I avoided using it for as long as humanly possible until James made me a deal I could not pass up… I can only remember my part of the deal, which was to take on ironing his uniforms, which means that he obviously didn’t hold up his end and I am only realising that now – years down the track.

Honestly, I have never really learnt how to iron properly. So, I have used James’ iron year after year and not once have I adjusted the settings. Okay, except that one time I burnt something and that other time I made his pants all shiny. Not the most practical way to iron but the safest in my case.

Enter Philips PerfectCare Aqua.

On first impression, I was quite taken aback by the size. As a non-ironer I assumed it would look much the same as the one we had been using. In the beginning I tried to have the iron and it’s water tank living on the ironing board, just as the last one had, but I was worried it wasn’t a stable or practical enough solution.

Thanks to the reasonably lengthy cord I am able to house the base on my drawers and use the iron without any hindrance or having to move the whole system, which is important given that I iron 5 out of 7 days.

The Philips PerfectCare Aqua has a generous 2.2L water tank which means I’m not filling it daily and is so easy to use. You turn it on, let it warm up (2 minutes, tops) and then iron away. It doesn’t have dials and settings, so I don’t have to worry about whether I am using the right temperature.

I don’t understand how the OptimalTemp feature works, how it can possibly tell the right temperature to use with no input? But it does. I have not had any water leakage on garments – which was my general issue with ironing – no burning, no wrinkles, no shiny pants. No. Issues. The best thing is that it is safe on all fabrics. You can iron your silk blouse straight after your cotton tee, not change a thing and not have a worry in the world.

I am new to ironing with steam, I thought it was a more about the pressure I was applying but now I know better. The powerful, continuous steam delivered by PerfectCare Pure (120 g/min) makes for easy, perfect ironing every time. There is the option of an additional steam boost up to 220g for those deeper, harder to flatten creases.

While the whole unit as one is bulky to accommodate the water tank, the iron itself is light and sleek. It is fitted with a SteamGlide soleplate which is smooth, easy to clean and scratch resistant.

One thing I have found very difficult to get used to is placing the iron face down on the ironing board while arranging clothes. Sometimes, I still go to stand it on it’s end. However, the iron is designed to be placed face down and will not burn or damage the board cover. I was nervous about it to begin with but, with daily use have come to trust that it is safe.

Other than needing to be aware of the size for practicality reasons, the only other thing I would mention is that it is quite noisy when heating up the water. It doesn’t last long and most days it is a non-issue, but on mornings when I might be getting up earlier than my husband and wanting to get the ironing out of the way, I have to avoid turning it on.

I am never going to jump out of bed in the morning, excited to iron but it’s not such a chore anymore either. It’s fast, easy and efficient. My ironing ‘skills’ have increased, or at least that is how it appears thanks to an iron that is smarter than me.

Philips PerfectCare Aqua, RRP $399.95

Disclosure: I was provided a unit for review purposes

When Jasper was born I was introduced to aden+anais swaddles and burpy bibs, we still use the swaddles for Jasper to wear his babies and as blankets around the house so I was thrilled to hear they have released adult sized Daydream blankets.

I received an ocean edge classic daydream blanket and promptly fell ill, so I got it out and snuggled up on the lounge. It is a luxurious 153cm x 183cm and made from 100% cotton muslin which, in sick-mumma-on-the-couch terms means it was big enough to cover me, keeping me warm and comfortable with it’s gorgeous softness.

Loved the simple yet effective packaging

Four layers of muslin make it cozy and so very soft. Washing just makes it softer and if it holds up like the swaddles have, it will still be soft and lovely three years down the track. Something I really love is that it is just heavy enough without being too much. I can’t stand blankets that are light – a weighted blanket is something I need for whatever reason, so this is perfect.

The problem with things that are this good is that it’s hard to keep it a secret. I will often find Jasper snuggled up in it on the couch or in book corner reading. Thankfully, it’s big enough for me to slip in and snuggle with him, assuming he’s in a willing mood.

While this would be a great new mum gift idea, it is on the costly side at $136.36 for the muslin style or $172.73 for the bamboo fibre muslin blanket. But, if you’re in the market for some luxury, you won’t be disappointed. I love my daydream blanket, aden+anais make good quality goods and I look forward to further testing it as the cooler months approach.

