Sydney 2013: Calmsley Hill City Farm

It was rather rainy when we first arrived in Sydney, so when the weather cleared up, we were excited to explore the great outdoors. Hey, we were in Australia after all!

We ended up going to Calmsley Hill City Farm at the recommendation of my father-in-law. A farm-based attraction about 45 mins drive from Sydney's City Centre, Calmsley Hill City Farm offers visitors the opportunity to get up close to a range of farm animals (and some native animals too) and to learn more about what goes on at a farm. This is not a working farm -- farming is not its main business. Instead, it exists for the purpose being a demonstration farm. So there is a Cow Milking Show, Stock Whip Show, Working Dog Show and a Sheep Shearing Show daily, all purely to allow visitors to experience the workings of a farm.

It was all very intriguing, so much so that I decided it was worth checking out.

Since we were visiting a farm, I decided we should try to dress the part. Really, I was just super stoked to have the just the right opportunity to put Meips in a pair of overalls! The overalls-look really isn't something I usually go for but for the farm, it was perfect. 

Little Farmer Meips looking the part.

We arrived nice and early, and immediately plunged into the activities, with Noey having a hand at milking a cow. Meips on the other hand refused to even get out of her stroller to go near the cow. And she continued to be a bit freaked throughout the day when we had any animal encounters. I've concluded that she really doesn't like animals. One of the few ways in which she's like her Mama, I guess!

Noey milking a cow, and succeeding with some help. 

Petting some of the other breeds of cows in the pens nearby.

We'd bought a bag of feed with our entry, so we headed for the animal nursery first where visitors can feed and pat some goats and sheep. It turned out to be a rather large pen where you were free to interact with the animals as you choose. Noey had a blast chasing after the goats and sheep to pat them! Meips would generally have none of it and clung tightly to Ah Kong when he brought her in. I got a bit of a shock though when the goats got over enthusiastic about trying to reach the bag of feed in my hands and literally put their front hooves on me in their attempts to reach up. Whoa. After that I made sure I was the one holding the bag as they would have knocked Noey over if they did that to him.

Poor little goat walking by is ambushed by Noey.

With the sweetest little lambs! They were so fluffy!

After some time, he got brave enough to hand feed them.

Meips on the other had really didn't want to touch the ground at all, or the animals! It took her a long while to even consider patting the little animals.

We spent quite a bit of time in the nursery before we had to leave because it was time for our tractor ride. We had to pay an extra $3 for it, but I got the tickets cos I figured the kids would love it. I was right. Check out our monster tractor!

Huge tractor, loading up.

Kiddies all excited to roll!

Our tractor ride took us on a large loop around the grounds where we got to see some cows and sheep, and just enjoy that sense of SPACE under brilliant blue skies. I think the kids' favourite part was just the novelty of the ride. They wanted to go again immediately after we got back.

Cows grazing under the blue, blue sky. I love Australian skies, don't you?

Sheep and goats a-grazing.

My wide-eyed and interested little baby.

We took a break thereafter for lunch, choosing to eat at the cafe on site. There weren't a lot of options, so it was burgers for everyone. They have a lovely picnic area, with a playground nearby, and roaming ducks and peacocks who come by, to the excitement of the kids. They provide free BBQ rental, and I can imagine it'd be really nice to bring your own food and have a BBQ right there, especially in summer!

"Oo, what's that? Could they be fries?"

Picnic area.

After lunch we caught a couple of shows. First up, the working dog show. It was cool seeing the dogs round up the sheep and direct them where they needed to go. But otherwise the show was a bit wordy, and we couldn't hear very well as we found seats at the side and not in front. After a while the kids lost interest.

The sheep being herded by the watchful dog. There were three dogs, and they were really well-trained!

The sheep shearing show was more interesting. It was exactly what it's name suggests -- a demonstration of how a sheep is sheared. "Just like me getting a haircut!" said Noey. 

Here's how you hold and grip the sheep between your legs before you start shearing. This is one of the useful things I learnt from this show. I have found this grip highly effective for, erm, holding my kids in place when they're trying to get away.

