I caught the train up to check out the Leura Village Fair this weekend, a yearly event held in…read moreOctober to coincide with the Leura Gardens Festival. You can check out the Leura Village website to confirm the dates. The main street of this tourist mecca village in the Blue Mountains is closed off for the duration and a plethora of stalls are set up selling everything from trendy fashion from labels just starting out, to pottery, jewellery, and local produce from freshly made lemonade and bread to locally crafted gifts. The permanent stores also spill out onto the pavement, offering sales and tastings and there was a funky brass trio down the end busking to everyone's delight. If you've ever been to Leura, you'd know its renowned for its gardens and today the flowering cherry trees that run down the middle of the street were in full bloom. The wind was blowing and the petals were gusting everywhere - it was like walking through a cloud of pink snow.

Don't feed the waterbirds. (So says the sign). Do sit under…read morea tree. Do bring the kids to play on bright, shiny new play equipment including a pirate ship. Do bring a picnic, or food to bbq. Do keep an eye out for the endangered Blue Mountains Water Skink. Do marvel (well, be slightly impressed) at the 'hanging' swamp on the hillside. Didn't know swamps were capable of hanging. Do bring canoes. Do walk around embankment to the far side and seethe with envy at the people who live there. Do watch kids jump from ropes attached from trees into the tea-coloured water, or have a go if you consider a millisecond of flight worth the risk of major spinal cord injury. Do appreciate the organic stone carvings that look like they've just popped up from the depths of the earth. Do let the kids run around near one of the very few largish bodies of water in the Mountains.

Stopped by this park on the way to Katoomba as it sounded pretty good!…read more It wasn't. The Oaks were very disappointing. Why on earth would they plant the same couple of species of Oak over and over? How boring is that? There are so many to choose from, why not go crazy and plant some interesting Oaks. 5 stars for the Monkey Puzzle and the Hoop Pine. At least I think that's a Hoop Pine! I'm 100% sure on the Monkey Puzzle. It's worth going to this park just to see those two trees. They would get 5 stars, but the Oaks brought the score down to 3.

In 1933 this strip of parkland was donated (by the kind of person who has land just to give away, I…read morepresume) in order to have every Prime Minister, or closest surviving relative, plant a tree. The result is this pathway of graduated trees, a couple of statues and a marker commemorating George William Evans on his first official survey over the Blue Mountains. Now, the state of the various trees leads one inevitably to jokes about Aussie PMs characterised as plant life, but I'll just leave you with one observation. The tree planted by John Howard has been chopped off at the neck, and unaccountably fails to thrive.

Although a concrete monstrosity to me, I often wander past the Winmalee Skate Park on my morning…read moreconstitutional and am always surprised by how much use it gets. Mornings you can see mums with gaggles of tiny children smothered in protective gear so comprehensively that any movement seems a remarkable achievement. They zoom around on scooters and amazingly tiny bikes shrieking with delight. Late afternoons and weekends teenagers lurk with malodorous intent, disdaining helmets of course, most ruinous for the do. I spent my teenage years in the Blue Mountains lamenting the lack of anywhere to go or anything to do, so I just wanted to give credit for the provision of this place. I can't see myself ever taking up skateboarding (and really, no-one else would want to see that either) but I'm glad this is here.

Just back from a 4-year-old birthday party at this farm. A crisp winter day baked in golden…read moresunshine certainly helped matters but seriously, this place was heavenly. My son got to 'squeeze a cow until milk came out'! He held chicks, a baby bunny, a duckling and then took a bucket of feed out to the goats, Alpacas, sheep, calves and donkeys. He fed milk to a baby goats and THEN he rode on a pony. Seriously, this kid thinks he has died and gone to an Easter theme parked heaven. The staff are wonderful: engaged, informative and clearly passionate about providing safe shelter for the many orphaned animals who call this place home. We will certainly go back and given that it's only a 40 min drive from the CBD, that could be very soon!

