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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

taking 2 little kids round the world - all advice welcome

160 replies

nappybaglady · 07/02/2005 22:47

Dh and I are planning to buy round the world tickets this weekend for ourselves and 2 children - DD (4y) and DS (18 m). The vague plan is to go to New York to buy all the stuff we might need then Canada (Toronto and Calgary/Rockies) to visit friends/family. After that we'll probably head somewhere like San Fran or Yosemite before heading for Australia then NZ. Probably stop somewhere beachy/ Singapore on the way home. We're going May/June/July. Dh is on unpaid leave and I've resigned.

Yup, you're right, we must be asolutely mad. Clearly DD will remember some of it and enjoy it but who, in their right mind, chooses to go on a trip to the supermarket with their 18 month boy, let alone right around the world. However the deed is done. I've handed in my letter of resignation so now we just need to make it happen.

If anyone has any advice, particularly about mustsee/mustdo stuff for Australia (in June/July)or about travelling with little ones in general please let me know. I've started trawling through the travel bit of MN, not to mention lots of serious googling but any advice welcome

Thanks

OP posts:
Original poster
nappybaglady · 08/02/2005 22:45

RTK - are you a travel agent. If not, maybe you should be. Great advice

Antartic expo sound s like heaven for DH and the friend we're staying with

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RTKangaMummy · 08/02/2005 22:47

no I am a childminder

but I just said to DH I ought to write a book

I am just mad about travel and how small the world actually is IYSWIM

Original poster
nappybaglady · 08/02/2005 22:50

I've done a little bit of travel but mainly 'safe' things. Was in car crash in India as a student which put me off big adventures for a while. Love camping and have had some of our best hols pre and post kids in tents or french gites....

....but this is something else

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Original poster
nappybaglady · 08/02/2005 22:52

Also feel that with this trip if we don't do it now we'll never do it but if we do, then we'll probably do it again in the future IYSWIM....starts dreaming of taking kids out of school to go to Africa

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eidsvold · 09/02/2005 02:32

for Aus - see if you can get some internal flights thrown in as they can often be expensive ( although not when converting currency)

If you do Cairns - Kuranda as kanga mummy suggests - best thing is to catch the train UP and the skyrail down... skyrail is brilliant cablecar above the rainforst canopy - can get off at two stops and walk around then as you come down the mountain it is amazing as you come over the crest to begin your descent - perfect view over Cairns and out over the ocean.

We got good hotel deals from various sites... just put in a search and check your accommodation. we did that when we came over for a holiday prior to moving back here - good deals just paid via credit card and it was done.

SUnshine coast north of us has Steve Irwin Zoo - he of the crocodile hunter fame - brilliant to visit and then unwind on the sunshine coast for a few days visiting the beaches and taking it easy.... we did that before then doing the hectic relative visits...

Think it is a brilliant idea.... even though Ds is to small to remember some of it you will have the pics to show him and talk about as you go.

As to taking the children out - we took dd out for dinner to a variety of restuarants, cafes, pubs - have bistros with them, service clubs etc - we are now doing it with dd1 ( 2 1/2) and dd2 ( 12 weeks) have not really had too much trouble - just one old couple who chose to sit right next to us in a relatively empty cafe and then got annoyed when dd2 started crying for a feed.... I figured there problem - could see we had toddler and babe and still chose to sit next to us. They really are the exception. Service clubs like bowls clubs, rsls etc usually do cheap, filling meals - good places to eat out.

KateandtheGirls · 09/02/2005 02:48

I don't think you are absolutely mad - I think it's awesome. I love to travel with my kids but so far I haven't been so adventurous. I really admire you and I think it's great you're doing this.

pinkwhistle · 09/02/2005 03:12

I think it's wonderful nappybaglady, you lucky thing! I hope you have a great video camera and still camera (or two!)

Hey I'm in Perth Aus too - I didn't know suzywong lives here. How about that.

Most people stick to the east coast, esp if they are pushed for time. What do you think you will do?

We went to Tasmania for our honeymoon, just lovely. Very laidback and relaxing. I liked Launceston (pron LON-ceston not Lawn-ceston!) better than Hobart but that's just me. Of course, we went in February in summer and you will be there in winter...very cold...but maybe you will feel at home! (Although coming after summer in the US could be a shock!)

I went on a Contiki tour in my younger (single) days, and agree Sydney and Melbourne are great to see. I do think much of the Qld coast is overrated and over-commercialised, esp Surfers. But there are the theme parks there now, like DreamWorld and MovieWorld which are supposed to be great esp for kids. Port Douglas is very nice too.