Shearing in progress. The harness that the shearer is using is to provide support and protect his back since he is required to bend over a lot.

All done! and looking like a different sheep altogether.

The kids with their prized possessions -- handfuls of (dirty) wool that they distributed to the kids at the end.

We rounded off the afternoon visiting the native animals on the grounds. There was quite a selection but the kids' favourites were the kangaroos and wallabies, and of course the koalas.

Ah Kong and Noey approaching some wary kangaroos and wallabies. With Meips firmly in her stroller. She refused to come out!

Two curious cautious creatures approach each other.

Noey getting braver. The wallaby, after determining that he didn't have any food, quickly lost interest in him. He ended up chasing it all over the area, which he actually found quite fun.

Feeding goats leaves which we picked off nearby plants.

A camel! One of the more unusual animals we came across.

Hello koala! Meips loved the koala and eventually agreed to stretch out a hand to rub the koala's feet.

How cute is that? Apparently a mother and daughter. Aww.

Altogether a good experience that gave the kids maybe a taste of what goes on in a farm. I would dearly love to do a farm stay with them soon! But this was a good precursor to that, and definitely a fun day out.

Sydney 2013: Powerhouse Museum

I've decided that I'd dedicate a few weekends to finishing up my travel posts. We've had such wonderful experiences that I think it's a pity not to share! I hope these posts will be useful to those planning their Sydney trips, especially those with young kids. You can find the whole series of my Sydney posts here, and also, on clicking my newly created link on my sidebar for travel ideas.

Today's post is about Powerhouse Museum, one of the more kid-friendly museums around. Despite having having heard that it is a good one to visit with the kids, it was only on our latest trip that we finally made it to have a look around.

Powerhouse is something of a science and design museum mixed into one. There is an eclectic mix of exhibitions, from the showstopping full-sized Steam Locomotive No.1 which greets you at the entrance, to the Strasburg Clock, to LoveLace, an exhibition on lace works by artists from over 20 different countries. 

Most of these were, admittedly, not of much interest to the kids though I myself did enjoy looking at the historical artefacts and marvelling at the design and mechanical construction of the pieces. If you have young kids with you, you'd probably just want to head straight down to the Level 1 where the kid-focused exhibitions are. Specifically...

The Wiggles! (Man, hope that huge pic didn't scare you!)

This was a highly interactive exhibition all about the Wiggles. You'll learn about their personal histories, their backgrounds, how they got started and all the awards they've won. Well, maybe the adults in the group will anyway! I finally realised that there have actually been 2 Yellow Wiggles -- the original dude Greg Wiggle that you see in the billboard behind Noey in the picture above, and Sam Wiggle, the guy who was his replacement when he had to take time off for medical reasons. I did wonder why Sam Wiggle looked so much younger than the rest. Now I know that he was indeed younger! 

The kids will be mostly entertained by video performances, games, as well as hands-on free-form play. There is also a stage with a holographic projection of the Wiggles performing in one corner that is pretty amazing. It really looked like it was a live performance at first glance! My kids were not huge fans of The Wiggles before we went for the exhibition, -- we have maybe 1 Wiggles DVD -- but they still enjoyed themselves tremendously.

Onceupon a time, there were 5! Also, The Wiggles looking younger than I've ever seen them!

Driving in the Big Red Car! There is a screen in front with the song playing so you feel like you're really driving down the road in the car.

Inside Dorothy's house. Meips absolutely loved it and didn't want to come out.

And here's why she didn't want to leave -- teas sets! Looking tearful here after being asked to move on.

Hello Dorothy!

Interactive colouring screen

A really cute game where you slice and knock fruit into a big fruit bowl. They capture your image onscreen to play. Noey is the blue blob!

Yay, fruit to cut! Meips is all smiles again.

As you would expect, it was very difficult to get them out of Wiggles wonderland, but I did manage to, in the end, by enticing them to check out The Magic Garden, a play space in the area next to the entrance to the Wiggles exhibition. Designed for 2-8 year olds, here the kids can play among pumpkins and mushrooms, chase fish in a digital pond or catch butterflies at the garden gate. Needless to say, they had fun.

