Polly Woodside Pirate Day

What do you do in Melbourne on a 39 degree day? Well you throw caution to the wind and decide to take a tram down to South Wharf, check out the Polly Woodside and have a few cheeky ales on the side. Madness l know! Hey it may not be everyone’s cup of tea to get out and about on a hot day but we like to make the most of our weekends.

We’d generously been given a family pass to the Polly Woodside courtesy of the National Trust of Victoria in conjunction with their 100 days of summer campaign.

Now a tiny confession, l have not been to the Polly Woodside for over 30 years and based on my last experience as a child l wasn’t expecting too much. I thought we’d be in and out in about 30 minutes. Oh how wrong l was!

So unbeknown to me, the first Sunday of every month is pirate day for the kids at the PW. Kids can dress up in the spirit of the theme and join in on the various activities like pirate themed face-painting, pirate crafting, swinging from the sails, scrubbing decks, pirate tattoos and of course a cheeky walk off the plank.

The kids were totally captivated with the wonderful PW pirate crew and the activities. The staff are a real credit to the Polly Woodside – all were extremely helpful and the kids found their pirate antics rather amusing. They especially loved scrubbing the decks under the shower of water from up above, and as it was such a hot day it was the prefect activity for them. Although be careful with those broom sticks, Mr 3 nearly lost an eye thanks to Mr 5.  How ironic would it have been if we had to invest in a real eye patch after our outing!

I was pleasantly surprised by the whole experience and the kids have been raving about the captain and his crew for days, they even went to bed with their pirate swords which were purchased from the PW souvenir store.

In fact the boys loved it so much we went twice in one day. Yep the kids wanted to go back after lunch. Lucky enough our lunch venue happened to be right next door at The Boatbuilders Yard, you can find all the details on this great place HERE. They have a sandpit and totem tennis to keep the kids amused and of course kids eats and cold beer (for us – not the kids!). Need l say more! It’s a fabulous spot to visit with kids.

So after lunch was inhaled and a few pots had been ingested we rolled on back for more pirate antics in the afternoon.

All in all it was such a great family day out for us, the kids had an amazing time and Mr Bambini and l got to sample some tasty eats and some cold brews. I know l say it a lot – but l HIGHLY recommend a visit to the Polly Woodside with the family. I love it when you don’t have any expectations on how a day will pan out when venturing out with the kids, especially when it was so hot, but the whole family thoroughly enjoyed our outing.

Want some quick info about this adventure?

What :: Polly Woodside Pirate Sundays
When :: 1st Sunday of every month from 10am - 4pm
Where :: South Wharf on the Yarra River
Cost :: Adult - $16.00  - Concession - $13.00  - Child - $9.50 - Family - $43.00 ( 2 Adults and 2 Children)  - Single Family - $32.00 (1 Adult and 2 Children)  - Additional Children $5.00 per child.

Road Test :: Tasti D Lite

The Bambini babes and l went on another eating out adventure this week. There’s no mistaking it, we heart to get out and about and l never need to convince the kids to try somewhere new, especially if there is a frozen treat or two involved. This week we found ourselves in the shiny new Fresh Food Precinct at Highpoint Shopping Centre. I have a soft spot for Highpoint, well our family fondly calls her “Knifepoint” and many school holidays were spent down in the cinema complex with my dear old dad. We’d often drive down from the country to take in a Hollywood blockbuster while filling our faces with lollies and popcorn. She’s come a long way in the last 20 years or so and with her recent facelift little miss Highpoint is all grown up and now boasts a very modern and polished food precinct which includes many stylish food venues such as Tasti D-Lite.

I’ve never indulged my sweet tooth at Tasti D Lite before so l was keen to investigate. It seems to me that frozen treats are now becoming quite the trend with a variety of self-serve stores and stands popping up everywhere like mushrooms. It’s a ‘win win’ in my book – the more the merrier! I know the kids love soft serve anything, whether it be yogurt or ice-cream, so l knew they’d be impressed instantly at Tasti D Lite.

We met Patrick who is the manager down at Highpoint and he was very enthusiastic to share with us what Tasti D-Lite has to offer. So what is Tasti D Lite? Basically it’s a light dairy based soft serve treat. It’s not ice-cream and it’s not yogurt. It’s in-between! It’s lower in calories, sugar and fat. And guess what? It comes in over 100 flavours! Yep 100. I get quite overwhelmed when there’s too much choice on offer so l asked Patrick to recommend a flavour for me. The kids had no trouble choosing – ‘bubble gum with sprinkles please’ chimed Mr 4. Once you’ve chosen your flavour from the many on offer then you can dress it up with a variety of toppings from chocolaty treats and mixed lollies to healthy stuff like fruit and nuts.

The kids loved it, their frozen goodness was served in a small cup which was easy for them to hold and to eat. I had the coconut flavour which was recommended by Patrick, and this was lovely. My only complaint was l wished l had more of it! The kids swooped in rather quickly and inhaled most of my serving, so beware it’s tasty and delish. I wouldn’t hesitate to return, there was a wide variety of flavours for us to choose from which all included the calorie intake of each serve for those watching their weight, which l thought was a good tool for mums wanting to treat themselves to a healthy, yet indulgent treat.

The other winning feature that l loved was the service. We heart customer service and the staff at Tasti D Lite can create a custom dessert master piece, so there’s no fiddling with bulky soft serve machines for busy parents.  The hardest decision you’ll have to make is choosing a flavour!


