Then I got the realy good news: Lonely Planet was going to include all of their guidebooks as part of the rental program.
For someone traveling the world this is really great news!
Prior to leaving Santa Cruz for South Africa and the first leg of our around the world journey we had ordered paperback copies of the Lonely Planet guidebooks we would need for our trip.
This was a calculated decision as my wife and I still have trouble visualizing a travel destination through a Kindle edition guidebook.
As you know though carrying all these guidebooks is a real drag and purchasing digital versions through Lonely Planet is very expensive.
Enter Amazon Kindle Unlimited
For $9.99 per month Kindle Unlimited allows you to virtually “check out” up to 10 books at any given time; including (but certainly not limited to) the complete collection of Lonely Planet Guidebooks.
Amazon claims:
Unlimited reading from over 700,000 books
Unlimited listening to thousands of audiobooks
Read on any device
Only $9.99 a month
And if you are a road-schooling parent like ourselves the deal gets even sweeter with tons of childrens books on hand.
Granted, the selection of books is not world-class by any means and I still complement this with our city’s free digital library. But having access to every single Amazon Kindle Lonely Planet Guidebook for Free as well as access to many other country specific guides makes this the best $9.99 I spend each month.
To top it off you can take Kinlde Unlimited for a test drive your first month on the road for free.
You can search Amazon’s Unlimited book collection by clicking here.
Scribd Unlimited
Scribd also offers a similar deal with over 500,000 books including all the Lonely Planet Guidebooks for $8.99.
They also offer a free 30 day trial so technically, if you are savvy you can travel for 2 months with all the Lonely Planet guidebooks you want for free.
I think Amazon is the best deal though and if you have a Kindle device and kids it makes for an ideal situation.
“What is the last thing you want from Santa for Christmas in Port Douglas?”
A pair of Crocs!
Port Douglas for Christmas.
I have to say this was one of the most memorable and nicest Christmas’s.
It was relaxing, enjoyable and low key. I didn’t have to worry all month about what I was going to buy everyone and who was on the list. I got to celebrate Christmas with my family and we even made it to Christmas Eve church service in downtown Cairns.
I feel burdened with to do lists and retail confusion most years. I’ve been wanting to set aside all the gift giving for a long time and just focus on what matters most.
All that being said, we did do a one stop shopping at K-mart for gifts for the kids and for the kids to get in the mood of doing something for others.
Out of K-mart in an hour and a half and it was all done!
Layla wrapped the parent gifts and all were happy on Christmas morning.
We didn’t have a great kitchen to make Christmas cookies so Santa got a plate of crackers covered with Nutella on top (he must of liked it because they were all going in the morning).
Lucca fell asleep on the car ride home from snorkeling so Layla and I put out the reindeer food Lucca had made a few night before. Oatmeal with sprinkles and Santa’s kangaroos where able to find us just fine.
St Monica’s Cathedral
After snorkeling we met a nice navy family from Guam. Both were nurses traveling with 3 kids, they were on holiday.
We ran to the mall in Cairns for what is now known as “50 cent” ice cream but they had just closed. Hungry Jacks was the last one open and we were able to get Stephen some food and the kids an ice cream bar. The young man in front of us even gave us his ice cream bar because the one we did get came with Stephen’s meal, the ice cream machine was all out and she wouldn’t sell us one individually. The young man noticed our dilemma with two small kids and graciously gave us his. I was so touched. Of course he had a small brother and understood all too well that one ice cream cone between two kids just wouldn’t do. We ran out of there just in time to catch two carols before mass started.
Layla was grumpy the whole time during Christmas mass sad to say. The incense annoyed her, she didn’t have a shiny new Christmas dress like all the other little girls, she felt bad about her hair since we had just came from snorkeling and she was frustrated she couldn’t read the program enough to sing the carols.
In the end she controlled herself pretty well with a silent scowl planted on her face. You could see the inner turmoil inside and she just couldn’t put on a happy face.