Follow aden+anais on Facebook, Twitter, instagram and Pinterest to see what they’re up to.

We started our adventure by meeting Nanna at central. Given that she’d never been to an aquarium and we get to do these awesome things we thought we would pay for her to come along. Once we made our way to Circular Quay we boarded a ferry to Manly. The ride over was the longest I’ve ever been on any type of water vessel. Seriously. The kids loved it, it was calm and gorgeous.

Entering Manly, the Sea Life Sanctuary is well presented but seemed quite tiny compared to what I was expecting and I have to admit that I was nervous, having visited Sea Life Sydney Aquarium for a Shark Mission event only a week beforehand, I wondered if I might be disappointed. However, on entering, I was immediately drawn into the magical world.
I love the effort that goes into presenting the areas surrounding the enclosures, it really makes an impression and you feel like you could truly be underwater.

In the large tank, immediately as we walked in, we were greeted by scores of gorgeously wonderful species, in particular, a couple of fish which caught my overly excited mum’s eye – they  look like they have noses (first pic, second row) and we spent a good while marveling at them amongst all the other vibrant residents. As you move around the aquarium there are screens beside the exhibits telling you the names and details of what you might be looking at. The ability to learn as you make your way around at your own pace is a real highlight for us, as taking away knowledge from our experiences is a very important aspect of enjoying ourselves.

I was pleasantly surprised to be seeing so many things we had never seen before, even having been to another aquarium not so long ago. The oceans are full of weird, wonderful, scary, amazing and sometimes disgustingly enthralling things. Things you could never even imagine. Watching the kids and Nanna pressing their hands to the glass in wonder, gasping and exclaiming in delight filled me with so much joy. And, I have to admit, I did quite a bit of gasping and exclaiming myself.

This guy changes colour when he eats

You’ve got to look carefully to see the Seahorses!

As with all good aquariums (I’ve been to exactly two but I feel this must be a universal truth), there is a sensory pool where we could touch shark eggs, starfish and, much to my disgust, a sea slug. Often, these things do not feel how you imagine they will (with the exception of sea slugs, they feel as gross as you imagine). This hands on part of the adventure is a great learning tool and the kids love it. Ellie did complain that the pool was too deep and most things that were there to be touched could not be reached.

We made our way up to Penguin Cove, on the upper level, just in time for the Penguin feeding. I loved the ability to look out the windows at Manly beach, such a stunning view. Sitting on the provided benches, we learned about the Little Penguins while watching them be fed.

On the way to Shark Harbour I was unceremoniously dumped…

Then it was down to the depths for us and our little shark lovers. Shark Harbour is beautifully presented and completely awe inspiring. As you walk through the under water viewing tunnel you can see Grey Nurse sharks, Port Jackson Sharks, huge and not-so-huge stingrays, fish and ‘Sea Biscuit the Green Sea Turtle – who is literally the biggest turtle I have ever seen. The best thing was, there wasn’t a mad crush of people pushing us through the tunnel – we could look, study and discover as we pleased. We would have missed so much if we had to rush, instead, we got to really appreciate what we were seeing.

With ‘Breed, Rescue, Protect‘ being the sanctuaries mission, education and conservation are a key element here, with so many important messages being shared about things we can do from simple things such as keeping our beaches clean, to becoming a Penguin Warden . There was an opportunity to sign a petition against the current shark culling in Western Australia but no pressure to do so.

All my kids wanted was a picture with a shark…

Our visit was the perfect mixture of wonder, excitement, education and fun and we will definitely be coming back for a visit. Next time we might bring along my 18 year old brother who has never been to an aquarium. Ellie already has her sights set on doing the Shark Dive offered as soon as she is old enough.

To find out more about what you can expect from a visit and to keep up to date with all their news, check out their website and facebook page.

Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary is open from 10am – 5.30pm every day, except Christmas Day

Daily admission prices are;

• Adults: $24
• Children (4 – 15yrs): $12
• Concession (student/senior): $20
• Family (2 adults + 2 children): $60 – additional children: $10

Be sure to check out their online ticket prices if you know in advance you plan to visit, as they are always discounted

Disclosure: We received a complimentary family pass for review purposes. All opinions expressed are purely my own. No payment was offered nor accepted for this review.

