quite as memorable as that rocking ride across Sydney heads to Manly, and there’s no Opera House or Harbour Bridge to gawk at, but the kids don’t care…
With the summer school holidays upon us, I’m posting a series of cool outdoorsy things to do with kids, highlighting some of our favourite local spots. Our stomping ground is the Sutherland Shire, in our fair city’s southern outskirts, and while living down here (in north Melbourne, as my Northern Beaches bro-in-law calls it) can…
Ah, rainy weekends in winter. Or, more aptly, (and much, much worse) arrrggghhhhhhh, rainy weekends in winter! Pre-kids, we loved these days… Books, food, TV marathons, movies, wine. Heaven. Ah, rainy weekends in winter. Now, arrrggghhhhhhh rainy weekends in winter begin like any other day, but quickly deteriorate as cabin fever sets in mid-morning. I mean,…
Have you read “The Shape Game”? It’s another Anthony Browne picture book. (I already blogged on Browne’s “The Tunnel” in my post about Choosing books to engage kids in reading.) If you’re not familiar with Anthony Browne, it’s worth your time to find some of his work. He’s a prolific British author/illustrator, and the creator…
Raising Explorers 