On the weekend we decided we wanted to go for a family day out to Sydney. MJL wanted to take Bubs on the train because he missed out on taking him on the train when I went to the baby expo last month.
So early Sunday morning (no sleep ins for us!) we headed over to the train station in the rain, all rugged up and packed up for the day.
The Trip to the Aquarium
We caught the train to Town Hall, and then to Circular Quay. Now if you have children and you have tried travelling with them you will know the challenges there are to getting prams on and off trains.
Our biggest challenge? We accidentally ended up on a quiet carriage for 3/4 of the trip! With two children!!
However, the kids were great. OJ sat on her DS most of the time (had to remind her to whisper though.) Bubs slept for most of the trip or just sat there quietly.
We had to swap trains at Town Hall which meant we could get on a normal carriage which was great as OJ was getting restless.
When we got to Circular Quay we got OJ another OPAL card. If you are travelling by train in NSW, make sure you have OPAL cards before your trip! We had to get a single fair for her to Circular Quay and it was $5.90! Compared to being $2.50 all day!
OJ was super excited about the fact that we were going on a ferry around to Darling Harbour. We actually caught the Ferry to Barangaroo and walked down to the Aquarium.
At this point I have to admit Bubs was getting restless. He needed a nappy change and wanted a feed.
Trying to find a change table in the middle of Sydney can be a challenge!
We ended up going into the Aquarium and finding a change table almost hour later. Poor thing!
The Aquarium
We have been to the Aquarium a few times with OJ but I never seen her so over joyed going around it like this time.
They have done a few changes to the place since the last time I was there and there are a lot more interactive activities for the children.
The really interesting thing is the amount of information they provide on how to sustain our natural waters for the sea creatures. The importance of reducing waste that goes into the water and kills off the sea creatures.
We walked around the Aquarium seeing all the different creatures. Bubs slept for half of it which was kind of annoying as he missed the parts I knew he would appreciate the most. The tunnels in the aquarium for the Dougongs and the sharks are always the highlight of the Aquarium.
The last part of the Aquarium has a huge tank window which can be seen in the picture above. It is always a great part to see the fish and sea creatures swimming around. The staff have a speaker who does a presentation on the creatures in the tank which is great for the children to learn about the fish they are seeing.
Summary of the day
The best parts of the day were:
spending time altogether on the train
Watching OJ's face at the creatures
Seeing OJ interacting with the activities and interested in the messages they were giving
Seeing the penguins (my favourite animal!)
Watching OJ and bubs interacting
The challenges of the day:
Our biggest challenges for the day were:
OJ missing her OPAL card
The rain! Oh my gosh getting a pram, bags, children etc. out of the car in the pouring rain is definitely a challenge.
Finding a change table
Navigating the pram in the crowds!!
Overall the day was amazing. We don't get to spend much time with the four of us together, so having a whole day together was amazing! We ended up staying at Mum and Dads for dinner as we were exhausted!
Lastly, I have to say how proud I am of OJ! She did not once complain, whinge or misbehave at all the whole day. She did so much walking and never once got upset by it. PROUD MUMMY!
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