Lakeshore Lodge - Milton, NSW South Coast

Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, Lakeshore Lodge sets the scene perfectly for a peaceful relaxing holiday.

Set in a secluded 130 acre coastal rainforest valley. Lakeshore Lodge offers 4 one bedroom and 1 two bedroom self-contained apartments. The sunny north facing apartments with outdoor terraces open onto soft lawns leading down to the lake edge, on the western shores of Burrill Lake.

The Lodge and apartments are built in a modern contemporary style. We booked the 2 bedroom apartment for our stay, since there would be 4 of us.

 It's a pretty long drive down to the property from the entrance at the top of the forest. Beautiful tall trees surround the path. We were greeted by the owner as soon as we arrived, he showed us into our apartment and also showed us the lake just a few steps away from where we were. There's a lot of room for the kids to run around and play, they also have an outdoor setting just at the front of the apartment where you can sit back and relax with a glass of wine and some cheese and crackers. The property is very well maintained, very clean and fully furnished including everything you'll need for cooking. 

Here are some pictures we took.

                                                        

 

                                      

                                     

The great thing with the South Coast is that there is always plenty to see and do and that's why we never tire of going back. We love the yummy food that a lot of the cafe's offer. Here are some of the meals we had.

If you know the South Coast well then you'll know that you are surrounded by beautiful beaches and lakes. During this trip, we went to the Jarvis Bay Marine Park.

                                     

       

                                                

We went towards the end of winter so the water was still pretty cold to swim in but the kids still loved playing by the shore. Indeed a beautiful place to take the family.

For more information on the Lakeshore Lodge, please contact:
43A Tallow Wood Drive Milton NSW 2538
PH:(02)44545596 enquiries@lakeshorelodge.com.au 
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Website: http://www.lakeshorelodge.com.au/lakeshorelodge.html


Pictures courtesy of RMV Photography 

New Years Eve and Christmas Lights Spectacular at the Hunter Valley Gardens - NSW, Australia

We've been to the Hunter Valley Gardens to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks and also to see the Christmas lights spectacular a couple of times now. I myself like going there for the fireworks simply because the crowd is not too large, you don't have to sit and reserve a spot for hours just to see the fireworks display.The kids have more fun because they get to see the beautiful lights around the garden first then we all get to sit down on picnic mats to watch the fireworks right infront of us.

Here are the details for the Christmas Lights Spectacular:

Dates: 7 November 2014 – 26 January 2015

Entertainment, Food & Beverage Area: Open from 6:30pm – 10:00pm

Christmas Lights Display: Open from 7:30pm – 10:00pm

(Please note: Gardens will close at 4:00pm during Christmas Lights)

• With exciting new displays including – Candyland, Winnie the Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, the North Pole scene, sound & light display
• Santa and Photo’s by D&V Photography (user pay)
• Entertainment
• Food and Beverage Stalls (user pay)
• Jumping Castle (user pay)
• Amusement rides (from approx. 21st Nov) (user pay)

Roaming Entertainment: From 6:30pm – 9.30pm Crowds will be entertained by roaming performers and carolers throughout the event.

Little Scallywagz: 7:00pm & 8:00pm The Little Scallywagz children’s music group includes 4 performers, 2 of which are life size characters called Cha-Cha and J-J. They will be on site every night of the Christmas Lights to entertain the kids with a fun, energetic and upbeat shows at 7pm & 8pm. Additional shows on demand.

Santa: 6:30pm – 10:00pm Will be onsite from 7th November – 24th December and children can have their ‘Santa’ Photo’s taken by D&V Photography in Santa’s Cave, or simply sit on Santa’s knee to put in their Christmas wish list.
Cost for photos:-

1. With exciting new displays including – Candyland, Winnie the Pooh, Alice in Wonderland, the North Pole scene, sound & light display
2. Single group photo (best for small families or single child) up to 30 people. Between 3-6 different photos on a CD. $35
3. Group photo and 3 individual photos. (Best for families who want a family photo plus individual shots of each child) 10-15 different photos on a CD. $45
4. 4 group photos: essentially 4 package 1. (Best value and best for large extended families with multiple family groups) 15-20 photos a disc. $55

** Each additional group added to each package is an additional $10.
***All packages come with ALL the photos on a disk.

Jumping Castle: 6:30pm – 10:00pm (weather permitting)

Amusement Rides: 6:30pm – 10:00pm (weather permitting) from approx. the 21st November to the 26th January 2015.

Fireworks: Opening and Industry night 7th November at 9.00pm, NYE 31st December at 9.00pm and Australia Day 26th January at 9.00pm.

NIGHT ONLY TICKETS
Adult	$25.00
Children (4-15 yrs)	$20.00
Children 3 yrs & Under	FREE
Family (2ad+1chd)	$60.00
Family Pass Extra Child	$17.00
DAY & NIGHT TICKETS
Adult Day + Night (16yrs +)	$44.00
Children Day + Night (4-15yrs)	$21.00
Children (3yrs and under)	FREE
**Day/Night (Return) Adult	$17.00
**Day/Night (Return) Child	$5.00

Here are some of the lights on display around the gardens for the Christmas Lights Spectacular.

You can see the lights either before the 9:00pm fireworks if you go on New Years Eve or you can walk around after the fireworks. Here are some pictures we took of the fireworks display.

This truly is a family affair so bring everyone along to see the beautiful lights display and fireworks this coming New Year 2015. I can guarantee you that everyone from the very old to the very young will love what the gardens have to offer.

For more details, contact: 

Hunter Valley Gardens
Broke Road Pokolbin, NSW 2320 Australia

Ph: 61 2 4998 4000 | Fax: 61 2 4998 4001

Pictures courtesy of RMV Photography