I decided to compliment her on her self control, since she did most of the pouting in silence. My normal reaction would to tell her how rude and inappropriate she behaved, but she did control her grumpiness.
The kids wanted me to sit in the back with them so I squished myself between the two car seats and by doing this she bounced back on the car ride.
We enjoyed the hour drive back to Port Douglass with pleasant conversations and appreciated the night sky and all the beautiful stars.
Christmas Day
Lucca got a Spiderman motor cycle which he played with all day and a Teenage Mutton Ninja Turtle movie. He loved it!
Layla got the watch she had been wanting, and the kids got fresh underwear, sunglasses, books, and a few new shirts for Lucca and new “jammies” for Layla.
Dad got shaving cream, a rain poncho, chocolate and a new T-shirt and lets not forget his introductory dive the day before.
I got a new hat, hair clip, T-shirt, and chocolate. Our stocking were our Santa Hats’s we’d picked up for free in Sydney and I bought a koala Christmas ornament to take home with us.
Twice in the pool today kept us busy and plenty of down time for the kids to play with “the babies”.
My turkey ended up turning out great. After 4 hours of cooking time and a few adjustments with the foil baking pan, I realized I had the temp set too low.
5 hours later though it was a great turkey complete with the best gravy I’ve made so far. I thought it was way too salty but everyone enjoyed it.
Sadly, I failed on the stuffing and it turned into a soft mush. Can’t mess up mashed potatoes, sparkling cider in champagne flutes.
Just missing the apple pie, pumpkin pie, and broccoli salad. Also missing the extended family but it will probably be the only Christmas we’ll ever have with just the four of us.
Layla even said the thing she liked most about Christmas was giving to others, way more than receiving her gifts. Instant hug and kiss!
So many wonderful things the kids said today, I wish I had the time to write them down in the moment. I love my kids with all my heart and I wish I can be a good mom to them.
Port Stephen’s and Anna Bay is such a great little find!
Thank goodness I didn’t lose the Family Holiday Park booklet I got back in NZ, I haven’t seen one since.
We still haven’t found a great web-sight or app that will show us all the parks in the area so we’re left guessing or just driving and hoping for the best.
We booked two nights originally and we added another two because it is so peaceful and now we’re looking to change plans again.
5 reasons we love Bay’s Holiday Park in Port Stephen’s
Free, great internet
large covered porch
play area for the kids just in the back yard,
great pool
We feel like we could move in.
Did I mention that they even have outdoor bowling and a large ring toss we all enjoyed together.
Cabin 3 is best with kids.
Bay Holiday Park is situated right in the middle of all the towns and is a 5 minute drive to any of the beaches and shopping. Despite what they advertise, I didn’t see any Koala’s in the trees though.
Layla has been the best these last 3 days. We even went shopping for a new swim suit last night and for the first time in a long time I could see the woman she’s going to become.
It’s poring now but the large porch allows me to stay outside and dry.
Stephen finally was able to buy a surf board and has surfed all three days. It was quite a challenge fixing it on top of our rental car but I think we’ve got it now without buzzing down the freeway.
Oh I don’t want to go and I want someone else to plan this trip for us.
I told Layla last night I feel like we don’t spend time together like we should. All our energy is put into where we are going next and what we’re going to do for the day.
Hopefully we’ll figure it out in the next 2 days.
Both Stephen and I were able to take turns driving into Nelson’s Bay to watch The Hunger Games. It felt nice to do something “normal.”
This whole area is so beautiful and divided up around a few different towns.
Port Stephen’s is not the town itself but is made up of Salamander Bay, Anna’s Bay, Nelson’s Bay, Shoals Bay, and a few others.
Surfing beaches that Stephen liked were One Mile beach and Booi Booi as well as Stockton Beach. We skipped the Camel rides and the sand dune sleds but did make it to the beach with the kids.
