It sounds crazy but we, Aussies get excited about long weekends. It doesn’t happen often but every time when a long weekend is on the way, most of us have plans for it. One of them was last weekend for Easter.
Normally, I plan months in advance for the break but this time I was too tired to even think about it. Having come back from Nepal just a few weeks ago, I needed to rest but of course, it was not going to happen.
My cousins are visiting from the US and they were planning a trip away so we did a last minute planning. We were lucky that we managed to get accommodation for seven adults and three kids. Of course, it was expensive but still we managed to plan the trip and left Friday morning for the Hunter Valley.
Hunter Valley
We had been to Hunter Valley multiple times before but we still enjoyed the Hunter Valley Gardens with the kids again and also the wine tasting. The kids were having a blast and we just loved it 🙂
Nelson Bay and Toboggan Hill Park
Nelson bay is a big area and even though we had been there before, it was still a great place to be. We swam in One-mile beach and went for a walk in Nelson Bay wharf.
We also went to Toboggan Hill Park, which is set amongst natural bush just off Salamander Way at Nelson Bay. We had so much fun with the kids tobogganing. The 1km track starts with an automatic uphill tow of 300 metres.
From the top station, we can control the speed of our toboggan as we commence the exhilarating descent. The track winds down through 11 bends before we reach the bottom. With practice, speeds of up to 45 – 50km/hour are possible. All the little ones rode with their mum/dad and they enjoyed it a lot too.
The Entrance
Surrounded by lagoons, lakes and beaches, The Entrance is a beautiful town. When we arrived in The Entrance, they were having markets and carnival for Easter. We just walked around and enjoyed the view.
At 3.30 pm they had pelican feeding and that is what we wanted to observe. The pelican feeding in The Entrance Memorial Park is a highlight of the place. By 3:00 pm there were so many people gathered in the park. We also waited patiently as we knew the feed went ahead in all weather and is sponsored by local businesses.
According to the official info, the pelican feeding started by accident over twenty years ago when staff from a local fish and chip shop would throw out scraps. It became such a ritual that whenever the staff were late in throwing their scraps out, the pelicans would cross the road and come up to the shop to be fed. The Pelicans start coming in group to the waterfront around 3.00, approaching the platform slowly and jump into the platform just before 3.30 pm when the staff are ready to feed them with the fish.
It was a great to watch them as they eat the fish and go back to the water. It’s not all fun and games, though. The volunteers use the daily contact to keep an eye on the welfare of the pelicans, which are prone to injury from plastic bags, fishing line and hooks.
Hope all of you had great Easter too.
This week is very short week for us (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) as from this Friday we are having Anzac long weekend so looking forward to another long weekend.
Take care, everyone.
M from nepaliaustralian
XOXO
nepaliaustralian 