Obviously, she does use pencil and paper, too. She is just as obsessed with doing it that way but I wondered how the app teaching her to correctly write letters and doing so with her finger would translate to doing so with a pencil grip. It’s a different angle and a different motion and a recent visit with the courier, where I had to use my finger to sign for a package as they’d lost their stylus, confirmed what I’ve been thinking, so we’ve started using the Phantomus Kids Stylus.

The Phantomus Kids Stylus is specifically designed for children, with a chunky body for comfortable grip, a soft tip for smooth motion across the screen, all over bright colour with a fun monster (they say it’s a ghost but my kids think it’s a monster) on the end, it is the perfect mix of practicality and fun for little iPeople.

I absolutely think her letter and number development is improved when she uses the stylus over her finger and she loves to get it out and use it because it is so cute.

It’s not just good for Kahlei, though. Jasper is discovering the increased control that comes with using a stylus and is finding he is able to complete games he normally might have some trouble with, as well as enjoying less limitations when using drawing and puzzle apps. He likes feeling like a ‘big boy’ and using a stylus is seen as a big person thing.

I like to think it will help the development of his pencil grip, too.

Love the concentration

For Ellie, it’s the perfect tool for candy crushing. Just recently, I told James off for taking my phone and finishing a level I had literally been on for a month only to discover Ellie had finished it. Seriously.

The stylus allows for less of those ‘whoops, I just swapped the candy completely the wrong way’, which is often what I am cursing myself for when I bother to play. We were send both a pink and blue Phantomus Kids Stylus, but for some reason the pink is the favourite, so Mr Blue and I sometimes try to beat a level or two (plus, he goes with my Beyond Blue wrist band) – you know, for research sake.

There is just something about using a stylus, especially for me who still prefers pen and paper over gadgets. These are smooth, comfortable and fun. The soft tip won’t scratch your device’s screen, although, they can pop off. As long as you’re watching when it happens, they’re easy to just slip back on.

You can find and purchase the Phantomus Kids Stylus in the iPad Air Accessories category at MobileZap for $17.49

If you’re interested in learning more about the case on our iPad, check out my review for the Speck iGuy Case and Stand for iPad.

Out and About with our iGuy

I have a lovely iPad 2, which was purchased to allow me to blog on-the-run. Unfortunately, the only time I get my hands on said iPad is when I am plugging it in to charge, taking it off quarreling children or giving it to well behaved children. When MobileZap approached me to give the Speck iGuy Case and Stand for iPad a go, I was keen.

Protecting the iPad, or Jasper-proofing it, had become a very important issue as he became increasingly interested in using it and, while he was trying to be as careful as a two year old boy can be, I had to accept that bumps and little accidents were par for the course if I was going to allow him to use it.

And, honestly, there were a couple of really good reasons to let him. Firstly, he has two older sisters who have activities which he has to attend and, often, find a way to quietly entertain himself while they dance, swim, get awards, read and so on. Life as the younger brother of two busy sisters can be boring if your mumma is not prepared with paper, pens and all manner of iThingies. Then, there are the doctors appointments we seem to have had a plethora of recently. Grumpy kids in the waiting room for an undetermined amount of time are not my favourite.

I adore his little hand poking out!

The Speck iGuy Case Jasper-proofs my iPad 2 very nicely. It is made from a sturdy foam, which fits the iPad snugly and is soft to touch but effective in protecting from bumps and breakages – especially on our tile floors. I have also noticed that it softens the blow when Jasper manages to let it fall on his forehead while laying down to play (I seriously hate when that happens).

Taking some photos of his sister

iGuy is fun and bright. He has arm like handles and feet which can be used as a stand for watching movies and so on. It’s like a little character, making the case appealing to young children. The iGuy fits iPad 2, 3 and even iPad 4.

The case has cut outs in all the right places so you can still access the volume controls, ports, plugs and use the camera. Plugging in the charger is difficult due to the charging port being under one of the arms. None of the children will even give it a go anymore and it often takes me numerous tries to get it plugged in.

The only other problem I see with this case is it is a little on the smelly side. When we first got it, the ‘plasticy’ (it’s the only word I can think of to describe it) smell was quite overpowering but that soon wore off. Now, it’s only if I end up with it in my face (which happens more than you might think) that I notice it. Honestly, these two little niggles are non-issues when I have seen exactly how thoroughly Jasper has tested this product.

If I could get one for the iPod Touch, I’d be winning.