They enjoyed climbing over the rocks and then exploring the tide pools at low tide.
I finally picked up some cheap boogie boards at Kmart last night so hopefully the rain will stop and we’ll be able to use them at our next stop.
If you are a parent traveling with children you know how difficult it can be to arrange an activity with your spouse while traveling overseas.
When my wife and I decided to take the PADI open water diving course together in Koh Tao Thailand we knew this would be challenging.
We weren’t worried about the divine per say, but the work involved in finding appropriate childcare for the kids while we were taking the 4 day open water course.
After asking around at the local dive shops (and getting nowhere) then doing a half day of reconnaissance by foot, we rented some mopeds and found our solution: The Koh Tao Playskool
The Playskool is more than just a “playskool”, staffed by a talented international English speaking staff (our daughters third grade teacher was from England) who not only provide a full day of activity but lessons in math and writing along with an excellent school experience.
To top it off, the owners (Bree and Gigi) of the Playskhool were more than happy to take our children early (one day at 6:30 am) so that we could do our morning training dives. They even entertained our kids until 5 pm the same day for a late pickup.
The school was definitely not cheap and set us back $90 US per day for both of our children while they were attending from early morning until about 4/5 pm in the afternoon.
Since our accommodations were only $35 for per day for the week we justified working this into our budget. To have the experience of taking the 4 day diving course as a couple it was a worthwhile splurge.
You can alternatively find babysitting by asking around, but this is often difficult and unreliable. We met another family who was doing this but they were rarely able to dive together because of cancellations etc. etc.
If you are taking a PADI course in Koh Tao and want to have an amazing adventure with your significant other, knowing your kids are in a safe and fabulous school environment… I cannot recommend the Koh Tao Playskool enough.
Happy Kids + Happy Parents = Good Value for Money
The Koh Tao Playskool is more than happy to take your children for a day, two or an entire year 🙂 It is a great break for the whole family and after 6 months of travel side by side, it left everyone with bright smiles and a refreshed outlook on life!
Note – The Playskool is a bit hard to find, call the staff to arrange a time to meet beforehand and they will be very happy to give you directions. There is a map available as well on their website and a Tuk Tuk driver will know how to find it.
They were like lazy deer for the last 3 days and now they are all gone? It’s so cute to see the babies in the mom’s pouches.
You’ll see a kangaroo with some extra feet and a tail hanging out and know one is in there. How to they breath in there?
We were able to get up close enough to see the baby joeys snout just peeking out of his mama’s pouch. You really do get within an arm’s reach from them and they don’t seem to mind one bit.
Pretty Beach is just that, Pretty! The sound of the ocean is in the distance and lounging kangaroo’s outside your cabin remind you at every moment your in Australia.
The kids and I have enjoyed every minute of this place. Unplugged, no distractions or temptations to begin searching for the next destination beyond what we have in our guidebooks.
Layla did a lot of school work. What a difference it makes when you just stay 2 nights somewhere. Long walks and natural exploration open up.
The birds are awesome here too!
Around 430 PM each evening the Rainbow Lorikeet grace us with their presence and eats right out of our hands.
Lucca’s a real bird lover now and soon we had all sorts of birds gracing our front porch. Unfortunately the other flying animals have taken a liking to him as well. He woke up in the middle of the night yesterday and said his back itched. I scratched it half asleep, put a T-shirt on and hurried him back into bed. The next morning it was apparent the mosquitoes had gotten the best of him.
I’ve come to really appreciate birds on this trip. The ordinary becomes the extraordinary here.
Parrots and Cockatoo in the wild visiting your porch like a duck or pigeon will never get old. The vibrant green, yellows, orange placed just right on the Rainbow Lorikeet is so beautiful. The Silver-crested Cockatoos soar through the air like seagulls. At Apollo beach the Crimson Rosella (parrot) are mistaken for the normal seagull.
Black swans and Australian pelicans grace the water inlets along the coast.
