Classic Flyers, Mount Maunganui

Posted by The Spy

We recently purchased tickets to go to Classic Flyers at Mount Maunganui, via a deal on "Grab One". The deal was 2 adults entry into the museum, as well as 2 breakfast/lunch meals and 2 small drinks.

It was a grotty blah day when we got up this morning, and we had bribed our 2 year old that if he slept through the night last night, and didn't get mummy or daddy up, he would go on a special adventure today. He loves planes, so this was somewhere we have been dying to take him.

I had it on good authority that it was an ok place to go in the rain as it is pretty much all undercover, so we chucked our 8 week old into the front pack and away we went.

When we got there, the cafe was absolutely packed! We wandered past them all and went into the museum. As we entered the lady on the counter said as it is raining and they can't display their outdoor exhibits properly, we were welcome to keep our receipt and come back another day to have another look as well. Great news!!!

I'm not a huge plane/military etc fan personally, but even I thoroughly enjoyed having a look around. There was so much to see, and there is plenty of planes that you can actually get in to and imagine you are a pilot or in the war etc. They even had little ride on planes for the littlies to play in, which went down a huge treat.

Awesome "Fluffies!"

After walking around the hangar a couple of times, it was off to the cafe. If I'm honest, if we didn't have the voucher, I'm not sure we would have purchased any food as it was a bit more expensive than our 1 income family can afford, however that said, when we got our Bacon and Eggs, hot drinks and a side of fries and a fluffy, we were completely satisfied at our selections. Excellent food, the hot chocolate and mochacino and our little man's "Fluffy" were excellent, and all staff we dealt with were very friendly and welcoming.

Yum! Tasty Hot Chocolate

If you live in Tauranga or are visiting some time, I would highly recommend a visit, it was a unique place to go, the service was great and food was excellent. All in all a great outing!!

Fluffin' Fantastic

By Angela Noelle from Striking Keys.

One brisk Friday afternoon, I hastily steered a tandem buggy through the mall mayhem with my infant crying out for milk. My milk, that is.

I wasn't fond of the idea of finding a seat in the mall's main walkway to nurse the thirsty babe, nor did I suspect my toddler (also in tow) would be happiest seated in such a spot.

A cafe is what I needed. A comfortable one. One with a corner, where I could feel discreet. One that would sell me two cups full of frothed-up warm milk, without a side of judgement.

I found that cafe in The Meridian foodcourt; Gloria Jean's, thank you for letting me park up in your cafe. Thank you for charging me 80 cents per cup of "fluffy." Thank you for shaking the chocolatey stuff on top. Thank you for saying nothing when I parked my giant wheeley contraption in amidst your tables and chairs. Thank you for the two marshmallows you generously added to each of our servings, for smiling when you saw a mother ordering the same cheap, non-menu item as her daughter, and for carrying them to our table.

Your cushioned, high-back bench seating allowed me to see to my 9-week-old baby's needs in comfort whilst my 2-year-old eagerly spooned out her treat. I'm pretty sure your establishment's layout allowed me to have complete privacy...which is a nice option, in light of recent press for breastfeeding mothers.

Great price.
Great set-up.
Great not having anyone tell me both of my daughters couldn't have a drink.

I cannot tell you enough how much better a day can be when it is broken up into moments such as these;
Thank you.

P.S. I don't even drink coffee...but I assure you, I'll be back. Again...and again.

The Penguin Place - Dunedin

By KiwiKellz at Diary of my so called interesting life

The Penguin Place is situated at the end of the picturesque Otago Pennisula. A private reserve set up to provide a habitat and breeding ground for the rare yellow eyed penguin.

The Penguin Place is at the more expensive end of the tourist activity price scale, but it's worth it though. The entry fee goes towards maintenance, the running of the reserve and also the bird hospital onsite (which you get to view on the tour). The park is set up to allow good viewing of the penguins in their habitat without disturbing them. The reserve's owners have dug out a system of trenches and tunnels winding through the park, with viewing platforms at prime nesting sites. You are taken up over farm-land in a small tour bus and then walk down hill to the trenches.  In total the tour takes about an hour, with a short talk in the beginning about the penguins life-cycle before heading out on the short bus ride.

The day we went (end of March) was mid-way through the moult, where the penguins shed their old feathers and gain a new coat, which means they were all on-shore as they're not waterproof during this time. At other times of the year you see more of the penguins entering/exiting the water & may also see chicks. The Penguin Place is closed over the winter months as the penguins are off at sea fishing, to return in the spring for breeding/nesting.

The guides are all very friendly, with a great sense of humour, and a wealth of knowledge about the penguins, their habits and lifecycle. They also know a great deal about other local wildlife and are only too happy to share it with you. We also saw a couple of fur seals and a morepork while on our tour.