You can purchase the Speck iGuy Case and Stand for iPad from MobileZap for $36.49

This is what I have to deal with. Granted this was a rainy day, but still.

Jo Baz Everyday Straight Hair is an at home permanent hair straightening kit and can last up to 3 months. I had hoped to get my hubby or mum to help me out but it didn’t happen, so one Thursday after helping out at school I bit the bullet and did it myself.

The Everyday Straight Hair kit contains three product bottles, detailed instructions and plastic gloves – everything you need to tame your unruly locks.

Before you start, be aware that this is quite a long process. There are a few steps and each is time consuming. Especially when you’re doing it yourself.

Each product is clearly labeled A, B and C, making it easy to figure out which product is needed for each step.

The first step is applying the straightening cream (A) to your washed, towel dried and sectioned hair. You need to gently comb the cream through while gently pulling your hair straight. I found this product smelt quite strongly and had to open more windows to help with ventilation. You then have to cover your hair with cling wrap for the appropriate time (which depends on your hair).

I found applying the cling wrap while (gently) keeping my hair straight to be quite difficult and frustrating.

After rinsing and gently combing, the Keratin Protein (B) is applied and left in for 10 minutes. Making sure you keep your locks straight throughout the process. This step conditions and replenishes your hair and after rinsing it out, my hair felt pretty amazing.

After rinsing you blow dry and straighten your hair. This is definitely where I could have used an extra pair of hands. I am ok at doing the front and sides of my hair with the straightened, but I’ve always been not-so-great at getting the back part done. So, I am sure my hair wasn’t as dead straight as it could have been before proceeding (as you can see above, left).

Apply the fixing cream (c) to leave your hair permanently straight. Without this product, your hair is still mold-able and will not hold the straightness you’ve just worked so hard to achieve. You leave this in for 10 minutes before rinsing out and using your remaining Keratin Protein to condition your hair.

For the best results you need to blow dry and straighten again.

My husband managed to walk in right at the end, so he helped me with the final straightening before I raced out to get my daughter from school. It took me over 3 hours to apply and I found it immensely difficult to do it myself, especially with the loose fitting gloves.

I am certain I would have had much better results had I been able to have someone help out at certain points along the way. Even so, my hair is still much more manageable, there are significantly less fly aways and if I do want to straighten it (like when I went to Pink) it’s not a whole big thing.

Using Jo Baz Everyday Straight Hair is certainly a more cost effective way to get straighter hair if you’re willing to enlist a friend and set aside an afternoon (which you would have to do to get it professionally done, anyway).

Here are some of the things we have been reviewing and loving in March

Ruby Who? is a lovely story written by Andrew & Hailey Bartholomew (of 365 Grateful and You Can’t Be Serious) and illustrated by Alarna Zinn touching on the issues of being discontent with who we are and what we have.

From the site;

Ruby Who? is the sweet and innocent story of a little girl’s adventure in re-discovering her identity. Ruby wishes for so many things and dreams of being like others. Will she end up forgetting how to just be herself?

Ruby Who? was created as a way to explain to children that having more ‘stuff’ doesn’t make life better; looking like the other kids won’t make you happy; it’s who you are when you’re being yourself that counts. The result is a short film and book that are playful, happy and poignant without being too preachy.

With Ellie having started school this year, this delightful book has been a great tool for us. Being in ‘big school’ now leads to many wants and wistful thoughts about possessions, clothes and features new friends have. Ruby Who? has been a gentle way of addressing the desire to be different or to have more and to instill a sense of contentment.

The fun rhythm of the story and the gorgeous (and unique) illustrations engages the audience and makes it easy to read night after night.

Ruby Who? actually started out as a 6 minute short film created with the help of Natala Stuetz and starring Andrew and Hailey’s eldest daughter, Zali (this is a family of seriously talented people. Seriously). It is lovely and bright.

I think it’s so important to teach our children to be grateful for what they have and to fully embrace who they are. It’s also important to remind ourselves that what we have is enough. Who we are is enough and I think this is a perfect way to bring our focus to those points.

You can purchase Ruby Who? online from I Like to Be Me

Ruby Who? book $19.50
Ruby Who? DVD $19.95

I love Instagram. The ability to take snapshots of life wherever I am and then share them with friends and family instantly is oh-so-appealing to my blogging self. To date I have 1811 photos on Instagram and there are so many I am simply in love with. I have been searching for a way to bring those photos into my life in a more physical way. While it’s awesome to have them all at the tip of my fingers it’s not the same to look at some of them on a screen.

