Thanks to Califrau, we had a fantastic time in California last year, now we're off to Australia, so come and gve me some tips please

[whyarefamiliessodifficult]

title says it all, really.

Califrau gave me some excellent help last year in planning our holiday, and we had a great time.

We are going to Australia this year, and, not ones to take the easy route, we are staying in 3 different places.

So, a bit of background: it will be me, dh, my stepchildren (19 and 17), dd1 (4, and has ASD) and dd2 (2).

so we need a holiday that suits adults, teenagers and toddlers, and disabled. We also have dietary requirements (gluten and dairy free) so hints on shopping and brands would be gratefully received!

So, we are going in August, and so far have planned as follows:

Fly to Melbourne, stay 4-5 days.

Then fly to Sunshine Coast, and stay a week or so.

Then fly down to Sydney for a long weekend, before flying back to London.

We really need to stay in self catering places, due to the dietary issues, and ASD. So, thoughts on somewhere nice in Melbourne and Sydney would be great. We have found this place in Queensland - anyone been there? Any info would be useful.

I've seen the gold Coast thread, and have been noting ideas, but likewise ideas on what we could do in Melbourne and Sydney would be great.

lastly, any tips on supermarkets/food shops? Will I be able to get gluten/dairy free stuff in regular supermarkets, or would I have to go to health food shops (and in both cases, which ones to go for?)

Thanks

When you're in Sydney, I can highly recommend going here:

orbit bar

You may be able to take your little ones during the day/early evening. It is truly spectacular - especially as the sun is going down (if you are there without the LOs!). It takes about an hour to do an entire revolution.

Otherwise, definitely recommend the Aquarium, and the zoo next door, as well as the zoo at Taronga.

Boat trips around the harbour are brilliant.

Am very !

If you're really stuck, Glebe (near the University of Sydney) is full of people who will only eat pulses cultivated by Nepalese nuns and the milk of shatoosh goats, so the highest concentration of health-food shops is on Glebe Point Road.

AQIS will have 50 fits if you try and bring fruit juice into Australia. I don't think they will permit it.

I remember how AQIS were on our last visit to Sydney; god they were very twitchy. I declared a couple of packets of shortcake biscuits (unopened and brought from the UK) and they let me keep those but only after some discussion.

You may find the following website useful:-
www.daff.gov.au/aqis/faqs#whatis

yep, that's what I thought, Attila.

they looked askance at some chocolates last time, because they weren't branded chocs, and had a fit over something else too, can't remember what.

will have to go with finding juice when we get there, but have my doubts as to pear juice availability... anyone know of a good travel juicer?

willalso investigate maybe importing some via friends who live there. it's a nightmare, as dd1 has huge issues with drinking, and it takes almost nothing for her to just stop altogether...

How exciting!
Melb and Syd are likely to be reasonably cool in August, so don't plan too much beachy stuff (you can always change your plans if you get there and the weather is stunning).
*In Syd there is a great place called EastSail in Rushcutters Bay (I'm sure they have a website) and they do great sailing cruises around the harbour - have a look at the twilight cruises.
*Bridgeclimb is fab for the older kids.
*Surfing lessons at Bondi maybe?
*Tickets to something at the Opera House?
*Drive out to the Blue Mountains for a day and go on the scenic railway
*Is the 19yo likely to want to hit the pubs etc? I can recommend a few, but 17yo will find it v difficult to get in unless he has some good fake ID
*Get a ferry over to Taronga Zoo.

• A swim at Neilsen Park (in harbour but with shark nets). Beautiful spot and nice and calm for little ones.
• you will find soy milk much more readily available in cafes etc than in London.

Screaming bubba - must go- will keep thinking about it.

Message withdrawn

The fish markets are pretty fantastic just for a look around and to pick up some wonderful fresh fish/prawns/balmain bugs/oysters mmmmmmmm

Woolworths stocks Goulburn Valley Pear juice, comes in a tin

www.spcardmona.com.au/component/option,com_products/Itemid,69/product,93/

So does Coles and I think I've seen it elsewhere....you'll be fine. No need to import it

How weird that there are all these people on the other side of the world keeping their eyes peeled for pear juice.

My local Woolies doesn't carry it (checked yesterday), but oddly enough the tiny newsagent on the corner does (Santa Vittoria brand).