I went for a hike yesterday and saw yet another type of large parrot, black and high up in the tree, it was enjoying eating the local pine cones. It was the Yellow-tailed Black-Cockatoo. Stephen even found an Iguana just walking across a field!
We saw the Australian King-Parrot with the koala’s at Kennet River. The Welcome Swallow truly welcomed us with it’s royal blue head here.
Stephen took the kids for a hike yesterday and I kept thinking they were close by as I swore I heard them laughing, turns out it was the song of the Laughing Kookaburra.
The Kookaburra looks like a big King Fisher to me but the sound truly sounded like children’s voices.
They are very brazen and remind me of our common black crow but with their human like walk and contrasting white feathers I seem to appreciate them more than a crow. I wonder if foreigners to America get as excited over deer on their lawns or our Blue Jays or Cardinals?
And then there’s annoying little finch that keeps pecking at all the other birds. They don’t seem to mind.
The Red Wattlebird is also here. It took me a little bit to identify because the picture doesn’t seem to do it justice. It has red skin tags on it’s cheek that waddle like a turkey and a yellow underbelly.
The kangaroo’s are back! I love how they lean back on their muscular tails like a third foot to move forward, scratch with their claws and the way their arms dangle in front of them is comical.
Having spoken with various Aussies prior to leaving for Australia we were met with mixed reviews about the drive from Melbourne to Sydney.
Surprisingly, many of them weren’t positive.
This is a shame, because this 900 km stretch of highway 1 along the Australian East Coast has a lot to offer for the intrepid family traveler.
Specifically; less crowds, nice beaches, unspoiled wildlife, uncrowded surf breaks and some of the nicest, family-friendly holiday parks we encountered on our entire trip.
Because our time was limited we had to rush through many of these spots. It would be best to allow at least 2 days in each spot, especially if you are traveling with young children.
Lakes Entrance
We made a quick stopover in Lakes Entrance more out of necessity than desire. But even a short stay this area has a lot to offer.
We stayed at the Big 4 Holiday Park which was very central to everything, they had a nice (albeit cold) swimming area with 3 pools and the accommodations were more than sufficient for a couple nights rest. They had a nice children’s play area and the entire park is set in a very desirable outdoor setting.
While exploring the region for one day we were able to find a surprisingly large number of things to do.
Lakes entrance has a wonderful children’s playground, a pretty beach that is great for kids and families and a beautiful riverside walking/hiking trail that made for a nice sunrise run.
Although this would not be a “must see” activity on your Australian itinerary if you are driving from the Great Ocean Road like we were or from Melbourne it is a good stopping point to relax and recharge.
What do you get when you combine a nifty little surf beach, soft sand, gentle waves and an amazing holiday park right on the beach. Something pretty close to perfect.
Just like Lakes Entrance this was an overnight stop that could have turned into a lot more. If you are driving up the coast and have a chance to stop in Merimbula plan for a couple days. The Big 4 Holiday Park has a kids club and a huge child friendly pool great for kids of all ages. Its location on the beach makes it a big win for everyone.
There is a nice boardwalk that you can pick up in Merimbula City that makes for a spectacular run/walk through a mangrove forest right over the ocean inlet. This is a great way to spend your morning after a nice cup of coffee.
You can see my full post on Pretty Beach here (Coming Soon)
We found out about Pretty Beach from yTravel blog.
I was doing some research on where to stop on the way up from Melbourne, once I saw the Kangaroos I was sold.
Pretty beach may very well be one of the most memorable stops on our trip.
Pretty beach itself is a bit difficult to find and the campground is simple with two on site cabins that were truly amazing given they are owned and operated by the Australian Parks system. There are only 2 cabins so if you are going to make this a stop you must book early!
There is hiking, wildlife galore and yes, lots of Kangaroos!
We took to the Great Ocean Road as an adventurous side trip from Melbourne before heading up the beautiful East Coast of Australia.