So, when the opportunity came up to try PosterCandy I was thrilled. I jumped straight on and chose what type of posters I wanted from the five different sizes; 30cm x 40cm, 40cm x 50cm, 50cm x 50cm, 50cm x 70cm and 70cm x 100cm, each of which suits the frames available from IKEA. Each poster size also gives you a choice of 4 image layouts (less or more photos included).

The process of creating your poster is easy. Once you’ve chosen your size, you log in and then it’s a simple drag and drop interface from your Instagram account (which you logged into). Now, you just have to go through your shots and choose which ones to have included. PosterCandy have added the capability to search by hash tag to help narrow it down, which I imagine to be very helpful unless you use hash tags in ironic and silly ways, like me (#FAIL).

Once I had decided I wanted a 50×50 poster of my favourite nature/things shots and a 50×70 of my family I was able to get through relatively quickly with minimal photo switch outs which is really to be expected when you post pretty much everything ever.

Once you’re happy with the photos you have chosen and their placement you can choose from a white or black background and then you’re ready to order.

My posters arrived within the same week, carefully rolled in tissue paper and placed in a cylinder.

The quality is impeccable and they look great up, even without frames (our IKEA visit has been postponed for the moment). They are really striking and I find myself looking at them all the time. To top it all off, PosterCandy is 100% Australian owned and operated.

Follow PosterCandy on Instagram (postercandy) to see what they’re up to or like them on Facebook to keep up to date.

You can order online at PosterCandy.com.au

30 x 40 $19.95,
40 x 50 $24.95,
50 x 50 $29.95,
50 x 70 $34.95
70 x 100 $49.95

Are you on Instagram? Pop by and say hi to me (bybecky)!

Disclosure: I received product for review purposes. All opinions expressed are purely my own. No payment was offered nor accepted for this review.

On one of our most recent trips to visit Nanna we had the pleasure of visiting Canberra’s National Zoo and Aquarium, Australia’s only combined Zoo and Aquarium.

I’ve wanted to go for a long time, having heard from many people that it’s one of the best private zoos they have visited. On entering, the zoo appears on the ‘small’ side but clean, tidy and well set out.

So, it was surprising to find that all the enclosures were spacious and, one of my favourite things was that many had multiple viewing areas, giving us a peek into the habitat each animal occupies and also enabling us to catch a glimpse of any animals which might be in a normally hard to see place.

The Snow Leopard enclosure, for example, gave us a 360 degree view.

As you make your way around you feel that the enclosures and paths have been added in the least imposing way, it all seems to flow naturally. There is a ‘stream’ running beside the walk way for much of the first part of your visit, if you have littlies who are walking, this might be a slight issue. I thought Jasper might want to go paddle, but he was too enthralled with the animals to even notice it.

Just some of the animals you will find

You can see animals amazingly close here and, even enjoy a wander through the emus (which I am utterly terrified of, FYI) wallabies and kangaroos. As the mother of three very hands-on children I was particularly impressed with the automatic hand sanitizer stationed at the exits.

For me, the zoo is all about the big cats. I could literally watch them for hours. The National Zoo and Aquarium is home to 6 White Lions and, more impressively The Brat Pack. I as pretty excited to see (some of) them as I would have seen them as cubs at Mogo Zoo. Having a group of male lions together like this makes for an interesting viewing and they seem much more like the cubs you see who are interactive and play/fight with each other than the lions you generally see of their size who tend to be resting separately for the most part.

Their play meant we got to see them in action and hear their amazing roars. They alone made my visit worth the while.

The Brat Pack

We were able to make it around to the Tigers in time for their talk, which was held above the enclosures with Berani, the Sumatran Tiger to our right and Bakkar the Bengal Tiger to our left. It was warm and they didn’t want to do much but that hardly mattered. I fell in love with Bakkar at first sight and would love to go back on a cooler day to watch him roam his enclosure from the various vantage points.

Berani is about to get a new friend, Rahni from Dream World, to help with the global breeding program of Sumatran Tigers. It’s an exciting thing to see all the work our Zoos are doing together to help save the tiger.