This is a great place to take older children (5+), but not so much for the littlies. The park itself isn't really set up for younger kids with lots of walking, some stairs and the turrrets are narrow in places, so not pram-friendly. Not to mention the having to stay quiet in the tunnels so as not to disturb the birds. But for older children it's a neat experience, my 9 year old loved it and was constantly talking about the trip.

So if you find yourself in Dunedin take a drive out to the Penguin Place, it's worth the trip.

Harington Point Rd, RD 2
Otago Peninsula Dunedin
New Zealand

64 3 478 0286

 http://www.penguinplace.co.nz/

Reviewed by

kiwikellz

Nature at its best in the Marlborough Sounds

by Sarah of Catching the Magic

The dolphins leaped out of the swell around our boat, turning on their sides to examine us. Their white under-bellies were clear to see as they rolled in the water to get a good look at us. These bottle-nosed dolphins were just as curious about us as we were with them. The energy on-board was buzzing. There was a connection between human and dolphin that only the heavens could describe.

Our guides on the Dolphin Watch Ecotour were equally excited. Their genuine passion and love of nature shone through in their commentary, as Australasian Gannets circled the skies above.

Pulling in at one of the many, beautiful bays of the Marlborough Sounds we saw New Zealand fur seals majestically preening themselves on rocky outcrops. We stood at the bow of our tour boat, capturing the beauty of nature with our camera lenses, our eyes and our minds.

We were on our way to Motuara Island Bird Sanctuary, as part of a half-day tour.

The children sat with excitement on the boat, feeling at ease with their other travelling companions and happy that there were a few children of similar age. Sophie made friends with a boy her age, whilst Alice nuzzled in for a kiss with the boy's younger brother - who was equally taken with Alice! Life-jackets were optional, but gleefully received by the children (especially as they had whistles attached - thankfully not too ear-piercing!).

When we reached the island, cleared of all introduced predators and a haven for native bird species, there were two options; a guided walk to the viewpoint at the top, or a leisurely rest by 'the watering hole' to watch native birds drink and bathe.

Top left; Bellbird/Korimako. Top right; NZ Robin. Bottom left; NZ Parakeet/Kakariki. Bottom right; Fantail/Piwakawaka.

Dan took Charlotte and Sophie for the hike (I'd experienced it with a friend in 2009 and opted out this time round; since I had sleeping Alice weighing down my arms). I sat with Chinese Grandma and Granddad by the watering hole, where we were treated to the sight of all the birds above, as well as beautiful Kereru (NZ native wood pigeon).

We took a little stroll up to one of the little blue penguin nesting boxes and peeked in to see one. A very friendly robin led the way, popping back and forth to keep an eye on our progress.

By the time we returned to the water-hole, Charlotte & Sophie had already made the descent down from the peak and were waiting for us! They'd had a great time. Charlotte had even been given a natural baptism - when a bird 'pooped' on her head. She is still asking what species of bird does red 'poops'!

We all made our way back to our boat for the return cruise through the Sounds, with the girls marvelling at the crystal clear waters, jelly fish, kina and mussels.

And we were all grateful for the tea, coffee, hot-chocolate and biscuits (except the ginger biscuits were a little tough going on Grandma's false teeth!). Alice drifted off for a nap, with the hum of the engine, whilst I sat out on deck admiring the native bush and nesting shags.

We made a quick stop at the Bay of Many Coves Resort (which Dan and I knew from our pre-children days as 'Punga Cove'). We looked on whistfully as a couple disembarked to enjoy an evening of decadent accommodation, fine Marlborough wines and dining.

Dan and I had stopped there, when it was 'Punga Cove', way back in 1997. We had walked the 'Queen Charlotte Track' and treated ourselves to one night of luxury accommodation. Dan told me later that he was planning to propose to me whilst we dined at the restaurant there - but just as he was plucking up the courage to get down on one knee a bunch of rowdy trampers walked in and he lost his nerve! It ended up taking him six months from asking my Dad for my hand in marriage to actually finding the opportune moment to propose (and it ended up being in the vineyards of Marlborough on Valentines Day).

There was little time for romance on this trip, but the memories keep us strong and our time will come again (even though we'll probably be silver-haired by that time!).

We returned to Picton in time to enjoy the Maritime Festival and fireworks. A perfect ending to an incredible day where nature really did put on the most wonderful show. The weather wasn't its best (note the warmer weather gear!), but at least the rain held off and the wildlife was certainly happy with the conditions :)

A big thumbs up for Dolphin Watch Ecotours from all of us!

(Please note this is not a sponsored post, we simply had a genuinely wonderful experience and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone visiting the Marlborough Sounds).

Wellington Summer Festival

From Johanna at one girls thoughts on life

Are you lot all aware of the Summer Festival going on here in Wellington?