I thought today it might also be the sort of thing you'd get in proper Italian greengrocers. There's a big one on Norton Street in Leichhardt.

Woolworths and Coles have good dairy free and gluten free products. My ds2 was allergic to dairy and wheat and we managed most things from there.

When staying at Noosa it would be good if you could get a trip to Montville in. It is lovely. Lots of little shops to look at for you and the older dc and a big park to play in for the little dc. It is a bit hilly though so not sure on the sn.

My pick of theme parks would be Movieworld or Dreamworld.

I feel quite sure that a health food shop will have pear juice, as well as the other bits you need, or one of the very large woolworths stores (called safeway in Victoria).

You could call Russells in glebe (sydney) - I think they have other stores as well.
Russell's Natural Food Markets55 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe, NSW 2037

p: (02) 9668144 f: (02) 95524058

Also Macro mart in Crows Nest (Willoughby road) - Northern Sydney - is likely to have it. Will check for you when I'm there next picking up by Green and Blacks cherry choc at a rediculous price

You must try and take your little ones to one of the Baby Prom Cconcerts at the Opera House. The program is here. They only cost about $20 a ticket and are really lovely. The 'Music Book' one in late August looks delightful.

I agree with whoever said try to get to something else at the Opera House too if you can - something for you and the older kids (or get the teenagers to babysit and you and DH go? If you do this, I very highly reccomend you eat at Aria restaurant before you go to the theatre - it is Divinem - but pricey - DH's work took us a few years ago...mmmm)

As a Sydneysider, my 'must sees' to show visitors are: Taronga zoo (up there with Singapore zoo - very special), Opera House, ferry ride on the harbour, beach, Bridge climb, trip to Blue mountains if time.

For surf beaches, Freshwater and Deewhy and Kurl kurl (all North of harbour) are MUCH nicer than Manly and Bondi, which are quite tacky and commercial...but depends what you're after. Balmoral Beach in Mosman is an absolutely gorgeous harbour beach - really pretty and green, nice playground and NO WAVES - so perfect for little ones. Great restaurants there too - we like Beaches the best - lovely atmosphere and staff and food. There is also great fish and chips at 'Bottom of the Harbour'.

Meant to say, Balmoral beach is not far from the zoo, so maybe a day's outing could be:

Ferry from city to Taronga. Catch the Cable car up to top of zoo, walk back down through zoo, then cable car up again.

Catch a taxi (or bus, but I think it would be two busses, so maybe a waste of time, and just as cheap for all your lot to get a taxi)
to Balmoral Beach, swim and walk up and down and have fish ans chips on the beach, or go to Beaches for early dinner. Bliss.

thankyou thankyou thankyou to everyone helping out here.

You cannot know what it means to me to be able to plan ahead these tiny details, which are insignificant to most people, but are the defining rules of dd1's life.

without mumsnet at times like this (and last year, when Califrau did exactly the same searches for me for California, and told me where I could get food/drink for the dds) we would not be able to go abroad on holiday as a family, as the stresses would be too much.

that sounds melodramatic even to me, but honestly, this helps so much so thankyou again everyone

No worries, mate

Honestly, if you want some lined up in Sydney, CAT me a few weeks before you arrive, I'll get it then you can swing past on your way from the airport and collect it. I'm in the inner city so on the way to anywhere you'd be likely to be staying. It does seem to be something you'll have to hunt down at a reasonably big suburban supermarket so if you're arriving at 11pm and hoping to find a 7-11 it might be easier to know you have at least the first night's supply secured. You don't want to end up spending your holiday with DD hooked up to a rehydration drip.

I have to admit I didn't know much about ASD before I found MN, but I now know enough to realise that as with most things in life, meticulous planning seems to be the key!

thankyou for the offer, ninedragons, but we should be sorted by the time we get to Sydney (our last stop).

we are expert at packing, so always have spare roo to carry food/drink etc that we pick up as we go along - we always stock up when we see something, as you never know when it'll next be available, so i expect we'll be lugging stuff all over Australia

hopefully we'll avoid the rehydration - although last time dd2 stopped drinking, she stopped for 9 months . As you say, planning is the key, and thankfully dd1 is flexible enough to let us plan trips like this - as long as her core routine isn't interrupted.