Berani and Bakkar

The zoo is small enough to have an intimate feeling yet big enough to house some of the most amazing animals. Even with Jasper (2) walking it wasn’t too much and we were able to comfortably spend time at each exhibit without worrying that we might miss something due to time constraints.

My one regret is that we didn’t take cash as when we made our way to have lunch they had a sausage sizzle, which apparently they do every weekend. We grabbed some sandwiches and sausage rolls but felt quite disappointed eating them while smelling the amazing BBQ just outside.

He loves the zoo

After lunch we made our way over there to aquarium portion of the zoo to see snakes, sharks, fish, frogs and more. The aquarium boasts the largest inland salt water tank in Australia which holds 200,000 litres of water.

It’s just the right size to finish off your visit.

There’s so much to love about Canberra’s National Zoo and Aquarium, we had a perfect day as a family and I am (not-so) secretly adding a Family Tour to my 30th birthday list.

Pop over to their website and like them on Facebook to keep up-to-date with all things National Zoo and Aquarium.

National Zoo and Aquarium is open 10.00am – 5.00pm every day of the year, except Christmas Day.
Daily admission is;

• Adults: $38
• Children: $21.50 (4 – 15)
• Children under 4 yrs: gold coin entry
• Family: $105 (includes 2 adults and up to 3 children)

Check the website for concessions and annual admission prices

Disclosure: I received a complimentary family pass for review purposes from National Zoo and Aquarium. All opinions expressed are purely my own. No payment was offered nor accepted for this review.

Experiences are my new passion. Taking my family new and exciting places, learning, growing and being together is what drives me. However, sometimes taking a family consisting of two adults and three young children places can be difficult. Finding suitable accommodation is one of my main complaints. So often we end up in places where we feel like the children are not welcome or the room is not suitable. I can’t begin to count how many times we have arrived in a ‘family’ room to find it pokey, with no room for the cot let alone for the kids to just be.

On our recent trip to Sydney to visit Taronga Zoo we were lucky enough to stay at the Swissôtel Sydney. The thing that drew me in was the Kids Room option. The website had me sold;

A kids’ paradise designed to provide children and parents a fun play and sleep experience; for children between 2 to 12 years old.

While the full kids room option was highly appealing (interconnecting rooms, one for us and one all done up for the kiddos) I decided that, due to the ages of our children (5, 4 and 2) the half kids room was more appropriate.

The thought of it seemed quite luxurious but the reality was so much more than that. If you’ve traveled and stayed with children, then you know how hard it can to keep them happy and entertained in a strange, often small and boring room. When we go anywhere, I pack about a million toys, books, pens, pencils and everything in between but this time, I did not.

When we arrived it was dark and late but we were greeted with bright, happy kid’s decorations such as foam numbers, letters, cuddly toys, children’s bed linen and some little tasty treats thanks to the lovely Lauren. The kids were thrilled and, I have to admit to being a little sad that my bed wasn’t as fun and colourful.

The kids room option includes age appropriate toys, a children’s table and chairs, age appropriate toys and DVDs and, junior amenities in the bathroom. The stool for standing at the sink was particularly happy with, as all three of my children are at such an independent stage, they want to try and do it all themselves.

The hotel is centrally placed, located above Myer and up the road from David Jones, down the road from Sydney Tower Eye and within walking distance to Darling Harbour.

The service was impeccable. Everyone we encountered was friendly and helpful, making us feel welcome and comfortable.

The night after our trip to the zoo we ordered room service, which was expensive but prompt and delicious. We also enjoyed the breakfast buffet at the hotel’s restaurant, Just Pure Bistro or Jpb, where we could choose from a vast array of food including cereals, bacon, eggs, hash browns, fresh fruit, yoghurt, pastries and more. There were plastic plates and cups for the children and a little set up of food just for them to serve themselves.

There was even organic honey on offer which comes from the 200,000 bees that live on the roof of the hotel.

The only ‘issue’ we had was that there weren’t any easily accessible power points for our charging needs (ie we had to plug our phones in at the mini bar and couldn’t have them next to us on our bedside tables. I know. Shocking).

Our room was clean, our children were entertained and happy, the service was excellent and the food was yummy. That’s what makes for a happy weekend in this Mumma’s book. If you’re looking for family friendly accommodation in Sydney, I suggest you check out the Swissôtel Sydney.

