While many of you are enjoying warm weather, it’s winter in Australia, and Sydney doesn’t get snow. To experience it, we had to drive 6 hours.
Our adventure began with a 3-hour drive from Sydney to Canberra, where we stayed with friends. From there, it was another 3.5-hour journey to the Snowy Mountains. Along the way, we stopped in Cooma to hire car chains and toboggans.
Initially, we planned to visit Perisher Valley, but by 10 am, the car park was full, so we headed to Thredbo instead. Unfortunately, we discovered that Thredbo doesn’t allow tobogganing, which was a bit disappointing.
Despite this, we were thrilled to experience the falling snow, especially since it was my kids’ first time seeing it. We made snowmen and had a blast with snowball fights. Although the kids were a little let down by not being able to toboggan, they had a fantastic time sliding on the snow and enjoying themselves.
Around 4 pm, as the wind started to pick up and it became extremely cold, we decided to return to our accommodation. We had booked a place in Cooma for the night. Stay tuned for more details about our stay in the next post!
Our autumn holiday in the Blue Mountains was the perfect opportunity to finally visit Mayfield Garden, a place that had been on my bucket list for ages. Known as one of the largest and most spectacular cool climate gardens in the Southern Hemisphere, Mayfield Garden certainly lived up to its reputation.
As Australia’s largest privately-owned cool climate garden, Mayfield is a testament to the vision of the Hawkins family, who drew inspiration from Europe’s most significant horticultural destinations. Since we were already staying overnight in the Blue Mountains, a day trip to Mayfield Garden was a no-brainer. The scenic hour-long drive only added to our anticipation.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by landscapes straight out of a fairytale. The garden unfolded before us, a paradise of vibrant autumn hues, serene water features, and inviting pathways. From the tranquil Obelisk Pond to the grandeur of the Hawkins’ Family Chapel, every corner of Mayfield Garden beckoned us to explore further.
I was particularly enchanted by the Pampas Garden, with grasses towering above me. It felt like a scene straight out of a Bollywood film, and I couldn’t resist the urge to take countless photos of the Japanese Maples, their leaves ablaze with rich autumn colours.
The kids were thrilled with the treasure hunt map they received at the entrance. They were so engaged in finding all the numbers on their map that they forgot how much walking they were doing.
The English Box Hedge Maze was a highlight for both kids and adults alike. Navigating its twists and turns was a delightful adventure, and we emerged with smiles on our faces and a sense of accomplishment. It took us around 10 minutes to reach the bell tower, it took us only 5 minutes to get out.
Our only hiccup came when we attempted to lunch at the garden’s restaurant. Despite available tables, we were turned away as we hadn’t booked in advance. Left with no other option, we settled for pizza from a nearby establishment. Unfortunately, the pizzas were a disappointment – burnt on the edges and cold in the middle. Lesson learned: always pack a picnic lunch to avoid food-related woes!
Despite this minor setback, our visit to Mayfield Garden was nothing short of enchanting. It perfectly complemented our Blue Mountains holiday, offering a blend of natural beauty and artistic landscaping that left us in awe. If you ever find yourself in the area, don’t miss the chance to experience this magical oasis firsthand. Just be sure to pack your own lunch to avoid any disappointments!
Mayfield Garden 530 Mayfield Rd, Oberon NSW PH: (02) 6336 3131 Open 9.00am to 4.30pm Monday – Sunday.
Have you been there? Leave your experience in the comments!
For the autumn school holidays, we decided to take a trip to the Blue Mountains, a picturesque region located about 100 kilometres west of Sydney. This area is renowned for its stunning natural beauty, especially in autumn when the landscape is adorned with vibrant yellow, orange, and brown leaves. The Blue Mountains have always been a popular destination for us to show to our overseas visitors. However, this time we decided to stay for a few days and explore the area ourselves.
We spent our days exploring the numerous attractions the area has to offer. One of the highlights was visiting the iconic Three Sisters rock formation at Echo Point, which provided us with a spectacular panoramic view of the surrounding valleys and cliffs.
We also enjoyed a ride on the Scenic Railway, the steepest passenger railway in the world, offering a thrilling descent through lush rainforest.
Another unforgettable experience was gliding between cliff tops on the Scenic Skyway. This 720-metre journey offers the best views of Katoomba Falls, the Three Sisters, Mt Solitary, and Jamison Valley. Suspended 270 metres above ancient ravines, the breathtaking views of the rainforest canopy are revealed beneath your feet through the electro-glass cabin floor.
As they stepped onto the glass floor of the Scenic Skyway at Blue Mountain, the kids initially froze, their eyes wide with a mix of awe and trepidation. The transparent surface revealed the dizzying drop below, making their hearts race. Clinging to each other and to the railing, they hesitated, their nervous laughter betraying their fear.
However, as the initial shock wore off, curiosity began to replace their anxiety , they started peeking down at the forest and waterfall far below. Suddenly, the fear turned to exhilaration. They giggled and pointed out the tiny trees and winding trails beneath them, marvelling at the unique perspective. The glass floor, once a source of fear, became a thrilling experience, and they began to move around with increasing confidence, enjoying the breathtaking views from their lofty perch.