It was a choice between a quick Great Ocean Road side trip and Phillip Island to see the famous penguins. Since I am a surfing wannabe and we had already experienced the pinnacle of land based penguin sightings in Boulders South Africa, we opted to head up the coast for 2 days.
Even on a short two day trip with a single night stay in Apollo Bay, it was worth the effort.
Leaving Melbourne will have you wondering what is so great about the Great Ocean Road all the way up until the small coastal surfing town of Toroquay. We stopped there to take a peak at the famed surfing museum where we were chatted up by a friendly local whose grandson was a pro surfer on the world junior tour and were family friends with the lineage of surfing legends that started locally owned Aussie brands – Quicksilver, Rip Curl and Billabong.
They also provided us with a ton of information and free local guide maps and recommendations. It was well worth the stop.
5 minutes up the road from Torquay is Bell’ beach – the surfing Mecca and home of the Rip Curl annual ASP world championship surf competition. Although there was little surf to be had the day we visited it was just great to bare witness to such a famed spot of surfing lore and legend.
It was just after Bell’s Beach that the road became a bit more windy and a bit more exotic; revealing the crystal clear turquoise waters of the southern east coast and the soft, silky yellow sand of it’s pristine beaches.
We made short stops at the famous Split Point Lighthouse at Aireys Inlet, the slightly upscale (yet surprisingly kid-friendly) town of Lorne and a couple hours in Kennet River where we were bedazzled by our first wild Koala sittings and a spectacular array of beautiful Cockatoos, lorikeets and exotic tropical birds.
We had a blast. (hint – if you stop at Kennet River you can purchase bird feed for about 2 bucks at the small grocery store right across the street)
From here we headed about 30 minutes up the road to Apollo Bay where we made camp at the spectacular Big 4 Holiday Park for just one night. We enjoyed the free flying fox, the kids playground and basketball court and the amazing views of the beach right from our doorstep.
We went into town for some food, enjoyed the evening sunset and in the morning took a beautiful morning run down the coastal trail and onto the beach where I was welcomed to find interesting rock formations and some interesting tidal pools.
We left at noon the next morning and made our way back up the Great Ocean road and to our next stop Lakes Entrance.
People compare this stretch of prime Australian real estate to Highway 1 in California. But they are very different indeed. Having driven from The Great Ocean Road all the way up to Sydney I would say this is definitely the most scenic portion of the entire coastal drive. Simply because it is one of the only “true” coastal drives along the coastline. What I mean by this is that it is one of the only portions of highway where you can see the Ocean from your car window. Also, the stop in Kennet river and our stay at the Big 4 in Apollo Bay made it 100% worth the drive.
We did not make it to the famed 12 Apostles which many consider to be sacrilege. But for us, adding 3-4 more hours of drive time onto the already long road trip wasn’t worth it with the kids in the back seat and our short amount of time. The good thing is that now I have a reason to come back in the future.
Best Kid Friendly Budget Accommodations in Apollo Bay
BIG4 Apollo Bay Pisces Holiday Park – Spectacular views, great prices in the off season, wonderful playground and activities for kids, close to the beach and the city center.
Sitting here beachside in the town of Burleigh Heads Australia. Enjoying a late morning cup of coffee after a 2 hour morning surf session just down the road.
It’s summer here and after about 3 days of storm swell, rain and wind it is now perfectly beautiful.
The Australian sun is hot and despite caking myself with 2-3 layers of thick white spf 300 sunblock I still manage to get burned. Lucca looked like he had a hangover yesterday his eyes were so red and bloodshot from hours of boogie boarding.
Layla was a bit too afraid to get into the water with all the Jellyfish, although a very nice lifeguard assured her they were not “of the stinging kind”. I asked a surfer about the Jellies when I was in the water because I was taking so many headers off the waves I wanted to make sure when I did land face first into a Jellyfish I wouldn’t come out blind or permanently disfigured 🙂 . Typical response: “no worries mate”!