Half Kids Room set up from $339
(includes additional double bed for parents)
Full Kids Room set up from $429
(adjoining room for parents not included)

Disclosure: Our stay at Swissotel Sydney was subsidized for review purposes . All opinions expressed are purely my own. No payment was offered nor accepted for this review.

Is there a zoo with a better view?
I doubt it!

I first went to Taronga Zoo as an excited 5 year old on a surprise outing with my beloved grandparents. It was my first big trip to the city. And I was hooked from that moment.

Now that our eldest is 5 and our youngest is at a beautiful 2, where every little thing is totally thrilling we thought it would be a perfect time to take them all to experience Sydney’s fabulous Zoo.

It was a rainy day and, while on the Ferry ride over, I was a bit disappointed but the day turned out perfectly, rain and all. Rocking our ponchos bought from the zoo store

As with all things, the Zoo has grown and changed since my first visit all those years ago. No two visits are the same and we all had a wonderful day. Discovering, learning, laughing.

The grounds are beautiful, the enclosures are becoming more and more tailored to the animals that inhabit them. It is a happy place to be.

Behind all the fun, the wonder and the excitement of seeing animals we’ve not seen before (or even those we have that still make us catch our breath time and time again) is the active role Taronga Zoo is taking in Conservation. We are educated and called to action.

Over the summer, Taronga Zoo hosted some rather large, unusual animals in their Dinosaurs in the Wild exhibit and we wanted to see them before they ‘became extinct’ again. We got lucky and made it the day before they left, so unfortunately, they’ve hopped back on a boat and gone who knows where.

I DO highly recommend visiting when they have special interest exhibits on as they really go all out with details, information and fun talks/activities.

One thing I was disappointed about was missing talks. We caught the end of the Dino talk but missed everything else we had planned to see. While, we did some planning before our visit, we didn’t allow for variables such as rain, toilet stops and toddlers slowing us down and holding us up. Well, okay, maybe we kind of did as we only very loosely planned (check out the interactive map to help you plan your visit). I know how much Ellie loves the talks at our local zoo and had hoped we would get to at least one, along with the seal show as I’ve never been to one but I imagine they’re amazing as I watch the seals swimming so playfully.

We did sit down for the QBE Free Flight Bird Show only to look out across the harbour and, literally, see the rain coming towards us. We saw one bird land before being blown away and the show was cancelled. I would love for Taronga’s ticket to cover two days’ entry; one day for seeing all the animals and the next for going to all the talks/shows/encounters our heart’s desire.

Beautiful Big Cats

One of the newer additions in the grounds is the children’s playground in Backyard to Bush. It’s big, fun and perfect for adventurous explorers. There’s lots to climb and maneuver over, under and thru – great for their gross motor skills. There is also a water area where the kids can play with changing the direction of the running water. Unfortunately, as we arrived we got some more heavy rain and our play time was short and I had to snap a couple of quick pictures before popping the camera back under my poncho.

Backyard to Bush Playground

Thankfully, there was so much to do the kids didn’t put up too much of a fuss when we had to retreat from the playground. I was particularly impressed with the Backyard to Bush house where we were treated to a pat of a some Bearded Dragons as their enclosure was cleaned and we checked out the incredible insects and animals we maybe don’t realise we’re sharing everyday with. I loved the clever way they showed us where these things that are, possibly, lurking in and around our homes. I was particularly creeped out and amused by the Red Back in the toilet.

These Giraffes have the best view ever

Our time at the zoo was lovely and I am already keen to do it again.

James and I are both particularly excited about the Lemur Forest Adventure which will open later this year

There is so much to love about Taronga Zoo and I highly recommend is as the perfect family day out. Even in the rain.

Be sure to check out their website to keep up to date with all that’s going on at Taronga Zoo and to help you plan your visit and like them on facebook for photos, updates and so much more.

Taronga Zoo is open 9.30 – 5 in the warmer months and 9.30 – 4.30 from May to August

Daily Admission is

• Adults $44
• Children (4-15 years) $22
• Children (under 4) Free

Check the website for concessions and annual admission prices

You can also pop over to YouTube and see the little video I put together of some of the photos and video from the day.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary family pass for review purposes from Taronga Zoo. All opinions expressed are purely my own. No payment was offered nor accepted for this review.