We also experienced the Scenic Cableway, a 510-metre journey that gently descends into the Jamison Valley before returning to the top of the escarpment. The fully enclosed cabin offers a unique vantage point for viewing iconic rock formations including the Three Sisters, Orphan Rock, and Mt Solitary. It is the steepest aerial cable car in the Southern Hemisphere. The Cableway disembarks directly onto the Scenic Walkway, allowing visitors to experience the temperate rainforest.
We took advantage of the many walking tracks, such as the Katoomba Falls track, where we were greeted by cascading waterfalls and lush greenery.
The crisp autumn air and the crunch of leaves underfoot made our walks even more enjoyable.
One of the most exciting activities for the children was Gruffalo Spotting on one of the walking tracks.
This interactive experience brought the beloved storybook character to life as we followed a trail and used an app to spot the Gruffalo and other characters from the story hidden throughout the garden. The kids were thrilled to see their favourite characters, and the adventure added an extra layer of fun to our visit.
Overall, our autumn holiday to the Blue Mountains was a memorable experience, filled with natural beauty, adventure, and family fun. It was the perfect getaway to enjoy the seasonal splendour and create lasting memories with the kids.
Have you ever been to the Blue Mountains area? If so, I’d love to hear about your experience! If not, be sure to add this stunning destination to your must-visit list for your next trip to Sydney.
We booked our trip to Japan and Korea last year, more than 6 months in advance. I was really excited because I had always wanted to go to Japan and going to Korea was a bonus.
We did some research about Japan before booking the hotels. We quickly realised that hotels are quite expensive and small in Japan but we were still very excited to go.
We started telling Chhori about our holiday a few months in advance so she was so excited about it too. She would tell people and even her friends in Childcare that she will be going to Japan and Korea in such a cute voice.
Anyway finally the day came and we all packed and headed to the airport.
We flew Qantas and it was one of the best flights we have had. The service and food were both amazing and I am definitely going to fly with them more often.
We first flew from Sydney to Melbourne where we had a 3 hour stopover then 9 hours to Tokyo.
Chhori was amazing in the flight with no dramas. She ate her food and was busy watching Peppa pig on her tablet. She napped for a few hours and was fresh again before we landed.
It was evening when we landed in Tokyo and it was quite nice as we went from cold winter to nice warm summer.
After we collected our luggage, we went and got a sim card and tickets to the bus. The hotel was a bit away from the city so it was cheaper to catch a bus from the airport and then a cab the rest of the way.
The hotel was great location with a metro station just next to it but the room was a bit small as we had known.
The bathroom was just enough to fit a bathtub, toilet and wash basin.
The toilet fascinated us with so many buttons. If you don’t know what I am talking about, just imagine a toilet with auto lid and seat where you can adjust the seat temperature. The toilet where you can use water to clean but it is all automatic with adjustable water temperature and multiple water outlet to spray your bottom. The toiles also had features like self-sterilizing nozzles, air deodorizer, adjustable water pressure, noise/music player, warm air dry, night light etc. to name some.
The toilets definitely kept us amused and it was fun to discover the different features while were in the loo.
That day we were too tired to do anything so we just ate dinner and went to bed.
We had an amazing time in Tokyo and I will post about all our experience in the coming post.
This Easter long weekend, we didn’t go away anywhere. Instead we made some plans with our friends and it was quite fun.
One day we took the kids to the Easter show.
It was a free event in Cronulla and there were the traditional rides, show bags, an animal farm, market stalls and roving entertainment.
We went on a big slide with the kids on our laps and kids enjoy the elephant merry – go-around as well. They also went into a jumping castle and had heaps of fun.
Chhori and her friend loved getting their face painted and they both looked adorable for sure.
But like every year the highlight for me was the petting zoo. They had alpacas, sheep, chicken, ducks, pigs, goat, rabbits and a calf. It was amazing to see the kids enjoy the animals and pat them too.
We also bought them the bubble guns and it was a hit as they could have hundreds of bubbles instantly.
Overall it was an amazing day out for the parents as well as for the kids.
Another day we took the kids to the park and they had a great time. We had lunch from a nearby café while the kids play at the park.
But the highlight of the Easter long weekend was the food. We planned a food marathon so we had something special for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
On the Friday we went to a sea food buffet and it was really great and we ate a lot. I loved the prawns and the amazing dessert.
Then on Saturday, it started with my scones for breakfast and amazing garlic prawn and chicken paella for dinner.
The next day we had gwaramari for breakfast and typical Nepali thakali thali for dinner.
We tried to make it as close as possible to the famous thakali thali and it contained rice, dal, gundruk ko achar, mula ko achar, chicken curry, saag (spinach) and mushroom curry. The whole combination tasted amazing.
On the third day it was pancakes for breakfast, chatamari and pakauda for lunch and nepali dal-bhaat-tarkari-masu for dinner.
The food was amazing and it didn’t feel like a lot of effort as different people were doing different dishes. But I have to admit, I put on at least a kilo after eating all that food.
I will share the recipes for a few of the dishes soon. Most of them are already on my blog so please do try them and let me know how it goes.
nepaliaustralian 