We have one more day here on the Gold Coast, I am sad and happy at the same time.
Sad because the surf is so good and this coastline is heavenly.
Happy because the surf is so good and the coastline so heavenly that if I don’t go out in the water I feel bad about myself and after so many days of surfing back to back every inch of my body hurts in some way or another.
I am being reminded that yes indeed, I am 37 and out of shape (at least relative to these tanned Australian Gods and Goddesses of the Gold Coast) 🙂
We are headed on the 18th to the Great Barrier Reef and the Australian Rainforest for 10 days before hopping a flight to Thailand. We spent our last night at a “holiday park” this week and I felt sad. The Aussie and New Zealand campervan parks are harbingers of kids, happy families, and jumping pillows. This of course is all wrapped up in a beautiful package of an outdoor setting with trees, lizards and exotic Australian birds. Our last park had a lake and this amazing public dining hall where families went to cook and collectively admire each others smiling happy children. It was delightful.
Pearls of Wisdom
After 4 months of constant travel from Africa to Indonesia to New Zealand and Australia, I wish I could share with you some pearl of wisdom I have learned while traveling, some insight that can only come with time, travel and careful introspection. But sadly I cannot. I have felt very close at times, but it tends to pass quiet and unnoticed, kind of like gas…
That being said, I am gaining a better understanding of how the world fits together, how family, culture and human desires cross cultural divides and how incredibly fragile this world is upon which we tread. The lovely creatures of the world are helplessly going extinct, the worlds great reefs are dead and/or dying, the oceans and air are polluted to an extent that is utterly disgraceful, and the majority of people care, and badly want to do something, but don’t (me included).
Democracy and the growth of global economies based on a cycle of endless consumption must come to an end. Something that is surprisingly easy to do, yet difficult in size and scope.
It is surprisingly easy to derive meaning from a job.
A job provides bookends for our day. A job gives our days structure, it provides us with a beginning, a middle and an end.
We can look back after a long days work and feel a sense of pride and accomplishment, knowing that we merely survived or that we made a positive impact in somebody else s’ day.
Parenting can provide a similar form of structure.
With newborn babies it is more difficult but as infants grow beyond endless feeding, changing, playing, pooping, napping, bedtime, feeding, crying etc. etc… To morning afternoon evening and night, with feeding, playing, napping, feeding, wiping, playing, feeding collapse rinse and repeat.
Watching our children thrive is where we can derive some sense of accomplishment.
Both are jobs with bosses, and sometimes having a boss isn’t as bad as it seems. Even if it is a 4 month old in diapers.
Structure Without Boarders
However monotonous it may seem; home, a job, church, gym, school, grocery shopping, community or social engagements… These things can provide more than just security, they deliver a sense of meaning and accomplishment that once removed can be difficult to replace.
When we left for Dubai airport on our way to South Africa three months ago I had a grand plan for how my days would unfold.
As with most things, this has proven to be an idealists’ dream.
The dream:
1. Write in the morning as my wife and children joyfully self-actualized their desire for homeschooling.
2. Spend our days traveling in the early mornings and mid to late afternoon, tramping through cities, discovering new foods, meeting new people, experiencing new cultures.
3. Enjoy dinner together as a family, lay our heads to rest together at night, satisfied from our day on the road looking forward to tomorrows adventure.
This paints such a pretty picture doesn’t it? Looking at this list now I can’t help but say “did you really think it would go down like this?” Yes I did, call me an optimist, plus that’s what all the family travel blogs said would happen 🙂 .
I like to hold onto this dream and believe that it will happen, if I just wait patiently enough.
The reality:
My wife and daughter have had difficulty finding a roadschooling routine through no fault of their own. With constant travel and a nomadic lifestyle comes the grind of packing up and moving every 2-3 days. Check out times are early, bedtimes are often late and it is difficult to develop a consistent morning routine.