As for places outside Australia, Singapore was lovely and I wouldn't hesitate to take my kids. Very well organised infrastructure and very clean and friendly.

San Fran and San Diego both great. My family went when I was 12. And Disneyland (Anaheim) was FABulous!

I am so envious!

pinkwhistle · 09/02/2005 03:41

To give you some idea of what weather you can expect Down Under...

AverageminimumtemperaturesinJuly:

Hobart - 4.5C (has one of the lowest rainfall averages of major centres)
Melbourne - 5.8C
Sydney - 8C
Perth - 9C
Cairns - 17C (has the highest ave rainfall of major centres, around 2000mm average per year, but by far most of this occurs in summer - July is actually the driest month in Cairns )

AveragemaximumtempsinJuly:

Hobart - 11.6C, ave of 4.4hrs sunshine a day
Melbourne - 13.4C, ave of 3.5hrs sunshine a day
Sydney - 16.7C, ave of 6.5hrs sunshine a day
Perth - 17.4C, ave of 5hrs sunshine a day
Cairns - 25.7C, ave of 7.4hrs sunshine a day

Hope this helps!

Original poster
nappybaglady · 09/02/2005 12:37

Once again, thanks to everyone who has added advice or positive thoughts. I'm really amazed at the response I've had and it is soooo useful. DH keeps saying what a good idea it was to ask MN. I think we'll do a bit of Australia planning tonight - get the world atlas out again - so that we can book the most appropriate flights.

Will let you know how the plans go. I feel like you're all involved now.

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Original poster
nappybaglady · 09/02/2005 12:38

ps to pinkwhistle - looking at the weather report you've posted it looks like we'll be heading for Cairns!

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RTKangaMummy · 09/02/2005 17:52

well if you don't go to MEL go for longer in perth

brill city

Blu · 09/02/2005 17:59

Toronto is a fab city - one of my favourites - and is great for cheap and practical shopping. if you spend more than a certain amount you can claim all the tax back - it can mount up, so well worth it.Keep receipts and pick up a booklet at airport or any big store.
Niagara falls is an hour and ahalf drive away, so don't miss that.

pinkwhistle · 10/02/2005 05:18

RTKanga! Maybe I should change my nickname to perthgirl!

eidsvold · 10/02/2005 12:14

in aus you pay gst but you can claim it back under certain conditions when you depart aus

RTKangaMummy · 10/02/2005 12:35

pinkwhistle do you go over to rotnest?

Or is it just tourists?

@ perthgirl

RTKangaMummy · 10/02/2005 12:36

eidsvold where abouts are you?

hub2dee · 10/02/2005 13:07

You will all have a brill time, without a doubt.

A few points:

  • They now do Quad band phones (don't know if this is useful for your areas)
  • A new Blackberry is just out which does Quadband and bluetooth too
  • If you will be taking a digital camera and don't want to travel with a laptop, or attempt to burn CDs of your images in Internet cafés / random photo labs, you can get a little dodacky which is a hard drive and this connects to your camera to back up your photos. Can't remember a model name but remember thinking how neat that was. Check current computer press.
  • We've bought round the world tickets from www.roundtheworldflights.com . They have a very funky tool on their site where you can build different routes. We collected our ticket in person and they are kosher. I think they're in Hatton Garden, London.
eidsvold · 10/02/2005 20:41

brisbane..kanga.

Singapore is brilliant - we stopped over there with dd1 on our way back to Aus - she was almost two and had a ball - we loved it to.

RTKangaMummy · 10/02/2005 21:48

love OZ but didn't go to brisbane

flew sydney to cairns

RTKangaMummy · 10/02/2005 21:49

Have you worked out route yet?

Original poster
nappybaglady · 10/02/2005 21:54

Hi, won't be here long tonight. Little one v snuffly and keeps needing cuddles. (please let him get every possible bug now rather than in 3 months time...)

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RTKangaMummy · 10/02/2005 21:56

oh dear

Original poster
nappybaglady · 10/02/2005 21:57

looks like fly to sydney for few days then fly to cairns and RV back down Queensland coast to Brisbane. Will see what Travel agent suggests re number of internal flights etc. Feel quite free and easy about it now that we've had so much MN advice.

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Original poster
nappybaglady · 10/02/2005 21:59

Originally planning to buy plane seat for DS (18m) but now wondering wheteher to risk empty seats on flight. Anyone any experience/thoughts?

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RTKangaMummy · 10/02/2005 22:01

sounds brill

you should get several thrown in

are you going for STAR ALLIANCE FLIGHTS?

They include singapore airlines + Air New Zealand both very good