This annual event has stood the test of time in Sydney, and I even remember this from my childhood…read moreafter my family moved to Sydney from London. The picnic this year is held next Sunday the 16th of October 2011 (one week at the time of writing this) at Rosehill Gardens to raise funds for the children's hospital here in Sydney, of which their mascot is the cute bandaged bear. It all makes sense. The rides, art, face painting and the various events put on to keep active and energetic kids entertained year after year wanting to come back for more. The value that children (and most importantly their parents) will receive at this annual event more than exceeds the $20 cost per person (or $60 for a family) to attend this important but enjoyable event. The picnic feel is also alive with great food to buy; or families can bring their own. The only criticism of this iconic traditional event is that why; on earth why has it been moved to Rosehill Gardens? It might make sense as the new children's hospital is in western Sydney; however it was great when the event was held in the city previously. It was much easier to get to than to Rosehill Gardens. NB. I took an image of care bears in lieu of the picnic as it is not feasible to actually take a photo of the event as A. Rosehill Gardens is a hike; B. The real event (annual) is on the 16th of October and I won't be in Sydney then, and C. I now live in Melbourne. Many thanks for your understanding Justine :)

Cockatoo Island's vast abandoned factories, unused alleyways and shipping docks provides an…read moreexciting location for visitors to see a huge range of Street Art in one location. And because of its dynamic and live nature, the art will change and evolve, giving visitors something different to see throughout the course of the festival which runs from 4 November - 11 December, 2011. We are delighted one Sunday that the weather is perfect and that public transport for a Fun Day ticket is only $5 so we take advantage of this offer and catch the ferry over to Cockatoo Island for the street art display called Outpost. When we arrive we are met with a colourful cup wall and a huge expansive chalkboard floor which our toddler runs too and grabs chalk from the baskets to begin her own graffiti. On hot days because of the asphalt it can be incredibly hot so make sure young one are covered up and it wouldn't hurt to have cover for yourself. Children scoot and skate around us as this place is perfect for this kind of activity. We then choose to walk down the working tunnel which leads to the Turbine Hall. It makes for a wonderful experience to see art from Ben Frost, Everfresh and The Beastman. We exit and go into the Turbine Hall where the Kidzoom Home project shows a movie installation and three commodore pile up installation inside. On the other side we sit in one of the many cafes and have a refreshing drink and coffee. Our Toddler decides she is off and goes into the junk room with other kids to construct her own sculpture she loves it. Following this we go into a big room with hanging t-shirts and profiles on different graphic artists and then go over to the X Box room to do some dancing. This exhibition is progressive, dynamic and worth those who are keen to take the short trip from Circular Quay for the day. Relax with a cocktail in the Cockatoo Island Bar at the end of the day. Verdict: One in a million experience that you must go and see.

I returned under lowering skies, armed with comfortable shoes and a handy map from the Heritage…read moreCentre. Past the foreshore up to the Queen's Wharf Reserve, round to Hambledon Cottage, Elizabeth Farm and Experiment Farm, the walk itself is clearly marked by yellow signs dotted along the streets. It is a strange experience, seeing built up cityscape in front of you while keeping old photographs and descriptions in mind. Bifocal timewalking, I'll call it. Pleasantly disorienting. With so much to see, I've written separate reviews for the attractions mentioned above, but would like to express my appreciation for the effort the local Council obviously has taken with making visible their local history. I was trailed by a couple of school groups, noisily trudging their way around what seems a much less boring school history excursion than many I remember. Explorers Tree for the 5th time? The Heritage Walk is great kids, trust me, it could be worse. With rain starting to spatter, I snuck off the track after Experiment Farm, so I didn't make it through the main street of Harris Farm proper, or past the barracks. Although, next school hols, I suspect I'll be trailing some little feet along behind me.

A secret tunnel in the cliff between Manly Beach and Freshwater!…read more This is full-on Goonies style action. Also known as the Queenscliff Tunnel, it was constructed in 1908 by local fishermen as a shortcut between Manly and Freshwater. To get here you go to the Queenscliff Headland at the very left edge of Manly beach as you're facing out to sea. Walk past the rock pool and keep going, clamber over the rocks. Just before the big pink graffiti heart painted on the cliff (a northern beaches icon in itself), you'll discover a dark arch. Behold, the Wormhole! What will happen inside? Will you be transported to another dimension? Or just to the other side of the headland where you can scramble all the way to Freshie? Who can say. Go. Find out for yourself.