Planning takes up a lot of our time. Finding an affordable holiday park or hostel for a family of 4 is complicated, sometimes stressful, costly and can be a time suck. Not to mention, pricing out and planning transportation, excursions, developing itineraries and grocery shopping for meals for 4.
Kids like routine. I notice the worst days for my daughter are the days we arrive at a new place, even if she loves it, the constant transition and change has been tough on her, and it makes me sad when she is frustrated.
Any picture I had of waking up, pouring a cup of coffee and taking in the fresh morning air with inspiration pouring through my fingers and into my Lenovo keyboard is gone. Writing has been difficult and curating content online even more so. Internet speeds are horrible, data caps are ubiquitous, doing research for articles can be almost impossible, and when you are crammed into a small place with 4 people with different agendas… Well you can see my point.
Boarders to Entry
While trying to do “everything” I am afraid I have done nothing well, and I often feel like a failure.
On our medical trip to Haiti last year I felt something come alive inside me, I have tried to replicate this through travel and it worked at the beginning, as we travel more I feel self indulgent and am burdened by the need to give back more, I am not sure how to solve this yet, especially as a family… but my wheels are spinning.
I continue to struggle with a poor self-image. This holds me back, but I am working on it.
Purpose and Meaning
One of the best parts of travel is that if you open your eyes wide enough, you will realize just how nice you have it. I am so thankful for this, thankful for every moment of time, thankful to have this opportunity while my kids (and I) are young.
Life is precious and I live a blessed life.
The greatest challenge in my life has been to find a sense of meaning and purpose, as well as belonging. I feel closest to this when I am surrounded by family and friends, or when I am involved heads down in a new project, especially one that helps others.
Taking a year off from my “normal life” and developing a consistent, meaningful routine on the road has been difficult.
What does this mean? I don’t know, but I am confident that out here somewhere there is an answer.
"Tomato" and "Big Nose" make it to the center of New Zealand!
Nelson shares the title of the sunniest place in New Zealand and is also the geographical center… Welcome to the middle of Middle Earth!
Nelson offers fabulous outdoor activities such as swimming and a fun park at Tahunanui Beach a great place for a picnic or to enjoy the beach cafe there.
A visit to the Founders Historic Park – a “living” museum with an adventure playground is well worth the time.
Nelson has a very quaint and easy to navigate downtown, wonderful craft beer, a nice biking/walking trail right in the center of the city near the iSite. The “one ring” in the Lord of the Rings was created here in Nelson.
If you are lucky you may get to visit the Saturday market which is considered one of the best in the country. Not only all the fresh locally grown produce and products but many artists and craftspeople display their wares and crafts.
Top Things to do in Nelson with Kids
Hike to the Center of New Zealand: A short hike that begins right in the middle of the city and will take you atop a mountain to the center of New Zealand. It is a mildly steep grade but short enough to be enjoyed by the entire family.
Take a beer tour – In Nelson there is even a brewery in an old converted church. This way you can ask God’s forgiveness for bringing your kids to a bar while you enjoy a local craft beer!
Go to Tahunanui Beach and the fun park
Visit the Saturday Market if you can
Take a bike ride down a bit of “The great wine trail“
Visit the World of Wearable Art and Classic Cars
Play at the skate park
Also, as a runner I found Nelson a wonderful place for a trail run. Follow the river for miles through rolling hills, mountains and grazing cattle!
Where to Stay with Kids in Nelson
There are several holiday parks in the region but we opted for an apartment instead.
We stayed at the Nikau appartments which gave us a full kitchen, bathroom and 2 bedrooms for the same price as it would have been to stay in the communal hostel.
The only downside that I see with apartment rentals is that it is easier to isolate yourself. But sometimes, for parents and kids alike, it can be nice to take a break and have a place to call “home” for a few days as you explore a city.
The Nikau apartments have a college dorm room feel but are still very nice for a short stay.