Fast Facts

Over 80 Gluten Free Flavours
More than 100 Flavours to delight you!
Lower in calories and sugar compared to ice cream
Tasti D-Lite offer a variety of serving sizes in cups and cones
Range also includes Shakes, Fresh Fruit Smoothies, Dairy Free Fruit Crushers, Ice Coffee & Sundaes
Kids Birthday Cakes Available

Where To Find

Highpoint Shopping Centre
L2 Shop 2706
120-200 Rosamond Rd
Maribrynong

Chapel St Melbourne
Shop 5 / 450 Chapel Street
South Yarra


*Sponsored Post :: We were invited by Tasti D Lite to sample some of their sweet treats and eats. All our opinions are our very own, to have and to hold!*

City Eats for Little Peeps

You know the CBD isn’t just for men in slick suits and geeky students. For us a trip into the city means another fast paced adventure for Mr 4 and Mr 2. Sky scrapers, musical busker’s, street sweepers, graffiti art work, the dirty Yarra River, unusual looking folk and colourful window displays is just a snap shot of what the boys and l get to experience. For us it also means seeking out toilets and kid friendly eats, which is another whole challenge in itself.

So without further ado here is a list of cafes and restaurants we’ve researched, tested and tried that cater for families and kids. From the CBD to South Bank and South Wharf we’ve uncovered some cool hip spots that are sure to please you and your tiny diners.




 
Little Miss Fancy Pants :: Fancy Eats for Little Peeps

Akachochin – South Wharf

Change Table – High Chair – Some Room for Prams - Booking Requirements  
Fancy Japanese by the water. Best save this spot for when your baby is in arms.

Café Vue Cafe – Collins St
Kids Menu Only
Fancy eats for fancy peeps. Enjoy a slice of the Vue de Monde action without the price tag. This casual café serves up fancy chicken sausage rolls, egg soldiers, nutella with crepes and decadent cakes for the most discerning mini foodie.

The Langham – South Bank
A La Carte Eats for Kid – High Chairs – Change Table – Special Home-Made Baby Puree to order.
The Langham also do Special Themed afternoon tea events for kids, from Peter Pan to Barbie and Disney Princess's on show this spot is a MUST for your little foodie. See HERE for more info.

 

 

Casual Café Style Dining

Café Baci – South Bank
Kids Menu – High Chair – Change Table
No fuss family eats for breakfast, lunch and dinner - they even have kids milkshakes!

Trunk Diner - CBD
High Chairs – Crayons and Paper – Room for Pram - Bookings Essential for Main Restaurant
This upbeat dining venue is tip top for a casual lunch or dinner with the wee ones, all you have to do is come down and grab a table.

Va Bene - Docklands
Kids Menu - High Chairs
This riverside location is top notch for views,  Italian style eats and service.
 

 

The Good Old Family Favourites

 

La Porchetta - North Melbourne

High Chairs – Kids Pizza and Pasta - Next to the Queen Victoria Market
Relaxed atmosphere with tradition Italian eats, which is well priced and boasts a family vibe.

Pancake Parlour - Bourke St and Melbourne Central

Children’s Tea Party Menu – Kids Menu – High Chairs

This fun, loud, familiar family favourite has a well known reputation and serves breakfast, lunch or dinner. Yep we love a good old fashioned pancake with a twist.
 

 

 

Pub Style Dining

The Boatbuilders Yard – South Wharf

High Chairs – Kids Menu – Change Table – Sandpit with Spades – Room for Prams

Gasolina – South Wharf

High Chairs – Kids Menu on request kids pizza and pasta – Colouring In Placemat

P.S If Dad loves Motorbikes then THIS is the place to take him!

Melbourne Public – South Wharf
High Chairs – Room for the Prams – Bookings recommended for large group.
Great spot for people watching and to grab some bar style snacks with the wee ones. Our kids were free to move around and play outside while we had a cheeky beer on the footpath style seating.
 

 

Asian Style Eats

Bang Pop – South Wharf

High Chairs – Change Table – Room for Prams

Casual Asian eats complete with a bar made from Lego, which is just for looking unfortunately. Mr 4 not happy

 

Wagamama - South Gate - CDB
High Chairs - Kids Eat FREE - Find our detailed Review HERE
Cheap Asian eats are my favourite! Grab some spring rolls, dim sum, a bowl of noodles or a stir-fry. There are LOADS of fun family friendly dishes to eat, and hey the kids eat FREE - need l say more!

Find More Family Friendly Yum Cha Hot Spots in China Town and the CBD ::  HERE

 

 

Hello My Mexican Friend

Guzman Y Gomez

High Chairs – Kids Menu – Fooz Ball Table – Room for Prams

Grab some quick and tasty traditional eats at this casual Mexican eatery. The special kids menu will fill little tummies with dishes like The Little Guy Burrito, Chedder Cheese Quesadillas and tasty Kids Nachos. This place rocks, it's the ultimate spot with a very casual vibe for families.

 Mr Sweet Treat

 

We recently named the TOP spots in Melbourne to get a fluffy cupcakes. Find the CITY locations :: HERE
 

Kids and sweet shops go hand in hand. Find the BEST Kid Friendly Confectionery Shops in the city :: HERE

 

 

Has YOUR favourite city dining spot missed the list? Then you best let us know! Leave your suggestions in the comments and we’ll add them to our cracking list. xx

Spotted!! - More CBD family friendly dining suggestions Via the good folk over at Little Melbourne