The lastest news from Holidays with Kids...

PERU  - Second expedition announced!

Everyone at Holidays with Kids is so proud and happy to be sponsoring World Expeditions Tastayoq Village Project, an exciting and much needed community project in Peru. The aim in Tastayoq is to help the local school by building a bridge that the children can walk over safely, and by constructing a school and community kitchen. The 16-day tour includes a city tour of Cusco, a visit to the Sacred Valley, visit a previous project in Qelqanqam then trek to Tastayoq. You’ll spend four days working on the project, before heading off to explore the magical Machu Picchu. The kids will be well and truly immersed in the Andean culture, will camp out, and will come home feeling as if they have made a difference.
This project has been so successful that the first trip is sold out and another departure has been set for 26 September.
For more information, visit www.worldexpeditions.com.au

National Playgroup week brings families together!

National Playgroup Week runs from 22 to 28 March and it’s a perfect time for parents with babies and children under five to discover what playgroup is all about. This year the theme is ‘Playgroups: Bringing Families Together’ and The World’s Biggest Playgroup will take place on Wednesday 25 March.
Activities planned include concerts and games in the parks of Sydney, Hobart, Perth and Canberra; plus events at Darwin’s Crocodylus Park; the Melbourne Museum, Adelaide’s National Railway Museum and State Parliament in Brisbane. Regional events will also be included. Tens of thousands of families are expected to join the fun!
To find out what’s on during National Playgroup Week go to www.playgroupaustralia.com.au or call 1800 171 882 (toll free)

Easter hot deal at Sundowner Tiona, North Coast NSW

Looking for an Easter escape that provides loads of free treats for the whole family? Sundowner Tiona on the north coast of NSW has a very special Easter Family Package that will get you hopping! For just $660, 2 adults and 2 children can book 4 nights in the brand new sand dune family cottage, choice of readymade meals on the first night, a chocolate Easter hamper for the family, an Easter craft pack for kids, an egg hunt and a seafood platter.
Book into tranquil Sundowner Tiona for 4 nights of Easter holiday bliss, jam packed with Easter extras for the whole family that won’t break the budget. 
For bookings, call  02 6554 0291  or visit   www.sundownerholidays.com 

Bandaged Bear Day celebrates 20th anniversary

Throughout the month of March help raise vital funds for The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. The hospital cares for over 60,000 sick children and their families each year. Donations also fund research into childhood illness, purchase of high-tech equipment and the provision of extra services for children and families. Hold a fundraising party, volunteer or make a donation.
To find out how you can help on Bandaged Bear Day Friday 27 March visit www.bandagedbearday.com.au

Free entertainment for families!

NSW – Step right up to HOOPLA – Sydney’s sensational circus and street theatre festival at Darling Harbour this Easter long weekend. With an authentic big top circus tent, Hoopla will dazzle all Easter long weekend (10–13 April) from 12–5pm each day. The whole family can delight in amazing aerial acrobatics, side-splitting comedy capers, virtuosic circus stunts, jaw-dropping performances by renowned local and international artists and circus workshops for the kids.  And best of all it’s FREE.
See www.darlingharbour.com

QLD – Celebrate St Patrick’s Day in true green Australian style on Saturday March 14 when Brisbane’s annual St Patrick’s Day Parade hits the city. Free family entertainment will include Irish dancers, a pipe band and delicious Irish fare. The Parade will start on the corner of George and Elizabeth Streets and wind its way through the city. Expected to feature more than 30 floats it will start at 10.30am with festivities until 2pm.
See www.spraci.com

Victoria- Just a 2.5 hour drive from Melbourne, the Echuca-Moama Celtic Festival will delight the whole family from 27 February to Sunday March 8 2009. Enjoy soul-stirring bagpipes, marvel at the skill and grace of the dancers and jig to many of the bands and wandering fiddlers.
See www.celticfestival.com.au

Western Australia – Watch the gigantic screens on the Swan River and be part of Perth Festival’s floating film spectacular March 6 -8 2009. After the sun goes down, the floating screen will light up with a delightful animation from the Japanese coming of age story Kiki’s Delivery Service by Hayao Miyazaki.
For times go to http://www.perthfestival.com.au/family/