Every year my family attends at least 2 of these fantastic free events. 

On Saturday (just been) we headed to the sound shell at the botanic gardens complete with picnic baskets, warm jackets and home made hand cranked ice cream (to be served in waffle cones - mmm). 

It was a total blast. There were heaps of families with their wee babes dancing on the grass. Totally worth attending if you are in the area. 

We LOVED it. 


Wellington Summer Festival Calendar

Motat Nights Christmas Lights

BY SIMONE FROM GREATFUN4KIDS

I love finding cool (inexpensive) things to do as a family around Christmas, and this year Motat is putting on something pretty cute.

Motat Nights, Christmas Lights is in Motat's Victorian Village (entry is a gold coin donation through the service gate on the Speedway side). Plenty of Free parking on that side street.

Every Saturday and Sunday night from now until Christmas, 8pm til late the Victorian Village is alive with twinkle lights and fun.



The Blacksmith is forging stuff in his smithy.

A sweetmaker is making his sweets. Giant lollipops, super candy canes. You can even have a go making them yourself. For $2 each. Oh and they are delicious.

There's mulled wine for sale. The spicey smell nearly knocks you over; it's so strong it will take you all night to drink it. If you're driving you'd better share it with a friend. Best not take the risk, that stuff is potent.

There are staff dressed up in Victorian garb wandering around striking up conversation, initiating old-fashioned games. Like stilt-walking, horseshoes, tug-o-war and sack races. Make sure you're there before the sun sets, it gets hard to see after dark.

 

The brass band plays on the green and the twinkle lights twinkle as your kid cries for another $2 hand-made lollipop and your baby begs for mulled wine... It's lots of fun and very sweet.

Just the thing for a Christmas family night out.

MOTAT

Great North Road, Western Springs Auckland

Website: http://www.motat.org.nz/

Laser Fun at Megazone

BY DASH FROM MY SPORTY LIFE

Megazone is cool. It's like being like a Jedi apprentice. When you go there you shoot people with laser guns, but they aren't real. They make a noise and are pretend. And they count up your points how many times you get hit.

You can go there for a birthday party or just to have a game with your freinds. You have to be seven years old to play.

I have been there four times now for my freinds birthday parties. It's really fun. The best bit is when you destroy the other team's base. You run through tunnels and hide and try not to get hit. If you get hit it counts down 10 seconds before you can shoot again, but you don't lose points.

Ponsonby

Mt Wellington

I've been to parties at Ponsonby Megazone and Mt Wellington. I like the Ponsonby one best, cos the points work better. Ponsonby is the coolest one. But Mt Wellington has got bumper cars.

I'm going to have my birthday party there next month when I turn eight. I am allowed eight freinds plus my dad and my grandma, so we get a discount for ten people.

My party is going to be Star Wars, cos thats my favourite movie. Feel the Force!!!

{This story was told to Simone by Dash Who really wanted to be an Undercover Blogger}

Megazone (Laser tag)

Website with all information, prices and locations...

LOCATIONS:

North Island: Ponsonby, NorthShore, Mt Wellington, Hamilton

South Island: Christchurch

Carlucci Land: More than Mini-Golf

STORY BY SARAH OF CATCHING THE MAGIC (CHEZ LEE)
Carlucci Land, in Happy Valley, Wellington is so much more than mini-golf. Created with love, passion and vision this mini-golf is a work of art. Artist, Carl Gifford, is the man behind the magic. Scrap and rocks have been transformed into sculptures. Kiwis, spiders and dragonflies hide around each corner. River stones tower up and boulders entice children to climb on them.
We stopped in for an impromptu visit and I wish I’d taken the decent camera with me. It is a photographers dream with so many captivating scenes, sculptures and angles. I made do with my phone camera and tried to capture a little of the magic. It is a fantasy world for children and we were greeted with such a friendly welcome.

Every time we visit there’s a new sculpture or some development to further add to the appeal.

There are plans for a coffee machine to be installed and once that’s in place, Carlucci Land will be bustling with visitors who will want to linger for much more than the mini-golf. The water fall flowing down to the outdoor seating area makes for a very scenic and atmospheric spot for a cuppa.

We had a fun game (well Alice and I watched – with Alice tasting random stones, trying to eat the golf ball and climbing on the sculptures). It’s great to go to a mini-golf place not JUST for the golf. The sculptures are what make it for me. It’s wonderful to see so much ‘junk’ turned into art – very, very inspiring.

From Mini Golf, to Stone Masonry, to Cherished "junk" - Check out what Carlucci Land has to offer!

Ph: 04 383 7054 or 04 971 8618 (after hours)

Fax 04 971 8618

281 Happy Valley Road
Happy Valley, Wellington
EFTPOS AVAILABLE