The Magic Garden play space.

Wading in the "pond" disturbing the fish.

In a pod, answering some questions on healthy eating choices and habits. 

Noey trying to catch butterflies on a screen. I'm always fascinated by these things!

We tried to go grab a coffee at the cafe outside before we called it a day at the museum, but we were a little too late. The cafe was shut, but the kids managed to enjoy a bit of play time in the playground outside before we had to head for home. I would imagine it would be a great space to have lunch or tea while the kids play. Maybe next time!

Around and around we go!

Trying to get comfortable, and not quite succeeding. A playground is for playing in, young lady, not lazing!

Noey just loves these things that spin him round and make him dizzy!

Trying out the spiderweb climbing structure. He didn't dare get too high up though.

Overall, I found the Powerhouse Museum engaging, with good kid-specific exhibits. It's certainly worth at least half a day if you're in Darling Harbour!

If you ask me though, my favourite Sydney museum remains the Australian Museum, which wowed us two years ago with their Dinosaur exhibition, huge collection of taxidermied animals, beautifully preserved, engaging research area and play pods for under 5s. I was very disappointed that we could not fit in a repeat visit this year, but the next time we are in Sydney, we're definitely going back. Don't miss that one if you can! 

Sydney 2013: Sydney Fish Market

The Sydney Fish Market is one of my must-visit spots every time we make the trip down under. Not surprising, considering how much I ADORE seafood! The abundance of fresh, readily available seafood just makes me go weak in the knees!

There are two shops that I like best. One is Claudio's, right out at the carpark near the entrance to the main building. It is always bustling inside, with many of the staff busy cleaning, and cutting up fish, shucking oysters, and serving customers while customers and gawkers alike jostle for position. It is a feast for the senses, though my kids don't like it very much. They crinkle up their noses at the smell and tiptoe around, complaining of the wet floors the way that modern children do. But even they can't help but be fascinated by the huge fish, crabs and other manner of seafood that can be found there.

The facade of Claudio's Seafood, which has, comfortingly, looked the same for years and years.

A staff member at Claudio's bust slicing up a huge fish!

A sight that always makes me smile: the Sashimi Bar!

Every time I walk in, I always end up wishing that I lived in Sydney and was able to cart all that seafood home! Super fresh, available, and at a fraction of the price we get charged for the imported stuff in Singapore. Sigh.

One of the nice things to do at the Sydney Fish Market when the weather is good is to try to grab a seat at the tables outside, or on the lawn next to it, grab some yummy cooked seafood, and tuck in for a good lunch. There are a number of stalls in the main building selling fish and chips, calamari, oysters, prawns and the like in virtually any style you fancy. I was told that one of the stalls even serves Singapore Chilli Crab! Well, my favourite stall is Peter's. I like that the fish and chips are cooked to order, and their calamari is just awesome. You do have to stand in line for a while but at least you are unlikely to be inundated by China tourists, in contrast to the stalls near the entrance. During this trip, I couldn't resist and ordered half a lobster for myself too. Best decision ever.

Hello Peter's!

Oo, now, what shall I have today? Noey surveys the choices.

Tah-dah! Huge-ass platter of food!

Half a grilled lobster. So good, I kind of regretted only getting half.

Sashimiiiiiiii and fresh cooked prawns! My life is complete.

By the way, if you choose to eat outside, do note that there are a number of rather daring seagulls who might swoop down and attack your food as you are carrying it! So keep your eyes peeled and hang on tight to your food!

No on is touching my food! And that includes you, Mr Seagull!

The throngs out for lunch. And mind you, this is a winter afternoon!

We ordered too much as usual and ended up giving away some of our prawns to the next occupants of our table. I think they seemed pretty pleased with the gift!

Full as we were, we made one last stop before leaving to a stall at the back for some chocolate-coated strawberries. They do cost A$3(!!!) for one, but they are pretty huge - maybe the size of 1.5 ping pong balls? - and they taste amazing. There were a bunch of other chocolate-coated fruit as well and I know I'll be back to try more next time.

It was, for me, a very satisfying start to the afternoon.

Bye Mr Pelican!