South Australia – Roll out the rug for a family summer picnic presented by the Adelaide Rock’n’Roll club on Sunday 22 March at Heywood Park. Arrive around 12 noon at Heywood Park, Unley Park (top end of King William Road) and enjoy the afternoon relaxing with friends and family. BBQ is available at the venue.
See www.adelaiderocknroll.com.au/events.php

Tasmania –Show your kids how to have fun and be healthy at the YMCA Healthy Kids Day Saturday March 14 10am-12pm in Hobart. Come with your family to take part in fun, interactive, health-centred activities. Teaching children healthy habits early will help them take care of themselves for a lifetime. It's FREE and open to everyone. We will be serving free, healthy refreshments.
For more information see www.hobartymca.org/program_familycommunity.asp

Northern Territory – Dedicated to all things fishing, the Top End Fishing Festival in Darwin swings into action 28 and 29 March. Come and hear your favourite fishing personality, check out the latest gear, watch the cooking show chefs in action or have a go at the variety of competitions. Get down to the Darwin Showgrounds, Stuart Highway.
For more information see www.topendfishingfestival.com.au

Help the wildlife – Victorian bushfire appeal - donate now

The recent bushfires in Victoria devastated native wildlife populations, with many of them brought to Healesville Sanctuary in need of specialist veterinary care. People wishing to donate to the Australian Wildlife Health Centre at the Sanctuary can do so by calling (03) 9285 9406 during business hours or donate online to Zoos Victoria Foundation at www.zoo.org.au 

V8 Supercars Virtual Reality now open at Dreamworld, Gold Coast

Now open at Dreamworld on Queensland’s Gold Coast, anyone can participate in the fun of the V8 Supercars RedLine. Drivers must be at least 130cm, while passengers must be 18kg and four years of age or above. Spectators can cheer from the viewing platform on the sideline. The cars cost $10 per Driver’s Pass and $5 per Passenger Pass and can be booked at www.dreamworld.com.au

Fly a kite and help make history at Brunswick Heads NSW

Imagine nearly 2000 kites of all shapes and sizes flying colourfully along a stretch of beautiful beach! It will be an amazing sight when the world and Australian record attempts for the number of kites flying at the one time takes place at Brunswick Heads on the 21st and 22nd of March 2009.
The record attempts will be among the many highlights of the annual Kites and Bikes Festival in the seaside village of Brunswick Heads, on the far coast of New South Wales. Other highlights of the festival will be a bike parade, hinterland bike rides, a bike skills circuit, the biggest kites in Australia, a youth talent quest, circus performers, barbeques, street theatre and BMX and skateboard demonstrations.
For further information go to www.kitesandbikes.com.au or call 02 6685 1003 

Make Ocean Friends Aboard P&O Cruises

Young passengers onboard a P&O Cruises Australia holiday can now learn about the marine environment in a new education program. The Ocean Friends Club was developed with Sydney Aquarium and is designed to educate and entertain children who attend the two onboard kid’s clubs.
The program runs on every cruise and consists of a variety of activities including interactive ‘touch and feel’ activities, art and craft and energetic games. At the end of the cruise, children who take part in the program receive free entry to Sydney Aquarium. 
For more information and bookings contact a licensed travel agent or P&O Cruises on 13 24 69 or visit www.pocruises.com.au

Awards reveal best hotel for families in Africa

Africa is an amazing destination for kids with a nose for adventure. Now TripAdvisor has revealed the best hotel for families in the region – the Paradis Hotel & Golf Club, a Beachcomber hotel in Mauritius. This elegant 5-star resort has earned an excellent reputation thanks to its variety of quality accommodation and extensive range of land and water sports. It received the most votes for the Africa category in the 2009 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards, now in its seventh year.
Find out more about the resort at www.paradis-hotel.com

Discover the wonder of nature at the Botanic Gardens in Sydney

Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens education team is holding the young children’s ‘must do’ social and educational activity, Dandy Lions: Wild Things in the Garden. This playgroup provides hands-on gardening and craft activities for children aged up to 5 years during school terms.
Bring your child to the Dandy Lions for a morning of discovery and play on Thursday 10am to 12 noon during school terms (excludes school holidays). Cost $11 per family, max 2 children.
Go to www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au